things that taste good this week

So I have managed to do some eating out and some cooking in over the last week. The most notable meal out would have to go to The Eatery on West Broadway in between Collingwood St and Waterloo St. This funky sushi joint I first ate at with my sister Carmen when I was 17. I remember eating tempura battered California rolls and fresh, fresh, perfect sushi. It hasn't changed in three years. I went with my dear friend Aysha, who got us in in a flash, knowing all the servers by name. We had a lovely table on the cozy front patio, smack dab in the centre. She's a regular there, so I put ordering the appies in her hands. Turns out that was a good decision.

To start we had the 'Fat Elvis': tempura avocado, perfectly crispy on the outside, and melt in your mouth creamy on the inside. It was topped with a spiced mayo sauce that I was tempted to lick off the plate when we were finished. We also had a delicious, simple Age Dashi Tofu (one of my all time favourites). The tofu was golden brown and crunchy, suspended in slightly sweet Dashi (fish flake) broth. We also had Tuna Tempura with a citrus ponzu sauce (to die for, really).

For our mains, we decided to keep it minimal (ha!): I had a spicy tuna roll (amazing, topped with sambal olek instead of siracha, a welcome and delicious change), a piece of salmon sushi that pretty much melted as soon as it hit my tongue and an inari (sweetened, fermented bean curd stuffed with rice). Aysha had the spicy vegetable roll (avocado, asparagus, lettuce, cucumber and tasty mayo sauce) and a spicy salmon roll. After all of our sushi and two pots of Gen Mai Cha, the green tea with puffed, roasted rice in it later, Aysha and I walked out of the restaurant, feeling satiated and happy. I love that cheap sushi is part of my life now. A complimentary fridge magnet was included at the end of the meal: a very tasteful, colourful soup can with 'miso horny' on it. Happy days.

Tonight I made Turkey Tacos for dinner. Because Turkey's flavour is so mild, I like to enhance it with some aromatic veggies. Tonight I finely chopped half a yellow onion, an orange pepper, some yellow zucchini, chilies and garlic. I sauteed the veggies over medium high heat until softened and slightly golden, and then added lean ground turkey thigh. I can't remember where I learned this trick, but using a whisk to break up ground meat works like a charm. Just at the beginning when it is sticking together, use the whisk in an up and down motion to break it apart. This way, you get uniform pieces and it all cooks evenly. I copped out and bought the old El Paso taco seasoning mix, but it's just as easy to make your own at home:

* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon oregano
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder

Add and adjust the amounts to taste.

After the meat is brown, add the seasoning and about a cup of water, bring to a boil, then simmerering until the sauce thickens, usually about 10 minutes.

I like my tacos with Quinoa. Quinoa is a wonder grain that originated in the Andean region in South America over 6000 years ago. It's valued for it's high protein content (12-13%) and it's balanced set of essential amino acids, making it a perfect protein. It can take the place of meat in salads and soups, making them filling and satisfying. It's easy to make, tastes mild and slightly nutty with a bit of a bite to it, and is completely and totally versatile. I like it in bean salads, in pilafs, porridge in the morning, really, the opportunities are endless. It comes in black, red and white varietals, all having slightly different flavours. Tonight I used red for it's slightly crunchy texture. It's liquid to grain ratio is similar to that of rice: 1 cup grain to just under 2 cups liquid. In a medium sized sauce pan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Quinoa is not as finicky as rice, so you can lift the lid off at the end and see if the water's been absorbed yet. When it's cooked it should look like it has a little white curl in it and has some bite to it. You can use water or broth as your liquid and add spices to flavour it.

I made a simple tomato salad with cilantro, lime, olive oil and salt and pepper to top off the tacos.

I always over stuff my tacos anyways, so I usually end up breaking the taco shells (after they have been heated in a 300˚ oven until crispy and golden, 2-4 minutes) at the bottom of a bowl, and then layering the meat, quinoa and salsa on top. Refried beans would also be delicious in this dish. My favourite right now is Amy's Organic refried beans with green chilies.

Top with grated cheese and sour cream if you wish and voila, Dinner's ready.

On another note, I've been playing around with vinaigrettes and this is the one I can't seem to get enough of:

1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/3 tsp sugar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

(These measurements are approximate. Add each one to taste, all the flavours should blend harmoniously, with none of them individually standing out.)

Combine these in a bowl and mix thoroughly with a fork.

Take a small shallot (no bigger than your thumb) and grate, using a micro plane or a lemon zester works fine too. Slowly add olive oil to the dressing, mixing constantly with a small whisk or a fork. The slower you add the oil, the better the emulsion with be, so your dressing won't separate on the salad. Add a little oil, and then mix and mix until the dressing is shiny and homogeneous. Add a little more and repeat. Taste it often and add the oil to your taste.

I've been having this on thinly sliced red cabbage, with lots of extra pepper on top.

Today though, I had fresh blanched green beans, boiled peaches and cream corn, juicy Campari tomatoes and feta cheese on red leaf lettuce with this vinaigrette and it made my knees weak. Go ahead, try it, I dare you!

I bet it would be good on warm green beans with shaved parmesan cheese too. Yum.

Happy cooking!