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Moroccan-Inspired Carrot Salad
This Morrocan-inspired carrot salad is perfect; healthy, lemony carrots and chickpeas with the salty feta and pistachios and a nice hit of sweetness from the dates and pomegranate arils.
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Pickled Onions
Last Summer I had tacos that came with pickled onions as a topping, and something about the flavours made me slightly obsessed. I thought about making pickled onions on and off for ages, but couldn’t find a recipe I really liked the look of, so I sort-of forgot about it. Then a few weeks ago I was in Montreal for the Folk Alliance International conference, and I was served a dish with the most delicious pickled onions ever, and it reminded me that they are easy to make and that I ought to just give them a shot and see if I could come up with something I liked. I…
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Lemon Cake (Vegan!)
I’m generally pretty suspicious of vegan baking – I’ve tried a few nearly-inedible vegan sweets in the past that really turned me off. But there are a lot of great bakers out there who’ve found ways to make really wonderful vegan treats, and in looking through their recipes I found that there’s a pretty consistent formula – somehow the vinegar does the trick. This lemon cake is tasty and moist, and honestly you wouldn’t know it was vegan by taste or texture. I baked this cake last week for my sister Sammi’s birthday – she and my other sister, Cassie, were doing Vegan February, so my usual go-to birthday treats,…
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Canning Peaches – Hot Pack Method
Canned peaches can be eaten just as they are, or used in recipes that call for fresh ripe peaches. Try to get high-quality fruit at peak ripeness for best results. People always make canning seem super-difficult and complicated and time-consuming, but in fact it’s mostly washing things and cutting up fruit or vegetables. Don’t be afraid – just make sure your work area is clean, wash everything well, and follow the instructions below! I’ve added some notes at the bottom from my first experience canning peaches; they’re as much for myself as anyone else, but you may find them helpful! Canning Peaches – Hot Pack Method Yield: 5-6 Litres Prep time: It…
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Dill Pickles
Dill pickles are an easy start for a beginning canner, and a staple of most home canners’ Summers. Pickling cukes are new cucumbers, and are available from sometime in July through until maybe mid-September. They’re a nice quick project, easy to do on a week night after work, and the ingredients are easily available at local Farmers’ Markets and at most grocery stores. Dill Pickles Yield: 5-6 cups Prep Time: 30 minutes Processing Time: 10 minutes Resting Time: 24 hours When to eat: It’s fine to eat them immediately after you’ve canned them, but if you can, give them at least a month to let the flavours deepen. Once opened,…
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Dilly Beans
I love canning, and pickling is one of the easiest kinds of canning that you can do. It takes very little prep, it’s easy, and it’s one of the safest kinds of canning because of the acidic environment created by the vinegar. Which is why it’s great for beginners – especially Dilly Beans, which are cheap and easy to do. And who doesn’t love pickles? I took a trip down to the St. Lawrence Market‘s weekly Farmer’s Market this past weekend to pick up pickling dill, beans, and pickling cukes – I meant to grow my own dill this year, but due to poor pot placement in the pocket garden,…
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Roasted Tomato Soup
I was never a soup person until, in my early twenties I spent some time working at a private golf club as a waiter. The chef at the club was fantastic, and tasting his daily soups (so that I could recommend them to our customers) converted me from a person who thought all soup tasted like tinned soups to someone who understood that flavours could combine beautifully and still taste delicious and fresh. This Roasted Tomato Soup reminds me of his soups; fragrant, hearty, and bursting with flavour. It’s the kind of thing I’m glad I know how to make, especially when the Winter is lingering and all I want…
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Turmeric Roasted Vegetables with Tahini Dressing
I’ve been experimenting with a few different flavourful salads over the past few months, and this one is a combination of two different recipes. Turmeric Roasted Vegetables are a nice filling lunch or dinner with a bright colour and an intense flavour. I find it really tasty and filling, especially for lunches. In these cold winter months, it’s nice to eat meals that are packed full of vitamin C and feel fresh and healthy. And Turmeric is so great – it not only adds visual interest and flavour, but is supposedly an anti-inflammatory. While this is a great meal for anyone, it’s also vegan and Whole30 compliant. When taking it…
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Roasted Squash with Shallots, Garlic, and Red Pepper
This tasty side dish was an on-the-fly invention during an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner (we ate at 9pm, unexpected friends dropped by, it was lovely). Roasted squash isn’t exactly rocket science, but it’s nice to get away from the usual squash with brown sugar and butter, and probably a smidge healthier. When this is done, the delicious caramelized sauce is almost like a vegan gravy – you may find yourself licking the pan. This recipe is Whole30 compliant, and if that’s not your jam you can add some butter to the squash when you’ve got it on your plate, but you really don’t need it at all – the sauce created…
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Preserved Lemons
Eight years ago, I travelled alone to Morocco and spent a month with no reservations or plans, moving from place to place as I liked and enjoying Moroccan culture, food, and affordable, comfortable railways. The first time I tried Preserved Lemons was in Meknes, in a restaurant overlooking the Place Hedim, opposite the Bab Mansour. I ordered Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons, and I swear it came with at least one full preserved lemon and the most succulent chicken I’ve ever eaten (see picture below!). As I watched small crowds gather around musicians performing in the square and sipped mint tea, I remember thinking that it was one of the…
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Cranberry Sauce
Is there an easier thing in the world than home made cranberry sauce? I mean, yes, opening a can is easier, but this recipe takes 20 minutes tops and tastes a million times better than whatever you get out of a can. Gorgeous, ruby-red cranberry sauce is perfect as is – you can certainly add all kinds of other things, but I think it’s best kept basic – sugar, water, cranberries. Cranberry sauce is one of my favourite things about any turkey dinner – I really just use turkey as a cranberry sauce delivery system – and I always make my own. I love the beautiful reds of the berries,…
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Roasted Red Pepper Ketchup
I’ve been making this ketchup recipe for years, and it’s super-delicious. I give jars of preserves as gifts at Ecksmas, and literally have people fighting over these ones in particular (the people who love the Mango Chutney are, oddly, much more chill about it). As with most canning, this recipe is mostly just washing things – the canning jars and lids, the produce, the tools you’re using – and prepping the produce; once it goes in the pot, it’s very simple. I know it looks like a lot of steps, but if you give it a quick read-through, you’ll see they’re all pretty straightforward. I like to make sure each…
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Balela Salad
I’m always up for a nice bean salad – they remind me of Summer picnics, and this Balela Salad – loosely based on the Middle Eastern dish – would be a great addition to any picnic or potluck. Vegan, gluten-free, and delicious, this salad is perfect if you’re hoping to feed a crowd of people with diverse dietary restrictions. It’s also great for lunches, as the fibre will keep you feeling full until the day is over. It’s also a bit addictive, especially after it’s had a day to marinate in the fridge. You can serve it with pita or some fresh bread, but it’s perfectly fine on its…
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Cauliflower Tacos
These delicious vegetarian cauliflower tacos are so good that they leave me craving more whenever I make them. They’re pretty healthy, too, and extremely flavourful while not being terribly spicy, despite the chiles and jalapeno. I’m not a vegetarian, but I’m not a huge meat-eater and though I occasionally enjoy meat it’s not a thing I like to cook at home very often. And I’m trying to find recipes that are a bit healthier while still being the kind of thing that I look forward to eating. If you’re the kind of person who finds cauliflower repulsive, you still might find yourself enjoying this – the cauliflower is really just…
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Tuscan Chicken Skillet
I’m always looking for reasonably quick, easy recipes that are reasonably healthy and freeze well, so that I can take them to work for lunch. Tuscan Chicken Skillet ticks all of the boxes, but it’s also super-delicious. It’s nice, when you’re surrounded by take-out lunch options that aren’t great for your but are incredibly tempting, to have something home-cooked and tasty ready to go. I try to spend Sunday nights cooking, so that I can eat well all week, and though it’s not always possible, when I do have the time it’s awesome. I’ll note that this recipe was initially written up as a low-mess, one pot meal,…
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Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame Seed Oil
Easy and delicious (though admittedly not beautiful), I made Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame Seed Oil last night and ended up eating almost an entire head of cauliflower by myself. Technically I guess it’s a side dish, and a super-tasty one, but it’s the kind of thing I’m likely to eat as a main, because it’s quick and really filling. This simple recipe works best if you have a roasting dish that just barely fits the dish, and that also has a lid. This will help keep the cauliflower moist, and also helps the sesame oil flavour to infuse the cauliflower, which is totally amazing. Sesame oil is one of my favourite…
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Sweet Potato Salad with Orange-Maple Dressing
Sweet Potato Salad with Orange-Maple Dressing - delicious, flavourful, and great energy food that kept me going when all I wanted to do was lie down in the grass and sleep.
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Guacamole
Making Avocados are kind-of a major staple of my diet these days; I don’t eat a lot of meat, ((though I’m not a vegetarian.)) and they make a good stand-in for the hearty part of a meal. Though they are annoyingly finicky, ((Not ripe, not ripe not ripe Ripe! Too late)) I usually have them around for sandwiches and things. Lately, I’ve been really craving salty, savoury things, and discovered Los Cantores Tortilla Chips at our local deli, St. James Town Steak and Chops. Normally I don’t shill for companies, but these are freaking delicious, and I totally recommend them. I’ll also note that if you’re in the market for…
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Pina Colada Popsicles
I found this recipe online and altered it slightly; it’s super-easy and super-delicious. They really do taste like Pina Colada Popsicles, even if you leave out the rum. If you are using rum, I totally recommend Sailor Jerry’s, which is my favourite – it’s very vanilla-y and super-delicious. The only annoying part about these popsicles is waiting for the popsicles to freeze, but then, is you get impatient, they’re pretty good as slush, too. And they’re a creamy treat for vegans! How nice! Ingredients 1 can pineapple chunks, in juice 1 banana 1 can coconut milk Rum (Optional) Directions Combine ingredients in a blender, then pour into popsicle moulds. Freeze (approx. 5…
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Ugly Soup
This is a recipe from my good friend and longtime co-conspirator Ashley, who is a great cook and sometimes posts recipes here. Some years ago when I was feeling pretty under-the-weather, she shared with me this recipe for a soup that she created. This is totally comfort food, for me, when the cold weather hits; it’s essentially a Chicken Noodle Soup, if Chicken Noodle Soup wasn’t salty, bland, and disgusting and was instead somewhat heavenly and delicious. Anyway, now you know where I stand on Chicken Noodle Soup. This recipe will do all of the things you want from said grotty soup, but will do them with vim, vigour, and…
