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.

Baked Brains! (Baked Cauliflower)

The perfect thing for Halloween.  Baked brains, but really it's just pizza over a whole head of cauliflower.

Start by setting out the spice profile: basil, onion powder, salt, garlic and oregano.  Stir it in the tomato paste and mix thoroughly.  Wash and shake dry a head of cauliflower.

Spread the spiced tomato paste on the cauliflower and cover with thinly-sliced vegetables.

Bake at 350F for 30-45min.  Doneness can be tested when a knife can be easily inserted.

Slice and serve drizzled with olive oil and sliced green onions.

Vegan Lasagna

I'm so busy this week, but I wanted to post this. Vegan Lasagna!

So many vegan lasagnas only use tofu instead of ricotta. It's alright, but it's not great. So, I still used tofu, but the base was grated cauliflower, tamari sauce, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder and a smidgen of smoky paprika.

I started by preparing the base and then crumbling in the extra-firm tofu. Set it aside while grating the rest of the veg: broccoli, peppers, courgette, carrots and the non-woody stalks of asparagus.

Then add those greeted veggies to a heated pan with olive oil and sauté until tender. This helps reduce the water content and helps build flavour. I was in a rush, so I used canned pasta sauce.

I decided to grill the aubergine instead of grating it. So, just in a hot skillet, I seared it with a bit of olive oil. The spinach also seemed to be too good to chuck through a grater, so I wilted it quickly with olive oil. And salt! Carefully season everything after it's been reduced/seared/sweated.

Sometime when all of this was going on, I boiled the lasagne noodles. You could totally go gluten free, but these are just regular wheat noodles. Either way, be sure not to over cook them. Just soften them - ultra al dente? They'll get more cooking in the oven.

Then, begin building the dish: layer sauce, noodle, spinach and then "ricotta" filling until the dish is almost full. Be sure the top layer is sauce, and that the noodles are fully covered - otherwise they get hard and dry. Then arrange extra veg on the top. I think this makes a nice addition to any lasagna. I topped it with asparagus spears, tomatoes, olives and more grilled eggplant.

Bake for about 30-45 minutes.

I served it with a fresh sprig of basil and a drizzle of aged balsamic and olive oil.

Gazpacho

Gazpacho has the reputation of being an awkward dish.  It's not always well received - after all, it's cold soup.  The first time I tried it, I was in Paris and decided, "I'm never coming back to this place!  They can't even heat up soup properly."Thankfully I got over my Parisian aversion and I learned to actually like gazpacho!

I started with tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers, chili pepper and basil - all harvested from the garden. First, peel, half and remove the seeds from a medium cucumber.  Then coarsely dice the cucumber, tomato, onions and pepper.  Be sure to very finely mince the chili pepper - any remove the seeds unless you're really a fan of spice. Pile it all in a food processor with the basil, a bit of salt, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Blitz it up until it's soupy, but not a fine puree.  There should be a bit of texture.

I find it's best to serve chilled, but not ice cold.

Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo

This was a surprising delight.  I found a red pepper recipe from Minimalist Baker (amazing blog).  I had red peppers in the garden.  I was inspired.

First, break down the red peppers and coat with olive oil.  Then, broil, roast or grill until the skin is charred.  This should help it slide off easily.  Mix the peeled red peppers with a few cashews, tamari sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, nutritional yeast and a bit of salt.  Cover the mixture with water and puree in a high speed blender.

Prepare a portion of brown rice pasta to just-before-al-dente.

Add the blender mixture to a hot frying pan with a shot of olive oil.  Allow to bubble and reduce until slightly thickened.  Then, add a scoop of the starchy pasta water and the noodles.  Continue to simmer until the pasta is finished cooking.

It's a very rich and savoury-sweet dish.  I love it!

Confit byaldi - Variation on Ratatouille

My favourite vegan french dish: Ratatouille!  It's also one of my favourite dished because I grow all the vegetables in my garden.

First, slice the squash, zucchini and eggplant.  Then, dice and fry in olive oil; the peppers, tomatoes, shallots and onions.  Once the onions and peppers are softened, spoon the mixture in a baking dish.  I chose to use small oven-safe dishes but really any baking dish will work.

Then, layer the sliced vegetables in an overlapping, alternating pattern.  Be sure to cover the entire baking dish.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top.

Wrap, or cover, the baking dishes with parchment paper (not wax paper).  This keeps the vegetables from drying out in the oven.  Bake at 350F for about an hour.  Remove from the over, let cool and refrigerate over night.

The next day, remove the parchment and cover the top with tomato sauce.  Admittedly, I used tinned tomato paste with fresh sauteed vegetables to make the top sauce.  I had only green tomatoes and those don't make an attractive sauce.

Return the sauce covered ratatouille to the oven for ~15 minutes to reheat.  Serve while it's still hot.  It's amazing on its own, but also goes well with rice and salad.

Focaccia: baking watery bread #notgross

Focaccia is a delightful bread.  It's a little unique that it contains ~60%-70% water.

As usual I just threw things together; so bad at measuring.  After you work for years with bread it becomes second nature.  So, now's the perfect time for you to start!  In no time, you'll be making bread from scratch.

Begin by mixing flour, salt, yeast and water to form a very soft dough.  I like to let the dough ferment overnight in the refrigerator to allow it to develop complex flavours.

Scoop the dough out on a floured surface.  Here's the trick, the dough should be folded over itself rather than traditionally kneaded.  This forms the gluten, gives the bread shape and it keeps the air bubbles intact.

After folding, place the dough on a baking tray (lined with a silicon baking mat, oiled parchment, or simply oil the baking tray).  Let it raise until doubled in size and then use your fingers to make indentions on the surface.  This keeps the bread from raising too high and it gives the topping a nice home.

Then drizzle with good olive oil and top with delightful Italian flavours.  I chose red onion, olives and tomatoes.  Bake at 400F until golden brown.  It's a delight!

Traditional, first tomato sandwich of the year 2014

Each year I take the first ripe slicing tomato, bake bread from scratch and assemble a sandwich. Multigrain wheat and rye swirl:

Garden grown; vine ripe, pesticide free:

Mmmm... a delicious tradition.

Garden 2014 - Start of Summer!

Summer's finally here and the garden is going strong! Squash blossoms

Blueberry, tomato, eggplant, pepper:

Avocado filled Potatoes

A delicious fusion of carbs and avocado bliss, this dish is energising and filling. The starchy sweetness of the potatoes melds delightfully with the mellow avocado.

First, wash and scrub the potatoes. Boil the potatoes with a bit of salt. Continue boiling until soft, testing for doneness by inserting a knife. When the knife can go through easily, they're ready.  Remove the potatoes from the heat and allow to cool in the cooking water. When they've cooled completely, coat with olive oil, dill and a bit of salt.  Then, halve them and scoop out the insides, leaving at least a quarter inch on the sides.

Mix the scooped potato with a couple avocados, a squeeze of lemon, salt, tarragon and blend in the food processor until creamy.

While it's mixing, warm the hollowed potatoes.  A hot grill, a skillet, the broiler are all perfect methods.  I just used a gas torch... because it's manly.

Quickly place the creamy avocado-potato puree in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.  Fill the warmed, hollow potatoes with the savoury, sweet, tangy and smooth avocado mixture.  Garnish with tarragon, green onion, tomato and finishing salt (Maldon or fleur de sel).

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

It's an easy and flavourful dish!  As the weather gets warmer; easy, light and tasty meals are in demand.

Simply add a healthy portion of sun dried tomatoes to your usual hummus recipe.  I add chickpeas (and the tomatoes) to the Vitamix and cover with water - a bit of salt, sesame seeds, onion powder and a glug of olive oil.  I also like to add turmeric, garlic and smoked paprika.  Start slow and increase the speed to work up to that delicious thick consistency.

Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a few chick peas and a sprinkle of sesame seed.  Enjoy!

Pan-seared Polenta with Chèvre and Thyme

Polenta has a reputation of blandness.  It's a well earned reputation, so you have to build flavour into the dish.

First, bring salted water to a boil.  You can also use veg stock to provide more taste.  Polenta varies in terms of firmness.  Since this will be fried, this dish needs enough cornmeal so that it's not porridge.

Slowly add the cornmeal to the boiling water while stirring.  Or, if you're crazy enough to try to hold a camera and take photos while cooking, you'll need to whisk the mixture to remove the lumps.  Boil for about a minute or two, until it's thick and begins to "blurp."  Then allow to cool and set firm.

Once cooled, remove from the pan and slice into workable chunks.  (It helps to wet the knife before cutting.)  Sear both sides of the polenta in olive oil.

Garnish and serve with flavourful pairings.  I chose the creamy sharpness of goat cheese; the also tangy, yet sweet, aged balsamic; savoury, bright tomatoes and the mildly pungent thyme.

This can easily be made vegan by substituting or omitting the chèvre.  Mixed olives would be an ideal alternate.

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.

Southwest Burger Wraps

A hearty wrap is the way to go when you're hungry.  This is composed of refried beans, veggie burger, lettuce, salsa and tomatoes. I also made a three colour coleslaw to add extra vege.

Bitter Melon

If you're Piony, there's one thing that cures all ailments: bitter melon!  It's kinda like a cucumber, but it has a distinct bitter base flavour. Start by sauteing diced onion and adding the sliced bitter melon.

Pour over beaten eggs and continue to cook until done through - like a frittata.  Once done, top with shiitake and tomatoes.

Pad see ew (Phat si io)

This was more experimental - I'd only had a taste at a restaurant.

Start by soaking rice flake noodles (square rice noodles).  Create a broth of fresh tomato puree, soy sauce, crushed peanuts, diced onion and a bit of water.  Bring it to a boil and drizzle in a beaten egg.  Add the rice flake and a bit of coconut oil.

Keep it stirred until it's tender - serve promptly.

It's an amazing flavour - serve with fresh tomatoes and Thai basil.

Red Grits

The addition of blended pimiento and tomato make these grits a savoury delight.

Grilled Portabella Burger

Served on a made-from-scratch wheat bun with seared baby corn.

Seasoned with apple-wood smoked salt and olive oil.

Avocado Salsa

Avocados are amazing! To take it to a new dimension, I added corn, tomatoes and olives and salt. This builds on the mellow avocado flavour a complex and savoury dimension.

This recipe works best with avocados that are almost fully ripe. They shouldn't be plasticky or mushy.

Dolmas

I harvested the grape leaves from my vines. The filling contains:

• turmeric rice
• sautéed tofu with onions
• olive oil
• truffle salt

Served with grilled green beans and fresh cherry tomatoes.