Changing the diet on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod,  I presented the following recipes that have been adapted to Low Glycemic Index ingredients to benefit people living with diabetes.  

Curry leaves can be purchased at Dino's Grocery Mart on Notre Dame, Dong Thai groceries on Notre Dame, Young's (three locations), Lucky's, etc.

Eggs, Potatoes and Cauliflower

There are a number of steps in preparation but its really worth clearing the preparation space, getting the mise en place all ready and going ahead with this recipe. This dish can easily be made ahead of time and reheated. Vegans can enjoy this recipe without the eggs. The addition of sweet potatoes or yams makes this more friendly for living with diabetes as the long fibres break down slower, thus preventing peaks in blood sugar.  This would also be perfect for Passover.

1 head cauliflower
1 cup UNSWEETENED coconut (original recipe called for freshly grated)
1 teaspoon salt
4 Roma tomatoes, cubed
1-inch cube of fresh ginger, cut smaller
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil (original recipe called for vegetable oil)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1-inch stick of cinnamon
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-3 fresh hot green chilies, minced
1 tsp ground turmeric
6-12 fresh curry leaves (use more if using dried curry leaves)
2-4 yams/sweet potatoes, cubed (original recipe called for boiling potatoes)
4-6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garam masala


1. Put the coconut into a blender container on high and slowly add 1 cup very hot water. Let blend for more than a minute. Strain through a cheesecloth or fine sieve, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. This is the first coconut milk. Set aside.

Put the coconut that remains back in the blender and repeat with another cup of very hot water. Strain in another container and set aside. This is the second coconut milk.

2. Hard boil the eggs and cool, peel and cut in half. Set aside.

3. Cube yams.

4. Break the cauliflower into flowerets or bite-sized pieces.

5. Put the ginger, garlic, and chilies in a small blender cup and add 1/4 cup water. Blend until it makes a smooth paste.

6. Heat the oil in a large cooking pot over medium heat. When hot, first put in the fenugreek seeds. After a couple of seconds, add the cinnamon stick. Add the onion and fry for about 2 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic-chili paste and fry for another minute.

7. Add tomatoes, turmeric and curry leaves to the pot. Keep stirring and frying for 2 minutes. Now add half of the second coconut milk., cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

8. Uncover, add the yams or potatoes, cauliflower, 1 tsp salt and the remaining half of the second coconut milk. Stir gently and bring to a simmer.

9. Cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.

10. Uncover again and put in the halved eggs, cut side up, the first coconut milk and the lemon juice. Mix very gently, spooning the sauce over the eggs. Cover and simmer another 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the garam masala. Mix gently.

Enjoy!

Filipino Avocado Milkshake

This is the traditional recipe.  I will change it by dropping the sugar, milk and ice-cream and using stevia, frozen condensed fat free milk.  Avocados are recommended as a snack before bed due to the long fibres and the good fats which are beneficial for people living with diabetes.  The Australian Diabetes Association recommends 1 avocado per day.

Ingredients

1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and cubed
5 cubes ice
1 tbs stevia
1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice (optional)
1 tin frozen fat-free condensed milk

Directions

Place avocado, ice, stevia milk, lemon juice, into a blender. Puree until smooth.

Eggs! Nature's Farm eggs on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

 This morning I had the pleasure of presenting two egg recipes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Ismaila Alfa.  The first is a poached egg recipe from Turkey and the second is a Kerala dish that usually calls for duck eggs but is wonderful with Nature's Farm eggs.

1. Çılbır (pronounced, chill burr)

These luscious eggs are so easy to make with a wonderful and velvety result. Perfect comfort food for a weekend morning brunch/breakfast.

The recipe below is for 1, but you can easily make it for more people by adding more eggs, yogurt, and butter.

2 eggs
2 tbsp vinegar
5 cups of water (or more)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp paprika (I used hot smoked paprika)
1/2 tbsp butter
mint flakes
salt
pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)

Bring to boil water, vinegar, and salt in a medium size pot. When it starts boiling, turn it down to medium to low heat.

Stir the water and then break eggs one at a time in a small bowl, and glide them, one by one, in to the very hot but not boiling water. (If the water is boiling vigorously when you pour the eggs, you cannot have a homogeneous cooking or keep the egg together) Do not cook more than 2 eggs at a time. If an egg starts going messy in water, try to pull it together with a spoon. (stirring the water will help make the eggs into a perfect round shape).

Cook the eggs for 3-4 minutes for medium soft yolk. For a hard yolk, you need to cook them at least for 5 minutes.

Take the eggs out of the water with slotted spoon on a plate.

Pour yogurt on them. (If you want to have your çılbır "a la turque", mix yogurt with 1 clove of minced garlic, a perfect pairing)

Heat butter. When it sizzles add paprika. Stir for half a minute or less (just don't let it burn) and pour it on top of eggs and yogurt.

Sprinkle mint flakes on top. Serve with toast.

It is extremely easy to make çılbır; there are only a couple of points to be careful about: don't put the eggs in boiling water; bring it to a boil and then let it calm down and do not break the eggs directly into  the pot; instead break them in little bowl and let them glide.

2. Kerala eggs
 2-4 hard boiled eggs
1-2 cups sliced onions
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
pinch salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Bring a pan up to medium-high heat and add olive oil and mustard seeds.  When the seeds begin to pop, add the sliced onions.  When the onions are softened, add the remaining spices and seasonings.  When almost crispy, add peeled eggs that have been scored and bring to temperature, covering with the sauce.  Serve with flaky parotha or naan.

Enjoy!

Warming Soups for Winter for the Assiniboine Park Conservacy

Last night I had the pleasure of presenting 5 warming soups for winter at the Madison
Square MLCC for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy. MLCC Product Ambassador, Gary Dawyduk presented pairings for each dish and Assiniboine Park Conservancy Educator, Bonnie Tulloch, presented on the plants and herbs represented in each dish.

Winter will come and having soups will make it all the more enjoyable.

Pairings:
To Start:
Scarlett O’Hara cocktail
2 oz. Southern Comfort Liqueur (#105601, $21.99)
6 oz. Cranberry juice
dash of lime juice
mix ingredients into an ice-filled glass, add dash of lemon juice




First: Vietnamese Sour Soup
1) Sauvignon Blanc Wairau Valley 2008 – Wither Hills (#3620) $17.95
1a) Ossian Bitter Beer (500ml, #9602) $3.84

Second: Curried (Butternut) Squash Soup
2) Pinot Gris 2008 – Sandhill (#626002) $16.99
2a) Great Lakes Brewery Pumpkin Ale (650ml, #9656) $6.33

Third: Leek and Potato Soup
3) Pinot Grigio Alto Adige 2009 – Santa Margherita (#2125) $16.74

Fourth: Roasted Red Pepper Soup
4) Negra Modelo Lager (325ml, #5615) $1.83
4a) Earth, Zin & Fire Zinfandel 2008 (#5301) $18.51

Fifth: Yellow Split Pea Soup with Rosemary
5) Château Saint-Germain Bordeaux Superieur (#152587) $14.99

To Finish:
6) Agent Orange cocktail
1 ½ oz. Southern Comfort (#105601, $21.99)
1 ½ oz. Bailey’s Cream Liqueur (#5959, $18.39)
1 oz. Kahlua Coffee Liqueur (#389, $26.99)
Fill a tumbler with ice, add all ingredients; stir and serve



Vietnamese Sour Soup (makes 6 servings)


1 can pineapple rings, in juice, drained and cut
4 cups vegetable broth (from stock or low-salt bouillon)
3 tomatoes, canned with juice
4 tbs white vinegar
2-4 tbs hot sauce (Vietnamese Ot Toi e.g.)
2 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs Mirin
2 tbs Black Vinegar (for vegetarians, fish sauce for non-vegetarians)

Filling Options:
1 pkg tofu, cubed and fried or plain
2 cups bean sprouts
1-2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 lotus root, green shoots sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced on the bias
Water chestnuts

Garnish with 1 bunch fresh Thai Basil

Non-vegetarian filling options:
Shrimp, scallops, grilled chicken, etc.

Drain pineapple juice into soup pot and reserve pineapple for later. Mix broth, juice, vinegars, hot sauce, tomatoes, brown sugar and Mirin. Bring to a boil. 5 - 10 minutes prior to serving add filling options and bring to boil again. Serve and garnish with basil.

Enjoy!



Curried (Butternut) Squash Soup

1 Squash, seeded and baked (small to medium sized)
1 medium onion, diced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 tbs curry spices (add a pinch extra ground cinnamon and ground cloves)
4-6 cups broth (test thickness of soup)
1 cup yoghurt
2 tbs olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauté onions in a soup pot until soft. Add ginger and curry spices. On medium heat, mix in baked squash and add broth. Bring to a gentle boil. Stir in yoghurt. Remove from heat and let cool. Using an immersion blender or in a food processor, purée soup. Garnish with a bit of yoghurt.


Leek and Potato Soup

3-4 Leek whites, sliced
4-5 medium white or yellow potatoes, peeled and diced (keep in cold water to prevent browning)
1 head roasted garlic
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 tbs dried tarragon or 2 tbs fresh
Salt, to taste
1 litre broth (low-sodium chicken or vegetable, e.g.)
1 cup whipping cream
1 tbs olive oil

In a soup pot, sauté the sliced leek whites with the olive oil on medium heat until they are softened and begin to turn translucent. Add diced potatoes and stir. Add seasoning and broth and bring to a boil. When the potatoes are soft, add the cream. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or in a food processor, purée the soup. Return to stove and serve hot.


Roasted Red Pepper Soup

4 red peppers, roasted, seeded and peeled
1 large oven roasted yam or sweet potato
1 head roasted garlic
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated
1 can tomatoes
2-3 cups broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
Optional: 1 pinch saffron

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add butter and olive oil. Sauté onions until light brown in colour and add remaining ingredients. Cook until well incorporated and purée using an immersion blender or transfer to a blender or food processor.

Garnish with crouton or crème fraiche and/or crispy fried herbs.

Enjoy!

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Rosemary

1 large onion, chopped
1 tbs olive oil
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, whole
2 cups yellow lentils (try varieties such as green split peas, red lentils, etc.)
1 tsp salt (to taste)
Pepper, to taste
4-6 cups water or broth

For meat based soups, try: 1/2 peeled Farmer's Sausage, 1 cup whole pancetta, thick slab bacon, ham, or any of your favourite smoked pork product)

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, rosemary and optional meat. Sauté until soft. Add lentils and stir through. Add water or broth and bring to a boil. DO NOT ADD SALT YET!

When lentils are soft, remove rosemary sprigs and optional meat. You may, at this time, choose to purée the soup and adjust the liquid content. Lentils will continue to expand so allow for that when adjusting for thickness of soup. Chop up meat and add back to soup if using meat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy on a cold day with some hot toast on the side.

More Local!!! Keema with locally raised grass-fed beef

This morning I had the great pleasure of presenting Keema, a North Indian/Pakistani dish with ground meat and peas, on the Weekend Morning Show with host Kerän Sanders. The beef was from Harbourside Farms in Pilot Mound and is featured in this weekend's Harvest Moon Agriculture Tour.

I also presented the Tuscan Squash Salad, as featured in the previous blog.

Keema (Curried ground meat with peas)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 kg ground beef or ground lamb
3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium-sized onions chopped fine
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsps coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp garam masala
Salt to taste
2 medium-sized tomatoes chopped fine
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation:

Heat the cooking oil in a wok or deep pan, on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 1 minute. Add the onions now. Fry till they turn a pale golden colour. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for 1 minute. Add the ground meat and all the powdered spices - coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt to taste. Continue to brown the meat, stirring often to prevent burning. This should take about 5-7 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, stir and cook till they are soft. Add the peas and cook until just tender.

Turn off, the stove add the lime juice and stir.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot chapatis or parathas.

Enjoy!