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VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS

Ingredients

Serves 12 spring rolls

2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus extra for deep frying

2 garlic cloves, minced

½-in (1.25 cm) knob ginger, minced

1 carrot, julienned

½ cup (125 ml) julienned green cabbage

1 tbsp (15 ml) cornstarch

1 tbsp (15 ml) water

8 pieces wood ear fungus, soaked for 20 minutes in hot water, then julienned

¼ cup (60 ml) canned julienned bamboo shoots, drained

1 tbsp (15 ml) oyster sauce

3 tsp (15 ml) + 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce, divided

¼ tsp (1 ml) sesame oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 package 8-in (20 cm) spring roll wrappers*

1 tsp (5 ml) rice vinegar

1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp (5 ml) sugar

2 green onions, julienned

1 handful cilantro leaves

Instructions

In a medium frying pan or wok with a lid, stir-fry garlic and ginger in vegetable oil over high heat just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add carrot and cabbage and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add a splash of water and cover with a lid. Cook until vegetables are just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry. Set aside. Remove lid and continue cooking until liquid has evaporated, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp (5 ml) cornstarch slurry and mix until vegetables are glossy looking. Set remaining slurry aside. Transfer vegetables to a medium mixing bowl and allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour, until vegetables are cold.
Remove cooled vegetables from fridge and mix in wood ear fungus, bamboo shoots, oyster sauce, 1 tsp (5 ml) soy sauce, sesame oil and salt and pepper to taste.
When ready to roll, stir remaining cornstarch slurry. Place 1 spring roll wrapper on a ﬂat surface, so it looks like a diamond, with a corner pointing towards you. Spoon about 2 tbsp (30 ml) ﬁlling on wrapper corner closest to you.
Fold wrapper away from you and over ﬁlling, then fold right and left corners towards the centre, over the ﬁlling. Continue rolling, away from you, until spring roll looks like an open envelope. Dip your ﬁnger into cornstarch slurry and paint top edges with it, like an envelope seal. Finish rolling spring roll away from you and press gently to seal. Repeat with remaining ﬁlling and wrappers.
At this point, spring rolls can either be cooked, or frozen for up to 1 month. To freeze, arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze overnight, then transfer to a freezer bag. Spring rolls must be fried from frozen; do not defrost before frying.
To fry spring rolls, ﬁll a small or medium pot with 2 to 3-in (5 to 8 cm) vegetable oil. Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 325 F (170 C).
Fry spring rolls in small batches, ensuring they do not touch, or they will stick together. Roll spring rolls over while frying to brown evenly on all sides. Fry until golden brown; time will vary depending on size of pot, but ﬁlling is already cooked, so you are just looking for colour and ensuring ﬁlling is hot. Once done, remove to a paper towel to drain, and repeat with remaining spring rolls.
To make dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix together remaining soy sauce, rice vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Serve spring rolls with dipping sauce and garnish with green onion and cilantro.
* One package of spring roll wrappers usually contains 24. Recipe only uses 12; however, extras are useful in case a wrapper breaks when rolling.

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Drink Pairings

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES WITH ORANGES, OLIVES AND FETA

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

¾ lb (340 g) small beets, peeled, cut into 1-in (2.5 cm) wedges, steamed until al dente

¾ lb (340 g) small yams, scrubbed, cut into 1-in (2.5 cm) pieces

4 tbsp (60 ml) + ⅓ cup (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tbsp (15 ml) ﬁnely grated orange or tangerine zest

3 tbsp (45 ml) + ⅓ cup (75 ml) freshly squeezed orange or tangerine juice, divided

2 sprigs rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

salt and pepper, to taste

1 small shallot, very ﬁnely minced

1 tbsp (15 ml) sherry vinegar

1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin

2 large pinches crushed red chili ﬂakes

½ cup (125 ml) coarsely chopped, oil-packed pitted olives

3 tbsp (45 ml) ﬁnely chopped fresh dill

2 small navel or tangerine oranges, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

2½ oz (75 g) creamy feta cheese

2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped mint leaves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
Place beets and yams in 2 separate bowls. In a measuring cup, combine 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, orange zest and 3 tbsp (45 ml) orange juice, rosemary, thyme and salt and pepper to taste, and using a wooden spoon, muddle herbs into oil and juice. Pour evenly over yams and beets and toss well to combine. Place yams and beets on opposite ends of a large baking sheet, spreading them into 2 even but separate layers. Roast vegetables, tossing from time to time, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced all the way through with tip of a sharp knife.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) + ⅓ cup (75 ml) olive oil, remaining ⅓ cup (75 ml) orange juice, shallot, vinegar, cumin, chili ﬂakes, olives, dill and salt and pepper to taste. As soon as vegetables come out of oven, add to bowl and toss well to combine. Add orange slices and stir gently to mix and keep slices whole. Transfer to a serving platter and crumble feta over top. Sprinkle with mint, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

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Drink Pairings

CAULIFLOWER “MAC” AND CHEESE WITH TRUFFLE OIL

Ingredients

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

1 large head cauliﬂower, cut into bite-sized ﬂorets

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

½ large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp (45 ml) butter

3 tbsp (45 ml) ﬂour

1½ cups (375 ml) 2% milk

1½ cups (375 ml) grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup (60 ml) bread crumbs

½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tbsp (30 ml) trufﬂe oil, or to taste

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped parsley leaves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
To prepare cauliﬂower, steam ﬂorets for 5 minutes then shock in an ice bath and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 5 minutes, until soft then add butter. Once butter has melted, add ﬂour and stir to combine into a paste. Whisk in milk; sauce will smooth out and thicken. Add cheddar and continue to whisk until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper.
Add steamed cauliﬂower ﬂorets to pan and stir to coat with sauce. Remove from heat and transfer to four 4-in ramekins or a 9 x 9-in (23 x 23 cm) baking pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and tender. Drizzle with trufﬂe oil and garnish with parsley before serving.

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Drink Pairings

WARM BRAISED RED CABBAGE SALAD WITH TAHINI SAUCE

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

½ medium white onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp (30 ml) butter

1 small head red cabbage, halved, core removed, sliced vertically

¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 medium orange, juice only

2 tbsp (30 ml) golden raisins

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tbsp (30 ml) pumpkin seeds, toasted

1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped parsley leaves

TAHINI SAUCE

2 tbsp (30 ml) tahini

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp (15 ml) grainy mustard

2 to 4 tbsp (30 to 60 ml) water, to taste, plus extra as needed

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a large cast iron pan or Dutch oven with a lid, cook bacon over medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Reserve 1 tbsp (15 ml) bacon fat in pan and discard the rest.
In same pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion for 5 minutes, until soft, then reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic, butter and cabbage. Sauté for 5 minutes, until cabbage is glossy.
Add vinegar, orange juice and raisins. Season with salt and pepper and cover with lid. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is soft and liquid has fully reduced. Remove from heat and set aside.
To make Tahini Sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together tahini, garlic and mustard. Add water, 1 tbsp (15 ml) at a time, until creamy but not too runny.
Transfer cabbage to a serving dish and drizzle with Tahini Sauce. Garnish with bacon, pumpkin seeds and parsley.

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Drink Pairings

MISO BUTTERED BEANS

Ingredients

Serves 6

2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp (15 ml) miso paste

½ tbsp (7 ml) sweet chili sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) minced ginger

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp (15 ml) grapeseed oil

1 large shallot, sliced

1 lb (454 g) green beans, trimmed

1 x 19 oz (540 ml) can butter beans, rinsed

1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame seeds

1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil

¼ cup (60 ml) whole cilantro leaves

2 green onions, white part only, thinly sliced

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together butter, miso, chili sauce, ginger and garlic. Set aside.
In a large wok or cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Add green beans and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are medium-soft and slightly browned. Add butter mixture and cook for 1 minute, then add butter beans. Stir to coat in butter and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat, top with sesame seeds, and drizzle with sesame oil. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with cilantro and green onion.

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Drink Pairings

Winter Vegetables au Gratin

Ingredients

Serves 6

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tbsp (30 ml) butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 small fennel bulb, cored and sliced

6 thyme sprigs, leaves only

2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ¼-in (0.5 cm) rounds

2 cups (500 ml) chopped chard

1¼ cups (310 ml) whipping cream

½ cup (125 ml) vegetable stock

¼ tsp (1 ml) ground nutmeg

1 cup (250 ml) + ½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided

salt and white pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add butter, garlic and fennel. Sauté for another 5 minutes, then add thyme. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, chard, cream, stock, nutmeg and 1 cup (250 ml) Parmesan. Add fennel mixture and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Layer vegetables in an 8 x 11-in (20 x 28 cm) casserole dish, ensuring potatoes are lying ﬂat. Pour remaining liquid over and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup (125 ml) Parmesan and bread crumbs.
Cover with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Remove foil and broil on high for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bread crumbs are golden brown.

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Drink Pairings

BAKED YAMS WITH BROWN SUGAR MERINGUE

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

3 yams, scrubbed

1 tbsp (15 ml) butter, melted

1 tsp (5 ml) garlic powder

2 tsp (10 ml) salt, divided

3 egg whites

½ cup (125 ml) brown sugar

2 tbsp (30 ml) granulated sugar

½ tsp (2.5 ml) cream of tartar

1 tsp (5 ml) coarse-ﬂaked sea salt

1 handful arugula

1 tsp (5 ml) crushed multicoloured (or black) peppercorns

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Poke holes all over yams with a fork so they do not explode while baking. Toss yams in butter, garlic powder and 1 tsp (5 ml) salt. Bake on lined baking sheet until soft, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, make meringue. Fill a medium pot with about 2-in (5 cm) water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
In a medium heatproof mixing bowl that will ﬁt over pot, combine egg whites, sugars, remaining 1 tsp (5 ml) salt and cream of tartar. Place bowl over simmering water and stir egg whites constantly with a heatproof spatula until they reach 175 F (80 C), about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove bowl from pot and whisk with an electric mixer until meringue is stiff and shiny, about 5 minutes.
Spread meringue on a serving platter, cut yams in half and arrange them over meringue. Garnish with ﬂaked sea salt, arugula and peppercorns.

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Drink Pairings

CRÈME BRÛLÉE SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients

Serves 35 cookies

2 tbsp (30 ml) + ¾ cup (175 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

8 oz (227 g) cream cheese, room temperature

3 cups (750 ml) icing sugar

2 tbsp (30 ml) Irish cream liqueur

½ cup (125 ml) packed light brown sugar

1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar, divided

1 large egg

1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract

2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose ﬂour

2 tsp (10 ml) cornstarch

1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda

¼ tsp (1 ml) kosher salt

Instructions

To make frosting, in bowl of stand mixer ﬁtted with paddle attachment, beat 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add icing sugar and Irish cream and mix until well combined. Transfer to an airtight container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Frosting may be made up to 1 week in advance.
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In clean bowl of stand mixer ﬁtted with paddle attachment, cream together remaining ¾ cup (175 ml) butter, brown sugar and ½ cup (125 ml) granulated sugar until light and ﬂuffy, about 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together ﬂour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Add to ingredients in bowl of mixer and mix on low until well combined.
Place tablespoon-sized balls of dough on lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then bake until edges just start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to sit for 2 minutes on sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies may be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 1 month.
When ready to serve, place remaining ½ cup (125 ml) granulated sugar in a small bowl. Spread 1 heaping tbsp (about 15 ml) frosting onto each cookie, then press into granulated sugar, coating frosting. Place on an unlined baking sheet, sprinkle a little extra sugar over top of each cookie and, using a kitchen torch placed very close to cookies, caramelize sugar. Set aside to cool a few minutes before serving.

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Drink Pairings

Rum and Eggnog Tart

Ingredients

Serves 10

2¼ cups (560 ml) all-purpose ﬂour

¾ cup (175 ml) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

¼ tsp (1 ml) salt

13 tbsp (195 ml) very cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg, lightly beaten

grapeseed oil or cooking spray, for greasing

9 egg yolks, divided

1⅓ cups (325 ml) whipping cream

⅓ cup (75 ml) whole milk

2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract

¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting

½ tsp (2.5 ml) grated fresh nutmeg, plus extra for dusting

½ cup (125 ml) granulated sugar

3 tbsp (45 ml) spiced rum

Instructions

In a food processor ﬁtted with steel blade attachment, pulse together ﬂour, icing sugar and salt. Scatter butter over dry ingredients and pulse 8 to 10 times, until butter is coarsely cut in. Add egg and process in long pulses, about 10 seconds each, until dough comes together in large clumps. Turn dough out onto a clean surface and, very sparingly, knead dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have escaped mixing. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Lightly grease a 9-in (23 cm) ﬂuted tart pan with a removable bottom with grapeseed oil or cooking spray.
Roll out dough on a lightly ﬂoured sheet of parchment paper into a 16-in (41 cm) round, lifting and turning dough occasionally so it does not stick. Using paper as an aid, turn dough into prepared tart pan before peeling off paper. Press dough into edges and seal any cracks in dough. Trim overhang to ½-in (1.25 cm), reserving excess dough, then fold in overhang, doubling up sides. Pierce bottom of crust all over with fork. Freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Stack excess pastry on top of itself and re-roll to about ¼-in (0.5 cm) thick. Using star-shaped cookie cutters in different sizes, cut out as many stars as possible. Place stars on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Place oven rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375 F (190 C).
Butter shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and place it, buttered-side down, tightly against frozen crust. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake crust for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil. If crust has puffed up, press it down gently with back of a spoon. Bake crust 5 to 10 minutes longer, until ﬁrm but still pale. Transfer tart pan to a wire rack and cool crust to room temperature. Leave oven on.
While crust cools, place 1 egg yolk in a bowl and whisk until liqueﬁed. Brush chilled pastry stars with egg yolk, then bake until ﬁrm and golden brown, about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size of stars. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 F (150 C).
In a large saucepan, whisk together cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a hard simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a large, heatproof bowl, whisk together remaining 8 egg yolks and granulated sugar until lightly thickened and pale. While whisking, slowly pour hot cream mixture into egg mixture. Add rum and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a large glass measuring cup and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Carefully skim off and discard any foam that forms on surface of custard. You should be left with about 2½ cups (625 ml).
Place cooled tart shell, still in pan, on a baking sheet and place in oven. Carefully pour custard into tart shell until it reaches top of pastry. Bake until custard is set around edges and just set in middle, about 30 to 40 minutes. Allow tart to cool to room temperature on a wire rack while still in pan.
When ready to serve, remove tart from tart pan, place on a serving plate and lightly dust surface with cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired. Decorate tart with pastry stars. Dust some with icing sugar, some with cinnamon and leave some plain. Tart is best served the day it is made.

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Drink Pairings

Cauliflower, Mushroom and Kale Sformato

Ingredients

Serves 6. May include egg and dairy.

1 lb (454 g) head cauliﬂower, cut into ﬂorets

2 cups (500 ml) trimmed oyster mushrooms

1 bunch kale, washed, ribs removed, torn into small pieces

3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, divided

3 tsp (15 ml) salt, divided

8 eggs

1 tsp (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper

1 x 1 lb (500 g) tub ricotta cheese

½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus ½ cup (125 ml) for garnish (optional)

8 roasted garlic cloves, lightly mashed

2 tbsp (30 ml) roasted pine nuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Toss cauliﬂower, mushrooms and 1 handful of kale, each separately, in 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil and 1 tsp (5 ml) salt, and place them on separate baking sheets. Roast cauliﬂower and mushrooms in oven until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 to 40 minutes; they may be done at different times, so check after 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Reduce heat to 350 F (180 C) and roast kale for 10 to 15 minutes, or until edges are light brown. It will crisp up as it cools. Leave oven on.
Blanch remaining kale in a pot of boiling salted water until soft and wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Once cool, drain and squeeze out remaining water. Finely chop and set aside.
Mix together remaining 2 tsp (10 ml) salt, eggs, pepper, ricotta and ½ cup (125 ml) Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add blanched kale, roasted garlic and ¾ each of the roasted cauliﬂower and mushrooms. Grease a round 8-in (20 cm) springform pan and place on a baking sheet. Pour egg-ricotta mixture into springform and bake at 350 F (180 C) for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into middle comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.
If making Parmigiano-Reggiano garnish, increase oven temperature to 375 F (190 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour ½ cup (125 ml) Parmigiano-Reggiano onto pan in a line about the height of the sformato. You may need to do 2, depending on length of baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes, or just until cheese has melted. Allow cheese to cool just until slightly ﬁrm and can be removed from pan in 1 piece. Press it against side of sformato while still warm and pliable.
Garnish sformato with kale chips, pine nuts and remaining roasted cauliﬂower and mushrooms. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Drink Pairings

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