FFWD – Roasted Salmon and Lentils

March 2, 2012May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 10 Comments

Once again, I present you with a mediocre image, because we tend to eat dinner a bit late and I absolutely wanted to share this dish with Kevin. We love salmon and this simple roasted version is a wonderful complement for Dorie’s lentil recipe. I replaced a little of the chicken stock with 1/4 cup of white wine, just because its flavour goes so well with salmon. Next time, I’ll add a sprig of thyme to the lentils, too. This was an easy, bistro-style meal. I opted to discard the very soft onion, celery, and carrot that had helped to flavour the lentils and served this with steamed broccoli, instead.

This is the sort of meal I use as an example when folks ask me if it’s a hardship living with someone who cannot eat gluten. It’s hard to feel deprived when there are so many alternatives. Still, there are things Kevin misses. He just got Laura B. Russell’s The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen from the library and I think we might have to put it on our To Buy list. There are recipes for gluten-free dumplings, tempura, and potstickers included in the book – all things he can’t have at restaurants. There’s such a wealth of gluten-free cookbooks and blogs available now and many of us are also picking up the skills to make our own conversions.

So, there’s no need to extend sympathy to me or to Kevin. We’re eating well. I hope your weekend’s full of good food, family, and friends, too.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Roasted Salmon and Lentils

FFWD – Cheese-Topped Onion Soup

February 24, 2012May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 16 Comments

French onion soup resides at the intersection of elegance and comfort. When I was growing up, it was ubiquitous on the menus of fine dining and family style restaurants alike. For children, it provided a little danger and frustration, too – warnings about the temperature of the bowl and its contents, the long wait to avoid burning our tongues and ruining our enjoyment of the soup (as well as everything that came after).

Breaking through the crust of cheese and bread was the beginning of our pleasure, pushing that crust piece by piece under the broth part of the ritual, and eating the sopping bits our next task, by which time the broth was finally cool enough to eat. Slowly cooked onions were a sort of miracle to me, unable to tolerate the taste of raw and lightly cooked onions well into my teens. The sweet-savoury flavour of slow-cooked onions became one of my favourites.

I was lucky enough to have a mother who took the time to make French onion soup at home, without the aid of packaged soup mixes (those were for dip, after all). I’m still lucky – it was my mother who spent an afternoon cooking these onions down. I’d started the soup at her house, then realized I’d have to leave sooner than I’d expected. She put the partly-cooked onions into the freezer, then cooked them in time for my next visit. My role in the making of this soup was much easier than it should have been, just a matter of re-hydrating the onions in broth, toasting the bread and grating the cheese.

As a sort of compensation, I baked Kim Boyce‘s banana walnut cake for dessert. It made me feel I’d really contributed to the meal. After all, it’s the slow browning of the onions that carries the flavour of this soup. Deglazing the pan with wine deepens that flavour, rather than changing it. When you add the broth, the onions plump and lighten, lending their colour and flavour to the soup. Everything else is subordinate.

We skipped the spoonful of cognac in the bottom, without feeling we were missing anything. I can see myself adding the cognac when using the soup to begin a celebration meal, though. We stuck to the comfort end of this soup’s identity on this night, following it up with some pasta sauced with pesto I made last summer and oven-roasted vegetables.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Cheese-Topped Onion Soup

FFWD – Mussels and Chorizo With or Without Pasta

February 17, 2012 ~ Teresa ~ 32 Comments

I’m not sure who decided that a pound of mussels was a single serving, but this week’s dish proves it to be a generous calculation. I halved the recipe and was able to feed five people. Granted, we ate it with some lovely spinach rice pasta from Tinkyada and some even lovelier bread from one of my favourite bakeries, so I guess that helped stretch the portions. Regardless, we were all well-satisfied with the meal.

I’d spent the day with my nieces, providing a little back up as they attempted their first Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. They succeeded brilliantly, I must say – the chocolate truffle tart they made was a fantastic finish to our meal.

It was a great way to spend the day. Earlier, my mother shared the kitchen with us as she made a creamy lentil soup for our lunch. I provided troubleshooting advice and a little bit of hands on help for the girls as they worked their way through the stages of their tart construction. I also got them started on their first blog post, then left them together, side by side, as they chose and edited their photos and wrote the text.

Later on, I started working on the mussels and chorizo pasta. This is one of those recipes where more time is taken in preparation than in the actual cooking. Chopping the vegetables, frying the chorizo, and debearding the mussels were the difficult parts of this recipe. Which is to say, there weren’t really any difficult parts. In fact, cooking the pasta – a completely hands off task – was the one thing I had to budget time for.

So, just when the truffle tart came out of the oven, I put the pasta on and by the time it was cooked, everything was ready to go into another pot for the main event. The total cooking time is about 15 minutes, from cooking down the vegetables to steaming the mussels. It’s hard to believe a meal this impressive is quick enough for a weeknight dinner.

I hadn’t cooked mussels before, but I’m definitely over that apprehension now. I’m also looking forward to baking and cooking again with family, soon.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Mussels and Chorizo With or Without Pasta

FFWD – Brioche and Nutella Tartine

February 10, 2012 ~ Teresa ~ 21 Comments

A month ago, the rest of the French Fridays gang presented their posts on Dorie’s brioche recipe. I missed out on that, but this week’s recipe turned out to be the perfect excuse to catch up. I chose to use Dorie’s bonne idée for this recipe, rather than making the bubble-top rolls. A loaf works much better for tartines, after all. I also wanted to make braided loaves, just because I think they look so lovely.

Brioche is one of those breads that intimidate home bakers, me included. But, with the help of a sturdy stand mixer, all things are possible. When it comes to bread, anyway. The only other obstacle to brioche success is my penchant for doing things at the last minute. I’m usually one of the last to post my link on the French Fridays site and it’s not just because I’m on the west coast. This time I forced myself to plan ahead.

Making brioche, aside from the worries about overheating the stand mixer during the ten-minute kneading process, is pleasantly slow. Once the dough’s first rise is done, it’s put into the refrigerator and deflated at intervals until the yeast gives up. After an overnight rest, it’s shaped and then left at room temperature to warm enough for the yeast to become active again. After that final rise, into the oven it goes.

What you get for your patience is a light, eggy, buttery loaf, with a rich yeastiness that’s a result of holding back the dough’s rise for so long. It’s just made for tartines (and French toast, too).

A tartine is an open-faced sandwich, usually with a decadent topping. I think this Nutella tartine qualifies. The slices of bread are brushed with melted butter, then toasted under the broiler. Mine got a little too toasted around the edges, but not enough to affect the taste.

This tartine starts with a layer of bitter orange marmalade, then streaks of warmed, softened Nutella are added on top. It’s finished with chopped hazelnuts (which I skipped) and some sea salt.

Apparently, a slice of bread with Nutella is a traditional after-school snack in France. With Dorie’s additions, I’m sure many parents might be tempted to keep these tartines all to themselves.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of these recipes here: Bubble-Top Brioche Rolls and Nutella Tartine

FFWD – Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche

February 3, 2012 ~ Teresa ~ 11 Comments

The name of this dish is misleading, in my case. I couldn’t find any Gorgonzola, so I used a Dutch blue cheese. It was nearly as mild as the Gorgonzola I usually get and it melded well with the apple and onion in this lovely quiche. Today’s post is just a quick one, as I’m away from home right now. I’ll just share some photos with you and let you know that this quiche is one worth making again – next time, I’ll have the Gorgonzola, I swear.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche

FFWD – Broth-Braised Potatoes

January 27, 2012May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 13 Comments

I unabashedly love the potato, in all its guises, but I have to admit it’s usually in the background of a meal. Even when the potato is the star of a dish, it’s often another ingredient that steals the show. In gratins and mash, it’s the cream, cheese, butter, or garlic that you really remember. Even French fries are mostly a deep-fried delivery system for cooking oil.

Braising brings to mind slowly cooked meat, fragrant with wine and herbs. What happens though, when the same care is given to the potato? In this week’s French Fridays dish, new potatoes (or fingerlings, or baby potatoes) are simmered with stock, garlic, lemon zest, and herbs. Dorie describes these as “energized” boiled potatoes and I’d describe them as potatoes that easily stand on their own. I’ve made them with chicken stock or vegetable broth and have been equally happy with the results, but it’s important to use fresh herbs. It makes a huge difference. I’ve dressed them lightly with just salt and pepper, sometimes with a bit of butter, or with a squeeze of lemon. They’re perfect for soaking up juices, too, as they did when I served them with steak.

Taking a bit of care with potatoes turns out to take almost as little time as simply boiling them.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Broth-Braised Potatoes

Gluten-Free Goodness in Vancouver

January 24, 2012May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 2 Comments

On Sunday, Kevin and I visited Vancouver’s first (annual, I hope) Gluten-Free Expo. I didn’t take any photos there, as I’d intended, because the crowds were huge. Around 3,000 people attended, so many that some booths ran out of stock and had to send for more. Some of our favourite gluten-free vendors were there and we discovered some new ones, too. Things are looking up for those with celiac disease and gluten-intolerance.

Inspired by the expo, I thought I’d do a round up of some great gluten-free goods. I’ve posted about a few favourites before, but the list just keeps growing. As does the awareness of how to serve gluten-avoiding customers safely in restaurants.

Gluten-Free Bakeries

mygoodness!

Mountain Top Café and Bakery

Panne Rizo

The Sweet Tooth Cakery

Quejos

Choices Rice Bakery

Gluten-Free Grocers

All Choices stores label gluten-free goods with a blue shelf tag and stores like East End Food Co-op, Donald’s Market, Nestor’s, and Drive Organics carry gluten-free goods, but there’s only one store in Vancouver that is dedicated to gluten-free goods entirely – Ed’s Gluten Free Specialty (which has sadly gone out of business, now).

If you’re looking for gluten-free flours, though, my first choice is Famous Foods. They have a huge selection of flours, along with tonnes of grains, nuts, and seeds.

Gluten-Free Dining

Vancouver is a great city for gluten-free eating. So many establishments get it. I’m listing a few that we’ve had good experiences with, but there are many more. Call ahead and ask if the restaurant you’re interested in can accommodate a gluten-free eater. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how many places, even if they don’t have a dedicated gluten-free menu, know how to take care of people who avoid gluten.

The Reef on Commercial Drive

Biercraft on the Drive

The Wallflower

Gluten-Free Resources

The Canadian Celiac Association

The Celiac Scene

Gluten-Free Vancouver

All the photos in this week’s post are gluten-free dishes from past posts. Here’s the list, if you’re interested:

A Tale of Two Crusts

Mustard Bâtons

Chicken B’Stilla

Marie-Hélène’s Apple Cake

FFWD – Quatre-Quarts

January 20, 2012January 20, 2012 ~ Teresa ~ 12 Comments

I told someone recently that I like to build a wall of sugar between the world and me. Bringing treats to meetings and gatherings has always been my way of coping with a lifelong shyness. There are other benefits, too. Last night, I brought cake to our housing co-op’s annual budget planning meeting, as I think sweets help sweeten the process for people. We’re lucky, actually, as we have a lot of talented cooks and bakers in our co-op, so most meetings are delicious (and mostly productive) affairs.

I wasn’t sure that I was going to have time to make this week’s recipe, but Quatre-Quarts is so simple I was able to get it together in time to slip it onto a plate, still warm from the oven, just as I was ready to leave for the meeting. Its ingredients are similar to a pound cake, but separating the eggs and whipping the whites gives it a much lighter texture. It’s a plain cake, served as a snack or with fruit and cream. Dorie sprinkles her version with brown sugar to give it a caramelized crispness. I added ginger and nutmeg to mine, just because.

I didn’t get a chance to photograph it properly before I left and I returned with only two tiny slivers, which somehow disappeared before I got up the gumption to plate them and set up a shot. I’d much rather a cake that disappears than an untouched one, anyway.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Quatre-Quarts

FFWD – Potato Chip Tortilla

January 13, 2012May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 3 Comments

There’s something retro about using potato chips in a recipe, something very early-sixties-potluck about it. Back then, it would have been the topping on a casserole, but here it appears in a take on the Basque tortilla. There’s also something au courant about this recipe, too, particularly with the madness over Mad Men. Today, we’ve got a dish that would probably be described as convenience food, elevated.

I made it for brunch and everyone at the table was a little apprehensive about trying it. But, the potato chips sort of disappear into the eggs, leaving only a smoky potato flavour. There’s no milk or cheese in this dish, so the flavours of the other ingredients aren’t softened. The bite of the cayenne, the sweetness of the onion and garlic, and the freshness of the herbs complement the flavour of the potato (chips), with the richness of the eggs holding it all together.

I can’t say that I’d revisit this recipe soon; I’d much rather stick with real potatoes. I do think the mixed herbs are likely to find their way into the pan the next time I make the traditional version. I’ll also admit that the potato chips acquitted themselves very well.

I’m a little behind on French Fridays – the others posted about this a few weeks ago. You can find their posts on this recipe here: Potato Chip Tortilla.

FFWD – Cauliflower-Bacon Gratin

December 30, 2011 ~ Teresa ~ 17 Comments

Some words for December are sumptuous, indulgence, plenty. The words for January include abstemious, forgo, careful. In this culture, we’re encouraged to gorge ourselves in the darkness of the year, then diet as the light returns. Whether it’s food or shopping, consumption and shame are made into two sides of the same coin. It’s not a dichotomy I like very much.

So, with that in mind, I don’t present this week’s French Friday dish as an end-of-the-year indulgence, but as a dish that can carry you through the winter – warming you, nourishing you, and pleasing your palate.

It’s billed as a side dish, but I could be satisfied with only a portion of this dish on my plate.

I do think it’s a lovely dish for the last French Friday of the year, though. It’s delicious, pretty, and very French (though the cheese I used was Swiss).