Serves 8
A different take on a mole sauce! Chocolate will deepen the flavour of the tomatoes and create a glossy darker sauce that pleases both the eyes and the taste buds.
1 1/2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 2.5 cm pieces
2 medium onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp (45 ml) chilli powder
2 tsp (10 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano
1 tsp (5 ml) black pepper
2 Tbsp (40 ml) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely
1 oz (28 g) bittersweet chocolate
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp (45 ml) tomato paste
1 - 28 oz (800 g) tin tomatoes, no salt added
Juice of 2 limes
2 cups (500 ml) cooked kidney beans
1 cup (250 ml) cooked chickpeas
1 green capsicum, seeded and chopped finely
Additional bittersweet chocolate for garnish
In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown well on all sides. If using cooked chicken, add with beans instead.
Lower heat to medium, add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are soft. Add chilli powder, cumin, oregano, pepper, parsley and chocolate. Cook for 3 minutes while stirring.
Add tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes or until paste turns a deep golden red. Add tomatoes and lime juice and stir well. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour.
Add kidney beans, chickpeas and green pepper. Simmer 20 minutes more or until heated through.
Grate chocolate over each serving after adding your favourite toppings.
Each serving contains: 1101 kilojoules; 17 g protein; 11 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 28 g carbohydrates; 8 g fibre; 100 mg sodium
source: "Chilli", alive Australia #16, Winter 2013
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.