Everyone is Making Lentils!

Yes, everyone is making lentils. It's awesome! Lentils are one of my favourite foods, perfect in soups and stews, stuffings and casseroles. One of the first things that I remember wanting to cook, was lentil soup with lemon and parsley. I had tried it at a local restaurant, and wanted to re-make it at home. I've made that soup several times since then, sometimes sticking to the original version, other times adding spinach, or tomatoes or using lime instead of lemon. Good ol' lentils -- always a good palate for kitchen experiments.



Last week, when everyone was trucking it back to work and I was enjoying another week of winter holiday bliss, I noticed that lentil recipes were popping up all over the blog world. Curries, baked like baked beans, stuffed into collard rolls .. so many different things! But I found myself wanting to make dinner with no lentils to be found. Oh well. When looking for an alternative, I came across a list of things that I had wanted to make -- this list was made way back in March when I was trying to slow down my cooking. I had checked off quite a bit of things: vegan chocolate brownies, Jamie Oliver's humble home-cooked beans, semolina cardamom cookies. But one of the things still left unchecked was the braised barely with lemon from A Cook's Guide to Grains.




It sounded perfect -- healthy and hearty and bright with lemon. I used a combination of pearled barely and yellow split peas (after seeing this recipe!), and added some veggies -- kale and purple cabbage. If you had some fresh herbs -- thai basil, parsely, cilantro -- I bet it would make this dish even better. If you're not into kale or cabbage, maybe you'd like spinach, or broccoli? It's totally up to you. It makes a perfect side dish, but I ate mine over buckwheat noodles because I was craving the extra yummy carbs. The lemon really makes your taste buds pop in this dish, and the chewy barley and bitey split peas provide lots of nice texture. And you get your veggies too. Totally January good. Go for it!

Barely and Split Peas with Lemon
inspired by a recipe in A Cook's Guide to Grains by Jenni Muir and Kayln's Kitchen

1/4 cup pearled barely, rinsed
1/2 cup of yellow split peas, rinsed
2 teaspoon of minced ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 a white onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 cup of chopped red cabbage
1 cup of chopped kale leaves
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of ground coriander
zest and juice of a small lemon
2 cups of water or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, saute the onions, carrot and celery in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until things start to get soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for about another minute of so.

2. Add the cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Mix well. Add in the red cabbage, barely and split peas. Give it a good stir. Add the water or stock, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the barely and split peas are to your desired texture. Check occasionally to make sure there's enough liquid.

3. Stir in the kale and add seasoning if needed. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Give it one final good mix.

4. Serve with ... whatever you like! Over noodles, as a side to some roasted chicken or fish, on it's own or with some pita bread. Happy January!

I Need Colour

This past few days have been a bit grey and gloomy. The autumn chill has definitely set in, but instead of crisp, sunny, sweater weather, we're getting an icy drizzle and overcast skies. I know it comes with the seasons, but sometimes, you need a bit of help to keep a smile on your face. Coffee helps. Celebration adventures with loved ones help a lot. And colourful food -- for sure!



This quinoa dish definitely has many colours, enough to pick you up on a gloomy, drizzly weekend. It's inspired by a quinoa chowder from a book that my nest friend gifted me with for my 30th birthday that just past. It's a book dedicated to quinoa! I already want to make everything. But this was the first recipe that caught my eye. It's a simple stewy dish with lots of colourful vegetables -- yes, there's STILL fresh corn in the market and super ripe peppers if you hurry. And of course, I couldn't pass up this beautiful bunch of rainbow chard. My own chardlings from our balcony box gave me one last little bunch as well.




This dish is easy to put together, very healthy and definitely flavourful. It's comforting when served hot, but as it sits overnight, the quinoa kind of soaks up all the liquid and becomes kind of salad-like. It's also great cold, but feel free to add a splash of water or broth when re-heating to bring it back to it's chill-chasing stewy goodness. Keep warm and dry!

Quinoa Vegetable Stew
adapted from Quinoa: the everyday superfood by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming

1 carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cobs of corn, kernals removed
half a small bunch of rainbow chard, stalks diced, leaves cut into ribbons
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/2 cup of quinoa, rinsed well (I used red)
zest and juice of a lime
2-3 cups of vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste.

1. In a large pot, cook the onions, carrots, celery, pepper and chard stalks for about 5-7 minutes, until fragrant and starting to soften. Season and add the lime zest, cumin and smoked paprika.

2. Mix and cook for a minute or so, so the spices can toast. Add the lime juice and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the corn, quinoa and vegetable broth. Stir well.

3. Bring the stew up to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender.

4. Remove the lid and add the chard leaves. Stir and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Enjoy with crusty bread or all by itself.

Cool Noodle Salad for those Hazy Days

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.

5. Serve immediately or chilled.

So NOT Soup Weather

It's a been a steamy past few days here in Toronto, and I know the last thing you want is a bowl of hot soup to make you even hotter. But trust me; this is worth the pain. In the scorching feels-like-41-degree weather during the middle of this week, we made a soup so delicious that is was worth the minor discomfort of eating hot foods on a hot day.

Here's the story: I wanted to make this soup when I first saw the post. I love lentil, I love beans and I wanted an excuse to use my hot smoked paprika again. Then, I saw this lovely spring minestrone and I was intrigued by the addition of fresh pesto stirred into the soup at the very end to give it body and a kick of flavour. My idea to combine the two soups came when I was staring into the fridge at some leftover pesto I had made (which by the way, is so much better when you make it yourself!) and wanting to do something with a beautiful bunch of spinach that was sitting in the crisper. It worked out beautifully. It was a great way to use up a few purple potatoes I had hanging around for a couple of weeks, plus use some of Ontario's first batch of spring asparagus.





This soup is the perfect opportunity to experiment with different vegetables. I don't think you could mess it up, even if you wanted to! It's hearty with beautiful earthy lentils and chickpeas -- winter staples that you probably still have hanging around, but also fresh and spring-y from the veggies and fresh herbs. Whatever you do, don't skip the pesto. It's the secret that makes this soup a definite winner.

Spring-Winter Minestrone
inspired by kickpleat on poppytalk and Simple Recipes

1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
a handful of button mushrooms, sliced
a handful of baby potatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of green lentils, rinsed
1/2 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups of water or vegetable stalk, plus more if needed
a small bunch of spinach, roughly chopped
a small bunch of asparagus, trimmed and halved
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of fresh pesto

1. In a large pot, sweat the onions, garlic, carrots and celery with some olive oil for about 5 minutes until they start to get soft and fragrant. Season and add dried oregano and smoked paprika.

2. Add the mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas and give it a good stir. Add the stalk and bring up to a boil. Cover and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender.

3. Add the asparagus and put the lid on for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the chopped spinach. Simmer, uncovered for 10 more minutes, or until the asparagus and potatoes and fully tender and the liquid has reduced.

4. Turn off the heat and stir in the pesto. Serve with something over ice!

To Your Health

Happy 2011! I really hope your 2010 ended and your 2011 started better than mine. In the midst of a post-Christmas pre-New Year's party at my best friend's house, right in the middle of a crazy game of Cranium, while everyone else was just starting to feel their vodka-cranberry buzzes, I started to feel a sore throat coming on. By midnight, it had worsened, and by the time a woke up in the morning, I could barely swallow. Yuck. Despite my strengthening workout, Listerine rinses, chugs of orange juice and endless pieces of Fisherman's Friend, by the 11am, I had crawled back into bed. My body couldn't make up its mind as to whether it was hot or cold, and somehow, my legs were aching like crazy.


It's now the 2nd of the month in a brand new year, and the pain in my throat has moved to my chest and I'm constantly coughing into my sleeve (sorry to anyone who has to ride public transit beside me!). Geeze! How did I even make it through a New Year's celebration game of Monopoly and a sip of iced wine champagne at midnight? Caffeine, cold + flu medication, and a restorative soup, made with love. It was a soup of easily digestible lentils and veggies simmered in homemade broth and sipped slowly on the couch covered in blankets. I ate this lovely soup three days in a row. By the third day, I was feeling slightly better, and decided to participate. We added a few more veggies and even some yellow split peas for a little extra texture.

There are probably an endless number of ways to flavour this soup: crushed fennel seeds and basil, cumin and lemon, coriander and lime ... the possibilities are exciting. But what I've been wanting is something easy to taste, something familiar and warm, something soothing and friendly to help me get through my cold. So we settled for simple salt and pepper, a few sprigs of thyme, and the help of some homemade, flavourful stock. I'll try those other combinations when I feel better. For now, I'll go back to my soup and hope that tomorrow, my cold + flu pills will be enough to hold back 150 excited students.

Get Well Soup
serves 4

3/4 cup of red lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup of yellow split peas, rinsed
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 small can of tomatoes
2 sprigs of thyme
4 cups of flavourful stock

1. In a large soup pot, saute the onions, celery, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until things get fragrant and start to soften. Add the lentils, split peas and tomatoes and give it a good stir.

2. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until the tomatoes form a yummy, sticky coating at the bottom of the pot. Add your stock and scrape up the bits from the bottom. Throw in your thyme sprigs and turn up the heat.

3. Bring your soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cook, uncovered for about 20 minutes. The lentils should have broken down and the peas should be tender. Serve with bread for a nice, comforting meal.

Soupy, Saucy Macaroni

Yeah, yeah, I know a post about macaroni right after holiday baking is a bit of a let down. I know. But follow me on this one. I know I should be wiring about eggnog cheesecake squares and butter basted turkey, but just to tell you the truth, holiday cooking scares me just a touch. I know .. I just wrote about how I love baking for the holidays. So I'm a total flake, I admit it.

Anyway, if you haven't stopped reading yet, let me share with you a very simple, but delicious and comforting meal that feels good going down and will keep you fueled and charged whether it's to get through the holiday rush, or to stay up later on January 2nd when you've realized that all the work you brought home to do over the holidays has just sat in your bag untouched since December 17th. Right...


We had this meal right around the start of the holidays when we needed something yummy, healthy and comforting to have on a cold night. I had plans for lots of holiday baking and making homemade decorations. In short, I needed to be energized, and this dish did just that. It's not a cheesy, rich, baked macaroni dish. Quite the contrary. The macaroni bakes in a very brothy, light tomato and vegetable mixture and is topped with crispy breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of grated mozzarella. The secret here is homemade vegetable stock and a little patience. It's not fancy or authentic. In fact, the macaroni isn't even "el dente" -- its slightly overcooked because it's been baked in the soupy sauce, but don't let that fool you. It's comforting, delicious and a tradition in the making. I think I'll make it a tradition to have this baked macaroni dish on the first day of my holidays. Yes! Tradition set.

Brothy Macaroni and Veggies

1 cup of uncooked macaroni
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 small carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
3-4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or you could you a small can on tomatoes)
salt and pepper to taste
1 small sprig of thyme (or use 1/2 teaspoon of dried)
3-4 basil leaves, chopped (or use 1/2 teaspoon of dried)
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs
a bit of grated mozzarella cheese

1. Cook the macaroni in boiling, salted water until almost tender. Drain and set aside.

2. In an oven proof pot, sweat the onions and garlic until soft and fragrant. If you're using dried herbs, add them now. Add the carrots and celery and cook for about 5 minutes,

3. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down and the juices start getting sticky. Add the broth and give it a good stir, making sure to pick up all the yummy bits that may of gotten stuck to the pot. If you're using fresh herbs, add them now.

4. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then simmer until the liquid has a reduced a little. Add in the macaroni. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven until the top is nice and golden brown and the liquid has further reduced.

5. Remove from the oven and serve.

I'm Baaaaaaaack ...!

Moncton, oh Moncton ... why did we leave? Seriously, as soon as I opened my email after a week spent in a state of total relaxation, I thought "Ya know .. we should have stayed in New Brunswick...FOREVER!" But I have to admit that I did miss Toronto, as smoggy and populated and sometimes unfriendly as it is, I did miss the bustling, cafe-saturated, public transit-accessible city that will always be my home.

BUT .. we LOVED Moncton. Not only did we explore the city and sample some local cafe coffee from Clementine Cafe, Cafe Cognito, Landromat Espresso Bar and Cafe Down East, but we got to see the little towns, secret trails and beautiful ruins that surrounded Moncton. We were so grateful to have been guided by a knowledgeable childhood friend of my partner who literally has a map inside his brain of every beautiful spot to see sunsets and every old, historical ruin (wharfs, piers, grave sites ...) that's not mentioned in the tour books.



Between playing with hermit crabs, and swimming in the warmth and light of the most beautiful sunsets I'd ever seen, how did we find time for food??

While most breakfasts consisted of microwaved eggs and yogurt in my motel room, and most lunches involved pretzels, peanut butter and sugary juice cocktails enjoyed in the back the car en route to a new secret destination (like an underground river inside a hidden cave that you have to climb down to using precariously tied-off ropes ...!), some meals definitely stood out in my mind, like ..

locally-made duck and veggie pates with lovely condiments like plum and ginger chutney and red pepper jelly ...

chicken wieners and marshmallows made special by a bonfire on a quiet beach (thanks to a tip from a friendly local) ...

the elusive McHomard or McLobster ...

and .. lobster and coleslaw (a great deal thanks again to same lovely local!) on the beach during our very last full day on vacation, eaten after a quick, cool dip in the salty Northumberland Strait under over cast skies ... (oh! I've got another lobster story for you ...stay tuned!)

But that was then and this is now, and while I desperately miss the zen-like state we were in that only comes when we're totally relaxed, AND coffee every single morning, AND smelling the ocean air even in the city, it's back to semi-reality. Translation? Routine, 3 more weeks until work starts up again, finishing my long range plans in time for September 1st, taking care of some looming business, and cooking. Truth be told, the first dinner I cooked when we got back into town was baked oatmeal with frozen berries. But the next day, I realized that one cannot always eat oatmeal, and plus, I wanted to make something that reminded me of my time spent in Moncton. No, I didn't make lobster (that's a different story for next week!) or any type of seafood. I made coleslaw. Why coleslaw? Because I realized that some of my favourite memories, some of the moments that I made me smile while in Moncton involved coleslaw: dinner with my partner's Mom and niece in a greasy take-out place and laughing when his niece dipped a fork-full of french fries into her coleslaw; sitting on the motel bed with my bestest friend on our last night in Moncton and eating leftover beach coleslaw while talking about our favourite moments during our vacation ...


Yup, coleslaw. I've never been a big coleslaw fan, but it got quite addictive after the first bite. It was something about the crunchy, sweet, tangy-ness that I just couldn't get enough of. It was also great because I already had everything I needed in my post-vacation fridge: red cabbage, carrots and apples. I wanted to capture the tangy-sweetness of the salad without the creaminess of a mayonnaise-laden dressing, so I looked to balsamic vinegar, lemon, maple syrup and a big spoonful of my previously-posted tart blueberry jam. After a couple hours in the fridge, it tasted like perfection, and just as I had hoped, my favourite memories came flooding back. I ate it just as it was, as a post-weight-lifting snack, but I think if you threw a handful of walnuts in the mix and ate it alongside a piece of fresh bread, you'd have a really nice summer lunch. And let me tell you, it felt good to eat some veggies after a week of refined sugar, salty snacks and sugary drinks. Thank-you, coleslaw. You welcomed me home and helped me to never forget some wonderful Moncton memories.

Red Cabbage Coleslaw with Balsamic Dressing
with help from these two recipes at Everybody Likes Sandwiches

half a head of red cabbage, shredded
1 medium carrot, grated
half an apple, julienned (I used an empire apple)

2 teaspoons of grainy mustard
2 teaspoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of blueberry jam
1.5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Make the dressing by first combining the mustard, maple syrup, jam, vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl. While whisking, slowly add in the olive oil. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.

2. Toss the dressing with the veggies and let it sit, covered in the fridge for at least an hour.

3. Enjoy!

Mid-Week Quickies

Ok, so get your mind out of the gutter! I don't mean a quickie like that ... although ... ok! Focus. I meant that's it's the middle of the week and it's busy, but I have just enough time to share two recipes with you in one quick post. So here goes!

First, I'm proud to say that I made a bechamel sauce all by myself for the very first time! And it wasn't that hard! And oh my, was it delicious. I was even brave enough to make a few substitutions to this wonderful recipe at Everybody Likes Sandwiches. Basically, it's a macaroni and cheese recipe with fresh spring vegetables thrown in along with the summery zing of lemon juice and lemon zest. It was a perfect supper, and easy enough for me to put together in the middle of the week. I made a few little substitutions: I used parsley instead of oregano and broccoli instead of spinach, I used a combination of milk and homemade vegetable stock instead of just milk and I used olive oil instead of butter. What's the trick? Whisking... constantly! This helps to prevent lumps from forming when you stir in the liquids to the flour/oil mixture. I also used a really nice applewood smoked cheddar, so the cheese sauce had an extra little kick. The recipe is really easy to follow and even I couldn't screw it up. I definitely recommend you make this -- even if you're not into creamy sauces, because this sauce is far from those goppy, heavy, alfredo sauces that give my stomach nightmares. It's creamy, but light and fresh and oh so easy to make. PLEASE try it!


Wow! That was quick! One more quick one: yummy raspberry crumble muffins. I made these last Thursday and they stayed amazingly fresh and delicious all weekend -- fresh enough to give as treats to friends. They're sweet, fruity, lemony, very moist and almost healthy -- I made some substitutions to cut back on the amount of fat and sugar and they still came out amazing. The crumble topping is unique -- I used chopping roasted almonds which gave it a lovey deep flavour as well as a little crunch factor. Even though this recipe requires more than one bowl, I'd still say that it's a contender for mid-week baking.

Raspberry Crumble Muffins
(adapted from "Cookies" p. 398 - by Catherine Atkinson, Joanna Farrow and Valerie Barrett.)

Crumble Topping

1/2 cup of chopped almonds
3 tablespoons of melted butter
3 tablespoons of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of brown sugar

Muffins

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/4 cup of honey (I used a fragrant wildflower honey)
1/4 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup of skim milk yogurt
1/2 cup of skim milk
1 egg
juice and zest of half a lemon
1 1/3 cups of fresh raspberries

1. Make the crumble by combining all the ingredients and mixing gently until you get a crumbly, sandy texture. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl mix together the egg, brown sugar, canola oil, honey, yogurt, milk, lemon juice and zest. Give it a good big mix to make sure everything is combined.

3. In a smaller bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three stages, mixing only until it's combined. Add in the the raspberries and give it a final mix.

5. Spoon the batter into muffin tins (I made 24 minis!) and top with the crumble topping.

6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until a cake tested inserted comes out clean. Don't forget to share them with your friends.

Craving and Missing

If you asked me what the one thing I crave most is, it would probably be coffee. We've had this discussion before. My love for coffee turned into an unhealthy addiction so now I am forced to be disciplined. Oh well, such is life. My other cravings? Probably peanut butter (also aforementioned), chocolate, ice-cream .. We could be here for days. But recently, I've been craving something quite unusual and I've realized that it's because I miss something, or in this case, someone: my parents.

Every year, my retired parents take a 2-month holiday to east and south-east Asia, and while my father's weekly emails containing updates about what he ate, what my mother is doing and the random things that they are seeing are quite entertaining, I think it's his cooking that I miss. My father worked the midnight shift before he retired. He told us once that after his seniority reached a certain level, that his supervisors offered him a chance to switch to days. He promptly declined, not because he loved working midnight-8 and then having to adjust his body on the weekends, but because if he did, he figured he wouldn't have time to cook dinner for us. Eating dinner together was a big deal in our family, so big that it became a bit annoying when we grew up and our lives started changing, and sometimes because it was always the same kind of food (Chinese) and the same kind of flavours (curry, soy sauce, sesame seed oil) that were on the table. But somehow, we managed -- quite well if I may say so.

When I moved out of the family home, one the most exciting parts about it was being able to cook new things and experiment with flavours that never made it to our family dinner table (you see, between my father and my grandmother, few other people get to spend time the kitchen!). I think my mom was too, because within the first week of being in my new place, she requested that I make her shepherd's pie and chicken pot pie. But we're getting off topic. What does this have to do with my cravings?


Well, I'm dancing around the answer because I know you'll judge me, but I beg you not to. I was craving tofu. Haha, very funny, there. Tofu, ie. soy bean curd. Not something that normal people crave right? Well, at the family table, there was always tofu. It was cooked into curries, steamed with fish, mixed with a spicy meat sauce, chopped up in an egg salad or just served cold, right out of the container and drizzled with sesame seed oil and soy sauce. I realized that since moving out, I haven't cooked with tofu, and since my parents left on their trip, I haven't eaten tofu. So the other night, I made a meal that included marinated tofu, veggies and Chinese noodles. The noodles and veggies are cooked simply with curry paste, and the marinated tofu is added on top, cold. The idea to marinate tofu is actually my sister's. She did it years ago when my parents were on their yearly trip and she could snag some time in the kitchen, and I loved it instantly. I haven't made it since then, but it was the first tofu dish I thought of when my cravings hit. Simple to make, with the comforting flavours of childhood dinners, the cool marinated tofu was a perfect match to the steamy, spicy, crunchy noodles and veg. I used an Asian wheat noodle flavoured with spinach that cooked up in just four minutes, so not only was it simple, but it was quick. It really hit the spot. So go make it! Forget about all the tofu stereotypes and just make it! You can thank me after. :)

Marinated Tofu with Noodles and Veggies
(Warning: Some of the condiment measurements are guessed. Adjust to your taste :)

1 pkg of firm or extra firm tofu
1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon of dark soy
1 teaspoon of light soy
a few grinds of black pepper

2 portions (about 3 oz or 85 grams) of Asian noodles (Pasta would be great too. Just be careful to adjust to cooking time.)
1/2 a shallot diced
a bit of ginger, grated
3 teaspoons of curry paste*
1 cup of chopped red cabbage
2 cups of chopped spinach
3/4 cup of water of vegetable stock
1 teaspoon of dark soy

1. Chop up the tofu as nicely as you can and put it in a large bowl. Drizzle over the sesame seed oil, soy sauces and pepper and mix gently. Taste and add more stuff if you'd like. Put the tofu in the fridge and let it get happy.

2. Put your water for the noodles on and start chopping up your vegetables.

3. In a pan, saute the ginger and shallots for about a minute. Add the curry paste and stir to dissolve. Add the cabbage and stock/water, reserving about 1/4 cup and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is almost tender and the stock has reduced a bit.
(While the cabbage is cooking put the noodles in the water to cook.)

4. Add the spinach and the rest of the stock/water and cook until the spinach is wilted (about a minute or so). Add your noodles and soy and give it a good toss. Cook for another minute or so to let the stock and curry and soy get a all acquainted and almost syrupy.

5. Serve topped with the cold, marinated tofu and a little sprinkle of black sesame seeds.

6. Deny that you ever craved tofu!

*The next day, I made the same dish, but instead of the curry paste (which was too intense for my dear one) I used 2 teaspoons of dark soy, one teaspoon of light soy, some lime zest and a squeeze of lime juice. Different, but equally delicious.

Cleaning Up: Curried Legumes and Grains with Chard

My cupboard is a mess. I don't have the organizational skills of someone I know who has everything stored away in cute little glass jars, and thus when cooking, only needs to open the lids, pour and smile. No. I cut open a bag and then clip it with a mini alligator clip or tie an elastic band around it. Result? Many many bags, spillage, a cluttered cupboard, and worst of all, migrating tastes and smells. Example? I made granola awhile ago. When my partner bit into a piece, he said "Am I crazy, or do I taste cumin?" Cumin, one of my most favourite spices and the strongest smelling one in the cupboard, had infused the dried cranberries. Another example: I made mango coconut muffins the other day, and my mom complained that they tasted like Indian curry (she hates cardamom and cumin with a passion). Again, where did I find the bag of shredded coconut? Right next to the ... cardamom pods. Although my partner loved the hint of cumin (and apparently pepper) in the granola, my mom was less than impressed about the curry-scented muffins.



Oh dear! Am I going to change my ways? Am I going to organize my cupboard so that spices go on one side and dried fruits go on the other and everything is sealed in cute glass jars so that no mixing of flavours occurs? Probably not. But I'm working on it. One day, I will become organized, but for now, I'll just settle for a nutritious, quick dinner with all my favourite flavours while using up some grains.

I had a little of this and a little of that all still stored in their original bags, so to save space, I used them up. I mixed all the little bits of grains and legumes in my cupboard, cooked them with a healthy dose of spice, added some hearty green veg and made my favourite dish: curry with lots of cumin and lemon. It's the perfect "comfort in one bowl" type of dinner, but without the richness of restaurant curry made with butter and cream. Because I used barley and lentils, the liquid thickened up without me needing to add flour or corn starch. The spices were absolutely heavenly. With a dollop of skim milk yogurt on top, you've got a meal in one bowl with all the food groups. And a bonus: whole grain + legume = complete protein. Plus, it gets tastier as it sits in the fridge and the flavours meld. Perfect! A healthy, tasty, leftover-friendly meal that cleans out my cupboard.

Now ... if only I could get organized ... ;)

Curried Grains and Legumes with Rainbow Chard

a bunch of rainbow chard - stems cut up small, leaves cut into ribbons
1 large carrot diced
1 stalk of celery diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 small onion diced
a little chunk of ginger finely chopped
2 teaspoons of cumin
2 teaspoons of curry powder (I used Malaysian curry powder)
zest and juice of onelemon
2 lime leaves
4 cardamom pods
4 curry leaves
1 cup of mixed grains and legumes (I used, brown rice, pearl barley, yellow split peas and red lentils)
3-4 cups of water or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the onions, chard stems, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic for about 3 minutes or until you start to really smell the ginger.

2. Add the lemon zest, cumin and curry powder and cardamom pods and stir. Cook for about 1 minute so the spices toast.

3. Add the mixed grains and legumes and stir until everything is coated.

4. Add the water or stock, lime and curry leaves, and give it a big stir.

5. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, then add the chard leaves and more water/stock if needed. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the grains and legumes are at the texture you like. My lentils had melted away, rice and barley was nice and chewy and split peas had a bit of bite.

6. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Try your best to fish out the curry leaves, lime leaves and cardamom pods. Enjoy a bowl topped with skim-milk yogurt and an extra squeeze of lemon if you like.