foodie loves baking

pasta alla checca: gluten-free, vegan & raw

2011-10-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

Checca sauce is an uncooked tomato sauce made with fresh juicy tomatoes. This recipe for pasta alla checca is totally raw. Using some organic Ontario tomatoes kicked up with some garden garlic and basil, pasta all checca is a phenomenal no fuss dish. It should also be noted, that there is no pasta per se in here, well not in the traditional sense I mean. Instead some beautiful local zucchinis that I shredded into small 'pasta' like strands replace the gluten laden strands that I shy away from. This dish is very simple and totally delish. I have been incorporating more and more raw food dishes into my families bellies and everyone seems to be happy and this was definitely a hit.

Started with the tomatoes of course - juicy and red from the farm and since the kids were joining us I added some yellow bell peppers, chives, garlic, sea salt and pepper and plenty of fresh basil.

I still have roquette coming up in the garden and so Brandon and I enjoyed it, the kids don't dig the peppery hot punch that the roquette packs.

My zucchini 'noodles' that I shredded first then seasoned and set to drain to eliminate excess moisture.

Robyn and Liam love petits pois so they had some of those instead of the arugula.

I got all fancy with an old tin can and stacked mine up before it was devoured :)

Should also note that we made up some cashew parmesan for some cheezy deliciousness... enjoy!

Kale chips

2011-10-02T21:06:00.000-04:00

Kale is a member of the Brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, etc.), it is a super healthy dark leafy green that we should all be eating more of. It is rich in vitamins and minerals and even boasts anti-cancer properties. For more info on what makes kale such a super leafy green check out Joyous Health, an awesome resource for nutritious and delicious recipes.

Some friends have been making kale chips quite a bit and they are so darn delicious (& nutritious) that I just had to make some. Who doesn't want a guilt-free snack that has that satisfying salty crispiness as opposed to a deep-fried thigh thickening one? Well... me! So, I finally took a big bunch of organic local kale that I bought at the Whitby Farmers Market and made some for myself. Now I don't have a dehydrator so these babies were made in the oven at the lowest possible setting of 170F and they baked up perfectly. crispy. curly. wonderful.

Method:
1. Remove greens from stalk, wash well then spin dry.
2. In a large bowl add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp fresh lemon juice and some sea salt to taste.
3. Throw in the kale leaves and toss to coat. I actually rub the lemon olive oil all over each leaf to make sure it's well coated.
4. On a parchment lined pan spread out kale so there is one layer then bake in the oven for 1.5-2 hours or until crispy and warm... If you stack them more than one layer they won't crisp and you will end up with soggy 'chips', not cool.

Healthy heavenly kale :)

Sunny days cool nights

2011-09-16T19:00:00.000-04:00

Summer is bliss

Water and rocks

frogs

wildflowers

apples

beach

my happy place

We spent our time at the cottage on a neverending search for any and all life

Hunting, seeking, exploring, and examining every.single.thing.

leaves, flowers, trees, pools, puddles, the lake, rocks, spiderwebs, decaying logs, moss ;p

catterpillars,butterflies and moths,dragonflies,loons,mergansers,blue herons,osprey and owls

canoeing, swimming, hiking, biking and campfires

we even did some sightseeing to two different rapids: Buttermilk Falls and to the Minden Wild Water Preserve/Harrington Falls

It was a sumptuous summer, dappled with delicious meals created with the most luscious seasonal bounty. There is nothing that comes close to the flavour of local seasonal fruits and veg...

Autumn is almost here and heralds new beginnings: back to school for Robyn and work for Brandon and I. Hot yoga bootcamp has started again which only punctuates the ass kick that it has been getting back to routine. As much as fall is about endings it is also about new beginnings and fresh starts and as much as I love summer, autumn is my most favourite season.

Oh!! I almost forgot, it wouldn't be summer without these critters magically transforming. We love monarch butterflies and 'raise' them in our milkweed jungleto think that this magnificent creature is the result of a yellow, black and white striped caterpillar eating many, many milkweed leaves. Metamorphosis never ceases to amaze me.

Okay now. On with the show: Peaches and blueberries meet grill.

(we picked many pounds of blueberries this summer :)

Peaches make me think of me of warm sunny summer skies and that essence is captured in this recipe, which also happens to be quick and easy, hooray! This recipe is also flexible in that any fruit can be grilled to carmelization heaven: pineapple, strawberries, watermelon, bananas...

Grilled Peaches with blueberries:

(On the BBQ)

4 tbsp pure organic maple syrup

4 peaches (wash well and try to buy organic) cut in half (pit removed)

1 cup blueberries (optional)

Dusting of cinnamon after grilling

Method:

1. In a bowl combine peach halves with maple syrup and place on hot bbq or grill and cook approx 2 minutes or until they pick up easily and flip for another minute if necessary to further soften. Toss the blueberries in and coat with maple goodness and throw on the grill for a brief minute and viola.

2. Serve over good vanilla ice cream for a melty amazing dessert. They are equally delicious as or even with a sprinkle of toasted nuts for crunch.

Enjoy :)

sultry summer

2011-07-21T13:47:00.000-04:00

Summertime and the living is easy,,, well, I'm not sure about that, but, I can say for certain that the living is HOT, HOT, HOT!!! And sweaty, very sweaty ;)

So, I am throwing in my apron and vow to spend the summer having fun and keeping cool with my kiddos + hubby. The combination of heat, humidity and two children under 5 (home.every. single. day) means I need to simplify and find ways to make my life easier (which in turn makes me a more relaxed and happier mama)... soooo, I am taking a break from blogging, and taking no further orders and will concentrate my efforts on my kids, friends, family and food (of course). Our summer schedule consists of raising monarch butterflies, watching our veggie garden grow, playing at the park, with friends, at the zoo, in the library and at the cottage (for almost the entire month of august, *squeeee*).

I was in the garden one morning, camera in hand, when it all became clear... life is just too short to spread oneself too thin. I really need to uncomplicate, refocus and macro my life. Concentrate on what is most important and find beauty and joy in the simple things because at the end of the day that is all we truly have.

macro hydrangea shot

macro veggie garden shot: gourd plant in the morning light

a bumper crop of black raspberries this year

macro tiger lily shot

Robyn holding a milkweed leaf for our monarch caterpillars

the kids and I made two trips to the strawberry fields where they ate and stomped more berries than they actually picked

pre-jam

macro peony shot... if only we could smell this one

baked up some mini shortcakes for strawberry shortcake for father's day dessert

soooo delicious

wild strawberries from our garden

macro baby boy

macro clematis shot

saving ants from the rain puddles

sugar-free watermelon sorbet

a quick and easy, refreshing, palate cleansing summer treat from the amazing

whole life nutrition kitchen

Happy Summer

see you in September :)

Almond 'Feta' Cheeze with Herb Oil

2011-06-07T21:30:00.000-04:00

totally unrelated but couldn't resist this pic of our beloved Jasmine... Jazz Cat

I know, I know, Vegan Cheeze? Really? I used to think that too, what's the point? Cheese is cheese and there is no faking it. Right? Wrong. After a little experimentation in the kitchen I am pleased to announce that there is in fact cheese without cow, goat or any other kind of animal product. Hooray! And even more importantly it tastes AMAZING! Sure its different, I should hope that a vegan, nut based cheese would taste different but not different bad, different good, different delicious. Oh wow was it good.

I took an old issue of Vegetarian Times magazine - a fantastic magazine - out from the library a few weeks back and they had a big article on vegan/nut cheeze including recipes. I was so inspired and curious that I had to try it out. The recipes were very simple and straightforward using ingredients I had already in the pantry so away I went. I decided to try the 'Feta' recipe since I had an abundance of almonds. First step was to soak the almonds for 24 hours (simple enough) then drain, rinse and blitz with olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. The creamy cheezey mix then gets wrapped in cheesecloth and set over a bowl overnight to drain. The next day I baked it in the oven and voila - cheeze. I infused some olive oil with rosemary and after it cooled I poured it over the top of the cheeze and we dug in, and boy did we dig. It was addictive. It had all the qualities I would want in a cheese - creamy, soft, flavourful, and rich. I can't say that I got 'feta' from it but who cares? I was just thrilled that it came out creamy and delicious.
Almond 'Feta' Cheeze with Herb Oil:
1 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tbsp plus 1/4 cup olive oil (divided)
1 clove garlic (use your discretion - I threw in a ton of spring garlic cause I loooove garlic:)
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp rosemary
Method:
1. Place almonds in bowl and cover with water, soak 24 hours
2. Drain and rinse almonds and drain again
3. In mixer, puree almonds, lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, salt and 1/2 cup cold water for about 6 min. or until very smooth and creamy
4. Place a large strainer lined with cheesecloth over a bowl and set almond mixture in pulling up the sides of the cheesecloth and squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Chill overnight in the fridge
5. Preheat oven to 200F. Unwrap cheeze and place on parchment lined pant and flatten to about 3/4 of an inch and bake for 40 minutes. Cool then chill. Cheeze can be made up to this point 2 days ahead - store in fridge.
6. Combine olive oil and rosemary and warm in a saucepan until fragrant. Let cool then drizzle over cheeze and devour :))

Step-by-step snaps:

plumped up almonds

+ local spring garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper

blitzed in the VitaMix until smooth and lucius then wrapped in cheesecloth and set in a strainer over a bowl to drain overnight

after the liquid is drained away

out of the oven, dried out slightly to get a more crumbly texture

a blanket of rosemary infused extra virgin olive oil to finish and time to dig in

and dig we did :)

had some amazing carrot soup for supper that night

with some skillet style cornbread to sop up soup and dip in our cheeze

Delish

Garden to table: strawberry rhubarb compote

2011-05-27T10:14:00.000-04:00

If there is any magic in this world it is in the garden. Each fall my beautiful plants wither and die and become a distant memory under a blanket of snow. When spring finally arrives the magic begins. The rain and sun wake up the garden and life springs forth once again. Buds dot tree branches, hints of green colour brown woody stems and the earth comes to life. It really is magical. To plant a tiny spec of a seed and have an entire plant grow and produce food for us to eat is just amazing. I never tire of this beautiful magic, I continue to be in awe of the garden and our natural world. There is nowhere I would rather be than in the garden, or the woods, or at the cottage in the forest. When I am in and surrounded by nature I am calm and peaceful and content and life appears so perfect and simple.

wild strawberry plants I transplanted from the cottage

splash of red tulips

grape bud about to unfurl

ridiculously large rhubarb leaves

love rhubarb... if only the strawberry could fruit at the same time

chives growing like crazy

my Robyn is growing just as quick as the garden

the violet matches her hoodie

the sage was looking sad but is starting to come back

there is nothing better than fried fairy tongues

roquette (arugula) sprouts

Liam hard at work with the push mower

Yes. I am a firm believer in child labour ;)

spring harvest from the garden: oregano, asparagus, spinach and rhubarb

oregano

fresh herbs bring any dish to life with a burst of flavour

my gorgeous asparagus

I either grill it or cook it in a hot oven (350F) with some olive oil and salt and pepper... a.ma.zing.

natures candy

spinach from the garden has been greening my smoothies

fresh spinach from the garden cannot be compared to the stuff from the grocery store

rhubarb on its way to the chopping block

stewed the rhubarb with some store bought strawberries... YUM!

Served warm over haagen dazs vanilla ice cream = bliss

Stewed Rhubarb with Strawberries:

4 cups chopped rhubarb (8-12 stems)

2-3 cups chopped and hulled strawberries

1 tbsp water

1/2 cup sugar (I have been using organic coconut sugar and its awesome - trying to stay away from the refined white stuff as much as possible)

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil

2. Lower heat to a simmer and let cook and reduce down until you have a nice thick compote

3. Enjoy warm over ice cream or on toast for breakfast. My kids have loved it over yogurt for breakfast. The possibilities are endless

snacking & rosemary spiced nuts

2011-05-14T14:12:00.052-04:00

Snacking is something we do a lot of at our house. I think we all love to nibble and snack throughout the day and as an added bonus, snacking is proven to be an essential part of a balanced diet. That is if the snacks are in fact healthy. Snack time is just as important as meal time. Studies show that it is healthier to eat a series of small meals throughout the day as opposed to sitting down to just three large meals. Snacking between meals and eating frequently (every 2-3 hours) keeps energy levels high and our metabolism revved up. If you are trying to lose weight make sure to eat clean, and eat frequently. Skipping meals is not the answer to weight loss. When we starve ourselves our bodies go into survival mode and hang onto fat, this is why we need to nourish ourselves often for optimal energy, wellbeing and weight loss.

One of my favourite snacks are nuts. Nuts are one of the best plant sources of protein and are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants. They are calorically dense foods that are high in fats - mostly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats - good fats that are proven to lower LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein). So rather than adding nuts to your diet try replacing something less healthy in your diet with nuts, that way we aren't adding unwanted calories. Purchase nuts that are raw, unroasted and unsalted - the less processed the better. Controlling and adding salt and 'flavour' at home is much healthier.

Nuts are wonderful as is but if you have the time roasting them really brings out the flavours. When the nuts are heated they release oils and this helps fully develop those flavours. I heat the oven to 350F and load a sheet pan (lined with parchment) with a variety of nuts. Roast/toast for about 10 minutes or until they become fragrant. While they are warm you can 'season' with fresh herbs and salt and enjoy. And on a more serious note, roasting nuts (specifically walnuts in this case) will eliminate the chance of E.coli infection.

I love nuts for their flavour, crunch and versatility. They are amazing ground into nut butters or into pestos, they are wonderful in granola cereal or bars and in salads or all by themselves.

This is a recipe for rosemary spiced nuts, cayenne gives it a kick. You can play with this recipe and use whatever herbs you like and change up the flavours...

a mix of almonds, cashews and walnuts - about a pound in total

spice blend: 3 tbsp rosemary, 1 tbsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp cayenne and 1 tbsp brown sugar combined with 1 tbsp of melted butter

toss, toss, toss

the hot nuts suck up and absorb the buttery spice mix *drool*

They are best served warm with a cold beer. If you happen to have leftovers store them in an airtight jar in the fridge (nuts are high in fat + the butter) and they will spoil quickly.

On another nutty note:

These are for you Aunt Lee :)

Robyn got all dressed up for the Royal Wedding. Her school was having a 'formal' day ;) Soooo cute in her new Easter/Spring dress from Aunt Lee. Thanks again Lee Lee xox

Breads of all shapes and flours

2011-05-04T13:40:00.000-04:00

Bread. I love bread. I love the way it tastes, the way it smells and feels. A faint whiff of yeast makes me happy and triggers memories of early mornings at school. There is nothing like fresh baked bread. Kneading, shaping, cutting. I love it all. When I was diagnosed with a wheat intolerance my first thought was: how will I live without bread? Life without bread just isn't worth living. Ok so maybe I'm being dramatic but really? Who doesn't eat and love bread? It is a staple in most of our kitchens. So, gluten-free is the bread for me. Gluten-free bread doesn't have the same taste, smell, or texture, however it is darned good. And, with an open mind, hungry tummy and adventurous palate there is bread after gluten intolerance. Thank goodness. I still make traditional wheat based breads for my family as they have no trouble with gluten. And when I get a craving I whip up a batch of some GF. This post is all about bread. I have an easy no-knead multigrain loaf, a lovely country loaf and a beautiful gluten-free, xanthan-free and vegan seed bread. All three are wonderful and worth a try.

No-knead bread is super simple, all you need is time

This no-knead recipe is courtesy of Michael Smith, its one of my go-to through the week as it needs very little attention - perfect.

I mix up the no-knead the night before and let it rise overnight

then its just a matter of 'punching' down and shaping and into the pan for the second rise - only another 2 hours before it hits a hot oven

Hot crusty multigrain no-knead bread hot out of the oven

take your bread out of the pan to cool, this will maintain the integrity of the crust and help it cool faster

My kitchen aid has a dough hook, thank goodness. This is a traditional country loaf from the Canadian Living website. I'm not always crazy about their recipes, however this one is quite good, just a little prep to do. The molasses give the bread a rich, sweet flavour.

my dough hook in action

Country loaf is full of: flax, sunflower seeds, oats and whole wheat.

a lovely dough to work with - first rise 2 hours

Made a batch of country rolls - the fam had some fresh with dinner and the rest got tossed in the freezer for a later date.

sliced

hot fragrant country loaf
I've made this country loaf as a free-form round and as a traditional loaf - both work well. A quick tip for those who enjoy crusty bread: when you pre-heat the oven set a shallow dish of water in the lower part of the oven, this will create steam and give the bread a great crust. And don't forget to take it out of the pan to cool.

This gluten-free, xanthan free and vegan seed bread recipe is from the wonderful Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen - an amazing resource for all things healthy and delicious

This dough is a mixture of grains and seeds: teff, sorghum, rice, chia, and psyllium

sprinkled with sesame and poppy seeds and slashed to help release steam - a beautiful result

Enjoy :)

Up next: gardening - veggies and flowers
snacks of all sorts

LIfe is Beautiful

2011-04-27T17:06:00.000-04:00

Life is

early morning walks

hanging laundry on the line

a good book and a hot cup of tea

afternoon yoga vinyasas

getting my hands dirty in the garden

playing, colouring pictures, hide-and-seek

fresh home-baked bread

thunderstorms and puddles

cooking dinner

joni mitchell, oscar peterson, herbie hancock

cuddles and bedtime stories

catching up with friends

Beautiful

pesto and pizza

2011-04-25T15:56:00.000-04:00

walnuts garlic basil

together blitzed with olive oil and sea salt and pepper

= pesto (vegan)

Robyn and the rolling pin

naked pizza dough

Liam and the salad (basil) spinner

*All hands on deck*

bubbling hot pizza pie

farmer's market pizza:

pesto base

fresh ricotta

fresh pineapple chunks

organic porcini mushrooms

Heavenly with a pile of greens

my indoor greens garden: roquette, spinach and mesclun

future posts:

breads: no-knead and gluten-free

outdoor garden season: veggies and flowers

petit fours

2011-04-13T13:05:00.000-04:00

There is something so chic about a petite treat. Good friends of the family are expecting a baby and we threw a baby shower in Sara Jane's honour this past weekend. The weather was amazing, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. We all ended up outside, eating and drinking (not the mom-to-be of course) and watching the children run wild. I was asked to make some goodies and after stumbling upon a recipe for these mini cheesecake bites I decided to do a selection of petit fours for the occasion. The only specification in terms of what to make was: CHOCOLATE. Easy enough. I made up a batch of my chocolate beet mini cupcakes and iced them three ways: chocolate fudge buttercream, chocolate chai spiced buttercream and vanilla bean buttercream. They were fantastic. The cake itself is super moist and the rich buttery icing was heavenly. I decorated each mini cupcake with sugar hearts in various colours (as the sex of the baby will be a surprise, hooray for them for waiting).

vanilla bean buttercream

chocolate chai and chocolate fudge buttercream

and again

Now these little darlings are so damn delicious and so darn simple to prepare I will definitely be making these again and again. The cheesecake is a no-bake recipe and instead the cheesecakes are frozen. Chocolate wafer cookies are blitzed for the base and then topped with the cream cheese and whipped cream filling and after a brief journey to the freezer they are ready to be cut into squares and dipped in warm melted chocolate. Mmmmmmmm. The recipe is courtesy of The Domestic Goddess and I urge you all to try it and some of her other heavenly creations.

I don't know anyone who could resist a cheesecake enrobed in chocolate... they went like hot cakes;)

Next time you have a special occasion to bake for or are just in the mood for something different try these out. Its much less intimidating committing to a two-bite treat than an entire slice of cake or pie. Another plus is you don't feel guilty when you go back for seconds or thirds or, you get the picture.

Bon Apetit

St. Lawrence Market and Scones

2011-04-04T15:13:00.000-04:00

A gorgeous sunny Saturday morning

The South Market

My beautiful Robyn squinting in the sun

Last Saturday morning we packed up the children, stroller, baby backpack and our re-useable shopping bags and drove into the city. Destination: the St. Lawrence Market. The market holds so many memories for me, as a child my parents would take me there what seemed like every weekend to do our shopping and get some fantastic food. It is such a great food experience - the hustle and bustle, different smells, people everywhere and farmers. There is something so magical about the North Market where all of the farmers gather to display and sell their goods. There is a timelessness about that place, after all these years, it still looks and even smells the same. A mixture of herbs and bacon and fresh cut flowers and baking. I felt like I was 6 years old again, peering at the tables of herbs and vegetables...Its amazing how scent triggers the memory.
When we first arrived we were a little overwhelmed by the crowds of people/shoppers. The South market was teeming with people and trying to maneuver a stroller with a four year old and a baby in the backpack proved to be a bit hectic.

Liam loves being up in the backpack, it gives him such a different vantage point than what he is used to. He finally gets a clear view of whats going on and with a snack in hand he is even happier (as is Dad).

Stonemill Bakery was overflowing with pastries, breads, and people - the line-ups were ridiculous but was well worth it

baguettes galore... love

more bread

On the other side - at the North Market we found some peace. It was much quieter, which I found surprising as in my opinion, the North market is the place to be. This is where the farmers are found. There were fresh herbs and vegetables, flowers, cheese, baked goods, and meat (something we vegetarians are not interested in). We decided to get ingredients for dinner... basil, organic porcini mushrooms, fresh ricotta, and a few other non-dinner related items... pussy willows, baking, and some gorgeous carrots of all colours...

Ontario produce (hydroponic I suppose)

This pussywillow display was gorgeous

those beautiful carrots

more fresh veg

the pussywillow display up close, they had small singing birds perched on the branches

I was really loving the pussywillows as you can tell... I have a large bunch in my living room

Bran and the children taste testing local fresh cheeses

The scone portion of this post is finally here. We have been craving and making scones since our trip to the market. There is something so decadent about a fresh scone. They are buttery crumbly fruit filled little beauties and are such a nice treat on a Sunday morning. I love the lemon blueberry combination in this recipe however I also enjoy a savoury scone loaded with cheddar and chives... they're all good

Lemon Blueberry Scones

1 3/4 c gluten-free flour all purpose blend
3/4 c oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
dash of sea salt
3/4 cup brown sugar or turbinado
1/2 cup vegan margarine/shortening/butter
2 tsp lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup rice or soy milk
1 cup blueberries (I used frozen)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400F and line cookie sheet with parchment
2. In large bowl combine dry (all ingredients up to sugar) and mix to combine
3. Measure the milk and add lemon juice and zest (this will curdle the milk or make buttermilk so don't be alarmed when it gets 'chunky' this is supposed to happen)
4. Add butter/vegan shortening or margarine (make sure it is COLD) and 'cut' or 'rub' in as you would if you were preparing pastry until it has become crumbly
5. Make a well in the dry mix and add soured milk and mix gently until it comes together.
6. Fold in berries and then drop 8 clumps onto cookie sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.
7. Let cool and enjoy with a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee = bliss
**If you are lucky enough to have leftovers freeze in a well sealed bag and pop into the oven to re-warm, they freeze well surprisingly :)
**Another trick I like is to prep the dry ingredients the night before and then in the morning I only need to do a little prep before they are in the oven;)

Butter before

Butter after

Good Sunday morning scones... mmmmm

Next post: petite treats for special occasions

March Break and Maple Syrup

2011-03-25T14:21:00.000-04:00

This post has been written in stops and starts and has taken me forever to finish. Between March Break, Daylight Savings and my sinus infection I have been unable to sit and get this thing done. I have been so tired and stuffed up I can't seem to get anything done. My to-do lists have had to wait. Energy has only been spent on what matters most: my children, friends and family. My energy is just too lacking to worry about anything more at this point.

swinging at Heydenshore weeeeeeeee

they LOVE this swing

Robyn had her first official March Break last week and we were so happy to have her home with us. We had an entire week of slow mornings and easy playful afternoons. Its such a nice change from the hustle of school days where we wake and hit the ground running. March break was loaded with playdates, birthday parties, hikes, walks along the beach and playing at the playground. Our most favourite, well perhaps memorable would be a better word for it, was our visit to Purple Woods. What a morning that was. We journeyed 25 minutes north to a conservation area where the annual maple syrup festival was taking place. It was a gorgeous day and being march break, the conservation area was teeming with people of all ages, hungry for syrup and sunshine. We had a great time hiking, eating, riding on the horse drawn wagon ride and checking out different maple syrup info stations. Aside from the crazy parking, line ups, Liam throwing up his pancake and stepping in dog crap (why don't people pick up after their dogs???) we had a lovely time at the festival. And the whole experience inspired me to do some baking with maple syrup. Its something I do anyhow, but I really wanted to showcase maple. My regular maple applications are normally quite subtle with the maple in the back seat. But the recipes I tried really let the maple syrup shine.

getting Liam in and out of this thing is next to impossible

I first made up a batch of muffins - carrot, walnut, raisin maple and topped them with a maple cream cheese frosting and they turned out great. The only change I made to the recipe was to make it vegan by eliminating the egg. I substituted the egg for chia (1tbsp chia mixed with 3 tbsp water until it gels) The substitution worked however the diminished fat content made it hard to remove the paper from the muffin. Overall though these were a huge hit, we all loved them and they were gone in no time.

Delicious mini muffins packed full of carrot, walnut and raisins

Topped with maple cream cheese frosting... de.lic.ious.

me want muffins... mmmmm

snack time

it was yummy :)

I also baked up a batch of Foodland Ontario's Maple Squares. They were so simple and full of maple syrup that I had to try them. They turned out and there was plenty of maple flavour but it just missed the mark. If I made them again, I would probable bake them a little longer, until they crisped up more. Its still worth making though, my children loved them and its a great recipe to make with them.

Aahhhh spring... please come back soon

yours, J

Green Smoothies

2011-03-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

March is nutrition month in Canada. Its a good time to remind ourselves to eat a healthy balanced diet. This post is all about nutrition, its practically busting with vitamins and nutrients...

Spring is in the air... well... sort of. As I sit and write there is a slushstorm blowing outside (a combination of snow and rain), its hard to believe we are so close to spring. Warmer temperatures have begun to thaw the frozen ground but winter is still hanging on driving cold wind and slushy snow through the sky. There is a tug of war happening between winter and spring and at the moment, and unfortunately winter is winning. Boooo. I love winter and snow do not get me wrong, however, I am so ready for some springtime... flowers, rain, puddles, garden, asparagus... bring. it. on.

This longing for spring has me rethinking my diet and contemplating a spring clean for myself, a detox of sorts. I have been trying to incorporate more raw food into my diet and I have been on a bit of a green smoothie kick. And lucky for me, I have just the tool for the job as I am the proud new owner of my mother-in-laws gently used Vita-Mix. And I cannot explain to you how completely amazing it is that I have this amazing machine in my kitchen. This blender is well, so much more than the average blender. Here are some of the reasons that I loooove this machine: it has a huge 64 oz., BPA-free shatter proof container, which means I can make large batches of smoothies (or soups, sauces, etc.) so there is enough for multiple servings and people. The speed of the blade runs up to 240mph which means that this thing liquifies and blitzes everything in its path to smithereens. There are different speed options too - a variable range of speed and a high ultra-powerful, its going to blast off through the ceiling kind-of speed. Another thing about this blender is that it comes with its own cookbook, full of recipes for dips, sauces, smoothies, etc. all of which are healthy. This thing really kicks butt in the kitchen. Normally when I run my kitchen-aid mixer or food processor Liam gets excited, in fact he gets excited at any sort of vroom, vroom... but the vita-mix makes his eyes wide with fear as it roars through my veggie packed smoothie. Va va va vrrrooooom.

There is a ton of information out there (online, in cookbooks, etc.) that praise green smoothies and there are many good reasons to incorporate them into your diet. Here are some of the benefits to eating green smoothies, in list form:

1. they contain phytonutrients, it is living food

2. higher energy levels

3. weight loss

4. 10 Health Benefits

I myself have been drinking them everyday for two weeks and I have found that my cravings for sweets and other 'junky' food has been curbed in a way I would have never imagined. I have more energy and feel great. There is something about eating healthy that just makes me happy. These green smoothies are here to stay :)

This is what one of my green smoothies looks like however I do find that adding some frozen pineapple chunks really add delicious sweetness and make it a little more palatable... if you aren't using a vita-mix make sure to chop fruit and veg up more and try different fruit and veg combos until you find something that suits your taste.

one whole carrot, a large chunk of cucumber, a whole apple and a nice nub of ginger peeled

one stalk of celery, a handful of flat-leaf parsley and a large handful of either spinach or kale

one tablespoon of maca and a tablespoon of hemp seed

cover the lot with water, secure the lid and blitz away

1-2 minutes on high and it is totally liquified... green smoothie complete

a glass of green - the freshest drink I have ever had... love it!

Some other great links with more green smoothie information:

green smoothies

green smoothie blog

eating raw: green smoothie style

Shepards Pie, vegetarian style

2011-03-01T16:48:00.000-05:00

March is already here and spring is not far behind. In a last ditch effort to post a wintery recipe I give you Shepards pie, vegan or vegetarian style (of course). On a dark wintery night a hot plate of shepards pie sounds like the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Hearty and rich and smothered in pillowy soft mashed potatoes. Carb heaven. Of course, as a vegetarian the traditional shepards pie no longer appeals to me, however, minus the animal protein it still holds all of the comfort food traits that I long for. After watching Jamie Oliver cook a pot of lentils on one of his fab culinary shows I was inspired to take his lentil dish and translate it into a veggie version of my own. Shepards pie is a dish made of simple, affordable ingredients that most of us have on hand in our fridge and pantry. When Jamie Oliver was preparing the lentils he spoke of the simplicity of this one-pot wonder and how peasants would prepare this using basic ingredients - tomatoes, potatoes, onions, lentils - cheap and nutritious.

This is one of those non-recipes, I tend to eye-ball the amounts here and have never had a problem. So have faith and in case you can't live without a recipe click the Jamie Oliver link and find the lentil recipe there.

Vegan Shepards Pie

In a large pot sautee:

1 onion chopped

1 carrot chopped

2 ribs celery chopped

Once tender add:

1/2 package of green lentils (450g) - give them a good rinse and pitch out rocks or 'ugly' lentils

1 potato cut in half

1 tomato scored on the bottom (this will enable you to remove the skin later)

1 bay leaf

4 cloves garlic - left whole with skins

a few drops of olive oil

1 cup brown rice (optional)

Cover the lot with vegetable broth or plain old water and bring to a boil. Then simmer with the lid on until the lentils are tender and the rice (if using) is cooked through. While the lentil mixture simmers peel and chop enough potatoes for the topping and get them boiling. Once the lentils are finished remove the bay leaf and discard, then mash together the peeled tomato, potato and garlic and add back to the pot and stir - this is going to thicken whatever liquid is left and make a nice 'gravy'. You can also add frozen corn or peas at this point for extra veg. Pour lentil mix into a casserole dish and set aside. Once the potatoes are tender mash them with milk (whatever kind you choose) and butter (or vegan margarine) and plenty of salt and pepper and if you choose some old cheddar cheese and fresh chopped chives (totally optional). Spread the mashed potatoes on top and voila, veggie shepards pie. Before serving whip it in a hot oven to brown up the top and I like to serve it with homemade cranberry 'jam', and salad or broccoli.

Although this is a vegetarian version of shepards pie it is just as hearty, rich and satisfying. My family loves this and I love it because it all gets chucked into one pot and everyone gobbles it up.

everything in

plated

last summers tomato harvest

red onions from the garden

Getting ready to splash in some puddles

My babes, springtime circa 2010

Raw food

2011-02-22T20:29:00.001-05:00

Eating raw is something we all do in some capacity. The most common foods that we probably all eat raw are fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds. On this basic level, the notion of raw food seems perfectly normal. However, raw food diets are far more complex than meets the eye. Fruits and veggies only skim the surface of a raw food diet which can consist of a variety of foods, ranging from meat protein (thats right, raw meat) to cookies to bagels and crackers. To venture into these types of raw food recipes is quite in depth requiring one to sprout seeds and dehydrate for many hours, etc. A process quite different from traditional cooked and baked food standards. Such preparations would also require some special kitchen equipment such as a juicer or dehydrator.

The idea of eating raw stems from the fact that cooking food diminishes and destroys nutrients vital to our well being and therefore eating raw, uncooked food allows us to absorb the maximum amounts of nutrients possible. Rather than 'killing' our food with heat, eating raw encourages us to eat living foods. Besides the health benefits to eating raw, I have to say that the time saved (with certain recipes) is a major bonus for me and my family. There are numerous websites and blogs full of information and recipes to try. If you haven't eaten raw food before I encourage you to try it, as strange a concept as it may seem, it makes a lot of health sense.

These are some raw 'cookies' or energy balls as I like to call them.

I experimented with a combination of cashew nut butter (homemade), dates, coconut, hemp seed, chia seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, cocoa and maple syrup. I blitzed everything together in my food processor, formed the mix into small balls then rolled them in a mix of coconut, hemp, sesame and chia seeds and put them in the fridge to set up. They were amazing and my kids absolutely love them. Eating raw cookie dough is not an issue with these little sweeties :)

So, the other 'raw' food I have been eating is at breakfast - I have oatmeal uncooked and raw...

I start with a handful of oats

add in a handful of sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon each of: hemp seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds

a small handful of almonds

a drizzle of golden honey (raw, unpasteurized)

and top it off with natures finest: a handful of wild blueberries.

I then add some hot water from the kettle and let it sit and plump up for a few moments and then devour it... this takes less than 5 minutes and I interchange the nuts and seeds and fruit with what I have on hand. Its a delicious and highly nutritious start to the day.

chocolate hazelnut spread

2011-02-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

Hazelnuts and chocolate are two of my favourite foods and together they are divine. As Jaime Oliver would say, hazelnuts and chocolate are best friends. But what couldn't be best friends with chocolate? This is a vegan version of the store-bought nutella but much healthier. Nutella contains sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk powder, whey powder, lecithin and vanillin. First off, the alarm bells should be ringing when sugar is the first ingredient. There are also problems with palm oil; it is not a healthy fat and has been found to be just as unhealthy as trans fats. With respect to the environment, palm oil is a huge issue. But when it comes to commercially prepared products versus homemade, there is never any competition, hands down homemade will always prevail.

Preparing this nut spread takes some time but it is well worth it. Start off with 12oz. or about 2.5 cups of whole hazelnuts (skin on). If you can find them with the skins off, grab those instead because husking them is a real chore.

Roast the hazelnuts in the oven at 375F on a parchment lined cookie sheet for about 10minutes or until the heavenly aroma of hazelnuts fills your kitchen. Then with a clean tea towel rub the warm nuts vigorously to remove the skins. Let cool completely.

In a food processor or a vita-mix, pulse hazelnuts until they are blitzed to a fine powder or if you are like me you will completely forget this step and combine all ingredients in the food processor and mix to combine:

3 tbsp almond milk

4 tbsp dark cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp khalua (optional)

3/4 cup - 1 1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar for sweetness - add this in small amounts until desired consistency is reached

Oops!

Yum! It still turned out great, perhaps a little more hazelnut texture than I would normally like but I can deal

Mmmmmm heaven

2 jars of heavenly hazelnut spread to be exact

we use the spread on toast, sandwich cookies or crepes

the kids enjoy the crepes best and I make a fruit salad tossed with chia and hemp seeds and roll it up

Robyn enjoying her chocolate hazelnut fruit crepe

chocolate heart cookies we baked for valentine's day were the lucky recipients of hazelnut spread and were deeeeelish!!

Next week: raw creations

chipotle barbeque sauce

2011-02-07T10:14:00.000-05:00

There is something about barbeque, smoky flavours thick and saucy. Mmmmm. In the summertime out in the garden I always find myself drooling from the smell of our neighbours barbeque sauce on a hot grill. I just block out the fact that it is also the smell of meat, ugh. Moving on.... as a vegetarian I really haven't enjoyed barbeque for a while. Sure we barbeque our veggies and pizzas and even fruit but nothing compares to spicy sweet barbeque sauce. When I found this recipe for homemade barbeque sauce on tofu, I was all over it. And sure enough it did not disappoint, this sauce is rich and amazing with none of the guilt, especially when slathered on tofu.

Tofu steaks smothered in chipotle barbeque sauce with a side of quinoa and stir fried veggies has become our new favourite meal. It's healthy, simple and most importantly, tastes amazing. Brandon and I love jalapeno peppers and hot and spicy food in general and this sauce is a great balance of sweet and spicy. The sauce can be slathered on anything and I'm convinced it could even make rocks taste good. If we aren't using it for tofu steaks, we use it as a dip for potatoes or as a topping for veggie burgers. This barbeque sauce recipe is courtesy of the wonderful Fat Free Vegan. I have never been disappointed with her recipes - they always taste great and have no guilt, its a no brainer. Its guiltless indulgence as she says. It is fat free but in a way that you can't tell, its not like some of the tasteless fat free stuff out there. So whatever your vehicle for this sauce, try it out, you will not be disappointed

Chipotle Barbeque Sauce
1 onion finely minced
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup organic ketchup
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
2 tbsp chopped chipotle peppers OR 1 tbsp chipotle powder
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed (optional)

Method:
1. Sautee onion in small pot 5 min
2. Add garlic and let cook until garlic becomes fragrant
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine
4. Let sauce simmer 20 minutes until it is dark and delicious

If I plan on serving this to the children I cut the chipotle amount in half or just store the sauce in two separate containers and add another 1/2 cup ketchup to theirs to sweeten and douse the chipotle heat

Blurry but delicious nonetheless...

To make the tofu steaks, simply cut FIRM tofu in 1-1.5" steaks and slather the entire steak in sauce and place on a parchment lined pan and bake at 425F for 25 minutes. Serve on top of a bed of stir-fried veggies and quinoa and you will have a super healthy meal that tastes great. For the children I cut the tofu in small cubes and mix it right up with the quinoa stir-fry and they gobble it up. Robyn always says "look at THIS bite of tofu" - she is so proud of herself for eating vegetarian. Which is funny as that is all she has ever been, but its cute nonetheless... Enjoy!

Coming soon... raw creations and homemade nutella a.k.a. amazing chocolate hazelnut spread :)

Holiday 2010

2011-01-27T17:41:00.000-05:00

I've been on hiatus for some time now. I wanted to take a break from anything work related during my daughters winter holidays and Christmas. It was such a busy time and I wanted to soak up all of the family/down time that I could. The holiday season is such a great time for food. I know that all of my so-called 'diet' restrictions were abandoned and I allowed myself to eat whatever I desired and however much of it I wanted. I may have taken it a bit too far what with the completion of an entire pan of shortbread one evening over a bottle of wine and "Its A Wonderful Life", but hey, calories be damned. Why is it so easy to gain but one million times harder to lose? Ugh! Enough moaning. Onto some pics and recipes of some of my holiday creations... there were fewer this year than usual. There just isn't enough time in the day and well sometimes less is more.

Egg Nog Cupcakes

Enjoyed New Years Eve

This recipe was inspired by, you guessed it, egg nog. I'm not a huge fan of the drink however I do enjoy the richness and traditional egg nog flavours: nutmeg, cinnamon and rum. Peta (People for the ethical treatment of animals) posted a vegan version using a soy based eggnog for the flavours. Since it was New Years Eve I decided to bypass the lighter version and just incorporate the festive flavours and infuse the spices into milk in place of the soy eggnog. It was a successful experiment. They were all gobbled up and we were all happy with the results.

These are my chocolate crinkles. They have become a holiday cookie staple. I discovered the recipe four or five years ago and have not had a Christmas pass without baking numerous batches since. I get quite a few requests/orders for these each season. They melt in your mouth. This probably has something to do with the ridiculous quantity of butter and chocolate and almost nonexistant flour. That said, these are easily converted to gluten-free with excellent results. The recipe is courtesy of Anna Olsen. She kind of annoys me but her recipes are great.

The chocolate crinkles ended up at a cookie exchange that was more about the wine than the cookies... thats my kind of cookie exchange ;)

Specialty oatmeal chocolate chip lace cookies

or party cookies as they are also called.

Christmas circa 2009

What a difference a year makes

My two babes are getting so big *tear*

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season... next post: chipotle barbeque sauce on baked tofu and quinoa veggie stir-fry...

Christmas Crafting

2010-12-02T15:45:00.001-05:00

This post has nothing to do with food and everything to do with holiday crafting. Robyn and I spend most afternoons crafting while Liam takes his nap. The sheer thought of a 1.5 year old boy around glue, glitter and scissors sends shivers down my spine. Robyn and I have been busy decorating the house with our homemade christmas crafts and its starting to get quite festive. Here are some of our latest creations...

Q-tip snowflake glitzed up with 1.678 million glittery bits

Cardboard christmas tree that we coloured, stickered and sparkled

Paper snowflakes dangle from the kitchen ceiling

winter in a jar: salt for snow, pinecones and different branches create a lovely all natural air freshener

this is last years model which I used to hang some old breakable ornaments from

I love the time Robyn and I spend crafting and creating together, its quiet, peaceful work and its one on one time that we rarely get and so enjoy. Her handmade creations brighten up our home just as she does.

love you kiddos xox

baked apples

2010-11-17T14:17:00.000-05:00

So its Sunday evening and Brandon is preparing dinner - his famous mushroom risotto served with homemade pizza and a mixed greens salad - I am feeling very relaxed and cared for when Robyn pipes up "whats for dessert tonight Mama." My sense of calm and nothing-to-do-ness has left the building. What is a Sunday supper without dessert? In our house, nothing. With apples still on hand from our trip to the orchard, I decide to whip up some baked apples. An old fashioned and simple treat. I scrubbed, cored and scored four courtland apples and stuffed them with an oat, brown sugar, pecan and butter mixture and threw them in the oven to bake. My sense of peaceful contentment soon returned, assisted by the sweet smell of apples permeating the house with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. There is something so comforting about these familiar flavours and scents. Baked apples are one of those treats that bring me back to my childhood. Our sense of smell truly is our strongest memory, it can transport you to a different time and place. This is possibly why I love food so much, well that and the fact that its so damn delicious.

prepped

stuffed

whipped

Baked Apples
4 large apples - washed, cored and gently scored (optional)
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans (substitute any nut for your taste)
4 tblsp butter melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup apple juice
Method:
1. Prepare apples and combine remaining ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
2. Stuff apples with oat mixture and set in a baking dish with apple juice
3. Bake in oven at 350F for 1-1.5 hours or until soft and filling has turned golden brown

4. Serve with some good quality vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy.

Vegetarian Barley and Lentil Soup

2010-11-07T15:54:00.000-05:00

Well, its official: soup weather is upon us. Clear, crisp autumn days, have me craving hot and comforting soup. It is one of those foods that truly nourishes the soul. And, after an afternoon of raking leaves and playing outside with the kids, there is nothing more satisfying than a hot bowl of soup accompanied by some crusty bread, cheese and olives. This is true comfort food. And as a bonus, one of the simplest things to make. The real joy of soup for me, is the whole clean out the fridge aspect. Sure, you can get a recipe and shop for specific ingredients or, you can quite literally, throw what you have in the fridge into a large soup pot and stir, creating a unique, thrifty and healthy meal.

On this occasion, I chose to follow a recipe and only made a few minor alterations. I knew that I wanted to do a barley soup but with what else? After searching barley soup and finding 2867 recipes for beef barley soup, I was beginning to feel discouraged. Had noone ever thought of a vegetarian barley soup recipe? I finally stumbled upon a vegetarian recipe for lentil barley vegetable soup and decided to give it a try. I was pleased to see that it called for swiss chard, which I just happen to have (still growing) in my veggie garden. As a side note, our swiss chard is always the last veggie standing in our garden. Somehow, it manages to withstands the icy touch of frost that has left the rest of my flowers and plants wilted and shriveled. I also want to mention that I substituted butternut squash for the required rutabaga as I had it on hand and felt the children would prefer it instead. Oh, and another thing, don't be afraid of the amount of cumin this recipe calls for, trust me it works and will not overpower the other flavours. The soup turned out beautifully, it was rich, hearty and soul satisfying - it was all I could hope for in a soup.

Barley Lentil Vegetable Soup

1 tbsp olive oil

1.5 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped and peeled carrots

1 cup cubed and peeled rutabaga (or butternut squash)

3 large cloves of garlic minced

2.5 tsp ground cumin

1 large bay leaf

10 cups vegetable broth

2/3 cup pearl barley

2/3 cup dried green lentils

4 cups packed coarsely chopped swiss chard (or kale)

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in large pan and cook onions and carrots until the onions become transparent, then add garlic, bay leaf and cumin. Stir to combine and cook for another minute.

2. Add broth and barley and bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered for 25 minutes.

3. Add lentils and rutabaga/butternut squash and simmer for another 30 minutes partially covered.

4. Stir in swiss chard/kale about 5 minutes before serving and season with salt and pepper.

This soup may be my new favourite, I will be making it again... soon.

Apple Orchard Fun

2010-10-18T15:16:00.000-04:00

Our family took a beautiful drive to Archibarld's Orchard and Winery over the thanksgiving weekend to pick apples. It was a gorgeous fall morning, blue sky and sunshine and apples dripping from the trees. They had three varieties available, the last of the season: Red Delicious, Empire and Ida Red. We picked, sampled then with our bag loaded to the brim headed to the winery (the real reason we were there ;) On the drive home I had plenty of time to think of what to do with ALL these apples, besides just eating them as is of course. Since our trip to the orchard we have baked apple crisp, apple streusel muffins, and made our very own homemade apple juice - the best tasting juice EVER...

Robyn sampling an empire apple, fresh from the tree and warm from the sun... nothing better

Liam looking devilish with his apple. He loved the fact that he could actually reach something unassisted for a change. Thank you to small dwarf like apple trees.

Some of our bounty, washed and waiting to be processed

Robyn, my eager assistant on stand-by

Robyn pressing chunks of apple into the juicer... is that bowl big enough??

Yummmm

The most beautiful (looking and tasting) juice I have ever had.

One of the best muffins I have ever had: loaded with apple chunks, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and topped with a brown sugar oat streusel - delish!!

fall photos

2010-10-11T16:36:00.001-04:00

Having recently injured myself, I am neither in the kitchen nor am I out and about taking new photos. These are some pics of what we have been busy doing so far this fall... I hope everyone has had a wonderful thanksgiving and taken some time to reflect on what it is you are thankful for in life. Peace, love and happiness to all xoxo

Robyn's first day of school - welcome to JK

peach rosemary preserves

red sheppard peppers roasting on the bbq

concord grapes ready for jelly

carrots harvested from the garden - a mix of orange, purple haze and yellows

Robyn with her arms full of beets from the garden

sunny yellow flowers fill the garden

fungus in the forest

my two little hikers at Thickson's woods

black bean burgers

2010-10-03T15:28:00.000-04:00

A good burger, in my case, a good veggie burger is hard to come by these days. I find that the sodium laden, grease soaked burgers served up at our local burger joint are over-priced, flavourless, nutrient lacking slabs of soy, and after consuming said veggie burger, I would feel, well, unsatisfied and just gross. The greasey burger joint just isn't cutting it anymore. And it was this disappointment in commercial veggie burgers that prompted me to attempt my own homemade version. I guess I figured there was nothing to lose and nowhere to go but up. This, together with my love for 'mexican' flavours, brought about my black bean brown rice burgers/patties, and they are so delicious and full of goodness, there is none of that guilty greasey feeling at the end, only pure satisfaction. These burgers can be made vegan by simply leaving out the cheese and are still very yummy. I normally serve these burgers without a bun (as it is just filler) and with a side of sweet potatoe fries or hash browns and all the fixins you could desire: guacamole, jalapeno, lettuce, tomato, pickles (Lavernes famous bread and butters) and my super duper homemade bbq sauce (future post).

Black Bean Burgers
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup grated old cheddar cheese (or any other cheese you like)
1 onion minced
2 celery ribs
1 red pepper finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 tblsp chipotle powder
1 tblsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
sea salt
Method:
1. Sautee onion, celery and red pepper in a teaspoon of olive oil until softened. At this point, add garlic and spices, sitr together and let cook 2-3 minutes then remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add black beans and mash gently (using a potato masher) to break up the beans a little, then add the cooked brown rice and stir all the ingredients together, if you are using cheese, add it now as well.
3. Heat olive oil in a pan and start to make patties with the black bean mixture. I make a little bigger than golf ball sized balls with the mix then flatten it. Cook until golden brown on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side.
4. For sweet potatoe fries, scrub and cut 3-4 sweet potatoes into wedges and toss in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and some chili powder then lay skin side down on a parchment lined pan. Bake these at 350F for 25-35 minutes, or until golden.
5. Serve burgers with your favourite condiments and the sweet potatoe fries are fantastic as is or, mix a bit of mayo with chipotle powder and voila, dinner.