Zimmy's Nook

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Pan Fried Wild Vermilion Snapper (B-liner) with Green Curry

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Two pan fried wild Vermilion snappers (B-liner) on a simple salad with rice and wine.

Pan Fried Wild Vermilion Snapper (B-liner) with Green Curry.

Serve the snapper with an arugula salad, 10 minute rice and coconut green curry sauce, for a delicious and nutritious weeknight meal that’s ready in less than 20 minutes.

The trick to developing great flavours in such a short time, is a jar of green curry paste. All you need to do is open the jar and scoop out a couple of tablespoons… easy peasy!

Ingredients
  • 2 whole wild Vermilion snapper (B-liner) 14-16 ounces (400-450g) each, cleaned and scaled
  • 4 tablespoons Thai green curry paste, divided
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro (remove a few stems and finely chop enough for 1 tablespoon)
  • 14 oz (400ml) can light coconut milk
  • 2-3 short Thai red chillies slice in half lengthwise (leave attached at the stem)
  • 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (optional but recommended)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 lime (1/2 for juice, half cut into 4 wedges for serving)
  • Suggested: Make a simple arugula salad with onions, celery, tomatoes, dressed with 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation

In a small sauce pan, combine coconut milk, 2 tablespoons green curry paste, brown sugar, fish sauce, chillies and 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro stems, squeeze in juice of 1/2 the lime. Bring to a boil then simmer on low until ready to serve.

Note: if making 10 minute rice, start it now.

Place a large nonstick skillet on a medium-high heat.

With a sharp knife, score the snapper skin at 1 inch intervals, then rub all over with the 2 tablespoons curry paste, inside and out, including the scores.

Place a few pieces of cilantro into the cavities, season with sea salt and black pepper, then place in the hot pan with 2 tablespoon of olive oil.

Cook for 4 minutes per side, until skin in slightly blackened and flesh is cooked through (time varies slightly based on the thickness of your fish and how hot the pan is).

Place salad (or greens of your choice) on a platter.

Sit the snappers on top, spooning over any spicy oil from the pan.

Serve with coconut curry sauce, rice, lime wedges and cilantro.

Two pan fried wild Vermilion snappers (B-liner) surrounded by salad ingredients.
Hestan ProBond Forged Stainless Steel Nonstick 12.5″ Skillet

In addition to this Pan Fried Wild Vermilion Snapper (B-liner) with Green Curry recipe, you can find more of my favourite seafood recipes here.

Proud Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.

Cast Iron Lobster Tails & Wild Shrimp

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Lobster tails grilled in a pizza oven on a cast iron pan.

Cast Iron Lobster Tails & Wild Shrimp in the Ooni outdoor oven. It’s a great combination of baking & broiling as the heat rolls down from the top of the oven. Lemon, garlic and honey bring delicious flavours to these succulent seafood treasures!

Ingredients
  • 2 (6-7-ounce) lobster tails

Butter for lobster tails:

  • 1/4 cup butter – melted
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 garlic glove minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine above ingredients and set aside

Shrimp marinade:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Peperoncini Piccanti (chopped hot peppers in oil)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 garlic glove minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine above ingredients and set aside

For serving:

  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 lemon, halved
Preparation

Preheat the Ooni gas outdoor oven on high – the hottest part of the oven to 650°F – 700°F when measured with an infrared thermometer.

Butterfly the lobster tails:

Using kitchen shears, cut down the center of the top shell, all the way to the tail.

Use your thumbs and fingers to spread the shell, and gently separate the meat from the shell. Leave the end attached to the tail fin. Pull lobster meat above the shell. Slightly push together the empty shell underneath and place the row of meat on top.

Place the lobster tails (meat side up) on the cast iron pan, and brush lobster tails liberally with butter mixture.

Add the shrimp to the marinade and mix well to coat.

Place the cast iron pan into the hot oven with the tails as far away from the flame as possible and turn the oven down to medium. the hottest part of the oven will hover around 500°F. Cook lobster for 3 minutes. Remove cast iron from oven and turn the tails 180° (meat side still up), brush with more butter.

Add the shrimp to the cast iron pan (closer to the flame). Put cast iron into oven and cook for 2 minutes. Remove cast iron and flip shrimp. Return cast iron to the oven and turn the heat back to high.

Cook until the meat is opaque and slightly browned 2 minutes more. Total cook time approximately 7-8 minutes.

A lobster tail is fully cooked when it turns opaque, white, and the shell turns bright red. If the lobster still looks grey it’s not cooked – if it is white and pink, it’s done. Fully cooked lobster will be 140°F internal temperature.

Finish your lobster tails & shrimp with fresh parsley and serve with a squeeze of lemon.

(No outdoor oven? Make this recipe on the bottom rack of your oven using convection broil.)

Grilled lobster tails and shrimp on a cast iron skillet.

In addition to this Cast Iron Lobster Tails & Wild Shrimp recipe, you can find more of my favourite seafood recipes here.

Proud Ooni Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.

Salmon Niçoise-Style Salad

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A large colourful platter of a salmon Niçoise-Style Salad.

Salmon Niçoise-Style Salad.
Elaine said she was in the mood for salmon, so I headed off to the store, picked up a nice piece of organic salmon, haricots verts, olives and lettuce, came home and made dinner.

The combination of cooked, raw and pickled veggies, with the red wine-Dijon dressing is fantastic! But, that crispy salmon skin… so good!  

Ingredients
For the dressing
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the salad
  • Ice
  • Kosher salt
  • 10 ounces small creamer potatoes (about 15-20) mix of colours – halved
  • 4 large eggs
  • 6 ounces haricots verts, trimmed
  • ½ cup hot kalamata olives (if regular kalamata, sprinkle with chili flakes)
  • 6-8 baby dill pickles
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • ½ bunch radishes (6-8) some quartered, some thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes – halved
  • Large stalk of celery – thinly sliced
  • 1/2 red onion – sliced and marinated*
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 skin-on salmon fillet pieces, top loin/loin cut, wild or organic (6-7 ounces each)
  • 8 Boston/bib lettuce leaves – washed and dried
  • 4 lemon wedges
Preparation

Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until fork-tender, about 10 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, shallot, mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.

Drain and transfer potatoes to a medium bowl; drizzle with about 1/4 cup the dressing and let cool.

Fill the saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water; cook until crisp-tender and bright green, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice water to cool; drain and pat dry.

Place the eggs in the saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 1/2 minutes. Drain, then run under cold water to cool. Peel rinse and set aside.

Toss the tomatoes in a small bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Quarter the hard-cooked eggs.

Place the salmon, skin side up in a dry, cold non-stick pan, place the pan over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes, flip the salmon and cook for 5 minutes more.

While the salmon cooks, place the lettuce on a platter, then arrange the potatoes, haricots verts, radishes, onions, tomatoes, baby dills, olives and boiled eggs around the outside of the platter, leaving room in the centre for the salmon. Drizzle everything with the dressing.

Place the cooked salmon in the centre of the platter, skin side up, cut in half, add the lemon wedges and serve.

*Marinated red onions

Slice half a red onion, place in a bowl that fits the onion rings with at least an inch of room to spare. Pour in olive oil to completely cover onion. Add 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp oregano and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Leave onions uncovered on the counter for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Yield: serves 4
Time: 30 minutes

In addition to this Salmon Niçoise-Style Salad recipe, you can find more of my favourite salmon recipes here.

Leftover Chicken Grain Bowl with Peanut Sauce

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Two colourful chicken grain bowls with peanut sauce, boiled eggs and veggies.

Leftover Canadian Raised chicken NEVER goes to waste in our house! It’s perfect for lunches or to repurpose for a weeknight meal! This tasty grain bowl with peanut sauce, transforms “fridge-finds” into a satisfying (and pretty) dinner!

Ingredients For 2 bowls
  • 2-3 leftover cooked chicken thighs – skin on
  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa – cooked to package instructions (or grain of your choice)
  • Selection of fresh or cooked vegetables, herbs and nuts (use what you have available) – I used spicy cabbage slaw, carrots, green onions, jalapeños, cherry tomatoes, edamame, avocado, cilantro and cashews.
  • Hard boiled eggs – halved
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Peanut sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Preparation

Remove the chicken skin and set aside.

Diced the chicken thighs into bit size pieces.

Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat for 30 seconds. You don’t want the pan to get too hot or you run the risk of burning the skin before it gets crisp.

Toss in the chicken skin in a single layer—you should hear a sizzle when the pieces hit the oil. Pan-fry each piece for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Use tongs to transfer the crisp chicken skin pieces to a paper towel–lined plate and let them cool briefly. Like bacon, they will crisp even further as they cool. Once cool, break or chop into small pieces.

Add the diced thighs to the hot pan and coat with oil/ fat in the pan, add 2 tbsp peanut sauce, stir to blend in and cook until chicken is warmed through, 1-2 minutes.

Assemble bowl with quinoa, vegetables, cilantro, cashews & eggs around the sides. Add chicken to the middle, sprinkle with crispy skin and serve 1/4 cup of peanut sauce with each bowl.

Pour sauce over bowl, toss to combine an enjoy!

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil 
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons sambal oelek (add to spice preference)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • small piece of fresh ginger, peeled
  • 1 clove of fresh garlic, peeled
  • 1/4 cup of water
Preparation

Blend all the sauce ingredients together in a small blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.

Prep Time: 5 mins

Makes: 1 1/2 cups (6 x 1/4 cup servings)

A colourful chicken grain bowl with peanut sauce, boiled eggs and veggies.

This Chicken Grain Bowl recipe was made with the thighs from my Sheet Pan Lemon Honey Chicken with Rosemary & Tarragon recipe that was developed in partnership with Chicken Farmers of Canada. Opinions in this post are my own. 

Sheet Pan Lemon Honey Chicken with Rosemary & Tarragon

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Large sheet pan with twenty chicken thighs on top of a variety of roasted vegetables.

Making extra chicken to use for the next day’s lunches or dinner is an easy way to take the stress out of weekday meal prep. This Sheet Pan Lemon Honey Chicken with Rosemary & Tarragon recipe is one of the easiest ways to make delicious tender chicken, while you go about your routine and let the magic happen on just one pan. The vegetables, rosemary and tarragon add even more amazing flavor to the dish, and the steam helps to create a lovely sauce at the bottom of the pan! Make a pot of rice and serve everything over the rice to sop up the delicious juices!

Ingredients
  • 10 Chicken Thighs – Raised by a Canadian Farmer
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons local honey
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 6 sprigs rosemary
  • 6 shallots, halved
  • ½ red onion sliced
  • 10-12 medium carrots (heirloom if available)
  • A handful of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • 4 sprigs of tarragon – small tender leaves left whole and larger leaves chopped
Preparation

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, ½ teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken thighs to a resealable bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and massage the chicken with the marinade to coat well. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

Add the carrots, onions, shallots & rosemary, to a sheet pan that just holds everything (not to big as the chicken should sit on top of the vegetables). Drizzle with the oil and season with salt & pepper. Toss well to coat. Spread the vegetables evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables allowing the marinade to drip off into the bag before adding to the pan. Add remaining marinade to a small pot, bring to a boil, turn off and set aside.

A sheet pan of veggies and chicken thighs ready to go into the oven

Bake chicken & vegetables for 25 minutes, then baste with reserved marinade. Add the tomatoes to the sheet pan and return to the oven. Cook for an additional 20 – 25 minutes until chicken is golden brown and cooked to 165 degrees F. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the tarragon, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving with the softened vegetables.

Close up photo of a sheet pan of chicken thights with rosemary, taragon and veggies.

This Sheet Pan Lemon Honey Chicken with Rosemary & Tarragon recipe was developed in partnership with Chicken Farmers of Canada who uphold quality standards we can trust! Opinions in this post are my own. 

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri

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Platter filled with slice flank steak beef, corn, potatoes, skewered veggies and chimichurri sauce.
In Partnership with Canada Beef

Grilled flank steak with chimichurri, grilled local corn, peppers & onions, roasted potato wedges, purple slaw, marinated onions, grilled toast, and Stilton cheese.

I am happy to have the opportunity to partner with Canada Beef and create a delicious grilled meal, including this tender, flavourful and satisfying flank steak.

As you know, Elaine and I believe, a healthy diet is one that contains mostly whole, fresh foods: lots of fruits and vegetables, high fibre grains and lean proteins – including red meat.

Beef is rich in nutrients and protein, yet low in calories, but above all we just love the taste of it!

So, get out there and grill this crowd-pleasing flank steak! Then post a mouth-watering image of it on Instagram and tag #MyCanadianBeef ! (and @zimmysnook)

Summer isn’t over, until I stop wearing sandals, so grill on my friends!

GRILLED FLANK STEAK

Ingredients
  • 2 – 2.5 lbs Canada Beef Flank Steak
  • 1 tsp horseradish
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp sweet & smoky mustard
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
Preparation

In a blender, combine the horseradish, garlic, mustard, honey, rosemary, oregano, vinegar, and puree until the garlic is minced. Add the oil and blend until creamy.

Crosshatch the top of the steak to help with the absorption of the marinade and develop better char when grilling. Run your knife diagonally across the surface of the steak, in a diamond pattern. Make the slices about ¼ inch deep, and space them roughly ¾ inch apart.

Add the meat to a resealable bag and pour in all the marinade; turn the meat to coat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.

Remove the steak from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to grilling. Preheat the grill on high. (If your grates have just been cleaned or have a habit of sticking, oiling the grates is a good idea, as the honey may stick). Remove the steak from the marinade, let the excess marinade drip off.

Season the steak with kosher salt & freshly ground

Grill the steak over medium-high heat, turning once, then flipping, then turning again, until charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 125-130° F, total cooking time 8-12 minutes.

Transfer the steak to a carving board and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Thinly slice the meat against the grain and serve.

Grilled Corn on the Cobb and Pepper & Onion Skewers

Ingredients
  • 1 green pepper, washed, seeded & cut into 12 equal pieces
  • 1 yellow pepper, washed, seeded & cut into 12 equal pieces
  • 1 red pepper, washed, seeded & cut into 12 equal pieces
  • 1 small red onion, cut into 16 pieces, the same size as the peppers
  • 4 small skewers (if using wood presoak for at least one hour)
  • 4 fresh corn, husked, rinsed, and dried
  • Salt, freshly ground pepper & olive oil
Preparation

Thread 3 green peppers onto a skewer, followed by 2 onions, 3 red peppers, 2 onions, and 3 yellow peppers. Repeat for the other skewers,

Place the corn & peppers on a platter or sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt & pepper. Set aside.

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Grill the corn, turning the ears often so they cook evenly, until lightly charred, about 10-12 minutes.

Place the skewers on the grill turning every 2 minutes until done lightly charred and softened, about 8-10 minutes

CHIMICHURRI

Ingredients
  • 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds optional)
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
  • ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation

Combine shallot, chile, garlic, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl. Let sit 10 minutes.

Then stir in cilantro, parsley, and olive oil.

Serving Notes

I like to serve my Canada Beef Flank Steak ‘family style’, so everyone can take as much or as little as they would like! Start by placing the sliced steak in the center of a larger platter or sheet pan, then add a bowl of the chimichurri, the corn, and skewers. I love onions with steak, so I have included a bowl of marinated onions (recipe link). Then round out the platter with your favourite potatoes (roasted, boiled, mashed or fries), an aioli for the potatoes, fresh tomatoes, hot peppers (optional), a simple coleslaw, and Maldon salt (so good sprinkled on Beef!)

Enjoy!

Disclosure: I have participated in a paid partnership with Canada Beef to create this Canada Beef Flank Steak recipe. Opinions in this post are my own. 

Sweet-Heat Grilled Chicken Thighs

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A top down view of a round platter of grilled chicken thighs with a bowl of bbq sauce in the centre. This platter is surrounded by wine glasses, plates, honey and limes.

Sweet-heat grilled chicken thighs.

If you like moist, tender, tangy, sweet and slightly spicy chicken, then this recipe is for you! Perfect for summer entertaining or a delicious meal that the whole family will love! 

I was honoured when Williams Sonoma reached out to see if I’d be interested in participating in their IG Story Cooking Guest Series.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

INGREDIENTS
  • 9 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)

Dry rub

  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Onion powder
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder
  • ½ tsp Cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp Coriander

BBQ sauce

  • ½ cup BBQ Sauce (your favourite store bought)
  • ½ cup Piri-Piri Sauce (or other flavourful hot sauce)
  • ¼ cup Smoked Honey (or plain honey)
  • 1 tsp fresh Chives, finely chopped
  • 1-2 tsp Long Red Pepper, finely diced (seeds optional)
  • Juice of ½ a lime

For serving

  • Honey
  • Chopped chives
A top down view of the ingredients used in this recipe.
PREPERATION

Preheat grill to 425°F.

Trim the chicken thighs of any excess fat or skin. Pat dry the chicken using paper towels.

In a small bowl/jar, combine all the dry rub ingredients. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken liberally with the dry rub.

Mix the BBQ sauce ingredients well and reserve ½ cup to serve as a dipping sauce.

Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, on the upper rack of your grill and cook (lid closed) until internal temperature of 180°F is reached. Approximately 30-35 minutes.

An image of chicken thighs on the grill with a thermometer showing the tempurature of 181 degrees.

Once the temperature is reached, brush each thigh with the sauce, close the lid, turn off the grill and let the sauce set for 5 minutes. Remove the thighs to a serving platter, lightly tent with foil for 5 minutes.

Glazed chicken thighs on the grill.

Remove foil, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with chives and serve with reserved sauce.

Notes

Thighs are safe to eat at 165°F but more tender at 180°F-185°F.

In addition to this Sweet Heat Grilled Chicken Thigh dish, you can find more of my favourite chicken recipes here.

Roasted Vegetable Curry

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Roasted Vegetable Curry is comfort food at its finest! This silky sauce is packed with flavourful spices, ginger, garlic and veggies, then served with a mixture of roasted vegetables, raw tomatoes, green onions and crispy chickpeas to add delicious layers of tastes and textures.

Don’t have these vegetables available? No worries! Try using roasted squash, potatoes, zucchini or mushrooms! Add cilantro and sour cream for even more incredible flavour!

Ingredients
  • 3.5 cups Curry Base sauce (recipe here)
  • 14 oz (400 ml) can of light coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • Olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 small broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 20 multi coloured cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Crispy Chickpeas (recipe here)
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper
  • 2 cups basmati rice (cooked as package instructions)
  • Naan/flatbread (optional, but highly recommended – recipe here)
Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).

In a 3 quart saucepan, combine curry base, coconut milk and water, simmer gently until vegetables are ready.

Lightly oil 2 large baking sheets. On one baking sheet, spread the cauliflower & broccoli florets out into a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper and toss to combine.

Roast the cauliflower for 25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly brown.

On the other baking sheet, spread the peppers and onions out, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper and toss to combine.

Roast with the cauliflower/broccoli for final 10 minutes.

Blanch peas in water or microwave and set aside.

To serve, pour a layer of the hot curry sauce in a shallow bowl or deep plate. Top with a mix of the roasted vegetables, a pile of rice, then garnish with the peas, green onions, tomatoes and crispy chickpeas.

Use the naan to soak up all that delicious roasted vegetable curry and leave the plate clean!

Hestan Copper Bond

Proud Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.

Orecchiette with Heirloom Tomatoes and Mozzarella

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A large pan of Orecchiette with Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella and basil. Surrounded by a dish of chili oil, a basil plant and an olive loaf.

Simple quality ingredients make best meals! This Italian inspired combination of pasta, basil, mozzarella, and fresh tomatoes is no exception. Delicious served hot or at room temperature as a pasta salad! If serving this orecchiette dish as a salad, try adding extra veggies, like corn, red onions and/or roasted red peppers.

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 pint ripe heirloom cherry tomatoes – cut in halves
  • 1 lb. dry orecchiette*
  • 170 g mozzarella cheese – cut into bite size pieces
  • 1/4 Fresh basil leaves – larger leaves roughly torn
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on med-low heat, add the garlic, chili flakes and salt. Cook slowly for 3-4 minutes until garlic just begins to turn golden. Add the tomatoes, stir and turn off the heat.

Cook the pasta, as per package directions until just al dente. When pasta is cooked reserve 3/4 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta, then add to the tomato pan, add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss until well coated. (Add the rest of the pasta water if desired).

Sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the pasta, gently mix, then divide between bowls, scatter with plenty of basil leaves, season with pepper and serve.

*If you do not have orecchiette, try using fusilli, penne, or other small pasta.

A large pan of Orecchiette with Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella and basil.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! I would love to hear your feedback in the “comments” below!

In addition to this Orecchiette with Heirloom Tomatoes and Mozzarella recipe, you can find more of my favourite pasta recipes here.

Cooked and served in my Hestan Culinary NanoBond 11″ Titanium Skillet

Proud Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.

Thai Green Curry Chicken

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Top down table image of a pot of Thai green curry chicken, a pot of rice and peas, a pan with flatbread (naan) and two bowls with a mixture of everthing.

This deliciously fragrant Thai Green Curry packs a flavour punch using store bought curry paste, light coconut milk, tender chicken thighs and whatever veggies you have on hand. Served with rice for a quick, easy, soul-satisfying meal. Change it up with Shrimp instead of chicken or keep it light and load it up with just vegetables.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 x 14oz can light coconut milk  
  • 2 tbsp green curry paste
  • Thumb size piece of fresh ginger – peeled
  • 4-6 skinless boneless/skinless chicken thighs, cut in bite-size chunks
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • ½ cup broccoli
  • ½ cup frozen corn
  • 1 medium sized carrot, matchsticked
  • 1/4 cup frozen peas
  • 1/3 cup chicken stock

Suggested Garnish

  • Basil, cilantro, green onions, lime wedges, red chillies
PREPARATION

In a large saucepan simmer coconut milk, green curry paste & ginger, over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add chicken, fish sauce, brown sugar, peas, carrots and chicken stock. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broccoli and corn, simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove ginger before serving.

Serve with jasmine rice with peas and flatbread for dipping.

Garnish with cilantro, green onions, lime wedges and red chillies.

An image of a pot of Thai green curry chicken, a pot of rice and peas, a pan with flatbread (naan) and two bowls with a mixture of everthing.

Serves: 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Hope you enjoy this recipe! I would love to hear your feedback in the “comments” below!

In addition to this Thai Green Curry Chicken dish, you can find more of my favourite chicken recipes here.

Proud Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.