Category Archives: About Food

About Food, Challenges

What do I do with this? Garlic Scapes

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Garlic Scapes

This is a new monthly challenge that I’m imposing on myself, where I find an ingredient that I have never used before (or even better – have never even HEARD of before) and make something with it.

My first entry is the Garlic Scape. I first heard of this earlier in the year, but had never seen any in the market before. I actually tried to grow my own, but failed miserably.

I finally found some at the market this month.

Garlic scapes, or green garlic, are the stalks of the garlic plant, growing above ground. They’re sort of like scallions, but garlicky tasting and much more dense. To me, they seem like a cross between a garlic and a green bean. Raw, they are pungent and crunchy. When cooked, they are soft and mild.

My first big dish using garlic scapes was a simple pasta tossed with sauteed vegetables, garlic scapes, garlic scape infused yogurt and Parmesan cheese.

Pasta featuring Garlic Scapes

There are many recipes for garlic scape pesto, which I plan to try making soon. Sounds right up my alley!

Now that I’ve tried them, I’m a little embarrassed that I hadn’t heard of them before. Anyone that knows me should be ashamed of me!! This was a great find, and a really fun thing to put in summer dishes. I know they won’t be in season for much longer, so I’ll be buying them every chance I get.

Next year, I plan to try growing garlic again. I’m not too sure what went wrong this time around, but I think it’s because bulbs don’t overwinter very well here when in pots. I might try planting them early March with my daffodils.

🙂

About Food, Recipes

Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad with Shrimp

Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad with Shrimp

Today was a very summery day, so I decided to make a summer meal.

We pulled the wee BBQ out from hibernation, cleaned it off, and sparked it up. I didn’t realize how much I missed grilled vegetables until we started eating… somehow everything tastes better grilled.

Today’s meal was not unusual for us – I think I went a little overboard making orzo salads in the last couple of summers. I thought J might never want to see an orzo again, but luckily the winter was enough of a break for him.

Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad - Shrimp

Yummy spiced grilled shrimp.

This orzo salad starred some simple grilled vegetables, some nicely spiced grilled shrimps, and an assortment of fresh herbs from my garden. This dish doesn’t have to be complicated. For once, I didn’t mix a handful of spices together or carefully follow a recipe step-by-step to make sure I didn’t mess it up.

This is less like science, and more like art. You take what you like, and toss it!

Over the course of the summer, I will be featuring a number of different orzo salads. I already know what my next one will be… Hopefully I’ll also find some other fun grain or legume salads. That’s something I’m missing from my database o’ fun.

My new thing is to mix chopped tomatoes and avocadoes and put it on top of a dish. It adds colour and freshness that I really like. I also finished the dish with a salt lightly smoked in wood from Chardonnay barrels. I forget what it’s called, but it is subtle and sooo good.

Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad with Shrimp - long

… and now we spot the elusive wild Orzo, in its natural habitat

Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad with Shrimp

Ingredients

  • 250g Orzo pasta, cooked and well drained
  • 1lb med-large shrimp, peeled
  • 1 medium red pepper, quartered
  • 1 medium orange pepper, quartered
  • 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 medium red onion, halved
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
  • 1/2 c chopped herbs (I used basil, parsley, tarragon, mint)
  • 6 tbsp olive oil, divided (1 for the veggies, 1 for the shrimp, 4 for the dressing)
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 small avocado, peeled and chopped
  • 8-10 grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1-2 tbsp chopped green onion (green part only)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

  1. Toss the vegetables in a bit of oil. (I use an oil sprayer to lightly coat them).
  2. Grill until the vegetables are cooked through, and have nice grill marks. Take off the grill, allow to cool, and chop coarsely.
  3. Toss the shrimp in a bit of oil (again, I use the sprayer for this), and the paprika and cayenne.
  4. Put the shrimp on the grill, and grill until cooked through and have nice grill marks (only a couple minutes on each side).
  5. In a large bowl, toss the chopped grilled veggies, shrimp, chopped garlic and chopped herbs with the cooked orzo.
  6. In a smaller bowl, whisk together 4Tbsp of the olive oil with the apple cider vinegar. Add to the salad and toss.
  7. Season with salt & pepper, plate the salad and top with the chopped tomatoes and avocado.
About Food, Blog Love

Blog Love Pt. 2 – 101 Cookbooks

Blog Love - 2010 May/June

This is the second in a series of posts that give props to blogs that inspire me.

Right now, I’m in Turkey on vacation, so instead of scheduling posts of my own cooking that I can’t respond to, I thought I’d show some of the blogs that keep me interested every week. The things I really like in a food blog include great recipe ideas, stylish photos, a sense of the personality of a blogger (I don’t want it to read like an instruction manual!) and a focus on fresh ingredients.

I watch a few blogs regularly, but there are a few that stand out as being at the top of the heap.

Today, I’d like to highlight a blog called 101 Cookbooks.

When I first started reading this blog, I found myself making recipes from it very regularly. I’ve even posted the results of some of my attempts. Heidi, who writes for 101 Cookbooks, focuses on natural, whole foods and the recipes definitely reflect that goal. The photos are lovely, with almost a cottage kitchen quality to them.

101 Cookbooks - Palak Daal
Palak Daal - from www.101cookbooks.com

Palak Daal Recipe

This recipe made me believe that, after a bunch of failed attempts, I could actually cook Indian food. Obviously, I had been using the wrong recipes before.

This recipe was easy to follow, and resulted in an incredible dish that inspired me to look for more good Indian recipes.

I think this was the first recipe I made from 101 Cookbooks. It definitely was not the last.

101 Cookbooks - Broccoli Pesto Quinoa
Broccoli Pesto Quinoa - from www.101cookbooks.com

Double Broccoli Quinoa Recipe

This is one of MANY quinoa recipes! Yaaaay! I love quinoa, and I was looking for a fun new recipe, and found lots of options. This dish makes a pesto out of broccoli, almonds and parmesan cheese – and lots of garlic.

This dish is super healthy and super tasty. As you can see from the pic, it’s a very fresh and green dish.

This is a perfect summer dish, full of yummy crunchy broccoli!

About Food, Blog Love

Blog Love Pt. 1 – The Naked Beet

Blog Love - 2010 May/June

This is the first in a series of posts that give props to blogs that inspire me.

Right now, I’m in Turkey on vacation, so instead of scheduling posts of my own cooking that I can’t respond to, I thought I’d show some of the blogs that keep me interested every week. The things I really like in a food blog include great recipe ideas, stylish photos, a sense of the personality of a blogger (I don’t want it to read like an instruction manual!) and a focus on fresh ingredients.

I watch a few blogs regularly, but there are a few that stand out as being at the top of the heap.

The first I’d like to highlight is called The Naked Beet.

This blog meets all of my criteria, and I’m always excited to see the latest posts. The photography is beautiful and enticing, the writing warm and friendly and the recipes are interesting and sophisticated, yet don’t seem to be aimed at seasoned chefs. Here are some recent examples of posts that piqued my interest.

Enjoy The Naked Beet! I’ll highlight another great blog next week!

The Naked Beet - Za'atar Mountain
Za'atar Mountain - from thenakedbeet.com

The spice must flow (…or why Za’atar will be in your local market soon)

This entry was posted a couple of weeks ago now, but I still haven’t cleared it from my Google Reader. I look at it almost every day.

Insanity? Probably. But just LOOK at it! … and then read it.

If you are a fan of herbs and spices, as I am, this post will definitely incite some deliciousness.

This post talks about Za’atar, a blend of herbs and spices used primarily in the Middle East, but making it’s way into foodies’ cupboards everywhere.

There’s some socio-political intrigue involved as well, which makes you think about how important food is to history and culture.

Also, do you see the freaking pyramid of spices? Seriously!

The Naked Beet - Shrimp in Coconut Fusion Broth
Shrimp in Coconut Fusion Broth - from thenakedbeet.com

Spicy Shrimp in Thai Fusion Broth

This post has also been in my saved list for a while… I keep trying to find the right time to make this recipe!

This dish is a mix of Mexican flavours (Ancho and Chipotle chiles) and Thai flavours (lemon grass, coconut milk). I knew this would be right up J’s alley, so it’s on my “do it up” list. Soon. I promise.

Until then, I’ll just look at the pretty picture and drool.