Soups On! Spiced Parsnip

I make soup a lot. It is one of my favourite things. If you have been reading along with some of my other Soups on! Posts (Click here for Garden Vegetable with Caramelized Onions and Creamy Leek and Potato) you’ll have a solid background on how easy they are. And yet, I think there are a lot of misconceptions around the ol’soup pot. Chiefly among these understandings is that soup can’t excite or surprise you. Pfft grow up.  It can be so comforting, so complex in flavour and yet so simple. It can warm you up on days both cold and wet. It can bring a little bit of calm to a hectic day. And it can blow your mind with flavour.

One of the soups I always fall back on is Spiced Parsnip. It’s creamy and smooth with an electrifying taste. Parsnips are not everyone’s vegetable and that's probably because not everyone has tried them! They are crosses between sweet potato and carrot in my mind, slightly sweet and starchy. Delicious.

When you are at the store, select firm parsnips. If it is near the end of the season (they are usually available locally from mid-summer to april-ish), up the spice in the soup to keep it on par. I like mine extra spicy with a little dollop of sour cream in the middle to round it all out. In this case, a little crispy pork cheek was sprinkled around to give it some extra texture.

Ingredients:

1lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1” chunks (its about 2-3 medium parsnips)

4 tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tsp mild curry powder (see above, might have to play with it)

1200 ml chicken stock

140 ml cream

Toppings are optional (sour cream, bacon, green onion, chives, etc.)

Method:

• In a good sized soup pot, sauté the onion and parsnips in the butter over a medium high heat. Cook for about 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
• Add the curry powder and stir constantly so it doesn't burn for about 30 seconds.
• Add the stock and scrap the bottom so all the spice gets well mixed in. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the parsnip is very tender. Depending on the size and age of the ol’snip it should take about 20-25 mins.
• Purée the soup in a blender or using an immersion blender until it is totally smooth. If you want to take it a step farther, pass the soup through a sieve. This will make the texture even smoother.
• Add the cream, season with salt and pepper and taste. Does it need more spice? Add it now and cook for a minute or two longer.
• Top however you would like it!

Slow Baked Lamb Shanks, The Work is Worth it.

I think it is a real shame that lamb is such a rare thing around these parts. Many years ago we were known for our lamb. In recent years, restrictions have fallen into place and lamb is being left behind by farmers for more easily produced animals. There are still local lamb farmers and it is still extremely flavorful but because of its limited availability lamb has become one of the more expensive proteins offered. Lamb has become a special occasion item in my kitchen. Something to be savoured as a treat and believe me this meal was a real treat.

I stuffed and cooked the lamb wrapped in foil with vegetables and liquid so it would stay moist and be packed with flavor. Pairing it with couscous is not something I have done a lot of and it’s not a common side dish in this country but its ability to absorb and take on flavors made it a natural choice. Bringing the whole dish together was a garlic and herb cream sauce that I really enjoyed. It was rich and sumptuous and really added something to the whole plate.

Making a special meal like this is all about thinking it through. You want it to be cohesive. The simplest way to do this is make sure that each component uses the same base flavors, i.e. use lamb and vegetable trimmings from the baked shank to flavor the couscous and use the same herbs and garlic component in the stuffing to make a good sauce. I drew the inspiration for this meal from many places (a little Jamie Oliver and a little Julia Child and a little from my own head) and I took my time. This is a definite Sunday night, slow cooked meal and I urge you to give it a try. It may take a while to prepare and do right but it is worth it!

Ingredients:

Baked Lamb:

2 lamb shanks (go local and go big), trimmed about an 1½“ down and trimmings reserved

6 garlic cloves, peeled (mince 2 and leave 4 whole)

3 tbsp of butter

3-4 sprigs thyme, picked

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

1 large leek, washed, dark green tops removed and reserved and light white and green parts sliced

1 wineglass of white wine

Couscous

Trimmings from the lamb and veggies (washed greens from the leek, a half onion, a half carrot, one garlic clove)

1 ½ cups couscous

1 ¾ cups chicken stock

2 Thyme sprigs, picked

Quick Garlic Sauce

1 head of Garlic

¾ cup milk

1 sprig thyme, picked

1 ½ Tbsp white rice

1 cup chicken stock

Method:

For the Lamb:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a small bowl mix the minced garlic cloves, butter, 90% of the thyme and some salt and pepper together until thoroughly combined.
• Turn the lamb shank over so the fat end faces you. Make a small incision with a sharp knife just beside the bone and then use your fingers to widen into a little pocket. Divide the butter between the two shanks and stuff tightly. Use your hands to massage the rest of the shanks with a little extra butter. Season the whole shank with salt and pepper.
• Toss the leek, onion, whole garlic and carrot with some salt and pepper, a dab of olive oil and the rest of the picked thyme.
• For the parcels, rip two large sheets of parchment paper and tin foil. Parchment on top and the vegetables divided between the two packages. The lamb sits on top of the veggies.
• Because there is a double layer with the parchment and foil, the lamb will be moisture sealed. As you gather the foil tightly up around the shank, divide the cup of wine between the two to add a little extra moisture in. Yay flavor building! If the foil won’t stay tight, tie with a little kitchen twine.
• Put both parcels onto a tray and slide into the preheated oven. The lamb will take about 2 ½ to 3 hours depending on the size of the shank. I had some big shanks so mine took about 3 hours. Make sure you allow the lamb to rest in the packages for about 10 minutes or more when it is done.

For the Couscous:

• In a large pot, pour a little olive oil and fry the trimmings from the lamb over medium high until nice and golden.
• Add in the vegetables and fry until a little caramelized.
• Pour out as much oil from the pan as you can and then add the thyme.
• Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
• Shut off the heat and let the flavors infuse.
• When you are almost ready to serve, drain the cooked lamb and veggies from the stock into a new pot and bring to the boil. Pour in the couscous and take off the heat. Cover with a lid and let sit for about 10 mins. Fluff with a fork and you are good to go.

For the garlic sauce:

• Take the whole clove of garlic, slice the top off so you can see the tops of the little cloves. Sprinkle with olive oil and some salt and pepper and wrap in two sheets of foil. Throw it into the oven with the lamb for about 1 hour.
• When the hour is up check the garlic. It will be soft and sweet and light brown. Squeeze out all of the cloves into a small sauce pot and cover with the milk, thyme and a little salt and pepper. Bring to a light simmer and add the rice. Cook at barely a simmer for about 30 mins. Add in a little more milk if you think it is reducing too much.
• Add in the stock and simmer for 10 mins longer. Puree with whole mix. The rice will thicken the sauce a bit but it will still be fairly runny. Keep warm but off the heat.

To bring it all together:

• Serve the lamb on a bed of the delicious and flavorful couscous with some of the braised vegetables from the lamb package. Drizzle your garlic sauce all around and pour yourself a large glass of a sweet, light wine. Eat.

Pucker Up: Tart au Citron

For some reason, I have only ever made this tart in the winter. It is a ray of yellow in the gray days the west coast seems to have. Its sweet and sour flavour seems to banish my winter blahs. Spring just hasn't taken over yet and the rain feels like a never ending phenomenon, so out comes the lemon tart!

In the bistro, tart au citron was the perfect finishing touch. It cleansed the palate after the deep flavours of the main course and was a light bright dessert option. For me this tart really goes with any occasion: breakfast, afternoon tea or late night with a glass of sweet, bright wine. It is also my grandmother’s favourite of the desserts I have made for her and so always means something a little extra to me.

Ingredients:

Crust:

175g flour

75g butter, cut into cubes and chilled

2 tsp water

1 egg yolk

Pinch of salt

Filling:

6oz white sugar

9 eggs

The juice of 6 lemons, 2 of them zested prior to all of them being juiced

6 oz cream

Method:

For the crust:

• Sieve the flour into a big bowl and toss in the well chilled butter. Use your hands to coat the butter with the flour and break it up into chunks. Run it between your hands to break up the butter to the smallest butter-covered chunks you can. This will make your pastry crumbly and delicious.
• When the butter and flour is a bread crumb consistency, add in the egg yolk, water and pinch of salt. Knead it all together in the bowl until well incorporated and evenly coloured  Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and put it into the fridge to rest.
• Preheat the oven to 325⁰
• Butter and dust a loose bottom tart pan with flour.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge and to prevent it from tearing, roll it out between two sheets of cling film. When it is about as thick as a loonie, take off the top sheet and flip it into the tart pan, pressing it evenly into all the nooks and crannies. If it tears don’t worry, you can always a)re-roll it if it’s bad or b)patch holes with little pieces of pastry.
• Pierce the pastry shell with a fork a couple of times and put it back in the fridge while you get the filling ready.

Filling:

• Whisk all of the eggs with the sugar in a big bowl until all of the eggs are blended in and it’s a bit frothy.
• Add in the zest, the juice from the lemons and the cream. Mix well.
• Taste. Does it need more sour? Add lemon. Does it need more sweetness? Sugar. Don’t be afraid of tasting a mix with raw eggs inside. It won’t be gross tasting and it won’t make you sick.
• Put the crust into the oven and then slowly pour the filling in. This prevents a spill with a full crust on the way to the oven.
• Bake 20 to 30 mins or until the majority of the filling is set but still has a slight jiggle. Don’t worry, it will finish setting as it cools.
• Serve at room temp or slightly cool with a dollop of whipped cream and maybe some raspberry sauce if you’d like: blend up a cup or two of raspberries and put the resulting liquid through a sieve to remove any seeds. Place in a pan and slowly heat with a bit of sugar to taste. Remove from the pan when the sugar is dissolved and cool completely before using. 

The Many Flavors of Pork Tenderloin

At this particular point in my life, work seems plentiful and weekends seem shorter. Free time is spent recovering and relaxing. A good book and a good cup of coffee take precedent over much else. Food and the cooking of it has always been a relaxing pastime for me. I read about it and on weekends I dive in, cooking things I have read about, thought about or seen during my free time during the week. During the weekdays should this really stop? Just because time is a little on the scant side should I be eating less as well? No.

This recipe is from a famous Canadian chef, Michael Smith. I love how flexible his cooking is and when I heard about his formula for pork tenderloin I knew I had to give it a try. Pork tenderloin is cheap, delicious and lean. It does well with marinades of all types and cooks very quickly, making it a perfect week night meal. Using his method, for each tenderloin you mix one tbsp sugar of any type, one tbsp mustard of any type and one tbsp herb or spice of any type, then marinade the pork and wrap tightly in bacon. The bacon crisps up but insulates the tenderloin to keep it juicy.

The flavor combinations are endless with this formula! The sugar could be white or brown sugar, maple syrup, honey or maybe even a marmalade or jam! The mustard used can be the typical yellow strong stuff or Dijon, perhaps whole grain or something a little special. The herb could be dried or fresh, the spice could be common like cinnamon or pepper or it could be exotic like sumac or za’tar. Let your mind run wild and feel free to experiment.

One last point I should mention is that this recipe is exactly the type to try during the week and then bring out on the weekend for a party. Marinate two or three at a time! Serve with a big tray of mixed roasted veg and it really is a dish you can throw in the oven and get everything else together without worrying!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

2 Pork tenderloins, Trimmed of silver skin (but not fat!)

2 Tbsp sugar (in this case I used honey)

2 Tbsp mustard (in this case I used whole grain)

2 Tbsp herb or spice (in this case I used a dried rosemary and thyme mix)

5 rashers of bacon (maybe more, it depends on the size of your tenderloin, see method)

A ½ cup white wine mixed with a ½ cup chicken stock

Olive oil

Method:

• Let’s start by marinating the pork. Mix the sugar, mustard and herb or spice of your choice together in a bowl and massage it into the pork. This can be done a day before, an hour before or 10 minutes before. The bacon will hold the marinade and the flavor in.
• When you are ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 500. I know this is hot but trust me, crispy bacon with moist pork ahead.
• Lay out a piece of plastic wrap onto the counter and lay your rashers of bacon out flat on top. Lay one of your tenderloins onto the edge facing you. Tuck the tail of the tenderloin under so it is all the same thickness. Take hold of the plastic underneath and tightly roll the tenderloin in the bacon. Tight is key! When you have rolled it over and the bacon is about to overlap, let it cover itself by about 2-3 cm. Cut the bacon and wrap the whole package tight in plastic wrap so it takes on a sausage shape. I was able to get to tenderloins wrapped with five slices (half lengthways for each) but you might need more depending on bacon size and pork size.
• Let the pork chill in the fridge while you get your side dishes ready. I used some crispy potatoes that were boiled then fried. Check out this recipe here for a delicious method: Hashbrown-Style Fried Potatoes
• When you are ready to go and your oven is hot, take the pork from the fridge, unwrap and place on a tray lined with parchment paper overlap faced down. Push a little on the top of the tenderloin so the bacon won’t unravel in the oven.
• Pour the water and wine mixture into the tray. Make sure your tray is large; you want the heat to get all around the bacon and crisp it up. The wine is just there for a little moisture.
• Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until crisp and delicious.
• Remove from the oven and rest on a side board for about 5 or 6 minutes. Plate everything up and topped with sliced medallions of bacon wrapped pork drizzled with pan juices!

Waffles: The Ever Changing, Not Just Breakfast Food

I know what you are probably thinking: Waffles? Is that a bistro style dish? What about crepes? Haven’t waffles been kind of Americanized?

Do you know what I'm thinking: who the heck cares? Waffles are an unbelievable food and perfect vessels for flavour  They go great with the bistro style: they are quick, easy and cheap to prepare and can be coupled with other flavours from the kitchen to suit any meal. Obviously there isn't a lot of technique here but there is a really good recipe that can be left open for interpretation. To me that is the essence of bistro cooking: simple recipes that create great flavour using whatever is around and fresh. Have some beautiful seasonal fruit? Throw it on top with a spoonful of yoghurt. You want a savoury brunch option? Throw some chopped cooked bacon, cheese and chives into the batter. Feel like stocking your freezer with some quick breakfast options for the week? Make up a boat load of waffles and freeze them like I do!

You’ll notice that this recipe uses both baking soda and baking powder, this ensures that the waffles get a crisp outer coating and soft interior, don’t try and go without one or the other. This combo makes the waffle.

Classic Waffles

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 1/3 cup milk

6 tbsp oil

2 eggs

Method:

• Don’t fuss around: mix all the ingredients together and whisk like a mad man until all the eggs are incorporated and everything is smooth.
• Let rest five minutes. Not four. Be patient.
• As its resting preheat your waffle iron. If your iron comes with settings for heat, you want to aim for medium so they won’t cook too quickly and achieve the delicious texture you want.
• When its preheated and ready to go, spoon batter onto the press (it depends on the size of your machine how much batter to use but always leave a ½“ border around the outside to allow for expansion)
• When it’s all crisp and delicious, top with whatever you’d like!

If you can't decide like me sometimes, go both sweet and savoury with a little crispy bacon (or in this case crispy pig cheek) and maple syrup as pictured here.