Salad and dessert... what more could you ask for?

Hello folks!  I apologize that I didn't get this post out last weekend but my Internet was down.  I couldn't get any surfing or posting or email done at all.  So, that put me off by a week but I don't think you will be disappointed. This post is about my favourite salad of all time and of course, a dessert to follow. Both dishes are from my very own kitchen, are full of flavourful ingredients and sure to please.

The salad is easy and delicious. To begin with, cook 1/2 cup of quinoa to package instructions. After it's cooled off a bit, put it in a large bowl with a pint of cherry tomatoes, a small handful of basil leaves, two large handfuls of Arugula (Rocket) leaves, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sliced olives, two tablespoons of capers and some crumbled feta.

I cut multi-coloured olives from around their seeds.

Top that with a dressing made of the juice of 1/2 of a lemon, one tablespoon of olive oil and salt/pepper to taste.  Toss and serve with additional lemon wedges.

Doesn't that just look delicious? It's so easy and very very good... Try it and let me know how you like it.

Dessert Anyone?

Anyone who knows me, knows that I just love dessert. It is the finishing touch to a lovely meal and the next dish fits that description beautifully.

This is a tapioca pudding that I just cannot get enough of.  It is beautiful by itself but topped with sliced bananas that have sugar caramelized on top just seals the deal for me.  This recipe actually makes enough for a comfortable six servings in ramekins but as you can see, I've put it all in two large bowls to serve a crowd from.

The little black dots are from the vanilla bean paste.  Real vanilla adds a beautiful flavor to this dish.

To begin with, add 1/2 cup of small pearl tapioca (not instant), five cups of milk (or two cans coconut milk and a can of water, if you like more of a tropical flavour), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, one piece of whole cinnamon, 2-4 whole cloves, and two pieces of star anise to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Stir in 1/2 cup of granulated sugar (or 1/4 cup of agave nectar) and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.  Stir frequently until the pudding has thickened and the tapioca pearls are completely translucent.

Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. Remove the cinnamon, cloves, and star anise then spoon the pudding into ramekins for individual servings or larger bowls to serve a group.

Chill covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours prior to adding the bananas.

Just before serving, top the pudding with a shallow layer of ripe banana slices and sprinkle a small amount of granulated sugar on top.  Be sure to spread the sugar as evenly as possible.

 

Using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar into a crispy caramel topping. Serve cold.

Please dear reader, let me know if you make either of these dishes and how you liked it.  I am always interested in how my concoctions are received.  Bon Apetit!

Recipes:

Rebecca's Fantastic Salad

one pint of cherry tomatoes

small handful of basil leaves

1/2 cup quinoa grains

2 large handfuls of arugula (rocket) leaves

1/4 - 1/2 cup olives, sliced

2 TBSP capers, drained

100 g. feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

salt/pepper to taste

Rebecca's Banana Tapioca Pudding

5 cups whole milk (or 2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk & 1 can water)

1/2 cup small pearl tapioca (NOT instant)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar (or 1/4 cup light agave nectar)

1 piece of whole cinnamon

2-4 cloves

2 small pieces of star anise

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

2 ripe bananas

2-3 TBSP granulated sugar for camamelizing

Crepes!

Today, I made crepes.  I have been experimenting with different kinds of crepes and found this recipe for Gluten Free Crepes to be very very good.  It's made with rice flour, guar gum, milk, eggs, and butter.  The guar gum helps the rice flour stick together since it does not contain gluten but if you can't find it, you can leave it out.

For my crepes, the filling consisted of a lemony cream cheese, with added strawberries and bananas, and topped off with whipped cream.  I found this to be a good combination even though I tend to eat the strawberries with the cream by themselves before eating the filled crepes.  Perfect Sunday morning breakfast.  :)

Another way you can make these is with just the cream cheese filling and a raspberry coulis topping (I'll add the raspberry coulis recipe at the end of the post).

Without further ado, here are the recipes:

Gluten Free Crepes

1/3 cup rice flour
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk (I use 2% lowfat milk)
1 TBSP unsalted melted butter
1/4 tsp guar gum

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Place enough batter in the pan to just cover the bottom.  You may need to swirl it around a bit. Dump out the excess batter back into the blender and let cook.
3. The crepes will start to bubble and lift away at the edges.  Once this happens, they should be slightly browned on the bottom and ready to turn.  
4. Turn and let brown slightly on the other side and slip into a warmed plate.  
5. Continue in this way until all the batter is used up.  You should have between 6 to 8 crepes.

Cream Cheese Filling

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup softened cream cheese

3 - 6 TBSP powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

zest of 1/2 lemon, grated finely

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place all ingredients in a hand  held blender and blend until creamy.  
2. Once smooth, place in a small bowl.

Whipped Cream Topping

1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP powdered sugar

With a hand-held powered whisk, blend all ingredients until smooth peaks form.  Once whipped, place in a small bowl.

Additional recipe for the raspberry coulis (not shown) is below:

Raspberry Coulis

450 g packet of frozen raspberries, thawed
7-8 TBSP white sugar
1/4 cup water
dash of salt
1 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Add all ingredients to a heavy bottomed sauce pan and simmer over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Be careful not to boil the mix.  
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  
3. Once cooled, blend with a hand blended until smooth.  
4. Transfer to a mesh strainer over a larger bowl and push the residue with a spatula until there is nothing left in the strainer except the raspberry seeds.  
5. Discard the seeds and transfer the puree to the refrigerator and leave at least 2 hours before serving.  

This recipe makes plenty of sauce and you only need a little to drizzle over the top of your crepes.  It is very very tasty.

Which ever way you decide to make the crepes, they are very good. You may have enough to store for later.  If you do, store unassembled crepes with wax paper in-between each one and placed in a large zip lock bag.  They'll keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days at most.

If you decide to make these, please let me know which way you served them (with filling, bananas, strawberries, and whipped cream or just filling and raspberry coulis) and if you liked them as much as traditional crepes.  And of course...  Enjoy!