INGREDIENTS

• 2 racks spare ribs (10-12 bones each)
• 4 tbs (60 ml)  Le Grand’s Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
• 4 tbs (60 ml)  maple syrup
• 2 tbs (30 ml)  Dijon mustard
• 1 tbs (15 ml)  Tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tsp (5 ml)  fresh ginger, peeled and crushed
• 1 green onion, finely chopped just to garnish and tempt a vegetarian…

PREPARATION

• Simmer the ribs for 30 mins with a little dried thyme (optional)
• Remove excess water
• Mix Pesto, mustard and  maple syrup in a bowl
• Spread on top and bottom of the meat
• Cook @ 350ºF  for 15 min.*
• Broil for 5 min., look for a golden color –not brown!

Being a “artisan-manufacturer” and making fresh products everyday we tend to have our nose to the grind stone. We have to. We love it most of the time and yes, we have our so-so days, but then someone reaches out and writes  ”OMG!!! I just had your tzatziki and it is AMAZING!!! I have physically craved it ever since I’ve had it. I think you need to make a bigger bag!!!”,* and the whole day changes… It’s not everyday, true, but we keep those comments and good words in a bank of precious words, better then gold, warmer then the biggest fireplace.

We realize the joy we have, in this crazy world we love, to do something that touches people. Because food, good food, makes us happy, it’s a celebration to sit down and enjoy a meal, it doesn’t matter if it’s a vegan feast or the best triple burger. Food is life. We tend to forget…

On a lighter note, turkey is on it’s way and spirits are high or will get there, so to all of you, from all of us at Maison Le Grand, Happy Holidays and Peace on earth, this little planet we love!

*We love to hear from you!

Being born in Manitoba (spent the first weeks of my life there!) and my parents from Saskatchewan and Manitoba I am especially proud to be selling from coast to coast. We are looking forward to visit Safeway stores in the spring, but in the meanwhile Tracey, our rep is visiting as many stores as her legs will carry her!

So there it is folks, Le Grand’s products are available from coast to coast thanks  to Safeway in the west!

Friday  night, week’s almost over, but not quite, one meal to go. We know the feeling… Well, I have a little recipe that will cheer everybody, but will not burden the cook (the true hero of modern life, really… ).

INGREDIENTS for 4

• 4 to 6 boneless chicken thighs
• 5 tablespoons (75g) of  Le Grand’s Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
• 1 cup of 35% cream
• 2 tablespoons of dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

PREPARATION

• Sprinkle the rosemary and the salt in a pan, heat up at high
• When the pan is hot and  the pungent rosemary fills  the air,but before it burns, lay down the chicken thighs
• Lower the heat a bit and do not move them until they stop sticking to the pan (about 4 to 6 minutes)
• Then turn them and let them cook for 3 to 5 minutes then add the cream and the pesto
• Lower the heat, let it simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes, until you have a nice and thick sauce and serve this TGIF freedom chicken!

INGREDIENTS FOR 4

• 4 cod filets
• 4 medium potatoes cut in half
• 1 medium onion cut half
• 3 ounces (90 g) of Le Grand’s Red Pepper Pesto
• 4 ounces (125ml)of 35% cream
• 3 green onions (minced)
• 1 tablespoon  of dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon od dried rosemary
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION

• In a cast iron skillet, place the potatoes and the onion
• Sprinkle the herbs and salt, heat up the oven to 350 F, cover and cook for an hour
• After an hour; remove from the oven and place the cod on top of the potatoes, add half of the pesto and place back in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes
• When the cod is cooked, remove from the oven
• Mix the rest of the pesto and the cream together, pour over the cod, break the cod lightly and mix gently in the whole casserole
• Add the green onions and serve!

We love chicken, but like anything, even your favorite recipe can get “unloved” after a while… In this sauce it tastes completely different than your “everyday chicken”; it’s almost like wild game, but so easy to make. All it requires is a little time!

INGREDIENTS for 4

• 2 lbs of chicken thighs cut in 4 ( or bite size )
• 1 box ( 900ml ) of chicken stock
• 2 medium onions ( diced )
• 1 cup (250ml) of 35% cream
• About 1/2 cup of rum ( or other “brown” alcohol )
• 5 tablespoon (75ml) of  Le Grand’s Sun dried Tomato Pesto
• 2 tablespoon (30g) of Dijon mustard
• 2 ounces (60g) of dried shiitake mushroom (or other dried mushrooms)
• 4 green onions (chopped)

PREPARATION

• Heat up half of the chicken broth and rehydrate the mushrooms for about 1/2 hour
• In a cast iron cooking pot, sauté the onions for about 5 minutes
• Add the chicken and cook in the onions for about 10 minutes at medium/high heat (stir regularly )
• Add the rest of chicken stock, lower the heat and cook at medium/low heat for 20 minutes
• Then add the pesto, the rum, the cream, the mustard,  the mushrooms and their juice and cook for another 20 minutes or so at low heat.
• Add the green onions and cook for a couple minutes, serve on rice or pasta.

Imagine a buckwheat crêpe; The texture is “country” or if you want, a bit coarse, but the melting cheese is steaming the spinach and the “sweetness” of the roasted red peppers unite this trio with perfect harmony…

INGREDIENTS for 1 or 2

• Batter for crêpe
• 1 cup of buckwheat flour
• Enough milk or water to make a fluid and “pourable” paste
• 1 egg

TOPPING

• 1 cup of raw spinach
• 1 cup of cheddar or mozzarella (shredded)
• 3 tablespoon (45ml) of Le Grand’s Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
• 3 green onions (diced)

PREPARATION

• Whip the ingredients of the batter until smooth
• Heat up a little oil in a pan and sauté the green onions for a minute
• Pour the batter right over the green onions and spread evenly by rotating your pan from right to left ( Big effect! )
• Lower the heat and cook for a minute and add the cheese, spinach and pesto
• After a minute or 2 when the cheese has melted a bit and the spinach is wilted fold the crêpe and flip
• Remove from the pan and separate gently, flip  and let the crêpe sit in the pan for a minute to allow flavors to blend and serve!

Our “new” pouch is 17 times lighter then the glass jar it replaced… Food in Canada, the well known magazine of  transformers and manufacturers has a very interesting article, page 32 of the 2011 september issue about  the “virtues” of flexible packaging.

In a nutshell, the U.K. -based Ellas Kitchen undertook an independent audit of the life cycle of the pouch and found out that 95% of the impact on the environment was during the making and transporting. So, only 5% of the impact is due to the final disposal. Read the full article here.

This vinaigrette is different from the other ones, yet not at all unusual. Pungent, but smooth, it can accompany most type of lettuces with pazazz!

INGREDIENTS vinaigrette for 4

• 5 tablespoons (75 ml) of olive oil
• 4 tablespoons (60ml) of Le Grand’s Roasted Red Peppers
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) of  dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) of maple syrup
• 1 garlic clove (crushed)

PREPARATION

• Whisk all the ingredients together

SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 1 salad mix bag or 1 romaine head washed and cut
• 2 ripes tomatoes
• 8 slices of feta

PREPARATION

• Mix the lettuce and tomatoes and add the feta

The crunch of the english muffin, the softness of the mozzarella buffala combined with the fresh basil taste of the Garden Pesto will make this an easy success!

INGREDIENTS for 1

• 1 english muffin; sliced in 2, toasted and buttered
• 1 teaspoon of Le Grand’s Pesto
• 1 thick slice of fresh Mozzarella Buffala
• 1 poached egg
• 1 slice of fresh tomato
• 1 pinch of fresh coriander and green onion (optional

PREPARATION

• Assemble the muffin as in the picture