Butternut Squash Tahini Spread

Are you ringing in the New Year with a bang?  I never would have predicted that becoming a parent would have any impact on end of year celebrations. Kids love any reason to celebrate.  With hats, horns and worldwide attention, what kid wouldn't want to be part of that.  Our kids are no exception and New Years Eve is one of their favourite nights of the year.  When they were younger we would celebrate well before the actual stroke of midnight, but as long as it included a countdown and kisses, they were happy.

Winter Vegetable Lentil Salad with Lemon Parsley Yogurt Dressing

I can't believe 2012 is coming to an end already.  Honestly, the older I get the faster time goes by.  New Years Resolutions have never really been my thing, but I do enjoy the rest of the world taking them on.  Surrounded by so many people suddenly interested in healthier eating is a dream come true every January. It's the one month a year that loving veggies and grains seems to be the norm.  I can't wait to see what the blogosphere will drum up in the weeks to come to meet our healthy eating resolutions.

Carrot, Parsnip and Apple Soup

Keeping things real simple here for you and me.  I don't know about you but these last few days before Christmas always sneak up on me.  In spite of all the work to be done, I simply refuse to get stressed out about it.  Don has always been a huge fan of Christmas and every year he reminds me to enjoy every moment.  Watching the kids' holiday concerts, decorating the house and baking ridiculous amounts of cookies truly is a blessing.  The ability to spoil our children and those we love is not something to complain about.

Pomegranate Salsa Crostini

 Looking for a showstopper appetizer this holiday season?  You just found it!  Perfect for your next family gathering or even New Years Eve party.  Not only do they look festive, they taste mighty fine as well.  All the components can be made in advance, making for a quick assemble when your guests arrive.  I travelled to two different parties with these in tow and putting it together took about five minutes.

Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup

It was a dear friend's birthday last week.  She is an amazing mother of four children and a true friend to me for the last twenty years.  I volunteered to bring lunch to her home to celebrate the big day.  With an 18month old underfoot, it's sometimes easier to avoid fancy-shmancy restaurants.  With the other three children at school, she put the big guy down for a nap and we settled in to this tasty soup.

Savoury Curry Granola

We all have recipes we are famous for.  The one that family and friends routinely ask us for the recipe or servings of.  In my case, that is hands down granola.  It is somewhat of a shock to me that I don't have a granola recipe on this site yet, given the multitude of granola I have made in this lifetime.  A couple years ago I made several creations for a friend's wedding favours.  All of them were sweet concoctions with a small twist.  Think spicy chocolate cherry, pina colada and apple caramel.

Roasted Carrot Soup with Dukkah Spice

 

 I hate when Don is right.  Doesn't really matter what it's about, I just kinda figure I should win most arguments we have.  Funny thing is, he agrees with this.  Most times if I put up any sort of resistance, he will relent and say "you're right."  Now don't go thinking I'm some sort of bully or that he is any kind of pushover, both are far from the truth.  It's more that over the years we have both come to this realization.  My memory is far better than his, so he always trusts my version of history.  I read a ridiculous amount of news articles in various papers, so my knowledge of current events is usually greater.  And when it comes to food?  Well, it's fair to say most days he wouldn't dare disagree with my thoughts on what makes a good meal.

Spicy Gingerbread Cupcakes

For several years our family has been building elaborate gingerbread houses.  There is a local contest we enter and the kids love this family tradition.  Each year a theme is released and we custom build our structure around that theme.  This year the theme is “Christmas Carols” which is much better than some of the past ideas. We’ve built homes for Disney Christmas, Tropical Christmas and Santa’s workshop.  None of these were particularly fun from my perspective because it limited our creativity. Other times we have done Christmas around the world and Christmas movies; both of which were really fun. 

Seafood Gumbo

When it comes to favourite meals in our home, seafood is always the top of the list for both Don and Josilin. Since the kids were young, Don has told them both that in order to be a true to their Cape Breton heritage, they must love fish. But it is the one protein I struggle to cook the most. My favourite preparation is fish tacos, but the other three all say “you can’t taste the fish!” They want their seafood flavours to shine and dominate. I kinda want them hidden.

Pecan Pie with Bacon and Scotch

 

If you’ve been around here much, you know the words Bacon, Scotch and Pie are a little out of place.  Looking for a nice salad or main course starring veggies?  You’re in the right place.  But everyone once and awhile, there is a recipe that will push me out of my zone.  When I saw the original recipe for Bacon Bourbon Pie I immediately thought of my bacon loving friend Nick.  The first time we were at a restaurant together he noticed Don had removed the bacon from his sandwich.  Perplexed by any man who would skip the bacon, Nick demanded to know “why is that bacon sitting on your plate?”  Don indicated that he doesn’t care for the stuff but he also doesn’t want to inconvenience the chef. So whenever ordering a dish that contains bacon, he simply removes it and leaves it on his plate.  Faster than you can say “this little piggy” that bacon was off Don’s plate and into Nick’s mouth.

Carrot Cake Cookies

 

When I was growing up we ate a lot of processed food. That might come as a surprise, given the amount of whole food and obsession with healthy eating on this site.  As a true eighties kid, my mom served us sugary cereal, cookies from a box, cheese slices and frozen dinners.  As someone who grew up on a farm she ate what they produced throughout her childhood.  As a young adult, I'm sure she found all these new foods exciting and quite simply, easier.  The one exception to all the store bought food, was cakes.  She decorated cakes as a part time job and carrot cake was (and still is) her speciality.  I still remember the first time I finally tried carrot cake.  I was certain I would hate it (it had vegetables in it!) and much to my surprise, it was delicious.  Sometimes moms do know best!

Cauliflower, Chickpea and Potato Curry

 This is a tale of two curries.  This past week as the weather cooled, the kitchen heated up.  Seeking out comforting  fall dishes, I ended up making two different curry dishes.  One was my favourite.  The other was Don's.  So today I will post one favourite and in the days to come the other.  I'm so tempted to say which I think is best, but am hoping perhaps some of you will comment to tell me which one you like best.  There is no doubt, both are simple, tasty and nourishing.

Braised Chicken with Steel Cut Oats and Chard

We attended a friend's wedding earlier this year.  It was a beautiful evening of celebrating the gorgeous couple and their union.  The venue was fantastic, the views of the city incredible and the food memorable.  I'm still thinking about the savoury steel cut oats served with my meal that night.  Funny how one of the most economical ingredients is what stuck with me.  I think it was the unexpected use that lingers.

Greek Yogurt Berry Bran Muffins

Trying to fill the kids' lunches with new items that are both tasty and healthy is an ongoing challenge.  Sometimes I am successful and other times, they figure me out and demand to know where the sugar has gone.  These muffins were a hit with both kids and the adults.  A bit more dense than your average muffin, you can taste the goodness in each bite.  I've replaced the sugar with maple syrup and coconut oil fills in where perhaps butter or vegetable oil would exist in the past.  The recipe specifies Greek yogurt, because that is my first choice to up the protein in them.  I have made them with regular yogurt and even a flavoured one and it works just as well.  Vanilla or strawberry yogurt lends a sweetness and the muffins are a little lighter from the moisture content of the yogurt.

Chard, Pear & Carmelized Onion Grilled Cheese

Don's been bugging me for awhile to have sandwiches for meals.  I was on a real roll with sandwiches earlier this year.  This is a common occurrence for me.  I make something several times with varying ingredients and then simply stop making it.  It doesn't really matter to me because I'm always moving on to the next ingredient or dish that is exciting and new.  Except that this practice means I'm probably missing out on some really good meals from my past.  I'm not sure why I moved away from the sandwiches,  because it's a really simple meal to pull together.  I suppose all I needed was a little nudge and perhaps a bit of inspiration.

Sausage, Apple & Potato Bake

 In the book Dinner a Love Story the author shares that she works a four day work week, with Wednesdays off.  On that day she calls herself the "Wednesday Wife."  On that day she is relaxed enough to make complicated meals, bake cookies with her children and have patience for everyone.  I laughed when I read this because here at our home, there is a Monday's Mom.

Asian Pork Snack Wraps

I've written before about my audition for the Season 2 of the show Recipe to Riches.  In fact, participating in that process was the tipping point of me finally starting a blog.  The recipe I submitted was Hand Pies, in the category of Savoury Snacks.  Last winter, I was devastated when I learned I would not be on the show.  My recipe was in the top five, and out of that five, were the three chosen for TV.  To be so close to the action was tough to accept.  At the time I was desperate to know who they could have possibly selected instead of me and my hand pies.  I found solace in my family and friends who had cheered me along, sampled the multiple variations and developed my marketing plan.  And then, I turned to the web.  Lo and behold, there was this eloquent post from Lyndsey describing the same experience during season 1.  I was so comforted by her openness in sharing the hurt that accompanies being rejected when we put our dreams out for others to judge.  Of course then time passes by, summer comes and before you know it, Recipe to Riches is a distant memory.  The hurt fades and only the happy memories linger.

Sweet Potato Muffins

The other night I was tucking Josilin into bed and I snuggled up for a bit of a cuddle.  I'm well aware that the days are fleeting when she might want me to be hanging out in her room and chatting so I try to grab these opportunities as much as I can lately.  As we lay there talking about her day she leaned over and said "I love the way you smell mommy." 

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato & Black Bean Soup

 What to make to make in the inaugural use of my new Le Creseut dutch oven?  Spoiled this year with a beautiful gift of a dutch oven I was both nervous and excited to create something in this magical cookware.  Does it really make things better?  Well, the verdict is out on that but I will choose to believe all things made in this pot will taste better than any version before.

Jerusalem Parsley and Barley Salad

Every once in awhile a cookbook comes along that can truly change your perspective on food.  For me, that cookbook was Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.  Not that this is an original or even surprising idea.  His take on vegetables pretty much took the culinary world by storm, with multiple accolades and awards.  When I heard that he had teamed up with Sami Tamimi to create a new book I crossed my fingers that it would be just as amazing.  Folks: these men do not disappoint.

Apple Butter Doughnuts



Making kids' lunches has to be the most thankless job in the world.  Even a person who loves to cook as much as me has little love for this chore.  At this point I could likely tell the kids to pack their own, but then I'd have to give up the control over what they're consuming.  There are a lot of things I will let the kids do on their own before I relinquish lunch making duty.

Butternut Squash, Wheat Berry and Pomegranate Salad

It's Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend and I can hardly wait.  We will be surrounded by family, nature and of course good food.  Fall has always been a favourite time of year for me.  When Don and I were first dating, he asked me once my favourite season.  When I innocently shared my love of falling leaves and changing colours his response was "how can you love a season that is all about dying and decomposing?"  Maybe it's a fall birthday, the bounty of fall vegetables or so many happy memories of big Thanksgiving meals, regardless, it's still my favourite time of year.

Rice with Delicata Squash and Kale

With fall activities in full swing our calendar is becoming increasingly full.  Between swimming lessons, hockey and youth group commitments we are often eating in short windows of time before heading off to an activity.  It is during these busy times that I will try to have quick meals at the ready so there is no stress attached to meal times.  I really believe in nourishing the little athletes as much as possible. Don accuses me of being a little fanatical about this topic, but I figure there is no harm in trying to give our kids whatever advantage may come from a well fueled body.  I can't stand the thought of them being in the water or on the ice and wanting to perform but having their body fail them. 

Seedy Carrot & Beet Slaw

I was out for dinner with a group of women the other night at a local restaurant.  The focus of the menu is local, fresh and healthy so I was not surprised to see beets incorporated in an appetizer.  One of the people with me said “what is a beet? is it a root plant? how is it grown?”  I was so surprised to hear someone unfamiliar with such a classic Ontario vegetable.  Discussion ensued among all the guests about favourite recipes and how to best prepare.  When I mentioned how much I like raw beets the entire table stated they had never heard of such a thing.  We often enjoy raw beets in different salads but this is one of my favourites.  It’s a simple one, but very satisfying with few ingredients and few calories.

Chana Masala with Curried Spinach

In the summer of 2011 Josilin was able to participate in a global village program for a month in Denmark.  When she was preparing to go we were worried about many things.  Would she be safe? Homesick? Lonely?  I never once considered: would she be hungry?  In recent years there have been multiple stories of what a food revolution is happening in Denmark, including the best restaurant in 2012 and 2011. The night before she left I offered to make any meal she wanted or take her out to any restaurant.  She chose to eat at home and the meal she wanted was this one.  Chana Masala has been a favourite of hers for years, so I was not that surprised she wanted this.  Leftovers pack nicely in her thermos for lunch and it can be made days in advance.

Tomato Jam

There are lots of tomatoes in our house right now.  Between the CSA, our garden and the kind neighbours' garden, we are overflowing.  This recipe is a clever one because it can be put together very quickly and with little effort.  No peeling of tomato skins or removal of seeds and you can literally use whatever variety you have on hand.  Seconds at a market would be perfect for this.  We enjoyed it slathered on baguettes and with crackers and cheese.  I'm planning to enjoy it with some vegetable curry and meatloaf as well.  It's quite versatile and incredibly tasty.  Sweet and savoury with a nice bit of heat it's the perfect condiment to have in your fridge.

Polenta with Delicata and Arugula

Luke had a friend over the other day to play some board games and badminton.  At lunch time I called the boys in and presented them with this dish.  The young boy looked at his plate, looked at me and said "what is this?"  I explained it was polenta and while he wasn't obligated to eat it, I hoped he would at least try it.  He said, "well it's better than the green pancakes you served me last time!"  Now to be fair, the pancakes in question were in fact these broccoli fritters, which are mighty tasty, but you can't blame him for being a little nervous about coming to the lunch table.

Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I was 17, I left home and moved away to attend university.  I moved into a dorm eager to leave home and small town living behind me.  My roommate was a friend from high school who I didn't know very well, but hoped would be a good match.  We all know how this story ends.  She of course become my best friend, was maid of honour at my wedding and remains a faithful friend some twenty years later.  Dorm life was fun, classes were interesting but the food was terrible. 

Buttercup Squash Tostadas

Pity the poor buttercup squash.  Always the ugly step sister to the ever popular butternut squash, it is often overlooked and used far less in recipes.  I happen to love the buttercup variety for its dense, creamy like texture.  It's usually priced less than the butternut variety and stores much longer into fall.  I know, I just said fall.  Guess what?  Fall is just around the corner and some of these cooler days have me starting to crave those fall flavours.  These tostadas are not quite full on cold weather fare.  In fact, they have enough fresh ingredients to make for a late summertime patio meal.

Speculoos Granola Bar

Today is the first day of school for Jos and Luke.  Last Friday we were able to learn the class assignments for the kids.  Each school posts the class lists, which provides a full long weekend to either celebrate your placement or come to terms with disappointment.  For Luke, it was almost all celebration.  He is with the majority of his friends, but didn't get the teacher he had hoped for.  For Josilin, there was pure disappointment.  She is separated from her best friend and many of the other girls she had hoped to be with.  We talked a lot about making new friends and the opportunities this presented.  Well, rather I talked about these things while I was met with a lot of eye rolling and door slamming. 

Millet and Beet Fritters

We have been trying a lot new recipes and each one seems to be better than the next. Funny how that goes with recipe sampling.  I seem to have a string of hits and then, inevitably, a string of misses.   I had a feeling this one might be enjoyed at our home because it included beets (one of Jos and Don's most requested veg) and was in a little patty shape which has become a new favourite.  See these white bean beauties and our recent Swiss chard cakes for other examples of our veggie cake love.

Fairy Tale Eggplants with Yogurt Sauce

Our CSA had these cute little eggplants this week.  Called "fairytale eggplants" they are only four inches long at their biggest, with a skin much thinner than traditional eggplant.  My usual go-to with eggplant is to grill or roast, but I was curious if these little guys could be steamed instead.

Raw Oatmeal Cookies and Aug Foodie Penpals

It's my second month of participating in Foodie Pen Pals.  Not sure what this is?  Take a look here  After my first go around, I felt like a real pro.  I knew what I wanted to send this time (much lighter items!) and what I would request be sent to me if asked (local and healthy).  Well, I may have failed on both accounts.  I did request my items to be local, but I chuckled when the package arrived from a town not 30min away.  No wonder she didn't want to send local: we live in the same community!  Signing up for this program, I had fantasies of receiving products from coast to coast that one could not procure in my hometown.  Once I got over that disappointment, I was delighted to take a closer look at just what had been sent.  Firstly, I had never tried any of the products before, so that was pretty cool since I love trying new things.  Secondly, it was all very healthy and thoughtful with everything tasting great.  Most of the products were gluten free, which meant I could share them with my GF mom too.  I made these cookies with the GF granola she sent and the kids were thrilled that once again they received something just for them! I couldn't have asked for a better package and felt a little silly that I had ever felt let down that it was not coming from an exotic location.

Gluten Free Granola Cookie

We often joke that Luke was born with a ball and glove in his hands.  You name a sport and very likely Luke either plays it, has played it or dreams of playing it someday.  He’s been asking to try golf for sometime now.  He loves watching the Masters and British Open on tv and will pretend he is golfing around the house.  The tricky thing about golf is that unless you play already, it’s a pretty big commitment to give a kid a try.  Neither Don or I play, so it wasn’t like we could just bring him along sometime to play with us.  I'm not aware of any course that let's you drop your kids off to learn the sport either.

Chard Cakes with Parsley Sauce

I've mentioned here before how much I like to try new recipes.  It's pretty rare that I will repeat a meal, and when I do it's usually after some time as passed or perhaps the next year when ingredients are in season.  However, these chard cakes have been made three times this week and I have a feeling when I pick up my CSA shares this week, it will make a fourth appearance.  They remind me a bit of the white bean cakes I made earlier this spring and funnily enough, Don was pretty ga-ga about those too.

Blueberry Lime Cornmeal Muffin

Today we hosted a young girl from out of town for a few hours.  She was participating in a national camp and needed a home stay for 4 hours before being driven to the airport.  When I picked her up I offered to spend the afternoon however she wished. She shared that she lives in a very small town in Saskatchewan, several hours from any city centre.  With an invitation to do anything, I expected her to say: can I go to the mall?  Instead, she asked "are there any museums or art galleries in this town?"  Wow.  Never underestimate youth.  They will surprise you every time.

Farro with Grilled Summer Vegetables and Pesto Vinaigrette

 Here's one more salad from the summer of never ending salads.  I've posted quite a few of these on the site already: a carrot one, a black bean and corn one, a sugar snap pea one, a black rice one, and many  more.  I'm not sure I could pick a favourite out of all of them, but this one was pretty close.

Quinoa Roasted Beet, Kale & Hazelnut Salad

Once a  week this summer, I've tried to make a new salad using grains and veggies.  Making it on Sunday afternoon, it provides several days of lunches for Don and I through the week at work.  My goal has been to not repeat a recipe, and so far, so good.  It certainly helps that there are so many vegetables in season right now!  I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this challenge up, but it's 12 weeks so far and I don't see an end in sight.

Zucchini Coconut Muffin

The zucchini parade continues. At some point in the summer, my competitive juices start to flow and I become driven to find the best use of the over-producing vegetable.  I’m calling these a muffin with a glaze, but I suppose it could be argued they are more of a cupcake once frosting is introduced.

Carrot, Green Bean and Avocado Salad

Wow.  What an amazing summer our family is having.  Far too many lovely vacations and time spent with friends and family to count.  Northern lakes enjoyed on hot summer days and huge smiles on my kids' faces.  The amount of fresh local produce available is just the icing on the cake.  In an effort to eat as much in season as I possibly can, I often walk right by any foreign grown vegetables this time of year.  The exception to this rule is probably the avocado.  This guy is never going to be grown here in Ontario and watching Josilin eat a whole one with a spoon feels right, no matter what time of year it is.

Foodie Pen Pals

This past month I participated in a new venture called Foodie Penpals, organized by Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean.  Basically the program entails receiving and giving a package full of food goodies with complete strangers.  It was my first time participating and what fun I had!  My package was sent to rural Newfoundland with a request to send local goodies.  The package I received came from Ashley in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  It contained a pkg of chocolate hazelnut granola, red pepper jelly, a Newfoundland chocolate bar, treats for my kids, some family recipes and a jar of bakeapple jam.  The kids were absolutely thrilled that a stranger would think to send them candy!  It was such a thoughtful touch to include something for them.  I was excited to try the bakeapple jam, which I’ve learned is made from a fruit native to Newfoundland.  Made by Ashley’s father, this delicacy was something I had never even heard of before.  The bakeapple is not an apple at all, but rather a fruit closer to a blackberry with a uniquely tart flavour. 

Grilled Kale, Plum & Ricotta Salad

Coming up with a name for a blog is no small decision.  Forever linked to whatever I may choose to post and share, the title of your blog cannot be changed or removed.  I’ve had a few people ask me “why Kale Eats?”  I wish the answer was an exciting one, but I’m afraid it’s pretty tame.  I originally had a few other ideas that included the word kale, but the domains were already taken.  When setting up on the host site it gave suggestions as possible alternatives and Kale Eats came up.

Grilled Peach Corn Salsa with Zucchini Quesadilla

I was about to apologize for another zucchini and corn recipe.  I've recently made corn salad and zucchini sandwiches and was feeling a little guilty about hitting you over the head with more of the same. Before I let that guilt settle in I shook my head and realized, there's no reason to apologize for eating seasonal fresh veggies!  In fact, I bet your farmers' market is full of zucchini, corn, peaches and onions right now too.  What better way to celebrate these great offerings than to create multiple dishes.

Blueberry Whole Grain Ricotta Scone

It will be a sombre week for our family.  We're attending an inquest into the accidental death of a loved one.  Perhaps it will provide some much needed closure or some understanding of how it all transpired.  We don't really know what to expect, but we will go and hope that something positive can come out of it all.

Smoky Corn Black Bean Salad

We're just back from a few days at a cottage with family.  For the last twelve years, we have gathered as a family of grandmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins and children.  My kids have attended this tradition every year of their life, including both as newborns.  There were a few years there when we had 6 children under the age of five where we started to question our sanity, but overall it's been great.  One of the perks is that this group of women and children are always keen to let me play chef for the week.  In exchange, I'm excused from washing dishes --THIS is the ultimate payment for me.

Roasted Zucchini Sandwich with Lemongrass Aioli

Dog days of summer of here.  Hot days, hot nights and lots of zucchini growing in the garden.  This sandwich might just be my new favourite use.  Fairly quick to assemble, you'll have this one from garden to plate in under twenty minutes.  Don's favourite food is sandwiches and lucky for me, he is game to try almost any combination.

Fava, Pecorino & Lemon Spread

We've just returned from an amazing vacation.  Killarney Provincial Park, considered the crown jewel of Ontario's Provincial Parks is a beauty to behold.  Spending five days surrounded by pristine nature, white quartz mountains and crystal blue water is my idea of a wonderful time away. 

Beet Fennel Grapefruit Sandwich

We are heading out to one of my most favourite places in Ontario this week: Killarney Park.  It will be a blissful five days of no phones, screens or contact with the outside world.  Packing food that will last in the wilderness without refrigeration is a wonderful challenge.  We usually try to eat as many veggies as we can the first few days as it gets tougher each day out to keep them fresh.

Sugar Snap Pea Salad

For the last four years I have been participating in a local CSA (Community Shared Agriculture).  It has amazed me how many new vegetables we have been introduced to and that the kids love.  Picking up fresh, local, organic produce for 20 weeks of the year has undoubtedly led to much healthier meals at our home.

Fennel, Chard & Lentil Wrap

Don's out of town and took our camera with him.  I had resigned myself to no food blogging while he was gone, but this sandwich changed that idea pretty quick.  I dug out Josilin's camera to give you a small peak of the finished product.  The quality of the pictures might not be as good, but the  quality of this wrap is high!

Mexican "Lasagne"

The name of this recipe is a little deceiving.  While it looks like a lasagne and the ingredients are layered in much the way a lasagne would be, the flavours are decidedly Mexican.  It reminded me a little of enchiladas, but way less work!  The ingredients can be assembled in under 30 min and you can then bake right away or put in your fridge/freezer for another time.  This is my favourite kind of dish because I can make it in advance and have it available for a meal when I get home from work.