Impeccable Taste

Peach & Watercress Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:02:00 +0000

Peaches, much like strawberries, have an amazing ability to swing both ways. From dinner to dessert that is. They make a mean pie and are equally at home in a salsa or on the grill along side a steak. This dish marries the sweet peaches with savoury salad fixins and a healthy, happy union ensues. We got crisp, cool romaine lettuce and cucumbers, juicy peaches and bitter, peppery watercress all tossed in a pungent, shallot studded balsamic vinaigrette. All I'm trying to say is, peaches too, make a bangin' salad.

Peach & Watercress Salad
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes: Please, I urge you, if you are a lover of dairy, dot this salad with crumbled goat cheese. It will be a fantastic addition. Toasted, slivered almonds are also great with this combo.

Ingredients:

Salad
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped into 1 inch strips
4 Lebanese cucumbers or 1 English (seedless) cucumber, chopped into bite sized pieces
4 large, ripe but firm peaches, sliced
1 bunch watercress, trimmed, leaves and tender stalks only

Dressing
1/4 balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. Add the chopped shallots, stir and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the Salad. In a large serving/salad bowl, layer the romaine lettuce, cucumber, peaches then watercress. Drizzle with dressing, toss and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Harissa Chicken Kabobs

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:18:00 +0000

Harissa is a delicious North African hot sauce. A spicy paste made of red chilis, garlic and warm spices including cumin and caraway. It has a zillion uses, add it to soups or stews, marinate meats, use it as a sandwich spread, infuse grains like rice or couscous or use it to make a great, quick pasta sauce. Check out this Harissa Spaghettini recipe from 101 cookbooks, really delicious and innovative stuff. Today's recipe for chicken kabobs uses Harissa as a base for a marinade. The addition of more warm spices, garlic, olive oil and a hint of lime juice packs a ton of flavour and moisture into this chicken. I serve the kabobs with Harissa spiked aioli for dipping and Israeli salad (which I'll tell you about before tomato season is over).

Harissa Chicken Kabobs
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes: I make my own Harissa to avoid the small amounts of sugar that the store bought varieties usually contain. I find the spices are more fragrant in the homemade variety which is a bonus, but seriously, buy yourself a jar/tube, save some time and you'll bump up the spices in the chicken marinade. The recipe I use for homemade Harissa is here.

Ingredients:

3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
3 generous tablespoons Harissa
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup olive oil
skinless boneless chicken breasts (the marinade makes enough to coat 2-4 lbs of chicken)
Harissa Aioli for serving (see recipe below)

Prepare the marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, lime juice, Harissa, spices and olive oil.

Cut the chicken breasts into cubes about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches in size. Add cubed chicken to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (the longer the better).

When you are ready to grill, thread chicken onto skewers. Grill over high heat for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.

Harissa Aioli
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use homemade olive oil mayo)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Harissa
salt

Combine mayo, lime juice, garlic and Harissa in a medium bowl, season with salt and whisk to combine. Chill until ready to serve.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:25:00 +0000

What would happen if a whole summer whizzed by completely potato salad free? It hurts to even think about, it just wouldn't be right. I was determined to come up with an alternative for all of us white potato avoiders. I knew I could make this happen with the nutritionally dense sweet potato, as long as there were enough savoury, tangy and creamy ingredients to balance out the sweet. A healthy dose of onion, pickles, chopped egg, and celery did the trick! With all of those delicious flavours mingling together, it's quite the summer party.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes: To keep things paleo friendly, I make my own mayonnaise, avoiding sugar and unhealthy vegetable oils. I have included my recipe for homemade, olive oil mayonnaise below. Obviously, good quality store bought mayo works great here (I like Hellman's). I have incorporated instructions on how to roast sweet potatoes into this recipe. Everyone has their own method for this. I have found that preheating the baking sheets helps them crisp up pretty well. You can roast the potatoes however you like, you just need to start with well roasted, bite sized chunks of sweet potato for this salad.

Ingredients:

4 pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed clean
1/2 cup coconut oil (or any vegetable oil), divided
salt and pepper

5 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 bunch green onions, finely sliced (about 1 cup)
4 large dill pickles, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 celery stalks, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

To roast the sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 475 degrees, place oven racks in the middle and lower positions. Insert 2 baking sheets to preheat along with the oven. Heat coconut oil in a small saucepan until just melted/liquified. Chop the sweet potatoes by halving them lengthwise, then cut the halves lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces, chop wedges into bite sized pieces (about 1/2 inch thick). In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 4 tablespoons of oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. When the oven and baking sheets are preheated, carefully remove the baking sheets and drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil onto each sheet. Carefully distribute the sweet potatoes between the 2 baking sheets in a single layer, and pop them back in the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes, then flip the potatoes with a spatula, and put the trays back into the oven, rotating the 2 sheets top to bottom. The potatoes should be done after an additional 10 minutes of roasting. I like to put each sheet under the broiler for a couple of minutes to get some nice brown crispy spots. Remove potatoes and cool completely.

To prepare the salad, combine the mayo and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Toss the cooled sweet potatoes, eggs, onions, pickles, celery and mayo mixture together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, chill and serve.

Homemade Olive Oil Mayonnaise
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes: This mayo can be made with a food processor or by hand with a very strong arm. I use light or extra light olive oil for this recipe to keep the flavour neutral. The mayonnaise made in the food proccessor will be more stiff then that made by hand, but it's worth it to save time and your arm.

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks, preferably room temperature
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups light (not extra virgin or first pressing) olive oil

Food processor method: Put the egg yolks, Dijon, lemon juice and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Measure out your olive oil. Process the egg and seasonings for about 30 seconds until lightened and thickened slightly. Keep the motor running and using a teaspoon (it helps control the speed at which you add your oil), drizzle oil SLOWLY, teaspoon by teaspoon, drip by drip, through the feed tube of the food processor. After you have added about 1/2 cup, you should see a thick mayonnaise forming, you can now increase the speed at which you add the remainder of the oil, still using the teaspoon to drizzle in a slow, steady stream. Stop processing immediately after you have finished adding your oil or it may separate. (Use your ears, you can actually hear a change in the sound of of the mayonnaise as it loosens before it separates. Stop processing immediately if you hear this!) Chill until ready to use.

By hand: Dampen a tea towel, fold it, and place it under a medium sized mixing bowl (this will keep the bowl steady when whisking like a mad person). Measure out your olive oil. Place egg yolks, Dijon, lemon juice and salt in the mixing bowl, whisk vigorously until pale and slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. While whisking continuously, using a teaspoon, VERY SLOWLY drip the olive oil into the egg yolk mixture. By VERY SLOWLY I mean it should take you about 4 minutes to add the first 1/4 cup of olive oil. Once the first 1/4 cup of olive oil has been added, you should see the mayo starting to emulsify. You can increase the speed at which you add your oil now, still using the teaspoon to drizzle in a slow, steady stream. It should take you an additional 4-5 minutes to add the rest of the oil. Do not over mix or the mayo may separate. Chill until ready to use.

If your mayo separates: Have no fear! It can always be rescued. Get your arm ready, it's going to take some more elbow grease. Start with one egg yolk in a medium, clean bowl. Whisk the egg yolk vigorously for about 30 seconds, until it has lightened in colour. Slowly add your separated mayonnaise, drip by drip into the new bowl, whisking continuously. This should bring the mayo back to a smooth, creamy consistency.

Blueberry Tea Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:39:00 +0000

I'm back with something sweet to offer my neglected friends. I took a couple of weeks off to enjoy some summer! We had lots of fun houseguests, people popping in and out, birthday parties and bonfires...ahhhh, 'twas fun indeed. I made this cake twice during my time off! It was so light and fresh tasting, perfect for a summer dessert or afternoon tea. No one could resist a slice! It's a simple, homey cake, moist and choc full of fresh blueberries. It has a hint of lemon and it's slathered with a decadent cream cheese frosting. Really delightful!

Blueberry Tea Cake
Origin: (slightly adapted) Bill Granger via Leite's Culinaria

Notes: This cake comes from Aussie chef Bill Granger, who uses terms like "scant" (just short of the prescribed amount) and "heaping" (just a bit more than the prescribed amount), just go with it, his hazy measurements worked for me! The recipe calls for superfine sugar (not icing sugar), you can easily make your own by placing granulated sugar in a food processor or blender and processing it until finely ground but not powdery. This recipe yields an uncomplicated 9 x 13, single layer cake. The cake kept well for at least 4 days, popping leftovers into the fridge when it wasn't being devoured.

Ingredients:

Cake

3/4 cup sour cream, heaping

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the baking dish

1 1/2 cups superfine sugar, heaping

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

2 cups fresh blueberries

3 cups all-purpose flour, scant

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (1 block)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

juice from 1/4 lemon
16 ounces powdered/icing sugar (I used 4-5 cups, I just kept adding sugar until I got the frosting consistency that I wanted)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, allowing the excess paper to hang over the edge of the pan.

Combine the sour cream and baking soda in a small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder, set aside. Place the blueberries in a separate bowl and toss with a spoonful of the flour mixture, just to coat the berries.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the lemon zest and vanilla and beat until combined. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then add the sour cream mixture and beat just until combined.

Add the remaining flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Gently fold the flour-coated blueberries into the batter, being mindful not to overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cake to a wire rack to cool completely, either by using the parchment paper as handles or by inverting the cake onto a wire rack and then inverting it again.

When the cake is completely cool, frost with cream cheese frosting.

To make the frosting, beat all of the ingredients except the sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in the sugar and beat until smooth. Use immediately.

Bloody Mary Tomato Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:59:00 +0000

I spotted this recipe on Smitten Kitchen the other day and within 2 hours I was eating it for dinner. Smitten Kitchen is my all time favorite food blog and I try many of Deb's recipe recommendations. But when she starts talking Bloody Marys, I move fast. You see, Bloody Marys are a bit of a thing in my family. My Nanny loved them, and always added a secret ingredient - pickle juice! As long as I can remember my Mom has ordered at least one, without fail, every time we dine out. I adore them anytime, especially with brunch (my Hubby too!). And my younger sister? Well, she may have caught the Bloody Mary bug worst of all, ordering doubles every time we are out. Geez, I guess we all sound like a bunch of lushes...but it's in our blood, it can't be helped. I always have the classic Bloody Mary ingredients on hand so I sprung into action and recreated this Bloody Mary Tomato Salad. All of the complex Bloody Mary flavour is there, without the booze of course, and it goes amazingly well with a good steak.

*I have to mention, in Canada, we do not drink Bloody Marys at all. It's this odd little variation on the Bloody Mary that has become a classic Canadian cocktail and a family favorite...the Caesar! The ingredients and taste are virtually the same, substituting Clamato juice for Tomato juice...tomato juice with a hint of clam juice!! It's essentially the same drink, but I guess we Canuks should really call this a Caesar Salad. Ha!

Bloody Mary Tomato Salad
Origin: Bon Appetit via Smitten Kitchen

Notes: The original recipe pairs this salad with a nicely seasoned flank steak. I had 2 bone-in rib steaks in the fridge so I went with those.

Ingredients:

1 cup red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar, divided
2 pounds cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (3 pints or 3-10 ounce containers)
1 cup celery hearts, chopped (light coloured inner stalks and leaves)
1/2 cup brined green olives, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons olive brine
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the chopped onion in a large bowl, pour 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar over onions and let them sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (this will temper the onion's bite). Add tomatoes, celery and olives to the onions.

To make the dressing, whisk remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, reserved olive brine, horseradish, Worcestershire, pepper sauce and celery seeds in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify.

Pour the dressing over the tomato salad and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until needed, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Serves 8-10.

Arugula Salad with Strawberries

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:45:00 +0000

I just can't get enough of these gorgeous strawberries! Gotta get my daily fix...they are like crack to a semi-strict clean eater like me! Not only do they make a great snack and have countless uses in luscious desserts...they have savoury applications too and they make a bangin' salad. This is another old favorite that fits seamlessly into our Paleo diet lifestyle. Sliced strawberries take a little soak in some balsamic vinegar which sweetens and intensifies their flavour. Then the strawberry magic is tossed with peppery arugula, toasty pecans and a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

Arugula Salad with Strawberries

Origin: Martha Stewart

Notes: We enjoyed this with a simple steak on the BBQ and the 2 of us polished off the salad. Double the amounts below to feed 4-6 people. This salad shines extra bright when a part of a breakfast or brunch spread.

Ingredients:

1/2 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered (I used about a cup, sliced)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 bunches arugula, washed, dried, and trimmed (I used half of a 5oz container of organic baby arugula)

1/2 cup toasted pecan halves, roughly chopped

In a large bowl, toss strawberries with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, let sit 5 to 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining tablespoon balsamic vinegar with the olive oil and salt and pepper.

To the strawberries, add vinaigrette, arugula, and toasted pecans. Toss to combine, and serve immediately.

White Chocolate Dipped Strawberries with Citrus Sugar

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:07:00 +0000

Local strawberries are here! There is nothing like ripe, juicy strawberries grown close to home. One of the many delights of summer. This is an exceptional way to enjoy them, simple and so pretty! Their juicy goodness still shines through, but the creamy white chocolate and bright citrus sugar are great compliments.

White Chocolate Dipped Strawberries with Citrus Sugar
Origin: Epicurious

Notes: When melting white chocolate be sure to not let any moisture get into the bowl. The chocolate will seize up with the addition of the smallest bit of water. I like these served cold.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
6 ounces high quality white chocolate (I used Callebaut), chopped
16 large ripe strawberries

Line a baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and citrus zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moistened. Set aside.

Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler, (stir the chocolate in small bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water) stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from over water.

Holding 1 strawberry by the stem, dip the berry into chocolate, shake excess back into bowl. Turn the berry dipped-end up and sprinkle with citrus sugar, place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining berries, chocolate, and sugar. Chill until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Roasted Chicken with Fennel & Lemon

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:09:00 +0000

Since I started this clean eating thing, this has been the meal I have made most often. It's so easy to prepare and turns out beautifully every time. Juicy chicken with crispy flavourful skin and sweet and tangy, caramelized fennel. I turn to it when I am lacking inspiration or if I have a million things to do around the house. I just throw the ingredients together on a baking sheet, toss it in the oven and I'm free of dinner woes.

Roasted Chicken with Fennel & Lemon
Origin: Adapted from The Kitchn

Notes: My favorite way to buy chicken is the "cut up chicken". My butcher offers a whole chicken, skin on and bone in, cleaned up and cut into 8 pieces, breasts, thighs, legs and wings. I love getting the variety of cuts (I love thighs and my husband loves wings) and it's more economical than buying just breasts.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin on, bone in (or 4 large chicken breasts)
1 large fennel bulb, or 2 small (with fronds)
1 large onion, or 2 small, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 zested and juiced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Trim the stalks and fronds off your fennel, save the fronds and chop them finely. Cut the fennel bulb lengthwise into quarters and slice the core out of each quarter. Slice each quarter into 1 inch strips.

Place chicken, fennel and onion on a baking sheet. Slice one lemon into 1/4 inch rounds and add to the baking sheet, zest and juice the second lemon over the chicken and vegetables. Add the minced garlic and chopped fennel fronds. Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Toss everything with your hands and make sure the seasonings are distributed evenly. Place the chicken, skin side up, in the center of the baking sheet and arrange the fennel and onions around it. Sprinkle the chicken with a little more salt and pepper.

Roast for 1 hour, rotating the baking sheet once during cooking. If things are browning to quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Remove from oven, tent the baking sheet with foil and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Serves 2-4.

Chipotle Steak with Brussels Sprout Slaw

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:31:00 +0000

This is a meal I have been wanting to recreate for a while now. It's an attempt (a successful one!) at a fabulous dish I had at a favorite local restaurant, Allium, on one of their tapas nights. The sadly small (but appropriate for tapas) portion size left me wanting more, I couldn't get this dish out of my head. Robust, smoky chipotle flat iron steak with creamy chipotle aioli, accompannied by a light, grassy brussels sprout slaw. It was great! I did a very decent job with my copycat recipe. I finally got my fill of this great dish! Try it out...or visit Allium for the real thing!

Chipotle Flat Iron Steak

Origin: Inspired by Chef Arup Jana, Allium

Notes: Allium used "flat iron steak" for this dish, my cut of beef was called an "inside blade steak", I believe both are from the shoulder, just cut slightly different.

Ingredients:

2 chipotle peppers, finely chopped (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)

1 teaspoon adobo sauce

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper
upto 2 lbs beef steak, flat iron or blade steak

Mix the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a glass baking dish or a resealable plastic bag large enough to hold your beef. Add steaks and toss to coat, marinate for about an hour (or more if desired).

When you are ready to grill, remove steaks from marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill. This a tougher cut of meat so medium (even medium-rare) doneness is ideal. Make sure to get a good sear on the meat but don't cook it too long. We grilled it on high heat for about 4-5 minutes per side.

Chipotle Aioli
Origin: Inspired by Chef Arup Jana, Allium

Notes: You can adjust the amount of chipotle pepper to control the heat to your liking.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I make my own olive oil based mayo)
1 chipotle pepper, finely chopped (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced
salt

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, chipotle, adobo sauce and garlic. Season with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Brussels Sprout Slaw
Origin: Inspired by Chef Arup Jana, Allium

Notes: This slaw is really good! Forget everything you think you know about brussels sprouts. The raw, shredded brussels sprouts are surprisingly mild with a nice crunch.

Ingredients:

brussels sprouts, about 5 cups shredded
1 green pepper, sliced as thin as possible
4 shallots, halved and sliced as thin as possible
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

To prepare the brussels sprouts, trim the end slightly and slice them in half lengthwise. Starting at the top of the brussels sprout, thinly slice them, stopping when you get the the core/hard bits.

In a large bowl combine the shredded brussels sprouts, sliced green pepper and shallots. Drizzle with the vinegar and olive oil, season with a generous amount of salt and pepper and toss to combine. Serve immediately or chill for an hour before serving. Serves 4.

Kofta Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:38:00 +0000

This past weekend marked the unofficial start to summer in Canada with our Victoria Day long weekend. The time has finally come for cottaging, gardening, boating and BBQs! These burgers are outstanding and would be a hit at any summertime event. Taking cues from my recent trip, I took one of my favorite Israeli meals, the kebab, and changed it up a bit to fit right in at a North American cottage or backyard party. In Israel, Kofta kebabs are usually made of ground lamb or beef, mixed with spices and then formed into logs around skewers. The kebabs are grilled over open coals and served with rice, pita and an assortment of small salads, sauces and pickled things. These all beef Kofta Burgers are loaded with the same fresh flavours and lots of spice, they are juicy and delicious. Served with tahini sauce and fresh, bright tasting salads, all stuffed into a pita, they are superb!

Kofta Burgers
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes: These burgers are delish! I have included recipes for some great accompaniments, but you could simplify things by serving them with pita bread and classic burger toppings like lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion. BUT...the tahini sauce is an absolute must!!

Ingredients:

Burgers:
2 lbs ground beef (I use 1/2 lean and 1/2 medium ground beef)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
l handful parsley, large stems removed
1 handful cilantro, large stems removed
4 tablespoons garam masala (a blend of spices, you can purchase it or make your own)

For Serving:
Tahini Sauce (recipe below)
Simple Spring Salad (recipe below)
Onion Pomegranate Salad (recipe below)
pita bread

In a food processor, pulse together the onion, garlic and herbs until finely chopped and combined.

In a large bowl combine the ground beef, onion/herb mixture, garam masala and a pinch of salt. With your hands, mix everything together thoroughly. Cover and chill the mixture for an hour or until ready to use. Form the meat mixture into patties. Indenting the middle of each patty with your thumb will help the burgers cook evenly and keep them from shrinking up into balls once they hit the grill.

Grill the patties to your liking. We usually grill them over medium heat for about 7 minutes per side. It depends on your grill, the thickness of the burgers and how well you like them cooked.

Serve the Kofta Burgers with pita bread, tahini sauce and salads.

**The burger patties are great without the pita too, just serve with salad and tahini sauce for a paleo friendly meal.

Simple Spring Salad
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes: The lemony greens and crunch of the radishes and cucumbers are great stuffed into a pita with the Kofta Burgers.

Ingredients:

6 cups crunchy baby greens, I used baby Red Leaf and Green Leaf lettuces (regular Romaine would be fine)
4-6 small Lebanese cucumbers, sliced into thin rounds (or use an English/seedless cucumber)
1 bunch radishes, sliced into thin rounds
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl combine the lettuce, cucumbers and radishes.

Just before serving, add lemon juice, olive oil, some salt and A LOT of freshly ground pepper. Toss and serve.

Tahini Sauce
Origin: Classic Middle Eastern Recipe, Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes: This sauce is a must with the Kofta Burgers.

Ingredients:

1 cup pure tahini (ground sesame paste)
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, minced
salt
3/4 cup warm water
a handful of fresh parsley, large stems removed (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt (start with 1/4 teaspoon and add more to taste). Pulse to combine. Add the warm water and process until smooth (you can add more warm water as necessary to achieve desired consistency). Add parsley and pulse to chop/combine.

This can be made without a food processor. Mix everything by hand (chop your parsley first). But note that it may take a while to achieve a smooth consistency as the tahini and lemon juice will seize up. The warm water will help loosen the mixture.

Onion & Pomegranate Salad
Origin: Adapted from The Food of Israel, Sherry Ansky & Nelli Sheffer

Notes: This salad takes these Kofta Burgers over the top! It acts like a relish or a salsa, adding flavour, sweetness and crunch. To de-seed your pomegranate, in a bowl of water, submerge chunks of the pomegranate and release seeds into water. The seeds will sink and the white, pithy stuff will float, and your hands will stay clean!

Ingredients:
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup pomegranate seeds
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place sliced onions in a strainer over a bowl and sprinkle them with about 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Let stand for 1 hour, tossing occasionally. The onions will release much of their bitterness as their juices drip into the bowl below. Squeeze out any excess juice. I usually give the onions a quick rinse to remove excess salt and then press them into the strainer to remove liquid.

In a medium bowl, combine the onions, herbs, pomegranate seeds, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss gently, check for seasoning, adding salt if necessary.

Tomato & Walnut Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Anybody still out there? I'm back and ready to party...well, ready to do some cooking at least. My absence started sadly, with the passing of my beloved Nanny. But ended happily with a crazy trip through Israel with my In-laws. See...I've been busy. I just returned from the middle east with an even deeper love of its cuisine. Wonderful salads, kabobs of all varieties, olives, fresh fruit and dried, the freshest nuts and seeds...all naturally delicious, whole foods that fit in perfectly with our new diet. While it was hard to resist the Falafel, Israel's national dish, there were plenty of other options to feast on. I managed to drag my jet lagged butt to the kitchen yesterday to start recreating one of the many dishes I loved while I was away. While travelling, I scribbled many notes, tried to decipher dishes and even asked waiters to ask chefs for clues to help prepare the most outstanding meals. This salad was part of a typical Israeli breakfast we enjoyed on a Kibbutz in the north. I've been mulling over the possible ingredients and I think I broke the code. It is as good as I remember. So simple, flavouful and healthful.

Tomato & Walnut Salad
Origin: Inspired by Kibbutz Kfar Blum

Notes: Simple dishes like this shine when the best ingredients are used. Use juicy, flavourful tomatoes, fresh basil and really good olive oil for best results. Though I discovered this salad at breakfast, it would also be great along side a burger.

Ingredients:

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup basil, loosely packed, torn or roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 small clove garlic, minced (just a touch)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Toast the walnuts in the oven at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes (or on the stove, in a frying pan, watching carefully, over medium heat until fragrant and toasted). Cool the nuts and then chop very coarsely.

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning if necessary, a little more salt or lemon juice for more zing, or a little more olive oil if it's too strong. Serve immediately.

Sesame Crusted Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:15:00 +0000

In a world that is trying to focus the attention away from meat, my Husband and I are headed in the opposite direction. The world is giving us "Meatless Mondays" and veggie options popping up everywhere and we are eating more meat than we have in our entire lives. This has been a huge change for us as we have lived a mostly plant based diet for a long time, but we are certainly enjoying eating this way. Our intention is to carry on with copious amounts of vegetables and fruits, fish and healthy fats as we always have...but the addition of healthy, responsibly raised meat to our diets has proven to be both delicious and nourishing and we are sticking with it. We are nearing the finish line on the Whole 30 challenge. Less than a week to go. The healthy recipes will continue, but I can guarantee there will be bonuses like celebratory cocktails and birthday cakes. This chicken recipe satisfies a craving for all things breaded and fried. A great option for calming the beast within that is begging you for chicken fingers and fries. It's a straightforward recipe with only 4 ingredients that you can whip up in less time than it takes to get to a drive through.

Sesame Crusted Chicken

Origin: Adapted from Gourmet

Notes: Serve these simple chicken fingers with your favorite dipping sauce. I served mine with spicy aioli, but plum sauce or a soy dipping sauce would also be great.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup sesame seeds, mixture of black and white

2 egg whites
salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

coconut oil for frying

Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into slices about a 1/2 inch thick.

Whisk together egg whites, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish until whites are loosened but not foamy. Put sesame seeds in another shallow dish. Dip chicken, a couple of pieces at a time, in egg whites, letting excess drip off, then dredge in sesame seeds. Transfer to a wax-paper-lined tray.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chicken, reduce heat to medium and cook pieces of chicken, turning over once with tongs, until coating is golden and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate. Do not crowd the pan, cook the chicken in small batches. Remove any browned sesame seeds from skillet, before cooking remaining chicken.

Chicken Paillard with Arugula & Tomato Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:22:00 +0000

A major perk to this whole diet change is that dinner takes much less time to prepare. Fewer options means fewer decisions to make! Nah, it hasn't been too hard. There are tons of options from cuisines around the globe, you've just got to hone your recipe searching skills to suit. There are no slow grains to cook and many of the fresh, unprocessed foods we are eating require little effort to taste fabulous, the ingredients speak for themselves. The inspiration for this quick dish comes from Lincoln Road in Miami, it seems like each time I visit, I end up lunching on a patio enjoying this refreshing meal. It's light and simple and provides the perfect fuel for powering an afternoon of intense shopping in the Miami heat. Use the highest quality chicken, the juiciest tomatoes and freshest greens for this easy, bright tasting dish.

Chicken Paillard with Tomato & Arugula Salad
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes: To pound the chicken, you can place individual chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag and pound them with the flat end of a meat tenderizer, or pound them out between two sheets of parchment paper with a heavy rolling pin as I do. The idea is to thin the chicken out a bit and ensure it is an even thickness throughout.

Ingredients:

Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thinly
1 lemon, zest and juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 shallots thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper

Salad

6-8 cups baby arugula

1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (any variety of good tasting tomato will do)

3 shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine, white wine or cider vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

In a baking dish (or in whichever vessel you want to marinate the chicken), combine the lemon juice and zest, olive oil, shallots and garlic, season well with salt and pepper. Add the pounded chicken breast to the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and set in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Take out 5 minutes before cooking.

Meanwhile prepare the salad. Make the vinaigrette in the bottom of your salad bowl. Combine the shallots, lemon juice, vinegar and salt and pepper with a whisk, drizzle in the olive oil, whisking to emulsify. Place the arugula and tomatoes over the vinaigrette, toss just before serving.

To prepare the chicken, heat a large heavy bottomed skillet or frying pan over medium high heat. Give it a few minutes and make sure it's really hot. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off all the shallots. Add just a teaspoon of olive oil to the hot pan, the oil coating the chicken should be enough. When the pan is hot, add the chicken, you must hear a good sizzle or the pan is not ready. Cook the chicken for about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. You want the chicken to have a good brown crust on both sides.

Toss the salad and serve with the hot chicken. Serves 4.

Asian Salad with Salmon

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:27:00 +0000

I have been making this salmon salad for ages. It was one of my first great successes cooking from the Everyday Food mag by Martha Stewart. You may think that I have fallen off of the Whole 30 challenge wagon, with the sounds of this delicious offering. I'm happy to report that I am 11 days into this thing and this dish happens to fit in comfortably with only 1 ingredient to reconsider...a smidgen of honey, which I replaced lickitty split. I used a bit of pureed pineapple to fill the role of honey and it worked great. All of the components in this salad play an important part, and the outcome is fantastic. Crunchy vegetables, sweet fruit, and toasted almonds topped with chunks of the simplest salmon drizzled in a sweet, tart, sesame vinaigrette.

Asian Salad with Salmon
Origin: Adapted from Everyday Food, Martha Stewart

Notes: You can substitute different types of fruits and nuts in this salad. Try chunks of pineapple or mango or cashews in place of the almonds. I have served this dish as a part both a lunch and brunch spread and I have made it countless times for dinner. It is really simple and quick.

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets (about 8 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons pineapple puree (or 2 tablespoons honey)
1 small head napa cabbage, shredded (about 6 cups)
1 small head red cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
2 large carrots, shredded
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
1/2 cup sliced or chopped toasted almonds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place salmon fillets on a rimmed baking sheet, rub with a 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Bake fish for 10-15 minutes, turn the broiler on for the last minute or two to brown the tops a bit. (If your salmon has skin on it, bake it skin side down the entire time, once cooked, remove the salmon leaving the skin behind. A layer of aluminum foil will make your clean up a lot easier.) The fish can be served warm or room temperature.

While the fish is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, and pineapple puree (or honey), season with salt and pepper. Set aside 2 tablespoons dressing.

To remaining dressing, add napa and red cabbage, carrots, onion, almonds and apricots and toss to coat.

Top the salad with chunks of salmon and drizzle remaining dressing over salmon. Serves 4.

Spicy Grilled Chicken & Mango Slaw

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:09:00 +0000

Challenge! My husband and I have been given a 30 day challenge to change our eating habits in a major way. It's pretty drastic, so this blog is going to look a little different in the coming weeks (no more of these or these for a while). Based on the paleolithic diet, this 30 day plan focuses on clean eating. It strips away processed foods and aims to reset your digestion and metabolism, curb cravings and promote strength and well being. It brings us back to caveman times and encourages us to eat from the land. Meat, fish, healthy fats (like those found in avocados or olive oil), vegetables, fruits and nuts. Yep, that's it. Cavemen didn't have the tools to process milk products or grains - so they're out. If you read between the lines, you might have gathered that my vegetarian Hubby has made a huge change in his diet by taking on this challenge, adding meat and taking out all of his vegetarian staples. No processed foods or beans means no soy products, which means no fake hot dogs and hamburgers! The idea of eating meat has been marinating (sorry) inside him for a while now. This challenge and the promise of feeling great and getting stronger was motivation enough for him to take the plunge after more than 10 years meat free. This way of eating is meant to accompany a very active lifestyle, there is a large focus on protein of the highest quality to encourage strength building.

So here we go. No dairy, no legumes, no beans, no grains, no sugar. But have no fear. I will not compromise the quality of the recipes I am offering you. I have spent the last week researching and experimenting and I hope to bring you recipes that are healthy and full of satisfying flavours. Stuff you would want to make regardless of what it's missing.

Although some of the recipes featured on this blog could be easily modified, looking back through my archives I found only one solitary recipe that fit the bill as is...a side dish, not even a complete meal. The winner? Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce. I obviously have work to do! If you'd like to check out the challenge, here is the info.

Without further ado, on to the recipes. I'm off to an easy start. I had no problem scarfing down these great dishes. The mango slaw is probably my favorite mango salad ever, and I have had my share of 'em. There is no soy or fish sauce (which contains sugar!) only tart lime juice and vinegar, balanced by a touch of oil, salt and spicy red pepper flakes. I love the addition of mint in lieu of cilantro and cashews instead of peanuts...which works perfectly because peanuts are not on the menu as there are considered a legume and not a nut. The chicken is a super versatile, easy dish that you can turn to anytime. It can be grilled or roasted in the oven and you can use any part of the bird that you fancy. Made with simple things that I always have on hand. It hits all the right notes and is pure juicy goodness.

Spicy Grilled Chicken
Origin: adapted slightly from NY Times, Suvir Saran

Notes: I have made this several times using just thighs or a mixture of thighs and breasts. I have roasted it in the oven and grilled it on the BBQ, it always turns out great. Its not too spicy and it's an easy recipe that will please whomever you are feeding.

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs (or 4 thighs and 2 breasts), with skin, pierced all over with a small knife
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger root, grated or minced
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Juice and zest of 1 whole lemon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander seeds or ground coriander

Place all of the ingredients in a resealable plastic bag and toss, squish, rub or smoosh everything around to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 24 hours.

Preheat your grill on high, (or preheat oven to 400 degrees). If grilling, turn down grill to about medium and grill skin side down first, for about 25 minutes, turning once. If roasting, put chicken, skin side up, in a roasting pan. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until done and the juices run clear.

Mango Slaw with Cashews & Mint
Origin: Smitten Kitchen

Notes: This recipe is easily halved but I use the full 1/4 cup of mint and cashews because I'm baaaad! A slightly firm, but ripe mango is best for this salad. Deb at Smitten Kitchen has an amazing Thai-Style Chicken Legs recipe that goes perfectly with this slaw, but for the 30 day challenge, the spicy chicken recipe above does the trick.

Ingredients:
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and julienned
1 to pound Napa cabbage, halved and sliced very thinly (savoy works too, sliced as thin as possible)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, from about two limes
1/4 cup rice vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar during my 30 day challenge)
2 tablespoons oil of your choice (I used grapeseed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (or omit this and whisk in a chile paste to taste)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped

Curried Cauliflower & Chickpea Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:53:00 +0000

This was a new one for me. Cauliflower and chickpeas are a common duo in Indian cuisine occurring often in rich stews and curries, but this is something else entirely. A salad loaded with Indian spices and ingredients, but it remains bright and light tasting. It was a pleasure to eat with its playful colours, different textures and vivid flavour. Bold yellow, turmeric scented cauliflower, crisp apple and fennel, flavourful cilantro and red onion, and chickpeas and little bits of naan bread to soak up the light curry-lime vinaigrette. It was a nice change, a great at-work lunch and it kept well in the fridge for a couple of days.

Curried Cauliflower & Chickpea Salad
Origin: BBC Food, Simon Rimmer

Notes: I loved the addition of the bits of naan bread. Next time I might toast it first so that the bread holds up better for the leftovers. I could not find watercress so I subbed baby arugula in its place.

Ingredients:

Salad

1 cauliflower, cut into florets

4 cups vegetable stock, or water and vegetable stock cubes/powder

1 tablespoon turmeric powder

1 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 apple, thinly sliced

1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (I used at least 2 tablespoons)

1 handful watercress (or baby arugula leaves)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing

1 tablespoon red curry paste (I used 1 1/2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon malt vinegar

juice of 1 lime (about 3 tablespoons)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 naan bread, torn or cut into pieces

Bring the vegetable stock and turmeric to boil in a medium pot. Boil the cauliflower for one minute. Drain and set aside to cool.

For the dressing, mix the curry paste with 3 tablespoons of hot water until smooth then whisk in the vinegar, lime juice and vegetable oil in a steady stream until emulsified. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix the cauliflower, chickpeas, onion, apple, fennel, cilantro and watercress (or arugula) in a bowl, then stir in the dressing until well combined. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix the pieces of naan bread through the salad and serve.

Veggie Potstickers

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:01:00 +0000

Today I am proud of my country (even though the House of Commons has lost confidence in the government and an election is on the way). Neil Young helps a lot. That man is so cool. Last night I nestled in to watch the 40th annual Juno Awards where Neil was honoured with a humanitarian award and won two statues. If the godfather of grunge isn't enough Canadian credit, the awards show also saw appearances by City and Colour (singing Neil Young's Old Man!!), Metric, Broken Social Scene, Schad, Blue Rodeo, Shania Twain, K'Naan, Arcade Fire, Sarah Mclachlan, Chromeo and more, and all of it hosted by one of my faves, Drake. Hey, at least it's Drake that makes me swoon and not the young Biebs. My Hubby (he knows about the crush) and I watched the awards and feasted on one of our favorites, Veggie Potstickers.
The potstickers were prepared on Saturday night by a group of lovely ladies. It was our monthly girl's night, a supper club of sorts. Along with cooking up several gorgeous fresh Asian dishes, we set up a mini potsticker factory and pumped out dozens of these beauties whilst chatting, listening to music and *hic* drinking wine. This somewhat tedious process whizzed by due to the group effort and the fun we were having. But the quality of the output from our little factory did not suffer one bit from our festivities. Each bite had a crispy fried bottom and a pillowy, flavourful top. With a quick, awesome little dipping sauce these are the best meatless dumplings ever...if I do say so myself.

Veggie Potstickers
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes: Filling and wrapping the dumplings is a little tedious, as mentioned above. You can split up the work by making the filling the day before. Once the potstickers are prepped the actual cooking time is about 5 minutes. They are worth the effort! This recipe makes a lot of filling, enough for about 6-8 dozen potstickers.

Ingredients:

Potstickers
vegetable oil (safflower, sunflower, canola etc.)
3 cups mushrooms, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 head Napa cabbage, finely shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, minced or finely grated
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce, or chili garlic paste
2 large carrots, grated
2 packages wonton wrappers (small, double packs)

Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon, Sriracha sauce (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons green onion, finely sliced

Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a very large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. The mushrooms should release all their juices (due to the salt), then the juices will evaporate and the mushrooms will start to brown. When the mushrooms are begginning to brown, add the shallots and a knob of butter. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the shallots and the mushrooms are browned. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and fry for about 3 minutes until they soften. Add the cabbage, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce and Sriracha and cook for about 5 minutes until the cabbage and leeks are soft and cooked through. Turn off the heat and add in the reserved mushrooms and the grated carrot. Season with salt and pepper. Taste the filling and add another tablespoon or so of soy sauce and/or rice vinegar if it needs a little more umph. Cool the filling. At this point you can refrigerate the filling for a day or two.

To make the potstickers, (I like to do this in groups of 3) lay 3 wonton wrappers on a cutting board or a clean work surface. Have a small bowl of water close by. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Dip your finger in the water and lightly wet all 4 edges of the wrappers. Pick up the 4 corners of a wrapper, bring them over the filling and press them together in the middle to form a pouch, seal all of the open seams. The wet edges should seal with a light pinch. Place the finished potstickers on a cookie sheet and cover with a lightly dampened paper towel or tea towel until you are ready to cook.

To make the dipping sauce, whisk together the soy sauce, Dijon and Sriracha in a small bowl, stir in the green onions. Adjust seasoning to your liking, you may want to add more Dijon or Sriracha.

When you are ready to cook the potstickers, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large flat bottomed pan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the potstickers in a single layer and do not disturb them. Cook the potstickers for 1-2 minutes until a brown crust forms on the bottoms. Add 1/2 cup of water to the hot pan and cover immediately, be careful of the steam/splattering. Steam the potstickers for 2-3 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to cook until the water has evaporated. Remove the cooked potstickers to a platter and continue this process with the remaining potstickers.

Serve hot with the dipping sauce. Makes at least 6 dozen potstickers.

Grilled Vegetables with Walnut & White Bean Puree

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:20:00 +0000

I don't know what drew me to this recipe in the first place. It's not the most inspiring sounding thing, and it's not that pretty (really hard to get a flattering picture). But it called out to me and I tried it. Instantly it became one of my favorite meals. I could eat solely this for dinner (and did last night), and then eat it for lunch the next day (got it in tow), and the day after that (looking forward to it). It is really satisfying and wholesome. The grilled vegetables are doused in a garlicky balsamic dressing and then tossed with fresh mint. Enjoyed with the creamy, nutty, albeit ugly puree, it's a real sensation with me.

Grilled Vegetables with Walnut & White Bean Puree

Origin: Adapted slightly from StoneSoup

Notes: During the long winter months I use a grill pan to grill the vegetables. It is so easy, especially for the onions as nothing falls through the grill. I grill the peppers first, then grill the onions, then the zucchini and add each vegetable to the dressing as they are cooked.

Ingredients:

Grilled Vegetables

4 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 4 strips
2 red peppers (or yellow/orange), deseeded and sliced into wide strips
2 red onions, sliced into 3/4 inch rounds (or half moons)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped

Walnut & White Bean Puree

200g walnuts (I use about 2 cups)
1 400g can cannellini beans (or white kidney beans), drained and rinsed (I use a 19oz can)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons water, or to taste

pita bread for serving (optional)

To make the vegetables, preheat a BBQ or grill pan. Toss the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. BBQ vegetables over a high heat until each is cooked to your liking.

Meanwhile, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, garlic and extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl and season with a little salt and pepper. As each vegetable is cooked add it to the dressing bowl. When all vegetables are cooked, toss gently and allow to stand for a few minutes to soak up the dressing. Toss through the mint leaves.

To make the Walnut & White Bean Puree, process the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add remaining ingredients except water and continue to whiz until you have a smooth paste. Gradually add water until the puree is smooth and the consistency is to your liking. Season well with salt and pepper.

Serve the grilled vegetables with dollops of the puree and serve with some pita bread (if using). Serves 4.

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Cream Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:26:00 +0000

I will contain myself and not eat these for breakfast. These are my idea of the perfect banana muffin. Moist, full of banana flavour and decked out with frosting!! They are not "healthy" muffins, lots of sugar and oil went into these puppies. I don't really consider muffins healthy in any form, so nutrition is not a factor when determining my muffin perfection. They taste just like a good, deeply flavoured banana bread, and the addition of the lightly sweetened, tart and creamy mascarpone cheese really bumps up their delish factor. They would be a welcomed addition to a brunch spread or enjoy them as an afternoon snack with coffee or tea.

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Cream Frosting
Origin: Food Network, Giada De Laurentiis

Notes: These are perfectly good banana muffins without the frosting, but really, how can you not try the honey kissed Mascarpone Cream. So good. I think I over did it this time with piping my frosting, I ran out before finishing the entire batch. Usually the amount of frosting is just enough for a little schmear on each muffin. If you want big puffy icing clouds on your muffins, you should double the frosting recipe.

Ingredients:

Muffins
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons honey

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend.

Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly. The muffins may be eaten warm or cooled completely and frosted.

To frost the cupcakes, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone cheese and then beat in the honey. Spread or pipe the frosting over the muffins.

Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs in Lettuce Wraps

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:42:00 +0000

These tasty little nuggets are from a cookbook called Small Bites, a book devoted to appetizers and small plates for parties. These meatballs would make a fabulous addition to a party smorgasbord, but I usually whip these up when I want something healthy but exciting for lunch or dinner. Flavourful chicken meatballs with crunchy, fresh vegetables and herbs, packaged up in a crispy lettuce wrap. The meatballs are rolled in sugar (just a bit) before baking and they develop a sticky coating which balances beautifully with the pungent meatball seasonings. These would be a great healthy option for guests, low in fat and calories, gluten free, and low in carbs!

Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs in Lettuce Wraps
Origin: Food and Wine, Jennifer Joyce

Notes: Don't be afraid of fish sauce! It is a standard ingredient used in tons of foods from Southeast Asia. You've probably eaten it and enjoyed it without knowing! It imparts a deep, salty flavour when used sparingly.

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground lean chicken (you can grind your own chicken thighs/breasts in a food processor)
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (I used a little less - 2 tablespoons)
3 small shallots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, minced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint, plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 head Boston or red leaf lettuce, leaves separated
1/2 seedless/English cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
Asian chili sauce, for serving (I use sweet chili sauce)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the ground chicken, fish sauce, shallot, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, mint, cornstarch and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix with your hands just until combined (over mixing with result in tough meatballs).
You can add a little flour or breadcrumbs to your mixture if it seems too wet to roll into balls, or try chilling the mixture for 30 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place sugar on a plate. Roll the chicken mixture in to balls about the size of a ping pong ball. Roll the meatballs in the sugar to coat lightly. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. You can broil them for the last few minutes to brown the tops.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter and fill each one with a little cucumber, red onion, cilantro, mint and a meatball. Drizzle with chili sauce, roll up and enjoy.

Makes about 15 meatballs.

Fruit & Nut Crisps with Truffled Cream Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 01:48:00 +0000

Aahhhhhhhh...that's better. Back from my vacay and feeling great. I was eager to get back in the kitchen and feeling super ambitious. The trip was choc-full of amazing, bucket list-fulfilling culinary experiences, but there was little time for cooking. (See my Favorite Spots page for restaurant ideas in south Florida.) Guns blazing in the kitchen, I decided to tackle this copy cat recipe that I have had my eye on for a while. It turns out that these were really easy to make if you have a little time on your hands (they have to be baked twice) and the reward is well worth it. A perfect snack or offering for guests. These sweet/savoury crisps are amazing with tangy cheeses. This Truffled Cream Cheese was the perfect accompaniment. A quick mix of cream cheese and sour cream with chives and truffle oil. Really good! Now, back to reality.

Fruit & Nut Crisps

Origin: This Genius

Notes: This is a copy cat recipe of a popular artisan cracker. I found the recipe here, it was really well done, producing a close match to the original. I used my favorite fruits, nuts and seeds, you can feel free to do some substitutions.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup flax seed, ground
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Add the buttermilk, sugar and honey and stir a little, just to incorporate. Add the remaining nuts, seeds, fruit and herbs and stir until just blended. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into 2 lightly greased loaf pans. Bake for about 35 minutes, until they are golden brown and they spring back when pressed lightly. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. You can freeze one loaf at this point. Or you can leave the loaves until the next day to proceed with the next step if you'd like.

When ready to continue, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. With a serrated knife, cut the loaves into the thinnest slices possible. Not more than 1/4 inch thick. Lay the slices on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, flip the crackers over and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes until deeply golden and crispy.

Makes about 8 dozen.

Truffled Cream Cheese

Origin: Gordon Ramsay

Notes: I used light cream cheese and sour cream this time around and it was still delicious.

Ingredients:

1 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

a few drops of truffle oil (I used about 12 drops)

Mix together the cream cheese and sour cream until there are no lumps. You can use a mixer for this. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the chives. Add a few drops of truffle oil at a time to taste. Serve with crackers or crostini.

Makes approximately 1 cup.

Wish You Were Here

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:05:00 +0000

We are taking a short break, living it up in south Florida.

I'll be back soon!

Sesame Ginger Steak Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:36:00 +0000

There was a nice looking steak left over from our weekend festivities, a rare occurence at our place (the steak, not the festivities). I put it to good use with one of my favorite salads. The star of this dish is a silky, flavourful sesame-ginger dressing. It is drizzled over crisp greens and crunchy vegetables topped with succulent, ginger marinated steak and creamy avocado. MmmnnGH! The dressing is reminiscent of one of my past addictions - WAFU. Have you tried it? Yum. I only say past obsession because I've learned to make something similar. This version is just a little bit punchier. I figured out how to make it a couple of years ago after a desperate search of my city turned up WAFU free. Luckily, times are a changin' and you can easily pick some up at your local grocery store's sushi station or even here when you need it. Enjoy this healthy, delicious meal with your loved one, I bet a few of you indulged in too much champagne and chocolate on Monday. I sure did.

Sesame Ginger Steak Salad
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes: This salad is great without the steak of course. My Hubby had it with leftover seared tuna which was great too. This dressing would be good with any kind of greens or veggies; tomatoes, green beans and broccoli would all be nice. The avocado is a must.

Ingredients:

Dressing
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)
2 tablespoons warm water
salt

Steak

3 tablespoons sherry

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced or finely grated

1 lb steak, ribeye or sirloin about 1 inch thick

Salad

6 cups greens, I used chopped romaine lettuce and baby arugula

1/2 cup carrot, coarsely shredded

1/2 cup red or yellow sweet pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced

1 avocado, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/2 tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional)

To marinate the steak, combine all of the steak ingredients in a resealable plastic bag, shake to distribute the marinade and set in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour (let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking).

To make the dressing, in a blender, combine the first 6 ingredients (garlic through sugar) and puree. Add the tahini, oil and warm water and puree until smooth and emulsified. Season with salt. You can thin the dressing with a little additional warm water if necessary.

When ready to eat, cook your steak. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot add the steak, watch out - it will splatter. Cook the steak for about 2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. If you prefer your steak more well done, turn down the heat and cook it for an additional couple of minutes. Transfer the steak to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

To assemble the salad, plate the greens and vegetables, top with sliced avocado and sliced steak. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with sesame seeds. Serves 4.

Bruschetta with Burrata & Radicchio Marmalade and D.I.F.D.

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:28:00 +0000

On a serious note, in November 2010, our city, and the entire NHL was stunned and saddened by the news that the daughter of our Ottawa Senators coach, Luke Richardson, took her own life at just 14 years old. She was a beautiful, talented and loved little girl. Thousands of people attended this young girl's memorial and were moved to tears as dozens of friends, teachers and teammates spoke about what an incredible girl Daron was. Today would have been Daron's 15th Birthday. Our city has proclaimed today "DO IT FOR DARON, Purple Pledge Day". Everywhere I look I see people sporting the colour purple, Daron's fave. Today Daron's loved ones hope to raise money for the Daron Richardson Fund at the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, they hope to raise awareness and encourage conversations between parents and teens about suicide. So today I present to you something purple in honour of D.I.F.D.

The above pictures are of Burrata cheese, an Italian cheese consisting of a solid mozzarella casing holding a dreamy mix of fresh mozzarella and cream inside. It is quite decadent and hard to find (I got mine here). It needs to be prepared simply to enjoy its delicate flavour and succulent texture. In this recipe it tops a basic crostini with sauteed radicchio and a little balsamic vinegar. The mix of the bitter radicchio and creamy cheese is blissful.

Bruschetta with Burrata & Radicchio Marmalade

Origin: Russ Parsons, LA Times

Notes: Make sure to salt the Radicchio mixture well, it will bring out the best in this bitter vegetable and enhance these simple flavours. An additional drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar at the end is nice, if that suits your fancy.

Ingredients:

1 lb radicchio (I used 2 large heads)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled, smashed slightly
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 baguette
1/2 pound burrata
Freshly ground black pepper

Cut each head of radicchio lengthwise into quarters and cut the core out of each quarter. Cut each quarter into crosswise ribbons about 1/4 inch wide. Combine the radicchio in a cold skillet with 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, salt and balsamic vinegar. Cover and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the radicchio has softened, about 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and cook until the radicchio is quite soft and the bitterness has cooked out, about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and perhaps just a little more balsamic vinegar. Remove from heat and set aside. Remove the garlic before serving.

While the radicchio is cooking, slice the baguette into 1/2 inch slices, drizzle with a little olive oil and toast in the oven at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Or grill bread until lightly toasted on both sides.

Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the radicchio marmalade onto each slice of bread and top with a similarly sized spoonful of burrata (try to get both the filling and the wrapping in each spoonful). Sprinkle each with a light grinding of black pepper and a drizzle of the remaining olive oil and serve.

Lime Squares with Macadamia Nut Crust

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:27:00 +0000

Yesterday, amidst Snowpocalypse, I spotted a little bag of macadamia nuts in my pantry. I immediately had visions of these lime squares. The snow day got me out of the office a few hours early and I thought I'd better put those hours to good use. Baking a sunny, tropical treat would fit the bill. These squares are a regular for me. The first time I made them was for a friend's baby shower. My adorable friend took one bite and fell to her pregnant knees on the kitchen floor. She proclaimed with a groan, "I want these for every baby shower, birthday and special occasion from here on out". I knew I'd be seeing a lot of these in our future. And I have. They've graced my table for brunches, birthdays, tea parties, special dinners and now, snow days.

Lime Squares with Macadamia Nut Crust
Origin: Adapted from Martha Stewart

Notes: The original recipe calls for pistachio nuts in the crust which I've done several times and it's great, but there is something about the lime/macadamia nut combo that I just love.

Ingredients:

Crust
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan
2/3 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lime zest (from 2-3 limes)

Filling
2 large egg yolks
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 6 limes)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8 inch square baking dish with melted butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch overhang on two sides.

In a food processor, finely grind macadamia nuts with graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and lime zest. With the food processor running, pour in the butter through the feed tube. Process until just combined. The mixture should resemble wet sand and it should hold together when pressed between your fingers. Press mixture into the prepared pan and work the crust up the sides of the pan to form a 1 inch border. Bake crust until lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes. Cool crust on a rack for 30 minutes.

To make the filling, whisk together the egg yolks and condensed milk in a large bowl. Add lime juice and whisk until smooth. Pour filling into cooled crust and carefully spread to the edges.

Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack and then chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Using the parchment paper overhang, lift out of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut into 16 squares, wiping your knife clean with a damp kitchen towel between each cut. Store squares in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.