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!

This morning on CBC Weekend Morning Show - Cuban Pulled Pork

This morning I had the pleasure of presenting a very simple slow cooker recipe for Cuban pulled Pork on the Weekend Morning Show with Kerän Sanders on CBC Radio. For sources of local naturally raised pork in Manitoba, please see http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/mbmeat/mb_meat_pork.html. The tortillas are also a wonderful local product from Winkler, Manitoba by Sunny Day Products that I have found at Mercadito Latino on Henderson Hwy and at Dino's Grocery Mart on Notre Dame.


Cuban Pulled Pork

½ cup lime juice
¼ cup water
¼ cup grapefruit juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
One 3-pound boneless pork shoulder roast (I used a pork butt cut)
1 cup sliced onion

• In a small bowl combine the lime juice, water, grapefruit juice, garlic, oregano, salt, cumin, pepper, and bay leaves.
• Trim the fat from the meat. If necessary, cut the roast so that it will fit easily in the slow cooker. Pierce the meat in several places; then place it in a large plastic resealable bag or a large glass bowl.
• Pour the marinade over the meat. Chill in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
• Place the sliced onion in a 3 ½- to 5-quart slow cooker. Top with the meat and the marinade mixture.
• Cover the crock pot and cook on the low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on the high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.
• Transfer the meat to a cutting board and cool slightly.
• Skim the fat from the juices in the slow cooker and remove the bay leaves.
• Use 2 forks to gently separate the meat into shreds; then transfer the shredded meat to a serving platter.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the juices; then transfer the onions to same serving platter.
• Wrap the meat and onions in the tortillas and serve with small bowls of the hot juices and Pico de Gallo. If desired, add lettuce and guacamole.

I found this recipe to have wonderful flavours but I also added hot smoked paprika after shredding the meat with forks. I later added the sauce from canned chipotle peppers.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Recipe - Lamb with ras el hanout and shredded cabbage

The Slow cooker or Crock Pot is being used more and more these days. Try this recipe using lamb shoulder and shredded red cabbage and spice it up with some Ras el Hanout.

Lamb with Ras el Hanout and Shredded Cabbage

1 lamb shoulder (I used Manitoba lamb)
1 head red cabbage, shredded
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs Ras el Hanout
1 bunch Chard, cut chiffonade style*
1 head garlic, peeled
2-3 chopped tomatoes (I also added a handful of sundried tomatoes)
1/4 cup chopped dates **
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
1-2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp sea salt

Put shredded cabbage, chopped tomatoes, chard, dates, apricots, vinegar, stock, red wine, garlic and salt in Slow cooker and turn on.

In a skillet, sauté the onion until translucent in 1 tbs olive oil. Add the Ras el Hanout and sauté until soft. Add to slow cooker and mix ingredients.

In the same skillet, on medium high heat, add 1 tbs olive oil and brown lamb shoulder on all sides. Nestle lamb into the vegetable mixture in the slow cooker and cover. Cook overnight or throughout the day until the lamb meat falls off of the bones. Remove meat from the slow cooker and de-bone or trim any extra fat. Place lamb pieces back in the slow cooker and keep hot until serving with baked potatoes or rice.

Enjoy!

*To cut chiffonade style for leafy vegetables or basil, stack leaves in line on top of each other. Roll tightly and cut in thin slices from tip to end. Loosen the cut leaves.

**I used fresh dates from the Halal Meats and Specialty Foods Store on Maryland but you can use most varieties of dates.

Options:
chopped carrots or parsnips
leave out red wine from cooking if you don't cook with wine but watch the moisture Perhaps try Verjus, also available at Halal Meats and Specialty Foods Store on Maryland.