Prague in pictures

I've been negligent in posting pictures from my trip, so here are a few from pretty, pretty Prague.

First, the not so pretty snipers guarding the Pope's motorcade. Yes, our trip coincided with a visit from His Holiness. No one in Prague was very excited to see him, and frankly, neither we were. But we happened to stumble upon the street where he was staying, so we waited around for a bit to see him leave. About 25 cars and several more motorcyles preceeded him.

We think the Pope was in this car. Good view, no?

View from Charles Bridge at night. All the lamps were gas, giving off a yellowish glow.

Gold building in Prague.

The astronomical clock in Old Town Square.

Jazz musicians jamming on Charles Bridge.

View of Prague rooftops.

Another view from Charles Bridge. Thanks for pointing in my shot, buddy!

Stained glass at Prague Castle.

Changing of the guard at the castle.

Typical streetscape in Old Town Square.

Sunday pancakes

I'm not really a pancake fan -- I'm more of a French toast kinda gal. But I read this recipe recently and thought I should give it a try. Result? These are the best pancakces I've ever had! The addition of the oats and whole wheat make them really hearty, and because they use so much baking powder, they plump up to some tasty little cakes. This will be my go-to recipe from now on.

(I'm not sure about the nutritional claim advertised in the original recipe, especially given the syrup and butter I added after this picture was taken. In a mild attempt to up the healthful content, I served them with a sliced apple, which I sauteed for a minute in the same pan.)

Whole Grain Pancakes (from Michael Smith, originally printed in the Globe and Mail)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat, grain or almond flour
1 cup oatmeal flakes
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk or water
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs, or 4 for added richness
1 teaspoon or more of pure vanilla extract

While you mix the batter, preheat a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, and then pour them into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir the batter until it is smooth, but don't overmix.

Cook until bubbles form, then flip. Keep the cakes warm in a low oven until ready to serve.

Serves 4. I quartered the recipe just for me.

Squash and chickpea moroccon stew

I bought a butternut squash a while ago that was threatening to get up and walk right out of my fridge if it didn't get used. So I did a bit of searching and came up with this recipe that looked like a tasty combination of veggies and spices to keep you warm on a cold autumn night. It also appealed because of the addition of chickpeas, one of my favourite ingredients (quick sidenote: my workplace, until recently, had a ban against nuts in the office. On that list were chickpeas. Because they're nuts? What? Thankfully the ban has been lifted, so it's hummus time again).

I actually bought dried chickpeas for this recipe and decided to try them out. They're a bit more labour intensive than opening a can, but not too taxing. All you have to do is soak the beans overnight, then boil the next day for about 40 minutes. Not really a weeknight dinner option, but if you make this stew on a weekend, as I did, it's very doable.

I find both the flavour and texture of these dried babies to be better than canned beans. Plus, if you're like me and routinely lug heavy groceries up flights of stairs, in elevators and down halls, a bag of dried peas is much lighter than a can to carry -- and easier on your wallet too.

So here's how it started. Peeling and chopping one butternut squash. Not the easiest job, especially if you're me and are allergic to squash flesh. It's true! The skin on my hands starts to peel when I handle squash or pumpkin, so I could never carve the jack o' lantern as a kid (insert sympathetic 'awww' here).

Chopping the potatoes, crushing the cumin seeds and getting the cinnamon stick ready. Do you think I have enough? By the way, my mortar and pestle is from Atelier Orange -- it's beautiful to look at and to use.


Here's everything simmering away on the stove. I let this cook a bit too long and the squash lost its shape and became a bit mushy.

Finishe product, garnished with plain yoghurt, a dash of hot sauce and some almonds. I served it over couscous, but I'm sure it would also be good over some brown rice. Next time I'd bump up the spices a bit, as this was a little more bland than I would have liked. It is, however, an incredibly filling meal, and a good veggie alternative to a traditional meat stew.

Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew (From smittenkitchen.com)

Serves 6 to 8

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound butternut squash, large dice
3/4 pound red potatoes, large dice
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained (*I used dry beans. I cup dry makes about two cups cooked)
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
Pinch saffron threads (optional) (*I used saffron stolen from Budapest!)
1/2 preserved lemon, finely chopped (*I substituted lemon zest)
1 cup brined green olives
Steamed couscous, for serving
Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish (*I used parsley instead)
Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
Plain yogurt, for garnish
Hot sauce of your choice (for serving)

Heat butter and olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spices are aromatic and onions are soft and translucent, about five minutes.

Add squash and potatoes, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir to coat, and cook until just tender, about three minutes. Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juices, and saffron, if using. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in preserved lemon and olives. Serve over couscous garnished with cilantro, almonds, and yoghurt.