curried lentil soup.

Apparently, it snows in April in Toronto. Much like everywhere else in the country. Just when you get excited about the beautiful, first few days of spring, the weather gods laugh in your face and take it all away. Today was blustery and chilly and the perfect way to start the weekend is with a bowl of homemade soup. My personal favorite is this curried brown lentil soup that my mom has been making for me since I became a vegetarian over five years ago. My friends always make fun of me for eating it, because once its pureed, it doesn't look very appetizing, but the flavor is unbeatable, and it is so filling. It's the perfect meal for a cold day!

6 large carrots,
1 small white onion
4 or 5 garlic cloves.
2 Tbsp curry paste (red or yellow)
2 tsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp curry powder

To start, chop the carrots, garlic and white onion and sautee in a big pot with olive oil on medium heat. Once the onion becomes translucent and the carrots become soft, add 6-8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 1/2 c brown lentils and stir in 2 Tbsp of curry paste, 2 tsp of cumin powder and 1 Tbsp of curry powder. The measurements of these can differ, depending on how much spice you like your soup to have.

Puree in a blender or food processor, and serve with cornbread or rice crackers.

summer in the city.

It's snowing today in Toronto, and so to honor the sweet sweet days of summer, here is a delicious sangria recipe sure to make you reminisce of the good old fashioned days of sunshine and patios.

1 bottle of dry red wine
2 L of club soda, or gingerale if you prefer something a little bit sweeter
3 oz cranberry juice
3 oz lime juice
3 oz orange juice
6 oz cherry whiskey
3 oz triple sec
1 c rose wine
Mix together in a punch bowl and add ice.

Add sliced oranges, lemons, berries and pineapple for extra flavor. It's also fun to eat the booze soaked fruit after the sangria has been polished off.

Serve with guacamole, tacos and ceviche for an indoor version of a Mexican fiesta!

banana bread: not just gluten-free, vegan too!

You can imagine how happy I was when I received my copy of BabyCakes NYC bakery's cookbook in the mail. Always up for a food challenge, I ran to my nearest healthfood store and stocked up on all the necessary ingredients to make use of the 6 brown bananas that had been sitting on my counter for 3 weeks.

Erin McKenna, owner and creator of BabyCakes really knows her stuff. This is the best banana bread I have ever tasted, gluten free or otherwise. It's delicious!

2 c Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c coconut oil, and more for the pan
2/3 c agave nectar
2/3 c rice milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 medium bananas, peeled & mashed.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with the remaining coconut oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and cinnamon. Add1/2 c oil and agave nectar, rice milk and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Stir until the batter is smooth. Gently fold in bananas until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The finished loaf will be a nice golden brown.

Cover with plastic wrap, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, but trust me, it will never last that long!

*recipe courtesy of Erin McKenna and BabyCakes nyc bakery.

stuffed peppers.

For a delicious & creative alternative to salad, make this simple stuffed pepper as a side dish to accompany chicken, fish or beef.

Start with 4 peppers. I usually use red, but orange or yellow work too because of their sweetness.
Cut the top off and hollow out all of the seeds.

2 cups brown rice, cooked
1/2 c spinach, chopped
1/4 c tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 artichoke hearts (canned ones work fine)
1/2 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix rice and all the vegetables, garlic and chickpeas into a bowl. Scoop into the hollowed out pepper, until the filling reaches the top.
Place peppers in a heat resistant baking tray, and drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil. Cover with tin foil, and bake for about 30 minutes, checking every so often.

Bake until pepper gets golden and starts softening.

*For cheese lovers, add a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top of the filling before baking.

squash soup.

There is no better way to warm the soul on a cold winter's day than a delicious, hearty bowl of soup. This recipe comes from Riis, and is one of my personal favorites. The nutmeg gives it so much flavour, and the sweet aroma from the baked squash is reminiscent of a beautiful autumn day.

1 large butternut squash
1 large spaghetti squash
6 c low sodium vegetable broth, or water
1 med white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 tsp nutmeg

Bake squash, cut side down at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. They should be golden brown and soft to the touch. Sautee garlic and onion until brown. Add cooked squash and broth or water. Add nutmeg. Cook gently for 30 minutes. You may also add milk, or goat cheese (at serving) for a creamier consistency.

The flavors in this soup are just part of the many reasons why autumn is my favorite season.

crab stuffed mushrooms.

This is a recipe that I stumbled upon online while searching frantically for something to serve guests at a formal, holiday cocktail party two years ago. I changed it a little bit, and came up with the perfect savory blend of crab & spices. I don't make it very often anymore, but my friends are always really excited when I whip these up, spur of the moment!

20-30 white mushrooms, depending on the size of your party. Remove stems, and rinse.
2 cans of real crab meat (imitation crab doesn't work the same way).
3 green onions
1/3 c mayonnaise
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and line up the mushrooms, round side down.

In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients together, and using a spoon, scoop a heaping amount into each mushroom.

Grate extra parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top, if desired.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and sizzling.

Serve warm.

from apples to ziti, and everything in between.

I haven't always been kitchen-saavy. Nor do I consider myself Wolfgang Puck, but I have to say, there is no satisfaction, quite like the one that comes from creating a food masterpiece. Something that makes people stop, gasp, and beg you for the recipe. It's moments like those that make me want to feed the world.

I guess it would make sense for me to start from the beginning, to give readers a better idea of how I developed this intense passion for all things food related. My paternal grandmother was the Martha Stewart of her time. Patient, and focused in the kitchen, and always able to turn out cookies, bread and cinnamon buns as if she invented them herself. She had hundreds of recipes, all written in her own handwriting, kept in a red tin recipe box, which I have treasured to this day. She mastered shortbread, chop suey, bakery fresh dinner rolls, pies, and her thanksgiving dinner is to this day, tough to beat. She was a whiz, that one. A very special lady.

My mom has learned a lot from her. From watching her make all of my dad's favourite dishes, and now my mom, for a little woman, can really hold her in own in the kitchen. I used to think that I would never be able to compare to my mom and granny. That no form of culinary talent would ever come out of me, but I think I am finally catching on. I used to burn everything I touched. The best thing I ever made in the kitchen was a mess, and sometimes with the help of miracles, I could crank out some pre-packaged cheesy pasta. Nothing that would bring them running back for seconds.

Over the last couple years, I have really found my niche in the kitchen. From planning elaborate dinner or cocktail parties, or just experimenting with recipes, to come up with something different, I have gone from hating cooking, to absolutely loving it. I wake up, and am instantly planning what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And I am always looking for opportunities to cook for my friends and family.

This is a place for me to share my favorite recipes. Whether they be my own, or the tried and true recipes of the cooks I look up to most, I hope that I can bring you some great culinary adventures, and help make every single day, a bit more delicious.