Awesome Kale Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pumpkin Seeds

Awesome and kale don't usually go together.  And I will admit that I use the word awesome here as much because this salad keeps so well as because it has a pleasant taste.  (As I type this, I'm eating it on day 4 and it's still super tasty.)  I sometimes shred kale and toss it with caesar salad dressing, which is also very good.  But when you want something a bit more straightforward, let this be your new go-to recipe.  I got the idea from the wonderful Oh She Glows website, but I've made my own variations.  And yes, I do have a dried cranberry and pumpkin seed addiction going on these days.  Enjoy!

Kale Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pumpkin Seeds

1-2 bunches destemmed kale, finely chopped (8 cups chopped)
2 large garlic cloves
juice of 1 lemon
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to taste
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-2 handfuls dried sweetened cranberries
1/4 c toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional but good and adds protein)

Blend together:  garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, dijon, salt and pepper.  Toss with kale.  Sprinkle with cranberries, pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast.  Toss and refrigerate.  Best if left for 1-2 days before serving.

Creamy Garlic Raw Vegetable Slaw

Here's another adaptation of a recipe from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz.  It's like a good old fashioned creamy coleslaw with a hit of garlic, and you can change it up by varying the herbs or adding nuts, dried fruit or leftover roast chicken/meat.  I make the dressing in the morning and simply toss it with bags of grated vegetables (450-500 grams works) before dinner.  (If it's a weekend, I might be creative and julienne all of my own veggies for variety, but that can't happen midweek in my world these days.)  Tonight I'm serving it with Korean beef and rice.  Can't wait!

Creamy Garlic Raw Vegetable Slaw

Dressing:
1 c light mayonnaise
4 tsps red wine vinegar
1-2 large cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 to 2 tsps Dijon mustard
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together, cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Slaw:
6 c julienned or shredded raw vegetables (any combination of cabbage, radicchio, endive, carrots, beets, apples, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, fennel, kohlrabi, avocados, etc)
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or other herb to taste
1 tbsp chopped chives or green onions
pepitas or other nuts (optional)
dried cranberries (optional)
leftover roast chicken/meat (optional)

Toss slaw ingredients together in a large bowl.  Toss with dressing.

Appetizer Ideas from My Paris Kitchen

My cookbook book club - Four Cooks One Book - is reviewing My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz right now.  You'll have to go to www.fourcooksonebook.blogspot.com about a month from now if you want to see our review of the book.  Here are a few appetizer ideas taken from the book that easily form part of a weekend lunch table.  My kids love them all.  I like the tapenade in particular, and the fish spread reminds me of a spread made by my grandfather.  As for the hummus, it's easy and a perfect basic hummus recipe; the baking soda is the secret ingredient making it a fabulous texture.

Black Olive Tapenade

1-1/2 c black olives, pitted
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and squeezed dry
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 anchovy fillets
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/3 c olive oil
salt to taste

Pulse olives, garlic, capers, thyme, anchovies, lemon juice, and mustard in a food processor until they start to break down.  Add olive oil and process until the mixture forms a slightly chunky paste. Add salt to taste. Will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Hummus

1 c dried chickpeas or 2 cups canned chickpeas (drained and liquid reserved)
1/2 tsp b soda
9 tbsp tahini
4 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 tsp salt

For dried chickpeas:
Rinse dried chickpeas, put in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and soak overnight.  Drain chickpeas and put back into saucepan with three times their volume of water.  Add b soda.Cook at a low boil for 1-2 hours with lid ajar until tender.  Remove from heat, drain and rinse under cold water, reserving the cooking liquid.  Move the chickpeas around in the colander and pick out any loose skins.
To make hummus:
Puree tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt in a food processor until smooth.  Add chickpeas (tinned or freshly cooked) and puree until smooth.  Taste and add more salt or lemon juice to taste.  If it's too thick add some cooking water.
Serving suggestion - drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with toasted pepitas and paprika.

Sardine Spread

1/4 c low fat cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 tins sardines, drained/bones removed
2 scallions, finely minced
1 tbsp capers, rinsed, squeezed dry and chopped
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
Black pepper to taste

Mash together cream cheese and butter with a fork until smooth.  Add sardines and mix well.  Add scallions, capers, lemon juice, salt, cayenne and black pepper. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, cayenne or pepper, if desired.
Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Will keep for up to 4 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.

Best Potato Salad Ever

Sometimes we work just a bit too hard to make things new or fresh or better for us.  After making this potato salad I realized that some tastes are just meant to be savoured as they are.   This is a perfect old- fashioned potato salad, recipe thanks to Bon Appetit's The Grilling Book.

Perfect Potato Salad

2 3/4 pounds medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled (about 8)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt plus more
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sweet pickle juice from jar plus 8–10 sweet-pickle chips
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more
5 large hard-boiled egg yolks
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Paprika (opt)

Place potatoes in a large pot. Add water to cover by 2", season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 20–30 minutes. Drain. Place potatoes in a large bowl and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, pickle juice, Dijon mustard, sugar, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 1 1/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl for dressing.

Using a large wooden spoon, coarsely smash potatoes, leaving some larger pieces mixed with some well-mashed pieces.

Add dressing and egg yolks to potatoes and toss to coat, coarsely smashing egg yolks. Add onion and parsley; gently mix to incorporate. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired, dust with paprika and decorate with pickle chips. 

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. 

Lamb Curry

This lamb curry is a labour of love.  It takes a bit of time, but if you love a good curry, it's worth the time.  It has a rich complex flavour that only comes from the layering of good ingredients.  Serve with basmati or naan.  The recipe originated in The Splendid Table's How to Eat Weekends cookbook as a biryani but I think it's best as a simple, delicious lamb curry.

Lamb Curry

Canola oil
3-4 medium onions, thinly sliced
3-3 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder cut into 1 inch cubes
8 whole cloves
8 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
4 inch cinnamon stick, broken
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 c lowfat (not non-fat) yogurt
2 c tinned tomatoes, with their liquid, crushed
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
6 large garlic cloves
2 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into pieces
1/3 c salted broken cashews
1 fresh serrano chili

In a small bowl, blend together cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg, and set aside.
Puree onion chunks, garlic, ginger, cashews and serrano chili in food processor until it forms a paste. Coat a small saucepan with canola oil, heat over medium heat, and add ginger-garlic-nut paste.  Saute, stirring, for about 18 minutes, making sure it doesn't burn.  Adjust heat as required.  Set aside for up to 2 days.
Saute the thinly sliced onions in a little canola oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, over medium-high heat until golden, with lots of crisp edges.
Push the onions to the edge of the pan and spread out the lamb chunks in the centre.  Reduce heat to medium.  Sear the lamb on all sides, making sure to adjust the heat so the onions don't burn.  Stir in the spice blend and cook until aromatic, about 3 minutes.
Add yogurt to the lamb, 1/2 cup at a time, simmering each addition for about 2 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, ginger-garlic-nut paste and enough water to just cover the meat.  Simmer slowly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce is reduced and rich tasting.

Cheesy Lentil and Rice Casserole

Casseroles are hardly fashionable these days, but they do serve a purpose.  They are a meal in one.  Serve with a salad and dinner is done.  I really enjoy this particular vegetarian casserole because you can combine all of the dry ingredients in a  large ziploc bag and then throw it together easily at the cottage.  For the meat lover, why not throw in some diced or sliced leftover sausage.  This recipe comes from the Harrowsmith cookbook.  Enjoy!

Cheesy Lentil and Rice Casserole

2 2/3 c stock
3/4 c lentils
3/4 c diced onions
1/2 brown rice
1/4 c white wine
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
pepper to taste
1/2 lb grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  
Combine all ingredients except cheese.  Stir in 1/2 of the cheese, place in an ungreased baking dish and bake, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring twice.
Uncover and top with remaining cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for a further 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted on top.

Lynn Crawford's Mince & Tatties

This is comfort food.  It's not fancy.  You likely won't serve it to guests.  And I think you could probably make it with less fat, but it is lovely just the way it is on a cold, rainy night.  I make it with vegetarian mince for my daughter.  Everyone loves it.

Mince & Tatties

1 tbsp canola oil
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 c finely chopped onions
1/4 c flour
3 c beef stock
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 c diced carrots
1 c frozen peas
salt and pepper
4 c mashed or whipped potatoes

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add beef and cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink (about 5 mins).
Add butter and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until browned (about 10 mins).  Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until well incorporated (about 2 mins).  Gradually stir in stock and worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until gravy has thickened slightly (about 20 mins).
Add carrots and cook until tender (about 10 mins).
Stir in peas and cook until heated through (about 2 mins).  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve spooned over hot mashed potatoes.

The Fabulous Present Glo Bar!

For years I've been following the Oh She Glows blog for tasty, foodie-worthy vegan recipes.  I'll admit, some of the recipes are too healthy for me, and since I still do eat meat, a bit unnecessary.  However, many of the recipes are delightful so when I saw the cookbook at Costco for $16.99, I couldn't resist!  In the book are recipes for two different glo bars:  classic glo bar and present glo bar. I much prefer the latter, which features dried cranberries, pepitas and pecans.  (Note an ingredient theme from my last post?)  These bars are held together by brown rice syrup, which is readily available at Loblaws in the organic aisles.  I tried it with honey, but they just didn't adhere as well.  Give them a try, and maybe even pick up the cookbook when you're next at Costco!

Present Glo Bars

1/2 c pecans, finely chopped
1 1/2 c rolled oats
1 1/4 c rice crisp cereal
1/4 c pepita seeds
1/4 c dried cranberries
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c plus 1 tbsp brown rice syrup (or 1/4 c plus 1 tbsp brown rice syrup and 1/4 c honey)
1/4 c almond butter or peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a 9 inch square or 9x12 rectangular pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to come up over the edges of the pan.
Spread the pecans evenly on a cookie sheet and toast them in oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly brown.  Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine oats, rice cereal, pepita seeds, cranberries, cinnamon and salt.  Stir in cooled toasted pecans.
In a small saucepan, stir together brown rice syrup and nut butter until smooth.  Cook over medium heat until it softens and bubbles slightly.  Keep an eye on it or it will burn!  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Pour the nut butter mixture over the oat mixture, using a spatula to get every bit.  Stir until the dry ingredients are coated.  It'll be sticky and hard to stir.  
Transfer to the prepared pan, spreading out evenly.  With lightly moistened hands, pat the mixture down to even it out.  Use a pasty roller to press it down evenly, keeping your eye on the edges to ensure they're flat.  
Place the pan in the freezer, uncovered, and chill for 10 minutes until set.
Lift the square (or rectangle) out using the parchment paper handles.  Place on cutting board and cut with knife or pizza roller into 12-16 bars.
The original recipe recommends to individually wrap the bars, but I just stack them in a container in the fridge.  They'll keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer, but they for sure won't last that long!

Creamy Brussels Sprout Slaw

I've never been a huge fan of brussels sprouts.  When they're cooked, I find they have a bitter taste.  Last week I saw a recipe for a brussels sprout salad, which gave me the idea to try them raw.  I took inspiration from one of my mom's broccoli salad recipes, and I used apple cider vinegar and honey since they are our current favourites.  You'll want take the toughest outer leaves off of the brussels sprints  and slice them from side to side so they shred like cabbage, not from the stem end.  Below is the resulting salad.  We all love it so much, I went out for more brussels sprouts yesterday!  Parenting tip:  have the kids try it before you tell them what's in it.  

Creamy Brussels Sprout Slaw

Dressing:
1/4 c light mayo
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Salad:
8-10 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and very thinly sliced (mandolin works best)
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/4 c toasted pepitas
1/4 c diced red onion
1/4 c chopped, cooked bacon or pancetta, or thinly sliced prosciutto (optional)

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold your salad.  Add all other ingredients, toss and refrigerate for at least an hour.  This should keep up to two days.

Mom's Salad Bar

We have a new dining tradition here at our house.  It's called Mom's Salad Bar, and it is enormously popular.  Much more popular than you'd imagine given that it's really salad for dinner wrapped in a concept and coupled with independent choice.  Here's how it works.  I make a green salad and toss it with a vinaigrette.  I put out salad toppings including some or all of diced or sliced:  nuts, fruits, vegetables, cheese, croutons, meat, fish, leftover anything that's in the fridge...  Everyone takes a plate, starts with the greens, and tops with a protein and as much of anything else as they want.  Well, okay, I do limit cheese servings.

Here are two of the vinaigrettes I've been making lately.  The recipes yield a lot, but I like to keep a jar of each, labelled with a best before date, in my refrigerator.  They'll keep up to a month.  Enjoy!

Apple Cider-Honey Vinaigrette 
(from An Apple a Day)

1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c honey
2 tbsp dijon
1/2 c fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 c EVOO

Whisk together (adding oil last) and keep in refrigerator.

Brown Derby Vinaigrette 
(from At Home with Lynn Crawford)

1/2 c red wine vinegar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp dijon
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/3 c canola oil

Whisk together (adding oil last) and keep in refrigerator.

Perfect Pub-style Curry Sauce

Our cookbook book club is reviewing At Home with Lynn Crawford right now.  I've sampled 11 recipes from the book which is, overall, good not great in my view. What is great, however, is this curry sauce.  To my taste, it's the perfect pub curry sauce.  You can make it ahead and freeze it for a quick, tasty curry later.  The recipe makes approximately 5 cups of sauce.  I freeze in two portions, each of which is enough for 1lb of chicken.  What do you think?

Curry Sauce

2-4 tbsp canola oil
1 lb onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 c coconut milk
2 c tomato juice
2 c chicken stock
Salt, pepper and cayenne

Combine oil and onions in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until light brown, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic, curry, garam masala, cumin seeds, cardamom and turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.  Add coconut milk and stir until combined.  Add tomato juice and stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about an hour, until sauce has thickened.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.  Let cool 10 minutes then purée until smooth.

To make chicken curry, brown 1 lb cubed chicken (I like thighs) in oil.  Stir in approximately 2 1/2 cups of curry sauce (half the recipe), bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve over hot basmati rice.

NB.  This also works well with tofu.