Oven Bacon

Oven Bacon 

Bacon 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, add a rack and place bacon slices in a single layer. 

Bake in oven 16 to 20 minutes until desired level of cook/crispy texture is achieved. 

Remove from oven and place bacon on a paper towel lined plate to drain grease. 

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower Instant Pot

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower Instant Pot 

1 head cauliflower

1/4 cup butter, melted 

1 clove garlic, minced 

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper 

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 

Trim leaves from cauliflower head, wash and place on trivet in Instant Pot with 1 cup water. 

Combine butter, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Brush mixture on top and sides of cauliflower, covering well. 

Place lid on Instant Pot, set venting to seal and turn lid to close. 

Set pressure cook to 2 minutes, will take approximately 10 minutes to come to pressure. Once finished, do a quick release. Serve immediately OR 

For an extra crispy surface:  

Carefully remove cauliflower and place on a baking sheet.  

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place in oven on broil untill cheese is starting to melt. 

Remove from oven and coarsely chop cauliflower to serve. 

Corn on the Cob Instant Pot

Corn on the Cob Instant Pot 

6 ears of corn, shucked at room temperature  

1 cup of water 

Pour water into instant pot and add trivet. Place shucked corn on the trivet, add lid and set to seal. 

Set pressure cook for 3 minutes. It will take between 5 - 10 minutes to come to full pressure depending on the temperature of the corn and quantity. 

Quick release once done. 

Add your favourite toppings and serve. 

Mexican Street Corn topping 

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped 

3 tbsp mayonnaise 

1/4 tsp garlic salt 

1/4 tsp chili powder 

1 lime, quartered 

1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled 

Mix mayonnaise in a bowl with garlic salt and chili powder. Brush on corn cobs, sprinkle with cheese, cilantro & lime juice. Serve immediately. 

Topping for 4 corn.  

Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese 

2 cups elbow macaroni 

2 quarts boiling water 

1 tbsp cooking oil 

2 tsp salt 

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 

1 can cream of mushroom soup 

2 cups milk 

1 tbsp onion powder 

1 tbsp garlic powder 

1/2 tsp paprika 

In a large uncovered saucepan cook macaroni in boiling water, cooking oil and salt until tender but firm, 5 - 7 minutes. Drain and return macaroni to pot. 

Add remaining ingredients, mix and pour into a greased 3 L casserole. 

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 30 - 40 minutes. 

Apple Fritter Casserole

Apple Fritter Casserole 

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored & diced 

6 tbsp butter 

1 cup brown sugar, packed 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp cornstarch 

2 tbsp warm water 

6 large croissants, chopped into chunks 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/2 cup apple sauce 

3 eggs, lightly beaten 

1/8 tsp cinnamon 

3/4 cup powdered sugar

4 tbsp heavy cream 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir until incorporated. Add cinnamon & nutmeg, mix well. Add diced apples and stir to coat. Simmer mixture for 5 minutes or until apples are soft and to the desired texture. 

In a small bowl combine cornstarch and water. Add to apples and mix well. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Spray a 9 X 13 casserole with no stick cooking spray and lay out croissant pieces ensuring they evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Top croissants with Apple mixture spreading evenly. 

In a seperate bowl combine heavy cream, apple sauce, eggs and cinnamon. Mix well. Pour over Apple mixture ensuring even coverage 

Bake 30 to 40 minutes until set. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes. 

In a small bowl whisk together whipping cream and powdered sugar to make icing. 

Drizzele casserole with icing and serve immediately. 

Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington

Beef: 

3 lb beef tenderloin

Olive oil

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground pepper 

12 slices prosciutto 

6 sprigs fresh thyme 

2 tbsp Dijon mustard 

1 package puff pastry 

2 large eggs, whisked with 1 tsp water to make egg wash 

1/2 tsp coarse sea salt 

Duxelles:

1 1/2 lbs mushrooms

2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped 

4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 

2 sprigs thyme 

2 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp olive oil

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground pepper 

To make the duxelles, add mushrooms, shallots, garlic and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and olive oil to a large sautée pan and set over medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture and sautée for 8 - 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. 

To prepare the beef, tie the tenderloin in 4 places with butchers twine so it holds it's cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends in a hot, heavy based skillet coated with olive oil - about 2 - 3 minutes on each end. Remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool slightly. 

Set out prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap (plastic needs to be about a foot and a half so you can wrap and tie the roast up in it.  Line up the prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the entire beef tenderloin, overlapping slightly.  Cover evenly with a thin layer of the duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme. 

Position the tenderloin on the duxelles, the roll up the duxelles covered prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight. Tuck in the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely  encompass the beef & then twist the ends to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the refridgerator for 30 minutes to ensure it maintains it shape. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Remove beef from refridgerator and cut off plastic. Set the beef in the centre of the puff pastry and fold over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if necessary, then brush with egg wash to completely seal the beef. Top with coarse sea salt. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet. 

Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash, then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry to create vents that will allow steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F.  Remove from oven and allow to rest approximately 10 minutes before cutting into think slices.  

Adjust cooking time depending on the size of tenderloin: 

1 lb - approximately 20 minutes 

2 lb - approximately 30 minutes 

Bug Spray

Bug Spray 

1 oz witch hazel 

1 oz distilled water 

20 drops eucalyptus essential oil

20 drops citronella essential oil

20 drops lemon grass essential oil

20 drops tea tree essential oil

1/2 tsp vodka 

Add essential oils to witch hazel and mix well. 

Add vodka to preserve if not using right away and add water. 

Mix well and pour into 80 ml spray bottle. Fills approximately 3/4 of the bottle. 

Shake well and spray over exposed skin ever few hours.