Ikra! A Russian Relish to relish.

I had the ingredients on hand.  I had been wanting to attempt making this for a long time.  Now that I have, it is much easier to prepare than I had imagined.  Ikra.  It is a Russian condiment that I grew up having with meat buns, or, Fleischpersky.  Stephan, from Blue Lagoon Organics, gave me a couple of parsley roots, that I knew were part of the ingredient list.

I consulted the Mennonite Treasury of Recipes, and my Mom, for advice on how to make Ikra.  It seems like a kitchen sink kind of recipe to make with what one has on hand.  I had the following, that made 6 500ml jars.

Ikra

4 onions, grated*
2+tbs olive oil
2 medium globe eggplant, finely diced
4 medium carrots, grated
2 bulbs of Parsley Root, grated
3 -4 celery stalks, grated or finely diced
3 yellow peppers, grated
4 good tomatoes (I used 4 large yellow tomatoes that I had frozen in Autumn)
4 tbs good Tomato Paste
1 dried red chili
1 tbs chili flake (I used Aleppo)
1/2 sugar
Salt and pepper, to tastes.
water, adjust as needed

*Grated, was done through the food processor blade.

I cooked the onions first and then added the remaining vegetables and seasoning.  After the water began cooking out, I added the remaining ingredients and cooked for up to 30 minutes. 

I sterilized 6 500 ml jars and lids.  Then, I filled each jar, closed the lids just under tightly closed, and cooked in the canner for 20 minutes.  I heard the lids popping now.

Enjoy!

Easy Squash Gnudi with wonderful local ingredients.

Something easy.  Something delicious.  Something with ingredients that I have on hand now.

I baked a large Hubbard Squash to add to my daughter's food (hidden in pasta and muffins).  With some of the baked squash, we made gnudi.  It is much easier than one would think.  We prepared half of a recipe. 

The squash was grown by Kelly Ditz, of The Farm.  The eggs, are by Nature's Farm.  I used local Notre Dame Butter and Prairie Mills flour. 

Squash Gnudi
 
1  squash, about 3 lb. (baked and scooped out of shell)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. fine sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
2 cups flour, sifted
8 Tbs unsalted butter, browned
10 fresh sage leaves (to taste)
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 

 Pass the baked squash through a ricer or mash well.  When cooled, add beaten eggs and seasonings and mix well.  Sift flour into squash mixture and stir until well incorporated.  Add enough flour to make a light sticky batter.  Chill at least one hour.

Set a pot of salted water to boil.  Brown butter in another pan and add fresh sage leaves toward the end.  Turn butter off until gnudi is ready.  When water boils, drop gnudi into gently boiling water with a small spoon.  When the gnudi floats, scoop out of water, drain and add to hot butter. Let coat gnudi and plate.  Top with grated cheese.

Enjoy!

December 22nd - Last Christmas sale at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market!!!

I'll be at Saturday's St. Norbert's Farmer's Market on Saturday, December 22nd for the last Christmas sale!  I'll have my spice blends of Ras el Hanout, Turkish Baharat, Tea Masala, and Duq'qah. I'll also have Onion Jam, Snap Pea Coconut Chutney, and More!  Perhaps Biscotti.

It has occurred to me that, while I use Duq'qah all of the time, I haven't featured is as much on my blog.  It is so versatile.  Traditionally, with flatbread, salt and olive oil, it is also great as a dry rub on meats and for roasting vegetables.  I've put it on popcorn, Corn on the Cob, Chicken, lamb, burgers, and has given me a new taste for broccoli. 

I hope to see you at the market on Saturday.  It is open from 10 - 2PM.

Easy entertaining. Pickerel Cheeks

This is really such a delighfully simple dish to make.  Great local ingredients that shine.  Pickerel cheeks (yes, Walleye, to my non-local language purists) are so sweet and getting a package from Gimli Fish is inexpensive.  You don't have to do the work!

Sautéed Pickerel Cheeks

1 pkg pickerel cheeks
1-2 tbs butter (Notre Dame Butter is lovely)
Favourite herb (I used chopped sorrel, but have made this with basil, thyme, tarragon, etc.)
salt and pepper, to taste
splash of Vermouth or Mirin, to deglaze

Heat pan and melt butter.  You can also have browned butter for this dish.  Add chopped herbs and pickerel cheeks.  Cook, turning once, for a couple of minutes per side at most.  Deglaze pan and serve immediately.

Serve as an appetizer with breads or on crackers (rice crackers for Gluten-Free), or increase amounts for an easy entrée.

Enjoy!

By request! Tomato Chutney

There are only a handful of recipes that I treasure that I haven't shared.  I've been selling and serving tomato chutney at the Farmer's Market for a while.  I serve it with the Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and sell it in containers.  It is a yummy product and I did look into larger scale production of the tomato chutney but there are so many permits and hoops to jump through to produce anything with tomatoes. 

Tomato Chutney

1 medium onion, finely diced
olive oil, drizzle or more
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 tin unsalted chopped tomatoes
1-2 tbs curry spice blend (garam masala, cumin, coriander, mustard, chilies, star anise, pomegranate, cinnamon, cloves,
etc, ground, with turmeric)
1-2 tbs brown sugar or jaggery
salt, to taste
1-2 tbs vinegar

In a large saucepan, heat up oil to medium heat and add chopped onions.  When translucent, add spices and stir.  Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients.  Cook until fully softened for crisper onions, or long and slow, for a deeper flavour. 

Enjoy as a condiment, a side dish, dipping sauce, etc.  The secret is out!

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!

Sichuan food is comfort food - Easy Sichuan Cabbage

In our last CSA share, we had a couple of cabbages.  I'm always enjoying Sichuan food as comfort food.  Something about the warming chilies.  The small green cabbage and medium yellow onions came from our CSA share from Heart's Acres Farm.  I lived in Chongqing, Sichuan for a time in 1983-84.  The recipe calls for peanut butter and peanuts but that can be substituted with tahini or ground pumpkin seeds, if there are allergies. 

Sichuan Peanut Cabbage

1 small-medium green cabbage, cored and medium-large dice
1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
2 whole star anise
2 whole dried red chilies
small piece cinnamon stick or a good pinch ground
drizzle preferred cooking oil
1/3 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth
1/4 whole roasted peanuts (optional)
2-3 tbs soy sauce
a dash of Chinese cooking wine or Mirin
1 good tbs Chinese hot sauce with peanuts (adjust to your own tastes)  Pictured here:

1 tbs Sichuan Peppercorns, crushed in a mortar

Heat oil in a wok at medium-high heat.  Add cinnamon and star anise.  Add chopped onion and ginger and cook for a few minutes.  Add cabbage and stir.  Add remaining ingredients and stir well.  You may need to add a bit of water.

Cook until cabbage is soft throughout.  Serve with rice.  Options:  add tofu cubes, or make with broccoli or other varieties of cabbages.  Some people add a bit of brown sugar to balance the flavours more.

Enjoy!

Celeriac, it is easier than you think!

I got two gorgeous celeriac bulbs in my CSA share last week.  I have to admit to have never prepared celeriac but I was eager to try it out.  It couldn't be easier and more delicious!  I looked up an Alton Brown recipe and adapted it.  Celeriac is available now at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.

Blue Cheese Celeriac Purée

2-4 Celeriac bulbs, brushed clean, thinly peeled, cubed.  (place cubes in a bowl of cold water)
1 tbs butter
1/4-1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup Buttermilk Blue cheese, crumbled
pinch nutmeg
salt, to taste
white pepper, to taste

Bring a medium sized saucepan of water to boil.  Boil the drained celeriac cubes until quite soft, about 5-8 minutes.  Drain and place cubes back into the saucepan.  Warm butter and cream in the microwave and add to the cubes.  Add the crumbled blue cheese, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. 

Using an immersion blender, purée until smooth.  Alton Brown's recipe was even simpler, with no blue cheese or nutmeg.  Enjoy!

Pictured above with Turkish roasted tomato salad with pomegranates, Carrot Thoren, and Bulgogi Burgers.

Russian Pancakes with the Manitoba Food History Truck!

Today I had the great pleasure of sharing a treat from my childhood with the wonderful people from the Manitoba Food History Truck.  I hadn't had this in many years, but, as the theme is food history, I wanted to honour my Großma and this wonderful food, that I don't know who makes it anymore.

Russian Pancakes

Set oven to 300ºF.  Have one or two crepe, or non-stick pans available.

2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 - 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbs butter, melted
pinch salt
1 tsp sugar
butter, for the pans

Whisk or blend the ingredients until well incorporated and set aside.  Prepare the sour cherry sauce.

Sour Cherry Sauce
1 jar sour cherries in light sauce
1 tbs corn starch
juice of half of a lemon
1/4 cup sugar

In a medium saucepan, start cooking the cherries, the whole jar except for 1/4 cup of the juice.  Mix the cherry and lemon juices with the corn starch as a slurry and add to the saucepan.  Cook on medium heat until bubbled for at least one minute and thickened and shiny.  Set aside.

Heat pans for the crepes.  Add a tab of butter and let bubble up over the entire pan.  Add a ladle of the batter and turn pan to cover.  When bubbling, flip the crepe.  When cooked, place the crepe on a pan in the oven and spoon some of the cherry sauce over it.  Repeat, stacking and alternating crepes and sauce until finished.  Serve immediately as cut wedges, with options of icing sugar and sour cream as toppings.

Enjoy!

Farmer's Festival at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market

What a day!  There was a wonderful celebration of making great things from local producers today at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.  For my first cooking demonstration, I featured dry rubs and a few tips for great steaks.  The second cooking demonstration, I prepared Fresh Kimchi.  So addictive!

The Napa Cabbage, onion and garlic,  came from Heart's Acre Farm, the carrot from Paseschnikoff Gardens, The garlic chives, from Fertile Farms.  I found the remaining ingredients at Arirang Trading Company, on 1799 Portage Ave. in Winnipeg.

I love the recipes found on Maangchi and I found this fresh kimchi recipe, aka,  Baechu-geotjeori.

https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/baechu-geotjeori

One excellent question was, do I have to use shellfish or fish?  This recipe calls for fermented anchovy paste.  I used fermented shrimp paste.  I found that a good way to get the briny flavour is by using Black Vinegar.  The dish will be vegan then as well.

A flight of Manitoba Honey on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

Yesterday, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai, I presented the some of the wonderful honey that we have in Manitoba.  The bees and the honey producers work very hard to provide us with this wonderful product.  There is a great range of flavours, due to the different flowers that the bees access. 

 Featured above, at the CBC Studio are:  Ferris Farm Creamed Honey (Downtown Hydro Market, Wolesley Farmer's Market), BeeProject Apiary North End and St. Boniface Neighbourhood Honeys (BeeSpace @ 196 Osborne), Giguere Honey Farms Creamy Cinnamon, Wildflower, Dandelion, Natural, Creamed, and Buckwheat Honeys (St. Norbert's Farmer's Market, Argy's Records).  Not shown, Phil's Honey.

 Some things about Bees and Honey:

• Bees are a great environmental health indicator species.  
• Honey is the only natural food that does not go bad.
• It is a pure product.
• It will granulate eventually, just enjoy it more!
• Canada #1 is not neccessarily Canadian.  It is a grade.  Buy Local!
• Honey has a big taste.  Spread it thinly than other spreads to enjoy without too many calories.  
• BUY LOCAL!  Manitoba honey is spectacular! Local beekeepers need support.  There were big losses in Manitoba last winter.
• Enjoy!

Pa kimchi, Green onions kimchi LOVE!! Chonggak-kimchi, Ponytail Kimchi More LOVE!

Today is a Kimchi making day.  I started with the most simple kimchi to make and it has wonderful results.  Pa kimchi, or, green onion kimchi has a sweetness that is subtle and lovely.  It is a wonderful side dish or garnish to so many foods, stir-frys, soups, etc.

I used the green onions, except for the whites and purples, from my Farm Share from Hearts Acre Farm.  If you don't have a CSA Farm Share, you can pick up their wonderful veggies at St. Norbert's Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  The remaining ingredients are available at a number of Asian Specialty stores throughout Winnipeg.  Try Arirang Oriental Food Mart on Portage Ave. or 88 Mart on Pembina, in Winnipeg.

I used Aeri's Kitchen recipe as it was so simple.  http://aeriskitchen.com/2012/11/green-onion-kimchi/

When the aromas came up from the mixing bowl, it just made me happy.

I also made turnip with greens kimchi yesterday.  Known as Chonggak-kimchi, or Ponytail Kimchi, I used the turnips with half of the greens attached.  The other half went into my Saag Paneer.

I used the Maangchi recipe.  You can find it here:  https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/chonggak-kimchi.

Maangchi is such a great resource for wonderful Korean food!

Bi-Coastal Canada Day Celebrations on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

On Saturday, I will be featuring the following dishes for easy and inexpensive Canada Day celebrations, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai.

 

Both the 3 good sized Red Snapper Fillets and the 2 lbs of PEI mussels, from Gimli Fish, cost just over $12.  Just over $5 for the Red Snapper Fillets.  Great deal and great flavours!

 

 

 

PEI Mussels in butter, Miso, and Sake

1 lb PEI mussels, available at Gimli Fish

1-2 tsp butter (I use the local Notre Dame butter)

2 tbs miso ( I use a sweet, light coloured miso, available in most stores, and in all Asian grocery stores)

1/4-1/2 cup sake

1/2 cup chopped green onions, with whites (these are from Heart's Acre Farm and are available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)

chopped chilies or a drizzle of chili oil, to taste

chopped cilantro (also from Heart's Acre Farm), try also their garlic scapes!

Scrub and clean off the mussels.  Only use closed mussels or ones that can close.

In a large enough pot for the mussels with a lid, cook the butter, miso, sake, green onions and chilies until ready to cook the mussels.  Stir in the mussels and cover the lid.  Cook for a couple of minutes, until all of the mussels are open.  Transfer to a large bowl, pouring the sauce over the mussels.  Garnish with cilantro, or other greens, and serve immediately.  Wonderful with Sweet Potato fries.  For simplicity, they are also available at Gimli Fish, but preparing them on the grill with the Cookina is wonderful!

Honey Miso Red Snapper

1 West Coast Red Snapper fillet

1/2 cup honey, soft

1/3 +/- cup miso

1/2 cup chopped green onions (available at Heart's Acre Farm, Fertile Farm, etc.at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)

1 inch fresh ginger, minced
3 tbs Chinese cooking wine or Mirin
a drizzle of chili oil

A drizzle of sesame oil

Mix all of the ingredients, except for the Red Snapper, in a bowl.  Pour over the fish and let marinate, in the fridge for at least one hour.  Grill on a hot grill, easier on the Cookina pad.

Happy Canada Day!

Father's Day made easy and delicious for CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Today on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai, I presented the following dishes to make Father's Day easy and delicious.  Many of the ingredients are found at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.  Steak and Eggs with grilled asparagus. 

Steak and Eggs

1 ribeye steak per person  (wonderful ribeye steak from Wildfire Farms, and available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
Dijon Mustard
Birch Syrup (very versatile Birch Syrup is available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market from The Canadian Birch Company)
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, drizzles
1 egg per steak (Nature's Farm carries the most wonderful golden yolk eggs!  Available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)

Mix enough Dijon mustard and Birch Syrup to cover both sides of each steak.  Cover the steaks and let sit at room temperature until ready to grill, cool in the fridge if a longer period of time.

Heat the grill to medium high heat.  Drizzle olive oil over the steaks and place on a hot grill.  Let cook for 2 minutes before turning, not flipping, so as to create grill marks.  Let cook for two minutes more and flip.  Repeat cooking for two minutes, turn for grill marks, and let cook for another two minutes.  Remove from grill and let rest for about 5 minutes.  Season while resting as the meat will be open to absorbing more flavours.

Serve with a soft cooked egg, over-easy or sunny-side up on top of the steak.  The yolk creates a creamy sauce-like texture over the steak.  Or, if you prefer, place the soft egg over the grilled asparagus.

Grilled Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus, bottoms trimmed  (I used Fertile Farm asparagus, available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
drizzle good sesame oil
lemon zest
seasoned sesame seeds
salt and pepper, to taste

After flipping the steaks, add the asparagus that has a good drizzle of sesame oil on it.  Let cook for two minutes and flip.  Remove from the heat and add lemon zest, and seasoned sesame seeds.

Enjoy!



 

Foraging for food on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

On Saturday Morning, I will be presenting the following recipes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai.  I'll be using dandelions for which I foraged.  They are considered organic, as, I've never used cosmetic pesticides in my own yard.  They are thoroughly washed, however.  I've used them with Chinese greens (Gai Lan) in one dish, and as a Chimichuri on Wildfire Farms (see what I did there?) beef ribeye.

The reason that I went with wild and foraged flavours is because A Rocha will be holding a guided tour of Winnipeg's West End on Saturday, June 2nd from 2-3:30PM to find edible plants just waiting to be discovered and eaten.  They will meet at St. Matthew's Anglican Church at 641 St. Matthews Ave.  To RSVP, please send an email to scott.gerbrandt@arocha.ca.   Dress for the weather.

Dandelions are loaded with Vitamins A and C as well as being a great source of dietary fibre.  More photos tomorrow!

Dandelions!

Dandelions with almonds and Scallions

1 large bunch dandelion greens or a combination of greens(a few cups) (I have a variety of greens available today from Fertile Farms at St.Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

3 tbs olive oil

3-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup blanched almonds, toasted

salt, to taste

Bring to boil a large pot of water.  Drop greens in and blanch, stirring for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then drain in a colander and rinse with cool water.  Drain and press out on a towel.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add garlic, then scallions, stirring until brown.  This happens quite quickly so have the greens ready and cook for 1-3 minutes.  Add almonds and season.  I like to add some dried red chilies. 

Sichuan variation:  Prepare the greens, with Chinese broccoli, and leave long.  Heat sesame oil with chilies and garlic.  Add greens and season with soy sauce.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  Can also add tofu to this dish.  A pinch of sugar may be to your tastes as well.

Grilled Ribeye with Dandelion Chimichuri

Good for 4 Ribeye steaks (These are from Wildfire Farms and available at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

1/4 pound dandelion greens

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning Ribeye Steaks

2 packed tablespoons chopped oregano

1 tablespoon lime juice or white vinegar

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Freshly ground pepper

Trim the greens up to where the leaves start and wash well, picking out any remaining buds or grass you might find. Set aside.

Process the garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt together in the work bowl of a food

processor until finely chopped. Add the dandelion greens and the oregano, and pulse until the greens are finely chopped, scraping the sides with a soft spatula if necessary. Add the lime juice and 1/4 cup of the olive oil and pulse to blend. Season the mixture to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary, and transfer to a small bowl. Drizzle 1 tbs olive oil over the top and set aside.

Rub the remaining two tsp olive oil over the Ribeye and season with salt and pepper.

When the grill is hot, cook the steak to the desired doneness.  I like rare but I made these 4 minutes per side, changing to make grill marks, every two minutes.

Let the meat rest on a cutting board for a few minutes.  Slice hot and spoon the chimichuri sauce on top.

Enjoy!

Fair Trade Fair Foods on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

 Today, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show, I featured issues and foods around Fair Trade.  The Seekh Kebabs are made with lamb but they can be made with ground beef.  I purchased the lamb from Millad's Supermarket.  The Mint and pomegranate raita is just yummy.  Featured also is sourdough bread from Old Church Bakery.  

I've added a website for you to test your own Slavery Footprint.  Making our purchases from local producers, and getting to know our suppliers, will help to end slavery.

 

Thank you to Zack Gross and MCIC for their generous gifts in promotion of Fair Trade.

Slavery Footprint - Made In A Free World

www.slaveryfootprint.org

How many slaves work for you? There are 27 million slaves in the world today. Many of them contribute to the supply chains that end up in the products we use every day.

 

 

Seekh Kebabs

1 lb ground lamb

1 onion, finely chopped

1-3 green chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped

1 1/2 tbs garam masala

1 tbs chick pea flour (I used quinoa flour, available at Tamarack Farms, and I recommend their pea flour)

1 tsp toasted ground cumin

3-5 finely chopped green onions

2 tbs finely chopped mint

2 tbs finely chopped cilantro

salt, to taste

1-2 lemons, cut into wedges

Mix all of the ingredients, except for the lemon wedges, in a bowl.  Cover and chill for at least one hour.  I blended all of the ingredients, except for the lamb, in a food processor.

When ready to cook, take a flat skewer, and, regularly dipping your hand in a bowl of water to prevent sticking, squish handful by handful onto the skewer, about 12-15 cm (5-7 inches)

Cook on a medium hot BBQ, turning regularly, until slightly charred on the ends and cooked through. 

Squeeze lemon juice over before eating.

Serve with raita and in rotis.

Mint Raita

3-4 tbs mint

1/2 green chili, de-seeded and chopped

1 cup good yoghurt

a few pomegranate seeds

salt, to tastes

Blend mint, chili, pomegranate seeds, and salt into a blender or processor and purée.  Add the yoghurt and mix well. 

Enjoy!

Women producers and Cinco de Mayo on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

This morning, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with guest host Bruce Ladan, I featured women-owned and operated local producers.  Starting with the great Mexican halibut that is in season for Cinco de Mayo!  The wild caught halibut is available at Gimli Fish.  I also served a seasoned flatbread, using the wonderful pizza dough from Old Church Bakery.  This was topped with Ribeye from Wildfire Farms.  Life made easier and delicious by these amazing women.

Baked Mexican Halibut

1 1/2 lbs. halibut fillets (cut into 4 - 6 pieces)

1 large fresh tomato, seeded and chopped

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/8 tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

4 green onions, sliced thin

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped (garnish)

1 lemon, sliced or cut into wedges (for serving)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º.

Cut halibut fillets into four - six serving pieces. Place in single layer in a 9” x 13” baking dish.
In a small bowl combine chopped tomato, lime juice, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, chopped cilantro,  sliced green onions, minced garlic and salt. Mix well and pour over fish.

Bake for 20 – 25 mins. Fish should flake easily when tested with a fork.

 Old Church Bakery flatbread

With wet hands, spread pizza dough to desired thinness on a baking sheet with either parchment paper, a Silpat, or cornmeal.  Sprinkle a generous amount of spices blend and flake salt on the dough.  I used Duq'qah, an Egyptian blend.  Drizzle generously with olive oil and bake at 450º until done, ~ 10-15 minutes.

Wildfire Farms Ribeye

Rub steaks with desired amount of dry rub spice blend.  Here, I used Duq'qah.  Another tip is to first spread Dijon mustard over the meat for a nice crust.  Season, and drizzle with olive oil.  Grill or cook on medium to high heat for 4 minutes/per side, depending on thickness of the steaks, for rare.  Remove steaks from heat and let rest.  Slice on the bias and serve with flatbread and other toppings of your choice.

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.

Avocado Toasts and Miso Soup for CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

On Saturday morning, I'll be presenting the following dishes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai.  It is difficult to imagine Spring today, but Avocado toasts will feel more summery.   I'll be using wonderful Sourdough bread from Old Church Bakery.  I'm also making the Avocado toasts at the market for sale!  They will be topped with Radish sprouts from Fresh Forage, also available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market!

Avocado Toasts
Really?  A recipe?  Mash or slice up an avocado on toast and season how you might like.  Spicy, shrimp, fried egg, herbs, green onions, etc.  Key is, the great bread from Old Church Bakery!

Miso Soup
1 ~ 5X8" sheet of kombu (available at most Asian grocery stores, such as Sun Wah, Oriental Market, etc.)
2-3 cups Bonito Flakes (available at most Asian grocery stores, such as Sun Wah, Oriental Market, etc)
1/2 -3/4 cup Miso paste (availability, see above)
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 pkg or two blocks soft tofu, finely cubed
1/4 cup Mirin
1/4 cup Tamari or Soy Sauce
Splash sesame oil

To start:  In a pot with 4-6 cups water, bring water and kombu sheet to a boil.  Add Bonito Flakes.  Bring to temperature and drain.

Whisk in Miso Paste and add tofu, green onions, and remaining ingredients.  Bring to boil.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Avocado toasts are loaded with good things.  Things like fibre and good fats that will benefit weight loss, cholesterol, metabolism, etc.




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Spring Flavours for Nowruz, Easter, and Passover, on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

 For CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai, I will be presenting the following dishes.  Red Snapper Ceviche, Sole with Chermoula (Moroccan), and Charoset, a Moroccan version.

All of these dishes are very simple to prepare and are quite delightful. 

Red Snapper Ceviche1 pound skinless red snapper fillets, cut into 1/4-inch dice (Available at Gimli Fish)
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/2 cup finely diced red bell peppers
1/2 cup finely diced yellow bell peppers
1/2 thinly sliced small red onion
1 minced small garlic clove
Pinch of ground cumin
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Salt

1 bunch each of mustard and radish sprouts (from Fresh Forage and available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

In a large bowl, toss the diced fish with the lime juice, lemon juice, jalapeño, red and yellow bell peppers, red onion, garlic, cumin, crushed red pepper and season with salt. Refrigerate the snapper ceviche for 30 minutes. Stir in the sprouts and extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

 Sole with Chermoula
2-3 sole fillets per person
olive oil or butter, for cooking fish

3-5 large cloves garlic
¼ tsp cayenne
1 heaping tbs cumin
pinch saffron
½ bunch parsley
1 whole bunch cilantro
handful mustard sprouts (available from Fresh Forage at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
handful radish sprouts (available from Fresh Forage at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
juice of one lemon
2 tbs vinegar
1 generous tbs olive oil
salt, to taste

In a mortar or blender, mix the garlic, cayenne, cumin, saffron, herbs and sprouts, lemon, vinegar, olive oil, and salt, to a paste. 

Just before serving, heat butter or olive oil in a sauté pan to medium heat.  Season the fillets.  Cook a couple of minutes per side and plate.  Spoon Chermoula over the fish. 

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

 Moroccan Haroset (Charoset)

1 lb blanched almonds
1 lb pitted dates
2 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
1 tsp ground good cinnamon, plus ½ cup for rolling
¼ tsp ground ginger

The day before, finely grind almonds in a food processor. Add the dates, apples and 1 tsp cinnamon and the ginger and continue pulsing until the apples are chopped into tiny pieces and the mixture comes together. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, shape the mixture into balls the size of a large marble. Put the ½ cup cinnamon in a bowl and roll the balls in it.

Spicy Chongqing Mala Chicken and Spanish Roasted Potato Tapas for CBC

I will be presenting these two dishes on Saturday for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai.  They are using local ingredients for flavours from Sichuan, China, and Spain.  Both are quite simple to prepare with big flavours.  

Chongqing, Sichuan Mala Chicken 
(DON'T EAT THE CHILIES!!!)

4 chicken thighs (available at St. Norbert's Farmers Market from Wildfire Farms)
cooking oil for frying
1/4 cup of chili peppers (or less, to tastes) Try4-5 chilies to start
1 and ½ tbsp. Sichuan peppercorn
1 root ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic
2 scallions, white part and green part separated and cut into small sections

1/2 cup skin-on peanuts (optional)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. sesame seeds, or as needed
pinch of salt

Marinating

1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine
¼ tsp. white pepper powder
2 tsp. cornstarch (optional)
small pinch of salt

Cut the dried chili peppers, discard the seeds and then soak the peppers in water for 15 minutes. We are doing this so we can fry the peppers later and prevent burn the peppers.

If using bone-in chicken thighs, remove bones and cut chicken into bite-sized cubes. In a large bowl, marinade the chicken cubes with all the marinating sauce. Mix well and set aside for around 10 minutes.

Heat up oil in wok or pan for deep-frying. Heat until really hot (you can see bubbles when you put a chopstick in). Add the chicken cubes in and fry until golden brown. Transfer out. I recommend frying the chicken by batches. After add the chicken cubes, let it stay for a short time (possible about 40 seconds to 1 minute) until one side is browned and then slightly stir the chicken and fry the other side.

Clean out the wok with a cloth or paper towel and add only ½ tablespoon of oil and then fry the peppers for 1-2 minutes over slowest fire until most of them becomes dark red. Add Sichuan peppercorn in and continue frying for another 1 minute over slowest heat.

Push the spices to one side and add ½ tablespoon of oil in wok and fry ginger, scallion white, peanuts and garlic until aromatic.

Return the chicken cubes, add roasted white sesame seeds, sugar, salt and scallion green sections. Mix well and serve immediately.

Potato wedges with roasted garlic dip

3 lb potatoes (try the Viking variety available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
2 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tsp salt

Roasted Garlic Dip
2 garlic bulbs, roasted
1 tbs olive oil
5 tbs sour cream
4 tbs mayonnaise
hot smoked paprika, to taste
salt

Roast the garlic for 25 minutes at 350ºF until caramelized. Let cool enough to handle. Squeeze out and mash. Mix in a bowl with the sour cream and mayonnaise. Season with salt and paprika. Chill.

For the potatoes, cut each potato half into 3 wedges and place in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic and salt and toss well. Transfer to a roasting pan and arrange in a single layer. Roast for 1- 1/14 hours, or until crisp and golden.

Serve immediately with roasted garlic dip.

Enjoy!

Korean Pizza and Moroccan Squash Soup on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Yesterday on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with Nadia Kidwai, I presented two dishes that are easy to prepare, delicious, seasonal, and can be made quite locally yet originate from Morocco and Korea.  Moroccan Squash soup is warming and spicy and quite comforting.  Korean Pizza, or Bindettok, is so fun to make and eat and is great for party foods, celebrating, or make with leftovers.  Bindettok can be made in so many different ways, from soaking Mung Beans with sweet rice and grinding it for the base, to any flour mixture wanted.  For that reason, I've labelled the recipe Gluten-Free.  You can make it with quinoa flour, pea flour, rice flour, etc and still have great results.

Moroccan Squash Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped
pinch coarse salt
1 1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs butternut, kabocha, or calabaza squash halved, peeled and seeded and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks (about 6 cups) Available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market
2 tbs good tomato paste (Millad's Supermarket)
1 tsp La Kama Spice Mixture (1 tsp each of ground ginger, turmeric and white pepper, good pinch of grated nutmeg, 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon and optional cubeb pepper)
1/2 cup heavy cream or creme fraiche
1/2 lb crumbled chevre
1 tsp or more to taste Harissa paste
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook onion in heavy bottomed pot or casserole dish (tajine) on medium low heat with the olive oil until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes
2. Add the squash, cover with parchment paper and/lid and cook for 20 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste, spices and 4 cups of hot water and bring to a boil. Then simmer until the squash is tender, about 20+ minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Blend in batches or with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the cream and 3.4 or the cheese and the harissa at the end. Puree until velvety.
5. Bring up to heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve into warmed bowls and top each portion with a light sprinkling of the remaining cheese.

Enjoy! 

Bindettok

1 cup flour
1 cup water
pinch salt

Whisk flour and water and salt together until smooth.  Then add your optional fillings as follows:

 Options:
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup chopped kimchi
1/ cup chopped mushrooms
2-4 chopped green onions
shrimp (I used New Brunswick shrimp from Gimli Fish)
1/2 cup red peppers (or any colour that you prefer)
 ETC.

Dipping Sauce:  soy sauce, black vinegar, grated ginger, chopped green onion, white pepper

Add options to the batter and cook in pancake form in a medium hot pan for a few minutes per side, flipping twice.  Enjoy with dipping sauce.  You can also use scissors to cut up the Bindettok for ease of serving.

Enjoy!