Off and On the Trail Bannock

Bannock is a simple griddle-cooked or pan-fried quick bread that can be made with as little as flour, salt and water fried in fat. As such, it was a popular food among trappers and natives on the move in early Canada. Nowadays it's usually leavened with baking powder, giving it the texture of a dense scone and with the same floury taste. Dotted with raisins and cranberries and seasoned with a little ground cinnamon, bannock is an easy treat to make at home or out on the trail.

Mixed Lentil Dal

As I noted in a previous post, I recently picked up some fresh fenugreek from my local Indian grocery store. Not wanting to waste a big bunch of these delightful leaves, I searched through one of the latest acquisitions to my extensive cookbook collection and made this easy to digest mixed dal dish that I was able to share with friends. It goes especially well with basmati rice. For a real treat, serve with a selection of Indian appetizers, such as samosas, onion bhaji, pakoras and katchoori.

Mexican-Style Potato Salad With Avocado and Jalapeño

Warm sunny days outside the window remind me that it's time to start enjoying cool creamy potato salads again. It's also a great opportunity to try this lovely Mexican-style potato salad with avocado and jalapeño.

Ricotta Cheesecake with Mixed Berries and Balsamic Vinegar

Normally I don't indulge in sweets and desserts but I couldn't resist this recipe that I found in the early summer edition of Food and Drink. It was also an opportunity to try out my homemade graham crackers as a base for the cake. There is a relatively small amount of sugar in this cake, but it is rich, so you will want to share with your friends and family, as I did.

Homemade Graham Crackers

This is a recipe I have been meaning to post since I started my blog. Typically, store-bought graham crackers are rather stale tasting and too crunchy, but the homemade version reminds one of shortbread. I prepared a batch of these in preparation for a mixed berry cheesecake recipe that caught my attention. Even those of my friends who were skeptical about graham crackers were surprised. Easy to make and just plain good on their own, but also a perfect alternative for recipes calling for graham cracker crumbs.

Plagiarism

Once again, I have discovered that my posts have been shamefully copied without my permission on a website, pictures and text and all. I might have to change my rss feed as I am having difficulty figuring out how to change my current one. It is disgusting when you spend so much work documenting your time and someone just lifts it for nothing. Last night I was so upset, I considered deleting my blog and giving up this project that I have built up over the years.

Audio accompaniment: Ben Harper - Oppression

Mung Bean Paneer

Revisiting an old favorite of mine, via Lord Krishna's Cuisine by Yamuna Devi. As usual, I always change recipes and this time was no exception. Creamy mung beans with fried paneer is always an irresistible treat. This recipe is a particularly good one to serve to guests.

Portobello Mushroom Marinara Sauce

I've always wanted to make my own marinara sauce and when I recently found some quinoa pasta, I was inspired to come up with my own version. As tomatoes are rather pricey right now, I sort of cheated and used canned tomatoes instead of the fresh ones that I usually use. Easy to make and a good idea to serve with vegetables, your favorite pasta, tempeh, and of course northeast African millet patties and just plain good enough to eat by the spoonful. Your friends and family will thank you. There is really no comparison between store-bought sauces and homemade ones.