Creamy Rice Pudding

I have had this recipe for years and it is our favourite rice pudding. I do like baked rice custards too but they are more time consuming and require cooked rice. This is ready in about 45 minutes if you use white rice.

In a double boiler combine:

1/3 cup short grain uncooked rice (long grain will work too)
2 cups milk of choice
1/4- 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit if desired

Cook over boiling water for 40 minutes until rice is tender and mixture is thickening.

2 eggs
1/4-1/2 cup sweetener of choice
1/2 tsp vanilla or other flavouring

Separate eggs in 2 bowls. Add sweetener and flavouring to egg yolks, stir well and add gradually to hot rice mixture. Beat egg whites until peaks form. Remove pudding from heat and add egg whites to mixture. Stir gently until blended. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg if desired.

Serves 4

Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons

Scalloped Tomatoes with parmesan cheese

I discovered this recipe on the Smitten Kitchen and have made it twice this week. It is fast and easy to prepare and the ingredients are readily available at this time of year. It is a comfort food kind of casserole with the same appeal as pizza, hot bruschetta or macaroni and cheese. There are several versions on the internet with stellar reviews, but I will post it on my own blog for ease of reference. I did tweak the amounts slightly. I used four diced field tomatoes the size shown in the picture below. The other recipes call for 2-1/2 pounds of tomatoes such as plum or grape. I used my cast iron Dutch oven on the stove top and also in the oven.

For croutons:

2 tbsp olive oil
3 slices (2 cups) diced dense bread like sourdough or a good artisan bread. (I used a multigrain sourdough bread)

Add the bread to the oil in a heavy pan, stir and toast on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until bread is crisp and toasted. In the meantime prepare:

Diced tomatoes, 4 large or 2-1/2 pounds plum or grape tomatoes
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

When croutons are done, add the tomatoes and other ingredients to the pot and cook until tomatoes are softened. I put the oven-proof pot in the oven (375 F) and baked it for 30 minutes. You could use a 9 inch square pan or equivalent sized casserole instead.

I made it without cheese the first time and it was delicious. The next time I added 1/3 cup of fresh parmesan cheese petals to the top 5 minutes before taking it out of the oven. The dish needs to sit about 15 minutes before you eat it or you will be sure to burn your tongue!

I would say this serves 4-6 as a side dish. Three of us ate it as the main dish and there were no leftovers.

"Foggy Tea" with Vanilla Syrup

I was introduced to "London Fog" through a reference from a Facebook friend. The drink is served at a popular coffee house in town and is made with Earl Grey tea, vanilla syrup and steamed milk. We have experimented with the recipe and have decided it is better than hot chocolate. I prefer the "Bangalore" version with chai tea, but the Earl Grey version is also very good.

Vanilla syrup:

Combine 1-1/2 cups water with 3/4 cup sugar or sweetener of choice. Cut a vanilla bean in 1/2 and add the half bean to a small pot with the water and sugar. Save the other vanilla bean half for the next batch. Simmer the ingredients for 10 minutes, cool and scrape inside of vanilla bean with a spoon. Store syrup in a jar in the fridge. ( I leave the bean in the syrup)

To make tea:

Brew 2 cups strong tea. Heat one cup of milk of choice until hot. Combine 1 cup tea, 1/2 cup hot milk and 2 tbsp vanilla syrup in a mug. Stir and serve. Makes two 12 ounce drinks.

Feel free to foam the milk if you have the right equipment.

Other versions of foggy tea:

• Manchester Fog - steamed soy milk with a sugar free vanilla syrup in Earl Grey tea.
• Dublin Fog- The same as London Fog, only substituting Earl Grey with Irish Breakfast Tea
• Bangalore Fog - The same as London Fog, only substituting Earl Grey with Chai  Also known as a Bombay Fog 
• Maui Fog - The same as London Fog, only substituting coconut for vanilla syrup.
• Starbucks Earl Grey Latte is a version of London Fog.
• Tokyo Fog - The same as London Fog, only substituting Matcha-based Green Tea for Earl Grey.
• Cape Town Fog - The same as London Fog, only substituting Earl Gray with Rooibos Tea
• Nanaimo Mist - Variation on the London Fog, using almond syrup rather than vanilla. 

Microwave Dill Pickles

Ever since I was a little girl I liked dill pickles. The Becka is exactly the same. She puts them on all her elaborate sandwiches and we go through several jars a year. My sister-in-law served us delicious microwave bread and butter pickles. Even our pickle-hating older daughters liked them. I fiddled with the recipe and came up with this dill pickle variation. The results were fast, crisp and tasty.

1 English cucumber (4 cups sliced cucumber)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bunch fresh dill
2 teaspoons non-iodized salt (pickling, kosher)
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups water

I used a large 8 cup pyrex (microwavable) measuring cup to make the pickles.

Cut cucumber into pickle-sized slices and put in large container with garlic and dill. Heat vinegar, water, salt and hot pepper flakes in another microwavable container and heat to boiling (3-4 minutes). Pour hot liquid over cucumber and make sure it is all submerged. Microwave cucumbers and liquid for another 6-7 minutes, stirring twice until cucumbers are tender crisp. Let mixture cool and then pack vegetables and liquid in 2 pint jars. They are ready to eat once chilled. Keep in refrigerator and use within a couple of months.

Yield- 4 pints

Vegetable Samosas and Tamarind Sauce

We enjoy spicy potato and green pea samosas from the local Indian restaurant and grocer. The restaurant serves large ones for about $2 apiece and they come with a container of sweet and spicy tamarind sauce. The Indian grocer sells smaller machine made samosas at 3/$1 or handmade ones at 2/$1. Why would anyone want to make them? The ones we buy are deep fried and the paper bag they come is stained with lots of grease. I made these lower fat ones with phyllo pastry and they were quite easy once the ingredients were assembled. The tamarind sauce took very little time to make as well. Feel free to adjust spices to your taste

1-2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds (ground slightly with mortar and pestle)
2 small or 1 large onion finely chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oil and add seeds and onion. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until onions are starting to soften. Add the other spices and mix together.

Add:

3 cups finely diced potato- about 1/4" dice ( I used small new potatoes and did not peel them)
1-1/2 cups frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Mix all ingredients and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until peas are thawed and potatoes are starting to soften. Turn off heat. Preheat oven to 400F

Open a package of thawed phyllo pastry and lift off 3 sheets. Cut the sheets lengthwise into 3 or 4 long strips. I found the thirds easier to work with and they made a larger samosa. Place 1/4-1/3 cup of vegetable mixture at one end of the phyllo strip and fold diagonally like a flag. (Here is a video link that shows how to do it) Place samosa on a baking sheet and brush all sides lightly with oil.

Bake samosas for 20-30 minutes until nicely browned. The larger sized ones need a little more time. Let them cool before serving unless you like burning your mouth.

Makes 12-15 medium sized samosas.

Tamarind Sauce

I buy tamarind paste in rectangular packages. There are plenty of large seeds in the paste.

8 oz tamarind paste
8-12 oz boiling water

Cover paste with boiling water, break up into chunks and let it sit and soften for a while. Put the mixture through a medium sieve. Add sweetener to taste. I used 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup Splenda. Heat in a small pot until mixture bubbles. Add spices to taste. I added:

2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
dash of cayenne pepper

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Costco stopped carrying the 10 inch whole wheat flour tortillas we like and I find most store-bought flour tortillas heavy and very filling. I adapted this recipe from a couple I saw online and substituted 1/4 cup of the whole wheat flour with wheat gluten. It makes the dough so much easier to handle. This made 12- 6 inch tortillas that were very delicious and easy to fold and roll.

1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat gluten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix dry ingredients together and add

2/3 cup water
4 tablespoons oil

Stir together, roll into a ball and knead for a couple of minutes until dough is well mixed and smooth. Cut into 12 equal pieces and roll each section into a ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel while you work so the dough does not dry out. I used my tortilla press to flatten the dough and then rolled each circle as thin as possible with a rolling pin on a floured board. This is where the wheat gluten helps keep the dough from breaking apart.

Heat a frying pan (no oil) and cook one tortilla at a time. Turn the tortilla when the surface starts to bubble. Each tortilla should cook in about minute once the pan is hot enough. Keep tortillas covered  in a bowl with a tea cloth or lid to keep them soft.

Variation: (double amount)

Pour 1-1/3 c boiling water over 1/2 cup wholegrain cornmeal (like Uncle Bob's). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Add 8 tbsp oil and mix well.

Measure

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat gluten
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt

Add to cornmeal mixture and mix together. Knead dough for a couple of minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide into 16-20 balls and roll into thin circles with rolling pin. This dough is very easy to work with and cooks quickly because it is warm. Cook as described above in an ungreased frying pan.

Iced Coffee

Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a tea drinker. I may have coffee once or twice a year if a social circumstance demands or if the tea is really awful, but it is not my beverage of choice. Last summer I had a couple of Tim Hortons iced coffees and really liked them. Unfortunately, I had no choice of milk or sweetener as they use a base mix for the drink.

I found a couple of recipes for iced coffee on Pinterest and modified them for the quantities we would use in our household. This recipe is well worth making on a hot holiday weekend. The cold water brew eliminates any bitterness in the coffee.

Put 3/4 cup medium grind coffee in a jar and add 3-1/2 cups cold water. I used an empty 1 litre olive jar. Let the mixture sit for 12 hours.

Strain the coffee in a very fine sieve, a coffee filter or some cheesecloth. ( I used a coffee filter). You now have your coffee concentrate.

You can now make your iced drink according to your preference for coffee flavour and sweetness.

In a 10 ounce mug I added:

1 tbsp sweetener (agave nectar, sugar, sweetener)
2 tbsp milk (or cream, soy milk, chocolate milk)
1/4 cup coffee concentrate
Ice cubes
Fill the rest of the glass with water

This was enjoyed by everyone in the family!

Here are ratios for different quantities of coffee concentrate ~
1-1/2 cups ground coffee to 7 cups cold water
1 cup ground coffee to 4.5 cups cold water
3/4 cup ground coffee to 3.5 cups cold water
1/2 cup ground coffee to 2.25 cups cold water

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

I made this pasta salad for dinner with ingredients on hand in the kitchen and garden. It was good enough to make again.

2 cups dried pasta cooked according to package directions
2 tins tuna, drained and flaked
1-1/2 cup black beans
5 large stuffed olives, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
3 scallions, sliced
5 leaves fresh basil, ribboned

Dressing: 2 tbsp olive oil
                2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
                fresh ground pepper

Put salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk dressing with a fork and pour over salad.
Other vegetables such as sliced fresh or roasted peppers, celery, carrot, etc could also be used.

White Chili

I cook dried beans in a small crockpot and do not bother to pre-soak them. After rinsing and sorting the beans, I cover them with boiling water, salt, peppers or onions (optional, depending on their intended use) and then put the crock pot on high until the beans are soft. Black beans, peruano beans, red beans and white kidney beans cook the fastest of the legumes I have tried. Today I cooked a pot of white kidney beans for Pasta e Fagioli soup. After mentioning this to my daughter on Skype, she suggested I try making white chili, a dish I have never heard of before. I had cooked chicken on hand and the chili came together quickly. A vegetarian version is included. Adjust the seasonings and hot peppers to your taste.

1 tbsp oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
2-4 finely chopped jalapeno peppers, seeds removed (could use poblano peppers instead)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 -1 tsp dried oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Heat oil in large pan. Add onion, peppers and spices and cook until softened.

Add:

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked white kidney beans
2 cups chopped chicken breast (can use ground turkey or chicken instead) OR
2 cups chopped mushrooms or vegetarian "chicken breast"

Simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened. I added 1/2 cup mashed white beans to thicken it faster.

Add 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro and serve with salsa verde and grated cheese.

I made burritos with the chili using 10" whole wheat wraps. It can also be served with tostadas or tortilla chips

Potato Asparagus Salad

This dish was so very tasty that I had to post it right away. I saw the recipe* on Oh She Glows (a great vegan blog) but modified it somewhat with the ingredients I had on hand. My husband said it was the best potato dish he had ever eaten.

1 lb mini potatoes washed and quartered

2 tsp olive oil

Mix oil and potatoes, spread on baking dish in a single layer and roast at 425F for approximately 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender

1 lb fresh asparagus, washed and cut in 1-2 inch pieces

2 tsp olive oil

Heat oil in a pan, add asparagus and stir fry until tender-crisp- about 8 minutes. Combine the potatoes and asparagus in a bowl.

Lemon juice from one lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp coarse salt

Whisk lemon juice, oil and salt together and pour over potatoes and asparagus. Serve warm. 

Makes approximately 4 servings.

*the original recipe includes garlic, dill, mustard, scallions, and a few optional ingredients which would add to the flavour.

Coconut Oil Pastry

I do not miss eating meat and poultry products at all except for the lard in my pie crust recipe. Hydrogenated vegetable shortening is not a healthy switch and butter crusts are also high in saturated animal fats. I have been reading about the health benefits of coconut oil which is a natural saturated fat. This week I bought a 2 pound jar of Nutiva Coconut Oil for about $17.00 at our grocery store. That is a lot pricier than lard but now that I do not buy meat, it fits in my budget. I never liked coconut as a child, particularly the dry desiccated coconut on cakes and in cookies. I tried a little of the Nutiva Coconut Oil on a piece of bread and it was delicious! Here is a recipe for pie crust with coconut oil. It does have a mild coconut taste so consider that when deciding what filling you use. I made our yearly rhubarb custard pie (not vegan) and the crust was flaky and complementary in flavour.

For 2 nine-inch crusts:

3/4 cup non-hydrogenated coconut oil (you can use up to half the amount in butter)
2 cups white, unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
4-9 tablespoons ice water (I needed 7 today)

Measure the oil and if it is soft and runny, put it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Don't leave it in too long or it will become rock hard. In the meantime, measure flour and salt in a bowl and place ice cubes in a small glass of water.

Add the fat and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter until the fat is the size of small peas. Add 4 tablespoons of ice water and mix together. Keep adding water a tablespoon at a time until you have an easy to handle ball of dough that is not too sticky. Divide in half and roll out to fit a 9" double crust pie or 2 single 9" pie crusts. Bake as directed in your recipe of choice.

Note: Today is hot and the coconut oil was very soft. Keeping the ingredients cold was important and in the end the pie crust was very easy to handle. 

Roasted Rhubarb Salad

I came across a recipe for roasted rhubarb and decided to give it a try. My first attempt turned into a sauce which was tasty but not suited for a salad. I picked fresh leaf lettuce, arugula, chives, cilantro and rhubarb from my garden and made this for lunch. You could add crumbled cheese, nuts, seeds etc as desired. I used the liquid from the rhubarb sauce and a little balsamic vinegar for dressing. Any vinaigrette would work.

Roasted Rhubarb

4 small stalks rhubarb

1-2 tbsp sugar (to taste)

Wrap securely in foil and place in the oven at 425F for 10-12 minutes. Check it every 5 minutes and take it out when sugar is melted and the rhubarb is just starting to soften. You should still be able to slice the stalks. Cool for a few minutes and add to greens.