And we’re back! Six cities in two weeks. We scaled the height of Canada and most of the width, soaking up the romantic French culture in Quebec, being hugely overstimulated in Toronto (the fourth biggest city in North America, a city half the size of my home country!) and doing the first in-person grocery shop in 3 months in Yellowknife enroute North.

Quebec city was the top spot; for food, language, history and coffee. In Sutton, an hour south of Montreal, we were blessed with two days to relax in the countryside with the most beautiful French couple. The language barrier was in no way a hindrance to our enjoyment of French wine, local cheeses, homemade maple pie and a tour of the cabane à sucre in their backyard.

We hiked, cycled and walked a lot. We also indulged a lot. Quebec’s pain au chocolate could not be beat, the fragile tang of local sheep’s milk fromage was ineffable, Montreal’s bagels were rings of perfection, and maple syrup does not get any fresher than what we had in Sutton.

By the end of the vacation I was well and truly ready for some lighter fare.

I arrived in Edmonton with quite a list of specialty ingredients to source before returning home: Tahini, cacao nibs, hemp seeds, Valrhona dark chocolate, chia seeds, dark unprocessed cocoa and miso paste. I found them all, bar the miso. This Japanese paste seems to be very hard to come across in Canada! (Any advice?)

I tried my hand at recreating a simple miso soup (based on an outstanding Japanese meal we had in Quebec city). Vegetable stock with a dash of soy brings the savoury flavour I was after, not quite replicating that of miso, but close enough. The tofu and mushrooms are gently panfried to give texture and avoid the gumminess tofu seems to get when boiled.

This is a lovely, light but warming broth. And considering as we are still getting evenings as cold as -20˚C (despite an 11pm sunset) it is perfect suitable for Springtime in the North.

Udon Noodles with Mushrooms & Pak Choy
Serves 2

2 cups low sodium vegetable stock (high quality is best as you will be pretty much drinking it straight)
1 teaspoon soy sauce (low sodium will help with taste control)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
a handful mushrooms, sliced thickly
100g extra firm tofu, cubed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 small pak choy, ends trimmed
1 pouch udon noodles (or rice noodles/vermicelli)
1 spring onion
cilantro to garnish

In a medium sized pot, bring vegetable stock to a boil. Meanwhile heat sesame oil in a pan until hot. Add mushrooms and tofu, a dash of salt and pepper and the cayenne pepper. Toss until browned on outside.

Once stock has reached a boil, add soy sauce, noodles, mushrooms, tofu and pak choy and simmer until heated through and pak choy has wilted.

Divide into two serving bowls, pouring the stock over. Garnish with cilantro and sliced spring onion.