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Vegan Chocolate Mousse – not just for vegans!

My friend I-Wen brought this chocolate mousse to a BBQ the other day, and people gobbled it right up, before we had even finished the meal part of the BBQ. It is light, flavourful, and pretty much guilt-free! And did I mention easy to make?

What you need:

3/4 cup dark (70%) chocolate

12 oz silken tofu – Must be room temperature

1/2 cup unsweetened almond, soy or rice milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

What you do:

1. Melt the chocolate on top of a double boiler, or in a bowl on top of a small pot of water.

2. Warm the milk.

3. Throw all the ingredients into a blender or food processor (I used an immersion blender), and blend until it is all combined.

4. Scoop into bowls and refrigerate until cold.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Basil and Dijon Vinaigrette

I was lucky enough to be given some home-grown cucumbers, and then I went and picked these tomatoes and some basil from my garden. If you don’t have access to garden-fresh produce you can visit your local farmer’s market, or just try to find some that look tasty in the produce store. I like cherry tomatoes and the smaller cucumbers because they and often the tastiest option from the produce store.

I don’t use measuring tools to make my salad dressing, so the ingredients are ‘a little of this, a little of that’ and then you can taste your own way to a yummy dressing.

What you need:

some tomatoes

some cucumbers

part of a sweet onion

a few sprigs of fresh basil

dijon mustard

a little sugar

salt and freshly ground pepper

apple cider vinegar

olive oil

What you do:

1. Cut the tomatoes and cucumbers into bite-sized pieces. Cut a bit of onion into smaller pieces. Put them all into a bowl.

2. To make the dressing, put a small spoonful of dijon into a bowl or cup. Add a few pinches of sugar and a little salt and pepper. Combine these, then pour in a touch of vinegar and mix it up. Add a few tablespoons more vinegar and mix it, then slowly add some olive oil. When you’ve mixed in a few tablespoons of olive oil, have a taste and see if you need more oil or anything else. It shouldn’t taste too acidic, but you also don’t want it to be too oily.

3. Pour some salad dressing over the veggies and toss them until everything is coated. Chop up a few leaves of basil and garnish the salad with them.

Enjoy!

Cannellini Beans and Kale

I tried out this new recipe to deal with the overabundance of kale that is growing in my garden. It makes a great meal or side dish with a salad, and would be great served with sausage. I crumbled a little bacon on top, but it is great without it as well. There’s a surprising amount of flavour in here for and beans and greens recipe.

This isn’t a difficult recipe, but it does require soaking the beans a day ahead, then cooking them for up to two hours. After that it’s quick to get it ready.

The source for this recipe is Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse.

What you need:

2 cups dry cannellini beans

1 stalk celery

a few sprigs of thyme

a few sprigs of parsley

2 bay leaves

1 onion

1 carrot

6 cups water or more

1 bunch kale (or spinach or mustard greens), spines removed, chopped roughly

6 cloves garlic finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons olive oil (the original recipe calls for 5-6 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves

salt and pepper

What you do:

1. Soak the beans overnight, then drain them. Put them in a pot with the celery, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, onion and carrot and over with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1-2 hours, until the beans are very soft. Salt the beans once they begin to get soft. Remove them from the heat when they are very soft. Drain the liquid, reserving some of it to add back later. Remove the vegetables and herbs.

2. Add a little olive oil to a large frying pan on medium heat and add the garlic and rosemary; saute for about one minute. Add the beans and about a cup of the liquid and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the kale and cook until it is wilted and becomes tender. Add a little more liquid if it starts to get dry. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle with a little olive oil as you serve it up hot. Enjoy!

Warm Peaches and Yogurt

This is a slightly fancier version of what I normally eat in the morning. My usual breakfast consists of yogurt and whatever fruit is in season, plus some homemade granola if I’m planning on cycling to work or somewhere else. I recently had a friend visiting who was allergic to fresh peaches; knowing how much she loves them, I decided to cook them a bit so she could eat them for breakfast. Adding yogurt to the warm fruit makes it seem a little like melted ice cream and fruit – pretty decadent for breakfast!

One of the great things about this recipe is that the peaches can be slightly under-ripened.

What you need:

1 peach. sliced (or substitute with a nectarine or a few apricots

1 tablespoon apricot jam

some blueberries or other fruits of your choice

plain yogurt

granola (optional)

1 teaspoon butter

What you do:

1. Heat the butter in a frying pan, then add the peach slices and jam. Cook them, flipping after a few minutes, until they are slightly tender. Stir to coat the peaches with the jam.

2. Place the peaches in bowls, then add some yogurt. Add some blueberries and granola if you’re using it, and you’re set!

Grilled Pattypan Squash

These adorable sunny squash are great on the grill. I planted two pattypan squash plants in my garden this year because they are the kind of thing I can often only find at a Farmer’s Market. They are taking over my little garden now and every day I’m finding more squash that are ready to pick, so I’m thinking of ways to cook ’em up. I pick them while they are still pretty small and tender, so they will be thin enough to heat through on the grill. This is a super simple recipe that enhances the flavour of the squash.

What you need:

pattypan squash

a few sprigs of thyme

olive oil

salt and pepper

What you do:

1. Heat the grill to medium-high. Cut the squash in half along the frilly edge. Rub the cut side with olive oil.

2. Sprinkle some salt and pepper and thyme onto the cut side.

3. When the grill is hot, place the squash cut-side down on the grill and leave in that position for the whole cooking process so you get one nice set of grill lines. Grill for 8-10 minutes with the lid down. Check it in the last few 4-5 minutes, as everybody’s grill works a little differently.

4. I decided mine were done when I could see a bit of browning around the edge, and when I touched the outside of the squash it had a little bit of give to it.

Serve it hot!

Tomatillo Salsa

Here’s another recipe I got from the awesome cooking class I took in Tulum Mexico with Eric Fischer at Altamar Restaurant. It’s not too spicy, and you can alter that by adding more or less pepper. I served it with Mexican Barbecued Chicken, and it is also great on tacos. The key to the flavour here is roasting the tomatillo, onion and chili peppers over a flame; I did this on my gas stove, but a barbecue works great too. You can keep this in the fridge for a few days.

What you need:

500 grams tomatillo

1 small sweet white onion

20 grams cilantro

1 jalapeno and 1 banana pepper

20 grams garlic

2 grams salt

2 grams black pepper

olive oil

What you do:

1. Roast the onions over a flame, turning often, until the outside is blackened and the inside is soft, about half and hour.

2. Roast the peppers until blackened then put them in an airtight container for about 15 minutes. Remove most of the skin along with the stem.

3. Roast the tomatillos until they are lightly blackened.

4. Put everything into a blender and mix well.

5. Preheat a pot then add some olive oil and cook the sauce for 7-10 minutes.

6. Allow the sauce to cool, then store it in the fridge.

Pad Thai with Shrimp and Tofu

Having tried several pad thai recipes, and not finding them to my liking, I assumed all my pad thai eating would be from a restaurant. Or in Thailand, where I’d love to take cooking classes one day…

This recipe, from Cook’s Illustrated April 2013, is definitely a winner. The other recipes I’ve tried were bland or ketchuppy, while this one had lots of flavour, and no ketchup. Real pad thai doesn’t contain ketchup, so don’t be tempted to substitute, no matter how many recipes you see online for pad thai with ketchup. The real ingredient is tamarind paste or concentrate; I got mine in Mexico, but I’ve seen it in Vancouver in Filipino shops. If you’re in Vancouver I’ve heard you can also get it at T&T and Famous Foods.

What you need for the sauce:

1 tablespoon (I added extra) tamarind concentrate mixed with 2/3 cup boiling water, or 2 tablespoons tamarind paste with 3/4 cup boiling water

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the noodles, shrimp and tofu:

8 ounces/225 grams of 1/4 inch wide rice noodles

12 ounces/ 340 grams medium shrimp

4 ounces/120 grams extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch cubes or thinner, longer strips like I did

salt and pepper

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, minced

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

6 ounces/ 170 grams/ 3 cups bean sprouts

1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts plus extra for garnishing

3 scallions, sliced thin on bias

1/4 cup cilantro

lime wedges

What you do to make the sauce:

1. If you are using the tamarind PASTE you need to let it soak for about 10 minutes, then run it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the fibres. I used the CONCENTRATE, so it was easier; I just had to add the boiling water. Stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients and set aside.

What you do to make the noodles, shrimp and tofu:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove it from the heat and let the noodles sit in the hot water for about 10 minutes, until softened but not mushy. Drain the noodles and set them aside.

2. Toss the shrimp with 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook without stirring for about a minute, then flip them over and cook for about another 30 seconds. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl with a cover and set aside.

3. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the garlic, shallot, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and cook on medium heat until they are golden brown. Add the eggs and cook while stirring constantly for about 20 seconds, and the eggs are barely moist.

4. Toss in the drained noodles, then add the sauce. Increase the heat to high and cook while tossing the noodles constantly for about one minute, until the noodles are evenly coated. Add the bean sprouts, peanuts, and all but 1/4 cup of scallions. Continue to cook, tossing constantly for about 2 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.

5. Add the shrimp and tofu to the pan and cook until heated through, about 30 seconds.

To serve, put the noodles on a large platter and garnish with the remaining scallions, peanuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Eggs with Veggies and Guajillo Chili Salsa

For breakfast this morning I took a little inventory of the fridge contents and made up this meal. It’s just some fried veg mixed with guajillo chili salsa, and added to some scrambled eggs. Feel free to substitute for another kind of salsa, and substitute mushrooms or tomatoes if you have them. It is, after all, a clean-out-the-fridge recipe. Use what you’ve got!

The amounts really depend on how many people you are serving, and how much you like the various ingredients. The amounts suggested in brackets are for two people.

This recipe draws on the omelette-making I learned about in Spain, and the Mexican cooking I learned about with Eric Fischer at Altamar Restaurant in Tulum, Mexico.

What you need:

eggs, lightly beaten with a fork (4)

sweet onion, chopped (1/4 cup)

red bell pepper, chopped (1/2 a pepper)

garlic, finely minced (2 cloves)

avocado, chopped (1/2 an avocado)

olive oil (2-4 teaspoons)

salt and pepper to taste

guajillo chili salsa (or another salsa or some hot sauce) (2 teaspoons)

What you do:

1. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the peppers and cook for a few more minutes. If the pan is getting a little dry you can add some water to let the peppers soften up a little. Add the garlic and cook for about another minute. Add some salsa and mix it in.

2. In another fying pan, heat some olive oil to medium-high heat. Add the egg and let it bubble a little. Rather than stirring the eggs around, push them away from the edge of the pan and let the uncooked egg move to the edges of the pan. When the egg is just cooked, serve it alongside the veggies. Serve immediately with some avocado on top!

Turkey & Zucchini Burgers

The other day the sun was shining, so we wanted to make something to go on the barbecue. We ended up frying these turkey burgers on the stove-top because we wondered if they would hold together on the grill. In retrospect, after we let them sit while waiting to cook them, they ended up holding together quite well. I would recommend oiling the grill really well if you’re going to barbecue them. The original recipe, in Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenhi, says you can get 18 burgers out of this recipe. When he says burgers, he means tiny little meatballs 9which would probably make a great appetizer). If you are making a real burger, the kind with the regular-sized bun, you can make more like 4-6 patties.

Now, about the taste – so good! So juicy! And healthier than a lot of other barbecue options. The sumac and sour cream sauce is excellent. The original recipe doesn’t have green onions in it, but I had a happy accident when I added the green onions meant for the burgers to my sauce instead. So feel free to make the sauce with or without green onions. I also used only yogurt in my sauce; use 1/2 cup sour cream and 2/3 cup yogurt if you want to follow Ottolenghi’s recipe.

What you need for the burger:

500 grams ground turkey

about 2 cups coarsely grated zucchini

3 thinly sliced green onions

1 large egg

2 tablespoons chopped mint

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

sunflower or vegetable oil for frying (unless you grill)

hamburger buns of your choice; I used focaccia buns

What you need for the sour cream and sumac sauce:

1 cup Greek yogurt (just strained some of my homemade yogurt)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 small clove garlic, crushed

1 & 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sumac

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

2 green onions, chopped (optional)

What you do for the sauce:

1. Mix all the ingredients together and set aside until needed, refrigerating if it’s going to be a while before you use it.

What you do for the burgers:

1. Combine all the ingredients for the meat patties, except for the oil for frying. Mix with your hands and form into patties.

2. If you are pan-frying, preheat the oven to 425F. Pour a little oil into the pan, heat over medium until hot, then add the patties. Sear each side until it is nice and brown, then put the pan into the oven (or on another surface if your pan can’t go into the oven) and let them bake for 5-7 minutes. In the meantime you can be toasting your buns, if you wish.

3. Serve with some of the sauce on top, and a salad on the side. Some options are found here and here.

Check out this posting if you want to see how to re-grow your green onions.

Chili Guajillo Salsa

I learned to make the most amazing guajillo chili sauce at a cooking class at Altamira Restaurant in Tulum, Mexico. Chef Eric Fischer showed us how to make this, and we tasted it with shrimp tacos and nopal cactus empanadas. I recently served it with Mexican barbecued chicken, rice and beans, and it was awesome. The chef said it is also great if you spread it on chicken and bake it, or on seafoods such as shrimp, squid, mussels or scallops, and then serve it on pasta.

What you need:

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons finely minced garlic

salt and pepper

1/2 cup white wine

2 dried guajillo chili peppers, cut into strips

1/4 cup parsley finely chopped

What you do:

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, then add the garlic. Move 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 wine. Add the chili strips – I removed the seeds from one pepper, and it was medium- hot, so you can add more or less of the seeds depending on your heat tolerance. Let this simmer for a few minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and put it in a blender with the parsley, or use an immersion blender, as I did. Taste and see if you think it needs more salt.

This should be kept refrigerated until you plan to use it, and should last a week if not more in the fridge.

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