Miso Brown Butter Cornflake Treats With Chocolate & Peanuts

Miso Brown Butter Cornflake Treats 

with Chocolate & Peanuts

This chewy, crispy, nutty dessert takes inspiration from both the popularity of Rice Krispie treats and the viral cornflake brittle recipe. Using cornflakes instead of puffed rice ups the crunch factor, while 

browning the butter and adding a dollop of miso create a depth of flavor. You could use white or semi-sweet chocolate, but we found milk chocolate tastes best.  Makes 24 squares

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan

5 cups (1.25 L) mini marshmallows

1 tbsp (15 mL) white or yellow miso, at room temperature

6 cups (1.5 L) cornflakes (see TIP)

4 oz (115 g) milk chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup (80 mL) chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:

Butter a 9 × 13-inch (23 × 33-cm) metal baking pan. Line bottom and long sides with a single piece of parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on both sides—this will make it easy to remove for cutting.

Heat butter in a medium-size pot over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until there are deep brown flecks on bottom and butter smells nutty—watch carefully. Reduce heat to medium-low. 

Add marshmallows and miso. Using a silicone spatula, stir constantly, until melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Quicky fold in cornflakes until evenly coated with marshmallow goo.

Transfer to prepared pan and lightly pat into an even layer with spatula. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.

Lift cooled mixture out of pan onto a cutting board. With a sharp serrated knife, cut into 4 by 6 rows to make 24 squares. Place squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

In a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water—bottom of bowl should not touch  water—melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 3 minutes. Cool 5 to 10 minutes then

transfer to a disposable piping bag opened up inside a coffee mug. 

Cut a tiny hole at tip and drizzle chocolate over squares. Sprinkle peanuts over squares. Refrigerate until chocolate has firmed up, 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer to airtight containers lined with parchment paper. (If layering, place parchment between layers.) Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Makes 24 squares

Cheddar-Stuffed Mushrooms With Wild Rice Crunch

Cheddar-Stuffed Mushrooms With Wild Rice Crunch

Much like popcorn, wild rice can be popped, though perhaps not quite as dramatically. Exposed to dry heat in a skillet, they pop and split, modestly exposing their white interiors, and toast to a deliciously nutty flavour. Give them a whirl in a spice grinder, toss them with melted butter and chopped pecans and you have a seriously tasty topping to an already more-ish stuffed mushroom, a terrific side to simply prepared steak or chops.  Serves 6

Ingredients:
¼ cup (60 mL) wild rice
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped pecans
¼ cup (60 mL) butter, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 large portobello mushrooms
8 oz (250 g) mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) flour
1 cup (250 mL) milk
2 tsp (10 mL) miso
1 cup (250 mL) coarsely grated old cheddar
3 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) Japanese soy sauce
2 tbsp (30 mL) neutral-flavour oil such as grape-seed or safflower
⅓ cup (80 mL) coarsely grated Parmesan
Directions:
Heat a skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat; add rice, cover and, shaking pan from time to time, pop and toast rice, about 2 minutes. (The amount of moisture in rice will determine how much the rice opens. The grains should be distinctly split and smell nutty.) Cool to room temperature and grind to a powder in a spice grinder. Turn out into a small bowl; add pecans. Melt 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter and pour over rice mixture. Stir to combine, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Remove stems from portobello mushrooms; roughly chop and add stems to chopped mixed mushrooms.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

Melt remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter in a large skillet over medium. Add leek and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until wilted. Stir in garlic and mixed mushrooms, season with salt and pepper; cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and pan is dry. Sprinkle flour over and stir to combine. Add milk and miso; continue to stir until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and green onions.

Combine soy and oil; brush it over both sides of portobello caps and arrange, hollow-side up, on a baking sheet. Divide cheese mixture between caps, then add Parmesan, then the wild rice mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until portobellos are tender and cheese is golden at edges. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6

Serve a Pinot Noir

Really Good Fish Sandwich

Really Good Fish Sandwich

A sandwich, at least in my books, is really just an excuse to eat great condiments. In this case you'll want to eat by the spoonful. Keep the recipe for it on your fridge door or, better yet, memorize it. It's pretty much the greatest on any fish tucked into a sandwich or not. If cooking fish on the grill gives you anxiety, use a snug grilling basket or one of those silicone grilling mats. The skin won['t be quite as crisp, but you 

will be happier.

Ingredients:

Salsa Verde

2 tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp (15 mL) honey

2 tsp (10 mL) white miso

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup (250 mL) chopped cilantro leaves and stems

1-inch (2.5-cm) piece ginger, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

1 stemmed jalapeño, seeds and all, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 fillet steelhead trout, 1 to 1 1/4 lbs (455 to 565 g), boneless, skin-on, cut into four equal pieces

Olive oil for drizzling

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 good-quality burger buns

Mayonnaise

Plain kettle chips 

Directions:

For the salsa verde, whisk together oil, vinegar, lime zest and juice, honey and miso in a small bowl. Stir in onions, cilantro, ginger, garlic and jalapeño. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Salsa verde can be made a few hours ahead of time, but is best served at room temperature on the day it’s made.

2. Preheat grill to high.

3. Drizzle fish pieces with a little olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill, skin side down, for 4 minutes. Gently flip and cook 3 minutes longer.

4. Meanwhile, lightly toast buns. Spread bottoms and tops with as much mayonnaise as you like, then place a piece of fish on each bottom bun. Spoon a liberal amount of salsa verde over each and top with a handful of potato chips. Close up with bun tops and eat straight away. 

Makes 4 sandwiches

Black-Eyed Peas, Mushroom, and Kale Soup ~ Vegan

 

Black-Eyed Pea, Mushroom, and Baby Kale Soup

This vegan soup is packed with flavour. It gets its savoury meatiness from the umami-rich miso paste and chewy oyster mushrooms.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1 cup (250 mL) onion, finely chopped
1 cup (250 mL) celery, finely chopped
3 tbsp (45 mL) garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lb (225 g) brown cremini mushrooms, quartered
1/4 lb (115 g) oyster mushrooms, sliced into thin strips
4 cups (1 L) mushroom or vegetable stock
1 tbsp (15 mL) red miso paste
1 can (540 mL) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 bay leaf, fresh or dry
2 cups (500 mL) baby kale
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery, and cook for 10 minutes until golden.

Reduce heat, add garlic and both mushrooms, and cook for 15 minutes.

Slowly add stock, miso paste, black-eyed peas and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in kale and allow to wilt, about 2 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper, and serve.  Serves 4

Cashew e Pepe

Cashew e Pepe

Our spin on a classic pasta dish, this exotic list of ingredients comes together to form a perfectly creamy vegan Cacio e Pepe.

Ingredients
2 cups (480 ml) vegetable stock
1 cup (130 g) roasted cashews
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 small slice white onion, about 2 Tablespoons
3 Tablespoons (24 g) nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons white miso paste
1 pound (454 g) whole wheat pasta, cooked
1 bunch (15 g) fresh parsley leaves, chopped finely
¾ cup (340 g) roasted mushrooms
½ lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
Place the stock, cashews, garlic clove, onion, nutritional yeast, and miso paste into the Vitamix container and secure the lid.
Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed. Blend for 5 minutes 45 seconds, or select Hot Soups program and allow the machine to complete the programmed cycle.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta and mushrooms, parsley, lemon juice, black pepper, and blended sauce. Stir well to incorporate, and serve after a moment or two when sauce begins to thicken.

Chef's Notes
Miso and nutritional yeast add a fermented flavor that replace the flavor of traditional cheese. Whole, unsoaked cashews bring creaminess to the dish, working well with the flavors of onion and garlic and coming together with mushrooms to provide a great plant-based protein boost.
Cacio e Pepe is a traditional pasta dish made with cheese and pepper. We found this simple way of using whole ingredients to create a rich, cheese-like pasta sauce that can be customized to your desire with roasted or steamed vegetables, wilted greens, or other hearty ingredients that balance out the richness of this dish.

 

Spicy Chickpeas With Tomatoes and Kale

 Spicy Chickpeas With Tomatoes And Kale

This recipe has been slightly adapted from Jenny Rosenstrach’s latest book, The Weekday Vegetarians.
A FEW NOTES:
I’ve been making this with these slow cooker chickpeas, which couldn’t be simpler, and which are so tasty. If you don’t have a slow cooker and want to cook the chickpeas from scratch, here’s my guide. Of course, canned chickpeas are fine. I like the Goya brand.

The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of coconut milk. It also suggests serving it with rice, so I have been making this coconut rice to serve along side. The coconut rice calls for 3/4 cup coconut milk, and so I have been reserving this amount for the rice and then using the rest of the can for the chickpeas. The extra coconut milk makes the dish a little richer, I suppose, but it certainly does not taste too rich or sweet.

Finally, the original recipe calls for stirring 1/4 cup of warm water into a teaspoon of miso and stirring this in at the end. If you have miso on hand, go for it! If you don’t, don’t run out and get it. The dish is plenty flavorful without it, especially if you add a splash more coconut milk, as noted above. Alexandra Cooks

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Ingredients: 

Preparing Chickpeas
2 tablespoons grapeseed, olive, or other neutral oil
1/2 small yellow or white onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 clove garlic, minced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon or less)
kosher salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons curry powder, I love Madras brand
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cups cooked chickpeas or two 15-oz cans, drained and rinsed
one 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes or 1 lb. diced fresh tomatoes (about 2 cups)
1 cup water or vegetable stock (I always use water)
2 to 4 cups stemmed and chopped fresh kale
1 teaspoon miso, optional, see notes above
1/4 cup (or more) unsweetened coconut milk
For Serving:
coconut rice, see notes above
naan
cilantro, optional
lime, optional

Directions:
In a large skillet set over medium-low heat, combine the oil, onion, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, pinch salt, and black pepper to taste. Cook until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the curry powder, and stir, coating it in the aromatics and toasting it a bit, another 2 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring it into the curry-coated aromatics, and cook for another minute or until the red color darkens and it smells toasty. 

Add the chickpeas and stir to coat them in the curry mixture. Cook for another two minutes or until the chickpeas are evenly coated in the spices; then taste a chickpea for seasoning. Adjust accordingly if it needs more salt or pepper to taste. 

Add the tomatoes and water (or stock) and simmer for 10 minutes or until everything is warmed through. Add more water as needed if it looks too thick — chickpeas can absorb a ton of liquid. Add the kale and cook until wilted. 

If using the miso, stir it into 1/4 cup warm water and add it to the skillet along with the coconut milk. Stir to combine and cook for another minute or two. As noted above, I add more like 3/4 cup coconut milk and use another 3/4 cup coconut milk for this coconut rice. 

Serve with rice or naan, a lime wedge, and a sprinkle of cilantro, if you wish.

Apple Kale Salad With Miso Mustard Dressing & Toasted Almonds

Apple Kale Salad With Miso Mustard 

Dressing & Toasted Almonds This apple kale salad is filled with so much veggie goodness. Fine cuts of kale, parsnips, celery, apples, and chives combine for perfection in every bite! The flavourful miso mustard dressing features a tiny splash of maple syrup. Ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients:
Miso Mustard Dressing

1 teaspoon light miso
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil
Kale Apple Salad

1 bunch Lacinato kale, stems removed and finely sliced (about 4 cups of chopped and packed kale)
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 large apple, cored and finely sliced into matchsticks (I like Honeycrisp here)
1 medium parsnip, peeled and finely sliced
1 stick celery, finely sliced
⅓ cup chopped chives
⅓ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:
Make the miso mustard dressing. 

In a medium bowl, combine the miso, grainy mustard, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk these ingredients until thoroughly mixed. You might need to go in with the back of a spoon to mash up the miso and mix it in.

Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl while vigorously whisking to completely emulsify the dressing. Once you've added all of the olive oil, give it a final whisk. Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set aside.

Add the finely sliced kale to a large bowl. Season the kale with salt and pepper and add 2 tablespoons of dressing to the bowl. Go in with clean hands and massage the dressing/seasoning into the kale for about a minute, or until the kale has softened slightly.

To the kale, add the sliced apple, parsnip, celery, chives, and remaining miso mustard dressing. Season with a bit more salt and pepper and toss the apple kale salad until all the components are evenly combined.
Lightly chop the toasted almond slices, and then garnish the top of the salad with them. Serve immediately.
Notes:

Some time saving options for this recipe: seek out pre-chopped kale at the grocery store and if you have a mandoline slicer, use that for the apple, parsnip, and celery.

If you have a small bulb of fennel on hand, shaving it up into this salad would compliment all of the other flavours nicely.
If your celery comes with the beautiful inner leaves, they are a nice addition to this salad.

Some crumbled, soft-style vegan cheese (like this one) would be great on the top of this!

Sunflower Cheese ~ Vegan

Vegan Sunflower Cheese Recipe

• Total time: 15m
• Yield: 6″ cheese block
• Calories: 80 cal per 1/10th serving

Ingredients

1 cup / 140 g Sunflower seeds
1 Lime, juiced
3 tbsp Nutritional yeast
1 clove Garlic
1 slice of Onion
½ tsp Turmeric
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
2 tbsp Miso, white is best but don’t worry if you only have brown
1 tbsp Agar agar powder, a veggie alternative to gelatin
1½ cups / 360ml water

How to Make

1. Soak the sunflower seeds in water for at least 10 mins, overnight is best if you have the time.
2. In a pan mix together the agar agar with some water until dissolved. Then mix in 1 cup / 240 ml of water.
3. Bring the agar agar mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 mins stirring constantly to prevent any sticking at the bottom.
4. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool for 5-10 mins and continue with the recipe.
5. Drain and rinse the sunflower seeds.
6. Place everything in a blender, apart from the agar agar mixture, with half a cup / 120 ml of water and blend until smooth.
7. Whisk together the sunflower seed mixture and the agar agar until it’s all combined.
8. Pour into a dish, about 6″ in diameter, and then place in the fridge for an hour to set.
9. You may want to oil your dish, but I tend to use a shiny ceramic dish and the cheese comes out easy enough without any oil.
10. Take out of the dish once set and enjoy this vegan cheese in place of normal cheese. It will last a few days in the fridge.

Baked Potatoes With Hemp Filling

Serves 4

These scrumptious potatoes offer a crisp crust and a creamy interior that’s packed with flavor. They can easily be wrapped and reheated in the oven later in the week for a make-ahead meal.

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed
• 3 Tbs. nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 ½ Tbs. yellow miso paste
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh chives, minced, divided
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, minced, divided
• ½ cup hemp seeds, divided

1. Soak cashews in large bowl of cold water 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake potatoes 45 to 60 minutes on baking sheet, or until tender. Cool 15 minutes, or until easy to handle.

3. Drain and rinse cashews. Blend cashews with nutritional yeast, coconut oil, lemon juice, and miso in food processor until smooth. Transfer to large bowl.

4. Slice off top one-third of each potato lengthwise, and discard top skin. Scoop potato flesh into cashew mixture, removing as much flesh from potato skin as possible without misshaping potato. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Mix well to incorporate cashew mixture into potato flesh while leaving some texture. Add 1/4 cup chives, 1/4 cup parsley, and 1/4 cup hemp seeds. Stuff mixture back into potato skins.

5. Place potatoes on baking sheet, and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops are golden. Serve garnished with remaining chives, parsley, and hemp seeds.