Za'atar Cauliflower Steaks with Creamy Tahini Sauce & Pomegranate

There's no denying it, the plant-based diet is no longer a trend, it's a movement! While I'm not interested in fully saying 'goodbye' to meat anytime soon, I am interested in reducing the amount of meat that I consume, as well as increasing the amount of vegetables that I put into my body. With so many of my friends becoming vegetarians over the past couple of years, I've had to get creative with coming up with new and exciting dishes that I can serve both as side dishes as well as main courses for these newly veggified friends.

Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable, with it's texture so easily manipulatable, and it's mild taste acting as such a fantastic base for other flavours. I don't like when people pretend to make vegetarian food taste like meat very often (sometimes I get it!), so this isn't going to be one of those recipes. This isn't a cauliflower wearing the mask of "steak," pretending to embody those flavours, and that's okay. This dish doesn't care to be steak, because it is unique and wonderful all in itself. To be honest with you, on most nights I think I would prefer to eat a cauliflower steak dressed in beautiful flavours and textures than a big hunk of meat. I still love you, steak, but if I had to have one over the other every night of the week, I'd pick my friend Cauli.

Cauliflower steaks hit the table in the same dramatic way an actual steak does (and that's just about where their similarities end), but due to that lovely blank canvas, we have so much room to play! I like to roast my cauliflower steaks in the oven at a high temp to get the inside nice and tender, and the outside charred and caramelized. If I can get a dip involved, I will, and this dip is creamy, tangy, and just a little smokey (hi, smoked paprika!). While I'm never going to turn down a spicy mayo like a chipotle mayo or sriracha mayo, I'm ready for a new flavour in my mayo these days, and tahini has been an ingredient that I've been turning to on the regular. Tahini and avocado go hand-in-hand in my books, and with the new Metro Irresistibles Avocado Oil Mayo in my fridge these days, the pairing was a no-brainer. I spooned a little pool of the creamy mayo onto each plate, giving the cauli steaks a place to hang out and soak up that flavour. A sprinkle of nutty and herbaceous za-atar, a hit of bright cilantro, and lastly, a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds for their pop of juicy, tangy flavour and texture round this dish out.

This dish is happy playing the star or supporting character, being both a great side dish and a main. When served as a main, I like to pair this with a protein like lentils or beans, or a hearty soup to make it a little more satiating.

* Za'atar seasoning can be made in advance and stores in an airtight container for about 2-months, but best used fresh.
** Creamy Tahini Drizzle can be made in advance and stores in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-week.

Ingredients:
Za'atar Seasoning*
2 Tbsp dried thyme
2 tsp sumac (optional)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
Cauliflower Steaks
1 cauliflower head, stem trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
za'atar (see recipe above or use store-bought)
salt & pepper, to season
1 pomegranate, seeded
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Creamy Tahini Sauce**
1/4 cup Metro Irresistibles Avocado Oil Mayonnaise 
2 Tbsp Tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp cumin, freshly toasted & ground
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1. Prepare the za'atar seasoning. In a mortar and pestle grind together dried thyme, sumac (optional), and kosher salt. Stir in sesame seeds.*
2. Preheat oven to 425ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 
3. Cut cauliflower down the centre and slice into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch steaks. The cauliflower on the side will naturally break off into florets and that's ok! You will be left with about 4 cauliflower steaks and some florets on the side. 
4. Place steaks and florets on prepared baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with about 2-4 Tbsp za'atar and salt and pepper on both sides, and bake for 15-minutes. Flip steaks and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until browning and just beginning to char on both sides. 
5. While cauliflower is baking, prepare the Creamy Tahini Sauce**. In a small bowl whisk together Metro Irresistibles Avocado Oil Mayonnaise, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, and salt.
6. Serve cauliflower steaks immediately on a bed of the Creamy Tahini Sauce, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, and cilantro, with remaining Creamy Tahini Sauce drizzled on top. Serve immediately.

This post was created in partnership with Metro Ontario.

Listening To:
Arlo Parks - Cola

Individual Lemon Poppyseed Mixed Berry Cobblers & Lemon Poppyseed Scones

When I go out to a restaurant, chances are I'm going to want to share dessert with you by the end of it. While my stomach (unfortunately) fills up quite quickly, my eyes are always bigger than my tummy, and I can't help but always want to finish off the meal with a sweet note on the palate, no matter how full I may be feeling. It's in those instances that sharing is the way to go! Call me selfish, but on your average night-in at home, I have no interest in sharing. Lounging in my "comfy pants" with time between dinner and dessert to find my appetite again, I want to dig into something sweet that I can enjoy all to myself! While that may sound indulgent on the surface, what I also love about individual desserts is that your portion is already decided for you, so there's no temptation to go back for seconds. Not only that, the remaining portions of dessert can be easily gifted to family and friends to spread some of that dessert love around.

I don't always have desserts on hand at home on my average weeknight, but I do like to keep a few dessert-emergency ideas in my back pocket so that when the craving strikes, I have something to turn to. For those weeknight emergency desserts I never want anything labour intensive, nor anything too large that I have to worry about eating all of, or alternatively wasting. I also like my weeknight emergency desserts to not be too sweet, and hopefully can also act as a breakfast or snack the next day. With this in mind, I created a dessert that ticks off all of those boxes! Introducing the recipe that produces not only your dessert, but also your breakfast, Individual Lemon Poppyseed Mixed Berry Cobblers & Lemon Poppyseed Scones.

Thanks to the help of the newly released Metro Irresistibles Naturalia Frozen Mixed Berries, this recipe can be made all year round, while still allowing you to stick to your budget. The great thing about cobblers is there really is no need for fresh berries, as they're all going to be cooked down anyway. This is the perfect application for frozen fruit, and I love that these berries are both tested for pesticide spray, as well as frozen at their peak freshness to ensure the highest quality. With berries already that delicious, they really don't require much other work.

To switch up the traditional biscuit topping for my cobblers, I invited in one of my favourite sweet flavour combinations, lemon and poppyseed, to play off of the sweet and tangy dance happening inside of the mixed berry filling. To give myself some breakfast for the next day, I made just enough biscuit topping to gift me with four additional scones, baked off on their own! Without the sweet berry filling, they make an exceptional breakfast to enjoy with a coffee, or on the go. I was so happy with how this dessert turned out, and can't wait to whip it up again the next time I feel a dessert emergency coming on.

Ingredients:
Mixed Berry Filling
2 packages (equals about 6 cups total) Metro Irresistibles Naturalia Frozen Mixed Berries, thawed and drained (reserve juices for another use)
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1-2 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Biscuit Topping
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp (well packed and heaping) lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (plus more for serving)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease 4 individual baking dishes or ramekins (my dishes could fit 250 mL) and set on a rimmed baking sheet. Prepare another baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
2. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients for the mixed berry filling starting with 1-Tbsp cornstarch (if berries are quite juicy, add more as needed). Taste, and adjust sugar as needed. Spoon evenly into baking dishes allowing filling to go up about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the dish.
3. In a large bowl whisk together flour with sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds.
4. Add cream to dry ingredients and stir together until just combined (dough will be very shaggy). 
5. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, spoon approximately 2-3 Tbsp of biscuit mixture on top of fruit filling. Scoop any remaining biscuit dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2-inches between each biscuit. 
6. Brush the tops of all of the biscuits lightly with heavy cream. Bake cobblers for 35-40 minutes, or until golden. Enjoy immediately or set aside in fridge covered until ready to eat. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream and a drizzle of the strained berry juices on top.
7. Increase oven temperature to 425ºF and bake remaining biscuits for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Enjoy immediately or set aside in an airtight container until ready to eat.

This post was created in partnership with Metro Ontario.

Listening To:
Maggie Rogers - Light On

Roasted Maple Chilli Squash with Pumpkin Seeds

Every year time seems to fly a little faster, which means that Christmas always arrives at lighting, speed, prompting me to often ask aloud "wasn't it JUST Christmas?!" Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas dinner (adore it, even!), but with the hands of time spinning faster than a ballerina in the Nutcracker, it doesn't feel like Christmas dinner was all that long ago!

My family always does a big potluck for our Christmas dinner, which puts the opportunity for change in each of our hands. This year I decided to shake things up and make a Christmas side dish that's grounded in a classic Christmas flavour (roast squash), but given an exciting twist! While roast squash is a common vegetables found on the Christmas table, I roasted mine in a maple chilli glaze to give it a bit of a kick, and garnished it with roasted pumpkin seeds for a salty crunch; dried cranberries for their balance of sweet and tart, as well as chewiness; and finished the dish off with a light, cooling drizzle of a cumin-spiced yogurt.

I love the way this dish activates every taste bud, and think it will make a really exciting and delicious addition to my family Christmas table!

*You may roast the squash in advance, and reheat when ready to serve. Garnish just before serving.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash 

2 Tbsp Metro Irresistibles Amber Maple Syrup

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 thai red chillies, sliced thin on a bias

1/4 cup roasted salted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup Metro Irresistibles 2% Plain Yogurt

1/4 tsp ground cumin (fresh ground is best!)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to season

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Cut squash into quarters and slice into 1-inch to 1 1/2-inch slices.
3. In a small bowl, stir together maple syrup, butter, and chillies. In a large bowl toss together squash slices with maple syrup mixture and season well with salt and pepper.
4. Lay squash in a single layer on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 40-50 minutes or until tender when inserted with a fork.
5. While squash is roasting, prepare the spiced yogurt. In a small bowl stir together yogurt with cumin and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Store in fridge until ready to use. 
6. Place squash directly into a serving dish and garnish with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and a drizzle of spiced yogurt. Serve Immediately.*

This post was created in partnership with Metro Ontario.

Listening To:

Christmas Time Is Here - Vince Guaraldi

Cranberry Orange Scones with Orange Honey Butter

Holiday baking isn't just about cookies over the holidays! I'm the kind of person who likes to find any excuse to eat treats all day long, so while I love dipping a cookie in some coffee, there's nothing like having dessert for breakfast! With that in mind, I took the classic flavour combination of orange and cranberry that I so often put in my holiday biscotti, and infused them into one of my favourite go-to scone recipes! I love this recipe because it's super easy to whip together, plus it's just as lovely to gift to a special someone as are cookies!

To take this recipe to the next level, I like to serve it with an Orange and Honey butter, to kick up that citrus flavour just a touch, while also adding another hint of sweetness, to otherwise not overly sweet scones.

Adapted slightly from Bon Appetit
Ingredients:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting surface)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 heaping tsp orange zest
1 tsp Metro Irresistibles Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup fresh cranberries
Egg Wash
1 egg
2 Tbsp water
Orange Honey Butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1-2 heaping Tbsp orange zest (use more or less depending on how punchy you want it)
2 Tbsp Metro Irresistibles Organics Pure Honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large bowl, whisk sugar baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour to combine.
3. Add the cubes of butter to the dry mixture and toss to coat.
4. Using your fingers or pastry blender, work the butter into the flour, breaking it down until only pea-sized pieces of butter remain.
5. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, and add the beaten egg, cream, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Mix the wet ingredients with a fork, incorporating dry ingredients a little at a time, until a shaggy dough is formed. Gently fold in the cranberries. Lightly knead until dough comes together. Don't over-mix the dough! Don't worry if it looks a little dry. 
6. Flour your table and turn dough onto surface. Pat into a 1-inch thick round, and cut into 8 even wedges. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. In a small bowl, make the egg wash by whisking together 1 egg and 2 Tbsp water.
8. Using a pastry brush, brush tops of scones with egg wash mixture.
9. Bake scones until golden-brown, 25-30 minutes.

Honey Butter

1. In a medium bowl, or bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together softened butter with orange zest and honey until light and fluffy. Serve at room temperature with Cranberry Orange Scones. 

This post was created in partnership with Metro Ontario.

Listening To:

Earl Sweatshirt - Cold Summers

Taste Of Toronto - Getting Hands-On In The Metro Master Class Kitchen

Fomo: Fear of missing out. For the past two summers those fears came true for me, as I desperately scrolled through my various social media feeds in an attempt to live vicariously through the lens of all of the lucky attendees at Taste of Toronto. There's no doubt about it, since Taste's inception in Toronto two years ago, it has been the food event of the year with the likes of David Chang, Mark McEwan, Massimo Capra, Carl Heinrich, Christina Tosi, Anthony Rose, Chuck Hughes and more having participated in what is often considered to be one of the best restaurant festivals in the world. Summer in Toronto can get very busy, so it's easy to miss out on at least a few of the food-focused events that take place throughout those few warm months, but this year there wasn't a chance I was going to miss out on Taste of Toronto again. 

With an invitation from Metro Ontario this year to attend the festival as their guest, I was able to gain access to the exclusive Metro Master Class kitchen to watch and participate in an interactive cooking demo hosted by Chef Anthony Rose (no relation to me) of the Anthony Rose empire (ie. Rose & Son's, Fat Pasha, Shmaltz Appetizing, Big Crow, Big Crow But Little, Rose & Son's Swan, and Bar Begonia...wow that's a mouth-full!). Representing his Middle Eastern influenced restaurant Fat Pasha at Taste, Chef Rose taught myself, along with a group of other food bloggers and Taste attendees how to make Msabbaha, a vegetarian dish featuring creamy hummus, whole chickpeas, roasted cauliflower, pomegranate seeds, halloumi, and Schug, a spicy and herbaceous green sauce with cilantro, parsley, hot peppers, and spices. All of the fresh and local ingredients were provided by Metro Ontario, making the recipe very accessible for participants like myself to be able to recreate at home.

As I was guided to my cooking station, I was happy to find a familiar face as my cooking partner for the demo, the lovely Isabelle Boucher of Crumb Blog. We were given a quick overview of our station, learning how to use the Elextrolux induction cooktop, and the Braun immersion blender that were provided for us, and we were on our way to get cookin'! As Chef Rose began the demo, he told us a little bit about Fat Pasha and Israeli cuisine, teaching us how to pronounce some Yiddish and Middle Eastern dishes with that classic "chhh" sound that comes from throat. Ironically enough, Isabelle and I happened to be the only participants who had ever traveled to Israel and tried authentic Israeli cuisine. If you've ever traveled to Israel yourself, you will know just how extraordinary Israeli hummus is. The flavour and insane creaminess is unlike anything you can find in Toronto, though you can get awfully close at Fat Pasha, which was why I was so eager to learn Chef Rose's secret. 

Though Isabelle's research had taught her that that creamy consistency in Israeli hummus is thanks to taking the extra step of removing the chickpea skins, Chef Rose gave us another great tip, which was to add ice water to the mix when blending with the immersion blender. It was so amazing to be able to be so hands-on with the cooking demo, as well as have someone so well respected like Chef Rose on hand to come around and look at all of our dishes, and guide us to the result he would be proud to serve in his own restaurant. How often do you have a renowned chef looking over your shoulder to guide you, as you learn to cook one of their signature dishes? To a food nerd like myself, that was so cool! With his classic laid-back charm, Chef Rose made the experience of participating in the demo not only incredibly informative, but also a lot of fun. 

When the demo was over, it was time to head back into the hot sun and check out some of the restaurants that were stationed around the Fort York grounds, serving some of their signature dishes. We began our tour at Little Sister Indonesian & Noorden Food Bar's stand, one of our favourite restaurants that's known for serving up big-flavoured dishes, that are meant to be shared. We opted to share a plate of their Satay Ayam, which are chicken satays with peanut sauce, pickles, and shrimp chips. As always, they were an overwhelmingly-wonderful flavour explosion and were a great way to start our circuit around the grounds. 

With a pint of Mill Street in my boyfriend Chris' hand, and a Walter's Caesar in mine, we were ready to grab our next bite. Mamakas Taverna's stand was directly next to Little Sister's, tempting us with the smoke and smells of their roasted Ontario lamb, churning on a hot spit. There wasn't a chance we were passing that up! Their vibrant stand full of multi-coloured vegetables, beautifully displayed on wooden crates, was just as eye-catching as the lamb spit, and was most definitely the most aesthetically-pleasing restaurant stand of the day. 

Though the lamb served with bulgar salad and Tzatziki was an absolute must, we also couldn't resist getting an order of their Baklava Soft Serve, garnished with a Baklava crumble and Ontario strawberries. Though we felt slightly guilty over the fact that we were ordering two dishes from the same restaurant, when we should probably be expanding our choices over the breadth of restaurants that were featured at the festival, we had zero regrets! The succulent lamb was incredible, though quite difficult to eat with plastic cutlery, but that didn't stop us from demolishing our plate. The Baklava soft serve was one of our favourite tastes of the day, partly due to the insane humidity we were faced with at the festival, but largely because it was just so damn delicious.  

After scoping out the rest of the grounds, we headed over to Anthony Rose's Fat Pasha stand to get more of our hummus fix satisfied. We ordered a plate of Falafel Hummus with tahini, lemon, pickled cucumbers and peppers, olives, pita, and a drizzle of that incredible Schug. We found a shady spot under a tree and dove right into our falafel plate. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that it all came straight from Israel, it was so delicious! The vegetarian plate was a great way to finish off our savoury tastes of the festival, as the humidity began to affect our appetite. 

With $5 left on our American Express Crown Card (the official currency of the festival) and sweat on our brows, we could think of no better way of sending off the festival than with a cool and refreshing popsicle from Chill Pops, a local company churning out all-natural pressed juice ice pops, hand-crafted in small batches in Toronto. Though all of the flavours sounded enticing, we chose the Pineapple Kiwi flavour. We annihilated the tasty ice pop in what felt like seconds and said our farewell to Taste of Toronto 2016. 

After years of envy, watching others enjoy the flavours and sights of Taste of Toronto, it was such a pleasure to be able to attend and participate in this years festival. Though we got to try so many wonderful tastes, my favourite part was definitely being able to take part in the Metro Master Class cooking demo. While dishes come to an end, the knowledge that I gained from the cooking demo is something that I can carry with me each time I approach a Middle Eastern dish in my own kitchen. I'm looking forward to making Chef Rose's Msabbaha at home and sharing the recipe with you. There's a new Rose in the kitchen now! 

Listening To:

Major Lazer - Light it Up 

Metro Seasonal Lunch: Discussing Local Purchasing Initiatives with Foodland Ontario

Photo by Jeffrey Wright

Welcome back summer! As much as I love to rejoice as soon as the summer solstice hits, I have to admit that being a pale ginger kid, I actually prefer the weather in the spring and fall, as opposed to the scorching and humid temperatures that we can expect in the summer in Toronto. Though, yes, I do prefer spring and fall, my absolute favourite thing about summer in Toronto is being able to enjoy all of the incredible local produce that we are so lucky to grow here in Ontario. 

"Locally grown produce allows consumers to put a face to their food, granting them the opportunity to find that personal connection with each meal." 

There's no doubt about it, Torontonians are caring more and more about the food they're feeding their families. People want to know where the food is coming from, how it was grown, and who grew it. For most Canadians food is more than just sustenance, it's a way of showing love, giving to others, and telling a story. It's no coincidence that there are three meals in a day, beginning, middle, and end, just like a story. In order to build on the story of each meal, consumers want to be able to make a connection with the food that they're eating. Locally grown produce allows consumers to put a face to their food, granting them the opportunity to find that personal connection with each meal. 

Photo by Daniel St. Germaine

After waiting so many months for our rainbow of Ontario fruits and vegetables to come back into season, it's understandable to want to have a fridge and counter full of locally-grown goodies at all times. Though farmer's markets are definitely "on-trend" right now and seem to be popping up all over the city, it's not always easy to find access to locally grown goods every day for each meal. Yes, most of us have a local market that's easy for us to get to, but most of those farmer's markets only run once a week, which means looking elsewhere for Ontario-grown foods. 

With so many Torontonians demanding access to locally grown foods, grocery stores are beginning to take note. I recently had the opportunity to attend a seasonally-focused lunch hosted by Metro Ontario, celebrating their new local sourcing initiatives in partnership with Foodland Ontario. The event, which was held in the beautiful exposed-brick Burroughs Building, invited attendees to enjoy a three-course seasonally-inspired meal, and learn about the innovative shopping experience that Metro is beginning to create for their consumers. 

Understanding the importance of having that personal connection with the food their customers are purchasing, Metro has taken it upon themselves to improve the shopping experience. By sourcing more of their fresh foods locally, as well as providing visual aids both in store and in their weekly flyer, Metro has made it so simple for customers to not only easily access Ontario-grown foods, but also effortlessly find those local foods with ease in the midst of their busy schedules.

The Meal

The event was a stunning reflection of Metro's new initiative, celebrating the beauty of our bounty here in Ontario. The three-course meal showcased the big bold flavours of Ontario by focusing on simplicity. The lunch began with a Field of Greens Salad, speckled with Ontario sprouted beans (which also reflects this years International Year of Pulses), red beets, pumpkin seeds, and parmesan cheese, tossed in a maple walnut vinaigrette. Though the Ontario Beer-Brined Chicken and Ontario Rainbow Trout looked exquisite, I had selected the Egg Yolk Ravioli for my second course, having always been intrigued by the surprising dish. The extra-large raviolis were lightly tossed in browned butter and pecorino, and topped with pea shoots to allow the subtle flavour of the ricotta and Ontario green pea filling to shine. The rich and creamy texture and flavour of the egg yolk, kept intact inside each ravioli, tied the whole dish together, and added a welcome surprise as the ravioli was cut open and the yolk oozed out. To end the meal, we were presented with a dazzling finale of Goat's Milk Panna Cotta with vibrant strawberry and rhubarb, dehydrated pink peppercorn meringue, and mint.  

More than just a fantastic meal, I was so taken by the gorgeous tablescape that was created exclusively for the event. The large, glass-topped table had individual panels all along its length, which were each filled with a different Ontario vegetable, creating a rainbow of Ontario produce beneath each table setting. The attention to detail in the execution of the decor was truly spectacular and left me feeling inspired!

Being a huge supporter of the impressive wealth of flavour we are so lucky to enjoy in Ontario, this was such an enjoyable event for me to attend. I had so much fun getting to talk to the engaging Metro and Foodland Ontario representatives about the exciting work that they're doing, and revelling in the uniqueness and quality of Ontario cuisine. I'm looking forward to this coming Saturday, where I will be joining the Metro Ontario team once again to watch chef Anthony Rose create a mouth-watering dish, utilizing Ontario produce, on the Metro Master Class stage at Taste Of Toronto! Who else is going to be there? Tweet me: @thisgingerrose so we can connect! 

Want to stay up-to-date with all of my foodie adventures? Be sure to follow me on Instagram!

Listening To:
Drake - Controlla