Buddha Bowl

Father's Day weekend was full of family and food (much of which I did not capture in photos as I was temporarily without technology!), but all of which were enjoyed in the moment and will likely be remade in the near future.

Old-fashioned date squares for Poppa, caramelized onion, mushroom and goat cheese quiche with shredded potato crust for brunch, and these "lick-your-bowl-of-every-ounce-of this-amazing-peanut sauce" Buddha Bowls for dinner with Mark and the kids.

I will have to take some step-by-step photos when the kids make this one a la "sous chef" summer.  There were a few steps, but all really simple to follow through and the end result was deeply satisfying.

It was a bit like a deconstructed rice roll in a bowl.  Delicious.
The original inspiration came from this recipe found here.

I simplified the preparations by roasting the tofu, broccoli, and chickpeas on one large sheet pan and skipping the pan frying of the tofu once it was baked.



Ingredients:

Block of firm tofu, pressed and cubed
Head of broccoli, rinsed, dried well and chopped in large florets
Large grated carrot
Chopped green onions
Chopped peanuts (optional)
Can of chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried well

For the Sauce:
1/4 cup each soy sauce, natural, smooth peanut butter and real maple syrup
2 Tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon of chili-garlic hot sauce

Rice noodles, brown rice or basmati

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut your block of tofu in half length wise and place on a large dinner plate lined with a double thickness of paper towel.  Set another plate on top (I used a heavy pie plate) and set 4 heavy cans on top.  Allow your tofu to drain like this for an hour or longer if you can to get out as much water as possible.  This ensures a nice, crispy texture when roasted.  Once pressed, cube and set aside.

Wash, chop, and thoroughly dry your head of broccoli.  Set aside.

Drain, rinse, and dry your chickpeas.  I spread them out on a paper towel-lined dinner plate and rolled them around a bit. Set aside.

Measure your sauce ingredients into a mason jar or glass measuring cup and give a quick zip with the hand blender to make a creamy sauce.  If you don't have a hand blender, you could also whisk or shake your jar with a lid on to thoroughly combine your ingredients, but the blender produces a silky-smooth consistency.
Taste-test to see if you need more hot sauce or peanut butter (I think I used slightly more peanut butter in mine, and we like it spicy!).

Oil a large sheet pan.
In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread on one third of the pan.
In the same bowl, toss your chickpeas with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread on the pan beside your broccoli.
Toss your tofu with olive oil, salt and pepper, spreading on the remaining third of the pan.  Everything can be close, but not overlapping, to ensure golden roasting (as opposed to steaming) of your ingredients.

Roast for about 25 minutes.  Check and leave in a bit longer if need be until everything is golden.

Meanwhile, prepare your rice or noodles according to the package directions.  I used rice stick-noodles, which only take about 6 minutes and should be drained, rinsed, and eaten right away to avoid becoming gummy (if your timing is off and your noodles are ready too soon, leave your drained, cooked noodles in the colander and rinse again with hot tap water just before serving to warm and loosen them up).

Build your bowl!  Noodles on the bottom with a drizzle of sauce.  Add your broccoli, chickpeas, and tofu. Top with grated carrot and green onions and another drizzle of sauce. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts if you like.

I'm already making future plans with this peanut sauce... nestled inside rice paper rolls... drizzled over roasted sweet potato chunks... dressing for cold, Asian noodle salad...

This just in.  Thanks Mark.  A photo of the quiche.  The little dill trees on top are from our garden.

I also tried a DIY Rosemary, Peppermint Shaving cream for Mark that turned out amazing!  You can find the recipe and step-by-step photos here.  I followed the instructions to the letter and spooned the whipped shave cream into a glass jar for a little homemade-with-love Father's Day gift.

If you like using natural, personal care items and enjoy experimenting a bit in the process, this was really simple to make, smells delicious, gives an amazing close shave, and leaves just a hint of a tingle behind with the peppermint oil!

Mark is usually pretty adventurous and willing to test out my lotions and potions (pit putty excluded!) and gave the shave cream a "make-again" rating.

Good Reads!

If you are headed to the library or bookstore this weekend and you love to eat, check out Fresh Made Simple, written by Lauren K. Stein and illustrated by Katie Eberts.

This is a beautiful cookbook with simple illustrated recipes using fresh, whole ingredients.

Perfect for low-key summer cooking with seasonal produce from your local farmer's market or your own garden.  Speaking of local markets, Herrle's opened last week (!!) and would be a great place to gather some produce until your own starts to sprout!

We have already had some rhubarb (pictured below), parsley, chives, and asparagus and anxiously await our later veggies and greens!

This cookbook is as much artwork as it is functional.  The recipes are creatively organized by texture "...smashed, roasted, stuffed, stacked..." and instructions are typed amongst watercolour illustrations.

The style is reminiscent of one of my favourite cookbooks, They Draw & Cook.

You kind of start flipping through it and either feel inspired to doodle or head to the market and start cooking!

If you enjoy simple meal prep with lots of room for variation with amounts, you will love this book.  If you appreciate art or love to doodle, you will love this book.  If you like to eat, you will love this book.

Dark Chocolate Almond Cookies

I think you could almost classify these cookies as whole foods.
Simply made with ground almonds, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and baking powder, these cookies can be enjoyed guilt-free.

If you are trying to cut down on your refined sugar and grains, this recipe offers a sweet treat to satisfy your sweet tooth with no refined sugar (if you make as per the original recipe re-posted here) or grains.

Some reviewers added a 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, which I did as well, and one reviewer suggested pulling the cookies out at 11 minutes, topping with a small square of dark chocolate, and putting back in the oven for one minute to melt.  Yup.  Did that too.

The finished cookies have a slight crunch on the outside with a soft chewy center and the melty chocolate is right at home on top.

I would definitely make these again, possibly nestling a roasted almond on top while the chocolate is still warm.

Makes 12 cookies.

Butter Chicken

This butter chicken is super-quick to throw together and on my list of recipes for "Sous Chef Summer". (Stay tuned.)

I have decided I'm going to enlist my teenagers to learn some basic recipes this summer, because... well, it's time!

When they were barely toddling around they sat with me in the kitchen washing and peeling and cutting to keep them busy and out from underfoot during meal prep time.

These days everyone seems to show up in the kitchen just long enough to deposit their lunch containers and put in their requests for dinner. We need to shake things up.

When they finally leave the nest, I want them to be able to prepare something other than ramen noodles and PB and J!

Fingers crossed!  Check back in July to see how if my brainwave is coming to fruition.

For now you are going to have to throw this together yourselves.

Original inspiration found here.






1 lb of skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into chunks ( I think I used about 8 to 10 thighs)

A large onion, diced

28 oz can of diced tomatoes (I give mine a quick zip with immersion blender as the family doesn't like big chunks of tomato in their sauce)

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

2 inch piece of ginger grated

2 teaspoons each curry and garam masala

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon chili garlic hot sauce

A tablespoon or two of tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Heavy cream or full fat coconut milk for a non-dairy version

Saute your onions and chopped chicken thighs in coconut oil until starting to brown.  No need to cook all the way through as the chicken will continue to simmer and cook later in the sauce.

Add your garlic and ginger and saute for a minute or two.

Add your spices and stir for one minute, followed by the can of tomatoes and their juice.

Stir in the tomato paste and chili-garlic hot sauce.

Simmer everything uncovered until chicken is cooked through and sauce is starting to thicken.  About 20 minutes.

Pour in some heavy cream (about half a cup) and stir.  Add salt and pepper to taste and more cream if you want a creamier sauce.

Full-fat coconut milk can be used for a non-dairy version that is slightly less rich, but still very tasty if you prefer not to use dairy.

Not traditional, but I often throw in a handful of spinach or chard for a nutrition boost.

Serve over basmati rice with fresh naan bread for scooping.

Leftovers reheat well for a quick lunch the next day.

Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Cold Soba Noodle Salad or... "Mom, I need something for the potluck tomorrow AND 24 cupcakes for my French presentation..."

..."well, actually, you only need to make 22 cupcakes."

ONLY 22? Well then, that should be no problem?!

Last words as I tuck my 10 year-old into bed. I was kind of hoping for "good-night!"

I left the cupcakes for another mother in the group whose child was A LOT more convincing than mine, but did manage to pull off something for the potluck later in the day.

If you need a dish any time soon that you can make on the fly, this cold noodle salad was quick and the result was better than anticipated.

I relied on some pre-prepped veggies and a bottled dressing, but there was nothing in the bottom of the dish upon its return home besides a stray green onion or two rolling around and a few sesame seeds, so I think it was a success.

My amounts are a bit spotty and really don't matter.  Adjust everything to the size of the crowd you are feeding, or how many leftover servings you want to have.  I like a generous veggie-to-noodle ratio, but add as much or as little as you like.

Soba noodles prepared according to package directions, rinsed and cooled (these cook quickly, so they're perfect for last minute prep!)

Handful or two frozen edamame (throw into pot with soba in last few minutes of cooking)

A bag of Mann's Rainbow Salad

Mann's Sugar Snap Peas

Some green onions

Sliced coloured peppers

PC Toasted Sesame Vinaigrette

Sesame seeds

A handful of chow mein noodles for a bit of crunch.

In a large serving dish, combine your prepared soba noodles and edamame with a few handfuls of rainbow salad, sliced sugar snap peas, sliced peppers, and green onions.

Toss with desired amount of sesame dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Top with a handful of chow mein noodles just prior to serving (they will get pretty soggy otherwise).
Refrigerate until needed.

If you want to extend this salad even further, or make it the main event, you might add leftover roast chicken, broiled tofu, or some grilled shrimp.

A spoonful of chili-garlic hot sauce or some diced fresh mango might be tasty additions as well.

Apple Muffins

I have been cleaning out my recipe file - actually more of a pile than a file!

I came across a number of recipes from Today's Parent Magazine in my stack of clippings and scribbled memos.

This recipe for Triple-Grain Apple Muffins was originally printed in the March 2002 publication of TP Magazine.

I wanted to make some muffins worthy of these lovely parchment baking cups my sister bought me for my birthday. Much appreciated gift.  Thank-you.



These muffins are nice with a hunk of cheese and a piece of fruit as you run out the door or alongside a bowl of soup for lunch.

I added raisins and some chopped walnuts.

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled quick oats (not instant)
1/2 cup natural wheat bran
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I used a teaspoon)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil ( I used melted coconut oil)
1 cup coarsely grated apples

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Grease your muffin cups or line with lovely parchment baking cups gifted to you by your sister!

Mix your dry ingredients and grated apple in a bowl and set aside.

Whisk your milk, egg and oil and add to to your dry ingredients; stir just to combine.

Spoon batter into your muffin cups almost to the top.  I like to sprinkle tops with some oats and a thin slice or two of apple.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden and knife inserted comes out clean.

Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 8- 10 muffins.

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Squares for Tara

Anyone who knows me well knows I feel a strong connection with food and believe deeply in its power to unite and comfort and heal and sustain us and those we love.

I wanted to share this video today. It was posted by friends following the sudden death of food blogger Jennie Perillo's husband in 2011. It is a lovely tribute to life and love and friendship, and I thought it worth sharing.

 Jennie's husband Mike loved Peanut Butter Cream Pie, and following his death his wife asked her friends to bake a pie and share it with someone they love and "hug them like there is no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on."  I loved this idea and felt elevated thinking about all the peanut butter cream pies that were made and shared and enjoyed that day and all the light and comfort that simple gesture generated.

A very dear friend of ours lost her sister this week and I was reminded of this touching video when I asked her what we could do to help.

In her ever-creative and purposeful style, Michelle asked us to bake some of her sister's favourite Marshmallow Peanut Butter Squares or Millionaire's Shortbread to include on a table of Tara's favourite things that was being put together to honour her life and celebrate who she was and what she held dear.

I feel very happy to join her many friends and offer this gesture of love and to contribute in some small way to the celebration of Tara's life.

These squares are for Gordon.  These squares are for Tara.  These squares are for everyone.

"Something beautiful is happening today..."