March 23, 2015

(Not) another kale and brussels sprouts salad

If there was one food trend in recent history that can be called the trend of the century it must be kale. I have already waxed poetic about it before so I won’t make you listen again but that’s my opinion and I am sticking to it. Kale just won’t go away, and it shouldn’t. Kale salads are now de rigueur on restaurant menus and some are quite appealing. It is a good mixer but... View Article

March 22, 2015

Three lentils and quinoa soup with cashew cream

It’s officially spring here in the Okanagan but still kind of cloudy and cool. The lilacs are trying to bud and I hope their efforts are going to be rewarded with warm weather and enough sunshine. So what I am trying to say is that it is still cool enough here to enjoy a warm bowl of hearty and delicious homemade soup. I wanted to have a simple dinner of soup and salad and have... View Article

March 21, 2015

Grilled zucchini with herbed crumbs

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

March 19, 2015

Lemon Rosemary Bundt Cake

In anticipation of summer herbs I bought a few rosemary plants and planted them in pots to place in a row on my kitchen counter. I also wanted to have something sweet on hand and thought I’d make a simple bundt cake with the newly acquired rosemary and the small pile of lemons sitting on the counter next to them.  These are really Meyer lemons, ripe and ready for juicing, but regular lemons would work... View Article

March 19, 2015

Mandoline salad with honey lemon dressing

I call this a mandolin salad because I slice most of the veggies that go into it on a mandoline type slicer. It doesn’t have to be a fancy one, the small plastic gadgets that are readily available work just fine. You can use a knife, but unless you have very good knife skills, I suggest you use a mandoline. I vary the dressings from olive oil and vinegar to sweet and tangy to nut... View Article

March 18, 2015

Fingerling potatoes salad with roasted mini sweet peppers

Here is a beautiful spring salad, full of vibrant colours and unexpected flavours and textures. What’s in it? Steamed creamy fingerling potatoes, thinly sliced crunchy radishes and red onion, roasted sweet mini peppers and a few briny olives. Tying them together is a creamy-tangy sherry vinaigrette and a sprinkling of parsley. This salad disappeared so quickly that I had no time to photograph it except for the little bit you see in the image. The... View Article

March 17, 2015

Mixed grains breakfast with caramel apples and walnuts

I thought I’d tell you about one breakfast cereal trick I have. If you cook with grains and seeds you know how you end up with a little bit of this and a little bit of that in your pantry. When I get to less than a cup of any of these items I add them all together to a jar and then cook them as cereal instead of the usual oatmeal. You can keep... View Article

March 16, 2015

Rice with sprouted lentils, roasted cauliflower and pistachios

Rice is one of the pantry staples that helps you put together a good dinner without having to run to the store. I find that people divide between those who love potatoes and those who love rice. I have my foot in both camps and have developed a decent repertoire of main course rice (or other grains) dishes for vegetarian style dinners. I started pre-soaking the rice recently after reading about it in various sources.... View Article

March 9, 2015

Fennel, pear, endive, blood orange and roasted squash salad

Sometimes the best salads happen when you least expect it. I was making a fennel and blood orange salad with the usual accoutrements and decided to add the lone acorn squash that was sitting on my counter. I roasted thin wedges of it with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of brown sugar and I have to say it made this salad (you can eat it with the skin, no need to peel).... View Article

March 8, 2015

Easy cheese sticks – and foodie films

I have been searching out movies that have food as part of their theme to watch now that I am done binge watching season 3 of House of Cards. There is a significant number of food movies out there, some well known, other more obscure. Here is my starter list of foodie films. If you know of or have a favourite food movie please pass on the name in a comment to this post: Chocolate... View Article

March 6, 2015

Black bean quesadillas with cherry tomatoes and cilantro salad

It’s always interesting to see what other food bloggers write about. I have looked around on the internet and it seems the trend at the moment is to reflect about the change of season. It’s very tempting to talk about the change in weather and how one is emerging from winter hibernation. Some are still writing about making soups and curling up on the sofa with a cashmere blanket and a good (cook)book, others are... View Article

March 4, 2015

One skillet pasta? They do it in Puglia

My Italian neighbour (thanks Marisa) alerted me to the trend of cooking pasta in a skillet: pasta, veggies, flavouring, oil, water, the whole thing in one skillet and you have a beautiful and flavourful pasta dish in its own sauce  in about 10 minutes. A quick internet search produced Martha Stewart as the instigator. One of Martha’s editors traveled to Puglia in Italy a couple of years ago and saw them making pasta in one... View Article