Peas and Ravioli....who'da thunk.....

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Planning a dinner party menu can be somewhat of a challenge at the best of times. Partner your menu planning with post-holiday self-flagellation and nutritional denial and you've now tasked yourself with the near-impossible....finding a semi-elegant meal that is obnoxiously in-your-face healthy, yet also bears more resemblance to food than it does to all-bran.

It seemed rather obvious to me that dinner should start with a salad. I did a repeat of a salad I made a few weeks ago - one with pomegranate, blood orange and a bite of soft cheese. The colours are wonderful together, the flavour is fresh and just a bit pungent and I made a light citrus dressing to accompany. I could perhaps have made more of an effort to find a lower fat recipe, but low fat dressing always tastes awful. I used about 1/2 c olive oil, 1/4 c lemon juice, 2 T orange juice, 2 T dijon mustard, sea salt and pepper....and it made about six times the dressing I actually used. Hopefully I'll find a use for the rest sometime this week. I topped the salad with a little bit of crumbled herb and garlic boursin cheese. You know it's bad for you when a cheese gets 100 % of it's calories from fat. Anyway, I probably used just over 1 teaspoon per salad and it added an amazing dimension. Total yum.



So this lead me to the unlikely combination of green peas and ravioli. I was inspired by a recipe on epicurious and it turned out to be one of the best surprise dinner party discoveries yet. I really wanted to include a pasta course, but past attempts at this inclusion proved rather unwieldy.

Not being of Italian descent, neither myself nor most of my acquaintances are accustomed to the idea of pasta as "primo" (or first course) rather than as the main attraction. In order to overcome this carb-laden obstacle, I wanted to come up with a way to serve a small amount of pasta that would at once satisfy and tantalize the appetite. I didn't want piles of spaghetti, I didn't want slabs of lasagna - I wanted something delicate.

And green pea ravioli was PERFECT. As always, I couldn't follow the recipe (cuz I'm seemingly incapable of following simple instructions...) - I don't have a food mill (seriously, does anyone????) and since my food processor is on the fritz, I didn't actually manage to get a perfectly smooth pea purée. My food processor now needs to be physically held down to actually function, and I'm thinking this maybe isn't the safest appliance to be using due to this not insignificant issue. I did get the peas finely chopped, and mixed up the filling, with the only other substitution being seasoned dry bread crumbs instead of unseasoned.

I was also a bit skeptical regarding the use of wonton wrappers in lieu of actual pasta (I'd seen it before in recipes, but was dubious as to what the results would be....turns out it's a great substitution for those of us who have neither the time nor the inkling nor the equipment to make our own pasta).

Here is a shot of the ravioli in progress (I'll have to thank my fab mother-in-law for helping me get it all put together - they look like little mitres (or bishop's hats). Too cute!



And they were very easy to whip up. If anyone else is looking to impress with a homemade pasta course, these were a cinch, looked awesome, and tasted great. I think one or two of them may have exploded during cooking, but the little pea bits just made the finished product all the more colourful. The lemon garlic broth (I halved the amount of broth suggested) was a nice light accompaniment. I would also make this broth for any pasta dish where you just want something delicate yet flavourful. Two thumbs waaaaay up for this recipe. Encouraged by this success, I can now foresee pseudo-homemade pasta making a regular appearance in the dinner party rotation.



Main course was a shrimp dish that I've made several times before as well....the ingredients are simple, but the flavours are just gorgeous. The white wine is a MUST in the sauce, as is some good fresh basil. If you have seafood lovers coming over, I highly recommend trying this out - it's simple to make, cooks up quickly and has just enough broth that would be great to soak up with a lovely baguette. Not that I had one (no refined carbs and all that).

Shrimp Skillet Dinner (bastardized from the Soprawnos in Eat, Shrink and be Merry)
1 T olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped red onion
1 small green zucchini
1 small yellow squash
8 large mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup white wine
1 T balsamic vinegar
½ t dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 pound peeled raw shrimp
¼ c. fresh basil, chopped
½ c. grated/crumbled feta cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic, red onion, zucchini, squash and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes (veggies should soften a bit).
2. Add tomatoes, white wine, balsamic vinegar and oregano. Simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes (until a lot of the liquid is gone). Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add shrimp and basil and cook for about 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and opaque.
4. Serve with feta sprinkled on top (pasta is optional – I prefer it without pasta).



I normally like my veggies a little crunchier than the above pic, but hubs is not keen on nearly-raw veggies (such a shame). This dish was very well-received. I will often use twice as much garlic (or more) and usually toss nearly half a bottle of chardonnay into the mix (we're not big white drinkers, so no one mourns the loss).

Dessert was a bit of a challenge. I wanted to maintain the healthy theme, but I didn't want to go with something more boring/classic like fruit parfait or something similar. I wanted something snazzy, but not too complicated....and still not ridiculously decadent.

I asked my fellow chow hounds on www.chowhound.com (great site!) and the idea of Pavlova was suggested. I have to confess that my acquaintance with Pavlova was limited to the episode of Take Home Chef where Curtis picks up the skinny fellow expat and they talk about Pav-loooow-va in the coolest Australian accent ever. So I made my own version of individual pavlovas.

I started with the meringue, which was actually very easy to make:
4 large egg whites (I used the ones that come already separated - easier, and you don't end up throwing out the yolks!)
1 cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using electric mixer (MAN I wish I had a stand mixer!), beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form.
3. Gradually add 1 cup sugar; beat mixture until thick and resembles marshmallow creme (about 5 minutes).
4. Beat in cornstarch and vanilla extract.
5. Drop meringue onto prepared sheet in six mounds, spacing apart. Using a spoon, make indentations in the centre of each.
6. Place in oven; immediately reduce temperature to 250F. Bake until meringues are dry outside but centres are still soft (abou 45 minutes). Cool on sheet on rack 30 minutes.

I only had 2 of my six meringues collapse (dammit!). And though I tried not to take a picture of it, it appears it's right up there at the back... ;)



Normally, pavlova would be made with unsweetened whipped cream. But due to the high fat content of said cream, as well as the north american distaste for unsweetened dairy (mine included - yuck!), I totally crapped out and used 95% fat free cool whip. I know, I know, it's an edible oil product (which, for some reason, sounds SO gross when you talk about it....but olive oil is edible, corn oil is edible....it's not like we're talking black gold here or anything).

I added blackberries on top (courtesy of Europe's Best) and just drizzled some of the juice over. It was colourful, crunchy, tasty and just overall, a great finish to the meal.



So of course, after expending all that effort....I proceeded to go out for Thai tonight. Overall though, I've had a pretty good week - minimal alcohol consumption (3-4 units....), and relatively healthy food. I'm down 3.5 pounds and I haven't eaten any garbage all week. Woohoo!!!!!!

Thanks for reading!

Shaaaaaameless Self-Promotion

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Shameless hussy that I am, I thought I would again promote Vegan Week, coming January 14th.

For those who didn't already watch my little video, here it is again!




And on a totally unrelated, yet still shamelessly self-promotional, note, the Bloggie 2007 awards are now taking nominations - go check out this website and nominate your favourite blogs! I'm not tryin' to convince you to nominate mine or anything....you can nominate fave blogs in any category. :)

Thanks again for reading. Due to inlaw invasion tomorrow (okay....it's not an invasion....I invited them....) I won't be able to post until probably Sunday, but hopefully I'll have great stories of a successful and colourful dinner party. Mmmmmmmmmm....dinner.

I'm going vertical. Come back on Sunday for more details.

Healthy cuisine: the dark, fibrous side....

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You know how they say that every cloud has a silver lining? Methinks the reverse might also be true...inside every bright and shiny penny, there lies a dark core that no one ever talks about.

I wish I could say that four days of healthy eating has done wonders for my energy levels, physique and overall feelings of health. I wish I could say that all of my newfound energy led me to briskly skip my way around the house, cleaning as I go.

But it would be an utter lie.

Imagine you take a body that has subsisted entirely on refined carbs, sugar, fat and alcohol. Imagine that you take all this of this indulgent goodness away, only to replace it with fibre, veggies, water and tea.

Guess what happens to this poor beleaguered body....you guessed it....

And if you didn't, just google "effects of eating beans" and you'll have a pretty good idea.

That said, I'm still on track, still sitting next to bags of smarties and hershey kisses that I have yet to touch. Tonight's dinner was so healthy, nutritious and actually yummy that the suffering might just be worth it.

I didn't actually have a plan in mind when I set out to make dinner tonight, but I did have a fridge full of random food....so this is what ensued.

One of my favourite healthy comfort foods is homemade blended soup. It's SUPER easy to make - you just chop up an onion, and saute in a pan in olive oil. Then you add whatever veggies you have on hand, brown for a little while and add stock to cover. Simmer away, then blend with an immersion blender. You can add fresh herbs or dried herbs (add the dry ones at the same time at the stock) and add water if you want a thinner soup. To dress it up, you can squiggle some low fat sour cream (or fat free sour cream) over top and grind some pepper too.

Here's my version in progress (I used onion, 5 carrots, 2 small potatoes and about 1.5 cups of mushrooms, along with some fresh ginger and coriander)



Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......veggies......the longer you saute them, the richer the flavour - sometimes the veggies will caramelize a bit on the bottom to deepen the flavour (if you have more time and are less lazy than I am, roast your veggies in the oven first - it will be even better). Parsnips are especially good. :)

As I mentioned above, I drizzled fat-free sour cream over top to make it look pretty, and just added a sprig of coriander. Carrots are also awesome with orange juice or even a dash of pomegranate with saffron and cinnamon to make a more exotic soup. Yummy.



Veggie soup is so forgiving - you really can't make a bad one. It's something everyone should master and feel comfortable to play with...remember, recipes are only guidelines and while baking might be a science, cooking certainly isn't (thank goodness.....can't say that science was every my strong suit in school).

After all the adventures in soup-itude, I didn't really feel like making the salad I had initially planned on (also, I used up all my veggies in the soup....oops!).

I had high-fibre pitas in my cupboard (mmmmmmm.....6 grams of fibre apiece, more gastrointestinal joy), as well as tuna and chickpeas. So I started out with this rather unlikely combination, and this is what I ended up with. It was a little odd, but tasty, slightly exotic and very filling....

Tuna Chickpea Curry Pitas
1 can tuna
3/4 can of chickpeas
1/3 c fat free sour cream
1/2 t curry powder
1/2 c cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t cumin
dash cardamom
1 T red wine vinegar
2 T chopped fresh coriander
lettuce
grated cheddar

1. Combine tuna, chickpeas, sour cream, curry powder, cherry tomatoes, garlic, cumin, cardamom, red wine vinegarn and coriander (salt and pepper to taste).
2. Stuff pita and top with lettuce and grated cheddar. :) Hubs loved it, I enjoyed it, and I'm already looking forward to polishing off the leftover in my lunch tomorrow. :)



I love it when my food is colourful. Anyway, here's to hoping my tummy troubles ease off, and that I make the three foot trek from the couch (where I am right now) to the elliptical trainer (that I'm looking at). I'm sure I'm not the only one who's trying to shape up the wobbly bits (of which there are far too many)...how's everyone else doing? Eating amazing healthy food? Off the wagon? Inquiring minds (okay, just my mind) want to know....

Thanks for reading!

Fondue: the meal that keeps on giving

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Here we are, the third of January, and I still have managed to actually eat healthy food every day. I know it’s been a mere 60 hours since we rang in the new year (with much champagne and pina colada punch, I might add….), but they have been a good 60 hours and bode well for the upcoming year….

Last night’s stir fries yielded a delectable cacophony of flavours (equaled only by the chaos that still remains in my kitchen….). Fondue really is the meal that keeps on giving….once you’ve done all the work to get everything chopped up, you invariably end up with a quantity of food that could only be consumed by a football team. Though the boys made a decent dent in it, there was still a TON of food left.

On top of the General Tao’s tofu (see previous post), I took the leftover steak, added nearly a pound of spinach (that stuff cooks down into nothing!) and stir fried with onions, garlic, nam pla (sweet dark soy sauce) and fish sauce. I added a few squirts of sri racha (spicy hot chili garlic sauce) for good measure. I find that the healthier I’m trying to eat, the more chilies I add to my food. Not only is chili good for your metabolism, the hotter you make your food, the slower you eat it, and the less you are inclined to eat if it’s really fiery piping hot. It’s a good plan all round.

To my leftover mixed seafood (thank you Costco for your frozen goodness), I added peanut sauce, and sweet chili sauce (both by President’s Choice). This was also delectable; even more so as leftovers in my lunch today.

I’m also trying to make a more solid attempt at eating breakfast……it’s tough because most mornings I’m lucky if I’m dressed and conscious before I make the 400m mad dash for my bus. I’ve now eaten brekkie three days in a row. And not once did it consist of a cupcake, slice of pizza, doughnut or oversized bagel. Ha. I discovered a fabulous cereal by Nature’s Path called Optimum Power that gives me 10 grams of fibre in 3/4 cup of cereal. The only bad part is suffering the aftereffects of that much fibre at once. Thank goodness for having my own office.....

Dinner tonight is going to be chicken fajitas with salad. I have a friend coming over and I always find that fajitas are a great dinner choice for a casual get together. You can eliminate picky people issues, allow people to eat healthy/diet when other people smother their fajita in cheese and sour cream. Overall, it’s a great option. I think that, in addition to chicken (and in an effort to reduce animal protein), I’m also going to slice up some portabello mushrooms (delicious in strips with steak spice!) and mash up some beans, as well as perhaps even making some guacamole (assuming of course that there actually are reasonable avocados to be had in this rather northern locale….). I’ll have to stock up on coriander too……mmmmmmmmmmm……coriander. I’ll probably mix it in with the mushrooms and guac. I am salivating already.

It’s funny, I know that I could easily be a vegetarian (lacto-ovo, or one who eats both dairy and egg products). While I definitely enjoy meat, I also LOVE so many veggies, legumes, etc – it wouldn’t be hard for me to eat like that.

This vegan business though…..it’s complicated. I have utmost respect for one who has the commitment to follow that diet. I came across a great resource today - http://www.veg.ca/directory/fastfood.html - it’s a fast food directory of which restaurants have vegetarian and vegan options. You see, the same week that I’ve decided to have Vegan Week, I also start night school two nights a week, meaning that I’m going to have to fend for myself in the big wide world. Turns out eating out vegan isn’t so simple – even things like bread and veggie burgers will often have milk ingredients in them. Looks like I’m going to be going for teriyaki stuff – they have tofu, rice is vegan and I’m pretty sure the teriyaki sauce is also vegan. Otherwise I’m screwed. Or starved. Which might not be a bad thing……(need to drop about EIGHTEEN pesky pounds. Yuck).

Another little event coming up is a small dinner party this weekend with my in-laws. I’m giving myself a challenge for this – I want it to be phenomenal, but also very very healthy. Like disgustingly healthy. So I have to come up with some sort of 3-4 course menu that will satisfy without repetition…..any ideas? I'm thinking a salad of some sort (may recycle the pomegranate salad), a blended soup, tbd main course and dessert.

Thanks for reading! And make sure to tune in to Vegan Week starting January 14th - updates, stories, recipes and more!

Announcing the event of the season...

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Coming here. Live, in all of its nut-and-berried glory....



Take a look! Enjoy! And y'all better show up to cheer us along in our healthy eating journey. New year's resolutions and all that....we're trying to eat healthy and get over MASSIVE holiday overindulgence. Since we had a rockin' fondue for New Year's, tonight was three equally rockin' stir fries to get over the hump.

mmmmmmmmmmm.....anyone who will eat tofu (and even those who don't) should check out this General Tao's Tofu recipe. As written, it's a bit unhealthy, but if you skip the breading, and just brown the tofu in cooking spray (and then make as written). It's so good. The sauce tastes just like takeout. :) A good ease into vegan lifestyle, methinks. Of course, I did accompany it with a *cough* steak stir fry....but I'm gettin' there. ;)

Thanks for reading and will be back with more and better updates soon!