Smoked Salmon Pea Quinoa Pilaf

If there's ever been a theme to this blog beyond cooking, it's likely that of the one-pot dish. I grew up on meat and vegetables and enjoyed it. I like going from one side of my plate to another sampling different items. Maybe an interest in minimizing the clean up lead me in this direction. Or the ease of lunch packing, for that matter. Either way, I'm consistently drawn to a single dish as a meal.

Did I mention I'm all over seafood this month? I wish I was writing this post from Vancouver or Halifax, where the fish is as fresh as fresh can be. Ultimately this may be why I go for smoked salmon, as it's well preserved! This recipe has a preliminary step: the paleo mayonnaise. I hummed and hawed at the thought of making it. I had bought an aioli at a recent market trip and figured it would make an easy substitute. Instead, I made it. Having sweet potatoes on hand made me think it was worth the effort. It takes another 5 minutes and gives the salad a nice, garlicky infusion. Pack some gum if you're taking this to work!


From:http://thelittlegreenspoon.com
Serves 6

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 2 t stock seasoning (Knorr/Oxo)
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 100g smoked salmon, chopped
• 2 T dill, minced

Paleo Mayonnaise

• 1 egg
• 4 t lemon juice
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• pinch of salt

Dressing

• 4 T paleo mayonnaise
• 1 t dijon mustard
• juice of a lemon

Method

Boil two cups of water to a boil. Add the quinoa, stock seasoning, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove lid and fluff with a fork. Prepared peas either by boiling or microwaving them for about 3 minutes. Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

To prepare the mayonnaise, crack an egg in a blender and add the lemon juice. Blend on low for a few seconds to allow the two to mix. Combine the coconut and olive oil and while the blender is on low, slowly add the oils. This should take a few minutes and will allow the mixture to thicken. Once all the oil has been added, throw in the garlic and salt and blend another 20 seconds. The mayonnaise can be stored in the refrigerator, but will need to be brought back to room temperature before using as the coconut oil hardens with the cold temperature.

For the dressing, combine all ingredients and stir well. Pour in with the pilaf and toss well, allowing the dressing to coat all ingredients. Serve with sprigs of dill.

A Leaner, Easier Chicken Pot Pie

My cooking philosophy changes as often as my mood. I enjoy making as much as I can from scratch, but I cheat often. I soak dried beans one week and buy canned the next. I make a cake from scratch for a birthday and then use a mix for brownies. Any number of factors influence my decision to do it one way or another. The decision to try this easy recipe was also easy. It looked and sounded like a simple and delicious way to make more of the comfort food I've been craving. I was sure glad I took a short cut in this case: I was out of time by the time I got to making dinner. Cheating or not, this chicken pot pie is delicious.

Adapted from: http://www.cookinlean.com/

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 can of low fat cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup no salt added or low sodium chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups reduced fat Bisquick mix
• 1 cup 1% milk
• salt and pepper to tasted

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large casserole dish coated with nonstick spray, layer the chicken onto the bottom of the dish. Top the chicken with the carrots, celery and frozen peas. Whisk together the stock, soup and salt and pepper if needed in a separate container. Add the mixture overtop of the chicken and vegetables. Combine the milk and Bisquick mix, whisking well to remove any lumps. Pour the batter over top of the pie. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the top of the pie has browned. 

Shepherd's Pie for the Sophistimacated

Oh the weather outside is...well you know what it is. In the spirit of Mad Men, I am considering getting an apartment near work, not so I can have a mistress like the male cast members, but so I can avoid a two-hour commute home when the bad whether socks in. 

It's a good thing I had comfort food waiting for me when I got home. Thick, rich, whipped potatoes, blended with Greek yogurt and parsley and buried underneath: a bed of ground beef, vegetables and spices. This is a leaner version of Shepherd's Pie and one worth making on the weekend because it makes for great leftovers. I call this recipe sophistimacated because I doubt the Irish had all the spices and perhaps even the vegetables available for this version. Luckily, I do!

Only slightly modified from: http://jenessasdinners.blogspot.ca

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1lb lean or extra lean ground beef
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped carrots
• 1 1/2 cups of green peas ( I used frozen)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped and divided in half
• 1 1/2 cups of stock
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 t dried thyme 
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 t ground coriander
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• pinch of allspice
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 T corn starch disolved in 2 T water
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (I chose 2%)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.

While the potatoes cook, sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, carrots and thyme and cook until soft. Blend in the tomato paste. As the vegetables cook, break up the ground beef in a bowl and mix in the oregano, half of the parsley, coriander, cayenne and allspice. Add the seasoned beef in small amounts to the vegetables that are cooking until all is added and cooked through. Add the peas and stock and simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

While the beef mixture is simmering, drain the potatoes and mash them, adding the Greek yogurt and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. 

Once the stew's stock has reduced, add the corn starch mixture, stirring well. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and top with the potatoes. Place under a broiler on high until the potato topping peaks is golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Remove and serve with the remaining parsley sprinkled on top of the pie. 

Weeknight Cooking Part 1 of 3: Chinese Chicken Salad

On the quest for quick, wholesome meals, I went digging for recipes that can be prepared in pinch. I narrowed it down to three, the first of which is tonight's entry. In the case of this particular recipe, I would modify how the veggies are chopped if you need to quicken the pace a little. This took me about forty minutes to prepare. 

I was surprised by how good this salad was. It certainly looked test-worthy as depicted in this month's Chatelaine magazine, but it exceeded my expectations. This was a contribution of Gwyneth Paltrow's and while her version included steamed chicken infused with ginger and star anise, I opted out of the steamer and chose my frying pan and some oil. Easy peasy and a little less perfect than Gwyneth's recipe. You'll get over it.

The version below is my modified version. If you want the original, check it out: http://www.chatelaine.com

Serves 4 as an entree

Ingredients

Salad

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 T canola oil
• Head of Romaine lettuce, finely chopped
• 1 cup snow peas, julienned
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3 T loosely chopped cilantro
• 2 red chilis, diced (optional)
• 1 T toasted sesame seeds

Dressing

• 3 T hoisin sauce
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 3 T rice vinegar
• 1/4 water
• 1/2 t salt

Method

Heat the oil in a large fry pan on high heat.  If you find the breasts aren't thick enough to cook all the way through when pan fried, slice them in horizontally in half. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper before adding them to the pan. Let them cook for 3 minutes each side or until cooked through. Remove from pan and when the chicken has cooled enough to handle, tear the chicken into bite-size strips.

While the chicken is cooking, combine the salad ingredients and set aside. Next, combine the dressing ingredients, mixing well with a whisk. Finally, add the chicken to the salad and toss well. Serve the salad in individual bowls and dress accordingly...no white after Labour Day. Gawd, I'm clever!

Quinoa & Pea Spiced Croquettes

In the quest for snacks, I've decided to get a little creative. I'm tired of humus and vegetables, fruit or whatever I usually snack on. If these croquettes were a little more gluey, they'd be easy treats to pack. Add a little Sriracha and/or sour cream to them for some extra kick.

The original recipe did not include an egg, but I added it part way through my patty making process because I needed a binding agent. I'm not sure how the original chef made it happen without one. If you don't feel like making these into patties, this also acts as a nice hash. Grill a little fish or meat of your choosing and serve it on top.

Adapted from: http://www.cookrepublic.com/

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 russet potatoes, peeled, chopped and mashed

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked

• 1/2 cup peas fresh or frozen

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 egg

• 2 t ground cumin

• 1 t garam masala

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• salt and pepper to taste

• olive oil for frying

Method

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic and saute for a minute and then add the peas, mixing well with the garlic and oil. Pour the pea mixture into a bowl and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and return to low heat. 

Add the potatoes, quinoa, cilantro, cumin, garam masala and salt to the peas and mix well. Form the mix into little patties or croquettes and set aside.

Pour about two tablespoons of oil in the fry pan and bring the heat up to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, place about four of the croquettes in the pan and cook each side for about four minutes, flipping gently as needed. Repeat with the remaining croquettes and serve warm with Sriracha sauce and a little sour cream.

Pesto Pea Salad

I know this blog is drowning in salad recipes, but I'm hoping they are as useful to others as they are to me. I enjoy creamy potato and pasta salads, but am well aware that they are loaded with mayo, other hidden fats and sugars. This version of a pasta salad supplements some of that mayo with yoghurt, which not only offers more in the way of food value, but reduces the fat content too. Go for 2% greek yoghurt and you'll cut out even more fat (although, I did not do that here!). While pesto is loaded with olive oil, again it is a better alternative to mayo as far as nutritive value. I did the unthinkable and fattened up this bad boy with parmesan and prosciutto. I am ok with this decision. I was a delicious one.

Adapted from: http://soupaddict.com/

Serves 6 

Ingredients

• 350 g of dried pasta
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• 1/2 cup greek yoghurt
• 2 T mayonnaise
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas (thawed)
• 2 big handfuls of spinach
• 1/4 radishes sliced
• grated parmesan to garnish
• pepper to taste

Method

Prepare the dressing by combining the yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pesto and mixing well.  Cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside. Blanch the spinach in boiling water for approximately one minute. Mix the pasta with half of the salad dressing, adding more to taste as per your preference.  Finally, add the vegetables and toss well. I topped my salad servings with fresh pepper, parmesan and some leftover prosciutto.

Peppercorn Tofu Stirfry

Adapted from http://torviewtoronto.blogspot.com

Serves 4

• 2 T oil
• 1 pkt (about 400g) tofu cut into 1" cubes
• 2 green onions chopped
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• 2 cups sugar snap peas
• 2 cups of bean sprouts
• 1 t peppercorns
• 1 t sugar
• 1 T oyster sauce
• 1 T soya sauce 

Using a mortar and pestle grind the peppercorns and sugar, set aside.

Heat oil in a fry pan. Add the tofu and toss periodically until all sides are golden. Add the garlic and let saute for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in the sugar snap peas, sprouts and green onion with the tofu mix. Saute for 3 minutes. Finally add the pepper, sugar, oyster sauce, and soya sauce. 

This can be eaten on its own, as a side, mixed with rice or noodles.

Spring Onion & Pea Soup

I bought a Bamix-brand hand mixer the other week, after hearing great reviews from family. It's Swiss-made which you'll notice is an ongoing theme in this household. The other half, known as Ruedi, is of Swiss origin. He's a big believer that anything made in Switzerland is made to last. He just might be right. Anyways, I've been looking for things to blend so that I can test out this bad boy and found this soup recipe in a recent edition of Canadian House & Home magazine. It's a mild soup that can be served hot or cold. A dollop of sour cream adds some punch to it, so don't skimp on that. 


Adapted from: May 2011 edition of Canadian House & Home


Serves 6

• 1 T butter
• 2 bunches of green onions chopped, with the white roots and dark green ends removed
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 3 1/2 cups of young sweet peas (frozen or fresh)
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (I had leftover wine and opted to use this instead)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Sour cream to garnish

In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions. Saute for a few minutes until soft. Add the stock, bring to a boil and then add the peas. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the lemon zest and vinegar and using a blender or food processor, blend the soup until smooth. Serve hot or cold, with a little sour cream to garnish the soup.