morrocan super salad

It has been a while. 'Nuff said. 

Tonight for dinner I made a salad so full of virtuous super-foods that I really feel like I should charge up a mountain or something ridiculous. Sweet potatoes, beluga lentils, red quinoa, pumpkin seeds, pecans, pomegranate seeds, chickpeas all tied together with a spicy/sweet dressing to give it a kick. One of the best things I have put in my mouth in a while. I made a mountain of dirty dishes in the process and really can't think of any shortcuts in that regard but the making is simple if multi-stepped and well worth the dish washing. The recipe advises it will feed 6. I would add that would be six very hungry people who love quinoa and lentils and all the rest of the good stuff. But that is all to the good because it means left-over salad for a lunch or two. I served our salad over a bed of baby kale, chard, and spinach because I have decided if you don't eat leafy greens for breakfast, lunch, and dinner there is just no way you are going to eat enough of them in a day. Besides, it looks pretty and tastes better.

I found the recipe yesterday morning. One of my most beloved personal indulgences is reading - anytime really - but specifically reading a magazine while I eat breakfast. While I was thus indulging yesterday morning (and finally catching up on the important business of getting up to date with my publications) a very pretty salad caught my eye. Thinking that fresh pomegranate seeds would be as scarce as hen's teeth this time of year I didn't expect to experience the salad any time soon. Short story: I was wrong - but about as happy to be wrong as I have ever been. If you can be as lucky as I, make the salad with pomegranate seeds. If not, try blueberries. (That's my plan for next time - and I know that next time will come soon here.) The original recipe called for fresh mint but what little mint is managing to show its brave self in my garden is just to small to snip so I subbed some mint tea leaves I have in the pantry. Fresh would be better but the dried was good.

I probably won't be charging up a mountain tonight but I feel virtuous enough to justify eating something wild and crazy for a treat. Plus having a tube of Harissa paste in the fridge just makes you cool. That and beluga lentils.

morrocan super salad

(from Style at Home magazine, renamed and ever so slightly adapted)

honey harissa dressing:

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp old-fashioned seedy Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 tsp orange zest

2 tsp harissa paste

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

salad:

2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 540-ml can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup beluga black lentils

1 cup red quinoa

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped

1 tsp dried mint leaves (or 1/4 cup chopped, fresh mint)

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Toss 1/4 cup of the dressing with the diced sweet potatoes and spread the potatoes out on one of the baking sheets. Toss 2 Tbsp of the dressing with the chickpeas and spread those out on the second baking sheet. Put both sheets into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Fill a small pot with 4 cups of cold water and the beluga lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender - about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse.

Fill another small pot with 4 cups of water and the red quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Drain and let dry in the sieve for a few minutes.

While all of this cooking is happening add the green onions, pumpkin seeds, pecans, mint leaves, and cranberries to a large bowl. When the sweet potatoes are done remove them and the chickpeas from the oven and add to the large bowl along with the cooked lentils and red quinoa. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, add the pomegranate seeds and toss to combine. Serve over leafy greens. Or don't. 

lentils & roasted radishes with meyer lemon vinaigrette

Winter eating and roasted root vegetables; it hardly seems right to have one without the other. Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, onions, beets, fennel.... every one a root vegetable and all sweeter by far when roasted. Although radishes must be classed as a root vegetable I had never before had even a whiff of a thought of roasting them. Radishes are for eating fresh, crisp, and spicy with a sprinkle of salt or sliced into a salad - or so I thought. Last night I learned that a roasted radish mellows in taste and colour becoming far more exotic than I had ever imagined a humble radish could. (a tiny bit of an exciting discovery - you can't imagine what we get up to around here!) 

The idea for this salad belongs to something I saw over on Food52. I read the 'recipe' (really just a paragraph of an idea) and the thought of roasting radishes so intrigued me that I bought some of the beautiful bright red orbs, tossed them with olive oil and salt, and popped them in the oven the first chance I had. The salad that I put on the table elicited a more enthusiastic response than I am used to. First bite, even better. David urged me (yes, urged) to take a picture and share this recipe. More, he requested that it be put into "frequent rotation". Make what you will of that :)  For my part, I say it is hearty, healthy, and delicious.

I used the sprouted bean trio (Tru Roots brand - Costco) but any lentils would work. I simply used what was on the shelf in my pantry.

lentils & roasted radishes with meyer lemon vinaigrette
(adapted from Food52)

8 radishes, washed and quartered
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 shallots, chopped
1 cup lentils
2 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp sea salt
pumpkin seed
ricotta cheese

Toss the radishes, sweet potatoes, and shallots with a tablespoon of olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and a grind of pepper. Roast at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and sweet.

Meanwhile combine the lentils with 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for a further 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.

In a large bowl combine the roasted radishes, sweet potatoes, and shallots with the cooked lentils. In a small bowl whisk together the meyer lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and garlic. Pour over the vegetables and lentils, toss to combine. 

To serve: top with ricotta to taste and sprinkle with green pumpkin seeds.

grilled pizza with cheesy corn, fresh tomatoes, and basil

I love pizza. Not the typical greasy pizza joint Americanized version with dozens of toppings but the simple and delicious Neapolitan style. I love the thin chewy crust and the fresh clean flavours. My very, very favourite is a Margherita pizza. Simple perfection. When we go for pizza that is the one I always choose and the one I always make when I make pizza at home. Boring? maybe to some but ... why mess with perfection? Although I haven't changed my mind on that score the simple tweak of adding a corn "sauce" instead of tomato sauce is divine.

The recipe is from the August issue of Martha Stewart Living and it is every bit as good as I thought it would be when I fell in love with the picture. Martha's team has come up with a winner again. They suggest using store-bought dough; I have a recipe for pizza dough that is really good and honestly easier than making the trip to the market and buying some so I used that. Aside from that small change this is straight from the magazine. 

Once again I am late to the party but better late than never! I have had grilled pizza on the list of things I wanted to make for years. Really - years. Fast, easy, and super delicious, it is the closest I have been able to come to the perfection of a wood-fired oven pizza at home. I can't believe I waited so long. 

grilled pizza with cheesy corn, fresh tomatoes, and basil
(from Martha Stewart Living)

1 1/2 cups corn kernels (cut from 2 ears)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt

Put the corn, Parmesan, garlic, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and 1/2 tsp sea salt in food processor and puree until smooth with small chunks.

Spread remaining oil on a baking sheet. Place dough on pan and stretch to an even thickness, turning to coat both sides with oil. Let rest for 30 minutes and then restretch.

Preheat the grill to medium. Season dough with salt and transfer to the grill. (It took four hands for us to transfer the dough to the grill and keep it reasonably flat.) Cover grill and
cook until dough is just charred on the bottom. It happens super fast (about 3 or 4 minutes) so don't wander.

Flip dough and top with corn mixture and tomato slices. Season with a bit more salt and top with mozzarella. Cover grill and cook until the mozzarella has melted - about 5 or 6 minutes. Top with basil and serve.

(This dough recipe make enough for two pizzas and works equally well for oven-baked pizza)
Dough:
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
3/4 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp kosher salt

In a small bowl mix together the first three ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flours and salt. Make a well in the center and add the 3/4 cups water, cider vinegar, olive oil, and yeast mixture. Using a wooden spoon stir gently until a shaggy dough forms. You can add more water if it feels too stiff - this wants to be quite a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it is supple and silky. Form dough into a ball, coat lightly with oil and place in a bowl. Cover with a damp towel and set in a warm-ish spot to rise for a couple of hours. (The longer the rising time the better the taste. So if you want to make your dough in the morning - or even the night before - all the better.)

those are Hannah's pretty hands . Thanks Han :)

crunchy sprouts & seeds with chive vinaigrette

A while ago - several months probably - I bought something called 'Sprouted Bean Trio' with the tag "a colorful, quick-cooking, and nutritious blend of lentils, adzuki, and mung beans". Who could blame me?! And then the bag of colorful nutrition sat on the pantry shelf, lonely and forgotten, until I tried a recipe from Bon Appetit a couple of weeks ago. That recipe was not nearly as delicious as I wanted it to be but there was potential for greatness. I mulled it over for a week or so and gave it another try early this week. Fresh chives from the garden, a bed of arugula and spinach, tart blueberries. This salad I love. Love! I really think I could eat it every day. It's... interesting. Try it.


crunchy sprouts & seeds with chive vinaigrette
(inspired by Bon Appetit)


1 cup mixed dried sprouted legumes*
1 cup cooked sprouted brown rice
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup hemp seed hearts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup finely chopped curly parsley
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups fresh blueberries
fresh greens - arugula and spinach


Combine the mixed dried legumes and a pinch of sea salt with 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.


In a large bowl combine the cooked legumes, rice, green onions, the seeds, raisins, and chopped parsley. Toss with about half the vinaigrette. Arrange on a generous bed of greens, with a handful of blueberries on top. Pass the vinaigrette at the table in case someone wants a bit more :)


chive vinaigrette 


1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grey sea salt
2 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup chives (not chopped but just kind of squished into the cup)


Put all the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. 


* The brand I used is truRoots. Costco carries it.


What I arrived at after the mulling over is something that ticks all the boxes I like ticked - maybe another person would prefer the first recipe. But this is my blog so I get to share according to my taste. I just don't want to come across as thinking I'm all that - 'cause I don't :)

mango and coconut rice salad with Thai basil

On account of a 'hairy' mango smoothie that Eden was offered (and obliged to drink) one day in Mexico - way back when - she believed for a very long time that she hated mangos. Can't say I blame her but what a shame. Happily she has overcome that prejudice and one of the reasons is... mango in salad. Put a mango in a salad and it is - all of a sudden - a happy, sunny affair. This salad may just be the queen of mango salads. Mangos, black rice, brown jasmine rice, coconut, mint, basil, cilantro, lemon zest.... hey! wipe your chin! It is wonderfully fresh. Actually, just wonderful.


I used a couple of Ataulfo mangos - the pretty little yellow ones from the Philippines. So very much the best mango around in my opinion. Sweet, silky flesh - and lots of it - with no nasty hairiness. The season for them is short - or at least too short - so don't wait. If not for this recipe, just to eat out of hand. 


Don't be put off by the rice-cooking-in-two-pots thing, it is not nearly as much of a fuss as you might think and well worth washing two little pots. (Since I cook rice pretty much 99.9% of the time in my rice cooker I was almost deterred.) The rice cooks while you are busy chopping the greens and dicing the mango. It all comes together very quickly.


I shared some of the next day salad (which kept very well, by the way) with Eden. She whole heartedly endorsed my enthusiasm and asked me to share.


coconut and mango rice salad with Thai basil
(adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi)


2/3 cup brown jasmine rice
1 tsp virgin coconut oil
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup loosely packed Thai basil
1 cup black rice
1/2 long English cucumber, cubed
2 Tbsp mint leaves, roughly chopped
2/3 cup cilantro, stems and leaves roughly chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 Ataulfo mangos, diced
1/2 cup roasted, salted cashews, roughly chopped
2/3 cup flaked coconut
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp grey sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper


First, cook the rice. Combine the brown jasmine rice, coconut oil, pinch of salt, water, and half the Thai basil in a small saucepan. Add half the Thai basil (keeping the leaves attached to the stem), bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove and discard the basil. Put the rice in a colander and rinse with cold water to cool. At the same time cook the black rice in plenty of boiling water (as you would pasta) for 20 minutes or until it is tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.


Pick the remaining basil leaves off the stem and chop roughly. Put them (along with the remaining ingredients) into a large bowl. Add the rices and stir just to mix, being careful not to mangle the mango. 


Serves 4 - generously.


Note: you can dial up the heat by increasing the cayenne pepper if you choose. I wanted just a suggestion not an overwhelming blast. But you may like it better hot.

aloo gobi with chickpeas

After watching Bend It Like Beckham Merin had such a yearning for aloo gobi. The characters in the movie loved it after all and she was sold. We planned to make it together one day but that day never came.


In 2005 David and I travelled in India. We rode camels and slept in a tent (5 Star! yes there is) in the desert at the Pushkar Camel Fair. We travelled in a terrifyingly old and grumpy bus from New Delhi through the Rajasthan desert. We saw the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Amber Fort in Jaipur. We bargained for jewellery and textiles and soaked up the marvels of the markets with all their color. We ached for the poverty and living conditions of far too many and were inspired by the ability to smile despite. We stayed for one night in the beautiful luxury of an old maharajah's palace at the top of a mountain. And every single meal for ten days we ate curry. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.


At the time we were living in Tokyo and had discovered the very excellent Indian cuisine that is to be had there. The trip to India was much anticipated for many reasons, not least being the food. Nevertheless - and although the food was amazing - we were happy to leave curries off the menu for a time when we returned. Now we love the smells and tastes of the food we enjoyed so much.


The other night I when I made aloo gobi I thought of Merin. It was a bit of a joke between us - how she obsessed over it. It really is worth at least a little tiny obsession. You could serve it as a side but I think it makes a perfect main for a meatless meal.


This recipe calls for garam masala - a spice blend that is varied and local and very personal to each cook. Commercial blends are available but often not easy to source - at least not around here. I made my own lazy-cook version, skipping the mortar and pestle portion (partly because of time and partly because I didn't have the whole spices on hand anyway and really wanted to eat aloo gobi now!) and it was a very good cheat. Use your own or a commercial blend or try my easy blend. So good!!! This smells amazing and the taste lives up to that advertisement.


aloo gobi with chickpeas
(from Spilling the Beans by Julie Van Rosendaal and Sue Duncan with a few minor adaptions)


coconut oil and olive oil for cooking
1 medium head cauliflower, separated into florets
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp garam masala*
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sea salt
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 small sweet potato, diced
6 baby potatoes, quartered
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 19 oz can drained and rinsed)


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat the pieces. Roast for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender and turning golden on the bottom and edges.


Meanwhile, heat a tbsp or so of coconut oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften. Add the ginger, garam masala, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Cook for a minute , then add the tomatoes, sweet potato, potatoes, and chickpeas. Stir to combine everything well and then pour 1 cup water over and cover with a lid. reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until the potatoes are tender - about 10 minutes.


Add the roasted cauliflower to the pan and stir to combine everything. Add a little water if it seems too dry and season to taste with salt (if needed).


*'my' garam masala 
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp medium curry powder
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon