Category: vegetarian

Preserved Lemon

preserved lemon - trust in kim

 

Preserving lemons takes a few weeks to accomplish, but it is really simple, and adds so much to Middle Eastern dishes like a chicken tagine.

Preserved lemons are pickled in their own juice and salt. They sit for a number of weeks, and when they are done can be kept in the fridge for months. The peel of the lemon becomes full of flavour through the preserving process, so you use this part and get rid of the flesh.

I still have to do some experimenting with other uses of preserved lemons, but I have tried them in a dip, and on some fish, as well as with chicken. So good!

I’ve only made this once, and I halved the recipe just in case I didn’t like it. Here is the full recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s The Cookbook.

What you need:

  • 1 jar just large enough to hold all the lemons squished in tightly
  • boiling water
  • 6 unwaxed lemons
  • 6 tablespoons coarse sea salt
  • 2 sprigs rosemary (optional)
  • 1 large red chile
  • juice of 6 lemons
  • olive oil

What you do:

  1. Fill the jar with boiling water and let it sit for a minute to sterilize it. Pour the water out and let it sit without touching or drying it.
  2. Wash the lemons and cut a cross in them from one end to about 2cm from the bottom so the 4 quarters are still attached. Pour a tablespoon of salt into each lemon, then fit them tightly into the jar. Seal the jar and leave it for at least a week. I left mine in a cupboard.
  3. After the first week, remove the lid and push the lemons down to squeeze as much juice out as you can. Add the rosemary, chile, and as much lemon juice as you need to cover the lemons. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top. Seal the jar and leave in a cool place for at least 4 weeks. I put mine in the fridge at this point and forgot about them for a few months. They turned out awesome!
  4. To use the lemons, remove the flesh from the inside of one and rinse the peel. Chop it up and use as you wish.

preserving lemons - trust in kim

 

Yotam Ottolenghi's shop on Motcomb Street in London from my visit in July 2014
Yotam Ottolenghi’s shop on Motcomb Street in London from my visit in July 2014

Scrambled Eggs ‘n Veg

scrambled eggs and vegetables - trust in kimRecently I realized that I don’t tend to post my easy meals, the ones that I make pretty often that don’t take much time. So this recipe marks the beginning of my attempt to post more of these. They aren’t fancy, but I keep making them because they feed me when I don’t feel like taking a lot of time too cook, and they taste good.

This is one of my favourite weekend breakfasts. I usually have a pepper, onion, garlic and egg on hand, and sometimes I even have mushrooms. So I just fry up a whole bunch of veggies and add a scrambled egg. It’s delicious, and gives me energy to run errands or do other weekend activities.

This recipe is for one person.

What you need:

  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup-ish onion (I prefer sweet onions)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil or butter

What you do:

  1. Chop up the onion and pepper. Heat a frying pan to medium high and add a little olive oil or butter (1/2 teaspoon or so). When the pan is hot, add the onion, then turn the heat down and cook them, stirring from time to time, for a few minutes. Turning the heat down allows the onions to mellow and sweeten.
  2. Add the pepper and cook until the vegetables are lightly browned.
  3. Slice the garlic and add it to the pan, cooking for about another minute.
  4. Crack the egg into a bowl, add a little salt and pepper to it and beat lightly with a fork.
  5. Turn the frying pan heat a little higher and push the veg to the side. Add a little more butter or olive oil to the pan, then pour in the egg. When the egg starts to cook, push it around a little so the rest of the egg runs onto the surface of the pan to cook. I don’t like to move the egg around too much, so it cooks but doesn’t get mushy.
  6. Combine the veg with the egg and serve. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if you wish. Hot sauce could be awesome on this too! Buttered toast is a nice accompaniment.

A pot of tea makes this perfect for me, but I understand that there are a lot of people who prefer coffee – do what you love!

 

 

 

Cheddar-Scallion Biscuits

cheddar chive biscuits - trust in kim

 

I made a batch of these up quickly the other morning before bringing them to a great big brunch celebration. If I had brought my camera there might be a better picture posted here – oops – but I think you get the idea. Cheesy and salty biscuits with nice crispy edges.

My favourite coffee shop makes a cheddar scone that is the best I’ve ever tried. They are almost always sold out when I go in for one, so in order to feed my craving I tried to find a recipe that approximates the coffee shop ones. Mine aren’t as pretty, but they taste pretty close to the real thing. This recipe is from Gourmet Magazine, but it seems to be a really common one that comes up in a web search.

Makes 12 biscuits

What you need:

  • 2 & 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold butter
  • 1 & 1/2 cups aged white cheddar, grated
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 1 cup buttermilk (I used soured milk – add 1 tablespoon vinegar to milk)

What you do:

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Preheat the oven to 450F and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Cut the cold butter up and then blend it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the butter is about the size of small peas. Add the cheddar and scallions to combine.
  4. Add the buttermilk and stir only until it is combined.
  5. Scoop onto the cookie sheets (I used an ice-cream scoop) into 12 mounds. Add a touch of salt to the top if you wish.
  6. Bake 18-20 minutes, one tray at a time, in the middle of the oven. Mine baked really fast, so they came out a little earlier. They look nice and browned when they are done, thanks to the cheese.
  7. Eat ASAP so they are still warm, or let them cool. Yummy either way! Some people might want a little butter to slather on them, but I think they have enough flavour without.

Chocolate Shortbread with Cinnamon and Spice

chocolate shortbread - trust in kim

A few years ago a friend gave me some of these chocolate shortbread, along with some of her other holiday baking. I absolutely loved these! They are chocolatey, but not too sweet, and there’s just a taste of cinnamon, plus a warming hint of cayenne. It makes me think of a Mexican cookie.

The recipe is from Canadian Living Holiday Cookie Collection 2010. They put bittersweet chocolate on the top, but I didn’t do that.

I was happy to be able to take a photo featuring the Christmas angel we used to have on our tree when I was a kid.

What you need:

  • 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 & 1/4 flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

What you do:

  1. Place the chocolate in a bowl above a small pot of hot water on the stove. Stir occasionally until melted. Set aside to cool.
  2. Beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, then add the melted chocolate and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
  3. Sift the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper and cayenne into the butter mixture. Stir to make a smooth dough.
  4. Divide the dough into four pieces and roll out between sheets of wax paper (I used parchment, and it was fine but a little sticky) to about 5mm thick. Cut into shapes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes in a 325F oven. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before placing the cookies on a cooling rack.

Pistachio Cheese Shortbread

P1040877

A little while ago I attended my friend Megan’s baby shower. There was an enormous amount of awesome food, and her mom Cheri had made these savoury shortbread. She served them with a delicious olive tapenade, and they were my favourite thing on the table. So of course I had to ask for the recipe. I brought them to a Christmas party recently, to rave reviews. With or without olive tapenade they are delicious, but I do recommend a glass of red wine to go with them.

The recipe is from Everyone Can Cook Appetizers by Eric Akis, and makes about 4 dozen cookies which can be frozen or consumed within days of eating. They are great to have in the freezer and pull out if you need a few for a last minute appie or a small bite with a glass of wine.

They require refrigerating the dough for a few hours, so you do have to plan ahead, or make the dough up to a few days ahead of time. Makes life simpler on the day of a party if you do this.

What you need:

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 & 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped unsalted pistachios
  • 1/2 cup shredded aged white cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

What you do:

  1. Beat the butter until very light.
  2. In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cayenne and salt. Stir in the cheddar, Parmesan and pistachios. Add this to the butter and mix with your hands until you have formed a soft dough.
  3. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a solidly packed roll of about 4 cm in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or longer.
  4. Preheat the oven to 300F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the logs into 5mm slices and place them on the baking sheets about 2 & 1/2 cm apart. Bake one sheet at a time for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container. You can freeze them too.

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

 

Cauliflower Leek Soup

cauliflower leek soup

Because of my ongoing quest for soup recipes, and because of my newly acquired blender I have been searching for more puréed soup recipes. The ingredients are really simple, so in my opinion the success of this recipe depends largely on using a quality broth. I used my homemade chicken stock, but you could use a flavourful vegetable one to make it a vegan recipe. I make up a big batch of stock, then freeze it in portions to use in future soup recipes. A bit of work to do ahead of time, but it’s really handy and makes better soups.

I found this recipe on freshtart.com, and I made two changes: I cut the amount of oil in half (1 tablespoon per portion is too much for me), and I didn’t serve it with the fried shrimp on top, although this sounds yummy.

Serves 4

What you need:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large leek, washed and thinly sliced
  • 2 heaping cups cauliflower florets
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 3 cups chicken broth (homemade is always best)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 generous handfuls of spinach
  • 2 tablespoons chives, minced
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • sea salt to taste

What you do:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the leek to it and sauté for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the cauliflower and garlic and sauté for 5 more minutes.
  3. Add the chicken broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the bay leaf.
  4. Place the spinach and chives in the blender, then add the cauliflower and broth and purée until smooth. If the liquid is hot it will make a bit of an explosion, se be careful. You could purée on very low to start, then allow some steam to escape, and then continue until it is smooth.
  5. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Drizzle with a little olive oil to serve, and add some minced chives for garnish if you like.

Lovely Lemon Loaf

easy lemon loaf

 

Mmmm, I love a good lemon loaf! I’ve made a few before: lemon olive oil cake, and a few that I am just now discovering I haven’t actually posted before… more to come! But this is definitely the first cake I’ve ever made in a blender! Okay, so you need bowls and stuff too, but I liked how quick it was to blend up the liquid ingredients.

Anyways, this one wins points because of the lemon drizzle that adds a nice lemony kick to balance the sweetness of the cake.

The original name, in the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook, is Easy Lemon Pound Cake. And it is easy, and lemony, but there’s only 1/2 pound of butter in there!

What you need for the cake: 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 & 1/2 cups cake flour OR see instruction #2 below if you don’t have cake flour, as I did not
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 & 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

What you need for the lemon glaze:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and place the rack in the centre of the oven. Grease and flour an 8 & 1/2 by 4 & 1/2 inch loaf pan. I use the wrapper for the butter to grease the pan, then shake some flour around in it.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. (If you don’t have cake flour: measure 1.5 cups of flour, then remove 3 tablespoons. Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Now sift 5 times; yes, you have to do this to get the right consistency.)
  3. Melt the butter, then whisk it to combine any separation.
  4. Place the sugar and lemon zest in the blender (or food processor) and pulse about 5 times. Add the lemon juice, eggs and vanilla, then blend until combined. With the blender running, add the butter. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.
  5. Sift the flour mixture into the batter in 3 steps, whisking gently each time until just combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 325F. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the loaf is a deep golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. This should take about 35 minutes, although mine took much longer.
  8. Let the loaf cool for 10 minutes then turn it onto a wire cooling rack. Poke the top and sides all over with a toothpick. I used a chopstick, which is why the holes are so visible. Cool the loaf for at least one hour.
  9. While the loaf is cooling begin making the glaze. Bring the lemon juice and sugar to a boil and stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer until it has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
  10. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the glaze.

This loaf will keep at room temperature for about 5 days. It will probably be gone before that, but it won’t go bad if you hang on to it.

 

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

 

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

roasted vegetable salad - trust in kim

Please trust me on this one – this is the perfect fall and winter salad. It is so flavourful because of the combination of roasted vegetables, and the roasted garlic dressing is to die for. I could eat this every day. It makes a great starter, but throw the optional nuts on and it can work as a main course.

There were two surprises for me in this recipe: I’ve never really enjoyed turnips before, and I never imagined roasting apples with other vegetables, but I enjoyed every bite.

I made 1/4 recipe of the dressing since this was the first time I was making it, just in case I didn’t like it. I will definitely make more next time, as I imagine it would be good on top of many other foods. If you come up with other ways to use this dressing, please leave a comment so I can try it too. It will keep in the fridge for about a week.

This recipe  comes from Candle 79 restaurant in Manhattan, as printed in Brendan Brazier’s Whole Foods to Thrive. Thanks for sharing!

Serves 4

What you need for the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons water (or more)
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white miso
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • tiny pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

What you need for the salad:

  • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 cups new potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup baby turnips, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 medium-sized beets, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 medium apples, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • arugula
  • toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Place the peeled garlic cloves in a baking dish and add olive oil until they are covered. Cover the dish with foil and roast for about 25 minutes. When they have cooled slightly, remove the garlic and put it in a blender (I used an immersion blender). Keep the olive oil to use at another time, like for a stir fry or tomato sauce.
  3. Add all the other ingredients for the dressing to the blender, and blend until smooth. Add a little more water if necessary.
  4. When the garlic is roasted turn the oven up to 400F.
  5. Place all the cut vegetables and apples in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  6. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 35-40 minutes, until tender. Mine were slightly browned, which I really enjoyed.
  7. Toss the vegetables in about 2 tablespoons of the roasted garlic dressing.
  8. Arrange the arugula on plates and top with the roasted vegetables. Sprinkle with some nuts if you are using them, and add a little more dressing if you wish.
  9. Serve immediately!

Enjoy!

roasted vegetables - trust in kim