four times the potato, salad

Do you ever look at a potato and think - wow that's a gorgeous starch? I do. Its strange, but once I realised I could no longer indulge in the wheat filled world, I started to see things differently. New eyes perhaps? The gluten haze had drifted away? The multi-use of a potato, the variety of ways quinoa can be utilized in meals and how rice can virtually be used in everything (chip, pasta, flour and even vinegar).

I digress...Back to the potato. There are truly so many varieties out there. The classic russet, the new, the red, the purple and of course the creme de la creme: the fingerling. I'm very lucky because at my local market they tend to have all of these. At once and in abundence. I purchased just over a handful of each and brought them home. Still not certain of how their fate would end.

 

A friend of mine, happened to call and invite me over to watch a game and I figured this would be a great chance to make something with these beauties. Knowing I was going to be watching sports I decided to try a modernized potato salad. It was a success and has been requested twice since. 

Hope you enjoy!

Roasted Potato Salad with Asparagus

Approximately 3 lbs of potatoes, sliced in half (I used red, white, yukon, purple and red and white fingerlings)

A large bunch of asparagus, chopped to about 3 inches long

Rosemary, fresh but if you don't have fresh - dried works

3 cloves of garlic

Salt & Pepper 

Turn oven to 400 degrees.

Toss potatoes with crushed garlic, rosemary, olive oil and s&p. Pour tossed potatoes onto cookie sheet and throw into the over for an hour. 

After45 minutes or so add the aspargus in for a quick cook. Everything looks nice and roasted, remove from oven and let cool.

Dressing:

1/4 cup of dijon mustard

1/4 cup pesto

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp white balsamic (if no white on hand use the orginal)

 s&p to taste

2 tbsp  freshly grated parmesan cheese

Take cooled potatoes and asparagus and toss with dressing in large bowl. Once the potatoes are nicely coated, sprinkle parm on top. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving if time permits.

chocolate chocolate chip bundt cake, gluten free - reminder: buy a loaf pan!

I did it again. I went to bake a chocolate banana loaf and - oh - that's right. I don't own a loaf pan.

Since my last bundt post, I have purchased an array of kitchen accouterments. I have added a kitchen scale, sambal oelek, a new sifter and multiple olive oils. Yet, for some brain lapsing reason, no loaf pan.

I am going to write this in my agenda. For those who know me, know that I write a lot in my agenda. Or daytimer as my father (for whom I owe my obsession with said agenda to) refers to it as. Since, I am writing this in my to-do, this will be completed by the weeks end.

Moving forward. 

I have been in need of chocolate. Seeing as I am not able to enjoy the luxery of skipping   down to one of the four Starbucks Coffee Shops within a block radius of basically anywhere  I am in Vancouver, my access to a chocolate baked good is limited. So, I set off this evening on yet another DIY baking adventure.

In hopes of killing the chocolate craving I have had mustering in the back of my brain and lingering in my taste buds, I went all out and made an uber chocolate bundt. Unfortunately, due to mass impatience I poured the chocolate glaze on too early and now have more of a glazed cake plate then a glazed bundt. However, it was tasty and has successfully abolished my chocolate craving for a hopeful 24 hours.

I hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt

1/2 cup amaranth flour

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1/4 tapioca starch 

1/2 cup sifted cocoa powder

1 tsp xanthum gum

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla
1 banana smashed up!

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup gluten free chocolate chips

* 1/4 cup walnuts, gently chopped optional

Sift all dry ingredients together. Using a standing mixer or hand held mixer blend together oil, eggs, vanilla and banana. Slowly alternate dry ingredients (by half cup intervals) and milk.  Using a spatula or wooden spoon mix in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Pour into greased bundt (OR LOAF) pan. Bake at 320 for 55 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes or so in pan and then transfer to rack. Allow to cool. Add glaze if you want. But as mentioned above, be patient and wait until cool.

Glaze:

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 1/2 tbsp melted butter

2 1/2 tbsp milk

Mix together slowly and pour over cooled bundt.

'tis spot prawn season!

At work a few weeks ago I received one of our newsletter's. I don't tend to read this monthly addition but I felt really compelled to click and read. So click I did. With a quick brouse - I saw a header for a Spot Prawn Festival the Chefs Table Society puts on. I had to click. So click. I did. Such a happy girl was I… reading about the 4th Annual Spot Prawn Festival (held on Fisherman’s Wharf) and after watching the video, I decided I HAD to go. I had heard about it in previous years but never made the effort to walk outside of the Market interior to explore.

After checking the dates I decided to make the 5 minute venture outside of the invisible walls of Granville Island to Fisherman’s Wharf.

I went and stood in line and waited for the triumphant horn to blast it’s notice of arrival from the prawning expedition. I was lucky and happened to be one of the first 3 people in line. I heard later through friends that they sold out within a half hour.

I didn’t really know what to do with the prawns. For some reason I thought they wouldn’t be alive. It was kind of bizarre… walking with a pound and a half of live prawns flickering around in your bag was something very different.

Talk about fresh. I headed home and cooked them exactly how the fisherman instructed: boiled salted water, in for 1 – 2 minutes heads on.

This was an interesting experience. I can’t even kill a spider (I am that girl on the couch screaming- even when alone) so a squirming prawn pushed me to try something I am definitely not comfortable with: I cooked them and then pulled off their heads (this was really disgusting), cleaned them and shelled them.

I had beautiful pink prawns in front of me that only hours previously were out on the ocean floor. I stood there and decided to make spaghetti, gluten free and with stunning fresh spotted prawns.

Have I mentioned my new favourite pasta brand?

Spaghetti with Spotted Prawns

8 Spotted Prawns

1 can of whole tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 sweet onion

Asparagus, chopped, about 1/2 cup

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Fresh parsley, 1 - 2 tbsps

Grape seed oil

Salt and Pepper

Put water onto boil - follow package directions.

Pour approximately 2 tbsps of the grape seed oil into a heated pan. Add sliced garlic and onion on a low-medium heat. Add salt and pepper to season. Cook until onions become transparent.

Open the can of tomatoes. Gently break them by hand and gradually added them to the onion mixture and add about ¼ to ½ cup of the tomato sauce from the can. Let cook until light boil happens. Add the asparagus and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add cooked spot prawns. The spotted prawns were huge and I chopped them because it just wanted like that – but you can add them whole or any way you want!

Add lemon zest and parsley.

Mix with pasta.

Serve and enjoy! I did and so did my friends who I shared it with.