Daily Unadventures in Cooking

Spinach Hummus Recipe

katerina — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:37:03 +0000

As if in case hummus wasn’t healthy enough already, I have created a recipe with spinach. Not only does this turn the chickpea dip a beautiful colour, but it bumps up the nutritional density without changing the flavour.

You know what seems like a really good deal when you are in the grocery store? A four pound tub of spinach. The thing is, that a 4 pound tub of spinach is a really good idea. But when you only have two people living in your house you either need to make a batch of spanakopita or get creative.

Now, I could pretend I came up with the idea for spinach hummus all on my own, but you are all way to smart for that. Plus I don’t think I can be the only one seeing spinach hummus suddenly all over the grocery store shelves? Maybe I was inspired, or maybe I just had a massive amount of spinach on hand. But I don’t care how this spinach hummus recipe came to be: I have been enjoying it on bagels and with carrots all week long.

Spinach Hummus Recipe
(makes ~2.5 cups)

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups fresh spinach, packed
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
salt and pepper

In a food processor add chickpeas, garlic and spinach. Pulse until combined, about 20 seconds. Turn off processor and scrape down the sides. Whisk together tahini, water, olive oil and lemon juice as well as salt and pepper. Turn food processor on and stream in liquid slowly. Once all liquid is added stop the food processor and scrape down the sides again. Taste and adjust for seasoning and pulse until fully combined.

5 Easy Pasta Recipes

katerina — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:15:23 +0000

Are you learning to cook, or just looking for new ideas for weeknight meals? If so pasta recipes are a great place to start.

Here are five of my well-loved and easy pasta recipes. What are your favorites?

5 Easy Pasta Recipes to Make Tonight:

If you are looking for more easy pasta recipes, check out the full Pasta Recipe section.

Contest: Ciao Italia Review and Giveaway

katerina — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:56:32 +0000

Since I love an easy meal and have a penchant for Italian flavours, when I was offered a copy of Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites: Quick and Delicious Recipes from an Italian Kitchen to review I agreed immediately. Ciao Italia is the latest cookbook from Mary Ann Esposito who hosts the long running PBS series of the same name.

The book focuses on using just five ingredients to create delicious Italian recipes. To be honest after flipping through the cookbook a few times I wasn’t very inspired. The book does contain more than a dozen pictures and 75 recipes but it was not laid out in a way that enticed me to cook anything. Furthermore I found a few typos, as well as some unclear instructions. On a more positive note, all the ingredients are easy to find and many are probably in your pantry already.

I chose to make two dishes, the Fried Shrimp and the Lemon Sauce. Like all of the recipes the fried shrimp was quite simple to prepare. The shrimp are lightly breaded in flour, salt, pepper and then egg, before being fried in butter with lots of parsley. Although I enjoyed the shrimp, if I make it again I will omit the egg breading which was truly too eggy for my taste. Shrimp are so delicate they don’t need much fussing over. That said, I really enjoyed the shrimp with the fried parsley and would also add a squeeze of lemon next time.

I enjoyed the Lemon Sauce recipe which I served with asparagus. First I roasted some asparagus in the sauce as well as some in just olive oil. Once cooked, I topped the plain asparagus with some of the remaining sauce. I enjoyed both. As a marinade it gave the vegetable a lovely and subtle flavour, while the raw sauce produced an asparagus dish similar to my cold asparagus salad recipe.

In general I don’t see myself cooking from this book frequently. I like picking up a cookbook and really wanting to cook everything in it. I probably would not purchase this for myself, but what about you? Do you like Italian food? Are you a fan of Ciao Italia? I am giving away a copy of this cookbook to a reader.

To enter you can do any of the following, each option will give you an entry:

1. Leave a comment and tell me what simple recipe is your favorite!
2. Tweet about the contest and link back to this post then leave me a comment saying you did.
3. Sign Up to Receive my Recipes by Email and leave a comment saying you did.

To enter you must be a resident of the US or Canada. This contest will be open until 6pm PST Friday March 19th and I will draw a random winner.

Lemon Sauce Recipe

katerina — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:56:04 +0000

This lemon sauce is a simple addition to cooked fish or roast vegetables. Although you could get the similar results with a vinaigrette, the lemon flesh gives a lovely texture to this sauce — it enhances not only the presentation but also adds extra tartness. Try coating asparagus in it and roasting it in a hot oven.

Check out my giveaway for Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites on now!

Lemon Sauce Recipe
Adapted from Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites

2 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Segment the lemons. Add lemon segments, sugar and salt to a blender along with any extra juice you can squeeze from the lemons. Turn on blender to medium-high and combine. Add olive oil in a steady stream and pulse until well combined but it still has texture.

Kept in a sealed jar, this should last in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe

katerina — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:52:08 +0000

These cupcakes are a healthier form of classic carrot cake. Traditionally, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger are added to a cake batter along with grated carrot and the resulting cake is topped with a thick cream cheese icing. As a child, it was this thick cream cheese frosting that turned me off of carrot cake — I don’t think I’ve had any for more than a decade.

However, when I saw this recipe in Women’s Health magazine (March 2010), I was intrigued because the icing was light and seemed to drip right off of the cupcakes. Plus this recipe is made with whole wheat pastry flour, something I am just learning about.

In the end I actually weaseled out of making the cream cheese frosting anyways. The cream cheese I was intending to use had gone bad so I substituted sour cream instead. A delicious alternative and interesting in itself. I have left the recipe as it is with cream cheese. Let me know if you make the icing with cream cheese, as I intend to next time.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
(makes 18 cupcakes)
Adapted from Katie Lee recipe

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (can substitute 2 tablespoons flour for ground flax)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain yogourt
1 lb carrots, grated
1/2 cup golden raisins
6 tablespoons (4 oz) light cream cheese at room temperature (or sour cream!)
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl combine flours, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon.

In a second bowl beat together brown sugar and canola oil for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in a yogourt, carrots and raisins. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined.

Spoon batter into paper lined muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese and sugar. Spread over each cupcake and top with walnuts.

Mexican Chicken Soup Recipe

katerina — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:05:45 +0000

After I returned from the Yucatan last Saturday, I was making Sopa de Lima, a Mexican chicken soup, before I’d even unpacked my suitcase. A side effect of being a traveling foodie is zero self control where new flavours are involved. ( I also attempted corn tortillas, but that experiment needs some work and will have to be saved for another day.)

Like any homemade chicken soup this is a perfect recipe for a cold. The heavy dose of citrus from the lime juice makes it light on the tongue and gives you a nice dose of vitamin C.

I adapted this recipe from an Emeril Lagasse & Rick Bayless recipe, however I didn’t find it to have quite the depth of flavour I was looking for. Maybe it was the lack of Yucatan limes or just my jet lag, but this recipe deserves another attempt. That said, this Mexican chicken soup was absolutely delicious and it reheated well for several days. It is so lovely how small changes can give variety to chicken soup.

Mexican Chicken Soup
(serves 4)
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse & Rick Bayless

2 small corn tortillas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 small carrots, diced
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and diced
2 big cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
3 whole canned tomatoes (or one ripe, peeled tomato) chopped
5 cups chicken stock
4 skinless chicken thighs (I used boneless but either way)
1 large green onion, finely sliced
2 limes, juiced
cilantro leaves, for garnish
chopped avocado for garnish

Chop the tortillas into thin strips and toast lightly in a toaster oven. Set aside for garnishing the finished soup.
In a large soup pot heat olive oil on medium. Add onion, celery, carrots and jalapeno. Cook, stirring regularly for 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, bay leaf and oregano and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until all tomato juices have absorbed, stirring regularly. Add chicken stock and bring to a light simmer, add chicken and bring to a light simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Remove chicken to a plate and cool enough to shred with a fork, discarding any bones. Return chicken to soup along with green onion and lime juice. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve topped with tortilla strips and optionally avocado and cilantro.

Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe

katerina — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:04:00 +0000

China is such a huge country with so many different types of cuisines. I would be lying if I tried to pass this recipe off as authentically Chinese, however this orange chicken will definitely taste like your local take out. This recipe is what we refer to in Vancouver as chinglish food. Chinglish food is basically North American adapted Chinese food like sweet and sour pork, lemon or orange chicken and chow mein. It may not be authentic — but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good.

This Orange Chicken is quite sweet, in fact when I make it again I think I will add more hot sauce and use less brown sugar, but I will definitely be making this again. For a pretty garnish touch try putting the cut green onions in ice water and they will curl right up!

Orange Chicken Recipe
Serves 2
Adapted from BlogChef

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons orange juice
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar (or 1/4 cup white vinegar and the rest water)
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 1 large clove)
1 tablespoons minced ginger
the zest of one orange
2 tablespoons chopped green onion, plus some for garnish
3/4 cup brown sugar (when I make this again I will use less, it was a bit sweet)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 carrots, thinly sliced in rounds
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon corn starch

In a sauce pan heat water, citrus juice, vinegar, soy and hot sauce together. Once hot add brown sugar, garlic, ginger, orange zest, and onion. Let it simmer while you fry the chicken.

Heat a large skillet to medium and add vegetable oil and chicken. Allow to brown lightly on each side then remove to a plate (don’t crowd the chicken, do it in two batches if necessary). Add carrots and stir fry for about two minutes, then add red pepper for another minute. Return chicken to the pan and add sauce. Bring the whole mixture to a simmer and continue simmering until chicken is just cooked through. In a small measuring cup add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the corn starch, stir to make a slurry.

Make room in the middle of the chicken and veggie mixture and stir furiously while adding the slurry in a slow stream. Stir mixture to incorporate evenly. Allow to simmer for another 90 seconds then serve on rice, topped with green onion.

Pork Loin in Milk Recipe

katerina — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:47:43 +0000

The sauce that this pork recipe produces is truly unique—in flavour and in texture. In fact it basically curdles and turns brown, but it’s a good thing. The flavour is nutty and the lemon really bursts through. Next time I may blend the sauce for a prettier presentation. Or not, it is really up to you.

If you spend anytime on Chowhound you may have heard of an infamous Marcella Hazan recipe of a pork loin braised in milk. This pork in milk recipe has since been adapted by Saveur and Epicurious and undoubtley hundreds of others. An Italian classic recipe by Marcella which I hadn’t tried? For shame.

When I make this again— and I will make this again—I will probbaly use a slightly different cut of pork. The pork itself was a little dry and I think a pork butt might be better as suggested by the Chow boards.

Pork Loin in Milk Recipe
(serves 2-4)
Adapted from The Classic Italian Cookbook and Saveur

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lb boneless pork loin
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, degermed and halved
1 small handful sage leaves
5 strips lemon zest
1 3/4 cup whole milk

Pat pork dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a medium dutch oven to medium-low heat and add oil and brown pork well on all sides, remove to a plate. Roughly clean out any browned bits with a paper towel. Add butter, garlic and sage and cook, stirring regularly until garlic just starts to brown. Add pork back to the pot with any juices. Scatter lemon peel around and add milk. Cover the pot partially and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, flipping meat occasionally until tender and milk has reduced and turned into lightly golden curds, about 3-4 hours. Remove meat to a cutting board and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting. Serve with sauce.

Celeriac Soup Recipe

katerina — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:48:17 +0000

Celeriac, or celery root, is not actually the root of our common celery plant, but rather a kind of celery which we grow for the root. Though it is frequently used raw, for my first expedition in celeriac I chose to make a very simple soup.

This celeriac soup is basically just aromatics and celeraic with some lovely homemade chicken stock—perfect to really taste the flavour. It is a creamy and light soup that really does taste of celery, but lacks any stringy texture. I just can’t wait to try it raw. Does anyone have any favorite recipes with celeriac?

Celeriac Soup
(makes 2 small servings)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion diced
1 1/2 cups chopped celeriac
3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
salt and pepper
a tablespoon fresh parsley

In a heavy pot heat olive oil to medium-low and add onions. Sweat for 5 minutes then add celeriac and saute for another 5 minutes. Add stock, bay, thyme and pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until soft. Remove bay and thyme and allow to cool a bit. Add parsley then puree in a blender.

Squash and Rosemary Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

katerina — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:48:44 +0000

A macaroni and cheese recipe should be rich and gooey, and just a little bit bad for you. This version is an interpretation of classic comfort food which adds rosemary, sweet winter squash and some mustard for balance. The result is ever bit as gooey and rich as you could desire with an added bonus of a few extra nutrients—but still a little bit bad for you.

This mac and cheese does require a bit of prep because you have to roast the squash. I actually roasted it the night before so I was able to make this on a weeknight; all I had to do was cook the pasta and make the roux. I have also learned to make the sauce in an oven safe stove top casserole or dutch oven. One less pan to wash.

If you are looking for something less indulgent, I have made a healthier butternut squash mac and cheese recipe previously. It is also delicious but quite a bit lighter. I do find that of all the whole wheat pastas I actually quite like macaroni especially in a baked dish like this as it really holds its shape.

Squash and Rosemary Macaroni and Cheese
(serves 4-6)

1 buttercup, acorn or butternut squash
3 cups dried macaroni (I used whole wheat)
2 heaping tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
Rosemary
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

First cook the squash. Preheat oven to 400f. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place squash cut side down in a baking dish and bake until really tender. ( I used a buttercup and it took about 45 minutes, feel free to do this the night before.)

Remove from oven and let cool until you can scoop flesh out and mash with a fork. In a microwave safe dish heat milk with two large sprigs of Rosemary until piping hot but not boiling. Set aside.

Set oven to 350F. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook macaroni, drain when al dente. Meanwhile heat a heavy oven safe saucepan or dutch oven to medium low and add butter. Melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook for three minutes, whisking continuously. Remove rosemary from milk and slowly whisk milk into roux (that’s your butter and flour!). Chop a tablespoon of rosemary and stir in rosemary, than 2 cups of cheese, mustard and finally squash. Season and correct flavours with salt and pepper. Stir in macaroni, top with remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes. Turn on broiler and broil for 2 minutes or until nicely browned on top. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.