Archive for the ‘Grains’ Category

Herb & Feta Polenta

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

HerbedPolentaCakes2

I feel like it’s been longer than usual inbetween posts for me. I have had midterms all of last week, so I was a bit busy studying (or trying to….). Honestly, who can study with the excitement of the Olympics coming up in just under a week! I can’t wait to have some fun amidst all the chaos and hectic activities downtown. And now onto the food….

I really wanted to make something sort of unique, and cute. I decided on Herb & Feta Polenta with Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade. I had never made polenta before and I think I had only tried it once. I really like the look of these for appetizers- they are easy to make and can need to be made ahead of time. The polenta has a pretty neutral flavour with just a bit of feta in each bite-sized cake. The sun-dried tomato tapenade livens it up with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and black olives. Try these for some classy superbowl hors d’oeuvres ;)

Herb & Feta Polenta with Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade (adapted from Vegetarian Food for Friends)

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 3 scallions, finely chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups boiling water
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp polenta or yellow cornmeal
  • 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 tsp of dried dill
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • sliced black olives
  • 2 oz sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar overnight
  • 1/3 olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/8 tsp red chili flakes
  • small handful of fresh basil

Polenta:

In a saucepan, combine butter, olive oil, garlic and scallions and cook until scallions are translucent- a couple minutes. Pour in boiling water, add polenta in a steady stream whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Cook until polenta thickens and starts forming large bubbles. Stir in feta, dill, salt and pepper. Pour into a well-greased 8 inch square baking pan. Smooth the top of the polenta. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Cut out approximately 16 rounds with a 2-inch diameter cookie cutter. Top with a spoonful of tapenade and 2-3 slices of olive. Garnish with fresh dill or cilantro. Serve and enjoy!

Tapenade:

Drain the sun-dried tomatoes, and put in a blender with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chili flakes, and basil. Process until fairly smooth, and add salt and pepper to taste.

HerbedPolentaCakes

Posted in Appetizers, Brunch & Lunch, Grains, Starters & Light Meals, Vegetarian | 8 Comments »

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Mexican Quinoa Salad 3

When I went to Mexico, one of my favourite meals was at a Mexican restaurant in the resort. There was a great salad bar and one of my favourite salads was a corn salad. It had a mystery flavour to it, but it made it fantastic. After a couple bites, I realized that the flavour was cinnamon! A strong cinnamon flavour. I knew that when I got home I would be making a salad with corn and cinnamon. Instead of stopping at a corn salad, I decided to add the cinnamon flavour to quinoa, and make that the base of my salad. I added black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and feta cheese and it made a truly beautiful, healthful salad. I took the flavour up another notch by making a roasted red pepper vinaigrette to top the salad.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Mexican Quinoa Salad

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • zest of one lime
  • juice of one lime
  • tobasco, to taste
  • 1 avocado
  • 3-4 tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup canned or frozen corn kernals
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1/2 cup cubed feta cheese
  • 2-3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly and put in a pot with cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper, lime zest and juice, tobasco, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from stove and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and toss. Enjoy!

Mexican Quinoa Salad 2

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Posted in Grains, Main Meals, Mexican, Quinoa, Vegetarian, World Cuisine | 5 Comments »

Ratatouille Provencale and FLAVOUR of the Month

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

ratatouille2

The other day I randomly thought about making ratatouille- I had never made it before but I wanted to try it. That night, the movie Ratatouille (so cute) was on TV and  so, I was convinced. I adapted the Ratatouille Provencale recipe from the Joy of Cooking. Ratatouille is usually a side dish but is also great as a main meal. I chose to serve mine over quinoa for some extra protein instead of rice, or noodles. Though not usually a part of ratatouille, I thought some mushrooms would have been nice and I will be sure to add them next time. I used chopped tomatoes but I felt that using canned tomatoes might have provided a juicier ratatouille, which is what I was looking for. Either will work depending on your preference! I chose to add parmesan cheese to mine but omit for this dish to remain vegan.

Ratatouille Provencale (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

  • 1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tbsp
  • 2 chinese eggplants (about 1 pound)
  • 1 pound zucchini
  • 1 cup sliced onions
  • 2 large red bell peppers
  • 3 garlic cloves, fienely chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes or one 14 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 chopped fresh basil
  • parmesan cheese

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add eggplant and zucchini and cook, stirring, until golden and tender (about 10-12 minutes).

Remove the vegetables and reduce heat to medium high. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and onions and cook, stirring until the onions are slightly softened.

Add the bell peppers and garlic and cook until tender (about 8-12 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add tomatoes, thyme and bay leaves. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the zucchini and eggplant back in and cook until everything is tender, about 20 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in chopped basil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve over quinoa, rice, noodles, or plain. Enjoy!

rataouille

For the month of October, instead of having a Cookbook of the Month, I will be having a Flavour of the Month. This flavour will be the alllllllll too popular PUMPKIN! I adore pumpkin and could never get tired of it. I recently spent an entire day making everything pumpkin from oatmeal to scones and brownies and pie. I will be posting these recipes in future posts as well as others part of the flavour of the month. If you know of any interesting and unique pumpkin recipes, let me know because I would love to try them out!

pumpkin-patch

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Posted in Cookbook of the Month, Grains, Quinoa, Vegan, Vegetarian | 15 Comments »

Quinoa with Sweet Chili Lime Tofu

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

swtchililime

This week I’ve really had the urge to make nice dinners for myself. Sometimes I am just too tired after work, but not this week! I recently was given a new cookbook and started a little project from it (more on that in a later post!) and then I got to work on dinner. I had some tofu in my fridge and I’ve really been trying to up the protein in my diet, so I was thinking about quinoa as well. After a quick search on Tastespotting, I found a delicious-sounding recipe from Vegan Yum Yum and adapted it. The result? A wonderful Thai-inspired dish packed with protein! The tofu was wonderful- I had never dry-fried tofu before and I loved the texture it took on. It was almost crusty on the outside and the glaze that coated it was deeeeeelish! It was great to pick some fresh lime from my garden, as well. I didn’t use a vegetable in this dish though, as I have been drowning in swiss chard lately (courtesy of the garden) and that was all I had on hand that would fit.

Thanks for a wonderful recipe Vegan Yum Yum!

swtchililime2

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Posted in Grains, Quinoa, Thai, Vegan, Vegetarian | 8 Comments »

Citrus Quinoa

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

teriyakiquinoa

It’s Wonderful Wednesday! I’m feeling tired and I wanted a quick but yummy dinner. I once made a teriyaki quinoa dish from Dreena Burton’s “Eat, Drink, Be Vegan”. I have since created my own version that I like to call Citrus Quinoa. It is delicious! It comes together in only a couple of minutes and it has a great balance of flavours- ginger, tamari, chewy quinoa, and a hint o’ sesame with plenty of zesty citrus flavour! I paired it with steamed broccoli accompanied by a miso-tahini dipping sauce and was very happy with my simple, lovely dinner.

I have created my own version of a teriyaki quinoa, using the flavours that I enjoy with teriyaki. I present my Citrus Quinoa

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 3/4 cups water, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (based on your tastes)
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (* I freeze my ginger and grating becomes so easy!)
  • 4 tbsp tamari
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp raw sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp raw cashews, chopped
  • 1/4 cup green onions
  • zest of one lime
  • 1 carrot, julienned (*Optional- add for extra crunch and colour!)

Give the quinoa a good rinse. Add the quinoa, water and orange juice, garlic and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Turn of the heat and add the ginger, tamari, lemon and lime juice, honey and toasted sesame oil. Re-cover and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Stir, or fluff quinoa with a fork. Add red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, cashews, green onions, lime zest, and carrot (if using). Enjoy!

*If you would like to make this a main meal, simply saute some prawns, tofu, or chicken and add them in!

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Posted in Grains, Quinoa, Vegan, Vegetarian | 6 Comments »

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