I love pâté, all kinds of pâté, but last year I tried a new to me pâté. At my friends wedding she had these amazing picnic baskets set out for all of the guests. Each was filled with an assortment of goodies and treats among which was a delicious mushroom pâté. Why hadn’t I thought of that before? This version was such a fantastic alternative to the traditional liver based variety. So I went home and thought, why not try and make it myself?
Our first autumn on the east coast has welcomed us with all sorts of vivid shades of oranges, reds and yellows. And as the cool fall weather is setting there is nothing more comforting than a warm breakfast. The first time I had dutch baby was a little over six years ago, when my partner and I took a trip to the Kootenays to visit some of his family. Adrian and talked of dutch baby stating that it was one of his favourite breakfasts, but I didn’t quite understand what all of the fuss was about. What is a dutch baby anyways? Adrian’s step-mom, Jill, whipped one up on our first morning with them and I have been hooked ever since. The crispy edges, puffy and eggy texture makes the dutch baby somewhere between a waffle and a pancake. Simple to make, requiring only a cast iron pan and a blender, means that dutch baby the perfect dish for weekend brunch.
Continue reading “Dutch Baby with Roasted Pears and Toasted Hazelnuts”
It was only a few months into our relationship when we figured out that my partner is lactose intolerant. Milk, cheese, butter, ice cream… all things that I would have to stop cooking with. Fortunately I had dabbled in vegan cooking before our relationship began, which made the prospect of cooking without dairy a little less daunting.
In Highschool, I could count on my youngest sister (in elementary school at the time) to cook up some pretty fantastic midnight snacks. While I was out with friends, Megan was at home watching Martin Yan—do you remember that guy? With his catchphrase “If Yan can cook so can you!”—Then, when my friends and I got home, Megan was more than happy to cook up her newly found recipes which were quickly devoured. Scallion (aka green onions, yes they are the same thing) pancakes were always a hit, and definitely a snack that would be made again and again.
With a mouthful of a name this bulgogi recipe is far from the traditional beef based Korean dish. Nevertheless this vegetarian filling leaves vegetarians and carnivores alike satiated and content. Packed with protein, tofu and quinoa are marinated in a korean style bulgogi sauce and then pan-fried until golden brown. It’s easy to feast, guilt free, on delicious lettuce wraps, with crunchy carrots and cabbage topped with quick pickled cucumbers.
A trip to our local farmers market has become somewhat of a Saturday norm. Rain or shine we are always sure to get there early, before the flocks gather and queues form at market stalls. The energizing beat of djembes hums in the background as we head straight to the bread stall, the egg guy, the blueberry grower and our favourite veggie farmer. We waste no time, we know what we want buying nearly all of our groceries for the week, whatever is in season. What we cannot find at the market, we pick up at our favourite organic groceteria as we make our way home.
