Oatmeal brulée in a jam jar with fruit and nuts

Oatmeal brulée in a jam jar with fruit and nuts [Vegan]

Ingredients:
4 cups water
1 cup steel-cut oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated cane sugar
your favorite berries and nuts

1) In a large pot, bring water to a boil and stir in the oatmeal and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring often. When almost all the water has been absorbed, the oats are done. Stir in the cinnamon.

2) Pour the oatmeal into four ovenproof jam jars or ramekins. Stir together the brown and cane sugars and sprinkle over the tops of the oatmeal.

3) You can brulée in one of two ways. You can preheat the broiler of your oven, place the ramekins on a baking sheet, and broil for a couple minutes until the sugar melts and forms a crust. Or if you happen to have a brulee torch, you can just fire that up and wave it over the tops to melt the sugar and create a crust that way. Either way, you're looking at just a couple extra minutes for a creme brulée-style oatmeal breakfast, and who could pass that up??

Article From treehugger.com

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Lavender Hot Chocolate

Lavender Hot Chocolate

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• 3 cups of whole milk (non-fat would work, so would rice milk)
• 3 tablespoons of dried lavender
• 1 91% dark chocolate bar 
• Sugar to taste

1. Warm the milk over a medium-low heat in a small sauce pan. You don't want it to boil, you want it just above "baby safe."

2. Measure out three tablespoons of lavender.

3. Add the lavender to the warm milk. Mix the lavender into the warm milk so that it is fully coated and cook for about 15 minutes, until the room becomes aromatic. Then spoon out the lavender pieces.

4. Add the chocolate bar to the lavender-milk and slowly stir until they combine. Add sugar to the mixture, to taste.

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the world's first "nutritionally balanced" pizza

Article Taken From treehugger.com

Scientists claim to have created the world's first "nutritionally balanced" pizza

Scientists in England claim they’ve created the world’s first “nutritionally balanced” pizza. This new pizza, sold by EatBalanced, apparently contains the “proper” ratio of salt, fat, carbohydrates, and vitamins. The scientists felt inspired to create it because “they refuse to believe that pizza is only suited for the junk food category.” Wow. How noble of them, trying to rescue the greasy desecration that frozen, prepared pizza has become. The only problem is that nutritionally balanced pizza already exists in many kitchens. It’s called “homemade.”

Anyone who can cook can create a wonderfully healthy pizza like the one pictured above, made from whole ingredients and without the additives that any plant-produced, frozen pizza with a necessary shelf life will require.

I don’t care how “nutritionally balanced” a pizza claims to be: it can’t beat the homemade whole wheat-olive oil crust; the tomato-basil sauce that I canned during summer; mozzarella cheese from a local cheese company; leftover chicken bought from a friend’s farm; peppers and onions from my CSA (community-supported agriculture) share; and homemade pesto that I use when I make pizza. I don't know how many calories are in each slice, but I do know where every ingredient comes from and that it’s packed with flavour and fresh vegetables.

It doesn’t matter how healthy this new frozen pizza might claim to be; it’s still processed and, therefore, should be avoided.

A major problem with the Western diet is its widespread dependence on convenience foods and, since producers have caught on to people’s growing interest in healthy eating, there are now countless healthy descriptions to make foods more appealing. Michael Pollan, in his Food Rules book, insists on keeping away: “Avoid foods advertised on television, imitation foods, and food products that make health claims. No natural food is simply a collection of nutrients, and a processed food stripped of its natural goodness to which nutrients are then added is no bargain for your body.”

Pizza was never supposed to be junk food. In Italy, pizza’s birthplace, it’s typically eaten for dinner, a fairly light meal. Pizza is also one of the easiest things to make. If you mix up dough early in the day, you can assemble toppings, bake, and have it on the table in less than 30 minutes. Pizza doesn’t need to be rescued by scientists, but rather reclaimed by home cooks who can see through the advertising scam. Just keep in mind another one of Pollan’s rules: “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.”

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Crunchy-topped lentil casserole

Crunchy-Topped Lentil Loaf

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Walnut Apple stuffing

Walnut-Apple stuffing

Ingredients:
6 cups firmly packed diced whole grain vegan bread
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
2 large apples, peeled and diced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
5-6 leaves fresh sage, thinly sliced, to taste
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups apple juice

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a large baking sheet, spread the diced bread out in a single layer and bake 10 to 12 minutes until dry and lightly toasted. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet heat the oil and saute the red onion and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the diced apple and sauté for 5 more minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, the onion and apple mixture, and all the remaining ingredients except the apple juice. Toss to combine. Slowly pour in the apple juice while stirring to evenly moisten the mixture. Transfer the mixture to an oiled shallow baking pan.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes, stirring once in the middle of the baking time. When the stuffing is golden brown but still moist, it's ready

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Roasted tomato soup with garlic and cream 

Roasted Tomato Soup

6 cups of tomatoes, with their juice
1 head of garlic, broken into cloves and peeled
1-2 tbsp olive oil
6 cups vegetable stock, or water
1 can chickpeas or 2-3 new potatoes, diced
Basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup half and half or cream (omit, for vegan version)1. Place tomatoes and their juice in an oven-proof casserole. Add the garlic cloves and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast in a 250F oven until the garlic is soft and the tomatoes are cooked, with the liquid absorbed, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest.

2. Pour tomatoes into a large pot. Add the stock and the chickpeas or potatoes and cook until heated through. Using a blender or immersion blender, puree the soup. Add the half and half or cream (if using) and stir. Add the basil leaves to taste. Serve and enjoy!

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Raspberry tart with chocolate cream

Raspberry tart with chocolate cream

Recipe:

130g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

20g cocoa powder

100g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

150g caster sugar

1 egg yolk, plus 2 whole eggs

1½ tsp vanilla extract

50g cornflour, sifted

450ml whole milk

175g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

400g raspberries

Icing sugar, for dusting

You will also need:22cm loose–bottomed tart tin

Baking beans

SERVES: 6–8

PREPARATION: 40 MINUTES, PLUS CHILLING AND TIME TO SET

COOKING TIME: 25 MINUTES

Rub together the flour, cocoa, and butter, until they resemble fine crumbs. Stir in 50g of the sugar. Beat the egg yolk with ½ tsp of vanilla extract, and add to the flour mixture to form a soft dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Roll the pastry out on a floured surface to 3mm thick. Use it to line a 22cm loose–bottomed tart tin, leaving an overlapping edge of 2cm. Prick the base with a fork.

Line the case with baking parchment and weigh down with baking beans.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and return it to the oven for another 5 minutes. Trim off the excess pastry.

For the crème pâtissière, beat together the remaining 100g of sugar, the cornflour, whole eggs and the remaining 1 tsp of vanilla extract. In a pan, bring the milk and 100g of the chocolate to the boil, whisking all the time. Take it off the heat just as it starts to bubble up. Pour the milk onto the egg mixture, whisking all the time.

Return the chocolate mixture to the cleaned–out pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat, while whisking. When it bubbles and begins to thicken, reduce the heat to its lowest setting and paper for 2–3 minutes, again while whisking. Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film and leave to cool.

Melt the remaining chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and brush around the inside of the tart case, to seal. Leave to set. Beat the cold chocolate crème pâtissière with a wooden spoon and transfer into the case, smoothing it down evenly.

Arrange the raspberries over the pâtissière, remove the tart from the tin, and serve dusted with icing sugar.

Aldo's tip: "Add the fruit at the laste minute to prevent the pastry from going soggy. Make sure you eat it on the day, otherwise store it without the fruit."

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Strawberry-blueberry scones made with coconut milk [Vegetarian]

Strawberry-blueberry scones made with coconut milk 

Ingredients: 
1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
3 1/4 cups flour (for a gluten-free option, you can use Multi-Blend Flour from Authentic Foods, a cup-for-cup style gluten-free flour blend. Works perfectly.)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup canned coconut milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

NOW

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl or a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking sode and baking powder. Pulse 3-4 times to combine. Cut in the butter until the mix forms coarse crumbs -- you can use your fingers or if using a food processor, pulse about 10 times.

2. Stir in coconut milk and vanilla extract. Stir or pulse the food processor until a dough forms. Add the strawberries and blueberries, and gently fold into the mixture with a spoon until evenly distributed. (Don't pulse the food processor or you'll chop up the berries.)

3. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Divide the dough in half and pat them into two 7-inch round circles. Brush the tops of the rounds lightly with melted butter, then cut them into 6-8 wedges, or use a biscuit cutter to make circles. Place the pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden. Remove the scones and allow to cool on the sheet for 2-3 minutes.

5. Serve with a drizzle of honey over the top, or with a little peanut butter. Enjoy!

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Pumpkin cheddar scones

Pumpkin Cheddar Scones

2¾ cups all-purpose flour

⅓ cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ + ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon allspice

½ cup cold butter, cut in cubes

¾ cup pumpkin purée

2 eggs

¼ cup milk plus more for brushing scones

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese1. Preheat your oven to 425°F.

2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Work in the butter using a pastry cutter until the mixture is a little crumbly. You can use your hands, too, to distribute the butter a little better but unevenly crumbly would be okay. Stir in the grated cheese

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and 2 eggs until the mixture is smooth then add to the dry ingredients and stir together. At this point the mixture will seem dry with a bit unincorporated dry ingredients.

4. Add ⅛ cup of the milk then stir together again. If needed, add the other ⅛ cup milk and combine the dough with your hands in the bowl using a kneading motion. The mixture will be moist and stick to your fingers if you used the entire ¼ cup milk.

5. Scrape the dough onto a lightly-floured work surface. Bring the dough together into a round and flatten with your hands until the dough is roughly ½ – ¾ inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut a piece of the dough and transfer onto your baking sheet.

6. Brush the tops with a little milk and bake in the oven for 11 – 13 minutes or until the scones are golden.

7.serve hot

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Arugula and chickpea salad 

Ingredients:

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quinoa salad with sweet corn and peas

Quinoa salad with sweet corn and pea

 Corn and Peas Recipe  

1 cup water
1 cup couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups sweet corn kernels or frozen peas
1 cup sliced scallions
1 cup hot vegetable stock
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, or as needed
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add couscous and stir into water. Cover and remove from heat.

2. Place a sauté pan over medium-high heat, and add oil, corn and/or peas, scallions, and vegetable stock. Cook at a lively simmer, stirring occasionally, until the corn or peas are cooked and the broth is reduced by about half, about 3 minutes.

3. Remove from heat, and add quinoa (or couscous or fregola) and Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano. The mixture should be gooey like macaroni and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This can be served hot or cold, but it has the richest flavor while hot.

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Bread Potato Rolls : you can cook in 30 minutes

BREAD POTATO ROLLS

Ingredients:

• 4 bread slices, bread should be firm
• 2 medium size potatoes boiled peeled and mashed this will make about 1-1/4 cup mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup green peas boiled
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon mango powder 
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• 1 green chili minced; adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
• Oil to fry

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add cumin seed. As cumin seed starts cracking add green peas, green chili and ginger, stir for a few seconds. Add potatoes and all the spices, chili powder, mango powder, salt, cilantro, stir fry for a minute. Turn of the heat. Taste the mix it should be little spicier then you prefer as it will taste milder after filling in bread. Set aside.
2. Trim the edges of the bread slices, cut into two pieces. Set aside.
3. Take about 1-1/2 tablespoons of mixture and roll them in oval shape. Make 12 rolls. The size of potato roll will depend on the size of the bread.
4. Take small bowl of water for wetting the bread.
5. Take one slice of the bread and dip in the water lightly on one side. Place the slice in between your palms and press squeezing out the access water. This will make the bread moist.
6. Place the filling in the center of this bread and completely cover it all around giving the oval shape. Repeat and make all the rolls. Before frying let them sit for about 5 minutes. This will evaporate some of the water from the bread and it will absorb less oil when frying. The Bread Rolls will also be crispier.
7. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat, and drop the rolls slowly not over lapping.
8. Fry the Bread Rolls until they are golden brown, turning occasionally. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
9. Take them out over paper towel. Serve them hot.

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You Can Cook In 30 Minutes

Vegetarian recipes you can cook in 30 minutes or less

Arugula salad with thyme-toasted walnuts 

Well, almost enough. These aren't just any toasted walnuts. A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves are added into the pan with the walnuts and that combination, paired with the bite of arugula makes a fantastic simple, healthy salad.

Also, you could easily leave off the cheese for a vegan version, and add in sliced pears, peaches or other fruits to add some sweetness. There are so many ways to customize this thanks to the wonderful flavor of these thyme-toasted walnuts.

Recipe:

There is a local small cheese producer Monforte Dairy, which regularly has a table at our farmers' market. I often buy a goat cheese from them that has a ash rind. The cheese starts out firm and as it ripens it gets softer, so if you leave it long enough you have a bit of a gooey mess, which is just they way I like it. When I was buying a piece of it the other day, the young woman at the table suggested I try a fresh sheep's milk cheese. She said you could use it in the same way you would a bufala mozzarella. What a revelation it was, tangy, tart and absolutely delicious.It's worth the effort to seek out local cheesemakers at farmers' markets and try what they have, or go to your cheesemonger and encourage them to buy cheese from local cheesemakers. Quebec has perhaps a longer tradition of cheesemaking in Canada but the number of fantastic producers in Ontario and British Columbia is growing rapidly. These cheesemakers usually produce small batches with milk from local sources and made with a lot of care and personal attention and the results are wonderful.

I made this arugula salad as an accompaniment to a rich pasta with chanterelles. We seem to be done with lettuce for the year, but they still had arugula (otherwise known as rocket) at the farmers' market. I added just enough cheese to the salad to make the flavour pop out. You could use either goat or sheep's milk cheese for this. If you want a vegan recipe, use olives rather than cheese. This served two of us, but you can easily increase the amounts for more people.

The salad dressing recipe is from New Food Fast by Donna Hay.

Arugula and Walnut Salad

1/2 head of arugula
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup walnuts
2 or 3 sprigs of thyme or rosemary
lemon juice to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 oz. fresh sheep's milk cheese or goat cheese
2 oz. olives (optional)

1. In a small skillet over a low heat, place the olive oil, walnuts and herbs. Leave to heat for several minutes allowing the flavours to infuse the oil. Make sure it isn't too hot or the walnuts will burn.

2. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the arugula and add the cheese and serve immediately before it wilts.

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