"Egg" Nog - Vegan Style Taste-Off

I have been lightening up my intake of meat and meat related products the last couple months. No, I am not going completely meat free - a girl's got to have her bacon once in a while - but I am feeling fabulous thanks to the lifestyle change.

I have a festive weak spot for eggnog and I thought it would be fun to create a a vegan version. Luckily, I am not the first person to think of this, so all the recipe development has been done. I just had to try a couple recipes to see which is my favourite.

Recipe 1 is from a website called Choosing Raw

I made my own almond milk for this recipe, and doubled the alcohol. Also, I reduced the agave syrup by half because I don't like things too sweet.


Five Minute High Raw, Vegan Eggnog

























Recipe 2 is from Post Punk Kitchen

Again, I made my own almond milk.

Matrioshka Eggnog

Results:

Recipe 1 was a lighter texture and I really loved the flavour. My husband said it wasn't quite creamy enough for his tastes, but that it was delicious "for a vegan drink". I liked it because it wasn't as creamy as full fat eggnog.

Recipe 2 was the best replication of eggnog texture-wise. It was also Rob's favourite. I did enjoy it, but it was a one-drink kind of beverage (too rich for more than one.) I'll probably keep this recipe and may tweak a little here or there for personal taste.

Acorn Squash stuffed with Saag Paneer and Quinoa

I recently stuffed acorn squash with mushrooms and quinoa and I wanted something similar but different for dinner. I also had a truckload of greens to work through and a hankering for curry.
 These make a great one dish meal, but not a great picture...

Saag Paneer meet Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa. Now go forth and multiply....

 Acorn Squash stuffed with Saag Paneer and Quinoa 

 2 small acorn squash, cut in half, seeds scooped out
1 onion, minced
2 chili peppers, chopped
1 tsp garlic pureed
1 tsp ginger, pureed
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 bunches greens (I used rapini), finely chopped
3/4 cup quinoa
3 cups water
1/2 lb paneer. cut into small cubes (tofu would work okay, but wouldn't be the same)
turmeric and salt for dusting.

 Preheat oven to 350F
 Place squash cut side down on a bake sheet and roast until almost tender.

 Sweat the onion, garlic and ginger in cooking fat of your choice (I used a little grapeseed oil - ghee would be more authentic). Soft and sweet is the desired result. Add spices and greens stems, cook for a minute or two, then stir in tomato paste, finely chopped greens and quinoa. Make sure everything is well combine, add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil turn down the heat and let it simmer covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
 Meanwhile, dust the cubed paneer with a little turmeric and salt and sear in a hot pan with a little oil to firm a crisp golden brown crust.
 Once stuffing is finished cooking, check seasoning and fold in paneer cubes. Spoon into cooked squash halves and bake, covered with foil for 15 minutes. Uncover, pop back in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve.

I had a little yogurt on the side to help cool the spiciness down and it was perfect.

Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies

This is my favourite cookie recipe. I change up the filling all the time, but the bare bones remain essentially unchanged.
The original inspiration for this recipe comes from Anna Olson's Sugar. I first posted the original version of this recipe in 2005 - link here.
As you can see, it has changed a little since then.

 Just a note: there is so much good stuff in these cookies, they will *just* hold together as you scoop. Don't worry, once they are baked, they are fine. And, yes, I really do use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Servings 24
 3/4 cup unsalted butter -- softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 F (175C).
2.Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.
3.Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
4.Stir in chocolate chunks, walnuts and dried cranberries.
5. Scoop tablespoons of batter for each cookie(I actually use a portion scoop)onto a baking sheet, lightly press down and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. These really don't spread very much.
6.Let cool slightly and enjoy.

Kale with Peanuts, Coconut and Cilantro

What I know about Indian food would fit on the head of a pin. I know I love the flavours but when it comes to classic dishes I am at a loss.
Kale is one of my favorite greens and as a bonus, it's insanely good for you. Kale is loaded with fiber, calcium, iron and Vitamin C to name just a few of its magical properties.

This dish was inspired by peanut coconut chutney recipes that I found. My guest and my husband deemed it delicious. It was served with a Spicy Eggplant Curry, rice, roti and raita.

Kale with Peanuts, Coconut and Cilantro
Serves 6-8
1 cup toasted peanuts
1 cup young coconut*
1 bunch cilantro
1 green chili
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
6 cups chopped kale leaves

Purée peanuts, coconut, cilantro, salt and chili until smooth. Add water as needed.
Steam kale leaves until just cooked- I use a large non stick wok with a little splash of water and a lid. Once the kale is cooked, stir in the peanut sauce and any water needed to reach a good saucy consistency. Simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
* I found young coconut in the freezer at a local grocery store but I have successfully substituted regular coconut soaked in hot water for 15 minutes.

Ridiculous Chocolate Tart

My husband has an insane sweet tooth and is always pestering me to make him dessert.I finally relented last week - I figured we needed some chocolate solace after losing Aggie. I turned o one of the few cookbooks I have cooked more than 50% of the recipes. The cookbook is called Fresh and I was given it as a gift years ago by my old bosses. It was my cookbook before I went to culinary school and tackled many of the (simple) recipes in it while exploring new flavours and cooking techniques.







 This chocolate tart is so easy it almost feels illegal, but it is important to use really good chocolate for this - as the main ingredient, it will be all that you taste. As I was writing this, I Googled to see if the recipe is posted anywhere. It is.... on my blog. How embarrassing.... Oh well, five years later, it is still damn good.
 PS. Miss you Trevor!

Berry Chocolate Tart


4 teaspoons jam
1 prebaked chocolate tart case -- recipe follows
160 grams unsalted butter
200 grams dark chocolate
3 egg yolks
2 eggs
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier


Preheat the oven to 350F. Spoon the jam into the base of the tart case and put it in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove the tart case and brush the jam over the base until it is glazed all over.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan over low heat. Beat the yolks, eggs and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Pour the melted chocolate and Grand Marnier into the eggs and continue to beat for a minute.

Pour the chocolate filling into the tart case and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Allow to sit for at least two hours before serving.







Chocolate Tart Case


160 grams unsalted butter
185 grams all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Put all ingredients in a food processor and whiz to form a paste.If the pastry doesn't ball add a dash of cold water (i used an eighth of a cup.). Cover in plastic wrap and chill for half an hour.

Roll the pastry out as thin as possible and use it to line a ten inch tart shell. Chill until ready to use.

To bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Cover the pastry with parchment paper weighted down with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the base is dry.
recipe from Fresh, by Michele Cranston

Peppers stuffed with quinoa, black beans and kale

A friend of mine shared this recipe recently. The original is from Vegetarian Times. I adapted a few things and my 14-month old nephew went crazy for the filling. I am always looking for new and interesting ways to use quinoa, and I will be making this one again! Someone also suggested stuffing portobello mushrooms - I would be happy to eat it as is.

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

Serves 8

This dish freezes well for future meals. Quinoa provides whole-grain goodness and a serving of protein.

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (½ cup)
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 2 bunches of kale, stripped from stems and finely chopped
• 2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• ¾ cup quinoa
• 3 large carrots, grated (1 ½ cups)
• 4 large bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in kale, sauté 2 minutes. Add drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and the reserved tomato juice plus enough water to equal 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour a small amount of liquid in bottom of baking dish.

4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with cheese as desired. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes.

Saag Paneer

Ok, this is Saag Paneer only in the literal sense: saag (greens) and paneer (cheese) in one dish.
I was on Commercial Drive this morning and came home with greens, tomatoes, chili peppers and some premade roti paratha. I sat myself down and proceeded to research potential dishes. I was inspired by this post on Quick Indian Cooking, and educated (and inspired) by this post on Monsoon Spice. I decided I wasn't ready to try the authentic version of these recipes - I was missing ingredients here and there, so I jumped into concocting in my kitchen. I didn't think I would puree the greens, the thought made me a little queasy, but I did and the result was delicious.





Linda's (Not Quite) Saag Paneer

1 onion, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
2 chili peppers, chopped
1 tsp garlic pureed
1 tsp ginger, pureed
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp round coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp turmeric
2 bunches kale, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 lb paneer (tofu would work okay, but wouldn't be the same)
turmeric and salt for dusting.

Sweat the onion, garlic and ginger in cooking fat of your choice (I used a little grapeseed oil - ghee would be more authentic). Soft and sweet is the desired result. Add spices and peppers, cook for  a minute or two, then stir in tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes or so. Meanwhile, wash and  remove the stems from the kale. Finely chop it, then stir in to the simmering pot. Continue to cook for 20-25 minutes, longer if you want a creamier result -  I like a little texture to my veggies. Pulse in food processor with mint and cilantro. Return to pot.
I cut the paneer in thin triangles, dusted it with a little salt and turmeric and then quickly seared it both sides. Once the paneer is seared, pop it into the greens curry and simmer for 5 minutes or so. Adjust consistency as desired (I needed to add a little water to mine).

Serve with paratha or rice or whatever you like! My non-vegetarian husband actually loved this dish.

Roasted New Potato Salad

The sun is shining, and although the temperatures are cool, I am in full summer mode. So when trying to decide on a side for dinner tonight, potato salad popped into my brain. This potato salad can be served warm or cold and has a generous amount of vegetables in it. I usually wing it on the amounts but I was diligent today and weighed everything as I went.

Roasted New Potato Salad

500g nugget potatoes, cut bite-sized
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
90g green beans, blanched
70g pitted kalamata olives, rough chopped
30 ml apple cider vinegar
60ml olive oil
15ml dijon mustard
herbs

Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss potatoes in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 - 30 minutes.
Chop your herbs - I used parsley, oregano and chives from my garden. Combine all. May be served warm or chilled.

The best zucchini I ever ate...

Granted, I have always nurtured a strong dislike for zucchini, so saying this recipe is "the best zucchini I ever ate" smacks of damning with faint praise. I promise you, this is REALLY good. I found the recipe on Epicurious, so in keeping with tradition, an *Epicurious Review is necessary....

"This recipe is really tasty. I added pine nuts and remove the green onion from the recipe. Also, I made my own ricotta recipe. And didn't use any of the measurements in the recipe."

In all seriousness, no recipe is required here. Slice zucchini super thin with a mandolin (I prefer the cheap Japanese Benriner).  Lay out the zucchini slices. Drizzle with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Season with a little salt and pepper. Finely chiffonade some basil and sprinkle over top. I then popped it in the fridge and let it marinate for an hour. Finish with Pine nuts and ricotta scattered evenly over the top.

I do have a recipe for the ricotta. It is the one my coworker, a fabulous Greek lady, gave me.

Fresh Ricotta

1l milk
1 tbsp vinegar

Gently bring milk to a boil. Stir in vinegar, simmer for a couple minutes, then remove from heat. Strain through a cheesecloth.

Best served fresh out of the strainer!

 *An Epicurious Review is one that reviews the recipe, but has so many modifications that the original recipe is lost. Millions of examples of this can be found on Epicurious.com

Risky Business

Caesar salad. Oh so simple, not something one would generally consider dangerous... I guess it depends how much raw eggs scare you!
Personally, I have no fear, but if you are immune compromised, I totally get not wanting to take the chance.
According to the Great Wikipedia's file on eggs, there really isn't much grounds for the fear of raw eggs.

It showed that of the 69 billion eggs produced annually, only 2.3 million are contaminated with Salmonella—equivalent to just one in every 30,000 eggs—thus showing Salmonella infection is quite rarely induced by eggs.

What can I say, I like to gamble. This is my take on a classic

Caesar Salad

1 egg yolk
1/2 garlic clove
2 anchovies
1 tsp dijon
juice of one lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
1 head romaine lettuce
Croutons (as many as you like)

I carefully separate the yolk from the white by hand in order to minimise contact with the shell (potential Salmonella contamination source). In a large bowl, I whisk the yolk, lemon juice, dijon, minced garlic and minced anchovy. Then I gradually whisk in the olive oil until I reach desired consistency. Add romaine, Parmesan and croutons. Eat. Rob goes mental for this salad and quite often insists I make it several days in a row.

Flat Iron Steak

I love flat iron steak. It is a cut we use frequently at work and I enjoy the combination of flavour and tenderness that it offers. Apparently it is also known as Top Blade.
I picked a couple up for dinner tonight and decided I wanted to do a chimichurri with it. A quick google revealed that I am not inventing the wheel. In fact, just days ago, Kalyn posted an updated recipe for it.
Flat iron Steak with Chimichurri - Kalyn's Kitchen

My chimichurri recipe is without a doubt not authentic, but It  IS delicious.

Chimichurri
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
olive oil
white wine vinegar
sambal
garlic
1/2 red onion
salt
citric acid (optional)

I pulse the parsley and cilantro in the food processor with some olive oil, about 1/2 cup of vinegar, salt. sambal, chopped garlic and a pinch of citric acid. I use the citric because I like my chimichurri to stay green, but it is totally unnecessary. Adjust seasoning and oil and vinegar amounts to your taste. Stir in minced red onion. Serve over steak.
Here are a few other chimichurri recipes that look great (and more authentic than mine).

Chimichurri - E-Curry
Chimichurri
Beet Crudo with Chimichurri

The steak I seared in a cast iron pan, 3 minutes per side, then rested for 6 minutes before slicing

Curried Halibut Cheeks

Halibut season is in full swing right now in Vancouver with beautiful fresh halibut to be found everywhere! I picked up some halibut cheeks and decided to try my hand at a fish curry...For some reason, the word Kerala was stuck in my head - must have been a subconscious thing. So I Googled Keralan Fish Curry. A million variations popped up. I had no idea which was authentic so I did a little reading up on Kerala itself. Kerala is located on the Malabar coast of south-west India and is known for its beaches, mountain ranges and wildlife sanctuaries - it is a huge tourist destination. Also, for over 2000 years, Kerala has been visited by seafarers of all ethnicities, resulting in a cuisine that is a combination of local dishes and foreign dishes adapted to Kerala tastes.

I ended up adapting a curry recipe that I found to my own needs. I have a feeling authenticity does not figure into this, but it did taste bloody good!

Curried Halibut cheeks

1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
1-6 chilies, finely chopped ( I had one, so that is what I used)
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate - (fish curries in Kerala commonly use black tamarind as a souring agent - I used what I had on hand)
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 or 4 tablespoon oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp Ground coriander
2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp fenugreek
Salt and pepper -- to taste
1 lb Halibut cheeks


Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and sauté until they start to pop. Add the dry spices quickly and stir just until they are absorbed by the oil. Do not allow the spices to burn. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilies and sweat until soft and sweet - take your time!
Mix the tamarind concentrate with the water.
Add the tamarind water, season with salt and pepper and simmer another 30 to 40 minutes to meld the flavors and reduce the liquid a little. Stir in the coconut milk. simmer 15 minutes.
Here is where I really went off the books. I used a hand blender to blitz the sauce a little, then I passed it through a sieve. I was left with this beautiful smooth gravy.
Stir in the fish and simmer slowly another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve!

I served mine with chili and cumin spiced kale stems, saffron rice and roti. Unfortunately, I was so hungry i didn't get a good photo, here's a rough one instead!

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

Need to drown your sorrows? May I suggest cupcakes. I think they pretty much cure anything! Particularly these ones.
My sister is getting married next month and mentioned that she wanted a vegan option on her cupcake tower, so I picked up Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes That Rule from Barbara Jo's Books to Cooks to give to her. Only now I can't give it away. Thank you Allison for the suggestion.

Buy this book, even if you aren't vegan.

For the sake of research, I decided to try a couple recipes: Banana Split Cupcakes, Golden Vanilla Cupcakes, Vanilla buttercream and Peanut Frosting
Of course there were adaptations made. I filled the golden Vanilla Cupcakes with morello cherry preserves before topping with the fluffy vanilla buttercream.
The recipe for these can be found here.

The Banana Split Cupcakes are my favourite though.

Banana Cupcakes
adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World

Ingredients

1 cup very ripe banana
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup soy milk
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract



Preheat oven to 350.
Get cupcake pans ready with liners.


Blend the mashed banana for a few seconds in a food processor to get rid of any lumps. Add the remaining wet ingredients and blend until totally smooth

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

Fold the wet ingredients into to the dry ingredients and mix to combine; don’t over mix.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.

Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup margerine
4 tbsp vegan shortening (I used Earth Balance)
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1-2 tablespoons ricemilk, soy milk etc

With an electric mixer, cream together margerine and shortening. Beat in Vanilla and peanut butter, then beat in sifted confectioners sugar. Thin if needed with rice milk.

First First Thursday Attempt (Failed)

This is prerecorded. As you read this, I am floating on a canal somewhere in England, exhausted from tackling the 34 locks of the Tardebigge flight

I am terribly addicted to thursday night smackdown. I love the way she writes, honest, funny and painful. Months ago, I had this great plan to play along with her First Thursday event. The challenge that month was to actually follow a recipe, no cheating, no tweaking. A REAL challenge for me!
I chose my Les Halles Cookbook. I have never cooked from it, although I do enjoy reading the recipes, and its about time I gave it a chance.
Today's recipe is palette de porc a la biere. I will be honest, I couldn't get a bone in pork shoulder. The recipe as written below is totally simplified from the book; I would recommend picking it up if you are interested in traditional recipes with an irreverent prose style.

Of course, I never got my @#$% together and here it is almost 3 months later and I am finally getting around to posting the results...

Palette de Porc a la biere

Ingredients
4 to 6 lb pork shoulder, bone in
salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 small onions
2 carrots
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup cider vinegar
12 oz beer
1 cup chicken stock
4 tbsp dijon
2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Season the pork and sear in 2 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp butter. Discard the fat and add the remaining oil. Saute the vegetables until soft and slightly caramelised. Add flour, cook 2 minutes. Stir in Vinegar and beer and reduce by half, then add teh chicken stock and bring to a boil. Return pork to the pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for two hours or so.
Preheat the oven to 450F. Remove the pork from the pot and place on baking sheet. Brush with half the mustard, then press the breadcrumbs on. Brown for 15 minutes, then allow to rest for 5
Strain the cooking liquid into a sauce pan. Simmer about 15 minutes, check seaoning. Remove from heat, whisk in mustard and serve with the sliced pork.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the results were delicious...

660 Curries ~ Tart-Hot Beef with Malt Vinegar and Cayenne

I have had this book languishing on my shelves for almost a year now (maybe 6 months)and poverty finally made me dig it out. I had some frozen beef stew meat in the freezer and no budget. I have almost every spice you could imagine, but this recipe only requires a few. And I had some time on my hands.
The effort was minimal but the result was spot on. I served it with fresh mango, coconut rice, peas and cauliflower and my own homemade flatbread.

Gosht Vindaloo
Serves 4
1/2 cup malt vinegar (umm, I am poor right now, so I used what I had on hand. Coconut vinegar).
2 teaspoons cayenne
1/2 teaspooon ground turmeric
1 lb boneless beef stew, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 tbsp canola oil
4 oz pearl onions, peeled cut in half lengthwise ( again with the budget. Regular onion, 1/2 inch dice)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 dried red thai chilis or cayenne, stems removed (only had fresh on hand)
1 tsp coriander seeds, ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish

Combine vinegar, cayenne and turmeric. Toss with meat and allow to marinate for 2hrs or overnight.
Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium high. Add onion, garlic and chili and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add beef and marinade. Cook until marinade has evaporated, 12 - 15 minutes. Add spices and salt, cook for a minute or two.
Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until meat is fork tender and sauce is reddish brown ~ 40-45 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

 

Meatballs

I have to admit, every time I make meatballs, I think of Sher. Weird, I know, but we all have our ways of remembering...
Anyway, Mission Use Food From The Freezer Because we Are To Poor To Buy New Stuff (heretofore known as Operation FreezerRaid) is underway. This easy dinner came from a pound of ground pork lurking in the freezer.

Pork Meatballs in Gravy
Serves Four

1lb ground pork
1 onion, finely diced, split
1 egg
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
herbs, to taste ( I used sage and oregano.)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Combine ingredients, using only half of the onion. Cook a small piece to test for seasoning. Form meatballs and sear in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Set aside meatballs. In the same pan, using the fat from searing the meatballs, cook the remaining onion till soft and sweet. Add 2 tbsp flour and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add 1 cup of red wine, cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add two cups of chicken stock and return the meatballs to the pan. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. (Longer is better.) Season sauce and sdjust for thickness.

Maple Soy Salmon

It has been months since I have had salmon ~ I went through this phase of not enjoying. I know, sacreligious when you hail from BC. Anyway. Rob made this for dinner the other hight and it brought me back to the salmon loving fold...

Maple Soy Salmon

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh ginger
2 salmon fillets

combine ginger, soy and maple syrup. Marinate salmon for 2-3 hours. Strain marinade and reduce to a glaze.
Sear salmon for 1 minute, turn and transfer to a 400F oven for 5 minutes or until just cooked through. Drizzle with glaze and serve with your favourite sides (we had bok choy and rice).

Cooking for Priests

 

I was called back to do a couple of shifts for the priests and I was hunting for the perfect dessert. Some over ripe bananas on the counter were the jumping off point. They prefer food that is homey and simple, so I actually pulled this recipe from a book that I have had for a few years now: Kitchen Sense. A good basic cookbook that would be favourably compared to the Joy of Cooking. Recommended for those classic family pleasing recipes. I loved how the caramel Cream Cheese frosting was not too sweet. And the priests loved it as well. One asked me were I bought it.....
I have paraphrased the recipes as Davis' writing style is extremely detailed.
Here is the amazon link just in case.

Kitchen Sense

Banana Cake
Kitchen Sense, Mitchell Davis

1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan, at room temp
3/4 cup buttermilk ( I used the vinegar/milk sub)
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups ap flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I also added 1/2 teaspoon maple extract)
3 very large ripe bananas (about 1 1/4 cups

Preheat your oven to 350F Butter and flour one 9x13 0r 2 9 inch cake pans.
In a small bowl, combine baking soda and buttermilk. In another bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar to form a smooth paste. Add eggs, one at a time, beating as you go. Stir in vanilla or whatever other extract you chose.
Stir in half of the bananas, half of the milk and half the dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated. Repeat. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake for about 30 mins (mine took longer, but I think it was because of the sucky ovens at the priests) until the cake has risen, browned, pulled away from the edges and springs back from the touch. Let cool for 20 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto rack, allowing to cool completely.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 2.5 cups

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups cream cheese at room temp
6 taplespoons unsalted butter at room temp

In a saucepan, combine sugar with 1/4 cup cold water. Set over medium high heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil and cook until the bubbles get slower, the syrup thickens, and the sugars start to darken. Swirl the pan to ensure that the caramelization is even. Keep swirling until the sugar has reached a dark mahogany colour. Remove from heat and immediately (CAREFULLY) add the heavy cream to stop the cooking. The caramel will bubble and froth, but keep swirling and stirring and it will settle to a rich thick sauce.Stir in salt and allow to cool to room temp (this will take about and hour).
In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together the cream cheese and butter, scraping down the sides, until smooth and light. Beat in cooled caramel. Icing can be used as is or chilled to stiffen somewhat before putting on the cake.

Wild Rice and Celery Root Chowder

 

Believe it or not, I do still cook these days. Just not as often or elaborately as I would like to. This soup was a warm and comforting meal in a bowl and I had plenty of leftovers for the freezer.
Thank you to Lisa for sharing the recipe

Celery Root and Wild Rice Chowder

Ingredients:

1/2 cup wild rice
1 pound celery root
2 large leeks, white parts only
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 celery rib, diced
1 cup thinly sliced russet potato
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
1 bay leaf
1 large Thyme sprigs
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water,
2 cups half-and-half or milk
truffle oil, optional

Directions:

1. Cover the wild rice with 5 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Cover and simmer about 45 minutes until tender.
2. Thickly cut away the celery root skins, then quarter and chop the root into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 3 cups. Chop and wash leeks.
3. Melt butter in soup pot. Add the veggies, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Cook over medium-high for about 5 minutes, then add stock. Bring to boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Taste for salt and season with pepper. To give soup a creamy background, puree a cup of the veggies and return to the pot. (I actually added the wild rice at this point, then pureed a bit. That gave the soup a lot of body and really brought out the nuttiness of the wild rice.)
4. Divide the soup among 4 or 6 bowls and then add a mound of wild rice to each (See above, totally did not garnish w/ rice.) Garnish with parsley and a drop of truffle oil. (I did not have truffle oil on hand and it was just fine without.)

The Sandwich was made on Terra Bread Fig and Anise Loaf with 8 year old cheddar and Grand Fir Prosciutto from Oyama Sausage on Granville Island and was the perfect match to the meal.

Tofu Goodness

I am so lax with the blogging lately. But truth be told, I have been supremely lax with the cooking as well. I seem to be gripped with a general funk when it comes to the home cooking and phone it in on a daily basis!
Today was another one of those phone-it-in days, but I managed to make it look like I made a serious effort.
I knew I was going to make tofu and an asian noodle based salad for dinner (too lazy to shop for an alternate meal). I was browsing through some websites when I stumbled across this recipe, which I quickly made my own with a few subs (again, inspired by laziness.) Good eating!


On a side note, the clock is ticking down for my trip to NYC (only 19 days) and so far I have made on restaurant reservation : Tailor. Cannot wait. And if you have any suggestions, feel free to throw them my way.