Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches

Thanksgiving has long since come and gone for us here in Canadaland, and usually, I'm not much of a pumpkin enthusiast outside of that holiday. But, toward the end of October, my husband's parents and brother made the leap across the pond from England, and it seemed like a good idea to have a Thanksgiving dinner with them.

As they'd never tried pumpkin as a dessert ingredient before, I opted to forgo the pumpkin pie (honestly, I think it's an acquired taste) and did my pumpkin angel food cake with salted cinnamon caramel instead. But, this left me with half a can of leftover pumpkin puree, and, like I said, I'm not much of a pumpkin enthusiast.

The story could have ended with the leftover puree in the green bin, but I feel guilty every time I throw ingredients away! So, I was determined to find some use for the pumpkin, and preferably something easy that I could do while Audrey was napping.

After perusing several recipes, I settled on making a batch of spice infused pumpkin ice cream. And, what better use for ice cream than putting it into sandwich form?

I adapted a Cooking Light recipe for my purposes. You can choose to use low and non-fat dairy products here, or you can do what I did and fatten the thing up. Or go half and half and use what you've got on hand.

Whatever you choose, it's going to be totally delicious.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

1½ cups milk, divided
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tbsp bourbon
1 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Combine 1 cup of the milk with the brown sugar in a saucepan and heat until 180º, or until tiny bubbles form around the edges. Do NOT bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

2. Place egg yolks in a bowl and whisk lightly. Slowly add hot milk mixture to egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return mixture to pan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove your newly made custard from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Discard any solids left behind in the sieve.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ½ cup of milk, the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Stir in pumpkin and then gradually whisk in the custard. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours to allow the flavours to come together.

4. Combine ½ cup of the pumpkin custard mixture with the sour cream. Add back into the chilled pumpkin mixture and stir well until combined. Pour into the canister of an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

5. Once finished, spoon ice cream into a freezer safe container and freeze 1 hour or until firm.

So that's the hard part! The easy part is assembling the sandwiches. I used oatmeal cookies and sandwiched a couple tablespoons of the ice cream (which I'd softened on the counter for 30 minutes) in the middle. Soooo good! If you have soft oatmeal cookies, I think those would be the best option. I was lazy and just bought some boxed crisp oatmeal cookies.

Cooking Light's Spinach & Chickpea Soup

All the credit for this recipe has to go to my husband, who whipped this up the other day while I was running late from work (workshop on IEP writing, if you must know). It's a really beautiful, easy dinner that I think will go into rotation as my comfort food on dreary, rainy days.

The lemon juice and zest keep the soup light and fresh, while the spinach adds colour and the pasta brings substance.

Plus, you've got to love anything that's ready in about 20 minutes!

Cooking Light's Spinach & Chickpea Soup

(source) serves 4


Ingredients

2 tsp canola oil
2 green onions, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups water
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup pasta of your choice
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
5 oz baby spinach
½ tsp ground black pepper
shaved Parmesan


Directions

1. Heat canola oil in a large saucepan. Sauté onions and oregano for two minutes. Add in stock and water and bring to a boil. Add in zest, chickpeas and pasta, cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Test pasta for doneness. Stir in lemon juice, spinach and black pepper. Serve with Parmesan shaved on top.

Minted Quinoa and Cannellini Bean Salad with Watermelon, Peas & Feta

This recipe was inspired by a Cooking Light recipe that called for farro, watermelon and peas. I was intrigued by the combination, but wanted to make the salad a more substantial meal and balance it out with more salty and tangy flavours.

Quinoa and Cannellini Bean Salad with Watermelon, Peas & Feta

(inspired by Cooking Light)

serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1½ cups water
1 cup freshly shelled peas
1½ cups diced seedless watermelon
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup minced parsley
¼ cup shredded mint
1/3 cup crumbled feta
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer, rubbing grains between fingers to remove any residue. Place in a large pot with the water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the peas in the last two minutes of cooking time, and replace lid. If peas are not bright green and tender after two minutes, let cook for a minute longer. Remove from heat, drain any excess water off and rinse under cold water.

2. Place quinoa mixture in a large bowl. Toss with watermelon, cannellini beans, parsley, mint and feta.

3. Whisk together dressing ingredients (lemon juice through pepper) in a separate bowl. Pour over quinoa, toss again and serve.

Quick Tabbouleh

Tomatoes - specifically raw ones - are one of those things I'm trying to incorporate into my diet more. They've never been something I've really liked to eat, though they're one of my favourite things to try and grow in the garden.

So, when Phil came home with some heirloom cherry tomatoes earlier this week, I knew I wanted to use them in a recipe that would showcase lots of bright, fresh flavours.

Earthy cracked wheat, fresh green onions, parsley, mint and tomatoes form the base of this recipe. Any leftovers the next day can be turned into a lunch time salad when mixed with tuna, chopped kalamata olives and capers.

Quick Tabbouleh

(slightly modified from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

2½ cups boiling water, or vegetable stock brought to a boil
1½ cups uncooked bulgur wheat
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup quartered heirloom cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup diagonally sliced green onions
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest 
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

1. Place bulgur in a large bowl. Pour boiling water or stock over top. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for an hour.


2. Once the hour has passed and liquid has been absorbed, fluff bulgur with a fork. To it add parsley through lemon zest.


3. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over bulgur mixture. Toss gently and let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow flavours to combine. Mixture will keep for 3 days in the fridge.

One of those dead easy side dishes

I love it when a plan comes together.

It happens so rarely for me.

Sometimes you just need the simplest of ingredients to pull off an all star dish. Heck, this is so easy, I don't even know if I can call it a recipe.

Either way, we ate it with Oprah's Lentil and Rice Burgers, and it was delicious.

Sautéd Green Beans with Crispy Garlic

(adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1 lb green beans, topped and tailed
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ tbsp unsalted butter
½ tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in green beans and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat when tender crisp, drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

2. Melt butter and oil in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add in garlic cloves and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until just the right side of golden brown. Garlic burns very quickly, so if you feel at all concerned, sauté just until starting to colour. Remove garlic from pan and set aside.

3. Drain beans again and add to the garlic butter in the saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper then mix in the garlic again. Plate and serve hot.

Cucumber and Radish Salad with Lemon Dressing

I'm so glad the most recent issue of Cooking Light arrived before the postal strike began! It has some great recipes in it.

After all the heavy food (read: fast and deep fried) I ate on the Ottawa-Montreal trip, I've been in serious need of lightening things up. I'm paying off the sins I indulged in at Frites Alors!

It's T-6 weeks until Hawaii, and I'd love love LOVE to drop those 10 pounds that I've struggling with the past 2 months. Plus, one of my students (who we're pretty sure has Aspergers) announced very loudly that I have a "fat ass".

And when even the Aspergers kid notices, you know you've got to take action.

So here I am. Taking some action. Even though I'm not a huge fan of either cucumbers OR radishes, something about this salad spoke to me.

I'm pretty sure it was saying: I'm what your body needs right now. Crunchy. Cold. Vibrant.

I really enjoyed this salad - some fresh dill in place of the parsley would be totally delicious and highly recommended. Plus, although I'm unabashedly trying to lose weight, this salad doesn't feel like deprivation. It feels like the antidote to a scorching summer day.

If you have a mandolin, be sure to whip it out for the radishes and cucumbers. That will make your life SO much easier.

Cucumber and Radish Salad with Lemon Dressing

(from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

½ cup thinly sliced radishes
2 cups thinly sliced cucumber
¼ orange pepper, finely chopped
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Gently toss radishes, cucumber, pepper and parsley together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over cucumber mixture and gently toss again. Let flavours meld in fridge for an hour.

Also, it's a tasty accompaniment for grilled steak, or as a side on some kind of Middle Eastern plate (baba ghanoush, hummus, pita, tabbouleh).

Darjeeling Chai Spiced Muffins with Pistachio and Vanilla

I love the rich, fragrant flavours of chai tea. Earlier this school year, I was drinking chai everyday - so much so that one of my new students (who'd just arrived from India) got his mother to make me a batch of "the real stuff" as he put it.

And, what's not to love about cinnamon, cardamon, cloves and ginger? These are flavours that warm the soul, I tell you. When it's a rainy, blah day, I see these flavours as a warm, cozy blanket.

So when Cooking Light's May issue arrived this week, showcasing not one but two chai infused recipes (muffins and cream pie), I knew I had to try at least one of the two out. But, because I was missing a few ingredients (namely, chai tea), I had to improvise.

I started by trying to infuse some milk with cinnamon, cardamon and cloves. Now, I don't know what went wrong with that train of thought, but the milk curdled on me while I was heating it. Twice (Once at the 120ºF mark and the second time at the 140ºF mark). It was very, very strange - especially because I've made many a batch of chai tea before. I cleaned the pot and all the tools I used for measuring and stirring between attempts, so if anyone can tell me what might have happened, I'd be forever in your debt.

In the end, I had to improvise, but the results were definitely worth it.

Darjeeling Chai Spiced Muffins with Pistachios and Vanilla

(adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

7.9 oz all purpose flour (1 3/4 cup)
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cardamon
1 1" piece ginger, finely grated on a rasp
3 tsp loose darjeeling tea
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar)
¼ cup butter, melted
1½ tsp vanilla extract, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup shelled dry roasted pistachios, chopped
½ cup icing sigar
1 tbsp water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cup liners and spray the inside of liners with cooking spray, if desired.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour with next 8 ingredients (through tea). Make a well in the centre of the bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, 1 tsp vanilla and egg. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just until moist. Divide batter evenly between liners. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool for 5 minutes on a rack.

4. Combine remaining ½ tsp vanilla with icing sugar and water, stirring until smooth. Drizzle evenly over muffins. Serve with tea and let the rain fall outside the window.

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake with Pesto

Once the choice pieces of a roast are used up in salads or sandwiches, what's left often doesn't amount to much. The casserole has long been the go-to for the budget cook who has limited key ingredients and needs to stretch them as far as possible.

Heck, it's the go to for many who aren't budget cooks because they're easy and comforting. Really, it's a win-win situation for all parties concerned.

What I struggle with when I look for casserole recipes is the number that call for processed ingredients. I'll be honest, we don't keep cans of soup in our cupboards. So, I'm often left not having those ingredients that are deemed staples.

Thankfully, I remembered this recipe from Cooking Light from about a decade ago that had a homemade cheese sauce base! With the exception of the pesto I threw in, there's no processed ingredients here!

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake with Pesto

(inspired by an old recipe from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1 head broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
3 cups (give or take) cubed roasted chicken
4 cups cooked pasta (about 8 oz uncooked)
½ yellow or red pepper, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ cup pesto, plus additional for serving
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Spray an 8"x8" casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. Steam broccoli florets briefly (4 minutes or so), or until vibrant green. Toss with chicken, pasta, pepper and basil.

3. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté shallots and garlic for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Sprinkle flour over top and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Grab a whisk, and begin to pour the milk in slooooowly, whisking constantly. Doing this will prevent lumps. Once all milk is incorporated, cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese and pesto. Let melt and then pour mixture over pasta-broccoli-chicken mixture. Toss to coat and place in casserole dish.

4. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with an additional dollop of pesto.

Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

It's got all the ingredients of a healthy recipe!

Dark chocolate? Good for you in moderation (the whole recipe contains 2 oz)

Dried cherries? Fibre and antioxidants!

Oatmeal? Good for lowering the blood pressure.

Maple syrup? Lots of great nutrients.

The fact that it's a cookie? Well, that's just pure awesome. Truthfully, I was sold at the words chocolate and cherry.

Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

(adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

2/3 cup all purpose flour (you can replace this with whole wheat, if you prefer)
1½ cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
2 oz 70% dark chocolate (the better the quality, the less you need!), chopped into chunks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. Melt butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Once melted, remove from heat and add brown sugar and maple syrup. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in vanilla extract.

4. Pour butter mixture over oat mixture. Using an electric mixture, beat until just combined. Add egg, beating again to combine. Stir in cherries and chocolate, mixing thoroughly.

5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 11 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes (until just about set) before transferring to a cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen!

I think it would be really tasty to replace the dried cherries with dried pineapple or mango or papaya and use white chocolate in place of the dark. Heck, a few chopped macadamia nuts wouldn't go amiss either!

My new favourite pizza toppings

I've gotta be honest, I wasn't sure how this would pan out.

My husband was equally skeptical of the broccoli.

But, when added along with olives, marinated mushrooms, with aged Gruyere, Emmental, Fourme D'Ambert blue cheese (zomg) along with my favourite pizza base (which is best made the night before), this was one of the finest pizzas I've had in a long time.. You'll note we did half the pizza with pesto and the other half with Mediterranean Pizza Sauce. Yum!

We picked up the blue cheese from my favourite cheese shop: Nancy's Cheese. Love the woman, love the cheese, love the pizza.

My Favourite Pizza Base

(based on Cooking Light's)

Ingredients


1 cup warm water, divided
12 ounce all purpose flour (about 2½ cups) plus more for dusting
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 tsp honey
4 teaspoons  olive oil
3/4 teaspoon  kosher salt
Cooking spray


Directions

1. In a bowl, mix 3/4 cup warm water with flour until it forms a ragged dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes.

2. After the water-flour mixture has been sitting for about 15 minutes, mix together the remaining ¼ cup warm water with honey. Stir to dissolve and sprinkle yeast on top. Let proof (meaning, let the yeast bubble up) which will take about 5 more minutes.

3. Stir yeast mixture, oil and salt into flour. This will form a sticky dough, dump onto a lightly floured counter and knead, adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time until a soft dough forms.

4. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Put dough into bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 24 hours.

5. Remove dough from fridge, let come to room temperature (about an hour) before punching down. Press or roll into a 12" circle, crimp edges and cover with plastic wrap.

6. Top as desired. Bake on a preheated pizza stone (if available) on the bottom rack of a 500º oven for about 15 minutes.

Mushroom & Bacon Risotto with Spinach

Risotto was not something I got enthusiastic about until shortly after my wedding. Phil and I had a dinner out at Roy's in Kahana. I believe I had some kind of fish... but whatever it was, it was totally overshadowed by the lobster and Kula corn risotto. About 6 months later, I tried making it for the first time.

Let me tell you this: if you haven't tried it, making risotto is easy. EASY.

The only challenging part is standing over the pot stirring for the better part of 25-30 minutes. But, I figure, if you have a glass of wine or two to keep you company, that time just flies by!

Bacon and Mushroom Risotto with Spinach

(from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

4  cups chicken stock (homemade if possible)
6  bacon slices, chopped
1  cup  chopped shallots
1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
1  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
4  garlic cloves, minced
4  ounces  cremini mushrooms, sliced*
4  ounces  shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced*
4  ounces  oyster mushrooms, sliced*
1  cup  uncooked Carnaroli or Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
1/3  cup  Madeira wine or dry sherry
4  cups  baby spinach
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated fresh Asiago cheese
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

*For the record, I just used cremini. It was all I had on hand.

Preparation


1. Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil); keep warm over low heat.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook 8 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally.

Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon. Add shallots, oil, thyme, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 6 minutes or until shallots are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in mushrooms; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mind the dark bits

3. Add rice, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in Madeira; cook 1 minute or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup stock; cook 4 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.

Add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute.

Remove from heat; stir in cheese, salt, and pepper.

Sprinkle with bacon.

Serve with a side of AWESOME.

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Double Smoked Bacon

About this time last year, I was walking through the aisles of our local grocery store, Fiesta Farms. Without wanting to wander off too far on a tangent, I just want to take a moment to emphasize how much I love this place. It's an independent store; it doesn't belong to a big chain. There's only one of it in the city. But, more to the point, it has the most interesting selection of foods on the planet.

I swear by their Gourmet Mediterranean Pizza Sauce. Other people must as well, because the stuff regularly sells out. If I'm there, and the sauce is there, then I'm probably buying multiples of it.

My list of favourites could go on and on (frozen parathas, liberté yogurt in a million flavours, gorgeous organic swiss chard, Rowe farms pork, beef and chicken), but what I really want to talk to you about is a little find I discovered last year in the deli section:

Brandt's Double Smoked Side Bacon.

I wish I'd taken a picture of it, but I was too engrossed in the intense, smoky smell while I was cooking and got carried away in a haze.

That seems to be what happens to most people when they open up a package of the stuff, because I can't find a picture of it anywhere on the internet. Not even off Brandt's website. Brandt is a Mississauga (just outside of Toronto) butcher that does their business in the traditional German style.

I have long loved their liverwurst as it tastes nothing like liver and lots like herbs and spices.

So, when I brought this bacon home last year, I had no idea what to do with it. It was a block, dark and firm with judicious amounts of fat, just slightly larger than the size of my palm. Luckily I found a recipe for Habitant Split Pea Soup that called for both salt pork and a ham hock and decided the hunk of bacon had enough manpower to stand in for the other two pieces of pork.

It was magical.

Weeks later, tragedy struck. Fiesta Farms stopped carrying the bacon. We were heading into March, the weather was strangely balmy and people just had no interest in buying such a dark, wintry ingredient.

I was heartbroken. Since then, I've looked for the bacon every time I've been at the store, with no success.

Until this week. There was one piece.

The soup was coming back to the table.

I picked up some organic yellow split peas from my local bulk store and  fired up the stove. Two hours later, the most deliciously flavoured soup appeared on our table.

Nothing beats a bowl of soup, especially a bowl of legumes and pork, on a icy January night.

Split Pea Soup with Double Smoked Bacon

(adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010)

Ingredients

1½ tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
one hunk double smoked bacon (I think I had about 250g)
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups onion, carrot, and celery to pan; sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in peas; sauté for 1 minute. Add broth and the next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender, skimming surface occasionally, as necessary.

2. Remove bacon and bay leaves. Set aside the bacon and discard the bay leaves

3. Dice bacon. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cover and cook 5 minutes. Drain off fat, and return to heat, cooking an additional 5 minutes or until crisp and browned, stirring frequently.

4. Return bacon to soup, and if you're feeling particularly decadent, pour in any remaining bacon drippings along with it. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Savour every mouthful.

Beet, Blood Orange and Quinoa Salad

Austerity measures.

At Christmas, my parents kept mentioning this phrase, not in regards to the current economies of Ireland and Greece, but in regards to our plans for January foods. I've taken this thought home with me. After the indulgences of Christmas and the inevitable pounds that come with it, dietary austerity measures are definitely required.

Thankfully, austerity has little to do with deliciousness.

In my frenzy of citrus purchases last week, I was really excited to get a good batch of blood oranges. Last year, when I last bought them, they were a total disappointment. They were orange on the outside and orange on the inside.

Where's that crimson colour, I ask you. Where's the ox blood?

So, when I sliced off the rinds of the blood oranges, I was met with a happy sight.

Just look at that pulp! I love the combination of burgundy and bright yellowy oranges.

And the gradation of colour from top to bottom! Nothing excites me so much in food as colour.

Anyway, let me introduce you to today's recipe. It's a gorgeous salad, filled with lots of different colours and textures.

One of the great things about it is it uses quinoa. Quinoa is one of those amazing pre-Colombian grains that's enjoyed a modern resurgence. The Incas held it to be sacred, though once the Spanish showed up, they forbade them from growing it. Quinoa is one of those rare grains that has a high protein content, but on top of that, unlike other grains like oat or wheat, it also has a balanced set of amino acids, making it a complete protein. It's high in fiber, gluten-free and (apparently) easy to digest.

It's so awesome that NASA is considering it as a crop to try and grow up in space.

So, if you haven't tried it yet, what the heck are you waiting for?

Beet, Blood Orange and Quinoa Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Dressing:

1/4  cup  finely chopped green onions
2  teaspoons  grated blood orange rind
1  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
2  tablespoons  blood orange juice
1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  ground coriander
1/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
1/4  teaspoon  paprika
2  tablespoons oil (a neutral vegetable like canola or something stronger like olive oil)

Salad:

1  cup uncooked quinoa (I used a mixture of white and black quinoa)
1 3/4  cups  water
1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
1  cup  blood orange sections, chopped (about 4 medium)
1 avocado, chopped
6  whole kumquats, seeded and sliced
2  medium beets, cooked and cut into wedges*

*To cook beets, scrub whole beets (remove most of the tops), wrap in foil and bake at 375º until tender, 25-45 minutes (it really depends on the beet)

Preparation

1. To prepare dressing, combine first 10 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Set aside.

2. To prepare salad, place quinoa in a fine sieve, and place sieve in a large bowl. Cover quinoa with water. Using your hands, rub grains together for 30 seconds; rinse and drain. Repeat procedure twice. Drain well.

Rinsed quinoa

3. Combine 1 3/4 cups water, quinoa, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork.

Chopping the avocado

Combine quinoa, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, blood orange sections, avocado, and kumquats in a large bowl, tossing gently to combine.

Just before adding the quinoa. Check out those kumquat slices!

Add dressing; toss gently to coat salad. Spoon 1 cup salad onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with about 1/2 cup beets.

The finished salad

 A vibrant salad for a cold January day.

My favourite thing to do with a can of chickpeas...

Maybe you know you're going to have an evening out braving the crowds for some last minute Christmas shopping. You know you'll be exhausted when you come home, but before you reach for the phone to call for a grease laden pizza, consider this recipe! It requires very little prep time, and mostly uses pantry staples. You've got a lonely can of beans in your cupboard, right?

For the record, yes, I do consider bacon a staple.

I made this recipe last March for the first time, and my husband regularly requests it. And by regularly, I mean at least once weekly. He doesn't get it that often, but it is one that's in regular rotation in our house.

Lately, we've been on a huge legume kick (see yesterday's quesadilla recipe). And for me, nothing pairs better with legumes of all shapes and sizes than something smoky and porky. This recipe comes from Cooking Light, serves four and will satisfy even the biggest meat eater in your house. We usually buy good quality bacon from Rowe Farms. It's naturally smoked and free of all those nasty chemicals present in most processed smoked meats.

Chickpeas with Broccoli Rabe and Bacon

(Cooking Light March '10)

Ingredients

1  pound  broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1  tablespoon  olive oil
6  slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1  cup  chopped onion
1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano
1/8  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
6  garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1  (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
2  ounces  Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
 

1. Cook broccoli rabe in a large pot of boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

 

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add bacon; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. 

 

3. Stir in onion, oregano, and red pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until onion begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chickpeas; sauté 1 minute. 

 

 

4. Stir in broccoli rabe, salt, and black pepper; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, tossing to combine. 

 

 

5. Place about 1 1/2 cups chickpea mixture on each of 4 plates; shave 1/2 ounce cheese evenly over each serving.

Pasta with Kale, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Bacon

Until about a month ago, I'd never had kale before. Now it seems that I eat it 2-3 times a week! I cannot get enough of this stuff.

This recipe from Cooking Light turned out to be a total winner, in spite of my husband and I agreeing that we wanted more. We ate this meal then did our Christmas cards (while sipping our Chestnut Liqueur). It was the perfect weeknight meal.

I will say, even though I used the 5 cups of chopped kale called for, I felt the recipe could have used more.

Orecchiette with Kale, Bacon and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

8  ounces  uncooked orecchiette pasta
5  cups  bagged prewashed kale
2  slices center-cut bacon
1/4  cup  oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
3  large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
3/8  teaspoon  salt
1  ounce  Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved
2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
Preparation

1. Cook pasta in boiling water 8 minutes or until almost tender. Add kale, and cook 2 minutes. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

2. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon; crumble and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add sun-dried tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add pasta mixture, reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid, black pepper, and salt to pan; toss to combine. Top pasta mixture evenly with bacon and cheese; drizzle evenly with lemon juice.

Chocolate-Cranberry Parfaits

With my parents around this weekend, I wanted to create something for dessert that would be light but rich tasting.

Enter the good folks at Cooking Light!

Let me express this in terms of an equation:

Good quality chocolate

+

Sugared fresh cranberries

=

Chocolate and cranberry parfait with mascarpone.

Did I mention that this is a recipe from Cooking Light?

Chocolate-Cranberry Parfaits

Ingredients 

1 1/3  cups  granulated sugar, divided
1  cup  water
1  cup  fresh cranberries
1/2  cup  sparkling white sugar or turbinado sugar
3  tablespoons  cornstarch
1/4  teaspoon  salt
2 1/2  cups  fat-free milk, divided
2  large egg yolks
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
4  ounces  semisweet chocolate, chopped
1  cup  frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
1/4  cup  mascarpone cheese

Directions

1. Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat. Combine the sugar syrup and cranberries in a small bowl. Cover and chill for 4 hours.

2. Drain cranberries in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid for another use, if desired. Place sparkling sugar in a shallow dish. Add cranberries, rolling to coat. Spread sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until dry.

3. Combine remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl, stirring well. Combine 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Heat remaining 2 cups milk in a medium heavy saucepan to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Stir egg yolk mixture into cornstarch mixture. Gradually add half of hot milk to sugar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add egg yolk mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts. Spoon pudding into a bowl; place bowl in a large ice-filled bowl for 15 minutes or until pudding cools, stirring occasionally. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap; chill 20 minutes.

4. Combine whipped topping and mascarpone in a bowl, stirring until well blended. Spoon about 1/3 cup pudding into each of 8 bowls or footed glasses; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons mascarpone mixture and about 2 tablespoons cranberries.

Moroccan Flavours

Welcome to your two-for-one deal, and my last post of November!

This weekend, Kat came over (with an AMAZING fruitcake recipe that I'll share with you tomorrow) and I whipped up (read: spent an hour and a half preparing) Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with bulgur and Moroccan Carrot Salad.

I almost forgot to take a picture... so this was hastily done!

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas

(Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1/4  cup  extra-virgin olive oil
3  large garlic cloves, peeled
2  cups  thinly sliced red onion
1/2  cup  dried apricots, sliced
1  tablespoon  ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend) or garam masala
1  teaspoon  salt
3/4  teaspoon  black pepper
1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
1  (3-inch) cinnamon stick

1/2  cup  water
1 1/2  teaspoons  grated lemon rind
1 1/2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
2  (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1  (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
6  cups  escarole, torn into 1-inch pieces

1  cup  cilantro leaves
1/4  cup  mint leaves
1/2  cup  roasted whole almonds, coarsely chopped
4  cups  hot cooked bulgur or couscous

Preparation

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove garlic from pan using a slotted spoon; discard or reserve for another use. Add onion and next 6 ingredients (through cinnamon stick) to pan; sauté for 7 minutes or until the onion is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup water, rind, juice, chickpeas, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in escarole; simmer for 1 minute or until escarole wilts. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cilantro and mint; top with almonds. Serve over couscous.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

(Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 pound carrots, peeled, coarsely grated
4 cups mixed baby greens
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced

Preparation

Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk in oil, lemon juice, orange juice, and mint. Add carrots and baby greens; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Top with onion and serve. Adapted from Taste.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

I had a half bag of fresh cranberries left over from the pear cranberry tart and really wanted to clean out my fridge.

That, and I wanted to procrastinate from my marking.

So I found this recipe for Fresh Cranberry Muffins over on cookinglight.com and decided to give it a whirl. This is what I came up with:

I was long overdue for a classic cooking error though - I accidentally replaced the baking powder with baking soda. So... while still *okay* they have a metallic taste to them.

I suggest trying them except using the right ingredients!

Fresh Cranberry Muffins

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)

Ingredients

• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 2/3  cup  sugar
• 2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1  cup  chopped fresh cranberries
• 2/3  cup  2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/4  cup  butter or stick margarine, melted
• 1  teaspoon  grated orange rind
• 1/2  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Stir in cranberries; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, butter, rind, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.

Note: These muffins freeze well. Bake them ahead, cool completely, and store in freezer bags. To serve, thaw at room temperature. Reheat in aluminum foil at 300º for 10 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Quick & Easy

Sometimes you want your dinner in a hurry.

And you have peaches that are quickly moving toward over-ripe.

This is the recipe for you: Pepper Jack, Chicken and Peach Quesadillas

Don't skimp on the honey-lime sour cream! Extra tastiness ahoy!

 We served this with the spinach salad (okay, so it was spinach and red peppers) with Cooking Light's recommended dressing:

Cumin-Lime Dressing

Combine 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin in a large bowl. Toss with your desired salad ingredients.

Quick, easy, tasty. Works for me!

Sunday Night Dinner

Sunday night is definitely a night for beef and potatoes. But, as its summer, the traditional roast beef just won't do.

I'm actually really excited about the two recipes I'm going to link you to today. Whenever I get to purchase new ingredients (Hello tamarind paste! Where have you been all my life?), I admit to being pretty enthused. The meal is heavy on flavours of lemongrass and coriander (or cilantro if you prefer).

I served it with edamame tossed with Kilauea Black Sea Salt and shichimi powder and some tofu kimchi dumplings.

Not too shabby looking, huh?

First up we have the beef recipe: Malaysian Beef Satay. Now, this recipe is really easy to put together, but does require access to some Asian markets (I actually couldn't find the galangal - so ginger it was). The only really annoying part was where it calls for 3 (yeah, that's right, THREE) macadamia nuts. Ridiculous. I had to march myself down to Whole Foods because that's the closest I can buy them unsalted and in bulk.

I've opted not to do the peanut sauce. I was feeling lazy. Having said that, I wish I had made it, because I think the contrast of flavours would have been ace.

 Satays on Potato Salad - note the angelic glow!

This brings to dish number two: Lemongrass & Ginger Potato Salad. Sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, lemongrass and jalapeno add some kick and while the cilantro and green onions add bright flavours. I loved that this wasn't a creamy salad. It definitely benefits from sitting for a while to absorb all the flavours. Delicious stuff though.