🛸 Icky Space 🛸

Berbere

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large red onions
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger OR 1 1/2 - 2 tsp ground ginger
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp Berbere seasoning blend*
• 8 cups water
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes, crumbled
• 1 lb (450 g) dried red lentils, rinsed
• 1 can (425 mL) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• cilantro (optional)

Seasoning Blend

• 12 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp red chili peppers
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp cloves

Instructions

1. Chop onions into medium pieces
2. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat and cook onions, stirring frequently, until lightly golden, about 15 minutes.
3. Mince garlic and ginger (if using fresh)
4. Stir in ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
5. Stir in tomato paste and Berbere seasoning blend and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened, about 1 minute.
6. Stir in water and stock cubes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
7. Add lentils and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 50 minutes.
8. Stir in chickpeas and salt.
9. Serve. if desired, garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 7oz / 200g roughly chopped chocolate or large chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Lightly grease an 8x12-inch baking pan with cooking oil spray. Line with parchment paper and set aside
3. Combine melted butter, oil and sugars together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well to combine.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in colour (about a minute)
5. Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined (do not over beat)
6. (optional) Fold in 3/4 of the chocolate pieces
7. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly. Top with remaining chocolate pieces, if using
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes for just under-done brownies (fudgier texture) or until the centre of the brownies no longer jiggles and is JUST set to the touch. OR 35-40 minutes if you like your brownies well set and firm.
9. After 15-20 minutes, carefully remove them out of the pan and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing into 16 brownies. They set while they cool.

Notes

Brownies will continue baking and set in the hot pan out of the oven. If testing with a toothpick, the toothpick should come out dirty for fudge-textured brownies.

Cabbage Noodle Salad

Ingredients

• 1 small head of cabbage
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 package of instant ramen
• 1/2 cup neutral oil
• 3 Tbsp white vinegar
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 packet chicken stock from instant ramen

Instructions

1. Spread almonds and sesame seeds on a sheet pan, and toast in a 350°F oven until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully! Remove from oven and set aside, they will keep cooking on the tray.
2. Cut cabbage in half and cut slices ~1cm wide. Separate layers and put in a large bowl.
3. Combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, chicken stock, sugar in a cup and whisk well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add toasted almonds and seasame seeds to the bowl and drizzle with dressing. Toss well. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes, up to overnight.
5. For crispy noodles, add them just before serving. If you like them softer, you can add them with the dressing and allow to sit for as long as you want.
6. Serve.

Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

• 4 salmon filets
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp blackening seasoning
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 Tbsp water
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp sriracha sauce
• parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. Pat salmon dry, then season with salt, pepper, paprika and blackening seasoning. Set aside
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position, then preheat broiler
3. Add butter and oil to a large, oven-safe skillet over MED-HIGH heat. Once butter is melted, add garlic, water, soy sauce, sriracha, honey and lemon juice and cook 30 seconds or so, until sauce is heated through
4. Add salmon, skin side down, and cook 3 minutes. While salmon cooks, baste frequently with sauce from the pan by spooning it over the top of the salmon
5. Move salmon to oven and broil for 5-6 minutes, basting with sauce once during the broil, until salmon is caramelized and cooked to desired doneness
6. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Notes

If used canned salmon, skip the broiling and serve directly from pan.

Lentil Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry whole green or brown lentils
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup carrot
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• ~1/3 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Lao Gan Ma, spicy chilli crisp
• 1 tsp blackening spices
• 1 tsp chilli powder(optional)
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Add lentils and 3 cups water to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until tender. Drain well.
2. Grate carrot, chop onion, mince garlic
3. Sauté onion until translucent
4. Remove about 1/4 of the lentils and set aside. Mash the remaining lentils.
5. Add the oats to the mashed lentils and mash some more.
6. Add carrot, onion, garlic, and the seasonings and mix. Check flavour now, if good, add in the egg and mix well
7. Gently mix back in the unmashed lentils, and enough oats/breadcrumbs to make the mixture not too sticky
8. Form into patties
9. Heat oil on medium heat and fry until crispy golden brown on each side
10. Serve as you would any other burger

Notes

If you want to freeze some for later, place uncooked patties on little squares of parchment paper and cool, then stack in a freezer bag or container and freeze. Take out and proceed directly to step 9 when you’re ready to cook.

You can really use whatever seasoning you want in this, play around with the flavours you prefer. also try adding barley for texture, or try out different veggies to add in! corn and peas work well.

You can remove the egg to make this recipe #vegan, but note that the burgers will be more fragile. You can also use more gluten free oats and no breadcrumbs to make it #glutenFree.

Mulligatawny

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup onion (1 small or 1/2 large onion)
• 1 cup carrots
• 3 sticks celery
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 chicken breast
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 cloves
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white rice
• 2 cups apple (1 + 1/2 apples)
• 3/4 cup sour cream (1 small tub)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Dice onion
2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium
3. Add onions and sauté
4. Chop carrots and celery into bite sized pieces and add
5. Mince garlic and add
6. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and add
7. Cook chicken until no longer pink
8. Add curry powder, cumin, chili powder and cloves and stir well
9. Drain tomatoes
10. Add broth, tomatoes, and rice
11. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes
12. Peel, core, and chop apples and parsley and add
13. Simmer for 10 more minutes
14. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and serve

Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients

• 3 leeks
• 3 yellow potato
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cup cream
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp za'atar mix OR a dash of thyme, oregano, and sumac
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• salt

Instructions

1. Chop the leeks into small pieces and then rinse in a colander. Peel and cube the potatoes. Mince the garlic.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt and sweat, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
3. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the leeks are tender, approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the broth, potatoes, garlic and seasoning. Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the potatoes are soft, approximately 45 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat, and puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth.
6. Stir in the cream and sour cream and serve.