Two new cookbooks to bring you into the Spring season
While the snow may still be blowing as we move officially into spring, we’ll soon start craving the flavours that come with the change of season.
For anyone looking for new spring inspirations on their dinner table, Penguin Books has two wonderful new books to inspire your desires.
Coming from two completely different aspects of cuisine, Thrive Energy Cookbook by Brendan Brazier is all about plant-based diets that offer nutrition to the max. Meanwhile, grilling expert Ted Reader’s Gastro Grilling offers savoury suggestions that will have the family racing to the dinner table.
To whet our appetites, Penguin Canada sent us several samples of the fine goods within these new publications.
From Gastro Grilling we offer two delicious recipes – smoked and grilled beef ribs, and planked meatloaf.
Smoked & Grilled Beef Ribs with Beer Schmeer
This is an unusual way to make a barbeque sauce, but it’s the best way to add real smoke flavour to your homemade sauces rather than using liquid smoke. In a hot, heavy pan you will dry roast wood chips over high heat until they begin to brown and smoke. The rest is easy. Serves 2 to 4
What you need: cast iron frying pan, about 3 inches (8 cm) deep; hickory wood chips; strainer; 1 large foil grill bag or heavy-duty aluminum foil
Beef Back Ribs
1 rack meaty beef back ribs (approx. 3 to 4 lb/1.4 to 1.8 kg), 6 to 7 bones
3 tbsp (45 mL) Steak Spice, plus extra for grilling
1 + 1 bottles (12 oz/341 mL each) Alexander Keith’s Amber Ale
Beer Schmeer
1 cup (250 mL) chili sauce
2 tbsp (30 mL) Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp (60 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tbsp (30 mL) extra-hot prepared horseradish
½ cup (125 mL) molasses
8 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup (60 mL) cold butter, cut into small cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cut the beef ribs into 1-bone segments. Season the beef ribs all over with Steak Spice, pressing the steak spice into the meat. Place the beef ribs in a self-sealing bag and pour in 1 bottle of beer. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, and refrigerate to marinate for 4 hours.
Fire up your grill 350-450°F (180-230°C). Set grill for both direct and indirect grilling.
To make the Beer Schmeer, place cast iron frying pan onto the burner to get hot. When it is smoking hot, pour in the hickory wood chips and shake the pan to move the wood chips around to allow them to get hot and begin smoking and browning. This may take a few minutes.
When the wood chips begin to brown and smoke, slowly pour the second bottle of beer into the pan. Allow the beer to boil and reduce by half with the wood chips in there. This will extract the smoky flavor from the wood and infuse it into the beer. Remove from direct heat and add the chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, horseradish, molasses and garlic. Return to the fire and bring to a boil, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, one or two cubes at a time, until it is incorporated into the sauce. Strain, discarding wood chips, and set aside, keeping warm.
Reduce your grill to 250-350°F (120-180°C). Set grill for indirect smoking/grilling.
Remove beef ribs from marinade and season with a little extra Steak Spice. Rub it in. Place beef ribs in grill indirectly, add a handful or smoking chips and smoke ribs for 2 hours, basting with Beer Schmeer during the second hour of smoking and monitoring the temperature and adding more smoking chips as necessary. Remove beef ribs from grill, baste with a little extra Beer Schmeer and wrap 3-4 bones together in a double thickness of aluminum foil. Repeat with remaining beef ribs. Place on grill, close lid and cook for 45-60 minutes, turning the bag or foil package every 15 minutes, until ribs are fully cooked and tender. Remove the foil-wrapped beef ribs from the grill.
Now turn your grill up nice and hot, approx. 550-650°F (290-345°C).
Unwrap ribs and place on the grill. Allow ribs to char and baste with extra Beer Schmeer. Remove from grill and dig in.
Planked Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes with Beer BBQ Gravy
Who doesn’t love meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy! My version is done on the grill.
Serves 8
What You Need:
Maple grilling plank (12 × 8 × ½ inches/30 × 20 × 1 cm), soaked in water for a minimum of 1 hour
Mashed Potatoes
6 large gold-fleshed potatoes (approx. 1½ lb/675 g)
1 stick (4 oz/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tbsp (45 mL) sour cream
½ cup (125 mL) grated white cheddar cheese
2 green onions, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Meatloaf
2 lb (900 g) ground beef chuck
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) sweet onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup (125 mL) crispy fried shallots (you can find this already prepared item in ethnic grocery stores)
1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
3 tbsp (45 mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Beer BBQ Gravy
4 tbsp (60 mL) butter
2 sweet onions, diced
1 tsp (5 mL) garlic, chopped
¼ cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 mL) Hoegaarden
1½ cups (375 mL) beef stock
½ cup (125 mL) your favourite gourmet-style barbeque sauce (I use my Beerlicious™ BBQ Sauce)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fire up your grill to 350-450°F (180-230°C).
To make mashed potatoes, place potatoes onto grill, close lid and roast for 45-60 minutes, until flesh is soft all the way through when pierced with a skewer. Remove the potatoes from grill and allow to cool slightly. Cut each potato in half, scoop out the hot flesh and place in a bowl. Mash the potatoes. Add butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese and green onion. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and mix well. Cool, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
To make meatloaf, in a large bowl, combine ground beef, butter, onions, garlic, crispy fried shallots, Dijon mustard, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.
To make the Beer BBQ Gravy, melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Sauté the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes or until tender and transparent. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes, being careful not to burn the flour. Add the beer and beef stock, ½ cup (125 mL) at a time, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Stir in the barbeque sauce, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
Remove grilling plank from water and pat dry with paper towels. Form a meatloaf log that runs the entire length of the plank on one side, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border from the edge of the plank. Make sure to pack the meat tightly together. It is important to keep it well packed so that it stays together and gives you a better bite when fully cooked.
Remove mashed potato mixture from refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Mix it up and form it into a log beside the meatloaf, making sure it is about the same size and shape of the meat loaf.
Cover and refrigerate to rest for 1 hour.
If you turned your grill off, fire it back up to 350-450°F (180-230°C). Place planked meatloaf and mashed potatoes on the grill, close lid and plank for 10 minutes. The plank will start to smoke and crackle.
Reduce heat to medium to medium-low and continue to cook meatloaf for 20-30 minutes longer, until the meatloaf is fully cooked (internal temperature 160°F/70°C) and the mashed potatoes are golden brown and hot on the inside and crispy on the outside. Remove from grill. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
While the meatloaf and mashed potatoes are resting, reheat the Beer BBQ Gravy.
Slice the meatloaf and scoop the mashed potatoes onto plates and serve immediately. Top with Beer BBQ Gravy.
And from the Thrive Energy Cookbook we have the following soup recipe.
Roasted Red Pepper & Sweet Potato Soup
Well-balanced flavour and clean carbohydrate make this soup a delicious, functional favourite.
Serves 6 to 8
Prep Time: 25 minutes • Special Equipment: immersion blender or blender
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup (250 mL) chopped onions
¼ cup (60 mL) grapeseed oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (250 mL) chopped celery
1 cup (250 mL) chopped carrots
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
4 large roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
4 to 5 cups (1 to 1.25 L) vegetable stock
1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk
Large handful of fresh sweet basil, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Place the sweet potatoes and the onions on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little of the grapeseed oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes or until golden. Set aside.
Heat the remaining grapeseed oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrots, garlic and salt to taste. Stir in the roasted peppers and sweet potato mixture and cook on medium for 10 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer soup, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
Using an immersion blender or blender, puree the soup to the desired consistency. Adjust seasoning.
Stir in most of the basil, reserving a few leaves for garnish. Adjust seasoning. Serve garnished with the remaining basil leaves.