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 it’s cold outside. Like freezing cold. Too cold to go out and play cold. Pipes freezing kinda cold….(if you live in a rental with really crap pipes). It’s the kind of day, where all day long I think about what warm comforting meal I want to sit down and eat tonight with the ones I love. Well this is it. This is the meal I wish I still had. Sadly we ate it all two nights ago and all I have left are these pictures. Oh and did I mention we have almost no groceries in the fridge! ya…it was too cold to do that too. Guess it’s pea soup and toast for my family tonight. That being said, if you happen to have these ingredients in your home, I highly suggest this is what you warm your tummy with tonight. Recipe adapted from MadelineLu.

Serves 4

Squash bake:

• 3 medium potato, cut into approx 1/2 inch cubes
• 2-3 cups butternut squash, or squash of choice, cut into approx 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large cooking onion
• 3 cloves of garlic,minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 generous handful fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil for cooking; safflower, olive or coconut

Dill yogurt sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp fresh dill
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Mix all of the above together and you’re done.

To make:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil squash and potato for about 10 minutes or until just about cooked ( you don’t want them mushy)
3. Heat a couple tbsp of oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven (as I used)….or any oven-proof frying pan for that matter.
4. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.
5. Once the potatoes and squash have finished cooking, drain them then toss them in over med-high heat.
6. Add the spices and cook until slightly browned. Stir every so often so they don’t burn to the bottom of the pan. Add a little more oil or broth if needed. This should take about 5 minutes.
7. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes or until everything is cooked through (keeping in mind you don’t want a pot of mush). Continue to stir every so often.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Stir in the parsley.
10. Break the eggs over the mixture and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. A few minutes more if you like your eggs really cooked and a little less if you want super runny.
11. Remove from oven and sprinkle with a little more paprika and pepper.
12. Serve topped with the dill yogurt sauce and a side of wild rice and lentils or a nice crispy baguette.
13. Enjoy!

Today Toronto was hit with a ton of snow. It was one of those days where you just want to curl up under a nice fuzzy blanket and read a book or watch your  favourite Christmas movie. Sadly I, like so many others, had to travel a fair bit on public transit this afternoon taking far more time than it normally would have. While I stood outside waiting for the streetcar with the snow soaking through my hat and boots simultaneously I couldn’t help but dream of getting home for supper and sitting down to eat this super comforting bowl of stew…..and that is exactly what I did.

Recipe adapted from Deborah Madison

serves 6-8

• 2 tbsp safflower oil or any other neutral tasting oil
• 2 onion, diced
• 6 medium russet potatoes, chopped into bite sized chunks, about 1 inch thick
• 1 package of sausage, about 6, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 4.5oz can chopped green chillies
• 2 cans of whole yellow tomato
• 1 L low sodium vegetable broth
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. While you do this, in a separate pan cook the sausage. I cooked them over med high heat for about 10 minutes in 1/4 cup of water. First make a few slits on each sausage and then cover. Flip half way. When finished drain and chop. Set aside. Back to the onions….now that they have softened add the spices, garlic, potato and chillies. Give them a stir and cook, stirring frequently for about 7 minutes. At this point you can add the salt, I used about half a tsp but feel free to use more or less. Add the tomato, sausage and broth. Using a wooden spoon quickly break up the tomatoes. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Season with more salt and pepper. Before serving give the stew a quick couple of pulses with an immersion blender to make sure you don’t have any super large chunks of tomato in there, this will also help thicken the broth up a bit. Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt and some fresh flat leaf parsley. Enjoy!

I don’t cook with acorn squash all that often…I don’t know why, I just don’t. I guess I go through phases with my preferred squash but for the most part I am a butternut girl or Kabocha but I can never seem to get my hands on them. I had this acorn squash given to me and decided to try roasting it a little different from how I normally would (Sliced in half and seeded) I did it in thin slices because I wanted the soup to have more of that yummy roasted flavour. I was quite happy with how it turned out and so were my dinner guests.

Serves 6

• 1 acorn squash, cut in half, seeded and then cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 onion, skin removed and halved
• 2 potato, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 tsp cumin
• heavy pinch of chipotle chili powder
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk or cream (leave this out if you want to keep this dish vegan)
• pepper to taste
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• safflower oil

Preheat the oven to 400. Cut and slice the squash, potato and onion. Toss with safflower oil and lay on baking sheet. Take the garlic and remove the excess layers of skin. Chop about 1/4 inch off the top of the bulb. Drizzle the top with a little oil then wrap in foil and place on the baking sheet. Let everything bake for 30 minutes flipping half way (obviously you do not have to flip the wrapped garlic). Once cooked, remove from the oven and let cool for a minute. Peel off the skin from the squash. In a large pot over medium heat, add the spices and stir them around for about 1 minute. Add the broth, squash, potato, onion and the roasted cloves of garlic. Now using an immersion blender, pulse everything until smooth. Add the chickpeas and give a few more quick pulses with the blender, making sure to not fully blend all the chickpeas. Allow to simmer for a few minutes then stir in the cider vinegar and lemon juice. Remove from heat and add the cream. At this point do a final taste test and see if you think it needs a little more salt or pepper, if so sprinkle it in then serve topped with some fresh parsley. 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.

Hello October! If you need me you can find me at the bottom of  the never-ending pots of delicious homemade soup that have taken over my kitchen! I know these pictures are a bit blurry but trust me this soup looks and tastes crazy good. Give it a try. You won’t be sorry. This particular soup has now been added to my list of favourites. Serves 6-8

• Safflower oil, for frying
• 5 pieces of naturally smoked bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 cups green cabbage, chopped
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• pinch or two of chipotle chili powder ( more or less depending on how much heat you want in your soup )
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 red skinned potato, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 can diced tomato
• 1 can white kidney beans
• 4 cups veg broth
• 1/3 cup mixture of parmesan and asiago
• salt and pepper to taste
• additional bacon and cheese to top ( optional )

Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes, letting it brown. Add a couple more tbsp of oil along with the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally. Add the spices, carrots, celery and potato. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato, beans and broth. Feel free to add a little salt and pepper if you like. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 30-40 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan/asiago. Using an immersion blender, pulse until desired consistency. Spoon into bowls and top with a bacon bits and a sprinkle of parmesan. 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!!

These are so yummy and so easy. I LOVE them as is or you can add a little meat for the carnivores at the table. I have made them with sausage and the last time I made them I added some fish and they were devoured ( one very hungry man ate about 8 of them ). I had to stop myself at 3 but if it wasn’t for being uncomfortably full I would have kept going and going.

• 2 sweet potatos, washed and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 large cooking onion, diced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• pickled jalapeno peppers
• corn tortillas
• cilantro
• plain lowfat yogurt
• hot sauce
• *optional: avocado, cheese, chopped red and green peppers, lettuce, salsa

taco seasoning

• 2 tbsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp  black pepper

-mix together and store in an air tight container.

Preheat the oven to 400. Wash and cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces. chop the onion. drain and rinse the beans. Dump the potato, onion and beans into a large bowl with a tight fitting lid. Add 3 tbsp of the taco seasoning and 1 tbsp olive oil. put the lid on the bowl and shake, shake, shake until everything is mixed together nicely.

spread the contents of the bowl in a large baking sheet ( or 2 if needed ) and bake for aproximately 35 min, turning half way through. remove from oven and set aside.

warm the tortillas for a couple of min in the oven.

To serve top tortillas with yogurt, black bean and sweet potato mix, jalapano peppers and some fresh cilantro…for those of you that like the heat I like a little drizzle of sriracha hot sauce to finish it off. Enjoy!

This was the perfect thing to feed my exhausted husband after he finished a long day of portaging a canoe all over the city for Amici’s Canoeheads For Kids event.

Recipe adapted from Thug kitchen

• 3 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 crown broccoli, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large lime

Spice blend:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 1/2  tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Chop the onion, red pepper and broccoli making sure they are all just a bit larger than the chickpeas. Mince the garlic and set aside. Toss all the veg in a large bowl along with the cooked chickpeas. Add the oil and soy sauce; now mix in the spices making sure everything gets coated evenly.

Place mixture on a large baking sheet ( or two ) and bake for 20 min. Remove from oven; flip the mixture and add the garlic and bake for another 15 min. At this point or maybe before this point you will probably think the mixture is burning and if you are like me you may be freaking the fuck out thinking the whole meal is going to be ruined and then you wont have anything to eat for dinner and you will have wasted all this food not to mention your time…if you are like me you may even take it out of the oven early and hum and haw over whether or not you should put it back and let it cook for the correct amount of time. PUT IT BACK – it will be fine, as Thug Kitchen says “it’s supposed to look that way”. Allow the mixture to finish baking; now take it out of the oven and squeeze the lime juice over mixture. Make your burrito. I used a little yogurt, some salsa, avocado, shredded carrots and cucumber. Enjoy.