For tofu lovers, these Thai-influenced burgers won’t disappoint. The heat of the grill actually amplifies the natural sweetness of the pineapple, making it a contender for one of the best burger toppings around.
2 - 350 g (12 oz) blocks extra-firm tofu, chopped
1/3 cup (80 mL) wheat germ
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp (10 mL) minced ginger
2 Tbsp (30 mL) reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp (15 mL) sesame oil
1 Tbsp (15 mL) sweet chili sauce or chili garlic sauce
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) curry powder
6 pineapple rings
Zest of 1 lime
1/4 tsp (1 mL) chili powder, or to taste
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) sea salt
Grapeseed oil for grilling
6 whole grain buns (optional)
4 Tbsp (60 mL) hoisin sauce
Place tofu in food processor container; blend until pulverized and beginning to stick together. Add wheat germ, green onions, cilantro, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili sauce, and curry powder to container and pulse until everything is mixed together. Form mixture into 6 equal-sized patties.
Pat pineapple rings dry with paper towel and brush both sides with a light coating of oil. In small bowl, stir together lime zest, chili powder, and salt. Season both sides of pineapple with chili mixture.
Preheat grill to medium. Brush tofu burgers with oil and grill for 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Grill pineapple rings for 2 minutes per side, or until they have developed grill marks. If using buns, heat them on the grill for 1 minute, or until toasted.
Serve tofu burgers topped with hoisin sauce and grilled pineapple.
Serves 6.
Each serving contains: 220 calories; 13 g protein; 8 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 25 g total carbohydrates (13 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 412 mg sodium
source: "Veggie Burgers", alive #370, August 2013
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.