ROAST BEETROOT AND THEIR GREENS

Okay, I know you may say yuck...you hate beetroot...Well I hate canned veggies also!!!  Okay so lets start over...How many of you cook your beets and then have the pleasure of serving them in a multitude of ways???  Well lets start now!!! Lets go to our farmers market and ask for the beets...red ones, candy striped ones, orange ones... wonderfully delicious one and all...

HOW TO COOK BEETROOT:

I like to put my oven at medium heat  and put washed beets( not the beet greens, just the beetroot) in a shallow pan with a few ounces of water, a few shakes of pepper, a  pinch of salt, and a couple bay leafs...cover with foil and toss them  in the oven for an hour( depending on size of beets) and take out when a small knife penetrates into the root easily.

WOW that was easy.  So what to do with our cooked beets, besides first peeling them with either a sharp knife, or a dry towel to rub the peel off ( this towel will be stained, so don't use a fav tea towel!!!)

I like to take my beetroot and cook it with their own greens for a tasty accompaniment to the broiled mackerel recipe from the last blog post or in numerous other ways I will describe at the end of this blog...

PREP

4 beetroot, roasted, peeled and large dice

Beetroot greens, washed and separated leaves( large slices) from stalks( diced small)

1 red onion, washed, peeled and thin sliced

2 clove garlic, fine dice

2 T ginger, fine dice

1 T Fennel seed

4 ounces white wine ( or vegetable broth)

1T vegetable oil

s,p

Zest and juice of one lime

EVOO

Fresh coriander ( cilantro)

WHAT TO DO

1. Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and then add oil.
   
2. Sweat onion, garlic, and ginger till softened and add a splash  of water or white wine if it starts to stick ( This is a way to decrease your oil consumption and lower your fat intake)
   
3. Add fennel seed and let brown for 1 minute
   
4. Add diced beet root stems ( not leaves) and wine ( or vegetable broth)and cook down for 3-4 minutes
   
5. Add diced beet root and let cook for five minutes till liquid is fully evaporated.
   
6. Add beet greens and toss till wilted.
   
7. Finish dish with zest and juice of lime, salt, fresh ground pepper, a drizzle of EVOO, and fresh herbs.
   

MORE DISHES TO WASH
As stated earlier, this is a great paring with the Mackerel dish from my previous blog entry.  

One can really make a meal of this by serving this alongside some refried white beans ( as in the picture above), and cumin lime brown rice.

Of course one can always cool the roasted beetroot, and after peeling simply slice them thinly and serve with some nice goat or feta cheese, fresh salad greens and a herb lemon vinaigrette.

Lets not forget borscht...the cold or hot, pureed or not, meaty or vegetarian soup that no soup can compare to in terms of colour and flavour!!!  

Did I mention I love beetroot...the colour, flavour, texture, ability to adapt to all seasons...how they are never forgotten( yes the stains are there as reminders on the wall!!!)...so please, support your local farmer, buy fresh beetroot ( not canned, not cryovacked pre cooked) and enjoy!!!

BROILED MACKEREL

Ah Mackerel.  Let me count the ways that I love thee...How many fish can be considered not only sustainably sourced, great for your health, and cheap???  Not many that are as tasty, beautiful, easy to prepare and readily available.   Here in the UK from way up Newcastle way to down here in Londons east end I have never had trouble finding fresh caught wonderful mackerel.  

So next time you are thinking of a quick meal, head to your fish counter and pick up a few fresh mackerel.  I find that one small mackerel per person works well and since they cook in  less than ten minutes, you may want to think about putting some rice and saute of  fresh summer veg on right now.  

PREP for 4 people

Oven set to broiler(or grill setting) medium setting.

8 Mackerel fillets/or 4 whole fish( ask your fish monger to fillet them for you, or do it yourself.  Come on and try it, its even cheaper and not that difficult...just ask me!)

Zest and juice of one lime ( or lemon)

2 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste

1 T fresh ginger, mashed to a paste

2t vegetable oil ( I use rapeseed as its cheap, healthy, and locally grown here in the UK)

1T turmeric powder

salt

pepper

WHAT TO DO

1. Mix citrus zest, citrus juice, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, turmeric, salt, and pepper in a bowl
   
2. Lay mackerel fillets out, skin side down, on a tin foil lined broiling pan( or baking tray).
   
3. Drizzle the marinade over the fish and let penetrate fish for 10 minutes.
   
4. Place tray of fish in oven under the broiler/grill and let cook for 5-7 minutes until starting to brown and fully cooked through. ( You may want to try starting it skin side up to crisp the skin, but be careful as this is a very delicate fish and could fall apart on you!!)
   

MORE DISHES TO WASH

Many people love an nice Asian type slaw with this dish such as a couple types of cabbage, red onion, and cucumber, fine sliced and tossed with rice wine vinegar, lime juice, sesame seeds, pinch of sugar, sesame oil and coriander( cilantro).

You can serve this over rice with simple saute of asparagus drizzled in same marinade and save some of the marinade (or make extra) for a sauce.

Baste fish with a bbq sauce ( thinned out with a bit of lime juice if you like) and serve over creamy polenta or with spicy cornbread and ginger garlic kale.

Leftover mackerel...its Kedgeree time...saute some onions and garlic, add leftover rice, and curry powder, then your leftover chunked mackerel and serve with some hard boiled egg and you have your old school Raj era colonial leftover meal!!!

And try it with a ragout of roast beets and their greens...to be described in the blog to follow...

CAULIFLOWER TWO WAYS

Many of us look at cauliflower as a big ole, giant, over sized head of food that we use a bit in salads or boil for veg, but usually watch turn brown in the refrigerator or on the counter.  It’s shocking how easy it is to turn a whole head of cauliflower into an elegant quick side dish that will wow your taste buds.  So below are two very easy and quick recipes to expand your repertoire of ways to use this sadly sterile head of “flowerless” but tasty flowers!!!

ROAST CAULIFLOWER

PREP

1 head cauliflower

Splash of olive oil

Pinch of salt

WHAT TO DO

1.  Wash and trim the head of cauliflower. 

2.  Cut into 6-8 large segments and toss in a bowl with a bit of olive oil and salt.

3.  Place in a preheated oven (200 C or 395 F) in a roasting pan & cook till browned (20-30 minutes).

4.  If still not fully cooked, cover with tin foil and cook in oven a further 10-15 minutes. 

MORE DISHES TO WASH

Try adding 2 T garam masala or fennel seeds to mixture to add some other depth of flavour.  Or if feeling like a sinful treat, why not sprinkle some mature cheddar or Parmesan over the cauliflower after cooking and putting it under the broiler/grill.

 

 

CAULIFLOWER PUREE

PREP

1 Head cauliflower

1 onion, fine diced

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 to 1 cup milk (more or less can be used depending on consistency desired)

1T EVOO or butter

 

WHAT TO DO

1.  Wash and trim the head of cauliflower

2.  Cut into small bite size segments (smaller the pieces, the faster it cooks)

3.  Place cauliflower, onion, and garlic in small pot, adding just enough boiling water to cover and medium high heat cook roughly ten minutes or  till soft (adding a touch more water if necessary).

4. Drain vegetables, return to pot, and off heat, add ½ of warm milk and quickly puree with stick blender or in a food processor (with all starchy puree’s, if you puree to long you will start making a very glue like substance that you will not enjoy).

5. Add a bit more milk if a smoother or thinner puree is desired.  Be careful as you could quickly end up with  a thin cream of cauliflower soup.

6.  Remove excess food bits from equipment, and finish puree by folding in butter or olive oil, and seasoning with salt and pepper.

 

MORE DISHES TO WASH

Last week I added a Tablespoon of harissa (north African hot pepper paste) to the onions and garlic and cooked this down before adding the cauliflower and water for a bit of spice and then served it with a fennel-crusted pork tenderloin and roast asparagus. To make the pork and asparagus do as follows: 

1.  Roll the pork in toasted crushed fennel seeds and salt.

2.  Brown the pork on the stove top  and then toss it in oven with asparagus spears drizzled of EVOO and salt. 

3.  After 15 minutes, brush pork with a couple spoons of Dijon mustard and finish cooking.

4.     Cover pork and let rest out of the oven for  5 minutes and then slice thickly on a bias and serve with your cauliflower puree or roast cauliflower (or both), and roast asparagus.

 

 

FAVA -rite BROAD beans with BUTTER and LIMA

I finally think I have it figured out. With moving across the pond I seem to have lost a few beans in translation... Broad beans and fava beans are actually the same thing. Butter beans and lima beans are the same bean as well. Still working on the different terms for kidney, black, navy, and others!!!
We are getting broad beans in our weekly vegetable box, and I use them in all kinds of way. When small I chop them up, shell and all, and sauté with a touch of olive oil and garlic. When older/bigger I have shelled them and tossed them in a simple ratatouille. But after a little research I realize these are also my ole favourite beans that I always knew as a bean of another name, namely...fava beans.
In my restaurants, I occasionally went through the pain of dealing with fava beans...shell em, blanche em, skin em and then cook em. What was 1 large box ends up as two pints of beans, beautiful, velvety and tasty, but only two pints...I had a whole bushel in the shell a half hour ago??? So I developed a love hate relationship with one of the most complex and wonderfully tasting beans in the field. Today I did my old standby and shelled, blanched, skinned, etc...and made a wonderful easy dish in honour of my bean confusion.

1. PREP
   Fresh broad/fava beans in shell (at least enough to fill a reusable shopping bag 2/3 full at the farmers market...)
   1 glass wine ( or a nice glass of cool mint tea)
   2 cloves garlic, smashed
   1 shallot, super fine dice ( or sub leek or onion) water
   juice of 1 lime
   butter to taste ( or sub evoo)
   fresh mint
   s,p
   
   

WHAT TO DO

1. Ready a small pot of boiling water.
2. Shell all beans and then place them all in boiling water for 1 minute.
3. After 1 minute, drain beans and strain into cold water to stop cooking.
4. Squeeze beans out of tough outer skins and save beans.
5. Okay...its amazing how little actual beans you now have left (I told you to buy a lot)! You will be rewarded in the wonderful flavour of this puree or you may decide the other options I give in the “more dishes to wash” section are less time consuming and more up your alley.
6. Did I mention you might want to drink a nice glass of wine ( or cool mint tea) while doing this easy but slightly time-consuming prep work for the dish???
7. Heat a small sauce pan on medium high heat
8. Sweat garlic and shallot in oil till soft and translucent.
9. Add beans and just enough water to cover them, to pan and cook till soft, 5-10 minutes (depending on how long they were blanched, how big they are, etc)
10. Add water as necessary to keep beans from drying out. When beans are soft and liquid is fully absorbed add juice of lime and smash this mixture with potato masher or stick blender.
11. Add butter to finished product and season with salt and pepper and freshly chopped mint ( or any other fresh, tasty herbs you have in the garden).

Serve this as a nice side to grilled lamb chops, as a nice change under some grilled chorizo sausages, a healthy puree to go with roast chicken, or use it as a fresh seasonal stand in for refried beans next time you are making blackened fish tacos...


MORE DISHES TO WASH

Use the blanched beans tossed in a vegetable salad of arrugula, radish and manchego cheese tossed with a simple citrus and olive oil dressing.

Cook dried fava beans till soft, mash em up good with olive oil, garlic and lemon and serve with roasted shallots, a little bit of tomato parsley salad, toasted pita and poached egg for a modern take on Ful, a staple food of old Cairo.

Sauté simply with garlic and onion, add a dollop of olive oil and serve over pasta with Parmesan, lemon zest and fresh herbs.

Whatever way you decide to use them...use them up because they only are available a couple months a year (roughly early June to late July) so when they are gone, they are gone and you can spend the next ten months forgetting how much time you spent getting them ready and simply remember their vibrant fresh silky flavour!!!

LAURENS BEST BANGLADESHI DAHL

As promised, albeit late (please blame the telephone company bureaucracy for my 4^th week of living without a phone line...I could write a blog about what I think happened at the Boston tea party and let me tell you, it was not a tax issue...it was waiting for a cup of tea most likely and the bureaucracy associated with all shipments...whether tea or a phone line!!!)  But anyways, I have found the time and energy to write about the only meal I eat every week without fail, and today was actually the first time I ever made it!!! 

            My partner, Lauren, studies Adolescence among Bangladeshi and British Youth (The Abby Project) and due to this topic of study, she has spent time in Sylhet, Bangladesh and with many Bangladeshi migrants in East London.  This is what makes me very lucky.  I eat perfectly cooked, wonderfully healthy, absolutely flavour packed dahl (lentils) each and every week.  We usually make the dahl along with brown basmati rice (sometimes we sub in millet or quinoa), some raita, a quick cabbage and cumin sauté and some spicy chutnies.  Today, I finally got Lauren to dictate the recipe to me so I could try it out and give you all this incredibly tasty and healthy treat!!!

            The recipe makes enough for about 6-8 main course servings, so make the whole amount, and use the leftovers for a nice soup!!!  One very different technique that most people are not used to is that of tempering.  Tempering is the process where in we heat flavour elements (in this case cumin seeds, onion, garlic and ginger) in oil just before serving, and add the main ingredient (in this case lentils) to the sizzling pan. 

 

PREP
2 cups red lentils, rinsed thoroughly till water runs clear

5 cups fresh water (not water from rinsing lentils)

1 onion, fine dice

6 cloves garlic, fine dice

2 T fresh ginger, fine dice

2t turmeric

1t salt

2t garam masala

1t cumin powder

2 hot chile peppers, sliced in half (seeds removed if desired)

1T cumin seeds, whole

1 T vegetable oil

Fresh coriander (cilantro)

Salt

Lime wedges

 

WHAT TO DO

1. On stove top bring lentils and fresh water to a boil in an uncovered large saucepan.
2. As it heats, skim off any foam that forms on the top of lentils.
3. Just before lentils are boiling, add ½ the onion, 1/3 of the ginger, 1/3 of the garlic, and all the dried spice powders (not the cumin seeds) to the pot and let cook at a high simmer till lentils are just “al dente” (like pasta, we don’t want the lentils to be mushy, but simply cooked with the slightest give to the middle).
4. Add the chili pepper to the lentils and let rest, in the pan uncovered, off the heat.
5. Now you can cool these lentils and we will fast forward to the moment you want to eat your lentils...
6. To temper ½ of your cooked lentils, you will need to heat a large sauté pan on your stove top over medium high heat.
7. Add 1 T vegetable oil to pan and then heat 1T cumin seeds in the hot oil.
8. Add the rest of your onion, garlic, and ginger to the hot pan and over a medium heat, cook the tempering mixture till caramelized (sweet and brown).
9. IN one pour, add the quantity of lentils you desire to eat (in this case ½ the recipe) and stir. 
10. Any excess liquid will quickly reduce and the flavours will incorporate.
11. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro
12. Taste the lentils, adjust salt if necessary and serve with lime wedges.

 

MORE DISHES TO WASH

This dish will give you a healthy, cheap and flavour packed couple of meals. With your leftover you can easily make a hearty soup with any scraps of vegetables, the lentils and a bit of spiced water or vegetable stock.

 

For another way to cook your lentils, use the risotto recipe on last weeks blog, but sub the lentils for the rice and you will have a healthy, and hearty side dish that can then be turned into a nice cold salad as well for lunch!!!

 

Try making a simple chutney of one part dates, two part red onions, one part sugar, one part water, the zest and juice of a lime, 1 t black onion seeds and 6 chopped dried chiles...simmer this till thickened and adjust seasoning and be prepared for some serious heat!!!

 

And if you make the chutney you will most likely need the raita:  1 cup yogurt mixed with chopped cucumber, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar, and sometimes I add some cumin and lime zest...a cooling burst of flavour to mellow the mouth after hot chutneys!!!

 

SO try the lentils, enjoy the flavours and have a great meal with family and friends!!!

ROOFTOP GARDENS AND GOURMET EAST LONDON RATS

ROOFTOP GARDENS AND GOURMET EAST LONDON RATS           

            Okay, first of all, none of us want to see the word rats in the title of a food blog.  But the truth is, these creatures exist, and I am now witnessing that some are very picky eaters.  This past Sunday we planted our nice little patio with flower baskets, some palm like trees, and of course lots of herbs (coriander/cilantro, basil, lavender, chive, and mint) and salad green seeds (rocket/arrugula, spinach, and red leaf).  Seemed like a great idea.

            Living in East London is wonderful, we are near canals, parks, organic markets, Brick Lane, all that we desired for cultural enjoyment and of course we are in the heart of the area of study for my partner’s medical anthropology PhD fieldwork project titled ABBY (Adolescence among Bangladeshi and British Youth).  I wake up each morning, and look out over our street and shockingly; the sun has been shining down upon us each and every day.  But back to the garden.

            We planted the garden on Sunday and when I woke up to head to west London to teach one of the community food courses that I am a instructor for, I found quite a shock.  I was drinking my tea on the terrace amidst our new garden...and the flowers were beautiful, the plants were shady, the basil, lavender, mint and chives were looking great...but my coriander...my coriander...where had it gone. 

            All that was left of our coriander was a few unnibbled stalks...every leaf and green shoot had vanished!!!  I was absolutely shocked...was it mice, moles, ants, slugs, or rats..???  I was not sure...but I knew that something had to be done...we love our coriander...mixed into our cucumber yogurt raita( 1 cup yogurt, ¼ cucumber, chopped coriander, lime zest, ½ lime juice, cumin, grind of pepper, pinch salt...all mixed together and let to set in refrigerator...and the perfect foil for spicy curries!!!), tossed in our Bangladeshi dahl ( Check this weekends blog, I promise!!!) just before serving, in our salsa ( 2 tomato, 1 garlic clove, ½ red onion, ½ jalapeno, lime juice, chopped coriander, salt, peppe...all chopped and a quick stir), truly a staple for us.

            I also noted that during the hard rain of the night all our row of seedling pots of  salad greens had fallen over...wow, what a rain.  I decided I needed to head to work, I got on the tube, then to the train, and waited for my ride.  Outside the station at a garden centre I spoke with an attendant who assured me it was most likely ants that ate the herbs.

            At work, I spoke with my co workers who listened to my coriander story and relayed similar issues in their gardens and how they had combated slugs,  with a variety of remedies ( salt, Vaseline, natural pellets, etc.)  I thought about all these things as I returned from work and  as my partner was making rice, dahl (lentils), and cabbage  for our dinner. When she asked me to run to the store for coriander, I decided, then and there...I would solve the coriander quandry.

            After a wonderful meal of rice, dahl,cabbage and  coriander-cucumber raita  we  relaxed and eventually went to sleep.  We spoke of waking up in the middle of the night to see the ants or slugs in action and I had the evil though of using more than my individual nutritional portion of salt upon them!!! 

            At midnight, I crept out of bed, walked over to the window where the herbs were visible, and waited...and what did I see., not a slug or an army of ants but a gigantic east London rat, staring at my/his coriander stems!!!  He was as shocked as I, and scurried away, once again knocking over salad green seed holders, and I guess he, like I was a bit upset to be forced to go elsewhere for his coriander!!!

            So sorry for the delay, I hope you enjoyed yesterdays quick pickle bit, and the present ramble. I will give you Laurens amazing Bangladeshi Dhal recipe for your weekend enjoyment (serve with a nice spicy quick pickle that you can find in the previous days blog, basmati rice, and the simple raita we described above.)

THE QUICK PICKLE

Pickles are one of those items we all have eaten at some time or other.  Sometimes we get them at a restaurant as a garnish, sometimes we just crave them, but who makes them?  I love to!  Not long term type pickles (I don’t have the space or the patience today), but quick pickled items...Like what you may say?  Well what about pickled samphirre with your mackerel, pickled shallots  to serve with a block of warmed feta cheese as an appetizer, pickled eggplant and  cumin sealed with EVOO for your grilled lamb kabobs, pickled red onion with black onion seeds to serve over some nice salmon and fennel puree...the list goes on and on...and these are all basically the same idea...the same quick pickle...

 

PREP for BASIC PICKLE ...

PICKLED FENNEL ( or sub red onion)

 

2 fennel bulbs thinly sliced ( toss out core but save long dark green stalks for stock and use frond ends as a garnish for pickle or other dishes...) (or any other veg you fancy...or a mix...adjust sizes of cuts as well...the bigger the chunk the longer it takes to infuse the flavour.  If trying to use whole items like green beans, you make want to blanche them is boiling water for 30 seconds to aid the process)

2 T fennel seeds (or any other spice you fancy)

1 cup white  wine vinegar (again you choose the vinegar)

½ cup water (you can omit water and add more vinegar for stronger flavour)

¼ cup sugar (try with different sugars, honey, etc.)

 2 T salt

WHAT TO DO

1. In a mixing bowl place fennel and toss with 2 T salt. This helps to pull excess water from the inside of  the vegetable (Don’t worry, we will clean off the salt in 10 minutes!!!)
2. In a sauce pan heat up vinegar, seeds, sugar and water till sugar dissolves (place bitter or less edible  spices like peppercorns in a disposable paper tea bag holder to add more flavour as well)
3. After ten minutes take fennel  and immerse them in bowl of water. Empty first mixing bowl, fill with clean water and now place fennel back in this bowl.  Perform this transfer one more time, or until most of salty taste has left the fennel.
4. In a clean, dry storage container, add fennel and pour vinegar mixture over the onions.
5. Mix fennel and make sure they are submerged in the liquid.  Place closed container in refrigerator and eat in a few hours or days
   
   

 

MORE DISHES TO WASH

The idea is that the quick pickle can be made in advance and you can keep a variety of them for a long time in your cooler.  This gives you a variety of condiments for your impromptu guests, midnight snacks, or last minute funky garnish...

Try pickled asparagus spears or green beans with your Bloody Mary

Make the best Gibson martini ever with home pickled ramps or baby onions

A simple thin sliced cucumber, radish, and carrot pickle using rice wine vinegar and sesame seeds for your next sushi night...

Cabbage, carrot, radish, and garlic with cumin seeds with your tacos and margaritas

OR for the hardcore...pickled jalapeno slices with toasted fennel and shallots in balsamic vinegar and a few cold beers to chase them with!!!

So many combinations...all you need is some veg, some vinegar, some sugar and some salt...enjoy!!!!

MUSHROOM AND ARRUGULA RISOTTO        

I often here people speak of risotto, as if it was equivalent to crossing the Sahara or climbing Mt Everest.... the pain, the trouble, the time.  Bollocks...its simple, its elegant, its what I love to make at all times of the year with all kinds of ingredients...Lovely red risotto with beets and green garlic, roast tomato and grilled corn risotto...lets not forget bacon and ricotta risotto for those who don’t find the amazingly rich mushroom risotto fatty enough. Below I have a simple recipe for risotto with a quick trick to allow you to make risotto in advance (yes its possible, no its not a sin, and yes it will be perfect!!!)

PREP

2 cups Arborio rice

2 T vegetable oil

1 large leek (white and yellow only, save green for stock) or 1 large onion, finely diced           

4 cloves garlic, fine dice

1pound mushrooms, stems and caps separated and chopped           

4 cups fresh arrugula, washed and dried

2 cups white wine or use mushroom stock below

4 cups mushroom stock (plump some dried mushrooms in 6 cups boiling water with any vegetable scraps such as garlic, leek greens, carrot peelings, etc.after ½ hour, remove the tender mushrooms and strain the stock)

Butter or EVOO

Parmesan cheese, grated

S, P

Fresh herbs

Lemon

 

NOTE:  Usually you can find cheap dried mushrooms at most Asian grocery stores, use them to add flavour to your favourite soups, stocks and sauces (even try grinding the dried mushrooms in your coffee grinder for a tasty garnish or seasoning).

 

WHAT TO DO

1. In a large sauce pan, heat to medium, and add 2 T vegetable oil.
2. Add leek (or onion), ½ of garlic, and chopped mushroom stems.
3. Cook over medium heat till onions are translucent (add touch of water if necessary)
4. Add rice and toss to coat.
5. Add white wine to pan and stir often, cooking over medium-to-medium low heat till wine has evaporated.
6. Add 2 cups mushroom stock (or vegetable stock, or vegetable cube induced water) and again stir often and cook till stock has evaporated.
7. Taste rice...is it cooked...if so then stop now.  Most likely it is soft on outside and hard in the middle.  If you want to use the risotto tomorrow or the next day, then stop here.  You can spread the rice out on a baking tray to cool, then set it in the refrigerator in a sealed container and continue with the next step when you want to have dinner (This is how we avoid spending an hour in the kitchen when friends are coming for dinner!!!)  But if you want to simply continue cooking then here we go...
8. Okay, we are back to the stove...now we can add more of the mushroom stock and continue stirring being careful not to add to much stock, as we do not want soupy risotto.  I like risotto to be a touch “al dente” in other words, with a slight bite to each kernel of rice (not mushy).
9. Once the consistency of the risotto is where you want it, then we can sauté the rest of the garlic with the mushroom caps and leftover mushrooms from the stock.  This can be done simply in a hot pan, with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.
10. In the risotto pan we now want to add a splash of olive oil (or butter), a good handful of Parmesan...fold this in and then taste.
11. Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon (to brighten flavour up if you like) or lemon zest.
12. Now taste again...the risotto should taste rich, creamy and still have a visible texture of individual kernels of rice that seem to be stuck together simply with their own starchy goodness.
13. The last step is to toss in the fresh arrugula, making sure to gently fold it into the rice so it wilts slightly, but does not get crushed.  This will give your risotto an extra bit of colour, peppery flavour, added vegetables and a nice crunch.
14. Plate a nice mound of risotto, add a healthy portion of the sauté of mushrooms, a final sprinkle of Parmesan and fresh herbs...enjoy!!!!

 

 

MORE DISHES TO WASH

 You can serve this risotto over oven-roasted portabellas and a side of the sauté of mushrooms.  As well you could serve the sauté of mushrooms and arrugula together under the risotto...or maybe add some pesto (see 25 MAY blog  about ramps) to the portabella caps (then roast in 200 degree C, 390 F oven for 15 minutes) and serve along side a garnish of Parmesan and pesto... 

 You are not bound to mushrooms...use the seasonal produce available...courgette and tomato risotto, grilled sweet corn and carmelized onion, roast beet and green garlic, simple parmesan risotto with a poached egg...etc.etc...and leftover risotto...make little risotto cakes stuffed with cheese and one can coat with bread crumbs and bake/fry them and serve with leftover pesto or marinara sauce!!!

 

 

 

 

WILD BASS AND SPRING VEGETABLES

Well we finally picked up our box of organic veg and fruit and have realized quite quickly: people must not cook in London!!!  How could our regular size box of veg and bag of fruit cost so much and have the ability to last me most likely 2-3 days???  Maybe its that people use the organic as a supplement to their supermarket run???  Should we not be able to buy direct and get enough food to survive on for a week( it is a weekly veg box)...maybe i am a bit naive, or maybe I was spoiled up in Durham where the vegetables were still fresh with dirt and I had trouble finishing the box each week!!!  

Let me stop my ranting and start cooking.  Let me be happy that I have access to an organic box of vegetable and a farmers market as well.  Let me be thankful that its sunny and i have a nice old marble cafe table on our roof garden for us to have eaten  a breakfast (yogurt, fruit and nuts) upon this morning!!!!

 So as I walked to pick up my veg box last night, I let some red quinoa  steam away with white wine and leftover onion trimmings and thought about what would hopefully be in the box to make a nice meal with  the quinoa and the nice wild bass i picked up at the market I was at.

  Hmm... our veg box had cabbage, tomato's, onion, garlic, pepper, carrots, zucchini, and spring green onions...so in the 10 minutes walk back to our flat i came up with... Simmered wild bass over spring veggies and red quinoa.

PREP

1.5 pounds wild bass filet ( 2-3 pound whole fish), cut into four portions

s,p

1 T paprika

1 T turmeric

2 T vegetable oil ( I use rapeseed here in England)

1 zucchini, halved length wise and sliced thinly

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 green onion stalks, thin rounds

1 cup white wine

EVOO

Lemon

WHAT TO DO

1.  Heat large saute pan over high heat and then add oil.

2.  Season fish liberally with s,p, turmeric and paprika.

3.  Sear fish fillets in pan ( set in pan away from you to minimize oil splatter)

4.  Shake pan as fillets are placed in it, to assure there is a layer of oil between fish and pan.

5.  Sear fish only to a golden brown on each side and remove to a plate to rest( middle should be raw.)

6.  Turn pan down to medium high and add splash of oil, and then garlic and onions.  

7.  Cook onions and garlic for one minute and then add zucchini and peppers.

8.  After vegetables start to wilt, add 1/2 cup white wine and scrape up any brown bits.

9.  Reduce heat to medium and add tomato's and green onions.  Cook for two more minutes.

10. Add rest of white wine and place fish slices on top of vegetables.

11.  Cook fish, covered for 3-5 minutes ( depending on thickness).

That's it.  Simple and nutritious.  But wait...does it have enough flavor???  Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to the finished dish, some lemon zest, maybe some chili flakes...you decide...

MORE DISHES TO WASH

Why not dress this dish up even more with some saffron in the simmering liquid, or use a whole fish roasted in the oven and stuff the finished product with the vegetable from the dish above. 

What to serve this with???  I would try some nice whole grains such as quinoa, millet, brown rice...or for summer serve with fried plantains and saute of garlicky kale or spinach!!!

One other thought...play around with different ways of cooking your fish...skin on, bone in, whole fish, etc...dont be afraid, enjoy!!!!  AND AS USUAL...YOU GOT QUESTIONS...I GOT ANSWERS...

HAPPY COOKING!!!

Awaiting my box of veg and internet connection

Well sometimes life does not move as fast as Ferris Bueller says.  Sometimes the vegetables grow fast and the internet connection takes months to be installed.  Such is life when we move down to East London.  We pick up our box of local organic vegetables today and look forward to eating fresh, local, and seasonal week after wonderful week.  

I have started work as a community food worker in west London teaching low income young mums and dads cooking and nutrition skills.  The focus is to help these young parents gain cooking confidence, to eat healthy, to feed their children nutritiously, and to do all this as frugally as possible.  

So as I work on recipes for the courses, i think of ideas for this blog, and will get back to posting a few times a week as i find closer internet cafe's and someday, someday soon I hope, a home internet connection!!!

Thanks everyone for emailing me with your cooking questions...feel free to keep em coming as I should be able to start checking my email more often...I am off to get my first organic London box of veg now and promise to follow up tomorrow with what we cooked for dinner with it!!!

Happy eating!!!

WILD GARLIC...Do I smell ramps????

For those of you who worked with me at Olivia or Stella's restaurant, ate at the restaurants, or came over for dinner at my home, you well understand that I am obsessed with ramps.  Ramps you say, what are they?  Some call them wild onions or wild leeks, a southern buddy who cooked at the restaurants once said, "Your cookin with yard onions???"  To me and many others they are simply an amazingly flavourful wild plant, with beautiful garlicky greens that is available in spring time for just a few weeks.  

Living in Northern England has had many pleasures, but after visiting an ex Stella's chef's restaurant in the D.C. area this spring and being sent out amazing appetizers including ramps...i was heart broken.  No ramps for me to cook with this spring...no ramp pesto, no pickled ramps in Gibson martini's, no ramp risotto, no grilled ramps over short ribs with ramp infused jus, no three way ramps with a nice piece of seared fish, no, no, no...

I came to appreciate Ramps while working for Dan Barber, at Blue Hill in NYC back in the turn of the 21st century ( I like saying turn of the century, don't you...don't feel old, feel new!!!).  Dan got fresh ramps from foragers who showed up to the restaurant in the morning, and by afternoon we had ramps all over the menu for days to come.  It was amazing to see farm to table eating move all the way from picked to pickled in a matter of moments, from a "weed" in the woods to a green on the plate  of one of the finest restaurants in NYC  within hours.  Of course this is what happens when you work for an amazing whirlwind of a chef (and recently voted the James Beard best chef in the United States)... he rubs off on you like turmeric on your hands, or ramp shoots on your breath...it lingers and you end up with the same obsession for fresh, seasonal,simply prepared food!!!

Unfortunately, here in the north east of the UK, I had not met anyone who knew of ramps.  But while enjoying a wonderful bbq the last week, a friend showed me their lone shoot of wild garlic in their yard.  Hmmm...looks a bit like ramps, tastes like ramps, wow...a long lost family member.  I am so happy that they exist ( albeit in a form with lighter leaves, thinner shoots, and more beautiful flowers), but am again saddened that this is the only leaf i may eat this year.  

So sad, what to do, but go on a nice hike to take in the beauty of spring time in Durham.  We walk, we sniff, we look around... wondering where this potent garlic smell is coming from???  We look and see a patch of wild garlic, like manna from Heaven!!!  So we went home, grabbed some bags and scissors, and headed to the forest floor to do some shopping.  

Hopefully  you too may be able to find wild garlic or ramps at your farmers market or food stand, in the woods, or maybe in your veg box/csa box.

Unfortunately I cant give a lone ramp/wild garlic recipe.  There are just to many options, too much green, too much fun and flavour.  So let me give just a few ideas of how one can enjoy the bounty of the season as we did in our restaurants  in years past, and how my partner Lauren and I are doing so with our fresh picked wild garlic this week...

NOTES OF CAUTION

Firstly, if you are going foraging for ramps, wild garlic or any other product, please do your research, take along a guidebook and a  knowledgeable friend.  Don't plunder all the produce of the forest, as their are lots of shoppers besides you ( deer, raccoons, fox's, etc) and try to leave the area as you found it.  

Secondly, make sure to wash everything before you eat it, as you will invariably encounter lots of dirt.

Thirdly, use your imagination and cook seasonally. Ramps/wild garlic is a great example of how you can use one product in 1001 ways.  

RAMBLING WILD GARLIC ( RAMP) RECIPE THOUGHTS

Ramp Pesto 

 What better way to use ramps then to blanch the cleaned leaves for 10 seconds in boiling water, refresh in iced water and then puree in a food processor  with evoo, salt, and some toasted almonds ( cheaper then pine nuts)...the ratio should be a couple cups ramps, a pinch of salt, a 1/2 cup almonds, and enough oil to keep the ramps moving in the food processor/blender.  Often times I also squeeze a touch of lemon juice in for a brighter flavour, fold in Parmesan for added body, or mix in arugula or basil for an even deeper balanced taste.

 

Ramps and eggs 

A nice way to start the day.  Saute some ramp leaves, and serve on some toasty bread smothered with ramp pesto and then slide a couple poached eggs on top.

Roasted potatoes and ramps

I like to roast small pieces of potatoes ( tossed in evoo and a bit of s,p) in the oven till browned and then simply toss in a pan of just lightly sauteed ramps and serve this with a nice hunk of roast anything ( we had roast pork belly with it last night...)

Rhubarb and ramp compote

A perfect topper for the pork belly last night.  Simply cook down a finely chopped large stalk of rhubarb( 1 cup) in a saute pan till soft, but not mushy, add a diced shallot, a splash of white wine, and 1/4 cup sugar and let thicken.  Toss in 1/2 cup fresh diced ramp leaves, fold in and let set off the heat. ( Some people like to add some chili peppers to balance the sweet and sour, your call)

Ramp and potato salad

Boil up some new potatoes and when cooked, toss with your ramp pesto and some fresh diced ramps.

Ramps and rice

Spice up your plain old brown rice or any other grain by tossing in some fine diced ramps just before serving.

Ramp Risotto  

Again simply toss some fresh chopped ramps into your finished risotto( check upcoming blog posts for in depth recipe of how to make risotto) , garnish with wild garlic flowers, and  serve with a nice roasted portabello  mushroom that is glazed with the wonderful wild garlic/ramp pesto.

Grilled Ramps

With your heartiest toughest stalks of ramps ( wild garlic here in the UK seems a bit more spinach like and not hearty enough for this) drizzle with a touch of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and throw on the bbq for a few seconds, turn, and then serve as a side to whatever is coming off the Q.

Wild Garlic Salad

The UK wild garlic is so tasty and delicate one can simply tear up some leaves, toss in some of the flowers, mix with your regular salad greens, a few fresh veggies, a vinaigrette made of ramp pesto thinned out with a bit of lemon juice and thats it.

Scallops wrapped in ramps

Yes simply blanche your ramps/wild garlic and then tie a nice "rope" of a ramp around each scallop, season, sear and serve on top of you guessed it...ramp pesto, ramp mashed potatoes, saute of ramps...or serve with a nice hunk of pork belly for the ultimate take on scallops wrapped in bacon!!!

  

Tis the season.  Like all seasons, to enjoy what is fresh, local, and abundant.

Yes I could keep going, but I just wanted to give you a taste of simple things to do with your seasonal produce.  Of course, by all means toss the ramp pesto and saute of ramps with your pasta.  By all means slather your burger with ramp pesto, fresh grilled ramp greens and some Parmesan shavings.  By all means pickle the root ends and toss in a martini on a nice hot day. Most importantly, invite some friends over and enjoy the bounty of spring with others!!!

GET YOUR VEGGIES

Okay, we all know we can saute, steam, roast and bake our vegetables, but some times I just don't want to cook, ( maybe its that we just moved to east london and are still finding the farmers markets...i will be there today!!!) but I don't want a pile of carrot sticks for dinner either! What I have been doing lately is making very simple marinated vegetable salads that are flavourful, have all their nutrients intact and are great additions on top of fresh greens, under a nice piece of grilled fish, tossed with a saute of shrimp, or just served alongside some lentils and rice ( no I don't make Lentils and rice very often, but my partner does make them for us almost weekly, and they are amazing, just wait, i will give away her recipe soon enough!!!)

PREP

1 zucchini, small, and sliced into super thin rounds

12 radish, sliced into very thin rounds

12 cherry tomato's, halved

6 button mushrooms, sliced very thinly

2 oz red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 c fresh herbs

2 oz EVOO

s,p

WHAT TO DO

In small bowl whisk olive oil into the vinegar, garlic and herb mix until well blended.

In large bowl mix all other ingredients.

Gently mix dressing and bowl together and let marinate in refrigerator until ready for meal.

MORE DISHES TO WASH

Obviously you can adjust the vegetables to what you have lying around your house or garden,just attempt to cut all to the roughly the same size ( i left tomato's much larger so they would not fall apart, and they have a different consistency) and look for a great compliment of colors, flavours and textures.

Here are a few other takes on this simple marinated vegetable salad...

Bread Salad...toss some stale bread chunks into the salad moments before serving for a fresh picnic snack

Change the vinegar to fresh lemon zest and juice and add a fresh fennel and tarragon and serve with your cured salmon or grilled salmon.

Use lime juice, vegetable oil, ginger, garam masala, and black onion seeds for a curry compliment.

Mix toasted cumin seeds, more garlic, lime juice, cilantro and olive oil to help spice up your summer grilling of fajitas.

I HAVE THE CURE...for salmon that is

Okay, I am no doctor, but i can cure a mean side of salmon.  Its so simple and amazing.  One simply uses a great piece of sustainably, caught or farmed salmon a few ingredients, and waits 12 hours and you have perfectly cooked fish...cured that is.  This is a process of "cooking"  a piece of fish with salt.  The recipe is technically a form of gravlax, which is a northern European method of curing fish.  Often times people make this recipe and let it cure for many days, which is fine, and the fish will last longer, but the beauty of a 12 hour cure is the flavour of the salmon cure is complemented by a soft perfectly cooked piece of fish.  

Before you begin, please realize there is no "cooking" involved here, the salmon is cured simply by the act of salting it...don't be afraid, its perfectly healthy, please just use super fresh fish, not frozen!!!!  You may also be asking why do this???  Just try it, and you will soon realize how wonderful gravlax is, and how easy it is to make little appetizers of gravlax and herbed cream cheese on cucumber rounds, gravlax and eggs for breakfast, a nice filling for sandwiches, a wonderful protein rich addition to salads,etc...

You may also be thinking...12 F!$?!$ ing hours i don't have the time...hold on...read below and realize that it takes all of about five minutes of active work and 12 hours of sitting in the refrigerator.  So please, just trust me, and get ready to find the cure...

PREP

1 pound of fresh salmon, skin and bones removed (tail sections will cure faster as they are thinner)

1 Cup kosher salt ( i like the feel and taste of a slightly gritty salt)

1 cup sugar

zest of 1 lemon 

zest of 1 lime

zest of 1 orange

couple 2 -3 sprigs of fresh dill or fennel fronds

2 T fresh grated or super fine diced ginger

1 T coriander, toasted  and ground

1 ounce gin

saran wrap

a heavy object?!?!?!?

WHAT TO DO

Mix the cure: salt and sugar, zests, herbs and spices in a large bowl

Lay out a large piece of saran wrap and spread 1/2 the cure mix on the saran wrap in an shape that mimics the size of the salmon piece (or pieces...yes you can use scraps but they cure much faster)

Add the piece of salmon gently on top of the cure.

Sprinkle gin evenly over the  top of the salmon.

Add the rest of the cure on top of the salmon in an thick even coating.

Place another piece of saran wrap over the salmon and seal into a packet.

A couple more layers of tightly wrapped saran wrap around the fish curing packet will help to hold in the juices( as the salmon cures, the juices will leach out from the salmon).

Place fish packet in a shallow flat dish and weigh it down with a heavy object         (bricks, canned food, etc) and let sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Remove the fish from cooler, unwrap, gently rinse off the salt cure and voila....you have grav( grave) lox (salmon)!!!  

I suggest slicing with an incredibly sharp knife with long slow, angled slices.

MORE DISHES TO WASH

First of all, their really were no dishes to wash!!!

So many things to do with cured salmon...diced in a cured salmon tartare ( with lots of fresh herbs, EVOO and fresh lemon juice), wrapped around blanched asparagus, tossed in scrambled eggs, used as a garnish on top of grilled salmon, did i hear bagels and cream cheese...on toast with tomatoes and sour cream.

So as it  gets warmer out we should all start thinking about these types of no stove dishes. Why heat up the kitchen everyday when you could stay cool, go to sleep, and wake up to a nice piece of cured salmon.  And check out the next blog post for some other non cooked dishes...

 

Me and my Mussels

Living in the Northeast of England has been wonderful with its plethora of fresh cod, sole, scallops, Scottish salmon, samphirre and mussels...oh how I love mussels.  I want to explain how easy it is to make a quick( they cook in a few minutes), healthy ( high protein, rich source of omega 3 fatty acids, and low in saturated fats),   Eco friendly ( sustainably farmed), and  cheap ( go to your fish monger, you will be amazed) meal with  mussels...

PREP

Broiler on high

For this meal you simply need to prepare a nice big salad, grill some bread, and make a big ole bowl of mussels.  So check out the salad dressing blog post for hints on vinaigrette's, and buy some nice crusty bread...and leave the rest of the work to the mussels.

Mussels, 3-4 pounds, rinsed in cool water and beards removed ( The connective fiber that sticks out of some mussels that you can quickly pull off with one smooth yank...but if you don't fancy that bit of work and want a bit more rustic of a meal then leave them...don't worry it wont hurt ya)

2 onion, peeled, and thin sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled, and fine dice

1 leek, thin sliced whites

1 cup white wine

1 head of arugula, cleaned and chopped

Fresh herbs

Baguette, long thin bias cuts

Olive Oil

s,p

WHAT TO DO

Once you have your salad veggies cut, salad dressing made, baguette slices drizzled with oil, s, and p then you can grab a big pan /pot (with a lid) and heat it up over medium high heat on your stove top.

Add a bit of butter or oil to the hot pan.

Add your onion, garlic, and leeks and let sweat( cook with out browning) down for one minute.

Add all your mussels to the pan along with the cup of wine, shake the pan, put on the lid and let steam till mussels are all open...shaking occasionally.

At same time placed your slices of bread in broiler and let cook till a golden brown.

When bread is done and mussels have opened, toss arugula and fresh herbs in with mussels, taste  the broth for any issues ( need some salt, a touch of olive oil, maybe a squeeze of acid in the form of lemon juice???) place in serving bowl and serve with salad and bread.

MORE DISHES TO WASH

Okay, so that was easy right???  Now how many ways can we make mussels?  Thousands, just use your imagination...here is just a few other ways to enjoy them...

Make some fries/chips and some home made aioli ( garlicky mayonnaise) and serve alongside the mussels.

Cook some pasta and serve your mussels over the pasta with a little of the reserved mussel liquid ( strain the liquid and quickly reduce it by half over high heat, to strengthen the flavour)...add some tomatoes to the initial vegetable  saute, finish with some basil and maybe a nice sprinkle of Parmesan.

Add curry paste to initial onion mix, add some lemon grass, ginger, fresh chiles and kaffir lime leaf  for steaming and then toss in some coconut milk( in place of most of the wine) and you have a simple  Thai curry flavour

Add fennel and fennel fronds to onion mix, deglaze with Pernod, finish with tarragon and you have a nice anise feel.

Make a nice pesto ( simple puree of fresh greens traditionally made to a paste with garlic, olive oil, s, and Parmesan cheese) with any nice fresh green  or herb...ramps, spinach, arugula, basil, etc., and  toss the cooked mussels with a few heaping spoonfuls...and happy days are here again... added point...never cook pesto you will lose the wonderfully vibrant bright green color faster than you can swear about it!!!

Saute off some zucchini and yellow squash with any of your onion family, toss in some thinly slice wedges of citrus ( rind and all)...follow same directions...

Want to save em for later...cook the mussels as described above, strain the liquid ( freeze and use at later date for many a nice fish soup), chill the mussels in the fridge and toss them in a nice salad, or in your next simple pasta dish.

I could go on and on, but simply put, mussels are a cheap way to make a fun meal fast.  So buy some fresh mussels, use them that day, invite some friends over, and show off your mussels...

MEAT COUNTER MAYHEM / Please check out THE MEAT SHEET at bottom of the blog

Oh yes, I know all about it, people having friends over for dinner, a bbq, a Sunday roast, and they head to the grocers meat aisle and their eyes glaze over. So many choices, so many names, and in the end you go with old faithful...burgers, or tenderloin, or chicken breasts. Not to say their is anything wrong with these cuts, but there is so many choices, so many options, everyone just needs a lil help in deciphering the coded language of an animals big old body!!!

I think we need to think of the cuts of a beef, pork, lamb, chicken, etc as what they are, parts of a living, breathing animal. What does this mean?

If a part of an animal works hard, such as the legs it walks on or the belly that holds in all its innards...these are strong, tough items and they may need a bit more Tender Loving Care to make them Tender and Loving to Eat. If a cut of meat gets no workout all day, such as the tenderloin protecting the spinal column, then it will start out very tender...but watch out...as quickly as it starts tender it can become the most hard and unfriendly piece of meat you ever tried.

Why is this??? The more tender cuts of meat from the tenderloin, rib roast, etc..have less connective tissue and sinews, where as the hard working muscles of the legs, shoulders, belly, etc...have tougher, more dense strands of muscle. Just think of what happens when you go for a long run and feel those calve muscles ( shanks in cookin terms)...lots of tension due to lots of hard work. Even more so is the strongest muscle of all, the heart, pumping all day long for a life time. If you ever have a chance to cook one you will realize the density and darkness of this muscle mass ( and yes the darker the meat the more tlc it may need...this is not some issue of it being filled with blood and such...its due to use. The non flying chicken walks on its legs, but the duck can fly...this is one reason a duck breast is much darker than a chicken breast...but I digress)

Please check out the bottom of the blog for the little chart "THE MEAT SHEET" that I made which I hope will help clarify your meat selections at the butchers counter next time you are there. I have tried to simply organize all the major cuts of meat into categories of cooking as follows...

HIGH AND DRY: grilling, broiling, pan frying techniques that are cooked rather quickly at high and dry heat. High is the temperature, and dry means it is not cooked in a liquid. These cuts usually are not in need of marinades to tenderize, but of course you can do so for flavour purposes, but often the dry rub of spices works wonderfully on these cuts.

ROASTS: Longer cooking techniques, often on a high heat to start ( whether initially seared in a pan, high heat in your oven, or on the hot part of your bbq) but then once your initial browning/searing has occurred its time to lower the heat ( in oven or cooler section of your bbq) and let the meat slowly cook to the temp you desire.

SLOW AND LOW: my favorite...braising time...check out the lamb shoulder blog entry from last month for an example. but this is a slow cooking of a tough ( and usually cheap) cut of meat in a liquid until so tender and succulent that you would think there was never a need to invent the knife.

QUICK TIPS:

1. Relax. Sounds simple, but every time you move your steak around on the grill, keep turning your browning short ribs in the pan, all you are doing is slowing down the meats efforts to get a good sear and cook itself. So the golden rule on the grill for example when cooking a nice steak...season it liberally with salt and pepper, clean your very hot grill, and set the steak down...after two minutes turn it 90degrees...in two more minutes flip it, in two more minutes turn again 90 degrees...more time between each turn for more well done, less time for more rare. The idea is getting some good char marks. Same goes for a piece of fish in a pan...please stop the endless shaking of the pan for 5 straight minutes, it does not help...simply make sure the fish does not stick and then relax...

2 REST. Again sounds simple, but everyone sees food come off the grill and wants to eat it...STOP . Let the meat ( any meat, fish , bird, etc..) rest for 5 minutes to redistribute the heat and juices. You do this with your turkey for thanksgiving, why don't you do it each and every other time you eat...

3. REWARD YOURSELF. Remember that the act of eating is not simply about physical nourishment, and each and every time you cook for friends and family you should remember how important this simple act is for you and those around you...the friends, the farmers, the grocers, the ranchers, the list goes on and on...but truth is that you are never cooking alone...so cheers to you!!!

SALAD TIMES

After spending a long but fruitful week in London, looking for a flat, a job, and some sunshine all i have wanted to do was cook a nice salad with a simple vinaigrette. The salad dressing or vinaigrette is one of the easiest things to master in your kitchen, but everyone has powdered mixes, bottles of store bought chemicalized dressings, and for some an absolute fear of the simple salad dressing...

The idea of a salad dressing is very simple. Its an emulsion of acid and fat. What that means to you and me...vinegar or citrus juice and oil. The ratio is the important part, and unless you want you greens to taste like straight vinegar, then hold to the rule of a minimum of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar!!! Some people push it all the way to five parts oil to one part vinegar, but I think you get the gist...its not all vinegar with a splash of oil...no matter how healthy you are trying to be. Being healthy is no excuse for bad food...neither is eating a fat free salad dressing an excuse to drown your lovely salad greens!!!!

So below is a quick recipe for a basic salad dressing with very standard quantities of an acid (lemon juice), a fat (olive oil) , and a binder (mustard and garlic) that can be altered in hundreds of ways...and i will describe a few after the recipe...

Basic Vinaigrette

PREP

1 lemon, juiced ( about 4T)

1 garlic clove, smashed to a paste

1 t Dijon mustard

s,p

3/4 cup EVOO ( use less extra virgin and more vegetable oil for adjustments in cost and calories)

Fresh herbs, fine dice

WHAT TO DO

1. Mix all ingredients but olive oil in a large bowl.

2. Slowly drizzle in oil as you whisk the dressing ( circular motion, back and forth...fast, fast)

3. Continue slowly drizzling oil into the dressing until emulsified (creamy texture).

4. Taste the dressing by drizzling a bit on some salad greens...does it need more fat, s,p...

That's it!!!

But now the key part is to toss your freshly washed salad greens( and dried) in some of the dressing. Use just enough to coat the leaves...no leaves swimming in a pool of dressing.

The mark of a great salad is that the dressing is there to assist the flavour of the vegetables, not the reverse. So buy fresh vegetables, wash them, cut them with care, and toss gently in the vinaigrette so as not to smash em up before you eat them...

MORE DISHES TO WASH

With the above recipe you have the base for many items, below are a bunch of lil ideas that you can test out...

Add an egg yolk to the beginning mix, and follow same steps and you will have mayonnaise.

Or...Temper the egg yolks ( slowly heat over a double boiler till change color but don't let em scramble), eliminate the mustard and garlic and lemon juice, change oil to clarified butter and you have the basis for a simple hollandaise sauce.

These are the simplest sauces, that seem to cause such anxiety...so next time you want to make salad dressing follow the directions above and then think of some changes such as...

Change the acid component to soy and rice wine vinegar, add fresh ginger and green onion, use sesame oil and veg oil...and you will have an Asian inspired vinaigrette

Use lime and cilantro with dash of cumin for your fajitas veggie salad...

Want the dressing creamy...use a bit of the h0me made mayonnaise as a base, or try roasting a tomato, puree it, and use this instead of the mustard...

Light and creamy...use yogurt, with fresh mint, lemon juice, and puree of cucumber and then the same ratio of EVOO...or mix tahini with yogurt and hit it at end with fresh toasted sesame seeds...

Just remember: acid (vinegar, citrus juice), fat (veg oil, olive oil, sesame oil, etc), binder (such as egg yolk, mustard, garlic puree, roast tomato puree) and some salt, pepper, and fresh herbs...

So take the 2 minutes to make your own dressings...buy some good olive oil, some fresh citrus and herbs, and stop buying jar after jar of processed dressings...you can make them cheaper, faster and healthier...

p.s. Next time you are at your favorite restaurant, ask if they make their own dressings. Its so cheap and easy, if they don't you may want to ask for oil and vinegar instead. And then think about what else they either don't know how or don't care enough to make themselves!!!