St. Jacobs Market District

Canada’s Largest Farmers’ Market

Recipes

Have You Tried Bone Broth?

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It’s trendy and popular right now.  But what is it and how does it differ from regular broth.  All broths are made from boiling food in water.  But unlike a typical chicken or vegetable broth, bone broth is made from boiling mainly bones with little meat.

The goal is to simmer the bone for a long time, anywhere from 14-48 hours to get as many amino acids, minerals and collagen out of the bones. Advocates will tout all kinds of benefits it probably doesn’t have.  However, do not dismiss it either. Bone broth  contains nutrients and amino acids such as glutamine and gelatin which can be very healing for the body, help repair the gut lining and maintain joints, bones, skin, hair and nails.

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and is best known for it’s ability to help us build muscles.  This would include muscles that line the gastrointestinal tract, which are essential to its function.  It has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce pain and repair the gut lining.

Glutamine can be taken as a supplement but it is also found in meats, fish, eggs and dairy products.  Many vegetables have glutamic acid which can be converted to glutamine in the gut by good gut bacteria. Adding veggies to your bone broth can increase the nutritive content.

There is no magic bullet for fixing the gut.  It requires a number of strategies. Consuming bone broth, which contains valuable nutrients that the gut needs, can help.

Bone broth can be purchased at health food or specialty stores.  Store-bought will not be gelatinous and will probably not taste as good as the one you make yourself.

Give your gut a boost by consuming bone broth on a regular basis.  It feels good when you drink it.  More importantly, you can use bone broth to make amazing soups and stews.  It’s nice as a hot beverage….just heat it up and add you favourite herbs and sip like you would tea or coffee.

Go ahead make some bone broth….it’s great this time of year and good for overall well being.

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Traditional Bone Broth Recipe

  • 4 lbs or 1.8 kg bones (chicken, turkey or beef)
  • 1 large onion, cut into quarters 
  • 2 carrots, cut in half (do not peel)
  • 2 stalks celery, cut in half
  • 4-6 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 1/2 bunch parsley
  • 2 bay leaves (optional)

1.  Place all the ingredients in a 16 or 20-quart pot.  Fill the pot with water.  Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cover, but leave it slightly a jar to let out the steam.  Remove any froth that surfaces.

2.  Simmer for at least 12-14 hours or until the water level is reduced by half.   

3.  Strain out the veggies, bay leaf and peppercorn from the broth using a large sieve or a metal strainer.

4.  Transfer the broth into jars and either freeze or store in the fridge.   Broth can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days or freeze until ready to use.  For easy freezing, pour into an ice cube tray and freeze, then remove and place in a bag in the freezer.  Broth can be seasoned with sea salt and pepper if desired.

Tips:

  • Bones can be purchased at large health food stores or local butchers. Try to get organic, if possible.
  • Leftover cooked bones are fine to use.  For example, if you roast a chicken, remove the meat and save the remainder.  Freeze the bones to use when you are ready to make a big batch.
  • If using chicken bones, chicken feet are great for extra gelatin.
  • If using raw beef bones, roast them in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes to brown the bones and give the broth more flavour.
  • Bone broth freezes well and last in fridge for up to 3 or 4 days
  • Be sure to simmer the broth long enough that the water level drops by half. That is when you have finally cooked out the taste of water.

Oven Roasted Tomato Soup

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This soup is warming, filling and nutritious.  It is an excellent source of Vitamin A, C and a good source of Calcium and Iron.  Vitamin A has so many health properties, this nutrient acts as an antioxidant boosting and protecting the immune system and supporting cell growth.  Vitamin C helps with the growth and repair of the body and support the absorption of iron.  Together these 2 powerhouse nutrients boost and repair the immune system and are especially good for cold and flu season. 

This soup can be adapted to your taste buds, if you like more spice add more cayenne pepper.  Cayenne peppers have been used for thousand of years to help with many health problems.  One benefit is it may boost your metabolism.  It can increase the amount of heat your body produces, making you burn more calories in the meal.  Combined with Apple Cider Vinegar in the recipe it can increase your satiety, helping you eat fewer calories.  You will not see a noticeable difference on your weight with one meal but it important to remember the food we choose has an impact on  the way we feel and our health.  Start small, try a new recipe once a week and build on that. 

I hope you enjoy my recipe; this recipe is adaptable; you can switch out the veggie broth and use chicken broth.  All of the ingredients can be purchased at the farmer’s market.  

INGREDIENTS

7 Tomato (sliced in quarters)

2 Sweet Onion (coarsely chopped)

4 Garlic (cloves, peeled)

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 cups Organic Vegetable Broth

1 tbsp Thyme

1tsp Oregano

1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 cup Basil Leaves (chopped)

1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

1/2 cup Baby Spinach (chopped)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 410ºF (210ºC). Toss your tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves in olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Place on large parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
  2. In the mean time, add your vegetable broth, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, basil leaves and apple cider vinegar to a large stock pot. When your veggies are done roasting also add them to your stock pot. Stir in almond milk.
  3. Transfer mixture to blender and blend in batches until pureed. Ensure you leave a place for the steam to escape to avoid the lid bursting off during blending.
  4. Transfer pureed soup back to stock pot and warm through over low heat. Serve topped with chopped spinach or basil or your favourite herb. Black pepper is a nice option. Serve with a piece of organic bread for dipping.

NOTES

DAIRY AND GLUTEN FREE

This recipe is dairy and gluten free. Sliced bread for dipping is optional or try
gluten free bread.

DAILY NUTRITION

This recipe has excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C per serving size
and good source of Calcium. Vitamin A – 80% of required daily intake Vitamin C –
50 % of required daily intake Calcium – 20 % of required daily intake Iron – 15% of
required daily intake



Market Pesto

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This vibrant pesto is the perfect accompaniment to almost anything on your menu! It’s great on potatoes and corn on the cob, spread on sandwiches, or toss with warm pasta and roasted tomatoes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, washed and dried, large stems removed (outdoor seasonal vendors)
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts (Country Bulk)*
  • 2 medium garlic cloves (outdoor produce vendors)
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (Mickey McGuire’s Cheese)
  • ½ cup olive oil (Olive Divine)

Directions

  1. In a food processor, pulse the pine nuts and garlic together, then add the basil and parmesan and process into a rough paste. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil in a slow stream and process into a paste. If it’s too dry, add a little more olive oil to achieve your desired consistency.
  2. Season with fresh ground salt and pepper to taste.

Store pesto in the fridge in a sealed glass container for up to one week.

*Nut allergy? No problem! Substitute pumpkin seeds for the pine nuts. Pumpkin seeds can be found at Stone Crock Bakery and A Food Connection.

Simple Baked Apples

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This fuss-free dessert is a true crowd pleaser and a cinch to put together, making it the perfect ending to an outdoor feast! This recipe is for one serving, so simply multiply to serve your expected number of guests.

Ingredients

  • 1 Ambrosia or Gala apple per person (any sweet, crunchy apple will work great!)
  • 1 tsp maple sugar
  • 1 tsp butter, plus a bit for buttering your baking dish.
  • Pecans, walnuts, or raisins (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Butter a baking dish large enough to fit the amount you’re making.
  3. Cut each apple in half and remove the core and seeds.
  4. Slice a small amount off each apple on the skin side resting in the pan. This helps the apple sit flat in the pan.
  5. Add ½ teaspoon of butter to each half of the apple, and sprinkle with maple sugar and other desired toppings.
  6. Bake for about 30 minutes, but if your apples are super crunchy it may take longer!
  7. Top with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or crème fraiche.

Handmade Chicken Fingers with Potato Patties, Mixed Green Salad and White Balsamic Dressing

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This recipe is a hit any night of the week and will delight both young and more seasoned palettes alike!

Chicken Fingers Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breasts, sliced into chicken finger size. This doesn’t have to be an exact size, just try to make them all similar size so they cook evenly (Charles Quality Meats)
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • Fish Crisp coating or Yo Mama cornmeal coating (Caudle’s Catch)
  • Oil for frying

Chicken Fingers Directions:

  1. Pour a small amount of coating into a shallow bowl, about a half cup will do one pound of chicken.
  2. Beat the egg and milk in separate shallow bowl.
  3. Dip chicken pieces first in milk then into the dry coating mix and fry in hot oil in a shallow pan.  Flip once or twice only, letting crust form on each side, approximately 8-10 min per side, depending on thickness of chicken.
  4. Cooked pieces can be kept warm on a tray uncovered in a warm oven if needed.

Potato Patties Ingredients:

  • 2 medium size Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 medium size sweet potato
  • Butter and milk to taste
  • ½ cup flour
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • Oil for frying

Potato Patties Directions:

  1. Peel and boil potatoes together in salted water until fork tender. Drain water and mash together adding butter and small amount of milk and ground nutmeg.
  2. Form scoops of potato (one heaping tablespoon) into patties and lightly roll in flour just to coat.
  3. Pan fry in hot oil until crispy on each side. Let a nice crust form on each side before flipping.

Salad Ingredients:

  • 1 bag or clamshell mixed salad greens
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Green onions
  • ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar(Olive Divine)
  • ½ cup good quality olive oil (Olive Divine)
  • ½ shallot, finely minced
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Splash of lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Salad Directions:

  1. Using a traditional or immersion blender, mix the vinegar, oil, shallots, sugar, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. 
  2. Toss salad ingredients in large bowl and serve with chicken and potato patties.

Plate the chicken, patties, and salad and enjoy immediately. Siracha sauce mixed with mayonnaise is a great dip for the chicken.