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January - Not Just For Salads Anymore

1/8/2014

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I love the enthusiasm we all feel in January for healthy eating!  We need to feel cleansed after the holiday overload.  But if we limit our worthy food revival to salads we'll be bored before the New Year's Eve confetti is cleaned up and back to comforting ourselves with the cheese board pulled from the back of the fridge. (*)

It's not the lettuce that will cure our ills - it's the fruit and vegetables, the whole grains, the missing chocolate, the potatoes without goose fat, lean meats not glazed meats en croute… Fill your body full of goodness using all the fare at your disposal.  Keep it exciting and you might keep it up.  

Here are 3 vegetarian dishes full of flavours inspired by Indian and Cuban cuisine - the only leaf in sight a scattering of coriander.


Piquant Vegetarian Rice & Beans, Cuban Style
The whole grain of brown rice gives you lots of fibre and minerals without a lot of calories or fat.   Chickpeas (and other legumes), also high in minerals and fibre, are an important source of protein for vegetarians.  

Ingredients:
200 - 250 mls (3/4 - 1 cup) short grain brown rice (+water to boil)
1 large red bell pepper, medium dice 
2 tomatoes, medium dice
1 400 gram can of chick peas, drained & rinsed
1 medium onion, diced
2 fat cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 twists of black pepper (or 1/4 teaspoon ground)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

First make rice:  rinse rice and put in saucepan with double the amount of water.  Cover, bring to boil and turn down to simmer for 25 minutes.  Drain rice of any excess water when finished.

In a non-metallic mixing bowl, add marinade ingredients:  olive oil, lime juice, paprika, oregano, sea salt, black pepper, cumin and garlic.  Mix together.

Dice onion, pepper and tomatoes and add to bowl.  Toss well in marinade to coat.  Add chick peas and toss again.  

Put marinated veg and beans into a casserole, dutch oven or large saucepan that has a lid.  Cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for approximately 25 minutes.  Long enough for chickpeas to soften, but before peppers have gone mushy.

Put rice into bowl used for marinating to get the most of the flavors - as there is no meat in the this recipe, the marinade isn't contaminated.  Add the cooked bean/veg mixture and mix gently to combine.  

If you're not vegan, you can serve with a dollop of low fat yogurt mixed through to add creaminess, though it's not necessary.

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Sag Aloo
This spinach and potato Indian dish can be used as a side or a main depending on your view of what makes a meal. 
Don't forget - potatoes are a health food!  Don't let their relatively high glycemic index rating keep you from eating them.  They are a low fat & calorie, nutrient dense vegetable.   

Ingredients:
4 cups potatoes, peeled & diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup diced onion
6 large handfuls of spinach (I used baby - if not, remove hard stems)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
freshly ground black pepper


Peel and dice potatoes - put into a pot of boiling water and parboil for 7 minutes.  The potatoes should be slightly soft; not hard but not too mushy.  Drain and allow to dry. 

Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a wok or large pan, heat and add potatoes.   Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking - midway thru sprinkle with sea salt.

Remove potatoes from pan and set aside for time being.  Add spices and onion to wok/pan and stir fry for a few minutes, coating the onions.  Add 6 large handfuls of washed spinach.  Toss to coat with spices and then add 1/4 cup of water, stirring constantly.  Add 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (can use lemon juice - but I like the sweetness of the orange juice paired with the garam masala and spices.) Stir.  


Add the potatoes back in and stir through.  Finish with a few twists of black pepper.
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And finally, I made an updated version of a recipe I posted in October (click here for original)  

Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Curry Stew

Ingredients:
1/2 large onion or 1 small, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 butternut squash (2 heaping cups) peeled, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed thoroughly
3 cups of water
(salt & pepper to taste)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
coriander (cilantro) leaves, torn
dollop of low fat natural yogurt


Rinse lentils and prepare squash, onions and garlic.  


In a large saucepan or stock pot, sauté onions in olive oil.  Add garlic and spices: cumin, turmeric and cayenne pepper.  

Add butternut squash and lentils.  Mix through.  

Add water, stir and cover to cook for 25-30 minutes.  Check to see that lentils and squash have softened. 

Taste to check seasoning and add a little salt and/or pepper.  

Add lemon juice, stir through.  

Serve with a dollop of low fat natural yogurt (unless vegan) and sprinkle with a few torn coriander leaves.  

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(*Instead of slathering the cheeseboard chutneys on a cracker, why not put a dollop on some sautéd veg with poached eggs and start the day right?  Click here for previous  Gear Up  post. )
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Summer Gatherings ... and Rhubarb, too

8/3/2013

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I have returned from the land of sparklers!  What a wonderful visit home... a chance for my children to spend time with much of our American family around one big table.  They could feel their own reflections in the faces and voices of uncles and aunts, cousins and grandparents.  For those lucky enough to enjoy gatherings regularly, treasure those meals!  


Summer gives us much to gather: family and friends around us for barbecues, concerts, or fireworks; shells on the beach;  lightning bugs in jars for a homemade nightlight; or the bounty from our gardens.  Well, not my garden - but if you're lucky, you have good neighbors with good gardens.  I was grateful to be given a bunch of freshly picked rhubarb by my good and generous neighbor.  


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What to make?  I felt a responsibility to use my bounty wisely... and tastily... So I went with a favourite in our house, rhubarb tart.  Since I was lucky to have lots, I also experimented with a rhubarb and red onion compote to complement some pork tenderloin we were having for dinner.  Savoury or sweet(ish), rhubarb is a great way to add servings of a fresh fruit* to your diet.  Yes, even in a dessert!

Enjoy these recipes... with family, friends or lightning bugs.  Happy gatherings!

RHUBARB TART
Ingredients:

For the pastry:
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound / 227 grams chilled butter
4 - 6 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:

5-6 stalks rhubarb (approximate - depends on size of pie plate)
1/4 cup sugar (again - this is approximate - some like their rhubarb tart, some prefer it to be more sweet)
a few small pats of butter
 
First, make the pastry:
Combine flour, salt & sugar in a medium-large bowl - stir to mix.

Cut cold butter into cubes and add to flour.  Using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture until pieces become small and mixture feels sandy.  

Add 4 tablespoons cold water and mix in with a fork.  Start to gather dough into a ball; if it’s still too crumbly, add another tablespoon or two of water, mix, and try again.  (In the warmer summer air, you will need less water, probably just the 4 tablespoons.)

Divide the dough into two balls, placing each into cling film.  Flatten into disks and wrap both tightly.  

Refrigerate dough for about an hour before using.  (You can make dough hours/days ahead and keep in refrigerator.)
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While that's chilling, prepare your filling:
Rinse the rhubarb, wipe away any dirt and chop off the root ends.  Next chop the stalks into slices about 1 centimeter / 1/2 inch thick and put into a bowl.  Sprinkle sugar over and let sit.  

When pastry has chilled, turn on the oven to pre-heat: 210ºC/425ºF

Remove dough from refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll first disk and place in pie plate.
(In making this, I broke my favourite pie plate!  Disaster!  Had to make do and use the upside down lid of a glass casserole - the other pie tin I had was too shallow - you definitely want some depth for a rhubarb tart.  It worked - and as it was slightly smaller than my old one, I made 2 mini pies as well.)

Fill with the diced rhubarb.  Dot small pieces butter over (5 or 6).

Roll out second disk and lay over.  (Don’t worry if crust doesn’t roll out perfectly!  You can lay pieces over top to cover.  Tip: keep the pastry on the cling film when you roll it out, it's easier to lift it up and flip it onto the pie, and then peel the plastic away.)

Pinch the edges together.  Using a fork, prick a few small holes in top crust to allow steam to release. 
It might not be pretty - but it's going to taste delicious!

Bake in pre-heated hot oven for 10 minutes.  Turn oven down to 180º (160º fan) / 350ºF and continue to bake for 30-35 minutes, until crust is golden brown and you can see some juice in the cracks of that not so pretty but very tasty pastry.
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Let cool a bit if you can, serve and enjoy...  We sure did!
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RHUBARB & RED ONION COMPOTE
(The sweet/tartness of this compote compliments pork very nicely.  I served with grilled pork tenderloin)

Ingredients for compote:
1 red onion
olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
juice of 1 smallish orange
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb


Ingredients for pork:
1 tenderloin (fillet) approximately 600-700grams / 1 1/2 lbs
black pepper
ground coriander
dried oregano

To make compote:
Slice onion into rounds and then dice each round into quarters.  You don't want very long pieces of onion in the final compote.  
Place into a saucepan with a splash of olive oil.  Heat on high, stirring constantly until onion begins to soften.  Turn heat down very low and allow to cook until translucent and very soft.

Add 1 teaspoon brown sugar (2 if you must have it sweeter) and the juice of 1 small orange.  Turn the heat to medium, stirring. 
Add chopped rhubarb and 1 tablespoon water.  Stir.  Put lid on pot and allow to cook.

After a 3-4 minutes, check to see that rhubarb softening.  When it is soft, stir, turn off heat and allow to sit.

Prepare pork: trim away any of the silvery skin/sinew.  Butterfly (cut straight down the middle, without slicing all the way through and flatten out a bit.)  

Sprinkle the spices over both sides of meat and rub in a bit.  

Heat the grill (I cooked mine under a grill/broiler in oven - great if you can use an actual grill though.)
Cook, turning once, for about 20 minutes.  You can check internal temperature with an instant read thermometer - should be 63ºC/145º.  Pork tenderloin can have a blush of pink in the center - you don't want to over cook it to retain its juicy tenderness.


Serve with compote on the side.
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* Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, but it is used as a fruit.  Also, please read my previous post, "Rhubarb Rhubarb Rhubarb" for more about the facts and fiction of rhubarb's nutritional content.)
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Giving Thanks for Cranberry-Pear Chutney

11/21/2012

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Everywhere I look - and I should hold up a mirror - there are articles, reports, and musings over Thanksgiving food.   The calories, the meat, the fat, the vegetarian options, the booze, the portions... STOP!!  Don't over-analyze.  Enjoy.  Give thanks.  And add a dollop of Cranbery-Pear Chutney.  





My thanks:
The warmth of my daughter's cheek when I kiss it to wake her.
Laundry that's washed, dried, ironed and put away.  (The whole 5 minutes it stays that way!)
A phone call from a friend that makes me laugh.
Letters mailed to Santa.
Coffee with friends on a Friday morning.
Knowing my family is safe.  
The smell of this Cranberry/Pear Chutney whirling through my kitchen. (And Aisling, who inspired the recipe.)


CRANBERRY-PEAR CHUTNEY
ingredients:
1 12 oz/340 gram bag of fresh cranberries
2 pears, peeled and cut into smallish chunks.
1 orange - zest and juice
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
5 cloves
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 red onion, small dice
pinch of sea salt
1 whole red chili
1 tablespoon port

method:
Rinse and pick over cranberries, discarding any that aren't firm. Place in a saucepan.
Add pears, zest and juice of orange, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, onion, salt and chili.

Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer.  Cook until mixture has reduced and thickened, but still has a chunky consistency.  Remove chili and cloves, if you can find them.  Stir in port.  

Allow to cool a bit and spoon into a warmed glass jar.  Seal and store.  For up to 6 months - but I doubt it'll last that long!  Once opened, use within 1 month.  On meat, crackers, sandwiches, cheese, your finger...

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**And don't forget to give thanks all the goodness packed in those little cranberries!  Researchers at Rutgers University say "cranberries are among the top foods with proven health benefits." (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15814415/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/research-shows-health-benefits-cranberries/#.UK3-F6XEKWw)  
So pile some on whatever you're eating today!
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