Food truck recipesThe popularity of food trucks is impressive. When one of them is parked near your workplace, it feels like you’ve won the lunchtime lottery. You get more bang for your buck with better flavours than you would at a fast food chain. One of the main reasons why food trucks are so successful is that they provide more than the basics. Their meals are oversized, messy, and most importantly, delicious. The chefs have such passion for food that they mix ingredients in ways no one thought were possible. Here’s a roundup of the best recipes from the top food trucks in Canada. 

Tacos

Banh Mi Tacos Recipe

Tacos are a much-loved dish. Making them at home is super easy and fun, but hitting up a local Mexican restaurant is also satisfying. Tacos and food trucks go hand in hand, but how about banh mi tacos? Say what? They’re a Vietnamese sandwich turned into a taco, and I’ll take two of them! This recipe comes from the Grumman 78 truck out of Montreal, Quebec. 

Ingredients:

For Sauce:
3 2/3 cups hoisin sauce
1 4/5 cups oyster sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 cups HP sauce
5 tablespoons ginger, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Sriracha

CARROT AND DAIKON PICKLE
2 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
3 cups carrots, finely grated
3 cups daikon, finely grated

 

Directions

For Sauce:

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Once pork has cooled slightly, shred meat and mix with sauce.

Combine water, white vinegar, rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to boil.

Remove from heat and add carrot and daikon. Let cool, then refrigerate for 4 hours.

To prepare garnish, mix pickled carrot and daikon with chopped green onion and sesame seeds.

Heat tortillas in a dry pan. Remove from heat and add pork and carrot daikon mixture. Serve with a wedge of lime.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches 

Grilled Cheese with Arugula and ChorizoEveryone loves a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s a comfort food that makes you reminisce about your childhood. Food trucks know about the nostalgia factor, which is why they’ve taken this dish to the next level. Let me introduce Gorilla Cheese, based in Hamilton, Ontario. They’ve created the Grilled Cheese with Arugula and Chorizo Sandwich. My mouth is drooling. Is yours? 

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz (227 g) cured chorizo sausages or kielbasa sausages
  • 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter, softened
  • 8 slices (1/2 inch/1 cm thick) sourdough bread
  • 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) arugula leaves or spinach leaves
  • 8 oz (227 g) thinly sliced old Cheddar cheese
 

Directions

Thinly slice sausage on the diagonal. In large nonstick skillet, fry sausage over medium-high heat until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Wipe out skillet.

Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange 4 slices, butter side down, in skillet; top each with arugula, sausage and cheese. Top with remaining bread, buttered side up. Cook over medium heat, pressing and turning once, until golden, crisp and cheese is melted, about 8 minutes.

Crab & Brie Grilled CheeseI’m on a grilled cheese kick and had to share this recipe from an American food truck. I know, I went outside the Canadian border, but when you hear about the Crab and Brie Grilled Cheese, you’ll forgive me, right? I thought so. This recipe comes from a food truck called Slapfish, based in Huntington, California. Yummy! 

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh Dungeness crab meat
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 lemon (zest and juice)

1 tablespoon chives, chopped
4 dashes Tabasco
4 slices thick cut artisan bread

4 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1⁄4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tomato, diced

1⁄4 cup cucumber, sliced
4 large slices Brie cheese

4 tablespoons mango chutney

2 tablespoon butter
Fresh cracked pepper

1 lemon for garnish

 

Directions

Combine the crabmeat, mayo, lemon juice, lemon zest, chives and Tabasco in a bowl. Set aside.

Spread 2 slices of bread with the mascarpone cheese. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar for the next layer. Top with equal amounts of the crab mixture. Scatter the chopped tomato over the crab. Top the tomatoes with the sliced cucumber. Place the Brie atop the cucumber. Spread the mango chutney evenly on the 2 remaining pieces of bread. Top the sandwiches with the remaining bread.

Heat the butter in a large non-stick skillet for 45 seconds until foaming. Place the 2 sandwiches in the pan and toast for about 2 minutes. Flip the sandwiches and place the entire pan in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 4 minutes until a melting tenderness is reached. Garnish with fresh lemon and cracked pepper.

Risotto Balls

How about making some risotto balls with curry mayo and Asian aioli? You probably never thought to do that, but Vancouver’s Roaming Dragon did. They were one of the first food trucks on the mobile culinary scene. Warning: These will be eaten fast, so make extra.

Ingredients:

Risotto:
I cup Arborio rice
1 teaspoon Ginger, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup Shao hsing rice wine
1/2 tablespoon XO sauce
1 liter chicken stock

 

Directions

In large rondeau, heat sunflower and sesame oils. Add ginger and shallots and sweat until translucent. Add Arborio rice and toast for about 2 minutes. Stir vigorously so as not to get any colour on the rice.

Deglaze with shao hsing rice wine. Stir vigorously until liquid is evaporated.

Add 24 ounces hot chicken stock at a time. Stir vigorously and constantly to create starch.

Continue adding stock as needed, until rice is just past al dente. Stir in XO sauce. Spread on sheet pan to cool.

Perogies

Carrot Cake Perogies recipesI used to love perogies and actually still do, but I just don’t make them anymore because I could eat an entire bowl. If you are like me, this recipe will be tempting. The Perogy Boyz food truck, based in Calgary, Alberta, have sweetened traditional perogies with carrot cake. Even though I’m a little uncertain about this combination, I’m still intrigued. It would be a great dessert to take to a friend’s place or to serve at your next dinner party.

Ingredients:

PEROGY DOUGH
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
1-1/4 cups cold water
1 tablespoon oil

CARROT CAKE FILLING
3 cups carrots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 sweet potato, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cream cheese

 

Directions

Mix all ingredients together. Knead the dough, adding more water or flour as needed. Roll flat. Cut out 3-inch diameter rounds with a glass or cookie cutter. 

In a food processor, grind carrots, raisins, and sweet potato. Sauté on medium heat until just softened. Stir in remaining ingredients until well combined.

Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add sugar, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Once well combined and golden brown, incorporate the cream and cinnamon.

Try making your own food truck favourites at home with these small kitchen appliances:

Breville Panini Grill

Breville Panini Grill

Borner Germany VPower V-Slicer
Borner Germany VPower V-Slicer 
Breville Risotto Plus 10-Cup Rice/ Slow Cooker
Breville Risotto Plus Cooker 

Are you a fan of food trucks? Share with us your favorite meal in the comment box below. 

Leila Pejman
Leila Pejman is a producer and storyteller whose work encompasses content creation, media, social media, and communications, topped off with a passion for emerging technologies. On the domestic side, she's on a mission to create the best quinoa muffin recipe.

3 COMMENTS

  1. OMG ! @ThePej I’m all over the crab and brie grilled sandwich, that looks mouthwatering, I could eat these sandwiches till I inflict cruel and inhuman punishment to my tummy.

    How about a glass of Pinot Gris or Chardonnay to wash it down with?  On second thought, make it a bottle.Smiley Wink

  2. I have had that crab and brie grilled cheese, and it is amazing! We got to California a few times a year and a couple of years ago we found out where the food truck ‘pods’ go on Friday nights. They are so common place there that there were no line ups and we ate ourselves silly for a hour. My favourite is the Burnt truck, with breaded chicken and mashed potato sliders. Heart

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