Moroccan Spiced Burgers on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with Ismaila Alfa

 I will be featuring these burgers on tomorrow's CBC Weekend Morning Show with Ismaila Alfa.  Excellent beef and lamb are found locally.  Try these on grilled Naan (Afghani or North Indian and a soft egg!)

Moroccan Spiced Burgers

1 lb ground beef or lamb

1-2 tbs Ras el Hanout (available from Chef Karen or Dino's Grocery Mart on Notre Dame)

pinch salt

1 egg

Mix ingredients well together and form into patties or oblongs (K�fte shaped)

Grill over high heat until desired cooked state.  Let rest and serve with your favourite condiments such as Dijon mustard, caramelized onions, tomato chutney, soft egg, cheese, etc.

Enjoy!

From Russia With Love

Last night I had the pleasure of presenting the following recipes on the them of, From Russia with Love, for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy at the Madison Square MLCC.  Bran Adams, Education Coordinator for the Conservancy, provided information on the plant life and theme while Jody Twomey, of the MLCC, provided beverage pairings.

1. Field Mushrooms with Toast
Paired with Radio Boka Tempranillo  $12.70

8 ea fresh field mushrooms
3 tbsp butter
salt, greens

Grated nutmeg

� cup Tempranillo or Pino Noir wine
toasts

Method:
Stew mushrooms in their own juice with salt for 25 minutes. Chop very finely and spread on toasts and decorate with green parsley.

2. Baklazhanovaya Ikra recipe (a Georgian area Ikra)

Paired with Flat Roof Manor Merlot  $13.25

1 large eggplant

2 roasted red peppers
1 ea onion
2 ea tomatoes
2 ea garlic cloves
2 tbs vinegar
2 tbs vegetable oil
salt
pepper
fresh parsley

Method:
Pierce an eggplant with a fork in several places, put on a baking sheet and bake, about an hour, turning while baking, until soft. Cool down. Cut the eggplant, lengthwise, in two halves. Scoop out the pulp and chop until very fine. Chop onion very finely, peel tomatoes and chop, mince garlic cloves. Mix onion, tomatoes and pulp, garlic, oil, vinegar. Stir thoroughly and season on your taste. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Baklazhanovaya Ikra is served with chopped parsley.

3. Beef Stroganoff

Paired with Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay  $15.65

1 1/3 lb beef, cut into strips against the grain
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs flour
salt and pepper
1 green pepper, chopped
1-2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1/4 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 cup white wine
1 cup cream (I used sour cream)

Toss sliced beef with seasoned flour and set aside. Saut� onions in butter and olive oil until translucent and add the beef. Brown beef and add mushrooms. Add green pepper and spices. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Add white wine and season to taste. Flour must simmer for at least one minute to remove floury taste.

Serve over egg noodles.

Enjoy!

4. Russian Tea Cakes

Paired with Frangelico and lime

1 cup butter

� cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups presifted flour

� tsp salt

1 cup finely chopped walnuts (can use pecans or almonds)

*Note, if mixture dry and crumbly, add egg and/or a bit more butter.  Depends on humidity.

Cream butter, add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy.  Add vanilla, flour and salt.  Mix well.  Add in nuts.  Use 1 tsp � 1 tbs, depending on the size of crescent or cookie that you prefer, to shape in hands to make the crescents.  Bake on ungreased sheet at 325�F for 30 minutes.  Roll in icing sugar while warm. 

These cookies take time to make but look and taste good.  They freeze well but do not pack well.

Enjoy!

Glucagon, Dietary Protein, and Low-Carbohydrate Diets

Glucagon is a hormone that plays an important role in blood glucose control. Like insulin, it's secreted by the pancreas, though it's secreted by a different cell population than insulin (alpha vs. beta cells). In some ways, glucagon opposes insulin. However, the role of glucagon in metabolism is frequently misunderstood in diet-health circles.

The liver normally stores glucose in the form of glycogen and releases it into the bloodstream as needed. It can also manufacture glucose from glycerol, lactate, and certain amino acids. Glucagon's main job is to keep blood glucose from dipping too low by making sure the liver releases enough glucose. There are a few situations where this is particularly important:

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Are Animal Crackers Paleo?

Warning -- Satire -- April Fool's Post

Every child loves animal crackers, those sweet and crunchy animal-shaped biscuits. But are they compatible with a Paleo diet? Some people might think they already know the answer, but consider this: our ancestors evolved on the African savanna, eating the plants and animals found there. Inside each box of animal crackers is an assortment of tiny savanna creatures such as giraffes and elephants.

To get to the bottom of this, I interviewed Robert Pearson, CEO of Animal Cracker Products Inc., who explained to me how these crackers are made.

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Food Reward Friday

This week's "lucky" winner... milkshakes!

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Neuronal Control of Appetite, Metabolism and Weight

Last week, I attended a Keystone conference, "Neuronal Control of Appetite, Metabolism and Weight", in Banff. Keystone conferences are small, focused meetings that tend to attract high quality science. This particular conference centered around my own professional research interests, and it was incredibly informative. This post is a summary of some of the most salient points.

Rapid Pace of Scientific Progress

Read more �

On Saturday I had the pleasure of presenting Fritatta(Torta) on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Ismaila Alfa.  I served it with a bit of tomato chutney but it is a dish that can be made to your own tastes.

Frittata or Torta is a very versatile dish.  It can be used with a large number of "left overs" and other ingredients.  Try with sliced mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, or many other vegetables.


Spinach and Parmesan Frittata
3 Tbsp. olive oil
6 eggs
3 thinly sliced potatoes
1 cup (1/2 lb.) chopped raw spinach
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
pinch grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350�. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except oil and scapes. Heat oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet on the stove.  Pour egg and potato mixture in skillet and cook over medium heat for 5-7  minutes. Place in oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until top is set. Cut into wedges and serve.

Enjoy!