moroccan chickpea and vegetable stew

I'd love to say that I'm back in the kitchen, but it's been a slow process getting things back to normal. Not because I don't have the will, but because my time is short. There's been work to catch up on and I've been so lucky to have one of my best pals visiting from North Carolina, so when it comes down to cooking and baking, I've been slack and leaving everything instead to restaurants. It's a fun get-away but I'm missing my kitchen.

However, there is one recipe that I have made that is so simple and so ingrained as a meal standard, it's always a welcome dish. This Moroccan chickpea and vegetable stew was one of the very first meals I made for this blog way back in 2005. The recipe was loose and I didn't have a camera back then, so I feel justified in giving it another go. It's a goodie. It's vegan, hearty and a perfect warm cure for the February blues. You can find the recipe over at Poppytalk. So enjoy a bit of spice and warmth and I've already got a recipe or two up my sleeve, so stay tuned!

vegan-ish sandwich cookies + portland (+ big changes)

I made these cookies well before the holiday rush way back in early December. I had a friend coming over for dinner and wanted something special for dessert. I had spotted these "no-reos" a few days earlier on a new-to-me blog called The Gluttonous Vegan Loves You (the name is as adorable as the blog itself) and I knew that this was the cookie I was going to try.

I'm not really a fan of iced cookies, but I knew that my friend would love them, so I whipped up a batch. Despite the added component of making frosting, these are quite simple to make. And, the cookies taste amazing....even without the frosting! I think these cookies, plain, will be made again and again when I'm craving something sweet. While the original recipes is fully vegan, I made my frosting totally non-vegan since I didn't have any vegan cream cheeze on hand. But do what you like, vegan, vegan-ish, or made with butter and dairy, these are fine, fine cookies.

But do they taste like the real thing? They really do! The chocolate cookie is nice and dark and not too sweet and together with the vanilla filling, it's the ultimate sandwich cookie. I decided to make a chocolate version to go along with the vanilla, and the chocolate filling turned out better in terms of texture which I'm guessing is because the extra cocoa made it extra sturdy. The vanilla tasted more like an Oreo, but because I was hesitant to add too much icing sugar, it was soft which made the cookies smoosh around after each bite. Which isn't too much of a problem, you know?

Before I solicit any Portland, OR travel tips, I have some exciting blog news! You can find out more here on EverybodyLikesSandwiches.com (hint, hint!). Stay tuned for more details once things get wrapped up on the switch. Now, about Portland...we're heading down for a few days via train which excites me to no end. We're staying downtown at The Nines (got a super-dooper deal) and will be using our feets and public transit to get around. I've waxed about Portland so often, and we definitely have our favorite spots (Pine State Biscuits, Pambiche, Amnesia Brewing, Reading Frenzy, Powell's, The Tin Shed, Hedge House), but again, would love your help in discovering a few more. Food cart recommendations, cozy pubs & drinking spots, great little indie shops, etc. Leave a comment & I'll see you next week!

vegan-ish sandwich cookies
(adapted from The Gluttonous Vegan Likes You)
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 1/4 scant c sugar
1/2 c vegan margarine, melted
1/4 c canola oil
2 t almond or soy milk

filling
1/3 c vegan cream cheese (or not vegan, if you swing that way)
1/2 c - 3/4 c icing sugar
1 t vanilla
pinch of salt
1 T cocoa powder (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix together the first 6 ingredients (flour through sugar). Pour in the melted margarine and canola oil and mix it well. Stir in the milk. The mixture will be a bit crumbly, but that's just how it is. Go with it.

2. Use a teaspoon to ball up the dough, roll it into a ball and then slightly flatten it down with your palm. These spread quite a bit, so keep the cookies spread apart on your cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until the tops crack slightly, while remaining soft. Remove from oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Makes about 30 cookies.

3. In a medium sized bowl, combine the cream cheese with the icing sugar, salt and vanilla until the icing is smooth and of a good consistency. If it's too thick, thin it slightly with a tiny bit of milk. If it's too thin, add in more icing sugar. Divide half of the filling and add in the cocoa if you want to make 2 fillings, one chocolate.

4. When the cookies are thoroughly cool, pair up the cookies of equal sizes and spread one half with a dab of the filling. Press the cookies together so that the filling spreads out. Now, try not to eat them all at once.

chana masala

Life seems busier than usual. I feel like I'm swallowed by work and while I'm not complaining one bit, it makes day to day tasks a bit more difficult. I usually do most of the grocery shopping, but as I was swamped in HTML code and design dilemmas, I had asked my husband to pick up a few things. Like a can of tomatoes. It seemed easy enough, a no-brainer.

A few days later, I decided to try out a recipe that I had bookmarked ages ago. A delicious-sounding chana masala from Orangette. I had everything so I got right to work. The onions in this recipe do take some time to caramelize, but other than that, this recipe is a snap. Easy to make at the end of a week filled with hard work.

After I had sauteed the spices, I opened the can of tomatoes and suddenly realized that my husband had purchased crushed tomatoes rather than whole tomatoes. Crushed is just another word for pureed into oblivion. I never buy crushed tomatoes and truthfully, I was crushed. It had been a long week and now I was worried about a kink in my plans. But I dumped them in and continued. The result? Delicious. Intensely flavoured with tomato and beautifully spiced with the garam masala and cardamom, it was a great meal. Cornelius topped off his plate with yogurt while I went with a squeeze of lemon. What? Me worry?

chana masala
(adapted from Orangette)
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 dried red chilis (or 1/2 t red chili flakes)
1 t cumin seeds
½ t ground ginger
2 T garam masala paste (I use Patak's brand)
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 t kosher salt
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
lemon wedges, optional

In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil and add in the onions. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the onions take on a deep caramel colour. The more colour the better here, so wait it out. Turn down the heat and add in the spices, stirring until fragrant. Add in a quarter cup of water and scrape down the bottom of the pan. Next, dump in the tomatoes and salt, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Stir things a bit and when the mixture has reduced a bit, add in the chickpeas and bring it all down to a simmer. Cook for another 15 minutes to heat through the chickpeas and serve over rice with a squeeze of lemon (or plop on some yogurt, if that's your style). Remember, there are a few cardamom pods floating around in there, so pull them out or remember to tell your guests to watch out for them.

whole grains & vegetable soup

Yesterday I woke up and my eyeballs hurt. I was also walking around like a zombie. Despite having a good night's sleep, I just couldn't seem to wake up, so doing things like talking to clients and working on design mock-ups took incredible amounts of effort.

I'm fighting a cold bug and I don't want it to win, so for lunch I whipped up this vegetable and whole grains soup. Loaded with dark leafy greens (kale to the rescue?), garlic and anything else I could find from the crisper and pantry, it was the perfect meal. And today I feel better. I don't know if it was the soup, or the copious amounts of water I drank, or even the vitamins that I popped, but for the sake of a happy ending, let's say it was the soup!

As today is Wednesday, you can find this cold-busting soup recipe over at Poppytalk. And if you have any leftovers, you can always eat this as soup. Or you could do what I did this past summer and turned soup leftovers into veggie burgers. Your call.

sweet potato, corn & jalapeño bisque

Soups are one of my favorite meals. They are quick and simple to make and you can usually find something in your cupboard to throw into the pot. Variations are endless and they make for an affordable meal. My husband, as it's been well documented here on this blog, is a soup-hater. As much as I try to bring him over to the soup-side, it ain't working.

I'd love to tell you that this amazing beautiful bowl of perfectly spiced orange velvet, helped to win him over. But that would be a lie. There is no conversion in this story, no "ah-ha" moment (oh my god, did I just quote Oprah?) . And I'm okay with that because it means there is more of this soup for me to love.

I served this as part of my contribution to our Thanksgiving dinner this past Monday and it is definitely guest-worthy. Calling it a bisque rather than a soup makes it seem fancier than it really is. After all, a bisque is just a smoothly pureed soup and this soup is smoooooth. Did I mention it's like velvet? It is. The texture is amazing and the flavours are well-balanced. Spicy from the peppers and a hit of sweetness from the root vegetables and a tiny hit of maple syrup. It's autumn in a bowl and I couldn't be happier eating up the leftovers. Sorry, husband, but there's going to be a lot more of this soup in our future.

As for the recipe, I doubled the basic recipe and just subbed in maple syrup for the molasses. I also decided not to double up on the maple syrup, since I was using part yams which are so much sweeter than sweet potatoes. Let your taste buds be your guide! The recipe below serves about 6 people.

sweet potato, corn & jalapeño bisque
(adapted from The Wednesday Chef)
1 T canola oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
6-8 c vegetable or chicken stock
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 c frozen corn kernels
2 T maple syrup
1/2 T kosher salt
1/4 t ground cayenne
1/4 t black pepper
pinch ground cinnamon

In a large soup pot, heat oil over med-high heat and add in garlic and onions. Let them sweat for a bit until fragrant, then add in the yams and sweet potatoes. Stir around a bit and then cover with stock - just enough so that the vegetables are covered. Put a lid on, and let things bubble away over medium heat.

About 30 minutes later or so, the vegetables should be soft. Get out your immersion blender and whizz away, pureeing until every last chunk has been pulverized. Add in the jalapeños, corn, maple syrup, salt, cayenne, pepper and the tiniest pinch of cinnamon. Stir well, taste and adjust for seasoning. Ladle into bowls and get ready to find instant happiness (or, if you are like my husband, just grin and bear it).

pear & ginger vegan scone

I make scones quite often on the weekends. It's a nice diversion from oatmeal or granola and it makes the house smell like a bakery which is as close the the heavenly ideal as I can get. This Saturday morning, I had scones on the brain and a few Asian pears from our CSA that I needed to use up. Now pears and me have a long history and to put it mildly, I hate them. Growing up we had 2 large and bountiful pear trees and either everyone in our family (but me) was snacking on them out of hand or my mom was in the kitchen baking up pear crisps like they were going out of style. We even had such an overflow of the fruit, that my dad suggested that my brother and I went around to the neighbours selling pears door to door. It was a humiliating experience.

I don't look to kindly to pears and I wasn't happy about receiving them in my CSA. But I hate ignoring something until it goes bad, so I decided that I could dice them up (nixing their mealy texture) and their inherent (gag-inducing) sweetness would bring only goodness to a scone, right? Indeed.

To put it gently, these scones rocked. I was a bit worried that not only was using pears, but that that I didn't have any eggs. But I plowed through and tweaked my usual recipe with pretty spectacular results. They didn't puff up like my usual scones, but otherwise, I couldn't tell a difference. And the pear? It worked beautifully with the ginger and cardamom. And just my luck, we received even more Asian pears in this week's CSA. Looks like there's going to be another Saturday morning scone in our future!

pear & ginger vegan scone
2 c flour
3 t baking powder
1 T sugar
1/4 t ground cardamom
1/4 c Earth Balance margarine*
2 asian pears, diced
3 T diced candied ginger
1 T vanilla extract
3/4 c non-dairy milk (I used almond) + 1 T for topping
2 T raw or demerara sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Cut in the margarine and blend it into the flour so that it resembles oats. Stir in pears and ginger. Add the vanilla to the milk and pour into flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon to combine and then knead the mixture 4 or 5 times with your hands until it comes together.

Place dough onto parchment paper and pat into a round shape. Cut into 8 triangles, like a pie and place parchment paper and scones onto a cookie sheet. Brush with remaining tablespoon of milk and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops of the scones are golden. Serve warm with your favorite jam or a smear of buttery spread.

*Please note that if you do choose to make these with unsalted butter instead of Earth Balance, please throw in 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I find most vegan margarines too salty and got rid of the salt for this version.

mexican black bean & roasted pineapple bowl

My vacation should be wrapping up pretty soon. I could be sitting at a sidewalk cafe in Quebec City and sipping on some red wine or trying some french fries cooked in duck fat in Montreal. This meal isn't as exciting as whatever it is I could be doing, but then again, I could be stuck in traffic, which would make this meal glamorous and exciting in comparison. That's not saying that this meal was a let-down. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I like to think of this as a deconstructed burrito inspired by my favorite burrito at a local vegan Mexican restaurant. With roasted pineapple, fresh salsa and black beans, you can't go wrong. It's delicious, filling and I can see this meal becoming a habit. It may look like there are a lot of steps involved here, but it's quite simple to put together. Then again, I love chopping and general prep work, so turn on your favorite summer jams and get this meal started.

mexican black bean & roasted pineapple bowl
1 c rice (white or brown - above I used both)

1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 t red chili flakes
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 can of black beans, rinsed & drained

1/2 fresh pineapple, sliced in rounds

3 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 lime zested & juiced
2 T fresh cilantro
1/4 t cayenne pepper or hot sauce
salt & pepper

1/4 c grated cheese
sour cream
additional hot sauce

1. Prepare rice as usual. Everyone has their tricks for making great rice, so make it your way.

2. Create a quick salsa, by combining the tomatoes, onion, lime juice & zest, cilantro and spices. Set aside.

3. Roast pineapple over a grill or under the broiler in your oven until in gets charred in places. Flip, roast and dice. Set aside.

4. In a large pan, heat oil and add in garlic, onion, and red pepper. Saute until it gets soft, add in spices and black beans. Heat through.

5. Layer all ingredients into a bowl. Rice on the bottom, then black beans, pineapple, salsa and then top with a sprinkle of cheese, a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkle or more of your favorite hot sauce.

split pea & millet salad with lemon vinaigrette

I don't post every meal I make on this blog. Let's face it, sometimes what I make turns out like crap. Usually, I'm pretty good with the cooking and the baking, but sometimes things go wrong and the end is badness. Or sometimes the meal I make is totally kick ass fantastic but my photos come out lousy. That's when I get my pen out and draw the meal I've just eaten or it just gets forgotten about. But sometimes, things get lost in the shuffle. The food was amazing, the photos turned out pretty good and they get posted on my flickr account and I mean to write something....but I get distracted by the next pretty thing and out of my head it goes.

I'm a flighty blogger but I'm making up for it. Over the next few weeks, I'll be playing catch up and posting some of those forgotten (but oh-so-yummy) recipes. It's also a bit of summer break for me so my posting will be done automatically while I'm away...like right now, in fact, where I'm probably eating a bagel in Montreal. Don't fear, I'm not posting the dregs of my kitchen but hidden wonderful gems! So please comment as per usual and I might even chime in from the road.

split pea & millet salad with lemon vinaigrette
1 c yellow split peas
1 c millet
1/2 head romaine, torn
A few florets of broccoli, lightly steamed
1/2 c fresh or frozen green peas
1-2 spring onions, diced
lemon vinaigrette
juice & zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c olive oil
1 t agave nectar or honey
1 t dijon mustard
salt & pepper

1. Cook yellow split peas in about 3-4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer over medium heat until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain & set aside to cool.

2. In another pot, boil 2 cups of water or vegetable broth and add in the millet. Turn down heat to low and cover pot. When the millet has absorbed the liquid, about 15 minutes, it's done. Set aside and cool.

3. Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar, shake and taste. Adjust seasonings if needed. Add torn romaine lettuce leaves, broccoli, peas and spring onions in a bowl and stir in the millet and split peas. Toss with vinaigrette and serve.

elsewhere, peanut noodle vegetable soup

I was going to post this recipe right here, but then I got an email last week from Michelle from Thursday Night Smackdown looking for some much needed guest posters for her own food blog. She needed a mental health break and so I plucked the post from my soon-to-be published roster here and dropped it over there. So check out her blog and check out my recipe for a vegan peanut noodle vegetable soup. Trust me, it ain't pretty, but it's so very very delicious.

crunchy broccoli, carrot & red onion salad

I took a photo of this salad and only just before serving did I realize that I had forgotten to top it with toasted pecans and sprouted beans. Ooops! At least I realized this before I served it as part of our dinner. The pecans and the sprouts added bonus flavour and crunch. It was summer salad perfection in the middle of spring!

For this salad, I didn't go the raw broccoli route, but just steamed them ever-so slightly so that the crunch remained and colour popped. But the real inspiration for this was half an orange I had in the fridge. It wasn't just any orange, it was a Minneola which is slightly tarter than a regular navel and a bit more lumpy. I love them and figured that it would really help to perk up the pedestrian vegetables in my crisper. I was so right. The orange went so well with all the vegetables. A bit of a warning though, the dressing is thin and runny and doesn't have that thickness that it would if I would have added mustard or honey. But I'm okay with that and so are the vegetables since it really lets the orangeness of the dish shine. And I'm certainly okay with a bit of orange sunshine right about now.

Want more broccoli salads? Try these from my archives:
Raw vegetable salad with yogurt-feta dressing
Marinated vegetable salad

crunchy broccoli, carrot & red onion salad
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 large carrot, sliced into coins
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
2 T toasted pecans
1/4 c sprouted beans

dressing:
1/2 of an orange, juice + zest
1/4 c olive oil
splash of rice vinegar
salt & pepper

Steam broccoli for 3 minutes until it turns bright green. Rinse under cold water until cool. Toss in bowl with carrots and onion. Shake dressing ingredients in a jar and taste. Taste & re-season, if necessary. Throw it over the salad and toss well to blend. Top with sprouts and toasted pecans.

chickpea, rice & pasta soup

I made this a day or two after I made this brown rice bowl and needed to use up the extra rice I had leftover. Normally I make fried rice but we had just recently had some, so I made some soup and called it dinner. And oh, it was good and simple....and very economical! Just root around your fridge/cupboard for those wayward items you don't know what to do with and throw 'em in a pot. This is pretty much how many of our meals come into being since I hate letting things go to waste. The soup has rice, beans and even some alphabet pasta, so it's definitely hearty and filling, and the salsa and chilies help to give it a nice kick for a perfect weeknight meal.

chickpea, rice & pasta soup
1 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
500 g fresh salsa or diced tomatoes
4c vegetable stock
1 T cumin
1 t red chili pepper flakes
1-2 c cooked leftover brown rice
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/4 c tiny pasta (I used alphabets)
salt & pepper
fresh parsley sprigs, chopped

In a large pot, heat up olive oil over med-high heat and add in onion, garlic, and celery. Let them get soft and translucent and then add in the salsa and the spices. Add in rice, chickpeas and pasta and cover with vegetable stock, adding more stock if needed. Let simmer until the pasta is cooked through. Taste and add in salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

get kinda excited about a big pot of tasty carbs!

Yeah, this is a weird recipe. It's got a ton of steps, it uses up every freakin' burner on your stove and then it has the gall to use up another, plus it's not even that pretty too look at. After all this work, you don't want to serve this to guests unless they love you like the dickens. This recipe is adapted from Gourmet and it sucked me in with Francis Lam's snappy writing. The good thing is that while this meal may ask for your first born child, it is tasty comfort food and I'll make it again.

I made this meal a couple of weeks ago when it was cold and dreary outside and it looked like spring would never arrive. But now it's short-sleeve wearing & bare legs in skirts kinda weather so I probably won't make this again until next winter, but it's here waiting like a good friend.

The flavours are solid and hearty and I added the kale for brightness and extra nutrition points, but the tastes in your mouth won't take you on a wild roller coaster ride. Instead, they are subtle and I bumped everything up a notch with a squeeze of my favorite hot sauce and a dollop of chutney. I felt it needed a bump or two.

So are you going to make this after all my warnings? I think you should. So there. Oh, and a few other things of note. This site is listed along with a whole bunch of other wonderful food blogs on Gourmet's list of favorite food sites. Oh my!!! As well, I have a new post up on the Food Network Canada site about my new favorite breakfast place, Deacon's Corner. Please note that all the crazy over-zealous bolding was not done by me.

big pot o' carbs
(adapted from here)
3 large onions, sliced thin
3/4 c dry lentils de puy
1 c alphabet pasta (or other tiny shapes)
2 c brown rice
4 c water (for rice)
2 sticks cinnamon
6 cardamom pods
1 t toasted cumin seeds, lightly crushed
1 t coriander
1/2 t chili flakes
1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

1. Caramelize the onion in a large cast iron pot. Cook 'em slowly in the olive oil (about 2-3 tablespoons), sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and let them get brown and glisten-y. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, cook the lentils in enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, turning down heat to med-high until tender. Drain and set aside.

3. Get another pot out and put in some more olive oil...about 2 tablespoons worth and heat over med-high heat. Add in cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and let it get fragrant. Throw in rice, cumin, and chili flakes and saute for a few minutes until about half the rice turns opaque. Add in water and cover. The rice should boil almost immediately so turn down heat to med-low and simmer until rice is done.

4. Get out another small pot (aren't you glad you have a 4 burner stove??) and cook up the pasta. It won't take long since it's so tiny. Drain and set aside.

5. In a large pan or pot, add in some more olive oil...just 1 tablespoon and add garlic. Saute until it smells good and add in the kale and some salt. Cook down until tender.

6. Dump everything into the caramelized onion pot and give it a good stir. Heat everything up if need be, but otherwise grab a few bowls and dig in. Serve with chutney and hot sauce for added goodness.

brown rice bowl with vegetables & roasted chickpeas

Sometimes when I'm getting dinner ready I don't even have a plan about what's going to happen. A few frantic moments to quickly catalogue what's the cupboard and fridge and something should happen. But sometimes it doesn't. The other weekend, I cooked up some brown rice with the intention that whipping up some fried rice the following evening would be perfect. But I didn't have a clue what I was going to make for dinner that night. I took stock and let a few ideas germinate and this is what I came up with.

This rice bowl is simple and delicious and I've really been digging on these healthy bowls lately as they're filling and really quite flavourful. The roasted chickpeas added a spicy, nutty crunch to the dish while the vegetables were just simply sauteed. I used what vegetables were in my crisper but this is highly adaptable, so throw in what you like! Cornelius topped his dish with a bit of soy sauce, but I used some mango chutney and a bit of hot sauce on mine. Delicious!

Oh, and if you want to get to know me a bit more, Scout Magazine did an interview with me. Take a look!

brown rice bowl with vegetables & roasted chickpeas
1 c brown rice
2 c water
1 t salt

1 can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 T curry paste
1 T olive oil
1 T cumin seeds, toasted & lightly crushed
1/4 t salt
1 t hot sauce

1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch bit of ginger, diced
1/2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 c leftover diced chicken or tofu (optional)

1. Boil water and add in salt and brown rice. Simmer covered over medium heat until most of the water has been absorbed. Turn down heat to low and simmer until ready.

2. Turn oven to 400F. In a bowl, mix up the chickpeas, curry paste, cumin seeds , salt and hot sauce. Spread onto a baking dish and bake for 30-45 minutes, until chickpeas shrink and get a bit crunchy. Shake the dish a few times to get things moving.

3. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat, adding garlic, ginger and onion. When soft, add in remaining vegetables and protien. Saute until the vegetables are bright and crisp and the protien is heated through.

4. Dish out brown rice into deep bowls and top with roasted chickpeas and vegetable mixture. Serve with soy sauce, mango chutney or hot sauce, if desired.

couscous vegetable soup

Want a hearty and healthy lunch? This soup makes the grade and it's flexible enough so that you can add in whatever vegetables you've got lingering about in your fridge. I wanted to use up the bits and bobs of vegetables, so for me it was broccoli, carrots and onion. For you, it might be zucchini, red pepper, cauliflower and spinach. Whatever, mix it up. Live a little.

When I was making this soup, I was also in the middle of work. So I let this soup sit a bit longer on the stove than I wanted and thus, the couscous soaked up more of the broth than I would have normally liked. But rather than go mushy and bland like regular pasta, the couscous still had bite and chew. Israeli couscous is a very forgiving grain and my lunch was delicious.

couscous vegetable soup
1/2 c israeli couscous
2 c vegetable broth
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 - 1 c broccoli, chopped
1/4 small onion, diced
salt & pepper
a few healthy dashes of your favorite hot sauce

Heat up couscous in broth. When it starts to boil, add in vegetables. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes and serve with your favorite hot sauce, a few grinds of pepper and a sprinkle of salt, if needed.

bittersweet ganache glazed bourbon cupcakes (vegan!)

Today I realized that I totally forgot about my blog birthday....though I guess it's not one to mark down in the ol' birthday calendar. Yes, way back in February of 2005 I started this little home o' mine and four years later, I'm still here. It's a comfortable space and it's really brought a lot of joy into my life as strange as it sounds. I'm so appreciative of everyone who leaves comments, sends me emails or says hello to me on the street because they've read my blog. It's really quite an exciting adventure and I've met so many wonderful people that I think I'll stick around for a bit longer.

These cupcakes you see before you weren't made for my blog birthday but for my friend's real life birthday. I wanted something pretty and something quick to bake up and these cupcakes fit the bill perfectly. I used the same old, same old chocolate "wacky cake" recipe but decided to throw in a bit of bourbon cuz this was for a lil' party afterall, and a bit of booze always makes things better.

My original plan was to create a raspberry frosting but somehow the addition of real raspberries to the earth balance margarine (my friend is vegan) for the buttercream created some weirdness. The buttercream kind of "broke" and it went all dotted and no amount of whipping could cure it. I wasn't happy with it so I just made a decadent bittersweet ganache to top the cupcakes (kissed with more burbon, of course!). It was a good choice.

Cupcakes? Check out my archives:
vegan coconut cupcakes
red velvet cupcakes
limoncello & coconut cupcakes filled with lemon curd
spicy chocolate vegan cupcakes with peanut butter frosting
vegan chocolate cupcakes
pumpkin cupcakes

Or visit Vancouver's Coco Cake Cupcakes for tons of cupcake prettiness and inspiration!

vegan bittersweet ganache glazed bourbon cupcakes
1 1/2 c unbleached white flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
3/4 c brewed coffee
1/4 c bourbon (Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey)
2 t pure vanilla extract
2 T vinegar

for ganache:
1/4 c almond milk (+ additional)
2 oz bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
1 t light corn syrup
2 T bourbon
pinch of kosher salt
sprinkles

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl. In separate bowl, measure and mix the oil, coffee, bourbon, and vanilla. Slowly pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl and mix the batter with a whisk.

2. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls (and some bubbling) in the batter where the baking soda and vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter (the color becomes more consistent throughout).

3. Pour batter into a lined muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes–testing with a toothpick. Remove and place to cool on a baking rack.

4. In a small sauce pan, heat up the milk and the chocolate. Stir often until melted. Add more milk if needed. Mix in the corn syrup, bourbon and salt and stir until blended and until the ganache reaches an almost spreadable consistency. Let cool. The ganache will thicken up slightly and spread on your cupcakes. Sprinkle with sprinkles.

let's get down tonight with a millet vegetable bowl

I can't explain just how happy this meal made me. I loved every single bite. I kicked myself that I didn't make more because while it was filling, I would have loved leftovers to enjoy all over again. And, if that wasn't enough, the dinner was healthy and helped to rid the bits inside my refrigerator, including the remaining amazing tahini-ginger dressing that I made the night before.

Somehow the cumin-scented vegetables (crush your own cumin seeds, so worth it!) and the ginger, lemon and tahini of the dressing mingle to make sweet, sweet love to your mouth. It's plain delicious.

millet vegetable bowl
(inspired by 101 cookbooks)
3 potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
1 small rutabaga (swede), diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 T olive oil
1 T cumin seeds, crushed
salt & pepper
1 c millet
2 c vegetable stock
1 small head broccoli, broken into florets
1/4 c toasted pecans, broken
tahini ginger dressing + extra olive oil and lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl, combine the diced vegetables (potatoes to carrots) with the olive oil and cumin and mix until everything is coated. Dump into a large baking tray and bake until vegetables are that perfect mixture of soft and crispy, about 35 minutes.

2. Meanwhile bring the veggie stock to a boil and add in the millet. Turn heat to low and cover until all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

3. Steam broccoli for just a few minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Remove immediately from the heat.

4. Mix up the ginger-tahini dressing. If you don't have enough leftover dressing, add in the juice of half a lemon and more olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.

5. Get out your 2 most favorite large bowls and section out the millet, the roasted vegetables, the broccoli and the pecans into said bowls. Drizzle dressing over top and dig in. Kick yourself because you didn't make a double batch.

tahini ginger slaw

Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of the slaw pre-demolition. All I have left is a dirty bowl. Proof that the slaw was indeed delicious. I had been seeing a few coleslaw recipes popping up lately and I decided that I would use up whatever was in my crisper and make one big bowl of salad.

Throwing in the vegetables was easy. If I had it laying about, in in went. But for the dressing I was stumped. I didn't want to make a vinegar based dressing and a mayo-based one just didn't excite me. So after a bit of digging around, I found a small nub of fresh ginger and a half empty jar of tahini. I could definitely work with this! And oh boy, this dressing has some kick. The ginger adds a nice bite, the tahini makes it all creamy while the lemon juice adds some much needed sunshine. It was a slaw to be proud of!

I didn't use up all the dressing...just a tablespoon or so. The remainder of the dressing I covered with plastic wrap and into the fridge it went. But don't worry, I got some great use out of the remaining dressing. For what? Well, you'll just have to wait until my next post. So if you make this coleslaw, make sure to save your dressing. I promise another great dinner!

tahini ginger slaw
1/2 small head of red cabbage, shredded
1 jumbo sized carrot (like a really, really, really huge carrot - or several normal sized ones)
1/2 small, red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 red pepper, diced

dressing
1 T tahini
juice of half a lemon
1 t minced fresh ginger
1 t agave syrup
1/4 c olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

Mix together all the vegetables into a large bowl. In a mixing cup or small bowl combine all the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad (not all of it!) and let sit for a few minutes or just dig in!

Interested in more cabbage salads & slaws? Check out my archives:
Creamy Asian Slaw
Kitchen Sink Salad
Lemon Coleslaw
My Waldorf Salad
North Carolina Coleslaw
Peanutty Coleslaw

easy breezy: 3 super quick n' affordable pasta recipes

Today I give you three recipes. They're quick, they're easy and they are definitely affordable. All of 'em taste good too. These aren't fancy and they don't make the prettiest of photos (thank you Poladroid!), but they're hearty and warming which makes them nice even as winter is slowly turning into spring.

This is a nice simple vegan recipe which uses Israeli or Mediterranean couscous, the large grained tastier cousin of plain old couscous. I bought a bag of it and didn't know what to make. So I hopped online and found myself at Apartment Therapy and this recipe jumped out at me. I decided to change it up a bit by adding salsa and beans and skipping the balsamic vinegar. I also had kale so I used that instead of the chard. Cornelius wasn't a fan, but he hates all couscous. Whatever, I liked it a whole bunch.

israeli couscous with kale
(recipe adapted from Apartment Therapy)
1 3/4 c vegetable broth
1 1/4 c Israeli couscous
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 t whole cumin, crushed
1/2 t dried red chilis
1 bunch of chopped kale
1 can of beans, drained (black beans, chickpeas, cannelli beans)
1/4 c fresh salsa
salt & pepper

Heat broth in a medium sized saucepan until it reaches the boiling point. Add in couscous, remove from heat and set aside. In a large pan, heat olive oil and add in garlic, cumin and onion and saute until soft (but not brown!). Add in the kale and saute until it starts to wilt, about 5 minutes or so. Add in the cooked couscous, beans and the salsa and let cook for another few minutes. If it's dry, add a bit of broth or water. Serve.

I love using pasta and chickpeas together. It's a coupling that just works. This is a variation of something I've made many times. It ain't the prettiest, but it's tasty and cheap and tastes great. Usually, I top this with grated Parmesan, but I didn't have any on hand and it still got rave reviews.

bowtie pasta with chickpeas & spinach
250 g bowtie pasta
2 T olive oil
1 can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/2 bunch of spinach, rinsed and torn
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 t dried red chilis
salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Make pasta according to package directions. In a large pan, heat olive oil and add in onion, celery, garlic and hot peppers. Saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft. Add in the can of chickpeas and lightly mash about half the chickpeas. Add a few spoonfuls of the pasta water to the chickpea mixture if it becomes too dry. Season with salt and pepper.

When the pasta is almost ready, add spinach into the pasta pot, letting the spinach wilt. Drain pasta/spinach, reserving some of the pasta liquid, and add it all into the pan with the chickpeas. Simmer for a few minutes and stir so that everything mixes nicely. Serve in deep bowls and top with Parmesan if desired.

I love new cookbooks and this recipe is adapted from the book Apples for Jam –a relatively new book in my collection. It's pretty and the recipes are simple and homey, however, it is organized by colour which isn't the most practical when it comes to like, cooking. It does make it fun to browse, though. This recipe was taken and adapted and worked out wonderfully. It's perfect weeknight food and might even qualify as nice enough to share with good friends over a bottle of wine. However, it is really good, so maybe you just want to be selfish just this once and keep it to yourself.

spaghetti with tomatoes, oregano, ham & parmesan
(adapted from the book Apples for Jam)
2 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t dried red chilis
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 t dried oregano, crushed between your palms
salt
400 g spaghetti
6 slices of parma ham (or prosciutto) cut into thin strips
grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan, adding in garlic and dried chilis. When fragrant, add in tomatoes, oregano and salt. Use the back of your wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes as you stir and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your spaghetti in salted water. When the pasta is done, add in the parma ham into the sauce and let it heat through. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir. Serve pasta in deep bowls topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

don't be a hater: bannock-wrapped hot dogs

I like hot dogs. Judge me if you will. The other day we needed a quick lunch and we had some hot dogs but no buns, so I decided to improvise. Last year I had made bannock (which is a traditional native quick bread) and went with a modified version that would work to wrap the hot dogs like the old school Pillsbury dough wraps of my youth. I had my doubts, but it worked wonderfully! It would be a great recipe to make with kids, as it's simple and they can get their hands dirty.

The dough was light and flaky like a biscuit and I had hidden in some cheese inside so we were greeted with melty cheesy goodness nestled around the hot dog. Mmmmm! I divided the dough into 4 but I think it could be streched a bit to cover 5 or even 6 if you pat the dough thin, as the dough did puff up during baking and eating just one was enough for a meal. It definitely made for a filling, super delicious and unusual lunch.

Pssst, just in case you haven't voted for my blog at the 2009 bloggies (nominated for Best Canadian Weblog), today at 10pm EST is the last day to vote. So please please do. I know it's just a stupid popularity contest and all, but winning would make me oh so happy.

bannock-wrapped hot dogs
3 c flour
1 1/2 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 c butter or vegan margarine
1 1/4 c water, milk or soy milk
slices of cheese (optional)
4 hot dogs (vegan or meaty)

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt together, whisking well so it's all blended. Add the butter and crumble it together with your hands until it resembles tiny peas or crumbs. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the milk or water and use a fork or a wooden spoon to blend it gently until it forms into a lump of dough.

Meanwhile, boil up the hotdogs and when they're hot, remove from water and set aside. Divide the dough into four lumps and shape into a hotdog sized shape. Flatten the dough until it's large enough to roll up a hot dog, place a slice of cheese on the dough and then roll up the hotdog in the dough. Pinch the ends so the hot dog is encased and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat for all the following hot dogs and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, flip the dogs and bake for another 5-10 minutes until slightly golden. Serve with your favorite condiments.

a little bit of sunshine: coconut ginger lentil soup

This lovely coloured soup works well for dreary rainy winter days. Just look at it! It will put a smile on your face and its heavenly curried coconut scent helps to add a bit of lift to your step. It's like sunshine in a bowl...or at least the next best thing.

Now, about the ginger. For this recipe, I used a few diced bits of candied ginger (not to be confused with the ginger candy I used in the banana bread recipe). Using candied ginger along with the coconut milk made the soup slightly sweet. If the sweetness thing isn't for you, scratch the candied ginger and just use the fresh grated kind (or the powdered kind if it's all you have). Both my husband and I really liked this soup, and the sweetness provided a nice counter-balance to the hotness of the curry and chilis. This one is a definite keeper.

coconut ginger lentil soup
1 T vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 t red chili flakes
1 t cumin seeds, freshly ground using a mortar & pestle
1 T grated ginger root
1 T curry paste (I used Patak's Balti)
1 c red lentils, rinsed
3 c water or vegetable stock
1 tiny can coconut milk
1 T candied ginger, diced
yogurt (optional)

In a large soup pot, heat up the oil and saute the onion, garlic, carrots and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, ginger root and curry paste and saute for another minute. Stir in the lentils and add in the water or stock. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until lentils are somewhat soft. Add in the coconut milk and the candied ginger and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.