These Roasted Potatoes with Garlic Dip were a big hit at our tapas party and Belle asked me to make it the next day since she didn’t get a chance to try any at the party the night before – that’s how fast they went (and I made two batches!).

I think these potatoes will become a standard in our home just like Classic Thai Rice, Thai Pineapple Rice or Crazy Rice. They are dead simple to make but they do require the roasting time.

For the party I made them with regular white potatoes, cut in half and then quartered, but the next day I decided to use the small round new potatoes (red and white) cut in half – these were, I think better. Try it with any type of potato you like. For the standard white potatoes I peeled them first but for the new potatoes I didn’t, although I gave them a good scrub when I washed them.

The Garlic Dip

Belle’s note: These potatoes were simply delicious. Great on their own, of course, but the garlic dip turned them into a dish to rave about. Ward’s been having a great time lately playing around with ingredients and coming up with his own creations, and this one will become one of our own classics, I think!

Roasted Potatoes with Garlic Dip

3 lb potatoes, peeled, halved and quartered or 3 lb new potatoes, halved
2-3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp sea salt

Garlic Dip
10 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp sour cream
4 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp paprika or more to taste
sea salt to taste

1. Pre-heat an oven to 400 degrees F. (200 degrees C.)
2. Place the potato pieces in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil.
3. Add the garlic and salt and toss to combine.
4. Coat a large baking pan (or 2 medium pans) with non-stick vegetable spray.
5. Add the potatoes and roast for approximately 1-1/4 hours. You want them soft on the inside and crisp and light brown on the outside.
6. Meanwhile the dip: Whisk the garlic, olive oil, sour cream, mayonnaise together.
7. Add the paprika and adjust the amount to taste.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.
10. Transfer potatoes to serving dish.

This is a straight forward and very easy recipe. I strongly suggest using a deep fryer rather then a pot of oil on the stove top, because it is safer and far simpler.

For our Tapas Party I made deep-fried green chilies and then the next night I made deep-fried Thai red chilies, Jalapenos and green chilies. They were all delicious.

The following recipe was adapted from Tapas. It’s out of print, but here’s the funny thing – Belle and I own TWO copies of this book. One is a regular sized cookbook, and the other looks like one of those small, chunky cookbooks. Fortunately, we bought both at bargain book prices – they look completely different but have the exact same recipes.

Belle’s note: I didn’t dare brave these deep-fried chilies, but some of the other guests just loved them! I’ve learned that when Ward says, “It’s not that hot,” it means it’s too hot for me. It’s only when he says, “This doesn’t taste spicy at all” that I will brave it, because that means it’s just hot enough for me!

Deep-Fried Chilies

vegetable oil
green chilies, red chilies or jalapenos

Special equipment: Electric deep fryer.

1. Place the oil in the deep fryer according the manufacturers instructions.
2. Heat the oil to 360 degrees F.
3. Place the chilies in the basket and deep fry for 1-2 minutes , depending on the size of the chilies.
4. Remove and place on paper towels to drain.
5. Serve.

The Vegetarian Cook’s Bible is a great book. Back before I started cooking, I actually tried being vegetarian for a year; unfortunately, all that meant was I did not eat meat. I was not vegan and I ate cheese like there was no tomorrow. It didn’t help that at the time, I didn’t like many vegetables.

I’m not a vegetarian these days, but I have a great respect for vegetarians, especially vegans. I still will not eat veal, although I am told veal is not raised like it use to be but still … But I just love all foods too much to give up meat and seafood. So I will stay a carnivore for now.

Native people, the traditional ones anyway, make a habit of using the entire animal if it has been killed. They also make an offering before preparing it, to appease the spirit of the animal and to thank the animal for its offering of its body. I believe this to be proper and in my own way I do the same thing.

But in the case of this Vegetable Pie with Sweet Potato Topping, there is no meat involved. It’s vegetarian. Delicious and for meat lovers, it tastes like it has meat. Very substantial.

You start out with roasted vegetables

The sweet potato topping

Belle’s note: This vegetable pie is definitely substantial. It smells great while cooking, and delivers a flavor that’s sweet and very different from a meat pie. The shiitake mushrooms are a great addition, giving a different texture that’s a nice contrast to the softness of the rest of the pie.

The following recipe is adapted from The Vegetarian Cook’s Bible.

Vegetable Pie with Sweet Potato Topping

1 cup boiling water
8 larger dried shiitake mushrooms
3 cups rutabaga, cut into 1″ pieces
3 carrots cut into 1″ pieces
2 parsnips, cut into 1″ pieces
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
2 onions, cut into eighths
6 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1 leek, washed and cut into 1″ pieces
2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
2 tbsp thyme leaves, picked
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup tomato juice, divided
1/2 cup dry red wine

Topping
2 – 19 fl oz cans cut sweet potatoes (get organic if you can)
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup yogurt
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1. Pour boiling water over the dried mushrooms and let sit 20-30 minutes.
2. Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.
3. Squeeze dry the mushrooms, remove stems and roughly chop mushrooms
   Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Combine rutabaga, carrots and parsnips with 2 tbsp oil (toss to coat) and bake in a baking dish for 30 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Add the potatoes, onions, garlic, leek, sage, thyme and 2 tbsp oil, toss to combine.
6. Return to oven and roast for another 45 minutes
7. Reduce oven to 375 degrees F.
8. Prepare topping by heating sweet potatoes, add butter, yogurt, salt and nutmeg. Pureé with immersion blender until smooth.
9. Add mushrooms, broccoli and peas to vegetables. Stir stir and mix.
10. In a small sauce pan, mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup tomato juice. Heat over medium heat and whisk.
11. Whisk in an additional 3/4 cup tomato juice, the red wine and the reserved mushroom juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 6-8 minutes until liquid has thickened.
12. Pour sauce over vegetables.
13. Ladle Sweet potato topping over vegetables and smooth over.
14. Bake for 50 minutes, until vegetable mixture is bubbling under topping. Llet stand 5 minutes before serving

One of the best parts of this dish is the dish. You hollow out the pineapple and serve the rice inside. It’s a very attractive way to serve it.

Making this reminded me of a curried shrimp dish I made last year that was also served in a pineapple … I will have to dig that recipe out and make it again soon. It was good. And there’s also a French onion soup I’ve made before that’s served in large hollowed out onions, which was also memorable (not the same recipe as The Ultimate Onion Soup, which is still hands down my favourite French onion soup recipe).

But on to the Pineapple Fried Rice. This is one of Thailand’s signature dishes, and for good reason. My oldest son, who does not like rice, ate two helpings at dinner the night I made it, and then had it for breakfast the next day too! And up until then, I didn’t even know he liked pineapples.

Give this a try even if you don’t want to go to the trouble of hollowing out the pineapple. The recipe here does give you lots of leftovers, but in our family that’s a requirement. Everyone likes leftovers for late night snacks and breakfast. Since my wife is Asian, she’s used to savory breakfasts. We are definitely not toast and cereal people!

Feel free to reduce the quantity of rice, but I’m sure if your family likes rice, the leftovers will not last long.

Belle’s note: This rice was so delicious! I know Ward was surprised that our son had so many helpings, since he doesn’t really like rice, but what surprised me was that Ward himself enjoyed this dish so much – he doesn’t like pineapples. I think this dish might have changed his perspective on pineapples somewhat.

The following recipe is adapted from The Best Barbecue on Earth, by Rick Browne.

Pineapple Fried Rice

1 whole pineapple
4 tbsp peanut oil
4 cups cooked rice (I use a rice cooker: so fast and easy)
3 shallots, sliced thinly
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp organic vegetable stock
1 free-range egg
2-1/2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp Thai curry powder
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 medium size carrot, grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 scallions, finely chopped for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped for garnish

1. Slice off the top quarter of the pineapple, leaving the top intact.
2. Using a melon ball or tablespoon, begin scooping out the pineapple to a bowl (don’t keep the hard center core).
3. Place plastic wrap over pineapple bottom and top and place in fridge until ready to serve.
4. Cut the pineapple flesh into bite size pieces. You will need about 1-1/2 cups to 2 cups. The quantity of pineapple pieces you have will vary based on the size of your pineapple.
5. Reserve the rest of the pineapple pieces for something else.
6. Put a wok on high heat and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots, garlic and chili, and stir-fry 3 minutes.
7. Add the water and stock, then stir. Add the egg and stir it into the rice quickly.
8. Add the fish sauce, curry powder, peas and carrot, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add the rice and pineapple and mix well. Cook for about 3 more minutes.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Fill the pineapple shell with the rice. There will be a lot left over, which you can save for the next day’s breakfast or lunch, or for a late night snack.
12. Garnish with scallions and cilantro

Quinoa is a wonder food. It’s high in everything good and has no bad qualities. What’s even better, I really like it – it tastes great.

It’s as easy as rice to make (well, I use a rice cooker so rice is way too easy to make, but this is almost as easy). Did I mention, quinoa has all the added benefits of being really good for you?

Let me say that I was never a salad person. I liked leafy green vegetables, but I never really liked the dressing part of the deal. In the past, if a meal came with a salad at a restaurant, I would always order it “Just the way God made it” – no dressing! I got some strange looks, and, I realize now, for good reason. I wasn’t into cooking back then and didn’t understand at all how dressings actually enhance the flavour of the salad and bring out the different nuances in the food. I know better now. The choice of dressing can actually change your whole experience of the salad.

Now, time to be honest. When I made this Quinoa Salad, I made the oil, vinegar, pepper and salt vinaigrette and put it in a bowl beside the salad. After dinner I asked myself “What is this bowl of liquid doing here?” It was the dressing. I’d forgotten to mix it into the salad!

I mentioned to Belle a day later that I had omitted the dressing and she couldn’t believe it. She loved the salad as it was and didn’t think it tasted like anything was missing. So there you go – if you like the sound of this salad, perhaps you could try it with the dressing and then try it without and see which you like better. Please let me know, too! I do plan on trying this again, with the dressing mixed in next time, but it would be nice to hear from others about their experiences with this salad.

Belle notes: I really was surprised when Ward told me he’d forgotten to add the dressing to this salad. I really enjoyed it – quinoa has a slightly nutty flavour that’s just so good, and the addition of the feta cheese really enhanced the dish. An added benefit? With every bite I kept thinking, “And quinoa is such a healthy food!”

Quinoa Salad
Adapted from The New Steak

1 cup organic quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups baby arugula leaves
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped
4 radishes, sliced thin
5 scallions, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt
8 oz feta cheese (with tomato and basil), crumbled

1. In a medium pot add water, quinoa and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat with a lid on.
2. Stir and simmer with lid on for 15-20 minutes.
3. Let cool when done.
4. Combine the baby arugula, tomatoes, mint, oregano, parsley, radishes and scallions in a salad bowl.
5. Mix the olive oil, vinegar, pepper and salt in a small bowl and toss the salad with it.
6. Place the salad on the plate and add the feta and quinoa on top.

One of my favourite grocery stores is T.Phat, a small chain store in Ontario which caters to the Asian, Jamaican, Mexican, Filipino, Indian and Western markets. I always have a fantastic time when I shop there. I wander each and every aisle thinking, What can I make with that? and What is that? Just fantastic!

I discovered chayote squash a little over a year ago and just love it. It is a cross between a pear and an apple but as the recipes say, cooks more like a squash. You can also just cut it and eat it raw.

Jicama is another little gem I discovered at T.Phat. There is just so much out there in the world of food and not enough days to cook them all. I have to be patient!

Belle loved this dish. As for me, I would have liked a lot more cayenne – I’d suggest you add the cayenne to your taste. Still, it was delicious.

Belle notes: I’ve fallen in love with chayote. It’s wonderful raw in a salad, lending a delightful taste of pear but without pear’s mushiness. Eaten raw, it’s crisp and refreshing. Roasted, as in this recipe, it’s incredibly good, with a slight sweetness and just enough firmness. This is now my favourite roasted veg!

Roasted Chayote Squash
Adapted from The New Steak

2 chayote squash, cut into 8 pieces (just like you would cut up an apple)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
pinch of cayenne pepper (Adjust according to your taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the chayote pieces in olive oil to coat, then sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper. Place chayote on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. Flip the chayote pieces over and roast for an additional 15 minutes.

This fava bean stew is a wonderful vegetarian bean stew. We orginally found a recipe for a fava bean stew from Cyprus in an issue of Saveur last year, and we both loved it.

It takes 2-1/2 hours to cook so you do have to plan ahead. The original recipe called soaking dried beans overnight but the first time I made this, Belle had seen the recipe one morning while she was looking through Saveur, and she wanted to try it that night. So I opted for canned beans and it was delicious. I should try this one day with the dried beans just for comparison.

The canned fava beans I bought this time were huge – about an inch long each! This wasn’t what we used last time. Then I remembered that faba beans is another name for this species of beans. I picked up 2 cans of faba beans and used these instead of fava beans.

Belle’s note: The first time Ward made this, I couldn’t believe it was meatless! It’s incredibly savory and delicious, and very filling – make sure you have some nice fresh Italian or French bread on hand to tear into chunks and sop up the sauce. Like all stews, it’s even better the next day.

Koukkiá Koúnnes (Fava Bean Stew with Garlic, Thyme and Bay Leaves)
Adapted from Saveur Magazine

2-19oz cans fava (or faba) beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and quartered
small handful of thyme sprigs, tied together with kitchen twine
3 fresh bay leaves
2 medium onions, chopped coarsely
5 cups organic vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp fresh organic lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
Country style bread, sliced or roughly torn

1. Heat oil in a large pot (4 qt) over medium heat.
2. Add onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Cook until soft and browned (about 15 minutes).
3. Add the fava beans and the stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium-low. Partially cover and cook until the beans are tender and stew is thickened (about 2-1/2 hours).
4. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
5. Pour into serving bowl and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and serve with crusty bread.

Belle’s note: This potato gnocchi was delicious, and the blackcurrant-beet butter sauce was a wonderful match to the gnocchi, pearl onions and spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash isn’t one of my favorite squashes, but its slightly crispy texture went so well with the softness of the gnocchi. We had a small amount of leftovers, which were polished off at lunch the next day!

Potato Gnocchi with Roasted Pearl Onions and Spaghetti Squash and Blackcurrant-Beet Butter Sauce
Adapted from Cooking with Canada’s Best

Potato Gnocchi
2 large russet potatoes, quartered
1-2 cups all-purpose flour
Small handful of fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large free range eggs, beaten
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Roasted Pearl Onions
12 pearl onions, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Roasted Spaghetti Squash
1 large spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
1-2 tbsp soft butter
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Black Currant-Beet Butter Sauce
125 ml pure blackcurrant jam
8 oz beets, diced (use canned sliced beets and then dice them)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3-4 sprigs thyme tied together with kitchen twine
1 tbsp butter

Potato Gnocchi

1. Bake the potatoes in a 350 degree F oven until easily punctured with a fork (about 30-45 minutes).
2. Remove the potatoes, peel when cool enough to handle and put through a potato ricer.
3. Combine the potato, flour (start with 1 cup and add more as you mix – some potatoes need more flour then others), thyme, salt and pepper.
4. Add the eggs and mix in gently.
5. Roll out dough into long ropes and cut into 1″ pieces.
6. Boil a pot of salted water, add the gnocchi and boil until they float to the top.
7. Remove with a slotted spoon and toss in the oil.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

1. Rub inside of squash halves with butter and add nutmeg, thyme and salt and pepper.
2. Place squash flesh side down on a baking pan with high sides. Add water to come up 1/2″ along the sides of the squash.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered, in the same 350 degree F oven.
4. Scrape the spaghetti squash with a fork to produce long spaghetti like strings. Pace in a bowl and keep warm.

Roasted Pearl Onions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Toss the onions quarters with the olive oil
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Roast on a baking pan for about 7 minutes.

Black Currant-Beet Butter Sauce

Mix the blackcurrant jam, beets, cinnamon, thyme and butter in a sauce pan over medium-low heat until thick and velvety (about 15 minutes).

Assemble

Place a portion of spaghetti squash on a plate, add some roasted pearl onions on top, then add potato gnocchi and pour over with sauce.

With my daughter being a vegetarian I’m always on the outlook for interesting vegetarian meals that are healthy and easy to make. (I usually make a meat dish for the rest of us so it’s like making two meals every night.)

This recipe was great to find. I had planned on making it the other day but my older son decided he wanted something with tomato sauce so I made home made pasta and Bolognese sauce instead.

It was only going to be Belle and I. Dylan had already had more homemade pasta with his friend Matthew and I got down to 27 minutes for 1 pound of pasta on the table. It’s my personal challenge to get as fast as Jamie Oliver (under 15 minutes). But I digress.

Belle and I were going to have Churrascaria Marinated Steaks with Chile-Lime Sauce, Rosemary-Garlic Pan-fried Potatoes and Lemon Spinach. I was marinating the steaks and my daughter announced she would be home for dinner. I thought to myself, “the tofu dish I didn’t make the other night, we have everything for it and since it uses spinach I can make that instead of the Lemon Spinach.”

It went well with the steak, which was delicious (but not vegetarian, of course!).

Belle’s note: I love cold tofu salads! This made a lovely side dish and would be a wonderful main course with some sides, or a light lunch. The dressing is nice and strong, so you don’t have to go heavy with it.

The following recipe is adapted from Entertaining at Home With America’s Top Chefs, from a recipe contributed by Chef Andrew Gibson of Bacara Resort & Spa,  Santa Barbara California

Spinach Tofu Salad with Spicy Miso Dressing
Adapted from Entertaining at Home With America’s Top Chefs

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp organic soy sauce
2 tbsp organic white miso
1 tbsp sambal oelek
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp pickled ginger, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup canola oil
24.6 oz (698g) extra firm silken tofu (2 boxes), cut into 1″ cubes
1 bag organic baby spinach (approx 8 oz)
3/4 cup green onions, sliced
freshly ground white pepper to taste

1. Combine the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, white miso, sambal oelek, sugar and ginger in a blender until smooth.
2. With the blender running, drizzle in the two oils to form an emulsion.
3. Pour the dressing into a large bowl and brush the tofu cubes with the dressing.
4. Toss the spinach in the bowl with the dressing, and add the green onions. (Belle preferred a little less dressing; if this is the case at your house, too, you might want to dish some out into a smaller bowl before adding the spinach, reserving the extra for anyone who might want more dressing rather than less, and for drizzling over the salad after plating.)

Plating

1. Place a few cubes of tofu in the center of the plate then add some of the baby spinach you’ve just tossed with the remaining dressing.
2. Add more tofu and more spinach until you have a nice stack of tofu and spinach.
3. Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing from the bowl (or from your reserved bowl of dressing) and serve.

I just went to Amazon and see that The Barbeque Bible! is now a colour edition – my copy is in black and white. I’m thinking about ordering the colour edition myself because my copy is now very messy (I’ve used this book so often!)

This is a very easy dish to make. You can add these as a last minute thought when you are cooking something else on the barbeque, like Grilled Baby Bok Choy.
The picture isn’t very exciting but don’t let it fool you.

Belle says: This eggplant dish is the same dish we’ve ordered in many different Japanese restaurants. It’s delicious, and filling enough to be the main course of a vegetarian meal!

Grilled Eggplant with Miso Barbeque Sauce
Adapted from The Barbeque Bible! by Steven Raichlen

4-6 Asian eggplants (the long thin ones)
1/3 cup organic white miso
1 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2-3 tbsp dark sesame oil for brushing

1. Pre-heat your BBQ for direct grilling’; clean and oil the grates.
2. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Make criss-cross cuts into the eggplants about 1/8″ deep and very close together on the flesh side.
3. Mix the miso, sake, mirin, sugar and mayonaise together in a bowl until smooth.
4. Place eggplants flesh side down on the BBQ and grill 3-5 minutes (until brown).
5. Using tongs, turn the eggplants over and brush with the miso mixture.
6. Continue grilling 6-8 minutes or until brown and soft from the sides.