my go to appy...delicious!

Gloriously garlicky hummus with warm portabello mushrooms and caramelized onions.   This one...is really easy.  And I must say...totally delicious!  You really don't need to be an all star and make the hummus from scratch.  Not necessary.  These days, there are so many store bought hummus varieties that pack plenty of flavour, and have minimal additives.  There are also lots of flavours/varieties to choose from...so  go ahead, experiment!  When I'm in a rush...or have some "surprise" visitors...I never hesitate to pull out this hummus and mushrooms appetizer.  It's quick, easy and so satisfying.   It also doesn't hurt that this dish is a sure hit...everyone loves it!!!

Ingredients:

Hummus - You'll need about 2-3 tbsp per person...

Portabello mushrooms - 1 per person

Sweet vidalia onion - 1/2 per person (I can't help it...I'm russian and I literally came out of the womb eating onions.  I love 'em.            And I use 'em.  If you don't share the love, use less!)

Fresh, chopped basil - as much as you want - don't be shy!

Fresh, chopped oregano - I use at least one tbsp in my dish

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

Some white wine...optional!

Fresh ground pepper

Chilies - if you like it hot...don't hesitate to add these...

Slice your onions and mushrooms into long, thin slices.  Heat olive oil in a frying pan (medium heat) and sautee your onions.  

After about 5 minutes, once the onions have started to sweat and become a biss translucent, add your mushrooms and continue to sautee.  If you notice the mushrooms/onions starting to stick to your pan, use a bit of white wine to deglaze the pan.  Cook the mushrooms and onions until they've turned quite soft, even a bit crispy.  

Add fresh pepper and the soy sauce...and sautee until the soy sauce is absorbed.  This should literally take 10 seconds.  

While the onions and mushrooms were schvitzing, drop a few tbsp of hummus onto your plate and in a circular motion, push the hummus from the centre of the plate to the outer portion of your plate.  What you basically want is a ring of hummus with a hole in the middle...that's where they mushrooms will go.

Once your mushrooms are ready, scoop them into your hummus and cover with the fresh herbs.  Add your chilies here as well. Serve with crackers/pita chips or my homemade bread crisps.

Yum!

fresh fleurs...make me smile.

Fleurs.  A...mazing!  I love 'em!  Fleurs have become a bit of an obsession of mine.  There's nothing better than having fresh flowers around.  Trust me.  To be honest, you don't need to spend an arm and a leg on fresh flowers.  I buy one or two varieties  once every two-three weeks.  I take care of them...and they last.  I have a thing for all things white...so I typically will buy white flowers, but I've been experimenting lately, and I'm into colours.  Bright, bold, colours.  To add, flower arranging...need not be too complicated!  I literally will use anything I have for a vase...a glass, a shot glass...even a mason jar!  I work with one colour scheme (easy if you're not colour blind)...and I cut the flowers proportionately to the vase I am using.  Small glasses/vases mean I will trim my flowers short...and long/large vases mean my flowers will barely be trimmed.  Here are the few mini arrangement that I've had all over my little apartment for the past week and a half.  I change the water frequently, and snip the ends of the flowers every time I change the water.  This makes my flowers last.

This week...I have one loose Gerber daisy by my bed...

And four bright Gerber daisies in the bathroom.

And this little guy...tiger lilies and the rest of the daisies on my coffee table.  

The rest of my lillies I kept long..and placed in my dining room.  Orange overkill?  I think not.

Fresh fleurs...simple.  Elegant.  Smile-worthy.

strawberry rhubarb crumble

So...here's to things that I think about.  Things that I sometimes cook...things that I sometimes say.  And all things that I like.

This morning was another hot summer morning...a perfect Saturday to venture to the market.  Wow.  There's nothing better than late July produce that you know didn't ripen on a truck.   Walking through any market, (and this week it happened to be Evergreen Brickworks) always gives me a little high.  The setting, the produce, the vendors, the life.   Broccolli, kale, beets, rhubarb, and basil filled my bag today.  Couldn't wait to get home and get cooking...

We had a bit of a perfect dinner tonight.  Rosie's...ish broccoli casserole followed by this strawberry rhubarb crumble done with dark chocolate soy gelato.  Quiet, comforting and delicious.  Perfect.  The brocooli casserole post will come soon...as this is a dish that deserves it's own post.  Trust.  But for now, here's a quick and easy fresh dessert you can prepare in ~10 minutes start to finish.  Throw it into the oven whenever...about an hr before serving and forget about it.  Try to ignore the smell coming from your oven while this baby steams and crisps...intoxicating.  We paired this crumble with a soy based dark chocolate gelato from Hotel Gelato, in Toronto's midtown.  The sweet and sour combination of the warm strawberry and rhubarb reduction with the cold creaminess of the rich gelato and the little crispies of the crumble?  Crack.

I didn't get too many pics of the prep...but here's a little taste of the finished product.

Ingredients:

  2 pints strawberries, halved

  6 stalks of rhubarb, chopped

  2 tbsp agave nectar  (I like my desserts a bit tart vs. "i need insulin" sweet...feel free to add more)

  2 cinnamon sticks (I am a bit obsessed with cinnamon these days...feel free to omit)

  1/2 cup whole wheat flour

  1/2 cup dark brown sugar

  1/4 cup shredded coconut

  2 tbsp vegan margarine 

  ...I didn't have rolled oats - but if I did...they would be all over this crumble - at least 1/2 a cup.

Throw the berries, rhubarb and agave into your baking pan and mix.  Add cinnamon sticks.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, coconut and margarine and using your hands, (this is the best part) scrunch everything together.  It should feel like play-doh that's coming together.  You should be able to bunch it up in your fist, and it should break apart easily.  If it's too dry, add more margarine.  If it's it's wet and clumpy, add more flour, sugar or oats.  I would probably add oats.  Cover the fruit mixture with the crumble, pat down slightly, and bake in a 350 degree oven for ~ 45 mins.  bon appetite.  

Warm, tart, strawberry and rhubarb crumble with rich soy chocolate gelato.  A little party in my mouth.