Making all your salt & vinegar dreams come true.
As far back as I can remember, I was sneaking olives and pickles out of my parents’ fridge and drinking the juice (the grand prize), with hands barely big enough to manage the jar. …
Autumn Couscous with Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Pistachio & Cranberry
Food photo tip #27: be sure to shoot on a full stomach otherwise you’ll probably eat the dish before you get the perfect shot.
No truer words have ever been written. …
Minted Rice Pilaf
I keep a binder of recipes. I started it about 25 years ago before the age of the internet and never stopped adding to it. It holds some of my favorite stuff — handwritten recipes from my mother-in-law, articles written by Joe Schwarcz (food chemist) that my Mom saved for me from the Montreal Gazette, gardening diagrams made by my father-in-law and a bunch of four-leaf clovers gathered by my youngest over the years (I can still see him running full tilt towards me with cupped hands in the kitchen of our Ottawa home).
Of course much of my life is now cataloged on the web, stored in some soulless cloud, but that’s not my preferred resting place. I like paper, always have, and every time I open the pages of my now tattered, gravy spattered binder, it brings me back to some of the people and memories I love most. …
Curried Cauliflower Rice Dressed for the Holidays
It’s not easy pulling off a major PR breakthrough when you happen to look remarkably like the human brain (especially when you’re an edible).
But the humble cauliflower has done just that. …
Savory Quinoa Pie with Sweet Potato
We expected to be on the road (and the soccer pitch) a good chunk of the weekend but when a change in circumstance gave rise to a free Saturday at home, my husband hit the yard and I started putzing in the kitchen. A nest-worthy day if ever there was, the cool drizzly weather helped seed my meanderings into an eight hour session of baking and cooking.
I started with two different batches of flourless peanut butter cookies (yes, I’m on a bit of a quest), made and photographed this savory quinoa pie and then moved on to play with a grain-free version of chicken piccata (so good!). …
Simple & Delicious Quick-Pickled Red Onions
With the notable exception of making 125 jars of strawberry jam for our wedding guests some 20 years ago and the occasional flirtation with infused oils, my adventures in canning, curing, pickling and preserving (beyond freezing) have been rather restrained.
And yet there is everything to love about this age-old practice. Sensible, economical and the ideal way to enjoy food captured at the peak of freshness throughout the year, notably during off-season. Plus, you get to think of yourself as a real home cook à la pioneer woman when you’re sterilizing bottles. …
Sweet & Savory Braised Butternut Squash with Yogurt Sauce (Kadoo Boranee)
Imagine soft succulent morsels of butternut squash braised in the warming spices of ginger, turmeric, chili & cumin and tucked into a bed of tzatziki-style sauce and you will have an inkling of the culinary pleasure that is Kadoo Boranee.
This Afghan style braised butternut squash is quite simply the most memorable dish I’ve eaten in the past couple of years and my new favorite way to enjoy seasonal squash.
My husband and I discovered it at this restaurant when we were celebrating our 19th year wedding anniversary this past summer. If you’re ever visiting the beautiful Santa Cruz area, I highly recommend it for its outstanding food, friendly and attentive service, intimate courtyard and proximate views. …
Ancient Grains Salad with Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Golden Beets & Blood Orange Vinaigrette
The best part about the limited variety of produce found at my neighborhood Safeway is that it requires me to make the occasional trip to Whole Foods. (I say occasional because no matter how narrow a mission I set out on, my grocery bill is anything but lean by the time I walk out the door).
On this particular visit, the first display that caught my attention was a stunning pyramid of blood oranges. California grown and still very much in season, their soft orange skin streaked with red blush appeared like little globes of sunlight beckoning me to take them home. Some neighboring golden beets, freshly pulled from the spring soil, decided to hitch a ride and jumped into my basket too. …
Baked Summer Harvest Zucchini Boats
If you follow Inspired Edibles on Facebook, you may have caught a sneak peek of the inspiration for this post.
This past weekend, our new neighbors delighted us with the most welcome housewarming gifts.
An array of garden delights including: little gem lettuce (soft and buttery), firm and crunchy cucumber, fragrant basil and the sweetest, freshest tomatoes we’ve ever tasted! The tomatoes were so good in fact that we ate the first few solo and unseasoned, swooning over every bite (sometimes it’s the simple things…). We then went on to enjoy the ingredients in sandwiches, with drizzled balsamic and in a tossed salad that evening.
Since the givings were so generous, I had plenty of tomatoes leftover and wanted to make the best of them while they were still in their prime. I had the idea of rounding up some of the best of the late summer harvest and presenting it in these zucchini boats. Open faced melt style.
If you haven’t tasted baked zucchini yet, you’re in for a treat! Soft, savory and full of comfort, you could almost (almost) mistake these stuffed lovelies for pizza ~ and, bonus, they deliver a better long term investment.
This a very simple recipe that involves baking the zucchinis with olive oil and sea salt and then filling them with black beans and veggies and a sprinkling of cheese (of course, you can use whatever toppings you like).
We enjoyed these molten zucchini boats with a side of quinoa and a tossed green salad. A light and delicious vegetarian summer meal the whole family enjoyed.
Baked Summer Harvest Zucchini Boats
Baked Summer Harvest Zucchini Boats
- 4 healthy zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 cups cooked black beans, or beans of choice (thoroughly rinsed if using canned)
- 1 cup corn kernels (thawed if using frozen)
- 4-6 gorgeous garden tomatoes, diced
- 1 New Mexico green chile, seeded and diced (always optional)
- 4 garlic cloves, or to taste, smashed
- 1/3 cup of your favorite salsa
- 1/2 cup cheese of choice
- 1 Tbsp fresh chopped herbs of choice plus more leaves for topping (I used basil)
- sea salt & coarse black pepper to taste
Makes 8 zucchini boats
Nutrition & Cooking Notes:
-
Zucchini Size: You don’t have to seek out large zucchinis for this recipe (any healthy happy zucchini will do) however the plumper ones will accommodate more filling.
- Filling: You can (and should) fill your zucchinis with any topping ingredients and seasonings you and/or your family enjoy.
- Right from Oven: We found the baked zucchini tasted best right out of the oven.
- Some like it Hot: The chile pepper added a little kick to the mix but if spice is not your thing, simply skip it or use a pepper of your own choosing.
- Caution: Canned beans are always an option however, in addition to having a superior taste and texture, I favor dried beans because of ongoing health concerns surrounding Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is a known toxin that continues to be used in the lining of many food and beverage cans – including canned beans. Studies have shown that this industrial plastic is absorbed by canned foods and, when ingested by consumers, can give rise to significant spikes in urinary levels of BPA. Some manufacturers are now making BPA free cans however they are few and far between.
- Why I smash Garlic: (not just to take out my frustrations!) I recommend smashing the garlic (as distinct from running it through a garlic press) for two reasons. I generally enjoy the chunkier texture of garlic in recipes and chopping/slicing the garlic cloves alone without first flattening them (smashing/crushing) will not release the allium’s beneficial oils. To smash, simply use the flat side of a large knife and carefully press down on the garlic over a cutting board until it breaks/flattens somewhat. Sprinkle with sea salt and then chop or slice the garlic.
Directions:Heat oven to 350 F
- Using a small spoon, scoop out the interior pulp of each zucchini half (where the seeds reside) taking care not to pierce through the skin (this will create a little cavity along the interior middle of the zucchini where your filling will go) — you should be able to scoop the pulp quite easily with a spoon but you can also use a knife if preferred. Be sure to reserve the hydrating pulp for smoothies! :)
- Brush the interior of the zucchinis with olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper, as desired
- Place the zucchinis (olive oil brushed side up, skin side down) on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes or until zucchinis are tender (you can sample a slice at this stage to discover just how tasty they are!)
- Meanwhile, assemble remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl: black beans, corn, tomatoes, chile (if using), garlic and a Tbsp or so of fresh chopped herbs, mixing to combine.
- Add salsa, just enough to moisten the mixture without making it drippy.
- Leaving the warm zucchinis on the baking sheet, carefully divide the mixture among the zucchinis, filling each cavity.
- Sprinkle cheese over each zucchini filling and return the tray to the oven for another 8-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the mixture has warmed through.
- Remove zucchini boats from oven, top with additional herbs as desired and enjoy! (best enjoyed straight from the oven).
- I served these zucchini boats with a side of quinoa and a tossed green salad. It was a light and very tasty summer evening meal. The whole family enjoyed it!
© Inspired Edibles
Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum)
Our master bedroom has always been off-limits to our dog.
We established these parameters right from the get-go and in the four years that we’ve been together, she has only tested these boundaries twice. Her most recent transgression happened when we were preparing our home for sale in Ottawa. There were at least 6 workmen tirelessly combing the main floor – Stella’s floor – shuffling to and fro, painting, refinishing, repairing. A constant bustle of movement and noise.
One afternoon in the middle of the chaos, I couldn’t find our girl anywhere. I looked in all the usual places and even ran to the neighbor’s to see if she had somehow managed to escape. Not a trace. Seven minutes later (read: an eternity), I found her curled up in a little ball in the corner of our bedroom, her face tucked under her paw. She looked so small and helpless. My heart sank. I scooped her up off the floor and lay her on my tummy as I sat on the hard wood floor sobbing. Neither one of us wanted to leave.
Fast forward nine months and we have re-established the same boundaries here in CA and our four-legged lovely has respectfully kept her distance from our master bedroom. At least, that is, until Sunday, May 11th. I was sound asleep when a wet-nosed golden girl snuck into our bedroom and proceeded to give me a full face wash at 6:00 am. It was a deluge of doggie kisses! And although I’ve always been one to prize my sleep-in days when I can snag them, I could not have been any happier to receive this very genuine and most unexpected wake-up call.
The boys dismiss the whole thing as coincidence. But I say, there’s no such thing. My girl was coming in to wish me a happy mother’s day, and that’s that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The second gift I received on mother’s day was a fabulously functional shredding tool — the Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler to be exact (thank you boys!) that allowed me to make short work of this Thai Green Papaya Salad.
Salty, Sweet, Sour and Spicy, you will fall in love with this refreshing and delicious summer gem and quickly understand why it is consistently ranked among Thailand’s most popular dishes. I’m talkin’ lip smacking, pucker-inducing, good.
I describe this salad as Thai inspired because in traditional Thai cooking, measuring devices are not used and nor are handy-dandy shredding tools that make the job easier. ‘Tum’ literally translates into “pound” and most/or all of the ingredients in this salad are traditionally pounded in a giant sized mortar with pestle. But since most of us do not own head-sized mortars and pestles the length of our forearms, I’ve introduced some options that are more likely to accommodate what the average person has on hand.
Be sure to check out the Nutrition & Cooking Notes for nutrition information, cautions and options.
Thai Green Papaya Salad
Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum)
For the Salad:
- 1 medium sized green papaya, peeled and shredded*
- 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and shredded
- handful of green beans (about 12), cut into roughly 1″ pieces
- handful of cherry tomatoes (about 8), cut in half or quarters
- handful dried shrimp, optional (I have not used them here)
- handful chopped peanuts
- handful fresh cilantro
For the dressing:
- Juice of two limes (about 1/4 – 1/3 cup)
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bird’s eye chili (Thai chili) or to taste, seeded and chopped*
- 1-2 (ish) tsp (5-10 mL) palm sugar (sub sugar of choice)
Serves 4
Nutrition & Cooking Notes:
- What is Green Papaya? Green papaya is simply an unripe papaya. You can find green papaya in many local grocery stores as well as Asian markets. They look a little bit like a green football. Try to find a hard, green papaya — if the exterior peel of the papaya is yellowing, it will be too sweet and soft inside. The interior flesh should be white to pale yellow in colour depending on its stage of ripeness.
- Preparing your Papaya: Green papaya must be peeled before eating. You can simply use a carrot peeler for this if you like. Once you have peeled the papaya, you want to shred the white-yellow interior just until you get to the flesh surrounding the seeds (this will sometimes be a soft pink colour) again depending on the fruit’s stage of ripeness. You can also slice the papaya in two, remove the seeds and then shred both halves if you prefer.
- Health Benefits of Papaya: In addition to its nutrient content (vits, mins, antioxidants), green papaya contains a natural enzyme – papain – that assists with digestion. The enzyme levels decline as the fruit ripens.
-
CAUTION: Bird’s eye chili (Thai chili) is *very* hot. Though these chilis are delicious in Thai cuisine, caution is needed when preparing them. If you are using a mortar & pestle, be sure to look away while pounding the chilis in case any oils from the chili splashes up. I also use latex gloves when handling these chilis. If you prefer something with less intense heat, you can use a differnt type of chili that you are more familiar with or substitute 1 tsp (or to taste) of Spicy Thai Chili Sauce (Thai Kitchen is one brand).
- Variations: Carrots are not traditionally part of the Thai Green Papaya Salad but I love them here and of course, you can use any vegetable substitution you wish. Make it your salad!
Directions:
- Using a mortar & pestle (or a little spice blender), gently pound/blend the garlic and bird’s eye chili (or chili of choice) until they are well broken down. If you are using bird’s eye chili be very careful not to look down on the chili while pounding in case any oils splash up.
- If you are using a mortar & pestle, add the chopped green beans and shrimp (if using) to the garlic/chili mixture and gently pound to break/bruise them slightly so that they absorb the dressing better. If you don’t have a mortar & pestle, simply skip this step and transfer the garlic/chili to a bowl and reserve the chopped beans and shrimp (if using).
- To the mortar or bowl, add: lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar, mixing well with a spoon or your pestle to combine.
- Be sure to sample the dressing and make any adjustments desired (seeking a balance between sweet, salty, sour and spicy that you enjoy).
- Place your shredded papaya in a large salad bowl and add carrots, tomato, and any reserved beans and shrimp (if using).
- Toss in fresh chopped cilantro.
- Right before you are ready to serve the salad, give the dressing a final mixing and then drizzle it over the salad ingredients, mixing well to combine. If you toss the delicate papaya shreds in dressing too early, it will be overly mushy come eating time, so you want to time this so that it happens only moments before consumption.
- Plate the salad into individual serving bowls and top with an additional sprig of cilantro and some chopped peanuts.
- Enjoy!
© Inspired Edibles
“Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together?
Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences.”
Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences.”
“The probability of a certain set of circumstances coming together in a meaningful (or tragic) way is so low that it simply cannot be considered mere coincidence.”
Coincidence is the divine’s way of remaining anonymous
– Einstein
everything visible is preceded by the invisible
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