Cooking shortcuts with InCuisin

I love cooking, but when I’m in a rush, I like to have staple food in my freezer and cupboards.
I have recently discovered some Canadian products that are almost as good as what I make at home: frozen mashed potatoes and risottos, plus some baked pita crisps. They are a life saver at lunch or in the evening when I don’t have more than 15 minutes to prepare a decent meal. The company sent me coupons to try them. I am always willing to try new interesting products, especially when they are made with REAL ingredients and this is the case with all three products.

Well, I have to confess that the first time I tried their spinach risotto, I was not immediately converted. I was in a hurry and I had read on the front of the packaging that it was ready in just 2 minutes. So I put some in a bowl, placed it in in the microwave for 1.5 minutes, mixed it and sent it back for another 30 seconds. It was not like real risotto and I was kind of disappointed. It’s my fault, I should have read the packaging. The 2 minutes only apply for a certain quantity, if you reheat more, you have to adjust the time. I should have known better and read the instructions… So the second time, I got it perfect and i LOVED it!

I now keep both the mashed potatoes and the risotto in my freezer as staple food. That way, I can prepare a meal in a whim. For example, I created a recipe last week that will surely become a regular in my kitchen and it took me only 15 minutes to prepare and cook! Bonus: I even add leftovers for lunch the day after. Here is the recipe. If you don’t have smoked trout, try a can of salmon.

InCuisin Smoked Trout Cakes - Photo Credit: Indigonat

Healthy Smoked Trout Cakes

Ingredients:

• 16 cubes of InCuisin Garlic and Chives mashed potatoes
• 175 g of smoked trout in small pieces
• 50 g of Albert le Fermier cheese, grated (any tasty hard cheese will work, like a Tomme, a Comté or a Gruyère)
• “bread crumbs” made with InSnax Pita crisps multigrain and garden herbs, grinded in the blender or food processor (about 20 crisps)

Homemade Spicy Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon 0%  Fat Greek Yogurt ( I used Oikos, but Liberté and Krema are good also)
• 2 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (more or less to taste)

1. Mix all the ingredients together, shape about 8 trout cakes, about the size of a burger pattie.
2. Put a little bit of oil or some Mycryo (cocoa butter) in the heated pan, and cook the Smoked Trout Cakes each side, until they are nice and golden.
3. Serve with a mesclun salad and add about a tablespoon of homemade spicy sauce on top of each Trout Cakes.

Sources:

• Mycryo is a healthier alternative to butter and oil and is made by Cacao Barry. You can find it in some specialty stores
• Smoked Trout – I bought mine at Le Boucanier in Eastman, Québec, but I am sure your fishmonger carry some or some smoked stealhead salmon
• In Foods: In Cuisin and In Snax products are found in Grocery stores across Canada. In Quebec, you can find them in most supermarkets. Click here for a list of Canadian retailers