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. 

Simple Pasta e Fagioli Soup

It is a cold, rainy day and this the soup I made for a quick supper after work. There are pasta and bean soups with more ingredients but this was warming and satisfying.

1 carton vegetable broth (approx 1 litre)
1 carton water (approx 1 litre)

Bring to a boil and add:

2/3 cup ditali pasta (small tubes)
3 large cloves thinly sliced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried pepper flakes (or to taste)
2-1/2 cups cooked white beans
1/2 bunch of kale, chopped, stems removed

Simmer until pasta is just done. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and some good bread.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

• 3-4 cups black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 2 cups corn, preferably cut from the cob
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoons each ground cumin and ground chili powder
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2-3 limes, juiced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together and allow to sit for 15 minutes for flavours to blend. Serve on tostados.
This recipe is just a guide. Feel free to adjust ingredients according to your taste.

Fish Stew

We bought fresh Iceland char tails at the local fishmonger and I cooked them in this tasty sauce. Any fish would work and the spices and ingredients could be easily changed according to your taste.

In a large pan or wok cook in 1 tbsp oil until soft

2 large onions, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 portabello mushroom, diced

Add

1- 28 oz tin tomatoes ( I used herbed, diced tomatoes and altered the salt and spices accordingly)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano

(I added some left over green salsa that needed to be used up as well)

Add 1-1/2 lbs of fish and simmer until fish flakes easily. Then add
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Serve as is or over rice, noodles, polenta, with crusty bread, tortillas or beans.

Serves 6

Paneer Curry

I am sure there is an official name for this curry, but as I am not an expert on Indian cuisine I will not try to guess what that might be. What is important is that this dish is warming and tasty and the meat-lover in the family found it very satifying too.

Heat 1 tbsp oil on a wok or large pot and add

375 g paneer diced in 3/4 inch cubes.

Brown paneer on all sides, remove from heat and place in a dish. Add to the same pot-

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds, crushed
1 tsp mustard seed
1 diced cooking onion (alternately, you can blend the raw onion with the tomatoes, garlic and ginger)

Heat oil, add seeds and onion and cook until fragrant and soft. In the meantime, combine in blender and puree

4-5 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp chopped ginger root

Add tomato mixture to pot along with 

1 cup vegetable broth or less depending on how juicy the tomatoes are. (You do not want the sauce too runny)

Add

 2-1/2 cups defrosted frozen peas

Add the browned paneer and the following spices

2 tsp garam masala
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric

Simmer to blend flavours.

Serve on rice or with naan bread. Serves 6. Tastes even better the next day if you have leftovers.

Pinto Bean Cake

 

There is no need to tell anyone what is in this cake until they taste it and see how delicious it is. This spicy, moist cake is best baked in a bundt tin but can also be made in a 9 x13 pan.

Cream together:

1/4 cup soft butter

2/3 cup sugar

Add one beaten egg and mix well.

Puree 2 cups cooked pinto beans and add to above mixture.

Measure and combine together:

1 cup flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves and allspice if desired

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and combine well.

Add 2 cups diced raw apple (skins can be left on) and 1 cup raisins.

Put batter in prepared tube or Bundt pan and place in preheated 375 F oven for 45 minutes.

If you use a 9x13 pan, the cake will be done in  30 minutes.

Nutritional information for 1/12 of cake

Calories-204

Carbs- 37g

Fat-4g

Protein-5g

Fibre-3g

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup for 50 or 12

Photo Credit: Matthew D. Lyons

We had a fundraiser lunch at church today and I made this recipe to serve 50. We actually served more people than that because there was other food and the soup bowls were small. I didn't have a pot big enough at home, but cooked the beans, onions and peppers ahead of time and assembled the ingredients in the church kitchen. I did not make the soup as spicy as I would at home and had some hot sauce available for those who wanted some extra heat. Feel free to adjust the proportions of any ingredient or the spices. The smaller recipe is below in red type.


1/4 cup oil
10 cooking onions, diced

1/4 cup oil  (second amount)
2 poblano peppers, diced
2 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 sweet green peppers, diced
4 sweet red peppers, diced
4 sweet yellow peppers, diced
(or a total of 8 lbs of sweet or hot peppers and onions)

4-28 ounce tins crushed tomatoes
6-900 ml cartons vegetable broth
6 cups canned or frozen corn
2 lbs dried black beans, cooked (8-10 cups cooked beans)
13 oz tin tomato paste

1/3 cup chili powder
1/3 cup ground cumin
8 cloves garlic, pressed
1 bunch chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Cook onions in oil until softened. Put them in the blender with some of the crushed tomato and blend until smooth. (This step is not needed if everyone likes visible onions in their soup)

Cook peppers until soft. Add onion mixture and all ingredients to the pot. Bring to a simmer and then add seasonings and pressed garlic. Adjust seasonings as required.

Serve with the following garnishes:

Tortilla chips, grated cheese, diced avocado, sliced lime, sour cream, chopped cilantro

We used 2 large bags of tortilla chips, 4 cups grated cheese, 6 avocados, 6 limes, 500 ml sour cream for the crowd.

Tortilla Soup for 12

1 tbsp oil

2 cooking onions, diced

1 tbsp oil (second amount)

1/2 poblano pepper, diced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced

1/2 sweet green pepper, diced

1 sweet red pepper, diced

1 sweet yellow pepper, diced

(or a total of 2-3 lbs of sweet or hot peppers and onions of your choice)

1-28 ounce tin crushed tomatoes

1.5-900 ml cartons (1.3 l) vegetable broth

1.5 cups canned or frozen corn

1 tin black beans, (2 cups)

4 oz tin tomato paste

1-2 tbsp chili powder

1-2 tbsp ground cumin

1-2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Cook onions in oil until softened. Put them in the blender with some of the crushed tomato and blend until smooth. (This step is not needed if everyone likes visible onions in their soup but we have an anti-onion family member)

Cook peppers until soft. Add onion mixture and all ingredients to the pot. Bring to a simmer and then add seasonings and pressed garlic. Adjust seasonings as required.

Serve with your choice of the following garnishes:

Tortilla chips, grated cheese, diced avocado, sliced lime, sour cream, chopped cilantro

Layered Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing

This is another recipe from Angela Liddon's blog. I made it first for a potluck lunch and then again the next day with a few changes. The orange-ginger dressing is what makes the finished product so tasty. The salad can be layered in 500 ml mason jars (instant lunches!) which will keep in the fridge for a few days. You can also layer or mix the ingredients in a bowl.

Measure

• One cup each, dry of two grains such as wheat berries, kamut, barley, quinoa, brown rice ( I used barley and farro, then barley and kamut). Cook them separately in salted water until tender.  Drain in sieve.
• Boil 1 cup of frozen edamame in water for a couple of minutes and drain.
• Measure 1/2 cup dried fruit like raisins or dried cherries

Chop or grate the following vegetables: ( I used a food processor)

• 1 cup carrots
• 1 cup green pepper
• 1 cup red pepper or tomato
•  1/2 cup cilantro

Dressing;- Mix together

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or pressed (I used a garlic press)

Assemble salad
For the 500 ml jars layer

• 1/2 cup one grain
• 1/4 cup green pepper
• 1/4 cup red pepper or tomatoes
• 1/2 cup second grain
• 1/2 cup carrot
• 2 tbsp dried fruit
• 1/4 cup edamame (or other legume)
• cilantro (or parsley)
• 1/4 cup dressing 

(I had some cooked grains left over)
Alternately, layer/mix all ingredients in a bowl. You can serve it immediately or store in fridge for up to four days.

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter

I have purchased almond butter twice and both times it tasted rancid and bitter. I have tasted chocolate-hazelnut spread too, but hazelnuts do not impress me. I saw this recipe on Angela Liddon's blog and was very impressed with the result. (Follow this link for a detailed description of making chocolate almond butter and chocolate peanut butter) Here is a quick description.

• 2 cups raw almonds 
• 1/3 cup 70% cocoa chocolate squares or chips (all we had at home)

(Angela's recipe calls for 1 tsp coconut oil, 1/2 cup chocolate and a dash of salt. I didn't add oil or salt)

Put almonds in food processor and mix until smooth and creamy. This takes about 15 minutes and you have to scrape the bowl often. Melt the chocolate on low heat and add to the almond butter. Process until well blended. This made about 1-1/2 cups. I wonder how long it will last??

Mexican Fish Soup

Assemble your ingredients before you start, and this soup comes together quickly

1 dried chile (or more), opened with seeds and veins removed.

Cook dried chile in a small amount of water until softened (about 5-7 minutes) and put into blender with:
1 white cooking onion
2 cloves garlic
3 fresh tomatoes (plum tomatoes work well)
1 canned chipolte chile (remove seeds if you don't want the broth to be too hot)

Blend on high until smooth and add to a large soup pot along with

4 cups fish stock*
2 cups vegetable stock (or put in 6 cups vegetable stock if you don't have fish stock)
1-2 large potatoes (like a Russet) cut in chunks
1-2 large carrots cut in thick slices
3 large bay leaves

Bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer until vegetables are starting to soften (about 10 minutes) then add

1-1/2 lbs firm white fish like Pacific Snapper cut in chunks the size of the vegetables (see photo)

2-3 cups coarsely shredded cabbage or other greens
5 cilantro stalks

Simmer until fish flakes and vegetables are cooked (about 10 minutes)

Adjust seasonings adding salt, pepper, Old Bay Seafood Seasoning, etc.
If the broth is too spicy, add a 28 oz tin of crushed tomatoes. I did this and really liked the end result even better.

Serve with lime wedges, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, tortillas, taco chips, tostadas or rice as desired.

Serves 6 main course dishes.

*Fish Stock (made ahead of time)

I made fish stock using the bones, fins and head of a mild, non-oily white fish from our fishmonger (about 3 pounds) simmered in a stock pot of water with one onion, leek tops, one large carrot, one large celery stalk, 1 tsp pepper corns, 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp each thyme and oregano, fresh parsley (or cilantro) stalks, salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, strain and cool. It made enough stock for 3 batches of this soup. Store unused broth in freezer.

Vegetable Barley Soup

This is a hearty vegetable soup/stew which takes just a few minutes to put in a slow cooker in the morning. It can be served over rice or pasta or with biscuits.  Ingredients can be changed according to the vegetables you have on hand.

3 onions finely diced 
1 cup sliced celery
1 diced green pepper
1 diced red or yellow pepper

Saute the first 4 ingredients in a frying pan in a little oil or broth until softened.
Put in slow cooker and add:

1 large carrot sliced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
3 cups kidney beans, rinsed and drained (other beans can be used)
1 28 ounce can stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup pot barley (not quick-cooking)
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning or a mixture of oregano, basil, thyme, hot pepper flakes to taste
1 carton vegetable broth (4 cups)

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. One half hour before serving add:

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced 
4 cups or more of chopped fresh spinach or kale
salt to taste