food blogger, gardener, rambunctious coffee fanatic
Viewing entries in
Cuisine
Polenta has a reputation of blandness. It's a well earned reputation, so you have to build flavour into the dish.
First, bring salted water to a boil. You can also use veg stock to provide more taste. Polenta varies in terms of firmness. Since this will be fried, this dish needs enough cornmeal so that it's not porridge.
Slowly add the cornmeal to the boiling water while stirring. Or, if you're crazy enough to try to hold a camera and take photos while cooking, you'll need to whisk the mixture to remove the lumps. Boil for about a minute or two, until it's thick and begins to "blurp." Then allow to cool and set firm.
Once cooled, remove from the pan and slice into workable chunks. (It helps to wet the knife before cutting.) Sear both sides of the polenta in olive oil.
Garnish and serve with flavourful pairings. I chose the creamy sharpness of goat cheese; the also tangy, yet sweet, aged balsamic; savoury, bright tomatoes and the mildly pungent thyme.
This can easily be made vegan by substituting or omitting the chèvre. Mixed olives would be an ideal alternate.
One of the most simple and tasty foods I sampled in Turkey: Bulgar. It's a type of wheat that's been parboiled and dried. There are several ways to prepare it, but my favourite dish was a simple vegetable and bulgar casserole.
It's fairly easy to make and it's delicious. Start an assortment of veg. I used carrots, onions, peppers and sauteed them for just a bit of colour. Then puree them with a can of stewed tomatoes. Add seasoning: salt or soy sauce - something to give it a good savour.
I rinsed the bulgar and added the wheat to the veg puree and simmered the mixture until thickened. It's ready when the wheat is tender - like brown rice.
This is a perfect dish for chilly evenings and is full of vegetables, fibre and energy.
Yes, this is an over-the-top dessert. But it's a fun splurge for Valentine's Day.
These are actually fairly easy to make. You just need chocolate and fresh strawberries. To make it awesome, you'll need GOLD! You can find it on the Amazon:
First, you'll need a double boiler. Or, if you haven't got one, use a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
Choose any chocolate you like, but keep in mind, there are differences. I chose a vegan and gluten free dark chocolate. If you use candy-melts, you needn't worry about tempering the chocolate. Also, if you want a softer paste-like chocolate, you can skip tempering as well. ***
Wash and dry the strawberries and dip them in that magnificent cocoa puddle. Be sure to place them on a nonstick surface to cool: parchment paper or a silicon mat.
When you're done with the strawberries, take the remaining chocolate and stir in a bit of almond/soy milk. This will make the ganache. Place the ganache in a piping bag and pipe any desired decorations or patterns.
Then, the magic. While the ganache is still soft, delicately add the the gold.
Let them cool and enjoy! Admit it, if your sweetheart served you with gold-adorned, chocolate-covered strawberries it'd be a winning endeavour.
*** What is tempering? That's a medium-long story. For details, check out the "How To Cook That" video on chocolate tempering: While you're there, Subscribe!
The perfect thing for a weekend breakfast: Scones! And, I have a recipe, for once:
I made this using the biscuit ratio recipe: 1 part fat:3 parts flour:2 parts liquid. I used: unrefined coconut oil (100g), a mix of spelt flour & shredded coconut (300g), almond milk with a smidgen of blood-orange juice (200ml). To complete the mix, add a bit of sugar (50g), salt (.5t), orange zest and baking powder (1T).
Be sure to cut the fat into the dry ingredients and then mix in the liquid - but, don't over mix! Then, form the dough onto a parchment lined pan. Or, they can be cut like traditional scones.
They're delicious on their own, but they're amazing with a marmalade syrup. It's easy to make with equal portions of sugar, orange juice and zest. Boil to ~225F for a thick syrup.
I found myself with a dozen blood oranges. Although their flavour is very traditionally orange, their colour is is the novelty. I worked these oranges into several culinary preparations. The first, was a delicious tropical smoothie.
I started with some classic tropical flavours: banana, orange and pineapple. I added almond milk and a bit of ice.
Blend it up! Use a high-powered blender to ensure no chunks.
Garnish with sweeetened coconut and serve. A tasty and healthy way to experience the tropics - even if you're stuck in the dead of winter.
So, the sports are going to sport soon... apparently in a bowl. I don't understand sports-games, but apparently the event requires snacks. This recipe is straight from one of Byron Talbott's videos. Watch it, and while you're there, Subscribe!
Byron also provides measurements... and I'm still trying to learn how those measury things work.
The basic steps are:
Experiment with the thickness of the potato slices. Paper thin chips are like pointy clouds that shatter on your tongue whereas thicker chips have a sturdy, hearty crunch.
It looks like an underbaked cannelé. That's because I tried making cannelés in a silicone "pan" and it was a disaster. So, I whipped up a plain vanilla-orange sponge cake and baked it in the same mould.
Other than cake baking, it's fairly simple to prepare:
All that's left to do is pile that deliciousness on a plate.
Richly flavourful, this dish packs lots of energy and fibre. Although mung beans are generally available at most Asian grocers, they're not the most common legume. They are, however, a delicious base for this curry-like recipe.
Start by rinsing the beans and adding equal portions of mung bean and water to a large saucepan and set on the heat. Salt the water gently - season it, but remember that it will need to be adjusted near the end of the cooking process, so don't go wild with the salt. While waiting for the beans to start boiling, prepare the curry. Ginger is the dominant flavour. To round out the curry flavour profile, you'll need a bit of garlic, chili pepper(s) and a medium tomato. Place these ingredients in a blender with a can of coconut milk. Blend until smooth.
Once the beans have started boiling, add the curry to the pan. Return the mix to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer.
While the curried beans are simmering away, prepare the rice as directed by the packaging. Simply, add a bit of salt and a half-handful of shredded unsweetened coconut when the rice starts cooking. So easy! There are a couple different types of black rice. I used Forbidden Rice for this meal.
When the beans are tender, they're done cooking. Be sure to season with salt according to your taste.
A tasty sweet that's gluten free and vegan.
I started with the walnut-oat pastry dough that I typically use for crackers and pie crust. Roll, cut and place in a spring-form pan. I pre-baked the crust at 375F for ~20 minuted. In the mean time, I prepared the filling: equal parts water and cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, brown sugar and vanilla. Then, peel and slice the pears.
Fill the pans with the custardy mixture and arrange the pears. Resume baking for another 20 minutes. Allow them to cool and brush with pastry glaze - strained apricot jam. Complete the dish with raspberries and sliced almonds.
It's got a good taste, but it's really heavy. I think it would take on a new, lighter dimension by replacing some water with a bit of raw pear in the custard.
A quick and easy way to make sprouts delicious.
First, halve the sprouts and remove the scruffy outer leaves. Then, mix coconut milk, curry powder and salt. This imparts a spicy richness to the dish. Pour the mix over the Brussles sprouts and arrange on a baking tray. Make it easy to tidy up by lining the tray with parchment paper. I like to put these cabbage-wannabes in a cold oven and preheat to 400F - this cooks them quickly and browns the sprouts.
Serve with ginger coconut rice. Simply add ginger, unsweetened coconut flake and a smidgen of coconut milk to rice and prepare as normal.
A bright coloured dessert for celebrating the New Year. Whipped cream and angel food cake provide a visual contrast and taste complement for the pomegranate.
For a richer dessert, use a chocolate sauce (melted chocolate and cream - or non-dairy milk).
Start with fresh pomegranate and extract the juice. I used a ricer: Good Grips Ricer
The crust is made from ground almonds, walnuts, pecans and oats. Add in a bit of cocoa powder and sugar to make it delightful.
Press the crust into a tarte pan and bake for half an hour. Allow to cool while preparing the filling.
Melt the chocolate - non-dairy dark chocolate - and add a slash of milk and coconut oil. Once melted, stir in an assortment of roasted nuts. I used cashews, pecans, pistachios and hazelnuts. Finally top it with select nuts, coconut flakes and Himalayan pink salt.
Once it's chilled, it's ready to devour!
This amazingly creamy, yet vegan, soup is the perfect thing for a cold winter's day.
First, remove the woody ends of the asparagus; slice the shallots, the leek and crush the garlic. Since it's all getting blended, precision isn't essential. Beth Le Manach, an inspirational chef, shares her secret for ultra creamy soup - a medium-large potato.
Saute the shallots, garlic and leek, giving them a bit of colour. Then, add in water, the potato and bring to a boil. After 5 minutes of ferocious boiling, add in the chopped asparagus stems, reserving several of the tips for garnish. Boil another 5 minutes, or until the potatoes and asparagus is completely tender. Blend it up and flavour with a squeeze of lemon.
I first tested with an immersion blender. The results were alright. But, the soup wasn't super creamy until I sent it through the Vitamix. Afterwords, it was ultra smooth, with a there-has-to-be-heavy-cream-in-this mouth feel:
First, make a pastry crust. This is whole wheat flour, pecans and coconut oil - just enough ice water to make it stick together. It's a thick, hearty and rustic crust.
Then press into a spring form pan, fill with sliced apples and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350F until the apples are tender.
When done (~one hour), remove from oven and brush with a pastry glaze (prepared from apricot jam).
Serve with (vegan) ice cream or froyo.
The perfect weekend food - breakfast wraps. Full of veg, egg scramble and hashed browned 'taters, these wraps start your day off right!
First, start the tater tots, or any hashed potatoes, baking. Make sure they're crispy to give a satisfying crunch. Then sauteing mixed vegetables: zucchini, onions, tomatoes, peppers and carrots. Once they're tender, set aside and keep warm. In the same pan, add beaten eggs and a hearty spice blend: sriracha, onion powder, smoky paprika, turmeric and salt. Some fresh spinach completes the dish, but any lettuce will do.
Wrap it up and enjoy!
Peanut butter cookies with a twist. The childhood treat of a peanut butter and honey sandwich is translated into these tasty treats. Grinding the wheat gives a hearty, yet pleasing, whole grain flavour. Using coconut oil, instead of butter makes this treat enjoyable for those with dairy allergy/intolerance.
They're a delight without embellishment, but the addition of peanut halves and fleur de sel just before baking creates a complex, salty-sweet taste sensation.
Egg white genoise with youghurt and figs.
A light cake with fresh fruit is always a delight. This sponge is made with egg whites and coconut oil instead of the traditional whole eggs and butter. It bakes nicely and plates attractively with an apricot glaze.
The sky's the limit, but fresh figs are irresistible. A light youghurt, instead of heavy cream, brightens the flavour.
Although it was a tasty composition, it lacked the desired sweetness. Next time it should be prepared with extra honey and vanilla in the youghurt and, perhaps a sprinkle of sugar on the figs.
