Mozzarella Panzanella

When is a celebrity going to name their kid Panzanella?  It's about time, right?  There is a human being named Reality Winner living amongst us, after all.  We could call her 'Zanella' for short.  Or him, I'm not trying to assume Panza would be a girl.    

What am I saying.  I'm so tired I don't even use question marks when I'm supposed to anymore.  I type nonsense about children being named after bread salads.  I blog once every 17 days (but don't worry, almost every day I have that moment when I'm not sure if I put on deodorant).

Let's be serious, though, and less gross, and talk about how underrated bread salads are.  A leafy green usually takes the spotlight when it comes to salads but in this case a crusty, crunchy bread is paired with sweet, juicy tomatoes, crunchy peppers and onions and a tangy, garlicky dressing.  I added loads of creamy mozzarella and some diced avocado to mine, because I win at life.  I followed Her Highness Ina's recipe, however this is a really versatile salad that's easy to throw together with a number of things in your fridge.  You can use store-boght croutons or toast up a nice sliced bread or baguette you happen to have on hand.  My favorite part of this particular recipe are the salty capers and the fresh basil - it's really the perfect summer dish or future name for your child.         

Recipe HERE.

It is a honeyed life on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

 This morning on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with interim host Nadia Kidwai, I presented dishes that featured honey.  Please support both the bees in our Manitoba environment, when considering the impact of cosmetic pesticides on human and environmental health, and consider the bee keepers and their hard work to produce excellent honey for our enjoyment.

The gorgeous cutting board is made locally by Silverbirch Designs. 

1.Honey Miso Grilled Chicken Thighs

1 inch fresh ginger, minced
3 tbs miso
1 green onion, finely chopped
3 tbs honey
3 tbs Mirin
a drizzle of chili oil
4-8 skinned and boned chicken thighs

Combine first 6 ingredients until well blended. Mix with the chicken pieces and let marinade for at least one hour. Grill, broil or saut� until done, about 4-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Serve immediately or enjoy cold.

Enjoy!

2. Tuscan Squash Salad

1 lb squash (butternut, hubbard, or any small firm variety except spaghetti), peeled, seeded and cut in 5-inch slices
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs honey, warm and divided into two parts
� cup chopped walnuts
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs walnut oil
� tsp kosher or sea salt
� tsp ground black pepper
~ 6 cups mixed baby greens, lightly packed
� cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400�F. Toss the squash and olive oil in a large bowl. Spread on a parchment-lined  baking sheet and lightly brush with half of the honey. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn and brush with the remaining honey. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the squash is cooked through. Some varieties  take longer to cook.

While the squash is baking, toast the walnuts lightly. Whisk together the lemon juice, walnut oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Toss the greens with the vinaigrette in a large bowl and place on serving plates. Top with 3-5 slices ofsquash. Sprinkle with the walnuts and feta, season and serve while the squash is still warm.

3. Honey drizzled on Chevre with herbs

On a cheese board, place amount of chevre. Sprinkle your favourite dried herb mixture on the cheese,

such as Herbes d�Provence, Za�atar, Sumac, etc. Drizzle liquid or warm melted honey over cheese and

herbs. Enjoy with breads or crackers.

How to make a great Chicken Paillard

The other day I put up an Instagram story about our dinner and got so many requests for the recipe.  So here you go!  Your wish is my command!  Well, it's sort of my command, because I'm not actually going to write out a recipe... because I'm too lazy.  Sorry not sorry.  However, I will be as descriptive as possible on just how I make this salad that has become a weekly staple in our house!

It's all about the chicken.  I like to buy boneless, skinless, thinly sliced breast cutlets, but breasts or tenders would work as well.  Whatever chicken you have, the key is to pound it so that it's as thin as can be.  I place my breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and I pound it with a meat tenderizer, however you can use just about anything: wine bottle, soup can, your fist (this is particularly fun if you have anger issues).      

Next, you need to set up a breading station (of course, you can skip this step if you'd like to just grill your chicken as is, but I like a little crunch to mine).  I use flour, whole wheat breadcrumbs combined with Parmesan, and two egg whites.  IMPORTANT: salt and pepper each bowl.  This will help with developing flavor.  The order for dredging is: flour, egg whites, breadcrumbs.  Get your skillet ready by covering it with olive oil, about 1/4 inch deep, over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken for no more than 3 minutes a side, less if you're using cutlets or tenders.  You'll know when to flip because the bottom of your chicken will become nice and golden.    

As for your salad, anything goes!  Last night I used arugula, cherry tomatoes, sweet yellow peppers, toasted pine nuts, leftover corn, avocado and grated Parmesan.  I make the same dressing almost every time: 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, about 1/4 cup of good olive oil and salt and pepper, all whisked together.  Chicken on the bottom, salad on top, voila!

Spring Fling on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

Tomorrow morning on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with interim host Nadia Kidwai, I will be presenting the following recipes.  I love pea shoot pesto!  It tastes like Spring!  These recipes are very easy to prepare and are made with local ingredients.  Microgreens from Fresh Forage, Quinoa from Tamarack Farms are both available on Saturday at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.

Happy Spring!

Turkish Pizza Dough
1 tbs dried yeast (instant yeast)
1 tsp sugar
2 tbs (+) warm water
2/3 + cup Greek style yoghurt (I usually use Astro's Balkan Yoghurt)
1/4 cup olive oil
10 ounces bread flour (I use Prairie Flour and it works out to be a heaping 2 cup measurement, with potentially adding more, depending on the climate of the day)
1/2 tsp sea salt
olive oil

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and set aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes until frothy. In another small bowl, whisk the yoghurt and olive oil.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast and yoghurt mixtures. Use your fingers to work in the flour and form a smooth ball. Transfer to mixer and knead with a dough hook on low speed for 10 - 15 minutes until very smooth and shiny. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and let rise for 2 hours or doubled in size.

I use this pizza dough all of the time because it is both easy to prepare and has a great result.  I can always have it in a container in the fridge for making personal sized pizzas when needed.  This is actually something that I need almost daily for my 6 year old�s meals.

Pea Shoot Pesto (using snap pea microgreens from Fresh Forage Microgreens, available at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market on Saturday)
Ingredients:
1/4 lb fresh, young pea microgreens
1 bunch chives, chopped (or spring onion)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or almonds (for nut allergies, try toasted pumpkin seeds)
salt
pepper

Directions:
Place the pea shoots, chives, garlic, cheese, olive oil, nuts salt and pepper in a food processor or blender, pulse until a thick paste forms.

Use on pizza, pasta, grilled fish or shrimp, toast, etc.

Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad with Microgreens and Lemon vinaigrette

2 cups cooked quinoa (I used Tamarack Farms quinoa, available on Saturday at the St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market) Cooking ratio is 2:1 water to quinoa and you can cook in broth or with spices

1-2 tbs pesto of your choice

Olive oil, to tastes

Spring Mix Microgreens (available from Fresh Forage Microgreens on Saturday at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market)

Lemon vinaigrette (1 part lemon, 2 parts olive oil, herbs such as oregano, salt and pepper, 1 crushed garlic clove optional)

Toss the cooked quinoa with pesto and a drizzle of olive oil.  When serving top with a generous amount of Spring Mix Microgreens and drizzle with lemon vinaigrette just before serving. 

Enjoy and Happy Spring!

Benefits of Microgreens:  http://markitonutrition.com/sprouts-microgreens/

Benefits of Quinoa: https://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-benefits-of-quinoa/

March 13th - Come Cook & Eat: Soup & Frittata, Salad & Muffins

Join Burnaby Food First & Red Seal Chef Ilan Wright at Burnaby Neighbourhood House 

(near Metrotown Skytrain Station)

Registration information below:

CPK Chopped Salad

When I moved to California after college, my roommates and I went to California Pizza Kitchen, a lot.  We were creatures of habit, and went to the same places (that we could afford) over, and over.  If I wasn't with my roommates, I was picking up food for all of the writers at the TV show Frasier, where I worked as a production assistant.  It was always fun stumbling out of there with 8 giant bag cutting off the circulation in my arms.  

I really don't miss the pizza (especially now that I live near some of the greatest pizza in the world), but there was a salad that we would ALWAYS get.  It was a basic chopped, with uniform-sized strips of crunchy lettuce, sweet basil, salty salami, creamy mozzarella, buttery garbanzo beans and THE most perfect, tangy dressing.  My friend (and old roommate) found a copycat recipe so I made it at home and it was a PERFECT match to the real thing.  I will make it again, and again (because I am still a creature of habit).    

Recipe HERE.

Ready-To-Go TJ Salad

I was eleven or twelve years old, and beyond excited to go to the movie that everyone said made them literally scream and jump out of their seats with fear. Of course my cousin Coco, 13 years my senior, took me. The same cousin who let me watch Candyman four years earlier (I would go on to brag, for years, that Candyman didn�t even give me nightmares, a fact that I wore like a badge of honor and maturity). The same cousin who couldn�t wait to binge on the movie Fear with my sister and me every summer since it came out� in 1990. When I was 5. (While the Marky Mark/ Alicia Silverstone Fear is amazing and the ferris wheel scene taught middle schoolers across the country everything we knew about sex at the time, I�m talking about the earlier movie Fear, starring Ally Sheedy, in which she�s a psychic who uses her powers to track down murderers and ps. it�s the best movie ever). The same cousin who later took us to see The Blair Witch Project� the night before we went on a family camping trip. 


But back to 1996 and the most iconic scary movie of my generation: SCREAM. Do you remember watching it for the first time? Remember Drew Barrymore�s amazing hair? And how we all fell in love with Skeet Ulrich and wondered if he was related to Johnny Depp? The next year for Halloween I wore a glow in the dark scream mask (but with platform shoes, a long hippy dress my mom had since the 70s, and a peace-sign necklace. The 90s were so good you guys). 

Scream was followed by another classic, I Know What You Did Last Summer, which was followed by countless sequels of both (remember Jennifer Love Hewitt getting trapped in the tanning bed!? That scene is the best skin protection PSA around), and a host of other mid-late 90s teen slasher films (not be confused with 80s teen slasher films). To this day, my almost thirty-one-year-old heart still beats wildly for the genre, just as it did when I was a pre-teen. Even with all the predictability, red herrings, teenage love triangles, cringe-worthy dialogue, and over the top scare-tactics, it�s my favorite guilty pleasure.

So it was no surprise that, on Sunday, nursing a hangover from a wedding the night before, I binge watched the entire first season of Scream the TV Series, and devoured nearly an entire frozen deep dish pizza, by myself.

Make no mistake, I have zero regrets about these life choices (my only regret is that I didn�t also make chocolate chip cookies), but there�s nothing like not moving from the couch for a day and eating a giant brick of pizza to inspire lighter, somewhat fresher eating. It�s back on the salad train for me, while I wait patiently for the season 2 premiere of Scream at the end of the month (and for the summer season premiere of Pretty Little Liars in June, because I�m an adult and can watch what I want, damnit).

This salad is my favorite desk lunch these days. To be fair, it�s not really a recipe and is hardly blog worthy, but I can seriously eat it every day for weeks, so I figure it's a combo worth sharing. I love the flavors and textures, it fills me up but feels light and healthy, and it�s so easy to pack for work, because it strictly uses ready-to-go items from Trader Joe�s (no affiliation), though you could definitely try out a homemade creamy cilantro dressing and home baked tofu, if you can pull yourself away from Netflix long enough to actually meal-prep.

PS. Thanks, Coco, for instilling that early love of scary movies... I think we're due for a Fear night! 

Ready-to-go Salad
Arugula
Baked tofu, 1 piece cut in cubes (I like the flavor called �Savory,� lol)
Cucumber, sliced (I like the mini Persian cucumbers for this)
Avocado, diced
Feta
Dried bing cherries
Toasted almond slivers or pieces
TJ�s creamy cilantro dressing
Chia seeds

For work lunch, I like to just store all of the separate packages in the fridge at work, but if you have a bigger company/ less shared fridge space, it�s really easy to pack at home. In a to-go container, add a couple big handfuls of arugula, sliced cucumber (I use one mini Persian cucumber for a full lunch salad), and a spoonful of crumbled feta. Bring the full bottle or a small container of the dressing, or pour a little to the side of your arugula (it�s pretty thick, so it won�t run and sog out the salad too bad while you wait for lunch). I bring a full avocado to work, and use half each day�it�s the one item I don�t like to prep ahead of time, because I don�t want it to brown. Add a handful of the almonds, chia seeds, and cherries just before serving.

Arugula w/ Avocado, Parmesan & Lemon

This ain't rocket science, but I eat this salad so often that I thought I should share it with you guys, my Internet Friends!  It's simple, simple, simple, and really doesn't require a recipe.  With a few, fresh ingredients, you will have a salad you can whip up for lunch all week long.  I take peppery arugula, creamy avocado, and salty shaved Parmesan and top it with lemon and good olive oil!  I know, I sound like Ina when I say "good olive oil" but it really makes a difference (I usually have two types of olive oil on hand, a cheaper brand that I cook with and a nicer brand for dressings or drizzling).  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and pepper and you have the tastiest, healthiest salad.

It also felt appropriate to share on Earth Day.  Since it's so green and leafy.  

By the way, I had a different plan for today's post, but as soon as I learned of Prince's death yesterday I was pretty much useless for the rest of the day.  I wandered around my house, forcing my kids to listen to his music, and thought about growing up in Minnesota where his music was born.  So many important memories were accompanied by his songs, the least of them being my high school graduation in, yes, 1999.  It feels weird knowing he took his last breath yesterday, but his music will always be a humongous part of this world!  

Kale Caesar Salad

So I finally finished this season's Homeland, and I was depressed about it all weekend.  Not only because of the ending (no spoiler alerts, don't worry), but because it was OVER, and now I have to wait however long for more of it.  Does anyone else experience this type of TV-related depression?  Don't even get me started on the finality of Breaking Bad ending...

Ok, I don't really know where I'm going with this.  I'm tired.  I've had insomnia for two nights in a row, and I'm not sure why.  Is it Homeland related?  Maybe.  Am I pondering that I'm about to turn 35, which seems like a really big number?  Probably.  It's a good thing I had yummy food to eat this weekend, otherwise I'd be a zombie.  Like this Kale Salad with the most delicious and HEALTHY Lime Caesar Dressing.  It's made with greek yogurt and Parmesan cheese and anchovy paste for that familiar, salty Caesar flavor.  It was so good and very easy to make.  I topped my salad with shredded Parmesan, sliced tomatoes and homemade croutons (and followed this recipe for everything else).  

Ok... Monday, let's do this.

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing and a 7-Minute Egg

In the last few years, I�ve fallen more and more in love with Middle Eastern food. I�m obsessed with tahini and za�atar. 

That�s how I started writing this post. Then I stopped, and started over, because I caught myself doing something that makes me cringe when I see others doing it.  


Saying �Middle Eastern food� can be like saying �American food� or �Asian food.� It's not wrong, per se, but it's not really right, either. It�s lumping together so many cuisines under one umbrella, and not taking into account, understanding, or celebrating the differences of each region, or culture, or community. We do it when we go out to eat, or when we (bloggers) post new recipes, or when we talk about "ethnic" cuisine. I have fallen in love with �Middle Eastern food," but what does that even mean? I admittedly, and embarrassingly, know so little about that part of the world, of cultures that shouldn't be defined by one popular ingredient. 

I�m not saying we shouldn�t appreciate and enjoy foods from other cultures, I really do love tahini and za�atar, and plan to continue making new recipes with them. I�m not saying we shouldn�t post about different cuisines on our blogs, or use techniques, ingredients, and ideas to make new dishes. Every time we eat falafel doesn�t need to be a lesson in cultural appropriation. But I do think it�s important to try to understand who the people are who brought these dishes or ingredients to the US (curiosity, by the way, is a good first step to empathy! A lesson that could do one unfortunate presidential candidate a lot of good). It�s important to talk about, to think about, and to be aware of. Especially when we see so much hate being directed at certain populations, by people with a disproportionate amount of power.  

And especially for a food blogger or writer, with a public platform. This little site is a minuscule speck of sand in the grand world of food blogs--I know that I�m not influencing tons and tons of people on a daily basis. But we�re all, no matter how small our reach, contributing to a narrative about food and culture, and it�s important to realize that sometimes the recipes we post or the way we talk about food from cultures other than our own can be misleading, wrong, hurtful, and sometimes damaging. We should all try harder, and be more aware. 

So, let me start over. Today I�m making a salad with za�atar, tahini, chickpeas, sumac, parsley--flavors I just can�t get enough of lately, thanks to an introduction from my Ottolenghi cookbooks, as well as food bloggers like Molly Yeh and Danielle Oron, who both know a lot about Israeli food, and restaurants that I can�t stop dreaming about like Mamnoon. While these ingredients are popular in that broad swath of �Middle Eastern cuisine," this salad is a random mish-mash of things I think taste good. Remember those sweet potato tacos I wrote about? And how I said I always make extra roasted sweet potatoes to eat throughout the week? Well, this quick salad is something that came about thanks to those extra sweet potatoes. We�re adding them to a bowl full of za�atar spiced chickpeas, a lemony, garlicky, sumac-dusted tahini dressing, and lots of parsley. I also added almonds for crunch, and a 7-minute egg, because it has the most perfect custardy yolk ever!


I was inspired to make the 7-minute egg by one of my favorite online food friends (just kidding, we�re not friends, but I pretend we are), Cara Nicoletti. She�s a blogger, author, butcher, badass. And she has the best Instagram captions that I wish I had thought of. My all-time favorite: she posted a food photo with the caption �Mike Will Made it. Just kidding, I did.� I want to steal that line every day. And she posted a pic of a glorious soft cooked egg, with the caption �7 minutes in heaven.� I�m still LOLing over that one. I sound like I�m stalking her don�t I? Maaaaybe let�s not tell Cara about this, ok? 

Anyway, now I�ve been making 6.5-7 minutes eggs like a madwoman, and doing something so godawful I always swore I�d never be one of those people� you know, the ones who microwave a smelly egg at work! Some nerve, right? Orangette taught me that you can reheat a soft boiled egg in the shell, for about 20 seconds, and it works like a charm. Which means this salad is perfect for a workday lunch!

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing and a 7-Minute Egg
Add as much arugula, etc as you desire. 

1 can chickpeas, drained
1 heaping teaspoon za�atar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Arugula 
Roasted Sweet Potatoes (recipe here)
Sliced avocado
Feta
7 minute egg (below) 
Chopped almonds
Tahini dressing (below)

Dry drained chickpeas (and peal them if you want them to be crispier), and toss with za�atar. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add chickpeas. Cook for about five minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly. 

In large bowls, layer in arugula, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and avocado. Drizzle with dressing, and top with halved 7 minute eggs, chopped nuts, and feta. 

7-Minute Egg
Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover eggs. Bring to a boil. Gently lower eggs (using a slotted spoon) into water, and set timer for exactly 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, remove from heat, and drain water immediately. Run cold water into pot, over eggs until they come to room temperature (several minutes), or place immediately into an ice bath. For a runnier yolk, try 6.5 minutes. 

Tahini Dressing
� cup water
� cup tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice from � a large lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sumac
Pinch aleppo pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together.

******

Further Reading:
A quick run down about cultural appropriation of food.

One of my favorite articles ever, by the guy with the best bao ever (also, did I tell you about the time I ate at Baohaus and the place was empty other than Eddie Huang and his friends hanging out� I died. But was too shy to say hi.)

This: �Americans are increasingly interested in where food is sourced. Surely, that interest should extend to a meal�s cultural roots as well as its biological origins.�

And this: �When the �experts� of our food are people from outside our communities, that is a form of appropriation.�

And also, this: �The issue at hand isn�t complicated. Simply put, why label a dish as being a cultural element when it�s not?�

Also, my sister has a Masters in Cultural Studies, and recommended the following:
The Tourist Gaze - John Urry
Orientalism - Edward Said
The West and the Rest: Discourse and Power - Stuart Hall

Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad

I have two minutes before the bus comes.  Do you think I can write about this salad in two minutes?  Well, technically it's two minutes, but when it's nice and cold outside the bus tends to run late because I think the universe thinks it's funny that moms and dads are wusses in the cold.

*Update: the bus was 10 minutes late DAMMIT.

Okay, now I'm back and I have ALL the time in the world to write about this salad.  Well, technically I have 30 seconds because after school snack, homework, dinner, tubbies, emails, wine... etc.

THIS SALAD IS DELICIOUS.  Roasted broccoli in garlic, fluffy quinoa, chopped spinach, crunchy pistachios, salty feta and all of that drizzled with olive oil and lemon.  Oh, and I added avocado.  

Truly wonderful, hot or cold.  Recipe here.

Crunchy Taco Kale Salad

Day 2 of Salad Week!  I barely made it!  (By the way, you should know that 6pm is practically midnight in my world.)  Also, I'm terribly disappointed in myself, because in my "hangry" haste last night I forgot to take many pictures of Day 2 Salad.  You're just going to have to take my word that it was delicious.  We typically partake in Taco Tuesday cuisine, but rarely do salads.  However, after viewing this recipe for a Crunchy Taco Kale Salad (and in our ongoing effort to eat slightly better, at least during the week) I decided to go for it.  Homemade Chipotle Lime Avocado Dressing??  Yes please.  And it was as creamy and (subtly) spicy as you would imagine.  Drizzled atop a kale salad with chopped cilantro, black beans, shredded white cheddar and a variety of veggies... and I also roasted some shrimp for protein.  Oh, and did I mention the homemade tortilla strips??  

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Welcome to Salad Week!  That's a thing, because I said so!  Five full days (maybe) of different kinds of salads.  Let's start with this delicious orzo pasta salad with mediterranean flavors like crunchy cucumbers, bright lemon, dill and salty kalamata olives.  I loosely followed this recipe here, adding whatever I had on hand (like yellow tomatoes and diced red pepper) and I chopped up everything into very small pieces so it would be toddler friendly.  This is a great salad to make in large batches because you'll eat it all week long... add some shrimp or chicken for protein!  Salad!  

Squash Two ways for CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

On Saturday, I'll be presenting the following recipes using local squash, for CBC's Weekend Morning Show, with Host Terry MacLeod.

Gorgeous Heirloom varieties are available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market, until Oct. 31st from producers from Wiens Farm and Trudy Penner/Penner Pumpkins.

Tuscan Squash Salad

1 lb squash (butternut, hubbard, or any small firm variety except spaghetti), peeled, seeded and cut in 5-inch slices
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs honey, warm and divided into two parts
� cup chopped walnuts
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs walnut oil
� tsp kosher or sea salt
� tsp ground black pepper
~ 6 cups mixed baby greens, lightly packed
� cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400�F. Toss the squash and olive oil in a large bowl. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly brush with half of the honey. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn and brush with the remaining honey. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the squash is cooked through. Some varieties take longer to cook.

While the squash is baking, toast the walnuts lightly. Whisk together the lemon juice, walnut oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Toss the greens with the vinaigrette in a large bowl and place on serving plates. Top with 3-5 slices of squash. Sprinkle with the walnuts and feta, season and serve while the squash is still warm.

Squash Halwa- Easy Diwali Sweet Recipe

1 Seeded and baked Squash (Acorn, Hubbard, Delicata, etc.) ~ 4 cups
Milk- � cup
Condensed milk- � can or 150 ml
Saffron, strands (optional)- � tsp strands soaked in 1 tbsp milk
Ghee- 4 tbsp
Roasted Almonds, whole or chopped- � cup (roasted in � tbsp ghee)

Peel the skin off the squash and dice it into medium size.
In a non-stick cooking pan, cook the diced squash in water till it turns tender and well cooked.
Drain the water from the cooked squash and put it back into the pan.
Using a wooden spoon, mash the cooked squash without any lumps.
Switch on the stove to medium heat and place the pan with the mashed squash over it.
Add milk and combine well stirring constantly breaking any lumps present in it.
Add the condensed milk to it and combine well stirring constantly.
Pour 2 tbsp of ghee at this point and keep stirring.
If you are adding saffron, add the soaked saffron to the mixture.
Let it thicken and don�t forget to stir it.
When the mixture is no more watery and has thickened, add 2 tbsp more of ghee.
Keep stirring for a minute and remove from the heat.
In a small pan, roast whole or chopped almonds in � tbsp ghee till it turns golden in color.
Grease a platter with little ghee and spread the squash halwa onto the plate.
Even out the halwa level using a flat spatula.
Garnish the squash halwa with roasted almonds.
Chill the halwa for an hour and serve.
Notes
You could tweak this recipe according to your needs.
You could adjust the sweetness, amount of ghee added accordingly.
Also add pistachios, raisins or other nuts for extra crunchiness.

Date & Chorizo Kale Salad

We don�t usually have salad at our Thanksgiving feast, do you? I�ve always felt like, who wants to fill their plates and bellies with lettuce when there are already too many other good things to get through?

But this year, I�m throwing this salad option out there for you, just in case you want a dose of something green and leafy. And it�s kale, so really, no worries about that whole lettuce issue I mentioned above.

I got the inspiration for this salad from the New York Times Thanksgiving by State article. An article which, by the way, has Washingtonians very confused. Glazed shiitake mushrooms with bok choy!? So random. I get the Asian influence, we do have a lot of that here. But they seem to have totally passed over all of our amazing local ingredients that typically go into a Washington fall feast: chanterelle mushrooms, which are in-season and abundant in certain parts of the state right now; apples, for which we have orchard upon orchard upon orchard; Walla Walla sweet onions from, you guessed it, Walla Walla Washington; salmon and dungeness crab� I mean, they had so much to work with! And they failed. Big time.

Sometimes I feel like everyone on the east coast is like �Washington� DC, right?� And I�m like �Hello! We�re over here! We�re a state!� Like in the 90s, when we first got (dial-up) internet at home and I spent all my time in chatrooms (um, geocities, amiright!?) and whenever I got A/S/L�d, I obviously lied about the A and said I was a cool, older 16 year old�I was really more like 14 (sorry mom), and even though I was supposed to lie about the L (sorry mom), I would say �Washington,� and my chat-mate would always think DC. Every. Damn. Time. Also, I got in trouble when my mom discovered my chat name was something like �cutiegirl16.� IT WAS THE 90S YOU GUYS. To Catch a Predator wasn�t even a thing yet.

Oh, sorry. I digress. Back to this kale salad. I was inspired by California�s non-terrible representation: kale/date/almond stuffing! Since all these ingredients can be saladified with different proportions, I went that route. The bread becomes crunchy rustic croutons, the kale gets a massage but stays fresh and raw. I nixed the ground turkey and cooked onions because texture, and added Spanish chorizo, cranberries, and a little shallot-lemon dressing, because flavor. It all comes together for a fresh, autumn salad, perfect for Thanksgiving or any other fall dinner. 

(PS. this is a husband arm modeling our chorizo, below!)

Date & Chorizo Kale Salad

Makes 4 servings

Unlike its crumbly, un-cooked Mexican cousin, Spanish chorizo is a hard, cured link, similar to salami. If you can�t find it, you can order online: http://www.tienda.com/food/chorizo.html

1 load sourdough bread

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped

2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

Salt & pepper

2 bunches of Lacinato Kale, rinsed and dried

Olive oil

Flaked sea salt

5 large dates, pitted and roughly chopped

� cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped

Spanish chorizo, sliced or diced, about 1 cup

1 cup fresh cranberries, roughly chopped

Juice from half a lemon

1 teaspoon finely diced shallot

1 teaspoon brown mustard

1 teaspoon olive oil

Fresh ground black pepper

First, croutons. Preheat oven to 400.

Cut the crust off the bread, and cut or tear the rest into rustic, large-but-bite-sized chunks. Spread bread chunks on a sheet pan, and drizzle with the 2 T olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and a couple heavy pinches of salt and black pepper. Toss together until the bread is well coated.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until croutons are lightly browned and crunchy. Set aside.

Next, kale.

Remove the stems, and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces. Add kale to a large bowl, and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil (less than tablespoon), and a heavy pinch of flaked sea salt. Massage the salt and oil into the kale leaves with your hands�this helps break down the tough leaves�until the leaves are softer and a more vibrant green.

Add dates through cranberries to kale.

Finally, the dressing.

Whisk together lemon through black pepper, and pour over salad. Toss everything together, and enjoy! Can also be eaten the next day.

Italian Countryside for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy at the MLCC

Tonight I will be presenting the following dishes for the Foodie Series for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy at the Madison Square MLCC.    I'm really loving this Bruschetta recipe (see tomato coulis).  Roasted tomato/shallot focaccia is rising in the pan.

(Tuscan Squash Salad)

1. Tuscan Squash Salad

1 lb squash (butternut, hubbard, or any small firm variety except spaghetti), peeled, seeded and cut in 5-inch slices
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs honey, warm and divided into two parts
� cup chopped walnuts
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs walnut oil
� tsp kosher or sea salt
� tsp ground black pepper
~ 6 cups mixed baby greens, lightly packed
� cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400�F. Toss the squash and olive oil in a large bowl. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly brush with half of the honey. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn and brush with the remaining honey. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the squash is cooked through. Some varieties take longer to cook.

While the squash is baking, toast the walnuts lightly. Whisk together the lemon juice, walnut oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Toss the greens with the vinaigrette in a large bowl and place on serving plates. Top with 3-5 slices of squash. Sprinkle with the walnuts and feta, season and serve while the squash is still warm.

2. Bruschetta

4 medium tomatoes

4+ oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

1 clove garlic,

2-3 tbs. olive oil

small bunch basil

dash of crushed red chilies

salt and pepper

Blend all ingredients and chill.  Spread over Italian bread that has been toasted with olive oil and garlic. 

Enjoy!

3. Karen's Beef Lasagna

1 pkg lasagna noodles (or make fresh pasta)
2 lbs ground beef
1 tbs olive oil
8 large oven roasted tomatoes or large can of tomatoes
1 head roasted garlic
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
salt, to taste
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (or 2 tbs dried)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried chilies (optional)
1 tsp fresh or dried rosemary
1/2 - 1 cup red wine
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 500 ml package ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375�F. In a large saucepot, brown ground meat in olive oil over medium high heat. Remove meat from pot and set aside. Add olive oil to pot and slowly brown onions. Then add tomatoes (with water or juice), spices, roasted garlic, brown sugar and red wine. Pur�e sauce and add dried porcini mushrooms and meat back to the sauce. Simmer until well incorporated.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish, place 2 layers of noodles on the bottom of dish; layer 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 of the sauce; repeat layers.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes; let stand for 10 minutes before cutting; serve.

4. Drunken Figs

1 package of dried figs
red wine such as Lambrusco works great as it is a sweet wine to begin with, but merlot, shiraz, zinfandel or pinot noir would work great too!


Place dried figs in a glass bowl, cover with wine. Place in fridge. DONE

Enjoy on their own, with ice cream, pound or angel food cake, etc.

Summer Salad Roundup

This weekend is two of my favorite events of the year: Ragnar Relay (my 6th year!) and Burning Beast. Next weekend we�re hiking/camping for Amanda�s birthday, and the following weekend is�wait for it� my bachelorette party weekend! In Sonoma! 

Um, also�did I mention that Evan and my wedding is in 2.5 months!? Where did the time go!? At this point, we mostly just need to pull together some last minute decorations and things. We have each other and we have the food, so that�s really all that matters in the end. Oh, but we�re having a helluva time picking out the aisle song. We love music and want it to be something special, but most of the bands we love sing about the opposite of happiness and love. Maybe you can help: I love classic rock (think CCR, Stones), bluegrass, Lana Del Rey, and Miley (don�t hate). Evan loves electronic music & Elliot Smith. Together, we�re bigtime fans of DCFC, Colin Meloy, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Annnnd, go! 

So anyway, with all I have going on lately, I�ve been living off of quick salads. Not even exciting ones. I know that�s kind of boring, but it�s true. Sometimes I toss some chicken on the grill and then put that in the salad, or maybe I�ll throw the whole thing in a tortilla, and call it dinner. I�ve been so busy and it�s so warm out that I�ve just had no energy to put together a real dinner. I think Evan loves it, because it means he can eat out whatever and whenever and I just don�t care. The Korean place around the corner probably loves it too, because Evan�s been a very frequent customer (sidenote: their grilled pork & kimchi sandwich is insane, and I�ll probably need to recreate it for you sometime soon!).  

Summer�s a busy time, man. If you�re also living off salads, here�s a little inspiration from the archives:

• Warm Potato Salad with Blistered Shishito Peppers
• Spicy Sesame Soba Salad with Tofu
• Avocado & Orange Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing
• Tuna & Whitebean Salad with Tomatoes & Kalamata Olives
• Wheatberry Salad with Avocados, Strawberries, & Caramelized Shallots
• Fried Green Tomato Salad
• Southwest Quinoa Burrito Bowl Salad

And a few from the interwebz:

• Sweet corn, peach, and cherry salad with creamy goat cheese and a lime dressing from Flourishing Foodie
• Octavia�s Warm Shrimp Salad with Cantaloupe & Feta from Dunk & Crumble
• Grilled Peach and Haloumi Salad from A Cozy Kitchen
• Char-Siu Chicken B�n Bowls from The Pig and Quill (basically a salad...right?)

Avocado & Orange Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing

I love to walk. My mom is a walker too. As long as I can remember, Mel has walked 2-4 miles every day, up and down the wooded country road I grew up on. When we were kids, Amanda and I went with her. I would inevitably fall and scrape my knees, which often led to me fainting right there on the side of the road. In addition to being a walker, I�m a fainter.

My family also went on evening strolls after dinner�up the street a mile, then back down a mile. Sometimes I stopped a few yards before the turn-around spot, and waited. Then, when they got to me, I pretended I was an orphan, and that they found me on the road and were adopting me. I watched a lot of All Dogs Go to Heaven and Annie.

Seattle is a small city, and you can easily go from one end of downtown to the other on foot. I�ve done it plenty of times. I walk from my office to the gym, from my doorstep to the farmer�s market. I have a car and a bus pass, but I just prefer to get around on foot.

Lately, with the cherry blossoms blooming like crazy, the temperatures rising, and the sun staying out later and later each evening, I have a strong desire to just get out there and walk. Not to go anywhere in particular, but just to walk. To take in the fresh air and give my computer-strained eyes a break.

I can usually bribe Evan with snack-stops, but he prefers walks that have a destination in mind (I mean, what he actually prefers is driving). The other day, I tricked him into walking across town to my favorite grocery store and back. The sunny walk and the store�s bountiful produce inspired me to make this springy salad with buttery bibb lettuce, red onions, creamy avocados, juicy oranges, umami filled dressing, feta for tang, and almonds for crunch.

Evan, the non-salad lover, even asked for seconds. Maybe it was all that fresh air. I�ll give partial credit to the walk, but you can taste this salad and decide for yourself!

Avocado & Orange Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing

Serves 2

Dressing

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon mustard (I use spicy brown)

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon olive oil 

salt & pepper

Mix ingredients together (either shake in a jar, or whisk in a bowl). 

Salad

1/2 head bibb lettuce, torn into largish bite size pieces

1 orange, peeled and cut into bit size chunks

1 tablespoon diced red onion
Dressing (recipe above)

1 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped

1/4 cup feta

Fresh ground pepper

Put lettuce, orange, and onion in a bowl, and toss with about half the dressing. Arrange on plates or a platter, and top with avocado slices, almonds, feta, fresh ground pepper, and if desired, more dressing. Note: wait til just before serving to toss dressing with lettuce, to avoid soggy salad.