I'm considering modifying the blog a little. It's recently turned into more of a list of recipes but I'm not really blogging much about my day to day stuff/interests that are affected/enhanced by food. I'm planning on writing more about the smaller experiences and discoveries I have daily, even if they are a little boring, in an attempt to take my blog back to it's original roots. So I'll start today!
This week is Bike to Work Week in Metro Vancouver. This event happens twice a year in May and November. Usually May is a decent month weather-wise but we are experiencing possibly the coldest wettest Spring in 50 years. Luckily the weather has miraculously taken a turn for the better (meaning we are still having rain most days but there is some sunshine in there) and it's perfect timing for the annual event. My route to work is about 12km and takes 35 mins each way. With all the extra exercise, I've become ravenous in the evenings. Maple Maniacs theory is that the early morning exercise boosts the metabolism. I agree, I'm not increasing my total exercise time, I'm just doing it differently but I'm way hungrier.
On my commute, there are bike lanes most of the way but some dodgy intersections (and drivers) to navigate but each day I am tweaking the route to maximise safety and efficiency as well as trying to stay off the busy polluted routes. As part of the weeks celebrations, there are commuter stations set up on certain days on key routes. Today one of those station was directly on my route. I stopped by and picked up some Larabars, an apple and a free sample of a Clif Builder Bar. It was a miniature one and it's wheat, dairy and egg free and contains a tonne of protein. I was planning saving it for a hike one day in the summer but once I had gotten to work and changed clothes and shoes, I couldn't stop thinking about it and managed to hold out until 10am before I demolished it. It was chocolate-mint flavour and as much as I try to stay away from commercial snacks, this was good and I would buy it in future. I got home from work at 5pm and again was starving but was planning on going to boxing class at 6:30 so a big meal was out of the question. I settled for spinach salad and some canned sardines (I know, you probably are thinking yuk, but I like 'em and the mustard sauce they are in doubles as salad dressing). As I speak, I'm leaving for boxing in 5 mins and ...I'm still hungry! I'm gonna have to figure this out as my appetite seems to be outweighing my energy expenditure but something about the biking is throwing off my eating balance. When i get home I plan to make brownies for a colleagues leaving lunch tomorrow....hmm too risky?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Treat time
I found this recipe in vegan cookbook (How it all Vegan) for Chewy Nutty Cereal Chip squares. They are no bake and very easy. I have modified the recipe slightly to make it a little healthier and increase the protein content. I usually find snacks and treat food are high on the carbs but low on the protein, which is something I have to ensure I get enough of.
Because I’ve changed the recipe to my liking, I’m renaming the bars "Cocoa-nut crispy squares":
2 cups Kashi Go Lean cereal (The original recipe calls for rice krispies but Kashi has a lot more protein in it)
½ cup nut butter ( I have used both almond and cashew butter and both work well)
5 tbsp maple syrup (or any combination or honey, agave nectar or maple syrup. I have not tried it with molasses yet)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut (you could use sweetened but I’m trying to make this treat as healthy as possible)
Couple small pinches sea salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder (the original recipe calls for vegan chocolate chips. These are hard to find. You could use cacao nibs or carob chips though or regualr chocolate chips but they won't be dairy free. I tried it with cocoa powder to keep it healthier and ensure it is dairy free)
1 tbsp soy milk (I put this in but not sure exactly how important it is!)
Over low heat, melt the syrup, nut butter, sea salt and soy milk until blended. Do not boil.
In another bowl, combine cereal and coconut.
Add vanilla and cocoa powder to nut butter sauce. Add sauce to dry ingredients and mix to combine. If you are using choc chips in stead of cocoa powder, add at the very end and don’t mix too much or they will melt. Not a bad thing, it makes a chocolatey sauce but if you like your chips to stand out, mix cautiously.
Press in to a lightly oiled baking dish or tray and place in fridge to set/cool.
Makes 16 small squares approx 1.5 inch x 1.5 inch.
I estimate these to be about 100 cals per square.
I’d like to experiment and improve the nutritional content (tasty treats that are good for you? Oui, C’est possible!) with adding hemp seeds, chia seeds and also using the base recipe minus the cocoa and then making a chocolate topping to spread on top. I’m thinking dark chili chocolate topping or seasalt chocolate. I also want to see how relevant the 1 tbsp of soy milk is and try to determine how to keep the cereal crispy after the wet ingredients have been added. Ideas?
Because I’ve changed the recipe to my liking, I’m renaming the bars "Cocoa-nut crispy squares":
2 cups Kashi Go Lean cereal (The original recipe calls for rice krispies but Kashi has a lot more protein in it)
½ cup nut butter ( I have used both almond and cashew butter and both work well)
5 tbsp maple syrup (or any combination or honey, agave nectar or maple syrup. I have not tried it with molasses yet)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut (you could use sweetened but I’m trying to make this treat as healthy as possible)
Couple small pinches sea salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder (the original recipe calls for vegan chocolate chips. These are hard to find. You could use cacao nibs or carob chips though or regualr chocolate chips but they won't be dairy free. I tried it with cocoa powder to keep it healthier and ensure it is dairy free)
1 tbsp soy milk (I put this in but not sure exactly how important it is!)
Over low heat, melt the syrup, nut butter, sea salt and soy milk until blended. Do not boil.
In another bowl, combine cereal and coconut.
Add vanilla and cocoa powder to nut butter sauce. Add sauce to dry ingredients and mix to combine. If you are using choc chips in stead of cocoa powder, add at the very end and don’t mix too much or they will melt. Not a bad thing, it makes a chocolatey sauce but if you like your chips to stand out, mix cautiously.
Press in to a lightly oiled baking dish or tray and place in fridge to set/cool.
Makes 16 small squares approx 1.5 inch x 1.5 inch.
I estimate these to be about 100 cals per square.
I’d like to experiment and improve the nutritional content (tasty treats that are good for you? Oui, C’est possible!) with adding hemp seeds, chia seeds and also using the base recipe minus the cocoa and then making a chocolate topping to spread on top. I’m thinking dark chili chocolate topping or seasalt chocolate. I also want to see how relevant the 1 tbsp of soy milk is and try to determine how to keep the cereal crispy after the wet ingredients have been added. Ideas?
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The one where I made bacon cookies
Yes, bacon cookies. Cookies of the sweet variety. I saw the recipe in a book PB gave me for Christmas, Foodista, which is a collection of recipes from blogs all over the world. So I had to make them, just once. Just so I could say I had made, and tasted, bacon cookies. Who puts bacon in cookies? a genius! the sweet and salty contrast is a party in your mouth and of course from a nutritional standpoint, increasing the protein content of a cookie has to be a good thing. Does it matter that the saturated fat and sodium content go up too? Do I care? Not really, no one makes bacon cookies for nutritional reasons. It's all about being a foodie and I do call myself one so I kinda had to.
I'll get straight to it. Here is the recipe that many of you who sampled the goods have been asking for. It's from bellyuptotheblog
Oatmaiale Cookies
Candied bacon
6 strips bacon
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Cookie Dough
2 1/2 cups whole grain rolled oats (not instant)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried cherries
3/4 cup chocolate chips
sea salt or finishing salt, preferably Maldon (optional)
1) first make the candied bacon. Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle of oven. Par cook the bacon in a pan to render the fat. remove from pan and pat with paper towel to remove excess grease. Mix maple syrup with brown sugar and rub to coat the bacon when it's cooled enough to touch.
2) Place bacon on parchment paper and bake for 14 mins, flipping the bacon halfway through cooking time. When done, lift parchment paper and let bacon cool. When cooled and the sugars have solidified, pulse coarsely in food processor or chop with knife to obtain pieces the size of chocolate chips.
3) to make the dough, you can toast the oats in a large dry skillet unlit light brown. Or use untoasted.
4) Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, whip the butter and sugars until fluffy ( i do not have a stand mixer so I just used a electric hand whisk and it worked fine). Add the egg and vanilla and mix for 30 seconds until blended.
5) Whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the beaten butter on a low speed until fully incorporated.
6) gradually add the oats( I mixed manually using a spatula for the this step), followed by the candied bacon bits, dried cherries, and chocolate chips just until the ingredients are incorporated throughout the dough.
7) For each cookie, scoop out 2 tbsp dough and roll in to a ball and then press into a patty cake about 1/4 inch thick. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment. They will spread a bit so space out accordingly. Sprinkle tops with finishing salt.
8)put cookies in oven and check at 12 mins. They could take up to 15 mins. Cool on wire rack.
I made the cookies as directed but I did not use a food processor to chop the bacon and I did not use a stand mixer to make my cookie dough. I also did not have any cherries so I omitted them from the recipe.
I took the cookies to bookclub that evening and people were tentative to taste them but were brave and took on the challenge. They all agreed they would not have know there was bacon in there had I not told them. Although the cookies contained egg, I did sample one as it was only 1 egg for about 20 cookies so the amount per cookie was below my tolerance threshold. i took the remainder to work and the cookie monsters I work with loved them. It lead to a discussion about vegetarianism and how bacon is considered the gateway meat. That means it's the one meat the vegetarians generally have a hard time resisting and if they do cave, it's usually to bacon. Someone told me that there is a chemical in bacon that makes this possible. I have researched this on the web and not found evidence to support this but there is a lot of discussion out there...check it out.
So the moral of the story is... bacon tastes good, however you use it. I made extra candied bacon and used in a spinach salad later in the week. It was bacon-licious. My mind is now pondering the endless possibilities of bacon. It's quite overwhelming.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Restaurant Review: L'abattoir (Gastown)
On Friday night I had the pleasure of enjoying a fantastic meal with some fave peeps, PB and Ms Crow Pose's mum and dad were celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary-definitely cause for celebration. Turns out that after 33yrs, you know each other pretty well. So well, that they bought each other the exact same anniversary card!
The chosen eatery was L'abattoir in Gastown, Vancouver. The restaurant is very cool and definitely has that chic downtown feel with a mix of old brickwork complimented by the creative use of mason jars as lightbulb vessels. The 5 of us fitted snuggly around a 4 person table allowing for us to hear each other and talk without shouting but still soak up the energy and hubbub of the rest of the busy restaurant. The menu's were served on metal clipboards, another contrast to the old brick and woodwork. I liked it. The menu was small but everything looked fantastic. Most dishes did contain my main allergens of egg and dairy but I was very sure the chefs could modify most things. I opted for the confit of albacore tuna with smoked pork fat and crispy bits. Mmmm crispy bits. I don't care what they are crispy bits of, I just know they will be gooood. The others ordered theirs and as we waited we were presented with possibly the best bread basket selection I've every had. If you have read any previous posts, you will know that I am also wheat intolerant but can usually manage if I don't eat it too frequently. I was pretty sure that there would be good bread so I wisely ensured my wheat intake for the few days prior was low. I was right, the breadbasket came out with a selection of breads that quickly got devoured and PB Senior wisely ordered a 2nd basket as 1 was clearly not enough. There were 3 breads in there, a crispy flat bread with a spicy chili fennel rub on it, some cheese straws and some mini brioche (french sweet bread) buns with bacon bits on top. I'm on a bit of a bacon crusade right now. Specifically, putting it in things that are sweet or dessert-y in nature. More on that in another post. Anyway, suffice to say, I am a fan of the use of bacon in anything so these warm sweet buns sprinkled in it were divine. They did contain egg a little but they were small so I figured I could tolerate that amount and if I couldn't, then I would find out tomorrow but this is an example of when it is worth it to risk a migraine. If I know the risk and choose to take it, I only have myself to blame. I get more frustrated when I get migraine for no known reason and can't determine what it was I ate that had egg hidden in it. It doesn't happen too much but I do still get caught out after 5 years of managing this allergy.
My tuna/bacon/crispy bit appy was stellar. The crispy bits I think were croutons cooked in bacon fat. The pork belly was cut into small crouton sized pieces also and so whenever I picked one up I was unsure if it was a crispy bit or a belly bit. Both were good but the belly bits won 1st prize. The bacon and tuna combo was also exceptional. Not something that would spring to mind as complimentary textures or flavours but it worked and I want to recreate it at home. PB ordered the raw and cooked vegetable salad. He loves his salads and this one was a little more exotic in the vegetables chosen and the way they were cut. The bowl it was served in was akin to a gold panning dish and the dressing was served up the side of half of the bowl, as if the chef was indeed panning for gold in the salad dressing. Very cool presentation idea.
2 bread baskets and a round of cocktails later, we are on to the main course and into the wine. The sommelier recommended a pinot noir as we were all eating different mains from steak to lamb to fish. For my main course I ordered the lamb loin and sausage. I usually try to order foods I would not usually make at home or have not seen at other restaurants. I wasn't quite sure what I was ordering but what came out was a cylinder of meat containing the lamb loin and lamb sausage bound mixed together and then it was cut in half lengthways. The meal was delicious and the way the lamb was prepared made it less fatty and rich and the portion size was perfect. The presentation of food at L'abbatoir was amazing, every plate was a work of art. PB ordered steak diane, medium rare(the perfect preparation IMO). The deep, dark red of the centre of the steak was mesmerising and it was topped with a semi crushed peppercorn mix. The meat was so tender that steak knives were not even given but the regular table knives cut through the meat with very little effort. Everyone Mmmmm's and Ahhh'd over the food and then we tucked in and savoured every bite. On to the second bottle of wine now and the restaurant was buzzing. Or was that the effect of the wine? Anyway, dessert decision time. Dessert is usually the course that I have the most difficulty navigating with my allergies/intolerances. Most desserts contain egg, cream and usually both together combined to create delicious goodies such as chocolate mousse or my preferred dessert, creme caramel. Or should I say, my former preferred dessert. I'm over it now, and the bonus is that my waistline is thankful although I usually substitute my dessert for a glass of ice wine, something I have recently acquired a taste for. I passed on dessert but had I been able to indulge, it would have been the chocolate pudding cake that PB Senior ordered. Glorious in all it's ooey, gooey, melty, chocolatey perfection. Maybe I am not over it as much as I thought.
The chosen eatery was L'abattoir in Gastown, Vancouver. The restaurant is very cool and definitely has that chic downtown feel with a mix of old brickwork complimented by the creative use of mason jars as lightbulb vessels. The 5 of us fitted snuggly around a 4 person table allowing for us to hear each other and talk without shouting but still soak up the energy and hubbub of the rest of the busy restaurant. The menu's were served on metal clipboards, another contrast to the old brick and woodwork. I liked it. The menu was small but everything looked fantastic. Most dishes did contain my main allergens of egg and dairy but I was very sure the chefs could modify most things. I opted for the confit of albacore tuna with smoked pork fat and crispy bits. Mmmm crispy bits. I don't care what they are crispy bits of, I just know they will be gooood. The others ordered theirs and as we waited we were presented with possibly the best bread basket selection I've every had. If you have read any previous posts, you will know that I am also wheat intolerant but can usually manage if I don't eat it too frequently. I was pretty sure that there would be good bread so I wisely ensured my wheat intake for the few days prior was low. I was right, the breadbasket came out with a selection of breads that quickly got devoured and PB Senior wisely ordered a 2nd basket as 1 was clearly not enough. There were 3 breads in there, a crispy flat bread with a spicy chili fennel rub on it, some cheese straws and some mini brioche (french sweet bread) buns with bacon bits on top. I'm on a bit of a bacon crusade right now. Specifically, putting it in things that are sweet or dessert-y in nature. More on that in another post. Anyway, suffice to say, I am a fan of the use of bacon in anything so these warm sweet buns sprinkled in it were divine. They did contain egg a little but they were small so I figured I could tolerate that amount and if I couldn't, then I would find out tomorrow but this is an example of when it is worth it to risk a migraine. If I know the risk and choose to take it, I only have myself to blame. I get more frustrated when I get migraine for no known reason and can't determine what it was I ate that had egg hidden in it. It doesn't happen too much but I do still get caught out after 5 years of managing this allergy.
My tuna/bacon/crispy bit appy was stellar. The crispy bits I think were croutons cooked in bacon fat. The pork belly was cut into small crouton sized pieces also and so whenever I picked one up I was unsure if it was a crispy bit or a belly bit. Both were good but the belly bits won 1st prize. The bacon and tuna combo was also exceptional. Not something that would spring to mind as complimentary textures or flavours but it worked and I want to recreate it at home. PB ordered the raw and cooked vegetable salad. He loves his salads and this one was a little more exotic in the vegetables chosen and the way they were cut. The bowl it was served in was akin to a gold panning dish and the dressing was served up the side of half of the bowl, as if the chef was indeed panning for gold in the salad dressing. Very cool presentation idea.
2 bread baskets and a round of cocktails later, we are on to the main course and into the wine. The sommelier recommended a pinot noir as we were all eating different mains from steak to lamb to fish. For my main course I ordered the lamb loin and sausage. I usually try to order foods I would not usually make at home or have not seen at other restaurants. I wasn't quite sure what I was ordering but what came out was a cylinder of meat containing the lamb loin and lamb sausage bound mixed together and then it was cut in half lengthways. The meal was delicious and the way the lamb was prepared made it less fatty and rich and the portion size was perfect. The presentation of food at L'abbatoir was amazing, every plate was a work of art. PB ordered steak diane, medium rare(the perfect preparation IMO). The deep, dark red of the centre of the steak was mesmerising and it was topped with a semi crushed peppercorn mix. The meat was so tender that steak knives were not even given but the regular table knives cut through the meat with very little effort. Everyone Mmmmm's and Ahhh'd over the food and then we tucked in and savoured every bite. On to the second bottle of wine now and the restaurant was buzzing. Or was that the effect of the wine? Anyway, dessert decision time. Dessert is usually the course that I have the most difficulty navigating with my allergies/intolerances. Most desserts contain egg, cream and usually both together combined to create delicious goodies such as chocolate mousse or my preferred dessert, creme caramel. Or should I say, my former preferred dessert. I'm over it now, and the bonus is that my waistline is thankful although I usually substitute my dessert for a glass of ice wine, something I have recently acquired a taste for. I passed on dessert but had I been able to indulge, it would have been the chocolate pudding cake that PB Senior ordered. Glorious in all it's ooey, gooey, melty, chocolatey perfection. Maybe I am not over it as much as I thought.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Texture Trials
I've been giving my growth as a foodie a lot of thought lately and trying to figure out the best way to expand my knowledge base and experiment more. I have taken some action with this in a few ways, one being a commitment to eat food daily haha. Joking aside, I did attend a cooking class with PB and Ms. Crow Pose (Pb's sister) this past weekend. It was at the Cookshop in Vancouver and a gift from pb for valentines day... he's pretty smart and has determined I like to cook :-)
The class was on italian comfort food, prepared by Chef Peppe, a charismatic, 5 ft tall, grandfather type, singing Italian. Yes, he sang. Very well I might add. Peppe (it's alllll about Peppe! that was on his shirt) prepared the food and gave us tips and hints along the way, as well as anecdotes and stories behind the food and ingredients. The menu included goat cheese salad, fettuccine with bacon and peas, lemon chicken, pan fried beef and tiramisu to end. No that is not beef and tiramisu in one dish, one was followed by the other. That reminds me of the episode of Friends where Rachel makes trifle but the recipe book pages get stuck together and she ends up with trifle with a shepherd pie filling for one of the layers. Joey liked it.
Here are a couple of tips I picked up:
1) when boiling water for pasta, always add the salt to hot water not cold, so as to protect your pan bases from corroding.
2) there is a lot of difference with prosciutto and cured meats, depending on where they are from and what the pigs are fed. Apparently, pigs fed on chestnuts make the tastiest prosciutto. I'm looking forward to doing some taste tests on this.
3) If your pasta cooking water is clear, you have a good quality pasta
4) Adding toasted breadcrumbs to the salad and pasta is delicious
The food was so yummy and we even were served wine with our samples, before noon. I'm not complaining. Although I could not eat the fettuccine due to the addition of a whole load of egg yolks, I did eat most of the other food and snuck a little bite of tiramisu. I don't usually like tiramisu as it's got coffee in it, one of the few flavours I have not yet acquired a taste for, and it's a desert with eggs and cream so it's on my "avoid" list but this was delicious and it was pretty hard for me to stop at one (mouse sized) nibble. Don't worry, I did. The consequences are well known to me and I have made that mistake one too many times.
All in all, a great experience and as always, I love the chance to peruse the cookshop itself and dream about all the appliances and gadgets I hope one day to have a kitchen large enough to accommodate.
So a successful class all around and a great shared experience with 2 favourite peeps. I recommend it and am inspired to learn more and cook more.
My latest area of interest, besides just trying to learn learn learn and taste taste taste, is to experiment with textures. I want to see how much the preparation of ingredients such as the style of chopping of a vegetable, or the pounding out of a chicken thigh, affects the taste and eating experience. I recently saw something on a food blog which caught my eye for two reasons, presentation and texture. It was for shepherds pie (although technically it was cottage pie as it was beef. Shepherds pie is made with lamb). The differences were that it was cooked and served in individual ramekins and instead of mashed potato on top, it was sliced potato. So basically more of a hot pot style. I had the opportunity to cook a meal for pb's family on Sunday and they are all foodie's too and very open to my culinary experimentation. I made the filling of the pie to my own recipe (detailed below) and then followed the instructions on the blog regarding the potato topping. I did not have ramekins of the right size for individual portions. Well, actually that is not correct, there were ramekins but they were more a butter dish size so everyone would have had to have 3 if they were hoping to sustain their bodies until breakfast the next day. My shepherds/cottage pie filling has evolved over the years to what I think is pretty good. There are a few key steps and secret ingredients that you wouldn't expect, or even be able to tell were in there. I guess they won't be so secret any more. Or maybe they will. My blog is not exactly getting out to the masses! I'll list the recipe below but here is a summary of my not so secret features:
1) brown the meat and then remove from pan and drain. Do not discard the juices but put them aside. Put a small amount of juices back in the pan and add the onions, carrots, celery. cooking them in the juices and the used pan adds depth to the flavour.
2) Add finely chopped sundried tomatoes (in oil but drained) to the filling. I got this idea from a vegetarian shepherds pie recipe and it makes a big difference. Just be sure to cut them up finely, the chewy texture is not great in contrast to the rest of the dish and the intense flavour needs to be dispersed.
3) Add 1/2 -1 can of cooked brown lentils to the dish. This adds a surprisingly meaty texture and really binds all the juices together with the meat. It's also economical as you can make 500g of meat go twice as far with the addition of the lentils and no one will know!
Secret Ingredient Shepherds pie
2 tbsp canola oil
500g lean ground beef (or lamb)
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced same size as carrots
1-2 sticks celery, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 regular can diced tomatoes
1 regular can cooked lentils
2-3 cups beef broth
1-2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3-4 potatoes, skin on, sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick
Method
In a heavy based dutch oven or pan, add 1 tbsp oil and heat. Add meat and brown. As meat browns, add Worcestershire sauce. take meat out of pan and set aside with juices. Do not discard juices.
Add onions, carrots and celery to pan with a little of the meat juices and more oil if needed. Cook over med high heat until soft. Add garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are tender.
Add meat back to pan and let ingredients meld for a couple of minutes.
Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, lentils and dijon.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat and cover. simmer for as long as possible, ideally 3-4 hours, adding more broth if required. Add peas in last 30-40 minutes of cooking time.
In the mean time, cook sliced potatoes in pan for 5-7 minutes until just starting to soften. remove from pan and let dry out a little. Preheat oven to 400F
Once filling is ready, season with salt and pepper if needed. Place in baking dish and arrange slices of potato on top. I arranged mine so they were slightly overlapping. Spray with cooking oil or spread some softened butter over top.
Place in oven for 30-40 minutes until topping browns and filling bubbles up!
SORRY I did not get a picture! But I promise you, it looked really appetizing, and everyone seemed to clean their plates and ate as much as their belts would allow.
I really like the sliced potato topping and would do it again. I also liked that all the ingredients were similarly sizes although next time I think I will make a chunky cut version and see how that compares.
Stay tuned for more adventures in food texture!
The class was on italian comfort food, prepared by Chef Peppe, a charismatic, 5 ft tall, grandfather type, singing Italian. Yes, he sang. Very well I might add. Peppe (it's alllll about Peppe! that was on his shirt) prepared the food and gave us tips and hints along the way, as well as anecdotes and stories behind the food and ingredients. The menu included goat cheese salad, fettuccine with bacon and peas, lemon chicken, pan fried beef and tiramisu to end. No that is not beef and tiramisu in one dish, one was followed by the other. That reminds me of the episode of Friends where Rachel makes trifle but the recipe book pages get stuck together and she ends up with trifle with a shepherd pie filling for one of the layers. Joey liked it.
Here are a couple of tips I picked up:
1) when boiling water for pasta, always add the salt to hot water not cold, so as to protect your pan bases from corroding.
2) there is a lot of difference with prosciutto and cured meats, depending on where they are from and what the pigs are fed. Apparently, pigs fed on chestnuts make the tastiest prosciutto. I'm looking forward to doing some taste tests on this.
3) If your pasta cooking water is clear, you have a good quality pasta
4) Adding toasted breadcrumbs to the salad and pasta is delicious
The food was so yummy and we even were served wine with our samples, before noon. I'm not complaining. Although I could not eat the fettuccine due to the addition of a whole load of egg yolks, I did eat most of the other food and snuck a little bite of tiramisu. I don't usually like tiramisu as it's got coffee in it, one of the few flavours I have not yet acquired a taste for, and it's a desert with eggs and cream so it's on my "avoid" list but this was delicious and it was pretty hard for me to stop at one (mouse sized) nibble. Don't worry, I did. The consequences are well known to me and I have made that mistake one too many times.
All in all, a great experience and as always, I love the chance to peruse the cookshop itself and dream about all the appliances and gadgets I hope one day to have a kitchen large enough to accommodate.
So a successful class all around and a great shared experience with 2 favourite peeps. I recommend it and am inspired to learn more and cook more.
My latest area of interest, besides just trying to learn learn learn and taste taste taste, is to experiment with textures. I want to see how much the preparation of ingredients such as the style of chopping of a vegetable, or the pounding out of a chicken thigh, affects the taste and eating experience. I recently saw something on a food blog which caught my eye for two reasons, presentation and texture. It was for shepherds pie (although technically it was cottage pie as it was beef. Shepherds pie is made with lamb). The differences were that it was cooked and served in individual ramekins and instead of mashed potato on top, it was sliced potato. So basically more of a hot pot style. I had the opportunity to cook a meal for pb's family on Sunday and they are all foodie's too and very open to my culinary experimentation. I made the filling of the pie to my own recipe (detailed below) and then followed the instructions on the blog regarding the potato topping. I did not have ramekins of the right size for individual portions. Well, actually that is not correct, there were ramekins but they were more a butter dish size so everyone would have had to have 3 if they were hoping to sustain their bodies until breakfast the next day. My shepherds/cottage pie filling has evolved over the years to what I think is pretty good. There are a few key steps and secret ingredients that you wouldn't expect, or even be able to tell were in there. I guess they won't be so secret any more. Or maybe they will. My blog is not exactly getting out to the masses! I'll list the recipe below but here is a summary of my not so secret features:
1) brown the meat and then remove from pan and drain. Do not discard the juices but put them aside. Put a small amount of juices back in the pan and add the onions, carrots, celery. cooking them in the juices and the used pan adds depth to the flavour.
2) Add finely chopped sundried tomatoes (in oil but drained) to the filling. I got this idea from a vegetarian shepherds pie recipe and it makes a big difference. Just be sure to cut them up finely, the chewy texture is not great in contrast to the rest of the dish and the intense flavour needs to be dispersed.
3) Add 1/2 -1 can of cooked brown lentils to the dish. This adds a surprisingly meaty texture and really binds all the juices together with the meat. It's also economical as you can make 500g of meat go twice as far with the addition of the lentils and no one will know!
Secret Ingredient Shepherds pie
2 tbsp canola oil
500g lean ground beef (or lamb)
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced same size as carrots
1-2 sticks celery, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 regular can diced tomatoes
1 regular can cooked lentils
2-3 cups beef broth
1-2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3-4 potatoes, skin on, sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick
Method
In a heavy based dutch oven or pan, add 1 tbsp oil and heat. Add meat and brown. As meat browns, add Worcestershire sauce. take meat out of pan and set aside with juices. Do not discard juices.
Add onions, carrots and celery to pan with a little of the meat juices and more oil if needed. Cook over med high heat until soft. Add garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are tender.
Add meat back to pan and let ingredients meld for a couple of minutes.
Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, lentils and dijon.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat and cover. simmer for as long as possible, ideally 3-4 hours, adding more broth if required. Add peas in last 30-40 minutes of cooking time.
In the mean time, cook sliced potatoes in pan for 5-7 minutes until just starting to soften. remove from pan and let dry out a little. Preheat oven to 400F
Once filling is ready, season with salt and pepper if needed. Place in baking dish and arrange slices of potato on top. I arranged mine so they were slightly overlapping. Spray with cooking oil or spread some softened butter over top.
Place in oven for 30-40 minutes until topping browns and filling bubbles up!
SORRY I did not get a picture! But I promise you, it looked really appetizing, and everyone seemed to clean their plates and ate as much as their belts would allow.
I really like the sliced potato topping and would do it again. I also liked that all the ingredients were similarly sizes although next time I think I will make a chunky cut version and see how that compares.
Stay tuned for more adventures in food texture!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Tofu for you?
Yes another tofu post. For those of you who have not tried and are wary of it I have one thing to say....try it! The great thing about tofu is that it is inexpensive, even the organic tofu, AND it will take on the flavour of anything you want. It comes in various textures so it can be used for savory and sweet things and it can be used to add a creamy thickness to dips in place of sour cream or mayo.
I really love the scrambled tofu that is detailed in this post and I'm sharing another favourite tofu recipe here. Of course, you could omit the tofu and just have veggies, or you could add another source of protein. Shrimp or chicken would work well but I encourage you to try the tofu....please!
Panang Tofu Curry
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (I use sesame oil)
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 tbsps finely grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup organic natural peanut butter
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp hot chili paste such as sambal oelek (available in the ethnic food section)
1 cup water
1 can organic coconut milk(I use the full fat version rather than the light as I find the light too watery)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice and 1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime peel
1 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
2 x 14 oz packages of organic firm or extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 medium carrots peeled and sliced thickly on the diagonal
1 large reg bell pepper cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 head broccoli, cut into bite size florets, lightly steamed
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
This recipe is from Bon Appetit February 2009 edition. The only changes I have made from the original recipe is to use sesame oil instead of olive oil, used full fat coconut cream and I also added broccoli and the sesame seeds. I also find that a splash of soy sauce or fish sauce is nice to add some saltiness but that's optional and I LOVE salt so I'll leave it up to you.
Before you start, I suggest some preparation with the tofu to maximise the texture and it's ability to soak up some serious flavour. Tofu is usually packed in water (or something that I assume to be water). Drain this off and dry the tofu block. Paper towel works best as it sucks the moisture out. Then cut up your tofu and lay all the pieces on a few layers of paper towel. Place more paper towel on top and lay something heavy, such as the heavy based pan you are going to use to cook in, on top to help press out the liquid. One the tofu is a little drier, you can use it like that, or you could marinate it for as long as possible in the following mixture (taken from The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno):
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp black bean sauce
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp water
Once they have marinated for a bit, remove tofu from marinade and pat dry again with paper towel.
Roll the tofu pieces in black sesame seeds or just sprinkle them on top so they stick. This ensures the tofu crisps up nicely and the sesame seeds give a nice taste and they look cool in contrast with the whiteness of the tofu.
The recipe adds the tofu in it's raw state to the already prepared sauce. I prefer to cook the tofu first to crisp it up and then add it back in to the sauce later. This is how I do it.
Heat some sesame oil in a heavy based pan until hot. Add tofu (either plain or marinated) and it should sizzle on contact.
Let all the pieces sit in the pan for 1-2 mins until done on that side and then turn all the pieces. Do this until all 4 sides of the cubes are crisped. Remove from pan and resume original recipe plan as follows:
Heat oil in heavy based frying pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots, ginger and garlic. Cook until shallots are tender, about 6 mins.
Add peanut butter, turmeric, cumin and chili paste. Stir until fragrant, 1-2 mins.
Whisk in 1 cup water, then coconut milk, lime juice and peel, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer.
Season with salt or soy sauce if you wish.
Add carrots and bell pepper and simmer over medium heat until carrots are tender, adjusting to med-low heat if beginning to boil. Occasionally stir gently. This will take about 20 mins.
I add the tofu and the steamed broccoli at the end so that they retain their firmness although the recipe calls to add the tofu with the carrots and pepper.
Serve over jasmine rice or brown rice if you are being uber healthy.
Yes, that is zuchinni you can see in the picture. See, you can add any vegetables you like. Recipes are just a guide anyway. Designed to get you started and then you take it and run with it!
I really love the scrambled tofu that is detailed in this post and I'm sharing another favourite tofu recipe here. Of course, you could omit the tofu and just have veggies, or you could add another source of protein. Shrimp or chicken would work well but I encourage you to try the tofu....please!
Panang Tofu Curry
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (I use sesame oil)
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 tbsps finely grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup organic natural peanut butter
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp hot chili paste such as sambal oelek (available in the ethnic food section)
1 cup water
1 can organic coconut milk(I use the full fat version rather than the light as I find the light too watery)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice and 1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime peel
1 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
2 x 14 oz packages of organic firm or extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 medium carrots peeled and sliced thickly on the diagonal
1 large reg bell pepper cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 head broccoli, cut into bite size florets, lightly steamed
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
This recipe is from Bon Appetit February 2009 edition. The only changes I have made from the original recipe is to use sesame oil instead of olive oil, used full fat coconut cream and I also added broccoli and the sesame seeds. I also find that a splash of soy sauce or fish sauce is nice to add some saltiness but that's optional and I LOVE salt so I'll leave it up to you.
Before you start, I suggest some preparation with the tofu to maximise the texture and it's ability to soak up some serious flavour. Tofu is usually packed in water (or something that I assume to be water). Drain this off and dry the tofu block. Paper towel works best as it sucks the moisture out. Then cut up your tofu and lay all the pieces on a few layers of paper towel. Place more paper towel on top and lay something heavy, such as the heavy based pan you are going to use to cook in, on top to help press out the liquid. One the tofu is a little drier, you can use it like that, or you could marinate it for as long as possible in the following mixture (taken from The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno):
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp black bean sauce
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp water
Once they have marinated for a bit, remove tofu from marinade and pat dry again with paper towel.
Roll the tofu pieces in black sesame seeds or just sprinkle them on top so they stick. This ensures the tofu crisps up nicely and the sesame seeds give a nice taste and they look cool in contrast with the whiteness of the tofu.
The recipe adds the tofu in it's raw state to the already prepared sauce. I prefer to cook the tofu first to crisp it up and then add it back in to the sauce later. This is how I do it.
Heat some sesame oil in a heavy based pan until hot. Add tofu (either plain or marinated) and it should sizzle on contact.
Let all the pieces sit in the pan for 1-2 mins until done on that side and then turn all the pieces. Do this until all 4 sides of the cubes are crisped. Remove from pan and resume original recipe plan as follows:
Heat oil in heavy based frying pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots, ginger and garlic. Cook until shallots are tender, about 6 mins.
Add peanut butter, turmeric, cumin and chili paste. Stir until fragrant, 1-2 mins.
Whisk in 1 cup water, then coconut milk, lime juice and peel, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer.
Season with salt or soy sauce if you wish.
Add carrots and bell pepper and simmer over medium heat until carrots are tender, adjusting to med-low heat if beginning to boil. Occasionally stir gently. This will take about 20 mins.
I add the tofu and the steamed broccoli at the end so that they retain their firmness although the recipe calls to add the tofu with the carrots and pepper.
Serve over jasmine rice or brown rice if you are being uber healthy.
Yes, that is zuchinni you can see in the picture. See, you can add any vegetables you like. Recipes are just a guide anyway. Designed to get you started and then you take it and run with it!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Scramble-icious
My current task with regard to health and eating is to increase my protein intake and reduce my sugar intake. My naturopath recommended eliminating sugar almost entirely,including natural sugars such as honey and fruit juice. I'm eating apples and pears but no other fruits as they are very high in natural sugars (such as dates, bananas, figs). I've cut out honey from my green tea and from my toast and pb and of course I have had to cut out chocolate too. My naturopath did say I could have a small piece occasionally but we all know that it requires gargantuan willpower to stop at one piece so I've opted to avoid it completely which also requires a similar amount of willpower at times. The only sugar I've eaten for the past week is an apple a day and 2 chunks of crystallised ginger after dinner. I just need that sweet little hit to round out a meal. The other sugar I've also had to eliminate is alcohol. That proved difficult in January and Feb as I had a trip to LA for a friends birthday, my own birthday, Valentines day and a mini break to Whistler. No alcohol during all that was just not gonna happen. So I elected to reduce food sugars during that time and then take out the alcohol once the festivities were over. That started on Feb 20th. I planned all my meals for the week in advance and had a busy schedule too which helped with the cravings. Sitting at home in the evening on the couch exponentially increases snacking likelihood and cravings. I went all out and also decided I would go to bed earlier at night to see how that helped things. For breakfasts, I've been on a mission to build them around proteins rather than carbs and that had required some new recipes as eggs and dairy are out for me. So the past week I enjoyed smoked salmon bagels, sausage and vegetable hash and a new recipe, scrambled tofu.
I generally enjoy tofu, in curries and when I eat Japanese food, but have not really used it as an egg substitute to date as i thought it would be a poor imitation and would leave me disappointed. However, I can't eat sausages or salmon for breakfast 7 days a week. It's costly for one and after 4 days of eating what seemed like a tonne of meat and fish, I felt like I needed a break from animal protein.
I searched online for recipes and found this one. The blogger wrote a very detailed account of how to prepare the tofu in advance so the texture was good. Thank you for saving me the time and frustration. The recipe called for some soy sauce and turmeric to give the tofu an egg-y colour and consistency. This actually really worked and I enjoyed it a lot. I added onion, cooked mushrooms and spinach to balance it out and voila! a protein rich, balance brekkie for 2 days. I will make this again this week. Here is the recipe for the basic tofu scramble and then you can add whatever else you like. I think this week I will try it in a wrap with salsa and avocado or guacamole. for those of you who eat egg, this probably won't do it for you but I'm 100% sure that the vegans out there and fellow allergy sufferers will be happy with this alternative.
BASIC TOFU SCRAMBLE Click here for link to website and other variations of recipe)
SERVES 2
You may use firm or extra-firm cake-style, or regular, tofu. Firm tofu makes a slightly moister scramble, which is closer in consistency to scrambled eggs. Depending on the size of each portion, this recipe may make enough for three.
16 ounces extra-firm or firm regular tofu
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 scallions, white part only, finely
chopped
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
Salt and ground black pepper
1. With your hands, break cake of tofu into 8 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, place tofu at base of fingers in one hand. Then place other hand over tofu as if you were clapping. Gently but firmly press tofu. (It helps to curl your thumbs and fingers, clasping your hands together.) Squeeze until tofu is about half its original thickness. About half its moisture should have been removed. Loosely crumble tofu with fingers into bowl; it should look slightly like curds. Repeat pressing and crumbling process with other pieces.
2. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until slightly translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in scallions, turmeric, and soy sauce and cook until combined, about 20 seconds. Add tofu and stir-cook until evenly colored and still slightly moist, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. (Do not let tofu dry out or overcook.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn scramble out onto plates and serve immediately
So I'm guessing you might like to know how I feel with all these changes. Well, I have felt probably my best ever! I've been going to bed between 10-11pm (usually It's 11:30ish) and amazingly I've woken up before my alarm for 7 days straight, yes that includes weekends. I even went to the gym before work on Friday. I've gotten up earlier and had time to prepare my main course sized breakfasts, I've had more productive days with high energy all day and I've had awesome workouts ( it also helps I've got some new tunes on my MP3). I did have occasional cravings and this weekend I had 1 glass of wine on Saturday and a champagne cocktail ("Oscar Buzz") at a party on Sunday but otherwise, pretty clean. I did eat some smarties at about 9pm on Weds night I was working 'til 10pm so that's how I justified it) and as a result had a terrible sleep and woke up 3 time in the night. hmmmmm co-incidence? I'm not saying I will be able to or plan to sustain the low sugar thing but the contrast was pretty amazing. Not sure how much of it I can attribute to going to bed earlier or eating less sugar but I'm going to try and keep it up for another week at least, if I can keep the cravings off.....wine is calling my name and it had a friend called chocolate hiding behind it. A deadly (and delicious) combination.
I generally enjoy tofu, in curries and when I eat Japanese food, but have not really used it as an egg substitute to date as i thought it would be a poor imitation and would leave me disappointed. However, I can't eat sausages or salmon for breakfast 7 days a week. It's costly for one and after 4 days of eating what seemed like a tonne of meat and fish, I felt like I needed a break from animal protein.
I searched online for recipes and found this one. The blogger wrote a very detailed account of how to prepare the tofu in advance so the texture was good. Thank you for saving me the time and frustration. The recipe called for some soy sauce and turmeric to give the tofu an egg-y colour and consistency. This actually really worked and I enjoyed it a lot. I added onion, cooked mushrooms and spinach to balance it out and voila! a protein rich, balance brekkie for 2 days. I will make this again this week. Here is the recipe for the basic tofu scramble and then you can add whatever else you like. I think this week I will try it in a wrap with salsa and avocado or guacamole. for those of you who eat egg, this probably won't do it for you but I'm 100% sure that the vegans out there and fellow allergy sufferers will be happy with this alternative.
BASIC TOFU SCRAMBLE Click here for link to website and other variations of recipe)
SERVES 2
You may use firm or extra-firm cake-style, or regular, tofu. Firm tofu makes a slightly moister scramble, which is closer in consistency to scrambled eggs. Depending on the size of each portion, this recipe may make enough for three.
16 ounces extra-firm or firm regular tofu
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 scallions, white part only, finely
chopped
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
Salt and ground black pepper
1. With your hands, break cake of tofu into 8 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, place tofu at base of fingers in one hand. Then place other hand over tofu as if you were clapping. Gently but firmly press tofu. (It helps to curl your thumbs and fingers, clasping your hands together.) Squeeze until tofu is about half its original thickness. About half its moisture should have been removed. Loosely crumble tofu with fingers into bowl; it should look slightly like curds. Repeat pressing and crumbling process with other pieces.
2. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until slightly translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in scallions, turmeric, and soy sauce and cook until combined, about 20 seconds. Add tofu and stir-cook until evenly colored and still slightly moist, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. (Do not let tofu dry out or overcook.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn scramble out onto plates and serve immediately
So I'm guessing you might like to know how I feel with all these changes. Well, I have felt probably my best ever! I've been going to bed between 10-11pm (usually It's 11:30ish) and amazingly I've woken up before my alarm for 7 days straight, yes that includes weekends. I even went to the gym before work on Friday. I've gotten up earlier and had time to prepare my main course sized breakfasts, I've had more productive days with high energy all day and I've had awesome workouts ( it also helps I've got some new tunes on my MP3). I did have occasional cravings and this weekend I had 1 glass of wine on Saturday and a champagne cocktail ("Oscar Buzz") at a party on Sunday but otherwise, pretty clean. I did eat some smarties at about 9pm on Weds night I was working 'til 10pm so that's how I justified it) and as a result had a terrible sleep and woke up 3 time in the night. hmmmmm co-incidence? I'm not saying I will be able to or plan to sustain the low sugar thing but the contrast was pretty amazing. Not sure how much of it I can attribute to going to bed earlier or eating less sugar but I'm going to try and keep it up for another week at least, if I can keep the cravings off.....wine is calling my name and it had a friend called chocolate hiding behind it. A deadly (and delicious) combination.
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