Leek & Cauliflower Puree

This is one of my favourite side dishes over the holidays because it carries all the flavour of a luxurious potato side dish without feeling as heavy. I started developing this a few Christmases ago as my aunt cannot eat potatoes. Since so many holiday meals are served with potatoes on the side, I wanted her to have an option that was equally tasty without defaulting to rice. The flavour here really comes from leeks - you want them to get nice and soft and buttery. It’s ok if they brown a bit too, that’s just extra flavour! If you don’t have a food processor you could use a blender or hand blender. The other advantage to cauliflower over potato is you don’t have to worry about it turning gummy when blended!

About the ingredients

Leeks: as you will begin to notice in my recipes, leeks are one of my favourite ingredients. They add a gentle onion flavour without too much bite, and I find they pair nicely with cheese without overtaking the dish. 

How to store leeks:

Leeks should be stored in the fridge but they can be REALLY big. Since you only eat the white part of the leek, if you’re tight on space, you can always trim off the green parts before storing them in your fridge. Just dampen a paper towel and wrap the cut ends until you are ready to use.

How to clean leeks:

I always give them a good rinse on the outside - if the outer layer seems to be discolouring, I will peel that off. Again, you only use the white part, so I cut off the greens. I’ll then peek down in the layers of the white part - if it seems really dirty I will chop the leeks to whichever size I need, then give them a rinse in a colander or soak in a bowl of water to remove all the dirt. Sometimes soil can get between the layers so it’s important to give them a good clean!

What do I do with all these leeks?!:

Typically leeks come in bunches of three. This recipe will use one. For the other two, you can pretty much use them in any recipe that calls for onion. They are awesome in soups. I use them in my turkey dressing/stuffing. I have a great leek and camembert quiche recipe in the archives. They are delicious with a roast chicken - add them to the pan and the chicken fat drippings will caramelize the leeks while it roasts. THE WORLD IS YOUR LEEK.

Choosing your milk: the higher the milk fat content of your milk, the richer this side dish will be. If you are looking for a lighter side, choose 1 or 2% milk. If you’re looking for a luxurious, creamy side, go all out with 35% m.f cream. Anything in between will also be delicious! I have not tried this recipe with non-dairy milk but I think any unsweetened nut or oat milk would probably work nicely.

Cheese: in the recipe, I recommend using parmesan cheese but really, any hard, sharp cheese will work well. Asiago would be delicious. So would Grana Padano. It isn’t meant to be like… “cheesy” in flavour, just super savoury and delicious. Save your cheddar for another recipe!

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Leek & Cauliflower Puree

Serves 4-6, 30 mins prep/cook time

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower head, leaves and stalks removed

1 leek, green part removed

1 tsp, olive oil

1 tbsp butter

½ cup of milk or cream (higher the milk fat the creamier it will be)

¼ cup grated parmesan

Salt n pepper to taste

Method:

1. Prep your cauliflower - you can either boil or steam the cauliflower, your choice! First I chop the cauliflower into roughly equal pieces so it cooks evenly. Then while the cauliflower cooks, skip to step 2 to get your leeks cooking at the same time.

   • To boil: bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add in cauliflower and boil until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and place in the food processor.

   • To steam: place your steaming basket in a medium pot with 1 cm of water. Add cauliflower pieces to the steamer basket and cover with a lid. Allow to steam for 5-7 mins until fork tender. Remove cauliflower and place it in the food processor.

2. Thinly slice your leek, first by running the knife lengthwise down the white part, and then slicing crosswise. Add to a pan over medium-low heat with olive oil and butter, and a pinch of salt. Allow to cook until translucent, buttery and softened. I like to let them deeply cook, 10-15 minutes.

3. Once leeks are cooked, add to the food processor along with your milk/cream and pulse until smooth. Add in your cheese and pulse again until well combined. Taste. Does it taste like you want to eat more? If no, you probably need some more salt and pepper. Add a touch, pulse again, and taste. Continue until it tastes delicious and perfectly seasoned!

4. You can keep the puree warm on the stove in a pot, covered, over low heat while you wait for the rest of your meal. You can also refrigerate for 3-5 days to reheat!
   

Glazed Chicken Meatballs

These chicken meatballs are moist, flavourful and just.. so good! I’ve been making them weekly, often serving them with roasted veggies or a side salad. You can play around with the spice combo, but overall the ratios below are perfect. The key to these meatballs is mixing together the egg, panko and spices before adding in the meat. This allows for the spices to be evenly distributed and avoids overmixing the ground chicken. They are glazed versus super sauce-y, so they would also make a great appetizer at a gathering.

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Glazed Chicken Meatballs

Serves 4, 30 mins

 Ingredients:

1 package of ground chicken

½ cup panko crumbs

1 egg

½ tsp of each: garlic powder, paprika OR curry powder, red pepper flakes (OR ¼ tsp if you don’t like spicy things), kosher salt

Pepper

¼ cup of jelly/jam (grape, fig or quince are best!)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp water

Method: 

1. Mix together the egg, panko and spices until well mixed. Add ground chicken and mix until the breadcrumb mixture is well distributed. Roll into meatballs the size of your choice – I like 1.5 tbsp ish!

2. Heat non-stick pan to medium heat, add 2 tsp of olive oil. Brown the meatballs, turning often to maintain their round shape. Continue to cook until cooked through (165F meat thermometer) - typically 12-15 minutes for the size above. While the meatballs are cooking, make the glaze!

3. Mix together the glaze (you can use boiled water if you need help breaking down the jelly).

4. Once the meatballs are cooked through, pour the glaze into the pan and continue to cook until it thickens and coats all the meatballs. If you want it more sauce-y you can add water a tbsp at a time to the pan!

Pantry Quinoa Pilaf

Quinoa is one of my favourite grains but let’s be frank here - sometimes it tastes like dirt. Most of the time that is because people miss the critical step of rinsing their quinoa before cooking (don’t skip this!) but also because it can have a pretty bitter flavour to it if not spiced up a bit. Below is my favourite combination of ingredients to add to quinoa, with lots of swap options dependent on what you find in your pantry. The perfect side with any protein, it’s time to add some pizzazz to your quinoa!

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Pantry Quinoa Pilaf

20 mins

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

¼ cup lemon juice

(swap: 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar + 1 tsp maple syrup)

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ red onion, diced

(swap: shallot, green onion)

¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, diced

¼ cup dry roasted almonds (unsalted), roughly chopped

(swap: walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)

1 cup parsley, chopped

(swap: cilantro, basil, mint)

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cook your quinoa according to package instructions, don’t forget to rinse the quinoa first!

2. Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice, olive oil in a large bowl, and whisk together with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Once quinoa is cooked and cooled slightly, add into the bowl and toss to coat in lemon vinaigrette.

4. Add in your onion, sun dried tomatoes, chopped almonds, red pepper flakes and parsley. Toss to combine (I prefer to use a fork to keep it fluffy).

5. Serve warm or at room temperature. Or store in the fridge until ready to serve!

Roasted Sweet Potato & Lime Dip

Last May, my dear friend and I travelled to Portugal for 2 weeks. We ate… a lot, and I’ve been so inspired by the food of Portugal since that trip. When we were in Lagos, we took a day long cooking class in the countryside (New Forest Lodge Country Cooking Class) and it was a dream come true. A day spent on an organic farm cooking with a truly lovely woman named Frances, making fresh bread and various dishes all while enjoying the fresh air and a glass of wine. It was relaxation at its finest. One of the first dishes we made was a sweet potato dip with fresh breadsticks. I kept referring to it as “guacamole with sweet potato”, because the ingredients are quite similar to a good guac. That day we used steamed sweet potatoes, but since returning home I’ve been roasting them. I find roasting reduces the liquid in the sweet potatoes and results in a sweeter, more flavourful dip. The key is to let the sweet potatoes roast until you see that caramel start to peek out of the skin.

My favourite way to serve this is with fresh tortilla chips, but store bought work all the same!

Above are images from our day in Lagos cooking with Frances - our beautiful breadsticks and the original Sweet Potato Dip!

Perfectly roasted sweet potatoes - oozing caramel

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Roasted Sweet Potato & Lime Dip

1.25 hours total

ingredients:

Dip:

¼ tsp red chili flakes (or sub in your favourite chili oil to taste)

½ tsp kosher salt

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 handfuls of cilantro, chopped (about ½ cup)

1 lime juiced, about 2 tbsp

2 medium sweet potatoes (~1 kg or 2 lbs)

1 tbsp of olive oil for finishing

Tortillas:

1 package corn tortillas (La Tortilla Factory Yellow Corn & Wheat are my favourite)

2-3 tbsp of coconut oil

Kosher salt

Chili powder (I prefer ancho chilli powder for extra smoke and heat)

Method:

Dip prep:

*you could roast your potatoes ahead of time and store them in the fridge until ready to make the dip. Steps 1-4.

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Wash your sweet potatoes and pierce repeatedly with a fork (this will prevent them from exploding) and place onto a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Place into the preheated oven and roast for 45-60 mins, until the potatoes are fork tender, caramel is oozing out, and the sweet potato almost looks like it is collapsing on itself.

4. Set aside and cool - cutting them open will speed up the cooling process (releases steam).

5. Once the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, scoop out the insides into a bowl and mash until smooth

6. Add in your chilli flakes (or oil), kosher salt, garlic, cilantro and lime juice.

7. Top with your favourite olive oil

8. Serve room temperature or chill until ready to serve!

Tortilla prep:

1. Heat a pan to medium-high heat and add in 1 tsp of coconut oil

2. Place in one tortilla and let it crisp (1 minute), until it starts to puff slightly

3. Flip to the other side, and cook until crisp (1 minute)

4. Transfer to a paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt and chili powder while still hot (do your best salt bae, you want an even distribution and not too much, so sprinkle from a high height)

5. Repeat with all of your tortillas

6. Slice into triangles and serve with the drip

Lemon Pepper Orzo with Shrimp and Snap Peas

My mom used to make a lemon pepper pasta growing up that was one of my favourite dishes. She added shrimp, snowpeas, and we always topped it with a generous serving of parmesean cheese (or as I used to call it “sprinkle cheese”). People often say that fish and cheese don’t go together, but many east coast dishes combine the two - I think lemon always being present cuts through the richness which is what makes it work.

Spring is a wonderful time for this pasta as there are many vegetables coming into season. Sugar snap peas are my favourite but snow peas would also work. I’ve also done this with roasted asparagus instead of peas - in that case just skip step 5 and go straight to cooking the shrimp. Add your roasted asparagus in when you add the orzo to the pan. Sugar snap peas, snow peas and asparagus are all about to hit their peak season so now’s the time to embrace this light, fresh pasta dish.

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Lemon Pepper Orzo with Shrimp and Snap Peas

30 mins total

Ingredients:

340g package frozen, raw shrimp

1.5 cups orzo pasta

1 shallot, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

227 g package of sugar snap peas (yields about 2 cups)*, cut into thirds

1.5 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp of water

2 tbsp of lemon juice

1 tbsp of unsalted butter

1 tbsp of olive oil

Parmesan-reggiano to serve

Method:

1. Place your frozen shrimp in a bowl and cover with cool water to thaw.

2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil for your orzo.

3. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, add olive oil and bring to medium- high heat.

4. Sauté shallot and garlic in the pan until shallot is translucent and garlic is aromatic (2-3 mins). Add in black pepper and allow the pepper to sizzle in the oil with the shallot and garlic for 1 min.

5. Reduce the heat to medium and add in your snap peas. Pour in 2 tbsp of water to the pan to deglaze the bits that have begun to stick and add some moisture to help steam the peas. Season the peas with salt and pepper.

6. Add a handful of kosher salt to your boiling water and then add in the orzo. Cook according to package - usually 6-7 mins for al dente.

7. Peel your shrimp and add to your pan. I like to push my veggies to the side and add the shrimp in an even layer directly onto the pan. Try not to disturb them until you see the pink peaking through to the other side (usually 1-2 mins) and flip them to the other side.

8. Drain your orzo (DO NOT RINSE) and add to the pan with the shrimp and vegetables - it’s ok if some pasta water comes with it! That will help the flavours stick.

9. Add butter and lemon juice and give everything a good stir. Taste - season and adjust if needed.

10. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top and some freshly cracked pepper.