It seems that when it comes to mushrooms, you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. I think they’re great- healthy, tasty, meaty, and full of earthy flavour. I am always reminded of my friend Erika when I think of mushrooms. Erika avoids mushrooms with the intensity of someone trying to avoid catching a horrible disease. We always recall my 10th birthday party when all of my friends were at my house and ready to go to wherever it was we were going- except Erika. We phoned her and phoned her but eventually had to leave without her. We later found out that Erika wasn’t allowed to attend my birthday party because she didn’t eat her mushrooms at dinner. See? Love ‘em….or hate ‘em!

If you’re a fan of the ‘shrooms, this is a recipe you’ll want to try! Healthy whole wheat macaroni, toasted for extra flavour, mushrooms simmered in white wine, and a scoop of cashew cream to finish things off! Best of all, you can make this all in one pan!

I found this recipe in Foodies Around The World….if you remember back, it’s the book that two of my recipes were published in, as well! I adapted this recipe to make it vegan friendly, but if you like parmesan cheese, feel free to top it off with that!

Toasted Mushroom Macaroni

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 dry white wine
• 1 tbsp butter (or Earth Balance)
• 240 grams whole wheat macaroni
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup cashew cream (recipe to follow)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (optional)
• sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

I decided to make this recipe after seeing it on the morning news. The recipe comes courtesy of Laura Calder, one of my favourite Food Network Canada hosts. I love the soft, roasted peppers in this recipe, the healthy olive oil and tangy citrus flavour. Make sure you use a good baguette for this…I don’t eat bread often, so the crusty, toasted outside and soft inside of the rustic French baguette we bought was quite a treat. I was quite surprised that there was no cheese in this recipe, and I thought about adding some but after biting into the sandwich, I realized it doesn’t need anything else. This ain’t your mama’s brown bag tuna sandwich!

TUNA AND WHITE BEAN SALAD ON TOASTED BAGUETTE

Recipe Courtesy of Laura Calder – French Cooking at Home

• 2 red peppers
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• About 1/2 cup olive oil, more for the baguette
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• A scant cup (100 g) pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• A few handfuls of fresh parsley leaves
• 2 cups cooked cannellini beans (use white kidney if you can’t find cannellini)
• Salt and pepper
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons, more to taste
• 14 ounces (390 g) high-quality tuna chunks packed in olive oil, drained (about 3 cans)
• 1 to 1 1/2 baguettes

Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Seed and julienne the peppers, toss on a baking sheet with a few tablespoons of olive oil, spread into a single layer, and bake until soft, about half an hour. Remove from the oven and turn the heat up to 400°F (200°C).

Tip the peppers into a large bowl. Add the garlic, celery, olives, parsley, and beans. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with the lemon zest and juice and the remaining olive oil. Add the tuna last and carefully mix it in with your hands so the chunks don’t break up too much. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Slice the baguette(s) in half lengthwise and then into pieces the length of the palm of your hand. Arrange on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toast until golden and crisp on top but still squishy within, about 5 minutes.

Put a piece of toast on each plate and top with a generous heap of the salad, including the juices.

Mmmmm….Alaskan Black Cod is one of my favourite kinds of fish. To me, it tastes like butter- just decadent and rich! I’ve only really had it in a miso based sauce before, so when I saw this recipe for it using a red coconut curry sauce (looove coconut curry!), I knew I had to make it.

Alaskan Black Cod in Thai Red Coconut Curry (adapted from here)

• 2 tablespoons butter (preferably from grass-fed cows)
• 1 medium sweet onion, cut into quarters lengthwise, then sliced crosswise
• 1 small red or green bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
• 1 14 ounce can coconut milk (unsweetened), shaken well
• 1 1/2- 3 tablespoons red curry paste (start with 1 1/2 tbsp, but taste-test and adjust accordingly- you may need more depending on the brand used)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1-2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar, to taste (optional)
• 4 dried kaffir lime leaves
•  2 or 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup roasted cashews (optional)
• 1 to 1/2 pounds wild-caught cod fillets (I used 1 large fillet)
• sea salt

I’m a huge fan of quinoa, and this quinoa dish is no exception. It is easy to make, requiring only two saucepans and makes a perfect side dish or light meal. Use a good quality parmesan cheese and make this for dinner!!

Mushroom Broccoli Quisotto (slightly adapted from Quinoa 365)

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups asparagus, chopped
• 2 cups white button mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Saute the asparagus, mushrooms, onion and garlic until tender, about ten minutes, stirring frequently.

Combine the quinoa, stock and nutmeg in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until quinoa is tender and liquid absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Leave covered saucepan on burner for a few more minutes and then fluff quinoa up with a fork.

Add the cooked quinoa to the vegetable mixture. Stir in parsley, parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Enjoy!

In this recipe I used Bob’s Red Mill pancake mix. It was one of the first gluten free flour mixes I’ve used. I don’t yet have that much experience in making my own gluten free flour blends, and I do enjoy this one. I usually make a full batch of pancakes, eat a couple, and freeze the leftovers. This way, when I want a pancake in the morning, I can just pop a frozen one in the toaster.

I added orange zest and hemp seeds to the mix in this case, and I topped them with almond butter, blueberry jam, Greek yogurt, and a coconut oil/maple syrup mix. What a treat- yummmmmm!

Gluten Free Pancakes

• 1-1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix
• 1 large egg (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer, but I have also used a flax egg before)
• 3/4 almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil (I have used coconut oil as well)

Combine Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix, egg or replacer, almond milk, coconut oil and whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Preheat nonstick griddle to medium-high.

Lightly oil or spray grill with cooking spray and pour a 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle. Cook until the top is bubbly. Flip over, and cook until golden brown. If batter is too thick, add more almond milk, one tablespoon at a time. Enjoy!

I bought nutritional yeast (nooch) quite awhile ago and I was very curious as to what it tasted like. I found a recipe for a vegan alfredo sauce and thought that might be a good starting point. In case you don’t know, nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that has a ‘nutty’ or ‘cheesy’ flavour, which is why so many vegan recipes use it. I can’t say that it is my favourite flavour in the world, but I’m glad I tried it, and I would like to try it in other recipes. Although this doesn’t taste identical to true alfredo sauce, if you know anyone that is vegan, this could be a great option for a pasta dish. You could easily add in tomatoes, broccoli florets, or peas to add some more flavour to the dish. I used a gluten free pasta made from brown rice, but any pasta will do.

Vegan Alfredo Sauce with Pasta (adapted from Oh She Glows, originally from VeganYumYum)

• Pasta of your choice
• 1/3 heaping cup raw cashews
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp non-dairy butter (I just used regular butter)
• 2 tsp organic Tamari soy sauce, or to taste
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp Tahini (sesame seed paste)
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Kosher salt, to taste (I used 1/4-1/2 tsp I think)
• 1/2 tsp Paprika, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Herbs or veggies to add into Alfredo, if desired

Directions: Cook your pasta until al dente and then drain, and rinse with cold water.

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce: Add all ingredients except pasta into a blender and blend until smooth.

Add the drained pasta back into the pot and pour on your desired amount of sauce into the pot. Heat over medium stirring frequently. Add in vegetables if you desire and cook until heated through. Enjoy!

I really like making pizza at home if I have a bit of time on my hands to make dough and let it rise, etc. It’s so easy to make, and I was stoked to make my take on Oh She Glows‘ pizza. I usually make a wholewheat crust from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day but I really liked the crust used in this recipe as it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The dough wasn’t finicky at all, either. I made a vegan parmesan cheese to top it with, although the crust was covered in pesto (which is not vegan). I loved the roasted onions and tomatoes as a topping- simple and delicious.

Garlic Oil

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 3 tbsp olive oil

In a sauce pan, add the minced garlic and olive oil and heat over low. Cook for several minutes until garlic is slightly golden but be sure not to overcook it. With a pastry brush, spread over the pizza dough before layering on the pesto.

Roasted Tomato and Onion Topping

• 2 medium sized tomatoes

• 1 large red onion

• 1 small white/yellow onion

• 5-6 basil leaves, ends trimmed, chopped finely

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1⁄2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• Couple pinches salt

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions: Chop the tomatoes, red onion, yellow onion, and basil leaves. Mince the garlic. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, salt, vinegar, chopped basil leaves, and minced garlic. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the veggies and sauce. Spread onto a greased or lined baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes at 375F, watching carefully. Veggies can be set aside on counter for about 1 hour after cooking. Spread on top of pesto and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese before baking.

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Toast sesame seeds in the oven ( I just toasted them in a frying pan on the stove) until golden and then throw all ingredients into a blender. Process for 30-60 seconds.

Easy Herb-Infused Pizza Dough

• 1 cup white bread flour  + 3⁄4 cup flour, divided

• 3⁄4 tsp kosher salt

• 1.5 tsp white sugar

•2 tsp pizza herbs (I used an Italian mix of rosemary/oregano/basil)

• 2 & 1⁄4 tsp instant yeast

• 3 tbsp oil

• 2/3 cup very warm water (not lukewarm)

• More flour for surface when kneading

In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, salt, sugar, pizza herbs, yeast. Stir well. Now quickly add in 2/3 cup of very warm water along with your 3 tbsp of oil. Stir well. It will be very wet and sticky at this point. Now add in 3⁄4-1 cup more of flour, gradually, as you stir. Once all the flour is in, grab the dough and place on floured surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding flour if it gets tacky. After 5 minutes the dough should be smooth and not sticky. Form into a ball and place in a large, oiled bowl. Cover the ball with a bit of oil so it doesn’t dry out. Now cover the bowl and let it rise for 1.5 hours. You can punch out the air once half way through. For best results, make the dough the day beforehand and place in an oiled and sealed plastic bag in the fridge. Allow dough to come to room temperature on the counter before working with it. Cooking time will vary but my pizza took 10-12 mins at 500F.

To assemble the pizza:

Make your pizza into a round (or whatever shape you like…), brush on garlic oil, top with pesto (homemade or store bought), add roasted vegetable mixture, and top with parmesan cheese. Bake and enjoy!

I’ve been trying to eat gluten free as much as possible lately, as I suspect I have a gluten sensitivity. When I eat totally gluten free, I find that my regularly occurring migraines disappear, as does the brain fog and fatigue.

I’ve never been a huge fan of rice but lately I have been eating more of it, as rice and rice flour are gluten free. Since the summer I have been wanting to make rice paper wraps and I finally got my act together! These wraps are so versatile, and once you get the basic steps of softening and rolling the wraps, you can really fill them with anything that you want.

Rice Paper Wraps with Almond Butter Sauce

• carrots, cut into matchsticks
• cucumbers, cut into strips
• green onions, cut into strips
• bell peppers, cut into strips
• parsley, chopped
• prawns, cut in half, de-tailed
• rice noodles, cooked, and cut into smaller lengths
• avocado, cut into strips

Almond Butter Sauce:

• 1/4 cup smooth almond butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp honey
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sambal oelek
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Blend all ingredients in food processor, or by hand, with a whisk.

Prep your ingredients

I used pre-cooked frozen shrimp in some of the wraps. I thawed it by running it under cold water for a couple minutes. I took the tails off and slice them in half.

I used a handful of rice noodles and put them in boiling water for one minute. I drained them and rinsed them under cold water to end the cooking process.

Lay out the things you will need to prepare the rice paper wraps. A big bowl of water, three damp tea towels or kitchen towels, and your wraps!

Handle the wraps carefully when pulling them out of the package ‘cuz they are fraaaaaaaaagile.

Lay out a damp tea towel and quickly submerge the rice paper wrap in the bowl of water. Don’t let it sit in the water literally cover it in the water and take it out right away. Otherwise, it will be too soft and you won’t be able to roll it without it ripping. Place it on the tea towel, and do a 2nd one. Cover them with another damp tea towel.

I did 4 wraps at a time- 2 on each towel, stacked on top of eachother. After all 4 are wet and covered, flip the wraps over. I did this by folding the sides of the towels and flipping it all at once.

Rice paper wraps are SO sticky. And my patience went from almost non-existant to completely non-existant pretty fast haha. If you try to pick them up and move them, they will just stick together like saran wrap. Instead….leave them on the damp towel and fill them there, it will save you some trouble!!

It was about this time, after wrapping half the wraps that I realized I had forgotten the spinach!!

Roll them up tight, tucking in the edges as you go.

Cut in half, or do like I did and cut into three’s. Use a very sharp knife (not serrated!).

Make your sauce and Enjoy!!!

I like coming up with other foods to use in the place of bread or wraps. Using toasted nori sheets as a wrap is one of my favourites. In this case, though, I’m using big lettuce leaves to encase this yummy asian filling.

This is a great meal because you can use all your favourite veggies and your favourite protein, or use up all of those odds-n-ends you have sitting in your fridge. I decided to use prawns as my protein, but you could easily use chicken, beef, tofu, etc.

I made one large pan full of filling, but add in the vegetables and just eyeball how much you want to make.

Hoisin Lettuce Wraps

• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• button mushrooms, chopped
• red and yellow bell peppers, diced
• celery, diced
• 1 can baby corn, drained and chopped
• 1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 3 green onions, chopped
• prawns (I used frozen, pre-cooked prawns, so that all I had to do was thaw, remove the tails, and chop. I used about 15 prawns in total.)
• red chili flakes
• tamari (maybe a tbsp for a big pan)
• rice wine vinegar (1/2 tbsp maybe)
• hoisin (a couple tbsp)
• sesame oil (a tsp maybe)
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, leaves seperated

Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onions and cooking, stirring, until translucent. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook a minute or two more. Add the celery, bell peppers, ginger, and baby corn. Cook for a couple minutes, and then add the water chestnuts and green onions and chili flakes. Add the prawns, just to heat through. Add a splash of tamari, hoisin, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar. Just taste, and experiment!! Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I always keep fish in the freezer, so I can thaw it and make a nice healthy meal in not too much time. I like all white fish, and in this dish I used red snapper. I’m not going to post any amounts because you will just use the amount of vegetables that will fill your baking dish, and however many filets you want.

• kalamata olives, sliced
• cherry tomatoes, slice in half
• red bell pepper, sliced
• broccoli florets, sliced
• fresh thyme
• fresh rosemary, chopped
• fresh basil, chopped
• lemon zest
• lemon juice
• salt & pepper
• red snapper filets

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare the vegetables and herbs, and combine in a baking dish suited to the amount of ingredients you are using. Toss in olive oil and spread evenly into baking dish.

Roast for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are nearly done– about ten minutes away from carmelisation.

Drizzle each side of filets with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Remove vegetables from the oven and add the fish to the mix.

Bake for another 10-12 minutes, until fish is opaque and flaky, and vegetables are tender. Enjoy!