Fall is in the air

And with fall a whole new spectrum of tasty meals that revolve around soups, stews, pumpkin, squash, hearty greens like kale, beets, apples, pears, cranberries - joy. At this Thanksgiving (Canadian that is), we tried out a whole slew of new recipes. Most if not all were ecstatically received! My particular favorite was Richard Blaise's (YES TOP CHEF) carrot osso bucco with creamy polenta. The rest of the table swooned over the parmesan roasted butternut squash, kale, and brussels sprouts from the little yellow kitchen blog.

Thanksgiving Day walk

I did a bit of modifying on the carrot osso bucco once I realized I would be making mushroom stock from scratch. (DO THIS IN ADVANCE!) As it turned out, the mushroom stock recipe that I made had me strain out the mushrooms, which I did. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to save or discard the mushrooms, but they were still jam-packed with flavor so I simply stirred them through the carrot osso bucco once it was finished and they were marvelous! I actually can't imagine serving this recipe without cooked mushrooms.

Carrot osso bucco (made with home-grown carrots)

 The only comment I would make about the recipe is when I used masala curry powder, I found the clove factor a bit overpowering. If I made the recipe again, I would reduce the curry powder, maybe 3/4 of the amount and add at least 1- 2 Tbs. worchesthire sauce (this of course, unvegetarianizes the recipe but for us pescatarians, not an issue). The upside of this recipe is that it necessitates a trip to a gourmet kitchen store/food store to buy porcini powder!  Isn't that fancy? I was fascinated to see that french porcini powder was at least one and a half times the cost of italian procini powder. Who knew?

Parmesan roasted butternut squash, kale, and brussel sprouts

Coffee cream delight (The Grit cookbook)

Carrot Osso Bucco.

Use the recipe carrot osso bucco. I doubled it to serve 5 with leftovers.  Changes - decrease masala curry powder to 1 1/2 tsp for a doubled recipe and add 3-4 Tbs Worcestershire sauce. Try adding 1 1/2 Tbs dried porcini powder to start and after braising or 1 hour and 15 minutes, if the vegetables are tender, strain all the liquid out and reserve. Place the carrots and onions in a casserole dish and combine with mushrooms from stock (these should be warm/hot). Then reduce the braising liquid on the stove. Once the sauce is the desired thickness add salt and pepper to taste with more porcini powder if needed. Pour sauce over vegetables and serve with creamy polenta.

Mushroom Stock. Use the recipe, but replace the white wine with water or a low sodium vegetable  broth. Add 1/2 tsp thyme - 1 tsp thyme and 1/4 - 1/2 c. freshly chopped parsley.

Creamy Polenta:  I used this recipe - can reduce half-and half or replace with milk. Also add another 1/2 - 1 c. of water at the end to make polenta less thick as needed. Reduce butter to 2 Tbs. You can leave out the butter and parmesan if desired. (I made exactly the amount in the recipe).

Parmesan Roasted Brussels, Butternut Squash and Kale. I doubled the amount of brussels (approx 25-30) and used 2 bunches of kale (perhaps 8 c. chopped?). I also prepared the vegetables separately. To do this, I doubled the seasonings and then used roughly a third for each vegetable. The squash was tossed with seasonings and roasted for about 40 minutes without broiling. About 10 minutes before the squash was expected to finish, I sauteed the kale in a bit of oil briefly, added 1/4 c. of water, covered and steamed briefly - 4-5 minutes - check for burning and removed the lid to finish cooking, stirring through the seasoning and crisping up in the skillet. With the brussels I tried a similar method but wasn't at pleased. They could be roasted for about 20 minutes after tossing with seasoning (time with expected end time for squash) - this would be easiest. Or you could steam them for 3-5 minutes, roll them in seasoning and saute another 3-5 minutes just until tender. DO NOT OVERCOOK THEM.

We also cooked a favorite - kale mashed potatoes from epicurious!

Lastly for our dessert, I turned to the Grit for a coffee cream delight tart that was smooth, silky, a hint of coffee and a hint of chocolate. Perfect alongside a cup of strong coffee.

Pasties and Pottage!

How much more British sounding can you get? (okay tea and scones might win out ... ) Well once again I was at the mercy of a large bunch of organic celery and seeing that I paid an arm and a leg for it, figured I should use it all up before it went rotten. (now why did I buy it in the first place? Oh yes to make more of my sorrel lentil soup... but there was lots left over) So after perusing the pantry and fridge, I realized we had lots of onions, carrots and potatoes from the garden and well as kidney beans. I then spent a good hour or two flipping through cookbooks looking for - the one -. Found on page 106 of Sundays at Moosewood. Red Pottage, a hearty soup with a hint of borscht going on, but full of protein from the red kidney beans - kind of like the perfect "welcome to autumn" soup paired with cheese pasties (the british empanada?)

The red pottage on its own, served with a healthy dollop or two of greek yogurt was fantastic! And the dough on the cheese pasties... melt in your mouth. The good news is, although a lot of work, you can make the red pottage in one night, prep the veggies for the pasties and then make the pasties on the following night. There is enough pottage produced for about 10-12 lunch/dinners and 6 extremely large pasties that could be split in half with a bowl of soup. So it pays off when you have 4-5 days of not having to cook lunch or dinner :)

Red Pottage
1.5 - 2 c. dried kidney beans
7 c. water
1 medium beet, peeled and cubed (or a large beet)
--------------------------------
1 c. chopped onion
2 Tbs canola, olive, or vegetable oil
1 c. chopped (or diced) celery
(chard stems if you have them lying around 1-2 c.)
2 1/2 c. undrained canned tomatoes (you can used chopped or diced if need be)
1-2 Tbs lemon juice
1-2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne
salt and black pepper to taste

1. Bring the water and beans to a boil (if you soak the beans overnight first, let boil for 10 minutes vigorously), and then cover/simmer for 1.5 hours. Add the beet and let simmer another 30-40 minutes until beans and beets are both tender.
2. While the soup simmers, saute the onion and celery in oil until tender.  Add the canned tomatoes, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, cayenne, salt and pepper. Let simmer another 5-10 minutes and set aside.
3. Once the beans and beets are tender. Pour the onion/celery sauce into the pot and use an immersion blender to puree until chunky. Adjust salt and pepper, lemon, or cayenne to taste.
4. Serve with greek yogurt.

Cheese Pasties
Crust
3 c. unbleached white flour
1/2 - 3/4 tsp salt
1 c. salted butter
6 Tbs ice water (this was roughly how much I needed)

Filling
~ 1 c. diced celery stalks
~ 3/4 c. diced potato
1/2 c. chopped scallions or 2/3 c. chopped leek
1 1/3 c. diced carrots
4 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp cayenne
4-6 dashes Worcestershire sauce 

1. Sift flour and salt together. Cut in butter (or be lazy and pulse the mixture in your food processor until coarse meal texture is obtained). Drizzle ice water into the food processor while pulsing occasionally until dough begins to clump. You should be able to press it into a ball and not have it fall apart.
2. Divide the dough into two pieces, shape into balls, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 15-25 min.
3. Mix together all the filling ingredients and preheat oven to 375 degrees F in the meanwhile.
4. Cut each ball of dough into three equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a 9" circle about 1/8 " thick. Quite easy if you roll it out on a piece of wax paper. Place 1/6 of the filling on half of the circle, leaving 1/2" clear edge. Fold the circle in half and fold the sealed edges back towards the pastry filling. Press the edges with the tines of a fork to seal (and make pretty). Cut three to four slits in the top of the pasty. Transfer to baking sheet.
5. Repeat for all dough. Bake 15 minutes at 375 then lower heat to 350 and bake 20 minutes. Dough should have a nice golden glow to it. Let pasties rest 5-10 minute before serving.

Collards, Kidney Beans, & Zucchini Cornbread

Occasionally I use an actual cookbook for a recipe. I mean I have a whole swath of them towering above the kitchen table, but to actually pull one out and flip through it to find a recipe always seems so much more difficult than using google. But, after Moosewood's Beans & Greens recipe, I will be going back far more frequently! It's just an incredible dish that really makes the collards and beans shine together. Served with brown rice or cornbread knocks it out of the park for a southern style comfort meal. Although, somewhat oddly, the beans faintly remind me of the taste of refried pinto beans (bonus points for me).

Beans & Greens
1.5 c cooked kidney beans
 ** (if from scratch, use 1 c. uncooked kidney beans, soak overnight. Then bring to a boil in 1 c. water, 1 c. veggie broth, and 2-3 bay leaves. Simmer for 40-50 minutes until tender. Save broth if any is left. Remove bay leaves)
10 c. chopped, destemmed collard greens
1/2 large onion, chopped small
4-6 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
2- 4 Tbs cider vinegar
2 Tbs water
1/2- 1 tsp tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
salt/pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Saute for 5-8 minutes until turning translucent. Add the garlic for a minute. Then add greens, vinegar, water and tabasco and saute for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover and let cook 5 minutes.
2. Add 1 1/2 c. of kidney beans with 1/2 - 3/4 c of their cooking liquid, or use water. (if the beans are canned, use the liquid in the can). Cook covered for 10 minutes, until the collards are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Zucchini Cornbread (adapted from Epicurious)
1/2 c. butter (salted)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. buttermilk (or kefir)
10-12 oz coarsely grated zucchini (about a medium sized zucchini)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
3-4 Tbs sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 c. cornmeal
1/2-3/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp chili powder (leave the above two spices out for the usual cornbread taste)
optional 1/2 c. raw or frozen corn kernels

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x5 laof pan.
2. Melt butter. Let cool before whisking in eggs, buttermilk, and zucchini.
3. Sift flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk in cornmeal. Fold in wet ingredients just until moistened.

Photo to come

The Ugliest/Yummiest Thing We've Cooked

Despite my fervid reading of a fantastic blog post on how to make ugly food look good for blog photos, I was unsuccessful with this item, but I swear it tastes DELICIOUS. If you like Indian food, kale, and/or crispy potatoes, please make this dish and your tastebuds will be thanking you for weeks. Another added benefit to this dish - it only gets better as leftovers and that curry flavor permeates everything in a beautiful rounded medley of spice. Wife also suggests that a wonderful variation on this dish would be to replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes. I am already signed up for that version. Also consider crumbling some paneer into the kale mixture.

Curried Potato Kale Galette (adapted from Canadian Living Magazine, March 2008)

1 Tbs canola oil
1 onion, finely diced (medium or large)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1- 1.5 Tbs minced ginger (fresh)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
8 c. chopped kale, stems removed (give or take, I used 2 bunches organic)
4 potatoes, thin slices - use a mandoline (what kind did the original recipe intend? no idea, but we used about 7-8 small red potatoes from our garden, or roughly 3-4 cups once they are sliced)
1/4 c. butter melted
*optional, small cubes of paneer stirred into the kale/onion mixture

1. This requires a cast iron skillet or casserole dish.
2. Saute the onion in the oil over medium high heat for about 6 minutes until starting to soften. Add garlic, ginger, and spices. Continue cooking until onion is soft.
3. Add kale into the pan, about 2 c. at a time until wilted enough to fit more kale. If it seems the vegetables are starting to burn, add about 1/8 c. water a bit at a time to keep them moist. Continue until all the kale is in and wilted.
4. Remove kale/onion mixture from pan. Wipe cast iron skillet out if using, and then lightly grease again with oil.
5. Peel potatoes if using russet potatoes. For yukon gold or red, peel can stay on. Use a mandoline or sharp knife to cut the potatoes into paper thin slices.
6. Layer 1/3 of the potatoes into the bottom of the pan (or casserole), then 1/2 of the kale mixture, 1/3 of the potatoes, 1/2 of the kale mixture, and finishing with potatoes. Pour the melted butter evenly over the top of the casserole.
7. Place in 425 degree F oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until cooked through.
8. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting.

Sushi Salad - the new Un-Roll

So now that Vancouver has sustained warm temperatures for more than a single week (hurray!), it's time to find meals that don't require turning the stove on (much) as that tends to raise the temperature of our tiny apartment about 20 degrees when we do. Being second floor dwellers, we're already suffering from the first floor's heat as it rises so anything we can do to reduce the amount of heat in our own home is essential.
Hence the sushi salad. Okay and I admit the fact that I only had two sheets of nori left (which in roll form produces exactly 2 rolls), made me want to try out this genius of a recipe on krista and jess, where it is much more fancily named "deconstructed sushi" and more beautiful arranged (in a mason jar for lunch transport).

Anyways, the great thing about this salad is a) you can use up leftover rice, b) you can prep everything before and have it sitting in convenient containers in your fridge and c) you do not have to deal with sushi mats! Not to confuse anyone, I do love a good sushi roll. I just am not quite capable of making them well myself (which as my wife would say is probably due to the fact that I try to use quinoa, brown rice, basmati rice, etc. instead of good old fashioned sushi rice) and dislike trying to dislodge all the small particles of rice from the bamboo of the sushi mat. 

Sushi Salad (for 2 hungry people)
1 1/2 c. cooked rice *note white rice, brown rice, and quinoa have all been used successfully to make different versions of this salad!*
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 - 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 sheets nori, cut into appropriate sized pieces (will be some left over)

Veggies used (note this is probably enough for 4 salads, except the avocado):
2 medium sized carrots, shredded (I however used the peeler to create thin curly strips)
1/2 of an English cucumber, sliced into thin strips (matchstick if you will)
4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
1 whole avocado, sliced

Toppings:
Scrambled eggs for vegetarians (for 2 people, create an omelet of four scrambled eggs, and then cut into strips)
Pickled ginger, sliced into thin strips
Wasabi (optional)

1. Bring the rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce to a simmer and make sure the sugar is dissolved. Stir through rice. (If the rice is cold from the fridge, rewarm to room temperature before stirring sauce through). Set rice aside.
2. In a bowl, layer the rice, veggies, nori, rice, veggies, egg, nori and top with thin strips of pickled ginger. Drizzle more soy sauce if desired over the dish. Enjoy.

Green Bean, Feta, & Mint Salad

I will continue to focus on "spring" recipes due to the complete absence of any vestige of summer weather in Vancouver (it's July already, come on sun!). Someone made reference to the month of "Junuary" as in it's still raining 90% of the time and it's nowhere near warm enough to break out the shorts yet.

Anyways, came across this recipe on smitten kitchen and I am completely besotted with it! An absolute wonder of a spring recipe (or summer if you happen to have that season where you live) with a tantalizing combination of differently colored, crunchy vegetables and a Mexican inspired dressing. Perfect for lunch, dinner and everything in between.

Green Bean, Feta, & Mint Salad1/2 lb green beans
1 c. thinly sliced radishes
1/2 - 1 c. sliced & quartered cucumbers
1/2 - 1 c. thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled or cubed goat feta (or more!)
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 c sunflower seeds, salted or unsalted
4-6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt (more to taste)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8-1/4 tsp sumac (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

1. Wash and chop the green beans into 1-2" long pieces. Briefly saute over medium heat (2-4minutes) with a touch of olive oil until they have brightened but are still slightly on the crunchy side. Set aside to cool.
2. Mix the rest of the vegetables, feta, green onions, sunflower seeds and mint in a medium bowl.
3. Whisk lime juice, olive oil, salt, and spices in a small bowl.
4. Add green beans to the rest of the salad and pour dressing over vegetables, tossing to coat. Adjust with more salt, pepper, cumin, chile powder, or lime juice as needed. (As with most cold salads that are non lettuce based, it only gets better after sitting in the fridge for a while).

Chilaquiles

Surprisingly, despite my love of Mexican food, I had until recently never eaten nor cooked chilaquiles. Now that I make this statement, I acknowledge my complete ignorance about whether chilaquiles are a Tex-Mex creation or stem from true Mexican culinary history. Google time! According to Wikipedia, if it can be considered a legitimate source, chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican dish and "recipes for chilaquiles have been found in a U.S. cookbook published in 1898." I guess I am one in a long line of fortunate cooks enjoying this recipe!

To summarize my experience of chilaquiles: OMG. Crispy fried corn tortillas simmered ever so briefly in homemade enchilada sauce, served up with black beans and fried eggs, and heavily adorned with avocado, cilantro, and red onion?! What's not to love?  My only regret about this recipe was the fact that I halved it to cook just enough for two! There were no leftovers when my sad, empty plate stared up at me, begging for just one or two more corn tortilla pieces. Do not make the same mistake I did. Make more chilaquiles than you think you'll eat - just in case :)  Also don't make the mistake of pouring leftover hot oil into a dish that has a large crack in it. After you finish dinner, you don't want to find a giant pool of oil dripping off the counter onto the floor. Ergh.

Chilaquiles

• 12 corn tortillas, cut in quarters
• 1 1/2 c. enchilada sauce or salsa verde
• canola oil
• 1-2 avocados, chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 - 1 c. cilantro, chopped
• Cotija, crumbled or sour cream 
• Sides: Crockpot black beans, fried egg  (I had made the crockpot black beans a couple of weeks before and frozen pint sized jars of them. One pint size jar would be perfect as a side for 4 people.)

1. Heat ~1/4 c. of canola oil in a sauce pan on medium high Add corn tortilla quarters a 4-6 at a time (don't overly crowd the pan). Let fry until golden brown on both sides, turning over once with tongs. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to cool. Add a pinch of salt.
2. Once all the tortillas are fried, add a bit of oil to the pan again (if needed - only need about 2-3 Tbs in the pan), and add the enchilada sauce. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes until thickened.
3. Add all the tortilla pieces to the pan. Turn the pieces over so they are all coated with sauce and soften slightly. Remove and serve immediately with sides and garnishes.

Photo to come.

Paneer Butter Masala and Coconut Cinnamon Rice

I've made this recipe for paneer butter masala three times in the last month because it is indeed that delicious - like eye-rolling into the back of your head kind of delicious. Once again pinterest, you have led me to a golden recipe! This is fast becoming a new staple in the rotation of meals cooked for guests (mostly because if there's just the two of us we will eat far too much paneer...) I have to say I'm quite proud of myself as Indian food (along with Italian) is usually in wife's cooking domain and not my own. After this excursion, I clearly need to trespass in the Indian food category more often!

What's great about this recipe is you can make the onion/tomato spice paste ahead of the meal (and deal with all the required dishes) and then simply reheat it with the paneer before adding in the evaporated milk/whipping cream when you're ready to serve dinner. It pairs superbly with any kind of coconut rice. I suggest one of two versions- a jalapeno, ginger, coconut rice (if you like spice) or a second version -turmeric, cinnamon, raisin coconut rice, for something a little sweeter/more mellow.

Paneer Butter Masala

• 1 Tbs oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (or 1 1/2 medium onions)
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tsp diced jalapeno (from a can)
• 2" long chunk ginger, peeled and chopped (I was very very liberal about this amount)
• 3 Tbs butter
• 1/4 c. cashew paste (or roughly 1/4 c. cashews soaked in hot water and pureed to a paste)
• 3/4 - 1 c. pureed tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp coriander
• 1/2-3/4 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp Tandoori masala
•  2 c. paneer cubes
• 1/2 - 3/4 c. evaporated milk (or half&half for more decadence)

1. If you don't have cashew paste, soak the cashew pieces in 2-3 Tbs of just boiled water. 
2. In a skillet, saute the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Saute until soft.
3. Transfer the onion mixture to a blender or food processor along with the cashew pieces and puree into a paste.
4. Add the butter to the skillet. Let it foam before adding the onion puree to the skillet. Cook until the butter/puree separates.
5. Add the tomato puree and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring well. Add all the spices and cook for another 3-5 minutes, continuing to stir. If the sauce starts to look too dry, you can add a bit more tomato puree. Taste for seasoning at this point and adjust if needed. (You can also stop here and store the mixture in the fridge until you are ready to saute the paneer. If you do this, you will likely need a bit extra tomato puree or water for reheating the sauce).
6. Drop the paneer cubes in gently to the skillet with the masala sauce and give it a toss. Cook over medium-low for 2-3 minutes for the paneer to absorb the flavors.
7. Lower heat to a simmer and add the evaporated milk (or cream). Mix well. Serve over rice.

Coconut Cinnamon Rice

• 2 1/4 c. water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 c. shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1 c. coconut milk  (if you don't have coconut milk, increase the water used to 3 1/4 c.)
• 1 1/2 c. white rice (or basmati)
• 2-3 Tbs grated ginger
• 1/4c. + 2 Tbs. raisins
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)

1. Bring water, cinnamon stick, and shredded coconut to a boil.
2. Stir in coconut milk, rice, ginger, raisins, salt, and tumeric. Bring to a boil again. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmering for 15 minutes. 
3. Stir rice to fluff and serve.

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.

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 !)

Sweet Potato Baked Dumplings

I stumbled across this recipe on pinterest (I think), though I can never tell anymore these days between bookmarks on two computers, emailing myself recipes, and pinning others on pinterest. Anyways they appeared on naturallyella's blog along with a gorgeous photo and I was excited to see a baked dumpling recipe not only because I had wonton wrappers in my freezer, but also because I find the whole steaming/frying process a bit labor intensive and it forces you to work in batches (ergo eating in shifts). The filling for the wontons was intriguingly non Asian, though still paired with soy sauce for dipping, an interesting combination of flavors that quickly won me over. This is a perfect appetizer for a party dish as the filling can be prepared in advance, or the dumplings can be prepared completely and frozen until needed. I have some in my freezer as we speak, and other than a couple of the wontons cracking, they look none the worse for wear.

Baked Sweet Potato Potstickers

(makes ~44-50 dumplings, depending how full you stuff them)

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium onion cubed
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• sea salt and pepper
• 2/3 c ricotta cheese
• 1/2 c parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 - 2 Tbs fresh rosemary (or dried, if dried maybe only 1 1/2 Tbs)
• 50 wonton wrappers
• sunflower or canola oil to brush the potstickers

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sweet potatoes and onion with olive oil and spread on a baking tray (or glass roasting pan). Bake for 25-35 minutes until tender. Let cool for ~ 10 minutes. (Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F at this step if you're going to bake the dumplings immediately)
2. Combine sweet potato, onion, salt, pepper, rosemary, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is mostly smooth (there can still be a few small lumps)
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. Place about a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wonton wrapper. Wet edges with water and crimp shut. Place on parchment paper on a baking tray. Continue until the tray is full.
5. Brush each potsticker  lightlywith oil and bake for 15-20 minutes until the potstickers are golden brown. Serve with a soy sauce/sesame oil/chili sauce and grated ginger mixture.

What conversations in my house sound like...

At 7:30am, as wife emerges sleepily from the bedroom: "What's that smell?"
Me: "Spiced pumpkin gingerbread loaf?"
Wife: "Can I eat it when it's done?"
Me: "No, it's for ____ (insert event here). But you can have some then"

At 8:00am,
Me: "So, do you think rice flour or soy flour would taste better with cauliflower?"
Wife: (suspicious tone), slowly asks, "Which one is in the recipe?"
Me, averting eyes: "Well, neither, but one whole cup of parmesan doesn't seem that healthy so I thought I would substitute some nutritional yeast and rice or soy flour for half of the parmesan"
Wife: "If the recipe turns out bad, you can't complain, because you're not following it!"
Me: "What could go wrong with a little rice or soy flour??"
Wife: "They could turn out gummy..."
Me: "It's a whole head of cauliflower, surely the cauliflower tater tots can survive 1/4 c. of rice flour....
so, do you think rice or soy flour would taste better with cauliflower?"
Wife: SIGH. "Fine, rice flour"
Me: Turn around and use 1/8 c. soy flour and 1/8 c. rice flour.

End Result: Successful adaptation of a cauliflower tater tot recipe by Suzanne Summers (never thought I would be writing that name in association with my life ever...)

Cauliflower Tater Tots

• 1 lb cauliflower (a whole head! I didn't actually weigh mine) 
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 c. parmesan
• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast 
• 1/8 c. rice flour 
• 1/8 c. soy flour 
• 1- 2 Tbs cajun spice seasoning 
• 2-3 Tbs margarine
• Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Steam the cauliflower for 10-15 minutes until tender
3. Mix together all the dry ingredients.
4. Puree the cauliflower in food processor briefly to break it down, then add dry ingredients, egg yolk and margarine. Puree until smooth.
5. Spoon into piping bag or plastic bag, snip the corner, and squeeze out onto oiled baking trays in ~ 1" long strips. (Supposedly they keep their shape better if you freeze them for 10-15 minutes before baking but I didn't do this).
6. If you spray the top with a bit of oil, they will probably get crispier. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Broil briefly at the end to crisp up the top sides of the tater tots.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Quinoa - Winter Fare!

Heidi Swanson's culinary skills and focus on fresh, healthy ingredients continue to amaze me. I love her website, 101cookbooks.com, especially after last night's meal of broccoli-cauliflower pesto quinoa. The setting for the meal: Vancouver is on day three of snow. It's a winter wonderland out there, much to the dismay of my all-season tires. I am a professional rain driver; torrential downpours do not intimidate me in the slightest, but a bit of slippery slush, ice, or snow and I turn into a nervous ball of stress in the driver's seat. Hopefully the snow will stay up on the mountains where it belongs and out of our coastal, supposedly temperate forest city. Thus, a warm and hearty meal was a very welcome end to an icy cold day, surrounded by twinkling Christmas - err fairy lights (according to the Australians, which does make them seasonal year round). It's a wonderful main dish of veggies & protein (or side dish) achievable with very little time and effort. Also great as a filling for lettuce wraps when topped with cucumber, feta, and/or avocado.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Pesto Quinoa  (serves 4-6)
1 c. uncooked quinoa
2 c. water or broth
5 c. raw broccoli and cauliflower (I had 3:2 of broc:cauli), cut into small florets and stem pieces
2 medium garlic cloves
2/3 c. sliced almonds or walnuts, raw
1/3 c. grated parmesan
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. evap milk or whole milk (or almond milk?)
red pepper flakes

1. Bring salted water and quinoa to a boil (can use veggie or chicken broth if you want, but be careful of how much salt is then added to the pesto). Cover and simmer for ~15 minutes until tender, then remove from heat.
2. While the quinoa cooks, bring 3/4 c. of water to a boil, lightly salted, and toss in broccoli and cauliflower. Cover and cook just until the veggies are slightly softened. This took about 5-6 minutes for me. Remove veggies from water and pot.
3. In the food processor, puree the almonds, parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, and 2 c. of the veggies. Add in the olive oil and milk while the food processor is going, then stir through salt and pepper to taste.
4. Stir about half of the pesto, the veggies, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes through the quinoa. Taste to make sure you're happy with the pesto quantity and then enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Well not surprisingly, I did not in fact even manage to stay up to ring in the new year. Could be because I was sitting in someone else's home in the Australian suburbs of Bendigo while they were out at a previously made engagement, with just the wife and a dog (not ours). Or likely it could just be because I am incapable of staying up late 99.99% of the year. Regardless, I was satisfied with my glass of port and watching the "kiddies" fireworks in Sydney at 9pm. I was less satisfied with the brother-in-law who felt the need to burst into our room at 2am after arriving home from previously made engagement to yell Happy New Year and scare the jeepers out of wife and myself.

My favorite local..

It was quite a luxury to escape to summertime (if ever so briefly, in the middle of winter) and be treated to home-grown peaches, plums, lemons, lettuce, beets and potatoes, but it is also a joy to be back in my own kitchen concocting meals.  However while we were temporarily in summer, my mother-in-law introduced me to one of the simplest and most delicious salad recipes ever: roasted beets, orange zest, and balsamic vinegar. If you want to make it a little more complicated, you can add some orange juice. :) That's it. The most perfect salad - hot, luke-warm, or cold.

Eucalyptus sunset

Actually I could get into the Australian style of Christmas meals. It goes something like: prepare 3-4 cold salads the day before or the morning of. Roast one ham. The end. Was there dessert? Yep! Plum pudding cooked 3 weeks before and stored in the freezer. Hard to beat in terms of non-fuss. I may well carry this tradition forward to north america this year ..... oh wait, that would mean giving up my menu planning of a 12 dish meal with unlimited budget supplied by my parents?! Are you kidding??

Coming home to incredible Northwest views

 Now to kick off the New Year with: a casserole! I know, it's not swanky sounding but it's an incredibly versatile casserole and it always makes enough to supply 2 people's worth of lunches and dinners for at least 4 days! Yay!  It's based off a recipe my mom gave me, who knows where she got it, but here goes. (The key is good salsa).

Mexican Tortilla Casserole
18-20 corn tortillas
1-2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, monterary jack, a mix, mexican cheese blend etc.)
Salsa verde or regular salsa, probably 1.5-2.5 cups worth
1-2 16 oz cans black beans (or freshly cooked black beans)
1 package mexican veggie ground round (or you could use cooked ground beef)
1 large onion  *optional
2 large bell peppers  *optional
2-4 cloves garlic  *optional
sliced black olives or green olives (NOT KALAMATA)  *optional
1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated *optional

1. If you are including optional vegetable ingredients: chop the onion and bell pepper and saute in olive or canola oil until tender. Saute the grated sweet potato (or steam it) until tender.  You could also cook it in in small chunks, boiled or roasted. Roasted would be excellent.
2. In a lightly greased (or not greased) 11x13 pan (with tall sides), spread a thin layer of salsa followed by overlapping corn tortillas (I use about 6 per layer), followed by a layer of beans, meat, veggies, cheese, olives. Then tortillas, salsa, beans, meat, veggies, cheese, olives. Then tortillas, salsa, cheese, and olives.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes until bubbling along the edges.
4. You could also serve this with rice as a side.

That's it for 2011!

Well, I'm just going to be honest with you - there won't be any more posts until the New Year. As disappointing as that is, that's just the reality of life for us as we head out to Australia in 3 days! Hoping our cat forgives us when we get back after a 2.5 week sojourn into summer time, Tim Tams, and wallabies.

I will recommend just one (okay three!) last recipes for a Christmas or New Years meal. If you're feeling adventurous and not turned off by the concept of green mashed potatoes (actually I think this recipe would still be great even without the green contribution), these are absolutely fabulous and my mom apologized profusely for ever doubting that this could be a good idea after tasting them.The bay leaf simmered in milk adds an amazing flavor to the dish, along with the tiny flecks of carrot, and pureed kale. It has a depth and richness that belies the fairly healthy milk and butter quantities.The recipe I adapted from Epicurious is below.

If you want a wonderfully seasoned vegetarian gravy recipe to go with them, I recommend using the Grit's sage-onion gravy (but leave out the 1/2 tsp of salt! it's pretty salty!)  And one more link for those veggie/vegan people out there: the Grit's tofu meatloaf! So delicious!! Just make sure you don't overprocess the ingredients in the food processor or it becomes pate textured. I wish I could go to this Athens, GA restaurant in person and order every single thing on the menu. One day!


Kale Mashed Potatoes
1 c. milk
8 Tbs butter
2 small carrots, peeled, diced
1-2 large bay leaves
1 large onion, diced
1 large bunch kale roughly chopped (about 6 cups)
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, chopped into 2" chunks

1. Combine milk, 2 Tbs butter, carrot and bay leaf in medium saucepan; bring to simmer. Remove from heat; let steep 10 minutes while preparing kale and potatoes.(Consider simmering for 4-5 minutes to cook the carrots a bit more, before steeping).

2. Melt 4 Tbs butter in large skillet, add onion and sauté until light brown, about 8 minutes. Add kale; cover and cook until tender, stirring often, about 25 minutes. Add the kale/onion mixture to the milk mixture and puree with an immersion blender until mostly smooth. (or in a food processor)

3. While the kale cooks, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Return to same pot.

4. Add kale mixture to potatoes and mash to produce fluffy potatoes (alternately you're supposed to mash the potatoes before and then just stir in the kale mixture to produce fluffy potatoes, but some of us are lazy).

5. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more butter.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

Dumplings!

I have been wanting to cook my own dumplings for awhile. However, with the Christmas season hustle & bustle increasing exponentially by the day, I decided not to bother with making the dumpling dough from scratch (though it's still on my to do list to try). I looked at quite a few recipes trying to find a vegetarian filling that I thought would be tasty and determine whether a pre-cooked filling is preferable. I ended up creating a blend of a couple different recipes and have definitely sided with the pre-cooked filling camp! These take a while to do so a dumpling day with a friend would be far more fun. I think my filling might make about 100-125 dumplings, so you could also cut this recipe in half if you just want enough for a single meal. Or use the extra filling as a taco filling or over steamed rice.

Filling

Raw Dumplings

Beautifully fried/steamed dumplings with sauce

Vegetarian Dumplings
1 1/2 c. finely grated cabbage
1 1/2 c. finely grated carrot
5 green onions, finely chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 can water chestnuts, diced
2-3 Tbs minced ginger
sesame oil
soy sauce
rice vinegar
fish sauce (or oyster sauce)
1/2 c. cilantro, finely chopped
dumpling wrappers (100?)
**Optional - can replace some of the veggies with crumbled, marinated tofu

1. Heat 2-3 Tbs sesame oil (or canola oil) in a deep skillet and add ginger and garlic. Saute until fragrant.
2. Add cabbage, carrot, green onions, and water chestnuts. Saute on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until veggies have wilted just a bit. While they cook, drizzle on a bit of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and fish sauce to taste. I probably did one to two circles of the pan with soy sauce and rice vinegar and a couple of dashes of fish sauce. The filling should taste good on its own before it goes in the dumpling. There should be almost no liquid in the pan when you're done cooking.
3. Remove filling from heat and stir in cilantro.
4. Open the dumpling wrappers and keep covered with a damp cloth. Work on one to two wrappers at a time. Place a rounded 1/2 tsp of filling in the centre of the wrapper. Use a finger or brush to moisten along half of the edge of the dumpling. Fold and crimp the edges so it is sealed.
5. Lay out dumplings on parchment paper. If you're going to cook them soon, keep covered with damp cloth. If not, fill a pan and then put in the freezer to freeze. Once the dumplings are completely frozen, put them in a ziplock bag and store for later!
6. To cook. Heat canola oil in a deep skillet with lid. Put 10-12 dumplings in the pan and let cook until browned and a bit crispy on one side. Pour in 1/4 c. water (don't get splattered!) and quickly cover with lid. Let steam 2-3 minutes until cooked.
7. Serve with dipping sauce!

Quinoa Cakes - Redux

Being that a) the first time we made quinoa cakes they were awesome and b) despite scaling back the recipe for the cooked quinoa, we still had copious amounts leftover, it was time to attempt the recipe again. Unfortunately (or rather fortunately) this time we were out of parsley so we decided to go with a latin theme!  The raw onion and garlic was so much tastier in the cake, the cilantro was fabulous, we used lemon zest and lemon juice --  although next time I would go for lime in the latin flavored version. These are rough estimates of what we put in .... they could definitely have used a third egg for binder so I'm suggesting 3 in the recipe although we only had 2 at the time. Topped with salsa verde and kefir cheese (or sour cream), these were DELICIOUS! Sadly, no leftovers for tomorrow :(

Cilantro Lemon Quinoa Cakes
2 c. cooked quinoa (if you have 3, even better!)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3- 1/2 c. finely chopped cilantro
1/3 c. chopped green olives (black olives might work nicely too!)
1/2 c. parmesan
1 c. panko
3 eggs, beaten  (if you use 3 c. cooked quinoa, maybe use 4 eggs)
3-4 Tbs lime juice (or lemon juice) + zest of one lime (or lemon)
2-4 Tbs nutritional yeast
salt/pepper

1. Stir everything together in a bowl.
2. Form into patties.
3. Fry patties until golden brown on each side in good quantity of oil in a hot skillet (cast-iron is great!).
5. Top with yummy condiments!

Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin

I was so excited to make this dish since we have a not insignificant quantity of chard to finish off from our garden. But making this dish by smittenkitchen made me realize I have absolutely no concept of how much chard it takes to reach 3 lbs worth of greens! At the final count, I ended up with about 2.5 lbs of greens (according to our cheap Ikea scale...) which included chard, spinach, and kale - in addition to some small broccoli florets (why not?).

I ended up cooking the greens and onion about 5 days in advance, whoops! talk about a delay in cooking, but they were no worse for wear when I finally assembled the casserole. Note: owning a mandolin makes slicing 2 lbs worth of 1/8" thick slices of sweet potato fairly easy. I also assembled the casserole in the morning and took it out of the fridge an hour before I planned to start baking it. The dish was in the oven when I turned it on to preheat. These strategies will prevent breaking a glass baking dish. If you have a metal baking pan, no worries.

The bechemel sauce for this dish smells so incredible I was in danger of eating it all before putting any in the casserole. Fortunately I held off, believing that the bechemel in combination with the sweet potatoes, chard, grated gruyere and herbs would be worth the wait. Oh the smell of this casserole filling the house - mouthwatering, stretching patience to the limits! The finished casserole more than surpassed the anticipation and expectation in every deliciously rich bite. I did find the sweet potato flavor very sweet - partly because the recipe has no instructions on how much salt is needed. If I made the dish again, I would try half potato/half sweet potato to tone the sweetness down.

Sweet Potato-Chard Casserole
1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3lbs chard (or a combination of kale/chard/spinach), leaves and stems separated, cut into 1" pieces **if you use kale, don't use the stems at all!**
1/4-1/2 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
1 c. whipping cream 
1 c. evaporated milk
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. flour
2 lbs sweet potatoes (orange ones), peeled and cut into 1/8" thick slices
1/4 c. minced fresh Italian parsley
1 Tbs + 1 tsp thyme
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 c. (about 6 ounces) coarsely grated Gruyére cheese

1. Melt 1/4 c. butter in a large skillet or heavy pot. Add onion, saute over medium low heat until softened. Add kale leaves (if using) and saute for 10-15 minutes until softened. Add chard stems, nutmeg, salt and pepper, keep sauteing, until veggies are tender. Add chard leaves (and spinach, if using) by large handfuls, stir, cover, and let greens wilt (occasionally stirring as needed - you can also add a bit of water if things are sticking to the bottom).
2. Once the greens are wilted, transfer to a colander to drain and press out liquid using a large spoon. (I saved the liquid to add to stock for soups - it's tasty!). Set the chard aside to cool. You can add more salt and pepper to taste as needed.
3. If you haven't already, slice up the sweet potatoes. Submerging them in water will keep them from browning, but they need to be dried before putting in the casserole dish. (Press them with paper towels to dry them). Also, grate the cheese and set aside. Mince the parsley and set aside.
4. Bring cream, evap milk, and garlic to a simmer in small saucepan. Keep covered and set aside.
5. Melt 2 Tbs butter in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, whisking, until mixture gently bubbles/boils. Keep whisking - roux should start to smell cooked and brown ever so lightly (~1-3minutes). Slowly whisk in cream mixture and bring to a boil, continuously whisking, one minute. Add salt and pepper.
6. If you're going to bake the gratin straight away, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If not, start assembling the gratin: Butter a deep 9×13 baking dish (my pyrex one worked fine). Spread half of the sweet potatoes over the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, some parsley/thyme, and a 1/4 c. of Gruyere. Layer half of the chard mixture next, then salt, pepper, parsley/thyme, and 1/4 c. of Gruyere. Pour half of bechamel sauce over the first two layers. Repeat with rest of sweet potatoes, s/p/herbs/cheese, chard, s/p/herbs, rest of the bechemel sauce, then last 1/4 c. of cheese. Try and press everything down into the pan so that the veggies are submerged in sauce. Don't worry if it doesn't look like enough sauce (mine didn't) and it bubbled up just fine/staying quite moist
7. Bake gratin for about 1 hour until golden and bubbly, and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.(I baked mine for about 1.5 hours since it had been in the fridge, the first hour with foil on top, and the last 30 minutes uncovered).

Lemon, Olive, and Parsley Quinoa Cakes - Item #6

Well my to do list attack plan has been haphazard to say the least. I checked off the Moroccan spiced spaghetti squash and made plans to take on the chard-sweet potato gratin next. Despite the fact that I precooked the chard/butter/onion component 5 days ago, I have yet to assemble the rest of the gratin. *shrugs* I did already make a second batch of the almond butter banana granola bars though - and replacing the 1/4 c. of raisins with 1/3 c. unsweetened coconut plus baking it in an 11x7 pan (the bar mixture only spread over 3/4 of the pan) was the perfect adjustment to the sweetness level and bar thickness!

In the meantime I got distracted by Item #6's recipe from Joy the Baker. My first impression upon taking a bite of these cakes (as a vegetarian) was OMG this is the most wonderful texture ever!  Topped with ketchup, it's like the best non-seafood cake in existence (but still full of protein!). Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, with the green olives' brined flavor providing a nice undertone to the saltiness.

My only disappointment was the lack of lemon and parsley flavor. I expected the brightness of the parsley and citrus tartness/acid to really stand out and it just didn't live up to it. When I make these again (is tomorrow too soon??), I will increase the parsley to 1/2 c. and add 1-2 Tbs lemon juice in addition to the zest. Also, I did sauté the onion and garlic briefly before stirring into the batter as I've had previous traumatic experiences of bites of raw onion in fried patties  --  but in retrospect I'm wondering if that may have contributed to the lack of punchy flavor? So next time, I'll try adding those ingredients in raw. The quiona batter was actually quite moist and I ended up adding an extra 4 Tbs of spelt flour + a couple Tbs of panko rather than having to add in any liquid to get the batter to stick together.

Lemon, Olive, and Parsley Quinoa Cakes
1 cup raw quinoa
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, beaten
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup coarsely chopped green olives
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (or heaping 1/4 tsp of powdered ground black pepper)

1. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa, water, and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for ~20-24 minutes until quinoa is cooked.  Remove from heat and transfer to a metal bowl to let cool (can put in fridge to speed this along).
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients from the onion through black pepper and add the cooled quinoa in.  Stir thoroughly.

3. Whisk the eggs together and then stir into the large bowl of ingredients. The mixture should be fairly moist, but if needed you can add a bit of water or flour/more panko. If you're not sure of the consistency, you can do a "test cake" and see if ti holds up!
4. Shape quinoa mixture into patties (dipping your fingers in cool water will help). We got 14 patties that were about 3 inches in diameter.
5. In a frying pan, heat 2-4 Tbs olive oil (I probably used closer to 4-5Tbs olive oil in a cast iron skillet). On medium heat, fry the quinoa patties until nicely browned on each side. Set on paper towel to cool.

Quick and Easy

Gnocchi with broccoli and scape pesto

When you need a meal that's fast and easy and delicious, it's helpful to have a package of potato gnocchi lying around. If you have a package of potato gnocchi around, and your boss has a small garden and brings you a romanesco broccoli head, it may occur to you to saute the broccoli (and leaves!) to go with the gnocchi. If you saute the broccoli and leaves to go with the gnocchi, you may want to use the leftover olive oil from frying sage leaves for frying the broccoli. And if you fry up broccoli in a bit of sage-flavored olive oil, you may want to add some homemade scape pesto that's been sitting in your freezer. And if you add some homemade scape pesto, you may want to go ahead and use the last little broccoli and cauliflower florets harvested from your garden. And if you do all these things, you may well sigh contentedly after your quick and easy meal at the incredible deliciousness that 4 ingredients can make.



Romanesco Broccoli
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesco_broccoli