Alex's Recipes

Wheat-Free Turkey & Chevre Quiche

(sorry, did this one on my scales so don't have imperial measurements for the crust)

Crust

• 300g Kamut Flour
• 150g Butter
• Pinch Salt
• Cold Water

Filling

• 1 Leek, diced and rinsed
• 1 piece of Turkey Breast Scaloppini, diced
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
• Hot Pepper Paste to taste
• 1 cup Fromage Frais (Quark) or Sour Cream
• 1 cup Milk
• 4 Eggs
• 3 sprigs of Fresh Chives, diced
• 1/2 cup shredded Emmenthal or other Strong Cheese
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 log of Chevre (150g) sliced into 12 pieces
• 2 small Plum Tomatoes, thinly sliced

Add the pinch of salt to the kamut flour and blend in the butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers. A teaspoon at a time add the cold water until the dough just begins to form into a ball. Press the dough out into a buttered ten-inch flan pan or pie plate. Chill in the fridge.

Saute the leeks and turkey and hot pepper paste until cooked and chill in the fridge as well.

Whisk together the fromage frais, milk, eggs, chives and shredded cheese. Add the salt and pepper then stir in the leek and turkey mixture.

In the bottom of the pie crust, arrange the chevre slices evenly. Pour the filling into the crust and lay out the tomato slices on top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until the filling is set and the top begins to turn golden brown.

(Serves 6).

Cornmeal-fried Turkey and Veggies

• 1 small Eggplant
• 1 med Zucchini
• 2 slices raw Turkey Breast
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cornmeal
• Salt, pepper, paprika & dill weed
• Vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup Cherry Jam
• 1/2 cup Flavoured Mustard
• Hot Pepper Paste

Beat the eggs in one flat bowl, mix the cornmeal, salt, pepper, paprika and dill weed in aother.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat.

Slice the eggplant and zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. Dip each slice in the egg then in the cornmeal mixture. Drop the slices into the oil and cook each side for 4 minutes or until the cornmeal has browned. Place the cooked slices on a paper towel to drain and keep warm in a slow oven.

Eggplant absorbs a lot of oil – you may need to top up the pan.

Once all the veggies are cooked, coat and fry the turkey breast slices until cooked through, but not dry.

As a dipping sauce, mix the jam, the mustard and hot pepper paste to taste (yes this sounds strange but it's amazingly tasty). You can substitute the cherry jam for a grape jelly, but don't use a strawberry or raspberry.

(Serves 2)

Tomato & Walnut Soup

• 1 Shallot
• 1 fresh Hot Pepper
• 6 small Plum Tomatoes
• 1 cup Soup Stock (or 1 cup water and a boullion cube)
• 12 Whole Walnuts
• 1/2 cup Cream
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons dried Basil
• Salt/Pepper

Dice the shallot and the hot pepper (make sure you seed the pepper carefully or the soup will be very spicy). Soften the shallot and pepper in the olive oil. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the pot. Stir in the stock, the basil, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

Blanche the walnuts (immerse them in boiling water for one minute), then grind them roughly with a mortar and pestle. Add the cream to the walnuts.

Stir the cream and walnut mixture into the soup, bring back to a boil then simmer until the nuts are soft.

Put the whole mixture through a food mill twice and serve.

(Serves 4)

Butch Pasta Sauce

I call this sauce "butch" because Roquefort is a strong cheese that can knock the socks off you (or smell like rotten socks to some people!).

• 1 Onion
• 2 Garlic Sausages
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1/2 cup Roquefort
• 2 tablespoons Martini Rosso (or Red Wine)
• 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
• Salt, Pepper

Dice the onion, sausage and pepper finely and fry in the olive oil. When the sausage is cooked, add the rest of the ingredients and melt the cheese. Cook until desired consistency.

Pour the sauce over enough pasta (or rice) for two people and serve immediately.

(Serves 2)

Parmesan Guacamole

I love avocados and eat one almost everyday. I'm getting experimental with them.

• 1 Avocado
• 1 Tomato, diced
• Juice from 1/2 a Lime
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
• Pepper

Mash all the ingredients together with a fork and serve.

Steak with Roquefort Sauce & Green Beans

• 1 eight ounce Steak
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1/4 cup Roquefort Cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon Martini Rosso (or other non-sweet alchohol - like Brandy)
• 1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
• 1 cup fresh Green Beans
• Salt & Pepper

Season the steak with the salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a fry pan and when sizzling, sear the steak on each side quickly then lower the heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side (or to desired "doneness").

Remove the steak and keep warm.

Add the cheese, the cream and the alcohol. Melt the cheese and bring to a boil.

Toss in the green beans and heat through stirring regularly.

Pour the sauce and green beans over the steak and serve immediately.

Make sure you have some bread to soak up the sauce!

(Serves 1)

Red Pepper Stuffed Potato

• 1 medium Potato
• 1/2 Red Pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or other Hard Strong Cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt, Pepper & Dill Weed

Bake the potato for an hour at 450F. When done, remove the innards and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Put back in the skin and if you want to, put under the broiler until the top begins to brown.

Rice Carbonara

I'm not a big pasta fan, so made this traditionally pasta dish with rice as a sort of quick-risotto.

• 2 pieces of Bacon, diced
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 1/4 cup Romano or other Hard Strong Cheese
• 1 1/2 cups Short Grained Rice
• 3 cups Water
• Salt, Pepper & Basil

Cook the rice as according to the package.

Cook the bacon until almost crisp then put in a large bowl (straining out the grease).

Whisk the egg yolks with the cheese and add to the bacon. Stir in the cooked rice and add the seasonings to taste.

(Serves 2 - with a salad)

Avocado Boursin Dip

Boursin is a very garlicky and herby cream cheese from Normandy. You can buy it prepackaged, but it's better fresh. In Toronto that means a trip to the cheese shops in Kensington Market (where one place describes Bousin as being able to put hairs on your chest).

• 1 Avocado
• 1/2 cup Boursin
• 1 small Tomato, seeded and diced

Combine the avocado and the Boursin with a fork until smooth then add the diced tomato and serve.

Creamy Carrots

• 2 large Carrots
• 1/2 cup Bechamel Sauce
• 2 teaspoons Honey
• Pinch of Salt

Slice the carrots into disks and boil with the salt to desired texture. Drain and add the bechamel sauce and honey. Over a low heat stir until coated and the sauce is fully heated.

(Serves 2)