Today’s recipes are from Foodland Ontario  www.foodlandontario.ca

BROWN RICE AND STRAWBERRY SALAD                

Serves 4 to 6.

  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 cup whole grain brown rice
  • 1/3 cup each: coarsely chopped pecans, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup each: cider vinegar and vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon liquid honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground or cracked pepper
  • 3 cups hulled quartered Ontario strawberries
  • 3 Ontario green onions, trimmed and sliced
  • ½ cup torn fresh basil
  • 1/3 cup slivered dried apricots
  • Garnish: Ontario lettuce leaves, fanned strawberries and basil leaves
  1. In medium saucepan, bring stock and rice to boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until just tender. Drain off any liquid and let cool.
  2. Meanwhile in dry medium skillet, toast pecans, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds for 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool.
  3. In bowl or jar, mix or shake together vinegar, oil, honey and pepper.
  4. Five to 10 minutes before serving, pour dressing over berries and toss to coat. Add toasted nuts, seeds, green onions and basil to rice; stir in strawberry mixture and apricots.

Serve at room temperature on lettuce lined plates and garnish with fanned strawberries and basil leaves if desired.

 

STRAWBERRIES AND GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD             

Serves 4

  • 4 boneless skinless Ontario chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
  • 8 cups mixed Ontario salad greens (romaine, red and green leaf lettuce, spinach, arugula)
  • 2 cups sliced Ontario strawberries
  • 1 cup shelled cooked Ontario peas (buy 1 pound in pods for 1 cup shelled)
  • ½ cup chopped Ontario green onions or chives

Dressing:

  • ¾ cup sliced Ontario strawberries
  • ½ cup non-fat plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons liquid honey
  • 5 teaspoons white or red balsamic vinegar
  1. Place chicken on greased grill over medium-high heat, close lid and grill, turning once, until no longer pink inside, 12 to 15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.
  2. Dressing: In food processor, combine strawberries, yogurt, honey and vinegar; process until smooth, scraping down side. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
  3. On each of four large salad plates, place 2 cups greens, ½ cup strawberries, ¼ cup peas and 2 tablespoons green onions. Slice chicken breasts diagonally and place over salad. Drizzle with dressing.

 

STRAWBERRY LEMON CREAM SHOTS                                 

Serves 12.

  • 1 ½ cups diced Ontario strawberries
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup lemon curd (available in jam section of most supermarkets)
  • 4 teaspoons toasted unsweetened coconut
  1. In small bowl, combine strawberries with sugar; spoon into 12 2-ounce shot glasses.
  2. In chilled medium bowl, using electric mixer, beat cream and vanilla until stiff. Fold in lemon curd until combined. Spoon over strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled (up to 6 hours). Garnish with coconut.

 

PAM’S LEMON CURD*                           

Makes 1 1/2 cups

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  1. Whisk eggs and sugar together in medium saucepan or large microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Whisk in lemon juice. Add butter and zest.
  2. Heat on stovetop or microwave on High 3 to 5 minutes, whisking every minute, until mixture boils and thickens. Cool; store in refrigerator.

* Recipe from “PamCooks: Favourite Recipes from the Trillium Cooking School” by Pam Collacott