Perfect Soup Day

Winter will come with many perfect soup days and today seems like one. It's a little icy outside, mainly overcast with a peak of sunshine. I'll probably venture out later in the day -- nothing too strenuous -- but it would be nice to come home to a nice bit of weekend puttering about the kitchen.

This soup is perfect for the kind of weekend where you feel like spending all day in the kitchen with the oven on, baking something, cooking something and being relaxingly busy. This soup reminds me of one that I had on a kind of day like this, where the sunshine is deceiving and the wind is sharp and cold. I ordered it at one of our favourite brunch restaurants, and enjoyed it with a large chunk of toasted eggy-bread dipped in home-made ketchup. Since I don't feel like lining up for an hour to have soup at that restaurant, I'll try to make it at home instead.

 This is a easy-going soup, with mellow flavours, pantry staples and vegetables easy to find in the deepest, darkest days of winter. It is imperative that you roast the squash first -- the roasty toasty flavour it gives this soup is hard to substitute, and it would help if you had a nice homemade veggie stock as well. Other than that, it comes together quickly, and is even better the next day. Perfect to come home to after long day at work, and just the thing to make you feel better if you're under the weather, which, let's face it, happens to the best of us.

Stay warm.

Roasted Squash, Leek and Potato Soup
serves 4-6

1 small sweet potato squash or pepper squash
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 small-medium carrots, diced
half large leek, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 large, russet potato, cut into small cubes
1/2 bunch of swiss chard, stems diced, leaves shredded
2 teaspoon of herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup of red lentils, rinsed
5 cups of veggie stock or water (I used a mixture of both)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the halves cut side up on roasting tray and roast for about 45 minutes, or until the flesh is soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

2. In a large pot, sweat the the leeks for a minute. Season with salt, pepper and herbes to provence. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the celery, carrots, chard stems and potatoes, and stir well. Let the vegetables cook for another few minutes. While you're waiting, scoop out the flesh of the roasted squash.

4. Add the squash and lentils and stir well. Add the veggie stock and bay leaf, stir and turn up the heat.

5. Bring your soup to rolling boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils break down and thicken the soup, and potatoes are tender. Add more liquid if necessary.

6. Stir in the chard leaves and cook for another 5 minutes, uncovered. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Hearty Smoked Tofu and Chard Casserole with Millet Topping

It's snowed yesterday. A wonderful, blowy, billowing snow that didn't last too long, but just long enough to me me feel like winter is saying hello. The sky is clear and the air is frosty and chilly and it's the perfect day for a winter adventure, even if it's just a small one. We have somewhat of a winter tradition of warming up during our winter walks with Tim Horton's hot chocolate. I love summer and fall, but I also love winter and everything that comes with it.

I'm all for snuggly, pj days spent watching movies and drinking endless cups of hot drinks, but winter adventures get my blood flowing and bring all the cool, crisp oxygen to my brain -- something that helps me stay focused at work and happy at home. But after winter adventures, it's always nice to warm up to something hearty and comforting when supper time rolls around. This nice casserole fits the bill perfectly. It's filled with hearty winter greens, red lentils, smoked tofu (although you could use any firm tofu) and a unique, creamy and crunchy millet topping. It's kind of like a vegan shepherd's pie -- the kind of stick-to-your-ribs meal that reminds you of all the good things winter has to offer.  It's also the kind of relaxing meal that you can make while the wind howls at your balcony door and you sing along with your favourite album -- lots of chopping and stirring, nothing too complicated.

If you've never cooked millet before, it's pretty easy. I used a 1-2 millet-water ratio, but for a real flavour kick, use some veggie stock instead. Some people like to toast their millet in a dry pan before adding the water, which is totally cool as well. Once the millet is made, the rest of the recipe comes together in a snap. It's made even easier if you have a dutch oven that can go directly from the stove-top to the oven. But if you don't, it's no sweat. Just transfer your beautiful stew to a casserole dish, top with the millet crust and pop under the broiler. And if you can't find smoked tofu, just use regular firm tofu and add a nice sprinkling of sweet smoked paprika. It's a meal that you can make on Sunday and enjoy all snowy week long.

Smoked Tofu and Chard Casserole with Millet Topping
adapted from Project Foodie
serves 4-5, generously

1/2 cup of millet
1 cup of water or stock
1 teaspoon of olive oil

3 small carrots, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small bunch of swiss chard, stems diced, leaves cut into ribbons
1/3 cup of red lentils, rinsed well
4-6 ounces of smoked of regular tofu, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 teaspoon of herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
2 cups of vegetable stock

1. In small pot, bring water and millet to boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until the millet has absorbed all the liquid. Set aside.

2. In a large pot of dutch oven, sweat the onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until they start to soften and become fragrant. Add the carrots, celery, red bell pepper, chard stems and stir well. Add salt, pepper and herbes to provence. Cook for another 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the lentils, and vegetable stock and stir well. Cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the stew cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the lentils start to break down and the vegetables start to soften.

4. Add the chard leaves and tofu. Stir well. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, uncovered to let the liquid reduce a little more. Stir in the soy sauce and taste. Adjust seasoning as desired.

5. Turn off the heat. If you're not using a dutch oven, pour your stew out into a large casserole dish (try to choose one that's more deep and not too wide). Spoon the cooked millet on top of the stew. Drizzle with olive oil.

6. Put your casserole under the broiler for about 5-6 minutes, or until you see a nice brown crust. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Some Spice and a Unique Gift

I've mentioned on more than one occasion that the best gifts in the world are the ones that we make ourselves. It's pretty awesome to bake up a batch of cookies or whip up some homemade chocolate hazelnut spread, put a bow on it and give it to someone you love.

It's also pretty awesome to be on the receiving end of some homemade goodies. I received a very unique homemade gift just this weekend. In between breakfast, coffee, girl talk and lots of giggles, my friend pulled out a package for me. "I made you curried lentils," she said, and followed that with "I also put together all the ingredients you'll need to make a full batch." Isn't that awesome! Not only did I get a container of thick, rich, spicy lentil curry, but I also got a goody bag filled with red lentils, a tomato, an onion, tons of garlic, and a little packet filled with the curry paste and spices. It totally solved my dinner problems -- especially today with the rainy spurt that we're having. It was great to tuck into a spicy, tomato-y bowl of comfort.

When I heated up the "sample" I got, I added a little extra water, stirred in a handful of spinach and ate it as is -- like a thick stew. It needed nothing else. When we actually made the full recipe, we snuck in some cauliflower in the end for a little extra veggie love, and had it over bowls of brown rice. Delicious both ways! This curry is spicy, but not so spicy as to leave you sweating. It's got a flavour kick from both curry paste and powder, and so you know that it'll be tasty.

This recipe comes together in a snap, thanks to the quick-cooking red lentils, and was stress-free to make, even on a Monday night when I got home later than usual, soaked to the skin from the downpour outside. this recipe makes a nice big pot, so if you're like us with only two in your family, you'll have plenty of leftovers to last you the week.

If you're craving little weeknight spice and want to share the love with some friends, give this recipe a go. While you're waiting for a it to cook, grab a couple zip lock bags, toss these pantry staples together and give someone the amazing gift of a stress free supper.

Red Lentil Curry
adapted from allrecipes via TodayisBananas

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of curry paste
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 teaspoon of tumeric
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 large tomato diced
3-4 cups of water, vegetable broth or tomato juice (alternately you could just use a can of crushed tomatoes)
2 cups of red lentils, rinsed well
Optional add-ins: half a head of cauliflower cut into florets, a few handfuls of baby spinach

1. In a large pot, sweat the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium low heat until things get soft, fragrant and translucent -- about 3 minutes

2. Add in the curry paste, and all the spices, plus the salt and sugar. Stir well.

3. Add in the tomato, liquids, lentils and turn up the heat. Stir well.

4. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the lentils are tender, but not falling apart. You may need to add extra liquid if things get too dry.


If you're add the cauliflower, add it now -- bury the florets in the bottom and let them hang out there for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another five minutes. If you're adding the spinach, now is the time. Stir them in gently to wilt.

5. Serve -- rice is awesome with it, obviously, but so would some nice whole wheat flat bread.

Jeweled Cardamom Comfort: Koshary .. kind of.

This first time I read about koshary, it was in the hazy heat of July. And I drooled. Seriously. Even has I was drinking endless cups of iced tea and lemonade and eating nothing but watermelon and Popsicles, this recipe for a big pot of tasty carbs, made me hungry for the comfort they promised. But then I saw this cherry sherbet and forgot all about the rice, lentils and pasta. Boo for me.

Even though I favoured pitting cherries over stirring pots of grains infused with spice that summer, the idea of koshary stayed in the back of my mind, and then one day last month -- pop! I'm going to make koshary. Originally, I thought of it because I thought it would be great accompanied by a dollop of rhubarb raisin relish that we recently acquired from a cute little store in the market. But in the end, I strayed from that idea.

I strayed from the traditional elements of koshary as well. It is supposed to be served with a spicy tomato chickpea sauce and fried or caramelized onions, but I only had dried chickpeas that hadn't soaked, no tomato product in the house, and not enough patience to caramelize onions --  I was totally having the Sunday panics. Darn. But I did have a beautiful head of cauliflower beaming up at me, and I thought that this roasted cauliflower would go perfect with all that carby goodness. And it totally did. Next time I'll definitely try chickpeas, but this cauliflower was perfect with the dish -- tangy and earthy from the za'atar spice it was coated in, and still retaining a nice satisfying crunch.


For ease, I cooked the rice and lentils -- brown medium-grain Japanese rice and green lentils -- in the same pot, like a pilaf. The green lentils held up well during the slight over-cooking while waiting for the brown rice to get tender. Spices were simple -- just a some cumin, turmeric and a few cardamom pods. But I did use a special ingredient that I've never used before: preserved meyer lemon. It's really unique tasting and very salty- so I didn't add any salt to the pilaf. You could totally substitute this with a squeeze of lemon juice, the zest of half a lemon, and a good pinch of salt, although if you went this route, I'd wait til the very end to add the lemon. I also threw in two big handfuls of  baby spinach for a bit of green, and topped the whole thing off with a sprinkling of pomegranate arils. I happily dug into this delicious bowl of carby comfort and I am pleased to say that it totally set me right for Monday morning.

Koshary with Roasted Cauliflower
serves 2 hungry people -- doubles nicely
adapted from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

For the cauliflower
half a head of cauliflower, broken in the florets and washed
juice of half a lemon
a splash of olive oil
1 teaspoon of za'atar spice mix
a good pinch each of salt and pepper

1. Toss everything together in large bowl and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes, tossing once or twice, or until the cauliflower reaches your desired tenderness -- I like a slight crunch still remaining.

2. Put your pasta and pilaf on while your cauliflower is roasting.

For the koshary
1 cup of short pasta -- I used brown rice vegetable spirals
1/2 cup of brown rice
1/4 cup of green lentils
1/2 onion, chopped
an inch bit of ginger, finely minced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
4 whole cardamom pods
a few good grinds of pepper
1 tablespoon of chopped preserved lemon (about an eight of a lemon)
2.5 cups of water
3 cups of baby spinach, or chopped spinach
2 handfuls of pomegranate arils -- about half a fruit's worth

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain when it's almost done -- when it's still got a tiny bit of a bite to it. Set aside.

2. Saute the onions, garlic and ginger in a pot for about 1 minute, or until things start getting soft and fragrant. Add the spices and preserved lemon, and stir well. Add the rice and lentils and toss in the oil and spices. Cook for about 1-2 minutes so things get a bit toasty.

3. Add the water and mix well. Cover, turn down the heat to a simmer, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is almost tender -- about 20 minutes.

4. Add the spinach and pasta, and mix well. Cover for about 2 minutes to let the spinach wilt and to let the pasta and rice finish cooking.

5. Serve in bowls topped with the roasted cauliflower and handful of pomegranate arils. This would also be lovely served family style, in a large, shallow serving dish.

Noodly Goodness

It's time for some supper. I've made post after post of baked goods and treats -- indulgent and healthy breakfast worthy treats -- but now I think it's time for some supper.  Yes, supper. Some winter-comfort-in-a-bowl supper.

Where I live, winter is a bit wonky. It's warm and balmy one day, sunny and icy-cold the next, and then rainy and dreary for a week after that. It snowed a tiny bit, but nothing that lingered, and right now, there's a freezing rain alert out there. It's definitely not a picture perfect winter with bright sunny skies and fluffy snow on the ground, although I remember a time when there was. Last winter was rainy and mild, and I'm not yet sure what winter has in store for us this year, but whatever it may be, I know I'll definitely need quick, comforting suppers to drive away the overcast blues.

It's definitely stew and soup season, and I've got a few that I'll post soon, but today, it's all about the noodles. For awhile, I avoided pasta, partly because of the bad reputation that carbs were getting, and partly because pasta was beginning to not sit right in my stomach. Since discovering brown rice pasta, those days are over. And this dish is the perfect celebration of pasta. Spirally noodles mingle with toothsome black beluga lentils and velvety ribbons of spinach, all held together in a creamy sauce made from pureed squash and plenty of garlic. It's so totally simple, with fresh, natural flavours -- no overwhelming spices, just the beautiful, fresh, sweetness of vegetables hanging out with the mellow, woodsy lentils and pasta. It reminds me of macaroni and cheese because of the creamy squash, but it's totally vegan, heart-healthy and more than delicious.

For this beautiful noodle dinner, I would definitely take the time to roast and puree your own squash. It's simple and so much better than the canned stuff. Plus, if you can get your hands on an ambercup squash or kabocha squash, the flavour is out of this world -- sweet, nutty, buttery .. perfect in this pasta dish, but also in pies and sweet baked goods. All you do split the squash, and after scooping out the seedy slimy bits, cut them into chunks and roast them cut-side down in an inch of water for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until their they're super soft and tender. Let them cool down a bit, then the skins come off easily. Throw all the flesh into a pot, add a bit of water and then blend using a hand-blender. I stored my leftover squash in a sealed glass container, and it kept fine for a week.

Happy Winter!

Pasta and Lentils with Squash and Spinach
inspired by Everybody Likes Sandwiches
serves 2-3

2 cups of dried spirally pasta (rotini or fusili)
1/2 cup of dried beluga lentils

1 large clove of garlic
olive oil
1 cup of pureed squash
1 small bunch of spinach, washed and chopped
1/2 cup of water or stock
1 teaspoon of herbes de Provence
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Cook the lentils in water for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.

3. While the pasta and lentils are cooking, prepare the sauce. Saute the garlic in olive oil over low heat until things get soft and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper and herbes de Provence.

4. Add the spinach and stock. Stir well and turn up the heat to medium. Cook until the liquid comes up to a boil. Add the squash and stir well.  Add the lentil and pasta and give it a good mix.

5. Let the mixture hang out together for a few more minutes over low heat, adding a bit of stock if things start to get too dry.

6. Serve immediately.

Creamy Vegan Mac 'n' Cheeze

Ever since I saw this post over at Eat Me Delicious, I've wanted to make vegan cheeze sauce. The vegan pumpkin macaroni and cheeze didn't make the cut for blog posting -- it just wasn't enjoyed enough my Ashley. But it looked sooooo delicious.

I've been on a vegan kick lately. I don't know if it's our latest addiction to vegan burritos (or in my case, burrito rice bowls!) or what... but I've been exploring vegan cooking and baking a lot more. During March break, I made a list of things I wanted to cook before the summer, and first on the list was vegan mac 'n' cheeze. I was never a child that grew up on boxed Kraft dinner -- it was a rare, rare sight growing up in my parents' home. It was Chinese home cooked dinners pretty much every night, and I have a Mom who hates cheese, so KD is not a childhood memory of mine.


I have made macaroni and cheese before -- and it was lovely. Creamy, and cheesy and comforting. But would a vegan version be the same? I did a little internet research and found that recipes for vegan cheese sauces could really be categorized into three categories: heavy on the nutritional yeast (like 1/2 cups worth) and thickened with cornstarch, sometimes helped with the addition of miso, squash-based sauces like the one Ashely tried, and nut or seed-based sauces (I'm not counting the ones that call for vegan daiya cheese -- that's pretty much a straight substitution). The recipes that I found the most interesting were over the Post Punk Kitchen, where Isa makes Mac and Shews (that cashews!) and Sunflower Mac. Both lovely-sounding but I didn't have enough sunflower seeds or any nuts and I kind of wanted a lower fat version.

Instead, I took the Sunflower Mac recipe and tweaked it, replacing the blended, soaked sunflower seeds with cooked red lentils. It worked quite nicely. Red lentils are so quick cooking, and if you add a little extra water and cook it an extra few minutes, they melt down into nothing, leaving a nice creamy sauce-like texture. Perfect! I got help from an immersion blender, some smoked paprika, a splash of soy sauce and a good helping of nutritional yeast. It was creamy and comforting and perfect served with macaroni and greens. Next time, I'll add a little bit of mustard or a squeeze of lemon juice to perk it up a bit and give it a "cheesy" tang.




I'm definitely making this again, and you should too! It's relatively quick, and the only special ingredient is the nutritional yeast, which is easy to find in health food and bulk stores. Does it taste like cheese? No. I don't think anything tastes quite like cheese, but it's good in its own right. Go try! Happy veganing!

Creamy Vegan Macaroni with Greens
inspired by Post Punk Kitchen
serves 2-3

2 cups of dried pasta
1 bunch of greens -- any kind you like; I used kale

1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 cup of red lentils, rinsed
3/4 cup of water
1/2 cup of vegetable stock
3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
1 teaspoon of light soy sauce
lots of fresh cracked black pepper

1. Cook your pasta according to the package directions. When it's almost done, throw in your greens and cook until tender. Drain and set aside.

2. In a medium sized pots, heat the olive oil, and add in the onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes or until things get translucent and fragrant. Add in the paprika, lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, covered for 20 minutes, or until the lentils and broken down. Check every so often, and add water if necessary.

3. When the lentils are creamy and saucy, turn off the heat and add the vegetable broth. Blend using an immersion blender until you get a nice sauce-like consistency. Turn the heat back on to medium.

4. Dissolve the cornstarch in a little water or broth and add to the sauce. Also add in your nutritional yeast and soy sauce. Bring the sauce back up to a boil and cook for a minute to allow the cornstarch to thicken it a little.

5. Add your pasta and greens to the sauce and mix well. Add in the pepper. Serve immediately.

Vegan Bolognese

I meant to post this recipe last Sunday, but I was sleepy. It was a sleepy Sunday. It was hazy and warm outside and I didn't feel like doing much more than take naps and drink more coffee. Then it got really warm. I mean, unseasonably 26 degree sunshine warm and you all have probably been busting out summer recipes like cucumber and yogurt salad, grilled pizzas, gazpachos and cool guacamole dips. I didn't want to disrupt that at all.



But it's rainy and coolish today, and the forecast calls for single digit temperatures when the work week begins again, so I figured this nice, comforting bolognese would be appropriate for this weekend. It's really easy, pretty quick to prepare once you get all the chopping out of the way, and it's something that just gets better as it sits. So if you make it for supper tonight, it will taste just as good if not even better when you reheat it on Monday when the 5 (feels like -1) degree weather may be giving you the chills.



It's cold weather food, but still hints of spring, with all the nice veggies and tomatoeyness. It's more than a vegetarian tomato sauce for pasta. It's got meaty ingredients like cremini mushrooms, red lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas. The original recipe called for crumble tempeh -- I've never worked with tempeh and didn't have it around, but I'm sure it would have been great in place of the beans. The Italianeque herbs -- dried basil, oregano and crushed fennel really make a difference. I know a lot of people frown upon dried herbs, but they totally made a difference in the sauce and tasted great. I'm sure fresh herbs would be wonderful if you were making this in the middle of the summer when they're plentiful, but for now, dried is fine for me.

I loved eating this up over quick-cooking spinach flavoured Chinese noodles, but the obvious choice would probably be pasta. I've also had it over red rice and quinoa -- both excellent carbs to pair with this chunky stew-like sauce. I'm sure it's nothing like a traditional bolognese, but it's vegan, hearty and satisfying. You can feel good eating it, and I think we need a bit of that, especially during this time of the year.

Vegan Bolognese
adapted from What Would Cathy Eat?
serves lots!

olive oil for sauteeing
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1 handful of cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 each of dried basil and oregano
1/4 teaspoon of chilli powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 can of tomato paste
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup of red lentils, rinsed
1/2 each cup of cook chickpeas and red kidney beans
1 small bunch of spinach, chopped

1. In a large pots, saute the onions, celery, bell pepper and carrots in olive oil over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for another minute or so.

2. Add the fennel, basil, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper and give it a good mix. Add in the tomato paste and stir. Cook until the tomato paste just starts sticking to the bottom of the pot -- about another 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaf and lentils and mix well. Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened.

4. Add the chickpeas, kidney beans and spinach and mix well. Turn off the heat and let the sauce stand, covered for about 5 minutes.

5. Serve over pasta! Don't forget to remove the bay leaf!

Some Nice Spice

Sometimes mellow and comforting and what you need on an icy cold, cloudy day, and sometimes you need a kick from spice. I've had both moments -- when a bowl of oats can soothe the soul, and when some tangy lemon is in order to shake things up. Lately, it's been the latter. The mix of chilly and balmy, wet and damp and overcast and sunny is making my mood and taste buds do flips and twirls. The other day, we wanted some serious spice and flavour to jazz up our dinner, and the first thing that always comes to my mind is a nice spicy curry.

I love curry. It's one of the flavours I grew up with and still cherish to this day. No one makes better curry than my Dad, so I've stopped trying to compare. I've also stopped trying to mimic the flavour of his curries and started to experiment with stuff he never did. My Dad's curry is usually chicken-based, with lots of ginger, onions and coconut milk. I tend to do veggie curries and mix my Malaysian curry spice with other yummies like cumin, coriander, and lately cinnamon and cardamom. I was inspired by this beautiful, creamy black lentil dish, and thought I'd do a little experimenting.




There were no black lentils to be found at my grocery store, so I settled for green ones, which worked fine. I added crushed fennel seeds and dried chili to my spice mix of Malaysian curry powder, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. The added yogurt made all the difference, as did the 45 minutes that the dish spent getting creamy and yummy in the oven. I served this beautiful dish up alongside a rice pilaf inspired by this one -- the zatar spice really makes a difference! I think it's the addition of sesame seeds in the spice mix that makes it so delicious, so if you can't get a hold of this beautiful mix, use a combination of cumin, cardamom, coriander and toasted sesame seeds.

The ingredient list for this meal is pretty big, and that may be a turn off, but don't be alarmed. Both rice and lentil dishes are super easy to prepare once you have all the spices down, and you'll be rewarded with a wonderfully flavourful and comforting supper. It's pretty chilly out today, and although the sun is shining a little, an evening spend stirring spices doesn't sound too bad at all.




Creamy Baked Lentils with Rice Pilaf
serves lots!
inspired by Food, Football and a Baby, and KitchenLab

For the lentils:

1 cup of green lentils, rinsed thoroughly,
2.5 cups of water
1 bay leaf
5 cardamom pods, crushed


1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 dried chilli
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of Malaysian curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 medium carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 inch bit of ginger, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of water
1/2 small can of tomato paste
1/2 cup of plain yogurt (I used 2% -- skim yogurt tends to get water when you bake it)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Crush of the cardamom pods and place them in a pot with the water, bay leaf and lentils. Bring to a boil, and then simmer, covered until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Using a mortar and pestle, crush up the dried chilli and fennel seeds. Mix them with the rest of the spices and set aside. Alternately, you could use whole spices and grind everything in a coffee grinder. Your call.

3. In an oven safe pot or dutch oven, saute the carrot and onion in some olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until things start to get soft and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.

4. Add in all your spices and stir so they toast. When things start to stick to the bottom, add the tomato paste and water and stir well, making sure to scrape the bottom. Add the lentils and give it a nice big mix.

5. Add in the yogurt and stir well. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.



Now make the rice!

For the rice pilaf:

1 small onion,
1/4 inch bit of ginger
1/2 cup of basmati rice, rinsed
1/4 cup of yellow split peas rinsed
1 teaspoon of zatar spice mix
4 cardamom pods, crushed
1 1/4 cup of vegetable stock or water
1/2 bunch of spinach, washed and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a pot, saute the onion in olive oil for about 3-4 minutes. Add the ginger and season with salt and pepper. Add the zatar spice mix and stir so it gets toasty.

2. Add in the rice and split peas and mix well so that everything gets coated with the spicyness. Add in the water or stock, and the cardamom pods and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and cook, covered for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice and peas are tender and all the water is absorbed.

3. Stir in the spinach, turn off the heat and let it stand, covered for about 5 minutes.

4. Yum! We're done! Serve the rice with the lentils and pat yourself on the back. Oh! And careful of the cardamom pods!

So NOT Soup Weather

It's a been a steamy past few days here in Toronto, and I know the last thing you want is a bowl of hot soup to make you even hotter. But trust me; this is worth the pain. In the scorching feels-like-41-degree weather during the middle of this week, we made a soup so delicious that is was worth the minor discomfort of eating hot foods on a hot day.

Here's the story: I wanted to make this soup when I first saw the post. I love lentil, I love beans and I wanted an excuse to use my hot smoked paprika again. Then, I saw this lovely spring minestrone and I was intrigued by the addition of fresh pesto stirred into the soup at the very end to give it body and a kick of flavour. My idea to combine the two soups came when I was staring into the fridge at some leftover pesto I had made (which by the way, is so much better when you make it yourself!) and wanting to do something with a beautiful bunch of spinach that was sitting in the crisper. It worked out beautifully. It was a great way to use up a few purple potatoes I had hanging around for a couple of weeks, plus use some of Ontario's first batch of spring asparagus.





This soup is the perfect opportunity to experiment with different vegetables. I don't think you could mess it up, even if you wanted to! It's hearty with beautiful earthy lentils and chickpeas -- winter staples that you probably still have hanging around, but also fresh and spring-y from the veggies and fresh herbs. Whatever you do, don't skip the pesto. It's the secret that makes this soup a definite winner.

Spring-Winter Minestrone
inspired by kickpleat on poppytalk and Simple Recipes

1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
a handful of button mushrooms, sliced
a handful of baby potatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of green lentils, rinsed
1/2 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups of water or vegetable stalk, plus more if needed
a small bunch of spinach, roughly chopped
a small bunch of asparagus, trimmed and halved
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of fresh pesto

1. In a large pot, sweat the onions, garlic, carrots and celery with some olive oil for about 5 minutes until they start to get soft and fragrant. Season and add dried oregano and smoked paprika.

2. Add the mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas and give it a good stir. Add the stalk and bring up to a boil. Cover and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender.

3. Add the asparagus and put the lid on for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the chopped spinach. Simmer, uncovered for 10 more minutes, or until the asparagus and potatoes and fully tender and the liquid has reduced.

4. Turn off the heat and stir in the pesto. Serve with something over ice!

I'll Miss You, Winter

Every year near the end of March, I ache for spring to arrive. During the first day that temperatures get above 5 degrees, I shed my puffy winter coat for a light spring jacket and declare it spring. A week later, when it's snowing and -13, I'm in denial; I add two more layers underneath my spring jacket and carry on. It's always a Spring-Winter battle this time of the year where I live. There's rain, there's snow, there's hail, there's chilly wind, there's sunshine and there's warmth. Spring wants to arrive, but Winter doesn't want to say good-bye.

This past week has been pretty soggy, but temperatures haven't been too bad. I'm seeing plants for sale at the market, and there's light out when I get ready to go to work. I think Winter has finally said good-bye. Now that's it's happened, I'm thinking back to cozy days spent curled up on the couch with coffee or tea, winter adventures and hikes, and of course, winter food: hearty soups and stews, casseroles, and my favourite, spicy curries made with winter vegetables. I made this cauliflower and chickpea curry last weekend to welcome home my love after a week spent in New Brunswick. It lasted us the entire week and helped to shake off the damp chill that early spring rain can leave in your bones.



This curry is comfort in every way. It's got chickpeas, lentils, cauliflower and a big dose of ginger to scare away the cold. The recipe is simple and straightforward, despite the long ingredient list, so you can make it even when you're coming down with a cold, like I was. I used Malaysian curry powder, which gives this stew a beautiful smoky flavour and a bright orange-red colour. A little dash of hot smoked paprika brought it to a new level. We ate bowls of this curry paired with rice one night, pita bread the next, and even all by itself. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to Winter and welcome home my love.


Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry

1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
an inch chunk of ginger, finely diced
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
2 teaspoons of Malaysian curry powder
a pinch of hot, smoked paprika
5-6 curry leaves (or lime leaves)
2 medium carrots, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
a handful of mini potatoes, quartered
1 can of sodium-free chickpeas
half a large head of cauliflower
1/4 cup of red lentils, rinsed well
4 cups of water, or vegetable stock
1 small can of crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, sweat the onions for about 2-3 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger, carrots and celery and season with salt and pepper.

2. Turn up the heat and add the spices and curry leaves. Stir vigorously to toast the spices. Add the potatoes and lentils and toss around until everything is coated in spice. Add the stock or water and crushed tomatoes and stir well, making sure to scrape up any yummy spicy bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

3. Cook until the potatoes are tender and the lentils have almost melted away. Add the cauliflower and chickpeas and give it a good mix. Put the lid on and let the cauliflower cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Give it one big stir, and then leave the lid on and let it sit for about 10 minutes so everything can mingle.

4. Serve warm with rice, pita or all by itself!

To Your Health

Happy 2011! I really hope your 2010 ended and your 2011 started better than mine. In the midst of a post-Christmas pre-New Year's party at my best friend's house, right in the middle of a crazy game of Cranium, while everyone else was just starting to feel their vodka-cranberry buzzes, I started to feel a sore throat coming on. By midnight, it had worsened, and by the time a woke up in the morning, I could barely swallow. Yuck. Despite my strengthening workout, Listerine rinses, chugs of orange juice and endless pieces of Fisherman's Friend, by the 11am, I had crawled back into bed. My body couldn't make up its mind as to whether it was hot or cold, and somehow, my legs were aching like crazy.


It's now the 2nd of the month in a brand new year, and the pain in my throat has moved to my chest and I'm constantly coughing into my sleeve (sorry to anyone who has to ride public transit beside me!). Geeze! How did I even make it through a New Year's celebration game of Monopoly and a sip of iced wine champagne at midnight? Caffeine, cold + flu medication, and a restorative soup, made with love. It was a soup of easily digestible lentils and veggies simmered in homemade broth and sipped slowly on the couch covered in blankets. I ate this lovely soup three days in a row. By the third day, I was feeling slightly better, and decided to participate. We added a few more veggies and even some yellow split peas for a little extra texture.

There are probably an endless number of ways to flavour this soup: crushed fennel seeds and basil, cumin and lemon, coriander and lime ... the possibilities are exciting. But what I've been wanting is something easy to taste, something familiar and warm, something soothing and friendly to help me get through my cold. So we settled for simple salt and pepper, a few sprigs of thyme, and the help of some homemade, flavourful stock. I'll try those other combinations when I feel better. For now, I'll go back to my soup and hope that tomorrow, my cold + flu pills will be enough to hold back 150 excited students.

Get Well Soup
serves 4

3/4 cup of red lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup of yellow split peas, rinsed
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 small can of tomatoes
2 sprigs of thyme
4 cups of flavourful stock

1. In a large soup pot, saute the onions, celery, carrots and garlic for about 5 minutes, or until things get fragrant and start to soften. Add the lentils, split peas and tomatoes and give it a good stir.

2. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until the tomatoes form a yummy, sticky coating at the bottom of the pot. Add your stock and scrape up the bits from the bottom. Throw in your thyme sprigs and turn up the heat.

3. Bring your soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cook, uncovered for about 20 minutes. The lentils should have broken down and the peas should be tender. Serve with bread for a nice, comforting meal.

Homey and Hearty Lentil Casserole

Winter has definitely arrived. Never mind this waiting for December 21 when it becomes official. It's here. My many layers of clothing, silly-looking but warm hat and puffy man jacket already make it official. And although I love winter, and snow hikes and blustery days spent inside baking and winter walks during those deceptively chilly but sunny days, I have to admit that I don't like the cold. It seeps into my bones and plants a chill that is so hard to get rid of that I feel like either staying under a hot shower for hours or putting on three sweaters and never leaving the house. A colleague at work this week mentioned that for the holidays, he was taking his family to visit friends north of Thunder Bay, where they would go ice fishing, soak in a hot tub and then roll around in the snow in an "authentic Canadian tradition." (I won't even GO there with how loaded those words are!) I was cold for the whole morning thinking about this. Some Canadian, eh?

So how do I take away the cold? Coffee helps. Lots of coffee and tea in never-ending quantities and merino wool socks on my feet ... and a nice, homey, hearty and healthy meal, like this lentil and walnut casserole. We got the idea to make this dish when we saw it on a menu at a restaurant. Although we didn't order it, it stayed in our minds and we had to try to create it in our kitchen. I can't say enough good things about this casserole. It's definitely flavourful and tasty -- my Mom even thought there was meat in it! And it's completely vegetarian, very healthy and the perfect meal to cook and enjoy on a cold winter day. It's creamy without cream, filling but not heavy and has just enough spark from the dried and fresh herbs to take comfort food to a new level. It does take some time prepare and will take up several pots and pans in the kitchen, but if you've got a whole afternoon of warming up to do like we did, it shouldn't be a problem. Just put your favourite CD on, pour yourself another cup of tea, and dive into this recipe.

Lentil Walnut Casserole
adapted from Food.com

3/4 cup of dried red lentil, rinsed thoroughly
1.5 cups of vegetable broth

1/2 a sweet onion, diced finely
1 garlic clove, minced
a handful of chopped cremini mushrooms
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
1/4 cup of oats
1 egg
1 teaspoon of honey mustard
a splash each of Worcestershire sauce and dark soy
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed (or use 1/2 teaspoon of dried)
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh sage (or used 1/2 teaspoon of dried)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup of grated mozzarella cheese

1. Cook the lentils in the vegetable broth for about 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid is gone and the lentils are tender but have not yet disintegrated. Set aside.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the mushrooms in a splash of olive oil until they start to get nice and brown. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. In a large bowl, combine the lentils and mushrooms with the rest of the ingredients except the cheese, and give it a nice big stir. Pour this mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle the cheese on top.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, then turn on the broiler and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese gets brown and bubbly.

5. Remove from the oven and serve with a green salad or steamed vegetables.