Category North American

My life lessons have taught me to not fret over the weather and to appreciate every day, no matter how grey and how cold. I can’t say that I welcomed those big fat flakes of snow this morning but I did grab the bull by the horns (or rather, the dog by the collar). Like a true Canadian, I took Buddy for an invigorating walk in the frigid wind. I felt so good afterwards. Then I decided to post this lovely little recipe to help us THINK GREEN and THINK SPRING.

My friend contributed this delightful salad to our church potluck dinner. Olived it so much, I asked for the recipe. It’s as cheery as the first songbird of spring. Healthy baby spinach greens, crunchy apples and nuts, and chewy raisins are dressed in an interesting vinaigrette that has just a hint of warm, golden curry flavour.

I adjusted the ratio of vinegar to oil to suit our tastes (we prefer a 1 to 3 ratio). Feel free to adjust it to your own liking, as long as you end up with a total of 1 cup of oil and vinegar combined. The original recipe called for 2 lbs. of spinach but I found that one 454 g /16 oz. package of baby spinach was plenty. I made the full recipe and divided the vinaigrette and dressing in half to use another day. We are big on salad these days and are eating it for lunch and dinner…maybe even breakfast. That would make my trainer happy!

I use Sumo Roasted Black and White Sesame Seeds from Bento Nouveau (available at Longo’s) because they are already roasted. I keep them in my fridge and sprinkle them on asparagus, salad, avocado chunks, stir fries, etc. If you can’t find them, just toast raw sesame seeds for a few moments in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing them frequently in the pan, until golden.

Pura vida, Ev. Thanks for the recipe!

THINK SPRING! CURRIED SPINACH SALAD

Serves 12 (may be reduced by half)

Salad Ingredients:

454 g / 16 oz package Longo’s Organic Baby Spinach, washed carefully and dried gently but thoroughly

1/3 cup dry roasted, salted peanuts

1/3 cup shelled, roasted pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Sumo Roasted Black and White Sesame Seeds from Bento Nouveau

2 or 3 apples

Curried Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Major Grey Mango Chutney, finely chopped

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry ground mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Few drops Tabasco sauce

3/4 cup salad oil

Dressing Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, chutney, curry powder, salt, dry mustard, honey, and hot sauce. Gradually add oil in a thin steady stream, beating with a wire whisk until blended. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, to allow the flavours to mellow together. Whisk again just before dressing salad.

Salad Directions:

Put raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Combine spinach, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins, green onions, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Just before serving, peel, core and dice the apples into bite-sized chunks. Add to the salad. Pour just enough dressing over the salad to coat leaves lightly, then toss gently but thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Look at what the Easter Bunny brought me! A heavenly Orange Chiffon Cake from the Hot Oven Bakery at Cloverdale Mall (for the very reasonable price of $10).

The soft-as-a-cloud cake is drenched in a delicious sugar glaze that is punctuated with bits of chewy orange zest.  The orange flavour is bright and real and balanced nicely by the sugar.

The cake stands pretty on its own but can be dressed up in a couple of ways. It would look lovely with edible flowers or candied violets.  Longo’s carries edible flowers (in the herb section) but were all out of them the day I went.  I picked some pansies from my pot to give you an idea of how pretty the cake would look. The pot however is looking a little bleak.

Imagine it wrapped up in cellophane, tied with colourful ribbon and given as a hostess gift! I think I will bring one, decorated with candied violets (if I can find them), to my church ladies’ spring potluck. Wouldn’t I just be the cat’s meow? A tip of the old Easter bonnet to me for sure.

The cake is so flavourful that it can go easily from plate to mouth without anything accompanying it. My guests served it with orange sherbert which was yummy, especially for kids.  They say that Orange Creamsicle ice cream is good too .

It is oh so delightful served with a dollop of whipped cream and segmented orange chunks that have been dusted with cinnamon. Cara Cara oranges are really sweet and juicy right now and are on sale at Longo’s for 99¢/lb or $2.18/kg.

I have to thank my friend for introducing me to this cake. She has been buying it now for at least 10 years. She is wonderful at putting in the effort to make homemade desserts. But when she doesn’t have time, the Hot Oven’s Orange Chiffon Cake is her go-to-cake because it tastes homemade and yummy. It’s gotten her through many a pinch on her way home from work. There’s nothing else like it that brings her back time and time again.

I am sure that the ladies in the know in south Mississauga have been relying on the Hot Oven Bakery at Cloverdale Mall for years for bridge group, ladies’ luncheons, showers and potlucks. But no matter where you live, it’s worth the drive. The Hot Oven offers a wide range of quality baked goods, including delicious Sunflower Seed Bread ($3.85),

quiches both large ($13.25) and small ($3.25) such as this one, chocked full of broccoli and cheddar in a flaky, buttery crust,

and fudgy brownies with intense chocolate flavour and real butter icing. It’s calling you.

Tempting, isn’t it? It was so hard to wrap up the rest of the brownies from the Family Brownie Tray ($5.50) and store them in the freezer.

The mac & cheese, lasagna and perogies all looked delicious but I had to stop somewhere!

The Hot Oven Bakery, located right beside Winners at the south end of Cloverdale Mall, has been in its original location since 1957.  My friend and I have been BFFs for almost as long (not quite). On the morning I went, the bakery was almost empty when I walked in but a line started to form quickly. My friend went on the Thursday before Easter weekend and there was a huge line. You see that sign in the photo to take a number as soon as you arrive? Good advice that you must heed.  But whatever the length of the line, it is definitely worth the wait. The ladies that I spoke to, who have been loyal customers for decades, told me that everything was good.

There are three other Toronto locations that have opened up which are all owned by the same owner. These locations appear on the company website but even though the Cloverdale location has the same owner, it isn’t listed on the website. But don’t worry about that. Just go, take a number and line up the old fashioned way and go home with an armful of delicious home-baked goods made from high quality ingredients and sold at reasonable prices.

While Chris Hadfield (Canadian astronaut now circling the earth on the International Space Station) was dining amongst the stars on a breakfast of orange juice, Cornflakes and coffee, my Dad and I were enjoying a yummy breakfast down here on planet Earth at Bobby’s Hideaway in Streetsville, Ontario.

If you know Streetsville, you probably already know that Bobby’s Hideaway is famous for breakfast. But what olive the most about Bobby’s is their delicious House Vinaigrette – a perfectly balanced, well-blended dressing with a taste that leaves you wanting more, more, more! I must have more! It is divine on their Analyse This Greek Salad (a pleasing twist on the traditional Greek salad consisting of the usual fixings along with shredded carrot on top of mixed baby greens). Olive it on their Bob Cobb Salad – a satisfying salad of flavorfully marinated char-grilled chicken breast, perfectly ripe avocado, egg, Blue cheese and crumbled bacon adorning fresh salad greens.

Olive it so much that I decided I would try to recreate the recipe at home. I googled recipe after recipe to see if I could get any hints. I even feigned food allergies to try to trick the waitresses at Bobby’s into giving up the secret recipe but their lips were sealed and alas, the recipe remains secret.

Thankfully, Bobby’s sells their delicious House Vinaigrette in take-home bottles at $5 per bottle. There aren’t any labels on the bottle, no ingredients lists either (to keep it secret) but you need to know that it must be refrigerated quickly, even before opening, so get it right home and into the fridge. Make up a batch of Olive’s Salade Maison, throw in some kalamata olives and crumbled Bulgarian feta cheese, dress it with Bobby’s House Vinaigrette and you will have my version of Bobby’s Analyse This Greek Salad on your own table.

All Bobby’s sauces are homemade and well-crafted. Bobby’s serves quality all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s home-style comfort food in a casual setting.