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.

Pasta Alternatives: Bacon Bolognese-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes & Zucchini Spaghetti

I recently came across two ideas for traditional pasta-based dishes that have omitted the pasta for other ingredients. If pasta doesn't sit well with you, these alternatives may help you enjoy some old Italian favourites. If you're just looking for something a little different, these recipes are also a little different.

Bacon Bolognese-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from: http://cafedelites.com/
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 medium or 2 large yams/sweet potatoes
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 500 g bacon 
• 1 kg ground beef
• 398 ml of tomato sauce
• 1 T vegetable stock powder
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil, chopped

Method

Cook the bacon in a frying pan or oven at 375F until crispy. Remove from the heat and chop finely when cooled. Set the oven to 450F.

In order to bake the sweet potatoes with the prettiest results, bake them whole after cleaning them with warm water and poking a few holes in them. I sliced my very large potatoes in half in order to reduce the amount of baking time. With this method, the exposed flesh develops a skin that needs to be removed and discarded before serving.

While the potatoes are baking, sauté the onions, garlic and other vegetables in oil on medium heat until translucent. Add the ground beef and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the beef has cooked through. Add the tomato sauce, stock powder and bacon, mixing well.  Once the potatoes are baked, cut each of them in half, vertically and scoop out the potato until only half an inch lines the skin. Combine the potato in with the bolognese mixture.

Scoop the bolognese into the potato skins until filled and top with parmesan cheese. Broil on high for 5 minutes. Remove and top with chopped basil.

As tasty as they look.

Zucchini Pasta Primavera

A friend of mine recently purchased the Paderno spiral slicer (https://paderno.com) and has been raving about her re-inspired pasta dish that replaces spaghetti with zucchini noodles. Yep, the spiral slicer will give you long, spaghetti-like noodles from a zucchini. I had to give it a try. I wasn't interested in buying another appliance, but I had alternatives.

In the adjacent picture, I used the julienne slicing disc attachment on my KitchenAid food processor. I also experimented with a simple vegetable peeler and while neither tool gets the same results as the spiral slicer, it provides a viable substitute. This version is vegetarian, but my friend usually adds a few Italian sausages to her recipe. You need a good shot of protein in this dish to fill you up. I would add toasted pine nuts, or roasted chick peas if sausage doesn't work for you.

Adapted: From my head!

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 small zucchinis
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T olive oil
• handful basil, chopped
• handful cherry tomatoes, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated parmesan to taste

Method

Slice/grate the zucchinis using the tool of your choice. For the vegetable peeler, I left the skins on and kept the end on the zucchinis to give me something to grip while I peeled. For the julienne slicer, I also left the skin on, but cut the ends off each of the zucchinis.

Warm the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Sauté the garlic for a minute and then add the zucchini, tossing it thoroughly to coat it with the oil.  Let the zucchini heat up for about 2 minutes. I opted not to cook it further in order to keep the texture of the zucchini somewhat al dente. Too much heat time in the pan will also extract the water from the zucchini, causing the dish to get soggy. Add the tomato and basil, tossing well and remove from heat. Season with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.

Kale Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

Had a memorable dinner at a nearby neighbourhood restaurant called Belgravia Hub last weekend and it inspired me to recreate a kale, bacon and egg salad I had as a starter. Bacon and eggs in a salad? Woohoo! In fact there was very little else in that salad, but perhaps its' simplicity is why I enjoyed it so much. A mustard infused vinaigrette and soft-yolked egg bring this dish to life. It also makes me wonder how I'll ever eat a salad without bacon and eggs in it again.

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

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of green kale
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• Eggs (1 per serving if desired) 
• 6 slices of bacon and reserved bacon fat
• 2 T minced shallots
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 t packed brown sugar
• 2 t grainy Dijon mustard

Method

Wash and tear the kale from their spines. Gather the leaves on a chopping board and cut them into thin strips. Toss the kale with the pumpkin seeds and red onion and set aside.

Cook the bacon to your desired texture and reserve the bacon fat. Chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces and add it to the salad. Using the same pan on medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the fat (supplement with olive oil if you do not have enough) with the shallots, caramelizing them over the course of about 8 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar and mustard until blended. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Toss the dressing in stages in with the salad to meet your desired dressing coverage.

Using the same pan with a little of the bacon fat to coat, crack as many eggs into the pan as servings intended for the salad, frying it to the consistency of your preference. I like my yolk soft, so when it breaks in the salad, it oozes into the kale, adding another dimension to the flavour. Serve individual portions of the salad, adding an egg on top of each serving.  Topping the salad with parmesan wouldn't be a bad idea either!

Avocado Soup - Chilled soup of the year!

I have been searching for this soup ever since my parents advised me of their latest trip north to visit us. Truthfully, I've been looking for this soup much longer than that. My mother has a repertoire of chilled soups she's served at dinner parties over the years that have wowed guests. I have yet to find anything that compares to them and while I continue to make her (and my) favorites, I don't want to serve them to the original chef. This launched me ages ago to find other soups that would complete a summer dinner menu. My mint, spinach soup from a few weeks ago was an attempt to find the one, but this...well this, takes the cake. It has a universal appeal that many chilled soups don't and once the habanero is removed, I think they'll flip for it. Yes, some like it hot, while others do not.

The velvety texture of the soup base combined with a three dimensional topping has texture, punch and a savoury kick makes this my new party soup. I did not expect to enjoy this soup as much as I did. I'll be serving it this Saturday with a crusty loaf of bread, some chilled butter and a crispy salad among other treats. This is soup spirituality for you!

Avocado Soup

Adapted from: http://joythebaker.com

Serves 4

Soup

• 2 Haas avocados
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 t salt
• 2 T sour cream or yoghurt
• 1 1/4 cup water

Topping

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 4 pieces of cooked bacon
• 2 ears of fresh corn
• 1 habanero, diced
• handful of fresh parsley
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

To make the soup, place the avocado, broth, lime juice, salt and sour cream in a blender. Blend until smooth. Remove the center of the blender and slowly add the water while blender is in motion. Taste and season with salt and pepper as required. Set aside while you prepare the topping.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about five minutes. Add corn and pepper and saute for another three minutes. Add sliced bacon and parsley. Cook until well heated. Season with salt and pepper.

Asian Flank Steak & Boursin-Bacon Twice Baked Potatoes

If this were my last day on Earth I'd be looking for a juicy, rare steak and a loaded baked potato. There is nothing better. Might also be looking for loved ones and some guns amid the chaos, but let's focus on the food here. Having noticed my lack of enthusiasm with respect to eating leftovers has brought my comfort meals back into play. Steak and taters are at the top of the charts. This particular steak is a slightly different take on the classic, but the marinade is one my Dad has used for ages. The combination is a no-brainer and one I've used in other recipes. Flank is no prime cut of beef either, but you wouldn't know it once it all comes together.

As for the potato, this is my first experience making a stuffed potato, let alone one with Boursin and horseradish. Two words: Easy & divine. I am truly looking forward to making this again!

Asian Flank Steak

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs flank steak

Marinade

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 T honey
• 1 t grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 3 T oil
• 2 T sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup green onions

Method

In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients, mixing well. Pour into a large, sealable plastic bag and add the steak. Close the bag and toss back and forth, ensuring the marinade coats the steak. Throw in the fridge for several hours or preferably overnight. Dad lets this sit overnight, but I ran out of time and let it marinate for 5 hours. I managed to get good results in the shorter period of time. 

When ready to grill, place the steak minus the marinade on a tray and season with rock salt and freshly ground pepper. Set the barbecue on high and oil the grill while it heats. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and cover with tin foil. Let sit for ten minutes. While the steak is sitting, place the marinade in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, allowing to simmer for two minutes. Slice the steak thinly against the grain and serve with the marinade drizzled over top.  

Twice Baked Potatoes

From: http://www.foodnetwork.ca

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 8 slices bacon
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 4 T horseradish
• 1 block Boursin cheese
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 t salt

Method

Bake the potatoes at about 400F. While they are baking, fry up the bacon in a large skillet with the half cup of water. As the water evaporates, the bacon will crisp evenly. This takes about 15 minutes. Once cooked, chop the bacon into bite-size pieces. 

As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice off the tops of the potatoes and scoop out the contents into a bowl, reserving the skins.  Add the bacon, Boursin, green onions, horseradish, salt and pepper. Mash until smooth. Fill the skins with the potato mix and return to oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the tops become brown. 

Grilled Asparagus

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 T Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Bunch Asparagus

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a bunch of asparagus by rinsing well and snapping the ends off each spear. Toss the spears with olive oil, rock salt and pepper. Throw on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until the spears are green and the skin looks slightly wrinkled.

Scallops with Celeriac Puree

This is definitely a party menu item. It wows in terms of presentation and tempts foodies to dream of the next course. My mother-in-law sent us a box of fresh produce from her neck of the woods over the holidays and one of the items was a celeriac bulb. Having had no experience with celeriac I immediately went to Tastespotting to peruse all celeriac-related pics. This was definitely my favorite and gave me another reason to whip out my new food processor. I made this as a starter, but the original recipe suggest serving three scallops on each dish if you are using this as an entree. Enjoy!

Adapted From: http://www.juliegoodwin.com.au

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized celeriac bulb, peeled and grated or processed into small pieces
• 1 cup milk
• 50g butter
• Salt
• 100g smoked bacon
• 12 scallops
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Method

Into a medium saucepan over medium heat, place the celeriac and add enough milk to cover. Simmer for around 10 minutes or until tender enough to squash between your fingers. 

Add half the butter and a pinch of salt and puree to a smooth consistency. Taste and add more salt if required. Keep warm.

In a non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat, sauté the bacon until the fat is rendered and it is crispy and golden. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel. Wipe some of the fat out of the pan, but leave a couple of tablespoonfuls in.

To the bacon fat add a little butter. When the butter is foaming and starting to brown, add the scallops (they may need to be cooked in batches depending on how big your frying pan is). Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute on the first side, then flip and cook for only 20 or so more seconds.

To serve, put a circle of puree on a warmed dinner plate. Top with 1 scallop and scatter with bacon and chives.

Balsamic-Glazed Calf's Liver & Bacon Brussel Sprouts

At last; two of the most hated foods combined in as subtle and flavorful a cooking method I could muster. I enjoy both liver and sprouts, but their flavours are strong enough to warrant only occasional consumption. Having pan-fried liver before with mixed results, I wanted a recipe that adds moisture and a sweet kick to the liver. This recipe did just that. If you are in to organ meats, give this a try. 

From: http://cookinginsens.wordpress.com

Balsamic-Glazed Liver

• 2 slices of calf’s liver
• Salt and pepper
• Flour
• 2 T butter
• 1 T olive oil
• 150 ml balsamic vinegar

Method

Season the liver with salt and pepper, then dust with flour.  Fry in 1 tbsp of the butter and the olive oil, 2 minutes per side.  Remove and set aside.

Pour out the oil from the pan and deglaze with the vinegar, boiling until reduced to half.  Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and whisk until blended.  Put the liver in the pan, turning to coat and cook for about 2 minutes.

Bacon Brussel Sprouts

• 1/2 lb brussel sprouts
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T butter
• 4 pieces of bacon
• 3 small shallots

Method

Anyway, clean sprouts and cut in half.

Saute 1/2 cup of chopped bacon until just starting to brown.    Add 3 sliced shallots and continue to saute until the shallots are soft.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the brussel sprouts and brown a bit.

Stir shallots and bacon into the brussel sprouts and saute for about 1 minute.

Tapas Night

Tapas translates to finger food in English, and despite my wish to keep last weekend's appetizers Spanish in nature, I strayed a little in order to satisfy my curiosity. We ate tapenade and a chick pea spread on crostinis, chorizo-filled dates wrapped with smoked bacon, stuffed mushrooms and meatballs with Jagermeister and mint in them. Of course there is a lot of wine to be served with it. Below are a few of my favorites.

Chorizo-filled dates wrapped in bacon

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

Ingredients

• Package of bacon
• 8 chorizo sausages
• 24 dates

Remove eight sausages from their casings and saute them in a frying pan, breaking them up into small pieces as they cook. Remove the pits from 24 large dates and fill with the sausage. Wrap the sausage-filled dates with uncooked bacon and secured with a toothpick. I used half a piece of bacon for each date. Bake for about 25 minutes in 350-degree oven.


Olive tapenade crostinis

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

Ingredients

• Baguette of french bread
• 1 cup olive tapenade (either green or black olives chopped to a paste the consistency of your choosing)
• 3 T dried currants
• 3 T  fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 5 T chopped walnuts
• 5 oz soft goat cheese

Cut baguette into half-inch slices and brush olive oil on each side of each slice. Place on a cookie sheet and toast for 6 minutes each side, or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cool before using.

Place the olive tapenade, currants, thyme and walnuts into a food processor and blend to a paste. Spread a thin layer of goat cheese onto each slice of crostini. Add a few spoonfuls of the tapenade over the goat cheese. Serve with a few thyme leaves topped on each crostini.

Orzo Leftover Special

This is a great weeknight meal, when all you have is ten minutes and little patience to do anything crazy in the kitchen. All ingredients can be swapped out for other, like-ingredients, so get creative with this one. Enjoy!

Serves 4

• 2 cups dry orzo
• Ham, deli meat and/or bacon (pick a fatty meat if possible as the fat will season the dish)
• Bunch of asparagus chopped into one inch pieces
• Chives, chopped into small pieces
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese to taste

Cook the orzo according to package instructions, drain and set aside. In a pot of boiling water, blanch the asparagus. This should take no more than a minute and the asparagus will turn a vibrant green when ready. In a large frying pan, heat the hameatcon (whatever meat you've chosen) until the fat releases and can coat the pan. Add the asparagus and chives and stir well, coating it with the juices from the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the orzo into the pan and mix well. Remove from heat and divide into four bowls. Add freshly grated parmesan to each bowl.