Recipes with Julie Van Rosendaal: Eat like a Calgary Expo celebrity

It's a much-anticipated weekend for Calgarians who love comics, sci-fi, horror and gaming; the Calgary Expo brings four days of city-wide events and some of the best-known actors, creators and cosplayers to Stampede Park.

This year's lineup includes Star Wars' Hayden Christensen, Andy Serkis from The Lord of the Rings, David Harbour from Stranger Things and the cast of The Kids in the Hall.

I've spent years feeding some of the best-known celebrity visitors at the Calgary Expo. This week on the Calgary Eyeopener, I shared some of the most popular recipes I've made for them over the years.

Curried Coconut, Sweet Potato, Carrot & Red Lentil Soup

This smooth soup is simple to make and vegan, so can be served to everyone, and it's easy to take to go.

Calgary Expo cosplayers loved that it didn't interfere with their makeup.

Ingredients

• canola or olive oil, for cooking
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp curry paste, or to taste
• 1 large dark-fleshed sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• a handful of cilantro (or just the stems), chopped (optional)
• ½ cup dry red lentils
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 14 oz (398 mL) can coconut milk
• salt to taste

In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste and cook for another minute or two.

Add the sweet potato, carrot, cilantro (if you're using it), lentils and stock, along with about a cup of water. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down and cook for half an hour, or until the vegetables are very tender.

• Bookmark cbc.ca/juliesrecipes to keep up with all of Julie Van Rosendaal's dishes.

Season with salt, add the coconut milk and use a hand-held immersion blender to purée it right in the pot.

Alternatively, transfer it in batches to a blender and purée until smooth, or mash it roughly with a potato masher.

Serves: 6.

Salmon en Papillote

Salmon en papillote was requested by a visiting celebrity one year, and it turns out it's an ideal meal to make quickly in your air fryer (which is just a tiny convection oven).

A paper, or parchment, pouch is a perfect environment for cooking delicate salmon. It traps moisture and heat, allowing it to cook gently and evenly.

Cook one or two at a time in your air fryer (depending on its size, you may be able to cook more), or of course you could bake them in your regular oven.

Ingredients

• thinly sliced, thin-skinned potato, zucchini or fennel (optional)
• fillets of salmon
• salt, to taste
• fresh herbs, such as dill, basil, cilantro or parsley
• olive oil or butter

If you're baking your salmon packets in the oven, preheat it to 400 F. Tear off as many squares of parchment as you have fish filets to cook.

If you like, place a few slices of thinly-sliced potato, zucchini, fennel or other quick-cooking veggies on the bottom of each square, slightly off centre.

Lay the fish filet overtop, sprinkle with salt, top with sprigs of herbs (or tear or finely chop them) and drizzle with oil or dab with butter.

LISTEN | Julie Van Rosendaal talks about feeding Calgary Expo stars:

Fold the parchment over to make a packet, crimping the edges to seal.

Place on a baking sheet or in the basket of your air fryer and cook for eight to 10 minutes (10 if the filet is close to an inch thick; eight if it's thinner).

Remove the packet and transfer to a plate.

Carefully open (it will release hot steam) and serve straight from the parchment.

Serves: As many as you like.