Tourtière is an iconic Canadian dish for the holidays. It can also be enjoyed throughout the winter season. Early French fur traders are believed to have brought tourtière to Canada during the 17th century, and it was then adopted by Métis families. The word “tourtière” has a few meanings. Some believe that the name derived from the French word “tourte.” “Tourte” is also the French word for an extinct passenger pigeon, the original meat used in this pie. Prepared in a round dish, the pie symbolized the coming full circle of the year. Some French communities served tourtière at midnight on New Year’s Eve to warm the body from the cold. Today, we can prepare this pie with wild meats such as elk and moose, as well as beef and pork or a combination of proteins. This recipe uses lupin flour rather than wheat flour. Lupin flour is inexpensive and available in health food stores. I buy my lupin flour at Bulk Barn, where it costs $1.36 per 100 grams. This bean is high in protein and fibre and low in carbohydrates, making it ideal for heart health. But when working with lupin flour dough, wet your fingers and reshape the dough as needed. It takes a little practice. This recipe also calls for grass-fed butter, which is higher in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, D, E and K, calcium and magnesium. It’s also an excellent source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). If possible, choose pasture-raised eggs. They are higher in omega-3 fatty acids and lower in cholesterol and saturated fat than traditional eggs. For the filling, use any ground protein that you prefer, such as lean ground beef, ground venison, ground elk, ground bison or even ground chicken or turkey. For the filling binder, choose whipped cauliflower over starchy potatoes. Most of the classic tourtière seasonings can be found in pumpkin pie spice. It’s less expensive to buy this seasoning than to purchase individual spices. Tourtière seasoning also includes dry mustard, dried thyme and dried sage. Tips: • Working with lupin flour can be challenging at first. As mentioned above, it does not contain gluten and, therefore, has no elasticity or forgiveness. Make sure that you add xanthan gum to the flour. If the dough still crumbles, just wet your fingers, patch it up and keep going. Remember, this pie is homemade and doesn’t have to look perfect. • If you have extra dough, make some shapes and add it to the top pie crust for design. • Adding a tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of the raw pie crust keeps the bottom from absorbing liquid from the filling during the baking process. By adding the fat, the crust does not become soggy. Some chefs like to add a layer of Dijon mustard instead. by Shari McIntyre For more information on wine and food, go to Ketopaleosharimac.com Heart-Healthy Deep-Dish Tourtière Food & Drink HEART-HEALTHY TOURTIÈRE For the Filling: 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter 1 sweet onion, diced small 1 stalk celery, diced small 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup water 2 to 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (to taste) ½ teaspoon ground sage ½ teaspoon ground thyme ¼ teaspoon ground mustard Pink salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 pounds of ground protein of choice 2 cups pureed cauliflower* *Pureed Cauliflower: 1 head cauliflower 2 tablespoons of grass-fed butter 1 teaspoon xanthan gum Crust Ingredients: 3 cups lupin flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 1 teaspoon stevia (helps to offset the slight bitterness of lupin flour) 2 cups (2 sticks) cold unsalted grass-fed butter, cubed small 6 to 8 tablespoons ice-cold water 1 egg yolk with ½ teaspoon water (for egg wash) 46 | www.snowbirds.org
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