These hearty wraps are perfect for either lunch or supper. And they can even be made ahead. The combo of a Mexican-style wrap coupled with Korean flavours is a win-win. Plus, it provides gut-healthy kimchi. We’ve chosen black beans for our wrap, but feel free to sub in some cooked shredded chicken or crumbled plain tempeh—it’s all delicioso!
Kimchi is a refrigerated fermented food containing live probiotics. Much like miso or refrigerated sauerkraut, kimchi should be added near the end of cooking, as heating it to over 115 F (46 C) will destroy its gut health benefits.
Kimchi is equally delicious on a burger, and even wrapped into an omelette. Look for kimchi, available in various flavours, in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store. We used a traditionally flavoured kimchi in this recipe—but feel free to explore!
Per serving:
Slightly warm soft tortillas so theyu2019re easier to handle and are less likely to split as you roll them. Place tortilla on work surface and set lettuce leaf off-centre on tortilla. Place 1/4 of the cooked rice just below centre of tortilla. Top with 1/4 of each of the following: black beans, corn, kimchi, cheese, and cilantro.
To shape wraps, using both hands, fold up the bottom flap over filling. Then tuck in one side and tightly roll up, leaving top exposed. Handle gently to avoid tearing. Wrap tightly in parchment or foil and serve as is. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
To serve warm, heat in dry pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Or warm in 350 F (180 C) oven for 20 minutes.
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.