Enfrijoladas!

I pulled this together in 30 minutes and will definitely be making it again. The smoky, chocolate taste behind the adobo really stands out among its' flavours, but I suspect I have an addiction to sour cream and this just winds up being another excuse to pour it on.   I continue to have mixed experiences with vegetarian dishes and when I find one that doesn't make me say "this would be better with meat in it",  I add it to my repertoire.

The recipe has the chef applying a little of the bean paste on the inside of the tortilla and much of it overtop, by the looks of the finished product. My version has more spread on the inside of the tortilla and very little overtop. Either way, you'll get your beans. Also note that as far as the onion and cheese contents go, I have provided approximate measurements. The inside of the tortilla is meant to have a dusting of each, but I was a little more liberal with my portions.

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

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

• 1, 540ml can of black beans, rinsed
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3 chipotle peppers mixed in adobo
• 1 cup water
• 6-8 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1 onion, minced
• handful of cilantro chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• sour cream and or avocado for serving

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9X13" baking dish with cooking oil.

In a blender, add the beans, garlic and chipotle peppers. Blend until emulsified. Add the water and blend again until the paste becomes a thick soup.
Place a large dollop of the black bean mixture onto a tortilla and spread over its top surface. Sprinkle a handful of the onions and cheese over half of the surface. Roll the tortilla tightly and place in the baking dish. Repeat this with the remaining tortillas, placing them side by side in the dish. Top with the remaining paste. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven to top with a little more of the cheese. Return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes. Top the dish with the chopped tomatoes and cilantro and serve.

Strawberry Rhubarb Galette

Periodically I revive the mid-afternoon coffee and cake habit that Ruedi and I picked up while on vacation. We call it cafe en kuchen, because it started in Germany, but carried on into other trips and at home. As much as I like to take credit for these notions, this isn't anything new. Nothing caps off an afternoon of wandering with a latte and sweet treat. I know this because cafes are full of wanderers like us waiting to dive into a tart or other delicacy along with their mid-afternoon coffee. When at home, I occasionally bake something we can dive into at 3pm (International cafe and kuchen time; 3:30 in Newfoundland). It feels decadent and my senses dip back into vacation mode as a result.
This weekend I experimented with a gingerbread and galette recipe and while both were successful, I only managed to get pictures of one of the results.

Thanks to one of my coworkers, I've been given access to an unending amount of rhubarb this summer. I made two galettes; he gets one of them. I'd suggest making two at all times. The galettes wind up being smaller than one anticipates and only serves four. If you want a second piece and have guests, you are out of luck!

Adapted From: http://the-salty-tomato.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup rhubarb, chopped in 1/4" pieces
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• juice and zest of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 t corn starch
• 1, 9" frozen pie dough, thawed
• 1 T milk
• handful of brown sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the corn starch and lemon juice in a bowl until all the starch is dissolved. Add the rhubarb, strawberries, lemon zest and granulated sugar, stirring well.

Roll the pie dough out and place in a 9" baking dish. Pour all of the fruit mixture into the centre of the dough and fold the edges of the the dough over onto the fruit, leaving the centre exposed. Brush the edges of the dough with milk and sprinkle the brown sugar over top. Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden.  Serve with enormous dollops of whipped cream.

The Picnic Lives

Yes, summer's still alive and well and I can't think of a better way to celebrate it than with vegetables. I found this Green Goddess sandwich recipe on the Bonjon Gourmet about a month ago and was enchanted by its layers of green vegetables wrapped in fresh bread.

Aside from an abundance of fresh ingredients, the magic of this sandwich is in the spread. Fresh herbs, lemon, garlic and some kick courtesy of a few anchovies make it a great fit with the vegetables. It also makes the spread appealing as a salad dressing when thinned a little with water. I've made these a couple of times and have swapped out the herbs in the spread for whatever combination I could find that was fresh.  As for the vegetables, I couldn't find any green tomatoes, so my green theme had to take a backseat. It still makes for a pretty little meal!

Adapted from: http://bojongourmet.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Spread

• 1/3 cup basil
• 1/3 cup parsley
• 1/3 cup chives
• 2 cloves of garlic
• juice and zest of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 anchovies

Pickled Onions

• 1 white onion, sliced
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 t sugar
• 1 t salt

Sandwich Fixings

• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 cup pea sprouts
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
• 100g asiago
• 100g brie

Method
For the spread, combine all of the ingredients in a blender (Vitamix!) and puree. To pickle the onions, combine the onions and other ingredients and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Assemble the sandwich with the suggested ingredients on the bread of your choice. Enjoy!

Kale Crispy Black Salad with Arugula Pecorino Vinaigrette

Salads don't have to be as involved as this one, but I'd recommend you try this recipe once over the summer, because it's just THAT good. I made this a few weeks ago and plan on making it again. It's filling and chocked full of robust flavours.  The seasoned almonds add a pop of flavour and lentils take on the role of crouton, but with protein, antioxidents and loads of fibre. Serve this on its own or with a light soup and fresh bread.

From: http://cali-zona.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Tomato basil almonds

• 1 1/2 cups almonds
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/3 cup basil, minced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t salt

Lentils

• 1/2 cup lentils, uncooked
• drizzle of olive oil
• 1 cup of basil, chopped
• 1/2 t salt

Arugula-Pecorino Vinaigrette

• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cup arugula
• 1 serrano pepper (optional)
• 1/4 white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup pecorino, grated
• 1/2 t dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• 1 head kale, washed, dried and sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced in wedges
• 1 container mini bocconcini,  cut in halves
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Method

For the almonds, preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Spread evenly over a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Turn oven up to 400F. Prepare the lentils by washing them and removing any pebbles or sediments. Pour the lentils into a pot with two cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, rinse and drain lentils. Pour onto a lined baking sheet and drizzle oil oil over their surface. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 25 minutes.

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a blender and emulsify.

The salad comes together by combining the kale, bocconcini, tomatoes and onion in a salad bowl. Sprinkle the almonds over the surface of the salad and follow with the dressing. Toss well and serve with plenty of wine, crusty bread and other goodies.

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.

Prawn Saganaki

Yes, Alberta is indeed landlocked, but other parts of the world are in full seafood swing and I can't help but want a piece of the action. I have been stocking up on fish and prawns, eating what I can fresh and freezing the rest. Chances are there will be a few other seafood posts to follow.

Might have been the bread that sold me on this dish, or perhaps the fact that I already had shrimp and tomato paste and this recipe calls for both. There's something very satisfying about being able to use an entire can of tomato paste vs. the tablespoon you need for one recipe. Either way, this turned out to be a good decision. The acidic tomato and wine base simmered together with sweet prawns made for a lovely light dinner. I opted to buy naan bread and heat it on a grill before serving it to sop up the tomato sauce. French bread or another loaf of your choosing would work just as well. If you're fearful of bread try serving it over potatoes or rice. Remember to drink the leftover white with it!















From:https://closeencountersofthecookingkind.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1, 400ml can of diced tomatoes
• 1 t granulated sugar
• 1/2 red pepper flakes
• 350g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 125g feta, crumbled
• handful of flat leaf parsley or cilantro to garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a cast iron pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion stir, cooking for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and let simmer for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and combine thoroughly with the garlic and onion. Pour in the wine and allow to simmer until the liquid has been reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, sugar and red pepper flakes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and sprinkle the feta over the pan. Place in the oven and let bake for 10 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the parsley/cilantro over top.

Serve with plenty of bread to sop up the tomato sauce.

Smoked Salmon, Chick Pea & Haloumi Salad

Once again, we've reached that time of year where meal preparation shifts from cooking to assembling. Fresh ingredients are everywhere and preparing them so one can enjoy their full flavours means leaving them the hell alone.

This salad is all about assembly, but has a lot of ingredients and steps attached. It doesn't take as long as you might think to prepare, but if you're daunted by the number of instructions provided below, you can simplify it pretty quickly. For instance, the chick peas don't need to be toasted. While it certainly enhances their flavour, with so much going on with this salad anyways, one might choose to skip this step.  Another option is to replace the grilled haloumi with fresh feta. You may wind up doing this anyway if haloumi isn't easily obtainable. I made this salad worth my while by doubling up on some of the items for use in other recipes. The chimichurri recipe, for example was used on grilled fish and vegetables later in the week. Had I had extra chick peas, I would have used them in other dishes too.  Regardless of steps, this salad was a delicious affair and perfect with a cold summer soup and crust of French bread.

From:  http://honestcooking.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Toasted Chick Peas

• 1 400g can of chick peas 
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 t salt

Tahini Dressing

• 2 T greek yoghurt
• 1 T tahini
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T water

Chimichurri

• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1/4 mint leaves
• 1/4 cup of cilantro
• 1 t chili flakes
• 2 t red wine vinegar
• 2 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• 250g smoked salmon
• 250g haloumi sliced in 1 cm slices
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 4-5 large eggs
• 1 cup pea shoots
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped

Chick Peas

Drain, rinse and dry the chick peas. Heat the olive oil in a pan, on medium heat. Add the chick peas and toss in the paprika and salt, ensuring the seasoning covers all the chicks peas. Continue to toss the chick peas occasionally in the pan. Once the peas have browned, remove them from the pan and let sit on a paper towel-lined plate.

Tahini Dressing

Whisk all the ingredients together until blended. Set aside.

Chimichurri

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour the mixture into a carafe and set aside.

Salad

Prepare the haloumi by heating a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Place the slices in the pan for about 1 minute each side or until browned. Set them on a paper towel-lined plate.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kale to the water for 30 seconds. Pour the contents of the pot through a strainer. Set the kale aside.

Soft boil the eggs by bringing a small pot of water to a boil. Add the eggs and boil for 6 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool immediately by running them under cold water. Peel eggs and set aside.

Assemble the salad by placing all the dry ingredients in a large and preferably shallow bowl. If serving the entire salad immediately, dress it with both the chimichurri and tahini dressing. If not, dress each serving individually.