Cold Noodle Salad

My pie is in the oven, my family is coming over to eat it within the hour (I was supposed to make it yesterday but didn't have time), and my kitchen is a disaster. At this moment I should really be downstairs getting ready, but instead I am sitting hear inhaling my dinner and dying to share it with you all. I am sure you can guess what won that battle ;)

I had been looking for something quick, involved minimal 'cooking' as we have a mini heat wave going on, and lastly vegetarian. This one fit the bill perfectly, and is delicious. To be honest there is a slight chance that I am on my second bowl of it :)

Cold Noodle Salad (Courtesy of Emeril, with minor modifications)



1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons sesame oil
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked until tender and the run under cold water to cool
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup thinly sliced carrots
3/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 cup lightly crushed toasted cashews
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro


In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce and sesame oil. To the noodles, add green onions, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, cashews, cilantro, sesame seeds, and the soy mixture and mix thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Tofu in black bean sauce

I love tofu, consequently I cook tofu for dinner. Now guess who else in our house likes it too...Hubby. He always used to turn his nose up at the sound of the, but now really enjoys it. Probably because he learned that I didn't really care if he liked it or not, I was cooking it and he had to eat it :) Of course he will deny that he likes it completely, to all of his red-meat-eating friends and family :)

Anyway, because we do eat a fair amount of tofu I am always on the search for new recipes to use it in. I stumbled across this one here on Epicurious the other day. I made a few minor alterations but it was soooo good! I think it was the black bean sauce that got me, as oddly it is something I have been craving for awhile.

Stir-Fried Tofu in Black Bean sauce:



-15 shiitake mushrooms
-1 tablespoon cornstarch
-1 cup chicken broth
-2 tablespoons soy sauce
-1 tablespoon rice vinegar
-1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
-1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

-3 tablespoons peanut oil
-1 small leek (white and pale green parts only), cut into matchstick-size strips
-2 tablespoons black bean sauce
-2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-2 teaspoons hot sauce
-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-1 package medium tofu cubed

Trim ends from mushrooms and chop finely.

Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons broth. Stir in remaining broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Whisk together.

Heat oil in heavy large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms; stir-fry until browned, about 3 minutes. Add leek; stir-fry until beginning to brown. Add black beans, ginger, garlic, chili-garlic sauce, and peppercorns; stir-fry until fragrent.

Stir cornstarch mixture to blend, then stir into vegetable mixture. Add tofu; toss gently to coat with sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until sauce thickens slightly.

Serve over fresh rice, and Enjoy!

Poitou-Style Pea Soup

As a child my Dad loved green pea soup, and ate it religiously. I thought he was completely crazy, and even the smell sent me running to my room. Granted he ate the canned kind so maybe he kind of was ;)

Now however I have seen the light and there is nothing I love more than a bowl of pea soup. There is something incredibly refreshing and light about it, it is honestly perfect at any time of the year. Oh, and the crostini, my new favorite snack in to have in the middle of the afternoon :)

Pea Soup (From Great soups, Empty Bowls):

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 5 cups frozen peas
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp savoury
• 3 Tbsp fresh parsley
  
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3 cups butter lettuce chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Heat butter in soup pot. Add onions and cooked until softened, but not browned. Add peas, herbs, sugar and lettuce and toss until coated. Add broth, and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

Using blender, puree soup in batches until smooth. Serve either hot or cold.

Over Sized crostini:

• 1/4 cup ricotta
• Sliced French bread
• 2 Tbsp walnuts chopped

Spread ricotta on bread, and sprinkle to with walnuts. Place in toaster over or normal oven until bread it crisp.

Serve with soup.

Enjoy!

Soups on

It's cold, and snowy. The wind is blowing and only on a good days does the sun seem to peak from behind the clouds. To top it all off, it is only half way through January and here we have many more weeks of this to go before the snow starts to melt and the temperature warms up.

So depressing, the winter blahs. At least it is a good excuse to make and eat lots of soup. Here are a couple of recent ones from our kitchen:

Potato, Leek and bacon soup:

• half pound bacon, roughly chopped
  
• 4-5 medium leeks; cleaned, dark green part removed, and sliced thin
  
• 4 small yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubbed
• 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
  
• salt and pepper, to taste

In large pot, cook bacon until starts to turn golden, but not crispy. Add leeks and stirring occasionally, cook until soft, approximately 20 minutes.

Add potatoes and broth to pot. Increase heat to medium-high in order to bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer approximately 45 minutes, or until potato is tender.

Remove from heat. Either using immersion blender, or blender, puree soup until smooth. Slowly stir in heavy cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For a vegetarian option, omit bacon and use 3 tbsp of butter to cook leeks in.

Enjoy!

Italian Turkey soup: (Original recipe courtesy of Epicurious)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  
• 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
  
• 1 large zucchini, diced
  
• 2 carrot, diced
  
• 1 9-ounce package fresh cheese tortellini
  
• 2 cups diced cooked turkey

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, basil, and crushed red pepper and sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth. Cover pot and simmer 10 minutes. Add zucchini and carrot. Cover and simmer until carrot is almost tender, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and bring soup to boil. Add tortellini and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add turkey and cook just until heated through, about 1 minute. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Enjoy!

Friends and Food

Our friends have a yearly tradition, that has been going on since the early days of university. Every year around Christmas we all gather together, for our annual Christmas Potluck. The years have spread most of us out over the country, and even taken a few abroad. Somehow though must of us all manage to make it back together. Of course there are new faces to the circle too, as many of us have settled down. There are even a few children running around...or at least soon will. It is always such a good opportunity to catch up, and of course eat, and eat and eat. Really what would a party be without food :)

Traditional I am the host of this joyous gathering, which I love. This year however I planned the date such that is coincided with our Dance recital. Needless to say it did not leave much time for preparation and I was looking for a couple of very quick, easy and delicious recipes to prepare in advance. This one here fit the bill for sure. The pita chips are a little more time consuming that just opening a bag of nachos, but nothing compares to them and they are worth the few minutes for sure.

White- Bean Hummus: (From Eat, Shrink and be Merry)

• 1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cp light sour cream
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp minced dill
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Pinch black pepper

• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup seeded and diced English cucumbers
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup crumbled basil and tomato feta

Place all hummus ingredients in food processor and whirl until smooth (see told you it was easy). Spread over a 8 or 0 inch casserole dish or pie place. Top with diced cucumber, tomato, green onions and feta. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Pita Chips:

• 1 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
• 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 6 whole wheat pitas
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Crush rosemary and mix with Parmesan in small bowl. In a separate small bowl mix olive oil, butter, garlic and onion powder.

Using kitchen scissors, cut pita into wedges. Peel pita apart so that you have doubled the number of wedges.

Using pastry brush, brush the olive oil mixture on the rough side of the pita. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese mixture. Bake in oven for approximately 10 minutes. Be careful as they can burn in an instant. Cool before serving with hummus or other dip of choice.

Enjoy!

Savory Soup

I don't like raw mushrooms, shhhh it is a secret. Simply I can't stand the texture of them, all spongy and squigy! Now if you fry them up and cook them in something you have a totally different story as I can't stop eating them. There is something about the earthy flavor that develops, and the change in texture, that I can't get enough of. If you put them in a soup and I am in even more trouble. Consequently whenever I stumble across a mushroom soup recipe I have to try it, no if ands or buts! Hubby of course complains at the start due to the lack of meat, but normally enjoys it just as much as I do in the end.

This recipe here is by far the simplest one I have completed to date. Not many complicated ingredients, so it allows the full bodied flavor of the mushroom to be full enjoyed. It was also very quick and easy, something I definitely appreciate after a long day at work and a almost three year old who desperately wants my attention.

White Mushroom Soup:

• 2 lbs white mushrooms, sliced
  
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed
• 4 1/4 cups chicken broth or water
• Salt and pepper

Melt butter in soup pot. Add onion and cook slowly until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until soft.

Add flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Add thyme, chicken stock and salt and pepper. Bring to boil and cook covered for approximately 15 minutes.

Transfer half to blender and puree, and return to pot, stirring well to incorporate.

Serve and enjoy!

Quiche

The laziness is still continuing. Add to it the massive head cold I am fighting at the moment and what do you get? A really boring food blog. So for that I apologize. Hopefully things will be back to normal next week, well as normal as our house ever is!

I did find the energy to whip up this yummy dish. Okay, really it didn't take much energy at all. I totally cheated and didn't make my own pie crust, store bought all the way. Sometimes for us working moms you just don't have the time and it is the only way to go. The recipe itself is very forgiving and you can play with its contents to fit your own tastes.

Spinach & Mushroom Quiche:

• 1-9" pie shell
• 1/4 butter
  
• 1 small onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 1/2 cups mushrooms sliced
• 1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and chopped
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1 1/2 cup grated cheddar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In fry pan melt butter, and add onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Add mushroom and continue to cook until soft. Add in drained spinach. Stir in feta and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Poor into pie shell.

In separate bowl beat eggs and milk together. Poor over top of veggie/cheese mixture.

Place on cookie sheet in oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes (I do recommend the cookie sheet below the pie dish, we had a case of exploding quiche, and it if wasn't for the cookie sheet I would have had a huge mess to clean. We are talking the kind of mess where I would have prefered to simply buy a new oven then try to clean it). Cover the top with the remainder of the cheese, and return to oven for approximately 35 minutes, or until middle is set. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Goodbye Summer

I am welcoming Fall with arms wide open. To celebrate I made soup last night, and enjoyed every single minute of it! Of course since doing so the sun has come out, and it is 28C, but that is okay.

Normally I am not quite so welcoming of the season change, and I am sure once fall is officially here I will be regretting my early indoctrination of it. Of course to be honest my longing for colder weather is simply due to the my overwhelming desire to use my new cookbook, Great Soup, Empty Bowls. Did I mention that I was able to get a copy of it for only $5 at HomeSense, I really love that store. Because I wouldn't let myself make soup in too early, I have been reading it over and over again. Flagging all the ones that catch my eye, which is most of the book. I was even reading it in the ER last week, while I was waiting for my Hubby. I do believe they people there though I was a tad strange. Oh well!

Anyway this I was very impressed with first one and can't wait to try more of them.

Fresh corn chowder and roasted red pepper cream:
(Serves 4)

• 4 cobs of corn
• 2 tbsp butter
  
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 baking potato, peeled and cubbed
  
• 2 cup milk
• 1 poblano pepper: roasted, peeled, seeded and minced
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Salt
  

Start by cutting corn off of cobs. You should end up with approximately 2/5-3 cups. In soup pot, melt butter and cook onion and garlic until soft. Add potato, corn and milk. Bring to a simmer and semi-cover pot with lid cooking until potato is soft. Approximately 10 minutes.

Add whipping cream, poblano pepper, and season with salt. Return to a simmer. Stirring frequently, cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.

For the cream:

• 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 red pepper: roasted, peeled, seeded and pureed

Combine all ingredients for the cream. Add a dollop on top of soup and serve.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Night

In our quest to eat healthier, I like to have Vegetarian night. I aim for at least once a week, however it unfortunately doesn't always end up that often. Normally Hubby protests the night, and aways comments on 'how this would be really good if there was ground beef in it!'. I of course deny him, and we continue on our merry way :)

For this week's vegetarian installment I was able to combine with one of my favorite styles of cooking, Mexican! I adore the flavor of cumin, and the sort of smokey taste it bring to dishes. Of course it also gives me and excuse to use salsa when I am eating, my absolute favorite!


Vegetable Tostadas:

• Tostada shells
• 2 potatoes, peeled, cubbed and boiled
• 3 gloves garlic minced
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3 tomatoes diced
• 4 oz green beans, blanched and cut into bite sized pieces
• oregano
• 1 can black beans
• Feta cheese
• 2-3 romaine lettuce leaves, shredded
• 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced

Heat olive oil in skilled and add cooked potatoes, and brown. Add garlic, red pepper, chili powder, paprika and cumin. Cook 2-3 minutes until peppers soft.

Add tomatoes, green beans, oregano. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until tender. The mixture should be sauce like, and not to dry. If needed add some water. (I added around 1/2 cup).

Heat black beans in separate skillet with small amount of water. Keep warm, but don't let dry out.

To assemble tostadas: place tostada shell on plate, and layer black beans over bottom, sprinkle with crumbles feta. Spoon hot veggie mix on and top with few shreds of lettuce and green onion and serve at once.


This recipe is really yummy. If there is a desire to serve it in a non-vegetarian style, you could replace the black beans with ground beef easily, Enjoy!