CELEBRATING HERITAGE DAY!
In 1974, the first Monday of August was made an official provincial holiday to recognize and celebrate the varied cultural heritage of Albertans. Businesses can choose whether or not to recognize the day as a general holiday, which most do.
The Heritage Festival held in our city of Edmonton, Alberta Canada is a three-day event to sample delicious food, see creative performances and celebrate Canada’s multiculturalism. Thousands of visitors come to enjoy the tastes, smells and sounds of different nations around the world.
Even though many people will take in the day’s events and cultural food at the festival, some choose to pack a picnic lunch and take a drive somewhere just to relax.
I am posting a seafood stromboli today that should work well with that idea.
Heritage Festival in our city of Edmonton, Alberta Canada is one of the world’s largest multicultural events, taking place every August. It features over 70 pavilions representing almost 100 countries set up in William Hawrelak Park. All ethnic minorities of Canada come together to exchange experiences, entertainment, cultures and to celebrate Canada’s diversity. Thousands of visitors come to enjoy the tastes, smells and sounds of different nations around the world.
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Everything Bagel Seafood Stromboli
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Ingredients
Everything Bagel Seasoning
Ingredients
Everything Bagel Seasoning
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Instructions
Seasoning
Mix everything bagel seasoning ingredients together & set aside.
Seafood Filling
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, mushrooms & seasonings in the oil. When onions are slightly softened, stir in shrimp & scallops. Let simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add alfredo sauce & cheese, stirring until cheese is melted. Let simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes Taste & add salt & pepper if necessary. Remove from heat & let cool for 10 minutes or until ready to use.
Dough
In large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast into water & let sit until frothy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, Italian seasoning & salt.
Stir oil into yeast mixture. Add flour & with a fork, combine into a shaggy dough. When dough is completely combined, turn dough out onto a work surface & knead dough for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Assembly/Bake
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Remove risen dough from bowl, turn onto a large piece of parchment paper. Roll dough out to about a 12" X 14" rectangle. With a straight edge, make parallel horizontal cuts in the dough at 1" intervals down both sides. Your strips should be cut in 4" from outer edge on both sides, leaving a 1" border at the top and bottom.
Leaving the pastry on the parchment, move it to an 11 3/4 x 4-inch ribbed semi-circle bread pan. The strips will now be hanging down the sides of the pan. Gently press the pastry to conform to the shape of the pan making sure your pastry comes all the way to the top of the pan at the ends.
Place filling in the pastry. Starting with the top right-hand strip of dough, fold it over the filling. Cross the top left-hand strip over the filling. Continue alternating strips to create a braided effect.
Make sure both ends are sealed well then brush the top of stromboli with egg wash & sprinkle with bagel seasoning.
Bake 45 minutes until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
• For this seafood stromboli I used a European ribbed semi-circle bread/cake pan. The size is bigger than a 9 x5-inch loaf pan so it is quite easy to fit dough/filling into it. If a ribbed pan is not available just go with the contemporary style of rolling the stromboli.
• Brush a simple egg wash over the exposed edges of the dough to help ensure the stromboli seals well & doesn’t burst open as it bakes. To fold, tuck the short sides towards the center, then fold the long side with the thinner border towards the side with the wider border. Aim to fold the stromboli twice, creating 3 layers.
• Once assembled, carefully transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg wash for a golden finish, then place in the oven. Be sure to rest the baked stromboli a few minutes before slicing & serving!
Tuscan food is based on the Italian idea of cucina povera or ‘poor cooking.’ A concept that started very literally. It’s about meals traditionally hearty and made with simple ingredients that are inexpensive and could easily be made in large amounts – with bread, beans and roasted meats serving as the base of most traditional Tuscan meals. Today it remains largely the same – but by choice instead of economy.
Tuscan cooking doesn’t use complicated seasonings or elaborate creations because they’re not needed. Instead, it’s made using fresh, high-quality ingredients that bring out the natural flavors in each dish, simple or not.
In Italy there is only regional Italian food. Each region offers delicious and unique dishes based on its long history and location. Tuscany’s world-renowned food is no exception! Famous for its local produce and meat and its simplicity and seasonal foods.
Today’s recipe features an easy technique for pork roasted inside a baguette with wonderful fresh herbs and of course garlic and olive oil.
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Pork Roasted Tuscan Style
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Instructions
On a work surface, mince the sage, rosemary. In a small dish combine with thyme leaves, crushed fennel, pepper, garlic, salt. Add Dijon mustard to mixture .
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Slather the entire pork with the Dijon mustard mixture.
Cut the baguette in half the long way & minimally scoop out the soft insides. Brush the inside of the baguette with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Place the pork on the inside of the baguette so that the pork is completely enclosed. Tie the baguette, at 1-to 2-inch intervals, with kitchen string.
Preheat an oven to 375 F. Place the pork on a baking sheet roast until done, 148 F. on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let rest 10 minutes. Remove the strings & cut into slices. Serve.
Recipe Notes
Try to get a baguette (or French loaf) that is fairly round and not too flat in the middle because the bread has to ‘hug’ the pork as much as possible. Also try to scoop out as little bread as possible since that was the best part.
I made a thin pork gravy to serve with this meal. It made it real tasty!
The concept of the ‘rice bowl’ in restaurants, referring to a bowl of rice topped with various ingredients, is not attributed to a single individual or restaurant. It’s a concept with deep historical roots and although it’s hard to say exactly where and when rice bowls first appeared, it’s widely believed that they originated in Japan and made their way through Korea, China, and later other parts of Asia.
These dishes, featuring rice topped with ingredients, have been enjoyed for centuries. The modern ‘bowl’ trend, however, has been influenced by various culinary traditions and the increasing popularity of customizable and convenient meal options.
A rice bowl marries simplicity with versatility, a celebration of flavor and creativity. Rice bowls can be as straightforward or as elaborate as one chooses to make them. The ingredients are usually cooked and seasoned, providing a balanced and flavorful meal.
This shrimp bowl is quick and easy to prepare, making it an ideal choice for a busy weeknight dinner or a hearty, nourishing lunch. The shrimp is marinated in Mexican spices and fresh lime juice, then cooked and served with rice and fresh veggies. Brion & I just love this meal!
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Shrimp Rice Bowl
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Instructions
Shrimp Marinade
Start by marinating shrimp. Add the oil, lime juice, spices & cilantro to a medium bowl. Pat shrimp dry, then add them to the marinade & toss to fully coat. Cover & marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Dressing
In a small blender, whisk all dressing ingredients together until creamy. Set aside.
Other Ingredients
Cook rice according to package directions & divide between 2 serving bowls.
In a microwave steam dish, cook shucked corn ear for 7 minutes. If you wish, at this point, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan & sauté corn cob for a few minutes until golden on all sides. Allow corn to cool & then cut corn off the cob. This step is purely up to you.
Dice red onion, slice green onion, slice olives (if using), halve cherry tomatoes, slice avocado & grate cheese (if using).
To cook shrimp, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat (no oil needed). When it's hot, add the shrimp to the skillet in an even layer & cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, flip & cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. The shrimp will turn an opaque & pink color when its done. Remove the shrimp from the heat & stir to fully coat it in any sauces that are in the pan.
Assemble Bowls
Top the rice in each serving bowl with shrimp, corn, avocado, onions, cherry tomatoes, olives & sprinkle with cheese. Drizzle with prepared dressing & serve.
Recipe Notes
• There are numerous bottled dressings that would be suitable if you prefer not to make your own such as Cilantro Ranch.
Most people think of any creamy soup when they hear the word bisque, but it really refers to seafood soup. It originated in France in the region of Brittany, which is known for its seafood. The word ‘bisque’ comes from the Bay of Biscay —a gulf that lies off Europe’s west coast, bordering between France and Spain.
Authentic recipes for bisque actually ground the shells of the crustacean into a fine paste, using that to thicken the soup. Nowadays, it is more common to use flour or rice as a thickener. Although a bisque and a chowder are both cream-based soups and most often feature seafood, it is their consistency that defines them and makes them quite different from each other. Whereas a bisque is smooth, a chowder is chunky, chock full of hearty pieces of ingredients such as potato and clams or corn. We also see bacon as an important ingredient in a chowder when it would not be featured in a bisque.
The first reference to bisque as a soup dates back to the 17th century. It was originally a fisherman’s dish designed to extract the most flavor from whatever seafood ingredients were readily available. So, while today bisque is often considered a ‘fancy’ soup, its humble origins lie in practicality and resourcefulness.
Today’s bisque recipe is a simplified procedure using prepared broth but still gives you the depth of taste and the sumptuous, creamy consistency that makes it a wonderful choice on a cool day.
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Crab & Shrimp Seafood Bisque
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Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery & carrot until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic & cook for an additional minute.
Stir in tomato paste, paprika, Old Bay seasoning & season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Sprinkle flour over the mixture, stirring until well combined. Cook for another minute.
Gradually add broth, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Puree the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, or transfer to a standard blender in batches.
Mix in the heavy cream & simmer for 10 more minutes, until slightly thickened.
Add crab meat & shrimp. Simmer for 5 minutes or until seafood is heated through, keeping the heat low to avoid curdling the cream.
Adjust seasoning with salt & black pepper if needed.
Serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs.
Cherries are one of the quintessential fruits of summer. Sour cherries have a unique tartness, giving them an added dimension of cherry flavor wherever you use them. And, unlike their sweet counterparts, they come in a variety of different shades. Sour cherries hold their authentic cherry flavor throughout a high heat cooking process, making them the ideal choice for baked goods or jams.
Pies, crumbles and crisps are the perfect canvas for fresh sour cherries—the buttery pastry and/or oat topping helps cut the fruit’s pungent acidity.
Sour cherries have less sugar than sweet cherries and that’s a good thing because their high acidity brings a bright, vivid flavor while their sugars will concentrate as you cook them. Once cooked, they’ll taste sweeter. When you bake with sweet cherries, the sugar is so high without acidity to balance it out, so the flavor is one-note, and sometimes too sweet.
The bright, vivid flavor of sour cherries complements many other flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, and cinnamon.
This sour cherry crisp is an easy way to let this fleeting seasonal ingredient shine.
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Sour Cherry Crisp
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Instructions
Filling
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In a saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, juice & cornstarch. Make sure the cornstarch is well dispersed. Place saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until bubbly & thickened. Pour the cherry filling into a greased 8 X 8-inch baking dish.
Topping
In a bowl, combine oats, flour & brown sugar. Using a fork, mix in the softened butter until crumbly.
Assembly
Sprinkle the oat topping over the cherries & bake 30 minutes or until topping is a golden color.
Serve at room temperature with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream if you wish.
A calzone is a savory Italian turnover. It traditionally consists of a cheesy filling in a leavened dough and is served with marinara sauce on the side. The calzone originated in Naples in the 18th century.
The best results come when the filling is not too moist because it can make the dough soggy. Like with a stir-fry, it is also better to have a filling where the ingredients are broken down into bite-size pieces, so the filling is easy to eat.
There is nothing better this time of year than fresh corn and tomatoes. This easy corn, tomato & bacon calzone is the perfect way to celebrate fresh summer produce! Don’t overload the filling with ingredients; make your point with a mixture of a few simple flavors then load it with cheese!
Eating vegetables during their seasons really gives you the best flavors.
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Summer Calzones w/ Corn, Tomatoes & Bacon
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Ingredients
Filling
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ears corn, husked & kernels cut from cobs
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 large mushrooms, sliced & sauteed
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper to taste
- 125 gm ricotta cheese
- 150 gm (about 1 1/2 cups) monterey jack cheese, grated
- Cornmeal for sprinkling, optional
- Marinara sauce, for serving
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ears corn, husked & kernels cut from cobs
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 large mushrooms, sliced & sauteed
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper to taste
- 125 gm ricotta cheese
- 150 gm (about 1 1/2 cups) monterey jack cheese, grated
- Cornmeal for sprinkling, optional
- Marinara sauce, for serving
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Instructions
Dough
In a large bowl, place lukewarm water, honey & yeast; allow to stand for a few minutes until frothy. In another bowl, flour & salt.
When yeast is ready, add the 2 Tbsp of oil. Add flour, mixing with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a work surface & knead dough for about 5-8 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough ball in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place until doubled in size while you prepare filling.
Filling
In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan & set aside to drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
To the bacon drippings, add the mushrooms, shallot & garlic. Sauté over medium heat for a few minutes then add the corn, red pepper flakes & a pinch of salt & pepper.
Cook for a few minutes then add the halved cherry tomatoes & basil. Cook, stirring frequently, for a couple minutes. You want the tomatoes to just warm through, not to completely break down. Stir in the crisped bacon & remove the pan from the heat so the mixture can cool to room temperature.
Assembly/Baking
On a lightly greased work surface, divide the risen dough into 8 even balls. Roll each ball into an OVAL shape, about 7 x 6-inch size. Divide filling into 8 portions.
On each oval, spoon a couple tablespoons of the ricotta in a straight line on the middle of the dough. Next, spoon a couple tablespoons of the corn-tomato filling on top of the ricotta. Finally, add about 2-3 tablespoons of grated Monterey Jack cheese.
Keep one side free & cut the other side of the dough into thin strips using a knife. Fold the uncut side over the filling first, then continue rolling over the cut side.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper & place the ‘calzones’ on it, curving them into a C shape. (Place the side with the ‘strips’ curving to the outside). Brush calzones lightly with egg wash, sprinkle with cornmeal if you wish. Cover with plastic wrap & allow to rise for about 20 minutes.
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Bake for 25 minutes or until the dough is golden and crisp and the filling is gooey. Allow to cool slightly before serving with warmed marinara sauce.
Roasted salmon with honey-tart cherry salsa is popular because it perfectly balances the naturally bold, rich flavor of salmon with a vibrant, sweet-and-sour glaze. The sweet honey, zesty fruit, and savory roasted fish offer a gourmet-quality restaurant feel that is incredibly easy to make at home.
About 13 years ago, Brion and I planted a ‘Cupid’ cherry tree in our back yard. I don’t know if you have ever heard about these ‘prairie’ cherry trees. They were developed here in Canada at the University of Saskatchewan for colder climates. A sour cherry was cross pollinated with a Mongolian cherry. This resulted in a variety of very hardy, smaller trees with a tart-sweet cherry about the size of the well-known ‘Bing’ variety. A group of five cherry trees were developed and became known as the ‘Romance’ series.
We chose this particular one because it is an early bloomer with large, dark red cherries that are both sweet and slightly astringent. The fruit matures in late August -early September with about a three-week harvest period. The tree size is perfect as it matures to around eight feet tall. In the fall its glossy green leaves turn into a beautiful yellow orange.
I personally like using these cherries for cooking and baking as opposed to eating them fresh. The sweet/tart flavor lends itself so well to numerous recipes. Over the years, I have come to really enjoy the flavor of chutneys. The flavor and gorgeous color of the cherries made a real nice ‘chutney’ for this roasted salmon.
Since this year’s crop is not ready yet I see no reason not to use some of the frozen ones I have left from last year.
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Roasted Salmon w/ Honey-Tart Cherry Salsa
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Instructions
Salsa
In a medium bowl, stir together the ingredients for the salsa until well combined. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Salmon
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil.
Rinse the salmon filets under cool water & pat dry with a paper towel. Arrange on the baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cherry juice & honey. Spread half of the mixture over the salmon filets, reserving the second half.
Bake for 15-17 minutes until just about cooked through. Drizzle the second half of the tart cherry-honey mixture over the filets & bake for an additional 2-3 minutes until slightly golden at the edges.
Serve the salmon filets with roasted potatoes & a green salad, if you wish, with the tart cherry salsa on top.
The BLT pizza is a variation of the classic BLT sandwich, which is made with bacon, lettuce, and tomato, and is often served on toast.
The BLT is believed to have originated in the U.S. restaurant industry in the 1940s, when waitstaff used the initials ‘BLT’ as shorthand to convey orders to the kitchen.
The BLT pizza is made with the same ingredients as the BLT sandwich, but with the addition of pizza dough and cheese. Some pizza places add a top layer of crust to make the pizza more like a sandwich.
You’ve likely eaten naan bread at some time. The tasty Indian flatbread is traditionally cooked in the tandoor, carries a slight smoky aroma, and has a soft texture with pillow-like pockets studded over the top. Puffed flatbread has the power to move beyond a dinner accompaniment. It’s worthy of a role far better — like actually being the main course.
It proves to be super versatile — naan is soft and sturdy enough to take the place of bread, thin enough to be used as a flatbread or pizza dough, and pliable enough to work as a tortilla. It can be soaked, baked, fried, and folded to take on some surprising and delicious forms such as French toast, savory bread pudding, paninis, nachos or even as a dessert naan bread with bananas, strawberries & chocolate.
Ever since Brion & I got ‘tuned in’ to savory naan bread pizzas, we love them no matter what the topping is. Using Smoky Bacon Mayo on the naan bread is such an added bonus in the allover flavor. This BLT Pizza will remind you of the classic Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich that we all love, just in pizza format!
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BLT Naan Bread Pizza
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Instructions
Cook bacon in a skillet or in the microwave until slightly crispy. Drain on paper towel. Chop & set aside.
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On a small foil lined baking pan place halved tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt & pepper & drizzle with golden Italian dressing. Place in oven & roast until starting to soften. Remove from oven.
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Spread top side of each naan bread with a generous amount of Smoky Bacon mayo. Sprinkle each with chopped bacon then transfer partially roasted tomatoes on top of bacon. Sprinkle each with Italian seasoning & salt & pepper to taste.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet & place in the oven for about 10 minutes to heat everything through & finish roasting the tomatoes.
Remove from oven & sprinkle baby arugula over pizzas then drizzle with ranch dressing. Serve immediately.
July is such a wonderful month. The weather’s warm, there’s still plenty of summer left, and the produce is literally amazing.
Midsummer means the farmer’s markets are brimming with great fruit & veggies. With such a colorful bounty of goods, we can settle into our summer cooking routines with tasty meals hot or cold.
But, even in summer, we sometimes crave ‘comfort food’ such as a savory hand pie. The humble hand pie goes by many different names: call it a pasty, a turnover, an empanada, or whatever you like, who doesn’t love a little portable personal-sized savory pie?
These hand pies, with their tender, flaky, herbed crust perfectly envelop the creamy chicken and summer veggies. A flavorful meal that can be served as the main course for a warm-weather picnic or for a hand-held, backyard meal with the addition of a nice fresh salad at home.
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Summer Chicken/Veg Hand Pies w/ Herbed Crust
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Instructions
Herbed Crust
Add the flour, sugar, basil, oregano & salt to a food processor; pulse just until combined. In a small bowl, whisk mix together the egg, vinegar & water. Add the cold butter pieces into the food processor; pulse until small coarse crumbs remain. Sprinkle the water/egg mixture over the flour & pulse again until the dough comes together.
Remove the dough with your hands & wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Prepare filling during this time.
Filling
Heat a Dutch oven or pot over medium high heat; add the olive oil & butter. Season the chicken with the salt & pepper then add it to the pot. Cook until the chicken is golden & browned, then remove it with a spoon & place it in a bowl.
Add the 3 tablespoons of butter to the pot with the onion. Sprinkle in a bit more salt & pepper. Stir, then cook the onions until slightly soft, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add the potatoes & stir, cooking for another 5 minutes; stirring often. Sprinkle the flour over the onions & potatoes; stir gently to create somewhat of a roux with the vegetables. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Slowly stream the chicken stock into the pot while stirring – it will thicken. Stir in the squash, green beans, corn and chicken. Stir in the cream. Taste the mixture and season with salt & pepper if needed.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Remove pastry from refrigerator & place on a baking sheet or board. Invert a 5-inch bowl over top to create your outline of each hand pie. Press down to cut out.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place rounds of pastry on the parchment & brush around the outer edge of each pastry circle.
Distribute the filling in the center of each pastry circle (don't fill to the edge; leave some space). You want enough filling in there, but not too much that you can't close/seal over.
Fold over each pastry circle (so each is a half-moon shape), pressing the outer edges with a fork to seal. You can gently press over top (with your hand) to spread out the filling inside.
Brush the hand pies with some of the remaining egg wash. Cut 3 slits in top of each pastry circle. Place them in the fridge for about 10 minutes so the pastry gets a little cold again.
Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until they're golden brown and crispy on the outside & heated through. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving. Nothing says they can't be served with a little gravy (if desired)!
Recipe Notes
- You may get anywhere from 6-8 hand pies depending how thick your dough is rolled.
