2012 Foodland Ontario Calendar - February (Pork and Vegetable Stovetop Stew)

Trying new recipes is a lot like shopping for new clothes. You have a tendency of sticking to the tried-and-true and buying (making) the same things over and over. At first glance you don't think it'll suit you (taste right) but once you try it on you realize that it fits (tastes) perfectly. I often look at a recipe and think 'meh...I don't think I'd like that'. Well, you never really know until you try it, right?

My first thought when I looked at the February recipe for the 2012 Foodland Ontario Calendar was that I wouldn't like it. For one, parsnips aren't high on my list of favourite vegetables and two, I thought that it would be bland based on the ingredients. Well, I was wrong, it 'suited' my tastebuds perfectly. Strangely enough I even thought that the parsnips were the best part of the dish. Huh? How did that happen? They tasted really sweet - might have been the combination of the parsnips and sweet potatoes together perhaps? Anyways, I thought it was absolutely delicious!

Give it a try, it might fit you just right...

Pork and Vegetable Stovetop Stew

• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp each crumbled dried rosemary and pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Ontario Pork Tenderloin cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 Ontario Onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium Ontario Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 Ontario Parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Combine flour, thyme, salt, rosemary and pepper; toss pork in mixture. In Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium heat. Add pork and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove to plate.

Add remaining oil to pan. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until lightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to boil. Add sweet potato, parsnips and pork; cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until pork and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Next month's recipe for February will be a Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry.

**If you wish to view the online version of the calendar you may access it here: http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/calendar/2012/index.html

**If you'd like to view my blog entries for last year's calendar click on the 'Foodland Ontario' label on the left side of the page or view them by following this link: http://southwesternontariofoodie.blogspot.com/search/label/foodland%20ontario

Wild Rice, Mushroom, Tomato and Cheese Casserole

Where does rice come from? It doesn't come from Canada that's foresure. Well, traditional rice doesn't anyways. Wild rice on the other hand is mainly grown in Canada and in the Northern United States. Did you know that?

Actually, did you know that wild rice isn't rice at all? It's actually the seed of an aquatic grass? It grows 'wild' in the rivers and lakes of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario. According to an article that I read in Canadian Living wild rice is a challenging crop to grow and is not suitable for large-scale production which, in turn, makes it a more expensive rice. It's still mainly harvested by the Native Americans too, by boat.

Cooked wild rice is high in protein and dietary fiber, is easily digetible, has higher protein than brown rice, and is low in fat. It is a good source of vitamins and minerals, especially zinc (15% DV) and manganese (20% DV). It's also gluten-free.

A while back I had bought a small bag of wild rice from Oh Canada Wild Rice (http://www.ohcanadawildrice.com/). It's one of those things that sat in my pantry for a while and that I kept 'meaning' to use. Well, I finally decided to use it last week. I'll never let it sit in the pantry ever again; it was really, really good. I think I love wild rice! Good thing too, it's the only 'local' rice that we have available in Canada (for now anyways...I did find some studies online of people trying to grow traditional rice in Canada).

Wild Rice And Cheese Casserole
**from package of Oh Canada Wild Rice

• 4 cups cooked wild rice - (1 cup dried makes about 4 cups cooked)
• 3 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup butter (I used less)
• 1 cup old cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes

**to cook the rice: Combine 1 cup wild rice with 4 cups cold water. Please in a heavy 2 quart saucepan, and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat, cover tightly and boil gently for 30 minutes. Shut off heat, let stand on burner for 25 to 35 minutes until the rice reaches desired texture. Drain.

Saute mushrooms and onion in butter (about 5 minutes). Toss wild rice with mushrooms/onion and other
remaining ingredients. Spoon into 2 quart casserole dish. Cover. Bake 1 hour at 350F.

Eat Fresh, Eat Local, Eat REAL Food!

Covent Market Calendar - February (Herbed Ontario Mushroom Crostini)

It's already time for the February calendar recipes. For the Covent Garden Market calendar it's all about mushrooms this month--Herbed Ontario Mushroom Crostini

As a child I loathed mushrooms. Now, as an adult though I absolutely love them. Well...I love them cooked anyways. I still won't eat them raw.

As I spoke about in my January post my goal is to make all of the recipes from the calendar and collecting the ingredients required from the market itself. After some though I think I'm also going to profile a vendor in each post going forward as well.

For this post I needed a baguette. Right away I knew that I would be getting it from The International Bakery. A vendor at the market for over 40 years they have many products available - from whole wheat bread, rye bread, pizza, focaccia bread, buns, ciabatta, cakes, cookies, treats, and of course, baguettes. When the outdoor farmer's market is open (May to December) they have a table out there as well. I love their focaccia breads/buns the best - I like to slice them open and use them for sandwich bread. Delicious!

Ingredients:

• 20 slices baguette (from International Bakery)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (from Doris Family Produce)
• 4 cloves minced garlic (from Havaris Produce)
• 6 cups assorted Ontario mushrooms, sliced (from Havaris Produce and Doris Family Produce)
• salt
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Canadian Parmesan (from Smiths' Cheese)
• 1/4 cup mixed herbs, minced (from Doris Family Produce)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 20 parmesan curls for garnish

Heat oven to 400F. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 4 minutes per side. Remove from oven and set aside.

To make topping: In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, saute for one minute. Stir in mushrooms and saute until softened and beginning to brown, 5-10 minutes. Add a bit of salt at this time.

Turn heat to high and add the white wine. Stir for a few minutes until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat, stir in the grated parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper.

To assemble: Warm up the toasts for another minute, top with warm mushroom topping, and garnish with a Parmesan curl.

For an online version of the Covent Garden Market Calendar see this link: http://www.coventmarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2012-Market-Calendar.pdf

For other blog posts about the Covent Garden Market (and the calendar) see here: http://southwesternontariofoodie.blogspot.com/search/label/Covent%20Garden%20Market

March Recipe? Lemon and Maple Shrimp Fettuccine - my husband is excited about this one. He loves shrimp!

Do you drink Water?

I am always amazed that there are so many people around me who don't drink water. EVER. Really? It's so hard to believe, especially since I drink so much of it... Sure, I make myself a smoothie in the morning and I'll have the odd cup of tea or coffee but water is usually my drink of choice.

I'm not sure how much water I drink in a day but I usually have a glass in the morning, a couple more while I'm at work, another at dinner and then one or two more in the evening. Based on the quantities/size of the glasses, I think I'm probably taking in around 8-10 cups of water per day. Then there's the added water from the foods that I eat too...

According to About.com, "the body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. You need water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to your organs and tissues. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs." (About.com)

There are several known symptoms of mild dehydration:

• chronic pain in joints and muscles
• lower back pain
• headaches
• constipation
• tiredness
• irregular blood pressure
• dry skin

Not surprisingly, people who don't drink a lot of water (or who drink a lot of coffee or soda) tend to have a lot of these complaints; especially the headaches and the tiredness. I know that when I feel a headache coming on (which is rare) it's likely due to me not drinking enough water. This usually happens if I'm out and about and forgot to bring some water along with me.

According to the 'experts' you need water even before you start feeling thirsty. But how much does a person really need? One easy calculation that I found showed that if I divided my weight in half (160/2) the resulting number would signify the number of ounces I should be drinking. In my case, that's 80 ounces, or 10 cups of water (don't forget that this would include water in the foods that I eat, like fruits, vegetables, etc.).

Would you drink more water if you knew some of the benefits that come with drinking water? Here's just a few good reasons to pour yourself a nice cold glass of water right now:

• weight loss- drinking water reduces hunger, is an appetite suppressant, has zero calories, and helps break down fat during digestion
• natural remedy for headache - dehydration is the most common reason for headaches
• look younger - water leads to healthier skin, helps replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increases skin elasticity
• water helps you think better, be more alert and helps with concentration
• regulates body temperature - when exercising it increases energy and helps to fuel muscles
• water raises metabolism because its role in digestion
• fiber and water go hand in hand - water helps with regular bowel movements
• water improves the immune system which means you'll get sick less often
• water relieves fatigue and flushes out toxins - if body lacks water the organs need to work harder which exhausts them and you'll be exhausted too.

You know what's the BEST reason is for drinking a little more water though? It's free (and local too)!!

Non-water drinkers (you know who you all are) always say that they just don't like the taste of water. They're also the same people who are more likely to buy those yucky flavored waters, vitamin waters, etc.. Although I love my water plain I sometimes add flavour to it by adding cucumber slices or wedges of lemon or orange to spice it up a little. If you've been trying to drink more water perhaps flavour them this way (naturally) and then get yourself to the point where you actually start craving a glass of water with ice. Mmmmm...water....I think I'm going to get myself a glass right now!

Is it Spring yet? No? Well, let's pretend it is and make Green Pea Soup!

It's around this time when I'm really starting to look forward to Spring again. I shouldn't really complain though. This winter has been really mild compared to the norm. We haven't had much snow and the temperature hasn't been too frigid. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to the longer days, warmer temps, and the return of rhubarb, asparagus, and peas! Oh...and maybe just a little bit more sunshine!

Who says I need to wait though? Lucky for me I froze a ton of peas last year! Typically, I don't freeze a lot of vegetables as a preserving method because they end up limp and tasteless. I froze some green beans, broccoli and cauliflower a couple of years ago and will never freeze them again. Blech! Instead, I freeze a lot of peas and corn. Peas and corn are great additions to many winter dishes, such as shepherds pie or in pastas or soups. This week I made a simple green pea soup to remind myself that winter won't last forever and that we will be enjoying fresh peas again sooner than we think.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 small onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups frozen peas
• handful of mint leaves
• salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot on medium heat melt the butter and add the onions. Cook the onions until softened (about 5 minutes) and add the garlic for another couple of minutes. Add the potatoes, peas, and broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the mint, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through. Using a food processor (or blender), blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

I know it's only January but man, I'd really love it if spring were just around the corner. Maybe it's because the days are getting slightly longer already or maybe because January has been so spring-like with all the rain but I've really got spring on the brain.

Speaking of the days getting longer -- do you know how hard it is to get decent pics of my dinners when it's so dark out? It's a good thing we tend to eat pretty early! Geez....remember when it was daylight until 9 at night? Sigh.....

Naan Bread - Attempt #1

Now that I know that I CAN make bread, one of my goals this year is to make different types/varieties. One that I really wanted to make, for instance, was Naan. Although authentic Naan is typically made in a special clay oven there are many recipes that use an oven, a frying pan, or a griddle instead. I figured that since I had never tried 'real' Naan before then I probably wouldn't know the difference anyways.

Homemade Naan
(recipe adapted from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads)

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour

In a skillet set over medium-heat melt 1 tbsp butter. Add the onions, reduce heat to low, and cook until the onions have softened. Place them in a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Melt the remaining butter in the skillet and pour into a mixing bowl. Add the warm water, onions, salt, and flour (1/2 cup at a time). Work the dough into a ball by hand or in a mixer.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough until the dough is slightly firm, 1 to 2 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball. Let them rest for 3 minutes.

Roll each ball into an 8" round about 1/2 inch thick. (**I think I rolled mine too thin...)

Using an ungreased pan or griddle, place the dough on high heat (I had my griddle set to 400F). Brown each side for 3-4 minutes. Place the breads on a rack to dry as you remove them from the heat.

This recipe worked out allright... The breads tasted really, really good. However, they turned out more like flatbread I think. They weren't puffy like they should have been.

I'm going to do some more research and see if I can find a better recipe.

Until then, I'm going to enjoy my naan/flatbreads.

For dinner, we had the naan bread with a hot black bean dip, a side of raw carrots, and chicken wings with blue cheese dip. Delicious!!

As you can see, not all recipe attempts turn out right the first time. The trick is make adjustments and to try again.

As a food blogger I don't try and portray myself as the perfect cook (or photographer, or writer for that matter). My blog is simply a story; a story about my obsession with food and about my journey as someone in Southwestern Ontario enjoying new recipes, using seasonal ingredients, visiting farms, and guiding people who want to do the same. Sure, not all of my recipes work out, but that's real life, isn't it?

I'll be back soon with another attempt at another Naan bread; hopefully a nice puffy one!

Covent Market Calendar - January (Ontario Beef Stew)

In addition to blogging my way through the 2012 Foodland Ontario Calendar this year I thought it would be fun to do the new Covent Garden Market Calendar as well. My twist for this one is that I will attempt to pick up all of the ingredients required for the recipe at the market itself.

January's recipe is Ontario Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 3 slices Ontario bacon (from Fieldgate Organics)
• 3 lbs Ontario stewing beef (from Chris' Country Cuts) **I cut it down to 2lbs
• 2 medium Ontario onions, chopped (from Doris Family Produce)
• 4 cloves Ontario garlic, minced (I already had garlic at home)
• 3 large Ontario carrots, peeled and diced (from Doris Family Produce)
• 1 tsp dried thyme (from Snack 'n Bake)
• 1 tsp dried basil (from Snack 'n Bake)
• 1 tbsp grainy dijon mustard (Savvy Chef mustard found at Havaris Produce)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (I already had some)
• 1/2 cup Ontario flour (I used my Arva Flour mill flour)
• 4 cups beef stock
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350F.

In a large oven proof saucepan, cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.

Return pan, with remaining bacon fat, to heat. Brown meat in batches, until it is browned on all sides. Remove meat from pan and set aside.

In the same pan over medium heat, cook the onions, stirring frequently, until they are browned, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic and the carrots and cook for another five minutes. Stir in the thyme, basil, mustard, and tomato paste. Then add the flour. Cook and stir the mixture for about three minutes, until everything is well combined.

Gradually whisk in the beef stock. Let the mixture come to a boil, whisk and simmer until it is smooth. Stir in the cubed beef, cover the saucepan with a lid, and place in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove from oven. Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces and stir into stew. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Along with the delicious beef stew we had mashed celeriac (celery root) and potatoes.

All of the ingredients were easy to find at the market. Initially, however, I wasn't sure if I'd find the mustard, but sure enough...I found that too. Wouldn't you know it? The mustard is prepared right here in London with all-Canadian ingredients. It feels good to know that although mustard seeds are mainly grown in Western Canada I can still support a local business here in London. For more information please check out http://www.savvychef.ca/.

For an online version of the Covent Garden Market Calendar see this link: http://www.coventmarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2012-Market-Calendar.pdf

February's recipe? Herbed Ontario Mushroom Crostini - can't wait!