Honey Sage Chicken

I love cooking and have been in the kitcken since I can remember. I also enjoy entertaining family & friends. My friends offen joke around and call me "Martha." Summer entertaining has always been my favorite. I'm always mixing up different ingredients to marinade or rub on meat, poultry and vegetables.

The honey and sage work really well together. This recipe has all the great components for a great marinade. The base, olive oil, honey for sweetness, the lemon juice for citrus and the sage to round all the flavors together.

The glaze really makes the chicken. It brings out the flavors in the marinade even more; the honey brings a nice sweetness, the lemon juice gives tartness and helps thin out the honey. Tabasco sauce helps kick things up a bit. For presentation this dish speaks for itself, but I like to garnish with whole fresh sage leaves and slices of lemons. I like to serve the chicken with baked potatoes and a simple side salad. This is a delicious dish and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have and it is also very affordable meal for entertaining, around $80.00 for a whole meal for 6-8 people. That's pretty good. Enjoy!

''Sure to Please'' Chicken Cacciatore

I like to prepare dishes for guests that allow me to enjoy their company. In order to do this, I select dishes that can be prepared before the guests arrive and are already cooking while we are enjoying their company. My "Sure to Please" Chicken Cacciatore is a prime example of this. Over time I have made several adjustments to enhance the flavour while at the same time using healthy alternatives (eg. skinless chicken thighs and breasts; I saute ingredients in extra virgin olive oil instead of butter). Because this dish has an Italian flare, so do all the other dishes that I serve before, during and after this meal. I serve an antipasta tray as an appetizer, and toasted garlic bread, a tossed green salad with an oil and vinaigrette dressing, whole wheat spaghetti, and the same wine that is in the cacciatore. For dessert I serve Tiramisu (also made ahead). As a result, most of my work is complete before company arrives. I have shared this recipe with women who say they do not cook and I have received rave reviews from all of them - their guests loved it so much that one man ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. I like to make this dish in the summer, when I can use fresh produce from my vegetable garden or from the local farmer's market. My inspiration for this recipe is that I love to cook and entertain. This recipe is full of flavour, easy to prepare and tastes like you were in the kitchen all day (what a bonus!).

Lake Brome Duck Breast with Cranberry and Kumquat Chutney

Menu:
Lake Brome Duck Breast with Cranberry and Kumquat Chutney
Oven Roasted Nova Scotia Organic Fingerling Potatoes
Organic Nova Scotia Carrots in Maple Syrup Glaze
Salad of Organic Nova Scotia Micro Greens and Sprouts with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette and Honey Goat Cheese Puffs

Inspiration: The inspiration for this meal comes from the 100 mile challenge featured on Food Network. I am currently involved with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm here in Nova Scotia and am quite passionate about eating Slow Food, which is locally grown. I want to reduce my carbon footprint by using as many ingredients as possible that come from the province where I live in rather than from afar. It is nice to know, not only where your food comes from, but who grew it as well. Our children are quite excited each week to see our food box arrive, and always wonder what our farmer has sent us. Part of what I like about this recipe is that although it appears complicated, it really is quite simple and requires nothing out of the ordinary for most kitchens these days, with the exception of the kumquats. I have also included the recipes for the side dishes I like to serve with this meal. Preparation time includes preparing and cooking the side dishes as well. There are substitutions for the vegetables, for example using new baby potatoes or baby carrots, and substituting a peppery arugula for the micro greens. Food doesn't have to be pretentious or difficult to taste good. This recipe calls for one duck breast for each person, which for some appetites may be alot. The recipe could be stretched to serve 8, if the breasts are on the larger side. Wine Pairing: Jost L'Acadie Blanc Chardonnay (The Flight of the Silver Dart Commemorative) or Domaine de Grand Pre L'Acadie Blanc

Presentation: When presenting this dish, place a spoonful of the chutney in the centre of a warmed plate. Slice the duck thinly crossways and fan half over either side of the chutney. I place the carrots at one end of the plate with a bit of the glaze and the potatoes at the other, and drizzle balsamic glaze on each plate.

Abbey Sharp's Chicken & Barley Power Bowl

A healthy and nourishing dish that's packed with flavour. 

Spicy Salmon Poke Bowls

Everything that's great about sushi, but in a nutrient-packed bowl.

Italian Style Tuna Casserole

A close friend gave me this recipe & it is the best tasting tuna casserole I have ever made.

Moroccan Quinoa

Japanese Vegetarian Buckwheat Noodles

This simple dish marries the earthy flavour of buckwheat noodles (soba) with the forest (shiitake mushrooms) and the sea (nori seaweed). Nori and wasabi are available in many supermarkets and Japanese and Korean shops. Wasabi lovers might like extra to serve on the side.

Open-Faced Shrimp-and-Egg Sandwiches

Roasted Beets

Roast beets alongside the brisket for maximum efficiency.