Three things to do with carrots

The humble carrot: healthy, delicious, cheap, and underrated.  While salads and carrot sticks are obvious choices, there are so many things that you can do with this vegetable!  Here are three suggestions....

1) Roasted

Carrots are sweet, which means that they roast beautifully.  It's also ridiculously easy: once the carrots are in the oven all you need to do is set a timer and take them out when it dings...no need to slave over the stove checking for done-ness.

The method is basic.  First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Cut up the carrots into bite sized pieces (as a general rule, the larger they are, the longer they will take to cook).  Toss them with a little oil (I prefer canola or vegetable oil for this since olive oil tends to smoke in the oven at high temperatures), add salt and pepper to taste, as well as whatever other spices/flavours you desire.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes (longer if necessary).

Using a mix of coloured carrots is not only delicious, it's also beautiful!

2) Soup

I love vegetable soups: they are creamy and delicious...and ridiculously good for you since they amount to little more than veggie puree thinned out with a little chicken stock.  Also, really easy to make.  For this particular curried carrot soup you will need the following:

-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 1/2 pounds of carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (if you can't be bothered peeling/chopping, just buy a bag of baby carrots from the store!)
-6 cups chicken stock
-1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
-1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (more=spicier)
-salt and pepper (to taste)
-sour cream (for serving)

Preheat a large pot over medium heat.  Add olive oil, onion, and carrots; saute 5 minutes.  Add 4 cups of chicken stock, curry powder, cayenne, and about 1 tsp of salt.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the carrots are very tender (15 minutes or so).  Remove from heat, and use a hand blender to blend until smooth (or, you can blend small batches in a normal blender.  Be careful though...hot liquids in a blender tend to splash!).  Return to heat; if the soup is too thick add more chicken stock (until you reach the desired consistency).  Add salt and pepper to taste; serve with sour cream.

You can make these fancy hearts by putting down small dollops of sour cream and then dragging a toothpick through them in a circle.

3) Bake

Muffins are a great place to put vegetables, especially since grated veggies take the place of oil or milk.  These muffins are extra special since they also contain crushed pineapple...and they freeze really well!

-1 1/2 cups flour
-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
-3/4 cup natural bran

(If you don't like bran in your muffins you can just use 2 cups of flour and omit the bran.  Another option is to use 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat!)

-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Make a well in the centre, and set aside.

-2 eggs
-1 cup grated carrot
-1 can (398 mL) crushed pineapple with juice
-1 tbsp cooking oil

In a small bowl beat eggs lightly.  Add carrot, pineapple, and oil; mix well.  Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the centre of the dry ingredients.  Stir to moisten.

(At this point you can, if you choose, add 1 cup of raisins or dried cranberries.)

Fill greased muffin cups with batter.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.

As always...enjoy!!

Start with a side dish, and make it a meal

That's exactly how my meal planning went this past weekend.  Here's how the decision went down...

I had some potatoes leftover from last weekend's camping, and decided that I ought to use them sooner rather than later.  While thinking about all the different ways that I could cook them I landed on something I hadn't made in awhile (due to the warm summer weather): scalloped potatoes.

Being as the weather has started to cool down, I thought this idea was perfect.

My original plan had been to make scalloped potatoes as a side dish with some chicken.  So I spent some time thinking about what I could do with the chicken...and I couldn't think of anything.  Well that's not actually true; I could think of many things, but none of them were particularly attractive options on this particular fall afternoon.  So I took a slightly different tack and tried thinking about the different things that I could do with scalloped potatoes and realized why I couldn't settle on a chicken recipe...the potatoes were going to be rich and delicious and filling, and there was no real need for any additional food.

Though I did make some space for a side salad.  Gotta get the greens in somewhere!

Scalloped potatoes, as I mentioned, are typically thought of as a side dish, something rich and delicious that you serve along with a simply roasted piece of meat.  But with a few tweaks it's quite easy to make them into a complete meal.  And as there are so many different ways to make scalloped potatoes all I'm going to share is the basic method...that way you can make the casserole your own!

Ingredients/Directions:
-potatoes (obviously); 2 to 2 1/2 pounds, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds.  Starchy potatoes are best since they will absorb the most liquid and will thus prevent your casserole from being too soupy.
-liquid; 2 1/2 cups.  Most of us are probably familiar with using cream, but you can also lighten up your scalloped potatoes by using any combination of cream, chicken (or vegetable) stock, and milk (so long as the combination adds up to 2 1/2 cups)

The first step (after preheating the oven to 400 degrees F and greasing a 9x13 casserole) is to simmer the potatoes in whatever liquid you've chosen.  Combine the potatoes and liquid in a large skillet along with 1/2 tsp salt and some black pepper (to taste).  Simmer, partially covered, over medium to medium-low heat until barely tender (8 minutes or less).

I chose to simmer my potatoes in a combination of skim milk and chicken stock, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper for spice.

-toppings.  I usually put straight cheese on top of my potatoes, but breadcrumbs and nuts are also lovely.  Use as much or as little as you feel necessary.
-fillings.  This is where things get interesting and you can mix all sorts of neat flavours into your scalloped potatoes.  In order to make the casserole into a complete meal meat is a great option (suggestions: ham, italian sausage, ground beef), just make sure that it's cooked first.  Same with any veggies that you choose to add (onions, leeks, fennel, and mushrooms are all great options).

My toppings (small white bowl on the lower right) were a combination of parmesan cheese, panko, and walnuts; and I filled my scalloped potatoes with hot italian sausage, caramelized onions, and old cheddar.

Once your potatoes are barely tender it's time to get everything into the casserole.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer half of the potatoes into the bottom of the casserole dish, spreading them out as evenly as possible.  Arrange your chosen fillings evenly on top of the potatoes.  Top with the remaining potatoes (again, spreading them as evenly as possible) and pour any remaining liquid over all of the ingredients.  Scatter your toppings over the potatoes, and bake until it's bubbly, brown, and the potatoes are completely tender when poked with a fork.  Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving (this gives the potatoes times to soak up more of the liquid).  And, as always, enjoy!

Served with green peas to get an extra serving of vegetables onto the plate.  And, like many casseroles, these potatoes tasted even better the next day!

What I'm eating now: Corn off the cob

Summer is the best time for produce, and one of my favourite things to eat is juicy and sweet corn on the cob....steamed (or grilled), with just a little butter and salt.  Delicious.

Not very creative though.

I don't know about you, but I'm always a little intrigued when I watch cooking shows and watch the TV chefs cut fresh corn straight off the cob.  So when my cooking magazine arrived this month with recipes featuring that particular technique I decided to give it a go.

Practice was required to keep the kernels from flying everywhere.

I can't lie: it's time consuming.  But results can't be argued with, and my menu this week featured two delicious dishes (one side, one main) that showcased the fruit of my labour.......

#1: Corn and Bacon Saute
-1 or 2 slices of bacon (depending on your preference)
-2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
-1 1/2 tbsp butter
-3/4 cup sliced green onions
-lime wedges

Heat a large skillet on medium heat.  Add bacon to pan and cook until crisp; remove from pan and crumble.  Add corn to drippings in pan; cook 3 minutes or until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally.  Stir in butter; cook 1 minutes or until butter melts.  Stir in crumbled bacon and green onions.  Serve with lime wedges...a spritz of fresh juice really makes the flavours sing!

You could substitute frozen corn kernels for fresh if you're pressed for time, but the flavour just won't be the same...

#2: Creamy Corn Risotto

This recipe is a little more involved than the first, mainly because risotto is something that requires a lot of a attention.  But don't let that scare you: the results are worth the effort.  If you've never made risotto before I recommend giving this article a quick read as it provides step by step instructions (with photos) for the basic process.

On to the recipe!

Ingredients
-1 large red bell pepper
-4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)
-1 3/4 cups low fat milk
-2 tbsp butter, divided
-2 1/2 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
-1 onion, finely chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp fresh ground pepper
-1/4 cup dry white wine
-1/2 cup sliced green onions

1) Combine corn, milk, and 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan.  Bring to a simmer; cook 10 minutes.  Stir in stock, keep warm over low heat.

2) While the corn mixture is simmering, cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes.  Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a baking sheet; flatten.  Broil 8 minutes or until blackened.  Place peppers in a ziplock bag; let stand at least 5 minutes.  Peel and chop; set aside.

3) Melt the remaining 1 tbsp of butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; swirl to coat.  Add onion and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes.  Stir in rice, salt, and black pepper; saute 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups corn mixture; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.  Reserve 1/2 cup corn mixture.  Add remaining corn mixture, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total).

4) Remove pan from heat; stir in reserved corn mixture, bell pepper, and green onions.

My favourite part about this dish is that there is as much corn as there is rice, making it quite light.  It's also lighter than typical risottos because it does not contain any cheese, but the milk/corn mixture makes it so creamy that you'll never miss that addition!

Happy cooking!!

Keen-what?

Now that I'm back from my holiday, it's time to get back into the swing of blogging on a weekly basis.

Sometimes it can be challenging to come up with a side dish since the old standbys (potatoes, pasta, rice) are so readily available and delicious.  However, eating the same thing day after day can get a little tiresome, and so it's always good to have another side dish in one's repertoire.

Why not try quinoa?

Pronounced "keen-wah," quinoa is a delicious and nutritious South American seed.  Easy to cook, it's become possible in recent years due to it's high protein "superfood" status.  Whether or not you buy the whole superfood thing, quinoa is something that you should try.  It's easy to cook, and is good both hot (as in the recipe that I'm going to share with you) or cold (in a salad).

You should cook quinoa the same way you would rice: two cups of liquid to every cup of quinoa.  I like to cook mine using chicken or vegetable stock...it adds more flavour.  Add both the liquid and quinoa to a pot and bring to a boil; once the liquid is boiling reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes (until you can see the germ...the little white bit curling around the seeds in the photo below).

The other clue that your quinoa is cooked?  All the liquid is gone!

Once the quinoa is cooked you can do any number of things with it.  One especially great option is to cool is to room temperature and mix it with veggies/dressing to make a healthy and balanced salad, but I'm going to share another great option......

1) Cook 1.5 cups quinoa in 3 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock according to the directions above.  When the quinoa is finished cooking, stir in 2-3 tbsp low fat cream cheese (I like to use the herb and garlic kind for more flavour) and stir until well mixed.

2) Saute 5 cups of veggies (any kind) in olive oil and garlic.  When they are crisp tender, add them to the quinoa mixture.

Here I've chosen a combination of mushrooms, asparagus, and peas...but feel free to use whatever is either in season or in your fridge.

And, as always, enjoy!

Try this on the side...

The next time you're trying to decide which side dish to have with your dinner, consider polenta.  Polenta is basically a porridge made with corn meal, but it tastes better than that sounds.  It has a rich and creamy texture, is easy to make, and is good for you...making it the perfect companion for any number of dinners.  Once you've got the technique down it can be ready in about 20 minutes.

Also, for the cash starved students among us, corn meal is quite inexpensive. :)

There are only two requisite ingredients for polenta: coarsely ground yellow cornmeal and some variety of liquid.

I use the Bob's Red Mill...that way my polenta counts as a serving of whole grains!

When making polenta add 4 parts of liquid for every 1 part of cornmeal.  The liquid can be whatever you want...the only thing that will change in the taste.  I like to use half chicken stock and half skim milk to give my polenta a rich flavour and creamy texture, but you could also use: all milk, all chicken (or vegetable) stock, or even plain old water.

Step 1: measure out the necessary quantity of whatever liquid you choose (remember, 4 cups of liquid for every 1 cup of cornmeal) and bring it to a boil.

Step 2: Add the cornmeal in a slow steady stream, stirring constantly to prevent clumping (don't worry if it does clump...just keep stirring and crush any large clumps that you see.  The others will disappear as the polenta cooks).  Lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture really thickens.

What does it mean for polenta to be really thick?  That's hard to describe, but basically you will know that your polenta is done when the trail left behind by your spoon doesn't fill in as quickly as it did in the beginning.

Thickened: now it's ready for more flavour!

Step 3: Stir in any additional flavours.  I almost always add cheese...whatever kind I have leftover in the fridge.  I also like to add frozen corn to sneak an extra helping of vegetables onto my plate, along with whatever fresh herbs I happen to have on hand that day.

Step 4: Serve!

Polenta goes great with anything...here I'm serving it with peas and grilled fish.

Alternate step 4: make a polenta "cake".  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and pour the polenta into a loaf pan or other baking dish.  Bake for 15 minutes then refrigerate until firm.  This makes the polenta into something that can be sliced and grilled (or seared in a pan), giving it a crispy crust and a creamy interior.  Perfect for polenta fries!