Make-In Take-Out: Fish Tacos.

Even if you don't eat red meat, you can still enjoy tacos ...just add fish! This is a refreshing take on tacos, using fish and a variety of yummy veggies and unique flavors to make a gluten-free and guilt-free meal. They also don't contain regular tomato salsa, but you won't miss it. 

Fresh Fish Tacos  Inspired by this recipe. Serves 4.

Marinade:
4 pieces of white fish of choice (I've used halibut, sole, and perch; all tasted great)
1/4 cup oil (coconut (melted) or olive)
1 tablespoon lime juice

Pretty colors!

1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno, chopped
Sprinkle of salt and pepper

Assembly:
Tortillas (use corn for gluten-free) or taco shells
Guacamole/avocados mashed with lime juice and salt
Cream* (sour cream, Vegenaise, Greek yogurt, or tahini)
Iceberg or Romaine lettuce, chopped
Purple cabbage, chopped
Green onions, chopped
Red onions, chopped
Cilantro, just enough for garnish
Corn kernals, fresh or canned
Cheese or Daiya (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)

Marinate the fish in the marinade ingredients for 30-60 minutes in the fridge (note: if pressed for time, simply cook the fish without any marinade. It will be plain, but the toppings will make for it).  Remove the fish from the marinade and cook in the fish on medium heat (in a frying pan) until flaky (about 10-15 minutes). Note: in case the fish falls apart in the pan, just serve in a bowl with a spoon.  Assemble the tacos by filling a tortilla (or taco shell) with a scoop of fish, veggies of choice, a smear of both guacamole and cream of choice, and finish with a sprinkle of cheese and/or hot sauce.

*Just as tartar sauce goes well with most fishes, something creamy is important in a fish taco recipe.  I always have Vegenaise in the house, so this is what I used, but feel free to use whatever creamy condiment you have on hand.

Make-In Take-Out: Poutine.

A month ago, I finally ventured to Poutini's. This place had been on my list of "must visit in Toronto" since September of 2010. Like its name implies, Poutini's is a poutine place. That's all they sell, but they are some variations of the classic fried, gravy, and curds, such as bacon poutine and my favorite, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free poutine!  Yep, even hippie eaters like me can still enjoy some classic, gooey poutine ...yippee!

Here's a picture of my poutine, a la Poutini:

After my yummy Poutini adventure, I decided to make it at home, a la Make-In Take-Out.  Now, you might ask: how on Earth is homemade poutine any better than the store bought stuff?  It can't be healthy, right? You're doubts are definitely sound. Poutine is not health food; nope, not one bit.  But sometimes we humans get cravings. And cravings that can be made at home are a million times better than restaurant ones! Some reasons why making poutine at home is better: no deep fried fries (oven baked), so potentially sketchy gravy (what the heck is in that brown goo?), portion control (you choose the size), much cheaper, less of chance of food poison/borne-illness, and last but not least, it contains more love!

Recipe: all you need is frozen french fries, gravy (homemade or this packaged variety), vegan cheese (Daiya) or organic cheese curds. Bake the fries, stir the gravy, sprinkle the cheese.  That's it, that's all.

Here's a picture of my poutine, a la Home (served with a salmon burger and greens):

The verdict?  Although going to Poutini was a fun treat... home cookin' still rules :)

Make-In Take-Out: Nachos.

'Tis the weekend, how about a recipe to celebrate? Since it is still February, and still cold, how about staying inside tonight? Bundled in a blankie, watching movies, eating nachos, drinking beer... well now you can.

Make-In Take-Out: Vegan Nachos.

- Corn tortilla chips (organic are best, they won't be genetically modified)
- Salsa of choice
- Avocados, salt, garlic, and lime juice (to make guacamole)
- Peppers and onions, chopped
- Black beans, crushed walnuts, two teaspoons each soy sauce and taco seasoning or chili powder (to make "ground beef")
- Tahini, lime juice, cumin, and salt (to make "sour cream")
- Daiya or regular cheese

Prepare the guacamole and sour cream, let marinate in fridge. Place chips on a baking sheet and top with cheese. Broil for ~10 minutes. While broiling, saute (in a bit of oil) the peppers, onions, and ground beef together. Sprinkle the cheesy-chips with the ground beef and vegetable mixture, then top with guacamole and sour cream. Devour!

Make-In Take-Out: Sushi.

Make-In Take-Out: Sushi!

Making sushi is hard. It requires technique, precision, and skill. Plus, a heck of a lot of fancy supplies (bamboo rolling mat, very specific sushi rice + vinegar + sugar, seafood, chopsticks, veggies + toppings, etc). In October, I attended a sushi-making party and not only did it take hours (I think we sat down for dinner at 9 PM), but the hosts had to buy a lot supplies, making it quite the expensive dinner party.

While the sushi-making experience was a ton of fun, I've decided to forgo the sushi making to the experts. If I am craving real sushi, I'll take myself to one of the billion sushi joints that exist here in Toronto. :D

With that said, I crave sushi a lot, so that would be many restaurant trips. As a compromise, I've learned to make sushi "bowls". A meal that combines all of the flavors and textures of sushi, they're just piled into one bowl instead prepared in the typical "rolled" manner. My recipe was inspired by this recipe.

Sushi Bowls

1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Protein of choice: seafood, cubed tofu, edamame, or fried eggs
2 sheets of nori*, torn into strips
2 tablespoons of dried wakame*, rehydrated in 1 cup water
Cubed (raw or cooked depending on preference) veggies (such as carrots, broccoli, cucumber, onions, sweet potatoes, mushrooms etc)
Cubed avocado

Optional Garnishes:

Green onions
Cilantro
Sesame seeds
Grated fresh ginger or pickled ginger*
Wasabi*
Soy sauce*

*Surprisingly common ingredients available at most major grocery stores. If not, an Asian grocery store will have them.

Combine the rice with the vinegar and soy sauce, and then add the protein, seaweeds, veggies, and avocado. Divide into bowls (this recipe serves 2) and then top with garnishes of choice. Serve with chopsticks!

Make-In Take-Out: Pizza.

Thai Pizza -- Inspired by this recipe. A very different take on pizza; an awesome blend of sweet (chili sauce), spicy (red pepper flakes), crunchy (peanuts), and refreshing (cilantro). Left picture is a cheese and right is a non-dairy.


Pizza dough/crust of choice
1/4 cup Sweet Asian Chili Sauce* (I used this brand)
1 can tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 red pepper, diced
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup whole peanuts
1/2 cup cheese (dairy or non-dairy)
Cilantro, to taste

Directions: Mix together tomato paste, olive oil, and sweet chili sauce in a bowl. Spread with the back of a spoon onto your pizza dough/crust of choice (a tortilla would work too for a simple tortilla pizza). Add your chopped veggies, peanuts, and red pepper flakes, then top with cheese. Bake at 450F for 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve with a garnish of fresh cilantro.

*If you can't find sweet chili sauce, try mixing the tomato paste with 1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, 1-2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce (or just more red pepper flakes).

Make-In Take-Out: Pad Thai.

Part two in my series of creating popular take-out dishes at home.

PAD THAI ...mmm, my favorite Thai dish. I've been making it at home quite a bit lately, experimenting with different flavors. Here are three versions of pad thai sauces that I've made (all based on other recipes I've found, modified to suit my needs).

Ingredients: You can make these dishes with any veggies you want, any protein source (eggs, chicken, shrimp, or tofu) and any noodle base (I've used both traditional flat rice noodles and even regular 'ol spaghetti). Great garnishes include: hot sauce, cilantro, bean sprouts, green onions, shredded carrots, lime juice and wedges, orange slices, cashews, and peanuts. The garnishes are KEY to pad thai.

Sauces: Stir together in a bowl or blend in a blender.

Peanut Version - (dish to the right) 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup tomato/pasta sauce, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon each lime juice and honey, and minced ginger & garlic.

Tomato Version - (dish to the left) 3/4 cup tomato/pasta sauce, 2 tablespoons each soy sauce, lime juice, and honey, and a pinch of hot red pepper flakes/hot sauce/cayenne pepper.

Sweet & Sour Version - (center dish) 1/2 cup water or orange juice, 2 tablespoons each soy sauce, lime juice, and honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 2 teaspoons hot sauce.

Instructions: Saute the veggies. Saute the protein source. Boil the noodles. Add all together and top with sauce. Serve with garnishes mentioned above.

Make-In Take-Out: Fried Rice.

I'm starting a new series of recipes (Make In Take Out) that mimic popular fast-food/take-out dishes. I am trying to help my readers learn to create their most craved dishes at home. Eating in restaurants has a plethora of problems (to be discussed in a later post), so I am hoping this series will at least inspire my readers to think outside the (pizza)box and find ways to satisfy cravings at home.

Oh fried rice, why are you so delicious, yet typically so unhealthy? Fried rice, for me, needs to be greasy and salty. This recipe achieves these tastes by topping the fried rice with soy sauce and healthy oil. Making fried rice is a great way to use-up leftovers, and by making it at home, you aren't eating any mind-numbingly scary (literally) MSG (monosodium glutamate, a neurotoxin in Westernized Chinese food). If you don't have cooked veggies on hand, simply stir-fry some veggies, then add the eggs to the same pan to scramble, and then add the rice to heat thoroughly.

Three pictures of the recipe, one made brown rice, one with red, and the last with black rice (I love rice!):











Fried Rice

The ratios:

1 cup cooked rice per serving
1 scrambled egg per serving
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari per serving
1 tablespoon healthy oil per serving (flax, olive, sesame, coconut)
Cooked vegetables of choice: cabbage, while onions, mushrooms, broccoli, diced carrots, peas, green onions, spinach, kale, sweet potato, etc.
Optional extra protein: diced chicken, crumbled tofu, or more scrambled eggs

The method:

Step 1: scramble your eggs
Step 2: add your rice
Step 3: add your veggies
Step 4: once everything is heated, place into bowls
Step 5: top each bowl with 1 tablespoon each of oil and soy sauce (the grease and salt factors!)
Step 6: yum-yum time

So delicious, so easy, and so satisfying.