Bread and butter pickles

I picked up 2 pounds of baby cucumbers last week at the market. I put them in a bowl of water and into the fridge, with plans to pickle them within the next day or so. Little did I know that water was going to be scares.

Our well pump broke, which means no water into the house. So the pickles had a little longer to wait then expected. Its strange when you don't have access to water, you appreciate it SO much more.

When there are electrical outages or storms coming on well water you plan ahead and fill up jugs and such. Some people even fill up the bathtub to flush the toilet! We are expecting a hurricane Monday, good thing I was able to pickle some pickles!

Bread and butter pickles

2 pounds of cucumbers- sliced
2 small red onions- sliced
1 tsp red chili flakes
1/4 cup pickling salt
3 cups pickling vinegar
2 1/2 cups organic sugar
4 tbsp pickling spice

In a large bowl combine cucumbers, onion, chili, and salt. Mix up.

Bring vinegar, sugar and spices to a boil in a large pot.

Have mason jars sanitized to proper canning procedures.

Add cucumbers to vinegar mixture, don't let boil. but simmer for a few minutes.

Stuff jars with cucumbers and seal. Place jars in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes.

Remove and let sit until you hear the seal pop! Refrigerate before serving.

Summer grub

Jonathan and I have been working on the house and yard when the weather allows us. Rain and grey skies have been an on-going problem in Halifax for weeks. Today was the nicest day all week, so we, meaning Jonathan doing all the work and me sitting on the front porch watching, took the opportunity to work on the front yard; weeding, hoeing and rearranging our rock wall. A lot was accomplished today but there is still a lot more to do.

My pregnancy has been good, although I am starting to feel uncomfortable at night. I find myself being outside a lot more, and doing a lot less blogging. I am hoping to get my camera back next week and get everything back on track.

Hope everyone has been able to hit the beach or just get outside and enjoy some sunshine :)

Here is a peak at what I have been making...

"breakfast muffin"

"grilled seitan kabobs"

"millet salad with swiss chard and apricots"

"rock wall phase one"

Simple sides : sauteed asparagus with garlic and pine nuts

 

Its been a productive weekend, I managed to finally get the first coat of paint on in the kitchen before the cabinets get here, we went to the beach and I made lasagna ( which last for 2 dinners!) 

The first night I made a caesar salad. Tonight I wanted to switch it up...made a simple side of asparagus sauteed in a little olive oil, with thinly sliced garlic and sprinkled with pine nuts. Finished with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and there you have it a simple side dish. 

Asparagus season is upon us...stay tuned for more yummy recipes!

Roasted carrot, chickpea & basmati rice salad

I was invited to a potluck party this evening, I wanted to make something that didn't need to be heated up but still packed a good protein punch. I have a book that I regularly look to for inspiration, Culinary Artistry. It doesn't have recipes, what it does have is a list of different foods and spices and what they pair well with. Very helpful.

I had a bunch of mint that I wanted to use up, and when I looked at the pairings the word carrot spoke to me....I had some local carrots in my fridge.

I like roasted vegetables but I don't like overly roasted ones..hehe
So this is what I came up with...I had a few taste testers on hand and they gobbled it up.

1 cup cooked basmati rice
1 red pepper- small diced
1 stalk celery- small diced
1 1/2 cups chickpeas
1/4 cup chopped mint

Combine ingredients in a bowl

2 carrots- peeled and sliced
drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with cumin powder, dried mint, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a splash of maple syrup.

In an oven at 375 roast carrots for about 25 minutes or until soft. Combine with rice.

Dressing

1 tbsp 3-6-9 oil
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried mint
1 clove garlic-minced
1/4 tsp paprika
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

In a mason jar combine ingredients and shake up. Pour over salad

Hidden gems....

This morning I went into the cellar to empty the dehumidifier (I empty it into my weedy garden). I planted a pumpkin when we first moved in, with hopes that I would have a homegrown one for Halloween. When I pulled up the vine to see if anything was there I noticed something else...POTATOES!! I was so excited...I felt like a little kid looking for Easter eggs. I must of found a couple of pounds of potatoes!

Do you know how to grow them, or keep them growing? Please tell me..this was a first for me:)

 This is what my potato plants look like..who knew?

I had never picked a potato before...

I was hungry, so I made potato salad for lunch!

 Potato & Leek Salad

4 medium sized potatoes ( I used all but 3 in the picture)-peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek/white part only- sliced
2 stalks celery-small diced
3 dill pickles-minced
2 heaping tbsp vegenaise
1 tbsp mustard
3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
sea salt
pepper
splash  of Tabasco

In a large pot boil potatoes until soft..but not mushy (about 5-8 minutes). Drain and run under cold water. Set aside.
In a saute pan heat/ add oil/ add leeks. Saute until soft.
In a large bowl combine potatoes, leeks, and the rest of the ingredients. Stir and season to taste.

Garlicky Green Beans with Gomasio

What would summer be without fresh green beans and garlic? I got these delicious morsels from the vegetable garden stand at the end of the elderly couples driveway, for 2 bucks! A huge bag. I also got fresh onions, cucumbers, and a big zucchini. I pass by it every morning, so I think I get the best pickins :)

I am still waiting for my beans to get bigger. I know that I have mentioned that I don't really have a green thumb...maybe its just for certain things. My orchid that I got for my birthday, loves me and has bloomed several times. Perhaps its a watering thing, because I never water it, I can be neglectful when it comes to taking care of plants :(  My beans are also thriving, which surprised me because after they sprouted it seemed like they were being attacked by bugs (lots of holes in the leaves). So I sorta gave up on my veggie garden. I was out there looking at it feeling very depressed, after all the hard work I put into digging the grass up and my dad helping me put up the fence, seeing nothing growing but weeds. Until I seen a little red flower, and a small vine crawling up the teepee I made. I thought to myself....could I actually get some veggies?

 Here is a picture of my green bean teepee!

For now I am relying on the veggie stand for my green beans, but when I pick my own I will be SO HAPPY!

Garlicky green beans with gomasio

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 cup onion-minced

5 cloves garlic- minced

2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

3 tbsp gomasio

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

In a cast iron pan- heat oil add onions and garlic, saute on medium/low heat until golden

Add beans and saute until soft 4-5 minutes

Add vinegar- saute until beans are desired tenderness.

sprinkle with gomasio, salt and pepper

Gomasio is toasted sesame seeds, ground up with sea salt.

Vegetable pate

I love snacks...I prefer eating little snacks through out the day, then sitting down to breakfast and lunch. I love munching on raw veggies with a homemade bean dip, or smothering a tortilla with avocado and rolling it up. YUM. The ultimate snacking food has to be veggie pate, on crackers ( even better fresh baguette) with pickles :)
Vege pate is easy to make, you should try it! The possibilities are endless... you could add zucchini, mushrooms...etc.

For this I used a sweet potato, carrot, celery and onion. I learned how to make vege pate from a restaurant I use to work at. It was my favorite thing to eat. I tried hard to remember what I did, and Googled it.

For this pate basically I blended up the onion until it was very smooth and liquidy, add some oil, water and red wine vinegar. Pureed that until smooth. Add a peeled chopped up ( really small) veggies. The secret ingredient is ground up sunflower seeds. A few more things like the spices you like, I used dill and oregano. Add some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir in a little flour and nutritional yeast. Pour into a loaf pan.  Bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes, or until its formed a crust on the top. Refrigerate.

This particular picture I used a mini loaf pan that I picked up at a garage sale. It would be great to set out at a BBQ for a little appetizer.

Easy Peezy! I hope you make some.

Eat your greens...chip styles

Chips...mmmm, so good and so bad. I have this friend, whom will remain nameless, that use to say how bad chips are for you. I don't think she was talking about these kind :P

I have seen kale chip recipes all over the web, in stores, books..etc. I had yet to try to make them. I always thought I would need a dehydrator to make them ( I really want one).

I bought a HUGE bunch of it this week with the thought that I was going to try and make them in the oven...I have heard through the grape vine that you can do this. This is my first attempt, and I am pleased with the results.

I have tried deep fried spinach before, I use to have to make it for a garnish back in my restaurant days. It has a similar crispiness to it. Baked kale has an almost seaweed flavor. I was really surprised, and like the idea that you are not steaming the nutrients out.

Basically I washed the kale, drizzled it in olive oil sprinkled with sea salt and nutritional yeast and baked in an oven on a cookie sheet at 350 for 10 minutes. Super simple and super tasty.

I was inspired by selfish vegan. Check out the site. I really like it.

Dandelion greens, blackberries, green beans and toasted almonds with a blackberry vinaigrette

I was on a mission today, to do something with the dandelion greens I bought. I know that these are in season right now because I have dandelions all over my lawn:P When I tasted the leaf on its own... it was bitter and not super exciting, but add a few ingredients to them and you get deliciousness. I heated a little olive oil to slightly wilt the greens, to take away some of the bitterness. The serving bowl is a lovely way to showcase any meal www.annepryde.ca

For the salad:

Dandelion greens- I used half my bunch, rinsed
1 cup blackberries
15 green beans- blanched
1/4 cup sliced almonds- toasted
2 tbsp heated olive oil

For the vinaigrette:

1/2 cup blackberries
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp organic cane sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp poppyseeds- slightly toasted
1/2 tsp sea salt

In a blender, add blackberries, vinegar, sugar. Blend
Add oil slowly to thickens. Add water to desired consistancy.
Pour in the poppy seeds, season with sea salt.
Taste. Adjust seasoning to your liking ( more sugar etc.)

In a large bowl combine dadelion greens with green beans. Pour heated olive oil over top. To wilt.
Place in a serving bowl, drizzle with vinaigrette, add berries, beans and almonds.

Caesar salad with pumpkin seeds

We had a spaghetti dinner tonight...I used my basic tomato sauce and a little TVP for "bolognese" style. This salad was an after thought, but it was the star for sure. I didn't have any capers, so I use a dill pickle.I cubed up some flax bread , with a quick toss in olive oil and a few spices, on a baking sheet in the oven for 6 minutes and you got croutons. I added toasted pumpkin seeds for a little twist. I am sure that there is many types of caesar dressing, this is what I threw together.

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 medium pickle- chopped
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 lemon-juiced
• vegetable oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper

In a blender put all ingredients except for oil. Blend. Remove lid and slowly pour oil into pickle mixture, until thickens to a creamy consistency. Pour into a jar and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Spanakopita and Tomato Salad

When I was a kid I never liked spinach (or squash). Funny... when you become an adult your taste change. Now I love the stuff, I don't think there is a vegetable I don't enjoy eating. This is a simple recipe, that involves using tofu in replace of the feta. I read the other day in one of my cookbooks, that tofu is not bread, its more like flour, which I thought was a great way to describe it to the tofu-haters out there in the world. It needs to be seasoned and cooked!

My beau loves tomatoes. That is way I think I have about 40 of them growing in my basement :P I think he is more excited about them then I am. The tomato seeds are from Saltspring Seed Comapany, he bought me a bunch of different kinds in hopes that we would have a tomato farm!
This is his favorite salad, very simple and delicious.

On a plate arrange the tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, with chopped fresh parsley. Drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

On to the spankopita....

Phyllo dough ( read the ingredients, some brands are not vegan)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion- small diced
3 cloves garlic-minced
1/2 block tofu- crumbled
6 mushrooms- sliced and chopped
1 box frozen chopped spinach- (squeezed to get all the water out, you want it dry)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp dried dill
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 lemon-juiced
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
pasty brush, with a small bowl of olive oil

In a saute pan heat oil, add onion saute for 4-5 minutes until onion is soft, add garlic, continue sauteing for 2-3 minutes, add crumbled tofu. Stir around until tofu is soft, add mushrooms and cook until soft.
Add the spinach, un-clump it in the pan, stirring it up to incorporate it in with the tofu.
Add the seasonings.Taste. Remove from heat and let cool.

On a dry surface, roll out the phyllo dough. Using 1 sheet at a time, brush it with oil. Layering until you have 4 sheets brushed with olive oil. Scoop the spinach mixture onto the phyllo. Roll up, or if you fell like getting creative you can try different rolling techniques. Close up the end and place roll on a parchment paper lined pan. Brush the top of the roll with olive oil and bake at 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden.

Its Spring...Fresh Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce!

                             

We have been enjoying the sunshine this last week, and there is nothing better then fresh vegetables to celebrate spring! These spring rolls are so delicious. If they were not so time consuming, I would eat them everyday!

They are pretty versatile, you can use really any type of vegetable or protein. These are great for lunches or picnics,  because they pack well.  I made pickled diakon that I picked up at the farmers market this morning for these ones.

• Rice paper wraps
• Vermicelli rice noodles
• grated carrots
• shredded lettuce
• cucumber- cut into thin strips
• red pepper- cut into thin strips
• fresh cilantro- stem on
• seared tofu-cut into thin strips

Soak the noodles in boiling water until done. Drain and set aside

Prep veggies and place in separate containers.

Marinate tofu with tamari and sear of in a pan with a little oil- cut into strips.

Give the sink a good scrub, ,and then fill it 1/4 way up with hot water.

Place two rice papers together in the water, and soften, shake of excess water.

Put toppings of your choice and fold up like a burrito:P

(it will be difficult to fold up if the surface is too wet)

Peanut Sauce

• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger-minced
• 2 limes-zested and juiced
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 1/4 cup water
• pinch cayenne pepper
• sea salt

In a food processor or blender add garlic and ginger. Mince it up nice a small. Add peanut butter, lime juice, syrup, tamari, and water. Blend up until smooth and sauce like consistency.Adjust the water as needed. Season with cayenne pepper and sea salt.

Israeli Couscous Salad

I love salads, and the weather is warming up... that means fresh local produce and the Hubbards Farmers Market! I know, I know I am a little early, as it is only March but all this sunshine is getting me excited for spring and summer.


I went to the bulk barn last week and bought enough beans and grains to last a month, which is good. I hate going to the grocery store. I feel like I am there WAY to much. If its not soymilk we are out of, its bread.
I have been looking into the soy milk maker machines...does any one own one of these? It must be a better product then the boxed stuff, I mean fresh milk at your disposal, and in 15 minutes?I would love to know if it is worth it.  


This is a great salad, it keeps well in the fridge. Make a big batch and take it to work for lunches.
The falafel patty you see in the background is a great addition...chickpea patty recipe

• 1 cup cooked Israeli couscous
• 1/2 cucumber- small diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper- small diced
• 2 green onions-minced
• 4 tbsp fresh cilantro-minced
• 1 lemon-juiced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl combine all ingredients, stir it up and enjoy!

A Day of Love- take 2

Valentines day, has always been one of the best times of year to go out to a restaurant for a great meal. Dinner is usually a highlight. The chefs bringing some of there best ideas to your table, for you and your love to relic in deliciousness, teasing your taste buds with flavors. Being a vegan family living in a rural area, makes it difficult to enjoy a meal like this. So whats a girl to do but ..cook up some love!

Valentines Menu

* Roasted beets,baby greens & toasted walnuts drizzled with nova scotia apple vinaigrette

*Butternut squash & Lentils wrapped in phyllo with turnip & potato mash, and a parsley garlic cream sauce

*Chocolate Mousse on a cookie crust with Strawberry sauce

For the salad...

I scrubbed 3 large beets poured a little olive oil and sprinkled some sea salt wrapped in foil baked in the oven at 400 for 1 1/2 hours
with a pairing knife I peeled back the skin, cut into wedges.
Tossed baby greens with finely sliced green onions and the vinaigrette.
Arrange nicely on the plate, with the roasted beets, sprinkled with toasted walnuts.be

For the phyllo...

• 1 cup cooked lentils
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek- cut lengthwise and sliced
• 1 celery stalk- small diced
• 1 tbsp Dijon
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 small butternut squash- peeled, cubed and steamed
• 1 tbsp earth balance
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 12 sheets of phyllo dough
• olive oil
• 1 pastry brush

In a saute pan, oil, add leek and celery saute for 4-5 minutes. Add sage. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. In a medium bowl mix together with cooked lentils.
set aside

In a small bowl combine steamed squash, earth balance, and nutmeg. Season  with sea salt and pepper.

Layer the phyllo sheets brushing with olive oil 1 at a time.
Place the lentil mixture on the phyllo dough, then the sqaush mixture.
Roll up in the phyllo.
Place on a baking sheet, brush the top with olive oil.
Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Beet and Green Bean Salad

It is summer time and the beans are plentiful. This is a simple dish. I like the flavor of the beets, I don't want to cover that up with to much vinaigrette, so just a splash of apple cider vinegar and some olive oil does the trick.

• 1 bunch beets-peeled and chopped
• 2 handfuls of beans, washed and tops removed
• 1/2 red onion-chopped
• 2 stalks celery-chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parley-chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh dill-chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• fresh ground pepper
• sea salt

Prepare beets and green beans using a steam basket.
When beets are almost done throw the green beans on top just to cook long enough to make them change to bright green. ( The beets usually take around 7-9 minutes, so around the 6 minute mark, throw the green bean in.)
Leave to cool down for a few minutes.
Toss everything together in a bowl.