BALSAMIC-MARINATED FLANK STEAK WITH ARUGULA, TOMATO AND SHAVED PARMESAN SALAD

A girl can’t eat raw all the time!

It is Sunday night and my family is coming for dinner and Gordy said no raw tonight, so off to Cumbrae’s  I go. 

This easy and excellent recipe is from  Bobby Flay’s Boy Meet Grill, page 214 .

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp coarsely chopped rosemary leaves
1 (1-1/2 to 1-3/4) beef flank steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups arugula
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 (4-ounce) piece Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Whisk together 1/2 cup of the vinegar, 3/4 cup of the oil, the garlic and rosemary in a large dish (or use a thick, ziplock plastic bag). Add the steak and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate the refrigerator for at least 4 hrs and up to 8 hours, turning every 2 hours.
2. Heat the grill to high.
3. Remove the steak from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and crusty, 4-5 mins. Turn the steak over, reduce the heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill, and grill until medium-rare, 3-4 mins more.
4. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices agains the grain of the mat.
5. Whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the arugula, tomatoes, and onion, and toss to coat. Divide the sliced steak among 4 plates and top with some of the arugula salad. Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin slices of Parmesan over each dish. Serve immediately.

Serves 4; can be doubled for 6-8 (no need to double the marinade).

RAW ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH SPICY TOMATO SAUCE & ALMOND PARMESAN CHEESE

On Saturday morning my friend-in-raw Karen from Nutrilicious and I took a raw vegan cooking demo with Toronto chef Claudia Gaviria from the Cruda Cafe  located in the St. Lawrence Market. We were a big group all looking for a healthy and new way of preparing and thinking about raw and living food and this class was a great introduction.

 Claudia knows her way around a raw kitchen. In the raw kitchen you will not see any pots, there is no stove, no oven but you will see high speed blenders, juicers, lots of knives for cutting all the veggies you will be eating, spatulas for scraping, food processors for mixing, dehydrators for making wraps and a Spiralizers to make pasta out of zucchini and carrots which I used to create this recipe.

 Who knew you can have so much fun in the kitchen without actually turning on the stove!  

Friends and family…do not stop inviting me for dinner or a lunch date! I eat all food that is prepared with love!

I know I will never be a full-time raw foodie, but I do love the idea of eating as much raw and living food as I can fill myself with.  Live food is living food and I like that.  

The recipe: This recipe was inspired by the delicious zucchini pasta from the Cruda Cafe.

To make the zucchini noodles:  you will need a Spiralizer fitted with the smallest blade.  I use one green and one yellow zucchini.  It is best to make the noodles just before serving.

To make the spicy tomato sauce:

  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes soaked in water until soft

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/2 juice from a lemon

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley

  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

  • 3 cups of tomatoes, any variety

Directions:

  1. Using your food processor with the metal blade, add oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt until well blended.

  2. Add sun-dried tomaotes, basil, parsley and cayenne pepper, process until smooth. (You may need to scrape down the sides of the processor).

  3. Add the tomatoes and pulse until finely chopped, do not over process.

  4. Serve over your zucchini pasta. 

  5. Any extra sauce will keep for a few days in the fridge.

To make the Almond Parmesan Cheese – This recipe is from Eat Raw, Eat Well by Douglas McNish – page 204

  • 2 cups of whole raw almonds

  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

  • 1 tsp fine sea salt

Directions:

  1. In a food processor, process ingredients until no large pieces of almonds remain. The mixture should be light and fluffy and contain no visible pieces.  Use immediately or refrigerate for up to one month.

AVACODO KALE SALAD DRESSING

My favorite part of going  to Montreal is deciding where to eat.  Dinner is usually saved for trying a new restaurant but for lunch we have a family tradition that takes place on boulevard Saint-Laurent – Together  we go, but not for long, we say ’Au Revoir’ to Gordy as Yale and I don our scarves and walk north to lunch at the vegan restaurant Aux Vives  and Gordy south to Schwartz’s for their famous smoked meat sandwich, ordered medium, what a surprise!   Yale and I usually eat the California Salad with grilled tofu or grilled tempeh, and always with their amazing house salad dressing.

The California Salad at Aux Vives.

On the drive home I know Gordy is dreaming about when he will eat his next smoked meat sandwich and my thoughts turn to salad!

Can I  recreate Aux Vives salad dressing?

So now  I am back in my kitchen experimenting and here is what I came up with.  I am pretty sure that the salad dressing at Aux Vives does not have avocado or kale, but I am sure that it has green onion and lots of dill.  Thank you Auv Vives for inspiring me and for your delicious healthy salad.  I will be back soon.

My dressing with avacodo and kale.

My recipe for Avocado Kale Salad Dressing:

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 small ripe avocado
  • 1 to 2 green onion
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill
  • 1/4 cup flat leafed parsley
  • 2  large kales leaves
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
  1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
  2. Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days.

ASPARAGUS WITH MAPLE SYRUP

I bought purple asparagus today and guess what when roasted they turn green!

When cooking fresh asparagus, I’ve found that simple recipes are best. A quick roast in a hot oven and a drizzle of dressing is all that’s needed.  Purple asparagus is more tender and sweeter than the green variety and it is not often found in a supermarket, you may need to make a trip to your local farmers market .

I like to think that purple asparagus is special because,well, it is purple!

I found some today at Fiesta Farms.

This recipe is so simple.

Ingredients:

For the asparagus:
2 pounds asparagus (trimmed and cleaned)
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the drizzle:
1 – 2 tablespoons maple syrup ( to taste)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup almond , roughly chopped by hand(you can lightly toast them if you like).

Directions:
1. Toss the asparagus in the oil.
2. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Roast in a preheated 400F oven until tender, about 15-20 minutes. (Note: Roasting time can vary greatly depending on how thick your asparagus is).
4. Mix the  maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
5. Toss or drizzle the asparagus with the maple dijon dressing and serve garnished with the almond slices.

MORE BLISS BALLS – FOUR FLAVOURS

My sister-in-law Jill and my niece Laura have been on a spring detox all week.  I thought they could use a little something sweet to keep them on track and I have just the treat for them.  Like most raw foods, these are healthy and will help when you get that  craving for something sweet.  

These keep really well when stored  in the fridge or freezer.

The recipes:

Tahini Almond Date Bites

  • 12-14 large dates, pitted
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds to coat 

In food processor, pulse almonds until crumbly, partly smooth. Add dates, tahini and salt, continue to process. Texture will still be slightly crumbly – add water (1 tablespoon at a time) and dough should quickly form. Form into 1 inch rounds, roll in sesame seeds to coat, and roll in hands to flatten sesame seeds into ball. Store in the fridge.

Vanilla Bliss Balls

  • 2 cups raw walnuts
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts for rolling

 Put walnuts in the processor and process until smooth. Add maple syrup, vanilla, salt and process until well combined.  Add cashews and raisins and process until evenly distributed but not completely smooth. Form into 1 inch rounds, roll in crushed walnuts. Store in the fridge.

Chocolate Cherry

  • 2 cups of walnuts
  • 8 pitted dates
  • 1/3 cup of cacao powder
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • ½ tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1 TBS maple syrup or honey
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp of water

Place the walnuts in the food processor and process into small chunks. Hold back 1/4 cup of walnuts.  Add the salt to the chopped walnuts and process until finely ground. Add the dates and process until the mixture becomes sticky.  Add the cacao  and vanilla and process again.  Add the water if needed.  Add in 1/4 cup of the remaining walnuts and stir through the mixture.  Form into 1 inch round balls.  Roll in cacao powder. Store in the fridge. 

Raw Carrot Cake Balls

  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup carrots
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon raisins, chopped
  • unsweetened shredded coconut for rolling (optional)

Combine almonds & oats in a food processor and pulse until almost flour consistency. Add carrots and process until finely chopped and incorporated.  Add remaining ingredients except raisins and process until dough comes together and almost forms a ball in the food processor.Transfer mixture to a small bowl and fold in chopped raisins. Roll into balls. They look really pretty when rolled into shredded coconut. Store in the fridge.

KELP NOODLE PAD THAI (RAW)

Kelp noodles?
Curious, so was I!

And so was Gordy, well actually he was a bit scared knowing that being the official  in-house taster, he had a job to do… you are not going to make me try these are you?

Ok, the truth is I was a bit wary so just in case I had a pot of water boiling on the stove for a back up dinner of pasta.

Here is my report…

Made of only kelp (a sea vegetable), sodium alginate (sodium salt extracted from a brown seaweed), and water, Kelp Noodles are fat-free, gluten-free, and very low in carbohydrates and calories.  Best of all, no cooking is required. Just rinse and add the noodles to any dish and they are ready to eat! 

So, what do they taste like? They are neutral in taste, clear in colour and a have a crunchy texture, but once you cover them in a sauce they become much softer and soak up all the flavour. They make a great alternative to pasta and rice noodles.

I did get Gordy to try them and he was quite surprised at how good they tasted, but he ended up eating the pasta with Rowe Farms sausage. I ate the pad thai. We were both happy.

This is definitely not a traditional pad thai recipe, but I think you will like it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package raw kelp noodles
  • 2-3 heaping tablespoons raw almond butter or any other nut butter you like. I sometimes use raw hemp butter.
  • 1 small cloves garlic
  • ½ onion
  • 2 tablespoons sriracha
  • 4 tablespoons shoyu or tamari sauce
  • 2 to 3 Medjool dates
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1 cup cabbage, shredded
  • ½ cup baby spinach
  • 3 green onion, diced
  • ½ Cilantro, chopped
  • ½ Cashews, crushed
  • lime wedges
  • bean sprouts

Feel free to use any veggies you like.

Directions: 

  1. Place the almond butter, garlic, onion, sriracha, shoyu, dates and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor.
  2. Process until everything is well mixed.
  3. Taste for sweetness. If you like it a bit sweeter add another date.
  4.  If sauce is to thick you can add a bit of water.
  5. Toss the sauce with the kelp noodles and mix well.
  6. Add the carrots, cabbage, spinach, green onion and cilantro and toss again.
  7. Garnish with the bean sprouts,  cashews and lime wedges.

3 to 4 servings 

 Kelp Noodles from the Sea Tangle Noodle Company.

I bought these at Fiesta Farms.

 An entire bag of these kelp noodles contains only 18 calories (yes, the entire bag)!

ZUCCHINI LEEK FRITTERS (MADE WITH QUINOA FLOUR)

Here is a recipe for zucchini leek fritters, which look a lot like potato latkes, except without the potato and white flour.

According to Gordy  -  these fritters are amazing, OK it was 3:30 and he  had not had lunch, he was eating them as I was frying them, and I was beginning to wonder if there would be any left over for our friends tonight. I will be serving them as an appetizer with a dollop of greek yogourt mixed with lemon juice, zest, salt and garlic.

This recipe makes about 20 2 1/2 inch fritters, perfect appetizer size.

Ingredients:

  • 3 to 4 zucchini
  • 1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus extra to taste
  • 2 leeks, split lengthwise and sliced thin, white part only
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 2 large egg, lightly beaten
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup quinoa flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Olive or another oil of your choice, for frying – I like to use grapeseed oil

Topping or dip for fritters

  • 1 cup sour cream or plain, full-fat yogurt (I like Greek yogourt)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Pinches of salt
  • 1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Have a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ready.

Directions:

  1. Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a box grater or, if you have one, using the shredding blade of a food processor.
  2. In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
  3. With your hands squeeze out as much water as you can from the zucchini. or you can wrap  in a clean dishtowel and wringing away take out as much of the liquid as you can. This prevents the fritters from sogginess.
  4. Return zucchini shreds to bowl and add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
  5. Stir in leeks, eggs, parsley and some freshly ground pepper.
  6. Add the quinoa flour and baking powder and mix well.
  7. In a large heavy skillet heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.
  8. Drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet ( I am making appetizer size but feel free to make them any size you like) only a few at a time so they don’t become crowded and  flatter with the back of your spatula.
  9. Cook the fritters over medium high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes.Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
  10. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until needed.
  11. Repeat process, keeping the pan well-oiled, with remaining batter.
  12. The fritters  should have at least 10 minutes in the oven to finish setting and this will make them extra crispy.
  13. Just before serving sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
  14. For the topping, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice, zest, salt and garlic and adjust the flavors to your taste. Dollop on each fritter before serving. (you can make this ahead of time to let the flavours develop).

Do ahead: These fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge  or frozen in a ziploc for months. When you’re ready to use them, spread them out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in a 400 degree oven until they’re hot and crisp again.

Note : You can substitute white flour if you do not have quinoa flour.

HOMEMADE MUESLI

I am having organic and natural food thoughts. In other words this recipe is healthy for you!

This recipe makes a lot of muesli.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled organic oats
  • 1 cup spelt flakes
  • 1 cup almonds, chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • ¾ cup chopped dates
  • 3/4 dried apricots, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sultanas raisins
  • 1/4 cup cranberries or cherries
  • ½ cup flax seed
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 cups shredded coconut

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients
  2. Put in glass container
  3. Serve with fruit and yogurt and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

I store our muesli in a big glass jar and like to leave it on the counter, it’s hard to pass by without eating a handful!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRISPS WITH CARDAMOM, NUTMEG AND HAZELNUTS

I was shopping at Fiesta Farms today and the first thing that caught my attention was the big display of fresh Ontario strawberries, OK so they cost double of the ones from  California, but yeah, it is spring and my fridge is full of fresh local rhubarb – so I must make a strawberry rhubarb crisp.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)
  • 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ cup hazelnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal.
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  1. FOR THE FRUIT: toss the rhubarb,strawberries, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar  and the orange zest  together in a large bowl.
  2. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit.
  3. Pour the mixture into an 8-by-11-inch baking dish  and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or tin foil in case of spill over.
  4. FOR THE TOPPING: , in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,(or food processor) combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt,  cardamom, nutmeg and oatmeal.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is crumbly.
  6. Mix in the chopped hazelnuts.
  7. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely.
  8.  Bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.

We ate the crisp warm with whipped cream sweetened with maple syrup.

MILLET BURGERS

After the long weekend of eating BBQ it is time to shake things up with some veggie burgers!

I think that homemade veggie burgers are always better than store-bought and these are easy to make, just remember that for this recipe you need to soak the millet overnight.

Oh, and in case you were just wondering Gordy did not eat these burgers, he had shrimp.

This recipe was adapted from my new book that Yale gave me  for Mother’s Day, The Beauty Detox Solution.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ½ cup dry millet
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 large onion, finely minced
  • 3 cups swiss chard, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, finely minced
  • 2 small carrots, minced
  • sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup amaranth flour
  • 1 Tbsp oil, for pan cooking ( I like coconut or grapeseed oil)

Directions:

  1. Rinse and soak the millet in water overnight before preparing the burgers.
  2. When you are ready to make the burgers add the millet to boiling water, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the millet is soft.
  3. When millet is ready let cool.
  4. Sauté the garlic and onion in 1 tbsp of oil until the onions are translucent.
  5. Add the swiss chard, celery, and carrots and cook for a few minutes, then mix in the sea salt and additional seasonings.
  6. Add the cooked millet and stir well.
  7. Take pan off the heat and add the amaranth flour to the mixture.
  8. Mix well.
  9. When the mixture has cooled form into small round burgers.
  10. When ready to eat heat a large pan and add oil.
  11. Cook each burger on both side until golden brown.

Good with dijon mustard.

WAFFLES TWO WAYS

For Mother’s Day Gordy bought me (well I think it is for me) a waffle maker.  I am not sure if I even like waffles but I know Gordy does! So for our first try I am going right to the best for basics, The Joy of Cooking, Buttermilk Waffles on page 241. (see recipe below).  These were a big success.

Forward to one week  later – It is Sunday morning and guess what, I have a craving for waffles! Yale is home for the weekend and I know she will want to help.  

 Though the waffles from the Joy were delicious Yale and I wanted to see if we could make a healthier version without eggs, wheat and dairy.  Gordy did not agree with our ingredient choices but when the kitchen started to smell sweet and we started to eat we all agreed that these waffles rock!

Both recipes made waffles that were slightly crunchy around the edges, but incredibly moist and chewy in the center.

The recipe from the Joy uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and fridge like butter, milk, eggs, flour, and baking powder, and only takes a few minutes to mix together. 

The vegan recipe uses ingredients that you may not have in your pantry like almond or quinoa flour, potato starch and coconut oil, but worth a trip to the health food store to stock up.

Here are both recipes for you to try. 

Recipe #1 from the Joy

Makes 6 waffles

Ingredients
Sift before measuring:
2 cups all-purpose flour
Resift with:
¼ tsp baking soda
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Beat in a Separate bowl until light:
2 egg yolks
Add and beat:
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
6 Tbsp melted butter
Combine the liquid and dry ingredients with a few swift strokes.
Beat until stiff, but not dry:
2 egg whites
Fold them into the batter.  

Follow the cooking directions for your waffle iron. Ours took about 1/2 cup of the mixture and about 5 minutes to cook.  We keep the waffles warm in the oven and this made them crispy on the outside and soft inside.  Serve with maple syrup and fruit.

Recipe #2 Vegan Waffles

This recipe was adapted from the site The Daily Dietribe, all recipes that are gluten free.

Vegan Waffles

1 1/4 cups of almond or quinoa flour
1/2 cup potato starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (depending of how sweet you like your waffles)
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or canola oil)
1/2 to 1 3/4 cups liquid

1. Whisk together your dry ingredients.
2. Whisk together the applesauce, oil, and 1/2 cup of liquid. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, and stir.

If  batter is too thick, you can add more liquid.

 I love this pure dark maple syrup that I found at Culinarium .  It is from J C Nyman Farms  in Prince Edward County.

MUSHROOM SOUP WITH SHERRY AND TRUFFLE OIL

Do you love mushrooms?  I do!

Whenever I make this soup I am often asked for the recipe.  You will be surprised how easy it is to make.  I love how simple recipes can taste complex.

 You can make this soup a day in advance of when you want to serve it. This gives the soup some time to develop great flavours.  And if you really want to up your soup into pretentious (but deliciousness), drizzle a few tiny drops of truffle oil over the soup  just before serving.  And please do not omit the dried wild mushrooms, they are loaded with earthy flavour and are an essential to this soup. I use a mix of dried porcini, oyster and shiitake. You can usually find dried mushrooms in the produce section in small packages.

 So, invite some friends over and enjoy this soup with people you love!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil or butter, a bit more if needed or a mix of both - if you want to keep if vegan omit the butter
1 ½ pounds of brown mushrooms or a variety of mushrooms
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrots, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ cup dried mushrooms, covered and soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
5 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste
Chives or flat leaf parsley for garnish
a big splash of sherry to taste
truffle oil a few drops to garnish, optional

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.

  2. Then add the fresh mushrooms, dried mushrooms (with the water they were soaking in, taking care not add any of the dirt which may be in the bottom), carrots and more oil or butter if necessary.

  3. Let the mixture cook over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes taking care that the onion doesn’t take on any brown colour.

  4. Stir in the water and bring to a boil.

  5. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for about an hour.

  6. Let soup cool for a few minutes then transfer to a blender or food processor and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do this in stages and remember to hold the blender lid down.

  7. When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. Add the sherry, mix well, and serve immediately with a drizzle of truffle oil and a sprinkle of fresh chives.

Cooks Notes

I do not blend the whole pot of soup, I do about half the soup as I like my soup to have some texture and some sliced mushrooms to bite into.
I like to make this soup a day ahead, I find the flavours more intense.  But it is delicious the same day too.

MAGNOLIA’S BAKERY VANILLA CAKE

My niece Alison has a big heart, a big smile and big glasses!

She will always be a kid no matter how old she gets.  She brings out the kid in everyone and on mother’s day she brought the kid out in me. Alison loves to bake brownies, cupcakes, and birthday cakes and today she baked our family a Mother’s Day cake.

Thank you Alison, your cake made me happy and the pink icing and sprinkles made me feel like a kid.

Happy Mother’s Day!

CHALLAH (JEWISH EGG BREAD)

Nothing can compare to the smell of freshly baked challah.

If you want everyone to love you, you must bake a challah on Friday night.

I have made this challah in honour of Bill 17: The Jewish Heritage Month Act put forth by MPP Mike Colle who has Introduced Bill 17 to Proclaim the Month of May Jewish Heritage Month in Ontario. The Bill designates May as Jewish Heritage Month, in order to honour the significant achievements of Jewish Canadians across Ontario.
My nephew Dustin Cohen who is MPP Mike Colle’s Executive Assistant at Legislative Assembly of Ontario has worked long hours behind the scene to help get this bill passed. Thank you Dustin!

Going into the oven.

Challah (Jewish Egg Bread)

This recipe makes one large loaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3 tbsp. shortening (I use safflower oil)
  • 3 tbsp. honey
  • 1 ¼ tsp. salt
  • 3 2/3 cups unbleached flour
  • 1 tsp. yeast

Glaze:

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp. water
  • Poppy seeds, sesame seeds and kosher salt for sprinkling on top of challah

Directions:

I use my bread machine to make the dough.

1. Measure first 7 ingredients in the order listed in the baking pan of your bread machine.
2. Close lid and select dough setting.
3. Press start
4. When cycle is complete, remove dought from machine on to a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 6 equal portions.
5. Roll with palm of hand into long smooth strips. The pieces should be thicker in the middle and gradually taper towards the ends.
6. Braid the 6 dough strips.
7. Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
8. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until double in volume.
9. Beat egg yolk with one tablespoon of water and brush over the challah.
10. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds
11. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
If you want to make this a raisin challah add 3/4 cup of raisins when the “add ingredient” signal beeps on your bread machine.

QUINOA SALAD WITH FRESH MINT AND PISTACHIOS

It’s lunch time and I feel like eating something grainy and crunchy and healthy. 

I don’t usually use a recipe when I make a quinoa salad; I just see whatever I have kicking around in the kitchen.

 For example today, I have a jar of pistachios on the counter, fresh mint in the fridge and a ripe tomato in the fruit bowl.

 Thirty minutes later I was eating this delicious salad.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa (cook according to package directions)
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 TBS. honey
  • 1  cup chopped  pistachios (toasted if you like)
  • 1 cup finely chopped flat parsley
  • 1 cucumber, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
  • 1 medium tomato, finely chopped, discard seeds
  • 3 to 4 green onions, finely chopped (⅓ cup)
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint
  • 3 Tbs. olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Place cooked quinoa in large bowl.
  2.  Stir in lemon juice and honey and let cool for 15 minutes.
  3.  Stir in remaining ingredients.
  4.  Season with salt and pepper and mix well

The longer this salad sits the better it gets, so if you have time make it early in the day.

SALMON WITH CHILI AND MANGO SALSA

I was walking in Chinatown and the mangos are piled high! Spring is mango season and I can’t resist buying a case and eating them all, but I did save a few for this recipe.

Gordy the bbq’er knows he should eat more fish but when there is a choice to be made he opts for USDA prime, but tonight the mangos won him over.  

 

 Ingredients for the salsa:

  • 1 10-ounce mango, peeled, pitted, diced

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

  • 2 teaspoons minced seeded serrano chili

  • 1 teaspoon grated lime peel

  • 1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • Salt and pepper

I like to  make the salsa ahead of time to let the flavours develop.

Ingredients for the salmon:

  • 2 6-ounce salmon fillets

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon grated lime peel

  • Fresh lime juice

  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).

  2. Combine the mango, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, zest, chili, garlic and 2 TBS of olive oil.

  3. Season salsa with salt and pepper.

  4. Brush salmon lightly with 1 TBSP of olive oil.

  5. Season with salt, pepper, lime zest and lime juice.

  6. Grill until just opaque in the center, about 5 minutes per side.

  7. Serve with salsa.

HAZELNUT CHERRY GRANOLA

I love granola.

I love making my own granola. I love  knowing exactly what’s gone into it (no preservatives etc.), I love that  it is easy to make and you can be as creative as you want to be, changing up the nuts and dried fruit.

I love having a big jar of it in the kitchen, to eat with almond milk for breakfast, over yogurt and drizzled with honey, or as a snack by the handful, any time I pass the jar.

I promise this will not last long on the counter!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts – roughly chopped
  • 1 cup dried tart cherries (unsweetened)
  • 1/3 cup peanut or other nut butter
  • 6 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or Agave syrup
  • 1 Tbsp water

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F , line a baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Stir together all dry ingredients (oats, salt, cinnamon, hazelnuts and cherries). 
  3. Add to the dry ingredients the coconut oil, honey, maple syrup, or Agave syrup vanilla, nut butter, and water. 
  4. Mix well and spread onto the baking sheet. 
  5. Bake for around 30 minutes, or until golden brown and stir often. 
  6. Let cool before storing in air tight jar.

CHOCOLATE BLISS

My friend Karen Gilman and I have been experimenting with different flavours of bliss balls.  Karen is an excellent vegetarian cook and a Holistic Nutritionist, we are always sharing  recipes and tips for healthy living, and we both love to make this receipe. So when you have a craving for something sweet these bliss balls are the perfect chocolate fix made without  processed sugar.   I promise you will feel great eating these and the best part is there is  no cooking!

 Bliss Balls are a raw sweet treat.