Tomato-scented rice pilaf topped with red beans is the perfect authentic accompaniment to tequila-kissed shrimp. Serve with lemon wedges for an extra burst of acidity.
Pair up these two Ontario products for a spectacular rolled and barbecued roast. Buy a few of each mushroom - button, cremini, shiitake (use caps only) and oyster - for the stuffing. Wrapping the roast in bacon imparts smoky flavour and keeps the meat moist. It would be hard to deny that bacon makes everything taste better.
The best part about this classic poutine? The gravy is made using store-bought broth, so you don't have to make your own. With a few added aromatics, it has all the intense, meaty flavour of homemade. If you're really pressed for time, use frozen fries and be done in about 30 minutes.
Arancini are elegant, crispy bites of warm risotto with melting cheese centres. If desired, they can be further elevated by the addition of a drizzle of white truffle oil when stirring in the Parmesan. For convenience, make the risotto a day ahead.
This dish is pure comfort food to John Catucci, host of Food Network Canada’s Big Food Bucket List. It’s his mom’s original recipe – with a few of his own tricks added to it. He makes it at least twice a month. It’s simple but SO delicious and it comes together pretty quickly.
John travels coast to coast checking off one tasty meal at a time and sharing some delightful moments with both the chefs and customers along the way. And be sure to catch brand-new episodes of Big Food Bucket List starting on September 3rd at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network Canada! Food Network Canada is also available to stream live and on demand with STACKTV.
My family and I own a 16 acre farm of organic cranberries. When I saw the challenge was to use local products, I couldn't resist working with this wonderful, beautiful and tasty fruit. I serve these with roasted buttercup squashe. The sweetness of the squash blends well with the sweetness of onions and cranberries.
This turkey is full of flavour thanks to the brine and smoke. Cooking on the barbecue not only allows you to smoke the bird but also keeps your oven free for other dishes. For best results, do not use a bird larger than 13 lb (6 kg) on the barbecue. You'll need about 2-1/2 cups applewood chips; be sure to soak them in water for an hour before using.
Come winter or late fall, there is nothing like sharing a savoury meat pie from Abitibi with family and friends. Commonly called tourtière, cipaille or tourte, there seem to be as many recipes as there are amateur of this hearty fare. The tourte, the bird that gave it its name, is unfortunately extinct, but the tradition of this delectable, easy to prepare in advance dish, is very much alive. Deer, caribou, moose, bear, boar and especially hare make it a very special treat. The fortunate cook, who has hunters in the family or generous friends to donate a little game, is blessed. Even more, if they are willing to help deboning and dicing the meat. However, it can also be prepared with farm raised deer, caribou, boar, rabbit and adding shoulder or loin of pork, as some game is very lean. The important thing to remember is (that the recipe calls for) half part game, preferably a variety of three different kinds, to half part diced potatoes. With some home-made tomato ketchup and a nice green sassy salad, like chicory with old style mustard and cider vinegar dressing, the hostess can sit back and enjoy the hunters' long tales.
I am very excited about entering my recipe in the 2009 Canadian Living Cook of the Year Contest. I am an avid home-cook and love creating new and exciting home recipes to make for my family and friends. I am a firm believer in seasonal cooking, using the freshest ingredients available, and making use of local ingredients whenever possible. Consequently, I was delighted to see that this year's contest was to feature Canadian ingredients. I wanted to take things a step further and include some local Newfoundland ingredients. Newfoundland and Labrador has some wonderful producers for fresh, often organic, produce, seafood and meat products...and of course the island is well known for it's abundance of wild berries. Berry picking is a provincial past-time in late summer and early fall and many families, including my own, can be found on the hillsides or barrens, bent over and collecting gallons of sweet, juicy berries to be used fresh, or to be frozen for use during the long winter months. I knew as soon as I read about this year's contest that I wanted to feature these berries, along with our wonderful, locally-raised lamb and artfully crafted local wines, in my recipe. I hope you enjoy a taste of Newfoundland!
