Smother fries with chili and top with melted cheese for a kid- and kid-at-heart-approved meal. Try substituting your family’s favourite cheese as a topping.
4 large yams or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 lbs/1 kg), washed
2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
1 cup (250 mL) fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 - 27 oz (796 mL) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 - 18 oz (540 mL) can mixed beans, drained and rinsed well
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cumin
1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried oregano
1/2 tsp (2 mL) paprika
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) chili powder (optional)
1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Monterey Jack or crumbled goat cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Low-fat sour cream (optional)
Place baking sheet on oven rack positioned in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
Cut yams lengthwise into wedges or into thick french fries. In large bowl, toss together yams with 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt, and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper. Carefully tip seasoned yams onto hot baking tray. Bake, stirring several times, until cooked through and starting to brown, about 45 minutes.
While fries are baking, prepare chili. In large saucepan, heat remaining 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until onion is soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in red pepper, green pepper, and corn. Continue cooking until peppers are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes, mixed beans, cumin, oregano, paprika, and chili powder. Bring chili to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
Divide fries among serving plates; top with a scoop of chili and a sprinkling of cheese. A dollop of sour cream makes a cooling accompaniment, if desired.
Serves 6.
Each serving contains: 409 calories; 12 g protein; 14 g total fat (6 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 62 g carbohydrates; 12 g fibre; 362 mg sodium
Source: "Cheese Please," alive #347, September 2011
While sablefish’s texture and fat content stand up admirably to the heat of the grill, this firm fish is also delicious poached. For this recipe, sablefish’s luxurious taste is combined with a light fragrant broth of lemongrass and ginger punctuated with the heat of Thai chili. Sustainability status Sablefish, also known as butterfish or black cod, is a rich and satisfying fish, plentiful in omega-3s and sourced sustainably from the Pacific Northwest. Skin and bones Sablefish has large pin bones. Ideally, your fishmonger will remove them, but if not, before you begin, locate them along the fish’s centreline and, using a pair of needle nose pliers, grasp them firmly to remove. You can leave the skin on for this recipe, which may help the fish hold together a little better while cooking, but it can be tricky to peel the skin away from the cooked fish and discard before plating. I opted to remove the skin first and simply keep a close eye on the cooking time, being careful to remove the fish from the poaching liquid before it flakes apart.
These mildly spiced salmon tacos served with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds will bring a party together. Make a small quantity of salmon go further when you pair it with a fresh red cabbage slaw featuring citrus and cilantro. Drizzled with some bright lime yogurt, the flavours come together perfectly. Sustainability status Wild salmon from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are considered among the most sustainable, as the fishery is subject to limited harvests. With salmon stocks in decline, supporting managed fisheries such as these can help maintain populations into the future. That may also mean eating salmon less often than we do now. Salmon is a favourite Salmon is the most popular variety of fish in Canada and the second most popular in the US.
B12-rich mussels are a very good and economical source of protein and iron. Steamed mussels are a classic way to enjoy seafood—and so is this rich, aromatic broth of tomato, fennel, and saffron. Be sure to allow saffron to fully infuse to get the full flavour benefit, and finish off the dish with the fragrant fennel fronds. Sustainability status Farmed mussels are considered highly sustainable due to their low impacts on the environment. They are easy to harvest, require no fertilizer or fresh water, and don’t need to be fed externally, as they get all their nutritional requirements from their marine environment. Mussel prep Selection: Look for mussels with shiny, tightly closed shells that smell of the sea. If shells are slightly open, give them a tap. Live mussels will close immediately. Storage: Keep mussels in the fridge in a shallow pan laid on top of ice. Keep them out of water and cover with a damp cloth. Ideally, consume on the day you buy them, but within two days. They need to breathe, so never keep them in a sealed plastic bag. Cleanup: In addition to being sustainable, farmed mussels tend to require less cleaning than wild mussels. Most of the fibrous “beards” that mussels use to grip solid surfaces will have been removed before sale. But if a few remain, they’re easily dispatched: grasp the beard with your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward the hinge of the mussel and give it a tug. Afterward, give mussels a quick rinse and scrub away any areas of mud or seaweed, which, with farmed mussels, will require minimal work.
The delicate flavour of shrimp is highlighted with just a touch of lemon and a hint of mustard, while radish and celery give some fresh crunch to this dish. Eat it in lettuce cups, on top of greens, or served on whole grain bread for a filling snack. Sustainability status Both wild and farmed shrimp can be sustainable depending on where they’re caught and how they’re raised. See our article “Sea Change” for more information about choosing ethical shrimp.