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.

Pan Fried Halibut with Grilled Halloumi & Vegetable Salad

Hats off to Chatelaine magazine for their ongoing efforts to bring simple and delicious recipes to their readers consistently. I get a little giddy at the thought of each month's issue and try as many recipes as I can with solid results. I recently tried a grilled vegetable and halloumi salad from the magazine's June issue.  I've seen halloumi, a Mediterranean, semi-hard, unripened and brined cheese at a few grocers and figured it was time to try cooking with it. This recipe allowed the opportunity to do just that and offered another take on salad that is refreshing and loaded with ingredients that give you a full meal out of your salad. I paired the original serving with halibut fillets and used the leftover salad for lunches.

We are fortunate enough to have access to some decent not-so-domestic fish in Alberta, thanks to the miracles of modern-day logistics and market demands. Miracles are expensive however, so when buying fillets of fresh fish from your neighbourhood market, make it count!

Grilled Halloumi and Vegetable Salad

Adapted From: http://www.chatelaine.com

Ingredients

• 4 small zucchinis cut diagonally into 1/2" pieces
• 250g package of halloumi cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T olive oil
• 540 ml can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 T chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 T chopped dill
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

If using a barbecue, preheat the barbecue to medium. If your barbecue is out of commission for the season like mine, get yourself a grill plate and make good use out of it. Just make sure to place one of your oven racks on the top level of your oven and preheat it to 500-550F. Brush the surface of the plate/barbecue with olive oil. Whisk 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. Place the zucchini pieces on the grill for 3 minutes each side. Remove the zucchini and add the halloumi pieces, grilling for one minute on each side. I recommend testing your halloumi grilling time by grilling one piece first for a minute each side and then sampling it. If overdone, it will be very rubbery and will require less time.  Place a few of the zucchini and halloumi pieces on to a plate and add the chick peas, herbs and toss with the oil and lemon, salt and pepper.

Halibut with White Wine and Shallot Sauce

From: http://www.canadianliving.com

Ingredients

• 350 g (two fillets) of skinless halibut
• 1 t butter
• 1 t extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 t kosher flaked salt

Method

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Fry the halibut in the pan, turning once until the fish flakes easily when tested; about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm by tenting the halibut with aluminum foil. Add the wine and minced shallot to the pan on medium-high heat and allow to until the sauce is reduced to about 2 tablespoons; about 2 minutes. Place each of the halibut fillets on plates and drizzle the reduction over top.

Potato Salad Anyone?

I have not one, but TWO potato salad recipes for those of you looking for variations on the beloved classic. Say what you will about potatoes, but I dig 'em and hope you'll curb your low carb, low glycemic index diet in order to give these recipes a try.

Adapted From: Canadian House & Home (May 2014 p.132)

#1: Potato and Artichoke Salad

• 2 lbs potatoes sliced in half 
• 2 cups of canned artichokes drained of their oil/water
• 2 T dill, finely chopped
• 2 cups parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 T white wine vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and cool with cold water for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper until combined. Toss in the potatoes, artichokes, dill and parsley, ensuring all ingredients are coated well.

#2: Cucumber and Potato Salad

From: http://www.chatelaine.com/

Ingredients

• 750g fingerling potatoes sliced into 1/4" rounds
• 3 mini cucumbers sliced into 1/4" rounds
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 T white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 T chopped dill

Method

Boil the potato rounds in a large pot of water until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and cool with cold water for about 5 minutes.

Rub the cucumber slices with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let stand until water begins to seep out of the cucumbers, about 10 minutes. Place cucumbers into a strainer to allow the liquid to drain.

Whisk oil, vinegar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Add the dill, potatoes and cucumbers into the bowl and toss well.

Making Tofu More than Tolerable: The Lemongrass Tofu Bowl

It is Monday and this recipe is meatless: how timely! If you're not on the tofu train for its' reputation as a heavily genetically modified product, that's fair. Beans, nuts, fish and/or meat can be inputed in lieu of tofu. I have some concerns about tofu, but not enough to nix soya products from my diet altogether. So, if this dish gives me a third nipple, it will almost be worth it due to its sheer deliciousness.

Honestly, I use tofu as a substitute for beans because nobody wants or needs to be exposed to that many farting fits at my office. I am also an impressionable eater and in an attempt to consume less meat for health factors as expressed by friends, family and the media, I experiment with vegetarian recipes. This is an example and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

From: http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 12-14 oz of firm tofu
• lemongrass paste (fresh was unavailable, but always best)
• 2 t sriracha or chile paste
• 1 T lime juice
• 2 t rice wine vinegar
• 1 T fresh grated ginger
• 1 T coconut oil
• 2 T broccoli florets
• 2 large carrots, julienned
• 1/2 cup chopped, green onions
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 2 T soya sauce
• 2 T sesame sauce
• 2 large avocados, sliced

Method

Cook brown rice according to package instructions. 

Cube the tofu into bite size pieces. Combine the lemongrass, chile paste, garlic, lime juice, vinegar and tofu into a bowl. Toss the tofu well and set aside for a minimum of 30 minutes. I marinated the tofu overnight. 

Warm the coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a pan over high heat. Pour in the tofu and marinade and cook until the edges have browned; about five minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots, remaining sesame oil, soya sauce and coconut milk, tossing well to coat with the oil mixture and allowing to cook for about 3 minutes. Spoon in the green onions and mix with the existing ingredients. Serve over rice and top with sesame seeds, avocado and cilantro. 

Feta & Lentil Salad

Lentils: as cheap and easy as it gets, but always the supporting actor...until now. Never have I seen lentils take centre stage as I have in the last few years. Perhaps the focus on reducing meat consumption and the rise in vegetarian and vegan diets play parts in this trend.  I haven't been as successful as others in making lentils interesting, but this lentil salad seems to bring all the right flavours together. Once the lentils are cooked, the salad takes only minutes to prepare and assemble. I typically double or triple the volume of lentils I cook so I can add them to other dishes throughout the week.

Loosely inspired by: http://blog.meaningfuleats.com


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dry french lentils
• 3 cups various lettuce leaves
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Method

Fill a large pot with 1 1/2 cups of water and the french lentils. Cover pot and soak for one hour. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

I opted to prepare each serving individually and arranged the lettuce on individual plates, followed by the lentils, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes and avocado slices. Drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the salad and season with salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato, Spinach Bacon Burgers

Feedback is important to any endeavour and food is no exception. I made these burgers about 6 weeks ago and brought some to work for my colleagues to sample. They were really well received and even made by a colleague who hasn't stopped raving about them.

When I was new to the cooking scene, I evaluated recipes based on the number of instruments required to make the dish and the number of ingredients. If the ingredients list has more than 6 items and called for food processors or double boilers, I wasn't making it. If you take the same approach, the burgers may appear daunting at first, but I'd ask you to ignore your initial judgement and persevere. The recipe makes about 15 burgers and they're not the kind of food one would tire of quickly.  I should know. I suffer from leftover phobia and can't stomach eating the same dish more than two or three times. Oy, that sounded like a first world problem, if there ever was one! My point is the effort is definitely worth it. I plan on making these again over the weekend. I've served them neat, on a toasted english muffin and on top of a salad. They are filled with all kinds of great ingredients such as sweet potato and spinach, which makes them even more endearing.

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


Ingredients

• 1 package of bacon
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 t salt
• 1 t minced garlic
• 1 t paprika
• 2 t hot mustard
• 4 t dried rosemary
• 2 eggs
• 4 T all purpose flour
• 2 lbs ground chicken or turkey

Method

Cook the bacon until crispy, either in a frying pan or my preferred method, on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350F. Once cooked, remove from heat, pat dry and chop into small pieces.

Use a food processor to finely chop the spinach, sweet potato and onion.

In a bowl, combine the bacon, sweet potato, spinach and onion. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Form the mixture into about 15 patties. Place the patties on a line cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 375F. Remove from oven, turn the patties over and return to the oven for another ten minutes. Check the centre of a patty to ensure it is cooked through. Remove from oven and serve.

Spicy Salmon Cakes

I was enjoying a glass of wine and a cheese platter the other night while reading The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. The book discusses habits in general, what drives them and how they can be overridden. The irony of the situation is that the cheese and wine I was enjoying does not constitute a good habit. I don't process either particularly well and feel less than stellar afterwards. Last night's meal choice is one of the habits I need to override.

If you get a chance, have a read of The Power of Habit. Information is relayed using narratives, so the book is captivating as well as informative. There is a section in the book that discusses habits' impact in the world of marketing, which blew my socks off. Who knows, you might just change a bad habit or two while reading it!

Enter a slightly better choice in the form of healthier food: salmon cakes. These are coated in panko crumbs, but I think they balance a food lover's wants and needs nicely. I also opted to put them under the broiler as opposed to pan frying them because my attempt at frying the first few got poor results. Another deviation involved swapping out lime pickle for mango pickle. It's what I could find and I don't think it caused any harm. Finally, I would recommend blending the ingredients together instead simply combining them, as it offers a smoother consistency with every bite.

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

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 russet potato, peeled and chopped 
• 1 can of salmon in water
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 2 T finely chopped mango pickle
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup of plain yoghurt
• 2 T chopped cilantro

Method

Turn the oven on to broil (high).

Boil the potato pieces in a small pot of water for approximately 10 minutes. Drain and either add the eggs, onion and pickle to the food processor to mix or mash the potatoes with a fork in a bowl first and then combine the rest of the ingredients just listed. I took the noticeable bones out of the salmon before combining it with the potatoes, but that's not necessary (I have an aversion to bones). Season with salt and pepper. Form into 6 patties. Pour panko into a deep dish. Coat patties with panko.

Place the patties on a tin foil lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes on one side and 5 on the other.

Combine the yoghurt and cilantro in a bowl and serve with the salmon cakes.