Moules marinières

There are many ways to cook fresh mussels, but this is a time-honored classic.  If you are feeling brave, play with the herbs or add dry cider instead of wine.  Either way, allow for 500g mussels per person, and make sure they are fresh.  Adapted from The Guardian.

Ingredients

1 kg mussels (serves 2)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 -3 sprigs thyme (or lemon thyme), leaves picked
1 bay leaf
1 c dry white wine
50 g butter
Small handful parsley, chopped
1/2 c double cream (optional)

Instructions

1) Rinse the mussels in cold running water, and then give them a good scrub and scrape to remove any barnacles or dirt.  If not using immediately, let sit in cold water until ready to use.
2) Discard any with broken shells, and give open ones a sharp tap - if they don't close, throw them away
3) Bring a large pot to medium heat, and cook shallots with butter for 5 minutes, until they loose some of their crunch.
4) Add thyme leaves, bay leaf and wine into a large pan, and cook for about 5 minutes, until alcohol has evaporated off.
5) Drain the mussels and tip into the pan - cover and cook until most of them have opened, about 3 minutes.
6) Remove pan from heat, add double cream and parsley, and stir - put lid back on to keep in heat.
7) Serve immediately, discarding any mussels which remain closed.

Soba noodles with Eggplant, Tofu, and Mango

This is a fresh and summery tasting noodle salad, filled with asian flavors plus mango and eggplant for added sweetness.  Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

1/2 c brown rice vinegar

1/3 c honey

1/2 t salt

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1/4 t red pepper flakes or 1/2 fresh red chile, minced

1 T sesame oil

grated zest and juice of one lime

1/4 c sunflower oil for frying

1 medium eggplant (12 oz), cut into 1/2 inch chunks

8 oz dried soba noodles

1 large ripe mango, cut into small chunks

8 oz grilled or pan-fried tofu, cut into tiny cubes

1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced

large handful of basil and coriander, chopped

Instructions

1) Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2) To make the dressing, combine vinegar, honey, salt, garlic, red pepper flakes or chile, sesame oil, lime zest and juice.

3) Heat the sunflower oil in a large and shallow skillet, fry the eggplant in batches, until deeply golden. 

4) Transfer to a large plate lined with paper towels to drain off oil

5) Cook soba noodles in boiling water, per package instructions, or until just tender. 

6) Drain and rinse noodles under cold running water, shaking off as much of the excess water as possible - drizzle with olive oil and leave to dry in a colander

7) In a large mixing bowl toss the noodles the dressing, mango, tofu, eggplant, onions, and herbs.

Couscous and lentil summer salad

This is a fresh and clean tasting summer salad, with lentils mixed in to couscous to provide added texture and protein.  Adapted from Kitchen Treaty

Ingredients

1 c green lentils
1 c israeli couscous
1 c kalmata olives, chopped
3/4 c red onion, diced and rinsed with cold water (this removes the intense onion-y flavor)
1/2 c chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, dill, etc.)
3/4 c feta cheese, crumbled
1 c cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red pepper, diced
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T dijon mustard
1/2 t honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1) Fill a medium saucepan with ~6 cups of water and bring to a boil.
2) Rinse lentils under cold water, add to the saucepan, reduce to low heat and cover, simmer for 10 minutes.
3) Add the couscous, cook for 10 minutes (or whatever cooking time on package is) until lentils are tender but not falling apart, and couscous is al dente.
4) Strain lentils and couscous and rinse well with cold water.
5) In a large bowl, toss together the lentils, couscous, tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, feta, and herbs.
6) To make the dressing, combine balsamic, lemon juice, dijon, garlic, honey, and olive oil.
7) Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sour cream pancakes

These pancakes are very light and fluffy - totally worth the extra effort (and calories...)  Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

(Makes about 8 pancakes)

7 Tall purpose flour
1 Tsugar
1 t baking soda
1/ 2 t salt
1 c sour cream/creme fraiche (can be combined with yogurt)
2 large eggs
1/2 t vanilla extract
Butter
Maple syrup (or perhaps some Cranberry Syrup)

Instructions

1) Stir the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
2) Stir sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a smaller bowl.
3) Combine dry and wet mixtures, being careful not to overmix - it's okay if there are small lumps.
4) Heat at a large skillet over medium-low heat, and let it sit so that it gets hot enough to immediately melt some butter dropped into it.
5) Melt a small chunk of butter in the skillet, and pour small amounts of batter (about 1/4 c) into discreet pancakes (i.e. don't let them run into each other).
6) Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, until bubbles appear all over the surface and you can shake the pancakes along the bottom of the skillet.
7) Flip carefully and cook another minute on the other side.
8) Remove from pan and wrap in tin foil or put into a warmed oven, then repeat with remaining batter.
Serve with maple syrup and banana slices.

Vegetarian Tacos

This recipe is a vegetarian adaptation of the American classic - tacos.  It is infinitely better than any premade taco seasoning, and can be used with any meat substitute (not just quorn).  Adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

Ingredients

1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1.4 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt
1/4 c tomato paste
1/2 c broth
2 t cider vinegar
1 t brown sugar
1 T oil
1 package quorn mince

Instructions

1) Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and cook onion in oil until translucent and golden, about 8-10 minutes.
2) Add garlic and spices, stir, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
3) Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar and sugar.
4) Add quorn, stir, and simmer for a few minutes, until some of the liquid is absorbed.
Serve with taco shells/tortilla wraps, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, salad, and vegetables of your choice.

Killer Mac and Cheese

This recipe is adapted from Cooks Ilustrated/America's Test Kitchen, and makes an incredible rich cream mac and cheese.  You can use a variety of cheeses - as long as one is semi-hard and full flavored like cheddar, and the other is soft like colby jack (I used port salu and it was delicious)

Ingredients

1 c bread crumbs
1 pound elbow macaroni (or any other type of small pasta)
6 T butter
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 t dry mustard
1/4 t cayenne pepper
6 T flour
1.75 c broth
3.5 c whole milk
16 oz colby jack cheese, shredded (about 5 1/3 cups)
8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 2/3 cups)
Ground black pepper

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 200C.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, stir in 1T salt, and add macaroni.
2) Cook until al dente according to the instructions on the box (it should be very chewy, as it will continue cooking in the oven).  Drain and set aside.
3) In the same pot (after you dry it), heat butter over medium heat until melted.
4) Add garlic, mustard, and cayenne, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5) Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute.
6) Slowly whisk in the broth and milk - bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until the mixture is slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
7) Remove from heat and whisk in the cheeses gradually until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8) Combine cheese mixture and pasta, breaking up any clumps.
9) Pour mixture into a 9 x 13″ baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
10) Bake until golden brown and bubbling around the edges, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

The best pumpkin pie

This is a wonderfully tangy alternative to the standard pumpkin pie - the creme fraiche adds a light and creamy texture.  Adapted from The Traveler's Lunch and Martha Stewart.

Ingredients

For the crust

12 graham crackers/digestive biscuits ground finely
70 g (5 T) butter
40 g sugar

For the filling

1 can/1.5 c pumpkin puree
1.5 c creme fraiche
3 large eggs
1.5 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t ginger
pinch cloves
1/2 salt
1/2 c (100g) dark brown sugar
1/2 c (100g) white sugar
1 T cornstarch

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 175 C.  Combine graham crackers/digestives with sugar and butter, and combine until the mixtures is the texture of wet sand.
2) Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate, and bake crust until it is dry and set, about 12 minutes.
3) While the crust is cooking, in a large bowl combine all of the pie filling ingredients except for the sugars and cornstarch.
4) In a small bowl, combine the sugars and corn starch until no lumps remain.
5) Combine pumpkin and sugar mixtures, and pour into parbaked crust.  Lower oven temperature to 160C and bake until the filling is puffed and set, about an hour.