chili, chowder & croissants

garlic & leeks from the Lunenburg Farmers Market / I made Prince Edward Island dinner rolls / chopping, chopping / I use chicken broth or vegetable broth instead of water / the most delicious potato leek soup / a mug of soup in the kitchen window & another mug at my desk avec collage-a-thon + photos at bottom - blogging friends who live nearby (ish) Sara Hartley & Sybil Nunn came for lunch this past Tuesday, my first company in my new home / Sybil's very sweet & super smart dog Wendy - I've got a big crush on Miss Wendy xoxo

Since moving to Lunenburg, NS 3 weeks ago tomorrow and living the mostly single gal life (Doug & Samuel visit every week) I've been obsessed with cooking things I can eat with a spoon. Chilis, chowders & soups. I hosted my first little lunch party this week with Sara & Sybil both friends I've gotten to know through blogging. I was originally thinking I'd make a haddock & scallop chowder with homemade rolls but I made instead my version of Jamie Oliver's Potato Leek soup. This soup is so delicious I made another big pot of it again yesterday - yum.

Oh & croissants, uh huh !!, every Thursday at the Farmers Marke there are TWO french bakeries - sigh.

My adaptations below

I blended half of the soup and then added it back to the pot, making it a bit creamier • I also added 1 cup of coffee cream making it more like a vegetable chowder • the next day I sautéd in olive oil (or butter) 1 small zucchini, 1 red pepper & I large broccoli spear all chopped into bite size pieces then added this mixture soup prior to reheating - you can add as many vegetables as you like. I'm thinking roasted butternut/buttercup squash cubes would be delicious ;-)

that nutty granola

the very best nutty granola that I've ever tasted ! of course I combined gardening & making granola last Saturday ;-)

I adapted my recipe from one of Molly Wizenberg's @ Orangette's granola recipes. I'm one of those cooks who uses a recipe as a guideline (at best) and I'm not so good at measuring - I usually eye ball quantities and measurements so if you're feeling insecure about a dash of this and a dump of that I'd suggest following one of Molly's recipes. I'm kinda guessing here at my quantities ;-)

that (best) nutty granola

3 cups oats
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped unsalted cashews
1 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 cup of maple syrup
1 tbsp salt
1-2 tbsp cinnamon
1- 2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract

1 cup of raisins (add after baking)
1 package of toasted coconut chips (add after baking)

Add everything but the raisins & already toasted coconut chips to a bowl and mix well. Spread onto 2 large cookie sheets/pizza pans. Bake in a 300 degree oven for an hour. Stirring & flipping granola every 15 minutes. Let cool on pans. Add raisins & coconut chips (I love coconut and these toasted chips made this granola), store in jars (or extra in freezer). Yum !

* Molly has a brand new book I'm anxious to read Delancey, her other book A Homemade Life is amazing !

& a recipe

Well Bonjour Spring ! & lovely mossy back garden + panko crusted salmon, asparagus with almonds & feta & oven fries

Leisure is only possible when we are at one with ourselves. We tend to overwork as a means of self-escape, as a way of trying to justify our existence …
Joseph Pieper

One of my most favourite leisure activities is cooking. I love to boldly, persistently experiment in my kitchen ;-)

Panko Crusted Salmon (serves 2)

1 large salmon fillet sliced in 2
2-3 tbsp dijon mustard
1-2 tsp honey (or to taste)
1/2 cup panko crumbs*
salt, pepper
1 tbsp butter
dried or fresh dill

Preheat oven to 425. Mix dijon & honey together and slather liberally on all flesh sides of salmon. Mix dill, salt & pepper (I used a lemon pepper blend) with panko crumbs then dredge/press crumbs onto salmon. Cut butter into 6 little smidges and place 3 down each top side of salmon fillet. Place skin side down in an oiled pie plate/pan. Bake at 425 15-20 minutes depending on size of fillet. Finish with squeeze of fresh lemon.

Asparagus with Almonds & Feta

1 bundle of asparagus (ends snapped off & stalks cut in half)
1 tbsp of canola/coconut oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced almonds
1 fat clove garlic
1/4 cup Feta cheese (or a little less)

Heat oil in a high sided large pan (I use a wok) 'til quite hot. Add asparagus, stir fry a minute or so. Add almonds & garlic, stir fry another minute or so. Taste a piece of asparagus for preferred doneness (we like ours quite crunchy). Add Feta stir just to melt cheese. Finish with a good squeeze of fresh lemon.

Oven Fries (the best !)

2-3 large potatoes (sliced into fries)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
garlic powder, salt & pepper

Toss everything well in a large bowl. Arrange fries spaciously on two pizza pans. Bake for 10 mins oven temp. 425. Take out flip fries dust with a little more seasoning pop back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until golden & crispy.

* look for Panko crumbs in the Asian section of your grocery store or make your own

tom kha gai

this soup WOW ! - so easy, so delicious - it's a taste sensation

Blogger won't allow me to flush left my text - errrgggghhhhh ! Blogger blogspot blog your day's are so numbered ;-(

oven fry

12 scenes from recent days - the gorgeous golden, orange light of sunset / do you oven fry ? / Sam / Virg / windowsill thyme / playtime with Oliver / Sam in the back fenced in yard / sweet lichen / Winnie Dixon ridin' shotgun while we run some errands / more golden from the second floor window / a mix of sweet & white potato oven fries, roasted salmon with lemon & broccoli / Samuel & his bunny

Do you make oven fries ? - yum & as good as the chip truck

Pre-heat oven to 425. 4 large white potatoes* peeled & sliced into fries, tossed well with a good glug of olive oil. Spread spaciously on 2 cookies sheets (do not overcrowd). Place in oven flipping fries once after 8-10 mins. Watch them carefully and turn again if needed so that all sides are crispy & golden. Sprinkle with garlic powder or italian seasoning or malt vinegar & sea salt. I love mine dipped in ketchup ;-) for a mix substitute 2 of the potatoes with sweet potatoes - sweet potatoes cook quicker so add the white potatoes first then after 7-8 mins add the cookie sheet of sweet potatoes.

thai coconut soup

1) with shrimp 2) add basmati rice to the bowl before adding soup 3) with chicken 4) recipe & current favourite cookbook

If you remember my No.1 resolution* for this year was/is to cook more Asian food ('cause we love it & for the most part it's super healthy and fits perfectly into our diet plan). This Thai coconut soup is very easy, absolutely delicious and is a great way to use up any assortment of vegetables you may have in the fridge. My adaptations from the recipe above are as follows.

- substitute fresh ginger for galangal (we like lots of ginger)
- I use my fav garlic-chilli sauce instead of fresh chilli (1-3tsps depending on how hot you like it)
- 1 can of coconut milk and 2 cups of chicken broth (tetra pack)
- poach a chicken breast in the broth, cool, shred and add back in for chicken version
- poach medium/large raw shell on frozen (thawed) or fresh shrimp in broth, 4-6 per person
- my essential veggies are corn & tomato (cherry or diced) added near the end, you just want to heat them
- something green is nice - in the chicken version thinly sliced celery & carrot just cooked until no longer raw. In the shrimp version I added blanched green beans (broccoli, peas). Chinese mushrooms, or bean sprouts added near the end would also be a fantastic addition both for taste & texture. Garnish with finely sliced green onion & roughly chopped fresh cilantro.
- my adaptation makes 2 dinner size servings or 4 appetizer/starter servings (we add 1/2 cup of basmati rice to the bowl before ladling in the soup to make a meal of it).

Trust me ... you'll be making this soup all the time. It's a taste sensation ;-) Enjoy !

* I'm doing amazingly well with my first 5 resolutions. I'll be sure to post the remaining 5 + my final decision for my "one little word" for 2013 before this month is up - promise ;-)

make this

pork tenderloin with orange/garlic/Dijon vinegrette on sauteed spinach with peas roasted garlic + sweet potato fries

Pork Tenderloin with Garlic-Orange Vinaigrette and Sautéed Spinach

omg ! incredibly simple ... incredibly delicious & pretty darn impressive looking. Dinner party for 2 ?

I substituted brown sugar Splenda for the honey, I included the finely chopped zest of the orange (1 large orange should yield 1/4 cup juice). I added finely minced garlic chives to the vinegrette & added peas sauteed in olive oil to the spinach just before serving for texture, shape & more green goodness. And because local fresh peas are available now. An instant favourite recipe !

recipe here* Perhaps some of you paying very close attention might be asking yourself Pork ?? hmmm not part of the usual fare here at Black Street. Nearly 2 months ago our diet & lives were drastically altered by the book Wheat Belly. Read several times by both of us, researched thoroughly by the Prince (a former History professor who's gifted with those researching kinda skills) we've completley shifted the way we eat - the new radical  heart healthy diet. We've said so long to wheat & sugar (not hard at all) & said a big hello to lots of vegetables, lean protein & yes ! Shut ! Up !! butter, cheese, cream. + I've found great local suppliers of pork, chicken & even beef - animals that eat grass, see the blue sky for days at a time & who have happy, cared for lives.

* not a surprise that this recipe originates from Martha - it's so good

diversions & rituals

thai shrimp salad with rice noodles - so yummy

oh good, a recipe (I'm sure you're all thinking) & a pleasant diversion from the whines & whinges of a challenging, exciting & tres busy creative empire builder's life.

Inspired by a recipe from the PBS Saturday afternoon UK cooking show Rachel Allen

Thai shrimp salad with rice noodles

dressing
2 tbsp. fish sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 small thai chilled chopped fine (seeds removed) - optional
2 heaping tbsp brown sugar
1-2 tbsp asian hot chili sauce

In a small pot simmer until sugar is dissolved & mixture reduces slightly. Set aside to cool.
Add 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger & 1 medium clove of finely minced garlic

stir fry
12 raw shell on shrimp
1/2 yellow pepper sliced
1/2 red pepper sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas whole
8 stems asparagus sliced on the diagonal

in a wok with a small amount of vegetable oil stir fry quickly with more minced garlic & grated fresh ginger on very high heat until shrimp are pink & opaque & vegetables are still crunchy set aside to cool.

raw stuff
2 cups softened rice noodles (vermicelli) cooled
1/2 English cucumber seeded & chopped
1 large carrot grated
1/2 a sweet onion halved & thinly sliced
1 big handful of fresh cilantro stems & leaves chopped rough
a couple of big handfuls of bean sprouts

Place above ingredients in a large salad bowl place

Combine remaining ingredients & dressing with raw items in salad bowl & toss/mix vigorously. Serve in large bowls topped with lots of chopped unsalted peanuts & pass the hot chili sauce please. Last night's dinner. OMG so delicious I think we might have it again tonight ;-)

making lists (weekly goals + daily goals). creating rituals throughout my day. flavoured latte at 10am chill. mint tea at 3pm chill. take some time out to draw chill. walk to post office, chat with girls chill. walk again with Winnie in golden late afternoon light chill. breath, breath, breath chill

designer tips & tricks - ya huh !! guest posting today over at Deanne Fitzpatrick's blog

fish truck friday 2

trout pan fried - dusted with flour salt & pepper topped with thin slices of lemon

served with oven fried new potato wedges (simply tossed with a tiny bit of olive oil) roasted
turning occasionally in a hot (425) oven. Dusted with sea salt. Our favourite heap of veggies salad, a base of wasabi arugula & baby spinach, peas, corn, thinly shaved raw asparagus, sweet onion, zucchini, tomatoes ... tossed with splash of olive oil another of apple cider vinegar, a good big pinch of brown sugar & a tsp sized blop of grainy dijon mustard. Yum, yum, yum.

My sunny photo studio aka the sun porch has recently been transformed into his most excellent sunny workshop. Today's fresh catch - whole arctic char which we will barbeque - stay tuned !!!

fish truck friday 1

fresh haddock fillets with chive, lemon, garlic marinade & a big bunch of vegetables - yum

lemon garlic chive marinade

juice and zest of 1 large lemon
2-3 large cloves of garlic minced
olive oil
finely chopped garlic chives

brush mixture on fish fillets, sprinkle salt and lots of cracked pepper and barbeque covered
in a fish basket (or pizza pan with holes) 5-10 minutes or until fish is opaque begins to flake. Serve with vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, red pepper, onions, mushrooms & spinach) sauteed in olive oil and more garlic.

This was last week's fish truck friday dinner - I wonder what today's fresh catch will be ?!