Black bean and Chickpea salad

9 May

It’s BBQ season here in Montreal. We have had 2 weeks of the most gorgeous vacation weather – sunshine, warmth and no humidity. Thank goodness for that, since my bangs don’t survive in a humid or rainy climate (they are quite temperamental!)

Seeing as how I am now on holiday, anytime someone says “we’re having a BBQ” I jump at the occasion to go! Obviously I don’t want to show up empty handed, so when it’s on short notice you gotta make do with what you got! This bean salad is one of those recipes that you throw in what you have in your fridge, but it looks great and tastes yummy too! I brought this over, along with jerk chicken and a mango salsa to a friends BBQ the other night and it was really well received (the host even took the leftovers for lunch the next day!)

Blackbean and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)
2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, slices in half)
2 bell peppers, variety of colors – chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
1 tsp grated lime rind
1/4 cup (50 mL) lime juice
1/4 cup (50 mL) vegetable oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Directions:

In large bowl, toss together black beans, chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, peppers and avocado.
In small bowl, whisk together lime rind and juice, oil, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt and pepper.
Pour over bean mixture and toss to coat.

Adapted from Canadian Living

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Categories Recipes, Vegetarian
Author Jennie

Mini Egg Frittatas

3 Mar

A few months after moving in with my boyfriend, we had our families over for brunch. It wasn’t just a meet and greet for our families, it was also my first time hosting! I was so prepared – I planned the dishes and beverages way in advance, took advantage of everyones offers for help, and sweat a lot.

For a successful brunch, I had a varied number of dishes.

1. The classic smoked salmon, bagel, cream cheese and tomato platter

2. Fresh fruit and berries with 2 types of yogurt (one being lactose free of course), with homemade granola (curtesy Of Ryan’s mother)

3. Stawberry spinach salad with a honey poppy seed dressing

4. Overnight baked french toast – my sisters specialty brunch dish

5. Mini Egg frittatas – the easiest recipe which is posted below!!!

As for beverages, I served Mimosas (Yum!), french press coffee, and espressos.

Mini Egg Frittatas

Ingredients:

12 Eggs
Variety of toppings: Red pepper, spinach, mushrooms, fresh oregano, fresh basil, cheese…etc

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°C
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and season with a pinch of salt and pepper and prepare the toppings you wish to use
Pour the eggs into a non-stick muffin pan and top eggs with veggies, cheese and herbs
Bake for 10 minutes, checking at the 8-minute mark. They should be puffed up and set in the middle. Let cool a few minutes before removing from pan (may need to cut around the egg to remove it from the tin).
SERVE AND ENJOY!

Inspired by bevcooks

This is such an easy and great brunch dish! It also reheats well!

Hope you enjoy it!

-Jennie

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Categories Breakfast, Recipes, Vegetarian
Author Jennie

Hot and Sour Soup

9 Dec

It’s that time of the year again. I have literally been sick 3 separate time this past month. While it’s no fun to have that painful red throat and fever, I do have an excuse to make lots of soup!

Last fall I was big on the purreed soups like butternut squash and carrot soups. This year I’ve been into the chunkier and more substantial soups like the orzo soup and a beef stew that will be posted shortly.

With all of my asian style cooking, I figured its about time I made a hot and sour soup! Now I can start my asian style dinners with a steaming hot bowl of soup to clear my sinuses (cause I like it spiiiiiiicy!).

Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust for your own level of “spicyness”)
4 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thinly sliced
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 package firm (or soft) tofy, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/3 cup bamboo shoots (canned)
1/3 cup water chestnuts (canned)
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

In a large pot, combine the broth, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the mushrooms and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar and cornstarch. Add to pot and stir until soup is thickened. (if you want to thicken the soup further, mix more cornstarch with water and add to soup)
Add the egg through a slotted spoon, creating ribbons while stirrring. Stir in the tofu, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots.
Taste – can add more soy sauce, rice vinegar or red pepper flakes as needed.
Serve – sprinkled with scallions

Slightly adapted from Everyday Food – Great Food Fast

Hope you enjoy the recipe!

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Categories Recipes, Soup, Vegetarian
Author Jennie

Orzo soup with fire roasted tomatoes

28 Nov

I suppose you can say I’m a planner. I have a cute red moleskin notebook where I write to-do lists, grocery lists, and even recipes I want to make. This orzo soup recipe caught my eye months ago, but I could not find one of the required ingredients anywhere – fire roasted tomatoes. I’m so set on things (some use the word stubborn), that when I found 2 cans of them in toronto six weeks ago, I brought them back to Montreal to use.

So where have I been these past 6 weeks? Planning of course…my future. Residency applications, also known in Canada as CaRMS is a frighteningly stressful application process that will determine where my training for my future career will be. Planning my application was one thing, and to finally be satisfied with it was another. I am, however, happy with how it turned out and I’m enjoying the next few weeks of stress free waiting!

While I wait to see where (not if – positive thinking!) I get interviews, I hope to make lots of comfort food. This soup fits in well since it’s easy to put together, it’s flavorful and soothing (especially if you have a cold!). It calls for few ingredients – veggie broth, orzo, spinach and of course those darned fire roasted tomatoes. Oh, and adobe sauce. If you want to use the can for more than just a teaspoon of sauce I have some awesome recipes – tilapia , lima bean soup and yummy sweet potato fries.

Orzo soup recipe:

Ingredients:

7 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
2 cups spinach, chopped
1 14-ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, well drained
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tsp adobe sauce
good quality extra virgin olive oil
3 egg whites
fine grain sea salt
fresh cracked pepper
some grated Parmesan cheese (to finish) – optional

Directions:

Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until just tender – about ten minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach.
In the meantime, heat the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, adobe sauce, and a splash of extra virgin olive oil in a separate saucepan. Add some salt if needed.
Just before serving, Slowly pour the egg whites into the soup, stirring quickly with a whisk. Serve the soup in individual bowls, with each serving topped with a generous spoonful of tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, a dusting of cheese and black pepper.

Source: 101 cookbooks

I have some other good soup recipes coming your way so stay tuned!

- Jennie

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Categories Recipes, Soup, Vegetarian
Author Jennie

Roasted Mediterranean Pepper Salad

2 Oct

Who ever said fall had to be full of squash, pumpkin and zombies (duh- halloween)?

Side Comment about Zombies: Is it normal that when I hear the theme song for the Walking Dead through the thin walls of my neighbor’s apartment that I want to dress up in dirt and and scare the living crap out of them? I mean, they are super loud all the time…so they deserve to poop themselves.

Right.

It’s Fall. Everyone is wearing un-form fitting sweaters, layers, and cooking/baking something orange. My kitchen has never conformed to rules, if anything I step so far away from them – like the time it was a seriously cold canadian winter day and I made a Thai Mango salad. I’m different! So Goodbye pumpkin, hello vibrant colors!

The best thing about this salad, is how versatile it is – take out what you don’t like, add what you do! You can also 1) serve it with just the peppers (or the additions) as a side for many meat or fish dishes, 2) put on baguette for beautiful crostinis, 3) Toss it with arugula for a fullfilling salad.

Roasted Mediterranean Pepper Salad

Ingredients:

Variety of bell peppers +/- spicy pepper (like jalepeno)(4-6)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp green onion, chopped
1 tbsp shallots, diced
1 tbsp capers, drained
1 tbsp kalamata olives, chopped
Feta cheese
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut peppers in half, removing seeds.
Line peppers on a large baking sheet and roast them for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once they’re fully roasted, cover the pepper tray with another piece of foil and let the peppers cool. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove the skins and slice sections of pepper into 1/4-inch wide strips.
Toss peppers with oil, lemon juice, garlic and a few pinches of salt. Cover and let marinate for an hour or overnight (and up to 4 days) in the fridge.
Add capers, olives, green onions, shallots and parsley. Stir to mix.
Add feta to top of plate when serving with a sprinkle of parsley and black pepper.

Adapted from smitten kitchen

Hope you enjoy this salad! You can change it to how you like it, and serve it in a number of ways! It’s a go-to at my table when it needs an extra pop of color.

- Jennie