Recipe: Peppery Mussels in a White Wine Sauce

        Ever been to the Pacific Northwest? If not, you are undoubtedly missing out on the goodies there is to offer!  The city of Vancouver in Beautiful British Columbia, Canada is blessed by the lovely Pacific Ocean to the West and shielded by the Rocky Mountains of the East. We have a climate that is not too hot in the Summer, not too cold in the Winter,  just right in the Spring and the Autumn for the exquisite flowers and fauna to bloom and fall. If you don't mind a bit of rainfall from February to April, then Vancouver is perfect for you!    

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         Although Vancouver is seen as a winter wonderland, who recently hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, for me Summer is the best where there are countless activities to do and all sorts of things to see.

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     You can find all of the amazing foods that the Pacific Northwest has to offer in Vancouver's markets and restaurants, but there's no experience like the one you get at my favorite place to shop for farm fresh produce, The Granville Island Public Market. Here, the produce is always a spectacle and the impeccable cheeses, meats and seafood you can find here just blows your mind. There's also the remarkable variety of olives and handmade pasta! I'm in food heaven every time here and I haven't even started on the breads, sweets and flowers yet.


   This Holiday Season, I have rediscovered the beauty of our native seafood, not only with those amazing Dungeness Crabs, but specifically the plump and juicy mussels from Salt Spring Island that are the jewels of the ocean. I honestly can tell you that I've not had any mussels that are as good as these anywhere I've travelled to and I've been to and cooked in a lot of places. The Georgia Strait around Salt Spring Island must have a little magic in their water! 

Recipe: Peppery Mussels in a White Wine Sauce

Ingredients: 
Mussels                2 lbs 
Grapeseed Oil      1 Tbsp 
Butter                   1Tbsp 
Shallots, diced      3/4 cup 
Celery, diced        3/4 cup 
Ginger, sliced       2 large 
White wine           3/4 cup
Cayenne pepper   1 tsp
Salt and Pepper    to taste
Lemon, seeded     1/2 of one
Celery leaves       1/2 cup garnish






Method: 

1) When you get home from the market, soak the mussels in cold tap water to allow them to spit out all the sand and weed they are clinging onto for about an hour. Then clean the outsides with a paring knife scratching away the extra debris sticking on the shells. Change the water at least once in the process of soaking. Drain before cooking.



2) Place a large saucepan over med-high heat and sauté the shallots and ginger until the shallots become translucent. 

3) Add the celery into the pan and allow it to cook for 3 minutes.  






4) Pour in the mussels and about 2 pinches of salt and pepper. 






5) After 1 minute, pour in the white wine of your choice. 










6) Cover the pan with a lid and wait for 5 minutes. 






7) Open the lid and sprinkle the cayenne pepper over the mussels and give it a good stir. 






8) Once all the mussels have opened their shells, you can pour them out into a serving bowl clearing the pan. Make sure you scoop some of the lovely vegetables on top to reveal what ingredients are inside. Squeeze the lemon juice over the mussels. 


9) Garnish with the celery leaves and a light sprinkle of cayenne pepper. 







10) Et voila, ready to eat with some toasted garlic butter French bread!

Recipe: Tuna, Avocado and Cherry tomatoes, Oh My!

                    This past weekend was perfectly planned so that I could cook a meal for Maria, the female love of my HK life. I decided to start off with a tuna tartare appetizer which, really is a healthier and more luxurious spin-off from Chef Humberto Guallpa's original recipe from New York. I usually have very few dietary restrictions but, I limit my lactose usage because I am lactose intolerant, so those of you concerned, there is no lactose in this dish. If you are allergic to spicy foods, like Maria, you are also safe since I took out the spicy sweet chili sauce in the original recipe. If you are gluten-free, this plate can easily be so if you take away the whole wheat pita crisps.
                     Maria tried it and is still asking for more, so it has been tested and approved by a few lucky ones. It is quite a refreshing dish, more suitable in warmer weathers but enjoyable year round. I hope you will like it too.

Pan-Seared Tuna and Tuna Tartare Over An Avocado, Cherry Tomato and Cilantro Salad 

               

Gluten-free and Lactose-Free Version

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients: Serves 2                                                                      Equipment:

120 g                Sushi grade raw tuna                                                                  2 small mixing bowls
1 Tbsp              Diced spring onion (Scallion) or chives                               1 cutting board and knife
1 Tbsp              Minced pickled ginger                                                               2 mixing spoons
1 Small             Diced Avocado (1cm)                                                                2 serving plates
3 - 4 Small      Grape tomatoes cut into quarters                                           1 small searing pan                         
3/4 tsp             Sea Salt (separated into 3 portions, 1/4 tsp each)                                                              
3/4 tsp             Ground Black Pepper (separated into 3 portions, 1/4 tsp each)
5 Leaves           Cilantro (Coriander) finely chopped
6 Leaves           Cilantro whole
1 tsp                  Lemon Juice
1 tsp                  Sesame oil
1 tsp                  Cooking oil (preferably grape-seed oil or one with an adequate smoke point)
1 Small             Whole Wheat Pita (Omit for gluten-free)

Method:
1.  Place 2 plates in the refrigerator to cool.
2.  In a mixing bowl, mix in diced scallions or chives, sesame oil and minced pickled ginger with 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of ground black pepper.
3.  Cut the tuna in half and place the other 1/2 in the fridge for later.
4.  Dice the tuna into 1 cm dices and mix it into the same mixing bowl as the scallions and ginger and place bowl in the fridge covered.
5.  In another mixing bowl place the quartered cherry tomatoes with 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper, avocado, lemon juice and finely chopped cilantro.
6.  Take out the whole piece of tuna and season each side with the rest of the salt and pepper.
7.  Place a small searing pan on the stove and heat the pan with medium heat.
8.  Sear the seasoned tuna for about 2 minutes on each side until medium rare. Slice the tuna on a clean cutting board to 1/2 cm thick exposing the beautiful flesh.
9.  Cut whole wheat pita bread into wedges and toast until golden brown and crispy.
10.  On the cold plates, plate the avocado salad, tuna tartare and seared tuna according to your liking.
11.  Garnish with whole cilantro leaves and pita crisps, then serve as a cold appetizer.
- The sphere in the middle is avocado wrapped with tuna tartare for a dramatic effect.

With Pita Crisps

                    Pseudo Nutrient Analysis: Methylmercury is a controversial item usually found in tuna that can harm the body, but this fish is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that can decrease the chances of cardiovascular disease and help normalize infant growth and development. Pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system should avoid eating raw foods. Avocado although is relatively high in fat compared to other fruits, it is packed with carotenoids that benefit the eyes, it also has oleic acid that may actually help you feel fuller faster to even cause weight loss and it contains folate and may help slow digestion since it's high in monounsaturated fats along with fiber. Other aspects of this dish like tomatoes are high in lutein, which may decrease chances of prostate cancer and cilantro may contribute to the chelation of heavy metals from the body. You can also try using another fish like yellowtail or salmon for lower mercury levels.