Saskatoon chef Ryan Young creates diabetic-friendly menu
Wanuskewin Restaurant chef knows challenges of living with diabetes firsthand
Ryan Young is going beyond vegetarian dishes or gluten-free options. The Saskatoon chef is creating a diabetic-friendly menu at the Wanuskewin Restaurant.
The changes are personal for Young. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was two years old.
Now 37, Young is slowly trying to educate his staff and customers about the best way to eat if you are diabetic or trying to avoid becoming diabetic.
The Wanuskewin Restaurant prides itself on making First Nations delicacies from scratch such as baked bannock, bison stew and muskeg tea.
Young is using local and regional ingredients to make these meals, but is slowly changing the menu to make portion sizes smaller and incorporating more unrefined sugar.
Young also sent CBC Saskatoon a recipe for braised rabbit.
Rabbit Braised in Muskeg Tea
1 whole rabbit or cut into segments
1 medium onion
4 cloves of garlic
2 medium carrots
4 stalks celery
3-4 cups brewed Muskeg Tea
Salt and pepper to taste
If you are using a whole rabbit trim it of the remaining fat and cut into equal parts. You will have the saddle, or the rib cage, cut in to 2 pieces, the hind legs and the front legs. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Heat a pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Get the pan nice and hot and quickly sear the meat on all sides. Once the meat is nice and golden brown, place in a roasting pan large enough so the rabbit isn’t cramped. Roughly chop up your onion, carrot and celery and toss in with the rabbit. Add the garlic and Muskeg Tea and cover tightly as to not let the moisture out. Braise slowly at 350 degrees for around 1 to 2 hours depending on the size of the rabbit. Once cooked, remove the meat and let cool. Place the tea, cooked veg in a pot and add 4 cups of chicken stock. Let simmer. Once reduced and flavourful puree the veg with either a hand blender of in a food processor. Return to heat. Once meat is cooled remove from bone. Add meat to liquid and simmer. If desired, slowly thicken with cornstarch to make a nice hearty stew.