Trending

Trending The colour black

Packed with anthocyanins, black-coloured ingredients are trending in Canadian independent restaurants

This trend is a continuance of last year’s trend of purple-packed fare (which included purple corn, purple potato, ume, purple kale, etc.). In addition to their nutritional benefits, these ingredients bring a visual wow factor. While activated charcoal and squid ink pastas have found some momentum in previous years, other dark ingredients are more up and coming. Black salt, garlic, kale and ash are among the ingredients we’re watching in independent restaurants. Here are some examples:

ROASTED BEET SALAD

Simply delicious with black and scarlet kale, roasted beetroot, pickled eggplant, avocado, artichoke, red onion, tomato and shaved Parmesan ~ Holy Grill in Calgary

PALOMITA

This refreshing cocktail is made with Herradura tequila, reposado, Otto’s Athens vermouth, lime, grapefruit cordial, black salt and soda ~ Constantine in Toronto

STEAK TARTARE

A must try with black goat cheese and potato chips ~ St. Lawrence Restaurant in Vancouver

BLACK GARLIC

Look for Black garlic to be big in 2021. It’s a type of aged garlic which gets it’s colour from the Maillard reaction, or caramelization, not fermentation.

Sweet and sticky with an almost figgy texture, these matured cloves are more mellow than fresh garlic.

Recipes

dress up your

FRIES

Everyone loves fries. The perfect french fry - crispy on the outside, soft, fluffy on the inside. Tossed with a little salt. Elevated with a little seasoning. And then along comes poutine. Oh, that ooey gooey goodness of gravy, cheese curds and fries. It’s a whole new love connection. But let’s not stop there! Let’s take those fries over the top with some new combinations. The options are endless. The flavour profiles can be tantalizing. So don’t keep your fries on the sidelines. McCains® has come up with these great recipes to move them to the main spotlight.

CANADIAN CHEESEBURGER LOADED FRIES

Irresistible! A loaded cheeseburger and fries all in one bite.

INGREDIENTS

1 bag McCain® Extra Crispy Straight Cut Superfries® 1 lb ground beef 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ½ cup tomatoes, chopped 1 dill pickle, sliced ¼ cup red onion, small dice Ketchup, to taste Mustard, to taste DIRECTIONS Cook fries as desired. In a frying pan, cook ground beef until brown and crispy or until temperature reaches 71C (160F). Divide fries into serving dishes, or use one big platter. Top with ground beef, shredded cheese, tomatoes, pickles, onion, ketchup and mustard.

STEAKHOUSE NACHOS

A platter of crispy oven-baked McCain® Seasoned Waffle Fries topped with strips of thin-sliced, grilled steak with Montreal steak seasoning, diced onions, drizzled with steak house ranch, chopped scallions and diced tomatoes with blue cheese crumbles. INGREDIENTS

1 bag McCain® Seasoned Waffle Fries 10 ounces strip steak 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning ¼ cup steak sauce ¼ cup ranch dressing ½ cup small tomatoes, diced, seeds removed ¼ cup blue cheese, crumbled 3 pieces chopped scallions DIRECTIONS Cook Waffle Fries as desired. Season strip steak with Montreal steak seasoning and cook to desired temperature, set aside and cool slightly for 10 minutes. Slice steak into thin strips. Mix ranch dressing and steak sauce thoroughly to make sauce drizzle. Place fries on serving platter and drizzle with steak house ranch. Arrange the sliced, grilled steak on top of the fries. Top with blue cheese crumbles, diced tomatoes and scallions.

BREAKFAST BURRITO

Get a smart start to your day with this hunger busting burrito. Makes 1 burrito

INGREDIENTS

McCain® Seasoned Crinkle Fries 1 turkey sausage patty 1 egg, scrambled 1 10” whole-grain tortillas 1 tablespoon small-diced red bell peppers 1 tablespoon low-fat cheese, shredded ¼ cup salsa DIRECTIONS Prepare turkey sausage patties according to package directions, chop and set aside. Cook fries as desired. Cook scrambled eggs with the diced peppers to desired consistency. Warm whole-grain flour tortillas for 45 seconds in the microwave for easier folding. In the center of one tortilla, place about 8-10 fries, the scrambled egg with diced red bell pepper, the shredded cheese and the chopped sausage. Fold bottom of tortilla up, covering the ingredients, then fold in the sides of the tortilla over the initial fold. Serve with salsa on the side.

PAD THAI SUPERFRIES

Enjoy this delicious and flavourful Pad Thai inspired recipe — the perfect combination of Thai heat and vibrant flavours! INGREDIENTS

1 cup bean sprouts, washed and dried 1 bag McCain® Superfries® Crinkle Cut Handful of cilantro, finely chopped 2 green onions, finely chopped 1 Tbsp crushed peanuts, to sprinkle 2 lime wedges Pinch of salt For Sriracha Mayo: ¼ cup mayo ¼ cup Sriracha sauce Squeeze of lime to taste DIRECTIONS Cook fries as desired. Toss with a pinch of salt, then transfer to a serving dish. Top fries with bean sprouts and a drizzle of Sriracha mayo. Top with cilantro and green onion. Garnish with lime wedges and sprinkle with crushed peanuts. Serve with a squeeze of lime and a side of sriracha mayo for dipping. To make Sriracha Mayo Whisk together mayo and sriracha sauce until well combined . Transfer to a squeeze bottle to lightly drizzle over fries.

RESILIENCE ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

Sysco is Canada’s largest foodservice distributor and we know how important food is to communities from coast-to-coast. So, whether you’re looking for operational advice or a premium selection of fresh produce, meat or seafood, Sysco has all the essentials you need to navigate along the road to recovery.