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I may have found a new favourite cheese. Well, as much as I can have a single favourite cheese! You see, I'm a bit of a cheese whore; and I like my cheese bold and flavourful.
This past weekend I was introduced to Cap Rond, a pasteruized goat's milk cheese made by the Torilli farm, a fromagerie artisinale in St-Raymond-de-Portneuf, north-west of Quebec city. It's a mold-ripened, ash-coated cheese with a natural crust and a strong flavour reminiscent of blue cheeses. If you're not fond of the rind, the centre of the cheese is rich is creamy. It costs abut $6 per 100g round.
At the same time I was also introduced to another local artisinale cheese. Jac le Chevrier is a soft mold-ripened goat cheese produced in St. Flavien, south-west of Quebec city. It has a rich, but slightly milder and chalkier flavour. The producer is certified eco-cert organic and is designated "responsable" by la Coopérative TendreVert. It costs about $9 per round.
Both cheese are available at Fromagerie Atwater in Atwater market, and no doubt at other fine cheese stores across the province.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Stretching Out the Meat
There is no denying it. Organic or small farm, local meat is not cheap. I order mine in bulk once or twice per year directly from the farm. This helps keep the costs down, but the price per kilogram is still much higher than what I'd pay at the grocery store for the conventionally-farmed variety. To stay in budget, preparing meat in the quantities common in many North American recipes is simply not an option for me. Neither is buying conventionally-farmed meat. So what to do?
One of the simplest solutions is to stretch out the meat. The trick is to make the recipe still feel meaty. This is easier in some recipes than others.
Stews are simple. For example, over the weekend I made a crock-pot stew for six using about 500g of stewing beef. To stretch out the beef, I added 2 cups of pre-cooked red kidney beans and 500g of mushrooms. The stew was served along-side baked potatoes and green beans. We all left the table full from a hearty meal. None of us missed the smaller portions of meat in the stew. We even had leftovers!
The addition of beans and mushrooms is one of my favourite ways of stretching out meat. They both tend to have a hearty flavour and texture, and are a good source of B-vitamins, folate, and some minerals. Beans are also relatively high in protein and add valuable fibre to our diets.
Meat loaf is another favourite in our household. Here I tend to do one of two things (or sometime both): mashed black beans or 'ground' TVP (textured vegetable protein) soaked in a Marmite broth. My preference is for the black beans since these are less processed. I use canned or pre-cooked beans, and mash them with a potato masher before adding them into the recipe.
Mashed black beans, TVP or crumbled tempeh are great additions to bulk up chili, spaghetti sauces or hearty stews and soups. I tend to avoid prepared vegetarian ground-beef substitutes because of the high sodium content and the high processing factor.
If you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
One of the simplest solutions is to stretch out the meat. The trick is to make the recipe still feel meaty. This is easier in some recipes than others.
Stews are simple. For example, over the weekend I made a crock-pot stew for six using about 500g of stewing beef. To stretch out the beef, I added 2 cups of pre-cooked red kidney beans and 500g of mushrooms. The stew was served along-side baked potatoes and green beans. We all left the table full from a hearty meal. None of us missed the smaller portions of meat in the stew. We even had leftovers!
The addition of beans and mushrooms is one of my favourite ways of stretching out meat. They both tend to have a hearty flavour and texture, and are a good source of B-vitamins, folate, and some minerals. Beans are also relatively high in protein and add valuable fibre to our diets.
Meat loaf is another favourite in our household. Here I tend to do one of two things (or sometime both): mashed black beans or 'ground' TVP (textured vegetable protein) soaked in a Marmite broth. My preference is for the black beans since these are less processed. I use canned or pre-cooked beans, and mash them with a potato masher before adding them into the recipe.
Mashed black beans, TVP or crumbled tempeh are great additions to bulk up chili, spaghetti sauces or hearty stews and soups. I tend to avoid prepared vegetarian ground-beef substitutes because of the high sodium content and the high processing factor.
If you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Guilt-Free Diner-ing in Vancouver
Nestled away on the rougher edge of downtown Vancouver on Granville street, from the outside The Templeton looks like a typical run of the mill diner (or greasy spoon as we call them in Quebec)--the inside as well for that matter. Its long single room has about seven diner-style booths complete with chunky, wall-mounted jukeboxes along one side, and a long counter with swivel stools along the other where patrons dine on burgers, beer, sandwiches, all-day breakfasts, coffee, and all the typical diner fare. However, a quick peak at the menu reveals something different: A diner with conscience.
The focus is on burgers and breakfast: organic and local burgers and breakfasts that is. There are three basic types of burgers on the menu—portabello mushroom (vegetarian), 100% beef, or chicken—which you can then dress up to your liking with a variety of toppings. All the ingredients are organic and locally-sourced. The burgers come with a side of local organic greens, french fries, garlic mashed potatoes or the soup of the day. For a couple of dollars more, you can upgrade your side dish to a vegetarian chilli or a poutine. Poutine? In Vancouver?
My dining choice was obvious: A 777 organic beef burger and poutine! According to the menu the poutine is made with French fries, aged cheddar cheese and vegan mushroom gravy. Not exactly a traditional poutine, but definitely a tasty choice. Although a bit on the salty side, the mushroom gravy tasted like a classic ‘sauce brun’; and paired well with the aged cheddar for a strong flavourful mouthful. The burger was large and juicy, topped with bright lettuce, tomato and onion. Exactly what I expected.
For a diner, The Templeton has a wide variety of vegetarian choices and is conscious to include vegan options as well. Some examples include Three-Cheese Organic Macaroni, Vegan Lentil Loaf and Pesto Grilled Veggie Lasagna. All veg*n dishes, including the portabello mushroom burger, are cooked separately from the meat dishes. This is a rarity among mixed restaurants, in my observation. If fish is more your thing, The Templeton has that too, including beer battered fish and chips from sustainable catches and tuna steak. Other diner offerings include salads and grilled sandwiches.
Templeton offers breakfast until 3pm. I had the pleasure of watching plates of pancakes, eggs and French toast float past me. Their “Mangled Eggs’ is described on the menu as bacon, scrambled eggs , and Montreal brie inside a toasted croissant, with a side order of rosemary potatoes (hmm More Montreal fare); and yes, the bacon is organic. You can substitute veggie bacon. Other breakfast offerings include huevos rancheros, farmer’s breakfast with sausages, tofu scrambler, omelettes, cereals, fresh fruit and more. Weekend brunches add a selection of “Benny’s”, or Eggs Benedict, to the menu as well as steak and eggs.
Well stuffed on my burger and poutine, I passed on deserts, which included a hot fudge brownie, vegan pear crisp, and blueberry mango crumble. The regular desert menu included deep fried Mars bars, which I haven’t seen on a menu since Scotland, and deep-fried Wunderbars. I was sad to pass them up.
Service was fast and friendly. The staff is clearly passionate about food. Following my meal, I had a fabulous discussion about local sustainable fare with my server, who herself was vegetarian. She also offered up a few other inexpensive restaurant suggestions to try in my quest for sustainable food choices in Vancouver, and also recommended some vendors to visit at the Granville Island market.
Assuming you get a straight meal at The Templeton, expect to spend about $15 after taxes excluding drinks. Breakfasts are a bit less. Deserts run about $5 each. A pint of brew will set you back a fiver, or try the local cider for abut a dollar more. Definitely a deal for guilt-free fare.
The Templeton
1087 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1L4
(604) 685-4612
The focus is on burgers and breakfast: organic and local burgers and breakfasts that is. There are three basic types of burgers on the menu—portabello mushroom (vegetarian), 100% beef, or chicken—which you can then dress up to your liking with a variety of toppings. All the ingredients are organic and locally-sourced. The burgers come with a side of local organic greens, french fries, garlic mashed potatoes or the soup of the day. For a couple of dollars more, you can upgrade your side dish to a vegetarian chilli or a poutine. Poutine? In Vancouver?
My dining choice was obvious: A 777 organic beef burger and poutine! According to the menu the poutine is made with French fries, aged cheddar cheese and vegan mushroom gravy. Not exactly a traditional poutine, but definitely a tasty choice. Although a bit on the salty side, the mushroom gravy tasted like a classic ‘sauce brun’; and paired well with the aged cheddar for a strong flavourful mouthful. The burger was large and juicy, topped with bright lettuce, tomato and onion. Exactly what I expected.
For a diner, The Templeton has a wide variety of vegetarian choices and is conscious to include vegan options as well. Some examples include Three-Cheese Organic Macaroni, Vegan Lentil Loaf and Pesto Grilled Veggie Lasagna. All veg*n dishes, including the portabello mushroom burger, are cooked separately from the meat dishes. This is a rarity among mixed restaurants, in my observation. If fish is more your thing, The Templeton has that too, including beer battered fish and chips from sustainable catches and tuna steak. Other diner offerings include salads and grilled sandwiches.
Templeton offers breakfast until 3pm. I had the pleasure of watching plates of pancakes, eggs and French toast float past me. Their “Mangled Eggs’ is described on the menu as bacon, scrambled eggs , and Montreal brie inside a toasted croissant, with a side order of rosemary potatoes (hmm More Montreal fare); and yes, the bacon is organic. You can substitute veggie bacon. Other breakfast offerings include huevos rancheros, farmer’s breakfast with sausages, tofu scrambler, omelettes, cereals, fresh fruit and more. Weekend brunches add a selection of “Benny’s”, or Eggs Benedict, to the menu as well as steak and eggs.
Well stuffed on my burger and poutine, I passed on deserts, which included a hot fudge brownie, vegan pear crisp, and blueberry mango crumble. The regular desert menu included deep fried Mars bars, which I haven’t seen on a menu since Scotland, and deep-fried Wunderbars. I was sad to pass them up.
Service was fast and friendly. The staff is clearly passionate about food. Following my meal, I had a fabulous discussion about local sustainable fare with my server, who herself was vegetarian. She also offered up a few other inexpensive restaurant suggestions to try in my quest for sustainable food choices in Vancouver, and also recommended some vendors to visit at the Granville Island market.
Assuming you get a straight meal at The Templeton, expect to spend about $15 after taxes excluding drinks. Breakfasts are a bit less. Deserts run about $5 each. A pint of brew will set you back a fiver, or try the local cider for abut a dollar more. Definitely a deal for guilt-free fare.
The Templeton
1087 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1L4
(604) 685-4612
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