Colourful Summer Food

Steak with roast potatoes, grilled vegetables and sauteed spinach.

Late Night Snack

Peaches baked in honey, with greek yogurt, raspberries, lemon drop cookies and camomile tea.

Buddha Bowls

There is a restaurant in Toronto called Fresh. They have a dish called Buddha bowls and this is my interpretation of it. It's brown rice, spicy peanut sauce, lettuce, tomato, avocado, red peppers, shrimp and cilantro.

Long Weekend Cooking

Pulled beef brisket chilli served with homemade guacamole. Slow cooking on the long weekend.

Swedish Pea Soup

Cool Nights Mexican Chilli

It's been a long time since I posted anything. Since my last post I've been busy with school work and work work. I've been trying to get used to the shorter days but it's hard to get up before the sun.


This recipe is from a cookbook called Sunday Soups by Betty Rosbottom. It is one of my favourite recipes from the book. It's such a cosy and flavourful chilli with chipotle peppers and corn. Perfect for a cold night.

Time is Flying

I can't believe it is already nearly the end of Thursday and I still haven't posted about Thanksgiving! Well these are some photos of my Thanksgiving dinner. It was the first time that my family wasn't here with me but I decided I would make the whole meal for my boyfriend and me. I made pumpkin soup with toasted walnuts and rosemary and I also made a pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing and candied pecans on top of the usual turkey meal items. The soup and the cake were my favourite parts of the meal. Maybe next year I'll just have soup and cake!


I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and I'll post some more current things soon!

A Savoury Breakfast

Most mornings I press snooze as often as I can but every once in a while I am actually ready to get up when my alarm first goes off. 


It is very luxurious to be able to enjoy the morning before work or school by making a proper breakfast and having a cup of tea. The best part is being able to drink my tea while sitting in one place, rather than what usually happens where I carry it from room to room with me while I get ready until it is ice cold and I end up buying a hot one on the way to school anyway.


This morning was one of those rare, calm mornings. I made myself fried eggs with chorizo and cheese and ate them with toast and yogurt and enjoyed my cup of tea.

Late Night Snack for Two

bowl

boiled potatoes 

 mashed potatoes

tilapia baked in milk and flaked 

lemon zest

lime zest

ground sumac

chilli powder

salt 

pepper

egg 

messy making of patties 

 

hot oil 

resting

meanwhile

red cabbage

sunflower seeds

lemon zest

 mayo

sour cream

red wine vinegar

sugar

salt

tasty fish cakes with dill and garlic dip and red cabbage coleslaw

Swish Chard and Peach Salad for Supper

I've been trying out some new greens and learning how to cook them. The greens section of the grocery store is so varied, it is about time a stepped away from romaine lettuce and tried some new things.I chose to start with Swiss Chard and this recipe for a supper salad. 

 Dressing:
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrop
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. chilli powder
(makes more than you need so be sure to not overdress)


Salad:
- Swiss chard washed, stems removed,greens sliced into ribbons
- Bacon, cooked and crumbled
- Wax beans, steamed
- Peach slices
- Greek style feta cheese
- Sunflower seeds


Sauteing the chard is the very last step for this salad. Make sure that everything else is prepped before cooking the greens. Using a hot pan toss in some olive oil and the chard greens. Keep the greens moving as much as possible. You want the leaves to become a  very slightly darker green but not allow them to overcook and wilt. A little bit of crunch is a good thing. The greens should be in the pan for less than a minute.

Move the greens directly from the pan to the plates and top them with the rest of the ingredients. Drizzle the dressing over the lot and finish with some coarse ground black pepper.

I served this with some spring potatoes on the side seasoned with salt and pepper and sour cream.

Summer Thai Noodles with Shrimp and Sweet Peas

I love summer time for all the fresh fruit and vegetables that arrive in the grocery store. I came up with this recipe tonight all because my grocery store was selling fresh green peas and they looked so juicy and delicious.

- 1/2 a pack of flat rice noodles (the ones used for pad thai)

- one shallot sliced finely

- one clove garlic crushed

- 2 teaspoons ground ginger

- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes

- about 20 raw shrimp, shells removed and de-veined

- two cups chicken broth

- one can coconut milk

- juice of two limes

- two cups fresh peas

- salt and pepper to taste

- cilantro (optional)

- lime wedges for garnish

1. In a bowl of water, soak noodles for one hour.

2. In a large pan or wok heat a small amount of oil and toss in shallots. Cook on medium heat until softened. 

3. Add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to coat shallots, then add shrimps, grilling on each side until fully cooked (when pink all over).

4. Remove shrimps from pan leaving seasoning and shallots. Add chicken stock, coconut milk and lime juice. Bring up to a low bubble, them lower heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring frequently.

5. Add peas and allow to return to a simmer.

6. Remove noodles from water and add them to the wok, stirring them to cover them with sauce. Allow noodles to soak in sauce for 3-5 minutes or until softened.

7. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.

8. Serve topped with shrimp and chopped cilantro with a wedge of lime on the side.

Serves 4.

This dish is summer-y and fresh with a nice spicy kick. I really enjoyed it but there are a few changes i would make if I were to make it again. I was simply limited by what I had in my kitchen.

I would use fresh ginger instead of ground ginger as well as fresh red chillies (be careful, the fresh ones can be very spicy!). I also would have used lemongrass to substitute some of the lime juice. You can find lemongrass at asian supermarkets. It is packed with a citrusy flavour that is really unique and delicious.

I hope you like it!

Summer Broccoli Soup with Crumbled Bacon

I made a recipe over the weekend that left me with extra leeks, so I decided to make soup with the extra leeks. I also had broccoli so broccoli soup it was! Here’s the recipe for a light, summer-y broccoli soup with crumbled bacon on top.


1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 leeks (white and light green parts only) finely chopped
1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic crushed
5 strips bacon
1 bunch broccoli, florets chopped and stems finely diced (about 4 cups)
5 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup cream


1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks, onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat until softened but not browned (about 7-10 minutes) stirring often. (While veggies cook, start frying bacon in a frying pan on medium heat. Cook bacon until crispy then set aside on paper towel to soak up extra grease.)


2. Add broccoli and chicken stock to pot. Bring up to a boil then lower heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until it has reached a full flavour.


3.Remove pot from heat and let sit for five minutes. In batches, put soup through a food processor or blender to puree. (I kept mine a little bit lumpy but you can puree until you are happy with the texture.)


4.Once pureed, return soup to pot and bring back to a simmer. Add cream and stir until combined. Do not allow soup to reach a boil after you have added the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. 


5.Serve in bowls with chopped crispy bacon pieces on top. (serves4)


Enjoy!