the best tzatziki ever

Slowly but surely, I'm taking the cucumber plunge. You see, I've never been a big fan of them to begin with. A couple of years ago, I decided that I liked them in sandwiches...but only in sandwiches. Then this past summer, I tried them dipped into hummus. Uh, hello, it was yummy! Emboldened by this new found cuke-love, I decided that I would try my hand at tzatziki. You know, that Greek dip filled with cucumbers. See, when I get into something, I really dive in.

Initially, I was worried about texture. Slimy wasn't what I was looking for. I was also determined to make it to my own tastes which meant a lot of garlic and lemon and spice to enhance the experience. I said enhance not mask in case you are taking note. So I got started and strained my own plain low fat yogurt using a coffee pot and paper coffee filters. I've done it before and it works really well. Or you can just go ahead and use Greek yogurt which is thick and rich and pretty much perfect. Then you grate and drain the cucumbers of their excess moisture. After that, all the hard part is done. A bit of lemon here, a bit of dill and garlic there. Add in some kosher salt and spice to balance everything out and there you go. A dip of champions. Please note, that the photos were taken on New Years eve and I had a few Amaretto Sours alongside, so things aren't quite so photogenic - but don't let that turn you off. This tzatziki is amazing and I'm not just saying that because me and the cucumber are bffs 4 ever.

the best tzatziki ever
500 g tub of Greek yogurt, or strain a 900 g tub of plain yogurt (discard the liquid)
1/2 large english cucumber, seeds removed

2 T olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 of a red onion, finely minced
1 t kosher salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t paprika
1 T dried dill
juice & zest of 1 small lemon

1. If you are using regular yogurt, you'll need to strain it through a coffee filter for about 2 hours to remove all the excess liquid as you want the yogurt to be nice and thick. If you are using Greek yogurt, no worries, you are good to go.

2. Grate the cucumber and place it in a mesh strainer and position the strainer above a bowl. Use a large spoon to press out all the water from the cucumber. Sprinkle a bit of salt over top the cucumber to let the water out quicker or just wait it out.

3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, dill and spices together. Add in the thick yogurt and stir well. Next, stir in the cucumber and lemon zest. Add in the juice of half of the lemon, stir and taste. Want more tang? Add in more juice. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Now go and dip to your hearts content.

go big or go home: lemon meringue pie

This is a birthday pie I made for my husband last month. He's born January 2nd and if there is a time when desserts are the last thing on my mind, January 2nd would be the day. But this pie works. There's no cloying chocolate or sticky caramel to wrangle with. Instead of a sickening sweetness, this pie is the perfect balance between sweet and tart. And let's just face it, this is a showstopper and while it may not be light in calories, the texture is ethereal and airy.

Glance down at the recipe and take a look at the steps involved. Scared? Don't be. Sure, there are crusts to make (but I make it easy by crushing cookies instead of rolling dough), curd to prepare and egg whites to beat, but really, this pie is about one hours worth of prep in the kitchen. The rest is just waiting. The waiting is murder, but like all good long waits, the results are divine. And like I said, it's a whopper of a dessert that packs a punch not only in pure deliciousness but in beauty as well. Make this pie and you will receive accolades and kisses (just make sure you make it for someone who you want kisses from).

So go ahead and make someone's day. Make this pie and celebrate in the most delicious way. The leftovers (if you have any) also make a wonderful *ahem* breakfast along side of a hot strong coffee. You know, just saying.

Also, I should mention that I'll be writing for ReadyMade's food & kitchen blog, Feast. I'm super excited that I was asked to be a part of the ReadyMade empire as I've been reading the magazine since nearly their very first issue. I'll be writing about different things than what I blog about here, but it will always be food-related. So please stop by, leave a comment and add us to your RSS feed!

lemon meringue pie
(filling & meringue recipe adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook)

vanilla cookie coconut crust
35-40 Nilla wafers, finely crushed
1/4 c shredded unsweetened coconut
1 T sugar
1/4 c melted butter

lemon filling
4 large egg yolks
1 scant c sugar
4 1/2 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1 c water
1/2 c milk
1 T unsalted butter
2 t lemon zest
1/2 c lemon juice

meringue
4 large egg whites
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/2 t salt
3/4 c sugar

Make the pie shell:
Preheat oven to 350F. If you have a food processor, I envy you. Whizz away. If you don't, just crush the cookies with a rolling pin. I put the cookies into a ziplock bag and then place a tea towel over top. Smash away and get your ya-ya's out. Dump crumbs into a large bowl, add in coconut and sugar and stir. Pour in melted butter and stir again. Press mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch tart or pie pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes until fragrant and slightly golden. Set aside.

Make the filling:
1. Whisk together yolks in a medium bowl. In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk and water until cornstarch and sugar dissolves and mixture starts to thicken.

2. Very slowly pour one cup of the hot liquid into the beaten yolks and whisk away. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and continue to whisk over a simmer, until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and add in butter, zest and lemon juice and whisk until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Place some plastic wrap or parchment paper over top so that a skin doesn't form.

Make the meringue:
With a stand or electric mixer, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Turn up the speed and add in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

Assemble & bake the pie:
Pour lemon filling into the warm shell. If the shell isn't warm, just reheat in the oven for a few minutes. Spread meringue smoothly and evenly over top, covering the lemon filling completely. Using your spatula, swirl and draw up peaks in the meringue so it looks pretty. Bake until the meringue is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature for 2 hours and then refrigerate until cold, about another 2 hours.

lemon cornmeal shortbread cookies

I know, I know...another cookie recipe. Really, if that's the worst thing in the world then I'm happy I'm living in a cookie-filled world. However, this cookie is a bit different from most cookies that I make. For one, it's got cornmeal in it which gives it an amazing sandy grit. I'm saying sandy grit and you might be thinking, uh oh, kinda weird. But it's good. Trust me. The sandy grit in your teeth is so much better than the sandy grit in your bathing suit after a day at the beach.

The second thing I love about these, it's that they are shortbread cookies. Not too sweet, slightly crumbly and I could satisfy my late night cookie craving even though I was all out of brown sugar. Oh, and they are also lemony which is always a good thing. And like all late-night cookies, they are really simple to prepare. So head on over to Poppytalk and bake up a batch.

hello summer & other seasonal ramblings (+ a recipe)

The weather in Vancouver has been nothing but spectacular with it's blue skies and sunshine. I want to say that this summer is actually pretty rad, but as a seasoned West Coaster I have to amend that to, "this summer is pretty rad....so far". We're jaded when it comes to the weather and it seems we are always looking for the grey clouds in the silver lining. But I'm excited because summer is here and it is awesome. Really.

Now here's a grey cloud – I told you, I'm a Vancouverite. I know, I know, these pancakes look amazing. I tried to create a delicious coconut and lime pancake, but instead these were tough and biscuit-like. Not the yieldingly soft and fluffy pancake of my dreams. The flavour was pretty on par, but the texture needed work. Next time, I think I'll just modify these truly sublime coconut yogurt pancakes (made with my favorite yogurt) with some lime zest and juice and call it a success. But hey, throw on some fresh organic raspberries and I can forgive pretty much anything.

The next kink in my week was cold-brewed coffee. It seemed like a great idea, but I was let down. It was a bit too weak for my liking and it was just too much waiting around. I'll try it again to be sure, adding less water to the final "coffee concentrate", so I'm not going to knock it down to the ground. Yet. However, saving already brewed left-over coffee in the fridge is my kind of easy and it makes a good cuppa iced joe.

But back to the good things because if you know me, I actually like to look on the bright side. Yesterday there was the new Wednesday farmer's market near the Main Street skytrain station where I picked up some very lovely peonies along with garlic scapes and some lettuce. There's also summer bike rides in skirts and cold lemony Hefeweizen with friends. And take note, this coming Sunday, I'll be taking part in the Got Craft? Bite Sized fair happening on Main Street (luckily coinciding with the car-free festival!) So please stop by, say hello & check out my wares why don't you?

If you've stuck through this post long enough, here's a quick little recipe for lemon marinated olives. I was served these recently at a party and loved them so much that I had to make my own. This recipe includes caper berries which I found in a glass jar near the capers in my local Chinatown market. If you don't have the caper berries, you can skip them, but do try to find them. They are delicious and even non-olive lovers will love them. Trust me. These go nicely on a hot day with some of my most favorite lemony-garlic green beans that I've been making for almost 20 years now. Crack open a cold beer, invite a few friends over for some patio hanging and you've got yourself a nice little party. Open your arms and give a lemony, salty hello to summer.

lemon-marinated olives & caper berries
1 c your favorite green brined olives
1 c your favorite kalmata or other black olives
1/2 c caper berries
4 large lemons, juiced and zest peeled off with a vegetable peeler*
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 dried chilis (or 1 t of red chili flakes)
olive oil

Drain off any brine from the olives and caper berries and place them in a sealable jar. Stuff the jar with peel from 1 or 2 lemons, the rosemary sprig, and the chili. Pour in lemon juice so that it fills the jar. Top with olive oil if you like. Close jar and let sit in the fridge over night or for two weeks. The longer it sits, the more intensely lemony the olives are. This is a good thing. Spoon out the solids and serve.

* careful, you want a good vegetable peeler or a knife, so you don't get any of the bitter underside pith. Just peel enough from 1 or 2 lemons.

lemon, parmesan & chickpea cabbage salad

After pickling prunes and boiling cookies, sometimes you just want something normal. A meal that feels like home. Cabbage is one of my favorite kitchen workhorses and it shouldn't be relegated to dreary winter days or forgotten about until the fridge is running on empty. Cabbage can be a hit of sunshine and a welcoming crunch. Let it be your summertime companion!

Cabbage is great because it only needs a little bit of something to turn it into wow. When I read Molly's book, I did a double take when it came to Brandon's cabbage salad. One evening when the golden hour sunshine flooded into our apartment, I knew this would make the ideal dinner salad. It was simple, nothing more than lemon juice, garlic, Parmesan and good olive oil and a little seasoning. But when I started adding the shredded cabbage leaves to the bowl, I figured why not add in a bit of protein? So I threw in a can of drained chickpeas and our dinner salad was born. With a buttered Portuguese roll from our local market, this salad was perfect. I think I will make this meal my new best friend.

I'm not one to showcase my kitchen. It's a tiny galley kitchen from 1982 with a ridiculously small amount of usable counter space (see above? That's it!), and it's darker than your most private thoughts. However, in the summer, around 7pm when the light is just right, the magic hour reaches all the way back into our little kitchen. I'm not going to go all Pioneer Woman on you, but figured you might want to see where all the magic happens.

lemon, parmesan & chickpea cabbage salad
(adapted from Molly Wizenberg)
1 head of cabbage, shredded
1 can of chickpeas, drained
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
2 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1 clove minced garlic
salt & pepper

Make the dressing by adding the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper to a jar and giving it a good shake.

In a large bowl, add the shredded cabbage and the chickpeas and toss to combine. Pour over the dressing and the cheese and toss again. Season again if needed.

milk braised chicken with lemon, cinnamon & sage (+ Seattle tips)

I've never been afraid to roast a chicken. Roasting is easy. Choose a nice organic, free run bird and season it well and the odds are good that you will have something fantastic on the dinner table. Maybe I've been lucky, but I don't stress out when it comes to roasting bird. But then again I always use generally the same technique over and over again. So when I saw a recipe that braised a chicken in milk, I looked twice. And again just to be sure. The raves were loud and clear and the variations were endless (coconut milk and lemongrass to name a pairing). I had to make this meal.

Was it delicious? Oh yes. Look at the thing, for goodness sakes...it practically orders you to "Eat me now" in a kind of sexy rustic baritone. And the chicken itself, it was moist, almost unbelievably so...like butta. But I did have some difficulty with the instructions which I recount down below. I didn't get any curdled bits of sauce which left me strangely disappointed, but I got over it quickly, as I poured the sauce all over my mashed potatoes, my chicken, my plate. You can bet that when Cornelius wasn't looking, I licked my plate clean. And any of the sauce that didn't get into my belly that night went into a container into the freezer to be revived at a later date to be turned into soup or to enrich a risotto. So to answer your question, it's good. Real good. And easy. Impress someone, impress yourself! Just make this soon.

Now, to get a little off topic for a moment, I'll be heading to Seattle this weekend and I need your tips! Where is the best greasy spoon breakfast? Where to drink a great coffee? Where can we find great beer (a hoppy ipa would hit the spot!)? But most of all, it has to be affordable, bordering on cheap (we just did our taxes and still haven't gotten over the shock). So Seattle, let's hear it!

milk braised chicken with lemon, cinnamon & sage
1 3 lb. organic chicken
salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 T butter
1 cinnamon stick
1 t dried sage leaves
2 lemons, zested
6 garlic cloves, skin left on
1/2 t red chili flakes
2 c milk

Preheat oven to 375F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat butter over med-high heat in a cast iron pot and when butter is bubbly and hot, add chicken, browning all sides. When the chicken gets evenly coloured, turn off heat, remove from pot and set aside. Remove butter and fat from pan (reserve to fry potatoes at a later date) and place chicken back in pot. Add in remaining ingredients. This is where the directions get tricky and left to interpretation. I zested the lemons, squeezed the juice in the pot and then dumped the husks in the pan as well. Uh, next time, I'll just throw out the lemon husks....a bit too bitter. Put the lid on and bake for 1 hour. Baste if you remember (I didn't). Take off the lid and bake for another 30 minutes. Baste if you want (I didn't). Remove from oven and serve.

sweet success: meyer lemon & fresh cranberry muffins

This morning while our neighbours to the south were prepping for turkey and cranberry sauce, the rest of us are all business as usual. I had a meeting this morning and decided to bake some muffins for it. Super quick muffins on a weekday? What's not to love? I had a lone Meyer lemon in the fridge and some frozen cranberries that I had stocked up on for a less than a dollar a bag after our Thanksgiving last month. Cranberries seem ideal for the season and I'm glad I used fresh ones rather than dried ones in this recipe. As for the lemon, a plain ol' one will do just fine, but the Meyer worked beautifully and these muffins were so fragrant and lemony.

Enjoy these for breakfast or a late afternoon snack with tea. They are very light in texture and packed full of flavour. And did I mention really, really easy to whip up and really, really easy goin' down.

meyer lemon & fresh cranberry muffins
1/2 c canola oil
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
juice of 1 meyer lemon + enough milk to form 1 cup of liquid
1 3/4 c flour
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
zest of 1 lemon
1 c of fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat oven to 400. Oil up muffin tins. Mix together the first 4 ingredients (oil through milk/juice) in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until the cranberries are nicely coated in the flour mixture.

Add the dry into the wet and combine until just blended. Drop by spoonful into the prepared tins until each tin is 3/4 full of batter. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

summer holiday: cannelli bean dip with lemon & rosemary

I'll be away for most of this week. We'll be bike touring/camping on the San Juan Islands in Washington State which are pretty much just a Southern continuation of Canada's Gulf Islands. It seems every 2 years we go on a bike trip, but I'm a bit nervous with this one. The main reason is that I'm so out of shape this summer, but I guess there is nothing like biking with all your camping gear, clothing and groceries strapped on your bike to kick-start your way to being active again! Also, ever since my nasty spill on Denman Island a two years ago, I'm pretty nervous biking downhill. I know, crazy, since downhill should be the funnest thing ever. Instead, I'd rather climb up a 13% grade hill than ride down it. Luckily, Cornelius will be switching out my old brake pads on my bike for new ones and installing my brand-spanking new tires, so I should be a bit more confident riding the hilly San Juan islands. Wish me luck!

In the meantime, why not snack on some delicious protein. This bean dip is very similar to one I've made before with cannelli beans, parlsey and oregano, but this time I've swapped in my favorite herb...rosemary. It's a very flavourful dip filled with lemon, garlic and fresh rosemary and it's a perfect no-cook lunch on those hot summer days. I've made this several times this summer and I'm not sick of it yet. Use it as a dip to eat with pita, chips or crackers or spread onto some bread and use it as a base for your favorite veggie sandwich. Enjoy!

cannelli bean dip with lemon & rosemary
1 can of cannelli beans, drained & rinsed
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 cloves garlic, smashed
salt & pepper
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves only (not stems)
1/4 c (or less) good olive oil
water

Blend everything using your blender, adding a bit of water in case things get too thick. Once it's smooth as silk, it's done. Taste and re-season if necessary.

millet by a landslide: broccoli, chickpea & millet salad

I love salads that are meals in their own right. And a salad that looks like springtime? Well, even better. Better because while the calendar says spring, the weather outside isn't co-operating. We have cherry blossoms but unfortunately, this week, we've had an attack of winter. Yesterday, we even had a brief hail storm! March came in like a lamb but is leaving with a lion's roar and I don't like it one bit.

But back to the springy salad. I made a stripped-down version of this salad from 101 Cookbooks a couple of weeks ago and loved it. Instead of quinoa, I used a new-to-me grain, millet. I wasn't sure I'd like the grain since while I like quinoa, I'm not mad about it. But there was no reason for me to be hesitant...because millet is the bomb. Way better than quinoa in my opinion and even Cornelius (who is a bonefide quinoa-hater) loved this salad too. Millet has a great texture and a really great flavour. This time around, I made the salad with broccoli and liked the results even better. It makes a great lunch and is quite simple to put together. The lemon-tahini dressing has a nice bite and helps to bind everything together in a nice flavourful package. So not only does this salad look pretty on a plate it tastes delicious too.


broccoli, chickpea & millet salad with tahini-lemon dressing
1 c millet
2 c water
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 red onion, finely diced
zest of 1 lemon
romaine lettuce leaves, torn or spring mix baby greens

dressing:
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T tahini
3 T olive oil
1 T hot water (more if necessary)
juice from 1 small lemon
salt & pepper

1. Toast millet in a small saucepan until it starts to crackle. Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and let simmer until water evaporates.

2. Steam broccoli until bright green, drain and rinse under cold water. Add chickpeas, broccoli, red onion and millet into a large bowl and toss.

3. Make dressing by combining all ingredients, adding more hot water if necessary to get proper dressing consistency. Add half of dressing to millet mixture and blend.

4. Add a base of lettuce or baby greens on each serving plate and add a few large spoonfuls of the millet mixture over top. Drizzle with remaining dressing and add a sprinkling of lemon zest for colour.

don't belive the hype: pasta with 2 sauces

There's a lot of hoopla regarding pasta with vodka cream sauce. Some say it's the cure for what ails your pathetic love life, others say it's gonna get you hitched and the rest think it's just about the best pasta sauce ever. Meh, I'm not convinced. I mean, I love vodka, I love cream and pasta holds a special place in my heart, but I don't think this sauce is the be-all-end-all of anything. It's good, it's simple and it's rich, but I'm certainly not going to drop my drawers after a bowl of this.

I made this pasta with vodka cream sauce a little while ago after consulting various recipes and creating one of my own. Not surprisingly, my husband loved it. Maybe there is something about it working it's way into a gentleman's heart, but for me, I like something a little more complex in flavour. So the next time we ate pasta, I used the rest of the farfalle box and created something that I thought was ten times more delicious. It didn't leave me hot and bothered either, but it was simple, tasty and oh so fine. I wish I could have snapped a photo but it was gobbled up way too quickly. 2 recipes, 1 box of pasta. Take your pick.

pasta with vodka cream sauce
2 T unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 t red pepper flakes
1/2 c vodka
1 small tin of diced tomatoes
1 c heavy cream
3/4 c parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
250 grams farfalle or other short pasta

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and saute onions, garlic and chili until soft, about 20 minutes. Add in vodka and tomatoes and let everything come to a nice slow boil so that it bubbles but doesn't splatter and go nuts. Pour in cream and turn down to a simmer.

2. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions.

3. When pasta is done, drain but reserve a little of the pasta water. You may need to add more water to the sauce if it's too dry. Use your judgement. Gently add pasta to skillet and stir in cheese, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Stir pasta well to coat, reducing some of the sauce if necessary or adding in some pasta water if it's too dry. Serve in large bowls with parsley and extra parmesan cheese, if desired.

.........................................................................

lemon sauced pasta with ham and peas
2 T butter
2 T grapeseed oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t red pepper flakes
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1/4 c diced ham
1/2 c frozen peas
salt & pepper
250 grams farfalle or other short pasta
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

When pasta is almost ready, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet, melt butter and oil over medium heat, adding in garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant but not brown. Add in lemon zest and juice and about 1/3 cup of pasta water. Reduce slightly and stir in cream, ham, peas and pasta. Add parmesan cheese and parsley and stir. Add more pasta water if necessary. Salt and pepper as needed.

on the mend: red lentil soup with lemon

Last week I was illin', through and through. I had lost my voice and was pretty much a sad sack of sickness. On Thursday night I couldn't make it to a business dinner we had planned with some new clients, but when Cornelius returned empty handed from the meeting, I was pretty peeved. What kind of husband would forget to pick up a burrito or a can of soup for his sickly wife left at home. Uh, that would be mine. True he's my favorite person in the whole wide world, but that night, he held his head in shame.


In order to get back in good graces, I told him that he would have to make it up to me by making some homemade soup. I picked out a recipe that I had been eying for a little while and he eagerly took up the challenge. Despite the ease of this recipe, it was quite an undertaking for someone who didn't know where the lentils were kept or what pot to use. My husband, as sweet as he is, does not cook. At all. He can make toast and eggs and hot dogs, and once he made me a birthday cake, but he doesn't know his way around a kitchen. As Cornelius got down to it, he would call out questions and I'd answer where the cumin was kept and where to find the tube of tomato paste. I don't know if he really enjoyed the whole process, but he really did enjoy using the new y-peeler he had gotten me as a stocking stuffer at Christmas time. In fact, instead of dicing up the carrots, he just shredded carrot ribbons into the pot. It turned out to be a nice touch, too!


Regardless of his kitchen ineptitude, this soup turned out terrific. It had a nice bite from the lemon and it was full of flavour. And those carrot ribbons, brilliant! In fact, I'll credit this soup with getting me back on the mend. My cold is pretty much shaken, my husband is back in the good books and hey, it looks like spring is finally here on the west coast! I took a walk yesterday and the cherry blossoms are out and isn't that a wonderful thing?

Recipe adapted from Scott over at Sugar and Lard.

red lentil soup with lemon
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 T tomato paste
2 t ground cumin
1/4 t kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 t cayenne powder
1/2 t mexican chili powder
4 c vegetable broth
1 c red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled into shreds
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large heavy pot and saute garlic and onions until wilty. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne and chili powder until fragrant. Pour in broth, red lentils and carrots. Simmer until lentils and carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Add lemon juice and parsley and serve in deep bowls.

a hail-storm of a dinner: braised cod with chickpeas & corn

After writing about breakfast items like poached eggs and biscuits, I figured a hearty dinner recipe was more than required. I had a good one all lined up too because last week I had a little dinner party and made a pretty amazing eggplant dish...and I don't even really like eggplant. But then last night rolled around and I ate one of the best meals I've had in a long while. The eggplant dish will come later, I promise.


Last night was a cold crisp night. Biking to my Monday night bowling league game I was a bit wary because there was frost on the ground and I diligently searched and stayed clear of any patches of black ice. My way home however, the clear skies turned cloudy and let loose a barrage of hail. After realizing that the hail actually helped improve my traction by making the streets extra crunchy (and pretty), I took off for home. The only downside was going down hills only because of all the stinging icy bits hitting me hard in the face. When I got home, getting dinner ready didn't seem like something I really wanted to pull off...especially since it was almost 10pm. But our rumbling tummies made it clear that something had to be done.


A quick peek at Epicurious, a small bit of prep and tweaking to the original recipe, and dinner was in the oven. It was that quick. I even got together a simple green salad going that turned out to be the most perfect accompaniment for this meal. Letting the dressing mingle not only with the greens but with the rest of the ingredients on the plate took the entire meal over the edge into 'oh my god' territory. At first, I wasn't sure how cod and cumin-spiced chickpeas would work together, but the meal was delicious. Next time I'd sprinkle a bit of finely diced red onion over top before popping it in the oven just because I love onions so much and a bit of added crunch would be a nice touch.


braised cod with chickpeas & corn
1 can of chickpeas
1/4 c water
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 t red pepper flakes
1 T cumin
2 T olive oil
1/2 c frozen corn
3 cod fillets
salt
freshly ground black pepper
handful of parsley, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Add chickpeas to a pot along with water, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin and the 2 T olive oil. Heat over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add chickpea mixture and corn into a square baking dish.

2. Rinse cod fillets and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Lay fish on top of the chickpea mixture, sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice. Drizzle really good olive oil over top of the fish and put the whole shebang into a hot oven. 20 minutes later check on things and if fish flakes easily, remove from oven and serve with a green salad.

simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette
juice of 1 lemon
really good extra virgin olive oil
spoonful of tarragon mustard
pinch of kosher salt
dollop of honey
small head of romaine leaves, washed, dried and torn

Shake all ingredients in a small jar and drizzle over salad greens. I didn't give measurements here because going by taste is the only way I can get this dressing perfect. It's tart and just a bit sweet and it works so well clinging to the leaves as it is mingling with the braised chickpeas and fish.

c'mon summer

After a week of summer weather, it seemed Vancouver didn't want to cooperate with the season and grey skies, rain and cool weather arrived again. I don't mean to be pushy, but dammit, let's get on with summer already! This morning does seem to be warming up and I see blue skies and the sun peeking out, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. But maybe I'll have to chant some kind of mantra over and over again: c'monsummerc'monsummerc'monsummerc'monsummer....

Last week when it was warm outside, we ate this meal out on our balcony with a couple of icy cold beers. A cold salad dressed with a tart lemony dressing, chock full of green beans and fresh garden herbs...it seemed like there was no question about it: summer was here to stay. I'm hoping that by adding this recipe to my archives, summer will stay put.

And if you are spending your summer reading fashion & lifestyle magazines by the pool, be sure to check out the July issue of Chatelaine magazine (a popular Canadian mag). I was recently interviewed (briefly) by one of their writers about How to Start a Blog. Check it out!

green bean quinoa salad
1 c quinoa
2 c vegetable stock
3 c green beans, trimmed and cut into bite sized peices
1/2 red onion, diced
1 c fresh corn or thawed frozen corn
handfuls of fresh chives & parsley, chopped
1 lemon, juiced & zested
1/2 c olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt & pepper
1/2 c feta cheese, crumbled

1. In a dry pan, toast the quinoa until it gets golden and start to jump around. Remove from heat and rinse well under cold water. Meanwhile, in a medium sized pot, add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the rinsed quinoa to the stock and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa is dry and fluffy.

2. In another pot, steam the green beans until bright green but still crisp. Rinse well under cold water to prevent further cooking.

3. Mix the lemon juice, zest, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper into a dressing. Place the quinoa, green beans, corn, red onion and fresh herbs into a serving bowl and toss with the dressing. Chill until cool. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese.

summertime here we come!

The past couple of days have been weird. Pouring rain and grey skies in the morning and then hot sun and clear blue skies to follow for the afternoon. Yesterday I puttered about getting some work done, making it to the gym to re-acquaint myself with the elliptical trainer, running errands in Chinatown and then biking over to meet up with friends for Lebanese food. It made me excited for summer with picnics, container gardening, and beach bike rides to look forward to. When I got home, the sun was setting and the magic of golden hour was taking place and before it got too dark I wanted to keep that wonderful bit of summer sky going. My solution? Bake up some lemon cookies! I saw this recipe posted the other day at Shelterrific and bookmarked it immediately. So as the sun was setting behind the skyline, I had a batch of these cookies in the oven.

These cookies are perfection. Lemony, buttery and perfectly crispy on the outside while remaining chewy on the inside. A nice little snack to remind myself that summer is on the way.

lemon cookies
(recipe from Rachel Ray)
1/2 c butter, slightly chilled (I used Earth Balance margerine)
1 c sugar (plus another 1/4 c for rolling)
zest of 2 lemons, plus 1 T lemon juice
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a mixer, blend butter and sugar until combined. Add in lemon zest, lemon juice and egg and mix until fluffy. Dump in flour, baking soda and salt and combine.

2. Prepare cookie sheet with silpat or parchment paper. On a small plate, roll teaspoons of dough into balls and then roll in the remaining sugar. Add to cookie sheet. Bake for about 12-14 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from sheet and cool on racks. Makes 3 dozen.

for the love of cake

I love cake. There's just something about it that turns the most ordinary meal into a celebration. A cake holds much more meaning than just a sweet dessert. A pie? Well, that's a labour of love and one should always be appreciative of a homemade pie. A cupcake? It's sweet, it's cute and fun and will most certainly put a smile on any face. But a cake is more than all of that. It's impressive in stature and tone. It holds memories of birthdays and weddings past. It is love and grace blended with silk ribbons and lace.

Cake might seem to be fussy but it doesn't have to be. This lemon yogurt cake comes from Orangette and is itself filled with its own memories and Kodak moments, but this cake is as simple as they come. I made this a couple of weekends ago for my buddy, Charlie's first birthday. Even though I overbaked it, it still managed to garner a few oohs and ahhs. I tried again the following weekend for my mother-in-law's birthday and it baked up to perfection. I soaked the cake with a lemon syrup rather than Orangette's lemon glaze and then topped the cake with freshly whipped cream and strawberries. It was light and fresh and celebratory. It was perfect.

lemon yogurt cake
1/2 c lemon yogurt
1 c granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 c canola oil

lemon syrup:
juice of 1 lemon
a few T of sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl combine the yogurt, sugar and eggs and mix well. In a seperate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and lemon zest. Add flour mixture in with the yogurt mixture and blend. Add in the lemon juice and oil and stir until everything is all mixed and blendy.

2. Pour batter into a greased & floured 9 inch round cake pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Remember, don't over bake!!

3. Cool cake on a rack for 20 minutes and then turn out on a rack to cool completely. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon juice until it tastes like the kind of syrup you make lemonade with. When cake is cool spoon over the lemon syrup and if you have any extra just pop it in a class of cold water and you'll have lemonade to boot!

transitioning into spring

For the past week, I've been relishing the spring weather in all it's bounty. It's been asparagus this and fresh strawberry that and I even managed to get in a game or two of badminton! However, when I looked into the fridge this evening, I was disappointed. It seemed that I had delved too quickly into my spring supply of produce that only winter vegetables were left, tucked into the nether regions of the vegetable drawer. Instead of making another hearty soup (groan!), I spotted a lemon and set in motion plans to put a bit of spring into dinner. A stir-fry would be perfect for my needs and instead of making a heavy sweet n' sour sauce to go with it, I whipped up a light n' lemony sauce that was just perfect! I served the stir fry on top of plain ol' spaghetti, but I'm sure brown rice would be an even lovelier accompaniment. As for the vegetables, you can use whatever you've got in your fridge which is exactly what I did.

vegetable stir fry with lemon-miso sauce
1 T oil
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
2 carrots, sliced into coins
1/2 head cabbage, sliced into strips
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
a few shakes of soy sauce

for the sauce:
juice & zest of 1 lemon
1 T miso
1 t hot water
1 t soy sauce
1 T honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1/2 t cornstarch
a few shakes of sesame oil & sriracha

1. In a measuring cup, whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside.

2. Heat oil over high heat in wok. Add vegetables and toss until glistening. Add in a few shakes of soy sauce and keep stirring until vegetables are tender-crisp. Pour sauce over vegetables and stir until well coated. Cook for another minute and serve over rice or noodles.

the common cold

It's been a week of extremes and craziness. We had a small electrical fire due to a hack wiring job from a previous tenant. We found a new place to live for April. I've been baking and cooking up a storm. And now I've got my once-a-year cold. My head has grown 3 sizes too big and Kleenex and honey and lemon tea have been close company. This afternoon I'll switch things up to include a fresh ginger and honey tea just cuz I'm crazy like that. Other home remedies are welcome. A real post when I'm feeling better.

who doesn't like cabbage?

This past long weekend, I made 2 different cabbage salads. The recipe below, I made as a side for some baked cornmeal-crusted fish and some oven baked fries. The other cabbage salad, I took to a picnic. I certainly can't pick a favourite since I love pretty much any cabbage salad put in front of me, but since the lemon coleslaw recipe was new to me, it's the one I'll post here.

The recipe as posted is directly from the Gourmet Cookbook. However, in my own kitchen, I made a few alterations, of course. I didn't have any sour cream, so I just skipped it. I also didn't add the sugar because I feel that low fat mayo already has WAY too much sugar for my own liking. I did add a dash of cider vinegar because I do like a zesty slaw but didn't add the extra water. Water? Why? Regardless, it was a really tasty salad and I ate up the leftovers with a buttery english muffin the next day.


lemon coleslaw
(from the Gourmet Cookbook)
2 T low-fat sour cream
2 t low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 t finely grated fresh lemon zest
4 t fresh lemon juice
1 t sugar
3 T water
1/4 t salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 lb green cabbage, thinly sliced (4 cups)
2 carrots, coarsely grated
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced diagonally (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, zest, lemon juice, sugar, water, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved.

2. Add cabbage, carrots, scallions, and parsley and toss well. Chill, covered, 1 hour to allow flavors to develop. Season with salt and pepper.

sunday freshness

After we finished dinner this evening, Cornelius turned to me and said, "We ate really well this weekend". So true. Everything we ate was fresh and didn't require extensive cooking or baking or heating. Our morning started off right with light and crispy waffles topped with fresh and juicy peaches. Since we had a relatively late breakfast, lunch wasn't necessary. Dinner was tomato and red onion and feta sandwiches (because everybody likes sandwiches, right?!) served with fresh refrigerator pickles and accompanied by some icy cold homemade lemonade. As for dessert, the previous night we worked up a sweat the old fashioned way as we whipped up a batch of homemade coffee ice cream with a touch of cinnamon, some roasted pecans and some dark chocolate shavings. Oh my!

I'm not sure if I'll post the ice cream recipe because I found it was a bit too sweet for my tastes, but the rest of my Sunday cooking adventure can be found below. Enjoy.

crispy waffles
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c cornstarch
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
3/4 c milk
1/4 c vanilla yogurt
2 T vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1 envelope of vanilla sugar

1. In a batter bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

2. Measure yogurt, milk and vegetable oil in a 2-cup measuring cup.

3. Whip up egg whites into soft peaks.

4. Beat egg white in a small bowl with an electric hand mixer to almost soft peaks. Sprinkle in sugar and continue to beat until white and glossy.

5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed. Fold in egg white to batter in dollops. Fold in with a spatula until just incorporated.

6. Add batter to waffle irons and cook as usual. Serve with syrup or fresh peaches.

lemonade
1 c sugar
1 c water
1 1/4 c lemon juice (use fresh only! approximately 6-8 large lemons)

1. Create a sugar syrup by bringing water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add in lemon juice.

2. Pour into pitcher along with 4-5-6 cups of cold water. Add enough water to suit your tastes. I like a lot of water, so I usually fill up my pitcher with about 6 cups of water. Serve over lots of ice. Decorate with fresh mint, if desired.

refrigerator pickles
I spotted these refreshing pickles over at Kitchen Parade and decided that I'd start making some right away. It seemed like the most perfect summertime snack. Tangy and sweet and crispy fresh. I made these in the morning and ate almost a whole jar by the afternoon! What can I say, I love pickles! I made one batch according to Alanna's recipe (subbing the mustard & celery seeds and tumeric with dill, garlic and hot peppers since its' what I had on hand), but then decided to make a second version with different vegetables and different spices altogether. Both versions tasted great and I'll post my version here.

1 c white vinegar
1 c water
1 c white sugar
2 t pickling salt
1 long stick of cinnamon, broken into 3 peices
1 t hot peppers
3 cloves garlic
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1/2 small red onion, cut into quarters
baby carrots

1. In a small saucepan, heat vinegar, salt, water and sugar to the boiling point. Remove from heat. Add carrots to simmer in the hot liquid for 5 minutes.

2. Add green pepper, red onion and garlic and spices into a glass jar. Add carrots to the jar and pour in the hot liquid. Cap off jar and let cool before putting into the fridge.

Once you are finished the jar (and I've already polished off one), you can add more vegetables into the liquid. I've added in some radishes and yellow peppers for my next batch. This should keep for about 1 month in the fridge.

tomato sandwich with lemony-feta spread
I like my sandwiches with a bit of a bite. If you want a fresher taste, then you can skip marinating the tomatoes and onion in the vinegar and just add them fresh to the sandwich.

Please note Cornelius' lovely handmodeling duties!

2 red + ripe tomatoes
1/2 red onion
2 T red wine vinegar
handful of fresh basil, torn
1/2 avocado, sliced
romaine lettuce
1 small block of feta cheese
1 T olive oil
1/2 c parsley
1/2 lemon, juiced & zested
salt + pepper
good bread, toasted

1. Cut tomatoes and onions into slices. Place in a shallow bowl and drizzle with vinegar and add some salt & pepper over top. Tear some fresh basil over top and marinate for 30 minutes. You can skip this step if you don't like a tangy sandwich!

2. In a small bowl, mash together the feta, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley together.

3. Toast the bread. Add feta mixture to one slice and mash avocado on the other slice. Add tomatoes and red onions and lettuce to the feta side and cover with the avocado side. Add salt & pepper if necessary.

Serve with fresh refrigerator pickles.

southern hospitality

Last night I felt inspired enough to make an entire meal with drinks, a main course, a couple of sides and a dessert. It even had a Southern theme! Unfortunately, my camera died before I could take a photo of everything plated, but rest assured, it was a sight to behold. Truely.

The first undertaking was drinks and since it was a southern meal, I decided to make some lemon iced tea. I don't like to add a lot of sugar, so please adjust to your own taste buds.

lemon ice tea

• I set my kettle to boil
• put 2 orange pekoe tea bags in my pitcher
• added the juice of 2 lemons and the hollowed out lemon carcasses (for extra lemony flavour, dontcha know)
• dumped in a 1/4 c of white sugar and poured the boiling water over the whole lot. I topped up the pitcher with cold water and stirred everything around. When the tea bags had finished their steep, I removed them from the pitcher and just let the mixture cool on the counter before refrigerating

...

With my drinks taken care of, I was onto part two of this southern feast:

pulled pork sandwiches
I didn't really know what I was doing since I came up with this one on the fly, but it turned out nicely. Cornelius commented that this tasted like real barbeque, so I think I did good.

I took a pork loin and marinated it with a lot of crushed garlic, some chipotle powder, cumin, mexican chili powder, dried thyme and a bit of salt. After a couple hours of fridge-sitting, I popped the entire thing into a small covered roasting pan and into the oven for about an hour at 450 degrees. I then mixed together some ketchup, yellow mustard, honey, brown sugar, worchestershire sauce, cider vinegar and some xxx hot sauce and poured it over the pork. I dropped the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cooked it for half an hour before taking it out of the oven and shredding it all together into one big shredded porky mess of tasty goodness. Back in the oven for another half hour before we served this on whole wheat hot dogs buns (seriously, it was all we had & the meal didn't suffer from it one bit).
...

I figured a potato salad was in order and I wanted something nice and light tasting. I had bought a whole wack of lemons (14 for $2) earlier in the day, so I figured I'd make up a lemon vinegrette and see what would come of that. The results? So fresh and tasty that the world "incredible" came up more than once.

incredible lemony potato salad
6 small yukon gold potatoes in their skins
2 stalks of celery with leaves, diced and leaves roughly chopped
1 large lemon, juiced and zested
1/4 c olive oil
1 t honey (or white sugar, if vegan)
1 t dijon mustard
1 small bunch of basil, torn
1 T capers
pepper and rock salt

1. Boil potatoes whole in their skins until done. Cool slightly and cut into large cubes. Place in bowl. Add chopped celery.

2. Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, honey and dijon into a dressing and pour over potatoes.

3. Tear basil leaves over top of salad. Add capers, lemon zest, freshly ground pepper and rock salt. Mix. Cool in fridge until ready to serve.
...

I've posted this recipe before, but it's so good that I have to post it again. An Everybody Likes Sandwiches first. It's that good. Actually, this time I used less lemons (last time I used 2), but even with just 1 fat lemon it was all good. It's the perfect snack or side dish for hot weather because these beans are eaten icy cold so it's the perfect foil for the heat of summertime.

Lemony-Garlicy Green Beans
1 lb of fresh green beans, trimmed
2 cloves of garlic, minced (1 clove if you aren't among friends)
1 fat lemon, juiced
2-3 T of olive oil
rock salt

1. Steam the green beans until bright green and crisp. You don't want to over cook these. Crisp = delicous! Drain and rinse in cold-cold water. At this point, I put the beans in the freezer just to get extra cold while I mixed the dressing.

2. For the dressing, mix the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil together. Transfer beans into a nice serving dish and pour dressing over top. Return to the fridge for extra coldness. Sprinkle generously with rock salt and serve. It's better than chips. Seriously.
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Okay, I lied about making dessert. I was fully planning on making a rhubarb and strawberry cobbler but after such a feast, Cornelius and I decided that adding dessert would be way too much. So we played board games and sipped homemade ice tea instead. I think we made the smart choice. The rhubarb can wait another day.