Cannelloni

Ingredients: 

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground beef
1-2 TBS olive oil
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 cup tomato juice
3 tsp grated lemon rind
1/8 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt & pepper
1 package of grated mozzarella cheese
1 jar of tomato sauce (32 oz)

Prepared pasta sheets
or store bought cannelloni tubes (follow directions of preparation).
They are usually cooked first, and then stuffed with the filling before baking.
You can also make this recipe using Stuffed Shells.

Directions: 
Heat a non-stick frying pan. Add the oil and then add the ground meat.
Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook until browned. Drain oil from the pan.
Sprinkle with the nutmeg and cinnamon.

Add the tomato juice and cook for a few more minutes.
Remove from the pan and cool in a bowl.

Add the lemon rind, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
Add the egg (one egg for each pound of meat), and salt & pepper if needed. The filling should stick together for easy handling - if it's too dry, add a bit more tomato juice.

Heat the oven to 350F.

Fill the cannelloni or shells with the mixture. If you're using fresh pasta, (cooked and cooled), roll the pasta with 2-3 TBS of meat in each one.

Add some of the tomato sauce to the baking dish.  Add the cannelloni in a single layer.
Cover with grated mozzarella cheese and more tomato sauce.

Bake at 350F for 1/2 hour or until bubbly and heated through.
Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley.

* Note: You can add a 1/4 cup cooked spinach, chopped to the filling for a variation.

Ocean Trout - Broiled or Pan Fried

In Naples and in Muskoka, you can hire a fishing boat and captain to take you out for a 1/2 day of fishing. If you're lucky, you can catch dinner. This is ocean trout caught in the Gulf of Mexico with captain Aaron. Allow about 1/2 lb or 8 oz per person. Ocean trout is light and similar to fresh water bass. There are two easy ways to cook it. This photo shows it grilled on a baking sheet in the oven.

Serves 4 
Ingredients: 

2 lbs of fresh ocean trout or white fish (fairly thin fillets)
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning (or your favorite fish seasoning)
1/4 cup flour (for pan frying)
3 TBS olive oil, or vegetable oil
1 TBS capers
1 TBS fresh parsley, coriander or chives,  chopped
4 lemon or lime wedges
Mayonaise or tarter sauce

Directions: 

For Pan Frying: 

Mix the lemon pepper seasoning with the flour and spread it out on a plate.
Heat your non-stick frying pan (largest you have).  Add the oil.
Dry the fillets in paper towels. Quickly coat the fish in the flour mixture, and shake off any excess. Don't let the fish sit with the flour on it, as the flour will pick up the moisture from the fish and you will end up having a mushy coating instead of a crisp coating. Immediately put it in the hot oil (medium - medium high). Leave space around each piece of fish so they are not touching when cooking. Fry till lightly browned and turn only once. (About 2-3 minutes). Remove from the pan and put on a paper towel to drain any oil.

Sprinkle with fresh herbs and drained capers. Serve with your favorite sauce.

For Broiling in the Oven:

This is an easy and less messy option.
Set the oven to Broil (High) and the rack about 6-8" from the top.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brush the paper with oil.
Lay the fillets out with space between each one. Brush the fish with oil.
Sprinkle with the lemon pepper seasoning.

Broil for about 6 minutes. Check after 5 minutes. If the fish is thin, it will cook quickly.
You don't have to turn the fish over as it will cook through.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with capers and fresh herbs.
Garnish with lemon or lime wedges.

Mustard Potato Salad

This recipe is from the site: www.themediterraneandish.com
Olive oil quantity has been adjusted. And radishes have been added.

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 lbs of baby potatoes (gold or red potatoes), unpeeled and sliced
Water to boil
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped red onions (optional)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
2 TBS capers
5-6 radishes, sliced

Dijon Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp ground sumac **
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground coriander

Instructions: 

Wash and dry the potatoes Slice the potatoes thinly using a mandolin or by hand.
Slice the radishes.
Place the potatoes in a pot and add water to cover by 1 inch.  Bring to a boil. Add salt and turn to a simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 6 minutes.

In the meantime, add vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined.

When potatoes are ready, remove from heat and drain. Place the potatoes on a tray or baking sheet and immediately add the vinaigrette (while the potatoes are warm), toss to coat.  Let the potatoes sit for 10 minutes until the flavors meld.

Add the onions, radishes, fresh herbs and capers. Toss gently to combine.

Transfer the potatoes to a platter and serve at room temperature.
The platter will ensure the potatoes don't get broken up into pieces.

** The sumac bush, native to the Middle East, produces deep red berries, which are dried and ground into coarse powder. ... While it's less common, the berries may also be sold whole. Ground sumac is a versatile spice with a tangy lemony flavor, although more balanced and less tart than lemon juice.

You can substitute lemon pepper seasoning, or fresh lemon rind. 

Chinese Style Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

1 Pork Tenderloin, trimmed (about 1 lb - 1 3/4 lbs)

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions

1. Cut small incisions in the pork at 1-inch intervals so the marinade can penetrate the meat. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, sherry, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder, salt & pepper.  
2. Add the pork and rub to coat well.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.  Turn the pork as it marinates. 
3. Position the oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler.  Set a rack in a small roasting pan and add 1/4" of water to the pan. 
4. Remove the pork from the marinade (discard the marinade) and lay it on the rack.  Broil with the oven door closed, turning the tenderloin after 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 145F, 15 to 20 minutes total.  Keep an eye on it to avoid burning.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.  Serve hot or cold. 
   
   Serve with steamed rice and crisp green vegetables.  
   Buy natural pork tenderloin - not meat that has been 'enhanced' such as 'moist & tender'.  These meats have a high salt content and also tend to have a spongy texture due to the processing 

Roasted Balsamic Onions - Version 2

Serves 8 

Ingredients 

3 large Vidalia onions, peeled and quartered 

3 TBS olive oil 

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

1/2 tsp sugar

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper 

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350F. 

In a large bowl, toss the onion quarters with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sugar. Season with the salt & pepper. Place in an oven-proof large nonstick skillet, spreading them out in an even layer. 

Cover with tin foil. Roasted for 20-25 minutes. Then remove the foil and stir the onions to coat them with the reduced glaze. Put them back in the oven, uncovered for another 20-25 minutes. Serve warm. The onions should be still a little firm. 

You can make these ahead and then just warm them up in the pan on top of the stove before serving. 

This recipe is from Melissa D'Arabian on the Food Network.