Hummus! So good! Tasty yet healthy- how can this be?! I have chosen not to question the mystery that is the double-positive of hummus and have instead embraced it and decided that I should make some :) I thought this recipe would make a small quantity, but no. It made enough for a weeklong hummus supply. So I suppose my only word of caution is that- be prepared for a large amount of hummus! And some strong bell pepper taste- but who minds that? :)

Roasted Red Pepper & Spice Hummus

Ingredients:

• 3 medium-sized red bell peppers, roasted (see instructions below)
• 1 can organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas) rinsed/washed thoroughly
• 1/2 heaping cup Greek tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly-minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
• 1 tsp season salt (kosher salt, black pepper, celery salt, paprika, cumin)
• 1/2 tsp each of cumin, kosher salt, and coriander
• for garnish: paprika, EVOO, fresh sunflow seeds, cumin
• for the side: toasted pita, cut into thirds

Process:

1. To roast peppers: preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut peppers in half (cleaning out stem and middle) and spray on both sides with extra virgin olive oil (if you don’t have any spray, just brush lightly with oil). Season with season salt (see mixture above), salt, and pepper on both sides, and place in oven for 8-10 minutes. Then flip them over and roast for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then chop roughly into large chunks (see photos below)
2. Place all ingredients (minus garnish and pita) in a food processor. Pulse together in bursts until the mixture comes together in a thick paste/cream mixture. Drizzle on some olive oil and sprinkle a few toasted sunflower seeds. Top with a dash of paprika and cumin for colour.
3. Toast some pita (I toasted mine in the leftover bell pepper-infused olive oiled-baking sheet so they’d be extra-pepper-y) and dip in for a delicious snack! Sprinkle on extra spices (I added a bit of celery salt + cumin on the pita) as desired.

It’s honestly incredibly simple- just pour it all into the processor and process and ta da! You’re done :). It’s delicious, nutritious, portable, great for bringing to parties, potlucks, what have you. This one’s heavy on the bell pepper taste, but for introductory hummus fans- or people who are crazy about peppers- this one’s a nice choice.

If you’re looking for a pretty bit of pastry to make a new friend, look no further than raspberries, strawberries, and almonds- this tarte is something that will enchant you and your guests. A flaky layer of pastry follows an oozing layer of fruit puree, topped with a mousse-y, creamy, thick almond layer. What’s not to like? This sophisticated dessert will impress your friends, is relatively simple, and chock-full of vitamin C (did you know strawberries are superhigh in their vitamin C content? excellent excuse)

Raspberry-Strawberry & Almond Tarte

Adapted from The Complete Step-by-Step Family Cookbook’s Raspberry & Almond Tart

Ingredients:

The pastry:

• 1.5 cups organic AP flour
• 1/2 cup organic ground almond meal
• 1 tblspn crushed slivered almonds
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 1 stick organic soy butter, very cold, cut into cubes
• 1/4 heaping cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk (organic, brown, cage-free)
• 2 tsp Mexican vanilla extract

The filling:

• 4 tblspn organic soy butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup crushed slivered almonds (toasted lightly)
• 3 eggs (organic, brown, cage-free)
• 1.5 cups frozen strawberries, in chunks
• 1 heaping cup fresh raspberries

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Blend together the dry pastry ingredients (flour, sugar, almond meal, salt) in a food processor for a few short pulses. Then add the butter cubes and pulse repeatedly until the mixture becomes crumbly.
3. Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of ice-cold water and pour it through the feed tube of the processor while continually pulsing. Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, continually adding more flour in small batches until the dough is no longer super-sticky to handle. Wrap in clingwrap and chill in fridge for 20-30 minutes.
4. While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling: blend together the raspberries and strawberries; set aside in a container and chill in the fridge. Then blend together the butter, sugar, ground almonds, and eggs until it becomes a smooth, mousse-y mixture, and place in the fridge as well.
5. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out (on a lightly floured surface, with a lightly floured rolling pin) onto a 9-inch tart pan (fluted edges preferable). Roll your pin around the sides to remove the excess and dock the dough firmly on the sides. I used the extra to line the bottom a second time- you can make a second, smaller tart (or galette, which I also did this time) if you wish!
6. Poke holes along the bottom and sides, and bake the tart empty for 12 minutes. Then, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Once cooled, pour the fruit puree evenly onto the tart dough. Then spoon on the almond mixture, until it evenly coats the top of the fruit puree.
7. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the tart crust looks golden brown and the almond mousse/mixture is golden brown as well. Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy warm with ice cream, or cool overnight and have cool the next day with hot tea.

It’s seriously delicious, and rather versatile- you could switch out the fruits and nuts and make this a totally new tart! I like tha layered filling idea, and am tempted to try a variety of combinations here. I liked it hot, but far prefered it cool and chilled the next day as a tea cake. You may like it either way- try it and find out! :)

I apologize for the long wait here in posts! We’ve been moving- the sister’s been moving on up (sorry, couldn’t resist) to a different apartment and the boyfriend’s been moving in and it’s been a period of flux- meaning that time to post has been fairly limited! That said, I’m now catching up on the backlog :). Here’s the first!:

The first batch of cinnamon roll cupcakes were a great success. As B was joining me for dinner the day after, this led me to wonder- can I make these rolls gluten-free? Being nothing short of a gluten-free expert, I knew it to be possible…. and by that I mean I lack any expertise in gluten-free baking and was doing everything incorrectly. Did I check to see if I was making the right substitutes? No, of course not! And did I think of xantham gum? Nope! At least, not until they were baked and done…. ah. So, if you follow this recipe to a T, you’ll find the dough VERY crumbly and difficult to work with- and you may be a bit frustrated. That said, if you can make some minor adjustments, it’s a nice treat for your gluten-intolerant friends.

The taste was very enjoyable, although I was told that the nutless ones were generally better. Still, I’d make them again! They’re conveniently small, and have a satisfying crunch.

Nutty Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Adapted from Fastest Cinnamon Rolls at Don’t Forget Delicious (from FineCooking.com)

Ingredients:

Bun Dough:

• 3/4 heaping cup low-fat (part skim) ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tblspn soy butter
• 1.5 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups organic rice flour
• 1 + 1/3 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves

Filling:

• 1 tablespoons soy butter
• 3/4 heaping cup packed light brown sugar
• 1.5 teaspoon saigon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup salted cashews, crushed
• 2 tblspn slivered almonds, crushed
• 1.5 tblspn candied pecans, crushed

Icing:

• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 2/3 heaping cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons organic vanilla soy milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line large or small (or combination) cupcake pan(s) with paper liners.
2. Place ricotta cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted soy butter, and vanilla in food processor and process for a few seconds until the mixture is smooth.
3. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl and mix together. Add to mixture in the food processor and and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (be sure not to overprocess- this will toughen the dough).
4. Emtpy the dough onto a flour countertop and knead gently into a ball (kneading process should only take about 20-30 seconds) – be careful, the dough will be VERY crumbly and will fall apart easily. Expect holes and tears if you do not add xantham gum
5. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle (about 1/2 cm thick). Take about 1/3 of the melted soy butter from the filling section and brush onto the rectangle, leaving about an inch on all sides untouched.
6. In a small bowl (you can re-use that same one from earlier), and mix together the brown sugar, nuts, spices, and the remaining melted soy butter. Spread the sugar/spice mixture over the dough as evenly as possible.
7. Roll the dough up into a long log, like a jelly roll, and get your pastry cutter ready. There will be holes and tears- do not be alarmed, if it doesn’t have a perfect shape, your icing will hide everything :).
8. Pinch the edges and the side closed, and push the two ends inward to create sharper angles (straight edges).
9. Sharply cut the log into slices that are slightly under 2 inches thick. Place each slice into one of the cupcake liners, swirled side up (as opposed to on the side). Bake for 15 minutes (my oven is hot)- possibly a few minutes more if your oven is cooler.
10. Remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool. The tops should be just golden brown and with a very slight crisp. The sugar mixture should have oozed out over the edges.
11. Prepare the icing: place the mascarpone, vanilla, soy milk, and confectioner’s sugar in the food processor and process for 3-4 seconds, just until smooth and homogenous. Place a baking sheet under the wire rack, take a spoon, and drizzle (if you’re me, quite liberally) the icing over the cupcakes. Feel free to do a second drizzling later when the rolls have cooled a bit.

Mine were definitely on the crumbly side, but delicious nonetheless! I suggest baking these at varied temperatures- I tried starting at 395, then down to 385… but honestly the baking time is up to you, based on how large you make them, how many you make, how hot your oven is, etc etc.

I love cinnamon rolls. There, I said it, they’re a weakness of mine. And, you know what? I seem to share that fact with the general populace. I made a batch of these last night and brought them in the work, and even those who usually resist the baked goods I bring in due to watching calories went for them. That’s right. They looked that good. What’s not to like about a cinnamon roll in a cupcake?!

These things are warm. They’re gooey. They’re sticky, and you have no choice but to lick your fingers so as to not waste the icing you’ve accidentally just removed from the bun’s surface. After all, sustainability is ‘in’ right now- if you don’t save that icing, who knows what your coworkers, friends, and family will think of you?

If you have an apology gift, I-need-you-to-like-me gift, a woo-ing gift, or a make-that-someone-smile gift, these are it. A box of these wrapped up nicely with a ribbon is enough to make any heart melt. Guaranteed.

Gooey Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Adapted from Fastest Cinnamon Rolls at Don’t Forget Delicious (from FineCooking.com)

Ingredients:

Bun Dough:

• 3/4 heaping cup low-fat (part skim) ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tblspn soy butter
• 1.5 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups organic AP flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons soy butter
• 3/4 heaping cup packed light brown sugar
• 1.5 teaspoon saigon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Icing:

• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 2/3 heaping cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons organic vanilla soy milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line large or small (or combination) cupcake pan(s) with paper liners.
2. Place ricotta cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted soy butter, and vanilla in food processor and process for a few seconds until the mixture is smooth.
3. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl and mix together. Add to mixture in the food processor and and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (be sure not to overprocess- this will toughen the dough).
4. Emtpy the dough onto a flour countertop and knead gently into a ball (kneading process should only take about 20-30 seconds)
5. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle (about 1/2 cm thick). Take about 1/3 of the melted soy butter from the filling section and brush onto the rectangle, leaving about an inch on all sides untouched.
6. In a small bowl (you can re-use that same one from earlier), and mix together the brown sugar, spices, and the remaining melted soy butter. Spread the sugar/spice mixture over the dough as evenly as possible.
7. Roll the dough up into a long log, like a jelly roll, and get your pastry cutter ready. Pinch the edges and the side closed, and push the two ends inward to create sharper angles (straight edges).
8. Sharply cut the log into slices that are slightly under 2 inches thick. Place each slice into one of the cupcake liners, swirled side up (as opposed to on the side). Bake for 15 minutes (my oven is hot)- possibly a few minutes more if your oven is cooler.
9. Remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool. The tops should be just golden brown and with a very slight crisp. The sugar mixture should have oozed out over the edges.
10. Prepare the icing: place the mascarpone, vanilla, soy milk, and confectioner’s sugar in the food processor and process for 3-4 seconds, just until smooth and homogenous. Place a baking sheet under the wire rack, take a spoon, and drizzle (if you’re me, quite liberally) the icing over the cupcakes. Feel free to do a second drizzling later when the rolls have cooled a bit.

These are utterly delicious. There’s really not much else to say about them because I’ve since baked a second batch and all this talking about them is reducing my willpower in staying away from the countertop where batch #2 is resting. Must.. resist… mmmmmmh. The best part is that they’re low-fat! Low-fat buttermilk, low-fat ricotta, no eggs… yes, there’s sugar, and yes, there’s mascarpone, but I can tell you with complete confidence that this is far healthier than anything you’ll find at the store. :)

For those of us who ended up not being a brain surgeon, rocket scientist, or astronaut, there’s always a bit of wonder about what could have been- and a tinge of regret. My lovely friend B was very amused at the idea of injecting cupcakes- and apparently somewhat regrets not having become a doctor- and requested a ‘sugery date’ during which we would inject some cupcakes together. Of course, that alone isn’t enough of a challenge, so we had to add a little something to the mix: B is gluten-intolerant. To add to the fun, she has trouble with lactose, particularly with cow’s milk. So basically we needed to make a cupcake that was gluten-free, with something to inject that is low(er) on the milk. Yikes! Challenge! What to make?

I decided to peruse my I Heart Sugar cookbook (it’s a delicious one to look through) and found a Raspberry Almond Cupcake recipe that seemed good. I was wary of the raspberries and had a large influx of strawberries my mother had kindly delivered the weekend before, and thus opted for strawberries in stead (after a brief consultation with B get approval).

The cake is a bit moist where the berries settled in- despite drying them for a few hours beforehand and parching their thirst upon paper towels. Despite this, they’re really yummy (note: you must be fairly crazy about almonds to agree with that statement). They’re low-fat, almost vegan friendly (darn you, eggs, I wasn’t of a mind to substitute you with pumpkin), and use all-natural ingredients. They’ve got chewiness and crunch. And with a little strawberry chunk and powdered sugar on top, what’s not to like?

Gluten-Free Strawberry Almond Cupcakes

Adapted from Raspberry Almond Cupcakes from I Love Sugar

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup organic rice flour
• 2/3 cup organic almond meal (I used Arrowhead Mills)
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 vegan buttery stick (earth balance) (aka 1/2 cup butter)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp organic almond extract
• 2 eggs, brown, organic, cage-free
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 pound fresh strawberries
• 1/2 package neufchatel reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/4 cup whole dry-roasted sugar-coated almonds
• confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Process:

1. Cut all but 5 of the strawberries into 1/2-inch chunks and place on a plate covered with a paper towel. Place another paper towel on top, press firmly, and leave otuside to dry for as long as you can (preferably a few hours at the least)
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line 14 large cupcake cups or some combination of large and little cups (amount of batter may differ for you slightly)
3. Place the butter (softened), sugar, and almond extract in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in to the mix one at a time, then sift in the flour and baking powder. Stir the mixture with a large wooden spoon, then fold in the almond meal. Lastly, fold in the dried strawberry chunks.
4. Spoon the mixture about 1/2-full into the cups. Sprinkle slivered almond pieces on top and bake for 20 minutes.
5. While the cupcakes are baking, place the cream cheese, two of the strawberries (chopped coarsely), and the almonds in a food processor (if your almonds are whole and crunchy, you can process these first into tiny pieces). Process until you have a thick, creamy batter.
6. Remove the cupcakes from the oven (tops should be just turning golden-brown and cracking towards the center) and place to cool on a wire rack.
7. Fill a piping bag or tube with the crea, cheese mixture and inject the cupcakes, taking a long injecting tip (thin, long, tubular) and placing it halfway through the cupcake from the top. Press the batter in, and stop when the cupcake ‘pops’- you’ll see it suddenly pop upward and puff up slightly. This means it’s taken its fill of cream cheese :)
8. Once all the cupcakes are filled, dust with powdered sugar, and place a strawberry slice on top. Enjoy!

B holds that the best part of these is the injected cream cheese batter, but I like them better as-is, and would want to make them strawberry-less. The almond taste is so whole and good, and you get it from so many sides (almond extract, almond meal, crushed almonds, slivered almonds) that it’s like an almond attack! Watch out! They may come for your taste buds!

I’m a bit disappointed that I had to put the word ‘salad’ in there because the ‘C’ alliteration was going so nicely…

That said, this is a delicious salad! Well, perhaps I should qualify that. It’s not for everyone. H and I made this fascinating twist on the typical chicken salad. It’s got all of the crunch and creaminess usually found in a chicken salad, but the creaminess is from plain yogurt and the very yellow colour is all curry powder. Yum!

The fact that this was a cold salad didn’t appeal to H; and the sister is rather picky about her curries- this one didn’t appeal. I really enjoyed it quite a bit- I love the textures, the crunch, the flavour combinations. I quite enjoyed it cold, but I love cold, crunchy, creamy chicken and tuna salads, so perhaps this will only appeal to those who share that joy.

Crunchy Curried Chicken Salad

Adapted from Curried Chicken Salad from Green Black Red

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (organic, hormone-free, all-natural, grass-fed), cleaned from fat
• 1 medium Red Delicious (or other red) crunchy apple, diced into large 1-inch chunks (skin on, rinsed thoroughly)
• 1/2 cup green grapes, halved
• 1/4 cup black grapes, halved
• 1/4 cup red grapes, halved
• 1 large celery stalk, diced coarsely
• 2 tablespoons mango chutney
• 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
• 1/2 heaping cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat. Brush the chicken with the olive oil on one side, and season with salt and pepper. Then flip on the other side and repeat. Place chicken on the silpat and set to bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked thoroughly and crisp on the outside.
3. Place the chicken aside to cool as you chop the grapes, apple, and celery. Place all vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add chicken, yogurt, chutney, curry powder, and remaining salt to veggie/fruit mixture. Toss thoroughly; serve immediately with hot, fresh naan (yum).

I brought he leftovers for lunch to work the next day and it keeps very nicely overnight in the fridge- in fact, the yellow and curry taste intensified. It may be a bit more watery at that point- the grapes and apples will sweat out some moisture- but the deliciousness remains. Please do note that people who don’t like cold curry salads won’t care for this one- but those who do should greatly enjoy it :).

When it comes to appetizers, some like buffalo wings. Others like chips and salsa. My personal favourite is some warm, straight-out-of-the-oven salty focaccia, with a dipping sauce of extra-virgin olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar. Should you present me with that, I apologize, but I doubt I’d be paying attention to whatever you say next… I’d be distracted. And were you in my shoes in such a situation, you’d be, too. Mmmh.

Last week H and I decided to have a grape-themed night. I found us some matching cookbooks at Half-Price Books that are all about grapes! Green Black Red features all California grape recipes, and it had some delicious-looking things in there, indeed. We picked the two best-looking ones and went for it.

The focaccia looked fantastic in the book, and ours came out virtually identical (except quite a bit more thick, but hey, who’s going to complain about that?). It’s golden and crisp on the outside, encrusted with juicy red grapes, dusted with fresh rosemary sprigs and large-grain sea salt. And it’s Heavenly.

Grape & Rosemary Focaccia

Adapted from Focaccia with Grapes & Rosemary from Green Black Red

Ingredients:

• 1 package dry yeast
• 5 cups organic AP flour (King Arthur, unbleached)
• 1.5 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1.5 cups fresh red grapes, whole
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Process:

1. Place yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add warm water, then stir in sugar. Let sit 5 minutes/ set aside.
2. Stir together the yeast mixture with 3 cups of the flour and the kosher salt using a large wooden spoon.
3. Once fully mixed, slowly incorporate the remaining 2 cups of flour 1/2 cup at a time, using your hands to knead the flour into the dough. Keep kneading until it is smooth and elastic (for approx 10-15 minutes).
4. Temporarily place the dough on a work surface, clean the bowl, and dry. Lightly brush extra virgin olive oil around the bottom and halfway up the sides of the bowl, then place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for an hour.
5. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and check the dough. If it has doubled in size, then pour the 1/2 cup of olive oil in the bottom of a large, round tart dish/pizza pan or baking sheet. Place the dough into the pan and gently stretch it out to fit.
6. Dimple the bread with your finger, and make dimples ever 1/2 inch. Place a grape in each dimple, then sprinkle the top of the bread with the rosemary and sea salt. Drizzle olive oil over the top.
7. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes (depends on the heat of your oven; I baked for 20 minutes and could have even gone down to 18 or so- my oven is hot), until the top is crisp and golden brown but not hard. Cut with a serrated knife or pizza cutter and serve warm with the dipping sauce I mentioned above, or with wine and cheese.

Mine was too thick to make panini, but the book suggests using it as a sandwich bread as well. Personally, though, I like it better as thick squares you can pull apart while warm and munch on as a pre-dinner sort of thing, or as a snack. How do you eat yours?

We were having a friend over for dinner and this friend (K) and I disagree on a great many things. Despite our being on opposite ends of the spectrum on what many would consider to be life’s most important topics, she’s one of my very closest friends, and has been for years. She’s a wonderful person, and so for her- and probably only her- would I honour a request that goes as follows:

Me: “Hey, so what should I make for dinner?”

K: “Does it sound bad if I say nothing particularly Frenchy?”

I’d say it’s a testament to our friendship that she asked so nicely :) and so I went searching about for something non-French! I also wanted to do something simple and that had a very tiny possibility of not being liked. Therefore… who doesn’t like cheese pizza? Right? I know her not to be lactose-intolerant, so I figured this one was the safest possible choice. Thankfully, she quite enjoyed it. That “mmh!” she said was wonderful to hear.

Rosemary Margherita ‘Pizza’ Tart

Adapted from David Lebovitz’s French Tomato Tart, which is in turn adapted from A Culinary Journey in Gascony

Ingredients (variation of original):

• 1.5 cups organic AP flour (King Arthur)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons soy butter
• 1 large egg (cage-free, brown, organic)
• 2 tablespoons cool water
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon)
• 4 large hothouse tomatoes, ripe (quantity will vary based on tomato size and your tomato preferences)
• 1/2 jar Muir Glen original tomato sauce
• 1 large ball fresh mozarella cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons freshly-frated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon large grain sea salt

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the soy butter and mix until the butter is fully dispersed into the flour and comes to a crumbly texture
3. Mix the egg with the water in a small bowl, beating thoroughly until the mixture has a light yellow colour.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the center of the flour mixture and mix in to where everything holds together into a dough ball.
5. Flour a work surface, flour your rolling pin, and place the dough ball onto the middle of your work surface. Roll it out and keep dusting it with flour, until there is no stickiness to the dough.
6. Roll the dough onto your rolling pin and place it onto a large 9-inch fluted tart pan. Press the dough onto the sides firmly, then roll your pin across the top to remove the excess dough (which you can use to make a freeform tart, twists, or whatever you choose!)
7. Brush on the mustard and arrange the sliced tomatoes over the mustard. Fill in the holes (where you can see the mustard / there are less tomatoes) with the tomato sauce, then spread whatever you haven’t used of it over the tops of the tomatoes.
8. Place large slices of the mozarella over the tomatoes & sauce. Then sprinkle on the parmesan cheese, sea salt, drizzle on the olive oil…. then take some of the rosemary off of the sprigs and place over the pizza. Lastly, for decoration, place on two large sprigs of rosemary to infuse the pizza.
9. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has browned to a golden colour and the crust is just turning golden-brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!

Yum yum yum. The sister has taken to this recipe, and it’s a very yummy one. I’m never against fresh mozarella, personally, and neither should be the general populace, because mmmmh, it’s so good! :)

Studies show that crunching something decreases stress, and these pack a powerful crunch- so if you’re stressed out, this is clearly what you need! :) (that and someone cozy to cuddle with and reassure you that the world is, whether or not you’ll believe him or her, not ending) I had some leftover tart dough when making a margherita pizza and had picked what was sure to become too much rosemary for its topping, and thought, well, maybe instead of a free-form tart with the leftover dough I’m going to make some twists!

The process was incredibly simple and the result was crunchily delicious. The sister was particularly fond of these. And the lovely friend we had over for dinner- K- seemed to enjoy them  as well. Try these out! They’re really quick, and once you’ve got the hang of them, you can go through the lot of them rather quickly with the rolling, twisting, brushing, and so on and so on.

Rosemary Parmesan Twists

Dough Recipe Adapted from David Lebovitz’s French Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups organic AP flour (I used King Arthur)
• 8 tblspn (1 stick) soy butter, chilled, cut into cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg (brown, cage-free, organic)
• 2.5 tablespoons cold water
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 3 tablespoons freshly-grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon large-grain sea salt

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the soy butter and mix until the butter is fully dispersed into the flour and comes to a crumbly texture
3. Mix the egg with the water in a small bowl, beating thoroughly until the mixture has a light yellow colour.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the center of the flour mixture and mix in to where everything holds together into a dough ball.
5. Flour a work surface, flour your rolling pin, and place the dough ball onto the middle of your work surface. Roll it out and keep dusting it with flour, until there is no stickiness to the dough. Then, cut off small balls approximately 1/2-inch in diameter.
6. Take one of the small balls and roll it out to where it is one long strip. Place a few rosemary pieces onto the dough, and roll it into a long, narrow string.
7. Repeat this with a second ball, then place the two together and twist. Press lightly upon the ends so that they stay together, then place on a baking sheet lined with a silpat.
8. Repeat this process until you have completed all your twists. Then, lightly brush the twists with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle the sea salt on top.
9. Place in oven for 8 minutes. Then take out the baking sheet and sprinkle on the parmesan cheese. Then place back in oven for another 3-5 minutes, until the twists are golden brown and the cheese looks crunchy.
10. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then place in a basket lined with parchment paper or a napkin… and enjoy!

Nowyou may be thinking, Odile, that’s silly to be rolling it out so much, it’ll toughen the dough. That’s right, and it’s purposeful, it is! The tougher the dough, the crunchier these twists will become. For once, you want to overwork it to the point where it’s going to have the most satisfying “CHH!!!” sound you’ve ever heard when you bite into it. Yum. Mmh. You could substitute the rosemary for thyme or the fresh herb of your choice- though I really do think the rosemary’s nicest.

My apologies, I realize that’s a ridiculously long title. That said, it needed to be descriptive! Last night the boyfriend, as per usual, declared his hunger, and I opted to do some fridge cleaning. I had two cutlets of pork loin left over from some time ago in the freezer, and an older chicken breast. I also had a number of tiny potatoes that were itching to be used in SOMEthing, so I thought, all right, a marinade and some mashed potatoes.

It took about an hour and a half all together to assemble, which for me is quite quick for a complex dish. The meat was incredibly flavourful and a bit spicy (for me, meaning for you not at all, chances are) and I was surprised at how well it captured the marinade’s flavour despite the short time they spent together in the fridge.

The mashed potatoes are rich and very, very creamy, thanks to skim milk, parmesan cheese, and nutmeg- the secret to mashed potatoes, just like my mother taught me. Nutmeg + potatoes = match made in Heaven. You’ll have to trust me on this one and see for yourself :)

Indonesian Curry Marinade Grilled Pork or Chicken with Creamy Nutmeg Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients (for two) (meat & marinade):

• 2 portions of white meat (I used one chicken breast and two small pork loin cutlets – go organic!)
• 1 tsp each of garam masala, minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp each of cumin, ground cloves, coriander, sea salt
• 1/4 tsp each of balinese chili powder, powdered ginger, pepper, and carry ou curry bombay
• 1.5 tbl extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients (potatoes – makes one rather large bowl, serves 6):

• 8 small potatoes (Yukon Gold and Red, mixed)
• 1/2 stick soy butter (or 5 tbl)
• 7 tablespoons organic skim milk
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp each of pepper, nutmeg

Process:

1. Mix marinade ingredients together and whisk briefly in a medium-sized bowl. Dunk in meat and drench completely in marinade. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Place softened butter, milk, parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg at bottom of a large bowl.
3. Rinse the potatoes, place on a plate covered by a damp paper towel, and place in microwave for 5 minutes.
4. Heat a grill pan on medium high heat.
5. Turn potatoes over to their flipside and microwave for another 5 minutes. Continue flipping and microwaving until the potatoes yield easily to the touch and become softened.
6. Peel potatoes one by one and mash into the large bowl’s mixture with a fork, continually folding it over and under. Set aside and cover with plastic wrap to keep warm.
7. Remove meat from fridge; place onto grill pan and grill for approx. 5 minutes, then flip onto reverse side and grill for another 5 minutes (timing will depend on thickness of meat cuts).
8. Serve potatoes with an ice cream scooper and serve with a refreshing and light summer salad to balance the carbs.

And you’re set! It’s a rather simple recipe but chock-full of flavour and is a nice mix of down-home good ol’ Southern cooking with a flare of Indian and Indonesian curries. Yum! I plan to keep experimenting with this marinade… next time there’s yet another curry from Bali I’d like to try :).

H and I share a love for tuna, don’t we, H? We also share a love for salmon (and that’s not to mention chocolate, cheese, knitting, sewing, decorating, sundresses… the list goes on). Consider it mutual-love-item-#76. When the boyfriend and I were on our cruise recently, I went a bit crazy with the tuna salad sandwiches (so good!)- thus imagine my delighted surprise when H suggested we make these delicious Oregon Tuna Melts for this week’s cooking date! How on Earth could I refuse so brilliant a suggestion?

These were monstrous. I mean, if I were a big, strong man who liked large, meaty wiches, then this would have been the one. I was barely able to finish half of this thing. It’s INTENSE. H will probably have me note that she was able to eat hers but she has magical sandwich-eating powers so that’s neither here nor there. The point is, if you have a hungry boyfriend to feed- as is often the case, it seems- this one’s a winner. And it involves fresh, delicious ciabatta. What’s not to enjoy?

What’s really original about this recipe is that there’s mayonnaise spread on the sandwich, but not in the tuna salad- rather, olive oil and balsamic vinegar (two of my favourite things in life) flavour it instead. Original, delicious, and more healthy. Case closed. Make this sandwich.

Oregon Tuna Melts

Adapted from Oregon Tuna Melts from Food & Wine Magazine’s  Simple Acts of Sandwich Genius (Tommy Habetz)

Ingredients (makes 2 large sandwiches):

• 2 6-oz cans albacore tuna (chunk light, in water)
• 1/4 cup finely-diced red onion
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar from modena (don’t get me started on vinegars)
• 1 heaping teaspoon dried basil (recipe called for fresh, we went for dried for a less sharp taste)
• 2 ciabatta rolls, split in half
• Dijon mustard and mayonnaise for spreading
• 4 1/4-inch-thick organic Emmantaler cheese slices (so good!)
• sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Process:

1. Heat grill pan/panini press on medium heat.
2. Drain tuna, then mix in small bowl with onion, olive oil, vinegar, dried basil, salt, and pepper.
3. Spread mustard on one half of the ciabatta rolls and mayo on the other. Layer two slices of cheese over the mustard half on each roll. Spread the tuna salad on top of the cheese evenly. Place the mayo’d ciabatta slice over the tuna to close the sandwiches.
4. The recipe suggests you brush some melted butter onto the tops of the sandwiches; I prefer to have a little organic canola oil heating on the grill instead. It’s healthier! Place the sandwiches (ours were so large, we had to go one at a time… my grill pan is not too gargantuan) on the grill and cover with the panini press. Grill over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, until you have some nice grill marks going.
5. Cut in half and serve warm with a cool, refreshing drink! I suggest some home-made lemonade.

Mine was not quite as warm as I dilligently shot pictures prior to eating, but it was quite nice… and I’m not a fan of melting cheese, so I liked it better with the cheese being a bit cool. These are terrific for that day when you need a hearty sandwich that feels decadent but really isn’t too bad! I’m sure you could try many a variant of it as well.

Frittatas are the Italian version of an omelette, and my idea of an omelette- not that I really eat them- is to put all sorts of things inside them. I had a number of egg whites left over from making tart doughs earlier on in the week and decided to pour them all together in this comprehensive frittata. It’s rich and chock-full of good things, but on the lighter side due to it being mostly egg whites- lower in cholesterol and fat! It’s very, very simple, despite having tons of ingredients… so try it! :)

Low-Fat Egg-White Frittata

Ingredients:

• 6 egg whites (large, cage-free, brown, organic eggs)
• 3 whole eggs
• 2/3 cup organic skim milk
• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp salt & pepper
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh sweet yellow corn, organic
• 1/4 cup fresh green peas, organic
• 2 tablespoons freshly-grated Reggianito cheese
• 3/4 cup chopped peppered deli turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach, organic
• 1/4 cup finely chopped baby carrots, organic

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place all frittata ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together briefly until just combined. For a firmer consistency, add a tablespoon or two of organic AP flour.
3. Butter a large, shallow tart dish fairly generously and pour in batter.
4. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown and mixture is set in well; wiggles when shaken lightly.
5. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes; then slice with a smooth knife and eat warm.

I told you it was simple! It’s very quick, very very very simple- did I mention how simple this is?- and hearty. You can make it as a weeklong leftover dish, or comfortably feed it to 5-6 people. Long live Italian practicality.