Michael Smith's Mediterranean Salad

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Happy New Year!

If you are like me, you are a few dollars lighter and a few pounds heavier after the holiday season.  Around this time of year, I really feel the need to detox and lighten the load some.  For me, that doesn't mean juice cleanses or leek broth diets, it means eating lighter and including more fruits and vegetables at every meal - something that is very important for keeping your energy up for the final push through winter.

This salad is a great way to do that because it is full of several ingredients that will boost your energy and keep you going.  One of the problems I have with salads is that they are too light - they don't keep me filled.  But this one eats like a meal, and the chickpeas and olives provide healthy fibre and fat that keep me satiated.

Either as lunch or as a side to a dinner meal, this is one salad that you will keep coming back to again and again.  It serves 4 - 6.  (I have modified it slightly from Chef Michael Smith's original version).

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp English or Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt

1 - 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 small red onion, diced and soaked in cold water
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 - 19 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
15 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 romaine lettuce hearts, torn into bits
pepper

Directions:

1. Whisk first six ingredients together in the order listed (this will keep your tablespoon clean - trust me, I first did mustard and then oregano, and it was a mess!).  I like to make dressing in a small canning jar because then I can put on the lid, shake it up, and store the extra in the same jar.  Set aside.

2. In a salad bowl, mix the salad ingredients together except for the lettuce.

3. Toss the salad ingredients with as much dressing as you like and marinate in the fridge for an hour or so, if you have time.  If not, no problem.

4. When you are ready to serve the salad, toss the lettuce with some more of the dressing and then add the mixed ingredients on top.  Finish with the freshly group pepper.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Kalamata olives are the blackish purple ones.  You can sometimes buy them already pitted, but if not, just use the side of your knife to smash them gently and pull the pit out with your fingers.

2. Marinated artichoke hearts are usually sold in jars as opposed to cans.  If you have to use canned artichokes, make sure you rinse them first as they are quite a bit more acidic than the marinated ones.

3. Honey comes either pasteurized or unpasteurized.  I buy unpasteurized because it has more health benefits.  You can also buy different kinds of honey (wildflower, clover, etc.). These are based on the kinds of flowers that the bees were feasting on.  I really like wildflower honey.  I was also told last year that eating local honey can help with seasonal allergies.  Although I was a bit skeptical, I tried eating one teaspoon every day last year and found a noticeable difference…

Options:

1. You could make this with mixed Italian herbs instead of just oregano.

2. White wine vinegar would work if you don't have red wine vinegar.

3. You could also add a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top if you are so inclined.

4. If you are going to have leftovers, just make sure that you keep the lettuce separate from the rest of the dressed ingredients.  By doing so, this salad will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.  You might also want to leave out the tomatoes and add them at the last minute as well…

All in all, this is a great make ahead salad for potlucks, entertaining, or just for weekday lunches.  I have had several people comment that they do not normally like these ingredients separately, but mixed together with this dressing, it works!

Winter Pasta

I've previously posted my favourite Summer Fresh Pasta, so you are all familiar with one of the most popular dishes on our dinner table.  However, even favourites run their course and eventually everyone gets sick of them - cue the new winter fresh pasta.  One of the things I like most about the summer pasta is that it is quick and easy to make and includes lots of vegetables.  So, I took the same idea a just tweaked it a bit.

This recipe does include bacon instead of cheese, but it's only one slice for two people, so it's definitely in moderation.  Just enough to give the bacon flavour without overpowering everything.  This dish serves two people as a meal or four as a side dish.

Ingredients:

1 slice bacon, diced
1/8 tsp crushed red chile flakes
1 medium zucchini, cut in quarter moons
3 canned artichoke hearts, cut in twelfths (3 hearts out of one can, NOT 3 cans...)
6 cocktail tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
Fresh parmesan cheese, grated
salt, pepper
fresh basil, chopped (optional)

dried linguine or short pasta

Directions:

1. Put salted water on to boil in a large pot for the pasta.

2. Fry the bacon over medium high heat for about 4 minutes.  Do not add any extra oil to the pan, the bacon will release a lot of fat momentarily.

3. Add the chile flakes and the zucchini as well as a bit of salt and pepper.  Sauté for about 8 minutes.  Once the pasta water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to directions.

4. When there are about three minutes left in the cooking time for the pasta, add the artichoke hearts, garlic, and tomatoes to the zucchini.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.  Sauté until the tomatoes have released their juices and created a sauce.

5. Drain the pasta and add it to the veggies.  Portion into bowls and top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if available and desired.  Basil is really more of a summer herb, but sometimes you can find it in the winter.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. It is really important to buy cocktail tomatoes.  First of all, in the winter, the other ones are disgusting and have no taste, and second of all, they have a lot of juice, which is what creates the sauce.  Other tomatoes, especially Roma tomatoes, have less juice and will leave you with a dry pasta.

2. Do yourself a favour and buy your bacon from the Farmers Market.  The taste difference is incredible, and once you've tried it, you will never go back.  I rarely use bacon, so I splurge on the good stuff, wrap it up in small quantities and freeze it.  For this recipe, you can cook it right from frozen, so there is no need to worry about defrosting it.

Options:

1. You could add kalamata olives to this is you wanted to take it even further into the Mediterranean.


If you've tried out any of these recipes, I'd love to hear what you think.  Please drop me a line in the comments section and let me know.  Thanks!

Pantry Party Casserole

It's time to admit that there will be a day in the not so distant future where the temperature will be minus 30 before windchill, the snow will be up to your shins, and the last thing you will want to do is leave the house.  This recipe is perfect for that day (and any other winter day when you are feeling lazy).

I first made this recipe when Scott and I were living in England.  We started out with only a hot plate to cook on, but luckily graduated to a gas range (hob) and oven a couple of months after settling in.  I have fond memories of making this dish after a chilly February day of showing my parents around London.  I still think of that day every time I make this dish, which is often, and remember my mom's worried look when I was (god forbid) putting garlic, of all things, in the pot.  This dish was responsible for helping her get over her fear of garlic just like a few of the previous recipes have been responsible for helping her get over her fear of basil.  God only knows what adventures await her next!

I use three pots at once in order to speed up the cooking time.  The first day you eat this, it will be soupy and is great to sop up with crusty bread.  The leftovers will be significantly drier.  Don't get turned off by all the steps, it's a really simple recipe, and after you make it once, you probably won't need to use the recipe again.  It is a good idea to make it when someone else is on clean-up duty, though...

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or organic canola oil
1 small white onion
2-4 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
28 oz diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can artichoke hearts, packed in water
1 can chickpeas
4-6 medium red potatoes
3/4 cup grated gruyere cheese
salt, pepper
fresh basil (optional)

Directions

1. Put a large, a medium, and a small pot on the stove.  Take out a casserole dish.

2. Chop the onion and garlic and put them in the medium pot with the oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning.  Saute on medium heat for about 8 minutes.

3. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.  (You can leave the skins on).  Simmer them in the large pot in salted water until they are tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Add the diced tomatoes with their juice and the tomato sauce to the onion pot and simmer until the sauce is reduced and thicker.  Add more salt and pepper, if needed.

5. Rinse the chickpeas under cold water and put them in the small pot.  Cover them with water and simmer on medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft.

6. Preheat the broiler.

7. Drain the artichokes and quickly rinse in water, if you want.  They are okay if they are not rinsed, but they have a briny flavour.  Cut each heart into eighths.  Add to the tomato pot when the potatoes are almost done cooking.

8. Grate the cheese.

9. When the potatoes are finished cooking, drain them and let them sit for a couple of minutes so that all the water is gone.  Put them back into the large pot.

10. Drain the chickpeas and add them to the potato pot.  Pour the tomato/onion/artichoke mixture over the potatoes and chickpeas.  Stir carefully so that everything is mixed together.

11. Pour everything into the casserole dish and top with the grated cheese.

12. Cook under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the top is golden brown.  Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Top with fresh basil, if desired.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Like I said, this is a great pantry recipe, so buy double the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and chickpeas so that you have them on hand the next time you want to whip up something from what you have in the cupboard.

Options:

1. This recipe is very flexible.  It can be made with any kind of cheese except maybe blue cheese.  If you don't have Italian herbs, just use dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, or a combination of what you have.  If you don't have fresh garlic, use garlic powder.  The point of this recipe is to use what you have on-hand, so feel free to experiment.

My method for making this is a bit unconventional because I don't want to wait for it to bake in the oven, and I prefer sautéing the onions instead of putting the into the casserole raw.  It makes for a much better flavour.  If you want to bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees instead of broiling it, you can and it will be less soupy, but I like the sauce - it's great with bread...