LeftOvers!

 

Leftover roast becomes shepherds pie....

I simply cubed the leftover meat, about 3 cups worth, then sauteed onions and carrots. To the onions and carrots, I added leftover gravy, wine, more seasoning and a little bit of thickening action. I poured the sauce over the beef in a small glass baking dish, topping with mashed potatoes with one egg mixed in. Bake and eat!

Vegetarian Lasagna

 

Last night's dinner was a lasagna with wild mushrooms, caramelised onions and arugula. Tasty goodness ~ so much for all that healthy eating I had planned. And hey, I am blowing off the gym right now to write this.

On the plus side, my friend at Barbara Jo's showed me a new cookbook that was very inspiring ~ Charlie Trotter's Spa Cuisine. Once you get past the million photos, the recipes are totally accessible and look very clean and simple. I am craving miso soup with mushrooms and poached egg... too bad we are having shepherds pie for dinner.
Recipe for Lasagna to follow... still working on it.

Detoxify Me

 

Full of rich foods from Christmas dinner, starved of nutrients from a month of working too much and eating crappy food?
This should help ~ it certainly made me feel better!

Teriyaki Soba
serves 4

1 lb soba noodles
3 japanese eggplant, cut in medallions
1/2 lb king oyster mushrooms (regular are also okay)
2 peppers, julienned
1 lb baby bok choy, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 sheet toasted nori, julienned

Sauce:
4 tbsp chopped ginger
1 cup tamari
4 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Himchimi Togarashi (Japanes chili powder)


1. Combine sauce ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat, allow to steep for 15 minutes, strain to remove chopped ginger, set aside.
2. Cook noodles according to pkge directions
3. While noodles are cooking, stir fry the vegetables, starting with eggplant and mushrooms. Then add the julienned peppers. Add a splash of sake or water to help speed the cooking process along. Add bok choy and sauce, allow to cook until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetablkes from wok and reduce the pan juice until thick and syrupy.
4. To serve, spoon vegetables over noodles, drizzle sauce over top and sprinkle with sesame seeds, nori threads and green onions.

From Rebar, with a few very minor modifications.

New Town Bakery

We sat in the car eating the hot steamed pork buns, shrimp turnover and pork turnover. Outside, cold gray rain. Inside, delicious greasy food!

Sunday Lunch

IMG_9054
Originally uploaded by kayaksoup

I stopped into the butcher/deli at So.cial for lunch today and had a small roast beef sandwich with soup.
To be honest, the soup did not thrill me (yes, I am a soup snob) but the sandwich was delicious. The specialty meats in the butcher case also looked delicious and I will have to go back when I have some money to spend on fun food.

Fall Days

I got lucky today! Rob and I had a rare day off together ~ I slept till 9:30, waking up to the smell of bacon (mmmm bacon). Rob made me a HUGE breakfast ( I didn't actually eat ALL of that bacon>)

 

After breakfast, we ran some errands; I went to the library for the first time in 4 months (so glad the strike is over). The weather was gorgeous, crisp and clear. All the leaves are turning too. I love this time of year...

 

In the late afternoon we watched a movie together, napped and generally luxuriated in our not working state.

The plan for dinner was simple ~ salmon, rice, salad. But while in the market, we saw the most beautiful chanterelles, so I had to grab some of those.
Unfortunately, as I started to prepare dinner, I discovered that the salmon was less than fresh smelling. Change of tack; I marinated the salmon with olive oil, lemon and tarragon. The mushrooms were sauteed with tarragon, butter and white wine, then I made a cream sauce and added the mushroom mixture to it, before spooning it over the cooked salmon.

 

Sunday Dinner

Rob was curious about Rabbit ~ having never eaten it, so he brought one home from work. I used a recipe from Bones for Herb-Roasted Stuffed Rabbit and served it with couscous and Carrots glazed with bay, orange and honey.

 

The Verdict? He thinks its tasty but totally not worth the 30 dollars/rabbit they charge at his work.
I made a fantastic rabbit dish way back in culinary school, but despite my best efforts searching through the archives, I cannot find it ~ I think it was the day I forgot to bring my camera to class... It was a fun stroll down memory lane though!

Dinner with Katie and Ryan

The pictures aren't the best... I blame the fabulous wine that Katie brought....

 

Caramelised Onion and Gruyere Tart with Green Salad

 

Lamb, Fall Vegetables and a yam and Potato Cake.

 

"Pearfait" (name courtesy of Katie)

Inspiration and Motivation

Without going into details, my life has been lacking in both inspiration AND motivation. I am hoping by actually posting I can start the ball rolling. Tomorrow I am having dinner guests, so I am getting a little bit excited about cooking...
Of course, I have no idea what I am actually going to cook ;D

Portland here I come!

So excited! Off to Portland for 5 days and cannot wait. My flight leaves first thing tomorrow. I need to start compiling my list of must -see places...

Inspiration

I attended a class at barbara Jo's tonight (love their classes) on Jams and Jellies, specifically Christine Ferber's Mes Confitures.
I used to do so much jam, jelly and preserve making, but time constraints have depleted my will to can. I am all fired up again after tonights class. The Tomato and Apple Jam with Rosemary has my name all over it and I can't wait to make it.

 

Oh and hi to Trevor's Friend in Winnipeg!

Chicken Tacos

 

A quick and easy way to use up leftover chicken. And it tastes good too!

The dreaded veal

 

I had this fear of, or rather, aversion to, veal. Rob made veal chops for us once and I could barely eat them. My challenge this week was to make myself, at the very least, be able to eat them. I salted them very thoroughly before rubbing with garlic and allowing them to rest for an hour or so. Then I cooked them in a cast iron pan over medium high heat until they were a solid medium. Served with couscous and summer vegetable stew. The verdict? They were delicious!

 

We sipped a Spanish rose, recommended by the wonderful staff at Liberty Wines Granville Island. Possibly the new favourite of the summer.

Warm Pasta Salad

 

This is so simple, but quite tasty. Like a greek salad with warm pasta and shrimp sauteed in olive oil and lemon zest. Serve warm or even room temperature.

More hot weather meals

 

THis one was a salad of crisp vegetables and bean thread vermicelli with marinated seared beef. The dressing on the salad was a combination of rice wine vinegar, fresh ginger, sugar, sesame oil and fish sauce.

Tomato Basil Tart, Halibut

 

The heat continues in Vancouver, and for the first time in a long time, I have time to cook almost every night of the week.
This is another simple meal~ a tomato basil tart with savoury mascarpone and Halibut poach/steamed with capers and pink peppercorns. We ate on the patio, sipping a glass of Soave.

Another Summer Meal

 

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad With Sweet Chili Shrimp

July 5th Dinner

Summer has finally arrived! And with it, my desire to cook rich food goes out the window.

 

Lemon Oregano Free Range Chicken Breast, Tabbouleh, Tomato, Cucumber, Kalamata Olive Salad.<

July 3 Dinner

Even when I was working away, too tired to blog (or partying away), I was still cooking and taking pictures. Here is the dinner I made on July 3rd.

Rack of Lamb with Fresh Pea and Mint Pesto, Smashed potato cakes and Honey Coriander Carrots.

Figs Braised in Balsamic and honey with Mascarpone.

Early Dinner

 

I made dinner for Rob and I before my job tonight; Halibut and Fresh Broad Beans steamed in parchment and a warm potato salad with a tarragon grainy mustard dressing.

Delfino Vineyards B&B

 

Back from Oregon and the most amazing B&B I have ever stayed in; Delfino Vineyards. Rob and I stayed two nights in the guest cottage here and did not want to leave!. As we pulled up the drive, I felt a wave relaxation pour over me. The cottage was spacious (bigger than our place) but cozy and homey with all sorts of little details that made it special. A bottle of wine was waiting for us when we arrived, along with the sweet and generous innkeeper Terri and four very friendly dogs. We poured a glass and then wandered down the hill past the vegetable gardens and the chickens to the pond. Rob took me for a canoe around the pond before we headed out to dinner and when we came back, we brought worms and I caught my first ever fish (and released it too). After the first fish, I just fed worms to them ~ I couldn't deal with the whole hook thing. Much later, we got in the hot tub with our glasses of wine and stared up at the stars.
The first morning, we had to leave very early, so Terri dropped off Fresh Blueberry Muffins the night before, along with some bread, butter, milk, strawberries (local) and eggs from their chickens and Rob and I made ourselves a breakfast. The second morning, we had breakfast delivered ~ fresh cut fruit and warm delicious dried cranberry scones (I can smell them still). After That amazing breakfast, we took a short hike through oak trees to high wild rose meadow and on to the vineyards. When we finally said goodbye to Terri and Jim and took off for Portland, I did not want to leave.
I will be back, but in the meantime, I hope that if anyone is heading that way, they look this place up; a true gem and worth every penny and more.

Melanie's Birthday

A day in the life.....

Wednesday

 

The first of the year's fresh salmon is in! Rob picked up a beautiful piece from Longliner on Granvile Island for me to cook for dinner. I love salmon so I always cook it as simply as possible and Rob loves the crispy skin on salmon, so I always sear the skin side. My technique is not for the squeamish though ~ I happen to prefer my salmon medium rare.
Season Salmon with salt. Place skin side down in a cast iron pan over medium high heat. After 3 minutes, flip, cook one minute on the flesh side. Serve. This is what the inside of my salmon looks like.

 

Served with steamed broccoli and herbed quinoa.

I am off today (!!) so Rob and I heading out for a picnic at the beach. I'll try not to get too sunburned...

Spring meals

Although I don't show up much here on my blog, I do still cook and eat. This gym thing and facebook obsession is seriously eating into my blogging time though. Rob recently threw together this simple supper which was oh so good and just tasted like spring on the west coast to me.

 

Halibut with Fiddleheads and Mashed Yams

What's in Your fridge

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Originally uploaded by kayaksoup.

Sam just opened her fridge door and took a snap. So did I. Of note, the lack of any actual food except for eggs. Every condiment known to man.

POLL

I have a family obligation this summer in Myrtle Creek Oregon. Not quite family reunion, but almost. Rob and I are flying into Portland and then driving down, planning to stay in Roseburg, not far from Myrtle Creek. I found this amazing looking place and trying to decide if we should fork over the extra 50$/ night or suck it up and stay in the Howard Johnson. Quick poll:

A. Go for it, we might as well enjoy ourselves even if we can't really afford it.

B. Suck it up. This isn't a holiday, its a family gathering.

Getting reaccquainted

Last week, I had the pleasure of having lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in over two years. We reconnected, thanks to my latest addiction Facebook, over Japanese food in downtown Vancouver

I started with a sunomono salad, one of my favourite non-sushi items. It is so refreshing when done right and this was not a bad example at all.

 

Milena had Yakisoba, and laughed good naturedly as I took its picture. It arrived sizzling hot and looked very appealing.

 

I followed my salad up with an order of tuna and wild salmon sashimi. Delicious buttery fish. What more could you ask for?

 

We also shared a bottle of Sapporo as we sat at the bar and talked and talked and ate.

Life is spinning out of control

Well, that statement might be a little overly dramatic, but I think its safe to say that it is changing A LOT. I have started going to the gym very regularly - another 1.5 hrs of my day gone, as well as working more hours. Plus Rob is now working more than full time. We have turned into one of those couples that barely get to see each other, let alone sit down to a delicious meal. We make the effort, but cooking is becoming more and more difficult. I think this blog is going to change ~ maybe a little less food centric and a little more like my own personal diary. I could do without feeling guilty for neglecting this!

Linda likes to

I discovered this fun little meme through a friend's Facebook posting "the exercise is type "[your name] likes to" in quotations in Google and put in the first 10 things that come up."
LInda likes to open the floor to specific questions from the audience.
Linda likes to play electric and acoustic bass as well as other instruments.
Linda likes to play with her friend Virginia who is in her Brownie troop.
Linda “likes to make love quietly and slowly. ...
Linda likes to travel and has built an album of beautiful world sceneries over the years.
Linda likes to play tennis, talk, and use the computer.
Linda likes to unwind through her hobby of decorative painting. ...
Linda likes to paint, take photographs, and practice her violin.
Linda likes to paint native animals and plants, and prefers to paint in the natural colours of the particular animal or plant she is painting. ...
Linda likes to garden.
Funny thing is, several of this are a good description of me..... But now I must run. 90210 is coming on soon and a I plan to have a cocktail while I watch (I am taking some me time, ok!).

Denmark

Anyone ever been? Any trip reccs ~ hotels, things to see etc. I am looking ahead a year or two, but we want to start saving (and planning) now.

I made gnocchi

 

from scratch. I know they aren't beautiful, but I got the texture right and that to me is the most important part.

Thursday

 

After the nightmare at the passport office, I managed to make a good dinner. Seared duck with apricot lavender glaze, wild rice pilaf and roasted brussels sprouts.

I also purchased new gear for the gym I joined starting Monday. Crazy me...

Well

It takes 10 hours to get a Canadian Passport in Vancouver. And a month for it to arrive. Three months if you don't get into the interminable lineups.

Wish me luck

I am going to the passport office tomorrow. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long!

Monday

 

Sometimes I am so happy with the crazy things I think up. Last night was no exception. I had a vague image in my mind of halibut, poached, a mushroomy broth, rice noodles, chinese broccoli. And I made it happen. I made a broth from chicken stock, water, sake, rice vinegar, tamari, flowering chives and dried mushrooms. To this I added the most beautiful fresh shiitake mushrooms, then poached my halibut gently. I purchased fresh rice noodles from South China Seas, sauteed them in garlic, ladle a small amount of broth over them and popped them in the oven to continue heating through. I sauteed Chinese broccoli with fresh ginger and more sake. Everything came together in a bowl with a garnish of fresh cilantro. Quite possibly the best fish dish I have ever made. And thanks to another educated recommendation from Liberty Wines, the Mas Rabell white wine I sipped was a perfect match.

Happy Easter

And Happy Birthday to me! I know, gratuitous self promotion. Turned 28 today. My parents got me the much coveted Silver Spoon Cookbook, Rob is making me my favourite meal and at least one of my sisters has called and wished me a happy day. Burned myself yesterday. Rob promises me that my arm hair doesn't look this disgusting in real life. Oh, and if you are squeamish, you might want to stop reading here.

 

I splashed hot butter over my arm while making a recipe from a fabulous cookbook entitled "Elements of Taste". Highly recommend the cookbook.

A little adventure

I was off on Friday, so I decided to go to Ikea. Don't ask me why! It is a production and a half to get to the Richmond Ikea, so I decided to aim for Coquitlam. I hopped on the Skytrain, got off at the appropriate station and decided I would walk it. Silly me. After 20 minutes of walking on Loughheed Highway, I dashed across three lanes of traffic and waited for the bus! By the time I got there, I was starving, so I broke down and ate in their restaurant.

 

chicken caesar salad

 

Lingonberry mousse.

I had a long trek home with lots of detours and shopping ~ nice to have a day where I didn't have to be anywhere. Although I did have a date with Tony Bourdain. Or rather his cookbook. I was asking for dinner ideas a week or so ago and a BB member suggested a recipe from the Les Halles Cookbook. Can you believe I have had this book for almost a year and haven't cooked anything from it??

 

Pork Cooked in Milk with Polenta and roasted Brussels sprouts.
I am reposting the recipe here as I found it on the internet. I followed it precisely, although my pork was smaller. (1 1/2lbs)

Roti de Porc au lait.

3lb boneless pork loin roast
2 TBL olive oil
1 TBL butter
1 med onion chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 leek white part only finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 TBL flour
2 cups whole milk
1 bouquet garni

Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the dutch oven. When the oil is hot add the butter. Brown the roast on all sides. Remove the roast from the pan and set aside onthe large plate. Add the onion, carrot, leek, and garlic and stir over high heat unitl soft and caramelized.
Stirring constantly, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, then add the milk and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Add the pork and any juices that have collected on the plate. reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, making sure to periodically rotate the pork. (the sugars in the milk can cause sticking and scorching) Remove the pork and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Strain the cooking liquid into a small pot and bring to a boil. Using a hand blender, puree the sauce until foamy. Adjust the seaoning as needed. Carve the pork and arange on a serving platter. Spoon the sauce over and around the pork and serve immdiately.
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Thursday

 

Did I mention Rob started working at a butchershop? Last night he made dinner and tested out the Moroccan meatloaf from his work. The flavour was excellent, the texture interesting. Having really only eaten my own meatloaf, I found this one to be a little solid. But maybe that is the way they are supposed to be?