Nuttin' Honey Granola

Want to add a wholesome twist to your morning routine? How about some sweet and crunchy granola complete with all your favourite trimmings? I have never enjoyed cereal and find commercial granola to be too sweet and expensive. Plus, this recipe can be easily customized depending upon preferences and ingredients on hand.  Today I made two batches; Apple Cinnamon and Almonds, and Maple Walnut and Blueberry.
 

Basic recipe:

1/2 cup of un-homogenized, local, organic honey

1/2 cup of grapeseed or walnut oil

1 1/2 cups of whole rolled oats
1 1/2 cups of kamut flakes

3 cups of chopped, mix of raw seeds, nuts, grains and/or dried fruits

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.  Mix oil and honey and warm slightly.  Pour over dry ingredients, mix well then bake at 250  degrees for approximately 3/4 - 1 an hour – until your ingredients are starting to look toasted.  Stir about every15 minutes. Cook for less time for chunkier granola, and longer for a drier blend. Do not overcook. Be sure to add pre-dried fruits in the last 15 minutes so it doesn't become too dried.

Store in clean glass jars and use within a month to ensure freshness.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Stuffed Mushroom Caps and Braised Apple and Turkey Tarts.

I always remember those special occasions in the 1970's when my mother would make delicious finger foods fondly known as hors d'oeuvres. Even a cocktail weenie sounded sophisticated by this French moniker. By the time I was making my own creations in the 80's they were referred to as appies and in recent times by the Spanish tapas. Whatever the name, the taste of my mother's stuffed mushroom caps is always the same....... deeeeeeeelicious!!!

To prepare these tasty bites you will need the following:

24 large white mushrooms, washed and stems removed and set aside

1 yellow onion

3 medium stalks of celery

2 large free range eggs

3-4 tbsp of butter

dried sage, rosemary and/or savory

salt and pepper

parmesan optional

Wash and core all the mushrooms. Lay top side town on a pan lined with parchment paper. 

Finely chop all the stems, onion and celery. In a pan, melt butter and fry the onion until transparent.
Add celery and fry until slightly softened. Add chopped mushroom stems, salt, pepper and herbs. Combine and fry in pan until all flavours are blended.  Remove from heat. Once the mixture has cooled for about 5 minutes, add beaten eggs and a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese if you like. Fold egg into mixture and spoon into mushroom caps. Bake at 450 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until the filling is firm and slightly browned. 

Mix with some good friends, red wine and serve hot.

Rogan Josh

Camellia Panjabi, world renown chef and author of 50 Great Curries of India, states in her book that "rogan means meat fat and josh literally means heat" and although this traditional Kashmiri dish is made with lamb cooked in its own fats. I have also used moose or bison to make this dish. To source reputable organic meats check the links below.

I have made this dish for many appreciating friends, however I am dedicating this post to my good Mauritian-Canadian friend Kavish who has requested it and whose apparent appreciation for the spicy offerings of our kitchen far surpasses any other. This one's for you Bhai!

To make this deeply aromatic dish you will need the following:

1 - 1 1/2 lb of stewing bison, moose, mutton or lamb cubed

3-4 cloves of garlic

approx. 1 tsp salt

3 tbsp of oil or ghee

2 large yellow onions finely chopped

2 large lal mirch (red chilis)

4-5 whole cloves

2 large black cardamoms whole

5 green cardamoms crushed

1 large cinnamon stick or bark

2 Indian bay leaves

2-3 blades of jivitry (mace)

1 star anise

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp haldi (tumeric powder)

AND/OR 1 heaping tbsp of garam masala

2 cups of dahi (full fat plain yogurt)

You can see this cut of moose meat in incredibly lean. That means that in order to achieve a very tender dish, a pressure cooker must be used. If using lamb or mutton, a simple sauce pan is suitable.

Be sure to cut the meat on the cross grain in order to maximize its texture. Cube meat and place in a small pressure cooker with about 4 cups of water, chopped garlic and salt. Bring to boil and cook at medium temperature for about 15-20 minutes. Let pressure cooker stand until all pressure has released.

Keep reserve liquid for cooking.

In a large pan, slowly brown onions in oil or ghee on low heat. The key to an excellent flavour is to brown the onions slowly without burning until they are nearly carmelized. 

To this add red chili, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon bark, bay leaves and jivitry OR garam masala. Fry for about 3 minutes then add coriander, fennel, ginger, star anise and tumeric powder. Fry for another few minutes, then add a few tablespoons of the reserved liquid and stir until a paste forms. 

To this add the drained meat and fry, stirring until all the meat is coated with the paste. Add dahi or yogurt and blend well on medium heat. Once this is well blended, add a cup of the reserve liquid and let simmer on low to medium heat with the lid off. Once reduced, add more reserve liquid. Continue this until all the reserve liquid is used and dish has reserved to a succulent and aromatic stew. 

Serve with Jeera Rice or Spelt Chappatis 

For 100% grass-fed lamb check out Free Graze Lamb located in the sunny Okanagan

I get my Bison cuts from October Farms south of Prince George. 

*** 

Hyderabadi Buddy Dal

Somebody's buddy from Hyderabad taught me to make this spicy and hearty dal. I now refer to this dish as Hyderabadi Buddy Dal. 

You will need the following ingredients:

1 cup of mung dal (green)

3/4 cup masoor dal (red)

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp lal mirch (red chili powder)

1 black cardamom pod

1/2 tsp haldi (tumeric)

1 tsp jeera (cumin seed)

1 tsp black gram

5 curry leaves

1 large whole onion sliced julienne style

1 whole dried red chili quartered

In a saucepan, wash the dried pulses until water runs clear. Add 3-4 inches of water, 1/2 tsp of salt, ginger garlic paste, haldi, black cardamom, lal mirch and pulses to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.

Meanwhile, in a hot pan fry mustard seed in oil until seeds begin to pop, then add dried chilies and black gram. Add onion, red chili, curry leaf and and fry on medium heat until onions are golden brown golden brown.

When pulses are 80% cooked, add onion and masala fry to the pot. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot with Spelt Rotis or chapati.

Hummous with a Twist

This post is dedicated to my friend Bar, who taught me the secret to good hummous, and to Amy who kindly requested me to post it.

I first became acquainted with middle eastern dishes when I met my Israeli friend Bar, who among a rich plethora of vocational and travel pursuits, also trained at Cordon Bleu in London. When I asked what the secret to a good hummous was, he whispered, "Arab piss".  While I am sure he was joking, (at least I hope he was), what I have learned most from Bar over the years is how cooking can be a metaphor for life; and that you should do it with great passion and intuition.

Soak overnight one cup of dried chickpeas or employ the faster method which is to bring the chickpeas to a boil, then let soak for an hour.

In a pressure cooker, bring the chickpeas and 1/2 tsp of oil to a boil. Cook at high pressure for approximately 15 minutes. Let cool and rinse.

In deep vessel add the following:

cooked chickpeas

juice of 1 whole lemon

1 small garlic clove minced

3 tbsp tahini

3 tbsp water

3 tbsp virgin olive oil

salt to taste

Using a Braun hand mixing wand, puree the ingredients until it's semi-smooth. If the mixture is too stiff add small amounts of water. You may also use a standard blender, but I have found the hand tool much easier for cleanup.

Set in a serving bowl and for a spicy twist, add a tablespoon of Patak's Madras Masala Paste. Pour virgin olive oil over the top and serve with pita chips or cut vegetables.

Moose Kebab

What do you get when you fuse wild, chemical-free, marsh grass-fed and lean Canadian moose with a traditional, Middle Eastern inspired dish?  You get yet another delicious "east meets west" food offering. 

As the old saying goes, "you are what you eat", and I am happy to state that I would rather be a wild beast than a tethered cow. We have been lucky enough over the years to largely bypass consumption of industry meat, which in my opinion is the product of unethical practices both in their treatment of animals, and by nature of the chemicals injected in their feed. 

My family lives in northern British Columbia and have made hunting and fishing a part of their lifestyle. When my brother brings down a lovely beast, I know that he gives thanks for its sacrifice to feed his family; and that his practices are both clean and humane. I have been the fortunate recipient of his skill and hard work.

If you aren't lucky enough to receive wild ground moose, there are many sellers of organic Bison in Western Canada. 

To prepare this delicious dish you will need the following ingredients:

1 lb of lean ground moose (or bison)

2 tbsp of ghee (oil if you prefer)

1 large onion finely chopped

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste (I make my own)

1 cup of whole oats (not quick)

2 green chilies chopped

1 bunch of fresh mint finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 free range egg

*(you can substitute masalas for 2 tbsp of Shan Seekh Kabab masala mix; available in import food stores)

Add enough boiling water to oatmeal to soak and set aside. In a pan saute onions in ghee on low heat until lightly browned, (about 10 minutes). Add ginger garlic paste and chopped green chilies and saute for another three minutes. To this add remaining masalas and about 4 tbsp of water to form a paste. Once the paste reduces, add the oatmeal and continue to saute until reduced to a thick brown paste. 

In a mixing bowl add the meat, chopped fresh mint, salt, egg and onion masala paste. Combine ingredients until well blended and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Form the meat mixture onto bamboo skewers, approximately 1 inch thick. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, checking to ensure the center is cooked but do not let them dry out.

Remove from heat, dress with yogurt sauce* and serve hot with tabouleh or roasted potatoes.

Yogurt sauce combine:

1 cup of plain yogurt or dahi

juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp of zaatar mixed spice (available in import stores)

1/4 tsp salt

Tabouleh

One of my favourite salads is a traditional Middle Eastern dish called Tabouleh. This dish made primarily with bulgur wheat, tomatoes, fresh parsley and mint, is rich in vitamins and fibre. In fact, did you know that parsley has three times as much vitamin C as oranges? What's more exciting is that it's mid-November and I am still picking fresh parsley from the garden. This year my parsley has endured the dead heat of summer and the winter snow. I have even transplanted some to pots and kept in an area sheltered from the wind; expecting that it will last until the first deep freeze. 

To make your own homemade tabouleh first take one cup of course-ground bulgur wheat and add two cups of boiling water and a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir well and let stand covered until the bulgur soaks up all the water. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Combine the following ingredients:

Soaked bulgur wheat

1 large bunch of fresh washed parsley chopped

4-5 sprigs of fresh mint chopped

3 tomatoes cubed

1 cup of cucumber cubed (optional)

1/2 small red onion chopped fine (optional)

1 clove of garlic minced

the juice of 1 large lemon

3/4 tablespoons of olive oil

salt to taste

Stir well until all the flavours are blended. Eat alone or with kebabs.

As an excellent and savory addition, add 1 tablespoon of zaatar. This mixed spice can be found at some delis or import shops. The first time I tasted it was when my friend Bar brought me a jar of it from Israel. He called it "holy spice",  and I only recently found it in my local import food store.

 The last of this year's fresh tomatoes

 Still picking parsley in November! 

Parsley will keep in pots until the deep freeze