The Skinny on Broad Beans

Our local farmers' market is in full swing, and like past years, I love making my Sunday trip to the market to stock up on the freshest, local, organic produce. There really is no comparison to the quality of this produce.
And right now it's the season for fresh broad beans, also commonly called fava beans. These are like the T-Rex's of beans! They're huge and beastly looking, leaving produce lurkers questioning how to tackle them! Well, while they involve a little more prep than say green beans or snow peas, they are actually easier than you might think.

First, be sure to buy the beans as fresh as possible, and to use them soon after purchasing - within a day or two if possible.

Shell the beans. The pods are thick and dense, but easy to pry open. I typically break the end and get the stringy bit that runs along the side edge. If you can get that, pull it down the side and the side opening easily opens up. If you can't get the stringy bit, the pods are still easy to tear open. Then, get a small pot of water boiling.

Then, steam the beans for just a couple of minutes - long enough to bring them to a bright green inside the skin - but again, just a couple of minutes. Overcooking will bring the beans into 'greyish mushy pea taste and texture' territory, and we don't like that. So, after just a couple of minutes steaming, remove, and, to stop the cooking process, run the beans under cold water (in a strainer or the steaming basket) for a minute or so.

Next, slip the skins off the inner bean. This part takes a few minutes, so if you have little helpers, this is sure to keep their hands busy.

Our girls loved this job, as you can see two different pairs of hands working through the beans. (and, while little hands might dent and dig into the beans some, it's still totally worth them joining in!).

Finally, season the beans simply. I used a squeeze of lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil, finished with a sprinkling of sea salt. Next time I pick up broad beans, I'm going to work them into a spread/dip... will keep you posted... until then, pick up some broad beans at your own local market and give them a try!

Bean and Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado

This Bean & Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado is from ed&bv. And, despite having a long name - and also somewhat of a long list of ingredients - this recipe is in fact quite simple and easy to make!
So, I thought I'd show you a couple of prep pictures to demonstrate just how effortless this dish is to make. (as a side note, this dish is a heck of a lot easier to put together than this post - blogger has deleted my entire text twice already - arggh!)

Begin by getting all of your ingredients ready, and having your pantry essentials on hand (can of tomato sauce, can of black or pinto beans, corn tortillas). Combine the tomato sauce with the onion, garlic, spice blend and beans, as pictured. Ladle about 1/2 of this mixture into your baking dish, and then cover that layer with about 1/2 of your corn tortillas (you can cut them in strips, or in semi-circles, as I have done here). (By the way, I use this Que Pasa brand of tortillas, and they are usually found refrigerated, but sometimes frozen.) Next... the magic! The layer of sliced avocado, corn kernels and lime juice/salt. Don't omit the lime juice, guys. Not only does it help preserve the color of the avocado, it adds acidity which enhances the flavor of that avocado/corn layer. The remaining corn tortillas are layered on top, followed by the remaining tomato sauce mix.

Finally, for a crunchy contract, a small amount of crushed tortilla chips are scattered over top. A sprinkling of vegan cheese can also be added, but is optional. Be sure to serve individuals portions with a wedge or two of limes. That squeeze of fresh lime juice truly brings the flavors to life. Also, if you are a cilantro lover, give your piece of lasagna some herbaceous love!

You may just find after making this casserole that you love the layer with the heated avocado. If so, add more avocado the next time... if not, simply omit it and serve your tortilla lasagna with guacamole. (try the Guacamole Con Alga Marina, p. 61).

Oh... how could I forget?! A salad is a must with this dish... with some crunchy, cool veggies like cukes, or jicama, or sweet bell peppers. Whatever you use, be sure to drizzle it with Cumin-Cinnamon Vinaigrette (p.80). Make it earlier in the day, or even a couple of days before, if you plan your meals in advance. That dressing is one of my favorites, and it's just waiting to be paired with this casserole!

An Old New Recipe

I was skimming through some of my food pics this morning, and came across this pie I was testing out over Christmas - yes, Christmas!

It's a new recipe, an Orange Chai Cream Pie. Now, I realize that given the recipe and photo have been sitting around since before '08, it's become an old but new recipe. Time to revisit - and retest this one. I did a couple of tests and it was phenomenal, and our guests devoured it as our Christmas dinner dessert.

Trouble is, when testing it after Christmas, the kids weren't into the chai spices, and the orange/chai flavors don't really excite hubby either... so I had a lot of pie taking up fridge space. But can't you imagine how lovely those flavors would be for the holidays, though? I need some more enthusiastic samplers... like you guys. :)

Pumpkin Oat Muffins

This is one of my foodtv.ca recipes, Pumpkin Oat Muffins (get the recipe here). This muffin batter includes a full can of pumpkin pie mix.

Now, I have found through numerous test runs with different recipes using pumpkin pie mix that the consistencies of any given puree can vary significantly from one brand to another. Some brands of pumpkin pie mix (and puree for that matter) can be thin and runny, with other brands being much more of a thick, dense puree. For consistency with recipe testing, I use the Farmer's Market Organic Pumpkin Pie Mix. Not only organic, this pie mix is also made with evaporated cane juice, which I prefer to mixes using white sugar. It has great flavor, and the texture is one that is thick and rich.

These muffins are easy to make, are wheat-free with spelt and oat flours (not gluten-free... the two are often confused). The best part of these muffins - well, apart from the sweet scent of pumpkin wafting through your kitchen - is the nibbly crunchy sweet topping!

And I know you muffin-top stealers are out there... I've been guilty too, snatching off the top of the muffin and leaving the bottom for later (or rather, for another). I won't be able to help you with these, because that crunchy sweet goodness gives an even bigger reason to tear off the muffin top. Let's face it, muffin tops are a very good thing - well, when you're eating them - not wearing them! (and for Seinfeld fans, who can forget "Top of the Muffin to You"?)

Before I sign off, a reminder that for the rest of my foodtv.ca recipes, go here (and there is a permanent link on my sidebar too).

Happy baking! (and muffin-top noshing) :)

(p.s. I have lost an e-mail and hopefully it can be resent if you're out there reading it. The e-mail was about conversion of baked goods (specifically Maple Pecan Sticky Blondies) and also using canola oil vs olive oil. If this sounds familiar, pls resend your e-mail so I can reply to you... and sorry, it was a slip of the finger and poof! :( the e-mail was gone.)

Pesto: Camera 1, Camera 2

One of my very favorite things about summer is fresh basil. I've been growing some in my garden and last week picked enough to whip up a batch of my Lemony Cashew-Basil Pesto from ed&bv.

This is my favorite pesto recipe. I love the intensity of the fresh basil and lemon juice balanced with the creamy raw cashews.

Of course, any of you that have ed&bv know this photo from the book:

Yes, it's a pretty photo. But, it's not how my pesto pasta looks. No, mine is adorned with much more sauce. I love my sauces, and this pesto is certainly no exception. So, my camera gives you a bowl of pasta more like this:

Oh yeaaahh, lots of pesto, and with a lil' extra dollop on the top. And, truth be told, I sometimes enjoy my pasta quite cooked through - past the 'al dente' point. I know it's against the pasta gods to overcook pasta, and 'al dente' is the proper way to serve it. But, when I want a real comfort food pasta, I go for the very cooked pasta. Along with lotsa' sauce, it hits the comfort sweet spot. And... truth be told again... I added even a little extra pesto to my pasta as I was working through it!

Now I need to make batches of pesto and keep in the fridge or freezer so I can recreate this pizza from last year. This was one of my all-time favorite pizzas and captured summer's bounty of heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil all in one perfect slice.

Ready to make pesto yet?

Chickpea Sensation Patties

Unlike my last post, these patties won't hold up on the grill. But that shouldn't keep you from making them, because these Chickpea Sensation Patties from ed&bv are really delicious.

They are a combination of chickpeas, brown rice, and oats blended with sauteed veggies and seasonings including thyme and a scattering of capers. And this is how I like to eat them - not in a bun, but served on their own, with warm Balsamic Maple Sauce (*get recipe through vegan.com link, scroll down after rolls) on the side. They are just so moist and flavorful, that for me, a bun (or wrap or pita) is just not needed. Instead, serve a side of spuds with these patties - like Lemon Rosemary Potatoes from Vive, and a salad. You can't go wrong with that.

Then, if you're needing to keep that sweet tooth happy, maybe a reminder that it's time to bake up a mountain of Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies like so...

Baby Bok Choy on the Grill

It's grilling season, and do you think that as vegans, we don't enjoy the bbq? Well, if you think that bbq = grilled meats, it's time to expand your culinary horizons!

This is actually the first summer that we have had a bbq. Before now, I used my small indoor grill, and even prop it outside during the hot months. But, there is no comparison to using a full bbq... and, since it really is an outdoor oven, you can grill and cook so many things!

Last week I looked at the baby bok choy in my fridge and thought... why not? It was the easiest prep, and the bok choy was just succulent! (btw, I generally prefer baby bok choy, pictured right, to regular bok choy. The leaves are more tender, and the flavor is much milder without a 'cabbage' flavor, and since the stalks are so tender, you can cook the leaves and stalks as one, rather than chopping the leaves away from the stems to cook separately.)

Here's what I did to grill those beautiful bok choy leaves:

- Of course, wash the bok choy before using. Separate the larger leaves from the inner core, and trim the thick white ends.
- As you get close to the small leaves, keep them intact with the core so they won't fall apart.
- Toss all the leaves in extra-virgin olive oil.
- Preheat your grill on medium-high heat, and place boy choy leaves on the grill, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (just a touch of pepper).
- Close grill and let cook for a few minutes. Open grill and turn leaves. At this point, they will need just another minute or two. If the leaves have wilted and have a nice bright light green color, they will be just about ready. Let a few grill marks set on the leaves or stalk.
- Ready to eat!

As you can see, when I grilled this baby bok choy, I also had other veggies that I grilled and served with pasta. I actually grilled the veggies in advance and then simply placed them on a pampered chef stoneware bar pan and warmed them through. You can do this in the oven, or again, on your bbq! (If you want to do the same, reheat the veggies until just warm enough to toss with the pasta... don't overcook).

The bok choy was irresistible, and my husband and I kept reaching for extra leaves to nibble on as we worked through our bowl of pasta. Try it, with pasta... or all on its own!

Also, a reminder that tomorrow morning (Wed, 8-9 am PST), I'll be on Dr. Melissa West's radio show with on Contact Talk Radio. We'll be doing a cookbook giveaway, so call toll free at 1-877-230-3062 with any questions or just to say 'hi'! :)

Radio Interview - Dr. Melissa West

On Wednesday, July 9th, from 8-9 am (PST), I'll be doing an interview with Dr. Melissa West on Contact Talk Radio. Listeners can call in during the hour toll free at 1-877-230-3062, so if you have any cooking or baking questions for me... pick up your phone and call! :)

We will also be doing a cookbook giveaway to a listener! Please visit Dr. Melissa West's show information to learn more.

I'll be back with food real soon, and will post a reminder about the show later as well.