Charge up the BBQ's! Burger time on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

I presented this burger for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  Have fun with how you do your burgers.  This is topped with a soft egg, Pineapple Thoren and served on a toasted naan bread with Dijon Mustard and a yoghurt tahini sauce.

Enjoy!

 Halal Beef and Lamb Burgers (Halal Beef and ground lamb are available at Millad’s on Notre Dame)

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground lamb
2 eggs (I loved to use Nature’s Farm eggs)
2 tbs Ras el Hanout (Available at Pollock’s Hardware Coop or through Chef Karen at the Farmer’s Market)
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients well and form into patties at desired size.  Freeze or prepare for the BBQ.  Enjoy with your favourite toppings.  Today’s will be options of yoghurt tahini sauce, pineapple chutney, Dijon mustard, and soft fried or poached egg, served on toasted Naan bread.

Enjoy!

Pineapple Thoren

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green chill, chopped
2-3 stem curry leaves (available fresh at Dino’s Grocery Mart on Notre Dame)
1/2 cup finely chopped unsweetened coconut
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tbs mustard seeds
2-3 tbs olive oil or coconut oil
1 tbs brown sugar
splash of vinegar
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt, to taste


Heat oil in pot over medium high heat and add mustard seeds.  When the seeds begin to pop, add the chopped onion, chilies, curry leaves and coconut.  Cook until onions are soft and translucent.  Add pineapple, brown sugar, vinegar, turmeric and salt.  Cook until much of the liquid has evaporated.  I often add an additional drizzle of coconut oil for taste.

Enjoy!

Banana Blossom Thoren

Bonus recipe for tomorrow's guests at Madison Square MLCC for the Assiniboine Park Conservatory.

If you have stomach problems, Banana Blossom (flower) Thoren is an Ayurvedic cure.

1 Banana blossom

2-3 Small onions

3 cloves Garlic

1 Green chili

1 Dried red chili

½ cup Coconut

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

½ tsp Cumin powder

Curry leaves

Coconut oil

Mustard seed

Salt

Slice the small onions.

Grind together, coconut, green chilly, garlic, 1-2 curry leaves, turmeric powder, cumin powder.

Remove the outer hard leaves of banana flower until you see the lighted colored part.

Wash it well, and chop it , and mix it well with little coconut oil keep aside.

Slice the small onions and garlic.

Steps

Heat oil in a pan.

Add mustard seed, add onion once the it is spluttered.

Add dried chilly and curry leaves.

Add chopped banana flower, salt and sauté well

Add very little water and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Group it together and pour the grounded paste on top.

Before mixing the ground paste, close it with a lid and and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Mix it well after and keep in low flame for few minutes.

Arctic Char with Sorrel Pesto and Pumpkin Leaf Thoren on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning I will be presenting the following on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with guest host Laurie Hoogstraten.  Gorgeous Arctic Char is available year round at Gimli Fish.  It is consistently a beautiful product.

The Bean or Pumpkin Leaf Thoren is a Kerala, South India recipe.  I used a mix of tender zucchini leaves and stems, squash and pumpkin leaves as well.  I'm thinking of trying these leaves in a Tajine dish substituting for Swiss Chard, although, that is healthy in the garden now as well. 

Arctic Char with Sorrel Pesto

Pesto
2 handfuls fresh sorrel (gorgeous perennial available to plan from Sage Garden Herbs)
1 handful basil
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1 garlic clove
juice of one lemon (optional, I left it out as the sorrel is very lemony)
1/4 cup good olive oil
black pepper

Arctic Char
2 tbs olive oil
1 fillet of Arctic Char (available fresh and local from Gimli Fish)
pinch sea salt
good pinch black pepper

1. Purée the pesto ingredients in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle. 
2. Heat olive oil in large pan over medium-high heat.  Season the fish and add it, skin side down for a few minutes (maximum 5).  Turn fish and cook for a few minutes more, depending on thickness of fish.  Remove fish from heat, plate and spoon pesto over. 

OR  Spoon a generous amount of the sorrel pesto over the uncooked Arctic Char and grill, on one side of a very hot BBQ until done or bake at 400º for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Enjoy!

OR  Mix Sorrel Pesto with sour cream and spoon over cooked Arctic Char when plating.

Bean Leaf or Pumpkin Leaf Thoren

3 cups finely shredded bean or pumpkin leaves (use the youngest leaves and stems)
1 dried chili
1 pinch cumin seeds
2 shallots (or half of red onion)
1 cup grated coconut (unsweetened  A good one is available at Dino's Grocery Mart)
1 tbs oil (olive or canola, I often add a drizzle of good coconut oil on later for flavour and health)
2 tsp rice
2 tbs chopped onion
1 dry chili, broken
salt, to taste

1. Grind the chilli, cumin seeds and shallots together, coarsely.  Crush in the grated coconut.  Mix all together.
2. Fry mustard and rice in hot oil.  Add onion and chili pieces and sauté.  Add the ground ingredients and fry a little while.  Then add the greens and cook, with a little water and the salt until the water is all evaporated.  Medium heat.

Enjoy!

There are health benefits associated with bean and pumpkin leaves for anti-inflammatory benefits as well as benefiting people living with diabetes as it helps to regulate the blood sugars.  Squash and beans would have been grown, as part of the three sisters or three aunties for excellent permaculture for soil nutrition as well as for the benefits of eating.