Madeline's Adaptations

Samosa with Cilantro Chutney

2009-11-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

I promised you samosas so here we go. Samosas, which are basically stuffed pastries, are one of the best little snacks around. They can be made many different ways, either vegetarian with potatoes and peas or with ground beef or chicken. Either way, they are so satisfying and If you're new to Indian food I would suggest wetting your appetite with samosas. Although the recipe may seem a bit involved, they are fun to make (trust me) and you can adjust the seasonings from mild to spicy, spicy goodness. And then there's the cilantro chutney...I could eat this stuff all by itself. While I adore this chutney with samosas I can't help but wonder what else it would be good with. Any ideas?

Next we'll wrap up the dinner with lamb curry. Even if you think you don't like lamb, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. Or at the very least you can substitute beef, chicken, tofu or chickpeas. That's the beauty of Indian food, it's versatility.

I would recommend watching Manjula's video on samosa making. The video is about 13 minutes long but well worth the watch if you have time. Click here to watch:

Recipe from Manjula's Kitchen:

Dough:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon sooji (semolina flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup minus 2 tablespoon lukewarm water

1. Mix the flour, sooji, salt, oil and salt together to make a soft dough (add more water as needed). knead the dough for about 1 to 2 minutes to make the dough smooth and pliable.
2. Set the dough aside and cover it with damp cloth. Let the dough sit for at least 15 minutes.

Filling:
3 large boiled potatoes, peeled and chopped into very small cubes
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder) (can be found at Indian food stores, omit if can't find.)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup green peas (frozen)

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready.
2. Add cumin seeds green chilies and coriander powder and stir for few seconds.
3. Next add green peas and turn heat to medium and stir until tender.
4. Add the potatoes and stir-fry for about 4 minutes. Stir in garam masala and amchur. Add more salt or amchur according to taste.
5. Let the filling cool to room temperature.

To Make Samosa:
1. Take 2 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour to make a paste and keep aside.
2. Knead the dough for a minute. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and make into balls.
3. Roll each ball into 6-inch diameter circles and cut each circle in half.
4. Spread the paste lightly all along the edge of one semicircle. Pick this semicircle up with both hands and fold it into a cone shape. Pinch the side of this cone so that it is completely sealed.
5. Fill the cone with 3 tablespoons of filling. Press this filling down with your fingers. Now close the top of this cone into a triangle shape, pinching the top edge so that it is completely sealed.
Continue filling the rest of the samosas.
6. Heat about 1 1/2" of the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. To check if oil is hot enough place a small piece of dough in oil and dough should sizzle and come to the surface slowly.
7. Place the samosas in the frying pan a few at a time.
8. After samosas are floating on top of the oil turn them slowly. Fry the samosas until the samosas turn a light golden-brown color on all sides. If you use a high heat, the samosa crust will be too soft and not crispy.

Cilantro Chutney:
1 big bunch of chopped Cilantro (green coriander)
1-3 green chopped chilies, start with one and adjust to taste
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 inch ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of asafetida (hing) (can be found at Indian food stores, omit if can't find.)

1. Blend all ingredients, except the cilantro, into a paste.
2. Add the cilantro, a little at a time, and blend. If needed, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. The water will help in blending.
3. Blend well and add more salt, green chilies, or lemon juice to taste.

Vegetable Pakora with Tamarind Chutney

2009-11-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

In continuing the rundown of my Indian dinner, one of the appetizers I made were pakoras. If you're not familiar with pakoras, they are an Indian appetizer of vegetables such as cauliflower, onion, eggplant, potato, anything really, that are fried in a chickpea flour (besan) batter. They can also be made with chicken, fish or an Indian cheese called paneer. Basically the Indian version of a Japanese Tempura. AKA, deep fried deliciousness.

Pakoras are one of my favorite Indian dishes in particular onion and cauliflower but one of the best things about Indian food are the chutneys. There are many different varieties of chutney but my favorites are this tamarind chutney and cilantro chutney. I prefer the tamarind with pakoras and the cilantro with samosas. And you guessed it, look forward to samosas with cilantro chutney. But for today, go with the pakoras, you'll be happy you did.

Pakora recipe from Manjula's Kitchen:
1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
3 tablespoons rice flour
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
3/4 cup of water (Use water as needed)
Oil to fry
8 thin slices of cauliflower
1/2 of white onion, sliced into 1/2" pieces

1. Mix the dry ingredients together
2. Add the water slowly to make a smooth batter the consistency of pancake batter. You may need to add more or less water to achieve this.
3. Add the green chilies and cilantro. Mix well.
4. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed deep skillet to medium heat or about 375 degrees. The skillet should have at least 11/2" of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put one drop of batter in the hot oil. The batter should come up but not change color right away. If oil is too hot the pakoras will not be crispy or if oil is not hot enough pakoras will be greasy.
5. Dip the vegetable slices in the batter one at a time and carefully drop in the skillet.
6. Fry the pakoras in small batches, turning occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until they reach a nice golden brown.
7. Remove the pakoras from the oil, drain on paper towel and serve hot. Note that pakoras are best served right away but can be made ahead and reheated on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.

Tamarind Chutney recipe from All Recipes:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder (can substitute onion powder)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups water
1/2-1 cup white sugar, start with less and adjust to taste
3 tablespoons tamarind paste

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan with the cumin seeds, ginger, cayenne pepper, fennel seeds, asafoetida powder, and garam masala. cook and stir over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes to release the flavors.
2. Stir the water into the pan with the spices along with the sugar and tamarind paste.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and simmer the mixture until it turns a deep chocolaty brown and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take 20 to 30 minutes. The sauce will be thin, but it will thicken upon cooling.

Makes 1 1/4 cups

Mango Lassi

2009-11-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

We had a great Halloween this year. It was the first Halloween in our new house and I was so excited to see all of the little trick or treaters. Unfortunately, much like many others I've heard from, the trick or treaters were few and far between. We had a handful of kids (and a few questionable young adults) but certainly not as many as I expected especially since our neighbourhood has two Elementary schools and therefore lots of kids. Oh well, we did have our good friends come over for dinner with their little guy who had a blast trick or treating and it was fun to see the kids who did come around all dressed up.

I made an Indian inspired dinner complete with dosas, lamb curry, samosas, pakoras, a few different chutneys and these mango lassis. Mango lassis are very popular in Indian cuisine and are basically smoothies made with yogurt, spices and often ground pistachios. The cooling aspect of the yogurt is a perfect accompaniment to the spiciness of Indian food. Not to mention lassis are just plain good.

This week I'll go through a series of the dinner we had on the weekend. So here we start with the drinks.

Coming up next are pakoras. Stay tuned...

Recipe from Simply Recipes:
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped mango (peeled and stone removed)
4 teaspoons sugar, to taste
A dash of ground cardamom (optional)
ground pistachios (optional)

Blend all of the ingredients except for the pistachios in a blender. Puree until smooth. Serve the lassis in a tall glass sprinkled with a little cardamom and ground pistachios if you wish.

Makes about 2 cups.

Maple Glazed Baked Ham

2009-10-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

Our Canadian Thanksgiving has come and gone and once again I am all turkeyed out. I'm so over turkey at the moment that I can't even imagine having to eat it again in just a few short months at Christmas. Nevermind again at American Thanksgiving. Yes, that's right we celebrate both. My Husband's Father is American so I feel it's my duty to celebrate both Canadian and American Thanksgiving. Okay actually it's just my lame excuse to throw a party and overindulge twice without feeling guilty. Trust me, without rationalizing I wouldn't be able to get through life. But back to the turkey, I just can't go there again so soon so we'll be going with ham. Not that I mind at all.

I know American Thanksgiving is still weeks away but due to my dancin' days, I always have a dress rehearsal. I'm not one to wing a new recipe where company is concerned. Of course I had to do a little fusion type thing and throw my Canadian maple syrup spin on this dish but you could easily substitute honey. Either way this ham is delicious. Perhaps the best thing about baking a ham are the leftovers. And just like turkey, no matter how many guests you have, there are always leftovers. I look forward to a week of eggs benedict, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, ham casserole and chef's salad. By next week I'll probably be so over ham that we'll be back to the turkey.

Recipe:

1 10 lb smoked ham (let the ham come to room temperature before baking)
whole cloves, about 20

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Prepare the ham by making diagonal slits on the fatty side of the ham in one direction and then again in the opposite direction creating a criss cross pattern.
3. Place individual cloves in the slits of the ham.
4. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil (optional) and place the ham, fat side up, in the pan. Cover with aluminum foil and place the ham in the oven for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the ham from the oven and remove the foil.
6. Brush the ham with the glaze on all sides making sure to get the glaze in the grooves of the slits.
7. Return the ham to the oven, uncovered, and cook for 1 1/2 hours, basting with the glaze every 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the ham reaches 130 F.
8. Turn the oven to broil and bake the ham another 5-10 minutes just to brown the outside.
9. Remove the ham from the oven, baste once again and let the ham rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Glaze:
1/3 cup light maple syrup (can substitute honey if you don't have maple syrup)
2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
1/3 cup pineapple juice
pinch nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch cinnamon

1. Whisk all of the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a high simmer.
3. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and simmer for 8-10 minutes or just until the glaze has thickened slightly.

Daring Cooks October Challenge: Pho

2009-10-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

October's Daring Cooks challenge just happened to be one of my favorite foods, hosted by one of my favorite food bloggers. Chicken Pho was on the menu courtesy of Jaden from Steamy Kitchen. Jaden's new cookbook came out this month and it is stunning. Last year I was one of the recipe testers for her book and every single recipe I tried was delicious. This Pho is no exception. Pho, which is pronounced "fuh" is a Vietnamese soup that can be made with chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu. It's really the broth and the accompaniments that are the stars of this dish, they are the definition of flavor explosion. If you're feeling under the weather, Pho will surely bring you out of your funk. It is so warm and comforting. You'll notice the complexity of the dish when you read the broth ingredients below. I wasn't kidding about the abundance of flavor.

This month there was a second optional challenge which was chocolate wontons. But in an attempt to hold on to Thanksgiving glory just a little longer, I decided to try a pumpkin pie filling. The wontons were fantastic and I may just substitute them next time for the usual pumpkin pie. Okay, maybe not but I will be making them again very, very soon.

Check Jaden's original recipe here.

Here's my recipe for Shrimp Pho with the pumpkin wonton recipe to follow:
2 quarts shellfish stock, see recipe below
1 lb dried rice noodles (about 1/4″ wide)
1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions.
2. bring the stock to a boil.
3. Add the shrimp to boiling stock and cook for 2-3 minutes, or just until the shrimp have turned pink.
4. Ladle the stock into bowls, add the cooked noodles and shrimp and serve with the accompaniments below.

Accompaniments:
2 cups bean sprouts, washed & tails pinched off
cilantro leaves
1/2 cup shaved red onions
lime wedges
Sriracha hot sauce
Hoisin sauce
sliced chili

Garnish the soup to your taste with all of the above ingredients.

Shellfish Stock:
3 lbs seafood shells, such as shrimp, crab and/or lobster
3 quarts cold water
1 lemon, halved
handful of fresh parsley
a couple of sprigs fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
10-15 black peppercorns
1 large onion, unpeeled and cut in half
3" chunk of ginger, unpeeled
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
small bunch of cilantro stems only, tied in bunch with twine

1. Place ginger and onion on a small baking sheet. The top of the onion should be about 4″ from the oven’s heating element. Set to broil on high for 15 minutes. Turn the onion and ginger occasionally, to get an even char. The skin should get dark and the onion/ginger should get soft. After cooling, rub to get the charred skin off the onion and use a butter knife to scrape the skin off the ginger. Slice ginger into thick slices.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a large stock pot and fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the shells. Bring to a boil
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot and simmer the stock for 1 1/2-2 hours, skimming off any foam that comes to the surface of the liquid.
4. Strain the stock through a fine colander or cheesecloth. You may have to strain the liquid a few times to ensure all of the solids are removed.
5. Taste and adjust the broth seasoning with more fish sauce and or sugar.

*You can freeze any unused stock.

Pumpkin Wonton Recipe:
wonton wrappers
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup toasted walnuts* roughly chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch allspice
oil for frying, such as grapeseed, peanut or vegetable

1. Mix the pumpkin puree, sugar, spices and walnuts together.
2. Place 1 teaspoon of filling on each wonton wrapper.
3. Lightly moisten the edges of the wrapper with water.
4. Fold the edges of the wrapper together and pinch the edges to seal.
5. Preheat oil in a deep, heavy bottomed skillet to 350 degrees.
6. Place the prepared wontons in the hot oil and fry for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally or until golden brown.
7. Remove the wontons and drain on paper towel.
8. Sprinkle the wontons with cinnamon and icing sugar.

*To toast the nuts, place them in a frying pan over low heat. Toast the nuts, stirring frequently for about 8-10 minutes or until the nuts become fragrant. The nuts will burn very easily so keep an eye on them.

Ribeye with Onion Blue Cheese Sauce

2009-10-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

What can I tell you about this recipe...Well, it's about one of the best darn things I've ever tasted. And I do mean the best. Ever. If you don't make anything else in your whole life, just be sure to make this. Seriously, you will most certainly kick yourself for a long, long time if you don't. Please trust me on this one even if you think you don't like blue cheese, this sauce is sure to change your mind. It's insane (in a good insane way, of course). Now that I've convinced you, enjoy like you've never enjoyed before.

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman:
2 ribeye steaks, seasoned with salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook your ribeye according to your preference. Two of my favorite ways to cook steak are either on a pre-heated hot grill for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until medium rare or by heating oil in a cast iron skillet to medium-high and frying the steak for 4-5 minutes on each side. Let your steak rest after cooking for 8-10 minutes before serving.
2. To make the sauce, melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet.
3. Add the onions to the melted butter and cook the onions for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelized. You want the onions a caramel brown color, not dark brown.
4. Add the cream to the caramelized onions and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the blue cheese to the cream and onions and stir until the cheese is melted.
6. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to your taste noting that the cheese will add it's own salt so start with a small amount of salt.
7. Serve the sauce over your ribeye and be prepared to swoon :)

Sesame Noodles

2009-10-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

For the most part in life I prefer the simple things. I am definitely a no mama drama kinda girl. I'm not even sure what that means but I've heard it on several tv shows which just goes to show that I likely live drama through television and not through my own personal life. Accepted. Okay, apparently I needed to get something off my chest here. I don't even know where that came from but I feel better, don't you? No? well thanks for listening anyway.

So what should have been the shortest post EVER and was meant to go a little like this: "Looking for the simplest, most delicious sesame noodles around? Look no further. Period." has apparently turned into a slight therapy session revealing the facts that I clearly watch too much trashy tv, I often avoid confrontation and I appreciate the simple things in life. Could be worse. Now please excuse my vulnerable self while I go into hiding for at least a week. Oh but before I go, did I mention that I regularly eat two bowls of these noodles. Yes, TWO, fine THREE. They are that good. I know, I know, too much information. And with that, I'm outta here.

Recipe from the Pioneer Woman:
12 ounces thin noodles, such as soba, spaghetti or angel hair.
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons pure sesame oil
1/2-1 teaspoon hot chile oil, start with half and add more depending on your taste
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons hot water
4 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Prepare the dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together.
2. Cook the noodles according to package directions.
3. When the noodles are cooked, drain and pour the dressing over warm noodles. Toss to coat.
4. Sprinkle chopped scallions over the noodles and mix together.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Egg Rolls

2009-09-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite times in the kitchen are when I have no idea what to make and I have to be crafty. A perfect example of this situation are these egg rolls. The clock was ticking down to dinner time and I didn't have any ideas and even less ingredients to work with. One of the items I did have on hand was ground pork. Seriously, ground pork? What on earth do you make with ground pork? Sure if I had some ground beef to go along with it I could have busted out a meatloaf or some meatballs but just ground pork? Yeesh. But wait-ground pork, cabbage and carrots...I believe Egg Rolls were my only hope. Except I didn't have egg roll wrappers.

Had I not participated in the Daring Cooks Potstickers challenge perhaps I would have been somewhat terrified of making my own egg roll wrappers but during that challenge I must have made about a hundred wonton wrappers so I felt fairly confident that I could make egg roll wrappers. Besides it's not like I had a choice. And I am really happy about that because not only are they very easy to make, much like homemade wonton wrappers, these egg roll wrappers are so much better than store bought. So in conclusion, sometimes an inability to run to the store last minute, a hungry husband on the way home and being forced to be a little creative can result in something pretty cool and very satisfying all around.

Recipe:

Egg Roll Wrappers recipe from Life 123:
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
½ cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water to make a paste
1 quart oil for frying, such as peanut, grapeseed or vegetable

1. Mix the flour and salt together.
2. Make a well in the middle and pour in the eggs and water. Using your fingers, gently combine the ingredients to make a dough. If the dough seems a bit too dry, add cold water (a tablespoon at a time).
3. When the dough comes together, knead it for 2 minutes. The dough should be smooth and soft.
4. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
5. Divide the dough in half. Keep half covered while you are working with the first half.
6. Roll the dough out on a floured surface. You will need to form a very thin sheet that is 36 x 12 inches.
7. Cut six inch squares. Stack the squares on a plate dusted with flour. Dust the top of each square with flour to keep them from sticking to each other. You can also use parchment paper between the squares.
8. Follow the same instructions for the second half of the dough. You can either freeze them for later use or use them as they are.

Filling:
1/2 lb ground pork
1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, julliened
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar, if using unseasoned add 1/2 teaspoon sugar to the pork mixture

1. In a large skillet, cook pork until it's no longer pink.
2. Add the ginger, garlic, chili and rice vinegar and continue to cook another 5 minutes over low-medium heat.
3. Remove the pork mixture from the pan and set aside to cool slightly.
4. Add a little oil to the same pan and add the cabbage and carrots to the pan. Cook over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes.
5. Set the cabbage and carrots aside to cool slightly.

Dipping Sauce:
2 tablespoons chili sauce, such as sambal
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together.

Assembly:
1. Preheat oil to 375 degrees In a large heavy bottomed skillet.
2. Place 2 tablespoons of the cabbage and carrot mixture in the center of the wrapper followed by 2 tablespoons of the pork mixture on top of the cabbage.
3. Sprinkle a few of the chopped scallion and cilantro over the pork.
4. lightly brush the edges of the wrapper with the cornstarch mixture, wetting all of the edges.
5. Fold one corner over the filling. Fold the left and right corners towards the center and roll up towards the last corner. Continue rolling the remaining egg rolls.
6. Carefully place the egg rolls into the hot oil. Fry about 5 minutes or until golden brown turning occasionally.
7. Drain the egg rolls on paper towel and serve with dipping sauce.

Potato Latkes

2009-09-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

I don't really know what to say about these except to tell you I love these Latkes. I've always really liked latkes and even have a recipe here for a beet and carrot variety but potato has always been my preferred latke choice. There are some bad recipes out there however, and I have been on the receiving end of them more than once. It's not pretty. If you don't squeeze that water out of the potatoes sufficiently it's game over. Or more so it's greasy, boiled potato mounds. See? Not pretty. These latkes though, are fantastic. Not too eggy and nice and crisp. Serve these babies with sour cream or applesauce and you'll be one happy camper.

Recipe adapted from All Recipes:
2 cups potatoes, peeled (russet or yukon golds work best)
2 tablespoons yellow onion, finely grated
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup oil, such as grapeseed or peanut or vegetable

1. place whole peeled potatoes in ice water for 1 hour.
2. remove the potatoes from the water and using a cheese grater, grate the potatoes (large grate.)
3. Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth or clean tea towel and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible.
4. In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg together.
5. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet heat the oil until around 350 degrees. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 inch thick patties. Fry on one side about 5 minutes or just until golden brown, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

*Keep the latkes warm in a 300 degree oven until you are ready to serve. Also, you can make a batch and freeze them by placing the cooked latkes in a single layer on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once the latkes are frozen, store them in a freezer bag. Reheat the frozen latkes in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Dad's Spaghetti

2009-09-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

My Dad was a great guy. He was always there for my Sisters and I whether it be at sporting events, dance recitals or just to be there. He was a proud Dad and never missed an opportunity to let us know that. I was a pretty serious dancer growing up with dancing taking up the majority of my time. It's inevitable when your Mom is a dance teacher, you are a dancer, you don't have a choice. I had dance classes five nights a week and ALL DAY SATURDAY. While I loved dancing, I hated Saturdays. it was a lot of work and subsequently I have no reference when people my age speak of Saturday morning cartoons.

There were two things I did love about Saturdays though, every Saturday after classes my Dad picked me up and took me to our favorite Doughnut Shop for my favorite maple dipped doughnut. We would hang out at the shop chit chatting, catching up and enjoying each other's time. After our doughnut date my Dad and I would go home and make his spaghetti together. I got to do the chopping, perched on a chair of course, because I couldn't reach the counter. As the years went on the spaghetti making remained but the chairs got smaller and smaller until I could finally reach the counter all by myself. He loved this recipe and so do I.

The Doughnut Shop and spaghetti making are two of so many fond memories I have with my Dad. It's been years since his passing but every time I make this sauce it brings me back to some wonderful times. I cherish the fact that my Dad took the time out to make a special tradition for just the two of us. Despite the fact that I dreaded the Saturday 8 hour dance intensive, at least I had a couple of things to look forward to when it was over. And for that, I will always love maple dipped doughnuts, this delicious spaghetti sauce and most importantly, my Dad.

Recipe:
1 lb spaghetti
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large bell pepper, diced (green, red or yellow)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 cup water + more to thin to desired consistency
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 small dried bay leaf
pinch red pepper flakes, optional
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef and sausage in a large skillet. Drain the fat and set the meat aside. Add a little oil to the pan and add the onion, mushrooms and bell pepper. Saute over low-medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and continue sauteing for 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, basil, oregano and bay leaf and stir everything together. Bring the sauce to a high simmer. Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Being careful not to burn your tongue, taste the sauce and season to your liking with salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer the sauce on low heat for 2 hours, stirring often. You may have to add a little more water throughout the cooking process to thin to your desired consistency.

Cook your spaghetti just until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 8.

Daring Cooks September Challenge: Indian Dosas

2009-09-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

I am crazy for the Daring Cooks challenges. Seriously, every one I have participated in has been fantastic and September's challenge was no exception. Indian Dosas from Debyi of The Healthy Vegan Kitchen were on the menu and let me tell you, they are so good that the first time I made them, I ate them for dinner two nights in a row and lunch three days in a row. I absolutely adore this recipe. Essentially a Dosa is much like a crepe with a curried chickpea filling.

This was my first experience with Dosas but I knew I would like them because I love chickpeas and I love Indian food but one of the best things about this recipe is the Coconut Curry Sauce. Good lord this sauce is delicious. From now on, anytime I make any kind of Indian food I'll be accompanying it with this sauce. In fact I made extra and have it in the freezer waiting for me. I suggest you do the same.

Thanks Debyi for another wonderful challenge!

Recipe:

Dosa Pancakes
1 cup spelt flour (or all-purpose, gluten free flour)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp curry powder
½ cup almond milk (or soy, or rice, etc.)
¾ cup water
cooking spray, if needed

Dosa Filling
1 batch Curried Garbanzo Filling (see below), heated

Dosa Toppings
1 batch Coconut Curry Sauce (see below), heated
¼ cup grated coconut
¼ cucumber, sliced

Dosa Pancakes
1.Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, slowly adding the almond milk and water, whisking until smooth.
2.Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray your pan with a thin layer of cooking spray, if needed.
3.Ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of your pan in a circular motion until it is a thin, round pancake. When bubbles appear on the surface and it no longer looks wet, flip it over and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter. Makes 8 pancakes.

Curried Garbanzo Filling
This filling works great as a rice bowl topping or as a wrap too, so don't be afraid to make a full batch.

5 cloves garlic
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced (red, yellow or orange are fine too)
2 medium hot banana chilies, minced
2 TBSP cumin, ground
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP sea salt (coarse)
1 TBSP turmeric
4 cups cooked or canned chick peas (about 2 cans)
½ cup tomato paste

1.Heat a large saucepan over medium to low heat. Add the garlic, veggies, and spices, cooking until soft, stirring occasionally.
2.Mash the chickpeas by hand, or in a food processor. Add the chickpeas and tomato paste to the saucepan, stirring until heated through.

Coconut Curry Sauce
This makes a great sauce to just pour over rice as well. This does freeze well, but the texture will be a little different. The flavor is still the same though. It tastes great, but the texture is a little runnier, not quite as thick as it was before freezing.

1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp cumin, ground
¾ tsp sea salt (coarse)
3 TBSP curry powder
3 TBSP spelt flour (or all-purpose GF flour)
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups coconut milk
3 large tomatoes, diced

1.Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic, cooking for 5 minutes, or until soft.
2.Add the spices, cooking for 1 minutes more. Add the flour and cook for 1 additional minute.
3.Gradually stir in the vegetable broth to prevent lumps. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the coconut milk and tomatoes, stirring occasionally.
4.Let it simmer for half an hour.

Ome's Dill Pickles

2009-09-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

I've told you before about my husband's Ome and her canning skills when I posted her Pickled Beets recipe but if there are two things that Ome is most famous for it's her sauerkraut and dill pickles. Both are the best I have ever had. I'll have to wait on trying to make sauerkraut until the next time I see her because I believe it's quite involved and I would rather have her expert eye watching over me while I make it. But the dill pickles, I couldn't wait to give those a try.

The local farms around here are all selling large quantities of pickling cucumbers right now so if you don't grow your own you will likely have to visit a local farm or Farmer's Market. Support your local farmers! (Off soapbox.) You'll need the cucumbers to be fresh. Like uber fresh. As my Royal Canadian Legion Ladies' Auxiliary Cookbook from 1974 (which has a whole chapter on pickles says,) "24 hours from vine to brine." Ome used to pick hers from her garden, of course, but I planted mine late this year, of course, so I probably won't have my pickling cukes for another month or so. Anyway, I bought 7 lbs from a local farm and got down to it.

I love, love, love canning. It's my new favorite hobby and my cellar is already getting nicely stocked up. From 7 lbs of cucumbers that cost me $6.99, I got 8 jars of dill pickles. Canning is such a great cost effective way to preserve food that is in season. It is so rewarding and allows you to be a little more self sufficient. In times like these, that is a very good feeling.

Recipe:
7 pounds pickling cucumbers, 3 to 4 inches long
10 cups water
4 cups white vinegar (with an acidity of 5%)
2/3 cup pickling salt
16 cloves garlic, roughly chopped in large chunks
16 sprigs (stem and head) fresh dill weed

Sterilize 8 1 quart jars by either running them through the hot cycle of a dishwasher or placing clean jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Wash the lids and rings and keep them in hot water until you need them. Thoroughly wash your cucumbers and have them standing by. Bring to a boil the water, vinegar and pickling salt and boil for 1 minute. Place equal amounts of chopped garlic in the bottom of each jar. Place 1 sprig of dill in each jar. Pack the jars equally with the cucumbers. Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers. Place the lids on and process the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and allow to cool completely. Store the pickles in a cool, dark place. They will be ready to eat in 4-6 weeks. Once opened, store the pickles in the refrigerator.

Chicken, Rice and Vegetable Soup

2009-08-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a real treat around here. Have you ever had food poisoning? No? Consider yourself very, very lucky. Now let me point out right away that it was not from anything I made. Thankfully! If it was, I would probably be compelled to throw in the towel where cooking is concerned because what we just went through was awful. Movie theater popcorn was the official culprit. Gross.

So, I certainly won't go into the details but I will tell you that I couldn't eat for three days and while I'm feeling much better today and up for a meal, I figured it was best to ease into the whole food thing. My body was seriously craving nourishment and even though it's 25 degrees outside, I figured soup was my best option.

I've heard that if you boil brown rice in water and drink the actual water that it helps soothe a sensitive stomach but sorry, that ain't happening so my second idea was a chicken, brown rice and vegetable soup. Sounded safe enough. It was exactly what I needed and it was really very tasty. I'll definitely be keeping this recipe in the back of my mind in any event that I don't feel well. But please, no more food poisoning, EVER again. And with that, all I can say is, stay away from the movie theater popcorn kids. It's just not worth it.

Recipe:
1/2 lb chicken breast, diced
1 cup brown rice, rinsed with cold water
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used vegetable stock)
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

In a stock pot, saute onions, carrots and celery in a little oil over low-medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 10 minutes. Add the stock and water and bring to a boil. Add the rice to the boiling mixture and boil the rice until tender, about 20 minutes. When the rice is tender, add the chicken, thyme, sage, turmeric and bay leaf and bring the soup to another boil. At this point you may have to add a little more water to thin the soup out to your desired consistency. Lower the heat to a simmer, partially cover and simmer the soup for 20 minutes to bring the flavors together.

Daring Cooks August Challenge: Rice with Mushrooms, Cuttlefish and Artichokes

2009-08-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay so I'm a week late. Better late than never right? I must stress that I wasn't late cooking the challenge though, just late in actually posting the results. As usual, I waited until the very last minute to bust out the recipe but bust it out I did. It's an Aries thing that pesky procrastination. Or perhaps it's a human thing, I dunno. I've been meaning to get this up for days now but house guests and fun and life in general got in the way. It happens.

Anyway, the challenge for Daring Cooks this month was a Spanish dish that consisted of Rice with Mushrooms, Artichokes and Cuttlefish and it was hosted by Olga of Olga's Recipes. It couldn't have come at a better time because Paella was on my list of things to make and this is a Paella type dish. This recipe is absolutely delicious. My favorite part was the sauce called "Sofregit." It is essentially olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, bell peppers and onions. The Sofregit adds such freshness to the dish, perfect for Summer. In lieu of finding Cuttlefish (which I couldn't) I went with Olga's other suggestions which were clams, mussels and shrimp. The recipe also calls for a garlic aioli which is to be served on top of the rice. I personally didn't care for it too much but my Husband and Mother-In-Law really liked it so I would encourage you to try it. Overall, Olga's recipe was exactly what I was looking for; simple, fresh and just plain good. So while this challenge couldn't have come at a better time. Here's hoping next Month I will actually be on time.

Click here for Olga's original recipe with step-by-step instructions. This is a traditional Spanish recipe so Olga has some good authentic tips:

My recipe is exactly the same as Olga's except for the following changes:
-Instead of Cuttlefish, I added 1/2 lb shrimp (cleaned, deveined and shelled,) 1/2 lb mussels and 1/2 lb clams. The shellfish was added to the pan near the end of the cooking time, covered with a lid and steamed for about 10 minutes or until the mussel and clam shells open. Remember to discard any mussels or clams if the shells didn't open after you have cooked them.
-Also, I squeezed half a lemon over the final dish and sprinkled it with 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.

Blueberry Pancakes

2009-08-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

We have a fabulous full house this week. My Mother-in-Law, Sister-in-law and her family are visiting and they brought their two little cutie pies, ages six and three. So you know what happens when you're six, adorable and want pancakes for breakfast? Well, you get pancakes for breakfast, of course (being adorable wins out every time, see below. I mean Hello!) Surprisingly I had never made pancakes from scratch. I know, I thought it was weird too. So when I began my search for a good recipe (which you can imagine there are like, a million) I figured the pancake recipe that has 2500+ good reviews on All Recipes was probably a sure bet. But the best review came from "cutie pie little six," who said, "These pancakes are very, very much good!" Can't get much better than that.

Recipe slightly adapted from All Recipes:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups milk
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted but slightly cooled
Oil for frying, such as grapeseed, canola or other vegetable oil

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Mix in the sugar and salt. Whisk in the milk, egg, vanilla extract and butter. Whisk the mixture until there are no more lumps. Gently stir in the blueberries. Allow the batter to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Lightly grease a skillet over medium heat. I liked the results from using a cast iron skillet but it's not necessary. Use a ladle and pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the hot pan. The pancake is ready to flip when the top has bubbles and the bottom is golden brown. Flip the pancake and cook another 3-4 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. You can keep the pancakes warm in a 250 degree oven until you are ready to serve them but not for longer than about 20 minutes.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

2009-08-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

Last week my tomato plants were drowning in tomatoes. Not that I'm complaining at all, they are gorgeous and delicious. However, we had a major heat wave last week. I mean, the hottest days in Vancouver history. IT WAS BRUTAL. So if you can imagine, I have 12 cherry tomato plants that all decided to ripen at the same time and each had about 30-40 ripe tomatoes. Well, considering I couldn't even move, there was no way I was going outside to pick about 400 tomatoes in 38 degree C heat. For all of my non Canadian peeps, that's 100 F, with 60% humidity. BRUTAL. As a result, I think some of those poor little tomatoes cooked on the vine because when I did manage to pick them, they were a little mushy. So I knew I wanted to cook with them and I've been meaning to try making my own BBQ sauce, done and done.

I started the sauce with the Homemade Ketchup recipe from White on Rice Couple. The ketchup is fantastic and It was a perfect base to begin with but you could certainly use regular ketchup. From there I just messed around and experimented adding different spices and flavors like anchovies. Yes anchovies! The sauce turned out great. Better than any bottled BBQ sauce we've had. Since it was my first attempt, I only made a small batch but next time I'll make a large batch and can it. Of course, I'll have to wait until this heat kindly takes a hike.

Recipe:
1 cup ketchup (see the notes below if you are using regular ketchup)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste

*NOTE: If you are using regular ketchup add to the ingredients, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, pinch of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder and an extra teaspoon garlic powder.

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized saucepan. Bring the mixture to a high simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the flavors have come together and to your desired consistency. If the sauce becomes too thick for you, just add some water. Check for seasonings to your personal taste adding more vinegar if you prefer more tang or more brown sugar for a sweeter sauce. You may also add more cayenne pepper if you prefer the sauce a little more spicy.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2009-07-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

I know I recently confessed that I really don't like salad but in the case of this Chinese Chicken Salad from Simply Recipes, I can make an exception. In fact, I love this salad. The tang of the rice vinegar and the subtle heat of the chili flakes and ginger makes for a delicious dressing. And I pretty much go crazy for anything cilantro related so it had me there. This salad is so simple to make and is perfect for lunch or double the recipe for a light dinner. With temperatures around here hovering at a good 30 degrees, the last thing I want to do is spend too much time in the kitchen.

Recipe from Simply Recipes:

Salad:
1/2 head napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups leftover cooked chicken
1/2 red pepper, julienned
3-4 scallions, sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Dressing:
2 tablespoons tamari or 3 tablespoons regular soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (or add 1 teaspoon of sugar to unseasoned rice vinegar)
1 teaspoon ginger, finely grated
1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Make the dressing by mixing the rice vinegar, ginger and garlic together and allowing the mixture to sit for 15 minutes. Whisk the remaining dressing ingredients into the rice vinegar mixture. Toss the dressing with the salad ingredients and mix well.

Serves 4.

Daring Cooks July Challenge: Cod Poached in Butter with Powdered Flavors

2009-07-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

When I first read this month's Daring Cooks challenge I was a little skeptical. It seemed way out of my element and not my style at all. I suppose that's why they call these things a challenge, hello! The challenge for July was based on Molecular Cuisine and was hosted by Sketchy from Sketchy's Kitchen. I have to take the time to thank Sketchy for taking me out of my comfort zone because it turns out I loved it!

The entire time I was drying and grinding the ingredients I kept saying, "I can't believe how fun this is!" While drying the herbs, fruit and vegetables takes some time, it is so worth it just for the aroma that filled my house alone. It also opened my eyes to the possibilities of drying food for preservation. Once I searched for dried cherries in about four different stores with no luck. Something tells me I'll be drying my own! When I dried the cilantro, it was nothing like the dreary green dried herbs I have in my pantry. It was bright, fragrant and so flavorful. Who knew? I had a great time with this challenge and it was a challenge for me. I have never eaten this way or even considered cooking in this style. So thank you Sketchy for pushing me to try something new. And now please excuse me while I go buy myself a food dehydrator.

Click here for Sketchy's original recipe and tutorial. The tutorial will show you how to poach the fish in a Beurre Monte (butter mixture.)

Here are my Recipes for the Powdered Flavors I used:
zest of 2 limes
1 bunch cilantro
1 mango, sliced as thinly as possible
1 red onion, sliced as thinly as possible
10 small red chilies, cut in half and seeds removed
1 small coconut, finely grated

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. All of the ingredients will have to be placed in a single layer. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Place all of the ingredients on the baking sheets. Place the baking sheets in the oven and refer to the following cooking times:

*Lime zest-20-30 minutes, or until the zest feels dried.
*Cilantro-30 minutes, flipping half way through. After 30 minutes, crumble the leaves and stems with your fingers as much as possible, return to the oven and bake another 20 minutes or until the cilantro is completely dried.
*Mango-bake for anywhere from 4-5 hours, flipping the mango a few times.
*Red Onion-bake for approximately 2-3 hours, flipping the onions a few times.
*Red Chilies- bake for 2-3 hours or until the chilies are completely dried.
*Coconut-bake for about 2 hours. Watch carefully that the coconut is drying and not browning.

The idea with the ingredients is that they become dried enough that we can turn them into powders. Drying the ingredients in a food dehydrator would be optimal but the oven works well too. When all of the ingredients are dehydrated, place them separately in a coffee grinder and grind them into a fine powder. To make the powder even smoother and to remove any lumps, run the powders through a fine meshed sieve.

You will likely have leftover powders. Trust me, you'll be happy about that.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

2009-07-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

While participating in the Eating Down the Fridge challenge, I found myself with a large head of iceburg lettuce. I don't know about you but there is only one way I like to enjoy iceburg lettuce and that is dowsed in ranch dressing but I didn't have any ranch. Consider this my first dilemma of the challenge. That's where The Pioneer Woman came to my rescue.

The Pioneer Woman and I had different reasons for needing to make homemade ranch dressing but the problem was the same. I was going to eat that iceburg lettuce with ranch dressing somehow, somewhere without going to the store. I just didn't realize that it would be such an easy problem to fix. Essentially we are talking about some mayo, sour cream and whatever herbs you have on hand. This recipe had Eating Down the Fridge written all over it. So my little hiccup became a revelation. I will never buy ranch dressing again. Not when making it yourself tastes so good.

Recipe slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
buttermilk, to thin to desired consistency
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dill, finely chopped
Dash worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour

Shrimp Alfredo (and a week of Eating Down the Fridge)

2009-07-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was day 7 of the Eating Down the Fridge challenge. And although the fridge and freezer are looking cold and bare, and you can hear an echo in my pantry, I'm not stopping here. I have enjoyed this challenge immensely and will be exercising this theory on a regular basis. Something I realized while participating in Eating Down the Fridge is that while I am not a wasteful person to begin with, I can do better, much better.

The week went a little like this:

Day 1-Soba Noodles stir fried with red peppers, fried tofu, nappa cabbage and cilantro in a simple soy, garlic and ginger sauce
Day 2-Vietnamese Summer Rolls
Day 3-Beef Fajitas
Day 4-Coconut Shrimp
Day 5-Chinese Chicken Salad
Day 6-Lettuce Wraps

Yesterday's, Day 7, was Shrimp Alfredo. Not a bad week of eating if you ask me. I didn't miss shopping at all and it really forced me to get creative and be mindful of what I was eating. Overall Eating Down the Fridge was an excellent experience. I don't know what tonight's dinner will be but that's all part of the fun of it and I can really get used to this not running out to the store everyday thing.

P.S. Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians!

Shrimp Alfredo Recipe:
12 shrimp, shelled, deveined, cleaned and cooked (grilled, steamed or sauteed)
1/2 lb spaghetti or linguini
1 cup cream
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Heat cream, garlic and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Lower the heat to a low simmer and stir in the parmesan cheese. Stir the sauce until the cheese has melted into the cream mixture. Once the cheese has melted, season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. At this point I like to let the sauce cool slightly and place it in a blender pulsing a few times to make the sauce a little smoother. The blender step is not necessary but I prefer the consistency. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is al dente, return the alfredo sauce and cooked shrimp to the saucepan. Reheat the sauce and shrimp, add the pasta and stir everything together. If the sauce is a little thick, simply thin it out with a little of the pasta water or cream. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 2.

Vietnamese Summer Roll

2009-06-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

This week I'm participating in a fun challenge called Eating Down the Fridge. It's a week of preparing meals with things that you already have on hand, no grocery shopping. I am so down with this because I hate when things go to waste in the fridge and I hate grocery shopping. Well, I enjoy going to the Farmer's Market but I strongly dislike going to the grocery store so I was really looking forward to this. Yesterday was my first day and I stir fried some soba noodles with fried tofu, napa cabbage, cilantro and red peppers. It was good, simple and healthy. Can't go wrong with that. Today I made my favorite Vietnamese Summer Rolls. They are my favorite way to enjoy salad because I have a confession. I don't really like salad.

There I said it, I don't. I make myself eat it on a regular basis but trust me, it's not on my list of things I would eat if I didn't have to. Oh sure, there's the occasional time I actually enjoy salad but those times usually include some kind of creamy dressing or bacon or cheese (most likely all at the same time) but that kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it? Well, my not-so-secret anymore distaste for salad days are over thanks to the Vietnamese Summer Roll. Basically what we're talking about here is salad in a roll. Made many different ways, the Salad Roll is essentially julienned vegetables, fresh herbs, sometimes shrimp, chicken or pork, all wrapped in rice paper. These are so delicious that in the past few weeks I have eaten one for lunch and as a starter for my dinner almost every day. I am crazy for these rolls. They are so good that I feel guilty eating them, like I'm indulging in something I shouldn't be. That is my idea of a good salad.

So, day 2 on the Eating Down the Fridge challenge has been a success. I have no idea what tomorrow will hold. Stay tuned...

Recipe:
Here is where you get to be creative and basically use what you have on hand. You will need rice paper (found in any Asian market) and cooked rice noodles. In addition to those try any combination of vegetables such as: julienned carrots, peppers, mushrooms, bean sprouts, cucumber, radish, lettuce. And then any fresh herbs you have: cilantro, basil, etc. For a roll that is a little more hearty you can add cooked shrimp, chicken, pork or tofu.

Click here to see a short, simple video of how to make the actual rolls. It's difficult to explain. I was even confusing myself by trying. And no, the headless wonder in the video is not me :)

I like to serve these rolls with a dipping sauce from A Girl, a Market, a Meal:
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
1-2 tablespoons water

In a small bowl mash the peanut butter and hoisin sauce together with a fork. Mix in the rice vinegar and chili paste. Add a tablespoon or 2 of water to get your desired consistency.

Grilled Butterflied Chicken with Fresh Herbs

2009-06-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

We eat a lot of BBQ in our house and I mean a lot. That's what happens when you live in a Country that has 8 months of Winter. Any sunny day you get, you BBQ. Yes, I did just say 8 MONTHS. Here in Vancouver we mostly get rain all Winter with a few days of sunlight, if we're lucky. Where I'm originally from it's around -30 snow all winter. Either way, we get frighteningly long Winters in Canada so our grilling season is extremely coveted. Okay, glad I got that off my chest.

Moving on, I've told you before about my husband, the BBQ Assassin, as he likes to be called. He is hands down the best griller I know. So naturally when the sun starts shining again, we don't waste any time. You can smell the BBQ in the air from all around the first time it remotely warms up. Grilled chicken is one of our favorites and my herbs are growing like crazy so it was a no brainer to pair them together. We decided to go with grilling a whole chicken so here I've included instructions on butterflying the chicken. The herb recipe follows the instructions. Happy grilling!

Place the chicken so it's breast side down. Using kitchen scissors, cut straight up through the backbone in between the legs.

Turn the chicken over and place your hand in the middle of the breast. Press down in between the breast bone, put your back into it folks, until you feel the bones break.

See how's it flat? Heavily season that beauty with salt and pepper. And I do mean heavily.

Next, preheat your grill to medium heat. Place the chicken on the grill breast side down over direct heat. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes, making sure not to burn the skin. Flip the chicken over, move to indirect heat, cover and grill another 20 minutes. Create the herb mixture by mixing any combination of herbs you have on hand (I used 2 tablespoons each cilantro, parsley and chives) with 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 cloves chopped garlic. Brush the herb mixture all over the chicken while it is still on the grill, cover and grill another 5 minutes. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees fahrenheit or when the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

The Daring Cooks Challenge-Potstickers

2009-06-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you have heard of Daring Bakers. If you haven't, they are a group of ridiculously talented food bloggers who are brave enough to participate in baking challenges once a month. That is not me. Yes, I do bake but my baking skill level is fine, definitely not "daring." Daring Cooks on the other hand? Count me in! I recently joined The Daring Kitchen and was thrilled when Jen from Use Real Butter announced our June challenge...Potstickers. I have posted about potstickers before and make them often. However, I always use premade wrappers and in this challenge we had to make our own. Cool. I also usually make my potstickers with ground pork but I loved Jen's shrimp and pork potstickers so I went with that. Good choice on my part, the combination is fantastic. Just to change things up a bit I decided to steam some of the potstickers and deep fry a batch. They were both delicious but the deep fried potstickers looked like little flowers or purses so they win just because.

I'm so happy to be a part of The Daring Kitchen and this challenge was so much fun. I highly doubt I'll ever go back to using premade wrappers again. I was a little concerned about the whole pleating process but after a little practice it's not that difficult. Okay, so mine certainly don't look uber professional but I did it, they all stayed together while cooking and in my world, that equals success! A couple of things to note when making your own wrappers I found is they have to be rolled as thinly as possible. Also, the initial "pinch" is the most important part of pleating. Make sure that first pinch stays together and you're good to go. Finally, don't overfill the wrappers and trust me, you'll want to. Especially when you're getting close to using up all of your filling you will get excited but resist the temptation to overfill. You'll thank me later. With the first challenge down, I can't wait to hear what the next one will involve. Thanks for the inspiration Jen!

Recipe inspired by Use Real Butter: (Jen has a great tutorial on Use Real Butter so click here if you get confused)

Dough: (I had leftover dough which I froze for later use, otherwise simply double the filling recipe.)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup water

Place flour in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the water stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough comes into a ball. You may need to use more or less water so start with less. Once the dough forms a ball, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes. The dough should be firm and sticky. Cover the dough and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll the dough into 1 1/4" strips. Then, cut off 1" pieces of the dough. Shape the pieces into discs and flatten with your hands. Roll the dough into circles, about 3" around. Place about 1 teaspoon of your filling into the center of your dough. Now, if you haven't already, definitely click here to see the pleating process. There is no way I could explain it better :)

Filling:
10 shrimp, raw, deveined
1/4 lb ground pork
3 tablespoons chives, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mince shrimp very finely. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. I like to refrigerate the mixture for about an hour but it's not necessary. After all of your potstickers are made, heat your pan to medium heat with about 3 tablespoons oil, such as grapeseed or canola. Place your potstickers into the hot oil making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry the potstickers for about 5 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Once browned, VERY carefully add 1/2 cup water water to the pan. Cover the pan and steam the potstickers for about 10 minutes (the water should be bubbling the entire time.) When the water has evaporated, remove the lid and allow the potstickers to fry another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve. I like to serve the pan fried potstickers with a mixture of soy sauce and rice vinegar with a side of sambal chili sauce.

Alternately, if you want to deep fry the potstickers, heat 3" of grapeseed or canola oil to 350 degrees in a heavy bottom deep skillet or deep fryer. Place the gyoza into the hot oil. Fry on one side for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the potstickers and fry another 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel. Serve with sweet chili sauce.

Makes about 20 potstickers.

Pickled Beets

2009-06-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

I have a new obsession and I am completely powerless to it. Canning is the name of the game. Holy Hannah I am in love with the whole process! I have been terrified of canning for years but I decided I had to get over it. My Husband's Ome was a canning queen up until a couple of years ago when she decided it was time to hang up her tongs. While my Husband has been enjoying homemade pickled beets, carrots, sauerkraut and the best pickles ever, for his whole life, I have only been able to relish in the beauty of Ome's canning for the length of our courtship but I am hooked. Given that Ome has thrown in the towel, I figured it was time for me to get some courage and give it a go.

I suppose my fear of canning stemmed from the horror stories I've read about botulism. You know, I try to stay away from that kind of thing, but I've come to the conclusion that, much like many things, hype and paranoia tend to get in the way. Don't get me wrong, you have to be careful with canning but the stigma around how difficult it is, is far too dramatic. Since acquiring my canning equipment, I've canned pretty much every day. I've canned beets, carrots, pearl onions, rhubarb jam and rhubarb chutney (wow), all of which I'll post the recipes here shortly. Prepare yourselves for a canning onslaught folks! I know it's early, but I look forward to a winter food supply of countless canned goods.

Click on this link for a great, straight forward resource for all things canning related.

Pickled Beets Recipe from my Royal Canadian Legion Ladies' Auxiliary Cook Book and Ome approved:
about 30 small beets
2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 small cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon mustard seed

Scrub beets clean. Boil beets until fork tender. Once tender, drain the beets and allow them to cool. Slice beets into 1" cubes. Make the pickling syrup by combining the water, vinegar, sugar and spices in a saucepan. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the beets to the syrup, bring to a boil again, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pack the beets snugly in hot sterilized jars. Pour the syrup over the beets in the jars, leaving a 1/2" headspace. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Remove the jars from the canner and allow to cool completely on a rack, this will probably take overnight.

Yields about 6 pints

Onion Gratin

2009-05-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering if I meant to say Potato Gratin, the answer is no, I totally meant onion. So you might be thinking I'm crazy and depending on who you ask, I probably am but in this case, I am all there. The Onion Gratin is beyond fabulous. Dare I say it's even better than it's potato counterpart? Oooh, I do dare. Kevin from Closet Cooking rocked my world when he posted this recipe. I had never thought of an Onion Gratin before and without the inspiration, I don't even want to think of how devoid the rest of my life might be. Pair it with something delicate like fish, or something hearty like steak, just pair it with something. Heck, I'd eat this gorgeous gratin all by itself, and I have on more than one occasion.

Recipe from Closet Cooking:
2 large yellow onions (peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano or gruyere

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Carefully spread the onions onto a baking sheet keeping the rings intact. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Place the onions in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. While the onions are baking, heat cream and wine in a small saucepan until the mixture bubbles around the edges. (If your cream mixture separates, remove from heat and whisk vigorously until the mixture comes back together.) Remove the onions from the oven and transfer to a baking dish. Pour the cream mixture over the onions. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake another 35 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of the onions with cheese. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees, return the baking dish to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

I look forward to trying these similar Onion recipes:
Onion Gratin from Kalyn's Kitchen