Tag Archives: cooking

{ways artichokes are like humans}

14 May

it’s artichoke season!!!

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and thank goodness for that!!!!  i wrote a blog or two about them last spring… i just love these beautiful babies. although they do take an awful lot of work to prepare for such a little amount of actual flesh… it’s SO worth it – the scrumptiousness waiting inside doesn’t quite compare to any other…

it got me thinking about how artichokes are kind of like us, like humans…

i know you may be chuckling thinking how the heck can i be like a green pokey vegetable?!  well… the way i see it –

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an artichoke looks like a flower.

just like us 🙂 Continue reading

{grilled cheese and tomato sammy featuring sauteed spring ramps}

13 May

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hey – how was your weekend?

i feel like mine was full of epiphanies.  i feel like i turned over a new leaf. maybe it’s because i really feel like spring has ACTUALLY finally sprung here in colorado.  we had snow to kick off the month of may, and last week was our “spring” full of rain – now we are in the 80s.  so typical.

i feel like new life is here and with it, new ways of looking at it.  i’ll dive into that more later… for now, let’s talk about baby leeks – AKA “ramps”…

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when i see ramps showing up in the produce section, i know spring is here! Continue reading

{super cool sea beans}

8 May

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i’m going to bet not many of you have seen these little guys.  in all my 9 years of being around specialty produce, this was a first for me.  i like to look over the produce section this time of year and see “what’s new.”  that’s how i discovered kohlrabi

Continue reading

{meatless mondays : seasonal english peas simmered in a san marzano sauce}

6 May

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a co-worker suggested i try this recipe when i said, “what should i do with the delicious english peas i bought today?”

it’s a pretty basic recipe – with a special ingredient of cinnamon… which i must admit, i don’t really ever use in my cooking – unless a recipe specifically calls for it.  i don’t keep in the pantry or anything… although, i am really wanting an organic spice rack – should anyone be wondering what to randomly gift me 🙂

what i love about this recipe is the simplicity – and i was surprised at how nicely the cinnamon complimented the overall dish.  the key is always adding a little at a time… the rice also brought the dish together – i used simple jasmine rice for this dish.  i like the texture and flavour.

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ingredients :

– organic authentic san marzano tomatoes {canned}

– fresh garlic

– olive oil

– ground cinnamon

– basmati or jasmine rice Continue reading

{miss L’s farm fresh eggs}

29 Apr

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nothing says “spring” quite like fresh eggs.

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i feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have eggs “gifted” to me from time to time…

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one of my co-workers has chickens… and she shares her eggs with some of us when she has a bounty…

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she’s given them to me several times now… Continue reading

{i heart the vitamix!}

25 Apr

this post is probably going to sound like a sales pitch or something – whatever!  i love love love my vitamix!

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a hefty pricetag, i agree – but oh oh OH so worth it!!

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i use mine every day, and i find new ways to use it and it never gets old… Continue reading

{kohlrabi is cool!}

24 Apr

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meet kohlrabi. i tried this yummy vegetable about a year ago when it first showed up in the produce department. it’s super-cool-looking for one, and it turns out it’s rather delicious and good for you!  kohlrabi contains loads of vitamin c as well as some fiber and potassium.  mostly i love the fun texture and the leaves are actually really good as well, so i saute them as a side… Continue reading

{meatless mondays – kaniwa endive “boats” featuring spring-welcoming english peas}

15 Apr

happy {meatless} monday everyone!

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these are SO SO SO SO SO GOOD!  i planned on just eating a few and saving some for lunch the next day, but i ended up devouring the whole batch in under 5 minutes!  so delicious!

i’ve introduced you to kaniwa a few times now… and this is one of my new favourite things to do with it!

i am all about texture – i love it in both food and foto.  kaniwa has plenty of texture and the most fun little crunch.  you know how quinoa has that little “pop” kind of crunch going on?! – well kaniwa is like that but it’s much smaller and it’s just so fun to eat!  i also love belgian endive for that reason – fun to eat and TEXTURE! so, when i combined the two in this recipe, my taste buds and senses were dancing because it was just so completely delicious and enjoyable!  and healthy and simple and easy and all of those things i like to promote here at food and foto dot com!

so without further ado, here is a recipe that’s great as an hors d’oeuvres, snack, light dinner, fun brunch… or blog-worthy dish 😉

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another amazing item i will have to blog about again soon – english peas.  there are only a few other produce items that make me think of spring like english peas do.  i’m trying to encourage it to hurry and get here – we are due for more snow this week, blast!  i know we need the moisture, but i just wanna wear flip flops and t-shirts already! 

i digress –

ingredients {makes about 8-10 “boats”}:

– 1 medium-sized belgian endive

– 1/4 cup tomato, chopped

– handful of fresh english peas, shelled

– 1 cup kaniwa {you do not need to rinse it}

– about 2 tablespoons honey {preferably local}

– pat of your favourite butter {or substitute}  Continue reading

{light and fresh quinoa pasta}

21 Mar

happy first day of spring!  i got the fever, do you?!

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it seems like everywhere i look, i read and hear more about gluten-free products.  i have opinions about wheat and gluten and the heightened sensitivity sweeping our nation, but i’ll save them for a day when i decide to get on my soapbox again…

while i am not aware of any sensitivity to gluten personally, i have to admit i like eating gluten-free pasta a lot these days.  it’s much lighter compared to regular pasta and i just find it to be a great any-time food because of that. excellent for the spring season, as it’s waist-line approved!

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i am in love with this pasta from ancient harvest.  it’s made mostly from quinoa and corn.  i love their products – i also buy their polenta.  they use non-gmo corn and it’s also organic… and as i mentioned, gluten-free!  those are three big pluses in a packaged product for me! Continue reading

{meatless monday} — a very delicious repost

25 Feb

i was super lazy this weekend – we got about 14 inches of snow here in colorado.  all i have been doing is eating comfort food and watching a felicity marathon.  so i admit i didn’t prepare a meatless monday recipe for today… though, i really want to make some of these soon…

i’ve posted about these yummy zucchini pizza strips before… but i’ve been craving them, so i wanted to {re}share… they are SO GOOD!

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Continue reading

{meatless monday} — “chocolacado pudding”

18 Feb

avocados are an amazing superfood.  packed full of nutrients like potassium, vitamin e, and health fats – avocados also are helpful at maintaining a healthy cholesterol.  they go great with tuna like in my tunacado sammy… i had heard about making chocolate avocado pudding but had never tried it…

until now 🙂

there are lots of variations and i plan to try another soon – but this one is about as simple and delicious as you can get.

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so simple.  so delicious.

– avocado

– cocoa powder

– sugar

agave works well as a sweetener, also.  i used a mix of cane sugar and agave. Continue reading

{meatless monday} — cute, crunchy, colourful : kaniwa

11 Feb
honey drizzled kaniwa with mushrooms and red peppers

honey drizzled kaniwa with mushrooms and red peppers

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i’ve written about kaniwa – i’ve only eaten it once before but i totally loved it and wanted to try it again.  you can read a little about my first experience here. i really love the stuff.  it’s similar to quinoa but with a little more “crunch” and it’s much smaller in size – so tiny!

there’s not a lot of nutritional information available in the US about this great ancient grain just yet – but it is loaded with protein and fiber, so it’s great for vegans, and it is naturally gluten-free. there’s talk of it being a superfood. keep your eyes and ears open for more information as it surfaces on this amazing little grain… Continue reading

{meatless monday} — an easy make-ahead meal : rainbow rice

28 Jan

greetings, you faithful readers, you.  and thanks for reading 🙂

here’s a great make-ahead meal that keeps well in the fridge – one you can take to lunch during the week or add to your plate at dinner time. nutritious, colourful, and budget-friendly – that’s quite a trifecta!

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rainbow rice – because it’s so colourful 🙂

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– about a cup wild rice, rinsed

– 3 small zucchini, chopped

– 3 small bell peppers, chopped Continue reading

{meatless monday} — spaghetti squash primavera; it’s kind of one of my favs.

21 Jan

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i make this meal a lot.

it’s basically just a bunch of vegetables.  have you ever had spaghetti squash?! it’s amazing.  i want to make some kind of soup with it soon… ideas are welcomed!

i moved recently, as i think i mentioned… and i’m still getting used to my new kitchen.  i will admit i very much miss the kitchen i used to live in – i just loved how big and open it was and with LOADS of counter space… but i’m grateful for my new home and once we get the garden going, i will be extra joyous!  and yes, i will be blogging all about that adventure!

here’s today’s simple meatless monday recipe.  takes a bit longer to make than most of the dishes i feature on this blog, but this is well-worth the wait! so good for you, packed with nutrients and vitamins and yanno, it obviously tastes amazing or why would i bother?! 🙂 Continue reading

{thirsty thursday} — shitake mushroom and cippolini onion risotto w/ an authentic abbey

17 Jan

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i’m extra excited about risotto now. wanna know why?! besides the fact that it’s kinda fun to make – i just found out that risotto is naturally gluten-free… hooray for that!  it’s a rather starchy grain, and makes for an outstanding vegan dish such as this.  simple ingredients, simple cooking, COMPLEX flavour!  delicious.  i super heart risotto, and you should too… it’s easy to fall in love with it.  here’s what i made for this dish :

mushroomrisotto-web-1 Continue reading

{meatless monday} — caramelized onion and heirloom tomato risotto

10 Dec

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i’m lovin’ me some risotto lately.  i just love the texture and the creaminess of it.  my favourite way to have it is with mushrooms.  but i had these items lying around and so i decided to try them together with the risotto.

caramelizedonionandtomatorisotto-web-1 Continue reading

{thirsty thursday – buffalo chicken wraps and a favourite lager}

6 Dec

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i’m excited to share this super easy, fun, and delicious recipe i discovered this a while back from the cute sisters over at deux chicago – they always have the cutest ideas! and no game day is complete without eating something with buffalo sauce on it!

these are so super simple and easy to prepare and they are always a hit!  i simply buy a preroasted chicken, eat a little of it for dinner, then pick the meat off and use it for my buffalo chicken wraps! Continue reading

{meatless monday} — creamy mashed “yamtatoes”

3 Dec

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who says you can only have ONE kind of mashed potato at once?!  well, maybe nobody said that, but i’m breaking that rule anyway.  sometimes my mashed potatoes just aren’t sweet enough, i need something else in them. well wait a minute… this other potato over here is even named “sweet” – why can’t i mix the two together?!  well, you CAN audrey, you so can.

plus you know me, i love my dishes to have lots of colour! Continue reading

{thirsty thursday} — “vitamix breakfast cookies” and another vitamix smoothie

29 Nov

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 create it into 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. Continue reading