i love himalayan pink salt.
i love to cook with it, eat with it…
bathe with it, pray with it…
it’s one versatile salt! {and i happen to be somewhat of a connoisseur.} 😉
what makes himalayan pink salt extra special other than the awesome flavour, is its extremely high mineral content. this stuff is very high in… well, practically everything!
no, it’s not a typo. i called this dish “rainbow rainbow quinoa because… well – look at it. 😉
i wanted to use up some stuff in the fridge – like my shredded carrots and leftover cabbage… both of which, to me, can be a challenge to use up for one person. i find that quinoa is a great “anything goes” kind of dish. so when i’m looking to use up fresh veggies, i usually throw them in with quinoa. another reason i love quinoa is because it is a complete protein. basically what that means is it contains all 9 essential amino acids. this makes it a great grain for vegans or vegetarians.
rainbow rainbow quinoa – ingredients :
– 1/2 cup rinsed rainbow quinoa
– 1/2 cup chopped red cabbage
– 1/2 cup shredded carrots
– 1/4 finely chopped onion
– 2 cloves diced garlic
– 1 cup raw baby spinach
a look inside my {colourful} lunchbox :
– natural raw almonds
– fresh asparagus sauteed in olive oil
– large colourful salad w/ italian vinaigrette
– savory parmigiano reggiano baked chicken
– steamed zucchini medallions
– pastrami turkey strips and parm reggi chunks
– fresh organic strawberries
{i just love my laptop lunches bento box!} 😀
another beautiful piece of produce i picked up at the cutest organic store in town….
have you ever had golden beets?! i just loooooove them! i am pretty sure you can keep the skin on – so long as you scrub it pretty thoroughly. i just peel mine. these were so cute and little!
love the colour!
i usually just steam mine. i find them to be so delicious, i don’t even add any S and/or P. i think they have the most unique flavour. i just love to put them in salads or just munch on them alone… so good! beets are loaded with vitamins and minerals and they are just an all around amazing vegetable!
i noticed a few new followers have joined the fun – thank you and welcome!
in case you don’t know this about me, i love to eat anything with colour. i believe in living by the motto… well, a lot of “mottos” really – but one of them is “eat the rainbow.” if your food has colour naturally, it is good for you! this dish definitely meshes with that motto. i whipped it up last week when i was doing a short veggie cleanse. i just love mushrooms – do you?!
this is a great vegan dish, or a healthy random way to get in a ton of veggies all at once. sometimes i’ll construct meals entirely of vegetables… this one i just made up on the spot, when inspired by the fresh-looking produce in the market.
simple ingredients : portabella mushrooms, zucchini, purple cabbage, shredded carrots.
i’m fascinated by the intricate insides of certain vegetables – like cabbage. Continue reading
did ya’ll sleep in today?! i sure wanted to… daylight savings always jolts my system. takes me a week or so to get used to it – but goodness, do i love having that light in the evenings!!! i just look forward to the mornings catching up, ya feel me?!
i’m going to start my seeds for my garden this weekend and of course, i’ll be documenting the whole thing. i bought tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, chives, and leeks for now. i have attempted to grow from seed before, but to no avail. i learned my lesson with my lovely tomato plant last year and i just don’t think some kinds of lettuces grow well here. SO – we are going to try again 😀
my awesome landlord has all the fixins’ to get my garden going and plenty of outdoor space in which to plant it all… one of the things i’ve wanted so desperately over the last couple of years was to have a garden. i’m so glad i can finally try!
i do love me some good ol’ romaine lettuce from time to time – the crunch is so good. not much nutrition going on, but i do find myself craving the fiber and just wanting something to put dressing on, mostly.
it’s a comfort food kind of day. grilled ham and cheese on 7-grain toast with roasted red pepper and tomato soup…
it’s a childhood classic… grown-up style.
i have been wanting to try sunchokes {aka “jerusalem artichokes“} for a long time now. they are so interesting-looking {as most root vegetables are} and one time i bought a bag when i was doing a cleanse, but i didn’t get to cook them and unfortunately they spoiled.
so, when i was at the cutest little organic store in town the other day, i picked some up so i could fotograph and blog about them.
and of course – EAT THEM! 😀
this is one colourful dish! and fun to eat, too!
simple ingredients :
– 1 pound organic grass-fed beef {i choose 85%}
– 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes {any potato will do, i just had leftovers}
– 1 medium shallot
– handful sugar snap peas, shelled
– organic shredded cheese of choice {i went with cheddar}
tell me you’ve tried these before?! i’m pretty sure i’ve mentioned them at least once or twice on this here blog of mine… they are definitely a staple in my home! what’s better than colourful carbohydrates?!
i was a little surprised and way excited when i spotted this multi-coloured pack at the market. my favourite way to prepare them is to simply drizzle them with tons of olive oil and S&P and roast them in a 400 degree oven for about a half hour…
the finished product is a sheen, tender and sweet potato ready for poppin!
they make an excellent side dish, and are also great in soups.
i saw this somewhere on the web recently and i’ve been so eager to try it. i mean – isn’t is so apropo for food & foto? simple, easy, delicious, and healthy!
two ingredients: {3 if you decide to sprinkle cheese on top…}
– 1 ripe avocado
– 1 medium egg Continue reading
it’s a little sad for me to admit that i just haven’t been cooking as much lately. i lovelovelovelovelove my tiny home, don’t get me wrong… but it has been a bit of a challenge to fotograph my recipes in action within 180 square feet.
so, i’ve just had to change the way i do things a little. and that’s okay. i’m super forever inspired by one of my favourite bloggers – i mean she’s cute as a button, and she is into the same stuff i’m into regarding eating healthy and with the seasons. i love her style of fotography as well; so simple and elegant and she’s such a new yorker – so classy.
i’m still working out the kinks to finding the perfect way to fotograph inside the tiny home – but for now, here’s a simple recipe i made up this weekend that turned out delicious! Continue reading
soooo – the broncos lost the superbowl. yeah, in like a MAJOR WAY! *sigh*
i’ll leave the rants for the professionals – all i’m going to say is it’s a good thing i was surrounded with fun people and lots of delicious food.
it was a “soup-or-bowl” party – bring a soup or a bowl of salad. i brought maryland crab soup. so i thought i’d share the recipe 🙂
i had never made this before – though i remember eating it almost every day for lunch when i was living in aberdeen, maryland many years ago. my favourite little cafe on the side of the highway always had the biggest vat of it simmering all day and it smelled so amazing!
i just made it based on what i remembered and “winged” the rest… Continue reading
even though we have a ways to go yet before it’s in season…
i’m totally craving asparagus lately…
and sometimes i just take pictures of produce… in case you haven’t noticed 🙂
watching me at the grocery store in the produce section is pretty hilarious, no doubt. i take a long time to pick out my vegetables, mostly knowing that i’ll eventually have them in front of a camera… so i like them to be pretty 😉
happy wednesday!
i don’t eat a ton of red meat. however when i do, i prefer it be as local, organic, and grass-fed as possible.
have you ever had grass-fed beef? you may think to yourself, “what do you mean, don’t all cows eat grass?” when you think of a cow, you picture a field or pasture and you see them eating grass, right?! well, you may be surprised to know that most cows are actually fed a grain or corn-based diet – that stuff is in everything!… again, i encourage you to do your own research.
there is lots of fresh, organic, local, grass-fed beef where i live. and that makes me so happy! i have mentioned before that i don’t really subscribe to any “diet” per se – but if i had to pick a category to fall into, i would say my diet is totally intuitive and mostly organic. and it varies all along that spectrum. this time last year, i was totally vegan and coming off a major 2-week cleanse of only veggies, fruit, kombucha, and water. i remember around christmas, trying some of the ham at whole foods one day and i actually spit it out. and now, i can’t seem to eat enough meat! so i’m just listening to my body and rolling with it.
i recently bought this adorable little crock-pot, which is perfect for the tiny home, and it fits about a 2-pound roast just perfectly! it only has one setting – ON. but it totally does the trick!
i like food you can consume without utensils 🙂
and there’s something about the word “artisan” that makes things more fun and enjoyable to eat 🙂
when i spotted this bag on sale at the market, i nabbed it up. it looked super fresh and crisp and i had some leftover polenta at home that i just knew would go great with it.
so i made a simple red sauce with the remains of a jar of marina i had in the fridge. then i tossed in some extra garlic, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and a little cheese, and boom! – i had a simple and delicious red sauce to pour over my polenta.
foodie side note : i only use organic corn products – corn is THE MOST genetically modified plant out there. and it’s in everything. do your own research, i highly encourage it 🙂 Continue reading
this is my third year making my vegan thumbprint cookies {AKA “vitamix breakfast cookies”} to give as gifts or to share at work… or eat all by yourself 😉
so, here’s the original recipe in case you missed it…
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these are always always always a hit. i’m not much of a baker, but when i find something that is easy to make and that people like, i try to perfect it and make it my own. i have yet to quite create the perfect consistency for these {i’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to anything i make or do}, but i do think i found the right name for them. the ingredients are so simple and healthy that you could literally eat them for breakfast – and not feel at all guilty about it!! they are also great for holiday parties or after school snacks. a good source of dietary fiber and protein as well as healthy fats.
yields about 3 dozen cookies, depending on size variation.
as always, i’m a huge proponent for using as many organic products as possible when i cook or eat…
– 1 cup almonds or pecans or a mix of both
– 1 cup rolled oats {gluten-free works, too!}
– 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
– 1/2 cup maple syrup
– 1/2 cup canola or safflower oil {which i haven’t yet tried}
– 1/4 teaspoon salt {i believe this constitutes as a “pinch”}
– your favourite jam or conserve {i have wanted to try a savory jam like jalapeno berry or something}
begin by preheating your oven to about 400 degrees. Continue reading
hey friends.
{i just want to preface this by taking a moment to express my gratitude to the Universe for being ALIVE and well. i had quite a scare last week and it has given me a whole new perspective on life…}
as you may have noticed, i haven’t been writing as much over the last few weeks. i plan to update you on my life very soon… there have been even more changes 😉 but i haven’t been creating as many recipes lately. for a few reasons, really… but fret not, creating and cooking and fotographing will recommence very soon.
part of it is becoming acclimated in my new mini kitchen. as a reminder, this is what i’m working with :
i LOVE my tiny home, don’t get me wrong… i’m just trying to find my niche and the best way to cook as i fotograph… it is somewhat of a challenge right now. a few final changes are coming together in the kitchen, i just need to start coming up with recipes again. Continue reading
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contact me for more details! 🙂
the holidays are officially here!
here are a few of my favourite recipes from 2013… any and all of which celebrate the true meaning of this season – EATING! 😀
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buffalo chicken wraps {perfect for the game!}
pasta primavera with fresh-grated parmigiano reggiano
grilled leek and shitake mushroom risotto
pomegranate smoothie {it IS pomegranate season!}
egg nog… please.
my goodness do i love scallops!
pan-seared in some amazing butter… click here to see the best and only cooking method one should use to make these decadent sea-dwellers. like most good things in life, it should be done low and slow.
and i also love asparagus!
i usually do my best to eat with the seasons… which means i wouldn’t normally be eating asparagus right now, but hey – i’m the birthday girl, i can do whatever i want, right?! 😉
my birthday {which is tomorrow, actually} is always so close to thanksgiving {it was ON thanksgiving last year and the year i was born}, but i admit i’m happy that it falls in an entirely different week this year! i haven’t really been thinking of the holidays as much this year since i switched jobs {that’s a whole big, long blogpost or BOOK waiting to happen} so it’s been nice to really focus my energy on ME. i do have to work tomorrow, which is kind of a bummer – but i’m celebrating today and tonight with this amazing food and drink.
i like to spoil myself on my birthday. i started this morning with my favourite americano from my favourite coffee shop and a sinful pastry they call an “apple jesus” – can’t wait to try that! and i plan to have peach-wood-smoked salmon for lunch, followed by the above amazing meal for dinner… swallowed down gently with this :
la fin du monde – french, which translates to “the end of the world”
it is a triple-fermented golden ale that is high in alcohol content {9% : i tried to finish the whole bottle once – not a good idea for this 110-pound lass} la fin du monde is full of wonderful champagne-like bubbles which deliver hints of honey and fruit, accompanied by floral notes that linger pleasantly and round-out with a smooth, dry finish.
i have one every year on my birthday… and i always cook myself a super nice meal, usually consisting of seafood, since it’s my ultimate fav. i am already salivating, just thinking about my day full of amazing food…
happy birthday to me! 🙂
food & foto 