Me and my cravings.

Seared tuna with spring onion and carrot salad

I am very susceptible to bursts of enthusiasm when it comes to food. Perhaps they are better referred to as phases, or even cravings. Some of it is the fault of the seasons: when asparagus season arrived this year I ate it twice a day. G thought I had lost my mind but by the time the season had ended I still hadn't tired of it.

Then there was this cumin and carrot salad that I really should tell you about--it's light and healthy and tastier than you would imagine an average carrot salad could be--and a few months ago, I made it almost daily. Eventually, I moved on, and while that carrot salad is still a definite favourite, it is no longer an obsession.

Sometimes it's a particular spice that grabs my attention for awhile, or a particular method of cooking. And yes, since we're talking about cravings, I will admit that sometimes a girl just wants to ditch it all and sit down with a big old bag of doritos.
But lately I've been experiencing a repeated craving which is a first for me.

Spring onions.

Usually I only buy spring onions when they are called for in a dish, otherwise I have no use for them. They are not one of those staples that I always have on hand like carrots or red onions or garlic. But these days I find myself making things just so that I can use spring onions.
I wish I could explain this one, but I'm stumped.

Nonetheless, I most recently satisfied my craving with an asian style dish of seared tuna with a spring onion and carrot salad. And because I had some time on my hands I tried to make the dish look all fancy pants. A girl needs a bit of glamour in her life sometimes, you know?

I'm no Top Chef, but it sure is fun to try every now and then. It's not until you have a look at your pictures later that you realize that perhaps you were a bit sloppy and maybe next time you need to apply yourself a bit more. But I swear it looked pretty darn perfect in real life. And my little spring onion and carrot salad, as simple as it was, made the dish.



Seared tuna with sugar snap peas and a spring onion and carrot salad
Serves 2

The spring onion and carrot salad
1 to 2 carrots
the green parts of 2 spring onions
a pinch or two of sesame seeds (white or black or both)
Dressing:
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp rice wine vinegar

I was in a patient mood when I made this and actually cut fine ribbons of both the spring onion and carrots by hand. If you have a tool that will make this step easier then I am extremely jealous of you.

Blanch the carrots in simmering water until they were pliable like noodles. I did this so that I could twist them easily with the green onions. The length of time you blanch the carrots will depend on how thinly you managed to slice them.
Drain the carrots and dry them off on a clean kitchen towel.
Mix the dressing ingredients together.
Toss the spring onions and carrots with the dressing, and let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving so the green onions will soften.

You can easily make more of this, just double the dressing if you need to. And if you prefer more carrot and less green onion, or vice versa, that works too.


The sugar snap peas
A handful per person.
Steam until crisp tender. Dry with a clean kitchen towel. Toss with a bit of toasted sesame oil. They don't need much, maybe 1/2 a teaspoon for 2 handfuls of snap peas.

Seared Tuna
2 tuna steaks
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper
2 tsp peanut oil

Combine the soy sauce and rice vinegar and add to the tuna in a ziploc bag or a tupperware container. Make sure the tuna is coated in the marinade. Marinade for at least 30 minutes.
Remove from marinade and sprinkle both sides with a bit of salt and pepper.
Sear the tuna in peanut oil in a non-stick pan until desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side. If you have a good piece of tuna it would be a shame to overcook it. (I'm guilty of that)

Assembling the dish
Basically just do as pictured, with maybe I bit more tidiness to your flair than I managed. Lay the snap peas on the bottom, top with the tuna, and finally the carrot salad. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and serve. Set out some extra soy sauce at the table if desired.

Notes:
Snow peas would be an easy substitution for the sugar snap peas. You could also just put the tuna on top of some white rice if you wanted and in that case I would definitely serve it with some extra soy sauce alongside the dish.

More Food Love.

Soba noodles with crispy tofu, avocado and microgreens

I took a little trip to the new Whole Foods on Kensington High Street the other day with Clotilde and came home with 2 bags full of happiness. We spent 2 hours wandering around that store and if it wasn't for our overflowing baskets and our need for a caffeine fix, we probably could have kept on going. Seriously people, it was 3 floors of magic. You have never seen two gals reading peanut butter labels so closely while discussing the merits of smooth (my preference) versus crunchy (her preference).
By the time I got home I was exhausted but my weary bones did not keep me from digging into my new stash and whipping up a soba noodle salad with some crispy tofu and the cutest little microgreens a girl ever did see. They are a micro combination of Red Mustard, Broccoli, Mizuna, Rocket and Coriander called Ed's Wild Mix from Secrett's Farm in West Sussex.

The next morning I couldn't resist using those little microgreens again for my first ever homemade breakfast burrito. It was a momentous occasion. The burrito idea was inspired by another Whole Foods find: super thin wholewheat flatbreads (almost as thin as filo) called Mountain bread. I scrambled some eggs, and wrapped them up with greens inside the flatbread and oy!
Who knew I could be so thrilled by a breakfast burrito?



There are still some other exciting ingredients that I bought that I have yet to dig into, but just knowing they are there waiting to be discovered has me all giddy. I haven't felt this thrilled by a grocery store since my days in Paris, exploring the Grande Epicerie. There were no unicorns to be found, but it was pretty magical nonetheless.


Whole Foods
The Barkers Building
63–97 Kensington High Street
London W8 5SE



*************
The Soba Salad

I tossed the noodles, some shredded carrots, and sliced green onions with a dressing of sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce. Then I tossed in the microgreens. I pan fried some tofu strips in peanut oil and added this to the noodles. (I fry the tofu strips so that they are crunchy on the outside with still a bit of softness in the middle--you can fry them more or less to your taste.)
Finally, I added some chopped avocado and sprinkled some sesame seeds on top for good measure.

September evenings with roasted chicken

Sunday night was one of those cool and quiet sort of nights, where it's warm enough to justify a cold bottle of white wine, but it's cool enough to warrant drinking it with a sweater on.

We sat outside noticing how the light is already beginning to change, it's less vibrant but somehow cozier. I still can't believe it's already September, we've been here 9 months and I feel like I just got here, like I'm still settling in. But such has been my life for the last 4 years, always feeling unsettled, with a suitcase at the ready in case we move again.

I don't have to tell you that I'm grateful for all these experiences. Four countries in four years is something I never imagined for my life.

But sometimes, on a quiet September evening, a girl just wants to sit back and feel like she's firmly planted, to wiggle her toes in the grass and know that at this time next year, she'll be staring at the same grass.

I know that it's not likely going to end up that way. The neighbours upstairs fight all the time and the traffic outside our window is noisy and rushed. Between the two of them, sometimes there's just no room left for my own thoughts.

And I'm a girl who likes her peace and quiet.
Sometimes I like to turn the stereo up, loud, but sometimes I just prefer to turn the damn thing off.
If only my neighbours had an off switch.

So yeah. It's September. Cold wine, a warm sweater, a handsome fella, and Zuni's roasted chicken with bread salad. It doesn't get much better.



I have never had this dish in the restaurant but I have made it many many times at home. Unfortunately I wasn't paying all that much attention to getting a good picture (can you blame me?) so these will just have to do.
Luckily for me, the whole recipe and instructions are already posted online at MSNBC right here.
G and I both love this dish---it looks and tastes divine.



Rushing to take a picture so we could get to the business of eating.

Eating my way to back to health.

Quinoa stuffed acorn squash

After a week of drowning in kleenex and misery a girl re-emerges with a strong desire to get back to her old self. I figured that if I couldn't fight that cold with muscles and moxy then perhaps the only thing I could do to defend myself was to eat healthy.
Ok there was that one night where we polished off a bag of Doritos. But people, we were sick, and we needed comfort of the kind that covers your fingers with orange cheesy powder.
In my defense, I started the following day with a fruit smoothie, which left me feeling fully redeemed for my previous night's indulgence.
A girl has to live.

But the point I'm trying to make here is an important one. And it goes something like this:
Mmm mm! That squash was good.
I felt like I just threw Autumn on a plate and ate it all up.
And Autumn? You sure are one tasty treat.

I'm not sure I even want to tell you that I've had a bag of red quinoa in my cupboard for over a year gathering dust. I even dutifully packed it up when we moved here from Paris. You'd think that what with a new city and a new cupboard that perhaps the quinoa would get noticed. Well it took 8 months, but it finally did.

If there is any thing that might knock this cold on its ass it's got to be this stuffed squash. Even if it hadn't tasted good, which it did, it just looked so darn pretty I started feeling healthy before I even sat down to eat it.

Now that is some kind of moxy.


______________________________
Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

The squash
I cut the acorn squash in half and scooped out the seeds. I brushed lightly with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper, then roasted for about 40 minutes at 200c (that's 392F, but I guess just round up to 400F)

The quinoa
I cooked the red quinoa as per the package directions. In a frying pan I sauteed some onion and finely sliced carrots in olive oil. I added some chopped garlic, a bit of ground allspice and pimenton de la vera, (a spice combo used in the Moro cookbook). Then I added the quinoa to the pan and tossed it all together and topped with fresh coriander and some crumbled feta. Finally, I put this into the roasted squash and served it.
Note:
Goat cheese would also be good instead of the feta.

Chicken pot pie in summer? Oh no you didn't.. Oh yes I did.

How old school was I last night, whipping up a chicken pot pie. I don't even eat chicken pot pie let alone bake them from scratch. I couldn't even tell you what prompted me to make one. Considering my lack of experience, I took the easiest route possible and followed a recipe called Easy Chicken Pot Pie.

How lazy am I? Did I just lose my foodie club membership? Is there even a club because I think someone forgot to invite me.

And I know what else you're thinking. Chicken pot pie doesn't seem like a summer dish. I mean if it isn't green and leafy and easy on the muffin top it just doesn't work, right?

But people, it seems that it is monsoon season here in England. I did not realize that my umbrella and I would become so close. I swear, it rains when I wake up, it rains when I'm eating my lunch and oh surprise, it is raining by the time I go to bed.
Help.
Send sun.
Or a new umbrella at the very least.
I mean, you know it's rainy when those umbrellas that attach to your head start seeming like a good idea.

You know what it feels like these days?
October.
No kidding.
I rode my bike the other morning with a pair of gloves on.
So perhaps now you understand how chicken pot pie fits right in to my current reality.

And I know you're looking at that picture and thinking I've got a whole chicken under there. But I promise you that is only a wee tiny ramekin peaking out from under that golden top. Perhaps I was a bit heavy handed with the puff pastry.
But G says there is no such thing as too much puff pastry.
He is quite the philosopher.

The recipe was simple and it hit the spot. I figure that for a first timer, it was a good start. One day I will make it again with a more contemporary variation, unless it's raining (which is highly likely) and I need some comfort food, then I might just stick to it old school.



*************
Easy Chicken Pot Pie at Epicurious

Because I can never follow a recipe exactly:
I substituted celery for carrots
I used onion instead of shallot
I added dried thyme because I wanted to see some herbs in the mix. (the recipe has you remove the bouquet garni)

A little braised chicken, alot of self-satisfaction..

Braised chicken in aromatic tomato sauce

I'm a bit obsessive about a certain New Year's resolution that I made to myself.
But before I get into that there's something you must know about me first.

For the last few years I have diligently recorded every single recipe that I have made on a spreadsheet, with detailed notes about any changes I made and whether or not I liked it.

I swear though, if I didn't write it down, I would forget by the next week that I had even made it. I am very forgetful.

But now, with my trusty spreadsheet at hand, just ask me what I made for Christmas dinner in 2004 and I will whip out my computer and with a few clicks you will have your answer. And I'll be smiling and feeling all high and mighty and pleased with myself and stuff.

I know this rates really high on the dorkiness meter, but I feel ok about it. I am fully at peace with the dorkiness that pervades my life.

So let's get back to this New Year's resolution.
On January 1st, 2007, I, like many other food loving people, resolved to cook more new recipes.
Big deal, right?

Well I'm only telling you this now because I kind of wanted to brag a little.

It turns out that since January I have averaged 4 new recipes a week.
That's 16 recipes a month.
That's..pauses to mentally calculate that..192 recipes a year! (ok, I used a calculator)
Give this dork a gold star already.
No, not for the math, for the cooking.
Geez.

********************
So, according to my spreadsheet, (mouse clicks heard in background) recipe #12 for the month of April 2007 is:

Braised Chicken in Aromatic Tomato Sauce (click for the recipe)
from Bon Appetit at Epicurious.com

I really enjoyed this and will make it again. The aromatics in the sauce are a combination of allspice, cinnamon, paprika, cloves and nutmeg. I am a big fan of allspice as it is, so that is what drew me to this recipe. The leftovers the following day were even better.

I know, it's easier if someone just sticks to a recipe and tells you if it was good or not. But that would just be too easy. I basically used the recipe for inspiration and just did what felt right.
Luckily, it all worked out for me.

My changes:
1 tsp of ground allspice, instead of whole allspice.
1 tsp of ground cinnamon, instead of a cinnamon stick.
Sweet pimenton (spanish paprika) because I think it has a richer, smokier flavour than "regular" paprika.
I added a good splash of sherry to the sauteed onions before adding the spices.
I used one 400g can of chopped tomatoes which I pureed first for a smooth sauce.
I filled that tomato can twice with water and added it to the pot.
I added 2 fresh bay leaves to the pot.
I served the dish with couscous instead of pasta.

Note: the recipe makes a good amount of sauce for pouring over pasta, rice, couscous, or whatever you want to serve it with.

Life is just a bowl of salad.

Pasta salad with Feta, Yellow Pepper and Snow Peas

The other day G innocently asked me what I would be posting about next.
Here's what he heard:
"Blah blah blah blah salad."
"You always talk about salads." he said.
What I heard, between the lines, was: "Yawn."
Problem is, everything I eat on a regular basis these days falls under the category of a salad.
Whether it has a base of leafy greens, bulghur, couscous, lentils or pasta, in my mind, if its loaded with vegetables, and it's not saucy, it constitutes a salad.

Men.
So difficult.

I mean, sometimes life just IS a bowl of salad.
It's not always about complicated and unusual recipes. Is it?
So here I am, talking about salad because that's what makes me happy.


The story starts something like this: I spotted Martha's recipe for Pasta Salad with Feta and Snow Peas and I could tell it had everything a girl like me could want.
It had pasta for one thing, the all-important feta cheese, and a miscellaneous array of vegetables in attractive and complimentary colours. And, to top it all off, a generous dose of fresh coriander. How could it get any better?

I enjoyed it. I did. There was nary a noodle or vegetable left in that bowl once I had finished with it.
But something about that raw yellow pepper didn't sit right with me. It was like putting an outfit together that is just close to perfect--you are seriously looking your sassiest self-- and then you go and throw on your mother's pearls and suddenly your fab is nothing but drab.

I wanted to love that pasta salad. I really did.

So I tried again.
This time, I swapped the yellow pepper for some sautéed zucchini, tweaked the vinaigrette a bit, and bingo, we had lift off.
I admit, it looks prettier with the yellow pepper, but sometimes a great personality is more important than being pretty. Right?


Pasta salad with Snow Peas, Zucchini and Feta

Pasta Salad with Snow Peas, Zucchini and Feta inspired by Martha

This serves one very hungry person as a main dish. I added alot of vegetables so the salad could actually serve 2 as a side dish, despite the small amount of pasta in there. It's up to you.

60g orriechette pasta (which is about 1/2 cup of dried pasta)
1 zucchini, chopped (feel free to only use half if you want).
a small handful of snow peas, sliced on the diagonal into 1 cm strips
1 or 2 teaspoons of thinly sliced scallion a.k.a green onion (I used the green part)
a tablespoon or two of chopped fresh coriander (or to taste)
A tablespoon or two of crumbled feta cheese (or more to taste)

Vinaigrette
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 of a small clove of garlic, finely chopped (this part is optional, Martha's recipe does not contain garlic, but it adds a slight kick)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta. Add the snow peas to the pasta water at the last minute or two just to blanch them but keep them slightly crunchy. Drain and rinse pasta and snow peas in cold water. (You can blanch the snow peas in a separate pot of water if you prefer)
Saute the zucchini in one teaspoon of olive oil over a medium high heat until browned.
Add to the pasta with the snow peas.
Mix the vinaigrette ingredients together and add to the pasta.
Finally add the scallion, coriander and feta to the pasta and mix altogether.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make ahead and serve cold or eat it right away while it's still slightly warm, whichever you prefer.
If you make it ahead, put the coriander in just before serving.

There is no such thing as too much bacon

Pasta Carbonara

There is nothing to joke about when it comes to bacon.
Bacon is very serious business.
Let's start with this one simple and often forgotten fact: bacon = pork.

Shocking I know, but this is a truth that cannot be disputed or denied. There is something magical about bacon. It seems as though it is its own entity, its own food group. Perhaps even its own religion. (Zen Baconism?)

So it seems that today has been declared pork blogging Sunday, which is a sacred day for a bacon lover such as I am. I decided to go old school and indulge in an old favourite. When it comes to bacon, there is no need to complicate things. I mean who cares what you put under it, you're really only interested in the bacon anyway, right?
Don't deny it, you can't hide the bacon love.

Pasta Carbonara is very easy to make, and you can find recipes everywhere. More than likely, you already have your own favourite. This recipe uses raw egg yolks, which is of course not recommended for children or pregnant women. So JA, you big-bellied mama-to-be, never you mind about this pasta carbonara. Shoo!

Pasta Carbonara
This recipe makes enough carbonara sauce for 2 small portions or 1 large portion of pasta, depending on how saucy you like it. You can easily double the recipe if you want.

Tagliatelle (or linguine or any pasta you like for that matter) for one or two people.
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup of heavy cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
as much bacon or pancetta as you wish to have, a good handful of bits per person is how I like it
chopped parsley (optional)
additional grated parmesan
salt and pepper

Dice your bacon and cook according to desired crispness. (or dice after cooking if you prefer)
Drain on paper towel. Reserve the bacon grease.
Mix 2 egg yolks with 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook your noodles and strain, reserving some of the starchy water.
Put the noodles back in your saucepan and add a teaspoon or two of the bacon grease to coat the noodles (this prevents the cream sauce from soaking right into the noodles).
Add your egg mixture to the noodles and combine well. If the sauce is too thick add a bit of your reserved starchy water. This is all dependent on how you like it.
Mix in your bacon bits right into the sauce and noodles or pile them on top as I did.
Serve it up in a bowl or two and sprinkle with additional parmesan, chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper to taste.

A butcher, a rooster, and an awkward moment

Coq au Vin

And then there was the time I decided to make Coq au Vin.

I picked out a fresh, plump chicken at the market and asked the butcher to cut it up for me because I was making Coq au Vin. I knew he would be charmed and impressed.
He told me that he had a coq if I wanted one.
A rather awkward pause followed.
Perhaps I'd been a bit too charming.
Finally I dared to look where this cheeky Frenchman was pointing.
And there it lay. A rooster, dead, in full form: head, eyes, wobbly red bits under its chin and on top of its head.
Oh. Right.
Coq=Rooster.
I quickly regained my composure and realized that to select the rooster would mean witnessing its decapitation. So, I politely declined, and urged him to proceed with the headless chicken I had already selected. But cock-a-doodle-do to you old boy, I thought. Or cocorico actually, since he was a French rooster, after all.

The making of the Coq au Vin began. Chopping, marinating, browning.
And then there was the part in the recipe where I had to add the cognac and light it on fire.
Yes, well.
Sometimes I forget about my own tendencies toward clumsiness.
But I do still have both my eyebrows and all of my eyelashes so have no fear.
The dish turned out wonderfully. There was endless dipping of bread into sauce, which had turned out rich and full of flavour, the addition of unsweetened cocoa powder adding to its deep, dark colour. The chicken was tender and falling off the bone.

I felt a little bit more French for having made this. I may even be ready to get myself a beret soon.

Coq au Vin
adapted from Saveur Cooks Authentic French, Chronicle Books 1999

1 roasting chicken, (up to 6 lbs) cut into pieces
2 large yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
bouquet garni consisting of 3 thyme sprigs, 3 parsley sprigs and 2 bay leaves tied in a bundle
1 bottle good rich burgundy wine, plus 375ml water (or 1.5 bottles wine)
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup good cognac
1.5 tb unsweetened cocoa powder
6 oz salt pork, diced (you can buy thick slabs of it, or use pancetta in the same form)
3/4 lb button mushrooms, cleaned and stems trimmed

Put first 6 ingredients (up to and including wine and water) in a large bowl. The recipe recommends you cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. I only did it for 4 and it was still great. But perhaps its even better if you go the full 24.

Remove the chicken from the marinade (don't discard the marinade) and dry the pieces well with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium high heat and brown the chicken on all sides. Do it in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Set the chicken aside when each piece is done browning.

Add flour to the pan and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the cognac and light it with a match until the flame dies out. Keep the pot lid nearby to extinguish the flames if necessary.
Return pan to heat and add the reserved marinade back in and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low and simmer, partially covered about 1.5 hours, or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from pan again and strain the sauce through a sieve, discarding the solids. Return the sauce to the pan.
Put cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk in 1/2 cup of the strained sauce until it is smooth. Stir it into the pan then reduce the sauce to about 4 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and return chicken to pan.

In the meantime, saute the salt pork in a skillet over medium heat until crisp then remove from skillet, drain on paper towel, and add to chicken. Add mushrooms to the same skillet and saute until golden about 10 minutes. Drain and add mushrooms to chicken.Serve.

Recipe notes
-I omitted the mushrooms only because my boyfriend is not a fan of mushrooms. But the recipe would have been greatly enhanced by their addition. We were left with nothing but sauce and chicken which, although fantastic, could have benefitted from either mushrooms or carrots or even small new potatoes, to turn it into a well-rounded meal in itself.

-This recipe requires that you take the chicken out of the pan and put it back in over and over it seems. But in the end it makes sense. And it tastes really very good.

-If you are nervous about lighting the cognac or don't have any on hand, I think you would be ok to leave it out and just skip that part of the instructions.

Food therapy. The way the French might do it.

Harissa Marinated Lamb with Spiced Mash and
Cinnamon Onions

I freely admit that at times I have been known to seek solace for my miscellaneous woes at the bottom of a Lays' potato chip bag. The salty crunch echoes so loudly in my head that there is no room for negative thoughts. Anxiety and frustration go right out the window, if even only for a little while. You must admit, it's much cheaper than therapy and you don't have to make an appointment in advance.

In France, potato chips take up only a small amount of shelf-space at the grocery and convenience stores. The small supply seems to exist only for the cravings of expats and tourists. You quickly get the feeling that the French have more refined forms of "food" therapy.
Cat just died? A Madeleine or two might help.
Hydro is being cut off? A piece of Valrhona chocolate is sure to cheer you up.
Car won't start? A white truffle macaron from Pierre Hermé will take your mind off of it I'm sure.

You get my point.

Somehow it seems shameful to succumb to old (and unhealthy) habits when Paris has such fine foods to offer. When in Rome, as they say.




So, it's true, I've been feeling a little out of whack lately. And damn it, if the French didn't have me so brainwashed I would have marched right out to the corner store and bought myself a big old bag of potato chips, curled up on the couch and turned off the phone.

Instead, I took a deep breath, did my best to ignore the incessant yapping of the neighbour's 3-legged dog, poured myself a glass of port and got to work.

And I found my solace.
Oh yes I did.

In a plate of Harissa Marinated Lamb with Spiced Mash and Cinnamon Onions. And though, just hours before, I had been tempted to pack my bags and head back to Canada, I found myself taking the time to serve it up on a plate as fancily as I possibly could. (Ok, I'm no expert, but it wasn't a bad try was it?) And no, it's not a French recipe, but the point is, it's far more refined than my usual cure.

I felt better before I even sat down to eat it.
But I felt great once it was all in my belly.


Harissa Marinated Lamb with Spiced Mash and Cinnamon Onions
adapted from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons by Diana Henry

(Harissa is a Tunisian spicy mixture of hot chilies, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway and olive oil. You can make your own or just buy a jar of it at grocery stores carrying exotic products or a Middle Eastern grocery.)

For the Lamb
8 chunky lamb chops or 4 lamb steaks

For the Marinade
8 tbsp (120ml) olive oil
2.5 tbsp (37.5ml) harissa
3 garlic cloves, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon
a good handful of mint leaves, torn

Combine ingredients and coat lamb chops well. Cover and refrigerate 1.5 hours or up to overnight.
When your potatoes and onions are nearly ready, heat a griddle pan and cook the lamb on medium to high heat until desired doneness.

For the Mash
1lb potatoes, peeled
1lb 7oz parsnips, peeled and chopped
5 tbsp whipping cream
3.5oz butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp cayenne
2 fl. oz milk

Boil potatoes and parsnips separately until soft. Drain but return the potatoes to low heat to dry them out a little if they are wet. Puree the parsnips with the cream and in another bowl mash the potatoes. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the cinnamon and cayenne. Add the parsnip and potato and beat everything together. Warm the milk and add to the potato mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave lid on to keep warm if you are not serving immediately.

For the onions
2 onions, finely sliced
15g butter
1.5 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp harissa
a good squeeze of lemon juice
a small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Fry the onions in the butter and oil until golden, allowing the onions to brown slightly. Add the remaining ingredients, as well as salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve
Serve the lamb chops with warmed mash topped with the onions.

Harissa from Amazon

And thanks so much to Melissa for giving me this cookbook as a gift when she came to stay with me last weekend!

Me and my Mulligatawny

Mulligatawny Soup

It seems as though I have television on the brain lately. But there is a valid reason. My boyfriend has just bought a big, shiny new one. Yes, you know where this is going.

My childhood is peppered with strange television memories. Saturday mornings started the same way each time: fighting with my brother over what cartoons to watch. His favourites inevitably involved superheroes saving the planet yet again, while he munched away on a bowl of honeycomb cereal. While I, with my much more girly honey nut cornflakes, insisted on the Muppet Babies. Somehow it seemed that my brother always won, and I would protest by standing in front of the television twirling my baton and practicing my marching band moves. Ok, maybe I only did that once. Usually I just sulked on the couch in defeat and watched whatever stupid cartoon he was watching.

So then I grew up. A little. It was an episode of Gimme a Break that first taught me that sometimes a girl can wear too much lip gloss. ("You look like you just ate a pork chop without using your hands"). When I was finally old enough to wear lip gloss it was clear that that episode had sealed my fate as the girl who always wears just the right amount of lip gloss.
Years later it was Frasier that first introduced me to the concept of a crème brulée torch, and I thought it was something so absurd that there was no way I would ever own one. (ok, I still don't but it's not because I don't want one).
And yes, it was Seinfeld and his soup nazi that put the word Mulligatawny into my vocabulary.

Though I'd never made it or even eaten it, Mulligatawny became the butt of jokes for years to come. The standard question of "What do you feel like eating?" still offers a comedic moment when answered with an overly enthusiastic "MULLIGATAWNY!"
Ok, maybe I'm the only who finds that funny, but I have always been easily amused.

I have no idea what possessed me after all these years to finally make Mulligatawny soup. Yes, perhaps it was the new TV. But now that I have made it, I feel as though I've just reclaimed my youth in some way; as though those Seinfeld episodes really weren't so long ago, and no, I'm not all that old. If ever I felt like snuggling up with my tv and telling it how much it means to me, that time is definitely now.


Mulligatawny Soup from Bon Appetit, September 2005
The soup was delicious. Me and my mulligatawny are going to be friends for years to come.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1.5 tablespoons garam masala
1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cups dried red lentils
8 cups low-salt chicken broth (my note: or your salty broth if you prefer)
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups cooked basmati rice
lemon wedges

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add garam masala and next 4 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add lentils; stir until coated. Add chicken broth. Bring soup to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are very tender, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot. Stir in chicken, coconut milk, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide rice among bowls. Pour soup over. Garnish with lemon wedges; serve.


To my vegetarian friends, (Amylou? are you reading this?) let it be noted that even though I thought I was fully prepared, I was in fact out of chicken stock so I used vegetable stock and it tasted great even before adding the chicken. So you could easily make a chicken-free mulligatawny, which would really be more like a curried lentil soup, but with a more exciting and exotic and Seinfeldy name.

And the excitement doesn't stop there..
The soup itself is served in bowls over some cooked rice. If you are in the mood for more of a curry than a soup, use more rice. If you are in the mood for soupy, then add just a bit of rice. Each person can customize their own--and you know, on-the-spot soup customization options are hard to come by.

Nigel's Green Chicken Curry

Sometimes I feel as though I am truly cursed. I love G with all my heart, but he is a ridiculously fussy eater. The foods that top his “no” list are those same foods that make my mouth water. Goat cheese, crème fraiche, coriander, shrimp, eggplant, red peppers. The list goes on. Since I started this blog I have posted recipes with all of these ingredients. But here’s the catch: he has been travelling on business non-stop and for the last 2 or 3 months I have seen him only on weekends, save for a few days here and there. So, most of my blog-worthy creations have been made while he is away, with no one to consider but me when selecting a recipe and the ingredients, and just me to eat it all up.

It can at times be difficult to find recipes that serve 2 people, but let me tell you that it is especially difficult when you are but one. I hate leftovers, only because my mind tells me that there is something new and exciting to create the next night. Why would I want to eat the same thing again? G, on the other hand, could have the same sandwich for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and be perfectly content. Yes, he has a favourite sandwich consisting of a particular baguette from the local market, blobs of mayonnaise, pepper salami and havarti cheese. Notice the lack of any sort of vegetable on this sandwich? So do I, but I’m not about to tell a grown man how to eat.

Much to our delight, G is working from home this week. On the weekend, I was entirely enthused about the upcoming week, as having him home is a bit of a rarity these days. And, with my 2 new cookbooks, I was happy to have another mouth to feed (even a fussy one). As we lounged in bed on Monday night I flipped through the pages of Real Food by Nigel Slater, which I just picked up last week on our trip to Scotland. If G's fussiness hadn't been on my mind I might not have bought this book at all. It's recipes emphasize comfort foods, and for me that generally means they are going to be so good that I'll just eat too much. Compare that to Thomas Keller's French Laundry Cookbook, where everything seems to be made in bite sized bits, perfect for a girl who often has trouble regulating her portion sizes.

"How about the Pork with Cashews, Lime and Mint?” I asked him as he was about to drift off to sleep.
My question was met with a shrug and a bit of a grimace.
“Oh right” I said. “You don’t like pork.”
Before getting entirely deflated I thought perhaps I could just make it with chicken. Good idea, I thought. Easy substitution. But then that other part of me started to sulk: "I really don't want to substitute on the first recipe I'm making from the book."
Please note: I did not say this out loud. End result: I felt deflated.
“Alright, fine, I’ll just make a Thai curry again.”

Keep in mind that this is about the only sure thing I can make that even when I make it bad he still gobbles it up. And to prove the point, his sleepy eyes lit up and he was happy.

But I kept flipping through the pages, nursing a big pout, and came across Nigel’s Green Chicken Curry. Perfect solution. I’ll make something with a name that G likes, but I’ll use someone else’s recipe this time. It will be different than our usual, and this way, he's happy with something relatively familiar and I'm happy to be exploring a new recipe.




I had but a few ingredients to pick up to make this recipe and when dinner hour neared the following day, I readied myself in the kitchen. I hadn't realized I'd be making my own curry paste. I'd never done that before. The result was phenomenal, the curry was extremely fragrant and tasted so fresh. If this is any indication of the rest of the recipes inside, we're in for some good eating.

My variations: The recipe calls for some fresh coriander to be added to the simmering coconut milk near the end of cooking time. Since G is not a fan of coriander, I left this out and only added it to my own serving afterwards. I did however use the coriander called for in the curry paste, and he did not even notice it, much to my delight.
The original recipe calls for chestnut mushrooms which I did not use, and bottled green peppercorns, which I did use, but neither of us really liked biting into these little things. I wouldn't use them again.

Green Chicken Curry, Adapted from Nigel Slater's Real Food
750g chicken breast
3 tablespoons peanut oil
400ml tin of coconut milk
400ml of chicken stock
8 kaffir lime leaves
1 tablespoon nam pla (fish sauce)
the leaves from a large bunch of basil, shredded (about 20g)
15g of coriander, roughly chopped

For the Curry Paste
the tender heart leaves of 4 lemongrass stalks ( I used 4 tsps of jarred chopped lemongrass)
6 medium-hot green chilies, seeded and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons of chopped coriander
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of grated lime zest
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1 tablespoon of nam pla (fish sauce)
1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper

For the curry paste, first slice the lemongrass finely if using stalks. Place lemongrass and all the other curry paste ingredients in a food processor until it makes a thick paste. Push down from the sides occassionally if necessary. Refrigerate until needed, but cover tightly as the smell will permeate everything in your fridge.
For the curry, cut the chicken into finger-thick strips. Warm the oil in a casserole and, when hot and sizzling, add the chicken and let the strips colour slightly on all sides. Do it in batches if necessary. Remove from pan.

Pour in the coconut milk and the stock, then add the lime leaves, 4 heaped tablespoons of the curry paste, the fish sauce and half of the chopped herbs. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.Return the chicken to the pan with a further tablespoon of the paste and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the last of the herbs and serve.

Me, Martha and my leftovers..

chicken with ginger

Martha Martha Martha. You must think that all I do is talk about Martha. Well in case you don't already know, all of my cookbooks are in storage. Not only in storage, but divided between storage lockers in 2 different countries. And I do suffer because of this. I can't even remember anymore what's behind door number one and what's behind door number 2. But I guarantee you it will be like Christmas when I finally get to open those lockers again.

But in the meantime, there are 3 websites that I have come to rely on to get me through these difficult, cookbook-less times. Well, I don't need to tell you which ones they are because they are linked on the sidebar. Oh, except that Martha isn't actually listed there, strangely enough. But she gets enough air play as it is. And don't get me wrong, sometimes her and I do clash, it's not ALL sunshine and roses. Sometimes she can really put a frown on my face.

But she does have this very easy and very tasty recipe for Chicken with Ginger that I felt compelled to share with you. And it's perfect for using up leftover vegetables. Somehow I managed to buy magical snowpeas that have been in my fridge for two, maybe three, weeks now and they were still in fine shape. Is that normal? Well, I didn't question, I just went ahead and ate them. And I had some leftover baby bok choy from my tofu salad experience last week. So of course I blanched them both and then added them to the final mix. You can eat this chicken with steamed rice or asian noodles if you want. But I like it just fine on it's own loaded with vegetables. And did I mention that it was easy? I will say that she instructs you to cut the ginger into matchsticks. This makes my jaw clench. I can't handle a piece of ginger that size. So I usually chop it up quite small. If you do this, I think you can omit the step where she instructs you to soak the ginger for 10 minutes.

Chicken with Ginger (from www.mslo.com)
Serves 4

1 three-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons canola oil (I use peanut oil)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup sliced scallions

Soak ginger in cold water 10 minutes; drain.
Heat oil in a skillet over high heat; brown chicken in two batches, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
In same skillet over medium heat, cook ginger, onion, and garlic, stirring until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar; cook over high heat until thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken; stir to warm. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.

**NOTE: Since I am always disobedient to recipes, I felt I should point out that I have even used white or rice wine vinegar instead of regular white vinegar, and I usually omit the sugar and it is still very good. Yep.

O Canada and a Thai Red Curry..

Thai Red Curry with Shrimp

Hmm. I'm feeling indecisive about that picture. I'm struggling with trying to look at it objectively. It's just that it tasted so good. But perhaps it doesn't look tantalizing at all. I'm regretting the haphazard way in which I ripped up the basil and threw it in there, with complete and utter disregard for appearance. But I was so eager to dive in and start eating that the basil stood no chance. I tore it, I shredded it, I think I even bruised it. It was all I could do to stop and take a picture, with my camera in one hand and my fork, ready to take a plunge, in the other.

I LOVE Thai curries. In fact, in writing this post, my mouth is watering. Thai curries can be so aromatic, fresh and colourful, with their ingredients just cooked enough to still show their vibrant colour. And any dish where I can freely choose to top it with fresh coriander, thai basil, or regular basil, well, let's just say, it's heaven in a bowl.

There was a time when the extent of my Thai curry making involved some cubed chicken breast, a can of coconut milk and a dollop of red or green curry paste. And if you've never made a Thai curry before, I recommend that you at least start there. See what you get and build on it. It's worth it.

There seems to be a number of staple ingredients in Thai cooking that just seem to go so well together. And there is something so rewarding in starting with a plain can of coconut milk and turning it into something wonderful. You can add so much to the flavour by adding any number of ingredients.

So, here is my recipe.

A Canadian Girl's Version of Thai Red Curry with Shrimp
Also known as Thai Red Curry with Shrimp, Eh.
Serves 2

1 teaspoon peanut oil (olive oil won't hurt)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 good sized clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemongrass, minced (i buy it pre-minced in a jar)
1 cup of vegetable or chicken stock
1 can of coconut milk
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of red curry paste (some are hotter than others, I used a whole tablespoon but start with a teaspoon and add to taste)
5 kaffir lime leaves
shrimp or chicken (6-10 shrimp per person or 1 cubed chicken breast per person, you be the judge)
handful of snow peas
rice stick noodles to serve 2 people
thai (or regular) basil or coriander to garnish


Put peanut oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add ginger, garlic and lemongrass. Stir into oil for 1 minute or so. If you are using chicken, add it now and saute for a minute or two. (it will continue to cook in the coconut milk) Add curry paste, coconut milk and stock. Stir to combine.
Add fish sauce and soy sauce and lime leaves if using. Let the mixture simmer and reduce a little for about 5-7 minutes. Add the rice stick noodles directly into the curry.
The starch from the noodles will help to thicken the sauce. (Don't overdo the portion size on the noodles, or your sauce will become too thick, see below.)**
Keep stirring until the noodles and chicken (if using) are cooked. If it thickens more than you want it to, add a bit more stock. Add the shrimp (if using) and snow peas about 3 minutes before you are ready to take it off the stove.
I like my snow peas crunchy, if you want them softer, add them earlier, but just be sure not to overcook the shrimp.

**If you want more noodles, cook some more in a separate pot on the side and add to the curry when it is ready.

You can leave the noodles out altogether if you want, let the curry reduce a bit longer, and serve with rice.

Top with cilantro or basil and serve!

Spring has sprung and I ate it for dinner..

I stumbled upon an Asian market yesterday afternoon and I am not exaggerating when I say that I went on a mini-shopping spree of sorts. I found the first coriander that I have seen since living in Heidelberg. The urge to skip down the aisles and sing a happy song was difficult to resist. Yes, I was very happy. So, of course, I HAD to buy some. I couldn’t be sure that they kept it in constant supply, so I had to play it safe. And the same was true with the Thai Basil, Kaffir Lime leaves, and Galangal that I bought as well. Our apartment only has a tiny fridge (below waist height and requires a lot of bending) and currently, for the first time in the 2 months that we have lived here, it is jammed full. The problem is, my life and eating partner, is away again on business all week long. It’s just me and this fridge full of goodies until Saturday, when he returns. Needless to say that once I took stock of everything, I had a bit of a panic attack. So many fresh herbs and produce and so little time. I knew I would need to set out a plan to make sure it all got eaten before their freshness was compromised. And compromised freshness makes me an unhappy girl. And did I forget to mention that in the herb department alone, I had already purchased fresh dill, italian parsley and ‘regular’ basil on Wednesday at the farmer’s market? I’m addicted to fresh herbs. I really need a garden.

But first on my list was my asparagus, which was clearly telling me it didn’t want to wait one more single day. I was tempted to defy it, because now I had far more exciting things to tempt me. But I stayed the course and, in so doing, enjoyed a lovely meal.

So, here’s how I managed to get the asparagus out of the fridge and into my belly last night. And please note that I was so determined that there still be enough light for me to take a picture that I made sure the dish was ready much earlier than I would normally eat in the evening. I suffered for the cause, and for my readers. (mom and dad)

I got the idea for this recipe from Epicurious.com, although true to form I just read the list of ingredients and went about doing my own thing. I didn’t add the salmon, I used onion instead of shallots, fresh pasta instead of dried, I roasted the asparagus instead of boiling it, and I added a sprinkling of parmesan to top it off. And I didn’t measure anything. Their recipe was serving 4 as a main course, I definitely had to make my own adjustments, since I am but one person. And sometimes it’s much more satisfying to just take an idea and run with it. It doesn’t always work, but it most definitely helps you to learn and to make it your own. I was actually very pleased with the dish as it seemed very fitting of spring. And though it calls for heavy cream (I substituted whipping cream) the dish still seemed light.

Although I will say that using the starchy pasta water from cooking dried pasta, as the original recipe indicates, would have added something to the sauce. But I prefer fresh pasta so I was willing to suffer the consequence.

Here’s the link to the recipe at Epicurious.Com, it’s called Pappardelle in Lemon Cream Sauce with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon.