Tag Archives: Vivian Law

Recipe: Sweet Potato, Pineapple and Pork Stew

Posted on April 2, 2013 | Leave a comment

This sweet potato, pineapple and pork stew is a great blend of sweet and sour flavour. The recipe is inspired by one I came across many years ago in Eating Well magazine. Essentially, it has become my healthier version of sweet and sour pork:

1-2 shallots, minced

1 small piece of ginger, minced

1 pound of lean pork stew cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups of strained tomatoes

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, cubed

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1/4 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

chopped cilantro and green onion for garnish

In a large saucepan or pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Lightly brown shallots and ginger for a minute. Add pork, season with salt and pepper, and brown all over. Add strained tomatoes to the pot, then cumin, sweet potatoes and pineapple. Cover, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro and green onion. Enjoy over brown rice if desired.

 

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Recipe: Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Apricots

Posted on December 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

A turkey dinner is complete once there is some homemade cranberry sauce. I first tasted this cranberry sauce many years ago at a Thanksgiving dinner. I never got my hands on the recipe, so I created this one over the years based on the flavours I first enjoyed. And it is still my favourite cranberry sauce.

1 bag fresh cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 water

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

Zest of one lemon

1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans, optional

In a medium saucepan, bring water, orange juice, cranberries and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add chopped apricots and lemon zest. Stir frequently and cook until cranberries burst and are cooked through. Mix in toasted pecans if using. Enjoy at room temperature.

 

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Recipe: Healthy Granola

Posted on July 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Granola is a food that most of us enjoy for the taste and texture, but consider to be a food that is too high in calories to enjoy regularly. However, the source of the ‘high calories’ is very important to consider. This recipe is wheat free and contains various sources of fibre and healthy fats that we could all use in our diet. The soluble fibre in the oats can help lower blood cholesterol. The pumpkin, sunflower and chia seeds provide healthy fats and vitamin E in addition to fibre. The coconut oil provides flavour and medium chain fatty acids, which help your cells absorb nutrients amongst other benefits.  I like to have granola for breakfast with non dairy milk, such as Coconut Dream, and fresh berries. I find it to be a great source of steady energy that tastes great at the same time. Many friends that have tried this granola just love to eat it out of hand as a quick snack.

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup oat bran

1/4 cup whole chia seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1tsp ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup honey or maple syrup or combination

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together oats, coconut, ground flaxseed, oat bran,  chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon. In a small sauce pan, melt together honey and/or maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Pour liquid honey mixture over the oat mixture and toss to coat evenly. Spread mixture evenly on shallow rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 min, remove from oven, use a spatula to stir the mixture to ensure even browning. Bake a another 15-20 minutes until granola is crunchy and browned to your desired level.  Add 1/2 cup of your favourite dried fruits after the granola cools, if desired. Store in an airtight container. Try a 1/3-3/4 cup serving size to see what amount fits your energy needs.

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Posted in Healthy food, healthy recipe, Healthy snack, Vegan, Vivian Law

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Recipe: Quinoa with sesame, grapefruit and mint

Posted on July 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

This a light refreshing summer dish that I have adapted over the years from the Silver Palate Cookbook. It’s great as a side dish for a barbecue or on it’s own for lunch at a picnic. If you don’t like grapefruit, orange works equally well. The original recipe called for canned mandarin orange segments, which is even more convenient if need be. However, I find there is more zest and nutrition with fresh orange or grapefruit.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented into small pieces

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup mint, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup walnuts, pine nuts or sunflower seeds

Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water, add salt to taste at the end of cooking and allow to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, sesame oil and green onions. Add grapefruit (be sure to add any grapefruit juice that remains on the cutting board for extra flavour) and nuts, mix gently. Serve at room temperature.

 

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Recipe: Red Lentil Pasta Sauce

Posted on May 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

This a recipe I came across and adapted while studying vegetarian nutrition. I enjoy it as a vegan main dish with brown rice pasta, and find I feel satisfied and energized after this meal. Some little people I know love it as well. It is a great way to have a few different vegetables at once. I find this particular mix of veggies the best tasting, but any veggies you have on hand especially ones you need to use up, is good to try.

Red Lentil Pasta Sauce

1 cup red lentils, cooked
(rinse 1 cup of dry lentils, bring to a boil in 2 cups of water, then simmer for 15 minutes until tender)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped (optional)

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 bunch of swiss chard or kale, finely chopped

1 can 796ml of diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, saute onion, garlic, carrots, celery and cauliflower in olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils, and oregano bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Add finely chopped swiss chard or kale and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Use an immersion blender if smaller discernible pieces of vegetables are desired.

 

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New Toronto Restaurant: The Saint

Posted on April 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Chef Melissa Saunders and I came across the Saint on Saturday night by accident. We had trouble deciding where to go with no reservation. I had almost convinced her and Prince Charming to go to Foxley for dinner, but we passed by and checked out the Saint instead. We were sold by the greeting of a familiar face we had met many times at Buca, a restaurant Melissa and I adore.

We enjoyed a cocktail at the bar while we waited for a table. The atmosphere is a sleek and lively tavern. The Saint delivers on the trend of well made cocktails. I decided on first glance of the menu that I had to have the fried chicken, a food I love and enjoy a few times a year.

Our dinner was pleasant. I enjoyed the perogies the most in our group. The menu was not descriptive, but we were told when we came in that everything was made in house. I felt the description of ‘perogies’ was a detriment to the dish, because the perogies had a delicious, tender filling of slow cooked pork. The cod fritters were well done, but perhaps a touch pricey at $18 for 2 large pieces. The fried chicken was half a chicken that was crisp, tender, juicy and well seasoned throughout. The lemon flavoured gravy was not worth the caloric intake in my opinion. My dinner mates quite liked the fries. I didn’t love them. My favourite fries are still Jamie Kennedy’s.

 

Well done veggies was a nice surprise from the Saint kitchen . The cauliflower with bacon was roasted well. The honey roasted fennel with cherry tomato was excellent. Best of all was the coleslaw that came with the fried chicken. Service fell short a bit when we needed to find our server to order a slice of pecan pie and get our bill. The pecan pie was good, but not anything too special.

We are not rushing back to the Saint for the food just yet, but it is a welcome addition to Ossington. Another fun spot for a cocktail and snack. The whole strip is great food and drink destination that keeps getting better.

 

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