Notes, Veggies

– Ontario Hothouse Tomato & Cucumber Salsa, Orleans 1990

I worked as a veggie pusher at a Grocery Store for one week, making this recipe. I still make it all the time.

3 large hothouse tomatoes

1 hothouse cucumber (English)

1 small onion

1 small green onions

1 tbsp. vinegar

2 tbsp. oil

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. garlic powder

salt & pepper

Peel your tomatoes, using boiling water if you like, it’s just as good with the skin. Wash and cut your tomatoes in half, horizontally through the middle, and remove the seeds. Chop them into small salsa size bits. Do the same with your cucumber, and onion. Mix it all together adding the remaining ingredients. Let it sit for at least an hour to marinate. Drain the mix using a colander and serve with nacho chips. You can really experiment with this recipe by adding things like corn, black beans, coriander etc..

– Fried Plantain

After extensive field research, I have found the best way to fry plantain. My mom learned to fry it in Barbados, using butter. A woman from Trinidad lightly dusts thick slices of plantain in flour and then in oil. My friend John Ade, from Nigeria, showed me how to: 1) take a ripe plantain (it should look blackish & soft, not yellow and hard), 2) cut THIN slices, at a SHARP angle, and 3) fry them in HOT oil. Let them brown and 4) remove them and let them rest on paper towel briefly before serving. Tastes best HOT. YUM.

Basically when I cook I throw stuff together. I survived on brown rice and broccoli last summer.

– Chrissie’s Best Broccoli & Rice (Winnipeg)

While the rice is cooking you blanch (throw it in boiling water for a couple of minutes) your green stuff, then set it aside to drain and cool in a colander. Then (usually) in a frying pan slowly cook some garlic that has been chopped fine very slowly.

Then add ginger or ginger powder. If you have it, a table spoon of oyster sauce, and  a shot of soy sauce.

A table spoon of peanut butter comes next, let it melt gently. All the proportions are

dependent on  how much broccoli you're serving.

I added too much peanut butter the last time because I'm use to making it just for myself.

The sauce in the frying pan will be more of a thick paste, but once you add the

drained broccoli and toss it around it will turn the proper consistency to pour over the rice.

I added pre-pan fried chicken. Olive oil gives it a golden colour.

– Veggie-Wok-Noodles

pre-washed bean sprouts

red pepper

1 can bamboo shoot rinsed

1 can water chestnuts rinsed and sliced

1/2 can corn

1/2 cup diced onions

1 cup frozen peas

3 sliced mushrooms

diced/sliced green chives

2 pkgs. Chinese Mr. Noodles ( I used the Mushroom FLAVOR)

I also cheated and used a Chow Mien spice mix I found in my dad’s cupboard.

First I boiled the noodles for 3 minutes, strained and set them aside.

Then I stir fried the bamboo shoots and the onions, added the mushrooms, sprouts and let it cook for a minute.

Then added the rest of the veggies minus the green onions   continued…

I friend the noodles in a tsp. of sesame oil. Once crispy, I added soy sauce.

I then added the other veggies and topped it off with the green onions.

I’m pretty sure that was it :) Enjoy

– Pappardelle of Zucchini, taken from the Union Square Café Cookbook     NYC 1995

A pasta dish without the pasta! This favorite signature recipe debuted on Union square Café’s opening night menu.  The zucchini and yellow squash are cut into long thin strips to mimic-the-shape of the classic pappardelle noodle.  The trick to this easy-to-prepare dish is to have all the ingredients at hand when you begin cooking.  Cook the squash quickly, so it doesn’t give off too much water and dilute the sauce.

Serves 4

1 pound (2 medium) zucchini, washed, ends trimmed

1 pound (2 medium) yellow squash, washed, ends trimmed

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons minced garlic

½ teaspoon (kosher) salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup basil, cut into thin ribbons

2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced

2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce (see below)

2 tablespoons heavy cream

¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1.     Slice the zucchini and squash  lengthwise into 1/8 inch strips on a mandoline. (If you don’t have a mandoline, the backside of a spatula shaped cheese slicer is just as effective.) Be sure the zucchini slices are  not stuck together.

2.     Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Just before the olive oil begins to smoke, add the cut squash and stir. Continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the squash strips are barely wilted.  Add the white wine, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Toss in the basil and tomatoes.  Stir in the tomato sauce, heavy cream, and half the Parmigiano. Bring to a boil.  serve immediately with the remaining Parmigiano sprinkled on top.

– Christmas Ravioli                                                                Ottawa, December 12, 2000

olive oil

½ Red Onion

1 can plum tomatoes

1 leek

1 ½ cups chopped cabbage

1 ½ cups chopped spinach

1 red bell pepper roasted

hand-fulls of mushrooms

¼ cup sesame seeds

Ravioli Dough

Make your dough according to the recipe and let sit for half an hour, while you make the rest.

Start the tomato sauce and the ravioli filling at the same time in two separate pots. Add a tablespoon of oil to each pot and set each to medium heat. Dice the onion while the oil heats up and add half and half to each pot…maybe a little more to the tomato sauce pot. While the onions are turning soft chop up the leek fine…about a cup. Wash under the tap and let drip, then throw into the ravioli sauce pot, followed by your cabbage. Once your onions have softened add mushrooms and what ever else you would normally add to a tomato sauce (diced carrots and celery are good). Keep stirring your ravioli sauce and let the cabbage soften. This is when you have some time to grill your bell pepper if you haven’t already. Turn the oven to high, place your bell pepper in a shallow oven pan, place in the oven and turn it to broil. Keep an eye on it as you have to turn it over to grill both sides. When your cabbage has softened, add the spinach. Once the spinach has softened, add the bell pepper, sesame seeds and the cheese…season to taste. Let both sauces reduce to your liking.

Roll out your dough and fill your pockets using a ravioli tray. Boil the ravioli and scoop them out once they’ve floated on top of the water for a couple of minutes. Let them drain over the sink before tossing with some extra parmesan. Place a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce on the plate rest your ravioli on top and sprinkle some  black sesame seeds on top. YUM, YUM

Man Tested Cheddar Potato and Gravy Bake

Recipe provided by: Campbell's Kitchen

Ingredients

1 serving vegetable cooking spray

4 medium potatoes, halved and thinkly sliced

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 (10.5 ounce) can Campbell's (R) chicken gravy

1 pinch paprika

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation method

1. Spray 2- quart shallow baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. (Use 4 quart for double recipe.)

2. Layer half of potatoes in prepared dish. Top with onion and remaining potatoes. Pour gravy over all. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Uncover. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until potatoes are done. 

Add extra 10-15 minutes for a double batch and if cooking with something else.

4. Broil 5 minutes to golden cheese. 

Veggie Muses, 2003

Types:

Leafy Greens: Broccoli, Savoy Cabbage, Cauliflower, Spinach, Swiss chard, Red Cabbage, Kale.
Fruiting Vegetables: Tomatoes, Avocados, Peppers & Eggplant
Pods & Seeds: Beans, Corn, Okra
Onion Family:
Squashes & Pumpkins: Zucchini, patty pan
Root Vegetables: Celery-root, turnips, Daikon Parsnip, Scorzone-Salsify
Mushrooms:
Cultivated: Shiitake, Oyster, Common, Buttons or Caps - opened or closed.
Wild: Chanterelles, Chicken of the Woods, Boletus, Cepes, Porchini
Truffles: Roots of oak trees in the fal, Perigord: Black truffles (French), Piedmonts (Indian) white

Ideas:

Basic Technique: Choosing & buying, Storage, Peeling, Dicing, Julienne, Shredding, Preventing Discoloration, Blanching, Refreshing

Vegetable Puree: The basis or mousses, souflés, sauces, side dish or bed for fish or sliced meat. Boil, bake or steam, then mash or process, add butter, cream or fresh herbs & spices.

Eggplant Puree: 3 large eggplants, brush with oil, place under a hot broiler for 20 minutes - puree with 1 clove garlic - 3 tbsp. lemon juice, sea salt, 2/3 cup olive oil, great with pita.

Vegetable Stock: 1 lbs/1 kg mix veggies such as onion, celery, carrots in a pan with 5 cups water, 2 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig thyme & 1 tbsp. pepper corns - simmer for an hour then strain & cool. Use within 3 days or freeze.

Vegetable: Soups, Curries, Steamed, Grilled, Stuffed, Glazed, Sliced, Mandolin