Vegetarian Cobb Salad and Easy Homemade Salad Dressing

Is it Spring yet? It was until Tuesday and then it was Winter again - overnight it all changed. Somehow every March I think this year will be different and that little groundhog will be telling the truth for once in his life;) In honour of Spring, blue skies and fresh sunny days, here is a very easy salad and dressing that looks pretty on the table even if outside is grim.

I have to admit our toddler isn't into green things yet so I made extra boiled eggs and she had one of her favourite things for dinner instead - egg salad sandwiches.

Ingredients and Prep - Serves 2 adults as an entree and 4 adults as a starter

• 1 iceberg lettuce, chopped
• 3-4 free-range eggs, hard boiled & crumbled
• 1-2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 large avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Chives, for garnish

Optional extras:

• chickpeas
• endive
• romaine lettuce
• green onions
• grilled chicken, diced
• bacon, diced

Start by boiling your eggs until hard boiled (10 minutes), then cool under cold water and take off the shells. While the eggs are boiling, wash and prepare all your other ingredients.  Arrange all the ingredients in rows on a serving platter in any pattern you like, sprinkle the chives on top. I made bacon this time for my husband but kept that in a separate bowl.

Bacon for the non-veggies

A variation of the original Cobb Salad Dressing

I don't measure things so the following are close estimates. I made the dressing in a small mason jar.

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon
• 1 tsp. salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup full-flavored olive oil

Put all the ingredients in the mason jar, put the lid on tight and shake the daylights out of it.  Give it a taste test and make any changes if needed.  Add the dressing just before serving or let everyone add their own.

Easy homemade dressing

The Best Red Lentil Soup with Rosemary, Lemon and Feta Cheese

This is a delicious soup recipe chock full of protein and fibre. Lentils really are a super food and are a must have for any vegetarian diet. Also, a great change from the pre-race pasta dinner, lentils are amazing fuel for all you runners and triathletes out there! This recipe is from the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook - a great vegetarian cookbook from the owners of Rebar Restaurant, 50 Bastion Square in Victoria BC.

Did you know that Canada is the largest expoerter of lentils in the world? Most crops are grown in Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta.

Ingredients and Preparation: Serves 8

• 2 cups organic red lentils (PC brand is what I used)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 tsp cracked pepper
• 1/4 tsp red chile flakes
• 1 tbsp minced rosemary
• 2 tbsp minced oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock if not vegetarian, but then reduce the extra salt in recipe)
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tsp minced rosemary cracked pepper to taste

Rinse lentils thoroughly in a colander under cold running water. Set aside to drain. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and saute onion with 1 tsp salt until translucent. Add garlic, carrot, pepper, chilies, herbs, bay leaves and remaining salt. Stir well and saute until the carrots are just tender. Add rinsed lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered until the lentils are soft and falling apart. If you like, the soup can be pureed or left as is. If you choose to puree, remove the bay leaves first!    Season the soup with lemon zest, lemon juice and more salt and pepper to taste (the lemon is KEY so don't skip this step!). Before serving, top with the feta cheese, rosemary and cracked pepper. 

This soup is SO good. Make sure to try it!

Roast Tomato Soup with Thyme

Caught a new (to Canada but originally aired on BBC 2) cooking show the other day on the Food Network by Sophie Dahl - granddaughter to famed Roald Dahl and thought this recipe looked amazing. Tomato soup is one of my favourite comfort foods so had to give this one a try. I also love that you do the cooking in the oven, leaving the stove top free for other culinary pursuits.

Ingredients and Preparation: (serves 4)

• 2kg/4½lbs large ripe plum tomatoes, halved
• 1 garlic bulb, cut in half horizontally
• 2 large red onions, peeled, quartered
• few sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 250ml/9fl oz vegetable stock (optional)
• 100ml/3½fl oz single cream (optional)
• few drops Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• few drops balsamic vinegar (optional)
  
  

Place the tomatoes, garlic, onions and thyme into a large roasting tin and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add sugar (helps to caramelize the veg). Drizzle with the oil, and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Mash the garlic with the back of a fork, and discard the skin. Remove the thyme twigs! Tip the roasted tomatoes and onions into a food processor along with the mashed garlic, and pulse until smooth.

Before

After

  If the soup is too thick, pour into a large saucepan and loosen the mixture with either vegetable stock, or single cream. Add a little Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar, to season, if you like.  I had to add stock and some cream to this soup as it was much too thick without...not the best tomato soup recipe (IMO) on the block but fresh and natural tasting.  I do have an ultimate favorite tomato and tarragon soup and will post about that soon!

Aother yummy recipe from this episode was the Twice Baked Potatoes with Goat's Cheese and Chives. I made them the other night and they were delicious.  Recipe here.

Where have I been? What have I been doing??!

I cannot believe it has been one year since I last posted - wow, that is terrible! I think about blogging all the time so much so that I thought that I actually had been doing more than this...sigh. My excuses are as follows: Motherhood, building a new home, selling a home, a new job, finishing some courses, the winter blues, and piles and piles of laundry and my husband - it's got to be his fault too;) I wish I could say it is because I have been travelling the world but sadly that just isn't the case.

I hope to be a better blogger this year! Along with my meal planning...

Weekly Meal Planning

Meal Planning is always on the to do list and never gets done OR it gets done and the groceries are bought and things just don't go as planned. This week I am really trying to get it together! My goal for Spring and going forward is to meal plan and stick with it!

Do you meal plan? Do you stick to it? What's on your list this week?

Here is what we are eating (or close to it).

Monday - Chicken Breast baked with Artichokes, Leeks & Capers, Twice Baked Potatoes (Sophie Dahl recipe) and green salad with raw veggies.

Tuesday - Dinner at the in-laws tonight - Salmon, rice and salad

Wednesday - This & That Flatbread and Sophie Dahl Roast Tomato Soup

Thursday - Greek Red Lentil Soup and Vegetarian Cobb Salad

Friday - Organic Beef Curry (I'm cheating with sauce from a jar - Pataks!) and Jasmine Rice

Saturday - Big Barn Bowtie Pasta  Pizza Roll ups

Sunday - Black Bean Enchiladas, Green Rice and fresh Guacamole  Grass-fed beef Meatloaf, Leek Mashed Potatoes and Vegetables

Jamie Oliver's Evolution Cucumber Salad

I admit it - I watched Rachael Ray yesterday. Anyway, it was okay because she wasn't very screachy and it was rather lucky actually because there was Jamie Oliver in all his Britishness speaking about good food and easy recipes. I copied his recipe down with the PVR on slow-mo and made the cucumber salad the other night for dinner (as a side). Since my own notes are quite basic, I will copy the recipe from RR's website and post it here for you. Go here http://www.rachelrayshow.com/food/recipes/jaime-olivers-evolution-cucumber-salad/ for a video and picture of the salad - my salad looked EXACTLY the same! It was a very, very good salad. So easy and honestly, much nicer than cucumber salad sounds. I am trying the Evolution Potato Salad tomorrow.

Jamie Oliver's Evolution Cucumber Salad - Serves 4

Peel 2 cucumbers, using a speed peeler, chop off the ends, and halve them lengthways. Use a teaspoon to gently scoop the seeds out, and discard them. Chop the cucumber into irregular bite-sized chunks and place in a bowl. Seas with a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and mix well. Pick some leaves off a few sprigs of fresh mint and roughly chop them. Add them to the salad and toss together. Serve the salad simply as it is, or let it evolve…

Add a large tablespoon of natural yogurt to the cucumber salad. Toss until well coated and serve drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Put a large handful of black olives on a clean surface and press down on them with the palm of your hand to remove the pits. Discard the pits and add the olives to the salad. Toss together well.

Halve 1 fresh red chile lengthways, seed, and finely chop. Scatter over your cucumber salad and serve drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Poached Eggs on Spinach & Polenta

This is a good brunch idea or even a great light dinner for the warmer months. I made it tonight for dinner and found it filling enough (for now...wait 'til midnight strikes). A good vegetarian option for those of you hosting an Easter lunch or brunch this weekend.

This recipe is from Food & Drink magazine (LCBO Spring 2010, page 118)

Ingredients and Prep: Serves 4 - adjust accordingly for # of guests

1 tube store bought polenta (500 grams)
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups of sliced shitake mushrooms (I used cremini)
10 cups of baby spinach (I used the Europe's Best frozen squares because it is easier!)
salt and pepper
4 eggs
4 thin slices of cheese (of your choice)

Preheat your oven to 300F - this is just to keep the polenta warm so use your warming drawer if you have one.

Slice up half your tube of polenta. Fill a wide saucepan with a bout 2" of water and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and add vinegar. Add half the oil to a frying pan. Fry up your polenta until golden on each side. About 10-12 minutes. Place on a heat proof plate and keep warm in oven or warming drawer. Add remaining oil to pan and fry up your mushrooms, then add your spinach. Drain any water from the spinach (especially if you use the frozen kind) prior to adding if you can. Season spinach and mushrooms with salt and pepper. keep on a very low heat to keep warm. next, poach your eggs. Keep the yolks slightly runny. Remove with a slotted spoon.

To serve, plate polenta first, then cheese, spinach & mushroom mixture and the eggs on top.

Yum. And Happy Easter.

Cream of Tomato Soup

Long time no post...it seems time is flying by these days. As usual nothing was in the fridge or cupboard last night so I used some canned goods and cream from a dinner party the weekend before to make this yummy soup. Tomato soup is one of my favorites and always tastes good to me! This was my first time making it from scratch.

I used the basic concept of a recipe I found on epicurious and changed it to suit how I wanted the soup to taste. A good tip from this one...use some baking soda in the tomatoes before you put them in the milk so it won't curdle. Here is the epicurious recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pure-Cream-of-Tomato-Soup-40044

Here is what I did.

Ingredients and instructions:

5 tbsp butter
1/2 onion, diced
5 tbsp flour
2.5 cups skim milk
.5 cup of heavy cream
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1.5 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda (for tomatoes)
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes in tomato puree (not water)
1 small can of tomato paste
2 cups of tomato puree (I use the Molisana brand in the glass bottle)

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onion and cook until soft. Add flour and let cook for 1-2 minutes or so. Slowly add all the remaining ingredients except the tomato items and the baking soda. Add the baking soda to your whole tomatoes in a separate dish. Now add all the tomatoes items to the soup. Stir and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat. Put the soup through a strainer (don't forget to catch it!), and use a wooden spoon to get all the liquid out from the tomato and onion bits. Save what is left and serve over some fried up polenta. I did this and it was very good! Waste not want not, right? Taste the soup and adjust flavour with salt/pepper/thyme to your liking. Reheat and serve.

No picture as it is all gone...the baby really liked it too (with some alphabet pasta mixed in)!