Meals

1. In a large saucepan, soften the onions and garlic in the oil. Add the meat and continue cooking for about 15 minutes, stirring to crumble the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring frequently, for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes begin to fall apart. Let cool. Adjust the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or until completely chilled.
2. With the rack in the lowest position, preheat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F).
3. Line six 23-cm (9-inch) pie plates with pastry. Cover with the cooled meat mixture. Cover with a second crust. Make an incision in the centre. Press the lip the seal with a fork or your fingers. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown.

1. Place onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times.
2. Add beans, oats, corn, green onion, cumin, curry powder, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper and pulse 8 times. Scrape downs sides of the bowl and pulse an additional 5 to 8 times (depending on desired texture).
3. Place mixture into a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
4. Remove chilled mixture from refrigerator and stir in breadcrumbs. Adjust seasonings.
5. Pour oil into a heavy bottom skillet and place over medium. Form mixture into four equal patties. Cook patties for 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until a crust develops and the patties are heated through.
6. Remove patties from heat and place onto burger buns. Assemble burger with toppings and condiments of your choice and serve.

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, adding green beans for the last 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook garlic, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until softened and fragrant, but not browned. Stir in lemon juice and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk eggs with ½ tsp (2 mL) salt and pepper, to taste, in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk garlic mixture into egg mixture.
4. Drain pasta and beans, reserving 1 cup (250 mL) cooking water. Return pasta to the pot off the heat. Whisk ½ cup (125 mL) of the cooking water into egg mixture, then quickly toss with the hot pasta to coat evenly. Add more of the reserved cooking water to thin sauce as desired.
5. Add tuna and olives and season with salt and pepper; toss gently to combine. Portion pasta into warmed bowls and sprinkle with chives.
6. Serves 4

1. Break tuna into large flakes. Toss gently with beans, peppers, olives, onion and half the basil in a bowl.
2. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, tarragon and anchovy fillets. Mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Toss half of mayonnaise with the tuna mixture. Place salad greens on platter or 4 plates. Mound tuna salad on top. Sprinkle with remaining basil and drizzle with remaining mayonnaise.
4. Serves 4 as a main course

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. In a medium saucepan, cook bacon pieces over medium-high heat until fat has rendered and bacon is nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
3. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove bacon and set aside for stuffing. Place 3 tbsp (45 mL) of rendered bacon fat into a large roasting pan, discard leftover fat, and reserve saucepan to make stuffing.
4. Into the roasting pan place turkey neck, onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves and sage. Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir to combine.
5. Being careful not to tear the skin, gently loosen it from the breast meat and place 1 tbsp (15 mL) of butter under the skin of each breast. Smear the remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter over entire turkey. Season turkey generously inside and out with salt and pepper.
6. Place roasting rack over vegetables and place turkey onto rack. Roast uncovered in middle of a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and turkey brown slightly; do not let vegetables burn.
7. Remove pan from oven; carefully add cider and 2 cups (500 mL) water to pan. Loosely cover the turkey with foil and return to oven. Roast for 2 hours, basting once each hour and adding an additional cup of water to pan when needed. Important: never let the bottom of pan dry out.
8. After 2 hours, remove foil and continue to roast turkey until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 170°F (77°C), about 30 more minutes. When cooked, remove turkey to platter or cutting board. Keep covered with foil and let rest 20 minutes before carving.
9. Remove rack from pan. Place 1 cup (250 mL) water into roasting pan and heat over medium-high, scraping up browned bits from bottom. Carefully strain liquid from solids, pressing gently on solids to extract flavour; 2 cups (500 mL) of liquid are needed for the gravy. If there is too little, top up with water.
10. For pan gravy, in a small saucepan melt remaining ¼ cup (60 mL) butter over medium- high heat. Whisk flour into melted butter until well combined. Slowly whisk in warm pan liquid until well combined and thickened. Lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes; set aside and keep warm. If it becomes too thick, loosen with a few drops of water.
11. Slice turkey and serve with pan gravy and stuffing (recipe follows).
12. STUFFING
13. While the turkey is roasting, begin to make the stuffing. To saucepan used for bacon, melt 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery, and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and apple and continue to cook for 10 minutes more. Add sage and reserved bacon pieces and warm through for about 2 minutes.
14. In a large bowl, toss cubed bread, pecans and bacon mixture until well combined. Season generously with salt and pepper. Begin to slowly pour chicken stock over bread, starting with 3 cups (750 mL) of stock and working up from there, if needed. Toss occasionally until all the bread has been well-moistened but is not soggy.
15. Place mixture in a buttered glass baking dish. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove foil and continue cooking until the top is lightly toasted, about 20 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
16. Makes 10 cups (2.5 L)

1. In a large pan, heat oil on medium heat for 1 minute. Add onions and cinnamon, and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another 4 minutes. Add ginger, tomatoes, salt, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and cayenne. Cook this masala for 5 minutes, or until the oil separates from the masala.
2. Remove and discard skin from the chicken thighs. Wash thighs and add to the masala. Stir well. Cook chicken thighs for 10 minutes, until the chicken looks cooked on the outside. Add sour cream and water and stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high. When curry starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times, until chicken is completely cooked. Poke the thighs with a knife. If the meat is still pink, cook for 5 more minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Cool curry for at least half an hour.
3. Transfer cooled chicken to a mixing bowl. Peel chicken meat off the bones. Discard bones and stir chicken back into the curry. Just before serving, heat curry on medium heat until it starts to boil lightly. Stir in cilantro.
4. To serve: Divide curry evenly among six bowls.

Clean and trim the scallions, leaving about 2 inches of green stems; I reserved the darker green tops for garnish and salad additions. Cook in boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, wring out well, and chop finely. Place the scallions in a medium-sized bowl, add the kale, eggs, nutmeg (if using), salt, pepper, bread crumbs and potatoes and stir to combine. The batter will be loose and wet; this is just fine. Heat the oils in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Use about 2 tablespoons batter (I used a cookie scoop that holds slightly less) per pancake, flattening them as they hit the pan. Cook until golden brown underneath, just a couple minutes, before flipping them and cooking them on the reverse side until golden and crisp as well. Drain on paper towels, but be gentle as they are still fragile. You can keep them warm in a 200 degree oven while cooking off the rest of the batter, adding more oil as needed and letting pan cool between batches if it gets too hot. Serve scattered with reserved scallion stems, if desired, topped with a crispy egg or alongside a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt. They also make a wonderful meal with a big salad. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for a few days

1. Brown the lamb: Pat the lamb cubes dry on all sides with paper towels and season well with salt and pepper. In a large slope-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Distribute the meat evenly in the bottom of the pan without crowding it and don’t disturb it for several minutes. If you stir the cubes too soon, they will release water and the meat will boil instead of browning. After 3 or 4 minutes, turn the cubes over and brown them on the other side for another 3 or 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl and return the pan to the heat. 2. Sweat the vegetables: Add the onion, carrots, and celery, stirring with a flat-edged wooden spatula. As the vegetables cook, water will release and deglaze the pan. Use the spatula to scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Sweat the vegetables for 4 to 5 minutes. They should be translucent but still a bit firm. 3. Cook the stew: Stir in the flour and allow it to brown lightly for about 2 minutes. Add the lamb stock, continuing to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Return the meat and its collected juices to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pot. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender. Discard the bay leaves and transfer the stew to an 8-cup baking dish. 4. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes for mashing: Place the quartered potatoes and salt in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and allow the potatoes to simmer uncovered until cooked through, about 40 minutes. To tell if they are cooked, take a piece out and cut it in half to see if it's soft in the center. 5. While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 6. Mash the potatoes: Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot, and stir them over the heat for a couple of minutes. This ensures that they are dry. Rice the potatoes into a mixing bowl. Add the egg yolks, butter, and cream, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Work quickly while the potatoes are hot so they don't become gummy and starchy. Adjust the salt seasoning to taste and allow the potatoes to cool. 7. Top the pie: Fit a large pastry bag with a large star tip. Spoon the mashed potatoes into the bag. Moving in one direction, pipe large rosettes of potatoes over the lamb mixture, in neat row or around the perimeter of the baking dish. Go over your work and pipe rosettes wherever you see any holes—you want to create a good seal. Alternatively, you can dollop the potatoes over the stew and spread them with a spatula to seal it. 8. Bake the pie: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set the pie on it and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are nicely browned and the filing is bubbling. Let the casserole rest for 15 minutes; serve with piccalilli on the side if you'd like.  

1. For the Pork Belly: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Cook pork belly until lightly browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip pork belly and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer pork belly to a plate and set aside.

2. 2.

   In the same skillet, add garlic and ginger and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until fragrant. Add star anise and chili (if using), and sugar and cook, stirring, until the sugar is melted and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Add rice wine and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add five spice powder, dark and light soy sauces, and water and bring to a boil.

3. 3.

   Return pork belly to the skillet and reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and cook until pork belly is very tender, at least 1 hour or preferably 2 hours.

4. 4.

   For the Buns and Toppings: Meanwhile, combine peanuts and sugar in a blender or food processor and pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides, until the mixture resembles a coarse powder, about 1 minute.

5. 5.

   Set a steamer over a pot of boiling water. Add buns, cover steamer and cook until buns are heated through and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

6. 6.

   To Serve: Spread pickled mustard greens inside each steamed bun and set a piece of pork belly on top of mustard greens. Top pork belly with a pinch of the chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of the peanut powder. Serve immediately. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/04/taiwanese-pork-belly-bun-recipe.html

Wash and clean potatoes; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch sticks. Rinse potatoes in cold water until water runs clear; drain and pat dry until water is absorbed. Pour enough oil into a large heavy bottom pan to submerge 1 cup of potatoes by 1/2 inch (about 8 cups in a 5 quart pot). Heat oil to 375 degrees F. To make sauce: Place butter in large heavy bottom saucepan and cook until browned and fragrant. Add shallots, cook and stir until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add Newcastle Brown Ale, bring to a boil and reduce by half, about 3-5 minutes. In the meantime, stir together water and cornstarch until mixture is well combined for a slurry. Add 1 cup of beef broth into Newcastle mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil once more; cook and stir until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste. To make fries: Heat oven to 200F. Line two baking sheets with paper towels; set aside.  Fry potatoes in batches, stirring occasionally until golden, about 5-6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer fries to paper towel lined baking sheet and transfer to heated oven to keep warm. Make sure oil is returned to 375 degrees before frying next batch. To serve: Plate fries, layer with cheese curds, gravy and short ribs.