Dining out ... at the supermarket

Imagine a dining establishment with:

• no need for reservations
• zero tipping for service
• vast choice
• excellent food.

Wouldn't you frequent a place like that? 

Me, too. That's why I'll sometimes grab a meal at the supermarket, often when I'm on the hop between events.

I especially enjoy dining in supermarkets when I travel. It's fun and, for me, there's a sense of mystery about it. Plus, the selection is more exotic than I can find near home.

This past weekend Fred and I dropped by our "local" and split:

• some sushi
• a turkey wrap (wholegrain)
• a blackberry yogurt
• an orange
• a banana.

Not only was the food fresh and tasty, but the entire experience was enjoyable, convenient and good value.

These days, the sit-down area of many grocery stores is downright fine, often outfitted with a microwave oven and sometimes even Wi-fi. Treat yourself: check it out.

Other pluses of supermarket dining include:

• elegant options (deli counter, imported foods, organic section)
• ample supplies of serviettes, plastic cutlery, wooden chopsticks, condiments, etc.
• washroom facilities
• no markup for "restaurant" food
• bonus points earned on your purchases.

Not too shabby.

Adding bounce to banana bread ... with bourbon

OK, OK, there's bourbon inside. Get over it.  :‍-‍)

Now, moving on ...

Besides its all-around yumminess, banana bread can be rather nutritious. I've sometimes baked it for my mother, who's not exactly a fruit hugger. But she adores banana bread, so that's been a great way to sneak her an extra dose of potassium.

Anyhow, I was pleased as puddin' at how this one turned out. On the inside: a moist, yet somewhat robust (i.e. grainy) texture. On the outside: toasty, with a lovely golden color.

Banana bourbon bread

Ingredients

• bananas (3; large and ripe)
• eggs (2)
• bourbon (2 Tbsp)
• canola oil (1/2 cup)
• vanilla (2 tsp)
• multigrain flour (2 cups)
• ground flax seeds (2 Tbsp)
• baking soda (1 tsp)
• brown sugar (3/4 cup; packed)
• chocolate chips (1/2 cup; dark)
• walnuts (1/2 cup; chopped)

Directions

1. In large bowl, mash bananas. Add eggs, bourbon, oil and vanilla.
2. In medium bowl, stir together all dry ingredients (flour, flax, baking soda, sugar, chocolate chips, walnuts).
3. Add contents of medium bowl to large bowl. Mix lightly.
4. Pour batter into 2 small (oiled) loaf pans. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.
5. Place pans on cooling rack. After approx 10 minutes, remove loaves from pans. 
6. When fully cool, store in air-tight containers.

Slow-cooked pea stew

Today's recipe is for a small meal that touches on the themes of healthy, inexpensive and tasty. It's vegan, too.

While too thick to answer to the name "soup", this dish does run along the lines of a pea soup. As for me, I think the texture of the stew is divine.

Before I move on to the How-To, some notes:

• The recipe makes approximately 5 quarts, so you may wish to halve — or perhaps double  ;‍-‍) — the recipe.
• As the white wine is simply for flavor, an inexpensive brand (or even homemade) will do fine.
• All veggies should be diced or thinly sliced, with the exception of garlic, the bulbs of which I de-skinned and left whole. One advantage is that this allows the garlic-shy to spoon out individual bulbs from their bowls and pass them over to a friend.
• Goes great with hunks of a rustic bread.

Here we go:

Slow-cooked Pea Stew

Ingredients:

The wet

• vegetable broth (1 quart)
• water (2 quarts)
• white wine (1/2 cup)
• lemon juice (1 Tbsp)
• canola oil (2 Tbsp)

The dry

• onion (1 large)
• garlic (1 bulb)
• celery (8 stalks)
• carrots (4)
• parsnip (4)
• sweet potato (1)
• split peas (2 lbs)

The seasonings

• black pepper (1/2 tsp)
• basil (dried; 1 Tbsp)
• bay leaves (2)

Directions:

1. Toss everything in a slow-cooker.
2. Let it brew overnight, i.e. 8-10 hours. (I used the low setting.)

Optional:

• Stir in some olive oil (2 Tbsp) at the end of the cooking cycle. (Adding the olive oil earlier than this is to risk it breaking down, losing its nutritional value.)
• Tweak it to your personal specifications by stirring in hot-pepper sauce, extra salt, extra black-pepper, etc.

Get yer motor runnin' ...

Cold sort of evening, but the sun was blazing and I hadn't been outside all day. I was just itching to be on the hop. Hmm...

What better thing than a picnic?



Picnic? In winter? With sundown approaching?

Yup. We tossed supplies in a bag, hopped aboard the Yaris (whoo-hoo!) and enjoyed ... a car picnic.

All we did was motor 5 minutes, to a spot overlooking the city. (Yes, Signal Hill, a national historic site. It also overlooks the north Atlantic.) Perfect.

We ate, we strolled, we enjoyed the sunset — what little of it we could see through the clouds. Sure beat another same-old supper in front of the TV news.

Here's what we packed:

• baked beans
• vegetable chips (in an Anchor Hocking container)
• peanuts
• grapes
• apples
• bananas
• dried figs
• oatmeal cookies
• chocolate (dark)
• tea (of the berry-flavoured herbal variety; in a thermos)

Simple as that.

Drawn like a magnet: once again

I'll be continuing from yesterday's post ... but before I throw open my freezer, allow me to pass on some tips for managing the contents of fridge and freezer. Nothing complex here, but these practices certainly boost the odds of having first-class snack material at hand.

Tip 1: Attach your grocery list to the refrigerator door. Update it immediately upon running low on any given item. Without fail.

Tip 2: Keep a "Leftovers" list. (The fridge door is a good place for this, too.) This list is where, when you open a package of sliced meat, for example, you'd take note of this item. That way, it's less likely to wander off behind a wall of bottles and sprout fur before you can enjoy it.

Tip 3: Package freezer-bound foods (especially those that are prone to sticking together) into single-serving portions before freezing. Voila, just extract and microwave. You'll never have to brandish the ice-pick again.

Simple measures, yes, but believe me, they make a big diff.

Now, here's what's in my freezer today:

• waffles (homemade)
• muffins (homemade)
• bagels (pre-sliced)
• frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries)
• frozen yogurt (vanilla)
• ice-cream (Haagen-Dazs "green tea & honey vanilla")

OK, OK, don't hassle me about that last item. A girl is entitled to a few vices.  ;‍-‍)

That's it — and that's loads. Counting freezer plus fridge plus snackcupboard, I'm certainly not short on quick-bite material.

Yes, a smidge of preparation: I highly recommend it. You'll be grateful for it too, next time the munchies come a-creeping.

Drawn like a magnet

Whenever I need a quick fix, I head to my snack cupboard — except for when I head to my fridge. Yes, I make it a point to keep lots of ready-to-grab goodies in the good-ol' icebox.

Here's an impromtu inventory, to give an idea of what I tend to keep in there:

• cheese (parmesan, blue, brie)
• yogurt (both 1% and 3%)
• milk (0.5%)
• juices (always 100% fruit or veggie)
• rye bread
• tortillas (wholegrain)
• nut butters (peanut, almond)
• apricot jam (high-fruit)
• fruit (oranges, apples, kiwi, grapes)
• vegetables (carrots, spinach [pre-washed], red pepper, tomato, zucchini)
• turkey salami
• tofu sausages
• hummus
• guacamole
• olives
• beans (homemade)
• crackers (homemade)
• oatmeal cookies (homemade)

That's just what I happen to have on hand today. Lots of mix-and-matchables here, so options aplenty. Most of the options are healthy ones, too, without sacrificing a single speck of yumminess.

As you can see, I stockpile representatives from many different food groups, e.g. vegetables & fruit; grain products; dairy; meat and alternatives; healthy oils. Yea, verily, balance is a good thing.

Another good thing: The items on this list require practically zero preparation (the tofu sausages may be the lone exception; and, of course, the beans, crackers and cookies had been made earlier). Zero prep's important in snack food.

If you're prone to lapsing into laziness — as we all can be — and are likely to reach for bags of cookies or chips simply because they're easiest, then items such as baby carrots and pre-washed spinach may present a solution.

Next time, I'll take you on a tour of my freezer. Until then, happy snacking.

Beans bakin' in beer

Yup, beer. What more could you want in a light meal or snack?

This is a slow-cook dish, the kind that'll certainly have you sitting potside, waiting for it to be done.

And the dish couldn't be heartier, tastier or easier. The beans don't even need pre-soaking.

Beans bakin' in beer
Into a slow-cooker (or large pot) dump these ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 2 bottles of beer
• 2 chopped onions
• 1 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cups navy beans (dried)

Cook — covered and on low heat — until tender (approx 10 hours), stirring occasionally.

Variation: Leave out half of the regular molasses and substitute in blackstrap molasses. Going entirely blackstrap may veer the taste toward bitter, so if you choose to do this, consider adding extra brown sugar.

That's it. Just bake 'em slow and spoon 'em up.

Healthier-than-thou oatmeal cookies

Oh, my. When it comes to being good for you, these cookies are tough to beat.

Packed full of healthful stuff. Hardly any "junky" ingredients. And — thanks to cranberries, almonds and cocoa powder — a soaring YQ. (That's Yum Quotient. Needs no defining.)

I whipped up a batch this morning. Took barely 10 minutes, plus another 10 minutes of oven time.

Looks like a tasty weekend ahead.  :‍-‍)

Healthier-than thou Oatmeal Cookies 

The what:

1. canola oil -- 3/4 cup

2. brown sugar -- 1/2 cup

3. honey -- 1/4 cup

4. eggs -- 2

5. vanilla -- 1 tsp

6. spelt (or other wholegrain) flour -- 1 cup

7. baking soda -- 1 tsp

8. cocoa powder -- 1/3 cup

9. steel-cut (or rolled) oats -- 2 cups

10. cranberries (dried) -- 1/2 cup

11. almonds (chopped) -- 1/2 cup

Makes approx 60 cookies.

The how:Step A: In large bowl, whisk ingredients 1 thro 5.
Step B: In medium bowl, stir together 6 thro 8.
Step C: Stir contents of medium bowl into large bowl.
Step D: Add 9-11, stirring until just combined.
Step E: Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto oiled (or parchment-lined) baking sheet.
Step F. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.

All that's left is to remove cookies from oven, place on rack to cool ... and enjoy.

Slices of heaven, grilled

Today's menu item comes from the oldie-but-goodie department: grilled cheese sandwiches.

Grilled cheese? My inner child just started drooling.

With these babies, the variety is practically infinite — that's a good thing. Don't get stuck on using plain-Jane bread and Cheez Whiz, I beg thee. Stretch thine horizons.

An old (i.e. sharp) cheddar makes for a fine base. Parmesan works great, too, as does a good creamy brie or a blue. Better still: mix and match.

Then slap on some mustard. Some hot sauce. Some bacon. Cayenne pepper or chili flakes. Whatever floats yer boat, as they say.

Here's the approach I used today:

Grilled cheese sandwich

Step 1: Cut 2 slices of wholegrain bread
Step 2: Slather one slice with hummus, the other slice with dijon mustard
Step 3: Add slices of parmesan, plus slices of blue cheese
Step 4: Grind on copious amounts of flesh pepper
Step 5: Slam the two halves together (i.e. complete the assembly of your sandwich)
Step 6: Warm fry pan, mist with canola oil and toss in the (raw) sandwich. Low-ish heat and a cover may help. No rush; no need to scorch things.

Finally, remove from pan and cut sandwich into halves or quarters. Serve with slices of a tart, fresh fruit. A crispy Granny Smith will do.

Then dig in.

Bam. Like a time machine back to childhood. Only better.

My chocolate morning

I find myself thinking back with fondness about one particularly sweet morning, several weeks ago now. It started with a surprise breakfast that my partner served.

We'd happened to run out of boxed cereal, so Fred chose to toast a pair of leftover waffles — double-chocolate waffles, no less, topped with yogurt and fresh berries.



The topper here was the process of toasting. The reheating not only added a bit of crispness to the outside of the waffle, but it melted the chocolate chips ... into a state of dreaminess.

Must say that I felt rather decadent, starting off the day that way. But that was merely the start.

Arriving at work, I was met with another lovely surprise. A thoughtful colleague had left a chocolate chocolate-dipped cookie on my desk. She had picked it up for me that same morning at a local bakery. Of course, I had to sample it right away.

Mmm, a quadruple-chocolate morning. Turned out to be a good omen for a pretty great day.

Double-chocolate Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup multigrain flour
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp cocoa
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dark-chocolate chips

Makes approximately 5 waffles.

Directions

1. Heat waffle iron.
2. Beat egg until fluffy.
3. Beat in remaining ingredients (just until smooth).
4. Pour batter onto waffle iron.
5. Cook approx 5 minutes, then remove.

Chocoholics, dig in.

Piling on the scrumptiousness

When the cravings hit last night, I thought I was prepared. Peanut butter on toast — I had that firmly in mind.

And it almost fit the bill. Almost. But I needed something more. Hmm....

With toast already laid on the plate and peanut butter freshly spread, inspiration bonked me on the noggin. Times four.

And such fun I had, bolting about the kitchen, grabbing up random ingredients. Slathering there. Sprinkling here.

I ended up with a beastie that I surely hadn't planned. But de-licious it was.

I called it my Peanut-butter Plus.

So simple. Here's how:

Sarah's Peanut-butter Plus

Step 1: Toast a slice of bread, the wholegrain-ier the better.

Step 2: Spread on peanut butter. Liberally.

Step 3: Spread on some cream cheese.

Step 4: Gloop on your favorite high-fruit jam.

Step 5: Sprinkle on the fun toppings. For example, sliced almonds, chocolate chips, M&Ms, grated coconut, etc.

FYI, on top of the peanut butter (all natural) and cream cheese, I used apricot jam, plus almonds and chocolate chips (dark chocolate; it's the only way to go). My snack was made even better for choosing a slice of heartier-than-thou bread, baked by my friend Carolyn. (Thanks, C.)

I certainly recommend starting with a substantial base. That is to say, a slice of premium bread.

Then have at it with the spreads and toppings. As wicked and wacky as you can pile 'em.

Big on snacks ... in a small kitchen

Ye who are modestly endowed, kitchenwise, take heart. I stand as proof that when it comes to snack-making, size doesn't matter.

'Tis true. One does not require a big, fancy cooking space, nor state-of-the-art gadgetry, to prepare bang-up snack food.

Here's a glimpse at Snack HQ:

Note that my kitchen weighs in at about 85 square feet, humble whichever way you slice it. And it sports no automatic dishwasher. [Why bother, I say, as long as I have Fred.  ;-) ]

To me, far more important than size is my kitchen window, which is above the sink. I find the view of the garden to be so pleasant and soothing. Inspiring, even.

Also important, so I've found, is to keep countertops as clear as possible. While this takes discipline and ingenuity — granted, I'm far from perfect — the effort is worthwhile. Uncluttered surfaces foster a relaxing atmosphere and make things far easier in those moments when inspiration hits. I wanna bake some brownies ... now!

Two particular features I do appreciate are my:

• double sink, which is super handy
• central island, which I use constantly.

But even conveniences like these are hardly necessary. There are always workarounds and ways to improvise.

So I encourage you, if you're keen on creating wonderful treats, don't let modest preparation space stunt your drive or imagination. Recall Julie Powell, for instance, who cooked her way through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in a tiny kitchen in Queens.

Remember, in this life, it's hardly ever size that counts. It's how you use it.

How nutty to trip through memory lane

Was reminded today how my interest in writing about food began some time back.

I'm talking about, dare I say, before weblogs were invented. (Ha, before a bunch of stuff was invented.)

Here are entries from a cookbook I made for Fred's birthday during the second year that I knew him — my first attempts to help him face the "angry oven".

The cookbook opened with:

"Here's your first genuine personal cookbook, with all the tricks of the trade and wild, exciting ideas for your first time stepping boldly into the kitchen "where no man has gone before."

But ... take heart!

You can overcome this frightening world of the wok in SARAH'S COOKING SCHOOL.

The teacher to student ratio is 1:1."

This is one of the get-your-feet-wet recipes from that cookbook:

Seems funny now, but I put that together before nut butters — well, other than peanut butter — were commonly available.

Still, it is a recipe that holds up. It's not so much fuss and allows you to concoct a spread with a tailor-made mix of nuts that's impossible to pluck off the grocery store shelf.

Perhaps you'd like to give the recipe a try. Might be a fine way to begin creating some memories of your own.

Veggies + cheese + pasta

Small meals are great. Especially when they're quick, tasty and good for you.

Here's a small meal I concocted recently: Veggie cheese pasta. 

First, a few notes: 

• As to the choice of vegetables, an Asian-style mix would work well. But as you prefer.
• Fresh veggies could also work. For example, I added several handfuls of fresh spinach to augment my frozen veggies.
• If you use spaghetti, break it into thirds. Small lengths are more easily mixed into the veggies.
• For cheese, I used a combo of cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey Jack. Yum.
• Prep time is about 25 minutes. (Or only 15 minutes if you skip the "broil" step.)

Enjoy.

Veggie cheese pasta

Ingredients:

• 4 oz pasta
• 4 cups frozen vegetables
• 4 oz cheese (shredded)
• 1 Tbsp crushed chili flakes
• black pepper (a few turns of the grinder)
• 2 Tbsp white wine
• 3 Tbsp milk

How:

1. Cook pasta. Drain.
2. Steam veggies.
3. Place pasta and veggies in large mixing bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients.
4. Spoon into glass 9 x 13" pan and oven-broil for 5 minutes.