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Kamut and Veggie Salad

During summertime I like to have food in the fridge that I can grab as a quick healthy snack, or take out on a picnic. I love the taste of Kamut (which is a trademarked name for khorasan wheat) because it tastes buttery and nutty, and I like that it’s a sturdy grain that has a good chewy bite to it. It is high in protein, so it makes a good meal-in-a-bowl salad. It is also high in a number of nutrients, including zinc, manganese and magnesium. I’m particularly interested in the magnesium because it helps absorb calcium.

I love this dressing, from the Whitewater Cooks book. I use it often on a green salad, but it works great on this heartier salad as well.

So yes, it’s nutritious, but it also tastes great.

What you need:

about 3/4 cup Kamut (I used farro because I couldn’t find any Kamut at the stores near my place)

1/2 cup sugar snap peas, chopped into 2cm pieces

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped

1 sweet orange or red pepper

a few medium-sized tomatoes chopped, or a whole bunch of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

optional: herbs of your choice, or salad greens

optional: freshly ground black pepper

What you need to make the Whitewater Glory Salad Dressing:

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon tahini

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

What you do:

1. Cook the Kamut in lots of water for at least an hour, or until the grains are tender. Drain any excess water and let the grains cool. This step can be done ahead of time.

2. Put all the dressing ingredients except the oil into a blender, or use an immersion blender, and give it a good mix. In a steady slow stream, add the oil until it is all blended in.

3. Put all the chopped veggies into a bowl along with the cooled Kamut and mix with the dressing. Add some dressing and taste to see if it needs a little more dressing, or some pepper.

4. Serve cold or room temperature, either on its own or on a bed of salad greens.

Oma’s Mennonite Bread

As I was planning a trip up to the family cabin at Mahood Lake I knew I had to make my Mennonite Oma’s Russian bread. I love taking the opportunity to bake in that oven when I go up to the lake, because it’s the only place where I have access to one. and it is so much fun. I usually just make pizza in there, but this time I wanted to branch out a little, so I thought of my Oma’s awesome dark-crusted bread. My Oma was born in the Ukraine where they made this type of bread, and then she lived in Paraguay for 15 years where she also baked it in an outdoor oven. In the early 1980’s my Opa built this great brick oven, in the style of the Paraguayan Mennonite ovens. My Oma always made this great bread – it was dark brown, almost black on the outside, with a thick crust, and tender inside. Now, I’ve got the recipe, and I made a delicious loaf of bread, although I fully admit that it is nothing like my Oma’s bread. I asked her in the past how she got that great crust on it, and she told me she just put all the ingredients together – so she had a magic touch that I can’t figure out. Oma passed away a few weeks ago, so her secret it gone too.

You don’t need the brick oven to make this bread, it’ll work fine in a conventional oven. I used a machine with a dough hook, but you could do it by hand if you’re feeling energetic. This recipe makes 3-4 loaves.

If you’re using a brick oven you need to get a really good fire going so it’s smoking hot in there. I pushed some of the coals to the back of the oven so it would retain heat for a full hour.

What you need:

1 medium-sized potato, scrubbed

2 cups buttermilk

1 tablespoon yeast

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup rye flour

1 cup bran

6 & 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (approximately)

What you do:

1. Boil the potato in about 3 cups of water until it is soft. Place the potato, saving the liquid, in a 2 cup measuring cup. Smash the potato up with the back of a fork, then add enough of the potato water to fill the measuring cup to 2 cups. Allow this to come to room temperature.

2. In a large mixer bowl add about 2 tablespoons of warm water and sprinkle the yeast top. Wait until the yeast begins to bubble and is all dissolved (if it doesn’t your yeast may be dead).

3. Add the potato water and buttermilk to the yeast mixture. With the machine running and using a dough hook, gradually add the flours, bran and salt. Mix until you have a moist dough, using more or less flour to get this consistency. Keep mixing until the dough begins to form a bit of a ball.

4. Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover it with a clean damp tea towel. Let it rise to about double in volume; this will take about 1- 2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

5. Punch the dough down, then turn it out onto a floured surface. Give it a few kneads, then cut into 3-4 equal pieces. Form a loaf with the seam in the bottom and place in loaf pans. Cover with the damp tea towel and let it rise, again to about double, which should take slightly less time than the first.

6. Heat the oven to 400F. When the loaves have doubled in size, and they hold an indentation when you poke the dough lightly, they are ready to go in the oven. If you want to get more of a crust on your bread, you can spray the inside of the oven with water just before the bread goes in. Just try not to spray the light bulb, as it might shatter. Place the bread in the oven and bake for about 1 hour.

7. You will know the loaves are ready when you tap on the bottom of the pan and it sounds hollow, so keep an eye on it in the last 10 minutes or so of baking to see if it’s looking done, and test it using this method.

8. Remove the bread from the pans and let it cool on wire racks. Once it is mostly cool you can slice it up and then slather on some butter, but we just broke of satisfying chunks and ate some with butter, and on some we added apricot jam. Not quite like Oma made it, but delicious nonetheless.

Rustic No-Knead Bread

This recipe is relatively simple, but you do need about 24 hours to complete the process, so you’ll have to plan ahead for this one. You really don’t do any kneading, so this is unlike any other bread making method. You just throw the ingredients together, let it do its thing, pull it out of the bowl, let it reset, then bake it. So if you can plan ahead 24 hours, you can make this bread. And the best part is that is tastes amazing. It has a nice thick, chewy crust, and a good density to the bread.

You will need a baking dish with a lid; I used a Romertopf clay baker, which I soaked in water before using. I have also used a le Creuset baker.

What you need:

3 cups white flour

1 & 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoons yeast (I used Fleischmann’s active dry yeast, which I store in my fridge)

1 & 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup wheat bran

What you do:

1. Combine the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl. Add the water and mix; add more water until you have a wet, sticky dough.

2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and let sit at room temperature and out of direct sunlight for 12-18 hours. The dough should be about double in size and dotted with bubbles. I put mine on top of the fridge because it was warm there. When I lived in a place that was cold it always took the full 18 hours or even more. This slow fermentation is what gives the bread its flavour.

3. Lay a cotton or linen tea towel (not terry cloth unless you want cotton in your bread) on a cutting board or on your counter and sprinkle it with some wheat bran, then scrape the dough onto the towel. Tuck the edges of the dough under to make it round. Sprinkle it with wheat bran, then lightly pull the edges of the towel over the dough. If your towel isn’t big enough just spread another towel over the top and tuck it in lightly. Let this sit for 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in volume.

4. Preheat the oven to 475 F and place your baking pot on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Let the pot heat up, and when the oven has reached 475 F, remove the pot from the oven and carefully tip the dough into the pot. Put the cover on the pot and bake for 30 minutes. The bread is forming a nice thick crust.

5. Remove the lid from the pot and continue to bake for 15-30 minutes. The bread should be a deep brown when it is done. Remove it from the oven, and lift the bread out of the pot carefully and place it on a rack to cool. Let the loaf cool before cutting.

I made an herb butter to go with mine. I just softened some butter, then added a little salt, some dried garlic, and some chopped chives.

Maple-Nut Granola

For breakfast I usually eat a bowl of fruit and homemade yogurt. It’s so delicious, but I find sometimes it’s not enough to get me through the morning. I haven’t made granola in ages, so I thought this would be a good time to rework an old recipe. I’ve used maple syrup for a little sweetness, and a bit of olive oil to make it nice and crunchy. I think the amount of sugar and fat are quite reasonable, especially when you look at the fat and sugar content of commercial granolas. The nuts themselves have a high fat content, but it’s a healthy fat, and one of the reasons why serving of granola should be small.

What you need:

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped

1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 300F.

2. Combine the oats, almonds, pecans, walnuts and salt in a large bowl. Add the oil,maple syrup and vanilla to this and combine thoroughly.

3. Spread this mixture evenly on a baking tray. Bake for 2o minutes.

4. Add the pumpkin seeds and coconut to the baking tray and combine with the other ingredients. I like to add these later in the cooking process so they don’t get too toasty.

5. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes. You will want to watch it towards the end of the cooking time, just in case your oven in running a little hot. The granola should be a golden colour, but not browned. I think it tastes burnt when it gets browned.

6. Allow to cool completely on the baking tray, then store in an airtight container.

Rhubarb Brazil Nut Bran Muffins

Rhubarb in my garden, a huge bag of brazil nuts, and a desire to bake some flax-bran muffins to throw in the freezer for a time of need, all led me to make these muffins. They are based on my usual recipe, with a new fruit and nut combination. Of course I forgot to put in the molasses, which I went out and bought especially to make these. But they were still good!

What you need:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup bran

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1 cup chopped fresh rhubarb

1/2 cup chopped brazil nuts

2 eggs

1 cup milk (soy is good too)

2 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup butter

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.

2. Stir dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Melt the butter, then mix the milk into the butter slowly, so the butter doesn’t harden when you add cold milk. Add the molasses to the other liquids. Pour the liquids, along with the slightly beaten eggs, into the dry ingredients. Mix by hand only until the ingredients are combined; if you mix more you’ll get tough little muffins.

4. Mix in the rhubarb and brazil nuts.

5. Place mixture in muffin tins lined with paper baking cups.

6. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Take the muffins out of tins and cool on a rack for a few minutes before eating.

These are especially yummy served warm with a little butter, and it you have a sweet tooth, some honey or agave nectar.

Mango Quinoa Salad

Here’s a salad with a taste of summer. Easy, yummy, and great picnic food!

What you need:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked in 1 cup water

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 mango, cut into chunks

1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped finely (leave the seeds in if you love spicy food)

1/3 cup raisins

1 tomato, chopped

juice of 1 lime

a little chopped cilantro and/or parsley

What you do:

1. To cook the quinoa, put it in a pot with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then put a lid on it and lower the heat, cooking for 15 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Let the quinoa cool to use in the salad.

2. Toss all the other ingredients together in a large bowl to let the flavours mingle, for at least half an hour. By this time the quinoa may be cooled, and you can either serve the mango mixture on a bed of quinoa, or you can mix it all together. Serve with a garnish of something green, like cilantro.

Cocoa Veggie Chilli

I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t miss the beef in this chili. I know, that’s a pretty bold statement, but it’s got so much depth to the flavour that you might not miss the meat. And if you’re vegetarian, well then you’ll be celebrating! I served this one with a bit of avocado on top, and some corn bread on the side. Yum! A little plain yogurt and cilantro would also be great.

This recipe is from the Vancouver Sun’s Six O’Clock Solutions cookbook. I’ve just made a few alterations like substituting olive oil for vegetable oil, using red instead of green peppers, quinoa instead of bulgur, and I added some grated carrot. I also let it cook a lot longer than the recipe suggests, as I believe a slow-cooked chili is a tastier chili. But if you’re in a hurry, go ahead and cut the cooking time.

What you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large sweet onions, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1-2 grated carrots

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 – 795 mL can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1/2 cup water

1 – 398mL can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1- 398 mL can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup quinoa

1 can sweet corn

salt and pepper

What you do:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat, then add the onions and saute until translucent.

2. Add the red peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne and stir for another minute or so.

3. Add the cocoa, tomatoes, carrots, water and beans and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for half and hour to and hour. (here is where you can do a shortcut if you’re in a hurry – just add the quinoa now and let it cook for about 15 minutes)

4. Add the quinoa and cook for 15 minutes, or until the grains are tender.

5. Add the corn, and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! And enjoy the leftovers!

Kale and Scallion Fried Brown Rice

This is a delicious way to add some flavour and nutrition to your rice by adding some greens, garlic and soy sauce. The recipe is in Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Father’s Daughter. I just made it a little simpler by cooking it all in one pan, and upped the ratio of kale to rice, going heavier on the kale. Can’t get enough of the greens!

What you need:

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon-ish olive oil

1 bunch kale, chopped roughly

3 scallions/ green onions

1 cup cooked brown rice (white if that’s what you’re into)

soy sauce to taste

What you do:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, then throw in the sliced garlic. Let it cook for a minute, then add the chopped kale.

2. Add a little water to the pan, then throw a lid on it for a few minutes until the kale is wilted.

3. Push the kale to the sides of the pan and add a little more olive oil. Throw in the rice and let it cook until it gets a little crispy, stirring from time to time.

4. Add the scallions and soy sauce, to taste.

Done! Easy, huh?

Kim’s Fabulous Mushroom and Arugula Risotto

Stuck for a dinner idea, I asked a friend what I should make for my company tonight. She said risotto, so I thought about the arugula I had in the fridge and what else I could do with it to make the risotto amazing. So I found some great shiitake mushrooms and a few other thing, and set to work. Really, there’s a bit of chopping and a whole lot of stirring, so it’s easy but well worth it, all creamy and comfort-foody. The sherry is optional, but I love mushrooms cooked in sherry.

I served this with a salmon fillet poached in white wine with salt, pepper and a little lemon.

What you need:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 sweet onion, minced (or white onion – but sweet ones don’t seem to make me cry as much)

2 cloves garlic, minced

10-12 button mushrooms, shopped

10-12 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

a few splashes of sherry (optional) (I used Oloroso Nutty Solero from Spain

1 cup arborio rice

1 cup white wine

3-4 cups chicken stock or water, heated

salt and pepper to taste

1 large handful arugula

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup grated parmesan

What you do:

1. Heat the butter, then add the onions and garlic, cooking until translucent.

2. Add the mushrooms and the sherry and cook until the mushrooms are softened.

3. Add the rice and stir until the edges of the rice start to become translucent. Add the wine and bring to a boil, stirring. Keep stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

4. Add about 1/2 cup of stock at a time, bring to a boil each time, stirring constantly. Keep adding more liquid and absorbing it until the rice is cooked.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the arugula,peas and Parmesan, over the heat, until combined. Serve it right away, but it’s also good for leftovers.

Flax-Bran Raisin Muffins

This recipe is based on my usual bran muffin recipe, but I’ve added flax because of the Omega-3s it contains, and provides even more fibre than a regular bran muffin. I’ve also lowered the amount of sugar in these, balancing out the sweetness of the raisins. They’re easy to make, taste great, and they’re good for you. Throw them in the freezer and you’ve got a quick snack whenever you need it.

You need:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup bran

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1 cup raisins

2 eggs

1 cup milk (soy is good too)

2 Tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup butter

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.

2. Stir dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Melt butter, then mix in the milk slowly, so the butter doesn’t harden when you add cold milk. Add molasses. Pour the liquids, along with the slightly beaten eggs, into the dry ingredients. Mix by hand only until the ingredients are combined; if you mix more you’ll get tough little muffins. Mix in the raisins.

4. Place mixture in muffin tins lined with paper baking cups.

5. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Take muffins out of tins and cool on a rack for a few minutes before eating.

6. If you freeze them, make sure they’re completely cool before they go in the freezer.

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