Fennel from Fertile Farm is Fabulous on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of presenting two ways to prepare fennel on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with Nadia Kidwai.  Fennel is surprisingly versatile and we can get it grown locally at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market at Fertile Farm.  They have such a wonderful variety of locally grow produce and are a wonderful newcomer family from China.

The first recipe is en pappiote, or cooked in paper.  This is so easy and you can make this in a toaster oven.  The Steelhead Trout comes from Watersong Farm, in Warren, Manitoba. This gorgeous fish is available each week at Gimli Fish.  They will also be coming to the 201 Portage Ave. Farmer's Market on Friday's!

1.Simply take a fillet and cut into portions, place on the parchment paper and top with your favourites.  Here, I topped the fillets with shaved fennel bulb, chopped fennel fronds, butter, and salt and pepper.  Bake at 350�F for 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.  It will be a present at each setting!

 The second recipe is also very easy.  I saut�ed shaved fennel bulb with thinly sliced red onion and dried red chilies in olive oil until almost caramelized, with salt and pepper.  I finished with cream and white wine and tossed with cooked spaghetti.  Grate Parmesan over the pasta and it has a remarkable smokiness, almost bacon-like, as a vegetarian pasta.

Enjoy!

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

I have never met a pasta that I didn't like.  Honestly, I can't think of a single one.  But this pasta, this one is up there with a really good Carbonara, or a Cacio E Peppe, or a Spaghetti al Pomodoro (like this OMG).  It's made with Fusilli (but you could sub in any pasta you have on hand), a ton of fresh lemon juice and zest, cherry tomatoes, peppery arugula and a delicious cream sauce (that has 2 cups of heavy cream... just pretend you didn't read that part... FORGET IT NOW).  The recipe calls for broccoli, but I omitted that because, I don't know, I wasn't feeling it that particular night.  That's the beauty of cooking, my friends.  Do what you want!  You the boss.  

(Sorry, I've been watching too much Boss Baby.)

Recipe HERE. 

Some HUGE news...

I'm beyond thrilled to tell you that I am writing my first cookbook, titled Siriously Delicious.

I'M WRITING A COOKBOOK!

Sorry for shouting at you, but this is the type of news that requires the caps lock button, and happy dances, and celebratory handfuls of chocolate chips (which I guess are different than my regular handfuls of chocolate chips?).  Even to say it out loud, or to see the words on paper, makes me feel giddy.  I am writing my first cookbook, and I am so excited to finally share this news with you.

I am working with TimeInc Books, and the process has been incredible so far!  From recipe development, to taste testing (hard job), to our first photo shoot last week... it has been one pinch-me moment after another.  One of the most incredible was having the gloriously talented Ellen Silverman shoot our lifestyle and cover shots (the magical force behind some of my favorite cookbooks).  

Here she is at work...

Mr. Photobomb...

I can't wait to share more of the process with you as we move forward, so continue to check in here or on Instagram or Twitter.  And come back tomorrow for a perfect summer pasta dish!  Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go eat more chocolate chips, and I think you should too.  

Canada Day BBQ for Beef eaters, Vegans, and Vegetarians on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

Happy Canada Day on July 1st!  While you are planning on your BBQ, remember the wonderful beef that we have here locally, as well as the vegans and vegetarians who will inevitably also wish to partake of the celebrations.  :)  

I am presenting the following dishes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with Host Nadia Kidwai.  The lovely Sirloin Steak Beef from Manitoba Beef was perfect for kebabs. This is available on Saturday at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market as well as the quinoa from Tamarack Farms for the Quinoa Sweet Potato vegan burgers.  If you are looking to keep completely Gluten-Free, use their quinoa flour in place of panko.  The grilled eggplant is wonderful for so many events.  You can find locally grown eggplant now at Vic's Fruit Market on Pembina and at Schreimer's Greenhouses.

Happy Canada Day!  Enjoy!

(Quinoa Sweet Potato burgers)

  
(Marinating beef kebabs)

Turkish Beef Kebab

1 lb thinly sliced beef or lamb (Today was Manitoba Beef�s Sirloin Steak, available at the St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market on Saturday)

1 onion, grated

1 medium tomato, grated

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp dry mint

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

� cup olive oil *

1 cup red wine

If meat is a tough cut, you may pound the thinly sliced beef.  Mix all ingredients together and let marinate overnight of for several hours.

Skewer the meat and grill over high heat, turning.  Let meat rest and serve with yoghurt tahini sauce, grilled vegetables and Afghani Naan. (available fresh at Millad�s on Notre Dame).

Quinoa Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers (adapted from Bonappetit, January 2016)

1 small sweet potato
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 portobello mushroom (or 5-8 crimini mushrooms)
� small zucchini
1 small shallot, finely chopped
� teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup cooked quinoa (from about � uncooked) (Tamarack Farms available at St. Norbert�s Farmer's Market and Downtown Hydro Market)
� cup dried breadcrumbs (panko)
1� teaspoons fresh lemon juice
4 Pretzel or Sourdough Brioche (Available at Old Church Bakery at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market

Guacamole, tomato chutney, sprouts, etc.

Wash and prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a paper towel in the microwave for 3-5 minutes, until soft, depending on the microwave.  Fastest and easiest method and won�t heat up your kitchen with the oven.

Remove the skin from the sweet potato and mash the flesh with a fork.  Set aside.

Grate zucchini and mushrooms.  Heat a small skillet with olive oil and cook shallot with pepper flakes until translucent.  Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook until moisture has been released.  Transfer to a bowl with cooked quinoa (1 1/2 cups water : 1 cup quinoa, boil, stir and simmer for 15 minutes).  Season and mix with salt and pepper.  Let cool.

Add breadcrumbs (panko), lemon juice and about 1/4 cup of mashed sweet potato, adding more as a binder as needed.

Divide mixture into 4 portions and form into patties.  Heat 2 tbs oil in a medium skillet on medium heat and cook 2 patties at a time, until golden brown.

Serve burgers with Old Church Bakery pretzel buns or Sourdough Brioche with your favourite toppings, guacamole, tomato chutney, etc.

Enjoy!

Patli�an Yog�rtl�

1 lg eggplant sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 c plain yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt

Slice and salt eggplant and let sit in a bowl of cold water. If eggplant is very young, skip the step of salt and water. Rinse and squeeze out water from slices.

Mince garlic and stir into yoghurt with salt.

Saut� eggplant slices on medium high heat until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and let sit for a moment on a paper towel. Place on platter and top with yoghurt mixture. Sprinkle rubbed oregano and paprika over yoghurt. Top with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with baguette slices or water crackers.

Enjoy!

Thursday, July 13th - Join us for a fun and informative evening about Burnaby Food First's Sharing Backyards Program

Passionate Palmer Pops | Popsicle Week 2017

It�s Wit and Vinegar�s WORLD FAMOUS POPSICLE WEEK! The hottest (yet, chilliest/chillest) week of the year! Check out the 2017 popsicle week page for a plethora of pops. Some are covered in toasted marshmallow (!), some are made with pudding, others are boozy and fruity, a few have chunks of cake in them. And this, my friends, is mine: The Passionate Palmer Pop�. 

It�s a sordid love affair, a steamy (yet frosty) summer romance between everyone�s favorite non-alcoholic drink named after a golfer, the Arnold Palmer, and the tangy sweet tropical seductress, Passionfruit. We�re talkin� sweet and sour, sticky and melty, and as refreshing as a glass of iced tea on a hot summer day. We have intrigue. We have temptation. We have PASSION. And tea and lemon. We have passionfruit Arnold Palmers (tea + lemonade combo) in one cool, frozen package. 

My sister and I were throwing out popsicle flavor ideas, and when we landed on passionfruit Arnold Palmers, and the name Passionate Palmers, we laughed hysterically. Partially because we think we�re hilarious no matter what we say, but mostly because we had an 8th grade teacher named Mrs. Palmer, who also happened to be the mom of one of my best friends growing up. Like the true middle schoolers we are at heart, it�s just funny saying passionate + a teacher�s name. RIGHT!? (Is this the part where we make the calculator say boobs*?) #growupalready. 

I had to search pretty far and wide to find any sort of passionfruit anything. Seattle has no passion. When I was about to give up, I got over my hating-tourist-season-at-the-market infliction, and tried Pike Place Market, and of course, found everything I needed: frozen passion fruit pulp and whole passionfruit fruits. The whole passionfruit is fun because it adds some fresh flavor and the cute crunchy seeds, but if you can�t find them, the frozen pulp will do. I found mine at the Mercado Latino, the Latin grocery at Pike Place. When it doubt, try a Hispanic/ Latin grocery. I used the Goya brand frozen pulp, which is 100% passion fruit pulp (no sweetener, etc). If you can�t find that, my next suggestion would be passionfruit nectar or juice (Goya also has one, or try a Hawaiian brand�look for lilikoi instead of passionfruit), but don�t add extra sweetener to the pops, as those drinks are usually pretty sweet. And if all of the above fails, and you live in a passionless pit, I think pureed mango would be pretty good here too!  

Don�t forget to visit Billy�s #popsicleweek page to enjoy fun pops all summer long!

Passionate Palmer pops (passionfruit arnold palmer popsicles) 

Makes ~10 standard sized popsicles

2 cups water 4 tea bags (basic black tea, like Lipton) 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from approx.  2 whole lemons) 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2/3 cup frozen passionfruit puree/ pulp 2 whole passionfruit

Boil water, then steep tea bags for about 10 minutes, until you have a dark, strong tea (but not like, impossible to consume dark). You can either simmer the bags in a pot with the water, or just boil, remove from heat, and steep, covered. Chill tea until cool (in refrigerator, or over an ice bath). While tea is chilling, cut open both whole passionfruit, and scoop the insides (seeds and all, they�re edible!) into the bottom of each of your popsicle molds. Freeze until solid, about 20 minutes. Add lemon juice, maple syrup, and passionfruit puree to chilled tea (Note: the frozen passionfruit comes pretty solid. To use it, I first broke it up and added it, with a splash of water, to the blender, just to get it to loosen up to a thick soft-serve, sorbet like consistency. You could also just try thawing it like a normal patient person). Whisk or stir until combined. Taste, and add more maple syrup as needed (depending on how sour/tangy versus sweet you like it). Pour mixture into popsicle molds, over frozen passionfruit. Insert sticks and freeze until solid.

*Speaking of 8th grade and boobs... my mom, sister, and I recently reminisced about the time I tried to stuff my bra (with wadded up tissues) for a middle school dance, and as my friend and I were leaving the house, my mom SO EMBARRASSINGLY, IN FRONT OF MY FRIEND, told me to take it out! I died a thousand angsty deaths. But in hindsight, I think she did me a huge favor: 
    Amanda: How'd you know she stuffed? Were they too big?
    Mom: No, they were just super lumpy and weird shaped!

Homemade Acai Bowl

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I've been on an Acai Bowl kick as of late.  If you are what you eat, then I am a bowl of slushy, fruity goodness.  Funny thing is, I didn't even know how to pronounce the word 'acai'  a few months ago.  It was probably my hesitation in ordering one.  "Um, can I have an a-key... a-kay... a-kie... never mind."  WELL GUESS WHAT FOLKS.  It doesn't matter how you say it because it's delicious (but in case you're wondering, it's 'ah-SIGH-eee').  

Only problem with binging on these bowls?  They're expensive!  So I decided to make one at home.  

First, I found these packets at Whole Foods...  

Then, I gathered up a few more ingredients... almond milk for blending, granola, organic honey, blueberries, unsweetened coconut, sliced banana and raspberries.  

I took one and a half packets of the acai and blended it with 1/4 cup of almond milk.  I layered the bowl with granola and coconut, added the acai, then topped it all with more granola, coconut, berries, banana and drizzled everything with honey.  

Yummy.  The consistency was a bit runny (so maybe next time I'd add less almond milk or possibly some almond butter for thickness).  But I'm glad I've found a cheaper version I can make at home!