Dining Guide

Cooking from Your Pantry

BY BARRIE ELLIOTT

I love the concept of cooking from your pantry. It’s a great way to use up those neglected ingredients instead of buying those specialty ingredients for just one recipe.

Cooking intuitively from your pantry, fridge and freezer can help you to create cost effective dishes that will impress your family and friends. By cleverly using your kitchen finds, you’ll put a flavoursome dinner on the table any day of the week. I encourage ingredient swaps in these two recipes. Yam for squash, sausage for spicy salami etc.

Recipes

Creamy Coconut Sweet yam curry is best served with rice and cilantro. It’s the perfect comfort food after you’ve had a long day on the ski hill but still want to have a healthy dinner on the table.

The combination of sweet potatoes, warming spices, and creamy coconut milk is cozy, a little spicy, and filled with vegetables. Serve this creamy stew over rice and finish with spiced sesame chili oil and cilantro.

Yam and Fennel Curry (8-12 servings)

1 cup onion 3 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons ginger 1 cup celery 2 cups carrot 2 cups fennel 2 cups yam or squash 6 chicken thighs (optional) 2 tablespoons curry powder 2 tablespoons toasted fennel seeds 1 tablespoons ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 cans coconut milk Serve with rice, quinoa or couscous. Heat coconut oil in a large cast iron dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onions. Sauté until translucent. Add ginger, garlic, fennel and chicken (if using). Sauté until lightly brown. Add spices to pan and sauté.

Next, add yams, remaining veggies and sea salt. Pour in coconut milk, reduce heat to medium-low to prevent burning and cover with a fitted lid. Steam cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender, stirring once or twice to be sure they’re not sticking to the skillet.

Spicy Braised Eggplant and Noodles (8-10 servings)

2 medium onions 5 gloves of garlic ginger 2 medium eggplant 1 red pepper 500g hot Italian sausage or ground pork 1/2 cups peanut 1 bunch scallion thick rice noodles or udon noodles

Sauce

5 tablespoons gochujang 5 tablespoons hoisin 4 tablespoons miso 4 tablespoons tomato paste 4 tablespoons sesame oil 1/2 cup water 4 tablespoons butter Follow directions on noodle package and rinse with cold water and store until needed.

Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl, gradually adding ½ cups warm water, mix until smooth. Score the skin of the eggplant with a pairing knife. Cut in half Lengthways and slice 1/3 inch semicircles and sprinkle with salt salt to remove excess moisture. Pat dry after 5 min.

Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large cast iron with a lid, Add onion, sauté until translucent, add garlic and ginger stirring often, until golden, about 2 minutes then add sausages and break into pieces using the back of the spoon until fully cooked.

Add eggplant and cook for 3 mins. Stir in sauce mixture stirring occasionally, until eggplant are nearly falling apart, 8-10 minutes.

Add noodles, butter. Garnish topped with scallions and peanuts.

Barrie Elliott is a Red Seal Chef and the talent and inspiration behind Fernie Catering Co., specializing in catering private events and pre-made food and meals for your home with a food philosophy rooted in seasonality and sustainability. ferniecatering.con