Category: vegetarian

Olive Tapenade

This one’s really easy to make, and works great as an appetizer.  Rosemary crackers work really well with it, as does a crusty loaf of bread.

What you need

about a cup of black or green sliced olives

1 tablespoon capers

a drizzle or two of olive oil

a little squeeze of lemon (optional)

pepper

What you do

1.  Throw all the ingredients in a food processor.  Whiz it around for a few seconds so it is chopped up but not too finely.

2.  You can serve right away, but it also keeps for a while.  I prefer serving it at room temperature, so I take it out of the fridge a while before I’m going to serve it.

Rosemary Crackers

I just happened to be making these crackers on Easter weekend, so they are in the shape of little bunnies.  It’s pretty easy to make your own crackers, just mix, roll, cut and bake. I like the idea that I know what is going into my food, so I try to make as much of it from scratch as I can.

I got this recipe from a cook book called 100 Perfect Pairings, and the original recipe used fennel seeds instead of rosemary.  The crackers are brushed with red wine before baking, giving them a pink hue – this is optional, as I didn’t find I could actually taste the wine.  So if you want pink crackers, brush away!

I served mine with olive tapenade and goat cheese, but other sliced cheeses would work well too.

What you need

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus a little more for rolling

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 & 3/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine (optional)

3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel for sprinkling

What you do

1.  Combine the flours, salt and rosemary in a bowl.  Add the oil and 1/2 cup of water, working it until it combines into a crumbly ball.

2.  Preheat the oven to 450F.

3.  Cut the dough into three pieces and wrap two of them in plastic wrap.  Work with one of the balls, rolling it out on a floured surface until it is about 2mm thick.  Cut the dough into squares, or into any shape you desire.

4.  Lightly brush the dough with wine, then sprinkle with a little fleur de sel.  Move the crackers to a baking sheet.

5.  Bake for 7-10 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn.  While they are baking you can roll out the next batch.

6.  Allow the crackers to cool on a wire rack. After they are thoroughly cooled you may store them in an airtight container for about a week.

Whiskey-Soaked Chocolate Cake

Boozy chocolate cake – what could be better?  It’s got enough flavour and moistness that you don’t need an icing, but of course you can do whatever you want with it.

I found the recipe on awhiskandaspoon. It’s meant to be a bundt cake, but I made it in two loaf pans instead.  I also used strong coffee rather than the espresso powder that the original called for.  It’s moist and flavourful, but not too rich.  It is great served with a little whipping cream, or just a sprinkle of icing sugar to make it look pretty when it is served.

What you need:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups flour

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (5 squares of baker’s chocolate)

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup very strong hot coffee

1 cup whiskey

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

icing sugar for dusting on the top (optional)

What you do:

1. Line the bottom of two loaf pans with parchment paper (or butter and flour a bundt pan).

2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (I just put some water in a pot, then place a bowl over it, heat the water up and put the chocolate in the bowl.  Keep it simmering until the chocolate is melted.) Set the chocolate aside to cool.

3. Place the cocoa in a large measuring cup, at least 2 cups capacity.  Add enough hot coffee to fill it to the one cup mark.  Stir the cocoa and coffee, then add the whiskey and salt and allow it to cool.

4. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

5.  Beat the butter until fluffy, then mix in the sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well.  Add the vanilla extract and chocolate.

6.  Beat in 1/3 of the whiskey/coffee mixture on low speed, then mix in half of the flour.  Add another third of the liquid, then the rest of the flour along with the baking soda.  Add the last third of the liquid.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s).

7.  Bake for 55 minutes for loaf pans (depending on the size of the pan – test for doneness with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean), or about 1 hour and 10 minutes for a bundt pan.

8.  About 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven you can unmould the cake and allow it to cool on a wire rack.  Sprinkle it with a little more whiskey while it cools!

9.  Serve with icing sugar sprinkled on top, or with a dollop of whipping cream.

Easter Paska

This sweet bread is one of our traditional Mennonite treats, hailing from the Ukraine where all my grandparents and my dad were born.  Growing up I always looked forward to it because we got to eat it for breakfast on Easter Sunday.  We typically ate really healthy breakfasts, so it was a big deal to have something sweet.  The bread itself is good, but the sierne paska, the spread you slather on top of each slice, is my favourite part.  Traditionally the paska was baked in large coffee tins, but I didn’t have any of those, so I just used loaf tins.  This recipe makes two loaves and a big batch of sierne paska, enough to top slices for both loaves.

We would typically leave the paska sitting out on a table, surrounded by decorated eggs, just because it looks pretty.  But, by Easter morning it would be all dried out – so I recommend storing it in a plastic bag before icing it, then ice it before you’re going to put it out, and cut right before serving.  People can slather on as much of the cheese spread as they want – mmmm, so good!

I’ve posted the recipe that my mom uses, but here are my Tante Katja’s recipes, in German.

What you need:

For the bread

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1 (8 gram) package yeast

2 whole eggs

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

juice of 1/2 an orange

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup scalded milk, cooled to luke-warm

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 & 1/2 to 5 cups flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

fine bread crumbs

For the sierne spread

2 cups dry curd (farmer’s) cottage cheese

5 egg yolks, hard-boiled

1/2 cup cream, boiled and cooled

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the icing

1/4 cup butter

a tablespoon or two of cream or milk

icing sugar

What you do:

For the bread

1. Dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water, then sprinkle the yeast on top.  Let it sit for 10 minutes – if it gets foamy you know you’re got live yeast.  If not, go get some new yeast before proceeding.

2.  Beat the eggs and yolks for about 10 minutes, adding the sugar gradually.  Add the orange juice, milk, vanilla and yeast mixture, and mix well.

3.  Gradually add the flour and butter, adding enough flour to make a soft dough.

4. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, basically until the dough doesn’t cling to your hands any more.

5.  Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in it, turning the dough to coat it with a bit of the oil.  Place a clean tea towel over the top of the bowl and leave to rise in a warm place, about 45-60 minutes, or until doubled in size.  Punch it down and let it rise again for the same amount of time.

6.  Grease two bread pans (or coffee tins) and coat with the bread crumbs.  Divide the dough in half and form into a loaf with the edges tucked under, then place them into the pans.  The dough should fill the pan about 1/3.  Let the dough rise again, covered with the towel, until it just reaches the top of the pan.

7. Bake for 30 minutes at 350F.  Remove the paska from the tins and cool.  Then they will be ready to ice and show off!


For the sierne spread:

1. Press the cottage cheese and egg yolks through a fine sieve using the back of a wooden spoon.  Do this three times – it takes a bit of time and muscle, but it’s worth because it makes the texture very fine!

2. Cream the butter and sugar, then add everything else.

3.  Line a sieve with cheesecloth and place the spread in there.  Cover the top with plastic wrap and allow to drain in the fridge for a few hours.  (My mom says this is necessary, but there really wasn’t much liquid that drained out of mine, so I don’t think it’s essential.)

4. Invert the spread onto a plate so that it is a molded mound.  (In the photo I have it a bowl instead, but traditionally it is molded, usually in a pyramid shape)


For the icing

1. Cream the butter, then add a little icing sugar and cream, then a little more of each until you’ve got a soft icing.

2.  Top each cooled loaf with the icing, and add sprinkles if you like.

We seem to have fallen into a post-Easter coma.

Broccoli Soup

I wanted to make a nice light, fresh, healthy soup.  This is basically a combination of a flavourful broth, a little potato, onion, garlic, and some broccoli.  The broccoli isn’t cooked for too long, allowing the soup to remain a bright green.  This is pretty quick to whip up, provided you’ve got some stock on hand.  This is great with a little yogurt or cream swirled in before serving, along with a nice crusty bread.

What you need:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

4-5 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 head roasted garlic (optional)

2 small white potatoes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

a few heads of broccoli, chopped into florets

salt and pepper

to serve: a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of cream, also optional

What you do:

1. Heat a large pot to medium and add the olive oil.  When the oil is hot add the onion, cooking for a few minutes, then add the garlic.  Cook for a few minutes more, until the onion is translucent.

2.  Add the roasted garlic, rosemary, potatoes and stock.  Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are soft.

3.  Add the broccoli to the pot and put a lid on it for 4-5 minutes, until the broccoli is cooked but not losing its bright green colour.

4.  Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or put it in the blender.  Serve it while it’s hot!

5.  To serve, top with a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of cream.

Lemony Roasted Potatoes

Many times over the past few decades I have made these potatoes. When I made them for Mother’s Day recently, and my mom said she loved them, I knew I needed to post the recipe.

I have no idea where this recipe came from, since it was so long that I wrote it down. I know the inspiration to make them the first time came from a Greek restaurant in the small town I lived in for a while, where they made awesome lemony potatoes. Add a few olives, Greek salad, pita bread, tzatziki, and a bit of a protein, and you’ve got an amazing meal.

The only think I changed in this recipe was to use less olive oil. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of olive oil.

The recipe is not difficult to make, but it takes a very hot oven for almost an hour.  Be careful when you open the oven to turn the potatoes halfway through the roasting – there will be a lot of steam that could be very hot on your delicate skin!

This is a large recipe, for 8 people, so halve it if you need to. You might want to make extra so you have leftovers – it’s that good!

What you need:

  • 4 pounds Russet baking potatoes or Yukon Gold
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 500F.
  2. Clean and quarter the potatoes and place them in a large baking dish.
  3. Toss the potatoes in the other ingredients until they are well coated.
  4. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes, turning the potatoes after 25 minutes so they brown on all sides.
  5. The potatoes will be browned on the outside and soft in the middle when they are done.

Savoury Pancakes II, Leek Pancakes with Mushroom Sauce

Mm, they were so good last time I had to try another version of these.  This time they’ve got leeks in them, and they are topped with a creamy vegan (or not) mushroom sauce.  Brunch, dinner, an appie – these are good anytime!

What you need:

4 eggs, separated

1 cup flour

1 & 1/3 cups cottage cheese

salt and pepper

1 leek, sliced

butter for frying

grated parmesan for serving (optional)

For the mushroom sauce:

2 shallots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

10-12 button mushrooms (or any others of you’ve got some fancier ones)

a few leaves of fresh sage, chopped (a little thyme would work well as a substitution)

2 tablespoons butter plus some for cooking the shallots and mushrooms

2 tablespoons flour

1/2-3/4 cup soy milk (or regular)

1/3-1/2 cups white wine

2-3 tablespoons cream cheese/ soy cream cheese (optional)

salt and pepper

What you do:

1.  To begin the mushroom sauce, heat a frying pan, add a little butter and cook the shallots for a minutes.  Then add the garlic and mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms are cooked through.  Set aside.

2.  Heat the butter, then add the 2 tablespoons of flour.  Cook for a minute or two, then gradually add the soy milk (or regular milk), stirring each time you’ve added a little, making sure it doesn’t get lumpy.  Before it gets too runny begin adding the wine, a little at a time.

3.  Add the mushroom and shallot mixture to the cream sauce, then add salt and quite a bit of pepper to taste, along with the sage.  Set this aside, reheating just before serving.

4. To begin making the pancakes,  heat a frying pan and add a little butter, then the leeks, and cook for a few minutes.  Remove from the heat and allow the leeks to cool a little.

5.  Beat the egg whites until they are very fluffy and a peak forms when you take the beater out.

6.  Mix the egg yolks into the flour, salt and pepper.  Fold the egg whites into this yolk mixture, then add the leeks, stirring until it is just combined.

7.  Heat a frying pan to medium high.  I made small pancakes so they wouldn’t break apart easily.  Try making one first to see how long they take to cook and to make sure your pan is the right temperature.  When one side has browned nicely it’s time to flip it, then the other side needs about a minute.

8.  I like to serve them as soon as they come off the pan and eat them while they’re hot.  Top with the mushroom sauce and a little grated parmesan.

Spicy Garlicky Green Beans

These beans are a super easy little side dish.  Depending on the amount of spice you like, add more or less of the crumbled hot pepper.

What you need:

green beans

2-3 garlic cloves, sliced

olive oil

dried hot chili pepper

salt to taste

What you do:

1.  Heat a frying pan to medium high and add a little olive oil.

2.  Add the beans and garlic and cook for a few minutes, stirring from time to time.  Crumble the dried pepper and throw it in.   Add a little water and put a lid on it for a minute or so, or until the beans are slightly softened.

3.  Add a little salt to taste, and you’re ready to go!

Oatmeal Snacking Cake with Nutty Topping

Moist, nutty, and not as dense as you might think!  Another great recipe from Lottie + Doof, and if you need justifying you can say, “It’s good for me, it’s got oatmeal in it.” The cake is good, but for me it’s a vehicle for the topping, a German chocolate cake-style topping, all nutty and buttery – you can’t go wrong.

This one is pretty easy to make.

What you need:

1 cup quick cooking oats

3/4 cup water at room temperature

3/4 cup unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Icing:

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 tablespoons milk (I used soy creamer because it’s what I had)

3/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut (I used unsweetened and it worked great!)

3/4 cup chopped pecans

What you do:

1.  Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit extra to stick up around the edges so you can grab onto it later. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Stir the oats and water together in a small bowl and let sit for about 15 minutes, until the water has been absorbed.

3. Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together in a bowl.

4. Beat the butter and sugars for a few minutes until it is “the consistency of damp sand.” (not my words, but that’s the way you want it to be)  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring just until combined, then add the moist oats, and stir again until just combined.  Pour into the lined baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

6.  When the cake it baked, take it out of the oven to cool for about 10 minutes.  While you are doing this you can prepare the broiled topping.  It’s a good idea to melt the butter ahead of time, though, so you can do this while the cake is baking.

7. Add the milk, sugar and nuts to the butter and mix it all together.  Sprinkle it on top of the cake and press it down a little.  Put it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.  Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn!

8.  Let it cool for about an hour, then you can take it out of the pan by pulling on the parchment paper.

Savoury Pancakes I – Red Onion and Broccoli

My friend Jen got me thinking about this dinner pancake thing. It’s an all-in-one type of meal, good for dinner, lunch or brunch. Because of the beaten egg whites they are quite light, almost like a pan-fried souffle, and your veggies are built right in. I served them with slices of avocado on top, but plain yogurt or some fried mushrooms would make great toppings too!

What you need:

6 eggs, separated

1 cup flour

1 & 1/2 cups cottage cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1 head of broccoli, separated into small florets

1/2 red onion, diced

What you do:

1.  Cook the onion in a little olive oil until slightly browned.

2.  Beat the egg whites until they are very fluffy and a peak forms when you take the beater out.

3.  Mix the egg yolks and cottage cheese into the flour, salt and pepper.  Fold the egg whites into this yolk mixture, then add the onions and broccoli, stirring until it is just combined. I made the mistake once of stirring too much, and they got a bit tough and weren’t very fluffy.

4.  Heat a frying pan to medium high.  I made small pancakes so they wouldn’t break apart easily.  Try making one first to see how long they take to cook and to make sure your pan is the right temperature.  When one side has browned nicely it’s time to flip it, then the other side needs about a minute.

5.  Top with something savoury and eat them while they’re hot!