Moving on from Massey presents many challenges, not the least of which is saying goodbye to the delicious and nutritious meals the kitchen staff have faithfully prepared for us. But don't despair! Your days of grape cake and Limping Susan are not over! Check this space for old favourites and new, easy recipes that will help ease the pain and provide you with the essential vitamins and nutrients so necessary to a happy life. Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

(P.S.:  Sorry about the look of this page; it may be kind of odd.  The document has been transfered from Word...and I can't fix the formatting...and I don't have time to retype these recipes word for word.  It is driving me insane...)

Cheese-based calculation can be difficult, so in the event you find yourself with extra cheese on your hands, we thought you might enjoythese recipes that make the most of small bits of stinky cheese. Strong cheese should generally be used sparingly – do not overwhelm your dinner guests with too much of a good thing!  Having said that, a good cheese can add a wonderful and deep dimension to an otherwise ho-hum collection of ingredients.  Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

 
Mushroom and Spinach Salad with Pecorino Shavings
 

Ingredients:

8 – 12 shitake mushrooms
Baby spinach, about 3 cups of loose leaves
½ cup pine nuts or other nut
¾ cup shaved pecorino cheese (or other hard Italian cheese), divided into two
Olive oil
Honey and balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

This recipe makes two generous salads.

Preparation:

Move the top rack of your oven about 6 inches from the broiler. Turn on broiler.

Toast pine nuts under broiler – making sure they do not burn.

Meanwhile, arrange cleaned and trimmed shitake mushrooms on a pan and drizzle with olive oil.

Remove pine nuts and set aside to cool.

Broil mushrooms 5 – 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle half the cheese over top. Put back in oven for an additional minute or less, until cheese is melted.

Arrange the spinach on individual salad plates.  Top with mushrooms.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar and a small amount of honey over top.  Garnish with additional cheese and toasted pine nuts.  Pepper to taste.

Wrapped Figs Cheese

Ingredients:

A dozen or so figs.
200 g prosciutto (or, if you are vegetarian, use super-thin slices of zucchini and sprinkle with salt)
Bits of cheese – try blue cheese, well-aged cheddar, or parmiggiano reggiano…
Olive oil
Toothpicks

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp paring knife, cut a slit lengthwise through each fig (but not all the way through) to create little fig pockets. Into the pockets, stuff the bits of cheese – one per fig. Wrap each fig in prosciutto and secure with a toothpick. Place in a shallow, oven-proof dish and drizzle with olive oil. Heat until cheese is warm and melty. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with apple or cantaloupe melon.

 

 

Onion Soup

This dish was inspired by Andrew Eckford, the onioniest of all alumni and creator of delicious soups. Serves four.

Ingredients: 

2 slices bacon, diced (or butter)
5 – 6 medium yellow onions, sliced
6 – 8 cups beef stock (make your own stock if you have beef bones and three or four days on your hands; otherwise, commercial broth is acceptable)
½ cup white wine
1 dried bay leaf
A few fresh sprigs or ¼ tsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper
8 slices French bread, lightly toasted
1 ½ cups grated cheese, preferably gruyere

If using bacon, sautée until crisp in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Remove bacon from pot, and feed to dog once cooled. If not using bacon, melt butter in the pot until bubbly. Now that the pot is properly and deliciously greasy, add the onions. Stir occasionally over medium heat, allowing onions to become brown and caramelized – this is the key to your delicious soup so take your time! Add wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add beef broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and simmer until flavours have come together, at least ½ an hour, stirring very occasionally. Remove denuded thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turn on your oven’s broiler. Ladle soup into four individual oven-proof bowls. Top with toasted bread and cheese, in that order. Place bowls of soup under the broiler, until cheese has melted and is slightly browned in spots. Serve immediately, warning guests that bowls and soup are very hot, but knowing they will try to eat it right away anyway.

 

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