Chantrelle and Cream Cheese Filled Trout

Hello Everyone! How are you doing?? I have been busy focusing on raw foods and eating really simply; I'm actually taking part in Raw Food Rehabs 11 week initiative Raw Balance but before I made that commitment I made this treat, and oh my! was it ever a treat! And while it was a treat I actually felt really good about it. It is trout that I caught filled with Chantrelle mushrooms that I picked, onions and garlic from my garden and a little cream cheese to hold it all together.  What is better then that? Plus the fish was a lunker so I was extra proud! My boyfriend has been working out of the country so I have been learning to do all of these things all on my own :) I've always loved fishing but as he is the 'professional' he always took over in some way, this time I did everything all on my own, even the cleaning and filleting. AND the chantrelles I picked while out getting firewood with a friend - how resourceful am I?? Haha... I have been feeling pretty empowered lately but don't worry I won't get to carried away!

Anyways back to the food talk...

It really is more about the method then the measurements as all of my cooking is. I do want to share something about the mushrooms though, many people cook all mushrooms on a lower heat and with chantrelles if you do that a lot of water comes out and end up steaming them instead of frying them, so I cook them at at medium - high, not full out but closer to high then medium and they get really nice and caramelized quite quickly. I then let them cool down and added a little onions, garlic, salt and pepper, it really should be all about those beautiful mushrooms. I added enough cream cheese to hold it all together. I filleted the trout and laid each fillet out, I added a scoop of the filling and rolled it up securing it with a toothpick. I roasted it in a 350 degree oven until the fish was opaque, I was careful not to overcook it but I can't really give you a time as it will all depend on the size of your fillet, and how much filling is inside, the filling does need to be warmed through only, my fillets came from a 3 1/2 lb trout (REALLY good size for my lake!) took about 25 minutes.

Creamy Hemp Seed Hummus

Going Gluten free is quite easy as long as you change your frame of mind. Once you get over what you can't eat, you can focus on what you can eat, and it just takes that little tweak in your brain, not to mention the fact that you feel so much better. Since I have been gluten free I have felt incredible! No more tummy troubles which had become such a part of my life that I didn't even realize they existed. They weren't absolutely unbearable but they were there and not all that pleasant! I wanted to share this dish with you because its beautiful and tasty!

Hemp seeds add the perfect creamy and nuttiness to this hummus, I didn't have any tahini and it seemed to be a blessing in disguise. I ate it with zucchini shaved into ribbons and rolled it up into deliciousness - I love things that are rolled up!

1 Can of Chick Peas (Drained and Rinsed thoroughly - to prevent any tummy troubles!)
1/4 C Hemp Seeds
3 Large Garlic Cloves (I love lots of garlic, please use as much or as little as you like)
Juice of a lemon
Big pinch of Salt

First grind the Hemp Seeds in a food processor until they are fine, add the garlic until its not to chunky and then add everything else. If your feeling like a little extra naughtiness add a couple of table spoons of olive oil slowly as it is whizzing to stay a little cleaner feel free to use water to make everything smooth.

I added a bit of the hummus to a ribbon of zucchini and with some I rolled it up like you see the beauty in the middle and others I made into little packages, both were equally delicious but i think I prefered the spirals. I added some sliced tomatoe and drizzled with a bit of balsamic - and it was amazing! You could easily serve this as a snack, appetizer or enjoy as a meal - the hummus makes it very filling!

My Gluten Free Promise!

Like most people when I found out I had to go gluten free I turned to the internet, and a couple of books. Being part of the food blogger world I scanned through countless blogs all of which offered all sorts of great looking recipes..... here comes the big However!
When I realized that those foods were bad for me I realized that there is a reason they are bad and why try to constantly substitute glutinous foods for ones that replicate the bad stuff? (especially when they are often so heavily processed!).
Gluten is very hard to digest, for some it is only diffucult and a minor annoyance that they don't even pay attention to, for people like me it actually causes adverse and sometimes embarrassing reactions and for others who are celiac it can cause irreversible damage to the intestinal tract. It really isn't meant to be eaten by anyone, and many cultures avoid it all together, or use it very sparingly. In North America however it is in EVERYTHING! Well just about everything, it hides in Soy Sauce and lurks in salad  dressings and marinades. It acts as a Stabilizer and Flavoring. If you see the words 'Natural Flavoring' or any variation you can bet that it is sneaky gluten getting into the things you use each and every day!
Now back to those blogs... everywhere you look you can find gluten free baking recipes, and I suppose this is the area where people need some expert information but it just seems so unfairly represented. When I was looking for recipes I was looking for those magical foods that are naturally gluten free and delicious, I wasn't looking for replications of the foods that were making me sick! I wanted fresh new ideas that I knew would lead to good health I wanted to see recipes that featured whole foods like vegetables and quinoa! I wanted to see ideas for breakfast lunch and dinner not just bread and dessert!
Where is a normal gluten free breakfast, lunch and dinner blog??

Well then I suppose it is up to me to provide you with that. I have already begun to Label my recipes Gluten Free so you can look here to find the ones that are currently gluten free, and please check back for more!
I can't promise that I won't throw in the occasional rice pasta, or gluten free cookie but I want to focus on how someone who has to eat gluten free actually has to eat, not just how to treat yourself. So many people are daunted by going gluten free but it really isn't that hard, you just need to rewire your brain a little bit so I hope I can help anyone who needs that! But remember these recipes will still be delicious for all so everyone is included!

Love,
Tiff

Lotus Root Chips - The prettiest Chips of all!

As I mentioned not only an I gluten free now but I am also allergic to Potatoes :(
I found these Lotus Roots at Wal Mart of all places and while I don't usually buy produce from there these piqued my interest. No Potatoes means No Potato Chips... and I love things that are salty and crisp.
So get ready for the Worlds easiest recipe!

Lotus Root Chips

Lotus Root
Salt
Oil for frying

I sliced my Lotus Root on a mandolin, I used the second to thinnest slice, the thinnest was just a little too think for the bit that I wanted but you do whatever floats your boat.

Fry in small batches until golden and crisp, seasoning with salt while they are still warm.

They taste just like Potato Chips except they are SO much prettier! I have also used them as a garnish, what a simple and delicious way to dress up a meal!

My discovery came from a cup of tea!

Yes, my gluten intolerance was discovered due to a cup of tea.....

You may laugh at this but here it goes:
I went with a friend to have my Tea Leaves read last November and the lady who read them told me all sorts of things that were true and interesting about work, relationships, life you know the juicy stuff you usually want to hear when going to see a 'psychic' then near the end of the conversation she added in that I as allergic to something and I knew it because whenever I ate it I got a runny nose.
For months I had been getting a runny nose and kept thinking that I must be allergic to something but I didn't know if it was something in the air, in my house, or something that I ate... and if it was something that I ate how the hell would I decipher what it was, most of the time I consume many different ingredients in a meal. She said she thought it was starch, most likely wheat and potatoes.

So for about a month and a half I cut out starch from my diet completely. Including over Christmas which was really hard. I had also recently been talking to a woman who was allergic to 'everything' and had become really sick before she began working with her doctor to figure out she was allergic to all sorts of things and all he told her was to journal her food and how she felt, so I decided to figure it out on my own. As I said I cut out all starches from my body, then I slowly reintroduced them... well I tried... most starches made me feel terrible. I remember one one occasion around 11:00 in the morning I ate a single one bite brownie and by 1pm I was sick, in bed for the rest of the day. The only way I can explain it is like the worst hangover you have ever experienced x 100. I was nauseous, my head pounded harder then I had ever felt and I was completely drained of energy, I stayed in bed until the next day. So that means wheat certainly didn't agree with me. I also tried to drink a beer, and it left me feeling bloated and gross not as violent of a reaction as with the wheat but then I put two and two together and realized that was why I get terrible hangovers from only drinking two beer.... and that was why I get awful migraines sometimes... Gluten!
I had suspected but hoped it was just wheat and not gluten all together... somewhere I knew though... I can eat plenty of rice, quinoa, and other whole grains but not Wheat, Barley or Rye...
and as for Potatoes, they aren't that bad, but they do make me feel extremely bloated and gross so I just steer clear.

I know it is a strange way to learn about your health, but I am so grateful that I took her seriously. I am a much healthier person because of it!

Love,
Tiff

PS: Here is a link to the already Gluten Free recipes on my blog :)  Gluten Free

It all began with Chicken Rice and Corn

I have mentioned before that I have recently found out I am allergic to gluten, and I have been working through it and learning and eating and starving as I go. I have decided I am going to spend some time sharing what I have been learning and what gluten free means to me  on this blog. The more and more gluten free blogs I look at the more I get discouraged. I am going to share my approach to going gluten free and ofcourse some recipes that go along with it, and some of the tid bits that I believe need to be mentioned.

I have always tried to focus on eating healthy foods and now I have to focus on eating healthy foods; and what a wonderful opportunity!

So to begin, here is how it all started for me...

I grew up in a healthy eating household, Cereal consisted of Granola, and each dinner featured a protein, a vegetable and a starch. While it did evolve to healthier fare it all began with Chicken Rice and Corn. My Step Dads favorite meal when he and my mother began dating, then moved in, had my sister and well lets just say that Chicken Rice and Corn lasted a long time.... and if I never see that combination on my plate again it will not be soon enough.

Chicken Rice and Corn did evolve though, it soon became Chicken Salad and Rice, Salmon Salad and Pasta, or some other variation of Protein, Vegetable and Starch when I started cooking I stayed with in this principal as it seemed so complete. I didn't eat a whole lot through out the day, usually some nuts and fruit at school, maybe a subway sandwich, some popcorn when I got home then ofcourse my very balanced dinner. And I was healthy, I walked like a maniac to my boyfriends house every day and participated in several dance classes a week. I noted that I rarely ever experienced gas (this might sound strange now but it will make sense later) I had never burped, never. And as for the other, maybe once a year. My digestion was in great shape.

When I moved out things changed. I was 18 when I left home for the first time and I tried to eat healthy, and I know I made better choices then alot of people I knew but I still fell victim to convenience,  and to alcohol, and to hang over food... and to being pretty broke and trying to eat cheaply. I am not saying that I ate those nasty microwave meals but I certainly wasn't eating the same way. I also fell in love with cooking and had a bad habit of making my boyfriend all of those really tasty but really bad for you foods, like pasta with alfredo sauce, eggs benny etc. delicious but not so good for you. I began to gain weight, and I noticed mt stomach wasn't all that great anymore though I attributed it to the alcohol consumption that befalls many people in the 18 - 23 age group.
I did make healthy choices, but sometimes those choices would be followed up by a 'treat' and I ate alot of Pasta and Potatoes as I was trying to cut back on meat but wanted to feel 'full', plus they're pretty cheap:) and they kept my boyfriend happy.
I honestly wasn't eating that badly, compared to living at home it wasn't good, but compared to the average person it still wasn't bad.

I believe that this was the onset of my allergy. I do not yet know if I am Celiac, but I do know that gluten makes me sick.... however until last fall I didn't know what was making me feel sick... or how it felt to be better...

Check back to see how I realized Gluten was the culprit!

Love,
Tiff

Rich Chocolate Pudding

 

I came about this recipe idea when I was trying to figure out what to do with some left over egg yolks, for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to throw the away egg yolks... I looked at many options on how to use them, various fruit curds, creme brulee and even  a special deep conditioning treatment for my hair though as you can tell from this post I will leave that one up to the professionals. The others looked good but didn't quite account for the 4 egg yolks that I had then I realized - Pudding! 

Step aside Mr. Crosby - this is the real thing!

This pudding used egg yolks to thicken the pudding rather then starch which can really dilute the flavor and make it well... starchy for lack of a better word. To be honest 'bunged up' was the term that came to mind but that isn't a very appetizing word now is it? 

Anyways on to the recipe so you can all try this delectable wonder:

2 Cups of Semi Sweet Choc Chips

2 Cups of Heavy Cream

1 2/3 Cup Milk

1/3 Cup Strong Espresso

4 egg yolks

2 pinches of salt

To prepare pour the Cream, Milk and Espresso into a pot and heat until almost boiling but don't let it burn!! When the milk is very hot add the chocolate and whisk until melted, the whisk will help to to homogenize more quickly. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and salt, add a laddle of the hot chocolate mix slowly to temper the eggs and prevent them from scrambling. Continue to add the rest of the chocolate mixture slowly until it is all combined, you should notice it thicken a little bit right away. Add the mixture back into the pot and bring the mixture up to a boil, whisk it while boiling for 2 minutes or until it feels thicker, it should be a thicker but not 'pudding like' yet. Pour the pudding into individual ramekins, a bowl or like I used short and stout canning jars, it should yield enough for 5 jars. Pop those suckers in the fridge and allow them to cool, should you do this over night you will get a nice thick rich pudding, should you sneak one out after only a few hours it will be thick around the egde and gooey in the middle. 

Now because I love the 'skin' especially on this recipe it really is just extra thick pudding on top, I leave them open to the world, should you wish to prevent this you can put some saran wrap right onto the pudding, essentially the saran wrap make the skin and you pull off just a little off the top so that it looks like a creamier color with no skin. Its up to you!

Yummy Roasted Carrots and Green Beans

Have you ever came home and looked in your refrigerator and wondered what the heck you were going to make for dinner? That was me a couple of days ago.... while my fridge was quite full I couldn't find inspiration anywhere and when this happens I usually turn to the amazing ability of roasting at high temperature, its pretty incredible how an oven can turn anything from stodgy potatoes to crispy crudites into amazing caramelized goodness. And that was exactly what happened. I stared at a bag of carrots and green beans, cleaned and chopped where necessary then tossed them with olive oil, a little butter salt and pepper and tossed them into a 400 degree oven until they were caramelized
and delicious. And they were! I pulled them out and sprinkled them with a little Parmesan cheese and voila amazing green bean and carrots!

I encourage you to get roasting - anything you like! Carrots, Beets, Potatoes, Cauliflower Anything! You just pop it in the oven, leave it alone and wait for the goodness!
What a great way to warm up on these cool and chilly nights!
Happy Roasting!

Love,
Tiff

Garlic Roasted Mushrooms

These would make a fabulous addition to any holiday table, I saw them a little while ago on Smitten Kitchen and since I haven't been eating any starch I have been eating a lot of mushrooms, there is something so satisfying about them, so delicious and these ones. Man. Oh. Man... I really wished that I could eat bread because the juices that were left at the bottom would have been so delicious enjoyed with some bread... however they were absolutely fantastic all by themselves though please feel free to top them onto Steak, Crostini, Chicken, Pasta anything you like!

I had some pretty huge mushrooms so I quartered them but you can halve them or leave them whole depending on the size you like. These were so simple, First I sprinkled them with salt and pepper then I drizzled them with a little bit of heavy cream, I then tossed them around so they were coated in the cream then I sprinkled them with chopped garlic and dotted the whole works with butter. Toss that into a 400 degree oven and roast until golden brown (I gave them a little stir around a couple of times to ensure even baking and that they were coated in garlic and butter and cream - pure decadence!)

Love,
Tiff

Kale Chips

I had planned a yummy Cinco de Mayo post... but was to late, and while I will share with you the most delicious fish tacos right now I must share something else.

What is is that I am so amazed by...

Kale Chips!

I know! I thought 'Oh, those would make a really good healthy snack' and by healthy I was meaning 'not that great' but honestly I can't make these things fast enough. I made one bunch and had eaten the whole thing before I even took a picture. Then I made a second bunch and I had enough time to take a few pictures, but then I ate them all! I ate 2 bunches of Kale and thought 'wow what a good way to get your greens'

They do wilt down a little, but they get so crispy! And that deep green flavor adds something that a regular potato chip just can't compare too, while being so subtle and satisfying. I have seen these fluttering about the Internet for some time, and now I only wish that I had have tried them right away!

Here's the directions:

Cut the inner stems out of a bunch of Kale and cut them into chip size pieces. Wash and dry well. Lay the pieces on a baking sheet evenly. Drizzle with Olive Oil and sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. Massage it all into the little crevices and then make sure it is laid out evenly (They will get crisper if they are not touching). I baked these in the oven for about 20 minutes. It all depends on the size of the chips so keep an eye on them. You want them to get crisp without being to brown.

I think I will try them out in the dehydrator to preserve nutrients.... but honestly I ate them so fast it might take to long!

Sweet and Sour Veggie Ribbon Salad

I set out to make a simple salad using up a couple of veggie that I had in my fridge and was absolutely blown away by its simplicity, freshness and vibrant flavour. Honestly there is as much flavor in these carrots and zucchini as there is color! Lets have a look:

And an even closer look:

All that I did was use my vegetable peeler to make ribbons of carrots and zucchini, I added some chopped green onions and then came the magic!

I added a third of a cup of rice wine vinegar to a small saucepan with a couple of table spoons of sugar (the same ratio as you would for making sushi rice) 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 3 tbsp white sugar and warm until the sugar melts, I poured some of that over the veggies and added some fresh cracked black pepper and a small drizzle of soy sauce and it was so surprisingly yummy!

I also have some great news! I am moving into a new house! With a real Kitchen! I can't wait to share the creations I make in there with you! I am so excited right now, I have a great new job, am getting a whole house with a yard for less rent then my current 1 bedroom apartment! (Its in a small town not in the city, but this small town is my home and right on a big beautiful lake!) and I just feel that this whole year is going to be fantastic!

I hope that this year is shaping up excellently for you too!

PS : Seriously try this when you are in a rush, or just feel like something light!

Pour me a tall glass of Almond Milk

I have began a brand new job that I am really excited about, but it involves a bit of a commute and I am now coming home 2 hours later. This week a I made a big pot of beans and rice so I don't have to much to share with you. Well, to say not much is actually an understatement.

I have a tall glass of creamy and sweet almond milk to share with you.

I am trying to get away from Dairy and while I haven't yet tried to use this for anything other then drinking. But my oh my is it a tasty drink! I have really been enjoying it almost as an energy drink. It is full of calcium and protein but more importantly is creamy and sweet.
I love things that are creamy and sweet.

The recipe is simple:

2 cups of almonds
4 cups of water
A big squeeze of honey

Soak the almonds in water for a few hours. I usually do this over night then rinse them really well, they do get kind of slimy so rinse them until they are nice and clean and put them in a blender with the water and a squeeze of honey. Blitz in the blender for a few minutes until the almonds are finely ground. Give it a taste and see if it is sweet enough for your liking. Adjust accordingly. You can also use maple syrup, agave, you could even dissolve the sugar in some of the water. I happen to love honey so I use it as often as I can.

I have even bee washing my face with it.... but I think that will have to be another post!

Once it has whizzed up and all become friendly strain it through a nut milk bag or cheese cloth and enjoy!

Some people like it un-strained and thick - I am not one of those people but if you are, I won't hold it against you!

Fennel and Beet Juice

I thought I would include another juice recipe as January is a great time to cleanse and detoxify after a long season of eating what we please! I made this juice this morning as I have been feeling a little sluggish. By giving yourself; particularly your digestive system a break, it helps to give you a great boost and leaves you feeling light. Plus look at how pretty this one is:


It was so simple and refreshing! Also the fennel is really great for digestion and particularly for upset tummys.

I juiced:

2 bulbs of fennel
1 apple
1 beet

(The fennel bulbs I used were pretty small so if yours was large I would just use one) This juice is primarily fennel which gives it a beautiful licorice flavor with just a bit of sweetness from an apple and a bit of earthiness and color from the fennel. Yum!

Cozy Cabbage Rolls

Here we are in the heart of fall; this time of year I always crave comfort food and what is more comforting then a warm meal that comes out of the oven? Mmmmm.... Cabbage Rolls. The epitomy of Ukrainian comfort food.


Often I find that people use too much ground meat and make them very large. So I went about an experiment. I made two different kinds of Cabbage Rolls, 1 that was made of ground meat and the other that was made of sauteed mushrooms. The both have the same ingredients other then the meat/ mushroom can you tell which is which:


They look very similar and oddly enough they didn't taste all that different either. I suggest mixing them up in a casserole dish if you are trying to cut down on red meat. I had to make both because of my meat eating partner. I enjoy meat too, but often opt to not partake and am always looking for ways to reduce meat with out having to substitute with a freaky soy product. These were both really good, even my meat eating partner had a hard time figuring out which was which! Here is the recipe:

1 large heat of cabbage
1/4 lb ground beef (the small package) or 1 lb mushrooms finely chopped and sauteed
1 carrot finely chopped
2 stalks of celery finely chopped
2 onions finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic
3 cups of cooked rice (whatever floats your boat)
2 eggs
medium pinch of rosemary
large pinch of salt & pep

1 jumbo or 2 - 3 regular cans of whole tomatoes

First pop a whole head of cabbage into a huge pot of boiling water. Martha says not to use an aluminum pot... I think that my pot is aluminum and they worked, but it could be something else. Feel free to take the risk if you must. Other people remove each leaf first and then boiled them separately. I just threw the whole thing in, accidentally forgot about it and them took it out. It was cooked through and the outer leaves weren't very pretty but the rest was great. Let it cool and then remove each leaf and set aside.

Then begin making rice. Just follow the package directions. Then move on to chopping the mushrooms (actually I ran them through a food pro until they were fairly finely chopped - you do need a little texture) and begin sauteing them with some Olive Oil and pepper (leave the salt out). In the meantime finely chop the celery, carrots, garlic and onions, again I used the food pro, if you choose to do this make sure that you do it in small batches, or else you will get a puree and you want more like pieces that are the size of rice grains, or a little bigger. Divide the chopped veggies into two bowls. Make sure the mushrooms are sauteed to the point that they have given up most of the water, then add them to one bowl and add the beef to another. Add one egg to each bowl and 1 cup of rice, mix it in and then decide if you want to add more rice. I went for it, but you might not want to and in the end you will be eating it so go ahead and do what you must!
This is how each looks, bad light I know but you get the idea!


Now you will want to empty your cans of tomatoes into a juice jug or bowl and whiz with a hand blender. I added a small handful of salt pepper, and a little less rosemary. Whiz until it is a smooth sauce.

Now assemble! Pour a little sauce into a casserole dish, take one cabbage leaf. If it is a big leaf, remove the bottom v shape of the stem, just the hard part so you end up with a small v out of your leaf. You can leave it in but it is trickier to roll. Just do whatever works for you. Add some filling to one side of the leaf and roll it up. Add to the dish and repeat until you are done. Top with a bit more of the sauce, cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour.
I serve mine with sour cream. Yum!!

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Mushrooms

Yesterday I was craving something cheesy but knew that with the holiday season coming up I should try to be good. I generally try to be good during the month of November (Here in Canada the holidays don't start until Dec) because I know that pretty much the whole month of December is going to be a write off. It always is, and I could fight it but I figure if I put in a little good behavior this month I can cut myself some slack later on.

These mushroom caps are perfect because they are luxurious yet very healthy. I was inspired by a spanikopita but was also enticed by the meaty-ness of a mushroom. Have you ever noticed how many food bloggers make up words. I am convinced that anything can be a word if hyphenated with a -ness at the end!

Here is the recipe:

A bunch of mushrooms, stems removed.
1 12 oz package of frozen spinach
1 small tub of feta cheese
2 cloves garlic
pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper

Give the mushrooms a little rub down - they do grow in poo after all. Remove the stems with a pairing knife or by snapping them off whatever works best for you. My mushrooms weren't all that big so I used a knife. Arrange them alphabetically by name on a baking sheet. What you don't name your food? Well.. I guess you can arrange them any old way that you like.

In a food processor add the garlic and whiz, then add the spinach (make sure it is thawed and that you squeezed all of the water out. Whiz that up then add the rest of the ingredients, taste and season. Stuff the little mushroomies with the emerald green mixture and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until the mushrooms have browned a bit and they look like you want to devour them all!

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

There is something so comforting about anything that is left to slow roast in the oven. Even if it is tomatoes and red peppers. Just allowing them to hang out and soften in caramelized goodness; it seems so luxurious. Even decadent.

Who knew throwing some veggies in the oven and forgetting about them could seem like so much effort?

Speaking of effortless, this soup actually came from a tomato sauce that I had already prepared.
It began with 4 - 5 cups of Cherry Tomatoes. Basically I had enough to cover my entire baking sheet. I added a head of garlic and drizzled the works with Extra Virgin, salt and pepper. Pop this into a 300 degree oven for about an hour or until they pop open and look like the tasty little gems below:

Have a peek at them from time to time and once you notice that they are almost there toss 1 fairly finely diced onion into a pot with a nice splash of Extra Virgin. Once the onion is soft add the tomatoes and garlic and puree with a hand mixer or in a food processor. I did mine like a country job and left the skins and seeds in but if you prefer something a little more smooth feel free to put it all through a sieve. Have a final taste to see if you need to adjust the seasoning. It all depends on your tomatoes, your taste and how much you added when roasting. That was it for the sauce, simple and basic but really nice with a sweet, homey tomato flavor.

For the Soup I just roasted up about 3 red peppers. You can do this a few different ways, you can put the whole peppers onto the gas flame of a stove, you can toss them under a broiler, or roast them slowly. Should you choose one of the first two methods, which are the fastest you will want to leave the peppers until the skin is charred. I mean black people! Don't take them out to soon. In order to keep with the quick time frame you can them put the peppers into a bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. This gives them a little steam and makes it really easy to remove the skins. Should you slow roast it you will still want them to be quite well done, although they don't need to be charred, you will see them begin to wrinkle and soften, you can remove them then and give them the same covered bowl treatment mentioned above.
Once they have chilled out in the bowl the skin will be easy to remove, I added the peppers and the tomato sauce into a food processor and blitzted until it was smooth. Feel free to use what you have here, a hand blender, regular blender or food pro.
Something tells me a potato masher just isn't going to cut it!!
Add to a pot, heat, taste, season and enjoy!

Honey Lime Glazed Yams and Beets

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and it was so delicious. Often people get carried away with really sweet sides when making a turkey dinner ie. Candied Yams, Maple Glazed Squash so on and so forth. I actually had a turkey dinner this year that felt like I was eating dessert. Don't get me wrong; I love those sides, I love sweet stuff; but I think that when you are hosting a big dinner you need to be mindful of creating a balance. So I took a cue from that dinner and made sure to keep my dinner in check. Just enough sweet and just enough savory; especially with a rich meal like this where people often go back for seconds and generally eat way more then a regular meal.

And really isn't that when you know you've done a good job? When you look around and see all of those full faces, you know the ones, not really comfortable anymore because you had to eat that last bite - and then a little more.

This side I loved because it was so balanced. Yams and Beets are quite sweet on their own and with a couple of brushes of a Honey Lime vinaigrette they were transformed from regular vegetables to 'super hero' veggies out to add color and taste to your holiday table!

Alright before I get carried away here is the recipe:

2 large yams
4 medium beets

Juice of 2 limes
1 good squeeze of honey - about 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper

Begin with the Veggies, ideally you will want to boil the yams until tender in salted water and boil the beets until tender in unsalted water. I did do this when I made the recipe for a crowd because I needed to do two big pots of each, and because I did a lot of the prep the day before. Which is a great tip when making a large dinner: Do as much as you can the day or days before, this means that there will be less stress the day of and you will be able to socialize with your gusts. When I made them at home though for just the two of us I just threw then all in regular water and boiled until tender. Set aside to cool. Whenever you feel like it; you can mix up the glaze, which really is just a regular old vinaigrette, juice the lime, add the honey and mustard, a little salt & pep and drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and season to your liking.
This is so easy, and makes a great salad dressing. It would probably even be good on chicken, or fish. I'll have to try that.
I like to make this as long before I use it as I can. If that's only a few minutes, good, if I do it while the veggies are boiling and it ends up being more like 20 - 30 minutes, even better. The longer that it gets to hang out the more the flavors mingle and become one.
Once the veggies have cooled; you can peel the skins off; I left them on because I'm just that kind of girl. Then slice them into 1 - 2 cm rounds and arrange them on a baking sheet. I like to arrange them in stripes, purple - orange, purple - orange and so one. Brush them with the glaze and pop the whole thing into a 350 degree oven until they have soaked in the glaze and get a little caramelized. I like to glaze them once or twice before taking them out.
That's it. The great thing to is that they truly are beautiful and colorful. The contrasting colors; taste and texture are sure to liven up any table.

A new twist on Brussel Slaw

This has become a staple of my diet. It is so tasty and full of crunchy, chewy textures. It is sweet and savoury, creamy and fresh. All at once! I swear!

For the Salad I use my food processor to shred the vegetables, go ahead and throw in 1 good size beet, 1 large carrot, 1/4 - 1/2 a medium sized red onion (to your personal onion-liking), process these on a big shred so you end up with match stick type pieces, you could also use a mandolin, but I don't have one of those - yet. Now you have a lot of crunch, and even a spice, now comes the other texture, the chewy - The Brussel Sprout!
Change the blade to the slice blade, I suppose you could do this some other way, but really brussel sprouts are small and the food processor will be the best way to shred them and keep all of your fingers. Then add a big handful of chopped cilantro; toss with the dressing and you have yourself one dreamy side dish. Bring this to a potluck and you can trick all of your non-brussel sprout loving friends, or maybe you could try this recipe and trick yourself!

The flavour and texture are very different when a brussel sprout is raw, and being one of the best things nutrient-wise that you can buy in the grocery store, I say we should all incorporate them into our diet, especially raw as that way you get the full impact of all of their goodness.

Recipe

1 large beet
1 large carrot
1/4 - 1/2 red onion
About 24 Brussel Sprouts
Handful of Cilantro

1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Yogurt
1/8 Cup Lemon Juice
1 tbsp honey
salt & pepper

Multi-Olive Tapanade

Tapanade is a really a great method of making a beautiful olive based spread.

And you all know I love my dips and spreads!

What I really love about a tapanade recipe is that there is no way to screw it up and you can make it flavoured to suit your taste buds. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Olives used to be in my top 2 most hated foods, right beside lamp - I know! I would make a terrible Greek. But after a little taste bud persuasion I have began to like olives more and more, so much so that I now want to eat them pulverized and spread all over bread!

Its simple all you will need is olives, capers, garlic, anchovies, some olive oil and pepper.

Put these ingredients into a blender, I used 3 different types of olives: Moroccan dried black olives, green Sicilian olives stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and big black Cerigola olives.

3 cups in total of olives
1 jar of drained capers
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3-4 anchovies
2 splashes of olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pepper to taste.

Add the olives, capers and garlic into a food processor and pulse until chopped, add the remaining ingredients and pulse again until it reaches you desired consistency, I like it a little chunky. Also remember there is no reason to add salt as the olives are plenty salty enough. Taste and add a little more of something if it makes you happy!

Serve with bread and enjoy!

Rice Paper Roll Ups

Today I had the hugest sushi craving, I decided that I would make it myself. After all it wasn't a full on raw fish craving just the novelty of a roll. I made the rice and then realized that I didn't have any seaweed so I ran down to the grocery store and you know what? They wanted $9 for 6 sheets of Nori. Ha! The nerve ! The gall!
I would outsmart them! Yes I would!

And I did, I knew that I had rice paper roll ups from making summer rolls, I picked up a package of Dulse and I went about recreating a sushi taste. I combined the sushi rice with some wild smoked salmon lox, avocado, cucumber, a few spears of Asparagus and some roasted garlic aioli. I rolled it up and it was just as satisfying.

And here it is all laid out...

Tuck in the sides and roll like a burrito...

Enjoy!