Tag Archive: Vegetarian

Saffron roasted cauliflower and potato salad

June 30, 2017

Roasting cauliflower completely changes its flavour profile, bringing out caramelized, sweet and deep flavour. For this roast I drizzled the florets with a little saffron dissolved in water to get the golden colour that you see in the image. If you don’t like the flavour of saffron this dish will not cut it for you. You can try and substitute with turmeric, curry or even a little paprika instead, or leave the cauli plain. To... View Article

Roasted asparagus and green onion with quinoa, pickled beets carpaccio and preserved lemon vinaigrette

June 26, 2017

So I had the pickled beets from another recipe and wanted to use them with the rest of the Quinoa that I had cooked the day before. Since I sliced the beets very thin I thought they would be good as carpaccio layer under the quinoa, and then topped it with roasted asparagus and beautiful green Onion I got at the market the other day. I wasn’t quite sure how to plate it so tried... View Article

Gnocchi with crispy crumbs topping

June 24, 2017

Sometimes when I make gnocchi I leave them smooth and pillowy instead of pressing them against a gnocchi board or a fork to create ridges. I know that traditionally gnocchi have ridges where the sauce can cling and settle in the grooves, but it’s also okay to leave them smooth, like little pillows. I make gnocchi often, being the starch lover that I am, and I have a few different ways to serve them. One... View Article

Roasted cauliflower and quinoa salad

June 22, 2017

Just to vary the theme a bit from pasta and potato salads I thought I’d pull out the quinoa from the pantry and see what I can do with it. I had the Bob’s red Mill tri-coloured quinoa variety, meaning red, white and black little grains (seeds, actually) and I thought they’d make a nice background for roasted cauliflower. Since the weather improved here (not by much), lighter dishes are appropriate and this salad-like plate... View Article

Beetroot salad with gorgonzola and walnuts

June 19, 2017

Beets and gorgonzola is one flavour pairing that was meant to be. The smooth, creamy, slightly pungent gorgonzola set against the sweetness of the roasted beets, nutty oil and sweet and tangy balsamic crema, you have to try it to understand. The added layer of walnut oil and crunch of walnuts make this a completely irresistible salad. I cut the beetroot into equal size cubes, toss them with the dressing and then distribute the cheese... View Article

Radish and cattail salad with walnuts

June 10, 2017

My trip to the local market today did not yield much. A couple of bunches of garlic scapes, a few small new carrots and local walnuts was almost all there was. However, thanks to our local professional forager Scott Moran I also got wild watercress, cattails all peeled and ready to use and a pound or so of wild morel mushrooms. I know what to do with the morels and wild watercress, check upcoming posts.... View Article

Tuscan white beans with thyme

June 7, 2017

Whether you cook vegetarian or not, well cooked beans from scratch are good to have in your cooking repertoire. This simple bean dish using fresh thyme from my garden is an easy way to cook them and yields a dish that has lot of flavour. True, beans are not a quick fix because they require soaking. To soak or not to soak, that is the question. I have heard and read that you can do... View Article

Pappardelle with ricotta, tomatoes and herbs

June 1, 2017

You know that saying that you can never be too thin, too rich or eat too much pasta? Well, the last part is my ad lib but that’s how I feel. I am always ready for a delicious and comforting steamy bowl of pasta. I was at the farmers market this week and picked up fresh ricotta from a local organic cheese producer, Bella Stella Cheese from Lumby, BC. The Swiss born Igor and German... View Article

Latkes with creme fraiche (potato cakes)

May 30, 2017

When we lived in Calgary I used to go to the farmers market every Saturday and never missed a stop at Margarita’s Dishes to indulge in her Jewish style potato latkes topped with a large dollop of sour cream and homemade berry sauce. Oh-so delicious. I make a few different versions of potato cakes but today I was in the mood for traditional latkes, similar to Margarita’s. Together with the fennel and citrus salad it... View Article

Fennel and citrus salad with homemade date leather

May 27, 2017

I may have mentioned before that I am addicted to Master Chef Australia. I am watching the 2014 season and have totally bonded with the home cooks and judges on that show. It’s a stellar season in terms of personalities and the show is so well done that I don’t miss an episode. Surprisingly, I have learned a lot from watching this and other reality TV food shows. It’s not necessarily recipes but you get... View Article

Parsnip, Carrot and Potato Soup

May 20, 2017

The last trip to the market filled my fridge with all kinds of produce and this week I did pretty well with what I bought. I have cooked the foraged mushrooms from Scot Moran in a beautiful pasta dish made with home made tagliatelle, used the fingerling potatoes and various radishes in a summer potato salad and cooked the long red stalks of rhubarb, some to top a bowl of steel-cut oats in the morning... View Article

Fingerling potato salad with spring vegetables

May 18, 2017

It’s summer potato salad time, even though summer is not quite here yet. Yesterday was a sunny day so I finally got all the new herbs planted. A lot of them grow back every year but I still like to plant new ones and refresh the look each season. The chives are threatening to take over their section, competing furiously with the adjacent spread of oregano. Various thymes are stubbornly rooted, refusing to budge (I... View Article