French Onion Tomato Soup is a marriage of perfectly roasted tomatoes, onions & garlic topped with toasted bread and ooey gooey melted cheese.

I feel a bit late to the party with this soup.  The sun is out, people are wearing more sunglasses & less clothing and I’m trying to convince my preschooler that just because the light is blaring in his window it is still bedtime.  Ahhh, summer is so close here in the pacific northwest… so let me make you a piping hot bowl of soup.

This probably would have been better served in a few months ago but forgive me… regardless of the temp outside, sometimes you need a hug in a bowl.  All I know for sure is this meal combines my favourite two soups – tomato and French onion – so it could have been 35 degrees celsius outside and this girl would be looking for seconds.

Actually,  the tomatoes are from last summer.  We scored so many fresh ones at seasons peak and ate them all summer. But near the end of the season, they started to get a bit soft (not unlike the author) and pretty much begged for salvation. So, into the freezer they went. Whole. Untreated. In a plastic bag.

Fast forward to April and time to clean out the freezer. French Onion soup is my favourite soup of all time. Tomato soup is a close second. Truth be told Campbells canned condensed tomato soup (the kind that goes sllllllurp when it comes out of the can) is my all time favourite. I wouldn’t dare look at the ingredient list today but it got me through MANY university (late) nights & mornings.   After making this soup I think I can say with some amount of certainty, every soup should have a lid with melted cheese on it.

As with most of my recipes, there is one secret. This one is step two – AFTER you roast the tomatoes, onions and garlic and scrape them into the pot.  I think the magic occurs when you add a bit of water to the baking pan and scrape all the “goodness” off the bottom and then pour that liquid into the same pot.  Its a bit dark and scary but I love the smokiness and warmth it adds to the soup. It truly replaces the need for a box of broth.  The maple syrup is also a slightly different hint of sweetness the soup needs.

I know it’s warm out and nights are longer but over the next few weeks, when you just might need a hug in a bowl, I think this soup could be the arms you could be looking for.

Enjoy!

PS – if you prefer your soup ‘consciously uncoupled’ you can my French Onion Soup here and my Tomato Soup here.

Maple Roasted Red Lentil Granola with almonds & toasted coconut.  A high protein, high fibre vegan way to start your day.

I am always up for a challenge – especially one involving food.

Canadian Lentils posed a challenge to come up with creative ways to use lentils. From desserts to appies to everything in between, the challenge was to find new and interesting ways to incorporate lentils into your day to day cooking.  In the past, we have not been big lentil consumers around this house.  The exception probably comes during our monthly fix of Indian cuisine when we order Dal just because we think it makes our order of “every animal protein bathing in deliciousness” with a side of 27 pieces Garlic Naan seem somehow more balanced.

My vegan-leaning sister swears by lentils as a high protein substitute for meat so she was my first call as I tried several lentil recipes over the last few weeks.   I was pleasantly surprised with how most of them turned out. They certainly worked great as a potato substitute in a perogy you may see here shortly and I made a cauliflower & bacon lentil soup inspired by Todd & Diane’s recipe in Food and Wine.

All fantastic.  It seems like no matter how you prepare them, lentils are a staple in the space of comfort food.

It was ultimately the Maple Roasted Red Lentil Granola that was my favourite use though. I think the cooking method is key to ensure they get crispy and flaky and red lentils are definitely the ones that will yield the best results.  Just a handful of ingredients like maple, vanilla and a hint of cinnamon are all you will need to balance the already earthy flavour of the red lentils.

If you love granola, this is a great way to enjoy it with a much high protein & fibre component. Give it a try and if you like it, pop on over to Canadian Lentils and let them know.

Enjoy!

The best thing about this sweet & tangy meatball sauce is you most likely already have everything you need in your fridge. 

Vices.

Red wine & coffee are mine.  They are by no means my only ones but certainly in the top five.  In fact, I can probably guarantee you no matter time of day you are reading this there is a good chance I am sipping one of those two liquids.  (and if you are reading this at 3pm it could actually be both)

This thick and tangy mini meatball sauce is really what makes the dish and it only came together because I was enjoying the pleasure of cooking in a kitchen that was not my own.   Little and I were enjoying spring break at my parents little slice of heaven on an isolated lake and when you are over an hour away from the nearest grocery store, you learn to get creative.  My mom so generously offered to have anything on hand for me that I may need for any recipe development I would sneak in. This woman is an amazing cook so I just laughed and said, oh no – you will have anything I need, I’m certain.

I should not have been so certain.

We had a good laugh as I learned she had no soy sauce, no ginger, and no fresh herbs but just in case I needed them… two unopened jars of capers.

I had come across these meatballs on Pinterest and thought they looked delicious. I had started out wanting to create some Asian flavours but with my “cabin” pantry lacking some key inputs we had to go a different direction.  I have used coffee successfully with meat on several occasions including this espresso rubbed steak and these coffee brined drumsticks.  The base of the sauce is strongly brewed coffee and red wine.  The dry mustard and agave balance it out and as it cooks and thickens, the sauce comes together quite well.  The meatballs couldn’t be simpler – I tend not to use any filler in my ground meats so it is just meat and seasoning.  I also made these meatballs extra small. It takes longer to make them and they tend to get eaten faster but the cute factor is hard to beat.

Enjoy!

As much as I try to fight the establishment of rainbow coloured food aimed at children…

… sometimes you just have to wave the white flag and fake it.

Little has never had the original KD at home.  Not because of any soap box/political statement/agenda I am trying to promote.  Simply because I am fortunate to live in an urban community where I have “healthy/organic/chemical free instant macaroni” options if we choose to exercise them. (and I try to save the treats for outside the home as much as possible)

If he go to a friends house and they are serving the bright orange pasta, he would happily eat it and I would happily approve. I just choose not to bring it in  the house because my situation &  community makes it easy for me (translation: I feel very blessed) to make that choice.

All that said (she whispers), VERY LITTLE can compete with the original.  Little has had it drowned in ketchup and practically licked the plate.  (probably because he saw mommy do the same)

I felt it necessary to take a stab at a healthier version of the bright noodle dish. This started out as a soup and quickly transformed into a pasta sauce. I think it works in either case. Little calls it “orange soup” when the noodles are absent, and when I mix it with pasta, he calls it “yummy”. Just two slices of bacon are enough (and necessary I think) to make it indulgent enough to give the original a run for its money. You need a decent blender to get the consistency. There is no cheese – or dairy – in this recipe. It just looks like Mac ‘n Cheese and I couldn’t think of a better name.

I urge (probably too strong a word – suggest?) you to give it a go. Just once. I would love to hear the feedback. It really is super fast to make – will rival the instant box – and completely whole and clean. If it’s a bust so be it…

… you are welcome to wave the white flag at my house any day.

It’s almost the weekend….

… so let’s keep things super simple.

Wash cauliflower. Cut cauliflower. Place cauliflower on baking tray. Toss with lemon, garlic, olive oil and salt. Roast.

And done.

EVERYONE loves cauliflower these days.  It’s absolutely what kale was two years ago. I am sure it’s time will soon pass but I’m on board and think it’s a brilliant staple to keep in the fridge for so many reasons.

1. It lasts all week and then some. It usually means it winds up alone in my crisper but I’m always so grateful its there.
2. It transitions great from a weeknight side dish to a healthy happy hour snack.
3. What other food can you make into  pizza crust AND chocolate cake?

So I know it’s Friday and you are probably exhausted, but instead of a putting out a bowl of chips or popcorn when your happy hour/movie/general chill time rolls around this weekend, think about giving the lonely cauliflower in the back of your fridge some love. Toss it on a piece of parchment on a board and be done.  I can assure you…

…we will be.  Happy Friday!

This may or may not be Ramen…

… but given the recipe title, let’s call it that.

Ramen stirs up very homey memories from college and university.  It is on a short list of things that can satisfy a 2am craving after a liquid indulging evening out.  Our brand of choice was Ichiban as there was something magical about that little spice packet – just the right portions of sodium & msg to magically transform the deep fried noodles when the hot water hit.

By actual definition, ramen refers to a quick cooking noodle in a clear broth with vegetables and sometimes meat. (I can assure you if there was any meat in those instant noodles, I do not want any further details on the matter.) But not all ramen comes out of a plastic package. I have experienced some delectable ramen dishes in some of my favourite Japanese restaurants.  Warm bowls of comfort with a steaming flavourful broth.

I called this a cleansing soup because that is what it started out as.  Mister was heading out of town for the week and I wanted to plan some lighter fare for me and Little one.  A bit of a mini-cleanse because I like to (unreasonably so) blame all my bad eating habits on my other half. I think it was in the marriage contract.

The broth is a combination of shoyu and miso ramen – vegetable based with miso flavour.  I rarely do a home made stock without animal protein because I find I can’t get enough flavour from straight veggies. After some testing,  I found this combination of vegetables yielded a nice strong broth that was not at all cloudy (often a challenge with bone broths). The squash and greens are key to the deeper flavour.   You could easily use dried noodles of any kind in this soup – the zucchini noodles ones were just to keep me honest on the cleanse. (and because I love vegetable noodles)  I would also make this again and add a boiled egg and/or some shredded chicken.

So like my Cauliflower Crust Pizza was not really “pizza” – this is definitely not your college ramen.  But I am getting older wiser & with wisdom…

… comes better ramen.

I made this totally because of the name…

… and what you get to cook it in.

(Dutch Baby by Fifteen Spatulas)

Wood & cast iron are my absolute two favourite things to present food on/in.  If you know me, you know I have an incredible affinity toward family style plating.  Wood and cast iron make complete sense to me as the best things to serve something a family would share.

(Dutch Baby from Alaska From Scratch)

My therapist and I only recently did a little self discovery as to why these two surfaces draw up such a warm and affectionate emotion in me and it’s pretty obviously traced to growing up in a family that spent many summers camping in the great outdoors. We camped a LOT. Like a LOT. I have the absolute fondest memories of setting up tarps & tents.  I have story upon story of building fish smokers on the beach out of willow trees & cardboard, or digging deep holes in the sand only to throw in hot coals and a raw roast. I was blessed with parents who were foodies ahead of their time.   We were cedar planking long before you could find cedar planks at a local grocer.  Mandrell said it best…we were simply country when country wasn’t cool.

(Dutch Baby from Simply Recipes)

Our camping trips always included a cast iron frying pan and the echoing words of my father – leave the cast iron for me to wash, and make sure no soap touches it. Next to his tackle box, it was a sacred piece of equipment.

Dutch Baby.  It was only recently I heard the word dutch baby… a fantastic name, for really a fantastic breakfast.  At a cross between a pancake and a crepe it’s pretty much a no brainer. I take a lot of pride in my ability to make a pretty amazing pancake.  My dad’s culinary wheelhouse was (is) weekend breakfasts and grilling.  And camping meant dad was donning the chefs hat much of the time.  I remember pancakes were his “thing” and there may have been Cheese Whiz in our fridge, but there was never pancake mix in our pantry. There was just dad and a bowl and a whisk… add wet to dry to wet (gasp!) until the right consistency was achieved and then stealing the show with his ability to flip a hotcake in the air. (FYI Dad… I have sinced tried that… not really that hard mister)

(Gluten Free Dutch Baby from Memento Bracelet)

This is my first “round up” style of post.  As much as I like to think I can make the best {insert anything here} out there, there are so so many absolutely incredible home cookers/bakers, it would be a crime not share.  So I have rounded up some of my favourite Dutch Baby recipes and if you like that, I will continue to do so with other recipes.  I know I appreciate being able to pick a particular recipe that maybe appeals to me (and what I have in my fridge/pantry) , and maybe you do to.

(Apple Baked Dutch Baby by A Pretty Life in the Suburbs)

So this weekend, maybe change things up for Pancake Saturday/Sunday and give one of these Dutch Baby recipes a try. I think you can’t go wrong with any of these five…

…or the one I served up this past weekend. Enjoy!

As a self proclaimed passionate carnivore…

… a vegan would actually eat quite well at my house. Evidenced by this raw butternut squash salad.

Here is a quick little insight into what happens in my kitchen and how it ends up here.

Much of the food you see on the site is a result of what is in my fridge/pantry/countertop AND is moments away from taking its own life. I say that in jest..

…sort of.

The deal is my week is usually filled with brilliant aspirations of recipe and flavour testing, experimenting and discovery. Visions of how Monday through Thursday me and Little will joyfully frolic through the kitchen, singing and dancing our way through recipe trials and adjustments. He will wait patiently as things simmer, boil or bake and even more patiently as I place warm chocolate chip cookies under his nose, only to say… “no touching sweetie, mommy needs to take a picture of these”.  He responds.. “no problem mommy, I will play quietly & independently over here while you ‘work’ “.

As my laughter subsides, I can assure you the  reality is a trip to Mars away from that. Life happens.  A beautiful life happens. But some weeks are just messier than others.  I hate the thought of wasting food and so (and hence why I was roasting chicken at 6:30 this morning) while I wish my inspiration was all Pinterest/food mag derived, it quite honestly is “food on the edge” inspired.  This salad was no different.

The beauty of winter squash is those babies will sit on your counter for weeks quite contently. I have been doing a lot with squash this winter. My two favourite ways to prepare it are definitely soup – this butternut squash soup from over a year ago is still a favourite – and then as a pasta sauce.  A roasted butternut squash (alongside a few sweet potatoes, carrots and a slice of bacon) make a fantastic creamy “cheese” sauce for a pasta that big and little people in this house seem to get pretty excited about.  Recipe coming for that pronto.

Martha inspired the ingredients & flavour combinations here. I have never had squash raw before and I was pretty skeptical.  After playing around with getting the right thickness for the squash, it works beautifully. I tried hand slicing & the mandolin and nothing worked better than the good ol’ veggie peeler. The only thing I would do differently would be to marinate the butternut squash in the vinaigrette about 15 – 30 minutes prior to serving, just to have the vinegar break it down a little, but texturally it was still very appealing.  The dressing is without any added sweetness because the dates fill that space. Paired with peppery arugula, it was a winner all around.

For wordless Wednesday, I knew the recipe had to speak for itself…

…so I made a bowl of ice cream for breakfast.

The size of Little’s eyes when he heard he could have ice cream for breakfast could have lit up a stadium. When he gets excited he kinda shakes and clenches his fists, its precious.

I recognize it’s a lot easier to convince a three year old this is “ice cream” then anyone over the age of 8, but I encourage you to give it a try.

Close your eyes and think rich berry sorbet on a hot summer day.

It’s clean. It’s a healthy mix of carbs and protein. The cold sorbet will wake you & refresh you, while the warmed honey will comfort you. You could do this with same frozen banana, cocoa, agave and some peanut butter for a chocolate riff. Now that I say that, you may just see that here sometime soon.

And now as always…

…too many words for wordless Wednesday.

Five dollars. Fifteen minutes. A healthy dinner for four on the table…

…you are so welcome.

This meal came together so quickly and was so well received by my small brood, I was excited to share it here.  I would like to say it was inspired by a gorgeous photo spread in my favourite food magazine or that I strategically tested and retested various flavour and texture combinations until it was just right.  Ya…. not so much.

This is pretty much how it went down…

Saturday morning.

“Hun, do you mind taking Little to gymnastics this morning? I just have sooooo much work to do around here.  Thanks sweetie. Have fun & I will have a really nice lunch waiting for you guys when you get back.”  

Fast forward 65 minutes later and my list of accomplishments included a hot shower, deep conditioning treatment and – if I do say so myself – a killer eyebrow shaping.  Insert expletive and a mad dash to pantry. They are now due home in five minutes.

Strategically send text to Mister “Have yummy lunch ready but it needs bread, swing by bakery before u come home?” Selfie high five, just bought myself 15 more minutes. 

I put a pot of water on (because that seems to be what people do in emergencies) and scoured pantry & fridge. One of my FAVORITE meals is a linguini alla vongole with pancetta. Given fresh clams and cured pork were not in play here I was able to improvise with spaghetti & canned tuna. I wanted to beef (pun!) up the protein so I added some chickpeas and truthfully the edamame was for colour but taste wise worked out great. I think it would have been even better with some fresh tomatoes at the end, or some bacon/pancetta etc.  Even without though, it was a great meal.

But if you know me, you know I like numbers.  - the numbers don’t lie.

Dollar wise – can’t beat can of tuna, can of garbanzo beans, box of spaghetti.  Time wise – can’t beat a recipe that gives you something to do while water is boiling. I’m all about efficiency. 

Throw this in your back pocket and sometime over the next couple weeks when you are in a bind for a quick, healthy and satisfying weeknight supper, give this one a try…

…and then you can really thank me.