Cardamom Rice Pudding

I had a couple of bags of milk that needed to be used up before their expiry date and decided to make rice pudding on this cold and blustery day. I usually make rice pudding in a double boiler with short grain rice, milk, eggs and raisins but decided to try a version I had tasted in an Indian restaurant. After reviewing a few online recipes I used these ingredients to make a very comforting and aromatic pudding.

• 4 cups milk- I used 1% cow's milk but a combination of cream, coconut milk and other milks can be used

• 1/2 cup white basmati rice

• 8 cardamom pods crushed with pestle. Remove the seed hulls and crush the black seeds. You could use 1 teaspoon ground cardamom instead.

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup white sugar or other sweetener to taste (optional)

Combine ingredients and cook them over boiling water in a double boiler until rice is very soft. This takes about an hour. Stir mixture occasionally. When it is starting to thicken up add:

• 1/4 cup diced apricots or raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds or pistachios
• 1/4 cup flaked coconut (optional but tasty)
• a dash of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Let the pudding simmer for another 10 minutes or so without letting it get too thick and dry. Remove from heat and let it cool before serving. I like it warm or chilled.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

This is creamiest chocolate pudding ever! Put four ingredients in a blender and dessert is ready in less than 5 minutes.

Serves 4

2 large ripe avocados peeled and quartered
1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)

You can also add a little vanilla or flavouring of your choice.

Blend until smooth and serve.

Easy No-Bake Coconut Cocoa Cookies

I made these cookies twice this month. The first batch was a tasty disaster, edible only if frozen. It is important to use quick cooking oats rather than large flake oats and the milk/sugar/butter mixture must boil for 3 minutes before adding the other ingredients. I doubled the recipe from the link below but cut the sugar down to 3/4c (1-1/2 cups in the double recipe). I had these at a local buffet and they were served as squares rather than as drop cookies. In either form they are easy and delicious.

What's Baking in the Barbershop?!: Easy No-Bake Coconut Cocoa Cookies: This week is all about bringing you recipes that don't require the oven. The first no-bake recipe I shared this week was on the hea...

Here is the recipe in case the link above goes dead. The sugar amount has been decreased

Ingredients:

-1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter (or coconut oil)

-1/4 cup milk (I used 1%)

-3/4 cup sugar

-1 cup quick cooking oats

-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-1/2 tsp. vanilla

-pinch of salt

-approx. 2/3 to 3/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Instructions:

Line two cookie sheets with wax or parchment paper. Put butter, milk, and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 3 minutes; this is important! Set a timer to be sure it boils for 3 full minutes. After 3 minutes, take the pan off the heat, and stir in the oats, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. If using, stir in the coconut. Drop mixture by spoonful onto the wax or parchment paper. Let cookies sit until they are set and easily come off the paper. Store in airtight container. Makes about 20 cookies.

Vegetarian Cassoulet

This is what is left of the cassoulet we had for Thanksgiving dinner today. I combined ideas from two different recipes and added different seasoning. It is an ideal vegetarian dish for a special occasion.

Ahead of time...

Cook white beans (navy, kidney etc). You will need 4 cups cooked beans or the equivalent amount of canned beans (2 cans)

I used a wok with a lid for this part of the recipe...

Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and add

• 2 stalks of celery cut in half and sliced 
• 1 large diced onion

Cook until starting to soften and add

• 2-3 cloves of crushed or finely diced garlic
• 1 large potato diced in 1 cm squares
• 1 large carrot diced like the potato
• 3 diced roma tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• herbes de provence*

We were given several pouches of savoury herb rub with our turkey and I added one to the cassoulet. It was perfect. Herbes de provence include a mixture of marjoram, sage, thyme, savory, basil, rosemary and fennel seeds. Add a tablespoon of the herb mixture to the broth and vegetables.

Add 

• 4 cups cooked white beans

Simmer the vegetable-bean mixture until the carrots are tender and some of the liquid has cooked down. You can mash the beans and vegetables a little to thicken the stew.

Topping...

Take 3-4 thick slices of crusty bread (like a baguette) and blend them to make 2-3 cups of coarse bread crumbs. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, some salt and pepper and 2-3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese to the crumbs. You can also add some parsley and garlic of you want (I didn't this time). Spread the crumb mixture thinly in a 9x13 pan and lightly toast it in the oven for a few minutes. 

Add the vegetable mixture to a casserole and top with the crumbs. 

How to Make Korean Pancakes - Bin Dae Duk

How to Make Korean Pancakes - Bin Dae Duk (link)

This is one of the best recipes I have tried in a while. The quantities in the recipe above make a lot of pancakes but they freeze well. We made the dipping sauce as well.

Aramanth and Millet Breakfast Cereal

For one serving

1/4 cup hulled millet
1/4 cup aramanth seeds
1 tablespoon flax seeds

Cover seeds with at least 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp ACV or lemon juice and let them soak overnight
In the morning, drain the seeds in a fine meshed sieve and rinse well. Put the soaked seeds in a pot and add 1/2 cup of water and a dash of sea salt.

Bring to a boil and then simmer until liquid is absorbed and the seeds are puffed up.
Put into a cereal bowl. I add 1/4 tsp cinnamon, fresh fruit, maple syrup or honey, and non-dairy milk.

The cooked seed mixture is the right consistency to use in tabbouleh or in a bean salad. The possibilities are endless.

Chickpea Flour Crepes

We are really trying to cut down on the amount of wheat used in our meals. During the peak allergy seasons in summer and fall, wheat, dairy and sugar heighten our allergic reactions to pollens. I do not want to buy over processed "gluten-free" products and looked for some ethnic alternatives to bread. This is the first recipe I tried and it turned out very well. It is supposed to last a few days, but the crepes I made are half gone already! Chickpea flour or besan is readily available in our supermarkets.

Here is the link to the recipe on an excellent blog called Lisa's Kitchen.


Chickpea Flour Crepes

Sweet Potato-Bean Patties

This is burger season and I find that most store bought veggie burgers are too salty and full of processed ingredients. I found a recipe for sweet potato and bean patties that looked promising but I altered it considerably. I think this recipe is quite versatile and substitutions would work well.

2 cups mashed, cooked sweet potato (1very large or 2 medium potatoes)
2 cups mashed white beans like white kidney beans
1 eggs
1/2 cup oat bran (could use bread crumbs or another flour as a binder)
2 large garlic cloves, minced (or use garlic or onion powder)
1/3 cup hulled hemp seeds (optional)
1 tsp salt
dash or two of cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano

Mix all ingredients together and mix well. The mixture is quite sticky and you can make the patties with your hands or scoop it with a spoon into the frying pan.

Put a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and heat the pan until it is hot. Add patties and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until browned nicely. Serve with a salad or in a bun with toppings.

Here is the recipe I based this on.

Taste Testing 1

We have monthly potluck lunches at work and someone will usually bring a new recipe along with the standard dishes. Walking through supermarkets, especially warehouses like Costco, we try samples of new items offered throughout the store. Canada's multicultural citizens have opened many ethnic restaurants and we love trying new flavours and dishes. The internet is full of recipes and I use Pinterest to bookmark things I want to try. Here are a few things we have enjoyed recently.

Avocados

I love this oily, nutritious fruit and sometimes eat a half with a few drops of soy sauce in the centre. Recently I have tasted it paired with corn, tomatoes, cilantro, onion and lime juice in a salad. It is also delicious with orange segments or strawberries with lime or lemon juice dressing.

Greek Food

A co-worker introduced me to a street corner Greek deli in our city called Malitsa's. We tried take out yesterday and enjoyed the black-eyed pea, tabbouleh, and orzo salads. All of them keep well for a few days in the fridge. Today I tried a wrap with Fontaine Sante´'s roasted garlic hummus and tabbouleh salad at Costco. Delicious!

Blogger Ginger is travelling in the Far East and posted a picture of the breakfast she ate in the Seoul Airport. She told me there is sticky rice under the vegetables and a spicy/sweet sauce that is mixed in before the food is eaten with chopsticks. I found a recipe for authentic Bibimbap sauce and located the Korean red chili paste which is used as the base (Gochujang Sauce) at a local Asian grocer.  I bought nori and fresh bean sprouts to make this tomorrow.

Coconut, Pineapple, Mango and more

Ataulfo mangos are in season and are more available in Canada each year. This week they are 50 cents a piece so we are eating them daily. The imported fruit is not as sweet as the tree ripened ones in Mexico but they will do. My dad told me about a spinach and mango salad he tried at my favourite vegetarian restaurant in Tepic MX so I looked up a recipe on the internet. This one has a delicious dressing made with mango, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and is combined with toasted walnuts, scallions and tomato.

I had a pineapple coconut smoothie sample today and found it refreshing. I am going to try the combination in popsicle moulds. Coconut milk has enough fat to make a creamy ice cream substitute for summer time treats.

And speaking of treats...there is an amazing European deli too close to our home (!) that sells the most decadent desserts. We sometimes buy a square or slice for a special occasion such as TGIF. The assortment above was purchased for The Becka's birthday in March. Recently I enjoyed a lemon-rosemary cupcake. The centre was filled with lemon curd and the cake had fresh rosemary leaves baked in the batter. Fresh herbs are certainly popular in savoury and sweet foods these days.

Here is my Pinterest link which is turning into my own specialty cookbook.

Lentil Chili Patties

This recipe uses the same method as chickpea falafel but uses red lentils instead. Red lentils require a shorter soaking time and blend up better in the food processor making these easy and fast to make. We make the patties about 5 cm big and serve them in mini burger buns. They can also be added to a salad, put in a pita or eaten in hand with a dip.

Method:

Soak 1 cup uncooked red lentils in water 4-8 hours. Cover the lentils with 1 to 2 inches of water.

Rinse and drain the soaked lentils in a fine sieve.

Combine:

1 cut up onion
3 cloves garlic
1 inch piece of fresh ginger
1/2 c fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cumin seeds or powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or 2 red birds eye fresh hot chilis

Chop in food processor until onion is in small pieces.
Add the soaked lentils and process until mixture is smooth. You may have to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice

Drop by heaping tablespoons on a heated, lightly oiled frying pan. Flip when they are nicely browned. It takes 3-5 minutes to cook the patties. Makes 16-18 patties.

Tortilla Bean Lasagna

We can now buy corn tortillas at our local grocery store. They have a three month "best before date" and are like cardboard compared to fresh tortillas in Mexico. They are inexpensive though and perfect for this main course meal. I cooked the small red beans today in a crockpot before I went to work but canned beans can be used. This recipe is adapted from several I read online.

Saute in a little olive oil until softened:

2 tsp crushed cumin seeds
2 onions, finely chopped
2 sweet peppers, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 lb chopped fresh spinach

Add:

28 oz bottle of strained tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups small cooked beans such as black beans or red beans

Warm 12-15 corn tortillas in the microwave oven and cut them in half.
Spread some of the bean mixture thinly on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Cover with corn tortillas halves placing the cut edge along the edge of the pan. I used 5-6 tortillas for each layer.

Add a layer of bean mixture on top and grate some mild cheese over the beans (optional)

Add another layer of tortillas and then another layer of beans and cheese.

I could have stopped here but I had so many tortillas I finished with another layer of tortillas and topped that lightly with grated cheese.

Cover pan with foil and bake at 400F for 30 minutes. Cut in squares and serve with sour cream and a salad.

Burrito Bowls

I travelled through the Dallas Fort Worth Airport a few weeks ago and had time to eat a hot meal. I chose the 360° Gourmet World Grill and ordered a vegetarian burrito bowl. It was so tasty that I made sure I had another on my return trip to Canada. I made a similar dish tonight and it was versatile, fast and filling. Use a bowl or plate and layer:

Brown rice
Black beans
Meat if desired (I added pork for the meat eater in the family)
Roasted vegetables (I made onion, mushroom, zucchini, peppers and sweet potato)

Then add toppings of your choice such as:

Guacamole
Salsa
Grated cheese
Sour cream
Cilantro and/or shredded lettuce
Chopped tomatoes, red onion

You can serve it with taco chips, tortillas or tostados but it is filling enough without any extras.

Vegetable Stock

We eat a lot of soup and I try to keep cartons of vegetable stock on hand. Bouillon cubes are often high in salt and have other ingredients such as MSG added. Here is a recipe for vegetable stock.

Chop the following vegetables and soften them in 2 tbsp oil in a large stock pan:

1 medium onion
1 medium leek
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
1/2 small tomato
3 cloves garlic

Add 12-16 cups water along with:

1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 fresh parsley stems
3-4 peppercorns
salt to taste

Simmer for 30-45 minutes, strain and cool.

Other vegetables and herbs can be used such as oregano and mushroom stems. You should soften vegetables in oil or roast them before boiling the stock for the best flavour. Add vegetables ends to a bag in the freezer until you have enough to make stock.

Turkey Meatballs

I made these for my husband and he raved about them. I made a double recipe and froze them in single serve packages so he can make a quick meal when I am away.

1 pound ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c onion, diced
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 egg
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs

Mix together and form into balls.

You can brown them in a pan and then bake them at 350 F for 15 minutes.
You can cook them in the pan completely or in boiling stock.
I made them into 1 tbsp sized balls and baked them at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Our dog watches the oven while the meatballs bake

Shirley K's Salmon Quiche

My sister-in-law made this for supper on Christmas Eve and everyone enjoyed it.

1-7 3/4 can red salmon drained and flaked
1 tbsp flour
1- 9 inch unbaked pie shell
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 beaten eggs
1 large can undiluted 2% evaporated milk
2 tbsp chopped green onion
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Toss salmon with flour and pack into the bottom of the pie shell. Cover with cheese. Combine the eggs, milk and onion. Pour into pie shell and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 375° F for 30-40 minutes or until set. Let it stand 5 minutes before serving.