Celebrating Canadian Food

If you have never tried a recipe from a Marilyn Smith's cookbook, now is the time!
One of Marilyn's claims to fame is she is the only Professional Home Economist who is also an alumnus of the Second City Comedy Troupe!  She is also the self-appointed Queen of Fibre who is on a mission to show how enjoyable pulses, legumes and lentils can be and they add fibre to the diet.

The side effect of the added fibre - farting; just shows you have a healthy colon.  Things Marilyn explains every chance she can,  particularly on National Farting Day!  Yes there is a National Farting Day: March 1 annually.

As the Queen of Fibre she titled her latest cookbook with her tagline Peace, Love and Fibre as she continues to reign over her fibre queendom.

I have picked one of her older cookbooks to review,  actually Facebook picked it for me! A picture of HOMEGROWN Celebrating the Canadian Foods We Grow, Raise and produce With 160 Recipes popped up as my Facebook memory of the day.  Don't recall why I would have posted the picture, I am guessing I had either just got the book or was making something from it.  Whatever the reason, it seemed like a good reason to pull it off the shelf again.

Homegrown is a compilation of recipes from members of the Ontario Home Economics Assocation which celebrates great Canadian food.  It sometimes seem Canadian Food has an identity crisis.  If you say you are going out for Italian Food or Thai Food - certain flavours and images come to mind.  If you say you are eating "Canadian" tonight - people would give you a blank stare and ask so what exactly are you eating.

We need more cookbooks that celebrate all the wonderful food that is grown and produced right here in Canada - Maple Syrup, cranberries, pulses, legumes, oats, barley, beef.  I could go on and many of these items are prized around the world.  When you think local ingredients - this is the book to help you create with them.  

I started tonights meal with a very simple yet elegant first course - Baked Goat Cheese with Cranberry Compote (there was also an alternate with Pear Compote) 

The sweet tart flavours of the cranberries, with a little saltiness from the prosciutto combines nicely with the creaminess of the goat cheese rolled in walnuts for a little crunch.

I followed that with Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry served with Creamy Herbed Polenta 
I love polenta but hate making it, in this version you cook the polenta in the oven.  Such an easy way that make a delicious creamy polenta.  I will certainly be adding this recipe to my repertoire.  

When I think of curries I think of something creamy and yellow.  I know there are a whole variety of curries out there but that is the first image I have when I think of curry.  That this curry is tomato based and rather than using a pre-made curry powder,  it has you create your own curry powder mixture is why I choose the recipe.  At first you think really all those spices, but you end up with a flavourful curry with a nice hint of heat in just over 1/2 hour.

I finished off with Oat Barley Cookies.  A cookie you can almost feel good about eating as it is a source of soluble fibre.  It contains Barley Flour which was a new ingredient for me, but I found it easily enough at my local bulk food store.
The cookie provides you the satisfaction of having something sweet after a meal without being a full size dessert.

Like always I have several more recipes earmarked to try,  not sure I will get to them all before I select my next cookbook.  For now, I think I will go have another cookie with a cup of Tea.  Till next time Enjoy.