This makes a big batch of mouth-warming good hummus. Use half for the wraps and the remainder for dip with crunchy veggies as a picnic extra.
Hummus
1 - 14 oz (398 mL) can cannellini beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (125 mL) tahini paste
1/3 cup (80 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, juiced
3 Tbsp (45 mL) hot water
2 Tbsp (30 mL) Sriracha sauce (a hot chili sauce originating in Thailand)
Wraps
2 zucchini
1 large eggplant
1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
8 large organic whole wheat flour or corn tortillas
1/4 cup (60 mL) toasted pine nuts
2 cups (500 mL) washed spinach leaves, shredded
For hummus, place beans in food processor and pulse to chop. Add remaining ingredients and whirl until puréed as fine or coarse as you like.
Makes 2 cups (500 mL) hummus.
For wraps, slice zucchini and eggplant lengthwise into thin strips. Lightly brush slices with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if using. Grill over medium-high heat (or broil) until charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Let cool, then slice eggplant into smaller strips.
To assemble wraps, spread tortillas on counter. Spread 2 Tbsp (30 mL) hummus over each, then sprinkle with pine nuts and spinach. Divide grilled vegetables along bottom halves of tortillas. To wrap, fold in the two sides of tortilla. Roll up, tucking in edges to form a tight cylinder. Wrap each individually in parchment paper or pack in resealable container.
Serves 8.
Each serving contains: 318 calories; 10 g protein; 17 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 35 g total carbohydrates (5 g sugars, 7 g fibre); 205 mg sodium
Tip for the road:
Go gluten free by making this recipe into mini sandwiches using your favourite gluten-free sliced bread.
source: "Splendour in the Grass", alive #381, July 2014
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.