Political Eats - Liberal Edition

You may be aware that there is a federal election happening in Canada this month. This is because Justin Trudeau, the current prime minister, and leader of the Liberal party, wants to regain the majority government he lost two years ago. Despite repeated calls that his politics and policies are not what Canada needs or wants, the Opposition seemed reluctant to have the chance to remove him from power- luckily, the election still went ahead as scheduled. However you feel about Trudeau, it shouldn't keep you from trying this recipe for a breakfast staple that he allegedly makes for his family. If I were running for public office, I wouldn't want to associate my name with the word "waffle", but with two election wins under his belt, I guess he knows what he's doing.

Elections have consequences - have your voice heard on September 20th.

Ingredients: Oh Boy Waffles

788 mL milk
120 mL vegetable oil or melted butter
3 eggs, beaten
420 g flour
28 g sugar
25 g baking powder
4 g salt

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together in a different bowl.
3. Combine the contents of the two bowls into one and mix until blended. Ladle the batter into the waffle iron, and cook the waffles until they're golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Political Eats - CPC Edition

You may be aware that there is a federal election happening in Canada this month. If you have been following election coverage, you may be surprised to learn that CPC leader Erin O'Toole is surging in the polls, despite not really connecting with either the public or with members of the Conservative Party of Canada. Posting recipes isn't a part of the Conservative social media plan, so as part of my efforts to be fair and balanced, I was forced to use a recipe from O'Toole's former boss; given how many True Blue Tories would like Stephen Harper to return to the fold, I think it's a good substitute. This was the recipe the former prime minister shared near the end of the 2015 campaign. As it was Harper's last campaign, we can assume party faithful hope history doesn't repeat itself again this time around.

Elections have consequences - have your voice heard on September 20th.

Ingredients: Sour cream and onion mashed potatoes

12 potatoes (adjust as needed based on the size of the group — it’s about 1 potato per person)
1 package Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 small tub sour cream
chives, chopped (to taste)
milk — just enough to whip

1. Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, but still firm. 
2. Mash the potatoes then mix the remaining ingredients together with them until everything is well blended.
   
   This dish can be prepared 1-2 days beforehand.

Political Eats - NDP Edition

You may be aware that there is a federal election happening in Canada this month. You may have even heard about the misfortune that happened to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh's food truck on his way to a photoshoot before the French-language debate.  What you may not have known is how popular Singh's take on poutine really is. Singh introduced this recipe to Canadian votes during the 2019 election, as the perfect combination of his ethnic background and the Quebec delicacy as a way to improve his party's vote tally in la belle province. It didn't work, but the recipe did win over enough supporters that he brought it back again for this political go-around.  In case the NDP's food truck doesn't make it to your riding in time for the election, I posted a recipe for it below. 

Elections have consequences - have your voice heard on September 20th.

Ingredients: Punjabi Poutine

two to three mid-sized sweet potatoes
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes or 794 g fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 bag of cheese curds
mild vegetable oil and/or ghee
garlic
ginger
cardamom pods
ground cumin
ground coriander
ground tumeric
cayenne
garam masala
salt
onion

1. Preheat the oven to 176°C. Cut the sweet potatoes into evenly sized pieces. Cover them with some of the vegetable oil and/or ghee, then spread them out on a baking sheet. When the oven is ready, place the baking sheet in the oven until the sweet potatoes are cooked but not squishy.
2. Dice the onion, garlic, and ginger as finely as you can. Heat some of the vegetable oil and/or ghee in a frying pan with high sides. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger in the pan until the onion is translucent. Season with salt, add the spices, and sauté everything some more.
• You will notice that there are no measurements for this recipe, as Singh's approach to seasoning food is to add until he hears his ancestors say that's enough. You will have to use your best judgment on how much is too much.
3. Add the tomatoes and turn the heat down a bit. Let the tomatoes simmer until they have a sauce-like consistency. When the tomato gravy is close to ready, add the sweet potatoes and let them get used to their new home. A minute or two before serving, add the cheese curds.