Inspired Edibles

~ wellness, wonder, words ~

Simple and Delicious Smoked Salmon Canapés

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salmon cucumber appetizer_blog

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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Jamaican Plantain Soup with Persimmon – An Aromatic Delight

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Warm Mushroom and Toasted Paprika Bean Salad

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toasted paprika bean salad_blog

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 autumn dish that pairs well with a 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

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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.

Slow-Roasted Red Peppers in Balsamic Garlic Glaze

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The fields are harvested and bare,
And Winter whistles through the square.
October dresses in flame and gold
Like a woman afraid of growing old.
Anne Mary Lawler
—–

My sister greeted us with these savoury delights when we visited her in the Canadian Rockies for a ski holiday.

She served them naked, right out of the pan.  I’m glad I experienced them this way, undressed, for the first time.  They are stand alone stars that don’t need to be bettered.  (And a foodie’s tendency is to always try and better).

…

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Fig Muffins with fresh Apple and Oat-Spelt Flour

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Why so many muffins you ask?

I bake fresh muffins pretty much every week for my children.  It makes me feel good to know that they are getting some homespun goodness in their lunchboxes and it’s a treat for them (they have never had cookies, cakes or otherwise in their lunches.  So this is their ‘goodie’).

I try to vary the muffins each week, keeping things fun and introducing them to new textures, tastes and nutritive foods.

Fig Muffins with fresh Apple and Oat-Spelt Flour
  • 1 cup spelt flour
  • 1 cup whole grain oatmeal + 1 Tbsp for topping
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/3 cup demerara sugar
  • 2 apples, peeled and chopped
  • 5 fresh figs, peeled and chopped (reserving small wedges for topping)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup dilute orange juice (not from concentrate)

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Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large size bowl, combine spelt flour, 1 cup oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda and sugar.  Add in chopped apples and fig, mixing gently to combine taking care not to mash fruit.

 In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together egg, olive oil and orange juice.

Add wet ingredients to dry mixing only until combined.

Divide batter among 12 oiled muffin cups, topping each with oatmeal flakes and fig wedges as desired.

Bake for 14-18 minutes or until muffins are firm to the touch.

Minted Green Pea and Spinach Soup

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I’m not sure how old I was, or where I was, when I had my first taste of pea soup.  What I do remember, rather distinctly, is that it wasn’t a very good experience.  The soup was putty grey, thick, pasty and completely devoid of taste.  Gag-inducing really.  And so it came to be that I did not have a very good impression of this dish. 

Fast forward several years to a snowy December evening in Montreal.  I’m at a Girls’ Christmas party and the hostess is preparing a wonderfully fragrant, festive green soup.  How lovely I thought. I take one sip from the warm bowl and begin purring with pleasure.  “What is this??” I ask my friend fiendishly.  “Oh. It’s pea soup” she drops casually.

Pea soup??  Pas possible!

It was pea soup, alright.  Only good pea soup.  I mean really good pea soup.

Minted Green Pea and Spinach Soup as adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook:

  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 2 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 + 1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 + 1/4 cup frozen baby green peas
  • 2 cups fresh mint leaves
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

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Melt butter in a large pot on the stove.  Add chopped onion and cook over low heat until onion is tender (about 8 minutes).

Meanwhile, drain spinach and squeeze out excess liquid.  Pour chicken or vegetable stock into the pot, stir in spinach and peas and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until peas are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add mint to pot, cover and simmer for another couple minutes.

Strain soup, reserving liquid, and place solids in a blender with 1 cup of reserved cooking stock.  Blend until smooth.

Return puréed soup to pot and add whole milk.  Return cooking liquid until desired consistency is achieved (usually about 1 cup).

Season, as desired, with sea salt and cracked pepper.

Enjoy!