Lentil Gardener's Pie

If your first thought of Gardener's pie is the vegetarian version of Shepherd's Pie, you are correct. I'm not sure if this happens in the rest of the world, but here in North America, more and more people choose to eat less meat, these group of people are called flexitarians. A flexitarian can be defined in both ways - vegetarians who occasionally eat meats and meat-eaters who want to integrate vegetarian meals in their diet. Arguments of choosing a flexitarian diet can be related to health, environment or resource consumption.

As a food blogger, I feel that it is important to have blogging goals in which one needs to explore in depth. It is similar to science where it is important to specialize in a few topics and research these topics in depth. One goal was mentioned in my White Bean Potato Purée post in which I wanted to find the best side dishes which compliments well with the main. My second goal is to share with you vegetarian recipes which will satisfy both the vegetarians and the meat lovers. I'll share with you my third blogging goal in a later post...

Here is a dish which will sure satisfy both the meat-eaters and the vegetarians, and even the vegans. I read a couple of vegetarian cookbooks, some vegetarian dishes are inspired from meaty dishes. One good substitute is ground soy which looks and tastes exactly like ground meat, the meat-eating friends won't even know that it is vegetarian. Another less known substitute is lentil. Lentils, if you cook and simmer in broth long enough, have a similar texture to ground meat. Lentils are cheap and versatile source of protein and it is not only limited to lentil soup and lentil salad. It can be used when puréed as a thickener to soups and stews, and even blend it into meatballs. In this vegetarian version of Shepherd's pie, I blended ground soy and lentils to substitute the ground lamb, and these ingredients are simmered in broth, herbs and aromatics to make this dish flavourful. For the vegan, you can omit the milk, butter and cheese that are blended in the potatoes.

What is your favourite vegetarian? Feel free to post your recipe link on the comment section.

Serves 12
Modified from Canadian Living: The Vegetarian Cookbook
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 50 mins
Baking Time: 30 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cups dried green lentils, rinsed and drained
1 package precooked soy protein
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 can diced tomatoes, liquid drained
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
4 russet or white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup milk
3 tbsps butter
1 1/2 cups old Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese
2 scallions, sliced

Procedure

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions, celery and carrot until softened, about 5 mins. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant.

2. Stir in lentils, soy protein, cumin, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 mins.

3. Add in diced tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and stir occasionally. Cook for 45 mins until lentils are tender.

4. Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook potatoes and sweet potatoes in boiling salted water for 15 mins, until tender.

5. Drain water and return to dry pot. Mash together with milk and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese.

6. Preheat oven to 375F.

7. Transfer lentil mixture in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.

8. Spread mashed potatoes over top.

9. Sprinkle with cheese and scallions. Bake for 25 mins until bubbly.

10. Serve.

Grantchester, UK - The Orchard

I wasn't too sure how to structure my blog posts about my trip in UK as I visited over 30 cities/villages in three weeks, well it is more like two weeks since the first week I stayed mainly in Cambridge because of the conference. 

Wikitravel has been my ultimate reference for my travelling, choosing the best places to eat and the safest places to visit. Without this, I would still fear of travelling alone and probably would not able to visit several cities in a short amount of time. When looking for information about a city, it also mentions its neighboring cities that are worth visiting. The village of Grantchester had caught my attention because of its breathtaking countryside view, and it is tradition to have a cup of tea in The Orchard when staying in Cambridge. This very small village is located about three miles out of the city. You can get there by punt, walk, bike or take the city bus.

The Orchard, established in 1868, is known for its hand-sized scones, some say it is the best place to have scones in England. As the name suggests, it is an orchard of apples where one sits on a deckchair and have scones and tea under a tree. Lovely, isn't it?

The tea room is self-service like in a cafeteria where you grab a tray and get whatever you feel like eating. When having scones in the UK, you must smother it with clotted cream and jam. Clotted cream is a thick and rich cream, a bit like whipping cream but the taste is not the same. Clotted cream and jam is the perfect combination, the ultimate indulgence.

Stay tuned for my next post about Cambridge.

Ariosto Seasoning - Risotto with Tomato Sauce

First thing first, I have just launched my fan page on Facebook.  If you enjoy my recipes, feel free to click on the Facebook logo below and "Like" my page. I guess by now, we have Facebook accounts so, I will use this opportunity to share with you some food news, interesting finds and recipes made by others, and even some cool science facts related to my field of research in nanotechnology. I love sharing my finds on Twitter and on my own personal wall. Feel free to post on the wall your favorite recipe, questions and comments.

While I was in a conference at Cambridge, I was contacted by an Italian company called Ariosto which sells all-natural seasoning mixes. I like their idea that they sell more than the basic Italian seasonings that are usually found in supermarkets. They have seasonings for potatoes, fishes, pasta sauces, roast beef, chicken, and even omelettes. If you are not the type of person who preserve herbs in your fridge, these products can be suitable for you.

I didn't hesitate to say yes when it comes to Italian food, so the company sent me samples of their products. On their website, there are some interesting and creative recipes that are published by other food bloggers, and some of them, I know quite well. Anyhow, I wanted to make a dish that doesn't intervene with any of the food bloggers. I was thinking of making something with the seasoning for tomato sauce. One would instantly think of mixing tomato sauce into pasta. I think tomato sauce has more than one purpose...

I was inspired from a few of my past recipes like Beef with Tomatoes, Rice with Shrimp Egg Sauce and Artichoke Risotto with Pesto. All these have a generous amount of sauce and served with a fair amount of rice. In fact, why not make a basic tomato sauce and mix it into a risotto?

Do you have a killer tomato sauce to share? Have you used tomato sauce other than on pasta? Please do post your recipe link on the comment section, I will definitely read it.

Serves 2
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Simmering Time: 45 mins to 1 hour for tomato sauce
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Ariosto seasoning for tomato based sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes

Risotto
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
4-5 cups warm vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce
2 tbsps butter (optional)
Parsley for garnish
Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Prepare tomato sauce. In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add Ariosto seasoning to the pan and brown it for a few seconds.

2. Add tomatoes with its juice and cut them into cubes with scissors. Bring to low heat. Simmer for 45 mins to 1 hour, uncovered until thickened.

3. Prepare risotto. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp of butter and oil over medium heat. Cook chopped onion until transparent, about 5 mins. Set aside.

4. Add Arborio rice to skillet and cook until translucent. Add a ladle of broth until the rice has adsorbed most of the liquid. Stir frequently. Bring back cooked onion to skillet.

5. Continue adding a ladle of broth at a time, stirring until liquid is almost fully adsorbed.

6. After 15 mins, once rice is almost done, stir in 1 1/2 cups of the prepared tomato sauce.

7. Continue adding broth in the same manner until rice is al dente. For a creamy texture, stir in 2 tbsps of butter.

8. Spoon risotto onto serving plates. Garnish with parsley and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Salmon en Papillote with Maple Syrup, Ginger and Mango

I'm back from my trip to UK. In fact, I was back since the beginning of August. I was just overwhelmed with work and I'm a bit behind with my research, so I'm catching up slowly... I also get distracted by the numerous summer activities and events in Montreal. If you visited Montreal, you would understand why...I received numerous e-mails and tweets about when I'll be publishing my next recipe. I have been pressured quite a lot by co-workers too, so you're not the only ones... I'm so fortunate to have such loyal viewers and I greatly appreciate it.

The Highlands of Scotland in a nice sunny day.

You might wonder what I did in my three-week vacation in the UK. I visited over 30 cities which includes Wales, England, Scotland & The Highlands. When I'm in a foreign country, I hunt for the best places to eat and acquire as much knowledge about their food culture. Expect some posts about my food adventures in the following weeks.

Yes, this is Stonehenge!

I received a request a week ago from my brother's friend who wants me to make a salmon dish which is savory and, at the same time, original. When I deal with salmon, I immediately think of "en papillote", a classic French cooking technique in which the fish is steamed inside a sealed pouch with fresh herbs, seasonings and aromatics. My favourite marriage of ingredients is maple syrup, ginger and lime which gives a contrast of sweet, tangy and citrus flavour to your dish. Simply licking your mixing bowl, you'll be amazed of this combination. I added some mango and coriander for some freshness to the salmon.

What is your favourite salmon dish? If you have already published a salmon recipe on your blog, feel free to post your link on the comment section. I would love to read it!

Note: I presented both ways to make a pouch. Both methods are as good, I didn't see any difference in terms of doneness and flavors.

Serves 4
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Oven Time: 15 to 18 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 salmon fillets, skin on or off
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish
3 tbsps maple syrup
1 tbsp ginger, grated
2 tbsps lime juice
2 tbsps coriander, chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 mangoes, cut into cubes

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. In a medium bowl, mix maple syrup, ginger, lime juice, coriander and scallion.

3. Add in the mangoes and, with a spoon, gently coat the mangoes with syrup mixture.

2 options for the pouching:

4. Cut parchment paper in a heart shape. Add a tsp of olive oil in the middle of one side of the heart. Place the salmon skin side down, add 1/4 of the mango garnish on top of the salmon.

Fold the other half of the paper, starting from one end of the heart, crimp the open edges to seal them by making a series of small folds.

OR

4. Lay a foot-long parchment paper. Repeat the above process for the salmon. The pouch should look like a calzone.

5. Place salmon pouches on a baking pan and bake for 15-18 mins.

6. To serve, place the pouches on serving plates, and let each person cut open his or her own pouch. Bon apétit!

Parsley Hummus with/without Tahini

I am now officially in UK, staying at Trinity College, one of the oldest residence in Cambridge University, built in the mid-1500s and founded by Henri VIII. Famous scientists, mathematicians as well as numerous Nobel prize winners used to stay in Trinity, so it is quite wonderful to know that I am staying where the fundamental science has started. 

My body hasn't gotten used to the jet lag. So basically I am writing this post at 3 in the morning (10PM in Montreal time). I guess I have free up some time for food blogging. The past weeks, I have been practising my presentation for the conference in front of various groups of people, those who knows my research and those who doesn't. It gives a good indication on how well I am transmitting my key messages to the audience. The more practice, the more confident that I will be able to answer audience's questions. This is always nervous part of the presentation. You will never know what kind of trick questions that will be asked. The most terrifying moment is not able to answer the question properly.

A while back, I made hummus, great for spreading on bread every morning, rarely I have time to make fancy breakfast in the morning. I create many variations of hummus so I won't get tired of eating hummus everyday. Try to blend some flavours, explore alternatives. For example, tahini paste has a silky texture and nutty flavour, why not substitute with peanut butter or raw coconut butter or even almond butter.

If you like hummus, what flavours would you put in it?

Preparation Time: 5 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 19oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo) beans
1/3 cup tahini or smooth peanut butter or coconut butter (Artisana Raw Coconut Butter)
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 pinch salt
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 apple, quartered (optional)
1 handful of parsley
2-3 tbsp water (if necessary)

Procedure

1. In a food processor, blend chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, salt until smooth.

2. Add in garlic and apple. If necessary, add few tbsps of water if mixture is too thick. Blend in parsley.

3. For decoration, make a circular well on the hummus and drizzle with hummus. Place unblended chickpeas in the well.

Hoisin Peanut Butter Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

I can't believe it has been nearly a month since my last blog post. Don't worry nothing life threatening happened to me the past few weeks. I was basically stuck with loads of paperwork, 2-months of paperwork that I set aside during my PhD exam. I didn't realize that I have that much work to do, so food blogging was set aside for a while, seriously I didn't expect to be that long. Hopefully, I didn't desert you viewers for too long (probably I did). I have lots of blog catching up to do.

Here's a quick update of my weeks:

1. For all of you who were waiting impatiently of the results of my PhD exam, I successfully passed it.
   
   
2. After 8 months from the submission of my thesis, I finally graduated and received my Master degree.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Some of you might already know the news, I will be heading to UK to give a talk about my research at a conference in Cambridge University in mid-July. Afterwards, I will travel around UK until the end of July. I will be meeting some food bloggers. If you live in UK, I would gladly meet you, just send me an e-mail.

If you're busy person like me and don't feel doing much on the stove. This Thai-inspired dish is something you do want to make on your lazy-to-cook days. All you need is to mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and brush it over the chicken. Leave it in the oven until fully cooked. Remember: a balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours is key to a great Thai dish. 

Preparation Time: 5 mins
Baking Time: 50-55 mins
Adapted from Canadian Living
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup green onions, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp gingerroot, grated
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes (or Sriracha) (optional)
8-10 chicken legs or thighs

Procedure

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except for the chicken.

2. Arrange chicken in a lightly oiled baking pan.

3. Brush sauce over chicken. Bake for 50-55 mins until golden brown and juices run clear when pierced with a fork.

4. Garnish with green onions.