Fresh and Delicious

It seems that as my days get busier and the weather gets hotter, it is a huge challenge for me to whip up a meal. We all have things we have as “go-to’s”, and my go-to is always a simple cold noodle salad.

I know that many of us may not keep such ingredients in the pantry, but for me, rice noodles, fish sauce and sambal olek are always floating around. And in the fridge, you will always find cilantro, carrots, cucumbers and a piece of meat.

On this particular day, as the temperature rose and the humidity became almost unbearable, I made my go-to salad and enjoyed it immensely. The crunch of the carrots and cucumber with the salty peanuts, the spicy vinaigrette, and the tender slices of striploin, filled the void on this day.

I started by soaking the rice noodles in warm water while I julienned my vegetables and chopped my cilantro. A vinaigrette of lime juice, ginger, fish sauce, sambal olek and sesame oil awaited the noodles and vegetables. To finish the dish off, I topped the noodles with some thinly sliced striploin steak from the night before and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts.

In less than ten minutes I had a delicious and fresh dinner that would also be great as leftovers for lunch the next day. Quick, simple and fresh; it’s that easy.

Putting my farmers' market haul to work.

This is the time of year when inspiration can still be lurking in my closet, just waiting for the sunshine and flowers to arrive. But, give me a solid day at the farmers’ market and a lil’ bit if old fashioned sunshine and that inspiration can manage to emerge for a few hours.

On this particular day, while child #1 was away from the house on a ‘field trip’ with our friends, Scott and Joy, and child #2 quietly enjoying a nap, I was able to whip up a quick and beautiful meal of flank steak, carrot salad and slow roasted fingerling potatoes with lemon and garlic.

The steak, purchased at the market the day before, was marinated overnight in Worcestershire, lemon juice, rosemary and olive oil. After quick broil (BBQ’s still in the basement) and a much needed rest, the meat was thinly sliced and ready to serve. Simple and delicious.

Next was my carrot salad. You’ve seen it before in a previous post. This is my go to salad these days. It is super easy, only needs a few key ingredients, makes use of produce still in season and it’s delicious!

Last, but not least, was the potatoes – the star of this dinner! These gorgeous french fingerlings from Elmridge Farm, were sliced and slowly roasted in a mixture of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. The only word to describe these potatoes which were cooked for 2 hours in a low oven, is succulent!

Needless to say, the peak market days are still many weeks away, but with a little imagination, some lovely seasonal produce and some great company there is still much to be inspired by at this time of year!

My hungry little man.

Here is something that you may not know about me; I have two small children, yes, count ‘em, two. Okay, that isn’t earth shattering nor is it an anomaly, but I bet you didn’t know that I personally make a point of making all the food that they eat. I know that there are many of you out there that are in the same boat as me, and while may want to make your own food, you may think it is either time consuming or difficult. Guess what? It is neither!

It all began for me less than two years’ ago when Zoe (aka “Crazy Train”) started eating solid foods. As you probably know, I am a “cook” by trade , but does cooking foie gras and shaving truffles make me a baby food maker? Nope. Does my  profession make it easier for me to pump out really great and tasty baby food? Maybe. I am by no means an expert in the baby food making field – but I do have two little monkeys that have managed to eagerly eat just about everything I put in front of them.

I am currently back in the process of making my own baby food as my big ‘ol baby boy, Philippe, a whopping 25 pounds at 10 months, is currently eating me out of house and home! Yes, believe it or not, a baby can do that.

What did I start Zoe and Philippe on? That’s a question I’m often asked by fellow friends who also have small kids. I started them on the traditional mashed banana, applesauce, pureed pears and sweet potatoes. Add in some rice cereal and then oatmeal cereal and you have a pretty good base. Making your own applesauce and fruit/vegetable puree is dead simple; just steam or boil in a small amount of water and puree in a blender or with a hand blender. A tip for the pureeing of foods is to keep any liquid that is in the pot to help blend and puree.

As the 6 month mark passed, we moved on the more vegetables and added in some protein. I find that adding some soft tofu to the fruits and vegetables is an easy way to introduce protein. A favorite of both of my kids is when I boil chicken breast with brown rice, sweet potato and a little ginger root. Just cover with enough water, cover and cook until very soft and puree. Any leftover food can easily be put in ice cube trays and frozen for future use!

Another great item for babies is quark. I buy quark from Fox Hill Cheese House and keep half in the fridge and the other half in the freezer. I will sometime add pureed fruit or even sweeter vegetables to it and Philippe goes crazy for it! Yogurt is also another big hit with my baby at the moment. I buy the heavier, Mediterranean style yogurt and mix it with fresh berries and flax seed oil for a hearty breakfast.

We are now at the 10 month mark. Philippe eats everything that the rest of us do! I puree lamb stew, curried lentils and even chili. Mind you, I try not to over season the food my kids are about to eat, and only add my “spicy” touches after their food has been plated.

I think it is very important that our kids eat what we do, and try different tastes, textures and styles. Too many children these days rely on pre-packaged, frozen or processed foods, and it is not their choice, nor is it necessarily the parents’ choice, but often a necessity for busy families. Making food for your babies and small kids is easy, and takes only a little bit of time. Make a big batch and freeze what is leftover and you will realize that you will get into a pattern of making your own and will always have some handy.

Yummy muffins.

These days, I find myself fighting with my 2 year old on a daily basis. Is it because she is knee deep in the terrible two’s? Perhaps. But one of the biggest issues we have is her “choice” in what she now wants to eat.

This is coming from my perfect child whom I bragged about because she ate everything and anything. Well, times have changed and so has my game plan. Now, the tofu is hidden in a smoothie, the peas are perfectly placed in mashed potatoes and the broccoli is buzzed up with a banana. A new trick that has brought me a little bit of peace and quiet is the carrot muffin.

I know, just because it is a muffin, and it contains carrots, does not necessarily mean it is healthy. Well, being aware of this, I don’t want it to be! Yep, bring on a treat that contains carrots, apples and raisins and I’ll turn a blind eye to the amount of fat involved if it makes her happy. If Zoe screams at me ’cause she wants one, well let us not let the lil’ lass wait.

Here is a quick carrot muffin recipe that has kept the peace at my house lately, and hopefully will do the same for yours!

Terrible Two’s Carrot Muffins

• 1 1/2C sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1C oil
• 2tsp vanilla
• 2C flour
• 2tsp baking soda
• 1tsp baking powder
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 2C  grated carrots
• ½ C  raisins
• ½ C chopped walnuts
• ½ C coconut
• 1 apple; grated

Cream together sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and fruit. Mix and spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 400°F for 18 – 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Consume with your kids!

Ethiopian Berbere Spice

It doesn’t take much to make me smile. A nap, a glass of wine or some extra stinky cheese can often be enough. But on a day where I thought I might lose my mind, just as the screams from my kids were piercing my ears, a smooth male voice came to me from my mudroom. There he was, the velvety voiced Costas Halavrezos, standing in my entry way while being harassed by child #1. As I ran to shield him from her begging, he handed over a small container of what I can now only describe as bliss. It was a  jar of the Ethopian Berbere spice from the Montreal based company Épices De Cru.

Since retiring from CBC Radio a few months ago, Costas has decided to pair up with acquaintances from Montreal and become the Épices De Cru man on the East coast. After recently mentioning this spice mix to me, and as he lives in my ‘hood, he was kind enough to help out this damsel in distress on drop some off.

Berbere Spiced Shrimp Couscous

I had no intention of letting the day finish without giving this extra special spice mix a test drive. After some quick decision making, I decided to marinate some Pacific white shrimp in the spice mix before sauteing them in a hot pan. I used the same pan to fry some cauliflower with cumin seeds, fresh tomatoes and cilantro. I placed the cauliflower along with the shrimp on top of  a quick couscous of raisins and orange. (Keep in mind, I only have 20 minutes to make dinner each night while Doug reads to bebe #1!).

After reading Green Eggs & Ham the our lil’ Queen, Doug floated down the stairs  to find the the heady aromas of the Berbere spice emanating from the kitchen. Our dinner was ready! You have to believe me when I tell you how happy I was to sit down with a large glass of Nova Scotia L’Acadie Blanc and a plate of my quick Épices De Cru inspired concontion.

Thank you again Mr. Halavrezos for the spices and for saving this poor soul’s life! If you aren’t as lucky as me to have such a dapper man deliver spices to your door, you can find him at the Halifax Brewery Market on Saturdays or on Twitter @CWNH.

Battle of the Beans

How does it go? Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat,the more you ….well, I think you get the gist of it! I recently went back to my homeland (yep, good ‘ol Shawville, PQ) and had the most fantabulous weekend! Not only did I get a break from the suckling piggy (my very large and always hungry 6 month old) but also got to enjoy some amazing cooking and tons of baked beans.

Murray Street's Headcheese

Now, do you think that perhaps I am just asking for trouble by eating beans all weekend? Hardly now. How could I resist the rich and sweet baked beans at Murray Street KWC in Ottawa? Molasses baked beans with succulent duck confit all topped off with baked eggs and duck fat fried bread crumbs? Yowza, it was a wonderful start to my Saturday! But my beans weren’t the only amazing thing about my meal. Zoe, the ever adventurous 2 year old that she is, ordered headcheese. Doug, had the “whole cow challenge”. Both of these dishes blew us out of the water! Doug’s dish came in the form of a chicken fried steak served with some fresh, free range fried eggs and a side salad. Perfect. Zoe and her headcheese; now that is a story in itself! The flavors of this delicacy blew us all out of the water, and Zoe certainly enjoyed the homemade crostinis and “baby pickles” as she called them. My only wish would have been that we could have returned for dinner, but alas, the big boy back home and a pot of baking “feves au lard” were awaiting us.

My second foray into baked beans on this weekend came in the form of my momma’s famous “feves au lard”. Different from the Murray Street beans, by way of salted pork belly and lard, instead of their sweeter version. My mother makes these in her special bean pot, and they have “bean” a favorite in the Lavallée home since God only knows when! These salty baked beans always remind me of going to my grandmother’s house on holidays and enjoying a big bowl of them doused in brown sugar. Yes, you read right.

There are two schools of thought on the “feves au lard”. Those of us who put brown sugar on them, to get a salty, sweet bowl of beans, and those (like my better half) who opt for ketchup. Anyway you garnish your beans, these stink makers are worth eating.

Whether you enjoy the sweet, molasses infused version of baked beans or the French Canadian “feves au lard”, my only advice to you: do not make any plans that have you and other people confined in close quarters! Happy tooting to you!

Yummy soup.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….wait, that’s just a typical Sunday at my house! I don’t think I need to go into any detail as to what happened on this last Sunday; I had dragged my sorry ass into the kitchen to make us a somewhat healthy and hot meal, blah, blah, blah. The only saving grace on this particular Sunday was that we had made a trip to the Dartmouth Market the day before and had scored a few gems; tatsoi and loads of basil from my favorite Mennonite farmer, and the last of the sweet corn from Noggins. The rain had decided to pay us a visit in Halifax (hard to believe!) and the chill was setting into all of our bones. The only sustenance that I could muster up was a good ‘ol kitchen sink soup; aka, the soup of soups, the king of kings, the thing that dreams are made of.

Into my giant green Creuset pot, chopped bacon,onions and garlic started to dance and were screaming out for more friends to join them. A handful of isreali couscous, fingerling potatoes and the last of the yellow teardrop tomatoes decided to join the fun, and brought along their friend Mr. Basil. A splash of chicken stock that had been hiding in the freezer and a slow simmer for an hour, the kitchen sink soup was almost ready to be consumed.  A sad looking piece of cauliflower and a few ears of corn and the tatsoi were added to the giant pot of bubbling goo. Off the heat and into big white bowls where it was topped off with little croutons made from our week old bread and a shaving of Old Growler cheese. This steaming bowl of goodness was by far the most favorite of my recent dinners, and it was all made with the goodies that were lurking in the cupboards and fridge, just waiting for their time to shine.

This salad isn't only crunchy - it gluten and dairy free.

I  recently had a request for a gluten and dairy free recipe. As most of you know by now, bread and cheese are two of my favourite things, but felt that I should expand my horizons and come up with a dish that would accommodate people that have allergies or aversions to these. So, with a few cookbooks in hand, I did some research and I came up with this fresh and simple dish that I haphazardly named “crunchy salad”.  Once you make it and try it out, you’ll understand why I’ve called it this. As always, this recipe is intended to be a guide for those of you at home. So take it and run with it! Who knows, yours may end up being a whole lot better than mine!

Crunchy Salad

• 1 english cucumber; diced
• 1 red pepper; julienned
• 4 carrots; julienne
• 1 pkg tofu; diced and fried
• ½ bunch cilantro; roughly chopped
• ½ C. basil; roughly chopped
• 1 C. cashews or peanuts; roughly chopped (optional)
• 4 scallions; julienne
• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• ½ pineapple; large dice
• 12 x 16/20 shrimp, sauteed (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together with vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette

• ½ C. canola or grape seed oil
• ¼ C. sesame oil
• ½ C. tamari or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp white sugar
• ½ inch ginger; peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic; minced
• ¼ C. chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp sambal olek (optional)

Whisk together all the ingredients and pour over the salad.

Grilled Goodness.

While scanning Twitter the other day, I came across a tweet by Smitten Kitchen about a “Shaved Asparagus Pizza“. Having just purchased 2lbs of fresh asparagus at the market that morning, and wanting to try out my pizza stone on our Weber grill, I decided to take the Smitten Kitchen recipe and use it as guideline.

First, I made a quick and easy pizza dough in my mixer and let it rise (see recipe below). Next came the building of the fire. Using a charcoal grill always requires some planning ahead and some carefully honed fire making skills! FYI….my fire making skills are outstanding! As my grill started to heat up, I put my stone on the grill and allowed it come up to temperature. This gave me a chance to prep the rest of my ingredients. A little shaved parmigiano-reggiano, mozzarella, some beautiful local asparagus from Caribou Island, basil from Riverview Herbs and a few crumbled sausages from Sweet Williams (grilled in advance) rounded out our ‘za toppings for the night.

After I rolled out my dough, I placed it on the white hot stone. I let it cook for 2 minutes then flipped it over and gave it another minute on the other side. Once this was done, I liberally drizzled my half cooked dough with extra virgin olive oil and then layered on the rest of the toppings. I returned the dressed pizza back to the stone, placed the cover on the grill and let ‘er cook for another 4-5 minutes.

The result was nothing less than incredible. It was one of the best pizzas that I’ve ever had! No joke! The crust was tender and crunchy, the toppings were warmed through, yet retained their freshness and the whole pizza had a delightful smokiness from the charcoal.   I suggest that if you own a pizza stone, throw it on the grill this summer and experiment with some different toppings – both savory and sweet. I cannot wait to to try this again!

Basic Pizza Dough

• 3 ¼ C. AP flour
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1 ¼ C. warm water
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Place the dry ingredients in a stand up mixer with the hook attachment. Add wet ingredients and mix until the dough comes away from the sides and is elastic and smooth (about 5 minutes). Cover with plastic wrap and put in warm place to rise for 1 hour. Once the dough has had a chance to rise, roll it out to any size or shape that you desire.

Click to enlarge.

In case you haven’t heard, I have a soft spot for cheese and crackers. Nothing major, but if you ask my better half, he’ll attest to the fact that often enough, my meal of the day will consist only of cheddar cheese and some crackers. Now, I know that this sounds pretty pathetic, but the beauty part of it is that I make my own crackers. Yep, that’s right, I make my own crackers to enjoy with my cheese. It might sound daunting to some, but this recipe couldn’t be easier. I put all my ingredients in my food processor and then roll it out with my Grandmere’s rolling pin (a very treasured Granger family heirloom that has been passed down through many generations). I hope that the next time you decide to indulge in some cheese eating, or even a bowl of tomato soup that deserves a trusty companion, you’ll muster up the time to cook off a batch of these bad boys.

Easy Peasy Crackers

• 3C. all pupose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 C. cold butter; cubbed
• 1C. sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp sugar

Pulse the flour, baking powder, salt and butter in food processor until it becomes a coarse meal. Add in wet ingredients and quickly pulse until the dough comes together. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough until desired thickness and cut into any shape (I like long, narrow triangles).Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes.