Ratatouille!

I decided to try the Ratatouille with Tofu recipe from Cooking Light for dinner last night. I made quite a few changes/additions - it ended up being really tasty! Tons of great veggies! I'll label my changes in purple.

I also didn't serve this with those white noodle things that they had in the magazine (sorry but those look like they have the nutritional value of a donut!) - I used quinoa instead which is another great source of protein on top of that tofu.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped onion (superfood!)
1/4 cup fresh basil, separated
1/2 tsp. dried thyme or 2 tsp. fresh thyme
2 cloves minced garlic (superfood!)
1 cup diced extra-firm tofu (well-drained) - superfood!
1 cup diced eggplant *see tip on salting eggplant below*
1/2 cup diced zucchini
4 button mushrooms, sliced (superfood! Yes, the little cheap button ones are just as much anti-oxidant powerhouses as their fancier cousins!)
1/2 cup chopped tomato (I just used a regular tomato, not plum tomatoes) - superfood!
2 tsp. pesto (I used regular basil pesto since I had some in the freezer... this did make my version of the recipe non-vegan but I'll type out the vegan pesto below)
1 cup tomato sauce (I made it using 1/4 cup tomato paste + 1/2 cup water)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. herbes de Provence (rosemary, thyme, summer savory, fennel seed, basil, tarragon, and lavender)
1 tbsp. lemon juice (superfood!)
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Method:
1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add carrot to the pan and saute 4-6 minutes. Add the onion, 1/8 cup fresh basil, herbes de Provence, thyme, marjoram, and garlic; saute 3-4 more minutes. Add the tofu, eggplant and zucchini and saute 4 minutes more or until tender.

2. Add the chopped tomato, mushrooms, lemon juice, pesto, and tomato sauce and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in black pepper, fresh parsley, and additional 1/8 cup fresh basil.

*Salting eggplant:
Slice eggplant and rinse the slices/pat dry. Sprinkle a little salt on both sides of each slice and let the eggplant "drain" for about 1 hour (I usually just sit mine of a paper towel). Re-rinse the eggplant and chop/use as desired. This will remove any bitterness from the vegetable and will help it retain its shape as it cooks.

*Pesto Coulis (vegan):
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.

Reference:
Based on the Ratatouille with Tofu recipe from the May 2008 issue of Cooking Light Magazine.

Refreshing Summer Cocktail

Oh my goodness, this was good! I'm already coming up with different things to do with this (see below). Think I missed my calling as a bartender! ;)
The basil flavour is very subtle (but I could tell it was there - I love basil!)
This was really yummy with my manicotti and rosemary focaccia :)

I'm so bad - as I was making this I was thinking "ooh, so many superfoods in this cocktail!" Well, berries and citrus are both superfoods and gin is made with juniper berries... hee hee ;) Hey, anything in moderation, right?


Enough for 2 cocktails

Ingredients:
2/9 cup sugar (odd amounts, I know - the original recipe was for 6! I just used a 1/3 cup measure and did two scoops that were about 1/3 of the 1/3 cup - hope that makes sense!)
1/6 cup basil leaves (I chopped mine up but that's not necessary)
2/9 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/6 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/6 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp. frozen raspberries
2 shots of gin

Method:
1. Make a simple syrup by bringing the sugar and 1/9 cup of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Stir in the basil and remove from the heat. Let steep for 30 minutes.

2. Pour the lime juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and raspberries into a blender. Strain the basil syrup into the blender, pressing the basil leaves. Blend the mixture until smooth and strain into martini or high ball glasses filled with ice. Stir in gin. Garnish with fruit slices or fresh basil sprigs.

Other ideas for this cocktail:
**Note: these are just things I just came up with! I have not tried these yet (come on, I'm not that much of a lush! ;)
*Use fresh mint in place of the basil and rum in place of the gin for a citrus-y mojito.
*Try it with silver tequila.
*For a festive cocktail, mix in champagne or sparkling wine in place of the gin.
*For a non-alcoholic treat, replace the gin with sparkling water or sparkling apple cider.
*Try it with different berries.

Reference:
This is the Three Citrus Basil Cocktail from the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times.

Rosemary-Cheese Focaccia

I have to start by saying I have no idea how I've been keeping this blog for the best part of a year and have managed to miss having an "Italian" tag.. heh :) One of my favourite types of food...

This was actually my first attempt at making bread (other than a quick bread) without the bread machine! It turned out beautifully (it looks a little "well done" in the photos but it was actually perfectly baked!) Yum...
This made a great *sponge* for the manicotti/marinara sauce we had for dinner tonight!

I am 99% sure that if you leave out the cheese, this recipe will be suitable for vegans (and it will be dairy-free!)

This recipe makes a lot of bread but make the whole thing - you can freeze it for up to a month! To freeze, just wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap and then foil.

Makes 12 squares/servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (superfood!) plus more for greasing the bowl
1 clove garlic, minced
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1 1/4-ounce package rapid-rise yeast
1 tsp. dried rosemary (crush it a little with a mortar and pestle) - I was seriously tempted to use lavender! Next time ;) I am so in love with the rosemary-lavender combination!
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/6 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
1 2/3 cup warm water (it should be about 110 degrees F)

Method:
1. Rub a large bowl with olive oil. Mix 1 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil with the clove of garlic. Cover and let sit. Combine the flour, chopped fresh rosemary, sugar, salt, yeast, and dried rosemary in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, stir in 1 2/3 cup warm water and mix until kneeded (about 2 minutes). The dough will seem wet and sticky.

2. Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk.

3. Line a baking sheet or baking dish (I used a glass lasagna dish) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray. Stir the cheeses into the dough and transfer the dough onto the baking sheet. Spread to the sides of the sheet/dish with wet fingers. Brush the top of the dough with the olive oil-garlic mixture. If desired, sprinkle with additional (whole) fresh rosemary. Let the dough rise 1 hour more or until it is level with the sides of the pan.

4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom. Allow the bread to cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack before unmolding and serving.

Stats from the original recipe (I used less salt and part-skim mozzarella so mine may be a bit different...)
Per serving: 216 calories; 6 g protein; 4 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 39 g carbs; 4 mg cholesterol; 929 mg sodium (eek!); 1 g fibre; 3 g sugars.

Reference:
This is based on the Oregano and Asiago Focaccia recipe from the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. I used Baking Illustrated to figure out the ideal water temperature.

Lemon-Herb Butter Cookies

These are lovely with some tea and they will make your kitchen smell divine! They are very similar to the lavender shortbread I've made before but I love the addition of the rosemary and lemon - so many great flavours!

I was hoping to make these earlier in the week since I had fresh rosemary from my parents' garden and a local lemon to use but I was unable to find corn flour at the "big box" grocery store. I go to a smaller store on Saturdays to get the bulk of my groceries - they have a wonderful bulk foods section (as well as a bunch of local and organic produce!) so I was able to get the corn flour I needed there. If you can't find it, you should be fine just subbing additional all-purpose flour.

This made 32 cookies - you may or may not get more than that :)

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried lavender - my addition (I gave mine a quick crush with a mortar and pestle)
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup corn flour
1 1/2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup turbinado (raw) sugar for decorating

Method:
1. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, rosemary, lavender, and lemon zest with an electric mixer or stand mixer for 3 minutes (or until creamy). Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla.

2. Whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Shape the dough into 2 1-inch wide logs. Wrap in wax paper and chill for 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment or spray with cooking spray. Place the turbinado sugar in a bowl. Slice the cookies into 1/3-inch thick rounds (work with 1 log at a time - keep remaining dough refrigerated until you're ready to use it). Press one cut side of the cookies into the turbinado sugar and place sugar-side up on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown on bottoms. Transfer to wire racks to cool.


Reference:
This is based on the Lemon-Rosemary Butter Cookies recipe from the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. The only change I made was to add some dried lavender.

Menu - Week of May 4-10

My goodness, is it really May already?! Phew... where does the time go? :)

This has some repeats from last week - just stuff I never got around to!

Sunday - Manicotti (I'll have spinach and cheese, DH will have Italian sausage). I am also going to make a rosemary and Parmesan focacia since I have some great fresh rosemary I need to use up!

Monday - Ratatouille with tofu for me; DH will have ribs with home-made Jack Daniels BBQ sauce. We'll both have roasted potatoes (I can use more of that fresh rosemary to make the rosemary-lavender ones!)

Tuesday - Lemon pasta for me. I'm doing it a little differently since I want it as a main dish, not a side. I'm planning on fresh basil, Parmesan, tomato, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, capers, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Yum!
DH is having Buffalo chicken bites. I know, they sound so crummy after that pasta description but he loves 'em! :) Salad on the side for both of us.

Wednesday - Garden-stuffed baked potatoes with salads. I might make a taboulleh salad for myself so I can use some of the mint from my "garden" (hee hee, I love how that sounds!)

Thursday - Parmesan tilapia, rice, broccoli or some other veggie.

Friday - Stuffed tomato with quinoa, black beans, and corn for myself and cheese-stuffed chicken breast for DH. Not sure on sides yet... It won't be salad ;)

Saturday - I have stuffed shells down but I think I'll probably change that since we're having manicotti earlier in the week!

The real reason God created avocados...

heh :) These are really good! Someone, wish I could remember who, had posted this recipe on the Nest a couple weeks ago and I immediately copied and pasted it so I could save it! I will go for anything with avocados - food of the gods, I'm telling ya!

Anyway, I got some wonderful local avocados for free last week and have been waiting for them to ripen up so I could make these. In the meantime, this meal got so hyped up in my head that when I went to actually make it last night, I was a bit nervous it wouldn't be anywhere near as good as I had made it out to be! Well, all that was for no reason - these were everything I was hoping for and then some!

I am planning on doing them a bit differently next time - I think they would be even more wonderful with some black beans worked in and I'd really love to make the sauce that was included in the original recipe! :)
OMG, I just had a thought - I love mole sauce (chicken mole enchiladas were one of my favourite things). I wonder how well mole would work with the avocado... hmmm! I sense an experiment ;)

By the way, this is a super-fast, easy dinner - great for weeknights! Plus, it's packed with nutrient-dense superfoods!

Here's my version (my additions/changes in purple):

This made 2 enchiladas

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados (slice 'em down the middle lengthwise/along their Prime Meridian - lol - and then use a knife to carefully pop the seed out. Scoop the flesh out with a spoon) - superfood!
1/8 red onion, finely chopped (superfood!)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Lime juice (I actually realized I had no lime so I used lemon... oops!)
1/4 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (superfood!)
1/2 tomato, seeded and diced (superfood!)
1 clove garlic, crushed (superfood!)
1/4 tsp. cumin
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 flour tortillas
Enchilada sauce (ugh, I used the stuff in a can... so lame! I'm making my own next time!)
A little grated sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Additional cilantro leaves

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray. Smush up the avocado in a glass bowl. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, tomatoes, jalapeno, lime/lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Mix together as you would if you were making guacamole (um, this really is a guacamole!)

2. Spoon the avocado mixture into the tortillas and roll them up. Place tortillas in the prepared baking dish and cover with enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional cilantro just before serving.

Reference:
This is based on marathon-runner Deena Kastor's Avocado Enchiladas recipe.

The beginnings of my herb garden!

I got a mint plant last night! yeay :) So excited - I've been looking forward to really starting a small herb collection this year so this will really help get that in motion.
I had gone over to my parents' house last night to drop off some things I had borrowed and to pick some fresh rosemary and my mom says "oh, do you want one of these mints?" Lol - I thought she was offering me a piece of candy. ;) They had 4 or 5 big mint plants so I was not about to say no to free mint! Hurray!

Now I have to search for recipes to use it all with!
Don't worry, I won't be planting it - I know how it will take over the entire garden... we only have a small yard but I'm having a heck of a time coming up with ways to use this pot of mint... there is no way I want to deal with 100 square feet of it! ;)

Guess it's mojitos with dinner tonight :)