Mexican Street Corn
Ingredients
Serves 8
4 ears of corn, husk and silk removed, halved
¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream
¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground cumin
½ lime, juice only
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup (250 ml) Cotija cheese
1 tsp (5 ml) Tajin seasoning or Mexican spice rub
1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill corn, rotating occasionally, until slightly charred on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes total. Let cool for a minute or two before proceeding to the next step.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, cumin and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Using a pastry brush, generously brush sour cream mixture onto corn while it is still warm. Crumble Cotija cheese onto a plate and roll corn in it; it should stick to sour cream coating. To finish, sprinkle with Tajin and chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Drink Pairings
Ceviche Cups
Ingredients
Serves 8
1 cup (250 ml) prawns, peeled and deveined
1 lime, zest and juice
½ small orange, zest only
1 Roma tomato, diced
½ avocado, diced
¼ cup (60 ml) diced cucumber
1 tbsp (15 ml) diced jalapeño
¼ cup (60 ml) diced red onion
1 tbsp (15 ml) minced cilantro leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
15 to 20 mini phyllo shells or vol au vents
Instructions
- Prepare an ice bath. In a small saucepan, bring 1-in (2.5 cm) of water to boil. Poach prawns for 30 seconds or until pink, then immediately place in ice bath to stop cooking. Roughly chop each prawn into 3 or 4 small pieces.
- In a medium bowl, combine lime zest and juice, orange zest and prawns. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in tomato, avocado, cucumber, jalapeño, onion and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place a heaping spoonful of ceviche into each phyllo shell and serve immediately.
Drink Pairings
Cashew Pesto-Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
Serves 10
15 to 20 small cremini mushrooms
½ cup (125 ml) raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup (250 ml) packed fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan
½ lemon, juice only
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil, plus extra as needed
salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup (60 ml) roasted cashews, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Gently clean mushroom caps with a damp cloth to remove any dirt. Remove stems and place caps upside down on lined baking sheet.
- In a food processor, pulse drained cashews until the size of rice. Add basil, garlic, Parmesan and lemon juice and process on medium speed, slowly streaming in olive oil until combined. Add more olive oil, 1 tsp (5 ml) at a time if necessary, but pesto should be quite firm and thick; if too runny, it will seep out while baking. Season pesto with salt and pepper.
- Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with about 1 tsp (5 ml) pesto. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft. Serve warm.
- Garnish with a roasted cashew.
Drink Pairings
Whipped Feta Dip
Ingredients
Serves 8 to 10
1 cup (250 ml) crumbled feta, room temperature
3 tbsp (45 ml) warm water
4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil, divided
1 tbsp (15 ml) sour cream
½ lemon, zest only
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp (5 ml) honey
½ tsp (2.5 ml) dried oregano
black pepper, to taste
assorted vegetables, to serve, such as radishes, julienned peppers, sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower florets and blanched broccoli and asparagus
pita chips, to serve
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend all ingredients (except 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil) on high until smooth, about 3 minutes. For an even silkier dip, blend again in a high-speed blender until a whipped texture is achieved, about 1 minute.
- Finish dip with 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil and serve with your favourite assorted vegetables and pita chips.
Drink Pairings
Roasted Red Pepper Phyllo Parcels
Ingredients
Serves 10 to 20
1 tbsp (15 ml) sunflower oil
½ yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 x 16 oz (500 ml) jar roasted red peppers (or about 3½ large roasted red peppers)
½ cup (125 ml) sun-dried tomatoes
¾ cup (175 ml) crumbled feta
salt and pepper, to taste
1 box (10 sheets) phyllo pastry
½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Drain roasted peppers and use a cheesecloth or press against a fine-mesh sieve to squeeze out any remaining liquid.
- In a food processor, pulse onion, garlic, peppers and sun-dried tomatoes until pea-sized. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in crumbled feta. Season with salt and pepper (feta can be very salty, so be careful not to over-salt).
- Lay a sheet of phyllo on a large flat surface. Using a pastry brush, brush entire sheet with melted butter. Lay a second sheet on top and repeat. Cut into five 3½-in (9.25 cm) vertical strips. Place a heaping tablespoonful of filling on bottom right end of 1 of the strips. Fold the bottom right corner of the phyllo up and over to the left edge of the strip to form a triangle. Now take the bottom point of the triangle you have made and fold the triangle up and over the left edge of the strip. Then take the bottom left corner and fold it up and over to the right edge of the strip. Repeat folding steps until the whole strip is used up, trimming excess pastry and sealing with melted butter if necessary. Repeat with remaining strips; you should get 5 parcels for every 2 sheets of phyllo. Refrigerate on a lined baking sheet until ready to serve, or freeze, covered, for up to 3 months.
- To serve, brush tops with more melted butter and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving, or serve at room temperature if desired.
Drink Pairings
Salmon Rillettes
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
1 tbsp (15 ml) sunflower oil
1 shallot, minced
1 to 2 cups (250 to 500 ml) dry white wine, for poaching
8 oz (250 g) salmon fillet, cut into 1-in (2.5 cm) cubes, about 1½ cups (375 ml)
3 oz (90 g) smoked salmon, diced, about ¼ cup (60 ml)
2 tsp (10 ml) butter, melted
1 tbsp (15 ml) mayonnaise
1 tbsp (15 ml) minced chives
1 pinch white pepper
salt, to taste
2 cups (500 ml) watercress
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil
1 baguette, sliced and toasted
½ cup (125 ml) cornichons (small pickles)
¼ cup (60 ml) sliced almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sauté shallot until translucent. Add enough wine to cover salmon and bring to a gentle simmer. Add cubed salmon and cook for a few minutes, until opaque and just cooked through. Strain salmon and shallot, discarding wine, and transfer to a medium bowl. Refrigerate until cooled.
- Once cooled, gently flake salmon with a fork and mix in smoked salmon, butter, mayonnaise and chives. Season with white pepper and a pinch of salt, or to taste. Refrigerate rillettes until ready to serve.
- To serve, dress watercress with lemon juice and olive oil. Top toasted baguette slices with salmon rillettes and serve watercress and cornichons alongside or on top, garnishing with almonds, as desired.
Drink Pairings
Savoury Scones with Cranberry Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Serves 6 to 8
½ cup (125 ml) cold salted butter
3 cups (750 ml) flour
1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
3 cups (750 ml) grated white cheddar
1 tsp (5 ml) pepper
1 cup (250 ml) finely chopped chives
2 eggs, divided
½ cup (125 ml) + ¼ cup (60 ml) milk, divided
1 cup (250 ml) cream cheese
½ cup (125 ml) cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Place butter in freezer.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cheddar, pepper and chives.
- In a small bowl, beat together 1 egg and ½ cup (125 ml) milk.
- Remove butter from freezer and grate pea-size pieces into flour. Mix lightly. Mix in wet ingredients and shape dough to form a ball. Place on a floured surface and roll to 1-in (2.5 cm) thick. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut dough into hearts. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Mix together remaining egg and milk to make egg wash. Brush tops of scones with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- In a food processor, blend cream cheese and cranberry sauce. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Pipe onto scones or serve alongside.
Drink Pairings
Tuna Poke on Wontons
Ingredients
Serves 6
2 cups (500 ml) sunflower oil
12 wonton wrappers
1 x 4 oz (125 g) good quality tuna steak, cubed
1 avocado, cubed
2 tsp (10 ml) soy sauce
1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil
1 tsp (5 ml) Sriracha
1 green onion
1 tsp (5 ml) sesame seeds, toasted
Instructions
- In a large cast iron pan, over medium heat, heat oil. Fry wontons in small batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes each side. Allow to rest on a paper towel while preparing tuna.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and place mixture over wontons to serve.
Drink Pairings
Quail Scotch Eggs
Ingredients
Serves 4
12 quail eggs, room temperature
½ cup (125 ml) grainy mustard
¼ cup (60 ml) IPA beer
2 tbsp (30 ml) honey
1 lb (500 g) lean ground pork
½ tsp (2.5 ml) roughly crushed fennel seeds
1 tsp (5 ml) ground coriander
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
½ tsp (2.5 ml) pepper
⅓ cup (75 ml) + 1 cup (250 ml) panko bread crumbs, divided
1 large egg white
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
vegetable oil, for frying
3 cups (750 ml) baby greens
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and have a large bowl of ice water ready. Gently add eggs to boiling water and cook for 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Remove and plunge into ice water to chill. Drain and shell, then place in fresh cold water until needed.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together grainy mustard, beer and honey. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Refrigerate Mustard-Beer Sauce until ready to use.
- In a medium bowl mix together ground pork, crushed fennel seeds, ground coriander, salt, pepper, ⅓ cup (75 ml) panko bread crumbs and egg white until well combined.
- Place a walnut-sized amount of pork mixture in palm of hand and spread into a disk ¼-in (0.5 cm) thick, or large enough to envelop egg. Gently put egg in centre of disk and wrap meat around. Roll gently in cup of hand to make a smooth ball. Repeat with remaining eggs.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat 1-in (2.5 cm) vegetable oil. Meanwhile, take 3 shallow bowls, place flour in first, beaten egg in second bowl and add remaining 1 cup (250 ml) panko bread crumbs to third. Dip each egg in flour, then beaten egg, then bread crumbs.
- Oil is hot enough when a few bread crumbs dropped into oil sizzle. Shallow-fry eggs in batches, turning, until they are pale gold and pork mixture is cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. If Scotch Eggs are browning too fast before pork mixture is cooked, you can bake them in a preheated 350 F (180 C) oven until cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- To serve, create a nest on each serving plate with baby greens. Place 2 Scotch Eggs on baby greens and garnish with a drizzle of Mustard-Beer Sauce. Enjoy while warm.
Drink Pairings
Baked Goat's Cheese Dip
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 cup (250 ml) goat’s cheese
½ cup (125 ml) cream cheese
½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp (5 ml) Herbes de Provence
1 lemon, zest only
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
- In a medium mixing bowl, add goat’s cheese, cream cheese and Parmesan. Using an electric mixer, mix ingredients until thoroughly combined. Place in small ovenproof dish or small cast iron skillet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned and bubbling.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and herbs. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon zest.
- When ready to serve, drizzle a little extra oil over goat’s cheese.
- Serve with bread or crackers.