I got this from my brother-in-law, Eric, the other day who works for Kindred Spirit Catering. My sister raved about it so, naturally, I asked for the recipe so I could try it out and bring it to you, my trusty readers. Eric is a total natural with food and makes some mean, unpretentious fare. I’ve written about him before as he’s the creator behind the Parsnip and Celery Root Puree (with cardamom and vanilla I might add!), and the one who roasted the unbelievable lamb last Christmas. I tried this one last night and it’s a keeper for sure. It’s healthy, it tastes good, it keeps well, it’s got a nice balance of sweet and spicy, and it lends itself well to substitutions (for example I used fresh shelling peas from Prince Edward County instead of edamame; fresh arugula instead of spinach). Cook this, enjoy, and feel like a million bucks. Thanks Eric!
1 package of soba noodles
2 cups edamame, shelled
1 cup wakame seaweed
1/2 cup green onion, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 Thai basil, chopped
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 cup baby spinach
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 tbsps sesame seeds
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsps sesame oil
3 tbsps tamari soy sauce
1 cup olive oil
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
Cook soba noodles according to the instructions on the package. Refresh under cold water. Steam edamame beans in boiling water for 1 minute. Refresh under cold water. Soak wakame seaweed in cold water for 5 minutes until it expands and becomes soft. Drain thoroughly and squeeze out excess water. Combine with other salad ingredients in a bowl and toss lightly to mix evenly.
For the vinaigrette, place all ingredients other than the olive oil in a food processor. Turn machine on and slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify the mixture. Drizzle salad with the vinaigrette and toss gently. Top with cilantro or parsley and serve.
3 sisters chili
June 20, 2010
I just bought the new Moosewood Cookbook which is great – recipes that are accessible, easy, and tasty. Last night I decided to try something new from it. Sammy wanted burritos with ground beef and cheese. I wanted burritos with vegetables and greens. So we did it all. I made Moosewood’s North-South Chili to throw in mine but decided to tweak the recipe a little by using sweet potatoes instead of squash (out of necessity) and by adding corn (out of desire). As it cooked away I decided it should be called 3 Sisters Chili in honour of the wisdom of many of our aboriginal peoples who planted beans, corn, and squash together in a symbiotically supportive micro-ecosystem. If its good to plant them together, I’m guessing it’s good to eat them together!
2 tbsps olive oil
3 cups chopped onions
1/4 tsp salt
5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
2 cups diced, peeled winter squash or sweet potato
2 cups diced red or orange pepper
1 cup water
15 ounces red kidney beans or other dried beans, cooked and drained
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn, cut off the cob
ground black pepper
chopped scallions and/or cilantro
1. Warm the oil in a soup pot on medium-high heat. Add the onions and salt and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, squash or sweet potato, bell peppers, and water. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
3. Add the beans and tomatoes, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
4. Add the corn and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add black pepper to taste.
5. Serve topped with scallions and/or cilantro, if you wish.
mushroom soup
June 13, 2010
This recipe is from Anthony Bourdain‘s Les Halles Cookbook. Given the name you can probably guess that there isn’t too much that’s vegan about Anthony Bourdain and his slaughterhouse cookbook. But it is a highly entertaining cookbook given his irreverence, and there are a few gems in there that can easily be vegan-ized. This soup is one of them. Olive oil instead of butter; veggie stock instead of chicken stock; you’re good to go.
I’m going to quote his recipe in full with a few vegan translations. But before I do, one question – why take out the sprig of parsley? I’m a big fan of leaving it in there, along with other herbs like thyme (my favourite – in fact I think it almost makes the soup). Leaving them in there and just blending the whole schmozle together gives you better taste and you get the full medicinal benefit of those mini super-powered greens.
“This is ridiculously easy soup to make. It’s tasty and durable, and it gets even better overnight.
6 tbsps olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
12 ounces mushrooms
4 cups veggie stock
1 sprig of flat parsley
salt and pepper
2 ounces high-quality sherry (don’t use the cheap grocery-store variety; it’s salty and unappetizing and will ruin your soup)
In the medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 minutes, taking care that the onion doesn’t take on any brown colour. Stir in the veggie broth and the parsley and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour.
After an hour, remove the parsley and discard. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then transfer to the blender and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do I have to remind you to do this in stages, with the blender’s lid firmly held down, and with the weight of your body keeping that thing from flying off and allowing boiling hot mushroom puree to erupt all over your kitchen?
When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. Add the sherry, mix well, and serve immediately.
And if you really want to ratchet your soup into pretentious (and delicious), drizzle a few tiny drops of truffle oil over the surface just before serving. Why the hell not? Everybody else is doing it.”
dulse with olive oil and toast
June 5, 2010
I was in Montreal on a business trip and stayed with a dear colleague. He’s a bit of a gourmand so when he served me dulse with olive oil and toast for breakfast I was shocked. “We’re eating what for breakfast?” He promised I would become addicted, and addicted I am. We have it every morning, almost without fail. And the odd morning when we can’t have it, we miss it terribly. Andrew confessed one morning upon waking that he was actually excited about getting up so he could eat dulse. We’ve converted a number of people. Maybe we can convert you too?
package of dulse, preferably from Atlantic Mariculture (We’ve done the research – it’s the best!)
really good olive oil (We use Silver Leaf but are always looking to try others since there are so many incredible olive oils out there)
multi-grain bread
Cut up the dulse in the bottom of a bowl. Drizzle with good quality olive oil. Toast some nice multi-grain bread and cut it up on top. Eat. Become addicted.
how to start your day lemon drink
June 4, 2010
I went to Tofino, B.C. a couple of weeks ago for the IFIP conference. Check out my blog if you want to know what that is, otherwise, let’s carry on. I was on the ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo and decided to browse through their on-board bookstore which is actually quite good. Instead of buying really interesting books on west coast art etc., I bought The Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amrita Sondhi. Equally interesting but not terribly relevant to my whereabouts.
I’ve been working my way through it and have other recipes to share, but the first one, is the “how to start your day lemon drink.” It’s very simple but surprisingly refreshing and energizing. As Amrita says it’s a “fat-breaking and cleansing lemon tea” that she drinks first thing every morning.
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup boiling water
pinch of cayenne pepper
maple syrup to taste
In a mug, combine all ingredients and stir.
apple strudel
June 4, 2010
This recipe is from Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm. It’s super easy to throw together if you use store-bought puff pastry. As they mention in their intro “Surprisingly, the most common brand of puff pastry sold at the grocery stores is actually vegan. It’s not the healthiest puff pastry in the word, but it’s definitely vegan, easy to use, and easy to find. Check the freezer section for it; it’s sold in sheets that come in a narrow, rectangular box. Keep one in your freezer and you’ll always be prepared.” I found an organic version at the local organic grocery store which is great.
1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted
3 tbsps organic cane sugar
1 1/2 tbsps all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch allspice
1 pinch sea salt
2 to 3 apples, peeled and sliced thinly
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp soy milk
sugar, for sanding
Defrost the puff pastry according to package directions (it takes about 30 -40 minutes to defrost one sheet). Preheat oven to 375. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice and then coat with the dry spice mixture. Unfold the puff pastry and roll out. Place the apples in a line down the middle. Fold the dough over and tuck in the ends. Brush the strudel with soy milk and sand generously with sugar. Using a serrated knife, make several diagonal slashes in the strudel. Bake for 35 minutes until golden and puffy. Let cook for an additional 20 – 30 minutes before slicing, then serve.
Photo credit: Vicki Vegan
mashed cauliflower with shallots
May 29, 2010
As a rule I used to steam cauliflower and smoother it with cheese sauce, the way my grandmother and mother always used to make it. I tried this recipe the other day and the kids decided they prefer it. Phew! The sauteed shallots are key.
1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and chopped
2 tbsps olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
optional: grated parmigiano, asiago, or sharp cheddar cheese
1. Steam the cauliflower until very tender, ,about 7 minutes. Put in a shallow bowl and set aside.
2. Warm the oil in a small skillet on medium-high heat and saute the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper until the shallots have softened. Add to the bowl of cauliflower and mash with a potato masher. Stir in the scallions and parsley. Stir in the grated cheese, if desired.
quinoa and sweet potato
May 2, 2010
I was at my new favourite cafe the other day – it’s called The Rooster Coffee House and it’s fabulous. Well worth a trip to Riverdale if you’re in the general Toronto area. Anyhow, back on topic, I was sipping a soya milk latte with my mom and noticed in their stack of books the new Moosewood cookbook called Cooking for Health: more than 200 new vegetarian and vegan recipes for delicious and nutrient-rich dishes. Naturally I asked to borrow it. I posted their super yummy Pear and Thyme Vinaigrette the other day. Today I’m posting a quinoa and sweet potato dish that is pleasing to the eye, taste-buds, nose, soul, and stomach. You gotta try it out. And I just had it for lunch so I can testify to the fact that it’s as good, if not better, the next day so make lots.
3/4 cup quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups diced, peeled sweet potatoes
1 2/3 cups water
2 cups lightly packed finely chopped greens (chard, spinach etc.)
2 tbsps toasted pine nuts
1/4 currants
1 tbsp minced green onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper
1. Rinse and drain the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer to remove any residue of the grains’ bitter coating.
2. Warm the oil in a covered pan. Add the onions and salt and cook on low heat, stirring now and then, until the onions are transparent, about 8 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, water, and drained quinoa, cover, and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat. Stir well and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Just before removing from the heat, stir in the greens, pine nuts, currants, green onions, and lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
arugula with grilled asparagus pear and thyme vinaigrette
April 26, 2010
I just discovered this recipe in the (relatively) new Moosewood Cookbook called Cooking for Health. It was so good I made it two nights in a row and drizzled it liberally on an arugula salad with grilled asparagus and grilled pear. It’s sweet and thyme-y, and packed full of nutrients, particularly with the pear and apple sauce. The recipe calls for a raw pear, but since I was grilling pear for the salad anyway, I used grilled pear which was really nice – added sweetness with a little smokiness from the BBQ.
1 ripe pear, cored and chopped (and grilled)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
2 tbsps apple or pear juice (I used apple sauce)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp salt
generous dash of ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, pressed or minced
maple syrup (I used about 1 tbsp)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy. If the dressing is too thick, add a little water or juice. This dressing will keep in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. If the chilled dressing congeals, bring it to room temperature before serving.
beet potato and snow pea salad
April 17, 2010
IMPROMPTU BONUS on this lovely Saturday morning. I thought I was done posting today but I had a bunch of left-overs in the fridge that I wanted to use up and made this salad. It was so good I decided I had to share it with you. The greens are Greenbelt Farms Certified Organic Spring Pea Mix with Hong Vit and Pea Shoots. Wow. Definitely worth a trip to your local food shop, or the Greenbelt itself!
Left-over red beets
Left-over red potatoes
Left-over snow peas
Cut them up and throw them in a bowl.
Add
Spring greens
Chopped green onion
A yummy dressing of your choice
Sprinkle with Gomashio and some freshly ground pepper.
Presto. You’re done.
v:gourmet 
