British Columbia

Recipe: Father's Day BBQ sweet black bean sauce with a twist

Food writer and blogger Stephanie Yuen shares Asian-inspired BBQ recipe for Father's Day.

Food writer and blogger Stephanie Yuen shares Asian-inspired BBQ recipe for Father's Day

It's Father's Day and the beautiful weather means many families will be lighting up their barbecues and grilling dad's favourites. (Flickr/Anders Adermark)

Familes all across the province are celebrating Father's Day today.

It's a holiday that began in the U.S. as an off-shoot of Mother's Day, but it took many decades for it to become official.

It wasn't signed into law in the U.S. until 1972 when the third Sunday in June officially became Father's Day.

However, in some cases, it's still a bit of a foreign concept to Canadians originally from other countries.

Food writer and blogger Stephanie Yuen grew up in Hong Kong and she says the holiday was not observed there. But things have changed since she moved here and started a family of her own.

Yuen shared some BBQ recipes with North By Northwest host Sheryl MacKay sure to keep fathers healthy and happy this Father's Day. Her secret ingredient? Blueberry jam.

Grilled Veggetables with miso and honey sauce

Serves 2 to 3

3 Tbsp miso paste
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp liquid honey
1 small Japanese eggplant, into ¼" slices
1 bell pepper, into ½" stripes
1 king mushroom, into ¼" slices 
1 small zucchini, into ¼" slices

In a large bowl and using a hand-held egg-beater; blend miso, olive oil, water and honey for 1 minute or until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix gently. Empty contents onto a large piece of tin-foil, wrap and make into a packet. Seal tightly. Place directly onto the red-hot grill and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or to your desired crispness.

Sweet Black Bean marinade for pork ribs or chicken

For every 3 to 4 lbs. of meat:

2 Tbsp dried black bean, rinsed  
1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tsp. sesame oil (or any vegetable oil)
(*Above 4 ingredients can be substituted with ¼ cup store-bought bean sauce)

2 Tbsp. blueberry jam 
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 lb. fresh peach or apricot, pitted and halved

In an electric blender or magic bullet, puree all ingredients into a soft paste. In a large mixing bowl, combine meat and paste together to coat well. Marinade for a minimum of four hours (best overnight). Serve with grilled halved peaches or apricots.

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelled Father's Day Recipe