Posts Tagged ‘vegetarian’
food, gluten-free, recipes, vegetarian
In Soups and Salads on November 4, 2010 at am
Quinoa is high in nutrients and an excellent plant-based source of protein. Since it is basically flavourless, it is very versatile for salad making. You can use whatever vegetables, herbs, cheeses, vinaigrette, etc. that you like. Here I’ve made a greek style quinoa salad. See my other quinoa recipes here and here.
I have compared quinoa purchased from Bulk Barn to Bob’s Red Mill organic quinoa. I found that Bob’s Red Mill organic quinoa held its shape more firmly, had a better texture, and tasted better. So in my opinion, it is worth it to pay [much] more for the brand name product.
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food, gluten-free, recipes, vegan, vegetarian
In Soups and Salads on November 2, 2010 at am
In an attempt to reduce the amount of meat that I eat, I started making quinoa salads more regularly since quinoa is high in nutrients and an excellent plant-based source of protein. I have compared quinoa purchased from Bulk Barn to Bob’s Red Mill organic quinoa. I found that Bob’s Red Mill organic quinoa held its shape more firmly, had a better texture, and tasted better (even though both sources of quinoa are basically flavourless). So in my opinion, it is worth it to pay [much] more for the brand name product.
This variation of quinoa salad was inspired by mango ceviche (recipe here). See my other quinoa salad recipes here and here.
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food, gluten-free, Indian, recipes, vegetarian
In Indian on October 24, 2010 at am
I’ve been wanting to incorporate more beans and lentils (legumes) into my diet for a long time now. They’re high in nutrients and fiber, they’re cost-efficient, and they’re available year round. This is my recreation of a local (Kingston, ON) Indian restaurant’s version of tarka dall – a pureed lentil side dish. See here for tips on how to get the most flavour out of your Indian spices.
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food, gluten-free, Indian, recipes, vegan, vegetarian
In Indian on October 22, 2010 at am
Chana masala is an Indian dish that consists mainly of chickpeas and tomatoes. It is mildly spiced and is slightly sour in taste. What I love about this recipe is that the tartness comes from amchur / amchoor powder, which is ground, dried mangoes! (You could also make this using lemon juice, but I highly recommend getting the amchoor.) All of the people that tried this asked for the recipe. See here for tips on how to get the most flavour out of your Indian spices.
Photo below: For my friend’s birthday, I made homemade Indian takeout and we had dinner at her place. I made fast-cooked beef “borma”, tarka dall and chana masala (and rice, of course).
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Chinese food, food, gluten-free, recipes, vegan, vegetarian
In Asian, Soups, Soups and Salads on October 19, 2010 at am
This soup takes less than 10 minutes to make. When my mom makes this, she only uses broth, water, baby bok choy, and ginger. So it can be as simple as that. Just be sure to wash the vegetables very very well, especially if you’re using shanghai bok choy because a lot of dirt and bugs collect between the leaves. Although full sized bok choy will work, I much prefer the taste and texture of baby bok choy.
Note: I used baby shanghai bok choy for the soup in the photo below.
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food, recipes, vegan, vegetarian
In Breads on October 15, 2010 at am
Focaccia is an Italian bread that can be topped lightly or substantially, or used as sandwich bread. Its popularity in North America has resulted in overly simplified recipes using prepared pizza dough. I like Peter Reinhart’s recipe from his very well-rated book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. Although it is a 1 to 2 day process (most of the time spent rising the dough), it is well worth the effort. My family couldn’t get over how good this bread was.
I had extra sun dried tomatoes after making warm wild mushroom salad (recipe here), so I used them for focaccia. See my herbed focaccia recipe here.
Some other suggestions:
- olives, roasted garlic, herbs, herb oil, or garlic infused oil (dimple these in before the 2 hour proofing time)
- hard cheeses such as parmesan, chedder, swiss, or Monterey Jack (add this 5 minutes before the finished baking time)
- soft cheeses like mozzarella or feta (add these about 10 min before the finished baking time)
- try topping the finished focaccia with an assortment of meat and/or vegetables (ie. carmelized onions and goats cheese)
- try slicing the focaccia in half and using it as a sandwich bread
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food, recipes, vegan, vegetarian
In Breads on October 14, 2010 at am
Focaccia is an Italian bread that can be topped lightly or substantially, or used as sandwich bread. Its popularity in North America has resulted in overly simplified recipes using prepared pizza dough. I like Peter Reinhart’s recipe from his very well-rated book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. Although it is a 1 to 2 day process (most of the time spent rising the dough), it is well worth the effort. Everyone that tried this bread loved it.
I made focaccia for the first time one weekend, while studying for a designation exam. Each step between rising became a study break. Since I had a variety of fresh herbs on hand, I made herbed focaccia. See my sun dried tomato focaccia recipe here.
Some other suggestions:
- olives, roasted garlic, herbs, sundried tomatoes, or garlic infused oil (dimple these in before the 2 hour proofing time)
- hard cheeses such as parmesan, chedder, swiss, or Monterey Jack (add this 5 minutes before the finished baking time)
- soft cheeses like mozzarella or feta (add these about 10 min before the finished baking time)
- try topping the finished focaccia with an assortment of meat and/or vegetables (ie. carmelized onions and goats cheese)
- try slicing the focaccia in half and using it as a sandwich bread
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Chinese food, food, gluten-free, recipes, vegan, vegetarian
In Other Asian Foods on September 14, 2010 at pm
I used a combination of asian mushrooms (fresh and dried) to make a hearty Chinese gravy that is quick and easy to make. I served it over a plate of steamed soft tofu. You could also serve this mushroom gravy over steamed broccoli or a plate of stir fried Chinese vegetables.
Photo below: This dish would have been more visually appealing if I had used fresh shimeji (aka beech) mushrooms, but they weren’t in season at the time.
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food, gluten-free, recipes, vegetarian
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks on September 10, 2010 at pm
I had a variety of fresh herbs left over from making herbed focaccia, so I bought a small log of goat cheese, covered it with herbs, and enjoyed it warm with grilled vegetables. Crumble it and use it in recipes the way you would with plain goat cheese. When entertaining, this makes an elegant spread for crackers and it makes a great addition to any cheese platter. Read the rest of this entry »
food, gluten-free, recipes, vegetarian
In Soups and Salads on September 6, 2010 at pm
If you love the taste of fresh Italian parsley or if you have a ton of it in your herb garden, try making a parsley salad. It can be eaten as a side salad or it can be used as a garnish. I suggest only using young parsley as parsley leaves toughen as they mature.
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food, recipes, vegetarian
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on August 25, 2010 at pm
I gave up trying macaroni and cheese recipes years ago. I never made one that people didn’t like, but I never found one that I could enjoy. Recently, it occurred to me that maybe it’s because I don’t like what baking does to the texture of this dish. So I tested that theory and made a stove top macaroni and cheese for the first time. I liked it a lot more than baked macaroni. The macaroni and cheese recipe is pretty standard, but I made it better in two ways: The first was adding a crunchy panko crumb topping and the second was mixing in peas and canned tuna in olive oil. The texture and flavour of canned tuna in olive oil is by far superior to canned tuna in water, and makes a world of difference in this dish.
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food, gluten-free, recipes, vegan, vegetarian
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks on August 1, 2010 at pm
I am in love with avocados. When it comes to guacamole, I prefer the texture of roughly mashed avocados, so I use an S-shaped potato masher. A fork works well too; or you could use a large mortar and pestle like Chef Bobby Flay. For a slight variation, serve this as an “avocado salsa” by Not mashing the avocado pieces and cutting the roma tomatoes into slightly larger pieces (or halve cherry tomatoes instead). Guacamole is pictured above.
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Cooking with Alison 