January 22, 2020

Cauliflower and chickpeas coconut curry

Sometimes I venture into different cuisines and make a curry of sorts with what I have on hand in my pantry. In the last few days I have been working on a submission to an online food photography challenge and today’s challenge (for Saturday submission) was herbs and spices. Since I pulled out all the colourful spices for a photograph, I decided to use them in a dish for dinner, hence this curry. It’s a... View Article

January 13, 2020

Charcoal Bread Sticks

You know I like to play with my food and of late I have been interested in this charcoal idea. I made charcoal burger buns a while ago that I thought looked spectacular, but it’s not an everyday thing. I was in Toronto last week visiting our daughter and her husband who just had their first baby boy, our first grandchild. As you can imagine we are all head over heels in love with the... View Article

December 26, 2019

Gougeres (cheese puffs)

Gougeres are one of my favourite things to serve as an appetizer. They are light, airy, full of cheesy flavour, can be served plain or filled with a variety of fillings. In short, they are very versatile. To go with that, they are a little tricky to make and if you have never made them before it may take you once or twice to master them, but once you do I am sure they remain... View Article

December 22, 2019

Marble Bundt Cake

Definitely baking season over here, cookies, brownies, cakes and breads. The fragrance wafts through the house and the aromas confirm it’s holiday season. This cake is simple and I use oil instead of butter. I like the moist texture it creates and it simplifies the process.

December 13, 2019

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

I adapted this recipe from Delicious Magazine after seeing it on Laura Calder’s instagram feed. The dish consists of thinly sliced potatoes (sliced on a mandolin for even thickness) that are parboiled briefly and then arranged almost upright in a skillet, drizzled with butter (I used oil) and roasted in a hot oven until crisp and golden on top, soft and creamy on the bottom. The secret to this dish is to make the potatoes... View Article

December 12, 2019

Cheese Blintzes

Going back to my roots here with these cheese blintzes. My mother used to make them when I was growing up and when I lived in Calgary I went to the farmers market where Marguerite was making wonderful blintzes for sale every week. Now when I want them I have to make them myself. Blintzes are easy to make. They are basically egg based crepes filled with sweetened cottage cheese (I use local ricotta), folded... View Article

December 6, 2019

Roasted Eggplant and Tahini Dip (a.k.a baba ganoush)

Borrowing from middle eastern cuisine, this dip or spread is good to have on hand for ourselves or for company. I have friends who love it and I try to make it when they visit. You can serve it with a variety of breads, anything from a baguette to pita wedges, but I like making a flatbread and serve it warm with the eggplant dip. I have a number of flatbread recipes on the blog,... View Article

December 4, 2019

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with quick flatbread

Two hummus recipes in a row but that’s how it goes. One was so good I had to make one more but this time I had roasted peppers and added them to the mix. I also made a different flatbread, a very simple one with no yeast so it does not require rising time. I added a teaspoon of baking powder to lighten it up. It’s not vegan though, as I use yogurt instead of... View Article

November 28, 2019

Hummus

Homemade hummus is a wonderful thing. I cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker so they get nice and soft, and that makes the hummus so much more creamier than when using canned beans. Tahini paste adds a unique flavour and texture. Sometimes i make extra and drizzle it over the hummus, it’s delicious. For garnishes i drizzle olive oil over, sprinkle paprika, sesame seeds, dukkah, za’atar, whatever inspire me that day. Enjoy.

November 27, 2019

Plant based fat free scones

As promised I am posting a recipe for plant based scones that are also fat free. I don’t often make health claims on any of my recipes but I think this one would pass as healthy by most people. I used quinoa flour in the first recipe and it has quite a distinct quinoa”ish” flavour. If you want something less pronounced either use another flour (like oat or spelt) or blend half quinoa and half... View Article

November 26, 2019

Pumpkin Pie

      I am more of an apple pie (tart, galette) kind of gal but since “Tis the Season”, pumpkin pie it is. I had leftover roasted pumpkin on hand so puréed it through a food mill for smooth texture. You need about 2 cups. You can use canned pumpkin if you don’t have fresh, I think it’s fine and many online recipe call for canned pumpkin. However, make the pastry yourself, please. It makes... View Article

November 25, 2019

French toast (a.k.a. Pain Perdu)

This is not something I make frequently but when I want it I want it and today was the day. Luckily I had good homemade bread that worked well with this, or get a beautiful challah bread, or a brioche if you are lucky. Otherwise, any good white bread would do. You can use whole wheat but this is not a health dish, it’s more like a rare treat. It’s best to leave the bread... View Article