1 Tbsp (15 mL) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped
1 Tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) oregano, dried
1 jalapeo pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) basil, dried
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
28 oz (828 mL) can of diced plum tomatoes with juice
12 oz (340 g) package of seasoned ground tofu
19 oz (562 mL) can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Over medium heat saute butter and onion until onions are clear. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, jalapeo, and basil. Saute for 1 minute, stirring to mix. Add carrots, celery, and green pepper and saute for a few minutes to soften. Stir in remaining ingredients (tomatoes, ground tofu, and beans) and bring almost to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 1 hour. The longer it simmers, the better.
Adjust spices to taste. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese and serve with crusty bread (garlic bread is good, too).
Serves 4.
Source: alive #303, January 2008
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.