While we might associate maple syrup with pancakes and French toast, the Sweet Ontario cookbook from the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association showcases more than a hundred ways to enjoy this delicious product including in soups, baking, salad dressings and meat marinades.
These tantalizing recipes, such as Pork Loin with Maple Cranberry Infused Chutney, Maple Sweet Potato Soup and Maple Syrup Crème Brûlée, were contributed by a combination of professional chefs and maple syrup producers.
Increasingly maple syrup and other maple products are being used in place of white sugar as a natural sweetener and flavour enhancer. While many might turn up their noses at Brussels sprouts, the maple syrup, mushrooms and bacon in this dish of sautéed sliced Brussels sprouts from the Sweet Ontario cookbook is sure to win over even the most reluctant eater.
Maple Brussels Sprouts
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms & Bacon
(Reprinted from Sweet Ontario: Our Favourite Maple Recipes developed by Jenny from the Brunette Baker courtesy of Mushrooms Canada.)
Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut lengthwise – about 5 cups (1.25 L)
1 ½ cup (375 mL) white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
6-8 slices bacon, cooked, drained, and chopped*
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp (30-45 mL) maple syrup
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
*For a vegetarian option, omit bacon and replace bacon fat with olive oil to sweat vegetables
Method
- In a large frying pan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain off excess fat. Reserve bacon fat.
- Sweat sliced mushrooms in reserved bacon fat. Once mushrooms are tender, remove them from pan and set aside. Add chopped onion into the bacon fat and cook until transparent. Add garlic.
- Toss in shredded Brussels sprouts and cook for about five to seven minutes until tender.
- Add mushrooms and chopped bacon back into the pan. Pour in maple syrup and mix well. Top with fresh cracked black pepper. Serve while dish is still hot. (This is delicious with baked chicken legs, meatloaf or even a fried egg.)
Maple Syrup
Tips for using maple syrup in your recipes
To substitute maple syrup for granulated sugar in a recipe for baked goods, substitute ¾ cup (175 mL) of maple syrup for each cup (250 mL) of sugar and reduce the amount of other liquid (the largest quantity) by 3 Tbsp (50 mL). also add ¼ tsp (1.5 mL) of baking soda to the dry ingredients unless the recipe also includes acidic ingredients like yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk or lemon juice.
Maple syrup caramelizes faster than white sugar, so reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees F (15 degrees C) to avoid burning or over-browning, especially when using it as a glaze or basting liquid.
Maple syrup’s flavour becomes milder with baking. To strengthen the maple flavour in baked goods, use a dark or very dark grade. Darker grades have a more pronounced maple taste than the lighter (golden and amber) grades that are normally used as a topping on other foods.
(From Sweet Ontario: Our Favourite Maple Recipes from the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association.)
- Helen Lammers-Helps