carrot rice soup

It's November which means that it's getting darker earlier and there's a definite chill in the air. It's that time for a quick and simple belly warmer and I think this soup fits the bill perfectly. It's also a nice way to take comfort in something healthy, especially when you've been over-indulging on way too many left-over Halloween-sized chocolate bars. Let's just call this my personal chocolate antidote.

When I made this soup, I debated cooking the rice in the soup or cooking it separately and adding it in later. I choose to cook it all together, blending only half the soup and loved the resulting texture. However, for something different, you could easily make the soup without the rice, blend it well and then add in the rice afterward. Want to use brown rice instead? Go ahead! It's filling and delicious and even my soup-adverse husband had no complaints!

carrot rice soup
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 t dried red chilis
1 t marjoram
1/2 c jasmine rice
6 c homemade chicken stock (or veggie broth)
6-8 carrots sliced into coins
1/2 T maple syrup
1/4 c half & half cream
salt & pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and saute onions until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add chili, marjoram and rice and saute for a few minutes before adding in stock and carrots. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer over medium-low until rice and carrots are tender. With an immersion blender, puree half the soup, leaving the other half chunky. Add in maple syrup, cream and salt and pepper.

i like good smells: fragrant jasmine rice & jerk-spiced tofu

I love stuff that smells good. This soapis one of my favorites and after washing up, it's hard not to stop sniffing my hands. And a little while ago, I bought this candleand while I haven't even lit it yet, whenever I catch it's scent in our apartment, I swoon. What can I say, I've got quite the nose. Last week, I made 2 dishes that were super fragrant and made the whole apartment smell amazing. The jerk-spiced tofu was good, but it's this rice that I plan on making again and again.

For the rice, I would definitely seek out the lemongrass as I think it made the rice dish seem very authentic and uber-scented. However, if you don't have it or can't find it, add in the zest of one lemon instead. Both recipes are adapted from a cookbook that I don't use that often, Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites, but after these 2 very successful adaptations, I'll definitely be cracking it open on a regular basis. These are very simple recipes that don't take a lot of time to make, despite the exotic ingredients.

fragrant jasmine rice
(adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites)
2 c jasmine rice
1 t canola oil
2 T minced lemongrass (stiff outer leaves removed)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 small green chili, seeds removed, diced
1/2 t salt
1 c crushed pineapple, undrained
1 T fresh basil, chopped
2 1/2 c boiling water

Rinse rice and set aside to drain. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and add in the lemongrass, garlic, shallots, chili and salt. Cook over medium heat until fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes before serving.

jerk-spiced tofu
(adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites)
1 onion, diced
3 green chilis, seeded and diced
3 T soy sauce
1/4 c cider vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1 T fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T fresh thyme, minced
1 t ground cloves
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t black pepper
1 block of tofu, pressed

1. Press the tofu by placing between 2 plates and weighting the top with a couple of cans. Let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400F. Meanwhile combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.

3. Drain the tofu and slice lengthwise into 3 slices. Place layers on top of each other and slice on the diagonal to cut into triangles. Cut again into the opposite corners so that you are left with 12 tofu triangles. Place in 8x12 baking dish and pour jerk sauce over top, making sure all sides of the tofu are covered. Bake for 1 hour, turning pieces frequently. Serve with rice.

a winning trifecta: tortilla pie

This past week was busy. Not only did I have my own design work and meetings to attend to, but I had to play corporate graphic designer at my old job, filling in for a old collegue on vacation. There wasn't a lot of cooking or baking to be had. Instead, we ate leftovers, I tried and failed at a pasta/beet experiment, and we went out to the Foundation for natchos. You see, the Foundation has the best natchos ever. Smothered in cheese, corn and black beans and served with tubs of guacamole, sour cream and salsa, it's an $8 spread that almost has me convinced that gobs of cheese can't be that bad for you. With an icy cold beer, it's the perfect thank-god-tomorrow-is-Friday kind of meal.


Inspired by the Foundation's natchos, I wanted to recreate that delicious corn and bean awesomeness but without the artery clogging heavy cheese factor, so I decided to make a mexican pie of sorts. You can think of it as a Mexican lasagna using corn, beans and rice...the staples (or delicious trifecta) of latin cuisine. Cornelius and I both loved it...it was creamy without being heavy and it had a great spicy kick. It was simple to put together and perfect for an easy weeknight meal.

tortilla pie
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1 T chili powder
1/8 t ground cloves
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t chipotle powder
1 t dried red chilies
1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed
1 small can of corn, drained
2 c fresh salsa
1 c cooked rice
12 corn tortillas
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil and add in onion. When onion wilts, add in red pepper and garlic and saute until soft. Stir in spices, black beans, corn and salsa and heat through.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13 casserole dish and overlap 6 of the corn tortillas at the bottom of the dish. Spoon half of the bean mixture overtop and then cover with the cooked rice. Top rice layer with half of the cheese, layering the remaining 6 tortillas overtop. Add the remaining bean mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until casserole is heated through and cheese is bubbling, about 20 minutes or so.

one bowl of comfort please: spicy chicken and rice

After reading Ximena's post about a comforting one-bowl chicken and rice dish, I wanted something similar. But instead of picking a meal with an eastern flare, I headed south...errr, well, actually, to September's issue of Bon Appétit and found this recipe. I had to make concessions and additions based on what I had on hand, but it was the perfect dish to make for a rainy day.

I love one dish meals because it means that I'm probably using my old thrifted Le Cruset orange dutch oven. Somehow, whatever comes out of that pot turns out wonderfully. And when the weather turns grey and dark and it rains more than there is sunshine, well, that's when the orange beast and I really bond. While I may turn my eye and covet something brand new in, say, turquoise, this beast hasn't failed me yet.


This dish is spicy and sweet and truly comforting. It's also versatile. You could easily whip up a vegetarian version by substituting the chicken for chick peas and adding a few more vegetables near the end. I added a spoonful of mango chutney to serve with this dish, but it's not necessary. Just steam up some broccoli or serve this along side a green salad and you've got yourself dinner. Or, just tuck right in and you'll find comfort in a bowl.

spicy chicken and rice
2 T olive oil
4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed
salt & pepper
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground chipotle pepper
1 large orange pepper, diced
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/3 c raisins
1 1/2 c jasmine rice
2 c chicken broth
mango chutney (optional)

1. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt, pepper, cayenne, chipotle, cinnamon and cloves. Heat oil in a large dutch oven and add chicken, browning each side for 5 minutes.

2. Remove chicken and add in onion, orange pepper and garlic and saute until soft. Add in raisins and rice and stir until rice glistens. Add broth and then return chicken to the pot, nestling each piece into the broth and rice mixture.

3. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve with mango chutney and steamed vegetables.

puddin' n' tain

When I have leftover rice, I usually end up making some fried rice, a cold rice salad or fried rice patties. This time, I decided to experiment with making something sweet. I was all set to make some totally faux-horchata but at the last minute decided on rice pudding instead. I've made rice pudding before with arborio rice using a custard base, but this recipe is a bit different as no eggs are necessary, so it would be really easy to make this dessert vegan by using rice or soy milk instead of dairy. For me, this dessert manages to kill two birds with one stone: not only do I get to use up leftover rice, but I also can finish up my open can of coconut milk leftover from last night's peanut sauce. This pudding thickens up quite nicely and resembles the kind of coconut rice pudding dessert found at Indian restaurants. I love the taste of cardamom here and the crunch of the almonds adds a nice twist to this creamy, coconutty dessert.

coconut rice pudding
2 c cooked long grain rice
2 c skim milk
1 c half & half cream
1 1/2 c coconut milk
1/2 c white sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cardamom
1/2 c raisins
1/4 c coarsely chopped almonds

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 cups of skim milk with the rice over medium-high heat. When the mixture starts to boil, lower heat and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add in the cream, coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon and cardamom and return heat to medium-high. When mixture boils, stir for a few minutes and then lower heat to a simmer. The milk will start to evaporate and the mixture will thicken. Stir occassionally, making sure the mixture isn't getting too hot (ie. sticking to the bottom of the pan!). Stir in raisins and almonds, shortly before removing from heat. Remove pudding from heat when mixture is just shy of rice pudding consistency. The mixture will thicken up when cool. Place pudding into a large bowl and cover with cling film touching the surface to prevent skin. Serve at room temperature or cool.

expiration date

When I made Cornelius' birthday dream pie, I had a lot of egg whites left over and I was pretty excited to make some macaroons. Unfortuntely, my macaroon-making was a total bust. All those egg whites wasted due to the mass humidity of our apartment. Coming out of the oven they seemed okay, but an hour on the kitchen table reduced the cookies into a sticky, inedible mess of goo. Into the garbage for the whole lot. Grrrr, I hate wasting food! I think it's time for a new apartment or a dehumidifier!

The next day, things in the kitchen were much better. I made some of my baked oatmeal for breakfast but I ran out of my skim milk. Luckily, Cornelius had just a little bit of eggnog left over from all the holiday festivities, and the expiration date was still a day away. So along with my 1 remaining cup of skim milk went in a half cup of the 'nog and boy oh boy, did this oatmeal rock my socks! I had already added in a bit more spice than the original recipe called for and with the added kick from the eggnog, this oatmeal was a total flavour sensation. Wondering what to do with some leftover 'nog? Put it to use for breakfast and treat yourself to something extra special. Oh boy, I guess this makes the 2nd of 2 breakfast eggnog posts! And I don't even like eggnog!

Earlier this week, I made for dinner some good ol' rice and beans. Please excuse the photo as I was only able to snap one blurry shot before my camera battery died. But don't judge this recipe by one shoddy picture because this meal is so easy to put together and it's full of flavour and spice. Plus, it's the epitomy of cheap eats which makes it the perfect meal after all of December's excess. You can adjust the heat by adding more or less chili....I went a bit crazy with the peppers but I tamed it with some honey and a big dollop of fat free sour cream. We heated up a few corn tortillas to eat along side. Yum.

red beans and rice
1 c rice
2 c water
1 t olive oil
1 can of red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 small onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 c salsa
2 T dark rum
1 T cumin
1 t red dried chili peppers, crushed
a few dashes of piri-piri sauce or your favorite hot sauce
1 T honey or brown sugar (optional)
dash of salt

1. Prepare rice as per usual. I always boil up 2 cups of water and then add in the rice. I keep the lid on and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes or so and then I turn off the heat and forget about it. Just don't open the lid as the steam makes everything perfect!

2. Heat up a large cast iron pan with the olive oil. Add in the onions, garlic, celery, green peppers, and crushed dried chilis. Throw in a dash of salt to help the juices flow and stir until everything gets wilty.

3. Next, add in the kidney beans, spices and salsa and stir about until everything is combined and heated through. Taste to adjust spices and add in the rum and the honey if needed. Simmer for a few minutes and then serve in deep bowls on top of the rice.

just pudding!

As a child, I was never enamoured with rice pudding. In our house, it was something that my mom made rarely and when she did, she made it for my dad. It seemed like a big production to my young eyes. It was boiled in a large pot, whisked often and then baked in a hot oven. Too much work for something that I didn't think should have even been a dessert in the first place. Much later, as an adult, I made rice pudding a few times to excellent results, and always choosing recipes that didn't call for baking the pudding in the oven. Baking pudding in an oven? Why bother!

Even though, I don't hold fond childhood memories of eating rice pudding, it still somehow reminds me of home. It must be a comfort thing. No cares, no worries. Just pudding.

This is an easy pudding to make. Really. It doesn't take much whisking or watching over. It's also pretty low in sugar (though it does taste quite sweet) and fat. Like I said, no cares, no worries. Just pudding!

rice pudding with dried cranberries
1 c water
1/4 t salt
1/2 c arborio rice
3 c skim milk
1/3 c sugar
1 large stick of canela (Mexican cinnamon stick), broken in half (or into 3 pieces)
4 cardamon pods
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 handfuls of dried cranberries

1. In a medium-large saucepot, bring water and salt to a boil. Add rice and turn down heat to low. Cover and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

2. Stir in milk and sugar and add in the canela and the cardamon pods. Cook over low heat, covered, and mixing occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 1 hour.

3. Whisk together eggs and vanilla. Whisk about 1 cup hot rice mixture into the egg and then stir into remaining rice. Cook over low heat for a minute or so, until the mixture is nice and thick. Remove from heat and stir in dried cranberries.

4. Transfer into a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the top of the pudding. This helps to prevent a skin forming. Cool slightly and eat warm or cold.

my lazy sunday

The weekends are typically times to relax, get stuff done and enjoy life a little more. This weekend was no exception. Every year around this time, there is a huge 30 block garage sale that I go to every year and this time I managed to find some pretty sweet scores. I bought a pretty 1950's teal n' green floral tablecloth for $3, a great pack for 3 day hikes in the woods for $5 and a complete speedball screenprinting kit for $3! But somehow in the kafuffle of thrifting and biking around for groceries, I managed to break the screen on my camera, so this will be a no-picture post.

On Saturday night, I met up with the EMB (Electric Moon Banana) crew at a nearby park at 11pm sharp for a full moon bike ride around the city and although I cut home early in the ride, I still didn't make it to bed until 3am. Sunday was rough and tiring, so I needed something bright and simple to make the day move along a little faster. A brown rice curry salad and some grilled chicken fit the bill. This would make a great picnic meal.

This is a great way to prepare chicken and you can use the meat to add to salads, natchos, burritos, etc. and this chicken is even tasty cold.

lemon & garlic grilled chicken
4 chicken bone-in parts (I used thighs)
1 lemon, juiced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T ground cumin
2 T chili powder
salt & pepper

1. Wash chicken peices in cold water and remove skin and visible fat. Place chicken in ziplock bag with lemon juice and spices. Refrigerate for 2 - 4 hours.

2. Spray cast iron grill pan with a light coating of oil and heat on high. Add chicken, presenation side down. Turn when chicken is slightly blackened, about 15 minutes or so. Repeat on the other side for another 15 minutes.

3. Cover the pan with foil and place in a 400 degree oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

+++

This salad tastes great the day it's made....but it's almost better the next day as the flavours get real tight! If you've got some chopped almonds, I think they'd be a lovely addition to this flavourful salad.

brown rice curry salad
2 c brown rice, uncooked
4 T curry paste (I use Patak's "korma" paste)
1 T ground cumin
1 t sesame oil
1/3 c vegetable oil
1/3 c major grey or mango chutney
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 c raisins
1 granny smith apple, diced
1 bunch of parsley, chopped fine

1. Cook rice according to package directions. When all the water is absorbed, pour rice into a large bowl.

2. In a small saucepan, heat vegetable oil with the curry paste until well mixed and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add the cumin and sesame oil and mix well. Turn off heat and add the chutney, stirring until everything is combined. Add mixture to rice, mixing well. If you want more curry taste, cook up some more oil and curry and add it to the mix.

3. Add in all the finely chopped vegetables and the raisins and blend everything well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.

4. Stir in chopped apple and parsley and stir the salad once again to combine. Serve.

computer free to be you and me

I lost computer access for a little while, thinking my lovely computer was a dud, it had been to the apple shop going through diagnostic tests and turning up fine. Phew! It took a bit of getting used to being computer-free, but I not only adjusted to my new lifestyle, I embraced it! I picked up and finished books (many in the same day), I went on exciting bike rides and met up with friends to play in the sunshine. I also did quite a bit of leafing through cookbooks and did quite a lot of cooking. Being computer-free was time well spent! Luckily, I didn't miss any work or annoyed any clients by not being available and it was only when my picked up my computer on Monday afternoon, did a client ring up with a small job. Phew, again!

And because I've been away from the computer for so long, I'll quit my yapping and post 2 yummy recipes right away.

cabbage, spinach and tofu on noodles with peanut sauce
1/2 block of extra firm tofu, cut into squares
1/2 head of cabbage, sliced into strips and then cut in half to make shorter strips
1 bunch spinach, cleaned & picked through
1/2 onion, cut into large chunks
2 stalks celery, cut on the diagonal into thick slices
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
soy sauce
whole wheat pasta or brown rice
1 t vegetable oil
lime wedges (optional)

for the sauce:
1/4 c natural peanut butter
1 T honey (or brown sugar if you swing vegan-style)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t fresh ginger, minced
1 t sesame oil
2 T soy sauce
hot sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar
warm water

1. In a blender, mix all the ingredients for the peanut sauce, adding a bit of warm water if the mixture gets too thick. Taste. You may need to add a bit more honey or hot sauce depending on your own tastebuds. Set aside.

2. Boil water in a large pot and add pasta at the boiling point. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large skillet or walk, heat the oil and add the garlic and ginger when hot. Add the tofu and fry until golden on both sides. Add the onion and celery and when the onion becomes translucent, add the cabbage. Once the cabbage gets slightly wilty, add the spinach and a bit of soy sauce for flavour. Stir until spinach is cooked, then turn off heat.

4. In large bowls, add the pasta and then top with the tofu-vegetable mixture. Drizzle with peanut sauce. Serve with lime wedges.

+++

Butter tarts seem to be a genuine Canadian invention. A mixture of eggs, sugar and raisins are baked into individual tarts and the result is similar to a pecan pie, but decidedly different. I love butter tarts and I still have yet to get over my fear of making pie dough, so I went a different route and opted to make a still very Canadian butter tart bar. Interested to know more about the butter tart? Listen to the CBC on what makes a great butter tart.

butter tart squares
base:
3/4 c flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c butter

topping:
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c corn syrup
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/4 c flour
1/4 t salt
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c raisins
1/4 c unsweetened coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 inch square cake pan. Beat butter and brown sugar together until creamy. Add flour and combine until crumbly. Press base mixture into prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.

2. Combine topping ingredients and blend together until well mixed. Pour toppping over the base and return to the oven until bubbly around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the centre, about 20-25 minutes. Cool completely in pan and then cut into squares.

left overs

Yesterday I decided to spend a bit of time to have a great lunch. I had some red swiss chard and left-over rice and I had remembered seeing Clotide's recipe for Galettes de Riz which seemed like an excellent way to use up leftovers. I made my own variation and added some fresh salsa instead of tomato into the mix and I enclosed a tiny square of cheddar cheese into each rice patty just before frying them up. I served each rice cake with the steamed swiss chard. Delicious! I was a little concerned that they wouldn't hold up to flipping, but it turned out well and I just scooted any stray grains back to it's mother with my trusty spatula. I had enough leftover to serve it again for dinner and Cornelius loved it. In fact, he said that he loved fried patties of "just about anything" and I made a mental note. Yup, good stuff.