White Bean Panzanella Salad

This is a sponsored post. While I was compensated financially by the Ontario Bean Growers, I've been a huge fan of all things bean related for a very long time. All opinions are mine.

It’s so nice to see fresh spring produce finding its way back to local Farmers’ Markets again. Do you do a little dance when you see the bundles of asparagus at the farmers’ stall as well? Good! I’m glad I’m not the only one who adores this spring vegetable with abandon. How lucky am I that Dixon brings me all the asparagus I could ever want?! I certainly hit the jackpot with that man. Needless to say, I’ve been eating asparagus several times a week, making the most of the time we have together (which will be until the end of June.)  I like to trim the ends, discard the tough, woody stems, then I put it in a frying pan with a little water and steam it until it’s tender. I drain the asparagus, rinse it under cool water and toss it on salads like this. The fresh sweetness really shines through, as I eat one spear, and then another. Sometimes I’ll melt a little butter in the same frying pan and add the blanched asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and serve it with fried eggs and hot, buttered toast. Or if I’m feeling particularly gluttonous, I’ll whip up a batch of blender Hollandaise and drizzle it over the steamed asparagus. I eat it with my fingers and sigh heavily with happiness. Asparagus is also lovely roasted, wrapped in bacon, puréed in soup, and grilled on the barbeque. So many options for this verdant vegetable!

Catching Up: Sour Cherry & Plum Jelly; Other News

Watermelon, Pomegranate and Feta Salad with Mint

This is a sponsored post.  I was compensated financially by the National Watermelon Promotion Board.  As always, I wouldn't tell you about a product unless I really really love it.  And I love watermelon.  

So, we're in the thick of it, aren't we?  Hustling to and fro, going to holiday parties and Christmas concerts, and doing our best to make the season bright.  If you're like me, and busy busy busy, you're behind on your baking and unsure if those Christmas cards will be sent out before the Big Day.  Don't fret.  Do the best you can.  And if in doubt, hum along to Good King Wenceslas.  It works!  I swear!  And, of course, the Plan B is always a shot of something boozy into a hot beverage.  Baileys in hot chocolate is a fave around here!

Homegrown: Kale Tossed Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

With my manuscript and photographs for the cookbook due in just a handful of days, time around here is tight.  The days are long - testing the last few recipes and going through the manuscript, crossing i's and t's and making sure I make sense.  My house is a mess.  I don't leave the dirty house, unless it's to get groceries and have a little human contact with the outside world.  I can't believe on April 1st, it will be all over.  What in the world will I do with myself?!  I know, clean the house!  Go for a massage!  See friends I haven't seen for 6 months.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but still so much work to do before then.  Wish me luck!

How to Cook Lobster and Not Be Afraid

You guys.  I know.  Cooking lobster can scare the bejeezus out of you.  I've been there.  For my latest article in Culinaire Magazine, I spent the afternoon in my friend Lindsey's kitchen while she cooked the sea beast, tore it apart and extracted the sweet meat.  I was a fraidy cat before, but now I know I can do it all by myself, shall the occasion happen to fall upon me.  And you can too!!!  It's really not so bad.  And seeing as Labour Day is here already, why not try your hand at it this weekend?  This salad was worth all of the effort, believe me.  And this dip is crazy good too.  Read on for the recipes and step by step instructions.  Good luck.   And have a safe and happy weekend. 

Last Gasp: Peach & Tomato Salad with Bocconcini

"When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is."  ~ Alice Waters 

A Winter's Salad of Dates, Pomegranate & Fresh Mozzarella

Oh me, oh my.  You guys.  I've just returned from one of the best weeks of my life.  For real.  No joke.  I'm serious.  Phoenix was all kinds of over-the-top fun.  So many moments seized; so many times I had to pinch myself it was real.  I'll tell you all about it...in good time.  I'm a total meanie, I know!  There are photos that need to be tinkered with and a million thoughts running through my brain, but hopefully by the weekend you'll hear all about it.  In the meantime I have a lovely, lovely salad to share with you.  See, I'm not a total meanie, after all.  

A Little Balance: Persimmon & Pomegranate Salad

 

Full disclosure:  I wasn't going to tell you about this salad.  A light, simple supper of fruit does not shout from the roof tops "killer blog post idea!", but here it is and for good reason.  This salad is kind of awesome.  I know you've seen persimmons in the grocery store and not known what to do with them.  I've been there.  You pick some up and let them hang out on the counter, glancing at them daily just to make sure they're still there.  A week goes by and you do a google search to find out if yours are ripe yet.  They are.  Now what?  Sure you could bake with them, or eat them with yogurt and granola, or dip them in chocolate, but they are also quite wonderful when paired with the other seasonal fruit - the bodacious pomegranate.  The ruby-like arils complement the persimmon's sweetness perfectly.  And heck, don't they just look so pretty side by side?  I've heard of people whacking the pomegranate to death to get at the fruit.  Such violence is not my style.  I like to remove the nubby top with a pairing knife, score the sides and pull the pomegranate in half.  There's something incredibly meticulous and pleasurable about peeling the membranes off the arils - one by one.  Time consuming, yes, but taking the time to enjoy the beauty of fruit - well call me crazy, but I call that fun - especially with a little Christmas music in the background and slippers on the feet and snow falling outside.  Sunday afternoon bliss. 

Summer Afternoon: Kale & Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

 

            Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.  ~ Henry James

True, that.  I hope you are enjoying all of your summer afternoons so far.  We're creeping into late July, and someone please tell me how the heck that happened.  Already.  Do you get the feeling that you haven't done all that you've wanted to do, so far?  I do.  I feel like I'm falling behind on summer; chasing after it, pleading with it, to hold on for just as sec.  Wait for me.  Don't be in a rush.  And for God's sake don't leave before I've gone on at least one road trip, dipped my toes in a lake and curled up with just a book and a glass of iced tea.  Let me catch up to your lazy, hazy days.  I'm sorry I've been working like a madwoman, crazy early hours, with a bedtime that happens before the sun has completely left for the day.  That hasn't happened since 1983. Oh the travails of being an early morning baker.  I am, kind of/sort of, beginning to grow fond of the dawn's early light, and the serene stillness it brings.  There's still a hush over the city, save for the birds chattering away.  I slowly unwind from my slumber, pull a brush through my rat's nest and put the kettle on for tea.  Yes, there is a full work day ahead, but also a good chunk of summer afternoon left for me to do with as I will.  We've got time.  

Tomato Basil Salad with White Beans & Bocconcini

Do you ever have those days when you don't know what in the world you are going to feed yourself?  I see your heads bobbing up and down so I'm going to take that as a yes.  Lately I've been having plenty of those glassy-eyed glances into the refrigerator.  Chalk it up to a new gardening season going at full throttle and other fun extra-curricular activities occupying a good chunk o'time.  And then there are those days when I just. don't. want. to. cook.  There I said it.  I make a living feeding people and some days I find it hard to muster the energy to feed my own belly.  It's ever-so-tempting to stop by the pizza place on the way home, but I'm cheap take-out is expensive and I'm picky often not very good.  My well-stocked pantry and refrigerator save my bacon many a day, and before I know it a delicious salad like this comes together in under 15 minutes.  Easy.  And right now easy is good. 

Win! Warm Lentil, Bacon & Asparagus Salad with Fried Eggs

This is a sponsored post, but there is no shortage of love for lentils on these pages.  And you guys know me - I wouldn't tell you about something unless I really was in love with it.  So here we go!  

First things first.  May is Love your Lentils month (but I'm crazy about them the whole entire year - just scroll through my recipe index and you'll find the love) and to help celebrate Canadian Lentils has created a really fantastic contest.  Here's the part where I tell you about the good stuff:  the grand prize is a trip for 2 to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (my hometown!) and the heart and soul of the world's lentil production.  We love our lentils here.  Not only will you get to hang out in my beautiful city, but also take a tour with famous chef Michael Smith, stay in a posh hotel by the South Saskatchewan River for 3 nights, and you get $500 to spend on fun stuff while here.  All you have to do is enter your lentil recipe - you can be a blogger or a home cook - and just by voting you have a chance to WIN.  I won't bother you with all of the particulars - you can read them here.  But I urge you to enter, and while you're there, throw a vote my way too, because I really, really want to stay in that hotel (and meeting Michael Smith wouldn't be too shabby either.  Oh, and the cash, yeah, the cash, that would be nice.  And I've got a hankering to tour a farmer's field like nobody's business.)  So go vote!  Pretty pretty please and thank you. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Pears & Blue Cheese

Inspiration for these pages seems to strike at the oddest times.  A couple of weeks back I found myself, yet again, in the chair of my dentist.  She's a great woman.  Wants me to call her Eunice.  She knows her way around a root canal like no body's business.  Yet, no matter how nice my dentist is, when it comes time for the massive needle to inject freezing fluid into my face, I'd rather be anywhere but there.  After what seemed liked an eternity, I was left alone with the latest issue of Fine Cooking to tide me over while the freezing did its thing.  Dentists aren't keen on drilling into your teeth unless they are positive you can't feel such torture.  Sweethearts, aren't they? Good thing I had such enjoyable reading material.  Just as my nose began to freeze, and then my eyebrow (so not joking about that - it was trippy) I spotted the salad.

Kickin' It: Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing

So I did something weird and wacky the other day (I know, what else is new?).  I lifted myself high out of my rock solid comfort zone and put myself out there.  Like appearing-on-your-TV-set out there.  I told you it was crazy.  Here's the scoop - a few weeks ago I was contacted by one of the production assistants for the Marilyn Denis Show, letting me know that they are holding auditions for a food expert on her show.  Have you considered applying, he said?  Sure as hell not, I thought.  But then again, why not?  Lord knows cooking pro the last 13 years has racked up loads of experience and knowledge and I pretty much think about food constantly and love it passionately.  And maybe just maybe I'm ready for my culinary career to careen down a new path.  And really, there's nothing to lose; you never know would could happen.  And I like that.  

Summer in a Bowl: Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

How in the world is it possibly the first day of August?  Not to be all Debbie Downer on ya, but summer is half over, you realize that.  So, please tell me you are having loads of fun, okay?  That you are sucking in the sunshine and breathing out wisps of joy.  I hope you've walked on beaches and dug your toes in sand and eaten too many marshmallows, and maybe seen a falling star (or two) and made very.important.wishes, because they come true you know.  If you haven't done any of that stuff yet (me neither) don't fret, you still have time.  But summer won't last forever so read this post because it's very important you do, then get out there and soak in some summatime.  Slather on the SPF 45 first though, right?

Meeting: Mango Coleslaw with Maple Lime Vinaigrette

It's not everyday your new boyfriend meets your family.  In my case it had been almost 8 years since a person of significance met my mama.  Long time, but well worth the wait.  K and I have been romantically intertwined for the past two glorious months (we met on a blind date on Easter Sunday - how very urban legend, I know) and it was time for my family to see who has been making me so damn happy lately.  Ideally, it would have gone down in my backyard, over barbecue and booze.  But then the rains came and didn't let up.  My tiny house wouldn't have held all of the adults and little humans and hungry cats, so we packed up the food and took it over to mom's larger house, just three short blocks away.  Hugs and handshakes later, it was as I knew it would be. A perfect meeting.

Lighten Up! Grapefruit & Avocado Salad with Shrimp

 

It's citrus and avocado season, kids.  Cheap as borscht (errr, wrong veg, Ren) and super-good for you, it's time to load up the shopping cart with some Ruby Reds and some Haas.   Sometimes all a dreary January day needs is a bit of avocado, mashed with garlic and lemon and sprinkled with salt, eaten at the counter standing up, with blue corn tortilla chips in one hand and a nice cold beer in the other.  Close your eyes and you could be in Mexico, in the pool bar on the beach.  Sounds lovely, no?  I need to re-visit the notion of a tropical holiday. 

When I was a kid, I hated grapefruit.  No surprise there, as most kids aren't super fond of it.  My Mom isn't a fan, so it was never brought into the house by her, but whenever we visited my Grandma, I remember the grapefruit.  Palest pink.  Sour.  Heaping tablespoons of sugar poured on to aid consumption.  Brutal.  Even as a grown up, the palest of pale grapefruits do nothing for me. They don't even get a second glance.  Not when there are the Ruby Red beauties out in the world.  So pretty and sweet, definitely the popular cousin of the bunch.  Sectioned in salad, I'm in love.

Let's talk about salad for a bit.  14 days into 2012 and I've eaten plenty of greens (and cake!  There's no detox happening here...) and this is one of my fave salads.  Swimming with buttery avocado, lemony shrimp and just the perfect amount of grapefruit sweet, this salad brings a welcome lightness in a month of full on holiday recovery.  You'll feel like you are on a cleanse at some posh spa, and Ryan Gosling is your waiter and he brings you water with lime and brushes your hair and laughs at all your jokes.....errrr sorry for that.  Daydream, interrupted. 

The recipe is simply a guide - make it as you like it.  Sub in some spinach for the greens, or blood oranges for the grapefruit.  Omit avocado (but why?!) and add artichoke hearts instead.  Give the shrimp a bit of a marinade before cooking - and remember they only need a little heat - just until pink.  The vinaigrette is a simple red wine vinegar and olive oil, but feel free to mess around with that too.  My feelings won't be hurt. 
Kick back, tuck in and dream on. 

Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with Shrimp

Shrimp:

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

red pepper flakes 
454g (1 pound) large peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed and rinsed well

Salad:
2 large Ruby Red  or Texas Rio grapefruit

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp sherry vinegar or  red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper
8 cups mixed salad greens such as baby spinach, kale, arugula, lettuce, etc.

1 large avocado, sliced

1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp fresh dill sprigs

For shrimp - in a medium, non reactive bowl, combine marinade ingredients, using just a pinch of the red pepper flakes. Add shrimp. Toss thoroughly so all of the shrimp are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. 

Remove shrimp from marinade, discard the marinade. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium high heat, and cook shrimp until they're pink and opaque on each side, about 4 minutes total. Let the shrimp cool in the skillet at room temperature, then place in a clean bowl as well as any juices left behind in the skillet. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes - 2 hours.

  
Slice the peel from the top and bottom of the grapefruit. Peel sides so all the flesh is showing. Cut out segments over a bowl to catch the juice. Reserve about 1 Tbsp juice for dressing. Use up the rest in sparkling water or a cocktail. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the grapefruit juice, oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper Adjust seasonings to taste

. 
Divide greens among four plates or a large platter. Top with grapefruit, avocado, cucumber, shrimp and fresh dill. Drizzle with vinaigrette just before serving. Serves 4. 

Grilled Italian Bread Salad with Basil and Feta

 

I'll let you in on a secret, only if you promise not to laugh:  I haven't been using my barbecue throughout most of the summer.  Not since propane ran out while I was cooking this salmon, in fact.  Silly, I know, but I have a fear of changing propane tanks.  Sillier still, I work with natural gas on a daily basis and have lit my fair share of pilot lights.  Heck, I even know what a thermal coupler is! 

Nope, that tank was empty all summer.  You maybe even wondered why I wasn't featuring more grilled dishes, but were too polite to ask.  Given that there's no man action around the place to take care of such jobs, I had to suck up my crazy phobia and figure it out, eventually. 

Not sure why I thought changing a propane tank was so darn complicated, or why I had visions of myself being blown to smithereens, but in the end all I had to do was unscrew the tank (thanks to Tara's bf for giving such an excellent demo!).  That was the easy part!  Trucking it to Canadian Tire, while it rolled around in the trunk, freaked me out big time.  Driving with a full tank of propane in the passenger seat, also super freaky!  Home re-attached to the barbecue, not so freaky.   Whew!  That was intense.  And all so I could make this salad.

When I was first learning to cook for myself, way way back then, I ate this salad, or a version of it, loads.  Who knew toasted stale bread with heaps of fresh tomatoes and basil could be so delicious?  Plus I was a student and perpetually broke, so this cheap and cheerful salad kind of made my summer.  Years later, it still does.

 

Grilled vegetables and feta add a more sophisticated turn to the salad.  Everywhere I look I see zucchini (still!) so I grilled that up, and some red onion too. (I'm super happy my barbecue is back in business!)  But peppers, eggplant would also be fabulous.  Tossed with heaps of glorious tomatoes and scattered with my favourite herb, this salad is a lovely way to showcase the best of the best vegetables.  Switch things up and add goat cheese and other herbs too.  Just be sure not to use junky white bread.  Get thee to a good bakery and buy a nice crusty loaf of Italian, or baguette, or even sourdough.  The bread I used had whole cloves of roasted garlic in it - amazing stuff.  Rustic and fresh, with all kinds of flavours running around,  this salad was totally worth the freaky drive with the propane tank in the passenger seat.

Grilled Italian Bread Salad with Basil and Feta

2 small zucchini sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 small red onion, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 red or yellow pepper, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
4 slices Italian bread, preferable day old, 1 inch thick
4 tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil

Preheat your barbecue to  medium.  Brush the vegetables with 1 tbsp of oil.  Lightly oil the grill and barbecue the vegetables, turning often until tender, 3 minutes or so.  Remove each piece as it is done.  Grill the bread until it is toasted, about 2 minutes per side.  Chop the bread and vegetables, combine with tomatoes in large bowl.  Whisk remaining oil with garlic and balsamic vinegar, seasoning it with salt and pepper.  Drizzle over bread mixture, tossing to coat.  Transfer to platter and scatter the feta and basil.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4.  Adapted from Chatelaine. 

And lastly, aren't my Lemon Boy tomatoes just lovely?  They taste super sweet, and were perfect in this salad.

Rhubarb & Chipotle Grilled Salmon With Just Picked Greens

 

We are on the cusp of my favourite weekend.  Barbecues will be a-blazin' - the aroma of grilled meat will be wafting throughout neighbourhoods all across the country.  I'm all up for a nice juicy rib-eye, ideally if the cow was raised locally and ate lots of good things.  Same goes for a burger - layered with bacon, caramelized onions and smoky cheddar.  I'm a huge fan of grilled chicken too - with lots of lemon and garlic, and if I'm going meatless, I love those huge portabellos, stuffed with goat cheese and herbs, grilled in all of their veggie glory.  The only way I'll eat a hot dog is if it's grilled over an open fire, preferably at the lake, camping under the stars.  It has to be slathered with onions and sauerkraut and mustard, washed down with something cool and frothy.  My ultimate favourite thing to grill though, is fish.  Fish on the barbecue is insanely delicious, super quick, and super good for you.  

 

Saskatchewan is a land-locked province, and finding good fish, well, it's a quest in itself.  Most comes in previously frozen, and it costs an arm and a leg.  The sockeye I used was frozen and pretty good, but Oh to live near the ocean!  How I adore fresh Halibut and Sockeye.  But we have plenty of fresh water lakes in Sask, and the fish (pickerel, trout) is pretty phenomenal...I just need to get myself to the market to stock up...or else I just need to find myself a nice fisherman...

This recipe is a culmination of all things lovely and Canadian.  You have your rhubarb, which grows in almost every backyard across this great land of ours.  Maple syrup, that's pretty self explanatory.  Saskatchewan produces and exports a massive amount of mustard.  Funny, our mustard is shipped to France to make Dijon, then shipped around the world.  The chipotle adds some flava, and a nice bite of heat.  This is a variation on a recipe I saw in one of my favourite cookbooks - "High Plains" by Cinda Chavich.  I didn't have any rhubarb syrup, so I just cooked down some rhubarb (I have so much - it's out of control!) with a little sugar, strained it, and proceeded, by adding lime juice, maple syrup and the smoky chipotles.  Marinated for only an hour or two, the fish had killer flavour.  It only takes a few minutes on each side, so be careful not to over grill it...I got distracted by a phone call (damn telemarketers!)  hence mine was a teeny tiny bit overcooked, but delicious nonetheless.  Stay by your grill and don't move!

I'm super proud of my greens.  Nothing tastes better than fresh picked lettuce.  I made a salad with grape tomatoes, dried cranberries, loads of fresh dill and sliced radishes from the garden. AND a decent amount of goat cheese.  My vinaigrette was equal amounts olive oil and rice vinegar, with a drizzle of maple syrup and a dollop of Dijon.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Salad and salmon, eaten under my umbrella, in the shade of my apple tree.  It's the best.

 

This is the time of year for kids to run through sprinklers; for adults to crack open cans of their favourite beverage and sit around bonfires; for road trips to be undertaken and for gazing at fireworks in night sky.  I have a little bit of work to get out of the way, then I'll be taking in the sights and sounds of the Jazz Festival (Tegan and Sara!) under the bright blue Saskatchewan sky.  Reacquainting myself with my hammock and a super juicy novel, is also on my "must do" list.  So whatever you do, drive safely, apply sunscreen and eat something delicious!

Rhubarb & Chipotle Grilled Salmon

1/2 cup chopped rhubarb
1/4 cup white sugar

4 sockeye salmon fillets
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped (or more if you like it spicier)

Place chopped rhubarb in saucepan with sugar.  Cook over medium heat, until soft, about 20 minutes.  Let cool for a bit, then strain out the solids. 

To the rhubarb puree, add lime juice etc.  Stir well. Adjust seasonings.  Place salmon in a glass dish, pour marinade over fish.  Refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours.  Preheat grill, grease it a bit.  Place salmon, skin side down, and grill for a few minutes, each side. The rule of thumb is ten minutes cooking time per inch of fish.  Serve with salad, or roasted vegetables and potatoes.  Garnish with more dill!

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Leeks, Fresh Basil and Feta

I'm trying to behave myself.  Eating-wise, that is.  After last weekend's total glutton fest at the farm, I'm feeling the need to eat a little lighter, with a little less emphasis on the butter and bacon :(

It's not such a hardship.  I love me a nice big salad in summer - something simple, not requiring much effort on my part, because honestly after a day spent in the extreme hell of hotness - aka the kitchen at work -  I just want to hang out in the tranquil shade of my backyard - sipping a cocktail, reading a juicy novel, or just watching the cats chase bugs and birds.  'Tis summer after all!

Quinoa is my new best friend.  Read here for how awesome it is with curry and for the nutritious bonus points it packs.  You can add a multitude of flavours to it too, and it's always a shining star.  In this case, it was a little clean-out-the-fridge-and-add-it-to-quinoa-and-see-what-happens.  Magic, I tell ya.  Magic!!!

Leeks are the cosmopolitan cousins to the scallion.  Sweeter, with less of a bite, and simply marvelous when sauteed in a little butter or olive oil.  I'm totally digging them lately, as I've been putting them on turkey burgers, and even in a quiche on the weekend.  Lovely stuff.  Julie had put them in a quinoa salad a little while back, so this recipe is a bit of take off from that, with some modifications here and there.  Like I said, anything goes really.  I added some asparagus and fresh basil from the market, a chunk of feta, some toasted almonds just for fun, and nice juicy organic Roma's I got for a steal.  All bathed in a light olive oil and lime juice vinaigrette.  I packed it up and took it over to my Mom's where we ate it with some incredible artichoke asiago foccacia from Christie's Bakery.  (Yes, we did the Earl's thing and dunked it in olive oil/balsamic vinegar.  THAT never gets old.)

What else can I say about this salad?  It's healthy, delicious, pretty, and pretty darn good the second day, if you have leftovers.  Have I mentioned it gluten-free too?  Celiacs rejoice!  Now the hard part is saying goodbye to my good buddy bacon...

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Leeks, Fresh Basil and Feta

1 cup quinoa, rinsed very well, for 3 minutes under running water
2 leeks, white and light green parts only; sliced in half lengthwise, then rinsed very well to get the gritty bits out and then thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
6 or 7 asparagus spears, blanched, and chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup feta, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 small handful basil, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan, add the rinsed quinoa with 3 cups water.  Bring to a boil, stir, and reduce heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.  Drain, and put back into pot, cover with lid and steam for another half hour or so.  Put in a large bowl, and let cool.  Meanwhile, after you've rinsed the leeks very well, and sliced them, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the leeks when it's hot, and saute until they start to caramelize, oh about 12-15 minutes or so.  Add this to the quinoa.  Add the rest of your veggies.  In a jar, add the vinaigrette ingredients (oil-s&p) and shake shake shake.  Add to the quinoa mix and stir.  Adjust seasonings...let chill in the fridge while you go out and do something fun.  Or do nothing at all and take a nap. 

Cooking on the Farm, Part One: Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries and Grilled Caesar Salad

One minute I'm in the city, singing along with Bono at the U2 concert and a few days later I'm in the country, cuddling 2 week old kittens.  What a life I lead!  My cousin Brian and his wife Leanne, invited me and Denise (Brian's sister) to their farm two hours away, for a cooking/eating extravaganza weekend.  All I can say is thank God for stretchy pants!  Everything was awesome....the food, yes, but being in the company of cousins, that was the best part.  And ok, I kind of loved this teeny grey kitten, and no I didn't take him home with me.  Not yet, anyway.

So what the heck did we make?  Brian and Leanne have 4 really great kids, so I wanted to make something they would inhale too - and what kid doesn't like turkey burgers?  Sweet potato fries are the perfect side, especially with a sweet and smokey honey chipotle dip to dunk the fries in.  We slathered this dip on everything...and it was divine.  Leanne makes a killer grilled Caesar salad - my first time trying it, and now there is no going back.  Seriously...grilling romaine is sensational!  There were roasted vegetables, perfectly done in foil pans on the BBQ.  Denise brought an insanely delicious artichoke dip - a variation of this one here, which is one of my favourite things to eat in the whole world.  But my absolute favourite were Leanne's homemade perogies, baked with onions and bacon in a dill cream sauce.  Oh yeah baby.  My camera kind of goofed up when taking a shot of the perogies, so you'll just have to take my word for how awesome they were.  (If ever you find yourself in the Luseland, Sask. area, she sells them at the Farmer's Market, and they go like crazy.)  And I haven't even talked about the desserts yet!  I'm saving that bit of deliciousness for the next post, but I promise it will be worth waiting for.   


Turkey Burgers with Fried Leeks and Cranberry Sauce

Frying a few leeks in butter adds a little sophistication to this burger, and the cran sauce is the perfect foil for the turkey.  I got the recipe from the latest issue of "O" magazine, but made a few changes, which I think will make an even awesomer burger.  Oh, and the kids loved the leeks too. 

3 tbsp butter
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, washed very well and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh, finely chopped)
1/2 tsp dried sage (or 2 tsp fresh, finely chopped)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 3/4 pounds (787 grams) ground turkey, preferably a mix of both light and dark meat
canola oil, for greasing grill
aged white cheddar, sliced
bacon, cooked
lettuce leaves, tomato slices
4 hamburger buns, sliced
mayo, grainy mustard, whole berry cranberry sauce

Preheat grill to medium-high.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of butter over medium and fry leeks until golden and bright.  Set aside.  Add the rest of the butter and cook the onions and garlic until translucent.  In a large bowl, add the turkey meat.  Add the cooked onion and garlic mixture to this, along with the herbs, salt and pepper, and Dijon.  Form into 4 patties.  Place on preheated grill and cook, flipping once, until fully cooked, about 10 minutes.  During the last few minutes, top burger with cheese, and toast buns until lightly golden. 
Top the burgers with the fried leeks, bacon, cranberry sauce, mayo and mustard.  Lettuce and tomato too if you like. Serves 4.  

Sweet Potato Fries with Honey Chipotle Dip

This one is easy.  Take some sweet potatoes, say 2 large.  Peel and slice into "fries" or wedges.  Drizzle with olive oil, coarse salt, and fresh pepper.  Place on a parchment lined bake sheet in a preheated 375* oven, on the lowest rack, and cook until crisp, flipping a few times so they are evenly brown.  Takes about 30 minutes.  Good like that, or try this:  mix good quality mayo (I like the Hellman's Olive Oil kind), with a few dashes of Chipotle Tabasco sauce, and a little honey.  We didn't really measure, so just use your discretion.  If you like it spicy, add more Tabasco; need more sweet?  Add more honey.  We loved this with chips, too.  And it's delicious on a burger. It's mayo and it makes me happy. 

Grilled Caesar Salad

Take 2 heads romaine.  Slice in half lengthwise.  Drizzle with olive oil, cracked pepper and salt.  Place on a preheated grill and cook until slightly charred and wilted.  Chop immediately and place in a salad bowl.  Add chopped cooked bacon, croutons, fresh Parmesan, and drizzle with your favourite Caesar salad dressing.  Denise made a killer one of red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, chopped garlic, Tabasco, Worcestershire,and Parmesan cheese all shook up in a jar.  So good.   It's warm and wilty, but super super delicious with the grilled romaine.  Go ahead and try it!!! Serves 4.

For the roasted veg, take an assortment of your favourites, toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, your favourite herbs, place in a foil pan, and place on the BBQ or oven to roast until done.  Cherry tomatoes and broccoli are super good when roasted.  And red onions.  Must have those. 

Did someone want to see the kittens?

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