Tartufata Pizza

Okay, so I found this little jar of goodness @ the Italian market in Kelowna, called 'salsa tartufata', a mushroom and truffle sauce - how could I resist? They also sell these amazingly slim but huge whole wheat pizza crusts, thinner than a communion wafer! So, I slathered the crust with the sauce, sauteed a whole bunch of thinly sliced brown mushrooms, then added some shredded mixed Italian cheeses, including parm. Bake. Cover slices with thinly sliced green onions to serve (this has become an obsession of mine - goes so well with pizza, adds freshness and crunch). This.was.so.good. As Lidia says at the end of each show, Tutti a Tavola a Mangiare! (Loosely translated as everyone to the table to eat!)

Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf

(from theperfectpantry.com recipes)

After having the best meatloaf ever (my sis' recipe, on this site) I was hesitant to try an alternative. But I'm super keen on ground turkey, and I've been neglecting the quinoa lately, so tada! This was spectac, with a wonderful light texture - and because I'm used to a meatloaf with a tomato-ish topping, I slathered the remaining chili sauce from the jar (mixed with a bit of water), along with a bit of salsa, on top before baking. Unlike myself, Scottie didn't grow up with amazing meatloaf, so was not as giddy as me contemplating his dinner, but he had to admit it was wonderful - he even tucked in for seconds. Served this with oven-roasted broccoli (recipe on this site - a fantastic accompaniment).

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped (I always keep the seeds intact for heat!)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1½ cups cooked quinoa (1/2 cup quinoa cooked with 1 cup of water)(I used half white, and half red for colour, plus used a bit more)
1.3 lbs lean ground turkey
¼ cup chopped fresh basil (didn’t have this on hand - did it need it? I don't think so)
2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp tomato ketchup (I used ALL Heinz chilli sauce)
1 large egg
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper

Cook the quinoa, set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-1/2x4-1/2x2-1/2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and set aside.

In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño to the pan, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir in the cumin, and cook for one minute. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the onion mixture and the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly, and transfer to the loaf pan. Bake for one hour. Turn the oven off, and let the meatloaf sit in it for 10 minutes. Then, remove from the oven, and let the meatloaf cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving (devouring).

Broccoli Cheese Soup

(From Cook's Illustrated)

Oh I know, yet another blended soup - you'd think I'd be tired of them by now, but apparently not. This one truly delivered - though I didn't peel the stems as well as I should have, as there were some really woody fibre bits throughout (oops), so I had to pick them out. But otherwise (if you are still reading this) it really was tasty - perfectly balanced flavours and texture (other than the stringy bits) - and the colour, wow - the addition of spinach took it to a new level. Oh, and I likely upped the cheese content, just a smidge.

2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 pounds broccoli, chopped into 1” pieces (include the stems but peel them and cut them into 1/4 inch-thick slices)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tsp dry mustard powder (or in my case, some Dijon – I never have dried mustard on hand!)
pinch cayenne
Salt
2-3 cups water
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 cups chicken broth
2 oz baby spinach
3 oz sharp cheddar, grated
1 ½ oz parmesan, grated
pepper to taste

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat butter over medium high heat. Add broccoli, onion, garlic, mustard, cayenne and 1 tsp salt. Stir frequently and cook until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and baking soda and bring to a simmer. Cook until broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes.

Add broth and 2 cups water and increase heat to medium high. Bring to a simmer, then stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Add cheeses and blend soup with an immersion blender (alternatively, you can transfer soup to a blender and blend in two batches).

Adjust consistency of soup to your liking with remaining water (I found it didn't need any more). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Minestrone with Fennel and ...

Watercress? Well, couldn't find any :( but used arugula instead!

(from healthygreenkitchen)

Another amazing soup recipe. I wonder how many pots of soup I've made throughout my lifetime? A lot I'd say. This will be added to the heavy rotation list, as it more than delivered. Very spring like - something I could use right about now (so done with winter). And note to self - must experiment with fennel bulb more often - its very tasty and has a great mouth feel. I stirred in some arugula near the end, and also substituted pasta for potato - because I've never had a minestrone without pasta. Oh, and I added some chopped, organic zucchini as well, for the same reason.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 small/1 large Yukon gold potato, chopped (or pasta!)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken stock, plus 1-2 cups more, if needed (it was needed)
one 15 oz. can of white kidney beans, drained (or use chickpeas?)
one 28 oz. can of tomatoes, with juice
chunk of Parmesan cheese rind, opt (didn’t have a rind, but added some grated parm to serve)
sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 bunch watercress, cleaned & chopped fine
1 cup of minced parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, until they start to soften and brown a bit.

In a separate pot, cook the carrot w/ the tomatoes (a tip my mommy gave me!)

To the onion mixture, add the stock, the beans, the tomato mixture, breaking them up with a wooden spoon as you go. Add the Parmesan rind (and pasta, if using) (and zucchini!). Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, add 1-2 cups more liquid if necessary, and cook for 20 minutes or so, until the pasta is tender. Allow to cool a bit and taste the broth. Add salt, if needed, and pepper.

Take a handful of the greens and place in serving bowl (I didn't do this). Pour the hot soup over the greens and garnish with a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. (heck yes, I desire!)

Thai Pork Stir Fry

(From thewholekitchen.wordpress.com)

I think I've found the perfect stir fry. No, I'm serious. It's just that good. This, and the Dan Dan Noodles, may amongst the best things I've ever consumed. I sort of top up ingredients as needed, so feel free to muck with the recipe.

I cooked the meat separately, ahead of the veggies, then added the meat to the veggies, and served. This was so freaking tasty, and it screamed authentic Thai all the way.

And needless to say, it has to be served with the best rice I've ever had, courtesy of my cooking sister!

Heaven in a bowl guaranteed.

1.3 lbs lean ground pork
1/2 red onion, sliced (used regular cooking!)
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thin (I chopped)
1 bell pepper, sliced
2 tsp grapeseed oil, divided
1 large shallot, sliced
1 jalapeno, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fish sauce, divided
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated, divided
2 tbsp cooking sherry
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (or go to town with it!)
4 scallions, sliced

Crumble the pork into a bowl. Pour 1 tbsp of the fish sauce and half of the ginger over the pork and mix gently with your hands. Set aside (and wash your hands).

In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1½ tsp grated ginger, 2 tbsp sherry, 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce, 1 tbsp hoisin & 1 tbsp honey and stir, dissolving the honey into the liquids. Set aside.

Heat a 12″ non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp oil, then add the onion, carrot and bell pepper. Saute for 3-4 mins, until the carrots begin to soften, but still have a little crunch. Scoop the veggies out of the pan and into a bowl and set aside.

Turn the burner down to medium low, and return the pan to the heat. Add the last tsp of oil to pan, then add the sliced shallot & jalapeno and sauté for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. You want the heat low enough so that you don’t burn the aromatics.

Turn to medium - add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 sec. Add the pork to the pan, and stir. Brown the meat until cooked through, then add the vegetables back to the pan and pour the sauce over the meat & veggies. Stir to combine, then add the cilantro and scallions and serve over the 'best rice ever' as above.

Samosa Pie

(from Vegetarian Times)

Oh how I miss those greasy, to die for samosas from little India in Vancouver ... sigh ... they were a treat on cold, wet, winter days - when we were younger and could work off the calories with a late evening dance off! But here's a lighter alternative - it completely exceeded my expectations, really flavourful and spicy - I did tweak the spices from the original recipe, as I wanted more heat, and less sweetness, and I realized I completely missed the curry powder component :O - but feel free to peruse the original recipe if you prefer. The crust was just that, a crust, not at all a pastry - and that's fine - I'm more apt to make something light and tasty, in lieu of fattening and just okay! Oh, and I didn't think the mixture would fit in a 9" pie pan (too much filling), so made it in a biggie casserole dish - good times. Will absolutely make this again and soon ...

Crust:
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Filling:
1 ½ tsp curry powder (oops, forgot!)
¾ tsp ground cumin
2 tsp fresh ginger (or more? I never measure this ingredient)
¼ tsp allspice
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp cinnamon
5 medium potatoes, peeled & quartered
1 ½ tsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup vegetable broth (plus a splash)
1 tsp agave nectar
1 tbsp soymilk

Crust: Preheat over to 375F. Whisk together flours and salt in a bowl (or in my case, the food processor). Stir in oil until clumps form. Add 6 to 10 Tbsp cold water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until dough holds together. Shape into a ball, cover with a damp washcloth, and set aside.

Filling: Stir together spices in a bowl; set aside. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water for 15 mins or until tender. Drain, return to pot, and mash, leaving small chunks.

Heat oil in skillet over med heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic. Saute 5 mins, or until carrot is tender. Move onion mixture to the side of the pan and add spice mixture in the center. Toast for 30 seconds. Stir in peas and broth. Fold onion mixture into potato mixture; stir in agave nectar. Season w/ s & p and spread the filling into a 9” pie pan (or biggie casserole dish). Set aside.

Roll out the crust dough to an 11” circle on floured work space. Cover filling with dough, pressing down to make sure no air pockets remain. Trim away excess dough and crimp the edges with fingers. Cut an X in the center to vent steam; brush with soymilk just before baking. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Devour.

Spaghetti With Edamame, Parsley, Garlic and Olive Oil

(from NY times)

For whatever reason, I've got 2 bags of edamame in the freezer - must have been on a kick! In any event, found this wonderful recipe, which is super easy for weeknight dinners, and tasty to boot. The end result was a glorious green, highly inviting bowl of goodness!

3 large garlic clove, chopped (original recipe called for one, pasha)
1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
extra virgin olive oil
1 1/3 cups frozen shelled edamame
3/4 lbs whole grain spaghetti
freshly grated Parmesan
I also added a handful of pumpkin seeds to the mix - just because

Heat water for pasta. Meanwhile, make a 'pesto' with the garlic, parsley and oil (and nuts or seeds, if using). Transfer to bowl.

When the water comes to a boil, salt generously, add the edamame and cook five minutes. Remove from the pot with a strainer or a slotted spoon, and place in the bowl with the pesto.

Cook pasta - remove approx 1 cup of the cooking water and add half to the pesto. Drain the pasta. At this point, I tossed the pesto into the pasta pot and heated it, tossed in the pasta, and added the remaining pasta water. Serve topped with parm.

Lidia Bastianich's Farro, Cannellini, and Chickpea Stew

Okay, there were supposed to be mussels in this recipe, but I'll save that story for another day (shakes fist in air at Penticton seafood market) - suffice it to say, I used prawns instead - and they were wonderful. I also used a glug of fish stock when I added the prawns, to add that flavour of the sea. This could easily be a veggie dish - no meat required, or you could add chicken, sausage, whatever. I also used veggie stock for this in lieu of water, for additional flavour. And the roasted tomatoes absolutely added depth - if making again, I'd absolutely roast the fresh tomatoes before using.

I wouldn't use canned legumes for this dish - you want the flavours to keep developing over time, and while it might seem like a complicated dish, its really not - though it is hands-on, you'll need to stir frequently - but the results were outstanding, the leftovers heavenly. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

1 cup dried chickpeas
1 cup dried cannellini beans
½ cup chopped carrot
½ cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I used some roasted tomatoes from last summer)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil + more for finishing
1 cup farro or pearled barley
1 ½ tsp coarse sea salt or kosher salt, + more if needed
½ tsp pepperoncino flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled & sliced
2 lbs mussels
4 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

Rinse the chickpeas, and place in a bowl with cold water covering them by 4 inches. Do the same with the cannellini, in a separate bowl. Soak both for 12 to 24 hours.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, and put them in a big saucepan with about 7 cups of fresh cold water. Set the pot over medium-high heat, and drop in the chopped carrot, celery, and onion, the halved cherry tomatoes, and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bring the water to a boil, partially cover the pan, and adjust the heat to maintain a steady, bubbling simmer. Stir occasionally.

After the chickpeas have cooked for an hour, drain and rinse the cannellini and stir into the pot. There should be at least an inch of liquid covering the beans; add more water if necessary. Return to the boil, partially cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring now and then.

Rinse the farro grains in a sieve, and stir in with the beans, along with the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepperoncino. There should be about 1/2 inch of liquid covering the beans and grain; add more water if necessary. Return to the boil, partially cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes or longer, until the beans and the farro are tender — add water if needed to keep the beans and grains barely covered with liquid as they finish cooking. When they are done, most of the surface water should have been absorbed or evaporated, but the stew should be slightly soupy.

While the farro cooks, prepare the mussels. Pour the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil into the sauté pan, and scatter in the garlic cloves and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepperoncino. Cook for 3 minutes or so over medium-high heat, until the garlic is lightly colored, then add all the rinsed mussels at once. Tumble them around the pan quickly, to coat with oil, and put on the cover. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes, shaking the covered pan a couple of times, just until the mussels are open, and take the pan off the stove.

Shuck the mussels right over the pan, letting the juices and meat drop in. Discard the shells (and any mussels that did not open). If you like, leave a dozen or so mussels in the shell for a garnish.
When the farro and beans are cooked, pour the shucked mussels and their juices into the pot and stir well — the consistency should be rather brothy. Heat to a boil, and cook for just a minute, to make sure everything is nice and hot. Taste, and adjust salt. Stir in the chopped parsley, and spoon portions into warm pasta bowls; garnish with unshucked mussels if you saved them. Drizzle good olive oil over each, and serve immediately.

Mommy Dearest's Lentil Soup

You'll never make it another way again! Okay, the trick is to saute the carrots with the tomatoes - that's the secret - use this method for all soups that require those ingredients, and you'll taste the difference - no, I'm serious! I also added some barley, for extra texture and added fibre.

Cook some chopped carrots with a can of chopped tomatoes until thick and bubbly, add your celery and onions - cook for a bit. Add your stock, and some red lentils, and barley if desired. Simmer for approx 35-40 minutes. Season to taste.

Spicy Glazed Pecans

A wonderfully addictive snack - a hit of sweetness and heatness - bring on the cocktails!

¼ cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 tbsp seasoned salt
1 tbsp Worcestershire
½ tsp gr pepper
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
4 cups pecans

Combine all ingredients except nuts in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in nuts and cook, stirring frequently until thickly coated – appprox 8 mins. Line a cookie sheet w/ foil. Bake at 350 for 15 mins, stirring every 5 mins. Cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container up to 3 weeks (as if they will last that long!)