The Gouda Life

TACO. 

Did you just get so excited? I know I did. 

The word ‘taco’ brings about emotions in me that food shouldn’t be able to. I get excited from the pit of my tummy to the tips of my toes when I hear that sacred word. TACO! It happened again. Oh god I love them so much. 



Whenever my mom asks my sister or I what we want for our birthday dinners (yes, we still get to pick whatever we want even though we’re both well into our 20s) its consistently a resounding “TACOS!” or “FAJITAS!”. We do love our Mexican food so very much. So much, in fact, that Mr. GL doesn’t much like to be around me when I’m eating Mexican because I turn into a rabid dog focused only on stuffing as much of everything-on-the-table as I can in one tortilla. Often I fill my tortilla so full that I end up eating it with a fork and knife, defeating the whole purpose of tacos all together. Oh, what a life. 

Over the summer I had the pleasure of dining Ottawa’s SideDoor Contemporary Kitchen & Bar a few times and was amazed to learn that there was more to tacos than Old El Paso had told to me.  How pathetic, right? Somehow I believed that tacos were a thing of merely taco seasoning and ground meat. I feel ashamed to tell you this, but we’re friends. And friends tell each other the truth. My eyes were opened. And tacos have never been the same. Not that I plan on wiping Old El Paso from regular rotation around here, that will never happen, but I shall be expanding my taco-horizons. 



When I accidentally stumbled across a recipe for crispy shrimp tacos this week, my world came to a sudden halt. A doughy taco shell, stuffed full of a cumin-spiked tomato, shrimp and cilantro mixture and then… get this, are you ready? Rolled up and DEEP FRIED. The resulting roll is somewhere between a taco and a taquito, bursting with this extremely bright and fresh filling. It was a game changer. A life changer. A WORLD changer, if you will. I know you won’t be surprised to learn it’s a recipe from White on Rice Couple’s stunning blog. They are the cat’s ass, Diane and Todd. If you haven’t been for a visit, I’ll wait here while you go and take a look. Go ahead. Right now. I insist!

See what I’m saying? Brilliant. And those photos? Forget about it. I can only dream of being that kind of talented some day.

These tacos are so good I didn’t even sit down to eat them. I stood there, hanging over the counter, tossing them back as fast as I could. What a pretty picture that paints. I served some quick pickles alongside to contrast with the rich filling and they were a perfect addition. 



Crispy Shrimp Tacos with Tomato Broth and Quick Pickled Vegetables
adapted from White on Rice Couple 

The recipe calls for corn tortillas, but my market had run out the day I went in to grab some. I urge you to try and find some at your Latin Market, their flavour is so much better than flour tortillas, I find.  

Taco Filling
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapenos (or chilies of your choice), diced
1 tsp ground cumin
3-4 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined and cut into 1/2” pieces 
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Oil for frying, enough to fill 2” in your frying pan (preferably peanut or Grapeseed oil)

8-10 corn tortillas
Tomato Broth (recipe follows)
Quick pickled vegetables (recipe follows)

Filling;
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and let them sweat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chilies and cumin and cook for another minute.  Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is about ketchup-consistency. It shouldn’t be too watery. Stir in the cilantro, remove from heat and let cool. 



Roll and Fill the Tacos;
Fill frying pan with oil to a depth of about 2”. Heat the oil to about 350-375 or until a drop of water sizzles when you flick it in the oil. 

Two at a time, drop the tortillas in the oil for 1 second just to soften. Place on paper towels to drain. 

Lay tortillas flat and spoon 2-3 tbsp of the mixture onto one side of the tortilla. Roll them up tight (ends open) and secure with a tooth pick. Repeat until no more filling remains. 



Place tacos, 3-4 at a time, into the hot oil for 1.5 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 1 minutes until golden brown. 

Place fried tacos on paper towels to drain. Serve with tomato broth and quick pickles. 





Tomato Broth;
3-4 tomatoes, rough chopped
1/2 sweet onion, rough chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed

In a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. 
Pour tomato puree into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by about 1/3. It should be a soupy consistency. 







Quick Pickles
1/2 cup cauliflower florets
2 jalapenos, sliced into rounds
2 carrots, cut into thing strips
1 small daikon, cut into thin strips 
1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
1 3/4 cups warm water
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
large pinch of salt
Large mason jar

In a bowl, add the vinegar, water sugar and salt. Whisk until sugar dissolves

Place half the cauliflower and jalapenos into the bottom of the jar. Add the carrot/daikon strips, and finish with the rest of the cauliflower jalapenos. Pour pickling bring over until the jar is filled and vegetables are submerged. Place the lid on the jar and let pickle for at least an hour in the fridge. These will keep for 1 week. 



 

I haven’t been taking as much time to write lately. Of course, all the normal things that life brings with it tend to stand in the way, but this time it’s something different.

Writers block. My head, knock on it as hard as I may, will not answer. Sometimes I wonder if it’s taken a vacation somewhere wonderful and left me behind to fend for myself. How terribly rude that would be. I have an arsenal of photos and recipes to share but when I sit down, excited to share them with you, I just can’t muster anything. There’s been a lot of “I like to eat…” and “This tastes good…”. And really, you deserve more than that. Especially when I’m sure, or at least semi-sure, I can provide you with something more entertaining than single syllable, unimaginative description of what graced my plate last night.



This morning, rather than laying the guilt trip I’ve been giving myself on any longer, I made a life-sized pot of peppermint tea, set up a nice comfy spot on the couch beside a sleepy black cat, and started to read anything food related that I could. While I certainly was inspired to write, it wasn’t really condusive to what I wanted to talk about. So here I sit, spilling my brainless guts out to you in hope that I’ll eventually get back onto a topic that will lead me to the recipe I want to share today.

However, since that’s not happening and I’m sure I could yammer on all day about how writing isn’t always the easiest of tasks, and how blog writing can be a lot of pressure sometimes, and how I’m sure if I listen hard enough I could hear the crickets who have inhabited my brain, I’ll jump right into the meat it. Which is not the most exact way to describe it, since today I’m talking chili. A meat-less, but still seemingly meaty, chili that’s packed with so many flavours, textures and colours that it makes the addition of meat completely unnecessary. I top mine with a dollop of cinnamon-spiked yogurt for added earthiness and something to tame the spice. 

I also just happened upon a bottle of Muskoka Brewery’s dark Harvest Ale on my way home from work last night. So intead of using the stock I had, I opted for that instead. It gave it a bit more depth and earthiness with just a touch of bitterness. I loved the way it pairs with the smokey flavours. 



Vegetarian Chili with Cinnamon Spiked Yogurt
adapted from 101cookbooks Pierce St Vegetarian Chili

This chili is so easily adaptable to both your personal tastes and whatever you happen to have in your pantry. Don’t like beer? Add stock or water. Don’t like chickpeas? Add black beans. Do what makes your mouth happiest. Afterall, if chili doesn’t make you happy, you’re not doing it right.

I thought I had a can of chipotle peppers at home but it turns out I was wrong. I’m going to call for them anyhow, but in a pinch, a tbsp or two of smoked paprika adds a nice smokey kick.

1 large yellow onion, diced
olive oil
2 shallots, diced or sliced thin
8 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1-2 tablespoons of ginger, peeled and grated
2 jalapenos peppers, seed and ribs removed and diced fine
2 tsp ground cumin
2-4 tbsp chili power (depending on how much spice you like)
1-2 chipotle peppers (from a can with adobo or dried and rehydrated), chopped
sea salt
1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 750ml (26oz) bottle of favourite dark ale
water
1 can chickpeas
2 cups lentils (I used brown, you can use your favourite or a mixture)
1/3 cup potted barley
1/3 cup bulgur
1 large sweet potato, cut into small cubes
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tsp good quality ground cinnamon

Topping options; fresh chopped cilantro, reserved jalapeno, minced red onion, feta cheese, olive oil

Sweat the onions and shallots in some olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once they’ve become translucent, add the garlic, ginger, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder and chipotle peppers. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until everything is very fragrant. Add the can of tomatoes and the beer. Give everything a good stir. At this point, have a taste of the liquid mixture. Add salt to taste and more spices if it’s not hot enough for you.





Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the chickpeas, lentils, barley and bulgur. Turn heat down to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes. At this point, carefully have another taste for seasoning. Adjust to your liking. Add the cubed sweet potato. If the mixture is becoming too thick, add water 1 cup at a time too thin it out. Cover again and let simmer for another 20-30 minutes.



While cooking, mix yogurt and cinnamon in a small bowl. Refridgerate until ready to serve.

Spoon chili into big bowls and top with yogurt and whatever else your heart desires.



Take a bite and feel your mouth turn up in a toothy grin only a big bowl of chili can provide.



That’s the bite, right there, that makes me supremely happy. Messy, unattractive, spicy and perfect. 

And of course, it tastes even better the next day. I am mowing through bowl #3 in 24 hours.  

I came home tonight with full intentions of sharing a Frozen Lemon Soufflé with you. But given the circumstances, that can wait. Who cares about delicious light-as-air frozen lemony desserts, anyhow? (I do. A LOT. But it can wait one or two days, can’t it? CANT IT!?)

While I was sitting at my desk this afternoon, day-dreaming as is common after lunch, an idea popped into my head. Lasagna. But not just any lasagna. Caprese lasagna. Say it again with me, Capreeeese lasaaaaagna! Nice. Now if you’re like me, you’ll need to pick your jaw up off the floor before we continue. And I don’t mean to sound as though I’m tooting my own horn. But I totally am. I’m sorry.


(For some reason I have a much easier time copying recipes from my cookbooks to a notebook before cooking. It’s an OCD thing. And one that keeps my cookbooks free of stains)


Caprese salad is an Italian classic from the region of Campania that’s made up of tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and finished with a drizzle of of fruity olive oil and some fresh cracked pepper. That alone is enough to make me and most others weak in the knees, but with the addition of soft lasagna noodles and the ingredients layered between them, it was, in a word, perfect. Fresh, colourful, simple and packed full of flavour. It’s also a wonderful dish to use up all the tomatoes and basil you’ve no doubt planted and are starting to pop up right this second.

The only unauthentic part of this dish is the switch from fresh basil to basil pesto. I was hesitant about adding a sauce or dressing, but was worried the dish might feel a little dry. The pesto is the perfect compromise and helps it feel creamy and smooth. Plus, the look and colour of the pesto make me feel swoony.


(I wasn’t going to post this picture, but I had to because it was so funny. I started pouring the olive oil and taking a photo at the same time and thought I was oh-so-coordinated before I realized I was pouring olive oil everywhere. Turns out I’m not nearly as talented as I seem to think)


Because there are so few ingredients in the dish, it’s important you get the best ones you can find. Ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and high quality cheese and olive oil are all majorly important in making this lasagna as delightful as it is. If you’re ever going to spend a little extra on something, now is the time.

Perfect for an evening thats too hot too turn the oven on, and even better paired with a hunk of grilled meat or tofu on the side.

Lasagna Caprese

I assembled this on individual plates the way you would a typical Caprese, but it would be just as lovely served family style from a glass casserole pan. If you’re planning on doing it that way, don’t worry about folding the noodles. Just layer them, add a thin layer of pesto, tomatoes and cheese etc etc.

The pesto recipe here belongs to Marcella Hazan and is from her brilliant book Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. She approves of the food processor method, so I feel safe in saying it is absolutely authentically Italian. So there.

2 cups tightly packed basil leaves, plus a few leaves to garnish each plate
3 tablespoons pine nuts, plus 2 tbsp to garnish
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine before being added to the processor
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
3 tablespoons butter, softened

12 lasagna noodles, boiled according to package instructions
4 large vine ripened tomatoes
1 1/2lbs fresh mozzarella
the best olive oil you can afford, to garnish
balsamic vinegar to garnish (optional)
fresh cracked pepper

Put first 4 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until creamy. Transfer to bowl (or leave in food processor bowl, but it’s a bit of a pain) and stir in cheese and butter. This gives it a nice rustic texture.



On each serving plate, place two slices of tomato. Top with one lasagna noodle, letting one half of it extend over the tomatoes. Spread 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp pesto over the half of the noodle that tops the tomatoes. Fold the noodle back over itself so it covers the pesto. Place two rounds of mozzarella on top of noodle. Place another noodle on top, spread with pesto and fold over. Repeat steps one more time ending at the mozzarella. (tomato, noodle/pesto, mozza, noodle/pesto, tomato, noodle/pesto, mozza = voila!)

Top each plate with a few basil leaves, a good drizzle of olive oil, some pepper and a little balsamic (if you like balsamic).



See? How easy was that? Almost too easy, am I right?

My dad has taught me a lot of things.
For instance; Sales are good. Sales in abundance - better.

While this lesson is certainly valuable, my dear father had a bit of an obsessive sale problem. Upon finding 15 cans of beans in the cupboard, he’d simply look up from his newspaper and explain, “They were on sale.” It was as if there was never going to be another can of beans for $0.89 instead of $0.99. Unfortunately, there never seemed to be any sales on Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Doritos. He’s smart, that father of mine.



Though I used to chuckle about it, my dad’s love of a good sale, I often find myself stocking up on random items for no reason other than the promise of 30 cents off. If it’s not a sale, I’m picking through every single piece of produce (the stuff that isn’t charged based on weight) for the largest one I can find. I won’t be had, Grocery Lords. I won’t.

As a result of this , I am now the proud owner of a bush-sized bundle of kale. I’ve been eating the stuff at least once a day. Steamed, braised, baked, raw…  I don’t know how many more kale recipes I can make in one week. It’s a race against time to finish it before it starts to fade on me. Lucky for you, you’re probably not in the same predicament and might like a little kale dish.



I decided on a very simple pilaf using some quinoa I had in the cupboard, a little crumble of goat cheese, grape tomatoes and some toasty walnuts. It’s all pulled together and brightened with a little citrus. A definite winner if you’re looking to use up an extraordinarily large bush or kale, or if you simply want a bite to eat.



Kale & Quinoa Pilaf with Grape Tomatoes & Goat Cheese

This pilaf is easily adaptable to your liking. Change the greens, the grain, the cheese or the nuts to whatever your favourites may be.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water or stock
1 bunch kale (curly or lacinato), stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 orange, zested and juiced
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
two handfuls grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup toasted walnuts (or nut of your choice)
Salt and Pepper

In a large dry skillet over medium heat, toast the quinoa until it starts to pop, 10 minutes.

While quinoa is toasting, add the water to a large pot and season well with salt. Bring to a boil. Once quinoa is toasted, add to boiling water, turn heat down to simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add kale to the pot and cover. Let it cook for another 5-10 minutes or until kale is wilted and quinoa is cooked. While cooking, combine the orange, lemon (juices + zest) and olive oil together.



Once everything is cooked and delicious, add the citrus, goat cheese and toasted nuts. Have a taste and season to your liking.



I’ll see you again real soon for another kale related delicacy. I bet you’re pretty excited, and so you should be. Until then, dear friends.

When I first started cooking for myself, cooking meals as opposed to cans of soup or boxes of Kraft Dinner, I would read recipe after recipe trying to figure out how to do something properly. Examining photos so closely I’m surprised I’m not cross-eyed, to see what techniques created what textures, what colour the finished product should be, what finishing touches made it look so beautiful. I couldn’t imagine ever being in a spot where I could create a recipe based on what’s in my cupboards. The thought terrified me. Beans and tomatoes!? I can’t make anything with those?! [insert panic] [insert durrr].

Though I do not and would never claim to posses the talents of a chef/cookbook author by any stretch of the imagination, my abilities to toss together what I have on hand has become increasingly more creative than adding lemon rind to tuna in recent years. Especially once spring hits and the produce aisle becomes a colourful palate of tastes, shapes and smells. It’s hard not to feel inspired while strolling through.

While grabbing for my weekly bunch of arugula, I spied some beautiful dwarf pea shoots from Bryson Farms. What to do with them? Oh I don’t know. That’s not important. But I did need to have them. And I was nice enough to leave one of the containers behind for some lucky individual. Don’t say I never did anything for you.

After deciding I was going to make some pea-shoot pesto, the question remained: what do I have with the pesto? Pasta? Smeared on fish or pork? It’s so typical of me, though. I hadn’t had pea shoots before, so why not keep adding to the list of new tastes? 



A quick stroll and a few questions later, I found myself tentatively filling a little sac with spelt berries at Herb & Spice. What in name of noodles is a spelt berry, right? I had the same question, but sometimes I’m a little oblivious. Spelt is an ancient grain often ground into a flour that serves as a healthy alternative to more processed versions. When left whole, the berry (or kernel) can be cooked much like barley or rice. They contain great amounts of fibre and protein and are easy to throw into a salad, a wrap or whatever else blows your skirt up. Go and buy some today and test it out. I’d love to hear what you think of it.

I tossed a few simple ingredients I had hanging around in the crisper and windowsill and came out with a salad I could eat again and again. I had it hot off the stove for dinner and cold out of the fridge for lunch. Honestly, I think I liked it better cold. But I’ll let you decide for yourself.



Spelt Salad with Pea-Shoot & Ricotta Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes

If you can’t find pea-shoots, feel free to make your favourite pesto instead.

If you haven’t had roasted tomatoes before, don’t skip them! They have a wonderfully concentrated tomato flavour that pairs so well with the pesto and nutty grains.  

1 cup spelt berries, rinsed well
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 lb pea shoots
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan
2-4 tbsp olive oil (the best quality you can afford)
2 tbsp ricotta
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
2 handfuls arugula (optional)

Freshly grated Parmesan and pepper to garnish

Preheat oven to 350.

Add the rinsed berries and water to a large pot over high heat. Salt well. Once boiling, turn the heat down to simmer and cover. Cook 1 1/2 hours. The berries will stay al dente, so taste to make sure they are cooked to your liking. If any water remains, strain.

While spelt is cooking, add tomato halves to a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Roast until the juices are released and the tomatoes have shriveled slightly. Around 45 minutes.



In the bowl of a food processor, add the pea shoots, garlic, salt and 2 tbsp olive oil. Blend until it becomes a paste. If it seems dry, add more olive oil. It won’t emulsify properly if there isn’t enough. Stir in the ricotta and parmesan until it’s thick and creamy. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.



Add 1/4 cup of the pesto to the cooked spelt berries and stir to combine. There should be a fairly good layer of pesto covering the berries, so add more if you need to.

On a large plate or individual bowls, add a handful of arugula and top with pesto berries. Add the roasted tomatoes on top and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, shaved Parmesan and fresh cracked pepper.



Will serve two as a main course or 4 as a side.

Groceries.
Everyone does them. Some willingly, some hesitantly. Some cut coupons, some buy extravagantly. I don’t often stop to look at the way I buy food. I put what I want in my basket, and I move on. I often don’t look at prices. I swipe my card confidently knowing that I don’t have to worry about the dreaded “Insuff Funds” coming up on the screen in front of me. I’m lucky. And I know there are plenty out there that don’t have this luxury. And yes, good food is a luxury. Food in general is a luxury that we don’t even think to be thankful for. A lot of us have never known anything different. 

Before going any further, I want you to know that I’m certainly not trying to leap up onto my soapbox and make everyone feel badly for the way they buy food. I am more than guilty of buying things frivolously and not paying mind to how much things are or how unnecessary certain purchases may be. Please do not take this as a stern talking-to.

My friend Mel is participating in the Do The Math Challenge, which basically asks groups or individuals to live exclusively off the contents of a food hamper for as long as they can (typically 3-4 days but some can stretch it as long as 10). You’re encouraged to eat at least two meals at a drop-in but are not allowed to accept free food or drink other than that. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness and ask the Ontario Government to immediately increase, by $100 a month, the social assistance received by adults in Ontario.

While I’m not participating in the challenge, I’ve definitely been paying closer attention to what I’m buying, how often, and how much I waste. Unfortunately, it’s not something I pay attention to because I’ve really never had to.

I often tell you to eat organically, buy local, get the best there is… but all I’m asking of you today is that you eat consciously. Even for a week. Pay attention to what’s in your grocery basket and if you actually need it. It may change the way you shop, or it may not. But at least you have a better idea of how you buy. It can be as small as bringing your grocery bags. Five cents for each bag can add up quickly when you’re living on Social Assistance.

In keeping with conscious eating, I’ve got a recipe that is as cheap as it is delicious. The grocery bill was $19.86, making each of the 5 servings come in at a reasonable $3.97 per bowl. That’s assuming you don’t have any ingredients on hand, otherwise it will be significantly cheaper (I did already have some pantry staples on hand).

Baked Chipotle White Beans with  Kale, Cilantro Pesto and Mozzarella
based on Heidi Swanson’s Giant Chipotle White Beans

1 pound of dried white beans (the bigger the better) rinsed, picked over and soaked overnight - or up to 24 hours. If you’re like me and don’t always think in advance, you can try the no-soak method for softening beans.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 big pinches of red pepper flakes
2 pinches of salt
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers (or as much as you like)
1 medium clove of garlic
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
big pinch of salt
2/3 cup kale or chard, washed and cut into ribbons

1 cup goat’s milk mozzarella, cubed (optional) 
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs (optional)

Add the olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic to a cold pan. Turn the heat on to medium and put the pan on the element. Stir the red pepper and garlic constantly until fragrant (45 seconds-1minute). Don’t burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes and oregano leaves and heat through for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the adobo sauce. Stir in kale/chard. Set aside.



In the bowl of a food processor, blender, or if you’re old fashioned and awesome, your mortar and pestle, add the garlic clove, cilantro, olive oil and salt. Blend until smooth. It will be quite liquidy, don’t panic. Set aside.


Preheat oven to 375.

Add your beans to a large casserole dish, stir in the chipotle-tomato sauce, and the cheese. Top with bread crumbs and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown. 





Drizzle with pesto and serve.



And before you chow, be conscious, appreciate and be glad that you’re eating a delicious meal that some are not lucky enough to enjoy. 
 

If you don’t follow The Gouda Life on Twitter or Facebook, you may not know that this Saturday will mark one of the most super duper important things I’ve done in regards to baking - a wedding cake! I’m in the midst of doing a three tier, hazelnut brown butter cake with whipped ganache filling and Swiss buttercream icing for a good friend’s wedding on Saturday. It’s a big deal for me and I’ve been incredibly stressed out about it. I haven’t been sleeping much and when I do, I dream, almost exclusively, about cake. It’s a little silly, but I want to do a good job of this since it’s the most important day in my two friends lives thus far. Things got going today with two layers for the 12” bottom tier. 48 egg whites (!!!), 8 cups of butter, and a whole lot of dish washing, batter folding and oven-peeking later, I came out victorious. And somehow, I still don’t quite understand what I was thinking, I managed to whip up a quick and easy soup in between all the craziness!

This isn’t anything fancy or exciting, but it’s tasty, it’s filling and it’s FAST. So fast, in fact, that you can whip up two 12” tiers for a wedding cake at the exact same time. Or…whatever else it is you’re up to. My photos leave a whole lot to be desired on this one, but my concern was centered elsewhere tonight.

Tomato White Bean Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
2 large shallots, sliced thin
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans white beans (I used some white kidney beans)
1 can diced tomato, I find the organic ones have the best flavour
3 cups good quality or homemade chicken/veggie stock
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, add the olive oil and heat over medium. Once heated through, add shallots and saute until translucent (3 minutes), add garlic and saute until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic or onions brown. Add the white beans, diced tomatoes, stock, and herbs. Taste and season appropriately.

Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes.

At this point you could eat the soup, but I used an immersion blender since I was really feeling like a smooth creamy soup. I find the beans make the soup taste like there is cream present without actually having to add any. If you do want to add cream, feel free. It gives it a bit of a fuller, richer mouth-feel. And if you’re in the mood for something spicy, feel free to add some cayenne pepper, as much as you’re comfortable with.

Again, this soup is not fancy or haute cuisine by any means. But it does make your stomach (and wallet) feel nice and full and is a quick fix when you don’t feel like running out to grab any extra ingredients!

Wish me luck with the rest of the cake and I’ll be sure to share some photos of the outcome.

On a sweaty, hot but sunny and beautiful day yesterday, my boyfriend and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. I was tickled to find that he had planned and prepared a day of lovely things that made me feel like every lady should. There was breakfast in bed (which consisted of scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast, fresh berries, thick-cut maple-bacon and delicious orange juice - needless to say I fell even more in love), a morning basking in the pools at Spa Nordik in Chelsea, Quebec and then the most perfect picnic in the most perfect spot in the city. 

There were veggie wraps, ham & gruyere croissants, fresh berries, the best plum I’ve had since I was a kid, iced tea and a bottle of red wine. Everything was just what I’ve always dreamed of. I’ve never been treated to a day like that. I’m a lucky lady.

After the picnic came a trip to the Agriculture Museum down the road. We got to pet some baby cows and listen to the most hilarious sounding sheep I’ve ever heard. It was so much fun. We laughed like little kids.

All in all, a brilliant day. Perfect way to celebrate a year of togetherness, love and fun.

Needless to say, with the mixture of walking, the sun, the heat, the food, the wine… we were exhausted by the end of the day. And after a night of disrupted sleep (again, the heat. I know. I’m one of those people who complains about heat. Now you know!) I was even more exhausted today. There was no way in holy hell I was so much as turning that stove/oven knob one measly little inch today. NO WAY, you hear me?

But, as life would go, sometimes we need to eat. And I needed something filling but good for dinner so that I didn’t cave into a bag of chips or fast-food. And something I wouldn’t sweat into. (I know, I’m totally gross.) Enter Lemon-Pepper Tuna Salad w. Tomatoes, Avocados and Basil tossed in olive oil. It was light but filling, healthy, delicious and just what I needed. Perfect for a light dinner or lunch.

Lemon-Pepper Tuna Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados and Basil



Lemon-Pepper Tuna Salad
3 cans albacore tuna, packed in water (strained)
Zest from 1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp mayonnaise (my favourite is Hellman’s Olive Oil Mayo)
Juice from half or a whole lemon (depending on taste)
Fresh cracked pepper to taste (I used about 1-2 tsp)
Coarse salt to taste

Using a fork, break up the tuna until the pieces are uniform in size. Add the lemon zest, olive oil, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Stir well to combine and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. The taste of pepper should be recognizable in the salad.
Add salt to taste (you may not need any).



Tomato-Avocado-Basil Salad in Olive Oil
1 large avocado, cut into slices
1 large tomato, cut into slices
Hand full of small (or torn) fresh basil leaves
1tbsp good quality olive oil
coarse salt
pepper

Toss the tomato/avocado slices, basil and the olive oil together gently. Add a few pinches of coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss again.

In a serving bowl, add the tuna salad and top with the tomato/avocado/basil mixture. 

I ate it right away but if you want to chill it for a little bit, that would be alright, too!



 

I can cross homemade meatballs off my ‘to-cook’ list. It’s one of those things I feel is so overdone on the home cook front. I don’t think I’ve ever had a really well made, tender, meatball either…so it’s always taken a backseat to other, seemingly more exciting, dishes.
I was watching Secrets of a Top Chef with Anne Burell and her beautiful, brown, parsley-woven meatballs inspired me to give it a go. And go, I did.

The marinara was brilliant. So simple but such a wonderfully concentrated tomato flavour. I’m sure half the pot found it’s way to my gut before it even came close to touching a plate. What can I say? A good cook tastes their food frequently? Or something like that?

Though the recipe[s] contained a good amount of steps - they were all ridiculously simple and straight forward. I did them in between cleaning, packing, and walking the dog. Absent-minded cooking is truly my forte.

This is so great for a Sunday dinner or if you don’t mind busting out a few dozen pots and pans on a weeknight - it’s really nice to have as a special weeknight meal. 

So… like… let’s make some meatballs and marinara?

 

Meatballs & Marinara
Recipe by: Anne Burrell of Secrets of a Top Chef

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
Olive oil
1 mega sized Spanish onion [or 2-3 medium ones], diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
1lb lean ground veal
1/2lb lean ground beef
1/2lb lean ground pork
2 eggs
1C grated parmigiano
1C fresh breadcrumbs [I used whole wheat and love the texture they added]
1/4C [+/-] fresh parsley, finely chopped. [I probably used closer to 1/2C]
1/2C water

In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the olive oil until heated. Toss the onions in the pan and saute until translucent [I liked mine a little browned, so if you agree - keep them on a few minutes longer until slightly browned]. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes. It should smell garlicky but there should be no colour. Remove onions/garlic from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add veal, pork, beef, onions/garlic, parm, bread crumbs and eggs to a big bowl and smoosh really well with your hands. If you’re afraid of handling raw meat then I suggest you get someone else to do it for you. I feel pretty confident in saying that you won’t get the same taste/texture of meatball if you wuss out and use a spoon/fork to mix it. But hey, if you want to eat icky meatballs I’ll leave that up to your discretion. Moving right along, once all ingredients are well mixed - add the water and give it another good smoosh.

Brown both sides of the meatballs [yah, I know. meatballs are spheres and they don’t have sides… but you know what I mean.]  over medium-high heat until they have a nice golden brown crust. Move browned meatballs to a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Marinara
[adapted every-so-slightly from Anne Burrell’s recipe.]
2 big gulgs of olive oil
1/2C diced pancetta
1 1/2C spanish onions, diced finely
4 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
3 large cans [28oz] of San Marzano tomatoes
Kosher Salt

Add olive oil and diced pancetta to a big sauce pot and cook over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes or until the pancetta has rendered off a good amount of it’s fat. Add onions and saute for 5-6 minutes. The onions should be fragrant but shouldn’t have any colour. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes until you can really smell the garicky goodness. Strain the tinned tomatoes through a fine mesh sieve into the pot with a fork, potato masher, or my favourite strainer tool - a whisk! Season WELL with kosher salt. For the love of all things holy - please taste it at this point. Make sure it has enough salt. Simmer for 2-3 hours or until reduced to your liking!

I add my meatballs to the marinara and heat it all through together and serve over spagetti….but you don’t have to do that. I guess. If you want to be difficult.

The leftovers can be frozen [yawn], or, MADE INTO MEATBALL SUBS!

Throw the marinara and meatballs on a hoagie bun, top with mozzarella [I like goat cheese mozza] and put under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and beautiful.

Love your favourite nonna,
Kelyxo.