winter elixirs
January 16, 2011
I’m a big fan of tea and my enthusiasm extends to most hot drinks that nourish the body, heart, and soul. Here are two that I just found in a new cookbook I bought a couple of weeks ago, Leon. Make a batch or two of these concentrated “coldbusters”, and keep them in a jar by the stove so you can top them up with hot water when the need strikes.
HOT APPLE MULL
1 vanilla pod
2 litres apple juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
3 star anise
grated nutmeg
Split the vanilla pod in half and scrap out the seeds. Pour the apple juice into a saucepan and add the maple syrup and all the spices. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 – 40 minutes until it has reduced by just over half. Pour into a sterilized bottle and leave for the flavours to meld. Fill your cup with about 1/4 hot apple mull, top up with boiling water, and bottoms up. This would also be great with some brandy – the only alcohol my teatotalling grandmother would keep in the house in the name of medicine.
LEMON & GINGER COLDBUSTER
400 ml lemon juice
four “fat thumbs” worth of ginger root, grated
2 big bunches of rosemary
10 tbsps honey
Heat the lemon juice with the ginger and rosemary. Once warm, stir in the honey until dissolved. Turn off the heat. Cool, then pour into a sterilized bottle, including the rosemary. To make a coldbuster, pour 4 tbsps of “lemony love” into a mug and top up with boiling water. You can stir in a little extra honey or maple syrup if you prefer sweet to sour.
french onion soup with white sherry and (gruyère) toasts
January 9, 2011
This is a white, light, almost refreshing French onion soup in contrast to those we usually encounter that are dark, earthy, and heavy. I enjoy both. This one is great for a light lunch, or a true souper like my grandmother used to have on the farm. Since the kids still adore cheese, I simply floated the toasts on the soup – gruyère toasts for them and plain toast for Andrew and me. Let’s be honest, some people eat French onion soup for the cheese but do they really need a pound and a half dripping off the side of the bowl?
enough for 8
a couple of good glugs of olive oil
6 large onions, sliced
4 bay leaves
a few sprigs of thyme
4 tbsps plain flour
1.5 cups white wine
8 cups veggie stock
8 tbsps white sherry, dry port, madeira or masala
slices of baguette or bread of choice
gruyère, if using
Heat the olive oil in a heavy dutch oven, add the sliced onions, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook over medium heat until soft, almost translucent and and slightly sticky. Once done, add the flour, stir thoroughly, and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the wine slowly, stirring well, so you get a nice smooth base before adding the stock. Add the stock and stir well. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, then simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Add the white sherry and continue to simmer for another 10 – 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
Meanwhile, toast the baguette. Set plain baguette slices aside until soup is ready. If using cheese, place sliced gruyère on the toasted baguettes and melt under the broiler. Check soup for seasoning. Add to individual bowls. Float toasts on top of soup and serve immediately.
crackers
January 2, 2011
Now on the subject of crackers I have just one thing to say – make your own! There are recipes out there for crackers from scratch which I’m all for but admittedly have never tried. Instead we use the mounds of stale bread that accumulate in our house and simply slice them into thin strips and toast. Once golden brown from the oven we drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle them with sea salt and we’re done.
We’ve used baguette (our standard stand-by), olive boule, rosemary foccacia, you name it. It’s all good. And simple, straightforward, local, and delicious. Store bought crackers are great in a pinch but they are expensive, often have additional ingredients to preserve and protect and, have you ever noticed, they are usually shipped from California. Does that make any sense? Shipping boxes of what is essentially flour and water across the continent in tractor-trailors when there is plenty of about-to-be-moldy-local-bread in your own kitchen? Stale bread, oven, sea salt, olive oil. Done!
fennel leek and parsley risotto
January 2, 2011
After a season of debauchery with the inevitable over-eating of heavy Christmas dishes we needed something fresh and green to start the New Year. Now most of you will probably not think of risotto as a nice, light, cleansing dish but this one comes pretty close. It’s bright, refreshing, and alive, and without the cheese and butter – which I’ve come to conclude is yummy but totally unnecessary – it is surprisingly light. This risotto won my heart.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
2 leeks, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5 cups of arborio rice
4 cups of veggie stock
1 cup white wine
a small bunch of fresh parsley, very finely chopped
1/2 lemon
sea salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil for the risotto in a heavy-bottomed dutch oven. Saute onion, fennel, and leek until tender. Add the minced garlic and saute another minute or two until the garlic is fragrant. Add arborio rice stirring constantly until evenly coated. Begin to add the stock and wine slowly. Remember, the key to good risotto is to 1) stir constantly and 2) add the liquid slowly until the rice is just covered. Let the rice absorb the liquid and then add a little more, again, until the rice is just covered. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Once the rice has reached the perfect state of al dente-ness add the parsley and the juice of half a lemon and toss. Season with good sea salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve. And have a little bowl of grated parmigiano on the table for those that want to indulge. And enjoy!
hydration drink
January 1, 2011
This sounds a little crazy but it is good, and it definitely works. If you’re ever feeling totally dehydrated – you know when your eyeballs feel dry, and your throat is parched, and your body feels a bit like the Sahara – this is the drink for you. I’m not sure about absolute measurements. I usually just toss things in a big cup and add water but I’ve tried to make reasonable estimates. Whatever the case, you can’t go wrong.
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp organic cane sugar
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 Tsps grated ginger
A couple of pinches of sea salt
2 Tbsps 100% cranberry juice
Hot water
Simply mix it up and drink. You’ll feel immediate hydration!
smokey honey roasted almonds
January 1, 2011
To go with the Spicy Honey Roasted Pecans, I have for you, my readers, Smokey Honey Roasted Almonds. Doesn’t sound too different? Well, they are. A world of gastronomy apart. Not really, but they are a nice compliment and are quite unique in their taste. Here’s the recipe. Roast and enjoy.
2 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp chipotle chili powder or smoked paprika
1 tbsp sel gris or other coarse salt
Preheat oven to 375
Mix all the ingredients except for the sel gris in a mixing bowl until the almonds are well coated. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake in a pre-heated oven for 5 – 8 minutes. The sugars will bubble and turn a darker colour.
Remove the almonds from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with sel gris and and let cool on the baking sheet. As they cool, the sugars will begin to harden. Serve on their own or add to a salad, pilaf, or tagine if they make it that far. The ones I made lasted about 7 minutes.
spicy honey roasted pecans
December 30, 2010
Want some nutty treats for the holidays? I have two – these spicy honey roasted pecans which are quite hot, and some smokey almonds which I’ll post next. Both are very addictive and will, I’m sure, disappear before your eyes. In fact, I had wanted a photo of these pecans in a cute little serving dish next to the olives and hummous but alas, Andrew ate them all before I could get them from stove to counter to table. Good thing the recipe calls for more (much more) spice mix than you need – I still have a bag of it so it will only take me a sec to whip up another batch!
Spice Mix :
3/4 cup (185 mL) natural cane sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) chili powder (use less for a milder result)
1/4 cup (60 mL) sea salt
1/4 cup (60 mL) ground cumin
2 Tbsp (30 mL) paprika
2 Tbsp (30 mL) ground coriander
2 Tbsp (30 mL) fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp (10 mL) mustard powder
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cinnamon
Spiced Nuts:
4 to 6 cups (880 g to 1.2 kg) pecan halves
1/4 cup (60 mL) cold-pressed walnut oil
1/4 cup (60 mL) honey
3 Tbsp (45 mL) spice mix
Whisk together all spice mix ingredients in a medium-size bowl until thoroughly blended. Store in an airtight jar. This recipe makes 2 cups (500 mL) of spice mix, enough for about 10 batches of Spicy Honey Roasted Nuts.
To make spiced nuts, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a large mixing bowl, stir together oil and honey and then add Spice Mix. Blend well, add pecans, and toss until nuts are well coated.
Spread pecans evenly on a greased baking tray and bake 10 minutes until nuts are golden. Allow to cool and serve at room temperature. Nuts will stay fresh for two or three days when refrigerated. Serves 12.
quinoa red bean and pecan burgers
December 12, 2010
I was given Veggie Burgers Every Which Way by Lukas Volger for my birthday. He’s got a bazillion varieties of burgers in there from bean burgers to grain burgers to tofu burgers. A lot of them use eggs but there are 5 or 6 that I’d like to try that don’t require the extra binding agent. The first on my list (based only on the available ingredients in my house last night) was the Quinoa, Red Bean, and Pecan Burger. Volger called for walnuts but they aren’t a nut I keep on hand so it was pecans instead. We ate it with guacamole, fresh pea sprouts and tomatoes for a really tasty dinner. You can’t compare it to a greasy beef burger so don’t try. It’s a veggie patty packed with complex taste, a nutritional power-punch, and the ability to carry condiments really well. It’s a keeper. Next on my list? Mushroom Barley Burger. Stay tuned.
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
1 small potato, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch of scallions (green onions), chopped finely
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsps minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups cooked red beans
1/2 cup roughly chopped, toasted pecans
1/2 tsp salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
1. Bring 1 cup water to boil in a small saucepan and add the quinoa. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the water is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, boil the potato until tender. Mash with a fork.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook just until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the parsley and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, cooked potato, parsley-scallion mixture, red beans, and pecans with a potato masher or your hands. Add the salt and lemon juice. Shape into 6 patties.
5. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsps oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the patties and cook until the bottoms are browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other sides until crisped and slightly firmed, 4 to 5 minutes more.
portobello mushrooms with cashews and herbs
November 28, 2010
I was loving all the Thanksgiving recipes coming out of the states this past week. One that caught my eye was stuffed Portobello mushrooms. Last Christmas Lucy Waverman did portobello mushrooms with chestnut stuffing and I had wanted to try it but, let’s be honest, who ever has chestnuts around? So when I saw this one, it satisfied my desire to try stuffed portobellos with ingredients that happen to be in my pantry. I was told it would hold its own at the table and that it did! It may well show up on the Christmas menu this year.
1 large yellow onion, diced finely
1 cup cashews, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked brown rice (or grain of choice)
1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup vegetable broth
Lots of fresh herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano
6 portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
1 tomato, sliced in thin rounds
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In large skillet, sauté the onions and cashews with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sauté until onions are soft and lightly browned. Add garlic and let cook a few more minutes.
3. In a large bowl combine onion mixture, brown rice, lentils, breadcrumbs, vegetable broth, basil and thyme. Mix together and season to taste with salt and pepper. (The stuffing can be made up to three days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.)
4. Brush both sides of mushroom caps lightly with olive oil and place top-side down on an oiled sheet pan. Stuff mushrooms with about 1/2 cup lentil cashew stuffing, then press one tomato slice on top of the stuffing. (The mushrooms can be stuffed and assembled on a baking tray the day before you plan to bake and serve them.)
5. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the stuffing is browned and the mushroom begins releasing juices. Garnish with extra fresh thyme leaves.
adapted from Chef Chloe
summer salad rolls
November 27, 2010
I know. I know. It may seem odd. November is not summer so the posting of summer rolls is hardly seasonal. But we went to dinner at our friends’ Quinn and Cory’s house and they put together a stellar vegan meal. Job well done (thank you!). For appetizers they served these fantabulous summer rolls with peanut sauce which we made for dinner last night to try them out and, well, just because they were so yummy. It’s kind of a fun “structural” exercise that the kids like – and they’re healthy and they’re tasty. So summer, winter, fall, spring. Who cares? They are just damn good.
Summer Rolls
one 1.8- to 2-ounce package bean-thread (cellophane) noodles
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 large Boston lettuce leaves, washed well and spun dry
eight 8-inch rounds rice paper plus additional in case some tear
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed
1 scallion, cut into 2-inch julienne strips
1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
1/3 cup thinly sliced cabbage
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (preferably Thai basil), washed well and spun dry
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, washed well and spun dry
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, washed well and spun dry
In a bowl soak noodles in very hot water to cover 15 minutes and drain well in a colander. Reserve half of noodles for another use. With scissors cut remaining noodles into 3- to 4-inch lengths and in a small bowl toss with vinegar and salt to taste.
Cut out and discard ribs from lettuce leaves, halving each leaf.
In a shallow baking pan or cake pan soak 2 rounds rice paper in hot water to cover until very pliable, 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Carefully spread 1 soaked round on a paper towel, leaving remaining round in water, and blot with paper towels. Arrange 1 piece of lettuce leaf on bottom half of sheet, leaving a 1-inch border along edge. Top lettuce with about one fourth of peanuts and about one fourth of noodles, arranging them in a line across lettuce. Top noodles with one fourth each of scallion, carrot, cabbage, and herbs. Roll up filling tightly in rice paper, folding insides after first roll to completely enclose filling, and continue rolling.
Spread remaining soaked rice paper round on tea towel and blot with another tea towel. Wrap rice paper around spring roll in same manner. (Double wrapping covers any tears and makes roll more stable and easier to eat.) Wrap spring roll in rinsed and squeezed paper towel and put in a resealable plastic bag. Make 3 more rolls with remaining ingredients in same manner. Rolls may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, wrapped in wet paper towels in sealed plastic bag. Before serving, bring rolls to room temperature.
Halve rolls diagonally and serve with peanut sauce.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2/3 cup water
In a small saucepan cook garlic and red pepper flakes in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is golden. Whisk in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer sauce, whisking, until thickened, about 1 minute. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.
Serve sauce warm or at room temperature.
Adapted from epicurious
v:gourmet 
