Tag Archives: recipes

{meatless monday : get your greens, even in winter!}

18 Nov

green is good!

we all know how much i love kale. i’ve also been known to eat copious amounts of swiss chard. and i never turn away spinach, especially in a smoothie… and sometimes, nothing satisfies like a gigantic bowl of fresh-chopped salad mix…

simplesalad-5

i know we are heading into winter, but don’t forget to eat a lot of colour during this season!

a simple salad is a fantastic and delicious way to get raw, dense nutrients into your system. while i do find myself “craving” salad a little less during the winter months, i recognize how important it is to eat a salad as often as possible. in the summer i have one every day, but in the colder months, i typically want warm food {like most of us.}  salads are a great way to absorb nutrients through healthy fats {add avocado, for example} and to get extra fiber in your diet. Continue reading

{thirsty thursday : roasted volcanic garlic and a snow day!}

7 Nov

roastedvolcanicgarlic-6

i feel like i eat garlic with almost every meal.  it’s so good for you, so good for the immune system and for your joints, among a slew of other things.  in the late spring this year, i purchased this beautiful braid of volcanic garlic.  the rep from the farm suggested roasting it with olive oil in the oven, for a very unique experience and flavour.

on it! said food and foto dot com.

i have about 5 bulbs left on the braid i purchased… the guy did say, “buy this now and it will last you through the end of the year” – and here we are {6 months later} in early november and i still have some to play with – yay!

and obviously you can use any kind of garlic.  i had actually never made roasted garlic on my own, so i just had to try…

roastedvolcanicgarlic-1

and i did exactly what the farmer told me to do…. Continue reading

{meatless mondays – roasted spaghetti squash with fresh parmigiano reggiano}

28 Oct

spaghettisquashaparm-4

it’s a meatless monday recipe!

spaghetti squash {and all squash} is totally in peak season right now… and it’s one of my absolute favs!  i typically make it just like a pasta and serve it primavera-style with a fresh red sauce… but this time, i wanted to use up my freshly-cut parmigiano reggiano… there is just nothing like it.

spaghettisquashaparm-1

simple stuff :

– olive oil, grass-fed butter, lemon, parmigiano reggiano… Continue reading

{thirsty thursday – homemade pickles and oktoberfest for days!}

24 Oct

homemadepickles-1

i have always been a HUGE fan of pickles. they are easily one of my favourite snacks. once i started making my own, i was hooked!  i have even been known to travel across the country with them… no joke.

as usual, i KISS with these.  simple ingredients :

homemadepickles-6

super easy refrigerator dill pickles :

  • 5-6 cups cucumbers, chopped
  • 1 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 head fresh dill
  • 2-3 cloves garlic {optional}

Continue reading

{end-of-season tomato and goat cheese toasts}

17 Oct

maters-1

aren’t these cherry tomatoes just gorgeous?!  it’s sad that the season is over… but i’m still eating as many as i can when i find them at the market…

tomatogoatcheesetoast-2

i just eat them like candy… popping one at a time… nom nom

tomatogoatcheesetoast-6

i was inspired by the pretty-much-nothing-left-in-the fridge emptiness of me almost moving and therefore having no food in the house… and i looked around at the half-loaf of bread and jar of cream cheese i had laying around…

“it’s like a little mini pizza… kind of.”  {i thought to myself…} Continue reading

{whatever wednesday – dehydrated kale chips}

16 Oct

dehydratedkalechips-2

so, i bought a dehydrator... it’s amazing and it’s already changing my life.

i know that may sound drastic, but at this stage in the game – pretty much everything in my life is drastically changing…. so – this is no exception. owning  a dehydrator has totally changed the way i shop, too.  if i have an over-ripe fruit or veggie, but i’m not sure i’ll eat it right away – I CAN DEHYDRATE IT!  if there is a one-day sale on fresh fruit and i want to stock up but it won’t fit in my freezer – I CAN DEHYDRATE IT!  i can make my own fruit-rollups, trailmix, and even dehydrate herbs like sage or rosemary.

my favourite thing to make lately is kale chips.  i wish i would’ve had this thing in the summer – totally could’ve kept the house cooler than making kale chips in the oven! Continue reading

{meatless mondays : rainbow quinoa featuring my homegrown tomato!}

9 Sep

zuchmaterquinoa-8

as i mentioned saturday, i harvested my first tomato from my early girl tomato plant… it was so exciting!

zuchmaterquinoa-2

i used it in this quinoa dish with some chopped zucchini and sauteed sweet onion…

zuchmaterquinoa-6

i ate two slices just to savour the flavour of hard work and dedication… plus, it’s the only one i’ve had all season so far!!  sigh… patience. Continue reading

{meatless mondays : heirloom cherry tomato risotto}

2 Sep

heirloomtomatorisotto-18

you know how i feel about risotto right?!  that it’s like the greatest thing ever and i love to make it and eat it all the time?!

heirloomtomatorisotto-20

like here

this was great, too.

heirloomtomatorisotto-11

for this recipe, i featured these beautiful cherry tomatoes…

heirloomtomatorisotto-12

i love the different colours and shapes… like humans! 😉

heirloomtomatorisotto-14

hehehe 😉 Continue reading

{a week of vitamix smoothies – day five : strawberries, blueberries, mangos, vanilla ice cream}

30 Aug

mangostrawblueberryvanilla-3

it’s magenta!

this one should be like, the official “food and foto” smoothie… right?! 😉

mangostrawblueberryvanilla-1

– fresh strawberries

– frozen blueberries

– frozen mango

– apple juice

– splash of grape juice

– squeeze of honey

– vanilla {coconut} ice cream

mangostrawblueberryvanilla-2

i decided to try the ice cream since it was in my freezer anyway, and i had run out of regular coconut milk. i try to limit my dairy intake overall… i admit it’s tough because i LOVE cheese!!!!!  so i substitute where i can in other ways.  like with this smoothie, i used coconut milk ice cream 🙂

mangostrawblueberryvanilla-3

this was SUPER good… and was more rich than other smoothies i’ve made, probably because of the ice cream.  it’s good to mix it up sometimes, yanno?!  variety is the spice of life, right?!

drink the rainbow!

😉

{a week of vitamix smoothies – day four : blueberries, spinach, dates, orange juice}

29 Aug

almmilkflaxspinachblue-3

this one was definitely green… albeit an odd shade…

tasted great, though!

almmilkflaxspinachblue-1

– frozen blueberries

– frozen raspberries

– fresh spinach

– 2 pitted dates {could substitute honey or agave}

– lots of orange juice

– few splashes almond milk

almmilkflaxspinachblue-2

i usually use more “milk” than juice, but i wanted to switch it up this time….

almmilkflaxspinachblue-3

i bought a TON of blueberries on a one-day sale and froze them. when they are in season, they still taste great, but the freezing process zaps some of the sweetness.  the dates really help sweeten without overpowering.

drink the rainbow! 😀

{a week of vitamix smoothies – day two : mangos, blueberries, spinach, flaxseeds, almond milk}

27 Aug

mangoflaxblueberrysmoothie-4

yet another colourful creation… and although this one is definitely “green”… it’s not at all green.

mangoflaxblueberrysmoothie-1

– frozen blueberries

– fresh spinach

– 2 pitted dates

– whole flax seeds

– apple juice

– almond milk

mangoflaxblueberrysmoothie-3

as i’ve mentioned before, i’m not big on measuring – i just ‘eyeball it’ usually… i’d say the basic ratio is roughly 1 cup solids to 1 cup liquids, generally speaking…

mangoflaxblueberrysmoothie-4

adjust consistency to your liking, adding more liquid or fruit as necessary… easy peasy.

DRINK THE RAINBOW!

😀

{stunning and scrumptious squash blossoms}

19 Aug

squashblossoms-6

i mean, these are just gorgeous… right?!

i’ve always wanted to make something with squash blossoms, but due to the fact that they are hard to find and have a small window of availability, i often miss my opportunity…

…but not this time 🙂

cover

goat cheese stuffed squash blossoms… stunning and scrumptious.

squashblossoms-2

i could’ve had full-on foto shoot with them, but i got hungry… so this will have to suffice…

squashblossoms-13

…for now 😉 Continue reading

{thirsty thursday : tunacado toasts w/ a little good karma!}

8 Aug

tunacadotoasts-6

i’ve written about this combination before…

it seems to be a big hit!  i mixed it up a little this time, but as usual, simple ingredients here : Continue reading

{meatless mondays : rainbow quinoa w/ volcanic garlic and heirloom tomatoes}

29 Jul

rainbowquinoavolcanogarlic-4

quinoa dishes are great for many reasons.  one thing i love about them is they are great served hot or cold.  quinoa is a wonderful source of protein and it is even a complete protein which means it contains all 9 essential amino acids.  this makes it particularly good for vegans or vegetarians.  i also love quinoa because i find it sustains my active body for a good while.

rainbowquinoavolcanogarlic-1

i whipped up a quick batch to take to lunch for a few days using my amazing volcanic garlic, 1/2 a sweet onion, and 1 medium beautiful heirloom tomato.   Continue reading

{i don’t remember exactly what i put in this vitamix smoothie…}

17 Jul

…but it was still delicious!

vitamixflaxsmoothie-3

and pretty! …

vitamixflaxsmoothie-1

it appears to be berries, spinach, dates, coconut milk, flax… i feel like i’ve made this one before?! Continue reading

{healthy snack options – quick and easy kale chips}

15 Jul

easykalechips-1

one of my favourite snacks – grab a head of kale and break up into “chip” size pieces… then rinse, sprinkle on oil of your choice {i stick with EVOO, but coconut oil is great, too!} and then smother in nutritional yeast.  i use a bag and shake it up really well, then add more on top just before baking in the oven @ 350 degrees until crisp…

easykalechips-2

they don’t last long… and they are great on top of salads, soups, or just as they are!

 

{red, white and – blue potatoes?!}

4 Jul

july4thpotatoes-6

i guess they’re actually purple potatoes – but, i sort of enhanced the colour just a tad to represent july 4th a little more 😉 Continue reading

{enjoy the holiday week! – and eat some cookies!}

1 Jul

hey gang.

i’m taking vacation this week – beginning wednesday. i am beyond ready for some time off, i just really hope i can easily make it through the next two days at work…

i wanted to share this recipe from last year, it was such a hit! it’s just a basic sugar cookie with a basic frosting and some fruit.  super festive though… and yummmmmmy!  i think i’m going to take the week off from blogging, as well… i just need to disconnect and get out in nature and rest and relax… i’ll be back next week.  i hope you enjoy the holiday and these cookies!! 🙂

———

{from the archives}

this is not exactly up my typical healthy recipe alley – but if you’re going to go for it, GO FOR IT!

festive holiday sugar cookies…

i think they turned out pretty cute… oh, and delicious. Continue reading

{thirsty thursday – peach chia lemonade}

27 Jun

peachchialemonade-4

this may look a little bizarre to you if you’ve never heard of chia drinks… but it seems to me like they are all the rage these days…

peachchiadrink-1

you remember chia seeds?! “the pottery that grows” — ch-ch-ch-chia! haha – anyway, this is the same stuff.

peachchiadrink-2

it’s good on salads, in smoothies, etc.

chia seeds congeal when mixed with liquid, so they create this interesting and fun texture that i just love – but i admit not everyone does 🙂  the best part is chia seeds are loaded with fiber and protein as well as naturally-occuring good-for-you-in-so-many-ways omegas 3 and 6.  they’re kind of a wonderfood – the aztecs just loved chia seeds!

and i do too! 🙂 Continue reading

{meatless mondays – farmers market pasta!}

24 Jun

oh my goodness was this a lovely meal. the whole day was lovely yesterday : there was such amazing energy in the air!  that supermoon energy was flowing all around me and through me, it was awesome!!!!  did any of you get a chance to see the super moon?  it was too cloudy here, so i will have to camp out next year 🙂  but i definitely still felt the energy this weekend!!!!

i took a little trip to a farmers market a little north of me in search of some kirby cucumbers to make pickles with.  no luck in that department, unfortunately… however i did discover some amazing things while there! and with most of the ingredients i purchased yesterday, i made this incredible pasta dish!

farmersmarketpasta-12

farmers market pasta.

farmersmarketpasta-3

most everything in this dish was purchased fresh from the market yesterday…

– garlic chive pasta from pappardelle’s {amazing!!  family-owned company and they have over 100 kinds of pasta!}

– organic heirloom tomatoes

– garlic scapes

– volcanic garlic {i can’t wait to blog about this!}

– fresh chives from my friend’s yard

– basil dressing, cream cheese, tomato paste, and a little parmesan {not from the market, but perfect to have in the fridge for this dish :)) Continue reading