Cilantro & Lime Rice

Cilantro and Lime Rice by Closet Cooking
(makes 4+ side dish servings)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 cup long grained rice (I like to use brown)
2 cups water
1 handful cilantro (chopped)
1 lime (juice and zest)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the rice and toast in the oil for a few minutes.
5. Add the water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered until tender, about 20 minutes for white rice or 40-50 minutes for brown.
6. Remove from the heat and mix in the cilantro, lime juice and zest.

Dreamy Lemon Blueberry Muffins

DREAMY LEMON-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients:

2 cups cake/pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup canola oil
juice of one lemon
zest of one lemon
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
organic cane sugar (coarse) for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 and prepare muffin tin with liners. Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Mix together almond milk, water, oil, juice, and zest. Pour into flour mixture and stir but do not over-mix. Fold in blueberries. Fill the muffin tins half way, sprinkle with cane sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

A cold day in October

GeoTagged, [N44.32714, E76.16871]

Ahhhh, cold enough today to keep the oven running for a couple of hours. On the docket today:

Granola sweetened with agave nectar featuring organic Sultanas, organic shredded coconut, sunflower and chia seeds and organic walnut chunks. Made enough to feed a hippie army.

Currently underway: coconut milk rice pudding with beautiful brown long grains and dough for home made English muffins is rising. Wish me luck!

RED & GREEN POTATO SALAD

Ingredients:

· 1 .5 lbs new baby potatoes, washed

· ½ sweet onion, diced

· 2 stalks celery, diced

· 4 scallions, diced

· meat of 1 avocado,

· 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

· juice of 1 small lime

· 1 clove garlic, minced

· ¾ tsp sea salt, ground fine

· black pepper to taste

1-2 cups washed salad greens (I like arugula or baby romaine)


Directions


Boil potatoes softly. They should be easily pierced with a fork, but not fall apart. Allow to cool and then cut into halves.


In a small bowl, mash together avocado (leave a few chunks), olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add potatoes, celery and scallions and toss together.


Serve chilled over salad greens.


Enjoy!

Fall in my Soup

Okay, call me crazy.  When the temperature drops below 20C, I am in my glory!  Time for Autumn harvest and it's finally cool enough to cook!  It's a drizzly, windy day and we  are in the mood for some hot, creamy soup.

This golden, yummy soup is inspired by a Moosewood Restaurant staple.  Golden winter squash, sweet apple and the warmth of cinnamon are brought together in one yummy bowl!  Add some crusty bread and (voila! ), you have a very satisfying fall meal.


Ingredients:

Vegetable oil or broth for sauteeing
2 organic yellow onions, chopped
1/2 dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
4 organic carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks organic celery, chopped
3 cups organic vegetable stock, homemade or prepared
2 cups winter squash puree, I used roasted butternut squash
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup orange juice
1 cup apple juice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a stock pot, saute onions in oil (or broth) for a few minutes.  Add herbs and spices a to onions and until the onions become translucent.  Add carrots, celery and broth.  Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, until the veggies become tender.  Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.  Puree the cooked vegetables, stock, juices and squash together in batches.  Reheat gently and serve.  It is wonderful topped with a balsamic vinegar reduction or some vegan sour cream.  Recipe yields 8 generous servings.

Yummy Tofu Marinade

I am a terrible blogger! I've given up most food of late in favor of a soya latte misto at the Socialist Pig in Gananoque. After meeting (at the Pig, totally unexpectedly!) one who thus far has only been a facebook vegan friend, I am once again reaching for real food! Thanks, Christina!

Marinade:

1/2 C Bragg's liquid aminos

1/4 C extra virgin sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T maple syrup

1 T tomato paste

2 T peanut butter

2 t dry mustard powder

Mix all ingredients together and pour over pressed tofu. Marinate 1-2 hours, or longer if you have the time. You can bake, broil, grill or saute it, but I prefer it "raw" on a big salad. You can also toss it with cooked noodles a veggie using the leftover marinade as a sauce. . . YUM! I'm hungry and can't wait for it to marinate!

Chunky Avacado Salsa, a.k.a. Tonight's Dinner, Round #1

A spin on Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's No-Queso Quesadillas, I stuffed mine with storebought (gasp!!!) spinach and artichoke hummus and panfried with a little safflower oil. Add to that a little homemade chunky avacado salsa and we have a winner! This entire meal took less that 15 minutes from cutting board to plate!

CHUNKY AVACADO SALSA

Ingredients:

1 large avacado, chilled and chunked

1 large tomato, chopped coarsely

1/4 C chili sauce (mine was mild and sweet from the farmer's market)

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve. If I had planned this meal, I would have added a little lime juice and zest, also maybe a little coarse sea salt. Make it. Eat it. Weep.