2 small fennel bulbs, cored and sliced roughly
2 small onions, cut into half moons
1 clove of garlic, sliced
1 small butternut squash, seeded, peeled and cut into ~2 inch pieces
1 small acorn squash, seeded, peeled and cut into ~2 inch pieces
1 can canellini beans
1/4 vermouth
1 cup vegetable stock
4 sage leaves
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
salt, pepper
olive oil

3 Italian fennel sausages, blanched and fried. (optional)

In a large pot, Saute the garlic lightly in olive oil until it's fragrant.
Add the fennel and onion and saute over a low heat until soft and translucent.
Add the vermouth, and allow to evaporate.
Add the squash, sage, and stock. Increase to medium and cover.
Cook until squash is just under done (~15 minutes).
Add the canned beans, and return to heat uncovered for ~5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.

I added cooked sausages to half of this dish because the person I cook for most often is a little suspicious of vegetarian dishes. They add a nice spiciness and some texture, but I don't think they are necessary. It works as a veg dish.

Except, the flavour palate is incomplete. This is missing a bottom note. I think adding some arugula at the very end would take care of it. I'd also replace the vermouth with madeira to get a more earthy flavour.

In non-veg options, I think you could add a couple slices of heavily smoked bacon (cut into small pieces) with the onions and fennel to add depth.

I'll make it again, and tinker with it a little bit.

Kieca mentioned a leek and pecorino flan appetizer that she'd had recently. It sounded good to me, and the conversation occured when I was hungry and contemplating what to make for dinner.

I'd already committed to making creme brulee for dessert and an all custard dinner seemed a bit weird. So, presto! chango! the flan became a tart and the dinner dilemna was solved.

Make 1 batch of pastry

250 grams of flour
165 grams of cold butter
85 ml of ice cold water
1/2 t salt.

Let it rest, roll it out to fit a tart pan, return the fridge to rest for an hour, then blind bake it at 400F for 15 minutes.

The Filling

6 large leeks (longer leeks are better, you want as much white stalk as possible)
2 T of butter
1 large pear
1/2 cup grated Pecorino
Salt and pepper

Cut the leeks into long thin strips, about 2 - 3mm wide (those of you who've read my cooking school entries know that when I say I am cutting things to such and such dimensions know that I mean in the very general neighbourhood of such and such dimensions, and straight lines be damned)

Peel and dice the pair (5mm dice)

Slowly saute the leeks in the butter.
Add a spponful or two of water and let the leeks soften until they are very tender.
Add the pear bits and cook for another ~2 minutes
Add 1/2 the cheese, some salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly.

Dump the whole mess into the tart shell and smooth out to cover the pastry evenly.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Return to a 300F oven for 15 minutes.
Turn the oven to broiler for a minute or two to brown the cheese on top.

Slice and serve with salad greens dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and minced shallots.

Some day, when I don't already have my heart set on creme brulee for dinner I will attempt a flan version and report back.

Everyone has their old faithful. The standby dinner. The meal you make when you cannot spare a single brain cell to ponder options, but you still need to eat.

This is mine.

Rice, Lentils and Peas with Yogurt Sauce.

Cook some basmati rice.
Cook some green lentils in chicken or vegetable stock until tender.
Toss some frozen peas into the drained lentils so they thaw and cook lightly.

Chop some jalapeno pepper (1/2 to 1 pepper) very finely.
Chop a small handful of cilantro.
Mix into a cup or so of plain yogurt. (full fat is better than low fat here. Live a little)
Add some salt, and a little bit of lemon juice.

Toss the lentils, peas, and rice together, and dollop on some sauce.

I love this dish, despite it's complete lack of sophistication.

(see, I told you I haven't been cooking much lately)

I almost forgot I had this food journal thingy. School has been busy, in that kind of plodding way. It feels like we're not really getting anywhere, just marking time and preparing for the end. I should probably be working harder on studying and generally preparing for final exams, but...

A few random comments for today.

Turducken? This may be the most obscene thing I have heard of all year.

Fish Farming. I don't eat farmed fish, at all. Apart from it being of noticeably poorer quality, I think that finding ways to artificially increase production of fish is an odd, and shortsighted solution to the problem of over-consumption. Consume too much to be sustainable? Try consuming less. Simple. (But not exactly profitable for anyone)

Related to fish farming and over consumption in general, I am feeling more and more guilty about not being a vegetarian. I believe that vegetarianism is the most responsible way to eat, but truth be told, I just really don't want to be a veghead. So until the guilt gets to be too much, or I get a sudden burst of motivation, I'll continue to limit my consumption of animal protein and hang a "hypocrite!' sign around my neck.

A vegetarian recipe for today

Rustic Rapini Torta

Make a batch of pastry dough, enough for a top and bottom crust.
Pastry Dough is a simple formula, 3 parts flour, 3 parts fat, 1 part water. You choose the fat. (butter, veg shortening, lard) Mix the way your Grandma taught you. She knows best.

1 bunch rapini
2 shallots
2 T raisins
2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into 12ths
1 T pinenuts, or toasted walnuts
1/2 C of your favourite soft cheese. Something nice and pungent would be best.

Chop and saute the rapini and the shallots in olive oil. Cool.
Soak the raisins in warm water, or some white wine.

Mix the whole mess of rapini, cheese, pears, raisins, and pinenuts in a bowl.

Roll out the pastry into two circles. One about 1/2 again as large as the other.

Mound the rapini mixture in the centre of the smaller circle. Use the large circle of pastry as the top crust. (Think Rustic. Think Easy.)
Seal the edges with an egg wash.

Cut a couple of vent holes in the top of the pie and bake for ~20 minutes in a 380F oven.

Serve with a side salad and a nice glass of white wine.

1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Ginger
1 Tbsp Paprika
1/4 Tsp Cayenne
1/2 Tsp Tumeric
1 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick.

1 Sliced medium Onion
3 or 4 Skinned chopped Tomatoes

2 Cups Chickpeas (cooked or canned)
3 Cups Pumpkin (or other squash) peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

3 1/2 Cups Veg Stock.

Heat some olive oil in a large pot and cook the cinnamon in the oil for a minute or two.

Add the onions and cook until soft and light brown.

Add the remaining spices and stir for a few seconds.
Add the tomatoes and cook until slightly soft.

Dump in the Pumpkin, Chickpeas, and stock.

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for ~15 mins. Until the pumpkin is tender.

Serve over couscous with a dollop of yogurt.

1 part Cornmeal
1.5 Parts Water (Or Chicken/Veg Stock)
1.5 Parts Milk

(scale to your needs)

1 egg for every, say, 300 - 500 ml liquid)
Grated Parmesan, a quarter cup or so for every 300 - 500 ml liquid
1 tablespoon of butter.
Finely chopped lemon zest
Fine cut herbs (basil, thyme, marjoram - whatever you like)

Bring the liquid to a very low simmer. Add the cornmeal very slowly and stir continually. If you add the cornmeal too quickly and/or don't stir you'll end up with lumps.

Keep stirring the polenta over low eat for 8 - 12 minutes. Taste it every once in a while - you just need to cook it out until it's no longer gritty.

When it's smooth and not gritty remove from heat and add the egg, cheese, herbs and zest. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Pout the mixture into a pan lined with saran wrap, or small greased ramekins and leave it to set. Maybe a half hour or so.

Mist both sides with a little olive oil and sear in a hot pan to warm and brown each side. Serve with sauteed spinach, tomato sauce, a pan sauce or gravy, anything liquid and tasty.

I like it plain and eat it cold for breakfast quite often.

Serve this traditional stew of pomegranates, walnuts, onions, and chicken seitan over steamed basmati white rice with saffron.

Ingredients
4 Tbsp (60mL) olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 package of chicken-style seitan

2 cups (240g) ground walnut

1/2 cup (115g) pomegranate paste in 3 cups (720mL) of water

1 Tbsp (15mL) lemon juice

1/2 to 1 cup (100 to 200g) sugar

1/4 tsp (1g) ground saffron

2 tsp (12g) salt (sea salt if on a corn-free diet*)

Directions
In a food processor, pulse walnuts until finely ground. (Don’t overdo it, or you will have walnut butter.) Set aside.

In a large pot, sauté onions and seitan in oil for about 5 minutes. Add ground walnut and mix well with the onion and seitan. Add the remaining ingredients at this time.

Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for 1 hour. It’s only during this slow cooking process that the natural oil is released from walnuts, which creates this lustrous creamy sauce. Stir occasionally.

Serve over your favorite grain.

* Allergy notes: People following a corn-free diet should avoid iodized salt since it contains dextrose, which should be avoided by those allergic to corn.

(courtesy of Jayran. Recipe by Omid Roustaei

Tomato Tart

1 tub of ricota cheese (i think i get it in approx 500 ml tubs)
1 egg
1/2 cup of grated parmesan (you can skip this if you don't have it - not a big deal)
handful of basil cut into thin strips
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the above and turn out into either a shallow pie shell, or a baking dish layered with packaged filo pastry. Or puff pastry if you are feeling fancy.

Lightly press into the surface of the ricota some:

sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt and pepper or
halfed or quarted roma tomatoes roasted or
cherry tomatoes sliced in half and tossed with olive oil and oregano or
sliced tomatoes and grilled eggplant slices or...

Basically any combination of things you might put in a quiche or fritatta. My favourite is the roasted tomatoes.

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until the cheese has set. Broil for a minute or two to get the top crispy.

Shave parmesan on top. Drizzle with olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar.

(this one is mine all mine. with a nod to Donna Hay)

Chard Pasta

1 small onion
Around 1 bunch chard, cleaned, destemmed, and chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
about a half box of pasta (shapes work better than spaghettilike stuff for this)
2 tbsp shaved parmesan

Saute the onion in a little butter, over medium heat, until soft (maybe 5 mins). Toss in the chard and cook until cooked and soft, about 15 more minutes.

While you cook the chard, heat up some water and salt it and boil the pasta. Once everything is happily cooked, combine the chard mixture and pasta in a pot and toss with the cream, red pepper, and nutmeg, and cook for a minute over medium heat. Mix in the parmesan and add salt and pepper to taste.

It may not be the healthiest thing but it is pretty tasty.

(courtesy Pink)

Coconut Curry with Tofu and Lime

1 carton soft or firm tofu
1 can coconut milk mixed with ½ cup stock or water
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon tamarind paste, dissolved in ½ cup hot water
2 large garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped ginger
12 grape tomatoes, quartered, or 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 scallions, including the firm greens, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Mushroom soy, to taste
Chopped cilantro

Drain tofu, then dice into ½-inch cubes

Combine the next ten ingredients in a ten-inch skillet. Bring to a boil and simmer for one minute. Add the tofu, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for ten minutes. Add the tomatoes and scallions, and simmer for another five minutes.

Add the lime juice. Season to taste with a teaspoon or more mushroom soy. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.

Pasta Estiva
2 baskets cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram leaves
4 salt cured olives, pitted and finely chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾ pound fresh mozzarella, drained on paper towels
1 pound dried short pasta shapes

Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half, or if they are large, in quarters. Place the tomatoes in a small bowl along with the garlic, herbs, olives, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss. This mixture can be used right away or can rest for several hours at room temperature.

Cut the mozzarella into small dice.

Cook the pasta, in salted water, until al dente. Put the pasta into a serving bowl, sprinkle the mozzarella over the top and toss quickly. Add the cherry tomato mixture and toss again until ingredients are evenly distributed. Correct the seasonings and serve.

(courtesy of Monkeytoe)

African Groundnut Stew

Makes 6 servings, serve over rice

1 T olive oil
1 diced medium onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 or 2 hot chilis, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 t grated fesh ginger
1/2 T brown sugar
3/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds winter squash, such as butternut or buttercup, seeded, peeled, and cut into bite sized cubes (about 3 1/2 cups) (I'm sure sweet potatoes would work too)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups (1 can) black-eyes peas
1/2 cup chopped, unsalted roasted peanuts

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, chilis, ginger, brown sugar. cinnamon, and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add the squash and stir to coat with the spices. Add 1 1/4 cups of the water and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.

Put the peanut butter in a small bowl and slowwly add the remaining 1/4 cup water, stirring until smooth.

Stir the peanut butter mixture into the stew, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the black-eyed peas and peanuts and simmer until heated through. Before serving, taste to adjust the seasonings.

(recipe courtesy of Christina)