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Yesterday afternoon, I called the HH at work and proposed. (No, no, silly, not that kind of proposal! We are quite content with our “been there, done that, never going to be legally married again” status, thank you.) What I proposed was this: “HH, I just noticed that Joan Rivers is performing live tonight at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. Would you like to go?”
And lo and behold, the HH said, “YES.”
Now, why is that scenario so surprising? Well, for two reasons. First, the HH actually said, “yes.” But more remarkable was my own invitation in the first place–my impulsive decision to attend the show.
You see, I’m a Libra.
One of the defining traits of Libras (or so the HH, my astrological expert, informs me) is indecisiveness. As the only sign represented by an inanimate object (the scales), Libras’ minds are like teeter-totters alternating between two nearly-equal entities: first, all the weight falls to one side; then it shifts and all the weight moves to the other end. Meanwhile, the poor Libra keeps vacillating between the two: Should I wear the black shoes? They match my black turtleneck. Then again, the brown shoes pick up that brown stripe in my pants. And the brown shoes are more comfortable. But the black shoes look better. Of course, the brown shoes are more sturdy, and I’ll be walking on cobblestones. Still, the black shoes were less expensive, so it won’t matter if they get a little worn out. . . .
You see my point. (Well, maybe you don’t. But then again, maybe you do. But you might not.)
This propensity to shift between alternatives can also manifest itself as an “all or nothing” mentality–in other words, Libras choose either one extreme end of the seesaw or the other. For example, I might spend an entire day creating a single pepperoni pizza, counterbalanced by some über quick Mex-Ital tofu scramble the next. Or I’ll while away the better part of an afternoon playing with Vanilla vs. Vanilla (muffins vs. cupcakes), even whipping up my own sour cream for the experiment–then ditch the complexity for quick and foolproof LaRaw Bars (Cocoa Nibbles), effectively made with only 3 ingredients.
Unfortunately for me, this “all-or-nothing” habit extends to eating, as well. I’m one of those people who, when I indulge in sweets, feels compelled to consume the entire batch at once (which explains why I haven’t made my fudge in a while. Though I did try out Kim’s healthier black bean version instead. Nope, pretty much wanted to eat that entire batch, too.)
I’m not sure why, but the culinary balance seems to have shifted to “simple” once again. Could it be that I spent so much of the past few days attempting a “cheese”-filled, gluten free, ACD-friendly bread recipe that my kitchen is now permanently coated in a patina of amaranth flour? Or perhaps it’s that my holiday from the college has encouraged recent marathon sessions in front of the TV (am I the only one who’s disappointed with Ellen on Idol? Or is she actually as noncomittal and insipid as she seems to me? And will Jack and Carly get back together–again? And how about that Liz Lemon? And why am I so jazzed to watch the Oscars when I haven’t seen any of the movies?). Or maybe it’s that I finally started working on the puzzle the HH got me for Christmas and I’ve spent far too many hours hunched over the card table, scrutinizing scalloped pieces of cardboard for subtle shifts in hue from black to grey to tan. Too many “all” activities, perhaps?
Whatever the reason, lately I’ve opted for quick and easy. And I found this wonderful recipe in–of all places–Vegan Yum Yum, the cookbook based on the blog of the same name by Lauren Ulm. Now, if you’re familiar with Lauren’s blog, you know that many of her recipes appear quite elaborate, or even intimidating (Knit Night Cupcakes, anyone?). That’s why I was totally delighted to discover that there are more than a few straightforward, simple recipes in the book–and this artichoke salad is a stellar example.
While the original employs marinated artichokes (my assumption, as it’s not specified), I adapted the recipe for the ACD and added my own seasonings. Made with staples already in most pantries, this deceptively simple salad is anything but simple in flavor and texture. Browning the chickpeas adds a slightly nutty undertone, balanced nicely by the acidity of the lemon and artichokes (and I’m all about balance). As I scooped up the first forkful, I wondered if the recipe was perhaps too basic for a blog entry. But then I found myself returning to it again and again–even, in fact, after I’d already packed the leftovers in a container and placed them in the fridge. It was that good.
Lauren notes that the salad serves four, or “one as a meal,” which is how it turned out for me. Well, I suppose it only made sense: I had to eat it all–or nothing.
”Mum, dogs don’t have an ‘all or nothing’ mentality, you know. It’s more like, ‘all or everything.’”
With chickpeas in a co-starring role here, I’m submitting this to Lisa and Jacqueline‘s No Croutons Required event for March. This month’s host is Lisa and the theme is soups or salads made with chickpeas. The event runs until March 20, so there’s still time to enter if you’d like to participate!
Blog Note: I finally completed updating the “Blogs I Read” page. I know there are also lots of blogs I may have missed, so if you have a blog that fits into one of the listed categories, please let me know. I’d love to check it out! 
Warm Chickpea and Artichoke Salad (ACD Phase I and beyond)
adapted from Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm
To render the salad ACD-friendly, I used canned artichoke hearts, which are not marinated. The flavors also develop as it sits, so the salad is even better the next day. If you’re not following an anti-candida regime, however, you might like to try this with the jarred, marinated hearts and eliminate the herbs and garlic for an easier and more intensely flavored salad.
5 Tbsp (75 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp (10 ml) dried basil, or use 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) fresh, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) fine sea salt, or more, to taste
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) cooked chickpeas, well drained (canned are fine; rinse well before using)
6-8 artichoke hearts (about one large can), drained and sliced lengthwise
1/3 cup (55 g) natural almonds with skin, coarsely chopped
In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp (45 ml) of the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano, parsley, garlic and sea salt. Set aside.
In a large frypan, heat another 1 Tbsp (15 ml) oil. Add the chickpeas and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they are all golden brown (this takes about 10 minutes). Add to the bowl.
Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp (15 ml) oil in the pan and add the artichoke hearts, cut side down. Cook until they are browned, stirring only once or twice to avoid breaking them up, about 5-10 minutes more. Add them to the bowl as well.
Toss the salad gently until the chickpeas and artie hearts are well coated with the dressing. To serve, spoon the salad onto serving plates and sprinkle with some of the chopped almonds (add any leftover almonds to the bowl and toss again). Serve warm. Makes 4 servings.
Last Year at this Time: A Bowl Lotta Love (meal-in-a-bowl)
Two Years Ago: Bittersweet Salad with Apples and Dandelion Greens
© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Just a quick note to share some exciting news: my recipe for Orange-Infused Chocolate Almond Cake is featured in this month’s Clean Eating magazine!
When I was asked by the folks at the magazine to create a recipe for a healthy, fudgy chocolate cake (that met the Clean Eating requirements, of course–basically the NAG diet that I follow anyway), I was thrilled and got to work! I actually submitted the recipe last summer, but that’s how far in advance the schedule is planned. I didn’t want to mention anything until I saw it in print with my own eyes. . . and now it’s finally here–yay! Wow, did their food stylist ever make that cake look gorgeous (the pic above is mine, not theirs–the magazine version is much more attractive!)
For those of you who can get the magazine where you live, it’s the March/April issue, with a bowl of Black-Eyed Pea Stew on the cover and the banner headline, “Try Our Chocolate-Almond Cake: Enjoy a Second Guilt-Free Slice”. And while my recipe was mentioned on the cover, to see my name credited, you have to squint really hard, then look at the teeny, tiny, teensy weensy little print along the fold to the right of the recipe (which is on the last page of the mag, in the “Happy Endings” section).
For those who are interested, the magazine is based on the philosophy/diet of Tosca Reno, who wrote the book Eat Clean. Some of the articles in this particular issue include 5-ingredient entrées, nutritious snacks, allergy-proofing your home, risotto by Food Network host Aida Mollenkamp, and antioxidant berries, goji and acai (and no, I have no personal stake in the magazine–I’m not affiliated with them in any way except for having developed that recipe for them).
I wish I could reprint the recipe here, but I can’t, as Clean Eating purchased the recipe rights as well. But I think you can at least get an idea from the photo above!
New recipe next post, I promise
PS Vegan/Vegetarian readers take note: while 22 of the 68 recipes in the magazine are vegetarian, most do contain eggs or dairy (mine doesn’t, of course!).
“Mum, if clean eating means ‘cleaning out your bowl every time you eat,’ then I think we could write for that magazine, too. Or maybe we could just be taste-testers. Much better than eating snow, I’m sure.”
[There's just nothing like a homemade gift for the holidays. This year, with the purse strings a little tighter than usual, I'm determined to make at least a few in my kitchen--and thought I'd share my ideas in case you'd like to partake, too. ]
Isn’t synchronicity the darndest thing? You know, that phenomenon when things just seem to occur around the same time. . . because. . . well, just because. Like when you learn a new word, and suddenly “schadenfreude“ seems to pop up in all the newspapers you read. Or “pecuniary” makes its appearance in every magazine article you see about the faltering economy. Save money with a “stay-cation”? It was mentioned at least once on every financial-advice show that aired in the past week. (And how about antediluvian, lachrymose, arachibutyrophobia? Okay, maybe not so much.)
I love synchronicity; I figure it’s the closest I’ll ever get to having intuition. Years ago, during a carefree Christmas shopping spree (entirely unlike this year, what with all the pecuniary limitations to my budget), I was meandering along a downtown Toronto street engrossed in a lachrymose daydream, probably about being bullied in gradeschool. For some unknown reason, I remembered a former classmate, and wondered what had become of her. In the midst of my reverie, there came from behind me a sudden, staccato warbling, like the sound an antique radio makes when being tuned: ”Ricki?! Eeeeoooooouuuuwwww! RICKI HELLER, is that you–??”
Yep, you guessed it: that very classmate, whom I hadn’t seen in over 30 years. We hugged, we excitedly exchanged updates on our lives, we traded phone numbers and swore to keep in touch–then never heard from each other again. But that sure was some synchronicity in action!
If you’ve ever thought about someone you haven’t seen in a while, only to receive a phone call from them that day; if you’ve ever had a dream about finding a $20 bill and later picked up a stray piece of paper in a parking lot that happened to be a $20 bill; if you’ve ever loved a novel by a particular author and then happened to be seated next to that author on your next flight across the country; if you’ve ever been reminded of an old love while surfing the internet only to discover the profile of said love on your Classmates page–well, if you’ve ever experienced a seemingly unrelated coexistence of two meaningfully related things in any context at all, then you, too, have experienced synchronicity. And last weekend, there it was again!
In my previous Gastronomic Gift post last week, I mentioned a pioneer of the now-booming Toronto culinary scene, Bonnie Stern. That long-ago (seems positively antediluvian, in fact) cooking class was my only encounter with Ms. Stern in person; and her recipe for Brandied Apricot-Ginger Spread was, it turns out, the only recipe of hers I’ve ever reproduced at home.
Until now.
Why, just this past weekend, there she was again, peering out at me from the crinkled pages of our weekend National Post! Not only that; in the photo, she proffered some startlingly attractive shortbread cookies: rich, buttery freeform mounds topped with shards of Toblerone chocolate bars. I decided on the spot that I had to re-create those bars, but what to use instead of the Toblerone? I wanted something similar–a mix of chocolate and a sweet filling–but nothing quite as sticky (and nothing producing any arachibutyrophobia, of course). Aha! Marzipan-filled Ritter Sport!
In response to Amanda’s comment in the last post, I used my own Life in Balance Buttery Spread in place of the butter in these cookies. The result was a slightly-sandy-on-the-outside, slightly-chewy-on-the-inside, not-too-sweet and very decadent-tasting cookie. And while they don’t melt in your mouth like tradtional shortbread, the combination of rich dough and chunks of chocolate-covered marzipan is truly enchanting. The HH said he thought they weren’t “really” like shortbread as they didn’t taste “buttery” enough, but that didn’t stop him from scarfing down three of these babies in quick succession.
And while this recipe is a bit more decadent than my usual baked good, hey, it’s the holidays! Gotta live a little. Which, of course, will lead to the inevitable overindulging and weight gain. . . so as you bake up your own batch of these, you can think of me, smile, and enjoy a satisfying little taste of schadenfreude.
“Mum, you know your readers would never do that! Besides, I think I’ve had enough schadenfreude to last a lifetime, what with Chaser smirking at my cone over the past three weeks.”
Oh, and since these are intended as a holiday gift, after all, I thought they’d be a perfect submission to the Eat Christmas Cookies event hosted by Food Blogga this month. There’s already a huge array of cookies posted on the site for you to check out!
And since Holler and Lisa are asking for festive photos this month for their No Croutons Required event, I’m going to submit this Santa-bordered photo as my contribution as well.
Marzipan-Topped Shortbread Cookies
You needn’t stick with marzipan chocolates for these cookies; in fact, they’d be great with many other kinds of chocolate bar–the Ritter Sport Peppermint comes to mind.
1 cup (250 ml.) homemade buttery spread, coconut oil, or other buttery spread of your choice
1/2 cup (90 g.) Sucanat
1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml.) pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. (1 ml.) pure almond extract, optional
1-3/4 cups ( 245 g.) light spelt flour
1/4 cup (40 g.) brown rice flour
2 (6 ounces or 200 g.) Ritter Sport Marzipan chocolate bars (or 6 ounces/200 g. chocolate of your choice)
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
Carefully cut the chocolate bars into squares. Take 13 squares and cut them diagonally in half, creating 26 triangles (these will be used to decorate the tops of the cookies). Chop the remaining chocolate and set aside.
Combine the buttery spread, Sucanat, vanilla and almond extract in the bowl of a food processor and process until very smooth and creamy, and until the Sucanat has dissolved.
Add the spelt flour and rice flour and pulse until the mixture comes together as a soft dough. Scrape down sides of processor and incorporate any leftover flour into the dough. Remove the blade and gently stir the chopped chocolate into the dough.
Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, roll mounds of dough into balls and place about 1 inch (2.5 cm.) apart on cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand, then press a triangle of chocolate into the top of each one (if you have any leftover triangles, this is a good time to pop them in your mouth).
Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet once about halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. Makes 24-26 cookies. May be frozen.
Other Gastronomic Gifts:
GG I: Fudge Two Ways
GG II: Brandied Apricot-Ginger Spread
GG IV: Jam-Filled Turnovers
GG V: Tutti Fruiti Christmas Cookies
GG VI: Pumpkin Butter
GG VII: Chocolate Macaroons in a Flash
Last Year at this Time: Pumpkinseed Shortbread Buttons
© 2008 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
[This week's Lucky Comestible is sweet potatoes; here's part 2 in the series. ]
A few weeks ago, I hosted a potluck for friends and promised to provide all of the recipes from the evening on this blog. And while I’ve done pretty well on most of the others, I hadn’t supplied this one for sweet potato “fries,” partly because it’s so simple I feel it doesn’t require its own recipe (just instructions). However, this past weekend when The CFO came to visit, we had brunch at a local haunt and ordered the sweet potato fries with miso gravy. Well, I was determined to reproduce that gravy! So I’m posting my own version, with not one, not two, but THREE variations on the fries.
I first tasted sweet potato fries (real ones–literally fried, in fat, and lots of it) many years ago, before I hit my 4th decade and, therefore, before I knew the true meaning of the word, “heartburn.” Nowadays, deep-fried anything is anathema to me, because hey, as someone born in the Year of the Dog, I can easily be classically conditioned. All it took was one or two repetitions of the stimuli ”deep fried” and “one portion ingested by me” paired with the response “mega heartburn,” and it was sayonara to fried foods in my diet.
These oven-baked “fries” are much lighter (which means you can eat more!) and, if baked correctly, still provide the exterior crunchiness and interior smoothness that is characteristic of the traditional sweet potato fries. Most of the time, I just toss these with a combination of olive oil, garlic salt, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, and curry powder, for a sweet/spicy mix that’s divine (and is Version One). When paired with the miso gravy, however, something a little more demure is called for, as the gravy is quite assertive on its own.
Given all the amazing health benefits of sweet potatoes (more of which I discussed yesterday), I’ve decided to include this recipe as part of Sweetnicks‘ ARF/5-A-Day Roundup this week. (In fact, I was sure they’d be on her list of top-20 antioxidant-rich foods, but was surprised to find they’re not! Won’t stop me from eating them, though. . . ).
Sweet Potato “Fries” with Miso Gravy
These are quick, easy, and great as a side dish or appetizer. Either version works well with the gravy; if you’re more of a ketchup lover, try the spicy ones, mentioned above. In any case, make more than you think you’ll need–they shrink a little while baking, and you’re going to want seconds.
Fries, Version Two:
3-4 sweet potatoes (about 1 per person as a side dish), peeled and cut into thin wedges
about 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
about 1/4 cup sesame seeds
Fries, Version 3:
3-4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thin wedges
about 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. garlic salt
For the fries: Preheat oven to 425F. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss the wedges with the olive oil. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients and toss again to coat. Place the fries in a single layer on the cookie sheet and bake 35-40 minutes, until crispy on the outside. (You can turn them over about midway through for more even browning, but it’s not essential). Makes 3-4 servings.
Miso Gravy (adapted from About.com):
2 Tbsp. light miso paste
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
6 Tbsp. light spelt flour
1-1/2 cups vegetable broth or stock (unsalted)
1 Tbsp. organic cornstarch, if needed
pepper, to taste
In a small heavy-bottomed pot, blend the miso and oil to a creamy paste. Add the soy sauce and nutritional yeast and mix well. Slowly mix in the flour until you have a thick paste.
Stir in the broth a tablespoon at a time until you have a smooth mixture that is almost liquid. Add the rest of the broth.
Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Lower heat to a simmer and allow to bubble for one minute. If gravy is not thick enough for your taste, take about 3 Tbsp. of the gravy and transfer to a small bowl. Mix with about 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, then return this mixture to the pot and blend well. Allow to simmer another minute or so to thicken up. Season to taste with pepper. Makes about 1-3/4 cups.
Note: The gravy tends to be somewhat salty, due to the combination of miso AND soy sauce. If you prefer a less-salty version, you can omit the soy sauce, or simply add a bit more stock and flour to the mixture.
Other posts in this series:
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