Comfort Food Cook-Along: Recipe Collection

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) canola oil
• 6 bone-in Alberta beef short ribs (6 lbs) 
• 4 rashers of bacon, diced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 can (156 mL) tomato paste
• 1 apple, diced 
• 2 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 4 cups (1 L) beef stock
• 1 cup (250 mL) red wine
• Cinnamon stick 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper, sear in oil on medium-high heat on stove top in dutch oven. Brown all sides. 8-10 minutes
3. Remove short-ribs from pan, reduce heat to medium, add bacon. Cook until brown, 4 minutes. Add sliced onion and garlic. Saute until golden. 
4. Add apple, carrot, thyme, rosemary, saute for 1 minute. Deglaze with red wine, cook for 10 minutes. Add beef stock, tomato paste, and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours. 
5. While beef ribs are braising, boil water and follow directions to rehydrate mushrooms with 2 cups of boiled water. Set aside until you’re ready to make the final sauce.
6. Remove short ribs from the pan, set aside. Pour one to two cups braising liquid over cooked short-ribs to keep them moist and happy while you reduce the braising liquid. 
7. Remove vegetables from remaining braising liquid. Strain if desired. Simmer, uncovered, on medium-low until braising liquid is reduced by half. Reserve liquid to make wild mushroom sauce.

Recipe Tip #1: 

If you’re new to cooking with wine, I highly recommend the certified-sustainable Gran Reserva Carmenere. This rich red has a touch of spice & smoke, which makes it the perfect pairing for braised beef & mushrooms. I don’t often cook with wine, but when I do it’s always with a blend I can savour in a glass too!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water 
• 40g dehydrated mushrooms (I love Untamed Feast’s Porcini & Chanterelles) 
• 2 cups (500 mL) short-rib braising liquid 
• 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) balsamic vinegar 

Directions:

1. In a small stockpot, combine rehydrated mushrooms and the liquid used to rehydrate them, reserved braising liquid, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar.
2. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes, or until sauce is reduced by half and glossy. Serve with braised short-ribs, creamy parsnips and seasonal vegetables.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 ½  cups (375 mL) water 
• 1 pound (454 g) fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Pour water into a medium skillet and bring to a boil. Add green beans, cover and steam for 4-minutes. Drain water. 
2. Reduce heat to medium, add oil and garlic to the side of the pan and saute garlic until fragrant and translucent, about 2-4 minutes. 
3. Toss beans evenly with oil and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy! 

Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 10 small parsnips or 5 large, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) butter
• ¼ cup (60 mL) 10% cream
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil parsnips in water until fork tender. Drain and reserve ½ cup liquid.
2. Add parsnips, butter, cream and nutmeg in a blender. Pulse till smooth, adding reserved liquid for desired thickness. 
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Prep time: 1 minute
Cook time: 5-10 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 6 stems (1 ½ lbs) of cherry tomatoes on the vine
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) canola oil 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler. Place the tomatoes, still on the vine, on a sheet pan and brush gently with oil. Season with salt and pepper. 
2. Broil tomatoes until they start to split and char, about 3-5 mins. 
3. Serve hot on the stem as a fresh, vibrant side to any meal. 

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Serves: 4-6 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (125 mL)  butter
• 12 fresh sage leaves 
• 12 wonton wrappers or 4 sheets fresh lasagna noodles (~2.5 x 2.5 inch square)
• 1 cup (250 mL) Leftover braised beef short-rib meat, shredded 
• ½ cup (125 mL) smoked cheddar cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Layer ~ 1 Tbsp shredded beef onto wonton wrapper. Top with ~1 teaspoon of cheddar.
2. Brush edges of wonton wrapper with water. Seal with another wrapper on top, making sure no air pockets or ingredients along the edge. Cut with a pasta cutter, or use a fork to pinch edges. 
3. Bring a pot of water to boil. Heat butter in a pan on medium low heat. Add sage until crispy. Remove sage, set aside. Continue cooking butter until it starts to turn golden brown, stirring constantly. You’ll know it’s ready when you see brown specks and it starts to smell nutty. 
4. Add prepared ravioli to a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove when ravioli start to float. Add ravioli to the brown butter pan to cook for another 1-2 minutes. This will infuse the ravioli with delicious nutty, rich, earthy flavours. 
5. Plate ravioli and garnish with crispy sage, grated parmesan and black pepper. 

Recipe Tip:

Wonton wrappers or fresh, packaged lasagne sheets make quick, amazing homemade ravioli. The filling possibilities are endless. Enjoy! 

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup (80 mL) pine nuts
• 6 handfuls mixed baby greens
• 2 oranges, seeded and sectioned 
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium roasted beets, peeled and sliced 
• ⅓ cup (80 mL) crumbled goat cheese
• ½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced (Tip: Save the fronds)

Vinaigrette:

• ⅓ cup (80 mL) freshly squeezed orange juice
• ⅓ cup (80 mL) olive oil
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) fresh herbs
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) Alberta honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a non-stick skillet on medium heat, lightly toast the pine nuts until golden. Stir constantly so not to burn them. Set aside.
2. In a 500 mL mason jar, shake together vinaigrette ingredients until emulsified, about 1 minute. 
3. Assemble salad ingredients on a large platter and garnish with fennel fronds and vinaigrette. 
4. Enjoy this salad with our Alberta Beef Short-Rib Ravioli with Brown Butter & Crispy Sage – it’s the perfect winter pairing!

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (250 mL) Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) vanilla
• 2 cups (500 mL) flour
• 2 cups (500 mL) sugar
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
• 1 cup (250 mL) coffee
• 1 cup butter, melted 
• ¾ cup cocoa powder

Ganache:

• 8 oz (230 g) semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate, finely chopped 
• 1 cup (250 mL) heavy cream  

Garnish:

• 4 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease bundt cake molds with butter and add a light dusting of flour.  
2. In a small bowl whisk together eggs, Greek yogurt and vanilla. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 
4. In a large bowl combine coffee, melted butter and cocoa powder. 
5. Add chocolate mixture to dry ingredients and stir well with a wooden spoon to combine. Fold in Greek yogurt mixture and stir well again until the batter is completely mixed and velvety. It will be a thick, decadent batter.
6. Divide batter into bundt molds. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes for minis and 40 to 55 minutes for large bundt cake. Be careful not to over bake. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool on the cooling rack. 
7. In a heat safe clear measuring cup, or bowl microwave heavy cream on high in 20 second increments, stirring each time, until the cream is steaming hot, but not boiling. Add chopped chocolate to hot cream and allow it to melt on its own. After about 10 minutes, stir to mixture to form a ganache. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature (Note: chilling the ganache in the fridge will cause it to harden) so it can be poured over cakes when ready to serve.
8. Drizzle ganache over each mini bundt cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Enjoy!