warm dilly potato salad

MMMmmmm, potatoes... creamy and dreamy, I serve this simple salad warm in the winter. Purrfect comfort food... Once my friend J.P. asked me for an easy recipe to
bring to a potluck, as he is not kitchenally inclined. I passed him this one, and he said that everybody loved it. I replied that he musta put some of his majic juju in... a crucial ingredient in everything you make!

serves 4-6
10 medium sized russet potatoes
3/4c vegenaise
1 1/2 tbsp patak’s curry paste or 1 tbsp dijon (depending on what you're going for)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2c dill, chopped
1/2c cherry tomatoes
avocado slices for garnish

Boil the potatoes in a big pot of water until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain and allow to cool - you can put them in the fridge to cool faster if you want, but bear in mind this uses a lot of electricity. In a smaller bowl, mix the vegenaise with the curry paste, lemon juice and dill. Toss the cooled potatoes in the sauce. Serve over lettuce and garnish with avo slices and cherry tomatoes.

simple stir-fry

This is one of my winter default meals - a quick, warming, balancing lunch that satisfies and digests easily. I put some quinoa on to start (it only takes 15 minutes), chop & fry the veggies, and then everything's done at the same time. Also, the vegetable content is fluid - it's pretty much whatever's in the fridge. This is an example of what is usually there in the winter - it should vary through the year to use what's seasonal, and therefore attune you to your environment.

1c quinoa
1 1/2c boiling water
1/2 tsp salt or 1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 tsp ghee or coconut oil
1 1/2 tsp whole cumin seed
1/2c julienned onion
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic (optional)
1 carrot, sliced
1 pc. burdock root, same size as the carrot, peeled and sliced
1/2 block smoked tofu, sliced in the shape you desire (optional)
1 tbsp tamari
1 tsp maple syrup (my not-so-secret ingredient)
1c lacinato kale, de-stemmed and chopped
1c small-cut broccoli florets

garnish:
Cilantro Pesto or chopped cilantro
avocado wedges
toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Soak the quinoa for 5 minutes, then rinse it to remove that bitter flavour, (I forget what it's called). Cover with boiling water, bring it all to a boil, and then simmer for 12 minutes. This is when having a transparent lid for your pots is indispensible, because lifting the lid mid-way through its process never bodes well for the grain. When the quinoa is done, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes before lifting the lid.
Meanwhile, heat your oil in a heavy skillet and pop the cumin seeds. When they start to darken, toss in the onions, ginger and garlic if you're going there. Buddhists believe that garlic is agitating for the mind, and I have found this to be true for myself. However, if I'm feeling like i'm getting sick or experiencing any candida issues, I include the garlic for its antibacterial, anti-fungal and immune-boosting properties.
When the onions start to become translucent, toss in the carrots and burdock, and then a few shakes of tamari. Burdock likes some sort of sugar while it cooks, so I usually toss in the maple syrup at this point. After a couple of minutes, add the kale and broccoli. You may want to include a bit more tamari at this point. Let it cook just until the broccoli turns bright green. Serve over quinoa, garnished with tha goods above, and nourish yourself with presence and gratitude for your abundance in this life.

millet cakes over maché with tahini-pu'ehr drizzle

Last night I joined some lovely friends for an intimate dinner in Spider Lake. I'd been mulling over this recipe for a while, and the complex melange of flavours came together impeccably, I must say! I love drinking tea, especially with Genevieve, and I love cooking with it as well. When you cook grains in rooibos tea, it greatly increases the beneficial antioxidant qualities of the tea, as well as add an earthiness to the flavour and a deep orangey-red colour. The Pu-ehr tea in the dressing adds depth and intense earthiness - there really is no substitute for this tea. Pu-ehr is for conoissours, as it is somewhat of an acquired taste on its own... it tastes remarkably like dirt. It is a digestive tea, as well as is rumoured to lower cholesterol. Part of Pu-ehr's magic is that it is aged in caves in China with a secret method, and because of this has no tannins, and therefore appreciates with time.
This recipe's high on the creativity scale, but involves more layers than the other dishes I've posted so far, so it takes a bit more time. Trust me! You won't regret the time spent wiling away in the kitchen...

serves 6

Millet Cakes

3/4c millet
1 1/2c hot rooibos tea
1/2 tsp salt

1c delicata squash
1 tsp ghee or coconut oil
1 tbsp whole cumin
1c julienned onion
1 tsp garlic
1/2 julienned dried apricots
3c maché or arugula

Tahini-Pu'ehr Dressing

1/4c pu-ehr tea
2 tbsp tahini
1 tsp finely grated ginger
1 tsp tamari
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp ground habanero pepper ( or other spicy that you like)

Cilantro Pesto (I told you I use it on everything!)

Cook the millet for 1/2 hour in the rooibos tea with salt, as opposed to water. When you start the millet, it's helpful to toss the delicata squash in the oven for timing purposes. Meanwhile, heat the ghee and pop the cumin seeds in it. Saute the garlic and onion until carmelized, and dress with a pinch of salt in the process. Then combine the cooked millet, roasted squash, onion mix and apricots in a big bowl and work it with your hands, infusing your good will into the food. Form the mix into six patties and pan-sear them in ghee or coconut oil until golden brown. While that's happening, you can combine all the tahini dressing ingredients in the blender and mix well. Cover six appetizer plates with the maché, place one patty on each, drizzle some tahini dressing ( a squeeze bottle works well for this) and dollop some cilantro pesto on top. Your guests will be most impressed... as will your tastebuds!

vegetable dal

Dal, or some variation of it, is one of the most commonly eaten foods in India. If you choose to make this recipe, rest assured that you'll be eating similarly to at least 500 million other people! An Ayurvedic doctor and teacher of mine taught me how to make this recipe. But first, the basics: ghee is the most commonly used cooking fat in India, and for good reason - the cow is sacred, and this is its elixir. Ghee has a soothing, lubricating quality for the digestion and even the mind. It enables nutrients to be absorbed, is a stable saturated fat... and it tastes heavenly.

1 lb. organic butter

Making ghee is sadhana, or spiritual practice, for many women in India. It is especially important to approach this act with reverence - I like to chant Yoga Sutras into the ghee. Melt the butter on medium heat, and then simmer on med-low for 15-20 minutes. The ghee will crackle and hiss - this is normal. When it starts to quiet, remove immediately from heat. The ghee must be watched because you have about a 1 minute window before it burns. It's very sad when that happens.

Dal - serves 4
time: approx. 1 hr.

2c dry yellow split peas or yellow mung beans
6c water - perhaps more
1 1/2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1c onion, chopped
2 tbsp ginger, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh ground habanero (or other spicy that you like to use)
1c carrots, sliced
1c kale, de-stemmed and chopped (the de-stemming is a personal preference)
1/4c cilantro, chopped

Start by soaking the split peas for 2 hours. While this step isn't necessary, I prefer to do it because the split peas cook down more easily. Drain and rinse three times before bringing the peas to a boil. Cook them until they lose their shape entirely - about 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a skillet. Once it's hot, toss in the cumin and mustard, then stand back. The mustard seeds will pop after a few seconds. Now add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and saute. When the peas are almost cooked through, add the turmeric, salt, pepper and chilis. Back to the pan - when the onion begins to be translucent, toss in the carrots and stir. You may also toss a bit of salt in to encourage the vegetables to soak up the flavour of the seeds. Toss the kale in after the carrots have been cooking for about 5 minutes. When the kale turns bright green, add the mixture in the pan to the cooked split peas. Stir, taste and adjust the seasoning if need be. Let the whole thing marry for 10 minutes, then serve, garnished with cilantro.

cilantro pesto

I keep this delectable and versatile spread on hand.... pretty much all the time. Through the summer I tend to get jiggy on the basil, but for the rest of the year this hardy herb can't be beat for a mean green pesto. And it gets better - cilantro is the best chelating green, which means it works hard to rid your body of heavy metals and other icky stuff, while replenishing you with the good stuff. So of course this recipe found its way onto the asian slaw, but it's good for pretty much anything - top rice with it, slather it on crackers or toast, make a salad nori roll with smoked tofu... that's starting to sound like another entry. Regardless, you're welcome to smear it all over yourself and streak through the streets... or maybe that's just me. Enjoy!

1 bunch washed cilantro ( about 2 cups packed)
1c soaked cashews (soak em for at least 15 minutes)
2-3 cloves garlic
1 lemon, juiced (about 1 tbsp)
1 tsp maple syrup
a dash of spicy (optional - whatever your preffered crack is)
1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
1/2 tsp sea salt
...and perhaps a little water to help it turn

Chuck it all in the Cuisinart and hit puree. If you're lacking a food processor, you're welcome to duke it out with your blender, but you'll probably need to work it with a good wooden spoon unless you've got a vita-mix. And you must recognize that a food processor is one of the essential tools of the game, a purchase you'll never regret if you love making dips and grated things and chocolate avo pudding... big green kiss, lady k

sunday asian slaw

I awoke with the meanderings of this salad upon my lips... and with a newly sharpened Global and my sexy sous chef, this dish evolved to fruition swiftly and sweetly. We made the deluxe version, as it was the focus of lunch, but you're welcome to pare it down for your purposes.

serves 4

3c julienned savoy cabbage (the light frilly kind)
1c grated carrot
1/2c rehydrated seaweed - arame, wakame or hijiki
2/3c sliced smoked tofu (a la soynova from salt spring island, if available)
1c julienned kale

3/4c peanut butter
1 1/2 tbsp miso
2 tbsp finely grated ginger (the microplane grater is my new best friend)
1-2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp dijon mustard (optional)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
some sort of spicy - if ya wanna
warm water to reach desired consistency

garnish:
avocado slices
cilantro pesto (optional - for time constraints simply garnish with chopped cilantro)
toasted sesame seeds

In a big bowl, combine the cabbage, carrot, seaweed, tofu and kale. In a smaller bowl, stir all the wet ingredients together, adding a little warm water at the end till the sauce is nicely stir-able, but still thick. Taste and adjust - the flavour should travel all the way around your mouth and then some. Also, when making a sauce for raw vegetables, remember to make it punchier than you think, because the flavour will become diluted once it's covering the veggies. Now it's time to WORK IT!! (see photo of sexy sous chef doing just that). Yes, he worked that salad for a good ten or fifteen minutes, encouraging the flavours to permeate the cell walls of those brassicas... I digress. We noshed this salad down over quinoa, in big bowls made by a local potter, with generous dollops of cilantro pesto and slabs of avocado. The sesame seeds add an integral crunch and nuttiness that is positively delightful. Go on now, make it your own.... xo lady k