Don’t be fooled by cauliflower and leeks’ white appearance. These vegetables are rich in a variety of nutrients that can stand up to even the heartiest green vegetable.
2 Tbsp (30 mL) coconut oil or unsalted butter
2 large leeks, well washed, sliced into thin rounds
1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground pepper
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp (15 mL) roughly chopped fresh tarragon
2 Tbsp (30 mL) arrowroot flour
2 cups (500 mL) unsweetened soy milk or 2% milk
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
3/4 cup (180 mL) grated Parmesan cheese or dairy-free cheese
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
In large pot, melt oil or butter over medium heat. Add leeks, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and tarragon. Sauté over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until leeks are softened. Add arrowroot, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in milk, stirring constantly (a large whisk is helpful), being sure to eliminate any lumps. Increase heat, continuing to stir until milk bubbles.
Add cauliflower, stirring to combine. Cover and cook over medium-low until cauliflower becomes slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Pour into casserole dish and top with cheese.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender and cheese bubbles. If it browns too quickly, cover with piece of parchment paper. Serve hot.
Serves 5.
Each serving contains: 224 calories; 12 g protein; 12 g total fat (8 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 20 g total carbohydrates (9 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 460 mg sodium
source: "Early Spring Produce", alive #389, March 2015
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.