Tasty Tangents

Food, life and other morsels

March 20, 2009
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Dealing with diets

It seems that in my family household someone was always on some kind of a diet, and my mom always did her best to cater to that person’s needs. (Along with the taste preferences of everybody else.) With four kids I’d say it wasn’t an easy task. But what I’m learning as I cook on a daily basis is that it’s really all about preparation. It’s healthy to eat a variety of food anyway. So as long as there’s a protein, carbohydrate and some veggies on the table, plus some cheese and fruit in the fridge, everyone is going to have a healthy meal. The latest study showed that any diet worked as long as you cut the calories and increased exercise. So whether it’s Atkin’s, low calorie or a low fat diet that the trend at the time, meals can be easily adapted if you have the right ingredients on hand.

March 18, 2009
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One pan pasta

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup butter
-1 tbsp olive oil
-2 cloves garlic
-500g assorted mushrooms (ex. shiitake, cremini, white and oyster)
-300g spinach
-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
-1/2 cup roasted pine nuts
-salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

To make:
-roast pine nuts over medium heat and remove from pan once golden
-put on water to boil, add salt and cook pasta until al dente
-in large skillet, heat 1/4 cup butter and olive oil
-add garlic and mushrooms and sautee until tender
-add salt and pepper to taste
-add spinach and additional 1/4 cup butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg
-heat until wilted
-drain pasta and add to mushroom and spinach mixture
-toss in cheese and pine nuts
-serve with additional cheese

The verdict: This is a new recipe that came from having lots of left over cooked mushrooms in the refrigerator and wondering what to do with them. It worked out better than we could have hoped. Feel free to substitute the cheese with your favourite, stronger cheeses hold up better with the nuts and mushrooms though.

March 17, 2009
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Bringing back the BBQ

The first barbecue of the year! I am beyond excited. I love to cook on the BBQ, it gives you so many options, and so much less clean-up. We did some homemade burgers, hot dogs, grilled onion slices, and a giant pita pizza with fresh tomato, sauteed mushrooms, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. And we only had half the dishes to do at the end of the meal! I’m really excited about all the possibilities the warmer weather will bring. I have all kinds of recipes bookmarked for just this occasion, so stay tuned!

March 16, 2009
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Roasted potatoes

One of my favourite side dishes is roasted potatoes. I find them quick and easy to make, and you can get them to cook as quickly as you like, depending on how small you make the pieces. Personally, I like about 2-3 cm cubes, which take about 45 minutes to cook at 375C to 400C if you’ve got them in a single layer in a wide roasting pan. I never bother peeling potatoes because there’s so much nutrition in the skin, so they just get a good scrub with a veggie brush and a quick chop. Then I drop them into a greased pan and add salt, pepper, olive oil and rosemary (fresh or dried, though fresh is better). That’s it! They’re delicious and still good reheated the next day.

March 14, 2009
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Food as art

Koganei's Jade Green roll

Koganei's Jade Green roll

I definitely think cooking is an art. But if I was viewing the food as art itself, and I mean the visual aspect and not the flavour, I’d say sushi chefs have really got it down. I know sushi rolls are simply a convenient form for a snack, but with the colours and presentation of some of the platters I’ve seen, it’s almost like paint on a canvas. The vivd colours of the fish and vegetables and other ingredients set off against the white rice and dark green nori (seaweed) is a sight to behold. My favourite roll is a unique one call the Jade Green roll at a local Japanese restaurant called Koganei. Filled with spinach, then wrapped in nori and rice and coated with avocado and sesame seeds, it is served with a mouth-watering peanut sauce. I’ve never found anything similar anywhere else, and it is one of the many things that takes me back to the same restaurant time and again.