Recipes

Beef Tender Tip and Wild Mushroom Risotto

This wonderfully rich dish utilizes beef tenderloin in a way that many people can enjoy the tender meat without it costing a fortune. I always use local mushrooms for this, but in the summer I would always be foraging for chanterelles for this dish.

Butternut Squash Soup with Chorizo

This is an extremely simple soup but the trick to making it wonderful is to use a blender, not a food processor at the end. Using sausages out of their casings as I do here is an interesting way to present the soup for a fancy dinner with friends. If you find chorizo sausages too spicy, choose a maple sausage as that will balance well with the maple used to bake the squash.

Caramel Crème Brulee

Crème brulee is a classic dessert that never grows old. Vanilla beans usually give a classic recipe its flavour, but we caramelize the sugar in the recipe to create a "butterscotchy", slightly nutty rendition.

Chives' Buttermilk Biscuits

As the story goes, I forgot to order bread for opening night of Chives in 2001. I had intended to serve the bread in a stamped paper bag. So, with only an hour until the first guest arrived, I called my mother and got my grandmother’s recipe for tea biscuits, changed the shortening to butter and the milk to buttermilk, and the Chives buttermilk biscuit was born. They have been baked fresh every day since.

Chives' Lobster Rolls

Lobster is a big part of our Nova Scotia culture, even to the point where McDonald's puts a lobster roll on their menu each summer. However, this is a much better way to make it. Instead of just mayonnaise I use a classic sauce "Marie Rose" which is zingy and really works well with the lobster meat.

Curried Coconut Mussels

Steamed mussels is one of the fastest and most delicious seafood dishes you can make. Love them or hate them, mussels are always inexpensive compared to most other shellfish, and the possibilities are endless regarding the flavours you can add to them. This is a great curry sauce that can be used for any seafood, as it is slightly sweet and not overpowering. I make a large batch (as below) and keep it for meals in the coming week.

French Onion Soup

This soup depends on two things for flavour...well caramelized onions and excellent beef broth. If you use beef bouillon try to use low sodium, or even a canned beef broth. I also believe the type of cheese used is essential. Gruyere is classical and I do love it, but a good Canadian Oka is a great choice as well.

Glazed Lamb Shanks with Creamy Sweet Corn Polenta

This, for me, is my favorite "bistro" dish. Unbelievable flavourful, rich, and rooted in culinary history, I would happily serve this to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Case in point, this was the first dish I served at Chives when we opened 10 years ago AND it was featured on the television show "Opening Soon".

Grilled Chicken Tikka Masala

This simple version of chicken tikka is deadly simple because most of the spices can be found in your spice rack gathering dust. The rice side dish, though perhaps a bit labour intensive, is delicious and well worth the extra effort.

Lasagna "Bolognaise"

One of the simplest and most delicious sauces for pasta imaginable, every region of Italy has its own version of bolognaise sauce. What makes this sauce unique is the fact that the meat is not browned first but actually cooked in the tomato sauce. As the sauce simmers the meat becomes very fine in texture. Lasagna Bolognaise is the ultimate rich Italian dish (originating in the city of Bolgona), and one of the best ways to enjoy the meat sauce. It requires a sauce béchamel as well, but the extra effort is well worth it. Serve this dish with a simple salad, Caesar, or a few slices of fresh tomato. Italians would NEVER have bread with it, but I must admit to indulging in garlic toast once or twice.

Lobster a la King with Sweet Peas

The very best way to enjoy this dish is to use lobster stock or lobster bisque as the base for the cream sauce. If you do not have access to any a rich chicken stock is a good substitute. Whether you call this dish Lobster a la King or Lobster Bruschetta, the basic principle is the same…luxurious comfort food.

Panko Crusted "Fried Chicken Dinner"

Poached Salmon and Asian Vegetables, Whole Wheat Noodles, and Sesame Ginger Broth

Puff Pastry Pizza with Sausage, Bocconcini, and Arugula

Using a spicy Italian sausage for this pizza is fine but try a milder sausage to allow the cheese to be noticed. Garnishing this pizza with fresh arugula and some small sliced cherry tomatoes is a traditional and refreshing way to serve the dish.

Swiss Pan Potato Gratin

When I was an apprentice in Switzerland in 1997, this dish was served at our family meal at least once a week. It is super rich, a little luxurious, but unbelievably delicious. Do not skimp on the cream and cheese, just eat lots of green vegetables with it. It is worth the extra calories.