Cornish Hens with Quinoa Stuffing
Nov 3, 2022
This Thanksgiving, enjoy a succulent roast turkey that's stuffed and glazed to perfection.
I was inspired to do this dish because it uses several Canadian ingredients as well as different ones. I love to combine unusual tastes and combinations in my food. I saw a recipe for a Black Pearl Cake and thought that combining chocolate and Wasabi was a very interesting idea. I added sesame seeds for an interesting texture. I use complimentary seafood: halibut, crab and shrimp. They go together very well, especially the halibut and the crab. The addition of apple is because it goes very well with the crab.
This dish is rich and filling. I would suggest that it be served with a leaf salad as a main course. I have included an optional recipe for a White Pearl Trout Gratin, which has a few modifications. It is exceptional as well, as the trout is a mild slightly sweet fish. I have put in tall the ingredients as well with the recipe as the space was not sufficient for them in the ingredient list.
This is a simple green curry coconut milk stir fry served on a bed of rice with cashews sprinkled on top. You could serve this to hard core vegans as there are no animal parts involved here. I love anything with cashews, and the green curry paste can be adjusted as you make it. You can use less green curry paste for wimps or more for the brave. The spice heat in this recipe should be somewhere on the Goldilocks scale between "this one is too hot" and "this one is too cold". How spicy something is, is always a very subjective thing.
A note about rice: red Thai rice is awesome. I generally use it for this recipe. Most Asian grocery stores carry it. Brown jasmine rice is another great choice. Try to avoid white rice; it's a simple carbohydrate that will shoot your blood sugar levels through the roof. People with diebetes or on weight watchers will be able to enjoy the non-white rice.
I love brunch. This is my favourite meal by far, and I love the ease of having something like a quiche already prepared. The flavours are always richer and more enhanced after the quiche has had a chance to sit overnight as well, which is another benefit to advanced preparation. I thought about my favourite Canadian ingredients and it really has to include crab, chanterelles, and corn. There is just something about the sweetness of the crab, the burst in your mouth juiciness of corn, and the earthiness of sauteed chantrelles with garlic that is just plain perfect. The gouda I love is from Gort's Gouda in Salmon Arm B.C., where my mom lives. It's organic and is outstanding. While the crab and the chanterelles are definitely the bell ringers on this grocery bill, the other ingredients are low cost. I buy my crab and fresh B.C. chanterelles at my local Costco for under $25 combined, which makes it even more affordable. I made this with a potato crust as I can't eat gluten, but a pastry crust would work just as well. I'd pair this with a tangy raspberry hazelnut vinaigrette mixed with fresh, tender leafy greens to round out the meal.
Partridge and pheasant both have delicate chickenlike meat with a distinct boost of flavour. This celebratory pie will be a hit.
Citizens of Porto are known throughout Portugal (and, indeed, Europe) as “tripe eaters.” Porto was home to the Portuguese navy and, for most of the 18th century, an important port for the British navy. Porto supplied the ships with huge quantities of salt beef, leaving the city with only the trimmings and innards, which evolved into this famous dish. The ingredient list might look daunting, but it's actually easy to prepare – it just requires lots of time and lots of pots. You can simplify it by eliminating some of the traditional meat ingredients. You can also substitute the calf's or cow's foot with veal shank. Tripe lovers will probably want to increase the tripe by up to double the amount. Porto-Style Tripe is always served with white rice.
Comfort food at its finest, this classic creamy casserole packs buttery herb-flecked pastry and rich savoury chicken in every delightful bite.
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.
