This dish works for either dinner or brunch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Look for rye bread with rye flour or rye meal as the first ingredients instead of wheat flour, a euphemism for white refined flour.
1 Tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter
1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil, such as grapeseed
1/2 lb (225 g) button mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)
4 large free-range eggs
1 Tbsp (15 mL) white vinegar
2 Tbsp (30 mL) grainy mustard
4 slices rye bread, lightly toasted
Salt and pepper, to taste
Hot sauce, optional
1 cup (250 mL) micro greens
Heat butter and oil over medium heat in skillet. As soon as butter foam subsides add mushrooms and cook 6 minutes, or until softened and light brown. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
To poach eggs, fill lidded large skillet with water and bring to a boil. Break eggs into separate teacups or small bowls. Add vinegar to boiling water. Gently tip eggs into pan, and immediately turn off heat and cover tightly. Let sit for 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon or spatula, carefully remove poached eggs from water and set on clean dish towel to drain.
Spread an even amount of mustard on toasted rye slices. Top with mushrooms and poached eggs. Season eggs with salt and pepper, and a few squirts of hot sauce if desired. Garnish with micro greens.
Serves 4.
Each serving contains: 228 calories; 11 g protein; 13 g total fat (4 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 18 g carbohydrates; 3 g fibre; 370 mg sodium
source: "MIcrogreens", alive #355, April 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.