Lobster envy

My family in New Brunswick feasted on fresh Baie de Chaleur lobster this Sunday evening. I developed a serious case of lobster envy and found myself searching Calgary for some East Coast crustacean action. I found what I was looking for at Blu Seafood Market on McLeod Trail. For $21.95 a frozen-from-fresh Nova Scotia lobster cooked in-store in salt water, with thyme, garlic and pepper, rubber bands clipped. Let's just say it passed my very high standards for seafood in Cowtown. All in, it was 1.5 lb of lobster per person and it was really really good. Craving satiated. Served with beet salad with fresh chopped baby spinach, parsley, cilantro, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herb goat cheese.

Natalie's secret potato salad recipe...

Our lunch on Saturday comprised of home made potato salad and an all beef hot dog on the barbecue. So good!!! I have waited and waited for weather worthy of my home made potato salad. Here's my secret recipe...

The secret to my potato salad is that I mash about 1/4 of the potatoes and half the hard boiled eggs and mix them in with the chopped boiled potatoes and hard boiled eggs. I mix about 1/2 cup worth of finely diced red onion, 1/4 cup diced radishes, 1/4 cup diced celery and 1/4 chopped fresh parsley with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar and let it sit in the fridge about half an hour. I mix my chopped potatoes and hard boiled eggs with the mashed potatoes and hard boiled eggs, mix in the onion/radish mixture, add about 1/2 cup Miracle Whip plus salt and pepper and paprika to taste. Let chill in the fridge a couple of hours for the best results. It's also really good prepared the day before.  For an added zip, add chopped bread and butter pickles to the mix... So good for summer barbecues.

Chicken and pancetta farfalle with vodka sauce

Chicken and pancetta farfalle with vodka sauce

300 g of pasta, rigatoni or farfalle, etc
1 can of no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 tsp of puréed garlic

2 tbsp honey
½ small onion diced

¼ cup of chopped pancetta

½ cup chopped grilled chicken breast
1 cup of milk
⅓ cup of vodka
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped Italian parsley

Start by sautéing the sliced pancetta on a med heat until crispy around the outside but tender. Now add the garlic and onion and sauté until they're tender. Put your stove on med-high and slash in the vodka. Stir as you let it steam off and deglaze the pan. Add chopped chicken to pan. By the time it reduces you'll be left with a caramelized mixture. Pour in the tomato sauce simmer. Add honey to taste (to cut the tomato). Slowly add the cream and stir. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Next, add your pasta! Drain you pasta after it's cooked al dente and place in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss until all the pasta is coated with the rich tomato sauce. Serve out each portion on individual plates and sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley. Makes dinner for two with some leftovers for a lunch.