...Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

There is nothing more addicting than sweet potato fries- the combination of sweet and salty makes them the perfect accompaniment to any meal.  Our little girl will be starting solids in a month and we are already thinking of ways to make meal time easier by cooking the same ingredients for us and our baby: roasted sweet potato mash for baby and fries for us.  In order to make the sweet potato fries extra crisp, the trick is to coat them in cornstarch before baking.  These fries are great dipped in ketchup or even mayo-sriracha for a little kick.

Ingredients: (Yields ~2 portions)

-1 large peeled sweet potato

-1.5 tbsp cornstarch

-Oil of your choice- vegetable, olive oil, or canola will do

-Coarse salt 

-Ground pepper

-Paprika 

*Optional: you can change up the flavours by adding herbs and other spices

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.  Start by cutting the peeled sweet potato into sticks. You can vary the thickness according to your tastes.  I prefer a thinner cut, approximately 1 cm thickness.

2. Soak the sweet potato sticks in water to get rid of the extra starch for a half hour.

3. Drain the water and pat dry using paper towels.  Try to get rid of as much moisture as possible.

4.  In a plastic bag, put in the cornstarch and the sweet potato sticks.  Shake the bag to evenly coat the sweet potato.  Try not to overdo the cornstarch, but if it does happen, use the edge of a spoon to scrape off the excess.  

5. Spread the sweet potato onto the lined baking tray.  Use another tray if you feel they are overcrowded- you want a single layer and space in between the sticks.

6.  Drizzle a generous amount of oil and sprinkle salt, ground pepper, paprika and any other spices you wish to add.  Adjust the amounts to your tastes.  

7.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  The bake time will vary depending on how thick your fries are.  Halfway through the bake time, turn the fries over so they don't burn on one side.  

8.  Place the fries on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.  Serve with your favourite condiment and enjoy!

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...Chimichurri Steak

There are some purists that say a perfectly seasoned and grilled steak needs no sauce. I on the other hand think that the right condiment can really enhance and compliment the flavour of your meat. A great example is the Argentinian chimichurri sauce made from parsley, garlic, vinegar and olive oil. My version uses fresh cilantro, lemon instead of vinegar and a touch of honey for a sweet, tangy and herbaceous sauce. 

Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
- juice and zest of one large lemon
- 1 tsp of honey
- 2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil (adjust the consistency depending on your tastes)

Method:
1) Simply blend all the ingredients in a food processor and season with salt

2) Serve with a grilled steak.  Be sure to use the sauce as soon as possible; the taste of the herbs are not as fresh the next day.

Enjoy!

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...Beef tortilla rolls

These beef rolls are the perfect finger food and super quick and easy to make.  Recently we made a half dozen and brought a few on an impromptu picnic lunch.  Cut them into inch sections and you have an appetizer for your next soiree that looks fantastic on the plate.

Ingredients: (~6 rolls)
-6 large flour tortillas
-6 cups spinach leaves
-18 slices roast beef
-1 & 1/4 cup shredded cheese, we had mozzarella on hand, cheddar would be good too
-6 tablespoons Miracle Whip or mayonnaise 
-2 tablespoons horseradish
-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
-1 tablespoon honey

Method:
1. In a bowl, mix together Miracle Whip, horseradish, Dijon mustard and honey until smooth.  Adjust flavour according to your tastes.

2. Spread a thin layer of the mixture onto a tortilla and layer on a handful of spinach leaves on top (about a cup).

3. Layer on top of the spinach about three slices of roast beef- the amount might vary but the point is to try not to overlap them too much, so that when you cut into them they look somewhat uniform.  Then on top spread a layer of cheese.

4.  Roll up the tortilla to form a tube.  To help the rolls retain their shape and seal the ends, we used plastic wrap.  Wrap each roll in plastic wrap and then gently tuck in the sides by twisting the plastic on either end like you would the ends of a candy wrapper.  Refrigerate the rolls for at least an hour to set their shape.  When you unwrap the rolls they should look like this:

5. You may choose to eat in tubular form, cut in half or if you're feeling fancy, cut into inch sections.

Enjoy!

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...Roasted Tomato and Bacon Jam

Have you ever grilled up a great steak at home and thought to yourself that a little squirt of ketchup would make for the perfect sauce, but you couldn't bring yourself to do it because of your inner food snob? I'll be the first to admit that ketchup is one of my all time favourite condiments and even though I think it goes great with beef I just can't bring myself to use it on a premium dry aged steak. The solution to my dilemma is this gourmet homemade tomato and bacon jam that is based on something similar we tasted at Farm on our charcuterie plate. This condiment is easy to make, sweet, savoury and smokey and can hold its own next to any premium steak out there.

Ingredients:

- 2 dry aged Angus beef strip loins

- 4 large tomatoes quartered and de-seeded 

- 1 large white onion sliced thinly

- 2 tbsp chopped sage

- 7 strips of bacon

- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

- 3 tbsp honey

- Salt and pepper

Method:

1. place the de-seeded and quartered tomatoes on an oven proof dish, season with salt, pepper and canola oil and roast at 400 degrees Celsius for 30-40 minutes

2. At the same time place the bacon on a separate baking sheet and bake at the same time as the tomatoes until golden brown and crispy

3. Once the bacon is crispy remove from the oven, allow to cool, chop into fine pieces and set aside

4. Use 3 tbsp of the reserved bacon drippings to slowly caramelize the onions and sage. When golden brown set aside to cool

5. Once the tomatoes are slightly dried out and soft, allow to cool for 10 minutes and either chop finely or blend till smooth in a food processor

6. In the same pan you used to caramelize the onions, cook the pureed roasted tomatoes over medium heat until reduced by a third. Add the balsamic and honey and cook for another 7-8 minutes 

7. Combine the reserved bacon and caramelized onions with the reduced tomato sauce and allow to cool

8. Serve with your favourite steak

Enjoy!

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