carrot rice soup

It's November which means that it's getting darker earlier and there's a definite chill in the air. It's that time for a quick and simple belly warmer and I think this soup fits the bill perfectly. It's also a nice way to take comfort in something healthy, especially when you've been over-indulging on way too many left-over Halloween-sized chocolate bars. Let's just call this my personal chocolate antidote.

When I made this soup, I debated cooking the rice in the soup or cooking it separately and adding it in later. I choose to cook it all together, blending only half the soup and loved the resulting texture. However, for something different, you could easily make the soup without the rice, blend it well and then add in the rice afterward. Want to use brown rice instead? Go ahead! It's filling and delicious and even my soup-adverse husband had no complaints!

carrot rice soup
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 t dried red chilis
1 t marjoram
1/2 c jasmine rice
6 c homemade chicken stock (or veggie broth)
6-8 carrots sliced into coins
1/2 T maple syrup
1/4 c half & half cream
salt & pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and saute onions until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add chili, marjoram and rice and saute for a few minutes before adding in stock and carrots. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer over medium-low until rice and carrots are tender. With an immersion blender, puree half the soup, leaving the other half chunky. Add in maple syrup, cream and salt and pepper.

whole grains & vegetable soup

Yesterday I woke up and my eyeballs hurt. I was also walking around like a zombie. Despite having a good night's sleep, I just couldn't seem to wake up, so doing things like talking to clients and working on design mock-ups took incredible amounts of effort.

I'm fighting a cold bug and I don't want it to win, so for lunch I whipped up this vegetable and whole grains soup. Loaded with dark leafy greens (kale to the rescue?), garlic and anything else I could find from the crisper and pantry, it was the perfect meal. And today I feel better. I don't know if it was the soup, or the copious amounts of water I drank, or even the vitamins that I popped, but for the sake of a happy ending, let's say it was the soup!

As today is Wednesday, you can find this cold-busting soup recipe over at Poppytalk. And if you have any leftovers, you can always eat this as soup. Or you could do what I did this past summer and turned soup leftovers into veggie burgers. Your call.

beets in vinaigrette

It's just a couple of days until the end of summer. As much as I'd love to cozy up in a cardigan or bundle up under the covers with a cup of tea, I must say that I am loving the summer weather we are having. I guess because I was away most of August that having an extended bit of Vancouver summer seems to fit just right with me. Sunshine, bare legs and those lazy, hazy days. Summer please hang around just a while longer, okay?

While beets are not the most summery of vegetables, we did receive quite a bit in our CSA share, which is never a bad thing, cuz I love the beets and the beets love me. For this recipe I used some golden beets along with the plain jane regular ol' variety (which I actually like better because they seem to be much sweeter). The dressing has a nice sweet and sour balance that plays up the natural sweetness in the beets. The feta cheese is totally optional, but is oh-so-great crumbled over top.

While the salad is great on its own, it's also wonderful served on top of some bitter greens (our CSA is currently overflowing in bitter greens!). The beets and dressing help to cut all of that bitterness in the lettuce.

Browse my archives for more beet recipes:
beet & arugula salad with goat cheese & pecans
raw beet & carrot salad
beet greens & fried potatoes topped with poached eggs
beets, feta & pecan green salad with balsamic dressing

beets in vinaigrette
5 beets
3 T olive oil
2 T cider vinegar
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
1 t honey
salt & pepper
1/4 c feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Boil the beets in their skins until tender (about 45 minutes or so depending on the size of the beets). Let cool and then slip off their skins which will remove quite easily. Cut beets into round slices or dice them. Your call.

In medium sized bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegars, shallot, honey, salt and pepper. Toss in the beets and coat well with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle the feta, if using, over top and serve.

make this now: tomato & corn biscuit pie

Three weeks vacation is a long vacation and we loved every moment of it. Well, maybe not getting bit by mosquitoes. If I'm thankful for anything about living in expensive Vancouver, I'm very thankful that there are no mosquitoes. Being bug-free, especially when camping for two out of three weeks, would have been miraculous. Highlights included driving the side roads in Quebec along the St. Lawrence, getting our feet mucky in the Bay of Fundy, driving the breath-takingly gorgeous Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, the fairy-tale village of Peggy's Cove, picking up shells off the red sanded beaches of PEI, and visiting the strangely deserted but beautiful city of St. John, NB.

I also fell in love with Montreal. Fell hard...and not just because of the poutine. It was exciting, relaxed, and perfect and I'm almost ready to pack my bags and relocate. French, do I really need to be that fluent? Honestly, it doesn't seem so! I also loved the Vermont town of Montpelier. It was beautiful and had everything I could want in a small town...except that it's not Canada. And as my friend Jason in Montreal beautifully put it, as long as you are in Canada, you are home.

Oh, and the food! We ate some pretty wonderful meals and I even managed to discover a love of cucumbers, peaches, plums and I even tried scallops for the first time (but definitely not the last). And while it was fun trying new foods, eating at new restaurants and beach-side shacks, it also feels good to be in my own kitchen. The first real meal I cooked when I returned was this pie. I had seen the recipe in my August copy of Gourmet magazine and it just looked perfect. Comforting and homey yet full of seasonal, fresh ingredients. It was the perfect meal to come home to.


The beauty of this recipe is that it takes all the complicated pie-making stuff and throws it out the window. Instead of a tricky pie crust, this one uses biscuit dough which is so much easier to roll out into a round-ish shape. If I had some zucchini, I'd even toss in a layer of that for a pretty green, red and yellow pie. It seems like a forgiving dish. And it's the perfect thing to make on a weeknight and it's good enough to serve to guests for brunch. If you aren't in your kitchen now cutting up your fragrant garden tomatoes or gently stirring up a batch of biscuits, you are clearly in the wrong. This meal must be made. Now. Get to it, I'll be waiting.

tomato & corn biscuit pie
(liberally adapted from Gourmet)
1 recipe of your favorite biscuit dough (minus the dill, onion & cheddar - but add some 1 t fresh oregano if you wish)
2 T mayonnaise
zest of 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
4-5 med-large tomatoes, deseeded & sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
2-4 fat green onions (about 1/2 c), sliced
1 c corn (freshly de-cobbed or frozen)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
a pinch or two of kosher salt
1/4 c old cheddar cheese, shredded
egg wash, milk or melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix up your biscuit dough and divide the dough in half. Roll out one ball of dough into a circular shape and line it into a pie plate.

2. In the meantime, mix together the mayo with the lemon zest and juice and set aside.

3. Layer in half of the tomatoes to line the bottom and sprinkle with half of the fresh basil. Grind some black pepper over it all and a small pinch of kosher salt. Add half the corn and half the green onions and drizzle over half of the mayo mixture. Repeat. Sprinkle the top of the pie with cheddar cheese.

4. Roll out the remaining ball of dough and top the pie with it. Seal the edges and make it look pretty like Martha would (or be like me, cross your fingers and just try your best). Cut in a few vents to let the steam escape and brush the top with a bit of egg wash, milk or melted butter. Put in the oven to bake for about 30 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden. Remove from oven and serve.

summer dill pasta salad

I think the heat broke a little bit. It's at least 3 degrees cooler than it was before. I'm thankful for the little things. I'm also thankful for this salad. Sure, I know what you're thinking. It's pasta salad, big whoop. Normally I steer clear of pasta salads on buffet tables since they're usually laden with gloopy mayonnaise or bottled Italian dressing. No thank you. But this salad, this pasta salad, is perfect.


I attribute the perfectness of this salad to the fresh dill snipped from my garden. There's enough of it to pack quite a punch and along with the fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, it makes for a delicious summer meal. Something easy enough to pack on a picnic or whip up for a quick weekday lunch. Leave it vegan or top it with some feta cheese, either way, it's delicious.

On my last post I mentioned that I'd be away on holiday. My husband and I are flying off to Montreal, renting a car and driving around New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to camp, road-trip, couch-surf, and experience the lovely Maritimes. Got any tips for us? Leave a comment with any recommendations, as they'd be very much appreciated!

summer dill pasta salad
250 g gemelli pasta (or other short pasta shape)
1 heirloom tomato, chopped
1/2 cucumber, julienned
1 carrot, jullenned
1/4 walla wall onion, sliced thinly
1/4 c chopped fresh dill
2 T goat cheese feta

vinaigrette
1/2 lemon
1 T cider vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
1 fat clove of garlic, minced
1/2 t agave syrup
salt & pepper

Cook pasta in salted water until cooked al dente. Cool under running water and drain well. Add the pasta into a large bowl along with the other salad ingredients. Add dressing ingredients to a jar and shake. Pour over salad and toss well. Sprinkle with feta and serve.

baked mini corn dogs

Last night I posed a question to my husband: would he like a stir fry or corn dogs for dinner? Obviously not a very fair question. Sorry, stir fry, your time will come. After my husband closed his gaping maw, I got down to work. After a bit of Google-ing, I spotted this near-perfect recipe. I made it more perfect by adding in some chili-powder for flavour and a kick of spicy cayenne for bite. These would be a perfect addition to your Canada Day or July 4th holiday party.

The end result isn't the cylindrical n' greasy meat-pop of your carnival dreams, but it does satisfy any food-on-stick craving you might be hankering for. These corn dogs are flat at the bottom, but they are crispy and the flavour is just right. I wasn't sure about adding all that sugar, but it actually helped them taste more authentic. I liked the sweetness but feel free to cut it down or leave it out completely.

I had some lollypop sticks leftover from some fall-time caramel apple making and they worked perfectly for this meal. Please note that this recipe makes a lot of batter! So feel free to increase the hot dog amount to 8 if you are feeding a crowd or do like we did and use the batter the next morning to make a really great corn bread. Just fry up a small amount of bacon - or just heat up some vegetable oil or bacon grease in a cast iron pan. When hot, pour in the batter and place in a pre-heated 375F degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Slice into quarters and eat hot.

baked mini corn dogs
1 c cornmeal
1 c flour
2 T brown sugar
1 T chili powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 c milk (feel free to use almond/soy/rice milk)
1 egg
1 T canola oil
4-8 hot dogs, cut in half (use tofu or veggie dogs, if you like)
8-16 lollypop sticks

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix together the milk, egg and canola oil. Pour the wet into the dry and mix gently with a fork.

Cut your hot dogs in half (mini-dogs not skinny-dogs) and pierce each half with a stick. Dredge each half into the cornmeal batter and place onto a silpat-covered cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until the batter becomes golden brown.

couscous vegetable soup

Want a hearty and healthy lunch? This soup makes the grade and it's flexible enough so that you can add in whatever vegetables you've got lingering about in your fridge. I wanted to use up the bits and bobs of vegetables, so for me it was broccoli, carrots and onion. For you, it might be zucchini, red pepper, cauliflower and spinach. Whatever, mix it up. Live a little.

When I was making this soup, I was also in the middle of work. So I let this soup sit a bit longer on the stove than I wanted and thus, the couscous soaked up more of the broth than I would have normally liked. But rather than go mushy and bland like regular pasta, the couscous still had bite and chew. Israeli couscous is a very forgiving grain and my lunch was delicious.

couscous vegetable soup
1/2 c israeli couscous
2 c vegetable broth
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 - 1 c broccoli, chopped
1/4 small onion, diced
salt & pepper
a few healthy dashes of your favorite hot sauce

Heat up couscous in broth. When it starts to boil, add in vegetables. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes and serve with your favorite hot sauce, a few grinds of pepper and a sprinkle of salt, if needed.

thrifty and quick: bowtie pasta with prosciutto & peas

First off, I want to thank everyone who came out to the craft fair on Sunday. Sure, I'm aware of how many people read my blog thanks to stats counters, but seeing so many of you come out for a visit was amazing. Thank you! But now, onto the food! I made this as a super quick lunch idea. I had half a package of pasta, some frozen peas, a tiny chunk of prosciutto and some parmesan and before I knew it, I had 2 large heaping bowls of food ready for my husband and I. It was delicious and deceptively simple to prepare. It also cost next to nothing.

I never really breakdown food costs, but I can imagine this meal costing about $1.50 in total for both bowls. I'm the first to admit that math isn't my strong suit, but here's how I came to that figure. Ages ago, I bought a wedge of organic parmesan for $8 and I used my fingers to specify how much I wanted to the old Italian guy at the counter and still am grating away at it. Really, I have no idea if I grated 25 cents worth of parmesan onto my pasta, but it seems about right! I bought the prosciutto as a "meat end" at the deli counter and it was a small hunk priced at $1. I was able to use that peice of meat for 4 meals, so that's another quarter right there. Organic pasta is $1.50 a bag at my local grocer, so half that is easy to figure out. As for the peas and half n' half, it's a wild guess. The 750 g bag cost $3 so my handful of peas probably works out to mere nickles and I can't even remember how much my 1L container of half and half cost me. I know this $1.50 cost breakdown is pretty crunky! I'm no math wiz so you'll just have to get by with my less than shoddy accounting.

But really, who wants numbers anyway, this is lunch! And it's a delicious one at that. Cornelius was bummed that he couldn't have seconds (and truth be told, so was I). It was quick, it was tasty and it was budget concious. Yum.

bowtie pasta with prosciutto & peas
250 g bowtie pasta
3 T prosciutto
1/3 c frozen peas
2 T half & half
2 T grated parmesan cheese
pepper to taste

Cook up pasta the usual way. When the pasta is about 2 minutes close to being done, add in the peas. Cook for the remaining 2 minutes. Drain most of the pasta water out of the pot. Add in the prosciutto, half & half and the parmesan. Add pepper to taste. Serve in 2 large bowls. Lick bowls if necessary.

brown rice & broccoli cheddar pie

Last week, I had phone meetings, deadlines and trying to find time for breakfast was a bit much. Now, normally, I'm totally a breakfast kind of girl so skipping it is a bit usual. But when 12 noon arrived, and I had a break in my schedule, I was more than ready for some food. So I whipped up this pie/quiche kind of thing using leftover brown rice and the remaining broccoli from the previous night's meal.

The resulting meal was quick and tasty. I wasn't sure if the brown rice crust would actually hold up as crust, but it worked surprisingly well! The cheesy-eggy topping studded with broccoli made for a pretty comforting spread...just the thing for someone who hadn't had anything (but coffee) all morning! Served with a green salad and a topped with some fresh salsa, it made for a perfect midday break. Not a bad way to use up leftovers at all!


brown rice & broccoli cheddar pie
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, minced
salt & pepper
a couple dashes of hot sauce
2 c leftover brown rice
1/2 head of broccoli, cut into florets and stems chopped
6 eggs, beaten
2 T milk
1 t chili powder
1/2 t dried basil
3/4 c grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet (or any other oven-proof pan) and add garlic and onions, sauteing until soft. Add in rice and stir until heated and slightly toasted. Season with hot sauce and salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Flatten rice to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside.

Steam broccoli and remove from heat when the florets are bright green and semi-crisp. Drain and layer on top of rice. Beat eggs with milk, chili powder and basil. Pour over broccoli/rice and then sprinkle with grated cheese. Put in oven for 5 minutes on the centre rack. Put skillet in broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese turns bubbly and slightly brown. Remove from oven and cut into wedges. Top with salsa and serve with a tangy green salad.

a cheap healthy lunch: chickpea rapini melt

I'm pretty lucky to live where I do. Just around the corner and down the street a couple of blocks is my favorite market on the edges of Chinatown. Earlier this week I spied beautiful bunches of beets–2 bunches for one buck. A few rows down was rapini (also known as broccoli rabe) for the same. I didn't want 2 bunches worth of rapini, so I threw one bunch into my basket. Fifty cents. Imagine that.

Sadly, I haven't been in a cooking mood. Sure, I'll make dinner after a lot of cupboard door banging and grumbling about not wanting to cook. But, in the end, because I don't want to give in to my husband's suggestion to just order in pizza, I'll end up cooking something. This afternoon, I looked into the fridge and stared at that languishing bunch of rapini, just starting to wilt and figured that I had to do something with it quick. After an internet search, I found this on a farmer's website. Rapini chickpea pizza? Well, I had all the ingredients and got to work. I made a few changes and oh my, it was good. Really, really good. But it didn't seem like pizza. Maybe because of the pita bread, it was more of a melt in my eyes, so that's what I'm calling it. Make this as a healthy lunch, dinner or cut it up into triangles for a unusual appetizer. It's easy enough to make vegan by getting rid of the cheese.

rapini - chickpea melt
(adapted from here)
1 bunch rapini, chopped
splash of hot sauce
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 T olive oil + 1 T oil for later
1/2 t red chili flakes
1/4 t kosher salt
1 14oz can of chickpeas
1/4 c water + more for later
4 whole wheat pitas
parmesan cheese, optional

1. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat, adding garlic, salt and chili flakes. Stir mixture constantly as you want the garlic to get golden and have everything infuse the oil. This should take about 4 minutes or so.

2. Add chickpeas and 1/4 cup of water to a blender or food processor. Add in chili/garlic/oil mixture and set aside the skillet for later. Blend mixture until smooth and set aside.

3. Using the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and add chopped rapini to the pan. Saute for a few minutes and then add about 1/4 cup of water, a pinch of salt and a splash (or more) of hot sauce. Let the rapini steam away until all the liquid evaporates.

4. Spread chickpea mixture over the 4 pitas. I spread the mixture thinly, so I have leftover spread (which will be ideal for a snack later on). Divide the rapini over top and then top with grated parmesan, if using. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the pita is golden at the sides and crispy.

a blanket of richness: ham and cheese spoonbread

This past week, I spent a lot of time opening and closing cupboards in the hopes that something would grab my attention. I was trying to eek out a couple of meals out of my barren cupboards and I wanted something to take the chill out of this winter weather. My cards were selling like hotcakes because of a certain February holiday and a recent mention on the blog, Mighty Goods, plus my own busy work schedule didn't leave a whole lot of time for grocery shopping. I ended up eating a lot out of cupboards, including making polenta more than once since I seemed to have a huge stockpile of cornmeal hidden away in vintage glass jars.


A few years ago, I made this polenta casserole, which was delicious, but sometimes my polenta experiments are a bit bland and less than ideal. But this time 'round, I struck gold and discovered my new favorite cornmeal-based recipe: spoonbread. Spoonbread is very much like polenta only way, way better. It's light and fluffy because of the added egg and it could easily resemble a fancy souffle but without any of the fuss. This recipe is stuffed to the gullet with cheese (which is never a bad thing in my books) and I like to think of it as a soft and savoury corn pudding...comfort through and through. The added spices add a nice bite too.

This meal could easily be eaten for breakfast or brunch but we ate it for lunch (and again at dinner) with some sauteed rapini. The richness of this dish kind of calls out for something sharp and bitter but it's also really yummy on it's own, kinda like watching a few episodes of Friday Night Lights (I'm halfway through season 1) wrapped in an afghan. A guilty pleasure, maybe, but totally comforting and oh so worth it.

ham n' cheese spoonbread
I used a mixture of fontina and asiago since that is what I had on hand, but either would work well. A strong cheese is essential here to combat the dreaded blandness.
2 c water
1 c milk
2 T butter
1 t salt
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/2 t sweet paprika
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/8 t nutmeg
3/4 c cornmeal
1 c ham, cubed
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c grated fontina or asiago cheese
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

In a large pot, mix the water, milk, butter and spices and bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. It will bubble and pop and get thick. Once it gets nice and thick, remove from heat and stir in the ham, cheese (reserve 1/2 the parmesan for the next step) and egg. Oil up a baking dish and pour in the cornmeal mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese and bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the dish gets a bit brown on top. Remove and dig in.

i will survive: mediteranian tuna, cabbage, potato salad

I swear I'm not going to die of mercury poisoning by posting another tuna recipe in just a few short days...but if yer gonna go, maybe this is the way to do it. I should preface this post by mentioning that it wasn't my intention to eat canned tuna for lunch today. I already was feeling poisoned from the oil paint fumes from finishing my weekend paint the new dresser project and I just wanted something simple for lunch: boiled potatoes. That was going to be it. Comforting and soothing for an upset stomach and general wooziness. But somehow, things didn't work out like I had planned.

While the potatoes were a-boiling, I checked out the fridge and decided to add a bit more to my lunch plans. Half of a red cabbage was sitting in the fridge and I did have some remaining parsley and basil plants that needed plucking. And then I spotted that darned can of tuna up in the cupboard and in it went. I'm not looking back. This salad kicks mercury's ass around the corner. Filled with crunch from the cabbage, creaminess from the potatoes and tang from the dressing, it's the perfect lunch. And it was quick even with all the chopping...it took less than 10 minutes to put this together once the potatoes were cooked.


mediterranean tuna, cabbage, potato salad
8 baby potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 head of purple cabbage, sliced thinly
1/2 small red onion, diced
large handfuls each of parsley & basil, torn
1 can of tuna, drained
1/4 c olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
1 t capers
salt & pepper

1. Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain. Toss the cabbage, tuna, onion and herbs together in a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Add in the garlic and capers and pour over salad.

3. Place a couple potatoes in a bowl and serve the salad over top. You could wait for flavours to meld and all that crap, or you could do what I did and just dig right in.

a case for the lowly tuna melt

Okay, now why would I post about the lowly tuna melt? Everyone probably has their own twist and probably has been making theirs the same way since forever. Me, I only started eating tuna after 10 years of being a vegetarian. I'm kind of a tuna-newbie, but I've taken to it like honey. It was actually an old boyfriend who turned me onto tuna melts. We broke up but the tuna melt remains my constant lunch time/lazy dinner time/snack time stand by. I love the tang of the pickles, I love the melty cheese and I like that I can eat it out of one hand, so it's the perfect working on the computer and eating lunch at the same time kind of meal. I love me my tuna melt!


Now there is nothing fancy here and while I have been known to doctor up the melt with capers, red onions, parmesan and fresh dill on occassion, I like to keep things simple. Onion for flavour, celery for crunch, and definitely, definitely, pickles. The amount of mayo is really up to you, but I like to keep things light. My choice of bread is always a pita, but I know Cornelius favours a Portugese roll. The recipe below uses things like tablespoons and teaspoons, but I just eyeball it. Below is just my best guess, so taste and adjust to whatever suits you best. If you don't want to go through the trouble of making a melt, just eat it inbetween 2 slices of bread and call it a sandwich. It's good that way too.


simple tuna melt
1 can of tuna, drained
2 T mayo
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 large dill pickle, diced
1 - 2 t dill pickle juice
1/4 c grated old cheddar + extra for topping
pepper
2 large pitas

Preheat oven to 400. In your cutest vintage pyrex bowl (I like my teal butterprint bowl), mix up the above ingredients. Spread the mixture over the 2 pita breads and then sprinkle some extra cheese over top so it can get all melty. Place on cookie sheet and bake until cheese is melty and golden, about 10 minutes. I like to zap it under the broiler so the tops get extra golden - but watch out, it burns easily!

next stop, sandwich city!

I've never eaten an egg salad sandwich. It was the smell that always got to me and I just wasn't brave enough to try it. Maybe one day I'll give it a go, but not today. When I used to be a vegetarian, my mom bought me a cookbook that had a recipe for mock egg salad. I never got around to trying it, but this evening when I was staring down my near-empty refrigerator with only a few random vegetables and a block of tofu to keep me company, I figured I'd try something similar. That cookbook was long gone, so I threw caution to the wind and met the challenge head-on. I already make a pretty mean tuna melt and my latest chicken sandwich was pretty fantastic, so I figured that I could rise again to the occasion with tofu. Success! This filling is totally yummy stuffed inside of a toasted Portugese bun and dressed with some salad greens. Cornelius wasn't fooled when I told him it was "kinda egg salad like", but he liked it regardless. I did too. Very flavourful, comforting and messy in the right way. I'm looking forward to eating up the leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

tofu salad sandwich
1/2 c mayo or soynaise
1 T yellow mustard
1 block of firm tofu, crumbled
1 t capers
2 T chopped pickles
2 T finely diced onions
juice & zest of 1/2 lemon
pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t curry paste (or powder)
1 t honey (optional)

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the mayo and mustard. Add in the crumbled tofu and combine well. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Let mixture sit for half an hour to let flavours develop. Spread on toasted bread.

Makes enough for 6 sandwiches

the apple of my eye

I pretty much love to throw apples into anything. I love them in salads, curries, porridge and sandwiches. Granny Smith are my absolute most favorite apple ever so don't even mention the bland Red/Golden "Delicious" in my company! A "Delicious" is an insult to the apple family with it's mealy texture, lack of flavour and ornery appearance. I like my apples tart, juicy and crisp and a Granny Smith fits the bill. I'm eating one right now, in fact! It's nature's perfect snack. But want to dress up that apple and take it to the next level of awesomeness? Nature may not have born this little baby, but oh my!, it sure makes for the perfect snack/breakfast/lazy dinner. Nothing much to it but some sliced apple, sharp cheese, a little bit of cinnamon honey for sweetness and spice and a sturdy whole wheat bagel as a transportation base. Can't find cinnamon honey? Then just sprinkle some cinnamon over your honey and call it a day.

apple-cheddar-bagel snack
1 toasted whole wheat bagel
1 thin slice of sharp cheddar
1 granny smith apple, sliced
1 schmear of cinnamon honey

1. Lightly spread cinnamon honey on toasted bagel. Cover generously with apple slices and top with a slice of sharp cheddar. Broil in broiler until bubbly, brown and delicious.

sandwiches. surprised?

It's rainy, it's icy and there is slush galore outside. My shoes got quite a soaking from stepping into too many slushy puddles and I had to change into warm, dry clothes as soon as I got home. It certainly doesn't seem like a day for something like sandwiches...but regardless of the weather, I decided that sandwiches would make the perfect lunch. Using some leftover chicken and Portugese buns fresh from the market, I whipped up a totally delicious meal that had Cornelius and I clamouring for seconds. Lucky for us, there is plenty of leftover sandwich filling for tomorrow and lucky me, these sandwiches taste great with a nice hot cup of tea.

curried chicken sandwiches
2 c leftover cooked chicken, chopped
1 rib of celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 c dried cherries, chopped
2 T pecans, chopped
2 t curry paste
2 T mayo (plus additional, if needed)
salt & pepper
fresh spinach
buns

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Add in the curry paste and mix well so that everything gets combined. Add in the mayo (you may want to use more if you like a wetter consistency) and the salt and pepper to your taste. Combine well.

2. Split your Portugese buns and lightly toast. Spread a thin layer of mayo and add on a couple spoonfuls of the chicken salad mixture and spread over the bottom bun. Cover with fresh spinach leaves and add the top layer of bun.