Artist Coleslaw!

ARTIST COLESLAW

Yum! This is incredibly delicious, beautiful to look at and healthy too! I have to share this recipe with you and apologize for the lack of measurements. I just kind of winged it. Into a big bowl you toss a finely chopped half of a red cabbage and two medium carrots.Throw in a handful of pistachios and slivered almonds. Finely chop some green onion or chives.

Toss in some halved or quartered seedless grapes. About half a cup. They are a secret ingredient adding a wee burst of sweetness amidst the crunch. You could also substitute some sweetened dried cranberries or perhaps some mango! Remember, as with all salads, you add more of what you like and less of what you don't! Experiment and see what happens:)

Mix it all together. See how gorgeous that looks!!

The dressing is a blob (two large tablespoons?)of vegan mayo or regular, A tablespoon each of maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. Stir it up and taste to see how you like it. Add and adjust to your taste buds. Salt and pepper.

 The consistency you want is a pourable one..... Just enough to coat the veggies. Toss and let sit for a bit to marinate.

And.......voila! A perfect salad for any gathering. Better the next day!

Warehouse Market on Isleville Street

I discovered this on a walk today! The Warehouse Market (2867 Isleville Street) held on Thursdays and Fridays. I was meeting a friend for a coffee and arrived early so decided to have a stroll around the neighborhood. What a nice surprise to stumble upon it!

 

It was this little sign that caught my eye and over I went to check it out...
The warehouse of Afishionado hosts Abundant Acres Farm, Holdanca Farms, Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc., Gold Island Bakery, Pop Culture Brew Co., and Expresso 46 Thursdays and Fridays 11-7pm and Saturday 9-1pm They also have a wide selection of frozen product and an ever-changing supply of fresh seafood. 

Espresso46 serves amazing coffee and mouth watering Italian hot chocolate, dark and classic:) through their little window on the world:) A well kept secret except to those who are fervent customers! I ventured into the market and was pleasantly surprised. It is a utilitarian place with a friendly vibe.

 

There was a nice selection of produce from Abundant Acres Farm. I purchased some fresh pea shoots.

 

I also bought one of these!! or at least I thought I did:) The watermelon daikon. A bright pink mild and sweet radish, the size of a large potato..I actually picked up the other one...more on that later...

They sell wonderful breads... One of which was a Rye, Walnut and Prune bread which really appealed to me, but next time I will try it.

Fresh Shitake mushrooms...

There were quite a few people there filling their bags with produce and eggs and yummy goodies to take home.This little child was fascinated with me snapping away on my iphone:)

We became friends...

 So back to the Daikon.....when I got home and peeled it, I got this!!!

 and then this... after slicing into thin coins.

 

I then did this......

and added pea shoots, some pepito seeds salt/ pepper and tossed it all with a mild vinagrette! Yum! Purple Peaple Salad. The radish is crunchy and mild and slightly sweet.

So if you find yourself in the North end of the city on a Thursday or Friday or Saturday morning. Pop in and have a visit...

15 Min. Corn/Veggie Chowder!

Ok. Quick comfort food. Something to tuck into this week's arsenal of meals:) My version is fat free and still tastes great but if you want to sauté the onion and garlic (and peppers, celery if using) in some butter or olive oil first that's fine too!

15 minute Corn/Veggie Chowder

1 carrot grated

1 large onion chopped finely 

1 large potato cubed in 1/2" squares

1 red pepper chopped finely (optional)

1 stalk of celery, finely chopped (optional)

1-2 garlic cloves minced or 1 tsp. garlic powder (I didn't have any real garlic)

1 can of corn, drained

1 can of creamed corn

Veggie broth or bullion cube

Almond milk, soy milk or regular milk.

1.Put everything except milk and creamed corn into a heavy pot. Add veggie broth or water/bullion cube to barely cover the top of veggies. 

2. Cover and simmer until potatoes and veg are cooked.(about 10-15 min)

3. Add creamed corn, salt and pepper to taste and heat.

3. I add the milk at the end, not much,  just to make it the consistency I like. I sometimes just leave it up whomever I'm serving it to to add the milk directly to their bowl instead; my daughter prefers real milk and I like almond milk:) 

You could  not add the milk at all to make it more of a brothy soup if you like. 

I add some smoked paprika and a dash of Siracha cha cha sauce to mine:). Yum. Enjoy!

Soup for Mending Hearts, Chilly Bones and Crappy Days!

Soup beautiful soup! Everything feels better when there's a pot of nourishing homemade soup at hand. No thinking involved, no pressure, just a bowl of warm goodness...feeding your body and soul!

Start with 1 large onion, 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery and 2-3 cloves of garlic! Chop and toss into heavy pot. Pour in 4 cups of Veggie Broth.

Then add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes, a tin of lentils rinsed and drained, and 3/4 cup of red lentils...

Secret ingredient!!!! 1 small parsnip grated. Shhhh.

Spices are 2 Bay Leaves, 1 Tbsp Coriander and 1 Tbsp Cumin and 1 Tbsp Curry powder

A big old squirt of Siracha!!! Cha Cha Cha

Simmer for 30 minutes and voila!!! Top with avocado or chopped cilantro, parsley etc or even grated cheese if you are into that! I should have wiped the edge of the bowl to make the photo prettier but hey, you get the gist. I guarantee that a bowl of this soup will chase away the blues and lift dark clouds .......at least temporarily!

Really these are just rough guidelines, you can add whatever you want to soup. Versatile and always perfect for the don't feel like cooking but want something quick and good and tasty! x

Curried Lentil Use What You Have Soup

Well there's a blizzard blowing outside so why not make soup! I haven't posted a recipe here in a long time:) Heck, I haven't really posted ANYTHING here in a long time, so I hope you enjoy:)

This is a make it up as you go  soup. There is really no recipe, just use what you have in your house. Here's what I used today... 1 large chopped carrot, 1 large onion chopped (not in above pic) 4 cloves garlic minced, 3 Tablespoons curry powder, 1 bay leaf, 2 kaffir lime leaves ( I got a bag of them at a local Indian grocery store, they impart a lovely flavour but not necessary), 3 cardamon pods, 1/2 cup of red lentils, 1 cup of lentils rice and bean mix ( they were in a bag together), 1 Tablespoon grated ginger, 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies, 6 cups of veggie broth.

First I sauteed the onions in my new Christmas present cast iron pot, you can use oil but I don't...I just stir them and as they start to stick I add a bit of broth to unstick them. When they are golden, stop.

Next step is to just dump in the rest of the ingredients,  and add the rest of the broth

Throw in a handful of mixed frozen veggies. Of course you can add some fresh veggies, anything goes. I just didn't have anything on hand today.

Add some grated fresh ginger and simmer for about 40 minutes. If you are lucky enough to find some coconut milk in your cupboard you can add that too:)

Et voila!! So yummy !! I am slurping on it as I write this post. Enjoy.

Year of the Tiger

Look what I made yesterday!
Veggie potstickers to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Thanks to Suzie for the inspiration. This is the recipe we used. So simple to make and using my food processor made it even easier:) I also just used regular cabbage instead of nappa for the filling and extra ginger. Filling them was fun. It took a few to get the hang of it. You wet the sides of the wrapper to make them stick together.

Here they are all nestled in the pan getting their bottoms crispy:)

But I have to tell you though, for me, it was the sauce that made these...wow..

Heavenly Asian Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup light soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar ( I didn't have enough so made up the diff with sherry)

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 lemon, zested ( lemon peel)

Stir everything together in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Yowza is it good!

Yield: about 1/3 cup

Oh, and the winners of the One Heart One World draw are .....
#11 Wabii Sabii-Running with Scissors and #195 Katie Foley!
I had 501 entries!

saturday recipe

A bowl of health:) Yep, this is what we are supposed to be eating and lots of it:) Greens! Greens! Good for your heart, the more you eat, the more you.........part ways with bad eating habits:) I know what you were thinking:) This is kale. I got it in my veggie box this week and a friend of mine recommended the recipe. Thanks Cathy! I loved it.

Bedazzled Kale
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1/1/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth ( or a bullion cube and water)
4 cups of stemmed , torn and rinsed kale
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used craisins, cherry flavour)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped almonds ( I had some smoked salty ones)

Directions: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in onion and garlic, and cook until the onion is translucent, about five minutes.Stir in the mustard,sugar, vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the kale, cover and cook 5 minutes until wilted.

Stir in the cranberries and almonds and continue boiling with the lid off until the liquid has reduced by about half and the cranberries have softened, about fifteen minutes. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. ( You are actually supposed to sprinkle with the almonds before serving but I popped them in with the cranberries and they were yummy)

Finished product and it is really tasty.