Butternut Cauliflower Curry

Growing up in a half West Indian family I was exposed to every type of curry imaginable. We had chicken curry, lamb curry, goat curry, beef curry, and a mysterious meat curry that my dad always referred to as “chicken”. Very questionable I know, but as a six year old kid surrounded by three other rowdy/hungry siblings you don’t waste time probing! I am embarrassed to admit that I nearly never make curry at home now! Well, I have my reasons: 1) there is a stellar Indian resto a block away from my apartment and 2) I don’t have a fan in my kitchen so not only does the amazing aroma stick to the air but also to my roomies clothing and bedrooms in general. In the name of amicability I usually go for the former and take the two minute stroll up the street to curb my cravings. But since the weather has been quite kind this week I was able to open my windows and cook this deliciously simple recipe that my sister-in-law threw my way.

This Cauliflower Curry is so dang tasty that you forget that I opted out on the “mysterious meat” component. I also added a gorgeous nutty butternut squash to the mix and a fresh tomato for a little pizzazz! The curry just blends so well with the cauliflower which is probably the only white veggie you can eat 100% guilt-free. It is making a serious comeback to the cruciferous table with its high dietary components, antioxidants and irresistible CRUNCH! I loved this recipe because it heated me up (since I had to open the windows to cook and my heaters are on the fritz) and because I got my curry fix quick without hitting up the butcher.

Xo Dom Appetit!

Butternut Cauliflower Curry

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Tools needed: large cooking pot, mixing spoon, measuring spoons & cups, cutting board, chopping knife

Ingredients:

1 medium onion (chopped)
1 green onion (chopped)
2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoon curry powder
½ butternut squash or pumpkin (peeled and cubed –in order to facilitate peeling/cutting cut in half and boil on stovetop for 5-10 mins)
½ head of cauliflower (chopped into florets)
1 small can of chick peas (rinsed)
1 bunch of coriander leaves (chopped)
1 large tomato (diced)
Olive oil (for frying)
Black pepper and salt
½ cup of water

Directions:

1)      In a large pot over medium heat fry up onions in olive oil, adding a pinch of salt. Turn heat down to medium low and add garlic, stirring to ensure that they don’t burn. Add a tablespoon more of oil and all spices stirring again making a light curry paste.

2)      Turn heat back to medium and stir in squash or pumpkin and add about ½ cup of water to assist with the cooking process (Add water up ¾ of the depth of the squash - making sure not to cover the squash completely) and leave to cook with lid on until it begins to soften, about 25 mins. Add the chickpeas along with the cauliflower (you might need to add a bit more water but be frugal – you don’t want a watery mixture!) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to simmer with lid on for another 15 mins. Once vegetables are soft mix in coriander leaves, tomato and additional salt and curry powder if needed. Allow to simmer for another 5-10 minutes and remove from heat. Serve over a bed of basmati rice, quinoa or with naan bread!

Tabouleh Salad with Hempseeds

I know I have been inching towards the healthier, lighter meals lately but I honestly haven’t had much of a choice. Despite the rainy/hail weather we have been experiencing lately, summer is right around the corner and I need to get this bod back into bikini-worthy shape. Once I am done drooling over all the excessively complicated dazzling meals on Top Chef Canada, I open my laptop and search for realistic meals that you and I can whip up without the grueling eyes of the judges. I have been hanging around the beautiful Kimberley Snider’s website lately and have become a bit intrigued by the “beauty from the inside out” concept. Don’t worry, I am still a glutton for punishment and will be serving up something fried by next week, but I can still appreciate some real “feel-good” food.

The Raw Tabouleh Salad is as simple as it gets. It took me less than 15 minutes to throw together and the results were exploding with flavor. There is something about the lemony-garlicky dressing that drove my taste buds mad! The best part though, is that you are ingesting copious amounts of antioxidants without even realizing it. Parsley is packed with iron, vitamins A & C, and possesses enzymes that can help keep you regular! ;) … The hemp seeds are a nice addition to this salad since they are “high” in protein (haha) and essential fats. With this unpredictable weather, we can all use the vitamins!

Xo Dom Appetit!

Tabouleh Salad with Hempseeds
Taken from:Kimberley Snider Recipes

Prep Time: 15 mins

Tools Needed: measuring cups & spoons, large mixing bowl, blender, paring knife, cutting board, mixing spoon

Ingredients:

1 huge bunch of fresh parsley (stems removed and chopped)
½ of white onion (chopped)
1 tomato (diced)
5 heaping Tbs of hempseeds (I used 3 since these aren’t cheap!)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
¼ of olive oil
Salt (for taste)

Directions:

1)      Throw chopped parsley, tomato, onion and hempseeds into large mixing bowl
2)      In a blender, combine lemon, garlic, olive oil and salt. Blend until smooth and pour over salad and mix well. Enjoy J

Moroccan Quinoa Salad

My fellow foodies, I finally decided to try the latest food phenomenon: Quinoa. My thoughts? Loved it. It is so fluffy and versatile and incredibly healthy that you just have to incorporate it into your diet. This “supergrain” tastes great for breakfast in porridge with berries, for lunch in a hearty soup, or in a salad as a dinner side dish. Additionally, the lightweight grain is not only gluten-free but is rich in complete protein, magnesium, and fiber (Yah Fiber!). Now for an embarrassing fact about little ol’ me, I cannot cook rice if my life depended on it. I hate to admit it, but it’s the truth! It either turns out too mushy, too hard or frustratingly mediocre (I am therefore heavily reliant on my rice cooker as you can see lol). This is another reason why I am keen on Keen-wah… SO EASY TO COOK. I simply rinse it, boil it, let it sit, and fluff it. Perfection every time.

I love all ethnic foods, especially those that use coriander & mint. That is probably why I am drawn to the Moroccan Quinoa Salad listed below. The fact that it only takes 20 minutes to put together is a bonus. The combination of ingredients is definitely appealing to the eye and taste buds with no lingering guilty feelings. I made this dish for a family potluck last Sunday and witnessed the bowl of Quinoa disappear instantly. The key ingredient to the salad, besides the obvious, is the fresh mint. It adds a refreshingly “cool” touch to the flavourful mélange. So whatever you do, don’t cheap out on the mint!

Xo Dom Appetit!

Moroccan Quinoa Salad

Adapted from: Canadian Family


Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10-15 mins

Tools Needed: medium boiling pot with lid, measuring cups and spoons, cutting board, knife, medium mixing bowl, small mixing bowl

Ingredients:


3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dried)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cup canned black beans (rinsed)
1 1/2 cup canned corn (rinsed)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 pint of cherry tomatoes (quartered)
1/2 cup slivered almonds (toasted)
1/4 cup chopped black olives (or green)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
Fresh Ground Pepper
½ of squeeze lime juice (optional)


Directions:


1)      Cook your Quinoa. While Quinoa is cooking, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, sugar and pepper into a vinaigrette in a small bowl.
2)      Combine Quinoa and all remaining ingredients (except fresh herbs*) in a medium mixing bowl. Mix in vinaigrette and refrigerate for at least one hour prior to serving to allow flavors to combine – the longer the better! Add the herbs, optional lime juice, and serve at room temperature.

Ginger-Carrot Soup

Sadly, I have had to take my soup bowls out of retirement due to this terribly disappointing spring weather we’ve been experiencing. After an evening or two cozied up by the fireplace with a modest serving of scotch on the rocks (to heat me up of course!), I decided that it was time to pull out one of my favorite soup recipes: Ginger-Carrot Soup. Lately I have been overdosing on this orange vegetable for more reasons than one. Carrots are packed with cancer fighting antioxidants, a whole slew of vitamins, help clear your blurred vision and the best part is they help slow down the aging of cells (a natural anti-aging method at a fraction of the price, ladies!). My girls bought me a juicer for my 26^th birthday (last summer *sigh*) and this baby eats up carrots like no one’s business. I highly recommend this beautiful appliance to anyone who enjoys fresh fruit & veggie juices…and has the time to clean it afterwards! Lol

But I digress. This Ginger-Carrot Soup is unquestionably fabulous. I mean this with all sincerity. It is so incredibly simple and cheap to make that I guarantee you will be thanking me when reheating your leftovers for days to come. The flavors of the pureed carrots are wonderfully complemented by the pungent zing of the ginger. And after adding a dollop of Greek yogurt and a few toasted pine nuts to the mix I found myself licking the bowl and pouring seconds in no time!

Xo Dom Appetit!

PS. Keep a close eye on your pine nuts when toasting. They go from au naturel beige to charcoal black in the blink of an eye!

Ginger-Carrot Soup

Adapted from: my Grandmaman’s kitchen and The Food Network Magazine

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins

Tools Needed: measuring cups and spoons, peeler, cutting board, knife, large heavy pot with lid, blender, small sauté pan, small mixing bowl

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon of ginger (peeled & minced)
2 pounds of carrots (peeled & chopped)
1 medium russet potato (peeled & chopped)
6 cups of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used 4 cups broth and 2 cups water)
¼ cup of pine nuts
1 1/3 cups of plain low-fat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (or dried)
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1)      Combine the olive oil and onion in heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with salt and cook until lightly caramelized. Mix in garlic and ginger and continue to cook (without burning the mixture). Add carrots, potato and the broth of your choice. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until carrots and potatoes are very tender. Remove from heat.
2)      In small pan over high heat, lightly toast the pine nuts. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey, thyme and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
3)      Puree the soup in a blender until smooth (you might have to do a few batches). Adjust the seasoning to your taste (salt & pepper) and serve with a dollop of the yogurt mixture and some pine nuts.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Bacon & Broccoli

The past few weeks have been quite an adventure for me. After learning of the news that my company shut their doors without notice, I have been unemployed for the first time since I was 16. Wow, seems so long ago. Sweet Sixteen…working those ridiculously early mornings’ shifts at Tim Horton’s (Yes, I was a Timmy Hoes girl!), pouring hundreds of double-doubles, and repeating the same ol’ tune: “Would you like an apple fritter with that?” Oh, the simplicity of being a young, naïve suburban girl with virtually no money worries in the world, except for “which Parasuco top will I be purchasing this weekend”? The truth is, we really do not know what our future holds or where we will end up in five years from now, or even a month from now for that matter. My shock quickly dissipated and now I am left with an abundance of choices. What’s next? I am not too sure to be honest with you, but this time around I am following my intuition and taking “me” into consideration first.

Now that I have updated you on my latest conundrum, it’s time to get down to the real reason for this post: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Bacon & Broccoli. After a week of complete junk binging and a realization that this is the time to be frugal, I finally filled my fridge with fresh produce and essential sidekicks. I found this recipe not only refreshing but also quite inspiring. The combination of fresh broccoli and fibre packed sweet potato left me fully energized and “perfectly” full. I also replaced the intended ricotta or my Achilles ’ heel, sour cream, with my new fave, Greek Yogurt. I have never been so satisfied with the results. The best part of this recipe is that I was able to whip up a delicious restaurant-worthy meal in less than 30 minutes and have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. Yeaaahhhhh BUDDAY!

Xo Dom Appetit!

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Bacon & Broccoli

Adapted from: Food Network Magazine

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Tools Needed: microwave safe plate, medium sized frying pan, paring knife, measuring cups & spoons, cutting board, small mixing bowl, spatula, paper towel, fork, additional plate

Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each- washed)

4 slices of bacon

1 broccoli head (stems trimmed, roughly chopped)

5 mushrooms (washed and sliced)

4 cloves of garlic (sliced)

1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

½ cup of Plain Greek Yogurt

1 tablespoon of finely grated parmesan cheese

Salt

(1/4 cup of grated old cheddar cheese-optional)

Directions:

1) Pierce each sweet potato thoroughly with a fork and arrange on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 12-15 minutes (until soft).
2) In the meantime, in a frying pan cook the bacon on medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and lay on a paper toweled plate. Drain bacon oil and return pan to medium high heat. Add broccoli, garlic, mushrooms, red chili flakes and a pinch or two of salt. Allow veggies to cook, stirring occasionally until tender.
3) Mix yogurt and parmesan in a small bowl. Split open the sweet potatoes lengthwise and fluff the flesh with a fork. Top each with the optional cheese and a teaspoon of the yogurt mixture, then top evenly with the broccoli mixture and the remaining yogurt mixture. Chop the bacon and sprinkle evenly on top. Enjoy while hot!