Tag Archives: vegetarian

Peanut Sesame Vegetables

Posted on by
Reply

Tonight I wanted some stir fry vegetables that would compliment Kung Pao Chicken and Chinese Chow Mein – this was perfect!  Feel free to try out different vegetables, and even add a protein if you like – let me know what you think.
Peanut Sesame Veg

 

assortment of vegetables, prepared for stir fry

tonight mine included cauliflower, broccoli, orange pepper, zucchini

sliced scallions

toasted sesame seeds

SAUCE

2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

Stir fry vegetables lightly, just enough to give them a bit of carmelization in spots – then add a wee bit of water to allow them to steam a bit.

Pour sauce in, and toss with vegetables just until they are crunchy cooked and well coated.

Top with freshly sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

If you want to kick up the heat a notch, and haven’t overwhelmed your taste buds with a bunch of other peppers in other parts of your meal I recommend adding a tsp or so of chile flakes … yum yum yum.

Chinese Chow Mein

Posted on by
Reply

This is great served as a side dish for Kung Pao chicken or on it’s own as a full meal by adding stir fried chicken, pork, beef or shrimp.

Chow Mein

8 oz steamed chow mein noodles

1 tbsp finely minced ginger

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/2 cup finely shredded cabbage

1/2 cup finely sliced celery

1/2 cup snow peas

Steam chow mein noodles until tender, or soak in cool water until tender.  Be careful not to leave them in water too long or they will get soggy.  :o(

SAUCE

1 tsp corn starch

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp water

 

cooking oil

scallions

toasted sesame seeds

In a small mixing bowl mix sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat wok, add cooking oil and lightly saute cabbage and celery – add ginger and garlic.

Remove from wok to a bowl – add sauce to bowl and bring to a boil, allowing it to thicken and become glossy.  Add noodles and stir fry quickly just allowing them to soften and absorb the flavor of the sauce.  Return sauted vegetables to wok and quickly stir through.

Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

If you want to make a meal in one – stir fry any type of protein you choose in the wok and add it to the chow mein – so versatile with any number of vegetables.  Go ahead and experiment – let me know what you try and how you like it!

Grill Roasted Pasta Sauce

Posted on by
Reply

I love the flavour that comes out of the vegetables right out of the garden – give them a grill before simmering this pasta sauce and you will be treated to that flavour all winter long.  

30 roma tomatoes, halved

12 cloves garlic, peeled

5 small onions, unpeeled and sliced very thick

3 sweet red peppers, whole

Grill all vegetables until you get nice grill marks and the garlic and onions are soft, lightly browned.  As soon as the sweet peppers are charred, put them in a ziplock bag or a tightly covered bowl and allow to steam for 15 minutes – remove the skin and seeds.

Put all tomatoes with the vegetables in a large pot and simmer until tender. 

Add:  

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp chopped fresh or dried oregano

3 tsp white sugar

3 tsp salt

Bring to a boil, then allow to simmer just until all flavours have had a chance to blend well.  Make sure to taste it and adjust seasonings if you need a little more.Image

Either freeze in freezer safe containers, or process in hot water bath.

 

To preserve in hot water, canning bath – fill jars to within 1 inch, cover with hot seals and rings.  Process in hot water bath 35 minutes for pints.

This recipe makes about 7 pints.

Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Mustard Aioli

Posted on by
Reply

Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Herb Aioli

  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon (1 lemon) freshly grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh herbs – flat leaf parsley, basil & chives
  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  1. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate zucchini into a medium bowl. If you have really juicy zucchini, make sure to drain out liquid by allowing it to rest in strainer, or wrap in a towel and squeeze liquid out. Add salt, lemon zest, chopped herbs, garlic, pepper, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form.

  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until oil sizzles when you drop a small amount of zucchini mixture into the pan. Carefully drop about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture into pan; repeat, spacing fritters a few inches apart.

  3. Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Turn fritters, and continue cooking until golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer fritters to a plate; set aside in a warm place. Cook remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to pan if necessary. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges, if desired.

  4. Serve with lemon/herb/mustard aioli.

Aioli:  Combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp grainy dijon mustard, 1 tsp horseradish, juice of 1/2 a lemon, generous amount of freshly chopped herbs.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Italian Bread Salad (Panzanella)

Aside

This salad is the perfect way to really enjoy the fresh tomatoes and cucumbers in your garden right now!</h3>

panzenella italian bread salad 2

Vinaigrette/Dressing

  • 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (at least!)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup good olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake well to blend.

I like to at least double this recipe and keep it in the fridge – a really great, simple dressing that tastes fabulous on vegetables, grilled chicken or fish, or just plain greens.

1 cup bread cubes

2 cups roughly chopped vine ripened tomatoes

1 cup roughly cut cucumber

1 tbsp. capers

generous amount of fresh basil – torn into smaller pieces

very thinly sliced red onion

small amount of feta – crumbled

Toss all vegetables together with a small amount of the dressing and allow to rest just so the tomato juices flavor everything right through.  I like to wait until just before serving before I add in the bread cubes and a bit more dressing – I love my croutons still crunchy!

For the bread I prefer to make croutons out of slightly stale bread – just chop them into your favorite crouton size piece and toss in a plastic bag with a variety of herbs, salt and Pepper – drizzle with a little olive oil and give it a good shake.

Toast in a toaster oven, or in a fry pan until the bread is really well toasted and crunchy – allow to cool.

Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Posted on by
Reply

It is really important to taste, taste, taste when you are making this vinaigrette – each different variety of sun dried tomato will give a different flavour. This should be FULL of taste, so if not – make adjustments.

Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

1/4 cup drained, oil packed sun dried tomatoes – finely minced

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/2 lemon (juice of)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Give all ingredients a good, vigorous shake in a jar and slowly add the olive oil. Taste and adjust for seasonings.

This is great on a tossed salad, and perhaps even better on a pasta salad.  If you want a smoother texture, place all ingredients (except oil)  in a blender and process for a few moments before slowly adding the oil.

pasta with sun dried tomato vinaigrette

Family Style Indian Curry Chicken

Posted on by
1
I know the title says chicken curry - but the sauce made an awesome Prawn Masala another day!

I know the title says chicken curry – but the sauce made an awesome Prawn Masala another day!

I don’t know how I have managed to forget about getting this recipe on here!  It is a tried and true favorite, and as delicious as it is the first day – even better the 2nd.  I always find my curry recipes make more sauce than needed on the first night and so the sauce will show up with a different protein or vegetable a couple days later – tasting amazing.

1/3 cup canola oil (or ghee)

2 cups finely chopped onions

3 inch piece of cinnamon stick

3 tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 tbsp finely chopped ginger

2 cups chopped tomatoes (or 1 large can)

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1 lbs chicken thighs, bone in

1 cup sour cream

1 cup water

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In large pan, heat oil or ghee on medium heat until shimmering.  Add onions and cinnamon – saute for 5-8 minutes until they have reached a rich, golden yellow color.  Add garlic and saute for another few minutes.  Add ginger, tomatoes, salt, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and cayenne.  Cook this over medium heat until the oil separates from the masala.

Wash chicken thighs well and add to the masala.  Stir well and cook chicken thighs until they look cooked on the outside (about 10-15 minutes).  Add sour cream and water – stir well.  Increase heat slightly until it starts to boil,then turn down to gently simmer.  Stir occasionally, and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through.  (at least 30 minutes depending on the size of the chicken thighs)

Remove and discard cinnamon stick.

Stir in cilantro just at serving time and serve with basmati rice.  We also love it served with Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower with Mint Cilantro chutney …. yummmmmmy.

Try this with cooking the masala, and then stirring in a vegetarian option of tofu or vegetables! Also amazing with any number of seafood options – pictured today here with prawns.

Doukhobor Borscht

Posted on by
1

We spent 2 years living in Castlegar, BC – Doukhobor territory – and I was determined to leave there with the best authentic borsch recipe I could.  Here it is – written out in this format so that you follow each step exactly.   This is a very rich, creamy and delicious version of Borscht – nothing at all like the beet borscht. 

It is a labour of love to make, but you will be so glad you did it.  Perfect for a rainy or cold day when you are going to be inside anyway!

Boil 2 ½ quarts of water in large stock pot.  Add ½ can tomatoes.  When water is boiling, add 1 tbsp salt, drop in 5 or 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half.  Add ½ cup each of grated carrot and beet, and 1 medium onion, finely chopped.

While this is cooking, get yourself another large pot or cast iron pan – melt 3 tbsp butter and add ¾ cup finely chopped onion and let sauté for a few minutes until very soft and translucent – but DO NOT brown.  Add 3 cups of canned tomatoes, and let simmer until it becomes a thick sauce.  (Cooking this well removes the acid from the tomatoes so your cream won’t curdle)

Into yet another frying pan melt 3 tbsp butter and add 2 cups shredded cabbage.  Saute but do not brown.  Allow to cook until cabbage is soft and tender.  Shred another 2 cups of cabbage to add (raw) to the borscht later.

When potatoes are tender, remove them to a large bowl, add 2 tbsp butter and mash well until they are nice and creamy – slowly adding 1 small carton of cream.  Mix well and set aside.

Add 1 1/2 cup diced raw potatoes to stockpot and ½ of the tomato sauce mixture along with 2 tbsp butter.  When diced potatoes are tender add the uncooked shredded cabbage and bring to boiling point, but DO NOT BOIL!!  When cabbage is tender, add the fried cabbage, the rest of the tomato sauce and mashed potatoes.  Add ½ cup chopped fresh green pepper and black pepper to taste.

The finishing touch is stirring in some chopped fresh dill.

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and a dill sprig for garnish.  We like this with piping hot biscuits right out of the oven.

Veggie Burgers … you WANT to eat

Posted on by
Reply

My first disclaimer has to be the fact that I am not a vegetarian.  Admittedly we are carnivores, and in fact, love our meat.  Although my plate definitely has a small portion of meat on it, that is the way I start to plan my meal … thinking first of what protein I am going to work with.  Imagine my surprise when I thought these were delicious!  I wouldn’t have made them at all except that those darn kids are always turning up with some dietary changes – including vegetarianism.  In an attempt to have some easy to make dinners on hand for one daughters household I thought these would be a good idea.  Turns out they were so good we had a hard time giving them away ….

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp cumin

1 1/2 tbsp chili powder

1 19 oz can black beans – really well rinsed, drained and roughly pureed

1 tsp oregano

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

2 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 cup almonds, roasted and chopped

1 cup sunflower seeds, roasted and chopped

3 cups fine bread crumbs

1/2 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium)

5 eggs

2 cups carrots, grated

2 cups oats (quick cook type)

flour and vegetable oil

In a large fry pan lightly toast your almonds and sunflower seeds until golden brown – then remove to cool and use the same pan to saute onions and garlic in oil.  Place all in large mixing bowl and let it cool down while you work on the rest.  If you have a food processor use it to pulse the nuts, and then grate your carrots and puree the black beans.  Combine all ingredients in the bowl and mix well (your hands are your best tool here)

When you have everything well blended it is time to form your patties.  This is a little trickier than meat patties as I don’t find they hold the shape quite as well.  The best idea is to take either parchment or saran paper and drop a pattie on to it.  Flatten it with either your hands (or if you are feeling aggressive use the bottom of a pot ….) then wrap well individually.  Freeze them separately then store in a large ziplock bag or a freezer container.

To cook, dredge lightly in flour and brown in vegetable oil on the stove top in a fry pan.  They won’t hold together on the bbq grate, so don’t even try that.

Try these burgers, and you will be amazed.  Even for the carnivores, like ourselves, you will just love the flavour.

We liked them served on a toasted light bun or pita shell – along with:

roasted red pepper sliced, heated through

siracha aoili

To make the siracha aioli: 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 1 tbsp siracha, 1 tbsp sambal oelek, 2 tbsp freshly chopped chives as well as salt and pepper to taste

Penang Style Thai Curry

Posted on by
1

Thai curries are always perfect if you really are looking for lots of flavour in every bite.  In Thailand, 1 chicken breast easily serves a family of 4 in a curry dish – lots of vegetables help out, and of course you won’t want to miss a drop of the curry so your rice is perfect to soak it all up.  This version is vegetarian, served with barbecued chicken, but it is easy to add whatever protein you are inclined to use.

Penang Style Curry served with Thai Barbecued Chicken and fragrant jasmine rice

Whatever vegetables you use are totally up for discussion – take what is in season and use that, or if you need to scrape something together at the last moment keep a jar of baby corn, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots in your pantry!

You will need:

whatever vegetables you plan to use chopped and ready

any meat sliced very thin and ready to go in

For this basic curry use:

1 tbsp red curry paste

1 tbsp massaman curry paste

1/2 onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced or sliced

1 inch ginger, minced or sliced

galangal root (fresh if you can get it, but powdered if not available in your area)

lemongrass (again fresh is best but powdered is a decent standby)

tamarind paste

1 can coconut milk or cream

kaffir lime leaves

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp raw sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

peanut oil

cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Heat peanut oil, stir in onion, garlic and ginger.  Allow to soften but not brown.  Stir in curry pastes, and allow curry to cook for a couple of minutes, then add galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves.  Slowly add half the coconut milk, and allow the sauce to fully incorporate.  Gently simmer ….. then add most of the coconut milk – reserving some in case your curry is too spicy.

Add as many vegetables as you like – if you want this to also be a meat curry, this is the time to add raw, thinly sliced meat.

During one of my cooking classes in Thailand I was advised to add the meat, then NOT TO STIR until the meat is cooked through.  

Allow the meat and vegetables to cook through, and taste.  This is plenty spicy enough for our family, but if you like more heat add either freshly chopped chile or red chili flakes.  If, on the other hand, your family is not keen on spice at all just start with 1 tsp of each of the curry pastes, and oh so gently, gradually increase the amount of paste.

When you remove the curry from the heat stir in the lime juice, sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce.  All Thai dishes contain the 4 essential elements of sweet, sour, salty and spicy from these ingredients.

It may take a bit of playing around to get the taste of Thailand into your kitchen, but you will be so glad you did!