hi

I am not making any grand promises. But I am giving you a recipe for braised lentils (vegan). You can thank Martina for that. And Geoff for the recipe basics. And I should thank Robyn for the wicked garlic she gave me. Should I be embarrassed to admit I had never braised anything before? 

Because I'm not.  

 BRAISED LENTILS 

I didn't measure anything, sorry about that. 

1 large white onion, diced
2 carrots, diced 
4 cloves garlic, peeled & minced 
6-8 mushrooms, sliced 
Dried green lentils 
Olive oil 
Chili powder
Paprika
Bay leaves 
Lemon
Salt & pepper

Rinse your lentils. 

Pour some olive oil (maybe 2-3 Tbsp) into a casserole dish or dutch oven. Put on medium heat and add the onion and carrot. Let that sweat for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms (and a bit more oil if needed). Stir in chili, paprika, salt, and pepper (1-2 tsp of each) and give it 2-3 minutes. 

Pour a layer of lentils over your veggies so you have a roughly equal lentil to veggie ratio. Cover everything in water or vegetable stock, allowing for an inch or two of liquid above the lentil & veggie mix. Add 3 bay leaves. Stir gently to mix. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the lentils simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir once or twice to ensure you have sufficient liquid and nothing is sticking to the bottom of your dish. When done, you should still have maybe an inch of liquid at the bottom of the dish and the lentils will crush easily when bitten. Season to taste (for me, that means more salt). Portion out and add a small squeeze of lemon. 

Enjoy. 

 
My photo (view on Instagram @aisforaubrie). 

under wraps

I could have sworn I had already posted this recipe but I was looking for it to share with a friend the other day and I couldn't find it. So if you are reading this information for the second time, I apologize. If it is the first time, you're welcome. 

 
LENTIL WRAPS WITH BLACKENED ONIONS, JALAPENO, AVOCADO, AND TOMATO

2 whole wheat wraps 
1 can (15 oz) Eden Organics lentils with onion and bay leaf 
2-3 onions, thinly sliced 
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and thinly sliced   
1 avocado, pitted, sliced on a diagonal and scooped out of the peel
As many cherry or grape tomatoes as you want 
salt
pepper
lemon juice
olive oil 

Put 2 Tbsp olive oil in a cast iron on medium-low heat and toss in your onion slices. Keep an eye on your onions over a period of about 25 minutes. If they start to dry out before they start to brown/blacken, add more olive oil. When the onions are nice and shriveled and dark brown, push them to the sides of the pan and quickly sautee your jalapeno in the centre of the pan (1-2 minutes). 

Drain off the liquid from the lentils, heat. Assemble: base layer of lentils on a wrap, nudge 1/2 an avocado up beside that, top with onions, jalapeno, tomato, splash of lemon juice, sprinkle of salt and pepper. Wrap.

So. Easy.

My recipe, my photo.

"pasta"

Sometimes I feel like the only person in Vancouver who does not particularly like butternut squash. Sorry guys but my heart has room for only one squash and that is of the spaghetti variety. 

Spaghetti squash is delicious when steamed and tossed with oil, Parmesan (for the dairy-eaters), and salt and pepper (and the leftovers are more delicious when pan fried). It is also a treat in the place of traditional pasta if you want a more veggie-focused meal or you are living gluten free. I love spaghetti squash with a chunky tomato sauce or paired simply with some of my favourite vegetables. 

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH SAUTEED ZUCCHINI, LEEK, SPINACH, AND GARLIC 

1 medium or large spaghetti squash 
1 small zucchini
2 large leeks 
2 big cloves Russian Red garlic (or 4 small cloves of another kind of garlic)
2 handfuls of fresh spinach 
Extra virgin olive oil 
Earth Balance 
Salt (I used a lemon sea salt from Maison Cote) 
Pepper (I used Maison Cote's "Verona pepper blend", a coarse black pepper blended with basil, oregano, rosemary, garlic, tomato, chili flakes, toasted onion and celery seed) 

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and guts. Take a cookie sheet with a bit of depth to it and cover it with a centimetre of water. Place the squash halves on the cookie sheet with the insides of the facing down. This way the squash steams as it bakes. Cook for approximately 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your squash. 

Meanwhile, wash your leeks and discard the very bottom of the leek as well as the dark green top bit. Slice the leeks into rounds. Wash and finely slice your zucchini. Peel and mince your garlic. Wash and dry your spinach.

Put a pan on medium heat with some olive oil. Add the leeks and zucchini and let the veggies cook down for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir a few times. Add the spinach and garlic and allow the spinach to wilt (another 2 minutes). 

Take the squash out of the oven and carefully turn over. Scrape the squash "noodles" into a large bowl. The insides the squash should easily scrape out. If it is still hard, it needs to cook for more time. Mix with some Earth Balance, salt, pepper, and your zucchini, leek, spinach, and garlic mixture. Top with cheese if you are into that. 

My recipe. My photo.

on toast

A baguette, sliced, rubbed with a halved raw garlic clove and toasted is delicious. It is more delicious with a spread. 

Jamie Oliver makes this really lovely vegetable spread that is perfect for summer because it requires a bbq. The only place to bbq in my apartment is on the roof of the second story but sometimes you just have to commit to your meal. 

SMOKY VEG BRUSCHETTA WITH CHILLI

1 eggplant, halved length-wise
3-4 zucchini, halved length-wise
extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of two lemons (buy organic because you are using the skin and pesticides really cling to the skin of fruit)
1 small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
1 fresh red chilli
2 cloves garlic, peel and finely chop one, halve the other 
1 loaf ciabatta (or a baguette), sliced at an angle
1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves only, chopped
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper (I used a chipotle pepper mix)

Place your eggplant and zucchinis flat-side down on the bbq and cook until golden. 

Wrap the eggplant and zucchinis separately in tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil, half the lemon juice, all of the lemon zest, and a good sprinkling of parsley. Place the tinfoil parcels on the cooler coals and using tongs, cover them completely with hot coals. Cook for approximately 20 minutes (result should be soft and slightly blackened veg). 

If you do not have access to a bbq, you can brown the eggplant and zucchinis on a hot, dry grill (or cast iron) and then cook the parcels in an oven preheated to 400 F for 20 minutes until soft. 

Meanwhile, prick the chilli all over with the tip of your knife (this is to prevent explosion later). Blacken it on all sides over the bbq (or directly over a gas flame) then wrap in saran wrap until cool. Peel, de-seed, and chop. 

Unwrap your tinfoil parcels and place the veg on a cutting board, remove the stalk and skin from the eggplant, as well as the top and tail of the zucchinis. Chop and put in a bowl. Dress with a splash of olive oil, and the remaining lemon juice. Add the peeled and chopped garlic to the bowl, along with most of the chilli and mint. Toss and season with salt and pepper. 

Lightly toast the bread slices, then rub with the cut sides of the remaining garlic clove. Drizzle with olive oil. Spoon over some of your lovely, smoky veg and sprinkle with chilli and mint.

Photo and original recipe from jamieoliver.com.

dumplings

This one is for Andrea. 

It is another gem from the Plenty cookbook. I beg you to take the time to make this vegetable broth for your soup, it is superb and leftovers are even better. And it looks nicer when you serve it with less broth (if you are trying to impress someone).

PARSNIP DUMPLINGS IN BROTH 

Broth 
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, cut into chunks 
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 celery root (aka celeriac), peeled and roughly chopped
7 garlic cloves, peeled 
5 thyme sprigs (I used rosemary) 
10 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves 
6 prunes 

**The thing about vegetable broth is that you don't keep the vegetables, so don't go out of your way to secure the ingredients (aside from the prunes and bay leaves - essential) and use the carrots that have gone a bit rubbery in your crisper and the celery stalks from the outer edges of your bundle, the bruised ones that tend to taste a bit woody when eaten fresh).

Dumplings 
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
2 medium/large parsnips, peeled and diced
1/2 celery root, peeled and diced 
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 Tbsp butter (or Earth Balance) 
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/3 cup flour 
1 egg
salt and pepper 

**To make self-rising flour, combine 1 cup flour, 1 & 1/4 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt. 

To make the broth. Heat up the olive oil in a large pot. Add all the vegetables and garlic and saute for a few minutes until they colour lightly. Add the herbs, spices, and prunes, and cover with cold water so everything is submerged. Simmer on very low heat with a lid on for up to 2 hours, adding more water when needed.

Strain broth through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Set aside. 

To make the dumplings. Cook the potato, parsnips, celery root, and garlic in plenty of boiling, salted water until soft. Drain well. Empty the water pot, add your butter and the root veggies you just cooked and saute on medium heat for a few minutes to get rid of excess moisture. While hot, mash well. Add flour, egg, and some salt and pepper. Mix until incorporated. Chill for 30-60 minutes (more like 60), covered with plastic wrap. 

Reheat the broth and taste for seasoning (I had to add more salt). In a pot, bring some salted water to a light simmer. Scoop up small spoonfuls of your mash, roll into a ball shape with your hands and drop into the water. Once the dumplings come to the surface, leave to simmer for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon. 

Ladle hot broth into bowls, place dumplings in broth, garnish with fresh parsley if you have it, and serve immediately. 

Recipe adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2011). Photo by me, filter by Instagram.

lunch

Sometimes (most of the time), it is not the easiest trying to get the time to make a special meal. So here is a lunch for one that is really, stupidly easy but feels sort of rustic and awesome. You may be able to guess that it was born out of what was left at the bottom of my crisper drawer but that is not important. 

 
1 leek, sliced into rounds
2 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch segments 
1 clove garlic, minced
1 - 1 & 1/2 cups macaroni noodles 
1/2 cup tomato sauce 
olive oil
coarse sea salt 
black pepper
red chili pepper flakes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Put two Tbsp or so of olive oil in a pan (cast iron if you have it) and turn on medium-low heat. Put a small pot of water on to boil.

Wash your asparagus and chop. Cut the dark green top and the roots off the leek and discard them. Make a slice lengthwise along the leek about half way deep and peel back the first couple of layers of the leek and rinse well (dirt tends to stick around in there) but keep the cylinder shape of the leek. Then slice the leek into 1/2 inch rounds.  

Add the leek and the asparagus to the olive oil pan and saute for at about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and a tsp of red chili pepper flakes. 

Your water should be boiling so add the noodles and give it a quick stir so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Macaroni noodle cooking time is about 6 minutes. Continue to saute your greens during this time and add more oil (or a pat of butter) if needed. In the last 2 minutes, add your garlic. The leeks should have a touch of brown to some of them by the time the noodles are done. 

Set down the leeks and asparagus in your bowl first in a layer and top with a thin layer of cheese (or not). Drain the noodles and put them back in the small pot with a half cup or so of tomato sauce. Mix well. Pour sauced noodles on top of your leek and asparagus and add another layer of cheese and some fresh ground black pepper. 

Enjoy. 

Recipe by Aubrie Chaylt. Photo by me, filter by Instagram.

tofu

Hot damn, I love tofu. I am not sure how this happened. I am certain I never ate it growing up and I know many people have (or think they have) an aversion to the stuff but not me. No sir. 

For my birthday, I received several beautiful gifts from my very generous friends, one of which was PLENTY. This is a wickedly awesome cookbook that I have been coveting ever since I spied it in Sara's kitchen years ago (back when I was working at Vij's). And now it is miiiiine. 

 
This book is packed with delicious and gorgeous vegetarian fare. Con said it is the most rustic thing he has ever seen. 

And yet, the first recipe I am choosing to share with you is not that rustic. Mouth-watering but not really on par with the rustic-ness level of most of the book. I present to you... 

 
BLACK PEPPER TOFU 

1 & 3/4 lbs firm tofu
Vegetable oil for frying 
Cornstarch to dust the tofu
11 Tbsp butter (or Earth Balance for the veegs)
12 small shallots, thinly sliced
8 fresh red chiles (mild), thinly sliced
12 garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
3 Tbsp sweet soy sauce (...that's one!)
3 Tbsp light soy sauce (...that's two!)
4 tsp dark soy sauce (...that's three!)
2 Tbsp sugar 
5 Tbsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns - use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder (or the back of a wooden spoon and a cutting board/rough surface)
16 small and thin green onions, cut into 1 & 1/4 inch segments

Pour enough oil into a large frying pan or wok to come to 1/4 up the sides and heat.

Cut the tofu into large cubes, approximately 1 inch x 1 inch. Toss them in some cornstarch and shake off the excess, then add tofu to the hot oil. You will need to fry the tofu pieces in a few batches so they don't stew in the pan. Fry, turning them around as you go until they are golden all over and have a thin crust. As they are cooked, transfer them onto paper towels. 

Remove the oil and any sediment from the pan then put the butter inside and melt it. Add the shallots, chiles, garlic, and ginger. Saute on low to medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients have turned shiny and are totally soft. Next, add the soy sauces and sugar and stir. Add the crushed black pepper. 

Add the tofu to warm it up in the sauce for about a minute. Finally, stir in the green onions. Serve hot, with steamed rice. 


I am just going to mention here that if the tofu prep seems beyond what you want to do for this dish after you already bought 3 kinds of soy sauce, you can pick up extra firm tofu in the grocery store that has already been fried. It absolutely will not be in the same league but I am just saying that product does exist.

Images from Google Images. Recipe from Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi (Chronicle Books, 2010).

pass the 'peas

I love to cook but I also have two evening classes this term and tend to be just wiped when I roll home. Delicious low maintenance vegan dishes like this make me so happy. I can start this, read something (or flip mindlessly through facebook/watch some netflix, let's be honest) and then eat.

And it is so good. 

VEGAN MOROCCAN CHICKPEA STEW 

1 onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbsp of olive oil
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 can diced tomatoes 
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper 
1 tsp salt 
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped

Put a pot (I use a dutch oven) on medium-low heat and add the olive oil and onions. Cook the onions until they begin to turn translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes (but don't let the garlic burn). Dump in all your spices, salt, and sugar and stir. Pour in the drained chickpeas and the diced tomatoes with the tomato juice. Add a 1/4 cup of water if you like (I do). Mix well. 

Put a lid on and lower the heat. Let it simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the spinach, allowing it to wilt. 

Eat. 

Recipe from the vintage tin box given to me from Con's cousin's girlfriend, Avery. Photo by me. Filter by Instagram. 

something new

I love tomato sauce. My favourite pasta dishes involve tomatos (and kale, let's be honest) and I have not thought about cream sauce in years (probably mostly because I can't eat it). Connor doesn't complain but you should have seen how excited he got when I finally found a dairy-free (vegan) cream sauce pasta dish that is actually delicious. 

And here it is. Be excited.

LINGUINE WITH VEGAN CREAM SAUCE AND MUSHROOMS

14 oz uncooked linguine 
2 Tbs olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 & 1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1 & 1/2 cups unsweetened soy, rice, or macadamia nut milk
2 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes
2 Tbs Earth Balance
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or more) 
3 Tbs finely chopped fresh parsley (dried works too) 
4 tsp pine nuts  (or more)
Sprinkle of seaweed on top

Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain. 

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly (do not let it burn). Add mushrooms, wine, and lemon juice; saute for 5 minutes, adding up to 1/4 cup water (only if needed) to prevent sticking. 

Add soy milk, nutritional yeast, Earth Balance, and red pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Divide pasta between your plates, top with mushrooms and sauce, and garnish with parsley and pine nuts. 

And if you aren't living dairy-free, you may wish to replace the soy with cow and the Earth Balance with butter. 

Recipe adapted from The 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe by Mark Reinfeld, featured in Vegetarian Times (December 2012). Image from Google Images. 

ginger

Ginger is one of those flavours that can be made appropriate for summer or winter. Ginger with lime, however, is distinctly summer. 

I know it is mid-January but this recipe for ginger beer is so good that I cannot keep it from you any longer. There is also an element of danger to its delicious-ness since it is capable of concealing quite a bit of alcohol if you so choose. 

JAMAICAN GINGER BEER 

2 &1/2 lbs fresh ginger, peeled 
4 cups of water, divided
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (8-10 limes)
2 & 1/2 cups sugar 

In a blender or food processor, liquefy the ginger and 2 cups of water for 3 minutes, then strain the juice into a large bowl or pitcher. Transfer the ginger pulp back to the blender/processor, add another cup of water, and liquefy again. Strain again, adding the new liquid to the bowl/pitcher. Again transfer the pulp along with another cup of water, liquefy again, and strain into the bowl/pitcher. Press on the ginger pulp as much as possible to squeeze out as much of the juice as you can. 

Discard the mashed ginger solids. Add the lime juice to the bowl/pitcher of ginger juice along with the sugar. Mix well and taste. Add more sugar if you need. Chill. 

Served on ice. 

Note: Refrigerates for up to 3 weeks. Shake before serving.

Image from Google Images. Recipe from Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It and Other Cooking Projects by Karen Solomon (Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2009).  

homemade

I have so very many new recipes for y'all! Connor got me the sickest book on making amazing foodstuffs from scratch, I got a stack of handwritten recipes from the cousin's gift exchange, and my grandma sent me two cookbooks. 

The January menu is heavy on the veggies and veg protein so you can be (or play) healthy. 


LENTIL NUT LOAF


3 cups cooked lentils (canned is fine but drain the water and use less salt)
1 & 1/2 cups raw nuts, chopped (cashews are nice)
1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw oatmeal or bread crumbs
1 Tbsp onion powder (or 1/2 a white onion, diced and sauteed in olive oil until translucent)
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 Tbsp soy sauce 
1 tsp hot mustard 
1 tsp powdered sage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper 
2 cloves of garlic, minced or thinly sliced (dependent on how much you love a mouthful of garlic)
1 small potato, grated
1 small carrot, grated 
1/2 small zucchini, grated 
1 cup water (add slowly to reach maximum mix-ability without being runny)
4 Tbsp oil

Mix well and bake in lightly oiled pan for 1 hour at 350 F. 

Look forward to crackers, quick pickles, ginger beer, white bean dip with sage and garlic, and so much more babies. 

Photo by me (and Instagram). 

cheese please

 
If you are at all familiar with the assortment of words I make you read (skim) prior to a fabulous recipe, you may have picked up on that fact that Connor loves comfort food. Things that are baked or roasted and create leftovers. He really has a thing for leftovers. This week, his hopes and dreams came true in the form of cannelloni stuffed with goat ricotta, kale, and smoked apple veggie sausage. 

In our new apartment, the nearest farmer's market is now Trout Lake. I checked it out with Robyn last Saturday and picked up some fresh goat ricotta (goat cheese is low lactose and I find that I can tolerate it to an extent). I have never even seen it before but I was super impressed. I took it home and created THIS:

CANNELLONI STUFFED WITH GOAT RICOTTA, KALE, AND SMOKED APPLE VEGGIE SAUSAGE

1 package of oven-ready cannelloni noodles
1 can (28oz) of crushed tomatoes
1 package of (goat) ricotta
1 bushel of kale leaves (I am saying the word "bushel" but all I mean is kale about the size of the bundles they sell at Whole Foods or at the market), stems removed 
1 veggie sausage, casing off, broken up and briefly sauteed in oil
salt
pepper
dried oregano

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

In a large bowl, mix together your cheese, fresh kale, and browned sausage with a fair sprinkling of salt, pepper, and oregano. Mix well. Use your hands! But only if you have washed them. Which you ought to have done. You are making food, you know.

Pull out the casserole dish and pour in half of the crushed tomatoes to cover the bottom of the dish. Stuff each of the cannelloni noodles with you wicked awesome cheese-kale-sausage mixture and line them all up neatly in the dish. I did two layers. Then pour the rest of the crushed tomatoes on top of the pasta. I suppose you could top with Parmesan cheese at this point if you so desire. Bake with a lid (or tinfoil cover, no judgment) for approximately 50 minutes. If you topped with cheese, uncover at 45 minutes and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Easy, right?

Image from Google Images. 

the pizza stone revelation

This wonderful human being named Sammy (Baby) gave me a pizza stone yesterday so obviously I immediately picked up zaa supplies and made multiple pies. I used my standard dough recipe (found here and the basic how to is found here).

When using a pizza stone, the method of baking changes. The oven (with the pizza stone in it) needs to be heated to 500 F and after you transfer the composed raw pizza to the hot stone, turn the oven to broil and let it go for 5-7 minutes. Boom. Done. (Since moving raw pizza is tough, make sure you flour your prep surface really well and I found that making more, smaller pizzas was helpful because it is easier to move small things without them falling or ripping apart.)

For the first time in my pizza-making blogging career, I managed to take a photo of one of my zaas before we ate it! This is a truffle pesto sauced pizza with caramelized onions, artichoke hearts, garlic, lactose-free mozzarella, parmesan, oregano, chili flakes, and arugula. The dough is half white flour and half whole wheat with flax seeds, oregano, and basil.

Photo by Aubrie Chaylt. 

iced

I have never had any sort of caffeine dependency. Some days I will have a bit of coffee or caffeinated tea but most of the time I just go without. Even law school couldn't crack me. So coffee for me is still a treat. It is a treat because Connor usually makes it and it is a treat because the only way I drink it is as part of a soy mocha.

My key ratio is 3 parts chocolate soy milk:1 part coffee. For additional awesomeness, melt a few mini marshmallows into the soy milk as you heat it.

A Beautiful Mess posted a recipe for iced coffee and I adjusted it for my taste and it is the BOMB. Which is totally still a thing that people say.

Find the recipe here. And if you are living dairy-free like me, substitute flavoured soy or almond milk for cream.

Photo from a beautiful mess.

stalks

Does broccoli still have a bad rap? I remember it was supposed to be so horrible when I was a child but I never had a problem with it. Broccoli is Con's favourite and soy sauce (i.e. salt) is mine so here a recipe for the both of us. And hopefully you too.

STEAMED BROCCOLI WITH SOY AND GINGER

1 large head of broccoli (with stalk)
2 heaped tbsp sesame seeds
olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced 
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
juice of 1-2 limes (I used 2)
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled

Cut off the dry end of the croccoli stalk and discard. Remove the florets close to the stalk. Peel the stalk, cut it half, and then thinly slice it so it will cook at the same pace as the florets. Steam your green veg.

While the broccoli is cooking, toast and toss your sesame seeds in a small, dry pan until golden and put them aside (on a piece of paper towel). Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, heat it up, and slowly fry your garlic slices until golden and crisp (NOT burnt). If you angle the pan so that the oil pools in one side, the garlic will fry nicely. Remove garlic from oil and place on your paper towel with the sesame seeds. 

You can use your small pan to make your dressing, just let it cool a bit (turn the heat off) and discard a tablespoon of the garlic oil. Add soy sauce and sesame oil to the pan and swill it around. Add the juice of your lime(s). Finely grate the ginger and press it into a sieve to extract the juice (or just add the finely grated ginger). Taste and adjust to suit yourself. 


Serve the broccoli in a bowl drizzled with the dressing (which you will need to keep shaking in the pan so that it does not divide) and sprinkle with garlic chips and sesame seeds. 


Enjoy.  

Recipe adapted from Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook by Jamie Oliver (New York: Hyperion), 2007. Image from Google Images.

sips

Sticking with the trend of wishing 'n hoping I was basking in warm breezes, here is a cocktail recipe from Ina Garten. She updated it with vodka but I am going to backdate it with gin. 

Do what you want. 

JUICE OF A FEW FLOWERS 

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 
1/2 cup freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 

(Are you getting the theme here?)

1 cup good gin (or vodka)
extra lemon juice
granulated sugar 
fresh mint sprigs 

If you are feeling classy, pre-chill your (martini) glasses.

Combine the 4 citrus juices with the gin in a pitcher. Dip the rims of 4 glasses first in a dish with the extra lemon juice and then in a dish with the sugar. Set aside to dry. 

When ready to serve, place ice cubes in a cocktail shaker, add the cocktail mixture to fill the shaker three-quarters full, and shake for 30 seconds. Pour into the sugared glasses and garnish with mint. Repeat. Serve ice cold.  

Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients by Ina Garten (New York: Random House, 2008). Image from Google Images.

salt obsessed

I will choose salty over sweet almost every time and one of my favourite things about the first few weeks of the Kits farmer's market is the presence of an outgoing (and more than a little bit eccentric) man who peddles salt, pepper, herbs, and other seasonings. Check out his website, here.

The goods come in a variety of sizes but if you go for the large bags, a bag and a half will last you an entire year (suddenly $8 a bag or 3 for $20 seems vaguely reasonable...).

I usually go for two types of salt and an herb mix but this year I chose pepper over herbs and it may have been one of the best decisions I have ever made. This chipotle pepper mix is the bomb. The smell of it makes me salivate. 

The hibiscus is left over from last year (I used all the lemon-thyme). This year I went with seaweed, mushroom, and the aforementioned pepper.

Photos by me.

roll up

There is this one tiny pho spot on Davie St (@ Thurlow) with a yellow awning that is my absolute favourite. This is because I am a picky eater and when it comes to sketchy food, I always go vegan. Luckily, at this particular noodle joint they have a most excellent veggie noodle soup with fantastic deep fried tofu AND salad rolls with the very same tofu. 

Andrea had assured me salad rolls were simple enough but I had never used rice paper before so I was not exactly a bucket of confidence going into this one. However, great success. (The second of my experimental summer food successes if you are counting). 

SALAD ROLLS WITH TOFU 

1 package rice paper wraps (expect leftovers)
1 package rice noodles 
2 medium/large carrots, julienned
2 cups of finely chopped lettuce (I used romaine)
1 cup of finely chopped cilantro 
1 package smoked tofu (which happens to be firm), sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch-thick slices
Peanut sauce and hot sauce of some sort

Boil some water and prep the rice noodles according to the package instructions (you will end up using 2 of the 3 noodle clumps in the package so might as well not boil the third and save it for something else). When they are finished, run cold water over them, drain, and set aside. 

Assemble your veggies and tofu, a large bowl full of warm water, and a large plate for assembly. Take one rice paper sheet at a time and soak in the warm water for ten seconds (or whatever the package recommends). Lay it out on the plate and pile up a few slices of tofu and carrots with some of your lettuce and cilantro and some noodles in the middle of your rice paper sheet. Proportions are really up to you. 


Fold one side of the rice sheet over the filling, lengthwise to the filling. Roll once over. Then fold the short ends in and roll up the rest of the way. 


Keep going until you've used up all your resources. I think we made sixteen. Serve with peanut sauce (and sirahcha). 


Nom. 


Photo and recipe by Aubrie Chaylt.

risk-taking

Vegan mac 'n cheese has always seemed like risky business to me. It just looked too dang hard. Too bad for the Con since he loves all cliched comfort foods. Finally I decided to stop looking via foodgawker and just make my own. I didn't like the look of any one recipe specifically so I made my own. 

AND IT WORKED. Seriously, well beyond my expectations. 

imagine this but CHEESIER

VEEG MAC 'N CHEESE
Keep in mind this was a trial run so the recipe is quite small. Serves 1-2 people as is. I would double, maybe triple if I wanted left-overs (which was a direct request from the man for next time). 

1/2 package spiral brown rice pasta noodles (or whatever noodles)
1/4 cup minced zucchini
1/4 cup minced red pepper
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 a jalapeno, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup vegetable broth 
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (it was my first time using nutritional yeast and it is BOMB)
1/2 tbsp flour 
3/4 cup cheddar daiya shreds
1 tsp mustard 
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
olive oil 
paprika
salt
pepper


All the veggies are minced because I am sort of hiding them in this dish. Anyway...


Preheat oven to 400 F. 

Pot. Water. Boil. Cook pasta as per package directions. Drain and pour into baking dish.


Meanwhile, add some olive oil to a pan and sautee your zucchini, red pepper, onion, jalapeno, and garlic for approximately 5-7 minutes, until the onion goes transparent. In hindsight, mushrooms would be an excellent addition. Actually next time I make this I am going to do a strictly mushroom and kale veggie mix.

Add veggies to pasta. Mix in mustard, paprika, salt (not much) and pepper.

Start a saucepan with veggie broth, nutritional yeast, and flour on low heat. Whisk and heat thoroughly (about 3 minutes). Pour sauce over pasta and veggies. Add daiya shreds. Mix everything well. 


Add a layer of breadcrumbs on top and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes (breadcrumbs should be browned and daiya melted). 


Nom. 

Image from spices and spackle. Mine was gone too fast for any photographic evidence, sorry. 

puff

This is a post for Ruby. It also a post for my oma. She gave me the recipe for Squash Puff in her neat lil grandmother writing. Although the recipe is actually my uncle's mother's. Same generation, anyway.

SQUASH PUFF

3 cups mashed, cooked squash (It really does not matter what kind although I know the masses prefer butternut for whatever reason)
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk (unsweetened soy milk or vegetable broth)
3 tbsp flour
1 tbsp baking powder 
Salt and pepper
Bread crumbs

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F. 
 
Peel squash, chop cup and roast or boil until tender. Mash in a large bowl. Sautee onions in either butter or oil or a mix of both until transparent. Add onions to the bowl. Beat in eggs and "milk" until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Turn in (apparently this means pour in) to a greased baking dish. Top with bread crumbs (and a few knobs of butter if you are into that sort of thing). 


Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until lightly browned. 


Welcome to years of Thanksgivings.


Image from Google Images. Original recipe from Mary Ross.