Madame Monaco's Moreish Menus and Morsels

Veal and Hot Capicollo Lasagna

2011-09-07T19:30:00.002-04:00

My life is in transition so I have not had the chance to post in a while. I've recently moved to New Hampshire after accepting a librarian position here. Many resumes and interviews later, I was offered a job and moved in the space of a week. Currently, I am going back and forth between NH and Quebec, as my husband is still living in QC. Weekends are now spent in QC and the week is spent in NH. We have a lot to iron out - selling a house and processing his immigration paperwork to start. I'm still thinking over what to do with this blog as I am technically no longer living in Quebec. It's time for New Hampshire and I am more than ready to get on with life in these gorgeous mountains.

Before I left I made my husband something I knew he would love to eat for the week. This lasagna is inspired by one his mother typically serves as a first course. Mrs. Monaco makes this with ground beef and capicollo, but I’ve taken some liberties. The veal at the grocery store looked so fresh and my husband loves veal, so I've used veal instead of beef. Veal lasagna is typically made with a white sauce, such as bechamel, but I prefer the red sauce.

Ingredients
1 ½ pounds/680 grams ground, lean veal
4.4 ounces/125 grams hot capicollo ham
1 yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
3.5 ounces/100 grams carrots
10 fresh basil leaves (plus more for optional garnish)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
22.8 ounces/675 milliliters passata (strained tomatoes, tomato puree)
Pinch of black pepper
12 whole-wheat, oven-ready lasagna noodles
15 ounces/425 grams whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
8 ounces/226 grams (ball) of fresh mozzarella, sliced
2 small handfuls of grated Romano cheese

Brown the veal over medium heat in a large pot. Drain and reserve the excess oil. Set aside the cooked veal.

In a food processor, pulse the ham, onion, garlic, carrots, and basil until finely chopped or do it by hand with a knife.

In the same pot, sauté the ham mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes, to soften. Add the tablespoon of olive oil if needed or use some of the oil from the veal. Pour in the passata and add a pinch of black pepper. Stir well to combine and heat the entire mixture.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a 9x13 lasagna dish, layer the ingredients by spreading a large spoonful of the sauce on the bottom. Place 4 lasagna noodles side by side on top of the sauce. Dollop the ricotta over the noodles and spread evenly. Add a layer of sauce, then noodles, then ricotta, sauce, and noodles. Finish with remaining sauce and top with the sliced mozzarella and the handfuls of Romano.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover the lasagna in the last 10 minutes of cooking to brown/melt the cheese.

Optional: Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.

Serves 8

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

Chicken and Poblano Fajitas

2011-08-10T12:30:00.016-04:00

While browsing through the small Mexican market above Chipotle and Jalapeno restaurant on Amherst in Montreal, I smelled the most wonderful smoky scent coming from a small package of brown chipotles. These are red jalapenos that have been smoked then dried. They add a really intriguing flavor to Mexican dishes.

I bought them whole and then processed the entire pod with the seeds in my coffee/spice grinder to have powder readily available. Brown chipotles can be bought online or try to find them in a small Mexican market, as I did.

The agave, lime and salt will help to bring out the other flavors in the dish. I’ve used poblano peppers instead of bell peppers in these fajitas to add a little something different. Poblano peppers don’t have a lot of heat, but you can get the rare one that has a small bite. I've never been opposed to a little chili pepper roulette.

This can be served on its own in tortillas or over rice. For more flavors, add shredded or crumbled cheese and/or my quick guacamole or either of my salsas: fresca or garlic and oregano.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 pound of chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1 tablespoon brown chipotle powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 poblano peppers, sliced
1 white onion, sliced
2 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of water
Juice from ½ of a lime
1 teaspoon agave nectar
2 plum tomatoes, cut into 6 slices
To serve: tortillas or rice, cheese or guacamole, and/or salsa.

Heat the oil over medium in a large skillet. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes or until almost cooked through. Add the chipotle powder, salt and black pepper. Toss with tongs to combine.

Add the peppers, onion, garlic, water, lime and agave. Continuing tossing until the ingredients are coated while allowing to cook another 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4-6

Check out my other fajita and quesadillas recipes:
Ancho Chicken Fajitas
Barbecue Duck Quesadillas
Chili, Lime and Agave Turkey Quesadillas
Crawfish Quesadillas
Steak Fajitas with Cipollinis
Vegetable and Feta Quesadillas

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

Southwest Lentil Pie

2011-08-06T14:00:00.006-04:00

My husband thinks it is necessary to "warn" folks that this pie is vegetarian. After 3½ years of marriage, he now eats vegetables (because I serve them relentlessly) but that hasn't stopped him still seeing them as a threat to his meat consumption. This is actually a vegan pie that combines smoky flavors of the Southwest with lentils, squash, zucchini, corn, and tomatoes.

This is my take on the Mexican tamale pie ready meal put out by Amy's. It is one of my favorites, but the Mexican pies are hard to come by in Quebec. My version uses lentils, squash and my own blend of seasonings. It's messy, but very tasty. My husband ate all of his, except one extra large piece of yellow squash - on principle, I assume. Serve it by scooping some out with a big spoon.

Ingredients
1 pound dried brown lentils
6 cups of cold water
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 chipotle in adobo + 1 teaspoon sauce, finely chopped
1 large yellow squash, cubed
1 large zucchini, cubed
Cold water, as needed
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
750 grams/26.46 ounces boxed chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper

For the topping
3 cups cold water
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup polenta/yellow corn grits

Rinse and pick over the lentils. In a large pot, bring 6 cups of cold water to a boil. Add in the lentils, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, chop and cube all the vegetables. The onion, garlic, and chipotle can be finely chopped in a small chopper.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Once the lentils are finished cooking, drain them in a colander and rinse the pot. Add the oil to the pot and heat over medium. Sauté the onion, garlic, chipotle, squash and zucchini for 5 minutes or until softened. Add water (1/2 cup) as needed to deglaze the pot while cooking. Add the corn, tomatoes, tomato paste, and all the seasonings. Return the lentils to the pot and stir to combine. If the mixture seems too watery, allow some of the liquid to cook out, otherwise turn off the heat and set aside.

For the polenta: Bring the water and sea salt to a boil. Add in the polenta and cook for about 3-5 minutes, while stirring. Allow to thicken, by letting it cool briefly, before spreading.

Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Gently dollop the polenta over the top of the mixture then spread with a spatula to cover. Place a baking tray under the dish to catch any spills. Bake for 30 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

Market Day: Marché Jean-Talon

2011-07-29T11:30:00.012-04:00

Sunflowers on display at the Jean-Talon Market.

Marché Jean-Talon in Montreal is an absolute feast for the eyes. Last year when I went with my parents my dad noted that it was a Petri dish for the entire human race. Dad has a way with words. This farmers market is definitely a place where cultures converge and everyone is welcomed. So if you are into people watching, like my dad, there is one of each and Jean-Talon is the perfect spot for it. I like it most for the ingredients.

Marche Jean-Talon has a lot to offer, including a huge assortment of fruits and vegetables, cheeses, spices, game meats, fish and seafood, coffee and crepes, smoothies, homemade soaps, a bookstore, a cookware store, a gelato spot, flower baskets, potted plants and herbs, and a handful of bakeries and cafes. There are street musicians providing the background music around the market.

A few stores offer up specialities items that are a rare find in the rest of Montreal. Olives and Epices carries ancho chili powder and hot, smoked Spanish paprika. Le Petit Olivier which is in a small, nondescript stall offers balsamic marinated cipollini onions. Chez Louis is great for blood oranges, edible flowers, micro lettuces, fresh cipollini onions (for when I want to do the braising myself), and any unique vegetable you might have missed finding at the stalls.

I never miss a stop by Havre aux Glace which makes the most delicious gelato in eye catching flavors - pear and cider, masala chai, and hazelnut are favorites. Many of our trips to the Jean-Talon begin with asking my husband if we wants to go for gelato and to look at the colors even though I don't really need anything. Of course, I always find something I need or a deal that can't be passed on when we get there. He knows this, but he always says yes anyway.

Marché Jean-Talon
7070 Avenue Henri Julien
Montreal, QC H2R 1T1
(514) 277-1588
Open Mon-Wed, Sat 7am-6pm; Thu-Fri 7am-8pm; Sun 7am-5pm

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

Bacon, Manchego and Marmalade Bites

2011-07-27T22:00:00.002-04:00

Most cultures offer sweet and savory dishes. The Thai like to dip their skewered beef in a peanut butter sauce. The English like a bit of mint jelly with lamb (or a strong flavored mutton). French Canadians add sweet cream-style corn to cottage pie, called pâté chinois (Chinese pie) here. North Africans braise chicken or lamb alongside dried fruits, such as apricots and prunes. The Chinese like a bit of plum sauce with their duck. Southerners, well...

Southerners never shy away from blackberry jam slathered on savory corn bread (not the yellow cake variety served in the North) or a smear of strawberry jelly on a sausage and cheese breakfast biscuit. I won't get started on the Coca-Cola recipes of the South, like drowning peanuts in Coke and my Grandma's delicious Coca-Cola ham which she made for us every Christmas.

This appetizer is inspired by my love for sweet and savory combinations. It started back at my college in Mississippi. A friend of mine got me addicted to Keebler Club Crackers topped with marble cheddar and a small dollop of grape jelly. What could be better than that? Well, top it with bacon. So this is my new addiction - an orange, Manchego and bacon variation.

Ingredients
2 slices of smoked (streaky) bacon
8 wholegrain crackers
8 small slices of Manchego cheese
Orange marmalade, to serve

Cook the bacon according to the package instructions. Or cook on a microwave tray, covered with paper towel, for about 2 minutes or until crisp. Cut each slice of bacon into four pieces.

Top each cracker with a slice of cheese, a smear of marmalade and a piece of bacon.

Makes 8 bites for 2-4 people.

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

Challah French Toast

2011-07-21T09:00:00.003-04:00

Challah bread is a braided egg bread that is eaten by some Jewish people at their weekend Sabbath meals. The leftover bread is sometimes used to make French toast on Sunday morning. I first had challah French toast at Zaftigs restaurant in Brookline, MA. It's perfect for a weekend brunch.

I learned this recipe from a friend of mine that is a knowledgeable breakfast cook - in fact, the only thing he makes is breakfast and chocolate chip cookies. One day, I will share his tips for the fluffiest pancakes ever and the softest cookies made with bread flour. His secret for French toast is nutmeg, pure vanilla and an easy hand on the spatula. The nutmeg really does make this dish delicious, so please don't skip it.

Ingredients
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon safflower oil
4 slices thick challah bread
Maple syrup, to serve
Blueberries, to serve
Nectarine slices, to serve

Combine the egg, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt by whisking the ingredients with a fork in a shallow bowl. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and oil together over medium heat. Coat the cooking surface of the skillet with the melted butter and oil.

Lightly dip the sides of each bread slice into the egg mixture. Arrange in a single layer in the hot, oiled skillet. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden. Do not press down on the toast with the spatula after flipping it. Serve hot with maple syrup, berries and nectarine slices.

Serves 2-4

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

Chorizo, Spinach and Potato Hash

2011-07-19T09:00:00.002-04:00

Spanish chorizo hash is one of my favorite dishes. I've put a version of it on my blog before but this is the made-over recipe I've been content with for at least a year now. It's so easy to make since it has so very few ingredients.

This version uses quick roasting fingerling potatoes. I like to use the multi-color ones in purple, red and yellow for a more vivid dish. The onions are softened in the fat rendered from the chorizo which imparts delicious paprika, garlic and vinegar flavors.

Ingredients
1 pound/453 grams multi-colored fingerling potatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Handful of fresh thyme sprigs
8.8 ounces/250 grams hot Spanish chorizo, sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil, if needed
1 bag of fresh baby spinach

Preheat the oven to 450°F degrees. Wash the potatoes and slice each potato in half lengthwise. Dry the potatoes with a paper towel. In a large ovenproof skillet, add the olive oil, potatoes, sea salt and black pepper. Toss to coat in the oil. Turn the cut sides down. Wedge in the thyme sprigs. Roast for 25 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the sliced chorizo and onion over medium heat in a large pot. Add the olive oil if too little oil is rendering from the chorizo to cook the onions. This will depend on how much fat is in the chorizo. After about 5 minutes, add the spinach. Stir to combine and allow for the spinach to wilt into the mixture.

Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest for a minute or so. This will help them release easily from the pan. Combine the potatoes and the chorizo mixture. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

Béatrice Bonifassi @ Café Italia

2011-07-12T15:30:00.001-04:00

Winter in Montreal is looking really good right now. It's much too hot here. I love this video which was filmed on a particularly cold day. It was shot in Café Italia, an authentic Italian coffee bar in Montreal's Little Italy. I love that this beautiful film showcases multiculturalism in Montreal.

The singer, Béatrice "Betty" Bonifassi, was born in France to a Yugoslavian mother and a father of French and Italian descent. She now lives and performs in Montreal. She is singing in French at an Italian cafe. She has an intriguing sound and has captured the city's creative spirit set against a backdrop of historical landmarks.

Salad Days

2011-06-27T10:00:00.001-04:00

Cooking has not been a priority lately, so I have been assembling salads. These are two of my favorites. The first is a simple preparation of tasty Italian ingredients - duck prosciutto, fennel and blood oranges. The second is inspired by Sweden. This salad has a bit of smoked salmon, dill and cucumber drizzled with a mustard dressing.

Fennel, Blood Orange, and Duck Prosciutto Salad
1 bulb of fennel
4 small blood oranges
8 ounces of duck prosciutto
Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Prepare the fennel: Remove the feathery leaves and set aside. Finely slice the entire bulb and stalks. Alternatively, reserve the stalks for a roast vegetable mixture. Toss the fennel slices and the leaves into a large salad bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the fennel salad. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the peel and pith from the oranges by slicing off the top, bottom and down each side. Slice the orange into rounds. Remove any seeds.

Plate the fennel salad and toss gently with the blood orange rounds. Add ¼ of the sliced prosciutto to each plate before serving.

Serves 4

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Salad
8 cups of fresh spinach
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
A handful of fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Capers, to serve
8 ounces of smoked salmon

Toss together the spinach, cucumber, onion and dill.

In a separate bowl, mix together the mustard, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper for the dressing.

Plate 1/4 of the spinach salad per person. Drizzle with the dressing. Add capers and 1/4 of the smoked salmon to each plate.

Serves 4

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

Bresaola and Cipollini Onion Salad

2011-06-07T11:00:00.002-04:00

Bresaola is an Italian air-cured beef that is traditionally seen on antipasto plates. This salad combines salty bresaola with the sweetness of roasted cipollini onions. Cipollini onions look like flattened pearl onions and can be found at specialty Italian grocery stores and farmers markets.

Ingredients
1 pound of cipollini onions
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim and peel the onions. Add the onions to a large ovenproof skillet. Dress with oil, 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and salt. Toss to coat and arrange onions in a single layer. Tuck in the thyme sprigs. Cook for 20 minutes then turn the onions in the pan so they brown on both sides. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Cook for another 10 minutes or until softened. Set aside for use in the salad.

For the salad:
8 cups of torn lettuce leaves
4 plum tomatoes, sliced
8 slices of bresaola
Balsamic roasted cipollini onions, to serve

Extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Assemble the salads by dividing the lettuce among four bowls. Arrange a sliced tomato over each bed of lettuce. Fold two slices of bresaola over the salad beds. Arrange a small portion of the cipollinis around the bresaola. Drizzle with oil and crack salt and pepper over each salad.

Serves 4

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

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Crawfish Quesadillas

2011-05-29T11:30:00.039-04:00

It's crawfish season in the South. I have this nagging idea to get in my car and drive straight down the map to go drink beer, eat crawfish and listen to some Zydeco music at one of the festivals happening right now.

But for today, quesadillas will have to do. These are similar to ones I had at Courthouse Grill in Starkville, Mississippi. Their version is served with a very delicious remoulade so check Google for a recipe that suits your tastes.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon safflower oil

½ cup corn, fresh or frozen

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 green onions, sliced

1 jalapeno, finely diced

½ pound (226 grams) cooked crawfish tail meat

½ teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

8 small corn tortillas

3/4 cup marble cheddar cheese, grated

Small bunch of cilantro/coriander, chopped

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. When skillet is hot, sauté corn, bell pepper, green onion and jalapeno for about 2 minutes or just until softened. Add the crawfish tails, paprika, salt and pepper. Combine and cook another minute to warm the mixture through. Remove from the heat.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the tortillas on the tray. Divide the crawfish mixture over one half of each tortilla. Top with some chopped cilantro and cheese. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the mixture and gently press down.

With the oven broiler on high, place the tray of filled tortillas on a rack in the middle of the oven. Allow about 2 minutes for the cheese to melt and the tortillas to get brown and crispy. Watch the tortillas so they don't burn. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 small quesadillas

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

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Quick-Fix Southern

2011-05-16T12:30:00.000-04:00

Southern cooking is the slow food queen of America. It is brisket made tender after hours spent in the homemade smoker. It is braised greens seasoned with hot peppers straight from the garden. It is the sizzle of cornbread batter being poured into the hot cast iron skillet. It is dressed up with home grown tomatoes and sweet onions. It is sweetened with crumbles made from wild berries gathered along country roads. And it is washed down with a tall glass of cool, sweet tea.

Unfortunately, Southern food takes an awful lot of time to prepare both in and out of the kitchen. And let's not forget the mountain of washing up to be done afterwards. To accommodate busy lifestyles, cookbooks featuring recipes that rely heavily on processed ingredients to make semi-scratch Southern food are plaguing the shelves of local bookstores. This has given Southern food a bad reputation in recent years. Although I love Southern food, I do not cook it often unless I want to showcase my “heritage” food at a special dinner. Since I don’t practice cooking Southern dishes often, I am rarely satisfied with the results. This predicament was recently resolved after discovering Rebecca Lang's new cookbook.

I am especially grateful for receiving a review copy of Rebecca Lang’s Quick-Fix Southern cookbook in the mail. Ms. Lang’s cookbook is a user friendly guide to preparing Southern “scratch” cooking in short time. This week, I prepared a Southern feast from Quick-Fix Southern with Ms. Lang’s recipes for “Mustard and Sage Pork Tenderloin” with a “Creamy Sage Sauce,” “Grilled Vidalias,” “Little Beet Salad,” and “Sweet Potato Biscuits.”

The grilled tenderloin was unbelievably tender and delicious. Serve it alongside the tasty “Grilled Vidalias” which are abundant in the markets right now since the season began in April.

Finding decent looking beet greens at my local market was impossible so I was forced to omit them from the "Little Beet Salad." This warm salad was a perfect accompaniment to the pork tenderloin and grilled onions.

It has been ages since I have made biscuits from scratch. As a child I helped my grandmother pat out the soft dough. I was instantly reminded of her showing me how to make efficient biscuit cuts. It’s important to cut the biscuits as close together as possible so the dough doesn’t have to be pressed out too often. Overworking the dough causes the biscuits to be tough. Ms. Lang’s sweet potato biscuits didn’t disappoint – they were soft, fluffy and buttery.

Many of the recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. The ones that require time to chill, marinate or pass hours in the slow cooker obviously will not be ready in a short amount of time. This just means that you spend about 5-10 minutes preparing the ingredients and your trusty appliance does the rest.

This cookbook includes useful “cooking school” tips and interesting historical information with the recipes. It does not inundate the cook with excessive ingredient lists and preparation details. This is a huge time saver for most folks trying to cook from a recipe. If you are looking for a glossy food pictorial this is not your book. This cookbook is for those of us wanting quick, get-it-right-every-time Southern food using whole ingredients.

Lang, Rebecca. Quick-Fix Southern. Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011.

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

Click the picture below to purchase Rebecca Lang’s Quick-Fix Southern.

Island Salad with Jerk Shrimp

2011-05-06T10:00:00.004-04:00

A meal that can transport us to "the Islands" is always welcome at our table. In Quebec the weather has been particularly dreary this week. My green thumbs are raring to start gardening but the rain is forcing me to stay indoors. Fortunately this salad which combines delicious lime and cilantro flavors with spicy jerk seasoning can bring out the sunshine indoors at least.

Ingredients
14 ounces/397 grams large, raw shrimp, deveined

Jerk Marinade
4 spring/green onions
2 garlic cloves
1x1 inch knob of ginger
1 scotch bonnet pepper, stem and seeds removed
Leaves of 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons safflower oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon agave nectar

Pulse the marinade ingredients in a food processor to combine. Add the marinade to the cleaned shrimp. Marinate the shrimp in the jerk sauce overnight or at least 4 hours in a sealed container.

Cook the shrimp in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until opaque. Remove the shell of each shrimp except the tail and the last section before the tail. Set aside.

Island Salad
1 can of shoepeg corn, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, sliced
1 or 2 tomatoes, sliced
1 handful fresh cilantro
A good splash of safflower oil
A good splash of fresh lime juice
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl combine the corn, black beans and red onion. Add the cucumber, tomato, cilantro, oil and lime; combine gently. Divide the salad over 4 large plates or salad bowls. Divide the jerk shrimp over the salads. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

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Pulled Pork Tacos with Pickled Red Onions

2011-05-02T11:00:00.004-04:00

Cinco de Mayo is on the agenda this week. This holiday is mainly celebrated in the U.S. as a Mexican heritage day. It is significant because it commerates the day Mexican armies defeated the French in Puebla, Mexico.

For many this holiday is a feast day. It's the perfect time to eat some authentic Mexican food and have a margarita. I've been trying the Mexican restaurants around Montreal and recently discovered one with a small market to buy Mexican groceries. This place is Chipotle and Jalapeno on Rue Amherst.

I picked up some annatto paste, also known as achiote, and now it's time to let it work some tasty kitchen magic. This spice comes from the achiote tree. It has a peppery nutmeg flavor and naturally colors meats with a eye-catching shade of reddish-orange.

This slow cooker recipe combines citrus juices and annatto to create a flavorful taco filling. I've used soft flour tacos and garnished them with cilantro, panela cheese and pickled red onions.

Ingredients

3 pound bone-in pork shoulder, trimmed

½ of the block (1.75 ounces) of annatto/achiote paste
Juice of 2 oranges

Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Flour or corn tortillas, to serve

Fresh cilantro, to serve

Panela, or another fresh, crumbly Mexican cheese or feta

Add the pork shoulder to the slow cooker. Use a fork to break apart the annatto paste and combine it with the citrus juices. Pour the mixture over the pork and turn to coat. Sprinkle over the oregano.

Cook on low for 6 hours or until the pork pulls away from the bone easily. Remove the bones and shred the meat with a fork for serving. Pour some of the juice over the pork to keep it moist. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve alongside warm tortillas, fresh cilantro, pickled red onions and a crumbly Mexican cheese or feta.

Pickled Red Onions
2 small red onions, sliced wafer thin

1 jalapeno, deseeded and quartered lengthwise

Juice of 2 oranges

Juice of 4 limes

1 teaspoon sea salt

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Turn off the heat, remove the pot from the burner, add the sliced onions and allow them to steep for 10 minutes.

In a small jar, add the quartered jalapeno and orange and lime juices. After the onions have lost firmness, drain the water away. Sprinkle the salt over the onions and use a fork to mix evenly. Add the onions to the jar, close the lid and shake the jar gently to combine well. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

Serves 6-8

A Morning at the Sugar Shack

2011-04-29T13:00:00.007-04:00

Tapped trees for sugaring off season.

Springtime habitually stirs Quebecers into a maple syrup frenzy. The land is finally unfreezing here so the maple trees are tapped to allow the sap to drain into buckets set out to capture the sweetness. The stores are stocked with all manner of maple products, including maple sponge candy, maple flakes to sprinkle on everything and walls made from canned maple syrup.

The sugar shack sign on Mont Rigaud.

The sign marking the Blue Trail.

Entrance to the dining rooms in summer.

At the end of last summer, my husband and I went for a Saturday morning hike along Mont Rigaud. The day was perfect for a picturesque walk since the humidity was on the decline and the morning was cool. After stopping in the local ski center to get a map of the mountain trails we decided on a walk along the Blue Trail. The clerk informed us that this particular trail was on the top of the mountain so we thought we could get a great view of Rigaud from that location. This trail is on the Sucrerie de la Montagne property. There is free parking. Only a handful of cars and a large tour bus were in the lot, but it was the off season.

The barn located near the entrance to the sugar shack.

A mushroom stool carved from the trunk of a tree.

Artifacts decorating the property.

We spent a few minutes checking out the traditional sugar shack. The proprietor was very friendly and helpful. He quickly acknowledged us and asked us to let him know if we needed or wanted to see anything. I will admit to being easily impressed with hospitable folks due to the frequency of abrupt dispositions so prevalent these days.

After starting on the trail we soon learned that there were no panoramic views of the town below so this was a bit of a disappointment. It was a good trail nonetheless. The first part is very shady and the path is lined with interesting berries that I insisted on sampling. My husband was afraid that I was going to poison myself. I have concluded that nature does not produce sweet fruits that poison people, but just in case I only tried one of each and only ones that were somewhat recognizable.

Tasted like raspberries.

A friendly grasshopper.

My tour guide.

My walk was guided by butterflies, grasshoppers and dragonflies, while my husband was basically fighting for his life due to a tiny, unrelenting bee. The first part of the trail is downhill then it extends into a long, wide path without benefit of shade, but it was very pleasant aside from the bees and mosquitoes thriving in the sunlight. We eventually decided to return to the car because of that damn bee. At the time we made a mental note to return during the traditional Quebec sugaring-off season in the spring.

Down the shaded part of the Blue Trail.

The canopy over the initial path of the Blue trail.

Several weekends ago we made it back to the sugar shack with my in-laws. The Sucrerie de la Montagne on the top of Mont Rigaud is open all-year round, but the highlight is during the maple syrup production time. This annual event includes a horse drawn wagon ride, maple taffy, touring the production areas and an all you can eat traditional meal served family-style while a live band plays in the background.

Boiling the sap to make maple syrup.

A house on the property.

The delicious sugaring-off feast, which is also available year round, includes local specialities such as pea soup, ham, sausages, fried pork rinds, meatballs, an omelette soufflé, baked beans, mashed potatoes, tourtière, a meat pie, served with tomato relish, pickled beets and crisp cucumber pickles. To finish there is maple sugar pie and small pancakes with syrup. The pea soup, tourtière with tomato relish, pickled cucumbers and the maple sugar pie are especially crave-worthy at this sugar shack.

Pickles, tomato relish and beets.

Maple sugar pie.

Maple syrup for the table.

We are definitely looking forward to a return, but for now I will be sorting out recipes for pickles, tomato relish and tourtière - and some bug spray for walking along that beautiful mountaintop trail again.

Sucrerie de la Montagne
300 Chemin Saint Georges
Rigaud, Quebec J0P 1P0

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

The Rare Easter Dove

2011-04-21T10:00:00.007-04:00

Colomba Pasquale, Peach and Hazelnut

I have been hunting an elusive bird since my first year in Montreal. The Easter Dove to be exact. It also goes by the Italian name Colomba Pasquale. This decadent Italian dessert is a dove-shaped cake filled with candied fruit peel and topped with crunchy amaretti, sugar and almonds. This obsession started with an innocent Easter basket given to us by my Italian husband’s parents during our first year of marriage. At the bottom of the basket was the most greed-inducing pastry we had tasted in ages. We devoured the entire cake over the course of the weekend. The cake and the contents of the basket became breakfast, lunch and dinner. And we wanted more. Since that time I have been desperate to find another peach and almond Colomba Pasquale.

This rare dove only makes an appearance once a year at Easter so we had to wait. When the following Easter rolled around, we asked his parents where they purchased the basket. The details were hazy because his parents frequent several Italian markets, but we were directed to Milano Fruiterie in Little Italy since they have the largest selection of Italian products. We scoured the shelves only to find that they did not have the flavor we wanted. They have a load of cakes. We settled on a generic orange one. Our hearts weren’t in it, because we feared the manufacturer had stopped making the peach version. Upon returning home we sampled the cake. It was disappointing. It was slightly burned. It was cheap and we could taste the difference. And most of all – it wasn’t peach! Last year, we returned to Milano only to find there wasn’t a peach one to be had, so we tried a chocolate-orange one that I should not have wasted the calories eating – and normally I do love chocolate and orange together!

This year I decided that this hunt for the prize catch had gone on for far too long. There was a tag attached to the original cake that I had saved. I dug it out of its hiding place and Googled the keywords which led me to the Loison website. This is the award-winning Italian manufacturer of this delicious cake. On their website, I was able to locate the store in Montreal that sells Loison products. The store is Giannini on Lausanne in North Montreal. After a phone call to the store to ask about the peach cake, my husband and I planned a weekend adventure to North Montreal.

Packaged Colomba Pasquale, Nocciolata alla Pesca.

We were excited about finally locating the peach cake. The reception at Giannini was refreshingly hospitable. We were offered espresso upon entering and encouraged to look through the products on offer. The downstairs area had shelves filled with Colomba cake in flavors such as Prosecco Wine, Zabaione, Mandarin, Chocolate Cream and the much sought after Peach. Loison has only made a peach and hazelnut version this year, but frankly I was ecstatic to find a peach one.

The enormous Colomba Pasquale.

Giannini is the showroom for Iris Importing and Distribution which is owned by the De Cicco family. The father, Antonio, came to Montreal from Bari, Italy. He opened this Italian import business in 1978. The downstairs area contains an array of olive oil, pasta, coffee, Italian cakes and a gigantic Colomba Pasquale that is the pride of the shop. Mr. De Cicco was beaming when he pointed it out to us.

Pasta, olive oil and pickled vegetables.

Pasta and chocolates.

Gabriella Santoro, shop assistant, and Antonio De Cicco, owner.

The upstairs area contains several rooms filled with Italian wares, including kitchen utensils, such as a fantastically large wooden spoon for stirring an equally impressive pot of tomato sauce, and equipment, such as espresso machines and pasta presses. There are rooms filled with decorative items, including etched glassware, serving ware and frames, as well as scarves and Easter baskets. While we were gazing wide-eyed at the selection, the friendly shop assistant, Mrs. Gabriella Santoro from Rome, chatted with us and gave us tasty chocolates flavored with hazelnut.

Servingware and big wooden spoons.

Pots and pans imported from Italy.

Selection of Italian kitchenware.

Upon returning downstairs to leave, Mrs. Santoro directed our attention to the Prosecco cake, one of her favorites. Well, the seed has been planted…I haven’t stopping thinking about heading back to Giannini to buy the Prosecco flavor. We must go before Easter finishes and or we will have to wait another year. I hope it hasn’t sold out. Panic! The peach and hazelnut cake we bought is already gone and Easter hasn’t even arrived. Every last piece was divine and almost as good as the peach and almond one, but you just can’t beat those complementary flavors – I do hope they make it again. But maybe next year the Prosecco one will be in my crosshairs.

Giannini/Iris Importing and Distribution
9821 Lausanne; Montreal-Nord, QC H1H 5A6
Tel. 514-324-7441

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

Pizza with Chorizo and Dandelion Greens

2011-04-17T20:00:00.004-04:00

These two pizzas, one with chorizo and dandelion greens and the other with a cilantro and pumpkin seed pesto and tomatoes, are inspired by Mexican cuisine but there are a few twists drawn from other spots around the globe. I have used Spanish style chorizo rather than crumbly Mexican style, simply because I prefer the Spanish version and it is more widely available in Montreal.

A crispy pizza crust is the only one worth eating. I would rather starve then eat thick, soggy crust. For this pizza, I have topped humongous Lebanese pita bread and cooked it directly on the oven rack at a high temperature to achieve a cracker-thin base.

Oaxaca cheese can be bought at Chipotle and Jalapeno restaurant on Rue Amherst in Montreal, which has a small Mexican market upstairs. They also carry some harder to find ingredients, such as annatto/achiote, brown chipotles, Mexican oregano and dried hibiscus flowers. Mozzarella is a perfectly acceptable substitute if Oaxaca is not available in your area.

Ingredients
125 grams hot Spanish chorizo, sliced

Splash of extra-virgin olive oil

1-12 inch diameter whole wheat pita

4 spring onions, cut in half lengthwise and then in fourths

1 large handful of dandelion greens, roughly chopped

4 ounces Oaxaca cheese, grated

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425° degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium. Cook the chorizo until the edges are charred slightly. Turn off heat. Drain the chorizo and set aside.

Evenly spread the onions and greens over the pita. Top evenly with the chorizo and grated cheese. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Carefully place the topped pita directly on the oven rack. Cook for 8 minutes.

Pizza with Cilantro-Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Tomatoes

¼ cup shelled, unsalted, raw pumpkin seeds

1 large bunch of cilantro, stems included
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Fat pinch of sea salt

1-12 inch whole wheat pita

4 ounces Oaxaca cheese, grated

1 tomato, thinly sliced

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425° degrees.

Pulse the first five ingredients in a mini chopper or food processor to make the pesto. Spread the pesto evenly over the pita. Top with cheese and the sliced tomatoes. Crack a bit of salt and black pepper over the top.

An Hour at the Montreal Biodome

2011-04-14T10:30:00.000-04:00

My husband has wanted us to visit the Biodome in Montreal for at least the past three years. We finally took the tour last weekend. The Biodome contains ecosystems for a tropical rainforest, the Laurentian maple forest, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Labrador Coast and the Sub-Antarctic Islands.

Not surprisingly, the Biodome was crowded when we went on Saturday afternoon. The tropical rainforest was the first ecosystem on the tour. Dressing in layers is advisable because it can get a bit sweaty when the rainforest humidity combines with the heat of the crowd while waiting your turn to take a picture of a pissed off animal. The Biodome website lists scores of animals, fish and insects featured in each ecosystem, but on our visit many were hiding.

We breezed through the joint in less than an hour due to our shared dedication to crowd avoidance. The possibility of a return exists if we have kids or curious out of town guests to bring along. For now, I have these photographs to remind us of the adventure. If you go, don’t miss the old $2 photobooth near the bathrooms. That was a highlight for us, along with the chance to capture the backsides of the following animals in their "natural" habitats.

The black and gray oval-back bird.

Three sleeping croco-gator backs.

Two blue parrotish birds in full backside view.

The fluffy back of a tree badgobeaver.

An irate lynx kittypoo.

The tailend of the St. Lawrence (possibly) scar fish.

The tailfeathers of the pretty little white and black speckle-back bird.

Back of the bird that is fascinated by deadgrass.

The backside of a burnt orange acrylic-hair monkey.

Risotto with Pancetta and Peas

2011-04-12T12:00:00.003-04:00

A risotto supper is one of the fastest ways to get a “from scratch” meal on the table – seriously. There has been a lot of chatter regarding how cooking risotto is labor intensive and time consuming. It basically involves a short while of standing, pouring, stirring and pot watching.

Making risotto is so much easier than pan roasting a filet, boiling some grains and steaming a vegetable, which is what a typical homemade dinner would entail. Each item has to be watched to know when to flip, to stir and to test for just the right amount of tender but crisp vegetable perfection. Finally, all those pans and utensils have to be washed. Using a load of pots is something to be avoided by anyone who washes pots and pans by hand, as they should.

Risotto is one of the most relaxing recipes to prepare. Just assemble the ingredients beforehand, set them near the stove, and in about 20 minutes a delicious dish of creamy rice with chewy, salty bits of pancetta and peas that burst with spring flavor is ready to be eaten. And there is only one pot to wash!

Ingredients
150 grams/5.29 ounces pancetta, diced
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice
A few sprigs worth of fresh thyme leaves
1 cup of Marsala wine
About 6 cups of reduced sodium vegetable stock
2 cups fresh or frozen green peas
¼ cup parmesan, finely shredded
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

In a large pot, cook the pancetta over medium heat until browned and crispy. With a slotted utensil, remove the pancetta from the pot to drain on paper towel. Leave the remaining oil in the pot. Add the shallots and garlic, sauté in the pancetta oil for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil if the pot gets dry.

Add the rice to the pot; stir to coat the grains with oil. Add the thyme and wine. Set a kitchen timer for 20 minutes. Allow the wine to be fully absorbed by the rice. Add a cup of the stock. During the 20 minute period, continue stirring in a cup of stock at a time as each amount is fully absorbed by the rice. Cook the rice for 20 minutes or until tender.

Add the peas in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Stir them into the rice to briefly cook through. Add the pancetta and parmesan; stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the pancetta, parmesan and stock will have already contributed a good deal of salt to the dish.

Serves 6

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

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Check out some of my other Italian dishes:
Pasta with Pancetta and Beans
Venison Ragu with Creamy Polenta
Mushroom Bolognese

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Garlic Feta Dressing

2011-04-07T09:00:00.003-04:00

This is a healthy and delicious salad version of the traditional “wings” appetizer that originated in Buffalo, NY. I have seen this on several menus at restaurants in the U.S., but I did not order it because it is so easy to make at home. We do not go to restaurants often enough for me to order a salad. If I am at a restaurant, I want to undo at least a few week's worth of calorie counting.

I have included vegetable cuts as a guideline but cut them as your mood or time constraints dictate. You can just chop and slice them all or bring out the fancy peelers. Most of my vegetables were sliced but I took a little more time to create carrot ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Or use a julienne peeler to make really nice carrot strings for the salad as I did in the picture below.

I love the flavors in this salad, but end up making it according to the contents of my refrigerator and/or freezer at the time. The version above uses breaded chicken tenders and a homemade garlic and feta dressing. I have included the recipe below if you would like to use this one instead of the more traditional ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon hot cayenne pepper sauce
1 Romaine heart, torn into pieces
1 carrot, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
½ of an English cucumber, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
½ of a green bell pepper, chopped
1 plum tomato, sliced
Blue cheese, Ranch, or my Garlic Feta dressing, to serve

Cook the chicken over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. This takes about 3 minutes per side. When the chicken is cooked through, add the butter and cayenne sauce to melt and coat.

Plate the lettuce, carrot ribbons, cucumber, celery, bell pepper and tomato however you like. Top the salad with chicken and drizzle with your favorite dressing.

Garlic Feta Dressing
¼ cup plain yogurt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon feta cheese, crumbled
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Serves 2

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

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Or try another one of my salads:
Chorizo, Yellow Bell Pepper and Goat's Cheese Salad
Grilled Jerk Chicken Salad
Pan-fried Salmon, Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Salad with Dijon-Parsley Dressing

White Corn Grit Cakes with Sausage and Turnip Greens

2011-04-05T12:00:00.005-04:00

I might have mentioned that my nostalgia for Southern food gets the best of me when I go shopping in the U.S., even if it is a food I rarely, or never, ate while growing up in the South. My mom had a pork ban in effect at our house, but occasionally I could get away with snatching a couple of those spicy rounds off the breakfast buffet during our summer vacations away.

Mom never served my brother and I grits. They did not enter my consciousness until I went away to school. A British friend of mine actually introduced me to grits while we were attending the same college in Mississippi. Sometimes it takes an outsider to show you the good things you have but take for granted. Cheese grits are one of my favorite foods now.

These days, almost anything I can’t get in Canada is fair game when it comes to Southern ingredients. I have had a log of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage in the freezer for several months now, eight cans of turnip greens taking up valuable space in my small storage area and a huge jar of white corn grits that I refuse to date on this public blog. Grits don’t expire right? Recently, I have put myself on a two product limit when we go on these U.S. shopping trips.

This recipe is Southern through and through. Southerners love to cook from the pantry, which isn’t always a good thing. I love fresh foods but when you have been stockpiling Southern ingredients as if they are keepsakes rather than actual edible food it is time to take certain measures to flush the pantry. This is a very tasty grit cake that would be perfect for a weekend brunch. The cakes could be readied the night before, refrigerated, and then baked the next morning.

Ingredients
¾ cup white corn grits
1 can low sodium (14.5 ounces) turnip greens
1 tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
1 pound pork breakfast sausage
½ cup Mexican blend cheese, finely shredded
Sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Have a large mixing bowl nearby.

In a medium pot, bring 3 cups of cold water to a boil. Whisk in the grits. Once the grits start boiling, remove from the heat. Set aside to finish cooking and thicken.

Drain the turnip greens in a colander. Squeeze additional water out with your hands. Put the drained greens in the large mixing bowl. Add the tomato to the mixing bowl.

In a large pot, over medium heat, thoroughly cook the sausage. Use a spatula to break it apart and crumble it while it cooks. Put the sausage in the colander. Rinse the excess grease from the sausage and allow it to drain thoroughly. Add the sausage, cheese, thickened grits and sea salt to the mixing bowl. Stir to combine.

Use a ½ cup ice cream scoop to form the cakes. Place each mound on the lined baking tray. Flatten each mound to form a small cake. Cook for 40 minutes in the hot oven.

Makes about 20 grit cakes.

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

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Try my other recipes using grits/polenta:
Shrimp and Grits
Venison Ragu with Creamy Polenta

Or try my tasty Smoked Salmon and Potato Cakes.

Coconut Shrimp Curry

2011-03-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

This dish originates from the Malabar region of India which lies along the tropical Southwest coast of the peninsula. Seafood, coconuts and rice are abundant in this area. The flavors in this traditional coastline curry are absolutely addictive.

This recipe is adapted from one found on Jaime Oliver’s website for Malabar Prawn Curry, a recipe by Deep Mohan Singh Arneja. I have made a few ingredient substitutions, quantity changes, changed the directions, and reduced the fat/calorie content. I have not tried the original recipe. It is probably best I don't because this is an extremely delicious and satisfying "lighter" version.

Visit your local Indian grocery store for the ingredients. I get mine from Singh Farm on Blvd. Brunswick in Dollard-des-Ormeaux on the Montreal Island. They always have fresh curry leaves which can sometimes be hard to come by in most areas.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon safflower oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
15 fresh curry leaves
2 small green chili peppers, split lengthwise with stem left intact
3-4 shallots (100 grams peeled), finely chopped
1x1 inch knob of ginger, peeled, finely chopped
2 tomatoes (350 grams), finely chopped
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
14 ounces/397 grams extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
14 ounces light coconut milk
Sea salt, to taste
Steamed basmati rice, to serve

Start steaming the rice before beginning the prep. Prepare all the ingredients for tossing in the wok beforehand. I used a food processor to finely chop my shallots and ginger, together, as well as the tomatoes, separately.

In a non-stick wok, heat the oil over medium. When hot, add the seeds, leaves and peppers; fry for 30 seconds. Add the shallots and ginger; sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tamarind, coriander and turmeric. Stir to combine. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add the shrimp and coconut milk. Stir to combine. Once the broth is boiling, it will take 5-7 minutes to cook the shrimp. They will be pinkish-orange and opaque when cooked throughout. Add sea salt to taste. Serve over the steamed basmati rice.

Serves 4

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

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Check out my other shrimp recipes:
Shrimp Gumbo
Shrimp and Grits

Check out my other Indian recipes:
Chana Dal with Tomatoes
Spicy Sautéed Cabbage

Spicy Shirataki Noodles with Mushrooms and Shallots

2011-03-24T16:30:00.002-04:00

Try this recipe if you are looking for a dish that is extremely filling and tasty, yet insanely low in calories. The entire recipe only has about 250 calories which is not to suggest that you should eat more of it. There are four servings in this recipe.

These yam noodles from Asia contain a water soluble fiber that swells in the digestive tract which will make you fill sated. These noodles have a rubbery texture but cooking them diminishes that factor slightly. Shirataki noodles can be found in the refrigerated sections of Asian markets near the produce and tofu. I get mine from Marche Hawai in St. Laurent on the Montreal Island.

I use a lot of chili garlic sauce in this recipe, but just use a teaspoon if you want to take the heat level down a few notches. Chili garlic sauce is available in most grocery stores on the Asian food aisle. It is a spicy red sauce. I frequently add it to noodles and vegetables to kick up the heat.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon safflower oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 package of (8 ounces/226 grams) mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
2 (7 ounces/198 grams) packages Shirataki noodles, rinsed and drained

In a non-stick wok, heat the oil over medium. Sauté the shallots for one minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Add the sauces and the noodles; cook for another 2 minutes.

Serves 4

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

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Also, try my recipe for Shirataki Bundles with Beech Mushrooms and Snow Peas.

Crispy Prosciutto, Asparagus and Ground Cherry Salad

2011-03-21T10:30:00.003-04:00

Ground cherries have arrived in the markets of Quebec and they are a delicious addition to a spring salad. These small, orange fruits have a unique tomato and pineapple flavor. They grow with a husk around them similar to a tomatillo. Remove the husk and rinse them under water to easily wash away the residual stickiness on the skin.

This salad combines salty, sweet and sour ingredients to create a very tasty balance. The salty prosciutto is briefly roasted along with the asparagus then piled over the lettuces and ground cherries. It's finished with a drizzle of fresh lemon juice, olive oil and a sprinkling of black pepper. Serve as a light lunch or first course. Add some goat cheese and toasted pine nuts to bulk it up for a dinner salad.

Ingredients
1/2 bundle of asparagus, trimmed
4 slices of prosciutto
4 cups of mixed lettuces
1 cup ground cherries, halved
Juice from 1 lemon, to serve
Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
Black pepper, to taste
Pine nuts, to serve (optional)
Goat cheese, to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a single layer, spread the prosciutto slices and the trimmed asparagus. Trim the asparagus by snapping off the hard ends. The bottom of the asparagus can also be peeled with a vegetable peeler or knife for presentation purposes. Bake for 15 minutes.

Pile a cup of lettuce on a salad plate. Garnish with several of the halved ground cherries. Top with 1/4 of the asparagus and 1 slice of the crispy prosciutto, cut into bite sized pieces. Dress the salad with a light drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil. Crack black pepper over the salad to finish.

Optional: Over medium heat, toast the pine nuts in a non-stick skillet. Dress the salad with a portion of the nuts and a serving of your favorite goat cheese.

Serves 4 small salads

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

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Also, try my ground cherry and red chili jam alongside a pan-roasted chicken breast or pork fillet.

Pasta with Pancetta and Beans

2011-03-16T10:00:00.001-04:00

Pasta and beans, or pasta e fagioli, is a traditional Italian dish. It is hearty and inexpensive to make as it does not typically contain meat. I love the salty, chewy bits of pancetta in my version though. Sometimes it is served thick like a pasta dish, but it is mostly featured on restaurant menus in the U.S. as a soup. I prefer the former.

Ingredients
5.2 ounces/150 grams pancetta (Italian dry-cured bacon), diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 (19 ounce) can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (19 ounce) can of cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 jar (24 ounces/700 grams) passata (strained tomatoes)
4 cups cold water
8 ounces of small pasta, such as penne rigate
Grated parmesan, to serve

In a large pot, over medium heat, cook the pancetta for 5 minutes. It should be browned and the fat should have rendered. Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside on paper towels to drain. Reserve a tablespoon of fat in the pan for the vegetables.

Add the garlic and onions to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes before adding the carrots and celery. Allow this to cook an additional 8 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, start adding the seasoning, salt, black pepper. As the vegetables release moisture, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the beans, lemon juice, passata and water. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil before reducing to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Stir in the pasta; cook for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through.

Garnish with grated parmesan.

Serves 6

Copyright © 2009-2011 Madame Monaco All Rights Reserved

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