Sometimes you just need the right tools to complete a job. This week, we’ll be looking a few recipes that require a unique piece of kitchen equipment.

Today, what I’m going to show you requires a slow-cooker and a waffle iron. It’s spicy, sweet, sour and fun!

Let’s get started looking at the ingredients we’ll need for the pulled pork

You’ll need:

• 6-8 lb pork tenderloin or shoulder roast (you can make one smaller, just adjust the recipe accordingly)
• 2 cups bbq sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp prepared mustard
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp dry thyme

Just to make sure we have all our ingredients, let’s look at what we’ll need for the potato waffles

For these you’ll need:

• 2 cups mashed potatoes (good way to use left overs!)
• 2 eggs
• 1 medium onion
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp minced garlic

Okay, so let’s get that pulled pork going. It will need about 6 hours in the slow-cooker so we want to get started early

Pour some oil to coat the bottom of your slow-cooker

Let’s put that pork in the cooker … this is a lot of raw meat

Pour the barbecue sauce into a bowl

The entire bottle in this case is 2 cups

Add chicken stock

Add cider vinegar

Now add the sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and thyme

Mix this all together well

Set this aside for a moment

Put the chopped onions into the cooker with the pork

Pour the sauce over the pork

All in there? Good!

Now, put the lid on and cook on high 5-6 hours … don’t lift the lid to peek! It lets out the steam and heat and that is how the slow cooker does it’s job!

Now, go do your things … play a video game, read a book, get a waffle iron … whatever you want for the next 5-6 hours

(Internet magic here)

It’s been 5-6 hours, the pork has been simmering this whole time and is ready to be  pulled

I usually just get two forks and pull in opposite directions

Pork should come apart rather easily.

Keep going until there are no longer any large pieces. Make sure to mix it all well with the sauce and juices

Now, let’s make some waffles!

Heat some butter in a hot skillet and add onions

Add the garlic and stir.

Cook until onions are soft and getting transparent

Put your mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl

Add flour and eggs

Empty skillet into the bowl

Ready to mix!

Mix until well blended and it has the consistency of a thick batter

Now, get that waffle iron heated up. Spray the surfaces to make sure nothing sticks!

Spoon mixture onto hot iron, allowing about an inch from the edge

Ready to press!

Close the iron and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, until the waffle is golden brown and able to be lifted from the iron

Should look pretty much like this

Okay, let’s get this on a plate!

Lift out and place on a plate

Now, back to that pulled pork!

Place the pulled pork directly on your potato waffle

Drizzle on some of that sauce like it’s maple syrup!

Looking good!

Myself I like to add a swirl of sriracha sauce on top

Like this!

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork & Potato Waffles!

Bon Apetit!

Okay, so your guests come over to watch the Super Bowl and you made that amazing Cheesy “Pull Apart” Garlic Bread I showed last post. They loved it, but now it’s approaching half time and people are getting hungry.

Did you think I’d leave you stranded now?

Here are amazing Oven-Baked Buffalo Wings that you’d swear came from a restaurant!

Let me show you how it’s done!

Here’s what you’re gonna need:

• 16-20 split chicken wings
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup hot sauce (I’m using Frank’s Red Hot)

Add the cayenne to the flour

Now add the garlic powder

You can add some salt to taste at this point. Remember this is gonna be heavily sauced so you don’t need to add too much.

Blend the dry ingredients well

Pour the flour mixture into a large, resealable plastic bag

Is it big enough to hold a few wings? Good, then you have the right size!

Make sure the chicken is not wet. Pat it dry with a paper towel.

Drop a chicken wing into the bag

Shake to coat and place in a greased baking pan

Repeat the process until all chicken wings are coated

Take your pan of chicken and place in the fridge to cool for an hour. This makes sure that the flour coating sticks!

Internet magic and and hour has passed, let’s make the Buffalo Sauce

Pour your hot sauce into a medium sized mixing bowl

Now add the melted butter … what, you thought these were healthy?

Whisk together

Does it look like this? If so, you’re ready to move on to the next step!

Grab a wing and place it in the sauce. Make sure it’s totally coated with sauce!

Take the coated wing and put it back in the pan

Do it again for the next wing!

Keep on doing this …

Until all the wings are totally coated

Place in 400F oven for 45 minutes

Basically, until they look like this

Ready to go!

Place them on a plate with some carrot sticks, celery sticks, blue cheese dressing … whatever you like!

So there you have it, Oven-Baked Buffalo Wings. Just be ready to have to prove you didn’t order these in from a restaurant!

Bon Apetit!

So, the Super Bowl is coming … or you’re having friends over … or you are planning a Netflix marathon. You want a delicious and easy to share snack. Well, we got ya!

Wonderful Cheesy “Pull Apart” Garlic Bread is pretty simple to make and will be descended upon by your guests like a swarm of locusts! You may want to have another for back up …

Let’s do this!

This one isn’t too complicated. You’ll need:

• large round or oval loaf of bread
• 4-6 oz of mozzarella cheese
• 3-4 oz of soft butter
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 bunch of chives

Chop the chives into small pieces

Should be about a handful

Add to softened butter

Add the garlic

and mix!

Take your bread and slice almost to the bottom

Move over about an inch and slice in the same way. Continue this all the way across the bread!

Give your bread a 1/4 turn

and do the same slicing as before

Bread should have diamond wedges all over, like this

Now slice the cheese into thin strips

Get that butter mixture and spoon it into bread slice

Keep doing this until all the slices have been filled with the butter mixture

Okay, add your cheese slices in much the same way

It’s hopefully looking something like this

Wrap the entire bread in aluminum foil and place on a baking tray in a 350F oven for 20 minutes

After 20 minutes, remove the foil, put the temperature up to 400F and cook for another 5 minutes

Now, doesn’t that smell amazing?

Ready to eat!

Just grab a wedge of bread and pull!

So good! (you may think this is a repeating GIF animation, but I basically did exactly what you see … it’s very hard to stop!)

Cheesy “Pull Apart” Garlic Bread!

Bon Apetit!

Here’s a delicious cake that has no milk in it! A sweet, dense cake that is perfect with a cup of coffee. Served often drizzled in vanilla sauce.

If you’ve read this far, you probably want to try this. This recipe comes from Claire’s great aunt! Let’s see how it’s done.

You’ll need:

• 250g all-purpose flour*
• 150g icing sugar*
• 3 eggs
• 3-4 medium size apples
• 150g butter* (+ a few little pieces for brushing on top)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tsp golden granulated or demarra-style sugar

*(you may notice our Swedish recipes are measured in weight instead of volume often … just how they do it)

First you want to cut up the apples

Cut them into bite-sized cubes and put these aside for later.

Next we add the eggs to a mixing bowl

Add icing sugar

Mix this until whole mixture has turned white

Like this!

Add the flour, baking powder and a touch of the cinnamon to a sifter. Sift into a medium sized bowl

This should make sure the ingredients are well mixed

Add the flour to the large mixing bowl

By hand, fold in the flour

Melt the 150g of butter in 240 ml of hot water

While mixing, add the melted butter.

Grease a cast iron frying pan (or something similar).

Pour the batter into the pan

Should fill it about half way

Drop the apples on top.

You want it nice and full!

Brush the top with some melted butter

Sprinkle on the cinnamon

and the granulated golden sugar!

Ready to bake!

Bake in 350F oven for 40-50 minutes, until a knife stuck into the centre pulls out clean

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes

Run a knife around the edge

Flip the cake out onto a plate. Cover with a second plate, flip over. You should now have the cake sitting on a plate! Like a really lame magic trick!

Cut the cake into wedges

Place onto plates

Time to add the vanilla sauce (if you want). This obviously can be made from scratch, but it also can easily be bought at your local IKEA … hey, we were there getting a shelf anyway!

Drizzle the vanilla sauce on top. Serve with a nice hot cup of coffee.

So there you have it, Swedish Apple Cake or Äppelkaka

Bon Apetit!

Thrown in to the general European mix of our families is Claire’s Armenian grandmother. She introduced Claire to an entirely different type of cooking, and through Claire I was then introduced to these foods!

Today we’re going to make her grandmother’s “go to” Armenian dish, Dolmas! These are peppers and cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice … so basically deliciousness in handy packages.

Ready to do this?

You’ll need the following:

• 1lb ground beef (or lamb) – we’re actually using a mix of both here
• 4 large red peppers
• 1 green cabbage
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1 large can of tomato juice
• 1 clove of garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp Arabic spice (white pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger & corriander) – we got this from Adonis market here in Montreal

Start by chopping the parsley. Watch your fingers and don’t look in the camera!

Okay, that’s better

Once you are done, get a large mixing bowl

Add the parsley to the mixing bowl

Add the meat

Add the rice, onions, garlic, cumin and spices

Mix all these ingredients well

Should now look like this

Place your cabbage in a large pot of water and let it boil … we’ll come back to it later

Grab your peppers and cut off any long stems

Which one has the ball? Guess for a dollar, win it all!

You need to cut the caps off the peppers now

Using a small paring knife, cut on a 45 degree angle (so cap can be replaced and not fall in) all the way around the pepper

Gently pull up to remove the cap

Cut away any excess on the bottom of the cap and clean out the inside of the pepper

Replace the cap and move on to the next pepper. Continue until they are all done

Grab some of the mixture and loosely fill the pepper. The rice in the mix will expand and if you have not left enough room, the pepper will rupture during cooking

Repeat this process until all the peppers have been filled

Now place your peppers in a pot just deep enough to make sure they are covered. (This pot is actually from Claire’s grandmother … we’ll give some more stories about it later!)

Time to make some cabbage rolls!

Go get that cabbage from the boiling water

Cut carefully at the base of cabbage where the leaves attach so they can be removed from the core. Look at me! A face for radio!

If the cabbage has boiled long enough the leaves should pull off with ease. Once they are no longer coming off easily return the cabbage to boiling water for a few minutes, then repeat the process. You’ll want to do this until you have about 10-12 leaves (or until the leaves have become very small)

Take a large, intact leaf.

You’ll want to cut off the bottom about an inch up from where it attached to the core. Cut a straight line and be careful not to puncture the leaf anywhere else. You want these intact for rolling.

Place mix near the bottom of the leaf. Leave a bit of room so you can fold the bottom over. Press the mixture into a log type shape and fold the bottom over. Fold in the sides of the leaf. Like the pepper, make sure not to pack the rolls too much, as the mix is going to expand and it may break the roll while cooking.

This should have created a little pocket with the mix inside. Now roll forward.

Make sure when it’s done to place the roll with the seam down so it doesn’t unravel

Continue doing this until you have used all the mix.

Take the remaining pieces you cut away to line the bottom of the pan. There should be some whole leaves still left over when you’re done

Add your cabbage rolls. Make sure to have the seam on the bottom or it will unravel while cooking

Place them rather tightly so they help each other say intact. Make a few layers if needed.

Put in all the rolls except for the smallest one. This is going to be our ‘tester’!

Pour the can of juice evenly over the entire pot. Make sure to pour some inside each pepper so it wont get dry as it cooks. Add some lemon juice (you can also add some fresh mint at this point)

Add water until the liquid is almost level with the bottoms of the pepper caps

About this full

Now slice any remaining cabbage leaves down the ‘spine’

Take the leaves and cover the entire pot

Place that ‘tester’ roll in the middle and cover it with a couple remaining leaves. Place the pot on the stove top.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. This is going to cook for about 45 minutes.

This little dent in our lid is actually there on purpose. Claire’s grandfather did this to let the steam escape! This pot was actually one of the only pots they owned when they moved to Canada and were sent to work in Northern Ontario. They used it not only as a pot, but as a refrigerator by leaving it filled and placing it outside in the snow!

Okay, it’s been 45 minutes … is it ready?

This is why we made a ‘tester’ roll!

Peel back the top leaves to expose the ‘tester’

Remove the ‘tester’ and place it on a plate …

It’s ready!

Now for garnish, we create what Claire and I lovingly call fancy sauce … it’s just sour cream with ketchup mixed in!

Put a pepper and couple of cabbage rolls on a plate. Don’t forget the fancy sauce!

So there you have our Stuffed Peppers and Cabbage Rolls (Dolmas)

Bon Apetit!

A recipe that combines sweet, salty, sour and spicy, Pad Thai is a delicious Thai noodle dish that you will want daily!

Today we’re gonna make Chicken Pad Thai, but you can substitute shrimp or beef or tofu … so make it how you want! Same goes for how spicy you like it. Always feel free to add more or less chili sauce so it’s the way you want it to be.

Okay, let’s see how this is done!

For this dish, you’ll need:

• 1 lb chicken breast, boneless & skinless
• 1 cup chopped green onion
• 1 pkg (454 ml) dry rice noodles
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp chili sauce
• 75 ml fish sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 limes (or equivalent amount of juice)
• 1 cup crushed peanuts (approx.)

First step is to soak the rice noodles in warm water. We don’t cook them for this! Make sure your bowl is big enough … this one wasn’t

Okay, this one will work!

Pour water to cover and let them soak for about half an hour, until they are soft

Disaster averted, let’s make our sauce!

Pour sugar in a medium size mixing bowl

Add your chili sauce (you can find this in the grocery where Asian foods are)

Add the fish sauce (also at the grocery, right near the chili sauce usually). Do you smell that pungent fish sauce? I’m sure you recognize that smell from going to Thai restaurants!

Add 125 ml of water to this mixture

Squeeze in that fresh lime

Two limes should be enough!

Now stir it all together and put aside

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Do you still have all your fingertips? If you answered yes, move on to the next step!

Add vegetable oil to a wok (or large skillet) and put the heat at medium-high

Add garlic and chicken to the heated oil

Stir fry until chicken is no longer pink

Add the sauce and let it boil for a few minutes

Get an egg and lightly beat in a small dish

Add the egg

Stir until sauce starts to thicken

Add onion and cilantro

Mix well

Now, go get drain those noodles and bring them over!

Add the noodles to the wok

and mix it all together

This looks pretty good!

just a little bit more …

Place into bowls and top with some fresh cilantro sprigs and chopped peanuts

Add as much as you like!

There you have it, sweet and spicy Chicken Pad Thai ready to eat!

Bon Apetit!

Moving to Montreal has given us exposure to an entirely new culture and new traditions. One classic Québec dish is Tarte au sucre or Sugar Pie. 

With a crunchy top and sweet, creamy middle, French Canadian Sugar Pie (Tarte au sucre) is a dessert that you’ll quickly want to add to any meal when guests are over. Heck, you’ll just want it anytime you can get it!

I’m pretty sure by this point, you want to try this …

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 cups brown sugar (packed)
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp butter (approximately)

You will also need a pie crust to put this in. I just opt for a store bought, frozen pie crust (get the deep dish), but if you are adventurous and have time, you can always make your own from scratch!

Add the flour to the sugar

Mix until fully blended

Like so! Try to break up as many little clumps of sugar as you can.

Put this aside for later

Add the eggs to a mixing bowl

Pour in the can of evaporated milk

Isn’t this easy so far?

Add the vanilla and whisk until all is fully blended

Add a little of the dry mix and whisk it in.  Doing it a little at a time makes it easier to blend.

Mix until smooth

Should look pretty much like this.

At this point, you’re probably thinking you forgot to add the butter … you haven’t, it’s used later!

Pour this mixture into a deep dish pie crust

Should pretty much fill it perfectly

Now, remember that butter I said we’d use?

Take the butter and cut it into small cubes

You want to take the pieces of butter and place them evenly all over the top of the pie

The butter, when it melts and mixes with the sugar, will bake into a crunchy top, almost like a crème brûlée.

Place in a 350F oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until the edges are firm but the centre still has a jelly like wiggle.

Wow, this smells so good!

You can also pour the mixture into small tart shells if you are taking a dessert to a party or want to make points with your co-workers! The small tarts will cook faster, so expect them to be ready in closer to 20 minutes.

Let this cool and place in the refrigerator (or more traditionally here, outside in the snow!)

There you have it, lovely Tarte au sucre or Sugar Pie

Bon Apetit!

It’s been a few days since we put something up for you. Since you’ve been so wonderful and patient, we’re going to reward you with two recipes today!

This is a dish that my wife nicknamed “chicken grenades”. They’re chicken thighs stuffed with Italian sausage and they’re delicious!

I’ll also be showing you an easy method for making a lovely wild mushroom risotto

So, get the chicken prepared and cooking and then you can do the risotto while it cooks!

Italian Sausage Stuffed Chicken

Here’s all you’ll need:

• 6 chicken thighs (skin on)
• 3 Italian sausage (hot or mild, your choice!)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp seasoned salt

First thing we need to do is remove the bone from the chicken. I like using a small paring knife for this just because I find  it’s much better to handle the delicate job.

No special trick here, just cut along the bone and separate it from the chicken without cutting through the chicken … or your fingers

Six boneless chicken thighs, five fingers … yea, I’m good

Take a sausage and slice open the casing

Now remove from the casing

Cut the sausage into a piece about the size of the chicken thigh. Place on a piece of chicken, skin side down, and then roll the chicken around the sausage

Repeat until all the thighs are stuffed

For the coating, pour breadcrumbs into a bowl.  Next, add the seasoned salt and mix it all together

Take a stuffed chicken thigh and roll it in the breadcrumb mixture. Place it in an oven safe pan. I like to use a loaf pan because I can pack the chicken in tightly enough that it won’t unravel while cooking!

Repeat until they’re all done

Place them in a 400F oven for approximately 40 minutes. When packed together like this, the chicken in the centre takes a bit longer to cook.

While this is cooking, let’s make that risotto!

Wild Mushroom Risotto

For this, you’ll need:

• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1L (approximately) of chicken stock
• 1 cup of wild mushroom (I am using dehydrated mushrooms)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

If using dehydrated mushrooms, you’ll need to re-hydrate them for 30 mintues, so this should be done before ANYTHING else is started

Add warm water to the mushrooms. I’m using dehydrated mushrooms as I didn’t have a good source for fresh wild mushrooms at this time of year. Dehydrated will also give you a wonderful mushroom broth to add (as you’ll see)

Let this stand for 30 minutes

Add the rice to a hot skillet. Only the rice, no oil … we’re gonna toast the grains a bit

Stir over a medium heat

Keep going for 4-5 minutes, or until the rice is starting to get a bit golden

Add about half a cup of the chicken stock. We’ll be adding it slowly and mixing it in.

Stir through that steam!

Now add the mushrooms and stir. Pour in that wonderful mushroom broth too!

You want to continue a process of stirring and adding broth every time the broth you have added is absorbed.

Your risotto should start to get a creamy texture. You want to keep going until the rice is cooked but not quite fully soft. (It’s okay to have a spoon to keep tasting!)

Just as it’s almost ready, add the cheese

Mix this in and remove it from the heat … it’s done!

Okay, better go check on that chicken

Perfect!

Take a piece of chicken and place it on a cutting board. Slice into bite-sized rounds

Yea, this is SO good …

Place it on a plate with some of the risotto and a nice green salad

Looks fancy!

So there you have it, Italian Sausage Stuffed Chicken with Wild Mushroom Risotto

Bon Apetit!