2 Ingredient Biscuits

The Easiest Biscuits EVER

Biscuits are too fussy you say…they take too much time you say.

Not anymore, cuz with only 2 ingredients you’ll be making and eating these all the time.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups self rising flour
• 3/4 cup heavy cream + a little extra for baking
• 1/4 teaspoon each Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Mix all ingredients well in a bowl
3. Scoop 1 ounce portions onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and flatten slightly
4. Brush tops lightly with extra cream and bake about 10 minutes or until done

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Salmon Soup

A Finnish classic – that you MUST make. 

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 small leeks, cleans and sliced thin– but just the white & light green parts 
• 2 tablespoons Finlandia butter*
• 5 cups fish stock, chicken or vegetable stock will work but try to find fish stock if you can
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes, sliced crosswise into ¼ inch slices
• 3 small carrots, sliced crosswise into1/4 inch slices
• 1 pound fresh salmon, no skin and bones removed cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup whipping cream
• ¾ cup finely chopped fresh dill
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the leeks in butter over medium heat in a pot until just softened – about 5 minutes
2. Add the stock, potatoes, carrots and bring to a boil 
3. Let cook 10-12 minutes or until vegetables have softened
4. Then add the cream and salmon and cook about 5 minutes more or until salmon is firm – try not to let it boil
5. Turn off the heat, add the dill, stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper
6. Cover with a lid and let sit 5 or so more minutes and serve (with some delicious dark bread like they would in Finland).

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*Finlandia Butter can be found at Vons, Albertsons and Safeway. Finlandia Cheeses are also available, in Southern California at Costco and other fine retailers.

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Tuna Casserole

Serves 6

This is old school food at it's best - one bite and you'll be thinking of lava lamps, the Dick Van Dyke show and shag carpet. Taste it again for the first time!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms

• 2 tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine

• 16 ounces shell noodles

• 10 ounces frozen peas

• 12 ounce can solid tuna, drained and flaked

• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

• 14 ounce can cream of mushroom soup

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 bag of salted chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375

2. Add oil to a pan on medium and cook onions & mushrooms until softened - about 5 minutes

3. Remove pan from heat (so it doesn't flame up) and add vermouth or wine - mix well and return to heat for a couple minutes, then put mixture in a large bowl

4. Cook shells about 2 minutes less than package directions - adding the peas in the last minute of cooking then drain and add to the mushroom mix with the tuna, cheese, soup and mustard - mix well

5. Put in casserole dish and top with crumbled chips

6. Bake 30 minutes and enjoy

Lentil with Bacon Soup

Admittedly, this is not the best looking soup, but it is fricking delicious. Trying putting a piece of baguette in the bowl first...then adding the soup.  #nobadthere

Makes about 8 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 6+ cups chicken stock
• 1 cup lentils, rinsed
• Kosher salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) & 5 grinds fresh ground pepper
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook bacon in a large pot until halfway to being crispy
2. Remove excess grease, leaving a couple tablespoons
3. Add onion, celery, carrot and cumin - cook until just softened, about 5 minutes
4. Put in broth and lentils
5. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook 30-45 minutes or until lentils are soft
6. Add salt & pepper, mix well and serve with cilantro

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Pho

Serves 4

That really good Vietnamese beef and noodle soup...and it's pronounced 'fuh', like duh.

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce pack of Rice Noodles
• 32 oz low sodium beef broth
• 2 inch piece of fresh Ginger
• 3 limes
• 2 Star Anise stars
• 8 oz bag bean sprouts
• 1 bunch green onion light green and white parts only
• 1 big handful Cilantro
• 1 pound beef
• 1 small red jalapeno or chili, seeds removed and diced small
• 1/2 cup Hoisin sauce

Directions

1. 30 minutes before you're ready to serve - put the beef in your freezer
2. To a medium pot add broth, Star Anise, juice of 2 of the limes and ginger - bring to a boil and continue to boil about 15 minutes
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add noodles and cook for 10 minutes
4. slice green onion into thin vertical strips
5. Slice beef into very thin strips and set aside
6. Drain noodles well and separate into 4 bowls
7. Cover noodles with beef slices, and top with broth
8. Then to each bowl add some bean sprouts, cilantro, green onion, red jalapeno, fresh lime juice and Hoisin
9. Mix in hoisin and eat - damn it's so good

LAMB MOUSSAKA

Serves 6

Essentially Greek Shepherd’s Pie, this is not only is this stupid good, but takes me back years ago to a Greek restaurant in Vancouver where I’d have it. It’s perfect shitty weather food. Bring on the rain.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large globe eggplants
• Olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced small
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 2 pounds ground lamb 
• 2 cups tomato sauce 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
• 5 tablespoons butter 
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 3 cups milk, warmed 
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Slice eggplants to get 12 – ¼ inch slices, put them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt & pepper and bake 20-25 minutes or until nicely softened 
3. While the eggplant cooks, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium in a large pan and put in onions and garlic – cook until softened, about 10 minutes
4. Add lamb and cook until no longer pink – pour off any fat that accumulates
5. Stir in tomato sauce, cinnamon and parsley - combine well and turn off heat
6. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, then add flour and stir well until it makes a thick smooth paste – 3-4 minutes
7. Add the warm milk one cup at a time and whisk continuously until smooth
8. Bring to a boil, season with nutmeg, salt & pepper and cook for 2-4 minutes or until thickened
9. In a buttered 9x12 baking dishing, put a layer of eggplant, the ground lamb mixture, rest of the eggplant and then the white sauce 
10. Smooth sauce over the top and scatter wit breadcrumbs
11. Bake about 45 minutes or until getting golden brown, let cool a few minutes and serve

Cullen Skink (hearty Scottish soup)

Serves 6

Cullen is a small town in Scotland and home to this delicious fish chowder.  But it’s traditionally made with smoked haddock that I couldn’t find, so I used smoked salmon and it was fricking delicious. 

Try it mate, I think you’ll love it. 

Recipe donated by a proper British person, Kate (my assistant Georgie's Mum) who lives over the pond, in the smallest city in England, called Wells (see video below).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ½ cups milk
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1lb smoked salmon (or smoked haddock)
• ½ stick/55g butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into a medium dice
• 1 large leek, cleaned, sliced lengthwise and chopped into half rounds
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup bacon, cooked/crispy/crumbled

DIRECTIONS 

1. Put the milk, half a dozen parsley stems and bay leaf into a small pot and simmer about 5 minutes
2. While it cools, put 1 tablespoon each butter & olive oil in a small pot and with the onion & leek – cook about 5 minutes until nicely softened
3. Break up salmon, add to milk and continue to simmer about 5 more minutes – then strain and add milk and salmon to the onions & leaks
4. Carefully stir in mashed potatoes – you don’t want to break up the salmon too much
5. Add salt and pepper as needed and serve topped with bacon & chopped parsley.

THE BRITISH CULPRITS THAT DONATED THE RECIPE, GEORGIE & KATE, FROM ENGLAND.

Chicken Peanut Butter Stew

Serves 4

Using a deli-roasted chicken let’s you make this recipe in very little time.  And yes using tomatoes, sweet potatoes and peanut butter sounds very odd – but it's damn fine. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, 1/2'' diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 inch piece fresh ginger, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 – 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander (aka ground cilantro seeds)
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1.5 cups deli-roasted chicken, shredded
• For serving, fresh rice, crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oil in a large pot on medium, add sweet potatoes and onion, cook for 3-4 minutes

2. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for 1 minute
3. Add stock, tomatoes, coriander and the peanut butter (yes, peanut butter!) stir well
4. Add chicken, stir well, cover and simmer on low about 10 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until sweet potatoes are cooked though

5. Serve on rice topped with crushed peanuts and cilantro.

Wonton & Noodle Soup

Serves 2

If a Jewish & Chinese grandmother got together and made a feel-good soup, this would be it.

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1" fresh ginger, thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed & roughly chopped

• 6 green onions, white & light green parts cut in one inch lengths, with the dark green parts chopped finely for garnish

• 6 frozen chicken pork or chicken pot-stickers

• 4 baby bok choy, root end cut off & leaves separated

• 1 pack instant ramen noodles (discard the seasoning pack, don’t need it)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame chili oil

Directions

1. Bring broth, ginger, garlic & green onions to a simmer in a medium sized pot - simmer 5 minutes

2. Add pot-stickers and cook for 5 minutes, then add noodles and bok choy

3. Cook until noodles are softened, then stir in soy

4. Serve with a drizzle of chili oil and green onion

French Onion Soup

Rumor has it that years ago a beautiful French woman named Marie was so desperate for a divorce from her husband, but he would not consent. So to annoy him, she started cooking with the food that he hated most, onions. She put them in everything - sandwiches, salads, breads and yes, soup. Unfortunately, the plan backfired because the soup was so delicious, her husband asked for it everyday. And as you can imagine, he never left. There's a moral in there somewhere, I just can't find it.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs yellow onions halved & thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup butter

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced

• Kosher salt & ground pepper

• 3 tablespoons sherry wine

• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, leaves only 3/4 inch

• 5 cups beef broth

• 2 tablespoons soy

• French bread (day old if possible) cut into 3/4” thick slices, if using fresh: cut into 3/4 slices as well and put into a 350 oven about 10 minutes

• One pound Gruyere or Swiss Cheese, grated on the larger holes of a box grater

Directions

1. Melt butter & oil in a large pan on medium/high heat and put in onions and let cook - stirring often until they soften a lot and begin to darken but without burning - about 25 minutes

2. Push onions out of a corner of the pan, add a teaspoon more oil and the garlic - let sit about 45 seconds then mix

3. Add sherry, let sizzle & steam a minute or so, and then put in thyme, soy and broth - keep on a low simmer for 30 minutes

4. When ready, ladle into soup bowls, top with a slice or 2 of the bread, then add a lot of cheese to each

5. Place on a baking sheet, then under broiler about 8 inches (below) until brown & bubbly

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Shrimp & Corn Chowder

Makes 4 servings

So good, so simple, so quick. Made even easier by keeping a bag of raw shell-on shrimp in the freezer and a can of corn in the pantry.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
• 1 - 15 ounce can whole corn kernels
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 large potato, cut into large dice
• Salt to taste
• 1 pound 31/40 raw shrimp, peeled, deveined

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add onion, garlic and corn
2. Cook until softened then add the paprika and cayenne and cook, stirring until mixed well
3. Add the milk, stock, potato and salt
4. Bring almost to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover
5. Stir occasionally for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender
6. Add shrimp during the last 5 minutes of cooking, and cook until they just turn opaque
7. Add some fresh chopped parsley on top
8. Serve with tons of good crusty bread and a big fat salad

Potato Soup

I'll be the first to admit that potato soup sounds boring. But this one isn't. The red onions help it taste great, plus it's way fun because your guests get to customize it themselves with a choice of cool toppings. Think baked potato - but way better. It's so good, just serve a salad with it and you're done.

Ingredients

• 2 big baking potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 3 cups chicken broth, diced - just kidding
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1/2  teaspoon cayenne
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Put potatoes in large pot, cover with chicken broth and simmer until soft, about 15 minutes
2. While it cooks, saute onions in butter and cayenne until softened
3. Add about 3/4 of the onions to the pot along with the whipping cream and parsley
4. Continue cooking the remainder of the onions until crispy and blackened - but not burnt
5. Simmer soup on low about 5 more minutes until it thickens a bit
6. With back of large spoon, mash some of the potatoes in the pot while it's simmering (this will help to thicken) - season well with salt & pepper
7. When the soup is the thickness you want, serve in bowls with a selection of the following toppings - add any and all you'd like:

• Crispy bacon pieces (if I said bits, you might buy those crappy artificial ones and I'd be mad)
• Thinly sliced green onions
• Croutons or even crouton remnants - from the bottom of the box
• Crispy thin Asian noodles
• Shredded cheese - cheddar works nicely
• Any hot sauce you like
• Diced leftover chicken, turkey, steak, pieces of a leftover broken up burger
• Anything else you can think of - just look in the fridge

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Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Makes about 4 cups

Feel free to make this using fresh red peppers and going through the whole roasting, steaming, peeling, cleaning and chopping process. Or - you could just use the delicious ones that are already roasted and in a jar and be done in about 5 minutes. But it's up to you...

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small onion (yellow, red or white – it’s up to you), chopped small

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 32 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, drained and cut into a large dice

• 1/2 - 3/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth, depending on thick or thin you like it

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Freshly chopped cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Sauté onions in olive oil in a pot over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes

2. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes more then add drained peppers - stir well

3. Either use an immersion blender right in the pot, or blender or processor to blend into a soup right in the pot with about 1/2cup broth and cayenne, or put everything in a processor or blender with 1/2 cup of the broth, cayenne and process until smooth – add more broth if you like it thinner

4. Season to taste with salt & pepper, then heat mixture in the pot

5. Serve in bowls (hot or cold) with some fresh chopped cilantro, and a small grind of fresh pepper

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White Bean Chicken Chili

We make this every year for Halloween because it's a nice change from regular chili and really delicious. Plus, it's perfect to put in a mug to eat while you are trick or treating - I mean while the kids are trick or treating.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 cans Great Northern White Beans

• One 4 ounce can diced green chilies

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 teaspoon cayenne

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 3-4 cups chicken broth

• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Drain beans

2. In a medium pot, saute onions and garlic with oil until soft

3. Add remaining ingredients - using broth to make it as thick or thin as you like

4. Bring to a low simmer, turn down and heat through stirring well, salt & pepper to taste

5. Serve topped with cilantro

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Avgolemono Soup

Serves 4

A wonderful little Greek soup - just like Mrs. Kronopoulos, the wonderful little Greek woman who used to make it for me.

Ingredients

• 6 cups Chicken broth
• 3/4 cup rice
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Parsly for garnish

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil, add rice and turn down to a simmer for about 15 minutes
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and add lemon juice - stir to mix
3. This next part is IMPORTANT - - if you just pour the egg mix into the soup right now it'll turn to scrambled eggs, so don't
4. Take about a cup of the hot broth and slowly stir it into the egg mix - then slowly add one more
5. Now that the egg mix is hot enough, you can add it into the broth in the pot
6. Continue simmering until it thickens and is heated through and you're done
7. Serve with a little chopped parsley on top

Mexican Meatloaf

Serves 8

Way way good...and if you don't save some to make a Grilled Meatloaf Sandwich the next day - I'll come find you and hurt you.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 pound ground pork

• 3/4 cup bread crumbs (Japanese Panko crumbs work really well)

• 1 package fajita seasoning

• 4 ounces diced green chilies

• 2 eggs, beaten

• GLAZE:

• 1 1/2 cup ketchup

• 1/3 cup apricot jam

• 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle peppers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix all meat loaf ingredients together and put into a greased loaf pan or shape into a loaf and place on a greased baking sheet

3. Mix the glaze ingredients together in a bowl and spread about 3/4 of it over the meatloaf

4. Bake 45 minutes to an hour, or until 155-160 degrees inside

5. Allow to cool slightly, slice into 1 inch thick pieces and glaze with extra sauce before serving

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Poutine

Serves 3 - 4

If there was a dish that could be called "Canadian" this would be it.

Ingredients

• 1 bag frozen french fries

• One 12 ounce jar beef gravy

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon Maggi, soy or Worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup cheese curds, broken up or fresh mozzarella, diced fairly small

Directions

1. Preheat oven per french fry package instructions

2. Spread the fries evenly onto a baking sheet and bake as package instructs - until browned and crunchy

3. In a small pot mix the gravy with some freshly ground black pepper to taste and the Maggi/soy/Worcestershire sauce and heat over low heat until hot and bubbly

4. Break up the cheese curds or dice the mozzarella

5. On a plate layer as follows: french fries, cheese, gravy/sauce mix

6. Add a little more freshly ground black pepper to taste

7. Be sure to get a little of everything in each bite

8. Oh Canada!

Grilled Meatloaf Sandwich

Makes two (crazy good) sandwiches

When we shoot a show, the crew (Michelle and Shannon) eat whatever it is I've made. And this sandwich went into their top 5...immediately.

You can use a store-bought meatloaf for this - or try the Mexican Meatloaf recipe on the site - it's way good.

Ingredients

• Enough 3/4 thick slices of meatloaf to cover 2 slices of the bread you'll use, which should be:
• 4 slices of something really good, ie sourdough, a hearty rye, whatever
• if you made the Mexican Meatloaf (see recipe) use the sauce from that, if not combine:
• 1/4 cup mayo, 1 Chipotle pepper, minced and a tablespoon of apricot jam
• 4 slices Muenster, Provolone or Havarti cheese

Directions

1. On a grill or in a non-stick pan, cook the meatloaf slices until heated through and starting to get crispy
2. When you flip the slices, add the cheese to the top
3. Toast or grill bread
4. Spread chipotle mayo on the bread and add arugula, the meatloaf and the final slice of bread

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Apple Tarte Tatin

A sweet upside down apple pie kinda thing...

2 small Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and cut into slices

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

• Put apple slices in a bowl with the lemon juice - and mix (the juice will help keep the slices from turning brown

• Take pastry out to thaw

• Put sugar & butter in a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet , and stir until butter & sugar melt together

• Continue stirring until it just begins to get a little darker in color, then add the slices and cook, stirring to allow the slices to soften a bit

• Cut the puff pastry into a circle a bit larger than the skillet

• Cover top of skillet with puff pastry

• Tuck in pasty edges like a pie and put a couple slits in the top

• Bake approx 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown

• On large serving plate slowly flip the skillet over onto plate so that the pastry is on the bottom

• Serve

Curry Pumpkin Soup

Makes 4 servings

Tis the season...the Fall season that is.

Ingredients

• 15 ounces canned pumpkin (just pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin seeds, dried
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Put pumpkin, curry paste, coconut milk and water in a pot
2. Stir to mix well and heat until simmering
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper
4. Meanwhile, heat pumpkin seeds and oil in a non-stick pan until slightly brown and season with salt
5. Serve soup topped with some of the seeds on top

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