Chef Tessa

White Chocolate Liqueur

By Chef Tessa Turcotte-Novosedlik

November 10th, 2021

Ingredients:

• 4oz white chocolate
• 1/3 cup 35% cream
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup vodka

Instructions:

• In a small pot, bring the white chocolate, cream, milk, vanilla extract and sugar onto medium high heat until melted and combined. Whisk well. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Once cooled, pour into a jar and add the vodka. Shake well to combine. Refrigerate for 1-3 days prior to use.

Moroccan Couscouse

By Chef Tessa Turcotte-Novosedlik

November 3rd, 2021

Ingredients:

• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/4 raisins
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp mint, chopped
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• Heat a saucepot over medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil. Add the onions, garlic and spices. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Make sure to stir often to not burn the spices.
• Add the stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Once the stock is boiling, remove from heat and stir in the couscous. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes, or until couscous has fully absorbed the stock.
• Remove the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the almonds, raisins, apricots, chopped parsley and mint, lemon juice and zest and season with salt and peppper to taste.

Chicken, Apricot & Green Olive Tagine

By Chef Tessa Turcotte-Novosedlik

November 3rd, 2021

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp saffron threads
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 cups green olives, pitted
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, halved
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• Cooking oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• On a plate, combine the all purpose flour with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Using paper towel, pat the chicken thighs dry and then dredge in the seasoned flour. Set aside.
• Place a medium sized pot or high heat and coat the bottom with cooking oil. Once hot, place the dredged chicken thighs into the hot pan and sear until golden on all sides, approximately 1 minute per side. Remove from the pan and place onto a plate and set to the side. Turn the heat down to medium.
• Remove any excess fat from the pan., leaving behind approximately 2 tbsp of fat. Add all the spices to the pan and toast quickly, stirring constantly to ensure they do not burn, about 1 minutes. Once the spices are fragrant, add the sliced onion to the pan and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• When the onions and garlic are softened, deglaze the plan using chicken stock. Add the honey and bring the liquid up to a simmer. Once simmering, add the chicken thighs back into the pot and cover, turning the heat down slightly. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid and add the olives, apricots and lemon juice. Allow to simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning as required.

Pistachio & Rosewood Baklava

By Chef Tessa Turcotte-Novosedlik

November 3rd, 2021

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup pistachios, shelled
• 1 cup butter, unsalted
• 1 pkg Phyllo Pastry
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tsp rosewater
• 1/2 lemon, juice and zest

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• In a food processor, pulse the pistachios in 2 second intervals until coarsely ground.
• In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter and allow to cook until a white foam forms atop and the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pot. Gently remove the milk foam from the top and slowly pour the rest of the unmelted butter into a small bowl. Be careful to leave behind the milk solids that have accumulated at the bottom of the pot.
• Brush the inside of an 8x8 pan with some of the clarified butter. Set aside.
• Cut the phyllo sheets in half and cover with a lightly damp towel.
• To assemble the baklava, place 1 piece of phyllo on the bottom of the baking pan, then brush with clarified butter. Place another piece of phyllo atop and continue the process until halfway up the pan.
• Leaving 2 tbsp of pistachios behind, spread the pistachios into an even layer then continue layering the baklava with the remaining phyllo and clarified butter.
• Once fully layered, cut the baklava into 24 pieces. Brush top with clarified butter and remaining pistachio, then place into the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 45 minutes to an hour.
• While the baklava is cooking, prepare the syrup by combining the sugar and water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Allow to cook for 10 minutes and then add the rosewater as well as the lemon juice and zest. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Once the baklava is cooked, reheat the syrup and pour atop the baklava. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

By Chef Tessa Turcotte-Novosedlik

October 28th, 2021

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, roasted
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup basil
• 1 green onion
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Cooking oil

Instructions:

• Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pumpkin Seed Gnocchi with Sage Butter

By Chef Tessa Turcotte-Novosedlik

October 28th, 2021

Ingredients:

• 300g fresh pumpkin, cooked and mashed, drained for 1 hour
• 1/2 cup ricotta, full fat, hung overnight
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
• 1/3 cup parmesan, grated
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground
• 1/2 cup butter
• 8 sage leaves
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

• In a bowl, combine the pumpkin, ricotta, flour, parmesan, beaten egg and spices. Carefully mix with a wooden spoon or by hand. Depending on the moisture in the pumpkin, you may need to add a bit more flour, 1 tbsp at a time. Dough should be soft but not too sticky.
• Dust a work surface with flour, then cut the dough into 5 sections. Working one section at a time, roll out into 2/3" thick ropes, then cut into desired size. Remember, they will increase in size by 1.5x after being cooked. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, drop the gnocchi into the water.
• While the gnocchi is cooking, place a pan over medium high heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the sage leaves and turn to low, watching as to not burn the butter.
• When the gnocchi begin to float, allow to continue to cook for another 1 minute and then remove from the water. Carefully place the gnocchi in the pan with the sage butter. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat.