Canada Day menu
We’ve almost made it through a less-than-perfect June. Let’s celebrate Canada’s birthday and the sudden appearance of warmish weather with recipes that are truly gifts from our friends and neighbours around the world.
Today’s dishes would be great for a barbecue or picnic but just as good if the sky turns gray and we need to party in the kitchen.
Mexican Mac & Cheese
You might not think this is particularly traditional but kids in Mexico love pasta just as much as they do in this country. Fideos, usually vermicelli noodles, are served in sauce and soup at least once a week but macaroni is popular, too.
This variation of classic M&C is easy and satisfying but just a little bit special because of the added nip of the salsa.
These amounts make a generous casserole, about 6 servings. Topping:
2 tbsp. butter or margarine 1 cup panko-style bread crumbs
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Mac & Cheese
¼ cup butter or margarine 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 2-1/2 cups whole or 2 per cent milk
½ cup evaporated milk
1 cup salsa verde (bottled green salsa)
3-1/2 cups Tex-mex grated cheese or other sharp melting cheese
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper, or to taste 3 cups uncooked macaroni Make the topping first. Melt butter in a medium-sized pot and add crumbs. Stir over medium heat until well toasted and golden brown. Stir in pepper and set aside.
For the macaroni and cheese, melt butter in the same pot and whisk in flour. Cook together a minute or so. Combine whole milk, evaporated milk and salsa and whisk into roux, starting slowly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring, until mixture is thick Mexican Mac & Cheese has an added nip of salsa.
and creamy. Add cheese, stirring off heat until it melts. Stir in Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Cook macaroni according to package instructions less one minute. Drain and stir into sauce. Pour into a greased casserole dish or individual ramekins.
Bake at 350 degrees F 30 minutes. Sprinkle on toasted crumbs and serve.
Italian Polenta Dippers
These are universally enjoyed when I trot them out and make a perfect finger food for a party or barbecue. They are delicious piping hot with hot marinara sauce but equally good lukewarm. Even if you don’t do the dip they are a great addition to a buffet just as they are.
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup yellow cornmeal, medium-coarse if possible 2 tbsp. butter or margarine ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup bottled marinara sauce 1 handful fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Bring broth to a boil in a
heavy-bottomed pot. Whisk in cornmeal, adding it slowly in a steady stream. Cover and put the pot in the oven at 325 degrees F for 1 hour or until mixture is creamy and thick. Stir every 15 minutes or so and if mixture is stodgy and sticking to the pot add a little boiling water or more hot broth.
Remove from oven and stir in butter, Parmesan and pepper. Taste for salt and add a bit if needed.
Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking dish and cover with plastic, like you would a pudding, with the wrap touching the surface. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to serve.
When cold, tip out the polenta onto a cutting board and cut into fingers—the size is up to you but they should be big enough so they don’t fall apart when you pick them up. Brush with olive oil and grill or fry until brown on all sides—be careful turning them so they don’t break.
Heat marinara to boiling and stir in basil. Serve in dipping bowls with the polenta fingers.
Spiced Lebanese Flatbreads
These are much easier than they sound and well worth the bit of work. You can buy za’atar, which is a Middle Eastern spice blend, online or maybe even find it locally in some wellstocked stores, but it’s not hard to make yourself.
If you want a decent shortcut start with ready-made naan bread from the grocery store. Spread on the topping and heat through in a hot oven.
You can buy sumac in bulk food stores—it gives the spice blend its characteristic sharp taste. If you can’t find it substitute cumin…different but still delicious.
This recipe makes 6 flatbreads for 6 hungry people. 1 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tsp. salt
Topping:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup za’atar Homemade Za’atar:
2 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. sumac
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds ½ tsp. coarse salt
Stir together water and sugar. Sprinkle in yeast and let stand in a warm place 10 minutes, until foamy and thick.
Whisk in olive oil. Stir in 2 cups of the flour and salt by hand or using a dough hook. Knead the dough until it is smooth and soft, adding just enough additional flour to keep it from sticking. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and roll them out on a lightly floured surface to 8-inch by five-inch ovals. If the dough resists allow it to rest until it is pliable again.
Combine olive oil and za’atar. Divide among the flatbreads and spread over the tops leaving a bit of crust bare around the edges. Brush those with a bit of plain olive oil.
Bake on parchment paper lined baking sheets at 475 degrees F 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
If you want to make your own za’atar, just combine the ingredients as listed. Some recipes call for the sesame seeds to be ground but I really like them whole—your choice.