Cast-Iron Skillet Cooking {Pear & Roasted Garlic Riesling Pork Chops for Two}

This past weekend, I had a great time with a close friend, heading just out of the city to Almonte for a little antique shop perusing and to check out the Handmade Harvest Craft Show. We were not disappointed with the array of awesome handmade crafts at the show - so much great local talents! And there were also some great antique finds! We even popped into the Tin Barn Market, Hello Yellow and Superior Diner for some good old fashioned, diner poutine and a pop to fuel up!

On the way back to Ottawa, we stopped in at my friend's beautiful parent's house for a moment! We were greeted a warmly by her family doing some kitchen floor renovations. We sat for a minute and talked with her mom about our day and antiques and dessert recipes. I mentioned I had been looking for a new cast-iron pan. On our way out of the house, her mom handed me a cast-iron pan and a loaf of raisin bread (probably the best raisin bread I have ever had! It was seriously amazing!). I promised her mom that the next recipe on the blog, I would use the cast-iron skillet. So, without further ado...

Pear & Roasted Garlic Riesling Pork Chops for Two

Ingredients:

2 large, thick pork chops (ensure that there is fat on the chops, around the edge for maximum carmelization and deliciousness)
3 cloves garlic, halved
1 medium pear, sliced
1 shallot, quartered
1 teaspoon dried savoury
1/3 cup riesling (I used Cave Spring 2011 Riesling)
Freshly cracked black pepper & sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Cast-iron skillet

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a shallow baking dish season the pork chops well with salt and pepper, savoury and about half of the riesling.

Heat the cast iron skillet on the stove with extra virgin olive oil, just until you see a fee strands of smoke come up from the pan. You want the skillet to be very hot to sear the outside of the meat. Add the pork chops to the pan. Sear until golden brown and delicious crust forms on each side. Add the 1/3 cup of riesling.

Take the pan off the heat, arrange the garlic, pear, shallot in the pan with the chops. Place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pears, garlic and shallot become caramelized.

Serve the prok chops in the pan as they are at the table. This is the perfect Sunday dish for two. Remember to buy some nice crusty bread to soak up all the yummy pork juices!

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Autumn Pumpkin Spice Series III {Pumpkin Hummus & Spiced Pita Chips}

It is Halloween! I hope all you ghouls and goblins are preparing to scare up a storm this evening and gather pillow cases worth of candy! I remember very fondly, how excited my sister and I would get dressing up in wacky costumes and getting out in our neighborhood to knock on those doors and in unison declare, "Trick-or-Treat!" at the top of our lungs, grab our loot and run away! The good houses gave away full chocolate bars or cans of pop (my parents were known for that) and the bad houses gave healthy snacks (Ew, gross!). But by the end of the evening after running around the block and gorging on candy, chocolate and chips, we often ended up with sore bellies.
 
As the final post in the Autumn Pumpkin Recipe Series, I wanted to do a snack that was healthy to have perhaps, before going out for Halloween, or for the day after, when those treat-filled bellies needed a little pick-me-up!

This is a very easy recipe but is really satisfying. I brought this into work a few weeks ago and everyone loved it, so it is co-worker approved!

Pumpkin Hummus & Spiced Pita Chips

Pumpkin Hummus

1 can of chickpeas, plus 1/4 cup of liquid from the can
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin
2 tablespoons tahini
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, add all of the ingredients together. Blend together until the mixture becomes a very smooth and almost fluffly like texture. You may need to add a bit of water to loosen the mixture in the food processor.

Serve in a nice bowl, with a drizzle of olive oil on top and a sprinkle of paprika. I also topped mine with some great salty pumpkin seeds that I made.

Spiced Pita Chips

Pitas
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Paprika
Cumin

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Prepare your pitas by brushing them with olive oil. I used whole wheat pitas for this recipe. I also used locally made pitas from a Middle Eastern bakery. Once brushed with olive oil, sprinkle the pitas with salt and pepper, paprika and cumin. If you would like a more spicy flavour you can also add cayenne pepper on top.

Stack the prepared pitas on top of each other and cut into eighths. Arrange them on a baking sheet and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes or until golden and cripsy. I didn't use an exact recipe for this snack because you can make as little or as many pitas as you want, using this method. In my experience, its best to make more, because they get eaten up pretty darn quick (just ask my beau!).

Serve these pita chips with the pumpkin hummus. These chips are delicious and even good as a snack on their own.

Happy Halloween!

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Autumn Pumpkin Recipe Series II {Cardamom Spiced Maple Roasted Pumpkin Pie}

Recipe number two in the Turnip & Bean Autumn Pumpkin Recipe Series, is a classic: pumpkin pie.

I have eaten a lot of pumpkin pie in my day. Some of the best have come from the Grandmas, Nanas and Mothers in my family and of other friends. While I wanted to channel the classic pumpkin pie flavours, I also wanted something a bit different. I decided to use cardamom and freshly grated ginger in this recipe to add a unique twist. I also roasted the pumpkin, as you might recall from the first post, with maple syrup. I continued using maple syrup as a sweetener throughout this recipe.

Cardamom Spiced Maple Roasted Pumpkin Pie

 

 

Ingredients:

For the pie crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup, plus 2 teaspoons of cold salted butter
1/4 cup cold or iced water
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or brown sugar)

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a large mixing bowl measure out the flour. Cut in the cold butter and work it with your fingers until the mixture resembles a course meal, with pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Add the cold water and maple syrup. Combine the meal and the wet ingredients until it comes together forming a solid mass of dough. Do not work the dough too much. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for about 25 minutes.

Roll out the pie crust to fit pie shell. The pie plate I used was a deep dish, so this made the bottom of the crust and there was enough extra for decoration along the crust. A braided crust or leaves looks particularly nice. Bake the pie shell in the preheated oven for 4 minutes, until the crust has a matte (not glossy) look to it. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before adding the pie filling.
 
For the filling:

2 1/2 cups maple roasted pumpkin
4 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup milk or cream (you could also substitute this for almond or soy milk)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 425ºF. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients with a whisk. At this point the mixture will likely be a bit lumpy. I used my immersion blender to make a smooth pie filling mixture.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. After this time, turn the oven down to 350ºF and bake for another 45 to 60 minutes until the crust is golden and the pie filling has set in the middle. Let the pie cool.

I enjoyed this pie without any topping, but whipped cream or vanilla ice cream would be heavenly with a slice.

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Autumn Pumpkin Recipe Series I {Pumpkin Apple Sage Soup aka. Thanksgiving Soup}

Finally, I am sitting down to write the first of a series of blog posts about that wonderful fall ingredient: PUMPKIN! 

I made all of these recipes using two medium sized Pie Pumpkins from a local Ottawa grower. To start off all of these recipes, the pumpkins were cut in half, the seeds and pumpkin insides (guts, really) were taken out, and they were then smothered in olive oil. One pumpkin (two halves) were covered in salt and pepper for the savory recipes and the other pumpkin was brushed with some local maple syrup. I roasted them in an oven preheated to 375ºF, for about 60 minutes. Once roasted until the flesh was golden and soft, I scooped out the pumpkin and transferred it into tupperware containers for future use. The seeds were separated from the pumpkin insides, washed, dried and also stored in an airtight container. Finally, the rest of the pumpkin insides I stored in a ziploc bag for a special treat for a certain four-legged friend (stay tuned for that recipe coming up). When embarking on this little pumpkin recipe binge, I decided I wanted to use the entire pumpkin; and I almost did. The only thing I ended up discarding was the skin.

For the first recipe of the series, lets talk soup! I love squash soup and I figured, hey! pumpkin is like squash, so let's whip up a nice, hearty, soul-warming soup! And I did! This recipe might just be one of the best soups, I have ever made. It tastes like a whole Thanksgiving dinner in one bite. Definitely the perfect lunch or light dinner, now that the days are getting colder and heading in to winter.

Pumpkin Apple Sage Soup aka. Thanksgiving Soup

 

 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups roasted pumpkin
2 medium apples, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, chopped
5 sage leaves, bruised (with the back of a knife)
4 cups of vegetable stock
1/2 cup of apple cider
1 teaspoon dried savoury
1 teaspoon dried, ground fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
Salt & Pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

Method:

In a large pot, over medium heat add some olive oil and add the onions, apples, carrots and garlic. Cook until soft. Add the sage leaves, the savoury, fennel seed, celery salt and stir the mixture. Add in the roasted pumpkin, mix well with the onion, apple and spice mixture. Add the vegetable stock and the apple cider. Stir and cook the mixture for about 20 minutes over a medium heat.

Once simmered, turn off the heat and let cool down slightly. You can use a standard blender or an immersion blender to purée the soup until it is nice and smooth. Put back in the pot and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Serve this soup with some pumpkin seeds on top (recipe to come), some bacon, or top with some chopped sage. This soup is ideal with some warm, crusty bread and butter on the side.

This recipe makes two large mason jars of soup - also great way to store it in the fridge and take to work!

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Finally, fall! {Warm & Cozy Vegetarian Samosa Stuffed Peppers}

Although Alex and I love the summer months - the hot, sunny weather, the blue skies, the lazy, popsicle filled days - we spent much of the month of August dreaming of fall.

The dreams of cool mornings, knitted scarves, warm sweaters, riding boots, warm spiced lattés, and cozy comfort foods that filled our heads, are finally coming true these past few days. The leaves are turning a burnt orange, a vibrant red or a golden yellow. Walking to work in the morning you can see your breathe in the crisp air and feel the crunch of leaves under your feet. You have those warm, fuzzy thoughts of cuddling up with someone special under a blanket.

Finally, fall!

To celebrate the start of this time of year, I was very excited to do some comfort cooking. My recipes are often cooked up, due to necessity or what is in my fridge or pantry at the time.This recipe is no exception. I was inspired by Indian spices that just seem to scream fall, with their warmth and intense colours and flavours.

This recipe is vegetarian and is relatively easy, and will definitely warm you up on those cool fall evenings.

Vegetarian Samosa Stuffed Peppers

*This recipe makes 6 portions (or three peppers, halved)

Filling:

4 medium potatoes, boiled and diced
1/2 cup red pepper, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh green peas
2 tablespoons madras curry powder (fresh ground if possible)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 cup water
1 cup homemade tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Peppers:

3 medium sized peppers
1 1/2 cups homemade tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon madras curry power
Halloumi or mozzarella cheese (optional)

Method:

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add the finely diced onion. Cook the onion until there is some caramel and golden colour. Add in the finely diced red pepper and cook until soft. Add in the garlic and the madras curry powder, paprika, cumin and fennel. Toast the spices in the pan for a minute or so - the smell of spices should waft through the air. Add in the cooked potatoes and peas and mix well with the onion, pepper, spice mixture. Add the water and tomato sauce, and salt and pepper to your taste. Cook, covered over a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, mashing the potatoes and peas together slightly, until it becomes a coherent mixture.

Preheat your oven to 375°C. Halve and clean the three medium peppers and set aside. I used green and red peppers for this recipe, I can't decide which I like better as both were delicious, but use your preferred colour of pepper. Mix the tomato sauce and madras curry powder in a bowl and set aside as well.  Prepare a deep dish baking pan, by lining it with tin foil (for easy clean up). Grate the cheese and set aside (optional).

To assemble the stuffed peppers, inside each of the pepper halves, add a tablespoon or so of the spiced tomato sauce. Scoop a heaping spoon of the potato and pea (samosa filling) mixture into each of the stuffed peppers. In the baking dish, place a thin layer of tomato sauce. Place each of the filled stuffed peppers into the tray. Top the peppers with the remaining tomato sauce. Then top the stuffed peppers with cheese of your choice. Salty halloumi or mozzarella is best; this is an optional addition.

Bake in the over for 1 hour, or until the peppers are soft and the warm spicy smell envelops your kitchen. These can be eaten straight out of the oven or you can let them cool and pack them in airtight containers for weeknight dinners. They can also be put in the freezer and reheated at a later date.

Welcome fall into your kitchen with this warm and cozy recipe!

Enjoy!

-Turnip (Tina)

Boozy Sweet Cherry Chèvre Ginger Biscuit Cheesecake

The farmer's markets in Ottawa have just been chock full of beautiful produce these past few weeks! This  Sunday, I grabbed a basket and with my four-legged best buddy in hand, took a glorious stroll down to the market at Brewer Park.

I picked up some great Art-is-In cheddar jalapeno bread, some tri-coloured green beans, some chèvre from Glengarry Fine Cheese and some gorgeous, plump, deep red sweet cherries.

Craving cheesecake (thanks to watching some old episodes of Nigella Bites) and inspired by my market purchases, I decided I would create a quick and easy, no-bake dessert to accompany my Sunday dinner.

Et voilà!

Boozy Sweet Cherry Chèvre Ginger Biscuit Cheesecake

 

 

Cherries:

1 cup pitted ripe sweet cherries
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 oz good quality gin

First, pit the cherries. I did this just by simply squeezing the pit out of the fruit. It is a bit messy, but it's pretty fun! There are other methods, such as using a cherry pitting gadget, but I like the squeezing method! In a bowl add the cherries, honey and gin together. Let the fruit macerate for15 minutes, while you make the other two parts of the cheesecake.

 

Crumble:

8-10 ginger biscuits crushed (admittedly, I just used store bought ones)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Crush the ginger biscuits. I actually just used my hands, to create a rougher, more rocky-like crumble, but you can also use a food processor if you would like it to be finer. Add the melted butter and brown sugar and mix together. This will be the base of the cheesecake.

Filling:

1/3 cup chèvre
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Cream the chèvre together with the honey. In a separate bowl whip the whipping cream together with the vanilla extract and the brown sugar. Whip the cream until it forms soft, fluffy peaks. Fold the whipped cream gently into the chèvre. This will be the second layer of the cheesecake. 

To assemble the cheesecakes, in a clear glass vessel, layer the crumble, then the chèvre filling and finally spoon over the cherries and their juices. You can eat these right away or let sit in the fridge. These can also be made overnight, for a dinner party for example. The recipe makes two (or one big) cheesecake dessert.

I hope you enjoy the creamy, summery, boozy flavour of this dessert!

-Tina (Turnip)

Summer BBQ Alternative: Black Bean Burgers

This Canada Day weekend will be a great opportunity to get together with friends and family to celebrate this great country, and of course, share some great food! Now that the hot and humid weather has arrived, many shy away from using the stove or oven and in it's place, fire up the ol' BBQ. Despite the fact I am unable to keep one at my apartment, I still take advantage of the season by frequenting my parents house for all of my favourite summer staples.

The recipe I am about to share with you is a great alternative to your everyday beef burger. In fact, I think it tastes even better than most beef burgers. Now, you may be rolling your eyes at that comment - but seriously, just try these! They pair perfectly with a few slices of avocado, some pico de gallo, and a dollop of spicy sriracha mayo. 

These burgers are vegetarian, however, they can very easily be altered to accommodate a vegan diet as well. They are super easy and incredibly fast to whip up and do not require any equipment beyond a fork and a knife for their assembly. I have made them both vegetarian (with an egg used as a binder) and vegan (with vital wheat gluten as the binder). I personally prefer the egg version as I find them slightly more moist, and the vital wheat gluten can make them a little chewy, but they are definitely both very tasty. These are probably easiest to pan fry as they can be a little crumbly, but they would probably do quite well on the bbq if you placed them in a foil pan. If you are extra gentle you may be able to get away with putting them directly on the grill. 

Black Bean Burgers

Adapted from the Veganomicon recipe

Makes 4 - 6 patties

Ingredients

1 can (540 mL) black beans, drained and rised

1 egg (or 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten for vegan)

1/2 cup italian bread crumbs

1 tbsp chile powder

1 tsp cumin

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (I went a little crazy the second time I made these - too much cilantro will make your burgers crumbly - be careful!)

2 cloves garlic

1/2 small onion, grated or finely diced

2 tbsp cooking oil (vegetable, coconut, or olive)

Directions

After beans are drained and rinsed, roughly mash with a fork (I ended up using a potato masher, but a food processor would work too). Do not mash too finely; you want a good number of partial bean pieces left in the mix.

Add the remaining ingredients (except the olive oil) and mash everything together, using your hands. Shape mixture into patties, about 1 inch thick. The bigger the patty, the more likely it will fall apart when you're trying to flip it. I was able to make four patties which were about the size of your average burger. They could also be made much smaller for cute bean burger sliders! 

If you are going to pan fry, heat up 2 tbsp or your preferred cooking oil and cook burgers for approximately five minutes on each side. I suggest placing the burgers in a foil pan if you are going to use the BBQ to cook, as they may crumble on the grill.

Place on a burger bun or lettuce wrap, add your favourite toppings and enjoy!

Hope you all have a fun, safe, and BBQ-filled Canada Day!

- Bean (Alex)

Off to a Great Start! {Banana Cranberry Currant Granola}

It has been almost five months now, since Alex and I started writing the blog! When we began coming up with recipes and posting them, I was admittedly very self-conscious. How was my writing? Was I using proper grammar and pacing? Do people even care?

Since starting the blog, we have had 2500 blog views, we have188 followers on Twitter, 51 page 'Likes' on Facebook and tons of comments from friends, family, co-workers and even strangers complimenting us! When I see these stats, I can't help but smile!

Even more exciting are the things we have done in the name of our blog. For instance, participating in the  Ottawa Foodie Challenge 2013 and winning a couple prizes while we were at it! And taking a crack a writing a two restaurant and food cart reviews (which have garnered the highest views on the blog). As of this weekend, I am so proud to say we have joined the ranks of the many excellent food blogs in Canada by joining the Food Bloggers of Canada as a member! We've also linked our blog up to Canadian Dishes, a great recipe search engine.

There are many excellent food blogs out there already from Canada and around the world. Drool-worthy food photography, scintillating prose and descriptions of dishes, community notoriety. Are we there yet with our blog? Well, the short answer is: No! But, I think, we are off to a pretty great start.

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Speaking of great starts...I have been so busy with my day job lately that I have been realizing how important a bite to eat in the morning is for me making it through the day! I have been craving a good granola, so I thought I would try making some of my own!

Banana Cranberry Currant Granola

*This recipe and method was inspired from Green Kitchen Stories

3 cups of rolled oats

3/4 cup roughly chopped raw almonds

1/2 cups dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried currants

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons coconut milk

3 tablespoons honey, plus extra to drizzle on top

2 overripe bananas

Preheat your oven to 375°F (the original recipe called for 400°F, but I found it was a bit too hot in my oven). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. 

Combine the rolled oats, almonds, cranberries, currants, sea salt in a large bowl. Mix together well. In a separate large bowl mash the ripe banana, and mix in the coconut milk, honey and vanilla. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together. I found, although messy, it was easiest to do this with my hands.

Spread the granola evenly over the backing tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn and mix the granola up on the pan, so that it can brown evenly. Put the tray back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Once removed from the oven, place the tray on a wire rack and let it cool completely. You can store it in an air tight container for a couple weeks time. 

Enjoy this granola with your favorite in-season fruit and some yogurt or milk. I have been eating mine with black cherries and slightly sweetened yogurt! It'll surely be a good start to your day!

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Spicy Black Bean Pale Ale Soup

Generally, I don't make any fussy weeknight dinners. But that doesn't mean I don't want something flavourful.  Soup is a great dinner and can be made in advance, like on a slow weekend and kept for dinners (and lunches) throughout the week.

This is a great recipe to be made ahead and served during the week. It's also wonderful for those long tiresome Mondays, because it includes one of my favourite ingredients: beer!

Spicy Black Bean Pale Ale Soup

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried black beans (soaked overnight or for 10 hours in 4 cups of water)

1 355 ml can of Pale Ale (I used Red Racer brewed in Surrey, BC)

2 vine ripened tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup button mushrooms, chopped

5 cups water

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon Adoba seasoning (can be substituted for salt and pepper)

1/2 teaspoon fennel

1 tablespoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Hot sauce to taste (I used the amazing Cool Canadian hot sauce from Chamomile Desjardins, bought at the Ottawa Farmer's Market)

Squeeze of lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

An embarrassing amount of sharp cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips

To start this recipe, measure  the dried black beans into a large glass bowl and cover with 4 cups of water. Let soak overnight or for 10 hours. Once the beans have soaked overnight, they can be cooked in a large pot of 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring the beans to a boil, let simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. By this time, there will still be some liquid left over in the pot. Turn the beans off and set aside (do not drain).

In a food processor or blender, blend the tomatoes and garlic until smooth. Heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onion, red pepper and mushrooms; cook until softened (about five minutes). Add all of the spices and seasoning and let the spices toast in the pan for about one minute. Add the blended tomato and garlic mixture; let simmer for 3 minutes. Add the beans that were set aside, the beer, the hot sauce, and the final cup of water; mix together well. Bring the mixture to a simmer and turn down to a medium low heat; cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

After the 35 minutes, the beans should be tender. Use a hand blender and blend the soup smooth. Add a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a large bowl with (as the recipe states) an embarrassingly large amount of sharp cheddar cheese and tortillas chips. The soup would also be great with guacamole or plain yogurt dolloped on top. 

This soup is very healthy, packed with protein and quite easy to make. Spice up your weeknight dinners and give it a try!

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Cinco de Mayo Caesars

In summer 2012, we rented a cottage in Mont Tremblant where 14 of our dearest friends gathered together for a week's vacation. It was one of the most fun vacations I have ever had. Besides inside jokes and memories to last a lifetime, that week brought us one important thing: Caesar Sundays. Since the first Sunday of that vacation, not every Sunday evening, but many, have been spent sipping Caesars with some of our closest friends.

For this Cinco de Mayo, I thought I would take a crack at making my own mix to make some extra special Caesars featuring tequila instead of vodka. Why? Because what is a Mexican holiday without tequila?

Cinco de Mayo Caesars

 

Homemade Caesar Mix

1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

3/4 cups water

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/2 large carrot, diced

2 cloves of garlic

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sriracha (more can be added later when mixing the drink)

1 teaspoon Mott's clamato rimmer (if you do not have this replace with 1 celery salt)

1 handful parsley

1 handful basil

Add all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend the mixture until very smooth with no visible or distinct pieces left over. Strain the mixture using a fine sieve to remove any extra pulp. Transfer to a container, like a mason jar, store in the fridge until ready to use. I do not recommend making this too far in advance. It would be best to use in the same day.

Mixing the drink

1 low ball glass

Mott's clamato rimmer (again, this can be replaced with celery salt)

Garnish (traditionally a celery stalk, but I used a lime slice, a pickle and a red pepper stick)

Straw

Ice cubes

Tequila

Homemade caesar mix

Worcestershire sauce

Hot sauce

First, take a wedge of lime and run it around the rim of the glass. Tip the glass over, into the rimmer mixture or celery salt, making sure to coat the edge of the glass well. 

Add the ice to the glass, along with 1 oz of tequila, 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, extra hot sauce to taste, and top the glass up with the homemade caesar mix. Mix well with a spoon. Garnish and serve with a straw.

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Arugula & Hazelnut Pesto Pasta with Feta Cheese

Simplicity can be underrated. In the overly complicated world we live in, when things that seem to make no sense occur, when your mind is overflowing with thoughts and ideas, it is often very simple things that we turn to, to make us happy. Simple acts of kindness, simple gestures of love, simple pleasures.

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Our neighborhood does not have a big grocery store close by, so when we are lacking an ingredient or if we get snacky, we turn to our local corner store - Abbas. Co-owners Mike and Rod Abbas are wonderful people. It's one of those old style mom and pop places where you walk in and they welcome you with a friendly smile and conversation. Abbas is great because they have a wide selection of pantry goods; the typical pop, chips and candy bars, but also produce and  homemade sandwiches, soups and stews. I swear I am in the store every other day (at least!).

Last week I had unexpectedly run out of milk, so I stopped by Abbas to pick up a carton. While I was waiting in line to pay, the man in front of me, very obviously down on his luck, stepped slowly up to the counter with a handful of change and carefully put it down. There were a few dimes, a bunch of quarters and a couple of nickels in the pile. Without saying a word, Mike reached under the counter for a large cardboard box and began filling it with prepared sandwiches. He paused for a moment, look up at the gentleman, gesturing to a bunch of bananas. The man nodded and Mike added that to the heaping pile of sandwiches. He set the box on the counter swept the pile of change into his hand, which must have only added up to a dollar or two and carefully reminded the gentleman that he must eat those sandwiches up by the end of the next day. The gentleman smiled slightly and was on his way. Although, I was not surprised by this generosity, I was amazed by the almost mute interaction that I had just witnessed. Nothing needed to be said. I was comforted by the fact that there are still those who understand and realize that  good can be spread with simple acts - like allowing a man to eat and feel the dignity that he paid at least something for it.

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After a long, stressful day at work on Monday, I was dead in the water. My brain just stopped working. While many people would turn to a take-out menu, when I am feeling rundown, I turn to my kitchen. Its the place where things become uncomplicated for me. I can think and focus on chopping, mixing or blending and the world outside, for a brief moment, seems to fade away. I wanted a big bowl of pasta; simple, comfort food. I set out all my ingredients and began to cook. The window was open for a soft breeze, the dog was running around, playing at my feet. I sighed and felt immediately better.

Whether a smile, a laugh, a hug, a box full of sandwiches or a giant bowl of pasta, we need not forget the little, easy, simple things in life that, for whatever reason, make the world a happier place.

Arugula & Hazelnut Pesto Pasta with Feta Cheese

 

 2 cups of organic baby arugula
1 cup of organic hazelnuts or filberts, plus a few for on top
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cups grated parmesan
1/4 cup lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
Feta cheese to crumble on top
3 cups of dry pasta of your choice

Start a large pot filled with water and a table spoon of salt over high heat to boil. When cooking pasta it is a very good idea to season the water liberally. Once the water has come to a rolling boil, add in your dry pasta. I used casarecce pasta because it has nooks and crannies for the pesto to get into. Cook pasta until al dente (to the tooth) or until it still has a slight bite to it.

Add the arugula, hazelnuts, garlic, olive oil, parmesan, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until the mixture has a sauce-like consistency. I used a blender to make my pesto and it required a bit extra lubrication, so I added a bit of water to the sauce to loosen it up.

Once the pasta is cooked, strain, reserving a half cup of the cooking liquid. Add in all of the pesto to the pasta and coat well. If it seems too thick, add some of the reserve pasta water to loosen it up.

Serve the pasta family style, in a large bowl, with lots of crumbled feta cheese and some extra chopped hazelnuts on top.

*Note: This pasta is great left over the next day for lunch too! Maybe even better than fresh!

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Mango & Poblano Salsa

Sometimes mid-week, I need a bit of a pick-me-up to get me through until Friday... glorious Friday! This week that jolt of life, came in the form of some needed girl time with lady friends and a flavorful Wednesday dinner.

Alex and I met up with a friend for beers and dessert. Yes, that's right beers and dessert! Actually we had Fruli and delightful raspberry chocolate cheesecake and decadent banana peanut-butter chocolate cake at Pub Italia in Little Italy! But, before we indulged our sweet tooth and our guilty pleasure of gossiping, we decided to have dinner together. Alex, made some great spicy refried black beans, which we wrapped up in warm tortillas with some fresh, julienned raw vegetables (cucumber, red peppers, carrots and avocado). To accompany the beans I agreed to make a salsa. I wanted something with a kick, so I decided to make a mango salsa. I found some nice mangoes at the Byward Fruit Market; they were super sweet and perfectly ripe. I also picked up a poblano pepper for some spice! This turned out to be an excellent salsa and would be equally great with fish or chicken, or even just scooped up with some warm tortilla chips!

Mango & Poblano Salsa 

 

1 ripe mango, diced
1 ripe tomato, diced
1/2 medium sized poblano pepper, minced
3  green onions, sliced thinly
Juice and zest of one lime
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to combine well.

That's it! Super easy recipe!

Enjoy!


-Tina (Turnip)

The BEST Lemon Blueberry Muffins

The recipe I'm about to share with you is in the front running for one of the very best muffin recipes I've ever tried. I was looking for a way to use up some vanilla flavoured greek yogurt that was drawing close to it's best before date. I wanted to use as much of the yogurt as possible and I needed to restock on breakfast foods so I figured a batch of muffins would be the best way to remedy the situation.

After searching through a few recipes I found online, I settled for this Joy of Baking recipe. The only addition I ended up making was 1 tsp of lemon rind, and I used vanilla yogurt in place of plain. I had originally wanted to use the smaller wild blueberry in this recipe but as it turns out the cultivated frozen blueberries were on sale at the grocery store, so I decided to go with that. They turned out wonderfully! They are super moist (even more so the day (or two) after baking!), and the bursts of blueberry are paired well with a hint of lemony goodness.

Don't let the thickness of the batter worry you. This turns out much thicker than other muffin batters I have made in the past. It doesn't pour, so you have to make muffin balls and place them inside the muffin cups (or greased muffin pan). Please do yourself a favour and try these muffins at least once!

The BEST Lemon Blueberry Muffins (Adapted from Joy of Baking)

Ingredients

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup vanilla flavoured greek yogurt

1/3 cup vegetable (or other non-flavoured) oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon rind

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If you are using paper muffin cups, place these inside the muffin tin. If not, lightly butter or use cooking spray on the muffin tin.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, oil, vanilla, and lemon rind. Set aside.

In a large sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in the blueberries and stir gently (if you are using frozen blueberries, place in the batter while they are still frozen, otherwise you will end up with blue batter!). Fold the wet ingredients in the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Remember that the batter will be super thick!

Make the muffin dough into balls using an ice cream scoop, two spoons (or even your hands). The muffin ball should fill the wrapper/tin. I was able to make one muffin tin (12 muffins) with this amount of batter.

Place the muffins in the oven and bake for 15 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the centre comes out clean (mine ended up taking closer to 25, but my oven is quite old and I suspect the temperature is off).

Enjoy!

- Alex (Bean) 

Indian Spiced Scrambled Egg Naan Wrap

You know those days when you get the biggest craving for a particular type of food? Today was most definitely one of those days. The ingredients for a mushroom and pea curry have been biding their time in my refrigerator and cupboards for the past week or so, just waiting for me to muster up the effort to combine them (am I the only lazy cook around here?). I was really craving something warm and spicy while at work today and I knew my kitchen was clean and ready to go, so I thought, sure, it would be the perfect night to make some curry!

I like to think I keep a fairly decent mental map of my kitchen in my head and I was absolutely sure that I had some raw cashews in the cupboard. I didn't even think to pick up any extra at the grocery store on the way home. To my dismay, as I began to assemble my ingredients I noted a very clear lack of cashews. Now, sometimes I'll just fly by the seat of my pants and alter the recipe to work with the ingredients that I have on hand, but tonight was an exception. I decided that if there were no cashews, there would be no curry! Perhaps this is just my inner lazy cook looking for an excuse...

I scrambled (hah!) to think of a something else I could make using the multitude of Indian spices I now had on my counter. I had a few eggs in the fridge that were getting close to the expiry date and in dire need of being used up. This lead me to the idea of an Indian spiced egg dish of sorts. Originally I had been hoping to concoct some sort of omelette but this ended up being scrambled eggs (and that's the beauty of cooking eggs - even if you mess up it still turns out delicious!).

This dish turned out pretty tasty but I would definitely change a few things when I make it again in the future. I believe I added a little too much spice (it ended up slightly bitter), and I would also add some cheese in the form of paneer. This recipe is a good starting point for a multitude of add-ons.

I ended up eating the scrambled eggs curled up in a naan taco of sorts (but naan wrap sounds a little better than naan taco to me... but, come to think of it taco naan would be quite delicious). Plenty of grocery stores carry fresh or frozen naan that's easy to heat up in the oven.

Indian Spiced Scrambled Egg Naan Wrap

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 green chile pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 tsp ginger root, grated
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fenugreek powder
1 tsp ground cumin
3 eggs
1 slice naan bread, warmed

Directions

Remember to preheat your oven for the naan bread (I set my oven for 375 and placed the bread in right away before I began to cook. As the oven preheated it warmed the bread and it was ready by the time I was finished!).

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium and fry the onion, green chile, garlic and ginger until the onion is translucent

Add the turmeric and cook for approximately 1 minute

Add the fenugreek and cumin (I suggest reducing each to 1/2 tsp at first as I found a full tsp of each to be a little too strong) and continue to cook for a few minutes

Beat the eggs lightly and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the eggs to the frying pan and continually stir and push the cooked edges to the centre until cooked (take them off the heat while they are still slightly runny/shiny - you don't want them to overcook!).

Place the cooked egg mixture on top of your naan bread (or tortilla, if you prefer), wrap up, and enjoy! I found a nice crisp and slightly sweet apple paired with this meal wonderfully.

Note: If you want some extra veggies in your scrambled eggs I highly suggest mushrooms, spinach, shredded carrot or tomatoes!

- Alex (Bean)

Warm Brussels Sprout & Soft Boiled Egg Salad

Apartment cleaning was complete, errands were run, dog grooming was finished. Finally, a chance to sit and enjoy a gorgeous spring Saturday. There isn't much to this dish, but it is simple and satisfying and works great as a weekend brunch dish.

Warm Brussels Sprout & Soft Boiled Egg Salad

1 soft boiled egg*
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of Brussels sprouts, cut into eighths
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
Salt & Pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)

First prepare your Brussels sprouts by cutting off the ends of them and remove the first few outer leaves. Wash the sprouts well in cold water. Cut the sprouts into eighths.

Heat a medium sized frying pan and add in the extra virgin olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the Brussels sprouts. Add in a quarter cup of water and cover the pan. Let the Brussels sprouts cook until tend and slightly caramelized on the outside. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

While the Brussels sprouts are cooking, mix the dressing together: dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and the sugar. Add the dressing to the pan with the warm Brussel sprouts and toss together. Top with a sliced soft boiled egg, salt and pepper and if you are feeling a bit decadent, some parmesan cheese.

*To prepare a soft boiled egg, add your eggs into a medium sized sauce pan and fill with water until the eggs are just covered. Heat on the stove until the water boils. Once the water has boiled allow the eggs to cook for 3.5 minutes. Once the time is up, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the water for another 1.5 minutes.  Then rinse the eggs under cold water until they are cool to touch. Peel the eggs and slice!

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Orange Maple Chocolate Cream Eggs

I am the first born grand-daughter on my mom's side of the family. Before I was born, my dad, jokingly warned my Nana, she'd better keep treats around the house once I came along. I don't know whether, she immediately had my Papa run her to the closest store to pick up some candy, but my dad says, from that day forward, she always had candies around her house. Easter was an especially chocolate and candy-abundant time at my Nana's house, and I just remember sneaking jelly beans and foil-wrapped chocolates from her various candy dishes. The tradition has lived on for my younger sister and my two younger cousins. After my Nana passed away, two years ago now, we have tried to make special homemade treats around the holidays in her memory.

This year, I was intrigued when I saw a Food52 article on DIY Cadbury Cream Eggs (http://food52.com/blog/6103-homemade-cadbury-creme-eggs). Using the method listed in the article I thought I would do my own take on the chocolate cream egg! I am so very pleased on how these little, gooey treats turned out - just in time for Easter!

Orange Maple Chocolate Cream Eggs

1/2 cup Maple Orange Simple Syrup (see method below)

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon maple extra or Sortilege

3 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 bag bittersweet or dark chocolate chips

yellow food colouring

*Tips before you start:

• This is a relatively easy endeavor if you follow the instructions, but it is a bit time consuming. Make sure to give yourself time enough to let the filling harden in the freezer between steps. It makes covering the eggs in chocolate so much easier.
• Ensure you have wax or parchment paper for creating the filling. When you put the filling in the freezer to harden, placing it on wax paper will ensure it does not stick to anything.
• Create space in your freezer before you begin.

In a medium sized mixing bowl mix cream the butter, Maple Orange simple syrup, salt, vanilla and maple extracts. Mix the ingredients together very well until they are smooth. Make sure to scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula.

Slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time, until you have a smooth butter cream-like consistently. Take a quarter of the mixture in a small bowl and add yellow food colouring to make the yolk of the cream egg. The rest of the filling will be reserved for the egg white of the cream egg. 

Fill a piping bag or a plastic sandwich bag (cutting off the tip) with the yellow filling. To create the yolks for the cream eggs, pipe out small a small round of filling on some wax or parchment paper. Place in the freezer to harden for 10 minutes. The butter in the filling will harden making it easier to handle and cover with the cream egg white filling.

Once the yolks have hardened, take one tablespoon of the egg white and create a ball by rolling it in your hands. Create a divot in the ball of white filling and put one of the yolks in the centre. Cover the yolk centre over with the white filling and roll in your hands again creating a ball. To create an egg shape roll one end of the white slightly thinner. In this part, you must work quickly and take out the yolks one or two at a time so that they don't soften too quickly. 

Once you have created all your egg shape with the filling, place on wax or parchment paper and place in the freezer to harden for at least 15 minutes. 

While the egg filling is in the freezer hardening, melt your chocolate over a double boiler. The original recipe calls to melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, but I find that the chocolate melts more consistently and there is less chance of burning the chocolate when doing it over a double boiler. 

Once the egg filling has hardened in the freezer and the chocolate is melted, one at a time you can begin covering the egg fillings with chocolate. I used a fondue skewer and inserted it into the bottom part of the egg, using a tablespoon to spoon the chocolate over the egg, working quickly. Once  you have covered the egg filling with chocolate, gently tap the excess chocolate off and remove the skewer gently placing the eggs on wax paper.

Repeat this method to cover all of the chocolate eggs, then place in the fridge to harden the chocolate for about 10 minutes. Place in a container and keep in the fridge. And, that's it! You are done and ready to enjoy your homemade Easter treat!

Maple Orange Simple Syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon Sortilege (or Maple Syrup)

orange rind

In a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat, mix the ingredients together. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Let cool before using.

*This simple syrup base could also be used to make a mixed drink (nudge!).

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Ottawa Good Food Box and New Recipe: Lettuce Wrap Peanut Chicken & Spicy Broccoli

I picked up my very first Ottawa Good Food Box this past Wednesday, and I am very happy with the result. Definitely a great way to welcome the first day of Spring! If you're curious as to what the Ottawa Good Food Box is, they describe themselves as "a non-profit community-based initiative bringing neighbours together to buy a variety of delicious and nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables at wholesale prices." I first found out about this initiative when researching local food co-operatives and I thought it would be worth a try. I have been striving to add more fruits and vegetables to my diet and I have also been trying to purchase locally grown items where I can (I've been finding this is a little more difficult during the winter months). The Ottawa Good Food Box states that they "strive to source contents as locally as possible, balancing that with the goal of good value for customers." I ended up ordering the medium sized box for $15.00, however, they also offer small and large boxes, fruit bags, and an organic produce box. If you would like to check them out, you can access their website here. 

I received the following items:

6 Apples, Sweet Potato, 2 lb carrots, 5 bananas, 2 bok choy, mango, head of lettuce, 3 oranges, small bag of mushrooms, broccoli, and 2 lb bag of yellow onions

All in all I would say this is a great way to supplement your fruit and veggie intake. I found the value and quality of the produce to be better than what I have been buying at the grocery store this time of year (even the fiancé agreed - he remarked how fresh and green the broccoli was as we ate it!). It was also very easy to order (they offer online ordering and payment for select pick-up locations around Ottawa). My only complaint is that the pick-up hours at the location I chose were 10am - 4pm, which interferes with the hours I work. Not too much of a problem though - if I order again I will just choose a location closer to my workplace! 

Here is a simple recipe utilizing the lettuce and broccoli I received in the box:

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce and Spicy Broccoli

Ingredients

For the Chicken Wraps

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 1/2 tbs soy sauce

1/2 tbs sesame oil

1 tbs vegetable oil
5 lettuce leaves

Place chicken breasts in resealable container or bag with soy sauce and sesame oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (I did this in the morning before leaving for work, and cooked the chicken when I returned home).

Once chicken has marinated, remove from container (shake off excess marinade) and cook in sauté pan with 1 tbs vegetable oil on medium heat. Cook each side approximately 3 - 5 minutes, or until no pinkness remains. Place chicken on lettuce leaf, pour over peanut sauce (below), wrap up and enjoy!

For the Peanut Sauce (I used this Martha Stewart recipe)

3 tbs smooth peanut butter

2 tbs fresh lime juice (~1 lime, juiced)

1 tbs Asian style chili-garlic sauce

1 tbs brown sugar (I used dark)

Combine ingredients and in small sauce pan on low heat. Stir regularly until heated. Spoon over chicken.

For the Spicy Broccoli 

2.5 tbs soy sauce

1/2 tbs sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp chili flakes

2 broccoli crowns, separated into bite size pieces

Combine first four ingredients and set aside. Steam broccoli until desired tenderness is reached (usually 5 - 10 minutes). Pour sauce on top and enjoy!

This ended up being a surprisingly quick and delicious weeknight meal using ingredients I already had around the apartment. Our "wraps" were more like tacos, as it was difficult to wrap the lettuce up around the chicken. I wouldn't change a thing though!

I'm looking forward to sharing some more recipes using the ingredients of my Good Food Box over the next week! Stay tuned!

-Alex (Bean)