Duck Fat Potato Galette

In the North of the North Hemisphere we have access to an overwhelming number of vegetarian ingredients.  While this gives Northerners plenty of inspiration and opportunity for vegetarian cooking, this recipe isn't one of those offerings. It could be, but the duck fat (or bacon, if it's on hand) really brings this side into its own.  The point I'm trying to get to is that my vegetarian adventures have also changed my meat ones. I appreciate animal products more and am keen to avoid wasting any part of them. This means bones are used in stock, organ meats prepared and fats rendered and stored for later use. While likely a no-brainer for some of you, I would have thrown out much of the 'extras' a decade ago.

The duck fat used in this recipe came from a duck (my first!) I prepared earlier this fall. I knew ducks were fat birds, but once I trimmed the excess duck fat off this one, was surprised at just how much fat there was. I fried the duck skin, jarred the rendered fat and ate the skin as cracklin. If you're not preparing duck, save your bacon fat for this recipe. I'm sure the results will knock your socks off.

If you don't have a springform pan, you can arrange the potatoes without one. This shouldn't impact the taste of the galette. I used a mandoline to slice the veggies and always do when I need thin and relatively uniform cuts of a product. They usually run anywhere between $20-$60, take up very little space and should last you for..well, forever. Here's the version we have:  https://www.amazon.ca

Adapted From: https://www.bonappetit.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 small, yellow onion, thinly sliced.
• 2 T duck fat, melted
• 3 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1 t caraway seeds
• 1 t flake salt 
• 1/2 t fresh ground pepper 

Method

Preheat oven to 425F. Cover a baking sheet with a piece of tin foil or parchment paper.  Place a 10" springform ring in the centre of the sheet.

Heat the caraway seeds in a frying pan for a minute, or until they become fragrant. Pour the seeds into a resealable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, duck fat, salt, pepper and seeds. Mix well and then add the potato slices, coating them evenly with the fat mixture. In another bowl, combine the remaining tablespoon of butter with the onion slices, coating evenly.

Arrange about a 1/4 of the potatoes on the base of the springform pan, to cover the bottom. Top with a thin layer of onion slices and repeat with a layer of potatoes and onions, ending with a final layer of potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes or until the potato edges have browned and look crispy. 

Roasted Cauliflower with Mushrooms

Side dish or entree: you pick. Add some sun dried tomatoes in olive oil for a touch of sweetness or swap out the watercress for cilantro to give the curry a bit more punch. There are any number of ways to modify this dish, but frankly, it was delicious without any additional ingredients. I served this as a side dish with a filet of cod and give the pairing two thumbs up.  


From: http://thesmoothielover.com

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

Ingredients

• 2 cups cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 t salt
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped into bite size pieces
• 2 t olive oil
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews
• handful of watercress leaves
• 1 t curry paste 
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F.  In a bowl, add the tablespoon of olive oil, salt and cauliflower, tossing until the all cauliflower is coated with the oil.  Place the cauliflower on a cookie sheet and roast until golden; about 20 minutes. While the cauliflower is roasting, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms in and toss until coated in the oil.  Saute the mushrooms for about 4 minutes and then set them aside. When the cauliflower is roasted, remove from the oven and combine it in a large bowl with the curry paste. Add the mushrooms, cashews and watercress and season the dish with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Beet & Potato Latkes

If you are one of the many who have become carb-conscious in recent years, you have reason to be. Studies comparing low fat, high carb, low calorie diets to low carb, high protein, high fat diets have shown that the low carb diet weight loss results were better, as were improvements in certain risk factors for coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Further detail can be provided here:  www.nejm.org

And here: www.nejm.org

Also here:  press.endocrine.org

Starchy vegetables are often targeted by the carb police as their glycemic index (GI), the rate at which carbs are absorbed into the blood stream, ranks high compared to other vegetables. A low GI ranges between 0-50, a medium GI ranges between 51-69 and a high GI from 70-100. Beets have a medium GI at 64, while potatoes rank higher, but the numbers provided via several studies vary considerably. I've found GI's ranging from between 58 to 111 just for russet potatoes as an example. For a sample GI index, check out this link: http://www.health.harvard.edu

Worth noting is that fiber is a form of carbohydrate which, in soluble form helps block the absorption of cholesterol. As fiber is indigestable, it can be deducted from the carb calculation of the food in question. 

Here's something else to consider: you need carbs. Carbohydrates are the body's way of providing fuel to its' cells and tissue.  About 130 grams per day is a good target to work towards.

With this in mind, I made myself a batch of beet and potato latkes yesterday. In addition to carbohydrates, potatoes cover a lot of other territory. A russet potato contains more potassium at 620 mg each than a banana, a serving of broccoli or spinach. It also provides a healthy dose of vitamins C and B6. Beets on the other hand are a good source of manganese and folate and help balance out the GI index of these latkes.

Now that we've overanalyzed these latkes, let's make and eat them.

Beet and Potato Latkes

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

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 2 large beets
• 2 green onions
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• coarse salt & pepper to taste
• 1 T coconut oil
• chopped dill to serve
• sour cream to serve

Method

Prepare the vegetables by peeling and grating the potatoes and beets and finely chopping the green onions. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, beets and onions with the flour, salt and pepper. Add the eggs, mixing well until the egg covers all the ingredients. Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan on medium heat. Add a scoop of the mixture about a 1/4 - 1/3 cup in size to the pan and flatten it to form a patty. Cook the patty for approximately 6 minutes on each side. I opted to cook my latkes for longer than the original recipe specified, because I was experimenting with using less heat on my cast iron pan. The result was less smoke and spitting while the latkes were on the stovetop. Add a handful of chopped dill and dollops of sour cream to the latkes when serving.

References:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu

http://www.livestrong.com

http://www.health.harvard.edu

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com

Japanese Eggplant

Behold the Japanese eggplant! It tastes remarkably like a regular eggplant, so I really can't tell you why I would use it over the standard one. I also have no idea what inspired its' name as none of the versions I've seen really look like an egg in the first place. So why would you eat eggplant? Well, I've asked myself that very question. I don't find them all that flavourful, but they seem to come alive when roasted or grilled. This may also be because I top them with all kinds of things such as chile paste or pesto and a soft cheese once off the grill. They make a good base...kind of like an odd textured cracker.

What I didn't know about eggplants is that they are a fruit and are loaded with all sorts of goodies. For instance, eggplants have fiber, iron, potassium, folate, manganese and calcium in them. Good news! So if you are interested in getting loaded up with vitamins and minerals, consider this odd little number and try the following recipes.

Grilled Eggplant topped with Yoghurt and Dill

It is as easy as it sounds.

I tried slicing two Japanese eggplants both horizontally and vertically and had more success with the horizontal slices. I brushed each slice with a little olive oil and roasted them on a grill plate in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400F. Half way through, I flipped each slice to get an even grill on both sides.

The sauce is just a cup of 2% yoghurt with some chopped dill, salt and pepper in it. I seasoned the eggplant slices with salt and pepper once out of the oven and then topped some of them with the yoghurt sauce.


Roasted Cauliflower with Walnuts, Gruyere and Eggplant on a Bed of Spinach

I reserved most of the horizontal slices of eggplant for this salad. I used half a head of cauliflower,
brushing each bite-size piece with some olive oil and roasting them in the oven on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes at 450F. Once roasted, I built each serving individually arranging a handful of spinach on each plate, followed by a few walnut pieces, some cubed Gruyere, a handful of the cauliflower and the eggplant. I used about a half cup each of cubed Gruyere, walnuts and eggplant to make four servings. Each of the salads was topped off with a drizzle of olive oil and some quality salt and cracked pepper.

Cherry Balsamic Pork Chops, Quinoa Pilaf & a Crunchy Salad

While I know I haven't stopped eating, I couldn't figure out why the blog entries have suddenly come to a halt. My analysis brought several excuses. First and foremost was the elusive patio. I've hit every patio I could find over the last month, which has kept me out of the house and the kitchen. Summer cooking also seems less like cooking than the experiments I try in the winter. I think barbecues just call for simplicity and I haven't quite figured out how to make my grill-top creations exciting enough to write about. Finally, I pulled out several of my old favorites and repeat entries just don't make for good reading.

Now that I've given you all my excuses, here's what I ate for Sunday dinner. A good price on pork chops and incessant rain called for an attempt at a way to make pork chops juicy and delicious. I included some goods sides that I can carry as lunches too. 

Pork Chops in Balsamic Cherry Sauce

Adapted From: Fairchild, B. (2006). The Bon Appetit Cookbook. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. p. 293. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4, 140g pork chops
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette*
• 2 T butter
• 2 shallots, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dried cherries

Method

Place the pork and vinaigrette in a dish to marinate for 15 minutes. Make sure that the chops are turned at least once to coat.

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Lift the pork from the marinade, shaking off the excess liquid and place in the skillet, reserving the marinade. Sprinkle the pork with pepper. Saute until brown, at least three minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a plate. Add the shallot to the skillet and stir until soft, about one minute. Add the broth, cherries and reserved marinade and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping off the brown bits from the sides of the pan. Return the pork to the skillet and simmer, turning the pork once until it is cooked through, the cherries are tender and the sauce has thickened, about four minutes. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper if required. Transfer the pork to plates, top with the sauce and serve.

*You can make your own by whisking a 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar with 1/4 cup of any oil of your choice and seasoning it with salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of dijon mustard for some additional kick.

Quinoa Pilaf with Mushrooms & Caramelized Onions

Opted for oyster and porcini mushrooms 

From: http://eat-drink-love.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/3 cup toast pine nuts
• 2 T parsley, chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Bring the broth and quinoa to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. While the quinoa is cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and let cook for about a minute. Empty the quinoa into a bowl and add the mushroom mix to it, mixing well.  Toss in the pine nuts, parsley, salt and pepper and serve.

Chopped Salad with Feta, Lime and Basil

Adapted from: http://smittenkitchen.com

• 3 cups, crunchy vegetables, chopped
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 T chopped basil
• 1 t chili powder
• 2 T lime juice
• 2 T olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

The original recipe used various wax beans, cucumber and radishes for the vegetables along with mint as the herb of choice. I opted for green beans, asparagus, both blanched, radishes and basil as my herb. Go nuts with your favorite herbs and veg people!! That's what this salad is meant for!

Combine the vegetables, feta, onions, sunflower seeds and basil into a bowl. In a separate dish, add the lime juice with the oil, chili powder, salt and pepper. Whisk well until all ingredients are well combined. Add the dressing to your vegetables and toss well. This salad can be eaten immediately, but makes for great leftovers.

Peanutty Green Beans

I had purchased green beans a little over a week ago and had forgotten about them. Of course a week later, the beans had aged enough that I didn't think they would be ideal served neat. While still edible, I went looking for a way to spice them up. Ta-da! This peanut sauce was divine and surprisingly light when served with the beans. We served this with barbecued chicken and some chopped fresh tomatoes.   Definitely a favorite summer meal!

From: http://keepyourdietreal.com

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 450 g fresh green beans 
• 1 T honey
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 t sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T fresh grated ginger
• 1 T peanut butter
• chopped red pepper to garnish

Method

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the green beans for approximately 2 minutes. You may want to blanch these for less time if your beans are fresh. Strain the blanched beans in a strainer and rinse well with very cold water to stop the beans from cooking any further. 

In a separate bowl combine the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, garlic, ginger and peanut butter. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Add the beans to the dressing and toss well. Top with the chopped red pepper and either serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled. 

Cider Roasted Carrots & Apples

I did it again! I managed to make a meal from odds and ends around the house! Man, this should become a reality show cooking challenge. I am on to something.


I am a meal planner and enjoy looking forward to my next meal. Perhaps this is a little unhealthy at times, but this is my thing. Last night I couldn't think of what to eat or where to go to eat if all else failed. I just wasn't inspired. We had a little leftover chicken, some salami, a few old vegetables and some herbs remaining from past menus. My leftover cabbage was sautéed with butter, a few greens onions, salt and ground pepper. The chicken was cut into smaller pieces and thrown in our cast iron skillet with slices of salami to spice things up. The carrots I forgot to take to lunch this week were tossed with apple slices in a mix of olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, rosemary and roasted to round out the meal. They were a delicious and modernized take on the orange-glazed carrots my mom used to make for us as kids. Hooray for scraps!


From: http://munchinwithmunchkin.com

• 1 lb baby carrots, peeled and tops removed
• 1 apple, cored and sliced
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 t fresh rosemary
• ¼ cup apple cider
• 1 T honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F

In a large bowl toss carrots and apples in olive oil and rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer carrots and apples to a medium roasting dish and pour apple cider over top. Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove foil and drizzle carrots with honey. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes, until carrots are tender and liquid has reduced. Serve warm, drizzled with sauce.

Rocking Squash

Buttercup, butternut, acorn, scallop, ambercup, banana, delicata... the list goes on. I was introduced to the kaboche squash over Christmas and got my first glimpse of how truly unique a flavour it is. Similar to a buttercup squash, when grilled, this veggie is smoky in flavour and filling. Ruedi's mom nailed it's flavour: it tastes like a roasted chestnut. We've been slicing up various squashes over the summer and throwing them on the barbeque for about 25 minutes at medium heat. This is the kind of experiment I live for. I little salt and pepper after they've been pulled from the heat seals the deal.

Potatoes & Other Ramblings

My idea appeared as somewhat of a revelation last year, but I've been adopting it in ever-increasing frequency over the last few months. Part of this trend has to do with Ruedi's mom's visit. She brought gifts of market preserves and pickles and that, combined with a trip to the St. Albert Farmer's Market (awesome, by the way!), got my brain juices flowing.

At the market, Ruedi picked up a pound of bacon. Of course, your city-born yokel over here did a double take at the price. This must have been a species of Nepalese, vegan pig that had been slaughtered according to some pork-eating faith. Nope it was just a friendly, happy farm-raised pig that was raised right. I cooked it a few days later and left much of the bacon in the pan in the form of fat. Instead of throwing out the fat, I threw it in a jar and used it in lieu of butter or oil in a few recipes. Why had I not thought of this before? What, do I have my head up my arse? The flavour of the fat was a spectacular addition and it made sense to get every little bit out of that package of bacon. I was smug.

So this concept evolved to include the brine in pickle jars. I've saved brine on occasion to add to salads as part of a dressing. The oils in my artichoke and sundried tomato jars have been set aside too for further use. I know this is basic stuff people, but I feel like freaking Einstein. Anyways, the last few tablespoons of bacon fat were used tonight in a grilled potato mix that was thrown on the barbeque  (see pics below). I added a little fat as well to some chopped kohlrabi and a unique-looking cabbage that I think is called a Spitfire. Great flavour, but watch out for the gas!