Whole Lotta Pizza

As promised this is the post about a great whole wheat pizza crust that is totally GI friendly.  There is a full pizza recipe in the original book The GI Diet by Rick Gallop, but I say put what you want on it, last night I hope it with caramelized onions, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  Delish.  Have a great holiday season.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

3/4 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (not instant)

1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup wheat bran

pinch of salt

1.  Pour the water into a large bowl and sprinkle with the yeast.  Let stand for about 1o minutes

until frothy.  Stir in 1 1/4 cups of the flour, the wheat bran and salt until a ragged dough forms.  Let stand, covered for 30 minutes.  Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead it, adding more of the flour as necessary, just until it forms a soft, slightly sticky, dough.  Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rest until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

2.  During the last 1/2 hour of rest get your toppings together.  And pre-heat the over to 425F.

3.  Once the dough has doubled punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface to fit at 12 to 14 inch round pizza pan.  Place the dough on the pan, stretching it as necessary to fit.

4.  Put on the toppings and back for about 20 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Gilead Cafe

It has been a while since I reviewed any restaurants. Mainly because waiters at fancy joints tend to frown on the whipping out of a camera during the meal. It elicits eye-rolls and huffs and frankly my palette isn't good enough to make the judgement worthwhile.

But this morning I had something so tasty I had to talk about it. On Fridays I treat myself to breakfast or lunch out and having had the pastries at the Gilead Cafe a try I thought I should try some of their other fare as well.

I order the yogurt with granola, hazelnut, honey and preserves and when I saw the serving size I bought a pain au chocolate as well (hey its a treat!). I got the office and dug into the yogurt and immediately realized there was no way I was going to be able to finish it in one sitting.

The yogurt was lovely and thick and the granola nut mixture added just enough crunch to make it satisfying. I believe the yogurt is actually made with coconut milk which would account for the texture. It was divine and is currently sitting half-finished in the fridge, waiting for my afternoon snack. At $4 its not a bad deal considering everything is made in house.

The recommendation to go the Gilead isn't actually a shocker, since it was the hip cafe when it opened and it still is but sometimes you need to hear it from a friend (like me, am I your friend?) before you try it yourself.

Coming soon - whole wheat pizza crust, better than any delivery.

Recession Gifting

Hey guess what?  We are in a recession! Just in time for Christmas! 

I don't really think I had to tell anyone that, but it is what inspired this post.  Well, that and Oprah, who is apparently not immune to the hardened financial times we are in.

I felt like I should get something for my co-workers this year and since I don't work in a place where some sort of "secret Santa" (do you capitalize Santa?) is organized and we are a small operation I figure I should get something for everyone.

In order to be economical about it, I thought a homemade gift would be the way to go.  As luck would have it, the December 2008 Oprah magazine had some solutions.

So here I bring you the easiest gift you will probably ever make.  I made it in under 10 minutes and now all they require is a bow and a label (which coincidentally I am pilfering from work).  

Hot Chocolate Mocha Mix

Adapted from O Magazine, December 2008

3/4 cup premium un-sweetened cacao

3 tbsp instant espresso 

1/2 cup Splenda

Combine dry ingredients and spoon into a small decorative tin or a glass mason jar (as I have done).  Attach a tag that says "Mix 3 tbsp hot chocolate mocha mix with 1 cup steamed or simmered milk.   Top with marshmallows."  

Done and Done.

The Brother

Go Dylan Go! The Girl

People Like Me

In beginning this post I was a little torn in which way to take it.  What I started wanting to write about is this great roasted vegetable pizza that I have been making lately.  However, after this Sunday I also kind of wanted to write about how to throw a fairly stress free party.  

The two items are not mutually exclusive, seeing as I made said pizza for a party I threw on Sunday.  My birthday party in fact.  It was such a great day, that I wanted to share it.

I am one of those creatures who finds the prospect of cooking for 15 or so people relaxing instead of stressful.  The planning, the preparation, the execution, even now if I could do it again I would.  Not that I didn't have help from my friends and boy I am ever grateful for it.

I kept the food simple fare that I could pretty much make in advance and then just keep warm throughout the party, making "stations" so people could serve themselves.

The first was a chili station with the veggie chili I blogged about a few posts ago kept warm in my slow cooker.  The second was the roasted veggie pizza I am talking about today.  

That is right, I made all vegetarian food.  No meat in sight.  Why would someone who loves cured meat as much as I do such a thing?   Well, number one, I had a few vegetarians coming and I wanted them to be able to eat and two, meat is hard to keep at a consistent texture for 8 hours unless you are a trained chef with catering equipment (and even then it is dicey).

My friends helped by bringing snacks and booze of their choosing, and while there was some overlap for the most part it all got eaten and kept everyone with a relatively full belly.

I used disposables so clean up was easy. However, if I really did have to do it all over again, I would have pre-ordered biodegradable disposables from Green Shift instead of the evil evil Styrofoam I used instead.

But let's not dwell on the negative and instead get to the recipe.

I'll give you 2 guesses as to who I adapted this recipe from?

....

Rachael Ray!

Roasted Veggie Pizza

Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray November 2007

*This version is the meat and brussels sprout one I usually make, however, for the party I substituted the brussels sprouts with 8 oz sliced mushrooms (because the brussels sprouts were HUGE and would never have cooked) and omitted the meat.  That being said Don't Fear the Sprout! I hate hate hate brussels sprouts and I Love this Recipe.

4 slices Canadian bacon sliced thinly

1 Pillsbury Pizza Crust Tube

Canola Oil Spray

1 1/2 cups fontina cheese (I have tried others but fontina really works the best)

1 cup of brussels sprouts halved or quartered depending on size

3/4 head cauliflower, broken into small pieces (about 3 cups)

1/3 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil and drained

3 cloves of garlic minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper

1.  Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 500.  In a skillet cook the bacon, as per package directions.

2.  Grease a baking sheet with canola oil spray, place the pizza dough on top and press and stretch the dough as close to the pan edges as possible.  Sprinkle half the cheese over the dough and bake for 5 minutes.

3.  In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the brussels sprouts and cauliflower for 1 minute.  Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool.  Transfer to a large bowl and add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and a TON of pepper;  toss well.  Spoon the veggie mixture evenly over the dough, top with bacon and remaining cheese.

4.  Bake the pizza until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is bubbly, 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cool slightly before serving.

If you use the mushrooms instead of the sprouts, there is no need to boil them (obviously, but in the interest of full disclosure) just place on top of the cauliflower and bacon etc.

I pilfered photos from my friend Avery, with the exception of the pizza.  Love!

No Work Needed

Despite my relatively healthy lifestyle I have never been a big fan of plain cooked vegetables. Some people can wax poetic about the luscious taste of a great green bean or pure joy in a great cooked beet but I am not one of those people. There is a story about cooked brussel sprouts that I am saving for my post about the best veggie pizza ever, but needless to say, cats don't eat anything the way dogs do.

I like raw veggies with dip, but to be honest, at party if it is that or Swedish meatballs, the meatballs win every time.

Yesterday in my daily browsing of food blogs I came across the Amateur Gourmet's recipe for the best broccoli ever. Since he maintained that it stayed crunchy despite roasting and that it was a real opinion changer for people who do not like cooked vegetables I decided to give it a go.

I made it last night to take for lunch today, and OH MY GOD. This is the BEST BROCCOLI EVER.

Admittedly it is better to consume right after you make it but it stayed fairly crunchy even when re-heated in the microwave the next day.

So go read it HERE.

By the by, I used regular old not fresh parmesan and lemon juice FROM THE BOTTLE that I had in the house, though I am sure fresh would be better the kind you keep in a shaker tin or plastic bottle works just as well.

You Don't Win Friends with Salad

I don't remember exactly when my brother became a vegetarian.  I guess it isn't really something you mark on a calendar.  I think though it happened sometime either during my first year of university or last year of high school, in other words, a long time ago.

Slowly my mom also took too to cooking mostly vegetarian meals for herself and while she hasn't gone whole hog (excuse the pun) the vegetarian offerings at family meals usually out weigh anything meat related (not that I am complaining).

I know that I myself probably couldn't commit to a fully veg lifestyle, but to be honest the meat options in my little household are limited mostly to chicken and fish, with occasional pork thrown in.  Red meat is rarely here, mostly because I am not very adept at cooking it.

Over the last few weeks I have been debating about what I want to post, what is really worthy.  I have been cooking a lot and there is not shortage of material, just not a lot of photos I guess. But as we all know I am not really a photographer anyway.  Vanessa Heins, however is and she is the one who took the photo above, at a shoot we did for my Mom as a birthday present.

When Dylan came over to drop off the proofs from the shoot I wanted to make an evening of it with some dinner.  I looked on Rachael Ray for vegetarian recipes and found the chili below.  I didn't have high hopes for it but it really came through.  

Chili is a tricky thing, everyone has their own special recipe and preferences, I personally like Jamie Oliver's Chili Con Carne from the Happy Days with the Naked Chef book.   This however is my new favourite recipe for veg chili and I hope it will be yours too. Even if you are meat fan this will convert you (Homer didn't even realize it was meat free until I told him).

Three-Bean Chili

Adapted from Rachael Ray's Website

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1 cup vegetable stock

1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)

1 can black beans (14 ounces)

1 can dark red kidney beans (14 ounces)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cayenne hot pepper sauce (several drops)

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup spicy vegetarian refried beans

Toppings

Shredded Cheese

Scallions

Tortilla Chips for Dipping

Start by taking the onion, peppers, and garlic and blending them in a food processor into very very very small pieces (it will be a liquidy don't be scared!).   This is the key to faking out carnivores, no big chunks!

Over moderate heat, add the two tablespoons EVOO, two turns around the pan, to a DEEP pot. Add your blended vegetable mixture and heat for 3-5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with broth add tomatoes, black beans and red kidney beans and stir to combine.

Season with cumin, chili powder, hot sauce and salt.  Thicken chili by stirring in refried beans.  Simmer over low heat about 5-10 minutes longer then serve up bowls of chili and top with shredded cheese and scallions.  Place bowls on charger plates piled with tortilla chips.

She's Back, and She Needs Work

I was going to start this post with a long and involved story of what has been happening for the last few months. How busy it has been, how much has changed, how much has stayed the same. 

But all you really need to know is that I have been cooking up a storm.  

What got me back here was Kinnon asking for a recipe for the lasagna I made on the weekend when she came over to bring us some art.  The recipe is from Rachael Ray's magazine (the December/January 2008 issue).

It is a little bit labour intensive, but the results are well worth it.  Plus it lasted us for 3 meals and it is vegetarian so it is a winner all around.  Great for dinner parties, just get it in the oven before guests get there and you have a solid 45 min to entertain and have the first course before you need to go back in the kitchen.

Portobello Lasagna with Basil Cream

6 Servings

Prep Time: 30 min

Bake Time:  45 min (plus cooling)

5 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups skim milk, heated

4 cloves of garlic - 1 smashed, 3 finely chopped

Salt

1/2 pound whole wheat lasagna noodles (really 9 noodles total)

2 large onions, chopped

Three 6-ounce packages of portobello mushroom slices (or 2 pounds whole stemmed and sliced)

1 bunch basil, stems discarded (or 2 tables spoons of the basil puree they sell in the herb section)

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk in the hot milk, then the smashed garlic clove and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring the garlic sauce to a boil and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Set aside. It doesn't get real thick but that is ok.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the lasagna noodles for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water.

3.  Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375.  In a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over low heat.  Add the onions and chopped garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the mushrooms and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.  It looks like a lot but it reduces quite a bit.

4.  Using a food processor puree the basil leaves and cream (if you use the puree just combine the two).  Set aside 1/2 cup of basil cream.  Stir the remaining basil cream and 1/2 cup parmesan into the mushroom mixture; season with salt and pepper.

5. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread 1 cup reserved garlic sauce on the bottom.  Drain the lasagna noodles and lay 3 in the baking dish.  Top with half of the mushroom mixture, a layer of noodles, then the remaining mushroom mixture and noodles.  Combine the remaining garlic sauce and basil cream; spoon on top.  Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup parmesan.

6. Bake until golden, 40 to 45 minutes.

Let stand for 15 minutes.

An Unusual Holiday

This past weekend was the Civic Holiday long weekend.  For the first time in a long time we spent the long weekend hanging out in Toronto.  We were not disappointed, even with the constant downpours.

The weekend basically became our own private rib-fest.  It started at our friends' Dan and Mel, who are expecting this fall.  Mel is great cook, and while she prepared many of the dishes indoors, it stopped raining just long enough for Dan to do some ribs on the BBQ.  That plus the bucket of beverages you see above, a bocce ball set and a Wii made for a very fun evening.  So fun in fact that the ribs were gone by the time I went to get a picture.  Below is the carnage.

Our next party happened the following day at our friend Rae's house.  We had an indoor picnic on her living room floor.  This meal consisted on bbq'd shrimp, chicken and ribs (that is 3 servings of meat!), along with corn and salads (provided by guests).  It is a good thing we had all this food because things got a little "silly" later on.  It culminated in bowling through her an apartment with a real size bowling ball.

Perhaps things got a little silly due to the starter cocktail we had.  With so many good food recipes it was tough to decide which to post so I decided to go with the alcohol.  It is an unusual recipe, and given its unique flavour really two per evening is the max.

Rosemary and Vanilla Vodka and Soda

With Thanks to Jenna and windsoreats.com

1 large bunch of fresh rosemary

1 vanilla bean

3/4 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

Vanilla Vodka

Soda

In a saucepan, throw in the rosemary, vanilla bean, sugar and water.  Bring it to a simmer for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove the saucepan from the stove top and let it cool for at least an hour.  Strain the syrup into a bottle of jar and keep chilled until ready to use.

When making the actual cocktail, combine 2 parts of the rosemary/vanilla syrup with 1 part vodka over ice and fill the glass with club soda.  Of course those ratios can be adjusted according to taste.  Place a rosemary sprig into the glass as a garnish and serve.

Makes approximately 6 drinks.

 

Just a Little Something

I am still trying to master vegetables on the grill so as a result many of our BBQ meals consist of coleslaw or salad as their vegetable accompaniment.  So when I remembered a portabello mushroom pizza recipe from the GI cookbook I thought I would give a try. Portobellos can't fall through the grill slots as easy as say, zucchini coins.

The following recipe could o

bviously be modified to suit what ever taste.  However, it really does require a grill.  I tried to make it in a skillet pre-outdoor space days and it just went kind of soggy.  It is a good way to load on the veggie content and even with my modifications it is still pretty healthy.

Portobello Mushroom Pizza

adapted from the GI Diet Cookbook

2 Portobello Mushroom Caps

2 Slices of Tomato

2 slices of Prosciutto

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (sliced or shredded)

2 teaspoons of pesto

Olive oil

1.  Pre-heat grill to medium high.

2.  Brush both sides of mushroom caps with the olive oil.

3.  Place the mushrooms on the grill stem side down and grill for 4 minutes.

4.  Flip the mushrooms over and grill for another 4 minutes until tender.

5.  Top with pesto, prosciutto, tomato and cheese.  Close top and grill from 5 minutes until cheese is melted. 

'Tis The Season

So things happen and life gets away from you and suddenly it is a month later and you haven't updated your blog.

After the most interesting move ever, there was a bit of time that I wasn't really cooking at all. We were eating all processed foods or eating out (I ate so much pizza last month it was almost enough to make me never want it again, almost).

But then things settled down and a rhythm got happening and before you know I was cooking (and BBQ'ing!) up a storm. However, I still don't really have a camera to call my own and the one I have borrowed I can't seem to get the hang of.

There are tons and tons of recipes to tell you about and perhaps when I am not at work I will transcribe them, complete with results. However it is the picture at right (thanks Google Images!) that I want to speak of today, because strawberry season is almost over and today was the first day I had real taste of what strawberries are supposed to be.

Red, soft and so sweet. Not as I have come to eat from supermarkets, tough, slightly white and bordering on sour. You see I went to the weekly Farmer's Market at Nathan Phillips Square and I now I plan to make it a weekly trip, well at least until the end of July when I leave this job.

We have a market in my hometown of St. Catharines that happens twice weekly and I love going to look at the flowers and all the many culinary offerings. This gave a bit of a taste of home and the farm country that borders it.

The Nathan Phillips Square Market was full of great things, including some meats and pastries. With limited funds on hand I opted for a pint of fresh strawberries ($4.50), that were literally the best strawberries of the season. A bit more than I might pay at Loblaws, but better by miles.

I hope you are enjoying all that summer has to offer.

I'll see you sooner than you think.

A Good Breakfast Sanwich Is Hard To Find

So, my camera is pooched (or rather the battery is) and the post I was going to write about and the photos are trapped inside. Hopefully the new battery I bought will solve the problem, but until it charges I have a loaner camera from my friend Avery.



I never realized how much I use a camera. And as you can see I clearly need to play around with Avery's to learn how to use it. See grey photo at left.



I had "late" night last night spent having some sangria, talking with Kinnon in Paris and dancing around like crazy in Avery's living room.



As such I needed the kind of sustenance not usually provided in my everyday breakfast (1 cup berries, 1/2 cup All Bran, 1/2 cup yogurt).



I had been wanting to try the Starbucks breakfast sandwich for a while so this morning I went to get one. I opted for the Reduced Fat Bacon Style Turkey (I am not sure why they just don't say Turkey Bacon) and it was tasty! Very hearty and had a whole wheat english muffin. It just felt more substantial than old Rotten Ronny's (aka McJaundis). However, unlike the clown place my breakfast sandwich and "grande" tea cost just over $6 (!).



So more expensive, but you don't feel as guilty as it is healthier for you.


Stay tuned because I am entertaining the idea of a cleanse next week (my tummy hasn't been right lately and perhaps I need to clean house as it were).

Still Busy

So still I find myself insanely busy with work, moving, weddings and goingaways.

I haven't really made anything new in the last few weeks, and I keep on rehashing this recipe I saw on Organgette (originally a Jamie Oliver creation). If you are busy try it out, it is instantly comforting.

Sometimes the best parties are the ones where everyone contributes and such was the case with my friend Kinnon's going away party this past Saturday. One day (when she is done moving) I will badger my friend Mel for her biscotti recipe. They were still warm when they got to the party.

Can you guess where Kinnon is going?

I am actually proud of these photos, so less words, more pictures. Who thought I would ever say that?

An Ode To Snouts

Everyone has a favourite food.  For some it is as simple as a slice of pizza, others live for fois gras.  I can honestly say I can never get enough hot dogs.

That's right, hot dogs.

A girl who occasionally (sorry about that, wait am I apologizing to myself?) writes a foodie blog testing recipes and trying fancy restaurants, loves hot dogs.

A food rumoured (?) to be filled with the worst that meat has to offer.

Things at work have been silly and stressful and at home we have been busy getting ready for the big move (and all our friends big moves as well), but I knew last Friday would be one for the record books.  A few weeks ago we booked tickets to the Blue Jays "All You Can Eat" Hot Dog Game.  Technically, it was hot dogs, pop, popcorn, nachos and nuts.

The seats eligible for the "All You Can Eat" extravaganza were in the 200 level, which was PACKED.

Basically it was a free-for-all grab fest, so I got off to a heady start at 3 hot dogs.

Gone by the end of the first inning.

I ended up only eating four, but it was more than enough.  

Maybe it is the texture, maybe it is salt, but all I know is that I can't get enough.

I don't keep hot dogs at home really, but I have plenty of fond memories of late night street meat and summer BBQ's.  One of my most memorable birthdays was a champagne and hot dogs birthday friends threw for me a while back.  It was on our regular CSI night, and it was heaven.

Obviously everything in moderation, but once in a while a little decadence is divine.

Oy Vey It's Pork Time!

This past weekend was Mother's Day.  This year my mom came up to spend the weekend.  We had a great time and went to a restaurant that serves both Hungarian and Thai food (that will be covered later in the "Battle of the Schnitzels" Post).

She also came bearing a large boneless pork tenderloin.  It was 4lbs and totaled under $6.  It was a deal too good to turn up so she bought me one.  I cut it up into 4 pieces and froze two, keeping two out to make this week.

I tired out a recipe from the GI Cookbook in my efforts to try and maintain some sense of healthiness in this crazy time.

The recipe was good, but not nearly as tasty as the recipe I made the next night (unfortunately no pics of that one).  However this recipes is decidedly easier and if you are looking for a healthy recipe to feed a crowd this could very well be it.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Glaze and Gingered Peach Salsa

Gingered Peach Salsa:

3 Medium Peaches, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper 

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp dried ginger (or 1 tbsp fresh ginger)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 lb pork tenderloin

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

1.  Gingered Peach Salsa:  I cheated and put all ingredients in the food processor.  Lightly blitz.  Then refrigerate.

2.  Preheat oven to 400F.

3. In saucepan, bring vinegar to simmer and allow to reduce by half of until thickened and syrupy.  Set aside.

4.  Using sharp knife, trim any excess fat and silverskin from tenderloin.  Rub pork all over with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In ovenproof frying pan over high heat, brown tenderloin on all side.  Remove from heat and brush tenderloin with reduced vinegar.  Place frying pan in oven for about 10 to 15 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 155 F (A word to the wise, this took more like 30 minutes in my oven), or until pork has only a hint of pink inside.  Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.  Serve with Gingered Peach Salsa.

Serve with basmati rice, asparagus and a side salad.

More Nigella

I wanted to write a bit more about Nigella Lawson's newest book Nigella Express. I have been watching the show for some time and really wanted to take a test run at the book before buying it (I am moving soon and the less to move the better).

So a few weeks ago I put in a hold request at the library and last week it finally came in!

The book is not as narrative as Feast is but it is still an enjoyable read, as well as being a wealth of great, quick recipes and lush photography. The only small annoyance is that everything is measured in grams and ounces instead of cups, and the conversion can sometimes prove tricky (I should spend a post recounting all the different conversion websites I went to).

While I obviously couldn't try out all the recipes in the book, the ones I did try solidified my urge to purchase.

Out of the ones I was able to cook up I have included 2 "winners" below in addition to the Roquemole I posted earlier. Not included is the Quesadilla recipe which I have actually made close to 7 times now. That will have to be a post for later in the summer.

Two not so great recipes from the book were the Ceviche (I was sort of weirded out by the way the fish was "cooked" as Nigella had warned) and the Pea and Pesto soup (which she has actually made on the TV show, it was kind of an odd texture and bland).

But on to the good stuff.

The first recipe I provide will become a standby for me when the money is tight. I have adapted from the recipe in the book. Really if you can't find the Unico brand, buy some canelli beans and add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the mix. Really tasty and could be quite a nice appetizer when served with some country bread.

Tuna and Beans


1/2 red onion finely chopped
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 19 oz can of mixed bean salad (Unico Insalata Tuscana works well)
2 cans of tuna
salt and pepper to taste


1. Chop the onion in the food processor, add lemon juice and let it steep while you get on with the salad.


2. Drain the beans (but don't completely rinse) to get most of the goop off and then place in a bowl.


3. Drain the tuna and flake it into the beans.


4. Add the salt and pepper to the onion and lemon juice mixture, whisking into a dressing, then pour it over the tuna and beans and transfer to a serving dish.


5. Fork the tuna and bean salad through, use more seasoning if necessary.


Dinner for 2 or a Starter for 4 to 6.

Now these bars are pretty darn terrific and they last for a whole week (if not longer). They would make a hearty post work out treat, but could also suffice for breakfast on the run or a mid-day snack. Really they aren't even that bad for you if you use the light condensed milk and unsweetened coconut (my modification) and they are so chewy and just the right amount of sweet I have been eating one every day.

Breakfast Bars


1 13.0 oz can of light condensed milk
2 1/4 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut
2/3 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup of mixed seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower)
1 cup of natural unsalted peanuts


1. Preheat the oven to 130 degree Celsius, and oil a 23x33x4cm baking tin, or us a throw away foil on.


2. Warm the condensed milk in a large pan.


3. Meanwhile, mix together all the other ingredients and then add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber or wooden spatula to fold and distribute.


4. Spread the mixture into the tin and press down with a spatula, to even the surface.


5. Bake for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and, after about 15 minutes, cut into four across and four down to make 16 chunky bars. Let cool completely.

TTC and Avocados

Things I learned from the TTC Strike:

1) I need a good pair of walking shoes.

2) This city continues to amaze me everyday.

3) The following recipe.

I intend when my life is little less insane to write a review of the new Nigella Lawson book Nigella Express.  It truly is a great book.  This recipe is taken from it, with my usual low-fat/low-cal/high fibre spin.

I took it to the girls house on Sunday night, and as I left my house I saw my first streetcar in almost 48 hours.  So already the recipe is golden.  The girls loved it, devoured quickly, which really is the best way as it doesn't keep long.

Roquamole

1 cup of Roquefort (Blue) Cheese

1/4 cup of low fat sour cream

2 ripe avocados

1/4 cup pickled green jalapeno chilli from the jar

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 packet of whole grain tortilla chips

1) In a bowl, crumble or mash the blue cheese with the sour cream.

2) Combine blue cheese mixture with avocados in a food processor.

3) Roughly chop the jalapenos and stir them into the mixture along with the finely sliced spring onions.  Hit the blitz.

4) Arrange in the centre of a dish, dust with the paprika and surround with tortilla chips.

EAT.

Here Comes the Food!

This summer my friend Jenna is walking down the aisle with her fiance Dan.  Jenna didn't really want a shower in the traditional sense so instead our friend Rae threw her a wine shower.
Each guest was asked to bring 2 bottles of wine.  One for the party and one for Jenna to keep.  She sent around a wine registry list, so that we knew what she wanted.  It was a great party, and how many regular bridal showers do you know where the cops show up? (What? the neighbours appparently did not appreciate how ironic new country is)

Rae also happens to be an amazing cook, and naturally I asked to help.  The prep began for Rae early in the week with macaroon making, vegetable roasting and cupcake baking.  I showed up Friday night to help with the final details.  The menu was as follows:  large antipasto platters, cheese trays, macaroons with fruit and whipped cream, mini cupcakes, fresh rolls and last but not least the recipe I offer below a variation on Grapefruit and Lobster cocktail.
Rae modified it to go in shot glasses.

• 1 Cup Cooked Lobster Meat
• 3/4 cup Ruby Red Grapefruit Segmented
• 2 teaspoons ginger finely chopped or grated
• 1/2 cup red and yellow peppers finely diced
• 1 tbsp cilantro roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh meat finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons shallots finely diced
• Juice of 1 lime or more to taste
• 1 tsp of canola oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 3 x chives cut into 1" pieces, optional garnish

Roughly chop lobster meat.

Segment the grapefruit cutting it over a bowl to reserve the juices, put grapefruit segments in juice.  Set grapefruit segments and juice aside.

In a medium bowl combine ginger, peppers, cilantro, mint, shallots, grapefruit, lime juice and oil until evenly distributed.

Add lobster meat to mixture and gently toss.

Chill the mixture in the refrigerator to allow the flavours to infuse.

Spoon mixture into shot glasses and garnish with chives.  Serve cold.

Rasputin Vodka Bar

This week on a very rainy Monday, Kinnon and I headed to the opening party for a new bar in Leslieville, Rasputin Vodka Bar.

No the food community has not come hip to my influence, the invitation sort of came by chance. A few weeks prior I was there with Kinnon and Jenny (during the bar's "soft opening"). We were essentially the only people there, and as we were finishing the server asked if we wanted to attend the official opening.

The bar itself is furnished in many antique items, large ornate couches and chairs, some lower tables and of course the large party table at the back. It is dark and is lit by candles, adding a certain aspect of romance. The glasses to lent themselves to a feeling of going back in time, with the old style champagne glass you see above. The napkins however, had Kahlua printed on them (maybe they were being eco-friendly?). The music too is slightly odd considering the atmosphere, Michael Jackson, Brittney? But it worked to keep the energy up.

On to the most important part, the drinks! The drink menu is several pages long and offers variations on vodka drinks (naturally) but also some imported beers and wines. In my two visits I really only sampled the basics. The drink you see above it called the "Ahh (ohh?) those Russians" and is a small glass of sparkling wine with a vodka shot and a side of pickle. Yes, pickle. The pickle actually pairs quite well, same principle as the salt, lemon, tequila idea.

I also tried the Rasputin size Martini (3 oz!). I never really went in for straight martini's before, but I have to say I may have converted. Perhaps it is the middle season we are in, still cold, but now sunny. The martini warmed me up without weighing me down. Olive garnish and again with a side of pickle!

They currently don't have their food selections printed on the menu, but I do hope that will change as the food was quite tasty. They follow the same sort of platter idea as the Comrade down the street. These ones though focus on somewhat heartier fare, lots of cured meats, breads and Bellini's. Not full meals but enough to satiate.

All in all the place is fun, though with patio season around the corner I am not sure how it will fare. It feels more like a winter spot to hang. Definitely worth checking out, just make sure you bring your big fur hat.

The Giant Cupcake that Ate Homer's Birthday!

So no recipe this week more of a tip post.

For Tristan's Birthday I decided to try out the Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan. I Googled some tips (seeing as how the actual pan comes with no information) and got to work.

I used 2 boxes of cake mix and upon reflection I probably could have gotten away with one. Just make sure you put an equal amount in each side. As you can see it mushroomed ALOT. I baked it using a slightly longer time than the bundt cake directions. However I kept rotating it and kept an eye on it, as each oven is different.



I made sure to both grease and flour the pan beforehand and as such it took only a quick slip of a knife to get it out.



I did have to trim the mushroom part off and it worked pretty well. My Mom suggested I freeze the left over bits for making triffle later on.



To be honest the only really difficult part was icing the cake. I don't have a pastry bag or icing tips, but I can tell you that the standard spatula method did not really do the cake justice. I think it would have been easier and prettier if I had used a pastry bag.




All that said, everyone really like the cake. Thanks to Jenna for lending me the pan!

Liar Liar Shrimp on Fire!

There really isn't anything quicker to make in the food world than shrimp. So odd and unappetizing when raw, it turns this beautiful shade of pink so quickly you forget the awful greyness of moments before.

I was looking for a recipe to make when Kinnon came over for dinner last week, I poured through several recipes and then I found it. An old favourite from the Jamie Oliver's Happy Days with the Naked Chef. A shrimp recipe, which is essentially shrimp, garlic, ginger, lemon, parsley and small red chili's, with bread for dipping in the sauce. I highlight this because pepper selection is important when you are cooking a protein that essentially absorbs the flavour of what it is cooked in. They didn't have small red chili's at the grocery store I went to. They did however have habanero peppers. The hottest freakin peppers in the world.

Originally I had cut up two for the recipe, then I decided to taste a bit of pepper just to see how hot it was. My mouth swelled up momentarily and then the burn started. DEAR GOD. Needless to say I fished out nearly half of the chopped up pepper. My hands burned all night and next day.

Lesson learned.

This really is going somewhere recipe wise.

I had lots of left over frozen shrimp and had a craving for a shrimp sandwich. Since the Cajun Corner is sadly leaving my neighbourhood I decided to throw together something, taking Jamie's recipe as my inspiration.

Hilly's Non-habanero Shrimp Sandwich
Makes Enough for 2 Sandwich's (bring one to work the next day!)

16 Large Shrimp (uncooked)
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Asian Chili Sauce to Taste
Baguette (1 loaf),

1. Heat the Oliver oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and shrimp, cook approximately 3-4 minutes until shrimp are pink.

2. Add lemon juice and stir.

3. Add Chili sauce and stir.

4. Cut the baguette in half to make two big sandwich buns. Slice in half and pile on the shrimp equally on each sandwich*

Serve!

*If you are going to bring a sandwich to work the next day wrap the baguette in plastic wrap and pack the shrimp separately (so that it doesn't make the bread soggy).

Kiss Me I'm A Pizza, Sorta

It's too bad that St. Patrick's Day falls on a Monday this year.  For us working stiffs it severely hinders the fun drinking potential.

With that in mind (as well as just missing them) I invited my friends Amber and Allan over for dinner on Friday night.  I hadn't seen them in a few months and since they had just gotten back from a trip to Cuba there was plenty to catch up on.

Amber and Allan actually lived in the UK for a few years after university and they are real anglophiles.  They are both up for just about anything food wise (except for pine nuts, which cuts out the salad from a few posts ago).

I decided to give a nod to St. Patrick's day while at the same time making something quick and easy.  With that I give you my version of the Reuben Pizza.  Another recipe stolen from Rachael Ray.  

I first made this about a week ago, and go so mad in trying to roll out the pizza dough in my tiny kitchen Tristan thought I had developed a minor case of tourrette's.  Then I had an idea. Instead of trying to divide the pizza dough and roll it out, I would just buy 2 Pillsbury pizza tubes and use one for the bottom and one for the top. It worked a treat!  

The picture above is from the initial try at the pizza when I was essentially trying to turn a rectangle into a circle.  The one from Friday basically looked like a rectangular version of what you see.  

Reuben Pizza Hilly's Short Cut Version

2 tubes of Pillsbury Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups of shredded light Swiss cheese

1 pound deli sliced corned beef

1 cup sauerkraut rinsed.

1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup light mayonnaise (or whipped dressing)

2 1/2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons relish

1.  Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

2.  Pop open one of the Pillsbury Pizza Dough tubes, unroll it and lay it on the parchment paper.  This may require some repair to the dough on your part, it can be finicky.

3.  Sprinkle half the cheese on top, leaving a 1 inch border all around.  Arrange the corned beef and then the sauerkraut evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese.

4.  Pop open the second Pillsbury Pizza Dough tube, unroll it and lay it carefully on top of the filling.  Tightly crimp the edges together to seal.  Brush the top with the olive oil and cut 3 vents in the center.

5.  Bake the pizza until browned and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.  Let cool briefly.

6.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup and relish.  Cut the Pizza into 4 pieces and serve with the sauce.

Needless to say the portions were HUGE when the pizza was in rectangle form.  Which was good because Amber and Allan brought two bottles of wine with them, in addition to the two bottles of wine I already had at my house.

Mayhem ensued.

A Collard in the Sun

In 2003 I encountered something I never thought I would.

The possibility of a male roommate.

After university my three best girl friends and I moved in together. We found the perfect four bedroom house close to downtown. It was a regular slumber party. But that was relatively short lived. Dear Kinnon had to take a contract out of town starting in early 2004, and so we had to find another roommate.

Not wanting to live anyone really new, we were open to suggestion. So one night while Kinnon was at the pub she was introduced by a mutual friend to an actor looking to move from Winnipeg to Toronto sooner rather than later. After a GlenGarry Glen Ross style interview we agreed that Kristopher could be our roommate. And he has lived in that house ever since (pretty much).

He brought with him a penchant for flannel and healthy eating, especially organic eating. He was ahead of his time. This past Saturday I went with Tristan to the house where now Kristopher, Jenny and Kinnon live on the main floor and Avery and Ian live in the apartment above. The snow as pretty crazy, but we made it and because of the weather I brought a fairly simple appetizer, chips and homemade dip.

The idea was that everyone was to contribute something to the meal. And what a great meal it was. Ian and Avery provided beef tips, mashed potatoes and roasted veg, while the main floor crowd provided a dessert and the following recipe for collard greens. It is Kristopher's recipe and it was pretty damn good. Being a man of few word's I will simply put what he wrote to me when I asked him for the recipe:

"It was really simple. All I did was wash the greens, then tightly roll them up together and thinly slice them. Chopped up one small onion, and saute in about 2 T olive oil. When onion starts to brown add the greens and saute until limp. Then add salt. (I use Celtic Sea Salt) Presto you have Collard Greens Brazilian style."

Because of the amount of wine consumed I didn't really get a proper picture of the greens, but I am sure your imagination will take you there.

Indulgence Redefined

On Wednesday the new restaurant Four opened. Since the SIR corporation is not hip to my influence on the food community (hey Osgoode Hall Cafeteria posted my review!), I was not invited to the official launch. But Biz Bash was and you can read their initial thoughts here.

Everything on the menu is fewer than 650 calories, making it ideal for someone such as myself who usually feels guilty after eating out.

I promise to post a review as soon as I can, though I assume the bookings are already stacking up if SIR's other restaurants are any indication.

The Salad of My Dreams

It's been a little while since I really loved a salad.  There is the one I call, the one that got away. 

The salad itself was simple.  Mixed greens, with feta, a balsamic style vinaigrette and most importantly Cajun jumbo shrimp.  Something about the combination was like crack to me.  The second the plate hit the table in front of me I would dive in and it would be gone before everyone else at the table had even picked up their forks.

This magic salad was found at a Toronto restaurant called Fire on the East Side.  I can still remember the day that I went in for dinner and the salad was no longer on the menu.  I begged and pleaded for them to make it for me just one more time, but to no avail.  The restaurant is still great even without the salad.

I thought I would never find a salad I liked as much, but then I was introduced to Nigella's Warm Rocket Salad and my prayer's were answered.

Like the shrimp salad of my past, this is also a warm salad.  She suggests making it right away in front of guests but when my friends Michael and Ryan made it for me they made the warm part ahead of time and simply reheated when it was time to serve.  Without further adieu here is the recipe, with thanks to boys for introducing me to it.

Nigella Lawson's Warm Rocket Salad

Serves 4

2 medium red onions

8 slices of pancetta 

Olive Oil

4 sprigs thyme

4 big handfuls of rocket (arugula)

Balsamic Vinegar

A Piece of Parmesan for shaving

Peel, halve, and quarter the onions, then quarter again, to give you 8 pieces from each onion.  Heat a frying pan and fry off the rashers of pancetta until crisp (now Ryan cubed both the onion and the pancetta, which I really liked, I like small bites).  

Add a couple of lugs of olive oil to the pan, and add the sprigs of thyme, the onions and pine nuts with a pinch of salt.  Toss around and fry on a medium head for about 5 minutes until caramelized and sweet (not black!).

Then, Throw everything into a salad bowl with the rocket or any nice salad leaves.  Drizzle generously with balsamic vinegar, this will make a natural dressing as it mixes with the olive oil.  

Serve with some shaved Parmesan over the top, you use a potato peeler to do this. 

Munch away.

Girls Night Out - Weezie

True confession, I am still friends with a good deal of the people I knew in high school.  Not just Facebook friends, but the kind of friends you can call when you have to be bailed of jail.  I consider this one of the proudest parts of my life.  My network of friends is varied and spread across the country. 

Now the ladies pictured above are not ones I knew in high school.  I met them in my first year of university, and we are still very very close.  But life is busy (careers, marriage and the other trappings) so we don't get to sit down just the four of us and kibbitz as often as we would like.

The last time we went out to dinner the conversation was stellar but the food was, well, not.

So this time we wanted somewhere that was comfortable and consistent. 

Initially I suggested Terroni, they have a new trendy location but the same great food. 

However, when I went to make a reservation I was told that they don't take reservations after 6pm on Fridays.  Well, I knew that the place would have a line up out the door by the time we got there and we would be forced to cram by the bar.  

Then Kinnon suggested that we hit up Weezie, a place that I had totally forgotten about. And we couldn't have been happier with the results.  I started with the poutine topped with braised beef and gravy.  Wonderful and hearty, exactly what I needed on an extreme cold alert day.

My main was actually another small plate, the beef tartar with toasts.  Forgive the picture, the flash gives it that extra touch of well, redness. But it tasted so good, with just the right amount of spice.  It (along with every else's mains) was gone within seconds. 

With a great menu filled with adaptations of comfort food, Weezie is a great place.  Other dishes consumed that evening were the Mac and Cheese, Burger and Steak Frites.   It is located at 354 King Street East (at Power) and I would recommend reservations, especially if dining on a Friday or Saturday night.  In addition to fun girls nights it is also great for a date, you can ask for the "romance" table to make it extra special.