Listen: I haven't had a hang-over in many years. After realizing that when I ingest alcohol, my body skips the "nice buzz" stage and goes straight to the throwing up stage, I've stayed away. Last night, while others enjoyed IPAs, specialty porters and ales, and vintage red wine, I stuck to a nice rotation of juices -- mango and local apple cider, to be precise.
But somehow, even minus the hang-over, my body feels like it needs a boost the morning after a party. Around these parts, the 25th of December is pretty quiet -- some family time, a movie with my best friend, and an early turn-in. We save the parties for after Christmas, during the painful lull when you're waiting for New Year's to happen and the inevitable return to the normal schedule.
We had a little gathering last night -- nothing fancy: just four of us, some crazy laughs and catching up, a couple games of cranium and some good food: pasta, turkey meatballs, marinated mushrooms, the fluffiest homemade gingerbread and some good old salad. For lunch today, I ate up the leftover salad of arugula, spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and added a bit of tofu for a boost. I dressed it with a lovely, tangy, dilly dressing, inspired by the delicious salad recipes in Isa Does It -- one of my Christmas gifts.
Really, you can throw this dressing on anything and it would taste good, but if you're plugging through the morning after and can't handle another piece of chocolate, drizzle this over some veggies and your body will thank you.
Mix up all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust the seasonings to please your palate. Alternatively, you can blend up all the ingredients for a creamy, bright-green dressing.
Enjoy over your favourite, restorative leafy-greens and protein.
When we were in Vancouver, we hit up a lot of coffee places. but we didn't always have time to eat at all those raved-about restaurants. We did make a list, but sometimes, stuff got in the way. Lunch was more often than not, peanut butter and banana sandwiches eaten during a long out-of-city hike or biking trip, and breakfast was usually cereal with a healthy helping of local berries purchased at a farmer'smarket. Dinner, well, that was where we got to experiment a little. But sometimes, we were just too exhausted. We sometimes ate take-out or walked a couple blocks and ate at a little Asian-style cafe, and once, we were so tired that we *gasp* ordered pizza.
Buuuuuuuuut, we did get to go out a bit and when we did, it was usually quite awesome. One of my favourite places that we ate at in Vancouver, was from a food truck called Le Tigre. We sampled almost all of the menu, including a pulled pork bao, popcorn chicken, crispy, lemony-parmesany brussels sprouts and cauliflower, amazingly addictive roasted beet fries and the most refreshing, filling, flavourful quinoa salad ever.
This quinoa salad was amazing. First, not only did it have quinoa, but there was brown and wild rice thrown into the mix, along with sweet roasted carrots and parsnips, crunchy cabbage, lots of fresh mint and a rich, tangy miso dressing. Since discovering the joys of miso not so long ago, I had to try making this salad at home.
My version is summered up a bit. I used roasted yellow zucchini and eggplant, some thinly sliced celery for a big crunch, and some left over blanched green beans, just because. I threw in lots of fresh mint and also a big hit of purple basil. And the dressing .. oh the dressing. Just a few teaspoons of white miso and big juicy lemon, but oh, the flavour was so big and bold. Because the miso is so intense there's no salt added to the rest of the salad, just a few big grinds of black pepper. And don't worry if the dressing tastes a little too zippy and salty when you try it -- all that lovely rice and quinoa soaks it all up. And while this salad isn't an exact replica of the one we ate from the truck, sitting by the Lonsdale quay and enjoying a perfect evening after hiking all day, it's pretty darn satisfying in it's own right.
Quinoa Rice Salad with Roasted Summer Veggies inspired by Le Tigre makes 3-4 servings
For the roasted veggies:
1 large, yellow zucchini, diced
1 small eggplant, diced
1 tablespoon or so of olive oil
a few grinds of black pepper
1. In a large bowl, toss the veggies with the olive oil and black pepper. Spread them out on a making sheet.
2. Roast (oven on broil), tossing occasionally for about 15-20 minutes, until the veggies get nicely golden brown and tender.
While the veggies are roasting, make the rest of the salad:
1/4 cup of brown rice + 1/4 cup of wild rice + 1 cup of water
1/3 cup of quinoa + 2/3 cup of water
1 large stalk of celery, sliced thinly
a small handful of green beans, trimmed
2 teaspoons of white miso
juice of a lemon
lots of freshly ground black pepper
a big handful each of fresh mint and basil, chopped roughly
1. First, cook your grains. Mix together the brown and wild rice with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down the heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Same for the quinoa -- 1/3 cup of quinoa and 2/3 cup of water.
2. Blanch the green beans in water for about 2 minutes, or until they're tender. Cut them in half and put them in large bowl.
3. To the bowl, add in your cooked grains, roasted veggies, sliced celery and black pepper. Toss well.
4. Make your dressing! Carefully whisk together the miso and lemon juice until you get a creamy yummy sauce. Pour it over your salad and add the fresh herbs. Toss well and serve!
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.
You know how seasoned home cooks have a "fish guy," or "meat guy" that they trust to give them quality stuff all the time? Well, we have a rice guy. He runs Rube's Rice -- the island of rice and grains and legumes on the bottom floor of St. Lawrence Market. He is our supplier of Nishiki and lentilles du Puy, is knowledgeable about cavena nuda and was the first to introduce me to jade pearl rice.
Today, we felt like splurging, so we picked up a bag of Canadian-grown wild rice. As we were paying, he handed us a slip of paper with a recipe for wild rice salad on it and told us to give it a try. Off we went to the bulk store next door to pick up the rest of the ingredients, and I'm so glad we did.
This salad tastes fresh and fragrant like spring, and yet is made from ingredients that you could easily find in the winter. It's got a mild sweet dressing of orange juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, a sweet richness from pecans and golden raisins, a savoury sharpness from finely chopped shallot, and a nice spring freshness from a handful of fresh mint -- all wonderful flavours that don't overpower the herbal nuttiness of the wild rice. When I make it again, I might add a splash of red wine vinegar to give the dressing add bit more zing, and perhaps a few chunks of orange segments to add a burst of juiciness.
Want more reason to make this salad? It's vegan, gluten-free and very filling. Wild rice is a beautiful backdrop for a switch-up in fruits and nuts -- walnuts or slivered almonds, dried cranberries or cherries, a sprinkling of pomegranate arils .. It probably tastes better the following day -- meaning that you could make a big batch, have some with your dinner and have leftovers that will taste even better to pack for lunch. Do I need to go on?
Thank-you Rice Guy!
Wild Rice Salad adapted from the Rice Guy :)
2/3 cup of wild rice
2.5 cups of water
1/4 cup of chopped pecans
1/4 cup of golden raisins
zest and juice of half an orange
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of minced shallot
a small handful of mint, torn or chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1. Rinse the wild rice well. Place it in a pot with water. Bring to boil, then cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Let it cook for 40 - 45 minutes. Check it at the 30 minute mark to see if you need to add more water. Drain and place in a large bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the rice and toss well. Let it sit for 2 hours (if you can wait! We couldn't!) or overnight.
Well, it's back to work. I've had a glorious two weeks off: lots of coffee, lots of chocolate, lots of sleep, lots of runs and hikes and workouts, lots of brunches and giggles and coffee talks and catching up and even an awesome waffle party (!!), lots of Christmas cookies and baking, lots of time to clear my mind. It's back to the routine tomorrow, back to waking up at 4:50am, back to the blur of the classroom and exhaustion that follows. Except I won't have that stack of Christmas cookies to give me a sugar rush around 3pm, right when I need it. But it's January, the month of detoxes and juice diets and so forth.
Do you go for that? I've tried cleansing a coupletimes, and while I honestly felt detoxed after, I was generally lacking energy, something that can't happen in January, not with report cards due in just three short weeks. I don't know about you, but I still need that sugar fix. Is that wrong? Yeah, well, maybe a little, but I made a solution today: a beautiful, healthy, cleansing solution that doesn't involve juice diets or anything like that. I made this beautiful, fruity salad. I couldn't resist the insanely good deal on pineapple and strawberries at the supermarket, but I think this salad would work just as well with more seasonal fruit -- like blood oranges, crisp apples, grapefruit, and pomegranate. The base of this salad is red quinoa, a nice gluten-free super food to amp you up, grated carrots and parsley. Don't skip the parsley! Aside from it's detoxing qualities, just a little adds a beautiful green, almost citrusy freshness.
Because of all the beautiful fresh fruit in this salad, there's no need for a dressing, besides a nice big squeeze of lemon. If you're not feeling the quinoa love just yet, you might want to try brown rice or millet in your base. If you want some crunch and extra protein, a sprinkling of nuts or pumpkin seeds would be lovely as well. And, if you serve this over some baby spinach or massaged kale, you've got a salad that's definitely a detox and a sugar kick.
Don't sweat it if you're not psyched for a January juice cleanse. Eat your cleanse instead. Happy salad!
Sugar Kick Cleanse Salad inspired by the Tropical Fruit Salad in Quinoa: the everyday superfood, by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming For the Salad Base:
1/2 cup of red quinoa, rinsed well
1 cup of water
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
juice of half a lemon
In my salad, I added:
half a small pineapple, chopped into small chunks
2 tangerine oranges, peeled and segmented
1 cup of chopped strawberries
1 small mango, chopped into small chunks
1. Put the quinoa and water in a small pot and bring it up to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed all the water. Cool and set aside.
2. Place the cooled quinoa, grated carrots, fruit add-ins and parsley in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
3. Enjoy! I plan on eating my salad for lunch over baby spinach. It would also be lovely in the morning with an added dollop of yogurt.
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.
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.
Yup, I'm still on a citrus high from all that marmalade. I have no idea why I waited so long to make it, but I'm so glad I finally did. I'm enjoying my last official day of March break and I'm up to my elbows in chocolate (more later .. I promise!). My taste buds are also craving tangy and sweet and that 2/5$ sale on bags of California cuties at Food Basics is totally egging on my citrus high.
So for lunch, I made a super healthy and delicious salad using my homemade marmalade and newly purchased mandarin oranges. It totally hit the spot -- warm quinoa and kale tossed in a sweet citrus tahini dressing with whole segments or mandarin oranges. I wanted my dressing to be sweet, but you could totally go all tangy by adding lemon juice instead of orange juice. It feels like a cleansing salad and the protein power of quinoa and iron-rich kale are bound to keep you energized. I'm sure it would make a great working lunch salad too .. if you can plan ahead that far.
Ok, I'm going back to my chocolate. I'll be back soon with details, and also a hearty, healthy supper post.
Happy Citrus!
Warm Quinoa and Kale Salad with Sweet Citrus Dressing serves one!
For the dressing: 2 tablespoons of tahini 2 teaspoons of marmalade 1 tablespoon of orange juice splash of hot water (if necessary)
Whisk all the ingredients together except the water. If the tahini seizes up (which is normal), add a splash of water and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
For the salad: 1/4 cup of quinoa, rinsed 1/2 cup of water 1-2 kale leaves, stems removed, leaves cut into ribbons 1 mandarin orange
1. In a small pot, combine water and quinoa. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and cook, covered for about 10 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and the water is almost all absorbed.
2. Add the kale leaves to the pot, cover and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the cover, and give it a good mix to toss up the leaves with the quinoa.
3. Pour your greens and grains into a bowl. Peel and segment your mandarin and scatter it over top. Drizzle your sweet citrus dressing over top and toss.
Some of the best meals happen because of accidents or mistakes. Sure, some of the time it's disastrous or most often it's not good enough to be tasty but not gag-inducing enough to justify wasting. I remember this one time I made a barley and bean salad and dressed it with a "vinaigrette" made from yogurt, ground coriander and honey. Not tasty at all, but I couldn't bare to waste it, so I choked it down ... for a good 3 days.
This beautiful black bean and buckwheat salad, though, it NOT the case. It was actually started by my dear sweet love who wanted to make a dish he first learned in culinary school that had black beans, quinoa and tomatoes. Very tasty-sounding. But instead of cooking up red quinoa, he started rinsing out the .. buckwheat. Ooooooops. He cooked it up, mixed it together but found that the didn't like the taste of the buckwheat. That's a shame, because I loved it. It was earthy and hearty and perfect with the black beans. I added some fresh corn a bunch of fresh herbs, and spiced up the vinigrette with a little dash of cumin. Yumtastic. I ate it happily for a good 3 days. He made do with leftovers and was pleased enough that I liked it. Score.
This salad also has the potential be to very versatile. When the sweet corn and local tomatoes become fading summer memories, can't you picture roasted squash and even orange segments thrown in? A bit of orange juice in the vinaigrette and maybe skip the cumin .. or maybe not! I love meals that you can play with. I'm sure the quinoa version is just as good and we'll try that soon, but buckwheat is definitely where it's at. Happy kitchen experimenting!
**note that I refrained from putting measurements in the recipe, because, hey, you can make as much or as little as you want.
Black Bean and Buckwheat Dinner Salad
toasted buckwheat groats, cooked (1 cup of buckwheat to 1 1/4 cups of water) canned black beans (I used the salt-free kind) tomatoes, chopped fresh sweet corn kernals lots of fresh herbs -- thyme, basil and parsley -- roughly chopped
red wine vinegar olive oil salt and pepper cumin **I like my dressings really tart, but do as you like
1. Mix up all the salad ingredients and season well with salt and pepper. 2. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust. 3. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss and enjoy!
So, did I mention that I went to Montreal? Oh yeah.. I did. Did I mention that I'm yearning to be back there? Did that too, eh? I haven't officially come down off my Montreal high, even though it's been more than enough time. There's just something about that city that makes me miss it in a strange way.
I've been to Montreal many times, but I always find something new each time I go there. This year, we discovered the markets. And during one of our market visits, I discovered la pomme blanche. It's a beautiful, small green apple that's first harvested in July, and then again August. It's not just tart, it's sour. Think sour apple candy! It's totally delicious, totally refreshing and totally sour! I bought a huge basket just a few days before were were supposed to come home, and seeing as I didn't want to lug a gigantic bag of apples on the train with me, I had to eat most of them up. My partner is not really a sour apple snacker. He'll have a bite, but that's about it. My best friend is against apples in general (yes yes.. only when they're raw because they have a weird texture .. crunchy? crispy? delicious? ahem...).
So. I. Ate. Apples. I snacked on them pre-breakfast, post-workout with a glass of grapefruit juice at the tiny kitchen table before anyone else even got out of bed. I packed them on our walking adventures and happily crunched them in between drinking coffees and eating bagels. I ate them after dinner as a refreshing fruity dessert. I even made a sandwich with one and stuffed slices of it in between orange-honey mustard and vache qui rit cheese. It was the perfect train snack. Totally perfect.
When I got home, I had 4 pommes blanches left and with 2, I made this delicious coleslaw that reminded me of all my favourite flavours from this past Montreal trip: sour apples, sweet local strawberries and tangy orange mustard. I also threw in some beet because I remembered seeing these beautiful mulit-coloured beets at the market. It added a beautiful deep flavour to the salad and balanced out the cheek puckering apple very nicely. The dressing is on the sweet side, and doesn't follow the 3:1 oil-vinegar ration, which is what I like, but feel tree to taste as you make it and adjust accordingly. Seeing as we don't have pommes blanches here in Ontario, I'd say the granny smith would be a fine substitute, or even better, the ginger gold, which I just discovered. It has a very similar texture to la pomme blanche, but isn't quite as sour. If you're against apples, I can't help you here.. this salad screams "J'aime les pommes!"
Counting the says til my next trip back to la belle province...
Sour Apple Coleslawwith Sweet Fruity Dressing
1/4 of a large (I mean huge) head of purple cabbage (or 1/2 of a normal sized one)
2 sour apples
1/2 a giant beet root (or 1 normal sized one)
1.5 tablespoons of honey mustard
3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of orange marmalade
2 teaspoons of strawberry jam
1 tablespoon of olive oil
a little grinding of black pepper
mix-ins (optional): goat cheese, sunflower seeds, toasted walnuts or almonds
1. Shred your cabbage. Julienne your apples and beet. Mix together in a large bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, marmalade, jam, olive oil and pepper. Give it a taste and adjust to what you like.
3. Pour your dressing over the salad and give it a nice big toss. Let it sit in a fridge for at least 20 minutes. Top with mix-ins of your choice and enjoy!
I'm taking a quick break from the thyme treats to share this amazing salad with you. It's looks kinda plain but it's the magical dressing that really makes this salad come to life. It's tahini!!
You're probably not a stranger to cooking tahini. I'mnoteither, but I've never made salad dressing with it. But I should have! Oh I should have. In fact, just the other day, I was at a wonderful restaurant with my sister called Fresh, where they have this beautiful bowl of goodness that's just called "Simple" on the menu. It consists of brown rice, grated carrots, micro greens, lots of parsley and a delicious, creamy tahini-tamari dressing. I thought of this dressing when I went to make a salad and wanted something interesting to put on it. Kickpleat, of Everybody Likes Sandwiches, one of my favourite blogs, makes tahini dressing all the time. She puts it on millet, coleslaw and even butternut squash. So I thought, why not? Let's do it. I simplified her version of the dressing -- just tahini, lemon juice, pepper and a splash of water -- and it was truly magical. Creamy, nutty, tangy. I couldn't get enough. And I picture this dressing over every salad: chickpeas, simple cucumber and tomato, even as a dipping sauce for this roasted cauliflower.
But it was just perfect on a simple mixed salad of blanched kale, fresh Ontario spring mix greens (courtesy of my sister's CSA) and some stray leftover quinoa and lentils. Like I said, you could add anything. The big tahini boost and lentils were enough to give me a healthy protein dose, but chickpeas would be a lovely addition, as would tofu cubes, or even a good sprinkling of pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Tahini hasn't really been a staple in my fridge, but now it definitely will be. Happy salad days!
half a bunch of kale, stems removed 2 cups of mixed salad greens 1/2 cup of cooked grains of your choice extras like tofu, chickpeas, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, raisins, roasted almonds....
2 tablespoons of tahini juice of half a lemon a good grinding of black pepper 2 tablespoons of water
1. Blanch the kale in boiling water for 1-2 minutes until cooked but still bright green. Drain, pat dry and divide between two bowls.
2. Put 1 cup of salad greens in each bowl, and top of the grains and extras.
3. To make the dressing, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, black pepper and water vigorously until blended. You may need to add more lemon or water if the dressing is still too thick. It should be creamy but pourable.
4. Pour the tahini-liciousness over your salad and give it a good mix. Enjoy!
I think summer is here. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh... don't scare her away. The thunderstorms and steamy afternoons (and migraine headaches!) definitely mark the beginning of summer. So do strawberries and rhubarb in the market and an increasing urge to stay outside.
While a couple weeks ago I could get away with making soup and enjoying it despite the hot weather, I can't say that I could have done that for the past few days. Instead, a few days ago, I made a yummy, simple noodle salad that sat in the fridge and was enjoyed all week long. I used extra thin vermicelli, (but I think next time I might try cellophane noodles), sliced carrots, blanched broccoli and asparagus and dressed it with a lime, ginger and soy mixture. The final ingredient threw it over the top: Thai basil. Ever had it? It's definitely similar to Italian basil but with a sweeter and more licorice-y taste. When I smell it, I think of pho, that classic Vietnamese noodle soup that comes served with raw bean sprouts and tons of Thai basil that you just throw into the soup to cook. I used tons of it in this salad and it totally made the different between a great salad and a super-fantastic salad.
I used a combination of raw and cooked veggies, but if you were feeling lazy, you could stick with just raw ones. Cucumber would be very refreshing in this salad, as would sliced red peppers or even celery. For a bit more kick, you might want to add some chopped green onion, or use a fresh red chili in the dressing instead of the chili powder that I used. If you need a bit of protein in your salad, shredded cooked chicken would be perfect, as would some marinated tofu if you want to keep it veggie. Cilantro would have been a perfect herb to add as well, but try not to skip the Thai basil. If you don't grow it, you can usually find it wrapped in most Asian grocery stores. Personally, I'm ecstatic to have three little Thai basil patches growing on my balcony, because I plan to make this salad many more times this summer.
Now..what should I do with this big pot of spear mint that was given to me as a gift ......
Noodle Salad with Thai Basil 300g of dried, extra thin vermicelli (they come in little "cakes" -- I used three) 1 medium carrot, sliced into match sticks 1/2 head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces 1/2 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut in half a big handful of Thai basil a few sprigs of fresh thyme
juice and zest of 2 juicy limes 1 tablespoon of light soy 1 tablespoon of dark soy 1 teaspoon of grated ginger 1 teaspoon of dark brown sugar or honey 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seed oil 1 teaspoon of canola oil a pinch of cayenne pepper
1. Soak the noodles in cold water for a couple of hours. Drain, and dunk into boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove (but keep the water to blanch your veggies) and run under cold water. Drain and put into a large bowl.
2. Blanch the asparagus and broccoli separately until tender. Drain and add to noodles. Add carrots and herbs and toss until everything is evenly distributed.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and zest, oils, soy sauces, ginger and sugar. Taste and add more oil or sugar to your liking. It will be quite zing-y, but the noodles will mellow it out.
4. Pour 2/3 of the dressing in the salad and toss. Taste and add more if you like.
Have you ever tried something for the first time and thought "Oh my gosh .. this is definitely going to be a favourite?" I know it's kind of like an oxymoron; a favourite something is supposed to have wonderful memories attached to it, something that you've loved for a long time, something comforting that you look to and can count on. But haven't you ever experienced the thrill of the "new favourite?"
For instance, awhile back when I had breakfast in this new restaurant down the street and my multi-grain porridge came topped with cardamom spiced apples, I thought: OMG, cardamom is my new favourite spice. And it definitely has become a favourite -- added to curries, cookies, cakes, dressings ... but this post isn't about cardamom (although one is coming up soon!); it's about a salad. Wait! Don't navigate away! I'm not being anti-climactic! This salad is nothing short of perfection. What, with this definitely being salad weather and all, we probably need new and exciting salads to sneak in between the old favourites. This salad, though not new to by culinary partner (in fact, it was one of the very first salads that he made when he was in cooking school!), was just introduced to me recently. I had a bunch of mini bocconcinis left over from a previous salad (yeah, i'm a little salad crazy!) that had to be used up. I didn't really think about it much, but when I came out of the shower one evening I found a beautifully arranged plate of segmented oranges, quartered grape tomatoes, halved mini bocconcinis and in the centre, a bunch of basil in chiffonade. Beside it in a little bowl: a sweet, tangy, balsamic vinaigrette. "Can you toss the salad?" he asked non-nonchalantly. "The dressing is supposed to be made with white wine vinegar, but we only had balsamic." Only balsamic? I didn't complain, especially after I took the first bite . Sweet, fresh, tangy, lovely little fragrant hit from the basil ... perfect in every way.
Since that day, I've made this salad a bunch more times, and I always smile at each bite. It's really really that good. And I think the secret is in the orange. Tomato, bocconcini and basil have always been close friends; it's the first salad you think to make when the weather gets hot and steamy. But orange? Orange feels like winter, Christmas, mixed with warm comfy spices in cakes and muffins, or in winter salads when potatoes and parsnips need a little sweet juicy pick-me-up. But orange with the classic tomato cheese and basil combo? Unheard of in my culinarily-impaired mind. But never again. Those juicy, citrus-y sweet segments lifts and old favourite to new heights. You HAVE to try it this summer!
Orange Tomato and Bocconcini Salad adapted from the Humbler College Culinary Management course :)
For the dressing:
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon of olive oil salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
1 orange, cut into segments a handful of grape tomatoes, quartered 4 mini bocconcinis, halved (or 2 big ones chopped up) 4 large basil leaves, chopped in a chiffonde
1. Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together until they kind of emulsify. Let it hang out in the fridge while you prepare you salad ingredients.
2. Toss all the salad ingredients together and drizzle the dressing over. Make sure that your first bite contains a bit of everything.
Je n’imaginerais jamais qu’une cérémonie de remise de diplômes ne me donnerait jamais des sentiments de nostalgie.Mais en fait, c’est exactement le mot qui décrit me sentiments en ce moment là.La nostalgie.C’est aussi la cause de cet abrupt changement de langue ici à mon blogue.Laissez-moi m’expliquer un peu…
Ma sœur a reçu aujourd’hui son diplôme d’études supérieures de l’Université de Toronto.Elle tient maintenant, un doctorat ès « physiques biomédicales. »Après tant d’années d’études, elle est officiellement Dr. Lau.C’était un moment à jamais oublier – pour elle, et pour moi.J’ai regardé avec fierté tandis qu’elle marchait sur le podium, se tenait les mains du Chancellor, et finalement, quand elle sortait de la salle.Heureux comme ce moment était, je me sentais un peu triste.Pourquoi?L’université me manque un peu.Le monde de l’académie me manque …juste un peu.Je ne voudrais pas dire que la stresse de travail, et les présentations orales et les courses qui durent jusqu'à neuf heures du soir me manquent.En fait, je suis bien contente de les laisser dans mon passé.Et je ne voudrais pas dire non plus, que je ne suis bien heureuse de me réveiller chaque jour en savant que je vais recevoir au moins 100 « Bonjour Madame! »Cette assurance là me ferait sourire à n’importe quel moment.Mais … les copains avec qui je peux discuter le monde politique, les camarades de classes avec qui je peux utiliser mon français, et la lecture .. la lecture .. ce sont ces souvenirs là qui me manquent maintenant.
Quand je suis sortie de l’Université je craignais de perdre mon habilité de parler, comprendre et écrire en français.Mon emploi n’exige qu’un niveau intermédiaire de communication française, et je ne voulais pas gaspiller tous que j’ai appris pendant 6 longues années à l’école.Alors, pour l’éviter, je lis toujours les livres français (et permettez-moi de dire que, cette liberté seule, vaut la peine de ces 6 longues années à l’université), j’écoute de la radio français, et aujourd’hui, je me promets d’écrire de temps et temps en français.Voilà!La nostalgie, elle ne cause pas toujours du chagrin, n’est pas?
Mon dieu que c’était une longue introduction à un repas si simple : une salade inspirée par la très connue salade niçoise de la France.Mais, comme toujours, j’ai fait quelques substitutions, je et suis sûre que mon meilleur amie va dire « C’est une bonne petite salade, mais ce n’est pas une salade niçoise! »C’est vrai.Ce n’est pas une salade niçoise, mais une salade qui rappelle les saveurs des fines herbes, le citron, l’onctueux jaune d’œuf, une savoureuse saleté (qui provient traditionnellement des olives, mais dans ce cas sont substitués pars des tomates séchés au soleil), et enfin la fraicheur d’une légume légèrement cuit dans l’eau – dans ce cas, les asperges en place des haricots verts.Oui, je sais – c’est beaucoup de substitutions.Mais, la plus grande nous attend ..
J’étais inspirée à faire cette salade après avoir lu ce post de tara à Seven Spoons, qui a fait un pan bagnat (un ronde de pain français remplis d’une salade niçoise traditionnelle – c’est-à-dire avec du thon, des olives et des herbes fines), et ce post de gazellig-girl, qui a fait une saladé au « thon » -- elle a remplacé le thon avec des pois de chiches écrasés avec les tines d’une fourchette.Oui, c’est ça.La substitution finale : au lieu d’utiliser du thon, j’ai utilisé les pois de chiches, mais je les ai laissés entiers bien sur!Et c’était un bon petit souper : léger, fraîche, et saine.
Ahhh, ça fait longtemps que j’ai écrit en français!C’est peut-être pourquoi ce post semble jamais terminer.Pour cela, je m’excuse.Mais, quand la nostalgie m’appelle, je serai toujours obligée de lui répondre …
Oh, et je vous donne la recette en anglais … au cas où vousvoulez vraiment faire cette salade mais, vous ne voulez pas penser trop fort .. Voilà.
Salade « Niçoise » aux pois de chiches
Vinaigrette :
Juice of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil
a handful of chopped fresh basil
2 sprigs of chopped fresh thyme
a small handfull of chopped fresh parsley
Salad:
1 cup of cooked rice
half a can of chickpeas, drained and rinced
a small bunch of asparagus, blanched
4 sundried tomatoes, chopped roughly
a quarter of a red onion, finely diced
1. Make the viniagrette by first mixing together all the ingredients except the herbs and oil. Add the oil slowly, stirring constantly. Add in the chopped herbs. Taste and add more seasoning and oil to suit your taste. Let it sit in the fridge while you make your salad.
2. Blanch the asparagus in water until desired tenderness. Shock in iced water and pat dry.
3. Make the eggs by placing them in cold water, bringing it up to a boil, and then letting them sit for about 3 minutes. This will give you an egg where the whites and hard cooked, but the yolk is still party runny.
4. Toss the asparagus, rice, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes and red onions with the vinaigrette. Anoint with the egg, making sure that the yolk spills over the vegetables and rice so that your first bite tastes like the south of France.
bonjour! i'm a newbie in the kitchen trying to learn more about food. i'd love to share my interesting discoveries with you! my day job keeps me pretty busy (public education!) but what better way to de-stress than in the kitchen. thanks for stopping by!
Maple Dill Vinaigrette
