Salsa Verde

Do you recognize the fruit in the picture above? They're tomatillos and they are beautiful. I have a billion pictures of them 'cause they are just so darn pretty.

This is the first time I've cooked with tomatillos - so here's a one-sentence-fast-fact on them: tomatillos look similar to green tomatoes, are related to the cape gooseberry, and provide the tart flavour in Mexican green sauces.

I've been meaning to make Salsa Verde forever, so I'm happy to say that I finally got my booty in gear and picked up some tomatillos at the grocery store. Tip: despite their similar look to tomatoes I found them in the exotic fruit section rather than the tomato section.

"What will I do with Salsa Verde?" you ask. The answer is simple: anything you want.  Dip with rice crackers or tortilla chips, add to a burrito, enchilada, or taco, use as a burger topping, pour over rice, or serve with scrambled eggs and/or refried beans. Any other ideas? 

This guilt-free dish is packed with nothing but vitamins and minerals. It's low in calories, and when you make it yourself, contains very little sodium (you can even leave out the salt completely!).

Recipe: Salsa Verde 

Ingredients:
Tomatillos - 1 pound (this was about 7 tomatillos)
Serrano (or jalapeño) pepper - 1
Garlic, clove - 2
Cilantro, fresh - 1/2 cup
Onion, diced - 1/4 cup
Lime juice - 2 tsp (10 mL)
Salt - pinch (optional)

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven broiler.
2. Remove papery husk from tomatillos, wash, and cut in half.
3. Place tomatillo halves, Serrano pepper, and garlic cloves (unpeeled) on a baking sheet (option: line baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up). 
4. Broil for 15-20 minutes, until tomatillos and peppers are roasted and slightly charred on both sides. Turn over half way through.
5. Once cooled, remove the skin of the Serrano pepper and garlic.
6.  Throw all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well blended. Salsa verde tends to thicken as it cools, so blend more for a thinner consistency.

Prepare....

Roast....

Blend, blend, blend.....

Eat and enjoy! 

Wishing you tasty meals and happy days,

Rebecca

Sea what you've been missing

Recipe Reduxers have been given the Sea What You've Been Missing challenge this month in hopes of expanding our culinary skills to include nutritious treasures from the sea. With that in mind I got my sea vegetable hat on and decided to skip the japanese restaurant and make homemade sushi.


Sushi is one of my favourite foods however I almost always fill my sushi cravings at Japanese restaurants since it takes a bit of time and patience to make at home (but hey, all good things in life take time and patience, right?). After making these vegetable sushi rolls I have decided that a make-your-own-sushi party is in my near future (regardless of the rice-smooshed-onto-floor mess that I will inevitably face at the end of the night).

The great thing about sushi is that you can add whatever fillings suit your fancy, your budget, and your refrigerator contents.  I used sautéed and roasted veggies but you can also try smoked salmon, raw sushi-grade fish, shrimp, or mango!

Recipe: Asparagus Portabella Sushi Roll

First, decide what you want to fill your sushi with. I chose oven roasted garlic asparagus, sautéed portabella mushrooms, sautéed tofu, cucumbers, and avocado. These can be hot or cold (I prefer cold). 

Next, cook your rice. Make sure you use sushi rice since it has a sticky texture that keeps everything in place. Add uncooked rice to water and bring to a boil (see package instructions for ratio of rice:water). Reduce heat and cover for 15 minutes (do not uncover during this time). Remove rice from heat and let sit, covered, for ten minutes. Meanwhile, mix 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 4 teaspoons of sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Pour  mixture over rice in small batches and fold rice until covered. Spread rice on a baking pan and let cool. 

And of course, the feature of this post - Nori! Nori is a thin, dried, seaweed sheet. One sheet of nori contains 1 gram of fibre, 6% Daily Value of Vitamin A, 4% of Vitamin C, and 3%  of Vitamin D. 

Place plastic wrap on top of the bamboo mat and place the nori on top of the plastic wrap. Place the shiny side of the nori down with the dull side facing up.  

Spread a layer of rice over the dull side of the nori.  If the rice is sticking to your hands just run them under cold water. 

Place sushi filling across the middle of the nori. Don't overstuff  - unless, of course, you have a really big mouth :) 

Roll the nori with just the plastic and then finish it off by wrapping the bamboo mat around the roll. To better see how this works check out this instructional video.

With a sharp knife cut the roll into slices. Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce. 

When possible, choose low sodium soy sauce, or limit the amount you use. Soy sauce has a high amount of sodium which in excess can increase your risk of high blood pressure, dehydrate you, and in my case, cause a serious case of swollen eye lids! 

Check out the recipe redux entries below to find some more recipes that feature small fish (like sardines, anchovies, and smelt) and sea vegetables (like seaweed and kelp). 

Wishing you tasty meals and happy days, 

Rebecca

M-M-M-Mochi

Do you like trying new foods? I sure do.  So last weekend while at The Big Carrot with a friend we stumbled across Mochi. Not knowing what it was, we read the package - 'the rice cake u bake", Ingredients: brown rice and water.  Hmm...cake with two ingredients - clearly we had to see what it was all about. 

According to Wikipedia,  Mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year, made out of glutinous rice pounded into a paste and moulded into shape.

It's simple, you unwrap the package and break it into squares or chunks. You then broil it in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes and ....

Voila! Cute, puffed up squares.

These look really yummy don't they? Well, hold your horses. Mochi is certainly interesting, but it has a really bizarre texture. The outside is crispy while the inside is super chewy and doughy. There is no sugar or seasoning in it so it's quite bland and absolutely needs something to accompany it. My solution was to drizzle with maple syrup and cinnamon, which did the trick, but you can also go savoury.

Did I enjoy the mochi? Yep.

Am I glad I didn't serve it at a dinner party? Yep.

Will I buy it again? Probably not.
Do I think it can be transformed into a tasty healthy snack? Oh yes. I'd love to hear about your mochi success stories!

Wishing you mochi success, 

Rebecca 

See the beauty

Beautiful moments this week include:

Sunshine

Bike rides

Far away friends sending texts that make me smile big

Thunder storms and warm rain 

Funny workmates 

Documentaries that make your heart smile  

Week night adventures 

Hanging out with high school kids for a day

Hugs

A nature escape in a bustling city 

Silly people

Endless options

Wishing you a weekend full of beautiful moments, 

Rebecca

Hey there, I remember you.

Oh boy. It's been a while. Too long, actually.
The last month has been a busy one, filled with a surprise visit home (thanks to my gorgeous bffs), my mama in town (working on a fabulous show),  an addiction to the Hunger Games trilogy (I'm dying to find out how it ends), a nasty cold (that's finally gone), swing dancing my booty off, and many other wonderful things. While my social life is doing well, it's seriously time to add some sizzle to my meals.

I had some leftover fresh pasta that needed to be cooked so I decided to pair it with pan seared scallops, caramelized onions and mushrooms, topped with fresh parmesan cheese and basil. Yum.

Recipe: Pan-Seared Scallops and Spaghettini 
Ingredients: 
Spaghettini
Scallops
White onion, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
Habanero Pepper, sliced
Pepper
Oil/Margarine/Butter
Basil, chopped
Garlic, minced

Directions:

I've decided not to put in measurements because they really don't matter much in this recipe. Make this to your liking, perhaps you want to go heavy on the onion and light on the habanero  - do what feels right.

1. Add sliced onions and mushrooms to a oiled (or buttered) pan and let them cook until they caramelize. Add habanero pepper and lots of garlic. 
2. While this is happening lay scallops on a paper towel and place another layer or two of paper towel on top of the scallops. This will draw the moisture out of the scallops and will allow you to sear the scallops and get a nice brown colour.
3. Once scallops are dry, season them as desired (I kept it simple with ground pepper and a tiny amount of salt). 
4. In another pan, heat oil or butter. When pan is hot add the scallops and cook for two minutes. Turn over and cook for another two minutes. 
5. While scallops are cooking, boil pasta until cooked. 
6. Add some fresh basil and parmesan before serving. 

Wishing you a happy, healthy month of May,
Rebecca 

Chickpeas and Cilantro

Cook books will forever hold a dear place in my heart, but seriously, what did people do before social media? Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and most recently, Pinterest, provide me with the best inspiration for healthy, delicious recipes. The latest awesome find was this Chickpea Spinach Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette adapted from The Whinery 2.0. The dish screams summer picnics and potlucks. 

I can't control myself when I make this dish.  Give me a spoon and this whole bowl is in danger of disappearing in one sitting. As eating two cans of chickpeas in one day is not recommended, I'm forced to portion this recipe into small tupperware containers before chowing down (hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do). 

Chickpeas are a great alternative to meat, providing 10 grams of protein and 25% of our daily iron requirements in 3/4 cup. Pairing this with spinach and lime juice is a smart move as the vitamin C in these foods help our body absorb the iron in the chickpeas.  Iron carries oxygen to every cell in our body and helps produce energy.  As you can imagine, it's pretty important. 

Enjoy this dish as part of a meal or have on it's own as a snack. 

Recipe: Chickpea Spinach Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 
Spinach, raw - 5 cups
Chickpeas (also called Garbanzo beans), cooked - 4 cups (about two 15 ounce cans) *Rinse canned chickpeas before using
Red onion chopped, 1/2 onion
Red Pepper Flakes - 1 teaspoon
Lime Juice - 3 limes (about 100 mL)
Fresh Cilantro - 1 cup, loosely packed
Pure Maple Syrup (or honey) - 1.5 Tbsp (22 mL)
Balsamic Vinegar - 2 Tbsp (30 mL)
Dijon Mustard - 1 teaspoon (5 mL)
Garlic, minced - 2 cloves
Red Pepper Flakes - 1 Tbsp
Olive Oil - 1/4 cup (60 mL)


Directions: 
1. Pulse the spinach in a food processor until it is finely chopped (about 4 or 5 pulses). If you don't have a food processor just chop the spinach into very small pieces with a knife.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chopped spinach, chickpeas, chopped red onion, and 1 tsp of red pepper flakes.
3. In a food processor or blender add remaining ingredients except the olive oil.
4. While processing slowly add the oil.
5. Pour about 3/4 of the dressing on the chickpea salad and mix to combine. The remaining dressing can be added before serving or saved for another salad (store in refrigerator).
6. Let the salad sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.  You can also make this the night before a potluck, or have for snacks and meals throughout the week.

Wishing you tasty meals and happy days,
Rebecca 

No-Bake Brownies

Spring is in full force in Toronto and I mean full force.  Sunshine, patios, jackets left at home, people are wearing t-shirts for heavens sake! It's wonderfully unreal (although I do find global warming worrisome). Along with this sunny weather comes bumble bees and maple sugaring. With that in mind, this month's Recipe ReDux Challenge was "Stick with Maple Honey Sweetness" - cooking and baking with maple or honey to add natural sweetness to everything. 

Like any proud Canadian I love maple syrup. Small amounts can transform salad dressings, baked goods, smoothies, even salmon. I do, however, have one word of caution - natural sweeteners, like maple syrup, honey, and agave nectar are not health foods. When comparing maple syrup to granulated sugar they both have about 50 calories in one tablespoon. While some natural sugars have trace minerals it's certainly not a compelling reason to "add a little extra". Enjoy your sweet treats but avoid having too heavy of a hand when adding sugars and syrups. 

While cruising around Pinterest I came across a recipe for Raw Two-Bite Brownies. It immediately shot out of the printer and landed itself on the top of my To-Do List. 

There are only three tablespoons of maple syrup in this recipe, however the dates provide the majority of the sweetness (along with a dose of fibre). 

Recipe: No Bake Brownies

Ingredients:

Almonds, unsalted - 1 cup 

Cashews, unsalted - 1/2 cup 

Ground flaxseed - 1/4 cup 

Alkalized cacao powder (or cocoa powder) - 1 Tbsp 

Shredded coconut, unsweetened - 1 Tbsp 

Maple Syrup - 3 Tbsp 

Dates (or prunes) - 10 

Dark chocolate - 2 oz (about 57 grams) 

Nut butter - 1 Tbsp 

Almond milk (any sort of milk or water will work) - 1- 3 Tbsp 

Vanilla - 1/2 tsp 

Instructions:

1. Throw the nuts and flaxseed into a food processor and process until it turns into a flour. Do not let it process for too long or it will turn into nut butter. We don't want this. 

2. Add every thing except milk to the food processor and process until all the ingredients are well mixed. 

3. Add small amounts of milk at a time until a dough ball forms. It will be obvious. 

4. Roll the dough into small balls (this recipe is rich and full of healthy fats so I don't recommend going bigger than 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie). Flatten to your liking. You will notice a lot of oil on the balls. This is the natural oil from the nuts. You may wish to pat away some of the oil with a paper towel although this is not necessary. 

4. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

5. Eat, enjoy, and savour your delicious treat. 

Store in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Before you leave take a look below to check out what the other Recipe ReDuxers have whipped together this month.

Wishing you a sunny spring and tasty days,
Rebecca