Tuesday Tofu Tacos

Try saying that fast 10 times- lol.

 This recipe came from Thug Kitchen, one of my favourite cookbooks. It's easy to prepare, fast- and so good! I topped the mixture with more hot sauce, avocado slices and a combination of parsley and cilantro.
Make again? Absolutely.

Getting prepped. My little chopper came in handy tonight, too!

Done in no time!

Here's the link:
http://bit.ly/1RuJ1xH

Roasted Rhubarb Shake

I'm having a lot of fun trying out new recipes to use up all my rhubarb! This one is delightful, and almost too decadent to have for breakfast! Healthy never tasted so good!
Start the day off right with this beautiful shake. It will put a smile on your face.

Here's a link to the recipe:
http://bit.ly/1GlCKPv

Rhubarb Crisp

A good friend of mine gave me some gorgeous rhubarb from her garden, so for Father's Day I made this beautiful crisp for my husband.

He loved it! I added the juice of an orange as well as the rind, and doubled the recipe. I also used whole spelt flour instead of wheat. If I were to change anything, I would add a little less raw sugar in the topping, as it was a tad sweet, but nonetheless still very lovely. I didn't make the ginger for the ice cream, but it sounds great!

A wonderful dessert for the most wonderful husband -and dad- in the world.

The Taste of Summer

I had the most wonderful day. A road trip out into the country to find beautiful, 'almost' organic strawberries and then back home to my kitchen for some serious jam making.
I haven't made jam much because of the obscene amount of sugar that goes into the recipe. But this year I came across a blog- DYI Natural- that talked about a natural pectin brand called Pomona's Universal Pectin. This pectin allows you to use any sweetener you like, and the amount is lower than what is used with conventional pectin. I found it at our local health food store, and along with some honey, lime juice and a bunch of 125ml jars, I was good to go.

The recipe is easy to follow- I have included the link below. I prefer a jam that isn't too thick, so it is more like a spread, but you can tweak the recipe to give you the consistency you like. Lime juice is optional- in one batch, I used the full 1/4 cup, in another no juice and the last batch 1/8 cup. I think I prefer 1/4 cup, but they were all good.

I like using the 125ml jars too. I only used 1 flat of berries- 6 quarts- and that made 36 jars. We don't eat jam every day, so this size is perfect, as they keep for a couple weeks in the fridge after thawing. They are also great for little gifts. Tie a little ribbon around the top, maybe add a decorative spoon or knife or pkg of tea- a perfect hostess gift. And of course, I will have lots for when the kids come home!

Enjoy this beautiful season with some fresh healthy jam. It's the taste of summer.

I was so delighted to see how beautiful these berries were! It made the trip most worthwhile.

In fact I decided to buy 2 flats instead of one!

Setting up for the 'jam' session

Making sure all my jars were washed 

Getting my berries prepared- washed and hulled.

My favourite appliance- no hand mashing needed. Just a few pulses to keep some nice chunks in the jam.

Honey and fresh lime

Add the boiling water to the food processor, sprinkle in the pectin and blend for 2 minutes before adding to the berries. Stir well.

Then add the calcium water to the berries, mixing well. If the jam needs a little more thickening, add 1 tsp at a time until it gels.

Make sure you leave 1/2 inch at the top of each jar to allow for expansion in the freezer

Add the tops and screw the lids on tightly

I kept the boxes so I could stack them easily in the freezer.

Now time for some pumpernickel toast and jam, and camomile tea.  Life is good.



Here's the link to the recipe (recipe is also on the Pomona website-http://www.pomonapectin.com/directions)

http://bit.ly/1Btz5Cx

Key Lime Coconut Cheesecake Cups

Now, that's a mouthful, isn't it?

This was an interesting recipe. I'm fairly new to vegan baking, and this one was a little fussier than the simple squares and brownies I've made previously.
I wouldn't call this super healthy although healthier than conventional cheesecake, that's for sure. Nonetheless, it's a treat and one that I would serve to guests.
The only thing I would change next time is to use the smaller size cupcake cups ( I just had large).
For those wanting a light, yet rich dessert, smaller would be ideal.

So treat yourself, and treat those you love.

Into the freezer they go!

Just right.

http://bit.ly/1d5LQHN

Tomato/Basil/Mozzarella Bites

If you want an appetizer that it is tasty and takes only a few minutes to prepare. try these. I've made them a few times and the simplicity of flavours in these little kabobs- tomato, basil and boccaccini is really nice, especially dipped in the simple sauce of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Vibrant colours, fresh flavours- it doesn't have to be complicated to be satisfying. Enjoy.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tomato-and-mozzarella-bites/

Quinoa and Cacao Crispy Treats

From the blog- Deliciously Ella

Need a dessert that's easy, fast, relatively healthy- and cute :D ? This one took 15 minutes to make, no baking required and only 5 ingredients. No fuss, no muss.
Give it try!

Do you see many ingredients here? I know!

Prepare the chocolate sauce

Stirring until smooth on low heat.

Pore the melted cacao mixture over the quinoa and stir until combined.

I use a little melon scoop to make them nice and uniform.

Into the freezer they go!

Here's the link:

http://bit.ly/1Im8ZhZ