Tag Archive: vegan. vegetarian

Back in my kitchen: Artichokes with olive oil and lemon

March 8, 2017

It’s good to be back in my kitchen after three months away. We came back from visiting first the Mayan Riviera and then Central America where the weather was warm and sunny, only to face the last of the snow and cool temperatures of latitude 50° at home. For some strange reason it makes me feel better knowing that the Champagne region in France is also at the same latitude. Ahhh, champagne. The first adjustment... View Article

Roasted mixed squash

November 7, 2016

This is winter squash season and piles of butternut, acorn, delicata, buttercup and more are piled high on the stands at the markets. I do my share to support local producers and buy a lot of them. They can sit on the counter for a while as part of the kitchen scene, bringing in a seasonal element and beautiful shapes and colour to your home. But of course they are meant to be cooked. The... View Article

Lemon-marinated fennel and pear salad

October 25, 2016

Fennel is a fall vegetable and although it is available all year it is really best in the fall when you can get it locally. Many people are not that familiar with it and are reluctant to try but I would say be adventurous and go for it. What can happen? Fennel  is a white”ish” bulb with fronds that resemble dill. It has anise-like flavour and crispy texture when eaten raw. I shred it into... View Article

Vin Santo stone fruit compote

September 19, 2016

How fun at the end of the summer to gather the best ripe stone fruits and a few others, shower them with a bottle of Vin Santo and simmer them together to a sweet perfection that you can then serve chilled in glass bowls. This to me is one of end of summer best treats. It is a dish I grew up with (minus the Vin Santo) where it was called a fruit soup. It... View Article

Cherry tomato vinaigrette

August 29, 2016

I would venture to say that this vinaigrette is so good that it doesn’t require a salad. Give me this dish with a crusty baguette and leave me alone and I would finish it right off the skillet, still warm and you will hardly need to rinse the skillet. As all good food tends to be, it is super simple and depends on the quality of ingredients. I was watching a food show on Netflix... View Article

Roasted salted squash seeds

October 16, 2015

I roasted a bunch of squashes the other day and thought I shouldn’t waste the seeds. It’s a little work separating them from the stringy bits of squash flesh that want to stick to them but you know, it’s doable. So I pulled the seeds out of the squash cavity, cleaned them the best I could and spread them on a parchment sheet to dry overnight. The next day I drizzled them with a little... View Article

Potatoes and broccolini Sauté

June 7, 2015

Here is a simple dish to make with either baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes. I steam them first and then sauté in olive oil. I add the broccolini towards the end of the cooking so they finish cooking together. You could cook the broccolin i sep[arately and combine them at the end if you wish. If you don’t have broccolini you could use red pepper or broccoli instead. There are two camps in culinary circles... View Article

Joy Road Alfresco Dinner and Grilled Local Asparagus recipe

May 26, 2015

I just came back from another fabulous dinner event at God’s Mountain Estate in Penticton, a dinner catered by the incomparable Dana and Cameron of Joy Road Catering. These signature events they call alfresco dinners are held throughout the season (May to October) at the B&B overlooking beautiful Skaha lake. This evening it rained when we arrived and Dana and her team set the long table under cover on the porch overlooking the lake, so... View Article

My go to soup: beans and pasta

May 6, 2015

I am sure anyone who cooks has some foods that they can make without a recipe and soups must be among them. Do soups really need a recipe? You kind of build a soup layer by layer with what you have on hand. This beans and pasta soup is the one I go to when I need a good hearty soup that doesn’t require any special trip to the store because I usually have all... View Article

Rice and black beans bowl

April 26, 2015

Grains and legumes form a large part of our every day food at home. They show up at breakfast, in soups, salads, main course and even desserts. This easy version of rice and beans is good with the addition of caramelized onion. The onion, slowly caramelize until it is golden and crisp in spots, is reminiscent of the classic middle east dish of rice and lentils called mujadara. I fold the caramelized onion into the... View Article

Grilled zucchini with herbed crumbs

March 21, 2015

I am a little under the influence of opera at the moment. The London Royal Opera broadcasted their Flying Dutchman Wagner’s opera to movie theatres worldwide and of course I never miss a performance if I can help it. This production ended on a tragic note, with the doomed Hollander taking off to the raging seas believing, mistakenly, that his last hope for redemption, his beloved Senta, was unfaithful, therefore unknowingly punishing him to eternal... View Article

Roasted cauliflower with chickpeas, pine nuts and tahini sauce

February 18, 2015

A while ago I attended a special dinner at Mission Hill Winery in Kelowna. The dinner was held in their Chagall room where a long table was set with linen, flowers and crystal and dinner was served family style. The Chef served a dish of roasted cauliflower and chickpeas that was just my kind of food. I adapted it to my vegetarian cooking style omitting the prosciutto that he draped over the dish. I didn’t... View Article