Nov 6, 2017
Simple, fresh ingredients combine for great flavour in this easy to prepare dish. Serve for a savoury breakfast, as an elegant appetizer, or for a light dinner.
Ingredients
Chanterelles range from yellow, orange, and brown to pale white or black. They have a fruity, nutty, and slightly peppery taste that is ideal for dishes that don’t overpower their unique flavour.
For the pancakes
- 2 medium zucchini, coarsely grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup flour
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the mushroom topping
- 4 cups chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Note: If you can’t find fresh chanterelle mushrooms, you can substitute with crimini, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms.
Directions
Zucchini Pancakes:
- Place grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove excess moisture.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add the grated zucchini, flour, scallions, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine ingredients.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter into the skillet for each pancake. Flatten each slightly. Cook about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Mushroom Topping:
- In a large mixing bowl, gently stir together the mushrooms with the shallots and thyme leaves. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushroom mixture and cook for 8-10 minutes, until mushrooms have browned and excess moisture has evaporated.
To serve, place one pancake on a plate. Top with the mushroom mixture.
Nov 6, 2017
Enjoy the flavours of Fall with homemade butternut squash ravioli in a rich sage-infused brown butter sauce and topped with walnuts and shaved parmesan cheese.
When buying fresh sage, look for leaves that smell aromatic and have no soft spots or dry edges. Sage stands up well to heat, and pairs wonderfully with dairy foods and foods high in oil and fats.
Ingredients
For the Ravioli Filling
1 butternut squash
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
For the Ravioli Dough
14 oz all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
For the Sauce
6 tablespoons salted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup raw walnuts
Fresh sage leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a shallow baking dish.
For the filling: Cut squash into 8 pieces. Remove the seeds, and place the squash, skin-side down, in the baking dish. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle. Remove skins from squash. Transfer squash to a bowl, season with salt and pepper and mash. Stir in parmesan cheese; set aside.
For the ravioli:
Mound the all-purpose flour in the center of a clean work surface and form a well in the middle. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs together, then pour into the well. With a fork, work the flour into the eggs. Then use your hands to work the rest of the flour into mixture, just until a sticky dough is reached. Form a rounded mass for kneading. Knead together for about ten minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Fill a large pot with water, add a little salt, and bring to a boil.
Fold dough in thirds and rotate 90 degrees before each pass through the pasta machine.
Divide dough into 6-8 pieces. Flatten each piece into a rectangle about a quarter inch thick. Using a pasta roller on the thickest setting (number 1), start working your dough through the roller, gradually decreasing the thickness with each pass. Ravioli dough should be almost transparent so stop on the thinest setting of your machine. Let the dough rest for a few minutes.
Lay out one sheet of pasta and put one teaspoon of filling about one inch apart. To seal the ravioli, brush around the filling with egg wash and place another pasta sheet on top and press down. Press down to make sure pasta is secured around the filling, making sure there are no air pockets. Use a crimp pastry wheel to cut the ravioli. Set aside the sealed and cut ravioli on a surface lightly dusted with flour.
Cook the ravioli in the boiling water in batches – about 10-15 ravioli at a time. The ravioli will float to the top of the water when almost cooked through. Allow to cook another minute, then remove, drain, and set aside in a warm bowl.
For the sauce:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the minced garlic and let it cook until the garlic is just softened and golden brown. Remove the garlic from skillet and set aside. Add remaining 4 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet. Add about 20 sage leaves and the walnuts. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has browned and the sage leaves are crisp and fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in the garlic.
To serve, place some ravioli in a shallow bowl, spoon some of the browned butter sage sauce over the top, and garnish with shaved parmesan cheese.
Oct 10, 2017
Pear Tarte Tatin is an easy to make dessert, ready to serve in about an hour.
Sweet, juicy pears are caramelized in butter and sugar, and then topped with puff pastry and baked until golden and crisp.
NOTE: It’s always best to choose fruit and vegetables when they’re in season – it’s fresher, has a higher nutritional value, and simply tastes better! Bosc, and other varieties of pear, are coming into season and can now be found in produce aisles. Bosc pears have a firm, dense flesh so they are ideal for use in baking, broiling or poaching.
Bosc pears are available in the fall through the early spring.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar, divided
- 4 large pears, peeled, cored, quartered
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 sheet frozen butter puff pastry, just thawed
Directions
1. Add water and 1/2 cup sugar to an oven-proof non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring consttntly, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes, or until mixture becomes syrupy and light brown in colour. Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine pears, lemon juice, butter, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, and vanilla extract. Place the pears, cut side up, in the skillet. Cover, and cook over medium heat until pear just starts to soften; about 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
4. Place the pastry sheet over the skillet. With a sharp knife, or kitche scissors, cut the pastry about 1-inch larger than the skillet (around the circumference). Tuck the excess pastry around the pears and the top of the skillet. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Turn the cooled tart onto a serving plate. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Oct 10, 2017
Rubbed with a combination of smoky and spicy seasonings, and then slow roasted to perfection, this chicken is moist and flavourful. The addition of sweet potatoes adds just the right amount of sweetness to this dish. Seconds anyone?
Prep Time:15-20 min • Cook Time: 3½-4 hours • Makes: 4 servings
Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene and vitamin A.
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 lb. whole chicken
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
FOR THE SWEET POTATOES
- 3 large sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the seasonings – smoked paprika, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, thyme, and salt.
- Brush the chicken with olive oil and then rub the entire chicken with spice mixture making sure to season under the skin as well.
- Stuff the chicken with the onion, lemon, and sprig of thyme. Place the chicken on a rack placed in a roasting pan.
- In a separate bowl, mix together dark brown sugar, smoked paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add oilve oil and stir until poatoes are coated. Add brown sugar seasoning, and stir to coat well. Add potatoes to roasting pan with chicken. Sprinkle chicken and potatoes with pieces of fresh rosemary.
- Bake for 3 1/2 – 4 hours, until the juices run clear and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches between 165°F and 170°F.
Oct 3, 2017
You can find a variety of apples in our produce section any time during the year, but Autumn is the time to take advantage of the season’s pick of baking apples.
Whether you prefer sweet or tart apples, choose a variety that holds its shape when baking. Good varieties include; Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Jonathan and Jonagold, and Granny Smith – the tried and true baking apple!
Baked apples are really quick and easy to make, and you can use a variety of stuffings – granola and cranberries; raisins and nuts; oats and brown sugar; Brie, honey, and pistachios – or top them with pastry!
Classic Baked Apples
Filled with fruit and nuts, brown sugar, and spices, baked apples are a welcome treat on cool Autumn days.
Ingredients
- 6 large baking apples
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1/4 cup golden or black seedless raisins
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 cup boiling water
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Wash and dry apples. Using a sharp knife cut the top off each apple about 1/2-inch down from stem; set tops/lids aside. Using a knife or an apple corer, cut out the cores and flesh, leaving sides and bottom 1/2 inch of the apples intact. Peel and core the remaining two apples. Chop remainder of the apples into bite-size chunks.
- In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped apples, pecans, and raisins. Spoon mixture into the four cored apples. Dot each apple with butter.
- Place the apples in a baking dish. Place reserved apple top/lid on each apple or alongside apples in baking dish. Pour the boiling water into bottom of dish to surround apples in a water bath. Bake at 375°F for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the apples are cooked through and tender.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Oct 3, 2017
These pumpkin doughnuts are baked, not fried, resulting in a cake-like texture that is moist and delicious. They’re full of spices reminiscent of pumpkin pie and glazed and decorated in colours that are frightfully fun for Halloween celebrations.
Prep time: 10 mins • Cook Time: 15 mins • Total time: 25 mins • Makes: 12 doughnuts
Extras you’ll need for this recipe: A doughnut pan, and Halloween themed nonpareils and sprinkles.
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups granulated white sugar
- 1½ cups canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1¾ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly grease a doughnut pan with a cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, baking powder and flour.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil, eggs, sugar and pumpkin. Mix together until well blended.
- Add the flour and mix on low until smooth, do not overbeat.
- Fill each doughnut pan cavity to three-quarters full.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes. Doughnuts are cooked when a toothpick inserted in center of the doughnut come out clean.
- Remove from the oven; allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove doughnuts from pan and finish cooling on a wire rack. Cool completely before glazing.
For Glaze:
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
- A drop of vanilla bean paste
- Food colouring (red, blue, yellow)
- In a small bowl, mix icing sugar and milk intil sugar is dissolved.
- Separate glaze into two bowls.
- For purple glaze add red and blue food colouring until you reach desired shade.
- For orange glaze add yellow and red food colouring until you reach desired shade.
- Add edible decorations as desired.
