Apple Gingerbread Pudding Cake
The wide array of fresh Ontario ingredients now can help parents put healthy and tasty dinners on the table quickly and easily.
Here are some great fall recipes from Foodland Ontario.
Transform a package of potato gnocchi into colourful Harvest Gnocchi with Feta. This meatless main features a jumble of local sweet corn, red bell peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and green beans flecked with feta cheese. From start to finish, it’s ready in 25 minutes.
Family-friendly Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry is another winning weeknight dinner.
Quickly sauté chicken strips, add your favourite harvest vegetables, from broccoli to sweet potatoes, then toss in a ginger soy chili sauce.
On weekends, switch up your usual grilled beef burgers with our lean juicy Indian Pork Burgers flavoured with curry paste. Serve with tangy make-ahead Apple Pear Chutney from Ontario’s famous fruit.
For dessert or after school, serve warm, fragrant slices of Apple Gingerbread Pudding Cake. Take your pick of locally-grown apple favourites such as Cortland, Golden Delicious, Ida Red, McIntosh and Northern Spy.
Harvest Gnocchi with Feta
Take advantage of Ontario’s bounty in this easy-to-make quick meatless dinner.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves 4
1 cob Ontario Corn
1 tbsp (15 mL) each butter and olive oil
2 cloves Ontario Garlic, minced
1 Ontario Sweet Red Pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small Ontario Zucchini, cut into
cubes, about 1/2-inch (1 cm)
1/2 cup (125 mL) thinly sliced Ontario Red Onion
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) Ontario Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
1 pkg (1 lb/500 g) potato gnocchi
1 cup (250 mL) Ontario Green or Yellow Beans or a combination of both, cut in half
1/4 cup (50 mL) pitted black olives, sliced in half
1/2 cup (125 mL) crumbled Ontario Feta Cheese
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh Ontario Dill or Parsley
Pepper
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.
Using a knife, remove kernels from cob; set aside. In large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper, zucchini, onion, oregano and salt. Cook stirring
frequently, just until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and corn; reduce heat to low. Add gnocchi and beans to boiling water; boil, stirring occasionally, just until gnocchi rises to the surface, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the cooking water; set aside. Add gnocchi and beans to skillet along with olives. Stir in reserved water, feta and dill. Season with pepper to taste.
Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Come fall it’s back to school and busy schedules. This stir-fry is ideal to customize to your family’s favourite fall vegetables. As with all stir-fries, have all your ingredients chopped and ready before heating up the skillet.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 11 minutes
Serves 4
1/3 cup (75 mL) water
2 tbsp (25 mL) each sodium-reduced soy sauce and
oyster sauce
1 tsp (5 mL) Asian chili garlic sauce
2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch
1 tsp (5 mL) dark sesame oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
2 skinless boneless Ontario Chicken
Breasts or 4 to 6 skinless boneless
Chicken Thighs, about 1 lb (500 g),
thinly sliced into strips
2 tbsp (25 mL) finely minced gingerroot
1 clove Ontario Garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) small Ontario Broccoli Florets
1 cup (250 mL) very thinly sliced Ontario Carrot
Half each Ontario Sweet Red and Yellow
Pepper, cut into thin strips
3 cups (750 mL) sliced Ontario Bok Choy
In medium bowl, combine water, soy sauce, oyster sauce,Asian chili garlic sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil until well mixed. Set aside.
In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until chicken is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add broccoli, carrots and 3 tbsp (45 mL) water. Stir-fry until vegetables are barely tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add peppers and bok choy; stir-fry until vegetables are tender, 2 to 3 minutes.Stir sauce and add to skillet; continue to stir-fry until mixture bubbles and thickens, about 1 minute.
Indian Pork Burgers with Apple Pear Chutney
The sweet and sour spicy chutney complements the pork burgers beautifully. You could also form the burger mixture into meatballs and serve with the chutney.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Grilling Time: 12 minutes
Serves 4
(Makes 2 cups/500 mL chutney)
Apple Pear Chutney:
2 tsp (10 mL) vegetable oil
3/4 cup (175 mL) finely chopped Ontario Onion
1 tbsp (15 mL) minced peeled gingerroot
2 cloves Ontario Garlic, minced
2 Ontario Apples, peeled, quartered and sliced
2 firm but ripe Ontario Pears, peeled,
quartered and sliced
2/3 cup (150 mL) lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) Ontario Apple Cider or Juice
1/4 cup (50 mL) apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) crushed red pepper flakes
1 (4-inch/10 cm) cinnamon stick
4 green cardamom pods (optional)
1 thinly sliced Ontario Green Onion
Burgers:
1 lb (500 g) lean Ontario Ground Pork
1 Ontario Egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup (50 mL) finely chopped Ontario Green Onion
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh Ontario Coriander
4 tsp (20 mL) Indian curry paste, such as Madras or Tandoori
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) vegetable oil (optional)
Ontario Lettuce Leaves and sliced
Ontario Cheddar Cheese
Chutney: In medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and garlic; cook 2 minutes or until softened slightly. Stir in apples, pears, sugar, apple cider, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes, cinnamon stick and cardamom, if using; increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened 15 to 20 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick and cardamom pods; stir in green onion and cool.
Burgers: In large bowl, combine pork, egg, onion, coriander, curry paste and salt; divide into four burgers. Place on greased grill over medium-high heat. Grill, covered, 5 to 6
minutes per side or until thermometer reads 160°F (71°C) inserted sideways into centre of each patty.
Serve burgers on lettuce and sliced cheddar; top with chutney.
Apple Gingerbread Pudding Cake
This warm cake has the rich flavours of gingerbread on top of apples and a caramel sauce. You could also use pears in place of apples.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 50 minutes
Standing Time: 10 minutes
Serves 15
4 Ontario Apples, peeled and very thinly
sliced
2-1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour
1-1/4 tsp (6 mL) baking soda
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) ground ginger
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each ground allspice and ground
cloves
1 cup (250 mL) fancy molasses
3/4 cup (175 mL) water
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
1 Ontario Egg
3/4 cup (175 mL) lightly packed brown sugar, preferablydark
Topping:
1-1/3 cups (325 mL) hot water
1/4 cup (50 mL) unsalted butter, melted
Whipped cream and ground nutmeg
(optional)
Lightly butter a 13- x 9-inch (3 L) baking dish. Scatter apples evenly in dish.
In medium bowl, whisk flour with baking soda, ginger,cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. In large measuring cup, whisk molasses with water. In large bowl,
using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Beat in egg. On medium speed, beat in flour in 3 additions, alternately with molasses mixture, ending with flour
mixture. Scrape down sides as needed. Spoon over apples; gently smooth to cover. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
Topping: In large measuring cup, stir hot water with butter. Slowly pour over cake; but don’t stir it in. Bake in 350ºF (180ºC) oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand on wire rack 10 minutes before serving. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg, if using.
