Tuna Sandwich

Sometimes you just can't beat a good ol' fashioned lunch from the 50's childhood. Clayton prescribes this serving for two:

1 small can tuna
1 1/2 tbsp real mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp relish
4 slices white bread, toasted

Mix the first three ingredients and slather them on the bread. Slice on the diagonal and serve with canned tomato soup -- the saltier the better. Proceed to dip the sandwich into the soup as you peruse the newspaper comics after school.

Basic French Toast

Thick slices of fresh french loaf make the difference. Play with the toppings if you'd like to coordinate other dishes into a common theme. If you're into cutting the fat, drop the half-and-half in favour of milk.

Makes 8 slices

2/3 c half-and-half (or milk)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
8 slices french bread

Beat the half-and-half into the eggs with salt and vanilla. Put a skillet on medium heat and oil lightly if the pan is prone to sticking. Dredge each side of a couple slices of bread in the liquid and drop into the pan, turning once until each side is golden. Serve with anything you like on top, but I prefer one of

• butter and cinnamon sugar,
• bananas and cinnamon sugar,
• fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar.

Lemon Dill Sauce

My roommate and I brought over company after salsa dancing and we were dying to eat some fish: as students, we hadn't had the opportunity often enough. Searched for a recipe for a nice lemon and dill cream sauce, but the Joy of Cooking just didn't provide. So we made this one instead.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 c half-and-half
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1 tsp salt

Saute the onion in 1 tbsp of butter until transparent then remove to side dish. Melt 1 tbsp of the remaining butter and mix thoroughly in a small bowl with the flour. Slowly add a few tablespoons of half-and-half until the mixture is runny. Toss the last 1 tbsp of butter into the pan and add the flour mixture and dill. Bring to a medium heat in the pan, adding all of the remaining half-and-half until thickened. Finally, add the lemon juice and salt (to taste) and reduce the heat. The more time you give the sauce to sit in the pan, the richer the flavour of the dill.

Pineapple Bran Muffins

My roommate suggested that we carry on a tradition of 'muffin Sunday' in order to have a solid set of healthy, delicious snacks for the upcoming school week. Unfortunately, we opted to make this recipe: while these are very tasty, they are not particularly high in fiber.

Makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple in natural juice, undrained
1/2 cup chopped nuts, dates or raisins

In a mixing bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Make a well in the center. Combine the egg, oil, molasses, buttermilk and pineapple with juice. Pour into well; mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in nuts, dates or raisins. Fill 18 greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Mango Chutney

A nice dollop goes well with the dahl -- that's how they serve it at the cafeteria in Victoria.

diced mint
onion
chili flakes
ground cumin
mango chutney (from a jar... make your own... just keep it really
plain with no other spices)

Dahl

This is a red lentil curry served in the University of Victoria student's center. The recipe comes from Greg King, a Physics master's student in 2007 who asked the elderly Indian woman (who regularly prepares the dish) for the secret concoction. It serves about 120 (or something like that), so I hope you're hungry.

Step 1:
4 cups red lentils
4 cups yellow split peas
17-18 cups water
4 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup salt

Soak lentils and peas overnight. Drain off the water. Combine
ingredients in a very large pot and simmer.

Step 2:
2 cups oil
4 finely diced onions
1/2 cup ginger root (chopped very finely)
1/4 cup minced fresh garlic

In a separate frying pan, saute the above 4 ingredients until the onions
are translucent. This will look a lot like deep frying. Add the
following spices:

3 tsp madras curry powder
2 tsp paprika
5 tsp crushed chillies

Stir it all around and cook it for a couple of minutes.

Step 3:
Add frying pan ingredients to the very large pot. You can then add some
cumin (not a ton) and some chopped cilantro. Let it simmer for a
while. Serve with mango chutney (see below).

Mocha Filling

This filling sandwiches the two layers in the Hazelnut Torte, but I bet it would be really tasty on (or stuffed into) any cake-like confectionery. Or poured directly on my finger. Either way, really.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp cocoa
½ c icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 tbsp hot strong coffee
1 c whipped cream

Cream together butter, cocoa and icing sugar. Blend in coffee and vanilla. Fold in the whipped cream. If preparing ahead, the first five ingredients can be mixed in and the whipped cream can be added just before preparation.

Hazelnut Torte

This recipe comes from mom. It's definitely a crowd pleaser and much simpler to prepare than you might think. It pairs up with the mocha filling -- scrumtralescent.

4 large eggs
¾ c sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 c hazelnuts
2½ tsp baking powder
1 c whipping cream

In blender or food processor, whirl eggs and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Add flour, baking powder, hazelnuts. Blend on high. Pour into 2 – 8" greased and floured layer pans. Bake at 350 F for about 20 min. (cake will be pulling away from sides of pan). Cool for 10 min. Remove from pans. Whip the cream, sweeten with 2 tbsp sugar. Make filling - cream together butter, cocoa, icing sugar. Add vanilla and coffee. Fold in 1 cup of whipped cream. Place one cake layer on cake plate. Cover with filling mixture. Place 2nd layer on top. Cover sides and top of cake with remaining whipped cream, reserving some cream to pipe 8-10 large rosettes on top. Insert a hazelnut into top of each rosette. Make chocolate curls and pile in centre of cake (optional). Filling recipe on back.

Rugelach

I picked this nugget from Susan Farrell in December of 2007. She invited me into her home while on a ritualistic return to Sackville, NB and introduced me to a small container with some poppyseed cookies and these little pastry-like morsels. Long story short, she left me alone in her apartment and, after a quick walk to the liquor store, I was soon filled with butterscotch liquor and a second container of Rugelach.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp salt
extra flour for rolling dough

FILLING
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup finely minced nuts
optional: 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, ground to a coarse meal in a blender

1) Use an electric mixer or a food processor (a few short bursts with the steel blade attachment) to mix the butter, cottage cheese, flour, and salt into a uniform dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, and make each one into a ball. If your kitchen is hot or humid, wrap and refrigerate each ball of dough for at least an hour before proceeding.

2) Preheat oven to 375 F.

3) Flour a clean, dry surface. Roll each ball of dough into as perfect as circle as possible, about 1/4 inch thick.

4) Sprinkle each circle with a quarter of the filling, distributing it as evenly can up to 1/2 inch of the rim.

5) Cut like so (circle divided like pizza into 8 slices) and roll each wedge from the outside edge of the circle toward the center.

6) Place the filled pastries on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool 10 minutes before eating.