The Leafy Cauldron

Feeding a Baby is Fun

May 13, 2018 by theleafycauldron

This post is materializing because of a mishmash of several motivations: me itching to use my new Nikon, the fact that purees have been a tremendously fun thing for me, and a desire to get back into writing. Introducing my baby to as many flavours as possible before neophobia sets in is incredibly important to me.

We struggled for eleven brutal weeks to finally find our groove breastfeeding. While I’m beyond grateful that we finally got there, I’m also grateful we’re at the solid food stage, too. It’s been a true pleasure for me to share my love of fresh food with my son. We also have some concerns about the genetic factor in food allergies and early introduction is recommended now. Our allergist has had us introduce all the major allergens and A will go for a blood test later this week to see if anything comes up positive. Right after introducing solid food, he started getting hives to pretty much everything which was terribly confusing but hilariously it turned out to be his very sensitive skin reacting to the straps on his high chair. So far, it seems only that mango and peanuts are on the possible list. Even if they’re a positive, I think that’s manageable compared to Devon’s list of allergies.

Baby food doesn’t have to be bland! Here are some of the foods A is enjoying these days:

Baby peas with mint
Zucchini with basil
Parsnips with fennel seeds
Brussels sprouts with apple
Carrots with cilantro
Silken tofu with toasted oat bran
Apples, cranberries, and cinnamon
Green beans and chives
Mung and toor dal with cumin, coriander, and garam masala
Loquats
Curried Jamaican pumpkin, apple, and chickpeas
Broccoli and ginger
Cherimoya and honeydew melon
Leek, a bit of potato, and tarragon
Blackberry, blueberry, and mint

I steam some; others are raw. The texture is up to you and what you’re comfortable with and where your baby is at developmentally. (I am not a doctor etc etc etc Please don’t feed your baby solids until they are ready etc etc etc)

What’s Next?

May 6, 2018 by theleafycauldron

In the year and half I’ve been on hiatus, I’ve often thought about what blogging means to me. I’ve always found it a struggle to strike a balance between what I think is an appropriate tone for something as public as The Leafy Cauldron and who and how I really am – and most of all how I feel about food. The truth is, blogging gets on my nerves. Food trends and fad diets are disheartening, I think most vegan food is trash with no signs of improvement, marketing and playing the game to get online attention make me sick to my stomach. And not that I really know what I’m doing (seriously I have no technical understanding of photography and had basically intuited all aspects of the manual setting on my old Canon Rebel) but au courant food photography is overexposed and almost all looks the same. I have often slipped between using I and we, as way of diverting attention from myself. Mostly I’m stumbling on words to say I’ve found it difficult to feel like myself because I feel like I’m writing for a hypothetical audience rather than for myself and I didn’t want to appear to be throwing any shade in anyone’s direction with my constant frustration.

The Leafy Cauldron has brought me into contact with some tremendous people; my dear friend Siobhan from back when I slugging along on Tumblr and we were strictly a Harry Potter food blog and Janet from The Taste Space who reached out when Devon and I had just moved to Toronto. I am so grateful for the real human connections food makes us all every day. Yet, I slowed down and eventually stopped writing. I would never stop cooking – it is integral to my existence as a human being. Food is everything for me. It’s how I relieve stress, express my love and my creativity. In fact, after I stopped blogging I have honed my skills even further in the kitchen. I am more adept than I’ve ever been and that’s saying a lot for someone who has been endlessly cooking with love since they were eleven. I love food and I love sharing it with my whole heart so I want to do better.

A lot has changed since my last post, both personally and in the world around me. On a personal level, we (briefly) went through fertility treatments which (incredibly on the first shot) led to my son, Ambrose, being born in October of 2017. He is amazing. Parenting is incredible. I am filled with light and love. I am so excited to see who he grows up to be. I take my job seriously and I will do everything in my power to have him grow up to be a luminary human being who is empathetic, generous and careful. I know I don’t possess much power in this world (and it’s so, so, so hard not to be pessimistic) but I can preserve this bit of our lives and hope that it brings some joy to others. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve felt like less of a revolutionary (socio-anarchism anyone?) and have shifted my focus to bringing about positive change to my community. It works for me and helps keep my chin up in what feels like a world that is slightly out of control.

So, with my new camera in tow, I’m revving the engine and getting this thing going again! I thought perhaps I’d share a little of the fun baby food I’ve made for Ambrose, maybe a bit about the local farmer’s market I keep unsuccessfully trying to contribute positively to, and definitely some recipes!

Canadian Split Pea Soup

November 22, 2016 by theleafycauldron

La version française suit plus bas.

Infertility is hard and the world is scary, so let’s all make my absolute favourite soup. My husband’s allergies have been slowly becoming more clear, which means a lot more foods are on the table these days, including many wonderful pulses. The key to a really savoury, classic tasting vegan version of something that is simmered with pig’s feet is slowly caramelizing a bit of smoked tofu, cut in a very fine dice, a little reserved leek thrown in the pot at the last minute, and a good tasting stock. Everything else is business as usual for this comforting and filling soup. I used yellow split peas, as that is traditional, but I’ll tell you right now that green split peas taste just as good here, so whatever you have on hand is going to work just perfectly. I don’t think the potato is traditional and I’m not sure where I picked that up over the years of making this soup, but it is such a welcome addition, I can’t imagine not adding it.

Canadian Split Pea Soup
Serves 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

2 cups yellow split peas, rinsed, picked over and soaked for 30 minutes
2 tablespoons coconut oil, or margarine or oil, divided
~100 g smoked tofu, minced
1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
3 ribs celery, leaves included, finely diced
2 leeks, cleaned well and sliced into thin half moons, reserve a handful for the last minute of simmering
2 red potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 1/2 litres stock, vegetarian chicken or vegetable
1 1/2 litres water
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried savoury

Rinse and pick over the split peas, removing any stones or weird peas. Place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside. In a medium heavy-bottomed skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the minced smoked tofu and onion, salt lightly and immediately reduce the heat to low. Stir every so often. Allow this to brown while you prepare the rest of the soup. It is done when it is deeply brown and begins to slightly foam, which will take a least half an hour. In a large pot over medium high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil and let it melt. Add the carrots, celery, leeks and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Allow to start to sweat before adding the potatoes, stock and water. Drain and rinse the soaked split peas and add them to the pot. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, bay leaves, thyme and savoury. Bring to a boil, stirring every so often. Once the soup has come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about an hour, or as long as it takes to soften the peas. Add the remaining handful of sliced leeks, taste for seasoning and adjust. You can blend the mixture, but I like the texture as it. Finally, add the browned smoked tofu and onions to the pot and serve hot with crusty bread or fresh biscuits.

Note: If you’re not so big on doing a tiny dice, you could grate or use a food processor on the carrots, celery and leek.

Soupe au pois

Donne 8 portions
Temps de préparation: 20 minutes
Temps total: 1 heure 20 minutes

2 tasses de pois cassés jaunes, rincés, tries et trempés pour 30 minutes
2 c. à table d’huile de noix de coco, margarine ou huile
~100 g de tofu fumé, émincé
1 petit oignon jaune, pelé et émincé
2 carottes de taille moyenne, pelées et finement coupées en dés
3 branches de céleri, avec les feuilles, finement coupées en dés
2 poireaux, bien lavés et coupés en demi-lunes, en mettre de côté une poignée
2 pommes de terre rouges, pelées et finement coupées en dés
1 1/2 litres de bouillon, au poulet végétarien ou au légumes
1 1/2 litres d’eau
1/2 c. à thé de sel, plus au goût
1/2 c. à thé de poivre noir
2 feuilles de laurier, de préférence fraiches
1/2 c. à thé de thym séché
1/2 c. à thé de sarriette séchée

Rincer et trier les pois cassés en prenant soin de retirer les mauvais pois et autre détritus. Placer dans un bol, couvrir d’eau froide et mettre de côté. Dans une poêle à fond épais faire fondre sur feu moyen 1 cuillerée à table d’huile de noix de coco. Ajouter le tofu émincé et l’oignon, saler légèrement et réduire immédiatement le feu à doux. Remuer de temps en temps. Laisser dorer et préparer le reste de la soupe. Le tofu est prêt lorsqu’il est brun foncé et commence à mousser légèrement, ce qui devrait prendre au moins une demie heure. Dans une grande casserole sur feu moyen-élevé ajouter 1 cuillerée à table d’huile de noix de coco et laisser fondre. Ajouter carottes, céleri et poireaux et assaisonner de sel et de poivre. Faire suer avant d’ajouter les pommes de terre, le bouillon et l’eau. Égoutter et rincer les pois cassés et ajouter à la casserole. Assaisonner de sel, poivre noir, feuilles de laurier, thym et sarriette. Amener à ébullition en remuant de temps en temps. Réduire le feu à moyen-bas et faire mijoter environs une heure afin de ramollir les pois. Ajouter le poireau mis de côté, goûter et ajuster au besoin. Vous pouvez passer la soupe au mélangeur si vous préférez. Finalement, ajouter le tofu et les oignons à la casserole. Servir chaud avec du pain croûté ou des biscuits frais.

NB: Si vous préférez ne pas couper soigneusement les légumes en dés, vous pouvez râper les carottes, le céleri et les poireaux.

Southwestern Grilled Tofu / Tofu grillé Sud-Ouest

August 16, 2016 by theleafycauldron

La version française suit plus bas.

There are a lot of weird myths people have internalized about tofu. That you have to waste time pressing it first, or that you should always freeze and squeeze the liquid out it, or that it is difficult to make it flavourful, that you need to parbake every recipe containing tofu – none remotely true! There are circumstances where some of those things will help you achieve the texture you’re looking for, but for the most part, we need to treat tofu like the protein (ie meat) that it is. Make sure it’s fresh, season it generously and experiment with different cooking techniques to bring out different aspects of the ingredients used. Today, we grill it for the perfect toothsome texture.

I’ve been working with this flavour palette on tofu for a long time, but finally figured out how to take it a whole new level. Perfect on its own, tacos, or in a torta (Mexican sandwich), this is a crown jewel in our tofu roster – and it should be fairly clear by now how much we adore tofu. There are three steps and none of them are freezing or pressing. First, a rub with a homemade, fresh ground spice mixture. Next is a good amount of time spent in a marinade. Then finally, achieving the perfect grill marks on a barbecue -which means a hot grill and not flipping before the marks have had a chance to form.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander seeds
1 tablespoon freshly ground cumin seed
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 whole chipotle pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano, preferably Mexican
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, grind all ingredients until smooth. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Southwestern Grilled Tofu
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total time: ~7 hours, marinating time included

1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, sliced into 12
Homemade taco seasoning, see above
1/4 small, very ripe pineapple, peeled and cored
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed
1 jalapeno pepper, or more to taste
4 garlic cloves
1 small onion, any kind, peeled, roughly chopped
Large handful cilantro, stems included
4 green onions, trimmed
1/4 cup canola oil, or other neutral oil such as corn
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce, or gluten-free tamari

Once the tofu is sliced, rub both sides generously with the taco seasoning and place in a container large enough to marinate in. In a food processor or high power blender, blitz the pineapple, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, garlic, onion, cilantro, green onions, oil, vinegar and soy sauce until smooth. Pour marinade over tofu and flip tofu slices to ensure all has been covered. Cover container with plastic wrap and store in the fridge, at least 6 hours, flipping tofu over once.

When ready to cook, preheat grill to 350 F. Scrape the marinade off the tofu and grill each side about 5 minutes, until you have gorgeous grill lines and the tofu has firmed up. Serve as you wish.

Il y a plusieurs mythes étranges que les gens ont intériorisés au sujet du tofu. Que ce soit le pressage, la congélation et l’essorage, qu’il est difficile de lui conférer saveur, qu’il doit être précuit – tous sont faux ! Dans certaines circonstances on fera usage d’une technique ou l’autre pour obtenir une texture quelconque mais a priori on se doit de traiter le tofu pour ce qu’il est réellement, soit de la protéine (i.e. de la viande). Assurez-vous qu’il soit frais, assaisonnez-le généreusement et expérimentez avec différentes techniques de cuisson pour faire ressortir différents aspects des ingrédients utilisés. Aujourd’hui nous passons à la grillade pour une texture parfaitement succulente.

Il y a déjà longtemps que je travaille avec ce profil gustatif pour le tofu et j’ai finalement trouvé comment passer au niveau supérieur. Parfait par lui-même, en tacos ou dans un torta mexicain, il est le joyau de notre répertoire à tofu. De toute évidence nous adorons le tofu !

Il s’agit donc de trois étapes, sans congélation ni pressage. En premier temps, un mélange d’épices fraîchement moulues. Ensuite, une journée en marinade. Finalement, s’assurer que les marques de la grille soient bien visibles – ce qui veut dire avoir un gril chaud et ne pas retourner le tofu avant que lignes n’apparaissent.

Assaisonnement à tacos maison

1 c. à table de sel de mer fin
1 c. à table de graines de coriandres fraîchement moulues
1 c. à table de graines de cumin fraîchement moulues
1 c. à table de paprika doux
1 piment chipotle entier
1 1/2 c. à thé d’origan (de préférence mexicain)
1 c à thé de poudre d’oignon
1 c. à thé de poudre d’ail
1/2 c. à thé de cannelle

À l’aide d’un moulin à épices ou d’un mortier, moudre les ingrédients jusqu’à l’obtention d’un mélange homogène. Conserver dans un contenant hermétique jusqu’à l’utilisation.

Tofu grillé à la mode Sud-Ouest
pour 4
temps de préparation : 15 minutes
temps total : ~7 heures, inclus temps en marinade

1 livre de tofu ferme ou extra ferme, tranché en 12
assaisonnement à tacos maison, voir ci-haut
1/4 d’un petit ananas très mûr, pelé et évidé
1 poivron rouge, épépiné
1 piment jalapeno, ou plus selon vos goûts
4 gousses d’ail
1 petit oignon de votre choix, pelé et haché grossièrement
1 bonne poignée de coriandre, tiges incluses
4 oignons verts, taillés
1/4 de tasse d’huile de canola, ou autre huile neutre tel de maïs
2 c. à table de vinaigre de cidre de pommes
2 c. à table de sauce soja, ou tamari sans-gluten

Une fois le tofu tranché, frotter généreusement chaque côté avec l’assaisonnement à taco et placer dans un contenant assez large pour mariner. Dans un robot culinaire ou un mélangeur à haute puissance réduire l’ananas, poivron rouge, piment jalapeno, ail, oignon, coriandre, oignons verts, huile, vinaigre, et sauce soja jusqu’à homogénéité. Verser la marinade sur le tofu et retourner le tofu pour s’assurer que tout soit bien recouvert. Couvrir le contenant d’une pellicule plastique et mettre au réfrigérateur au moins 6 heures en prenant soin de retourner le tofu une fois pendant ce temps.

Une fois prêt à cuire, préchauffé le gril à 350 F. Racler la marinade avant de faire griller le tofu 5 minutes de chaque côté, jusqu’à ce que les marques de la grilles soient bien visibles et que le tofu soit bien ferme. Servir comme bon vous semble !

Thai Mojito

August 9, 2016 by theleafycauldron

The addition of fresh, fragrant herbs elevate the nuances of food and can be just the thing to reinvigorate our old favourites. We’ve always been cheerleaders for fresh herbs and we derive a lot of pleasure finding fun expressions for them in cocktails. Familiarity with the ubiquitous mojito cocktail sets the tone for discovering the special notes of Thai basil (licorice and spice) and kaffir lime (bright and floral).

I love inventive cocktails but have rarely had more than a drink every couple of years. I had a particularly emotional response while reading Simran Sethi’s book Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of the Foods We Love, which is about biodiversity and seeking quality – and this will certainly not be the last time I talk about this book, which really has transformed my life by putting into words so much of the lens with which I view the emotional aspects of the culinary arts and love. My husband and I decided to take up wine tasting, as she has some wonderful tasting wheels for the foods mentioned, which has allowed me to develop a better tolerance for alcohol, one that better matches my appreciation, at least. For the first time in many years, I had a cocktail, too, and it was made with rum, my least favourite spirit – but ah, how I love fresh herbs! I had three and it was glorious. Refreshing, invigorating and exciting, I am really happy to share it with you now.

Thai Mojito
Serves 2

6 fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
12 fresh Thai sweet basil leaves, stems included
4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, torn
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 lime, cut into two pieces, plus more for garnish
6 ounces/175 ml rum, whatever kind you like
1 can club soda
Ice

Fill two large glasses with ice. In a shaker, muddle the mint leaves, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves, sugar and lime until all the sugar is dissolved and the limes have released their juices. Add the rum and ice and shake for a few seconds. Straining the ice, pour the shaken rum and herbs into the prepared glasses and top with club soda. Repeat as needed.