Tomato-Lentil Soup with Goat Cheese (or Yogurt)

a photo of a bowl of soup. It is tomato red with lentils in it, and has crumbled goat cheese, herbs and lemon zest on top.

I’m loving this tomato-lentil soup! It’s quite simple to make, and is so delicious when you mix in the goat cheese! For those who don’t like goat cheese, yogurt would work well too. I almost always have these ingredients on hand, so it’s a great one to make when I don’t want to go to the grocery store.

The recipe is by Ali Slagle of the NY Times. The method of cooking the tomato paste with garlic and spices at the beginning is new to me, but it really builds the flavours! The recipe called for butter or olive oil, so I made it with olive oil to keep it healthier. It calls for Italian seasoning or oregano or za’atar, so I used za’atar. Za’atar is a spice mix usually containing sesame seeds, oregano, thyme, and sumac. Sumac has a lemony flavour that I love and can be used in so many ways. You can make it yourself, but I just picked some up at a Middle Eastern shop. I used Mild Aleppo or Pul Biber for the pepper flakes, but feel free to use what you have available. The recipe says to serve the soup with a lemon wedge, but I just added the lemon juice to the soup. The lemon flavour was quite pronounced when I tasted the soup right after cooking. I preferred the milder lemon flavour when the coup had cooled and reheated.

This photo shows the pepper, Za’atar and tomato paste that I used. You can also use a small can of tomato paste if you don’t have the tube.

photo showing three packages of food: a dark red ground pepper labelled "mild Aleppo Pepper" with the brand name "Jasmine," a bag labelled "green zaatar seasoning" with the brand name "Sadaf," and a tube of tomato paste with the brand name "la famiglia."

The recipe serves four people, and can be frozen.

What you need:

  • 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tube (130g/ 4.5oz.) double concentrate tomato paste, or 1 can tomato paste (156mL/ 5.5 oz.)
  • 3 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon Za’atar,OR Italian seasoning, OR oregano (plus 1/2 teaspoon for the topping)
  • 1/2 teaspoon or more pepper flakes (plus a pinch more for topping)
  • 4.5 cups water
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt OR 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • juice and zest of one lemon
  • goat cheese (for topping)

What you do:

  • Place a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, coriander, 1 teaspoon of za’atar (or other spices), and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for 2-4 minutes. The tomato will probably stick to the bottom of the pan, but that’s okay. Just keep stirring and let it darken; this isn’t a step you want to rush, as you are developing a lot of flavour.
  • Add the water, lentils, sand salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen all the browned bits. Put a lid on and raise the heat; bring it to a simmer, then lower the heat. Put the lid on and let it cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
  • While it is cooking, zest and juice the lemon.
  • To make the topping: With your fingertips, mix the lemon zest with the 1/2 teaspoon Za’atar or other spice, a pinch of pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt.
  • When the lentils are soft, stir the lemon juice into the soup pot (add 1/2 and taste to see if you want more… you never know how much juice is in a lemon!)
  • To serve, place some goat cheese on top of each bowl, then sprinkle with the lemon-spice mixture. I enjoyed the soup best when I stirred the goat cheese in, to make it creamy.
  • Enjoy!

Plum Cornmeal Cake

photo of a round cake with pieces of purple and green plum showing on the top

This plum cornmeal cake from the Two Peas and Their Pod blog is so great! It is nice and light, has a little bit of tartness from the plums, and a bit of crunch on top from the cornmeal and Turbinado sugar topping. It was pretty simple to make, and it was soooo delicious! I brought some to work to share with colleagues the next day and it tasted just as good as it did on the first day.

For my cake, I used a combination of purple and green plums. The store I bought them in didn’t note what kind they were, but I think they were Prune plums and Greengage plums.

The original recipe called for 4-6 plums, but since they are all such different sizes, it was difficult to figure out how much that added up to. When I cut up 6 small purple and 2 larger green plums, it seemed like it was going to be a lot, but after tasting the final product, I wished I had added more. I didn’t want to add too many plums and make the cake too liquid so it might not bake well, but I could have gotten away with a little more. I didn’t actually measure the amount I ended up using, but below I posted a picture of what it looked like before baking, in case that helps you decide how much to put in. Keep in mind there are two layers of plums, so you can only see half in the photo.

This recipe was so good, and I only altered it slightly. I used a few more plums than the original, and would use even more next time – which will be soon! I had only salted butter in my fridge, and it worked just fine! I ran out of the coarse grind cornmeal, so for the topping I used medium grind. I ended up having to bake my cake longer than the recipe suggested., adding about seven minutes extra before it was fully baked.

After baking, I fully cooled the cake and then stored the remaining piece in plastic wrap. It was still amazing after the first two days, and still good after five days! If you think you won’t get all of it eaten within a day or two, you can wrap it up and put it in the freezer for a few weeks.

Please let me know if you tried this recipe, and how it worked out for you!

What you need:

  • 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon coarse cornmeal
  • 12 tablespoons/ 170 grams unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 7-9 ripe plums (depending on size you may need more or less)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Turbinado sugar (to sprinkle on top)

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9″ springform pan.
  2. Cut up the plums and set aside.
  3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon into a medium sized bowl. Add the salt and 1/2 cup of the cornmeal.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter with a mixer for a few minutes, until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.
  5. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated, then mix in half of the buttermilk. Repeat, adding dry, then liquid, then dry, again just until incorporated.
  6. Add half of the batter to the pan, then arrange half of the plums on top. Add the rest of the batter, then arrange the rest of the plums on top of that. Sprinkle with the remaining one tablespoon of cornmeal, and the Turbinado sugar.
  7. Bake for about 50 minutes, testing by poking with a toothpick or cake tester to see if it comes out clean. I needed almost 60 minutes to finish mine.
  8. Take the cake out of the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge and remove the ring.
  9. Enjoy!
a photo of cake batter in a round pan topped with pieces of purple and green plum

Cheddar Cornmeal Muffins

Photo of cheddar cornmeal muffins on a green and white antique plate

Today was the perfect day for soup and savoury muffins – our first snow of the year. I know, lots of you might think Canada is a winter wonderland, but on the west coast we rarely get snow, so Feb 2 is about right for a first snow of the year. Really wet snow.

I’ve made this recipe so many times, but it wasn’t until a group of friends celebrated CheddaFest* that I realized I really needed to share this with all of you. It whips up really quickly, and is the best accompaniment to soup. I often make a broccoli leek soup with them, something really light and healthy. These muffins make it a meal.

The recipe comes from FoolproofLiving.com. A few changes that I made to the original recipe: I didn’t add corn kernels or dill. I didn’t have whole wheat flour, so I made it with All Purpose, and used Oatmilk in place of whole milk. I have made this so many times, and never saw the instruction saying to let the batter rest for half an hour…. The recipe says to bake for 22-25 minutes, but mine was done at 20, even when I accidentally had the oven set for 400 degrees instead of 425.

These are best when they have been freshly baked. I’ve also eaten them after they had been sitting at room temperature for a few days, and they are still good, especially if warmed up a little! I usually freeze some of these, in a ziploc bag, and I try to remove as much air as I can.

Makes 12 muffins.

What you need:

  • 113 grams unsalted butter (or add less salt to the dry ingredients if you have salted butter
  • 3/4 cup milk (oatmilk is fine)
  • 2 eggs – room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 & 1/4 cups flour (AP or WW)
  • 1 cup cornmeal -fine grind
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup scallions/green onions, chopped
  • 1 cup aged Cheddar cheese

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
  2. Great the cheddar and chop the scallions.
  3. Melt and let the butter sit until it has cooled down.
  4. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
  5. Beat the eggs with a fork, then add the milk, honey, and cooled butter.
  6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold the ingredients together, but not completely.
  7. Add 3/4 of the cheddar and all of the scallions. Mix just until combined. Any more mixing will make the muffins tough.
  8. Use a large spoon to place batter into the muffin tin liners, trying to make sure they are about equal.
  9. Sprinkle remaining cheddar on top or each muffin.
  10. Bake for 20-25 minutes, checking around 20 minutes. They should be lightly browned, and an inserted toothpick should come out clean.
  11. Remove the muffins from the oven, and after 5 minutes, remove the muffins from the tin.
  12. Feel free to eat them while they are warm! If you want to freeze them, make sure they are completely cool first.

*CheddaFest is a holiday we made up when some friends were interested in learning some cooking and baking skills. And we all really needed to not think about work for a while!

Furikake Glazed Squash

photo of a plate of roasted squash with furikake sprinkled on top

Tonight I made this squash dish and I just had to share it! It was so delicious!

The squash is first tossed in a honey soy sauce glaze, then roasted in the oven. To serve it is sprinkled with Furikake. The combination is a winner! A hint of sweetness, saltiness, and nuttiness from the sesame seeds. Love. It.

If you’re unfamiliar with furikake, it is a Japanese condiment made of sesame seeds, seaweed, and sometimes dried fish. The one I bought, Ajishima Nori Komi Furikake, has no fish, and also no MSG which some brands contain. In a pinch you could fake this ingredient with some toasted sesame seeds and a little salt. Even better if you have some nori.

The recipe comes from Jess Damuck’s Health Nut: a Feel-Good Cookbook. It’s got plenty of yummy healthy recipes. I enjoyed the Seed Crackers, recipe which happen to be gluten-free.

This recipe is only half the original, as I only had one acorn squash. It is more than enough for two people as a side dish. I used less oil than the recipe called for.

What you need:

  • 1 delicata or acorn squash
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons-ish neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon furikake

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. Combine honey, soy sauce and oil in a large bowl. Taste and adjust to your liking.
  3. Halve the squash then cut into slices about 1cm thick.
  4. Toss the squash in the glaze and make sure it’s all coated. Place the squash on the lined baking pan, and add any remaining glaze.
  5. Roast the squash until it is tender, about 25 minutes. Flip the squash half way through the time.
  6. To serve, sprinkle with furikake.
  7. Enjoy!

Healthy One Pot Carrot Cabbage Tofu Meal with Lime and Peanuts: Nasi Goreng

This delicious recipe comes from Anna Jones’ cookbook One Pot, Pan, Planet; A greener way to cook for you, your family and the planet. Here’s a link to her website where you can find a lot more yummy recipes and info about her book.

Why this recipe, especially after my long hiatus from contributing to this blog? Well, delicious, healthy, meal in a bowl: those are my favourite dishes. Plus most of the ingredients are things I normally have in my kitchen, with the exception of the crispy shallots. I found some crispy onions at a Mediterranean store for about $5 – close enough for me!

The title of this recipe in the cookbook is “Carrot and Peanut Nasi Goreng,” but I wanted a title that explains a bit more about the recipe. I’d say the cabbage, tofu, and peanuts are the main features here, with lots of flavour from ginger, garlic, herbs, lime, and the sauce that gets drizzled on at the end. My guests liked that they could add as much of the toppings as they wanted – not everybody loves cilantro and hot sauce it seems . . . so they can choose what they want to add the theirs.

Was a hot summer day the best time to make this? Only if you love standing in front of a hot frying pan . . . with a big fan running at least.

Was my frying pan big enough for this recipe? Of course not, even though it’s a big pan . . . so I just stirred carefully when it was fully loaded.

I only made a few little changes to the recipe: I did not use the complete half of a cabbage because I just couldn’t fit it in the pan; maybe I was meant to use half a small cabbage. I also didn’t put in as much rice as the recipe asked for; the recipe asks for 350g cooked rice, and I started with 1/2 cup dry rice, so that would be a bit less than called for. I used tofu; tempeh is given as an alternative, but I really don’t like tempe, and I really enjoy tofu! I also wrapped my tofu in a towel for about an hour before using it, to soak up some of the water. I put in only a little chilli oil, but put a bowl of it on the table to drizzle on later, so everyone could choose their own spice level. I have a batch of Wil Yeung’s chilli oil, which I highly recommend. I used the 50/50 mix of honey and soy sauce instead of ketjap manis. I didn’t use the optional fried eggs. I always keep ginger in my freezer – so I have it when I need it, and because it is so easy to grate it when it is frozen.

This recipe makes about 4 servings.

Please let me know if you try this recipe and what you thought of it! I’d love to hear from you!

What you need:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 200 grams firm or extra firm tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 small onion or 2 shallots
  • thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated (easiest to do this with frozen ginger)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 300-350grams cooked basmati rice (cold, day old rice!)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon chilli oil or sambal oelek, depending on your heat tolerance
  • 2 carrots, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 a head of cabbage, chopped (or other green veg of your choice)

For serving:

  • juice of 1 lime
  • small bunch of cilantro, chopped
  • 100 grams chopped peanuts
  • 2 spring/green onions, thinly sliced
  • crispy shallots or onions
  • 1 tablespoon ketjap manis OR 50/50 mix of soy sauce and honey
  • (optional 2 eggs for frying)

What you do:

  1. Begin by laying out all the ingredients you need and chopping all the vegetables up as listed in the ingredients.
  2. Heat a large frying pan over medium/high heat, adding a little oil. Fry the tofu (I did mine in 2 batches) for about 5 minutes, turning frequently, until browned. Remove these from the pan into a bowl for later.
  3. Turn the heat to medium and add a little more oil to pan. Fry the shallots until soft, taking care not to burn them. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for another minute. Add the turmeric and fry for another minute.
  4. Add the rice to the pan, then pour on the soy sauce and chilli oil, stirring to coat the rice.
  5. Add the grated carrot and chopped cabbage, frying for about 2 minutes.
  6. Add the tofu and continue to fry until everything is hot. If you choose to fry eggs for this dish, do that now in another pan.
  7. Squeeze the lime juice over the rice and vegetable mixture.
  8. To serve, spoon some ketjap manis/ soy and honey sauce, on each serving. Sprinkle on the cilantro, spring onions, peanuts and crispy onions. Add extra chilli oil if you like a bit more heat!
  9. Enjoy!! Please comment!!

Thanks to everyone who has been so patient in waiting for a blog post! I’ve had some incredibly busy years, completing a Masters degree while working a very full-time job. I got out of the habit of taking photos my new dishes, and sure didn’t have time to write up a blog posting. I also wondered if anybody is out there… I get a bunch of hits on my site, but very few people comment, so I sort of thought no one would really care if I quit this blog. I’m going to make an effort to post from time to time, so I hope you’ll stay tuned!

Garlicky Roasted Mushrooms and Brie

For Christmas Eve, we enjoyed this awesome roasted mushroom and cheese dish on slices of fresh baguette! It’s pretty quick to prepare, ready in around a half hour including baking time. It was so tasty, and felt quite indulgent! We also thought it would be great with just the mushrooms, so next time that’s probably what we will try.

The recipe comes from the Smitten Kitchen website, a huge favourite of mine. Her printed cookbooks are great too! I made one change to the recipe: her version called for capers, but my Main Eater doesn’t enjoy capers so I substituted olives to provide that salty flavour. She suggests anchovies as a substitute, but those are also not a favourite here. I used a bit more garlic than the recipe called for, and served it with freshly sliced baguette instead of toasted baguette, just to keep it simple. I opted for Camembert, but gooey Brie would also be awesome!

This was way more than the two of us could eat, so it is safe to say this would be a good amount for an appetizer for four people.

Photo of a serving dish containing roasted mushrooms with a round of cheese in the centre, placed on a cutting board surrounded by slices of baguette.

What you need:

  • 1 lb mushrooms (I used Cremini and King Oyster)
  • 2 tablespoons minced olives (or capers)
  • 3-4 cloves minced garlic (not run through a garlic press)
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (or less to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
  • juice of half a lemon (or less)
  • a few sprigs of parsley (garnish)
  • a few sprigs of fresh thyme if you have it
  • 8 oz wheel of Brie or Camembert
  • baguette, sliced or toasted

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
  2. Break the mushrooms up into bite-sized pieces using your hands. I just cut the ends off the stalks first, then tore the mushrooms up.
  3. Mix together the mushrooms, olives, garlic, salt, oil and quite a bit of pepper in a baking dish, large enough that it will have enough room to add the cheese later.
  4. Cut the butter up into small chunks and sprinkle it over the mushroom mixture.
  5. Roast for 15 minutes, turning halfway through.
  6. While the mushrooms are in the oven, use a knife to score a circle in the top of the cheese, then remove the top of the cheese. This will allow for easier serving. (You CAN eat the rind).
  7. Push the mushrooms aside to make a space for the cheese. Place the cheese in the middle of the baking dish, place the fresh thyme on top of the cheese, then put it all back in the oven for about 10 minutes. The cheese should be melted, so if it’s not, you can give it a few more minutes in the oven.
  8. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the mushrooms and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately!

Gochujang Chicken Strips – Air Fryer Version

photo of breaded chicken strips on a plate with red chili sauce in a bowl

These chicken strips are really easy to whip up in an Air Fryer. With a bit of spice and a crunchy exterior, they’re pretty addictive!

The majority of the recipes I post are recipes that someone else has created; most of the time I make some changes to the recipe, and sometimes I follow the recipe to the T. This one I made up myself, and I have to tell you it’s a good one!!

It’s been far too long since I last posted a recipe on here, but I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel in my Master’s program. I haven’t been taking any photos of my food makes for a long time, so when I made up this recipe last night I again didn’t take a photos. I did remember what I put in the recipe, and it was so good that I had to make it again tonight, and this time I took a few photos.

What’s so great about this recipe, you ask? Well . . . these chicken strips are really tender thanks to the air fryer cooking method, and the chili coating brings a ton of flavour to them. Plus there’s no added oil, other than a little bit that you spray on the cooking surface.

Gochujang is a Korean chili paste that has a little heat, a little sweetness, and is slightly fermented. You can find Gochujang paste at any Korean grocery store; I get mine at Kim’s on Broadway in Vancouver.

I was a holdout on the Air Fryer purchase, but the more I read peoples’ opinions on it and heard from friends what they liked about it, I figured I should look into it. I do not like to have a ton of machines, and the Air Fryer machine is quite large, so I bought the Air Fryer lid for the Instant Pot that I already own. Since then I’ve done a lot of roasted veggies, Agadashi Tofu, and a few different chicken strip recipes. All have been excellent, and all have taken so little time that I am motivated to try more recipes. I made this recipe, start to finish, in less time than it would take me to preheat my oven.

I served these with Air Fryer roasted cauliflower last night, and tonight I made breaded zucchini in the Air Fryer. Air Fryer fries are also awesome! I dipped the chicken in a sweet chili sauce, but feel free to use your sauce of choice or no sauce at all.

What you need:

  • 1 chicken breast
  • 2 tablespoons Gochujang paste
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Mirin
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup Panko crumbs

What you do:

  1. Combine the Gochujang, soy, mirin, and garlic in a bowl.
  2. Put the Panko crumbs in another bowl.
  3. Cut the chicken breast into strips.
  4. Place the chicken in the Gochujang mixture and coat all sides.
  5. Using a fork, place a piece of chicken in the Panko crumbs and coat all sides.
  6. Spray the Air Fryer with oil spray, then place the chicken on the Air Fryer rack in a single layer, with a little space between each piece.
  7. All Air Fryers will work differently, so get to know the cooking times on your machine. For my Instant Pot Air Fryer lid, I cooked the chicken at 400F with no preheating. First I cooked it for 4 minutes, then flipped the chicken and cooked it two minutes more. If you are testing your machine out, you could try cooking for a shorter amount of time so you don’t overcook, then add a minute at a time. Make notes about your cooking times.
  8. Enjoy them while they are hot!
photo of Trader Joe's soy sauce, Mitkusan mirin, Korean Gochujang paste, and a clove of garlic
photo of two bowls, one with chicken coated in a red paste, the other with chicken coated in panko breadcrumbs
photo of chicken strips in an instant pot air fryer

The Best Cornmeal Muffins!

cornmeal muffin on a plate

I found this recipe for “Perfect Corn Muffins” on Smitten Kitchen, and she’s right, these are the best cornmeal muffins I’ve ever tasted. I’m using the word “cornmeal” because I feel like “corn muffins” sounds like there are actual kernels of corn in it, which there are not in this recipe.

The changes I made were just because I didn’t have some of the ingredients on hand, so I used buttermilk instead of whole milk, and yogurt in place of sour cream. The recipe called for 3-5 tablespoons of sugar, and I went with just shy of three because I don’t enjoy sweet cornbread.

These were delicious with a little bit of Irish Kerry Gold butter, and another was eaten with a slice of mature cheddar. I had planned to serve them with Instant Pot baked beans, but they are taking forever instead of an instant to cook, so they’ll have to go with the leftovers.

The recipe is straightforward except one part that was new to me: some of the cornmeal was cooked before mixing, which is probably part of the reason that these were so moist. You will separate the two cups of cornmeal into 1 & 1/2 cups with the dry ingredients, and 1/2 cup to be cooked.

What you need:

  • 2 cups yellow cornmeal (I used Purity brand)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 & 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 & 1/4 cups buttermilk (or whole milk)
  • 1 cup plain yogurt, not no-fat (or use sour cream)
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted and left to cool
  • 3 to 5 tablespoons (35 to 60 grams) sugar (see Note up top about sweetness)
  • 2 large eggs

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners; I used silicone, and they slid off really nicely after baking.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl combine 1 & 1/2 cups of the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. Melt your butter and let it cool a bit.
  4. Add the milk and 1/2 cup cornmeal to a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir until it has thickened enough that your spoon/whisk leaves a clear line across the bottom of the saucepan, which slowly fills in.
  5. Mix the melted butter, sugar and yogurt into the cooked cornmeal. If the mixture is cool enough, mix in the eggs. If not, wait a few minutes so the eggs don’t cook when you add them.
  6. Fold the dry ingredients into the eggy-buttery mixture until just combined. The batter will be quite thick.
  7. Scoop the batter into the muffin tins; using an ice-cream scoop or measuring cup can help to keep the amounts even. The batter will completely fill the muffin cups and mound up a bit.
  8. Bake for about 13 minutes, until the tops are just golden brown. Insert a toothpick to see if they are done. There should be no batter sticking to the toothpick. My oven is really annoying, so some were done at this point, and some not. I rotated the pans and left them in for three more minutes.
  9. Let the muffins cool in the pans for five minutes, then remove from the tins and let them cool five minutes more. Because mine were in silicone liners, I removed them at this point.
  10. Enjoy!

Lemon-Cilantro Hummus

Well it’s been about eight months since I’ve posted a recipe; working full time and working on a master’s degree doesn’t leave a lot of time for hobbies. I’m still cooking of course, and finally took a photo of something, so thought I’d share this yummy and delicious hummus recipe.

If I had more time I would have cooked my own chickpeas, but happy to have a time-saving can of them in my cupboard!

For the smoothest hummus you can take a few minutes to remove the peels from the chickpeas. It really does make a difference! But of course you can just throw them in there with the skins on.

This is best made in a food processor, but if you have a blender or immersion blender, those could do the trick. I suppose if you had a lot of time you could do it with a potato masher . . . ? Let me know if you try that!

I purposefully didn’t add amounts here. In the procedure below I suggest how much I added, but this is a really good recipe for “adding to taste;” add a little, then a little more if needed. I like mine lemony, and I like to serve it right away . The leftovers are excellent, but the batch fresh out of the food processor is the best.

I have been eating this hummus with crackers and as a dip for veggies.

What you need:

  • can of chickpeas, drained, and preferably with skins removed
  • tahini
  • garlic, crushed
  • cilantro, clean and chopped once or twice, stems and all (unless there are some really thick, woody stems)
  • salt
  • lemon
  • cumin

What you do:

  1. Pour the chickpeas into the bowl of the food processor.
  2. Add a dollop of tahini. I used about 1/4 cup.
  3. Put the lid on the food processor and blend it up for about a minute.
  4. Add a clove of crushed garlic (or more if you love your garlic), a whole bunch of cilantro (mine wasn’t a huge bunch), a little salt, half a lemon to start, and a pinch of cumin to start. Let that process until the cilantro is well chopped, and the hummus is creamy.
  5. Taste your hummus and see what you’d like to add more of. I almost always add a bit more lemon.
  6. Add a bit of water to make it the consistency you like and process again until it is really smooth, and you have the right balance of flavours. If you are going to refrigerate your hummus, keep in mind that it gets firmer when it’s been in the fridge for a while, so adding a bit more water can be a good idea.

Iced Oatmilk Coffee

When the hot weather starts, this is my favourite beverage. To be fair, hot weather in Vancouver isn’t all that hot, but I’m a bit of a lightweight when it comes to heat.

This is one of the easiest “recipes” I have posted. Espresso (or really strong coffee), ice, and Oatmilk (or your choice of “milk.”) And Enjoy.

Thanks to my old friend Mike Peterson for introducing me to Oatmilk through his Cereal reviews! Oatmilk is the perfect non-dairy drink! I prefer the unsweetened version of Earth’s Own Oatmilk, because it works so well in coffee, tea, and in my steel cut oats and breakfast.

What you need:

  • ice
  • espresso or very strong coffee
  • oatmilk, or milk of your choice

What you do:

  1. Prepare espresso.
  2. Put ice in a glass.
  3. Pour the espresso over the ice.
  4. Pour in some oatmilk.
  5. Drink it while it’s nice and cold!