Category: Easy Recipes

Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

roasted pumpkin seeds - trust in kim

Better late than never! I bought a pumpkin for Halloween and never got around to carving it 😦  My excuse is that I was working on my costume, but really I was just too busy and never got around to carving it in time for the holiday. A craving for some salty goodness encouraged me to find the time to do this, and I realized it really didn’t take long at all – carving the pumpkin would have taken some time, but making these roasted seeds did not.

The secret to these is boiling them in salty water before cooking. This way there is salt throughout the seeds and evenly distributed, not just sprinkled on top.

You could also add some chill or other spices, but I’m a bit of a purist on this one. I only make them once in a year, and share them, so I only get a little taste once a year.

What you need:

  • seeds from pumpkin (mine contained about 1 cup of seeds)
  • salt

What you do:

  1. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and get rid of any stringy bits.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the seeds in a pot with 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  3. Strain the seeds and place on a baking pan. Salt lightly, then place in the oven. Roast for about 10 minutes, removing from the oven once halfway through to move them around a little.
  4. Remove the seeds from the oven when they are lightly browned and let them cool completely before storing in as airtight container.

 

cereal box character halloween costume - trust in kim

 

Caesar Salad Light

light caesar salad - trust in kim

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to cook in my friends’ kitchen with a beautiful view. As we had all been overindulging throughout the weekend I decided to make us this healthier version of a Caesar Salad alongside tomato soup. It was delicious with the croutons, but it would be good without them too.

I found this recipe on Jamie Oliver’s website.

What you need for the salad and dressing:

  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 1/3 cup plain yogurt 
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon (or more) grated Parmesan cheese, plus some for the top
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 chopped anchovy fillets (optional)
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste

What you need for optional croutons:

  • a few slices of bread cut into cubes (I used sourdough)
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
  • salt and pepper, to taste

What you do:

  1. To make the croutons, drizzle a little olive oil in a frying pan and let it heat on medium-high. Add the bread cubes and toss until they are lightly coated in olive oil. Add the garlic, sage, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Toss from time to time, until the cubes are browned and crispy.
  2. Combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing.
  3. Chop the romaine, then toss with the dressing just before serving. Don’t use all the dressing to start with, as it might be too much; just add more if needed. I like to add an extra sprinkle of lemon juice to mine.
  4. Top with the croutons and serve.

caesar salad light - trust in kim

 

caesar salad light - trust in kim

jamie oliver caesar salad - trust in kim

 

John’s Tuna Sashimi

Tuna Sashimi - trust in kimOh, my mouth is watering as I type this.  This is one of the simplest and most pleasant ways to eat tuna.  And one of my favourite things to eat, period.

My friend John brought a piece of frozen tuna up to the cabin this summer and served it with buckwheat soba.  It is so tender and tasty, and takes only minutes (a minute?) to prepare.  The vital factor in the success of this dish is the quality of the fish. Only the very best will do. If you’re in Vancouver Fujiya on Clark, or Seafood City in the Granville Island Market are sure bets to get amazing quality tuna.

What you need:

  • the freshest sushi-grade ahi tuna you can find
  • spring onions/scallions
  • soy sauce
  • chopsticks
  • small bowls for soy sauce

What you do:

  1. If the tuna is frozen then take it out of the freezer about an hour before you want to serve it.  If it is fresh you will want to put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes before serving.  This makes it easier to cut.
  2. Slice the tuna with a very sharp knife. Arrange the tuna on a plate.
  3. Chop the green part of a spring onion and sprinkle them on top of the tuna.
  4. Each person should have a small bowl of tuna to dip their tuna in. Serve immediately.

Wondering what to do with the root and white part of the spring onion? Did you know that you can grow them to use a few days later, or just enjoy watching them grow? Here are the simple instructions.

 

X’nipek / Yucatan Red Onion Salsa

x'nipek - trust in kim

Here is another of the recipes I learned in Tulum, Mexico at a cooking class I took at Altamar Restaurant. I love to put a few strips of this on top of a taco.  Yes, it is quite hot because of the Habanero chili, but you could use a piece of banana pepper instead if you’re afraid of the heat, or just leave it out altogether.  It is a really simple recipe, and it only needs to sit for about half hour before consuming, but I prefer it after it has sat overnight or even a few days.

What you need:

  • 100 grams red onion
  • 100 ml sour orange juice (or lemon juice with a little orange juice mixed in)
  • 10 grams Habanero chili

What you do:

  1. Roast the Habanero on a gas stove or barbecue until it has blackened slightly all over.  Chop it very finely.  Only use a little piece of it if you want this to be milder.
  2. Slice the red onion as thinly as you can and put it into a bowl or jar.  Add the Habanero to the onions, then pour the orange/lemon juice over the top.  Give it a little stir, then cover and refrigerate for half an hour or overnight.
  3. Serve on tacos, empanadas, or another favourite Mexican dish.  A little sour cream or plain yogurt will help cut the heat.
x'nipek on tacos - trust in kim
X’nipek on tacos

Grilled Corn on the Cob

grilled corn on the cob - trust in kim

Grilled corn on the cob is the perfect summer treat, as long as it’s crisp and fresh. To choose the best corn I peel the husk back at the top of the cob and pierce one of the kernels with a fingernail. If it pops it is a fresh one; if it doesn’t you’ll want to put it back and try another one. When corn is really fresh I believe the very best way to eat it is plain.  That way you can really taste the pure flavours of the corn.

What you need:

  • corn on the cob – I do one per person, plus an extra to put in a recipe like this or this the next day
  • a barbecue or coals left over from a fire
  • optional: butter, salt, mayonnaise, chili powder

What you do:

  1. Immerse the corn cobs in a large bowl or sink full of water for 1/2 hour to an hour.  The husks are less likely to burn this way.
  2. When the barbecue is hot place the cobs on it – they still have the husks on them (not like in the picture – that comes later).
  3. Use tongs to turn every few minutes so the husks don’t burn. Right now you are steaming the corn inside the husks so they are mostly cooked through.  This process doesn’t take long, so I don’t leave them on for more than 8-10 minutes.
  4. Remove the corn from the barbecue and pull back the husks (as shown in the picture).  Place them back on the grill, turning every minute or so until there is a little bit of browning happening to the corn.
  5. Enjoy as you wish, plain (yummiest ever), with butter and salt, or some mayonnaise and chili powder.

 

Cherry Tomato and Baby Bocconcini Salad

tomato and bocconcini salad - trust in kim

These pretty little yellow tomatoes came out of my garden this summer, along with the greens, so I just added the bocconcini to make a salad.  Nothing says summer like tomatoes fresh from the garden, and the cheese is mild enough that it doesn’t steal the limelight from their flavour. It’s nice with a little bit of bread to soak up any extra balsamic glaze. Delicious and super fast!

What you need:

  • some cherry tomatoes
  • fresh greens
  • baby bocconcini
  • basil
  • balsamic glaze, storebought
  • salt and pepper

What you do:

  1. Place the greens on plates.
  2. Distribute the whole tomatoes and bocconcini on top of the lettuce.
  3. Stack a few basil leaves up, roll them, then slice the roll thinly – this is a chiffonade.  Loosen up the basil strips and place a few on each plate.
  4. Drizzle a little balsamic glaze on top, then add a tiny bit of salt and pepper.
  5. Enjoy right away!

Slightly Homemade French Onion Dip

Slightly Homemade French Onion Dip - trust in kim

Sometimes there just isn’t enough time to do it all.  I have a lovely, time-consuming recipe for a French onion dip  made from scratch.  But this one is for when you need a little something to go with the veggies and you’re short on time.  I make my recipe with yogurt, but other people use sour cream and mayo, so feel free to use those if you wish.  I prefer it to be a little healthier, hence the yogurt, plus  think it tastes really good this way.

What you need:

  • plain yogurt (homemade recipe here) I use 3.5% fat
  • packaged dry onion soup mix
  • a little red onion
  • cheesecloth for straining (optional)

What you do:

  1. If you’re really in a hurry you can skip this first step; your dip will just be a bit more watery.  In this case it might be good to use a little sour cream or mayonnaise to mix with the yogurt. Here’s what you do: Place a sieve above a bowl and line the sieve with cheesecloth.  Put about 1 & 1/2 cups of yogurt into the cheesecloth.  Place in the fridge and drain the yogurt for an hour, or longer if you have time. You may need to remove some liquid from the bowl during the draining process.
  2. Finely chop some red onion (a few tablespoons).  Remove the yogurt from the cheesecloth and put it in a bowl; add some of the red onion, reserving a little for a garnish.
  3. Add some onion soup mix to taste, a little at a time.
  4. Garnish with some more red onion.
  5. Serve with veggies and/or chips.

Guajillo Chile Salsa Grilled Prawns

guajillo chile salsa prawns - trust in kim

I got this guajillo chile salsa recipe from chef Eric Fischer at Altamar restaurant.  I decided to alter the recipe a little by using orange juice in place of white wine, and then I brushed these beautiful fresh prawns with it and grilled them.  Freshness is so important with seafood, as is grilling only enough to cook it.  Previously frozen prawns have a tougher texture, and overcooking also makes them tough.  That said, even at the fish counter the prawns may just be thawed after being previously frozen, so buy what you can.

This recipe makes enough salsa to keep in the fridge for a few weeks and use for other purposes, like grilling meats, or topping tacos or empanadas.  It’s not very spicy hot, but full of flavour, so if you like it really hot you’ll want to add a bit of hot sauce.

What you need:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 dried guajillo chili peppers, cut into strips
  • 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
  • fresh prawns, shells removed but tails remaining

What you do:

  1. Chop the garlic rather than using a garlic press; the press just makes it mushy.
  2. Heat the olive oil to medium high in a frying pan, then add the garlic.  Stir the garlic around so it doesn’t burn, and add a big pinch each of salt and pepper.  When it starts to just get brown around the edges, add the orange juice.  Add the chili strips along with their seeds. Let this simmer for a few minutes.
  3. Remove the frying pan from the heat and put the salsa into a blender with the parsley, or use an immersion blender, as I did. Taste and see if you think it needs more salt.
  4. Heat the grill to medium.
  5. Skewer the prawns.  I like to skewer each one through two parts, as you can see in the picture, so they don’t move around when I flip them.
  6. Brush some salsa on each prawn.  Make sure the rest of your meal is ready to go before you grill these, because they will be done quickly, and you want to eat them right away.
  7. Grill the prawns briefly on each side.  You will know they are done when they change colour from grey to salmon-coloured (depending on the type of prawns you are using). Remove from the grill immediately after they change colour, and serve.

I served mine with a lightly dressed salad.

Enjoy!

My Favourite Breakfast – yogurt, granola and fruit

yogurt, fruit and granola - trust in kim

Most days I enjoy some version of this breakfast, depending on the fruits that are available.  This one has blueberries and papaya – can’t wait until there are fresh local fruits available!

I make my own granola so I can control the ingredients and limit the fat and sugar content, and because I think it tastes great.

What you need:

What you do:

  1. Choose a pretty bowl, if that matters to you, and put some fruit in it.
  2. Add some yogurt.
  3. Top with granola.
  4. Enjoy.

Best served with a cup of tea, in my opinion.

Peanut Butter Granola

peanut butter granola-trust in kim

What you need:

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds, chopped
  • 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar or maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • dash of salt (if there was none in the peanut butter)

 

What you do:

1. Combine the oats, and chopped nuts in a large bowl.

2. Melt the peanut  butter and add the honey or other sweetener and salt to it.  Stir this liquid into the nut and oat mixture and make sure there are no clumps of peanut butter remaining.

3. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet, and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes in total. First set the timer for 10 minutes, then break it up a little. Stir it again after another 10 minutes, then check and stir every five minutes until it is golden brown. Let it cool completely before storing in an airtight jar.

I like to serve mine with yogurt and fruit, and sometimes just fruit and soy milk.