Tag archive for main

Charlie and I are gunning for frozen peas to be officially named the best thing since sliced bread (here’s hoping that frozen peas actually came after sliced bread). In any case, I do believe that peas are the answer to most any weekday dinner conundrum. Charlie on the other hand just thinks they are a tasty snack for cats and will hightail it into the kitchen when he hears me removing the package from the freezer.

Lucky for me frozen peas aren’t as labour intensive as I remember them being when I was a kid. We used to pack-up and head out to the Robertson’s farm for what seemed like a full day affair. I have a bit of a mental block around how the peas were collected, that could indicate one of three things, firstly it was a labor intensive project and I really hated it. Secondly, I had nothing to do with it and finally, shelling peas was so much fun that I have blocked all other memories from my mind. The latter is likely where the truth lies.

Shelling the peas was by far the best part, not because we would all sit on a porch for hours manually podding peas, but because someone had managed to turn an oldtimey ringer washing machine into a pea podding device extraordinaire. In my mind I always credited this invention to my grandpa. He was crafty that way and it seems like a good fit. The whole process unfolded as follows; you would feed a whole pea pod in between the two ringers the peas would pop out of one side, falling into a big vat and the empty pods would come out the other side. It was like taking your life into your own hands every time you shoved a pea pod into that contraption! A small child could very easily get caught up in the ringers and I thought it was fantastic.

In my mind some of the greatest comfort food features peas. Mac & cheese with peas, spaghetti and sauce with pea, fried rice… you name it and I’ll likely want to have it with green peas. One such recipe that I often make is this quick and easy risotto. The peas and lemon bring a wonderful brightness to the dish and the bacon adds a crispy, saltiness that make this dish an ultimate comfort food around here.

Lemony Bacon & Pea Risotto
adapted from Gourmet | Serves 2 

3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
3 bacon slice, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2/3 cup Arborio rice
3/4 cup frozen peas
5 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
juice from half a lemon
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

In a medium saucepan bring chicken broth and water to a boil. Once the broth mixture has boiled reduce heat to low.

Cook bacon in a pan over low heat until crispy. If you rush this process on a higher heat the bacon fat will brown and leave your risotto a darker colour. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain.

Quickly add the garlic to the bacon fat, stirring until it is pale golden, about 30 seconds. Stir rice into garlic until nicely coated. Begin adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time to the rice and stirring occasionally. Once all the liquid has absorbed, add an additional 1/2 cup of liquid to the rice. Continue adding liquid, simmering and stirring until the rice is al dente and the dish has a creamy texture, about 18 – 20 minutes. Reserve the remaining broth mixture. Add the peas to the rice and cook for about 2 minutes.

Mix in the grated Parmigiano, butter, lemon zest and juice. Stir until incorporated. Adjust the thickness of the risotto with the reserved broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with bacon and parsley.

And most of levitra prescription them looking for penis enlargement pills in India make you harder, sustained longer and your orgasms will be more intensified. In order to have a good sexual life but they find it hard to rise to the occasion since they lack the chance to ask questions to physicians and not just to refer to internet sites and blogs. cialis professional effects The majority of the individuals, these days, opt for sex therapy in Los Angeles CA as the place boasts some highly knowledgeable and skilled professionals who strive to carry out effective cheap sildenafil india sessions that provide the individuals with the dysfunctional behaviour helping themselves. This viagra soft tablets issue found when male organ do not get sufficient amount of blood during sexual activity.

Contrary to popular belief, during the holiday season I do still eat proper food and not just cookies. So, I am taking a break from the cookie recipes just so you don’t get the wrong idea. A few evenings ago, during an impromptu stop at the grocery store to pick up dinner supplies, I spotted a wonderful display of okra. Yes, I love okra. Naturally I was forced to buy a giant bag of it and it has been burning a hole in my crisper drawer ever since.

I had been drawing a blank on what to do with my giant bag of okra until my coworker Ruby, after muffling her surprise that I actually ate okra, shared with me how her family often prepares the veggie. While this recipe was inspired by my discussion with Ruby, I am fairly sure that it likely isn’t super traditional. None the less, it is spicy, delicious and totally hits the spot. I served the okra with rice and a lentil dahl. Another thing that Ruby taught me is that dry dishes, like this okra dish, should really be served with roti and not rice. Oops. Dry dishes roti, saucy dishes rice. I will do better with that one next time!

Spicy Masala Okra
Inspired by Ruby | Serves 4

1 lb okra
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 medium diced onion
find out this link cialis 10 mg Palm hearts are used in expensive salads. tadalafil online mastercard http://www.heritageihc.com/buy2190.html The pills help have good intimacy with your partner. Ignoring this condition may lose your potency or damage penile tissuesMen going through other serious health ailment requires more attention of their healthcare provider in order to continue the medication accurately. cheap professional viagra Because of their brilliant golden color, they are flashy for parades, rodeos, and other events and add a touch of elegance to any buy tadalafil uk traditional riding event (plus, their coat matches any blanket or clothing colors you choose to wear!). 1 red chilli
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tomatoes finely chopped
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 tablespoons cilantro
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Wash and trim the okra. Pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel to ensure that the okra doesn’t end up sticky and slimy. Slice lengthwise into halves and set aside.

Working with a heavy skillet, heat the oil and fry onions until they are lightly browned. Add all of the spices except the garam masala and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes and continue cooking over medium-high heat until the masala is a thick uniform consistency.

Add the okra and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Gently stirring the okra until it is evenly coated with the sauce. Cover the pan and steam over medium heat until the okra is tender, about 15 minutes. Just before serving sprinkle the garam masala over the dish and taste for seasoning. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Growing up mushrooms were a pretty big deal. Every fall the whole family would pile into the car and head up into the woods to gather up buckets full of their earthy goodness. I have to admit that for me the joy of mushroom season came from running around in the woods searching for hidden treasure. Forging through fallen damp leaves was significantly more pleasurable than sitting down to a plate of mushrooms. The imminent  fear of death by poisoning didn’t help much either. This is not to say that I dislike mushrooms, on the contrary, I am a mushroom fearing person but as a young person cultivated mushrooms were where it was at. Unfortunately this story isn’t about the wild mushrooms of my childhood, but instead the humble Cremini.

In case you notice any side effects not listed above, contact your doctor purchasing cialis or pharmacist. Men’s body goes into regular physical reaction due to pill then immediately talk to the doctor and he can analyze the progress report with lowest price for tadalafil . Just check with your doctor and purchase viagra online find out the best possible arrangement. These two herbal pills boost testosterone and ensure hormonal balance. viagra on sale cheapest This tale begins about two weeks ago when early one evening I received a text from Ginger. I believe it went a little like this “Are you going to Deb’s book signing”. I’m sure that some of you keeners know exactly what she was talking about. But me, not so much. I will interject the fact that I am really bad with names. After a little back and forth it became clear that Deb was “The Deb” from Smitten Kitchen and her book tour was stopping at my neighbourhood bookstore. Somehow I had missed this small detail. Truth be told Smitten Kitchen was really my first foray into cooking blogs. I have tackled many a recipe from the blog and was totally delighted by the notion of meeting “The Deb” in-person. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity to go to the book signing!

On the big night I some how I managed to coax Scott into coming along with me and we headed out to the store only to join about 150 other like-minded people who also wanted to meet Deb too. Unfortunately for me most of those 150 people had shown up early or at least earlier than me! After spending two hours waiting in line I had my signed book in hand and was rushing home to begin examining the pages and planning the next meal I was going to make. And then I found it: Mushroom bourguignon. I’m not going to share the recipe with you or give you my adapted version; I’m just going to suggest that you march right down to your neighbourhood bookstore and pickup a copy of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook for yourself. So far I have made 3 or 4 recipes out of the book and nothing has disappointed. What I love most about this cookbook is that the recipes are totally approachable and you can tell that all the food was cooked in the Smitten Kitchen. No elaborate setup, just delicious food, charming words and lovely images. So glad I got to meet you Deb and thank you for the lovely cookbook!