Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad w/ Lemony Tahini Dressing

This recipe was derived from a salad at one of my favourite restaurants here in Toronto. Starting as a tahini production company, Parallel has transformed into a beacon for Israeli eats in the city. Highlights on their menu; the truffle hummus, minty falafel and of course this sweet potato and lentil salad. The briny feta, caramelized sweet potatoes and bright tahini dressing make for the ultimate weeknight salad.

Ingredients

2 medium or 1 large sweet potato
3 garlic cloves
1/2 red onion
1 bunch of kale
1 bunch mint (Leave a quarter aside for dressing)
1 red chilli pepper/ or whatever hot pepper you have accessible
1 cup brown or beluga lentils
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp kosher salt
4 sprigs thyme 2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cracked pepper 1 small brick of feta cheese (Greek if possible)

Dressing
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Parallel tahini
Juice of one lemon
1 garlic clove
Leftover mint (about half of the bunch) 1 tsp cracked pepper 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp turmeric

Lemony Tahini Dressing

• You can make this dressing in a blender or the classic and my personal favourite, a small mason jar. If you decide to pulse it up in a blender/bullet, make sure to stream in your tahini slowly to keep it from breaking.

• Combine Oil, tahini and lemon juice

• Finely chop mint and stems and add to your mixture

• Grab your roasted garlic, chilli’s and 1 fresh garlic clove and mince. If you are blending just add them whole into your mixture

• Add salt, pepper and turmeric and pulse or twist on your lid and shake until the mixture comes together into a smooth, creamy texture

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 375° F

• Wash your sweet potato and cube. Then peel and smash the garlic and set aside. Slice chilli thin, leave the seeds in for that extra kick.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment and add sweet potato, garlic, chilli and thyme springs. Coat in 2 tbsp of olive oil, salt and a couple cracks of ground pepper. Toss on the sheet until everything is laid out even and all potatoes have been coated. Bake for 40-45 minutes for crispy, browned yams.

• While the sweet potatoes are baking rinse 1 cup lentils in a mesh sieve under cold water. Make sure to mix them around in the sieve so all your lentils get a nice bath. Boil in 3-4 cups of salted water, or as per packaging instructions. After the lentils are done boiling (about 30 minutes), strain and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

• Tear kale from its stalks by pulling up from the bottom. Repeat until every stalk has been removed. Tear kale into bite sized pieces and wash in salad spinner/colander. Make sure your kale is squeaky clean (nobody likes a sandy kale)

• Chop walnuts and toast. If you have a toaster oven this step is a breeze, just toast until your nuts are browned and nutty aromas fill your kitchen. If you want to toast these nuts the old fashion way grab a small stainless pan and throw your chopped nuts in on medium heat for about 1-3 minutes, or until browned and oily.

• Wash and roughly chop half your bunch of mint and set the rest aside (don’t be afraid to use the stems, they’ve got a ton of flavour, but if you’re going for the aesthetic, set the stems aside to use for your dressing)

• Once the sweet potatoes are ready let them cool, about 10 minuets. Set roasted chilis and garlic aside (don’t throw them out!). Discard thyme.

• If you’ve already halved your red onion, discard the butt and slice lengthwise. You’re looking for slim, long elegant ribbons of onion, but honestly however you cut them they’ll still taste the same.

Assemble your Salad

• Add kale to a large shallow bowl. Top with lentils and red onion strips.

• Spoon sweet potatoes over the lentils

• Break feta into medium size crumbles over the potatoes and lentils

• Top with toasted walnuts and half of your chopped mint

• Drizzle dressing in a circular motion starting from the outside of the bowl. Make sure to coat the entire salad

• Sprinkle with the rest of the mint

  xx

Saucy Chicken Puttanesca with Creamy Polenta

This recipe combines all of my favourite things. Briny, Saucy tomatoey goodness atop crispy chicken and some creamy ass polenta. It’s also the easiest way to get make polenta on a dime. No, making polenta this way is not better than make it from scratch, but see if you can taste the difference once its submerged in this punchy sauce.

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken bone in, skin on (Just thighs is ok, but best to use full leg) 1/4 cup dry white wine
6 garlic cloves
2 tbsp drained capers
1/2 cup olives ( kalamata, castelvetrano or any other pit-in green olive works)
3 oil packed anchovy fillets
1/4 tsp red chilli flakes
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp olive oil
4 sprigs thyme
1 tsp cracked pepper 2 peels of lemon
1 tsp kosher salt

Quick Ass Creamy Polenta

1/3 polenta tube
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste

Creamy Ass Polenta

• Start to prep your polenta after your chicken has been baking for at least 20 minutes. This polenta is best served immediately

• Cut 1/3 of your polenta tube and put it in a microwave safe bowl

• Microwave for 40 seconds. Transfer polenta to a small pot and mush down with the back of a fork

• Once the polenta has been mashed into small clumps bring it up to med-low heat. Add reserved chicken fat, and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Whisk to incorporate

• Once mixture becomes smooth, add butter and half your parmesan. Continue to whisk to make sure all polenta is broken down. Make sure to taste for salt and pepper

• Add the rest of the parm and 2 cracks of pepper for good measure

• Keep whipping until ready to serve

Directions

• Pre heat oven to 350° F

• Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper (This is the only salt in the chicken and sauce, so be generous when seasoning chicken)

• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in an oven safe pan at med-high heat. Add chicken skin side down. From cold the chicken should take about 10 minutes to fully brown. Flip chicken for an extra minute before removing from heat and setting aside. If there is a ton of access chicken fat in your pan, spoon out about 3-4 tbsp in ramekin and set aside.

• Bring the heat down to medium.

• Thinly slice all 6 garlic cloves and add to the pan with anchovy fillets. Stir until anchovy has dissolved into a paste and garlic is translucent. About 3 minutes.

• Add tomato paste, cherry tomatoes and chilli flakes. Allow the tomato paste to caramelize before stirring in, about 30 seconds. Once tomato paste breaks down and begins to look sticky, deglaze with wine. Add olives, thyme, lemon peel and capers. Bring up to a simmer.

• With the back of a wooden spoon, press down on the cherry tomatoes allowing them to burst, but making sure all juices stay in the pan.

• Allow the wine to fully cook off, about 7-10 minutes.

• Once the wine has fully evaporated add your chicken back into, snuggling it into your sauce. Add in a cup of water and transfer pan into the oven. Bake for 30-35 minuets or until sauce is thick.

Assemble

• Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

• If sauce is not desired thickness, bring the sauce back to a simmer on the stove. Allow it to cook down until all juices have evaporated.

• Spoon a hefty portion of polenta onto your plate, top with one whole leg or two pieces of chicken.

• Spoon all that thick, gooey, tomatoey sauce onto the plate. Get saucy with it, trust me this stuff’s good till the last drop.

  xx

Ingredients

1 sweet potato
1/2 acorn squash
1 red onion
2 carrots
2 cloves garlic
1 red chilli pepper
3 sprigs basil
oregano
olive oil
salt & pepper
chilli flakes

Directions

1. Start your fire with kindling and smaller chunks of wood. Ensure you have enough time to get some good embers going before cooking.

2. Roughly chop your veg in large chunks, including onion & garlic

3. Slice chilli’s nice and thin and leave the seeds in

4. Throw everything into the camp oven and add 2 tbsp of olive oil, chopped basil, 1tsp of oregano

5. Add salt and pepper and extra chilli flakes. Mix well.

6. Place the camp oven over the glowing embers and cook for 30-40 minuets. Allow for the veg to break down and caramelize in the fire.

7. Take the oven off the embers and open the lid. (If you’d like some extra richness, throw a pad of butter on the top and close the lid to let melt) Take a whiff of natures natural candy and enjoy!! xx

Ingredients

2 tbsp Thai Green Curry paste
1 tbsp coconut oil (as base)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 can of chickpeas
2 mushrooms (we had small portobellos, but you can use any type you like!)
1/2 red onion
1 sweet potato
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp red chilli flakes or 1 red hot chilli
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 medium chunk of ginger (about golf ball size)
1/2 avocado
1/2 zucchini ( obviously I used a quarter, look at the size of that thing!)
1 cup basmati/wild/ brown rice (use whatever you have! Quinoa would be also awesome for some extra protein )

Directions

Prep your veggies

1. Dice your onion, ginger & garlic, roughly chop zucchini and mushrooms and slice sweet potato into thin medallions.

2. Drain and rinse your chickpeas

3. Thoroughly wash the swish chard and then tear it into large pieces, I like to leave the spine on for crunch and extra fibre!

4. leave the avocado whole or refrigerated until the end so that it retains it’s colour (ours was already sliced up, so it doesn’t look as pretty)

5. Take sliced sweet potatoes and add them to a pot. Fill with just enough water so it covers them. Bring to a boil, let simmer until soft.

Get cookin’!

1. Bring your wok to med/high heat and add coconut oil. If you keep your oil in in the fridge let it break down and then add the chilli, ginger and garlic.

2. After the garlic has browned add the onion and your green curry paste. Make sure to keep the ingredients moving and let the paste cook down and start to coat the onions etc.

3. Next add your sweet potato, chick peas, zucchini and mushrooms. Allow the curry paste to fully coat your veggies as they begin to cook down.

4. Add half your soy sauce to the wok and mix.

5. Add your swiss chard and allow it to sit on top of the other veggies for a couple minuets. This will naturally steam the chard and help it keep its beautiful colour. Mix well and allow for the chard to get all up in that green curry goodness.

6. Add the rest of the soy sauce and mix.

7. Boil one cup of rice in a small pot. Add a pinch of salt to water before cooking.

8. Add the fresh basil and salt & pepper to taste. If the veg isn’t as spicy as you’d like add some more chilli too!

9. Allow for the veg to cook in the wok on low until your rice is ready.

10. Once the rice is ready take your veg off the heat and let it cool. In the meantime peel your avo and slice it thin.

11. Add a scoop of rice, a hefty bit of veg and a couple slices of avo to your bowl. ***Make as aesthetically pleasing as possible 😎***

12. Dig in and enjoy xx

Ingredients

1 eggplant
1 zucchini
1/2 yellow onion
1 cup chickpeas
1 potato
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots
Thai basi
Small chunk of ginger
1 thai red chilli
1 lime
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp thai Green Curry Paste
Coconut oil (for base)

Directions

1. Bring a medium/large pot to medium heat and add a tbsp of coconut oil . Add garlic, ginger, onion and carrot and let brown

2. Add potato and let it break down ( until you see a little moisture in the pot, if none add a little more coconut oil)

3. Add the rest of your veg! (eggplant, zucchini, chickpeas; whatever else you think would be tasty, or is a little past its prime can go in too!) Let simmer at medium/low heat.

4. Once the veg is soft, make a small space in the bottom of the pot and add 2 tbsp of green curry paste, allow it to fry for about two minuets. Then stir in and coat the veg in all that goodness!

5. Stir in the whole can of coconut milk and hot chilis to taste. Add thai basil and squeeze in a half lime. Then bring to a boil.

6. Once boiling, bring back down to low heat and let simmer for about to 20-30 minuets. (When the potato is soft, you know you’re good to go!)

7. Serve with Jasmine rice and garnish with some lime wedges, a sprig of basil and some Sriracha!

8. A good friend of ours also gave us some delicious roti style bread for the curry, so thats what’s curled up in the bowl! You could use naan or pita as well if you wanted something for easy dipping!

   Enjoy :)

Ingredients

1 fillet of Salmon
2 Eggs
Spinach
Leftover mashed potatoes 
Olive Oil
1/2 a Red Chilli 
Sriracha, to garnish (if you like it hot :)

Directions

* REMINDER: We only have a 2 burner stove, a frying pan and one small/one large pot. All these recipes can be and should be enhanced in a real kitchen. My makeshift kitchen works for me, but if I had more at my disposal, trust me, I would use it.

The Base - Mashed Potato Pancakes (One per Benedict)

1. Bring pan or shallow pot to med heat and add about a quarter of a cup of oil.

2. Mix leftover mashed potato with salt and pepper and a pinch of flour to help bind them

3. Roll the potatoes into small balls (about the size of a golf ball) , then flatten into a patty

4. Place potato patties in the hot oil. Fry until crisp on one side, then flip.

5. Once crisp on both sides (mine weren’t because we didn’t have anything to congeal the potatoes 

The Middle - Salmon Fillet and Sautéed Spinach

1. Season the salmon with chilli flakes, salt and pepper

2. Heat pan with a 1 tsp of olive oil and add salmon, skin down

3. Wait until the fish is pink almost halfway through and then flip 

4. Add Spinach and sliced chilli peppers and let fry down in all those juicy omega 3’s

5. Let cook down until wilted

6. Take salmon off once med. rare. I know this isn’t a fish term, but you catch my drift. (If you like salmon more well done, please cook until then )

The Top - The Egg

1. Remove the salmon and spinach and crack two eggs into the already heated pan

2. Fry both eggs sunny side up 

   • Crack eggs into pan 

   • Cover with a plate/ lid/ lid for something else thats a similar size

Assemble all the layers of your Benny and add Sriracha or any other sauce you like to enjoy with your delicious breakfast! Enjoy xx

Ingredients

Chilli Lime Wraps
2 Chicken Thighs (sliced into strips)
1/4 Onion (roughly sliced in big pieces )
1/2 red pepper (sliced in small strips)
1/4 Zucchini (was starting to get a bit soft so id decided to slice it up lengthwise and throw it in!)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 sliced red hot chilli pepper
2 tbsp of olive oil 
Nandos Piri Piri Mayonnaise - We’ve had it since the start of our trip for sandwiches, but I thought it would be a nice supplement for fajita spices!
Sriracha
Spinach

Directions

1. Heat pan at medium heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil

2.  Add garlic and chilli, allow to lightly brown then add the chicken strips 

3. Let chicken cook halfway through, add onion and let brown

4.  Flip the chicken and add an another drizzle of olive oil along with the peppers & zucchini

5. Make sure chicken is cooked all the way through (we had to check several times with a head lamp)

6. Build your wrap - Piri-nayse, chicken and vg, spinach, salt & pepper along with a little Sriracha to spice it up

7. Enjoy! 

Ingredients

3 Chicken Thighs
2 Garlic Cloves
1/2 onion 
1/2 red pepper
4 Mushrooms 
1/4 Broccoli Head 
2 Carrots 
1/2 Red Chilli  Pepper
Small chunk of fresh ginger 
1 cup of Rice  (We had jasmine, but you can use any type you like!)
Hoisin Sauce
Soy Sauce 
Sriracha 
Chilli Flakes 
Coconut Oil as base

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken in equal parts - 1 tbsp hoisin, 1 tbsp Sriracha and 1tbsp soya sauce with half of the fresh ginger (diced) and 1 garlic clove (diced) 

2. Mix with hands, rub all over chicken and refrigerate for 30 mins- 1 hour 

3. Chop veg however you like, I usually just roughly chop everything!

4. Heat pan to med-high heat and add 1 tbsp of coconut oil (or however much you see fit!)

5. Once the oil is hot add the garlic and chilli, let brown 

6. Add the chicken & cook until halfway done

7. At about halfway, add the onion and carrot 

8. Start boiling water for your rice

9. As you go add a little soya sauce and chilli flakes for extra flavour - taste the veg and that will tell you what you need :)

10. Add the rest of the veg, flip the chicken and let it all cook down

11. Add 1 cup of rice to boiling water and cook until the rice has soaked up all the water

12. Once ready, add rice to chicken and veg

13. Mix together and enjoy!