Obsessed with Brunch

I, like most other Torontonians am obsessed with brunch. I don't just mean brunch food -- I mean that act of going out or making brunch and enjoying it with people you love. We've had celebration brunch parties, cozy brunches at home with French-press coffee and goodies just purchased at the farmer's market, and we've had intimate, just-you-and-me best-friend hangouts over strong coffee, egg dishes and toast. Brunch is so much more than a meal -- it's a whole social event.

What was one of the first things I did when I got back to Toronto? Have brunch. And what was one of the first meals we had out when we started our Vancouver vacation? Yup. Brunch. We had cleverly arranged our Vancouver trip so that we'd be there at the same time as my best friend, who was there for a conference. And of course we had to have brunch. And there was no question as to where. We had both agreed when doing Vancouver brunch research, that it had to be the Wallflower, recommended by a very trusted source. And of course it was perfect. Nice, strong coffee, a friendly, chatty server, lots of good conversation and of course, awesome food.

My partner loves classic bacon-egg-hash-brown breakfasts (this one had the addition of a waffle!), and my best friend is partial to eggs Benedict (spiked with smoked salmon and cream cheese), but me, I'm usually a granola and yogurt kind of bruncher. Granola being absent from the menu, I tried their tofu hash special -- potatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach and tofu, all messed up together into the one happy plate, served with toast. It was great, and I didn't miss granola at all.

After the heat wave passed and I could safely turn my oven on here in Toronto, I set about to re-create this beautiful breakfast hash -- for dinner!  The way I made it was super simple -- roast the veggies, quickly saute the tofu and spinach with a hit of ginger, and mix it all together. Yum! I don't have mushrooms in my version because I forgot to pick them up, but they would be lovely -- just slice and saute with the spinach and tofu. I also used beautiful purple potatoes which made this meal that much more special. Oh, and you can totally skip the ginger if that's not your thing, and use garlic instead.

Super simple, delicious, and memory-invoking .. ;) You could totally make this for brunch .. TODAY!

Tofu Veggie Hash
inspired by the Wallflower

I'm not putting measurements on this recipe, because, really, it's up to you when you're making hash. The dish that I was served at Wallflower was heavy on potatoes, and while I love potatoes, I chose to balance it out more when I made it at home. But it's totally up to you. Go for it!

red, yellow and orange peppers, cut into strips
new potatoes, cut into eighths (depending on the size of your potato .. make them the same size as the peppers)
onion, sliced thinly
firm tofu (mine was flavoured with herbs)
baby spinach
mushrooms, sliced thinly
ginger, minced
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
chopped herbs, whatever you like -- I used green and red basil and parsley from my garden

1. First -- roast the veggies. Put the peppers, potatoes and onions in a large bowl. Add a sprinkling of salt, a few good grinds of pepper and about a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Toss to coat. Lay the veggies out on a baking sheet and put them in the oven on broil. Cook for about 25-30 minutes, tossing every once in a while.

2. When the veggies are almost done, heat some olive oil in pan. Add the ginger and cook for a minute or so, until it gets really fragrant and toasty. Add the tofu and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the tofu starts to get a bit brown.

3. Add the spinach and toss to wilt. You may need a little splash of water to help it. Once the spinach is wilted, you're done!

4. Take some of your roasted veggies and mix them in a bowl with the tofu, spinach and mushrooms. Sprinkle liberally with fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Not Just a Salad

This is a bit of a cheater post, since what I'm leaving you isn't really a recipe, but I couldn't let this salad slide by the way side. Considering that I've had it in different variations about 5 times this past week, I can safely say that this salad is a winner.

Ok, so it really is just a salad. But hey, I love salads. You can make friends with salad. Wanna know why? Because you can put whatever you want in it, and when it's late spring about to bloom into summer, the markets are just beginning to tumble out the fresh, local produce, perfect for a salads. It's also a time when avocados aren't five dollars a piece, and can be purchased three at a time for a reasonable price.

Fresh herbs litter this lovely salad -- thyme, parsley, oregano -- anything from your garden. I've had versions with fresh peas, lovely Ontario asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and just bare bones as the picture shows: crisp romaine lettuce, avocado and tofu chunks, random fresh herbs. It also sings with a simple lime vinaigrette sweetened with maple syrup.

I would love this salad sprinkled with cumin-seasoned black beans, chickpeas, slices of fresh, local strawberries, chunks of fresh peach, Ontario corn, fresh off the cob, cucumber cut into tiny chunks ... Seriously, whatever you want.

Happy Salad!

Summer Fresh Salad Base:
for one!

3 large leaves of romaine lettuce, chopped
a chunk of firm tofu (mine was seasoned with herbs)
1/4 of an avocado, chopped (don't wait till it turns brown like I did!)
1 handful of fresh herbs -- I used parley, oregano, thyme

1. Toss all the ingredients in a bowl, plus any extra add-ins you like (suggestions above!). Now, make your dressing.

Vinaigrette
juice of half a lime
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of maple syrup (or honey, or agave)
1/2 teaspoon of herbs de Provence
a few grinds of black pepper

2. Whisk together all the ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more sweetener if you like.

3. Pour over your salad and dig in.

Hooked on this Salad

I love summer and I love summer produce, especially the summer fruit. But when it comes to cooking in the the heat, I'm a bit hesitant. I love summer because I get lots of time off and that means lots of time to experiment in the kitchen. But these past few days have been hazy and humid and hot, weather that takes away your appetite. It's like you want to drink lemonade and eat popsicles for supper every day. Seriously.

While the weather outside today is just perfect -- lots of sunshine, a little breeze and not too much humidity, the 7 day forecast calls for heat alerts by Friday. Turning on the stove is going to be a chore, but we still need to eat, right? One cannot subsist on lemonade a frozen treats -- but add a salad in there and we're probably good to go, especially if it's a nice hearty salad, like this beautiful rice and cucumber bowl. It's nourishing and almost cleansing, and it's the kind of thing that you don't mind eating even in the extreme heat.

I've called it a cucumber and rice bowl, but really, you could put whatever you want in it. It's all about the dressing. I had a huge crush on tahini-based dressings, but in the heat, I prefer something yogurt-based. It's totally simple. Non-fat yogurt, lemon juice and bunch of herbs from your garden. This year, we've started growing dill, so I used a whole bunch of it in the dressing and it really worked well. It's zippy and lemony and cool and creamy -- the perfect way to top my bowl full of goodness. And it goes without saying that you could totally mix it up. Isa says that the essential ingredients of a bowl are "a grain, a green, and 'tein and a sauce." Once you've got that, you're all set. I'm considering switching the grain to soba noodles -- if you choose to go that way, you might want to cut your veggies in a similiar shape (like rather than dicing or chunking, cut them in match sticks or use a grater). This salad is also awesome because you can cook up a big batch of whatever grain you choose, and for the rest of the week, you'll enjoy cooking-free lunches or suppers. Just chop, toss and enjoy.

Want more bowl inspirations?

Glorious Bowl
Lemon Orzo with Spinach, Feta and Almonds
Quinoa and Chickpea Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Green Quinoa
Bulgar, Millet and Chickpea Salad
Roasty Soba Bowl
Qunioa with Currents, Dill and Zucchini
Buttermilk Farro Salad
Wild Rice Salad with Yogurt Viniagrette


I'm sure these cool bowls will keep you happy all summer long!

Cucumber Rice Bowl with Herbed Yogurt Dressing

Fill your bowl with some of the following ...

rice -- red, brown, wild, go nuts!
quinoa
millet
barley
soba noodles
or a combination

cooked and/or drained chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans etc.
tofu cut into cubes (the smoked or marinated kind is awesome)
cooked lentils -- go nuts and try some of the fancy kind

cucumber or raw zucchini chunks
blanched fresh or frozen peas
fresh sweet corn (blanched or raw!)
baby arugula or spinach
chopped lettuce
cherry or grape tomatoes

Herbed Yogurt Dressing
makes about 1/3 cup -- enough to dress 3-4 salads

1/4 cup of skim milk yogurt
juice of one large lemon
a splash of water
salt and pepper to taste
a large bunch of chopped, fresh herbs -- I used dill, oregano and thyme

Whisk all the ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Pour 1-2 tablespoons over your bowl. Toss, eat and be happy and cool.

Roasted Tomato Orzo Salad

Make this NOW!  If you're buried under work and don't have time to cook, but still want to taste that sunshine outside in your kitchen, make this salad.  Make a big batch and let it sit in your fridge. It only gets better with time.  Eat it all week for lunch, or supper.  Add some chopped raw cucumber, blanched broccoli or a nice green salad on the side and you're totally set.

The first time I made this salad, I totally fell in love with it. The second time I made it, I added chopped red onion and it was even better.  You could totally play with it -- add chopped roasted or raw red peppers, zucchini, roasted garlic, whatever you like.  Or keep it simple and enjoy it just as much.

Don't sweat it.  It's easy.  Take 30 minutes out of your work-at-home time and make this salad.  You'll be so glad you did.  Make it even if you're not busy, and spend the rest of your time biking outside, having coffee or beer on sunny patios or planting the garden.  It's THAT good.  Go for it!  Happy eating!

Roasted Tomato Orzo Salad
serves lots!

1.5 cups of uncooked orzo
4-5 ripe tomatoes, or couple pints of cherry tomatoes, chopped or halved
a big splash each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar
1 big pinch of salt
1 few good grinds of pepper
1/2 red onion, diced
3-4 basil leaves, chopped
a few sprigs of oregano (or use thyme, or parsley .. anything you've got on hand!)

1. In a large pot of water, cook the orzo for about 15 minutes, or until tender and/or al dente.  Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking, toss the tomatoes in the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Spread it out on a baking sheet and roast on high (under the broiler) for about 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down and the juices get kind of sticky.

3. Put the pasta in a large bowl and add the onion.  Toss with the tomatoes and their juices.  Add in the chopped herbs and toss again.  Let it cool in the fridge, if you can wait, or just dig in.  It's ten times better when you pull it out a few days later.

Slow Food Week

January and February flew right by me. It really did. Maybe it's because this school year rocks -- I mean seriously rocks. I don't wake up on Mondays with anxiety. I go to bed on Sundays feeling excited. What's come over me? It wonderful, but at the same time, worrisome because I don't think next year will be quite so rockin'.. Is that me being pessimistic? Is that me already worrying about my evaluation coming up when September rolls around .. that my admin will actually think I'm an inadequate teacher who can't spell (especially when writing on the board), who breaks fire safety codes because she ran out of wall space and needs a workshop in classroom management (especially during last period classes).. ? Yeah, well, let's not go there.. not this week anyway .. because....



It's March Break!! And I've declared it, Slow Food Week. Since January, we've been making quick and dirty suppers -- mostly soups that I make a huge batch of and then eat for an entire week. Soups aren't very photogenic, as I've mentioned before, but very tasty, healthy and warming after a long day of work. I've made cabbage and bean soup, all spiced up with fennel seeds, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, and chickpea and tomato soup jazzed up with the addition of parsnips, and a good dose of cinnamon and cumin (totally inspired by the chickpea tomato soup that seems to always be the soup of the day at Java House). But seeing as it's March break, I've decided to slow things down. I have some beautiful slow cooking in mind -- like this healthy granola that needs lots of stirring and tending, and this beautiful cinnamon pull-apart bread that needs lots of time to rest. Since my slow-food week just kicked off, I'll post a slow-cooked recipe that I made during the holidays: Tuscan bean casserole. It was very yummy and comforting, and totally worth the wait.

Slow food, here I come!

Tuscan Bean Casserole
adapted from Vegetarian Times

3/4 pound of dried white kidney beans
3 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig with leaves removed and chopped, 2 left on the stem
a big handful of fresh parsley, 2 sprig left whole, the rest chopped
1 medium onion, half chopped, half left whole
2 whole cloves
1/2 fennel bulb, diced
3 cloves of garlic, 2 chopped up, 1 halved
olive oil
1 large carrot, diced
a splash of white wine vinegar
3/4 cup of fresh bread crumbs
a good grating of Parmesan cheese

1. Soak the beans in cold water overnight. Drain and place in a dutch oven or oven safe pot with enough water to cover it by a couple inches. Tie the thyme and parsley sprigs together and throw them in. Stick the cloves into the onion half and add that as well. Throw in the halved garlic clove. Partially cover and bring to a boil, then uncover and reduce to a simmer. Let it cook for about 30 minutes until the beans are nice and tender.

2. Drain the beans and reserve the liquid. Give the dutch oven or pot a little rinse and wipe out for the next step.

3. Cook the onions, carrots and fennel in olive oil on medium-low heat until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and cook a little longer. Remove the pot from the heat and add the vinegar, making sure to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add about 1-1.5 cups of the cooking liquid, the beans, and half the chopped parsley. Stir well to combine.

4. Combine the breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the rest of the parsley and the cheese. Spread this mixture on top of the beans.

5. Bake the whole thing in a 375 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned (yeah .. ours got a little too brown) and the juices have bubble up. Remove from the oven and let it stand for about 20 minutes so that the beans can soak up the liquid even more. Serve warm.