Turkish Beef and Cabbage Stew - Kapuska

Kapuska is a Russian word, as it is the etymology for the word cabbage.  However, language is give and take.  This is definitely a Turkish recipe.  It can be adapted for vegetarian or vegan diets, by substituting the beef or lamb for tofu, bulgur, TVP, etc. 

 

Kapuska

1 medium onion, chopped

1 lb ground beef or lamb

1 medium green cabbage, cored and chopped

2+ tablespoons good tomato paste (try some Turkish brands!)

2+ tsp Turkish Baharat (or your favourite combination of cumin, coriander, pepper, etc)

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 tsp dried pepper flakes

2 tablespoons butter plus a drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste,

2 cups beef or chicken broth

Optional:  chopped red peppers

 

Set a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat and melt the butter and olive oil.  Cook the chopped onion until soft, stirring.  Brown the ground beef and then add the tomato paste, spices, and salt.  Stir and cook for at least a minute.  Add the cabbage and the broth.  Stir, cover the pot, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes, or until the cabbage is soft and tender.  

Enjoy with bread, rice, or potatoes.

 

French Onion Soup - Comfort in the Cold

 In the midst of another blizzard and cold snap, French Onion Soup to the rescue!  First, the stock:

 

Beef Stock

2 (ish) kg beef bones for stock
4 carrots, peeled and large diced
3 celery, large diced
2 Spanish onions, large diced
4 tablespoons tomato paste (a Turkish or Italian variety is richest)
1 leek
1 bunch parsley
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
1 cup red wine

Method:
1. Place beef bones in a large roasting pan and roast in a 375ºF oven for 45 minutes, or until the bones begin to become golden brown.
2. Place the onions, celery and carrots on top of bones and place back in oven and roast another 30 minutes or until the vegetables begin to brown.
3. Coat bones with tomato paste and place back in the oven again and roast until tomato paste until it starts to brown but do not let it burn, approximately 15 minutes.
4. Place bones and vegetables into a large stock pot along with remaining ingredients. Cover the bones with cold water and bring pot to a simmer.
5. While bringing the pot to simmer, place the roasting pan over a burner and add the red wine. Scrape the bits from the bottom of the pan using the wine to deglaze the pan, add wine and bits to the stock pot.
6. Once water comes to a boil, set to a low simmer, and skim the stock of scum and fat for the first two hours.
7. Leave stock pot on a low simmer for about 4 hours. Periodically skim excess fat from the top of the pot and add water if necessary.
8. Remove pot from heat and strain stock through a fine sieve. Place into individual containers and store in the refrigerator for up to a week or the freezer for up to a month. 

Next, the soup

French Onion Soup

3-8 red onions, depending on size and personal tastes, shredded 

drizzle olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

sprig of thyme

a few litres beef stock

red wine, or cognac

toasts and cheese (Emmenthal, Oka, or other sharp white cheese)

Sauté the onions in olive oil until translucent and soft.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add beef stock and simmer.  Add wine or cognac.  Simmer for about an hour.

Prepare toasts with cheese.  Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls.  Place cheese toasts on top.  Broil until browned.  Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Easy Steak Fajitas, local and lovely

In Manitoba, we produce such excellent beef, chicken, vegetables, etc.  I love to encourage people to get to know their producers and farmers, and fish mongers.  They want you to also have a great experience and an excellent product.

I used Sirloin Steak for this dish, but you can use many other different cuts of beef.  I purchased the steak from Fairlane Farms at the Bronx Park Farmers Market.  It was frozen, of course, so I put one steak on a metal baking sheet.  It thawed quickly.  The marinade is a quick marinade, so this can be made the same day.

Sirloin Steak Fajitas 

1 sirloin steak

1 tsp chili powder ( I didn't have any, so I used Ethiopian Berbere chilies, and added cumin and cinnamon)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
olive oil, to make a paste

Mix the spices, garlic, and oil together.  In a bowl, coat the steak well, on all sides.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the rest of your dish.

1 red pepper, cored and sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
drizzle oil
salt, to tastes
1/4 tsp + each of smoked paprika and ground dried chipotle
splash of Vermouth, to deglaze

Slowly cook the sliced onions in a medium heat in a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil.  When they begin to get quite browned, add the sliced peppers and seasonings and turn up the heat to medium high.  When the peppers are slightly softer, deglaze pan with optional Vermouth.  Set aside for the assembly.

Heat pan or grill to medium heat, and cook steak, to rare to medium rare at most.  Let the meat rest.  The gorgeous steak that we used was 2" thick, so judge cooking time accordingly.  After the meat has rested, slice thinly, on the bias, to maximize tenderness.

Enjoy with warmed tortillas, onions and pepper mixture, cheese, avocado, sour cream, salsa,

etc. 

Beef Cheeks! Wildfire Farms makes it so easy.

Beef cheeks are so wonderful and tender when slowly cooked or done in the Instant Pot.  These, I made slowly in the oven, on a bed of sliced onion, half of an orange, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, good tomato paste, red wine, and a bit of water.  I coated the beef cheeks with grainy mustard, and cooked covered, at 300ºF for 3 hours.  I cooked them with the lid off, for one more hour.  We then pulled the meat apart with forks and combined with the sauce with the orange and bay leaves removed.

If you are preparing these in the Instant Pot, set the meat setting to 30-40 minutes. 

Beef cheeks, and other great cuts of meat, are available at Wildfire Farms at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.

I served these pulled beef cheeks on top of latkes, with a dollop of sour cream, and a drizzle of hot sauce.

An Autumn Harvest tradition - Stuffed Peppers

What's for dinner?  Bags full of peppers, excellent ground beef, tomatoes, spices, rice, etc.  This is a Turkish version of stuffed peppers.  Well, they likely originated the dish.

Come to the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market on Saturday between 8-3PM for many of these wonderful ingredients!

Turkish Stuffed Peppers

 2 cups basmati rice
1/4 cup Zereshk (Iranian currants, aka Barberries)
drizzle olive oil
pinch salt
3 1/2 cups water

Prepare rice ahead of time.  Zereshk can be found at Millad's Supermarket on Notre Dame in Winnipeg.

1 lb ground beef
1 onions, sliced
1 + tbs Turkish Baharat
3 chopped tomatoes (I used roasted tomatoes that were still soft and juicy)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
salt, to taste
 1/2 cup good tomato paste, also available at Millad's Supermarket on Notre Dame

Sauté the onions until soft in a drizzle of olive oil.  Brown the meat and add the Baharat.  Add the remaining ingredients and some water or wine to dilute the tomato paste a bit.  Mix with the cooked rice and set aside.

Depending on the sizes of the peppers, up to 12 peppers, cored from the top.  In the baking dish, mix tomato paste, water, Turkish Baharat (about 1 tsp), and a pinch of salt, to cover the bottom of the dish at least 2-3 cm.  Fill each pepper and place, upright, in the baking dish.  Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350ºF for at least one hour.  Remove foil and continue baking until peppers have browned.

Serve hot or warm.  Enjoy!

Game Day food or any day, for CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Yesterday, I brought in "Game Day" food ideas for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai.  I was inspired by Manitoba producers and some great options, so I made Manitoba Reuben Sandwiches with Old Church Bakery Sourdough Bread, Manitoba Beef Montreal style corned beef, instead of sauerkraut, I used Cook's Creek Kimchi.  For the other dish, I used Wild-Caught Argentinian pink shrimp with two dips, a Wasabi Sour Cream, and a Korean seafood dipping sauce. 

I used this particular shrimp because they are very tasty, easy to use, and, very importantly, are sustainable both environmentally and ethically.  That is, they are Fair Trade and use no slavery in the catching and production of the shrimp.  Ask your fish monger about other such products.

Manitoba Reuben Sandwiches

For each sandwich:
2 slices Old Church Bakery Sourdough bread
mustard
Emmenthal Cheese, sliced
Cook's Creek Kimchi
Healthy portion of Manitoba Beef's Montreal Beef
dressing:  1 tsp mayonnaise, 1-2 tsp Tahini, 1/4 tsp Hot Smoked Paprika, mixed
Butter

In one pan, bring meat up to temperature.  In another pan, place sandwich, prepared with other ingredients, open, to grill in a pan, with butter, on medium- low heat.  When both pans are up to temperature, transfer meat to the sandwich and close, finishing in one pan.  Serve immediately, or wrap in foil to warm up later.

Wild Caught Shrimp with two dips
  bag wild caught peeled shrimp (now available at Gimli Fish) (or buy pre-cooked)

Blanch shrimp in boiling water until fully cooked and then cool immediately in an ice bath. Drain completely.

OR

Sauté shrimp in a drizzle of sesame oil until pink. Season with salt and white pepper. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with the following dipping sauces:

Korean dipping sauce
1 tablespoon kochu jiang (Korean hot pepper paste)
1 tbs white vinegar
drizzle sesame oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 scallion, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients until smooth. Enjoy with fried tofu, on salads, seafood, etc.

Wasabi Sour Cream Dipping Sauce
Sour cream
wasabi paste, to taste
pinch sugar

Mix all ingredients and increase wasabi for desired results. 
Fantastic with shrimp and other seafood but also wonderful with roast beef.

Kalbi - Korean Beef Short Ribs on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Today,  on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai, I will be presenting these amazing Korean Beef Short Ribs.  First of all, the beef.  Wonderful meaty beef short ribs from Wildfire Farm.  I also love Korean food.  It is wonderful to sit together and enjoy meals in Korea.  This recipe is so simple to prepare and even easier in an Instant Pot!  You can leave out the marinating time if using the Instant Pot.

I'm serving these ribs with Cook's Creek Kimchi, also available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market on Saturday and the PopUp market at VIA Rail on Sunday.

Kalbi  Korean beef ribs in Instant Pot*

1 pkg Beef Ribs (available today from Wildfire Farms at St.Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

1 onion, sliced thinly

8 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tbs grated ginger

1 Asian Pear, grated finely

2 cups beef broth

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup brown sugar or maple syrup

2 (+) tbs Kochujiang (gochujang – Korean pepper paste)

2 tbs rice or black vinegar

1 tbs good sesame oil (dark toasted and single ingredient)

1 tbs black pepper

1 tsp sea salt

For the garnishing and serving:

1 bunch green onions, sliced for garnishing

2 tbs sesame seeds

Kimchi (available today from Cook’s Creek Kimchi at St.Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

Rice

Fresh herbs, such as Perilla leaf, mint, coriander, basil, etc.

Shredded carrots

1. Combine onion, garlic, ginger, grated pear, beef broth, soy saucy, sugar, vinegar and sesame, Kochujiang, pepper and salt.  Place beef ribs in the marinade and let sit, chilled, for a few hours.

2. For the Instant Pot method:  Place ribs into the pot and pour over the marinade.  Shut and lock the lid and seal the valve.  Set the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 45 minutes.  (Press Manual or Pressure Cook, the + button until it is set to 45).  Let the pressure release naturally.  If it hasn’t after 25 minutes, release it to venting.  Check that the ribs are tender.  If not, continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes under high pressure.  Serve with rice, kimchi and garnishes.

Enjoy!

*  If you have a slow cooker, place ribs and marinade in slow cooker for 4-6 hours.  Remove ribs from cooker and brown if desired.

Food Safety is local. Get to know your producer on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Yesterday, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with host Laurie Hoogstraten, I featured local beef sausages, in response to a recent report on sausages in Canada not being what is labelled.  This is generally never the case when buying from your local producer, butcher, farmer, etc. 

Get to know your local producer!  I featured the beef breakfast and beef smokies of Manitoba Beef, locally produced grass-fed beef.  When you speak to to butcher, or the farmer at the market, you can be guaranteed that you are getting the product that you expect, in fact, they were great!

Local Halal butchers offer the products that you expect as well.

Featured below are beef breakfast sauasages and smokies by Manitoba Beef.  Also featured are Cook's Creek Kimchi, and Nature's Farm eggs.  These products are all available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.

Enjoy!

Easy BBQ Feast for Father's Day! On CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Yesterday I had the joy of presenting some new ideas that I'm developing for the market, in time to enjoy for Father's Day, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai.

The lovely beef striploin came from Wildfire Farms and the pizza dough is available on market days at Old Church Bakery.  Easy and delicious!  The rub is a Baharat (spice blend) that I've added ground pumpkin seeds and smoked paprika to to make a Manitoba version of Duq'qah, an Egyptian spice and ground nut blend for meats and flatbreads.  I'll be bringing this to market very soon.

For the flatbread, 1 bag pizza dough from Old Church Bakery, divide into 2-4 pieces and, with a bowl of water to wet the fingers, pull and spread onto a silpat or parchment papers.  Spread a spoonful of the Duq'qah onto each flatbread, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake in a 450ºF oven or on a hot grill until done, 4-7 minutes, depending on oven or grill. 

For the steaks, in order to get a crust, lightly coat each steak with Dijon mustard and then coat with the Duq'qah.  Season with a slight amount of salt.  Prior to grilling, drizzle olive oil on each steak.  Grill to preferred doneness, I recommend rare, but...  Let the meat rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. 

I topped these flat breads and steak slices with a bit of onion jam, but garnish as you like.

Local Beef Shank Osso Bucco for CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning I presented the following recipe for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with interim host, Nadia Kidwai.  The beef shank is a beautiful product, full of flavour, and this recipe is easy to prepare.  The trick to this and most recipes, is to prepare your Mise en Place, or, have everything ready to go.

Osso Bucco:
1 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 pieces Beef Shank (I used Wildfire Farms and Manitoba Beef shanks available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 lemon, zest peeled off in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
1 head garlic, cut horizontally through the middle
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bottle dry red wine
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth (I had homemade chicken broth on hand instead)
1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes, hand-crushed (I used 6 frozen garden grown Roma Tomatoes)

Put the flour in a large shallow platter and season it with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in the seasoned flour and then tap off the excess (extra flour will burn and make the dish off-tasting).

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and hit it with a 3-count drizzle of oil. Add the butter and swirl it around the pan to melt. Sear the meat, turning carefully with tongs, until all sides are a rich brown caramel color. Drizzle with a little more oil, if needed. (Do this in batches if the shanks are large and look crowded in the pot.) Remove the browned meat to a side plate. There will be a lot of flavor left over in the bottom of the pot. You're going to use that to create your sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using the same pot, sauté the onion, celery, carrots, lemon zest, garlic, bay leaves, and parsley over medium heat. Cook the vegetables down until they start to get some color and develop a deep, rich aroma. Season with salt and pepper; add a little oil if needed. Nestle the meat back in the pot. Pour in the wine and let it simmer down for 20 minutes, until the wine has reduced by half. Reducing is key for intense flavor. Add the beef broth and tomatoes and stir everything together. Cover the pot and put it in the oven. Braise for 1 and a 1/2 hours. Then remove the cover and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be thick and the meat tender and nearly falling off the bone.
Remove bay leaves.

Enjoy!

New Year's Eve tasting menu options on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Tomorrow I will be presenting the following dishes for New Year's Eve treats, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with guest host, Laurie Hoogstraten.  I'll be on at 8:20AM as there will be a year end quiz after the 8:30 news.

This gorgeous beef tenderloin is available on Saturday morning at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market from 10-1PM at the Eagle's Club. One can use tenderloin, rib eye or strip loin for this dish from beef, bison, elk or veal.  Everything is locally produced from sustainable farms.  The micro greens are from Fresh Forage Farms where they grow amazing greens year round.

Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio (Beef from Manitoba Beef by Jim Lintott, available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)

Recipe By: Karen
Serving Size: 10
Preparation Time: 0:20

8 ozs tenderloin frozen (or rib eye)
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c preserves (I use Mostarda, fig jam, or raspberry)
1/3 c vinegar (shallot, raspberry, etc)
2/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp truffle oil optional
1/4 tsp truffle salt optional


Mix last 7 ingredients together and set aside. Thinly slice semi-frozen meat.
You can use bison, elk or beef tenderloin. Arrange slices on a platter and
drizzle vinaigrette over meat. Garnish with fresh berries or green onions. 

I used Fresh Forage Mustard Micro greens and Parmesan  Reggiano curls.

Serve with baguette slices or water crackers.
Enjoy!


Seared Foie Gras with fig or pear compote

The Foie Gras comes from Brome Lake, Quebec.  It is a free range duck.  They are not penned and walk around freely.  They come to be fed.  The whole duck is used in different products.  They provide an excellent foie gras and is available at DeLuca's on Portage Ave. 

Prepare crostini or toasts and top with warm compote as recipe follows;

1/2 - 1 whole sliced pear or 2-3 sliced fresh figs Or Mostarda with figs
1/2 tsp butter
ground hazelnuts (optional)
deglaze with Frangelico or Disorrono

Cook pear or figs in pan and cook down with liquor.

Prepare foie gras slices by slightly seasoning with sea salt.  In a hot pan, sear foie gras on both sides until brown and deglaze with liquor.  Place on prepared toasts, top with a few grains of Fleur d’sel or good sea salt and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Celebrating CBC's Host Terry MacLeod, and Change

This morning, I'll be presenting the following recipes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  As this is Terry's final weekend with CBC Radio, we are celebrating him as well as changes throughout the 24 years that he has been with us in Manitoba.  The beef dish represents the changes in attitudes toward food in that we are so passionate about global flavours and yet are more conscientious than ever as to where our food comes from and how it its produced.  The beef comes from Wildfire Farms.  The chocolate dish is a dish for Terry that I made because I heard that he enjoys Grand Marnier.  I wanted to find something very easy to prepare with it and this is a great season to represent this treat.

I'm at D. A. Niels today giving a tajine cooking demonstration and the beef dish will be one of the tajines, based on a Paula Wolfert recipe.

Grand Marnier Balls (Kugel)

3⁄4 cup whipping cream
1⁄4 cup butter
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
7 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, melted
3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
chocolate sprinkles
Put cream, butter and sugar into saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring often. Remove from heat.
Add Grand Marnier, chocolate and crumbs. Mix well. Shape into 42 balls. Roll in chocolate sprinkles. Chill or freeze.

Moroccan Beef Tajine(can use lamb)

1 lb beef roast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tbs ras el hanout
1-2 tbs olive oil
1-2 tbs butter
good pinch saffron
2 large tomatoes, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 green peppers, seeded and diced
1/2 - 1 cup prunes (I used apricots today)
2-3 tbs honey
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup red wine
salt, to taste

Slowly sauté onions on medium-low heat with olive oil until they begin to caramelize. Stir in Ras el Hanout spice blend. Turn up heat to medium-high and add butter and saffron. Brown meat well on all sides and add tomatoes and other vegetables. Add broth, prunes and honey. Add red wine and salt and let simmer for 1-2 hours, depending on using the tajine and toughness of the meat. Meat should melt in your mouth when done.

Serve with flat breads, rice, couscous or bulgur.

 Today at D. A. Niels:
  

Marak (Tajine) of Eggplant, peppers and peas with preserved lemon
¼ cup olive oil

1 medium globe eggplant

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 tsp sugar

2 ripe or canned tomatoes, chopped (I’m using 2 tbs good tomato paste with tomatoes)

1 tbs Ras el Hanout

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp turmeric

2 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley

 ½ preserved lemon (see chef for details)

1. Heat oil in tajine over low heat.  Add vegetables and sugar and cover with lid or with parchment paper and the lid and cook gently for 10 minutes.  Raise heat slightly and add a splash of water. 

2. Add tomatoes and continue to cook, covered for a few minutes.

3. Add the parsley and lemon juice.  Garnish with the slivered lemon and olives (or cook in with tajine).  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Happy Thanksgiving! on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

 Tomorrow I will be presenting these recipes on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  I am so thankful for such an abundance of beautiful products here in Manitoba!  These dishes can all be prepared in advance, to make your Thanksgiving feast a celebration for all.  

I prepared Eye of Round Beef, because it is versatile and as an option from Turkey.  For other Turkey ideas, please look in my blog.

1. Wildrice pancakes

2 cups cooked wild rice (Black Duck Lake Wild Rice at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)*

4 large eggs (I used Nature’s Farm eggs)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup flour (optional to use wild rice flour or potato flour, for gluten-free alternatives)

½ tsp ground nutmeg

Optional spices:  Cajun, Turkish, Moroccan, Italian blends

Olive oil

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.  In a hot skillet, heat oil and form pancakes.  Cook until crisp and brown on each side.  Enjoy as a side dish with cranberry sauce or relish, chutneys, etc.

*I boiled the wild rice in a pot of water for 40 minutes, then drained the water.

2. Walnut fig orange stuffed Eye of Round roast

1 3 lb eye of round roast beef (Wildfire Farms at St.Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

Optional marinade:  ½ cup red wine, rub with Ras el Hanout, salt, to taste, drizzle olive oil, 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

Filling:  ½ cup walnuts, chopped , zest of one orange, juice of one orange, ½ cup chopped dried figs (or other dried fruit), 1 egg, salt and pepper, ½ cup chopped parsley

Dijon Mustard, to coat roast

Cut open an eye of round roast to lay flat.  Marinate overnight, if desired.  Remove from marinade and reserve liquid.  Lightly coat both sides of roast with Dijon Mustard and place filling inside, roll and tie roast.  Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large pan, sear roast to brown all over and place in baking dish.  Bake with liquid over chopped onions and carrots for 20 minutes a pound for rare meat.

Let meat rest before cutting.  Enjoy hot or cold.  Prepare a sauce with drippings by pureeing and cooking, adding a bit of butter and red wine.

Chef's Notes:  You can also cook the roast in a slow cooker for fall apart tenderness.  If cooking rare, slice thinly after resting the meat.
 

Enjoy!

3. Solberry CurdTarts

½ -3/4 cup Solberry Puree (Available at Co-op stores and Vita Health)

1/2 cup butter (I used Notre Dame butter)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs (I use Nature’s Farm eggs, available at the St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

Mix sugar, eggs and Solberry in a bowl

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a double saucepan over a very gentle heat.

Gradually add 1 cup sugar, 3 beaten eggs, the grated lemon zest and the Solberry.

Stir until thickened.

Put into sterilized jars while still hot and cover with wax paper, pressing the paper on the surface of the lemon curd. (If using curd for Lemon Meringue Pie/tarts, cool in fridge), or cool in a container until needed.

Enjoy in tarts, as a spread, with meringue, over pavlova, etc.

Getting Cheeky on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

 Yesterday morning I presented the following dishes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with guest host Laurie Hoogstraten.  

The wonderful ingredients are all available now at your farmer's markets.  The eggs for the köfte are from Nature's Farm,  the beef cheeks and ground beef are from Wildfire Farms, and you can often find me either through the blog or at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.

It is not common at all to find beef cheeks, let alone beef shank in many large grocery stores.  Knowing your beef producer directly makes it possible to get parts of the steer that are delicious but not easily found otherwise.  The lovely beef today can be purchased at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market from Wildfire Farms.  Beef cheeks can also be incredible as a burger instead of ground meat.  Marinate in red wine and spices overnight and braise until tender.  Put the cheek on the bun with coleslaw, caramelized onions, chutney, etc.

Braised Beef Cheeks in photo and the "Cook like a Chef" workshop photo for cooking Wildfire Farms beef in St. Norbert's Farmer's Festival

Beef Cheeks

This is the adaptation of Tyler Florence’s recipe for Osso Bucco. The wine that he recommended using was Amarone.  

 This makes an elegant winter comfort meal.

1. Beef Cheeks or Osso Bucco (Make both as they cook the same in this dish):
 1 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Beef Cheeks (Available at Wildfire Farms at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1-3 tbs butter

1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 lemon, zest peeled off in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
1 head garlic, cut horizontally through the middle
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bottle dry red wine
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth (I had homemade chicken broth on hand instead)
1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes, hand-crushed

Put the flour in a large shallow platter and season it with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in the seasoned flour and then tap off the excess (extra flour will burn and make the dish off-tasting).

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and hit it with a 3-count drizzle of oil. Add the butter and swirl it around the pan to melt. Sear the meat, turning carefully with tongs, until all sides are a rich brown caramel color. Drizzle with a little more oil, if needed. (Do this in batches if the shanks are big and look crowded in the pot.) Remove the browned meat to a side plate. There will be a lot of flavor left over in the bottom of the pot. You're going to use that to create your sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using the same pot, sauté the onion, celery, carrots, lemon zest, garlic, bay leaves, and parsley over medium heat. Cook the vegetables down until they start to get some color and develop a deep, rich aroma. Season with salt and pepper; add a little oil if needed. Nestle the meat back in the pot. Pour in the wine and let it simmer down for 20 minutes, until the wine has reduced by half. Reducing is key for intense flavor. Add the beef broth and tomatoes and stir everything together. Cover the pot and put it in the oven. Braise for 1 and a 1/2 hours. Then remove the cover and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be thick and the meat tender and nearly falling off the bone.
Remove bay leaves.

Enjoy!

2. Mini Köfte two ways  Moroccan and Turkish

Moroccan
1 lb ground beef (or lamb), Beef today from Wildfire Farms, available at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market
1-2 tbs Ras el Hanout (available St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)
pinch salt
1 egg (Nature’s Farm eggs are superb and available at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

Mix ingredients well together and form into patties or oblongs (Köfte shaped)

Grill over high heat until desired cooked state.  Let rest and serve with your favourite condiments such as Dijon mustard, caramelized onions, tomato chutney, soft egg, cheese, etc.  Served today with yoghurt tahini sauce.

Turkish
1 lb ground beef (Wildfire Farms at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)
1-2 tbs Turkish Baharat (Karenfood at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)
pinch salt
1 egg (Nature’s Farm eggs at St. Norbert’sFarmer’s Market)

Mix ingredients well together and form into patties or oblongs (Köfte shaped)

Grill over high heat until desired cooked state.  Let rest and serve with your favourite condiments such as Dijon mustard, caramelized onions, tomato chutney, soft egg, cheese, etc.

Enjoy!

Coffee Marinated Hangar Steak for CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning, I had the pleasure of presenting Coffee Marinated Hangar Steak on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with guest host, Laurie Hoogstraten.  

Coffee Marinated Hangar Steak

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups strong coffee, room temperature (I used Ethiopian Yergicheffe, from Green Bean Coffee, with notes of cocoa, available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
2 tbs favourite spice blend (I used Ras el Hanout, but Mitmita, and others would work nicely)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tbs. olive oil
1 small shallot, chopped or grated
1 Hangar Steak  (Available at Wildfire Farms at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
Kosher or sea salt, to taste

Whisk shallot, garlic, coffee, mustard, brown sugar, oil in a medium bowl.  Pour mustard into a resealable bag and add the steak, seal the bag and coat.  Marinate at room temperature for an hour or refrigerate overnight.

Prepare the grill for medium-high heat.  Remove steak from bag, season and grill, turning every few minutes, 8-10 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with wonderful breads that you can find at Old Church Bakery, found on Saturday at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market and in Steinbach.

Don't throw those veggie tops away! On CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Don’t Throw It Away 2.0
This morning, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod, I presented the following recipes with items that many people throw out.

Last year, I encouraged cooks and people who love things from the garden and farmer’s markets to not throw radish leaves away. I have a couple of recipes for them on my blog. Now, I see people throwing carrot and beet tops away. These delicate leaves are delicious and so easy to make into many dishes.

Carrot Top Pesto

1 bunch carrot top greens, chopped (today from Almost Urban Farms at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)
2-3 bunches basil (or chives, cilantro, etc.) (Fresh today from Reimer’s at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)
3-5 cloves garlic
¼- ½ cup parmesan reggianno or Padano
½ cup walnuts (or almonds or pine nuts, or, pumpkin seeds)
1 (+/-) ground black pepper
Olive oil

In a food processor or blender, grind up garlic and nuts, and cheese if cut and not grated. Add chopped carrot greens and basil or other herbs and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil as it blends until a smooth paste or the consistency that you desire.

Use on pasta, fish, seafood, as a compound butter for steaks, in sauces, etc.

I’m serving it today on linguine from Nature’s Pasta.

Stuffed Beet Leaves

1 lb ground beef (or lamb) (I used Wildfire Farms ground beef, available at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

1-3 shallots, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 tbs Turkish Baharat (or your favourite seasonings)
½ finely chopped pepper (optional)
2 tbs chopped fresh dill
1 tbs good tomato paste (Available at Millad’s)
2 tbs pomegranate molasses (optional, available at Millad’s)
Salt, to taste
½ cup bulgur (can use cooked rice, quinoa, etc.)
½ cup stock (I used chicken stock that I make and freeze)
1 bunch beet leaves
Chicken stock for cooking

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sauté the shallots until soft and add the ground beef. After browned, add vegetables, seasonings and cook until soft. Add tomato paste and pomegranate molasses. Stir in the bulgur and add stock. Simmer until the bulgur is softened. Set filling aside.

Line a baking dish with a few beet leaves. Stack the beet leaves for stuffing. You can soften the rib by gently running your finger along it, to make rolling the leaves easier.

Fill each leaf with the meat filling and roll like a small burrito or dolma. Place each roll in the baking dish on top of the leaves. Add chicken stock to the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until soft.

Serve hot, cold, or warm. Top with yoghurt tahini sauce or a cream sauce with dill.

Enjoy!

Ribeyes and Birch Syrup BBQ sauce for Father's Day on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

 This morning on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod, I presented the following ideas for a Father's Day BBQ with Manitoba Ribeye from Wildfire Farms, and incredible Birch Syrup BBQ Sauce from the Canadian Birch Company, both available readily at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.

 

Central ingredient from @CanadianBirchCo in Chef Karen Peters rib eye steak. All their products are amazing. #cbcmb pic.twitter.com/BcUPNrsj8X

— Terry MacLeod (@terrymacleod) June 18, 2016

Father’s Day BBQ!  Easy to impress!

Wildfire Farms Ribeye Steaks (Ribeye is tender and has better flavour as, even though it is low fat, it has more fat than tenderloin so has more flavour.  It is situated next to the tenderloin and, along with Striploin or New York Strip, has the most flavour)Available at the St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market
Canadian Birch Company BBQ Sauce (http://canadianbirchcompany.com/)Available at the St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market

Roasted or baked sweet potato (for the meat and potatoes Dad to give better health benefit)
Butter and balsamic drizzled over sweet potato, with a sprinkling of sea salt

Sautéed mushrooms for steak
crumbled blue cheese for steak. 
Optional:  soft fried egg for on top of steak

Sauté whole or sliced mushrooms in a bit of olive oil or butter.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Deglaze with White Wine, Mirin or Vermouth.

Enjoy!

Happy Father’s Day!

Victoria Day Weekend Market Opening for CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning I had the great pleasure of presenting these dishes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  We are marking the great items available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market with Wildfire Farms Grassfed Beef, Nature's Farm eggs and other items available.


Mini Köfte two ways  Moroccan and Turkish

Moroccan
1 lb ground beef (or lamb), Beef today from Wildfire Farms, available at the opening today of St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market
1-2 tbs Ras el Hanout (available at the opening of St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)
pinch salt
1 egg
Optional:  Finely chopped preserved lemon peel, recipe follows

Mix ingredients well together and form into patties or oblongs (Köfte shaped)

Grill over high heat until desired cooked state.  Let rest and serve with your favourite condiments such as Dijon mustard, caramelized onions, tomato chutney, soft egg, cheese, etc.  Served today with yoghurt tahini sauce.

Turkish
1 lb ground beef
1-2 tbs Turkish Baharat
pinch salt
1 egg

Mix ingredients well together and form into patties or oblongs (Köfte shaped)

Grill over high heat until desired cooked state.  Let rest and serve with your favourite condiments such as Dijon mustard, caramelized onions, tomato chutney, soft egg, cheese, etc.

Enjoy!

Also served today with homemade pita bread.  See link for very easy recipe.  http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/pitabread

Preserved Lemons

1 clean sealing jar
4-6 lemons
kosher or sea salt (`1/2 cup)
Juice of 3 lemons

Cut lemons open but not through and stuff with salt.  Press into jar and fill with remaining salt and cover with lemon juice.  Place in sunny place for 3-7 days and then refrigerate.  Use lemon peel in many dishes and liquid for dressings.


Yoghurt tahini sauce

1/2 cup good plain yoghurt
1 clove garlic, minced
3 heaping tbs tahini
2 tsp lemon or lime juice
pinch salt

Mix all ingredients together. The tahini will cause the sauce to thicken quickly. Use on grilled Pide or Naan or as a crudité dip.


Enjoy!

Phyllo Wrapped Steelhead Trout with Saskatoon Savory Sauce on CBC's Weekend Morning Show. Something that any kid could make...

This morning I presented this dish for CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with guest host, Laurie Hoogstraten.  It really is very simple to prepare with impressive results. 


Phyllo Wrapped Steelhead Trout with savory Saskatoon sauce

1 fillet Steelhead Trout (naturally raised in Warren Manitoba, available at Gimli Fish, from Watersong Farms http://www.watersongfarms.com/)
2 cups sliced mushrooms (white button, crimini, shitake, chanterelles, etc.)
Optional:  1/4 cup chèvre in mushroom mixture
3 tbs butter (1 for sautéing mushrooms, and 2ish melted for buttering phyllo pastry
1 tbs olive oil
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 shallots, minced
Dijon mustard, to lightly cover the fillet
3-4 sheets Phyllo

Cut filet into serving sized pieces and set aside in the refrigerator. Thaw phyllo and prepare mushrooms as follows:

On medium-high heat, sauté shallots until translucent and add the mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are soft. Deglaze with white wine or Mirin (optional). Set aside and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. For the phyllo dish: Lightly coat the fish piece with Dijon Mustard and place on phyllo sheet, cut to fold and cover only. Top with sautéed mushrooms. Fold pastry over fish and mushrooms and brush with melted butter. Bake for 12 -15 minutes, until brown and depending on the thickness of the fish.

Saskatoon Sauce

1 cup Saskatoons (frozen, wild, available from Gimli Fish)
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
¼ tsp dried thyme
1 tbs Dijon Mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup red wine or port

Heat pat to medium high heat and add butter and olive oil. Add Saskatoons and cook until soft. Add mustard, seasonings and red wine. Cook until shiny. Serve over Phyllo Wrapped Steelhead Trout.

Enjoy! 

Later that day...

And for the D.A.Niels Tajine Cooking demo....

Moroccan Beef Stew (can use lamb)
2 lb beef roast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tbs ras el hanout
1-2 tbs olive oil
1-2 tbs butter
good pinch saffron
2 large tomatoes, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 green peppers, seeded and diced
1/2 - 1 cup prunes
2-3 tbs honey
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup red wine
salt, to taste
Slowly sauté onions on medium-low heat with olive oil until they begin to caramelize. Stir in Ras el Hanout spice blend. Turn up heat to medium-high and add butter and saffron. Brown meat well on all sides and add tomatoes and other vegetables. Add broth, prunes and honey. Add red wine and salt and let simmer for 1-2 hours, depending on using the tajine and toughness of the meat. Meat should melt in your mouth when done.
Serve with flat breads, rice, couscous or bulgur.
Enjoy!

Marak (Tajine) of Red Cabbage with Tomatoes and Olives
¼ cup olive oil 
1 medium head red cabbage (can use cauliflower), cored and small slice
2 tsp sugar
2 ripe or canned tomatoes, chopped (I’m using 2 tbs good tomato paste with tomatoes)
2 tsp hot smoked paprika
2 tsp toasted ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, grated into paste
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
Juice of ½ lemon, to taste
 ½ preserved lemon (see chef for details)
12 green-ripe olives, pitted

1. Heat oil in tajine over low heat.  Add cabbage and sugar and cover with lid or with parchment paper and the lid and cook gently for 10 minutes.  Raise heat slightly and add a splash of water.

2. Add tomatoes and paprika and continue to cook, covered for a few minutes.
3. mix cumin and garlic and add with ½ cup water to tajine.  Cook gently for 20 + minutes.
4. Add the parsley and lemon juice.  Garnish with the slivered lemon and olives (or cook in with tajine).  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Healthy living resolutions on CBC's Weekend Morning Show! Plus, locally sourced awesome braised Beef Short Ribs

On Saturday morning, I'll be presenting the following ideas and resources as well as a recipe, for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with guest host Laurie Hoogstraten.

 The lovely grass-fed beef short ribs are available at Wildfire Farms.  They will be at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market on Saturday, January 2nd, if you are interested in the following healthy living resolutions.  

1. Enjoy making food. For yourself or for others.  By yourself or with others. I love it, but so many do not.  By enjoying the planning and making of your meals, you are cooking with love and you will taste the difference.  For friends and families, it can be an important time together, learning and celebrating.

2. Try a new food at least twice a week.  Either in preparation or when dining out.  Look up recipes, use your cookbooks to try something new.  Go to our amazing restaurants that you hadn’t considered.  Try making different soups or pastas from around the world.

3. Buy local.  If you can’t afford a whole share of a CSA, buy a half share or go into a share with other people. http://csamanitoba.org/.  You will meet some great people who grow your food and other members buying the food.  Go to the Farmer’s markets.  http://fmam.ca/. 

4. Plant a garden/plant something.  If you can and have space, plant a garden.  Plant a tomato in a pot.  Grow some wonderful culinary herbs.  Join a community garden group or allotment gardens.  http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/parksandfields/CommunityGardens/communitygardens.asp

5. Cook together.  Food costs are rising.  A cooking club can bring down your food costs, get you out with great people, learn new skills, and can be made to your needs.  http://www.urbanfarmonline.com/sustainable-living/urban-community-building/community-kitchen.aspx


You will have your own resolutions.  These are part of healthy living in that it isn’t only about a diet.

Braised Beef Short Ribs (serves 2-4)

4 Beef Short Ribs

2 sprig fresh sage leaves (torn, with stems)

1 sprig fresh rosemary (torn)

2 bay leaves

~ 10 peppercorns

sea salt, to one’s tastes (sprinkle over meat)

1 ½ cups rustic red wine (I used a Bulgarian wine but ask a product consultant)

1 (+) cup beef or veal stock (to cover)

drizzle olive oil

Put all of the above ingredients in a container, cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or overnight.

For the braising:

4 shallots, thinly sliced

2-3 tbs good tomato paste (such as Tat, available at Millad’s Supermarket on Notre Dame)

sprig fresh thyme

2-3 cloves garlic, sliced

2-3 slices (rashers) bacon, cut into lardons, aka, small rectangular pieces or matchstick pieces

1 cup veal or beefstock

salt and pepper, to your taste

optional:  carrots and other vegetables

Drain ribs, reserving liquid.

On medium heat, start to cook the shallots, bacon and thyme in a oven-proof pot.  Spread tomato paste over ribs.  When the shallots and bacon start to brown, push aside in pot and brown ribs on both sides.  When browned, add veal or beef stock and marinating liquid, and seasoning.

Place pot open in a 300ºF oven and braise until ribs are starting to come off of the bone. Half way through braising, add vegetables, optional. 

For serving, remove ribs and vegetables from pot, strain liquid and reduce in a pan, adding seasoning and wine or butter.

Enjoy with potatoes, breads, or rice.

Happy New Year!