A few of my favourite things

I absolutely adore Mediterranean food and it's simplicity. In fact, I am known to eat a lot of hummus, and I mean a lot! There is something so comforting (and tasty!) about olives, olive oil, hummus.. and, oh, did I mention olives and the magic of olive oil, especially a really good one? The cuisine is very condusive to vegan cooking and eating even there are a number of times when dairy is used. But many non-dairy options are available. See for yourself.

Greek meze platter of warm chunky hummus, basil olive tapenade, grilled vegetable skewers and warm pita wedges

The hummus was made from freshly cooked warm chickpeas blended with ground cumin, raw garlic cloves, tahini, sea salt, fresh lemon juice, filtered water, and extra-virgin olive oil. The chunkiness came in when whole cooked chickpeas and toasted sesame seeds were folded in. It was served warm as inspired by this lovely retreat center in Costa Rica called Lands in Love. The basil tapenade was super simple: combining kalamata olives, picholine olives, raw garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, and chopped fresh basil in a food processor. No additional salt was needed. Finely diced red bell peppers were folded in for an added texture and colour. And the veggies? Time-consuming but delicious. Red wine vinegar, dried oregano, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil were blended together to marinate the portabella mushrooms, zucchini, and red onions, after which were assembled and grilled. And warm, soft pita bread brushed with olive oil? You catch the drift? :)

Tofu, greens, and rice

In Costa Rica, I had been exposed to a lot of coconut, passion fruit, and mosquitoes, to name a few! I remember coming up with this menu in the car, while traversing over the rough landscape of the inland of Costa Rica. The idea really started with the rice (which originally had fresh passion fruit), and then my mind took it from there.

Green tea and tamarind marinated and broiled tofu

Chinese broccoli with hoisin sauce

Coconut and scallion jasmine rice

Organic firm tofu marinated overnight in a mixture of pure tamarind puree, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, Chinese five-spice powder, maple syrup, Braggs amino acids, and green tea. A note about Chinese five-spice: the blend of spices is apparently based upon the Chinese philosophy of balancing yin and yang in food. The most common combination is star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seed. It is quite fragrant. After marinating overnight, the tofu was broiled in a high temp oven, in this case, the pizza oven, and the marinade was reserved for a sauce to top the tofu while serving. I had the foresight to know that the tofu would be a bit dry, although flavorful, after it's encounter with high heat. The sauce was simply the marinade plus a touch of extra-virgin olive oil and sesame oil. Bite-sized Chinese broccoli was blanched and tossed with hoisin sauce and white pepper. And the jasmine rice was steamed with a blend of coconut milk, coconut water, and water (.5:.25:1.25 respective ratios for 2 cups of rice). Each component imparted a unique and subtle flavor and married along nicely.

Corkscrew pasta puttanesca

Fusilli is a corkscrew shaped pasta and is conduscive to absorbing pasta sauces. It was paired today e fagioli (with beans) and broccoli rabe in a porcini-puttanesca sauce. Puttanesca orginates from southern Italy and is known for being spicy, tangy, and somewhat salty, and typically has anchovies. Of course no anchovies were used in this adaptation of the sauce.

Fusilli with broccoli rabe and borlotti beans in porcini-puttanesca

The sauce was made from extra-virgin olive oil, yellow onions, garlic, red chili flakes, minced Nicoise olives, capers, tomato paste, dried oregano, fresh basil, diced tomatoes, and hydrated porcini mushrooms. The fusilli was tossed with grilled broccoli rabe, simply cooked borlotti (also known as cranberry) beans, and sauce. The dish was earthy and balanced: a bit bitter from the broccoli rabe, a tad sweet from the beans, and salt, spicy, and tangy from the sauce. And the anchovies weren't missed.

Once upon a tofu

I find tofu to be very versatile. You can practically make in any way, shape, form, and flavor. It comes in firm, soft, silken, firm silken (I know it sounds like and oxymoron, but it really does exist!), infused, dried, etc. Today's dish was tofu fashioned in a Mexican way.

Chile-marinated grilled tofu with roasted tomatillo and sauce

Citrus infused quinoa

The tofu bathed overnight in a chile marinade made from re-hydrated and seeded guajillo chilies, chipotle chilies, sauteed red onions with cumin and smoked paprika, orange juice, fresh cilantro, and a touch of agave and lemon juice. The marinade was drained, reserved and warmed up while the tofu made it's way to the grill. The tofu was adorned with a roasted tomatillo and avocado sauce which included garlic, fresh cilantro, seeded jalapenos, a touch of citrus juice, and filtered water. And the quinoa was steamed with diluted orange juice and then tossed with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and lime zest, and a touch of lemon juice. The dish was deep, light, and filling.

Bread, chocolate, and all that jazz

Bread and chocolate. Yum.... I've always loved the combination of bread and chocolate. There is a well-run cafe in Puerto Viejo Costa Rica and it was called Bread and Chocolate, and with a name like that, I had to visit and was happy that I did, even though I ate neither bread nor chocolate there. I had fruit and granola and a fresh papaya shake with water. It's funny, when I'm traveling, I eat very basic and when I'm back at "home", I'm devouring almost everything in sight. And today was no exception. Although I know I am moderately gluten intolerant, the mind got the better of me and I ate with abandon slices of bread topped with the warm chocolate espresso spread I made with Maldon sea salt flakes. What would you have done?

Raw vegan spinach manicotti with herbed tomato sauce

Savory chocolate and sea salt crostini

Raw zucchini slices were filled and rolled with a seed "cheese" made of soaked sunflower and pumpkin seeds, Italian parsley, baby spinach, filtered water, extra-virgin olive oil, and a touch of lemon juice. To make the herbed tomato sauce, fresh Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and oregano, fennel, filtered water, extra-virgin olive oil, and lemon juice were thrown in the blender and blended until somewhat chunky, yet smooth. The sage aioli from yesterday's menu made a guest appearance today as the drizzle in the sauce. And lastly, the manicotti was sprinkled with hemp seeds. And as for the savory chocolate crostini, need I say more?

Change as opportunity

The planned menu for today was a chickpea crepe filled with a savory melange of butternut squash, mushrooms, and the ever-so-in-depth herb, sage. I did not have a chance to make the crepe batter the night before, which was recommended from the chef. So first thing this morning I went for it: chickpea flour, soy milk, salt, and arrowroot. Wait! Where was the arrowroot? Nowhere in sight so I subbed cornstarch with my fingers crossed. After several attempts and several different pans later: the crepes were a no-go. The batter just wasn't having it. Actually, it wasn't letting go of the pan. So good-old trustworthy brick dough once again came to the rescue. This stuff is amazing and turns our real crisp after baking. I have to admit that I was a bit dissapointed, and embarassed, that the crepe didn't work out. But hey, sometimes change is an opportunity. It's all in the mindset.

Butternut squash, mushroom, and sage parcel with sage aioli

Organic field greens in balsamic vinaigrette

The filling was made by sauteing a blend of yellow and red onions, fresh sage, mushrooms, and butternut squash in extra-virgin olive oil. Super simple. The parcels were then filled with the saute and Daiya vegan mozzarella, which melts like a charm. It really does. A sage aioli made of canola oil-based mayonnaise, soy milk, lemon juice, sage, raw garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil finished the dish. All-in-all, it was pretty tasty.

In moments like these, I must remember toand "one another" includes yourself.

And we go full circle

After a much well-deserved vacation in Costa Rica, the first day back in the grind is always the most challenging. One of the easiest items to prepare is pasta. Even with the New Year's resolutionists, this dish did very well. As I was making the sauce, it reminded me very much of the Red Lentil Orecchiette from Millennium. See for yourself.

Saffron, coconut, and tomato linguine

First, get the saffron broth going in a stock pot, and keep the broth hot, not boiling. In a separate pot, saute the onions over low heat in extra-virgin olive oil. Add the red lentils and saute those too. Ladle in the saffron broth little by little. Stir in diced tomatoes. Once the lentils are almost fully cooked, add the coconut milk. At this point, I noticed my sauce was more like a soup. To thicken, I added tomato paste. Finish the sauce with fresh lemon zest and a splash or two of fresh lemon juice. Fresh is key. The linguine was tossed with the saffron sauce along with some blanched kale.