These are truly staples in my diet.  The homous is creamy, lemony and garlicky.  The pita crisps are crunchy, with a touch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Simple and delicious.

Homous

(adapted from “A Taste of the Mediterranean, Vegetarian Style” by Mary Salloum”)

1 can chickpeas (19 oz), rinsed and drained

1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 to 1/3 cup lemon juice (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp oregano

2 tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients in food processor.  Blend for several minutes until homous is a smooth paste.  Garnish with kalamata olives or olive-oil packed sundried tomatoes, if desired.

Whole Wheat Pita Crisps

(idea from “Dietitians of Canada - Great Food Fast” by Bev Callaghan and Lynn Roblin)

Even my daughter, who generally shuns anything that even looks remotely whole wheat, gobbles these up.

6 large whole wheat pita pocket breads

1-2 tsp olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

With kitchen scissors or a paring knife, cut all the way around the pita bread, in order to split it into two identical circles.  Repeat with remaining pita breads.

Brush each pita circle with olive oil.  Stack and cut each circle into 6 to 8 triangles.  Spread the triangles out onto 2 large baking sheets.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until crisp.  Cool and store in an airtight container or ziploc bag.

This is such a great soup for a cool fall day.  It’s quick and easy to make, and soooo delicious. 

Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli, chopped

2 cans chicken broth

3 cans water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

fresh ground pepper to taste

cayenne (red chili) pepper

1 cup grated cheese, plus more for garnish (I use cheddar or a Tex-Mex combination)

1)  Put the broccoli in a large pot and cover with the chicken broth and water.

2)  Bring the broth to a boil and cook the broccoli until tender.

3)  Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and place in food processor.  Process until fairly smooth.

4)  Return the broccoli to the pot.  Add the cream of mushroom soup.  Whisk into the soup if necessary to remove lumps.

5)  Season with the black pepper and cayenne pepper.

6)  Add the grated cheese to the pot and heat until incorporated. 

7)  Ladle into bowls and garnish with more grated cheese.

Variation:  To make this dish even more special, ladle soup into ovenproof bowls.  Garnish with grated cheese and toasted French bread or croutons.  Broil until the cheese is bubbly.

I often get asked about what kind of food I cook at home. The truth is, I love so many different kinds of food from so many different places, and I often like to recreate them in my own kitchen. I do have a tendency to get on food jags, where I really get into a few dishes that become my “new favourites.”

In order to document my fave dishes, and to remember all the different dishes I have experiemented with and loved, I thought it would be a good idea to write a weekly post about something I cooked and ate during the past week. (Not exactly Julie and Julia - you know that book about the woman who cooked her way through every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1.” I just can’t get that enthusiastic about beef gelatin and sweetbreads.) But just think of it as my own version - kinder and gentler, with no organ meat.

This is a recipe I adapted from “Canadian Living’s Best Pasta.” I love the whole series of “Canadian Living” cookbooks. Pictures - a must, easy and delicious recipes, some International flavours without too many specialty grocery items. This is a recipe for pastitsio - essentially a baked pasta dish. I like it because it contains pasta, but not too much, and the cinnamon and nutmeg give it a Mediterranean flavour. I use whole wheat pasta for the extra fibre and flavour.

Pastitsio Pie

1 tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 and 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 tsp each dried oregano, cinnamon and salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 can crushed tomatoes or stewed tomatoes, pureed (14 oz)

1 can tomato paste (5 and 1/2 oz)

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 cups dry pasta (whole wheat macaroni, whole wheat rotini, etc.)

2 tbsp dry bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sauce:

2 tbsp butter or non-hydrogenated margarine like Becel

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cottage cheese (1 or 2%)

1 egg

pinch each nutmeg, salt, pepper

1. In nonstick skillet, melt half of the butter or margarine over medium heat; cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in beef, oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, for 7 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and vinegar; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to directions on package, until tender but firm. Drain and refresh under cold water; drain again and set aside.

3. Sauce: In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in flour and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes, without browning. Gradually whisk in milk and cook, whisking, for about 5 minutes or until thickened; remove from heat. Stir in cottage cheese, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

4. Grease 10-inch deep pie plate with remaining butter; sprinkle with bread crumbs. Spoon in half of the macaroni. Spread meat mixture evenly over top, pressing down lightly; sprinkle with one-third of the Parmesan.

5. Spoon remaining macaroni over top; carefully pour sauce over macaroni.

6. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake on baking sheet in 350 degree F oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden. Makes 6 servings.

Both my kids will eat this dish (even with visible green stuff). We had it with salad and whole wheat French garlic bread. The kids don’t eat salad so one had carrot sticks and the other had apple slices. Delicious and makes excellent leftovers.

1) The Madhur Jaffrey Cookbook - over 650 Indian, Vegetarian and Eastern Recipes. Author: Madhur Jaffrey. Published in 1992 by Tiger Books International. Originally published as two separate volumes: Eastern Vegetarian Cooking (1981), and An Invitation to Indian Cooking (1976).

This is a huge volume, over 800 pages long. In it are over 500 vegetarian recipes from all over Asia, as well as meaty and meatless Indian recipes. This is a great reference book for me as I know I can find most of the standard Indian recipes here. The cucumber raita for example, is a simple, delicious recipe which I’ve used many times.

Some other classic recipes include samosas, kheema (ground meat curry which is a staple in my children’s diet), koftas (Indian meatballs), lamb korma, butter chicken, basmati rice, pullao, dals, naan, and tamarind chutney. My mouth is watering already.

There are no photographs, and few drawings. But Madhur makes up for that by including lots of written suggestions, instructions, menus, and information about ingredients. She’s a knowledgeable, informative, and entertaining writer. Her cookbook is well suited for nighttime reading and daytime cooking!

2) The Best of Lord Krishna’s Cuisine - Favorite Recipes from the Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking. Author: Yamuna Devi. Published in 1991 by Plume. The recipes in this paperback have been selected from the original hardcover edition of Lord Krishna’s Cuisine - the Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, first published in 1987.

This is the cookbook I turn to when I’m getting bored with my veggies. Or, when I look in the fridge and see some cauliflower and tomatoes, and I want them to taste magnificent. Yamuna never disappoints. The recipes in this book are deceivingly simple, yet yield incredibly delicious results.

A few of my faves are “Spicy Cauliflower with Braised Tomato,” “Curried Cauliflower and Potatoes,” and “Spiced Green Beans.”

An inspiring cookbook.

3) The Complete Book of Indian Cooking - the ultimate Indian cookery collection, with over 170 delicious and authentic recipes. Authors: Shehzad Husain and Rafi Fernandez. Published in 1995 by Ultimate Editions.

I love this cookbook. It has beautiful full color photos for every recipe, and also includes step by step instructions with photos. This is a great book for the beginning Indian chef, or for anyone who loves to look at pictures of food.

One of the highlights of the book for me, is that it includes lots of recipes in the “Balti” style. The authors describe it as follows: “The essence of Balti cuisine is the speed of cooking - it’s almost as fast as Chinese stir-frying.” It’s made in a wok-type frying pan and the food draws on influences from many different countries such as Iran, Afghanistan and now the West.

I love both the flavours and the speed of Balti cooking. I can whip up a delicious curry in fairly short order - as opposed to the traditional Indian curries which may require hours of slow cooking.

Some of my go-to recipes in this book include “Balti Butter Chicken,” - so easy and delicious, the “Hot Dry Meat Curry” which is equally yummy with lamb or beef, and my own variation of the beef and carrot curry is a recipe I make over and over again.

I would recommend this cookbook for everyone who loves Indian food.

I wish I could give you the source for this recipe. I vaguely remember copying it from a food magazine into the back cover of one of my “cookies” cookbooks.

This is a great recipe for those of us who are too impatient to chill the cookie dough in the fridge for an hour. (Chilling is also a great momentum buster when cooking with kids.)

The dough stands up well to lots of handling and re-rolling. Always makes yummy and tender cookies.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (room temperature)

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 and 3/4 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, with mixer at medium high speed, beat butter and sugar until smooth.

2. Beat in egg and vanilla.

3. Add baking powder and flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be very stiff; blend last addition of flour in by hand. Do not chill.

4. Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll each ball approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cut out desired shapes with cookies cutters. Dip cookie cutters in flour before each use.

5. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until cookies are lightly browned. Cool before decorating.

Makes about 36 cookies.

For even more fun try:

Icing Paint

In bowl, whisk 1 cup icing sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons water, adding more water as needed to make spreadable. Divide and tint with food colouring.

The icing paint works really well if you divide the icing among several sections in an ice cube tray, and then tint each portion a different colour. Give the kids some “icing-dedicated” paint brushes and let them create. (My younger daughter can’t resist licking the paint brush so she gets to keep her cookies all to herself!)

written by Karen Barnaby, published by HarperCollins, 2004.

I spent the day with Karen Barnaby again, so I thought it only fitting that I write about her cookbook first.

Did I really spend the day with Karen? Well, technically not in the flesh, but I did spend the day with her via her amazing cookbook “the Low-Carb Gourmet.”

I can honestly say that I have tried (and loved) more recipes from this cookbook than from any other cookbook I own. Usually, I am pretty happy if I find 1 or 2 recipes I like in a cookbook. Needless to say, I am ecstatic about the dozens of recipes I absolutely love in “the Low-Carb Gourmet.”

The book is divided into usable categories of recipes such as desserts, fish, soups, what’s for breakfast?, and sauces and condiments. I’ve tried recipes from every category and have been pleasantly surprised by the yummy-ness and consistency of all the dishes I’ve made. Yes, Karen is a chef, but she can also write. Her recipes are easy to follow and often easy to make. Most of the ingredients can be purchased at your local grocery store. Any specialty ingredients are described in detail, with suggestions on how to use them and where to find them.

Karen also discusses the process of going low-carb. She describes many delicious low-carb foods in detail, and also provides numerous “boxes” of essential information throughout the book, including such gems as Splenda packet conversion, and the versatility of cauliflower (especially as a potato substitute).

Some of the recipes I make repeatedly: just the flax muffins - surprisingly moist and tender muffins with a hint of cinnamon; stir-fried edamame with garlic, chiles, and soy - this takes edamame to a whole new level - finger-lickin’ good! The cucumber salad with peanuts, coconut, and lime - a delightful blend of crunchy, salty, hot and sour; butter-wrinkled beans - simple and delectable; twice-baked cauliflower - an essential recipe, especially when I need a potato fix; basic back ribs with quick barbecue glaze - makes an oinker out of me every time. For dessert you must try Tamarian’s peanut butter-frosted brownies - my favourite dessert in the book, and one I could eat every day!

For me, a good cookbook is one I pick up with eager anticipation. I’ve tried sooo many of the recipes in “the Low Carb Gourmet,” and I can’t wait to try more. Another delicious low-carb meal is just around the corner …

Buy the Book

Amazon.ca
Amazon.com

There are so many cookbooks out there that it takes a really good one to push me from “just looking” to “gotta have it.”  So, what do I look for in a cookbook?  Here are the top 10 key elements for me:

1.  delicious recipes - this is definitely number one for me.  It’s ultimately the reason I’ll return to a cookbook again and again.  If I share the same sense of yummy with the author, I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and cook! 

2.  photos - the prettier the better, and ideally one photo per recipe.  I really want to know what the author expects the dish to look like.

3.  nutritional breakdown - this is a big one for me.  I have diabetes and it is so helpful to know how many calories, fat, carb, protein, and fibre grams I’m eating.  I steer towards lower carb recipes so a quick glance at the nutritional breakdown helps me decide if I should make the dish. 

4.  nutritional info in general - I love info about healthy oils, anti-oxidants, and other trends in nutrition. 

5.  variations for the recipes - I often make up my own variations/substitutions, but it’s great to pick the author’s brain as well.  This is also a helpful source of ideas to tweak the recipes you use over and over again.

6.  cooking tips - this is always a fun part.  I love to find out about the author’s time-saving strategies, different ways to slice and dice, tasty and different ingredients I’ve never tried before, and other hot cooking tips.

7.  comments about each recipe - this personalizes the recipe for me.  I like to know what makes this dish so delicious, when the author usually serves it, and what other dishes go well with it.  This is the extra information that entices you to try the recipe.

8.  a table of contents and especially a usable index - i.e. one where you can look under “cakes” to find “carrot cake,” instead of having to look under “A” for “Aunt Martha’s favourite carrot cake” - aaarrgh!

9.  error free recipes - this may sound obvious but I often come across recipes with errors - for example, listing an ingredient and then never telling you what you’re supposed to do with it; incorrect measurements; incorrect ingredients; etc.  I once saw “sour milk” as an ingredient in a Long Island Iced Tea.  I pity the guest who gets that cocktail!

10.  no typos - yes, typos are a pet peeve of mine (I’m sure I’m setting myself up now to have every one of my own typos pointed out to me!).  For some reason, I expect people who publish books to be able to spell.  Call me crazy.