Buffalo Chicken Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

I found this recipe on Facebook and had it bookmarked for the longest time.  After back-to-back classes of Pilates and yoga, I was hungry!!!  I bought a rotisserie chicken on my way home and had the rest of the ingredients on hand. 

This is easy, flavourful, filling and healthy - you HAVE to try it!!!

BUFFALO CHICKEN TWICE BAKED SWEET POTATOES

Ingredients:

4 medium sized-sweet potatoes

2 heaping cups shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup shredded carrot

2 tsp coconut oil

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buffalo sauce (I used Frank's)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried dillweed

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Sliced green onions, fresh parsley, cubed avocado (optional toppings)

• Preheat oven to 400F.  Wash sweet potatoes and prick skins with fork.  Place in oven on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 45 mins to 1 hour (or until soft)
• While the potatoes bake, heat oil in a skillet and saute celery, onion and carrot over med-high heat until softened.  Transfer to a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.
• When sweet potatoes are cooked, cut in half lengthwise, scoop out most of the flesh leaving a thin layer so the skins maintain their shape.  Combine with the celery mixture.
• Add shredded chicken to the bowl, along with the mayonnaise, buffalo sauce and spices.  Season with salt and pepper.
• Scoop mixture back into the potato skins and bake for 20 minutes more in a 350F oven.
• Sprinkle each potato with optional toppings.
• Serve and ENJOY!!

**I unfortunately scooped too much of the flesh out of the potato skins and they crumpled.  Instead I placed the mixture in small serving dishes, baked them in the dishes and served as you see in the photo!

Sausage & Cannellini Bean Stew

We have been experiencing a deep freeze lately (- 44C with windchill...really?!) and weather like this calls for comfort foods such as stew.  I made this dish with ingredients we had on hand and it is a family favourite!  This is absolutely delicious when served with crusty bread or garlic toast!

SAUSAGE & CANNELINI BEAN STEW

Ingredients:

1 tbsp grapeseed, or EVOO*

6 to 8 large Italian sausages (sweet or hot)

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced

2 tsp smoked paprika (sweet paprika would also work well)

1 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tsp freshly ground, black pepper

1 - 680mL jar of passata (strained tomatoes)*

1 cup beef stock

1 - 19 fl oz can of cannellini (white kidney) beans, undrained*

•    Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Place whole sausages in the pot and saute, turning frequently, until evenly browned but not fully cooked.  Remove sausages from pot and set aside on a cutting board.  Slice sausages into 1" chunks.
• Place onions, garlic, and leeks in pot.  Saute until onions are translucent, stirring constantly to prevent garlic burning.
• Add carrots, potatoes, paprika, thyme, bay leaves and pepper.  Saute 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir frequently.
• Add passata, beef stock and beans.  Stir and bring to a boil.  
• Reduce heat to medium low.  Add sausages, stir and cover. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove bay leaves.
• Serve with crusty bread or garlic toast.  ENJOY!

*EVOO = extra virgin olive oil
*Passata should be a pantry staple - it is inexpensive and versatile!
*By not draining the beans, the stew will become thicker.

Zuppa de Fagioli

I created this simple and flavourful soup using ingredients almost solely from our CSA box from "Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze"!  This is considered a peasant soup in Italy and is often passed over for the more popular minestrone, however I urge you to try it.  Not only is this nutritious and easy to create, it is colourful  and flavourful!!

ZUPPA DE FAGIOLI

Ingredients:

2 - 14oz cans of low-sodium cannellini beans (you can substitute white kidney beans)

1 tbsp. EVOO

I leek (white and light green parts), trimmed, sliced in half, cleaned and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 celery stalks, diced

1 carrot, diced

2lbs spinach, trimmed and roughly chopped (you can substitute kale or Swiss chard)

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

• Put 1 can of beans with its liquid in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth.  Drain and rinse other can of beans.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.  Add leek, garlic, thyme and oregano.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the leeks are soft.  Add celery, carrot, spinach and tomato; cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
• Stir pureed beans and stock into vegetable mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
• Add drained beans and stir until heated through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve in warm bowls topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
• ENJOY!

Mexican-Style Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I love my slow cooker and the freedom it affords me to create healthy homemade meals for my family without slaving over a stove for hours!  There's nothing like coming home at the end of a long day to smell the delicious scent of dinner fully cooked and ready to serve.  This is a variation on a traditional beef stew that yielded yummy results.  I served cornbread alongside this dish to sop up the flavourful gravy!!!!

MEXICAN-STYLE SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW

Ingredients:

4 carrots, cubed (or 1 small bag of baby carrots)

4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 onion, peeled and quartered

1 1/2 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1" dice

8oz can of tomato sauce

1 pkg dry taco seasoning mix (I used low sodium)

2 cups water

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

• In the bottom of the slow cooker pot, layer carrots, potatoes, onion, and stewing beef.  Pour the tomato sauce over top.
• In a large 2 cup measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup water into the cup and stir in the cornstarch.  Stir in the package of taco seasoning, and then add the rest of the water (stirring to ensure it is smooth and combined evenly).  Pour the taco mixture over the ingredients in your slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours.
• Uncover and stir, season with salt and pepper after tasting.
• Serve either on its own, over rice or with a side of cornbread.  ENJOY!

Kale & Quinoa Rolls

I spied this recipe in "Fresh Juice" magazine and decided to whip it up one evening expecting mixed results from the family.  As expected, India didn't even want to try the kale (she only likes it in chip form), but loved the quinoa.  Devon had 3 rolls and Greg and I finished up the rest!!  This is similar to cabbage rolls and I have pictured the dish without the sauce topping the rolls, so you could see how they look in the baaking dish. This is not only super nutritious, but easy and tasty too!

KALE & QUINOA ROLLS

Ingredients:

12 large leaves of kale

2 tsp grapeseed oil

1 onion, diced

1 cup diced mushrooms (I used porcini as they're "meatier" in texture and have great flavour)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 cup quinoa (rinse to remove the bitter coating called 'saponin')

2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 zucchini, diced

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

1 large egg, beaten

2 cups no salt added passata di pomodoro (crushed tomatoes)

• Remove the stems from the kale by grasping the base of the stem in one hand and running the thumb and forefinger up the stem.  It will break off where the stem is more tender.  Discard the stems.  Add kale to a large pot of salted, boiling water.  Cover and cook until the leaves are softened - 2 minutes maximum.  Place leaves in a sieve and run under cool water.  Remove leaves and lay out flat to drain on paper towels.  Set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, add oil.  Saute onions, mushrooms, garlic, oregano, and thyme for 5 minutes (or until onion is softened)  Stir in quinoa.  Add broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in carrot, zucchini, salt and pepper.  Let cool to room temperature.  Stir in egg*
• Preheat oven to 350F.  To assemble the rolls, spoon approximately 1/3 cup of the quinoa mixture onto each kale leaf, just above where the base of the stem would have been.  Fold bottom up over filling, tuck sides in and roll up.  This is quite a bit trickier I found than using cabbage leaves for traditional cabbage rolls.  Take your time!
• Line the base of a 13"x9" baking dish with half of the passata.  Arrange the kale rolls on top of it and cover with the remaining passata.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for one hour.
• Remove and ENJOY!

Split Pea and Ham Soup

As we have been experiencing some sub-Arctic temperatures lately, and we had a pork shoulder we turned into pulled pork, I decided a good old-fashioned pot of split pea and ham soup was in order!!  This is one of those rib-stickingly good dishes that is great for lunch or dinner (or an after school snack according to my children!!)

EASY PEASY SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP

Ingredients:

  1 ham bone with some meat still on it

 1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 each carrots and stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
4 cups sodium-reduced chicken stock
2 cups  dry green or yellow split peas (I used green obviously!)

•  In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-low heat; fry onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper and ham bone, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. 
• Add stock, peas and 2 cups of water; bring to boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until peas break down and meat is tender enough to fall off bone, about 1 3/4 hours. 
•  Remove ham bone; pull off and shred meat. Discard ham bone and bay leaves. In blender, puree half of the soup; return to pot.
• Ladle into bowls and ENJOY!!!!

*After removing the ham bone, you can also use an immersion blender to blend soup to half chunky stage while still in the pot.

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This is the SIMPLEST recipe and it is absolutely DELICIOUS!!!  Before I left for work I started this stew and by dinner time we had an amazing dinner that everyone enjoyed.

EASY SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW

Ingredients:

1 lb stewing beef, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 to 2 tbsp oil (preferably grapeseed or coconut, but olive is fine too!)

28 oz can tomatoes*

2 carrots, sliced

2 ribs celery, sliced

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 zucchini diced into 1/2" cubes

4 cups water

1/2 cup red wine

4 beef bouillon cubes**

2 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic diced)

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/4 to 1/2 cup couscous (as we don't eat wheat, I used rice pasta, but I am sure quinoa would be lovely too!!)

• In a skillet, heat oil and brown the beef. Brown in batches to allow for air to circulate around the beef pieces so they brown, rather than steam!
• Place all vegetables in the slow cooker and add the beef.  Stir to combine.
• Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl (except couscous) and pour over the ingredients in the slow cooker.
• Cover.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Stir in couscous.  Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
• ENJOY!

*Try for low sodium tomatoes as mine weren't and combined with the bouillon cubes, the stew was on the salty side.
**Homemade stock is best as it generally contains little or no sodium, if using prepared bouillon cubes, opt for low sodium varieties as it isn't impossible to remove the saltiness, but it is more difficult!!

Easy Carrot Salad

Lately I have had an abundance of carrots in my CSA boxes from Cooper's.  While I have been using quite a few in the slow cooker for roast suppers, there were still some hanging around in the crisper.  So I created this salad last night and it was delicious ~ it is a traditional carrot salad with the addition of tomato and cilantro!

EASY CARROT SALAD

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and grated

1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used goat yogurt)

1/2 cup sour cream (I just used goat yogurt)

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 tsp salt

Handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

• In a small bowl combine the first seven ingredients (carrots to salt).
• Cover and refrigerate until chilled
• Remove from fridge and garnish with cilantro and pepper just before serving.
• ENJOY!         

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

I had a crisper full of bits and pieces of a variety of vegetables, and Greg and I had a big lunch so we only wanted something light - this totally fit the bill!  Easy to put together, super healthy and delicious!

VIETNAMESE FRESH SPRING ROLLS

Ingredients:

Rice paper wraps

Any fresh vegetables you enjoy (I chose pea shoots, enoki mushrooms, Thai basil, yellow bell peppers, cucumber and carrots). Larger veggies such as cucumbers and carrots should be cut into thinly sliced matchsticks

Warm water in a medium-sized bowl

Sauce:

4 tsp fish sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp garlic chili sauce

• Combine fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce in a small bowl.  Set aside.
• Place the rice wrappers, one at a time, in the warm water for approximately 5 seconds each, or until softened.
• Lay the wrapper on a clean, dry towel.  Layer vegetables on top of each other, down the middle of the wrapper.  Fold the right side of the wrapper over the vegetables.  Fold bottom of wrapper up toward the middle, roll the wrapper from right to left.  Place wrapper on platter or plate.
• Repeat for as many rolls as you want to make.
• Serve spring rolls with fish sauce and ENJOY!

*Another delicious sauce to create for these rolls is a Hoisin & Peanut Sauce.  3 tbsp Hoisin sauce combined with 1 tsp chopped peanuts!*
*The rice wrappers, fish sauce and Hoisin sauces can be found in the International section of most grocery stores or Asian supermarkets.*    

       

Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Almonds & Saffron

A friend of ours has an annual "Groundhog Day" dinner party with a different theme each year...this year it was Moroccan food!!! YUMMY!  This is a mild and flavourful dish ~ and don't omit the cilantro as it does more than merely garnish the dish; it makes a vital contribution to the flavour and character of the dish!  As this was prepared for a large number of people, I shredded the chicken rather than leave it in large pieces, but it didn't affect the presentation or flavour at all!

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE WITH ALMONDS & SAFFRON

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

4 large chicken breasts

2 onions, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 small carrots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2/3 cup chicken stock

A large pinch of saffron threads

1/3 cup almonds, freshly ground (or almond meal)

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup of roughly chopped cilantro leaves

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a lid.  Add the chicken and brown evenly.  Transfer chicken to a paper towels to drain.
• Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot and cook gently for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly coloured.  Add the stock and saffron.  Stir in the almonds, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Return the chicken to the pot and add enough water to almost cover the chicken.
• Heat to a simmer, then cover the pot tightly and cook gently for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pierced with a knife.
• Remove the chicken to a warmed serving platter, cover and keep warm.  Boil the cooking liquid to reduce it to a thicker consistency and intensify the flavours.  
• Scatter the cilantro leaves over top and serve.
• ENJOY!             

Turkish Red Lentil & Vegetable Stew

I found this recipe in a magazine and was intrigued not only because of its simplicity, but the fact that the recipe has endeavored to make the lentils a complete protein source by combining them with a grain - bulgur!  I happened to have all the ingredients on hand and I was so happy that I took the time to create this meal because it was delicious!!

TURKISH RED LENTIL & VEGETABLE STEW

Ingredients

Half of a large eggplant, cut into 1" cubes

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

I large onion, roughly chopped

2 carrots, cut into 1" chunks

1 zucchini, cut into 1" chunks

1 each sweet red and yellow pepper, cut into 1" chunks

1 tbsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 cup red lentils

1/2 cup bulgur

4 cups low sodium beef or vegetable broth

2 tbsp tomato paste

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp dried mint, crumbled

• Sprinkle eggplant all over with the salt and let stand until beads of moisture appear (approximately 1/2 hr).  Blot dry with a towel.
• In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat EVOO over medium-high heat.  Fry onions until lightly golden (approx 4 mins).  Add eggplant, carrots, zucchini, peppers, paprika and cayenne.  Saute until eggplant is almost tender (approx. 10 mins)
• Add lentils and bulgur and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.  Add broth, 3 cups water and the tomato paste.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, covered until lentils are almost dissolved (approx. 1 hr).  Make sure you stir periodically otherwise the lentils tend to stick to the bottom of the pot!
• Stir lemon juice and dried mint into the stew.  Ladle into bowls and ENJOY!

Citrus Salad with Fennel

This was an easy and delicious salad that doesn't wilt easily so it's perfect for leftovers!!!

CITRUS SALAD WITH FENNEL

Ingredients:

1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced (remove top and root ends)

2 carrots, finely julienned

2 small pickling (Lebanese) cucumbers, thinly sliced

4 navel oranges

Zest of half a lemon

2 tbsp of chopped capers

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

• Divide the oranges into segments, taking care to retain as much of the juice as possible.  Set aside.
• Place all sliced vegetables and the orange segments in a bowl.
• In another small bowl, mix orange juice with capers, lemon zest and olive oil.  Whisk all.
• Add dressing to salad and mix well.
• ENJOY!!

Broccoli Craisin Salad

Our Summer/Fall CSA boxes are in full swing with all the wonderful weather we've been receiving.  This week we got a box brimming with spring onions, broccoli, basil, zucchini and more!  Since I had purchased broccoli (as I didn't expect it to appear in the box for a few weeks, but with the warmer weather it ripened sooner!) I decided that dinner tonight was going to feature a broccoli salad.  I'm fortunate that my children enjoy broccoli and moreso because it came straight from the Cooper's!!!  This is a breeze to put together and so colourful and delicious you might make it a regular part of your family's dinners!!!

BROCCOLI CRAISIN SALAD

Ingredients:

4 cups broccoli florets

1 cup chopped red peppers

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup Craisins

1/2 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds

4 spring onions, diced

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

2 tbsp dark agave syrup

• In a large serving bowl, combine the first six ingredients.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar and agave syrup until well combined.  Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour prior to serving.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemongrass

I wanted to add a bit of an exotic flavour to my regular chicken noodle soup as the kids absolutely love it, but my palette was growing weary of the same old recipe.  Everyone loved it (although Devon told me that I am not allowed to stop making plain old chicken noodle soup! LOL!)  This reminds me of a Thai or Vietnamese-style soup (or pho as it is called in Vietnam)!  Hope you enjoy the medley of flavours while getting the goodness of homemade chicken soup!!!

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP WITH LEMONGRASS

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tbsp coconut or grapeseed oil

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, butterflied*

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rings

2 stalks of lemongrass, trimmed, outer layers discarded, halved lengthwise and bruised with the back of a chef's knife

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger (I use my rasp)

2 tsp packed light brown sugar (I used maple syrup)

5 1/2 cups homemade or low sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups stemmed and quartered shiitake mushrooms

9 oz fresh udon noodles (these are made of wheat so substitute rice noodles if necessary)

1 small Serrano chili pepper finely diced

8 large fresh basil leaves, torn (either Thai or Italian basil)

1 lime, half juiced and half cut into wedges

1 tbsp soy sauce (or gluten free Bragg's)

2 green onions, finely sliced

1 carrot, grated (for garnish)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (garnish)

• Heat 1 1/2 tbsp of oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot, over medium high heat, until hot (the oil shimmers when ready).  Season the chicken with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper, and saute until both sides are evenly browned and almost entirely cooked through.  Transfer to a cutting board and allow to cool.
• Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pot with the shallots and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt.  Reduce heat to medium and saute until they start to become translucent (approx. 2 minutes).  Add the bruised lemongrass, ginger, and brown sugar and stir constantly until the ginger becomes fragrant and lemongrass sizzles (1 minute).  
• Add chicken broth and scrape up any browned pieces off of the bottom of the pot.  Bring to a boil and them reduce to simmer.  Add the mushrooms and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a medium-sized pot of water a boil and cook the noodles until al dente (still a little undercooked in the centre).  Drain and run under cool water to stop the cooking process.  Leave to drain well.
• Either finely sliver or shred the chicken breasts.  Add the chicken and noodles to the broth and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes.  Discard the lemongrass.  Stir in the chilies, basil, lime juice and soy sauce.
• Portion between 4 large warmed soup bowls.  Garnish each with shredded carrot, green onions, and cilantro.  Serve with a lime wedge for squeezing.
• ENJOY!

South Indian-Style Vegetable Curry

This easy one-pot meal is perfect for using up any of those random vegetables in your crisper!  There are many ingredients, but don't let that deter you - the complex flavours created from using these spices and vegetables is delicious!!

SOUTH INDIAN-STYLE VEGETABLE CURRY

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil, or olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

1-2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup light coconut milk

1-3" cinnamon stick

Sea salt and black pepper

1 small cauliflower, broken into florets

1lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1" cubes

2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 lrg carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" thick rounds

1can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 lightly packed cups of fresh baby spinach

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp finely grated lime zest

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

• In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to brown (2 to 4 minutes).  Reduce heat to medium and cook until the onion is richly browned (5 to 7 minutes more).  Add the garlic and ginger; cook stirring for 1 minute.
• Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne; stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices.  Add the tomato paste and stir until well blended with the spices.
• Add the broth, coconut milk, cinnamon stick, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.  Discard the cinnamon stick.
• Stir in the chickpeas, spinach, lime juice, and zest;  cook until the spinach has wilted (about 3 minutes).
• Serve garnished with the cilantro and ENJOY!

Winter Vegetable Croustade Au Gratin

The picture really doesn't do this casserole justice...I had carrots, fingerling potatoes, celery, sweet potatoes, and parsnips on hand so I hauled out this recipe that I ripped out of a magazine years ago!  This is really delicious, quick and easy ~  my kids and I loved it (Devon even asked to have it for lunch the next day!)

WINTER VEGETABLE CROUSTADE AU GRATIN

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 cups of your choice of winter vegetables, peeled, and cut into 1" sticks, or diced

1 tsp fennel (anise) seeds

2 cups old cheddar, shredded

2 tbsp butter, melted

2 slices of whole wheat bread crumbled or diced

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat.  Saute onions, garlic, vegetables and fennel seeds for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onions and garlic are golden.  Salt and pepper to taste and transfer to an ovenproof dish.
• In a small bowl, combine cheese, melted butter, breadcrumbs, and parsley.  Salt and pepper to taste.
• Top vegetables evenly with cheese mixture.  Bake 15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and cheese topping is golden and crusty.

*This dish can be prepared ahead and baked or reheated just before serving.  If you want, you can add cubed, cooked meat or poultry to the vegetables before baking.
**If you are using fingerling potatoes or sweet potatoes, saute first as mine came out slightly crunchy!

Moroccan Vegetable Soup

With all the wonderful root vegetables that are available at this time of year, and in our Winter/Spring CSA box from "Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze", I have been on a crazy soup kick!!!!  Obviously I am a BIG fan of soups (hence the name of this blog!) and the main reason is that it is an easy and delicious way to include all sorts of vegetables into your diet in one sitting!  This recipe is no exception ~ give it a try!!

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped parsnips

1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded & chopped pumpkin* 

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Lemon juice, to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish:

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley and cilantro, mixed

A generous pinch of paprika

• Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch oven (or a large pot) and saute the onions for 3 minutes, or until softened but not coloured.  Add the garlic, carrots and parsnips, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the garlic doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
• Stir in the pumpkin and saute for a further 5 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Allow the soup to cool slightly, then pour into a food processor or blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth, adding a little extra water if it becomes too thick.
• Pour back into the clean pot and reheat gently without boiling.  Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and taste.
• In a small skillet, heat 1 1/2 tsp olive oil and saute the herbs and paprika until just wilted.
• Pour the soup into bowls and swirl the garnish into the soup ~ ENJOY!

*If you don't have a small pumpkin, you can substitute hubbard , butternut, or acorn squash!

Garlicky Lentil Soup

Today is one of those days where the weather keeps changing from dull and rainy to sunny and windy....perfect day for soup in my books!  This is a family favourite that is simple and economical to make. Judy, who is renting our vacation home, sent me these beautiful cloves of her organically-grown elephant garlic.  They are perfect for this soup - thanks Judy!
When I taught a few cooking classes in my home to a friend and her daughter, this turned out to be their family's favourite and they make this soup all the time!  Try it tonight and you won't be disappointed!!

GARLICKY LENTIL SOUP

Ingredients:

1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained

2 onions, finely chopped

2 large garlic coves, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

2 tbsp EVOO, avocado or coconut oil

2 bay leaves

A generous pinch of dried marjoram or oregano

6 1/4 cups vegetable stock

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Put all the ingredients except for the vinegar, salt and pepper, in a large heavy-bottomed pot.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat to medium-low or low and simmer for 1 1/2 hrs, stirring occasionally to prevent the lentils sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Remove the bay leaves and add the red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.  If the soup is too thick for your liking, thin it with a little extra vegetable stock or water.
• ENJOY!