The Bohemian Stove

Veggie sushi made with seasoned quinoa and wild rice, stuffed with marinated fresh shiitakes, smoked tofu, avocado, pea shoots, carrot and green onion. AND... homemade fresh pickled ginger. Yum!

Lately I have been drooling over pics of sushi from Beyond Sushi in NYC... Today I had had enough of it and decided it was high time to make my own sushi! If you know me well, you may know that I was a sushi purist for a long, long time and would only make sushi the traditional way - using short grain, white sushi rice. In the last couple of years, I have finally broken down and started experimenting with different rices - usually short grain organic brown rice. Generally, I find that whole grain vegetarian sushi makes a far more satisfying meal than sushi made with white rice. I had one ill-fated experiment using a black sticky rice I picked up from Whole Foods, which I would like to forget! Regardless, the secret to great sushi is always properly cooked and seasoned rice.

Today, I made rolls using a mix of red and white quinoa, and a Lundberg wild rice blend. I seasoned both grain mixes when they were still steaming hot and freshly cooked. And I have to say, they were delicious! I was especially surprised by how tasty the quinoa sushi was. 

I also made my own quick pickled ginger, which I absolutely loved. There is simply no reason to buy a bottle of sweetened, preservative- and dye-laden pickled ginger (or, for that matter, a tiny, super-expensive pouch of organic pickled ginger). Never again!

Here's my recipe for quick pickled ginger (adapted from My New Roots):

Ingredients

50 grams fresh ginger root

4 tablespoons organic rice vinegar (be sure that it is unsweetened or unseasoned rice vinegar)

2 teaspoons honey or agave

2 tablespoons water

Directions

Chocolate Cashew Cheesecake - The Raw Version

Who knew a raw, vegan, gluten-free dessert could be so tasty and satisfying? I've tried some raw cheesecakes that left me with a tummy ache - too many nuts, too much rich coconut oil! This cake strikes the perfect balance; it is not overly sweet or heavy, and it is undeniably delicious!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients for the crust

1 1/4 cups whole almonds

5 tablespoons raw cacao powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

Ingredients for the filling

1 cup and 2 tablespoons whole cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Ingredients for the ganache swirl

2 tablespoons each: coconut oil, raw cacao powder and maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

To make the crust, add the almonds, cacao powder and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the almond mixture has the consistency of a fine meal. Add the maple syrup and blend again until the mixture clumps. Press into the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform tart pan.

To make the filling, drain the cashews and rinse well. (Soaking will help to soften the nuts for a smooth consistency.) Put the nuts into the bowl of a food processor, along with the maple syrup, vanilla, cacao, salt and lemon juice. Process this mixture until it forms a paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. With the motor running, drizzle in the water and then the coconut oil. Blend until very smooth - a couple of minutes if necessary.

 To make the ganache, gently heat a pot with a small amount of water in it. Over the water, place a heat-proof metal bowl containing the coconut oil, maple syrup, cacao and vanilla. Whisk the mixture until the oil has melted and it is smooth and glossy.

To assemble the cheesecake, pour the filling into the tart shell. Drizzle the ganache over the top of the filling. Using a metal skewer or chopstick, swirl the ganache into the filling. 

Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight to firm up before serving.

Voilà!

Sauerkraut and Kimchi workshop!

I'm thrilled to have started hosting workshops with my friend Tania Seagrove. We did our first workshop on lacto-fermented veggies last week. It was loads of fun, and everyone went with jars of sauerkraut and kimchi. We are both looking forward to continuing this series as new crops of veggies arrive at the farmers' market. So many pickling possibilities!

Both Tania and I love Sandor Katz' lacto-fermenting bible, Wild Fermentation. If you are new to the topic, I seriously suggest checking it out! Additionally, there is a lot of info available on the Wild Fermentation blog.

A simple pasta dish with dandelion, arugula, roasted pepper and pistachio 

Yesterday was a perfect early spring day in southern Ontario - sunny and warm with buds just beginning to open on all the trees. I could have stayed outside all day! But the weather seemed to demand something seasonal, so I went inside to cook... Spring is the best time to use dandelion greens, when they are young and tender and not too bitter. You can harvest your own, if you know where to get pesticide-free ones, or purchase them in some grocery stores. Either way, this dish is a delicious way to celebrate spring! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

200 grams tube-shaped pasta (I used garganelli)

1 bunch arugula

1 bunch young dandelion greens

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 red pepper

3 tablespoons pistachios

chilies, sea salt and pepper, to taste

grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions

Turn oven on to broil and set the red pepper under the heat. Rotate the pepper every few minutes until the skin is blistered and starting to blacken. Take the pepper out of the oven and place it in a bowl; cover with a plate. Allow the pepper to steam for 15-20 minutes - the skin will start to separate from the flesh of the pepper. Remove the skin, take the core and seeds out of the pepper, and cut into slices.

Prep all the other ingredients. Wash the greens, remove any thick stems and tear any large leaves. Mince the garlic, coarsely chop the pistachios and grate the cheese.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the greens. Start by heating the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium. Add the garlic and sauté briefly. Before the garlic browns, toss in the greens, peppers, 2 tablespoons pistachios, a pinch of chilies and salt. Cook for several minute until the greens are wilted. Toss in the cooked pasta, and sauté briefly. Adjust seasonings. Serve the pasta and top with remaining pistachios and grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes: Dandelion greens can have a strong flavour. If you can't handle the bitterness all that much, use more arugula and less dandelion.

Thai Black Bean Hummus

Hummus used to be predictable... chickpeas, tahini, a little lemon, a little garlic. But these days you can find endless riffs on traditional hummus: sweet potato hummus, beet hummus, red lentil hummus to name a few. Sarah Britton has posted a bright, lemony sweet potato hummus on her blog My New Root which I highly recommend. I myself posted a recipe for a herb-infused white bean hummus not so long ago. So, Thai black bean hummus... you know it just had to happen.

A lot of this creativity seems to be driven by our new(ish) love affair with hummus. I recently read an article which said that sales of hummus in the US have gone up from a mere $5 million in 1997 to a whooping $250 million in 2013. Seriously, we are loving hummus these days. And, as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing! Thai black bean hummus is one of my favourites among this new crop of fusion hummus recipes.

An acquaintance of mine had been raving about his black bean hummus for some time, so I finally decided to try it out for myself. I adapted my traditional hummus recipe by swapping the chickpeas for black beans (of course), lemon juice for lime juice, tahini for peanut butter, and so on. The result is a smooth, super flavourful dip. It's good served with tortilla chips, crackers or toasted pita wedges. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups cooked black beans

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

pinch of chili flakes

1-2 tablespoons water

Directions

Fresh Raspberry and Frangipane Pastry

My daughter and I whipped up this pastry in the morning because, you know, this is the kind of thing we normally eat for breakfast... 

No, not really! Although we did make this recipe in the morning, and it was a total breeze to put together. Normally I try to post recipes here that are some of my well-tested favourites. Not so with this recipe. Today was my first (and then my second) time making the recipe, but I am confident I will be making it again. It is the kind of thing you can make up fast (if you don't make the puff pastry from scratch) and no one will ever know how easy it was!

Note: I would recommend that if you are purchasing ready-made puff pastry, please look for all butter pastry. If it's not all butter pastry, it likely has a scary, super-hydrogenated roll-in shortening that is truly not meant for human consumption. Just so you know... little baker's secret for you there! 

You can mosey on over to Sorted to get the recipe.

Sweet Potato Tea Cake

Move over boring banana bread... this loaf will knock your socks off! Loaded with cinnamon and topped with toasty pecans, it has become one of my new favourite recipes. 

The inspiration for the recipe came after I tried a sweet potato loaf at my local coffeehouse, Detour. After numerous tasty experiments, I received a tip-off that the Detour loaf was a variation on the Tartine Pumpkin Tea Cake. From there, it was easy to find the original recipe and start to customize my loaf. I like to cut back on the amount of sugar, swap out some of the white sugar for organic brown sugar, and switch up the flour for something whole grain. The result is just as tasty and still pretty decadent.

Here ya go!

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons puréed sweet potato

1 cup vegetable oil (I use an organic sunflower or safflower oil)

1/2 cup cane sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 2/3 cups flour (I have used a variety of flours - whole spelt, whole wheat and white. I find using a combination of flours usually works best; 1 cup white flour and 2/3 cup whole wheat is a good compromise)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar for topping

3 tablespoons pecans, chopped, for topping

1 teaspoon cinnamon, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Oil the bottom and sides of a loaf pan and line with parchment paper. In a bowl or standing mixer, beat together the sweet potato purée, oil, and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating until the mixture is well combined. Mix together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients; sprinkle these over the loaf. Bake the loaf for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before removing from pan, if you can last that long! Realistically, you should let the loaf cool all the way through before cutting and devouring, but who are we kidding really? That never happens in this house!

Christmas 2013! It was my first time baking kupfels, German shortbread cookies with ground walnuts and almonds (thanks for the recipe from the mother of a friend of a friend). And we are not exactly a church-going family, but we went to a carol sing-a-long at Christ's Church Cathedral on Christmas eve. It was a very lovely day.

Rustic apple tart with apricot glaze

...based on this recipe by Ina Garten. I used crisp, local gala apples cut extra-chunky. For the glaze, I used an apricot almond preserve that my friend and I made this summer.

Ina's recipe makes a slab of a tart, but I made it into a circular pie instead. I also folded up the edges of the pastry to make a more rustic looking tart. 

Mediterranean quinoa salad with roasted vegetables and fresh mint

I have been sooo neglectful of my blog lately; I apologize! I'm afraid that summer has distracted me. I have been making lots of exciting things in the kitchen but haven't had time to document them. 

I did want to share this delicious quinoa salad with you. One of my very first posts on this blog was another quinoa salad. At the time I said the dish was one of my favourite things, and it still is. However, I have to say that there comes a time when I am no longer as inspired by old recipes and a change is in order. This new recipe can be used as a template, and can be varied according to the season or your whims. I have made it with fresh cherry tomatoes and diced cucumber instead of the roasted vegetables; it's very refreshing and summery that way. Also, you can make it with chickpeas for an added protein boost. Your call!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

1 small eggplant, sliced thickly

1 zucchini, sliced thickly

1 red pepper, cored and quartered

oil, salt and pepper for the vegetables

3 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cumin

2 green onions, slivered

1/2 cup almonds

1 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

feta, crumbled (optional)

Directions

Bring a small pot of water to boil; add the quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and boil for 11 minutes. Strain the quinoa and set aside to cool.

Next, preheat oven to 400°F. In a bowl, toss the eggplant, zucchini and pepper with the oil, salt and pepper to coat. Place the veggies on a baking sheet and roast for approximately 20 minutes, turning once, until softened and browned. Remove veggies from oven and allow to cool. Then, put the almonds onto a baking sheet and roast until they begin to brown, 5-8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, honey, garlic and spices in a small bowl.

Put the cooled quinoa into a large bowl. Cut the cooled veggies into 1-inch chunks and add to the bowl. Next, coarsely chop the almonds and add them. Then, add the green onions, mint, parsley and feta (if using). Toss everything with the dressing and serve.

Ezme ~ otherwise known as Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Dip

This is a seriously delicious dip, bursting with flavour from freshly harvested veggies. A new favourite, thanks to Louisa Shafia's beautiful cookbook, The New Persian Kitchen. I've only had the book in my possession for a couple of days now, and I have made two amazing dishes from it! I am pleased, so far, to say the least.

This was one recipe where I could just read the ingredient list and know I was going to love it. I served the dip as a starter with crostinis that I made from organic, multiseed sourdough baguette. The ezme tasted awesome on the crostinis, on its own or with a bit of crumbled sheep's feta. It paired amazingly well with another appetizer I blogged about last year, seared halloumi cheese with fennel, olives and mint. Oh, and a nice organic Italian red wine too!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1.5 pounds ripe tomatoes, halved

1 red pepper, halved and seeded

4 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the tomatoes and red pepper in a bowl and toss with one tablespoon of olive oil to coat. Place the veggies on a roasting sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast for approximately 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, garlic, shallot, pomegranate molasses, paprika and a pinch of salt.

Combine the roasted vegetables, the pomegranate marinade and the parsley in a food processor and pulse until the dip is mostly smooth. Add more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with pita or crostinis.

~~~

Strawberry ricotta tarts with almond pastry

 Not too sweet, so they let the awesome perfection of a sun-ripened strawberry shine through. And they're gluten free too!

Here's the recipe:

Pastry ingredients

130 grams gluten free oats (approximately 1 cup)

90 grams almond flour (approximately 2/3 cup)

4 tablespoons corn starch (or tapioca starch)

2 tablespoons cane sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons chilled butter

3 tablespoons ice water (more, if needed)

Directions

Blend the oats in a food processor or blender until they form a coarse flour. Put the oat flour in a bowl, along with the almond flour, corn starch, sugar and salt. Mix the ingredients together. Next, using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the butter until a rough pastry is formed with small, pea-sized bits of butter. Then, dribble in the water. Stir lightly and then use your hands to bring the pastry together. Knead gently 2 or 3 times and then form the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and chill in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.

Preheat the over to 350° When chilled, take the pastry out of the fridge. Using a dusting of cornstarch if needed, roll the pastry out to 1/4 inch thickness. Line tart tins with pastry and trim to fit (I used 3 and 4 inch tart tins; with this amount of pastry I was able to make four of each). Put the tart tins on a cookie sheet and return to the fridge for 10-15 minutes. When chilled, line the pastry with parchment paper (I use paper muffin cup liners because they are already the right shape and size to fit tart tins) and fill with beans. Blind bake the pastry for 20 minutes; remove remove the beans and parchment paper and then bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Ingredients for tart filling

1 cups ricotta cheese

4 tablespoons fruit sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Perfectly ripe strawberries

icing sugar or honey (optional)

Directions

Place the ricotta, sugar, eggs, vanilla and zest in a food processor and blend well. Pour the ricotta mixture into the cooled pastry shells. Return the tarts to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the filling has just set. Remove from oven and let cool. Wash and hull the strawberries (leave a few with the hulls intact, if desired). Slice the berries and arrange artistically on the tarts. Top with a whole or halved berry, and a sprinkling of icing sugar or a drizzle of honey.

 Bon appétit!

~~~

Green Thai Curry Veggie Bowl

A couple of years ago, I made this dish for my friend Heather who loves Thai food. She gasped and asked for the recipe. Later she told me that she was making it all the time; she said it was like someone had given her the keys to the castle. Finally, the secrets of Thai cooking revealed!

Maybe that's going too far, but it is pretty awesome when you can make a tasty sauce like this at home and have it taste like you've gone out to eat.

There's nothing particularly tricky about this recipe, except perhaps hunting down all the ingredients. Your best bet is to find a nice Asian grocery store and get everything in one stop.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients for the green chili paste

2 lemongrass stalks, bottom 4 inches only, thinly sliced

2 cups coarsely chopped cilantro (leaves and stems are okay)

1/3 cup fresh basil 

s green onions, white and pale green portions only, chopped

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (approximately 2 limes)

2 small green chilies, chopped

1 inch chunk of galangal (or ginger if you can't find galangal), peeled and coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 fresh Kaffir lime leaves

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt (I used Maldon sea salt)

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor to ensure that everything has been broken down and a smooth paste is formed. (The lime leaves and lemon grass are a bit tough, so I tend to process this a little longer than softer items. Usually I stop several times to push down the mixture.)

Ingredients for the green Thai veggie bowl

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

5 tablespoons green curry taste (more or less, to taste)

2 cups asparagus spears, cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces (or green beans, if asparagus is not in season)

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

3/4 cup veggie stock

3/4 cup coconut milk

2 Kaffir lime leaves

2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce (fish sauce is clearly not a vegetarian product so avoid this if you do not want to use animal products!)

1 teaspoon cane sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 block medium or firm tofu, cut into cubes

2 cups bean sprouts

2 cups cooked rice (I used organic brown basmati)

Heat the coconut oil in a wide-bottomed pot over medium high. Throw in the onion, and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Then, toss in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the curry paste and stir for about a minute until fragrant. Add the vegetables and continue to stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, starting with the carrots, then the asparagus, and lastly the red pepper. Don't overcook!

When the carrots and asparagus start to soften, stir in the vegetable stock, coconut milk and lime leaves. Simmer until slightly thicked, another 4-5 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Simmer 1 minute and then add the tofu. Turn the temperature to low and continue cooking for several more minutes, if necessary, until the veggies are done.

To serve, put a scoop of brown rice in the bottom of each bowl and top with the green curry. Garnish with more fresh bean sprouts, slivered green onions and lime wedges.  

~~~

Let me say straight-off that there are certain things I have purposely avoided blogging about. It may sound silly, but they are things that do not photograph easily for me. I don't have a super camera for doing sophisticated food shots, and certain things, at certain angles, just do not take to my lens. Burgers and sandwiches are two of these things. A sandwich photographed up close and at (or just above) a table-level angle takes on a weird distorted look that I fear I won't be able to remedy unless I get a better camera and an array of expensive lenses.

That said, I've decided to put aside my trepidation and simply do the best I can with what I have. It's burger season, and this year I want to share some of my favourites on this blog. So here goes....

Lately I've been reconnecting with an old friend of mine - the original Moosewood Cookbook. I first stumbled on this book at about age 15 in a little bookstore in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. I was interested in it, so I bought it for my Mom and presented it to her as a birthday or mother's day gift. At the time, I secretly, instinctively wanted to stop eating meat, but I had to wait another couple of years until I left home to actually become vegetarian. 20 years later, I still have the Moosewood Cookbook to thank for a stellar introduction to the world of vegetarian cuisine. While dietary trends have come and gone, the book has aged remarkably well; it might be a little heavy on eggs and dairy products, but the recipes are fantastic and it's still worth turning to for vegetarian standards.

Here's a delicious burger that is super easy to make and way tastier than any frozen, processed veggie burger that may have you reconsidering your decision to go meat-free. You can eat this on a bun like a traditional burger but it's good enough to stand on its own (metaphorically). I've put a little twist on the Moosewood original, by making it curry-flavoured, and I like to top it with some fresh veggies and a mango chutney. 

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

3/4 cup dry green lentils

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup minced onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

10 large mushrooms, minced

1/2 cup very finely minced walnuts

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon curry powder

black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon tamari and 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (both optional; they boost the flavour, but you may want to cut back on the sea salt if you make these additions)

1/2 cup fine whole-grain bread crumbs 

Directions

Cover the lentils with water in a small pot, and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Strain, and return to the pot. Mash the lentils well and stir in the cider vinegar.

While the lentils are cooking, you can prepare the other ingredients. I chopped the onion, garlic, mushrooms and walnuts by hand, but you may take a shortcut and use a food processor for some of this. Just be sure not to over-process! Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté over medium for about five minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients (except bread crumbs), and sauté for an additional 5-10 minutes. Add the lentils and bread crumbs and mix well.

Next, divide the mixture into 4-6 good sized patties. Fry in a small amount of hot oil over medium heat until browned on each side. Serve on a bun or over a bed of greens. Top as desired; I enjoy these burgers with a mango chutney. Yesterday, I used a ginger-lime jelly that I had on hand. Or you may want to go a more traditional route, and stick with mayo and/or ketchup. It's your call! Enjoy! 

Baking with flowers...

We made a lovely batch of lilac scones with rhubarb curd for breakfast on the weekend. Lilac blossoms have a delicate flavour, and the scones were delicious paired with a tart rhubarb curd. Lilac season is short, so if you still have lilacs around, you should rush out to make them soon, or you'll have to wait another year!