Jul 3
This salad is based on Ina Garten’s version. I have made a few minor changes to it, namely to use grapeseed oil instead of olive oil which allows the tastes of the other ingredients to shine through, and to increase the amount of mint which I think makes the salad even more refreshing. Read more
This recipe is based on Mark McEwan’s Gorgonzola Torta and Mushrooms in his book Fabrica. I cut down slightly on the calories by substituting low fat cream cheese for the mascarpone and by omitting the olive oil when making the crostini. Read more
Deciding what to cook these days is tricky here in Vancouver. One day I’m feeling like a hearty lentil soup, the next day it may be something cold and refreshing. But, regardless of the weather forecast, I am now declaring it time to bring out the salads and the barbecue and will begin today with a refreshing, healthy (quinoa and broccoli are both high in protein, calcium and iron) and satisfying salad, to be served on its own or perhaps accompanied by barbecued salmon or chicken. Read more
With our local BC Spot Prawn season in full swing (May-June), I am testing some new recipes and going back to past favourites. To me, these prawns taste sweeter and cleaner than the tiger prawns that come from faraway places, and since they are also available frozen off-season, they are my choice year round. If you have the fortitude to buy them alive and still wiggling, you will probably want to sauté them quickly, still with shells and heads on, or throw them on the barbecue. Key word here is ‘quickly’ or they will be dry and less appetizing. Then peel them and dip them in a flavoured butter. It is more of a chore to peel the just-off-the-boat prawns but if you are cooking them the day after they are caught, or if they have been frozen and the shells come off more easily, this pasta dish would be a fine choice. Read more
I have long been drawn to the exotic flavour and aroma of cardamom and other Indian spices. It was in our tiny remote village in northern Nigeria that we were first introduced to Indian cuisine, which at that time was not yet familiar to Vancouverites. I was invited into the kitchen of teaching colleagues, Indian expats, where they taught me over a wood stove how to cook curries and chapatis, and the accompanying mango pickles and raita. Read more
I was intending to make a strawberry rhubarb pie recently but it turned out I was pushing the rhubarb season. Not to thwart my yearning for something that tasted spring-summery, I decided to mix raspberries with the strawberries instead. You can use any mix of berries in this recipe, but if you are adding rhubarb, just use a bit less flour (2 tablespoons) and a bit more sugar (1 cup) or to taste. Read more
The best thing about cooking and experimenting with recipes for me is that it can be a collaborative affair and here is a product of this synergy. I love eggs: poached and boiled are favourite cooking methods and I make them for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. I first read the recipe for Poached Eggs on Toasted Brioche with Garlicky Mushrooms on Kitchen Culinaire where Julie references Fine Cooking April/May 2011. I had been meaning to try Dorie Greenspan’s Ruffly Poached Eggs for a while and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to blend the two recipes. The mushrooms, the egg assembly and the garlic olive oil can be done in advance, making it a good dish for entertaining. I’ve adjusted the recipe to make 2 servings, but you can easily double or triple the ingredients. Read more
I love the peppery taste of arugula mixed with sweet, salty and crunchy ingredients. This salad can be adjusted according to your preferred ingredients: vary the jam or marmalade, the fruit, the cheese or the nuts. For a weeknight dinner, serve this with a simply cooked piece of fish or chicken or for a dinner party, it makes a delicious first course. I paired it with the pan-roasted chicken thighs with homemade seasoned salt below. Read more
I can’t remember a time when food was not an important part of my day. From an early age, I observed and participated in the kitchens of my mother and two grandmothers. Read More...
Nourishing Vancouver 