flageolet soubise
September 21, 2010
I sourced some amazing flageolet beans on the weekend. Flageolets are tiny, tender French beans. They are delicate in flavor, and are considered the darling of the French bean connoisseur. Essentially, they are tiny French kidney beans that possess a pale green hue and boast a tenderness like none other. So tonight’s dinner theme was “ode to the flageolet.” I made two versions. One you see below – Flageolets Soubise – a recipe inspired by Jamie Kennedy. The other was Flageolet à la Provençal. Both were delicious. The troops were divided on which one they preferred. I’d take both. Why choose? Life’s too short.
FOR THE FLAGEOLETS
240g fresh flageolet beans (or 180g dried)
1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly
12 peeled pearl onions
4 carrots, of various heirloom varieties, scrubbed and sliced thickly on bias
1 bay leaf
sprig of fresh thyme
salt to taste
1. Place all ingredients except salt in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately 30 minutes.
2. Season to taste with salt.
FOR THE SOUBISE
4 medium-sized onions, peeled and sliced thinly
200g olive oil
salt to taste
Cider vinegar to taste
1. Place sliced onions and olive oil in a saucepan and cook slowly until onions are transparent, but not browned.
2. Transfer to a blender and process until pureed.
3. Season with salt and a touch of cider vinegar.
FOR THE PRESENTATION
Warm an oval ceramic serving dish in the oven. Pour some soubise on the base of the dish. Spoon the beans and carrot mixture on top of the soubise. Serve immediately.
soubise
September 20, 2010
And what is soubise you ask? It’s a good question. Fortunately the recipe I found in my first search happened to be an almost-vegan soubise – probably not by design since the chef behind the recipe – Jamie Kennedy – is not a vegan chef. Lucky for me though because had I found the common, and traditional recipe, I probably wouldn’t have pursued it much further. The classic french soubise is a white sauce made from a bechamel base (butter, milk, flour, and more butter), flavoured with pureed onions and enriched with cream. I can’t vouch for the traditional recipe, but the version below is pretty damn good without the cream, or the butter. Serve it with Flageolet Soubise, on sandwiches, or any other way your onion-loving self desires.
4 medium-sized onions, peeled and sliced thinly
200g olive oil
salt to taste
Cider vinegar to taste
1. Place sliced onions and olive oil in a saucepan and cook slowly until onions are transparent, but not browned.
2. Transfer to a blender and process until pureed.
3. Season with salt and a touch of cider vinegar.
flageolet à la provençal
September 20, 2010
Tonight was “ode to the flageolet.” I made two dishes. This one, and Flageolet Soubise. Both were awesome. And hearty. And healthy. And full of organic goodness. Here’s how it’s done:
3 tbsp. good quality olive oil
3 large shallots, sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
28 oz. flageolet beans, cooked
1/3 cup white or red wine, whatever you happen to have open
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
sprigs of thyme or rosemary
In a non stick, fry pan, heat the olive oil, add the shallots and garlic, sauté on medium heat until the shallots are soft but not brown. Add the diced tomatoes along with the flageolet beans and the wine. Continue to cook for a further 5 minutes or until the beans are not soupy.
Add the sea salt, pepper and herbs. Taste for seasoning.
Serve. Eat. Enjoy.
nice + spicy marinated tofu
September 17, 2010
I owe thanks to my sister Mary for this recipe. She used it at Christmas. She doubled the recipe – one batch to stick on some pork for the meat-lovers in the family, and one batch to put on some tofu. The tofu was fabulous. I can’t comment on the pork but I hear it was equally good. It’s super simple and very good. And the kids love it.
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
3 tbsps oil
2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps coriander
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
tofu
Marinate the tofu in the marinade. Saute in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, or throw on the BBQ for that extra smokey flavour.
rustic peach galette
September 10, 2010
It’s hard to resist fresh Ontario peaches at this time of year. I bought way too many at the market the other day so decided to experiment with this Rustic Peach Galette. I have to admit I’m a total pastry snob – blame it on my mom. She comes from a long line of very adept bakers. Her pastry makes every other pastry seem tough, lifeless, and not worthy of its contents. Problem is it’s got butter and eggs. I was ecstatic when I found pre-made vegan pastry at the health food store. Truth be told, it doesn’t come close to the tastiness of my mom’s but it’s not bad. I served this galette at a dinner party the other night and the peaches got 6 out of 6; pastry got 4 out of 6. But every plate was licked clean. You got to admit, it looks pretty damn good!
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large peaches, pealed, pitted, and sliced
extra flour for workspace
¼ cup maple syrup
extra sugar for top of galette
1. Thaw the pre-made puff pastry dough.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place dough on top.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add peaches.
4. Fan peaches in a circular shape in the center of the dough circle, leaving a 1-2 inch border.
5. Fold dough over peaches and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
6. Remove unbaked galette from refrigerator and brush dough with maple syrup. Sprinkle extra sugar over the dough and fruit. Bake for 30-35 minutes in a preheated oven at 375 degrees until crust is lightly browned.
Adapted from Chef Chloe Blog
latin corn soup
September 6, 2010
What to do with fall’s bounty? My parents came home from their cottage yesterday. On their way they stopped at a farmer’s market and, as is want to happen, they bought way too much stuff because it all looked so fresh and tasty. They came over to say hi and brought a dozen ears of corn to add to the half dozen I had just bought at the farmers’ market in the city that morning! So being up to my ears in ears of corn I decided to make corn soup and corn, peach, and tomato salsa. When trying a new recipe I always make just one batch in case I don’t like it. But when I hit on a successful recipe, like this one, I always wish I had made two or three!
2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tsps olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh chile, minced
2 tsps ground coriander
1 1/2 tsps dried oregano
1 tsp salt
2 cups veggie stock
1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (4 – 5 ears)
2 tbsps lime juice
2 tbsps chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
avocado cubes (optional)
In a soup pot on medium-high heat, cook the onions in the oil for about 5 minutes, until just beginning to soften. Add the garlic, chile, coriander, oregano, and salt and stir constantly for a minute. Stir in the veggie stock and radishes, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionly, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
When the vegetables are tender, add the the coconut milk, tomatoes, and corn and bring back to a simmer, stirring occasionly. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Top each serving with ripe avocado cubes, if you wish.
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health
grilled corn peach and tomato salsa
September 6, 2010
Nothing says “September” like corn, peaches, and tomatoes, fresh from the farmers’ market. I had an abundance of all of them so decided to make corn soup and corn salsa. Here’s the salsa recipe. Just grill up these babies, mix with a few other critical ingredients, and, presto, you’ve got a dip to accompany blue corn chips, a nice tangy sauce for BBQ veggies or chicken (for the meat eaters in the house), or a nice light lunch if thrown on top of, or beside, fresh greens.
oil for grilling
5 medium tomatoes
4 ears of corn
2 chile peppers
3 small peaches
3 tbsps olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 tsps lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
Heat up the grill on medium-high. While the grill is heating, prep the vegetables. Core the tomatoes and cut a small x on the bottom. Lightly oil them and place them on the grill. Shuck the corn, lightly oil it, and place it on the grill. Place the whole chiles on the grill. Peel, halve, and pit the peaches and set aside.
Grill the vegetables for about 15 minutes, turning frequently. If you’re using an outdoor grill, mind the tomatoes. If they get too soft, they’ll melt right through the grates. Once all the vegetables have some colouring and are cooked, about 15 minutes, remove and let cool. While the vegetables are cooling, grill the peaches for about 1 minute, then turn and grill for 1 minute more. Remove and let cool.
Once cool, chop tomatoes and put into a large bowl. Remove the corn from the cob and place in the bowl with the tomatoes. De-seed the chiles, mince, and add to the bowl. Dice the peaches and add to the bowl.
Add the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt, and cumin. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasoning. It will get spicier as it sits. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge, add fresh, chopped cilantro or parsley and enjoy!
From vegan yum yum by Lauren Ulm
moroccan tagine with charmoula drizzle
August 24, 2010
I’m not sure why but this morning I woke up with a restless desire to a) buy a tagine and b) make a Moroccan tagine in the tagine. So after work I set out to accomplish both and big success! I bought a nice red Le Creuset tagine at a little independent store called The Cook’s Place. I think I’m in love.
So what’s different? Why not just use a dutch oven or heavy pot? Well, let me tell you. “The unique shape of the tagine allows air to circulate above the food without escaping. There’s a steam hole to make sure pressure doesn’t grow too much, but it also keeps in most of the moisture. This allows your tagine to slowly steam and roast the food from above, while simultaneously broiling from the heat at the bottom. This combination of cooking-methods allows the food to slow-cook from all directions to make a perfect, fragrant casserole.” This from squidoo.
And what did I make in the tagine? A Moroccan Chickpea Tagine that we drenched in Charmoula, but more on that in a sec. First, here’s the tagine recipe from The Vegan Cook’s Bible.
4 cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 2 cans chickpeas with liquid
2 cups of veggie stock (use 1 1/4 cups if using canned chickpeas and their liquid)
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups diced sweet potato
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup currants
4 sun-dried tomato halves, thinly sliced
2 slices fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the base of tagine, combine chickpeas, stock, lemon juice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, onion, apricots, currants, sun-dried tomatoes, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and hot pepper flakes. Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours or until sweet potato is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with Charmoula. It really couldn’t be easier or faster.
Charmoula
So what’s charmoula? I asked the same question. I found the recipe in Bonnie Stern’s Friday Night Dinners and, it sounded good, but I had never heard of it. Turns out wiki, of course, has the answer: “Chermoula or charmoula is a marinade used in Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking. It is usually used to flavor fish or seafood, but it can be used on other meats or vegetables. Chermoula is often made of a mixture of herbs, oil, lemon juice, pickled lemons, garlic, cumin, and salt. It may also include onion, fresh coriander, ground chili peppers, black pepper, or saffron.” Bonnie Stern’s includes mayonnaise, for which I substituted veganaise. Tasty. It actually totally satisfied my longing for aioli which I do love but have put on the no-no list for obvious eggy reasons.
1 cup veganaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp hot red pepper sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp paprika (preferably smoked)
2 tbsps finely chopped fresh cilantro
In a bowl, combine veganaise, garlic, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, cumin, paprika, and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
charmoula
August 24, 2010
Charmoula
So what’s charmoula? I asked the same question. I found the recipe in Bonnie Stern’s Friday Night Dinners and, it sounded good, but I had never heard of it. Turns out wiki, of course, has the answer: “Chermoula or charmoula is a marinade used in Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking. It is usually used to flavor fish or seafood, but it can be used on other meats or vegetables. Chermoula is often made of a mixture of herbs, oil, lemon juice, pickled lemons, garlic, cumin, and salt. It may also include onion, fresh coriander, ground chili peppers, black pepper, or saffron.” Bonnie Stern’s includes mayonnaise, for which I substituted veganaise. Tasty. It actually totally satisfied my longing for aioli which I do love but have put on the no-no list for obvious eggy reasons. We had it last night on the Moroccan Tagine and it was, naturally, the perfect compliment.
1 cup veganaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp hot red pepper sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp paprika (preferably smoked)
2 tbsps finely chopped fresh cilantro
In a bowl, combine veganaise, garlic, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, cumin, paprika, and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
garlic ginger tea
August 18, 2010
Sounds weird right? It’s a bit kooky but it’s good and it works. Andrew woke up with a sore throat and feeling totally under the weather. I had a hunch I would find the right drink in my new Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook and I did! It’s Shelley’s Garlic Ginger Tea and “Shelley swears by this tea whenever she catches a cold or cough that she can’t seem to shake.” Try it. It works because food is healing. Eat and drink the right stuff and you’re on the road to recovery!
4 cloves garlic
pinch of cayenne
4 tsps fresh ginger, chopped
4 cups water
maple syrup to taste
squeeze of lemon to taste
In a large pot on high heat, combine garlic, cayenne, ginger, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain, serve with maple syrup and a squeeze of lemon. Drink throughout the day.
v:gourmet 
