Fennel & Pear Soup

This is my favourite soup to make, I love the taste of fennel. A lot of people don't even know what a fennel is or what to do with it, so here's an idea!

Ingredients:

1 fennel, chopped into large pieces
1 medium onion
1 pear, cored with the skin on
1 cinnamon stick
~ 1 litre of vegetable stock
goat cheese, crumbled
pepper

Method:

Roast fennel, onion and pear at 350 F for about 25 minutes.
Put roasted veggies along with cinnamon stick into large pot over medium heat and put enough stock to cover everything.
Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Take out the cinnamon stick and use an immersion blender to blend ingredients.
Serve with goat cheese and pepper.
Enjoy!

Tofu & Avocado Stack

This recipe was inspired by the menu at Fresh in Toronto. I love their peanut sauce, and I'm wishing I had taken the time to make it for this and not gotten store bought stuff. Next time!

Ingredients:

1/3 Avocado
4-5 slices of firm tofu
1 tsp sunflower seeds
handful of sunflower seed spouts
2 tbsp peanut sauce
1-2 tbsp olive oil

For the tofu marinade:

2 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp chilli seed paste
2 tbsp peanut sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
water


Method:

1. Slice tofu into 1/4 inch pieces. Place in a container.
2. Add soya sauce, vinegar, chillies, peanut sauce, sesame oil, and then add water until it covers the tofu completely. Change the ratio if you want a stronger taste in the tofu.
3. Let the tofu marinate for at least a few hours in the fridge, but a couple of days is best.
4. Once the tofu is marinated, you can cook it. Bring a skillet to medium heat and add olive oil, then the tofu. Medium heat is best, or the tofu will stick! Flip the slices every minute or so for 5-6 minutes.
5. Peel the avocado and slice it to the same thickness as the tofu.
6. Put the peanut sauce on a plate, and arrange the tofu and avocado on top. Place the seeds and sprouts on top of the stack and serve.

Spicy Honey Garlic Beef Ribs

Every summer, my home town of Burlington, Ontario holds Canada's largest rib fest. Over labour-day weekend the whole city smells of BBQ... very enticing. However, I can't handle the crowds, the lineups, the prices, and trying to guess which stand is going to offer the best quality. Nonetheless it always leaves me with a craving for ribs. So, I decided to make my yesterday. 

A few years ago, I read an article in Maclean's magazine about how purple garlic, which is apparently native to Ontario is on the verge of extinction due to genetically modified garlic being more prevalent in groceries. So when I saw it at a veggie stand in Ancaster I was sure to snatch it up! It is so much stronger than the white garlic you usually see - it actually made me tear up while I was cutting it.

I got the ribs at Fenwood Farms, a farm in Ancaster that sells organic, free range, antibiotic free meats. 

I just sort of made up a recipe as I went along... adding ingredients to my taste and it turned out well even though I was winging it.

Sauce Recipe:

2 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp soya sauce
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp chilli flake paste
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
splash of whiskey

Cooking Method:

Set oven to 300F.
Wrap ribs in tinfoil with the sauce on top, place in baking pan.
Let cook for 1 1/2 hours, then flip over and cook for another hour.
Broil if desired, or BBQ.

Pasta Primavera

Cold Barley Salad

This is one of my favourite recipes that I discovered in Italy last summer (it was a staple at grocery store salad bars).  It's really easy to make, filling and healthy. 

Cod with Leeks and Basil

I went fishing for the first time this weekend! In Þingeyri, Iceland of all places. Way up north in the West Fjords. We caught about 12 cod. So now, the freezer is full of filets. Bring on the fish recipes!

Spelt Rotini with Peas

 So easy this literally took me 10 minutes flat.

Squid Ink Linguine with Broccoli, Tomato and Shrimp Crème Sauce

I had a surprise day off - it reminded me of having unexpected snow days in the spring when I was in elementary school! So I decided to cook something to satisfy my never ending craving for Italian food since last summer. Also, I really wanted to try squid ink noodles since I really liked squid ink dressing when I tried in Italy... but I was really disappointed because the noodles just tasted normal. 

Recipe >>>

Gin & Tonic

G&T with Grapefruit, Lime & Mint, and Lemon with muddled Blueberries.

Thanks to my roommate for picking up the Gin at the duty free, liquor is pricey here in Iceland :)

Chickpea Salad

Here's my first post since I've been in Iceland. Haven't had much of a chance to cook, since they feed us lunch and dinner at work. But it's the weekend! I've been feeling kind of down this week... so I decided to make my ultimate comfort food. 

Recipe >>>

Green Pea and Edamame Soup

Another creation of leftover random freezer food! Here's Pea and Edamame soup. I thought it would be really weird, but with the lemon and mint it's really nice and fresh. I had it with some sun-dried tomato bread. 

Recipe >>>

Homemade Nutella Almond Milk

So, it's my last week living in my apartment in Ottawa. Which means, I have to use up all my food before I go! While packing up my kitchen I found a giant bag of almonds that I sure don't have time to eat so I though I'd try my hand at making almond milk.  Usually I buy almond milk since I stopped drinking milk, and I enjoy it a lot more. However, now since I made it myself, I probably won't go back to the store bought brand. Although it may be a bit time consuming, this tastes much much better and doesn't have any preservatives. 

Recipe >>>

Whole Wheat Orange Muffins

Thanks to Faye for this recipe! These muffins have so much flavour, I really like them for breakfast. The recipe calls for orange peel which I was a bit hesitant about, but it certainly makes for a unique tasting treat.

Here's the recipe >>>

Turtle Bean Salad Wrap

I love making this, it's so colourful and I usually make a big batch of it and use it in different recipes.

Here's the recipe >>>

Smørrebrød - Herring with Mustard (Sennep Sild)

Picked herring is a seriously acquired taste, but if you're feeling adventurous and you like seafood you should give it a try! It's acclaimed to be very good for your health. 

Recipe >>>

Smørrebrød - Shrimps

I bet you've never had peas on a sandwich. This is so easy to make, one of my favourites!

 Recipe >>>

Smørrebrød - Vegetarian

Here is a veggie option!

Recipe>>>

Agurksalat

This recipe is good as a small side or on a sandwich. The result is not quite a cucumber, not yet a pickle. 

Recipe >>>

Smørrebrød - Leverpostej

Next up, we have a liver paté sandwich with some trimmings. If liver paté grosses you out, get over it and try some! :)

Recipe >>>

Smørrebrød - Smoked Salmon

For those of you not familiar with open faced sandwiches (smørrebrød), you are missing out. The next several posts will be Danish food. There will likely be some things that you've never had before, so I dare you to try them! (Did you know that capers are pickled flower buds?)

This is my number one favourite sandwich in the history of sandwiches. 
Recipe after the jump

Buckwheat Noodle Salad with Tahini Dressing

This is one of my favourite things to have for lunch. It's basically an open face sandwich... but on noodles! Much more fun to eat. 

Inspired by the bowls at http://www.freshrestaurants.ca/main.asp

Recipe after the jump

Beet & Arugula Salad

I had a similar salad in a restaurant a few days ago, but I decided I had to make my own version.

BB Cereal

 You can even make your cereal at the bulk barn!

Quinoa Crab Cakes

Recipe after the jump >

Canvas Wine Tote

One of my first sewing projects. I plan on making a beer tote as well!

The Wild Oat Bakery

If you're in Ottawa, you have to go by the Wild Oat and get some baked goods.
I get a loaf of spelt-kamut there every week, and usually a treat too!

Variety Lunch

What's that green stuff?

Mini Macchiato

Barley Stew with Lobster Mushrooms

Bean Salad With Grilled Lemon

Tofu Greek Salad

A nice vegan alternative to greek salad...

Almond Zucchini Tarts

Tuna Quinoa Salad

My favourite lunch! Here's the recipe.

Spelt Zucchini Cakes

Masala Chicken

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Icing

Recipe After the jump >

Ras-cran White Chocolate Spelt Muffins

Muffins are dead simple, and it's so easy to play around with the fillings until you find your favourite combination.