Archive for June, 2007

Tasty red kidney beans

June 29, 2007 at 8:25 pm · Filed under cooking, food, health, salad, summer, vego

Hi, my name is Maggan. Welcome to Maggan’s kitchen!

Red kidney beans are not the tastiest. Not by itself, anyway. But I wanted them in our dinner to satisfy a portion of our daily protein requirment. Oooh, sounds… mmm…technical.

I laid the ingredients on the table. 250-300 grams cooked red kidney beans, fresh parsley (the kind with flat leaves), 1 tablespoon cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 fresh lemon.

My red kidney beans were canned. I would have boiled them myself if I had the time (huh, excuse!) because it’s much healthier to cook your own beans than using the canned ones (sure, whatever!).

If you do this recipe and plan to cook your own beans, let me share a good way to prepare them. This is actually a recommendation from Dr. Liebscher, a Canadian naturopath. Here are his exact words.

“Place beans in water in pot, bring to boil, turn off heat and let soak for 6-8 hours. Next, rinse beans in sieve and place in pot of fresh water. Boil at low heat for 1.5 hours or until soft.“

Dr. Liebscher further recommends to throw in carminative herbs such as cumin, caraway, fennel or dill in the boiling pot of beans to reduce the gas effect in the stomach. Everybody will appreciate this, I’m sure. Wonder herbs!

Now back to the red kidney bean salad. I washed and drained the beans from the can. Washed and dried the parsley leaves. When the beans had drained, I put them in a bowl. When the leaves had dried, I cut them into tiny bits over the beans in the bowl.

Then I admired the colour combination. Reddish brown and fresh deep green colours. Mixed them. Then I poured 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. Grated the clove of garlic. Squeezed the lemon over it.

Beans don’t taste much and make up for it with texture. With parsley, garlic, and lemon, my red kidney beans became a salad dish with punch and tang.

H and I had this red kidney bean salad as side dish to quinoa and feta salad. I imagine that this recipe is also perfect on hard bread, crostini or country bread as in bruschetta. So, be brave and fear not! Include beans in your meal plans!

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A simple salad of celery and tomato

June 28, 2007 at 8:01 pm · Filed under food, health, salad, summer, vego

Hi, my name is Maggan. Welcome to Maggan’s kitchen!

With a trace of Herman still in mind, I made a simple and nutritious salad with fresh crunchy celery stalks and red ripe tomatoes.

Ingredients: at least 4 celery stalks, at least 3 tomatoes, 1/2 lemon, 1-2 tablespoons cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

Wash the celery stalks and tomatoes. Cut the celery stalks about 1 to 1.5 cm thick. Cut the tomatoes into chunks. Mix the vegetables in a salad bowl. Pour the olive oil. Squeeze the lemon over the vegetables. Mix. Serve with other salads. Yes, it is possible to have a salad with another salad.

Now, isn’t that easy and quick? H and I had celery and tomato salad with quinoa and feta salad. As a note, H is not Herman.

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A colourful and nutritious pasta salad meal

June 27, 2007 at 2:39 pm · Filed under cooking, food, health, salad, summer, vego

Hi, my name is Maggan. Welcome to Maggan’s kitchen!

I’m back from a hangover. The Herman hangover. The vegetarian lunch at Herman’s was so good that it lingered in my senses for a while. No, it didn’t dampen my spirit of cooking adventure. But I decided to send that kitchen adventurism on a short vacation in order to enjoy longer the memory at Herman’s.

The day after Ed treated to a vegetarian lunch buffet, I was inspired to lead him further down the road to optimum health. I created a nutritious and colourful pasta salad. Still with Herman in mind, of course.

Ingredients for 4 persons or 4 generous plateful servings or 3 overflowing plateful servings:

  • 400 grams wholewheat spiral pasta
  • 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
  • 1.5-2 litres water
  • 4-5 tablespoons tomato pesto
  • 50 grams parmesan cheese
  • 3-4 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • 3-4 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 6-8 leaves romain lettuce
  • 30-40 grams pea sprouts
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 red capsicum (a.k.a bell pepper)
  • 1/2 yellow capsicum
  • 3-4 tablespoons cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil
  • 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3 eggs hard boiled
  • 1 kilo cooked whole frozen shrimps (whole, as in with head, shell, and tail; I do admit that I went overboard with the shrimps. I could have used less.)
  • 3/4 lemon

You may be thinking: That’s a long list of ingredients just for a plate of salad! First, let me say that this recipe is not the salad to be taken as an appetizer. This is the meal salad. Lunch, dinner, appetizer, and main course in one plate. After this meal, you won’t have room for dessert. You will beg not to have dessert. The wonder salad.

Second, I already had most of the ingredients at home. The pasta salad was a way to use them up. I suggest that you use whatever vegetables you already have that can be eaten raw. Or use less vegetables if you feel that the recipe costs way too much.

For instance, omit the seeds or nuts. You may replace the balsamic vinegar with fresh lemon, and the cherry tomatoes with ordinary ones. Or eat the salad naked (without dressing), like H. H was fully clothed and Ed can attest to this. If the vegetables are fresh and organic, they would have a lot of taste. And by all means, use other salad oils that you prefer.

Now, let’s get back to the salad business. Here’s how I prepared the ingredients.

  1. De-frosted the shrimps. This took many hours. Removed the heads and shells. Set aside. 
  2.  Boiled the eggs. Let it cool. Cut each egg into 8, length-wise.
  3. Boiled water with bouillon cubes. Then added and cooked the wholemeal pasta according to the instructions in the package.
  4. When the pasta was done, I washed it with cold water and drained. Set aside.
  5. Washed all the vegetables very well.
  6. Dried the romain lettuce leaves and pea sprouts in a salad spinner. If you don’t have this kitchen gadget (or toy), drain well (may take a longer time) and pat dry with a tea towel.
  7. Sliced the capsicum thinly and cut the slices medium length.
  8. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.

This is how I put the prepared ingredients together.

  1. Put the pasta in the dried casserole where I had boiled them. Added the tomato pesto and cheese. Mixed them well.
  2. Got my magic oval plates. This was going to be 3 overflowing platefuls. Laid the dressed pasta equally on three plates.
  3. Sprinkled the pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
  4. Tore 2 romaine lettuce leaves over each plate.
  5. Cut the pea sprouts over the plate with kitchen scissors.
  6. Beautifully laid the slices of capsicum on top.
  7. Carefully added the cherry tomato halves. Carefully since the salad was growing, rising, increasing in height.
  8. Poured one tablespoon of pumpkin seed oil over each plate.
  9. Poured 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar over each plate.
  10. Laid the eggs over the growing mound of salad.
  11. Topped the salad with shrimps.
  12. Served with fresh lemon slice on the side.

I had fun constructing my Herman-inspired pasta salad. The kind of fun that gave a quiet sense of fulfillment. Ed was somewhat overwhelmed that such a salad was possible. Almost sinful! Masterpiece! He enjoyed his plate quietly.

The most curious thing for Ed was the pea sprouts. He didn’t know what they were but he liked them. He saved half of his plate for next day’s lunch. 

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A vegetarian birthday party

June 16, 2007 at 7:04 pm · Filed under food, health, salad, summer, vego

Hi, my name is Maggan. Welcome to Maggan’s kitchen!

Today’s blog is a special edition. Maggan’s kitchen goes on an excursion. It’s Ed’s birthday. And he would celebrate it with a buffet lunch at Herman’s–the best vegetarian restaurant in the world.

Our day started well. Ed woke up late today. Probably tired from the week’s daily promenades. He got up at 5 a.m. A major breakthrough. He usually starts the day with a cup of coffee. This morning, I didn’t even hear him in the kitchen. Major breakthrough number 2.

We had a long and slow breakfast. Ed had musli a la Maggan. With loads of nuts and seeds. He finished his cherries. Took his vitamins and berocca (I had initiated him into berocca yesterday). Then came the long-distance phone call from Claire and several birthday greetings.

Part of Ed’s present from H and me was a tour of the eastern side of the South Island. Promenade! A special day not exempt from leisurely walks. Urväder alley, Mosebacke square, Svarten street, High Mountain street, Katarina church, Master Mikael street, Mountain street, Stigberg street, Sofia church, White Mountain park, Ridge street, Tugboat sailor street, and back to Mountain street.

Don’t feel bad Herman. We had originally planned to take Ed to East Island’s market. I had read about the market’s salad bar. Never tried it. Thought it would be interesting for Ed as well since he loves vegetables and salads. A food adventurer like me. Or is it the other way around? Must be.

We changed the plan after a WC break at the Health House on Mountain street. We decided to eat buffet at Herman’s instead of walking all the way to the East Island market. I didn’t think I could make it there by walking. Besides, we were already standing above Herman’s. So, the WC break settled it.

We let Ed check the buffet choices. He approved. Plain quinoa salad. Spicy red quinoa salad. Bulgur salad. Hummus. Aioli. Crunchy celery and sweet, red, juicy tomatoes. Wonderful mix of greens. Grated fresh carrots. Roasted potatoes. Tomato salsa. Legumes. Refreshing cucumber slices with dill. Red beets. Pineapple bits with coconut shreds, onion, and chili. Mixed vegetable lasagna. Herman’s own bread. Sunflower seeds. Beans. Cauliflower. Eat all you can. Did I just die and go to heaven?

Admittedly, Herman’s was a better choice than the salad bar at the East Island market. It was vegetarian. It offered more choices. We could eat as much as we wanted. Ed had a cup of coffee. I had a cup of women’s tea (Herman’s also has men’s tea). We were happy and full. It is true that Herman’s food tickles the tastebuds. I was gigglish. Intoxicated, indeed!

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Bulgur salad for a day well spent

June 14, 2007 at 7:45 pm · Filed under cooking, food, health, salad, vego

Hi, my name is Maggan. Welcome to Maggan’s kitchen!

Ed and I were on our feet the whole day. Like H. But without pay. We took an hour-long morning walk around our lovely neighbourhood. This was from 7-8 a.m., by the way.

At half past 9, we went out again. This time, it was for the real walk. The 7 a.m. walk was just a warm up. The 9:30 a.m. walk was the real thing. We walked to the Vasa museum. Some photo snapping on the way. WC break at McDonald’s. It took us 1.5 hours of leisurely walking to reach the museum. Good work, Ed. Not bad at all.

For this, Ed deserved a bulgur salad. So did H, as a matter of fact. He worked overtime. It had been a while since my last bulgur salad so I deserved it too. Moreover, Ed’s walk was also my walk. And without pay.

Ingredients: 5 decilitres whole bulgur, 2 vegetable or beef bouillon cubes (or 1 litre vegetable or beef broth), 1 piece zucchini, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for sauteing, 350 grams cooked kidney beans, 12-15 pieces cherry tomatoes, 100 grams parsley, 150 grams feta cheese, 3 tablespoons cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil (or extra vigin olive oil), 5-6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or add a little more to your taste), salt and pepper.

1. The bulgur: Cooked it according to the instructions on the package. Instead of seasoning with salt and pepper, I popped 2 pieces bouillon cubes in the casserole.

2. The zucchini: Chopped it into smaller but thick bits. I wanted to feel the vegetable when I bite it. Sauteed it in 2 tablespoons olive oil at medium heat. 5 minutes were enough. When it was done, I sprinkled a pinch of salt and ground black pepper over it.

3. The pumpkin seed oil and balsamic vinegar: When the bulgur had cooled, I poured it into a big oven dish. A very big salad bowl would work but I didn’t have one. The rectangular oven dish worked perfectly. I put 3 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil and 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. I mixed them and ensured that all the bulgur grains got their fair share of the lovely oil and vinegar.

4. The parsley: I bought the kind with long stalks and wide flat leaves. It has more flavour. I washed them well. Dried them in my salad spinner. I got my kitchen scissors and cut them into very small bits starting with the stem and ending with the leaves. I cut them over the dressed bulgur so the parsley bits fell into place. Mixed them.

5. The kidney beans: I washed and drained the beans. No dripping wet beans in my salad. Then I added them to the bulgur. Mixed them.

6. The zucchini (again): They had cooled by this time. I added them into the bulgur mix. Just the vegetable bits. Not the liquid that had come from the zucchini. Mixed them.

7. The feta cheese: Drained it and chopped into small bits. Put them in the bulgur. Mixed them. 

8. The cherry tomatoes: Washed and dried the tomatoes. Put them on top of the bulgur salad. Lovely. Colourful. Healthy.

I served the bulgur salad with whole button mushrooms  sauted in olive oil with crushed garlic, garnished with parsely, and dashed with soy sauce. A real bonus treat. And of course, the iceberg lettuce. We were having salad with salad.

It was Ed’s first time to taste bulgur. He said he liked it. His exact words were: It’s my first time to eat this (bulgur) but I like it. As a note, Ed and I walked from Vasa museum all the way home. We did the day’s grocery along the way. I made extra portions so there is left-over bulgur salad.

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