Protein-packed lean turkey gets a helping hand from fibre-filled lentils to create an unusual meatloaf. It’s rounded out with two types of perennially available and economical produce: sweet potatoes and broccoli. This dish appeals to both the dinner traditionalist and modernist in us all.
Change the produce and spices in this meatloaf for a brand new taste. Try grated apple or parsnip with rosemary, diced red pepper with chili powder, or diced celery and currants with curry powder.
Per serving:
Arrange oven racks to accommodate 2 trays. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
In medium bowl, mix oats and milk. Set aside for 10 minutes. In small bowl, mix tomato paste, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
In large bowl, mix turkey, lentils, eggs, onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in soaked oats and milk. Mix everything until combined. Form into loaf, about 2 1/2 in (6 cm) high, in 9 x 13 in (23 x 33 cm) glass or ceramic casserole dish. Coat top with tomato paste mixture.
Bake on lower oven rack for 1 hour, or until thermometer inserted in centre reads 160 F (70 C). Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing. While meatloaf is cooking, prepare sweet potatoes and broccoli.
On large rimmed baking sheet, combine all Orange-Roasted Veggies ingredients. Roast on upper oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender (add to oven after meatloaf has been in oven for 20 minutes).
Slice meatloaf and serve alongside roasted vegetables.
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.