I was contacted by the company Olives & Things, a relatively new company made up of a Spanish woman and her Canadian husband with the intention of bringing 100% natural products of the Mediterranean and Spain to the world.
I was able to try the Cazorliva, a Spanish, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. I wanted to try it in a recipe that really focused on the flavour of the olive oil itself. I chose a Spanish tapa, “Pan con Tomate”. It’s basically toast with tomato and garlic and lots of delicious …

Okay okay, so these are really just crab cakes, but you can’t blame me for fantasizing about trying one of Spongebob’s favourite foods.

This was actually the first time I had made crab cakes and I was very pleased with the recipe. It didn’t involve eggs as a binding agent and was very light on the bread crumbs (It calls for one cup, but I used maybe a 1/4 cup just coating the top and bottom of the cake lightly.). I also replaced the mayonnaise with a vegan mayo, so these …

Another delicious summer salad recipe for ya today! This one features plump, juicy, ripe peaches that are warmed and caramelized on the grill. They pair up with toasty walnuts, blue cheese, and peppery arugula and it’s all tied together with a honey & balsamic reduction. What’s not to like!? I’ve included a variation of this recipe that I think would be delicious to try!

Grilled Peach Salad (adapted from here)

2-3 ripe peaches, cut in half
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
butter (or olive …

I recently spent the weekend on Saltspring Island (one of my favourite gulf islands here in British Columbia, Canada). Saltspring is known for it’s self-sustaining community. For this small island, you can literally get anything you need. There are plenty of beautiful farms producing everything from fresh dairy  and vegetables to lavender and wine. Every Saturday there is a market in the heart of town that showcases all of the great products of the island. I love seeing all of the fresh organic vegetables, hand crafted jewellery and clothing, and of …

This recipe is very easy to make, and you can easily adapt it to include other delicious ingredients- mushrooms, red onion, or sun dried tomatoes would all be great add ins. Make this for a light meal or serve it as a delicious summer appetizer.
Grilled Veggie Tart

15oz puff pastry, thawed ( I used Tenderflake, which is vegan, but any kind will do!)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
sea salt and …

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 …

Can you believe it’s 2011 already? I literally remember being nine years old and counting down to midnight on y2k, wondering what would happen when the year 2000 hit. Hah!
Last night was a ton of fun. I invited five friends over for some snacks and drinks before we hit the town. I love entertaining, I wanted a really fun menu with everything miniature!

Everyone was greeted with a Mini Peach-Pomegranate-Grapefruit Drop Martini.

Peach-Pomegranate-Grapefruit Martini

2 oz Absolut Peach vodka
splash of pomegranate juice
splash of grapefruit juice
sugar
orange zest

Put a bit of sugar into a bowl …

POM was so kind to send me some coupons for free POM juice and I was excited to use the juice in a way that I hadn’t before. I frequently use POM juice when I make cocktails…but I have never used POM in a recipe for food. I decided to make a sweet pomegranate reduction and serve it over warm brie with crusty baguettes….ohh my gosh, was this ever good! The gooey salty brie, and the sweet pomegranate were such a good combination!! I served it with with a cheese …

I know I just posted about salads, but I like this salad too much to put it off! It’s a simple spinach salad with crunchy bean sprouts, button mushrooms, tomato, and avocado, but it’s alllll about the sweet ‘n’ tangy dressing! This recipe is just slightly adapted from my Aunt!
On another note, is it weird that I’m already excited for Halloween? I already ordered my costume from online….it should be here in the next few days!! Can’t wait to show you all!
Annnnnnd I have some very exciting news as of …

After months of preparation, this weekend we held a surprise wedding shower for my cousin’s wife-to-be. There was plenty of decorating, and of course, FOOD involved. I also made a wedding shower cake, and I will be making their wedding cake in a few weeks time, as well. I thought I would share with you a little of what was served that night.
The spread: curried asparagus bites, tapenade tomatoes, prosciutto-fig roll ups, stuffed mushrooms, goat cheese-peppercorn potatoes, asian noodle salad, mexican salad, spinach salad, orzo salad, roast beef bunwiches, tortellini …