Lately I’ve been on a bit of a kale kick. I sometimes forget how much I like kale, and I think the recipe I’m going to share will make you like it, too! Don’t fear this prehistoric looking leafy green- it’s sooo good for you, and it really can taste great. I ate this with roasted butternut squash, seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey

For this recipe, I didn’t measure anything but I’ll try and make approximate amounts here

Sauteed Kale with Chili and Parmesan

• 1 bunch of green kale
• olive oil
• salt
• chili powder (about a tsp)
• fresh grated parmesan (I used a small handful, maybe a 1/4 cup, of a delicious parmesan we get from an Italian grocery store.)
• toasted pine nuts (1/4 cup)

I also enjoyed another kale dish, where I sauteed kale in olive oil and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I added tomatoes, avocado, and hemp seeds. I topped it was a ‘champagne vinaigrette’- basically I took a flavoured champagne vinegar, mixed it with a bit of dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper.

For more kale ideas, check out these kale chips!

Corny post title…..but the drummer in my favourite band ever (Travis Barker of Blink-182) owns a taco place called Wahoo’s Fish Tacos. One day I will eat a fish taco at one of the 50+ locations they have throughout the states….but in the mean time I will make them at home. This was my first time making a fish taco and it was fun, and taaaaasty! In the meantime I will also stare longingly at this picture and reminisce of the day I actually got to meet him many years ago…

I look different and weird in this pic….moving on!

Back to the tacos! I used halibut but I’m sure any white fish would do, and I really don’t have exact measurements for this recipe, as I was just making one taco, but I trust with a little ingredient guidance you can all get this right! I also used a wrap because I didn’t have any soft flour tortillas (story of my life- I use wraps for everything!).

Koko’s Fish Tacos

• white fish fillet, such as halibut
• lettuce
• cilantro
• avocado
• lime juice
• salsa
• cheese, I used regular cheddar but I think a nice white cheddar would be better. If vegan, just skip it!
• caramelized onions (don’t worry I’ll tell ya how to make them!)
• wrap, or soft flour tortillas
• cumin
• coriander
• chili powder
• chipotle powder
• garlic salt
• salt

To caramelize onions:

Drizzle a pan with olive oil and heat on medium high. Slice up an onion and add to the hot pan. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir, to coat the onions. Turn the heat to low and keep stirring, as the onions slowly begin to caramelize. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn! When they are brown, and soft, and smell delicious, they are done!

For the ‘guacamole’:

Mash up an avocado and add some lime juice and a pinch of salt. Stir in a scoop of salsa.

For the fish:

Pat the fish fillet dry, and slice into small pieces- about an inch wide and as long as the fillet is. Sprinkle evenly with cumin, coriander, chili powder, chipotle powder, and garlic salt. Turn pieces over and do the same to the other side. Drizzle a pan with olive oil and heat to medium-high. Add the fish and cook until done on each side (it took about a minute on each side for me, but it depends on the thickness of the fish).

Constructing the taco:

Spread the bottom of your wrap/tortilla with our lovely avocado/salsa mixture. Add a layer of cheese, add the lettuc, cilantro, caramelized onions, and finally the fish. Drizzle everything with lots of lime juice! Fold up like a wrap, and enjoy! Please yell wahoo! as you eat it.

Click here for a special guest post with a bit of info on fish-eating vegetarians vs. non-fish-eating vegetarians.

When I went to Mexico, one of my favourite meals was at a Mexican restaurant in the resort. There was a great salad bar and one of my favourite salads was a corn salad. It had a mystery flavour to it, but it made it fantastic. After a couple bites, I realized that the flavour was cinnamon! A strong cinnamon flavour. I knew that when I got home I would be making a salad with corn and cinnamon. Instead of stopping at a corn salad, I decided to add the cinnamon flavour to quinoa, and make that the base of my salad. I added black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and feta cheese and it made a truly beautiful, healthful salad. I took the flavour up another notch by making a roasted red pepper vinaigrette to top the salad.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups cold water
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• pinch of salt and pepper
• zest of one lime
• juice of one lime
• tobasco, to taste
• 1 avocado
• 3-4 tomatoes
• 3/4 cup canned or frozen corn kernals
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 cup cubed feta cheese
• 2-3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly and put in a pot with cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper, lime zest and juice, tobasco, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from stove and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and toss. Enjoy!

I’m not going to lie…..I don’t feel like using an oven the past few days. I sit here sweating, but ready to blog. The temperatures in the Vancouver area have been OFF THE CHARTS lately. We are setting records left and right, and let’s just say that none of us here are used to 35-40 degree weather. At least I’ve been getting a ton of use out of my pool! That’s why I only wanted a dinner that would take a couple minutes to make in my boiling house. A simple vinaigrette to top a cool vegetable and crab salad sounded light, cold, and delicious.

I got the idea from Bella and used the recipe for the vinaigrette and adapted the recipe for the salad.

Champagne Vinaigrette from Emeril

• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar (**If you don’t have champagne vinegar, just use white wine vinegar!)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons minced shallots
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a blender, combine the champagne vinegar, honey, shallots, mustard and garlic. Puree until smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. While continuing to blend, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the blender through the opening in the lid until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a clean, non-reactive container with a lid. Set aside until ready to use, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Crab & Vegetable Salad

Honestly, I didn’t measure anything exactly- I picked a bowl big enough to hold the amount I wanted to make and eye’d the amounts of the ingredients I would need.

• Cucumber
• Cherry tomatoes
• Avocado
• Crab (I used a can of frozen crab, which I left in the fridge to thaw for a few hours. You could definitely use fresh crab!)
• Sunflower seeds (I used unsalted)

Enjoy!

Helloooooo everyone. What a wonderful day it was! I can’t get over how much I love summer and sunshine. Today my boyfriend and I went to EAT! Vancouver and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We gathered samples from a whole bunch of booths and munched our way through the entire event!

Several hours later though, I was hungry! I had bought some Kamut pasta at Whole Foods and I was very excited to use it. Since I am following a very specific diet to rid my body of candida, white pasta or even whole wheat is not the greatest for me to eat. Kamut, on the other hand is a variety of durum and is a very high protein wheat. It tends to cause fewer allergic reactions and is lower on the glycemic index, making it a great option for those who are sensitive to wheat or diabetic.

I decided on a recipe I have been wanting to try for quite some time now- “Pasta Della California” from “Veganomicon”. I’ve adapted it in several ways, though it is no longer vegan. Along with the use of kamut pasta, there are other ingredients in this recipe to make it quite healthy. The spinach is a fabulous source of vitamin A which is super important for your eyesight as well as a whole bunch of other lovely things like immune function and red blood cell production. The avocado contains healthy monounsaturated fats and plenty of potassium, B-vitamins, and fiber! Add in the garlic and broccoli and you have got some amazing health benefits all from one dish!

Pasta Della California-Sorta

• 1 16 oz. package kamut pasta (I used Artesian Acres brand)
• 3 cups broccoli (sliced into tiny florets and thin stalks)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp crushed garlic (this equals about 4-6 cloves…still less than the original recipe calls for!)
• zest of one lime
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 white whine
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• juice of one lime (about 2 tbsp)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• lots of freshly ground pepper!
• 4 cups loosely packed spinach leaves (excellent vitamin A! Woohoo!)
• 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced into 1-inch chunks
• a couple of tbsp of pesto

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prep all your ingredients while you wait. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Bear in mind that in the last minute of cooking you will be adding the broccoli.

Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, lime zest, and red pepper flakes. Gently heat, stirring often for about 2 minutes.

Pour in the wine and raise the heat to bring to a boil, to reduce the wine, about 2 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, lime juice, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil again. Once boiling, lower to a simmer. Add the spinach.

When the pasta is almost done, add the broccoli to the boiling pasta and cook for one more minute. Drain into a colander.

When the spinach is wilted, add the broccoli and pasta to the pan and use a pasta spoon to toss-get that garlic on everything!! 

Cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the avocado and pesto and turn off the heat. Gently toss, but don’t smush the avocado!

Serve with generous grinds of black pepper and add a lovely basil garnish.

Enjoy!

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to take a picture of it so I shall link you to the original recipe and a lovely picture. BUT, I couldn’t post this without ANY pictures, so I decided I would let you all in on my garden! It’s my first time having a vegetable garden and everything I planted is growing like crazy! 

The garden as a whole

“upside-down” tomatoes

My beautiful romaine lettuce!

Yummy parsley!