Mains

Pizza’s Asian Enemy

by Reb Stevenson on February 7, 2012

Weeknights. They can be a nutritional problem.

Even though I cook a lot, I still have nights where I look up from some video editing at 8pm and realize that I have no plan for dinner. On these occasions, the temptation to ring up Pizza Pizza with a cheap and dirty booty call is great. Oh, so great.

However, recently I received a sample pack of some new asian cooking sauces from Blue Dragon. They are Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese and they come in both jars (serves 4) and packets (serves 2, pretty handy). Some flavours include: Szechuan Pepper Stir-Fry Sauce, Chinese Curry Cooking Sauce and Thai Red Curry Paste.

At first, I was skeptical, because I make a point of not blogging about foods that are laden with ingredients that could make you sprout an extra foot (…on your neck!!!!) I’ve said “no” to testing plenty of products that do not jive with my ethics.

But I was pleasantly surprised by the ingredients in these sauces: they’re recognizable! Also, they do not contain MSG and their sodium levels are lower than some of their neighbours in the asian foods aisle.

For instance, the Thai Red Curry Paste contains: Water, Vegetable Oil, Lemongrass, Garlic Purée, Fish Sauce (Anchovy Extract, Salt, Sugar), Minced Chilli Paste (Chilli Peppers, Water, Salt), Onion, Modified Maize Starch, Tomato Purée, Sugar, Galangal, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Chilli Flakes, Salt, Coriander, Thai Basil, Cumin, Colour: Paprika Extract, Citric Acid, Cardamom Powder.

There are recipes on the website, but basically I just used these sauces to clean out my crisper: any and all stray veggies thrown in with some chicken or shrimp and the sauce and – poof! – dinner is done in about five minutes.

So, welcome to my pantry, Blue Dragon sauces! I’m going to keep you on reserve to help combat bad pizza urges.

Oh, and Blue Dragon Canada posted this french commercial on YouTube, which I think is kind of amusing:

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Hello Final Contest Winner, Goodbye 2011

by Reb Stevenson on December 30, 2011

As the holidays draw to a close, who can stomach more turkey or rich dessert? I almost can’t bear to plunge my hand into my stocking for the two hundredth time. Almost.

For the final winner in my holiday recipe contest, I’ve chosen something you shouldn’t be sick of. I love the fruity twist on this simple Canadian classic, and I think it would make a nice New Years Eve or Day dinner: Tortiere with Apple!

Our recipe comes to us from Jo-Anne Ward of Ottawa. Congratulations Jo-Anne! (Imagine me twooting on or cranking ’round some New Years Eve noisemaker). You will be kicking off the New Year with a copy of Gordon Ramsay’s Christmas cookbook – please send me your address.

If you want to see the other two winners, check out Festive Crunch Bars and British Bread Sauce.

(By the way, did you notice that I treated myself to the Emile Henry pie dish I listed in a holiday gift guide? Saw it at a boxing day sale and knew I must have it for this recipe!)

Click here for a printable version of Tortiere with Apples

Preheat the oven to 190°c | 375°F | Gas Mark 5

Ingredients:

500 grams lean ground pork
1 onion (chopped)
1 stalk celery (diced)
1 apple (chopped), such as Granny Smith
½ cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup chicken broth
½ tsp ground sage
1 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp ground allspice
pie crust (frozen or homemade, top and bottom) – I made my own using this recipe from Martha Stewart.

STEP ONE: Cook pork, onion and celery in a large frying pan until meat is no longer a menacing pink.

STEP TWO: Stir in bread crumbs, chicken stock and sage.

STEP THREE: In a medium bowl, combine apples with allspice and sugar. Yum, yum – they’ll never guess they’re about to meet pork.

STEP FOUR: Add apples to meat mixture.

STEP FIVE: Line a pie plate with pastry.

STEP SIX: Spoon the filling into the pie plate.

STEP SEVEN: Top with pastry and crimp edges.

Go on, add a creative flourish or two! If you can craft an entire “Michealangelo’s David” out of pastry, you’ll have my eternal admiration.

STEP EIGHT: Brush top of crust with milk and cut slits so steam can evaporate.

STEP NINE: Cook for about 30 minutes, until crust is golden. Let cool for 10 minutes or so – not on a windowsill or a wolf may gobble it up!

I just want to send out another big “thank you” to everyone who entered the contest! Hopefully we can do more interactive blogs and contests in 2012, so please bookmark me and stop by once in a while! Happy New Year to all.

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Pancake, Meet Toy Store

by Reb Stevenson on October 4, 2011

I never thought any breakfast item could seem more magical than Lucky Charms.

But today, a breakfast genius by the name of Jim Belosic is making those diamonds, clovers and horseshoes look pretty darned weak.

It all started when Jim ventured beyond the predictable circle shape, crafting a poodle pancake to please his INSANELY ADORABLE three-year-old daughter, Allie. Of course, once she realized the interplay between imagination and pancakes, other requests drifted in: princesses, castles, elephants, etc. [ CLICK TO CONTINUE ]

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