Copycat Broccoli Slaw

When Andrew fell in love with the deli counter broccoli slaw at Fortinos, I knew we had two options: reverse-engineer the recipe, or go broke. Several test batches later, our bank account was safe.

Like most slaws, this is best made the day before, so the vinegar has time to mellow out the broccoli and cabbage. All the measurements are a bit flexible; adjust according to your tastes.

Makes about 4 cups.

Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise (regular or light)
Scant 2 tbsp rice vinegar*
2 tbsp white sugar
¼ tsp salt
1/8 to ¼ tsp pepper

Slaw
1 bag (12 oz.) broccoli slaw mix
¼ cup green onions, sliced fine
Scant ½ cup dried currants
¼ cup sunflower seeds, roasted unsalted

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients, until sugar is dissolved. Add in remaining slaw ingredients and stir thoroughly to coat.

Transfer slaw to a container and refrigerate, covered, for at least two hours or overnight.

*Don’t have rice vinegar? Substitute champagne vinegar, cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar with a bit of extra sugar.

A Weird Salad That Works

Spinach, mint, and prunes do not sound like a combination anyone would ever want to eat. But…it works. And people eat it. And then rave about it. And no one knows why.

Since the flavour of both spinach and mint will change from season to season, this is a taste-as-you go recipe. Take care not to add too much mint, as it can overpower the spinach depending on how strongly-flavoured it is.

Makes 8 to 12 servings, depending on how well your guests can accept that they are eating prunes and liking it.

7 to 8 cups young (but not baby) spinach, torn (1 bag, about 12 oz)
2/3 to 1 cup mint leaves, stems removed, chopped
1 cup prunes, roughly chopped
1 cup candied pecans (look for “honey-somethingorother pecans" in the bulk section)
1/2 to 1 bottle raspberry vinaigrette (I use Renée’s Ravin’ Raspberry)
a few pinches of salt, if the spinach is bitter

Toss together salad, starting with about two-thirds of the mint and half the salad dressing. Taste, and add more of each until it seems right.

Note: Add dressing just before serving or salad will wilt.

Homemade Iced Coffee

With the warm weather returning, I am looking forward to once again enjoying frosty blender drinks. Cold-brewed coffee syrup is easy to make, and far superior to using normal brewed coffee, which can taste quite bitter when chilled. Once you have coffee syrup in your fridge, making fancy iced and blender coffees at home is easy. Bring on the brain freeze!

Ingredients

filtered water

your favorite coffee, ideally coarse grind

Equipment

pitcher or bottle (choose one that pours well, and is wide enough to easily clean out used coffee grounds)

large funnel

several paper coffee filters

bottle with cap or stopper (or two smaller bottles) to store coffee syrup; clean wine or pop bottles work well

If you have a kitchen scale, measure the water and coffee using an approximate ratio of 10 parts water to one part coffee. Some of the water will be soaked up by the coffee, so use more water than will fill your storage bottle. Here are some rough guidelines:

Bottle size	24 ounce wine bottle (750 mL)	1 quart pop bottle (1 liter)	2 quart pop or juice bottle (1.89 liter)
Water	3¾ cups (900 mL)	5 cups (1250 mL)	9 ½ cups (2400 mL)
Coffee weight	3 ounces (90 grams)	¼ pound (125 grams)	½ pound (250 grams)
Approximate coffee volume	1 cup	1¼ cups	2½ cups

Combine coffee and water in your pitcher; stir well to ensure all the coffee is soaked. Set aside for 8 – 12 hours. Don’t let it go more than 12 hours! The flavor won’t suffer, but filtering the coffee becomes progressively slower the longer the coffee has been left to soak up water. Likewise, if you use a fine grind instead of coarse, filter the coffee sooner rather than later.

Warning: this next step takes a bit of time.

Set a large funnel over a clean bottle and insert a coffee filter. Gently pour coffee syrup through filter to strain grounds. Most of the coffee will have settled to the bottom of your pitcher; take care to not disturb the grounds while pouring off the syrup, in order to keep the filter from clogging too quickly. Filters will get clogged to the point that the coffee syrup just doesn’t run through; replace filters as the flow of coffee slows down.

Once the syrup is completely filtered, cap the bottle and chill for several hours. Syrup will last for a month or more in the refrigerator.

To make an iced cappuccino

¾ cup coffee syrup

1/3 cup half & half (10%) cream, or ½ cup milk

½ cup ice cubes

2 teaspoons sugar (or equivalent sweetener), or more to taste

Combine all ingredients in a mini blender and pulse until ice is completely crushed. Pour into your favorite glass, add a straw and enjoy! 

Mocha variation

Add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder with the rest of the ingredients.

Happy Hour variation

Add a shot of your favourite liqueur: Irish cream, Kahlúa,  amaretto, crème de cacao, or Frangelico.

My Mother's Salmon Quiche

Tasty. Classic. Foolproof. Thanks Mom!

Makes 4–6 servings.

1 9-inch pastry shell
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1 teaspoon butter
3–4 large eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup cream or milk
½ teaspoon salt

7 ounces canned salmon (one tall can), drained and flaked
2½ tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated (about 4 ounces)

Poke holes in your pastry shell with a fork to prevent bubbling (called docking the crust). Bake the pastry according to package directions your recipe. (Because you so totally made it from scratch...just like I do. Yep.)

Meanwhile, fry onion in butter to brown. Beat eggs with milk and cream; stir in onion and salt.

Combine salmon and parsley, and place in baked pastry shell (that was definitely made from scratch, yeah-huh). Sprinkle with cheese. Pour egg mixture over top.

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, or microwave on high for 17 minutes. Quiche is done when it is a custard consistency (a little jiggly in the centre). Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with a salad of simple greens. Probably also made from scratch.

Holiday Turnip

This our favorite turnip dish (favorite turnip…never before in the history of humanity have those words been paired together). It is so loved that it is hard to think of Christmas without it; my family reserves the same level of anxiety for the turnip as we do the pie (“Are you bringing it? Are you sure you can? Should I bring it just in case? OMG who is bringing the turnip thishastohappenorChristmaswillberuined!”). Well, maybe just my anxiety.

This recipe also has great versatility: not only can it be made well in advance, but it tolerates adjustments very well. Love apples? Increase them to two, or even three. Watching your calories? Cut the sugar and butter in the filling by half. Really watching your calories? Cut out the sugar and butter in the filling entirely and substitute in a couple sweeter apples, such as Spy or Golden Delicious. Don’t love apples? Try pears. Want a quick weeknight side dish? Skip the topping—and baking—entirely (microwave the apple chunks for a few minutes to soften them up).

Makes 8–12 servings…depending on how much you actually love turnip.

Filling

1 large rutabaga*, peeled and diced ½ inch cubes

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup brown sugar

1 dash cinnamon

1 large granny smith apple, peeled and chunked

Topping

⅓ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into pieces

Boil turnip until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain well and mash with butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in apple chunks. To make in advance: refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze (in a ziplock with the air squeezed out) for up to 1 month. Warm up to at least lukewarm before adding topping.

In a small bowl, blend together the flour and sugar, then cut in the butter until crumbly. To make in advance: freeze topping separately from turnip base until ready to bake. Can be used straight from frozen.

Place warm turnip mixture in greased casserole dish (what size? It doesn’t really matter, as long as you have a half inch up top to dam boil-overs). Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350F for 1 hour, until turnip is bubbling and topping is golden. (To cut down on oven time, heat up turnip base in a microwave until steaming, then add topping and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.)

*Rutabaga is an oversized turnip (called a swede outside of North America) about the size of a large grapefruit. It’s sweeter than regular turnip and has lovely deep yellow flesh. If you can’t find rutabagas, substitute about 4 normal (apple-sized) turnips.

Eggnog French Toast

Every year, I get one or two requests for the French toast recipe I prepare for Christmas brunch. It is the perfect recipe for Christmas morning: it takes just ten minutes to prep the night before, and in the morning all you have to do is pop it in the oven. It pleases a crowd, too; the recipe serves eight, and even those not keen on eggnog like it. Add some bacon, coffee, and mimosas, and you're done.

I highly recommend the accompanying compote; it is the magic ingredient that makes the whole meal extra special. It takes a bit more time than the French toast itself, but can easily be made a couple days in advance. If you want to cut the fat in the compote recipe a little, I have found it is safe to reduce or omit the first four tablespoons of butter without too much difference to the taste...but on Christmas Day, the butter stays!

Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for our annual tradition. I follow a Bon Appetit recipe exactly as it was printed in December 2001. (Best. issue. ever. If there is ever a fire, my order of rescue is: the kid, the hamster, the Mac, and my Dec '01 BA. Yes, I think about these things.) Luckily, BA graciously posts all their recipes for free at Epicurious. Enjoy!

Eggnog French Toast

Cranberry-Apple Compote

Black Forest Oatmeal

In a technical sense, this breakfast can be considered healthy: it has a serving of oatmeal (whole grain!), cherries (fruit!), and pudding (milk and eggs! and cocoa! antioxidants! Give a girl a break, okay?) Very healthy and balanced, indeed. This is what I tell myself when I eat it three days in a row. Which has never happened, I swear. Really. Because I’m good. But so is this oatmeal.

Ahem.

The recipe is for one serving; scale as needed.

¼ cup quick oats*

¼ cup milk or almond milk

¼ cup water

¼ to ½ tsp sugar or sweetener

1 shake of salt

½ cup chocolate pudding

⅓ cup canned sour cherries, drained (I recommend S&F brand)

1 dollop whip cream or cool whip

Combine the first five ingredients in a small pot. Bring up to a gentle boil over medium heat. Simmer, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature (cooling can be sped up by placing the pot in a shallow bath of cold water and stirring occasionally).

Layer all ingredients in a bowl, or if you want to get fancy, a large parfait glass. Tell yourself it’s good for you. Then eat it all. Because—every once in a while—it’s important to eat pudding and whip cream for breakfast.

*Rolled or steel-cut oats can be substituted; adjust liquid quantities and cooking times according to package directions.

Hummus bi Tahini

Hummus is one of those grocery store items that is egregiously overpriced, enjoying a markup of 500 to 1000%. But it is ridiculously easy to make with a food processor or decent blender. And like many things, homemade always tastes better. It freezes well too, so even if this recipe makes too much for you (but really, who doesn’t want to eat three cups of hummus in one sitting?), it’s still worth making at home.

Serve hummus as a dip with pita bread (Arab style, not Greek), raw veg, or pretzels. Or use it as a spread in sandwiches and wraps.

1 can (540 mL/19 ounces) chickpeas*

4 tbsp tahini**

4 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)

2 to 4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 to 2 tbsp olive oil (do not use “light-tasting” olive oil)

couple pinches salt

pinch ground cayenne

Drain and reserve a bit of the liquid off the chickpeas, leaving enough to just cover the peas. Place the chickpeas, their liquid, and remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process to a smooth purée.

Taste and adjust the salt. Adjust the consistency as necessary with the reserved chickpea liquid (note: the hummus will firm up a bit after chilling). If you want the hummus to have a light “whipped” consistency, omit the extra liquid and process for a couple extra minutes.

Chill hummus for at least an hour. To serve as a dip, spread in a shallow dish, drizzle with olive oil and top with finely chopped parsley, plus any of the following:

Sprinkling of ground paprika, cumin, or cayenne

A few whole chickpeas, reserved from the can

Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, julienned

Artichoke hearts, julienned

Roasted red peppers, julienned

Black olives, sliced

Cucumber, diced

Green onions/scallions, sliced

Roasted garlic

Toasted pine nuts

*I swear by Unico chickpeas. So does everyone I know. The end.

**A description of tahini and where you can buy it can be found here.

A Fish By Any Other Name

In our house, we loves us some catfish. It’s a great fish all around: it has a nice meaty texture, is sweet-tasting (forget what you’ve heard about “muddy” catfish: today’s farmed catfish doesn’t carry this flavor at all), and best of all, it resists overcooking like a champ. But, but, BUT…it’s expensive. And—unless you live near an actual fishmonger—you can’t buy it without a sauce already appended, leaving those of us with kids who have, ahem, discerning tastes out of luck.

Enter basa, AKA Vietnamese catfish. This stuff is awesome: all the goodness of fresh catfish, at half the price! In fact, I like it a bit more than catfish at the counter, as it’s a bit milder and sweeter tasting, making it an easy sell to the kid. The catch? It’s frozen. I tend to think of this as an advantage, though, for two reasons. One: I don’t have to cook it the same day I bought it. Two: since nearly all fish at the counter is “previously frozen” anyway, I am no longer paying for the privilege of someone else defrosting it for me. It’s pretty easy to defrost, too; just submerge in cold tap water for an hour or two, then drain and pat dry with paper towel. Voilà! Fresh fish exactly the way I want it!

To season basa just like the store’s catfish, rub on a tablespoon of olive oil and about two teaspoons Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, or other seasoning of your choice (I love Rachael Ray’s Israeli Spice Rub) per fillet. Cook immediately, or wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours after defrosting.

Cajun Seasoning

I really can’t leave anything alone, even something as convenient as a spice blend. I find commercially prepared Cajun spice too salty, so I make my own. This version is mildly spicy; increase the cayenne and add black pepper for more heat. Connoisseurs will note that this blend is not classic Cajun, due to the absence of thyme and oregano…but you may have noticed I am not actually Cajun. So there.

This recipe yields approximately 3 tablespoons of seasoning. It works well with fish, chicken, and pork.

1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

¼ tsp dry mustard

¼ tsp ground cayenne (or red pepper flakes)

¼ tsp celery seed

¼ tsp salt

Mix together all ingredients and store in an airtight container away from direct light and heat.

Stovetop Popcorn

Microwave popcorn has been getting a bad rap lately. With good reason, too: it’s expensive, uses an excess of packaging, contains mystery chemicals, and invariably tastes like cardboard. One solution is to microwave plain kernels in a paper lunch sack. This eliminates the chemicals, but still creates garbage and tasteless food (i.e., more garbage). Another option is a hot air popper, which is great if you a) plan on eating 15 cups of popcorn in one sitting, b) have room to store a single-purpose appliance, and c) enjoy watching popcorn fly across your kitchen at random.

I don’t like any of these options. So I go the old-fashioned route: stovetop popping. Popping on the stovetop is easier than many people expect and—in my humble opinion—tastes a lot better.

This recipe is for a single serving, about 3½ to 4 cups. It can be scaled up as much as you want…just make sure your pot is big enough.

You will need:

a pot with a tight-fitting lid (heavy stainless steel is ideal, or cast iron in a pinch; DO NOT use non-stick, anodized aluminum, or Teflon)

2 tbsp plain popcorn kernels (any type will do)

1 to 4 tsp peanut oil*

pinch salt

Place ingredients in the pot and set over high heat. Shake the pot occasionally to coat the kernels in oil.

Once the first kernel pops (don’t worry, the first one or two won’t fly out of the pot), put the lid on and start shaking the pot frequently, every few seconds. Continue shaking until the popping stops, about 30 seconds. Immediately remove from heat.

Lift the lid slightly to allow steam to escape. Don’t pull the lid completely off right away because there is always that one kernel who is late to the party. Be careful! The pot is over 350°F (175°C)—a lot hotter than boiling water.

After waiting a few seconds for any stray pops, dump the popcorn into your serving bowl, dress with extra salt, butter, or whatever seasoning you want, and enjoy!

*Peanut oil gives the popcorn a rich flavor similar to theatre popcorn; we don’t even bother to add butter any more. Other cooking oils can be substituted: olive, corn, or untoasted sesame oil, for example. Coconut oil, butter, and flavoring oils (such as most other nut oils and toasted sesame oil) cannot be used because their smoke points are too low; popcorn pops at a little over 350°F and generally the oil will scorch before popping is finished.

Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce (Mommyghetti)

I grew up on this sauce; it was always a family favourite and is now a guaranteed win with the kid. It’s also a great way to cram a ton of vegetables into your diet…and clean them out of your fridge.

Most of the measurements are rough: alter them to your tastes. The quantities below are more than will fit into my 7-quart crock pot (I usually skip a couple of the vegetables). I freeze the extra sauce in small batches (2 to 4 cups) for easy weekday meals.

2 lbs ground beef

½ to 1 tbsp steak seasoning or Montreal steak spice

¼ cup Memories of Kobe sauce (optional)

4 cans (798 mL each) crushed or ground tomatoes

10 oz spinach or other leafy green, fresh or frozen (optional), chopped fine

olive oil for frying

3 large (grapefruit-size) Spanish onions, diced small

6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs mushrooms, cremini or white, sliced or diced small

2 to 4 zucchinis and/or summer squash (optional), diced small

1 eggplant (optional), diced small

a few stalks celery and/or fennel (optional), diced small

3 or 4 sweet red/yellow/orange peppers, peeled (optional), diced small

1 to 3 tbsp dried oregano

1 to 3 tbsp dried basil

1 to 2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning mix

1 to 4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

In a large skillet, brown and crumble ground beef with the steak spice. Near the end of cooking, add the Memories of Kobe sauce. Place in crock pot set on high, along with tomatoes and spinach.

In batches, use the same skillet to lightly brown each of the vegetables in olive oil and a bit of salt, then add them to the crock pot. Don’t skimp on the oil during this stage: the sauce is unsatisfying without it. You only need a tablespoon or so per batch, it adds depth of flavour to the sauce, and in the end it really isn’t that much oil when divide among six or seven quarts.

Once all the vegetables are in, add in some seasoning and give it a good stir. Cook on (preferably) low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. (Sauce can also be simmered for an hour or two on the stovetop over low heat; keep a close eye on it to prevent burning.) About an hour before mealtime, taste the sauce and add more seasoning as desired.

Serve over whatever pasta you like (reserve some pasta water to thin the sauce if desired), or polenta, spaghetti squash, mashed potatoes, rice, whatever!

Baba Ghanouj

This eggplant dip is a Middle Eastern classic; unlike some supermarket versions, you won’t find any mayonnaise here. Serve with pita bread (Arab style, not Greek) or raw veg for dipping.

1 very large or 2 medium eggplants

2 cloves garlic, puréed

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

¼ – ⅓ cup tahini*

¼ tsp ground cumin (optional)

salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F. Prick skin of eggplant on all sides, place on a pan pr sheet of foil (to catch drips) and roast, turning occasionally, for 30 – 60 minutes, until very tender. Allow eggplant to cool until safe to handle, peel off skin, rough chop, then set it in a colander to cool completely and drain any excess juices.

Add eggplant and remaining ingredients to food processor and process until very smooth. Taste and adjust salt as necessary. Can be served right away, or refrigerated for several hours to firm it up.

To serve, spread in a shallow dish, drizzle with olive oil and top with finely chopped parsley, plus any (or all, except the pomegranate) of the following:

Pine nuts, toasted

Tomatoes, seeded and diced

Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, julienned

Pomegranate seeds

*Tahini is ground sesame seed paste, very similar to natural peanut butter. A staple in many Middle Eastern dishes, it can be found in most supermarkets and bulk food stores, and has an indefinite shelf life. Like natural peanut butter, it separates over time and must be stirred to reincorporate the oil before using.

Orange Pumpkin Loaf

This recipe is an adaptation from an old “Company’s Coming” book. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin—it is easy for me to skip the pie at Thanksgiving—but this loaf brought me around with its combination of pumpkin, orange, dates, and pecans to create a rich, full-flavoured quick bread reminiscent of fruit cake. Enjoy!

½ cup pecans, chopped

⅓ cup butter, softened slightly

1⅓ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

⅓ cup water

1 medium navel orange

2 cups AP flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

¾ tsp salt

½ cup dates, chopped (about the size of raisins)

Preheat oven at 350°F. Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan and line bottom with parchment, if desired.

Toast pecans in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking occasionally, until fragrant. Set aside to cool. (Toasting the pecans can be skipped if you’re pressed for time.)

Cream together butter and sugar well. Beat in eggs until just combined, then stir in pumpkin and water.

Cut orange in half stem-to-bud and remove any seeds from the centre column. Grind up the entire orange in a blender, food processor or grinder. (If you don’t have a grinder, slice the peel thinly and then run your knife through the lot to finely chop.) Stir into pumpkin mixture.

Combine the remaining ingredients together with the cooled pecans and mix well. Stir into wet ingredients until just combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it out if necessary. Bake for 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

Date Squares

At some point when I was a teen, my parents accidentally bought a skid of dates at auction. Yes: a skid. I made a lot of date squares that year, which was fine by all of us; they never lasted long. I was a date square machine! (Is that something I should actually be proud of?)

Once I moved out on my own, I never made them since they are atrociously high-calorie. Then, somehow, the recipe was lost. Gasp! Fifteen years of looking and it still hasn’t turned up. But—about five years ago—my mother stumbled on an older version of the original recipe, written out old style: basically a listing of ingredients with virtually no instructions. It’s not quite as good as what I grew up on, but decent all the same. Here is that original recipe, with a few extra notes by me.

1 lb dates, pitted

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 cup boiling water

Combine in a saucepot and cook well. The dates should be softened and the sauce thick.

2 cups rolled oats

1¾ cups AP flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup butter

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

Cut together all ingredients. Press half the oat mixture into an 8 x 8 pan (lined with parchment if desired), then all of the date mixture (wet hands makes spreading the dates easier), then the remainder of the oat mixture. Bake 20 minutes in a moderate oven (350 to 400°F will do the trick). Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Sadaf’s Rice and Raita

I have been meaning to post this recipe for ages, and was reminded today when I watched the kid forget all about his demands for macaroni and cheese (out of a box, yes, it’s true) as he gobbled down two bowls of this yummy Middle Eastern classic. The proper name for the rice and peas is pullao, but in our household we call it Sadaf’s Rice, named after my friend Sadaf, whom the kid adores and I begged the recipe from.

I have modified Sadaf’s original recipe slightly, to make it a bit more compatible with my North American pantry. If at all possible, try to source all of the whole spices; they are available at many regular grocers and most bulk food stores, and can certainly be found in any Asian grocer. Since the spices are whole, they last a long time when stored away from light and heat.

Sadaf’s Rice:

1 – 2 cups basmati rice
4 tsp olive oil
1½ tsp black cumin seeds (use regular cumin seeds if you can’t find black)
12 whole peppercorns
4 whole cloves
2 green cardamom pods
1 black cardamom pod (add a couple more green pods if you can’t find black)
1 cinnamon stick
1 medium onion, diced (reserve 1 tbsp for raita)
2 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1 can chick peas, drained
chicken broth or 1 bullion cube

Rinse and soak rice in a fine mesh strainer or loose-weave cloth for 20-30 minutes. Drain.

In a heavy saucepot on medium-high heat, fry spices in oil until seeds begin to sizzle. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes.

Add drained rice, chick peas, and broth or water to cover ½ inch above the rice (about double the quantity of rice used). Boil uncovered until liquid is almost level with rice; cover with tight-fitting lid and simmer on low until liquid is absorbed, about 12 – 14 minutes. (Make raita while rice cooks.)

Let stand, covered, for a few minutes and then fluff rice with a fork or chopsticks. Remove the cloves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon before serving.

Raita (Yogurt Salad)

½ to 1 cup plain yogurt, ideally 2% or higher (I use 6%; it’s worth it)
1 cup or more English cucumber, sliced half-moons
½ cup carrot, shredded (optional)
½ cup radish, thin slice (optional)
1 tbsp onion, minced (or a couple pinches of onion powder)
½ tsp dried mint
½ tsp ground cumin

Mix all ingredients together and let stand in refrigerator for 10+ minutes, to allow flavors to blend. To serve, spoon on top of pullao.

When you can't find the whole spices

Any of the following ground spices can be substituted in the pullao, but they will alter the flavour a bit. They burn easily; only let them cook for a moment before adding the onion and garlic.

1½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground black pepper
⅛ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cardamom (replaces both green and black pods)
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Greek Yogurt and Yogurt Cheese

Take a cotton napkin, or a paper coffee filter, or a cotton tea towel, or a woven cotton shirt, or several layers of cheesecloth...you get the idea. Put the cloth in a strainer or colander standing in a bowl. Pour your yogurt into the cloth. Let stand in the refrigerator or loosely covered on the counter for 2-4 hours for Greek yogurt, or 8-12 hours for yogurt cheese* (known as labneh in the middle east). Transfer drained yogurt to a container and store in the refrigerator.

The drained liquid is whey, which can be used for cooking.

Don't have a colander? Pour your yogurt into a tea towel and tie the ends of the towel to hang off your kitchen sink tap. Put a bowl under it to catch the whey if you want to.

Yes, it is okay to leave yogurt out overnight at room temperature.

*If you are using yogurt cheese as a Phillydelphia-style cream cheese substitute, stir in ¼ tsp salt per cup of yogurt before draining.

Seriously Folks, Don't Buy a Yogurt Maker

Put down the $100 "gourmet" yogurt maker with automatic digital temperature control. Back away slowly. Now come with me....

I admit the process looks difficult, considering I dedicate five paragraphs to it below. But really it's quite easy and takes almost no time. This is the fancy equipment required to make yogurt at home:

A pot
A spoon or whisk
A clean glass jar (such as an old pickle jar), or thick glass/ceramic bowl
A medium towel or blanket
It is also helpful (but not mandatory) for you have a candy thermometer (sold for $5 in grocery stores)

Ingredients (can be scaled up or down; it is only dependant on the size of your jar):

4 cups milk* (any fat content you want)

1 heaped tbsp plain yogurt (this is your starter)

* don't use lactose-free milk: this will cause your yogurt will fail

So here's what you do:

In the pot, bring the milk up to froth. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for two minutes.

Remove from heat and insert thermometer; allow to cool, undisturbed, until the temperature reaches 106-109°F. This may take 15-30 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is. If you don't have a thermometer, test the milk by sticking your pinky finger in. If you can just hold it in the milk for a 10-count, the milk is ready. Take care not to let the milk get too cold; the yogurt can fail if it's not close to this temperature.

While waiting for the milk to cool, put the starter yogurt in your jar and beat it with a spoon or whisk until it is liquid and free of lumps. Once the milk is the right temperature, add a tbsp or two and blend thoroughly to warm up the yogurt. Now add the remainder of the milk and stir/whisk (I put the lid on my jar and give it a few shakes).

Put a lid or cover or plastic wrap on your jar/bowl/whatever. Wrap the towel around it and stick it in a cupboard or other draft-free hideaway. Wait 8 to 12 hours (overnight); longer aging increases the yogurt's sourness.

Store yogurt in the refrigerator. Yogurt will keep for about a week. You can use this yogurt to start your next batch.

Sweet-Hot Beef

We love, love, LOVE this quick and easy meal. I make this when I am feeling tired and uninspired. It survives both whole wheat pasta and ground turkey substitutions well. Round it out with a Caesar salad.

1 lb ground beef
½ cup water
¾ cup raisins (sultanas are best)
1½ tsp ground cumin
1¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 can (398 mL) tomato sauce
½ lb spaghettini or other thin round noodle
1 tbsp lemon juice
minced parsley

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown beef, stirring to crumble.

Once beef is cooked, stir in the next eight ingredients (water through tomato sauce). Simmer on low heat, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

Remove sauce from heat and stir in lemon juice. Toss together with spaghettini and top with parsley.

Salisbury Steak Patties in Mushroom Gravy

Hmm, what to do with that appetizing tube of beef? Isn’t it cute in its bright red package? How can you not love food that comes in a tube???

1½ lbs ground beef
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 green onions, sliced fine
1 tbsp prepared mustard
a few generous shakes of steak seasoning, (or some salt, pepper, and a pinch each of cayenne and dill)
1 can beef gravy
1 tray sliced mushrooms
½ cup water
2 tsp horseradish

In a mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Beware the overmixing!* Divide the mixture into 4 to 6 patties.

In a large skillet, cook the patties on medium-high until brown, about 4 minutes each side.

Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over patties. Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.

Serve with mashed potatoes, plus a green vegetable of some sort, if you’re felling guilty about, well, beef.**

*I am an incurable overmixer. Left alone, this leads to tough meat and burgers that seize up in their middles during cooking. There’s an easy fix though: if you show the meat a little too much love (uh, that sounds WAY wrong), take a fork or a pair of chopsticks to your meat mixture after combining it and “fluff” it (stab, and lift; stab, and lift). Adding a bit of air back in will cancel out all that nasty squishing you just inflicted on your poor, helpless meatballs.

**I never, ever, get around to the green vegetable on this meal. It’s all about the beef and potato, baby.