[What I should have made for our Christmas dinner this year. . . . ]
What. . . is it December 27th, already?? Hope you’ve all had a wonderful holiday season so far! I must confess, the last few days have been among the laziest of my life. And you know what? It felt great!
So what have the HH, the Girls and I been up to since I last visited this space? Here’s a quick recap:
The Girls Express their Annoyance. The Girls posed for their 2010 Christmas card, and if all your comments are any indication, they clearly seemed peeved at having to don those costumes. Let’s just say I’ll never be another William Wegman. (“Mum, we weren’t annoyed so much as impatient. . . for our presents! Thanks for those treats we got! And can we have more of that white stuff? Oh, and who is that handsome Weimeraner in that photo?!”).
Start the Day Off Right. After sleeping in until we awoke naturally sans alarm, the HH and I bounded out of bed to open our gifts. And while they were polite enough not to disturb us while we slept, the Girls were certainly lively enough as soon as they confirmed we were awake:
["Elsie, play with me or I will eat you!"]
So, while the HH took the dogs for a trail walk, I set about making a hearty brunch to tide us over until dinnertime:
[These fabulous pancakes, topped with homemade sweet almond-coconut butter and plum sauces, with eggplant bacon (recipe coming soon).]
Best to Stick with Tradition, Even if It’s Non-Traditional. Those of you who’ve been reading DDD for a while will likely recall that our regular holiday tradition for the past few years has been an Indian feast, often shared with the CFO. Well, when my sister couldn’t make it this year, the HH proclaimed, “I want something traditional! I want TURKEY!”.
Regular readers will also know that the HH eats, well, everything. And as long as he prepares his own food, I don’t attempt to influence what he consumes. So off we went to get an organic turkey for him to cook. While he roasted his turkey, I prepared my new recipe for a holiday nutroast.
By 7:00 PM, dinner was finally served. Here’s my plate:
As I said, I shouldn’t have messed with our (non-traditional) tradition. While tasty enough, my nut roast was not what I’d call a success. I do have an inkling of how to improve it and will share as soon as I give it a try.
Turkey =Doggie Crack. The Girls, on the other hand, devoured their turkey scraps in no short order. This was the first time Chaser ever tasted turkey, and let me tell you, the crazed look it sparked in her eye was even more frenzied than usual. I got the stare pretty much the rest of the day.
[What was that white stuff, Mum? And can I please have some more?"]
And Elsie wasn’t immune, either:
[I've just got to be patient, and I'm sure there will be more turkey forthcoming. . . . "]
It’s Good to Chillax. I think that last week of school, frantic prepping for Christmas, buying a new car (so that the HH can have my old car, since his was totalled) and various and sundry other errands has wiped a goodly portion of my mind clean, sort of the way reformatting clears out your hard drive. I’ve felt pretty much incapable of any sustained thought or activity since Christmas morning, wandering around the past few days in a bit of a haze (albeit with a semi smile on my face and a very full belly), without much to say in this space. The HH is off work until the first week of January, so we’ll be spending quite a bit of time together.
["Life is so rough when you're waiting for turkey. . . *sigh*."]
Yesterday morning, for instance, the HH and I (after sleeping in yet again), spent most of the AM reading the entire newspaper, front to back, for the first time in months.
[The HH's coffee cup, and the news: freak east coast snowstorms and Boxing Day Deals.]
Then we proceeded to clean up the detritus from our Christmas dinner:
[The HH's wine glass, the morning after. Sadly, no wine for me this year. Damn you, ACD!]
We sat by the fireplace, sipped on coffee/matcha tea and listened to music (including my new Pink CD, a gift from the HH):
[On the left: my matcha tea. On the right: the HH's wine glass. . . afternoon incarnation.]
I also went to see How Do You Knowwith my friend Eternal Optimist yesterday afternoon (we had planned on The King’s Speech, but they were sold out; still, Reese Witherspoon is always winsome, and that Paul Rudd is such a cutie).
And now, after even more lounging about today, I finally feel ready to leap back in to cooking and blogging about recipes.
["Elsie, do you think we'll get any more turkey?"]
Sorry to say I won’t be sharing that nut roast recipe just yet.
In the meantime, here’s the recipe for the African Sweet Potato Stew I mentioned in this post, which some of you asked about. It’s a tried-and-true success that I’ve made many times in the past. It’s hearty, filling, with chunks of sweet potato and chickpeas bathed in a rich, creamy coconut milk gravy that’s infused with a variety of spices and the mineral-rich addition of collards.
Perhaps I should add it to the menu for next year’s Christmas feast.
The list of ingredients does seem long, but so much of this is spice that the actual prep time isn’t as much as you’d think. The recipe makes a huge vat of stew, so you can package and freeze it for later consumption, too.
1 Tbsp (15 ml) coconut or extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1 large onion, chopped
1 thumb-size piece ginger, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, chipped
1/2 cup (120 ml) cilantro leaves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (or use 1/2 tsp/1.5 ml chili flakes)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) whole mustard seeds, brown or yellow
2 tsp (10 ml) ground coriander
1 tsp (5 ml) ground turmeric
1 tsp (5 ml) paprika
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cayenne pepper
1 large can (19 oz or 500 ml) diced tomatoes, drained (reserve the juice)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
2-3 medium white potatoes, chopped into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1 can (12 oz or 400 ml) coconut milk
1/3 cup (80 ml) natural smooth almond or peanut butter (use almond for ACD)
1 pound (500 g) collard greens, midribs removed and shredded
2 cups (480 ml) cooked chickpeas
Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat; add the onion, ginger, garlic and cilantro and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the red pepper, jalapeno, cumin, mustard seeds, corinder, trumeric, paprika and cayenne and cook a couple more minutes. Add the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, potatoes and coconut milk; cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.
Place the almond butter in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and scoop about 1/2 cup of the liquid from the stew, adding it to the nut butter; mix well, until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot and blend it in. Add the collards and chickpeas and continue to cook until the greens are soft, another 5-10 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, allow to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness is reached. Serve over rice or cooked quinoa. Makes 6-8 servings. May be frozen.
[Sometimes, you just want to eat something now. I've decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so easy to make that no recipe is required. Here's today's "Flash in the Pan." (For other FitP recipes, see "Categories" at right).]
Before I get to today’s super-quick, super-easy, SUPER DELICIOUS recipe, I wanted to respond to all your generous comments about the new blog home (AND remind you all that there is only ONE WEEK left to enter the giveaway contest to win a quart (liter) of pure maple syrup or a custom-baked cake–be sure to get your comments in!)
First : Thank you for all your positive feedback and support! And thanks, too, for following DDD to its new home. I’m glad that, overall, most of you like the new site. I’ve attempted to incorporate as many of the suggestions as I could; please know that changes are limited by (a) the existing template, some of which can’t be modified without extensive knowledge of html (my knowledge of which extends about as far as the length of an eyelash); and (b) how much I can badgerenticebeg request from Blain, who has been implementing these revisions for me.
Interestingly, I deliberately chose the white background and sparse look to replicate the old blog (even though it, too, was all white in back with an orange title and green blog post titles, it seems as if many of us–myself included–found the old site less “bare” looking! I wonder what genetic wiring that’s connected to. . . ?). I have changed the font, the glaring black-against-white color, and the comments link (the best we could do is highlight it at the bottom of each post, which I hope makes it more visible).
The original idea for the site was to add a banner under the title (there’s a thin, long white space there now) with assorted photos across the top, but honestly, I don’t like any of my photos enough to leave them there all the time; and I’m growing rather fond of the clean, austere look (I figure at least something in my life should be unencumbered!). I’d love to one day put up a cartoon of The Girls’ faces as a kind of mascot (to the right of title “Diet, Dessert and Dogs”), but so far my cartooning skills aren’t up to snuff. Any volunteers??
So, for now, anyway, this is the new look of DDD. I’m sure it will evolve and grow with time. . . and after I take a few courses in web design.
And now, on to today’s supercalafragafantabuwonderlicious veggie recipe!
(I liked it. Can you tell?)
[I know our cruciferous friend here isn't exactly photogenic. But he makes up for it a thousandfold in personality, believe me!]
Well, with my current (ACD-imposed) gluten-free diet–which will likely drag onimprove my transit timeleave me with post-traumatic stress sydrome continue for at least another month, I’ve been relying mostly on tried-and-true favorites, plus a whole lot of raw dishes (mostly salads–too boring to blog about).
For some reason, I don’t seem to possess my usual zeal to create many new recipes based on the ACD requirements. Oh, and I’m hungry all the time. No, really, all the time. (I used to know a guy in university who was such a chain smoker that his body woke him up around 3:00 AM every night so he could have a cigarette. He’d roll out of bed, light up in the dark, then butt out and go back to sleep. Well, that’s pretty much what it feels like to me, except substitute “food–ANY food” for ”cigarettes.”)
And–worst of all–I seem to have misplaced my sense of humor on this diet.
Curse thou, wretched ACD–
Do not my humor take from me!
(Thank goodness I haven’t lost my sense of poetry–for the time being, anyway).
While I’m waiting for both hunger to subside and humor to return, I discovered a simple and irresistible recipe to help tide me over. For quite some time now, I’ve been a regular follower of Cheryl’s cheery, informative blog, Gluten-Free Goodness (you should see some of the incredible, innovative ways she meets the Daring Bakers’ challenges on a restricted diet!). And every month, I read her contribution to the “Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger” event, and think, “Hmmm. . . . I should take part in that, too.” Though I’m not entirely gluten-free (except when following the ACD), I actually prefer most GF grains to wheat or spelt, and tend to cook that way quite often.
I read about Cheryl’s Coconut Curried Greens a couple of weeks ago and immediately thought, “Yes! I love collards, too!” And I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make them. I mean, oil and garlic is great, but sometimes, you want something a little different–creamy, say, and coconutty, and a little spicy.
This Indian-inspired dish (it features a good hit of garam masala, one of my favorite Indian spices) is ready in a flash and rewards you with a rich, velvety sauce, one that’s slightly sweet from the combination of aforementioned spice and coconut milk–the perfect foil for the assertive, slightly bitter collards. And the extra bit of sauce that pools at the bottom of the pan is perfect for dipping some chickpea cheela, which is exactly what I made to go alongside.
As Cheryl mentions in her own post, these are so good that she and her hubby “ended up fighting over leftovers.” The HH and I didn’t fight, but we did resort to that age-old method used by moms everywhere, to ensure fairness when splitting food between bickering siblings: one of us (that would be me) got to divide the mixture in half, thereby determining the size of each portion; and the other (the HH) got to choose which one he wanted first. It’s the perfect way to guarantee absolutely equal division of portions, believe me.
The only change I made to Cheryl’s original recipe was in preparation of the greens: rather than boil them first and then add to the sauce, I simply added the shredded greens to the coconut milk mixture in the pan and let the whole thing simmer for about 8-10 minutes for the sauce to thicken. I also used a can of full-fat coconut milk instead of the fresh coconut.
[Sometimes, you just want to eat something now. I've decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so easy to make that no recipe is required. Here's today's "Flash in the Pan." (For other FitP recipes, see "Categories" at right).]
[With Collards, Chard and Red Onion]
It’s been a truly crazy past week, what with our new semester starting up today at the college and my cookbook deadline being perilously close.* (And let’s not forget the Golden Globes from last evening–didn’t B & A look marvelous amidst the hubub and Moet & Chandon? And did you hear that Tracy Morgan is the new face of the US? But Mamma Mia, that Ms. Streep is timeless! ) With all that, there’s been no time for handiwork in the kitchen.
Instead, here’s what I’ve been eating lately–and by “lately,” I mean pretty much every day. I’ve made this three times in the past six days: it’s quick, it’s easy, it’s delicious and it contains nature’s most nutritious vegetables, leafy greens. And with all the deepbrowns, ochres, ambers and ecrus I’ve been consuming over the past few weeks, I figured it was time for some green.
[With Collards and Yellow Onion]
Besides, I adore leafy greens and have been trying to include them in my diet more often. Jagged, zippy dandelion greens are like the tough kid in the schoolyard, the punk who wears his black leather jacket like a trophy and loiters in the corner of the schoolyard chain-smoking. With a hard and bitter exterior, he’s really a sweetheart once you get to know him. Collards, with their elegant, frond-like shape, are the modern jazz dancers of the group, deftly swaying side to side as they harmoniously meld the delicate and the cacophonous. And kale, my very favorite, is the ditzy neighbour, the plucky, perky best friend, the Mary Richards of leafy greens; she fidgets and bobs and sighs histrionically, clad in her ruffly collar and matching cuffs–she’s a little wacky, maybe, but always honest and reliable. How could you not love greens?
This dish was created when I had intended to try out a recipe for brussels sprouts and apples I read about on Vegalicious a while back. When I discovered I had no sprouts, I opted for the greens instead (heck, they’re all brassicas, right?). Using the other recipe for inspiration, I threw this together. It was ready in ten minutes, and I was left to marvel that something so simple could taste so good.
The barely-wilted greens are chewy and toothsome, while the apples and onions, having softened and caramelized slightly, provide a balancing sweetness to the slightly bitter leaves. The addition of lemon juice here, besides imparting an appealing tang, renders the minerals in the vegetables more bio-available (and thereby more easily absorbed) so you can best benefit from their high mineral content.
* As to the cookbook, right now, it looks as if the publication date will be mid-April; I’ll report back as soon as I’m given a “firm” date from the publisher. What this means, however, is that my blogging may become slightly more sporadic over the next few weeks, as will my commenting on other blogs. But know that I’ll keep reading and enjoying all of your blogs even if I don’t make my presence known. And I do hope that you will still comment here–I always look forward to, and read, every single comment on this site–it is truly a high point in my day!
Perfect as a quick weekday side dish or a great lunch main, this recipe comes together in no time an is infinitely adaptable: for a main course, add cubed tofu or lgihtly toasted nuts or seeds. A few raisins or currants tossed in would also work well. And feel free to switch up the greens or combine several types for equally good results.
1 large bunch collard greens, chad, kale or a combination
1 medium red or yellow onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large sweet apple (I used Gala),washed, cored, cut in eighths and sliced
1-2 tsp. (5-10 ml.) apple cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
Wash and dry the greens and remove any thick stems. Stack the leaves in batches, roll up along the long side, then cut across the roll into slices, creating thin strips. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in frypan and add the onion; sauté until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and apple slices and continue to sauté until the apples begin to soften, another 2-3 minutes. Add the greens, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Toss briefly to coat the greens, then cover and allow the steam to wilt the greens, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately. Makes 4 side dish or 2 main course servings.
I’m glad that, overall, most of you like the new site. I’ve attempted to incorporate as many of the suggestions as I could; please know that changes are limited by (a) the existing template, some of which can’t be modified without extensive knowledge of html (my knowledge of which extends about as far as the length of an eyelash); and (b) how much I can 
