everybody likes sandwiches

going, going, gone...

2008-05-06T08:57:00.003-07:00

Well, I'm off for about 10 days...hooray! While I'm off celebrating my birthday in primitive style (ie. camping), why not enjoy some old gems from my archives? All of these are from my first few months of blogging waaaay back in 2005. Enjoy!

Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Stew. This was my very first recipe (but not my first post on this here blog). I didn't have a camera back then, but trust me, it's a good recipe. Actually, it's a bit less freeform which really represents how I cook. Measuring? Me??

Strawberry Shortcake. How can you go wrong? It's spring, get out your strawberries!!

Couscous & Yam Salad. I make this all the time. It's awesome. Again, no photo but you get the idea.

Mint Ice Cream. Oh yeah, it's definitely getting warm out now and ice cream is pretty perfect for this time of year (any time of year, actually). We have an old-fashioned crank ice cream maker that was gifted to us as a wedding present. We make use of it often. It's hard work but the results are worth it.

2 kinds of pre-birthday cupcakes!

2008-05-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a little pre-birthday celebration with friends. Since I was going to be out of town on my actual birthday, I held a little fake birthday party last night that involved some yummy Jamaican food (and a whole lotta rum drinks) and a night of shuffleboard and good times at the ol' Legion. A good mix of veterans, hipsters, karaoke, shuffleboard, cheap drinks and good friends equals fun times for all! Of course there were 2 kinds of cupcakes made by yours truly. Cornelius and I strapped 2 containers full of the frosted treats on the back of our bikes and made the short 4 km trek with only a few face-planted cupcakes. I shrieked every time I could see a cupcake bounce up and over whenever Cornelius hit a bump in the road!

And how were the cupcakes? Delicious! I made 2 different kinds–a vegan spicy chocolate cupcake with a fluffy peanut butter frosting and a limoncello & coconut cupcake filled with lemon curd topped with a lemony buttercream. While it was hard to pick which cupcake I liked best, I'm definitely on the side of the lemon filled ones while Cornelius liked the spicy chocolate ones best. My friend Carley however thought they both were the best cupcakes she'd ever eaten. High praise indeed!

More on the spicy chocolate cupcakes below. For the lemon ones, I used a homemade limoncello that I had made to give as gifts at Christmas. I saved a bottle or two for myself, of course. If you don't have lemon liqueur on hand, you could use lemon juice, lemon oil or lemon extract to no ill effects. With the frosting, I'm not one to really measure things out. Just let your tastebuds and the resulting consistency be your guide. Buttercream is really easy to make so take my recipe as a guideline and make it work! The lemon curd was adapted from a recipe by Baking Bites. It was tart, lemony and tasted incredibly fresh. It was the perfect counterbalance to the sweet frosting.

limoncello & coconut cupcakes filled with lemon curd
½ c butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1½ cups ap flour
½ c shredded sweetened coconut
lemon zest from 2 lemons
1 t baking powder
¼ t salt
½ c milk
1 t limoncello

low fat lemon curd:
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
2 t fresh lemon zest
5 T sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 t vanilla extract

limoncello buttercream frosting:
½ c soft butter
3 c powdered sugar
2 t limoncello
2 t lemon juice
1 t vanilla

1. Prepare lemon curd by combining sugar, zest and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved completely. In a medium bowl, beat egg and slowly add lemon mixture in a slow stream over egg, whisking as you go. Whisk for 2 minutes and then strain mixture back into saucepan. Bring to a simmering boil, whisking constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool.

2. In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine flour, coconut, zest, baking powder and salt. Alternate between adding flour mixture to the butter mixture with the milk; adding the flour in 3 separate goes and the milk twice. Spoon into paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

3. When cupcakes are cool, use the cone method to fill them with lemon curd. The cone method involves cutting out a cone shape from the cupcake and filling them space with the curd. Remove the cone from the cut out piece and place the top back on the cupcake. It's easier than it sounds. For a picture description, check out master cupcaker, Chockylit.

4. For the frosting, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy, add in limoncello, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until fluffy, adding more sugar a spoonful at a time if needed to get correct consistency. Frost cupcakes and decorate as desired.

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The spicy chocolate cupcakes were just a riff off of the standard wacky (cup)cake recipe that I've made before. I just spiced these up with cinnamon, cayenne and a few other spices and decided to top off the whole thing with a peanut butter frosting. It was a match made in heaven as the spiciness of the cupcake worked deliciously with the fluffy peanut butter. Yummy.

spicy chocolate vegan cupcakes with peanut butter frosting
1½ c ap flour
1/3 c cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
½ t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
¼ t ground nutmeg
¼ t ground ginger
¼ t ground cardamom
1½ t cayenne pepper
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 c sugar
½ c canola oil
1 c cold coffee
2 t vanilla extract
2 T vinegar

peanut butter frosting:
2 T peanut butter
1 T agave syrup
½ c Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
2 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together from the flour to the sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the coffee, oil and vanilla. Dump the dry ingredients into the wet ones and mix until combined. Stir in the vinegar until the vinegar combines with everything. You'll see streaks from the vinegar which means the magic is working. Pour into paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

In a small saucepan, melt peanut butter and agave syrup over medium heat. Remove to cool slightly. Using a mixer, briskly beat margarine and sugar together until fluffy. Add in peanut butter mixture and vanilla. If necessary, whisk in more sugar to stiffen or some soy milk to thin slightly. Once the consistency is ideal and your cupcakes are completely cool, frost and decorate cupcakes.

tart it up: simple tomato phyllo tart

2008-05-02T08:58:00.006-07:00

A few months ago I bought some phyllo dough with the intention of creating something fantastic out of it. It languished in my freezer for quite a while before a near-empty fridge made the decision for me that it was time to play with that phyllo pastry. So with a bit of store bought pesto, a couple of beautiful looking tomatoes and more olive oil than I cared to admit, I turned that phyllo into a pretty stunning tomato tart.

Phyllo has a bad rap, but I'm here to dispel the myth. It's not hard to work with it. Really. Repeat it 5 times. Trust me. All you need to have a successful go is a damp tea towel and a bowl of olive oil–plus a pastry brush. Phyllo is thin and brittle and tears like a mofo but don't sweat it if your sheet of phyllo rips in two. No one is going to notice once it bakes up. It's very forgiving that way. However, phyllo does dry out quickly which is the reason for the damp towel, so cover up what sheets you aren't currently slathering olive oil onto and you'll do just fine.

As for my tomato tart? Totally impressive in taste and appearance. Cornelius wondered why I called it a tart when he figured it should be called a pizza. Whatever, I'm being fancy so tart trumps pizza. Serve this for guests and they'll think you pulled out all the stops, so just bow and accept your accolades. I just made it on a Sunday night when it was just the two of us watching a movie (Zodiac, btw, which was sooooo beautiful in terms of lighting and camera work and made me swoon, as did my eternal crush, Mark Ruffalo).

One more thing totally food unrelated, next week, I'll be taking a little birthday road trip to the wilds of central and north eastern Oregon. We'll be around Bend, the John Day area and the painted hills for some camping and hiking. If anyone has any good food recommendations or cute towns or great thrift shops we must stop at, fill me in! We'll also head to my favorite city, Portland, for a couple days as well. Send me your recommendations please!!

tomato phyllo tart
6-8 sheets of phyllo dough, defrosted if frozen
1/3 c really good olive oil
3 T pesto
4 farm fresh tomatoes, sliced thin
1 small red onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 bocconcini, sliced thin
1/3 c parmesan cheese
1/3 c fresh parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep your work area by making sure you have got your olive oil and pastry brush at hand. Oil up the bottom and sides of a baking sheet and then rinse a clean tea towel and squeeze it dry. Open up the phyllo package and unroll the sheets of dough. Remove 1 sheet and then immediately cover with damp towel. Place sheet on baking tray and brush with olive oil. Repeat until you have several layers for the base and create a rim along the sides by folding over the edges slightly. Wrap up tightly any unused portions of phyllo and return to the fridge for another use.

2. With the same brush used for the olive oil, brush on the pesto into an even, thin layer. Layer tomatoes over the pastry, followed by the onions and then sprinkle on the garlic. Add the bocconcini and parmesan and then top with parsley.

3. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until the phyllo turns golden and crispy. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into squares.

100 breakfast proof: pina colada fruit salad

2008-04-28T11:17:00.008-07:00

Pineapples are one of my favorite fruits. I love them plain, grilled or shoved into a burger. It doesn't take much to transform the pineapple into something special. When we were couch-surfing in Utrecht last September, our hosts had served pineapple tossed with fresh mint. That's it. It was a very memorable end to a great evening.

This morning I had a small pineapple that I had found on special for 99 cents in Chinatown. I also had some strawberries that were a little past their prime. So I cut them up and created a boozy syrup out of rum and honey and vanilla. A little shredded coconut sprinkled about and it was perfect! It lifted what could have been a ho-hum fruit salad into the realm of fancy pants-ness. The heady scent of rum, vanilla and coconut is seriously intoxicating without being down-right boozy. It definitely made my Monday morning, but it's more suited for a light summer dessert or weekend brunch item. This would be great with waffles, scones or pancakes or tossed with a bit of fresh mint or, oooh, even pistachios! Imagine the pineapple possibilities.

pina colada fruit salad
1 small pineapple, diced
1 basket of strawberries, sliced
3 T unsweetened angel flaked coconut
3 T honey
4 T amber rum (I used my favorite Appleton Estate from Jamaica)
1 t vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk together honey, rum and vanilla. Add fruit and coconut and toss. Serve in small bowls.

Want more pineapple recipes? Dig into my archives:
African yam & peanut soup
Ginger pineapple chicken
Jerk chicken pineapple skewers
Pineapple baked beans
Pineapple-coconut vegetable curry
Strawberry-pineapple popsicles

put the crack in cracker: chocolate-covered caramel crunch

2008-04-27T14:47:00.006-07:00

What more can be said about this super addictive snack (crack)? It's been written in about a hundred different places and it all started here. It's seriously good. Insanely addictive. Shall I go on?

The crazy thing about this candy is that it uses Matzoh crackers. For reals. The only Matzoh I had on hand was the ground up meal (perfect for making matzoh balls), but not so good for making candy. So I turned to the next best thing in my cupboards: Stoned Wheat Thins. I actually had to run to my cupboards to double check this and yes, they are indeed, labeled "stoned". The drug-addled theme of this post is not lost on me!

These are easy to make...in fact, too easy to make. No candy thermometer needed. Make a batch, share them with your friends and then pass along the recipe because they will ask for it. They taste like a homemade Skor bar and you'll find yourself going back for "just one more piece". Want to make this vegan? Get yourself some vegan crackers, some Earth Balance and your favorite vegan chocolate. Get hooked today!

chocolate-covered caramel crunch
enough crackers to line a baking sheet
1 c unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 c packed light brown sugar
big pinch of fleur du sel (optional)
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 c toasted coarsely chopped almonds

1. Line baking sheet with foil, making sure you have enough to create a tall rim around the pan. Line pan with crackers, breaking up pieces if you have to, to fill in any cracks. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together over medium heat. Stir frequently until the mixture begins to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add in vanilla. If you are using unsalted crackers, add in salt. Pour caramel over crackers and spread evenly with a silicone spatula.

3. Put the baking sheet in the oven, reducing heat to 350F. Bake for 15 minutes, watching carefully that the caramel does not burn.

4. Remove from heat and cover with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes until chocolate melts and then spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and fleur du sel or whatever toppings you desire. Let cool completely and then break into pieces, storing in an airtight container.

c'mon spring, let's get on with it! chicken pot pie with cheddar-biscuit topping

2008-04-21T11:58:00.006-07:00

April has been turning out to be a pretty crazy month. Not only are taxes due at the end of the month, but the weather which should be by all accounts spring-like and warm, is too damn chilly for my liking. On Friday evening it snowed (luckily it didn't stick) and there's a snow warning for tonight as well. Great. At least it's sunny which is about the only nice thing I can muster about the weather here in the mixed up Pacific Northwest.

So while I should be eating spring salads and going for bike rides in skirts, instead, I'm holed up in front of my computer catching up on work and trying to steer clear of the cold weather that will be with us for the next week. At least we have found a dream accountant, so that's one less April worry to have nagging at my tail. Another comfort is making a warm and hearty meal, which not only warms the kitchen but also the spirit. A pot-pie filled with chicken and vegetables and topped with flaky biscuits in April? Sign me up.

This would be really simple to make vegetarian or vegan by stripping out the chicken and cheese and using a non-dairy milk and margarine instead. Throw in some more vegetables or substitute for what you've got lagging about in your fridge. This is a really easy recipe to play around with and if you find that you need more liquid, add it! Not thick enough? Whisk in some more flour or make a slurry with cornstarch and dump it in. Despite it's humble beginnings, it's really an impressive dish. If the weather isn't giving you any love, let this pot pie do all the work.

chicken pot pie with cheddar-biscuit topping
1 small rutabaga, peeled & diced
2 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/4 t red chili flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried oregano
2 c mushrooms, halved or quartered
3 T flour
1 c mushroom broth
1/2 c milk
1 c frozen corn
2 c leftover chicken, chopped
salt & pepper

for biscuit topping:
2 c flour, plus more for work surface
2 1/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
salt & pepper
6 T cold butter, cut into small chunks
1/2 c yogurt
1/4 c milk
3/4 c shredded old cheddar cheese

1. In a medium sized saucepan, boil rutabaga until tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, add oil to heavy cast iron pot and saute onion, garlic and chili over medium heat until shiny. Add celery, thyme, oregano and mushrooms and saute until soft. Sprinkle vegetables with flour and stir until flour cooks, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, add corn, rutabaga and chicken and simmer until broth thickens, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

3. Preheat oven to 450°. Make topping by whisking together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. Cut in butter with a pastry knife until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized lumps. Add yogurt, milk and cheese and stir until just combined. With floured hands, knead dough against the side of the bowl until the mixture holds together. If it's sticky, knead in up to 1/4 cup more flour.

4. Drop small mounds of topping over chicken mixture and bake until brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

it's not delivery: deep dish skillet pizza

2008-04-18T09:33:00.004-07:00

When I told my husband that we'd be having pizza for dinner, he assumed we'd be ordering in some delivery. Nope, this was going to be the real deal with homemade crust and all. While I've made homemade pizza in the past, my dough usually comes from a bakery that does all the labour for me....I just need to let it rise, punch it down and stretch it out. Not too much hassle. But now that I've primed my yeast-baking skills, I figured it was time for me to branch out and bake a real pizza with real dough made from my 2 hands. Exciting times in this household!

I always thought making dough would be tough but really it's pretty simple. Just a few repetitive steps: stir, knead, rise, punch, knead...ta-da!! I had spotted a recipe for a deep dish sausage pizza in the Gourmet Cookbook (my go-to cookbook edited by my muse, Ruth Reichl), and decided that I'd create my own sauce and toppings but definitely follow the dough recipe step by step. While I followed the directions carefully, this dough was unlike any of the bakery dough that I had used in the past. While it was much easier to work with, it certainly wasn't as elastic and stretchy so that made me slightly fearful that I had somehow screwed up this pizza attempt. Luckily, the crust was perfect and even tastier than its bakery counterpart!

As for the toppings, I just went with what I had in the fridge. I love pineapple on pizza, but you could certainly substitute your favorite toppings to make the pizza of your dreams. Instead of mozzarella cheese, I used a farmer's cheese recommended to me by the proprietor of my favorite local Italian deli. He not only sold me some lean pancetta, but told me that the farmer's cheese would go great on pizza. It was perfect!

deep dish tomato, pancetta & pineapple skillet pizza
dough:
1/4 t sugar
1/2 c warm water (105° - 115°F)
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 1/2 c flour, plus additional for dusting
1/4 c cornmeal
1/2 t salt
1 T olive oil

topping:
1 T olive oil
1/4 c chopped pancetta (or bacon)
1 small onion, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 small can of diced tomatoes
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
salt & pepper to taste
1 c fresh pineapple, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1½ - 2 c grated farmer's or mozzarella cheese

1. Make the dough by stirring together the sugar, warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until the surface appears creamy. Add flour, cornmeal, salt and oil and stir until dough forms. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Dust occasionally with flour to prevent sticking.

2. Place dough in a large oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm location until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. While dough is rising, start making the sauce.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil and fry up pancetta. If you use a fatty pancetta or bacon, you may not need oil at all. Add in onion and turn down heat slightly, letting the onions get soft and slightly caramelized. Add in garlic, tomatoes, spices and salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 500°. Oil up a cast iron skillet. Punch down dough and knead 4 times. Press dough into oiled skillet with oiled fingers until it comes 2 inches up the sides and is an even thickness on the bottom. Let dough rise in a warm place for 15 minutes, covered loosely in plastic wrap.

5. Sprinkle dough with half of the cheese then top with tomato sauce. Evenly sprinkle pineapple and green pepper on top and then cover with remaining cheese. Bake for 12 minutes and then lower oven temperature to 400° and bake for 8 minutes more or until edges of crust are golden. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

crumb crazy: orange crumb cake

2008-04-13T12:23:00.006-07:00

I know, I know, I just made a pretty fantastic crumb coffee cake, so why would I try again after being so satisfied with that recipe? Well, it all came down to a trade. After a bout of wii boxing and the fact that at that moment, unbeknownst to me, I was coming down with the flu of a lifetime, my muscles were crying foul. I wanted a massage. My partner-in-crime wanted cake so a deal was struck. Turns out I may have had the best deal of all, since I got a fantastic massage and a share of the cake. Hey, I'm a believer that there is no such thing as too much cake.

And oh boy, oh boy, what a cake! Incredibly light textured—perhaps due to the fact that olive oil replaces stodgy butter in this recipe—and to what effect! Light as a feather, indeed. Plus, the orange flavour is bright and fresh and melds beautifully with the cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon. And did I mention that it's easy to boot? Yup, just take care to read over the recipe and reserve some of the dry mixture as the topping!

I'm still ravaged by the flu and I've lost my voice. And it's tee shirt weather now that spring has finally hit Vancouver...but I'm too sick to be outside to enjoy it. But at least I still have cake! Oh and if you are in sunny warm Vancouver today, be sure to stop by the I *heart* Crafts bazaar at 805 East Pender until 6pm in beautiful Strathcona. Althought I'm sick, my friend Mel has graciously offered to man my table. So stop by, purchase some handmade goods, and say hi!

orange crumb cake
2 c flour
1 1/2 c brown sugar
zest of 1 large orange
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cardamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 c olive oil
3 T orange juice

1 c yogurt
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a 8 or 9 inch round or square pan. Set aside.

2. Stir flour, sugar, orange zest and spices in a medium sized bowl. Add oil and orange juice and stir lightly until mixture forms clumps. Remove 1 cup of this mixture for the topping and set aside.

3. In another bowl, combine the yogurt, egg, vanilla, baking powder and baking soda until blended. Add the flour mixture to the yogurt mixture, stirring until batter is smooth.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan, and sprinkle with the reserved cup of topping. Bake for 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

build me up, buttercup: the best french toast ever

2008-04-07T14:31:00.001-07:00

It's been one of those crazy weeks. Work has pretty much swallowed me up whole and there's not much left of me for anything else. Not that I'm complaining because the work I'm doing is fun and exciting and I'm using all my skills and honing them into lean, mean machines. Which brings me to this post. French toast. I've been making it for years. As a kid, I would help my mom make it and when I got a little older, I took over the task. It's simple breakfast that almost seems too simple (which is probably why I've never posted a recipe for it here on this blog). I didn't think I had anything to learn about french toast.

I was wrong.

This Saturday morning french toast was on the agenda*, but I decided to go about things a bit differently. First off, I had some really, really wonderful day-old sourdough bread that I purchased from a little shop 3 blocks away. A sliced it up thick but instead of doing the same ol' dip and dunk into the egg mixture, I decided that this thick bread really deserved a good soaking. Once it had it's luxurious egg bath, I fried it up as usual, but decided to take extra care that it was cooked through by plopping the whole shebang onto a cookie tray and into the oven for a bit of solid heating. Little did I know that baking had the effect of puffing up the toast into wondrous bites of deliciousness hereby unknown to me! How could french toast — which has long been a breakfast staple, suddenly blossom into this sophisticated dish? Whatever happened, I can now call this the best french toast I have ever had the pleasure of eating. It's sweet and fragrant with cinnamon and vanilla and the smells coming from your oven will rouse the most sleepiest head. Divine!

thick cinnamon french toast (aka the best french toast ever)
1 small day-old sourdough loaf , sliced 1" thick
5 eggs
2 c skim milk
1 T vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1/4 c brown sugar
unsalted butter

Place sliced bread in a large baking tray. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients (not the butter!) until foamy. Gently pour egg mixture over the bread and let sit for 15 minutes. Turn bread over and let sit for another 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, melt 2 T of butter. Working in batches, add bread to skillet and cook until golden on both sides — about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheet and bake until french toast is slightly puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Serve with maple syrup or fresh berries.

* Uh, I don't have a breakfast agenda...but wouldn't it be wonderful if I did? Mmmmm.

midnight at the oasis: apple crumb coffee cake

2008-03-29T10:51:00.005-07:00

It's great to wake up and have breakfast ready and waiting. Last night I made this coffee cake that I saw on La Vie Cerise and decided that it would be perfect for a Saturday morning with a whole lot of coffee. And it was. The topping was plentiful and sweet and the apples scattered throughout the cake added just the right amount of tartness to balance everything out.

But the thing about baking this cake was that I started it quite late in the evening....after 1 am to be exact. And because it was so late, I wasn't in best form and I missed an ingredient—baking powder. I didn't realize it until I started typing out the recipe this morning. Doh! And since I'm in confession mode, I also over-baked this cake. I guess that's what happens when it's late and I'm not so focused. Oops! Not that you'd ever know it cuz this cake is good, miscalculations and all. So maybe my cake didn't rise very much and was a bit too golden, it was still a fantastic way to start the day along with a whole lot of strong coffee.

Want more? Why not head over to my latest post over at the Food Network Canada and say hi! Vancouver is quickly losing it's history in the rush to build up a condo or two (thousand) and this weekend marks the end of Wally's Burgers, a local burger joint. Read my write up on the Food Network Canada blog, Bazaar.

apple crumb coffee cake
1 1/2 c flour
2 1/4 t baking powder
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/2 c canola oil
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped

crumb topping:
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
2 T butter
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 c walnuts

Preheat oven to 400. Butter and flour an 8" round cake pan, shaking off any excess flour. Prepare crumb topping in a medium-sized bowl, crumbling mixtures with your fingers until it looks like crumbs. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add the wet to the dry and mix. Add in apples and stir until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and top with crumb mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool. Prepare a pot of your favorite coffee and go to town.

millet by a landslide: broccoli, chickpea & millet salad

2008-03-27T18:25:00.006-07:00

I love salads that are meals in their own right. And a salad that looks like springtime? Well, even better. Better because while the calendar says spring, the weather outside isn't co-operating. We have cherry blossoms but unfortunately, this week, we've had an attack of winter. Yesterday, we even had a brief hail storm! March came in like a lamb but is leaving with a lion's roar and I don't like it one bit.

But back to the springy salad. I made a stripped-down version of this salad from 101 Cookbooks a couple of weeks ago and loved it. Instead of quinoa, I used a new-to-me grain, millet. I wasn't sure I'd like the grain since while I like quinoa, I'm not mad about it. But there was no reason for me to be hesitant...because millet is the bomb. Way better than quinoa in my opinion and even Cornelius (who is a bonefide quinoa-hater) loved this salad too. Millet has a great texture and a really great flavour. This time around, I made the salad with broccoli and liked the results even better. It makes a great lunch and is quite simple to put together. The lemon-tahini dressing has a nice bite and helps to bind everything together in a nice flavourful package. So not only does this salad look pretty on a plate it tastes delicious too.

broccoli, chickpea & millet salad with tahini-lemon dressing
1 c millet
2 c water
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 red onion, finely diced
zest of 1 lemon
romaine lettuce leaves, torn or spring mix baby greens

dressing:
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T tahini
3 T olive oil
1 T hot water (more if necessary)
juice from 1 small lemon
salt & pepper

1. Toast millet in a small saucepan until it starts to crackle. Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and let simmer until water evaporates.

2. Steam broccoli until bright green, drain and rinse under cold water. Add chickpeas, broccoli, red onion and millet into a large bowl and toss.

3. Make dressing by combining all ingredients, adding more hot water if necessary to get proper dressing consistency. Add half of dressing to millet mixture and blend.

4. Add a base of lettuce or baby greens on each serving plate and add a few large spoonfuls of the millet mixture over top. Drizzle with remaining dressing and add a sprinkling of lemon zest for colour.

happy easter: hot cross buns with cinnamon icing

2008-03-23T12:36:00.010-07:00

I grew up eating hot cross buns at Easter. My mom would come back from the grocery store with a bag filled with a double layer of 8 hot crossed buns. We'd heat them up in the oven for a few minutes and then eat the warm buns for breakfast. The only thing I hated about the buns was that they were always studded with candied fruit, which I'd pick out and leave on my plate in a little heinous pile. Candied fruits are the roots of all evil and I had no idea why someone would sully a perfectly good treat with those little bites of raunch.

I haven't had a hot cross bun in years and while strumming through an old Betty Crocker kid's cookbook that I had thrifted ages ago, I came across a perfect recipe. Why was it so perfect? Well, truth is, I'm intimidated by baking with yeast. I don't know why, but somehow I associate baking bread with serious devotion....an undertaking I didn't feel quite ready to tackle. Until now. I mean, this recipe is meant to be made by children, so really, how hard can it be? I felt perfectly at home trying this recipe instead of one I had been eying for years which seemed too complex and frightening for a newbie like me.

For a greenhorn, I chose right. It may not be as authentic as Delia's, but my hot cross buns were delicious (my husband called them delectable) and I was able to get over my fear of baking with yeast in one fell swoop. They were light and crispy on the outsides just out of the oven and the icing I doctored with vanilla and cinnamon was the perfect accompaniment. Plus, the best part was that I subbed out those nasty candied fruits with fresh orange zest to wonderful effect! The fruity orange essence was present without those god-awful bitter vile beasties. Oh yah, let my bread baking adventures begin! It's on, bitches.

hot cross buns with cinnamon icing
1 c warm water (not too hot)
1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 T sugar
2 1/4 c flour
1 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
2 pinches nutmeg
1 egg
2 T butter, softened
1/2 c raisins
zest from 1 orange

icing:
2 heaping T icing sugar (powdered sugar)
a drop or two of milk
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon

1. In a mixing bowl, disolve yeast into water and stir in sugar. Wait until the yeast doubles in volume (this is called proofing the yeast - if it doesn't, you've got bum yeast. Try again with another packet). Stir in half of the flour, salt and spices. Add in egg and butter and mix well. Add in rest of the flour along with the raisins and zest and beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover the bowl with a cloth, letting rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

2. Oil up a large muffin tin and set aside. Stir down the batter and spoon dough into prepared muffin cups filling half full. Cover tin with cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, another 30 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 15 minutes or so until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

3. Prepare frosting by mixing together icing sugar with a few drops of milk and vanilla. Stir in cinnamon, adding another droplet of milk if necessary to get a smooth, creamy consistency. When buns have cooled, use a spoon to drizzle icing over the buns forming a cross. Place on a plate to catch any drippings.

bakery hack: smart cookies

2008-03-20T00:19:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite cookies is the Power Cookie sold at Capers Markets around town. It's freaking delicious and it's filled with all kinds of nuts and seeds and other good things. After devouring one quickly on the street, I decided to head home and see if I could recreate the cookie on my own. It turned out I did a pretty good job hacking out what I thought went into each bite. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo, as I made these cookies as a gift and mailed them out before I had a chance to start snapping. I hope my drawing of these 100% vegan treats will convince you that this recipe really is fantastic!

The cookies are filling and with all of that good stuff crammed in, I certainly wouldn't be adverse to calling these a breakfast cookie! While the ingredient list is long, these are simple to put together and they bake up really well too. If you don't have applesauce on hand, but you do have an apple, just make your own sauce. One large apple should do it.

These cookies aren't cakey or crisp but they are definitely chewy and hearty. Don't worry about the chocolate messing up your healthy eating plans, cuz after all, isn't chocolate good for you? I think so.

smart cookies
1 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 c oat bran
1 c raisins
1/2 c coconut
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c walnuts, broken
1/2 c sesame seeds
1/4 c flax seeds
1/2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 large pinch each nutmeg + cardamom
1 t vanilla
1/2 c applesauce
1/2 c maple syrup
1/2 c brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix up everything from the flour on down to the nutmeg/cardamom. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Add the dry to the wet and mix well.

Roll a tablespoon of the mixture into your hand and then flatten. Place on a silpat covered cookie sheet and bake for 14 minutes or until the tops feel dry. Let rest on cookie sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in a covered tin.

hide under a blanket of this: colcannon with leeks

2008-03-14T15:48:00.005-07:00

Today kind of sucks. It's grey outside and I feel sluggish. Spending the rest of the day under a heavy wool blanket pulled over my head is pretty tempting right now. Instead, I'll write about this dish I made a couple of weeks ago. Just looking at it is almost enough to pull me out of the doldrums....almost.

Colcannon also known as bubble n' squeak is pure comfort food...potatoes and cabbage and a nice amount of butter to make the lumps go down easy. I decided to play with the good ol' Irish standby of Colcannon and its close relative Champ (which is potatoes mixed with chives or green onions) which have the onion-y bite that I love. For the onion-y bits, I used leeks instead seeing that it's a good, solid winter vegetable and can be found cheap and plentiful this time of year in local markets. I also never peel potatoes because I love that extra texture (and nutrients!) from the skin. Plus, since I used red potatoes, the jackets make the dish extra pretty.

Now, this should be a side dish served alongside of some sausages or roast chicken. But not for me. I like a mound of this served in a bowl, no other supplements needed. Like I said before, this is comfort food and for me, eating this along while watching some trashy television (like ANTM, for instance) is like being huddled under a giant woolen blanket. It's good company for the blahs.

colcannon with leeks
4 red skinned potatoes, cut into quarters
1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced
1 leek, (white and pale green parts only), cut into slices
1 c whole milk
4 T butter
salt & pepper

In a medium pot, boil up the potatoes. Meanwhile, combine milk, cabbage, leeks, half the butter, salt and pepper into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cabbage is soft, about 15 minutes. When the potatoes are fork tender, drain well and add to the cabbage mixture. Mash with a potato masher, adding in remaining butter and more salt & pepper if necessary. Dim the lights, turn on the television and hunker down with a ol' big bowl full.

stank you very much: spicy tofu with shiitake mushrooms

2008-03-10T17:27:00.001-07:00

Sorry for all of this quiet on the blog front, but this past weekend my little brother got all married up in a small and beautiful ceremony. This was also the weekend that a crazy snow storm hit Southwestern Ontario. Luckily we flew in Thursday afternoon when the weather was still clear and while our Friday drive from Toronto to London, Ontario took 4 hours instead of the normal 2 hours, we arrived safe and sound. Our flight heading back to Vancouver was delayed for a little bit on Sunday night, but we made it back to balmy Vancouver temperatures no worse for wear.

A little jet-lag aside, I'm posting a recipe I made a couple of weeks ago. This year, I've decided to to try new things. My eggplant recipe from last month is one such example...I tried it and hey, I liked it! This meal is another kick in the pants for me: dried mushrooms. Normally, I'm not a fan but I came across this recipe on Epicurious and decided to take another look. I played with the ingredients to suit what I had on hand and lucky me, this meal was amazing served over brown rice.

Now if you think that conquering this fear was a breeze, I assure you it was not. Cutting up the rehydrated mushrooms was a painful process because no one told me that dried mushrooms have a very earthy nasty stank. It was so pungent that I almost didn't go through with it....but like any trooper, I forged ahead. When the meal was ready to eat, I made Cornelius (also a mushroom hater) try the first bite. He liked it...so I cautiously dug in too. Thankfully, this was amazingly yummy! It was spicy, vegan and delicious and it tasted like a great meal from my favorite Chinese restaurant. While the recipe list looks long, it's actually pretty quick to whip up once the mushrooms have soaked. Stank or no stank, I'm making this recipe again!

spicy tofu with shiitake mushrooms
20 dried shiitake mushrooms
3 c boiling water

1 c vegetable broth
2 T soy sauce
1 T white wine vinegar
2 t agave nectar (or honey)
1 T cornstarch
a few grinds of freshly ground pepper

2 T canola oil
1 package of extra-firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 leek (white and pale green parts only), cut into slices
2 T black bean sauce
2 T minced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 t chili-garlic sauce

1. Place mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 2 hours, drain and remove stems. Slice caps and set aside.

2. Prepare sauce by mixing the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and honey together. Whisk in the cornstarch until blended.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large skillet or wok and stir fry the tofu until golden brown. Remove from the pan. Heat the remaining oil in pan and stir fry the mushrooms for a couple of minutes until brown. Add in leeks, ginger, garlic and black bean sauce and stir to coat mushrooms. Add back in tofu and pour in sauce. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

balls! balls! balls! buckeyes and snowballs for all!

2008-03-04T10:39:00.007-08:00

My friend just had her birthday a little while ago and because I got sick and then she got sick, I haven't gotten around to passing along her gifts yet. Tonight the hand-off will take place, barring any unforseen sicknesses! After wondering what to give as a special vegan birthday treat, I decided to make 2 different kinds of uber-yummy balls.

Buckeyes are an insanely addictive peanut butter and chocolate confection that I had seen on my friend's flickr stream. When I googled for the recipe, a ton of variations came up, so I decided to forge ahead and give it a go, cutting back the amount of sugar and butter, along with making it vegan-friendly. Most recipes call for rice krispies but I only had Vector (which is my favorite store-bought cereal because of the cinnamon and crunch, by the way) and it worked out really really well. If I make these again (and Cornelius totally wants me to), I'll add in even more cereal just for more of a crunch. Beware, besides being super addictive, they are also kinda melty, so keep in the fridge and don't eat outside in the hot sun or you'll be a tasty delicious mess.

The next kind of vegan ball (hee hee), is a recipe I found tucked into an old thrifted vintage cookbook. The kind of found hand-written note that someone used as a bookmark. I love it for that reason alone! Besides turning this recipe into one a vegan could love, I also cut the recipe in half because it was a gift and I didn't want to end up eating the leftovers all myself! Feel free to double this recipe as it was meant to be. These aren't super sweet which is nice but you can definitely use sweetened coconut if you want a sweeter flavour. I added in some chopped almonds, but any kind of nut or dried fruit (or not!) would do.

peanut butter buckeyes
1/4 c Earth Balance margarine
1 3/4 c natural crunchy peanut butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 c of crispy cereal (I used Vector)
1 c semi sweet chocolate

1. Get your margarine and peanut butter to room temperature and combine them, adding in the powdered sugar. Stir well. Crush cereal with your hands (oh the power!) and mix them in too. If you aren't using a flake cereal, you may not need to crush (poor you). Roll mixture into balls and freeze.

2. Melt chocolate in microwave and roll each ball in the melted chocolate and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze until firm. Store in sealed container in the fridge.

coconut snowballs
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c Earth Balance margarine
1 t vanilla
1/4 c cocoa
1/4 c almond milk
1/2 c shredded coconut (plus more for snowy coating)
1/4 c chopped almonds
1 1/2 c oats

1. In a medium sized pot, combine the sugar, margarine, vanilla, cocoa and almond milk over medium-high heat until everything is melted and comes to a simmering boil. Let boil for 3 minutes and remove from heat.

2. Add in the coconut, almonds and oats and stir well. If it's a bit too wet, add in a bit more coconut. When cooled slightly, take a tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball.

3. Add coconut to a plate and roll ball into it...creating the look of a "snowball". Store balls in a sealed container and refrigerate.

friday supper: salmon patties with dandelion greens

2008-03-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

When we were growing up, Fridays meant fish to my Catholic parents. And usually, that meant croquettes which my mom used to eat growing up in Quebec. It involved a can of salmon, mashed potatoes and some salt and pepper that was shaped into patties, covered in breadcrumbs and then fried in butter. We would eat it with a blob of mayo and some salad. I was never crazy about the croquettes but always made sure that I had the correct ratio of mayo to each patty...enough mayo to cover the croquette but not too much to make it look like frosting.

I haven't eaten canned salmon since those days, but when I spotted some "ecologically sound" wild canned salmon on sale, I decided to throw a can into my shopping basket. Originally, I was thinking croquettes but didn't have any mashed potatoes, so I made due with what I had in the cupboard and the results turned into a pretty delicious dinner. The patties were flavourful and tangy due to the capers. These would have made pretty great salmon burgers too topped with mayo or tartar sauce and a bun, but we just ate them with some boiled red potatoes and dandelion greens.

I had never cooked with dandelion greens before but when I saw some at the store I picked some up. They are definitely bitter greens and next time I think I'll try them sauteed instead, but I also quite enjoyed this salad. The heat of the dressing didn't wilt the leaves like I had expected them too, but the crunch of the walnuts, the sweetness of the raisins and the tang of the vinegar worked wonders with the bitter greens.

salmon patties
1 can of salmon, undrained
3 T panko crumbs
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T capers
1 t dried dill
1 t sweet paprika
salt & pepper
1 egg
1 T flour

Combine all ingredients, mashing everything together with a fork until well blended. Form into balls and flatten into patties. Fry in a bit of oil until golden brown on both sides. Serve with boiled potatoes and dandelion salad or eat like burgers on a bun served with tarter sauce.

dandelion greens with hot balsamic dressing
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 T toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 c raisins
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t sugar
salt & pepper
1 pound dandelion greens

1. Remove tough stems from dandelion greens, wash, dry and tear greens. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

2. In a skillet, heat olive oil, walnuts and garlic until hot, but do not let the garlic get brown. Add in raisins and stir until they are plump. Remove from heat, adding in balsamic vinegar and sugar. Whisk in salt and pepper and pour over greens, tossing until everything is well coated.

don't belive the hype: pasta with 2 sauces

2008-02-26T19:18:00.006-08:00

There's a lot of hoopla regarding pasta with vodka cream sauce. Some say it's the cure for what ails your pathetic love life, others say it's gonna get you hitched and the rest think it's just about the best pasta sauce ever. Meh, I'm not convinced. I mean, I love vodka, I love cream and pasta holds a special place in my heart, but I don't think this sauce is the be-all-end-all of anything. It's good, it's simple and it's rich, but I'm certainly not going to drop my drawers after a bowl of this.

I made this pasta with vodka cream sauce a little while ago after consulting various recipes and creating one of my own. Not surprisingly, my husband loved it. Maybe there is something about it working it's way into a gentleman's heart, but for me, I like something a little more complex in flavour. So the next time we ate pasta, I used the rest of the farfalle box and created something that I thought was ten times more delicious. It didn't leave me hot and bothered either, but it was simple, tasty and oh so fine. I wish I could have snapped a photo but it was gobbled up way too quickly. 2 recipes, 1 box of pasta. Take your pick.

pasta with vodka cream sauce
2 T unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 t red pepper flakes
1/2 c vodka
1 small tin of diced tomatoes
1 c heavy cream
3/4 c parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
250 grams farfalle or other short pasta

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and saute onions, garlic and chili until soft, about 20 minutes. Add in vodka and tomatoes and let everything come to a nice slow boil so that it bubbles but doesn't splatter and go nuts. Pour in cream and turn down to a simmer.

2. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions.

3. When pasta is done, drain but reserve a little of the pasta water. You may need to add more water to the sauce if it's too dry. Use your judgement. Gently add pasta to skillet and stir in cheese, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Stir pasta well to coat, reducing some of the sauce if necessary or adding in some pasta water if it's too dry. Serve in large bowls with parsley and extra parmesan cheese, if desired.

.........................................................................

lemon sauced pasta with ham and peas
2 T butter
2 T grapeseed oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t red pepper flakes
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1/4 c diced ham
1/2 c frozen peas
salt & pepper
250 grams farfalle or other short pasta
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

When pasta is almost ready, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet, melt butter and oil over medium heat, adding in garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant but not brown. Add in lemon zest and juice and about 1/3 cup of pasta water. Reduce slightly and stir in cream, ham, peas and pasta. Add parmesan cheese and parsley and stir. Add more pasta water if necessary. Salt and pepper as needed.

on the mend: red lentil soup with lemon

2008-02-24T12:30:00.010-08:00

Last week I was illin', through and through. I had lost my voice and was pretty much a sad sack of sickness. On Thursday night I couldn't make it to a business dinner we had planned with some new clients, but when Cornelius returned empty handed from the meeting, I was pretty peeved. What kind of husband would forget to pick up a burrito or a can of soup for his sickly wife left at home. Uh, that would be mine. True he's my favorite person in the whole wide world, but that night, he held his head in shame.

In order to get back in good graces, I told him that he would have to make it up to me by making some homemade soup. I picked out a recipe that I had been eying for a little while and he eagerly took up the challenge. Despite the ease of this recipe, it was quite an undertaking for someone who didn't know where the lentils were kept or what pot to use. My husband, as sweet as he is, does not cook. At all. He can make toast and eggs and hot dogs, and once he made me a birthday cake, but he doesn't know his way around a kitchen. As Cornelius got down to it, he would call out questions and I'd answer where the cumin was kept and where to find the tube of tomato paste. I don't know if he really enjoyed the whole process, but he really did enjoy using the new y-peeler he had gotten me as a stocking stuffer at Christmas time. In fact, instead of dicing up the carrots, he just shredded carrot ribbons into the pot. It turned out to be a nice touch, too!

Regardless of his kitchen ineptitude, this soup turned out terrific. It had a nice bite from the lemon and it was full of flavour. And those carrot ribbons, brilliant! In fact, I'll credit this soup with getting me back on the mend. My cold is pretty much shaken, my husband is back in the good books and hey, it looks like spring is finally here on the west coast! I took a walk yesterday and the cherry blossoms are out and isn't that a wonderful thing?

Recipe adapted from Scott over at Sugar and Lard.

red lentil soup with lemon
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 T tomato paste
2 t ground cumin
1/4 t kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 t cayenne powder
1/2 t mexican chili powder
4 c vegetable broth
1 c red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled into shreds
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large heavy pot and saute garlic and onions until wilty. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne and chili powder until fragrant. Pour in broth, red lentils and carrots. Simmer until lentils and carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Add lemon juice and parsley and serve in deep bowls.

curry in a hurry: curried red lentil stew with chickpeas and rainbow chard

2008-02-22T09:28:00.003-08:00

I made this dish last week when I was doing a lot of running around. I was out of the house most nights and did not spend a lot of time cooking, opting for days of adventure and fun instead of looking through cupboards for dinner. It was fine with me at the time, but now I'm paying for it in the worst way. I'm sick. My voice is gone and despite all the sunshine Vancouver has had in the last week, I couldn't go out and enjoy any of it!

So despite that this meal is hearty, nutritious and good for you, it still didn't save me from the flu — but don't let that be a deterrent in any way. I certainly don't hold a grudge and I'll be making this meal again as it was a simple dinner to prepare and it filled the kitchen with a wonderful aroma. When my husband walked in the door, he wanted to know what we'd be eating since it smelled so great. Lucky for us, this meal not only smelled amazing but it tasted better.

The wonderful thing about stews is that they are easy to mess with. Don't have chard? Try spinach or kale instead. I think some diced butternut squash or yams would lend a touch of sweetness to this dish that would really take this dish up a notch. Quick, easy and packing a wallop of flavour, it makes a great meal alongside a bowl of brown rice.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

curried red lentil stew with chickpeas and rainbow chard
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 heaping T of a medium-spiced curry paste
1/2 t dried red chili flakes
5 1/2 c vegetable broth
2 c red lentils
1 large bunch of rainbow chard, tough stalks removed, coarsely chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained

In a large pot, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in curry paste and dried chilies and stir until well blended. Add broth and chard and bring to a boil. Add lentils and turn down heat to a simmer, adding the chickpeas to the mix. Cover and stir occasionally until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Serve over brown rice and top with yogurt, if desired.

my prince charming: bitter orange ice cream

2008-02-19T12:45:00.000-08:00

I'm sure I've gushed again and again how much I love Sour. Sweet is nice, but sour is where it's at in my book. Soon after I started getting interested in food as more than just "what's for dinner" kind of thinking, I had heard about Seville oranges: the sourest of all oranges. It became a bit of a quest, my holy grail, to find a Seville orange. No matter where I looked, I couldn't find a trace of that sour orange. I searched in high-end markets in February (the month when Sevilles are supposedly in store) with no luck. But then last week, after walking down Main Street in search of a pretty skirt, I lucked into a unassuming Asian market where the sign "Marmalade Oranges" caught my eye. Yes, I had finally struck Seville gold!

So I bagged up nearly a dozen oranges and made my way over to the house of a nearby friend who is also a bit of a sour fiend. We cut open the orange and checked it over. It had a very thick rind and a huge amount of seeds, but the essence of orange was strong. We cut a small segment each and sucked on it, laughing at our puckered reactions! Holy Sour Nirvana!! While we quickly decided that the Seville orange isn't meant to be eaten out of hand, I started thinking up all kinds of things I could do with them. A great orangeade and a vinaigrette, for sure, but when I got home, I hopped on my computer and Google found the perfect recipe for me. Yes, another Nigella Lawson recipe with the enchanting (at least to me) name, Bitter Orange Ice Cream.

The best thing about this ice cream is that you don't need an ice-cream maker or any special stirring techniques. Nope, just whip it and freeze it and a few hours later you have creamy frozen goodness. While this certainly isn't traditional ice cream per se, it does scoop up nice into a firm little ball which is perfect for serving in a martini glass or in a dainty vintage sundae cup. If it were the season for fresh strawberries, I'd suggest eating it over a bowlful of those, but it is almost as nice to eat plain out of a bowl or atop a chocolate wafer.

This is a very rich dessert, so I'd suggest keeping serving sizes small but I certainly wouldn't be against walking by the freezer with a spoon in hand in case of ice cream emergencies. I didn't adjust or tweak the proportions in the original recipe one bit. It's perfect as it is with the nicest balance of sweet and sour. And if you don't have a Seville at hand, use 1 orange and 2 limes to make up the difference.

bitter orange ice cream
3 Seville oranges, or 1 navel orange and 2 limes
1 c + 2 T confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 c heavy cream

Zest and juice the oranges and place in a large metal bowl. Stir in sugar, mixing to melt. Add in heavy cream and whip until soft peaks form. Pour mixture into a lidded shallow container and freeze for at least 3-4 hours until firm. Remove from freezer and let stand for 15 minutes to soften slightly. Use an ice cream scoop to make small balls and serve over fruit salad or eat with chocolate wafers. Or just stroll by the freezer with a spoon and dig in.