Tuesday 29 May 2012

Polenta Pie

For dinner last night I used a recipe given to me by my friend Sam.  Sam, like myself grew up in a family where meat played a pretty big role in the dinners that crossed her table.  Since meeting her future husband Ryan, she's adopted a vegetarian lifestyle and hasn't looked back since.  I asked Sam for some sample meals that she and Ryan enjoy and she was sweet enough to send over 3 recipes that they love...one for each breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I've posted all three below (because they were all so, so good!), but I've included the pictures and some comments on the dinner recipe for polenta pie. 

Here's what Sam had to say:

Breakfast

One of our favourite breakfast go-to’s is a frittata. The best part about them is that you can throw in any leftover vegetables you have in the fridge and they always taste delicious. Frittata’s are also satisfying to eat for lunch or dinner when paired with a big green salad.

This recipe is from PLENTY by Yotam Ottolenghi, which is a vegetarian cookbook with beautiful, big photographs of scrumptious food that will get your mouth watering. The book is divided into chapters like “The Mighty Eggplant,” “Green Things” and “Funny Onions,” instead of your typical Soup, Salad, and Entree headings, which is a clever way of showcasing the ingredients that are at the heart of his dishes.

Smoky Frittata

1 small cauliflower, cut into medium florets
6 eggs
4 tbsp creme fraiche
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
3 tbsp finely chopped chives
5 oz smoked scamorza, grated (similar to smoked mozzarella)
2 oz mature cheddar
salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Simmer the cauliflower in a large pan of boiling salted water for only 4 to 5 mins, or until semi-cooked. Drain and dry.

Preheat the oven to 375. Break the eggs into a large bowl. Add the creme fraiche, mustard and paprika and whisk well, making sure the eggs and creme fraiche are thoroughly blended. Stir in the chives and 3/4 of the cheeses, and season well with salt and pepper.

Heat up the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan. Fry the cauliflower for about 5 mins, or until golden brown on one side. Pour over the egg mixture and use a fork to spread the cauliflower evenly in the pan. Cook on medium heat for about 5 mins.

Scatter the remaining cheeses on top, then carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Cook for 10 to 12 mins, or until the frittata is set.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before cutting into wedges. Eat immediately, with a peppery green salad.

Lunch

Lunch for me is usually leftovers from dinner the night before, but lately I love eating pasta or grain salads with tons of veggies and a light lemon dressing. I think I could eat this israeli couscous salad every day for lunch and never get sick of it. If you’ve never had israeli couscous before you must try it. Immediately.

Israeli Couscous with Arugula, Tomatoes and Feta

1-½ cup Israeli Couscous
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Divided
3 cups Water
1 whole Lemon, Juiced
⅓ cups Olive Oil
4 slices Scallions, Thinly Sliced
2 cups Arugula, Thinly Sliced
1 pint Grape Tomatoes, Halved
¼ pounds Feta Cheese, Diced
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped

In a stockpot, bring the couscous, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the water to a boil. Turn the heat down to low. Cover & cook for 8 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed.

When the couscous is cooked, drain it in a colander and rinse it with cool water. Set it aside.

Pour the lemon juice into a large bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and whisk, adding the scallions and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.

Just before serving, add the arugula, tomatoes, feta cheese, and parsley to the couscous. Toss with the olive oil-lemon juice dressing. Season with pepper and serve.

Dinner

The cookbook that gets the most use in our house is The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, which is filled with easy-to-make recipes, charming drawings and hand lettering. This polenta pie was one of the first recipes we made from this cookbook and is one that I will turn to again and again because of it’s satisfying, crispy polenta crust and the open-ended possibilities for toppings.

CRUST:
1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 cups boiling water (in a saucepan)
A little olive oil

FILLING:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced bell pepper
10 mushrooms, sliced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
5 to 6 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried (or 2 tablespoons minced fresh) basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound mozzarella, grated
2 small (or 1 medium-sized) ripe tomato, sliced

Combine cornmeal, salt, and cold water in a small bowl. Have the boiling water on the stove in a saucepan, and add the cornmeal mixture, whisking. Cook about 10 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently, It will get very thick. Remove from heat, and let cool until handleable.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Oil a 10-inch pie pan. Add the polenta, and use a rubber spatula and/or wet hands to form it into a smooth, thick crust over the bottom and sides of the pan. Brush the surface with olive oil, and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
While the crust bakes, heat 1 tablesoon olive oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onion, and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add the bell pepper, mushroom,s and zucchini, and saute utnil everything is tender, but not too soft. (Use your own judgment. There are no rules!) Stir in the garlic, herbs, and some black pepper, and sauté just a few minutes more.
Turn up the oven to broiling temperature. Sprinkle half the cheese onto the bottom of the baked crust (OK if the crust is still hot), and add the tomato slices. Spread the sautéed mixture over the tomatoes, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil until brown (about 5 minutes) and serve hot.

Whew! How amazing do all of these sound?  I can tell you that the Israeli couscous (which incidentally, I had never tried) was fantastic and the salad has become a lunch staple over the last few weeks.  The polenta pie was delicious.  It was filling, and the last minute broil gave it a nice crunch that contrasted the softness of the "pie". 

Chopped Veggies

Polenta Crust-So easy to make!

Dining Al Fresco!

Tomato/Parmesean Cheese Layering

A little slice of heaven

Dessert-Berries and Cream

Friday 18 May 2012

Pasta Party

So I've been trying really hard to avoid pasta during this month without meat.  I know that it's an easy and filling alternative...but I also know that carb loading is not going to do me any favours in the long run-and if I let myself get too far down that road, there might be no turning back.  Pasta has always been a staple of my diet, having parents who immigrated from Italy meant that I was exposed to the glory of pasta in so many ways, at so many turns (for further proof see my grade 5 class picture...gives new meaning to the word meatball).  I found this recipe for Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy on Tumblr, and although the recipe originally called for chicken, it was easy to omit the meat without sacrificing the taste.



Some tips:
-I used vegetable stock instead of the suggested chicken stock
-I dumped the cherry tomatos in with the butter and garlic to soften them up and give the "gravy" some colour and a sweeter taste
-I added the basil at the very end, I personally think basil tastes the best when it is fresh and hasn't been too affected by heat.

Anyway, it was delicious...and as an added bonus-my house smelled like garlic for 2 full days afterwards ;)

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Shady Business

Every summer I spend an obscene amount of time searching for the perfect pair of sunglasses.  I'm not picky about many things in life, but sunglasses seem to be one of the exceptions (along with hair products and spicy foods).  I love love love my TOMS shoes and the premise behind the company, so I was excited when they unveiled their newest project "One for One," featuring eyewear that follows the same model as the shoes.  Buy a pair and someone in need is helped.  I hate ordering sunglasses online, since you never really know until you try them on-so imagine my delight when I stumbled upon the "Vitual Try-On" application on their website.  From the comfort of my office at work I could (and did) spend a solid half hour "trying on" shades!  Now if only I could do this with bathing suits...or, maybe not?!



Which pair will I choose?!

 Read about TOMS "Summer of Sight" project for a little more info!

Saturday 12 May 2012

Weekender

Spent a lovely Saturday booting around town with my patient (poor Charlie had to get nose surgery for a deviated septum). I love that there are two major markets to choose from in the city, the gigantic St. Jacobs Market and the smaller but still fantastic Kitchener market. Charlie and I disagree on which market is better-but today I won out and we hit up the KW market for mother's day brunch making supplies, fresh squeezed oj, flowers and the best organic bagel breakfast sandwich you will ever try. Ever.

Happy weekend everyone!

Friday 11 May 2012

Que Sera Sera


Last night I was lucky enough to have one of my best ladies pay me a visit from the fine city of Burlington for a quick dinner date.  Living away from home sometimes takes it's toll;  it's the nicest to be able to sit and chat idly without having to even say much at all.  I miss that the most about my friends from home. 

I decided to try my hand at modifying a recipe I found for Spinach and Mushroom Quesidillas on Martha Stewart's Website.  I am starting to get a little sick of Indian inspired dishes...I overloaded a little on the cumin last week and was craving a meal with less of a flavour blast.  I used good old cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and sweet onions instead of red...but all in all, I think they turned out wonderfully.  I whipped up a little spinach and strawberry salad with feta to go along with the meal and voila! Dinner.

I have to admit that I am starting to miss eating meat just a little.  I've really enjoyed the challenge of coming up with creative dishes and trying new things...but every now and then I get a pang of longing for a New York Strip-loin ;)


Monday 7 May 2012

A Foray Into Falafal

Here we are at week 2 of my meatless month, and so far things are going well.  It was a challenging weekend with a wedding and shower...I hadn't planned ahead for these so I ended up eating a whole lot of salad and green beans! 

Tonight's dinner was falafals.  The recipe is from my friend Andrea's website tasty and practical vegetarian cooking.  I met Andrea though her husband Josh-who I worked with in the History departement at Bluevale.  Josh's tasty and delicious smelling lunches were always the envy of everyone in the history office, so needless to say I was thrilled when Andrea started posting her recipes online.  Even before I decided to forgoe meat, Charlie and I enjoyed the occassional recipe from her site.

Here's what Andrea has to say about their reasons for choosing a vegetarian diet:

Josh and I have been vegetarians for about 5 years now and there were a lot of factors that went into us making this decision.  Health reasons were definitely an important one.  The hormones and other additives in grocery store meat are a huge concern.  Second, we were concerned about the impact of meat production and transport on the environment.  Not only do animals consume a lot of grain and water but the transport of animals and meat has a lot of negative effects on the environment.  Third, the factory farming of animals and horrible butchering practices are quite disgusting upsetting.  We realize that we could buy local free-range, hormone-free and ethically butchered meat.  It is way more readily available now than it was even 5 years ago but we feel that we are able to meet our dietary needs quite adequately with our vegetarian diet and we feel good about the things that we eat.

If I could have Andrea move in with me and work as my personal chef, I would eat like a queen every day!  I have a few more of her amazing recipes to try out over the next few weeks, but in the meantime, check out her website for some tasty vegetarian meals.



Friday 4 May 2012

Tips of the Trade...

It's been a low key week in my kitchen since the vegetarian challenge kicked off on Tuesday...a few extra long soccer games and some school commitments kept me from my more ambitious vegetarian cooking ideas.  We've had left-over minestrone and a vegetarian pizza from the place down the hill; so gourmet, I know.  I'm hoping to try out some of the (many) recipes that have landslided my way over the next few weeks...stay tuned! 

So, as promised I've invited a few of my more seasoned (he-he, get it?) vegetarian friends to offer up some expert advice and share some tips as I move forward with this.  My darling friend Ashley has offered up a top ten list of must-haves for going veg.  Ashley and her husband Oliver are a sweet little family of three (with one more on the way!) and are by far the most adorable, fashionable people I know.  They are both longtime vegetarians...so I knew they'd have some great insight for me.  Here are Ashley's top 10 vegetarian must haves:

1. Edamame - soy in its purest form. So delish and takes 3 minutes to make. Even my 22 month old can get the edamame out of the shell with his mouth. A great bedtime snack or add on to any meal.

2. TVP - Textured Vegetable Protein. Great meat substitute and has literally no taste. It does need to be re hydrated before eating in a little water but again can be added to any meal. I like to add it to spaghetti sauce that's chunky already because the texture isn't amazing. Its very inexpensive at under $4 for a bag that will last for months.

3. Nuts - any kind of raw nut, great snack for veg heads and very filling.

4. Peanut Butter - organic if possible and raw. The Kraft brand IS delicious but packed with sugar and if you're going to eat it as much as I do, you want some real peanut butter. Occasionally I DO add some butter to my toast for a treat because it tends to be dry, but once you get used to it, you'll forget all about your friend, Skippy. Add it to any fruit or veg or spread it on while grain toast. Or as Oliver does, eat it straight with a spoon as a treat.

5. Avocado - Although they ARE high in fat (approx 15grams for half an avocado), they are delicious and so so good for you. They are great for pregnant woman because they are full of foliate which can combat birth defects in an unborn child. They are also good for your heart and they keep you feeling full so no bad snacks in between meals.  We like to spread an entire avocado on 2 pieces of toast with cheese and salt and pepper or just mash it inside it's half shell and dip tortilla chips for a snack.


6. Vitamin B12 and Iron supplement - vegetarians normally lack in iron and so I find a supplement is necessary. Low iron can cause you to bleed more and really make you feel tired all the time. Vitamin B12 is not commonly found in plant foods so it's another supplement I recommend taking as it’s required to make red blood cells. It's not a huge deal to take if you are going to eat a lot of fish or dairy products ie. eggs but if you are planning on a vegan diet, this might be a good idea.

7. Beans - high in protein, iron and fibre. I like beans in any form, raw or cooked green beans, browned beans or Chick peas.

8. Chia Seeds - magic food! They are high in protein, calcium and potassium (no more leg cramps) and have 3x more iron than spinach. You can add them to anything, we even add them to mashed potatoes. They don't have much of a taste and can be added to ultimately anything from any meal to dessert. They are gluten free as well if you have an intolerance to gluten. Chia seeds also swell in water so they make you feel full.

9. "Meat" substitutes - These aren't an every day thing. Yes, they are soy products so they will have the protein needed, but mostly they are soy by products which there is a lot of controversy in the media for the past couple years whether it's good for you or not . They are great because they are pretty good at mimicking the texture of real meat as well as the flavor. My favourite line is the Gardein products, specifically the beef bits and orange chicken. I also love Yves veggie dogs. They are the same ones hot dog vendors use in Toronto that taste so good. They're delicious, but again, in
moderation.

10. Quinoa - I don't personally love quinoa, but Oliver does and it again is packed full of protein. It has all 9 Of the essential amino acids. It's best used as a rice supplement. Good in a stir fry with mixed vegetable and a little soy sauce. Quinoa is also gluten free.

Another tip for being a veg is careful on the carb intake. Most people will loose weight and feel amazing after only a couple meat free days, but if you are filling your mouth with bread, it can have the reverse effect.  Becoming vegetarian is so easy, just skip the meat and make sure you are supplementing the protein. Many vegetables are packed with protein and iron. In fact, many vegetarians get more protein than meat eaters because they are more conscious eaters.
Cutting meat out of your diet will give you more energy and allow you to sleep less as well as keep a trim waistline ;)


 Amazing right?!  If you know me, you know I love a good list...so this was the perfect jumping off point for me.  If you have any other "must haves" to add to Ashley's list, I'd love to hear them!

Tuesday 1 May 2012

Nonna's Minestrone

Today marks the first day of my vegetarian challenge. I was all set to make sweet potato enchiladas, but my little sister (and current live-in house guest) surprised me with a pot of my Nonna Sera's homemade minestrone. Minestrone is a traditional Italian dish and literally means "big soup"(cute eh?). There is no set recipe for this soup as it's usually made with whatever seasonal vegetables are on hand.

At one point or another, both my two younger sisters and I have lived with my Grandmother; and since minestrone is one of the cornerstones of Italian cooking, we were treated to this hearty meal at least once a week. There really isn't anything like walking into your house and being hit with the distinct smell of this "big soup" simmering away.


Nonna's Minestrone

1  8oz can chopped tomato (or if you're lucky, 1 jar of Nonna's canned tomatoes)
3 cups water
2 zucchini
1 large onion
1 can red kidney beans
1 large potato
3 stalks celery
3 large carrots
2 cups green beans
1 clove garlic
4-5 fresh basil leaves
orzo pasta (or whatever pasta you have on hand)
salt and pepper to taste
Chop your veggies and combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium letting the soup simmer for about an hour.  Add your orzo about 15-20 minutes before you are ready to eat!