Recipes

Roasted Venison Backstrap with Juniper, Preserved Berry Jus and Wild Mushrooms

By Chef Deniz Tarakcioglu

December 3rd, 2020

Ingredients:

• 2 x 10oz venison backstrap steaks (tenderloin)
• 20mL juniper
• 5mL cloves
• 5mL black pepper
• 5mL allspice
• 10mL herbs de provence
• 200mL frozen or canned blackberries
• 20mL dark bitter chocolate
• 50mL demi glacé
• 50mL red wine
• 50mL parsley chopped
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• 1lbs wild mushrooms
• 100mL butter
• 20mL sherry vinegar
• 10mL maple syrup
• 2 shallots chopped fine

Instructions:

• Season the steaks generously with salt and rest for 10 minutes. Toast the spices in a pan on low heat, and blitz to a coarse powder. Season the steaks generously with the rub.
• Heat up a medium size skillet, sear the tenderloins on medium heat and cook approximately 3 minutes per side, or the internal temperature is 125F, or more if desired.
• Rest the steaks for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
• In the same pan, sauté the shallots until translucent with half the butter and thyme, add the cleaned mushrooms and cook further 2 minutes until they are lightly brown.
• Deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar and maple syrup, reduce until evaporated. Transfer the mushrooms on a plate and keep warm. Return to same pan, add redone, reduce by half, add berries, cook for 2 minutes until wilted, add demi glacé, rest of the butter and finely grated dark chocolate. Simmer until shiny, correct seasoning. Add the parsley, return the steaks to the pan. Coat in sauce, serve with extra jus and mushrooms.

This recipe was originally part of a series feature on Slow Cooking in the winter months. Check out the link below to Angie's feature on CBC Vancouver where you can hear her talk about today's feature recipe, and get a few bonus recipes besides. This throw-back memory was also the start of our Asian Lettuce Wraps, which we now sell as a low-carb filling options in our Gourmet to Go freezer!

Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup with Thai Red Curry

By Angie Quaale

Originally Shared: November 05, 2015 on the CBC Vancouver feature: The season for Slow Cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ¼ cup mild Thai red curry paste (adjust quantity if you are using a hot curry paste)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped
• 1 can best quality coconut cream
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
• ½ long red chili, thinly sliced (optional)
• fresh lime wedges

Instructions:

• In a small frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic. Add the curry paste. Cook until the onions are translucent, add brown sugar & fish sauce. Stir to combine.
• Transfer to a slow cooker and add the stock, coconut milk – stir to combine. Add the cauliflower and simmer for 4-6 hours over medium heat.
• Purée with a hand blender. Ladle into serving dishes and garnish with a squeeze of fresh lime, cilantro and a few red chilies if you like it spicy!

Johnston's Pork Chop Parmesan with Charred Rapini, Chilies, and Anchovies

By Chef Deniz Tarakcioglu

November 26th, 2020

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 2 x 12-16oz Johnston's pork chops, lightly pounded to 3/4 inch thick.
• 300ml tomato sauce (see other recipe)
• 200gr buffalo mozzarella
• 10 basil leaves
• 100ml grated parmesan reggiano
• 1 bunch rapini
• 2 serrano chili, sliced
• 1 small can anchovies, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, puréed
• 1 lemon

Instructions:

• Heat your oven up to 450F.
• Season both pork chops liberally with kosher salt and rest for 10 minutes.
• Heat up a large heavy pan, or a grill grate. Sear the pork on both sides, 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a rack.
• Toss the cleaned rapini in a bowl with light drizzle of olive oil. Char on the grill grate or a dry hot pan until cooked around 3-4 minutes.
• In a small sauce pan fry the anchovies with garlic and chillies. Toss the rapini with anchovy mix and squeeze of 1 lemon.
• Ladle the tomato sauce over the pork chops, put pieces of torn mozzarella, and dust with parmesan.
• Turn your broiler on high and broil until cheese is melted and everything is bubbly and golden brown. Serve with rapini.

Fresh Chorizo Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Mint, and Yogurt

By Chef Deniz Tarakcioglu

November 26th, 2020

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 1.5lbs Johnston's fatty ground pork
• 10 cloves garlic ,minced
• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 can whole tomatoes
• 5 sprigs of basil
• 1 serrano chili, sliced thin
• 10 mint leaves
• 200ml thick yogurt

Instructions:

• Put all the spices, half the garlic and meat in to a large bowl and mix until homogenous.
• Rest at least 2 hours and roll into 1/2’’ diameter balls. In a medium sauce pan heat up 50ml extra virgin olive oil. Fry serrano and garlic until light brown and fragrant. Add basil leaves fry 30 seconds further. Add the hand crushed tomatoes and reduce on high heat until it starts spitting around 20 minutes. Fry the meatballs in a separate pan. Pour half the hot tomato sauce over and simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with yogurt and mint, serve with bread on the side.

This chili is delicious, warm, and satisfying.

Please note: we couldn't find a picture that accurately describes how delicious chili turns out! If you wanted to share your picture with us, we'd love to see it - but please do not compare your meal to our stock photo - yours is going to look much better :) - Kay.

Chipotle Peanut Pork Chili

By Angie Quaale

November 22, 2020

Ingredients:

• 1 pork tenderloin
• Olive Oil, for cooking
• 1 small Onion
• 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 1 14oz. (398 mL) can Diced Tomatoes
• 2 cups Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 cup All Natural Peanut Butter
• 1-2 Chipotles in abodo, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Steamed Rice, to serve

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 350F.
• In an over-proof skillet at medium-high heat, brown the pork tenderloin well in a drizzle of olive oil. Put skillet in oven, and roast for 15-20 minutes (or until just cooked through).
• In a medium pot, cook the onion and garlic in another drizzle of oil at medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until translucent.
• Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, peanut butter, chipotles, cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Slice the pork tenderloin, about 1/4" thick, and add to the pot. Serve over rice.

Spicy Devilled Eggs With Dungeness Crab And Espelette Pepper

By Chef Deniz Tarakcioglu

November 19th, 2020

Ingredients:

• 8 large green range eggs
• 200ml freshly picked crab meat
• 15ml espelette pepper
• 2 stalks of green onions
• 20ml chopped tarragon
• 10ml chili flakes
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 clove of garlic, zested
• 50ml mayonnaise
• 15ml dijon mustard, grainy
• 50ml salmon roe

Instructions:

• Boil the eggs in a large pot for 7 minutes.
• Transfer into an ice bath or cool them under running water. Peel, scoop the yolks out and reserve.
• In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, crab, espelette, tarragon, chili flakes, yolks, lemon zest and juice, mustard. Season to taste. Pipe back into egg white halves, garnish with roe and green onions.