Homemade Lemonade with Ginger and Maple Syrup

I was at Balzac's (the coffee shop) the other day and saw on their menu lemonade with ginger and maple syrup.  It was a bit expensive so I didn't end up getting it, but went home and made it that afternoon.  It was DELICIOUS!  So refreshing and tasty.  Yum.  Please make it - it is worth the trouble.

Heat in a pot for 15 minutes:

3 lemons worth of lemon juice
1/3 cup maple syrup
grated ginger (as much as you like)
4 cups water

Remove from stove and add in 10 ice cubes.  When cool, put into fridge.

That's it!  Enjoy!

BBQ'd Elk Steaks

Aki recently got his MA thesis manuscript accepted for publication (!!!) - so what better way to celebrate than with elk steaks!!  What actually happened was that he went away for the weekend, so I went to St. Lawrence Market to entertain myself.  I wanted to pick up a treat for a celebration dinner and walked past the man that sells elk meat, who I have seen many times.

Me:  How do you cook this?  <Pointing to elk pieces> Do you stew this?
Elk Man:  Yes, people like to make stew with these small pieces here.
Me:  Mmm.  <Pointing to big chunk of elk> - Do you roast this?
Elk Man:  Yes, that is for roasting.
Me:  And how do you cook this <pointing to elk steaks>?
Elk Man:  You would cook it any way you cook regular steak.
Me:  Okay, so barbeque or pan fry?
Elk Man:  Yes.

Thank you for answering my questions!  So I went with the elk steaks and hurried home.  I felt a bit bad about going to the market without Aki because he loooooves the market and we always go together, but then I found out later he went to Jean Talon market in Montreal without me!!!  That is a discretion that is about 25 times worse!  (I was going to say 50 times but didn't want to seem like I was exaggerating). 

Anyways, this is how I made the elk:

BBQ'd Lemon-Garlic Elk Steaks

• 2 pounds venison steaks
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Place everything in a large ziplock bag, swish it around a bit, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least several hours.  Take meat out 1 hour before grilling to let it come down to room temperature.  Heat up BBQ and grill on each side for 2 to 4 minutes.  I like my meat super rare (2 minutes each side), but you may not!

Credit to:  Derrick Riches, About.com Guide

It tasted very delicious!  I thought it might just taste like beef, but it was way more flavourful in a very unique way that is hard to describe.  I thought it might taste gamey like lamb, but it did not taste like lamb.  You will have to try it yourself!  It is a very lean type of meat and after eating it I felt strong (like elk)!!!

Ukrainian Borscht Time!

I thought I should probably taste this recipe before I posted it, so I just did.....not bad!  Mmmm, actually it's pretty good.  <This is live commentary>.  I think it is the garlic that makes it so good.  It wasn't quite what I was expecting - much more tomato-based and red than I had imagined.  I don't know if there is a difference between all of the types of borschts, or if it just happens to be this recipe.  It is from allrecipes.com but with no sausage.  Oh, I just remembered that I did not add the dollop of sour cream!!!  How silly.  I'm sure that will bring it from "pretty good" to "very good!"  To be determined.  And it would have made the photo look nicer!  Also, I thought I had parsley with which to garnish the soup and I chopped it up but then it turned out to be cilantro.  Oiy vey!  Next time I may try this recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/recipe.html?dishid=3538.

Here is the slightly revised recipe below.  WARNING:  It makes a lot - a huge pot full.

Ingredients

• 3 medium beets, peeled and shredded
• 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream, for topping
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Fill a large pot halfway with water (about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and the can of diced tomatoes - cook until tender.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with pepper.
3. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream and fresh parsley.