Chef Jenny's Favourite Recipes

Lemon-Tarragon Pickled Green Beans | Pulled Pork | Brussel Sprouts | Lemon Icebox Cake | Yam Cakes | Bourrise | Daffodil Cake | Coeur a la Creme | Braised Beef | Pumpkin Cheesecake | Zucchini Cake | Rustica Tart | A Halibut Dish | Caper Sauce | Molten Lava Cake | Bony Fingers

Duck Confit

View and download Chef Jenny's duck confit recipe »

Russian Easter Bread

View and download Chef Jenny's Russian Easter Bread recipe »

Soup Stock

View and download Chef Jenny's soup stock recipe »

Lemon-Tarragon Pickled Green Beans

If anyone is like me and has a ton of green beans left over, this a great way to use them up.

• 2 lbs. of green beans
• 8 sprigs of fresh tarragon
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 8 2" strips of lemon peel
• 2 ½ cups water
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 4 tbls. sugar
• 2 tbls. kosher salt
• 8 pint jars, cleaned and sterilized
• Bring water to a boil, add vinegar with salt and sugar
• Pack green beans into pint jars... should be tightly packed
• Add herbs, lemon peel, and garlic to the jars
• Pour hot vinegar into the jars to cover beans but leave ½" at the top. Tap to remove air. Place cleaned hot lids on jars

Bring a water bath/canner to a boil and place jars in bath. Process for 15/20 minutes, ready to eat in 3 weeks.

Pulled Pork

What makes this recipe great is that I used a slow cooker and it roasted all night long and didn't heat up the house:

• ¼ lb. shoulder pork roast
• 1 large onion
• 2 carrots
• 4 cloves garlic diced
• 2 tbls. grainy mustard
• 1 can of root beer
• Slice onions in the round and place in the bottom of the cooker
• Rub diced garlic and mustard onto roast
• Place roast on on the onions and place carrots around the roast
• Set cooker to auto with lid on. Cook for 10-12 hours
• Remove roast and carrots
• De-fat the juices by placing in the fridge for an hour
• Put juices in a small sauce pan and reduce by half
• With 2 forks or your fingers pull the roast a part until shedded
• Put shedded pork on poorboy buns or crust french bread pour the reduced sauce or juices over the meat (the meat is cold)
• Serve with coleslaw

The only problem with this meal was the dog moaned and howled half the night wanting some and all he got was the carrots!

Brussel Sprouts

One of my favorite Christmas veggies are Brussel Sprouts – this one is different!

• Dice 4 slices of bacon or pancetta and fry until crisp
• Remove from pan to a plate but keep the fat
• Add 2 tbls. of butter
• Slice ½ lb. of brussel sprouts in half and fry cut side down in the bacon fat until brown, about 6-8 minutes
• Add juice of 1 lemon and cover 2-3 minutes (the lemon removes any bitterness from the sprouts)
• Toss the bacon back in and plate
• The bacon/pancetta adds the salty/smokey taste

Lemon Icebox Cake

This is new twist on the fifties-style un-baked cake.

• 1 pkg. of Anna lemon snaps cookies
• 1 8 oz. pkg. of mascarpone cheese
• 1 8 oz. pkg. of Philly cream cheese
• 1 cup yogurt (low fat)
• ½ cup sugar
• Zest of lemon
• Juice of lemon

Beat together cream cheese, marcarpone cheese, sugar and lemon zest and juice until smooth, add yogurt mixing with a spoon not beaters.

Line a 9” round springform pan or bread loaf pan with parchment paper, add ½ the batter to pan a smooth out, place Anna's cookies upright into batter add more batter add more cookies.

Place in the fridge overnight to soften cookies. Plate cake upside down and remove parchment. Serve whip cream and raspberries.

* Anna's snaps are gluten free* and come in ginger and lemon.

Yam Cakes

I love yams, there are sweet, colourful and packed with nutrition. I use a julienner to make these cakes but any shedder/grater will do.

• 2 large peeled yams
• ½ small red onion or a bunch of chives chopped fine parsley
• 1 egg
• Julienne the peeled yams add onions, parsley and egg

Julienne the peeled yams add onions, parsley and egg. Mix with your hands and make into small 3" flattened pancakes, fry in a small amount of oil and butter over a meduim heat until golden brown on both sides making sure they are not crowded. Serve with fish or chicken.

These cakes can also be used as a appy with smoked salmon or caviar serve with creme fraiche. Easy but glamorous.

Bourride

Bourride is a nineteenth-century Provence garlic rich fish dish. Any local fresh fish/shellfish can be used.

• 1-3 lbs. of fish (cod, sole, bass, halibut, prawns, crab and mussels)
• Court-bouillon
• 6 cups water
• ⅔ cups white wine
• White part of leek, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp fennel seed, a few sprigs of parsley, thyme, celery and a wide strip of orange peel
• Fillet fish and save bones/shells, cut fish into chunks
• Place the shells/bones in a large pot and add water, wine, herbs and orange peel boil for 10 mins. Strain and save bouillon for poaching seafood.

Aioli

• 4 eggs (yolks only)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic crushed
• 1 cup good olive oil
• Grainy mustard
• Zest and juice 1 lemon

Using 2 of the egg yolks, all the crushed garlic and mustard and lemon juice, place in a blender. Blend on high and very slowly add olive oil until thickened. Poach seafood in bouillon (no more than a few mins and just firm) starting with thicker pieces, adding shellfish last. Remove cooked fish to warm platter. Keep bouillon hot.

In another pan over low heat whisk ½ the aioli with 2 more egg yolks and 1 cup of hot bouillon, whisk until thickened.

Pour over seafood. Garnish with lemon zest and finely chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread and new boiled potatoes with the remainder of aioli as a side dish.

Daffodil Cake

Celebrate Mother's Day with a cake that also celebrates spring. This cake is from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 1974 edition.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 ¼ cup eggs whites (8 large eggs)
• ¼ cup eggs yolks (4 of the 8 eggs)
• Zest of lemon
• 1 ¼ cup sugar

Sift flour on to a plate, beat whites to foamy then slowly add sugar. Beat until soft peaks, in another bowl beat yolks with lemon zest until foamy. Fold the sifted flour over the egg whites until incorporated. Add ⅓ of flour and whites to yolk mix folding gently. Spoon 2 spoonfuls of white mix then 1 spoonful of yolk mix.

Alternately into your 10" springform pan. Gentle pat the batter to evenly smooth the top. Bake at 375º for 30 mins or a toothpick inserted into batter come out clean.

Serve with a lemon glaze and whip cream.

Coeur a la crème

It is a classic French unbaked cheesecake perfect for Valentine's Day

Coeur

• 6 oz. room temperature cream cheese
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• 1 tbls. sugar
• ⅛ tsp vanilla
• ⅛ tsp fresh lemon juice
• Zest of ½ a lemon finely chopped

Beat together cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add zest.

Place mix in a Coeur mold or a sieve, smoothing the top.

Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours with pan under Coeur mold to catch whey drips.

Sauce

• ⅓ cup of fresh or thawed raspberries or blackberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ tsp. fresh lemon juice
• Mash fruit with sugar and lemon juice press through a sieve to remove seeds.

To Plate

• Allow Coeur to warm 20 minutes
• Unmold Coeur by placing a plate on the top of mold and tipping to release
• Place 2 tbsp of fruit on plate and gently place cheesecake on top of fruit. Serve with mint sprigs or chocolate curls

Braised Beef

Cold winter nights invites the aroma of slow cooking. You can change the meal from French to Italian to Hungarian with herbs and spices but the basics are all the same. Make extra for leftovers or a freezer meal!

• 4-5 lb. rump or blade steaks
• 2 onions
• 4 stalks celery
• Garlic
• 2 tins of stewed tomatoes
• Handful of sun-dried tomatoes
• Brown onions in olive oil/butter in large cast iron or braising pot and add chopped celery and diced garlic cook to soften, remove to platter.
• Brown beef on both sides in the same pot
• Add the onion mix back into the pot
• Add the tinned and sun dried tomatoes (the sun dried toms thicken the stock)

At this point you can decide Italian by adding Italian herbs or French with bouquet garni and mushrooms, I always add bay leaf.

Heat until the mix in hot and place in the oven to 275°F with the lid on for 4 to 6 hours. The meat should be checked after 3 hours to make sure the beef is NOT drying out. Add water if necessary.

Serve with egg noodles or baby potatoes and roasted root veggies.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

• 2 tbls. butter
• ¼ cup Anna's ginger snaps ground fine mixed with ¼ cup of ground hazelnuts
• 2 lbs. cream cheese (not spreadable)
• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 cans pumpkin puree (unsweetened-solid pack)
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp cloves
• ½ tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 ½ tsp chopped candied ginger
• Pinch of salt
• 6 large eggs

Line 10" spring form pan with crumble mix of Anna's ginger snaps, hazlnuts and melted butter. Chill as you mix cheesecake batter.

Beat cream cheese until fluffy; add sugar beat until well mixed. Add eggs 1 at a time beating after each egg. Fold in pumpkin and spices. Add to chilled pan.

Bake in middle of oven for 1 hour at 325°F until the top in firm to the touch but not brown. Turn oven off and allow to set for 30 minutes with the oven door ajar. This will stop the top from spilting.

Cool completely before removing from spring form. Garnish with whip cream, candied ginger and whole hazelnuts.

Zucchini Cake

With those big zucchinis no one wants to use, this moist cake fits the bill.

My friend Chris gave me this cake recipe and I have used it for more than 30 years to rave revues.

• ¼ cup oil
• ½ cup butter
• ½ brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• Cream to smooth
• Add 2 eggs (one at a time) beat smooth

Stir in:

• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1¾ cup flour

Fold in:

• 2 cups grated zucchini (I leave the skin on to add colour)
• 1 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
• ¾ chopped hazelnuts
• Pour into a 15x10" pan

Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in to the middle of the cake comes out clean. I top it off with cream cheese icing. Mix together ¼ cup butter, ¼ cup old-fashion cream cheese (not spreadable type or it will be runny). Add ½ cup of icing sugar.

Rustica Tart

Source: Impressive Gatherings cookbook by Ellen Rose.

Tart dough

• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ cup butter
• 1 ½ cups parma cheese
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup of ice water

Blend the first 5 ingredients to pea size and add water to make a firm dough. Fridgerate 1 hour then allow to warm ½ hour before using.

Filling

• 2 tbls. grainy Dijon mustard
• 2 tbls. Parma cheese
• 2 tbls. each of basil, thyme, parsley
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 6 large yellow and red tomatoes
• 1 tbls. olive oil

Roll out dough, place on cookie sheet or baking stone. Spread mustard on dough, spread on parma cheese, add ½ the herbs mixed with garlic and oil then layer overlapping tomatoes. Add the remaining herbs mix over the tomatoes and drizzle with oil. Add more parma cheese if you wish. Roll up edges of dough to meet tomatoes.

Bake at 425°F for 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm.

A Halibut Dish

I thought I would share my favourite halibut dish.

• 1 3-5 lb. halibut fillet
• Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• lemon zest and parsley diced fine
• Oil and butter

Wash fillet. While it's still damp, cover both sides with Panko and the parsley mix, gently pressing the mix into the fillet.

Fry immediately in oil and butter to brown on both sides. Fillets only require 2-3 minutes each side.

Serve with brown rice and asparagus. Top with caper sauce.

Homemade Caper Sauce

• ¼ cup mayo
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. capers (drained)
• 1 tsp. green relish, mix together

Molten Lava Cake

• 6 oz. of butter
• 6 oz. of dark chocolate chopped (not chips)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch (sifted)
• ¼ cup raspberries (use jam or sieve berries to remove seeds)

Melt chocolate with butter, add raspberries and allow to cool. Combine eggs and sugar beat until smooth, add chocolate mix slowly and mix until smooth. Fold in sifted cornstarch. Cover batter put in fridge 2 hours or overnight.

Divide evenly into 6 ramekins or muffin cups. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until the outside edges have risen but the center is soft to the touch. Cool and remove from ramekin.

Plate with dusted cocoa and reheat in 30° oven for 5 mins or leave cold. The center should be "gooey". Garnish with whipped cream.

Bony Fingers

My sister in-law cut this recipe from the Vancouver Sun and sent it to me years ago. My girls had great fun making them. This recipe is easily doubled. These cookies are great kids cookies for Halloween!

• 1 cup butter (soft)
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp almond extract

Beat together then add:

• 2¾ cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Refrigerate 30 minutes to chill
• Roll out dough to make cylinder and cut at 3"
• Score 3 lines to make a knuckle and press a blanched almond for a finger nail
• Bake at 325°F until pale golden

To make really gruesome, dip fat end of cookie in red food dye for the blood.