Side Dish Archive - Cooking With Sin

# Side Dish

## Cooking With Sin Goes Lite – The Ultimate Garden-of-Eden Salad

Posted on: November 23rd, 2014 by Carla Johnson No Comments
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Like so many ventures into healthier eating, mine has had its fits and starts, but it keeps moving forward. Recently I had the true pleasure of sharing a kitchen demo at Word on the Street with Christine Gingerich, the author and visionary of the book “Optimal You.” Christine is driven by a sincere passion to help people live vibrant, healthier lives and she shares her recipes and advice with a gentle, personal approach.

Excited by her project, I asked Christine if she would be willing to share one of her recipes here on CWS. No surprise here, none of her recipes have booze in them, but her most-requested salad is made with red wine vinegar, so I decided it worked for me. 🙂 And her salad is called Garden-of-Eden, the location of the “original sin.” Coincidence? I think not! 😉

# The Ultimate Garden-Of-Eden Salad

by Christine Gingerich

For many years, I have been known as The Salad Girl. For holidays, parties, and potlucks, I always seem to be asked to bring the salad. This recipe has been my most popular salad creation with the most tallied “oohs” and “aahs.” It contains lots of brain-nourishing healthy fats and antioxidants to help fight disease. Serve it as a healthy addition to a light lunch or as a starter with a main entrée.

Dressing: Garden-of-Eden Salad Dressing – see below

Clean the lettuce well. Add avocado, tomato, carrot, red pepper, onion, feta, and olives. Top with homemade croutons. Coat salad well with desired amount of dressing. Toss and serve immediately.

Note: An avocado is ripe when it changes from bright green to dark green (not completely black). It should be just barely soft when pressed with the thumb.

Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

### Garden-of-Eden Salad Dressing

This is, by far, our favourite salad dressing, and it’s especially perfect on The Ultimate Garden-of-Eden Salad. It contains anti-microbial garlic and fresh lemon to cleanse the liver. This dressing is easy to make, very nourishing and great tasting. The recipe makes a large batch that can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four weeks. It’s also a delicious marinade for chicken or steak.

Mix all ingredients, and store in a labelled glass bottle in the refrigerator. For easy pouring, remove dressing from fridge 10 minutes prior to pouring, and shake well. This dressing is best if allowed to marinate overnight before serving.

Yield: 4½ cups Prep Time: 10 minutes

Check out all the great features Christine’s book “Optimal You” has to offer. It is available online or at our local Waterloo Region book stores.

The cover of “Optimal You” by Christine Gingerich

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## Cooking With Sin Goes Lite – Salsa Fuego con Tequila

Posted on: July 30th, 2014 by Carla Johnson No Comments
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> “Tequila, firebug in the house of good taste; O tequila, savage water of sorcery, what confusion and mischief your sly, rebellious drops do generate!” ― Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker

Let me share another recipe from my healthier-but-still-sinful regimen.

It may not make a difference, but I think pairing your “sin” with the cultural roots of the recipe makes sense. So, I thought I’d try making a salsa flambéd with tequila. It was delicious. Plus, we just got back from a holiday in Dominican Republic and I’m enjoying my freshened up Español. In case you don’t know, “Salsa Fuego con Tequila” means Fire Salsa with Tequila.

With the carbs and sugars reduced in my diet, I have found myself turning up both the flavours and the heat. A few snappy jalapeños sure help make a meal more interesting and every salsa needs a good shot of fresh cilantro.

# Lite Salsa Fuego con Tequila

1. Place the tomatoes, onions, garlic and peppers in a large non-stick pan (with a tight-fitting lid on stand-by) and drizzle with olive oil. Gently cook/fry the vegetables for approximately 5 minutes to soften.

2. Splash the tequila over the vegetables and light. Flambé the entire pan, turning each vegetable until the skins blister. This may just take a couple of minutes then douse the flames by covering the pan with the lid.

3. Slide off the skins of the garlic cloves. They will come off really easily now.

4. Loosely chop up all the vegetables right in the pan. The garlic and other firmer vegetables will need to be cut on a cutting board and returned to the pan. Stir in the avocado and cilantro. Transfer to a bowl and let the salsa cool.

4. For a flavour boost, I saved some fresh cilantro to stir in just before serving it.

5. I suggest serving the salsa by generously spooning it over shredded grilled chicken breast – to which I also added some tequila for liquid. This creates a balanced low-carb meal of protein and vegetables. And if you have family or friends joining you, they can wrap it all up with shredded cheese in tortillas.

Buen Apetito!

@Carla_Johnson
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## “Steam Whistle” Shrimp, Chili & Bread

Posted on: December 1st, 2013 by Carla Johnson No Comments
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Steam Whistle’s founding partners Greg Taylor, Cameron Heaps and Gregory Cromwell, met while working together at the Upper Canada Brewing Company. After Upper Canada Brewing was sold to Sleeman’s, and the Toronto brewery was closed, the three friends lost their jobs and went to work elsewhere. They loved the beer industry, though, and wanted to get back into it so they decided to start their own brewery. They wanted to call it “The Three Fired Guys” and after 2 years, their dream became a reality when they opened Steam Whistle Brewing in March 2000. Although they called the brewery Steam Whistle in reminiscence of 1950s, a “3FG” is on every bottle and can.

Every month, Steam Whistle hosts an art exhibition to support local, emerging artists. They provide the space, launch party and promotion – all for free. In return, all Steam Whistle asks the artist is to donate one piece of art to be displayed in the brewery for thousands of visitors to appreciate each year. This November they had a Staff and Friends Art Show where the brewery staff showcased and donated a piece of their own art to raise money for Movember.

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# Drunken Spicy Steam Whistle Shrimp

By James Kirkland

1. Pour the Steam Whistle Pilsner, vinegar, and water into a tall gallon stockpot. Add the Old Bay seasoning, cover and heat to a boil. When the blend is boiling rapidly, add the shrimp and cook for 1 – 2 mins, or until the shrimp turns pink. The flesh will continue to cook in the shell, so don’t overcook. Drain the shrimp in a colander.

2. Before serving, blend the minced garlic and Creole seasoning, and butter and toss the shrimp in this spicy blend

### Old Bay seasoning

### Creole seasoning

##

# Moose Brewski Chili

Adapted from Chef Gerry Crewe’s Cooking with Beer; Favourites of Newfoundland and Labrador

10-12 Servings

1. Melt butter in saucepan. Add onions & garlic and cook until tender.

2. Add moose meat and brown. Add tomatoes, puree or paste, beer, and spices. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add kidney beans and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Serve with good bread (try the recipe below) and self-serve topping bowls with sour cream, green onions, bacon and cheddar.

# Steam Whistle Beer Bread

This recipe was brought to you by Dan Clapson of Higher Ground Café, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Check out Dan’s website dansgoodside.com where he has more recipes with Steam Whistle.

Serves 4
Total cook time…1 hour (not including sandwich assembly!)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Combine all dry ingredients, add in the beer, honey, & melted butter, mix together until a dough forms.

3. Place the dough in a greased loaf pan (try a mini loaf pan & make some smaller loaves, great for sandwiches!), and pop into the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. Check with a toothpick, and if it comes out clean you’re good to go.

4. Let cool, and enjoy Steam Whistle in a way you’ve never dreamt of!

All photo credits: Steam Whistle Brewing

# More Steam Whistle recipes -> HERE!

@Carla_Johnson

## Treasury Wine Estate’s Gabbiano Risotto

Posted on: November 28th, 2013 by Carla Johnson No Comments
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Vernon Warren is the local agent for Treasury Wine Estate. He is a passionate advocate for the beautiful products that Treasury represents. He shares this great recipe from Il Cavaliere, Castello di Gabbiano winery’s restaurant located in a beautiful 16th century farmhouse in Florence, Italy.

## Risotto with lemon rinds, shrimp and seeds of pomegranate

Warm the oil in a pan and add the chopped onions. Now add the cleaned and pealed shrimps. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the rice, cooking it for approximately 3 minutes more.

Add the white wine and let it vaporize then add the lemon rinds and hot vegetable stock. While baking the rice keep stirring continuously.

Now remove the pan from the flame and let it rest for 2 minutes.

Add the butter, the parmesan, the lemon juice, half of the pomegranate seeds and stir quickly. Serve on plates garnished with the rest of the pomegranate seeds.

All winery & food photo credits: Castello di Gabbiano & Treasury Wine Estate

@Carla_Johnson

## Tipsy Goddess Ambrosia Salad

Posted on: October 6th, 2013 by Carla Johnson No Comments
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> “Rum, n. Generically, fiery liquors that produce madness in total abstainers.”
> ~ Ambrose Bierce

For almost 20 years, Julie Broad’s parents ran a bed & breakfast on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada. They loved hosting travelers who came from all over the world to explore the stunning landscape of the island. Breakfast was the only meal they offered, so they made sure to serve dishes that were fresh and especially memorable.

Julie’s parents both grew up in homes that nurtured a love of excellent food. Her dad’s grandfather was a master baker and her mother’s mom was a home economics teacher. Together, they raised their family with beautiful, healthy food in their home. A few years ago, Julie collected all of her parents’ Bed & Breakfast recipes and wrote a cook book called “Breakfast with the Broads.”

Julie and her dad

Julie’s mom has a knack for playing with traditional recipes and classing them up a little. She is also lactose intolerant, so her recipes tend to avoid creams. As a result, her dishes are often focused on fresh ingredients and natural flavours.

While the traditional Ambrosia Salad is based on cream, Julie’s mom also did not include the marshmallows. Her recipe makes fruit the focus and it elevates it to a whole new level of deliciousness.

I recently shared this recipe at the Waterloo Food & Drink Expo and modified it for the event. I ended up using all canned fruit and I threw in a can of leechee fruit as a visual substitute for the traditional marshmallows. I also heated mine just slightly in a pan. Plus, her original recipe called for rum extract, but I added the real thing – of course!

### Carla’s “Tipsy Goddess Ambrosia Salad”

Serves 6

1. In the bottom of a large pan, over medium heat, lightly toast the coconut by swirling it around until it is light brown on the edges.

2. Add the drained canned fruit to the pan.

3. Add the lime rind, fresh lime juice and rum. Stir gently for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the fruit to absorb the rum and lime. Warm it just slightly so it is closer to body temperature. Enjoy the lime and rum aroma.

4. Serve in bowls. It also stores well in the fridge and can be served chilled.

Here are two more pages from “Breakfast with the Broads.”

While Julie and I have never met face-to-face, we feel like we know each other as we both have many shared connections in real estate investment circles in Canada. She recently published a book sharing her investing expertise called “More Than Cashflow.” Learn more about her ventures at www.revnyou.com. – Like the play on words? 😉

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