Creamy Carrot Orange Soup with Cashews

I often think of this delicious soup on fall days.  When the weather is cooler and we have an abundance of fresh carrots. I first tried this soup many years ago.  The original recipe is from an old favourite cookbook, “The Silver Palate”.  This was a very popular cookbook  in the 1980’s, written by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins from a popular Manhattan food shop.  In the book, this soup is a starter, a simple soup with onions, carrots and orange juice.  From the first time I made,  I just loved it, along with the many excellent recipes in the book. Continue reading Creamy Carrot Orange Soup with Cashews

Super Seed Crackers

Have you ever made your own crackers?  This recipe is so quick and easy, once you make them you will probably never go back to store bought crackers.  These crackers are also very healthy.  With a combination of fibre rich seeds like chia and flax, protein from hemp, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, plus healthy and important fat from many of the seeds these super seed crackers are super nutritious. Continue reading Super Seed Crackers

Chai Applesauce, Apple Butter & Apple Leather

Yay for Apple Season!  You might know it as fall or autumn.  Bring on the apples, pears, plums, pumpkins, winter squash, and root vegetables, and all the warm comforting dishes for cooler weather. As our locally available produce changes, so do our cooking methods and spices.  Did you ever notice that we use more spices in fall?  Spices like cinnamon with apples, ginger with pears, these along with cloves and nutmeg with pumpkin.  I love all these comforting spices, especially in interesting combinations such as in chai. Continue reading Chai Applesauce, Apple Butter & Apple Leather

Healthy Packed Lunch Idea – Veggie Wrap with Apple Butter, Carrots and Sunflower Seeds

And so it starts, 190 days of school lunches ahead of us as the kids head back to school.  That is a lot of days and it can quickly become more difficult to keep things unique, tasty and appetizing.  We want to provide our kids with a nutritious lunch that they will enjoy and most importantly that they will eat. Continue reading Healthy Packed Lunch Idea – Veggie Wrap with Apple Butter, Carrots and Sunflower Seeds

Roasted Corn and Poblano Quiche with Tortilla Crust

Holidays can provide wonderful inspiration for future recipes.  We taste flavours that we are not as familiar with, spices we may not know, combinations that are really really amazing. I love finding that local hot spot that is so good at what is does and we were lucky enough to find a couple of those places on our last trip which was in March 2016. Continue reading Roasted Corn and Poblano Quiche with Tortilla Crust

Kiwi Blackberry Stacks with Honey Lime Yogurt

Kiwi Blackberry Stacks with Lime Honey Yogurt
Kiwi Blackberry Stacks with Honey Lime Yogurt

I am quite familiar with kiwi fruits but mostly the green variety and I had not tried Zespri SunGold kiwi before.   When the opportunity came up to participate in the Recipe Redux SunGold Surprise Challenge,  I was excited to be part of it. I love finding new ways to enjoy fresh fruits and if I can find a way to dress them up into an elegant healthy dessert: even better. Continue reading Kiwi Blackberry Stacks with Honey Lime Yogurt

Soba Edamame Salad with Tahini Dressing

Salads like this make for light, refreshing summer meals.  They are the perfect hot weather food, served chilled or at room temperature. They are incredible easy to make and very quick: 30 minutes or less.  Lots of colours and fresh vegetables make them a very balanced nutritious meal.  The addition of edamame and cashews adds richness to the salad and also a good source of plant based protein. Continue reading Soba Edamame Salad with Tahini Dressing

Cucumber Carrot Salad with Sesame Seeds

It is the height of summer and the selection of fresh, local, in season fruits and vegetables is at its peak.   It is the perfect time of year to enjoy your favourites and try some new ways to prepare them.  This salad is fresh and delicious with Asian flavours that really make the dish pop.   The crunchy carrots and cucumbers almost become lightly pickled in the tangy lime juice, chili, rice vinegar dressing.  It is light and refreshing and just perfect for hot summer days. Continue reading Cucumber Carrot Salad with Sesame Seeds

Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad

Summertime…when the living is easy.  Salads like this and summer meals in general often come together almost intuitively, simply by picking what is fresh, ripe, colourful, and appealing.  There is nothing quite like the taste of a tomato or peach or English pea that is picked at its peak, bursting with luscious flavours.  Summer is for savouring these tastes that we have waited a long time to taste again. Continue reading Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad

Lentil Amaranth Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This recipe for stuffed portobello mushrooms is elegant and completely delicious.  Using both lentils and amaranth, these are a  great source of plant based protein and packed with many valuable nutrients.  Adding roasted peppers compliments the meaty flavour and texture of the portobellos and the tangy, creamy goat cheese brightens the dish.  To make this meal vegan, pine nuts would be a suitable substitute. Continue reading Lentil Amaranth Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms