Honey-Balsamic Roasted Strawberry Parfait

My smoothies, while delightful, look like dirty snow blended with compost, thanks to less-than-perfect blending technology. I have a decent blender, but it doesn't pulverize my ingredients like our nation's most coveted blender, the Vitamix Pro Series 300 (one day....one day).  I end up with bits of green and seeds floating in a purple-grey fog. I drink these little numbers at the office almost daily, but get odd looks and a number of questions from passers by. I also get all sorts of stuff in my teeth.

This weekend, as I was perusing through my favorite recipe resource, Tastespotting, I found a delightful looking snack that became a contender as an alternative to my compost smoothy. I put these into jars so they were portable and had one today following my cardio-intensive, morning email review. Two words: Deeee-lish.  Wait..just one: Yum.

From: http://www.2teaspoons.com

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh strawberries, sliced
• 2 T honey
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups plain, Greek yoghurt
• handful of oats and/or chopped nuts to top

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F. Toss the strawberries in honey and balsamic vinegar and pour onto a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and allow the strawberries to cool completely. Layer bowls or jars with a few dollops of yoghurt, then the strawberries and repeat with both ingredients. Top each serving with chopped nuts, oats or a combination of your choosing.

Deliciously Easy Pad Thai

I'm really excited about this recipe and the results it produced after only one attempt. Over the years I've tried making a number of my favorite restaurant dishes and have had mixed success. This particular recipe however, produced restaurant-quality results. It's exciting to think that the next time I crave Pad Thai, I will have to debate whether to eat it at a nearby Thai restaurant or make it myself.

Asian noodle dishes, particularly Vietnamese and Thai, have been this mythical creature I can sort of mimic, but can't quite figure out. While the recipes are straight forward, it's the rice noodles that trip me up the most. I've had really poor luck getting noodles to the consistency I've had in restaurants. I think I treat them much like I would egg noodles, which just doesn't work for the rice variety. This recipe I used gives some basic tips for getting your noodles right and I managed to nail it the first time. From start to finish, it took me 40 minutes to prepare. It's a pretty straight forward one pot dish and all things considered, inexpensive to make. While you can swap out tamarind paste for vinegar, if you have access to an Asian market, I'd make the effort to get the paste. The original recipe calls for a banana flower and preserved turnip. I actually did go looking for these items but not surprisingly, couldn't find them in Edmonton, Alberta. I omitted them from my own version of this recipe as a result.









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

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup peanuts or cashews
• 2 shallots, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 red chilis, minced
• 1 package extra firm tofu, patted dry
• 1 package (454g) Thai rice noodles
• 12 t fish sauce
• 4 T sugar
• 6 T tamarind paste
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• 1 cup chives
• 1 package frozen shrimp, thawed (454g)
• 2 eggs
• 2 limes 

Method

To start, soak the noodles in a pot of lukewarm water while you prepare the other ingredients.  Make sure the noodles are completely submerged in water. Mince the garlic, chilis and shallots together and set aside. Cut the tofu and chives into matchstick-size pieces and set aside in separate bowls. Mix the sugar, fish sauce and tamarind past in a bowl and set aside. Rinse the bean sprouts and shell the shrimp for later use.

Heat the oil on medium in a wok or large saucepan (I don't have a wok, so I used a large pot). Add the nuts, tossing well to coat with the oil. Once slightly browned, add the shallots, chilis and garlic, sautéing for about 3 minutes. Brown the tofu pieces over the course of 5-10 minutes. Drain and add the noodles tossing well to blend well with all the other ingredients. Test the noodles to ensure they are a soft, but firm consistency. If you prefer them softer at this point, add a little water to the pot. Add the sauce and again, toss well to coat with all the ingredients. Push the noodles to one side of the pot and crack the eggs into the remaining space. Let the eggs fry for about 1 minute and then blend them in with the noodle mixture. Add the shrimp and continue to toss the noodles until the shrimp have lost their translucency. Add two thirds of the sprouts and chives, combining them well with the noodles and set aside for 2 minutes. Serve the dish with lime wedges and top each serving with the remaining fresh chives and sprouts.

Winter Panzanella & Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil Soup

A belated happy new year to you! May your pots not stick and your belly be full. That is as wise a saying as I could come up with.

I am, like everybody else, back on the good-for-you-food bandwagon. I have traded my party shoes for runners and swapped trips to the wine bar with trips to the yoga studio. Actually I still hit the bar, but after yoga.

This year however, my partner in crime, Ruedi has gone walkabout for six months and while I'm excited for him,  I am missing my food Hoover. Nobody can suck back leftovers like Ruedi. In my haste to get groceries this week, I neglected to downsize these first recipes of the year in consideration of his absence. I should have known when the original recipe for the salad below called for six, count 'em, six freaking beets that I would wind up with way too much food!

So...while I was able to freeze the soup, I will never make the panzanella again. I ate this dish a total of eight times this week. It was great the first time, lovely the second time and doable the third time. After that, I felt like I was just choking it down to rid myself of the leftovers. I know Ruedi will be surprised that I ate all of the leftovers, because I rarely eat an item more than three times after I've made it. Well Ruedi, I did it. 

So, enjoy these lovely dishes, because despite the fact that I'm over them, they are great recipes and healthy ones at that. The panzanella has so many options for variation. If I was to make it again, I'd play around with different kind of vegetables, throw in some roasted cashews or seeds and cheese would of course make a good addition too. When doesn't it?

As for the soup, the tanginess of the peppers combined with pesto gives it a zing I really enjoyed. The original recipe calls for basil, but I couldn't find any nearby. I had loads of pesto on hand, so I opted to throw that into the soup instead.

Winter Panzanella

From: http://blog.kj.com


Ingredients

• 6 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 6 medium beets. peeled and cubed
• 2 fennel bulbs, chopped
• 2 cups butternut squash chopped
• 1 shallot minced
• 4 cups bread, cubed
• 2 cups kale, finely chopped
• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Toss the bread cubes with a generous amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Combine the carrots, fennel, beets and squash in a bowl and toss with more olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place the vegetables on another baking sheet and roast them for about 30 minutes or until the edges are browned.

In a large bowl, combine the bread and roasted vegetables with the kale, shallots, parsley and apple and pour a generous amount of balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the mix. Add some coarse salt and fresh ground pepper and toss the salad well. Serve immediately.





Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil Soup

Note that you'll need to prepare the roasted red pepper sauce as part of this soup recipe. It can be made a day in advance if needed.

Adapted From: http://cali-zona.com


Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• 4 large bell peppers
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 T pesto
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t paprika

Method

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the peppers in half and remove their seeds. Place them face down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the skin begins to blacken and bubble. When cooled, peel the skin off of the peppers.

Blanch the tomatoes by dropping them in a pot of boiling water for about a minute. Once removed and cooled, peel the skins from the flesh.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the garlic and let it flavour the oil for a few seconds. Follow with the onion and shallots, sautéing until translucent. Add the wine and simmer until reduced and syrupy in texture.

In a food processor or blender, combine the peppers, tomatoes, onion mixture and pesto and puree the ingredients. Pour the mixture back into the pan and add the lemon juice, pepper and paprika. Allow the sauce to simmer for about ten minutes and season to taste with coarse salt.

The Soup

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups red lentils
• 1 batch roasted pepper sauce (recipe above) 
• 8 cups water
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 t hot paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a strainer, rinse the lentils well. Add them to a large pot with the eight cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium to allow the lentils to cook for 25 minutes. Once the lentils are soft add the remaining ingredients and allow to cook on medium heat for another 5-10 minutes.

Mushroom, Barley & Brie Soup

You can bet that smoothy and salad posts will start to dominate this blog in about one week's time. Until then, why not load up a perfectly healthy soup with 6 oz of brie? After reading the original recipe, I could hear my digestive track cursing. It doesn't love dairy as much as my taste buds do. Despite the warning signs, my body didn't revolt. I hope that encourages those of you with dairy aversions to give this one a go.

On the mushroom front, I hit the Italian market again for produce and opted for a blend of Crimini and Shitake mushrooms. Both have a rich woody aroma and flavour. The kitchen permeated with this white wine and earthy scent. This is the kind of soup that really celebrates winter and gathering with friends and family. 

Adapted from: http://pinchandswirl.com

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 2 T fresh thyme
• 1 t ground white pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, sliced
• 6 oz brie, rinds removed
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, shallots, celery and carrots and sauté for about two minutes. Add the barley and white wine and cook for another two minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, thyme, white pepper and mushrooms and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer for 50 minutes. Fold in the brie and season further with salt and pepper. 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

If you're looking for a guiltless cookie...if such a thing exists, I would nominate this chocolate crinkle variety. When I hunt for EBF recipes, I typically make my selection based on their associated photographs. It's the visual that draws me in and this recipe was no exception. The fact that it didn't have flour or butter in it struck me as a warning, but I made it anyways and am glad I did.

These cookies are little doses of intense chocolate flavour. The ingredient list will tell you that right away. They have a bit of a crunch to them, followed by a gooey, soft centre. This may be too much chocolate for some, but they're perfect for a chocolate lover like me.

The original recipe included a little almond extract, in addition to your choice of other flavours, like espresso, peppermint extract or orange peel. I opted not to include any of these features, but you may want to reconsider.

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

Ingredients

• 7 oz bittersweet chocolate (65-70% cocoa)
• 3 egg whites
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 T corn starch
• 1/4 t salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Cut half of the chocolate into small chunks and set aside. Place the remaining chocolate in a double boiler or, if you don't have one, in a bowl that rests on top of a pot. Fill the pot with water, so that the water doesn't touch the base of the bowl sitting over it. Bring the water to a boil, allowing the chocolate to melt.

Prepare the dry ingredients by whisking a cup of the powdered sugar with the cornstarch, salt and cocoa into a medium-sized bowl.

With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they start to form foam peaks. As the egg whites thicken, gradually add in a half cup of the powdered sugar. With your mixer on low, add in the whisked, dry ingredients with the egg whites. Follow with the melted chocolate and chocolate chunks until well combined.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, place equal spoonfuls of the cookie dough into the sugar and coat them evenly. Transfer the cookies to your baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes.

Bean Week: Crushed Lentils with Tahini and Cumin

And this is part two! I even had a third bean dish on trial this week, but its recipe will have to wait for another day. This lentil dish is divine and an easy weeknight meal for those looking for a dish to prepare on a meatless Monday or any evening where time is tight.

If you are preparing this dish on a weeknight, prepare the lentils in advance and store them for another meal. I do the bulk of my cooking on Sunday and soak beans and/or prepare lentils for use later on in the week. By Wednesday or Thursday, the Sunday leftovers are gone, so the beans and lentils get thrown into salads, casseroles or dishes like this. These little numbers tide Ruedi and I over until the weekend.

From: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried french lentils
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 t cumin
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 T lemon juice
• salt and ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 of a small red onion, sliced
• 4 eggs, boiled
• smoked paprika to garnish each serving

Method

To prepare the lentils, soak a cup of lentils in three cups of water for an hour, then simmer the lentils in the water for thirty minutes. Drain the lentils and set aside.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a fry pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and cumin, allowing the garlic a chance to scent the oil. Toss in the tomatoes, half the cilantro and the lentils, stirring them to coat them in the oil and spices.

Stir in the tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper and allow to simmer for two minutes. Serve the lentils with boiled eggs on the side.

Bean Week: Pumpkin Cornbread Baked Bean Casserole

I had to apologize in advance to my coworkers for this week's recipes. I knew they would lead to some tooty afternoons.

First up were the baked beans. I like the idea of this casserole and would make it again, but without the cinnamon in the corn bread mixture. I want either a neutral or cheesy-based bread topping over the beans, not a slightly sweet, cinnamon mixture. I get enough of the sweet this time of year without having to incorporate it into my entrees. My entry below doesn't include the syrup and cinnamon as with the original recipe. If you prefer to go with the original ingredients, just check out the link above the ingredients list. I also added bacon to the bean mixture. This isn't the first time I've seen a vegetarian recipe and decided it would be better with bacon. In fact, I hear vegetarians say that too.

Next up on bean week are crushed lentils: one of those vegetarian recipes I will file away in my stash of yummy vegetarian recipes.






Adapted from: http://www.wander-crush.com/



Ingredients

For the beans

• 3 cups cooked beans (I used a mix of kidney and white ones)
• 1 small onion chopped
• clove of garlic smashed
• 1 1/2 T blackstrap molasses
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 2 T maples syrup
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 T whole grain mustard
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1 lb bacon cooked and chopped

For the cornbread

• 1/2 cup whole spelt flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat a saucepan on medium heat and follow with the onions and garlic until they are translucent. Throw in the rest of the ingredients and combine well, cooking for about 10 minutes.

Prepare the cornbread by mixing the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls.  Fold the two together and adjust the ingredients in order to get a batter that's not too runny or too mealy.

Ladle the bean mixture into a loaf pan and then follow with the batter. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.