Smoky Hummus

Smooth, smoky and tasty; this hummus tastes like summer. I hesitate to liken this hummus to "barbecue" flavour since it can mean so many different things.  But, it's kind of like barbecue potato chips (my weakness).

Start with the spice blend and the basic hummus ingredients:  garlic powder, smoky paprika, onion powder, salt, olive oil and lemon juice.  I use tinned chickpeas, but I always make sure to wash them.  This rinses away the thickeners and some of the gas producing compounds.

Add all the spices, the oil and lemon juice to a food processor, or high powered blender.  (I used a Vitamix).  Then add a bit of water ~250ml, and half the chickpeas.  It's important to add only half if you're using a blender.  It allows the ingredients to liquify, which makes it easier for the rest of the chickpeas to integrate in the blender.

Puree until the ingredients are liquified, then add the last half of the chickpeas.  Blend until smooth, adjusting the seasoning and liquid (oil and water) to suit your tastes.

Enjoy this smooth, smoky spread with pita bread, or in a veggie wrap.

Garlic Scrapes with Mushrooms and Whipped Potatoes

Garlic scrapes are not always easy to get a hold of.  Scrapes are the shoots that a garlic plant sends up when the growing cycle is nearing completion.  When they first start out, they're tender and tasty.  If they go too long, they get tough, so catching them early is key for a good dish.  These scrapes come from elephant garlic. Start by peeling and boiling a few potatoes in salted water.  When they're done, drain them and set aside.  Quarter and sear a handful of baby portobello mushrooms in olive oil.  Then, in the same hot pan, sautee the garlic scrapes.  I like to sear the bloom end to add a nice aesthetic.  The blooms themselves can be a bit tough, so it's more for garnish.

Whip the potatoes with a bit of earth balance and almond milk.  Season as needed with sea salt.

Begin plating by spooning the potatoes on the plate.  Then add the mushrooms and scrapes.  Finish with a few seared blooms.

Guacamole Remixed

How can you go wrong with avocado?!  This dish uses of the avocado shell to make a perfect bowl for the guac. You'll need the regular ingredients for guacamole:  avocados, onion, lemon/lime, tomatoes and seasonings.  I chose to flavour this one with garlic, onion powder and cumin.

Carefully halve avocados, taking care to keep the peel in good condition.  Dice and scoop out the flesh, adding it to a medium mixing bowl.

Add the minced tomatoes, seasonings and a squeeze of lemon.  Mix well, but don't completely smash up all the chunks.  They provide a varied mouth-feel throughout, making for a unique treat.

Arrange the chunky guacamole in the empty avocado shells and garnish with slices of tomato, green onion and lemon.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Spinach-Spelt pasta Ravioli with Vegan Filling

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  This verdant pasta is coloured with fresh-from-the-garden spinach.

I started out by chopping the spinach and olive oil in the food processor.  Not really sure how the recipe would turn out, I added egg-white to the mixture and kneaded the dough with the food processor.  It turned out better than expected.  An eggless, vegan pasta dough should hold up perfectly. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Divide in to two equal portions and roll it out.

The filling's made from: pine nuts, tofu, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, garlic, onion, basil, olive oil, salt, tamari and a squeeze of lemon. Simply add the ingredients to the food processor and blitz. Spoon it or pipe it on to the rolled pasta dough - rice flour keeps the dough from sticking to the counter. Brush water around the dollops of filling to make sealing the pasta easier.  Place the top pasta layer over the bottom.  Press out the air and cut into individual pieces.  I used a handy pasta cutter, but a knife works, too.

Drop into boiling water for ~3 minutes.  Serve hot with olive oil, pine nuts and fresh basil.

Barbecue Potato Crisps

So, the sports are going to sport soon... apparently in a bowl.  I don't understand sports-games, but apparently the event requires snacks.  This recipe is straight from one of Byron Talbott's videos.  Watch it, and while you're there, Subscribe!

Byron also provides measurements... and I'm still trying to learn how those measury things work.

The basic steps are:

• thinly slice the potatoes - I used a food processor
• mix up that magic spice mix - smoky paprika, onion powder, garlic and salt
• fry them - I used peanut oil
• when they're starting to brown slightly, remove them and drain on kitchen roll.
• season them right away
• when they're cooled, dig in!

Experiment with the thickness of the potato slices.  Paper thin chips are like pointy clouds that shatter on your tongue whereas thicker chips have a sturdy, hearty crunch.

Ginger-Chili Mung Beans with Coconut Black Rice

Richly flavourful, this dish packs lots of energy and fibre.  Although mung beans are generally available at most Asian grocers, they're not the most common legume.  They are, however, a delicious base for this curry-like recipe.

Start by rinsing the beans and adding equal portions of mung bean and water to a large saucepan and set on the heat.  Salt the water gently - season it, but remember that it will need to be adjusted near the end of the cooking process, so don't go wild with the salt. While waiting for the beans to start boiling, prepare the curry.  Ginger is the dominant flavour. To round out the curry flavour profile, you'll need a bit of garlic, chili pepper(s) and a medium tomato.  Place these ingredients in a blender with a can of coconut milk.  Blend until smooth.

Once the beans have started boiling, add the curry to the pan.  Return the mix to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer.

While the curried beans are simmering away, prepare the rice as directed by the packaging.  Simply, add a bit of salt and a half-handful of shredded unsweetened coconut when the rice starts cooking. So easy!  There are a couple different types of black rice.  I used Forbidden Rice for this meal.

When the beans are tender, they're done cooking.  Be sure to season with salt according to your taste.

Creme d'asperges [Cream of Asparagus Soup]

This amazingly creamy, yet vegan, soup is the perfect thing for a cold winter's day.

First, remove the woody ends of the asparagus; slice the shallots, the leek and crush the garlic.  Since it's all getting blended, precision isn't essential.  Beth Le Manach, an inspirational chef, shares her secret for ultra creamy soup - a medium-large potato.

Saute the shallots, garlic and leek, giving them a bit of colour.  Then, add in water, the potato and bring to a boil.  After 5 minutes of ferocious boiling, add in the chopped asparagus stems, reserving several of the tips for garnish.  Boil another 5 minutes, or until the potatoes and asparagus is completely tender.  Blend it up and flavour with a squeeze of lemon.

I first tested with an immersion blender.  The results were alright.  But, the soup wasn't super creamy until I sent it through the Vitamix.  Afterwords, it was ultra smooth, with a there-has-to-be-heavy-cream-in-this mouth feel:

Gluten Free Stir-Fry

Often the stri-fry premix seasonings contain gluten or wheat ingredients.  Mixing the spices individually and using tamari (gluten free soy sauce), gluten can be eliminated from this delicious dish.  Deep frying tofu and marinating it overnight allows it to have a pleasant texture and full taste (which is a rare trait for tofu).

Classic flavours compose the seasoning: sesame, soy, onion, garlic, turmeric, chili and ginger.  Mixing Jasmine and black Forbidden rice yield a uniquely hued rice side-dish.

Autumn Gardening 2013

Growing happily in the cool weather: spinach, kale, lettuce, garlic, and beets.