“Cooking with Chef Maluh” – Bannock Foccacia and Three Sisters Soup

I’d like to share two of my most popular recipes with you today: a delicious bannock foccacia with herbs and a bright and fresh Three Sisters salad.

I’ve developed this bannock, 35 years ago, and it remains one of the most important recipes in my life. Bannock making can be taught to anyone, aged 6-60, because it is such an simple method to make bread, quick and easy. You can make it sweet with blueberries (like for breakfast) or savory with herbs, garlic and carmelized onions, which pairs well with soup. 

Years ago, during a cooking class, one of my students suggested to add carmelized onions while we were all making buffalo stew together. Everyone had a cooking task, and one student was tasked with caramelizing the onions for the soup. When we brought the ingredients together to share their preparation methods, a student accidentally placed some of those onions on the bannock instead of the stew, and we tasted it and realized it was so delicious that it became a popular item, I`ve been doing it often ever since!

I hope you`ll enjoy my focaccia bannock and this delicious 3 sisters salad, which features seasonal butternut squash, that has been a popular dish for my catering.

I always say, “Never panic, there’s always bannock!” Hope you enjoy!

• Marlene Hale

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3 Sisters Salad 

Ingredients:

1 1⁄2 ounce package corn , thawed and drained

11⁄2 ounce package green beans, thawed and drained

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

4 cups butternut squash peeled and diced

1 zucchini squash diced

1/2 red onion diced small

small tomatoes cut in 1⁄4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup sweetened rice vinegar

3 sprigs parsley, finely chopped

S&P to taste

Directions:

1: Peel the squash, dice and lightly drizzle with olive oil, bake at 350o for 30 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

2: In a large salad bowl, combine corn, green beans, sliced red onion, and parsley , and tomatoes,

zucchini, and black beans

3: Mix the rice vinegar and olive oil.

4: Add the squash, and drizzle the salad with the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Bannock Foccacia

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbs baking powder
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 tsp sugar

Wet ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 large egg or plant-based egg replacers (flax seeds work great!)
• Optional toppings: Caramelized onions or herbs (savoury) or blueberries (sweet version.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In a large Bowl sift together the dry ingredients. Whisk them, make a well and set aside.
3. In a jug whisk together the wet ingredients.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the whole make out of the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a spoon.
5. Turn dough into a floured surface (on Parchment paper), and lightly knead into a ball. Lightly press the dough and make holes with a fork all over, and drizzle with olive oil.
6. Bake at 400 F until medium brown about 30 min. Brush with melted butter.

Tips: This is served nicely with jam

Bonus! Gluten-free version!