Pain Perdu (aka French Toast), Asparagus and Orange Butter sauce (Recipe)

Last Sunday, since my family celebrated Mother's Day on Saturday, rather than Sunday (less competition at restaurants), my friend and I had our own non-Mother's day brunch. Along with the mimosas, complements of my friend, we also had French toast (Pain Perdu) with asparagus and a lovely orange beurre blanc sauce with a fresh strawberry salad to cut the heaviness of the French toast dish. All about balance, right!?! I recently have gotten into making normally sweet things, savory. (More to come on that front, promise!)

(This recipe will yield enough for 2, you can double it- no problem!)

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Then, wash the asparagus well (tends to have sand in the tips). Place in baking dish and drizzle olive oil and roll the baking dish back and forth to coat same. Add salt (since this was a special occasion, I used my red volcanic salt, but regular salt will do.) and pepper. Bake for 7ish minutes, depending on the size of your asparagus. I prefer it to remain firm, yet cooked. It is easier to cut into pieces later. Once cooked, slice into 1-2 inch pieces and put on the side.

Next, prepare the French Toast mixture.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to preference)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to preference)

6 slices of French bread, the good crusty kind, cut into 1 inch slices. (suggestion- cut it the night before and leave it out so that it will be extra absorbent)

Preparation:

In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients (except the bread), transfer to a bowl that has enough surface area to accommodate your 6 bread slices. Place your bread slices in the mixture for 3 minutes each side to absorb thoroughly. While soaking the bread, preheat the large skillet, and margarine. Make sure the skillet's heat is even before placing your egged bread into it. Cook until each side is nicely browned.

The Sauce:

3/4 cup white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
1/4 cup orange juice (fresh or squeezed- depending on what you have around and if you want to get a little fancier, you can switch the regular orange juice out for blood orange juice- it will be a little more tart)
1 thinly sliced shallot (or again, for a slightly different taste, you can use a small white onion, diced)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon of orange or lemon zest
6 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons more of orange juice

Preparation:

In a skillet, bring to a boil wine and juice. Add shallots or onion. Allow to reduce (about 10-15 minutes) until approximately 1-3 tablespoons (don't measure it, just eye it). Whisk in cream and allow to reduce again until approximately 1/8th cup. Reduce heat to low. Add butter, one tablespoon at a time. Once all the butter has been combined, you can either strain the mixture or if you want the added texture of the shallots, you can skip the straining exercise and add the 2 tablespoons of juice and the zest, then salt and pepper to taste.

If you decide to strain the mixture do so into a heat-proof bowl to avoid shattering. Then add zest and remaining juice. Once sauce is complete, you are ready to plate.

(If you decide to include a salad, prepare that beforehand as to not waste time after.) I included just a simple strawberry salad- mixed greens with sliced fresh strawberries and a simple vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Chik'n cutlets and mushrooms in lemon white wine sauce (Recipe)

In continuation of yesterday's meal preparation, here is the recipe for the Quorn Chik'n cutlets and mushrooms in lemon white wine sauce:

Ingredients:
1 package (4 pieces) Quorn naked chik'n cutlets
1 tablespoon butter (or margarine)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup diced onion
3 cloves diced garlic
1 cup white wine
1 cup vegetable stock
Sprigs of parsley chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup lemon juice

Heat skillet. Once the heat is balanced, add your butter and olive oil. Allow butter to melt, then add garlic and onion. Once the onion is translucent add your chicken pieces. Cook until browned. Toss in mushrooms. Mix in the wine and stock; add salt and pepper. Allow to simmer. Add lemon juice. Cook until there is only a small amount of liquid left in the pan.

Place on top of pasta and sprinkle with parsley or prepare potatoes and greens to have along side. This recipe is quite a versatile addition to lots of meal combinations. You could also add this to a nice salad. Endless possibilities!

Kale Pecan Pesto (Recipe)

A couple nights ago I realized I have very little in my refrigerator that easily screams dinner. Throwing aside my go tos, I decided to be creative. The following recipe is what I created...

Kale Pecan Pesto

Ingredients:

1 bunch of roughly chopped curly kale (steamed)
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
5-7 cloves of garlic
1 large lemon
½ cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp Chili powder (optional)
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese (or less- up to you)
1 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap garlic and pecans in foil and place in oven for approximately 20 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the steamed kale, pecans and garlic, pulse until well blended. Using a spatula, scoop off the sides of the processor to make sure all is well combined. Add parmesan, salt, pepper, chili powder and lemon zest and again pulse until mixed. Again, remove any stray pesto mixture from the sides of the processor. While blending, add lemon juice, white wine, and olive oil. Remember, you can always add, but taking away is not so easy.

Mix in the pesto sauce with your favorite pasta and serve (or you can add a little more to make it an extra filing meal. I added “Chicken” cutlets and mushrooms in lemon white wine sauce to the pasta for some extra protein) Recipe to follow....

Gnocchi!!!! (Recipe- vegan)

I love gnocchi. The little lead bullets of goodness are the perfect vehicle for any type of sauce. Forever did I think these dumplings were a difficult and mysterious creation from the Italian god of perfection, probably together with Bacchus (because wine shouldn't be left out of a good meal). Anyway, back to my discovery... I decided to try to make these delightful creations, only to find out that they are SUPER easy!!  So, here it goes...

Ingredients:

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
3/4 cup of flour (or enough flour for the dough not to be sticky)
salt to taste

Process:

Bake the potatoes in the oven until soft- approximately 1 hour or so, depending on their size. Once baked allow to cool.

Remove the skin. In a large bowl, using either a ricer or a fork, mash them up well. Add flour and salt; mix together. Keep adding flour until the dough doesn't feel sticky. Let rest for approximately 5-10 minutes.

During this period of time you can get the water pot started (like you would for any store purchased pasta)

Take a handful of the dough and begin rolling it between your hands to form a log. Then, on a floured cutting board, continue rolling until the dough roll is about the size of your thumb (unless you have really large thumbs, then roll it a little thinner.) Once rolled, cut the dough every inch. Make an imprint in each piece and then roll slightly to create the barrel look. Place on the side (not touching) Do this until all the dough is formed into the individual pieces.

Once the water in your pot is boiling, place your gnocchi into the salted water. Allow to cook until the piece begins to float (approximately 3-4 minutes). Remove from water, place in bowl with favorite sauce and mangia! This recipe feeds about 3-4 people.

Pancakes Worth Making (Recipe)

This recipe is first and foremost for my cousin. I have been trying to share this each and every time I see her, but we tend to get sidetracked on other matters and so I have decided to share it with everyone. Here it goes...

Ingredients for Pancakes:

2 tablespoons of butter, melted

1 cup of flour
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup of milk

1 egg
fruit of choice (optional)

Ingredients for berry sauce:

1 cup fresh strawberries, cut
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
*(you can add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, in a 2 tablespoons of water, if you want the sauce to thicken)


Putting it together (sauce):


Some people prefer maple syrup. If I am making fruit pancakes, I would rather have a nice fruit sauce to go over them. In a small heated sauce pan place all the sauce ingredients together, except the cornstarch, if you are using it. Keep stirring so as to avoid anything sticking on the bottom of the pan. Once the mixture starts looking like a sauce, about 10 minutes, you can add the water/cornstarch mixture to the sauce. Keep mixing for another 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat. This sauce can be made before hand and placed in the refrigerator for later. Great on ice cream too.



Putting it together (pancakes):

sift all the dry ingredients (flour,sugar, salt and baking powder) together, put aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and egg- then add the melted butter. Once well mixed, stir in the dry ingredient mixture. Set aside and let rest for 5 minutes. While waiting, pre-heat your griddle or pan. Add butter or margarine to pan.

Place a small ladle full of batter in pan. I prefer smaller pancakes so I can cook three at a time.  Add fruit to the exposed uncooked batter (in pan). Adding the fruit this way allows everyone to have the type of pancakes they prefer- no need for early morning negotiations. Cook until bubbles form on expose side and then flip. 

Plate and serve! The sauce compliments the berried pancakes nicely.

Waffling (suiker wafel recipe)

I have a sweet tooth, a serious sweet tooth, and am happy to seek out the best of the best when it comes to sweets- tasting as I go, nonetheless. And, to date, these are my favorite waffles. Suiker wafels are waffles that have beautiful pieces of sugar cooked into them- some remain whole others are nicely caramelized when cooked.

The recipe I use is a bit time consuming, but worth the effort. It is difficult not to eat all of them by yourself while cooking. I suggest having at least one other person around to protect you from yourself and your taste buds.

Ingredients:

5 3/4 teaspoons of dry yeast

9 tablespoons of butter, room temperature

1/4 cup milk, warmed

1 Egg, beaten

1 cup and 7 tablespoon of flour

2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 cup of water, warmed

pinch salt

1/2 cup Pearl sugar (or sugar cubes crushed up)

This is the sugar I use. I buy it when I go to Belgium because it is the most perfect waffle sugar I have found.  I have used others, but I like this the best. There are some specialty stores that sell it too. You can search for pearl sugar, hail sugar, or nib sugar- these should get you to a good sugar product (I do not recommend using the Lars brand sugar for these waffles- the pieces are not large enough to give the authentic feel of the waffles). Here are a couple sites that have the sugar: http://www.belgianpearlsugar.com/, http://chefshop.com/HAIL-SUGAR-PEARL-SUGAR-P5944.aspx. I have never purchased it from these sites, but the sugar looks right in the pics.

Recipe:

Take your butter out well beforehand. It needs to be soft. If it isn't soft wait to make the waffles. Do not try to rush the softness of the butter by placing it into the microwave. It causes it to become liquid, not soft. You do not want liquid butter for this recipe. You want soft. Again, soft butter. Butter can survive being out of the refrigerator for a while. If I am going to make waffles, I have been known to take the butter out the night before so that in the morning it is ready to go before I am. If you want to know more about the great butter debate, check out some of the comments here.

Warm the water to about 100 degrees (or to where it feels warm to the touch- I am a knuckle temp. tester, I must confess. I have never actually checked the temperature of the milk with anything other than my knuckle and it has yet to kill the yeast.)

Sprinkle the yeast into the water and add about a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of four to feed the yeast. Set the mixture aside for 5-10 minutes to allow it to proof. If you want to know more about proofing yeast, go here.

In a large bowl (large enough to allow dough to rise in) sift your flour. Although I do this sometimes, I do not do it all the time and it still turns out fine. Make a well and add your egg, yeast concoction and warm milk. Mix well with a spoon, preferably a wooden spoon. Cover with a towel and leave to rise to about double/tripled in size.

In a second bowl (medium sized), mix butter, 1 teaspoon of sugar, pinch of salt, vanilla, baking powder, and 7 tablespoons of flour together. Once mixed, throw in the pearl sugar and mix again. It seems to work better that way.

At this point get your waffle iron started. It needs to be hot- you don't want mushy waffles. That is just sad after the work you have already put in.

Once the rising dough is ready, place the contents of the second bowl into the first. The second bowl dough will deflate the rising dough a bit. This is a picture of what it will look like.

Mix the two doughs together with your hands. It will stick. It's supposed to do that. Try to get as much back into the bowl as possible rather than on your apron or in your hair.

Once well mixed. I use a silicone spatula and a butter knife to make the 8-10 balls of dough ,which I flour and allow to stand on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes.

Then, in your heated waffle iron add the dough balls and allow them to cook. Because the waffles were floured, I do not usually use any butter or oil in the waffle iron, however, you can if necessary. Cook until golden brown then place on cooling rack- or eat warm.

In the end you are left with about 8-10 beautifully crisp waffles, that is unless you ate them all before you finished cooking. These are dense awesome waffles. There is no need to add syrup or anything else to them. Easy to just pick up and eat. No need for plates or other silly nonsense. Enjoy!

Asparagus Cilantro Soup (Recipe)

Another throw together recipe here. I had some aspargus that I needed to use up and what better way than in a soup! The preparation for this recipe is fairly short and easy- I made it on a "school night."

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus cut in pieces, separate out the spears
1/2 Spanish onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 of lemon (juiced)
1 carrot, chopped
1 potato, diced
4 cups vegetable broth
small hand full cilantro, chopped (to taste)
grapeseed oil (or other veg oil)
just a drop (or so)  of a white wine
1/4 to 1/2 cup of almond milk
bay leaf
adobo seasoning
hot chili pepper powder
salt
pepper

Directions:

In a heated stock pot, drizzle oil thrown in onion, garlic mix until translucent. Throw in bay leaf potato and carrot. allow to cook for 5-10 minutes while moving ingredients so as not to burn. Then add vegetable broth and asparagus. Allow to simmer for 30-50 minutes, stirring periodically. During that time feel free to add spices to taste.



At this point, remove from the heat and, using your handheld blender, blend the soup well. Add almond milk, lemon juice and wine. Place back on heat and allow to simmer another 10 or so minutes. Add the asparagus spears previously placed a side and cilantro. Cook soup another 10 minutes.

The soup works well with a sprinkle of chihuahua cheese.

Enjoy!

Open-faced Quesadilla Breakfast Recipe

Every now and again, bored from the run of the mill eggs, potatoes and toast breakfasts that normally suffice, I try to get a little creative. Last weekend was one of those times. I had some bits of veggies and such just waiting for a creative spark. Here's what I came up with...

Ingredients:

Open-faced  Quesadilla breakfast:

2 potatoes (cubed and boiled)
3-6 eggs
1/2 of a red pepper, diced
1/2 of a poblano pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
fist full of corn
1 can of refried black beans
1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves
Soyrizo (or if you are a meat eater, chorizo, a Spanish sausage)
corn tortillas
approx. 1 1/2 cups Chihuahua cheese, grated
approx. 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
Mexican seasoning (chili pepper, paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder)
salt
pepper

Salsa:

tomatoes
red onion
garlic
jalapeno pepper
cilantro
Mexican seasoning
adobo seasoning
salt and pepper

Directions:

In a pan, using a little oil (your choice, maybe grapeseed) saute the onions and the garlic until translucent. Add the peppers (including the jalapeno) and potatoes to the pan making sure to stir. Add seasoning. Continue stirring. Add corn and Soyrizo.

On a cookie sheet, place several tortillas well spaced. This recipe should make about 4 well covered tortillas. Spread the refried black beans on to the tortillas. Then, dish out, evenly, the Soyrizo/potato mixture on each tortilla. Sprinkle the Chihuahua/cheddar cheese mixture on top of the Soyrizo/potato mixture. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

While the tortillas are baking, prepare the eggs. I tend to go with scrambled (adding a little salt and pepper) because the are easiest, but this would work well with a sunnyside up egg as well. If you are doing sunnyside up then you will only need 4 eggs- one per each tortilla. Also, I reuse the pan that I just cooked the Soyrizo/potato mixture in. It picks up some of the spices left in the pan.

Once the cheese has melted, remove from oven. Plate the tortilla. Add the eggs on top of the Soyrizo/potato mixture and place a little tomato salsa on the side. If you have avocado, you can add a little of that as well.

...and voila! A nice twist on a regular breakfast.

Saag Aloo Soup (Curried Potato and Spinach Soup) Recipe

June has been strange thus far- highs in the high 90s and lows in the low 50s, sometimes within the same day. For me, the chill in my bones on a gray day can only be cured by a good soup. So, yesterday, to ease my chilled bones and summer spirit, I threw together a nice curried potato and spinach soup.

Ingredients (Vegetarian or Vegan):

4 golden potatoes
1 large leek 
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup milk or almond milk
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
1 dash garam masala, a nice addition, but not necessary
salt and pepper to taste

Cube the potatoes leaving the skin. Boil until soft and drain well. While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the leek by removing the fanned stalk and the roots- use only the white and light green part of the stalk. Cut the leek in half, lengthwise. Wash thoroughly- leeks tend to get dirt in between their layers so make sure to clean them well- grit, although interesting in texture, does not necessarily belong in a "warm your bones" kind of soup. Once clean, thinly slice the leek halves.

In an evenly heated stock pot, toss in your butter/margarine allowing it to melt then throw in your leek and cooked potatoes. Saute' until the leek is translucent, but keep any eye on it and mix every so often- you don't want the leek to burn or attach to the bottom of your pot.

Before adding the stock, mix in the curry powders and garam masala. Once the spices are well distributed, add 2 cups of vegetable stock and 2 cups of water. Let simmer for approximately 30 minutes- periodically stirring the pot.

While the soup is simmering. chop the spinach. I grab a handful and slice it into ribbons, then make a mound of what I just cut and chop it one more time for good measure. Set the spinach aside.

After the 30 minutes or so is up, using a hand blender, puree the potato/leek mixture in the stock pot until smooth. Once smooth, mix in the 1/2 cup of milk and fold in the chopped spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for another 10 minutes or so.

The soup can be served alone or with rice or naan.

Enjoy!

Roasted Beet Hummus Recipe

So... last year when visiting family in Belgium, I was introduced to beet hummus. Although no recipe was provided, I decided to see if I could remake this lovely pink hummus. Below is my concoction. I hope those of you who try it let me know if it works for you.

 Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas (a/k/a garbanzo beans)
1/3 cup tahini (add it if you want it- if you don't, skip it)
Juice of 1 lemon (approx 1/4 cup)
4 roasted garlic cloves
1 medium sized beet
cayenne pepper to taste
salt to taste
garlic powder (if the 4 roasted cloves weren't enough)

Preparation:

Peel and then roast beet with garlic in oven- 45 minutes to an hour depending on beet size. After roasting, place chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic in food processor and mix until smooth. Throw in beet (diced) and blend until the consistency matches your preference. Remove mixture from food processor and add salt, cayenne and garlic powder to taste.

Serve with tortilla chips or pita bread. Enjoy!

The Christmas (Veg) Dinner, Part I

Although fleeing to somewhere warmer where I could hide until the holidays passed seemed like a brilliant idea, I stayed home this year and hosted Christmas dinner. Cooking for my family can be a bit of a challenge. My father has a more classic palate, while my mother is cautiously adventurous when it comes to food; then there is my brother and his girlfriend- if meat is not attached to whatever the meal is, it is cause to fret and wonder what on earth I may be feeding them. This year, with my Christmas dinner debut, I believe I successfully satisfied my mélange of guests.


To begin, I served a simple mixed baby greens salad with a balsamic dressing, classic and simple, but still able to hold its own. Next, for my dad, baked ziti. Because I believe a little heat can add another dimension to any meal, my pasta sauce includes chilies- just enough to give a bite, let you know they are there and warm your blood in these cold, dark months. Simple meals, but good, stick to your bones type stuff. Where I got adventurous was the other meal. Yes, I served two separate meals at my dinner-could it be any other way?

The second meal included Portobello Wellingtons with Madeira sauce, mashed potatoes with leeks and a touch of nutmeg and lemon haricot vert with almond slices. The Portobello Wellingtons with Madeira sauce are not for the faint of heart- these gems are labor and time intensive- without the holiday dinner debut looming over me, I don’t know if I would have attempted these. I wanted to wow my guests and these did it.

Knowing what was ahead of me, I paced myself. I began my pasta sauce the night before.

Pasta Sauce:

1 bulb of garlic, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 large cans peeled tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
6 fresh Roma tomatoes, diced
Red wine
Fresh basil
Italian herb mixture
Salt
Black Pepper
Hot dried chilies
3-4 bay leaves
Olive oil

Sauté onion in 2-3 tbs olive oil until transparent in a thick bottomed stock pot, toss in the diced garlic. Once both the garlic and the onions are sautéed, add the fresh diced tomatoes and allow those to cook for several minutes before stirring in the 2 large cans of peeled tomatoes, the can of sauce and bay leaves. Pour in wine (approximately 1 cup or to taste). Let cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally to avoid burning the sauce.

At this point, add basil, salt, pepper, hot chilies and the Italian herb mixture, all to taste. A good rule of thumb is to not over do it with the herbs and such- you can always add more as you go, but removal is almost impossible. Allow to simmer for at least an hour, stirring periodically.

After I remove the bay leaves, I puree my sauce with an immersion hand blender. It balances out the flavors and gives a nice texture to the sauce. Once finished blending, place the pot back on the flame and allow the sauce to simmer another 30 minutes or longer depending on desired thickness. Knowing I am adding this to pasta that will end up in the oven, I will make the sauce a little thinner because the oven will cause its own evaporation and thicken the sauce up a bit.

Once the sauce is “done” you can either serve it with pasta, let it cool and freeze it for later, or let it cool and place it in the refrigerator for use within the week. As a general rule, the sauce is always better the second day and, as with this batch, I allowed it to cool and then placed in the refrigerator for the following day’s final preparations for the baked ziti- after, of course, giving the sauce a trial run with a little pasta, along with a good red wine, such as Jazz.

I left the remaining, more daunting Portobello Wellington recipe for the coming day. To be continued…

A Little Throw Together Vegetarian Meal (Chicken, in a lemon, white wine, tarragon sauce)

As most of you know, I am not a cook. But as time passes, I am becoming more daring in the kitchen. Cooking is truly a learning experience. I've spent years watching a very good cook, but never doing much by way of assistance with the main meals. Rather, I came in for dessert duty. Slowly I am moving away from just baking and into actual cooking.

Last night I decided to throw together Quorn “chicken” (a meat alternative which is also soy free), in a lemon, white wine, tarragon sauce, sautéed spinach and garlic and roasted rosemary potatoes. I whipped up this little meal sans recipe.

Ingredients:

Chicken, in a lemon, white wine, tarragon sauce

Package of Quorn cutlets (can substitute in actual chicken if you so choose)
5 cloves of garlic (sliced)
3 sprigs of tarragon (whole)
Bay leaf
“No Chicken” or vegetable broth (2 cups)
white wine (approx 1 cup or so)
Salt
Pepper
1 whole lemon (cut in half. One half will be used to cut slices of lemon to place on top of cutlets)
Olive oil
1 tsp butter
1 tsp corn starch

Sauteed Spinach with garlic

1 package of spinach (fresh)
4 cloves of garlic
Olive oil

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

4 Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons dried rosemary (or 2 fresh sprigs)
1 tsp of dried garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Pulling the meal together:

Begin with the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425°. Cut potatoes into cubes (leave skin). In a 9 inch baking dish drizzle oil and then toss in potatoes to coat with oil. Sprinkle garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss again to cover all pieces and place in the oven for about 45 minutes- making sure to turn them every 15 or so minutes to avoid burning.

While the potatoes are baking, heat deep skillet pan, place olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) and butter. Then sauté the garlic slices. Place the cutlets in pan next (carefully to avoid splatter). Once these are slightly browned, add the (about 1 cup) white wine, broth, tarragon, bay leaf, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Place lemon slices in the sauce. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes to release the flavors into the sauce. You can cover it to keep in the moisture. Within the last 5 minutes or so, mix in the corn starch to thicken the sauce a bit.

While the chicken and the potatoes are cooking, go ahead and start the spinach. Heat wok (the wok is easiest way to fit all the greens in while the leaves are still firm). Once heated, place about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in wok and sauté the garlic. Before the garlic turns brown add the spinach and sauté until the spinach is wilted, but still whole.

At this point you are ready to plate and serve. I would suggest a nice white wine to go with this meal- maybe Evolution (an Oregon wine). It is a heartier wine (e.g. it also can hold up to many meat dishes too). Or, you can always go with a good standby from Trader Joe's.

Bon Appetite!

A Toronto Evening

I find I am easily seduced by each new city in which I find myself. I believe any city worth its salt can seduce even the most hardened traveler. And yes, all worth visiting cities are femme to the core, regardless of what phallic shaped towers and art man attempts to conquer them with.

Toronto was the same for me. Walking down the glistening evening streets in search of a meal as pleasant as the city, I realized that wherever I ended up would have to outweigh taking photographs of the city’s movement, her curves and shadowed corners. I am intoxicated by the people passing, the pipe steam filling the graffiti filled alleys, the colors, the sounds and lights.

Queens Street. She is a beauty with so much to offer- down each side of the street with tributaries flowing off of her leading the meanderer to hidden gems. High on sensory overload, I walk; pupils dilated trying to absorb each sight knowing I may miss something if I do not pay close attention (like the friendly exchange in the tattoo piercing parlor). Oh, the colors, the emotions exchanged and shared. Even in the downpour I am pleased to be walking these streets barely aware of my soaked jeans and hat.

My original mission was to walk to a restaurant called Full Moon. I arrived at the stated address, but found not the restaurant. This was not the first time something such as this has happened, but I did begin to question myself as to why I didn’t stop at one of the many other places along the way. Quick bite to eat- get in/get out. But no, I want to experience more than just the eating. I can get sustenance anywhere. The pizza vendor, the “to go” creperie- these were all available to me, but no- none of these would fulfill my desire to dine well.

As I began to retrace my steps I noticed a little restaurant, Fressen. The name sounded familiar. Was this one of the vegan restaurants on my list? Why yes, and the serve late!! Lucky since I lose time when walking. Time only stands still in my head, everywhere else it marches on in ordinary course. Stepping inside, with an hour to go before closing, I am relieved when Sarah beckons me in with a warm smile and menu. I am alone; because of this, there is no reason not to eat seated at the bar. The vantage point is better and I like any opportunity to chat with locals.

I started out with lovely crisp croquettes on a salsa with greens, moved on to a seared encrusted tempeh with wilted greens and root vegetables, to finally end with an amazing dark chocolate ganache stuffed with a date and nut puree surrounded by fresh fruits. If all vegan faire was this delightful there would definitely be a larger vegan following. I hinted that they should consider Chicago for their next location. In between courses, Sarah, the beautiful petite server who welcomed me in with her smile shared gossip and travel stories with me.

This is what it means to experience a place. Why go on the “fish tank” tours where you touch nothing and nothing touches you? Get in, get dirty, but experience! I like to travel this way. I want to know that when I get home I was somewhere else.

After my extended dinner, I said my goodbyes and shared my gratitude for a meal well prepared and headed back to the hotel in the continued downpour. Contented that, yet again, with the disappearing of the destination that I had originally set my sights on, another opportunity, originally overlooked, had a chance to be noticed and, with that, a pleasant surprise changing the course for the better.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls in Translation

While teaching English as a Second language, my friend and student Mai, determined that I learn to make something Vietnamese, suggested I make spring rolls. She guaranteed that they were easy to throw together, especially since I would be making a vegetarian version. As with most "cooking" type things, I did not believe her. I tucked away her suggestion and then last weekend, on a whim, I decided to tackle the spring roll.

Ingredients:

dry Rice wrapper (round)
carrots
cucumber
shitake mushrooms
scallions
bean sprouts
rice noodles (thin)
cilantro
really good soy sauce
sesame seed oil

For Dipping:

Spicy peanut sauce
Really good soy sauce
Plum sauce

First, bring a pot of water to boil for the noodles. Do not add the noodles yet.

While waiting for the water to boil, saute the shitake mushrooms with a little soy sauce and sesame oil put that aside to cool.

Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat and add the noodles. keep stirring the noodles until they are soft- once soft drain the noodles and allow them to cool.

Julienne both the cucumber and the carrots.

Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water to rehydrate the dry rice wrappers. Take your first rice wrapper, while holding it, dip it into the bowl until it is soft, but not disintegrated.

Once the wrapper is moist, lay it down to begin adding the filling. I place them on a cutting board to make it easier to move around.

On one end, place some of the noodles, carrots, cucumber, shitake mushrooms, bean sprouts and cilantro. Pull the end of the wrapper where you placed the filling over the filling completely.

Fold in each side of the wrapper to secure the filing and then roll away from you. The wrapper is sticky and will seal itself. Place on the side. Repeat these steps until you reach the number of rolls needed. You can keep the rolls cool in the refrigerator while finishing up the remaining rolls.

Toss cut scallions over the rolls as garnish.

Use one or all of the dipping sauces and enjoy.

Have you ever notice how much fun rolled foods are to eat?  There are burritos, tamales, egg rolls, spring rolls, etc. Anything that is self contained and easy clean up is alright by me. I also enjoy the versatility of these rolled foods. The fillings can be replaced, things can be added or removed, all giving a nice twist to the traditional.

Thanks Mai!

Roll Those Tamales

Over the weekend, I got the cooking bug again- this time it was for tamales. Yes, tamales. They are not as hard as they seem, they just take some time and patience. I decided to fill them with refried beans, pieces of jalapeno, and of course Chihuahua cheese. I also threw together a side of salsa, because, really, tamales without salsa are just sad lonely things on your plate.

The salsa should be made first. It will need to cool so if you make it first it can hang out in the refrigerator while the tamales are being prepared. That is unless you have a little someone taste testing the salsa...

Salsa:

(Everyone has their own heat levels, mine is fairly high. The hotter the better and if I don't get hiccups, why bother eating it at all?)

5 Roma tomatoes- diced
1/2 bunch cilantro- cut up
1 small garlic bulb- finely diced
1/2 medium side read onion- finely diced
3 jalapenos- (seed 2 of them, leave the last one alone)- finely diced
1 lime
pinch of adobe spice
pinch of black pepper
pinch of Cayenne
pinch of cumin

mix everything up, then puree 1/3 to 2/3 of the mixture (add the pureed portion back in with the remaining mix) and chill. (Once again, unless you have someone "tasting" it at this point. Once they are finished "tasting" it, then chill :))

Next, on to the tamales!!!

Corn Husks:

You will need the dried corn husks. I get them from a little store in my neighborhood- I am sure you can probably get them most places. You want the larger ones since the small ones are a pain to work with. I know, I was stuck with the small ones on this batch.

Soak these in water while you are preparing the other ingredients.

Filling:

Really, you can put in whatever you desire. I chose the refried beans, jalapenos and cheese because that was what we had around.

1 can refried (vegetarian) beans
2 jalapenos (both seeded, but throw some of the seeds in anyway- like I said, no hiccups, no good!)
1/4 package of Chihuahua cheese
1/2 bunch cilantro- cut up with stems removed.
pinch chili powder
pinch adobo powder
pinch garlic powder
pinch cumin

Mix those together and put aside for the moment. Don't worry about cooking the mixture. It will cook when you steam the tamale.

Next, the masa...

Masa:

I cheat a bit here. There is a mix for the masa that can be found at most stores. It is called MaSeCa for Tamales. It works well.

4 cups MaSeCa mix
2 cups vegetable broth (or use a veg. bullion cube)
2 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
11/3 cup of vegetable shortening- I use a palm version from Whole Foods

In a smaller bowl, whip the shortening until fluffy. Set aside

Then, in a larger bowl, combine the mix, salt and baking powder together. Add your water and broth and mix with your hands to make sure all is absorbed and evenly distributed. Then mix in the shortening.

Get your steamer started at this point.


Rolling the tamales:

Take your well soaked corn husks, dry each one off- I don't dry them well, just well enough so the masa sticks.

take one of the husks, grab enough masa to cover about 2/3 of the husk, spread it on beginning from the side you are going to roll until it is about 1/4 inch thick, leaving space at the top and bottom of the husk (so you can tie them off) and then add your filing to the middle of the masa. Roll from the masa side and make sure you form a seal with the masa so your filing doesn't escape. (It probably will on a couple, don't worry, those are for "tasting.") Tie each end with either kitchen tine or use your longer husks torn in strips as ties.

Place into steamer for approximately 45 minutes.

These do freeze well, that is, if you have any left after "tasting" them...

Enjoy!