Back in the Kitchen

I managed to sneak in some time this weekend for cooking and baking, despite spending a solid weekend hammering out my final University paper. It was for my Aboriginal religions class and as much as the subject matter had the potential to be fascinating, the class was decidedly not. But it’s done; now I just have to hand it in, and find something to do with the rest of my life

I made a huge batch of Sweet-and-Sour Adzuki Bean, Veggie & Sausage Stew in my slow cooker on Friday. It’s the second time I’ve made this hearty stew; it’s surprisingly full-bodied with multiple layers of complementary flavour. The sweetness of the adzuki beans, sweet potatoes, and corn compliment the sweet-and-sour broth nicely. You could omit the sausage if you're seeking an entirely vegetarian dish, but I think the extra spice is nice.

 

For the broth, I use 4 cups of chicken (you could substitute vegetable) stock, 1/2 cup good red wine, 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/3 cup apple juice, and extra water to the top. Then I throw in 2 cups of just-cooked adzuki beans, 1 chopped Italian sausage, and several cups of veggies, this time carrots, corn, and sweet potatoes, 1 yellow onion, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 bay leaf, a pinch of cayenne, dried basil, and salt and pepper.

Just throw everything in and cook on high for 5 hours; the veggies come out fork tender.

Then I made a quick and easy Basil, Egg & Potato Salad, with a creamy, tangy dressing. I used 10 red potatoes with skins on, added 3 chopped hard-boiled eggs, ½ a finely-diced red pepper, 4 diced green onions, and 8 finely chopped fresh basil leaves. For the dressing, I used 1 Tb of garlic vinegar, 1 Tb of balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp green hamburger relish, 1 Tb prepared mustard, ¼ cup yogourt, pinch of cayenne, and 3 Tb of brown sugar. Yum!! 

  

I made a tangy Lemon & Spinach Rice dish with the fresh juice of 1 lemon, zest of ½ lemon, 1 cup brown rice, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp black pepper, and shredded spinach. I cooked the rice separately then fried it up quickly with the above ingredients until the spinach was just barely wilted. Delicious punch of pure lemon and the spinach added texture. 

 

 

And for drinks, a Vanilla Soy Chai Latte with 1 cup of vanilla soy milk added to the loose tea leaves of 2 Chai tea bags, cooked on medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, until bubbles form around the edges. Be careful not to let the milk boil and then strain everything through a sieve. I added 1 tsp good vanilla, frothed milk on the top, and a pinch on cinnamon spice. It was delicious, especially with a dreary weekend of constant rain.

 

This morning, a Very Berry Breakfast Smoothie with ¾ cup frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Added ½ cup soy milk, ½ cup 2% milk, 1 tsp vanilla, and I used my hand blender to blend it all up good. Came out cool and the perfect consistency for a warm summer morning. 

 

 

I hope to get back into the kitchen a lot more—now that school is done and full-time work is hopefully near—so look for more treats in the coming months!