Recipes

Chèvre and asparagus really should get married! They are the perfect couple.

Asparagus and Herb Chèvre Risotto

From: Eating Local in the Fraser Valley, by Angie Quaale. "This recipe tastes like spring to me. The rich earthiness of the asparagus pairs so well with the slightly acidic tang of the fresh Chevrolet. This is delicious served on its own as a main course or with a green salad. As a side dish, it can really class up simple oven roasted chicken. It’s recipe I’ve been serving variations of four years. Once you have the technique for A great risotto you can really customize the flavours to highlight seasonal ingredients like these or local mushrooms in the fall. Don’t be afraid to experiment with this dish. - Angie."

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock*
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil*
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice*
• One tub (6 oz) Milner Valley herb Chèvre*
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan*
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
• Salt and pepper

*Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
2. In a sauté pan of salted boiling water, blanch the asparagus until the spears are fork-tender. With a set of tongs, transfer the spears to the ice water to stop the cooking immediately. Once the asparagus has cooled, cut the tips off and reserve for later. Chop the spears into 3/4 inch pieces and reserve.
3. In a medium sauce pan, bring the stock to a simmer over medium heat.
4. In a large heavy bottomed sauté pan, place 2 tablespoons of the butter, the vegetable oil, and the onions and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add the rice to the sauce pan. Stir to coat it well. Add a ladleful of warm stock and stir with a wooden spoon to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When the liquid is evaporated, add another ladleful of stock, repeating until the grains of rice lose their chalky centres and are firm yet tender, about 25 minutes.
5. Stir in the chèvre and add the asparagus stalks. When the risotto is done (it should be soft yet still slightly al dente), about another 8 minutes, turn off the heat. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then the asparagus tips, Parmesan, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the risotto to a serving platter and serve immediately.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Spiced Guinness Banana Bread

Hearty and delicious (and just the excuse you needed so you can enjoy beer for breakfast).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice*
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom*
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves*
• 2 cups Guinness
• 2 cups broken walnuts, toasted
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chocolate chips*
• 1 tablespoon chopped, candied ginger*
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl cream the brown sugar, banana, eggs, vanilla and oil; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt & spices.
4. Alternately blend the flour mixture and the beer into the creamed mixture.
5. Stir in the walnuts, raisins, chocolate chips, and candied ginger to the mixture and blend well. Pour into the prepared pans.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.
7. Leave in pan for 15 minutes to cool before turning out to cool completely on rack.

Tuck into this yummy recipe for lunch or dinner.

Brie, Pear & Onion Strudel on a Bed of Designer Greens

This yummy recipe is like a warm, comforting hug when it's cold out. It plates beautifully too so it's a great recipe for a dinner party!

Ingredients

• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Sugar
• ¼ cup Walnuts, chopped, toasted
• 2 tbsp dried Cranberries, chopped
• ½ package Puff Pastry*
• 2 tsp dijon Mustard*
• 4 oz Brie Cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 Pear, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 8 cups Mesclun mix
• 3 tbsp Oil, walnut or olive*
• 4 tsp Cider Vinegar*
• ¼ tsp Sugar
• 1 pinch Salt*
• 1 pinch Pepper*
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C)
2. In large skillet heat oil over medium heat; cook onion and sugar, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden and softened, about 20 minutes. Stir in walnuts and cranberries.
3. Set aside.
4. On lightly floured surface roll out puff pastry into 12- x -9 inch (30 x 23 cm) rectangle; spread mustard lengthwise along third of pastry. Spoon onion mixture over mustard; top with cheese and pear.
5. Starting at corner of 1 long edge of pastry, make diagonal cuts, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart almost to filling. Repeat on other side in opposite direction alternating strips from side to side fold over filling to resemble braid, brushing each strip with some of the egg to secure. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet.
6. Bake in 450° F (230º C) oven for about 25 minutes or until pastry is golden and pear is tender. Let cool slightly.(Make ahead: Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature for up to 4 hours; reheat to serve) Cut into 8 slices.
7. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour over greens and toss to coat.
8. Divide among 8 plates; top each with strudel.

Inspired by Bon Appetite in Nov.’09, here is our take on a fabulous Brussel Sprout Slaw

Brussels Sprout Slaw with Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette and Maple Pecans

Get ready to wow your guests with this fantastic, vegetarian dish!

Ingredients (slaw):

• 1 cup pecan halves*
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup*
• salt & pepper
1 ½ lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed

Ingredients (dressing):

• ¼ cup grainy mustard*
• 2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar*
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• ¼ cup Well Seasoned Cooking Oil *
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and drizzle with maple syrup; stir around with a spoon to coat them well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 5 minutes; stir and bake them for another 5 minutes, until the syrup is thick and glaze-like. Remove from the oven and spread the nuts on a piece of foil or a plate to cool.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the Brussels sprouts for 5 minutes; drain and run under cool water. Shake off any excess water and run the sprouts through a food processor with a 1/8″-1/4″ slicing disk, or patiently cut them all thinly by hand. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. In a bowl or jar, shake or whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Toss the Brussels sprouts with as much dressing as you like; let marinate for about an hour. Right before serving, add the pecans.

There are a lot of butternut squash recipes online, but this one is definitely worth bookmarking! Skip the brown sugar and pick up some maple sugar for this dish!

Candied Butternut Squash

The maple sweetness paired with the sweet tang of the marmalade combined with the spicy tang of ginger makes for a deliciously, comforting dinner. You're gonna be adding it to your permanent fall/winter menu rotation!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. Orange Marmalade *
• 1/3 cup Sugar, granulated (regular)
• 1 tbsp. fresh Ginger, minced and peeled
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Paste *
• Pinch of ground Cloves *
• 2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 4 cups Butternut Squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tbsp. Maple sugar *
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Put marmalade, both sugars, ginger, vanilla, cloves, and lemon juice in a large, wide pot. Stir in 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve marmalade and sugars.
2. Add squash, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and partially cover pot. Gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 35 minutes. Uncover, and cook until liquid is syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

• Note: Squash can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week. Before serving, reheat over medium-low heat.

We've been on a bit of a homemade soup and a squash kick lately! We also recommend you try our Candied Butternut Squash recipe!

Silky Thai Coconut Squash Soup

This recipe is delicious - so easy, so satisfying and a great way to use up a squash you've maybe had hanging around for a while! 

Ingredients (slaw):

• 3 whole shallots
• 1 ½ lbs. butternut squash, peeled and trimmed
• 2 cups canned coconut milk
• 2 cups chicken stock*
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• sea salt*
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• black pepper to taste
• *Available from Well Seasoned

Instructions:

1. Peel and chop the shallots and set aside. Peel and cut the squash into 1” chunks.
2. In a stock pot, gently sauté the shallots in the oil just until translucent. Add the squash and stir to combine. Add the coconut milk & broth and simmer over medium heat until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and cook for another 3 minutes. Taste for salt and add a little more fish sauce if you like. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender, add the cilantro and puree in small batches until silky smooth.
4. The soup can be served immediately, but has even more flavour if left to stand for an hour. Re-heat just before serving. And, this soup freezes really well.