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.
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.
rice barley and quinoa salad with cranberries and nuts
January 3, 2010
I made up this recipe based on a few I’ve eaten when I’m out and about. I’m really happy with it. You can add more or less dressing depending on your preference. It makes quite a heap so unless you’ve got lots of mouths to feed, are cooking for a potluck, or would like it to last you several days, half the recipe.
1 cup mixed wild rice, cooked
1 cup barley, cooked
1 cup black quinoa, cooked
2 tbsps olive oil
5 celery stalks, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
1 bulb fennel, chopped
1 – 2 cups pumpkin seeds (roasted tamari pumpkin seeds are nice)
3/4 cup of dried cranberries
bunch of green onion, chopped
bunch of parsley, chopped
bunch of cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsps grainy Dijon mustard
1 tbsp grated ginger
dash maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
Cook the grains and then set aside to let cool. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add celery, carrot, and fennel and sauté until cooked through to desired consistency. When cooked, mix grains, vegetables, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, green onions, and herbs in a large bowl. Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients well. Add dressing to the salad and serve.
v:gourmet 
