Fresh green beans are a little bit sweet and a little bit earthy tasting and it doesn’t take much to turn them into a side dish. In just one pan start off by sautéeing some garlic for a couple minutes, once it browns add in the beans and then shortly after add in some nuts and in just a few more minutes they are ready to go. Grate some lemon or lime zest straight on then squeeze the juice over and these simple vegetables become layered with flavours. Continue Reading →
Strawberry Watermelon Mint Infused Water
Infused water is basically to water what sangria is to wine. It is about adding in fresh, flavourful ingredients like juicy berries, crisp herbs and sweet melon. This combination of strawberries and watermelon with fresh mint is full of vitamin C, a nutrient important for a strong immune system and fast wound healing, plus it acts as an antioxidant. Flavoured water is a good option for those who do not normally drink enough and find the taste too bland- spiking it can make it more appealing and less like a dreaded health obligation. Continue Reading →
Lime Sole with Cherry Thyme Salsa
Sole is a flat fish with a very mild flavour so it takes on the flavours of whatever it is cooked with. Sliced citrus, olive oil and fresh herbs compliment it without being too overpowering. Continue Reading →
Rainbow Rosemary Skewers
Rosemary is a herb long renowned for its memory boosting abilities, back in Ancient Greece students would place sprigs amongst their hair when studying (don’t knock it until you try it). It grows in evergreen bushes with needle like leaves and has a deep woodsy scent reminiscent of a dense forest. Rosemary contains several antioxidants and nutrients that help strengthen immunity, increase circulation and sooth stomach aches and indigestion. Continue Reading →
Peach Pecan Bars
We can get most fruits and vegetables any time of year, shipped in from all around the world, but it’s hard to beat local and seasonal for nutritional quality and flavour. Peaches are especially juicy, refreshing and bursting with flavour this time of year and they are so good on their own that they don’t need much else. Continue Reading →
Black Bean Mango Fajita Plantain and Yam Boats
One of the ways I attempt to get more vegetables in is to substitute them for breads and crackers as the base of a dish from time to time. In this case, sweet and starchy plantains, yams and sweet potatoes take the place of tortillas for an extra filling version of fajitas with a range of different nutrients. This is light and fresh enough for dinner on hot summer days but provides enough substance to be a really nourishing large meal. Continue Reading →
Blackberry Basil Salad
Blackberries and basil are a refreshing, vibrant, fragrant and nutrient dense combination. Blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant amounts out of all fruits along with high levels of manganese, vitamins C and K and fiber. Basil has been around for thousands of years and has been infamous and revered in several cultures around the world. It has been considered a sacred protector for important buildings and graves, a symbol of love, a talisman against the devil, a marker of misfortune, an antidote for the monster basilisk’s bites and a cause for scorpions growing in the brain (since placing it under rocks had the same outcome). Continue Reading →
Grilled Peaches
This is such a simple dish but it tastes fancy and is about as summery as a dessert can get. Grilling peaches caramelizes their sugars and softens them up, accentuating their sweetness and bringing out their flavour. Adding some ice cream (coconut ice cream for non-dairy) and a sprinkle of chopped nuts or granola with a drizzle of maple syrup makes them into a more substantial dish. Any leftovers are great in salads or with thick Greek yogurt for breakfast. They can also be paired with savoury dishes as a sweet compliment, my brothers love these with grilled pork and balsamic reduction and request it more than anything else. Continue Reading →
Strawberry Kiwi Avocado Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
Strawberries and avocado are pretty much guaranteed to turn out a good salad when they are paired up. Spinach, a delicate leafy green, bulks it up and adds some iron, an important mineral for energy production. The pre-washed clamshells of baby spinach are a really fast and easy option, the smaller ones have about 8 cups in each, a good size for a large salad for around 4 people. I find spinach to be one of the dirtiest leafy greens and their tenderness makes them get kind of limp if handled too much, so they can take a while to prep for a salad. Continue Reading →
Blackberry Orange Mango Roast Chicken
After several years of strict veganism learning to cook meat again was very intimidating. Chicken especially has been my nemesis. Making it flavourful and moist but cooking it enough to avoid salmonella can be pretty tricky as it is a fine line between potential food poisoning and overcooked and dried out. I have found that roasting whole chickens with fresh herbs and fruits or vegetables is a consistent success and using ones that are butterflied/spatchcocked (the backbone is removed and the chicken is opened like a book) cuts down the prep and cooking times and makes them a bit easier to work with. Continue Reading →