Chompbook

  We wanted to create a dressing similar to the one you get on that basic salad that comes in your bento box at your local sushi spot. You know the one with some iceberg lettuce, tomato wedges, and maybe a couple slices of cucumber. Oh and maybe even a carrot cut into some a flower shape or something impressive like that. This dressing has a nice little zing to it. Enjoy Ingredients: 1 cup vegetable oil 1⁄2 cup rice vinegar 1⁄2 cup soy sauce 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tbsp. finely grated ginger 2 medium carrots, grated 1⁄2 medium onion, roughly chopped Salt and Pepper, to taste Method: Place those lovely ingredients in a blender and give’r for 15-30 seconds or until your desired consistency is reached. Yum

  Several years ago, myself and a group of co-workers had an almost-tradition of going to Japanese Village most Fridays for a fun Teppanyaki lunch. It was a nice way to unwind after the work week and roll into the weekend. And I do mean “roll.” The restaurant would bring everyone a bowl of rice and sauce that would be quickly consumed as the steak was too good to resist. The Japanese Village restaurant seems to be pretty secretive over their sauce but the good people over at the ChowTown food blog claim to have tracked down the recipe from an employee of the restaurant. This dressing isn’t healthy but I wish it was because it tastes so dang good. Use it within a few days since it has raw egg and whipped cream in it. Do the right thing and make some Japanese style sticky rice to pour this sauce over. Ingredients: ¾ cup  Soy Sauce 1 cup  Vegetable Oil ½ cup Toasted Sesame Seeds 1 Egg yolk ½ tablespoon Dry Mustard 1 Clove Garlic, large (Minced) ½ cup Chopped Onion (One small Onion) ½ cup

We make pesto with different herbs/vegetable tops and then enjoy it in so many different dishes. It’s great on pasta or risotto, roasted vegetables or even as a spread in sandwiches. We have used basil, parsley, cilantro, carrot tops, fennel tops, arugula and even a combination of two of these greens. Ingredients small to medium bunch of herbs/greens (mostly leaf with some tender stems), roughly chopped 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 4 ounces of nuts, roughly chopped (almonds, pine nuts, walnuts…) 1/2 cup olive oil 2 - 4 ounces of Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (vegan option) 1/2 of lemon squeezed (approx 1 tbsp) salt and pepper to taste Method Whiz together in blender or mixer until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

The tapenade at one our favourite local Italian restaurants, Il Terrazzo, is very good. It is served complimentary to all tables and accompanied with warm focaccia bread. The restaurant has an excellent mussels dish (think white wine and cream sauce with sun dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, banana peppers, red onions, cilantro, lime, and asiago). They are often busy; so, make a reservation if you plan to go. Or try to pull a fast one and see if there is room at the bar… Get a glass of wine, enjoy the tapenade with focaccia and tuck into those mussels. We wanted to recreate the tapenade at home and were able to find the recipe from the food blog, Port & Finn. They emailed the manager at Il Terrazzo who replied back with the ingredients list (but not quantities - oh my!). You shouldn’t care but my opinion is that you can add more or less of the ingredients you like. Anchovies are often in tapenade too and sometimes I like to add marinated artichokes. Ingredients: 1 cup pitted Kalamata

 The Rootcellar is a local grocery store here in Victoria with a focus on organic and locally sourced foods. They make a sauce that they call their Green Sauce and it has become well known here over the last few years. Google tells us that the sauce has been around for a lot longer and is known as Aji Verde; many food blogs call it Peruvian Green Sauce. Anyways, it’s good and you should eat it. Play around with the ingredients to get the sauce to your liking. It’s probably kinda fine here to use vinegar if you don’t have lime. I’ve seen some recipes add mustard and a small amount of onion for this sauce. We also will often use yogurt instead of mayo; or a blend of yogurt and mayo. Ingredients: ½ cup mayonnaise (we like vegan mayo)* 1 cup packed cilantro leaves with tender stems 1-2 medium jalapeños seeds removed, roughly chopped 1-2 cloves garlic roughly chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon lime juice ¼ teaspoon kosher salt *experiment with yogurt or sour cream or combination to

  These are our go to (somewhat healthy) pancakes. Normally, we make a batch, eat them fresh that day and then freeze the rest for later use. Once frozen, they take a quick re-heat and our kids devour them for breakfast (or a snack) with maple syrup! Ingredients: 1 cup white flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 1/2 tsps white sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 2 eggs (lightly beaten) 2 cup greek yogurt 2 tsp vanilla 1/2 to 1 cup unsweetened almond milk Method: In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate, medium sized bowl lightly beat eggs. Once eggs are beaten, add vanilla, yogurt and almond milk and mix thoroughly. Add the yogurt/wet mixture to the flour/dry mixture and whisk together until there are no lumps or dry ingredients. At this point, if you find the mixture to be too thick add 1/4 cup more almond milk at a time until you have the right consistency. I find that depending on the thickness of your

  When Nana sends over a recipe for baking, it almost always never fails. This is no exception. This banana bread is quick to prepare and a good way to use up ripe or brown bananas. We often add dark chocolate chips to this, sometimes nuts and when we are feeling a bit guilty zucchini. The zucchini is to tell ourselves that we are making it healthier and also justifying the fact that the loaf almost always only lasts a day, maybe two, in our house. Plus vegetables are good for us, right?! Ingredients: 2 ripe bananas 2 eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup of brown sugar 1 1/4 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda dash of table salt 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional) 1/2 cup of dark semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) 1/2 cup - 1 cup grated zucchini with as much moisture pressed out and removed (optional) butter Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mash the bananas on a small plate with a fork. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together until they are blended. Add oil, sugar and bananas to e

  There is something so special about fresh baking powder biscuits with a lovely home-made blackberry jam. This recipe was passed on from Paul a.k.a Grandad. I have tried so many times to make these biscuits close to how good he makes them but still haven’t come close. The fact that Grandad has been making these from memory and feel for years and years may be an indicator of why. When I originally asked for the recipe, the proportions were rather loose so I have been adjusting this recipe over time to try to perfect them. Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups flour 2/3 cup of butter milk *(if you don’t have butter milk, see note for how to make it below) 1 2/3 tsp baking powder pinch of baking soda 1/2 or less tsp table salt 1/4 cup cold butter *To make butter milk: Pour 2/3 cup less a tablespoon of whole milk into a container. Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes. Method: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Thoroughly mix all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Usin

  We have been getting these local, beautiful radishes and have found a recipe that uses the bunch, stems and greens included. It’s quick, easy and makes a great addition to any meal. Ingredients : x1 bunch of radishes plus stems and greens x1 tablespoon olive oil x1 clove garlic, minced x1 half of lemon x 1/2 tbsp of butter salt & pepper to taste Method: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove stems and greens from radishes. Wash and dry. Quarter or half your radishes to desired size. Remove stems from leaves and roughly chop. Set aside. Preheat cast iron pan or oven safe pan with olive oil on medium-high heat. Sear radishes until blistered/golden on all sides (2-3 min). Put pan in oven for 10-12 minutes or until mostly cooked through. Remove pan from oven and place on stove top at medium heat. Add butter, stems and greens. After a minute or so add garlic and salt and pepper and cook until wilted. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed then remove from heat. Squ

  Before the world went to shit because of Coronavirus disease, we had a really nice trip down to L.A. Go away Coronavirus, we want to travel again. While in L.A. we were able to get a last minute table at a popular restaurant called Jon & Vinny’s. They made a nice salad that we’ve been trying to replicate and also riff on at home. At the restaurant, they use pepato but that’s just not consistently in our kitchen and so we use parmesan. We use almonds often instead of hazelnuts. Ingredients: Arugula Fennel Zucchini Hazelnuts Parmesan Lemon Vinaigrette Method: Shave the fennel and zucchini. Mix with arugula. Chop up and roast hazelnuts. Shave parmesan. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together to create the vinaigrette. Dress salad and eat.

  This is by far the quickest, tastiest and no fail galette pastry recipe I could find (Thank you Smitten Kitchen!). We have used this recipe more than a handful of times and it’s a winner. The nice thing about this recipe is that the filling can vary depending on what you have on hand (as long as the ingredients are pre cooked and cooled). The galettes can even be sweet - simply add 1 1/2 tsp of granulated sugar to dough and you can even substitute yogurt for ricotta if you like. Ingredients: Pastry: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp table salt 8 tbsp cold unsalted butter 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup ice water *Note: Dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen. If frozen, thaw in fridge before use. Filling: 2 tbsp butter 3lbs/6 medium leeks, white part only - washed and thinly sliced Kosher salt 1 tbsp lemon juice plus zest of one lemon 8 - 10oz of assorted cheese, mix of hard and soft (Gruyere, feta, blue, gouda, parme

  Ingredients: 2 pounds of fresh Manila clams - rinsed and cleaned* 1 cup of pancetta or bacon - diced 3/4 tbsp of unsalted butter 1 tsp olive oil 3 - 4 cloves of garlic - thinly sliced 1 small shallot - finely chopped 1 lemon 1 cup of dry white wine 1/3 cup of parsley leaves - roughly chopped salt & pepper to taste pasta or crusty bread *Inspect and clean clams thoroughly. To remove sand, soak live clams in cool water and they will spit sand out. Any open or cracked clams (before being cooked) should be thrown out. Method: Note: If you are having clams with pasta, put a well salted pot of water on the stove before starting the cooking process below. Bring water to a boil. Add pasta (cook as directed) and start the cooking process for the clams below. Pasta should be cooked al dente. If the pasta is done before the clams, drain and reserve a small amount of cooking water. Heat large pan over medI’m - high heat. Add olive oil and bacon. Stir regularly and sear until crispy. Usi

  If you have ever had gnocchi before, you know that it is like having a mouthful of pillowy, potato goodness. My Italian nana used to make gnocchi when we were kids and it was by far our favourite meal. Here is a gnocchi recipe that you can pair with any sauce you like. Ingredients: 3 - 4 Russet potatoes 1 large egg - lightly beaten 1 tsp of table salt 1 1/2 cups of flour plus more dusting surface Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a knife can easily pierce through. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes after baking. Remove skin with a vegetable peeler or knife. Grate potatoes with a box grater. Let cool for another 10 minutes. Add egg and salt and mix thoroughly with potatoes. Add 1/2 cup of flour and mix until combined. Add another 1/2 cup of flour, mix until combined. Add 1/4 cup of flour and see if this is enough to form a dough that does not easily stick to hands. If needed, add last 1/4 cup of flour a li

  Growing up in the Kootenays, winters were spent up at Whitewater ski resort. After spending the morning skiing, lunch in the cafe was much needed to refuel. One of my favourite dishes was the Glory Bowl - brown rice, crispy tofu, grated beets & carrots, almonds and spinach topped with this seriously addictive dressing. Once you try it, it will become a staple in your house for bowls and salads. Ingredients: 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast flakes 1/3 cup of water 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 2 cloves of garlic - crushed 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 tbsp tahini Method: Combine nutritional yeast flakes, water, soy sauce or tamari, apple cider vinegar, tahini and crushed garlic in a blender/processor. Add vegetable oil in a steady stream while blending.

  Ingredients: 2 - 3 tsp of anchovy paste 2 cloves garlic - crushed 1 tsp of grainy mustard 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire 3 - 4 oz of grated Parmesan cheese 2 heaping tbsp of Greek yogurt 1/2 lemon - juice 3/4 cup of olive oil salt and pepper to taste Method: Combine all ingredients in a blender/processor. Blend until smooth.

  This recipe is so, so simple. You can make it the night before, in the morning or the afternoon of wanting to make pizza. Ingredients: 3 cups of all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt 1 1/4 cup of lukewarm water (plus a bit more if needed) Active dry yeast: Overnight - slightly heaping 1/8 tsp Morning of - slightly heaping 1/4 tsp Part day - slightly heaping 1/2 tsp Method: In a large bowl, mix all ingredients with your fingers. The dough will be craggy and rough, however, if it feels too dry add a tsp of water at a time until desired texture. You can kind of knead the bowl a bit in the dough to bring it together. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until use. Scrape dough out of bowl on to well floured counter. The dough will have risen and changed into a softer, looser ball. Flour dough and divide into 2 - 4 parts depending on desired size of pizzas. Work each piece as needed -roll into a ball, pat down and roll out to desired thickness. Top with sauc

  This sauce is really nice over a rice vermicelli bowl with some chopped cilantro a mint. Chopped cucumbers and pickled vegetables (we often do carrots). The sauce is maybe called Nuoc Cham in Vietnamese. 1 cup water 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce 1 teaspoon minced garlic 4 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon white vinegar 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Make sauce: Mix the sugar and water together in a medium bowl until all the sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients.

  A friend of ours used to run an awesome little Spanish deli/eatery. There were many amazing things that I wouldn’t attempt to replicate (their breakfast sandwich was incredible) but we took a stab at this breakfast salad/bowl and it tastes great. Time: 30 minutes Serves: 2 Ingredients: 2 Chorizo sausages (chopped) 4 pieces of rustic bread (3/4 inch pieces) 1 tbl + 1 tsp Olive oil 1/4 cup water 1 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp paprika small bag of mixed salad greens 4 eggs 1 tsp vinegar Method: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying at medium heat and add chorizo. Fry until it’s lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to a medium bowl and set aside. Add bread to the pan and then pour the water over top to cook. Stir frequently, working to coat bread with remaining oil mixture. Season with salt to taste, and continue to cook while breaking up bread into smaller pieces (if desired) with spatula until bread is light golden brown and crisp but not hard