Written with love, by Sarah-Elizabeth Stone
I find that during the summer my spending goes way up, as well as my inability to talk myself out of the pub, bar, restaurant, sandwich place, hot dog stand, or just about any location that serves food outdoors. Perhaps it’s my ‘Canadian responsibility’ to take in every single moment of summer. We get a few fleeting months of warmer temperatures; I should be spending my time in the great outdoors at my local patio. Alas, as with all over indulgence, the guilt eventually sets in. Somewhere around early to mid-August I stare at my bank account and my pant size and wonder why the two have reversed themselves.
While I’m not quite ready to give up my summer indulgences, there are ways I can help my situation. I have a backyard, and I have the capability to sit in it with a cold (cheaper) beer of my own and a healthier (cheaper) meal I’ve created. This meal is a tad bit of a cheat, however just think to yourself – you know where the ingredients come from, and you’ve spent about half the dollar value in making this meal. Oh, and speaking of ‘Canadian responsibilities’ – I give you our go to cheat meal; the poutine!
Poutine Ingredients
· 4-6 sliced up potatoes
· 1-2 cups of olive oil (or cooking oil)
· Bacon (3-5 slices)
· 2 stalks of Green onion
· 4 cups of cheese curds
Gravy/Sauce Ingredients
· 2 cups of beef stock
· ¼ stick of butter
· ¼ teaspoon of paprika
· ¼ teaspoon of basil
· Pinch of salt
· 2 tablespoons of flour
Directions
1. Depending on how your planning on cooking the potatoes, start by preheating the oven to 350F or in a large skillet heat 1-2 cups (depending on size) of olive oil
2. Slice up potatoes into wedge shapes, and lightly salt
3. Cook potatoes on medium-high heat on stove top for 15 minutes (or until golden brown), or for 20-30 minutes in the oven
4. While the potatoes are cooking, begin your sauce by adding two cups of beef stock, and butter into a pot, keep on low-medium heat while mixing
5. At this point you can begin to fry your bacon or any other protein you want in the poutine
6. Next add in your spices into the sauce and bring to a boil and whisk well
7. When your potatoes are done, let them rest on a paper towel for 1-3 minutes for the excess grease to come off
8. Next bring your sauce back down to low heat and add in two tablespoons of flour, the sauce should get thick
9. In a bowl place your potato wedges, then some cheese and bacon , pour on gravy and lastly add green onions on top
10. Serve!
