Rice and beans

Black beans and rice is a delicious meal.  I decided to turn the tables and make:White beans and black rice:

Seasoned with sugar, olive oil and black truffle salt

Reconstructed Burrito

Layers of refried beans, guacamole, lettuce and salsa; separated by pan fried flour tortilla.

Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup

I've never cooked with fennel, so I though I'd give it a go.

Start by roasting some tomatoes and red peppers.

Then saute onions until caramelized (I added beet leaves for extra red colour).

Make a broth (I used carrots, fennel bulb, mushrooms, kale)

Blend the roasted tomatoes and peppers along with enough broth to make a proper soup)

Roast a slice of fennel bulb for each serving.  Finish caramelizing the fennel in a frying pan.

Thai Green Curry (winter)

That curry is unbelievably good.  It can range from mildly warming to a searing sweat-inducing  spice.  Served with brown jasmine rice and cashews.

For a hot moderately hot curry, start with 2 tablespoons of curry paste, a teaspoon of crushed peanuts or crunchy peanut butter and a teaspoon of salt.  Add these ingredients to a can of coconut milk and simmer.

The oil will start to separate out of the coconut milk when it's ready.

Add sliced or julienned vegetables, bamboo strips and Thai basil.Unfortunately, in the winter, basil doesn't grow.  This dish is prepared with carrots, onions, peppers, napa cabbage and fennel.

In the summer, I'll post a proper green curry.

Thai Red Curry Soup with Cocunut Rice

An amazing flavour and comfort food, red curry is both spicy and smooth.  Curried coconut milk with carrots, bell peppers and napa cabbage, served with toasted flake coconut

Mind-blowing Vegan Burger

One year anniversary of jLAmode!

Too good to be vegan!  A local restaurant inspired me to make this flavourful stack.  The patty is also gluten free.

First, set out the spices:  garlic powder, dried chives, turmeric, salt, onion powder and smoked paprika.

Then mix with a puree of beans (nearly any kind will do).  To help hold things together add tofu, oats and white rice flour.

Form the patty and give it a good fry:

Add some char for a deep flavour.

I baked fresh burger buns just for this:

Completed with lettuce, tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, avocado and grilled onions.  Served with a salad made of: fresh-from-the-garden mixed greens, toasted pine nuts and pomegranate seeds.

Sweet Potato Souffle

This is a "souffle" not a genuine soufflé.  It's also vegan.

Seasoned with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.  Garnished with brown sugar and pecans.

Personally, I think yams taste like puke so I try to make them edible.  Perhaps I'll get ambitious and try my hand at a genuine soufflé made with sweet potatoes.

Avocado Spread

This isn't like most mushy avocado spreads, rather the addition of fresh, shredded kale gives it a texture.  Also, it's not a guacamole flavoured spread.  Instead, it's seasoned with smoked paprika, onion powder and saffron.

It goes great on (or in) grilled wraps:

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup served with Greek Youghurt, shreds of beet leaf and kale.

This soup, like most takes a while to prepare, but it's worth it!

Made from:

• roasted butternut squash
• parsnips
• onions
• peppers
• smoked paprika
• turmeric

[Omit the youghurt or substitute it with a vegan alternative]

Gluten Free Apple and Pear Tarte

The gluten free crust is made from ground almonds, walnuts pecans and oats. Mixed apples and pears, garnished with dried cranberries.

Gluten free and vegan can taste great.

Citronnée chou frisé

Three varieties of baby kale with lemon juice and macadamia oil.  Garnished with fleur de sel and roasted pine nuts.

Balsamic Baby Carrots

Blanched baby carrots in a sauce of balsamic vinegar, macadamia oil and fresh basil.  Served with fresh beet leaves.

asperges et pommes de terre

From the grill: asparagus and mixed new potatoes, served over sesame brown rice.

Black Risotto

Although it's not a classic risotto (not made with Arborio rice) it's got an amazing flavour.  The rice is full grain, so texture is a bit looser and chewy. Forbidden rice and black trumpet mushrooms, garnished with pan roasted parsnips.

Morel and Truffle Risotto

Such deep flavours!

Morels and truffles are both pricy, so I don't make this often.  All the same, it's a worthwhile treat!

Porcini and kale risotto

For now, here's an amazingly flavoured dish with the earthy taste of mushroom and fresh kale.

Chanterelle and Pea Risotto

Sweet peas and savoury mushrooms make this risotto a winner.

Shiitake and sweet pepper Risotto: How-To

First: start a stock (or you could use prepared stock).  Do not salt the stock, or it will make the final result unpleasantly salty.

Risotto needs a particular sort of rice: Abborio

Rinse the rice, otherwise it gets sticky.

Saute diced onions until transparent, then add the rice and continue the sauteing for a few moments more.

Then add the vege stock one ladle at a time and continue to saute.

The rice is ready when the rice is "toothsome" - al dente.

Baked Acorn Squash with Quinoa

First, wash, cut-in-half, place on oiled baking sheet.

Bake about 45 minutes or until the squash becomes softened.

While it's baking, prepare a filling mix of cooked quinoa, pine nuts, sauteed: parsnips, cranberries, peppers and onions.

Season the squash with salt and fill with the quinoa mix.

Split Pea Soup

  Start with some onions, herbs, celery and pepper.

After adding the peas and chanterelle mushrooms and cooking until the peas become soft, it doesn't look very glamorous.

It can easily be given a nice green colour naturally, by adding pureed greens.

Garnish and serve:  Split pea soup with chanterelles