When Jordon was attending the University of Saskatchewan, he had a great apartment in City Park which was across the street from the legendary restaurant, Seafood Sam’s (now closed).  We used to head over there on Saskatchewan Roughrider game days and Sam would ask as we came in, “Are you watching the game or just eating?”  If you were there to watch the game, you were sent into the lounge and watched the game with a very intense Sam.  It was a great experience and Jordon always used to order a seafood lasagna.  So in honour of Rider games of the past and Seafood Sam’s, here is a great seafood lasagna recipe.

Ingredients

• 250 g instant lasagna sheets
• 125 g scallops
• 500 g raw prawns (shrimp)
• 125 g butter
• 85 g plain flour
• 500 ml milk
• 500 ml dry white wine
• 125 g cheddar cheese, grated
• 125 ml cream
• 60 g parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Line a greased shallow oven proof dish (one about 12 inches square) with the lasagna sheets, gently breaking them to fill any gaps, set aside.
2. Slice or pull of any vein, membrane or hard white muscle from the scallops, leaving any roe attached.
3. Peel the prawns and gently pull out the dark vein from each prawn back, starting from the head end.  Chop the seafood and the fish into even-sized pieces.
4. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat, add the leek and cook, stirring, over medium heat for one minute, or until starting to soften.  Stir in the flour and cook for one minute, or until pale and foaming.  Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the combined milk and wine.  Return to the heat and stir constantly over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.  Add the seafood and simmer for one minute.  Remove from the heat, stir in the cheese, then season.
5. Spoon half the seafood mixture over the lasagna sheets in the dish, then top with another layer of lasagna sheets.  Spoon the remaining mixture over the lasagna sheets and then cover with another layer of lasagna sheets.
6. Pour the cream over the top, then sprinkle with the combined parmesan and parsley.  Bake, bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown.

Source: Kitchen Library: Mains by Jane Price

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups of chunky salsa
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup of Italian dressing
• 2 tbsp of taco seasoning mix
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 8 ounces of shredded marble cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Brown meat with onion in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain.  Stir in salsa, beans, dressing and seasoning mix.
3. Arrange 3 tortillas on bottom of 13x9 inch baking dish; cover with layers of half each meant mixture, sour cream and cheese.  Repeat layers.  Cover with foil.
4. Bake 40 minutes or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted, removing roil and after 30 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting to serve.

Source: Kraft Foods: Busy Family Recipes

This cheesy pizza dip went over well when I made it the other night.  It’s pretty simple to make and was a nice addition to supper.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (16 oz) of Velveeta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 20 pepperoni slices, chopped (I used my Slap Chop)

Directions

1. Combine ingredients into microwaveable bowl.
2. Microwave for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted, stirring every two minutes.
3. Serve with breadsticks, pizza bread, or cut up fresh vegetables.

You can also drizzle it over hot baked potatoes, cooked pasta, or rice for a easy cheese sauce.

Source: Kraft Foods: Busy Family Recipes

Ingredients

• 4 heads broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 whole onion, diced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups half-and-half
• Pinch nutmeg
• 3 cups grated cheese (mild Cheddar, sharp Cheddar, Jack, etc.), plus more for garnish, optional
• 1 cup chicken broth, optional

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove 2 cups of the broccoli florets, cut in half, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and bake until the florets begin to crisp and turn slightly brown, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top. Stir to combine and cook until the flour is absorbed and smells lightly toasted, 1 minute or so. Add the milk and half-and half. Add the nutmeg, then the broccoli, a small dash of salt and plenty of black pepper. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the broccoli is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the soup as is, mash with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree in a blender, return the soup to the heat to heat back up. Splash in some chicken broth if needed for thinning.) Garnish with the toasted broccoli or grated cheese and serve.

This went over very well with the family…

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, basil, chives or other herb
• 4 bone-in chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil as needed
• Lemon wedges for serving.

Directions

1. Prepare charcoal or gas grill; heat should be medium-high and rack about 6 inches from fire; keep part of grill cool for indirect cooking. In a small bowl, use a spoon or fork to combine butter and herbs, or use a mini food processor.
2. With sharp-bladed knife, cut a 2- to 3-inch slit in deepest part of chicken. Fill with as much herb butter as possible; rub some under skin as well. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and brush with oil.
3. When grill is ready, put chicken skin-side up on cool side of grill. After some fat has been rendered, turn chicken; if it flares up, move to an even cooler part of fire or turn so skin side is up again. When skin has lost its raw look and most of the fat has been rendered, after 20 minutes or so, move chicken directly over fire. Cook, turning now and then, until both sides are browned and flesh is firm and cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.

Source: The New York Times

From the New York Times

The simplest way to keep breast meat moist and make it flavorful is to put fat and flavor inside — to stuff it. At its simplest, this means cutting a slit in bone-in chicken breasts and spreading a little butter or drizzling a little olive in the incision, an undemanding task that improves the meat’s flavor and texture immensely. When you mix the butter with fresh tarragon, basil, chives, roasted garlic or whatever other flavoring you like, you upgrade the results significantly.

I made this recipe last night while my brother-in-law was over for supper.  It was a big hit and I thought I would post it here.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of top round steak
• 2 tbsp lemon juice.
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp oil
• butter for spreading
• 10 slices toasted bread
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced.  Have a little oil on hand as well.
• Steak sauce of choice.

Directions

1. Cut the steak into 4 or 5 pieces and pound with a meal mallet unti thin.  Place in a non-metallic container.  Mix the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil together and pour over the steaks.  Turn to coat both sides and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator.
2. Soften the butter and spread and spread a think coating on both sides of the bread if desired, mix a little garlic into the butter.
3. Heat barbecue and grilling rack until hot.  Place onions on a griddle, toss and drizzle with a little oil as they cook.  When beginning to soften, push to one side and turn occasionally with tongs.  Place toast on hotplate and cook until golden on both sides.  Place steaks on grilled rack and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
4. Assemble sandwiches while food cooks: place steak and ions on one slice of toast.  Top with a squirt of steak sauce and close with a second slice of toast.

Variation

You can also adapt this recipe to make a good Philly Cheesesteak sandwich.  Grill equal amounts of mushrooms, green bell peppers and tomatoes with onions.  Then combine vegetables with grilled meat.  Spit a fresh Italian roll and fill with the mixture, topping steak with American or provolone cheese and garnish with pizza sauce instead of steak sauce), hot or sweet peppers or pickles.

Source: Now You’re Cookin’: Barbecue