This particular calzone was filled with sauteed onions, mushrooms and spinach, roasted red pepper, mozzarella, ricotta and a spicy, garlicy tomato sauce.  Gorgeous.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• about 3 cups flour
• 1 packet rapid rise yeast
• a little salt
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 cup warm water

Filling:

• olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 pint mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 bunch spinach, washed and trimmed
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup ricotta
• 3/4 cup grated mozzarella
• 1 red pepper, roasted (under the broiler works well, see this post for directions), and sliced
• 1 8 oz (250 ml) can tomato sauce (try to get one with as few ingredients as possible, and definitely no sugar)
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• pepper, red pepper, salt, oregano, basil (for sauce, to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic, diced

Directions:

Preheat oven 375 degrees.

For the crust, in large bowl, mix together 2 cups flour and yeast, then add salt, oil and warm water.  Combine, adding flour until dough forms and is no longer sticky.  Knead on floured surface for about 5 minutes, until smooth, adding flour as needed.  Cover with a dish towel and set aside.

Set pepper to roast.  Heat a little olive oil in a pan to saute onions, saute, seasoning with pepper, until soft and lightly caramelized, add sliced mushrooms, cooking until water is released and cooked off. Add spinach, cook until well wilted. Remove from heat, add ricotta and mix until well combined.

Combine tomato sauce, diced tomato, spices (heavy on the oregano) and garlic.  Remove dough from bowl (it will have increased in size, about doubled), roll out either on floured surface on directly onto oiled pizza pan (if you roll it on a surface and transfer to the pan, you can use cornmeal instead of oil to stop it sticking.  Spread sauce on half the pizza, leaving about an inch of crust around. Add spinach mixture, sliced red peppers and mozzarella cheese only to the area covered by the sauce. Pick up the other side of the dough and stretch over the toppings, to form a crescent, pressing the edge together with your fingers (if necessary use a little water or oil to make it stick).

Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until crust is golden.  Cut into wedges (a bread knife works well), and serve.  Feeds 3 or 4. If you want to double it, you can either make two crescents, or make one large round calzone.

I don’t remember what combination of words I inputted, but it brought me to recipe for savoury French toast.  I’d never considered savoury French toast before, but it makes perfect sense considering that most breakfast dishes made with eggs are savoury.  So I ran with the idea, and it turned out to be delicious – the bread had the texture of french toast (which I love), but a completely different flavour profile.  Think of it as a spin on a breakfast sandwich, rather than a spin on french toast.

Ingredients

• two slices of bread
• 2 eggs
• a splash of milk (I used buttermilk, because it’s what I had)
• salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup frozen spinach
• half a tomato, sliced
• slices of brie cheese

Directions

Place eggs, milk and salt and pepper in a bowl and beat lightly with a fork.  Dip bread slices in egg mixture until coated on both sides.  Place soaked bread in a dish or on a baking sheet, and pour remaining mixture over the bread.  Let rest while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Defrost and cook slightly the spinach by sweating it in a pan until most of the liquid is evaporated. Season with pepper. Slice tomato and cheese. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil, and butter it so the bread does not stick (I didn’t do this and the bread did stick, as visible in the picture).  Place the first slice on the sheet, top with cheese, tomato, spinach and the second bread slice.  Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until outside of bread is toasted, and inside all melted.

Serve immediately.

All that you really need is the incredible dressing recipe.  Using tahini (as the recipe originally intended) is probably my favourite way to make the dressing, but it’s probably wonderful with any nut or seed butter.

Ingredients

The dressing

• 1/4 Cup Tahini (less if you’re using ‘sesame paste,’ which is stronger tasting)
• 2 Tbs Soy Sauce
• 3 Tbs Water
• 1 Tbs Sugar
• 1 Tbs Rice Vinegar
• 1 tsp Chili Sauce (I use sriracha)
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• Black Pepper

The salad

• 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti (or other long noodles of your choice), boiled and rinsed in cold water until cool.
• any vegetables you want (I recommend thinly shredded cabbage, grated carrots, broccoli and green onions, but it’s delicious with everything, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand.)
• I can chick peas, drained and rinsed (I almost always do this. They go really well with the tahini and add a little protein to the meal).

Directions

Mix dressing ingredients together and toss with salad ingredients until well coated (tongs work well for this). Serve and enjoy.

Also, this recipe is also on the Vegan Yum Yum blog, if you’d like to check out the original (and see a lovely picture of the meal).

Once it occurred to me, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The mere thought of Bailey’s-glazed cake haunted every word I wrote until finally I gave up and started to bake. Aaaaaand… I bombed. I tried to develop my first gluten-free cake recipe, and I definitely didn’t master it. (I promise you wheat-free folks that I will get the hang of it soon!) However, I didn’t regret that cake because it was still good, just a little crumbly. And more importantly, I discovered that double-glazing (in chocolate-Bailey’s form, as well as in window form) is in fact blow-your-mind good.

So, after eating that entire cake myself, I decided I better develop a different recipe that might do more justice to the topping. And thus, this version was born. The cake’s not bad: rich, dark, chocolately goodness. And the glazing is still stupidly delicious.

Cake Ingredients

• 1 c. plain white flour
• 1/2 c. ground almonds
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• about 4 oz. dark chocolate (mine was semi-sweetened, but if you use unsweetened you will want to add more sugar – the cake is not that sweet as is)
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 c. warm water (more or less as needed to get consistency of cake batter)

Cake Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 8-inch cake pan and set aside. Mix dry ingredients (flour to baking soda) in a large bowl. Melt chocolate at a low heat, stirring often; if you melt your chocolate on the stovetop, use a double-boiler so it is off the direct heat. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, mix wet ingredients (oil to water), then stir in chocolate once it is melted. Make a well in dry ingredients and add chocolate mixture, and stir until mixed well. Pour into greased cake pan and bake for about 15 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Glaze Ingredients

• about 5 Tbsp. icing sugar
• about 1 oz. dark chocolate (semi or unsweetened), melted as above
• about 1 tsp. Bailey’s Irish Cream

Glaze Directions

Sift 2 Tbsp. icing sugar into a small bowl. Slowly add melted chocolate, mixing thoroughly. In another small bowl, sift another 2 Tbsp. icing sugar. Slowly add Bailey’s, mixing thoroughly. In both cases, you can add more icing sugar to thicken the consistency or more liquid to thin it. This is partly personal taste. I usually have it so that the glaze thickens but does drip off the spoon fairly readily, while hardening on the cake. Then again, the thinner it is, the more it will soak into the cake – also a delicious option.

When the cake is finished baking and has started to cool, start by spreading the chocolate glaze on. Cover the cake liberally! Then drizzle the Bailey’s glaze on top, and enjoy.

This recipe is for chickpea curry burgers, but I’ve also made black bean almond burgers, and spicy black bean burgers. They were all delicious.  One standard 15 oz can of beans makes 3 good sized burgers, and the recipe doubles (and probably trebles) very easily if you’re feeding more people.  I’ve also been told you can make large batches and freeze them in ziploc bags, but I’ve never tried it. Plus, they’re so quick to make that having them fresh is not a hassle at all.

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 egg (or substitute, or egg white if you’re worried about cholesterol.  I always hate the idea of throwing out the yolk, and can never think of something else to use it for.)
• black pepper, red pepper, cumin, curry powder, coriander, and turmeric to taste. (a teaspoon or two of each is a probably good).
• bread crumbs – about a 1/2 cup
• burger buns
• condiments/fixings

Directions

Drain and rinse can of chickpeas, and place in medium mixing bowl.  Crush with potato masher, until you can a coarse mash.  You want some chickpeas to be in pieces, and some to be paste-like.  If you are substituting other beans, they can be crushed with a fork, and if they are small, like black beans, some of the beans can be left whole

Beat egg lightly with a fork and add to beans. Add spices as desired.  Stir until well-combined.  Add breadcrumbs a little at a time, stirring as you go, until the mixture is well-coated but still sticks together.  If the mixture is too wet or too dry, the burgers will fall apart – so add slowly and test the mixture often to see if it can be formed into disks easily.  Form into three patties.

Meanwhile, heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan. When patties are formed, add to pan, cooking on medium heat until heated through, flipping over once. About 6 minutes.

Serve on buns with any fixings you desire.  I find the chickpea curry burgers go well with spinach leaves, spicy mustard, and blue cheese.

I look forward to trying variations on this recipe in the future. I always use a bit of cumin, because it gives the burgers a bit of a smoky flavour, and I’ve been thinking about trying them with a bit of liquid smoke thrown in.  I also love the idea of caramelizing onions and mixing them in with the burgers. Or using crushed nuts or seeds as the base of the burgers.  I also like to try various condiments on the burgers.  I’ve served black bean burgers with avocado and smoky tomato jam, and with sriracha and mayo and fresh spinach. Delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. flour (I used white)
• 1/3 c. white sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1/2 c. apple juice
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 1/3 c. yogurt (I used strawberry because that’s what I had)
• 1/2 c. cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 peeled apple, 1/2 in thin slices and 1/2 diced
• a sprinkle of white sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8 inch cake pan (square or circular) and set aside. In one bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt). In another bowl, mix wet ingredients (juice, oil and yogurt). Make a well in the flour mixture and add the wet ingredients. Mix until smooth. Add cranberries and diced apple, and mix. Pour into cake pan. Arrange apple slices on top of the cake, then sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. ground flax seed (see raisin and caraway risotto for notes about flax seed)
• 2 Tbsp. cashews
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• dash of chili flakes and pepper, to taste

Blend ingredients until smooth. That’s it. A simple balsamic dressing with a nutty twist! Recipe makes about 1/2 c. and will keep in the fridge. Oh, and of course the recipe can be adapted. Try different nuts, different vinegars, more garlic, less honey. You name it, you eat it, you enjoy it!

In the photo, I have served the dressing on a spinach salad with sliced red onion, diced tomato, crumbled feta cheese and a splash of pine nut deliciousness. And voila, happy new year, happy cashew year! (Groan.)

Ingredients

• 1 package tempeh, crumbled (I prefer the plain soy kind, but feel free to use the grain kind.)
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
• 2 roma tomatoes, or one beefsteak tomato, chopped
• 1/2 jar salsa (I used corn and black bean salsa, it was lovely)
• black pepepr
• chili powder
• paprika
• tex-mex seasoning
• half a cup of water
• tortillas
• avocado
• cheddar cheese, grated
• several sprigs of cilantro

Directions

Saute the onion in olive oil unlike caramelized. Crumble the tempeh in to the pan and toss with the onion.  Add the black pepper, chili powder, paprika and tex mex, and cook until tempeh is browned. Add in peppers, tomatoes and salsa. Cook while stirring until well combined.  Add the water and cover with a lid, stirring occasionally. Cook until peppers are tender and tomatoes have broken down.

In the meantime, you can warm up the tortillas by wrapping them in foil and placing them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.  Also, clean and remove leaves from cilantro. Fill tortillas with tempeh and peppers mixture, add a few slices of avocado, cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of grated cheddar and serve. Or simply place separate ingredients on the table, and let everyone make their own (more fun that way!)

Sorry, no photo again. I really should get myself one of these fancy digital cameras everyone is talking about.

I’m a sucker for summer risotto: local asparagus, courgette flowers, fresh tomatoes off the vine. Unfortunately, as the London rain has been reminding me, it isn’t summer any more. But the colder months don’t have to mean the loss of good risotto as this dish takes advantage of two ingredients that don’t disappear with the sunshine: raisins and caraway seeds. It makes for a lovely, creamy and slightly sweet dinner suitable on its own or as a starter.

Note: Ground flax seeds will appear frequently in my recipes. As a vegetarian, it can be hard to get enough omega-3 fatty acids, which are primarily found in oily fish. They don’t sound very appealing, but they do help reduce your risk of heart disease and all kinds of other good things. My current bag also contains ground pumpkin and sunflower seeds. I keep it in the fridge and add a tablespoon here and there. Depending on how much I add, they either disappear into the dish or add a subtle nutty flavour.

These measurements make enough for one hungry person, or two more moderate eaters. It is a very flexible recipe, easily increased or decreased depending on your requirements. It’s also built for easy substitution of vegetables, so use whatever is in your fridge.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
• ½ small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh chilli, finely chopped
• about 3 Tbsp green pepper, diced
• about 3 Tbsp zucchini, diced
• ½ c. risotto rice
• about 1-2 cups water or stock
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 Tbsp raisins
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
• mature cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the butter or oil on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and fry. Once they’re translucent, add the chilli, green pepper and zucchini. Fry slowly until soft.

Add the rice, cook for 3-5 minutes until rice slightly translucent. Stir regularly so it doesn’t stick. Add about a ¼ of water or stock, caraway seeds, raisins and flax seeds. Stir and simmer until water has been absorbed. Continue adding liquid a ¼ cup at a time, waiting for it to be absorbed each time. Don’t forget to stir! Continue until the rice is creamy and soft, with a little bite, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, and add the cheese and salt or pepper to taste. Stir well. Cover and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Garnish with remaining parmesan cheese if desired, and serve hot. Enjoy!

Three sisters, corn (well, maize), squash and beans, are the staples of a number of indigenous nations in North America, and one of my favourite food combinations.  Ever since tasting Rebar’s delicious burrito, I’ve become pretty obsessed with adding southwest spices to the mix.  This recipe would probably do amazingly with some roasted poblano chillies thrown into the sauce, or even maybe some chipotle puree.  I was worried about adding too much spice, because I didn’t want to drown out the taste of the spaghetti squash, but I think everything can be improved with poblano.

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved with the seeds removed
• 1 med sized onion, diced
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 tbs chili powder (spice measurements are all guesstimates)
• 5 tsp paprika
• 2 tbs tex-mex mixed seasoning (I use Club House, or just add more of the chili and paprika)
• few shakes of crushed red pepper
• few shakes of black pepper
• 1 tbs molasses
• 4 1/2 cups water or broth (or water with a bouillon cube)
• 1 1/2 cups corn meal

Directions

Begin by  cutting, cleaning and cooking the squash. This takes a while, so you can prep and cook the rest of the meal while waiting for the squash to cook. I microwaved in on high, in a little water for about 15 minutes, but you can also bake it or boil it (although, if you boil it, don’t cut it in half first, just pierce holes all over it).  You know it’s done when the flesh is soft – you’ll be able to feel it through the rind.

While the squash is cooking, dice your onion and caramelize it in a large pan on med-low heat (I use cast iron). Once your onions are soft and browned, add spices and after a minute the can of tomatoes (you don’t want to burn the spices).  Drain your cans and beans and add. Stir, add molasses, and let simmer on low heat.  Taste and adjust spices as necessary.

Add your water/broth/water with bouillon to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking the whole time to avoid chunks. Continue to whisk over medium low heat for 5-10 minutes. You want the cornmeal to cook, but not get too thick – a good indication is when it lightens and looks more uniform. Remove from heat, but keep covered so it stays warm.

Cut each half of your squash into quarters lengthwise, and use a fork to scrape the ‘spaghetti’ strands into a bowl. Add the strands to the polenta and stir.  Serve polenta in bowls, with the beans over top.

Apologies for not getting a photo – hunger got the best of me. And the leftovers don’t look that pretty sitting in Tupperware.