Wild Rice, Artichoke and Kale Salad

Dan    Appetizers & Co., Recipes, Vegan/Vegetarian     artichokes, kale, quick and easy, recipes, salads, vegan, vegetarian

Even on the coldest days, a salad can be perfectly satisfying. I’m in California now, set to head off to Australia this Sunday and I have not quite obtained that amazing beach body I was looking to arrive down under with. Oh well, such is life! In a last ditch effort to get slim and trim for the warm weather, I’m sticking with salads for the rest of the week. Well…maybe not ALL week, but I shall try my best. Hm…maybe this is why my beach body never materialized…

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Roasted Cauliflower and Kale Risotto

Dan    Mains, Recipes, Vegan/Vegetarian     2013 food trend, cauliflower, Dan Clapson, italian, kale, quick and easy, recipes, risotto, Start From Scratch, vegan, vegetarian

What you’ll need…

2 cups cauliflower florets (loosely chopped)

1 red potato (1/2″ cubed)

5 cups vegetable broth

2 TBSP tomato paste

2 TSP chili powder

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 yellow onion (thinly sliced)

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

3 white mushrooms (finely chopped)

1 jalapeño (seeds removed, finely chopped)

2 cups kale (loosely chopped)

salt and pepper

olive oil

Well, it’s 2013 now. If you’re anything like me and have gained a couple (or more than a couple) pounds from excessive consumption of last month’s festive food and drink, it’s time to dial it back. I always love making risotto because it is, essentially, a blank slate. You start with some rice and hot broth and add whatever flavours you fancy. I kept things healthy with this version, using some hearty vegetables, making for a filling, and surprisingly filling, vegan dish.

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Lemon Rosemary Cranberry Sauce and Giveaway!

Dan    Appetizers & Co., Recipes     awesome, cranberries, cranberry sauce, gluten-free, recipes, thanksgiving, vegan

What you’ll neeed…

3 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen, Calgary Co-op is loaded with fresh ones right now!)

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup cane sugar

1/4 cup water

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

2 TSP soy sauce (or tamari to stay gluten free)

2 TSP yellow curry powder

1/2 TSP cayenne pepper

1 TBSP fresh rosemary

2 TSP lemon zest

salt and pepper

Thanksgiving is just about here. How the hell did that happen? I know turduckens are what all the cool kids are making this year, but I’m not really a super cool kid, so I’m going to stick with a traditional turkey. For me, Thanksgiving always ends up being more about the side dishes and desserts than the actual turkey itself.

If you don’t make your own cranberry sauce, you should. It takes fifteen minutes, most good quality grocery stores will have fresh cranberries right now, AND you can play around with some flavours to give the standard cranberry sauce a twist. Naturally, I am biased, but this version with a bit of curry and fresh rosemary is the best damn cranberry sauce this side of awesome! Happy Thanksgiving!

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Acorn Squash Guacamole

Dan    Appetizers & Co., Recipes, Vegan/Vegetarian     autumn, Dan Clapson, gluten-free, guacamole, Mexican-inspired, recipes, squash, vegan, vegetarian

What you’ll need…

1 acorn squash (halved, seeds removed, approximately 2 1/2 cups)

1 jalapeño pepper (seeds removed, finely chopped)

1 roma tomato (approximately 2/3 cup, diced)

2 tomatillos (approximately 1/2 cup, diced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 red onion (finely diced)

1 TBSP lemon zest

1 TBSP lemon juice

2 TSP white wine vinegar

1 TSP chili powder

olive oil

salt and pepper

tortilla chips

sour cream (optional)

I learned something this week. Sometimes you can bastardize things and they still taste delicious. I’m sure Mexican cuisine purists would cry foul at this twist on guacamole, but I can guarantee its tastiness nonetheless. So, stop making that boring squash soup (although, it does always hit the spot on a fall day) and think outside of the box a bit.

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Spicy Summer Apple Bisque

Dan    Recipes, Soups, Vegan/Vegetarian     apples, bisque, cherries, gluten-free, radishes, recipes, soup, summer, vegan, vegetarian

What you’ll need…

1 yellow onion (chopped)

1 garlic clove

1 gala apple (peeled, 1” cubed)

1 red potato (peeled, 1” cubed)

2/3 cup cherries (pitted, halved)

3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock to stay vegan)

1 TBSP freshly grated ginger

1 TBSP lime juice

1 TBSP sriracha

2 TSP chili powder

salt and pepper

olive oil

radish and cucumber (thinly sliced, for garnish, optional)

The first time I put an apple in a soup, I was like: ‘Holy shit! This is awesome!’. Ever since that day, I’ve been throwing fruit into everything. Well, not everything, but it’s always interesting to find the balance between sweet and savoury using some of your favourite fruit. Since we’re still, thankfully, a few months away from hearty soup weather, this bisque is light, spicy and smooth. Perfect for a summer night that’s a bit overcast. Who says soup can’t be fruity?

Start off by cooking the onion and garlic with a drissle of olive oil in a medium-sized pot until softened, about 5 minutes. Next, add the chopped apple, potato, and cherries to the pot and let cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the stock into the pot and stir in the ginger, lime juice, sriracha, and chili powder. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce to low heat and let simmer on stove for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Remove pot from heat to let cool slightly. Next, puree soup until smooth using a food processor or blender. Return to pot and keep warm until ready to serve.

Top with some thinly sliced radish and cucumber to chill out the spicy soup!

Total cook time…35 min

Serves 4

Rosemary Mushroom Pate with Homemade Cranberry Crackers

Dan    Appetizers & Co., Recipes, Vegan/Vegetarian     appetizers, crackers, delicious, mushrooms, pate, recipes, vegan, vegetarian

What you’ll need…

Pate:

1 yellow onion (finely chopped)

3 garlic cloves

1 cup crimini mushrooms (quartered)

1 cup white mushrooms (quartered)

2 portabella mushrooms (loosely chopped)

1 TBSP red wine vinegar

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes

2 TBSP fresh rosemary (chopped)

1 cup vegetable stock

1 cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper

Crackers:

3 cups flour

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 TBSP fresh rosemary

2 TSP sea salt

1 cup warm water

1/3 cup olive oil

Poor little vegans…They’re always overlooked in a holiday season full of buttery baking, roasts, turkeys and bacon-wrapped appetizers. Never fear, for I have got your back! This is an ideal dish for a holiday party whether or not your friends are vegan/vegetarian. Whenever I’m at a Christmas party, I tend to overindulge in any spreadable mixture that happens to be available on the table. And, besides, you’ve never really lived until you’ve tasted a delicious mushroom pate!

Start off by placing the chopped onion in a large pan. Drizzle with some olive oil and cook on medium-high heat until they start to caramelize, about 10-12 minutes. Next, add the garlic, three kinds of mushrooms and vinegar to the pan. Give the pan a good sprinkling of salt and pepper and let the mixture cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the time’s up, remove from heat to cool slightly.

Pour the mushroom mixture into a blender or food processor and add all remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste, then place in a covered container in the fridge to chill. (this can be made several days in advance)

Moving swiftly along to the crackers…Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl. Pour in the water and olive oil and mix with a spoon until a soft dough forms (Note: an electric mixer, i.e. KitchenAid, makes short work of this task!). Take the dough out of the bowl and place onto a floured surface, then knead it a few times. Cut into ten even sections and roll each out until they’re nice and thin.

Place on some prepared baking trays, brush with olive oil and let them bake for 15 minutes, or until the crackers are crisp, starting to brown on the edges. Feel free to make whichever size of cracker you please. I tend to err on the side of larger, as it looks more rustic to my guests, but less work for me! Now that’s a win/win!

Once the pate is nice and chilled, scoop some into a bowl and serve with your beautifully rustic crackers. Done and done!

Yields 4 cups of pate

Total cook time…45 min (not including chill time)