Friday, November 11, 2011

Cauliflower, Caramelized Onion, Gruyere and Truffle Tart (i.e. The Most Ridiculous Tart Ever)

This tart is amazing - if you are a fan of cheese, caramelized onions, or truffles, you have to make this.  It's so rich that you'll probably only be able to have one piece, but you'll probably end of up eating more anyway.  Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.


Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
3.5 T olive oil
1/2 T truffle oil
1 refrigerated pie crust (you can make your own if you want, see this recipe)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 T dijon mustard
2 eggs
1 container (7-8oz) mascarpone cheese
1/2 c full-fat milk (or cream)
1/4 t pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 c grated gruyere cheese
1/3 c grated parmesian cheese

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 425F.  Toss cauliflower in 2 T olive oil, spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast 25-30 minutes, tossing them halfway through to avoid burning.
2) Toss cauliflower with truffle oil and lower oven temperature to 350F.
3) Press pie crust into the bottom of a 9 inch tart pan, cover with foil, and pre-bake for 20 minutes, until the crust is golden.  (Use foil and pie weights if you have them.)  Let cool.
4) Heat remaining 1.5 T olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until a deep gold brown, stirring occasionally, 30-40 minutes.
5) Whisk together eggs, mascarpone, milk, and nutmeg in a large bowl, then add the gruyere.
6) Spread dijon mustard over the bottom of the tart pan, then sprinkle with onions.
7) Arrange cauliflower on top of mustard and onions, then pour cheese mixture on top.
8) Sprinkle with parmesian, and bake until the tart is gold and the center i set, about 40 minutes.  Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Lemon-Scented Autumn Couscous

This is a delicious way to use up leftover roasted squash and zucchini.  This dish can be modified to use other vegetables and nuts, although I find this to be a particularly delicious combination.


Ingredients

1.5 c couscous
2 c water (or whatever proportion your couscous package calls for)
1 c roasted squash, cut into small chunks
2/3 c feta, chopped
1/2 c walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/2 c dried cranberries
1 zucchini, chopped
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c olive oil
2-4 T lemon juice (depending on what you prefer)
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Instructions

1) If you haven't roasted your squash yet, set the oven to 375F and bake on an oiled tray for about 30 minutes, until tender and slightly browned.
2) Combine the lemon zest, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.
3) Heat 1t oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat, and saute the zucchini for 5 minutes, until tender.
4) Cook the couscous according to the packages instructions - this usually involves pouring boiling water over the dried couscous and covering for several minutes.
5) Combine the cooked couscous with the squash, feta, walnuts, zucchini, and cranberries, and then add the olive oil-lemon mixture.  Toss well to combine, and serve warm or chilled.

Gazpacho

This is a classic gazpacho - it's not fully pureed, but leaves some chunks of vegetable instead.


Ingredients

3.5 c tomato juice
8 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped finely
1 red pepper, chopped finely
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
3 T fresh lemon juice
1 green onion, minced
1.5 t (about 1 medium) chile, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Instructions

1) Combine 1 c tomato juice, half tomatoes, half cucumber, and half bell pepper in a blender, and puree until smooth.
2) Pour puree into large bowl.  Stir in remaining tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato juice, onion, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, green onion, chile, and garlic.
3) Season with salt and pepper, cover, and chill 2 hours before serving.

Swiss-Style Breakfast Muesli

This is a healthy and delicious breakfast option - be advised, it really needs to sit overnight, as the texture and flavors develop.


Ingredients

2 c natural yogurt
2 c rolled oats
1 c milk
3-4 T sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 apples, chopped into matchstick slices
2 bananas, sliced
1/2 c walnuts, chopped
other fruits and nuts as you want

Instructions

1) Stir together yogurt, oats, milk, and sugar.
2) Sprinkle lemon juice over fruit.
3) Combine yogurt, oat mixture, and fruit.
4) Cover, and chill overnight.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Spring Roll Salad

This recipe is very tasty, but it something you should make on a lazy sunday - it has a lot of steps, but together they turn out really well.  Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.


Ingredients

12 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 T olive oil
3 T soy sauce
4 oz thin rice noodles
2 carrots, grated
2 T fresh mint, chopped
3 T fresh cilantro, chopped
2 chives or green onions, chopped
1/2 c roast peanuts, chopped
1/2 cucumber, cut into matchsticks.

For the Peanut Sauce

3 medium shallots, unpeeled
1 C coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/2 c smooth peanut butter
1/2 t cayenne pepper (optional)
1.5 T soy sauce
2-3 T lime juice

For the Tamarind Sauce

4 T sugar
3/4 c boiling water
2 T fresh lime juice
4 T tamarind concentrate
2 T soy sauce
2 t fresh cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

1) To make the peanut sauce, place the shallots on a foil-covered baking tray, and roast at 375F for 30-35 minutes, until very tender.
2) After the shallots have cooled, squeeze the pulp out of the skins into a small bowl
3) Combine with coconut milk, peanut butter, cayenne, soy sauce, and lime juice, and blend until smooth. Cover and set aside.
4) While the shallots are cooking, toss the mushrooms in the olive oil and soy sauce.  Spread on a foil-covered baking sheet and cook about 40 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and slightly shrunken.
5) To make the tamarind sauce, combine the sugar and boiling water until the sugar is dissolved.
6) Add the lime juice, tamarind, soy sauce, garlic, and cilantro, and stir until blended. Cover and set aside.
7) Bring a pot of water to boil, remove from heat, add the noodles, and let them sit 3-4 minutes until tender.
8) Drain and rinse noodles with cold water for about 30 seconds.
9) Toss noodles with herbs, carrots, cucumber, and peanuts.
10) Serve noodles with mushrooms and both sauces.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Thai Crystal Noodle Salad

Also known as "yum woon sen," this recipe is great for a lighter thai meal, packed with lots of fresh herbs and vegetables.  Adapted from World Vegetarian Classics.


Ingredients

Salad

7 oz firm tofu, drained
4 ounces rice vermicelli or mung bean noodles
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 handful fresh basil, chopped
2 scallions, sliced
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 cucumber, cut into thin slices
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
handful of chopped lettuce
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped coarsely

Dressing

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 T brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Instructions

1) Combine lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and garlic for dressing, and set aside.
2) Slice tofu into thin slices.  Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat, and fry tofu in a shallow pool of oil, turning until both sides are golden and crisp.  Drain excess oil onto paper towels.
3) Put noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let stand until noodles are soft, about 4 minutes, and drain thoroughly.
4) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, including dressing, and toss to combine.

Tempeh Portobello Burgers

This was my first veggie burger, introduced to me by a vegan friend JS. To this day it has remained my favorite veggie burger recipe, and is so good that is has been know to convert non-mushroom eaters into portabello-burger eaters. Taken from this website.


Ingredients

2 8oz packages multigrain tempeh, cubed
1 large onion, diced
1/4 c olive oil
2-3 portabello mushrooms, finely diced
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 t dried basil
2 t dried rosemary
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 t pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup (or more) tamari/soy sauce

Instructions

1) Steam tempeh in a steamer basket for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool.
2) Saute onion and garlic in non-stick skillet for 3 minutes until softened.
3) Add mushrooms and saute an additional 3-5 minute, until the onions are lightly browned.
4) Add the vinegar and stir, and saute 2 more minutes.
5) Remove skillet from heat and set aside.  Crumble the steamed tempeh into a bowl and combine with the onion-mushroom combination and the spices, then stir well to combine.
6) Add flour, tamari, and 2 T olive oil to the mushroom mixture, and stir well to combine.
7) Chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes - it should hold it's own shape. (If it's too wet, you can add more flour.)
8) When you are ready to cook the burgers, form patties with 1/2 c of the mixture.  Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat and fry in a shallow pool of oil until browned on each side, 3-4 minutes per side.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Herb Crepes with Goat Cheese Filling

Recipe from the New York Times.


Ingedients

2 large eggs
3/4 c milk
1/2 c water
4 oz (1c less 1T) flour
3T oil
3/4 t salt
2-3T finely chopped parsley and chives
butter for frying
3/4 c cottage cheese
6-8 oz goat cheese
3 T yogurt
3 c spinach, chopped into large pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1) Blend milk, water, eggs, oil, and salt in blender on low speed.
2) Add flour and increase speed to high, blending for one minute.
3) Transfer to a bowl and chill, covered, for 1-2 hours.
4) Meanwhile, wilt the spinach in a frying pan or microwave, then squeeze out excess water in a colander or with a cheesecloth.
5) Make the filling by blending the cottage cheese, goat cheese, yogurt, salt, and pepper until smooth.
6) Transfer to a bowl, mix in the spinach, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
7) Heat a small-medium non-stick pan over medium heat, and brush lightly with butter.  You will know that the pan is at the right temperature when the butter sizzles and it is just about to smoke.
8) Ladle in 3-4 T of batter, and tilt/swirl the pan to distribute evenly.  Cook for about 1 minute, until you can easily loosen the edges with a spatula, then flip and cook on the other size for about 30 seconds.
9) On a plate, fill with goat cheese-spinach filling down the center, then fold to make a packet (to the shape of your choice)

This recipe is also delicious if the filled crepes are placed in a baking tray, covered with grated cheddar cheese, and baked at a high heat until the filling is warm and the cheese is melted.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Cream of Parsnip Soup

A good, hearty fall and winter soup.  The addition of honey makes for a nice and subtle sweet touch.



Ingredients

2 T butter
1 onion, finely diced
5 parsnips, peeled and diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups stock
1 T honey
2 bay leaves
pinch of cumin
pinch of cayenne (optional)
1 c cream

Instructions

1) Heat butter in soup pot over medium heat, and cook onion until soft and transparent.
2) Add parsnips with a little salt and pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes.
3) Add stock, honey and bay leaves, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook gently for 25 minutes until the parsnips are soft. Add spices, if you want.
4) Discard the bay leaves, combine with cream, and puree until smooth.

Thai Mushroom-Coconut Soup

This is a variation on a Thai classic known as Tom-Kha-Gai.  For a vegetarian version, you can use mushrooms alone or add tempeh or quorn pieces (sauteed lightly in oil.)


Ingredients

1 can coconut milk
2 c broth
1" piece ginger (or galangal if you have it), thinly sliced
2 stalks lemon grass (dried is okay), chopped into chunks
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
juice of 2-3 limes
3-4 T fish sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 large green onion, sliced
1/4 c coriander, chopped

Instructions

1) Heat coconut milk and broth, and bring to a simmer.
2) Add ginger, lemon grass, and kaffir lime leaves.  Simmer for 10 minutes.
3) Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
4) Add lime juice, fish sauce, and brown sugar and remove from heat.
Serve with coriander and green onion.

Greek Baked Lima Beans and Spinach

This recipe comes from the New York Times, and is a healthy and flavorful dish.


Ingredients

2 cans lima beans, drained well
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped
1/4 c fresh dill, chopped
1 T chives, snipped
1/2 c feta, crumbled
1 c vegetable broth

Instructions

1) Lightly oil a large baking dish, scatter with drained beans, and cover with ~1 cup of broth.
2) Preheat oven to 350F.  Wilt spinach in the microwave (Place in a large glass dish with a small amount of water at the bottom, and microwave on high.)  After wilting, squeeze out as much excess water as possible.
3) Over medium high heat, fry garlic in 1 T oil for 30 seconds.  Then add spinach, dill and chives, and stir until combined, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
4) Spread spinach over beans, sprinkle with feta, then drizzle with remaining 1 T olive oil.
5) Bake 30 minutes until sizzling.  Serve warm or cold.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

This is a hearty coconut-flavored lentil soup from 101 Cookbooks, with a surprising addition of raisins.  




Ingredients

1 c yellow split peas
1 c red split lentils
7 c water
1 carrot, diced
2 T fresh ginger, grated
2 T high-quality curry powder
2 T butter
8 scallions, sliced thinly
1/3 c raisins
1/3 c tomato paste
1 14-oz can coconut milk
2 t salt
cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1) Rinse the lentils and split peas until the water runs clear.  Place them in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil.
2) Reduce heat and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger.  Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the split peas are soft.
3) As the lentils/split peas cook, heat the butter in a skillet, add the green onions, remaining ginger, and raisins, stirring constantly.
4) Add the tomato paste and curry powder and saute for another minute or two.
5) Combine with the coconut milk, and add to the simmering lentils/split peas.
6) Simmer the mixture, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
7) Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Walnut Miso Noodles

From 101 Cookbooks, this is a tasty and simple asian-inspired pasta dish.


Ingredients

250g pasta (any kind, although I prefer spirals)
1 head broccoli, chopped into florets (you can substitute any green vegetable here)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 glove garlic, minced/pressed
2 T miso paste
2 T white wine vinegar
1.5 t honey
1/4 c warm water (or more)
salt to taste
green onions and extra walnuts for garnish

Instructions

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Cook pasta according to directions until al-dente, and about 30 seconds before the pasta is done, throw in the broccoli.  After 30 seconds, drain immediately.
2) While the pasta is cooking, toast the walnuts.
3) To make the sauce, combine walnuts, olive oil, garlic, miso paste, vinegar, and honey, and mix with a food processor/hand blender until smooth.
4) Add the warm water until the sauce is the consistency of heavy cream (slightly thicker is also okay).
5) Toss the pasta and broccoli with the sauce until evenly coated.
6) Garnish with sliced green onions and extra walnuts.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Miso Chicken (or Tofu)

Adapted from epicurious.com, and courtesy of Jenn.  This dish goes well with rice or couscous, and can also be used with chicken or tofu.


Ingredients

4 fillets of salmon, washed and prepared (deboned)
1 t oil
2 T miso paste
1.5 t sesame oil
1.5 t fresh grated ginger
1.5 t minced garlic
.5 t honey (or more, if you want it sweeter)
1/4 t red pepper flakes (optional)
green onion and sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 200C.  Coat the bottom of a glass baking dish with a small amount of oil.
2) Combine miso, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes with 1 T water in a small bowl for marinade.  (Note: I like to double the amount of marinade to give more sauce, but this is up to you.)
3) Place salmon fillets skin-down into the baking dish, and spoon on marinade.  Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, until the salmon flesh is firm and light pink, but not dried out.
4) Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Apple Cake

From Smitten Kitchen, this is an easy and cinnamon-y apple cake.


Ingredients

6 apples, cored and chopped into smallish pieces
1 T cinnamon
5 T sugar
2.75 c flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 c vegetable oil (or melted butter)
2 c sugar
1/4 c orange juice
2.5 t vanilla
4 eggs
1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 180.  Toss apples with cinnamon and 5 T sugar and set aside.
2) Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3) Combine oil, orange juice, sugar, and vanilla.
4) Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients, then add the eggs one at a time.
5) Grease a pan, pour 1/2 the batter, then cover with 1/2 the apples, then pour the other 1/2 of the batter and layer the top of the cake with apples.
6) Bake ~1.5 hours, until a tester comes out clean.

Crispy Gingersnap Cookies

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated - I used golden syrup instead of molasses because it's hard to find the latter around here.  Also, the instructions have been adapted to use a hand mixer instead of a food processor.


Ingredients

3 c flour
3/4 c packed dark brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
1 T ground ginger
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
12 T butter, softened and cut
3/4 c golden syrup
2 T milk

Instructions

1) Combine flour, spices, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
2) Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add golden syrup and beat until combined.
3) Slowly beat dry ingredients, in 2-3 portions, into butter/sugar/syrup mixture.  Add milk to give the dough a slightly wetter consistency.
4) Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and preheat oven to 180C.
5) Drop cookies onto a greased or lined sheet, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until slightly darkened.

Quinoa Salad with Feta, Pesto, and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.  This is a weird but surprisingly awesome quinoa dish, somehow all of the flavors come together really nicely.


Ingredients

2 shallots, minced
1 c quinoa
1 c corn
1.5 c fresh spinach
1 block extra firm tofu
1/2 c pesto (jarred is okay, but if you can use fresh)
1/3 c pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/3 c sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely
1/3 c feta, crumbled
olive oil

Instructions

1) Saute the shallots in olive oil until slightly browned.
2) Add the quinoa and saute for about 1 minute (add a bit more oil if necessary.)
3) Add 2 cups of boiling water and simmer ~15 minutes, until the quinoa is transparent but still a bit crunchy.
4) Meanwhile, cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and saute in a skillet with olive oil, until the cubes are slightly browned. (Remember to press the water out of the tofu as much as you can before frying it.)
5) Combine the quinoa and corn, and heat through, then stir in the tofu and spinach, until the spinach is wilted.
6) Remove from heat, and combine quinoa mixture with pesto, seeds, tomatoes, and feta.

Cabbage "Detox Salad"

From BBC Good Food, this is a zesty, crunchy salad courtesy of Caitlin.


Ingredients

1 head red cabbage, shredded
3 carrots, coarsely grated
small bunch parsley, chopped
2 apples, cored and chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced thin
1/4 c toasted pine nuts
1/4 c chopped walnuts
1/2 onion, chopped fine (optional)
1-2 T grated ginger
1 t honey
2 T lemon juice
3 T olive oil

Instructions

1) Prepare vegetables, fruits, and nuts for the salad and mix in a large bowl.
2) Combine ginger, honey, lemon juice and olive oil in s small bowl.  Combine, season, and pour over salad, tossing until evenly coated.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Butternut, Beet, and Goat Cheese Salad

Credit to Andrew for this delicious recipe :)


Ingredients

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1/2" pieces
2/3 c chopped goat cheese (feta is also okay)
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c dried cranberries
2 beets, chopped
3-4 c salad greens (such as rocket, watercress, spinach)
4 T balsamic vinegar
3 T olive oil
ground cinnamon and nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 220C.  Toss the squash with 1 T olive oil, then arrange on a foil-covered baking tray.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is soft and caramelized.  After roasting allow to cool for 10 minutes.
2) Make a vinaigrette by combining the remaining 2 T olive oil with the balsamic vinegar, and seasoning with salt and pepper.
3) Toss the vegetables, cheese, nuts, and salad greens, and serve with vinaigrette.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Adapted from a 101 Cookbooks recipe, this soup is seriously delicious with just the right amount of spice.


Ingredients

1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 T butter
1 large butternut squash, chopped into cubes
14 oz can coconut milk
14oz (1 can) veggie broth
1-2 t red curry paste
1 t salt
juice of 1 small lime

Instructions

1) Saute onion in 1 T butter over medium heat, for about 7 minutes, until well done and slightly browned.
2) Add butternut squash, coconut milk, chicken broth, and thai paste.
3) Bring soup to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the squash is tender.
4) Remove from heat and blend (I use a hand blender) until smooth.
5) Add lime juice, season with salt (to taste), and add extra water if the soup is too thick.