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Chocolate Quinoa Cake

20 Dec

The first thing I’d like to say about this cake is make it. Make it now. Or soon, if you’re at work or some other important place that would frown upon you leaving to make a chocolate cake in the middle of the afternoon.

The second thing is: share it once you’ve made it. This cake is too good to have all to yourself. Or at least, you might feel a tad guilty after finishing it off so to avoid any guilt share it with one and all.

The third is: you will not believe that it’s gluten-free. I’m not much of a gluten-free baker, so the fact that it turned out great even for me is a very good sign!

Finally, and somewhat related: I’ve resorted to using my Instagram photos of my food. The Winter light here in Calgary is making it very difficult for me, a novice photographer, to get good light for photos! So, if anyone has any good, cheap photography tips for Winter, please let me know.

This recipe came to me through my friend Kendra who found it at Dinner With Julie. Julie excerpted the recipe from the book Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood in a post featured on The Family Kitchen. (more…)

Pumpkin Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

15 Nov

I made this soup last week after a trip to the dentist – I’ll spare you the details – left me only able to eat soft foods for a few days. I had one small pie pumpkin left, an abundance of carrots and some fresh sweet potatoes (or yams, depending on who you ask).

What resulted is a rich and creamy soup (without cream!) that’s perfect for fall days and sore mouths.

Pumpkin Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

2 medium sized yams, cut into 1″ cubes
1 small pie pumpkin, cut in quarters, seeds removed
3 medium sized carrots, cut in 4
1 onion, small dice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup orange juice
1 lemon, zested and juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Roast yams, pumpkin and carrots on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 F for 30 minutes, until just starting to brown.

Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Add thyme and garlic and saute until just fragrant.

When roasted mixture is done, add it to the pot along with stock and orange juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. When cooled slightly, partially or fully puree mixture and pour back into a clean pot. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves. Can be frozen or kept in fridge for up to 5 days.

Enjoy!
Jacinthe

Autumn Kale Salad

11 Nov

I’ve been making a version of this salad a lot over the past few weeks because of the abundance of kale at the farmers’ market and thus in my fridge. It’s super quick to make and because kale is so hearty, it lasts for up to 4 days. Experiment with different greens, dried fruits and ingredients in general! I like to make a large mason jar of vinaigrette and have it in the fridge to use at any time.

Autumn Kale Salad

2 cups raw kale, finely chopped
2 small heritage carrots, finely sliced
1/2 small red pepper, finely sliced
1/2 a large parsnip, shredded
1/4 white or red onion, finely sliced
2 dried nectarine halves, finely slice (or any other dried fruit)

Dressing:
1/4 olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp dried herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary)
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp onion granules
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp sugar

Toss everything in a bowl with dressing and let sit for about 2 hours. Kale will start to soften. Portion out individually and store for up to 4 days.

Enjoy!
Jacinthe

Butter Chicken or Tofu with Saffron Rice

8 Nov

One of the things I miss about living in Toronto is getting the quarterly LCBO magazine, Food & Drink. The recipes are some of the best I’ve ever tried, including this Butter Chicken.

Seriously, this is a dish that you’ll want to break out when you really want to impress. It looks like it’s complicated, but really it’s just the same ingredients added repeatedly at different stages of the process. Especially a garlic-ginger purée that’s super easy to make and can be frozen for other uses.

Magic ginger-garlic purée!

Chicken marinating in a spiced yogurt mixture.

Tomatoes and spices boiling down.

Sieving the tomato mixture after it has reduced.

I made this for the latest Monday Night Supper Club potluck, which happened to be on Halloween. I dressed up in a beautiful sari I received as a gift and went East Indian style! Lori Andrews over at The 10 Cent Designer made this Cucumber Dill Salad that went perfectly.

Butter Chicken – Slightly adapted from LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2008 Amaya Restaurant Toronto

Combine and let marinate for 20 minutes:
lb./454 g chicken or 1 block/454 g extra firm tofu
1 tsp ginger puree (recipe below)
1 tsp garlic puree (recipe below)
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp garam masala

If using chicken, bake at 425 F for 10-12 mins.

In a large pan combine and let simmer (med-low heat) until tomatoes are breaking down (about 25 mins):
1 can (2 cups/16 oz.) diced tomatoes, juices reserved
2 tsp ginger puree
2 tsp garlic puree
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 cup reserved tomato juice (more…)

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

1 Nov

Lentils are a great alternative to using ground meat for Shepherd’s Pie. Green lentils keep their shape, while orange lentils melt into mush; using both gives a similar texture to meat.

This is definitely a dish for potlucks (even meat-lovers like it) and to make when you’re on a budget – each serving works about to approximately $1.50 (depending on how much butter, cream, and cheese you use)!

I like to make a double or triple recipe of this, portion it out into 7″x5″ 3-cup Pyrex bakeware, then freeze for easy weeknight meals. (more…)

A Red Green Smoothie

21 Oct

Green drinks/smoothies are one of my favourite breakfast meals or snacks. There are so many combinations of fruits and vegetables to use, usually whatever you have in your fridge! I add protein powder in to make them a full meal that will keep me satiated for around 3 hours. The trick is to use a very good blender. Otherwise, you’ll end up with pulpy slush that isn’t very appetizing. In this version, I added a beet, which not only lends its beautiful colour to the drink, but also its vitamins and nutrients!


Red Green Smoothie

1 small beet, peeled and cut into wedges
3 cups greens (kale, swiss chard, lettuce, mesclun)
1 stalk celery
1 small carrot, peeled
1/2″ fresh ginger
1 apple (or pear, nectarine, peach, whatever’s in season)
1 banana
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh juice (cranberry is my fav)
1 serving’s worth of protein powder
water

Place everything in a blender and add enough water to almost cover. Blend until super smooth. You can stop and start the blender to let the larger pieces settle to the bottom. Pour into your favourite smoothie glass and enjoy! Keeps in the fridge for about 2 days.

Happy Cooking!
Jacinthe

Baked Crabapples with Onion and Sage

14 Oct

Here’s the latest article from the Bodhi Tree’s October 2011 newsletter.

—–

Many times in yoga class we are asked to set an intention for our practice. It could be anything from courage or strength, to softness or vulnerability. Setting an intention helps us move from just making shapes with our bodies to watching what comes up during our practice and working with the energy in our subtle bodies to deepen our understanding of ourselves.

Recently as I’ve come to my mat, I’ve found that “love” is the intention that pops into my head first. Sending love out into your everyday life not only benefits you, but also strengthens your relationships with the people around you and the earth. You might recall a time when “love” was the intention for your asana practice as well. That day, maybe you left that love intention on the mat, carried a little into the next activity you did, or perhaps you made love your highest purpose in life!

You can express love for yourself and for others in many ways: smiling at a stranger on the sidewalk, sending a note to a dear friend out-of-the-blue, expressing gratitude, or doing something by yourself just for the fun of it. Another great way to share this intention is through food. Cooking for those you love, bringing baked goods to friends or coworkers, is enough to let anyone know that they are loved!

Crabapples are ripe all over the city, just waiting to be used in this month’s recipe. Try it for upcoming holiday meals, because food made with love always tastes better! (more…)

How-To: Basil Pesto (with cashews and lemon)

11 Oct

Basil is probably the most classic pesto ingredient you can come by. Earlier this Summer, I was planning the menu for my second camping trip of the season and debating whether I should buy prepared pesto or make my own.

You see, on a previous camping trip, my friend and I had discovered that sautéing kale, swiss chard, broccoli, beet greens or any other of our favourite greens was super delicious and quick. Pesto turned out to be an excellent and versatile ingredient to include in the cooler.

I was short on time and thought, “Oh, I’ll just buy some.” Off to the farmers’ market I went, but instead of buying a 125 ml jar for $7, I walked away with $15 worth of basil (about 1/3 of a clear garbage bag full). Needless to say, I made a lot of pesto for much less than I would’ve bought it for! (more…)

Black Bean and Corn Soup

7 Oct

This soup became an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of recipe and is probably that tastiest soup I’ve ever made. It will be great now that the weather has cooled down. Serve it with Garden Salad with Edible Flowers, any salad or roasted vegetables.

Black Bean and Corn Soup:

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 large onion, finely diced
2 med red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 tsp. jalapeno pepper finely diced, seeds removed
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500ml shredded cabbage
500ml shredded carrots
500ml chopped mushrooms
1 shredded zucchini
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
3 tbsp. tomato paste (or1/4 cup ketchup)
2 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed and rinsed (4 cobs)
9 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste (more…)

Edamame, Arame and Sweet Potato Salad

27 Sep

I made this delicious salad for the most recent Monday Night Supper Club – potluck edition. It’s another fast, easy recipe (my favourite kind) that always impresses.


Edamame, Arame and Sweet Potato Salad:
1 cup arame, soaked for 30 minutes and rinsed
2 cups sweet potato, cut into 1/2″ cubes and steamed
1 cup edamame, boiled in salted water for 3 minutes
1 green onion, sliced on the bias
2″ daikon radish, grated
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Dressing:
2 Tbsps sesame oil
2 Tbsps tamari
5 Tbsps rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsps ginger, freshly grated
3 Tbsps maple syrup
Pinch of cinnamon or five-spice powder


Directions:
Prepare the dressing in a measuring cup or jar. Mix or shake well.

Drain Arame (seaweed) in a colander and squeeze out extra water. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for at least 1 hour, for all the flavours to incorporate.

Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Enjoy!
Jacinthe

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