A cruciferous vegetable like cauliflower and a dense legume like chickpeas are both very healthy and hearty ingredients that come together to create a filling dish. Salads like this can be made the night before serving or can last for a couple days to provide portable lunches. Continue Reading →
Summer Fruit Skewers
Skewing fruits is a way to make fruit salad into finger food, an easy option for summer get togethers or for snacks on-the-go. This definitely doesn’t require a recipe or specific measurements. They can be more uniform with the fruits in the same order or they can be more sporadic. Continue Reading →
Zucchini Flowers Stuffed with Hummus
A common and traditional dish with zucchini flowers is made by filling them with a soft cheese like ricotta and breading then frying them. However, they are delicate enough to enjoy raw and there are much healthier and lighter ingredients to stuff them with, like hummus. Continue Reading →
Prawns and Mango Salsa in Butter Lettuce Cups
My brother loves to tease me that lettuce cups are just a salad in a salad. But they are light and refreshing and do feel slightly different than just eating a large salad; I prefer to think of them as extra healthy tacos. For the base here I used butter lettuce, its soft texture and delicate taste earn its name, it is almost buttery. It is tender enough to easily bite into but when doubled up it is sturdy enough to not fall apart, creating an ideal base for these cups. Continue Reading →
Hummus Avocado Potato Bites
These are a simple appetizer, side dish or snack based loosely on potato skins. They feature small potatoes with thin skins so the flesh doesn’t need to be removed, they are a good finger food size already. This makes them easier to prepare, plus their toppings make for a much healthier option that still has lots of flavour and feels like comfort food. Continue Reading →
Sumac Thyme Orange Roasted Carrots
Carrots are one of the few vegetables that tend to appeal to picky eaters. Their natural sweetness and soft texture once cooked make them a versatile side dish. The flavour really comes out through roasting and adding in some citrusy and earthy spices gives them a bit more flavour. Continue Reading →
Creamy Carrot Chickpea Cashew Salad
I love a creamy salad on a hot day and adding in heavier ingredients like carrots, legumes and nuts makes it into a fulling meal. I founds some purple carrots at a local market so I used those for a bit of a change from the regular orange ones. They are similar in flavour, but I do find them a bit earthier and less sweet. Nutritionally, they are comparably high in fiber and vitamins A and C but they have the addition of high levels of the antioxidant compound called anthocyanin, which are responsible for giving blueberries their deep hue. These antioxidants can be particularly helpful for fighting cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease, two worldwide leading causes of death, and for maintaining a strong nervous system, especially in keeping the brain sharp. Continue Reading →
Roasted Tomatoes
Roasting tomatoes maximizes flavour even when the tomatoes used are more on the bland side. It may not be the most practical way to prepare them, the roasting takes a while and the volume is severely decreased, but oh they are delicious. For such a simple vegetable dish it really packs a lot of flavour and can bring something special to a whole range of meals. It is great on toasted crusty bread or english muffins, perhaps with some avocado or some freshly grated parmesan. It can also liven up pasta and eggs or create a base for sauces, soups or stews. Extras can be portioned out and frozen for easy access. Continue Reading →
Quinoa Greek Salad
Quinoa is, like most whole grains, a great source of several minerals and B vitamins and fiber but what makes it special and unique is the type of protein it contains. Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids and there are 8 which we must obtain through food (our bodies can make the other ones on their own as needed). I like to think of each as a different colour of lego and most plant foods are missing one or two colours. Quinoa, an ancient grain prized since ancient times is technically a seed and it contains all 8 amino acids needed- making it a “complete protein”. Continue Reading →
Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a vegetable filled side dish- basically it is vegetables cooked in vegetable sauce. Sliced eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers and onions get a boost of flavour from the base of tomato sauce they are placed in. All together it becomes a cozy side dish with fresh Mediterranean flavours and a big range of nutrients. Continue Reading →