cali in a bowl

perfect for summer

This salad is inspired by Californian fruits and the very popular creamy poppy seed dressing.  I couldn't find poppy seeds in my grocery run today so I substituted with black sesame seeds.  It added the same texture as poppy seeds would and you wouldn't even know the difference because the flavour is so mild.  We will definitely be making this salad all summer long - it'll be even better when the local strawberries are available.

what you need:

for vinaigrette

• 1 lemon (juice and zest finely grated)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• freshly ground black pepper, pinch of salt
• 1/2 shallot
• 1 heaping tbsp poppy seeds or black sesame seeds

• 1 avocado
• baby spinach 
• 1 mandarin orange
• 8-10 strawberries

what to do:

1. Blend all vinaigrette ingredients (except for seeds) together until smooth.  Add seeds.  Store in a mason jar in the fridge.
2. Prepare strawberries by washing, removing tops and slicing into bite size pieces.  
3. Prepare mandarin orange by peeling and removing extra bits of white pith.  Break into individual wedges and cut them in half.  This might seem like an extra step but it's worth it to remove any unwanted seeds and also allow the orange juices to flow into the salad.
4. Toss strawberries and oranges slices together in a salad bowl.  When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of baby spinach and vinaigrette (unused portion of the vinaigrette can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days).  Top salad with slices of avocado.  Enjoy!

tonight we had our cali salad with tilapia & ginger pickled radish

pita

fresh homemade pitas topped with old cheddar

These pitas are perfect for dips & wraps and have a pleasant chewy and soft texture.  This recipe is exactly the same as the thin crust pizza one - the only difference is keeping the dough slightly thicker when rolling it out and brushing the top lightly with olive oil (flavoured is a great option!), your favourite herbs and/or cheese.  Bake them at 425 F on a pizza stone or a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes until puffed up and very lightly golden browned - too long in the oven will make them crispy rather than soft.  Enjoy!

divided into 8 balls

cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place

dough after rising for the second time

avocado toast

a quick nutritious snack

I almost didn't post this because it's embarrassingly easy...but its so delicious and good that I had to share!  The creamy avocado and the combination of sweet and salty make this piece of toast very satisfying.

what you need:

• multigrain bread (my favourite for this is Bavarian multigrain)
• 1/2 avocado
• lemon
• freshly grated black pepper
• sea salt (or regular salt)
• honey (~ 1 tsp)

what to do:

1. Pop the toast in the toaster.  While it's toasting, cut avocado in half, squeeze a little bit of fresh lemon juice on flesh to prevent browning.  Spoon avocado out onto toast, and gently press to spread it.  Drizzle honey on top, and finish with pinch of sea salt and lots of pepper.  Enjoy!

tilapia red thai curry

soul warming

I'm a big fan of all curries but my favourite go to is the red thai curry.  The tilapia held up really well in the sauce and soaks up the curry flavour beautifully.

what you need:

*serves 4

• 500 g tilapia
• 3 tbsp red thai curry paste (I've used Mae ploy and Aroy-D brands, both good!)
• 1 sweet potato
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• juice of 1 lime OR 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp naturally brewed soy sauce
• 240 mL coconut milk 
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 red thai chilli *optional
• 1 green onion
• 1 handful fresh cilantro

what to do:

1. Clean vegetables, peel, then dice into bite size pieces.  Roughly chop garlic.  Separate cilantro stems from leaves.  Finely slice green onion and keep it aside with the cilantro leaves for garnish later.  Finely slice red thai chilli (for less heat -  leave it whole BUT be sure to take it out before serving!).
2. Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat.  Add onions and red thai chilli and sauté for 2 minutes, then add garlic, carrots and sweet potato.  Stir, lightly browning, then add curry paste.
3. After 1-2 minutes of sautéing with curry paste, add coconut milk.  Fill empty coconut milk can with cold water and add to pot.  Add sugar, lime juice, soy sauce and cilantro stems.  Stir, then cover tightly with lid.  Allow to simmer on medium low for 15 minutes.
4. Cut tilapia into large chunks.  Season tilapia lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add to pot and bring heat up to medium and allow fish to simmer with the curry sauce for 8 minutes.
5. Once fish is cooked (white throughout) - curry is ready to be served.  Serve it over rice, and garnish with cilantro & green onions.  Enjoy!

almond butter hummus

pretty tasty!

It's Wednesday again - lunch potluck with the mommies and babies.  I had a craving for hummus so I decided to get to the grocery store early to make sure I had time to make it...I always tell myself I should make a list but I thought, I know what goes in hummus, no list needed!  Of course I'm in the middle of making this and I realize I have NO TAHINI...I am devastated as I watch the chick peas whirring in the food processor.  I added a tiny bit of sesame oil but it still wasn't quite right.  Then I found some almond butter - it obviously has a slightly different flavour but the thickness is about the same as tahini and it helped emulsify the puree.  I actually like this hummus twist I think I'll be making it again!

what you need:

• 1 can chick peas (540 mL) - drained but save the juice
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp all natural almond butter
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• smoked paprika *optional

what to do:

1. In a food processor, blend all ingredients.  Loosen the puree with small amounts of chick pea juice until desired consistency.  Allow dip to sit for an hour before serving (allows the flavours to come together).  Sprinkle with paprika.  Enjoy!

linguine alla lentils

a pasta dish that doesn't miss meat

Lately I've been really loving red lentils.  It's so easy to cook and it takes on flavours really well. It is the perfect replacement for ground beef in this pasta sauce; it helps thicken it and clings to the linguine beautifully.  Serve it up with some whole wheat pasta and you'll feel satisfied & full without feeling heavy.

what you need:

• 1 medium onion (yellow or red, doesn't matter)
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 sticks of celery
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 1 cup red lentils
• the rind of Parmesan (about 3x1" is enough)
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes (san marzano best)
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 handful fresh flat leaf parsley
• salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Parmesan cheese for garnish
• about 1 cup of water
• whole wheat linguine

what to do:

1. Prep onions, carrots, and celery but washing, peeling, and dicing into small pieces. Roughly chop garlic.
2. Rinse dried lentils.  Get spices and other ingredients ready to go.
3. In a large pot on medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil.  Sauté onions, carrots, and celery until softened and lightly browned.  Add garlic and parmesan rind and continue stirring.
4. Add rinsed lentils, red chilli flakes and oregano.  Stir to avoid burning.  Add canned tomatoes after about a minute or so, water, and bay leaf.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and once it all boils, bring to a very low simmer.  
5. Let it simmer for about 45 minutes but check regularly and stir to avoid the bottom burning.  Add 1/4 cup of water at a time when needed (if the sauce is too dry it will burn easily).
6. In the meantime, roughly chop parsley and grate Parmesan cheese for garnish.
7. Cook whole wheat linguine as directed by your package.  
8. Toss linguine in a large bowl with desired amount of sauce, then plate it up with parsley and parmesan sprinkled on top.  Enjoy!

after 45 min of simmering, thickened and hearty

lentils & veggies provide lots of texture and body

white chocolate & cherry cookies

take a bite! 

I just had to bake today because I hadn't baked in over a week and I was feeling deprived!  I hadn't made cookies in awhile - and usually my go to are chocolate chip or some variation with chocolate chips in them...but in my pantry I noticed a forgotten bag of white chocolate discs which I had purchased from bulk barn awhile ago.  So I decided to go with the white chocolate...which tends to be quite sweet, so the dried cherries are a perfect tart compliment.

what you need:

*makes 18 large cookies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole rolled oats (not the quick cooking kind)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 3/4 cup white chocolate discs

what to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Using a paddle attachment of a mixer, or electric beaters, cream together butter and sugars in a large bowl, until smooth and well mixed.
3. Add egg and vanilla, beat for 1-2 minutes.
4. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add rolled oats.  Add these dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture.  Mix until incorporated.  
5. Chop white chocolate discs into halves.  Add chocolate and cherries to cookie dough, mix.
6. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drop large spoonfuls of cookie dough, 6 per cookie sheet.  
7. Bake for 10 minutes.  Cookies may look slightly undercooked in the centre, but lightly golden browned on the outside.  Don't worry, this will keep them chewy/soft in the centre and they will continue to cook a little as they cool on the pan.  When they are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a cooling rack.  Enjoy!

perfect for dunking