Healthy Choices

Recipe: Spicy Spinach Soup

January 23, 2012

Email. Some days I love it. Some days I hate it. And I was hating it something fierce recently when my computer insisted it had to “rebuild” my inbox and in doing so resent random emails from March 2010. This elicited confused responses from the unintended victims recipients. I spent the weekend cautiously checking email [...]

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Recipe: Healthy Seed Bread

January 12, 2012

One of the items on my culinary bucket list was granary bread. I wanted to create my own version of a seed-loaded hearth bread I used to get from a local bakery. Their bread was dense without being heavy — something you could sink your molars into and chew with satisfaction. The seeds crunched while [...]

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Recipe: Buttermilk Bean Waffles

November 28, 2011

I’m doing my part to make beans hip and cool. I even I walked through downtown Toronto clutching a clear plastic bag brimming with the four pounds of brightly coloured lentils, legumes and beans picture above. No one laughed. No one pointed at me. And if I may say so, I think the odd fashionista [...]

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Recipe: Jade Soup

October 8, 2011

I’m feeling rather ornery. It’s Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend but the weather is downright balmy and I can’t face the thought of autumn, let alone winter. I don’t care that the leaves are turning glorious colours or the nights are perfect sleeping-weather-cool. I don’t want to make the obligatory pumpkin pie — even if it’s [...]

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Recipe: Watermelon & Raspberry Soup

September 19, 2011

When I signed up for the watermelon carving challenge I figured inspiration would arrive by the time I received my personal-sized watermelon and its accompanying dual-ended melon baller. It didn’t. So, I scoured The National Watermelon Promotion Board‘s website to see if anything sparked an idea. One look at the fun and fanciful watermelon rabbits, sharks and [...]

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Three Farmers Camelina Oil and a Give Away

September 15, 2011

Is bright yellow the new olive green? These tiny mustard-coloured seeds are from the Camelina plant. Although popular in Europe since the 1940s, Camelina oil has been commercially available in Canada only since December 2010. I’m no trend spotter, but if I’m right, Camelina might be Canada’s answer to imported extra virgin olive oil.

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Recipe: Green Beans with Smoked Paprika and Marcona Almonds

September 13, 2011

I’ve created a monster. Or half a dozen monsters to be precise. Seems I’ve become the unofficial pastry chef for potlucks. In the past month alone I’ve made three fruit galettes, two rounds of pavlova, a gigantic chocolate-orange torte, a double batch of ginger cookies, champagne sorbet, and a couple of ask-for-seconds bundt cakes. I’m [...]

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Recipe: Roasted Strawberries

September 1, 2011

Writing about strawberries in September seems unreal to me. When I was a kid, September meant corn. Cobs and cobs of hot corn slathered in butter. Strawberries ushered in the summer holidays. They didn’t close them.

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Recipe: Triple-Chocolate Brownie Cookies

May 24, 2011

This is Mairlyn Smith. Like me, she has a frequently misspelled first name and a passion for chocolate that borders on illegal. She even has an impossibly small kitchen (like mine was until last year). I had the pleasure of interviewing her earlier this month and the longer we talked the more I realized we [...]

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Recipe: Yogurt Chicken with Chutney Yogurt Sauce

May 16, 2011

This photo the best I can do. The final dish was delicious but it’s all gone and I figured a shot of the bones wasn’t going to cut it. So here are some of the spices you’ll need. Trust me, you’ll be glad you rummaged about in the cupboard for that hidden jar of allspice. [...]

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Recipe: Fennel Salad

April 1, 2011

Update: Deadline extended to Friday, April 8th. There’s still time to share your stories! As one of the world’s most gullible people, I hate April Fool’s Day. Apparently watching me scramble for the binoculars is a hoot. And my reaction when I discover the rare bird at my feeder is actually stuffed? Priceless. But [...]

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