A Lightened Up Breakfast Poutine

One of my absolute favourite brunch places in Toronto is Fire on the East Side. They do this artery clogging but totally delicious breakfast poutine that features pulled pork, poached eggs, chipotle hollondaise sauce and mountains of home fries.

It's insane. And totally delicious. And a luxury, because eating that much egg and butter isn't good for anyone.

Around lunch time today I found myself thinking about that poutine. I really, really wanted a poached egg and more sweet potato fries. But, I also didn't want mountains of calories. We had kale in the crisper, Ewenity Sheep's Milk Feta and a ton of cremini mushrooms.

Slowly, a recipe began brewing in my head. I'd nix the sauce (hollondaise or otherwise) and top a bowl of sweet potato fries with some sautéed mushrooms and kale. In order to keep the flavour of luxury though, I made the sweet potato fries with white truffle oil and some truffle salt. This added a great depth of flavour.

Truffled Sweet Potato Fries topped with Kale, Mushrooms, Feta & Poached Eggs

Ingredients

1 tbsp canola oil, divided
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 small bunch kale, tough stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white vinegar
1 oz feta, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

1 batch sweet potato fries, made with truffle oil (if possible)

Directions

1. Heat ½ tbsp oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add in kale and 1/3 cup of water, and let kale steam just until the water evaporates. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove from pan and set aside somewhere to keep warm.

2. Wipe out frying pan, return to heat and pour in remaining oil. Sauté mushrooms for 5-10 minutes, or until liquid is complete evaporated and mushrooms are golden brown. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

3. While the mushrooms are frying, heat 1" water in a small saucepan. Stir in 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp vinegar. Bring to a gentle simmer. A small stream of bubbles should just be breaking the surface. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should read about 200ºF. Crack egg into a small dish and gently slide egg from dish into simmering water. Cook, for approximately 3-5 minutes or until the white outside the yolk is just set. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon and set aside while you cook the next egg.

4. To assemble the poutine,  layer potatoes in two shallow bowls, sprinkling each bowl with a quarter of the feta. Top with kale and mushrooms, one poached egg on each dish and sprinkle with remaining feta.

An easy, lightened up breakfast luxury!

Oprah's Lentil & Brown Rice Burgers

So, after a weekend of barbecued meat, my husband and I were both ready to get back on the whole grain/legume train. As much as I love the kimchi burgers (which I made again up at the cottage - this time with coarse ground chuck - amazing) and the Huli Huli Chicken, I'm seriously beginning to feel like having meat at every meal slows me down. Heck, even having it 4 nights in a row made me feel sluggish.

I'm guessing about the cause of the sluggishness. It might also be a bit of work burn out, lack of sleep, or general stress about the school year winding down. Perhaps it's unfair to blame the meat.

Whatever the case, veggies and legumes are what we're craving right now, so that's what we're eating. And, in honour of Oprah's last show yesterday, I made the Brown Rice and Lentil Burgers out of the June issue of O Magazine.

Nom. Nom. Nom.

Now, what's interesting about this recipe is that the lentils aren't actually cooked until you throw the patties into the frying pan. That lends a bit more texture to the burgers. My husband devoured two of these last night, they were that good!

Lentil & Brown Rice Burgers

(adapted from O Magazine)

Ingredients

½ cup mixed dried lentils (French, green, red, brown) or standard green lentils
3/4 lb mixed shiitake and cremini mushrooms, trimmed and roughly quartered
2½ tbsp canola oil, divided
½ tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp miso
1½ tsp kosher salt, divided
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
2½ cups cooked brown rice (I used brown basmati)
2 tbsp flaxseeds
2 tbsp toasted oat or wheat bran
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
3 scallions, minced

whole grain bread or buns
hamburger toppings (we used pea shoots, alfalfa & onion sprouts, romaine lettuce, dill pickle, roasted red pepper and vegenaise, ketchup and ballpark mustard)

if you're not going vegan for this, the magazine recommends sharp cheddar cheese for melting on top

Directions

1. Rinse and drain lentils. Place in a small bowl and cover with water. Let sit covered in the fridge overnight. Drain the lentils and pulse in a food processor until very finely chopped, but stopping short of forming a paste. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

2. Wipe the food processor clean and add mushrooms to the bowl. Pulse until very finely chopped. Heat 1½ tbsp oil in a large sauté pan. Sauté mushrooms with soy sauce, miso and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper until liquid is evaporated. Add to bowl of lentils, along with all remaining ingredients (through scallions). Fold together until just combined. Divide into 6 balls and shape into patties, about 1" thick.

3. Working in batches, heat ½ tbsp oil over medium low in a pan. Add half of the patties and cook for about 5 minutes. Once a good crust has formed, gently flip patties over. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until golden. Place on a plate in a warm oven to keep hot. Repeat with remaining oil and patties.

4. Serve with whatever toppings make you happy!

A Japanese Inspired Soba Recipe

April is one of those months that teases. After cold winter nights and endless amounts of snow and frost, April is that month that whispers sweet nothings and tells you, soon, soon it'll all be over. She takes your hand and shows you the deep blue hyacinths and vibrant yellow crocuses, her sweet, blossom scented breath caresses your cheek.

And then, as you turn to meet her lavender eyes, she knees you in the crotch and punches you in the stomach with wild, blisteringly cold rain storms.

Heck, as I write this, sleet is bashing against our windows. Earlier this week, some of my students were wearing shorts.

This recipe is that warm blanket used on shock victims. Sink into its warmth and stay out of April's mood swings.

Soba with Beef and Onions in Shiitake Broth

(inspired by The Japanese Food Report)

Ingredients

3 cups water, divided
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
½ package (4g) dashi powder
4 tbsp soy sauce, divided
2 tbsp mirin
½ lb thinly sliced beef
1 medium onion, thinly sliced vertically
3 tbsp sake
2 tbsp sugar
4 oz dried soba noodles
shichimi spice powder to taste (Japanese 7 spice chili powder)
1 green onion, finely sliced

Directions

1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Soak dried mushrooms in water for 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms from liquid and set aside. Stir in 1½ cups water, dashi powder, 2 tbsp soy sauce and mirin. Bring to a simmer and keep warm on back burner while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

2. Cut rehydrated shittake mushrooms into 5-6 slices each.

2. Place beef, onion, mushrooms remaining soy sauce, ½ cup water, sugar and sake in a frying pan, and bring to a simmer. Let cook until beef is cooked, onion is meltingly tender and liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Cook soba noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, between 6-8 minutes. Divide between two large bowl. Top noodles with beef mixture. Gently ladle broth over noodles. Garnish with shichimi and green onions.

Portobello Fajitas

This is, by far, my favourite fajita recipe. I'm not just talking my favourite vegetarian fajita recipe, I'm talking my favourite fajita recipe. Period. Eat, Shrink and Be Merry calls them Shroom with Ado.

Seriously, if you haven't bought this cookbook yet, you're really missing out.

Basically you take portobello mushrooms, marinate them for an hour or so in a mixture of balsamic salad dressing, cumin, oregano and chili powder before grilling them up. It's just brilliant.

Shroom with Ado

(from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry, recipe pulled from here)

Ingredients

½ cup light balsamic vinaigrette dressing
2 tbsp steak spice rub
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp dried oregano
4 large portobello mushrooms (about 6 inch in diameter)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
t tbsp minced fresh cilantro
8 whole grain flour tortillas
fajita toppings: light sour cream, salsa, chopped lettuce, cheese, guacamole

Directions

To make marinade, combine dressing, steak rub, cumin, chili powder, and oregano in a small bowl.

Using a pastry brush, brush marinade over both sides of mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat grill to high setting. Spray grill rack with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil. Grill mushrooms for about 3 minutes per side, until tender with nice grill marks. Remove from heat. Cut each mushroom into 6 slices. Cover with foil and keep warm.

Heat olive oil in a large, non-stick wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion slices and peppers. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender crisp, about 5 minutes. Add lime juice, cilantro, and reserved mushrooms. Stir gently and cook just until mushrooms are hot.

To serve, layer your favorite fajita fixings on a warm tortilla followed by cooked vegetable mixture. Wrap and enjoy!

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.

Leftovers for Lunch

I had half a sweet potato sitting forlornly on the second shelf of my fridge. I don't remember using the other half, but judging from the state of affairs, I probably used it about week or so ago.

As I look out the window, I can see the wind outside is whipping the snow off the roof of the house next door. It's been doing that all morning, which makes me very happy that I have a PA day today and I get to hang out with my massive pile of marking inside.

Of course, I spent all morning not marking but thinking about lunch.

I knew I wanted to do something with that sweet potato and the organic brown rice I'd just picked up from the new health food store on Bloor.

And something to do with the bag of mushrooms I'd bought on Monday but hadn't touched at all since.

I knew I wanted a bit of heat. Something Thai-inspired felt like the way to go.

It didn't have to be pretty. It just had to taste awesome.

Sweet Potato Mushroom Thai Stir-Fry

Ingredients

1 tbsp canola oil
½ sweet potato, peeled and cut into matchsticks (the thinner you cut them, the faster they'll cook)
1 shallot, peeled, halved and sliced
4 large button mushrooms, sliced*
one handful baby spinach, trimmed
one palmful cilantro, chopped
cooked brown rice

Marinade/Sauce

2 tbsp fish sauce
4 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
¼ - 1 tsp sriracha

*For the record, I quartered half of mine and sliced and marinated the other half. Next time, I'd slice and marinate all of them.

Directions

1. Mix all marinade ingredients together and add sliced mushrooms to it. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.

2. Heat oil in wok over high heat. When shimmering, add sweet potatoes and shallots. Stir fry for 5 minutes or until sweet potatoes begin to colour and soften.

3. Add in mushrooms and marinade. You may wish to throw in 2 tbsp of water as well, to help the sweet potatoes cook. Stir fry until sweet potatoes are desired tenderness.

4. Add in spinach and stir fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until spinach is wilted.

unwilted

wilted

6. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and serve over hot rice. Makes enough for 2.

Add a lime slice for bonus flavour!

So you need to detox...

With Christmas parties and baking in full swing, I know that many of you, like myself, are going to overindulge. I'm just not one of those people who even wants to say no to a tray of shortbread cookies, or sausage rolls.

Heck, I received about 7lbs of various chocolates from my students! (I left them in my desk at school to get me through the cold, dark, Canadian winter.)

So, when Kat was over on Thursday, we made this totally awesome Sweet Potato, Chard and Mushroom Quesadilla thing. It was bursting with bright vegetables and black beans mixed with chipotle in adobo sauce. We opted to turn these into baked burrito type things rather than quesadillas, which added a nice crunch without the addition of two much fat.

So, when you're looking for something to clear out all the sugar and fat from your system, this is the recipe for you!

A little cilantro wouldn't go amiss!

Sweet Potato, Chard, and Mushroom Vegan Quesadillas

From showmevegan.blogspot.com

(Makes 3 gigantic burritos)

1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces sweet potato, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large chipotle in adobo, minced
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 large cloves garlic, minced
5 baby bella mushrooms, diced
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
1 bunch chard, stems discarded, leaves sliced
1/3 cup water
3 whole wheat tortillas


Prepare the potatoes by covering with water in a pot and boiling until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Mash them in a large bowl using a potato masher, adding chipotle in adobo, 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, kidney beans, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large skillet (with a lid), heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic and mushrooms for about 5 minutes, then add cumin, ground chipotle, and salt to taste for about 1 minute. Add chard and 1/3 cup water. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer until liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spritz one side of a tortilla with extra virgin olive oil. Turn over and on the un-spritzed side spread a layer of the sweet potato mixture. On half of the tortilla, spread half of the chard mixture. Then fold the tortilla over so that the stuffings are inside the tortilla like a sandwich. Heat through in a skillet over medium heat, turning several times, until browned. Prepare the second tortilla in the same manner. Keeping a close eye on things, broil under the element for a few minutes, until brown. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Serve with salsa and avocado slices.

Risotto with Mushrooms and Mascarpone

This was the first risotto recipe I ever tried, and I love it to death. It claims to serve four, but Phil and I have been known to eat the whole thing between the two of us!

While the recipe calls for dried porcini mushrooms, I've used dried shiitakes with great success too. Short version: find yourself a cup's worth of dried mushroom and go to town!

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone

(from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010)

Ingredients

2  cups  boiling water
1  cup  dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 ounce)
1  (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef broth
Cooking spray
1  cup  uncooked Arborio rice
3/4  cup  chopped shallots
2  garlic cloves, minced
1/2  cup  dry white wine
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1  tablespoon  chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) mascarpone cheese
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine 2 cups boiling water and mushrooms; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain through a colander over a bowl. Reserve 1 1/2 cups soaking liquid; chop mushrooms.

2. Bring soaking liquid and broth to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil). Keep broth mixture warm.

3. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add rice, shallots, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add wine, and cook until liquid evaporates (about 2 minutes).

4. Add 1 cup broth mixture to rice mixture; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of the broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Add mushrooms, grated cheese, chopped thyme, salt, and pepper; stir gently until cheese melts. Spoon 1 cup risotto into each of 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon mascarpone and thyme leaves, if desired.

So creamy. So comforting. So delicious.

Beef and Barley Soup

For the past 2 years, practically every Tuesday night I have eaten alone. Phil usually has a class that night, and so I am left to my own devices.

Confession: when cooking for myself, my own devices usually involves the jar of peanut butter and bread.  Or crackers eaten directly from the box.

Or if I'm really feeling like I want to cook, then scrambled eggs.

I do not like cooking for myself - not because I don't like cooking, but because I hate cleaning up after.

Last night, as I walked home through the downtown core, the windchill brought the temperature down into the negative double digits. I knew peanut butter was just not going to work for me.

So, I braved the thought of creating a mountain of dishes and decided to make soup. Of course, I didn't have all the ingredients I needed for either my beef barley recipe (I only had ground beef) nor my dutch meatball soup (no leeks or egg noodles). In the end, I created a hybrid. And, if I do say so myself, I think it turned out pretty well.

Using dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid infuses an earthy flavour to the soup.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
½ large onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp sage
½ package dried porcini mushrooms
7 cups water
1 beef boullion stock cube
½ cup pot barley, rinsed and drained
2 bay leaves
2 tsp tamari soy sauce
3 tbsp dry sherry
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot covered with cooking spray, sauté beef until just brown over medium heat. Remove from pot with slotted spoon and leave in a bowl while you prepare the vegetables.

2. Meanwhile, cover dried mushrooms with 4 cups of boiling water. Let sit, while you prep the remaining ingredients.

3. Sauté onion, celery, carrot and garlic with thyme and sage until soft, about 5 minutes.

4. Remove mushrooms from liquid (be sure to save this) and coarsely chop.

5. Return beef and its juices that have accumulated in the bowl to the pot. Add chopped mushrooms, their soaking liquid and the remaining 3 cups of water along with the bouillon cube and the barley and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes until barley is tender.

6. Just before serving, add sherry, tamari, parsley. Taste and then add salt and pepper accordingly.

Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich, and you're set for that brisk winter night!

Monday Night Vegan Cooking with Kat

Hold on to your hats, boleros and bonnets folks, not only did this week's episode of the Bachelorette promise to be the one where Frank Loses It, but Kat and I are cooked up a storm!

Frank. What a dweeb. He sucked. I hope he and his girl are broken up again.

Last night's Menu:

Appetizers: Stuffed Mushrooms
Sides: Wagamama's Raw Salad, Pasta Salad with artichokes and olives
Main Course: Tempeh Crab Cakes with... erm... some kind of remoulade.
Dessert: Bittersweet Chocolate Orange Sorbet

Here's what the dinner plate looked like:

Wagamama Salad, Pasta Salad, Tempeh Crab Cakes

Now, Kat was worried about the tempeh crab cakes... which is a first for our Monday night cooking. Usually what happens is I get weirded out by the recipe and she's totally calm, cool and collected.


So when she gets nervous, I get extra nervous... 'cause, you know... I'm not even entirely sure I know what what tempeh is. I know there's fermenting. I know it's soy bean based. I know it comes in blocks.


We were both relieved that the cakes were awesome. My husband gave them huge thumbs up. And when the carnivore does that, you know you're in a happy place.

Recipes and links after the jump!