Tasty taters

photos by pwisenberg

Hello everyone and happy Thanksgiving! Since I finally have time to breathe and relax a bit this weekend, I thought I’d share a recent recipe. I made this mish-mash of a dish on a chilly Tuesday night and it wound up being so flavourful that I felt it deserved to be shared! The star ingredient were the baked sweet potatoes that I seasoned with oregano and paprika. These hearty tots are perfect when cut into thick wedges and served on a bed of bright quinoa salad.

Baked sweet potato wedges and quinoa salad
Serves 4

Baked Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees. Place 2 large sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and prick with a fork. Bake for about 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and slice into thick wedges. Sprinkle generously with oregano, paprika, sea salt and coarse black pepper.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup baby spinach

While the potatoes are cooking, add quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for around 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Sautee until soft and slightly golden. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, dijon and remaining olive oil. Add in the warm quinoa, cooked veggies, walnuts and tomatoes and toss it all together. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the potato wedges over a bed of  warm quinoa and baby spinach for a healthy meal that I guarantee will leave you with a very happy belly!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone xo

Read Full Post »

The Hot Plate

Guys- I’m on a cooking show! And not just any show, but The Hot Plate, a popular internet show hosted and produced by the two lovely ladies, Amanda and April. This was my first foray into cooking on camera, so excuse my sporadic shifty eyes and awkward smiles. But hey, I tried, right? AND this quinoa recipe of Amanda’s is so delicious, I’ll definitely be adding it to my repertoire.

Please have a look and share your thoughts!

Robin xo

Read Full Post »

Farm fresh

photos by me

This kind of food makes me so happy- colourful, healthy, fresh and straight from the farm to my bowl! After picking up a beautiful assortment of veggies from a local farmer’s market earlier in the week I couldn’t wait to enjoy them in their purest form. This salad could not be easier to make. I simply chopped up the vegetables and added diced avocado for richness, walnuts for texture and a splash of olive oil and lemon juice to tie it all together. I loved it on its own, but Paul threw the mixture on some bread for a hearty sandwich and tonight I’m tossing it with quinoa for a yummy dinner. Ahh veggies, so versatile!

Fresh farmer’s market salad
Serves 4 

1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 mini cucumbers, chopped
2 tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
juice of 1/2 lemon
drizzle of olive oil
sea salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients together and add the olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Couldn’t be easier, right?

xo Robin

P.S. Tomorrow I’m off to Toronto Island for a picnic with friends, do you have any must-try recipe suggestions?

Read Full Post »

Fire it up

photos by pwsisenberg

A trip to my neighbourhood organic grocery store inspired me to make this recipe. The ingredients looked so gorgeous, they practically begged me to take them home- thick green spears of asparagus, hearty portobello mushrooms and beautifully-hued bite-sized grape tomatoes. This warm salad was easy to make and satisfying enough to eat for dinner. Plus, it just feels so spring-like with the seasonal asparagus and charred taste from the grill. The veggies were marinated in olive oil, herbs, garlic, dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar, a flavourful bunch if I do say so. The thick slices of portobello are so savoury and filling and the grape tomatoes add a much-needed burst of freshness. I garnished the salad with toasted pumpkin seeds for some extra crunch and served it with grilled crusty bread, perfect for sopping up that delicious marinade.

Warm asparagus and portobello salad
Serves 4

3 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1/2 red onion, thickly sliced
1/2 package grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
8 small slices whole grain bread, brushed with olive oil

Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

To make the marinade, whisk together all of the ingredient in a bowl until well combined. Taste and rectify the seasoning if necessary. To assemble the salad, begin by coating the mushrooms, asparagus and onions in the marinade and brushing the bread with olive oil (a little sprinkling of sea salt doesn’t hurt either). Grill the veggies over high heat (we used a grill pan for the mushrooms and onions, but it isn’t necessary), until the asparagus spears are just fork-tender and the mushrooms begin to get a golden brown crust, about 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, grill the bread on the periphery of the grill where the heat is not so high, about 3 minutes per side. Top warm vegetables with the grape tomatoes and pumpkin seeds and serve with the grilled bread. Couldn’t be more simple, couldn’t be more yummy!

Read Full Post »

Feeling fresh

photo by pwisenberg

Hello and happy May! This was an easy little weekend lunch that turned out to be too adorable not to photograph. I basically grabbed all of my favourite ingredients (including my new found love, cilantro- apparently it no longer tastes like soap to me!) and tossed them in some fresh lime juice and fruity olive oil. The flavours were bright and vibrant and the cucumbers and fresh jalapenos added a welcome crunch. Obviously, a few salty tortilla chips didn’t hurt either…

Avocado and spinach salad
Serves 2 

2 cups baby spinach
1/2 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup cucumber, chopped
1 tbsp red onion, diced
1 tbsp jalapeno, diced
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
about 1 tbsp olive oil
about 1 tbs lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 handfuls of whole grain tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except for the spinach and tortilla chips, until it looks almost like  a very chunky guacamole. Spoon mixture onto a bed baby spinach and top with tortilla chips. Easy peasy!

Just a quick post tonight, I know… I’m currently watching the Canadian election results (no comment, grr..) and drinking tea while trying to pack/outfit plan for tomorrow when I’ll be off to London to attend a swanky dinner with my mum and her colleagues. Speaking of swanky, this weekend I can’t wait to go to one of Toronto’s best vegan restaurants, Fressen, with some of my favourite friends annnd very soon I can share some exciting news with you all!

Have a great week lovely readers xo

Read Full Post »

Brighten up

photo by me

I have a slight obsession with both quinoa and hummus, so why did I never think to combine the two before? This was a little salad I came up with for lunch yesterday and it was as good as I had hoped. Be sure to add a touch of olive oil to the quinoa one it has cooked so it doesn’t dry out. Other than that, add whatever veggies you have on hand and a generous dollop of delicious hummus! Almost too easy, right?

Easy-peasy quinoa salad with hummus
Serves 2

1 cup quinoa cooked with 1 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp hummus
1/4 cup each of cucumber, tomatoes and bell pepper
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Add quinoa and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has absorbed. Toss quinoa with olive oil and fresh dill. Top with hummus and veggies. Lastly, season everything with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Good eats!

Read Full Post »

This bird has flown!

photo by me

Okay fine… we’re totally driving to New York… In fact, I’m blogging from the car right now (modern technology never fails to impress me). I’m sure you’ll agree when I say that every good road trip needs snacks, lots of snacks. So, in addition to the vegan brownies my pal Lindsay packed, and my homemade lentil hummus with veggies, we have a tub full of pasta salad to look forward to! I made this yesterday with the specific goal of using up whatever food we had left in the fridge (I hate to waste), and wound up making penne with sun dried tomatoes, basil and walnuts. I ate more than a few spoonfuls of it when it was hot and man it was yummy! I can’t wait to try it cold for dinner en route. Plus, it was super easy and came together in 20 minutes tops (Racheal Ray ain’t got nothin’ on me!).

Penne with sun dried tomatoes and walnuts
Serves 4

1 package whole wheat penne
1/2 jar sun dried tomatoes, drained not rinsed
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 chili, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup fresh basil, tightly packed
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook penne in boiling salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic, celery and chili to the pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until just soft. Add sun dried tomatoes and stock and simmer for about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine cooked penne, sautéed veggies, basil and walnuts. Toss everything together and serve hot or cold, so delicious!

Well my friends, I’m off to enjoy the rest of this long journey to NYC (car games will be played). I wish you all a wonderful weekend and can’t wait to share my adventures with everyone- food, photos, shopping- when I get back!

xo robin katherine

Read Full Post »