Category: Sauces & Dips
Grilled Zucchini with Herb Dressing
| April 15, 2013 | Filled under Salads, Sauces & Dips, Sides, Vegetables |
Here’s an easy side for your next barbecue or weeknight dinner. This flavourful herb-filled dressing, which is a cross between pesto and salsa verde with a hint of Caesar dressing, is versatile and great on grilled vegetables, chicken, steak, or fish. The best part is that everything for the dressing gets tossed into a food processor or blender and it’s ready with the touch of a button.
Grilled zucchini reminds me of summer barbecues in my parent’s backyard with my dad at the grill and my dog Pucci on a lawn chair in the shade.
Zucchini is low in calories and high in nutrients like potassium, folate, and vitamin A. Most of the nutrients are in the skin so make sure to leave the skin on. Zucchini is also great fried in a Gwenyth Paltrow inspired pasta, and in these amazing vegan chocolate chip muffins. But I really love zucchini best when it’s grilled and simply dressed with this minty pesto dressing. Hope you enjoy.
Grilled Zucchini with Herb Dressing (serves 3 to 4 as a side)
Ingredients:
- 2 medium zucchinis, cut diagonally into 1/4″ slices
- Non-stick cooking spray or canola oil
- Parmesan cheese shavings (omit for vegan version)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional, omit for vegan version)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Special Equipment: Blender or food processor, grill pan/outdoor grill
Directions:
- Preheat grill pan to medium-high heat. When pan is quite hot and almost smoking, spray with non-stick cooking spray or lightly brush pan with oil. Lay slices of zucchini onto grill pan in a single layer, and cook about 2 minutes each side, or until zucchini has charred grill marks. Remove from pan and place in serving dish. Repeat with remaining zucchini.
- Meanwhile, place dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend. Set aside. Add more olive oil if too thick and blend. Spoon over grilled zucchini and sprinkle with Parmesan shavings, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
PS – I don’t have access to an outdoor grill but if you have one, I would totally recommend using it for grilling instead of a grill pan indoors. Unless it’s raining or snowing, both of happened last week.
Guacamole with Pomegranates
| April 10, 2013 | Filled under Fruits, Sauces & Dips, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetables |
Are you thinking ‘What the what?! Pomegranates in guacamole? This Chinese girl from Canada is crazy.’ Seriously, I don’t blame you but I swear this is the real deal. I’ll always remember my first authentic Mexican meal after moving to Arizona at Barrio Cafe in Phoenix, where they made fresh guacamole right at our table. The waiter wheeled out a little cart with cut up limes, cilantro, jalapeno, and fresh avocados and smashed them together in a stone mortar and pestle. And just when I thought he was done, he mixed in some fresh pomegranate seeds. That, my friends, was when my mind was officially blown away.
Once I fully comprehended what had just happened, I tried the fresher than fresh guacamole on warm just-fried corn tortilla chips and died. Died and went to taste heaven. In fact, my taste buds did the Three Amigos Salute as the sweet pomegranates blended perfectly with the sour lime juice, sharp red onion, creamy avocado, and salty chips for the ultimate bite. I don’t remember what I had for my main as the rest of the night became a blur of tequila shots, but I do recall our friends losing their minds over the churros and goat’s milk caramel. At least I’ll have the memories of the guacamole for the rest of my days.
Barrio Queen is the sister restaurant located in Old Town Scottsdale. They add dried apricots to the guacamole there.
This guacamole is great for dipping tortilla chips into, or topping onto some yummy fish tacos, or even on top of a corn and black bean salad. Besides being delicious, avocados are full of healthy things like good fats, fiber, and have more potassium than bananas. Pomegranates are full of anti-oxidents and other good stuff. Plus they’re pretty. Whenever I make this guacamole, it feels like I’m in Arizona all over again. Hope you enjoy.
Guacamole with Pomegranates (serves 2)
- 1 medium ripe Hass avocado, cubed
- 1 Tbsp Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1 Tbsp finely minced coriander/cilantro
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- Pinch of cayenne or chili powder (optional)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 2 Tablespoons fresh pomegranate seeds
Combine all the all the ingredients except for pomegranates into a bowl and mash with a fork. Serve chunky or smooth. Stir in pomegranate seeds and serve immediately with tortilla chips.
If serving later, place the pit of the avocado in with guacamole and cover to prevent avocado from turning brown.
Mexican Lamb Adobo
| March 17, 2013 | Filled under Main Dishes, Meat, Sauces & Dips, Southwestern |
Most of my recipes are fast, accessible, and light. But every once in while, I like to enjoy a deeply rich meaty stick-to-your-ribs caveman type of meal. The kind of meal that has you leaning back in your chair in a satisfied adobo sauce-incuded stupor.
I used to live in the mecca for Mexican food in Scottsdale Arizona. And instead of learning to cook great Mexican food, I went to great Mexican restaurants. A lot. Like all of them. There wasn’t a nacho in sight that didn’t get eaten. And in my non-stop eat-fest, I gained a true appreciation of how awesome and diverse Mexican food can be.
On a memorable visit to Sedona, D and I stopped in at one of my favourite Mexican restaurants, Elote Cafe, and after a three-hour wait and many margaritas later, we got to enjoy lamb adobo for the first time. My mind was blown. Meat so tender that it was falling off the bone, drenched in a sauce with a complex meld of flavours, a little smoky, sweet, sour, salty, perfect for being sopped up with corn tortillas. Is your mouth watering yet?
Quickie about Sedona: Aside from Elote Cafe, Sedona is known for having 4 vortexes, these energy sources. Read more about it here.
After returning to Toronto and wanting to recreate some of those authentic Mexican meals, I wanted to make that lamb adobo from the Elote Cafe cookbook (the best Mexican cookbook bar none). That’s when I realized I needed an education in chiles.
The recipe calls for three types: ancho, guajillo, and pasilla. So off I went to my local market to the Latin specialty shop looking for fresh peppers, only to discover that the chiles I needed were actually dried. The kind shop owners were eager to help me find my chiles, even writing down the names of the peppers on the little plastic bags so I’d be able to figure out which was which when I got home.
If you live in Canada, you probably won’t find these chiles in your local grocery store. I found this online store that ships all the chiles and spices needed for this recipe. Once you hunt down the necessary ingredients, the process for making this braised dish is actually very simple. Boil sauce ingredients and blend. Brown the meat (the most important step), then add the sauce, cover and bake in a dutch oven for 2.5 to 3 hours. Garnish with fresh cilantro and radishes, and enjoy with rice or corn tortillas, picked onions and a fresh salad.
I considered adjusting the recipe, to substitute more easily accessible ingredients for the chiles, but I decided to keep the recipe as legit as possible and keep my adaptations to a minimum. Sure you can swap out the dried chiles for chile powders, or swap out the lamb for your favourite cut of meat, but I figure that will happen anyway. Recipes always have a way of morphing and evolving in different kitchens. I love how friends and readers who try my recipes add little tweaks here and there to suit their taste buds – your comments are great so please keep them coming.
PS – That is our friend Donkey, a mini pinata that we like to put out on our table whenever we enjoy Mexican food. He’s totally kitschy and silly but he makes everyone smile. Well, him and the lamb adobo.
Mexican Lamb Adobo adapted from Elote Cafe Cookbook
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 Lamb shanks, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
Adobo Sauce:
- 12 garlic cloves
- 4 cups orange juice
- 3 dried ancho chiles, rinsed, stems and seeds removed
- 2 guajillo chiles, rinsed, stems and seeds removed
- 1 pasilla negro chile, rinsed, stems and seeds removed
- one 3″ stick of cinnamon
- 2 teasspoons fresh ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried cumin powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoons salt
Garnishes
- Radishes and fresh cilantro
Pickled Onions
- 1 cup red onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Place a medium sauce pan on medium high heat. Add garlic and toast until browned. Add remaining adobo sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes, when chiles are softened. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick and set aside. Cool slightly and puree until smooth.
- Combine all pickled onion ingredients together and set aside until lamb is ready, about 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large dutch oven on medium high heat, add canola oil. Add lamb shanks and brown all over, about 10 minutes. Be patient as this is the most important step. When they are well-browned, add adobo sauce and reserved bay leaves and cinnamon. Cover and bake for 2.5 to 3 hours (depending on the size of your shanks), turning the shanks after 1 hour. The shanks are done when the meat is falling off the bone and fork tender. Skim some of the excess cooking fat from the surface of the gravy with a spoon before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro, radishes, and pickled onions and serve with rice and/or corn tortillas.
Tuscan Kale Salad with Currants and Parmesan
| January 7, 2013 | Filled under Italian, Salads, Sauces & Dips, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetables |
Have you ever ordered something in a restaurant and swooned with every delicious mouthful? And then wondered how they made it so delicious, even long after the meal was over. I bet that you have experienced this feeling, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t over a salad. Now I like salad just fine, but I’m not one to get excited about them, normally that is. But then I ordered the ‘Cavolo Nero’ salad at Gusto 101 and lost it. I ate that salad so hard, with the gusto (sorry couldn’t resist) that I typically reserve for cupcakes or french fries.
The texture of the dark green bumpy leaves of raw lacinate kale (aka cavolo nero, Tuscan kale, or lacinato kale) becomes silky and velvety after marinating in the lemon vingarette, which softens the leaves. The currants add a lovely sweetness that goes perfectly with the saltiness of the parmesan shavings. Gusto 101 served the salad with pine nuts, but I’ve swapped them for sunflower seeds, perfect for those with nut allergies. I knew I nailed the recipe when D and I had this salad for dinner and it got gobbled up way before the perfectly juicy pan-roasted chicken and fingerling potatoes sharing the same plate. Buon appetito.
Tuscan Kale Salad with Currents and Parmesan (adapted from Epicurious)
Serves 4 as a starter or side
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons dried currants
- 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch lacinate kale, centre ribs and stems removed, washed and dried (about 1 pound)
- 2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
- Parmesan cheese shavings
Directions:
- Place currants in small bowl and cover with two tablespoons white wine vinegar. Set aside.
- Lay several leaves of kale on top of each other and cut thinly crosswise. Add to a large bowl.
- Make vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine one teaspoon white wine vinegar, lemon rind, lemon juice, honey, olive oil and salt, and whisk. Add vinaigrette, sunflower seeds, and currents, including any additional vinegar left over from soaking, to the kale and toss to combine. Let marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle with cheese shavings and serve.
Jerk Chicken Tacos with Sweet Mango Pepper Salsa
| June 5, 2012 | Filled under Main Dishes, Poultry, Sauces & Dips, Sides, Soup & Sandwiches, Southwestern, Vegetables |
*Jerk Alert* These are not your typical tacos. I heard about this amazingly unusual food truck in LA that does Korean BBQ tacos (think short rib tacos and kimchi quesadillas) and a lightbulb went off. Tacos, like pizza and sandwiches, can be topped with just about anything. So I started making tandoori chicken tacos with raita yogurt sauce with tomato and cucumber salsa. And then I combined spicy jerk chicken and some sweet mango salsa to create a tropical inspired taco. Sort of like going to Jamaica and Mexico all in one bite.
Juicy marinated meat baked off easily in the oven and fresh salsa on top of a soft corn tortilla is all kinds of yummy and is easy enough to whip up during the week. I buy my jerk seasoning in a jar and marinate overnight if possible, or in a pinch, just coat the chicken thighs in the sauce before baking. While the chicken is in the oven, I get my dice on and prepare the salsa and in about 30 minutes, dinner is done. A summer time meal that almost makes me feel like I’m on vacation. Almost.
PS – Jerk sauce can be super spicy so reduce or add as much as you like. Also, I fully admit that this is by no means the traditional way to cook jerk. But then again, this isn’t really a traditional taco. Keep calm and taco on.
Jerk Chicken Tacos with Sweet Mango Pepper Salsa (serves four)
Jerk Chicken
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat, rinsed and dried
- 1 Tbsp jerk chicken marinade (I used Grace brand)
- 1 tsp canola oil
Sweet Mango Pepper Salsa
- 1/2 large mango, finely diced
- 1/2 sweet pepper (yellow or red), finely diced
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 3 Tbsp red or Spanish onion, finely diced
- 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- juice of half a lime
- pinch salt
Tacos & Garnishes
- Soft corn tortillas (2 to 3 per person)
- Corn tortilla chips
- Lime wedges
- Shredded lettuce
- Hot sauce
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. I a medium bowl, add chicken, jerk sauce, and oil and toss to evenly coat chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes up to overnight. Lay chicken flat in foil-lined baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Let rest five minutes before slicing.
- While chicken is baking, prepare salsa and set aside. Heat a small frying pan to medium heat and add tortillas to warm through. Once tortillas is heated, store on a plate lined with clean dish towel and cover, or add to tortilla warmer. Continue until all tortillas are warmed. Serve chicken, salsa, and tortillas with lime wedges, shredded lettuce, corn chips, and hot sauces.
Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs
| May 14, 2012 | Filled under Asian, Main Dishes, Poultry, Sauces & Dips |
Summer is here and so is barbecue season. Sadly, I don’t have access to a barbecue at home – our condo is patio-less. But before you start feeling sorry for me, I DO have a trusty little toaster oven. This essential piece of kitchen equipment makes me feel like I have a double oven like in those fancy home magazines or on The Food Network. It heats up fast and doesn’t raise the temperature in our whole place like the big oven so on summer days when we would be grilling, we rely on our trusty toaster oven to cook up some tasty meals, like my fast flatbread pizza or these Asian-glazed chicken thighs. Plus, we can use it all year-long.
The flavours are sweet, salty, and distinctly Asian flavoured and the mahogany glaze is lip-smackingly good. Now if you don’t have a toaster oven, you can totally use a normal oven or your barbecue. The longer you marinade the meat, the tastier it’ll be, so anywhere from 1 hour to overnight will do the trick. The marinade is super easy and so tasty that you’ll be able to whip this up on a weeknight or make ahead for your next big summer bash. Cold leftovers are great with a salad. The possibilities are endless. Too bad summer isn’t.
PS – You save lots of calories and fat by removing the skin. Just yank it off by pull it over the bone – picture pulling a pant leg inside out (think skinny jeans). Your waistline and arteries will thank you.
Recipe Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs (adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves 5 to 6 (2 thighs per serving)
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tamari gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (in case of allergies, replace with tamari soy sauce)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili paste (such sambal oelek or sriracha)
- 10 garlic cloves, minced
- 10 to 12 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
- Cooking spray
- Pinch salt
Directions:
1. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, chile paste, and garlic, stirring until honey dissolves. Pour vinegar mixture into a zip-top plastic bag or dish just large enough for the chicken. Add chicken marinade and seal or cover. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour up to overnight, turning occasionally. Remove chicken, reserving marinade.
2. Pre-heat oven to 425°.Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until syrupy, stirring occasionally. Place chicken on a rack coated with cooking spray, and place rack in a roasting pan. Baste chicken with reserved marinade; sprinkle evenly with salt.
3. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes; baste. Bake an additional 10 minutes; baste. Discard remaining marinade. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until done. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with green onions or fresh coriander to garnish.
Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa
| January 9, 2012 | Filled under Sauces & Dips, Sides, Southwestern, Vegetables |
Do you make new year’s resolutions? I’ve been pretty much making the same resolutions every year for a while now: eat healthy/drink water, work out, save money, get organized, be happy. Simple, unoriginal, and challenging all the same. I love the idea that everyone gets a fresh start to set new goals and just be better. Which is kind of how I thought to take something as awesome as salsa, and give it a fresh new spin.
I love salsa – healthy, full of flavour, low in fat, and perfect for a snack with tortilla chips or as a condiment on a salad, fish, tacos, etc. There are so many great store-bought varieties to choose from but with my new years resolutions on my mind, I decided to try making an even healthier (and tastier) homemade salsa combining super sweet cherry tomatoes and smokey chipotle. Turns out it’s pretty simple and the flavours are so much brighter, fresher, and tastier than anything you find in a jar.
An added benefit to making your own salsa is being able to control the sodium levels (typically super high in jarred varieties) and the level of heat. I like my salsa with some heat, but not so spicy it makes your face melt. The smokey flavour of the chipotle adds a great depth of flavour without being overly hot.
The chipotle I used comes canned in an adobo sauce which is basically some combination of paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar. You can look for it in the Mexican aisle of your grocery store or specialty Hispanic food shops. This recipe only needs one or two (or three if you like it very hot) chipotle peppers, but you can freeze the leftovers in small containers and save for another time. Letting the salsa chill for an hour or so helps develop the flavours into such delicious-ness that you’ll have a hard time going back to the jarred variety. Next time I make this recipe, I will make a double batch to have on hand during the week.
PS – If you like my recipes/blog, feel free to ‘like’ my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter. I also love getting suggestions or requests, so don’t be shy about sending them along. Cheers to the new year 
Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa (serves 2)
Adapted from Greatest-Ever Mexican Recipes by Jane Milton
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2” Spanish onion wedge (about ¼ of the onion) peeled
- 1 – 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 – 2 chipotle peppers (canned in adobo sauce) + 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce (use 1 pepper for milder version)
- Grated rind of ½ lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
- Corn tortilla chips for dipping
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a foil-lined roasting pan. Add olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until onion starts to brown.
- While tomatoes are roasting, add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lemon juice, and brown sugar to a food processor and puree. Set aside.
- Remove tomatoes, onions, and garlic from oven and let cool. Remove any blackened tomato skins and place tomatoes in a bowl. Remove onion from pan and remove any skin that may have toughened. Using a sharp knife, chop onions and garlic and add to a bowl and mix with tomatoes.
- Add chipotle puree and fresh cilantro and mix well until combined. Taste and add more salt if needed. Cover and chill at least one hour before serving with corn tortilla chips for dipping. Can be served warm or cold.
Goat Cheese Fundido
| October 27, 2011 | Filled under Sauces & Dips, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers, Southwestern, Vegetables |
It’s getting cold out and that means it’s time to stay inside a little more. More sofa nights, more friends coming over for dinner or drinks, plus a solid fall season of prime time TV. And time for more delicious cheesy appetizers. This one is very different from my last post, being a little spicy and savoury, but it’s no less satisfying. Enter the yummy goat cheese fundido.
I discovered this fundido (Spanish for ‘melted cheese’) at Elote Cafe up in Sedona. It’s basically a warm homemade salsa topped with goat cheese on top, baked, and served with corn chips or folded up into warm soft tortillas. A tasty and hearty appetizer perfect for cold nights and best served with an ice-cold Margarita or Mexican beer. It’s a delicious and comforting alternative to the standard 7 layer dip and much easier to make.
This is super easy to whip up too – the ingredients just get some saute action before being topped with goat cheese and baked. You can totally prepare this ahead of time before your guests arrive and just pop in the oven to serve. While it’s baking, lightly pan fry the corn tortillas and place in a kitchen towel-lined plate to keep warm. You can serve with some with some crispy corn tortilla chips too.
The jalapeno peppers add a nice bit of heat without being too spicy. Just remember to remove the seeds before adding. But if you want more fire, leave the seeds in. Either way, this fundido will be a huge hit like it was at my cousin Kim’s birthday fiesta. I only got a picture of it right before I served it and by the time I went back for more shots, it was gone-dido.
Recipe (served 4 as starter) Adapted from Elote Cafe Cookbook
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and sliced
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup or 8 oz. goat cheese
- corn tortilla chips and soft corn tortillas for serving
Directions:
- In a medium non-stick saucepan or wok, heat oil on medium-high heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers until lightly browned, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add the tomato, salt and pepper and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Pre-heat oven to broil. Transfer the sauce into an oven-proof dish and crumble large chunks of the goat cheese on top of the dish. Place the dish in the oven and broil until the top is browned, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, pan fry the soft corn tortillas in a clean frying pan on medium heat. Place in a tortilla warmer or wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
Baked Brie and Artisan Crackers
| October 24, 2011 | Filled under Sauces & Dips, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers |
Gooey brie with a caramelized brown sugar walnut topping is a decadent and delicious appetizer that will disappear in moments. That’s what happened when this appetizer appeared at my cousin Amy’s bachelorette dinner in Blue Mountain. A member of her bridal party made a steering wheel-sized version of this and served it as an appetizer to the dozen girls there and in mere minutes, the behemoth brie was devoured.
When making my own version, I opted to use a significantly smaller wheel of goat brie which feeds about 2 to 4 as an appetizer (depending on how hungry everyone is). Using a sharp knife, remove the rind from the top and sprinkle the brown sugar on top. I’ve seen a brie baking kit that’s a mixture of cinnamon and brown sugar which sounds yum and I will try next time. Add the walnuts and bake for 25 minutes and voila – easy yummy appetizer.
To go along with this decadent appetizer, I served a combination store-bought and homemade rice crackers. To make the rice crackers from scratch, I put some brown rice tortillas in the toaster oven heated to 300 degrees for about 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned, and break into large pieces. Because they’re so crispy, you tend to get jagged edges which makes it look more fancy schmancy and artisan-like. You can even make flavoured crackers by brushing on a little flavoured olive oil or some oil and dried herbs – be creative.
I kind of over baked mine (honestly I ran out of timers and forgot about it) but it was still delicious. So it’s basically idiot-proof which is my type of appetizer, especially if company’s coming. I read an article in the Globe over the weekend saying that nuts on baked brie, along with cocktail shrimp rings and artichoke dip, are cliché. The writer offered some great ideas for updates, but this version is super fast and is a unique twist on a tasty classic.
Recipe Baked Brie with Artisan Crackers (Serves 2 to 4 as starter)
Ingredients:
- Brown rice tortillas (I used 10″ ones from Fit for Life)
- 1 small brie wheel (this is goat brie)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp walnuts
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Lay tortillas on a rack and bake for about 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and break into pieces. Set aside.
- Lower oven to 375 degrees. Remove rind from top of brie wheel and place on oven-safe dish. Sprinkle brown sugar and nuts on top and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until sugar is caramelized. Serve with crackers.
Spiced Samosa Potato Salad
| September 12, 2011 | Filled under Indian, Salads, Sauces & Dips, Sides, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetables |
Samosas are little pastry pockets of potato-y goodness, spiced with Indian flavours, deep-fried and served with refreshing cilantro chutney. My samosa-eating days came to a screeching halt when I went gluten free and my mouth would water with envy as my family and friends devoured them at parties and dinners. I’m sure I looked pretty pathetic as I sulked.
After going gluten-free, I attempted making samosa spring rolls using Vietnamese rice paper wraps, which turned out to be an epic fail. I was left with oil everywhere, grease burns, a burnt pot, etc. But I also had leftover samosa potato filling and chutney dipping sauce which I ended up combining to make a delicious potato salad. So now whenever I crave samosas, I make this spicy potato salad instead. It’s not only great for easy cleanup, but it’s also way better for my waistline and arteries.
The potato mix is adapted from 500 Chili Recipes, which D found at Borders in the clearance section for $5. Best $5 score ever. It’s such a great book with spicy recipes from around the world, pictures for each dish, and clear simple recipes – I definitely recommend this cookbook for anyone who loves exotic spicy eats. The coriander chutney is adapted from an old issue of Fine Cooking - one of my fave cooking mags.
What gives the potatoes a distinctly samosa-y flavour is the combo of onions, ground coriander, ground cumin, and peas. A little saute action to soften the onions and toast up the spices is key. Easy peas-y.
The coriander chutney is very refreshing – both sweet and tangy at the same time. Throwing everything into a food processor is all you need to do for this one. I use leftover chutney on salads. PS – if you like my blog, you can follow me on twitter or like my facebook group for updates. Thanks for your support.
Recipe Spiced Samosa Potato Salad (Serves 4 – 6 as a side)
- 4-5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 Thai bird chilies, stem and seeds removed, finely diced
- 3 Tbsp chopped coriander and mint
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- salt to taste
Coriander Chutney
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and stems
Directions
- Combine all the ingredients for the chutney in a food processor or mini chopper and puree. Set aside.
- Boil potatoes in a medium pot. Meanwhile, in a non-stick frying pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil on medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add cumin and ground coriander, stir and saute for 3 minutes. Add peas and continue cooking until peas are heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes, and set aside.
- When potatoes are tender, drain and cut into 1/2″ cubes. Place in medium mixing bowl and add onion mixture, chilies, chopped coriander, lemon juice, and salt and stir to combine.
- Add 1/3 cup of the chutney and 1 tablespoon of oil to the potatoes and stir. Serve room temperature or chilled.
Samosas are little pastry pockets of potato-y goodness, spiced with Indian flavours, deep-fried and served with refreshing cilantro chutney. My samosa-eating days came to a screeching halt when I went gluten free and my mouth would water with envy as my family and friends devoured them at parties and dinners. I’m sure I looked pretty pathetic as I sulked.
After going gluten-free, I attempted making samosa spring rolls using Vietnamese rice paper wraps, which turned out to be an epic fail. I was left with oil everywhere, grease burns, a burnt pot, etc. But I also had leftover samosa potato filling and chutney dipping sauce which I ended up combining to make a delicious potato salad. So now whenever I crave samosas, I make this spicy potato salad instead. It’s not only great for easy cleanup, but it’s also way better for my waistline and arteries.
The potato mix is adapted from 500 Chili Recipes, which D found at Borders in the clearance section for $5. Best $5 score ever. It’s such a great book with spicy recipes from around the world, pictures for each dish, and clear simple recipes – I definitely recommend this cookbook for anyone who loves exotic spicy eats. The coriander chutney is adapted from an old issue of Fine Cooking - one of my fave cooking mags.
What gives the potatoes a distinctly samosa-y flavour is the combo of onions, ground coriander, ground cumin, and peas. A little saute action to soften the onions and toast up the spices is key. Easy peas-y.
The coriander chutney is very refreshing – both sweet and tangy at the same time. Throwing everything into a food processor is all you need to do for this one. I use leftover chutney on salads. PS – if you like my blog, you can follow me on twitter or like my facebook group for updates. Thanks for your support.
Recipe Spiced Samosa Potato Salad (Serves 4 – 6 as a side)
- 4-5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 Thai bird chilies, stem and seeds removed, finely diced
- 3 Tbsp chopped coriander and mint
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- salt to taste
Coriander Chutney
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and stems
Directions
- Combine all the ingredients for the chutney in a food processor or mini chopper and puree. Set aside.
- Boil potatoes in a medium pot. Meanwhile, in a non-stick frying pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil on medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add cumin and ground coriander, stir and saute for 3 minutes. Add peas and continue cooking until peas are heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes, and set aside.
- When potatoes are tender, drain and cut into 1/2″ cubes. Place in medium mixing bowl and add onion mixture, chilies, chopped coriander, lemon juice, and salt and stir to combine.
- Add 1/3 cup of the chutney and 1 tablespoon of oil to the potatoes and stir. Serve room temperature or chilled.
Recent Comments