Friday 18 March 2016

West Coast recipe

Pacific West Coast Canadian foods


What is Canadian cuisine. It’s that ability to source great local products with incredibly authentic ethnic influences.
Celebrating what is local at the peak of season is just good cooking . Whether you go to a country like France, Italy or Spain that have incredibly well-defined food cultures; using seasonal, local ingredients in a very specific style.
While in Canada we’re using great seasonal, local ingredients in a variety of styles.
Europeans are trying to become more North American, they’re embracing fast-food culture and prepackaged grocery items and center of store shopping. Canadians are moving away from that. We want to know where our food is coming from. Local is everything; from fish to farming, where your food is coming from, the consumer is driving this change and thus driving Canadian cuisine.
Our challenge is that we haven’t had anybody define it on a national level. You’ve got Asian influences on the west coast, European influences on the east coast. Ukrainian influences and Icelandic influences in central Canada. All these amazing influences but how do you define a food culture on such a vast geographic scale unless there’s somebody to tell that story.

Here are some sample recipes of the Canadian West Coast

Seafood ChowderSoy Marinated and Cream Cheese-Stuffed SalmonWest Coast Philly Cheese SteakPacific Coast Square Delight



West Coast Seafood Chowder ( serves 6- 8 )

Ingredients
30 ml butter
15 ml grape seed oil
250 ml chopped onions
125 chopped celery
125 ml all purpose flour
500 ml clam juice
1 Lt vegetable stock
3 large potatoes peeled and small diced
5 ml of each fresh thyme,fresh dill
3 ml paprika
300 gr Wild Spring Salmon or Sockeye Salmon cut into small chunks
2 dozen fresh prawns
300 gr fresh halibut cut into small chunks
75 ml white wine
15 ml lemon juice
    5 ml hot pepper flakes
    5 ml fresh ground pepper
    250 ml half and half cream

Method

    1.Heat the butter and oil in a large stockpot. Add the onions and celery and cook until soft and transparent.
    2.Stir in the flour, making a roux. Add the broth, the clam nectar, then the potatoes, dill, thyme, and paprika. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender but not mushy.
    4.Add the seafood, wine and seasonings, stir gently and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.
    5.Gently stir in the half and half, being careful not to let to boil after this is added.
    6.Garnish with more fresh dill or chives and serve hot a loaf of fresh Baquet.or Fuccaccia bread



Soy Marinated and Cream Cheese-Stuffed Salmon ( serves 6 )

355 ml low sodium soy sauce
70 ml honey
45 ml whole grain Dijon mustard
3 gr ground ginger
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 gr red pepper flakes, or to taste
6 (250 gr) salmon fillets or steaks
260 g cream cheese, softened
4-1/2 green onions, finely chopped
4 ml whole grain Dijon mustard
180 ml teriyaki sauce
15 g sesame seeds


Method

  1. Stir together the soy sauce, honey, mustard, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Arrange the salmon fillets in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the salmon, turning fillets to coat both sides. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, make the salmon stuffing by combining the cream cheese, green onions, and 5 ml mustard in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to cook the salmon.
  3. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Line a baking dish with foil, and lightly grease foil.
  4. Remove salmon from marinade. Cut a slit in the thickest part of each fillet to make a small pocket. Spoon cream cheese mixture into the pocket. Place salmon in prepared baking dish.
  5. Cook salmon in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven; spoon teriyaki sauce over fillets and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Reduce heat to 150 degrees C. Cook until fish is easily flaked with a fork, about 5 minutes more.





West Coast Philly Cheese Steak ( serves 4)

Ingredients

500 gr fresh Boneless Rib Eye Steak
80 ml water
1 clove garlic minced
50 ml Worcestershire
50 ml Balsamic vinaigrette
3 ml salt
2 ml ground pepper
2 ml Montreal Spices
3 ml hot sauce
4 slices mozzarella cheese fairly thick
40 ml butter
½ onion
½ orange pepper
3 sweet red peppers
250 ml mushrooms
4 Paninni bread (Jalapeno bread would be great )

Method

1.Freeze the steak until mostly frozen then slice paper thin.
2,Marinate meat in water, clove garlic, Worcestershire, Balsamic Vinaigrette, salt, Steak Seasoning, ground pepper, hot sauce. Marinate 1 hour.
3.Cook meat & marinate in t pan until done. Drain liquid & set aside.
4.Add 2 slices skim mozzarella cheese until melted.
5.In separate pan, melt butter and sauté onions, red peppers, orange peppers, mushrooms and garlic. 6.Sauté pepper mixture until tender.
7.Lightly broil Bread and slice serve with sliced pickles
7.Serve with saved beef broth on the side for dipping.

Pacific Coast Square Delight

250 ml A & P flour
30 ml confectioners sugar
125 ml butter
75 ml seedless raspberry jam

Fillings

175 ml white sugar
125 ml butter softened
2 eggs
175 rice flour
10 frops red food colouring

Icing

500 ml confectioners sugar or as needed
100 ml sofy butter
15 ml milk as needed
5 ml maple extract




Preheat oven to 150 C. Line bottom and sides of an square baking pan with parchment paper; crease corners well.
Whisk together 250 ml flour and 30 ml confectioners' sugar; cut in 125 ml butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat mixture evenly into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes; remove to cool on a wire rack, about 15 minutes. Top base evenly with raspberry jam.
Preheat oven to 190 C

Beat white sugar and 125 ml butter together until fluffy; beat in eggs until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat rice flour into egg mixture until well combined; stir in food coloring until batter reaches desired shade of red. Spread batter evenly over jam layer.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan; about 20 minutes.

Beat 500 ml confectioners' sugar and 100 m l butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth; stir in milk and maple extract. Spread icing evenly over cooled bars.
Hold edges of parchment paper; lift squares out of pan to a cutting board. Slice into 2 cm squares with a very sharp knife.


Friday 11 March 2016

A Taste of Canadian Agriculture


A Taste of Canadian Agriculture
Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector is a robust industry that contributes to the economy and quality of life of all Canadians. It is one of the country's top five industries and accounts for more than eight per cent of the Canadian Gross Domestic Product. While it is one of the oldest sectors of the economy, deeply rooted in Canadian history and culture, it is one of the most dynamic and innovative industries in Canada.
Value-added and processed goods, together with prime-quality meats, fish and seafood, live animals, bulk grains, oil seeds and vegetables, are Canada's top agricultural exports. Other important export foods are milk products; maple syrup and honey; organic, natural and health foods; and confectionaries and beverages.
Canada has one of the world's most valuable commercial fishing industries, which takes advantage of the world's longest coastline. Shrimp, snow crab, scallops, groundfish, salmon (farmed and wild), herring, mackerel and clams are among the country's most important seafood products, together with the most valuable seafood- lobster.
The agriculture and agri-food sector is also an ever-changing one. Across Canada, federal, provincial and territorial, university and industry facilities are grouped together, creating clusters of knowledge and expertise that act as incubation centres for innovation and discovery.
Below are some of the recipes
Hearty beef borscht
True Canadian Stew (with Dumpling )

Lobster rolls

Hearty beef borscht (serves 10 )

750 gr Canadian beef, cubed (shoulder or chuck)
1.25L beef stock
1 large carrots, sliced
1celery stalks, sliced
1 medium-sized cauliflower, cut into pieces
1 onions, sliced
1large potatoes, cubed
1 leeks, sliced
2 bay leaves
30 mL parsley, chopped tarragon, as desired
salt and pepper to taste
600 ml cooked beets, canned or fresh, diced or sliced
500 ml beet juice
25 mllemon juice
8 ml sugar
sour cream, as desired

Method

Simmer beef cubes in beef stock in a tightly covered pan for 1 hour. Skim off the fat, then add the carrots, celery, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, leeks, bay leaves and parsley. Season as desired. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Add the beets, beet juice, lemon juice, and sugar and heat thoroughly. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream.

True Canadian Stew

Beef (canadian Beef ) stew with beer and dumplings( serves 10 )

20 pieces 115 g each top sirloin cap, portioned
100 ml maple syrup
25ml oil
500 ml carrots, diced
500 ml celery, diced
500ml onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2.5 ml ground nutmeg
10 ml dried thyme
5 ml dried sage
398 ml canned tomatoes, diced
500mL) Canadian beer
2 liter beef gravy( recipe to follow
500 gr Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings

325 ml milk
4 eggs
140g butter
90 ml fresh chives, minced
250 ml fresh parsley, minced
750 ml flour
40 ml baking powder
5m salt

Method (stew)

1.In an ovenproof pan, season and sear the top sirloin on all sides in the oil, then set the meat aside. Lower the heat, and in the same pan, sauté the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, dried herbs and nutmeg for approximately 5 minutes.
    2.Add the canned tomatoes, bay leaves,suryp and beer; simmer for another 5 minutes. Return the top sirloin to the pan with the beef gravy and bring to the boil. Cover and braise in a moderate oven at 180C for approximately 11/2 hours or until the meat is tender.
    3.Add the potatoes 45minutes into the braising process.( when 15 minures left add dumplings)
Method (dumplings)

1.In a small bowl, mix the milk, eggs, butter, chives and parsley. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
2.Slowly incorporate the wet mixture into the flour mixture until well-blended.
    3/When 15 minutes remain in the braising process, drop spoon-sized dumplings into the stew and cook until fluffy and tender.

Gravy

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk together, making sure to get all visible lumps.
250 gr butter
250 ml four
2 liter beef stock
5 ml salt
5 ml pepper
Method
1.Add salt and pepper.
2.Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until mixture starts to turn light brown, be sure to stir constantly.
3.Turn heat to low and SLOWLY add broth, stirring constantly.
4.It will spit & bubble so be careful.
5.Turn heat back up to medium.
6.Continue stirring until gravy boil and thickens.


Lobster rolls ( Serves 6)

312 ml fresh or frozen lobster meat
125 ml to 175 m mayonnaise
10 ml lemon juice
45 ml celery, diced
30 ml onion, minced (optional)

Method

Thaw and drain lobster meat, then chop into bite-sized pieces. In a small mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery and onion. Combine with the lobster and mix well. Spread the lobster salad on your favourite bread or croissant, or use as pita filling.May also be used as a appetizer of a rice crackers






Friday 4 March 2016

Muffins Time

BASIC MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS  Make 12

    • 500 ml white flour
    • 15 ml baking powder
    • 3 ml teaspoon salt
    • 30 ml sugar
    • 1 egg, slightly beaten
    • 250 ml milk
    • 110 ml melted butter

Method





      Preheat the oven to 190 C. Butter muffin pans. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg, milk, and butter, stirring only enough to dampen the flour; the batter should not be smooth. Spoon into the muffin pans, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes each.

    Blueberry Muffins.

      Use 125 ml sugar. Reserve 75 ml of the flour, sprinkle it over 250 ml blueberries, and stir them into the batter last.

    Pecan Muffins.

      Use 75 ml sugar. Add 125 ml chopped pecans to the batter. After filling the 250 ml sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and more chopped nuts.

      Whole-Wheat Muffins.

      Use 200 ml whole-wheat flour and 250 ml white flour.

    Date or Raisin Muffins.

      Add 125 mlchopped pitted dates or 100 ml raisins to the batter.