I have been feeling totally uninspired in the kitchen lately. It’s such a frustrating feeling. I LOVE food. I LOVE to cook. So what’s the problem? Why can’t  I just hop in the kitchen and that’d be that! I decided to spend my down time today searching for inspiration.  It wasn’t the most productive way to spend it (as I have a list a mile long of things I need to get done)  but it was exactly what I needed. Thank you to theminimalistbaker for helping inspire me to get back in the kitchen with a smile on my face.

serves 2, if you want two pieces of toast or 4, if you are satisfied with just one

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds, raw and unsalted
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 small lemon, juiced
• 1 1/2 tsp tamari
• 1/2 tbsp maple syrup, add a little more if you like it sweeter
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• white pepper, to taste
• salt, to taste
• tomato for topping
• 4 pieces of double toasted rye
• arugula for topping

To Make:

1. drain and rinse the chickpeas
2. place the first 12 ingredients in a bowl and mash with the backside of a fork. Alternately you can use a food processor and give it a few good pulses just to incorporate everything. You want the mixture quite chunky not smooth.

Assemble:

1. lay the rye toast on 4 plates
2. top each with arugula then tomato
3. evenly distribute the chickpea mash to finish them off
4. if you are like me at this point you will add a nice drizzle of your favourite hot sauce. I topped mine with sriracha and it was perfect! minus getting it on the tip of my nose while trying to stuff this beauty in my mouth.
5. enjoy.

So this sandwich is the s***. I have always been a huge fan of sandwiches but due to a sluggish metabolism I can’t eat nearly as many as I would like. I can however dream…..and that is what this beauty started as. I eat roasted veg every week. I love roasted vegetables and toss them in with most of my weekly dishes. Because I eat so many roasted vegetables I’m always thinking of new ways to incorporate them into my meals. The idea of this sandwich was just too good not to bring to life. Enjoy. serves 4

• 1 large head of cauliflower, sliced in slabs (remove the leaves, then leaving the core intact cut into 1/2 inch slices)
• 2 large red peppers, sliced
• 2 cooking onions, sliced in rounds
• 1 head of broccolini
• 2 small zucchini, sliced length ways
• 2 avocado, sliced
• 8 slices of jalapeño havarti cheese
• 8 slices of light rye bread
• safflower oil

Spice mix for veggies:

• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 smoked paprika
• 1/2 – 1 tsp salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder

For the sauce:

• 4 tbsp mayonnaise or vegenaise
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 tsp sriracha, adjust to taste
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
• splash of worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp honey (more or less depending on how sweet you like it)

To make -

1. preheat oven to 425.
2. brush oil on both sides of the sliced veggies (minus the onions and red peppers)
3. season both sides with spice blend.
4. lay on baking sheet. Bake for 25 -35 minutes flipping half way through (the broccolini and zucchini will cook a little faster, remove when nicely charred)
5. while the vegetables are baking drizzle some oil in the bottom of a medium sized pan and toss in the onions and peppers. Cook on med-high until caramelized, about the same amount of time as your other vegetables will be roasting for. Stir often.
6. make your sauce. Toss all of the sauce ingredients in your food processor and pulse until fully combined. set aside.
7. when your roasted veggies are done, remove from oven and set aside.
8. place your bread directly on the rack of your oven. 4 of those slices should have 2 slices of havarti each. remove from oven when toast begins to brown and cheese is beautiful and bubbly.

Assemble - first cover the bottom of the non cheesy rye with cauliflower. Now place in layers the zucchini, broccolini, peppers and onions and avocado. Slather the cheese covered rye with a generous amount of sauce and sandwich those beauties together. Devour.

I’m so excited about this soup! Not just because it’s delicious but because it marks the beginning of fall cooking in my home. Hello yummy homemade soups and stews and chili and pot pies and and and…..oh how I love cold weather cooking!!!

Serves 6-8

• 1 large cooking onion
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 cobs of corn, corn removed from cob
• 2 large red potato, chopped into small bite sized pieces
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, minced or grated
• 1 litre of low sodium veg broth
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• safflower oil for frying
• salt and pepper to taste
• pickled jalapeño for topping
• avocado for topping

In a large pot over med-high heat, add the safflower oil. Let it heat for a minute then add the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, corn and potato. Cook stirring frequently for about 10 minutes or until the potato is tender. Add the ginger, jalapeño and lemongrass. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the broth. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cilantro. Bring back to a boil then remove from heat. Using an immersion blender give the chowder a few good pulses. Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with pickled jalapeño and some diced avocado. Enjoy!

*Want to mix it up a bit? Try adding any of the following to your chowder-

• shredded chicken
• diced tomato, for topping
• swap out the potato for cauliflower
• sriracha instead of the pickled jalapeño

I know this isn’t technically a taco buuut it is a taco bowl! It’s a fresh and  yummy way to get your taco fix without binging out on tacos.

serves 4

FISH

• 2 pounds of white fish –  halibut, haddock, sole, flounder or tilapia
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• safflower oil, for frying

To make the fish: Preheat a large cast iron skillet ( or any heavy pan ) over medium-high heat. In a shallow bowl mix together the flour, spices and zest. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture until evenly coated. Pour enough oil in the skillet to evenly coat the bottom. Cook fish in two batches adding more oil if needed. Make sure the pan is still sizzling; if not, turn the heat up a little. Cook for a few minutes or until the bottom of the fish is golden brown. Carefully flip. Cook for a few more minutes then add 1/2 the lime juice. Remove from skillet and set aside. Repeat.

CREAMY CHIPOTLE DRESSING

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup vegenaise or mayonnaise
• 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, if you can’t handle the heat make sure to remove the seeds. If you like heat feel free to add a little more!
• pinch of salt

To make the dressing: toss all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fully mixed. Set aside.

SALAD

• 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
• 2 ripe avocado
• 3/4 cup black beans, strained and rinsed
• 2 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 handful of lettuce per bowl
• cilantro for topping

To serve: Fill four bowls with corn, avocado, black beans, tomato, cabbage, red pepper, onion and lettuce. Top with fish and a generous drizzle of creamy chipotle dressing . Sprinkle with cilantro. Enjoy!

Want to mix it up a bit? Try adding any of the following to your taco bowl -

• Mexican rice
• shredded cheese
• chopped pineapple or mango
• chicken instead of fish
• fresh or picked jalapeno
• crispy tortilla strips like in this recipe

These are so good and so easy. Make them, you won’t be sorry.

Serves 6

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3-4 tbsp, red Thai curry paste
• 3-4 tbsp coconut cream, the thick stuff on the top of the can of coconut milk
• 1 tbsp safflower oil
• 1 small mango, cut into strips
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 ripe avocado, cut into strips
• cilantro
• plain yogurt
• sriracha ( if you like )
• 6 mini naan

Preheat oven to 400. Toss the cauliflower and chickpeas into a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl mix together the curry paste,coconut cream and oil. Stir the curry mixture into the cauliflower and chickpeas. Make sure everything is evenly coated. Dump the cauliflower mixture into a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes. Pop your naan bread in the oven for a minute to warm.

To serve: On a mini naan add a little plain yogurt. Top with the cauliflower mixture then add the mango, red onion, avocado and cilantro. If you want you can also add a splash of sriracha. Enjoy.

Recipe adapted from Canadian Living

Makes about 6-8 med large patties

Fish Cakes

• 1 rib of celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 450g of tilapia or halibut
• 3/4 cup of bread crumbs ( I used 2 small pieces of gluten free bread )
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

In a food processor pulse together the celery, green onions and parsley until finely chopped. Scrape into a medium sized bowl and set aside. Now add the fish to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped making sure not to over pulse, you do not want the fish to be a puree. Add to the bowl. Tear up the bread and pulse in food processor until it has formed a crumbly consistency. Add the bread crumbs to the parsley bowl and mix in the egg, mustard and pepper. Divide into burger sized patties each about 1/2 inch thick. In a skillet heat the oil over medium heat; cook the patties for about 10 minutes or so turning once.

Mayo

• 1/3 cup Hellmans
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder

Toppings

• Avocado
• gouda or cheese of choice
• lettuce

In a small bowl whisk together the mayo, lemon juice and chili powder.

To serve:

Toast bread or buns; I used gluten free bread. Place patty on a slice of bread, top with some gouda or cheese of choice. If you want it melted place under the grill for a min or so. Now add the fresh avocado, lettuce and a nice smear of lemon chili mayo and finally add the second piece of bread. Enjoy!!

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

1 large red pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp chipotle chili powder ( more or less depending on how much heat you like )

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4-1/2tsp liquid smoke

1 lb ground turkey

1 can diced tomato

1 can organic pumpkin puree

4 cups beans of choice ( I used black beans, black eyed peas and chickpeas )

4 cups veg stock

In a large pot over med heat add the oil. Now add the onions, red pepper, zucchini and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the turkey and cook for a few minutes until browned. Stir in the spices and add the tomato, pumpkin, beans and stock. Dump in the liquid smoke and worcestershire. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes to an hour ( Keep in mind the longer it simmers the better it tastes! ) 

To serve:

Top with your choice of- grated cheese, avocado, plain yogurt or sour cream, fried egg, hot sauce

Enjoy!!

• 3 green peppers
• 3 large sweet potatoes, diced
• 2 cans black beans
• 2 cans black turtle beans
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 yellow onions
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 12oz bottle smoked beer ( just ask at the LCBO )
• 4 cups veg broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes with the liquid
• 2-3 chipotles in adobo, remember the heat is in the seeds not the pepper! if you want less heat scrape out some of the seeds before putting the chopped peppers in.
• 3 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped ( or 1 tbsp dried )
• Top with avocado

In a large pot over med heat add the oil. When it begins to simmer add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until it begins to brown, about 3 min . Add the peppers, diced potato, garlic, cumin and bay leaves. Cook for about 1 min. Add the beer cooking until the alcohol smell has cooked off, 3 minutes. Now add the beans ( drained and rinsed ) broth, and tomatoes ( with the juice ) and bring to a boil. Once the chili has come to a boil reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Finally stir in the chipotles and fresh oregano and simmer another 5 minutes. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with your choice of avocado, crema or sour cream.

*Note: This chili would be amazing on nachos!!