This tart is a light and refreshing way to crown a meal. You can prepare all the parts ahead of time so that all you do is assemble before serving. Goats’ milk yogurt adds an extra depth of flavour to the tart, but it can easily be replaced with plain yogurt.
2 cups (500 mL) low-fat goats’ milk yogurt
3 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
2 Tbsp (30 mL) coconut oil, melted, plus extra
1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped almonds or hazelnuts
2 Tbsp (30 mL) honey, divided
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
1 tsp (5 mL) lime zest
1 Tbsp (15 mL) lime juice, divided
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground cardamom
3 cups (750 mL) mixed melon balls or cubes (such as watermelon, honeydew, or Sharlyn)
Line sieve or colander with wet cheesecloth and place over bowl. Place yogurt into cheesecloth, wrap cheesecloth overtop yogurt to cover and place plate on top of yogurt. Allow yogurt to drain in refrigerator overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
Unroll phyllo on clean work surface. To prevent phyllo from drying out, cover with barely damp towel. Working with 1 sheet of phyllo at a time, lightly brush dough with coconut oil and sprinkle with ground almonds. Lay another sheet of phyllo overtop and brush with more oil and sprinkle with almonds. Repeat with last layer of phyllo.
Take one of the long edges and fold it over to meet the other edge. Brush phyllo again lightly with oil and use it to line a 13 1/2 x 4 1/2 in (34 x 11.5 cm) pan with removable bottom that has been lightly greased with coconut oil. Trim overhanging pastry with scissors to be flush with edge of pan, and prick bottom of phyllo with fork.
Press a piece of parchment paper into bottom and up sides of phyllo crust, and scatter a handful of dried beans or pie weights over parchment to weigh it down. Bake until edges are golden brown and bottom is dry and crisp, about 10 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack.
Place drained yogurt in large bowl and discard drained liquid. Stir together yogurt, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) honey, vanilla seeds, lime zest, and 1 tsp (5 mL) lime juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
In large bowl, whisk together remaining honey, remaining lime juice, and cardamom. Add melon and stir to coat in dressing. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate until ready to use.
When ready to serve, spread yogurt filling into phyllo crust and top with melons. Slice and divide among serving plates. Drizzle with any remaining dressing left in bowl from melons. Assemble tart no more than 20 minutes before serving (or pastry will get soggy).
Serves 6.
Each serving contains: 221 calories; 7 g protein; 10 g total fat (7 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 24 g total carbohydrates (15 g sugars, 1 g fibre); 130 mg sodium
source: "Melon Madness", alive #370, August 2013
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.