Author: annemarie

  • Shaved Asparagus Spring Salad

    Serves: 4

    Source: http://asparagus.on.ca/recipes/

    Ingredients:

    • 1Lb Fresh Ontario Asparagus, about 20 large spears
    • ¼ Fennel Bulb, fronds reserved
    • 2 cups fresh salad greens
    • 1/2 Granny Smith Apple
    • 1/3 Cup Freshly Shaved Parmesan Cheese

    Dressing

    • 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
    • Juice of 1/2 Lemon, about 2 Tablespoons
    • ¼ Cup Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 1 teaspoon Honey
    • ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
    • Salt & Pepper, to taste
    • 6-7 Chives, finely diced

    Instructions:

    1. Toss together the sorrel and arugula leaves and spread out onto a serving platter or salad bowl.
    2. Slice the fennel and the apple as thinly as possible. Cut the sliced apple again into matchsticks. Add to the greens.
    3. Snap woody ends of the asparagus spears and wash well. Working with 1 asparagus spear at a time, use a vegetable peeler to cut spears into long, thin shavings. Top the salad with the shaved asparagus.
    4. In a small bowl or a mason jar with a lid, combine the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk or shake well in the jar. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Pour over prepared salad.
    5. Sprinkle over diced chives, reserved fennel fronds and with the vegetable peeler, slice over long parmesan shavings to serve.
  • Larry’s Pea Soup

    Serves: 4

     

    Source: Larry

    Ingredients:

    • Ham bone
    • Ham – as much as you want
    • 1 chopped onion size dependent on size of batch
    • 1 cup of split green peas per 4 cups of water
    • 1 tsp vegetable oil
    • Pepper to taste

    Instructions:

    1. In a medium pot saute onions in oil and pepper.
    2. Add ham bone, water,  cover and cook for about 2 hours.   Stirring often.
    3. When peas have disappeared remove ham bone.
    4. For a fancy soup, use immersion blender on soup.
    5. Add ham and cook slowly for 30 minutes.
    6. If soup is too thick add a little water, but not too much.  Soup is best when consistency of pudding.
  • Chocolate Jelly Roll

    Serves: 17 x 11 inch Jelly Roll

    Source: Canadian Living Holiday Baking 2015

    Ingredients:

    • 5 eggs, separated
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
    • 1/3 cup cocoa (reserve 1 tablespoon for dusting the tea towel)
    • pinch of salt

    Instructions:

    1. Line a 17 x 11 inch jelly roll pan with lightly greased parchment. Set aside.
    2. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar until pale yellow and thickened, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
    3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa and salt.
    4. In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in remaining 1/2 cup of sugar 2 tablespoons at a time.Spoon 1/3 over egg yolk mixture, then sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over-top. Fold in until just combined. Repeat twice with remaining  egg white mixture and flour mixture
    5. Scrape into prepared pan, smoothing top. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until the cake springs back when touched. Remove from oven.
    6. Dust a clean towel with reserved cocoa  and invert cake onto towel. Peal off parchment paper. Starting at the narrow end, roll up cake in the towel. Set aside, seam side down to cool.
  • Josie’s Banana Bread

    Serves: 8

    Source: Josie Parks

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup vegan margarine (I used softened butter!)
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 2 cups of over-ripe mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
    • 1/2 tsp almond extract (I used vanilla)
    • 1/4 cup of milk (non-dairy or regular)
    • nuts & seeds to sprinkle on top

    Instructions:

    1. Put oven at 350
    2. Combine all dry ingredients (except sugar)
    3. Cream the sugar with the rest of the ingredients
    4. Add wet & dry ingredients together
    5. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray then add batter – bake for 40 – 45 min.
  • Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

    Serves: 4

    Source: Angela @ Vegangela.com

    Ingredients:

    • 1 tbsp  olive oil
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
    • 2 tbsp tomato paste (or ketchup)
    • 2 tbsp curry powder
    • ½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
    • 4 cups vegetable broth
    • 1 400ml can coconut milk
    • 1 400g can diced tomatoes
    • 1.5 cups dry red lentils
    • 2-3 handfuls of chopped kale or spinach
    • salt and pepper, to taste
    • Garnish: chopped cilantro (fresh coriander) and/or vegan sour cream

    Instructions:

    1. In a stockpot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat and stir-fry the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion is translucent, a couple minutes.
    2. Add the tomato paste (or ketchup), curry powder, and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.

      Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, diced tomatoes and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are very tender. Season with salt and pepper.

    3. {Make-Ahead: May be cooled, frozen in air-tight containers, and re-heated over medium-low heat.}

      Before serving, stir in the kale/spinach and garnish with cilantro and/or vegan sour cream.

  • Slow Cooker Dal

    Serves: 6 to 8

    Source: Canadian Living, January 2016

    Ingredients:

    • 2 onions
    • 2 cups (500 mL) dried green lentils, rinsed
    • 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
    • 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 4 tsp (18 mL) minced fresh ginger
    • 1 tbsp (15 mL) each cumin seeds and ground coriander
    • 1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
    • 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
    • 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt
    • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
    • 1/2 cup (125 mL) plain Balkan-style yogurt
    • 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh cilantro

    Instructions:

    1. Slice 1 of the onions; set aside. Finely chop remaining onion.
    2. In slow cooker, combine chopped onion, lentils, half of the tomatoes, the jalapeño pepper, garlic, ginger, half each of the cumin seeds and coriander and 6 cups water. Cover and cook on low until lentils are tender, 8 to 10 hours.
    3. Using immersion blender, purée mixture to desired consistency and thickness, leaving some lentils whole. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 3 weeks; reheat before continuing with recipe.)
    4. Meanwhile, in skillet, melt butter over medium heat; cook sliced onion, stirring, until dark golden, about 7 minutes. Add remaining cumin seeds and coriander; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.
    5. Stir onion mixture into slow cooker. Serve dal with yogurt, cilantro and remaining tomatoes.

    Tip from The Test Kitchen: If you don’t have an immersion blender, add one-third of the lentil mixture to a blender, purée until smooth and then stir the purée back into the slow cooker.

  • Overnight Blueberry Irish Oatmeal for 2

    Serves: 2

    Source: Healthy Starts Here

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 cup steel cut oats
    • 1/4 cup oat bran
    • 1/4 dried blueberries (other dried fruit can be substituted)
    • cinnamon

    Instructions:

    1. A couple hours before bedtime, microwave 1 1/4 cups of water in a medium bowl. After the water boils, stir in 1/4 cup of steel cut oats. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, put the bowl in the fridge.
    2. The next morning, pour the water and steel cut oat mixture into a saucepan (additional water can be added if mixture seems too thick) and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in oat bran and dried fruit and continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
    3. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve with honey or maple syrup.
  • Baked Oatmeal with Berries & Lentils

    Serves: 8

    Source: lentils.ca

     

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) old-fashioned rolled oats
    • 1/4 cup (60 mL) red lentils
    • 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
    • 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
    • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) fine sea salt
    • 1 cup (250 mL) fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries or both
    • 1/3 cup (75 mL) shredded coconut (optional)
    • 2 cups (500 mL) whole milk, 1%, or almond milk
    • 1/3 cup (75 mL) pure maple syrup
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter, melted and cooled slightly
    • 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
    2. In an 8-inch (20 cm) square (or similar-sized) baking dish, mix together the oats, lentils, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Scatter with berries and coconut.
    3. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, egg, butter, and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the oats, and give it a gentle stir to distribute everything evenly.
    4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the oats have set. Serve warm, topped with milk or a splash of cream. Leftovers reheat beautifully.
  • Anne Ditchburn’s Cheesecake

    Serves: 8 – 10

    Source: Anne Ditchburn

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
    • 1/4 pound melted butter
    • 2 packages of cream cheese (8 ounces each)
    • 2/3 cup white sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
      Topping
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • 2 tablespoons of sugar
    • 1 teaspoon of vanilla

      1 can of cherry pie filling

    Instructions:

    1. Mix butter and cracker crumbs and press into a 9 inch spring form pan.
    2. Beat cream cheese until smooth, and then blend in sugar and eggs. Add vanilla and pour into crust and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
    3. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes.
    4. Blend sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Increase oven temperature to 425. Spread sour cream topping over cheesecake and bake for 10 minutes.
    5. Remove from oven and cool and chill overnight. Spread cherry pie over chilled cheesecake.
  • Dorothy’s Oriental Salad

    Serves: 8 – 10

    Source: Dorothy Erwin

    Ingredients:

    • 1 Nappa Cabbage cut in thin slices
    • 5 to 6 green onions, chopped
    • 1 package of Ramen noodles crumbled (without flavour pack)
    • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
    • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
    • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
    • 1/2 cup oil
    • 1/4 cup vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
    • 1/2 cup sugar

    Instructions:

    1. Saute seeds and noodles in a small amount of oil for about 10 minutes to toast.
    2. Combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar for dressing. Microwave to warm dressing.
    3. Apply dressing to cabbage  mixture before serving