ingredients
3 small-medium aubergines
5 T olive oil, plus more for brushing
salt and pepper
1 pomegranate
juice of 2 lemons
1 clove garlic
fresh parsley
fresh mint
175g crumbled feta
method
Wash the aubergines and cut into 1cm thick slices. Sprinkle with slat and leave to stand for about 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with kitchen towels. Brush the slices on both sides with some of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides under a hot grill until golden brown.
Meanwhile, slice the pomegranate and carefully remove the seeds. Mix 5 T olive oil with the lemon juice. Press the garlic into the oil and lemon juice dressing and stir to combine. Sprinkle the warm aubergine slices with the dressing, toss and leave to stand for 2-3 minutes. Pick the leaves from the parsley and mint sprigs and mix with the aubergine slices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put the aubergine salad on a platter and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, scatter with crumbled feta and serve.
variations
use courgettes instead of aubergines
use courgettes and aubergines (I used one green and one yellow and it was delicious!)
use fresh basil instead of pomegranate seeds
use sun-dried tomatoes instead of pomegranate seeds
use coriander
18.2.11
warm lentil salad
ingredients
275g brown or Puy lentils
1/4 English cucumber or 1 Perisan cucumber, diced
1 C cherry tomatoes, quartered
5 radishes, cut into small sticks
2 carrots, finely diced or shredded
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 red onion, finely diced
1 T finely chopped fresh parsley
dressing ingredients
2 T safflower oil (I used olive and it was good)
4 T apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
purslane or other greens to serve
method
Place the lentils in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Turn heat to medium-low, cover and simmer about 30-40 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
In a bowl, mix the lentils with the prepared vegetables. Add the chopped parsely.
Make a dressing from the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the lentil salad and mix well. Serve on a bed of purslane or other greens.
variations
add new potatoes
add chopped coriander
add fresh spinach
275g brown or Puy lentils
1/4 English cucumber or 1 Perisan cucumber, diced
1 C cherry tomatoes, quartered
5 radishes, cut into small sticks
2 carrots, finely diced or shredded
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 red onion, finely diced
1 T finely chopped fresh parsley
dressing ingredients
2 T safflower oil (I used olive and it was good)
4 T apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
purslane or other greens to serve
method
Place the lentils in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Turn heat to medium-low, cover and simmer about 30-40 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
In a bowl, mix the lentils with the prepared vegetables. Add the chopped parsely.
Make a dressing from the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the lentil salad and mix well. Serve on a bed of purslane or other greens.
variations
add new potatoes
add chopped coriander
add fresh spinach
24.6.10
lemon-ginger drop cookies
I got this recipe from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (thanks Cassandra!) and these cookies are Jarom's new favourite treat! So good and so easy!
3/4 C + 2 T sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
1 large egg
1 T grated lemon zest
1 1/3 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 C finely chopped crystallized ginger
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 mintues, scraping down the sides of the bowl twice. Add the egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add the zest; mix to combine.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, and crystallized ginger; add to the butter mixture; mix on medium-low speed to combine, about 20 seconds.
Using two spoons, drop about 2 teaspoons of the batter on the prepared baking sheet; repeat, spacing them 3 inches apart (about 6 drops per sheet). Bake for 7 minutes. Sprinkle the cookies with sugar, rotate the sheets between the oven racks, and bake until just golden, about 7 minutes more. Cool the cookies on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
ingredients
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter3/4 C + 2 T sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
1 large egg
1 T grated lemon zest
1 1/3 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 C finely chopped crystallized ginger
directions
Preheat the oven to 350F with two racks centered. Line two baking sheets wtih parchment; set aside.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 mintues, scraping down the sides of the bowl twice. Add the egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add the zest; mix to combine.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, and crystallized ginger; add to the butter mixture; mix on medium-low speed to combine, about 20 seconds.
Using two spoons, drop about 2 teaspoons of the batter on the prepared baking sheet; repeat, spacing them 3 inches apart (about 6 drops per sheet). Bake for 7 minutes. Sprinkle the cookies with sugar, rotate the sheets between the oven racks, and bake until just golden, about 7 minutes more. Cool the cookies on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
notes
I used a wooden spoon do do all my creaming and mixing because I don't have an electric mixer yet, and they still turned out fine. I think I forgot the extra 2 T of sugar too, so these aren't very finicky. You can add extra lemon zest if you want these to be more lemon-y.
17.6.10
black beans and rice
This recipe is so good and super-easy to make. We eat this all the time, and we never get tired of it.
ingredients
1 can black beans, not drained
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
pinch salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 T red-wine vinegar
rice - I always use brown rice
tomatoes
cucumbers (preferably Persian)
fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
fresh coriander
fresh lemons (and limes if you like)
olive oil
ground cumin
ground coriander
ground pepper
sumac
plain yogurt
directions
Put the rice on to cook.
Heat the beans, spices, and vinegar in a saucepan, including the bean juice, over medium heat until the liquid reduces a little, about 7-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and coriander in a bowl. Add the lemon (and lime) juice, olive oil, and spices to taste. It can be as juicy as you like.
When the rice and beans are done, serve the rice, beans, salad and yogurt as you like. I usually spoon them into a flat soup bowl separately but touching, and then mix each bite as I go along. I also like to drizzel olive oil and grind some pepper onto the top of the whole thing.
ingredients
1 can black beans, not drained
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
pinch salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 T red-wine vinegar
rice - I always use brown rice
tomatoes
cucumbers (preferably Persian)
fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
fresh coriander
fresh lemons (and limes if you like)
olive oil
ground cumin
ground coriander
ground pepper
sumac
plain yogurt
directions
Put the rice on to cook.
Heat the beans, spices, and vinegar in a saucepan, including the bean juice, over medium heat until the liquid reduces a little, about 7-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and coriander in a bowl. Add the lemon (and lime) juice, olive oil, and spices to taste. It can be as juicy as you like.
When the rice and beans are done, serve the rice, beans, salad and yogurt as you like. I usually spoon them into a flat soup bowl separately but touching, and then mix each bite as I go along. I also like to drizzel olive oil and grind some pepper onto the top of the whole thing.
8.2.10
Mandarin Chicken & Rice
This is a really good recipe when you don't have a lick of groceries in the house, and you need dinner on the table in 25 minutes. Every single ingredient here can come from your food storage (if you choose) and it is really easy to make.
The ingredients are completely approximated, so you can dump in whatever you like or have on hand. I've made it dozens of times, and it's evolved over the years. I use it as a rough guideline, as opposed to an actual recipe.
Mandarin Chicken & Rice
Chicken - I throw some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the oven until cooked and then chop / tear them into bite sized pieces and set aside. Alternately, you can use canned chicken (I've only tried the Costco brand) if you don't have fresh or frozen chicken. Drain and set aside.
1-3 cans of mandarin oranges. Drain and set aside but make sure to reserve all of the liquid to use in the sauce.
Mushrooms - I like to use smaller sized fresh mushrooms and there's no need to slice them. If yours are a little larger then cut them in half.
Rice - Go ahead and get it cooking because dinner will be ready soon. We've also tried this over egg noodles and that tastes good too. I prefer rice, but either will work.
To make the sauce, first you saute the mushrooms for a few minutes in your pan.
Next add 2-3 cans of cream of mushroom soup (depends how many people you are feeding).
Whisk in the mandarin juice and a good splash of soy sauce (about 1/3 cup).
Add some garlic & ginger. I use the freshly chopped refrigerated kind. I use about a tsp each or so.
Add a good dash of pepper and a bit of salt to taste (the soy sauce is salty already).
Next you need to decide how thick you like your sauce. I usually add a little more liquid in the form of milk or water.
When you're just about ready to eat, add in your chicken and stir while it gets nice and hot in the sauce. You want to heat it through without cooking it any more.
Last thing you do is gently stir in the mandarins, as they tend to break up if you add them earlier.
Serve over hot rice (or noodles).
Enjoy!
The ingredients are completely approximated, so you can dump in whatever you like or have on hand. I've made it dozens of times, and it's evolved over the years. I use it as a rough guideline, as opposed to an actual recipe.
Mandarin Chicken & Rice
Chicken - I throw some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the oven until cooked and then chop / tear them into bite sized pieces and set aside. Alternately, you can use canned chicken (I've only tried the Costco brand) if you don't have fresh or frozen chicken. Drain and set aside.
1-3 cans of mandarin oranges. Drain and set aside but make sure to reserve all of the liquid to use in the sauce.
Mushrooms - I like to use smaller sized fresh mushrooms and there's no need to slice them. If yours are a little larger then cut them in half.
Rice - Go ahead and get it cooking because dinner will be ready soon. We've also tried this over egg noodles and that tastes good too. I prefer rice, but either will work.
To make the sauce, first you saute the mushrooms for a few minutes in your pan.
Next add 2-3 cans of cream of mushroom soup (depends how many people you are feeding).
Whisk in the mandarin juice and a good splash of soy sauce (about 1/3 cup).
Add some garlic & ginger. I use the freshly chopped refrigerated kind. I use about a tsp each or so.
Add a good dash of pepper and a bit of salt to taste (the soy sauce is salty already).
Next you need to decide how thick you like your sauce. I usually add a little more liquid in the form of milk or water.
When you're just about ready to eat, add in your chicken and stir while it gets nice and hot in the sauce. You want to heat it through without cooking it any more.
Last thing you do is gently stir in the mandarins, as they tend to break up if you add them earlier.
Serve over hot rice (or noodles).
Enjoy!
15.12.09
Celery Soup with Sourdogh Croutons and a Tarragon Swirl
This recipe sounds hard, but it's actually one of the most easy and delicious soups I've ever made! I found this on epicurious when I was searching for a recipe that would use up all of our leftover celery after Thanksgiving. I think it's my new post-Thanksgiving favourite, after leftover turkey, of course!
Bon Appétit recipe on epicurious
notes
The only change I made was that I used dried tarragon instead of fresh and it was still delicious. 1T fresh herbs = 1 t dry herbs, so use between 1/4 and 1/2 t of dried tarragon. This would be a great appetizer, but we ate more generous servings for dinner and it was quite filling.
Bon Appétit recipe on epicurious
notes
The only change I made was that I used dried tarragon instead of fresh and it was still delicious. 1T fresh herbs = 1 t dry herbs, so use between 1/4 and 1/2 t of dried tarragon. This would be a great appetizer, but we ate more generous servings for dinner and it was quite filling.
Cookie Jar Ginger Snaps
These are some of my absolute favourite christmas cookies! They are really flavourful and a little crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
ingredients
2 C white, all-purpose flour
1 T ground ginger
2 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground cloves
3/4 C softened butter
1 C dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/3 C molasses
granulated or coarse sugar for rolling the cookies in; you can also use coloured sugar
instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses, mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes away from the sides and the flour is completely mixed in. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll into 3/4 inch balls and roll in a sugar. Cook on an ungreased, unlined cookie sheet for 8-9 minutes. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack.
notes
The dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days before baking, although I prefer to use it within a day of making it. These cookies store well in an air-tight container, and also freeze well. You can adjust the baking time to make them softer or crunchier without ruining them.
ingredients
2 C white, all-purpose flour
1 T ground ginger
2 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground cloves
3/4 C softened butter
1 C dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/3 C molasses
granulated or coarse sugar for rolling the cookies in; you can also use coloured sugar
instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses, mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes away from the sides and the flour is completely mixed in. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll into 3/4 inch balls and roll in a sugar. Cook on an ungreased, unlined cookie sheet for 8-9 minutes. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack.
notes
The dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days before baking, although I prefer to use it within a day of making it. These cookies store well in an air-tight container, and also freeze well. You can adjust the baking time to make them softer or crunchier without ruining them.
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