Popping it while it is hot

with the summer season comes summer treats, and this year i finally got my act together and used these adorable popsicle molds i bought at the end of season last summer on clearance. by far popsicles are an easy cooling off treat to make and something you can really basically do with anything. more often than not i just grab what i have in the fridge and squeeze or blend it into liquid form, add flavour (if needed), water, give it a good mix in the blender and then into the molds they go. this method is also very friendly to the  "i'm almost going to kick the can" looking fruit you might have before they get too rough. 

on a side note, since i'm trying to keep things healthy, i find i avoid adding sugar or honey. that is not to say you can't, but i personally tend to find by using fresh local fruit the sweetness i like is already there, so i'd rather just enjoy that.

here are two of my favourite homemade popsicles that i'm loving this season.

Vanilla Raspberry

- 1/2 cup raspberries, cooked on the stovetop for a few minutes just to soften up, then     

   popped into the blender to smooth

- 1/2 tsp lemon juice

- 1 tsp vanilla extract 

- 1 - 1/2 cup water 

this image via here

Lemon Lime

- 1/2 of a lemon juiced 

- 1 lime juiced

- 2 cups water

- 4 tablespoons of lemon and lime rind grabbed from the ones you just juiced and 

  dropped into the molds before they hit the freezer. 

Bean crazy about beans

image via

in the dead of winter there is nothing like a good hearty soup to warm the soul. soups are also great because you can make anything with literally almost nothing. right now one of my favourite recipes is a hearty bean soup made from my all time fav, the fava bean.  fava beans are an old school pea, that has a creamy texture and wonderful flavour. you can easily find these beans at your local grocery store in a can, or fresh in the pod, which means all you have to do is shell them.

aren't they the cutest?

image via

this week, give this hearty fava bean soup recipe a try and i'm sure you will be hooked.

adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• dashes of salt and pepper 
• 2  cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2 1/2 cups blanched, peeled fava beans 
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp turmeric

place all the ingredients in a pot, bring a boil and simmer on low for 20 mins. once the beans and broccoli are soft use an emulsion blender to puree until smooth.

Juice It Up!

image via here

over the winter holidays, like many people, i allowed myself to indulge more than i typically might have. i love a good gingerbread cookie as much as the next girl, but i know my body should only have so many. now that it's january it's time to clean up my act, and refresh my minds and my body. looking back, i've had a few good gluttonous years of trying new things and drinking, but now it's hard time to take some ownership over my health and my health related goals.

over the break, i watched a couple food related documentaries on Netflix, something i love to do! here are a few that just might change your view of how you eat, Vegucated, Food Inc, More Than Honey and last but not least one of my favourites Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead – how can you not love Joe and his juicing. 

while i don't think living off juice only is the answer, i was amazed by the immediate health benefits he shared (under the supervision of a dr) and the difference in energy levels by all those that tried it. I think juicing is a great way to fuel you body with nutrients in a naturally beneficial form that is easy enough for anyone to do. so, it was off to the shop to pick up a juicer for me!

top reasons why juicing is awesome, now having tried it for a few weeks:

• because you can use all your leftover lonely fruits and veggies,
• because it's packed with macronutrients that help fuel your body in the best way possible,
• because it's cost effective,
• because it's quick and easy, and probably close to the fastest healthy meal you can make,
• because you actually can't screw it up, and
• because you will surprise yourself with just how much you love it.

image via My Wife Makes

i have fallen for juicing, and i mean hard. it's been a few weeks and i don't see myself getting sick of it anytime soon. now i should specify that outside of maybe a 2 or 3 day cleanse every few months, we personally don't eat juices as meal replacements for the entire day. instead we've often start our day with a freshly made green juice to help get us going, followed then by healthy well-balanced meals made from whole foods. now, if you are watching your protein intake in a day, you can add some protein powder to your juice. we've tried it using an all natural raw organic protein (unflavoured) and the combo is actually quiet nice! 

a few helpful hints when consuming:

• drink your juice within 15-20 minutes of making it
• don't forget to chew even though you are drinking, this helps activate your digestive enzymes 
• watch your fruit intake per juice bearing in mind healthy fruit servings per meal
• vary up your greens, too much of one thing isn't good for your body so mix it up!

this month give juicing a try! it's some of the most vibrate colours and tasty flavours your kitchen will ever see.

one of our fav combo's right now is (this makes enough for 2 people):

• 2 celery stocks
• 2 handfuls of raw spinach
• 2 carrots
• 1 orange
• 1 apple
• 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp ginger

Kale Pesto Margarita Pizza

 

both beautiful images via here

homemade pizza fridays have become somewhat of a tradition in my house. we look forward to it all week and often pair our tradition with a nice glass of vino! i personally really love pizza, and doing this has allowed us to play around with different combinations of seasonal toppings. here is one of our favourites that we can't get enough of right now. as you know, we participate in a CSA farm box, so once a week on Friday's we get tasty local produce delivered to our doorstep (nothing is better than groceries appearing for you!). This time of year we are seeing a lot of kale, so one of our favourite friday pizza's to make is our Kale Pesto Margarita!

The Dough:

• 3 cups all purpose flour (or 2 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 package of yeast 

combine your yeast and water in a small bowl and allow the yeast to activate and bubble for about 10 mins. while that is activating mix all your dry ingredients together in a big bowl. when the yeast is ready pour it into your dry mixture. now mix everything together with your hands and then roll it out onto a floured countertop. knead the dough until it comes out smooth and with a good elastic feel. when it's ready, place it in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel until it has doubled (about an hour). punch it down and let it rest for about 10 more minutes before it's ready to be rolled out and toppings applied. 

The Pesto Sauce Base:

• 2 cups freshly washed and de-stemed kale
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2-3 glugs of extra virgin olive oil

if you have a food chopper or food processor this is the perfect time to bust that out. pesto is really the easiest thing to make, just throw in all your ingredients and blend, baby, blend. if you feel it is a little too thick you can add a little extra olive oil. if you find you don't use all the pesto for the pizza, you can keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks in an air tight container. 

Toppings:

• sliced tomatoes
• thinly sliced mozzarella
• fresh basil

preheat your oven to 400 degrees. roll out your dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, or pizza stone (which i very highly recommend for a nice evenly cooked crust).  now cover your rolled out dough with a nice amount of pesto sauce base. next add your toppings, in this case tomato and mozzarella. Helpful Hint - I don't bake the basil on the pizza otherwise, i find it looses it's great fresh flavour and beautiful texture. bake your ready to go pizza for about 10-15 mins until the crust is nicely browned. take it out, drizzle with fresh olive oil – you can even add a little balsamic glaze – and top with some fresh basil leaves.

enjoy! xoxo.

Kitchen Basics Series - What Does That Mean?

illustration via here.

sometimes we can get tripped up or intimidated to try new recipes by all the lingo we see before us. here are some common terms to familiarize yourself with to help make any recipe you come across that much easier to understand.

chopped vs. diced vs. minced

• chopped: cutting your vegetables into large pieces. typically you will see this for larger vegetables  like squash or potatoes.
• diced: similar to chopping, dicing means cutting into smaller sized pieces. You likely will see this term used with ingredients like onions or celery.
• minced: this means cutting the item into the smallest pieces you can. in the case of garlic, a garlic press minces perfectly.

blanching: cooking a vegetable very slightly and then immediately stopping the cooking process by rinsing under cold water. blanching is great if you are planning a big dinner party and you want to precook a vegetable dish to get a jump on your preparation. you can then quickly finish cooking just before serving to ensure the dish is nice and warm.

bouquet garni: this is a tied bunch of fresh herbs that is added to stews, or pots of simmering food for a little while and then taken out before serving.

dash: who has ever really measured a dash? well it turns out someone has and it is equivalent to about 1/16^th of a teaspoon. this is a very small amount that is a little more than a pinch.

dust: this term appears often in baking recipes and it refers to lightly spreading a small about of a spice or sugar over the baked dish. most often this is part of a finishing step before serving.

julienne: this means to cut your vegetable or item into very thin slices, kinda like a very skinny french fry.

puree: to mash up or mix together your food until it's completely smooth, ideally in a food processor is easiest.

thin: if you see this term is means adding more liquid to thin out what you are cooking.

sauté: cooking your food in a frying pan with a little oil.

steep: you might often see this term if you are making a tea, or a simple syrup. it means to soak something (like tea leaves) in a liquid almost until boiling for a set amount of time until the flavours come out.

zest: pulling off small sections of the skin of a citrus fruit, in many cases a lemon, lime or orange. This is most often done with a fine grater called a zester so the pieces remain small.

Cocktail Hour - Moscow Mule

i don't know why, but for some reason i always thought a Moscow Mule cocktail was made with milk or cream. perhaps it's because when i hear the word Moscow i think, Russia, cold, lots of white snow and furry parkas. but the other night i tried my first Moscow Mule (after an exceptionally rough day i have to say) and low and behold it wasn't creamy or milky at all. in fact, it was very refreshing and delightfully tart! 

i'm hooked. this is now my new cocktail delight while the days are still a little sunny in the evenings and relatively warm. it's the perfect post work pre-dinner light sipper. this weekend try making your own version and let me know what you think!

ingredients

• 1 oz Vodka
• juice from half a lime
• 1/2 oz organic pomegranate juice (you try other juices to play around with flavours)
• 1/ginger beer
• crushed ice

add the crushed ice to your glass, and follow by adding all the ingredients in the order listed above. Give everything a gentle stir and then add some mint or a lime wedge as a garnish.

Shock Grandma & Make Mom Proud Vegan Mac & Cheese

i highly suggest you get your bookmark button ready or get up right now and grab a pen and paper.  

thanks to the creative minds behind The Minimalist Baker, this is likely the best healthy Mac & Cheese you can whip up on a weeknight or weekend. it is literally mouthwatering and believe it or not, it's made with eggplant. i swear if you have kids they might not even be able to tell! with my recent change to a healthier lifestyle i've been on the hunt for clever meals and comfort foods that have been, or easily can be adapted into much healthier options. this search lead me to the the fine folks behind The Minimalist Baker and their unreal, oh so good Vegan Mac & Cheese with Caramelized Onions. 

I made it ... I ate it ... I craved for seriously more bowls, it was that dang good. 

I highly suggest you check out the full recipes here with glorious pictures to boot.

Health Hint! for the next little while i am going gluten free, dairy and egg, so because of that i substituted the recipes bread crumbs for almond flour and used quinoa pasta (or you can also use rice pasta) rather than whole wheat. easy, fast and simple! 

Easy Bake Granola

since the new year i have been focusing hard on getting my health in check. not that anything was wrong with me to begin with, but more so that it just felt high time to spend a little more effort focusing on good health habits and routine for the future. after a few months into it i also started to see a naturopath recommended by a good friend, and i can't say enough about naturopaths in general now. while i still see a regular MD for lots of things, i like the time and one-on-one preventative health attention i get from my naturopath. seriously check one out if you can, because i cannot say enough about them. along with some great tips and suggestions from her, she's really taught me the value and positive health benefits of whole well-rounded meals, and more specifically just what that looks like. one of those meals is homemade granola and over time i've adapted what i like into this very yummy nutrient packed recipe below.

this recipe is great to make on a sunday morning or evening, ready then for the week.

You will need//

• 1 tbsp organic honey (melted if in the solid form)
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup macadamian nuts
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats (remove for a gluten free granola and replace with green lentils)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes 
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp cardamom (you can add more for taste)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

The how too//

preheat your oven to 350 degrees. throw all your dry ingredients excluding the spices and coconut flakes into a large bowl and mix well. next take your spices and sprinkle them over your dry ingredients and again mix well so everything is nicely covered. on the stove top slowly melt your honey and coconut oil. once they are melted drizzle it over your bowl of ingredients. mix all together and then spread your mixture out onto a baking sheet.  pop it into the oven and bake the mix for 30 mins, making sure to turn the mixture every 10 minutes or so just to make sure it doesn't burn. after 30 mins add your coconut flakes and then bake for another 10 minutes. take out, let cool and enjoy! i love to eat my granola in the mornings with a little almond milk and some fresh berries, or as late afternoon snack!

**homemade granola is best stored in a glass jar in the fridge**

Kitchen Basics Series – Fiddleheads

image from here and here

have you ever seen those little dark green vegetables that look very much like the top of a violin? well those tasty things are fiddleheads, which appear in the spring and are the funniest looking vegetable you can find (i think). they are actually little curled ends of a fern plant that when cooked are very delicious! they have a short growing season so you don't see them in stores or at farmer's markets for very long, if you blink you might miss it, but they are by far one of the easiest vegetables to cook and are a fantastic healthy addition to any meal. 

Basic Sautéed Fiddleheads

1. 1/2 tbsp. butter
2. pinch of kosher salt
3. two handfuls of fiddleheads
4. 2 chopped garlic cloves
5. salt and Pepper to taste
6. juice of half a lemon

The How: sauté your garlic in the melted butter then quickly add your fiddleheads. add your lemon and kosher salt. sauté them for about 8-10 minutes on a medium to low heat. now add your salt and pepper to taste. should you like, you can add a sprinkle of dried hot peppers or even some freshly ground parmesan before serving. 

A Cooking Helpful Hint!  it is recommended to not add salt to a pot of boiling water or a pan before placing your vegetable or food inside? if salt is added beforehand it can often settle to the bottom and create white little spots on your stainless steel pots and pans.

Kitchen Basics Series – Simple Sweet Potato Fries

i am happy to announce the start of a new element of the blog called the Kitchen Basics Series! in this exciting new section i will showcase some of the best tips and suggestions i've come across for those just starting out and hoping to master some basic culinary skills, or those looking to get a better handle on some classics that they can build upon. while i am by no means a formal teacher (although i do have one sister who works as a chef and offers up lots of good tips), i have a ton of tried and true experiences. this series is also open to anyone of you who wishes to send in good tips to be featured. blogs are all about sharing!

sweet potatoes are a staple in my house when it comes to starchy treats, and one the most basic ways to cook up these potatoes is as tasty sweet potato fries. this kitchen basic is a simple, no fuss, no muss, crowd pleaser that you can easily handle on a busy weeknight or weekend.

the how:

preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

peel and rinse one large sweet potato (typically one is a serving size for two people). square off your potato into a long rectangular cube. now chop into evenly sized strips. the key here is evenly sized. if you want them to bake consistently they must be the same size. now grab an egg and separate so you only use the egg white, and give that white whisk before rolling your chopped fries through the mix. the egg will help make them crispy and not soggy when cooking. you can bake them without the egg, but for better crunch i recommend using the egg white mixture. now throw some parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place them on top spreading them out with space between, or at least so they aren't overlapping. bake for 10 mins on one side, then flip and bake for another 10-15 mins on the other side. just watch out for burning ends but allow them to get a little brown before pulling them out.

a perfectly yummy sweet potato side dish is a wonderful kitchen basic.

if you wanna get more exciting here are some of my tried and true spices combos we to dress our fries in fresh out of the oven.

• Cinnamon & Nutmeg
• Paprika & Chipotle Powder
• Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar
• Rosemary & Garlic Powder

Cocktail Hour - The Rummy

This recipe is from a very old passed down cocktail book called,  The Standard Cocktail Guide: A manual of mixed drinks for the American host,  by Crosby Gaige. I haven't been one to try a lot of straight liquor drinks, but this one really was delicious. Not overly tart, it is a perfect late evening sipper.

the how-to:

• 1/4 part Rum
• 1/4 part Dry Vermouth
• 1/4 part Lemon Juice
• 2 dashes Grenadine 

throw your ice into a shaker or container with a solid lid and a good seal. add all your other ingredients and give it a wild shake for about 30 seconds. pour through a strainer into the glass of your choice over ice. sip immediately.

Spring is Coming ...

an abundance of wildly colourful adorable tulips in huge bouquets

an abundance of Lillet cocktails sipped on in little cocktail glasses in the sun.

an abundance of market fresh fruit homemade yogurt popsicles.


and satin or silk floral tops, brim hats and mary jane shoes.

it is 8 degrees celsius here today and while we may still have a few weeks left of winter, i know spring is right around the corner, and i cannot contain my excitement for some of these, my favorite spring trends.  

That Time I Took A Fondant Class

last week a close friend and i signed up for a fondant class at Sugartiers, just north of the city. so here is a little secret about me. i actually dislike cake. i know, i know. unless it's an ice cream cake, or that Betty Crocker confetti batter kind, you'll often find me gracefully declining a piece. I don't know what it is, but i've just never been a big cake eater. a classic sprinkle donut... now that's another story. regardless of my taste buds, i have always admired the art of cake decorating, especially after seeing the works of them, them and them.  i do enjoy baking and more so i love making beautiful treats for others to eat, so i saw this as an opportunity to expand my currently very small skill set. i also highly recommend taking a class with a close pal, who will laugh with you as you photograph your food repeatedly and cover yourself head to toe with flour. bella your my best baking pal!

so after a fast 3 hour session, here is my masterpiece. not the best i've ever seen (please disregard the tissue used to hold up the bow until it hardens), but i'm happy to say it isn't the worst i could have done! I definitely need a lot more practice and have a lot more to learn, but what surprised me the most was just how easy fondant is to work with. in fact, incredibly so. i'd even argue that if you wanted to really impress guests and you didn't feel overly confident, go with fondant. I wouldn't say you could master it perfectly in one go, but i think you would very much surprise yourself at how good you are, like we did!

here is the coles notes version for those of you who might want to give this a whirl. start by baking your cake of choice. once it has cooled, shave off any rough edges or bubbles on the top to make your working surface as nice as straight as possible. mix up a basic butter cream recipe (like this one) and apply a quick thin coating of buttercream all over the cake to create your crumb coat, which will hold your fondant in place. next make sure your work surface for fondant is super clean (no crumbs to get stuck). then take some icing sugar and dust your work surface. grab your premixed and coloured fondant (use a brand like Satin Ice) and gently roll it out making sure not to flip it over, or allow it to stick to your surface. because of the gum in fondant it will roll crazy easy so all you need to do is make sure it's big enough for your cake. next drape it over your cake and lightly pat it into place, watching out for finger or nail marks as you press, and cut off any excess. quickly using your your left over fondant before it dries, you can cut out shapes, or roll into braids, or molds etc and attach these decorations using small dabs of water.

now i'm jazzed to find a pipping class as our next challenge and i'm pretty certain it is going to knock us off our chairs!

Cocktail Hour - Old-Fashioned

the classics. often overlooked but never forgotten, these old school cocktails have been making a come back in recent years, and one of my bucket list goals is to learn to appreciate and master them. i have always wanted to have secretly good bartending skills and wall-to-wall shelves of retro glassware. recently I received an old copy of a  40's cocktail guidebook said in the intro to be "for the good wife" (insert laugh here), but it does have a ton of really key information on barware useage, brands and all the well-known famous recipes that have been around for decades. cocktails really are an art and sometimes the keep it simple stupid rule is the best. so you will have to bare with me as i learn my way through this guide, testing, tasting and ... more tasting.

when we think about the classics, the old-fashioned is one that often comes to mind. this sipper is perfect for pairing with a crackling fire and good book, or the up coming super bowl game. here is this week's spin on this delicious classic.

The What:

• 1 tumbler glass 
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 dashes of Campari (or a bitter)
• one slice of orange zest
• muddler
• 1 1/2 oz of whiskey
• 1 1/2 oz of tonic or soda water
• a slice of orange for decor

start by adding your sugar to the glass followed by your Campari (or bitter), then using your muddler mix and mash the sugar until it is more or less dissolved. next take your orange zest slice and place it in the glass and muddle that around. follow that by measuring the remaining ingredients and giving it all a quick stir. add your decorative orange slice and now sip and enjoy! 

for more cocktail recipes, click here!

Cocktail Hour - Double Berry Gin

images via oomph.

does this cocktail look pretty or what? sometimes you want to add a new spin on an old goodie and sometimes you add that spin with some fruit. this weekend, try pairing this pre- dinner sipper with a selection of savory shortbread cookies, like the Gorgonzola & Pistachio ones from the Coach House Shortbread Company. 

The What:

• 1 highball glass
• 1 oz gin
• muddler or fork
• 1/4 cup blackberries (a few extra for decor)
• cranberry juice
• tonic for topping up
• 1 bay leaf for visual appeal

throw your blackberries in the bottom of your highball glass and use your muddler or fork to crush the berries. next measure out and pour in all the ingredients listed above . then place a few extra blackberries on a skewer and top with a bay leaf. now sit back and enjoy!

for more fun recipes, click here!

Cocktail Hour - The Grapefruit Spritz

for as cute as this cocktail looks, i can tell you it tastes even better! this is the perfect sunny  afternoon girls date cocktail, or a pre-dinner sipper. there is nothing quite like a freshly squeezed citrus cocktail. all you have to do is measure out and pour in the ingredients below. then give it a quick swirl and start enjoying!

The What:

• 1 oz Campari
• juice from half a grapefruit (and a slice for the side)
• sprig of rosemary for decor and scent
• prosecco or champagne to top up the glass
• 1 oz simple syrup*

* for more a simple syrup recipe, click here! & for more fun recipes, click here!