Minted Strawberry-Rhubarb Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a simple and delicious French dessert that has many taste and texture variations.

It is traditionally made with cherries and milk (or cream), and has a texture that falls somewhere between a cake and a custard.

In this variation, I have chosen to use yogurt which gives rise to a slightly denser clafoutis compared to the puffier full milk or cream versions.

It is very lightly sweetened, drawing its flavour principally from the strawberries, mint and vanilla - making it a refreshingly light dessert choice for the holidays.


Minted Strawberry-Rhubarb Clafoutis

• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp butter, soft
• 3 Tbsp vanilla sugar (substitute other)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup flour (yes, I use whole grain)
• 1/2 cup chopped rhubarb
• 12 or so fresh strawberries, sliced in half or chopped into smaller pieces
• 6 or so fresh mint leaves, chopped - plus a few pieces for decorating
• powdered sugar for dusting

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Note: Clafoutis can be baked in a pie plate, baking dish or smaller individual dishes/ramekins.  This recipe was baked in four small dishes.

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Preheat oven to 425 F

Using electric mixer, blend eggs, vanilla, 1 Tbsp of butter and sugar in a bowl for about 2 minutes.  Add milk, yogurt, flour and chopped mint, mixing until combined.

Meanwhile, grease the interior of your baking dish/dishes with the remaining butter, being sure to coat the bottom and sides (cooked egg is sticky business).

Add strawberry and rhubarb pieces to buttered baking dish or divided among dishes - (you can use large segments (as pictured above) or chop the strawberries into smaller pieces (pictured below) -

Pour mixture over strawberries and rhubarb in singular baking dish or divided among baking dishes.

Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until clafoutis is puffed and golden around edges.

Remove clafoutis from oven and allow it to cool on a rack before enjoying with a dollop of fresh cream.

Yes, I made two different versions for you

(except I ran out of mint on day two - this is flat leaf parsley ;0)

 Notice how the strawberry-rhubarb bleeds into a pool of deliciousness

I forgot to butter the dishes on both occasions

Baked egg is a mess to clean up...

Which version do you prefer - big strawberry pieces or small?

Simple and Delicious Smoked Salmon Canapés

As recently confessed, I have a mild tendency (cough) to become elevated around the holidays.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I happened to make these little festive appetizers on the day that we had our very first snowfall...

Yes indeed. It was a thing of beauty.  

We woke to white - ground covered and branches hanging heavy.  Our golden bouncing in the soft morning light, tail in motion and squeals of delight.  (Our cat, managing to remain somewhat less moved).  Two boys off to school in boots and broad smiles - waiting to turn the corner before throwing their first snowball.

These are the days. 

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Since there does not appear to be any shortage of appetizers served on (or with) bread, I wanted to provide some alternatives. 

This is a low glycemic load appetizer that is extremely easy to pull together and full of nutrients.  If my doggie could talk, she would also tell you that they are delicious. How do I know this?   Because it took her about 4 seconds to demolition the entire tray while I turned my back to upload these photos (arghh....).

These bites would also make a nice option for anyone on a wheat or gluten restricted diet.

I hope you and your guests enjoy them as much as Stella did!

Simple and Delicious Smoked Salmon Canapés

• 250 grams smoked salmon
• 1 English cucumber
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• A few slices purple onion for topping and decorating

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Makes about 20 canapés

Slice cucumber on a slight angle - about 1/4 inch thick.  Place a piece of smoked salmon on each slice, rolling it in slightly.

In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, lemon and dill.

Drop small dollops of yogurt mixture over salmon and top each with a few pieces of purple onion, as desired.  You can also add capers if you wish -

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You might also like:

Endive Cups with Golden Beets, Blue Cheese and toasted Maple Pecans



Cinnamon Pear Mascarpone Loaf

Lately, I've been rediscovering the pleasures of mascarpone cheese (pronounced mas-kahr-poh-nee with a nice Italian accent).

 
I love its delicate taste, soft texture and levity in comparison to commercial cream cheese.

Mascarpone is probably best known as the constituent element in the classic Italian dessert tiramisu, but there are so many other ways you can enjoy it.

I have combined it here with warm maple pear, applesauce and whole grains.

The result is a moist, gently sweetened loaf that also happens to make a beautiful hostess gift! (don't you just love receiving homemade goodies?)

Cinnamon Pear Mascarpone Loaf

For the warm maple pear:

• 2 cups skin on chopped pear (plus a few additional slices for decorating)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole grain oatmeal
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup natural wheat bran
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

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Heat oven to 375 F.

In a small pot on the stove combine chopped pear, butter and maple syrup.  Allow pear mixture to come to the boiling point and then reduce to lowest temperature and simmer for 5 minutes, just until pear has softened but is not entirely mush.  Remove from heat.

In a medium size bowl, combine dry ingredients: oatmeal, flour, bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar.

In a separate, larger bowl, combine: warm maple pear mixture with remaining wet ingredients: egg, olive oil, vanilla, applesauce and mascarpone cheese, mixing until well combined.

Add dry ingredients to wet, mixing just until combined.

Pour batter into a gently oiled loaf pan.  Decorate loaf with thin slices of pear and a sprinkle of oats and cinnamon, as desired.

Place loaf in oven and bake for 50 minutes.  Turn oven off and allow loaf to sit in oven for another 10 minutes in oven.  Remove to a cooling rack.  Allow loaf to sit for an additional 10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy -

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Another delightful pear mascarpone recipe (with a Canadian twist) that has captured my attention:

Kristy's Grilled Pears with Iced Mascarpone at Eat, Play, Love.

Strawberry Tuesdays: Cashew Butter on the Red Carpet

I've experimented with my share of nut and seed butters over the years, but none as fresh or tasty as my son's homemade cashew butter. 

And that's the whole truth.

I came home from walking our golden the other afternoon and my 11-year-old surprised me with a fresh batch of homemade nut butter and some apple spiced tea that he made in the infuser.

What was especially endearing (as if that wasn't enough), was that he made the cashew butter in the coffee grinder (he sees my husband and I using it every morning to grind our flaxseed ). The little motor had to work so hard to grind the thick cashews that the butter was soft and warm - which only added to its deliciousness - (and the motor survived just fine).

Nuts and seeds are amongst the healthiest foods we can eat.

Almonds, pecans, cashews and hazelnuts are all rich sources of monounsaturated fat which forms an integral part of the highly revered Mediterranean diet. There is ongoing evidence to support the idea that diets inclusive of naturally occurring fats are healthier for our hearts than low-fat diets and do not, contrary to popular belief, contribute to weight gain. While it is theoretically possible to gain weight from overeating any food, including apples, very few of us are actually getting into trouble eating too many cashews (yogurt or avocados).


Strawberry Tuesdays: Cashew Butter on the Red Carpet

• 1 cup natural cashews
• 2 Tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• Fresh strawberries

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We find nut butters are especially delicious paired with fruit.  Simply slice the fruit and spread the nut butter over top.  We particularly enjoy strawberries, pear and apple - but the sky's the limit, so have fun experimenting.
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Place cashews in a small blender (or coffee grinder) and blend until desired consistency is achieved (smooth, chunky or somewhere in between, as you wish).  Remove ground nuts and place them in a bowl.  Whisk in olive oil.

Spread cashew butter over fruit and enjoy.

Simple Goodness.

Thank you for sharing your recipe with us, young man.  You and your big brother make us smile every day.  We are very blessed.

Endive Cups with Golden Beets, Blue Cheese and toasted Maple Pecans

I was out for dinner with a group of girlfriends the other night at a cozy Italian Bistro. As we pored over our menus, I realized that we were at least as excited about the appetizers as we were about the main events. 

Little dishes of splendour that appeared in different shapes, colours, tastes and textures - so much fun!

In fact, last summer, I went "hors d'oeuvres hopping' with a girlfriend across town in Toronto.  We must have stopped in at five different restaurants sampling an assortment of happy appies (and maybe a small beverage to match - her idea of course, not mine). 

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This is an elegant and easily assembled entrée that can be adapted to suit different tastes and dietary requirements.  The only time investment for this dish is roasting the beets which requires no work or effort other than putting the beets in the oven.  You can do so the day before if you like, and simply store the roasted beets in the fridge.  

Endive Cups with Golden Beets, Blue Cheese and toasted Maple Pecans

• 24 endive leaves (2 or 3 endive heads)
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 6 golden beets, roasted and sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 green apple, skin on and sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 200 grams (slightly less than 1 cup) of blue cheese or soft cheese of choice, crumbled
• 1 cup pecans, toasted
• 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Lemon-Cider Vinaigrette

• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp tarragon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• Sea salt & cracked pepper to taste

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Makes 4 servings of 3 endive cups each

Roast golden beets according to instructions set out here.

Place 3 endive cups on each plate (as illustrated in photo).  I like to double the cups (use two endives per cup) to make them a little wider and sturdier. 

The filling ingredients (spinach, beets, apple, blue cheese and avocado) can be assembled into the individual endive cups and drizzled with the vinaigrette or you can combine the ingredients in a bowl and toss them with vinaigrette and then simply spoon the contents into the cups.

For the maple pecans, heat a large dry skillet on the stove over low heat.  Add pecans to skillet and toss until fragrant (3 to 5 minutes).  Drizzle 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup over pecans and continue tossing (you may need a spatula at this point to move the sticky nuts).  Remove from heat and sprinkle pecans over endive cups to finish.

Enjoy.

Jamaican Plantain Soup with Persimmon - An Aromatic Delight

Bold and aromatic, this Jamaican inspired soup is full of thermogenic spices that will warm your tummy while it nudges your metabolism. 

Although it is more conventionally teamed up with lunch or supper, I ate it for breakfast this morning and can attest to its deliciousness even at that odd hour.

The persimmon has nothing to do with Jamaica - it was just staring at me with a gorgeous orange glow and I simply couldn't resist it's soft, juicy, sweet flesh in this dish.  Known for its many medicinal uses, this native Chinese fruit is also rich in nutrients including beta-carotene, vitamin C and fibre.  Persimmon is at its best from October through December.


Jamaican Plantain Soup with Persimmon - An Aromatic Delight

• 1 large yellow onion (the basis of all good soups), peeled and chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 ripe plantains, peeled and roughly chopped (substitute ripe bananas) 
• 1 persimmon, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups leek (substitute celery), chopped
• 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock plus additional water if needed
• 1 heaping Tbsp fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
• 1 tsp allspice powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder or to taste
• 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• Sea Salt & black pepper to taste

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Note:

There are plenty of suitable substitutions you can make in this dish and you certainly don't have to go out and track down persimmon, unless you want to.  I have used green apple in place of persimmon in this soup and found it equally delicious.
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Warm a large skillet or pot on stove over medium-low heat adding some olive oil.  Sauté onion and ginger until onion begins to soften (about 5 minutes).  I like to add spices - or at least a portion of the spices - to the onion while it cooks.  The spices permeate the flesh of the onion well, making it an ideal flavour transporter.  Toss in some (or all) of the allspice, cinnamon and cayenne at this stage, mixing them around with the onion and ginger.

Add chicken or vegetable stock to the skillet along with sweet potato, plantain, persimmon and leek and bring mixture to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer with the pot covered for 10 to 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Purée ingredients in a blender until smooth and then return to skillet/pot. Stir in lime juice and adjust seasonings to taste. You can also adjust thickness of soup by adding water or more stock as desired.

Enjoy.

Strawberry Tuesdays: La Margarita

My holiday celebrating seems to start a little earlier every year.

This year, my family grudgingly put up with a preview of Michael Bublé's new Christmas CD before Halloween.  (I know, I know).  I've not been able to play it since without major groans from the audience.  And who can blame them.

Whether it's Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas or a different holiday you are preparing for, it's nice to have some dessert options that are a little lighter to balance off the heavier hitting classics.  It's also a particularly good time of year to ramp up on vitamin C as we enter the true season of giving and receiving.

So, with that spirit in mind, I'm pleased to introduce Strawberry Tuesdays which will appear at Inspired Edibles through the month of December.

This recipe could not be simpler. The sea salt shows up beautifully against the dark chocolate giving it a shimmering glow and the lime is different and refreshing. I hope you enjoy it.

You can prepare the strawberries the morning of, or even a day before, and store them in the fridge until showtime.

Strawberry Tuesdays: La Margarita

• 150 grams 75% cocoa chocolate
• 18 or so fresh strawberries
• pinch of coarse sea salt
• pinch of grated lime zest
• Tequila, optional

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Note:

I promise not to judge the adults if they choose to enjoy a shot of tequila with their strawberry-chocolate margarita delights.

And, not that I would know this from personal experience but, I'm told that if you try adding tequila to the warm, melted chocolate it will seize - better to enjoy on the side.

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Melt chocolate in a small sturdy pot on stove over lowest heat, stirring until fully dissolved.

Remove pot from heat and allow it to settle for a moment. 

Taking one strawberry at a time, simply dip the berry into the pot of warm melted chocolate, coating it as much or as little as desired.

Place the chocolate coated strawberry on a plate or tray and sprinkle with a few crystals of salt and a touch of lime zest before the chocolate dries, so that the lime and salt adhere to the berries.

Simple as that.

Store in the fridge until serving time.

Smokin' Mole Cakes with Chili-Lime Guacamole

I came across this innocent looking bottle of chili lime sauce the other day in the grocery store and before I knew it, visions of black bean cakes were dancing in my head.

They came dressed in sweet potato, celery and onion.  Cashews too.  And, in a smouldering black cloak of confidence, cocoa appeared.  Vision complete.

I call them mole (moh-ley) cakes because they remind me of the Mexican inspired dish made with cumin, cinnamon and cocoa powder.

Smokin' Mole Cakes with Chili-Lime Guacamole

For the Cakes

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cups black bean, thoroughly rinsed if using canned
• 1 sweet potato, lightly cooked, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1 celery stick, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 heaping Tbsp quality cocoa powder or to taste
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• sea salt & coarse black pepper to taste

For the Chili-Lime Guacamole

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 sliver jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

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Note:

These delicate mole cakes are soft and creamy.  They do not have the consistency or texture of a 'burger' - vegetarian or otherwise.  You will want to flip them with care on not press down on them with a spatula to avoid flattening them like a pancake.

Makes 6-8 cakes

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Sauté onion in a skillet with some olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent (about 3 minutes) and set aside.

Place black beans, sweet potato, celery, cashews and olive oil together in a blender and pulse until combined but not mushy (there should still be some chunky bean and potato pieces).  Add sautéed onion, cocoa, cumin, cinnamon and salt and pepper to blender and pulse until integrated with bean mixture.  If the mixture is too dry, you can adjust by adding some olive oil.  Once mixed, assemble mole mixture into cakes with your hands - in much the same way you would with a hamburger.

Meanwhile, assemble chili-lime guacamole ingredients.  I generally hand-mix my guacamole but you can do this in a small blender or hand mixer if you prefer.  Adjust the thickness of the guacamole by adding more avocado and/or liquid ingredients as desired.

Once your guacamole is ready, heat a large skillet over medium heat.   Add some olive oil to the skillet and mole cakes.  Allow the cakes to sizzle for a minute or two before flipping.  Use a generous size spatula to flip the cakes and try to do so with one swift action to avoid crumbling and breaking apart.  Once you have flipped the cakes, simply allow them to fry on the other side without pressing down on the cake with the spatula.  If you do this, the cakes will fan out and flatten like a pancake.

Serve the mole cakes with chili-lime guacamole and warm roasted red peppers.

Enjoy!

Roasted Coconut Curry Chicken with Ginger Lime and Cilantro

I realize that I'm going out on a limb here messing with tradition, but just in case anyone is looking for an alternative to turkey this holiday season (or any other time of year), this Thai inspired chicken may be worth considering.

It feels a bit odd talking about the holidays when it's sunny and 17 degrees in the nation's capital (that's 63 F for my American friends). Yay November.

This a fragrant and delicious meal that is, conveniently enough, fantastically easy to put together.

Whole chicken is also one of the most economical meals you can make and, if you prepare it on a Sunday, you will have some delicious leftovers for work or school the next day.

Roasted Coconut Curry Chicken with Ginger Lime and Cilantro

·         1 whole chicken

·         1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

·         2 cups coconut milk

·         3 tsp curry powder

·         2 Tbsp brown sugar

·         1 cup cilantro, chopped

·         1 heaping Tbsp fresh grated ginger

·         2 Tbsp lime juice

·         Sea Salt

·         Cracked pepper

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Notes:

I recommend roasting your bird on a rack set inside your roasting pan to get it up and away from the juices on the bottom - this will allow the bird to brown along the sides.

I like to start with an initial burst of heat, followed by a more moderate temperature.  This allows the skin of the chicken to crisp up nicely and lends a delicious roasted flavour.   

Oven temperatures and birds will vary but here are some general guidelines to cooking times by weight of bird.

Chicken Roasting Times:

Weight of Bird            Time

2 ½  – 3 lbs                  1 – 1 ¾  hrs
3 ½ - 4 lbs                   1 ½ - 1 ¾ hrs
4 ½ - 5 lbs                   1 ½ - 2 hrs
5 – 6 lbs                       1 ¾ - 2 ½ hrs

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Heat oven to 450 F

There's plenty of wholesome fat in coconut milk so I don't rub the exterior of the bird with butter.

Place chopped onion in the cavity of the chicken and set it onto the cooking rack set inside roasting pan.

Combine: coconut milk, curry powder, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, ginger and lime juice in a bowl, whisking to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Reserve 1 cup of marinade in a separate dish and place in fridge.

Pour 3/4 of the remaining marinade mixture ('active' marinade) over chicken and place in oven for 20 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven, reduce heat to 375 F and, using a brush, glaze chicken with remaining 1/4 cup of the active marinade and return to oven.

Allow chicken to roast in accordance with size/time guidelines set out above.  Check on chicken periodically to ensure that it is not drying out.  You can spoon juices that accumulate at the bottom of the pan over chicken or use some of the reserved marinade from fridge.  If you find that the skin is getting too dark or crisp, loosely tent foil over the chicken.

In the last 20 minutes of roasting, remove chicken from oven and sprinkle skin with 1 Tbsp or so of brown sugar.  Return chicken to oven for remaining time.

Meanwhile, heat reserved marinade from fridge in a small pot on stove.  This will be used to spoon over chicken (particularly nice for the white meat which tends to be dryer) or on the side of chicken, as desired, when serving.

Allow chicken to settle for 10 to 15 minutes out of oven before carving.  Serve with remaining fresh cilantro and warmed reserved marinade as desired.

Enjoy.

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Torte

My love affair with this torte all started because of Charles. 

As soon as I had one bite of his delectable Morning Star Mud Cake, I knew it was not going to be a one time thing.  As discreet as I tried to be, my family soon found out about my affection for the dark confection.

Before long, they too were hooked.

We have made this torte repeatedly to rave reviews from guests and have trouble keeping it in stock!

Here is my version of Charles' delightful cake.

Raspberry Dark Chocolate Torte

• 400 grams 75% cocoa chocolate (4 large bars)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tsp corn starch
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups frozen raspberries
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

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Note:

This is a delicate, moist and dense torte. I find small slices are amply filling.   A springform pan is ideal for this recipe because of the fragile nature of the torte, but I have also made it with a regular pan so it's certainly possible.

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Preheat oven to 300 F.

In a medium size pot, warm chocolate and butter over lowest heat on stove, stirring.

Once chocolate butter mixture has melted, remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature. 

In a separate small dish, combine sugar and corn starch, ensuring all of the corn starch is well integrated.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot on stove, warm raspberries and maple syrup over low heat, gently increasing the temperature to medium low as you stir.  Once berries have thawed and softened, you can use a potato masher to break them down further (mashing them into a jam consistency or leaving chunky pieces as desired).  Remove from heat and reserve 3/4 cup of mixture.

Once chocolate mixture has cooled to room temperature, whisk in sugar corn starch mixture followed by eggs.  Finally, add the 3/4 cup of raspberry mixture, stirring to combine (you should have a little over 1 cup raspberry mixture leftover for serving with torte). 

Using an 8" springform pan (ideally), spray pan with a little bit of olive oil and then lay a piece of parchment paper overtop that's been cut to size.  If you don't have a springform pan, simply use a regular 8" cake pan and line with oil/parchment paper. Pour chocolate mixture into pan.

Bake torte for 45 minutes and then remove from oven to cooling rack.  If using a springform pan, allow torte to cool on rack for 10 minutes.  Run a flat edge knife along the edge of the torte before releasing spring to ensure that the torte is not sticking to the edges.  Allow the torte to cool another 10 minutes before slicing. 

If using regular cake pan, allow torte to cool for at least 15 minutes on a cooling rack.  Run a flat edge knife along the edge of the torte.  Place an inverted plate over top of torte and flip torte over such that it drops onto plate.  Allow torte to cool on plate for another 10-15 minutes. 

You will want to be careful when serving, that the torte doesn't break apart (use spatulas for support), it is quite delicate.

Serve torte slices with a drizzle of warmed raspberry coulis and a light dusting of icing sugar as desired.

Healthy and Delicious Overnight Oats

There are few things as positively wonderful as a homemade meal that's been prepared for you.

This recipe comes pretty close. 

A nutrient-rich powerhouse breakfast, these overnight oats require no cooking and are ready to eat upon waking. 

Simply assemble the ingredients the night before (it should only take about 2 minutes) and allow them to soak in the fridge overnight.  You can adapt the recipe however you like according to personal preference and dietary requirements.

It is a raw foodie's delight however, if you prefer your oats warm, you can simply heat them prior to eating (another minute).

The variations on this recipe are endless, so I hope you have fun with it.

Healthy & Delicious Overnight Oats

• 1/4 cup whole grain oatmeal
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed (flax meal)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 dried apricots, sliced thin
• 1/3 banana, sliced
• 1 cup milk (or milk substitute) + 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
• A few almonds and walnuts
• Sprinkle of agave nectar or honey

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Note:

In addition to its delightful taste and texture, dried apricots have a low glycemic index and are a good source of beta carotene and plant-based iron.

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Place oatmeal, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, apricots and banana together in a bowl.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together milk and vanilla and pour milk mixture over oat mixture.

Place oat mixture in fridge overnight.  In the morning, remove bowl from fridge and top with seeds, nuts and a sprinkle of agave nectar.

Serves 1

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Food for Thought

40% of North Americans don't eat breakfast regularly. The most common reasons given for skipping breakfast are lack of time and lack of appetite.

Studies continue to support the idea that both children and adults who regularly eat breakfast outperform those who do not in cognitive function, memory, productivity, mood and physical performance. 

Warm Mushroom and Toasted Paprika Bean Salad

The autumn sun is streaming full through my kitchen windows - bands of gold shifting across the floor.  My dog's face is warm and soft in the November light. 

If only it would stay.  This way.

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This is a happy mood dish that is particularly well paired with a cold, dark ale.

And, this.  (Who's old enough to remember trooper?)

Paprika comes in different flavours and varieties.  It is essentially derived from grinding the pods of peppers - including sweet bell peppers and chili peppers.  

Depending on the variety of pepper and how it is processed, the colour can range from bright red to brown and the flavour from mild to spicy.  The sweet variety is often associated with Hungary and the hotter, smoked variety, with Spain although both regions offer a range of sweetness and pungency.

Paprika sold in grocery stores tends to be neither sweet nor hot (some might say without flavour).  It's a shame that generic paprika is what most of us are accustomed to because the higher quality varieties are imbued with flavour and provide a completely different experience.

Regardless of what variety you use for this recipe, the surrounding ingredients will carry the flavour. 

Warm Mushroom and Toasted Paprika Bean Salad

• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups white kidney beans, well rinsed if using canned
• 6-8 shiitake mushrooms, brushed and sliced
• 2 cups baby spinach or other mixed greens
• 1 heaping Tbsp quality paprika (preferably Hungarian Sweet but ordinary paprika will work fine)
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• sprinkle cinnamon powder
• Handful sweet pepper slices for garnish

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Note: mushrooms soak up water like a sponge.  If you soak mushrooms in water to wash them, it's a little bit like trying to sauté a fully drenched sponge.  You will end up with a lot of water and not a very nice sear.  It's a long, messy, frustrating experience.  Instead, use a potato/vegetable brush to gently brush dirt and debris off mushrooms.  You could also use a damp cloth if preferred but try to resist soaking or running them under water.

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Warm a large skillet over low heat with some olive oil.  Add onions to skillet, stirring until they start to soften.  Add beans to skillet, mixing gently, taking care not to mash the beans.  Once beans have begun to warm, add paprika, stirring to combine with beans and onion.  Be sure to keep heat low otherwise the paprika will blacken and burn.  Add remaining spices to mixture, stirring to combine.  Allow flavours to permeate on lowest heat for a few minutes.  Remove onion and bean mixture from skillet and set aside.

 

Using the same skillet that was used for onions and beans, add a little more olive oil and sauté sliced shiitake mushrooms over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes.  The mushrooms will take on the residual flavour and colour of the spices.

 

To serve, place about a half cup of spinach on 4 separate serving plates.  Add a half cup of onion and bean mixture over top of spinach, followed by a generous spoonful of shiitake mushrooms.  Garnish with a few slices of sweet bell pepper (I found miniatures).

Serves 4

Lemon Passion Fruit Panna Cotta

It's amazing what can come about in the midst of a downward dog.

I spent the better part of my fitness class last Friday daydreaming about lemon and passion fruit and how I might marry the two in a refreshing, creamy dessert.

I had this at the back of my mind, and this at the front.

As far as the passion fruit goes, I've had the exotic in my thoughts ever since I tasted one of Jen Winter's passion fruit truffles (oh.my.goodness.) at my favourite local spot, KoKo Chocolates.

Passion fruit is generally sold by the piece and, unless you live in the tropics, is not cheap.  This recipe only calls for one.  The two common colours of passion fruit are purple (roughly the size of a large egg) and yellow (roughly the size of a small orange).  Both varieties contain a viscous jelly-like pulp (orangey or grey coloured) that coats numerous black-pitted seeds.  The seeds are perfectly edible and very crunchy.  Passion fruit has a beautiful, naturally sweet aroma.  The riper the fruit the sweeter its taste.

    Inside the yellow passion fruit are fragrant jelly-like sacs

filled with sweet juice and multitudinous black crunchy seeds 

Lemon Passion Fruit Panna Cotta

• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 cup 10% cream (half and half cream)
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp gelatin powder
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 3 Tbsp passion fruit pulp and seeds

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Notes:

I particularly like Greek yogurt for this recipe because of its creamy texture (no matter what fat content you choose).  Greek yogurt also has a considerably higher protein concentration than other yogurts.

I am often asked about agave nectar.  In addition to its wonderful taste, I frequently choose agave for its very low glycemic index which has a negligible impact on blood sugar levels.

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Place fresh lemon juice in a small dish and add gelatin, mixing together.  The mixture will solidify somewhat within minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine agave and cream over low-medium heat until it becomes hot to the touch but not boiling.

Pour cream mixture into a medium size bowl and add lemon gelatin mixture (you may need to dig it out with a spoon).  Combine with a whisk. 

Add Greek yogurt, passion fruit pulp/seeds and grated lemon zest to the cream mixture and stir until well combined.

Divide mixture among 4 ramekins or small bowls (there should be a little over 1/2 cup each). 

You can also use silicone muffin cups which make it easy to release the panna cotta once set.

Refrigerate panna cotta for a minimum of 2 hours and ideally 4 hours. The dessert will become the density of a custard.

This recipe is adapted from France's gorgeous Honey Yogurt Panna Cotta at Beyond the Peel.