I love creamy pastas like fettuccine Alfredo, but I also love the spices and flavors of Asian cuisine. I decided to meld my two loves into one creamy and comforting yet bold and spicy dish that revolves around my greatest love of all—matcha!
To press your tofu, wrap it tightly in kitchen or paper towels and place a heavy object (i.e., a can of coconut milk or a few cookbooks) on top. Let sit for about 20 minutes while excess water is released from the tofu. Unwrap and cut into the size called for in the recipe. Now your tofu is ready to soak up all the juices and flavors of your dish!
The creamy matcha sauce can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Use gluten-free soba noodles and gluten-free tamari.
Soak the nuts overnight or in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain them before blending. This will soften them and ensure a silky-smooth cream once blended.
Per serving:
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Return noodles to pot, off heat.
Make the matcha sauce: In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add onion and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, until fragrant. Transfer mixture to blender, reserving skillet for later use. Add cashews, water, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt and matcha. Blend on high speed for about 2 minutes, until very smooth.
Meanwhile, make the tofu: In reserved skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add tofu and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden all over. Add tamari, maple syrup and sriracha, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, until tofu is evenly coated and sauce has thickened.
Over low heat, add sauce to pot of noodles and toss to coat, about 2 minutes, until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning. Top each serving with tofu nuggets, scallions and sesame seeds.
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.