As a companion to the winter thread, I thought it might be fun to share what babblers are eating when the weather gets cold. Last night the CF household made potatoes and collards with ginger and fennel seeds. It was quite tasty. I recently picked up a 2kg bag of chickpeas from an online farmer's market (nowbc.ca) and I think we'll make a curried vegetable stew tonight, although I haven't decided on a recipe.
What's in your kitchen?
I'm eyeing my dried beans these days, and looking at the scrappier cuts of meat that stew well with them.
I've also been making soups like crazy lately. Not the long-simmered, Laurel's Kitchen type, but more like an Asian soup: a good clear broth, some bitter greens, some tofu, some scallions, and maybe some shrimp. Or an autumn miso soup with red miso and mushrooms, or even a tom yum with rice stick or bean thread noodles and a splash of coconut milk to cloud it.
Big pots of vegetarian chili. Big pots of potato and leek soup. Big pots of whatever is leftover in the fridge by Friday made into the weekend soup.
And sourdough bread from the Farmers Market - putting a few of those in the freezer, as the market is due to close next week. I will MISS the sourdough.
Stews, roasts, soups...anything warm and soothing! As well as rich, rich comfort food afterwards. Time to gain a few pounds to keep warm ;)
I always know it's fall and winter is coming on when I start craving oatmeal in the mornings. So oatmeal in the am usually with maple syrup. Something with eggs for lunch. Lots of thick soups. I have lots of squash right now and made this curry soup the other day which was really good.. I have a pot of potato and leek on the stove right now. I use the slow cooker a lot more in the winter, usually some sort of stew and pretty much anything with beans.
Oh and bread. My bread maker is on all the time now.
I've also started to have a small pot of warmed spice apple cider on the more often now. I made some last Christmas and decided that it was too nice to have just on the holidays. In the morning I just put some on the stove and dig in during the day. We're putting a wood stove in this month and I think I might try using it for this. Makes the house smell great and cozy too.
I managed to get a lot of leeks when they came in to the farmer's market in the fall, and made batches of leek and potato soup and froze them -- now is the time they get thawed out and brought to the table. Crumble some crispy bacon into the bowl and it is extra delicious.
Eliza...could you send me your squash soup recipe? I have 5 buttercup squash left that I have to get rid of!
Eliza...could you send me your squash soup recipe? I have 5 buttercup squash left that I have to get rid of!
I don't really have a recipe but I can give you the general how to.
I saute some onion until it's nice and golden.
Roast the squash in the oven until it's fairly soft but not super mushy. Usually about 20-30 mins at 350. (though this depends on how thick it is).
Then I cut it up and throw it into the stock (veggie or chicken). I usually use a couple of litres at a time. Throw in the onions and let it simmer at least until the squash is totally cooked through. Then I season it with a bit of salt, pepper and add some tumuric, curry powder and cinnimon. It's probably a couple of tsp each though I usually just add until I like the taste.
Then I blend it with a hand blender so it's all smooth. If I have it on hand I'll add a bit of sour cream or plain yogurt to make it extra creamy.
I made a butternut squash soup with black-eyed peas, mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms on the weekend.
Today: Chicken and dumplings in the crock pot. Should be about ready when I get home - just have to mix up and steam the dumplings.
No warmth in winter for the 'mahmuds' without our weekly dose of -couscous -chili -curry rice and chikpeas -(thick) mixed lentils soup. The spicier, the better.
Mme. Qa'bong made squash soup yesterday. I'm not crazy about those smooth soups; they're rather bland, and I like to chew my food.
I got into the kitchen first today and made channa dal, North-South Curried Eggplant and basmati rice. I had lime pickles, hot coriander chutney and yogie on the side.
I used a recipe from the Saskatoon Indian Vegetarian cookbook for the channa dal. This one online is purdy close.
I made a chickpea, courgette, rutabaga, carrot and potato couscous a couple of days ago. I even used a couscousiere.
No warmth in winter for the 'mahmuds' without our weekly dose of -couscous -chili -curry rice and chikpeas -(thick) mixed lentils soup. The spicier, the better.
I also make a lentil soup as one of my winter recipes: brown lentils simmered for hours with cilantro, parsley, cumin, coriander, turmeric, green chilies, cayenne, cloves, lots of garlic cloves, fresh ginger, black pepper. You know it's ready when the windows on the ground floor are all steamed up. As well as being supremely tasty, it's wonderful if you have a bad cold/sore throat.
I also make a chickpea curry. But I've never tried mixing lentils and chickpeas in one dish.
Certainly need couscous, but I make that all year long. There are springtime tagines and couscous dishes with new vegetables - a particularly lovely one uses fresh broad beans (also known as gourganes or favas).
Made some great stock from chicken wing tips (packaged and sold cheap by Milano grocery). Very rich tasting, full of gelatin.
But I most certainly don't want to put on any weight!
Has anyone tried the big breakfast at Mario's on Market St.? [url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/3943812.Bolton_s_amazing_10_egg__big... eggs, 10 sausages, 10 rashers of bacon, 10 slices of toast, five black pudding slices, tomatoes, mushrooms and baked beans[/url] and hold the spam?
Yikes, Fidel. That breakfast would make a Scotsman blush.
I don't eat nearly enough couscous, but come winter when I start making hearty Moroccan dishes, it's a must. I need to start buying bigger bags of it, I think. Last night (and leftovers for lunch) I made a tomatoey chickpea and raisin dish with garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cayenne and cinnamon. I had some beets, potatoes and carrots lying around so I threw them in too. Not traditional, but very hearty. And the beets added some nice colour and sweetness.
I've got a bunch of frozen chicken bits in the fridge, lagatta. I think I need to make some stock this weekend. I've been using salmon stock lately, because that's what I had, but it doesn't quite have the same kick for this November chill.
Oh--and I made a delcious Oatmeal Stout a month ago or so that is ready to drink and has been warming my bones. Well, when whisky hasn't been doing the same job anyway.
No warmth in winter for the 'mahmuds' without our weekly dose of -couscous -chili -curry rice and chikpeas -(thick) mixed lentils soup. The spicier, the better.
I also make a lentil soup as one of my winter recipes: brown lentils simmered for hours with cilantro, parsley, cumin, coriander, turmeric, green chilies, cayenne, cloves, lots of garlic cloves, fresh ginger, black pepper. You know it's ready when the windows on the ground floor are all steamed up. As well as being supremely tasty, it's wonderful if you have a bad cold/sore throat.
I also make a chickpea curry. But I've never tried mixing lentils and chickpeas in one dish.
It is very unusual to mix lentils and chikpeas, if people actually do it, Sineed. They are not mixableas far as I know. But perhaps you misread my admittedly unclear sentence: Should read: -curry rice and chikpeas -thick mixed lentils soup.
Wowwow folks! To be honest, I expected questions of the genre "what is couscous?" But it seems that there are old hands on couscous matters :) I will write my mom and I am sure she will be delighted to hear it!
I was proud of my kid today - when presented with the "mystery seed" at the grains display at Agribition, she immediately knew they were chick peas, aka garbanzo beans. Most of her classmates hadn't a clue. 
I was proud of my kid today - when presented with the "mystery seed" at the grains display at Agribition, she immediately knew they were chick peas, aka garbanzo beans. Most of her classmates hadn't a clue.
I've started working with a garden project at a local school. One of things is helping with an after school garden club for kids that can't get enough of it in class. We usually have some sort of snack and I bring things that they may not have tried and can be made from things that are grown in garden. For instance they grew leeks this year but only one kid had ever tasted leeks (or realized they had) so I made some potato and leek soup which was a real hit. The other day I brought some hummus and baba ganoush. One kid had baba ganoush before and one kid had had hummus. None of them knew what they were made from though and only one kid knew what a chickpea was. The cool thing is that now they know and decided that next year they want to try growing chickpeas and eggplants and then they can learn to make it themselves.
Oh man I LOVE hummus. I have about ten different recipes for hummus and pretty much always have one or two going in the fridge. Hummus, chopped spinach and roasted peppers grilled on sourdough rye...my latest gotta have.
Mme. Qa'bong made squash soup yesterday. I'm not crazy about those smooth soups; they're rather bland, and I like to chew my food.
I used to put basil in squash soup, to liven it up. Plus tiny, deep-fried basil dumplings, tossed on top at serving time.
These days, i can't make a big pot of anything, for just two old people with different health issues. A a pan of roasted veg will last several days and reheats well. Chopped carrots and sweet potato, whole small onions, garlic cloves, whole mushrooms, Brussels sprouts (i love these guys roasted), chunks of yellow and red pepper, maybe zucchini and sometimes squash.
I see the vegetarians still love their food.
I am lucky this year. I am sooo not a soup person, I have never liked anything except tomato when I am sick but my partner makes the best soups so I am enjoying a cold, snowy winter with wonderful soups to warm me up. My favourite he makes is corn soup but my second is his everything soup. It always has different ingredients but is always oh so yummy.
Corn soup! I haven't made it in ages. With very thinly sliced sweet onion and red pepper, a little cilantro, a sprinkle of cayenne. Yes.
Oh man I LOVE hummus.
We call our 16-year old "The hummous monster" because he loves it so much. I make the regular chickpea-tahini-olive oil-garlic-lemon juice hommous, without any stylish ingredients.
I've been eating couscous leftovers for lunch all week, so am ready for something different. If we can find unrotten Esrom cheese at Stupidstore (it's amazing how often they put spoiled Esom on their shelves), we'll have raclette tonight. I find Esrom has more taste and better melting properties than Raclette cheese. I've tried Oka for raclette; it was OK, but nothing special.
There's split-pea soup in our future this week as well. I picked up a half-price Limberger at Stupidstore last week, so it should have lots of taste by the time I have it with crusty bread and pea soup.
I think I'll make lasagne tonight. I have some almond milk in the fridge and can make béchamel, but there will also be goat's milk ricotta and pecorino romano cheeses. Oh, and I have a leek - that would be different, and good, in lasagne!
It isn't cold today, though - it is utterly beautiful. 6 degrees and sunny.
I went out to the Vancouver Alpen Club, a sehr authentisch German restaurant. I had pork schnitzel with mushroom gravy, pan-fried potatoes, saurkraut and pilsner. I may have shared a sausage sampler appetizer too. It brought me much happiness.
For supper tonight I made this curry served over this rice.
Oh boy was it yummy. Great recipes!
I went out to the Vancouver Alpen Club, a sehr authentisch German restaurant. I had pork schnitzel with mushroom gravy, pan-fried potatoes, saurkraut and pilsner. I may have shared a sausage sampler appetizer too. It brought me much happiness.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man essen.
Catchfire, you haven't lived until you've tried my family recipe for roladen. ;) Potato dumplings and red cabbage on the side...
Oy! Roladen followed by Rolaids.
ETA: Recipe please, Michelle?
Please Michelle???
I'm sure I've posted it on babble before, but it's probably in the archives. :) Anyhow, I don't have the exact amounts of anything, hope that's okay. It's pretty simple.
Ingredients:
Beef in roladen cuts, which means long slices, very thinly cut - just ask your butcher. Get maybe 8-16 of them, they freeze well.
Bacon strips (sorry! use turkey bacon if you can't do pork), cut in half cross-wise (to make them half-length)
Dijon mustard
Paprika
2 large onions
A few regular dill pickles (not too big), cut lengthwise in quarters (or if they're long, cut them in half, then in quarters). Basically, pickle slivers.
Olive oil
A large package of white button mushrooms, sliced as you like (big or small, doesn't matter)
Salt and pepper
Preparing the Roladen:
Lay the piece of beef out flat. Spread a thin layer of mustard on it, not quite to the edges. Sprinkle some salt, pepper, and paprika. Be very liberal with the paprika - that's what gives it the flavour.
Lay a half-slice of bacon length-wise in the centre of the roladen (so that it doesn't reach any of the edges - the idea is that it is inside the roladen roll).
Cut a few small wedges of onion from one of the pieces of onion, about the same size as the pickle slivers. Put one sliver of pickle and one sliver of onion at the end of the prepared roladen and roll it up around them so they are hidden in the centre.
Secure the rolled-up roladen with wooden toothpicks so it doesn't fall apart during cooking. (And don't do what my mom did one time, getting mint toothpicks by accident. That did not turn out so well, as you might imagine!)
Prepare the others that way as well.
Cooking the Roladen:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Chop the rest of the onions roughly - if you like them fine, chop them fine, if you like big chunks, chop them big. Doesn't matter. I tend to like them fine. Put them aside. The mushrooms should already be chopped and set aside too.
The best plan is to use a big roasting pan or oven container that you can use on the stovetop and then put into the oven. If you don't have one, that's fine, just do the stovetop stuff in a large pan, and you can get the drippings later into whatever you use for the roasting pan for the oven.
My mom says that the best idea is to ensure that the number of roladen you make can fit into a nice snug layer (or two) in the roasting pan. She usually can fit 8 per layer in hers - so she either does 8 or 16. It will vary depending on the size of your pan and the size of your roladen beef slices.
Warm the pan on medium high heat, and fry up the rolled up roladen in the olive oil until they're browned nicely all around. I don't know how much oil - I don't skimp because it adds to the flavour.
Keep the paprika, salt, and pepper handy while frying, and use them regularly, the paprika especially - I usually apply paprika regularly while frying up.
As they get done, take them out of the pan and put the next bunch in to fry until they're all browned and removed from the pan.
In the same pan, with the roladen removed, and with all those yummy drippings and leftover paprika and stuff, throw in the chopped mushrooms and onions and fry them up until the onions are soft and golden.
At this point, if you're not using the same pan for the oven, transfer the onions and mushrooms to the oven pan, getting as much of the scrapings from the pan as you can. If you're using the same pan, leave the onions and mushrooms on the bottom, sprinkle a bit more paprika on them, then layer the fried roladen on them so that they fit nice and snug together, either in one layer or two.
Sprinkle some more paprika on the layer of roladen (or each layer if you do more than one layer).
Fill the roasting pan up with water so that it just barely covers the layer of roladen. If you're not using the same pan for stovetop and oven, this is a good opportunity to get the rest of the drippings - put some water in the frying pan and scrape the drippings off, then use that as part of your filling-up water.
Put a lid on the roasting pan, and bake in the oven for two or three hours, until the roladen is very tender when you check. It's a good idea to check after a couple of hours.
Once it's done, you'll have a ton of gravy fixings - you can make it as thin or thick as you like by the usual method - add a bit of cornstarch mixed with water to the drippings, and stir over heat until it thickens.
Serve with cooked red cabbage, and dumplings. Or you could serve it with flat noodles or potatoes, and maybe a salad or something.
I made an amazing chili tonight. I'll post the recipe later cause we're too busy enjoying the deliciousness at the moment...
Thanks, Michelle!
You're welcome, Unionist. And I look forward to the chili recipe, Mr. Tea!
Well, you were too late, Mr. Tea. ;)
I went and made chili already today, along with a homemade guacamole. I still haven't discovered that perfect blend of spices and ingredients yet when it comes to chili. Mine was fine, but I've had better. My guacamole was pretty good, though. I'm trying to cut back on salt, so maybe that's what I was missing, in both the chili and guac. I'm having a tough time since I do like to cook with salt. I don't cook with a ton of it, but I miss it when I leave it out completely.
Anyhow...I'd still be interested in your chili recipe if you want to post it, Mr. Tea!
Interesting, I just made a giant thing of guacamole today to watch the football games. Tried a new recipe (made it up as I went along) and it was great. Added lots of garlic and lime juice, which gave it some great zip. And of course, there was chili leftover from yesterday.
Here is that recipe:
Ingredients
2lbs lean ground beef
4 cans dark kidney beans
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 bottle dark beer (I used Duggan's IPA)
2 hot peppers, sliced
1 c. red wine
lemon juice
1 pinch fresh dill
1 tsp. coriander
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
1 tsp. cayenne
3 ½ tbs. chili powder
2 white onions, chopped
2 tbs. olive oil
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 tbs cumin
4 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions, garlic, lean meat in oil for 10 minutes, or until the meat is well browned and the onions are tender. Mix in the diced tomatoes with juice, dark beer, wine, tomato paste and beef broth. Season with chili powder, cumin, dill, cayenne pepper, coriander and salt. Stir in carrots, 2 cans of the beans and hot chile peppers. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in the 2 remaining cans of beans, and simmer for another 30 minutes
I'm loving this thread. Making me hungry.
Those of you not of the Jewish faith may be unfamiliar with "cholent" but it is the ultimate cold weather food.
You cook it overnight and eat it the next day. All the flavours blend together and create a delicious, hearty stew that is great to dig into after coming in from the cold.
Ideally, you use an electric "crock pot" (if you don't have on, it's worth getting one. I find it indispensible in the winter months.) Mine is 6 quarts.
Anyway, here's a good basic cholent recipe:1/4 cup kidney
1/4 cup great northern
1/4 cup chick peas
1/4 cup navy/lima/cranberry/black ( basically your choice)
1/2 cup barley
1 onion sliced and if you want sauteed
3 potatos peeled and chopped.
vegetables as you see fit ( 1 pepper, 6 mushrooms)
For meat, you can use beef stew meat or any tough cut that breaks down the longer you cook it, but what has made mine a success with my kids was to add about 4 hot dogs cut up.
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
Spices:
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin
1/2 bottle beer. a lager or darker beer is better - Sam Adams light works well, but whatever you got should work
Directions:
Soak beans overnight in large bowl. If you are short on time, you can boil them.
Add all ingredients into crock pot. Add about 2 -3 large squirts of ketchup too, some bbq sauce if you have doesnt hurt.
Place all ingredients into the crock pot. Add 1/2 - 3/4 bottle of the beer, and enjoy the rest. Fill the rest with water. Cover and cook on Low. I usually make this friday afternoon, and saturday lunch it is ready to eat. There is some experimenting you will need to do with moving the lid on or off or just a crack, depending on how much water has been absorbed.
Oooh, great recipes, Mr. Tea! Thanks very much.
Seems like a lot of liquid that goes into the chili, huh? Does it thicken nicely? Also, holy huge recipe! I only made one pound of beef and two cans of beans (1 kidney, 1 black), and we have a ton leftover - I froze them in individual servings for lunches.
I just used ingredients I had around the house for my chili, and it turned out okay, but yours sounds like it would be amazing. I didn't have a can of tomatoes, so I used a couple of cans of tomato sauce instead, which was interesting, because I didn't want it to taste like spaghetti sauce. So I put lots of chili powder and cumin into it. The cumin really does wonders, doesn't it? :) I didn't think of coriander - I'll use that next time too. I did garnish with fresh cilantro though!
And I don't know why I didn't think of wine. Lots of that in the house! We have a habit of drinking our white wines before our reds for some reason, so we have lots of lovely reds in our wine cupboard that we've picked up here and there at wineries. (We visit family in Prince Edward County, so we love doing the wineries there.) Would have been perfect if I'd poured a bit into the sauce while cooking, and left the rest of the bottle to decant for the meal...well, there's always next time!
Ms. C and I are both trying to lose weight. I have dropped 2 lbs since the start of the year. That means we are eating more salads and smaller portions of meat and vegetables. If I can continue following this eating pattern and continue adding some exercise to my weekly routine, I am hoping to have lost 15lbs by the end of April.
Actually, Michelle, I find that the dill is what really gives it a unique taste. And the red wine and beer add great flavour and, along with the lemon juice, some good acidity which really breaks down the meat.
I also make a version where I add cinnamon and shaved dark chocolate.
And, yes, it's a lot of liquid but it's also a lot of meat and veggies, and I cook it long enough so it thickens up nicely. I like a good thick chili, not something resembling a chili-flavoured soup.
And, yes, it makes a HUGE amount. I like to treat Sunday as a day to cook up tons of food and then have lots of leftovers to bring to work during teh week.
I'm resurrecting this thread as it was started about this time of year, a few years back.
I've been looking at nut roasts. Yes, they are much maligned as vegetarian stodge, in British cooking, but I've actually had some very good ones.
The flavours in this one are intriguing; chestnuts of course are softer and not as rich or hard to digest as actual nuts, and I really like the addition of the Stilton (yum); you could substitute another blue that isn't too strong, such as Gorgonzola. But I wonder whether I wouldn't add some lentils or some other less rich ingredient as well. Grated carrot, and a bit of finely-chopped stem parsley or grated celeriac (celery root) could also be useful additions. The point is to make a proteiney veg dish that the omnivores will dig into as well. Ideas?
Christmas Nut Loaf
This is a terrific recipe for the much-maligned nut loaf - I have cooked it many times at Christmas for both vegetarians and nut-lovers to great acclaim. Even meat-eaters love it!
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
225g (8oz) chestnuts
50g (2oz) brazil nuts
110g (4oz) fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
150ml (1/4 pint) vegetable stock
110g (4oz) blue Stilton
Instructions
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion until soft but not brown. Chop the nuts. I use a food prcoessor for this to get the mixture of very finely chopped and some chunky nuts. Stir in the breadcrumbs, parsley and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Mix in the cooked onion and the stock.
Grease and line 1/2kg (1lb) loaf tin. Spoon half the nut mixture into the base of the tin and smooth off. Crumble over the Stilton and top with the remaining nut mixture. Smooth the top and cover loosely with foil.
Put the shelf on the bottom set of runners of the roasting oven and put in the nut loaf. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate.
Serve warm.
Serving
Serves 4
Recipe by:
Louise Walker in 'Traditional AGA Christmas'
www.louise-walker.co.uk
Sounds intriguing, lagatta! I now have 2 vegetarians to cook for and they are also the two pickier eaters in the house. That nut loaf sounds tasty, though I sometimes cock up British recipes as I lack a kitchen scale.
Chickpea curries are a go-to quick recipe for weeknights, using canned chickpeas. With rice and peas, a can of chickpeas can feed a family of four.
We have been getting into more of the Polish cooking these days. As the weather turns colder, I'm finding the eastern European recipes more warming and filling, and more salads than you'd expect. For instance, if you go to Polonez, the best Polish restaurant on Roncesvalles, they serve 3 salads with their entrees, usually a beet salad, a cole slaw and perhaps a green salad or something with peppers, onions and cukes.
Tonight we're having pierogies with salad.
Anybody here know a good vegetarian borscht recipe?
Forwarded to Daughter #1 (the one who moved home with 20 different vinegars). Both of them are vegetarians, and #2 is a diabetic to top it off. Looks like pretty carb free except for the bread crumbs (and Stilton?). Thanks
Hm, my posts were deleted from this thread, as usual. Oh well, I'm sure I wasn't contributing much, just thanking others for the wonderful recipes!
No carb in stilton, though obviously it is a full-fat cheese. A recipe like this one uses it in moderation. You do need some kind of "filler"; usually that would be a carb. Some are far more harmful than others for people with carb issues.
Sineed, Anna Thomas who wrote the Vegetarian Epicure books, is of Polish descent (I think both her parents are Polish, and she was a postwar DP). She has lots of good winter salads; indeed, Central and Eastern European cookery have a lot of winter vegetable salads we should be eating too.
Today at the Jean-Talon Market, they were selling beautiful flat cabbages for only $1 apiece. But they were huge, and I don't know what I'd do with one. I'll ask a neighbour - the cost is of course ridiculously low, but I just can't stand to waste food. Flat cabbages are very tender - I think they are basically the same as those called "Korean cabbages" (and other names) in East and Southeast Asian shops. I think I'll return tomorrow and buy one if the vendor returns - I can make salad with the top part (with no ribs) and use the chunkier lower part in soups and stir-fries. But even doing that, I could never use more than half of one - I simply don't eat the portions I did when younger.
I'd been looking for a vegetarian haggis recipe to send to a Scottish vegetarian friend (I mean he is a real Scot, not someone of distant Scottish heritage). Many were too bland, but this one looks promising with some tweaks. The spicing has to be more specific, and I'd grate, not chop, the carrot. You could also add some grated celeriac.
Here's a tasty vegetarian version of The Robbie Burns Night sausage, passed on to me by some friends from Cape Breton.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
5 fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup vegetable broth (or why not some good craft BEER, says lagatta)
1/3 cup dry red lentils
2 tablespoons canned kidney beans -drained, rinsed, and mashed
3 tablespoons ground peanuts
2 tablespoons ground hazelnuts
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 egg, beaten
1 1/3 cups steel cut oats
Directions:
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in carrot and mushrooms, and continue cooking 5 minutes. Stir in broth, lentils, kidney beans, peanuts, hazelnuts, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Season with thyme, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and mixed spice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in oats, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch baking pan.
3. Stir the egg into the saucepan. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Bake 30 minutes, until firm.
I'm trying out a recipe that's a riff on colcannon. Some elementary school kids were selling boxes of produce (instead of candy bars! Smart!), and the one I bought had a cabbage in it that I needed to use up. I don't care for cabbage rolls, so was at a bit of a loss. Hope it turns out!
Ginger-garlic sauce.
No idea what this stuff is called, but i first tasted it at the Penny restaurant on Hastings, where they served it with cold steamed chicken chopped through the bone on a bed of hot white rice.
finely-diced ginger and finely-diced garlic, even amounts. Fine-sliced green onions. put all that and coarse salt to taste in oil. The original recipe is certainly peanut; I have used macadamia, or even a heavier oil like olive will do. Just enough oil to cover the top of the chopped stuff. Sometimes I add roasted sesame oil. It should keep for awhile in the fridge. Too long and you'd run the risk of botulism.
I did see one recipe that calls for cooking it, but what would be the point in that?
I could probaby eat half a cup of it with a meal. And if that doesn't keep the bugs away, throw on some chili oil.
And what to do with cabbage? For starters, eat it raw in Goi Ga:
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/14676/goi+ga+chicken+and+cabbage+salad
I use fish sauce, lemon juice, sweet chili sauce and sesame oil for my sauce, and throw in some crispy chow mein noodles. Cole slaw is good, but this is better.
Here is a recipe for a quinoa-based tourtière: http://lacuisinedemessidor.blogspot.ca/2013/04/tourtiere-au-quinoa.html
I usually make a duck tourtière and a vegetarian tourtière for "le temps des Fêtes"; this one sound promising, though I'd perk it up a bit with some nuts and chestnuts, and some herbs. Might cook the quinoa in some good craft beer as well, to add more flavour (if I make a vegetarian onion soup, it is with a bottle of St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, one of my favourite beers for cooking (it is much less bitter than Guinness). That would also add colour; I doubt I'd buy red quinoa as I have quite a stash of plain cream-coloured quinoa.
It is in French, but Google Translate usually works fine for recipes, except for the occasional avocado that comes out as lawyer: "Mash up two ripe lawyers" ...
It is in French, but Google Translate usually works fine for recipes, except for the occasional avocado that comes out as lawyer: "Mash up two ripe lawyers" ...
Ha! Multitasking.
