Uncategorized

Father’s Day 2012: Mustard turkey burgers

~ Hilary ~ 2 Comments

If there’s one thing my dad dislikes, it’s leftover holiday turkey. In fact, there is an infamous Duff family story involving my exasperated dad and a plate of turkey pot pie…but we won’t go there.

This context in mind, it was totally logical that I make him turkey burgers for father’s day, the one day of the year that is supposed to be all about him. Before you start crying injustice and boycotting my blog, let me explain. Because I love my dad, I want to expand his horizons. I intend to do that by presenting him with things – turkey burgers, say – of which he may be a little wary. By making dinner delicious and thus somewhat reversing his hatred of all things turkey-related, I’ve helped him out in my own special way. BAM – the gift of enlightenment. What did you guys get your dad..golf clubs? Pfft, whatever!

Even if these were turkey, they were still burgers which I thought fit into the theme of “dads” quite well. Plus, my dad taught me to barbeque a few weeks ago, so I thought he might appreciate me showing off this newfound ability.

When I saw the recipe for these burgers, it automatically reminded me of my dad, just because of the Dijon mustard use. Back story: there was a stint in grade seven or eight when I would make my dad a sandwich every night to bring to work the next day. This sandwich would always have the same innards – margarine, sliced ham and a generous spoonful of Dijon mustard. The smell, texture and taste of said condiment now reminds me of him. Go figure.

Oh right, and I also decided to make homemade sesame seed hamburger buns after seeing this beautiful recipe on the interwebs. We have a breadmaker at home, but I wanted to get all Betty Crocker and knead everything by hand. Plus I get to eat more dough that way…

Anyways, these ended up being a hit and I loved the avocado and roasted red pepper as toppings.

PS: if you haven’t already, go read this stellar personal essay by the Globe and Mail’s Ian Brown. It is father-themed, and therefore appropriate for this post. It made me cry like a baby and write an emotional letter to my dad, which I inappropriately called “The First Draft of your Eulogy.”

Oh god, I suck at father’s day, don’t I?

Continue reading →

Prosciutto-wrapped, goat-cheese stuffed chicken breasts with roasted pear and walnut arugula salad (phew)

~ Hilary ~ Leave a comment

This was a very grown-up meal.

When it comes to cooking, making dinner with one component is usually enough for me. You know – just pasta or just chicken or just a kooky vegetarian burger. The side dishes that are normally associated with a well-balanced, three-part meal normally come in terms of me eating a tiny piece of chocolate while dinner is being prepared. Or a fresh pita. Or whatever else is on my countertop.

I’m rambling now, but basically what I’m saying is that a dinner hat trick is something I feel I can humbly boast about.

My good friend and old roommate Ariel came over for dinner a few nights ago, and I decided to spoil us. Though I spent the afternoon drooling over Internet images of pumpkin-stuffed perogies, I remembered at the last minute that I had two chicken breasts that needed to be used (don’t worry, the pumpkin perogies will be made and blogged about someday soon). Thus, this dinner came to be.

Here is what old (pre-learning to cook, circa 2010) Hilary and new (cooking, yay!) Hilary think of chicken:

Old Hilary: Okay, so I have this piece of chicken. Even though I’ve had plain chicken for the past three nights, I think I’ll duplicate those “successes” and again fry this on our George Foreman grill until all the delicious juices are oozed out of it. I’ll also slather it in BBQ for good measures and will probably eat it with lots of extra salt. Side dish: plain rice.

New Hilary: Okay, so I have this piece of chicken. Obviously no piece of chicken is complete unless it is stuffed with smooth goat cheese and oven roasted in its own juices with fresh sprigs of rosemary. Oh right, and I have this prosciutto here – sure, that can be a sweater for the chicken in the oven. Four hundred degrees is a little chilly anyways. Let me consult my beautiful, Things Organized Neatly-style cookbook for ideas. Side dishes: hmm, might as well make a fresh arugula salad and potatoes fried in duck fat while we’re at it. (okay, I get it, this sounds super indulgent and gluttonous, but it doesn’t happen often. Mom, I love duck fat. Accept this. Let it be my vice.)

Wouldn't that be better? Me with nothing to say and you in your prosciutto sweater (song lyrics, updated)

Conclusion: New Hilary is slightly more OCD, and is conscious of how judgmental she is of the girl she once was. New Hilary is also more satisfied with dinner and life on a daily basis.

The roasted tomato juices were delicious with the chicken, and it took all my will power to not tackle Ariel and eat her plateful too. A good, balanced meal, exactly what you want before you spend the rest of your night pigging out on Mayfair Theatre popcorn (whilst crushing on George Clooney), licorice nibs and a really yummy gelato-espresso drink. #girlsnight

Chicken, before and after oven
Arugula = the best

Continue reading →

My Day in Pictures: March 25, 2011

~ Hilary ~ Leave a comment

I bought a bunch of new packs for my iPhone Hipstamatic app.  This is the result.

1: Britt playing “Here Comes the Sun.”  Me singing along horribly.  Let Friday night begin.

2: The first of many creepy iPhone shots I took at the new Shoppers Drug Mart in my neighbourhood.  The lighting in the fragrance aisle was too great to resist.  I am 100 per cent sure the sales lady thought I was an extremely shady shopper.

3: Likely my future kitchen furniture.  Very 1980’s, especially as seen through my new Hipstamatic lens.  You can’t fully appreciate it from this picture, but the chairs are the most fantastic pastel easter egg colour.  The table centre piece is a tiny giraffe family peering out the window.

 

My Day in Pictures: March 24, 2011

~ Hilary ~ Leave a comment

1: A semi-artistic (read: blurry) view from the back of a Carleton University tunnel cart. My friend Rosanna and I were trekking across campus carrying our heavy equipment for tv newsroom day. I asked (begged) for a ride and the drivers kindly obliged.  I only had to pout a little bit!  Also, please note that getting to ride on a tunnel cart should be a Carleton bucket list experience.  I’ve been on one twice in two years!! (living the dream)

2: Story line-ups for newsroom day.  An explosion of chaotic colour on our classroom’s whiteboard.

3: Cupcakes made by Little Cakes for the 2011 Twestival Ottawa event that I attended tonight.  Please note the tiny Twitter birds on some of the cupcakes.