THE COLLARD WRAP (RAW)

Yesterday Yale and I went to the Toronto Raw/Vegan Festival, we tried zucchini pasta, drank coconut water from fresh young coconuts, bought organic chocolate and met raw chef Douglas McNish, author of the new cookbook EatRaw, Eat Well. OK, I can see some of you now rolling your eyes (Gordy) – wondering what will I be eating next!  Well it is almost lunch time and Yale and I have been busy in the kitchen…

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Yale’s hand written recipe.

This recipe will make enough chickpea beet spread for 4 collard wraps. I like to mash up the avocado instead of stacking slices because it gives a nice creamy texture. The bigger the collard leaves the better.  This recipe is adapted from Honest Fare. Thank you for such a delicious recipe.

The Collard Wrap:

You will need:

•  8 large collard leaves
•  Veggies of choice (avocado, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts, etc.) and even quinoa or sunflower seeds are nice in there too!
•  Chickpea beet spread

For Chickpea beet spread:

•  10 oz soaked or canned garbanzo beans, ( we used dried and soaked over night) – if using dried you need to ccok them for about 20 minutes.
•  1/2 a med-sized beet, peeled
•  2 carrots, peeled
•  Juice from one lemon
•  2 tablespoons tahini
•  3 teaspoons olive oil
•  Salt to taste
•  Cracked black pepper to taste
•  1-2 tablespoons honey
•  A few sprigs of fresh parsley
•  1/4 fresh garlic clove

Directions:

1. Place carrots into food processor and pulse until consistency of rolled oats. Remove and set aside. Put garbanzos, beets, parsley, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice in food processor and pulse until creamy. Add a little water, one tablespoon at a time, if necessary to thin a little. Scrape sides of food processor and add salt (like 1/4 teaspoon), some pepper, tahini and agave and pulse again a few times. Taste and add any additional salt or pepper. Fold in carrots until well combines. Place in fridge to chill.
2. Remove the healthiest looking collard leaves from the bunch and trim off the white stalk that does not have any green leaves attached. Soak leaves in warm water and vinegar bath for a few minutes to clean and bring to room temp.
3. Dry leaves completely. Place leaves flat (rough side up) on a cutting board and gently glide a sharp paring knife across the length of the stem, shaving it down to the same thickness as the rest of the leaf (refer to image in post). Do this for each leaf. Careful not to nick or tear the leaf with the tip of your knife.

Each wrap will require two leaves for rolling. Place two leaves head to foot (with stalks at opposite ends) and overlapping about half way (refer to image in post). Apply a good amount of spread at the center where the two leaves overlap and pile up veggies of your choice. Fold in sides and tightly roll like you would a burrito. Leave whole if traveling or saving for later, but cut through center before eating.

KELP NOODLE PAD THAI (RAW)

Kelp noodles?
Curious, so was I!

And so was Gordy, well actually he was a bit scared knowing that being the official  in-house taster, he had a job to do… you are not going to make me try these are you?

Ok, the truth is I was a bit wary so just in case I had a pot of water boiling on the stove for a back up dinner of pasta.

Here is my report…

Made of only kelp (a sea vegetable), sodium alginate (sodium salt extracted from a brown seaweed), and water, Kelp Noodles are fat-free, gluten-free, and very low in carbohydrates and calories.  Best of all, no cooking is required. Just rinse and add the noodles to any dish and they are ready to eat! 

So, what do they taste like? They are neutral in taste, clear in colour and a have a crunchy texture, but once you cover them in a sauce they become much softer and soak up all the flavour. They make a great alternative to pasta and rice noodles.

I did get Gordy to try them and he was quite surprised at how good they tasted, but he ended up eating the pasta with Rowe Farms sausage. I ate the pad thai. We were both happy.

This is definitely not a traditional pad thai recipe, but I think you will like it.

Ingredients:

• 1 package raw kelp noodles
• 2-3 heaping tablespoons raw almond butter or any other nut butter you like. I sometimes use raw hemp butter.
• 1 small cloves garlic
• ½ onion
• 2 tablespoons sriracha
• 4 tablespoons shoyu or tamari sauce
• 2 to 3 Medjool dates
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 cup cabbage, shredded
• ½ cup baby spinach
• 3 green onion, diced
• ½ Cilantro, chopped
• ½ Cashews, crushed
• lime wedges
• bean sprouts

Feel free to use any veggies you like.

Directions: 

1. Place the almond butter, garlic, onion, sriracha, shoyu, dates and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Process until everything is well mixed.
3. Taste for sweetness. If you like it a bit sweeter add another date.
4.  If sauce is to thick you can add a bit of water.
5. Toss the sauce with the kelp noodles and mix well.
6. Add the carrots, cabbage, spinach, green onion and cilantro and toss again.
7. Garnish with the bean sprouts,  cashews and lime wedges.

3 to 4 servings 

 Kelp Noodles from the Sea Tangle Noodle Company.

I bought these at Fiesta Farms.

 An entire bag of these kelp noodles contains only 18 calories (yes, the entire bag)!

MILLET BURGERS

After the long weekend of eating BBQ it is time to shake things up with some veggie burgers!

I think that homemade veggie burgers are always better than store-bought and these are easy to make, just remember that for this recipe you need to soak the millet overnight.

Oh, and in case you were just wondering Gordy did not eat these burgers, he had shrimp.

This recipe was adapted from my new book that Yale gave me  for Mother’s Day, The Beauty Detox Solution.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ cup dry millet
• ¼ cup water
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 large onion, finely minced
• 3 cups swiss chard, finely chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, finely minced
• 2 small carrots, minced
• sea salt
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup amaranth flour
• 1 Tbsp oil, for pan cooking ( I like coconut or grapeseed oil)

Directions:

1. Rinse and soak the millet in water overnight before preparing the burgers.
2. When you are ready to make the burgers add the millet to boiling water, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the millet is soft.
3. When millet is ready let cool.
4. Sauté the garlic and onion in 1 tbsp of oil until the onions are translucent.
5. Add the swiss chard, celery, and carrots and cook for a few minutes, then mix in the sea salt and additional seasonings.
6. Add the cooked millet and stir well.
7. Take pan off the heat and add the amaranth flour to the mixture.
8. Mix well.
9. When the mixture has cooled form into small round burgers.
10. When ready to eat heat a large pan and add oil.
11. Cook each burger on both side until golden brown.

Good with dijon mustard.

QUINOA SALAD WITH FRESH MINT AND PISTACHIOS

It’s lunch time and I feel like eating something grainy and crunchy and healthy. 

I don’t usually use a recipe when I make a quinoa salad; I just see whatever I have kicking around in the kitchen.

 For example today, I have a jar of pistachios on the counter, fresh mint in the fridge and a ripe tomato in the fruit bowl.

 Thirty minutes later I was eating this delicious salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (cook according to package directions)
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 TBS. honey
• 1  cup chopped  pistachios (toasted if you like)
• 1 cup finely chopped flat parsley
• 1 cucumber, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped, discard seeds
• 3 to 4 green onions, finely chopped (⅓ cup)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Place cooked quinoa in large bowl.
2.  Stir in lemon juice and honey and let cool for 15 minutes.
3.  Stir in remaining ingredients.
4.  Season with salt and pepper and mix well

The longer this salad sits the better it gets, so if you have time make it early in the day.

SALMON WITH CHILI AND MANGO SALSA

I was walking in Chinatown and the mangos are piled high! Spring is mango season and I can’t resist buying a case and eating them all, but I did save a few for this recipe.

Gordy the bbq’er knows he should eat more fish but when there is a choice to be made he opts for USDA prime, but tonight the mangos won him over.  

 Ingredients for the salsa:

• 1 10-ounce mango, peeled, pitted, diced

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 2 teaspoons minced seeded serrano chili

• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel

• 1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt and pepper

I like to  make the salsa ahead of time to let the flavours develop.

Ingredients for the salmon:

• 2 6-ounce salmon fillets

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel

• Fresh lime juice

• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).

2. Combine the mango, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, zest, chili, garlic and 2 TBS of olive oil.

3. Season salsa with salt and pepper.

4. Brush salmon lightly with 1 TBSP of olive oil.

5. Season with salt, pepper, lime zest and lime juice.

6. Grill until just opaque in the center, about 5 minutes per side.

7. Serve with salsa.

BLACK BEAN AND QUINOA BURGERS

I am married to a burger lover  – I did try to pass these off one night for dinner but I have to be honest they did not go over well , but what can I say I Ioved these burgers and will be making them again.

Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers
Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dry quinoa
• 1/2 cup of corn meal (I sometimes use quick cooking oats)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• dash of hot sauce
• Dash of salt

Directions:
1. In a small sauce pan, toast the quinoa in olive oil for a few minutes. Add a cup of water and a pinch of salt, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes).

2. Put the black beans, cooked quinoa, corn meal or oats, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, tomato paste and salt into a mixing bowl. Mix everything together with your hands until it’s evenly mixed. 

3.Divide the burger mixture into four equal pieces. Use your hands to form the burgers.

4. Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Pour some olive oil into the pan. Cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side, until they are a deep brown.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

I love this recipe.  It comes from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, authors of The Silver Palate Cookbook, http://shop.silverpalate.com/.

I think the secret to this recipe is my 20lb cast iron yellow Calphalon dutch oven.  Thank you Judy, (my sister in law) for carrying it home in your suitcase from Naples Florida, I think of you every time I make this recipe!

My Calphalon Enamel Cast Iron 5 Quart Dutch Oven in custard yellow.

This recipe serves 6

Ingredients:

• ½ pound bacon, diced
•  31/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 
3 cups of burgundy wine
• 3 cups beef stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1~1/2 inch pieces
• 2 cups of white pearl onions
• 8 ounces fresh chanterelles or other wild mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon red currant jelly
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat leafed parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In an ovenproof casserole or dutch oven sauté the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.  Sauté the beef in the bacon fat in small batches, until browned on all sides.
4. Return all of the beef to the pan and add the onions.  Sprinkle the beef and onion mixture with salt, pepper and the flour.  Stir to combine well and cook over high heat until the flour is no longer white or dry looking, about 5 minutes
5. Add the wine, the beef stock, the tomato paste, the bacon and rosemary. Loosen any bits of food from the bottom and sides of the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.  Cover and place in the oven to cook until the meat is tender, about two hours.
6. To prepare the vegetables, bring a small pot of water to a boil and drop in the carrots, boil until tender for 5 to 7 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. Reserve.
7. If you are using frozen pearl onions you just need to defrost them, if you are using fresh pearl onions make a small X in the root end of each pearl onion, fop into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. Reserve.
8. Slice the mushrooms, and cook in about 1 to 2 Tbsp of melted butter, sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes.
9. When the meat is cooked, add the carrots, onions, mushrooms and currant jelly.
10. Put back in the oven and heat through about 10 minutes.
11. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.