it's july already!

well it was a week of old favourites with just two new recipes. the veg melts which i described in the previous post and camarones en pipian were the new recipes i cooked this week. the camarones en pipian recipe comes from " recipes from the regional cooks of mexico" by diane kennedy. camarones are shrimp and pipian are pumpkin seeds. the pumpkin seeds are the base of the sauce. the recipe calls for toasting the pumpkin seeds as well as the onion, garlic, and serrano chilis. i did toast the pumpkin seeds and the serrano chilis but sauteed till lightly browned the onion and garlic. the recipe called for fresh chilis but i just have dried chilis so that is why i roasted the chilis with the pumpkin seeds. once roasted or sauteed all went into a blendere with chicken stock as i didn't have shrimp stock or the means to make one. as well i added alot of fresh cilantro and a bit of butter. the sauce was fairly thick with a rich, zesty fresh taste. the shrimp already peeled and deveined were cooked till just done in the sauce, the shrimp were still crunchy. i finished the sauce with some sour cream and a dusting of ground de arbol chili. i will
definitely make this recipe again. next time making a shrimp stock and charring the onion and garlic. i think this sauce would taste very good with chicken or pork as well. one camper thought the sauce itself on rice would be very tasty.
i almost forgot the other new recipe. well an old recipe with a new twist. it was a brown rice bread recipe that i subbed in wild rice for the brown and added sunflower seeds and buckwheat flour. the ratio for buckwheat to bread flour was 1-5 as i just wanted a hint of buckwheat flavour. the sunseeds were for a bit more texture. i quite liked this bread. it was served alongside the pasta carbonara.
among the old favourites were menestra, a vegetarian dish from spain, with artichokes, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and bell peppers seasoned with paprika, cayenne and sherry and garnished with egg slices and chopped parsley. i also made chunto, a spicy turkey stew from guatemala. the spicy comes from pasilla and pasilla de oaxaca chilis. the stew consists of onion, garlic, tomatoes and bell peppers along with the turkey i finished the dish with chopped mint and cilantro. very yummy.
the canada day cake became a reprise of the pouding chomeur which was quite apt as what could be more canadian than maple syrup pudding? although thte menu said pumpkin pie i ended up making pecan pie as it is one of my absolute favourite desserts.
the first of many barbecues on the beach happened on canada day. i served steak and baked potatoes along with the first corn on the cob for the season. les built a beautiful barbecue for me from a culvert that he sliced in two.i could easily cook for 75 folks on this barbecue.