June 14th, 2011
Garden pesto
Ingredients:
1 large bunch of fresh basil (about 3 cups)
1/2 small onion
4 cloves of garlic
3 wild garlic scapes with bulb attached
1/2 cup olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Thoroughly clean basil (really, really thoroughly. gritty pesto is le gross) and strip leaves from stems. Set leaves aside.
Chop stems into pieces about 1-2″ long, discarding any woody ends.
Roughly dice onion. Peel and roughly chop garlic cloves. Chop entire garlic scape into 1″ pieces (chop the bulb thinly).
Warm 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat. Add basil stems, diced onion, scape and garlic. Sautee for 3-5 minutes, until onion is becoming translucent and garlic is tender. Remove from heat.
In a large food processor, pulse warm onion-garlic-oil mixture until fairly smooth. Add basil leaves and lemon juice. Pulse until quite smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I used some of this fresh basil pesto in a soup! So I guess there are two recipes in one, today.
Green soup
Ingredients:
1 cup assorted sliced mushrooms
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cooked udon noodles
3 cups of water
1/2 cup of garden pesto
2 1/2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
dash of sesame oil
dash of sriracha
squeeze of lemon
Sautee mushrooms in a frying pan until soft. Set aside.
Steam or boil broccoli florets until just tender (2-3 minutes at a rolling boil). Rinse under cold water and set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, bring water to a simmer. Add pesto, tamari, sesame oil, sriracha, and lemon.
Add mushrooms and broccoli to soup and turn the heat down immediately.
Portion out 1/2 cup udon noodles in each bowl, then ladle broth and vegetables over top.
I was fortunate enough to have gone to Toronto’s Center Island yesterday with two dear friends. We had a lot of fun romping around in the hedge maze, on the pier, across the beaches and all over the grounds. We got quite silly. Lucky me!!
Tagged: basil, broccoli, Center Island, dinner, garlic scapes, noodles, pesto, soup, toronto, vegan
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June 9th, 2011
Today I went to the University of Toronto’s farmer’s market. It happens every Thursday from 2-5pm at St. George and Wilcocks street. It was just a little market, so I bought something from every stand (except the maple syrup stand… thanks for the syrup, mom & dad!).
My haul included:
- a bunch of fresh wild garlic and wild onions
- a couple really pretty morel mushrooms
- rhubarb and wild ginger preserve
- vegan treats from aPieCalypse Now, including some butter tarts! oh jeez.
The morels were calling to be put onto a pizza, and Alex obliged by whipping up a crust, which we used for two flat-crust pizzas. Here’s how it went down.
Pizza!
Crust ingredients:
1 cup warmish-hot water
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp baker’s yeast
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
oil if required
This pizza dough recipe will make enough dough for a thick crust on one 9″ x 12″ pan, or a nice thin crust on two pans.
Your first step is to dissolve the sugar into the warm water by stirring it all up with a little spoon. But don’t do that yet. Read on.
Choose a water receptacle big enough so the yeast can expand without overflowing. So, > 1 cup.
Next, the water needs to be warm enough to revive the dried yeast (kind of like raising the dead) without being so hot that you kill it again. Very complicated science. Just stick your finger under the hot water from your tap, and make it hot enough that you’re like “whoah, that’s really really warm” without it actually being uncomfortably hot. You’ll figure it out, I trust you.
So yeah. Pour 1 cup of specifically hot water into a big container, and then you stir in the sugar until it has dissolved.
Then, stir in the yeast. Set the yeast-sugar-water mixture aside while you measure out the flour and salt into a big bowl. Keep one beady eye on the yeast. Once it bubbles up on top like an inch or so, it’s ready.
Pour the yeast and water into the bowl of flour mix (wheeeee!). Then stir it all in.
Then pound it and knead it to death for 2-3 minutes, until everything is incorporated and the dough is nice and elastic to touch. Leave the dough ball in a warmish place while you get the toppings ready.
Plus preheat your oven to 375 F.
Here Is What I Put On The Pizzas (substitutions encouraged):
1/2 cup mushroom and artichoke pasta sauce (I know I know but it works in a pinch)
6 large white mushrooms, sliced
1 wild garlic bulb and scape, chopped
8 morel mushrooms, sliced
1 tomato, sliced thinly
1 cup daiya cheese
10 green olives, sliced
1/4 block tempeh
1 tbsp tamari
Take your dough and spread it out on your pan. You might need to oil your pan, or your fingertips, or both. Depends on your pan and your finesse.
Now get your toppings ready. I sauteed the mushrooms with the garlic before I put them on. Also I quickly fried the tempeh in the tamari to make it taste like *something*. Whatever you are putting on your pizza, just chop it down to regulation-size and set it out in neat little matching bowls so you can pretend you are Martha Stewart or similar.
Then, top that baby! Make a picture. I dunno.
Now put the pizza(s) in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 375 (or apparently until it becomes blurry and hard to photograph).
You should watch children’s programming on TV while you eat it, unless you have a porch or balcony to sit out on, in which case that will do as well.
Tagged: dinner, farmer's markets, mushrooms, pizza, pizza dough, toronto, vegan
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June 7th, 2011
See? Two whole posts in two consecutive days. I’m on a roll.
This salad is great because it doesn’t really require you to slave over the stove. Cooked barley keeps well for a day or two in the fridge, so you can make some ahead of time when it’s not hot (like in the morning or late at night) and mix up some salad to enjoy whenever you like!
Barley Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups of water
1 cup barley
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 block firm tofu, diced
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1 small celery stalk, diced (use the leaves, too!)
1 small carrot, diced
1 tsp olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp sesame seeds
s&p
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the barley, dial down the heat, and simmer 25-30 minutes until the water has been mostly absorbed and the barley is tender. Dump it in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Next, mix up your tofu marinade. Combine tamari/soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and dill.
Dice the tofu into little tiny pieces and put ‘em in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over top, and allow the tofu to sit at least 30 minutes. You should stir the tofu bits once or twice during this time to make sure they’re all coated and happy.
*hint*: the mixing is way easier if you marinate the tofu in a tupperware… just put on the lid and give it a shake.
Okay, chop up your cuke, celery and carrot. Again, the theme is: little pieces.
Now mix the barley with the tofu and the veggies. Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice and the sesame seeds.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Sriracha too, if you’re bold.
Makes 4 side portions, or 2 mains.
I ate this barley salad with a plate of greens, and it was tasty as heck.
If boiling barley still seems like too much stovetop work, choose couscous instead. Just pour hot water from your kettle over it (quantities as per instructions on the package) and fluff with a fork.
Tagged: barley, I minced!, lunch, salad, vegan, veggies
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June 6th, 2011
Hoo boy. It’s hot in Toronto, and I love it.
It doesn’t matter who you are: you probably need some refreshing iced tea. Good thing it’s cheap and easy to make.
Iced Tea
Ingredients:
2 of your favourite teabags (I used a Tazo Passion and an orange pekoe bag)
kettle full of piping hot, freshly boiled water
2 tbsp agave nectar, or 3 tbsp cane sugar
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup fresh berries
ice cubes to serve
Put your tea bags into a large glass pitcher. Pour the boiled water over top, leaving about 1 or 2 inches of room at the top. Stir the agave or sugar into the tea.
Let the tea brew on the counter for at least 15 minutes, give it a good stir, add the lemon juice, and then chuck it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
When you’re ready to serve the tea, put a couple of ice cubes and some berries in a pretty glass. Maybe put some lemon wedges if you’re in need of extra refreshment (I AM). Pour in ze tea.
Enjoy it with a big silly grin. Sunglasses optional.
Super add-in: 1 oz Bombay gin.
:)
Tagged: beverage, iced tea, lemon, vegan
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June 4th, 2011
You’re the most fascinating person I know and I love you. I hope you live until you’re one hundred and fifty. Let’s eat cake together.
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