Tuesday 23 June 2015

Tuesday Tofu Tacos

Try saying that fast 10 times- lol.

 This recipe came from Thug Kitchen, one of my favourite cookbooks. It's easy to prepare, fast- and so good! I topped the mixture with more hot sauce, avocado slices and a combination of parsley and cilantro.
Make again? Absolutely.



Getting prepped. My little chopper came in handy tonight, too!

Done in no time!

Here's the link:
http://bit.ly/1RuJ1xH

Roasted Rhubarb Shake

I'm having a lot of fun trying out new recipes to use up all my rhubarb! This one is delightful, and almost too decadent to have for breakfast! Healthy never tasted so good!
Start the day off right with this beautiful shake. It will put a smile on your face.






Here's a link to the recipe:
http://bit.ly/1GlCKPv

Sunday 21 June 2015

Rhubarb Crisp

A good friend of mine gave me some gorgeous rhubarb from her garden, so for Father's Day I made this beautiful crisp for my husband.

He loved it! I added the juice of an orange as well as the rind, and doubled the recipe. I also used whole spelt flour instead of wheat. If I were to change anything, I would add a little less raw sugar in the topping, as it was a tad sweet, but nonetheless still very lovely. I didn't make the ginger for the ice cream, but it sounds great!

A wonderful dessert for the most wonderful husband -and dad- in the world.

Friday 19 June 2015

The Taste of Summer

I had the most wonderful day. A road trip out into the country to find beautiful, 'almost' organic strawberries and then back home to my kitchen for some serious jam making.
I haven't made jam much because of the obscene amount of sugar that goes into the recipe. But this year I came across a blog- DYI Natural- that talked about a natural pectin brand called Pomona's Universal Pectin. This pectin allows you to use any sweetener you like, and the amount is lower than what is used with conventional pectin. I found it at our local health food store, and along with some honey, lime juice and a bunch of 125ml jars, I was good to go.

The recipe is easy to follow- I have included the link below. I prefer a jam that isn't too thick, so it is more like a spread, but you can tweak the recipe to give you the consistency you like. Lime juice is optional- in one batch, I used the full 1/4 cup, in another no juice and the last batch 1/8 cup. I think I prefer 1/4 cup, but they were all good.

I like using the 125ml jars too. I only used 1 flat of berries- 6 quarts- and that made 36 jars. We don't eat jam every day, so this size is perfect, as they keep for a couple weeks in the fridge after thawing. They are also great for little gifts. Tie a little ribbon around the top, maybe add a decorative spoon or knife or pkg of tea- a perfect hostess gift. And of course, I will have lots for when the kids come home!

Enjoy this beautiful season with some fresh healthy jam. It's the taste of summer.




I was so delighted to see how beautiful these berries were! It made the trip most worthwhile.

In fact I decided to buy 2 flats instead of one!
Setting up for the 'jam' session

Making sure all my jars were washed 

Getting my berries prepared- washed and hulled.

My favourite appliance- no hand mashing needed. Just a few pulses to keep some nice chunks in the jam.

Honey and fresh lime




Add the boiling water to the food processor, sprinkle in the pectin and blend for 2 minutes before adding to the berries. Stir well.

Then add the calcium water to the berries, mixing well. If the jam needs a little more thickening, add 1 tsp at a time until it gels.

Make sure you leave 1/2 inch at the top of each jar to allow for expansion in the freezer

Add the tops and screw the lids on tightly


I kept the boxes so I could stack them easily in the freezer.

Now time for some pumpernickel toast and jam, and camomile tea.  Life is good.



Here's the link to the recipe (recipe is also on the Pomona website-http://www.pomonapectin.com/directions)

Key Lime Coconut Cheesecake Cups

Now, that's a mouthful, isn't it?

This was an interesting recipe. I'm fairly new to vegan baking, and this one was a little fussier than the simple squares and brownies I've made previously.
I wouldn't call this super healthy although healthier than conventional cheesecake, that's for sure. Nonetheless, it's a treat and one that I would serve to guests.
The only thing I would change next time is to use the smaller size cupcake cups ( I just had large).
For those wanting a light, yet rich dessert, smaller would be ideal.

So treat yourself, and treat those you love.


Into the freezer they go!



Just right.


Thursday 18 June 2015

Tomato/Basil/Mozzarella Bites

If you want an appetizer that it is tasty and takes only a few minutes to prepare. try these. I've made them a few times and the simplicity of flavours in these little kabobs- tomato, basil and boccaccini is really nice, especially dipped in the simple sauce of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Vibrant colours, fresh flavours- it doesn't have to be complicated to be satisfying. Enjoy.







Quinoa and Cacao Crispy Treats

From the blog- Deliciously Ella

Need a dessert that's easy, fast, relatively healthy- and cute :D ? This one took 15 minutes to make, no baking required and only 5 ingredients. No fuss, no muss.
Give it try!




Do you see many ingredients here? I know!

Prepare the chocolate sauce

Stirring until smooth on low heat.

Pore the melted cacao mixture over the quinoa and stir until combined.

I use a little melon scoop to make them nice and uniform.

Into the freezer they go!

Here's the link:

Sunday 14 June 2015

Who Knew Tempeh Could be so GOOD?

I made this dish (Marinated Balsamic, Maple and Garlic Tempeh) this afternoon from my 'Oh She Glows' cookbook (Angela Liddon). Prepared it in the marinade (which took all of 5 minutes), flipped it a few times over the course of the afternoon, and baked it in the same dish for about 20 minutes. Ridiculously easy, but one of the best soy dishes we've ever eaten. The marinate was rich and flavourful, and it was difficult to stop eating those little triangles. Paired with a big salad  it was a delightful dinner.

Will make again and again.



Preparing the marinade.



Here's the link: http://bit.ly/1FhHlAw

Whatever You've Got Salad

Sometimes it's fun to make a salad with whatever you've got hanging around the fridge and pantry.

This one? Quinoa, shredded rainbow carrots and broccoli stalks, parsley and peas. Dressing- olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, cumin and pinch of salt. 

So easy, so fast, so good.


Crowd Pleasing Tex Mex Casserole (crowd of 2 that is!)

I was off to a yoga workshop this weekend, so I wanted to make something ahead of time that was healthy and could be reheated fast. This was such a good recipe from Oh She Glows (Angela Liddon). I made 2 versions, one with the cheese, one without-guess which one was better- hehe. But cheese was just the 'icing on the cake', it was great bare naked too.

 Recorded this one and have it in my food journal as a keeper. Hope you try it too.

I've learned that getting all my ingredients out first, may take a bit of time at the beginning, but it's worth it- the recipe goes more smoothly and I stay on track easier!

Saute in oil- or in our case, vegetable broth.

Kale from the garden! Spices, beans and tomatoes. A good combination.

After the veggies are sautéed add the kale.

And the spices. 

Put it in the oven and this is what it looks like when it's finished. SO GOOD.

Here's the link: http://bit.ly/1BfoOtw

Superfood Chocolate Crispy Treats {gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free} Oh Yah..

I made these the other day. I better be careful because I'm discovering all kinds of amazing vegan treat recipes, and putting them in the freezer doesn't seem to deter me from eating them, one-little-bit.

This is an easy recipe, and actually light tasting- maybe "too" light, if you know what I mean.

Give it try. You'll want to make it again and again. And check out the Bojon Gourmet blog- beautiful photography, delicious recipes.

Enjoy. (munch munch)









Here's the link: http://bit.ly/1G507Mm

Friday 5 June 2015

My Version of Caesar Salad with Roasted Chickpea Croutons

This is a simple, hearty salad that is delicious and healthy from Angela Liddon's "Oh She Glows" blog.  Since we are trying to reduce fat in our diet I substituted a dressing from another post. It was very good, but fairly mild- it tasted more like a ranch dressing. To make it for this recipe you could add some kick to it with some worcestershire or even a little more lemon juice or garlic.
I also omitted the nut and seed parmesan cheese because of the fat as well. But it sure looked good!

The croutons were a great addition. Make sure you roast them long enough that they are crunchy, and let them cool in the pan (two things I'll do next time). Otherwise, they're still on the soft side.

I would serve this to dinner guests (at least to some of them :)). And will definitely be making it again.  Links are posted below.



After soaking chickpeas (see recipe),  rinsing and rubbing dry, roast the croutons.

Chop the romaine..

strip the stems off the dinosaur kale and chop as well.

The combination of both colours is so lush!

Prepare the simple dressing

using my favourite little appliance!

Add the croutons

and the dressing. So good!

Links:

Crowd Pleasing Caesar Salad: http://bit.ly/1zmt9VP

Creamy Hemp Seed Salad Dressing: http://bit.ly/1Gp9pJt

Tuesday 2 June 2015

Black Bean, Zucchini & Olive Tacos

Fast easy fun dinner-super quick & easy but healthy & flavourful. Perfect for tonight.

This recipe comes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's book Appetite for Reduction.She recommends serving it with the Garlic-Lemon yogurt but it's not a must.

Ingredients (makes 8 tacos)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 zucchini, diced small (about 1lb)
2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced thinly
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1⁄3 cup pitted kalamata olive, chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 (6 ounce) can salsa verde (canned tomatillos)
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained & rinsed
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1⁄2 cup finely chopped scallion

Garlic-Lemon Yogurt
1 cup unsweetened plain soy yogurt (wildwood is great)
2 -3 garlic cloves
1⁄2lemon zest
1 lemon, juice of
1⁄2 teaspoon light agave nectar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat a heavy bottomed skille tover medium-high heat. Pour in the oil and add the zucchini and jalapeno, sprinkle with the salt. Saute for about 7 minutes, or until the zucchini is lightly browned.
Add the garlic, olives, cumin, and coriander, and saute for 2 minutes more.
Add the salsa verde and black beans and cook for 5 minutes. The salsa should reduce a bit so its not soupy.
Mix the ingredients for the Garlic-Lemon Yogurt if your using.
Warm the tortillas in a skillet or wrap in a moist towel & nuke for a minute. Assembly the tacos by adding the filling, yogurt, and topping with scallions. Enjoy!

NOTE:  I also added some frozen corn and goat feta at the end of cooking. I didn't use the salsa nor make the garlic yogurt. It was delicious as is.