Roasted Tomatoes September 7, 2009

These are wonderful and with tomatoes season upon us it’s a great way to use up some extra you might have form the garden. This works best with plum, cherry or grape tomatoes. You’ll find yourself just snacking on them but they are great used anywhere you can think of. I recently made a pizza with these and goat cheese and roasted garlic, delish!

Roasted Tomatoes

• 2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes or about 12 plum tomatoes
• olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper

Pre-heat over to 225 C

wash and half the tomatoes, placing face up on a large cookie sheet brushed with olive oil

sprinkle with sea salt and crack black pepper and drizzle with a little extra olive oil

let back for up to 3 hours until mostly dehydrated

let cool and enjoy

Potato Salad May 31, 2009

I love potato salad in the summer, this is a quick, easily “veganized” version that really is low on ingredients and big on taste.

Potato Salad

Potato Salad

4-5 medium sized new potatoes washed well, cut in half with skin on(red skins work well too)

2-3 green onions

1 small clove of garlic grated

3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped fine

1 tbsp  Dijon mustard

3/4 cup (up to) of light “real” mayo or veganaise I love the garlic version but I’d suggest omitting the garlic if you use this, also I often split the mayo with sour cream as well to make it lower fat but when i make it vegan JUST veganaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Scrub new potatoes and cut in half, I like to leave skins on but it’s up to you. Boil until tender when pierced with a fork, drain, cube and  set aside to cool.  In a smaller bowl, mix green onions, garlic, dill, mustard,  mayo/veganaise/sour cream and salt and pepper. When potatoes are cool combine and roughly mash  so there are cubes and smaller poatyoes pieces as well. Chill for about 30 mins ot an hour and serve.

Roasted Mushroom and Spinach Salad April 5, 2009

Roasted mushrooms make a great side to warm wintery dishes, they are earthy, juicy and only take minutes to make. Since Spring is on it’s way but there is still a nip in the air I tried to come up with something to satisfy the cravings of both seasons.

warm mushroom and spinach salad

Roasted Mushrooms

1 Package of washed and stemmed whole button mushrooms
2-4 tbspn of olive oil
1 tspn dried roasmary
1 tsp thyme
1/ tsp garlic powder
a sprinkling of sea salt

Preheat oven to 400F

Coat baking sheet with half of the olive oil.

Toss washed stemmed mushrooms in a medium bowl with half  the oil and all the herbs and spices,coating well.  Turn mushrooms out onto pan and bake  for 10 minutes.  Flip mushrooms and bake for 5-10 more minutes until well cooked and  wrinkly.

Salad
a couple handfuls of wash dried baby spinach leaves
fresh pepper
balsamic vinegar to taste
thinly sliced red onion
and goat cheese (optional)

In a medium sized bowl toss enough spinach for two  in balsamic vinegar (to taste).  Arrange spinach on plate, topping with thinly sliced red onion,cracked black pepper,  half of the warm mushrooms. Garnish with  goat cheese if you are not vegan…eat …done.

Turkish Lentil Kofta April 1, 2009

I try to eat vegan when I can because it simply makes me feel better so when I had this dish in a Turkish restaurant I set out to make them at home. They are cheap and easy to make and this recipe yields quite a bit. They are esp good in the summer as they are served chilled.

Lentil Kofta

Turkish Lentil Kofta

1+ 1/2 cups red lentils rinsed well and drained
1 cups fine grain bulgar
3- 3+1/4 cups of water
3 tbs olive oil for frying
1 medium to large sized onion peeled and diced
1/2 cup of washed, de-stemmed and chopped parsley
2 tbps fresh washed chopped  dill
3-4 green onions washed, trimmed and chopped
2 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste
Juice of a lemon
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 tsp mint
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a medium to large saucepan bring 2+1/4 cups of lightly salted water to a boil. Rinse lentils in a fine mesh strainer removing any imperfections and add to pot and cover.

While the lentils are cooking rinse the bulgar and add to lentils along with 3/4-1 cup of hot water) after they have boiled for 8-10 minutes. Cook until lentils break open and water is mostly gone. Be sure you lentils are not so over cooked they turn to paste. Remove form heat and keep covered to absorb any extra moisture.

While lentils and bulgar are cooking chop onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until just tender. When onions start to go translucent add the cumin, celery seed, tomato paste,salt and pepper. When combined well, set aside.

In a large bowl add lentils/bulgar, onion mixture and lemon juice and mix well. Let chill in the fridge for at least 3 minutes before adding the fresh herbs and green onions, mix well and let sit  at least an hour until everything is chilled and has had a chance to absorb all the flavors.

Before serving shape into logs, balls or patties/ Serve on a bed of lettuce with lemon and cilantro/parsley for garnish. I like eating these with warm grilled flat breads or as part of a wrap.

Easy Roasted Potatoes March 31, 2009

I make these potatoes all the time, they are a Sunday Brunch  or a night after shenanigans must have. Adjust the seasonings to taste but I gave you my two favorites. Happy munching!

Roasted potatoes made with the original seasoning

Roasted Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400F.

Oil a large baking sheet with 1-2 tsp of olive oil.

Wash 3-5  medium sized potatoes making sure to remove any imperfections.

Leave skin on and cut into 1 inch pieces or wedges if you like, bigger sizes require longer cooking time.

Place in a medium to large sized bowl and coat with 2 tbspn olive oil and toss well.

Add spices to potatoes making sure they are well coated then turn onto oiled pan.

Bake in the oven for 15 minuted then turn and cook for about 10-20 minutes longer. They should be golden brown, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside of when pierced with a fork.

Seasoning

• a liberal amount of freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp of Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt to taste

Cajun Seasoning

• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1/2 tsp of paprika (smoked paprika is nice if you have it)
• 1/8 tsp cayanne
• 1 tsp of chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Tabouli Salad January 16, 2009

I have been craving this stuff like mad lately, it’s such a fresh salad wit lots of flavor and it’s super good for you. Bulgar is an excellent source of fiber and for a grain is generally low in calories. Cilantro, Tabouli’s other main ingredient, amazingly high amount of vitamin A and lutien both good for the health of your eyes. Plus heart healthy olive oil.

Tabouli Salad

1 cup of Bulgar (Bolghar)

the entire bunch of cilantro, washed stemmed, dried off and chopped (approximately 3-4 cups)

2-3 tomatoes diced

1 small red onion finely diced (or 1/2-3/4 cup depending on your taste)

juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 clove of garlic grated

salt and pepper to taste

To cook the bulgar, boil water in kettle. Add 1 cup of dried bulgar to a medium-lage size heatproof mixing bowl. When water has reached a full boil add two cups, cover and let sit for about 45 mins.

While bulgar is cooling prepare ingredients. In a small bowl mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper.

Add dressing to cooled Bulgar and mix. Top with veggies and refridgerate, mix before serving.

***Variation change this by adding 1 cup of green onion instead of the red onion and a can of chickpeas, if you want to make this a meal.**

Macaroni and Cheese September 3, 2008

Breaking out the Fall dishes already, and this one can really be dressed up. I’ll do both basic then common additions. My best advice with making any macaroni and cheese is to always use the sharpest/ strongest cheeses you have because with the other flavors it really mellows out. Cheeses like Brie or Gouda really add to the creaminess, cheeses like Goat, Feta, Blue or Parmesan will add tonnes of flavor but for that reason should be used sparingly the texture is also something to take into consideration. Also be careful because a lot of stronger cheeses contain rennet or lipase, just check the labels.

Basic Recipe

3 generous tbsp s of butter

5 level tbsp s of white flour

1 box of whole wheat or white macaroni (or a mix)

2 cups of milk, any percentage will work but the higher the fat content the richer it is

3 cups of sharpe cheddar cheese (you can split this up into a variety of cheeses)

1/4 Parmesan, or another strong cheese

1 tbsp prepared mustard

1 tbsp grainy mustard

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Topping

Bread crumbs, Parmesan and approximately 1 cup of shredded cheese. You can also use store bought or homemade croutons, grind extra pepper on top and use different cheeses.

Preheat oven for 350.

Boil water for pasta an cook accoridng to package directions.

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat and whisk in flour. Stir constantly until butter flour mixture starts to brown, this might take  up to 5 minutes.

Slowly whisk in milk and spices. Once mixture begins to thicken add small handfuls of the cheeses until you reach a unified consistency.

Drain cooked pasta, and add to cheese mixture. Coat completely then transfer into a medium-large baking dish. Cover with breadcrumbs parmesan, pepper, and extra cheese and bake about 30 minutes, until everything is brown and bubbly.

Variations

If you want to throw some veggies in this dish I highly recommend mushrooms and red bell peppers. Just saute them in some butter before adding the flour and continue the recipe as is. You can have a lot of fun changing the cheeses to compliment the flavors.

If you like spicy food, I usually will add 1 jalapeno chopped, 1-2 cloves of garlic chopped with some chipotle canned chillies and saute them in butter. When I do this I always use a strong cheddar, a white organic is very good.

When making it with mushrooms, I usually use a combination of portobellos and button mushrooms and sometimes criminis. I like to use thyme and pepper to spice it and add in some brie or Gouda to my cheese mix, along with my Parmesan.

You can make it more flavorful by adding diced fresh tomatoes, fresh or roasted garlic and basil to the mix right befor eyou bake it. Or rehydrate some sundried tomatoes and throw in some feta or goat cheese.

Palao Rice September 1, 2008

This recipe I had wanted to try every since I laid my eyes on it. It is so beautiful with all the colors and textures and a good mix of sweet and savory. This recipe is not my original because I had no clue how to make it so it’s an adaptation of one I saw on Video Jug. If you follow my link on the blog roll then look for Palao Rice in their search bar you get to see an instructional video. The problem I had with it, which I why I rewrote it for myself was Video Jug is from the UK and their proportions are metric. You should also know this recipe makes quite a bit, but is very impressive when served. I serve it with palak paneer and dahl mostly but that is what I like to eat, not really traditional.

Palao Rice

1 cup long grain rice (like basmati)
1/2 cup cashew nuts
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves
2 cardamom pods
A cinnamon stick broken in half
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium onion diced
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp saffron threads
2 cups boiling water
salt to taste

Garnish (optional but makes it even prettier)

1 tbpsn olive oil
1 red onion sliced thinly in rounds
1 bunch of coriander(flat leaf parsely.. omit if Kim

Dice onions while 2 cups of water is boiling in a small pot with saffrom threads.

Wash and drain the rice.

In a large skillet or wok heat 3 tbspn of oil on medium high. Add nuts, cloves, cardamoms,cumin seeds and cinnamon and fry for 2 minutes.

Add the shallots and fry for 2 minutes, till they are translucent. Add the raisins, salt and turmeric and stir for a few seconds. You have to constantly stir
this mix so nothing chars or burns.

Add washed rice and stir well until all the grains have been coated with the spices.

Add the saffron boiling water to the other ingredients. Cover, and turn the heat to low, allowing the rice to cook for about 12-15 minutes.

While rice is cooking, slice onion (into loops) and brown well in a little oil. Wash and chop coriander. Keep both aside, ready for garnishing at the end.

When the rice is done, top with fried onion and coriander.

Israeli “Couscous” August 19, 2008

So I spend a lot fo time in the international isle of the supermarket and found this thinking it was just big cous cous…I was very excited;p…and wrong, it’s actually a type of Israeli pasta made with wheat flour. It says that it is toasted it over and “open fire” to retain it’s al-dente texture after cooking. I have a theory that sometimes more toasting is a good idea and seeing as I don’t have an open fire I used a dry skillet and man does it smell good as it toasts.It takes only about 5 mins over medium high heat but I think the extra step will work well for this recipe I am going to try today. You can also serve this as an alternative to rice or pasta, I imagine it would be good tossed into veggie soups the last 5-8 minutes of cooking time, and might make an interesting “risotto”.

Israeli Couscous Salad(s)

1 (250g) pkg of Israeli Couscous

2 1/2 cups of water

enough of your favorite veggie boullion to flavor 2 1/2 cups of water

Toast or don’t toast couscous, bring veggie stockto a boil. Add couscous and return to a simmer, let cook cover for about 8 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Tomato Basil

2 spring onions chopped

1 large clove of garlic grated

1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes chopped

Dressing

2-3 tbspn olive oil

6-8 leaves of fresh basil washed and torn (I’m using basil because I am currently growing it but cilantro and mint would work very well in this)

salt and pepper to taste although the broth gives it a lot of flavor so easy on the salt

juice of a lime

cucumber would be good especially if you are using mint and cilantro.

Mix and add dressing and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Warm Grilled Salad

BBQ or roast approxiatemly 2-3 cups of any veggies you like, I used zucchini, peppers and mushrooms but eggplant and tomatoes would work as well. If you have it roast garlic to add to the dressing. Roast veggies whole but chop into bite sized pieces when tossed into salad. Olives and sundried tomaotes would be a great addition to this.

Dressing

2-3 tbspn olive oil

1/2 juice of a lemon

1 clove of grated garlic or if you want a more subtle garlic clove roast a bulb of garlic and use about 1/2 of the bulb, place dressing ingredients( with exception of fresh herbs) in a food processor or blender and blend with garlic until smooth.

1/4 cup of fresh herbs like basil, oregeno, cilantro or mint.

salt and pepper to taste.

Mix warm couscous and salad dressing and toss with warm veggies, serve warm or room temperature. You can chill it and it tastes just fine.

“Tandoori” Paneer or Tofu July 26, 2008

So Saami and I were dreaming of grilling paneer and I was trying to come up with a marinade. I recently brought this over to his house and the intention was to BBQ an onion, green pepper and the slabs of marinaded paneer and make some sort of yummy grilled sandwich. However… it rained so I threw it all in the wok and made a stir fry. This marinade would also be good with tofu if you don’t eat cheese or cannot get paneer. I would suggest freezing and draining the tofu first, if you need more info look at my “Preparing Tofu” post.

Easy Curry Marinade

3 tsp Bryani paste (I use Patak’s)

1 tsp Hot Curry Paste (again…Patak’s)

1 large clove of garlic grated

juice of one lemon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp good soy sauce ( I used soy for the salt because paneer is relatively tasteless)

fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix Marinade in a small bowl.

Cut up paneer, I made 1/4 inch thick slices (in the shape of cards then cut in half later when I stir fried it) , cubing will work if you use this on skewers on the BBQ.

Marinate for at least an hour, I left it for about 5 that night.

Making Kababs alternating paneer(or tofu) with red onion, mushrooms and peppers would be very good, but because of my constraints, I stir-fried paneer first in about 4 tbspn of oil, removed form pan stir fried veggies until tender, then added in the panner to reheat( about one minute).