Friends, readers and fellow foodies:

After five years, I'm taking a little break from my beloved blog. I started this blog back in 2006 as a way to become a better home cook, a better writer and photographer. I wanted a way to keep track of all my favorite recipes and to be able to find them easily again. I also wanted to learn more about social media and become an active participant in something that was clearly here to stay.

Since then, blogging has become is a creative outlet and it's become a connection to the local food community. I've met new friends and been able to share my passion with others who are equally passionate about food. I've even inspired my sister to start her own food blog.

I'm taking the next few months to off, now until the end of the year, to free up a little time to try something new. You can now find me blogging on Cook Culture's website. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity as it perfectly combines my love for food and writing.

Thank you so much for reading and for all your comments over the past five years. I hope you continue to check back and browse through the archive of my favorite, tried-and-true recipes. Below are some of my favorites... see you in January 2012!

xo
Melody

Goat Cheese Mushroom Caps: white or brown button mushrooms filled with goat cheese and topped with a breadcrumb mixture of toasted pine nuts, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, parsley and day-old bread.

Chickpea Goji Berry Salad: A deliciously hearty salad of chickpeas, mandarin oranges, almonds, goji berries and feta cheese. A lunchtime favorite!

Hungarian Mushroom Soup: one of my oldest, most trusted recipes. Need I say more?

Polenta Squares with Tomato Sauce: polenta with veggies (or Italian sausage) and tomato sauce is one of my favorite dishes, especially when I'm in need for a good dose of comfort food.



Rustic Potato and Tomato Tart: Another long-standing favorite, it's a guaranteed crowd pleaser that looks fabulous and tastes even better then it looks.



Spicy Chipotle Grilled Chicken: I've never been a big meat eater, and chicken especially I find bland and boring. That said, this recipe is fantastic! It's great year-round and for any occasion.

Homemade Granola: the reason I love this recipe so much is the amount of cinnamon that's added to it- two full tablespoons. It's easy to buy granola but you'll always, always, feel better about making and enjoying a bowlful of homemade cereal.

Event Alert: Flights & Light Bites

Autumn is all about celebrating the harvest on Vancouver Island... and about finding fun things to do help distract from the increasingly colder and shorter days. This is why I'm excited about the series of tastings and pairings that the Hotel Grand Pacific has put together. Starting this month, the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria is offering a series of tastings and pairings on Saturday afternoons, from 4 to 5 pm.

Each session has a theme, including seasonal beers, mead, cocktails made with tea, whiskey, dessert wines and Eaux de Vie (I'll let you look that one up). To accompany all these tasty sips, there will be tasting plates with items such as charcuterie, cheese, olives and nuts, depending on the pairings. Another thing I like about these are they are $20 a session.




October 15, 2011: Tea Cocktails
Come out and taste four of the hotel's signature tea cocktails, and learn how to make tea infusions to make your own cocktails at home.

October 29: Mead
Tugwell Creek's Bob Liptrot will lead a tasting of five of meads, including flavoured and sparkling varieties.

November 12: Seasonal Beer
You will sample four different winter and holiday brews, including seasonal offerings from Driftwood and Phillips Brewing, and two international specialty beers.
January 14, 2012: Scotch, Whiskey and Bourbon
A special preview before the Whisky Festival, guests will taste a range of whiskies from the delicate and floral, through to the big "Peat Monsters."

January 28: Eaux de Vie
Participants will taste their way through some of the world's most famous eaux de vie, including Calvados, Pineau des Charentes, grappa and Poire William.

February 11: Dessert Wines
Just in time for Valentine's Day, this session will focus on different styles of dessert wines from around the world.


Tickets are available in advance through calling the restaurant at 250-380-4478. Tickets will be available at the door, however, buying in advance is recommended.

Feast of Fields 2011 on Vancouver Island

Nearly 900 people gathered at Marley Farm in the Mount Newton Valley for FarmFolk CityFolk's 14th annual Feast of Fields on Vancouver Island. The wandering gourmet harvest, with its emphasis on local, seasonal and organic, is considered by many to the best festival of the year.


As people arrive at the farm, they line up to get their wine glass and napkin, check out the menu, and get ready to spend the next four hours strolling a country farm and enjoying some of the best food and drink Vancouver Island has to offer.


Every year, there's always were a few local bands that play throughout the day to- help set the mood and provide a little foot stomping music. On the farm this year were The Sweet Low Down and Jane's Way (pictured below).


With a guest list of nearly 900 people, chefs are busy long before the gates open preparing enough samples for everyone. The chefs from the Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort had their hands full preparing their offerings: savoury cones with hand peeled shrimp, basil pesto and Natural Pastures Camembert Cheese, and sweet cones with white chocolate mousse with Nanoose Edibles marionberries and dark chocolate walnut bark.


Vin Coco Patisserie, a locally owned chocolate and pastry shop in Victoria, upstaged everyone as they showed off just how fun, sweet (and rock and roll) food can be.


There were a number of new participants at this year's Feast of Fields including The Oak Bay Bistro. Serving up Driftwood Wort and molasses cured wild salmon, dill seed buttermilk cracker and candied apple relish, the bistro offered delicious bite-sized finger food rivaled only by its presentation.


One reason Feast of Fields is so much fun is because it draws people of all ages. To help make it affordable for families, there's a discounted ticket price for kids under 12. Although a word of warning, your kids may be more interested in what's in the swamp than on their plate.


Feast of Fields is a annual fundraiser for FarmFolk CityFolk, a non-profit society that works year-around to cultivate a local, sustainable food system. During the festival, executive director Nicholas Scapillati (second from right) shared a few moments with Bev Marley (far right), the host of this year's festival, and Ryan Vantreight (second from left) who first introduced Bev to the festival's organizers so many months ago.


Of course, Feast of Fields wouldn't be possible without the many volunteers and people behind the scenes. Friendly, helpful and always smiling!

Beet and Fennel Soup with Kefir

With the turn in the weather over the past few weeks, I've starting thinking about some of my favorite comfort meals - soups, chili, stews - pretty much anything warm and different than salads. This beet and fennel soup recipe comes by way of my friend Nicola, who discovered a taste for fennel seeds after trying my roasted cream of tomato soup. Nicola sent me this recipe after finding it in a magazine a couple of month ago and her instincts were right. It's delicious!


The one thing I love about beets is the depth of flavour they can add to a dish, whether it's a salad, roasted vegetables or in this case soup. The combination of caramelized onions and fennel with beets and finished with kefir is stunning. The soup is full of colour, flavour and is a nice change from the usual soups I tend to make. If you're looking for something a little different, than take a leap of faith with this recipe and try it soon. You won't regret it!


Beet and Fennel Soup with Kefir (serves 3)
Source: Bon Appetit

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, chopped (leave out the rough core)
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 large (2 1/2- to 3-inch-diameter) beets, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups low-salt vegetable broth
1 cup unflavored kefir (add more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped fennel, and fennel seeds. Sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.

Add cubed beets, salt and pepper and stir to coat. Add vegetable broth and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until beets are tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in blender. Return to same saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup unflavored kefir, Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

New York: earthquakes, hurricanes and amazing food

One week ago today I got back from my trip to New York and I've had a hard time thinking of anything else since getting back. Routine life feels just a little duller. It's a beautiful, stunning city that's vibrant and full of culture and activity. The buildings are iconic and the cityscape is so much more breathtaking than I had imagined. I felt so blessed to walk down the streets and be part of the city if only for a while.


In case the city wasn't exciting enough, there was both an earthquake and a hurricane while I was there. Being from the west coast, the earthquake wasn't anything new and actually I didn't feel it. I was walking through Chinatown where the sidewalks are uneven and the ground rumbles from the subway below. People around me felt it but there were too many new things competing for my attention for me to notice. The hurricane however, was harder to miss. The subway system shut down, my flight to Toronto was cancelled and there was palpable concern in the air. But in between natural disasters, I did as much as I could and had some amazing meals along the way...


BABBO
Mario Batali's restaurant in Greenwich Village was amazing. It's in an old carriage house bordering the village and residences. Trying not to be intimidated, I sat at the bar and enjoyed a spectacular dish of Pappardelle Bolognese with a glass of red wine and Warm Cherry Cake “Sottosopra” for dessert. It was by far one of the best meal's I've had.



SHAKE SHACK
A charming yet modern burger and shake joint that's suspended within the city at Battery Park. The menu includes burgers, hot dogs, shakes and frozen custard - all with a local, urbanly hip twist. The order line-up was an hour long but well worth it: a tasty little meal in the park, the chance to rest my feet and the people watching! I had a chocolate shake and the Second City Bird Dog, which comes with relish, onion, cucumber, pickle, tomato, banana peppers, celery salt and mustard.


EATALY
While my sister tipped me off to Eataly before my trip, I ended up coming across it quite by accident (while on my way to check out the Chelesa Hotel). Eatlay is one the largest artisan Italian food and wine marketplace in the world. I wandered the store wide-eyed and literally drooling checking out all the sauces, olive oils, dried goods and produce. Heaven! They even had the dried, sugar powdered cherries I've been looking for. They have an unusual taste to them, slightly sweet and highly addictive.



BRUNCH IN CENTRAL PARK AND FAIRWAY MARKET
The Fairway Market on the upper west side is by far one of the best grocery shops I've been in. Huge sections dedicated to cheese, meats, olive oils and produce... and so many different tins of San Marzano tomatoes. More than once I seriously considered packing my suitcase full of them to bring back with me. On our last day in New York, my friends and I went straight for Fairways to pick up some groceries for a delicious little brunch in Central Park. One of the best things we did during our stay!


ENJOYING AN AMERICANO
During my second day, I wandered down Central Park West, past the New York Athletic Club to Sixth Avenue and down to the great Rockefeller Centre. I'm a fan of the show 30 Rock so I was looking forward to seeing the plaza in person and taking the NBC studio tour, which is led by an NBC page. In between checking out 30 Rock and when the start of the tour, I went to a nearby bakery for a quick americano and croissant. The coffee was good and the croissant was even better but the simple awareness of where I was and taking it all in was a sublime feeling. I will go back!

Your Guide to Feast of Fields

Vancouver Island's Feast of Fields will be upon us in less than six weeks and it's shaping up to be another good one. Another exceptional one. This is my favorite food event of the year because it always takes place on a beautiful, scenic farm, with local food and drink of every variety and with people who goes are all passionate about the same thing, namely food. Here are the details:

Marley Farm in Saanichton is the host of this year's Feast of Fields on Vancouver Island. The farm is located on 42 acres including five acres of vineyards with lots of open grasslands, fields and heritage fixtures. There's also horses, chickens, turkeys, ducks and pigeons and it's just the place to spend a lazy, late summer day. Location is 1831 Mount Newton X Road.

One thing Feast of Fields is synonymous with is a wandering gourmet harvest. Spread over the farm, there will be farmers and chefs, vintners and brewers serving up generous samples of the very best food and drink they have to offer. Right now, there are 55 participants with more coming in every day. New this year are:

Choux Choux Charcuterie, Victoria's charming yet traditional, European-style delicatessen
Fruition Paletas, with their fresh fruit popsicles and ice cream bars
Intrigue Wines, from the Okanagan Valley started by Gray Monk’s co-winemaker Roger Wong
The View Winery, from Kelowna which first began as an apple orchard five generations ago
Kulu Restaurant, serving up Asian fusion cuisine from Gladstone Square in Fernwood
Moon Under Water with samples of their session ales

The festival takes place all afternoon, from 1-5 pm, and I recommend arriving promptly to get the most out of your day. Take 10 minutes at the start to walk around the farm, get the laid of the land and size up some of the offerings. The day requires a little finesse and strategy when it comes to taking it all in. Start with the tasty food samples, perhaps honing in on some of the seafood or bbq bites. Enjoy some of the many beers and wines, and later in the day take in some of the sweet delectables. The chocolate.

The festival sells out every year, and is expected to do so again this year. As the saying goes, to avoid disappointment, don't delay. Tickets are $85 for adults, $15 for children ages 7 to 12, and free for children under 6. They can be purchased online at online at www.feastoffields.com or in person at Muffet and Louisa in Victoria. If you want to try your hand at winning a pair, click over to Green Muse to enter their ticket giveaway now until September 8.

Apricots baked with almonds and honey

Spending Sunday morning at a farmer's market is one of my favorite things to do. I like to go when the day is young, full of possibility and when the produce is fresh and at its best. In an attempt to take full advantage of summer's bounty, I felt like a kid in a candy store this morning - loading up on Lapin cherries from the Okanagan and not one but two boxes of B.C. apricots.

This recipe for apricots baked with almonds and honey is a great way to bring out the sweet jammy flavor of ripe apricots. Slice each fruit in half to remove the pit and place on a baking sheet with finely chopped roasted almonds and then drizzle with honey. Bake until soft, golden and fragrant. Try serving with yogurt or ice cream and garnish with mint if you have some around. This makes for a nice light summer dessert, perfect on an August evening.



Apricots baked with almonds and honey (serves 2)

Ingredients
6-8 ripe apricots
handful of roasted unsalted almonds, finely chopped
honey
yogurt or ice cream
mint or golden raisins for garnish (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350

Slice each apricot in half and remove pit. Place each half on a baking sheet with the centres facing up. Top each half with finely chopped almonds and drizzle with honey.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until soft and golden. Enjoy warm with yogurt or ice cream. Garnish with mint and golden raisins.

Halibut with braised lentils, asparagus and soy ginger sauce

I recently volunteered at the 3rd annual Taste: Victoria's Festival of Food and Wine and if you haven't been to this festival yet, make a mental note, because you'll want to go next year. Taste is a fabulously indulgent and classy food event that focuses on local chefs, restaurants and wineries. I had a great time managing the social media during the Main Event - tweeting, retweeting, replying and checking out pictures people captured on their phones. I had a blast and will definitely be there again next summer.

As a thank you, the organizers Kathy and Ladawne gave me a generous gift including the cookbook, Hastings House Country Estate. From the country house hotel it's named after, this delightful book from Salt Spring Island features some of their best recipes for brunch, dinner and dessert. The recipe for sablefish, braised du puy lentils, green asparagus and soy ginger emulsion caught my eye and inspired me to leave the lawn chair long enough to give this a try.

Pleased with my results, this is an elegant main course that makes you feel like you're dining out - but in the comfort of your own home. Keep your eyes on the lentils, the liquid and baking time may need adjusting. But isn't that part of the fun?



Halibut with braised lentils, asparagus and soy ginger sauce (serves 2)

Braised Lentils
2 shallots, diced
2 cups green or brown lentils, rinsed
1 carrot, diced
2 sticks of celery, diced
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup red wine
2 cups vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and saute shallots, carrot and celery until soft. Stir in rinsed lentils then add wine and vegetable stock. Place the pan, with a lid on it, in the oven for about 50 minutes. Check and stir along the way, sampling to see if more wine or stock is needed.

Soy Ginger Sauce
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated and juiced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon + a pinch more of brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Grate the ginger and squeeze juice into a small bowl. Mix remaining ingredients together with a whisk and set aside.

Asparagus
1 bunch of green asparagus, trimmed and peeled
dap of butter and a splash of olive oil
salt and pepper to season

Snap off the stocky part of each asparagus stem and then peel using a vegetable peeler. In a medium fry pan, melt butter and olive oil together. Once hot, add asparagus, salt and pepper and quickly sear until tender and slightly charred.

Halibut
2 portions of halibut
salt and pepper
olive oil

Season each piece of halibut with salt and pepper, both sides. Heat a large fry pan with olive oil. Once hot, sear both sides of the halibut until just cooked all the way through.

To serve, plan a large spoonful of lentils in the middle of your plate. Top with halibut, grilled asparagus and drizzle the soy ginger sauce on top and around the plate. Pour a glass of wine, light some candles and enjoy!

Ginger Coconut Dahl Made Easy

I'm not going to pretend I've been making a lot of incredible dinners lately because I haven't. I mean I've been busy doing things, clearly, but I've been very, very lazy in the kitchen. One reason why I have been able to essentially make nothing for dinner for two weeks and still eat well is because of this company from the Cowichan Valley: Mitchell's Soup Co.

They're a family-run food company that make gorgeous mixes of soups, stews, chilies, a rice pilaf and even a chai spice pudding. A few years ago, co-workers at my previous job gave me a beautiful food basket as a parting gift - and in this basket was Mitchell's Louisiana Texan Chili Mix. It's truly embarrassing how long it took me to make it (three years!) but this past spring during my great pantry purge, I finally did. And wow, was it ever mind-blowingly good. I'm not even tempted to try to replicate the combination herbs and spices, because it was so well done. Of course that may actually be a good reason why I should try to recreate the flavours for myself... but certainly not in my current lazy condition. Instead, I found out where I could buy more and bought as many as I could carry. The good news for those of you in the Victoria area, you can find them at the Sidney summer market every Thursday evening, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Driving out to Sidney, I headed straight for their stand and stocked up on soups, chilies and this amazing package of ginger coconut dahl. It's one of their best-selling products and it's easy to see why. Red lentils, yellow split peas, shredded coconut, candied ginger simmered together with veggie flakes, tomatoes, herbs and spices. Serve over rice and you have yourself a meal. You could add chicken or prawns and top with fresh mango and have an even better meal. Go out, track this product down and buy an armful, I can't recommend it enough!

Healthy Raw Kale Salad

I've been doing this thing lately where I make a big batch of this healthy kale salad and keep it in the fridge for lunches and to have on hand as a quick side to weekday dinners. And it turns out my boyfriend really likes it. So, it's a win-win in our house.


It's a healthy combination of raw kale, carrots and red cabbage and keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. The salad tastes great with grilled salmon or tuna and corn on the cob. It's one of those salads that makes you feel good about yourself after just a few mouthfuls because it's so good and healthy - and makes you want to congratulate yourself for making such a healthy choice. And you should.

I've also been going to the gym a little more regularly and trying to get in some kind of exercise on days that I don't. Like walking or cycling somewhere I might otherwise drive to. What this all adds up to is a slightly healthier lifestyle that I feel good about. One of things I've been thinking about but haven't done yet is buying a pedometer to see how much I walk on an average day. I think it would be a good exercise to do a check in with myself. Should I be walking more?


In the meantime, here's the recipe.


Healthy Raw Kale Salad
Adapted from Planet Organic's Hail-to-the-Kale recipe

Ingredients
1 bunch kale, chopped somewhat finely
2 carrots, grated
1/4 of a red cabbage, thinly sliced with a mandolin if you have one
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or natural soy sauce (found in health food stores)
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
dash oregano

Directions
Wash kale and chop finely.

In a cast iron skillet over medium to high heat, stir sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Remove from heat when they’re toasted golden brown. While the skillet is hot, add in a few drops of soy sauce, which will sear onto the seeds. Remove and let cool.

In a large bowl combine chopped kale, carrots, cabbage and seeds. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together oil, Bragg Liquid Aminos, balsamic vinegar and oregano and pour over kale mixture. Toss until evenly coated and chill 2 hours before serving.

You might also like:

Sesame Kale Salad
Steamed kale with lots of toasted sesame seed flavour. So good, you'll eat a whole bunch (of kale).

Kale Chips
Thin bites of crispy baked kale.

Bulgar Salad with Kale, Salami and Olives
A great side dish to make for dinner or enjoy it on its own for lunch. Tastes good served warm or cold.

Who Doesn't Love Marinated Roasted Red Peppers

My evening began with what has become a nearly daily visit to Fairfield Market, the new local grocery shop around the corner recently opened by the owners of Niagara Grocery. The shop has lots of organic and local produce and has quickly become my week day hot spot for last minute dinner needs and salad fixings. For three dollars, I picked up three soft red peppers to roast and marinate. They are tasty and convenient to have on hand for salads, sandwiches, pasta sauces or to snack on straight out of the jar.



You can buy jars of roasted red peppers but there's really no need because they are so easy to make. Slice the peppers in half, remove the seeds and char under broiler in the oven for 15 minutes or so. Toss them in a paper bag or pot with a lid and let them sweat and the blackened skins loosen. Then remove the skin and bottle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. They will last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator in a sterilized jar in their marinade, only getting tastier and tastier.

Later this evening I'm going over to a friend's house to kick the weekend off with a glass of wine or two and paired with some cheeses, salami and red wine, these peppers are going to hit the spot. It's a classic Italian antipasto that always goes fast because, well, who doesn't love roasted red peppers...


Marinated Roasted Red Peppers (serves 2-4)

Ingredients
3 large red bell peppers
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, halved
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
pinch of red chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Slice each pepper in half and clean out the insides. Place onto a baking tray cut side down and roast them in a hot oven under the broiler for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the skins are charred and blackened.

Once they have reached this point, take them out of the oven and place each half into a brown paper bag or something (pot, bowl) that you can place a lid on. Once the peppers have cooled and the skins have loosen, peel away the charred peel and slice into thin strips. Place them in a flat bowl, such as a pasta bowl, so the marinade will completely cover them.

While the peppers are roasting, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ground oregano, garlic, chili flakes, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Pour the dressing over the roasted peppers. Let them marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer before serving. When ready to serve, remove the peppers from the marinade and enjoy!

A mouthful of sunshine: avocado cocktail

If you're looking for a dish that will make the sun shine (if only for a while) than you need to try this recipe because it's bursting with all the best summer flavours: tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro and fresh lime juice. I can't remember the first time I made this avocado appetizer; it would have been many years ago. But it's been a summer favorite for a long time now because it's light, fresh and you feel like your laying under the warm desert sun of Mexico when eating it.





There's many different ways to put the cocktail together. You could have it as a light lunch served with salad greens. Or make as an appetizer to a Mexican dinner fiesta by cutting the avocado into quarters and serving on a plate, in a bowl or even in a margarita or martini glass. You can't go wrong however you serve it because the combination of flavours and that lingering taste in your mouth is the most impressive thing.

 You could serve this with homemade sangria and black bean tacos with feta and cabbage slaw.

When it comes to buying avocados, like any produce, I find it always pays off to take a little extra time and care in picking the fruit. If you have foresight, it's a good idea to ripen avocados at home. If not, pick one that is slightly soft to the touch and has a darker shell. The brown stem should still be intact at one end. The best test for finding out if the avocado is good is by removing the stem to see if the flesh is green or has started turning brown. The one thing you don't want is one someone else has removed the stem on and decided to leave behind.

Needing a little pick-me-up after a somewhat uninspired week brought me to making this for lunch today. And now with a cup of coffee in hand, I'm starting to feel better. I can't wait for those really warm (and lazy) summer days: for that first trip to the lake or spending the whole day laying out in the backyard reading. But until than, I'll be content with an avocado cocktail.


Avocado Cocktail (serves 4)

Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
1 ripe tomato, diced
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1-2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
olive oil to drizzle
sea salt

Directions
Mix together the diced tomato, jalapeno, onion and chopped cilantro. Add the lime juice just before serving.

Cut the avocado in half, and then peel and pit. Place avocado halves (or quarters) on a small plate or bowl, and fill the centers with the tomato mixture, allowing the mixture to spill over. Drizzle with olive oil and top with a pinch of good quality sea salt.

Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Salad

Chickpeas, roasted eggplant, red onion and fresh cilantro tossed in lemon vinaigrette are the fixings for a fantastic light lunch or a side dish for dinner. I made this for lunch yesterday from a BBC recipe I came across and it's one more recipe that continues my love affair with chickpeas. They're easy and cheap and even cheaper if you buy dried chickpeas in bulk. I like to buy canned chickpeas by the armful when they go on sale - so I always have plenty on hand and only a can opener away.




I particularly like the Moroccan flavours in this dish. Of course the roasted eggplant gives it a real Morocaan flair but also the paprika, cumin and cilantro. This is an interesting salad with lots of subtle flavours and ranks up there with some of my other favorites such as this recipe for chickpea goji berry salad and warm butternut and chickpea salad with tahini. The beans add protein, which makes this a complete, light meal. Perfect for the spring or summer.


Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients

Salad
3 eggplants
1 can (540 ml/19 oz) of chickpeas
1/2 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Dressing
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon and a pinch of paprika (smoked or Hungarian)
1 teaspoon honey
juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions
Cube the eggplant in about one half inch cubes, toss in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the chickpeas, then tip into a bowl with the roasted eggplant, garlic, red onion and cilantro. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and drizzle over the chickpeas and eggplant. Enjoy!

Coconut Date Balls

Let's talk about dates, and you know what kind I'm talking about. The sweet digestive kind that you don't need to look good for. I've been eating a lot of dates lately because they're a great snack when you need a little energy or are looking for something sweet (but not processed sugar sweet) to eat.


I often have two bowls on the coffee table - one with dates and the other with almonds - to munch on while watching a movie or when we're spending the evening watching some good television. Dates and almonds are the perfect pair because the nutty flavour and crunch of the almond nicely offsets the sweet soft bite of the date.

This recipe for coconut date balls came to me accidentally. I was thumbing through an old family cookbook, The American Vegetarian Cookbook: from the fit for life kitchen, looking for a classic vegetarian dish to make for dinner. Instead what I found was this confection: usually found in December because of its resemblance to snowballs. Colliding perfectly with my recent craze for dates, I decided to give it a try, adding almonds and vanilla extract to the mix. The result? A great snack to have on hand any time of the year. Keep them frozen or refrigerated in an airtight container.

Another one of my favorite energy boosting snacks that I like to make and have on hands are these homemade power spheres with dried apricots, apples, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.


Coconut Date Balls (makes 20)

Ingredients
1 cup dates, seed removed
1 cup roasted almonds
1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut + additional 1/4 cup for rolling
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Place almonds in a food processor and proceed until fine. Slowly a dates, one at a time until it forms a paste. Add coconut and vanilla and pulse a few more times until blended.

Using your hands, roll dough into inch inch balls. Place in a bowl with the remainder shredded coconut and roll the balls around until covered in coconut.

Refrigerate or freeze.

A picnic favorite: salmon with cucumbers

One of my favorite things to do once the weather is warm is packing a picnic dinner to take down to the beach. I wrap the plates in tea towels, pack food in containers, add cutlery and a few cold beers and I'm all set for a lovely beach side dinner. The only thing left to do is find a sheltered spot with soft sand, a slight breeze and a glorious view.

Coming up with food ideas for a picnic does requires a little thought and planning. The meal has to be portable and relatively easy to eat with minimal mess or dripping juices. What you choose should taste good even if it's not as hot as it should be. Cold or deli style salads are always popular but I like this favorite: grilled salmon with pickled cucumbers and radishes.

One of the reasons this dish is so picnic friendly is because salmon tastes good hot, warm or cold. It doesn't matter. The cucumbers and radishes are pickled in dill and vinegar and are full of fresh flavours that all go well with salmon. Add a classic potato salad or green bean salad, corn on the cob and perhaps a baguette and you have everything you need for a romantic and relaxing evening.



Grilled Salmon with Pickled Cucumbers & Radishes (serves 2)
Based on Martha Stewart's recipe

Ingredients
salmon (2 fillets)
1/4 of a cucumber, thinly sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)
4-5 radishes, thinly sliced (same as above)
3 tablespoons dill, minced
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Peel cucumbers in lengthwise strips, leaving thin strips of skin between peelings. Either by hand or with a mandolin, slice cucumbers and radishes into very thin rounds. Place both in a bowl with rice wine vinegar, dill, sugar, and pinch of salt to season. Toss to combine, and set aside.

Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. In a hot fry pan or on a hot grill, cook the salmon for several minutes, until nicely browned. Turn over, and continue grilling until just cooked through. Salmon will look flaky when done. Place pickled cucumbers on a serving platter, top with salmon fillets, and serve.