New Recipe: Spinach & Pear Green Smoothie

I tried a green smoothie at the Halifax Seaport market yesterday but its flavours failed me. There was not enough depth or sweetness.  So here's my reply.  (And with the remaining half pear you should try another recipe from an earlier SJ post ... Walnut, Apricot, Pear & Feta Salad)

Green Smoothie with Spinach & Pear
(makes one large glass)

half of a ripe pear, peeled and cored
three handfuls of spinach
a few dollops of plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup of almond milk
one frozen banana (could be reduced to half if you like things less sweet)

Blend until smooth.

Jessy's Wrap

Jessy knows how to make simple, delicious food. Here's a quick guide to a late morning or afternoon snack inspired from the young master of taste...  

Jessy's Wrap

Shredded carrot

Pea shoots, baby lettuce, etc.

Grated cheese (or crumbled feta)

Optional: add a fried or scrambled egg

Pita bread

Mayo

Vegetarian Summer

There is no photo of the recipe I cooked in this post. I can't do it all, and besides this dish tastes a thousand fold better than I could make it look last night. Don't let my visual omission deter you.

I've been focusing on vegetables - rightly so - so should you,  and am coveting a new book from the River Cottage series.  It's been getting phenomenal reviews across the interweb.  Renowned carnivore spends his entire summer as a vegetarian. And he looks like he's a goofball while doing it.

Photo by KEO Films

Again, don't let that photo deter you from trying this high boost, flavourful vegetarian comfort food.  This recipe serves two with leftovers or four people, or one person with lots of leftovers...you get the idea.

The tangy feta offsets any bitterness of the greens, the dried fruit and nuts give a pleasing sweetness and crunch.  Then there is the pilaf.  Cooked with fennel and onion, using a good organic broth, a simple grain is made genius flavourful. The roasted squash is a beautiful color that melts in your mouth.

Acorn Squash with Quinoa Pilaf, Swiss Chard, Raisins & Feta
(this recipe is not Hugh's but inspired by another book entirely. I am placing my veg delight onto a book I haven't even cooked from yet!)

1 acorn squash
allspice, cinnamon, ground ginger
salt and pepper
olive oil

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups organic chicken broth
1 medium fennel, diced
1 medium onion, diced

3-4 cups chopped organic swiss chard or kale
a large handful of dried raisins or cranberries
a large handful of pepitas or sliced almonds (optional)
1 large garlic clove, minced
olive oil
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Create a tasty olive oil mixture for the squash.  Combine cinnamon, allspice, and ginger with salt and pepper and the oil, brush it over the squash (after you've sliced it in half).  Place the two halves down on parchment paper (this saves clean up). Roast for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. You know it's cooked well when a bit of pressure on the hard rind gives way.

2. Cook the pilaf. Sautee the onion and fennel until translucent. Add the quinoa and broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until the water is absorbed - about 20 minutes.

3. Cook the greens.  Heat the garlic in oil for a minute or two, add the dried fuit and toss in the pan for another minute or two.  Add the greens and cook, stirring, for three minutes (longer if you have stems).

4. Assemble the dish.  Quinoa on the plate first, topped with squash (removed from rind), sprinkle the feta over the squash before placing the greens on top. Sprinkle the nuts on if using.

So, put down the chop, tenderloin and ribs, and pick up the veg! It's worth it in the end.

Recipes for my Readers

Rapid Fire Round: 

Pick a food you want to eat, inspired by each country
(in order of SJ's highest audience numbers) 

USA
image by Hannah Romeo

Canada
recipe by Massimo Capra

Netherlands
recipe by Food Pornographers

Slovakia
recipe by What's Cooking in Your World?

Australia
recipe by What Katie Ate

Switzerland
recipe by Poppy

France
recipe courtesy Good Food

United Kingdom
recipe by Jamie Oliver

Greece
recipe by The Three Cheeses

India
recipe by Food Happy

CBC's Spinach & Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 

There it is.  You know it, and you and I both love it.  I learned a couple new tricks to make a simple melted fist of comfort worth sharing.

I was driving an Autoshare to get groceries at 7pm on a recent Thursday.  Listening to CBC to keep me company, they had a short (and fluffy) piece about national grilled cheese day.  There was audio of the host observing as her producer cooked in the CBC "kitchen" (is this true?) making a traditional grilled cheese.  On the line was one of the creators/judges of the grilled cheese championship out there in California.  (Emphasis on 'out there').  But, what is worth sharing is that they were grilling both sides of the bread in butter before adding the filling and grating the cheese for an even melt.  I didn't make the fists of comfort that night for dinner but I did buy cheese at the store, and they did comfort us the next day.  

My choice was to add chopped spinach to the sandwich and serve with roasted broccoli on the side.   

Queen West sandwich vs. Entertainment District soup and salad

First round (The County General):  Signature fried chicken thigh sandwich with avocado in one corner, grilled cheese and pear sandwich in the other corner.  We shared platters and all the elements were gone in the time it took the streetcar to pass outside the window. Bib lettuce is my new favourite salad green.  Velvety!

Second round (O&B's Canteen): (I actually ordered french onion soup and a green salad but was tempted by the Fresh Tagliatelle description on the menu.  Took ingredient list home to try later.  I used to pick wild chanterelle mushrooms in cape breton, sidestepping moss covered logs, and who could go wrong with kale, cheese, and fresh pasta?)  rk ordered the beet salad and french onion soup.  Our soup was bang on, nicely salted broth, tangy gruyere but the beet salad was too much of a good thing and my salad called for 'preserved tomatoes' but they barely made it in the bowl, and unfortunately are not a taste I want to return to.

Verdict: The County General for its fried chicken sandwich and Canteen for French Onion Soup

Light lunch = Green goodness

eggplant salad with minted yogurt dressing

This salad would have been perfect had I grilled the eggplant long enough. And even without the distinctive grilled haloumi (I used feta pieces) or the finishing touch of sumac (read on...) the salad was a refreshing combination of flavours.  We both ate it, but (me) not overly enthusiastically.  Now you have a go at it...

Apple Stack (with green lentils)

An early spring appetizer that has a spark of freshness:   

Crostini with a savoury compote of green lentils, eggplant, shallots & garlic, topped with green apple and sharp cheese

(recipe follows)

Noodle-icious; a well-timed dinner party

Yikes!  Where have I been?  Cuba.  On my honeymoon.  Let's pick up where I left off...

A menu plucked from a Jamie Oliver cookbook can't go wrong, right? The book of wide-ranging recipes (from liver and onions to banoffee pie) presents a "revolutionary" way of cooking, specifically how to multi-task in the kitchen to produce killer menus to please a small crowd.  But even this enthusiastic cook was challenged by the timing when I started cooking for our first official dinner party in the big smoke...

Post-Christmas Little Italy lunch & Homemade Ricotta

Left to my own devices I would probably not have eaten meatballs two days after Christmas, but I wasn't alone.  Nick and I were checking out Little Italy and it was lunchtime.  We didn't see any other choices that were calling out to us, and we couldn't get the taste of an Italian sandwich out of our heads, so we popped into Hey Meatball! to order a taste.