Coconut and Quinoa

Vegan white chocolate mousse torte

coconutandquinoa — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:18:39 +0000

Tea party with peonies and lily of the valley

torte and strawberries

Sometimes I need a number of reasons to bake a cake, not just any cake but a truly decadent one -- a special occasion cake that incorporates delicious ingredients like: raw cacao powder, raw cacao butter, almond meal, vanilla beans, coconut and strawberries. Continue reading Vegan white chocolate mousse torte

Roasted asparagus with black rice, avocado and radish sprouts

coconutandquinoa — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:37:11 +0000

today's lunch

I was planning to create a new asparagus recipe to celebrate the first organic asparagus to arrive at the green market today. But when I pulled this lovely purple bunch from the fridge, I decided to share the way I eat it most often, roasted. I know roasting asparagus is not new to many of you, but for those who have never tried it, it’s a nice change from blanched, streamed or sautéed. I like to serve it with lemon wedges on the side so people can choose to squeeze the juice fresh over their portion or simply leave it plain. Continue reading Roasted asparagus with black rice, avocado and radish sprouts

Quinoa orange breakfast pilaf with cardamom and vanilla

coconutandquinoa — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 03:49:33 +0000

breakfast

I have such fond memories of making this breakfast pilaf in my sister’s sunny yellow kitchen when I was staying with her last summer. I thought of making it now because it’s a good in-between-weather breakfast: not too wintery like some of my other breakfast recipes and not too summery like this favorite. The pilaf is lovely eaten warm, but could also be enjoyed room temperature. Either way it’s great with almond milk or yogurt. Today I added dried mulberries instead of golden raisons and topped it with warmed almond milk and plenty of toasted almonds. Eating it this morning was a delicious way to start the weekend! Continue reading Quinoa orange breakfast pilaf with cardamom and vanilla

Polenta with ramps and peas

coconutandquinoa — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:51:49 +0000

spring lunch

The arresting yellow color and aroma of open daffodils beside me, the blinding white blossom outside, slowly giving way to green leaves and the fresh cool breeze entering through the just open window, is a delightful reminder of what’s to come. Since it’s still chilly out a comforting bowl of warm polenta topped with the unique flavors of early spring is just what I crave. On my trip to the farmer’s market last week I picked up a couple of bunches of ramps and started dreaming about their possible marriage with soft cooked polenta. The smell of ramps sautéing in my kitchen instantly elevates my mood and signals the beginning of a new cooking phase. In their raw state, ramps smell exactly like the forest floor in which they grow. If you haven’t smelt them before, you will be surprised at their unique aroma. Yes, it’s pungent and garlic-y (since they are wild leeks) but it’s also damp, verdant, earthy and moss-like. Their short harvesting season only adds to their appeal and keeps them a special wild spring treat that is unique to the east coast mountains of North America.

ramps

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salad for a crowd

coconutandquinoa — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:28:57 +0000

arugula roasted root veg salad with toasted walnuts and mustard dressing

This salad is a perfect way to use up the odd root vegetable or few that may be lying around your kitchen or fridge drawer. I’ve used red and gold beets, carrots and sweet potatoes here but winter squash, parsnip and turnips work really well too. As the title suggests this is also a great salad to serve a crowd -- it’s not too delicate to sit dressed as people make their way to the table.

gold and red beets, carrots and sweet potatoes

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Vegan chocolate chip cherry cookies

coconutandquinoa — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 02:18:07 +0000

tea and cookies

A friend came over for brunch last weekend and I whipped up a batch of these cookies to have with a post-meal pot of tea. They were delicious. However, I knew they could be better and so I improved the recipe and made a second batch just now. The kitchen smells heavenly with the combination of coconut oil, dried cherries, almond meal, maple and vanilla studded with dark chocolate. I really wish you could all try one! Continue reading Vegan chocolate chip cherry cookies

Green split pea soup

coconutandquinoa — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:30:27 +0000

Green split pea vegetable soup with thyme

The mild weather, soft sunshine and blooming quince branches from the local green market are making me feel like spring has sprung. Although this soup is as warming as they get, it has the taste of sweet pea that will remind you of all the delicious flavors of spring to come. Split peas, like all legumes, are rich in soluble fiber that helps balance blood sugar levels and assists in removing cholesterol from the body. They also help sooth digestion and support the spleen pancreas.

table

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Valentine’s Salad

coconutandquinoa — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:23:55 +0000

radicchio blood orange beet salad with shaved fennel

This time last year my friend Bianca suggested I make an all red salad for a Valentine’s dinner I was preparing. When I saw blood oranges, radicchio and baby beets at the store yesterday I was reminded of her idea and began gathering other ingredients that would turn shades of pink when combined with the red juices. As I plated this salad I realized that I have never made or eaten a salad sans greens, except a fruit salad of course. Truth is, I’m not mad about salads that don’t have a deep verdant flavor, but this one surprised me.

salad for two

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Raspberry orange almond muffins with sprouted flour

coconutandquinoa — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:07:43 +0000

morning tea muffins

When my friend Gaby called to say she was driving into the city for the day with her daughter and a friend, I immediately suggested they come for morning tea. As soon as I hung up the phone, my mind started playing with the different things I could bake for the occasion. I went back and fourth between tea bread, a crumb cake and muffins; by the end of the evening, the muffins had won out. The deciding factor: these muffins bake quickly and I thought we needed another muffin recipe here on Coconut and Quinoa.

Sencha tea and muffins

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Creamy Lemon Tofu Layered Bake

coconutandquinoa — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:08:00 +0000

layered bake and salad

I have been making this colorful bake since I first started cooking. When I first learned that tofu could be blended and flavored with just about anything, I began incorporating it as a topping for many different baked dishes. Continue reading Creamy Lemon Tofu Layered Bake