UrbnSpice

"A Taste Of Heart & Home"

Archives for April 2018

How to Make the Ultimate Classic Coleslaw

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Urb’n’Spice Ultimate Recipe Series

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I have such fond memories of this particular salad from my days as a chef trainee at a prestigious country club. My first months of employment began in Garde Manger – in the cold foods area of a busy kitchen where sandwiches, salads, fruit trays, salad dressing, desserts and so much more was prepared.  Everything was made fresh from scratch on a daily basis. One of my jobs was making coleslaw (hand-cut) for lunch service as well as ensuring a fresh batch was made for the evening service. With any training came the mentorship of the Garde Manger supervisor whose job it was to acknowledge a job well done as well as critiquing work that needed refinement or improvement. It had been a particularly gruelling week, and when I came in the next day, I was met with a sombre greeting from my supervisor. He told me that there was a problem with my coleslaw. I was prepared for the worst and at the same time, devastated that I might not have met expectations in an environment that required precision. He just broke into a smile, “It was too good! We had to make more in the middle of service!” Since that day, I have described this salad as “The Ultimate Classic Coleslaw.”

Ultimate Classic Coleslaw | urbnspice.com…

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Turkey, Mushroom and Power Greens Pasta

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BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun dishes.  To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.”  This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the April Blenditarian Challenge is “Go Green for Earth Month.” The challenge is to create an earth-‘friendlier’ dish by incorporating The Blend (mushrooms + ground meat) into “power greens.” For this reason, I have developed a recipe called Turkey, Mushroom and Power Greens Pasta. It is a recipe that can be adapted for many dietary needs, such as dairy-free, gluten-free, heart-healthy, and is also Weight Watchers friendly.

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Turkey, Mushroom and Power Greens Pasta | urbnspice.com

Turkey, Mushroom and Power Greens Pasta

When you use chicken or turkey in a ‘Blend’, it is called a ‘blond blend’. Lean ground turkey is an excellent choice, not only because it is a low-fat protein option, but also because it readily assimilates the flavours of the ingredients. In this recipe, spices such as cumin and chilli powder lend a subtle earthy spiciness, and using paprika helps to create an appealing golden colour to the meat mixture. The use of fresh herbs (parsley and basil) adds brightness to the dish.

Let’s talk about power greens. Power greens can be described as a nutrient-dense superfood of leafy greens contributing an energy boost with high amounts of Vitamins A and C, iron and calcium, dietary fibre and potassium. The greens can be used individually or can be found in a mix often comprised of baby spinach, Swiss chard (both red and green), and kale. For this recipe, I utilized Dinosaur Kale (also known as Tuscan kale, or black kale). I love the look of the curled dark glossy leaves. It is a sturdy green with a tough stalk.  I removed the stalk by slicing along each side. Once all of the stalks have been removed, I gathered the leafy ‘strips’ and sliced them thinly (a chiffonade cut). I added the prepared kale to the pasta water during the last few minutes of cooking.

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Pan Roasted Chicken with Creamy Asiago Sauce

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This recipe for Pan Roasted Chicken Breast with Creamy Asiago Sauce has gone through a significant transformation over the years. It is interesting how favourite family recipes experience modifications as a result of ingredient costs, dietary restrictions or simply, a streamlining of the recipe.

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When I read the original recipe provided by the meat department of a major grocery chain a number of years ago, I recall thinking that it would be a rich and indulgent dish for company only. I also noted the recipe used two large frying pans, and since my kitchen equipment was rather meagre at the time, I simplified the recipe so that it could be prepared in one pan.Chicken with Creamy Asiago sauce | urbnspice.com

The original recipe was named “Chicken Breasts with Blue Cheese Sauce”, which called for 550 g of Blue Cheese – that is a lot of Blue Cheese! Since our family was not really a huge fan of Blue Cheese, I modified the recipe to use Asiago Cheese. Asiago Cheese is similar in taste to Parmesan and can be easily melted. A small amount of flavourful Asiago cheese goes a long way. I created a delicious sauce with 120 g (2 cups grated) of Asiago cheese, which is a significant departure from the amount of cheese used and cost associated with the original recipe. Save this dish for company or share it with someone you love – just give it a try – you will not be disappointed!

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