Cooking lesson at the Oak Bay Bistro

The Oak Bay Bistro opened their doors for a private healthy cooking lesson for our Biggest Winner group. Chef John Waller taught the group a few super yummy dishes that could be easily recreated at home.

Chef Waller bought most of his ingredients at Costco & The Root Cellar and the tuna was purchased at Finest At Sea (FAS) in James Bay.




Our first dish, shown by BDHQ owner Michele Shorter above, was a chicken lettuce wrap with peanut sauce and pickled veggies. So yummy! Chef Waller showed us how easy it was to pickle veggies and it really put a fresh spin to the wraps.

Pickling Liquid
1 cup piping hot water from tap
½ cup rice wine vinegar (can use white vinegar to make it more sour)
6 Tablespoons white sugar
2 ¼ Teaspoons kosher salt
Combine and pour over vegetables in a jar and let sit for minimum 1 week for best flavour
Veggies will keep for at least 1 month.
We used grated daikon and carrots for our wraps.


Wrap garnish
Peanut Sauce (see recipe below)
Iceberg lettuce leafs (could use any lettuce, romaine, butter lettuce, etc..)
Cilantro leaves
Cucumber slices
Pickled carrots & daikon
Toasted Pistachio Sesame Salt:
* Toasted sesame seeds 4 parts
* Kosher salt 1 part
* Light pulsed in a food prep (ie. Cuisinart)
Crushed Avocado:
* Crush Ripe avocado
* Splash lime juice
* Drop of honey
* Salt & pepper
* Splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Peanut Sauce

1 cup natural peanut butter
8 garlic cloves
2 Thumbs of ginger
8 Tablespoons honey

1 Bunch cilantro

Juice 4 limes
4 Tablespoons of Sambal Hot Sauce
* Combine all in food processor
Then add...
1 cup Tamari Wheat Free Soy Sauce
8 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Next was an amazing seared tuna steak resting on top of a delicious quinoa salad. I can't WAIT to make this again at home. This flavorful dish is packed full of protein and could be eaten for lunch or dinner.

Albacore Tuna Marinade
1 Part olive oil & 2 parts balsamic vinegar
Juice & zest of lemon
Fresh Herbs: basil, parsley & dill
Salt & fresh black pepper
Pickled vegetable
4oz pc Grilled Albacore tuna on BBQ or grill pan (season with salt & pepper) and plunge into marinate
Top with thin daikon sticks

Quinoa
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 Garlic cloves minced
1 Shallot
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of chili flakes
Pinch fennel seeds
Optional: 1/4 tsp. salt

1. Lightly toast the quinoa in a cooking pot, add olive oil, shallot, chili flakes & fennel seeds.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups water & 1/2 tsp. salt if desired
3. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer
4. Cook for 15 minutes
5. Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on
6. Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and it's ready to serve

Quinoa Garnish
Shaved fennel
Hemp hearts
Fresh dill
Cut cherry tomatoes
Basil
Parsley
Lemon juice
Splash olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Baked Apple Dessert
Use a good cooking apple. We used Pink Lady apples.

Cut apple in half and remove the seeds. Put in heat proof baking pan that will hold juices in, not a flat tray.
ADD:
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup apple juice plus more for Baking
1 cinnamon stick
¼ cardamom
¼ allspice
¼ ground ginger
• Combine in pot
• Heat to reduce and reconstitute the cranberries
• Let cool
¼ cup nuts chopped & toasted- pecans, almonds or what you prefer
1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• Combine to cranberry mixture

To finish
• Spoon mixture into apples
• Drizzle apple juice into pan
• Cover with foil and bake 45 min at 350 degrees or until tender