Yuca Fries- If bread and potatoes had babies, it would be yuca.

Genesis gets excited once in awhile about food from his country, El Salvador. One of these things is yuca. We don’t have it often, but it is always a treat when we do. The texture of yuca is fluffy, and dense. It is like a super rich potato crossed with fluffy bread. You’re confused, I understand, just trust me. Oh, and yuca looks like a waxy log, and when you peel it it smells like lavender… so there’s that too. But, once you’ve peeled it, cut out any brown spots, boiled it briefly, and baked it, you have awesome fries. Give it a shot! Hell, I might even try mashing them, I’ve heard good things!

Waxy logs, see, I told you! Scroll down for the interior-deliciousness.

Yuca Fries

Ingredients

  • Two yuca roots (see above)
  • your favourite oil
  • salt

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  2. Peel your yuca well. It is easy to do, that skin is not as thick as it looks and feels.
  3. Cut the yuca into three even chunks, cut those chunks into fry-sized wedges.
  4. Fill a large pot with water and some salt, bring to a boil. Add yuca. Boil your yuca for 8 minutes, this will help the baking.
  5. Drain the yuca and pat dry. Some of the yuca might seem a little gummy, this will sort itself out during baking.
  6. Lay the yuca on a parchment-covered cookie sheet and drizzle well with oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt (and spices of your choosing).
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once, until crisp and browned on the outside, creamy on the inside.
  8. Dip into Basil Aiolior even Walnut & Feta Dip!

Tasty (half batch) yuca fries with Walnut Feta Dip.

Kale Chips, easy and delicious treat that is healthy!

Kale is tasty when sautéed with some garlic, but I’ve been hearing so much about kale chips, that I had to try for myself. Kale was super cheap at IGA on the weekend, so I bought a couple bunches and gave it a shot. These are so thin and crisp, so delicious! Most of them kept their deep green colour, which I liked, but those that browned a little were still fantastic. These can be easily flavoured, and I am going to try that with my next batch, but the simple salt and olive oil version was great for a first shot. Don’t be afraid of these, I was, crispy greens is not something that normally tickles my fancy, but this just seemed right.

Kale Chips

Three ingredients

  • 1 head of kale
  • 2 tbsps olive oil
  • salt to taste (I used about 1 tsp)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 280°F
  2. Wash your kale.
  3. Cut away the… spine… of the kale leafs. Cut the kale into 2-3 inch pieces.
  4. Place kale on a parchment-papered cookie tray, sprinkle with oil and toss to coat.
  5. Sprinkle with salt, toss again to evenly salt.
  6. Spread the pieces fairly evenly on the tray.
  7. Cook for ten minutes, gently flip, cook for another 10. Devour.

Tossed in oil, ready for some salt (and spices in the future, check back next week!)

Munching time! Gen loved these.

Peanut Satay Dragon Bowl

The Coup (hmm, how do YOU pronounce it? I always say it like “coo”, drawing on my french, but others say it like a chicken coop). Anyway! The Coup in Calgary is one of my favourite restaurants and it just so happens to be vegetarian and vegan, and delicious. I almost always get the same dish when I go there, I am one of those people, and when I moved to Vancouver I missed that dish very much! The other day I was wandering the internet for recipes to try and came across this funky blog, that happily had posted The Coup’s Peanut Satay Dragon Bowl recipe, right from their cookbook which I have to get my hands on when I get back to Calgary. Well first, I told her how thrilled I was to find this recipe, and second, I made it! And it was GREAT, just like the restaurant. Genesis’ quote, “This meal was f’ing amazing, you should sell the sauce!” (and Gen is not the sweary type) He also wants it known that the pictures I took do not do the deliciousness justice (sigh, my picture taking is still not the best). Anyway, stop reading, start making!

Peanut Satay Dragon Bowl

Recipe adapted with my notes, happily found here, from Meet The Coup Cooks.

We used light peanut butter, reduced sodium soy sauce, and light coconut milk with no issues except I did have to add a dash of salt to the sauce to make up for the reduce sodium soy… a stupid trade off, it was just what we had on hand. I might also add fresh ginger to the sauce next time. I will report back!

Ingredients

Sauce of the heavens (this makes a ton, feel free to halve, or save it for future meals)

  • 2 cups crunchy peanut butter (or smooth with 1/2 cup chopped raw peanuts)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • the juice of 1 lime
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 3-6 tbsp of sriracha (or your preferred chilli sauce. The recipe called for 2 tbsps, we added 6, and could’ve gone with more, taste as you go)


Stir-fry

  • 1 package of extra firm tofu (would also be great with cubed chicken, beef, shrimp, etc.)
  • 4 cups of seasonal veggies of your choice (I used zucchini, red peppers, and broccoli)
  • 1/2 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped peanuts

Directions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, mix the peanut butter and water together.
  2. Continue to stir until you reach a smooth consistency, watching that you do not burn the peanut butter.
  3. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and continue to cook at a low heat, stirring often for about 20 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, in a large pan, sauté the tofu until the edges are crispy and lightly browned.  Add the chopped veggies and a splash of water to just cover the bottom of the pan. Sauté until tender-crisp.
  5. Pour the peanut satay sauce over the tofu and veggie mixture and heat until it bubbles.
  6. Serve over your favourite grains or noodles.
  7. Garnish with cilantro and chopped peanuts.

Getting ready for saucing.

Mushroom and Eggplant Polenta Lasagna

This lasagna was adapted from a recipe sent to me by my lovely friend, Chloë (check out her blog here, it is not food-related but speaks volumes of her awesomeness). I’ve included her recipe at the bottom because it is delicious, but I’ve unveganized it with cheese, switched the tofu for lentils, amped up the mushrooms, and made some personal changes as Chloë suggested. The polenta replaces the noodles in the dish, which is a delicious trick (my mom is uneasy about this switch). It was delicious, and still is delicious, as this made a lot! Mushrooms come in and out of my favour and this recipe placed them firmly back in my heart. Enjoy!

Mushroom & Eggplant Polenta Lasagna

Ingredients

Polenta

  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 3 tablespoons butter

Lasagna layers

  • 2 eggplants sliced length-wise in medium-thin strips (see picture)
  • 2.5 cups of pasta sauce (I used a roasted portobello tomato pasta sauce for the full mushroom effect)

Filling

  • 10 large white mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 tsp chopped garlic
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 4 cups of fresh spinach
  • 3 cups cooked lentils (want some meat in your life? 1 lb of browned ground beef can go here, but it is totally unnecessary as the meat isn’t missed in this dish)
  • 2 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella (or italian mixed white cheeses)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • olive oil

Directions

  1. Make the polenta (REQUIRES SETTING TIME). Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and whisk in the cornmeal in 3 parts, keep whisking to avoid clumping. Turn the heat to low, and, stirring often, cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the butter, and stir until melted. Pour the polenta into a 9 x 13 dish and smooth the top. Allow it to cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour, preferably longer (ooooooor buy polenta at any grocery store).
  2. Cut polenta into strips, vary the thickness according to preference, I left mine pretty thick, about 1/2 inch.
  3. In a large pan over medium-high heat sauté the eggplant strips in batches of 3 until the eggplant browns, set the strips aside.

    I am not a huge fan of eggplant but it was delightful in this dish.

  4. Sauté the mushrooms, spinach, and garlic over medium heat with a bit of olive oil and the 2 tbsp of water until tender.

    Mushroom heaven.

  5. In a medium bowl mash the lentils and 1/2 cup of cheese. Add the spinach/lentil mixture to the spinach and mushrooms. Combine well, salt and pepper to taste, and remove from heat.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grab a 9 x 12 inch pan… maybe even the one you made the polenta in… huzzah! Or, as I did, grab two smaller but very deep casserole dishes. Also, cover a cookiesheet in aluminum foil… trust me.
  7. Spread about 1/4 of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of polenta strips over the sauce, leaving a little space in between them. Drop half of the filling onto the polenta and spread to cover. Cover with half of the eggplant strips. Spread another third of the sauce over it all and sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Cover with another layer of polenta, filling, eggplant, and cheese. This should use all of your ingredients… if not you’ve done something terribly wrong.

    Layering like a champ.

  8. Cover the dish tightly with foil, place it on the middle rack and the cookie sheet directly below to catch drips. Bake covered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and cook for another 20 minutes (50 minutes total). Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Chloë’s original recipe here:

Vegan Polenta Lasagna with Eggplant, Spinach, Mushrooms, and Tofu

Ingredients:

Polenta:

  • 2 cups cornmeal / corn grits
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 6 cups water

Lasagna:

  • 1 eggplant / aubergine, cut into long thin strips
  • 1–3 tsp. chopped garlic
  • 1 jar of pasta sauce (tomato sauce)
  • Sliced black olives (optional)

Filling:

  • 3–6 white mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. water
  • 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, mostly but not completely thawed
  • 1 package / 1 cup tofu (firm or medium firm)
  • 2–4 tbsp. nutritional yeast (adds a cheesy taste)
  • 1 tsp. salt (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Make polenta. (This can be done a day or two in advance.) In a large saucepan, bring water and salt to boil over high heat; gradually pour in cornmeal, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes or until smooth and thickened enough to mound on spoon. Transfer to greased 13 x 9-inch (3 L) baking dish, smooth top and set aside to set. (If making ahead, keep covered in fridge until needed.)
  2. Turn polenta out onto chopping board; with long knife, cut horizontally into strips (as thin as you can cut without it falling apart – about 1/3 of an inch).
  3. Brown eggplant strips in fry pan with cooking spray or a very little bit of oil.
  4. Sauté mushrooms and garlic over medium heat in the 2 tbsp. water until tender; cover between stirring to keep them from drying out.
  5. Place the tofu and thawed spinach in the food processor and process briefly, OR mix them together in a medium-sized bowl with a potato masher or strong fork (or with your hands, but it might be cold because the spinach shouldn’t be entirely thawed). Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix until smooth. Add the mushroom/garlic mixture.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  7. Make layers. Spread about a third of the sauce in the bottom of a 9×12-inch pan (casserole/lasagna dish). Place a layer of polenta strips over the sauce, leaving a little space in between them. Spread half of the tofu mixture on the noodles (I drop it by spoonfuls and then spread it). Add a layer of eggplant strips next. Spread another third of the sauce over it all. Cover with another layer of polenta, tofu mixture, and eggplant. Keep making layers until the pan is nearly full, then pour the remaining sauce over this. Sprinkle sliced black olives on top.
  8. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 1 hour (30 minutes with foil covering, then another 30 without the foil). Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Amazing Curry

This curry is coursing through my veins. I found it, tried it, tweaked it, and have cooked it at almost once a week over the last five months. I’ve made it with chicken and turkey but my favourite so far is the ground beef version. I am going to try the recipes with lentils because Genesis is all about lentils and I can see them tasting amazing in this dish. This is an easy-to-vegan recipe. Switch out the ground beef for TVP, lentils, chickpeas, etc. This time around I added lentils and peas which added an nice texture and sweetness.

Seriously tasty.

AMAZING CURRY

  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1.5 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1.5 tsp ground coriander
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 1.5 tsp ground cloves
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 3/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 lbs of ground beef (alternatives: 2 lbs ground chicken, turkey, lamb, etc. or veggie it up: all lentils, tvp, chickpeas, etc.)
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 cans coconut milk
  • 1 large red onion (very large… or 1.5 kinda large onions. Can use white or yellow, I just like red onions)
  • 4-6 green serrano chili peppers or jalapeños (to taste)
  • 1 head of garlic (seems like a lot but this is a lot of food)
  • 1/2 cup peas
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 1 lime

Directions

  • Mix together all the spices in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Brown your protein in a large pot with the coconut oil (or olive oil if you are so inclined), add salt and pepper to taste.
  • While browning the meat chop your onion, peppers, and peel your garlic.
  • Drain your protein and set aside.
  • In the same large pot saute the onions, peppers, and crushed garlic (you can add a little more coconut oil if you need to). Cook until onions become lightly translucent.
  • Add the meat back in. Add lentils and peas (and any other veggies you want) and sprinkle everything with your spice blend.
  • Stir the mixture over medium heat for a few minutes until the spices become fragrant.
  • Pour in your two cans of coconut milk, stir to combine.
  • Cook everything until hot throughout and the meat is cooked (shouldn’t be long if you’ve happily browned away already).
  • Serve over rice, or quinoa, or more lentils, or green beans, or a tire (I bet it will make it delicious). Squeeze lime over everything.

Now… pictures!

Spices lined up, ready for mixing.

Onions, peppers, and garlic.

About to be served.