A version of these recipes were introduced to us by our husbands!  While we are busy working on a Saturday they are home taking care of things and creating recipes of their own. You never know where the next great dish will come from.
This Saturday I encourage you to grab a basket and take a walk, enjoy a coffee and pop over to the market.  Recreate these recipes for your breakfast and Sunday dinner.  Fun, fresh and fabulous food is our passion and the market provides the local inspiration.  Enjoy your long weekend and Happy cooking.

Roasted Asparagus with Floralane Cherry Tomato
Ingredients

• 1 lb asparagus, medium, baby finger size
• 1/4 cup panko crumbs or crushed croutons
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil or local cold pressed soya oil
• 1/2 pint Floralane cherry tomato (cut in half)
• 1 shallot or 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tbsp pesto
• 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F or BBQ to medium high heat;
Place asparagus in a oven-proof glass or ceramic dish. Drizzle the asparagus with a tablespoon of plive oil. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan or asiago cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Parmesan can be salty so don’t get carried away;

Roast in oven or BBQ for 8-10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crispy;
In a medium bowl combine cherry tomatoes, onion, pesto, remaining olive oil, red wine vinegar. Put on top of the asparagus and place in oven or BBQ for another 3 minutes to warm through. Adjust the cooking time if the asparagus is thin or thick.

Rhubarb Oat Flaxseed Muffins
Ingredients1 cup oats

• 1 cup Balkan-style yogurt
• 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp grated orange rind
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped local rhubarb
• 1 tbsp flax seeds and 2 tbsp of oats for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 12-muffin tray and add muffin papers. In a large bowl combine oats, yogurt, sugar, oil, egg and orange rind;
In separate bowl stir flour with flaxseed, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then stir into the wet oat mixture. Toss in the rhubarb until mixed through.
Divide amongst the prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle the top with the flax seeds and rolled oats. Bake in preheated oven 23-25 minutes, until golden and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe may be a little out of your comfort zone but after giving it a go you will have the confidence you need to be more creative every time you fire up the barbecue throughout the summer.

Our recommended side dish is crisp and refreshing and should be served cold. Making this a few hours ahead of time is ideal along with the wasabi butter. Wasabi butter goes well with numerous dishes, especially fish, so be sure to make at least a little extra. Try it on your favorite cut of steak. It’s also great on popcorn and gives traditional mashed potatoes some serious attitude.

All of these ingredients are easily found at your local grocery stores, so no need to fret about having to find exotic ingredients. Always remember to wash your produce thoroughly.

This healthy, feel-good summer time dish is quick to put together and will be sure to impress your family and friends.

Chickpea Salad

• 1/4-cup oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 medium red pepper, diced
• 3 sprigs of green onions, chopped
• 1/4- cup celery, diced
• 1/4- cup carrots, diced
• 1 medium sized raw baby bok choy, thinly sliced
• 28 oz can chick peas, washed and strained
• Chopped cilantro to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sized mixing bowl add oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and ginger and wisk together to create vinaigrette. Then combine remaining ingredients, cover and place in the fridge for up to 2 hours.

Wasabi Butter

• 1/4-cup salted butter, room temp.
• 1/4 tube of wasabi paste
• Pinch of black pepper

In a small dish, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly and then set aside.

Almond Crusted Trout

• 4 6-oz trout fillets, skin on
• Oyster sauce to glaze fish
• 3/4-cup of sliced blanched almonds
• Salt and pepper to taste

Turn one side of BBQ on low and other side on medium to high heat until BBQ is preheated to 400 degrees;

Thinly coat trout with some oyster sauce, followed by a bit of salt and pepper. On top of the glaze, press a generous amount of almonds to fully cover and so almonds are sticking to the fish;

On the low heat side of your grill, place fish skin side down (fish does not get flipped). Cook for 6-8 minutes;

Finish with a dollop of wasabi butter on fillet immediately after it’s removed from the grill and serve alongside chickpea salad.

Crepes

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 6 eggs
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• vegetable oil

 
Whisk eggs, milk, and melted butter together, add the flour, sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Place in refrigerator for approximately 1 hour or make the night before. Bring the crepe batter up to room temperature;
Preheat teflon crepe or sauté pan on med-low. Brush pan with vegetable oil, ladle crepe batter into pan. This will make a very thin pancake once golden on one side flip to other side.

Garnish for the crepes

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato cut into matchsticks
• 3 honey crisp or red prince apples
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 5 sprigs of thyme remove leaves
• 2 tablespoons soya oil
• 1/2 tablespoon maple vinegar or balsamic
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
• 4 oz crumbled goat cheese

Peel apples, cut into 4 wedges and remove the core, each apple should be cut into 8- 12 wedges depending on size of apple;
Place on parchment-lined baking tray with sweet potato and pecans;
Drizzle with maple syrup, soya or olive oil, season with salt and pepper;
Bake in preheated oven at 375 F until tender.
To assemble the dish, fold crepe in half and then in half again, to create a cone or triangle shape, do this for 3 crepes. Add apple and vegetable garnish to the top and crumble on the goat cheese. Serve with a side of bacon or sausage. We suggest the apple smoked bacon found at Stemmler’s. Drizzle with maple syrup and celebrate each other.
Happy Mother’s Day.

Most of this recipe can be done ahead of time and is a great time-saver or addition to any potluck or family gathering.

The key to creating great pulled pork is to braise your meat for 5-6 hours until it becomes fork tender.  This can be done in your oven or slow cooker, but you may need to add extra cooking time of 1-2 hours for the slow cooker.

To make your pulled pork into a stellar meal, we recommend constructing a sandwich using fresh hoagie buns and top your pulled pork with our Good Ol Granny Slaw served beside your favorite leafy green salad.  A delicious and fun BBQ-style meal that can be done indoors and ahead of time that the whole family will enjoy.

The Pork:

• 1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

The Rub:

• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon of canola oil
• 2 tablespoons of ketchup

The Stock:

• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1-2L of beef stock (to fill roasting half way)

The Sauce:

• 1/2 cup of pork shoulder stock reduction
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup yellow or brown mustard
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/4 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time for, as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator;
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F;

Put the pork and stock in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours, flipping the roast at the half way mark.  Roast the pork until fork tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F;
To make the barbecue sauce: combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until smooth;

Remove the pork roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks and “pull” the meat to form shreds. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other. Put the shredded pork in a bowl. Pour 1/2 of the sauce on the shredded pork and mix well to coat;

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom 1/2 of the hoagie bun, and top with the slaw. Serve with your favorite leafy salad.

Good Ol’ Granny Slaw:

• 1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 large carrots, finely shredded
• 3/4 cup best-quality mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup diced Granny Smith Apples
• 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the shredded cabbage, carrots and apples in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.  A dash of water never hurts.

Try sesame oil and soy sauce together with a little maple syrup to marinate chicken. Or an oyster sauce rubbed on steak before grilling.  We’ve tossed the steak slices in cornstarch prior to cooking, as opposed to adding the cornstarch in later to make a thick sauce. This will give the beef a nice crispiness against the smooth sauce.

The beef was enjoyed alongside a big pan of stir-fried veggies: mushrooms, peppers, onions and broccoli.  Another option is to roast your broccoli, to get similar results from a quick stir-fry: toss broccoli in a little oil and salt; spread on a baking sheet and roast in a hot (425°F) oven for 5-10 minutes, until edges begin to brown. The whole dish would be great with steamed rice, of course, or even egg noodles.

Stir-Fried Beef with Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained; divided
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1-2 red chili, or red chili paste, seeded and chopped
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or dry sherry
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lb top sirloin steak, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• About 2 tbsp grapeseed oil

To make sauce: place 4 tbsp of the beans in the bottom of a small food processor, or use a hand blender; Add remaining sauce ingredients and blend until the sauce is smooth;Slice steak into thin strips: a trick to doing this is to freeze the beef for about 30 minutes;  Just before frying, toss the beef in the cornstarch. If you do this too far in advance, the meat will become sticky and gummy; Heat a very large frying pan or wok over high heat; add oil and then quickly add all of the beef at once;  Using tongs or a wooden spoon, quickly cook beef until desired doneness (medium is nice). Then add all of the sauce and cook for one final minute.

Both of us, Jody and Kirstie, spent many years in both the restaurant industry as well as teaching the culinary arts at both the high school and college level. We wanted an inviting space for like-minded people to come together and share their passion for great cuisine. Our philosophy is simple: great food kept simple, by using the best quality local ingredients and time-honoured cooking techniques.

For this weekend’s column it was really tough to narrow down a recipe to help us celebrate our anniversary. So we took a look back as to what we were cooking a year ago. Here is one of our first recipes taught at The Culinary Studio. It uses proper knife techniques, proper sauté techniques and isn’t afraid to get creative using different veggies and local cheeses.  Pre-heat oven to 425°F; place baguette slices on a baking tray and toast until just golden brown;

Warm Vegetable and Herb Crostini with Sheep’s Milk Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 baguette, sliced on the bias
• 1 good clove of garlic, cut in half
• 2 tbsp+2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 celery, julienned
• 1 onion, julienned
• 1 pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley)
• 1-2 tsp sherry wine vinegar
• 1 cup of crumbled or shaved sheep’s milk cheese, such as Toscana

remove and, while still hot, take cut side of garlic and scrape on bread; chop the rest of the garlic clove to sauté with vegetables;
Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add all vegetables and sauté over high heat for about 4 minutes, or until soft. Add chopped garlic and sauté for 1 more minute; season with salt and pepper and add chopped herbs and cook just to warm through; Remove from heat, stir in sherry wine vinegar;

Using tongs, top bread slices with about 2 tbsp of the vegetables; top with cheese, place on a platter and drizzle with remaining extra virgin olive oil. Add some more freshly cracked black pepper here too, if you like.

This ‘dessert’ is actually something that we did at a dinner party for a fun, traditional and different ending to a meal.  Fresh (clean!) snow was collected ahead of time and we waited with sticks in hand as the maple syrup came to just the right temperature in order to harden properly. Mmmmm.

Whether you made it out last weekend or not, read below for some tips on how to create your own ‘festival!’The following information comes from The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association.

When making sugar, candy or maple butter with maple syrup it is all about the size of the sugar crystal and the temperature you boil it to determines this. A candy thermometer is a good investment to get these exact temperatures when working with boiling sugar. For example, to make maple butter we have a 2 degree Celsius window to get it right. 10°C-11°C above boiling, so if you are boiling water at 97°C and you boil your maple syrup to 110°C you will be actually boiling 13°C above boiling which is 3 degrees above your target of 10°C, and your maple butter won’t work.

Soft Maple Sugar
The syrup is boiled to a temperature of 114°-117°C (238°-242°F). It is cooled to 65°C (150°F) and stirred until it is a dull yellow colour. It is immediately poured into molds. The sugar crystallizes and can be readily cut with a knife.

Hard Maple Sugar
The syrup is boiled to a temperature of 121°-124°C (250°-256°F), a few degrees higher than for soft sugar and cooled to 93°C (200°F). It is stirred until it becomes cloudy and begins to thicken. Then it is poured into molds. The resulting hard block of sugar may be broken into chunks, crushed or grated.

Maple Butter
The syrup is boiled to a temperature of 110°C-111°C (230°-232°F) and them rapidly cooled in pans set in cold water, to a temperature of 10°C (50°F) or below, then stirred continuously until creaming is completed.

Maple Taffy on Snow
The syrup is boiled to a temperature of 131°-132°C (268°-270°F) and then carefully poured onto crushed ice or snow. The resulting taffy is a delightful treat.

Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• Butter, as needed
• 4 L cubed bread (see options, above)
• 6 whole eggs
• 750 ml 10% cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup white chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F.; Generously butter an oven-proof 9x 13 sized baking dish and fill with cubed bread. Set aside; Whisk together eggs, cream, sugar cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg; Sprinkle chocolates over bread cubes, and then pour custard mixture over the entire dish, patting the custard into the bread; Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes, until golden brown. Let stand 10- 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve with chocolate sauce.

For chocolate sauce:
1 cup of milk chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup 35%  cream, 2 tbsp butter      Place chocolate, cream and butter in a stainless steel or glass bowl and place over a double boiler. Water should be barely simmering; Heat until chocolate is fully melted, stirring occasionally.

Note: This sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for any chocolate sauce emergencies; just re-heat in the microwave.

The pork loin can then be served with simple, creamy mashed potatoes. These can be mashed, covered and set aside for a good two hours before serving – simply reheat on low heat. Green beans, too, can be done ahead of time with just a little finishing at the end. Blanch the beans first, by dropping them into boiling, salted water and then immersing them in ice water after a couple of minutes. They will just need a last minute toss in a hot pan with some butter.

Cut pork loin so that you get 2 or 4 pieces in the shape similar to a pork tenderloin. So if it is one large piece, cut it in half lengthwise, and then cut each half lengthwise so that when you carve it each person gets a nice ‘square’ of pork;

Mustard and Bread Crumb Crusted Pork Loin Roast
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4-lb boneless pork loin roast
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 2 cups soft breadcrumbs (use a blender or food processor to pulse stale bread to crumbs)
• A handful of chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and parsley
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4-cup melted butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Season pork with salt and pepper, rub with a little oil and roast at 375°F on a rack until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F. Let rest, covered, at least 20 minutes before carving;  Carve 8 medallion-sized pieces. Pork should be a little pink;
Mix together crumbs, herbs, shallot, butter and salt and pepper;
Place pork pieces, cut side up on a baking tray; mix together mustards and slather each piece with a bit of mustard; press crumb mixture on top;
For the final roasting, place in a 375°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Fish: it has to be the freshest you can find; even a couple days in the fridge can make a difference in taste. That’s one reason to buy from a local fishmonger, such as T and J Seafood’s. They know when the fish was caught, and how long it has been stored. Two: Fish should not be overcooked, which leads to a dry and tasteless product. The recipe below gives it a quick 30-minute marinade. At T and J’s you can ask for ‘Sushi-grade’ salmon. This doesn’t mean it has to be eaten raw; it just means it is the best quality you can buy.   Tomatoes: they must be in season and local.  Believe it or not, the best tomatoes from Floralane Produce – ‘Elmira’s Own’ – are greenhouse grown and ready now. The recipe below is a fun, easy addition to a grilled steak, or even enjoyed on toasted baguette.

Teriyaki Sesame

Ingredients

• 4-6oz salmon filet portions
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2  cup sake
• 1/4  cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Teriyaki Sesame: Blend soy sauce, Sake, brown sugar and ginger in a saucepan; heat and simmer a couple minutes until sugar is dissolved; cool;
Dry toast sesame seeds in a pan on the stove until lightly browned;
Marinate salmon in soy mixture for about 30 minutes, at room temperature;
Broil or grill on high until done, but not over cooked, about 4-8 minutes depending on thickness of filet;
Top with sesame seeds as soon as they are cooked.

Fried Tomatoes

Ingredients

• Four 3/4-inch slices of beefsteak tomato
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 8 slices of sharp tasting cheese (old cheddar, parmesan, pecorino)

Fried Tomatoes: Heat a heavy pan over medium heat with a layer of olive oil;
Add tomato slices and sprinkle with salt and oregano;
Reduce heat to low and cook slowly for 10-15 minutes;
Add cheese for the last 5 minutes of cooking and broil lightly if desired.