Tatiana, Erika and my self on the beach at the Food Network 2010 Food & Wine Festival, sampling away!

Every Febuary the Food Network organizes a very popular event in Miami Beach, right on the sand and under a big tent (thank God!). The South Beach Food & Wine Festival.

20 000 people in 3 days tasted wine and discovered new and interesting  food companies like… Le Grand!

Hundreds of wines and many hors d’oeuvres are being sampled and the (happy!) crowd goes from table to table in search of the best food under the sun.

Celebrity Chefs from Anthony Bourdain* to Paula Dean gave masterclasses to enthusiastic gourmets. When I got to Bourdain’s event it was a full house, people were already lining up to get an autograph. I watched from the side this unusual Chef joking and cooking with a young french colleague. A masterclass of suave magnetism and relaxed attitude.

As for Le Gand’s sauces it was the perfect opportunity to have our products tested and tasted by Floridians since we are now available in The Fresh Markets and some Whole Foods.

If I say that the reception was great I probably sound biased, but a man tasting a sample was so enamored with the Spicy Tapenade that he proposed to film the reactions of  the people and post them on this blog… Well just picture hundreds of enthusiastic new fans and you get the idea… It is nevertheless important and stimulating for us to get first hand feed back and a little bit of sunshine in this unusually cold winter, according to the locals… oh yeah? Please come to Montreal for an unuasually mild winter and you will miraculously stop shivering back on your beautiful South Florida!

Tomorrow is lent… well not for everyone, but for everyone to enjoy is this shrimp casserole. Easy to make and quick, (my trademark!) it is nevertheless delicious and light.

Tapenade and sour cream are a pefect blend, spicy, but onctuous. Tatiana doesn’t  like shrimp… well exept for this new recipe!

INGREDIENTS serves 3 to 4

• 3 cups of shrimps, frozen or fresh
• 1 green pepper minced
• 1 red pepper  minced
• 1 orange or yellow pepper minced
• 1 cup of green beans (raw) cut in bite sizes
• 6 tablespoons of sour cream
• 5 tablespoons of Le Grand’s Spicy Tapenade
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 green onions, minced
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil

PREPERATION

• Heat up the olive oil at medium heat and add the garlic and the peppers, cook for 10 minutes mixing often, make sure the heat is not too high
• Add the shrimps, if they are frozen just add them as is, if they are fresh you may want to add a little water, maybe 1/2 a cup to make sure that at this point you will “steam” this mixture rather then browning it, so cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes
• Add the green beans 2 or 3 minutes after the shrimps, I like these vegetables to still be green and a bit crunchy, but cook them to your liking. Keep in mind that they do cook quickly
• Add the  Spicy Tapenade, the green onions and the sour cream, mix gently for a minute or 2, serve over rice and put some cajun music on!

Time is of the essence! If you want to make a good little tomato sauce, but  don’t have the time to do something elaborate here is the solution, tasty, lovely and kid friendly, if you know what I mean…

INGREDIENTS serves 4

• 1  can of tomatoes  (diced) 796ml (28 oz)
• 4 tablespoons (45ml) of Le Grand’s  Sundried Tomato Pesto
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 medium size bok choy, minced or another green vegetable, like spinach
• 3 slices of prosciutto minced (optionnal)
• 4 tablespoons (45ml) of 35% cream (optionnal, but delicious!)
• 2 tablespoons  (30ml) of olive oil
• Pepper to taste

PREPERATION

• Heat up the olive oil in the pan (medium) and add the garlic
• Let it cook gently, for 4 to 5 minutes, but don’t brown it
• Add the bok choy and cook for another 5 minutes
• Add the tomatoes and their juice, and cook for 4 minutes
• Then add pesto, cream and prosciutto let them get warmed 1 or 2 minutes and serve!

Guacamole is a delicious dipp, but with the Spicy Tapenade contribution kick, flavor and body are now in the mix, for a different and exciting guacamole!

It's time for all the intellectuals of the nation to come together in a massive celebration! For the occasion I have prepared this delicious Pesto dip, just to get the ball rolling…

INGREDIENTS

• 7 oz sour cream or plain yogourt
• 4 tablespoon Le Grand’s Garden or 4 Nuts & Cheese Pesto
• 3 tablespoon fresh & minced cilantro
• 2 tablespoon of spanish onion
• 2 tablespoon of fresly squeezed lime juice

 PREPARATION

• Mix all of the ingredients gently and regfrigerate until serving.

You've been sitting there for hours glued to your screen and you've lost track of time, but your stomach did not and now, BIG PANIC you're hungry, but don't want to take too long to eat because your work is fascinating! Maybe it is as boring as income tax… You still need to recharge your batteries in 20 minutes though…

Been there and this is what I did!  A tasty pizza loaded with lots of vegetables just nicely warmed but still vibrant and fresh!

Don't worry, after this little délice, you will be nourrished, but your brain will be sharp and your body quiet!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 naan bread or pizza bread 
• 1/3 of minced red pepper
• 1/4 of avocado sliced
• 1/2 endive minced
• 1 cup of baby spinach
• 2 slices of mozzarela or other cheese
• 1 green onion, minced
• 2 tbsp (30ml) of Le Grand's 4 Nuts and cheese Pesto or Garden Pesto
• Pepper to taste

PREPARATION

• Spread the naan bread or other support with pesto
• Follow with the avocado and the rest of the ingredients and top with cheese
• Grill for about 7 minutes or untill the cheese looks like a sunset…

Steamed bock choy is a joy! This little cabbage topped with a Sundried Tomato Pesto vinaigrette makes a distinguished side dish!

INGREDIENTS serves 1 or 2

• 3 small bock choy or one large

VINAIGRETTE

• 3 tbsp (45ml) of le Grand's Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
• 3 tbsp (45m) of olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15ml) of lemon juice
• PREPARATION

 In a bowl simply mix all the ingredients and top the bock choy or any vegetable or salad

Turkey leftovers are delicious any old way, but in this Pizza with our sundried tomato pesto it becomes a must for the holiday season!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pizza crust
• 5 oz (140g) of Le Grand's Sundried tomato Pesto or Tapenade
• 7 oz (200g) of cooked turkey
• 1 large tomato, diced without the juice
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• Soft goat cheese to cover loosly
• 1 cup (250g )of  shredded swiss cheese to sprinkle
• 1 green onion, minced

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400F
• Spread Pesto on pizza crust
• Add turkey, tomato, onion, both cheeses and green onion
• Bake for about 20 mins and broil just a little
• Let it cool a bit and serve!

Christmas is almost here. Menus are beeing planned, turkeys are bought and we are ready to celebrate in a grand way… Let's not forget our precious salad, this version is far too exquisite to play second fiddle to some ham…

INGREDIENTS

• 7 oz (200g) of arugula
• 1 orange cut in bite size pieces
• 2 oz (56g) of soft goat cheese cut in bite size pieces
• 2 oz (56g)  of crushed pistachios
• 2 oz (56g) of dried cranberries
•  
• VINAIGRETTE
•  
• 5 tbsp (75ml) of olive oil
• 3 tbsp (45ml) Le Grand's Garden or 4 Nuts & Cheese Pesto
• 1 tbsp (15ml) of balsamic vinegar

PREPARATION

• Lay the arugula in a bowl
• Add the orange, goat cheese, pistachios and cranberries
• In a small bowl combine the ingredients of the vinaigrette and mix well
• Add to salad and toss 

You have a delicious but rich menu and are looking for something fresh to accompany it? This is it. Endive’s fresh and cripy texture are “awakened” in this great little salad…

INGREDIENTS serves 4

• 8 endives (minced)
• 225 g (1/4lb) of minced and steamed white mushrooms
• 8 dried apricots, minced (soak overnight or soak in very wharm water for 20 mins)
• 10 kalamata olives pitted and minced

VINAIGRETTE

• 2 tbsp (30ml) of Le Grand’s Lemon Confit Aromatic Sauce
• 3 tbsp (45ml) of olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15ml) of balsamic vinager
• salt to taste

PREPARATION

• For the salad mix up all the ingredients together and top with vinaigrette
• For the vinaigrette, mix all ingedients well