Green Tomatoes Chutney

Minoo used the green tomatoes given by the Richmond Sharing Farm to make some Green Tomatoes Chutney.

Green-Tomatoes-Chutney-04

The green tomatoes have to be harvested due to the change of weather to cold and wet fall weather.

Green-Tomatoes-Chutney-06

The sweet and tart Green Tomatoes Chutney made a great condiment for the Butternut Squash Cake. It also goes well with chicken dish.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups diced green tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onions
  • 1 tart apple (like Granny Smith), peeled, cored and diced
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 2 star anise (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped candied ginger
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Green-Tomatoes-Chutney-02

Source: South Arm Multicultural Community Kitchen

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

(more…)

Continue ReadingGreen Tomatoes Chutney

Butternut Squash Cakes

In the South Arm Multicultural Community Kitchen, Minoo shared three recipes featuring squash and green tomatoes. The recipes were inspired by the squash and green tomatoes given by Richmond Sharing Farm from their abundant harvest.

Butternut-Squash-Cakes-01

The above are the squash given by the Richmond Sharing Farm. From front row, left to right is kabocha, sugar pumpkin and acorn. The one on second row right most is butternut squash and the one on the left most is red kuri squash. Any one know what is the name of the squash in the middle of second row?

Butternut-Squash-Cakes-12

We made Butternut Squash Cakes with the butternut squash. It is like latkes with the squash replacing the potatoes. They are crispy when freshly fried. These make a great lunch box item.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 2 cups grated butternut squash, packed
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • about 4 tablespoons flour
  • olive oil for shallow fry
  • 1/4 cup sour cream for garnish (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds for garnishing (optional)

Butternut-Squash-Cakes-02

Source: South Arm Community Kitchen

(more…)

Continue ReadingButternut Squash Cakes

Quinoa Chocolate Cup Cakes

The last superfood featured in the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors is Quinoa.

Benefits of quinoa includes:

  • contains essential amino acids
  • good quantities of calcium, phosphorous and iron
  • high in protein, the complete protein source, similar to meat source
  • high in fiber

Quinoa-Chocolate-Cake-17

This Quinoa Chocolate Cup Cakes is made without flour; i.e. gluten free.

This recipe makes an 8″ round cake or you can make them as cup cakes for easy portion control. We managed to get 30 cup cakes from this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 2 cups milk or soy milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 1/2 cups white or cane sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Quinoa-Chocolate-Cake-2

Source: adapted from Quinoa 365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming

(more…)

Continue ReadingQuinoa Chocolate Cup Cakes

Easy Mushroom Stroganoff

Mushroom is the next featured superfood in the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors. The mushroom is used in this Easy Mushroom Stroganoff recipe.

Easy-Mushroom-Stroganoff-14

Benefits of mushrooms extracted from BBC Good Food Megazine and Vegetarian Nutrition Info includes:

  • very low in calories
  • antioxidant property
  • high in potassium (helps lower blood pressure and reduces risk of stroke). For example, one portobella mushroom has more potassium than a banana or a glass of orange juice.
  • great alternative to meat
  • source of Vitamin B12
  • one of the few natural sources of Vitamin D, which keeps bones and teeth healthy and supports the immune system
  • shiitake mushrooms have been used by Chinese and Japanese to treat cold and flu, appears to stimulate immune system

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 600 grams mixed mushrooms, washed and chopped
  • 1 cup low sodium beef or vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup half fat sour cream
  • parsley, chopped
  • broad noodles, prepared according to directions

Easy-Mushroom-Stroganoff-1

Source: adapted from BBC Good Food Magazine

(more…)

Continue ReadingEasy Mushroom Stroganoff

Potato Garlic Soup

You would not believe that the next superfood featured in the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors is garlic.

The benefits of garlic extracted from webmd include:

  • boosting immune system
  • anti-viral, antibacterial, antifungal
  • high level of Vitamin C
  • cancer prevention: for example, National Cancer Institute study found that 2 teaspoons of garlic, onions or chives a day was associated with lower risk of prostate cancer

Potato-Garlic-Soup-9

This Potato Garlic Soup does have a strong garlic flavour. It is a creamy and thick soup.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth or more
  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped chives for garnishing
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
  • salt and pepper to taste

Potato-Garlic-Soup-2

Source: adapted from epicurious.com

(more…)

Continue ReadingPotato Garlic Soup

Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing on Green Salad

The theme for this South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors Kitchen is Fall Vegetarian Meal featuring some superfoods.

Nutritional-Yeast-Salad-Dressing-on-Green-Salad-11

The first superfood is nutritional yeast. I have not heard of nutritional yeast until today.

Here are some facts about nutritional yeast extracted from wikepedia.org which Michelle shared in the kitchen:

  • nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast
  • source of protein
  • usually fortified with B vitamins
  • can be used as a cheese substitute in mashed or fried potatoes, tofu
  • tasty topping for popcorn
  • often used as nutritional support for vegetarians and vegans
  • best flavour from Red Star brand

Nutritional-Yeast-Salad-Dressing-on-Green-Salad-4

This nutritional yeast dressing is creamy, cheesy and nutty. This dressing is great on spinach or mixed green salad. It lasts for about a week in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar or fruit vinegar
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil (grapeseed, sunflower or canola)

Salad:

  • 1 to 2 heads lettuce, chopped and washed
  • 2 to 3 carrots, grated
  • handful cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 long cucumber, diced
  • seeds or nuts, optional

Nutritional-Yeast-Salad-Dressing-on-Green-Salad-1

Source: mintgreenapron.blogspot.ca

(more…)

Continue ReadingNutritional Yeast Salad Dressing on Green Salad

Crustless Swiss Chard Quiche

The second fall recipe which Minoo shared in the South Arm Community Kitchen is a cheesy quiche which kids will enjoy.

Crustless-Swiss-Chard-Quiche-17

This Crustless Swiss Chard Quiche is great for the lunch box. It can be eaten warm or cold.

This recipe is good to use up leftover food. You can use leftover ham, chicken, broccoli or any greens.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil for sauteing
  • 1/2 bunch Swiss chard
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (we used cheddar)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Crustless-Swiss-Chard-Quiche-1

Source: via Minoo

(more…)

Continue ReadingCrustless Swiss Chard Quiche

Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing

Minoo shared three fall ingredients featured recipes in the South Arm Multi Cultural Community Kitchen.

Kale-Slaw-with-Peanut-Dressing-8

The first recipe is a Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing. The texture difference between the whole peanuts, ground peanuts, and pureed peanuts in the sauce is one of the things that makes this slaw so wonderful.

Kale-Slaw-with-Peanut-Dressing-10

The above is an article that Minoo shared in the kitchen about the interesting culinary uses of Kale. You can click on the image to have a larger view.

Ingredients

  • 2 large bunches curly or lacinato kale, about 2 pounds
  • 2 red bell peppers, cleaned and cut into fine strips
  • 2 carrots, peeled
  • 3/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts, divided
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Kale-Slaw-with-Peanut-Dressing-1

The beautiful carrots were given by Richmond Sharing Farm for the use in the community kitchen.

 Source: via Minoo; Serves 6 to 8

(more…)

Continue ReadingKale Slaw with Peanut Dressing

Impossible Cardamom Apple Pie

Michelle harvested some apples from her apple tree and Chris also brought some apples to share at the South Arm Cooking Club Seniors. Michelle came up with this simple apple pie recipe with a twist, i.e. using cardamon instead of cinnamon which is usually associated with apple pie.

Apple is the original superfood which is rich in phytochemicals which have health benefits to cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, weight management and bone health. There goes the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”.

Impossible-Cardamom-Apple-Pie-12

Michelle served this Impossible Cardamom Apple Pie with some homemade vanilla ice-cream.

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 apples
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamon (or cinnamon)
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup unbleached flour

Impossible-Cardamom-Apple-Pie-1

Source: Mintgreeapron.blogspot.com

Tips: use freshly grind cardamon for a more pronounce flavour

(more…)

Continue ReadingImpossible Cardamom Apple Pie

Pasta with Lentils and Kale

The fall/winter vegetable featured in this recipe is kale. This is in line with the theme of eating food in season for the South Arm Cooking Club for seniors.

Pasta-with-Lentils-and-Kale-11

If you do not want to cook the lentils, you can use canned lentils or white beans but rinse them well. Chopped hazelnuts or walnuts or leftover cooked bacon, sausage or chicken can be added for added protein.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup French (small) green lentils
  • 2 cups water
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3/4 pound kale (preferably Tuscan; sometimes labeled as “lacinato”)
  • 3/4 pound dried short pasta
  • grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or toasted breadcrumbs for topping

Pasta-with-Lentils-and-Kale-1

Source: this recipe is adapted from Gourmet April 2007

Tips:

Lentils and onions can be cooked up to 5 days ahead and chilled. Cool completely and covered before refrigeration. Reheat over low heat, thinning with water as necessary.

Kale can be washed and trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag lined with dampened paper towels.

(more…)

Continue ReadingPasta with Lentils and Kale