not your usual shephard's pie

despite its name, traditional Shepherd's pie doesn't contain any sheep in it.  and while this particular name originates from Scotland, where sheep herding is a common preoccupation, my brief google research has shown that this dish actually has a very international distribution.  similar types of potato-covered meat pies are found, among others, in Russia, Chile, Argentina, North Africa, North America.  the specific versions differ, but the basic formula: minced/ground/diced meat of some sort, covered with some type of a potato or pastry layer, seems to be quite common across regions and cuisines.  and as with most traditional dishes, there are of course the vegetarian and vegan versions as well which usually utilize lentils or another legume, or perhaps some type of soy protein as the bottom layer. all these versions, i imagine, hit the same note or spot: they are comforting, warming, cheap and very sharable. the perfect dish for a Fall or winter evening. though, i do think that some are healthier than others and the veggie versions - because they are not as greasy - are also pretty delicious as a cold lunch the next day.

i've made all kinds of veggie versions of this dish before, but last week i tried something new and "tested it" on our friends, Glenn and Heather.  although this new version followed the same general pattern/formula,  i wanted to do something that would evoke the flavours of Central and Eastern Europe - just to keep my "food and nostalgia" series flowing.  so instead of meat or lentils, i used kasha - roasted buckwheat groats, which are very typical to the region.

though commonly used as a side dish (instead of potatoes, for instance) in Polish cuisine, Kasha is also eaten as a main, when topped with mushroom gravy, for example.  this version is more typical to south eastern Poland and/or the Ukraine, where my granny Irena (my dad's mom) was from. in the south-eastern borderlands, buckwheat groats are also wrapped up in cabbage leaves and served as yet another incarnation of the cabbage roll. interestingly, while cabbage rolls are ubiquitous to Central and Eastern Europe as a whole, my granny Stasia (my mom's mom) never made cabbage rolls like that because she came from north eastern Poland (another fluid borderland region, this time flowing in and out of East Prussia).  Granny Irena, on the other hand, did, as did my aunt Vera because they both had Polish-Ukrainian roots and came from the same geographical area.  i got particularly lucky: since I grew up in the western Poland - the area which got settled by Poles displaced from other "fluid" regions after the Second World War (whilst, unfortunately, displacing its previous Germany inhabitants) - I got to experience culinary traditions that were very varied.  a wonderful experience indeed, though one i was not fully aware of until i began to reflect on it as a young adult.

but to get back to the pie... to keep the Polish-Ukrainian borderland flavour - in honour of that part of my heritage -  i added some chantrelle and oyster mushrooms to my pie filling.   i also added some crumbled tempeh, to up the protein content and to give it more varied texture.  the mashed potato topping was made with roasted garlic, thyme, sage and rosemary, and a dollop of miso - my mashed potato secret weapon which makes it taste like potatoes and gravy, without the gravy! the results were absolutely delicious, very filling and, at least for me, completely evocative of the flavours of my Polish-Ukrainian background. 

Eastern Borderlands Pie, with Kasha, Wild Mushrooms and Tempeh

5 medium sized potatoes
2 cloves of garlic
fresh springs of rosemary, sage and thyme (or any one of them, you can also use dry herbs)
1 T miso
2-3T unsweetened almond milk
2T olive oil
coarse salt

1 1/2 cups roasted buckwheat groats
2 cups veggie broth or water
1 cup mixed mushrooms (chantrelles, oysters, but you can use brown, portabella or shitakes too)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1T mixed, rosemary, sage and thyme (dry)
1 egg (optional)
1T Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 tempeh patty, crumbled (i use the Greene Cuisine tempeh, its local to Victoria and delicious... you can buy it in ohter parts of Canada too - i know, i've seen it.  but really, any tempeh will do).

cook the potatoes, in skins.  until tender.  set aside to cool a little.
while the potatoes are cooking, heat some olive oil in a heavy skillet.  saute the garlic, onions and herbs with a pinch of sea salt.  when onions are translucent, add the mushrooms and saute for another 5-7 minutes until cooked.  add the buckwheat groats and toast with the mushrooms and onions for a few minutes, stirring.  add the broth and the crumbled tempeh, stir, bring to boil. then turn down the heat, cover with the lid and simmer until the buckwheat is cooked.  this should take about 15-20 minutes.  check in the meantime and add more water or broth if necessary. 

while the buckwheat is cooking, mash the warm potatoes with the olive oil, minced garlic, chopped herbs, almond milk and miso.  taste and add some pepper and coarse salt if necessary.  set aside.

crack and egg into the cooked kasha, add the Parmesan and stir well.  this step is optional and just helps to bind the kasha.  but you can easily omit it for a vegan version.

place the kasha in a pie dish or a round baking dish.  top with the potato mash.  sprinkle with a little olive oil an herbs.  bake at 373F for 30mins.  then broil for another 5 minutes to get the potato to turn golden.  serve with a side salad or some roasted veggies. some nice red wine or dark beer are fantastic accompaniments too!

dissertation meals, continued.... ten minute miso and soft polenta topped with dandelion and pepper pure

there is nothing, absolutely nothing, about these dishes that makes it necessary for one to have academic pursuits... the reason i call these meals, "dissertation meals", is to highlight just how non-time-consuming they are.  this is not to say that graduate studies and/or the life of a graduate student is somehow busier or more taxing than lives of people with full time occupations, be they the care of one's home and children, other dependents or a paid job.  not to even mention the legions of people who are juggling both, and more... compared to these folks, graduate students who have no caring responsibilities or sufficient funding to not have to subsidize their research with other work, such as myself, are perfectly, spoiled...  it is a well known fact that graduate students have more time on their hands than the average person... but there is something about having to juggle this massive project that makes it seem like there is NO TIME AT ALL... it never really leaves your vision... whether it is on the periphery, the horizon, or right there in front of you... its all about the thesis...  many of us have seen the graduate students who are too pale, too unhealthy, because they spend so much time at the library that they forget to eat, socialize, exercise.

well, i'm not about to do that! i think all of those things are crucial to keep sanity and have a healthy perspective - including an academic one.  that's why food and sharing it is a very important part of my academic life.  but time is still precious, so quick meals are good meals.  the dissertation series is precisely about that: good food, in no time (so that you can take more time to share it, or do other things you have to do!).

and the awesome thing about this is that most of us can use more time to share meals, rather than prepare them.  so, no dissertation-in-progress is required for you to enjoy these recipes!

today, i have 2 more...  the first is a ridiculously easy miso soup that takes ten minutes (its not really a recipe, but i'm putting it up anyways because sometimes its the very things that we don't need recipes for that we forget about).  unlike my usual miso soup, i made this one with sauteed peppers, zucchini and black kale... slightly different set of flavours than my usual shitake, nori miso.  not only delicious, this miso is a reminder that not having the ingredients that you "need" for a recipe should never, ever stop you from making food.  just open your fridge or pantry and substitute .... a dash of creativity and a willingness to stray from the recipe is fun and almost always yields good results!

the second dish is and a delicious soft polenta with goat's cheese, topped with dandelion greens and roasted red pepper pure.  this dish takes about 30 minutes to prepare, but the taste is pretty wonderful so you or your guests would never know!  and you can always veganize it by omitting the goats cheese and maybe substituting some blended silken tofu (with a little garlic and salt). or just adding some olive oil or a spoon full of earth balance margarine.   the goats cheese is really there to make the polenta creamy, but either of the options i mentioned will do the trick too.

ten minute miso

1 bell pepper, sliced thinly

1/2 white onion, sliced thinly
1/4 block of tofu, cubed
1 yellow or green zucchini
2-3T miso (any kind)
2-3 cups water
1T tamari or good quality soy sauce
1t sesame seeds
dash of chilies
1-2 sheets nori
1T sesame oil (though olive or grape seed would do as well)

boil the water.  

heat the oil, stir fry the onions, bell pepper, yellow zucchini and tofu for about 5 minutes, add the tamari half way through.

while stir frying, boil the water in a kettle or in a medium size pot. when boiled, turn off, let sit for 1 minute. add the miso and stir to dissolve (i find that using an egg beater works well for this, or just use a fork).  add the stir fried veggies and tofu to the miso.  cut or rip the nori into strips or chunks. add to the soup.  pour soup into bowls, garnish with sesame seeds and chili flakes.

soft polenta with goats cheese, dandelion greens and roasted red pepper pure. 

1 cup fine or medium cornmeal
1 small jar of roasted red peppers
1 bunch dandelion (but you can also use rappini/broccoli rabe, kale, mustard greens or watercress)
6 cloves garlic
4 cups of water or veggie broth
100g soft unripened goats cheese
1/3 cup almond meal
1-2 t coarse salt
1/2t dry rosemary
1t brown sugar
3T olive oil and more

bring the water or broth to boil.  if using water, salt it sufficiently.  add the rosemary.

while waiting for the water to boil, blend the roasted red peppers, 1T olive oil, 1t brown sugar and 1/3 cup blanched almond meal in a food processor or with a hand blender.  set aside.

when water is boiling, turn down the heat.  gradually add the cornmeal, stirring while adding.  keep the heat low because otherwise you'll be dealing with a geyser/volcano...  cover with a lid.  let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

while the polenta is cooking, heat 2T of olive oil in a pan.  add the garlic and saute for 1 min.  add the washed dandelion greens, cut into 2 inch long pieces.  saute with a dash of coarse salt for about 2-5 minutes.  if using other greens, such as broccoli rabe, it might take longer.  also, if using broccoli rabe/rappini, blanching it first helps to rid it off the bitterness... unless you like that flavour (i do!).

uncover the polenta, stir and taste it.  add a little more salt if necessary.  add 50g of goats cheese and stir it in gently until there are no chunks.  this will make the polenta very creamy!  you can now turn it off the heat.

serve the polenta by placing 1 generous ladle-full of polenta, topped with some greens and a dollop of roasted red pepper pure.  crumble some goats cheese and sprinkle some olive oil on top.  coarse/ground black pepper is nice too.

enjoy!

soup weather

it is a rainy vancouver afternoon; the heavy clouds heralding the end of summer and the coming of the  gray, dewy season.  but today, i don't mind it so much, because the light in my home is soft and cozy, and there is a steaming pot of soup on the stove and a couple of good friends coming over for lunch. i know that we'll share some food and a conversation, and that is enough to warm my spirit and part the clouds.

here is a nice fall soup that doesn't require many ingredients, and the ones it calls for are often staples in many kitchens, particularly vegetarian ones.  the soup is rustic and simple, but it has an earthy, deep flavour that will satisfy the gourmands as well.  you can pair it with some crusty, toasted bread and a dash of olive oil.  the soup is vegan, but you could also add a dollop of natural yogurt or sour cream if you eat dairy. 

provencal lentil, potato, porcini soup

3 medium potatoes (diced)
1 yellow zucchini squash (diced)
1 onion (diced)
1 cup french lentils (or green lentils)
1/4 bulb of fennel (optional) (diced)
5-6 dried porcini mushrooms
1T miso (optional)
1-1 1/2T provencal herbs (or mixed thyme, rosemary, lavender)
1t coarse salt
black pepper
2T olive oil
green parsley 

heat the olive oil, saute the onions with the salt until translucent
add the provencal herbs, the potatoes, the zucchini squash and the fennel - saute for about 3-5mins
add the lentils, mix and pour in 4 cups of water or veggie broth (optional); or enough to cover all the veggies with about an inch of water covering them.  add the porcini mushrooms.
bring to boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 30mins or until the potatoes and lentils are soft.  add the miso (miso is my secret ingredient in this soup - its optional, but i love the dimension of flavour that it adds - particularly when you use mushrooms and potatoes in a recipe.  i mix the miso with a little soup stock in a separate bowl and then add it into the rest of the soup).
take of the heat, and let sit for 10 mins.  taste and add more salt, black pepper to taste. 
garnish with fresh, chopped parsley.

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.

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