Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Coconut Lime Rice

This week I tried a new recipe from the Thrifty Foods Flyer. It's a lime and coconut rice. Just fantastic. The first night I had it with curried cauliflower & chickpeas. The second night it was paired with a stir-fry of broccoli and tofu with a thai-inspired sauce.

Here's my recipe for a thai-inspired sauce:
1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter (natural)
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
a few dashes of fish sauce
a few dashes of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce
1 cup of stock (chicken / veggie, etc).

Whisk the ingredients together in a bowl and pour over whatever you desire to flavor.
I used the sauce over top of sauteed chopped broccoli, garlic, onion and cubed tofu. I cranked the heat up on the wok, added the sauce, and put the lid on for 2 minutes. My mum taught me the trick that to get the veggies just right for a stir-fry you add the sauce/stock, put on the lid and once the steam comes out of the lid then you time it for 2 minutes. That way your veg never gets over cooked.

Here's a link for the rice (thanks, Thrifty's):

http://www.thriftyfoods.com/EN/main/cooking/recipes/recipe.php?rid=2201

Monday, August 30, 2010

Hits and Misses. Apron Andie's Summer Food List

In No Particular Order

Scallops Remoulade at Salty's Beach House in Penticton

Iced Cap Tim Horton's style

Lamb Shoulder at Theo's Penticton

McChicken, Fries and Frutopia from you know where

Tea and Sweets at Shirley's in Maple Bay

Fresh Blackberries from my road shared with my puppy who eats them off the bush

Babaganoush and being hand-fed Annie's Cheddar Bunnies by cousin's daughter

Filleting a slippery spring salmon (curses galore)

Chocolate fountain with fruit kabobs, phase 10 and laughing ladies at Susan's in Sooke

Chocolate Cake singing happy birthday Shawn in Kamloops

The Edge Restaurant in Sooke - spiral tuna & pea pasta with bread crumb topping

Strawberries from my garden, the few that my puppy didn't eat

Steamed Kale tossed in a pan with butter and garlic (fresh kale from my garden)

The green tree frog that lives in my kale

Bowls of raw peas

Watching Luka, the incredible 2 year old, lick icecream from a dripping cone held by his mother

Pippins, my favorite at Sea Cider in Saanich

Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream, the low fat kind

Mesa Sunrise Cereal

Next door neighbors' spicy curried chicken legs








Sunday, February 7, 2010

Hunger-less in Seattle





















I met Seattle this weekend. The space-needle city and I are now well acquainted, at least from a culinary standpoint. My friend Michelle and I decided that we would eat our way through Seattle. Luckily, on the ferry to Seattle, we sat beside a quirky, wire-haired UVIC music professor who gave us advice on where to eat.

These are the highlights of the trip:
Dahlia Lounge on 4th. Tom Douglas Restaurant. Beautiful meals. Two pics: the papparadelle with kale and king mushrooms and the WORLD FAMOUS Tom Douglas Creme Caramel. The creme caramel is one of the best desserts I've ever eaten. Truly memorable.
Top Pot Doughnuts on 5th. Art Deco Doughnut Shop with coffee and tea, oh and killer doughnuts.
Pike Place Market. I could have spent hours here of course: tasting samples from vendors, admiring the displays and people-watching. The highlight here was some fabulous Greek Yogurt from a donair stand.
Cafe Flora on Madison. Vegetarian delights. I enjoyed the Chai Cranberry Pecan French Toast with a side of sliced fruit.
The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co on 4th. Great selection of loose teas. I eyed the cupcakes, but abstained.
Teatro Zinzanni on Mercer. Wild circus vaudeville show meets fine dining. A once in a lifetime experience. The carrot-parsnip soup and butter-reisling halibut were my favorites.

More musings on Seattle soon to come,
Apron Andie


Sunday, January 10, 2010

New Year 2010





















This year I plan to cook more and eat out less often. Is that a resolution?

On New Year's Eve I rang in this new year, yes literally rang (bells and all) with a gorgeous meal at home. We started with a cheese plate: comox brie, herbed chevre, and havarti. The cheese starter was accompanied by a smoked salmon lox, olives, dried figs, olive filone bread, and peppery crackers.

Our main course featured steamed local mussels, green salad and more filone bread for dipping into the mussel broth. It was fresh, simple, and satisfying. May there be many more meals like this to come.

So here's to a healthy appetite, a warm kitchen, and an adventurous palate for 2010!


Steamed Mussels:
As many mussels as you think you can eat (rinsed), throw out any that are already open
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1-2 cups white wine
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large sauce pot on stove on medium heat. Sweat the onions for 2-5 minutes or until they become transparent and start to brown. Add the garlic and stir. Immediately add the mussels. Stir again. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Toss the mussels frequently in the broth. Once the mussels have all opened, they are done. Keep an eye on them. They may take around 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

A note: when I purchased my mussels from the local grocery store, the fish monger/seafood man said that you can "stroke" the back of a raw mussel if it is open. Apparently this TLC is supposed to encourage the mussel to close, thus preparing it to be cooked. If the mussel cannot be coaxed into closing, then it is considered in-edible. My understanding is that if a bi-valve's shell is broken, then it also should not be eaten.


Filone Bread and Cheese Assortment