Chicken Tomatillo Soup
Tomatillos are a staple ingredient in Mexican cuisine and were used as far back as 800 B.C. by the Aztecs. Their more authentic name is “tomato verde”, Spanish for “green tomato”, and they make up an essential part of the famous green Mexican sauce called salsa verde. They are similar to regular red tomatoes except that their taste is less sweet and more tart and their texture is firmer and meatier. Their seeds are really tiny and their skins are very thin so they neither need to be peeled nor de-seeded like regular tomatoes often do for soups and sauces. Continue Reading →
Tomato Artichoke Frittata
Black Rice Stuffed Pumpkins
Honey Sesame Glazed Butternut Salad
Adding some cooked squash to a salad makes it a bit heavier, a transition between the light food of summer full of raw produce and richer, cooked fall food. Butternut squash is a good option for salads, it is really sweet, slightly nutty, vibrantly orange and when warm and dense is highly qualified as healthy comfort food. Continue Reading →
Spanish Stuffed Peppers
Halved mini bell peppers are excellent bases to stuff for two bite appetizers and snacks. They stay sturdy enough to hold heavier meat-based fillings, but once cooked they are tender enough to easily bite through. Their freshness and sweetness compliments richly flavoured chorizo but keeps the whole dish light. They are high in fiber, which makes them filling and helps the digestive process, as well as vitamin C, a nutrient necessary for strong immunity, wound healing and energy production. Continue Reading →
Strawberry Almond Milk
Homemade almond milk has a fresh, light taste and a silky smooth consistency. It is not as stable as commercial versions- it only lasts for a few days and it doesn’t heat well for warm drinks like hot chocolate. That being said, its richer flavour makes it worth trying. Plus, there is an upside to its fragility- since it does not contain any of the stabilizers and preservatives that commercial versions do, it is a viable option for those with digestive issues and sensitive systems. Continue Reading →
Kale Chips
The unimaginable happened the other day when my dad asked for kale chips. His usual response to vegetables, especially leafy green ones, is to snub them or drench them in cheesy or creamy sauce. For him to request a vegetable dish is uncharacteristic, but for him to request kale, well I have a hard time believing I’m not dreaming. I made them several years ago at a family gathering in too hot of an oven and burned most of them so I was surprised that he remembered that and wanted more. They do still taste like kale but there is a richness from olive oil and then just salt or flavoured salt makes them that much more palatable. Continue Reading →
Sugar Pumpkin Soup
Sugar pumpkins are a small, sweet variety of the famous round orange squash synonymous with autumn. They fall into the hardier winter squash family (unlike lighter summer squash like zucchini) filling bins and tables at all the markets and grocers this time of year. Cooking with winter squash can be very rewarding or very disappointing, especially with the simpler dishes like soup. Continue Reading →
Salt Baked Purple Potatoes
Roasting potatoes in a bed of coarse salt makes the inside light and fluffy while crisping up the outside. Baked potatoes are a simple and classic side dish but it can be tricky to get the right texture when preparing them on their own without a big piece of meat in the same pot to provide moisture and seasoning. Using a few handfuls of salt takes all the guesswork out and works consistently, even if the ratios, time and temperature are a bit off. Continue Reading →