Destiny’s Child on FULL blast!

Watch ALL the new Once Upon A Time episodes Netflix just released! Marathon it! (ALSO NEW THE WALKING DEAD!!!)

Practice the Single Ladies dance routine along side Beyonce on YouTube….pretend that I AM Beyonce.

Eat as MANY olives as I can!

Mark does not like olives which is a real problem for me because I LOVE olives. I am a huge fan of the briny, leathery fruits. Sometimes when Mark is working late I will prepare a little plate of olives, sauteed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, capers, balsamic vinegar, fresh cherry tomatoes and mustard to serve on crusty bread slices for dinner with a glass a red wine and feeling oh-so French! Unfortunately for me, cooking with olives is a no-go since I dread the idea of someone picking out an ingredient out of a dish. Maybe I am just too un-picky? I knew I needed to make a dish with some of my favourite ingredients that Mark is not a fan of while he is off being a rockstar. 

These potato rounds are banging good! Salty salsa, spiced potatoes and cool cashew tzatziki sauce come together to create this recipe. It is a bit fussy since you have to make a salsa, a sauce and the potatoes but if you follow my game plan, it will seem effortless. First, preheat the oven, salt the cucumbers, make the sauce and refrigerate. Secondly, chop and toss the potatoes in the spice oil and roast. While the potatoes are roasting make the salsa and prep the parsley garnish. When you break it down, it doesn’t seem so daunting.

Since olives are the star of this dish I encourage you to buy the best olives you can afford: from an olive bar, cheese shop or high-end grocery store. Jarred olives are far too salty and lack the richness and depth of a good quality olive. I tried this recipe with nicoise olives but this olive is more expensive than the recipe recommended Katamala and impossible to find pitted (believe me when I say they are a b*tch to pit these tiny French olives).

The best part of being in a relationship is that you like when your person is there and when they are not there. A little time alone is needed sometimes: just me, some olives and my cat Barb. And Beyonce on full blast.

What dish do you make when your partner is away? Anything you love and they hate?

The post Roasted Greek Potato Rounds with Olive-Tomato Salsa and Cashew Tzatziki Sauce appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

 I may be jumping the gun here with a typical mid-summer recipe but there is reason to celebrate: Mark is going to France next month! Mark is a bass player for the blues/jazz band Andria Simone and Those Guys and they have recently won the Hennessy Artistry Talent Quest. I could not be more proud of them and all of their hard work and believe me when I say it is hard work and (almost) completely unglamorous. Mark, who attends school full time, has a full time job and yet continues to go diligently to all rehearsals and gigs while he carrying his bass, amp and gear all on the subway. It is admirable to see their dedication to their passion for music by paying free gigs and rehearsing all hours to get ready for television gigs and music video recordings.

 I am so happy for him and I hope he enjoys his time in France while feasting on baguettes, drinking gallons of wine and sipping cognac which he had told me will be a daily occurrence if he has the time between performing at the music festival. Sadly I will not be joining him, as I will be stuck in my adult high school updating my math credits for 6 hours a day in a non-air conditioned room. This sacrifice is all for the greater good in hopes of applying to get my BSc. Siggghhh but I do dream of France so I thought I would make my favourite summer time dish with a French inspiration.

 When I think of France, I generally don’t think vegan food but this potato salad doesn’t have a lick of cream, eggs, bacon or anything in a liver pate form. It does contain some delicious vegan friendly French elements such as: spicy Dijon mustard, pebbly Puy lentils, crisp radishes, shallots, blanched asparagus and fleur de sel. Not exactly a French classic but it is fresh, summery and absolutely delicious. If you are going to France this summer, I am completely jealous but for those who aren’t this potato salad helps comfort your wanderlust soul.

French Inspired Creamy Lentil Potato Salad

2014-06-14 08:11:41

Serves 4

A fresh French twist on an all American classic summer time recipe.

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Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

1 hr

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

1 hr

Cashew Dijon Mayo

1. 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2-8 hours, drained
2. 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3. 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4. ½ teaspoon fleur de sel
5. 6 tablespoons water
6. 2-3 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I used 3 but I LOVE mustard)

Lentils+ Potatoes

1. ½ cup Puy lentils, picked through and rinsed
2. 1 ½ pounds mini red skinned potatoes, washed and steamed
3. 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4. ¼ teaspoon fleur de sel

Vegetables

1. 2 carrots, peeled and shaved with a vegetable peeler- cut the shaves into thin strips
2. ½ pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on the bias into medium pieces
3. 6-7 medium radishes, washed well, trimmed and sliced thin
4. 1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
5. 1/3 cup packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped roughly
6. 1½ tablespoons minced fresh shallot
7. ¼ teaspoon fleur de sel
8. ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper + more to season after the salad has rested for 1 hour

For the Cashew Dijon Mayo

1. Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and process until completely smooth.

For the Lentils + Potatoes

1. Place the lentils into a small pot of cold water so that they are covered by about 3 inches of water. I used ½ cup of dried lentils and 2 cups of water. Bring the water up to the boil. As soon as it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium/medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Test a few lentils at a time to check for doneness- they should have some bite to them and should not be bursting. Drain and rinse with cold running water, shaking out the water before adding the lentils to the potato bowl.
2. In a large pot, add water until about 2 inches deep and place the steamer basket inside the pot. Heat water over medium high until bubbly and add the potatoes. Keep a close eye on the water- if it gets too low you run the risk of burning out your pot. Cook potatoes until they are tender but the skins aren’t bursting. While the potatoes cook, add vinegar and salt to a large non-reactive bowl and set aside. Once potatoes are fully cooked, take off heat and cut the potatoes in half while they are still warm. Add all the potatoes to the bowl and toss with vinegar. Let stand in vinegar while you prepare your other ingredients.

For the Vegetables

1. To blanch the asparagus: add chopped asparagus to boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Dry gently with a clean dishtowel and add to the potato/lentil bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. Pour the cashew Dijon mayo over the salad and with a rubber spatula gently coat the salad with the dressing.
2. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and let the salad rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour to let the flavours meld. The salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.

Notes

1. I steamed the potatoes in a pot with a steamer basket, cut them in half and then tossed them with apple cider vinegar and salt. Potatoes are most absorbent when hot so it soaks up all the tangy vinegar.
2. You don’t have to use all the vegetables I did for this recipe, use ones you prefer. I just don’t recommend beets since they will turn your salad a very vivid pink.
3. Green lentils are larger than the Puy lentils, which are darker (greeny blueish gray colour) and look like little pebbles. These lentils are grown in the French region of Le Puy.
4. After mixing everything together, refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the flavours have time to meld together.
5. I used Bragg’s Raw Apple Cider. Feel free to experiment with other vinegars like white wine, red wine or champagne vinegar.
6. No fleur de sel? Completely fine. Sub in your preferred non-ionized salt like kosher or fine grain sea salt and TASTE as you go before adding more salt. Fleur de sel has a very mild flavour.
7. Make the dressing first, put on the lentils, cook the potatoes and while the lentils and potatoes are cooking, prep your vegetables for the rest of the salad.

By Jessica DeMarra

Sprouts & Chocolate http://www.sproutsandchocolate.com/

The post French Inspired Creamy Lentil Potato Salad appeared first on Sprouts & Chocolate.

Now for the cooking process. I mean, just cut it up into cubes and add to boiling water right? Nope not these spuds. I once saw on a Food Network show the host (I can’t for the life of me remember who) put the potatoes whole unpeeled in a steamer basket. I have never in my life seen potatoes cooked this way but the potatoes looked pretty good. After some Googling, I read that steaming or boiling them with their skins on reducing the surface area of absorbing water. Waterlogged potatoes are gluey when mashed and certainly not what I wanted. Unfortunately, I do not own a steamer basket large enough to accommodate the amount of potatoes I wanted (2 pounds). I choose to boil them in their skins and it worked perfectly. Quick trip under the cold tap water and the skins peeled off very easily.

Usually I would just throw in the milk and butter all together but I did not want them to absorb all the milk too quickly and become gluey. Butter first to coat the potatoes and then the warmed milk. I was generous with the seasoning (taste as you go always!) and literally stood in front of the pot taking heaping spoonfuls of potatoes. Practice some self-control if you can (I managed to only mildly burn the roof of my mouth) but these potatoes were soooo good. Served alone or top with Mushroom Gravy, either way this is no gluey spud. I just made this recipe for Mark and I but this recipe double or triples very easily if you are serving for a crowd. See my tip for keeping your potatoes warm when serving a crowd.

Serves 4 side dishes

•  2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (about 4 medium sized potatoes)
• 4 tablespoons Earth Balance Traditional Butter
• 1/3 cup soy creamer (I used Silk, this may seem like a lot but when researching I saw a recipe have a whole stick of butter plus cream)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste (I usually put in the measurement but with potatoes it is very much a matter of personal taste, just remember to taste as you go and add little bits at a time. You can add more but can’t take it out if you add too much)

Place potatoes in a large pot and top with water. The water should fill up to 1 inch above the largest potato. To check, I placed my finger in the water and it came up to the first knuckle.

Bring to boil on high heat and then turn down the heat to medium and allow to simmer for about 25-30 minutes depending how large your potatoes are. Use a fork to test the doneness of your potatoes, not a knife since it can just cut through it. When the potatoes are fully cooked, drain over a colander and rinse with cold tap water. While the potatoes are cooling slightly, add the cream and milk into a small pot and warm over medium low heat.

When cool enough to handle, the skins should peel off without the need for a vegetable peeler. Chop in half lengthwise and then chop into quarters.

Return the empty pot to the burner and set on med low. In the pot, add the half of the butter and melt. Add half of the chopped potatoes and with a masher, mash into the butter. Repeat with the other half. Add the warmed cream mixture and mix until incorporated but do not over mash. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve piping hot.

To keep warm for the large party, transfer to a slow cooked and keep on a low heat. If they become dry, add more butter and milk until desired consistency.

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