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Banana and goat cheese?: Unlikely flavour combination earns accolades for home chef from Surrey, B.C.
Longshoreman Satwinder Chahal’s “Maaaa-Nana Mini Tarts” beat out more than 140 other entries in a recipe contest held by the Farmers’ Alamanac.Satwinder Chahal’s banana tarts have a surprise ingredient: prosciutto. (Farmers’ Almanac)Banana, goat cheese, prosciutto and allspice in a mini-tart shell. That’s the simple yet inventive recipe that won a home chef in Surrey, B.C.,…
Longshoreman Satwinder Chahal's “Maaaa-Nana Mini Tarts” beat out more than 140 other entries in a recipe contest held by the Farmers' Alamanac.
Banana, goat cheese, prosciutto and allspice in a mini-tart shell.
That's the simple yet inventive recipe that won a home chef in Surrey, B.C., a prize in the 2020 Farmers' Almanac banana recipe contest.
Satwinder Chahal's “Maaaa-Nana Mini Tarts” came in third place in the long-running American periodical's annual competition, beating out more than 140 other entries.
So how did the longshoreman-by-day come up with this unique creation?
“I don't know, it just came to me,” he told Margaret Gallagher, guest host of CBC's On the Coast, on Friday.
Chahal said he first took an interest in the culinary arts a few years ago when he was struggling with depression.
He would turn on the TV and watch cooking shows, like MasterChef Canada. One day, he thought to himself: “I could do that.” The phrase became his mantra.
“I would just repeat it to myself,” Chahal said. Soon after, he made it his goal to appear as a contestant on the popular reality show.
He started by “messing around” with simple ingredients like eggs before eventually branching out to more unique foods, often learning by watching videos on YouTube.
“I just fell in love with it.”
The secret to Chahal's talent in the kitchen? Years of trial and error — and forcing himself to eat some of his less successful experiments, he says.
He soon realized that his passion for cooking was helping his mental health.
“The more I do it, the better I feel,” he said. “It just gets me in the zone … Just brings harmony to my mind.”
For those interested in throwing their hat in the ring, the Farmers' Almanac is now searching for the next best sweet potato recipe.
But Chahal has higher aspirations. When he's not unloading freighters, he's perfecting his mise en place with hopes of one day becoming a master chef.
His message to those living with depression and anxiety: “Everything does eventually work out for the better. But you just have to stick with it.”
Satwinder Chahal's Maaaa-Nana Mini Tarts
Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
1.75 ounces (50 grams) goat cheese
4 slices prosciutto
18 frozen mini tart shells
½ teaspoon allspice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Allow mini tarts shells to thaw while oven heats up.
In a microwaveable bowl, place banana, goat cheese, and allspice. Microwave for 25 seconds. Mix all ingredients with fork until a smooth consistency. Set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place prosciutto directly on it. Place mini tart shells on a separate baking sheet. Bake prosciutto and mini tart shells for 10 minutes in the middle of oven. Allow prosciutto to cool while you fill cooked tart shells to the top with banana goat cheese mixture.
Roughly chop the prosciutto into small bits and liberally sprinkle over the top of the filled tarts. Broil the tarts on high for 1 minute. Turn off oven and leave tarts in oven for another minute. Cool and serve. Makes 18 tarts.
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