Carrots Carbonara

Carrots Carbonara.

 Carrots are one of my favourite vegetables. They're inexpensive (especially as far as Organics go,) and can dance seamlessly between sweet or savoury dishes.

Carrot sticks and grated carrots make regular appearances in my kitchen - they're great on their own and are a perfect addition to smoothies, salads, or meat sauces.  Carrot ribbons, however, had never before been part of my repertoire  - that is, until I stumbled upon this recipe by Grok Grub that had me thinking "wow that pasta looks amazing," and then "THAT'S NOT PASTA?" No, it's not pasta, it's CARROTS - they're crunchy, bright orange, and great for your eyes. 

Carrot ribbons.

Once you've peeled your carrots into ribbons and cooked your bacon, this recipe comes together in under 20 minutes, so it's perfect for dinner on a busy evening. I peeled the carrots in the morning and had them in the fridge covered with a damp paper towel until I needed to add them to the pan. 

You could serve this with a side salad, a pork chop, or on its own. If you're vegan, simply swap the bacon with sundried tomatoes and you're good to go. The portion is perfect for two people, or as a side dish for four - we even ended up with some leftovers that microwaved well for a snack the next day.

Get the recipe here.

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Kale & White Bean Soup

Dinner is served.

Happy Monday! It's cold, isn't it? As it gets closer to March, I start to itch for Spring. This is not unlike most people, but I'm not into Winter sports and cabin fever is catching up. I'm dying for the light, crisp meals that mild weather brings, but I'm also in need of a warm up. As with most of life's dilemmas, Martha Stewart has the answer, and she offered up a delicious Kale & White Bean Soup. It feels like a Winter meal without all the heaviness.                              

I realize this is my second kale-related post, and I think it's important to mention that it is a coincidence - I'm not obsessed with kale. A while back I was loving it sautéed with lemon, garlic and butter, until I found a caterpillar in my dinner. Although I've been trying to be less intimidated by bugs, especially considering food is grown in dirt, the experience put me off salad for a while. It seems I've come back to kale with a vengeance.

A big pot of vitamins.

This recipe is so simple; with just 6 ingredients, the only hassle is remembering to soak your beans overnight. You could serve this like Martha, with a big piece of crusty bread, or like me, with shaved parmesan and a sprig of fresh parsley. Yum.

Get the recipe here.

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Hollandaise Over Everything

My hollandaise sauce
(after a lifetime of whisking).

I'm obsessed with hollandaise sauce. This is something that I accept of myself, because I know that I will order absolutely anything from a restaurant if there is hollandaise sauce on top. I would drink it with a straw, even though that would put me in a 'hollan-daze'. I would pay for the re-write of a Frank's RedHot commercial so that hollandaise could finally receive the publicity it deserves. I would spend more time telling you what I would do with hollandaise sauce, but my word count would max. out.

Going to buy meat is always an event for me. The drive out to a farm or store is at least 30 minutes and I try to do some advanced menu planning so I only have to make the trip every other week.

This week I picked up some fresh trout and, among other things, a dozen duck eggs. Duck eggs are delicious. They are richer in flavour and higher in protein than chicken eggs (click here for a quick guide to egg comparison.) They are also higher in fat, making the duck egg perfect for a thick, creamy hollandaise sauce that you can pour over anything or everything, including a beautiful baked trout fillet.

Hol-lain-daise O-ver Ev-ery-thing.

Trout is easy. It bakes quickly in high heat, which is ideal since hollandaise requires a bit of time and attention. As for the veg, anything goes. Asparagus would be nice in the spring, green beans would work any time, but on this occasion, I'm having mine with a sauté of organic king oyster and shiitake mushrooms (and a glass of Chardonnay.)

Get the recipe here.

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Warm Winter Quiche

The final product:
winter quiche and greens

How perfect is Quiche?

It’s full of protein, super versatile and it reheats well – I would consider it a fridge staple.

I feel that most people see Quiche as a Spring or Summer dish, but it’s amazing served with a side of greens on a chilly Winter evening. In most cases, all you need are a few pantry staples. Flour, oil, eggs, milk and salt are the perfect backdrop for any flavour combination. Any blend of vegetables, herbs, meat or cheese will do. Whether you want to get creative or just use up what's left in the fridge, Quiche is the answer.

Prepping some of my ingredients:
baby kale, shredded oak, eggs, garlic.

I haven’t seen this much snow on the ground in years. Of course it's snowed, but it hasn't stayed the way it has this year. This Winter feels like the real deal. I’ve been in total hibernation mode and that is being echoed in my kitchen, so I created a Warm Winter Quiche with wilted greens to amp up my energy level. Kale, Swiss Chard and Spinach are the stars of this dish, but the pan-roasted garlic and melted Oka had my kitchen smelling warm and inviting.
Toss some mixed greens with a little olive oil, salt and pepper while your Quiche is cooling. Pour yourself (and your guests) a glass of wine. Now, your Quiche is ready to slice and serve. Enjoy!

Get the recipe here.

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Je T'aime

A short stack of macarons.

You know it's almost Valentine's Day is when the cold, dark Winter gets painted shades of pink and red, and the resolutions of the New Year get tossed out the window in favour of cinnamon hearts. This post is a departure from my "real food" theme, but it is in the spirit of treats. This year, I'm treating my valentine to something he affectionately refers to as those things.

Ah - the french macaron. The delicate dessert that has fans swooning all over Paris. If you can't make it to Ladurée, you can whip up a batch yourself, but you'll need practice, patience, and a scale.

I think part of the appeal of the french macaron is its look - two meringue clouds sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream or jam - how adorable!  

You can go the traditional route with the standard size and fun pastels or you can switch it up with flavours or minis. I've seen some beautiful heart-shaped cookies, but I lack the skill-set to execute anything but the classic recipe. These little treats are so finicky, but they're worth the effort. 

Macarons waiting patiently for the oven.

There are so many macaron recipes available online; I usually like to browse through foodgawker for inspiration, it's a photo gallery that links blogs throughout the world (and it really gets the stomach going.) After hours of hard work, both me and my Valentine were so delighted to snack on a stack of macarons that we ignored the stomach aches after eating so many, and I may or may not have had one for breakfast.

Get the recipe here.

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Warm Cinnamon Rolls

Drizzling cream cheese icing
over warm cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls; does anything compare? Warm, buttery dough with a spiral of sweet spice through the centre. Top them with cream cheese frosting and you have the Saturday morning breakfast of goddesses (/gods.)

I'd been fantasizing about cinnamon rolls for a long time, but I didn't want to ruin my craving with your run-of-the-mill, mass manufactured cinnamon roll. I wanted an at-home roll, the kind that fills your kitchen with that sweet aroma to the point that you feel you are living inside of the cinnamon roll.

A ball of dough ready to rise.

The only thing between me and the cinnamon rolls of my dreams was the yeast. I tried to use yeast in a recipe about 3 years ago and after wasting all three packs on an unsuccessful attempt, I came to terms with the fact that it wasn't going to happen for me. I picked myself back up and recently bought another 3-pack of yeast with my cinnamon roll craving in mind. A lazy Saturday morning was upon me, so I scoured Google and Foodgawker for "easy cinnamon roll" recipes, and I came across a gem. Minimalist Baker enticed me with "The World's Easiest Cinnamon Rolls" and I haven't looked back since.

This recipe turned out perfectly. I made some minor adjustments, substituting real butter, whole wheat flour and organic cane sugar for the originals. The buns were rich and dense, which is the perfect way to balance out a cup of black coffee.

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Get the recipe here.

Baked Shrimp Mac and Cheese

Shrimp mac and cheese.

Baked mac and cheese is one of my favourite winter (/spring/summer/fall) treats. This isn't just because of the luxurious cheese-sauce, but because this basic dish is an amazing canvas for flavours. The classic noodle and cheese-sauce combination doesn't really maximize the nutritional potential of this dish, so I'm always mixing up different cheeses, vegetables, meats and grains.

The best thing about making mac and cheese is that you don't need a recipe at all (and you certainly don't need a box of chemical powder cheese.) If you are using a recipe as inspiration, you don't need to follow it to the letter, you can add more or less of anything to suit what you have in your kitchen at the time.

Bits of poached shrimp waiting
for their cheese bath.

I don't limit my definition of 'mac and cheese' to just macaroni either, I am an equal opportunity noodle-user and I think it's important to experiment. For this dish, I used a spiral Spelt-flour pasta. Spelt is an ancient grain so it's got less gluten than white or whole wheat, and it packs protein, B and E vitamins and other minerals. The crevices and curls of this noodle are like little holding tanks for sauce, which is ideal when you've got a melted blend of homemade chicken stock, parmesan rind, shrimp and aged cheddar.

Just before baking, I sprinkled ground almonds and grated parmesan (breadcrumb impersonators) over top of the pasta. When the top is browned, serve immediately with a small green salad and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

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Get the recipe here.