Dried oregano and sage pack more punch than fresh; yet there’s no replacement for the bright tangy notes of fresh dill.
1/2 cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp (30 ml) dried sage leaves, crumbled
2 tsp (10 ml) dried oregano leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon 1/2 cup (125 ml) plain yoghurt
750 g skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/4 tsp (1 ml) sea salt
Place first 5 ingredients in blender. Add 1 tsp (5 ml) grated lemon peel and whirl until well mixed. Stir 3 tsp (15 ml) herb mixture into yoghurt along with 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate.
Cut chicken into 2.5 cm pieces and season with sea salt. Place in bowl and toss with remaining herb mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight to marinate.
Thread chicken onto skewers. Be sure to leave a little space between pieces. Grill over medium heat, turning often, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve skewers with yoghurt for dipping.
Serves 6 to 8.
Each serving contains: 990 kilojoules; 18 g protein; 17 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 3 g carbohydrates; 1 g fibre; 98 mg salt
source: "Grow, Cook, Heal", alive Australia #11, Autumn 2012
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.