Folding Side table- refinishing

When my grandparents were moving out of their house we spent a couple weekends helping clean out the basement and take various things to charity. I found this rolling folding table that I thought needed a good home. It has spent a couple years in storage and another couple on the deck.


 I finally decided it was time to refinish it. I looked up pictures of what it should look like new, I considered bring it back to its original condition.

I quite liked this star pattern. The table I have is just solid black, but this could be a fun 2nd life for it.  I came across someone else with the same table who had just cleaned it up and given it a clear top coat. I decided to start with that and see how I like the look.

http://www.houseofhawthornes.com/2011/01/versa-fold-n-roll-table.html

So I started with a wire brush to remove the rust, cleaned it off well and then sprayed it with a clear top coat.

It still has a couple rough spots but it looks a lot better, I think I will keep it this way for now. And I managed to save the original label that is stuck on the underside of one of the shelves.

Bocconcini, Tomato and Bread Salad

I tried this recipe out of a cookbook called Whitewater Cooks with Friends by Shelley Adams. I saw the book this Easter long weekend at a winery on the Naramata bench near Penticton. I was looking for a couple dishes to spice up a ham dinner and I couldn't resist this salad, it had some of my favorite things- cheese, tomatoes and basil!

dressing ingredients:
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 1/2 tbspn dijon mustard
2 tbspn honey (I didn't have this and I used brown sugar)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I had white wine vinegar so used that)
1 tbspn balsamic vinegar
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup olive oil

salad:
6 cups day old bread crusts removed cut in cubes (I had fresh bread so I dried it in the oven a bit, and I only used about 2 cups and thought it was plenty)
2 red peppers roasted and sliced in wide strips
2 yellow peppers roasted and sliced in wide strips (I ran out of time for this so I used 1 red and 1 yellow fresh pepper and sliced super thin strips, but I think roasted would add more flavour)
3 medium tomatoes cut in wedges (I used 1 tomato and about 2 cups of heirloom cherry tomatoes for more colour variation)
1/3 cup capers, rinsed
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
2 cups fresh mozzarella bocconcini balls, medium size (4x50 g) quartered
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves for garnish

(recipe says it makes for 6-8, we were 4 people and there was leftovers so adjust accordingly)

Blend all the dressing ingredients, except olive oil, in a food processor. Add the oil slowly while blending.

Put the bread in a large salad bowl and toss with about 1/2 the dressing (sit aside for 20 minutes- I did this prior to chopping the vegetables)

Add the tomatoes, peppers, capers, red onion and bocconcini, toss. Add more dressing until you feel there is enough. Garnish with basil leaves.

Mussels with Spicy Basil Tomato Broth

My Mom loves mussels, I always thought they looked kind of gross, tasted weird and didn't enjoy fighting with the shells. But then I had some at a restaurant on Main street called Latitude. I really liked them and decided to try and make them that way myself. I tried a few different recipes and in the end combined a few and added some of my own ideas. Here it is:

3 shallots minced
2 tblspns chopped garlic
1 tblspn chopped fresh ginger
1 chilli or jalapeno minced
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 can stewed chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped basil/cilantro/parsley (you can use all 3 or just 1, whatever you prefer)

-start by placing live mussels in a sink full of cold water, swish them around and discard and broken mussels, you can leave them in the water while working on the sauce

-saute shallots in olive oil until they soften
-add garlic, ginger, chili and zest, saute for about 2 minutes
-add stewed tomatoes, simmer about 5-8 minutes until liquid starts to reduce
-add wine, lime juice & drained mussels, cover and allow mussels to steam over medium heat (5-7mins) or until mussels open
-remove from heat, check for unopened mussels and discard them, add chopped herbs

Quinoa Salad with lemon zest

I have another quinoa salad on this blog, but this is a new one I came across recently. I made a few modifications, you can add and subtract as you like.

2 cups quinoa
2 cups parsely tops
1/2 mint leaves
1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
1 large shallot diced
1/2 a cucumber chopped
a couple handfuls of dried cranberries

dressing:
3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 tbspn white vinegar
1 lemon (zested and juiced)

(the recipe I originally used said to cook the quinoa the night before and then refrigerate overnight, I cooked it around noon, and didn't serve until dinner time)

Cooking quinoa- you want to use 2 parts liquid to 1 part quinoa, so in this case I needed 4 cups. I used 2 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water. You can use all broth or all water. I prefer broth for flavour.

Let the liquid boil before adding the quinoa, reduce the heat to medium low and cook with the lid on. Let it cook for about 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Set the quinoa aside to cool.

Chop the parsley and mint after washing and drying it. I prefer the parsley to be finely chopped, the mint can be a bit more coarse.

Finely chop the shallot, place this in the bottom of your salad bowl. Add the lemon zest, juice and the rest of the dressing ingredients.

Add the chopped cucumber, cranberries and halved tomatoes, stire in dressing. You can now add the cooled quinoa. Ensure that it is not lumpy or stuck together in clumps, you can break it up as you add it into the salad. Stir and serve.

At this point I ended up adding a couple cups of baby spinach leaves. I was serving this dish to a large crowd and I wasn't sure I had enough!

Sausage and Chickpea soup

I found this recipe on the province website. It was good as is, normally I change a few things but it is simple and I like that. Kind of reminds me of tortilla soup, similar flavours.

Sausage and Chickpea Soup
Serves 4
1 tablespoon (15 mL) canola or olive oil
1/2 to 1 pound (250 to 500 g) sausage meat (chicken, turkey or Italian)
1 whole bulb garlic, cloves separated, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cumin
1 can (14 ounces/398 mL) diced tomatoes, including juice
2 cups (500 mL) cooked chickpeas, or 1 can (19 ounces/540 mL), rinsed, drained
4 cups (1 L) chicken or beef stock
Lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Sour cream (optional)
1 ripe avocado, chopped
Fresh coriander (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown sausages with garlic just until sausage meat is cooked through, breaking the meat up with a spoon. Do not permit garlic to burn. Add jalapeno and cumin and cook another minute or two. Add tomatoes and their juice, chickpeas and stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes until everything is cooked through and the broth has thickened slightly. Add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot, topped with sour cream, avocado, coriander, with lime wedges alongside.Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Recipe+Sausage+Chickpea+Soup/6133936/story.html#ixzz1oBWwtju4

Basil Mojito

I love mojitos. Recently Craig saw a recipe for a Basil Mojito, it is virtually the same thing as a regular mojito but replace mint with basil and rum with vodka.


you will need:
a handful of basil leaves
vodka
soda water
limes
sugar water (make your own by mixing water and sugar (1 part water to 2 parts sugar) on the stove in a small pot, once it cools you can place it in a jug and it will keep in your fridge if you don't use it all that night)



Place basil leaves and the juice from half a squeezed lime in a tumbler. Lightly muddle until the basil smell becomes more intense. Add in a shot of vodka, ice and stir. Top with soda water and enjoy.  

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Yummy! These were delicious! Will definitely make them again. From Martha Stewart Christmas magazine.

7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup granulated sugar


Directions


1.Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.



2.In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.


3.In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.


4.Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.