pita crisps

I thought I had mentioned these pita crisps before, but I guess I haven't. Shame on me, because they are deserving (and so are you!) 

I prefer the British terminology of crisps for chips and chips for fries. I don't necessarily use the terms myself, but they makes more sense to me. Crisps are what they are. And these, my friends, are pita crisps. Extra crunchy.

I can attest that these are great with bean dips, with otherwise boring bowls of soup, and with a hunk of cheddar in the middle of the night.

pita crisps

pita bread

olive oil

sea salt

dried thyme, or other dried seasoning of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Halve the pita bread, if it's the kind with pockets, to make thin flat pieces. Cut with scissors into strips or triangles or go wild and make free-form shapes for the kids.  Spread out in single layer on un-greased baking sheets. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and crushed, dried thyme. (Black pepper would also be good.) Bake until crispy and golden, about 10-15 minutes. Check frequently, as they burn easily. Can serve immediately or after they've cooled to room temperature. Will keep for a day in an airtight container.

tomatillo salsa

I'm loving our CSA this summer. 

Even though it's made me use way more rutabaga and cabbage than I otherwise would have, it's also provided us with the tastiest carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, lettuce, etc.  

And I used tomatillos for the first time. Tried them in this green salsa. Exciting stuff. 

kale chips

Who here manages to get their recommended share of green leafy veggies? Now that I've discovered kale chips, we'll be gobbling down bunches of the stuff with grins on our faces. I could very well look like Popeye in a couple of months.

kale chips

serves 3-4

1 bunch kale

olive oil

salt -- I used fine-grain sea salt, but I've heard seasoning salt is good too

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash your kale and dry it well (I love my salad spinner.) Tear into bite-size pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat well. Spread on large cookie sheet that's been lined with parchment paper or one of those non-stick mats. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the kale is deep green, crispy, and not yet charred. Timing is everything -- I recommend you start watching it more closely after 10 minutes even though my last batch took almost 20 minutes. Enjoy warm from the oven -- and go ahead, lick your fingers!

crispy crackers

Remember these? I've made them before. And keep getting requests to make them again...

so-very-retro cheese balls

Cheese balls are back! Were they always this good? If so, why did I mock them all these years?!


The one on the left is a cheddar cheese ball, rolled in dried cranberries and golden raisins. The other one is has goat cheese and scallions in it, and is rolled in parsley (and was the unanimous favourite of our sample size of three.) I honestly didn't realize that I had made a red one and a green one for Christmas eve until I was chilling them in the fridge. It was like I was being festive, subconsciously!


You make a base recipe, divide it and then add the separate ingredients. (I apologize in advance for the funny measurements -- I'm trying to divide this recipe into 1/3rd of its original serve-a-party size)

base recipe:
1/3 of a stick of butter (1/6 cup)
1-8oz package cream cheese
2/3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
a small dash (1/3rd of 1/2 teas) Worcestershire sauce
a couple drops of Tabasco sauce
pinch of salt
a couple grinds of fresh pepper

Beat all ingredients together until combined. Divide equally into two bowls.

for the red one:
Add a little less than 3 oz finely shredded sharp cheddar. Mix together well. Shape into a ball and roll in small handful of finely chopped dried cranberries and golden raisins. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.

for the green one:
Mix base with a little less than 3 oz goat cheese and a little less than 1 Tbs finely chopped scallions. Shape into a ball and roll in a handful of finely chopped parsley. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.

This recipe is another MS. I'm on a roll with martha this year -- I have just been digging her holiday edition magazines.

rosemary crisps

Have you heard of Lesley Stowe? She's a fine food guru here in Vancouver who happens to make the most amazing crackers -- raincoast crisps. Not sure how widely they are available, but do yourself a huge favour and try a box if you ever get the chance. Wow.

But a warning -- the crisps aren't cheap. In fact, given the hefty price tag for this artisanal food item, few could afford to indulge.

Just when I had given up hope -- and was about to take the vow of poverty for the sake of more crisps -- one of Jeff's coworkers shared this recipe that she found in a local magazine. I was exceedingly happy to find that someone had published a recipe for imitation crisps. Not sure exactly where it comes from, but in the spirit of sharing, I'll pass it along.


I know it seems fussy to make crackers when you can buy a box of wheat thins for less than 3 bucks, but trust me, it is worth the indulgence just this once. And while you're at it, try these crisps with a spread of St. Andre cheese (or with Camembert or Brie) -- creaminess compliments crunchiness.


rosemary crisps (à la Lesley Stowe)
makes about 8 dozen crackers

2 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 C buttermilk
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C honey
1 C raisins (I used a mix of golden raisins and dried cranberries)
1/2 C chopped pecans
1/2 C roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
1/4 C sesame seeds
1/4 C flaxseed, ground
1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven 350 degrees. In large bowl, sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add buttermilk, sugar, and honey. Stir a few strokes, then add the rest of ingredients, stirring until just blended.

Pour batter into two 4x8 loaf pans that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Remove from pans and let cool on wire rack.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. When completely cool, slice the loaves as thin as possible. Place slices on an ungreased cookie sheet in a single layer. (You could just slice one loaf and wrap the second loaf to store in the freezer for later.) Bake slices for 15 minutes, then turn over and bake 10 minutes more. Crackers will be crisp and deep golden.

beet and hazelnut salad

Honk if you love beets.

Even though I curse the fact that they'll dye anything and everything in my kitchen, I love beets (honk). If I grew a garden -- correction: when I grow a garden -- I will most definitely grow beets.

This recipe is loosely based on a similar combo of flavours we enjoyed at a little bistro a few months ago -- but since that was a few months ago, you'll have to bear with my reinterpretation.

salad with warm beets, toasted hazelnuts, and goat cheese
Serves 2

2 medium beets, greens removed and scrubbed
olive oil
mixed greens -- mix of lettuces, spinach, etc
handful of hazelnuts, toasted
a few ounces goat cheese -- enough for two
handful of fresh dill, roughly chopped
your favourite vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub some olive oil over the scrubbed beats. Wrap tightly in a couple layers of parchment paper, then a layer of aluminium foil. Place bundles in glass baking pan and bake until pierced easily with a fork, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit before handling.

Meanwhile, prep greens, (and toast hazelnuts). Peel beets when cool enough to handle and cut into slices. Toss greens in vinaigrette, mix in dill, and plate up on serving plates. Place half of the beet pieces on each salad plate, and top with half the hazelnuts and half the goat cheese. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.

celebratory mussels

This was my celebratory dinner. I handed in that whopper of a paper, and now all that stands between me and my masters degree is a pesky oral defense. Cheers!

For this particular celebration, I wanted mussels. I wanted to taste summer. I wanted my mussels steeped with lots of great flavours -- fennel, tomato, chorizo sausage, and white wine. And I wanted a warm baguette for dipping. I was not disappointed.

Lots of folks are shy about making mussels. To those folks I say honestly, it's worth any extra hassle. Sure, another meal of chicken breasts doesn't require tossing the cracked or unopened ones, but chicken won't reward you with all that flavour.

When you buy raw mussels, one thing to realize is that they are alive. Don't close them up in a plastic bag -- let them breathe. They should smell of yummy salty ocean and nothing else. And, plan on cooking them within 24 hours. (Both Ina and Martha have a trick about letting mussels sit in warm water with either flour or cornmeal to let the sand out, but usually markets will have already purged the mussels of sand, so this may not be necessary.)

To prepare, run each shell under cold water, scrubbing the outside and tearing off any remaining "beard." In cold water, they should all close up. If any are cracked -- throw those away. If any stay open, try tapping it against the side of the sink. If it doesn't close up, it's dead and needs to be thrown out as well. Cover the mussels with cold water and keep chilled in the fridge until ready to use.

steamed mussels with chorizo and fennel
serves 4 if main course, or more if appetizer

1 lb bag of fresh mussels
1-2 chorizo sausage links, decased
2-3 tbs butter
1 fennel bulb, sliced fine
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
course salt and fresh black pepper
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes with juices
3/4 C white wine
2/3 C italian parsley, roughly chopped
1 italian or sourdough baguette

Into a big saucepan (one with a lid!), decase the sausage. Cook, breaking up with wooden spoon, until brown and cooked through (about 5-7 mins). Remove cooked sausage and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place bread in oven to warm -- about 300 degrees.

In same saucepan, with the oils from the sausage, melt butter. Add fennel and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until almost tender, about 7 mins. Add red pepper and sauté a couple minutes more. Add tomatoes and juices. Bring to a boil and cook for a couple minutes. Stir in wine and parsley and bring to another boil.

Add mussels on top of the mixture and cover. Steam about 5 minutes. When most of the mussels have opened, uncover and stir in chorizo. Toss out any mussels that have remained closed. Ladle into bowls and serve with warm bread.

they're empty -- I'm full

warm goat cheese on mixed greens

I love goat cheese, and it simply doesn't get much better than warm goat cheese. This recipe is inspired by Ina Garten (a.k.a. Barefoot Contessa), who was inspired by a cafe in Italy. Warmed goat cheese, fried with crispy bread crumbs, served over dressed greens -- buonissimo!

I used three goat cheese rounds for a main course salad, but I would use two if serving the salad as a first course. Make sure to have the greens and dressing tossed and ready before frying up the cheese because you'll want to eat it immediately.

warm goat cheese on mixed greens

First the ingredients, then the instructions --

greens: mescalin mixed greens, baby spinach, thinly sliced bell pepper, and shaved carrot

dressing: (this are the amounts I threw together for 2 main course salads, but adjust for the amount you're making or substitute your favourite tangy vinaigrette)
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
a couple Tbs of sherry
1 Tbs or so of dijon mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper

Whisk together well or shake well in dressing bottle until emulsified.

goat cheese: herbed or plain, sliced 1/2-in thick*, egg white(s), fine bread crumbs, olive oil, butter

*dental floss makes a very clean cut

how to: First, put egg whites in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, put the fine bread crumbs. Dip your sliced goat cheese in the egg white, then in the bread crumbs, making sure to get a good layer of crumbs on both sides. Chill breaded slices for a few minutes, until ready to cook.

Wash salad greens and vegetables and toss in vinaigrette. Divide among serving plates.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt a couple pats of butter and some olive oil. When hot, carefully place breaded cheese rounds in the pan. Cook for only about a minute per side, until golden and crispy. Remove from pan and place over dressed greens. Serve immediately. This salad was fantastic with a side of garlic bread.

hum*mmm*mus

I don't put raw garlic in anything I eat, because I (and those around me) would regret it. But there is an exception to every rule and my exception is hummus (okay, and baba ganoush). The dip simply requires the heartiness of great garlic. But no need to overdo it --a little clove is plenty.

I can only assume this says "tahini" :)
(this wasn't hard to find -- check your grocery store)

hummus
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of ground nutmeg
a few Tbs olive oil
2Tbs tahini
a couple Tbs water
freshly squeezed lemon juice (1/2 lemon, maybe more)
coarse salt

...............before...........................and after.............

Put all ingredients into a food processor. Press the button and voila -- you have hummus! Get the right consistency and flavour by adjusting the ingredients. Remember, the flavours will get more potent the longer it sits (that's a warning for anyone who's tempted to add another clove of garlic.) Enjoy with crackers, warm pita, fresh veggies...mmm.

prosciutto palmiers

Some think you need a veritable party before you make finger foods, but our party of three (Glenda came to visit!) was excuse enough for these darn tasty treats. (If you're interested, link to her blog for the scoop.)

These appies are from my Hors d'Oeuvres cookbook (judging this book by its cover, I'd say they revised it since I got mine). You have to think ahead a bit in order to have a sheet of puff pastry thawed, but you can whip up these morsels pretty quickly.

prosciutto palmiers
makes 20

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp honey
2.5 oz (75 g) sliced prosciutto
freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk beaten with a dash of water

Unroll pastry to a rectangle (6" x 14"). Trim uneven edges, if necessary. Combine mustard and honey in a small bowl, then spread evenly over pastry. Cover with sliced prosciutto. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of parmesan.


Roll up ends tightly to meet in the middle (looks like the game binoculars that Clay and I used to play when we were little...two little kiddies rolling up each side of a blanket). Refrigerate until firm (15 mins).
Preheat oven to 400. Brush egg wash on all sides, then cut into 1/2" or 1 cm slices. Place slices on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden (10-15 mins). Sprinkle with a bit of parmesan when hot from the oven. Cool on wire rack and serve warm or at room temp.

indulgent veggie tart

This, my friends, is a great savory tart. Creamy ricotta, fresh basil, and yum parmesan are spread over puff pastry dough and topped with fresh tomato and eggplant -- a simple yet decadent meal. It all started with a Donna Hay recipe and ended up as the following...


indulgent veggie tart
serves 2

1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed (or use shortcrust pastry for a thinner, more pizza-like tart)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tomato, thinly sliced (or a couple dozen cherry tomatoes, halved)
1/2 small eggplant, thinly sliced (a perfect job for a cheese/veggie slicer)
olive oil
course salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut puff pastry sheet in half. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine ricotta, basil, and parmesan. Spread mixture over pastry, leaving a bit of an edge.

Add slices of tomatoes and eggplant (if using cherry tomatoes, put the cut side up). Drizzle with olive oil and spread over eggplant with fingers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then bake until golden (25-30 mins).





I wish I had made a simple green salad to enjoy with this rich tart...next time.

kim's skewers and parm toasts

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon

or not at all. ~Harriet van Horne

My friend Kim shared this recipe with me, so I shared it with my hubby over some pinot grigio. These takes a bit of fiddling, but they're worth it. When you're making the crisps, be sure to not get distracted because your mean oven will try to burn them if you're not careful.

skewers
grape tomatoes, marinated
kalamata olives, cut in half, length-wise
fresh basil, smallish leaves
boccaccini, marinated
olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Marinate the grape tomatoes in a little balsamic and olive oil for a couple hours. Marinate the boccaccini as well, but in a mix of olive oil, chopped basil, a little freshly ground black pepper, and a swig of balsamic vinegar.

To assemble, take a toothpick and start with a tomato. Add a basil leaf, then the boccaccini, then half of a kalamata olive (facing in, if you want to be "lana" about it). Serve with parmesan crisps.

parmesan crisps
part of a loaf of italian white bread
lots of freshly grated parmesan
olive oil

To prepare the bread -- first, cut into thinnish (1/2-in) slices, then use a small cookie cutter to remove the crust while creating fun bready shapes. I would recommend staying away from stars or something with appendages because the ends will be crispier and browner than the rest of the piece.

Preheat oven to 350°. Put the bread on a cookie sheet in a single layer and brush one side with olive oil. Toast in oven for a few mins, until starting to lightly toast. Remove from the oven, turn all the breads over, and brush the opposite side with olive oil. Toast in the oven for a few mins. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each piece with parmesan (be generous to the edges!). Toast until parm melts and is beginning to bubble. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before turning over each piece to sprinkle cheese on the other side. Toast again, until the parmesan melts and is toasty. Serve warm or at room temperature.