Laughing Oyster

Chris & Jill

I wore myself out changing the pool filter sand and neighbours Jill & Chris were working in their yard all day too so I asked them to join us for dinner out. They were very happy to accept.

Fern & Chris at the Buffet

Chef Dave

It was all good, especially the sticky plum pudding dessert. I'm still stuffed!

Cajun Chicken

I was going to put a nice lemon sauce on the plate but it didn't work. I started with too much thickener and that ruined it. Lots of butter on the new potatoes and peas and carrots almost made up for it. I am relying on that Cajun seasoning a little more than I should, it's just so versatile.

I boiled the potatoes, microwaved the vegetables and BBQ'd the chicken. Season the breast, brush with oil, then put it in a hot BBQ over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, depending on the BBQ, turning several times. The breasts become firm when they're done and juices are clear of blood.

My food always seems to taste good now so ordinary as it may be, it tasted really good.

Fresh Red Snapper

The snapper was delivered to Mitchell's while I was there so it can't get any fresher than that! I pulled several bones off each breast then turned to the potatoes. Mitchell's had new potatoes that were delicious boiled and served with butter and salt. The broccoli was steamed, cooled in cold water to stop cooking and reheated in olive oil. The snapper I salted both sides then sprinkled Cajun spice mix over it and put it in a hot pan. Watch the edge of the fish and when the centre turns opaque, turn the fish over and finish cooking it.

A little fresh lemon on the Cajun spice brought the plate to life. It took only half an hour to prepare and plate this meal. I'm getting a lot better at this!

Pork Cutlet with mash and broccoli

I was fixing the leaking skimmer on the pool most of the day so I didn't put a lot of effort into dinner. Mashed potatoes are peeled, cut into chunks, boiled till soft, drained, mashed, salted, add butter, add milk, whip with a fork. Never use an electric mixer on potatoes, it turns them to gluey paste.

The broccoli was steamed till it starts to soften then run under cold water to stop cooking. A couple of minutes before I want them ready, I put the broccoli back in the dry pot with olive oil and a little salt. Warm it up in the olive oil so it finishes cooking and plate.

The pork chop is fried in hot oil. The apple sauce is right out of the jar. Pretty plain but the pool is terrific!

Cajun Chicken with Cheddar Sauce

A really simple meal this time, made more complicated by the BBQ running out of gas halfway through. Fortunately I went out to check it just as the gas cut out. The tank took a little fiddling to get in the right spot and the veggies got a little overdone, but a fairly good recover. I chopped a little parsley into the veggies to perk them up.

 Rice done in the microwave with salt, olive oil and lemon juice. The chicken just had salt and cajun spice then I brushed it with olive oil and put it on the BBQ. I diced a stick of celery and steamed it with the broccoli. The celery didn't tolerate the overcooking at all well.

The cheese sauce I made in a small pot on the induction element. A teaspoon of flour and tablespoon of butter cooked to bubbling then 1/2 cup milk or so, whisked smooth and cheese. Cut off several slices of cheese so it doesn't take all night to melt. Melt the cheese and let the sauce thicken a bit. Serve over the broccoli and over or under the chicken and rice. It looks a mess but I like my  cheese or hollandaise sauce slathered over everything.

The cheese sauce was really good on the Cajun spice and the rice and the broccoli and the celery and the plate. 

Fish Friday

Nice fresh red snapper at Mitchell's. I seasoned it with salt and Cajun spice then fried it.  The broccoli was steamed and finished with olive oil.  That leaves the soup.  Fern harvested leeks from the garden and I finally had a chance to do something with them.  They had sent up flower spikes but it was early so they should be ok. 

Not. The centres of the stalks turn to wood when the spikes start rising. The soup tasted fine but I had to keep spittting out the woody bits. I put potatoes in the soup so if we didn't eat it we wouldn't get any starch with the protein. 

Potato and Leek Soup

6  leeks - green part removed

3  potatoes - peeled diced to 1/4 inch 

1/3 cup water

1  cup milk

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 tsp salt

white pepper

Sweat the leeks in some olive oil.  If the centres are hard, remove them and discard. Add the water, white wine and half the milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour keeping the pan wet. Near the end add the remaining milk to keep the pan wet. 

The woody leeks ruined the dish but it tasted really good. This year I'll have a better idea what to do with fresh leeks. Eat them before they start to bloom!

Pork Cutlets

Mitchell's pork cutlets again. They're good and easy. Mashed potatoes on the side with butter, salt and milk.  The broccoli I did at the last minute in the microwave and finished it with butter, salt and black pepper. That leaves the salad.

1 tomato

5 inches of English cucumber

1 stick celery

iceberg lettuce

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp canola oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar

salt

mixed pepper

Whisk, toss and serve.

Cajun Chicken

Cajun spice on the chicken, salt and brush it with oil. Then on the BBQ for 25 minutes, medium high flame. The rice has salt, olive oil and lemon juice.  We had a late lunch so I made salad instead of a hot vegetable.

Salad

1 tomato

1 gala apple

1 stick celery

lettuce

chives

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp canola oil

2 tsp lemon juice

salt

mixed pepper

Whisk up the dressing and toss all the ingredients in it. I put a bit of soy sauce on my rice and that was it. The salad was a really nice change from cucumber.

Pork Souvlaki

I didn't feel like working hard making dinner so I bought Brian's excellent pork souvlaki's at Mitchell's. All I had to do was make basmati rice with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and make a Greek salad.

Greek Salad

1 diced tomato

6" of English cucumber - the skin isn't bitter

1 slice red onion - diced

handful black olives - splurge on good ones, they make a big difference

50gms cow feta cheese

1 tbsp fresh chives

1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves chopped

salt

black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp canola oil

2 tsp lemon juice

It looks complicated but it's really not and it tastes great. Fern complained again that he didn't think the pork was cooked. He isn't happy unless it's burnt to a cinder. So this will be the last time I make pork except those cutlets. Never heard a complaint about those.

Cajun Chicken BBQ

I shopped early but started on dinner late. Playing with the baby chickens and I did clean their cage. Since we went out to The Laughing Oyster last night I didn't feel the need to try to outdo Chef Dave's team of professionals, keep it simple. Also one of the gardeners brought his son over to swim in the pool. I took the cover off and exhausted myself watching a movie. 

I salted the chicken breasts on both sides then seasoned with Cajun spice mix on both sides. I have mixed my own Cajun spice but the bulk bin Cajun at Save On Foods is just as good. I brushed the seasoned breasts with olive oil and put them on a hot BBQ. The heat was turned down from high and I turned them every 5 minutes till they had been in for twenty minutes and had crossed grill marks on both sides. 

The rice was Basmati done in the microwave with salt, splash of lemon juice, 2 tsp olive oil. I put soy sauce on mine on the plate because I don't like plain white rice, Fern does. The Broccoli was steamed and finished in olive oil with a bit of salt.  

It was all really good despite being extremely simple.

Dinner at the Laughing Oyster

Sunday evening dinner at the Laughing Oyster Restaurant. The photo looks across Okeover Arm and into Theodosia Inlet. Desolation Sound is down the inlet to the left. The buffet was wonderful and we all tried the new dessert, Sticky Date Pudding, which is a pudding cake with caramel sauce and a scoop of ice cream. It's worth the 25 minute drive just for that dessert!

Really Easy Cinnamon Rolls

The biscuits reminded me of these treats that are simply an extra step in the biscuit recipe. Of course starting with a really simple recipe, I would manage to screw it up. I mixed the dry ingredients then added the milk.  Once I had my dough made I realized I forgot the butter. I could throw out the dough or see if I can fix it.  I decided to use knives to cut the butter into the dough. It meant some pieces of butter were too big but it was the best I could do. I substitute a little corn flour for wheat flour to make the biscuits a little softer. It reduces the protein and increases the carbohydrate. It's not necessary but a nice touch if you only have all purpose flour.

Biscuits or Scones

1 3/4  cups flour

1/4     cup corn flour - to make all purpose flour into pastry flour

1/2     tsp salt

4 tsp  baking powder - there is no egg to help it rise

1/4     cup sugar

1/2     cup butter

1/2     cup milk

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter. Make coarse oatmeal texture then add the milk.  Form into a slightly sticky ball using a bit more milk if necessary. Flour a flat area to roll the dough.  Sprinkle flour over the dough and roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick. Spread butter over the flattened dough. Spread 1/2 cup raisins over the dough. Next sprinkle cinnamon over the butter and raisins, as much as you like. Sprinkle brown sugar over the cinnamon, using enough to sweeten the cinnamon  that was just added. Keep in mind that the sugar will not melt so too much won't be good either. Roll the dough up into a tube and slice inch thick rounds. Put the rounds on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Mix a bit of melted butter with some brown sugar in it and brush the tops of all the rounds. Bake at 325F for 15-20 minutes on metal sheet or 25-30 minutes on a ceramic one. I use ceramic ones Fern found at the thrift shop for $5. Worth over $100 and I love them!

It's next morning and there are only three cinnamon rolls left out of 11. They're good!

Beef Tacos

It looks like it's suffering a bit of droop but the flavour is all there.  I started with an onion, diced and sweated. Then 3/4 lb lean ground beef went in with salt. I browned it while breaking it up. Next one tablespoon of taco seasoning over the meat, followed by a little flour.  I let that cook for a minute then added a packet of beef stock and at least 1/2 cup water. Let the water boil off while a diced green pepper cooks in the meat.  I had two plates warming in the oven, I put the soft taco shells on the plates to warm up.

Refried beans at the back there. I added Tabasco sauce and sour cream and a few drops of lime juice to the refried beans. It helps to start with premium refried beans like Old El Paso.

The sour cream has fresh chives and a few drops of lime juice in it. 

Guacamole

1     soft avocado - hard ones aren't ripe and won't work well

2     tsp lime juice

1/4  tsp salt

2     tbsp sour cream

Mash the avocado with a fork and combine with other ingredients. 

Salsa on top was Fern's that I heated in the microwave. When everything was ready I filled soft tacos with beef and laid grated cheddar over the meat and rolled it up. Refried beans on the side. Sour cream and chives mixture on the taco shell. Next the guacamole, followed by the heated salsa. The last bits of cheddar sprinkled over the plates. That was it!

Fern remarked several times how good the food was so I'll definitely make this again, as it's the only way to get beef in the menu without complaint.

Cajun Red Snapper

Brian had lovely fresh red snapper at Mitchell's today so bought two fillets. I managed to get all the bones out this time.  I'm sure it looked like I was feeling up the fish. I cut them in half, salted and sprinkled with Cajun Seasoning. I turned them over salted the other side but left the seasoning on just one. I got my frying pan hot and laid them in olive oil. In the mean time I boiled up some potatoes, mashed with butter, salt and milk. The broccoli was steamed, cooled and reheated in olive oil. On the plate I drizzled lemon juice on the fish and broccoli. That was it.

The fish was the best we've had except Kevin's fresh caught. I'll definitely be planning fish on Fridays, now I know where to go.

Cinnamon Raisin Scone

Who knew scones could taste good? I started with my recipe from last time and sweetened it up.

Preheat oven to 325F

1/2 cup soft butter

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder - yes 4

1/2 cup raisins or two handfuls or that looks like enough

1/2 cup milk at least

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, raisins and sugar. Slowly add 1/2 cup milk, mixing into dry ingredients with a fork.  When the dough balls up, it has enough milk (use more if needed).  Sprinkle cinnamon over the dough, not evenly. Gather into a ball and roll flat to one inch thick on a board dusted with corn flour (or wheat). Cut into 2 inch rounds. Melt the tablespoon of butter and mix into the brown sugar. Brush this mixture on the top of the scones.  Put in oven for 25-30 minutes on a ceramic cookie sheet or 15-20 on a metal one.

I put the brown sugar on top after brushing on the butter. It was ok but I'm hoping mixing the butter and brown sugar will produce a better result. In either case, these taste great! Just sweet enough.

Very Simple Curry

I bought chicken for dinner then realized we were going out for Fern's birthday. But, Fern decided he wanted to go to a meeting so we'll go for dinner on Sunday and suddenly I had to make dinner again. Tomato curry was the first thing that came to mind. I had pineapple bits needing using up so it will be a sweet and sour curry.

 

I first diced up half an onion I had in the fridge and sweated it in olive oil. I diced the chicken, salted it and coated it with flour. Then fried it with more oil. I only browned the outside of the meat, the inside will cook in the sauce. I sprinkled a half tablespoon of curry powder over the chicken. If you want stronger, hotter curry use more.  I emptied a 16oz can of tomato sauce into the pan. Diced up two cloves of garlic and added it. A stick of celery diced went in next (Fern loves celery). I strained the last half cup of pineapple pieces and added them when the chicken was cooked. I had basmati rice cooking in the microwave and when it was done I put in the frozen peas I had ready. When the peas were cooked they went in the curry with the pineapple pieces.  Call the horde and plate the curry over the rice.

It was very good, there's none left.

Liver with Bacon and Onions

I think I'm finally starting to get the picture at Mitchell's. Friday's they have fresh fish. Monday they had liver. It looks like lower volume meats they do bring in, but only once a week. That works for me now that I know not to decide on dinner till I see what they have. I started with 3 strips of bacon diced and fried in my big pan then put them aside. I thinly sliced 2 onions and started frying them in another pan.  Potatoes were boiling for mash and I had the broccoli ready in the steamer. I steamed the broccoli to almost done then cooled it under running water. 

When the onions started to have some colour I added the bacon to them and turned the heat down. First I laid out the liver and salted it on one side. Then I put flour in a plastic bag and shook each piece to coat it. I laid the liver in a hot frying pan with plenty of oil. It's best if the liver is just a tiny bit pink inside, which is hard to do if it's thin, so just try not to over cook it.

I mashed the potatoes and added butter, milk and salt.  The broccoli I put back in a pan with olive oil and a pinch of salt to reheat. When the liver was done I plated it on the liver and bacon. That is ordinary tomato ketchup on my liver, I love it that way.

I also made a Greek salad that I forgot to photograph.  It had tomato, cucumber, chives, black olives, feta cheese, olive oil, canola oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Chicken Fajita

I have no idea what's in fajitas so I use the term loosely. 

2 Cajun seasoned chicken breasts

1/2 onion cut into lengths

1 green pepper cut in strips

1 or 2 sticks celery cut in 2 inch strips

1 clove garlic diced finely

1/2 tsp flour

dash of cumin

splash of white wine

salt

grated cheddar cheese

I brushed the chicken breasts with oil and BBQ'd them. In a large frying pan I put olive oil and the onion and celery followed shortly afterwards by the green pepper. I cut the cooked chicken breasts into strips and put them with the softened vegetables. Then I sprinkled salt and flour over the pan and cooked the taste off it. I looked for something to replace stock, white wine! Just a splash to moisten the pan. That brought the pan together. I sprinkled grated cheddar over the pan and tossed it once more. I had a soft taco shell on a plate in the oven warming, I took it out, filled it with the fajitas mixture, rolled it up and sprinkled grated cheddar over it.

Tomato Sauce

1/2 onion diced

2 tomatoes diced

1 tbsp cilantro diced

several drops Tabasco Sauce

dash of cumin

salt

black pepper

Cook the water off and spread tomato sauce over taco. Spread sour cream over the tomato sauce. 

Guacamole

1 avocado

dash of cumin

1 tbsp cilantro chopped

juice of 1/2 a lime

1 tbsp sour cream

several drops Tabasco Sauce

Mash avocado with a fork and whip ingredients in with it and spread over sour cream on taco.

Refried Beans

1 can Old El Paso refried beans - or similarly good tasting out of the can

2 tbsp sour cream

juice of 1/2 a lime

grated cheddar on top

Plate beans beside taco and serve.

Fern remarked several times while eating how good this was and he doesn't prefer Mexican. I realized it was a jalapeño I'd forgotten to buy but we never missed it. If I'd had some I would have put it in the fajitas and tomato sauce.

Sloppy Souvlaki But I Have a New Reef

I was so exhausted from opening the pool I almost ordered in but bought Mitchell's pork souvlaki instead. Brush it with oil and put it on a hot BBQ on medium high heat for 15 minutes, turning so all sides brown. It doesn't get any easier.

Along with that is 1/2 cup Basmati rice with 1 cup water, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt and cooked in the microwave. Once the rice was done I took it out and stirred it with a fork. The peas were frozen, cooked in the microwave and finished with butter, salt and a bit of black pepper. That's it and no pots to wash!

It was a great and gratefully simple dinner.

Yesterday I finally got the new pool liner installed and the pool filled. I still have to tighten things up to stop the plumbing leaks but the hard work is over. It has a Caribbean coral reef motif around the side wall. Before I filled the pool the dog was standing there barking at the fish. We were afraid it looked a bit too kiddy pool before we filled it, but it looks fine. The fish seem to move around in the rippling water. Behind the pool on the right are my backyard chickens. Their run needs a little work. Later.

Cajun Chicken with Kale and Corn

I was installing the new liner for the pool all day. It's filling now, later I'll be able to finish off the top supports. It has a coral reef motif and the dog has been standing there barking at the fish.

Exhausted from the pool I didn't want to spend 90 minutes in the kitchen.  Cajun chicken has become the go to meal when I'm in a hurry. Sprinkle the meat with salt and Cajun spice, brush with olive oil and put on the BBQ. I have the BBQ on medium high flame for the first few minutes then turn it down so they roast for 25-30 minutes. (These breasts were smaller so they were done in 20).

The rice has salt, few drops lemon juice and olive oil. The kale was left over from the other day and there were only two leaves.  I cut the stems out and sliced it into bite size pieces.  I decided to boil the kale since steaming it last time didn't produce the results I wanted. There wasn't quite enough kale so I had to add something to it. At the last minute I decided on corn and added it to the pot. When that was done I drained and added butter, salt and a few drops of apple cider vinegar.

The vinegar really worked with the kale and the corn was an excellent partner. I'll have to remember that for next time. The chicken was excellent but unless I burn it, it's fool proof.

Chicken Thighs

Mitchell's was sold out of chicken breasts, bone in or off, so I had to get something else. We just had pork so I decided on chicken thighs, I bought four. When I got home I thought about cooking them and decided to use Shake'n Bake. Turns out I didn't have any so I had to use my own concoction. In a plastic bag I put 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning, 1/2 tsp paprika and a bit of fresh ground pepper. I salted the meat first then put each piece in the bag and shook it. I laid them on a baking sheet, brushed them with oil (this was a mistake) and put them in a 400F oven. I forgot how much fat is in chicken skin so I added oil on top. There is plenty of fat in the skin, don't add more.

The rice was cooked with salt, lemon juice and olive oil and I put soy sauce on it on the plate. Frozen peas with fresh carrots on the side completes the plate. I put a few drops of lemon juice in the peas and carrots which destroyed their colour. A little acid helps, when it's added on the plate, not when vegetables are cooking.

My coating mix wasn't quite as good as the original but it was crunchy and had flavour. Plain basmati rice speaks for itself. The vegetables tasted fine but looked a bit washed out. Overall, not a bad meal.

Pork Tenderloin Curry

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for dinner.  At Mitchell's I decided on a pork tenderloin, when I got home Fern said, "Not splayed open like last time!" So I decided to curry it. I diced an onion, half a green pepper, half a yellow pepper, a carrot and a stick of celery. I browned the onion first while I diced, salted and floured the meat. Then I got a nice sear on it. Next I added 1/2 tablespoon curry powder to the meat and cooked it a moment before adding the carrots, celery and a bit later the peppers. A can of tomato sauce to hold it together and while that was softening I steamed some broccoli and stirred it into the curry at the end. 

I plated Basmati rice cooked with salt, lemon and olive oil first then plated the curry over top. Fern remarked several times while eating that it was really good, I thought so too.

Cajun Chicken with Stewed Fresh Tomatoes and Kale

Snapper if they had any or chicken. That looks like chicken! I sifted sand for the new pool liner all day so I'm exhausted and didn't want to make a complicated dinner. Cajun chicken requires chicken, Cajun spice, salt, olive oil and a BBQ. Rice goes in the microwave because it has a moisture sensor so it cooks rice perfectly every time. Brown rice, not so much. Olive oil, salt and lemon juice go in the rice. Kale I can cut the stems out, slice up the leaves, steam for 4 minutes and finish with olive oil. So that's what I started.

While everything was cooking I thought, "I really need something on that chicken." I looked in the fridge. Fresh tomatoes. I can stew up a couple of tomatoes with black pepper and a little salt and that should be perfect. I diced up the tomatoes, skins on, and stewed them up in no time. It was exceptionally good.

The kale was really nice too. I think it would have been even better with a few drops of lemon juice. I'll remember that for next time. The tomatoes were enough to flavour my rice, I didn't need soy sauce. A new high in my gastronome.

We'll be having a lot more Cajun chicken when Fern's tomatoes start to ripen.

Pork Tenderloin

I wanted to cook the tenderloin  through on the BBQ without scorching the outside. So I sliced it lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick, not all the way through. Then flipped it open and sliced again so I had a more or less flat piece of meat. The obvious thing to do is put something in it and roll it back up, but that would defeat my purpose.  There is probably a name for doing this but I haven't a clue what it would be.

First I salted it well then sprinkled ground garlic over it, fresh garlic would be more flavourful but I'm pressed for time. Next some mustard powder and ground pepper. Finally some dried dill and then I brushed it with olive oil. I turned it over and on the other side I just brushed dijon mustard over all. I put them directly on the BBQ on medium high flame.

On the side are mashed potatoes with salt, butter and milk. Never use an electric device on potatoes, it turns them into a thick, unpalatable paste. Just whip them with a fork.

I steamed the carrots for a bit then added the broccoli. When it was almost cooked I cooled them in cold water and reheated them in olive oil.

The pork cooked for about 10 minutes on medium high flame, turning several times to get grill marks on the meat.

When Fern sat down in front of his plate he grimaced and said, "What is that?" 

Pork tenderloin flayed out so it cooks through. 

"That's not how it's supposed to be done!" Then he tasted it and all his objections melted away. It was absolutely delicious and NO pink in the middle. I don't mind it because I can tell the meat is cooked but Fern gets apoplectic over pink pork.

Coconut Pineapple Curry Chicken

2 boneless chicken breasts

    1/2 cup rice

    few drops lemon juice

    pinch of salt

    1 tsp canola oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp flour

1 onion

1 green pepper

1 carrot

1 stick celery

a few snow peas or frozen - cleaning out the fridge, curry is good for that

1/2 cup drained pineapple pieces

1/4 cup cashews - for crunch, any nuts will do

2 tsp curry powder - I like Sun brand Madras Curry Powder, I don't like bulk bin at Save On

398ml  can coconut milk

few drops sesame oil

Put the rice  with the lemon juice, salt and oil and put two plates in the oven to warm.

Dice the chicken into bite size pieces, then salt and flour them. Finely dice the onion. Dice the green pepper, slice the carrot,  slice the celery and cut the ends off the peas.  Get all the prep work finished before starting cooking and things will go far better.

Add canola oil and the onion to a large deep frying pan. Get some golden colour on the onion and add the celery. Add the green pepper. When the pepper starts to soften add the peas. Toss the peas for half a minute and empty the pan into a bowl on the side. If frozen peas add later with coconut milk.

Add more canola oil and put the chicken in the pan. Keep adding oil so the pan doesn't get dry. Get a light sear on the chicken pieces then sprinkle the curry powder over the meat. Toss it quickly and remove the meat to the bowl. 

Add the coconut milk and carrot to the pan. Bring to a boil and boil hard to reduce the coconut milk. I want a sauce not a soup. Halfway down add frozen peas if using them. When the coconut milk has been reduced to less than half it's volume add cashews and pineapple pieces. Add the bowl of par cooked ingredients. Add the sesame oil. Toss and finish cooking the chicken pieces. Plate over the rice.

This was really delicious.