Creamy Mushroom Soup

Sometimes in July, it gets cold and rainy and all I want to do is curl up with a blanket and a bowl of my favourite soup. 

Today is that day. 

RECIPE: CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP

Ingredients:

Coconut oil

Large package of mushrooms, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 litre chicken stock (or vegetable or mushroom stock)

2 cans coconut cream

Garlic powder

Salt 

Black pepper

Method:

> heat up a spoonful of coconut oil and sauté the minced onion and mushrooms until soft and slightly caramelized

> pour into a blender and blend with as much of the stock as needed to make it smooth

> return the blundered ingredients to the pot; add in the rest of the stock and coconut cream

> season with garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

> heat and serve

Ginger Beef

It is widely accepted that Ginger Beef was first created in Western Canada. The story goes that a Chinese restauranteur was having difficulty getting locals to try the exotic dishes on his menu. He created a dish with local beef and a Chinese-inspired sauce and a new classic was born. 

Fast forward to this weekend. Nine people in the house, a craving for Chinese food, as a chunk of beef in the fridge. Voila. 

RECIPE: GINGER BEEF

Ingredients:

Beef (prepare however you want - could be left over roast, grilled steaks, or ground beef)

1 tbsp oil for cooking

1 onion, finely minced

1 large hand of ginger, finely minced

A splash of water (maybe 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup Srirachia

2 lemons, juiced

Method:

> prepare beef as usual (grill steak, slice roast into strips and fry, cook ground beef or make meatballs, etc.)

> heat up the oil in a pan and sauté the onions until soft; add in the ginger and water and let cook another 5 minutes or so

> pour onion and ginger mix along with the rest of the ingredients into the blender; blend until smooth 

> pour the sauce over the beef, garnish with bell peppers, cilantro, green onion, and sesame seeds

> serve over rice or rice noodles and enjoy!!

Chickpea Curry

Green onion chickpea curry with fresh ginger. Perfect. Sounds like dinner. Except I don't have green onion. Or fresh ginger. 

No worries!

Put about 1/4 cup coconut oil in a pot and fry 1 heaped tablespoon of cumin seeds until they are fragrant. Add 1 large can diced tomatoes, 1 can coconut cream, 4 cans chickpeas, 2 tablespoons dried ginger, 1 teaspoon of yellow curry powder (Madras curry), and 1 teaspoon salt. 

Bubble.

Stir. 

I sliced up an onion and two rogue apples to add in. No green onions. No need. 

Goes well with a hungry appetite and will be eaten in place of what I really wanted tonight - baked macaroni. Turns out, my body doesn't love wheat and dairy nearly as much as my mouth does. 

Goes well on rice, noodles, with other dishes, or by itself. It's one of my standards.

Bowtie Neapolitan

Sounds impressive and complicated, doesn't it? It isn't. It's super simple. 

RECIPE: Bowtie Neapolitan

Ingredients:

Pasta

Oil

Onion

Tomato

Basil

Garlic 

Basil

Chives (optional)

Salt & Pepper

Method:

> boil water in a pot and cook noodles as recommended on the package

> chop and fry one onion in the oil over fairly high heat; you will make the sauce and shred the cheese in the time it takes the pasta to cook

> chop and add two tomatoes

> chop and add garlic, basil, and chives

> finish with salt and pepper 

> chop or shred some fresh or aged mozzarella (or ANY other cheese)

> drain the pasta

> toss the pasta in the sauce 

> add the cheese either to the pot and toss or leave it separate to self-serve at the table

This one takes 10 minutes, start to finish (if you start with a pot of water that is already hot from the tap). 

It's a great side to any dinner or lunch and is great served hot or cold. If serving cold, do not toss the cheese in while the pasta and sauce are hot. 

Green Salad

This is how I felt tonight.

So we made tomato sandwiches.

Well, we had sliced tomatoes with mayo on stone ground wheat thins.  And I grilled some steaks, which we sliced and put over the top.  Yum.

But dinner needed something... green.

How about salad?

Sure... what's in the fridge?

Um... broccoli, fresh ginger, green onions, and mini cucumbers.

So I made a green salad.

Chop them all up and mince up a little fresh ginger.

Stir in a spoon full of mayo, sprinkle a little salt, and SHAZAM!!!

Green salad.

Who said you had to invite actual leaves for the salad to be green?

Loaf

I invited myself over for coffee. She is a new friend I have only hung out with twice before. But there I was, Sunday afternoon, standing in her kitchen telling her I would come over for coffee on Wednesday.

Well, if I'm going to invite myself over, I may as well bring something along to share and eat. I did after all volunteer her to host me.

But what can I make? She cannot have wheat or diary, so creativity is required to make something.

Loaf. I can stir in nuts, seeds, and dried fruits along with spices to make something incredible.

RECIPE: Loaf

Ingredients

2 cups flour (or chickpea flour)
4 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
nutmeg
green cardamom
1 can coconut milk (or 1 1/3 cups milk)
5 large eggs
vanilla
nuts, seeds, dried fruit

Method

> mix the dry ingredients

> no, there are no quantities for the dry spices - use a bunch, like a teaspoon of each - or whatever you have that will be yummy with the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit (cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, chai spiced tea, etc.)

> mix the wet into the dry (eggs, coconut milk, and vanilla or other extract)

> stir in half of the nuts, seeds, and chopped dried fruit you want in the loaf

> split the batter between two lined or buttered loaf pans

> sprinkle the remaining nuts, seeds, and fruit over the tops of the loaves

> bake at 190°C or 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out cleanly when poked in

Enjoy with butter, jam, or toasted with maple syrup!!

Tomato Sandwiches

My plan for today's lunch was a tomato sandwich. Nothing fancy - leftover sliced tomatoes from dinner last night and artesian bread we picked up over the weekend in Calgary.

The bread was stale. The slices were all rock hard. What was I to do?

There are other leftovers in the fridge… I could just throw the bread out and eat other leftovers instead.

Wait a minute.

Throw out artesian bread... are you kidding?

And then I realized I could make a simple French salad for lunch: tomatoes with croutons. It's called something awesome in French that sounds way better than my English version.

But hold on…

Make your own croutons? That sounds complicated.

What's complicated about it? You have bread, an oven, oil, salt, and garlic - you don't need anything else.

Just chop up your two slices of bread into crouton sized bites and toss them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and that's it. Put them onto a lined cookie sheet and roast at 180°C or 375°F for five minutes or until they are golden.

Set the timer for this or you will burn them like I usually do.

Chop the tomatoes into bite-size pieces and any other vegetables you want to add - cucumber, red bell pepper, onion, capers, olives and feta would all be amazing with this.

Then adorn your vegetables with a dollop of mayonnaise and heavenly heaping of homemade croutons.

Voila! Lunch is served. So much better than just a sandwich.

Diablo Cookies

WARNING: these will cause mixed emotions for you. Highly addictive in nature. You've been told.


Last September while travelling in BC, we visited a food truck in Tofino called TacoFino. They have a cookie called the "Diablo Cookie" that a friend said we had to try.

TacoFino Cantina in Tofino, BC

We tried it, and it was good. Amazing, in fact. Chris found the recipe online (I have no idea where).

When we arrived at my parents house a few days later, we had to whip up a batch.

My Mother likes food a certain way. She does not like sweets or chocolate, she does not like cookies and she hates, above all else, spicy food.

I wanted you to know all of that... and these are her favourite cookies.


RECIPE: Diablo Cookies
Pre-heat oven to 190ºC / 375ºF

Ingredients:
[the dry]
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sifted cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cayenne
1 cup milk chocolate chips or large milk chocolate chunks

[the wet]
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1tbsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp fresh minced ginger (or fresh squeezed ginger juice)
coarse sea salt (for garnish)

Method:
1. mix the dry (if using chunks, reserve to the side for now)
2. mix the wet
3. combine the dry and the wet

4. on a greased cookie sheet, press fist sized dough balls and sprinkle with rock salt (or sea salt or coarse salt of any kind) and sugar; if using large milk chocolate chunks, press two into the middle of the cookie before sprinkling salt & sugar on top

5. bake for approximately 11 minutes or until the cookies start to crack - they should be fudgey in the middle

6. leave on the sheet to cool for a few minutes before removing to a rack

Makes 12 large cookies. Don't eat them all in one sitting.

And as a note - I always try to lower the amount of sugar in EVERY recipe I make; in this one, the amount cannot be lessened with this quantity of cayenne; the sugar helps cut the heat. It should also be noted that the texture is compromised when the sugar is cut.

Makes an AMAZING compliment to a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

As consumed at several Friends Church lunches

Twenty Minute Dinner

Right now, I don't have time. I don't have extra time at any point in my day. There is just so much going on with the end of the school year, spring sports, our dogs, my husband's job change, garden, family moving... and then it's time to make a healthy dinner before rushing out the door and on to the sport of the evening.

I just don't have time.

But I have these cubes of stewing lamb in the fridge. And I a litre of canned tomatoes. We must be out the door in less than one hour so I have 20 minutes - at most - to make a healthy, filling, delicious dinner. Here I go!

RECIPE: Quick Curry
serves 6

Ingredients:
3 cups white rice (+ water to make the rice)

<for the curry>
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala (brown curry powder)
0.5 tsp kosher salt
1 to 1.5 lb (450-700g) stewing lamb, beef, or cubed meat of any kind
1 litre (quart) of canned tomatoes
1 cup raisins
1 cup yogurt

<for the cauliflower>
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp madras curry (yellow curry powder)
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

<serve with>
chopped cilantro
unsalted peanuts


Method:

1. measure the rice and get on with cooking it

2. bring the oven rack up to the second from the top and turn the broiler to high

3. over high heat, heat the oil for the curry in a large skillet then add the spices and stir together for 1 minute until fragrant

4. add in the meat and stir to coat the meat with oil and spices

5. in a large bowl, mix the olive oil and madras curry; chop the cauliflower and add in the florets and toss them to coat the cauliflower (I also had a leek in the fridge and chopped that into the cauliflower; any veggies would work here)

6. once the meat is cooked, add the litre of tomatoes and the cup of raisins; stir together

7. pour the cauliflower onto a cookie sheet - in one even layer - and put under the broiler for about 10 minutes

8. chop the cilantro and pour the peanuts into a bowl for the table

9. set the table and pour a glass of wine (or crack open a beer)

10. stir in the yogurt right before serving the curry; it may curdle a little, not altering the flavour at all, it just looks a little funny, like when I made it!

11. ENJOY!!!

Alternate:
- instead of stewing lamb, you could use beef, chicken, shrimp, pork, goat, chopped onions, mushrooms, or chickpeas
- instead of in the oven, you could steam the cauliflower in a pot on the stovetop
- instead of cauliflower, you could use cabbage

This was so delicious, I really did make it two nights in a row!!

"Free" Stovetop Muesli

Today, a guest post from my sister-in-law, Kim. She is my husband's sister and one of my favourite people. She and her family are currently waiting on paperwork before returning to international work and are living with Mom and Dad. 

There are lots of challenges that come with cooking for three generations and individuals with very specific dietary needs.

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Our lives changed drastically last May with my dad's leukemia diagnosis, and we quickly learned a new lifestyle: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and avoiding a number of foods that my dad had allergies to.

Grilled Salad with Cream Cheese

It's lunch time. There are no leftovers for me from dinner last night. What should I make?

There are half an onion, half a green pepper, and half a red pepper all staring at me in the fridge.

And cream cheese... and fresh tomatoes... hmmm...

RECIPE: Grilled Salad with Cream Cheese

Ingredients:
half a small onion, sliced
one bell pepper, sliced or chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 dollop low fat cream cheese

Method:
> sauté the onion and pepper in a skillet
> once caramelized, pour into bowl
> add tomatoes, cream cheese, and parsley or cilantro garnish
> season to taste and enjoy!!

There are many variation options for this recipe; here are a few that popped to mind:

This would also be amazing with leftover grilled chicken, fish, or beef in place of the cream cheese.

Add to a bun with leftover steak, melt some mozzarella over the top, and drizzle with garlic mayo, hello Philly Cheese Steak!!

Without the cream cheese, this is a great vegetable side dish with very little work - fresh and grilled!

Frijoles a la Huacha / Dirty Beans

RECIPE: Frijoles a la Huacha / Dirty Beans

(serves 6)

Ingredients:

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1/2 onion, finely chopped

- 1 jalapeño chile, diced (use gloves)

- 2 cans red kidney beans

- 500 ml chicken broth

- 1 large bunch of mint

Method:

> fry the onion and chile in the oil until soft but not brown

> blend the beans with broth until smooth

> add beans to the fry pan with onion and peppers

> fry until beans reduce to a thick paste (about 10 minutes)

> add chopped mint leaves toward end of cooking time

To see the full menu created for the Guatemalan lunch, go here. 

Guatemalan Guacamole

RECIPE: Guatemalan Guacamole

(serves 6)

Ingredients:

- 4 ripe but not mushy avocados, diced in large cubes

- 2 small tomatoes, diced

- 0.5 (1/2) cup finely chopped red onions

- 1 fresh green chilli, chopped

- 1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

- 1 lime, juiced

Method:

> put avocados into bowl and mix with lime juice

> mix in other ingredients gently; serve as soon as possible

If you plan to prepare this ahead for a party or gathering later, put diced veggies into the bowl in the order they are listed. Make sure the tomatoes cover the top of the avocado and drizzle the lime juice over top of the works; this prevents the avocado from browning. Do not stir until ready to serve. 

To see the rest of what we did for the Guatemalan lunch, check here. 

Picado de Rábano / Guatemalan Radish Salad

Picado de Rábano / Guatemalan Radish Salad

(serves 6) 

Ingredients:

- 1 pound radishes, sliced into thin rounds

- 1 bunch mint, chopped

- 1/2 cup orange juice

- 1/4 cup lemon juice (one large lemon)

- salt & pepper to taste

Method:

> slice radishes with a food processor or knife

> mix all ingredients into bowl

> chill for a few hours (or overnight) before serving

For the full posting about the Guatemalan lunch, go here. 

Spring Radish Slaw

Nothing says "Springtime" like those classic spring fruit, vegetables, and bright colours.  For me, radishes take me back to childhood - tromping through the garden, on the hunt for a stem large enough to indicate it was time to eat!

I always find the first radishes of the year are mildest, and everything about them returns me to the early '80's, adventuring in the raised garden at the back of our small yard, searching through the marigolds and rhubarb for the first fruits of our gardening work.

I have made this salad several times this week and my kids cannot get enough of it.  The salt, vinegar, and sugar in the dressing gently pickle any "spice" out of the radishes, mellowing them down to their basic flavour.

Seconds and even thirds have been fully consumed before I hear, "Mommy, what else is for dinner?  I don't think I have room..."  Success!

RECIPE: Radish Slaw
(feeds 4-6)

Ingredients:
2 pounds radishes, trimmed
1-2 bunches cilantro or italian parsley
3/4 cup craisins
2 tbsp rice, white wine, cider, or champagne vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 tsp salt (or so)

Method:
> mix together the craisins, vinegar, sugar, mayo, and salt in your salad bowl
> slice the radishes with a food processor or mandolin if you have either; if not, it's the old fashioned way with a knife and cutting board
> rough chop the cilantro and/or parsley (this salad would also love spring onions)
> toss with the dressing; can be made ahead or to serve; if made ahead, it all turns a gorgeous pink

Salad for Lunch

Today is one of those days where faster is better, so once it was time to eat some lunch, I knew what I would have: salad.

RECIPE: Tangy Sweet Chili Salad

Ingredients:
tangy sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp mayo
1 tomato, diced
a few handfulls of salad greens
cilantro
peanuts

Method:
> mix together diced tomato, tangy sweet chili, and mayo
> arrange greens and cilantro
> top with tomato sauciness and peanuts

Fast and delicious!!!

Red & Green Salad

It has happened. It is December. Bring on the large gatherings with family and friends. But how do you feed that many people?!

Be not afraid of feeding the crowd of 23, with kids of varying ages, the cousin you see twice a year, and your aunt who has an extra glass of wine or two.

RECIPE: Red & Green Salad

Ingredients:
broccoli (one bunch of 3-4 florets)
cauliflower (1/2 head)
2-4 bell peppers
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup wine (or wine vinegar + 2 tbsp sugar)
3 cloves garlic
nuts
seeds
craisins or raisins

This is a salad of 3's. What do I mean? There are 3 components: veg, sauce, and nuts. In each component there are 3 ingredients. Here's how it breaks down:

Method:
> for the veg; chop the broccoli (including stems), cauliflower, and bell peppers into bite sized pieces, keeping your audience in mind (I always chop smaller for little kids and the elderly) and pop that into a large bowl

> for the sauce; mix together the mayo, wine (or wine vinegar and sugar), and garlic - I usually use about 3 cloves or a tsp of ground garlic

> for the nuts; this is FULLY open to your discretion and ingredients at hand. I love this salad with chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, and craisins. My latest iteration contained sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried chickpeas, sunflower seeds, and craisins.

> MIX AND SERVE!!

And that is it. This is essentially the template for a firm veggie salad at my house. This salad has also contained the following ingredients:
- radish
- onion
- green peas (frozen or fresh)
- snow peas
- snap peas
- kohlrabi
- carrot
- beet
- cilantro
- parsley
- basil
- mint
- parsnips
- apple
- and BACON

Honestly, this salad is a meal in itself. Just add a little meat or a few extra nuts and voila! Dinner is served.

Easy, filling, delicious, AND festive to boot!!

Tapas for Dinner

It was one of those nights where we just did not feel like making or eating a "real" dinner. So instead, I made this:

Ranch Dip

There is something about it... creamy and delicious, a good ranch dip or dressing makes everything better. 


After looking in stores for the perfect iteration, I am usually appalled either by the price or the ingredient list. Is it really that hard? Is a good ranch dip out of reach?

Fear not, amazing home-made ranch dip awaits!!

Mexican Night

I get fully inspired by various cultures... and then I make it my own, usually blending cultures along the way.

Take last night, for example. We had corn tortillas and I was not sure where we would end up, but Mexico was my inspiration and I managed to convince the ingredients to join our culinary adventure.