Canada Day Feast

Lucas is ready to celebrate his first Canada Day
(and his three-month birthday!)

Even though we live over 3000km away, we are still proud Canadians and will celebrate Canada Day in the hot hot Arizona sun! Good Canadian beer, ice wine, salmon, mussels, and some yummy treats, are just a few of the ways we will celebrate our great nation from afar this July 1st. Here are some of our favourite "Canadian" recipes. 

Happy Canada Day, everyone! Be safe!

Steamed Mussels 

(from PEI if possible - going for a Canadian theme, after all!)

Southwest-style, from Chef Michael Smith

5-6 lbs mussels
3 Roma tomatoes - finely chopped
1 chili pepper - minced
1 bunch of cilantro - chopped
2 limes - zested and juiced
small splash EVOO
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste
2-3 tbsp white tequila
cilantro to garnish

1. Clean and de-beard mussels. Discard any that do not close with a bit of pressure. Rinse well under cold water.
2. Toss tomatoes, pepper, cilantro, limes, EVOO, tomato paste, cumin, and salt, in a bowl until well combined (also makes a great salsa on its own).
3. In a large pot with a tight fitting lid, bring salsa and tequila to a simmer over med-high heat. Add mussels and cover with lid. Shake pot occasionally and cook until mussels have opened, about 10 minutes. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
4. Pour mussels in a large serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro.

NOTE: our "everyday" mussel recipe is much more simple - mussels, sauteed shallot and garlic, a few inches of dry white wine - steam mussels until opened (about 10min). Serve with delicious crusty bread.

Maple-Balsamic Cedar Planked Salmon

1 cedar plank - soaked in water for at least 30min
4 skinless salmon filets (about 3oz each - or one big piece of salmon)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp REAL maple syrup
aprrox 1 tbsp EVOO
1 med red onion - sliced

1. Combine vinegar, syrup, and EVOO in a shallow dish. Taste mixture to ensure it is well balanced (not too vinegary, not too sweet - this will vary based on the age of your vinegar and grade of your maple syrup). Coat salmon in mixture and marinate in fridge, 1-2 hours.
2. Preheat grill to medium- high. Remove fish from marinate - discard remaining liquid. Place fish on planks, and top with onion. Place plank or grill - grill any remaining onion directly on grill-grates. Grill until fish is flaky - about 8 minutes.
3. Use plank as your serving plate, and serve with onions next to some steamed white rice.

Butter Tarts

from Anna Olson

1 recipe of your favourite pie dough (or 12 pre-made pastry tart shells)

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup corn syrup 

1/2 cup unsalted butter - melted

2 eggs

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 cup golden raisins 

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Line each muffin cup with a piece of dough - the shells should come up about 1/2" higher than the edge of the muffin cup. Chill while preparing the filling.

2. By hand, whisk the sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a bowl until combined. Whisk in eggs, followed by vinegar and vanilla.

3. Remove dough from fridge. Add a few raisins to each cup, then cover with sugar mixture.

4. Bake tarts for 5min, then reduce temperature to 375F. Continue to bake until the tart filling begins to dome, about 20 minutes more. Cool tarts to room-temperature in tin, then gently rotate each one to loosen. Chill tarts in tin 20-30 min before removing and serving.

Other Canadian Favourites (linked):

Nanaimo Bars

Tourtiere 

Summer Salads

With summer and 40C weather in full swing here in Arizona, cool dishes are a must at our house.  Here are two delicious sides for a hot sunny day. Great for picnics, BBQs, or a quick stand-alone meal. The pasta salad recipe is from Claudio's mom, and I've been enjoying it ever since we starting dating nearly 12 years ago! It is simple, delicious, and really showcases summer-fresh tomatoes.  My potato salad is from Alton Brown, so it's a bit more complicated (requires some planning!), but as always, is worth the extra effort. And last but not least, the coleslaw is fresh, slightly tangy, and fantastic with smoked pulled pork.

Tri-colour Rotini Pasta Salad

1lb box tri-colour rotini - cooked

2 cloves garlic - minced

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered OR 4-5 vine ripe tomatoes, seeds removed and diced

1 bunch of fresh basil - chopped (approx 1/4 cup, or however a fist-full!)

1/2 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese (to taste)

EVOO

S&P

1. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, S&P, and enough EVOO to coat. Add cooked pasta and mix. 

2. Stir in basil and cheese. If salad seems dry, add EVOO. Chill overnight, or, enjoy immediately if you can't wait!

See? SUPER simple - and SUPER delicious!

Alton Brown's "Cold-Fashioned" Potato Salad

2 1/2 pounds red potatoes - peeled

3 tbsp cider vinegar

3/4 cup mayonnaise (homemade if possible)

1 tsp mustard powder

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 tbsp very thinly sliced garlic

3 tbsp fine chopped cornichons (tiny pickles)

1/4 cup small dice red onion (or 1/2 cup diced green onion)

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1.Cook potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain and place into an ice bath to cool.  Slice potatoes into rounds (an egg-slicer is makes quick work of this) and place into a zip top bag. Add the vinegar and toss to coat all of the potatoes. Place the bag into the refrigerator overnight.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, parsley, tarragon, garlic, cornichons, onions, and celery. Once evenly combined, add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Let the salad chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Easy Coleslaw

16 oz. Package of Coleslaw Mix
1/2 cup Kraft Olive Oil Mayo (or whatever is in the fridge)
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
2 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp ground mustard
1 tsp celery seed
1/8 tsp salt & pepper
2-3 tbsp chopped red onion (optional)

1. Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl.  Add in wet ingredients, and mix together.
2. Add coleslaw mix to dressing, folding in slowly until fully incorporated.