cold soba on a hot day

here is a a really good and easy cold soba noodle salad recipe - perfect for a hot summer day (you can easily make this a warm salad for a cold winter night too, but let's not talk about cold winter nights just yet). i made this twice last week because it is so good and takes no time at all. the first time i made it, i added sauteed oyster mushrooms instead of the tofu that i listed in this recipe. both versions were delicious.

cold soba noodle-veggie salad
1 carrot
handful of snow peas
1 red bell pepper
1 small cucumber
2 green onions, or quarter of red onion
cilantro
0.5 block of tofu, cubed
soba noodles, handful (i use 100% buckwheat soba, but other kinds will do as well)

for the sauce, blend together:
1T miso
1T tamari
1T almond butter
1t tahini
2Ts rice vinager or lime juice
1inch ginger root, grated
1t maple syrup or honey
1t hot chili sauce

bring water to boil in a pot, cook the soba noodles until done (about 5-7min). drain, rinse under cold water and let drain well.
julienne all the veggies. cube the tofu and saute with a little oil and tamari (about 2-3min). mix the veggies, tofu and noodles with the sauce. garnish with cilantro (and maybe some black sesame seeds).

makes 4 servings.

baking before breakfast

i was looking for a good flour-less cake recipe and stumbled upon this orange-almond cake one (on http://mouthfulsfood.com, courtesy of james beard). bonus: its made with no oil and it is gluten free! wanting to cut down on the eggs, as the original calls for 6, i substituted two of them with my favourite egg-replacer: 1T flax seeds + 3T water ... blended til frothy = 1egg. the results were very tasty but i think it will take a little tweaking to make it perfect. the orange flavour and mealy texture were just fantastic and very light! however, after 40min of baking (20 min under the time noted in the original recipe) the top and sides were already getting VERY brown while the centre was still quite moist (the toothpick came out clean but once i took it out of the oven and cut into it... being too excited to wait longer... i decided that it could have been just a tiny bit drier). so, some modifications might include a little more almond meal or a slightly lower baking temperature. i'll try again and report back. and if anyone has any suggestions, i welcome those too as i'm not particularly experienced with baking.

here is the recipe:
2 large oranges (preferably naval seedless)
6 eggs (i used 4 + 2x the flax egg replacer noted above)
1 1/2 c. ground almonds
pinch salt
1 c sugar (i used 3/4 cups and it was plenty!)
1 tsp. baking powder

wash oranges and boil them in water to cover, without peeling, until soft about 30 min.
drain, cool, cut into quarters.
process oranges into a moderately fine puree in a blender or food processor.
beat the eggs in a bowl till thick, then add ground almonds, salt, sugar, baking powder and orange puree and mix well.
pour into a buttered and floured deep 9" cake pan at 400 degrees for 1 hour or longer, until firm to the touch (definitely NOT longer... i'd say it needs less time - maybe 50min).



delicious on its own, it was also really good with berries which is how i served it to my friends.

another week, another dumpling

so the marc oliver (with me helping out just a little) dumpling saga continues... this week's offering: apricot dumplings with almond-vanilla sauce.



the dough for these sweet dumplings is made with cottage cheese, flour and eggs; kneaded, rolled out and cut into appropriate size rounds (diameter would depend on the size of the fruit that they are to envelop). while ours were stuffed with fresh okanagan apricots (stones swapped for a little brown sugar), plums or strawberries would also make delicious filling. since it was not until we got into the dumpling-making mode that we discovered that i only had buckwheat flour in my cupboard, they were also gluten free... well, almost, since they also got rolled in buttery wheat breadcrumbs but those could easily be substituted with toasted and crushed hazelnuts or walnuts (yum!). the buckwheat flour was probably what made them a little tougher than they would have been if prepared with wheat pastry flour, but the texture and the colour contrast were quite pleasing so i'd definitely use buckwheat flour again... although maybe i'd opt for a lighter variety or i'd sift it next time and add a little sugar or maple syrup to the dough. finished off with some almond-vanilla sauce (blended almond silken tofu and some good quality vanilla extract), they were a pretty healthy and a really filling treat. no wonder that post-consumption bliss ensued, or maybe it was all the wine that accompanied them?

i'm posting this without the proper recipe because i forgot what the exact proportions of flour, cheese and egg marc oliver used in making the dough. but i was so keen to share this that i just couldn't resist. the full recipe is coming soon...

my heart skipps a beet

i love beets! their earthiness, sweetness and rich colour. i find that roasting them with a little olive oil and salt brings out all those qualities best. here, i paired them with shelled edamame, arugula and seared tofu for a gorgeous and nutritious dinner salad. roasted garlic, toasted pine nuts and herb-spelt croutons make it all that much more special. you can add some nice goat's cheese for a non-vegan option.

2 small beets, sliced
handful of arugula
0.3 cup shelled frozed edamame (soy beans) or baby lima beans
2 0.25 inch slices of tofu
3 cloves garlic
2T+ olive oil
1 slice spelt bread, cubed
0.5 t tarragon, marjoram or any dry herb
splash of red wine
0.5 t cajun spice mix
pinch of salt
1 T lemon juice

toss the sliced beets and garlic cloves in some olive oil and roast on a baking sheet for about 10 min or until tender;

for the crutons: in a pan or heavy skillet heat 1 T of the olive oil, add the cubed toast and dry herbs and toast in the pan until golden and crunchy; toast the pine nuts and set aside.

for the seared tofu: in a pan, heat 1t olive oil and place tofu slices in it, sprinkle cajun spice mix and some salt on it and let cook for about 1-2 min or until lightly browned; turn over and repeat the same. when both sides are browned, splash the red wine over it and let the tofu absorb it. remove from the heat.

run the edamame under warm water to defreeze quickly. place in the pan with some lemon juice, saute briefly (less than 1 min).

assemble salad by stacking altering layers of roasted beets (3 to 4 slices) and seared tofu on a bed of arugula. place the edamame over the stack, let fall. arrange the croutons, roasted garlic and pine nuts over top. serve with 1 T of creamy balsamic vinaigrette (see july 6 posting for a recipe).

makes 1 dinner salad serving; 2 side salad servings

black bean monday

for the love of legumes and healthy vegan/vegetarian diets, here are a couple of black bean recipes for you to enjoy. soak some black beans overnight, drain and cook in plenty of water. ready in less than an hour, home-cooked beans have less sodium than the canned variety, are less expansive and keep your recycling bin from overflowing.

the veggie nut&bean burger...

0.5 cup of black beans
0.25 cup of walnuts and pumpkin seeds, mixed and chopped
1T parsley, finely chopped
1-2T red onion, finely chopped
1T red bell pepper, finely chopped
1t cumin, ground
1t mixed herbs (i.e marjoram, tarragon, oregano)
salt to taste

in a food processor or a blender, finely chop the nuts and seeds. in a bowl, mush the black beans with a fork (or process in a food processor). add the nuts, parsley, pepper, onion, spices and herbs. mix well. form 2 patties and refrigerate for about 20min. fry in some oil for about 3 minutes on each side. enjoy alone (with a salad) or on a bun, topped with avocado, tomato and some chipotle ketchup (1T spoon of organic ketchup mixed with 1t of chopped chipotle in adobo sauce)

note that these burgers have a crunchy exterior with a middle that's still soft. you could try to mix in an egg if you prefer, but i wanted to make them vegan ... they didn't crumble and held together nicely.

and the topper... (also great for your burger)

0.5 cup black beans + 1 red pepper (chopped) + 2 green onions (chopped) + 0.25 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels + 1 ripe tomato (chopped) + 2 finely diced chipotle peppers (in abodo sauce), a good squirt of lime juice, cumin and salt to taste = black bean-chipotle salsa

the return of the dumpling

when i was a little girl i had exceptionally round cheeks, and so "dumpling" was essentially my second name. this was not a bad thing then although if you called me dumpling today i may just take offense.

dumplings are the ultimate in comfort food which is probably why so many world cuisines have their own versions. being polish, i've had my share of various dumplings: filled or not, sweet or savory, the list goes on. but its been a while, since making dumplings is rather time consuming and, let's be honest, they are not the "healthiest" food out there. but even though i'm a bit of a wheat and dairy-phob and usually aim to pack the maximum nutritious value (as opposed to caloric value) into any meal (which means opting for foods that are whole, unprocessed, etc.) i lost my head for these wonderful northern italian dumplings that my friend marc oliver prepared for me yesterday. made with all the things i usually stay away from, they were TOTALLY worth the departure. the lesson here is that eating healthy is not just about what's good for your body, but also about what's good for your soul. and these delicious dumplings definitely fit that bill. a pleasure to look at and a pleasure to eat, they were exceptional!

p.s. amazing as they were, i am on a bit of a mission now to make them with brown/non-wheat bread and less dairy. i'll report back whether they are successful and get the "dumpling master's" stamp of approval.

marc oliver's spinach gorgonzola dumplings

1 french baguette (about 250g); dry
3 free run eggs
100g gorgonzola or other sharp cheese
150g spinach (sauteed)
1 stick butter, melted
80g flour
flat leaf italian parsley, chopped
0.5 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
salt and cracked black pepper to taste

cut the dry baguette into small chunks. place the bread in a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, crumbled gorgonzola, cooked spinach, half of the melted butter, flour, parsley, chopped onion and minced garlic. mix well to integrate (tip: wash your hands and get into it that way). the dough should be sticky and hold together; if it is still too loose, let stand for a few minutes for the bread to absorb the excess liquids.

in a large pot, bring water to boil. add some salt. form the dumplings into desirable size - marc oliver's were about the size of a tennis ball, but i assume you can make them smaller if you prefer. place in the boiling water for about 5 min (by then they should be floating on the surface and the water boiling again). remove from the water, drain on a plate or in a strainer.

while the dumplings are cooking, melt the remaining butter and chop the tomatoes. in a separate pan, saute the tomatoes and chopped parsley for a couple of minutes just to warm up. plate the dumplings, drizzle with the butter and decorate with the tomatoes and grated parmesan cheese. as you can tell by the picture, marc oliver LOVES his parmesan.

things to do with pesto, 2

spread on rye sourdough crackers, top with:

a. crumbled goat's cheese, fresh cherry tomatoes and cracked pepper,
b. smoked tofu (or gouda) slices, roasted red pepper-eggplant antipasto and parsley,
c. carmelized onions and fresh fig slices,
etc...

my citrus crush

i rarely bake because that usually involves following a recipe since i'm not experienced enough to make my own, and as i've already mentioned, i'm usually not patient or organized enough for that. but unlike cooking (where you can get away with so many shortcuts), baking is a more specific science and understanding what things do and how they react with each other is pretty crucial to getting good results. even so, i usually can't help but experiment just a little ...

i created this lemon-lime poppy seed loaf to bring to my friend sarah's place. she made me a lovely meal and i wanted to share something sweet with her. i modified and combined two recipies i had and used whatever i had on hand (which meant some shortcuts and substitutions). to my and sarah's great surprise, the results were really delicious: a moist, citrusy cake with just a little crunch and lovely black speckles... and for the bonus prize - its pretty healthy! and can be vegan!


for the cake/loaf

1.5 cups spelt flour (sifted)
1.5t baking powder
0.5t salt
0.25 cups poppy seeds
6oz yogurt (or soy yogurt)
0.3 cups oil
0.5 cups sugar (i used brown)
0.25 cups freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice (about 1 lemon and 1 lime)
3-4t lemon and lime zest
1t vanilla extract

for citrus syrup

0.3 cup lemon or lime juice (or mixed)
2-3T sugar

mix the yogurt, oil, sugar together, add the juice, zest and vanilla. mix well.
sift the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) together and add the poppy seeds. add the dry into the wet and mix to combine.
transfer into a greased loaf pan or a spring form pan, bake at 350F for about 35min or until toothpick comes out clean.

while the cake is cooling, in a small sauce pan heat bring the lemon/lime juice and sugar to a boil while stirring, reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. take of the heat and let cool. when both the cake and the syrup have cooled, pour the syrup over the cake. before you do so, you can decorated the cake with slivered almonds, slices of candied lemon or lime or pretty swirls of lemon rind. i only thought of that after words....

tips: note, i used a full loaf pan and it made a short/thin cake; a demi-loaf pan would probably be more appropriate for this recipe. or you can double the ingredients ... but remember to increase the baking time if you do that.

so, i did double the recipe and increased the baking time by about 10-15min - still delicious.

dress it up! a quick guide to salad dressings...

a good salad dressing can make a salad or transform a bowl of steamed veggies into an exciting meal. the basic formula is: something oily + something tart + something sweet... blended. the classic vinaigrette recipe has a 1:3 ratio of tart to oily. i find that's far too much oil, so i often keep the ratio 1:1 and add other ingredients or even water to make up the volume. and that clearly leaves lots of room for experimentation... here are a few ideas i've come up with today.

creamy dill dressing
0.5 cup fresh dill weed (chopped, stems included)
0.25 cup tofu (silken or firm will do)
0.25 cup olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic, chopped
pinch of salt and ground black pepper
1 t honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup water; or as necessary to achieve the desired consistency

orange almond dressing
juice of 0.5 orange, or 1/3 cup of orange juice
0.25 cup olive or sesame oil
0.25 inch of ginger root, chopped
1-2 t almond butter or ground almonds
1 t maple syrup
1 t grainy mustard

creamy balsamic vinaigrette
0.25 cups olive oil
0.25-0.3 cups balsamic vinegar
1-2 cloves of garlic, roasted
1 t maple syrup
1 t dijon mustard
salt and cracked black pepper to taste

see also the orange-miso dressing in my july 5th post.

pearls and licorice

here is a recipe for a lovely warm pearl barley and fennel salad. it takes only 15 min to make so you can enjoy it any day, although the pretty yellow and pale green veggie ribbons make it festive enough for a special brunch. it could be served along slices of smoked tofu or poached eggs and some crusty bread. some toasted almond slivers would make a nice topping. it's delicious cold too.

0.5 cups of dry peal barley
0.5 bulb of fennel
1 small yellow pepper
0.5 leek
4-5 cherry tomatoes, halved

1T juice of an orange
1T olive oil
pinch of cumin
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

cook barley in 1 cup of water for about 10-15 min or until tender;
julienne the fennel, yellow pepper and leeks;
heat oil in a skillet or a pan (i use a cast iron pan), saute the vegetables with a pinch of salt for about 2 min; add the juice, tomatoes, and cumin, saute for another 2 min until tender but still crunch; add the barley and mix with the veggies, sauteing for another minute; add salt and pepper to taste. done.

makes 2 side servings

broccoli and miso

a good post-yoga or post-workout meal. light yet filling and most importantly, delicious. to make it even more protein rich, you can add cooked or sprouted chickpeas, lentils. marinated tempeh would work really well too.

steamed broccoli, zucchini, sea asparagus salad with tamari tofu and creamy orange-miso dressing

1 head broccoli, florets separated
1 handful sea asparagus, or regular asparagus (whatever you have on hand)
1 small yellow zucchini, shredded length wise (to make pretty long ribbons)
0.5 avocado, cut into crescents
0.5 head red lettuce
0.3 block of tofu, diced
1T sesame oil
1T tamari
pinch of cayenne

steam broccoli and sea/asparagus for less than 5 mins
wash and dry lettuce leaves
fry tofu in the sesame oil, turning to ensure that all sides are evenly cooked and lightly browned, pour the tamari over it and let the tofu absorb it. turn off the heat.

arrange the veggies on a bed of lettuce, topping with the tofu and a pinch of cayenne and the orange miso dressing (see recipe below).

orange miso dressing
blend together:
1T genmai miso (but any would do)
1T rice vinegar
2T fresh squeezed orange juice
handful of peppitas or sunflower seeds
1t maple syrup

going french

sugar craving, 425F, apricot galette... vegan at that...

veganomicon, isa chandra moskovitz's fantastic vegan cookbook, has a great recipe for an apple-cinnamon galette. i adapted it slightly to use some of the fresh apricots i found at the local market today. i also used spelt flour instead of the wheat flour her recipe called for. results were lovely to look at and delicious to eat. and very sharable. bon appetit!

for more great vegan recipes see her post punk kitchen site and blog: www.theppk.com

curry-in-a-hurry

who says you have to simmer a curry for a long time? you can make this easy curry in about 40mins: 10 min prep, 30min cooking time.

creamy eggplant curry

ginger root (chopped or grated), about a 1 inch piece
2 cloves garlic
0.5 yellow cooking onion
3-4 baby eggplants
0.5 yellow bell pepper
0.5 red bell pepper
1 tomato
1T curry powder

cilantro (chopped)
0.3 cup coconut milk
1T oil (safflower, or other cooking oil)
salt and pepper to taste

heat oil in a skillet, add chopped ginger, onion and minced garlic, saute until translucent, about 5 min. sprinkle half of the curry powder, mix until all sauteed onions covered, add coarsely chopped eggplant, bell peppers and tomato, saute for another 5 min, add the remaining curry powder and mix until vegetables evenly coated, add some water to de-glaze the pan and cover the lid for 5-10 min until the vegetables absorb it, add the coconut milk, stir, cover the lid and let cook for another 10-15 min.

add salt and pepper to taste, stir in the chopped cilantro, squeeze some lime/lemon juice into it, serve with a dollop of raita on top.

raita/yogurt salad

0.5 cup plain yogurt
0.5 english cucumber
0.5 t cumin
pinch of salt
1T chopped cilantro

grate the cucumber, mix in with the other ingredients.

nothing beats a beach picnic

great view, soft sand, calm water, good food, good friends, laura's mojitos: a perfect canada day picnic at centennial beach!

to eat, to drink:

• laura's mango salsa and chili-spiked hummus
• crusty bread, kalamata olives, fresh bc-grown sweet peppers, goat's cheese
• seedy crackers and flatbreads
  
• wild rice-french lentil salad (with bulgarian feta, dill and cherry tomatoes)
• laura's green lentil salad with apples and marjoram
  
• young potato-yam salad with leeks and pesto
• very buzzy mojitos
• blackcurrant iced tea, sweetened with a touch of honey