Blackened Cod with Mango Salad

I looked at myself in the mirror this morning and it wasn’t pretty…  My hair is dull, I have deep, dark circles under my eyes and my complexion is no longer fair;  it’s officially white with blue undertones.  I need a tan so bad – everybody looks better with a tan (Not to worry; I always wear sunscreen!)

So I’m still in “beach” mode and aside from craving sun, sand and Tequila, I also wanted a dish that would be both fresh and light. 

This blackened cod tastes like sunshine; that’s the best way I can describe it!

Jerk Chicken

What you may not know about me is that I am a HUGE James Bond fan.  I’ve watched each movie many, many times.  My favorite one has to be Goldfinger.  I love everything about that movie:  the suave interpretation of James Bond by Sean Connery, the martinis “shaken, not stirred”, the impossible stunts, the bond girls, and even the now comical sexism of the sixties (Bond actually slaps a woman on the butt and say: "say goodbye, man talk"!)

 

I recently discovered that after WWII Ian Fleming, the genius behind the James Bond novels bought a property in Jamaica.  This is where Fleming imagined and wrote most of the James Bond Novels.

Flash forward to today.  His property is now a resort:  The GoldenEye!  I WANT TO GO SO BAD!

 

Since vacations are out of the questions these days, I decided to bring Jamaica to Toronto by preparing a batch of Jerk Chicken, one of my favourite Jamaican dishes.  Serve this dish with rice and a Red Stripe beer or a tall glass of Ting!

Coconut Shrimp with Honey Mustard Sauce

Coconut shrimps are a delicious and healthy snacks to serve at your next party.  

You can prepare the shrimps in advance and freeze them to bake them later.  Coat the shrimps with the coconut mixture, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze flat.  Once the shrimps are frozen, place them in an airtight container and freeze for later.  You don't even need to thaw the shrimps before baking them in the oven!

Thai Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Around the corner from my home, there is a delicious restaurant that prepares all the best Thai specialties.  Aside from their delicious shrimp Pad Thai, my favourite dish is the satay chicken with peanut sauce.  The restaurant has never wanted to reveal the secret of their recipes, but after many attempts to recreate the dish, I think I finally captured the delicious flavours of the Thai Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce.

How-to: Shuck Oysters

Valentine’s day is tomorrow!  One of the most perfect dish to serve your sweetheart (aside from mountains and mountains of chocolates) are oysters.

The legend has it that Casanova, the 18^th Cenury lover who admitted to seducing 122 women in his memoirs, would eat 50 oysters every morning for breakfast.  Now the question is:  are oyster really aphrodisiac? 

A team of American and Italian researchers think so!  They found that oysters are rich in rare amino acids that trigger increased levels of sex hormones.  Now although the science may prove that on a chemical level oysters are aphrodisiac, I believe that the ritual has a lot more to do with it…

Taco Wings

Yesterday was the NFL Super Bowl XLVII.  I can't really say I'm a big football fan but any excuse to prepare finger food is good for me!  That being said, this week I'm going to be posting all the delicious snacks I prepared for the big game.

First up:  Chicken wings!  

Wings are a classic dish to watch any sport event; Buffalo, honey garlic, mild, medium or hot, you name it, I love them all.  This year I wanted to try a new flavour for my wings and decided to combine two of my favourite comfort foods:  Tacos & Wings!

I used the spice mix I usually prepare for beef tacos and transformed it into a dry rub for the wings.