Chef Dad

The Hunt's Tomato Cook-off: Stock Your Freezer : Congratulations to Athena the winner of the Hunt's slow cooker prize package, and Katherine for the most votes for her recipes!

2011-10-17T14:59:00Z

Welcome to Week #3 of the Hunt's Tomato Cook-off!

It's time to Taste the Harvest! The Hunt's Tomato Cook-off on UrbanMoms is now underway. Check out the amazing recipes developed by two of our own bloggers, Kath & Gav. Comment on who created the best dish to donate Hunt's tomato products to a local food bank and for your chance to win. Made with the best quality tomatoes and ingredients, Hunt's tomato products can help you make delicious meals for your family every night of the week.

You're in the judge's seat as you decide which of our two chefs has done the best job with three fabulous recipes featuring Hunt's products. Your job is simple: read both Gav and Kath's recipes, compare the pictures, and then vote by telling us what you think! We will be giving away a fabulous slow cooker prize package. Click here for details. Your comment below is your second entry to win this fabulous prize for your kitchen. For each comment up to a maximum of 100, Hunt's will donate one can of tomato product to the Cook-off winner's (Gav's or Kath's) local food bank. Now it's your turn! Tell us who did it best, Kath or Gav, in the comments below!

Stock Your Freezer with These Great Recipes!

Chef Dad's Recipe: Cabbage Rolls

A lot of foods can be frozen and reheated without issue. However, there are not many that get better in the freezer the way cabbage rolls do. There's something about the way all of the flavours seep in and are enhanced that makes this dish my all time favourite freezer food.

Using Hunt's Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste takes a lot of the labour out of the equation. The tomatoes in Hunt's sauces and pastes are picked at the peak of ripeness, which provides a delicious, fresh taste to the meal - even if it is coming out of the freezer. I usually make a double batch at a time. Once I'm already making them, it's not much more trouble to make LOTS of them. One to eat that week and one to freeze for future use.

What can you say about a dish that is healthy, low in calories, freezes well, costs next to nothing to make, and is absolutely delicious? More please!

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Cabbage Rolls

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups Hunt's Original Tomato Sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Hunt's Herbs and Spices Tomato Paste
Splash dry red wine
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground turkey or veal
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups steamed white rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large heads cabbage

Preparation:

Heat a skillet over Medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, a splash of wine, and 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, mix to incorporate and then remove from heat.
Combine the ground meats in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, rice, and the onion mixture. Toss the filling together with your hands to combine, season with salt and pepper.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the large, damaged outer leaves from the cabbages and set aside. Cut out the cores of the cabbages with a sharp knife and carefully remove the rest of the leaves, keeping them whole and as undamaged as possible. Blanch the cabbage leaves in the pot of boiling water until pliable, about 5 minutes.
Run the leaves under cool water then cut out the center vein from the leaves so they will be easier to roll up. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Take the reserved big outer leaves and lay them on the bottom of a casserole pan, let part of the leaves hang out the sides of the pan. This will prevent the cabbage rolls from burning on the bottom when baked. Use all the good leaves to make the cabbage rolls. Put about 1/2 cup of the meat filling in the center of the cabbage and starting at what was the stem-end, fold the sides in and roll up the cabbage to enclose the filling.
Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam-side down, in a casserole pan. Pour the remaining 2/12 cups tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls.
Fold the hanging leaves over the top to enclose and keep the moisture in. Drizzle the top with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake until cooked, about 1 hour.

Katherine's Recipe: Easy Butter Chicken

Fans of Indian food everywhere love butter chicken: it's one of those iconic dishes that define a cuisine. And believe it or not, it's actually not all that difficult to recreate an authentic version of this well-loved dish at home. Most household have at least a few cans of Hunt's tomato products in their pantry so creating a versatile menu by incorporating international dishes is actually quite simple.

My children love butter chicken - always have. And actually, butter chicken is a great dish to use when introducing kids to foods with new tastes. When prepared correctly, it's not as fiery as many dishes that you might order in an Indian restaurant. In this recipe, Hunt's Tomato Paste offers a flexible flavour base that can be tweaked and adjusted to suit your (and your family's) tastes. When preparing this dish at home you can dial the heat up or down to make the meal as mild or as spicy as you like.

I love to make this dish because it is a real kid-pleaser: guaranteed there'll be no fighting or coercion at the dinner table when I serve up this meal. I also like to make it because it's easy and relatively quick, especially if you prepare the chicken and marinade the night before, then leave it to marinate overnight in the fridge. Once you're ready to go, the sauce heats up in less than half an hour, and that's just about as long as it takes to make a nice batch of basmati rice to go along with it. Or, if you're not strapped for time and want to prepare a full Indian meal, you can chop the chicken and put it in the fridge to marinate for a few hours while you whip up some naan bread dough and make a batch of aloo gobi or dal to go along with it.

However, since my daughters' love of Indian food is limited to butter chicken and naan, I usually just serve it as a main over rice and offer up a salad for some veggies. That makes it a quick, exotic and delicious dinner option. It is also simple to double or triple the recipe and freeze it for an easy and delicious go-to meal in a pinch. Just pull out of your freezer, defrost in your fridge over night and reheat gently. Some people believe it tastes even better!

Words to the wise: this is not a terribly spicy recipe, but if you want to make it even less hot, then cut back on the cayenne pepper, or cut it out completely. Garam masala (an Indian spice blend) is easily available in most grocery stores - look in the ethnic foods section - but don't leave it out as it gives the dish its signature flavour.

Easy Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

Marinade:
4 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
3-5 oz chicken cut in chunks (I find boneless, skinless thighs work best)

Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
200 ml cream
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup Hunt's Tomato Paste
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup milk (optional)

PAM cooking spray

Preparation:

1. To make the marinade, mix the marinade ingredients. Add chicken chunks and marinate in refrigerator at least 2-4 hours, or overnight.

2. To make the sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan, then add spices and fry lightly at low temperature. Add cream, water, tomato paste and sugar. Simmer on med-low heat 30 minutes until sauce begins to thicken.

3. Spray a separate skillet with PAM cooking spray and fry chicken at high heat until just cooked through.

4. When sauce reaches desired consistency, add thickened sauce to the chicken pieces and extra milk (if desired).

5. Serve over basmati rice or with naan bread (or both!).

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Kath and Gav were provided with Hunt's tomato products for participation in the Hunt's Tomato Cook-Off. All content is true, based on their personal experience.

Click here for Contest Rules and Regulations.

UrbanMoms members are eligible to win so don't forget to sign-in. Not a member yet? Click here to join.

The Hunt's Tomato Cook-off: 20 Minute Meals

2011-10-11T00:42:26Z

Welcome to Week #2 of the Hunt's Tomato Cook-off!

It's time to Taste the Harvest! The Hunt's Tomato Cook-off on UrbanMoms is now underway. Check out the amazing recipes developed by two of our own bloggers, Kath & Gav. Comment on who created the best dish to donate Hunt's tomato products to a local food bank and for your chance to win. Made with the best quality tomatoes and ingredients, Hunt's tomato products can help you make delicious meals for your family every night of the week.

You're in the judge's seat as you decide which of our two chefs has done the best job with three fabulous recipes featuring Hunt's products. Your job is simple: read both Gav and Kath's recipes, compare the pictures, and then vote by telling us what you think! We will be giving away a fabulous slow cooker prize package. Click here for details. Your comment below is your second entry to win this fabulous prize for your kitchen. For each comment up to a maximum of 100, Hunt's will donate one can of tomato product to the Cook-off winner's (Gav's or Kath's) local food bank. Now it's your turn! Tell us who did it best, Kath or Gav, in the comments below!

Chef Dad's Recipe: Shakshuka

As the day's get shorter and the kids' nights and weekends are full of homework, play-dates and extracurricular activities, there is less and less time available in the day to make meals. As time gets constrained I also feel it gets more difficult for us to cook healthily. Sure I could throw together boxed mac 'n cheese or chicken nuggets in no time flat, but we try to make sure our kids are eating a well balanced diet whenever possible.

The following recipe is based on a Middle Eastern dish called Shakshuka. It consists of eggs poached in a tomato based sauce. For my ratatouille-like version I include zucchinis, onion, and lots of tomatoes! Tomatoes are packed full of healthy goodness and are a great source of vitamin A, C, fibre and potassium. Hunt's gave me the garlic version of their sauces to try out in this recipe, allowing me to skip the peeling and pressing time. Win!

My kids love eggs, so talking them into trying this was not too difficult. They loved it, and so did I... It's a one pot dinner that's ready in no time flat and is absolutely delicious!

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Chef Dad's Shakshuka

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

PAM cooking spray

1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 small zucchini, sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon each of salt & pepper

1 large field tomato

1 can (5.5 fl oz/156mL) Hunt's Tomato Paste: Garlic

1 can (680mL) Hunt's Tomato Sauce: Roasted Garlic

4 large eggs

Toast, for serving

Preparation:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with PAM cooking spray and cook onion, zucchini, salt & pepper stirring often until softened, about 3 minutes.
Turn heat to Medium, add diced tomato and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Cook 2 minutes.
Add tomato sauce, bring to a simmer then turn to Low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Make 4 wells in the sauce, gently break eggs into each. Cover pan with a lid and cook until whites are set, about 5 minutes. Serve with toast.

Katherine's Recipe: Homemade Pizza in a Hurry

As a single mom working full-time outside the home, I am a serious fan of the 20-minute meal. If it weren't for a good repertoire of kid-pleasing, quick-and easy-to-prepare meals, my family would either starve or eat out way too much (so, pretty much; eat out way too much). But let's face it: the 20-minute meals we're familiar with are all very similar. They're usually some kind of casserole and/or involve pasta. If you want to branch out from that mold and have dinner on the table in under half an hour, you're probably looking at delivery.

But, believe it or not, you can actually make a homemade pizza in 20 minutes! All it takes are a few simple ingredients and some imagination.

Okay, heavy on the imagination here, because you're going to make the crust with pancake mix! Truth be told, you can also use prepared biscuit mix, or you can make your own biscuit dough - the point here is that the thing that takes the longest when making pizza is rising the dough. And that's because pizza dough is traditionally yeast-leavened, and therefore takes at minimum an hour to rise. Pancakes and biscuits, however, are leavened by baking powder, which rises instantly (it's a chemical reaction of the baking powder and warm water - which, incidentally, also powers bath bombs. Cool, eh?). So, there are some options, but in my family, pancake mix is the favourite. For me, I like it because it's the fastest, and my girls like it because it has a hint of sweetness from of the sugar in the mix.

I love making homemade pizza, because it is so much more nutritious than the order-in variety. You are much more in control of the amount of fat, sodium and other ingredients. I also love that you can load up on veggies in a very kid-friendly way. My kids have been known to ask for everything from broccoli to pickles (true story!) on their pizzas, but the current favourites are onion, peppers and tomatoes. And don't forget the sauce: tomato sauce is also a great source of vegetables in your meals. Tomatoes are a source of vitamin A, C, fibre and potassium. Canned tomatoes are also high in the antioxidant lycopene, a natural antioxidant that research has found to help protect against the damaging effects of free radicals in the body.

When Hunt's sent me a sample of their tomato sauce, I decided to give it a try in one of my family's most tried and true quick recipes. And the results were, simply put, delicious! I opted for the Hunt's Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce, and I was truly wowed by the flavor. Instead of being overpowered by the garlic, the sauce actually retained a lot of natural, true tomato flavour, which is a real change from most commercially-available sauces. My kids loved how smooth it was - they're not big fans of chunks of tomato in their sauce, and now I can honour that preference while still delivering a punch of genuine tomato flavour.

So, here's what you need to make 20-minute homemade pizza*:

Yields: 10 slices of pizza

Ingredients:

4 cups pancake mix (make sure it is the complete variety - all you add is water)
1 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
2/3 cup Hunt's Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce (Hunt's Original, if you prefer a milder sauce, or Hunt's No Salt Added to cut down on sodium)
1 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella melts best, but cheddar's a favourite in my family)
your choice of toppings - get creative!

Preparation:

1. To make the pizza crust, mix the first four ingredients together until it forms a sticky dough. Unlike with pancakes, you want to mix it fairly well and get a smooth, soft dough.

2. Press dough evenly on a pizza stone or spray a pizza pan with PAM. Use well-greased fingers to press dough out from the centre to the edges.
3. Evenly cover the dough with Hunt's tomato sauce, leaving about 2 cm diameter of crust on the outside edge.
4. Sprinkle with cheese, then layer your toppings on top.

5. Bake in a 375° oven for 16-18 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Allow pizza to set for 2 minutes before slicing, then enjoy this fast, fun and delicious family meal.

*Ingredients can be easily halved or doubled to make smaller or larger pizza.

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Welcome to the Hunt's Tomato Cook-off!

2011-10-03T22:48:23Z

It's time to Taste the Harvest! The Hunt's Tomato Cook-off on UrbanMoms is now underway. Check out the amazing recipes developed by two of our own bloggers, Kath & Gav. Comment on who created the best dish to donate Hunt's tomato products to a local food bank and for your chance to win. Made with the best quality tomatoes and ingredients, Hunt's tomato products can help you make delicious meals for your family every night of the week.

Over the next three weeks you will be in the judge's seat as you decide which of our two chefs has done the best job with three fabulous recipes featuring Hunt's products. Your job is simple: check in each week and read both Gav and Kath's recipes, compare the pictures, and then vote by telling us what you think! We will be giving away a fabulous slow cooker prize package. Click here for details. Your comment below is your entry to win this fabulous prize for your kitchen. For each comment up to a maximum of 100, Hunt's will donate one can of tomato product to the Cook-off winner's (Gav's or Kath's) local food bank. Now it's your turn! Tell us who did it best, Kath or Gav, in the comments below!

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Chef Dad's Recipe - Vegetable Focaccia

Thanksgiving is a holiday with such a long tradition, it is often difficult to introduce anything new into the mix. The staples - Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, pumpkin or sweet potato pie - are always going to be expected by those around your table. Finding a new recipe to add to the mix is not an easy task. For this year I finally settled on this delicious Vegetable Focaccia. It is tomato based, has lots of fresh vegetables and can be added to your meal as a substitution for a basket of bread at the table.

I was given a can of Hunt's Onion, Herbs & Spices to try out, and the sweet flavourful sauce worked beautifully with this recipe. Hunt's tomatoes are picked at the peak of ripeness, and it shows when you highlight it in a recipe like this one.

The tender dough is loaded up with tasty sauce, and healthy and delicious toppings that will compliment your traditional Thanksgiving dinner perfectly. Feel free to mix up the vegetables and add anything that your crew will devour!

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Vegetable Focaccia

Ingredients:

PAM Cooking Spray

1 pizza dough or tube Italian bread dough

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

1 cup chopped broccoli, cooked

1/4 onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, julienne

1 cup Hunt's Onion, Herbs & Spices Tomato Sauce

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with PAM and stretch dough onto pan.
Using your fingers, make holes throughout the dough. Drizzle dough with olive oil and bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 15 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and spoon Hunt's tomato sauce over top, spreading evenly all the way to edges. Add broccoli, onion and sundried tomato then sprinkle with cheese. Return pan to oven.
Bake until nicely browned on edges and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Cut into rectangles and serve warm or at room temperature.

Katherine's Recipe - Potatoes Pomodori au Gratin

I love to make a traditional Thanksgiving feast with all the fixings: roast turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie. But once in a while, I tire of the same old side dishes with my bird, and I branch out to find something new. A few years ago I found a wonderful, decadent recipe for scalloped potatoes in one of those magazines that the cheese marketing board puts out. It goes basically like this: slice potatoes thinly, layer with thinly sliced onions and grated parmesan cheese in a casserole dish. Top with several dollops of butter, pour 500mL of heavy cream over it all and bake into a wonderful, bubbling, golden-brown dish of delicious.

So that was a favourite for a few years. Obviously.

And then I decided to put a twist on the old stand-by potato side dish. I searched around through my collection of cookbooks and also found a few promising recipes on the internet. And then I did what I always do: I merged together all the elements of the different recipes that I liked, and created my own new and unique dish. I call it Potatoes Pomodori au Gratin. Which is a mash-up of English, Italian and French basically meaning potatoes and tomatoes with melted cheese on top.

It's a nice break from the total-refined-carb situation that is the brimming bowlful of mashed potatoes, or the fat farm scalloped potato dish I favoured for a few years there. But it's still got everything you need a Thanksgiving side dish to be: it's warm, it's filling and it makes you feel good, from the inside out. Indeed: it's a perfect comfort food.

So this year when you sit down with your family for a harvest feast, why not make up a batch of Potatoes Pomodori au Gratin? It's got lots of what's good for you in it: plenty of vitamins and antioxidants from the tomatoes, and the flu-fighting prowess of garlic, too! Here's the recipe:

Potatoes Pomodori au Gratin

Ingredients:
PAM cooking spray
6 medium potatoes, sliced into ½ inch rounds (keep the skins on for a more rustic, harvest feel as well as to seal in those vitamins!)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced 
4 garlic cloves, minced 
2 cans tomato chunks (I used 2 cans of Hunt's Original Diced Tomatoes)
1 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Hunt's Herbs and Spices Tomato Paste 
1/4 cup water 
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon each salt & pepper 
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Preparation:
1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they caramelize.
2. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.
3. Add the Italian seasoning and the tomatoes. Stir until well mixed.
4. Add the tomato paste and water, stir again to blend thoroughly. Bring to a low boil on medium-high heat then lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Spray a casserole dish with PAM, arrange potato slices in a single layer.
6. Pour half the tomato mixture on top, then arrange a second layer of potato slices.
7. Pour the remaining tomato mixture over the potatoes and top with grated cheese.

8. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until potatoes are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed.

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Kath and Gav were provided with Hunt's tomato products for participation in the Hunt's Tomato Cook-Off. All content is true, based on their personal experience.

Click here for Contest Rules and Regulations.

UrbanMoms.ca members are eligible to win so don't forget to sign-in. Not a member yet? Click here to join.

Board Dressed Standing Rib Roast with Yorkshire Pudding

2011-09-28T01:04:37Z

With Thanksgiving on the horizon my meal planning has to kick into overdrive. With my wife being American we manage to celebrate both Thanksgiving holidays in our household. While I may be tempted to complain about the double cooking duty, it turns out to be quite the blessing in disguise: twice the opportunity to celebrate a holiday with friends and family; and an excuse for me to try out some recipes other than the traditional turkey with stuffing. We certainly don't need the same meal for both occasions!

One of my favourite things to do for a big get together like Thanksgiving is a method known as board dressing. It is easy, really impressive in front of your guests, and of course delicious! The concept is simple - you treat your cutting board with olive oil, freshly ground salt and pepper, and fresh herbs, then cut your beef on it. As the pieces are carved off they fall on the board and pick up some intensely fresh flavours before being plated.

It's a great way to boost flavour and solves one of the real challenges of cooking a good cut of beef. I.e. losing the beautiful flavour of the meat you just paid so much for. Board dressing solves this problem by only applying additional flavours at the end of the cooking process. The beef is cooked with a simple rub of garlic and pepper but then you add a wonderfully fresh, delicious dressing when you carve it.

The results are mouthwatering. Top that off with a recipe for Yorkshire pudding (essentially a bread cooked in the grease drippings of the beef), and life is all good.If you are looking to mix it up this Thanksgiving or have family and friends coming for multiple meals, try this recipe out and wow them with your own turkey-less tradition.

Michèle Bosc from Château des Charmes has been kind enough to offer the following pairing suggestion for this dish:

You had me at Yorkshire Pudding. Growing up when it was my turn to pick my favourite meal for my mom to cook for our Sunday family dinners, roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding was my only answer. Its now comfort food for me. Just about any smooth red wine will pair well with this meal. Generation Seven Red is especially fitting because for every bottle sold our family donates 50¢ to Meal Exchange. At a time when we are thankful for family, friends and a wonderful meal its important to remember those who are less fortunate. And while you are at it, why not enjoy a bottle of Generation Seven White while you are waiting for the roast to cook.

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Board Dressed, Dry Aged Prime Rib with Yorkshire Pudding

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 (3 or 4-bone-in) standing rib roast, 6 to 7 pounds*
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper
Yorkshire Pudding (recipe below)

*Ask your butcher to remove the chine bone for easier carving. Fat should be trimmed to 1/4-inch thickness.

for Board Dressing:

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

for Yorkshire Pudding:

1 cup milk or soya milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup reserved drippings from roast

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine garlic and pepper; rub over surface of roast.
Place roast, bone side down (bones take the place of a meat rack), in shallow roasting pan. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Roast until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F when tested with meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast, not touching bone, about 20 minutes per pound for medium.
Meanwhile, prepare Yorkshire Pudding batter. Process milk, eggs and salt in blender or food processor for 15 seconds. Add flour; process 2 minutes. Let batter stand in blender at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour.
When roast has reached desired temperature, transfer to cutting board; cover with foil. Let roast stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Internal temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees F during standing time.
Turn oven up to 450 degrees F. Process batter another 10 seconds; pour into hot beef drippings. Do not stir.
Immediately return pan to oven. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F; bake 10 minutes or until pudding is golden brown and puffed. Cut into squares.
While pudding is baking, prep cutting board by spreading dressing over board. Carve roast and serve roast with Yorkshire Pudding.

Generation Seven wines wants to help you celebrate the gathering of friends and family, the sharing of delicious food and the appreciation of fine wine by offering one lucky UrbanMoms member and a guest a chance to win a Wine Country Romance prize package in beautiful Niagara wine country. Your prize starts with a private tour of family owned and operated Château des Charmes. Along the way you will learn how to slurp, roll and chew VQA wines and Canadian artisan cheeses. Discover your favourite pair. Then make your way to Queen's Landing for an overnight stay where you will luxuriate in 4-diamond, award winning service and amenities.

For your third chance to enter the contest simply comment below and share how you celebrate Thanksgiving.

The contest ends on October 2, 2011.

Click here for Contest Rules and Regulations.

UrbanMoms.ca members are eligible to win so don't forget to sign-in. Not a member yet? Click here to join.

Japanese Tuna Tartare

2011-09-19T19:09:01Z

One of my favourite things about cooking is sitting around a table with my friends and watching them enjoy the food I have made for them. While I will very often make them a new dish to try when we get together, I am very aware of each of their favourites. Ilana - cheddar/jalapeno perogies; Shane - slow cooked beef ribs; Ed - fish ceviche; and so on.

These are definitely not the easiest recipes I have in my repetoire, but for a special meal with friends it is definitely worth the extra effort. Fresh handmade perogies that require a trip downtown, slabs of beef ribs that can only be pre-ordered at the butcher or sushi quality fish from the market, each requires more than a one-stop-shop at the supermarket. It is so worth it though. Sitting with friends, sharing good times, opening a bottle of wine and enjoying a great meal together is what makes all the effort of cooking worthwhile.

This recipe for Japanese Tuna Tartare really requires the freshest of quality fish, but it is well worth the extra cost and effort. The zip of the wasabi and the zing of the lemon make this tasty hors d'oeuvre one of my favourites. A silky burst of flavour served up on crackers, it is a great way to kick off any special meal with friends.

Our sponsor, Generation Seven wines celebrates the sharing of good food and wine with friends, but knows not everyone is as fortunate as we are. They've partnenered with Meal Exchange, supporting youth as they address the issue of hunger in their communities in order to secure a future where all Canadians have access to healthy, sustainable food. 50¢ from the sale of every bottle of Generation Seven goes to Meal Exchange.

Michèle Bosc from Château des Charmes has been kind enough to offer the following pairing suggestion for this dish:

Tuna tartare is one of my favourite appetizers. I love how fresh and clean the flavours are and the little kick of heat adds interest. More importantly it always reminds me of an annual meal at Blue Zoo in Walt Disney World when we visit dear friends in Florida. It's become a tradition and so has my appetizer: tuna tartare. I look forward to our meal together for months! Chef Dad's recipe looks so simple I want to try to make it at home. Pairing Generation Seven White with this dish is an easy choice. The wine is also fresh and clean with a hint of sweetness to be the foil to the heat in the tuna. This would be a fantastic way to start any meal!

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Japanese Tuna Tartare

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

12 oz sushi quality tuna (Atlantic Yellowtail if possible)

1 tablespoons cilantro, sliced

2 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon Frank's Red Hot sauce

1 tablespoon wasabi paste

1 tablespoon minced scallions (white part only)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lemon, halved

Whole wheat crackers, for serving

Preparation:

Dice the tuna into quarter-inch pieces and toss in a medium sized bowl with the cilantro, jalapeno, oil, hot sauce, wasabi, and scallions. Mix gently.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon equal parts of the tuna mixture onto the centre of four plates. Squeeze lemon over the tuna, and surround with crackers. Serve immediately.

Generation Seven wines wants to help you celebrate the gathering of friends and family, the sharing of delicious food and the appreciation of fine wine by offering one lucky UrbanMoms member and a guest a chance to win a Wine Country Romance prize package in beautiful Niagara wine country. Your prize starts with a private tour of family owned and operated Château des Charmes. Along the way you will learn how to slurp, roll and chew VQA wines and Canadian artisan cheeses. Discover your favourite pair. Then make your way to Queen's Landing for an overnight stay where you will luxuriate in 4-diamond, award winning service and amenities.

For your second chance to enter the contest simply comment below and share how you make your friends and family feel welcome.

The contest ends on October 2, 2011.

Click here for Contest Rules and Regulations.

Urban Moms.ca members are eligible to win so don't forget to sign-in. Not a member yet? Click here to join.
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Potato Gnocchi with Chicken and Wild Mushroom Ragu

2011-09-12T22:36:35Z

Our Family & Friends blog series is hosted by Generation Seven wines. At Generation Seven we celebrate family, friends and the connections we create while sharing delicious food and wine. This blog series will tell these stories while celebrating the Bosc family's commitment to sustainability and giving back.As you may have guessed, food plays a very central role in our household. With two really good cooks living under the same roof, we often gear our evenings or weekends around the kitchen table. I come from a family where dinner time was a mandatory event. It didn't matter what you were doing, what assignment you may have due the next day, or which TV show was premiering that night. When it was time for dinner the entire family got together to enjoy it and each other's company.

Growing up I assumed it was the same in every household, until I reached high school and friends would start commenting how nice it was that my family all ate dinner together at the same time. We've incorporated that same tradition into our own household now. On a regular evening that's just the five of us - but the dinner table is often a place we find ourselves with extended family catching up, exchanging stories, and laughing until late into the night. We're blessed with a large family located both in and out of the city, and whether we are on the road or at home, our family gatherings always seem to revolve around good food and good wine. Many of my fondest memories revolve around the family table.

The following recipe, Gnocchi with Chicken and Wild Mushroom Ragu, is such a warm, cozy dish. It really is the perfect meal for a large gathering around your own table, and goes beautifully with a glass of wine on a cold evening. Whether catching up with your own family on a weeknight, or sharing it with out-of-town visitors who are in for the weekend, the rich homemade sauce makes for a mouthwatering meal.

Michèle Bosc from Château des Charmes has been kind enough to offer the following pairing suggestion for this dish:

Wow, this sounds so yummy! Since this is a chicken dish we should enjoy it with a white wine. Right? Not necessarily. Food and wine pairing for me starts with "weight". This means how heavy or light the dish feels in your mouth. The wine that is likely a good match will be around the same weight as the dish. In the case of this gnocchi and ragu (tomato-based goodness), I would say this dish is medium in weight. So the wine should be too.

Tomatoes are notoriously challenging to pair with wine because of their natural high acidity. So the wine should have some serious zip to meet the tomatoes head on. Put this all together and a mid-weight, unoaked or lightly oaked red from Niagara would definitely fit the bill. As luck would have it we make a few terrific ones! I would love to try Chef Dad's recipe with our 2009 Generation Seven Red. It's a blend of five grape varieties, like a ragu is a blend of several vegetables. When you sip it, it should remind you of red berries with a hint of warm spice. And it's smooth and easy drinking.

Generation Seven is available at the LCBO, at our two Château des Charmes stores in Ottawa, at the winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, our website, and several retailers in Alberta.

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Potato Gnocchi with Chicken and Wild Mushroom Ragu

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1 1/2 cups boiling water

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

2 ½ cups dry white wine

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 ounces smoked meat, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes

6 ounces fresh, mild Italian sausage, casings removed (about 2 links)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

2 cups crushed tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

2 pounds potato gnocchi, prepared

Preparation:

Place dried porcini mushrooms in medium bowl; pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over.
Let stand until mushrooms are soft, about 45 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to cutting board and chop coarsely. Reserve soaking liquid.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over Medium-High heat. Add cremini mushrooms and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until beginning to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup wine and simmer until mushrooms are soft, about 4 minutes. Set aside (there may still be some liquid).
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over Medium-High heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pot and sauté until browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to medium bowl. Reduce heat to medium, add sausage and cook until brown, breaking into small pieces with back of spoon, about 3 minutes. Add smoked meat and stir 1 minute.
Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cover pot and cook vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups wine, bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.
Simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, 1 cup broth, bay leaves, reserved chicken, and porcini mushrooms. Pour in reserved porcini soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind in the bowl. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to Medium-Low and simmer uncovered until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the potato gnocchi. Add gnocchi to boiling water and simmer until gnocchi float to surface.
Stir cremini mushroom mixture into the ragu. Season with salt and pepper. Gently stir in basil.
Divide gnocchi and ragu among bowls.

Canadian East Eats: Ottawa

2011-09-12T03:20:28Z

The final leg of our Canadian East Eats journey had us tasting our way through the nation's capital. Staying in the lovely Fairmont Chateau Laurier, located along the Rideau Canal and just steps from Parliament Hill, we were in the perfect location to checkout all the city had to offer. While we walked in from the parking lot the kids oohed and aahed at the pictures along the wall that showed the many celebrities and royalty that had visited before them.

Shortly after our drive in from Montreal we headed down the street for dinner at The Courtyard Restaurant. Chef Michael Hay has built quite a reputation at this charming eatery tucked away in the heart of Ottawa. Highlighting local, fresh, seasonal ingredients the menu is really something to behold. My kids not only enjoyed it, but proudly declared that it was the best meal they ate on the entire trip!

After dinner, we stopped by to try Ottawa's famed BeaverTails. Fried wholewheat dough in the shape of its namesake, slathered in butter and topped any way you like it. My kids obviously fell in love at first bite and insisted we stop by again the next day so they could try them all over again.

The next morning we stopped by Parliamanet Hill's Cat Sanctuary, where they have been feeding the stray cats for nearly 40 years. Volunteers come each day to feed the feline and maintain the sanctuary. Quite a labour of love!

After we watched the cats get fed, it was on to the Byward Market for a tour with C'est Bon Cooking. Our passionate guide Paola crafted a walking tour perfect for the kids. We stopped in at La Bottega to see the giant wheels of Parmesan cheese before making our way from stall to stall in the market. The kids got to meet local farmers and vendors while tasting their wares along the way. Booths proudly sport Savour Ottawa signage, indicating their food is locally sourced. Before finishing our delicious tour we visited the Cupcake Lounge so the kids could ensure they wouldn't come down from their sugar-highs before October.

After resting our weary feet, we visited Zoe's Lounge at the Fairmont hotel for a very elegant Afternoon Tea. The kids were tickled pink to be served tea, sandwiches and baked goodies on china and silver by a very attentive wait-staff.

We then hurried across the road to catch our boat tour of the Rideau Canal with Paul's Boat Lines. The canal is a great way to see some of Ottawa's sites and learn about her history. In the winter the 5km waterway freezes over and is open to the public for ice skating.

I insisted for dinner that we stop and take in the buzz at Murray Street Restaurant. Known for their chacuterie boards and use of local fare they should be a requirement on any visit to Ottawa. The kids loved the food and kept finding excuses to walk around the restaurant checking out eclectic decor. My son Josh asked to go to the washroom and tried starting up a conversation with a mounted elk. Twice.

Ottawa was a really wonderful way to wrap up our trip. Their food revolution is still very much in the early stages, but it is clear that with the enthusiasm and talent the city holds they will soon be a force to reckon with in the country's culinary tourism landscape.

I opted to take the scenic Highway 7 back to Toronto. While the route is a bit longer, it is quite picturesque. It also allowed us to visit a popular stop for Ottawa school kids - Fulton's Sugar Bush & Pancake House. The Fulton's showed us around the property where their family has harvested maple syrup for hundreds of years, while their children collected bugs and frogs with my kids. For lunch we ate at The Fall River Pub & Grill. It has a great garden patio and proudly sport's a menu focused on local produce.

After 5080 kilometres in 18 days, we finally reached home. We were really excited to be back, but sad that our trip had come to an end. I hope you can use our adventure as a guide for your own family's discovery of culinary tourism in Eastern Canada. Seeing how much my kids learned as we tasted our way East and back made it all worthwhile... one delicious bite at a time!

For an Ottawa inspired recipe check out my Maple Glazed Beef Ribs.

The Canada East Eats Blog Series is sponsored, in part, by GM Canada. All content is true, based on Gav's personal experience.

Canadian East Eats: Travelling with Kids

2011-09-08T23:50:14Z

Travelling over 5000 kilometres in 18 days with kids was definitely the biggest hurdle on our Canadian East Eats trip.

Things that I never have to think about at home were suddenly at the forefront: laundry, clothing, bathroom breaks for girls and boys. All of these combined made travelling quite an experience. For the most part we prepared for and met these challenges head on. By far the biggest challenge though was how to entertain three kids through long car rides, evenings in hotel rooms, and three-hour long ferry crossings.

My kids were real troopers through the whole thing. Other than a couple of incidents where I literally stopped the car and prayed for my sanity, it went really, really great. I'd be lying though if I claimed all the credit.

Saviour #1: The Car

GM Canada was kind enough to sponsor part of our trip and provide us with a GMC Acadia to drive across Eastern Canada. What an absolute dream! The SUV has three rows of seats which was amazing. It meant I could put physical distance between each of my kids. No "his arm is touching me" or "Isabella has the cooties!" I had the vehicle set up in a 2-2-1 formation. This meant that I also had tons of room for our stuff; luggage, food, water, and all the crap we picked up along the way.

The Acadia offers a heads-up speed display right on the windshield and steering wheel controls for the entertainment system. Because of this, I was never distracted from driving when I had to change songs, channels, etc.

There was also a separate control for the rear-entertainment system which my 10-year-old Emily loved. This meant that she could be in charge of what music we listened to, or pop in a set of headsets and listen to music while her younger siblings watched a movie and listened over the speakers.

The SUV had XM satellite radio, which was a god-send. We had it flipping between the various pop stations, and my kids can now sing every top 20 song from the summer of 2011 word for word. They do a mean acapella to Tonight, Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae.

The car was super comfortable with comfortable seating and I really enjoyed the seat cooling system while driving in the hot August sun. Hands free tailgate, built-in navigation, sun and moon roof...lots and lots of fun toys. I was really tempted to keep it and forget to pick up our old minivan.

#2 Plugged-In:

We set out on our trip with entertainment devices to the max. Fortunately, the Acadia came equipped with a rear power socket and RCA cable ports. I brought along an Xbox360 and hooked it up to the entertainment system and also brought along some handheld PSPgo systems. The kids had their choice of handheld or console gaming.

Interestingly, from a price perspective, Xbox360s retail these days for $199. Add in a couple of additional wireless controllers and you are at just about the same price point as buying three handheld Sony PSPs at $129 a piece. So really, it's a matter of preference.

The kids really enjoyed using both systems. Both have some really great game offerings for kids in that age range. My son loved Daxter and Patapon2 on the handheld, while the Lego series (Indiana Jones & Pirates of the Carribean) really won the day on the Xbox360.

At the end of the day both were great in keeping the kids occupied during our longer drives. My youngest who does occassionally have trouble with car sickness was way better off looking up on the gaming console than down at the handheld. It was also nice on the console games to see them interact with one another, so there was some social aspect to the whole thing. Obviously firing up a gaming console isn't practical for driving around day to day in the city - but it was such a great way to entertain the kids on our long city-to-city drives.

#3 Unplugged:

I loaded up the car with a lot of activities for the kids to use on our journey. Colouring books and markers, of course, filled some of their time. I also bought a whole bunch of coloured pipe cleaners and once in a while would give them a contest such as: whoever can make me the best lobster out of pipe cleaner can pick what's for snack today.

For long nights in the hotel I stopped at the dollar store and got a bunch of glow sticks and other glow-in-the-dark stuff which the kids loved (see pics above).

While not technically 'unplugged,' Isabella and I also had a great time colouring on my laptop. We'd draw silly pictures and then try and place ourselves in them with the webcam. Check out some examples in the slideshow!

The truth is, my trip couldn't have worked if my kids hadn't been fantastic. For the most part they were unbelievable. But clearly, I did have some help along the way...

How do you keep your crew entertained on long road trips?

The Canada East Eats Blog Series is sponsored, in part, by GM Canada. All content is true, based on Gav's personal experience.

Canadian East Eats: Moncton to Montreal

2011-09-07T01:15:55Z

We crossed Confederation Bridge from PEI towards New Brunswick and began our trip home for Canadian East Eats. We still had plenty to see and do ahead of us, but would now be following back along the original route that brought us to the East coast.

Our first stop was in Moncton, NB. We visited Shediac, the lobster capital of the world and home to Parlee beach, which boasts some of the warmest waters north of Virginia.

Meeting up with Shediac Bay Cruises on one of their boats we learned all about the Acadian culture and its history with lobster fishing. Ron Cormier, who runs the business with his wife Denise, has been catching lobster for three decades. He eagerly shares his passion on his tours by explaining all about lobsters, catching and eating them - the Acadian way.

Acadians were French settlers who originally came and inhabited much of the modern day Maritimes & Quebec. Many were expelled by the British and returned to France or moved to Louisiana as Cajuns.Today, the Acadians are proud inhabitants of East Coast Canada, and many homes sport the Acadian star quite prominently on the walls of their homes.

The kids had a great time dragging lobster traps up onto the boat, and Ron even talked Ali and Isabella into kissing the first catch of the day, as per tradition.

The following day marked the biggest test for both the kids and me. We drove from Moncton to Quebec City; a seven-plus hour drive. That is a lot of driving in one day, and the kids really rose to the occasion. I'll have some more details in the next post about how the kids stayed entertained throughout - but regardless, they could have made the long journey even longer if they had not been really great. Fortunately the travelling-gods were smiling upon me and it went off without a hitch.

Following our long trek to Quebec City we made our way back towards Montreal, as we'd short-changed her a bit on our way east. Along the way we stopped in at Cabane a sucre Chez Dany (maple sugar shack). Here the kids got to see how maple syrup has been harvested and made for generations in Quebec, and to sample some of the golden goodness.

Once in Montreal we made our way back to the old port for a very modern take on cooking classes. Hidden away among the cobbled streets of Old Montreal, Ateliers & Saveurs has been turning heads in the city's culinary circles. A new concept in cooking schools, they are open to the public for drop-in cooking and wine classes at very reasonable prices. The kids and I took part in a lunch-time cooking class with Chef Benoit Fiemeyer and a couple of other students. In about 30 minutes we peeled, chopped, seared and plated our way towards an absolutely delicious dish of salmon served atop a diced salad of mango, avocado, onion and tomato all served on a plate lovingly decorated with balsamic vinegar by the kids. It was a lot of fun and a really cool way to spend a lunch hour or evening! Also, the results were nothing short of delicious.

Next we made our way to Marche Jean Talon for a tour of one of Montreal's many farmer's markets. The markets in Montreal do their utmost to remove the middleman from the market equation. In other cities you will often find market stands run by third parties; in Montreal most of the vendors are the farmers or their families selling directly to the consumers. Anything from Quebec proudly sports a fleur-de-lis sign. In addition, Montrealers have a number of other opportunities to purchase farm-fresh food. Many of the city's subway stations have fruit and vegetable markets on site, and in the summer months, city bikes known as Fruixis go to communities throughout the cities selling fresh produce.

The following morning before leaving Quebec we headed to Laval. There we met up with Samuel Ouimet and his mother Suzanne Latour to learn how their family's goat farm has quickly become known as one of Quebec's leading goat cheese makers. At La Fromagerie du Vieux St. Francois we learned how the goats are raised and cared for and how their milk is then lovingly turned into artisan cheeses. The farm has recently opened a small museum to show visitors how their small operation runs.

Last year, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal chose the goat farm to make the hotel's signature cheeses for the legendary Beaver Club. This was done as part of the hotel's ongoing commitment to supporting local cuisine and small artisan producers. The Beaver Club's Chef Martin Paquet uses the goat cheese in a variety of dishes to complement the restaurant's renowned cuisine. I definitely recommend that you stop in to try some of their delicious cheese.

All-in-all, while there was a lot of driving on this leg of the trip, it was certainly worthwhile to see what delicious stops we could find on our way from Moncton to Montreal!

For my Moncton to Montreal inspired recipe, try this tasty recipe for Penne with Portobello Mushrooms and Goat Cheese.

The Canada East Eats Blog Series is sponsored, in part, by GM Canada. All content is true, based on Gav's personal experience.

Canadian East Eats: Prince Edward Island

2011-09-02T02:50:00Z

Before turning our car around to head back towards home our Canadian East Eats trip had us on the beautiful Prince Edward Island for three and half days. My wife Ali flew out to join us for the weekend, and we didn't slow our pace down for her one bit. After coming across on the ferry from Nova Scotia we checked into our hotel The Great George. It is comprised of a number of pretty townhouses and buildings that line the historic street in front of Province House, birthplace of Confederation. The brightly coloured heritage wood buildings are beautifully decorated to give a legitimate look and feel to the entire experience of their location.

An afternoon social each day where guests congregate in the main building for tea and cookies, is a wonderful touch to the elegant feel of the hotel.

For dinner we walked over to Victoria Row, a pedestrian-only portion of the neighbourhood which is bubbling with tourists and locals visiting its pubs, restaurants, gift shops and cafes. Very often Jazz musicians will set up and perform along the cobblestone street.

Day 1:

After breakfast at The Great George we made our way to Victoria-By-The-Sea, one of the most picturesque places we've been so far on our journey. This village of about 100 residents is a throw-back to a bygone era. We got a chance to watch their annual croquet tournament and stroll the streets, exploring the beach-front, store-fronts and farmers' market.

We spent the morning with the delightful Emma and Linda Gilbert at Island Chocolates. Located in a restored General Store, this marvelous shop is filled with chocolate of all shapes and sizes.. but we were not there to window-shop. We were there to get our hands dirty (literally). The kids learned all about chocolate making and got a chance to make their own chocolate bowls, peanut clusters and vanilla filled truffles. Elbow deep in chocolate is definitely a great way to keep kids quite entertained for a morning!

For lunch we ate just down the road at the Landmark Cafe. Both the decor and the menu are an eclectic blur of East-meets-West. At the end of the day, the cafe doesn't care where a specific type of food originates, if it's delicious it can appear on their menu. European meat pies, Indian chicken, bagels with lox and cream cheese... It's all fair game at the Landmark Cafe, and deliciously so.

In the afternoon we drove out to meet Ron Perry for a once-in-a-lifetime experience: clam digging! The best place to find clams is where fresh and salt water meet. So Ron has us out in Sumemrside, PEI during low tide as we searched for holes indicative of soft-shelled clams. As you dig to find them, the clams retreat into their shells, squirting salt water up into the air. As you can guess, this was a delight for the kids - and we spent hours with shovels digging up the beach from one end to the other.

Day 2:

The next morning started off with a walk down historic Great George Street with one of the Confederation Players. We learned some of the history of the capital city and the important role it played in Canada's Confederation.

We by-passed lunch in favour of a tour of the famous Cows Creamery Ice Cream Factory. A decision our dentist may not have agreed with, but delicious none-the-less. Just about every person we met East of Quebec who we told about our trip insisted we MUST stop at Cows for a tour. Using local milk, and whipping less air into their ice cream than some conglomerate ice cream makers, they truly do make some of the most delicious frozen treats you'll ever taste. I had a giant helping of the PEI Blueberry flavour while the kids opted for waffle cones filled with the chocolate and caramel variety.

We then drove out to the far east end of the island for dinner at the popular Inn at Bay Fortune. Made famous by Michael Smith and his TV program "The Inn Chef", the inn is known for its use of fresh island products, many of which it grows on site in their incredible garden. Chef Domenic Serio gave us a personal tour through row upon row of edible flowers, vegetables and fruits to explain all of the fresh produce available to him and his kitchen. Menus are developed daily and make use of whatever may be in season or ripe at any given time. Dining at the inn was an amazing opportunity for our family. Knowing that you are eating food which was literally picked moments before it was put on your plate was quite an eye-opening experience for the kids.

After dinner I made a point of visiting The Myriad View Artisan Distillery. When I met Chef Michael Smith last year he spoke so highly of his friend the doctor who makes traditional PEI island moonshine (a result of forty-seven years of prohibition). Myriad produces a number of hand-made, artisan spirits, and were quite happy to show off their distillery. A fun stop that I certainly got more out of than the kids did!

Day 3:

Our last morning on Prince Edward Island was at Holland College and the Culinary Institute of Canada, where we took part in a Culinary Boot Camp. Chef Joerg Solterman walked the kids and me through a number of delicious collaborations. We made grilled cheese with apple jelly, thai lettuce wraps and a mouth-watering sweet potato cream soup served with a blackened halibut. This was really one of the highlights of our trip so far. Obviously cooking is a passion of mine, it was wonderful to get some tips from the talented chef. He also did a fantastic job involving the kids into the morning's activities. We had such a blast cooking, plating and eating our delicious creations!

Overall, our time in PEI was magnificent. The beauty of the island is only eclipsed by the wonderful people who inhabit it. I would go back with the kids in a heartbeat. Hopefully you get to make your way over to experience PEI for yourselves.

For my PEI inspired recipe... well, it's the delicious Sweet Potato Soup we made on our visit of course...

The Canada East Eats Blog Series is sponsored, in part, by GM Canada. All content is true, based on Gav's personal experience.

Canadian East Eats: Nova Scotia

2011-08-29T02:00:51Z

Following a wonderful time in New Brunswick, we boarded the Princess of Acadia in Saint John for a three hour ferry ride to Nova Scotia to continue with our Canadian East Eats journey. Arriving in Digby on the north-west corner of the island we had a bit of a drive ahead of us towards Halifax. Fortunately it took us right through the heart of Nova Scotia's agricultural Annapolis Valley. We stopped in for a quick visit to Tangled Garden to check out their incredible herbs and fruit infused jellies.

As we approached Halifax we stopped in at The Chicken Burger. An old-style drive-up restaurant that has been serving loyal customers for over seventy years. The legend of their onion rings had made it to me in Toronto, so this was definitely a required stop. The kids had never seen a restaurant you could pull up to and order straight from the parking lot.

After staying overnight in the Atlantica Hotel in Halifax we hopped in the car and headed to Peggys Cove: one of Canada's most photographed spots, and for very good reason. This fishing town with its old-world homes and picturesque lighthouse was remarkably charming. The kids had a blast climbing across the rocks and exploring the village. Each store owner greeted us with big smiles and questions about where we from and where we were headed.

In the afternoon we went back towards Halifax to explore the lively boardwalk. Lined from end-to-end with family-fun tourist destinations, we started at Pier 21 and worked our way along the waterfront. Pier 21 houses Canada's Immigration Museum and interactively steps visitors through the important role Halifax has played throughout Canada's history, and especially during both World Wars.

We popped in to Bishop's Landing, which lines the boardwalk with a number of boutique shops. The kids loved 'Sugah!'. A hand-made candy and chocolate shop where visitors can watch through the glass as their favourite sugary treats are made before their eyes. Known for their zany flavour combinations, I had to literally drag the kids out to keep our day moving on schedule.

The boardwalk features a number of food vendors who lend a really great culinary flare to the waterfront. For lunch we stopped at The Battered Fish which my daughter Emily decided was by far the best fish she had ever tasted. I don't know that I'd disagree. Really, really good fish!

Lunch at the foot of the harbour was so fun - and the buskers working the boardwalk kept us entertained throughout.

We spent time next in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, which includes one of the world's finest collection of wooden artifacts from the Titanic. Halifax was the closest major port to the 1912 sinking, so many of the artificats found their way here. We also learned about the horrible Halifax waterfront explosion of 1917 which claimed so many of the residents' lives.

Clearly we had had an extremely full day in the Halifax region, but the kids were being troopers. So, lastly, we headed out for a whale watching cruise with Murphy's on the Water, located at Queen's Wharf. This 3 hour trip took us right out to the end of Halifax Harbour and back. While we weren't fortunate enough to see any whales, the kids had a blast hauling up a live lobster trap to see live lobsters, and feeding the sea-birds on our way back in to dock. We threw a few pieces of bread in the air and were suddenly bombarded by dozens of delighted fowl.

The next morning before heading out from Halifax, we stopped at the spunky Jane's on the Common. This eatery serves up some really unique offerings in a hip, laid-back cafe. I had a delicious breakfast roll with herbs, sundried tomato and an egg baked right into the middle.

Lastly, on our drive north up through the middle of Nova Scotia towards the PEI ferry we took in some of the annual Wild Blueberry Harvest Festival. We visited Jim Burgess and his family at Glenmore Farms to learn about farming blueberries and to get to work in the field picking some of our own. Wild Blueberries are not planted, they grow on their own. Each spring bees are brought in to pollinate the blossoms.

It is unbelievable how good all of the fruits and vegetables we've tried on this trip taste when they come straight from the ground. Even Josh who swore as we arrived at the farm that he "hates blueberries", was eating them by the handful by the end of the day.

We were sad to leave Nova Scotia behind, some really great memories of this lovely island and all of its tasty treats.

For a Nova Scotia inspired recipe check out this Blueberry Buckle.

The Canada East Eats Blog Series is sponsored, in part, by GM Canada. All content is true, based on Gav's personal experience.

Canadian East Eats: New Brunswick

2011-08-25T03:00:52Z

Our Canadian East Eats road trip keeps its pace eastward into the province of New Brunswick. Nestled between Quebec and the maritime island provinces, this beautiful part of Canada often falls victim to being a drive-through province. What a mistake! I highly recommend, you take the time to explore all this picturesque and historic province has to offer.

Our first stop was just over the border from Quebec in Grand Falls. Located on the Saint John River, the town gets its name from a 23 foot waterfall. During the peak season of the spring run-off, almost as much water pours down the gorge per minute as at Niagara Falls.

Moving down from Grand Falls, the west side of New Brunswick is potato country. Home to the McCain french fry empire, we headed to Florenceville to explore Potato World. You'd be amazed how many fascinating things you can learn about potato farming and french fry production from this hands-on museum. The kids had a ball making their own fries from start to finish, and learning what farming was like when settlers were first harvesting potatoes in New Brunswick.

We then traveled down the road to Hartland and drove across the world's longest covered bridge. For my kids this was quickly overshadowed by Hartland's other famous tourist attraction: The Covered Bridge Potato Chip factory. We learned what goes into making a bag of potato chips, and after receiving a bagful of fresh chips off the line we came to the 'seasoning table'. here you can mix and match from dozens of flavours such as S'mores, Grandma's Hot Apple Pie, and Tickle Me-Blue Raspberry. I loved the Loaded Stuffed Potato flavour, but was definitely outvoted by the rest of the crew.

We stayed overnight in the capital city of Fredericton in the historic Crowne Plaza Lord Beaverbrook Hotel before proceeding to the southern end of New Brunswick in the morning.

Our first stop the next day was at the Chocolate Museum in St Stephen. Located in the old Ganong chocolate factory this interactive museum was a ton of fun, and of course a chocolate mecca for the kids. They ran around the place completing a scavenger hunt and gourging themselves on the platefuls of samples available for the taking.

We then made our way east along the coast to the Atlantic Salmon Interpretive Centre in St. Andrews to learn how the Atlantic Salmon Federation works to conserve and protect Wild Atlantic salmon. Salmon numbers have been severely declining for the last 40 years. The kids were a bit upset there were no sushi tasting plates... but learned a ton about one of their favourite fish and also got to see salmon up close in the viewing tanks.

As we continued our way to Saint John we stopped at two famous institutions by the side of the road. Ossie's Lunch serves up some of the best seafood in the country, and they're not afraid to tell you. The place was buzzing with customers, and for good reason. In business for over 50 years, they've built up quite a loyal following. We tried some of their incredible fish and chips which left me realizing my own homemade version has some catching up to do...

We also stopped down the block at Oven Head Salmon Smokers. A family owned and operated business that makes some of the freshest, and most delicious smoked fish you will ever taste. Despite having just learned why we must protect the salmon, the kids had no problem polishing off a quarter pound of it in record time.

We stayed overnight at the Delta Brunswick in Saint John where we caught the morning ferry to Nova Scotia. If you are ever in the city you need to check out their jacuzzi suite. My kids didn't want to leave. With a massive jacuzzi tub in the master bedroom, two fire places and two big screen televisions - it was just what we needed to rest our weary heads before our 3 hour ferry trip in the morning.

We had such a good time in New Brunswick, I'm glad we'll be making one more stop to see Moncton on our way home.

For a New Brunswick inspired recipe check out my Whisky Smoked Salmon.

We're headed to Nova Scotia as we near the half way point of our trip.

The Canada East Eats Blog Series is sponsored, in part, by GM Canada. All content is true, based on Gav's personal experience.

Canadian East Eats: Quebec City

2011-08-23T02:30:00Z

Before we set off for this trip I had never been east of Montreal in Canada, so was not sure what to expect in Quebec City. I was definitely charmed by its historic beauty, and the kids were captivated by the constant entertainment in this tourist hub. Founded over 400 years ago by French explorer Samuel de Champlain, the walled fortress and historic Old City is quite a unique experience in North America.

On our way into town we stopped at the 100th anniversary of Expo Quebec - Quebec's annual agricultural festival. The kids had a blast with the carnival rides and games. We also learned a bit about how the agricultural community works to maintain their ecological surroundings and preserve the precious soil and land.

We then made our way to the stunning Fairmont Chateau Frontenac. Nestled atop the walled city of Old Quebec, the hotel itself is one of the main tourist attractions. The kids were so excited to be staying in the 'castle on the hill'. There we met up with Executive Chef Jean Soulard who showed us his rooftop herb garden, chicken coop and bee hives. Fairmont hotels have been championing culinary tourism for some time now. In Quebec, Chef Soulard reflects both the culture and produce of the province on his guests plates. He can also call upon his rooftop garden for herbs, edible flowers, honey, or eggs to spruce up any dish.

I kept the kids up late to see Cirque du Soleil's Les Chemins Invisibles - a nightly show that takes place under a highway overpass into town and is free as a giveback by Cirque to the city where it all began. In typical Cirque fashion, they magically transform the urban surroundings into a circus show that the kids loved.

For brunch the kids insisted we stay in the Fairmont and eat at the cafe. Josh brought the Chef's honey he had received the night before, and the waiters had a blast pretending they were going to steal it each time they passed our table.

We spent the morning wandering the streets and exploring Old Quebec. The streets are filled with performers and artists that kept the kids delighted despite the hike down the hill and back up again.

In the afternoon we met up with our tour guide Carol from Tours Voir Québec for a food tour of St-Jean District. While not all of the food was kid-appropriate, and there was quite a bit of walking involved, stops at the maple syrup museum and chocolate shop kept the kids happy participants.

In the evening we walked along Grande Allée, enjoying the buzz and commotion of all the restaurants and cafes. We decided to have a picnic dinner in the park and then wander our way back to the hotel to watch the buskers who perform by the statue of Champlain until well into the wee hours of the morning.

The following day we hopped in the car and headed over to the island of Île d'Orléans, a small agricultural gem in the St Lawrence river. Quebecers are fiercely proud of their locally produced food and drink, and slogans such as "Terroir D'ici" (Go Local) proudly appear on signs, labels and menus throughout Quebec. We drove from one end of the small island and back down the other side.

Dozens of road-side fruit and vegetable stands, as well as specialty shops line the main road. We stopped in at a few and marvelled at the homemade berry products in Les Saveurs de l'Isle d'Orléans, and the artisan cheeses sold by staff in 17th century period costume at Les Fromages de l'Isle d'Orléans. The kids had a great time checking out Poissonnerie Joseph Paquet, a local fisherman who smokes fish on sight and sells his catch from his small roadside cabin.

At the Au Goût D'Autrefois duck and goose farm passers-by can purchase all manners of fowl or stop in for a meal in their rustic dining room.

I would love to have had more time on the island to explore all of the small stands and farms. It is really an incredible microcosm of Quebec's agricultural bounty. The warmth of the people whenever we entered a shop was really also something to behold.

Overall, we had such a fantastic time in Quebec City. The kids had a blast everywhere we went, and staying in the Chateau Frontenac was a real treat for them.

If you're looking for a Quebec City inspired recipe I'd suggest you check out these Pan-Roasted Lamb Chops with Red Wine-Black Currant Sauce and Wine-Simmered Vegetables.

We continue our trip east to New Brunswick!

The Canada East Eats Blog Series is sponsored, in part, by GM Canada. All content is true, based on Gav's personal experience.

Canadian East Eats: Montreal, Part I

2011-08-20T16:00:00Z

Due to the logistics, our Canadian East Eats itinerary has us splitting our time in Montreal in two. Our first pass through the French-speaking city was so much fun! The kids were so excited to check-in at the palatial Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth and begin our day in the city.

We headed down towards Jacques-Cartier Wharf for a cruise through the Port of Montréal on Le Petit Navire. With its electric pollution free propulsion system, we were taken around the port and through the St. Lawrence rapids while we learned about this important gateway in Canada's grain history. The massive grain silo #5 which still stands by the docks, is one of the oldest cement structures in North America. It was built in the early 1900s to house grain bound for Europe. We also had a great view of North America's oldest brewery, Molson. Founded in 1786, this family-run brewery is Canada's second oldest company, after the Hudson Bay Company.

Afterwards, the kids had a blast exploring the port, and the cobbled streets of Old Montreal. Filled with the charm of an old European town, each turn had another series of shops or sights to explore. We stopped for ice cream, the kids splashed in the fountains and explored the quaint storefronts along the way. We popped in to discover some Quebec specialties and local products at Marché du Vieux. A fine-food store and cafe stocked full of smoked meat, Montréal bagels, foie gras, and local cheeses.

After a swim at the hotel in the afternoon, we went to check out two of Montreal's classics - La Banquise Resto and Schwartz's deli. With Montreal's narrow streets and limited parking, it was nearly impossible to stop at either location, never mind the line-ups down the street to get into both eateries. La Banquise is an homage to Montreal's famed poutine: fries topped with cheese curds and smothered in gravy. They serve 22 different kinds! The menu also includes a wide selection of Quebec's locally-brewed beers. Schwartz's opened in 1928 and is a required stop if you come through Montreal. Following Reuben Schwartz's original smoked meat recipe, the beef is marinated in a unique mixture of fine herbs and spices. I had to wrestle for elbow room just to get a photo! Get ready for a wait at both locations.

Before heading out of town we went for breakfast at Olive & Gourmando. While originally opened as a bakery but now a full service cafe, they serve up delicious organic breads, pastries and paninis.

The kids have been real troopers - I'm very conscious of not burning them out and am playing it by ear as we go. They've been awesome in the car - I'll have more detail on our in-car entertainment a little later on in our journey.

For my Montreal inspired recipe - check out these Open Faced, Smoked Meat Stuffed Burgers with Mushroom Gravy.

For now it's on to Quebec City...

The Canada East Eats Blog Series is sponsored, in part, by GM Canada. All content is true, based on Gav's personal experience.

Canadian East Eats: Prince Edward County

2011-08-18T15:30:37Z

When your home province is the size of some countries, it is nearly impossible to have visited all of its hidden gems. That does not excuse that it has taken me 36 years to get to beautiful Prince Edward County (PEC)--the first stop on our Canadian East Eats and Ontario's crown jewel of culinary tourism.

Jutting out into Lake Ontario, PEC has really set the standard by marketing itself as a culinary destination, and has many communitites across the province trying to play catch-up. Tourists flock to this community for its rich agricultural history and to "Taste the Trail" it has to offer.

While their wineries are aplenty (boasting 50 vineyards and nearly 30 wineries), this is a family road trip, and our agenda had us exploring all the other great stops PEC has to offer.

The kids spent the first afternoon exploring Sandbanks Provincial Park - climbing up sand dunes and leaping down the other side, collecting shells, and building sandcastles with elaborate motes on some of Ontario's most beautiful beaches.

For dinner we stopped in at the quaint Claramount Inn and Spa. With a wrap-around veranda open to summer diners, the picturesque inn was the perfect place to enjoy the gorgeous weather while overlooking Picton Bay. The menu is really something to behold. Beautiful dishes concocted with the best of PEC's bounty. As an upscale eatery, it is certainly not for every picky eater in your bunch, but certainly worth stopping in at least for a drink on the porch.

After dinner we stopped in for a treat at Slickers Ice Cream. Slickers prides itself on its pure, handmade ice cream and rightly so. Boasting ice cream flavours such as Campfire Cream (made with burnt marshmallow), Jack Daniels & Chocolate, and Apple Pie (each tub containing a full pie!), the kids were on cloud nine.

With all the sugar running through their veins I kept the kids up to see a movie at the Mustang Drive-In--a throwback to my own childhood when my parents would surprise us with a late night trip to catch a film.

We stayed for both nights at the Four Winds Cottage Resort, a lakeside group of modest cottages, perfect if you have young kids.

Day two in PEC started bright and early with breakfast at Chesterfields Homegrown Cafe where the focus is on kicking back and enjoying locally sourced food and groovy tunes. This was really such a perfect place to head with the kids. We got to watch the chef who was as busy spinning vinyl tunes as he was whipping together our delicious breakfast.

From there it was time for the kids to earn their keep. We were off to visit Vicki at Vicki's Veggies. A roadside stand full of seasonal vegetables is reason enough to stop by and visit. My kids were blown away by the flavours and varieties of tomatoes picked fresh from the farm that day. Vicki is already in a number of the PEC and Toronto markets and restaurants, and as a 10th generation PEC farmer it does not take long to see why her passion and knowledge have made her a culinary celebrity around these parts.

We spent a whirlwind afternoon stopping in for ice cream at the Black River Cheese company, where artisan cheese is still hand made. We checked out Buddha Dog, a shining example of the local food movement - where they've brought together local farmers, dairies, bakers, and butchers to create a truly local hot dog joint. Stopping off for a quick gander at the geological wonder Lake on the Mountain we then stopped in at one of the more popular purveyors of food on PEC, the Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company. For a refreshing afternoon break we visited the County Cider Company. The kids enjoyed their sparkling apple juice while I enjoyed the adult version of the same.

PEC was really a whirlwind stop. We could have spent a week there, never mind another day. With all of the great dairy stops in PEC, here's a great recipe for Pepper Cheese Beer Bread you may enjoy. And we're off to Montreal...

The Canada East Eats Blog Series is sponsored, in part, by GM Canada. All content is true, based on Gav's personal experience.