Cooking Club II - Canadian Food

The first official meeting of Cooking Club II (with actual cooking) occurred on Feb. 25 at my place. We now have 6 members and the kitchen was quite busy. In CC II, the members are so darn organised! Maybe it is because we were trying to impress each other.

I was able to try soy fish for the first time and it was wonderful! I left some leftovers for my husband and it was the soy fish that he liked best as well (though he did think that it was chicken). Overall the meeting was a great success, good food and fun were had by all.

Lisa - Brie, Apple & Walnut Phyllo Triangles

Suzanne - Pistachio Crusted Atlantic Salmon (recipe below)

Christine - Potato Crusted Soy Fish (see her blog for changes in the recipe)

Jillian - Pork Tenderloin with Scallops and Blueberry Beer Sauce (recipe below)

Danielle - Wild Rice Pilaf with Butternut Squash and Dried Cranberries

Jordana - Homestyle Tarte Tatin (recipe below)

Pistachio Crusted Atlantic Salmon

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
2 tsp hot horseradish
3/4 cup fresh whole-grain bread crumbs (to make: break 1 large piece of multigrain bread into chunks and place in a food processor or mini chopper. pulse on and off until soft crumbs are formed).
1/3 cup shelled pistachios
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 fresh, skinless salmon fillets, about 6 oz (170 g) each and 1-inch thick

2 tsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a shallow baking pan with cooking spray and set aside (or just line a pan with tin foil, if you are cooking fish with skin on).

In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, mustard and horseradish. Set aside. Using a food processor or mini chopper, grind pistachios until finely ground but not powdery. Transfer to a medium bowl and add fresh bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir gently using a fork. Add olive oil mixture and stir again, just until crumb mixture is moistened (like you're making a crust for a cheesecake).

Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle fish lightly with salt and pepper. Place in baking pan. Press 1/4 crumb mixture on top of each fish fillet. Drizzle tops with melted butter.

Bake on middle oven rack for about 15 mins, depending on thickness of fish. Be careful not to overcook the fish. Turn on the broiler and broil for 1 minute. Crumbs should be golden brown and fish should flake easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

Medallions of Pork with Nova Scotia Scallops and Blueberries

(from The Taste of Nova Scotia Cookbook, C. Lief and H. MacKenzie)

1 T shallots

1 tsp butter

1 cup blueberries, mashed

3 T sugar

1 cup Nova Scotia beer (Keiths)

1 cup vegetable stock, thickened with 1 Tbsp cornstarch

salt and pepper

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 Tbsp butter

2 lbs pork tenderloin

24 scallops

Saute shallots in butter, add mashed blueberries and sugar and bring to a boil. Stir in beer, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add stock and cook for several more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and gradually blend in cream.

Cut pork into medallions around 1 inch thick. Pound between sheets of wax paper until 1/2 thin. Saute pork medallions in butter for 5 minutes; add scallops and continue to saute an additional 5 minutes. Pour blueberry sauce, then top with scallops and pork.

Homestyle Tarte Tatin

From Bonnie Stern’s Essentials of Homecooking (page 183)
Recipe adapted by Jordana who is not a baker

Ingredients:
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup butter
10 apples peeled, cored and sliced (I used Granny Smith)
375 grams of puff pastry (about ¾ of a package of Tenderflake defrosted)
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Sprinkle ¾ cup sugar over bottom of a 10 or 12 inch nonstick ovenproof skillet. Cook on medium-high until sugar melts and turns golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not stir once sugar has dissolved. Add butter and melt.

2. Add apples and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 to 15 minuets, or until apples are tender and almost all liquid has evaporated. Do not stir very much or apples may break. Liquid in pan should be very syrupy. Cook to room temperature.

3. Roll pastry into an 11 or 13 inch circle. Place over apples. Cut out a few team slits and tuck edges of pastry inside pan.

4. Brush with egg and sprinkle with 2 tbsp sugar. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until browned.

5. While pie is hot, run a knife inside edge of pastry and invert onto a large serving plate.