Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

First throw all the seeds into a large bowl and fill it up with water. Sift through the seeds and pull out any chunks or strings of pumpkin flesh. Once all the non-seed material is removed, drain the seeds through a strainer and pour them onto a baking sheet. Use paper towel to dry them off.

Set the oven to 350F. Drizzle some olive oil onto the seeds, along with a generous helping of salt, pepper, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, and a dash of paprika (do not use smoky paprika!). Mix well and then redistribute into an even layer on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

This recipe does not call for any nuts, peanuts, dairy, wheat gluten, soy, and is suitable for vegans.

Saffron Pepper Soup

This soup recipe calls for couscous, however you can use quinoa instead to make it gluten-free.

You'll need...

1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic
3 red shepherd peppers
2 roma tomatoes (they're fleshier and have fewer seeds than field tomatoes)
1/2 carton of vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
the juice of half a lemon
one pinch of saffron
about 1 serving of cooked couscous

Method
1. Sautee the garlic and olive oil until the oil starts to smell fragrant and the garlic is slightly brown.
2. Add the chopped up shepherd peppers and tomatoes, lemon juice, saffron, salt, and pepper, then reduce the heat to medium.
3. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 45 minutes on low heat with a lid on. Stir often.
4. Remove the lid and let simmer for 15 - 20 minutes until slightly reduced.
5. Ladle the soup into a blender and pulverize til smooth. You can strain out the seeds and skins using a fine strainer but personally I really like the texture so I leave mine au naturale.
6. Pour a ladle of soup into a serving bowl and scoop in some couscous for each diner.

At the Grill with Chef Scott Roberts: Duck

We're switching things up a bit with post 3 of 4 in our series with chef Scott Roberts. You can read his recipe for scallops here, and grilled sea bream here. This time we're taking a break from seafood to learn about duck. 

My favorite part about photographing this segment (aside from getting to eat it after) was watching the organization and tidiness of his process which can only be described as military-like cleanliness. Or, the #1 thing that makes an allergic person both relaxed and happy when dining out.  I literally had to do nothing here, aside from move the lights around, stand on a floor pouf to get the angle, and click my camera. Everything was either already prepped and in its own container, or washed, dried, and presented nicely on a plate. Just like this:

In Scott's words:

"A good restaurant should operate like a machine. Keeping a clean and organised workspace is the first step cooks can take to improve productivity and quality."

And in my words:

Quebec Duck Breast, Pickled Plum, Rapini, Szechuan Pepper

Free from dairy, nuts, peanuts, egg, soy, mustard, wheat, oats, fish, shellfish

Ingredients
1 duck breast
1 tsp. szechuan peppercorns
salt to taste
a sprinkle of maple sugar
6 morels
a couple sprigs of thyme
olive oil
1 bunch of rapini

For the plums:
3 plums
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp salt

Method

First, spare yourself any embarrassment and learn how to properly pronounce morels. I've been saying morals for years.

The next thing to do is prep the plums which should be done ahead of time. Slice them into 4 segments, and then into bite sized pieces. Bring vinegar and water to a boil with the sugar, salt, and plum scraps. Let it sit for 10 minutes, covered and off the heat. Strain the warm liquid over the plum segments and then let sit for at least 2 hours.

For the morels, quickly rinse and pat dry as they can be gritty.

Since this is part of our "At The Grill" series, you're probably wondering what was grilled here. And the answer is the rapini. If you haven't grilled rapini, lettuce, or any leafy green, please stop everything and go do that. It's very important that you know how good it tastes. To cook it like Scott did, heat up the charcoal grill, drizzle the greens with a little olive oil, and toss them on until they are tender and have a nice char.

For the duck breast, you'll notice that it's very fatty on the skin side. Rub that side with the cracked peppercorns and salt, and then put it face down into a hot stainless steel pan. Let it fry for 12 - 15 minutes on medium heat. Then take it off the heat and let the flip to let the other side cook for a minute. Sprinkle a little maple sugar on the skin, then transfer it to the charcoal and grill it on the skin side until it's medium to medium rare depending on your preference. Duck is not like other poultry and can safely be eaten rare. 

Let it rest for 10 - 15 minutes before plating. Add the morels and thyme to the pan and give them a nice fry until tender and aromatic. 

Again, I came over and everything was just arranged like this. 

To plate it, cut the duck breast into 1-inch thick slices, slice the morels in half, and pull the nice looking leaves off the rapini. Arrange it around the plate and then add the plums and plum juice as a sauce. 

The rapini is smokey, the plums are sweet and tart, the morels are earthy, and the duck breast is rich and tender. 

Serves 2

If you would like to contact Scott for catering, events or other opportunities, feel free to send an email to scott7@gmail.com

Roasted Lettuce

Lettuce is one of those veggies that people think you aren't supposed to roast. Whenever I talk about roast lettuce, I get some confused looks and some "how is that even possible?" remarks. But although it can be hard to conceptualize since lettuce is so darn watery, it's actually one of my favorite greens to roast. And it's so incredibly easy to make.

You'll need 1/2 a medium-sized lettuce per person as it shrinks down quite a bit in the oven. I use red leaf mainly (pictured here) but romaine also works well. It should be a hearty, flavorful lettuce with a deep green color. Avoid iceberg and Boston varieties. You'll also need about 1 tbsp of olive oil per half lettuce.

Method
1. Cut the lettuce in half and remove any suspicious-looking outer leaves.
2. Wash gently with water to remove any dirt from between the leaves and then dry well with paper towel.
3. Place the halves inside-up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Use a brush to baste each lettuce half with olive oil, making sure to get it in between the leaves. Be careful not to oversaturate the leaves or they'll just end up a greasy mess.
5. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and black pepper.
6. Place in a preheated 400F oven and roast for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until the leaves are wilted and caramelized. The oven time will depend on the size of the lettuce so keep an eye on it the first time you try this recipe.
7. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. I like to add a dollop of grainy mustard (look for gluten-free mustard!) and a side of pickled green tomatoes. If your grandmother doesn't make pickled green tomatoes every summer like mine does, you can serve your favorite pickled vegetable instead. I also like to sprinkle with shelled flax seeds or sometimes with good balsamic vinegar.

Tips/Suggestions
You can also do this on the BBQ!
Try making this recipe with radicchio and increase the cooking time to 30 minutes. It's a rich taste your guests will love.

Roasted Sweet Yams

Yams are the more delicious cousin of the potato. I hate to say that (having Irish in my blood) but it's true. Sometimes a potato just doesn't cut it in the flavor department. And baking up these sweet yams is incredibly simple. Add an inexpensive and flavorful starch to your meal with this recipe.

1 yam per person
1 piece of aluminum foil per yam
1 tbsp of maple syrup per yam
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Wash and scrub the yams.
2. Cut a slit in the top of each one to let the steam release while baking.
3. Wrap each yam in foil and place directly on the middle rack of a 350F oven. You can add a pan to the lower rack to catch any drips if it makes you more comfortable.
4. Leave them to bake for 2 hours
5. Remove from the oven after baking is complete and slice in half or in rounds. Drizzle with maple syrup, salt, and black pepper to taste. You can throw them back in the foil and bake for 15 minutes more if you want them to be seriously syrupy, or you can just drizzle and serve hot without re-baking.