My Mum's Spaghetti Sauce of the Week

  My mum makes huge batches of this stuff for topping pasta, but it's also just good almost like a chili with a big hunk of bread. Add beans and a couple serranos and this becomes chili. I recall it being awesome, and it's uber-simple. It cans and freezes well and serves about 15 hungry folks. It's also probably the least vegan thing on the planet.

Here she flies.

Get out the biggest pot you own and simmer 5 pounds of ground beef for about 35 minutes, until much of the fat has rendered. Drain all but a touch. (You could also use 3 1/2 pounds of veggie-burger or TVP-type stuff with 3 tablespoons oil to make it vegan too).

Chop 2 yellow onions , 3-5 stalks celery and 1 pound mushrooms and add to the brew. Simmer a few minutes and add one entire bulb of chopped garlic.

Quickly add 1 28oz (800ml) can of diced tomatoes and either 2 large jars of quality tomato sauce (Mum always uses Ragu if she uses bottled) or 1 1/2 litres homemade.

Add 1 teaspoon celery seed, 3 chili peppers (crush em) 1 tablespoon each parsley and basil and simmer the whole works for about an hour.

Like everything else your mum makes, it is awesome at once and BEYOND the next day.

Heart-Smart Pilaf

Everyone wants to eat a little healthier in our fast-food instant gratification society . We feel the need to atone for sometimes decades of questionable behaviours with a change. A lot of people seem to be terrified of carbs , which are the energy source for our active bodies . Here's a guilt-free starch-based dish that can be used as a side , a base for a protein , or a meal in itself. It is low-fat , rich in manganese and a host of antioxidants , and lowers cholesterol . Oh yeah , you can find it in any grocery store .

the beautiful beast that is the crux of this dish is long-grain BROWN rice , and you NEED this in your life . you can eat this at any time of day . Forget eggs and bacon - go for some fragrant , delicious rice pudding and you will have a bounty of energy. As for the recipe , this was lunch .

Fragrant Brown Rice Pilaf

Get a saucepot warm and add a touch of canola oil . Add the following finely chopped veg :

1 stalk celery
1/2 small yellow onion
2 cloves garlic

allow to sweat and add 6 chopped black olives , 1 tablespoon Ras el Hanout (or Garam masala) , and a teaspoon or so Dill weed. You are bringing out the smokiness in the herbs and spices.

Deglaze with a touch of dark beer or coffee and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

Add 1 cup long-grain brown rice and 2 and a half cups water . Allow to boil, covered for 5 minutes.
Reduce to very low simmer and stire. Leave it alone for 25 minutes .

Uncover and enjoy!

The Lord of the Rings

EVERYONE has a recipe for the breaded coating for those glorious rings of oniony amazingness , and they are never gonna be low in fat , but mine IS vegan . It works on onions , zucchini, mushrooms , potatoes or anything else you can imagine.
If you are anal retentive about the stickiness and think eggs are the natural solution , try very fine (blending or gravy) flour . It will stick to the onions and allow the battery yummo to adhere to perfection.

Dunk and repeat.

Get out a bowl and fire in
1/3 cup corn meal (fine please)
1/2 cup Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon Basil
1/2 tea each salt , pepper , and hot paprika
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teasppon Maggi or Worcestershire
2/3 cup (adjust for altitude) Dark Beer

Mix and allow to sit for 15 minutes before you get the onions in the pool. Fry like yo mama would. Enjoy!

Football Food : the Dunkable Mess

  It's time for the NFL playoffs , and that means FOOD! I came up with this tortillas-and-dip combo last weekend and it ROCKS. The tortillas are a lower-fat break away from the eyeryday . I'm not sure if the dip is salsa or matbucha , or something else , but it's wicked . Enjoy!

The Chips

1 package corn tortillas. Cut into wedge shapes and toss into a bowl containing :

1/4 C Olive or Canola Oil
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 tea black pepper
salt to your liking

Bake in 400F oven for 7-10 minutes. The edges will curl. Salt immediately after you yank them out of the oven. Oh , and wear oven mitts.

The Dunkable Mess

Get out a deep skillet and warm to medium . In order add :

3 Roma tomatoes , chopped
1 Bay Leaf
2/3 Cup Finely chopped celery
1/2 Green Pepper , chopped
1/2 cup Celery Leaves (they're usually in the middle) , chopped
3 Spring Onions
2 Clove Garlic
1/2 Tea ground black pepper
1 tea Basil , dried
1 tea Dill Weed
1/4 Cup Ketchup
Juice of Half Lemon , rind optional

Make this happy until it gets somewhat soft . Add the ketchup in the middle and end of the cooking process , and deglaze frequently with Apple Juice. It will take 10-15 minutes for the dip/salad to get where you want it to be. Turn off heat and add a splash of Apple juice or white wine . Stir and dive in! Warm or chilly , this is addictive.

Enjoy the game! Go Vikes!

Play With Your Dessert

There are a TON of festive sweet recipes , mostly cookies and pies , so this is a little off the beaten path . My sister used to love to steal the neighbours' grounder apples for crisp and here's my offshoot for your perusal . It's awesome a la mode for dessert , but also works as breakfast when mixed and served hot with or without a bit of cream . Either way , it's delish and a good way to clean fruit from the bowl since it works so well with a wide variety of larger fruits as well as berries .

Today's Yummy Fruit Crisp

Fruit Blend

6 cups assorted sliced fruit - today it is Gala Apples and Ripe Anjou and Ya Pears
1/4 cup Vanilla or Plain Sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
mix in a bowl and spead out into a casserole dish while you preheat the oven to 400F/200C

The Crunchy Stuff

1 cup Flour
1/2 cup Oats
1 Cup Brown (I'm using Demerrara) Sugar
1/2 cup Margarine

Mix all of the dry ingredients with your paws . Cut in margarine with a pastry blender or a couple of forks until it resembles gravel . You are not trying to make pastry , so perfection is not an issue . Spead over the fruit and bake for 35-50 minutes until bubbly and yummy looking . Do not even look at the oven for at least 25 minutes . I went for a shower since I have a tendency to babysit my food.
Let sit for a few and enjoy!

What I'm Eating Right Now

  I'm not hungry but my blood sugar went southbound and I was starting to feel odd so this staple stir-fry saved my day . Yummy and good for you . Let's Eat!

Get a wok nice and hot with a touch of oil if you don't have non stick and add :

1/4 LB pressed (firm) Tofu (yes , I KNOW , it's scary . Trust ME.)
1 Tsp Maggi Liquid Seasoning (Worcestershire will work too in a pinch)
1 TBL Soy Sauce
1/ Cup Beer
Pepper
1 Tsp Ras El Hanout (or somthing like it)
1/2 Tsp Rosemary

Saute until the liquid evaporates and the tofu starts to get a bit of a sear on it . Then add (in order if you can)

1/2 TBL Margarine or Oil (optional)
3-5 Mushrooms , Sliced
1/2 Zucchini , sliced
2 Stalks Bok Choy , sliced\
A couple of handfuls fresh Spinach
3 Sliced Radishes
1 Scallion , sliced
1/2 Tsp Chili Paste
Enough wine to deglaze

And Tada ! Din din in 15 or less. High in iron , will fill belly . Serve on it's own or over rice . Serves 2 as a main.

Halvah Nagila

  Sometimes the old stuff is the best , so here flies with an awesome old-school candy that you can do yourself so easily you might never go to halva.com again . There are thousands of versions of this sweet stuff that range from almost cloying to savoury , but this one is what most people are thinking of when they crave . This is not quite as sweet as commercially made halvah because there is no refined sugar , but you'll dig it. Makes a TON .

Yummo halvah for those who dont't have tahini handy

Get a pot and toast 6 cups (!) of sesame seeds until lightly brown and fire them slowly into a blender until reasonably smooth . Ta da! You have a reasonable approximation of tahini paste. Set aside

Grab the old spice grinder and pulse together roughly a teaspoon of allspice , half a cinnamon stick , and a one inch cube of ginger . Add to the brew with 1 1/2 cups of honey . If you don't do the bee vomit thing , use maple syrup and give it a bit of North American flavour .

Make sure the brew is mixed well and spread into a pan. I line mine with parchment paper for easy removal . Refrigerate until quite solid and munch out  ; OR

Get out a double boiler (you can make your own by using a glass bowl over a few inches of water in a pot) and melt a bar (100g) of decent quality dark chocolate .Let sit for about a minute and drop squares of the chilly halvah into the chocolate and roll into chopped walnuts or pistachios . Allow to sit for 15 minutes and make your guests into housemates .

Addiction is ... chocolate nut halvah