These carrot chips were not pretty, but boy were they yummy and addictive. AND good for you! Just carrots sprayed with coconut oil and baked until crispy.
I’ve made these twice now and they’re so morish, they disappear so quickly I can’t seem to make them fast enough. As you can see in the pic I added some salt to some of them, I also tried some with smoked paprika. They were good, but the naked carrots were so yummy nothing extra was really needed.
I need to refine this recipe. And find a better way to slice the carrots. I really wish I had a bowl of them to snack on right now.
This garlic celery sauce was creamy yet light, without using any cream. Using pasta water instead of cream is a great way to lighten up sauces while still keeping it creamy.
This tasted like a restaurant meal.
It would be a great date (or company) meal. Quick and easy to make, and sure to impress.
So tasty no one will even notice there isn’t any meat in it.
(Hubby said it was ‘outstanding’ and he doesn’t even like mushrooms)
ingredients
2-4 tablespoons butter
8oz mushrooms, sliced
4-6 garlic cloves, sliced or chopped
1 bunch chard, chopped
1/2 cup celery leaves, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
1-2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
4-5 tablespoons water (from pasta)
Spaghetti
instructions
- In a large pot boil water with salt for spaghetti. Cook spaghetti very al dente (firm to the bite), it will cook for an additional 2-3 minutes in the sauce.
- While spaghetti is boiling, heat a large saucepan to medium hot
- Add butter (save one tablespoon for later) and sauté mushrooms for 2-3 minutes until they start to brown
- Add garlic and celery, sauté for 1- 2 minutes, until fragrant
- Add cream cheese, chard.
- Add spaghetti, parmesan and a few tablespoons of pasta water, tablespoon butter and stir through
- Add more water if you’d like more sauce.
- Check seasoning. You probably won’t need salt because the pasta water is salty and so is parmesan. Add pepper if needed.
- Turn off heat and cover for 2-3 minutes. Sauce will thicken and spaghetti will cook in sauce for a few minutes.
- Serve with fresh parsley and parmesan
I love cauliflower. I never thought I’d ever see the day I’d say that. Cauliflower has always been one of my least favourite vegetables, I hated everything about it, from the smell to the texture and taste, but cauliflower puree instead of mashed potatoes changed all of that. And since then I’ve been experimenting with all kinds of cauliflower recipes – crispy cauliflower, cauliflower ‘rice’, cauliflower fried ‘rice’, cauliflower pizza and cheesy ‘bread’ sticks, fritters, cakes, cauliflower hash and revisiting childhood cauliflower stew and curry recipes. And with all the health benefits, Cauliflower has become the new superfood in my kitchen.
This  cauliflower chowder came together from ‘nothing in the fridge’ ingredients. You know when the fridge is almost bare and you don’t want to go to the store.
Creamy and hearty, this cauliflower chowder is almost fat free, the huge pot of soup has a total of only 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Â I didn’t have any olive oil or butter, so I very sparingly used my precious bottle of avocado oil.
There is no cream or dairy in this soup. Instead I made cauliflower puree, a cauliflower ‘milk’ of sorts, by blending cauliflower and a quick vegetable stock (NEVER use store bought stock) I also added a sautéed onion and bay leaf to add extra flavour to the cauliflower ‘milk’.
There are no potatoes in this chowder. And if you want to go completely starch free you can omit the corn or use your favourite vegetable. I used corn because it was all I had on hand.
ingredients
FOR THE STOCK:
1-2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 onion, quartered
1-2 carrots, roughly chopped (optional)
Corn cobs
FOR THE SOUP:
1 Cauliflower
1Â onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 Bay leaves
1 cup Carrots, diced
1/2 cup Red Pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons flour
3 ears of corn, cut off the cob (about 1 1/2 – 2 cups) Don’t forget to scrape down sides to get ‘milky’ bits
Vegetable stock
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste (optional)
instructions
First make the stock:
- Preheat oven to 350
- While oven is heating, chop vegetables, saving any extra peels and end bits for stock
- Place onion, celery, carrots (or any other veg you’re using – I had 2 tomatoes from the freezer) on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes, tossing once or twice, until browned
- In a stock pot or large pot, add corn cobs and roasted veg. Add water (I just filled the pot) and boil for about 30 minutesÂ
MAKE THE CAULIFLOWER ‘MILK’:
- Grate cauliflower using a food processor, or by hand using a cheese grater
- Â Heat 1 tablespoon avocado or olive (or other) oil in a saucepan
- Add onions and bay leaves, sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions begin to soften slightly
- Remove bay leaves, save for using in soup
- Add cauliflower, cover with stock, remove from heat
- Using a blender, blend until smoothÂ
MAKE THE SOUP:
- Â In a large pot, heat 1-2 tablespoons avocado or olive (or other) oil
- Add diced onion, and bay leaves, sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions are soft
- Add celery and carrots, sauté for 3-4 minutes until carrots start to soften
- Add red pepper and garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes, until garlic is fragrant
- Add flour, corn and corn ‘milk’, sauté for 2-3 minutes
- Add cauliflower ‘milk’, check seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste
- Simmer for 5-8 minutes until soup is thickened
This is such a quick and easy dressing. I usually just stir it up in a cup with a spoon.
But you can make it even more creamy if you beat the tahini and lemon juice together. Â Tahini and lemon get thick when mixed together. You can add as much or little yogurt as you want. I’ve made this using all yogurt for a very creamy dressing and dip, and sometimes with mostly water for a smooth pourable light dressing.
ingredients
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 tablespoon plain yogurt
2-5 tablespoons water
pinch of cumin
smoked paprika
salt to taste
instructions
- Beat (or stir) tahini and lemon juice together
- Beat (or stir) in yogurt, 1 tablespoon at a time. Depending on how creamy you want it.
- Mix in  2-4 tablespoons water, depending on how thick you want it
- Season with cumin, paprika, salt
Buffalo Wing Hummus! Â This was a big hit.
Creamy buffalo wing taste, with crunchy falafel and pita chips. Everything you love about buffalo wings – spicy creamy wing flavour with crunch. This was an unexpected treat on the mezze platter. And the first to go!
I also made cheddar chicken strips to add a cheese component to recreate the buffalo wing experience. And the chicken strips wasn’t even needed. This buffalo hummus was perfect with falafel or chips.  One of the few occasions where chicken isn’t the first to go.  Thats practically unheard of at my table.
There are a bunch of ‘secrets’ to the smoothest hummus. One very logical one is to peel the garbanzos beans. I thought of doing it, but after peeling two beans, I realized I don’t need my hummus to be THAT smooth. Ain’t nobody got time for that! And the extra fiber can only be good for you.
I played around with the order I added the ingredients. This time I beat the tahini, lemon juice and olive oil. Like you would when making mayonnaise. Â I’ve never had a problem with hummus not being lush velvety and creamy .
And this hummus was so tasty and yummy, and unexpected, it disappeared in no time.
I think this is our current favorite creamy sandwich spread and dressing. without the fat and guilt. Â You won’t miss the mayo and cheese. And best of all, you can overeat without feeling sick after.
ingredients
1/4 cup Tahini
1/4 cup Lemon juice
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 can Garbanzo Beans/ Chickpeas
2-4 tablespoons Buffalo wing sauce (I used 4 tablespoons – we like it spicy)
water (options)
instructions
- Add tahini, lemon juice to food processor
- While processor is running, Add first tablespoon of olive oil very very slowly, like you would when making mayo.
- Scrape down sides. Turn on and while running add remaining oil
- Add garbanzo beans, process till smooth.
- Scrape down sides, process to make sure beans are smooth
- Beat in 2 tablespoons buffalo sauce, one tablespoon at a time
- Check seasoning, add more buffalo sauce to taste.
- Add water if its still too thick.
This was one of those recipes that came together with ‘nothing in the fridge’, you know when you don’t have exciting ingredients on hand and don’t know what to make and you don’t want to go to the store.. I had a cauliflower, few of ears of corn and not much else in the fridge.  This cauliflower chowder immediately became a favourite
Hearty, creamy and satisfying yet light and healthy!
I couldn’t resist the beautiful yellow and purple cauliflowers at the market.
There were so many recipes I wanted to try with the pretty cauliflowers, but my carnivore is hooked on crispy roasted broccoli. The fact that he asks for broccoli and cauliflower to snack on makes me so happy, like hearing your child say they’d rather have veg than candy! Â Oops, I think I just compared my husband to a child, just his eating habits though.
With so many health benefits of cauliflower and broccoli, its like eating your medicine, delicious tasty medicine.
I added some broccoli and I used my crispy smoked cauliflower recipe. IÂ ran out of smoked paprika (I’ve been putting it on everything lately) so I used black pepper.
I think everyone loves crispy vegetables, they just don’t know it and don’t realize how much they love vegetables.. yet.
After a long holiday weekend with much meat eating, this soup was just the reset we needed. Packed with vitamins, nutrients and fiber this cleansing soup was like medicine and love in a bowl.
The secret to making this soup tasty is getting extra flavour from the vegetables by roasting some of them for a stock, and roasting some for adding to the soup.  The instructions may seem lengthy for so few ingredients, but layering flavours always makes all the difference.
Do not ever ever use store bought stock. I implore you, its one of my biggest food peeves.  You’re better off using water and adding extra herbs and seasoning to your dish instead of store bought stock. In over 30 years that I’ve been cooking, and the nearly 50 years that I’ve been a professional eater, I have NEVER tasted a store bought stock that tastes good.  Just don’t do it.  Stock is so easy to make, And it can even be very quick. Like the quick stock I made to add to this soup.
For this soup I pretty much cleaned out the fridge. You can add most any vegetable you have or like. I had 3 celery stalks, carrots and half an onion in the fridge that were on their last legs so I roasted them for stock. Â Stock is always a great way to use up not-so-fresh veggies.
ingredients
3 ears of corn
1 onion
4 celery stalks
3-4 Bay Leaves
4-5 carrots
2-3 Garlic cloves
1/2 red bell pepper
2-3 tablespoons Olive oil
8oz mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 cup (approx) broccolini or broccoli
1 bunch chard
1 bunch Kale
1/2-1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or paprika or cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Cut corn off 2 of the cobs, scraping down the sides to get the milky bits, put it in a bowl. You’re going to add this, as is, uncooked, to the soup. Save the cobs for stock.
- Cut corn off the remaining cobb, put in a separate small bowl, you will be roasting this later. When you scrape down the milky bits add it to the 2 corn cobs you cut in step 1. Again save the cob for stock.
- Break the 3 cobs in half, add it to a stock pot (I used a 6qt pot) add about 10-12 cups of water, or fill up about half way.  Heat to medium hot and simmer while you’re prepping the rest of the ingredients.
- Wash, rinse and roughly chop 2 celery stalks, 2-3 carrots and 1/2 onion. Add garlic cloves and toss in a little olive oil, or use olive oil mister, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Spread out on baking sheet. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until it starts to brown.
- While the veg is roasting, prep the rest of the veg – Dice half red bell pepper, half onion, 2 celery stalks, and 2-3 carrots. Cut everything about the size of the corn kernels.
- Remove roasted veg from the oven and add to the simmering corn cob stock. Let it continue to simmer
- No need to wash the baking sheet, just add the 1 corn on the cob (the one without milky bits) and diced red pepper. Drizzle or mist with some olive oil. Toss to coat. Roast for about 15-20 minutes. Stirring once or twice, until it just starts to brown.
- While corn and peppers are roasting, In a large soup/stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, add diced onions and bay leaves, Sautee for 2-3 minutes until it starts to soften, but don’t get any colour on it.
- Add celery and carrots and sautee for 3-4 minutes. You want veg to soften and release their sugars, without browning it.
- Add broccoli, mushrooms, sauté for 2-3 mins
- Add roasted corn and peppers, and fresh corn.
- Remove stock from heat, pour liquid into soup. I filled pot till about 3 inches from top. If you have extra stock you can either top up your soup or save (freeze) it for future use.
- Simmer gently for 3-5 minutes
- Add washed, chopped chard and kale.
- Sprinkle in smoked paprika, check seasoning and add salt.
We loved this soup so much, after having it for dinner, we woke and had it for breakfast. And when we were finished with breakfast, hubby asked if there was any left because he wanted it for lunch again. The fact that that my carnivore is asking for this soup when there is left over short ribs tells you just how tasty and satisfying this soup is.
I make a huge pot of soup every week, its a life saver! Literally. Packed with vitamins, nutrients and fiber its a quick easy way to get your veggies and a great quick meal option for busy days or those ‘what can I eat’ moments. And its so comforting and satisfying it doesn’t feel like you’re eating healthy and having your medicine.
It makes for a great breakfast. We’re often rushing out in the mornings with soup in our coffee travel mugs.
Hummus is so easy to make. And so inexpensive. Once you make your own you’ll never buy it again.
I must confess, I’m almost sad about no longer buying hummus. Â I used to look forward to sampling and buying hummus at the farmers market every week. I’d spend a fortune at that market stand – $6-8 for a container of hummus and I would always buy serval. Â Now I can make 2-3 batches of hummus for that price!
The most expensive part of hummus is the Tahini (sesame seed) paste. I suggest buying a large container, its always cheaper, and Tahini lasts forever. I’m not even exaggerating, I found some tahini in the back of pantry that was two years past the expiration date, it looked and tasted just fine, so I used it and I survived. I ate that hummus all week. Now, of course, I don’t suggest testing that theory and using things that much past the expiration date, but safe to say you can buy a large jar and keep it for a while.
After making my own hummus a few times, I went back to buy some, and invited friends to do a side by side blind taste test. There was just no comparison, everyone preferred the home made version. It had a cleaner fresher taste.  And we all noticed that the bought version had a bit of an after taste. For some reason I was actually expecting at least one person to prefer the Artisan Made version from the market.  Now I just wave at Hummus folks as I walk by and every once in a while I stop to buy pita bread. And thats easy to make too, I’ll have to make my own pita bread next. Hummus is so simple, it takes less than 10 minutes to make. A sassy old lady at my favourite Mediterranean restaurant told me the secret is the order that you add the ingredients. She told me to add the tahini and lemon first and mix till creamy.  It makes for a smoother creamier hummus. So thats exactly what I did.
ingredients
- 1/4 cup Tahini
- 1/4 cup Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Â 1 garlic clove
- 1 (15oz) Can of Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 2-3 tablespoons Water
- Salt to taste
- Ground paprika and a dash of olive oil for serving
instructions
- In a food processor, add tahini and lemon juice. Pulse for about 1 minute. Scrape down sides and process for another minute.
- Add olive oil, garlic and cumin. Blend for about 30 seconds
- Add the garbanzo beans and blend for about 1 minute, scrape down the sides and blend for another minute
- Now your hummus will probably be too thick. Scrap down the sides again, and while the blade is running, slowly add water, one tablespoon at a time until you get desired smooth consistency.
- Check seasoning, add salt if needed.
- Serve with a dash of olive oil and paprika.
Store your hummus is an airtight container in the fridge, It will keep for a week or two. Although I’ve never had hummus this delicious last that long. Â Try my easy falafel recipe.
I dont trust doctors or nutritionists who limit fruit and veg. I’m sorry but no one gets sick from eating apples. Sure you can find the rare exceptions, and people are just too eager to believe you should eat less fruit. But lets just get real.
Real food. Real sugar. Â When you eat the real sugar your body needs and craves, you don’t over eat. When your body has had enough, it doesn’t want anymore. It’s like filling your gas tank. When its full, you stop.
The exact opposite happens when you eat fake, chemical sugars. (thats pretty much the sugar in EVERYTHING we eat. Its even in your milk and chicken!) Your body and brain doesn’t register it as sugar, so you keep eating. You know how you can drink soda or sweet drinks and stay thirsty even when you’re full. Or you can eat that whole bag of M&M’s or other deliciously addictive treat.  You’re filling up but starving your body. Its still hungry for some real sugar.  And you’re overflowing your tank, while your body is starving.
So eat all the fruit and vegetables you want! Pig out. Binge. Get addicted. Even if you think you don’t like fruit and vegetables. With so many to choose from you’ll find things you love. And its so easy, just eat one or two extra fruits or vegetables a day. Before you know it you’ll be eating more.
Your body and mind will love you for it!
Falafel is a Middle Eastern deep-fried ball or patty made from garbanzo beans (chickpeas), fava beans or both.
Garbanzo beans, like other beans, is packed with soluble and insoluble fiber. Which is good for your heart and digestive system. Soluble fiber helps you get rid of cholesterol. It forms a gel-like substance in your digestive tracts which traps bile (which contains cholesterol) and ferries it out of your body.
Soluble fiber helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. It is a low glycemic index food (GI) which means the carbohydrates in them are broken down and digested slowly. If you have diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia, beans can help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy. Also helpful in controlling your appetite
Insoluble fibre helps to prevent digestive disorders by increasing stool bulk and preventing constipation.
Beans are a great source of protein. But remember beans are not a complete protein, combined with a whole grain or other incomplete (vegetable) protein, they can provide almost as much protein as meat, but without the saturated fat and high calories.
Garbanzos are high in iron. Â which not only boosts your energy levels, but is particularly important for women who are menstruating, pregnant or lactating and also growing children.
Garbanzo contain phytochemicals called saponins, which can act as antioxidants. It lowers the risk of breast cancer, protects against osteoporosis and minimizes hot flushes in post-menopausal women.
And now for the best thing about garbanzo beans and falafel – It is DELICIOUS!
So delicious, yummy and satisfying, it’s a popular street food in many countries. Â Even my carnivore loves it and always comments on how he can’t believe something without meat can taste so good.
I mean its a crispy fried… I don’t even need to end that statement. Fried and crispy is always a treat. I think you can fry a pencil eraser and it would taste good straight out the fryer. But please don’t test my theory, try fried beans instead.
A few things to note about making falafel:
- I find it best to use dried beans. Canned beans make for a mushier texture, and they are usually higher in salt.  Dried beans are all natural, no salt, no mystery ingredients or preservatives. You have total control of what goes into it.Â
- Remember to soak your dried beans at least overnight, this not only softens the beans, but helps to reduce gas. I like soaking my beans for 2 days. Rinsing and changing the water 3-4 times.
- Most recipes use breadcrumbs or flour. I forgot to add the bread crumbs one day, and didn’t notice the difference. Now I just omit them from the recipe. Who needs extra empty carbs, right?
- I usually make at least a pound at a time. (Makes about 48 falafels) They make for great leftovers, and are even great cold straight out of the fridge.Â
- I added olives, to replicate falafel from our favourite falafel place. And I’m almost disspointed I won’t have a reason to go back there. I’ve also perfected their hummus and creamy dressing (recipes to follow)
- I use extra fresh parsley and cilantro. Adding fresh herbs is always a great way to get extra medicine and flavour in your meals.
ingredients
1 pound of dried chickpeas, soaked in water for at least 12 hours
1 medium onion
4-5 garlic cloves
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 cups black olives (optional)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons baking powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
3-4 tablespoons of Olive oil for frying
instructions
- Rinse the soaked garbanzo beans. Working in batches, grind up all the ingredients to a coarse texture.
- Grind/pulse garbanzo beans
 3.  Next batch, Add parsley, onions and garlic and more beans
4. Â Next batch: Add cilantro and remaining beans
5. Â If using olives, add them last. Pulse 2-3 times to chop roughly
6. Â Mix ground bean mixture together.
7. Â Add cumin, smoked paprika, sessame seeds and salt. Mix to combine
8. Â Refrigerate falafel mix for at least an hour.
9.  If using baking powder, mix in baking powder just before frying
10 Â Heat olive oil in a pan to medium high heat.
11.  Using a cookie scoop, or spoon or your hands, shape into balls. Add to hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown
Falafel keeps well, and makes for great leftovers. They also freeze well. I remember this from a restaurant I worked in, but I have never freezed them at home, they’re just too easy to make and have fresh.
Falafel is in regular rotation on my menu. I hope you enjoy this healthy meal and snack as much as we do.
Crunchy and spicy are always a sure win. These oven roasted garbanzo beans are a tasty and healthy snack. And great way to satisfy a crunchy salty craving.
Simply toss garbanzo beans in olive oil and some spices and roast until crunchy. Â I usually just toss them all together on the pan I’m roasting them on, but this time I used one of my favourite marinades. A combination of herbs, spices, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil.
ingredients
2 cans of garbanzo beans
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
3-4Â garlic cloves
2Â bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
instructions
- Roughly chop garlic cloves.
- In a bowl (I used a measuring cup) add olive oil, lemon juice, roughly chopped garlic and crumbled bay leaves.
- Blend together using an immersion blender (Or you could use a blender or food processor)
4. Â Add the rest of the ingredients – rosemary, thyme, oregano. Pulse once or twice.
5. Â Â Add sweet paprika, smoked paprika, chili flakes and salt, Mix together with spoon
6. Â Rise and drain garbanzo beans
7. Â Pour marinade over the garbanzo beans and toss together.
8. Â Â Preheat oven to 400
9. Â Â Spread garbanzo beans out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
10. Â Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden and crunchy.
11. Â Drain on paper towel
12.  Serve warm or room temperature.
They’ll stay crispy for a few days stored in a resealable bag at room temperature.
This has been the season of zucchini in my house. Zucchini has been plentiful and affordable at the farmers markets.
I’ve been cooking zucchini almost every day for couple of weeks.  These fritters are so easy to make. I was in the mood for a treat so I added cheese. And its the perfect way to sneak in extra veggies.
ingredients
3 cups zucchini, grated (I used 2 large zucchini)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 corn muffin mix (or all purpose flour, corn flour or jiffy mix)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 green onion, sliced
2 large eggs, beaten
Pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons olive oil for frying
instructions
- Grate zucchini, Sprinkle with salt and let sit for about 10 minutes. Rinse and drain. Using paper towels, or cheese cloth, squeeze out all excess water.
- In a large bowl combine all ingredients – zucchini, parmesan, cheddar, corn muffin mix (or flour) and beaten eggs.
- Season with pepper to taste. (I don’t usually add any extra salt with I use cheese)
- In a large pan, heat olive oil to medium high. Drop spoonfuls of zucchini batter into the pan, flattening them out with spatula or fork. Fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, flip over and brown the other side.
- Serve hot or cold.
I must confess that I don’t usually like fancy mashed potatoes.  I think I’m the only person I know of who doesn’t even like garlic mashed potatoes. But when I saw these Mustard Mashed Potatoes on a BBC cooking show I was so intrigued, I immediately went to boil potatoes.Â
These tangy mashed potatoes instantly became a favourite.
The most important part of mashed potatoes is choosing the right potatoes. There are basically 3 types of potatoes: starchy like Russets, waxy like red potatoes, and somewhere in between like Yukon Golds.
Never use waxy potatoes, they don’t break down and mash as easily and they don’t absorb butter and milk as well as starchier varieties. Russets and Yukon Golds are best for mashed potatoes. Of the two, the Russet will give you the creamiest mash, but many people prefer the flavor and golden color of Yukon Golds.
I used Russets for this dish because thats what I had. Â I always boil potatoes whole with skin on, that way it maintains best flavour and doesnt absorb too much water and the peels wipe off easily (just be careful not to burn your hands)
ingredients
2 pounds of Potatoes
3-4 tablespoons butter (or to taste)
2/3 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
instructions
- Boil whole potatoes, skin on, for about 30-40 mins, depending on size, until tender.Â
- Drain and let potatoes cool for a few minutes until easier to handle. Peel off the skins. Put the potatoes back in the pan, cover and gently head for a minute or two
- Heat milk and butter together in a small saucepan or microwave, until warmed and butter is melted.Â
- Remove potatoes from the heat and mash the potatoes with butter and milk until there are no lumps.Â
- Mix in grainy mustard.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
I made a spicy version of those yummy Garlic Zucchini Noodles I made the other day.
I simply added about 1/2 teaspoon each of smoked paprika, cumin and curry powder.
Since we’re eating only vegetables and fruits on our Reset Cleanse, I’ve been packing our veg with flavour. Adding intense and exotic flavours like cumin and curry are not only delicious and different, they’re good for you.
Cumin and curry are known to help with digestion. Remember always use whole spices if you can.
Cauliflower and its cousins, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, are packed with rich nutrients, they offer a healthy dose of potassium, Vitamin C, fiber and folic acid. Cauliflower boasts a cornucopia of B vitamins: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9.
This sometimes stinky family contains sulfur compounds. Thats that gassy farty smell they sometimes have. And you sometimes have after eating them. These sulfur compounds help prevent cancer.
Not all cauliflower is white. You can find green and orange varieties, the difference is in the amount of chlorophyll present during growth.
There are many ways delicious ways to enjoy cauliflower, I used to think I hated cauliflower and now the biggest problem is deciding how to prepare it. I think cauliflower mash or this crispy cauliflower can make even cauliflower haters enjoy cauliflower.
And best of all, its so simple.. The hardest part of this recipe is doing the dishes!
Preheat Oven to 420 (I just like that number, and my oven is a lil wonky) you want high heat (400-450) You want crispy not mushy.Â
The measurements for this recipe really depends on the size of your cauliflower. Just eyeball it and sprinkle away.Â
ingredients
1 head of cauliflower
1-2 tsp smoked paprika
1-2 tsp garlic powder
salt
olive oil
instructions
- Wash cauliflower and cut into florets.
- Spread cauliflower out on baking sheet.
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil. I use an olive oil sprayer. Remember you don’t want to go overboard with oil, you don’t want greasy cauliflower. And you want to keep it healthy.
- Sprinkle with smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt. Toss to coat.
- Bake for about 15 mins, or till browned as you like
I just love zucchini. You can’t go wrong with colourful veggies.
Zucchini or courgette is packed with antioxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium, Manganese. The high water and fiber content makes it a great food for weight loss and lowering cholesterol. It has anti inflammatory properties, helps prevent gout, cancer, diabetes. Its good for your heart, eyes, skin and hair.
I don’t think there is anything bad about zucchini. A member of the squash family, either green or yellow in colour. They are very mild in flavour.  You can eat em raw, cooked, grilled, sautéed. Just eat em!
I think everyone loves Spaghetti aglio e olio (Spaghetti with garlic and oil) they just don’t know it yet. It’s basically garlic noodles. And who doesn’t like that? When I saw Shannon Lin’s Zucchini Noodles Aglio et Olio’ I knew I had to try it. I am also doing a Veg and Fruit Detox Cleanse and knew I’d need new exciting meat free recipes.
This recipe did not disappoint. Garlic-y Noodle-y, healthy goodness. So tasty and comforting it didn’t even taste healthy! Â My meat eater loved it too, even though he said it would be better with chicken. Â (He thinks every thing is better with chicken. Even chicken.)
I added mushrooms and tomatoes my garlic ‘noodles’ because I had them on hand.
ingredients
2 Green Zucchini
2 Yellow Zucchini
Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
Cherry Tomatoes (optional)
3-4 Garlic cloves, crushed or sliced
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Chili Flakes (optional)
instructions
- Slice/ julienne zucchini. I used a julienne peeler (see note*). Toss zucchini generously with salt and let sit for about 20 mins to remove excess water. Discard excess water, rinse zucchini very well. Then drain well and pat dry with paper towels. This will make your zucchini tender noodle-y and not watery.
Omit this steps 2 and 3 if you are not adding mushrooms, or other vegetables. - Roast tomatoes: Toss a cherry tomatoes in olive oil, roast under broiler until brown as you like it.
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, sauté mushroom, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. I did it in two batches. The second batch I did not add any extra oil. Set mushrooms aside.
- In the same pan, on medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and stir fry for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Add zucchini noodles and stir fry for about a minute
- Add mushrooms and tomatoes, season with pepper or chili flakes, and toss together.
- Garnish with parsley, basil or other fresh herbs (Optional)
*The julienne peeler I used was a new one. While it worked smoothly, it was a pain in the ass to clean. If anyone has any suggestions on how to clean it easily, I’d love to hear from you. Until then I’ll go back to using the simpler, cheaper $5 version I always tend to go back to.
Also if you’re thinking of buying one of these spiralizers don’t bother, it didn’t work for me AT ALL.
Étouffée or etouffee  (pronounced: [e.tu.fe] ay-TOO-fay) comes from the French word étouffer, which means to smother.
Étouffée is a dish found in both Cajun and Creole cuisine.
The recipe traditionally starts off with a roux. A Roux (pronounced Roo) is a combination of fat/oil and flour used to thicken sauces. Cooking the flour allows the starch granules to swell and absorb moisture thickening the sauce.Â
Usually the roux is cooked until peanut butter brown before addition of other ingredients. I like to brown the flour and onions together. The onions release their sugars as they cook and caramelize giving a depth of flavour and sweetness to the nutty roux flavour.
I also added the sausage to brown with the roux to get as much flavour sausage flavour in my sauce as I could. I initially wanted to use chorizo sausage and basically make a sausagey meaty sauce. But I couldn’t find chorizo that made me happy. Ever notice how you’ll see something in every shop everywhere, until you want to buy it and then its no where to be found?!
ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
3-4 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste, also depends on the type of salt you use)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can diced tomatoes
2 pounds shrimp
1 pound sausage
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
instructions
- In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil on medium high. Add flour to make roux. Stir fry for about a minute, add onions. Stir fry until onions start releasing their juices, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add celery, green pepper, red pepper, sausage and bay leaves
- Sautee until brown and caramelized (I let it sautée for 2 -3 more mins after I took the  pic below
- Add garlic, tomatoes
- Add pepper, cayenne, paprika, thyme, oregano and salt cook for 2-3 minutes
- Add shrimp, cook for 2-3 minutes. The shrimp cooks quickly.
- Check seasoning.
- Add chopped parsley.
- Serve over rice.
Kumquats or cumquats [kuhm-kwat] are citrus fruits originally from China and found all over the world. They look like little oval shaped oranges, about the size of a large olive.
Unlike other citrus fruits kumquats are eaten with the peel on.  Kumquats have many health benefits, they contains  antioxidants Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, improves immune system, anti aging, healthy hair and nails, inflammation.
Kumquat Atchar or Pickle brings back childhood memories. A spicy tangy tart pickle, wonderful with curries, stews, rice and bread. When I was a kid Atchar and polony (bologna sausage) sandwiches were my favourite.
My Aunty Marg was famous for her Kumquat Atchar..and she was one of those people who didn’t share recipes. She was also famous for her caustic ways and backhanded compliments. This turned out way better than I expected, that ole bitch woulda been pissed lol
Complex flavours, but so easy to make. I see why Aunty Marg didn’t want to share her recipe, its so easy anyone can do it, and its so impressive.
This recipe calls for Asafoetida powder, an ingredient often used in Indian vegetarian dishes.
Asafoetida powder [ah-sah-FEH-teh-dah] also known as Hing (devil’s dung), or food of the gods (foetida) is a powdered gum resin. Yes you read that right, devils dung, its a little stinky. But don’t let that deter you, when you heat Asafoetida powder in oil it becomes aromatic and smells like onions/leeks and garlic. A little goes a long way. Look for it in Indian or health food stores.
I think its so exciting when spices don’t taste the way they smell, cooking magic happens when you add heat.
ingredients
About 20 Kumquats
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
2-3 Curry Leaves
2-3 Bay Leaves
1/2 teaspoon Red chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon Asafetida
1/2 – 1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Tumeric powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
instructions
- Wash Kumquats and cut in half
- In a small pan, over medium heat, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Fry until the mustard seeds start to sizzle and pop
- Add curry leaves, bay leaves and red chili flakes, Stir fry for a few seconds
- Add chili powder, turmeric, salt and kumquats. Mix through and cook for 5 – 10 minutes until the kumquats are tender
- Cool and store in an air tight container in fridge. While you can eat it immediately, it will taste better with some time to sit and let the flavours develop. Properly stored pickle will keep for 2-3 weeks.
Kumquats have been called “the little golden gems of the citrus family” Affordable, tasty and packed with health benefits. Next time you see these golden citrus gems given them a try.
The copycat recipes continue.
This started out as a Panda Express copycat recipe, but tasted so good I was hesitant to use the words Panda Express.
You will love this chow mein recipe. So quick and easy. Tastes like fresher, tastier take out.
I ran out of regular soy sauce so I used half regular and half dark soy sauce, resulting in a darker than usual chow mein. I added a teaspoon of Lemongrass because I had lemongrass that needed to be used.  It gave the chow mein such a wonderfully subtle fragrant taste, it instantly became the way I’ll be making chow mein from now on.  So pleased with how this turned out.  I kinda want to make everyone chow mein right now.
I used fresh Soba noodles, they’re usually found in the produce section of grocery story. Usually 3 packages sold in one 17oz package.
People frequently assume that the main difference between lo mein and chow mein is the type of noodles that are used. It makes sense – after all, chow mein noodles are crisp while lo mein noodles are soft, right? Actually, the main distinction between these two popular dishes lies in how the noodles are prepared.
Mein or mian is simply the Chinese word for noodles. Lo Mein means “tossed noodles,” while chow mein or chao mian means “fried noodles.”
This version was tossed and stir fried. Not mushy and not greasy. Just deliciously morish.
[ingredients]
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 3 (5.6 oz) packages refrigerated Yaki Soba noodles (found in the produce section of the grocery store.. usually the 3 packages are sold together in one 17oz. pack)
- 2/3 c. chopped celery (chopped diagonally)
- 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
- 2 c. chopped cabbage
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and black pepper. Set aside.
- Remove Soba from packages and discard included flavoring packets. Rinse noodles well, drain, and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Add celery and onion and saute for about 1-2 minutes, until translucent.
- Add cabbage and saute an additional 2-3 minutes
- Add Soba noodles and soy sauce mixture with the vegetables over medium-high heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until noodles are heated through.