Filet Mignon Fruit de Mer by Chef Bari

Filet Mignon Fruit de Mer by Canadian Recipes of the Great White North  is simply the french version of : scallops, jumbo shrimp and preferably lobster but can use Alaskan king crab...

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Ingredients:
4 cuts of : 4 oz Filet Mignon
3/4 cup of Bay Scallops
1 cup of Jumbo Shrimp (preferably 21/25 ct)
1 cup of cooked lobster or crab meat

Bearnaise sauce:
1 cup of butter oil
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
1 tablespoon :Fresh Lemon Juice
1 clove of fresh minced garlic
1/2 cup of fresh sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon of taragon saute within red wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Filet Mignon Fruit de Mer

Method: 
Wash scallops to make sure all grit is removed. Dredge with seasoned flour or cornstarch.
Quick saute' scallops in hot olive oil or veg. oil - lightly gold color
Quick saute jumbo shrimp without peeling ( add minced garlic after the shrimp is added) Very little time - just to light pink. Remove from saute pan and let cool. Peel shrimp.
Set to the side for now - place in your fridge...


Bearnaise Sauce:

Take a medium pot of water and bring to a boil - turn down to simmer.
Get a metal bowl that will fit over your medium pot without falling into the pot. Must fit nice over the pot.
Crack an medium egg, add minced garlic, lemon juice and cayenne. Add a touch of salt and preferably white pepper. Careful with the salt - as the butter is already salty.

Take 1/2 lb of butter and melt - remove the milk solids from the top - by doing this you will have - what is called : Butter oil

Now - take the metal bowl of egg mixture and start whisking it before you place it on top of the pot of hot water.
Once mixed - bring the bowl over and place on top of the hot water and keep whipping with a whisk.
Carefully monitor your mix - do not overcook or you will have cooked egg instead. You should get a smooth light mix. Now add your butter oil in a steady smooth light stream - mixing at all time until well incorporated.
Take off and place to the side...
Take a saute' pan and add red wine vinegar and fresh chopped tarragon. Reduce until almost dry...take off and place to the side...
Remove the marinated tarragon mixture from the saute pan.
Now : Cook your steak to your liking ...
While steak is cooking...set a the saute pan on the burner and add a tablespoon of olive oil.
Add sliced fresh mushrooms and minced garlic... only saute' for a couple of minutes.
Add your seafood together into the saute' pan... only a couple of minutes.
Add the hollandaise sauce and tarragon mix .
Saute for a quick couple of minutes and add to the top of your cooked steak...
Enjoy!


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Check out Chef Bari Website : http://chefbari.com/

Easy-to-Make Cheesecake by Canadian Recipes of the Great White North

Easy to Make Light Cheesecake by Canadian Recipes of the Great White North - ( a non-bake cheesecake for a quick light dessert)


Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients :

•3/4 cup crushed graham crumbs
•1/4 cup sugar
•4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
•3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
•2 envelope unflavored gelatin
•4 large egg yolks
•2 1/2 cup half & half cream or 33% whipping cream
•Pinch of salt
•Grated zest of 1/2 orange or 1/2 lemon
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•1- 250 g cream cheese, room temperature
•1/2 cup of sour cream and 1/4 cup of milk
•1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped (33%)

 Canadian Recipes of the Great White North


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Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray springform pan with Pam or generic brand into the bottom and sides of a 7-inch springform pan.( If using a 12 inch springform pan - double recipe)

Make crust: Melt butter in microwave - 30 seconds. Place in bowl and add graham-cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup of sugar. Mix together and press into bottom of pan. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

3.Place 3 tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl, and sprinkle gelatin over the surface. Set aside for 10 minutes to soften

4. Beat 4 eggs yolks in a small bowl. Add 2 cups of heavy cream into saucepan - place under medium heat. Add half of warm cream and mix into the small bowl of egg yolks - stir in as you do this. Once incorporated add the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and stir constantly - approximately 8 -10 minutes. Make sure your heat is only on medium. You can gradually whisk in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, salt and vanilla. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow to boil. Transfer bakc to the bowl.

5.Stir in softened gelatin, orange zest or lemon zest, and vanilla, mixing until gelatin is completely dissolved. Congratulations - you have just made a custard. Set aside.

6.Place the 250 grams of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1/4 cup of milk into a food processor - blend until smooth. With machine running, add warm custard and process just long enough to combine. Transfer to a bowl and fold in whipped cream. Pour mixture into the prepared pan, cover, and chill overnight.

7.Release spring from pan - Unmold cake from springform pan by running a thin knife ( dip knife in hot water) around the inside of the pan. Carefully remove outside of pan. Slide onto a serving plate, and chill until ready to serve.

To the Plate:

Cut a small slice of cheesecake using a knife that has been dipped in hot water ( this gives the cheesecake an even smooth cut)
Place on your favorite serving plate.
Add a genenrous portion of blueberry or strawberry sauce or compote' (jam) just on top of the cheesecake and let some run off.
Add a dop of whipping cream on top and voila' - enjoy :)

An Easy-to-Make Light Dessert for your Dinner Party tonight.

In my book - Canadian Recipes of the Great White North  you can find a baked wild strawberry cheesecake.

Spudnut Recipe and The Spudnut Shop in Vernon B.C.

When I was ten years old my parents decided to buy a Spudnut Shop in Vernon,B.C., Canada during the summer of 1967.

 It turns out to be the biggest experience of my life, due to the Spudnuts themselves. I had never tasted such a tasty [donuts] in my life, as these particular [donuts] were not donuts at all, but a Spudnut - a special brand of potato flour mix by a franchise that originated in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The original recipe of Spudnut come from the two brothers -where Bob and Al Pelton in Salt Lake City began the historical adventure of turning [donuts] into something better – Spudnut – a potato flour ingredient with the use of yeast, pure vegetable shortening and certain spices.

Be sure to check out a great little short story called : The Great Spudnut 

As said, the Spudnuts started with a Spudnut flour mix originated by two ingenious brothers in Salt Lake City. After months of experimentation, they came up with the prefect mix. After perfecting the Spudnut Flour Mix, just like that they became a household name in United States, growing so fast that their next solution was to start a special franchise in Salt Lake City. The brothers had grown from a small Spudnut shop to a large growing enterprise with a warehouse and mixing plant. It has been told that you could buy a Spudnut franchise in 1950’s for only $2000.00. Apparently in order to provide orders to the East of United States they decided to open up a warehouse in Cleveland Ohio. But, my mom says that their orders came directly from Salt Lake City, Utah. Once we had to buy directly from Calgary, Alberta.  I still remember that quick unexpected trip on Sunday.  Needed the potato flour for that Monday morning. 

Photo is courtesy of Eileen Podanowski.  Eileen here, in the photo is a baby at the time (1961) and her mom and dad are posing in front of the Spudnut Shop my parents owned from 1967.  Thank you Eileen for this wonderful photo.  You can see the glass window where my dad would showcase, making the Spudnuts, so everyone could watch. 

With the Spudnut Franchise, you had to order 100 lb bags of 10 [Spudnut mix]per week, which was shipped and delivered to Vancouver,B.C. or Calgary, Alberta, Canada for $75.00 per bag.

 The cost of a signal Spudnut was .010 cents each or $1.20 per dozen in 1968. My mom, Betty Watts reminded me that Long johns ( a long style Spudnut with chocolate glaze) and jelly filled Spudnuts cost a whole 0.15 cents per Spudnut. Coffee at the time was only 0.10 cents while tea was 0.15 cents. All the prices of the Spudnuts was placed on a green chalk board.  My mom would write down the daily specials and the elusive Spudnut special price.

In the small town of Vernon, the Spudnut Shop was originally owned by hard working Ernie and Betty LeClair. They placed the shop over to their daughter and husband team – Pearl and John Lehr.  
As of 1968, my mom Betty Watts was in full control of the Spudnut Shop and this is when we began our "Spudnut Adventure".  Before that, in 1967, I believe John was helping out, to make sure the Spudnut recipe was done right.  It's like handing the keys over to your son or daughter, the first solo trip with the car.  

And what an adventure! 

My mom opened the little Spudnut Shop on main street of Vernon, at 6:00 am and closed the shop around 5:00 pm.; or when the last customer decided to finish off another tasty Spudnut.  My dad would be up around 3:00 am to begin making the first patch of Spudnuts.  I believe he made 3-4 patches per day. 

Long days at six days a week, starting with making the elusive Spudnut at 3:00 am from mixing it to rolling it out, to making the round shape of the Spudnut. It was then placed in a warming rising oven [PROOFER : long rectangular oven with room for baking sheet racks and a small water base container at the bottom] at a temperature of 190 degrees F. until the Spudnuts raised twice to three times the original size. 

 I tried to help my mom the best I could at such a young age of 10 yrs old, but mostly I ended up eating the profits of fresh Spudnuts and those tasty homemade hamburgers. My mom is now in her eighties, but we still reminisce about the Spudnut Shop days.

It's my hope you will enjoy working with the recipe below. Please note: Moderate Skill Level due to the steps required. 

Spudnut Recipe: ( smaller recipe revised from my bigger patch) 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 packages of fast rising fleischmann's yeast. ( Use 2 packages if your product has past the before date. Just saying.
1/2 cup of warm water
2 1/2 cups (dry measure) white all purpose flour

1/2 cup Organic Potato Flour (organic potato flour is found in the specialty section of your supermarket)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup of  Crisco Shortening or butter ( butter will make it richer, but the Spudnut will be darker ) (My parent’s Spudnut franchise used Crisco Shortening and it had a lighter tone after deep frying it. ) 

1 large egg and 1 yoke ( if small eggs use two) 

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup of lukewarm milk - split half a cup of milk in order to alternate from the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, respectively 

METHOD/DIRECTIONS: 

STEP ONE:

1. Sift dry ingredients together in a medium bowl, add salt too - mix in.

2 . Mix Yeast Fleischmann's Yeast into half cup of warm water.

3. Place butter in mixer and mix. Add sugar and mix until a fluffy cream mixture. Add egg with yoke.

4. Mix in warm water and yeast mixture. 

5. Add only half a cup of the lukewarm milk until.   ( Change over to dough hook )

6. Now add dry ingredients ( white flour and Potato flour) - Add in thirds at a time.

7. Incorporate with the last of the milk ( 1/2 cup) and the dry ingredients until all incorporated together.

8. Blend for 3 - 5 minutes. 

Your finish dough product should be like Bread dough. 

STEP TWO: 

1. Remove dough from mixer and place onto floured surface. Roll into a large ball. Lightly oil ball with canola oil. 

2. Place into a lightly oiled bowl,and cover with dry cloth. Place in  a warm spot. 

3. Let rise for 1 hour or longer in warm place. ( It should double in size.) 

STEP THREE : 

1. Place dough on floured surface. 

2. Begin rolling out the dough.  You can flip it again to get traction on surface. ( 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick) 

3. Cut into round donut shapes with cutter.

5. Pace on baking sheet and COVER with dry cloth and let it rise again for 30 minutes in  warm area.

BELOW PHOTO:  The photo shows us cutting into formed Spudnuts

STEP FOUR: 

First : Make a sugar glacé : 2 cups of icing sugar with 1/3 cup of cold milk.

Second:   Get your fryer ready to go -375 degrees F or 185 degrees Celsius.   

Third : Drop 3 Spudnuts into deep fryer. Cook until light golden brown. Flip over to cook the remaining side. 

Remove and place on paper towels.  Dip into sugar  glacé ( I like dividing it up evenly and add chocolate syrup to one. Just to switch it up, plus I love chocolate) 

Voila - Enjoy! 

 I love the new Cool Touch Fryers from Costco - $145 for one of these babies .

You can add sugar cinnamon mixture to the Spudnuts or use my Icing Sugar Glaze.  See Recipe below.

Making Spudnuts is a moderate level of experience. Don't attempt this if you've have never cooked before. 

Please support my efforts by purchasing my Cookbook : Canadian Recipes of the Great White North.

Check out my website Chef Bari for recipes and  my Facebook page: Canadian Recipes of the Great White North    

Additional Update Sept 2019

Good Monday Morning everyone.  Throughout the internet we have a collection of Spudnut Clone Recipes  with their spin on the recipe. If you would like to participate and have a reciprocal link to each of our websites - I would be happy to add on.

This morning I would like to introduce NAOMI from BETTER BATTER : Naomi has graciously credited me for the original Spudnut Recipe, as well as, added the link to my website. She has also prepared a Spudnut Clone Recipe - Be sure to checkout her recipe and recipes as well.

Thank you Naomi for participating and sharing links with each others website. Much appreciated. 

Be a part of the Spudnut group by sharing your clone too! I love to see your version. 

In the next week I'm going to add new photos and a video showing step by step instructions on making the original Spudnut Recipe. Please stayed tuned. It might take 10 days to get organized, as we Chefs are pretty busy. 

STAY TUNED !

Chef Bari

Addition Update :

It's was a blessing to be contacted by Deb Anderson, the daughter of the original owners Al Pelton. Thank you for contacting me. 

Chef Bari 
Feb 2015 

P.S. I hope everyone is using Potato flour and not starch - VERY IMPORTANT 

Please take a minute to support my efforts by buying my published cookbook - Canadian Recipes of the Great White North - CLICK ON PHOTO below.

UPDATE : 2016 -  Unfortunately my mom passed away after her fight with cancer on June 2015.  Loved by all throughout BC and Alberta.  She so loved Vernon, BC.  Her last days were with her family and friends, including three grandchildren.  She use to attend the BC Hydro social meetings with her friends, I believe every month.  Her last year's with second husband, Peter Watts, was said to be the golden years of her life.  I'll will sure miss my mom. RIP. Love Bari 


UPDATE : 2020 - Join me in my new website chefbari - more recipes, treats, sweets, home cooking, chicken dishes, beef dishes, healthy WW dishes and much much more.  

Sugar Glaze: 

Ingredients: 
1  1/2 cups of Icing Sugar
2 Tbsp Milk

Method: 
Mix together - Add more milk to make runner if required - but this works for me. 

Caper Dressing by Canadian Recipes of the Great White North

Caper Dressing by Canadian Recipes of the Great White North


This signature ( originated by Canadian Recipes of the Great White North) Dressing is similair to Ceasar Dressing but at the same time has its very own exotic taste.

Chopped Romaine with Caper Dressing by Chef Bari

Caper Cream Dressing 
Yield: 8 -10 portions of dressing ( depending on how much you use)

Ingredients:
1 medium egg or 2 small eggs
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 clove of crushed minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon of capers ( chopped)
3 tablespoons of White Vinegar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice or squeezed lemon ( remove seeds)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of white pepper or you can use fine black pepper
1 cup of Grapeseed Oil or you can use Olive Oil ( the grapeseed oil give a much better lite taste)
3 tablespoons of grated Asiago Cheese (made in the region of Vicenza and Trento)


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Method:
1. Use a food processor or hand mixer but I find that using a hand blender is your best bet.
2. Crack a whole egg ( yes - whole egg at room temperature - TIP: take out your egg 15 minutes before using) into your container that you are given with you hand blender or just place it into your food processor.
3. Add all the ingredients except the grapeseed oil ( or Olive oil)
4. Mix all together for about one minute ( 30 seconds with your food processor)
5. Now here is the trick to making any good dressing - Begin to mix your ingredients again with your hand blender or food processor.
6. While your hand blender is blending - gradually add or another words - thin stream of grapeseed oil into your mixture. Keep mixing at high speed all the time you add the grapeseed oil.

What happens: Your Dressing will blend into a creamy dressing that is great on romaine lettuce.
Now cut your romaine lettuce into medium-cut size and of course rinse and dry - Place in your favorite salad bowl and mix in enough dressing to your taste.
Mix together
Arrange mixed salad onto your favorite salad plate ( Tip: Do not push down on the salad)
Sprinkle on Asiago Cheese. Garnish with a quarter of lemon on top and if you like add fresh cherry tomatoes to the side of the salad.

Famous last words are : Bon Appetite!

If you like this recipe - Check out my cookbook - Canadian Recipes of the Great White North