Squash Salad

A friend of mine was able to grow 61 (!) squash in her garden this past summer.  So, it came as no surprise when she asked me if I would like some.  What I didn't know was that I was soon to be the unsuspecting recipient of an entire cloth shopping bag of squash.  Fortunately, though, many of the squash she gave me were delicata squash, which are now my favourite winter squash.  The nice thing about them is that they are small, so you won't always have leftovers, and you don't need to peel the skin off them.

This winter salad was inspired by a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa and feeds four.

Ingredients:

2 delicata squash

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup of cubed feta cheese
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 clamshell of mixed greens
salt

3/4 cup apple juice
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp shallots
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Cut the squash into half-moons, toss with oil and salt and place on a parchment covered baking sheet.

3. Roast for 15 minutes, turn and bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Browning is good. Let cool to room temperature. Cut each ring into three pieces.

4. In a dry skillet, toast pumpkin seeds until they start to pop. Toss in a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Let cool.

5. To make the dressing, combine apple juice, maple syrup, shallots, and vinegar in a small sauce pan.  Boil and reduce until you have about a 1/4 cup worth.  Remove from heat.  Add mustard, salt, pepper.  Whisk in oil in a thin, steady stream.

6. On a platter, arrange the lettuce, squash, feta, cranberries, and toasted pumpkin seeds.  Drizzle dressing over top.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Delicata squash can be found in some grocery stores in late October, early November.

2. Dried cranberries and sometimes pumpkin seeds can be found in the bulk section, so you don't have to buy more than necessary.

Options:

1. If you can't find delicata squash, you can use another hard winter squash such as butternut or kobocha.

2. Instead of feta cheese, you could use chèvre or parmesan.

3. Instead of lettuce, you could use spinach.

4. Instead of pumpkin seeds, you could use walnuts.

5. Instead of maple syrup, you could use honey or brown sugar.

Leftovers:

1. Store each component of the salad separately to keep the salad for a couple of days.  I made this the night before and took it to work for a potluck.  I just let the squash and dressing come to room temperature first.

2. You will have extra dressing.  It will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Enjoy this autumn/winter salad for the next couple of months for lunch or as an accompaniment to soup.

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...

World Famous Soup

I don't have a better title for this because it is not your everyday kind of soup.  This is a soup that I invented many years ago that has withstood the test of time.  I have made it in France to rave reviews,  I have made it in England to rave reviews, and I have even made it in Edmonton to rave reviews.  It's not a chowder or a bisque, although it does have milk in it, so I'm left just calling it my "World Famous Soup".  Because it does not have a thickening agent, it is a light version of a broth - and that's what I like about it.

There are many variations to this soup, and if you don't like shrimp, you can leave it out.  I made it without shrimp for several years before thinking about adding it.  Now I add it every time.  My favourite time to eat this soup is after several days of pigging out over the Christmas holidays, but it shows up on the table at least once a month during the fall/winter, which is saying a lot because I hardly ever make the same thing twice...

This soup will serve approximately 6 as a meal.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
4 medium carrots, sliced into crescents
6 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 cups chicken stock
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb shrimp (raw, thawed, and peeled), each shrimp cut into three pieces
2 cups milk (not skim)
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Sauté the onion in the butter and oil with a bit of salt while you chop the celery and carrots.

2. Add the celery and carrots to the pot while you chop the potatoes.

3. Add the potatoes to the pot and sauté the lot for 3 - 4 minutes.

4. Add the chicken stock, dried dill, and garlic powder.

5. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are cooked through.

6. In the meantime, peel the shrimp and cut each one into three pieces.

7. When the vegetables are cooked, add the shrimp to the pot and cook until they are pink, about 1 - 2 minutes.

8. Add the milk and heat through, about 1 - 2 minutes.  Do not boil.

9. Add salt and pepper to taste.  You will probably have to add about 2 tsp of salt - it's a big pot of soup and the potatoes will counteract it. Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Although it is slightly more expensive, I buy the loose carrots and celery unless I have another recipe in mind that will use the leftovers.  I find I save more money that way than buying the cheaper stuff and throwing it out.

2. I use red potatoes for this recipe, but white ones or yukon gold are fine as well.  Even baby potatoes work.  Don't use russet potatoes, though, because they are baking potatoes and are too floury.

3. I have tried this recipe with fresh garlic and fresh dill, but it doesn't taste as good.  Usually, I am all about the fresh ingredients, but in soup, the rules are a bit different.  If you want to garnish it with fresh dill as well as the dried, that would be a good idea.


Options:

1. If you don't have time to thaw the shrimp, put them in a colander and run COLD water over them for five to ten minutes.

2. You can add frozen corn to this, or even substitute the corn for the shrimp if you want.

3. If you want a vegetarian soup, you could use vegetable stock instead and omit the shrimp.

4. If you want to add flour to the butter to thicken the broth, you can, but I really enjoy the lightness of it as it is.


Leftovers:
1. This will keep in the fridge for about four days, but it never lasts that long in my house!

If you try it, let me know what you think.  Don't forget the step at the beginning about sautéing the vegetables, though.  It makes a difference to the taste.

Sweet, Sour, Salty, and Spicy Squash

This recipe was inspired by one in Heidi Swanson's book "Super Natural Every Day".  I have changed several of the ingredients but kept the four most important components of the dish: the sweet squash, the sour lemon, the salty miso, and the spicy curry paste.  Together, they are perfectly balanced so that the squash is not too sweet, the lemon is bright, the miso is barely noticeable, and the curry does not bite.

Mom, there will be a few ingredients that are new to you here, but they are well worth the investment.  I promise that you will use them again in many future recipes.  These are not ingredients that you will use a small amount of and will then sit in your cupboard until they go bad.  Also, the green curry is not the kind of curry you don't like.  You don't like cumin, and this paste has no cumin in it.  Trust me, it is good.

Miso is an amazing ingredient that can be added to many dishes to add that special "umami" flavour.  It stimulates the secretion of digestive fluids in the stomach and restores the beneficial probiotics in the intestines. It reduces the risk of several different cancers, is detoxifying, and contains antioxidants.  It also strengthens the immune system and helps to lower LDL cholesterol.  No wonder many people in Japan eat miso soup for breakfast every day!

This recipe serves two generously for a main course or four for a side.  If you are using it as a main course, you may want to serve it with a piece of bread or a light green salad.  You could also serve it with rice.  We ate it by itself, but that's just us...

Ingredients:

Butternut squash (fill a Pyrex liquid 2 cup measure as full as you can)
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white miso
1 Tbsp green Thai curry paste
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 red potatoes or 8 baby potatoes, cubed
Juice of half a large lemon
6 leaves of kale
2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp fresh parsley (or cilantro)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds (if you are feeling energetic, you can roast them in the oven like pumpkin seeds).  Cut the squash into 1/2 inch cubes.  You can peel it if you want, but you don't have to.  I usually peel half and leave half with the skin on.  Fill up the Pyrex cup - that's how much you will use for this recipe.  Toss the rest of it in a bit of olive oil and roast it on a separate baking sheet to use at a later date - if you put it in the fridge raw, you will never use it - trust me!

3. Cut the potatoes into cubes.  Put the potatoes with the squash in a medium bowl.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, miso, and curry paste.  Measure out 1/3 cup of the mixture and put it in the bowl with the potatoes and squash.

5. Toss the potatoes/squash with the miso sauce, and then place them on a baking sheet.  Put this baking sheet and the baking sheet with the plain (leftover) squash in the oven for 30 minutes.  Stir them around at 15 minutes and 25 minutes so that they do not burn.

6. Add the lemon juice to the leftover miso mixture.  Cut the stems out of the kale, slice the leaves into ribbons, add them to the miso/lemon mixture, stir to coat completely.  Leave this at room temperature to wilt in the lemon vinaigrette while the squash cooks.

7. Simmer the chickpeas in a small pot of water for about 5 minutes to soften them up a bit.  Drain and set them aside until the potatoes/squash are ready.

8. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan for about 2 minutes.  Chop the parsley into large pieces.

8. When the potatoes and squash are soft and a fork will easily go through them, take them out of the oven and toss them with the kale mixture.  Add the chickpeas. Serve on a plate and top with the pumpkin seeds and parsley (or cilantro).  Enjoy!

Leftovers:

1. The leftover butternut squash can be eaten alone as a side, added to soups or stews, or pureed with vegetable stock for a nice soup.  You could find a muffin recipe that uses a squash puree, or you could freeze it for another use.

2. The leftover miso can be used in soups, stews, or just added to hot water for a very nice, light and healthy soup.  You can use it with some olive oil and the juice of the other lemon half for a nice vinaigrette.

Shopping Tips:

1. There are many different kinds of squash at the farmers market at this time of the year.  You could use another kind if you want, but don't use spaghetti squash - it is too different.  If you use butternut, pick one that has a long skinny part and a small bulb.  That way you get more flesh and fewer seeds.

2. The miso will be in the refrigerated section of the health section (you might have to go to a health food store, but I don't think so, it is pretty common).  There are different kinds, but you want to make sure that you get white miso as it is the mildest. I use shiro miso.

3. The Thai green curry is in the Asian/Thai section of the grocery store and can be purchased at any grocery store.  You can use red Thai curry as an alternative, but I prefer green.

Scott gave this recipe an 8/10 and then went back for thirds, so I'm thinking it deserves at least an 8+. . .
P.S. He gives almost everything an 8/10.  I'm still trying to figure out what he expects for a 10!

Mushroom Tortellini and Soup

I really like the taste of homemade pasta, but the time and effort involved in making it usually makes it prohibitive.  This recipe is for cheater's tortellini, which cuts out the step of making the pasta by using fresh Chinese wonton wrappers, and just leaves you with the step of making the filling.  I really appreciate knowing exactly what has gone into my filling as well as the ability to be creative and make whatever combinations I want.

This week's recipe is really two recipes in one because you can serve the tortellini as pasta or in the soup, and you can also make the soup with store-bought pasta, if you prefer.  Making it with store-bought pasta is a really fast way to whip up a simple soup for a weeknight supper.  From this recipe you will get about 40 tortellini, and the soup will serve about 6 people.

Cheater's Tortellini Ingredients:

1 package fresh Chinese wonton wrappers
3/4 pound mixed mushrooms, not button mushrooms
2 shallots, finely chopped
5 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped from the stem
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper
1 egg
flour

Directions:

1.  Cut the mushrooms into small pieces.  Saute the mushrooms and the shallots in the ollive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Do not add more oil, as the mushrooms will release some of their moisture and will not stick. If they do stick, add a few drops of water.  Also, do not add salt at this point because you want the mushrooms to brown, not steam.  If you add salt, it will draw the water out of the mushrooms.  Once the mushrooms have enough colour (about 15-20 minutes), then add salt, pepper, and thyme leaves.

2. Cool the mushroom mixture and then either chop it finely in a food processor or cut it more finely with a knife.  You don't want a paste, just very fine pieces.

3. Add the ricotta to the mushroom mixture.  Add more salt and pepper as necessary.  You will probably have to add quite a bit of salt as the ricotta does not have much.

3. In a small bowl, make an egg wash by whisking the egg with 1 Tbsp water.

4. On each wonton wrapper, use you finger to put a line of egg wash on two joining sides.  Then, put 1 tsp of mushroom mixture in the middle of the wrapper.  Fold over the wrapper to make a triangle.  Put more egg wash on one corner of the wrapper and fold the opposite corner over top to make a tortellini shape.

5. Put the tortellini on a baking sheet dusted with flour to keep the tortellini from sticking to the sheet.  You can freeze them on the sheet and then transfer to a plastic storage bag if you are not going to use them all at once.

Tortellini Soup Ingredients:

1 package tortellini, or 24 tortellini from the above recipe
2 litres chicken stock
1 Tbsp light miso
1 - 2 large leeks
1 bag of baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup of fresh basil, chopped
grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, saute the leek in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

2. Add the chicken stock, miso, and tortellini, and cook for about 5 minutes or according to package directions.  Add the spinach and basil and the end and stir until it wilts.

3. Taste for seasoning and serve the soup topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. If you are lucky enough to have a farmers market where you can buy fresh mixed mushrooms like I do, that is the best place to get a good mix that will taste delicious.  If not, you can buy a mix from the grocery store, or just use cremini mushrooms.  Do not use button mushrooms because they do not have as much flavour, and they hold a lot of water, so it is difficult to brown them nicely.

2. If you can't find shallots, you can use finely chopped white onion.

3. You can use either regular or light ricotta cheese.  You could even use goat's cheese, if you want.

4. Miso is a fermented soy bean product, is high in protein, and has many health benefits.  I buy shiro miso and use it in many soup dishes.  It is a subtle flavour, but it really rounds out the flavours in soup and gives it added depth.

Options:

1. There are a wide variety of options for the cheater's tortellini.  Instead of mushroom, you can use roasted butternut squash, sauteed kale, or even roasted red peppers.  You could also make the "pasta" into other shapes such as ravioli.

2. You could also add white beans to the soup to make it a more substantial meal.

3. Kale can always be substituted for the spinach.

When I first made this recipe, I actually didn't have a lot of time, so I cooked the mushrooms while I was making another meal, and then froze them.  Another day, I made the mushroom/ricotta mixture and stuffed the tortellini, and then froze them.  Finally, after an afternoon of raking leaves, I quickly threw together the soup together on the third day.

Cabbage Hash

When I hear the word "cabbage",  memories of limp, stinky boiled cabbage immediately pop into my mind.  From where, I have no idea since my mom never, ever made boiled cabbage or even cabbage rolls!  Fortunately, this recipe is a delicious way to enjoy lightly sautéed cabbage with no offensive odour whatsoever.  In addition, the humble cabbage is a super nutritious food that prevents cancer, lowers cholesterol, and helps heal stomach ulcers.

This week's recipe was inspired by blogger Heidi Swanson from 101 Cookbooks.  The original recipe can be found in her book "Super Natural Every Day".  This hash makes a great side dish, or it can be served with a salad for a light dinner.  For a vegan option, hold the cheese.  Serves four.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp coconut oil, plus more as needed.
115 grams of potatoes, unpeeled, and cut into tiny hashbrown-sized cubes
Sea salt
Half a red onion, chopped
15 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained, or 2 cups cooked and cooled
Two large cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups finely shredded green cabbage (about half of a small head)
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium high heat. Sauté the potatoes and sea salt until the potatoes are cooked through.  They should be brown and crispy on a couple of sides.

2. Add the red onion and white beans as well as any oil necessary to continue sautéing until the onions are translucent.  If the beans become a bit crispy as well, even better.

3. When the onions are cooked through, add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the cabbage and cook for approximately 3 minutes until it is wilted but still firm.

5. Take the pan off the heat and finish with a sprinkle of dill and the grated parmesan.

6. Season with freshly grated black pepper and more sea salt, if necessary.

Shopping Tips:

1. Coconut oil should be virgin or extra virgin and cold-pressed.  It is easy to find now and will be a solid white colour at room temperature.

2. There are several varieties of white beans - use whichever ones you want.  If you use canned, try to find a brand that is BPA-free.  Eden organics usually are.  You don't want to take the time to cook a great meal and have it laden with carcinogenic BPA...

Options:

1. If you don't have coconut oil, you can use canola or extra-virgin olive oil, but the flavour will change.

2. Instead of potatoes, you could use leftover cooked whole grains such as wheat berries, faro, or brown rice.

3. You could use any kind of bean you want, including chickpeas, but again, the flavour will change.

4. And of course, you can use white onions or shallots instead of red onions and red cabbage instead of green.

Leftovers:

1. If you have leftover hash, you can fry it up again the next day for breakfast or lunch and serve it with a poached egg on top.  The soft yolk from the egg will create a nice sauce.

2. You will probably have leftover cabbage, dill, potatoes, and onion.  You can throw these together with vegetable stock, canned diced tomatoes, celery, and carrots for a warming soup.  You can even add some barley if you want.

3. This cabbage hash is also a useful recipe if you already have leftover potatoes in the fridge.  You will probably have to cut them into larger pieces for step one so that they don't turn to mush.

Four-Day Farro

Don't worry, it doesn't take four days to make this.

A few months ago, I was visiting my parents for the weekend, and made this recipe from the River Cottage Veg cookbook.  A few days later, my dad called me and told me that they were eating the leftovers for the fourth day straight, AND that he now likes farro better than brown rice, which is saying a lot, trust me!

For those of you who are also new to farro, it is an ancient Italian wheat variety.  It is chewy and nutty and falls somewhere between brown rice and wheat berries.  The recipe below is my variation on the recipe that was initially published in the River Cottage book.  You may also want to use the basic structure of the recipe and play around with the vegetables you add depending on the season.  In my opinion, this dish is perfect for fall.

This recipe serves 6 - 8 generously.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, crushed with back of knife but left whole
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry farro, cooked according to package directions (make sure to rinse first)
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (or 1/2 cup dry and cooked)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Mix butternut squash, fennel, onion, and garlic with olive oil.  Bake for about 30 - 40 minutes stirring part-way throughout.  You want it to be caramelized and brown, but not burned.

3. In the meantime, cook the farro in salted water and drain it.  It's okay if it sits at room temperature until the squash mixture cooks.  Also, if you are using canned beans, heat them through in a pot of water.

4. When everything has finished cooking, mix the farro with the mixture out of the oven including any oil/juices in the pan.  Add the lemon juice, dill, parsley, almonds, parmesan, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly.  Enjoy!

Options:

1. I like to add half a golden delicious apple, tossed in lemon juice, that has been finely diced.  It adds a really nice crisp freshness that contrasts nicely with the rich cheese.

2. Apparently when my parents got to day four of leftovers, they decided that it was time to change things up a bit, so they added diced yellow peppers that had been roasted on the barbecue.  Apparently, the results were pretty fantastic.

Shopping Tips:

1. The best way to buy farro, in my opinion, is in a vacuum-sealed bag/box from an Italian store.  When bought this way, it is very inexpensive and fresh.  You can also buy it from an organic or health store, but it will be much more expensive.  If you buy an imported from Italy brand, buy one that says "semi-perlato or semi-brillato", which means that it is semi-pearled and will cook much more quickly, usually in about 20 - 30 minutes.

2. One of the best kitchen purchases I ever made was my lemon reamer.  This very inexpensive tool will juice a lemon faster and more effectively than any fancy gadget you can find.

Leftovers:

1. Obviously this lasts for quite a while in the fridge.

2. You could also mix in a bit more cheese and some egg, form the leftovers into patties, and shallow fry them.  Serve on top of dressed lettuce for a nice lunch.

Buon appetito!

Sausage, Kale, and Sweet Potato Soup

Fall is definitely here, so it is time for soup!  Soup is actually one of my favourite parts of fall.  It's easy to make, there are an infinite number of variations, it freezes well, and it tastes even better with a piece of crusty bread.

This soup is my favourite way to eat sausage because you can enjoy the flavour without eating a lot of it. It's also one of my favourite ways to eat kale because it melts nicely into the background against the spicy sausage and the sweet potato.  If you're not sure about kale, try it in this recipe, and I guarantee you will like it.

This recipe is an adaptation of a Williams Sonoma recipe, and it serves 6 - 8.

Ingredients:

2 lbs sweet potato (about 2 medium)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh thyme
2 litres chicken stock
1 bunch kale
salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cut the sweet potato into 1/2 inch cubes.  There is no need to peel it.  It is more nutritious to leave the skin on, and it is a real pain to peel it.  Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, spread in one even layer on a baking sheet with parchment paper.  The parchment paper keeps the sweet potato from sticking to the pan.  Sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

3. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil and brown the sausages on all sides.  When the sausages are browned, remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.  It is not necessary for them to be cooked through.

4. Sauté the onion with a sprinkle of salt until translucent.  Add the garlic and thyme and sauté for another minute.

5. Slice the sausage into coins and return them to the pot.  Add the chicken stock, heat to a boil, and cook on a low simmer for another 10 minutes.

6. Remove the kale leaves from the inner ribs and chop into one inch pieces.  Add to the pot with the roasted sweet potato and heat through for about 2 minutes.

7. Season with pepper and additional salt, if needed.  I added about another teaspoon of salt.

Shopping Tips:

1. It is important to use a good quality chicken stock because you will really taste it in this recipe.  If I am not using homemade, I prefer to use an organic boxed variety.

Options:

1. I really encourage you to try this with kale at least once, but you can make it with spinach if you prefer.

2. You could make this with chicken sausage, but it is really best with something spicy, so add some crushed red pepper flakes when sautéing the onions.

3. For an even healthier vegan version, omit the sausage altogether.  Instead, use a can of drained and rinsed white beans and the following spices:
     1 tsp paprika
     1 tsp oregano
     1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
     1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Don't forget to use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock if you want this to be vegan.

The hot afternoons and cool evenings make it a perfect time to dust off the old soup pot.  Happy September!

"I Hate Beets" Beet Salad

I actually don't hate beets, but I have converted at least two people who do with this very recipe.  Every autumn, this salad makes its way back into the rotation and onto my table at least three or four times.  I don't know why I have it pegged as something that can only be eaten in fall since all of the ingredients are available year-round, but I guess now is the time when beets are plentiful in gardens and farmers markets alike, so now is the time for the "I Hate Beets" Beet Salad.

If you do not like beets, please do not pass this one over.  Give it a try just once, and if you still don't like beets, well then, I guess you don't have to try one ever again!

This recipe is quite quick and easy to prepare, but it does take some advanced preparation, so make sure you start it at least 3 hours before you want to eat it.

This recipe was inspired by Jeff Crump's recipe in "Earth to Table" and serves four as a side.

Ingredients:

4 large beets
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp red onions, diced (you can also use shallots)
1/2 a small tub of feta cheese, crumbled
2 handfuls of arugula or mixed greens
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Put the beets in a baking dish with a bit of water in the bottom, cover with foil, and bake for 30-60 minutes depending on the size.  They are done when a skewer can be inserted all the way through with no resistance.  This is the crucial part if you don't like beets because under-cooked beets have a much stronger flavour than tender ones.  When the beets are finished cooking, peel them, slice them into wedges, and set them aside.

2. In a heavy dry pan, toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until puffed and slightly brown.  Remove them from the heat and mix with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt.  Set aside.

3. Whisk together the olive oil, sea salt, red wine vinegar, honey, and red onions.  Pour the vinaigrette over the cooked beets and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-12 hours.  If you leave them in for longer, it's fine (this is actually a very good recipe to make ahead), but the olive oil might solidify a bit in the fridge.  If that happens, just let it warm up at room temperature until it melts again.

4. In a bowl or on a plate, spread the mixed greens around, top with the drained beets, feta, and toasted pumpkin seeds.  Drizzle some of the remaining vinaigrette over top.

Options:

1. I really like to include cooked wheat berries into this recipe.  They have a nice nutty chew and make it a more substantial recipe.

Leftovers:

1. If you keep the beet mixture separate from the greens, feta, and pumpkin seeds, this salad will last a few days in the fridge.

Shopping Tips:

1. If you buy your beets at the store, you will probably only have the choice of red beets.  But if you are at the farmers market, you will probably have the choice of golden yellow beets as well.  This salad is great with a mix of both, and I actually prefer the yellow ones because I find them milder in flavour - perfect for someone who thinks they don't like beets!

2. Your beets might come with or without greens on top.  If they come with the greens, cut them off before roasting them, leaving about 1/2 inch of the stem attached to the beet.  The greens are edible and tasty, so you might want to fry them up in a pan.

That's it!  Easy, peasy.  I hope I've convinced you that beets aren't that bad and maybe this salad will make it into your winter rotation as well as your fall one!  Enjoy!

Last Taste of Summer Fish Tacos

Last week, Scott came home from work and said, "You can feel the cooler breeze in the air. This kind of weather puts me in a much better mood!"

For those of us a little less gung-ho about the end of summer, this recipe, requested by my aunt in Ontario, will help eek out the last drops of summer before turning to cooler weather fare.  Hopefully you will have one of those beautiful, hot autumn evenings this weekend so that you can close your eyes, ignore the leaves that have already started to turn, and pretend it's still July!

Yesterday, my dad was complaining that it takes too much time to cook and that he needs something he can make quickly after golf.   Well, your wish is my command - here it is! (I wonder if my family members will stop talking to me once they realize their off-handed comments are fodder for this blog...)

You can make both the slaw and the salsa a few hours ahead of time (i.e. before golf), and then quickly grill the fish at the last minute.

This recipe makes enough for 4 small tacos, which served the two of us just fine.

Ingredients:

1/4 head of red cabbage, sliced as thinly as you can
1 Tbsp honey
Juice of 2 limes
pinch of salt
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup of mango (I used frozen mango, thawed, since I couldn't get fresh), diced
Half an avocado, diced
1 Tbsp red onion, diced
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Fresh jalapeño, minced (as much as desired, optional) I used 1 tsp...

2 pieces flakey, white fish (I used tilapia because it is firmer than some others)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin

4 small soft tortilla shells.

Directions:

1. Mix the honey, lime juice, salt, and olive oil together.  Pour it over the sliced cabbage.  Cover and refrigerate.

2. Mix the mango, avocado, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño together.  Pour lemon juice and olive oil over top.  Cover and refrigerate.

3. Mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, cayenne, and cumin together.  Rub this paste over the fish.  Cover and refrigerate.

4. When you get home from golf, cycling, jogging, etc, grill the fish on a preheated grill plate on the barbeque, or cook it on a baking sheet under the broiler in the oven.   Watch it carefully so that it doesn't overcook.  It will only take 5-8 minutes.  Flip it over halfway through cooking.

5. Top each tortilla shell with the cabbage slaw, half a piece of fish, and the mango/avocado salsa.  Enjoy!

Leftovers:

1. You will have half an avocado leftover.  Look here for suggestions.

3. With the leftover cabbage, the New York Times did an entire article on red cabbage recipes for health.  Personally, I like to eat it raw...

Shopping Tips:

1. Remember that avocado should be just soft to the touch (like a peach) when it is ripe.  The smaller, darker Hass variety are more flavourful than the ones that are larger and lighter in colour.

2. Jalapeños are actually quite mild, so don't be afraid of trying some fresh chilli in your salsa.  The seeds and the white membrane are the hottest, so if you want less heat, just use the flesh.  Also, make sure you wash your hands immediately after cutting them and avoid touching any sensitive areas!

Here's hoping that you have the chance to enjoy a wonderful whole fresh and delicious dinner outside...

Cauliflower and Kale Barley Risotto

 Risotto is something that I always thought was hard to make - until I learned how to make it. It is not something you can get in a restaurant - at least not the traditional kind because it has to be stirred quite frequently in order to get its telltale  "creaminess".  This creaminess comes from developing the starches when you stir.  Restaurants usually cheat and add cream instead, which adds unnecessary calories and fat.  Even traditional risotto is made with white arborio rice, butter, and parmesan cheese.

This recipe does not use butter and substitutes barley instead of rice for added fibre and nutrients.  There is also an option to use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese, which will significantly cut calories and add great nutrition.  Nutritional yeast is an inactive form of yeast that is a by-product of molasses manufacturing.  If that scares you, the smell is reminiscent of the "cheese" packets that come in a box of KD - something I'm sure we are all familiar with.  Nutritional yeast is also high in protein, vitamin B-12, fibre, and folic acid.  It tastes great, too.

This recipe will serve two as a main course or four as a side.  Total cooking time is 30 - 40 minutes, but don't let that deter you - it's well worth the wait!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small head cauliflower
Half a small red onion
1 clove of garlic
2/3 cup of pot barley
1/4 cup of white wine
2 cups or a bit more of low-sodium vegetable stock
4 kale leaves
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (or 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese)
2 Tbsp fresh dill
salt, pepper

1 baking sheet, 1 small pot, 1 medium pot

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Warm the vegetable stock in a small pot.

2. Cut cauliflower into florets.  Place on baking sheet with space between each floret (if you crowd them, they will steam instead of brown).  Drizzle with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Turn once and bake for another 10 minutes.

3. Dice onion and, in a medium sized pot, sauté in 1 Tbsp olive oil until translucent but not brown.  While this is happening, mince the garlic.

4. When onions are ready, add the dry pot barley and stir for about 30 seconds so that the barley soaks up the oil.

5. Add the minced garlic and white wine and stir until the wine is almost gone.

6. Add one ladle full of the warm vegetable stock  and stir until the stock is almost gone.  Continue to add ladles of stock one at a time while stirring frequently.  Wait until each ladle full is almost gone before adding the next one.  Don't be afraid to stir vigourously.

7. While the barley is cooking, cut the stems out of the kale and then slice the leaves into ribbons.  Chop the dill.  Keep going back to the stove and stirring the barley and adding more stock.  When the stock is about 2/3 gone, add the kale to the barley pot.

8. During this time, the cauliflower will finish cooking.  Let it cool for a couple of minutes, and then chop it into small bite-sized pieces.

9.  After you have added all the stock to the barley, taste it to see if it is tender (it will take about 25 - 30 minutes to add all the stock).  It will be chewy, but it should be the same consistency throughout.  Don't worry about whether or not it is the right consistency, ask yourself if it is the consistency you want to eat it.  If it is not, cook it some more.  If you need more liquid, just use some warm water.

10. After you add the last bit of liquid, do not let it reduce all the way, the final consistency should be a bit runny.  If you accidentally reduce it too much, no sweat, just add a bit more warm water.

11. Turn off the heat.  Add the nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese), cauliflower, and dill.  Enjoy!

Options:

1. If you are not familiar with kale, don't like kale, or don't want to buy a bunch of it for only four leaves, you can use spinach instead.

2. As stated above, you can use parmesan instead of nutritional yeast, but I would really encourage you to try it.

3. You could use the same amount of arborio rice instead of barley if you want a more traditional risotto.

4. Again, if you are not drinking white wine with your meal and don't want to buy a bottle for just a small amount, you can use vegetable stock instead (although the taste will be slightly different).

5. If you don't have a red onion, you can use a regular white or yellow one.  You could also use shallot instead.

Shopping Tips:

1. The cauliflower in my pictures is purple, obviously.  I get it at the farmers market and like to use it because it has more antioxidants than the white kind, and it is prettier.  The taste is the same.  They also have an orange variety, which tastes the same, but has the added benefit of betacarotene.  The green variety is a hybrid with broccoli, so it shares a few of the same benefits, but it also shares some of the flavour, so it will definitely change the taste of this dish.  If you can only find the white variety, use it!

2. Pot barley is less refined than pearl barley, so it is more nutritious.  Hulled barley is 100% whole grain, but will take twice as long to cook, so it is better for soups and stews.

3. Buy the same kind of wine that you are going to drink with your meal.  Do not buy cooking wine!  I don't drink very often, so I buy a bottle of alcohol-free wine from the grocery store and keep it in the fridge for cooking - it lasts a long time that way.  It also saves me from having to make a special stop at the liquor store.

4. The kale you see in my pictures is flat-leaf kale that I got at the farmers market.  If you buy it at the grocery store, it will probably be curly. You may have a choice of green or purple kale - it doesn't matter what you buy.

5. Nutritional yeast is usually sold in the bulk section of health stores, but you may be able to find it in the organic/health food aisle of your grocery store.  Do not look in the baking section - you will not find it there!

Leftovers:

1. If you have leftover risotto, you will have to reheat it on the stove by adding more stock.  If you try to reheat it in the microwave, it will probably end up gummy and gross.

2. With the leftover kale, you can sauté it, add it to soup, or make kale chips - there are tons of recipes online.

3. The nutritional yeast can be saved in an airtight container for a very long time.  It is also very good sprinkled over popcorn...

If you haven't noticed already, this recipe is vegan.  Don't tell anyone, though.  It is so good that they will never notice!