Okay, so my recipe is actually eight layers, but who is counting when the meal is as tasty as this one is!
Seven-layer dinner (sometimes called “Shipwreck”) is really little more than a full dinner in a casserole and baked in the oven. I grew up (as I am sure many of you have) with this vintage meal served on a regular basis. The seven main ingredients are: 1) onions, 2) meat, 3) potatoes, 4) celery, 5) carrot, 6) peas, and 7) rice. Sometimes, it’s a six-layer dinner depending on what veggies I have on hand and sometimes it might be eight or nine layers thick. I like to add parsnip because it adds a level of sweetness. Sometimes, I will slice turnip very thinly and add it as well. Frozen corn also works in addition to the frozen peas or instead of. In that regard, it is almost a potluck dish!
It has probably been named “Shipwreck” because it can be made with pretty much any vegetables you happen to have on hand as well as different kinds of meats, such as ground beef or sausage and it is also an economical way to stretch the meat content. In many households, it can be made with what is on hand without having to go shopping and it doesn’t take any kind of exotic or hard-to-find ingredients. This is an old-fashioned hearty meal. Have you noticed that many of these old “stand-by” meals are becoming popular again?
On a regular basis, I tend to cook with a fair bit of seasonings and spices. However, this is one dish that I never add anything to it other than salt and pepper and the onion for flavour.
In my home, I grew up with this recipe being made with ground beef (we never used any other kind of meat in it). The beef I used for this casserole is 100% Island beef and was purchased at KJL Meats, a local butcher shop in Charlottetown, PEI.
This is a great meal to make when you have little time for meal preparation and clean-up because all the veggies, the rice, and the meat cook together in the one casserole so there are no pots and pans to wash (bonus!) other than the dish it bakes in. And, your kitchen will smell divine when this is baking in the oven! If there happens to be any leftover, this meal carries over well and, in fact, the flavours seem to become even richer the next day when it is reheated.
Seven-Layer Dinner
Ingredients:
1 medium onion 2 medium-sized potatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch thick) ½ – ¾ pound extra lean ground beef ½ cup celery 1/3 cup parsnips, thinly sliced (about 1/16 inch thick) 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced ½ cup frozen peas scant ½ cup Minute Rice 1 can tomato soup 1 soup can of water
Method:
Assemble ingredients.
Grease 2-quart casserole. Peel and slice onions to make first layer of casserole.
Add the layer of sliced potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add the layer of ground beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add celery, parsnips, carrots, and frozen peas. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle ingredients with rice. Cover casserole ingredients with can of tomato soup. Pour one soup can of water over top of ingredients (or, if you wish, you can mix the soup and water together and pour as one over the casserole ingredients).
Cover and bake at 350F for 1 ½ – 2 hours until vegetables are tender.
Serves 4-6
It is hard to plate this meal attractively but its taste more than makes up for its lack of presentation!
Suggested Serving: Serve with homemade mustard pickles and whole grain artisan bread.
If you have made this recipe and enjoyed it and/or wish to share it with your friends and family, please do so on social media but be sure to share the direct link to this posting from my website.
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“The Canadian Legend” Burger from the Lucy Maud Dining Room at the Culinary Institute of Canada, Charlottetown, PEI
For the third consecutive year, April has represented Burger Love on Prince Edward Island. Yes, that’s right, love of beef burgers! This year, 31 restaurants across the Island paid a $600 entry fee to cover advertising and promotion costs to participate in the month-long celebration of Island beef. PEI Burger Love has certainly created a hype and brought patrons to a number of Island restaurants to sample the array of gourmet beef burgers that chefs have created specially for the event. Make no mistake about it, these are not your average hamburgers. These are gourmet burgers that require a hefty appetite to do them justice.
Partnerships Forged to Support Initiative
PEI Burger Love, created by Fresh Media, is carried out in partnership with Prince Edward Island Cattle Producers, PEI Department of Agriculture and Forestry, PEI Flavours, PEI Potato Board, and the PEI Restaurant Association. The formation of this collaborative group has brought heightened awareness to PEI’s beef industry.
PEI Burger Love Grows in Popularity
In its inaugural year in 2011, a total of 14 Island restaurants participated with 5500 burgers being served in the month of April. Last year, 22 restaurants signed on and, collectively, sold over 16,000 burgers in just one month. I suspect, by the time, the event ends on April 30th, the number of beef burgers consumed on PEI in the month of April, 2013, will have surpassed 2012 figures.
For the month of April, one would be hard-pressed to go anywhere on the Island without hearing some talk about PEI Burger Love. In workplaces, on the street, and just about anywhere, one could hear Islanders enthusiastically talking about and describing the burgers they had already tried and the ones still on their list. Social media has been used extensively in this awareness campaign and burgers have suddenly become the hottest and most photographed subjects around! Servers would bring burgers to the tables and, all of a sudden, cameras and cell phones appeared and started clicking! Photographs of burgers have been everywhere, including on twitter and on Facebook. This year, for the first time, PEI Burger Love engaged nine individuals, one of whom was me, to use blogging as a platform to further advertise the Burger Love campaign.
Overall, I believe Islanders have embraced this campaign and have had a lot of fun with it. It has not been uncommon throughout the month to see groups of as many as 20 heading to the local restaurants at any day at noon to try out the burgers. Even local businesses got in on the action. Staff of Century 21 Colonial Realty in Charlottetown, for example, select one restaurant a week, call ahead with their burger order, and then their entire team of real estate agents show up en masse with a video camera in tow. Joel Ives says they have been doing this since Burger Love began and find it’s a fun activity for their team while supporting local at the same time. Says Joel, “Our business is about being local – local homes, local businesses, and being in the community. We do our best to support local initiatives. When PEI Burger Love came out, we thought we could have some fun with it by going as a group to eat lunch together, have some laughs, and make some fun videos. Since all of our agents are busy doing their own thing, it is great that we can book off one lunch a week during the [Burger Love] campaign to get together.” You can check out the Century 21 fun videos here to see how one local business has embraced PEI Burger Love.
Diners are engaged in Burger Love fever too as they head to local dining establishments to order up the creative burgers. They can rate the burgers they eat by voting online for their favorite and win great prizes in the process as well as help crown the most popular burger in the 2013 Burger Love campaign.
Timing is Everything
April is traditionally a slower month for local restaurants because the tourist season hasn’t yet started but, this year, participating restaurants are hopping busy as burger lovers converge on their establishments to sample the many burger options. Linda Dickie, Food and Beverage Director at Mavor’s Restaurant in the Confederation Centre of the Arts, says they chose to participate in PEI Burger Love because they like to support local whenever possible and it brings awareness to the restaurant. According to Linda, Mavors sold 1700 burgers in the first couple of weeks of the campaign with the highest single day servings of 210 burgers!
Chef James Oja, who owns and operates The Big Orange Lunchbox restaurant in downtown Charlottetown, is a first-time participant in PEI Burger Love. He says the annual PEI Burger Love campaign “generates a busy month giving restaurants that participate a little warm-up for summer”. Chef Oja claims Island beef is the best beef in Atlantic Canada and that his “supplier, Bluefield Natural Products, provides superior beef that is richer in iron, antioxidants, flavour, and texture”.
Just How Many Burgers Can You Eat?
As I mentioned earlier, I was one of nine guest bloggers for PEI Burger Love this year and my assignment was to sample four of the burgers and blog about them. Now, I thought four burgers was a lot to consume in a little over a week. However, Connor Jay set himself the challenge to eat all 31 burgers….and he did… in just 14 days! Averaging two a day plus three on two different days, he proudly says there was one day that he ate two of these huge burgers within two hours! Asked why he decided to set out to eat all 31 burgers, Connor says he thought “it would be something fun to do and would be a great way to experience the Island“. He says he “loves the PEI Burger Love campaign and thought eating all 31 [burgers] would be a great opportunity to get other friends involved in it and that it would inspire them to go grab a burg“. I am also aware of a workplace where employees would order a couple of burgers from each of 3-4 restaurants for lunch each Friday in April, bring them back to their workplace, and cut them into quarters so that co-workers could have the opportunity to sample as many of the burgers as possible.
What’s in a Gourmet PEI Burger Love Burger?
Other than the requirement to use 100% Island beef in the burgers, chefs had unfettered licence to dress the burgers with whatever toppings they wanted and to prepare and present them as creatively as they wished. Suffice it to say that Island chefs rose to the challenge and created some mighty fine culinary creations with unique flavour combinations.
The meat in the burgers generally ranged in size from 6 oz to 9 oz and was prepared in different ways – some burgers were charred over an open flame while others were grilled or sautéed. Toppings ranged from candied bacon (yes, oh là là!) to nachos and salsa, coleslaw, bacon jam, Jalapeno peppers, various renditions of aioli, Portobello mushrooms, guacamole, and onions encased in wontons or presented as beer-battered onion rings, and just about anything else you could imagine going into these tall burgers. Then, there were the many variations of buns encasing all this goodness. One burger even had two grilled cheese sandwiches holding it in place instead of a traditional bun! And, of course, each restaurant creatively named their burger. Here are photographs of the four burgers I was assigned to sample as part of my blog assignment:
From the Gahan House in Charlottetown, PEI, comes the “Not’cha Burger” that features Tortilla chips, salsa, spicy cheese dip, and Jalapeno mayo to accessorize the beef burger.
“Not’cha Burger”, Gahan House, Charlottetown, PEI
The “Canadian Legend Burger” was created by the Lucy Maud Dining Room, a teaching restaurant in the Culinary Institute of Canada. It features a gouda-stuffed burger accessorized with smoked tomato aioli, confit cherry tomato, bacon jam, candied bacon, and the best onion rings I have ever tasted.
The “Canadian Legend Burger” at the Lucy Maud Dining Room of the Culinary Institute of Canada, Charlottetown, PEI
The Prince William Dining Room of the Loyalist Inn in Summerside, PEI, presented the “Big Kuhuna Burger” that featured smoked bacon, banana peppers, a grilled pineapple ring, and guacamole.
The “Big Kahuna Burger” from the Prince William Dining Room of the Loyalist Inn, Summerside, PEI
The Old Triangle in downtown Charlottetown created the “Mr. Miyagi Burger” that included Hoisin BBQ sauce, Asian slaw, and caramelized onion wontons.
The “Mr. Miyagi Burger” from The Old Triangle in Charlottetown, PEI
As you can see, these are huge, well accessorized burgers! If I had one suggestion for organizers for future PEI Burger Love campaigns it would be to consider also offering smaller versions (perhaps even slider size) for those who don’t have large appetites but yet who want to try out the burgers.
The gourmet burgers, on average, are in the $12-$14 range (burger only).
PEI Burger Love Surpasses Expectations
The Prince Edward Island Cattle Producers Association reports being pleased with the campaign. The Association gets great exposure for its industry and, as representative Rinnie Bradley says, they “are a small industry compared to dairy or potatoes so it has been difficult to get our message out to the general public that we are important to the Island’s economy. From truckers, to feed mills, vets, farm machine shops, to processing facilities and meat shops, the beef industry contributes significantly to our economy directly and indirectly.” Bradley says “PEI Burger Love 2013 has surpassed our expectations to date. We are very pleased that so many restaurants have signed on and that several new participants decided to include Island beef on their menus. We hope Islanders and visitors alike will get out and enjoy the amazing burgers, and seek out Island beef for their meals at home.”
So, Islanders, only 6 days left to get out and try some of these gourmet burgers before PEI Burger Love 2013 ends. This is a great way to show support for the local beef industry as well as the many Island restaurants which have chosen to participate in this campaign to promote Island beef. There is a burger out there for everyone’s taste!
POSTCRIPT (May 8, 2013):
The statistics are in for the 2013 Burger Love Campaign. A total of 46,204 beef burgers were sold in 31 participating restaurants during the month-long event in April. This translates into 21,917 pounds of beef consumed during this time period. Sales for the burgers during the month of April are estimated at $580,008.62. Voters selected “The Smokin’ Fox” from Phinley’s Diner in Stratford, just across the bridge from Charlottetown, PEI, as their “Most Loved Burger 2013”.
Spritz cookies are dainty-shaped cookies that are crisp and buttery. They are made by pushing soft cookie dough through a cookie press which is a cylinder fitted with a decorative disk that has patterned holes through which the dough is “squirted” or pressed into shapes. Typically, cookie presses come with many different decorative disks – mine has probably 20 or more.
These cookies are popular at Christmas, special occasions, and are very suitable for afternoon teas as they can be made in so many different shapes and colors and can be further embellished with icing, colored sugar, miniature gumdrops, or dragées.
My recipe for Lemon Spritz Cookies is buttery rich and delicate. I like the flavour burst of lemon juice and zest in these petite cookies.
This recipe does best when the dough is chilled for 24 hours to allow the egg yolk to get fully incorporated and absorbed into the other ingredients. Unlike most liquids, such as water or milk, for example, eggs take a lot more time to become incorporated into the dry ingredients. When the dough comes out of the refrigerator, it will be too hard to push through the cookie press so let the dough sit at room temperature for about an hour or so until it becomes pliable enough that it can be formed into a roll that can be inserted into the cookie press cylinder. You’ll notice this recipe has no baking powder or soda. This is because that would cause the cookies to raise which, in turn, would result in them losing their shape and design that makes them spritz cookies.
Add the flour, salt, and cardamom to creamed mixture, stirring until well combined.
Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 24 hours.
Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for apx. 1 hour. Form dough into a roll that will fit inside the cookie press cylinder. Insert dough roll into the cookie press.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Follow manufacturer’s directions for your cookie press to form the cookies into decorative shapes. Decorate with colored sugar, if desired. Bake at 400F for 7-8 minutes. Watch the cookies closely as their high butter content and small size means they will burn easily and quickly. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 2-3 minutes then transfer them to wire racks to finish cooling.
Thank you for visiting “the Bistro” today. There are lots of ways to connect with “the Bistro” through social media:
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I first had a rudimentary version of Cottage Pie (although I didn’t know that’s what it was) many years ago as a small child at Camp Segunakadeck (Seggie) on the south shore of PEI. I came home from summer camp raving about this yummy dish and trying to describe it to my mother. As a seven or eight-year old, my descriptions of culinary delights would not have been enough for even a seasoned professional chef to be able to concoct some resemblance of the meal. The description would have went something like this…there was hamburg and ‘stuff’ on the bottom and mashed potatoes on the top and it was made in a large pan. Many years later when I would recall my camping experience, I was always reminded of this dish which I have since come to realize was likely a very basic and simplistic version of Cottage Pie. Continue reading Savory Cottage Pie→
Today, I am sharing my favorite recipe for Honey Garlic Spareribs. This is a recipe I have been making for many years. Serve with rice or baked potato and, if desired, a side vegetable. Continue reading Honey Garlic Spareribs→
By now, you have probably concluded that I like afternoon teas! So, today, I share photos from my Easter Tea.
Let’s begin with a stylized salad served in a hollowed-out cucumber cup.
And, of course, the most logical tea sandwiches for Easter would be made with egg salad and garnished with carrot sticks.
The little Easter eggs scattered on the table are actually little wooden eggs I hand-painted some years ago when I was doing a lot of decorative painting.
I love the bright, cheerful colors of Easter but what would Easter be without something chocolate!
The bright yellow tulips are from the Vanco Tulip Farm in Mt. Albion, PEI.
Love these little chocolate nests filled with tiny miniature Easter eggs! The fudge brownies were pretty awesome, too!
Seasonal cookie shapes of pink bunnies and lambs also found their way on to the Easter tea table along with melting moments sandwiched together with bright-colored buttercream icing.
I am always looking for creative uses for my teacup collection. Here, I have used them to serve brightly-colored Easter cupcakes.
Dainty little Scotch cookies decorated for the Easter season.
Decorating seasonal cookies is one of my passions – can you tell?
Fun and whimsical! Certain conversation pieces, for sure!
I realized, too late, that I had forgotten to take a close-up of my Easter teapot on the tea table. Fortunately, I had another photograph of it so here is photo of my “Little Lamb Teapot”.
And, when it’s all put together, this is what it looked like.
I hope you have enjoyed these photos of my Easter Tea. Thank you for visiting my blog today. I hope you are enjoying this Easter season.
Thank you for visiting “the Bistro” today. There are lots of ways to connect with “the Bistro” through social media:
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Blood Orange and Rhubarb Sauce over Halibut Steak served with Herb-Roasted Miniature Potatoes and Steamed Root Vegetables
Every Spring, I freeze bags and bags of rhubarb for recipes to be made through the remainder of the year. I am always looking for new ways to serve this versatile vegetable. Today, I am using it in this Blood Orange and Rhubarb Sauce for fish.
Living on an island on the East Coast of Canada, fish is readily available. Sometimes, I like to eat the fish plain, just pan-seared or oven-baked but, other times, I like it dressed up a bit. Rhubarb and citrus make a nice combination and citrus sauces go well with seafood so my sauce creation includes both rhubarb and citrus fruit.
I thought it was time to use up some of the remaining frozen rhubarb (or maybe I just needed to have a Spring food because our winter is getting very tiresome). You can use any kind of white fish with this sauce – my choice was the halibut steak because it had enough thickness to it that it would hold together to plate well for presentation and not break into pieces.
I love the rich red-colored sauce as a contrast to the white fish. I hope you enjoy.
Blood Orange and Rhubarb Sauce for Halibut Steaks
Ingredients:
1 cup rhubarb, fresh or frozen, chopped into 1/2″ pieces 2 tbsp sugar ¼ cup water
Juice of 2 blood oranges (about 2/3 cup juice)
1 tbsp butter 1 shallot, finely minced (about ¼ cup or a little less) 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses 2 tsp liquid chicken bouillon concentrate mixed in ½ cup hot water 1½ tsp blood orange zest ¼ tsp sage ¼ tsp ginger 1½ – 2 tsp cornstarch mixed in 1 tbsp cold water to make thickening paste
Method:
In saucepan, place the rhubarb, sugar, and ¼ cup water. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until rhubarb has softened. Push the rhubarb through a sieve to release the juice. You should have about 1/3 cup of rhubarb juice. Discard rhubarb pulp. Set juice aside.
Meanwhile, grate 1 1/2 tsp zest from one blood orange. Squeeze juice from 2 medium-sized blood oranges and strain through sieve to remove any pith and stones. In small saucepan, over medium-low heat, reduce the orange juice to about half. You should have about 1/3 cup of juice after this process.
In clean saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the shallot and minced garlic for 3-4 minutes until shallot is translucent.
Add the rhubarb and orange juices, balsamic vinegar, pomegranate molasses, chicken stock, orange zest, sage, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat.
Remove from heat and strain through fine sieve into clean saucepan to remove any pieces of garlic and onion. This will make a clean, smooth sauce. Return mixture to low heat.
Mix cornstarch with water to make a paste. Add about 1 tbsp of the hot liquid from the sauce to temper the paste so it will not go lumpy when added to the hot mixture. Add to saucepan mixture and stir or whisk until thickened to consistency desired.
Makes enough sauce for 3-4 servings.
To serve:
Pan-sear or oven-bake halibut steaks till fish flakes easily. Plate the fish and pour 1-2 tbsp sauce over each steak. Garnish with chopped pistachio nuts, if desired, and blood orange slices.
I served the fish with a medley of yellow, red, and blue herb-roasted miniature potatoes, steamed carrots and turnip, and paired this meal with Beringer’s Chardonnay (CA).
Blood orange juice and rhubarb combine their flavors to make a wonderful sauce for white fish such as halibut.
Course Main Course
Keyword fish, seafood
My Island Bistro KitchenBarbara99
Ingredients
1cuprhubarb, fresh or frozen, (chopped into ½“ pieces
2tbspsugar
¼cupwater
Juice of 2 blood oranges (about 2/3 cup juice)
1tbspbutter
1shallot, finely minced (about ¼ cup or a little less)
1clovegarlic, finely minced
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
1tbsppomegranate molasses
2tspliquid chicken bouillon concentrate mixed in ½ cup hot water
1½tspblood orange zest
¼tspdried sage
¼tspground ginger
1½ - 2tspcornstarch mixed in 1 tbsp cold water to make thickening paste
Instructions
In saucepan, place the rhubarb, sugar, and ¼ cup water. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until rhubarb has softened. Push the rhubarb through a sieve to release the juice. This should yield about 1/3 cup rhubarb juice. Discard rhubarb pulp. Set juice aside.
Meanwhile, grate 1½ tsp zest from one blood orange. Squeeze juice from 2 medium-sized blood oranges and strain through sieve to remove any pith and stones. In small saucepan, over medium-low heat, reduce the orange juice to about half. This should yield about 1/3 cup of juice after this process.
In clean saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the shallot and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until shallot is translucent. Add the rhubarb and orange juices, balsamic vinegar, pomegranate molasses, chicken stock, orange zest, sage, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and strain through fine sieve into clean saucepan to remove any pieces of garlic and onion. This will make a clean, smooth sauce. Return mixture to low heat.
Mix cornstarch with water to make a paste. Add about 1 tbsp of the hot liquid from the sauce to temper the paste so it will not go lumpy when added to the hot mixture. Add to saucepan mixture and stir or whisk until thickened to consistency desired.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Makes enough sauce for 3-4 servings.
To serve:Pan-sear or oven-bake halibut steaks till fish flakes easily. Plate the fish and pour 1-2 tbsp sauce over each steak. Garnish with chopped pistachio nuts, if desired, and blood orange slices.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! Today, I am sharing photos from my St. Patrick’s Day Afternoon Tea.
St. Patrick’s Day Afternoon Tea Setting
I love this little square tablecloth and matching napkins. I bought them some years ago at the Blarney Castle on a visit to Ireland. It has been a tradition since to display this cloth on St. Patrick’s Day and it always evokes great memories of my visit to the Emerald Isle.
Of course, it’s also a time for me to bring out my small collection of Irish-themed dishes.
The tea offering from the teapot was English Afternoon Tea.
My choice of tea table flowers centered around the colors in the Irish flag – the green mums and Bells of Ireland, the orange roses, and the white tulips which, of course, came from our local PEI tulip growers – Vanco Tulip Farm in Mt. Albion, PEI.
I love these Canadian “loonie” chocolate coins!
On the tea tray menu – Currant scones with homemade raspberry jam, chocolate cupcakes (flavored with a bit of Irish stout, filled with whiskey-flavored chocolate ganache, and frosted with Bailey’s Irish Cream-flavoured icing), and chocolate drop cookies. The cookies are my March 2013 Cookie of the Month.
These scones are delicately rich!
And, my seedless raspberry jam only makes them that much more delectable!
And, of course, there would have to be a green beverage on the table.
The scones may have been good but the cupcakes were the “icing on the cake”, so to speak!
I like the white and milk chocolate swirled chips in these chocolate drop cookies.
The green color always makes for a bright, colorful, and cheery table!
I hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into my version of an afternoon tea to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll leave you with this Irish blessing:
May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all your heart might desire.
Thank you for visiting “the Bistro” today. There are lots of ways to connect with “the Bistro” through social media:
Join My Island Bistro Kitchen on Facebook Follow the Bistro’s tweets on twitter @PEIBistro Find the Bistro on Pinterest at “Island Bistro Kitchen” Follow along on Instagram at “peibistro”
This old-fashioned boiled ham dinner is a meal that is so familiar to me that it never occurred to me that some don’t even know what a “boiled dinner” is. So, today, I am going to demystify and explain the “boiled dinner” as I know it. Continue reading Boiled Ham Dinner – Old-fashioned Comfort Food!→
Double Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies Made with Stout
Well, for my Cookie of the Month for March, I tried to find out if there is a cookie recipe that traces its origins to Ireland or, alternatively, a cookie that is particularly popular on the Emerald Isle. However, I had no luck in tracking down any (maybe it was lack of Irish luck!)
I decided to create a special recipe and give it a distinctly Irish flavour using stout in honour of St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th. As you know, whenever possible, I like to feature Island products in my cooking and baking. At the time of writing, PEI does have a brewing company that produces stout – The Island Brewing Company produces Gahan Sydney Street Stout. However, it is apparently a limited edition and is not available in local liquor stores year-round — at least I couldn’t track down any. So, instead, I opted to use Montreal-brewed St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout because it boasts hints of espresso and chocolate.
I knew I was going to be making a chocolate cookie with a hint of coffee flavour so a stout with both chocolate and coffee flavour could only enhance the cookie’s taste. Like any ingredient, moderation is the trick. My goal was to flavour the cookie with the stout and bring out the chocolate flavour – I wasn’t aiming for a beer-tasting cookie. Therefore, I used only 1 1/2 tablespoons of stout as part of the liquid ingredients.
This recipe calls for both butter and shortening in the ingredients and I recommend both be used. For more information on why some cookie recipes call for both types of fat, click here.
For the chocolate, I chose to use semi-sweet squares of chocolate because I find the flavour a bit more intense than powdered cocoa. Using some brewed coffee gives these cookies a distinct mocha flavour. For interest, color, and texture, I used swirled milk and white chocolate chips.
This dough does well when it is chilled and allowed to “rest” for 24 hours after mixing and before baking the cookies. The purpose of letting the dough “rest” is to allow the liquid ingredients, including the egg, to get fully incorporated and absorbed into the other ingredients. The “resting” period makes for a drier and firmer cookie dough and this controls its spread while baking so you don’t end up with a really flat cookie.
Refrigerating the cookie dough also allows the fat content in the dough to firm up, and cold, firm butter/shortening takes longer to melt in the oven. This delay in melting gives the cookies a chance to rise up instead of immediately spreading out. As a result, the cookies begin to bake, create structure, and are able to hold their shape before the butter, in particular, breaks down and flattens and spreads them out. I do not recommend skipping the dough chilling step for these cookies.
If the dough is particularly hard when it comes out of the refrigerator to the point that it can’t be scooped or spooned without chibbling it, let it rest at room temperature for 10 – 15 minutes. Do not, however, bring the dough completely back to room temperature and soften as that will defeat the objective of having the butter and shortening firm up in the dough before the cookies enter the hot oven and start spreading out.
I like the drop cookies to be soft and somewhat chewy and, of course, the key to that texture is to slightly underbake the cookies – bake these no more than 10-12 minutes at 350F and let them cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
My Island Bistro Kitchen’s Double Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened 1/4 cup shortening, softened 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup white sugar 1 egg 2 tbsp. cold brewed coffee 1 1/2 tbsp stout 2 tbsp milk 1 tsp vanilla 2 1/2 squares of semi-sweet chocolate, melted 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 cup chocolate chips
Method:
Assemble ingredients.
Cream butter and shortening.
Add brown and white sugars. Beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until blended.
In separate bowl, or large measuring cup, mix coffee, stout, milk, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add to mixture. Mix well.
Add melted chocolate and mix to blend.
Combine dry ingredients. Add to mixture and stir just until flour is incorporated.
Stir in chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 24 hours.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop by cookie scoop or spoonfuls onto baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies. Bake at 350F oven for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
These make a fine treat for St. Patrick’s Day (but are just as good any time of the year!)
My Island Bistro Kitchen's Double Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies
These Double Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies are both tasty and showy. Flavoured with a wee bit of stout. A treat anytime but especially good for a St. Patrick's Day treat!
Course Snack
My Island Bistro KitchenMy Island Bistro Kitchen
Ingredients
1/2cupbuttersoftened
1/4cupshorteningsoftened
1/2cupbrown sugar
1/3cupwhite sugar
1egg
2tbsp.cold brewed coffee
1 1/2tbspstout
2tbspmilk
1tspvanilla
2 1/2squares of semi-sweet chocolatemelted
2cupsflour
1/2tsp.salt
1/2tspbaking soda
1/2tspbaking powder
1cupchocolate chips
Instructions
Assemble ingredients.
Cream butter and shortening.
Add brown and white sugars. Beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until blended.
In separate bowl, or large measuring cup, mix coffee, stout, milk, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add to mixture. Mix well.
Add melted chocolate and mix to blend.
Combine dry ingredients. Add to mixture and stir just until flour is incorporated.
Stir in chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 24 hours.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop by cookie scoop or spoonfuls onto baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies. Bake at 350F oven for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Recipe Notes
[Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]
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There are so many ways to serve a sandwich other than just throwing two pieces of bread and some filling together. One of my favorite ways to serve sandwiches is to make them into panini. I bought a Bella panini grill a couple of years ago and I have certainly gotten use out of it.
Panini is nothing more than bread or rolls, some kind of spread, and a filling which usually involves some variety of deli meat and cheese. Often, a vegetable such as tomato is added as well. The sandwich is then heated in a sandwich press or panini grill where it is pressed flat and toasted.
If you are lucky enough to be near a bakery or a supermarket that makes a variety of breads and rolls, you are likely to find ones suitable for use in panini grills. Rolls identified simply as panini rolls or Ciabiata, Focaccia, or baguettes are all suitable for use in these types of sandwiches. Here in Charlottetown, the Atlantic Superstore has a good variety of rolls that they sell individually. You can, of course, use any plain bread you wish but the sandwich will be more interesting if made with some type of artisan bread or rolls.
Today, I am going to share with you how I make a Ham, Cheese, & Tomato Panini.
First, I have chosen puffy oval-shaped rolls that were simply labelled “Panini Rolls” at the Superstore and I split them in half, horizontally.
Panini Rolls
I sliced tomato rather thinly and sprinkled it with about 1/2 tsp. Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar from the Liquid Gold store here in Charlottetown. If you have been following my blog, you will recall the feature story I did last summer on this store and their fabulous balsamic vinegars and olive oils. I then sprinkled the tomatoes with some fresh ground pepper and sea salt and set them aside while I prepared the rest of the sandwich.
Marinating Tomatoes in Cranberry-Pear Balsamic Vinegar
To make the mayonnaise spread, I combined 1 tbsp maple syrup with 1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, and a pinch each of basil and chives. I then added 1 green onion, thinly sliced.
Mixing Mayonnaise Spread
Using a good quality extra virgin olive oil (I used Liquid Gold’s Arbosana), I brushed olive oil over all the outside edges of the rolls. This is one of the occasions where you want to use the very best quality olive oil you can find because the taste really does come through.
Brushing the rolls with olive oil
I flipped the rolls over and spread the mayonnaise on each of the interior sides of the rolls. On one side of the roll, I started building the sandwich, starting first with a good quality Black Forest deli ham that was sliced very thin.
I then added the marinated tomatoes
Adding the marinated tomatoes
and another slice of ham
and, finally, added the grated cheese.
Adding grated cheese
You can use any of your favorite cheeses in this sandwich – I happened to have some Italiano mixture (mozzarella, asiago, smoked provolone, and parmesan) in the fridge so that’s what I used.
I then put the top part of the roll on the sandwich and transferred it to the heated panini grill.
I pressed and held down the top of the panini grill for about 20 seconds or so.
Panini Grill
I grilled the sandwich on the medium setting for probably about 4-5 minutes, essentially just long enough for the sandwich to be heated, the cheese melted, and the roll to have a nice crisp crust. Since each brand of grill will differ slightly, you will want to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for grilling panini and do some testing with your particular grill.
I sliced the panini diagonally and served it with carrot and celery sticks.
Ham, Cheese, & Tomato Panini
1 medium-sized tomato
1/2 tsp. Liquid Gold Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
pinch dried basil
pinch dried chives
1 small green onion, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 oz. deli-style Black Forest ham, thinly sliced
1 oz. grated Italian blend cheese
2 panini rolls of choice
1 – 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Slice tomato thinly. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp. Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar, freshly ground pepper, and sea salt. Set aside to marinate as you prepare remainder of ingredients.
In small bowl, combine the maple syrup, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, herbs, and green onion. Mix well.
Split panini roll in half, horizontally. Brush virgin olive oil on all outside edges of roll. Flip rolls over and spread mayonnaise mixture on both interior sides of roll. Lay slice of ham on one side of roll. Add the marinated tomatoes. Add second layer of ham. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Place top of roll over layers of sandwich. Transfer to heated panini maker and grill according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Makes 2 panini.
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Belgian Dessert Waffle with Fresh Strawberries, Whipped Cream, and Chocolate Sauce
The first time I had Belgian waffles was in Ogunquit, Maine, a long time ago. We used to vacation there and we found a wonderful little café that opened only for breakfast and their specialty was the Belgian waffle served with huge, fresh Maine blueberries. Naturally, a Belgian waffle maker had to be purchased so we could make them at home because waffles are, in fact, quite easy to make and just take standard baking ingredients!
Waffles are very versatile. They can be a breakfast food, eaten at brunch, lunch, for dessert or even as a main course for dinner, depending on the topping. There is nothing like creamed chicken atop a puffy Belgian waffle for good old-fashioned comfort food!
I love fresh berries, especially strawberries and blueberries, on waffles. Good drizzled with pure maple syrup, a rich chocolate sauce is also an option and a real treat for waffles. So, why not take a lowly basic waffle and dress it up for a tasty meal at any time of day.
Waffle Ingredients
Belgian Waffles
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tbsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda pinch salt 1 cup milk 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 medium-sized eggs, separated 2 tbsp melted butter Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites stiff. Set aside.
In separate bowl, mix the egg yolks and all remaining ingredients.
With electric mixer, beat until well-blended.
Gently fold the egg whites into the flour and milk mixture. Fold just until they are incorporated. This will yield a light, fluffy waffle.
Heat waffle maker and cook waffles according to manufacturer’s directions.
To serve, add sliced fruit, a dollop of whipped cream, and drizzle with your favorite syrup or topping. Dust with confectioner’s sugar, if desired.
Perfectly puffy Belgian Waffles with Strawberries are a fabulous treat especially with a dollop of whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword Belgian Waffles, waffles
Servings4
My Island Bistro KitchenMy Island Bistro Kitchen
Ingredients
1cupall-purpose flour
1/2tbspbaking powder
1/4tspbaking soda
pinchsalt
1cupmilk
1/2tspvanilla
2medium-sized eggs, separated
2tbspmelted butter
Instructions
Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites stiff. Set aside.
In separate bowl, mix the egg yolks and all remaining ingredients. With electric mixer, beat until well-blended.
Gently fold the egg whites into the flour and milk mixture. Fold just until they are incorporated. This will yield a light, fluffy waffle.
Heat waffle maker and cook waffles according to manufacturer's directions.
To serve, add sliced fruit, a dollop of whipped cream, and drizzle with your favorite syrup or topping. Dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Apx. 3-4 waffles
[Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]
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Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Be sure to use the occasion to show special appreciation for those you love. One of the most ultimate ways to pamper a loved one on any day (and not just on Valentine’s) is by preparing and serving him or her breakfast in bed.
Valentine’s Day Breakfast in Bed Tray
This is a very simple breakfast menu I have selected for the bed tray: Freshly squeezed orange juice, fresh fruit cup sprinkled with coconut, heart-shaped Irish Cream French Toast with pure Canadian maple syrup, and a wee pot of tea. (Recipe for the French Toast follows at end of posting)
There is nothing like fresh-squeezed orange juice to start the day! The little juice jug was a find at a thrift shop. Bed trays have limited space so I’m always on the look-out for items that will be suitable for this purpose. I have opted to make the event special by serving the juice in a stemmed glass.
I have selected fruit with different colors and textures and dressed the fruit cup with some coconut and orange zest. The glass pedestal dessert dish is perfect for serving fresh fruit because it allows the colors of the fruit to show through giving color to the tray.
I sprinkled the French toast with confectioner’s sugar and added a dollop or two of whipped cream. My heart-shaped cookie cutter didn’t have as deep a cut in the center as I would have liked; consequently, the heart-shape isn’t as prominent or doesn’t show up as well in the photographs. I added the fan-cut strawberry to give both color and flavour.
What dresses up the food is the presentation. Yes, it’s all about the presentation! I covered the tray with a couple of my best quality white napkins and folded the third, using a “blingy” napkin ring as napkin jewelry. Out came the wee Sadler teapot I found in a second-hand shop last summer. From my teacup collection, I selected one that is predominantly pink since my color theme for this bed tray is pink and red.
Every bed tray should be adorned with a small bouquet of fresh flowers. I thoroughly enjoy having access to Island greenhouse-grown tulips over the winter. I drove out to Vanco Farms in Mount Albion to specifically select these pink and red tulips, knowing they would be perfect on this tray! I think the pink and red make a stunning color combination!
And, of course, adding a lovely card and a gift will make a special someone’s Valentine’s Day just a tad more special!
My Island Bistro Kitchen’s Irish Cream French Toast
2 eggs 3 tbsp milk 2 tsp Irish Cream Liqueur (follow link at bottom of posting for my recipe for homemade Irish Cream Liqueur) 1/2 tbsp orange juice 1/4 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp cinnamon pinch cardamom 1/2 tsp freshly grated orange rind
With whisk, beat eggs lightly. Add remainder of ingredients in order given. Whisk to combine. Pour mixture into a flat pan or pie plate. Dip each bread slice into the mixture, turning to coat both sides.
Melt 1 tsp. butter in skillet. Transfer dipped bread to hot skillet. Over medium heat, fry bread till browned. Flip bread to brown other side. Transfer to serving plate. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and add a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Serve warm with maple syrup.
Thank you for visiting “the Bistro” today. There are lots of ways to connect with “the Bistro” through social media:
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ove Tuesday is often commonly referred to as “Pancake Day” or “Pancake Tuesday”. Shrove Tuesday always falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday which signifies the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period leading to Easter in the Christian calendar. Continue reading Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday→
These Old-fashioned Sugar Cookies are one of the plainest cookies yet they have endured throughout time and are often counted amongst the favorites in many families. The cookies are aptly named given the amount of sugar in them in proportion to the amounts of other ingredients. Despite the amount of sugar in most sugar cookie recipes, they are not really an overly sweet or rich cookie. Continue reading Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies→
Update 2019: While Vanco Farms still grow wonderful tulips in their Mount Albion greenhouses for sale and export, they no longer (as of January 2019) operate a retail outlet open to the public on the premises. Their fabulous tulips are, however, available locally at several retail outlets around PEI, including major supermarkets and florist shops.
It’s time again for me to share another tablesetting with you. This time I was preparing for a casual dinner party for six and I was featuring Island-grown tulips in my centerpiece. I wanted to keep the tablesetting very simple and streamlined, unpretentious, and understated. But first, let’s go on a field trip to Vanco Farms to get the tulips and find out about their tulip-growing operation.
Last week was the coldest week yet on Prince Edward Island this year. On Tuesday mid-afternoon, when I headed east out of Charlottetown, across the Hillsborough Bridge, I glanced at the computer screen on my dashboard and it was reading an outside temperature of a balmy -14C (without windchill factor which some days was down around the -30C to -34C range). As I drove along, I thought this was an interesting day to be heading to a tulip garden, a huge one at that.
I have often stopped by Vanco Farms in Mount Albion, about a 15-minute drive outside of Charlottetown, to pick up some of their fabulous tulips at their onsite retail outlet. While sometimes I do purchase the tulips at a local supermarket, there is something about buying product right at source – the freshness is unbeatable. Last winter, I was rarely without their tulips throughout the house and, particularly, on my dining table. I had contacted Vanco Farms last spring about doing this story in connection with a tablescape but it was near the end of their season and they suggested I wait till January when their greenhouse operation would be in full swing.
As is the case with several stories, particularly ones where growing food or flowers are involved, the story evolves over several months so I can capture the various steps in the process. So, let’s pick up the story way back on May 10, 2012, when, in preparation for this feature, I photographed a huge field of Vanco tulips in full bloom in Pownal, PEI.
FIeld of Tulips, Pownal, PEI
This was a field of tulips that were about to be cut down so that all the plants’ energy would be generated towards their bulbs that grow and multiply underground and not directed into the pretty blooms. How heartwrenching to see a tractor and cutter mowing down all these colourful petals; however, it is for long-term gain. The bulbs that are large enough will go for bulb sales or will make their way into the greenhouse to be grown for cut flowers over the winter. The smaller bulbs will be replanted in the fall and will be given the time to mature and grow into the more desirable large bulbs. Large bulbs will produce the larger, more premium blooms with stronger stems.
Aren’t these fabulous colors!
So, fast-forward to January 22, 2013, when I visited the Vanco greenhouses and production facility. I was met by Bas Arendse who toured me through their tulip-growing operation. Seriously, on a cold January day, there is nothing more uplifting than to stroll through warm, bright greenhouses with thousands of tulips at various growth stages through to bloom.
Tulips in Vanco Farms Greenhouse, Mount Albion, PEI – 15 January 2013
Vanco Farms began growing tulips in 2002 with a modest experimental crop of less than one acre. That venture has grown exponentially and, today, they grow some 3 million bulbs covering 40 acres – can you imagine and picture 40 acres covered in fabulous colorful tulip blooms! I asked Bas what made Vanco Farms decide to start growing tulips on PEI (they are the only commercial tulip grower on the Island). He tells me he grew up in Holland on a tulip farm that is still run by his father and sister and, when he moved to PEI, it was natural for him to grow tulips. Yes, I think it would be fair to say that tulip-growing runs through Bas’ veins and he has it down to a science. Thus, growing tulips is second nature for Bas. He says about 50% of their bulbs still come from Holland while the other 50% come from their own fields in PEI.
So, basically, here is the process. The bulbs are planted in the fields in the fall so they have a chance to root before our harsh, cold winter arrives. In the spring, once the tulips come into full bloom, the petals are all cut off the plants. The bulbs stay in the ground for about 6 more weeks when they are then harvested. The bulbs are dried and separated with the smaller ones destined for field growth the following fall and the large ones set aside for greenhouse growing over the winter.
The larger bulbs are planted in these trays in October-November and are kept in cold storage to recreate winter-like conditions for the bulbs – in other words, to trick the bulbs into acting as though it is winter.
Tulips in Cold Storage
These are then moved into the greenhouse where the warmth will trick the bulbs into acting as though it is spring and time to grow. This process, known as tulip-forcing, means the tulips will be ready for market in about 21-28 days. Keeping a steady schedule of when these bulbs are taken out of cold storage at staggering times ensures there is always an abundance of tulips ready for market throughout the winter and early spring months.
Tulips at Various Growth Stages in Vanco Greenhouse
When the tulips are ready for cutting, they are picked and loaded into these carts.
The tulips are then processed by this machine that cuts the bulbs from the stems. These bulbs will go into storage and be planted again next fall.
An assembly line of workers gather the tulips into bunches and place them on the conveyer belt.
The conveyer belt takes the tulips through the machine that wraps elastic around them to hold them in place.
At the end of the conveyer belt, a worker takes each bundle of tulips and slips it into a plastic sleeve.
The tulips are then placed in these crates which sit in water for about 30 minutes to allow the thirsty stems to soak up a drink.
From there, the drained crates of tulips move into a cool storage room where the bundles of tulips are packed in boxes ready for shipping.
While Vanco Farms does produce some tulip bulbs for sale, that accounts for only about 10% of their business with the remaining 90% coming from the sale of cut tulips that are grown in their greenhouses. In terms of best sellers, Bas says the most popular colors of tulips are yellow, orange, white, and pink followed by red and purple. I like them all!
I asked Bas what the biggest challenge is to growing tulips in PEI. He says our typically cold spring weather can pose an issue, particularly if there is a heavy frost. This can cause the stems to go hollow and the bulbs to not grow.
Tulip-farming at Vanco Farms is a year-round operation despite our relatively short growing season on the Island. January to May is their busiest time because it is when the greenhouse is in full production and so it is cutting season. During this time, they will employ between 15-25 people and have three delivery trucks on the road in eastern Canada and the New England area of the United States. The rest of the year is devoted to field work and processing tulip bulbs.
Vanco tulips are available at many places on the Island including the retail outlet at the farm in Mount Albion, major supermarkets, most flower shops, the Saturday Farmers Market in Charlottetown, and Riverview Country Market in the east end of the City. They also export a large portion of their greenhouse-grown tulips from January to May. In fact, their delivery trucks transport shipments of fresh tulips to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Quebec twice a week and to Boston once a week.
It’s always a highlight of my winter when I discover Vanco tulips are on the market! Their colourful blooms always inject a bit of bright color into those dark, dreary winter days.
I like tulips for dining table floral arrangements. Not only do they have beautiful simplistic blooms on long elegant stems with wonderful greenery but they are also not heavily scented which means they don’t compete with food scents. There are any number of ways to arrange tulips for the dining table. Here I have selected Vanco’s Snow Lady white tulips and I simply arranged 20 of them in a fluted vase for this casually-elegant tablesetting because I was looking for something very simplistic and not fussy. I chose white because it blends in with winter and also because it matches anything. In this particular setting, I used a white tablecloth and napkins and my china pattern which is largely white. I like how the white blooms just seem to pop from the greenery! The wine glasses I chose to use are very simplistic and are actually somewhat tulip-shaped themselves. I opted to go with a plain, flat napkin fold because I didn’t want anything to detract from the tulips – I wanted them to be the focal point of the table. I also chose just a couple of small crystal votives, again so there would be nothing to compete with the floral centerpiece.
Vanco Farm’s Snow Lady Tulips
Florist Bernadette Praught of Bernadette’s Flowers in Stratford, PEI, has high praise for Vanco tulips. She says being able to go directly to their greenhouses about 10 minutes from her flower shop and pick up freshly-cut tulips means she is getting the freshest flowers possible for her customers. Bernadette says tulips are thirsty flowers and do best if arranged directly in water as opposed to in oasis arrangements. Tulips can be used in combination with other flowers and made into more elaborate arrangements. Bernadette says tulips pair well with roses and with a variety of greenery and Baby’s Breath. So, tulips are a very versatile flower. You can go with something very simple as I have done here or you can really dress them up.
For more information on Vanco tulips, visit their website. Vanco Farms Ltd. is located at 9311 TransCanada Highway, Route 1 in Mount Albion, PEI. The next time you are buying a bouquet of tulips, be sure to look at the sleeve label….you just never know, they might be ones that were quality-grown right here on Prince Edward Island!
Thank you for visiting “the Bistro” today. There are lots of ways to connect with “the Bistro” through social media:
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While some will argue that Shortbread is not a cookie per se, I chose to include it in my Cookie of the Month series I ran a few years ago and, at the time of original writing, featured it for January given that is the month Robert Burns Day is celebrated. There are so many recipes and versions (and opinions!) of Shortbread and what follows is mine. Continue reading Shortbread Recipe→
Pork Loin Roast with Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce served with Potato Croquettes and Roasted Root Vegetables
If you have been following my postings, you will recall my January 12, 2013, entry using black garlic in a sauce over sea scallops. My latest culinary escapade finds it is a suitable flavouring for sauces for meat as well. Below you will find the recipe I created for a pomegranate, red wine, and black garlic sauce to accompany a marinated pork loin roast. It serves 2-3.
As I described in my earlier posting on black garlic, don’t expect any traditional garlic flavour from this fermented version which is very sweet and tastes more like a fig or a prune than it does garlic. I like pomegranate molasses but it can sometimes be hard to find as many of the traditional supermarkets in my area don’t tend to carry it. However, if you can locate a grocer who sells Middle Eastern food in your area, you are most likely able to find the molasses there. The marinade itself is very traditional but the sauce I have created for drizzling over the roast pork loin slices is a somewhat sweet sauce with a rich burgundy color which, of course, comes from the combination of the pomegranate molasses, red wine, and black garlic. It makes a fine pairing, both in taste and visually, with the roast pork.
Pork Loin Roast with Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce
Ingredients:
3/4 lb pork loin roast
Marinade
2 tbsp soya sauce 1 clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp olive oil 1/8 tsp ginger 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp shallot, finely minced salt and pepper to taste Mix all ingredients and place in dish. Place roast in marinade and turn once to coat. Cover and place in refrigerator for 3-4 hours, turning occasionally to baste.
Preheat oven to 425F. Place roast on rack in small roaster. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325F and continue to roast, covered, until internal temperature of roast registers 150-160F on meat thermometer. Remove from oven and let stand, covered for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving with Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce (recipe below).
Mixing the soya sauce, oil, white wine vinegar, and garlic for the marinade
Adding brown sugar, ginger, salt, pepper, and shallots to the marinade
Marinating the Pork Roast and Preparing it for Roasting
Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce
1 tsp butter 1 tbsp shallots, finely minced 2 cloves black garlic, sliced or fork-mashed 1 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses 1/4 cup chicken stock 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup red wine 1 tbsp brown sugar 1/16 tsp cardamon 1 tbsp orange juice 1 tsp cornstarch
Melt butter in saucepan. Add shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add black garlic. Stir and sauté for apx. 30 seconds.
Add pomegranate molasses, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, red wine, brown sugar, and cardamon. Stir over medium heat just until mixture reaches boiling point. Reduce heat to low.
Mix cornstarch into orange juice. Add some of the hot mixture to the orange juice and cornstarch mixture to temper it. Add the mixture to the pot. Stir over medium-low heat until thickened.
Slice roast into 1/4″ thick slices and plate. Drizzle warm sauce over pork.
Making the Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce
Making the Sauce for the Pork Roast
Sliced Pork Loin Roast Served with Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce
I served the pork loin roast with potato croquettes and roasted root vegetables which were lightly tossed with a maple syrup and balsamic vinegar dressing.
Pork Loin Roast with Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce
A moist and tender pork roast is marinated, roasted, and served with a delectable sauce made with pomegranate, red wine, and black garlic.
Course Main Course
Keyword pork, pork roast
Servings3
My Island Bistro KitchenMy Island Bistro Kitchen
Ingredients
3/4lbpork loin roast
Marinade
2tbspsoya sauce
1clovegarlic, minced
1 1/2tbspbrown sugar
1tbspolive oil
1/8tspginger
1/2tbspwhite wine vinegar
1tspshallot, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce
1tspbutter
1tbspshallots, finely minced
2clovesblack garlic, sliced or fork-mashed
1 1/2tbsppomegranate molasses
1/4cupchicken stock
1/2tbspbalsamic vinegar
1/4cupred wine
1tbspbrown sugar
1/16tspcardamon
1tbsporange juice
1tspcornstarch
Instructions
Marinade:
Mix all marinade ingredients and place in dish large enough to accommodate the meat. Place meat in marinade and turn once to coat. Cover and place in refrigerator for 3-4 hours, turning occasionally to baste.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place roast on rack in small roaster. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325°F and continue to roast, covered, until internal temperature of roast registers 150-160F on meat thermometer. Remove from oven and let stand, covered for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving with Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce.
Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce:
Melt butter in saucepan. Add shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add black garlic. Stir and sauté for apx. 30 seconds.
Add pomegranate molasses, chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, red wine, brown sugar, and cardamon. Stir over medium heat just until mixture reaches boiling point. Reduce heat to low.
Mix cornstarch into orange juice. Add some of the hot mixture to the orange juice and cornstarch mixture to temper it. Add the mixture to the saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until thickened.
Slice roast into 1/4" thick slices and plate. Drizzle warm sauce over pork.
Recipe Notes
Yield:2-3 servings
Marinated Pork Loin Roast with Pomegranate, Red Wine, and Black Garlic Sauce
One year ago today my blog went live! It’s been a great year of cooking, baking, and traveling across the Island to meet local producers and write feature stories about the great food products they grow, fish, or produce. I have thoroughly enjoyed taking their products and creating recipes that feature them. It’s amazing the variety of foods and beverages that are grown or produced on Prince Edward Island or fished in the waters that surround our Island! Thank you to all those who accommodated me with my requests for interviews over the past year and who granted me behind-the-scenes access so I could take photographs and bring you stories of the foods and food festivals and events on PEI. And, thank you to all who have visited my blog and read the stories over the past year. I hope you have enjoyed them.
I have a great line-up of upcoming feature stories and recipes for my blog. From time to time, I will mix in some tablescapes and table settings along with some afternoon teas for variety. So, from land and sea to table, there should be something of interest for everyone!
In a few days time I will be launching a new monthly feature on my blog and you won’t want to miss the yummy recipes that go with it. To ensure you get notified each time I post a new entry to my blog, be sure to sign up for email notifications. You can find the sign-up feature in the upper left-hand corner of my main page. And, don’t forget to follow me on twitter @PEIBistro and on Pinterest at “Island Bistro Kitchen”!
Ever heard of black garlic? What do you think of when you hear the term?
Fermented Black Garlic Bulbs
Black garlic is not a variety of garlic grown. Rather, it is regular garlic bulbs that have gone through a fermentation process. Fermenting garlic to turn it into black garlic is truly food transformation. I say that because black garlic in no way tastes, looks like, or has the same consistency as the traditional hard white garlic we use to give garlic flavour to dishes.
To find out more about black garlic, I travelled to Kensington, PEI, where I paid a visit to garlic grower, Al Picketts, of Eureka Garlic.
Eureka Garlic, Kensington, PEI
Al has been growing garlic for 12 years. In 2012, he grew 42,000 plants and this year, with the cloves already in the ground since October, Al has increased his crop to 46,380 plants which will be harvested in July-August, 2013. He grows eight types of garlic and 78 varieties in those types. Yes, Al knows a thing or two about garlic!
Garlic Bulbs Drying
Al’s main business is in selling seed garlic but, in November, 2011, he began the fermentation process to turn garlic into black garlic. Al has been working with the Bio Food Tech Center in Charlottetown as he perfects his fermentation process and product. While Al keeps his exact fermentation process a carefully-guarded secret, he did show me a recycled refrigerator that he insulates well, heats with a water heater, and uses as an incubator of sorts for the fermentation process.
Incubator for Fermenting Black Garlic
Inside this incubator are stacks of covered plastic storage boxes containing hundreds of garlic bulbs fermenting. He tells me it takes about three weeks in controlled temperature for the fermentation to occur. The top right photo below shows a garlic bulb in the early stages of fermentation and the one in the lower right photo is a completely fermented bulb. The photo on the left below shows different colored bulbs in the plastic containers; these are bulbs at different stages of the fermentation process as they change and deepen in color.
Black Garlic in Various Stages of Fermentation
When fermented, the cloves will be a dark chocolate brown color – almost black — and very soft. This is not the kind of garlic you could put through a garlic press and it does not mince well. But, oh, it does have its own unique flavour! The cloves can be carefully sliced or mashed with a fork and added to recipes.
Black Garlic Bulb and Clove
When Al offered me a taste of the black garlic, straight up, I must admit I was trying to prepare my tastebuds for a somewhat pungent, strong garlic flavour. But, one of the most surprising things about black garlic is the taste. I would describe it as somewhat sweet, no discernible garlic taste, and being a cross between a prune and a fig in taste, color, and texture. So, if you are looking to use it as you would regular garlic, don’t expect any garlic flavour in the dish as black garlic has a sweet, fruity taste. Black garlic, however, brings its own unique subtle flavour to dishes like soups, sauces, and seafood and is often used in Asian cooking. The black color does not change when cooked so you need to prepare for that color in your dish. There are not a lot of black foods and some might suggest they would not be appetizing. However, I find the contrast of the black garlic on white fish, for example, to be quite dynamic and appealing.
Black Garlic Color and Texture
Black garlic is a relatively new local food item and the jury is still out as to whether it is a food fad or if it may well become a food trend. Could it be garlic’s new cavier? Promoters claim it may be the next superfood, citing its health benefits — it reportedly boasts twice as many antioxidants as raw garlic. That said, I couldn’t find any scientific research studies completed on black garlic that would state conclusively what its specific health benefits are.
So, if it doesn’t taste like garlic why, then, use it? I would say because it offers another flavouring and complexity to many dishes. I have used it on pizza and in seafood dishes and I plan to try it next with pork.
Al tells me that black garlic can be stored at room temperature – no refrigeration required – for several months. He says it can also be stored in the freezer and, when you want to use it, just remove as many cloves as needed and mash them with a fork or slice them with a knife – there is no need to thaw them first.
Al sells his black garlic for $30/pound. On Prince Edward Island, it is available directly from Al at his farm “Eureka Garlic” on the corner of Routes 2 and 233 in Kensington (902)836-5180.
Black Garlic Packaged for Sale
As you know, when I visit a local producer, I bring home their product and make a recipe featuring the food item. The recipe below, for scallops, is how I used black garlic with seafood and I found the result really tasty (yes, I’ve made this dish more than once already!). The black garlic does not mask the scallop flavour and yet it accents the seafood well. This recipe serves two.
Black Garlic on Fresh Scallops
Scallops in Black Garlic
14 scallops
3 T butter
Fresh ground pepper
4 cloves black garlic, sliced
¼ cup white wine
½ T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp dried chives
Pinch dillweed
1 tsp parsley
Ingredients
Melt 2 T butter in small skillet. Over medium-high heat, sear the scallops 2-3 minutes per side until lightly golden in color. Transfer scallops to plate and keep warmed.
Searing ScallopsBlack Garlic
Add 1 additional tablespoon of butter to skillet. Add the black garlic and sauté for 30-45 seconds. Add pepper to taste. Add white wine, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir over medium-low heat 1-2 minutes until sauce reduces. Add herbs and heat for about 30 seconds.
Adding Black Garlic
To serve, plate the warm scallops and spoon the black garlic sauce over the seafood. Serve with potato or rice and a side of vegetables.
Serves 2
Scallops with Black Garlic Served with Potato Cake and Vegetables
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(Mostly) PEI and Maritime Food – Good Food for a Good Life!
Grease 2-quart casserole. Peel and slice onions to make first layer of casserole.
Add the layer of sliced potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add the layer of ground beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add celery, parsnips, carrots, and frozen peas. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle ingredients with rice. Cover casserole ingredients with can of tomato soup. Pour one soup can of water over top of ingredients (or, if you wish, you can mix the soup and water together and pour as one over the casserole ingredients).
Cover and bake at 350F for 1 ½ – 2 hours until vegetables are tender.
It is hard to plate this meal attractively but its taste more than makes up for its lack of presentation!
Suggested Serving: Serve with homemade mustard pickles and whole grain artisan bread.
