This one is so easy – just snap the woody ends off the asparagus, and steam them for a minute or two. Plate them, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on top, grate a little parmesan on, and a little salt. Done – tasty, easy, delicious.
Category: Easy Recipes
Maple Butternut Squash Soup
The sun came out today and reminded me that I only have a little more time to make winter soups! So here is a squash soup I’ve been meaning to post for a long time, one that I’ve been making for years. The baked cauliflower topping, however, is a new addition, and I’m going to make it like this again.
I know that the sticker on your squash probably tells you that the easiest way to cook it is in the microwave. This may be true, however, I find oven-baking it makes it taste sweeter, and it’s also more satisfying. Also, you can cook the cauliflower while the squash is baking.
What you need:
1 medium-sized butternut squash
2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
2 stalks celery
1/2 large sweet onion (I cry less over sweet onions – you can use a regular one if you wish)
1 red or yellow sweet pepper
1/4 cup white wine (I used riesling)
1/4 teaspoon dry tarragon leaves, crumbled (1/2 teaspoon fresh)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3-4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
maple syrup to taste
salt to taste, unless your stock already has salt in it
1/4 cup dry sherry – optional but amazing!
1 cauliflower, an optional topping
What you do:
1. Cut the squash in half, de-seed and lay on a baking sheet. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes or until it pierces easily with a knife. At the same time you can cut the cauliflower into florets and bake for the same amount of time, until browned.
2. Cook the onion, celery and pepper in butter for several minutes. Add the spices, then the wine, and cook for a few more minutes. Add half of the stock and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
3. When the squash is cooked, allow it to cool enough to be handled. Puree it, along with a cup of the stock, then add it to the vegetables.
4. Heat the soup through, then add the maple syrup, sherry, and salt to taste.
5. Top with chopped roasted cauliflower to serve.
Chili-Lime Nuts
This my attempt to make nuts like the Trader-Joe’s Thai lime and chili nuts. These have less salt and no added oil. You can adjust the amount of cayenne, if you don’t like things to get too hot. This is really easy to make, and makes a nice treat to nibble on.
What you need:
juice of 1 lime
1 cup mixed nuts (I used red-skin peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, pecans and cashew – almonds would be great!)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 dried chili, crumbled
pinch of sugar
3 lime leaves, sliced – optional
What you do:
1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and coat all the nuts.
2. Bake at 220F for 40-60 minutes. Check them and stir every 10-15 minutes, especially near the end. They will be done when they are dry inside – check by tasting! You’ll want to scrape the dried juice and spices off the pan as you go along to combine with the nuts.
3. These will keep for a few weeks.
Oven-baked Onion Rings
I’ve been trying for a while to find the right way to do this. I tried one recipe that had cornmeal, and they were awful and cardboardy. And a lot of the recipes I googled were coated in potato chips – pretty much defeating the purpose of oven-baking. I wanted them to be delicious AND healthy – too much to ask? Apparently not!
I just did what I usually do with breaded foods, but I added some yogurt to the egg coating to make them a little more tender. And yum, it worked! And it’s easy!
What you need:
1 egg
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
1 sweet or red onion
What you do:
1. Crack the egg into a bowl and add the yogurt. Mix well with a fork.
2. Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl with some salt and pepper.
3. Cut the onion into thick rings, about 2cm wide.
4. Dip each ring into the egg mixture, then coat thoroughly with the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Place the breaded rings on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 400F. Flip the rings over and bake for another 10-15 minutes. They are done when they are quite browned.
Serve with a yogurt dip. I like to add a bit of dill, salt and pepper to some plain yogurt. Adding some curry powder to the plain yogurt is nice too.
Garlic Pea Shoots
Here’s another attempt to recreate a dish I tried and loved, this one from Legendary Noodle on Main Street in Vancouver. So quick and easy, so addictively good.
If you’re in Vancouver, you can find pea shoots at East West Market on Main at King Edward St.
What you need:
pea shoots
sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
soy sauce
water
What you do:
1. Heat a frying pan on medium heat and pour in a teaspoon or so of sesame oil.
2. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and then the pea shoots to the pan.
3. Add a tablespoon or so of soy sauce and toss the shoots a little.
4. Add a tablespoon or two of water, then cover the pan and let it cook for about a minute.
Done! Ready to eat!
Amazing Chocolate Brownies. Truly.
These Moosewood brownies are the best. They’re an old standby – whenever I need a surefire easy recipe for chocolate lovers, this is the recipe I go to. I’ve split the recipe in half, so it can be baked in a 9×9 pan, but feel free to double it to make a large pan. Add your favourites – nuts, chocolate chips, or leave it to its pure chocolateyness.
Your house will smell heavenly if you bake this… mine does!
What you need:
2.5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 medium or 2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
pinch salt
pinch cinnamon
What you do:
1. Melt the chocolate and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
2. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light in colour.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla.
4. Drizzle chocolate in and mix well as you pour it.
5. Mix in flour with a wooden spoon, along with salt and cinnamon, and any extras like nuts or chocolate chips.
6. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.
Serve all by itself, with a dusting of icing sugar, with a dollop of whipping cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce, or with ice cream – any way you serve it, it’s gonna be good. Especially if it’s still a bit warm!
Lentil Vegetable Soup with Yogurt
This colourful soup is packed with nutritious veggies and plenty of flavour. There aren’t many seasonings, but this soup gets its flavour from the vegetables, especially the browned onions. A dollop of plain yogurt as you’re serving finishes it off perfectly!
What you need:
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves, sliced
1 leek, sliced
1 red pepper, diced finely
1 fennel bulb, diced finely
2 carrots. grated
1 parsnip, grated
1/2 jalapeno with seeds, finely diced
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup red lentils
salt and pepper, to taste
What you do:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook onions until slightly browned.
2. Add the garlic and leek and cook for a few more minutes.
3. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the broth and lentils and cook for about 30 minutes, simmering on low.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with a dollop of plain yogurt.
Easy Tortilla Pizza
Here’s a quick and easy meal for you. You can use whatever toppings you like; I’ve listed some of my favourites. Just pick a couple that you think will work together, or add your own.
What you need:
whole grain tortilla shell (I keep them in the freezer)
tomato paste
sliced mushrooms
asparagus, sliced lengthwise
cherry tomatoes, cut in half and deseeded
olives
red peppers
sun-dried tomatoes, diced
hot italian sausage
herbs/spices – fresh basil or some anise seeds
a bit of grated cheese (optional)
What you do:
1. Spread some tomato paste over the tortilla.
2. Put some toppings on.
3. Pop it in the oven at 400F for 15-20 minutes, then broil for the last minute or two – but watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn.
4. Enjoy!
Spaghetti Squash with Sundried Tomatoes and Olives
I love the idea of spaghetti squash, but I find it doesn’t have quite enough flavour on its own. As my friend Meredyth says, sundried tomatoes make everything better. I feel the same way about olives. This easy recipe isn’t shy on taste, and it is super healthy and all-vegetable. And nut. Okay, and olives are actually a fruit . . . but you get the point.
What you need:
1 spaghetti squash
6 sundried tomatoes
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped basil
1/2 clove garlic, finely diced
about a dozen kalamata olives
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
What you do:
1. Cut the squash in half, scoop the seeds out and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 400F for about 40 minutes.
2. While the squash is baking toast the pine nuts.
3. When the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes, until it is cool enough to handle.
4. Combine the lemon juice and zest, olive oil, basil, sundried tomatoes, olives, garlic and basil.
5. Remove the squash from the shells by scraping with a fork. Add the other ingredients to the squash.
Ready, easy and yummy!
Healthy Homemade Maple Granola
Commercial granolas have a lot of sugar, fat and even salt added, so I tried to stay away from adding a lot of those to this recipe. Nuts contain a lot of fat, but it’s a healthy fat, so you’re okay if you eat a moderate portion. Two of the things I like about making my own granola are: I know exactly what’s going in it, and I can change the ingredients to suit my own taste and what I happen to have on hand. So feel free to substitute for your favourite nuts and seeds. Do beware that some seeds, like flax and sesame, are more freely digested and therefore benefited from, if they have been ground – probably not the best choices for substituting here.
What you need:
4 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup dried, not roasted, pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup coconut ribbon or other unsweetened,dried coconut
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter (or oil for vegan and lactose-free)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
optional: 1/4 cup raisins or other dried fruit
What you do:
1. Combine the oats, almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
2. Melt the butter and add the vanilla, salt and maple syrup to it. Stir this liquid into the nut and oat mixture.
3. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet, and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes. Set the timer for 10 minutes, then give it a stir. Stir again after another 10 minutes, then check and stir every five minutes until it is golden brown. If you can hear the pumpkin seeds popping you know it’s done.
4. Remove from the oven to cool and add the coconut and optional dried fruit. I prefer to add the fruit with each serving rather than adding to the recipe, so the fruit stays moist and the granola stays crunchy. That way I can also vary the type of fruit I add, whether it be dried (if I need to take it ‘to go’) or fresh.
5. Store in an airtight container. Of you think it will take you more than a few weeks to consume or give away parts of this recipe, it’s a good idea to keep it in the fridge. Because nuts oil they are susceptible to spoiling – refrigeration helps avoid this problem.
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