UrbnSpice

"A Taste Of Heart & Home"

Knife Skills

How to Chiffonade

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UrbnSpice Tips and Techniques Series

Chiffonade is a knife skill that is easy to learn.  This post will show you How to Chiffonade using leafy tender greens, such as mint, basil, lettuce leaves, kale and similar greens.

Chiffonade is a simple technique of stacking leaves; rolling the leaves into a tight (often referred to as cigar shaped) cylinder, and then cutting very fine ‘slices’ of the rolled up leaves.  With a sharp knife, you can quickly create fine shreds of leafy greens such as kale to add to soups, or basil or mint to add as a garnish to salads or drinks, or piles of shredded iceberg lettuce packed into a loaded sandwich.

A selection of chiffonade items | urbnspice.com

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How to Make Cauliflower Tabbouleh

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The Inspiration of Urbnspice Series

I often make this Super Food Dish called Cauliflower Tabbouleh at the request of my family and friends. It is so delicious! I was inspired by one of my favourite chefs, Jamie Oliver and his Family Super Foods Cookbook. I have adapted his recipe for Herby Jewelled Tabbouleh Rice to accommodate grain free, gluten free and dairy free options by substituting the rice for cauliflower. The cauliflower can be steamed or roasted for this dish, which gives a completely different appearance and flavour.  I use the fine shredding blade on a food processor or box grater to turn the steamed or roasted cauliflower into a rice-like product. It literally takes seconds to make an entire bowl of ‘cauliflower rice.’

Plated Cauliflower Tabbouleh | urbnspice.com

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Pan Roasted Sweet Potato with Lime

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This recipe for Pan Roasted Sweet Potato with Lime is one of our personal family favourite side dishes. We have served it with breakfast with eggs and sausage as well as brunch, lunch or dinner. It is just one of those dishes that seems to fit on any menu plan.  We have been known to happily devour the entire dish between the two of us.

What do you think of sweet potatoes?  Growing up, sweet potatoes were not something that I remember eating as a child. Nowadays, sweet potatoes –  particularly pan or oven roasted sweet potatoes, appear on our table once or twice a week in one way or another.  We love them!  You must try them simply baked or microwaved, whole, skin on until tender; split open and eaten with a pat of butter, salt and pepper.  So delicious!  Sweet potatoes are a super food and known as one of the world’s healthiest foods with sources of Vitamin A, C, B6, B3, B1, B2, potassium, fibre and many other healthful properties.

Pan Roasted Diced Sweet Potato with Lime | urbnspice.com

Pan Roasted Diced Sweet Potato with Lime | urbnspice.com

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Rooting for Rutabaga

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As a culinary instructor, I hear this again and again, “I have never really liked turnip or rutabaga”.  My goal is to change that comment – I am going to root for rutabaga. Actually, the term turnip and rutabaga are often used simultaneously. In this post, I will focus on the lowly rutabaga.

The Lowly Rutabaga | urbnspice.com

The Lowly Rutabaga

First, I will explore what a rutabaga actually is, then explain how to properly cut a rutabaga, and then share a recipe with you on how to prepare a delicious braised rutabaga side dish that will change anyone’s mind when it comes to eating rutabaga.  My grandchildren love this recipe!

Rutabaga is certainly an underrated root vegetable and one of my favourite, actually.  It is a root vegetable that is, surprisingly, a cross between a cabbage and a turnip.  It is sometimes called a turnip, or a Swede, or even a ‘neep’. Whatever it is called, it is worthwhile knowing how to prepare it properly.

There is no waste when it comes to using a rutabaga.  The leafy tops of the rutabaga are edible, and I remember harvesting a few of the younger leaves of the plant when I was gathering produce for dinner from my Dad’s large garden.  The young leaves are zesty in taste if used raw in a salad mix, however, try sautéing them.  They are delicious and all that is needed is a bit of butter, minced garlic, salt and pepper for a change in your vegetable repertoire.  They are quite mild in taste – much like spinach.

Nutritionally speaking, the edible greens are an excellent source high in vitamins K, A and C, along with manganese and fibre.  The root of the rutabaga provides Vitamin A, C, B-12, B-6, D, Iron and Magnesium.  The underrated Rutabaga is not so lowly after all, is it?

So, let’s get to the peeling and eating part.  One of the first steps is peeling the rutabaga. This is often where the problem lies. When I teach my vegetable classes (Veggin’ It – A Fresh Approach), students are surprised when I teach them how to properly peel and cut a rutabaga. They are even more surprised when I had them taste it raw, and then again after it was cooked.   Each and every time, I had them hooked!

Honey Glazed Rutabaga | urbnspice.com

Honey Glazed Rutabaga

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