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.

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!

Moroccan Beef Stew

I was looking around in recipes for an idea to use some lovely stewing beef and I decided to adapt a Moroccan lamb recipe but with fewer steps. A very nice result indeed.

1 lb stewing beef
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!

Grilled Pomegranate Chicken with Ras el Hanout

Grilled Pomegranate Chicken thighs with Ras el Hanout
(serves 2 for 4 chicken thighs)

2 tablespoons Ras el Hanout*
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses** (can also use pomegranate juice)
1/4 cup good olive oil
splash orange blossom water (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch salt
1/4 – 1/2 chopped peel preserved lemon*
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Mix first 7 ingredients together well to blend in the olive oil. Place chicken thighs in marinade in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. Place chicken thighs on a hot BBQ for up to 4 minutes a side, turning NOT flipping every two minutes for grill marks.

Let meat rest and enjoy with grilled Naan bread, salad, rice, etc.

*Ras el Hanout can be used as a spice rub for your BBQ meats, in vegetable stews (recipe in blog), on roast chicken, lamb, goat, etc.

**Orange blossom water, pomegranate molasses and preserved lemon are available at Halal Meat Centre and Specialty Foods at 206 Maryland and Dino's Grocery Mart at 460 Notre Dame Avenue in Winnipeg.

From Gastronomy to Friendship

I had the great pleasure on Wednesday evening to be the guest chef for a fine group of gentlemen, the local chapter of Les Marmitons (see link). Our menu for the evening was:

1. Bison Tenderloin Carpaccio (see recipe and image from March 20th blog entry)
2. Crab Cones (see recipe and image from April 12th blog entry)
3. Moroccan Vegetable Tajine with Bulgur Timbales (see recipe and image from Feb. 6, 2006 blog entry and recipe follows)
4. Morel Mushroom Soufflé (Recipe to follow)
5. Kerala Shrimp (see recipe and image from March 26th blog entry)

They divided into teams, each responsible for one recipe from start to finish. We then sat to dine on each course, one course at a time and enjoy a matching wine. The team leader then discussed the making and plating of the dish and the guest chef then gives comments.

The camaraderie of the group was delightful and their skills ranged from beginner to accomplished Red Seal Chefs. Perhaps that is why the cooperation and good feelings of the group left such an great impression. It was truly an honour to be part of this event.


(photo courtesy of Les Marmitons)
1.Morel Mushroom Soufflé

5 eggs separated
3 tbs butter
1/2 cup flour
1 scant cup milk
Salt and Pepper
1/4 + tsp grated nutmeg

1 cup mushrooms (options are morels, button, shitake, oyster, crimini or combination of any)
1-2 tbs butter
salt and pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional - almonds)
splash(es) of vermouth
drizzle truffle oil

(Save some morels whole for sautéing and garnish of soufflés in ramekins)

Preheat oven to 400º. Butter and flour a soufflé dish. In a metal bowl over a saucepan with boiling water (1/4-1/2 inch water), make a basic bechamel sauce by whisking butter and flour together in bowl and adding the milk. Whisk until thickened, removing from heat as needed to prevent lumps or separating. Add salt and pepper and nutmeg. Stir in blended mushrooms and blended egg yolks. Beat egg whites to a stiff peak and fold in to the cheese sauce. Pour into soufflé dish and bake for 30 minutes. (less time for individual soufflés) Serve immediately.


(photo courtesy of Les Marmitons)

2. Vegetable Tagine with Bulgur Pilaf
(see top photo)
2 red peppers
3-4 carrots
onions
1 head garlic cloves
1-2 Japanese eggplants (or 1 large globe eggplant)
1-2 yams
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup olives
1/2 pickled lemon RIND ONLY
2-3 tbs olive oil
2-3 tbs Ras el Hanout
splash rose water
1 tbs turmeric
salt and pepper and some water

2 cups bulgur
1 onion
2 tbs. olive oil
1/3 sliced almonds
1/2 cupAfghani Tut
good pinch Saffron in a few tablespoons milk
3 cups Water
salt and pepper

Thinly slice eggplant and salt if necessary. Seed and chop peppers into medium sized pieces. Peel and slice carrots. Slice onions into thin slices. Peel garlic and cut into large chunks if cloves are very large or keep whole if smaller sized. Peel and cube yams. Pit dates and olives if necessary. Remove lemon flesh from the peel and chop peel finely. Discard lemon flesh. Combine vegetables, dates, olives, lemon, olive oil , Ras el Hanout, rose water, turmeric, salt and pepper and about 1/4 cup of water in a large bowl. If you have salted the eggplant, rinse in cold water and squeeze out slices. Place vegetable mixture in a casserole dish or tajine. Cover and cook on stove top over medium heat, checking and stirring occasionally.

For the bulgur, slice onions thinly and sauté in olive oil until just browned. Add bulgur and mix in well with onions. Add water, almonds, tut, and salt and pepper. When it comes to a boil, add the milk/saffron mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff bulgur and plate as timbales with vegetable tagine.


Enjoy!

Notes:

Paper cones to wrap the wonton wrappers around are available at the Great Canadian Wholesaler on Ellice and Route 90 in Winnipeg. Pickled lemon, Ras el Hanout, rose water and many other spices are available at Halal Meat Centre & Specialty Foods at 206 Maryland St and Dino's Grocery Mart at 460 Notre Dame Avenue. Ras el Hanout will be available in the first week of June.

Cooking Classes - Entrées

Last night I again had the pleasure of leading a cooking class. We prepared a number of entrées such as Salt baked Rainbow Trout, Marinated Lamb Kebabs, Grilled Bison Rib eye steaks with two herbed butters and Cheese Soufflé.

1. Salt Baked Rainbow Trout

(image from Google Images)

1 Small Rainbow Trout*
1/2 - 1 kg Course Sea Salt
3 tbs ground Lemon Grass*
Parchment Paper

Preheat oven to 400º. Fit parchment paper on to baking sheet and place whole fish on the paper. In a bowl, mix salt and lemon grass together. Add enough water to make a paste with the salt but not too much as to dissolve the salt. Pack the salt mixture over the fish. Bake at 400º for up to 20 minutes. The salt will start to brown slightly when done. Remove from the oven and crack open the salt dome. Brush aside the salt and place on a platter. Peel away the skin of the fish and you should have very moist, flavourful fish.

Some variations can include using other fresh herbs in the salt or smoky dry teas.

*Beautiful Rainbow Trout or other fish now available at Gimli Fish, located in Winnipeg at 596 Dufferin Ave. and 625 Pembina Hwy.
** Ground Lemon Grass is available in Winnipeg in the freezer section at Dino's Grocery Mart at 460 Notre Dame Avenue.

Enjoy!

2. Grilled Marinated Lamb Shank Kebabs


(Image from Google Images)

1 lamb shank boned out or cubed for kebabs
4 blood oranges (options are: pomegranate juice/molasses, raspberry juice, cranberry)
1/2 cup red wine
4-6 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 tbs Ras El Hanout*
1/3 cup good olive oil

For the reduction:
Juice of one blood orange
1/2 cup red wine
Salt and Pepper
1 tbs butter

1-2 days prior to cooking, prepare marinade and let lamb sit in the refrigerator in the marinade. If making boneless lamb shank whole, grill on hot BBQ for up to 10 minutes a side, turning for grill marks. If making kebabs, skewer meat and place on hot BBQ, turning after 5 minutes.

In a sauté pan, heat the juice, wine and season. Let cook and reduce for a few minutes before adding the butter. When meat has finished cooking, let rest on a platter. Drizzle the reduction over the meat. Serve with flat bread, rice or couscous.

* Ras El Hanout is a Moroccan spice blend available for sale at Halal Meat Centre & Specialty Foods at 206 Maryland St and Dino's Grocery Mart at 460 Notre Dame Avenue. Literally, Ras El Hanout means "Best of the Shop". I make this blend of 25 spices that matches beautifully with lamb and vegetable tagine dishes.

Enjoy!

3. Grilled Bison Rib Eye steaks with herbed butter

Drizzle olive oil over steaks. Heat BBQ to high heat. For 1 inch thick steaks, cook for 4 minutes a side to get medium rare. Turn steaks at two minutes to get grill marks. Always let meat rest.

For the herbed butter:

1/2 cup Softened butter
1/2 tsp dried chipotle chilies
1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Blend ingredients and chill in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Cut off small piece per steak and place on steak when the meat is resting.

Variation:

1/2 roasted red pepper
1 pinch saffron
1/2 cup softened butter


Try fruits or favourite herbs for different butters.

Enjoy!


4. Cheese Soufflé



5 eggs separated
3 tbs butter
1/2 cup flour
1 scant cup milk
Salt and Pepper
1/4 + tsp grated nutmeg
Cheeses (1/3 cup grated parmesan, 1/3 cup grated Cave Aged Gruyere, 1/3 cup grated Crotonese Cheese)

Preheat oven to 400º. Butter and flour a soufflé dish. In a metal bowl over a saucepan with boiling water (1/4-1/2 inch water), make a basic bechamel sauce by whisking butter and flour together in bowl and adding the milk. Whisk until thickened, removing from heat as needed to prevent lumps or separating. Add salt and pepper and nutmeg. Stir in cheeses and blended egg yolks. Beat egg whites to a stiff peak and fold in to the cheese sauce. Pour into soufflé dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

New tasting menu

(Crab Cones)

Tasting Menu

Appetizers
Bourbon Rabbit Liver Pate with Baguettes
Crab Cones
Paired with Trumpeter Brut Sparkling

Soup
Miso Turkey Vegetable

Entrées
Kashmiri Goat Curry
Moroccan Lamb Chop with Blood Orange reduction and Couscous Timbale and Blood Orange/Fennel Relish
Paired with Cuumano Nero D'Avola

Scented warmed water for hand washing

Butternut/Sage Ravioli in Brown Butter
Bison Tenderloin Medallions in creamy Morel and King Oyster Mushroom sauce
Paired with Mazzoco Chardonnay and Beyerskloof Pinotage

Cheese Course

Dessert
Meyers Lemon Curd Meringue Tarts
Paired with Marnier Pineau des Charentes


(Meyers Lemon Curd Meringue Tart)

Thank you Sheila Nash from the MLCC for the wine pairings.

And the award goes to...

While the movie Capote was being filmed in Winnipeg, I had the opportunity to provide organic meals in partnership with Julie Fine and her Bright Side Catering company for Academy Award winner, Philip Seymour Hoffman. I guess that I was his personal chef but personal would imply that I had met him. From what I understand in a letter from him, he enjoyed his meals.

This is some of what I prepared for Philip Seymour Hoffman while he was here for 6 weeks.


Honey Miso Grilled Pickerel
Grilled Chicken in a Pomegranite Marinade with Persian carrots, onions and parsnips garnished with dates and raisins
Curried Pumpkin Soup
Bison chilli
Elk kabobs with Saffron Couscous with Almonds
Latkes with Sour Cream and Golden Caviar
Vietnamese Wraps with Chicken
Kashmiri Goat Curry & Basmati rice
Thai Coconut Halibut Curry with Brown Basmati Rice
Korean Ginseng Chicken (Samgetang see blog entry for January 23rd) served with Roasted Nori, Roasted Beets
Pasta with Pesto
Golden Nugget Squash Gratin
Hummus, Baba Ganoush and Imam Baldi (see blog entry March 25th)
Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)
Vegetarian Moroccan Stew served with Couscous

Tajine and Ras el Hanout

Moroccan Carrot Tajine

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1/2 medium chopped red pepper
1/2 cauliflower cut in flowerets
1/4 cup chopped black olives
1/4 cup chopped dates
1 medium onion, chopped
1 head garlic (loose cloves)
2 tbs olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1 tbs turmeric
1 heaping tablespoon Ras El Hanout *
Splash of Rosewater**
1/2 chopped pickled lemon (just the peel)***
Pinch of salt
Optional: eggplant, zucchini

Place all ingredients together in a casserole dish (traditional cooking vessel is a tajine). Cover and bake at 350F for about 45 minutes. If cooking on the stovetop, cook covered at medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender. Serve with rice or couscous or bulgur.
Contact me for information on buying Ras el Hanout directly.
Enjoy!

* Ras el Hanout is a spice blend of 25 spices available in Winnipeg at Halal Meat Centre & Specialty Foods on 206 Maryland and Dino’s Grocery Mart on 460 Notre Dame .
** Rosewater is available at Dino’s Grocery Mart on 460 Notre Dame and at Halal Meat Centre & Specialty Foods on 206 Maryland.
***Pickled lemon is available at Dino’s Grocery Mart and at Halal Meat Centre & Specialty Foods on Maryland.