Lake Brome Duck Breast with Cranberry and Kumquat Chutney

Menu:
Lake Brome Duck Breast with Cranberry and Kumquat Chutney
Oven Roasted Nova Scotia Organic Fingerling Potatoes
Organic Nova Scotia Carrots in Maple Syrup Glaze
Salad of Organic Nova Scotia Micro Greens and Sprouts with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette and Honey Goat Cheese Puffs

Inspiration: The inspiration for this meal comes from the 100 mile challenge featured on Food Network. I am currently involved with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm here in Nova Scotia and am quite passionate about eating Slow Food, which is locally grown. I want to reduce my carbon footprint by using as many ingredients as possible that come from the province where I live in rather than from afar. It is nice to know, not only where your food comes from, but who grew it as well. Our children are quite excited each week to see our food box arrive, and always wonder what our farmer has sent us. Part of what I like about this recipe is that although it appears complicated, it really is quite simple and requires nothing out of the ordinary for most kitchens these days, with the exception of the kumquats. I have also included the recipes for the side dishes I like to serve with this meal. Preparation time includes preparing and cooking the side dishes as well. There are substitutions for the vegetables, for example using new baby potatoes or baby carrots, and substituting a peppery arugula for the micro greens. Food doesn't have to be pretentious or difficult to taste good. This recipe calls for one duck breast for each person, which for some appetites may be alot. The recipe could be stretched to serve 8, if the breasts are on the larger side. Wine Pairing: Jost L'Acadie Blanc Chardonnay (The Flight of the Silver Dart Commemorative) or Domaine de Grand Pre L'Acadie Blanc

Presentation: When presenting this dish, place a spoonful of the chutney in the centre of a warmed plate. Slice the duck thinly crossways and fan half over either side of the chutney. I place the carrots at one end of the plate with a bit of the glaze and the potatoes at the other, and drizzle balsamic glaze on each plate.

Canadian Bison Burgers with Spicy Yukon Gold Oven Fries and Caesar salad

This is an elegant, health-wise version of a Canadian favourite that shows you don't have to sacrifice big taste for health. Bison is a red meat alternative that is becoming increasingly popular due to it's lower fat content and because it is naturally raised, hormone-free, nutrient-dense and tastes wonderfully flavourful. Alberta raises some of the best bison on earth, providing Canadians with a local source of this amazing food. Last year, I made a commitment to myself to live healthier and lose weight. So far, I have lost nearly 80 lbs, and attribute much of my success to being creative and finding healthy alternatives to higher-calorie favourites. In many cases, like with these bison burgers and oven fries, I find that the healthy version tastes even better than the original! I use Yukon Gold potatoes as they give the best result for oven fries, but they are also an inherently Canadian ingredient, being "invented" at the University of Guelph and produced locally all over Canada, including a farm not 5km from my residence here in BC. I love being able to buy local produce, and am often inspired by our delicious, full-flavoured local produce.The salad that accompanies this meal is a low-fat version of the traditional Caesar that is a fraction of the calories and offers a fresh, clean taste.


This entire meal is 598 calories, 20g fat, 43g protein, 71g carbs. Compare this to a conservative estimate of a typical restaurant-style 1/4 lb cheeseburger, fries with herbed mayo, and ceasar salad at 1200 calories and 77g of fat, and you can see that it's a pretty amazing reduction! As well, this meal tastes fresher, more flavourful and delicious than any from a restaurant...it's a win win!

Rick's Good Eats' Punjabi Cheeseburger

Rick’s Good Eats is home style Punjabi-Canadian cuisine, always with a fusion twist. Small batches, handmade, fresh ingredients, and bold flavours.

Chef and media personality Rick Matharu created Rick’s Good Eats as an ode to the immigrant experience. Flavours from Rick's childhood melds with his passion for comfort food classics that evoke a feeling of nostalgia.

Try the recipe or if you're in the neighbourhood, drop by – you're always welcomed.  And be sure to catch this mouth-watering burger on a brand-new episode of BIG FOOD BUCKET LIST on September 17th at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOOD NETWORK CANADA!  Food Network Canada is also available to stream live and on demand with STACKTV.

Okanagan Peach Cake

Juicy, ripe Okanagan peaches find a happy home nestled in rich sour cream coffee cake batter. This is the perfect way to celebrate B.C.'s peach harvest, no matter where you live.

Honey-Hoisin Chicken and Rib Glaze

Generously brush this five-ingredient sauce over meat (or tofu!) in the last few minutes of grilling for a sweet, sticky and delicious finish.

Banana Muffins with Streusel and Pecans

There’s a lot to be said for simple baking done right – these banana muffins are nothing short of the fluffiest, softest muffins I have ever had. The streusel topping and chopped pecans add a crunchy element that will keep you coming back for more!

Hungarian Cabbage Roll Casserole

I once tasted Hungarian cabbage rolls in a family-owned restaurant in Winnipeg. When they closed down I knew that I couldn't live without this comfort food and created my own version with more spices, chicken rather than meat and tons of sauce. I serve them with whole, sauteed mushrooms and crusty bread.

Citrus and Herb Rib Roast

This impressive roast is coated in a crispy, flavour-packed crust that adds elegance to your dinner plate. To carve, remove the bones and cut thin slices across the grain. If you have guests who prefer different levels of doneness, save the centre slices for the rare-beef lovers and the outer pieces for those who prefer their meat well done.

Plum and Almond Mini Galettes

These galettes are a hybrid between a plum Danish and an almond croissant. They get their unique taste from the almond-flavoured marzipan; look for it in the baking aisle of the grocery store.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am going to say it outright: this is the best chocolate chip cookie I have EVER made.
I can typically control myself when it comes to indulging in all my home baking, but this time around I inhaled about 1/3 of the batch before I even realized what was going on! I’ll let you in on the two secret ingredients as to why these cookies are so addictively delicious: firstly, they contain espresso powder. You’ll want to make sure it’s instant espresso powder not just ground espresso, it should be the kind that dissolves completely into liquid. Espresso intensifies the flavour of chocolate, so you should consider adding it into your favourite chocolate cakes as well!
Second, sprinkling large flake sea salt onto these cookies as soon as they come out of the oven is an absolute game changer. Salt in general is the ingredient that brings all the flavours together, but both the texture and flavour of those little salty flakes as you eat this cookie will have you coming back for more. I baked these while I was in New York and found chocolate “morsels” at their grocery stores; these seem to just be an alternative name to chocolate chips, but they tend to be larger, so consider using these if you manage to find them, or large semi-sweet chocolate chips to add to that chocolate decadence. With the addition of nutty browned butter and toasted pecans, this is sure to become your favourite cookie recipe too!