Dill Mushroom Barley Soup

What better way to stave off winter's cold or enjoy the warmth of an evening meal spent with friends than a steaming bowl of delicate yet earthy soup?  Our friend K shared this recipe that she inherited some many years ago from another friend and it is delightfully simple but tastefully impressive. I would suggest that 1/2 c. of lentils (green or brown) would be an excellent protein addition to this soup, although apparently mushrooms are a great source of protein! Who knew?

 Dill Mushroom Barley Soup
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
3/4 - 1 c. barley
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium/large carrots, finely chopped
400 g crimini mushrooms sliced (chantrelles would be lovely also)
6 c. vegetable broth
2 Tbs dried dill
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/3 c. creme fraiche (or sour cream or yogurt or kefir yogurt)

1. Heat the olive oil and butter until melted over medium high heat. Add the onion and barley and saute for 5 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms, garlic and carrots. Saute until the mushroom liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
3. Add broth, dill, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour.
4. Stir in the creme fraiche right before serving.

Photo to come.

Burnt Rum Mexican Chocolate Mousse

It's been an interesting three days so far. I have made green tomato marmalade and canned green tomato jam. I baked a loaf of no-knead kefir bread. I attempted a tres leches cake (from a cake mix - shhh don't tell) substituting coconut milk and evaporated milk for the sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk - disastrous. Until I chanced about the idea to scoop the overly soggy cake into balls and roll it in shredded coconut, baking it for an additional 20 minutes. This led to a cake-like coconut donut hole that was not overly sweet and four different people asked for the recipe when I brought it to church! Go figure.

Anyways back to the recipe at hand. Yesterday was Valentine's Day, so there needed to be something special for dessert (= something chocolate). I found a burnt rum mexican chocolate mousse recipe on epicurious and thought it sounded novel and delicious! It does not require raw eggs (which usually I expect in an excellent mousse recipe) but it does involve fire and alcohol! I amazingly did not incinerate my kitchen or myself. Props to me. (I did make the wife stand next to me with a fire extinguisher just in case...) Note this recipe tastes SWEET, so the cacao nibs provide a nice bitter contrast. Sea salt would also be good! In the future, I would consider subbing in some dark or bittersweet chocolate in place of some Mexican chocolate and/or adding more instant coffee..

Rum ablaze in melted chocolate

Burnt Rum Mexican Chocolate Mousse (adapted from Epicurious) - makes 6 small sherry glasses and 2 ramekins full

• 3 whole hexagons of Ibarra Mexican chocolate,* chopped (~9.6 oz)
• 1/2 cup whole milk (I used 1/4 c. 1% milk + 1/4 c. half and half)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4- 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
• 2-4 dashes cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup white rum
• 2 cups chilled whipping cream, divided into 1 1/2 c. portion and 1/2 c. portion
• 1-2Tbs cacao nibs

1. Heat milk and chocolate over low heat until the chocolate is fully dissolved. 

2. Add the salt, cinnamon, cayenne and nutmeg in, tasting for spice level (remember that this is a 'concentrate' that will be diluted by whipping cream) and stirring to ensure that the salt is dissolved. 

3. Pour the rum in a single spot in the chocolate mixture (the centre?). Light it with a match (but not yourself) and gently swirl the rum in with a heat proof silicone spatula.  Once the rum has burnt out, set aside the mixture to cool to room temperature. 

4. Once the chocolate mixture is cool, whip the 1 1/2 c. whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Pour in half the chocolate mixture and gently fold it into the whipped cream. Pour in the remaining chocolate mixture and fold it into the whipped cream. Portion into serving dishes. Place in fridge if serving later. If serving immediately, whip the remaining 1/2 c. whipping cream until soft peaks form and place small dollops on top of mousse. Sprinkle with cacao nibs or cinnamon.

Salmon Tacos with Caramelized Onions and Cilantro Yogurt

Make this dish. Tonight if at all possible. So incredibly delicious and concrete proof that we all need more fish tacos in our lives to be a happier people. I came across this recipe on Pinterest and, having a bit of salmon in the freezer, decided to use one 8 oz portion to prepare this recipe. (Check out the gorgeous pics on the site - I'm particularly jealous of the text recipe inset on the photos in her blog). 

Below is the half-sized version of the recipe, which yields 6 respectable corn tacos. THE FULL AMOUNT OF CARAMELIZED RED ONION is shown below because you will eat them ALL. Also, despite the recipe calling the salmon "blackened" I did not get any blackening on my salmon. Perhaps one is supposed to broil right at the very end of the cooking period? I imagine this would be equally delicious cooked on a grill.


Ingredients
8 oz piece of salmon (deboned, skin okay)
6 corn tortillas
1/2 lime, juiced
blackened seasoning (ingredients below)
   - 1 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp  salt.

1. To prepare the fish, place the fish in a foil packet. Pour the juice of half a lime over the fish and sprinkle the blackened seasoning evenly over the top of the fish. Optional: let fish marinate for an hour in the fridge.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the fish in a glass roasting pan and cook for 8-10 minutes just until done (if not slightly under done). Flake salmon into chunks. Serve with warm corn tortillas and toppings.
 
Toppings: (make while the fish is cooking)
cilantro yogurt
  - mix 1/2 c. yogurt, juice of 1/2 lime, and 1/4- 1/3 c. minced cilantro

balsamic caramelized onions (ingredients above and directions to follow)
 - chop 1 red onion into thin slivers. Fry in 2 Tbs olive oil over med high heat, stirring occasionally until the onion  starts to brown and caramelize. Near the end add in 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar and 1 - 2tsp brown sugar. Cook to taste, then remove from heat.

additional suggested toppings: chopped avocado, fresh salsa, fresh greens or a cabbage/pickled carrot slaw

Photo to come

Almond-Orange Blossom Water Cakes

I found this recipe to finish off a Spanish-themed meal. I wanted something that would require a few simple ingredients and not much effort, but still have a sophisticated flair. I love the unusual flavor and scent that orange blossom water imparts so finding this recipe was perfect! The texture from the basic ingredients of almond meal, eggs, and a bit of sugar in the cake is chewier than many desserts but not tough, if that makes sense. Consider adding a bit of extra lemon juice or orange juice in place of the orange blossom water if you don't have it or are afraid of the taste. This is a great gluten free dessert should you be in need of one.

Almond-Orange Blossom Water Cakes

• 4 eggs
• 9 oz blanched peeled almonds (or sliced almonds)
• 4 oz sugar (~1/2 c. sugar)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp orange blossom water
• 1/4 cup flaked almonds
• Butter and flour to grease the pans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Pulse the almonds in a food processor with a little sugar until coarsely ground (the more coarsely ground they are, the chewier your tarts will be).
3. Beat the eggs with the rest of the sugar using an electric mixture until light and fluffy (approximately 3-4 minutes).
4. Add the cinnamon, lemon zest, and orange blossom water to the egg mixture and beat in.  Then gently fold in the ground almonds.
5. Grease and flour 6-8 individual tart pans - place them on a baking tray; pour the mixture in, smooth if need be, and sprinkle with almond flakes. 
6.Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. The tops of the tart should look dry and bubbled. The tart should be firm when shaken.
7. Remove from the outer tart rings while still warm and leave to cool. Note it the almond tart will be sticky to scrape off, so either serve directly from the tart pan bottom or, get a nice long frosting spatula to separate the cake from the tart pan.

Fancy Friday Feasts

My wife bemoans the fact that in attempting to use up a single odd ingredient, I will go out and purchase (in her words, a bit of hyperbole I think) "7,000 additional ingredients, which then will go through the same process of having to be used up! Why can't I just buy an instant falafel package and be done with it?!?!?"  I'm not clear where this upwelling of food frustration stems from - I love instant falafel too - but I really can't help myself about having to use every single item in the kitchen. In my defense, I'm not as bad as the guy who uses his leftover coffee grinds in the bread he bakes.

Anyways, Pinterest led me to a recipe for chickpea albondigas (spanish meatballs) that I was quite excited to make since we have lots of homemade tomato sauce to be used up. I paired this recipe with my version of Spanish brown rice, lemon-seasoned organic kale, and almond tarts for dessert (recipe for this to come later). It was all FANTASTIC especially the Spanish brown rice! The only complaint I could make is that the chickpea albondigas were a little dry since I was using cooked from scratch chickpeas that were cooked just until tender rather than mushy, and I stored them separately from the stock once cooked. If you're not making the rice, I would recommend increasing the sauce quantity by half again, or doubling.

Chickpea Albondigas  makes about 30-32 albondigas

• ~3 1/2 c. chickpeas (cooked or tinned - if tinned, needs 2 15 oz cans)
• 6-8 tbs olive oil (I used lemon infused olive oil)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 lemon, zest  plus some juice
• 2/3 c fine wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

for the sauce

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, mined
• 300g (10½ oz) ripe tomatoes, diced (I used canned tomatoes)
• ½ c dry white wine (or white cooking wine)
• 1 c vegetable stock
• 2-3 Tbs tomato paste
• 2-3 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 - 3/4 c fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Puree the chickpeas, 3-4 Tbs olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, and spices in a food processor until soft, with some small chunks remaining.
2. Combine the puree with breadcrumbs and egg in a bowl, stirring until the mixture starts to come together. Add more olive oil and lemon juice as needed so that mixture can be shaped into balls. 
3. Roll mixture into ~1 - 1.5 inch diameter balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking tray.
4. Brush outsides lightly with olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the albondigas feel a bit firm to the touch. (eat one to test!)
5. While the albondigas are baking, make the tomato sauce. Start by sauteing the onion in olive oil in a frying pan (with deep sides) for 2- 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook another minute.
6. Add the wine, let simmer for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, cayenne, tomato paste and stock. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes.
7. Right before ready to serve, toss the parsley through the sauce and let warm. Serve albondigas on top of or alongside rice and top with sauce.

Spanish Brown Rice

• 1 Tbs olive oil1 c. chopped onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c. brown rice (I used basmati brown rice)
• 2 c. chickpea stock (made from cooking 1 c. dried chickpeas from scratch using 1 Tbs dried onion flakes, 2-3 cloves garlic, and salt) - or use veggie broth
• 1 c. tomato sauce (I used homemade canned tomato sauce)
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil briefly - 2-3minutes, and then add in the rice. Saute for about 5 minutes until the rice is lightly toasted.
2. Add in the stock, tomato sauce and salt. Bring to a boil while uncovered, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for ~ 45minutes until rice is tender.

Hot winter breakfast

Pinterest rewarded my work-time browsing breaks with yet another wonderful recipe link to 10 hot cereal breakfasts. Yesterday morning, having awoken 30 minutes before my alarm was to go off, I decided it was the perfect time to try one of them. Having recently purchased steel cut oats for the very first time (adventurous, no?) - I opted to make baked pumpkin steel cut oatmeal. I found out two things: (1) I absolutely love the chewier texture of steel cut oats, reminds me a bit of wheat berries, combined with the creamy rich taste of the oats; (2) I absolutely love making a casserole dish full of oatmeal in one go that means multiple breakfasts are already made for subsequent mornings!

I followed the recipe almost exactly, except I didn't have quite enough canned pumpkin so I used applesauce for the rest of the pumpkin quantity. I also reduced the brown sugar, so that I could add a drizzle of maple syrup at the end without it being too sweet. I think fancy molasses (or even blackstrap molasses) might add another nice dimension to this recipe.

Baked Pumpkin Steel Cut Oatmeal
serves 4 to 6

• 2 Tbs butter, divided
• 1 1/2 c steel cut oats
• 1 c pumpkin or squash puree (or applesauce up to 1/4 c.)
• 1/4 c brown sugar (not packed)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tspginger
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 c milk  (I used 1 c. almond milk and 1 c. milk - I'm sure 2 c. almond milk and vegan margarine would work great in this recipe too)
• 2 1/2 c warm water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a 3-quart Dutch oven, melt 1 Tbs of butter over medium-high heat. When the butter foams, stir in the oats and fry for about 3 minutes (keep stirring).
3. Push the oats to the sides of the pan, and add the second Tbs of butter to the center of the pan. Add pumpkin puree, sugar and spices, stirring for another 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Pour in the milk and whisk to combine. Whisk in the water, vanilla and salt. Put the lid on and transfer the dutch oven to the oven.
5. Bake for 35 minutes. Stir the oatmeal and test that the oats are al dente and tender (may still look fairly liquidy). The oatmeal will thicken much more as it cools.
6. Eat immediately with a drizzle of maple syrup and/or cream. Let the leftovers cool and then refrigerate for reheating later.


Photo perhaps to come - but check out the link if you want to see what it looks like

Pumpkin Cornbread and Bean Broth Soup

Last night I tried a pumpkin cornbread recipe from tasty kitchen, which  I have to say is a pretty delicious though unusual combination - a bit more like pumpkin cornbread cake rather than a savory cornbread. Future recipe alterations may fix this though!  Little did I know when I started assembling the recipe that the scant amount of cornmeal remaining in my pantry would not fulfill the recipe requirements. So I did what an insane person would do - make up the difference with semolina and instant grits - and it worked!

I paired this with yet another genius use of leftover bean stock - from both a crockpot of black beans and a pot of chickpeas. Very economical as it also uses up a huge handful of leftover cilantro stems. I added quinoa for protein in the dish. Simple but taste effective.

Mexican Broth Soup

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 750g yogurt container of black bean broth (from crockpot black beans)
• 1 750g yogurt container of chickpea broth (from 1 c. chickpeas cooked with 2 cloves of garlic, 1-2 Tbs onion flakes and salt)
• 1-2Tbs cumin
• 1/2 c. quinoa, uncooked (or use ~1 c. already cooked)
• 1 bunch of cilantro stems, finely chopped
• canned chipotle pepper sauce (I just defrosted a jar of unused chipotle peppers from the freezer and spooned out about 3-4 Tbs of the sauce)
• 1 quart canned tomatoes and juice
• 1 1/2 c. frozen corn
• 1 29 oz can hominy

1. Saute the onions and garlic until nicely browned and cooked in a large soup pot. When they have caramelized and left a bit of residue on the bottom of the pan, pour in the two containers of broth. 
2. Add the cumin, cilantro stems, chipotle pepper sauce and quinoa in, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until the quinoa is cooked. (if it's already cooked you can skip this step and throw everything in at once).
3. When the quinoa is tender, add in the corn, hominy and tomatoes.
4. Taste for flavors and adjust as needed.
5. Serve with a bit of sour cream, kefir cheese, or grated cheddar cheese. Some shredded cabbage would also taste lovely on top with a squeeze of lime and avocado chunks. Or you can keep it simple and eat it as is with a piece of pumpkin cornbread alongside.


Pumpkin Cornbread (from Tracy(sugarcrafter) on tastykitchen)
1 c. all purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. brown sugar, not packed. *I would try reducing this to 1/4 c. brown sugar*
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs molasses

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and butter an 8×8″ baking dish.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients from flour to cornmeal.
3. In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly and then beat in pumpkin, oil, & molasses.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring just until combined and then pour the batter into the pan.
5. Bake ~30 minutes or until a toothpick test in the center comes out clean.

Almond Mocha Granola Bars

We recently went to Manning Park for a whole weekend of snowshoeing, and I decided to have another go at granola bars to try and create something like my favorite kashi bar flavor that has coconut, almonds, coffee and chocolate. I went back to my successful crunchy granola bar recipe from the NYTimes and started modifying it. It was pretty successful except I left out the brown sugar when I made it and I think I needed a bit more liquid binder to hold them together. If I made it again, I think I would try reducing the flaxseed meal a bit to compensate for the additional dried ingredients. Part of my aim in using half cacao nibs this time in place of the chocolate chips was to cut down the sweetness, which was pretty successful but there still is a little ways to go.

Coconut Mocha Almond Granola Bars 

• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 c. rolled oats
• 1/2 c. flaxseed meal
• 1 Tbs instant coffee
• 2-3 Tbs unsweetened dried coconut
• 1-2 Tbs sliced almonds
• 1/4 c. cacao nibs
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/3 c. honey 
• 2 Tbs brown sugar 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/4 c. chopped bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips

1. Butter a 9x9 baking dish. Heat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the oats and stir until the oats are lightly toasted, ~ 6-7min.
3. Combine the flaxseed, coffee, coconut, almonds, cacao nibs, salt, and oats in a bowl.
4. Bring the honey, vanilla, and brown sugar to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
5. Pour over the dry mixture and stir well.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes, then stir in chocolate.
7. Press into pan and bake for 20 min. Let cool and slice into squares.
Photo to come

The Pantry!

So excited to have a pantry - with doors that close - that's tall (7'!) - that matches other furniture in my house -that holds all the canned goods that were previously under the couch/under the bed/on top of the cabinets in the kitchen/ squirreled away in every nook and cranny in the apartment! We managed to get it for half the price in the store, and all we need to do is replace two little screws that hold the last shelf in place. (Excuse all the mess around the photo - we were packing for a weekend away).

Polenta Lasagna

While we were traveling in Australia, my wife's sister pulled this amazing dish of polenta lasagna out of the freezer and baked it for us with little fanfare as a prelude to such a mouth watering comfort food that I would quickly need to recreate to satisfy my cravings. As we know, my history with pasta is a long affair of love and hate, primarily hate, though verging more on strong dislike than extreme antagonism. I have discovered that I love fresh pasta, particularly when made by my wife. However, she has yet to make me lasagna noodles from scratch.... so when we tasted this dish where the pasta layers are replaced by layers of polenta squares (cornmeal! one of my favorite ingredients!), I knew it was a keeper, particularly when filled with beautiful roasted veggies.

We came home and I made a few changes, namely using cheese with fat (life's too short for fat-free cheese), and adding a tofu-egg layer as a lovely ricotta substitute.  The great thing about this dish is it can be made in advance and frozen, or baked and then reheated all week long. The link is for Canadian Living's recipe in case you want a meat version.

Polenta Lasagna 

• 6 c. water
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 1/2 c. cornmeal
• 2-3 large carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 large eggplant, sliced (~1/2" thick) and salted for 20 min, then rinsed
• 1 large zucchini sliced (~1/2" thick)
• olive oil
• basil, oregano, thyme
• 1 450mL jar roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips (I only used half of the jar)
• 1/2 block tofu (soft or medium firm)
• 1 egg
• 1 quart jar homemade tomato sauce
•  ~300g mozzarella, grated

1. Bring the salted water to a boil and whisk in the cornmeal, reducing the heat to as simmer. Stir frequently for 10-20 minutes until thickened/cooked. Spread into a greased 9x13" pan and let cool.  (Put in refrigerator uncovered).
2. Toss the eggplant, zucchini, and carrots with olive oil, basil, oregano, and thyme. Place on a baking tray or in a roasting pan. Roast at 400 degrees F until tender. Remove and let cool. (probably 40 min?)
3. Crumble the tofu and beat in the egg, salt, pepper, and a pinch or two of italian seasoning. (You are welcome to double this amount for filling)
4. Once the polenta is cooled, cut it into squares, about 3 x 3" , but whatever size you do will be fine. Take the squares out of the pan and cut them in half horizontally so that you have two thin 3x3" squares.
5. Pour 1 c. sauce in a 9x13" pan. Place a layer of polenta squares covering the bottom of the pan. Layer eggplant, zucchini, carrot, and strips of roasted red peppers, tofu-egg layer (use all of it), eggplant, zucchini, carrot, and more red pepper. Then add 3/4 c. sauce over the top, layer of polenta squares, another 3/4 c. sauce and top with grated mozzarella. (You could adjust the layers as needed !)

As we know, I have a tendency to substitute flours in where they don't belong, much to the dismay of my wife and sometimes to my own penitential regret. However, for once I decided to pick a recipe that intentionally used spelt flour instead of haphazardly sneaking it in. I found this beautiful loaf recipe on Heidi's 101cookbooks site and adapted it just a bit to the seeds that I had on hand. The one change I would make next time is not to include the fennel seed (or to only use fennel seed). The fennel can be disturbingly surprising amidst all the other grains and seeds included. Once again, I experienced the chemical phenomenon of my sunflower seeds (raw/unsalted) turning bright green inside the bread when baked!!!!  Apparently (according to internet research) this is a pH effect due to the presence of lots of baking soda. I suppose that's entirely reasonable in an irish soda bread recipe!

Six-Seed Soda Bread

• 3 tablespoons EACH sunflower seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, crushed walnuts
• 2 Tbs chia seeds
• 1 3/4 cup spelt flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk (kefir milk with a bit of vinegar tossed in)
  a bit of extra buttermilk/milk
• optional: 1 tsp fennel seeds

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine all the seeds/nuts and set aside.
3. Sift the flours, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in all but 1 Tbs of the seed mixture.
4. Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough just comes together.
5. Knead the dough gently for about a minute on a lightly floured surface and pat into a round shape.
6. Place the dough on a baking sheet and cut a deep cross in the loaf, about 2/3 of the way deep. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with the remaining seeds.
7. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden crusted on top and bottom. Cool on a wire rack.