Wild Mushroom Strudel

Chef Craig Guenther - Winnipeg Winter Club - March 9, 2015

Wild Mushroom Strudel

FILLING

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup red wine
• 4 cups sliced wild mushrooms
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup soft, mild goat cheese or ricotta
• ¼ cup toasted unseasoned bread crumbs
• 2 tsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper

Strudel

• 4 sheets phyllo dough
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Roasted red bell pepper & Chipotle sauce

• 2 knobs of butter
• 1 cup fine dice yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon fine chop garlic
• 1 cup can chopped roasted red peppers
• 1 tblsp chipotle paste
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Salt to taste

Melt butter, sauté onions, and garlic till soft, add chopped red peppers and chipotle paste, sauté 3-4 min. Add cream and boil 5-10 min. then puree till smooth keep warm

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until very hot.  Add the onion, shallots, and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the red wine and reduce by 1.2 about 4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook until just tender and most of the liquid is reduced, 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and allow the filling to cool slightly.  Transfer the filling to a large bowl and allow it to cool completely.  Fold in the Parmesan and goat cheeses.  Add the bread crumbs, basil, rosemary, and black pepper.  Mix well, season to taste with salt, and then set aside.

Place 2 sheets of the phyllo dough on a clean dry work surface and generously brush the top sheet with melted butter.  Place two more phyllo sheets on top and again brush the top sheet with butter.  Spoon the filling into the centre of the dough, spreading it to form a rectangle while leaving a 2 inch border.  Fold one of the short ends of the dough about 1 inch over the filling.  Fold one of the long ends over about 1 inch of the filling and gently roll into a log.  Place the strudel, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet and cut ¼ inch deep vents along the top.  Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove the strudel from the oven and cool on the pan.  Using a serrated knife, slice the strudel into 8 pieces.  Serve warm with the sauce on the side.

Pear & Chocolate Truffle Tart

Chef Craig Guenther - Winnipeg Winter Club - March 9, 2015

Pear & Chocolate Truffle Tart

Pears

• 1 32 oz bottle dry red wine
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
• 6 Anjou pears, peeled but with stems intact

Truffles

• ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 7 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

Filling

• 1 cup all –purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 oz (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 large eggs

Prepare pears:  In a medium saucepan, combine wine, sugar and allspice.  Scrape in vanilla seeds, add pod as well, and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Add pears, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until pears soften slightly.  Set aside to cool.  At this stage, the pears can be refrigerated in the wine sauce for up to 2 weeks.

Prepare truffles:  In a small pot, bring cream just to a boil over medium heat.  Remove from heat and mix in chocolate until smooth.  Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for about 1 hour.  Shape chilled mixture into ½ inch balls.

Prepare filling:  In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, butter, cocoa powder, baking powder and eggs until smooth.

Preheat oven to 320F and assemble tarts:  Remove pears from wine mixture.  Insert an apple corer into the bottom of each pear, pushing it upward to remove core but leaving the top of the pear intact.  Make a small cut just below the stem to release the core and provide an opening through which the truffle can bubble out.  Press a truffle into hollowed centre of each pear, and place pears in 1 cup ramekins.  Pour filing evenly into each ramekin.  Arrange ramekins on baking sheet and bake until filing sets, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mixed Greens with Champagne Vinaigrette Blue Cheese, Pear & Pecans

Chef Mike Brown, Jan 12, 2015 – De Lucas

Mixed Greens with Champagne Vinaigrette Blue Cheese, Pear & Pecans

•  3 ea Mixed Greens-Washed and Dried
• 2 ea Red Pears- Washed
• 800g Cambozola Cheese
• 1 cup Pecans-Halved
• 1 ea Lemon

Dressing:

• 150 ml Champagne Vinegar
• 5 tbsp Dijon
• 3 ea Cloves Garlic- Minced Fine
• 5 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 5 tbsp Honey
• 5 dash Hot Sauce
• 320 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• TT Salt and Pepper

In a small bowl add 1/2 cup water and the juice of your lemon reserve.  With a paring knife, 1/4 you pears length wise and remove the core then julienne the pear and place in to the lemon water, hold till service (this should be done 10 to 20 minutes before they are to be used)

With a hot water near by you will cut the cheese into 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch pieces and place the cut cheese on a sheet pan that has paper towel down on it. After each cut make sure to place your knife back into the hot water and dry it before you cut another piece.

To toast the pecans just place on sheet pan and bake for 5 min at 350f

To make your dressing, in a medium bowl place your vinegar, dijon, garlic, lemon juice, honey and hot sauce whisk together and then in a slow stream pour your olive oil in. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble, in a large bowl add your mixed greens and 3/4 of your dressing toss with your Washed hands and place on to plate then garnish with 3 pieces of blue cheese, 5 pieces of pecan and finish with the pears right in the center of the salad

Celery Root Soup

Chef Melissa Makarenko - Resto Gare September 8, 2014

Celery Root Soup

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup sliced leek 
• 2 1/2 pound of celery root, cut into chunks
• 12 ounces Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 apple , Granny Smith, peeled cored diced
• 1 tsp green fennel seed
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 tsp kosher salt
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups of water 
• 1 cup of beer
• 2 cups veg stock
• Srirach to taste.

1) using a pot with a lid. Sauté leeks in oil, until sift and translucent, about 2 min. Add  celery root, potatoes apples, garlic salt and pepper. Stir to coat vegetables with oil,  add water and beer bring to a boils reduce heat and cook on simmer until  vegetables just give when pierced about 20-25 min.

2) Remove 1 cup of the liquid from the pot, set aside. Using a blender purée soup until  smooth. If the soup is to thick add the reserved liquid. Season to taste.

White wine gastrique

• 1/2 cup of sugar 
• 1/2 cup white wine vinaigrette.
• 1/2 cup of white wine.

 1) place all ingredients and bring to a boil until desired thickness.

Apple bacon chutney

• 3 large Granny Smith apples, cored diced.
• 1/2 cup white onion, diced
• 1tbsp minced ginger
• 1/2,cup orange, juice
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1tsp hot pepper flakes
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/2 of raisins and bacon bits.

1) combine all ingredients, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 30 min.

For the soup we served with pan seared pickeral. But it is only optional.