Spanakopita Triangles

Click pic for more detail

I made these last weekend for a Greek inspired menu for a dinner party (along with Chicken Kabobs, Oregano & Lemon Potatoes, and Cucumber Salad). These are amazing...I could eat them all night!  I am posting about this recipe today as I am making these for an appetizer for Christmas Eve dinner at the in-laws house.  It's a pretty simple dish to make, can be reheated easily and is quite impressive. A little dollop of Tzatziki goes a long way with these!

I followed this Fantastic Recipe from David Lebovitz because he has the best pictures, great step by step instructions and some cute anecdotes.

Here is what you will need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and minced
• 12 ounces (325g) fresh spinach, well-washed and towel dried
• salt and freshly-ground pepper
• 8-10 ounces (230-250g) feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely-chopped flat leaf parsley
• pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• lemon juice
• 16 sheets filo dough (about 12 ounces, 350g), thawed, if frozen
• Melted butter (2-3 ounces, 60-90g)

Follow David's recipe here.

Greek Style Potatoes with Oregano and Lemon

  
These potatoes will knock your socks off! I have always loved the moist lemony/garlicky potatoes you get in the Greek restaurants along the Danforth in Toronto. This recipe will give you a replica of those delectable treats and they are so easy to make and go with many entrees.  If you are bored of baked, mashed, and boiled add these to your potato repertoire!


Ingredients and Preparation: Serves 4
Recipe from The Curious Cook at Home by dee Hobsbawn-Smith

• 1 lb round potatoes (Yukon gold, Russet etc.)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano (I use more - about 1.5 tbsp)
• 1 lemon, juice only (I use 2 lemons - love the lemony taste!)
• 1 cup water (more as needed)
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F.  Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Put remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk.  Toss the potatoes in the liquid mixture. Spread on baking sheet uncovered at 375F until tender about 90 minutes (less time if using convection). Stir often, so that all the potato surfaces are coated. Add more water as needed - there should always be moisture in the pan.

Serve with skewered meat, grilled calamari, braised lamb or what ever is for dinner!

Eggplant Parmigiana

We went to Yosemite National Park this summer and while there we ate at the Curry Village dining room at our campsite which has a buffet style restaurant.  I had never really tasted eggplant parmigiana before as it always looked sort of soggy to me. Since it was one of the only vegetarian entree options that night I decided to give it a try and it was very good! Last night was my second time trying it and I have to say, mine was much better;)

Italian Eggplant

I compiled a few recipes from Bobby Flay to Mario Batali to Martha Stewart but didn't really follow any of them.  If you want very specific instructions (not my strong suit!), google one of their recipes.  I did get some tips on a message board and someone posted this blog fxcuisine as it gives a tutorial on how to prepare the eggplant. A good read.
 

Sweating the eggplant slices

It is a very important step to sweat the eggplant slices with salt for 30 minutes to one hour before you fry them up to get all the excess water out. Don't skip this step.


Ingredients & Preparation: Serves 4

• 1 large Italian eggplant
• kosher salt
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs, whisked
• oregano and parsley, to taste
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 - 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• grapeseed oil, for frying (use enough to cover the bottom of your pan and then a little more)
• 1 jar good quality pasta sauce
• mozzarella cheese
• spaghetti

Wash the eggplant and chop off the ends - no need to peel it. Slice the eggplant lengthwise (should yield about 8 slices).  Cover the front and back in kosher salt and leave in a colander to drain for 30 mins to one hour. Wash the salt off the eggplant and press dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 375F. Whisk the eggs up with your herbs. I used the prepare herbs that come in the squeeze tubes so it would blend well when whisked. I'm sure fresh herbs would work as well, just chop them up into fine pieces so they stick.  Add some paremsan to your breadcrumbs.  Next, dredge each slice in the flour, then the egg mixture and then the breadcrumbs.  Place carefully into your hot pan with the grapeseed oil. Keep it hot to fry but not enough to burn and smoke. Once they are brown on each side transfer to a baking dish lined with papertowels to soak up the excess oil. You will have to do this in batches. Remove the papertowel and eggplant slices and pour some of the sauce into the bottom. Next layer the eggplant (fan the slices out so it covers the dish) and in between each slice add some more parmesan cheese and tomato sauce. Top the entire thing with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and then broil the top for a couple minutes after that.   In the meantime, boil water and make some spaghetti noodles to serve with it.

Once the eggplant is baked, serve one or two slices with the steaming spaghetti, add some more tomato sauce and enjoy!

Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Feta and Zucchini Ribbons

A super summery cold pasta salad like this is perfect for a picnic lunch at the beach.  Easy to throw together in the morning before you head out it's a great little lunch that will satisfy big and small kids.  You can of course make your own variation based on what you have in the fridge. 

I used penne pasta (cooked according to the package and then rinsed under cold water) and tossed with crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes and zucchini ribbons. For the dressing, I used olive oil, some apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper.  Remember, depending on the size of your salad the amount of dressing you need to make will vary. For most vinaigrette dressings, try to keep your oil to vinegar ratio at 3:1. Be adventurous if you like and add in herbs, spices, onions, shallots, lemons or honey or try different types of vinegars (raspberry, balsamic etc.). Whisk to emulsify in a glass or ceramic bowl or shake in a mason jar to incorporate.

Making zucchini ribbons is very easy. Just wash the zucchini and cut off the ends. Next grab your vegetable peeler and start 'shaving' off thin lengthwise strips of zucchini stopping and turning when you see the seeds.

Corn & Black Bean Chili with Cornbread

I thought it was supposed to be Spring?  The snow just keeps coming here in cold Ontario and I am so over it - dreaming of days relaxing on the patio sipping a cold bevvie.  Instead of making yet another soup for dinner (to stay warm) I decided to go with a corn and black bean chili. It is so easy to make and takes very little energy to whip this up after a day at work.  The cornbread is super easy to and takes only 20 minutes in the oven.

Ingredients & Preparation: Serves 6

• 1 large can of black beans, rinsed
• 1 large can of whole tomatoes
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 10-12 large white mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
• Old cheddar cheese for garnish, shredded
• Cilantro for garnish, chopped
• 4-5 tbsp of chili powder or to taste
• 1 cup of tomato juice

In a large pot, add olive oil and onion. Cook until translucent and then add the mushrooms. Cook another 5 minutes and add the corn.  Cook for about 7 minutes and then add in the black beans, tomatoes, chili powder and tomato juice.  Cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes until all the flavours are incorporated. While the chili is simmering, preheat the oven to 400F for the cornbread.

Cornbread Ingredients & Preparation: Serves 6

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400F.  Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl.  Then combine the remaining ingredients in another bowl. Grease a 9"x9" baking dish (I prefer glass). Mix ingredients from both bowls together for about 15 seconds until dry ingredients are moistened but don't over mix.  Pour batter into the pan and bake immediately.  Should take about 20-22 minutes in the oven until the top is golden brown. Insert a toothpick in the centre to make sure it is done (if it is, the toothpick will come out clean). Serve with the chili, cheddar cheese and cilantro.

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.

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)!

Vegetarian French Onion Soup with Sweet Vermouth

I love French onion soup - always have, always will. The only problem is 2 years ago we gave up the likes of beef broth (thank you Michael Pollan) so French onion has been missing from the menu.

I am on a soup kick this winter and have changed many recipes from chicken or beef stock to veggie so why would this be any different? Another change was a switch from Brandy to Sweet Vermouth and the results are divine! It really makes a subtle but very interesting change to the flavour of the soup. I have yet to perfect making a crouton and tonight was not the night to start messing around in the kitchen. The "croutons" are sub-par but still had a great taste - perhaps the result of a gooey mess of melty Swiss?

The key to this soup is taking your time with caramelizing the onions. This is the hard part. After that, it's a piece of cake.

The recipe is a compilation of many recipes including Chef Michael Smith, various home chefs from Allrecipes.com, random recipes on the Internet etc.

Ingredients and Prep:

For the Caramelized Onions:

• 6 medium sized yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 swirls of the pan of olive oil
• smidgen of salt
• smidgen of sugar

For the Soup:

• 6 cups of vegetable stock (traditional FOS calls for beef stock but this is a veggie recipe so we use that)
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (leaves only, no stems please!)
• 1/2 cup of sweet vermouth
• salt & pepper to taste
• bread of your choice cut to fit the bowls you are using, toasted (or grilled in the pan grilled cheese style)
• Swiss cheese, your choice on the amount! (Gruyere is often recommended but very expensive)

Add the butter and olive oil to your soup pot. Once hot and before the butter burns add the onions. Stir until coated. Add the salt and sugar. Turn the heat to medium low (more low than medium) and let them cook for about 1 hour. Stir periodically so they don't burn and add more butter/evoo if they need it. Once they are golden and caramelized, add the rest of the ingredients (not the bread and cheese though!) and simmer for 15 minutes.

Put the soup in your oven proof bowls, add the bread on top, then the cheese. Put them on a baking sheet under the broiler until bubbling and golden.

Bon Appetit!!!

This & That Flatbread

Another inspiration from Fresh365. I took Erin's basic recipe for flatbread and tweaked it a little to suit our taste and what we had in the fridge.

Here are the ingredients for Fresh365's basic flatbread recipe:

3/4 c water
1/2 t dry active yeast
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt

I used organic whole wheat flour and had to add more water but you just play it by ear based on what your flour is doing. Here are Fresh365's instructions for preparing the dough.

"Preheat oven to 500F. In a small bowl, add water and dry active yeast. Stir well, and set aside 3-4 minutes until yeast has dissolved. In a food processor, add flour and salt. Blend. Through the hole in the cover, slowly pour in the water-yeast. Dough will quickly form into a bowl. Transfer dough to a floured surface and divide into two equal size balls. If needed, knead dough until smooth, 1 minute. Roll each ball out until very thin, but not transparent. Transfer to individual baking sheets."

I put my oven at 450F as it gets very hot. I just added a couple minutes to the cooking time later on. I also used the whole ball of dough and didn't break it up so it was a slightly thicker flatbread. Too crispy = crumbs all over the house which I don't like!

Here are Fresh365's instructions for baking:

"Bake dough 4-5 minutes, until beginning to brown. Remove from oven. Top each dough with a drizzle of olive oil, arugula, caramelized onions and Gorgonzola cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes, until edge begin to brown. To serve, slice flatbread and sprinkle with black pepper, to taste."

As I said before, I just added a few extra minutes.

Fresh365 made a Gorgonzola, Caramelized Onion and Arugula Flatbread. I used up a bunch of things from the fridge. That's why it is a This & That Flatbread. Probably one too many ingredients but it was awesome anyway! be creative and add ingredients to suit your menu or what you have on hand.

- sauteed spinach
- sauteed zucchini
- caramelized onions (I was making French Onion soup so borrowed some from that recipe)
- chopped black olives
- chopped green onions
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 1/4 c crumbled feta
- 1/8 c crumbled blue cheese
- drizzled olive oil

Here is a link to Fresh365's original: http://tinyurl.com/yfc63fl

Spinach & Tortellini Soup Recipe from Fresh365

I was looking for an easy weekday meal idea for a cold, gloomy January and happened upon Fresh365 - an amazing blog for vegetarians (it`s been in my bookmarks forever but I usually forget about visiting those sites). This recipe was Erin`s 3rd most popular recipe of 2009. Enjoy!

I made the soup and it was very good, very simple and very easy to prepare.

Here is the original recipe from Fresh365 - http://tinyurl.com/ygtnnrz

Slowcooker Vegetarian Chili - the easy method

Wow - I just realized how long it has been since I have written a post. I can assure you we have been eating as much as always but the time to take pictures and write about our meals has somehow dwindled down next to nothing.

I have been on a chili kick lately (and a homemade soup kick too - more on that next time). It's got to be just about the easiest and cheapest thing to make while still be healthy and filling. Here is the recipe for my vegetarian chili made in a crock pot.

Ingredients and Instructions:

Can of black beans
Can of white kidney beans
Can of red kidney beans
Can of sliced mushrooms or fresh if you have them
Can of whole tomatoes
Can of mini diced tomatoes ( you know the kind, the meal starters???)
4-5 tablespoons of EVOO (I add the olive oil as it gives it some richness that is missing without it)
4-5 tablespoons chili powder or to taste
2-3 tablespoons of cumin
3 bay leaves (remove before eating)
Salt to taste

Make sure to rinse the beans before using them. Use the juices from both cans of tomatoes. Toss it all in the crock pot and set the time for when you want to eat it! Serve with yummy crusty bread.

Fried Red Tomatoes

I saw this recipe the other day when flipping through daytime TV. I couldn't find the recipe so I made mine the best I could from memory (I posted the original recipe below). I pretty much got things right but I did not do the garnish as 1) I don't eat red meat and 2) I had no sour cream. I did buy some turkey "bacon" and may try these again tomorrow with some of that cooked to be crispy and prosciutto-like. A really delicious way to eat your veggies!


Courtesy of: Chuck's Day Off - Episode: The Bro Show
 

 Ingredients and Prep:

• 1/2 cup white flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 3 firm ripe tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Dollop of butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Garnish:

• A dollop of sour cream
• 3 slices prosciutto, fried till crisp
• A few sprigs of chives, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Cut tomatoes into ½ inch slices.
2. Sprinkle with coarse salt & cracked black pepper.
3. Place flour, eggs, and crumbs in separate shallow bowls.
4. Heat oil with a dollop of butter in a medium skillet on medium heat.
5. Dip tomato slices in flour, then eggs, then crumbs.
6. In the pan fry half the coated slices at a time for about 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.
7. Bread and cook remaining tomatoes.
8. Remove to a serving tray. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, crumbled crisp prosciutto and a sprinkle of minced, fresh chives.

Fantastic Summer Salad

My Mum was here last week helping me with our new baby and she made this salad one night as a starter. It is my new fave - so delicious. We used tinned artichokes and hearts of palm instead of the fresh artichokes because, really, who has time for artichokes when you have a 5 week old baby?

No idea where the original recipe is from....will post when my Mum tells me where she found it.

ANOTHER TIP - make triple the dressing!!! The original quantity is not enough.

COOL BEANS ARTICHOKE SALAD

Serves 4

10 baby artichokes, peeled and quartered (or use tinned artichokes, like us!)
2 cups diagonally cut asparagus
1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 19-oz. can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
8 large romaine leaves

1. Steam the artichokes for 8 minutes. Add the asparagus and steam about 2 minutes more, or until crisp-tender. Drain and run vegetables under cold water. Let cool.

2. Make dressing: Whisk together garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

3. Combine radishes, onions, and beans in salad bowl with half of dressing and toss well. Gently stir in artichokes and asparagus.

4. To serve, place 2 romaine leaves each on four plates. Divide salad equally among plates and drizzle with remaining dressing.

Swiss Chard & Creamy Pasta

I am posting this so I don't lose this recipe! I found it on the back of the tag on my organic Swiss chard. I got my first fruit and vegetable delivery of the season and it was in the delivery...very good. And really, who knows what to do with Swiss chard unless someone tells you???

Ingredients & Prep: (Recipe from the tag on my Organic Swiss Chard bunch)

1lb Swiss chard
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup of low fat sour cream
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup Parmesan
8 oz fettuccine, cooked
salt & pepper to taste

Wash the chard and cut into small pieces (compost or discard stalks). Heat oil in large sauce pan over m-h heat. Add chard, onion and garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add tomatoes, sour cream, milk, Parmesan cheese and cooked fettuccine. Stir together. Add salt & pepper. Serve warm.

I served my pasta with fish last night. It was meant to be halibut but the woman at the fish counter must have picked up the wrong fish because it was actually cod. Equally as delicious!

Panzarotti meets Calzone and Artichoke Caponata

While I don't think this recipe counts as either of these (panzarotti or calzone), it's a close representation. What's more important is how good these are to eat.

The following recipe was made by my husband on April 22nd 2009. Not only was it Earth day but it was also a historic day in our kitchen.

Ingredients & Prep:
Makes about 6-7 pieces

• 1 bag fresh pizza dough from your local deli (enough to make one 12" pizza)
• Fillings of your choice: we used sliced turkey deli meat, red pepper and mozzarella
• Flour for dusting
• 1 egg (for egg wash)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare your dough as though you were making a rectangular pizza. Dust with flour so things don't stick. Once in the rectangular shape, slice it right down the centre (the long way) to make two long rectangular halves. Now, take a knife and score the dough in triangular shapes (think of the way a Pillsbury crescent roll looks before you roll it up). once the shapes look good, cut them with a pizza knife. Fill each triangle with your fillings and roll as you would a crescent roll. Use the egg wash to seal each pocket and then brush all over (it gives them a golden colour once baked). Repeat until the rest of the dough and filling is used.

Put in the oven on a pizza pan preferably one that has holes to get more even baking. I use parchment (cut in a circle to fit your pan) underneath the pockets to avoid any mess.

Bake for approximately 18-19 minutes.


Serve with dipping sauce of your choice (basic tomato or pizza sauce, garlic cream sauce etc.) Last night, I made a very quick, cheat's version of an artichoke caponata which was really great with the pockets. I suggest trying this one if you like artichokes. The recipe below is from memory and since I do not measure when I am doing something by taste it is an approximation.

Ingredients & Prep:

• 1 can Artichokes (quarters)
• 1/3 cup or so Olive oil,
• 1/4 cup or so Parmesan cheese
• 1 ½ tsps Capers
• ½ tsp Garlic, minced
• Salt, small amount (if to taste, otherwise skip this)

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and whiz until everything is incorporated. You can make it as chunky as you like. This is a great dip for crackers or veggies as well. Enjoy!

Tomato soup from a can - a recession proof recipe

Now, this doesn't sound fancy or even very good from the post title alone...but trust me, homemade soup has never tasted so good and been so easy to make! We were out for dinner the other night and paid $6.99 for a bowl of soup at a restaurant in our town. The soup tasted quite good and was homemade but I figured I could make the same thing for $6.99 and get about 10 times the quantity. The result? A perfect replica (just better)! And my costs were only $6.82 - Not bad.

Tomato and Black Bean Soup
Ingredients & Preparation:
Serves approx. 8-10 for a first course

• one 1.36L can of low sodium tomato juice ($1.49)
  
• one can of organic whole tomatoes, including juice ($2.69)
  
• one can of sliced carrots (.99)
  
• 1/2 large onion, diced (.30)
  
• 1/2 a can of black beans, rinsed ($1.00)
  
• Approx. 2 tablespoons of parsley, dried ($.05)
• Salt & pepper to taste (I used my Salish smoked salt for a little extra flavour) ($.05)
  
• olive oil (.25)

First things first - saute the onions in the olive oil until soft, add carrots and black beans just for a minute or two. Meanwhile, pour the tomato juice and whole tomatoes (including the juices and seeds) into a big pot. Smoosh the tomatoes with a potato masher or use a handheld mixer to break them up but don't puree. Add the salt, pepper and parsley. Next, add the 3 ingredients from the other pan. Mix together. Bring up to a low boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

Delicious!

Super, speedy, springtime weekday meal!

No time to cook like me? Try this! Lots of fresh flavours and healthy veggies, this quick pita sandwich is healthy and delicious. Great for spring and summer when you don't need comfort food because we have sunshine instead!

Ingredients & Preparation:
(makes enough for 2 people, double the recipe for 4 people etc.)

• 2 pita bread (I get the high protein pitas)
• 1 red pepper, cut into skinny strips
• 1/4 large cucumber, thinly sliced
• 4 lettuce leaves
• a chunk of feta, crumbled
• Kraft Greek feta & oregano dressing, drizzle

For the side:

• 1 box whole wheat couscous
• vegetable broth or water
• 1 lemon
• handful of fresh parsley
  

Make a side of whole wheat couscous - it only takes 5 minutes! Cook the couscous in vegetable broth for extra flavour. Add a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice and fresh chopped parsley. Serve in the pita or on the side, your choice!

Cut each pita in half and then fill it up. I start with the lettuce, then cucumber, then feta, then the peppers and then a drizzle of dressing.

Enjoy!