After my last few posts of cakes, muffins and cookies, I figured I better post a salad. I made this for dinner the other night because I wanted to use up the yams lingering around my vegetable drawer. Truth be told, I was wondering why I had yams when it was nearly June. But then I remembered I’ve been eating asparagus like it’s been going out of style (well, it is a short growing season), hence the lingering yams. So when I spied a can of black beans in my cupboard, this salad idea was born. It’s a potato salad that strays from the norm and it’s a very, very good thing.

It’s a long weekend here in Canada so why not celebrate with a potato salad. It’s perfect picnic, barbeque or friendly gathering eats and this one is especially nice because it’s not the usual mayo-laden stuff. The roasted sweet potatoes give a good sweetness (so much so that I didn’t add any honey or sweetener in the dressing) and I tossed in some frozen corn to roast up as well. I kept the vinaigrette a bit zingy with lots of lime juice and garlic. Cumin, chili powder and chili flakes (plus a splash of hot sauce) add heat, but it won’t burn your face off. I think people get scared with seeing a lot of chili powder in a recipe, but it’s a blend of several different components (usually garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and oregano) so I don’t find it all that spicy. But if you’re a bit heat-shy, add the amount you feel comfortable with.

My husband and I ate this up as a main-dish salad, but it would work perfectly as a side for a summer bbq. It’s so much more delicious than I would have imagined and we both went back for seconds. I’m already wondering if I should throw some more yams into my grocery basket along with the asparagus! Yams may not scream spring & summer, but this salad helps transform into the perfect vegetable for nice warm days.

And don’t forget to add a sprinkle of feta cheese before serving! It compliments this dish so well.

southwest potato salad
If you don’t have Old Bay, leave it out (or add in a touch of paprika & celery salt). But ever since I discovered how great it went with a black bean salad, I like to add it in. Old Bay, it’s not just for seafood!

3 yams, diced
1 T vegetable oil
1 T chili powder
1/2 t chili flakes (or cayenne)
1 T ground cumin

1 c frozen corn

1/4 c minced red onion
1 can of black beans, rinsed & drained

1/4 c vegetable oil
juice of 2 limes
2 cloves garlic, minced
a splash of red wine vinegar (optional)
1/2 t Old Bay seasoning
1/2 t ground cumin
pinch of salt & a good grind of black pepper
a few spashes of hot sauce

crumbled feta cheese & cilantro, optional

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine the diced yams with the oil, chili powder, cumin and chili flakes. Dump out evenly onto a prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add corn into the same bowl and toss to gather up any of the remaining spice & oil. Remove yams from oven and toss for even cooking, adding in the corn. Bake for another 15 minutes.

In a large serving bowl, add in the black beans and red onion. Combine the remaining ingredients into a small jar and shake until well mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Remove the corn and yams from the oven and add into the bean mixture. Pour over dressing and toss the salad well. Serve immediately (though I’m sure it’s delicious cold too). Serves 4 meal-sized portions.

Possibly related posts:

• hot damn & hell yeah: curried sweet potato salad with cranberries & pecans
• boot-strapped: mexican-spiced roasted mushrooms & yams

Oh hi, thanks for sticking around while I got a bit overwhelmed with everything. I’m not sure if in the past week or two I was buried under work and commitments or whether I was a bit grateful to take a bit of a pass on things. Either way, I’m here and Vancouver has suddenly turned into spring. I’ll take it.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I usually get excited and start planning my cake-making weeks in advance. This year, I haven’t given the whole affair much thought. To even call my birthday “an affair” makes it seem more exciting than it is. I have no plans and I think I’m okay with that. Cake will come, I’m sure of it. May will be a birthday month which is always the best kind of celebration. In the meantime, I’m going to leave you with some past birthday cake posts from the 7 years of this blog.

Let’s reminisce! Last year’s cake was especially delicious if you are looking for a traditional chocolate birthday cake. In 2009, I went on a bike n’ cake party and made 2 cakes! The previous year, I made Orangette’s amazing flourless cake (that even my vegan friend gobbled it up with extra scoops of whipped cream ). One year, I made 2 kinds of cupcakes because I like to roll like that (and yes, there were bikes involved too). The next cake is a beaut – a yellow cake filled with lemon curd and topped with chocolate ganache. Back in 2006, my husband made my cake (there’s a first for everything, apparently). I’m sure it was delicious. And my very first birthday post just contained a couple of photos (of a baked alaska & cupcakes).

I don’t want to leave you empty-handed, so please bake up a batch of these banana, coconut & lime muffins.

They are moist and so packed with flavour that it’s a great morning wake-up call. The texture isn’t gummy or dry, no way! These muffins are light and delicate (but not too delicate) and they do not disappoint. The recipe is slightly adapted from the great vegetarian cookbook,Entertaining Vegetarians (you’ll recall it’s the same book as the sesame dip that had me & so many of you mesmerized by its sheer awesomeness). So enjoy the muffin break and trust me, we’ll get to talk about cake soon. I’m sure of it.

elsewhere: Last week at Poppytalk I made up a batch of easy, eggless chocolate fudgey mocha bite cookies. Delicious. Head over for the recipe!

banana, coconut, & lime muffins
(adapted ever so slightly from Entertaining Vegetarians)
scant 2 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1/3 c canola oil
grated zest & juice of 2 limes
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 c plain yogurt (or 1/4 c plain + 1/4 c coconut flavoured yogurt)
1 large, ripe, mashed banana
3 T unsweetened shredded coconut

Grease up 16 muffin cups (or 8 x large ones) and preheat oven to 350F.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the remaining ingredients, then fold in the flour mixture being careful not to over-mix. A few lumps is okay. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. Let cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.

Possibly related posts:

• coconut lime cake: a birthday cake for cornelius
• 3 brown bananas: vegan cocoa-coconut banana bread

It’s been a while since I’ve made some veggie burgers, but when faced with a major cupboard clean-up, coming up with recipes from meager beginnings is a fun challenge. I had a small amount of red lentils in my cupboard and instead of packing them and moving and then unpacking them into our new apartment, I decided to use them up, stat.

The great benefit of red lentils is that they cook up quick. Once they boiled up soft, I drained them and then got to work coming up with some good flavours. Curry always goes well with lentils, so I sauteed some curry paste with onions, garlic and mushrooms until fragrant. I tossed in a few shakes of worcestershire sauce because that to me always smells like burgers for some reason (childhood memory, most likely!) Wheat germ lent some bulk and I used an egg to bind the mixture together. I decided to bake them instead of frying them, figuring the less jostling about, the better. I’m always worried when shaping and cooking veggie burgers that they’ll crack and fall apart, but luckily, these held together well. Look ma, no cracks!

Can you tell that those burgers up there came out of the fridge? Yeah, they’re chilly, but they reheated well. I added on some extra cheese for extra melty happiness. Extra cheese? Always a good call.

Oh, and see that mayo on the side? That was one of my biggest discoveries. One, it’s homemade, and two, it was really, really easy to make! Not only that, but it kicked store-bought mayo to the curb. Delicious! My easy mayonnaise recipe follows below.

elsewhere: I’m getting behind this week, because there are 2 awesome recipes over at Poppytalk for you to catch up on. First, let me introduce you to shrimp and grits because those two are quite a delicious pair. And then finally, there is some spicy orange peel tofu to keep your dinner plate hopping.

curried red lentil & mushroom burgers
If you want to make these gluten-free, look for a g/f worcestershire sauce – Lea & Perrins is g/f in the US, but not in Canada. And use g/f bread crumbs instead of wheat germ. If you want these vegetarian, Annie’s makes a good vegan worcestershire sauce. Or leave it out.)

1 c red lentils
1 t olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t red pepper flakes
1 1/2 c mushrooms, diced
1/4 t salt
1 t worcestershire sauce
1 T curry paste
1 egg
3/4 c – 1 c wheat germ or g/f bread crumbs
sliced strong cheddar as a topping (optional, but delicious)

In a medium-sized pot, boil water and add in lentils. Cover and turn down heat to medium-low. When soft, about 15 minutes or so, drain really, really well & set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add in onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Stir around until they get soft and fragrant. Add in mushrooms, salt and worcestershire sauce and let that all melt together. Stir in curry paste until well combined.

In a medium-sized bowl, add in lentils and mushroom mixture and stir until blended. Add in egg, letting that get mixed into everything before pouring in the wheat germ or g/f bread crumbs. Blend and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F. Brush a cookie sheet with a thin layer of oil. Form patties out of lentil mixture – I just made a large golf ball sized ball in my hand and then flattened it with my other palm before placing it on the cookie sheet. I then smoothed out any cracks along the sides of the patties before churning out my next one. Bake for 10-15 minutes and then flip carefully with a spatula – these were actually much less delicate than I had feared (phew!). Add a slice of cheese to the flipped side, if desired and bake for another 5 minutes until golden and cheese is melted.

Serve on a bun (or rye toast like I did) with a good schmear of dijon, homemade mayonnaise, sliced pickles, arugula and a dollop of ketchup. Makes 6 patties.

homemade basic mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
1 t lemon juice
1/2 c mild tasting oil

In a tall plastic glass (it came with my immersion blender), add in the yolk, salt and lemon juice. Mix well using your immersion blender and then ever so slowly, pour in the oil – you want a slow, steady and thin stream. I used just under 1/2 cup of oil. When it looks like mayo, stop blending. Makes about a 1/3 cup of mayo.

Possibly related posts:

• curry in a hurry: curried red lentil stew with chickpeas and rainbow chard
• curried apple & lentil dal

My friend introduced me to an amazing dip and I’ve become sorta addicted to it. She calls it The Sesame Dip of Goodness. It is. However, you probably wouldn’t give it a second look. It’s beige and a bit lumpy from the sesame seeds – it’s not vibrant or chic, and you might think it downright dowdy. The ingredient list is short and it doesn’t really hold many surprises. But somehow, together, everything works and becomes more than the sum of its ingredients. This dip is tangy and creamy and wonderful…and really freakin’ addicting.

When I recreated this for myself, I knew all the ingredients, but not the proportions, but I think I came up with a winner. I asked my friend if it would be okay to write about this dip on my blog, she gave her a-okay. She also told me that she got the recipe from a book called Entertaining Vegetarians which I’ve promptly put on hold at my local library. When I pick it up next week, I’ll see how my version compares with the original.

I’ve made this with both greek yogurt and the runnier plain no/low fat stuff and both work well here. I’ve only tried a 50/50 split between the mayo and the yogurt, but if you’re queasy about using mayonnaise, then I’m sure upping the yogurt content should be okay. This also makes an excellent salad dressing – just thin with a little lemon juice!

When my friend serves it at parties, she says that it’s one of the first thing that disappears once someone ventures for the first dip. I’m not surprised. And if her nearly-four year old daughter is any indication, this dip is super kid friendly too. It’s a great way to eat your raw veggies and I’ve noticed that now that this dip is in my regular rotation, I go through carrots and celery like a crazy person. Of course, other vegetables go well here, but carrots and celery are my serious faves.

elsewhere: Last week, I made a really tasty vegan coffee cake and you can find the recipe over at Poppytalk.

sesame dip of goodness
1/3 c plain yogurt (greek or the low fat kind works equally well)
1/3 c mayonnaise (I use the low fat stuff)
2 T soy sauce
1/4 c toasted sesame seeds

dippers:
carrots, celery, snow peas, broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes or whatever vegetable captures your fancy

Add everything into a small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Serve with raw vegetables.

Possibly related posts:

• spicy red kidney bean dip
• summer holiday: cannellini bean dip with lemon & rosemary

Last weekend, I was still in pantry cleaning mode. I spied a jar of dried pinto beans and decided to put them to boil – no soaking required since the beans themselves were pretty fresh. Some more pantry digging revealed a jar of green lentils, so I began thinking about lentil chili. Initially, this Mollie Katzen recipe caught my eye but in her write up, she mentions barbeque, and that made me long for those sticky sweet baked beans and my mind was instantly over chili.

Sorry, chili.

I remembered a post from Tara at Seven Spoons earlier this year called Lentils Like Baked Beans. Yes! My inspiration and dinner was now more than just a glimmer. The original recipe calls for those quick-to-cook orange lentils and bacon, but I used what I had on hand and the resulting dish was fantastic. While I love recipes that call for ketchup (no, seriously, I do!), I was out, so I used some tomato passata along with a whole host of spices that came to mind: allspice, clove, cinnamon, chipotle, nutmeg, chili powder. It was a heady brew tamed by maple syrup and molasses and it was delicious.

For me, I have strong memories of baked beans. My mom would make a gigantic pot full of sweet baked beans studded with bacon in the winter. However, I didn’t discriminate and I even loved the kind from a can, though never the kind in tomato sauce. Only “Quebec-style” maple syrup sweetened please! That sweet liquor and those pillowy beans tasted so good over un-toasted white bread spread thickly with cold butter. That was a very happy lunch indeed.

This pot wasn’t enriched with bacon but I had some lean sliced deli ham and it almost seemed to melt away in the end, leaving only it’s smoky flavour (in a very good way, I assure you). However, you can easily turn this dish vegan or vegetarian by using vegetable stock for the chicken and replacing the ham with some smoky paprika instead. It was a trick I always did when I was vegetarian and it worked like a charm. And sometimes I’d chop in a tofu dog for a true beans & weenies remembrance!

elsewhere: Over at Poppytalk, I go all pink & magical with some blood orange, ginger and lime juice. Refreshing & suitable for a Valentine’s Day breakfast. And, don’t forget to vote for this blog as Best Canadian Blog at the 2012 Bloggies. Voting ends on February 19th & I’d love your votes! Okay, enough groveling for now :)

sticky baked lentils & pinto beans
(adapted from Seven Spoons)

This amount of dried pintos made close to 3 cups of cooked beans. This recipe uses 2 cups of cooked pinto beans, so save the remaining beans for another use.
1 c dry pinto beans
2 bay leaves

1 c dried green or brown lentils

1 T olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c diced ham
1/2 c passata (strained, pureed tomatoes)
1/2 c chicken stock
1/4 c maple syrup
2 T molasses
2 T powdered mustard
1 T cider vinegar
1 T chili powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t chipotle powder
1/8 t freshly ground allspice
1/8 t freshly ground cloves
1/8 t freshly ground nutmeg
salt & pepper, to taste

1. Early in the day or the day before, cook your dried pinto beans. You do not need to soak these if your beans aren’t old. Bring water, beans and bay leaf to a boil and then simmer over med-low heat for an hour. Add more water if needed. Simmer over low for another 30 minutes until beans are tender but still retain their shape and have a bit of a bite (ie. not mushy). Drain.

2. Preheat oven to 350F.

3. Cook lentils in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tender but with bite. Drain.

4. Meanwhile, add oil to an oven proof pot over med-high heat, adding in onion, celery and green peppers. Heat until soft, stirring occasionally. Add in garlic and ham and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in all of the lentils and about 2 cups of the cooked pinto beans – you’ll probably have more pinto beans left over for another dish. Pour in the remaining ingredients and turn down the heat to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings. It is at this point where you should make it as you like it. Need more sweet? More vinegar? More heat? Adjust! Let it simmer, thicken and bubble for 10 minutes and then pop the whole thing in the oven, covered, for 40 minutes.

Possibly related posts:

• the magical fruit: pineapple baked beans
• lentils with fennel, kale & sausage

There’s a bit of a cupboard clean-out going on in my kitchen. I have one cupboard divided in half: one side for savory things, like rice, grains and canned goods and one side for baking stuff, sugar, coconut, etc. And the truth is, it’s getting a little crowded. Pretty much all my rice, grains and dried beans are stored in glass jars and some of them are nearing empty while still taking up a load of space. Something had to be done.

So when I spied a small amount of farro inside a recycled Adam’s peanut butter jar, I decided to take action and make it a part of dinner. The thing about farro is that it’s a chewy grain and takes nearly and hour to cook, so this salad does require some advance planning. But what I like about farro, is that once you’ve got some made, it keeps nicely in the fridge and you can use it in salads and soup to instantly add bulk and texture. And farro is very high in protein and fiber which is a good thing when talking salad. Please note that farro is not a gluten-free grain, but it does tend to be lower in gluten than other wheat, so those with very mild gluten insensitivities might be able to eat farro.

As for this salad, my husband and I both loved it. We loved the chew and nutty flavour of the farro and the arugula adds a nice peppery bite. The first night we ate this, we used some leftover diced roasted beets which lent a lovely sweetness to the dish. The next night, we were out of roasted beets, so I subbed in some of my homemade pickled beets instead, which was a very good move. But it was the creamy yogurt & tahini dressing that embraced everything and tied in all the flavours so nicely.

farro & arugula salad with beets
I tend to have a pro-acidic palate, so I used nearly a whole lemon here, but feel free to cut it down if you don’t want too much of a pucker.

3/4 c farro
1 T greek yogurt
1 T tahini
1 T olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon (more or less depending on taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper
a drop of honey (optional)
arugula, rinsed & dried
1 large roasted beet, diced or 1/2 c pickled beets, diced
1/4 c feta or goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

1. Add farro to a small saucepan filled with boiling water. Let simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, then turn down heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes more until tender. Drain & set aside to cool.

2. In a small jar, combine yogurt, tahini, oil, lemon, garlic, salt & pepper and honey. Shake until well blended. If you find the dressing too thick, add in a tiny bit of water to thin it out. Taste & adjust seasoning.

3. Divide farro into 4 bowls, top with arugula and beets and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

Possibly related posts:

• dinner salad: farro & greens cranberry crunch salad
• beets in vinaigrette

A lot of people I know are reigning in their spending for the new year to help them with savings, getting rid of debt, etc. While I can count myself lucky in that we have no debt and we’ve been rigorously saving for years, I have noticed that we’ve eaten in almost all our meals so far this month. And strangely, it hasn’t felt like we’ve missed anything. Hardly! We’ve been eating very well and quite healthily, I might add.

Take this meal as an example. It seems rather plain – just remnants from the fridge: yams and mushrooms (and a tiny bit of leftover cauliflower – which I left out of the recipe because I felt it didn’t really add anything special to the dish). But this dish was more than just some random veg – I thought it quite flavourful and delicious, especially when served over millet. Somehow, the yams and the mushrooms work together as a great pair, with some chunky red onions along for the ride.

The yams have a definite sweetness and it goes so nicely with the tang from the white wine vinegar. I added in some maple syrup to round out the sweetness to the onions and mushrooms and it was a good move. The Mexican chili powder and smokey chipotle played nicely here adding a little earthy heat. While you could serve this alone as part of a meal, I loved this over millet. You could easily pair this with brown rice – but if rice is your go-to grain, branch out and try something new, like millet, quinoa or farro instead.

mexican-spiced roasted mushrooms & yams
3 yams, peeled & diced
1/2 onion, large dice
2 T olive oil
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T maple syrup
1 t chili powder
1/4 t chipotle powder
1/2 t fine-grained sea salt
a good grind of black pepper
2 c sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, toss the yam and onion together along with the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, chili powder, chipotle powder, and salt. Toss until well coated. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment, foil or silpat and then use a slotted spoon to remove the yams and onions to the prepped baking sheet. Reserve extra liquid in bowl and set aside. Arrange yams & onions in one layer. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the mushrooms into the bowl with the leftover dressing and toss well. Give a good grind of black pepper over top. When the yams and onions come out from the oven, flip and arrange space on the baking sheet for the mushrooms. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until mushrooms are golden brown & well-roasted. Remove from oven and serve immediately over your favorite rice or grain (I like millet).

Possibly related posts:

• sweet yams in the summertime: southwest potato salad
• craving comfort: spaghetti & mushrooms

This year I took the slow boat towards Christmas and only started really thinking about holiday baking and decorating this past weekend. Friday night we put up our shiny little tinsel tree, drank a few amaretto sours and basked in the glow and shimmer of pink lights and oodles of vintage ornaments. My favorite holiday movie, The Shop Around the Corner, has been watched and my cupboards and fridge is now full of flour, butter, sliced almonds and chocolate. Time to start the all important holiday baking!

A couple of years ago, I compiled a mighty list of great holiday baking ideas and gifts and figured I’d provide a compendium to my original list filled with great seasonal treats from 2010 + 2011. And because that older list also included a lovely little gift tag set to print off and use, I figured I’d add another one for the collection! All you need is a PDF reader and a printer. Just download the PDF, print onto card stock and cut out your cheery checked circles! Use them to top mason jars filled with treats, or use a hole punch and tie on some ribbon to tag your edible gift! The design matches the recipe cards in my etsy shop, you know, in case you were curious.

Now, onwards with the holiday baking, candy & kitchen book ideas!

Bars & Squares
Butterscotch confetti squares - a Canadian classic aka “marshamel”.
Butterscotch cashew bars - buttery & delicious.
Cranberry lemon squares - tart & festive.
Seriously intense cocoa nib brownies - for serious chocolate fanatics!

Cakes & Loafs
Walnut & cranberry zucchini bread - a favorite!
Banana espresso chocolate chip bread - a classic combo of flavours!
Coconut lime cake - tart & tropical.
Coffee & spice cupcakes - spicy and dark.

Candy & Nuts
Candy Cane Crisp Bark – white chocolate, rice crispies & crushed candy canes do Christmas up right!
Chocolate coconut almond bites – like little balls of Almond Joy!
Last-minute peanut brittle – Today I saw a small box of peanut brittle on sale for $14. It’s a snap to make, so make it yourself!
Salted caramel pretzel almond popcorn – what a tasty mouthful!
Salty sweet candied peanuts – what’s not to love?
Spiced caramel corn with pepitas, almonds & pecans - just a little spicy…

Cookies
Cranberry rum shortbread cookies – slice and bake & perfect for the holidays!
Chocolate puddle cookies - decadent!
Salted butterscotch oatmeal cookies - in 2011 I discovered a serious love of butterscotch!
Vegan-ish sandwich cookies - like oreos, but better!
Bittersweet chocolate cookies - holy moly.
Vegan garam masala cookies - like gingerbread, only more interesting.

Kitchen books
And because I’m an avid reader (you can follow me here on GoodReads – though be wary, I do read a lot of YA), here are just three great kitchen books that I read this past year:

Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef – Honest, open, no BS memoir. Loved it.
Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys – A gorgeous cookbook that I think is a must in anyone’s collection.
Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits – This book will make you want to drink more (not necessarily a bad thing).

elsewhere: After all this sweetness, maybe you want to curl up with something a bit more healthy. And maybe you want a tutorial on how to shred cabbage. Well, you are in luck! Over at Poppytalk, I make a fantastic apple cabbage slaw and show you the proper way to shred cabbage (no finger loss!).

Possibly related posts:

• holiday baking & gift ideas
• let’s call them rustic: brown butter cookies & other holiday goodies

Thanksgiving is long-gone and maybe you’d rather be stamping out gingerbread cookies and wondering if glace cherries deserve another look. But I think you shouldn’t discount this sweet potato salad yet. I had some leftover sweet potatoes and yams in the fridge and decided this would be the perfect way to use ‘em up. And yes, in Canada, we call the deep orange sweet potatoes “yams” to differentiate them from their lighter skinned companions.

The taters get all roasted in the oven and then coated in a creamy yogurt-based dressing that has flavour to spare. It’s also studded with toasted pecans and chewy dried cranberries which add good texture and colour. This salad is my version of autumnal heaven. It’s sweet and spicy and crunchy and tangy and I’d be happy to eat a tiny bowl of this daily.

The original version called for mayo, but I wanted to keep this a little lighter so I used 0% greek yogurt instead for the win. I used garam masala but any of your favorite curry powder would be fine here. I also think that if you wanted to go a bit Southwestern, you could toss in some chipotle and limes instead of the curry and see what happens – I think it could be kinda spectacular. Green onions and cilantro would be nice too!

Oh, and I’d love to pimp some of my non-food stuffs for a moment….I will be selling my cards, birthday calendars and brand-new recipe cards at Got Craft? this Sunday on the Drive in Vancouver. Please stop by my table and say hello! I will also be at Toque the following weekend as a fundraiser for the Western Front. And if you don’t live in Vancouver, you can always purchase my lovely paper goods on etsy. Shop now for stocking stuffers and holiday gifts!!

elsewhere: Take a peek over at Poppytalk this week and bake up a batch of everything but the kitchen sink cookies. It will soothe what ails you.

curried sweet potato salad with cranberries & pecans
(adapted from Homesick Texan)
3 large sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 T olive oil
1/2 c greek yogurt
1 T garam masala paste (I always use Patak’s) or curry powder
1 t dijon mustard
1/4 red onion, finely diced
1 c dried cranberries
1/2 c roughly chopped pecans, lightly toasted
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Add cut up yams into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to make sure everything is coated. Dump them onto a baking sheet covered with parchment or silpat in an even layer and roast for 35 minutes or until tender.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, masala, dijon, red onions and cranberries, along with a little salt and pepper and half of the pecans. Add in the warm sweet potatoes and stir until well combined. Chill for 3 hours. Sprinkle with remaining pecans and serve.

Possibly related posts:

• curried sweet potato & rice autumn soup/stew
• sweet yams in the summertime: southwest potato salad

I’ve been trying to open myself up to new experiences and that tends to mean doing things that are pretty frickin’ scary. Though, I did just see 127 Hours recently, I think that experience is one I can live without, thank you very much. But I did speak in front of a crowd of 1,200 people last week and talked about my inspiration regarding food and food blogging at PechaKucha. And it turns out, speaking in front of a crowd of strangers – who thankfully laughed at all the right places – wasn’t as scary as I thought! It was actually all kinds of amazing and I’m so thankful for the opportunity do to so. Conquering a crazy fear? Check! If you are interested in seeing my presentation slides, you can view them here via slideshare. Slide 5 is static over there, but at PechaKucha it was a speeded up silent video. You can see the actual one minute and 40 second movie (with sound!) over on YouTube. It’s called A Dream of Donuts and I made it with a friend in 2000 and we edited with 2 VHS machines ‘cuz that’s how we rolled back then. It’s short and sweet and a little bit fun too. Here are the links to the recipe for my mom’s vanilla chocolate chip bundt cake and the recipe for chocolate on toast that I mentioned at PechaKucha if you feel like doing a little baking.

Oh hey, let’s talk about canning pickled beets! Okay? Okay!

Pickling is fine. No big thing, right? I mean I’ve quick pickled all kinds of vegetables and even made some apricot jam over the summer. But I have never tried canning and processing because it seemed like such a frightening process. And like all things that seem scary at first, it turned out not to be that scary after all. All you need is a bit of preparation – and equipment. I’m lucky because I scored a canning bath pot and jar rack at a garage sale and I found some canning tongs at a thrift store. I also used a wire cookie rack at the bottom of the pot to make sure that the jars didn’t touch the bottom because if glass jars touch the bottom of the pot, they’ll crack and explode. Hence the cookie rack. If you’re feeling more DIY, just create a rack of your own out of tin foil. Improvisation is key! You will also need 6 pint jars. Thrifted jars are fine but they must be clean and free of nicks and chips, but they don’t have to be brand new. However, your snap lids and rings should be, so don’t skimp there!

Once you’ve got all the equipment handy, all you need to do is make sure you’ve got your ingredients ready and read over the directions at least twice. Seriously, this will help you feel calm and prepared. If you’ve never canned anything before, peruse some online guidelines to get familiar with the task at hand. It will sound more scary than it actually is. Trust me.

You know you’ll have escaped the threat of botulism once you hear a very satisfying pop-pop-popping from each jar as they cool. It’s the best sound you’ve ever heard and it goes so well with that sigh of relief. To be sure that your jars have processed correctly, you can tap the lids with a spoon to hear a high pitched ring. The lids will also be slightly concave, so the visual clues with the audio clues will have you totally relived. Phew!

Now, regarding this beet recipe….while it was very tasty, the recipe itself was a bit totally off. One, it calls for a crap-load of beets – 4.5 lbs to be exact. And there’s no way that that amount of beets could have fit into my 6 pint jars (or the 5 pint jars + 2 half-pint jars I used). I had a ton of beets and onions leftover, not a problem since I love beet salad, but a complication nonetheless. In the recipe below you’ll find that I reduced the amount of beets and onions, but I just guessed at the amount figuring 3 lbs and 1 onion should do just fine (if this is not the case, please let me know). I loved the taste of the cinnamon and ginger and rosemary together but I also tend to enjoy a sweeter pickled beet. So bump up the brown sugar from 1/3 cups to 2/3 cups if you want your pickles a wee bit sweeter. Your call.

These pickled beets make fine gifts. I’ve given away a few of the jars already and have received rave reviews. While the beets make a fine side dish, I think they are pretty perfect on their own. Adding a drizzle of local honey and a handful of salty crumbled feta certainly does things up right.

elsewhere: Don’t be a hater! Find the love for some spicy and salty roasted brussels sprouts over at Poppytalk. You won’t be disappointed.

phat beets
(adapted from Martha Stewart)
3 pounds large red beets, greens removed and washed
4-5″ piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (12 slices of ginger)
6 sprigs fresh rosemary (3 inches each)
1 large red onion, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into thin slices
1 T whole allspice
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches long)
1 t whole cloves
4 c cider vinegar
1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 – 2/3 c brown sugar

1. In a large pot, bring beets to the boil and let simmer for about 30-45 minutes until they can easily be pierced with a fork. Drain and cool beets. This step can be done the day before. Remove skins and cut beets in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. In a large bowl, mix together the onions with the beets. Set aside.

2. Place 6 clean 1-pint jars right side up on a rack in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and jars with hot water, about 1-inch above the tops of jars. Boil jars over high heat for 10 minutes. Remove and drain hot sterilized jars one at a time. Keep the water simmering away in the canner for later. Place jars on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.

3. Meanwhile, in another pot filled with water, bring water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add cleaned lids and lid rings and let simmer lids for 10 minutes – do not boil, as this may cause problems in sealing jars. Drain lids and set aside.

4. Fill each sterilized jar with 2 pieces of ginger and 1 sprig rosemary. Pack each jar with onion and beet mixture up to within 1/2 inch below the rim of the jar.

5. In a tea strainer or make a baggie out of a piece of cheesecloth, place allspice, cinnamon stick, and cloves inside a medium sized saucepan. Pour over cider vinegar, 2 cups water, lemon juice, and brown sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cover – let mixture simmer about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, check to make sure that the water in the canner is brought up to a boil.

6. Immediately pour hot spiced vinegar mixture over the beet mixture in each jar. Press down with a small rubber spatula to release any air bubbles. If you drip any liquid on the tops of the jars, wipe dry with a clean cloth. Put lids and rings on jars and tighten but do not over-tighten.

7. Within 10 minutes of filling the jars, place them back into the canner one at a time, using a jar lifter that is securely positioned below the neck of the jar. Keep jars upright at all times. Add more boiling water from a kettle if needed so that the water covers the jars by one inch. Boil the jars for 7 minutes. Turn off heat and gently transfer jars to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, taking care not to tilt jars and spacing each jar at least 1 inch apart. Avoid placing jars on a cold surface or near a cold draft.

8. Let jars sit undisturbed until fully cooled, 12 to 24 hours. You will begin to hear a popping noise. This is a very good thing, meaning that your jars have sealed. Hooray! No botulism for you! Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until jar has cooled completely.

9. Once jars have cooled completely, test to make sure each jar is completely sealed. Press down on the middle of the lid with a finger. If lid springs up when finger is released, the jar is unsealed. Store sealed jars in a cool place for at least 2 and up to 4 weeks to allow flavors to thoroughly combine. If any of the jars are unsealed, store in the refrigerator and used within several days.

Possibly related posts:

• splash of colour: farro & arugula salad with beets
• i love the beets & the beets love me: sauteed beet greens with lime and garlic