This has to be one of the most delicious ways to eat kale. It’s such a simple preparation but I could munch away on these kale chips forever! Forget potato chips or chocolate- this is my kind of treat!

Kale is an amazing vegetable. Besides looking super cool, it is rich in Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and calcium. There’s about a bazillion other nutrients you get when you eat kale and all for extremely few calories. I’ll definitely be adding kale to my ‘to-grow’ list for my garden!

Baked Kale Chips

• 1 head of green kale
• a tbsp olive oil
• pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200 F. Wash the kale and dry it well. Tear the kale into smaller pieces (get rid of the tough middle stem). In a bowl, toss it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes, remove and toss the kale, place in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, until dry and crisp. Enjoy!

I really love having healthy muffins on hand for snacks- I just keep them in the freezer and then heat them up whenever I need a little boost. I really find that so many muffins are more like dessert than healthy snack so I think it’s better to just make them at home. These ones are fantastic- very little sugar, healthy protein packed quinoa, flaxseeds, and great flavour. I topped these muffins with a bit of butter and honey or almond butter. The quinoa makes them have a unique chewy texture that I had to get used to- they never tasted bad, I just hadn’t had a muffin with that texture before. Vegan or not, these are very enjoyable and you can feel good about eating such a nutritious muffin!

Almond Quinoa Muffins (adapted from Veganomicon)

• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (I used slightly less)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup currants or dried blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin. In a bowl, whisk together the almond milk and ground flaxseed and let sit for one minute. Whisk in oil, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extracts.

In a seperate bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the cooked quinoa and currants/blueberries and mix until the large lumps are gone. Pour into the muffin tin and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Earlier in the week, in one of my culinary classes, we were all asked to bring in a dish that represents comfort food for us. We then headed to the kitchen and go to explain the dish we brought, and then share it with the class. One of my favourites was what my Chef brought in. He is from the Middle East, and he made beautiful, soft, homemade pita bread with hummus, a fava bean dish called Fool Meudane, and wonderful falafel. I was so impressed and inspired that I wanted to make the very same meal for my family! I decided to add a cumin-carrot salad to the meal, as well. Something I love about these dishes is that they all happen to be vegetarian- yum!

I’ll be sharing the recipes over the next little while, and I’d like to start with a basic hummus recipe that gets topped with the fool meudane. My chef informed me that this is not a traditional way of serving it, but hey, he did it….and I liked it!

Basic Hummus

• 1 19 fl oz can of chickpeas
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp tahini
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

Combine all the ingredients, except olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth. Drizzle in olive oil and blend. Stir in parsley and top with paprika.

Fool Meudane (original recipe can be found here)

• 2 cups frozen fava beans
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (add tbsp by tbsp, until you get the amount you want- a 1/4 cup may be too much for some people)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 small tomato, diced

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic, stir until fragrant. Add the fava beans, lemon juice, and salt. Cover and cook for a minute or two. Add the diced tomato, cover and simmer 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat, and mash the ingredients with a fork until chunky. You don’t want this dish to be perfectly smooth. Garnish with parsely and drizzle with olive oil.

To serve these, spread the hummus in a bowl leaving a hole in the middle, add the fool meudane in the centre, sprinkle with smoked paprika, and drizzle with olive oil.

So I have dabbled in a couple of raw food dishes, such as the raw cheesecake I tried in the summer. I’m feeling a bit less than myself lately and was sick over the past week or so. Because I am in pastry school, I find myself consuming a lot of sugar, and I basically went from a near zero sugar diet, to one where I’m bringing home cakes, pies, tarts, and bread several times a week, and while a lot gets shoved in the freezer right away, it’s the odd bites that catch up to us. I want to start cleansing my diet again, as my school winds down, and wean myself off the sugar once more. I thought a good place to start would be a raw food dish, and though I don’t necessarily think that having a completely raw diet is the best diet, I know that I can count on raw food recipes to provide light, healthy nourishment. I got the recipe from here and only slightly modified it. I really enjoyed the dressing and used it on several salads I had in the following day or two. This was a very nice lunch, and also a great side dish at dinner. Enjoy!

Raw Vegetable Pasta

Dressing:

• 1 inch ginger
• 3/4-1 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp sesame oil (toasted)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 tbsp mellow white miso
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• zest of one orange
• 1/3 cup water

Blend in a blender or food processor until creamy and emulsified.

Pasta:

• 1 large zucchini, sliced with a vegetable peeler
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced into matchsticks
• 1 carrot, sliced into matchsticks
• 1/2 small cucumber, grated
• Scallions or green onion to garnish
• Sprinkle of raw sliced nuts of your choice
• handful of cilantro, chopped

Prepare and mix all veggies, save the scallions or green onion. Toss them with 1/4 cup sauce, adding more if necessary, and sprinkle with scallions. Sprinkle with sliced nuts and cilantro.

I’m totally obsessed with yams and sweet potatoes, as ya’ll probably know, and here’s one more recipe for when I have to satisfy my craving! These are sesame baked yam fried and they are served with an almond butter dipping sauce. I recently made an almond butter dipping sauce to use with my spring rolls, and it was quite different to the one used in this recipe. This one, to me, tasted just like ketchup, so I added some ginger to try and make it taste a bit more interesting without being overpowering. This made a great 2 am snack

Sesame Sweet Potato Wedges with Almond Dipping Sauce

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• sea salt
• chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400F.

Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt.

Bake in the oven for approximately 35 minutes until tender.

Almond Dipping Sauce

• 2 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• red chili flakes, to your liking
• 1-2 tbsp tamari
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1-2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• sea salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients together well, and add 1/4 cup of hot water, blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and heat gently.

Sprinkle the cilantro over the potato wedges, and serve with dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Lately I have been wanting to create a recipe for healthier spring rolls. When I was younger I used to love eating spring rolls, dipped in plenty of plum sauce, but these days I rarely eat them. I thought about making spring rolls that were baked, instead of deep fried, and when one of my classmates in culinary school was offering up a package of spring roll wrappers, I jumped on the chance. They sat in my freezer for about a month- until tonight, that is. I have been trying to stay away from soy products (besides fermented soy, like miso, and soy sauce) but I can’t stand wasting food, so I decided to use up a pack of organic tofu I had in the fridge. I actually marinaded the tofu for about a day and I really liked how much flavour it took on. I could use a little practice on my spring roll wrapping technique, but this finished product was delicious. Instead of plum sauce, I made an almond butter sauce and it was wonderful paired with the rolls.

Baked Spring Rolls with Almond Butter Dipping Sauce

Tofu:

• 1 package extra firm organic tofu cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• pinch of red chili flakes
• 4 drops of stevia (or, of course a sprinkle of sugar or honey)

Combine all the ingredients in a shallow dish and let marinade for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, bake for 12 minutes.

Spring Rolls:

• 1 large carrot, julienned
• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
• 1 can water chestnuts, diced
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• pinch of red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp each- minced garlic, ginger, lemon grass (I used a bottled paste of each of these, otherwise, sauté these together until garlic is cooked), sesame oil
• baked tofu, cut into thin strips
• 8 x 8 spring roll wrappers
• sesame oil, for brushing

Combine carrot, pepper, water chestnuts, scallions in a bowl with chili flakes, garlic, ginger, lemon grass and sesame oil. Take a spring roll wrapper in front of you so it looks like a diamond. Take a few strips of tofu, carrots, peppers, water chestnuts, and scallions, and place on the bottom end of the wrapper. Roll the bottom over the filling, tuck the sides of the wrapper in, and roll like a cigar. Place on a lined sheet pan, seam side down and brush with sesame oil. Repeat until all filling has been used (just eyeball the amounts!). Preheat the oven to 400 F and cook spring rolls for 8 minutes. Flip over, brush with oil and cook for 5 more minutes.

Almond Butter Dipping Sauce (Adapted from Rebar):

• 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.

As you may know, I’m unable to taste many things in my culinary school due to meat stocks or meat itself being used in the cooking process. I took it upon myself to make a vegetarian vichyssoise at home, as I was intrigued and had never before tasted this cold potato-leek soup. The texture was so rich and creamy at school, and duplicating it was not difficult at all. In fact, this recipe comes together very quickly, minus the 45-minute simmering time. I was happy that I made this soup, as it’s such a classic French dish.

I was reading a book I had taken out from the school library about becoming a personal chef and all the business aspects of it, and I was happy to find some recipes in the back of it. As you all know, I cannot resist anything with the word pumpkin in it at this time of year, so when I saw Pumpkin Hummus, I knew I would be making it. It was a snap to make in the food processor and it’s actually quite healthy and low in calories. Use it as a dip or a spread! I think I may experiment with a sweeter version of this hummus as well, using familiar pumpkin pie spices instead of the savoury cumin and garlic etc. It would be nice to have both, come Halloween! I always seem to end up with an abundance of oddly shapen and very cut tiny pumpkins, along with the ones I carve. Is it weird that I just cannot resist buying a teeny little pumpkin every year!!? I was stoked when I thought of serving the hummus inside this little pumpkin- it’s too cute, and would look great on any festive Autumn table! Enjoy the recipes!

Pumpkin Hummus (Adapted from The Professional Personal Chef)

• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/8- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• one 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 1/2 – 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted

Place the tahini, lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, pumpkin, garlic and parsley in food processor. Blend until smooth.

Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and serve with pita bread, taco chips, etc.

I happen to love granola. I could probably eat it everyday without getting sick of it- with yogurt, almond milk, crumbly, or in bar form…. Unfortunately, almost all granola in stores is loaded with sugar and/or various kinds of corn syrup and even ingredients I cannot pronounce. I recently bought Ina Garten’s “Back to Basics” book which I am making the Cookbook of the Month for September. It has some really great recipes that all rely on fresh, good-quality ingredients. The first recipe I tried from the book happened to be Ina’s homemade granola bars. I was happy to see that there was no corn syrup in sight! I even adapted the recipe to make it slightly healthier than it was. I’ve enjoyed these granola bars for a couple days now and am very happy with the results- they just taste more….real than those storebought ones. This recipe is super adaptable and you can definitely change the add-ins such as the types of dried fruit and nuts.

On another note, I cannot believe it is September tomorrow. Shocking! Once again it feels weird not to be going ‘back to school’ yet. I’m only taking one cooking class right now and it’s food safety…no ACTUAL cooking yet. I won’t be getting out my new knives and my chef’s hat until about a month from now. So, without further ado, here is my recipe for Ina Garten’s homemade granola bars and a picture of me dressed up as an 80’s rock ‘n’ roll’er (for a costume party) just for kicks! Bahahah

Homemade Granola Bars (adapted from Ina Garten’s Back to Basics)

• 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
• 1/4 cup ground Salba or ground flaxseed (if you don’t have these, use an extra 1/4 cup of wheat germ)
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup honey (use 2/3 cup, if you don’t have Stevia, or you want less crumbly/more gooey bars)
• couple drops Stevia
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates (I used dried, but fresh would be better)
• 1 cup dried fruit (unsweetened is best) such as blueberries, cranberries, raisins, apricots

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 x 12-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconuts together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the picture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the Salba/Flax and the wheat germ.

Reduce oven to 300 degrees.

Place the butter, honey, stevia, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Cook and stir for a minute, then pour into over the toasted oatmeal mixture.

Add the dates and dried fruit and stir.

Pour the mixture into the 8 x 12 pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 -3 hours before cutting into bars. Serve and enjoy!

Looks like I have some explaining to do- it’s been a long time since my last post! I’m not even sure why…maybe it’s just that it’s summer. It’s not that I was lacking motivation, perhaps I was too motivated. I think I was trying too hard to make food for the blog. I decided I would stop trying and let the ideas come to me- and they did. I was so excited when I felt like stepping into the kitchen again. I knew I wanted to use the Cookbook of the Month ‘Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day’. I made a Light Whole Wheat dough because it’s very versatile and can be used in many different recipes in the book. I’ve felt like Indian food lately and so I thought to try making naan bread. The process is so easy- just roll out the dough and pop it into a frying pan, wait wait wait, flip, wait wait wait, eat. Almost like making a pancake! I needed something to accompany the naan and I decided to try a hummus that I’ve been wanting to try for a long time now- Dreena Burton’s Curried Chickpea Hummus. This little appetizer or snack tasted AMAZING. My mom and I finished a whole naan in a matter of seconds! With a dash of coarse salt and a big dip of hummus, I would serve this sensation to anyone!

If you are interested in making bread (of any kind), I urge you to pick up Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day for some fabulous recipes like this light whole wheat naan bread! I’ve included my adapted version of the curried hummus for you to try. I do recommend naan with it (store-bought or homemade) or pappadums which are Indian lentil crackers.

Curried Chickpea Hummus (Adapted from Eat, Drink, Be Vegan)

• 2 cups canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp honey
• 1 big garlic clove
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/8 tsp tumeric
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• pepper (to taste)
• 2 tbsp almond butter
• 4-5 tbsp water (for thinning to desired consistancy)
• 3-4 tbsp raisins or currants

Mix all ingredients except water and raisins in a food processor. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon until desired consistancy is reached. Pulse in rasins. Enjoy!

Oh! I almost forgot- I have decided to start cooking school 6 weeks early and my first class is today. I’m super excited but I’m also freaking out, this is definitely something completely new and it’s extra weird because I haven’t been to school in over a year now. My holistic nutrition is taken through correspondance (and is almost complete, I might add!) so it’s time for me to get back the grind and hopefully learn A LOT and have some fun!!

Here’s a simple summer appy for all those impromptu BBQ’s and pool parties! The amounts of ingredients are casual and depend on how many you want to make.

Apricot Appy

• several apricots, sliced in half
• a few ounces of soft goat cheese
• a handful of pine nuts
• a basil leaf or two for each apricot half

Wash the apricots and cut them in half. Discard the pit. Using a spoon, press a fair amount of goat cheese into the hollow of the apricot. Press a couple pine nuts into the cheese. Garnish with a basil leaf or two.

These are so yummy and refreshing to pop into your mouth. It’s an interesting combination of flavours and it’s a neat way to make your apricots SAVOURY! I hope you enjoy these.

*For an even bigger treat, stick the apricot halves face down on the grill for a minute and then add the cheese, pine nuts, basil. You should get some nice warm apricots and gooey, slightly melted goat cheese- YUM!

I probably won’t be posting for a couple days, as I am off on a mini-vacation to celebrate my upcoming 19th birthday on June 25th. It’s going to be reaaaaaally nice to have a couple days off to relax. See you all soon when I get back!!!