D is for Dinner: December 2012 Archives

Wednesday December 19, 2012

D is for Dinner - Kale Mashed Potatoes

That's Candice Bernes, taking a break at her brand new shop Kitchen Mambo in Old Ottawa South.

Candice dropped by the studio to show Stu how to make a side dish that's guaranteed to leave your holiday dinner guests asking for another helping.

Kitchen Mambo Potato Kale Mash

Boil 6 potatoes (if organic, cut them up and keep the skins on for additional nutritional value)

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

Strain and mash with 2 big handfuls julienned kale leaves (no stems)

3/4 c almond milk (I use homemade raw almond milk)

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

Salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!

Almond Mylk
1 cup raw almonds, soaked 6 hours (I soak them overnight), rinsed
4-5 cups water
2 medjool dates (minus the pits!)
1/2 tsp vanilla (I use Ultimate Real Raw ground vanilla bean)
1 1/2 Tbsp hemp seed (not necessary but I like the milky flavor it adds)
Blend well in a high speed blender and strain through a nut mylk bag*.
*Nut mylk bags can be bought at many health food stores for about $12. You can also use a paint straining bag from a paint store for about $2. Wash it very well. The mesh is not quite as thin and it will leave a bit more sediment behind (I have never found that a problem for mylks).

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Categories: D is for Dinner

Wednesday December 12, 2012

D is for Dinner goes to Oaxaca

Ana Collins is on a mission to prove there's more to Mexican food than cheese and meat tortillas. Her new takeout restaurant Mitla, in Vanier, serves up the food of the Oaxaca Valley. Finding the ingredients to make that cuisine in Ottawa is no easy feat. But Ana cooked up a meal for Alan including Trucha frita con salsa de ajonjol.

Ana's recipe is below, and you can find her restaurant at 62 Barrette St. That's in Vanier near Beechwood Ave. and the Vanier Parkway. The restaurant also has a page on Facebook. Listen here for Ana's conversation with Alan (and her colourful description of the food scene in the Oaxaca Valley).

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Trucha frita con salsa de ajonjol
(Fried trout with sesame sauce)

Sauce

Dry roast 1/2 cup of sesame seeds until they are popping in the pan. Set aside. Dry roast two or three dry chile de arbol peppers and three garlic cloves, unpeeled, until you can smell the roasted garlic. Puree the three ingredients with some salt and 1/2 to 1 cup of water. Then return to the pan and simmer until thickened.

Fish

Place one fillet in the frying pan and saute until lightly browned and cooked through, approximately 2 minutes each side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm while cooking the rest of the fillets.

To serve: put a fillet on each plate and pour over the sauce. Serve with rice, a fresh salad (with a simple vinegar and oil dressing), and steamed vegetables. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges, and don't forget the tortillas!

Categories: D is for Dinner

Wednesday December 5, 2012

D is for Dinner - Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

Here on All in a Day we've tasted wine, beer and whisky, but today, Alan shot back olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Elizbeth Kilvert owns The Unrefined Olive on Second Avenue in the Glebe.

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