A Generous Meal With Canadian Chef Christine Flynn

Ready to add a delicious new cookbook to your shelf? Celebrated Canadian chef, writer, food stylist and photographer Christine Flynn‘s new recipe book, A Generous Meal, shows us that you don’t need a lot of money or skill to cook incredible food. Available on February 21, it it invites readers to be generous with their time, love and energy. Below, a couple standout recipes to try ahead of the launch. —Vita Daily

Winter Panzanella Salad

A classic panzanella salad is made with ripe tomatoes and stale bread, and this is by no means a classic version. This delicious winter panzanella has all the good stale bread energy you’re used to in a panzanella but also slightly charred and caramelized pumpkin and squash, tons of sage, and nutty hazelnuts. A hit of red wine vinegar and a little Hot Honey (page 293) carry this panzanella over the finish line.

1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch (5 cm) chunks
1 delicata squash, halved, seeded, and sliced 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick
2 to 3 shallots, halved
½ loaf stale bread, torn into bite-size chunks
1 bunch fresh sage, stems removed and discarded and leaves roughly chopped
2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 pinches of salt, divided Pinch of ground red chilies
1 tablespoon (15 mL) Hot Honey
(page 293)
1 bunch kale, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon (15 mL) hazelnut oil, more for drizzling
1 tablespoon (15 mL) red wine vinegar 8 ounces (225 g) bocconcini cheese
½ cup (125 mL) hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 475°F (240°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, place the pumpkin, squash, shallots, bread, sage, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the chilies. Toss to combine. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bread is slightly toasted and the pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the hot honey. Stir briefly and set aside to cool while you prepare the other ingredients. In the same large bowl you used to combine the vegetables and bread, place the kale. Add the hazelnut oil, red wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Massage the ingredients until the kale is evenly coated. Check to make sure the vegetable and bread mixture is not hot; it should be warm or room temperature before you add it or the kale will wilt. Add the roasted vegetable and bread mixture and half of the cheese and hazelnuts to the kale. Toss to combine. Top the salad with the remaining cheese and hazelnuts and a drizzle of hazelnut oil. This salad keeps relatively well. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Serves 4 to 6.

Dark Chocolate and Molasses Cookies

I made a version of these by accident when I was trying to bake cookies with my daughters on a lazy Sunday. We were all out of brown sugar, so I added some molasses along with the white sugar. I was a bit heavy handed, and I worried that the cookies would taste too much like a molasses cookie. Instead, they turned out to be the most perfect, chewy, dare I say, satisfying chocolate chunk cookie I’ve ever made.

½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (30 mL) fancy molasses
1 large egg
2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon (2 mL) espresso powder 1¼ cups + 1 tablespoon (315 mL)
all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (10 mL) cornstarch
1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda
½ teaspoon (2 mL) kosher salt
1 cup (250 mL) dark chocolate chunks

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and molasses on high speed until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla. Add the espresso powder. Mix until well combined. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. On low speed, mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chunks. Stir to combine. Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Roll the chilled dough into 1½- to 2-inch (4 to 5 cm) balls. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Press each dough ball slightly to flatten. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and slam the baking sheet once, sharply, against a hard (non-chippable) surface to help the cookies settle. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Makes 12 large cookies.

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