This recipe came about once again as a result of using up whatever was available in the pantry and fridge.  These days we do what we can to stretch meals and use up whatever we buy.  This dinner should serve 4 or in our case two, with leftovers the next day....yayyy! Sometimes these dinners are […]

    This was an easy tasty salad - a perfect side dish to any summer meal.  This recipe was great for 2 for a couple of days, but can easily be doubled.  Might be the simplest salad there is!  Fresh green beans are a must for this recipe, and any good quality store bought […]

  This was a quick and easy marinated beet salad - cooking was the only lengthy process.  Rather than steaming up beets for a side dish,  I thought I would make this simple marinade and turn it into a salad.  This is also delicious on top of a garden salad. In this dish I used […]

  We have been in a heat wave...very unusual for our area.  We ended up the first day BBQ'ing chicken and hence the above salad to accompany it.  To nite we will thankfully be having cold leftovers.  So, this all dressed potato salad is yummy served warm or cold. 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. new […]

With this easy dish we originally had the black bean chili over rice for dinner one nite.  Then the next day we turned it into a wrap style or quesadilla - even tastier!  The chili recipe with rice made plenty with leftovers to have wraps or quesadilla's for a few lunches - a quick easy […]

This was a simple easy meal to make.  In this recipe I used canned lentils (which also freeze very nicely) and some extra vegetables in the fridge that needed using up.  An easy Vegetarian week nite meal. 2 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 of a large onion, diced 2 minced garlic cloves 1 medium […]

This is a quick and easy dinner/lunch to make.  What helps make it quick and easy is, we used canned gluten free re fried beans, frozen butternut squash and fresh spinach. (you could certainly use fresh chopped butternut squash in this dish) By the way, I recently learned you can easily freeze fresh butternut squash.  […]

This is a quick easy dish to make if you need to use up the last of the summer zucchinis.  With this dish you could use store bought pesto and marinara sauce or you can make your own.  For the marinara sauce I used this one.  If you make homemade there will be leftover sauce […]

Oh how I love Italian Food. What I love is, Italians keep their food simple, without any fuss or complex ingredients, always using fresh ingredients and as a result their food is always delicious.  Jamie Oliver once said he was born in the wrong country....I very much think the same thing! This recipe was quick, […]

This recipe is similar to my Mung Bean Stew - with a few changes/additions.  It is said that mung beans are a legume that are heart healthy, they help to reduce cholesterol, are the least gas forming of all legumes, and they also assist in improving/balancing digestion.  It is my goal/hope for 2018 to eat […]

Years ago, there used to be a cafe/restaurant in town that served the most heavenly gluten free Mexican Pie.  We didn't get to that part of town very often, but when we did this would be our lunch.  Basically, it was an Enchilada - but the corn tortillas were stacked on top of one another, […]

I love lentils cooked any way - especially in soup.  The other day was a particularly busy day and on my way home from town I had one more stop to make at our local health food store.  Once in the door, something smelled heavenly (I was starving too as it was lunch time). Our […]

UPDATE:  we had this again the other day, but we had run out of wild rice so had it without....and it was even better! Recently I had read an article on the health benefits of cashew nuts.  When cashew nuts are soaked and pureed into a luscious smooth mixture it is a perfect addition to […]

Thought I would post this early as beautiful fresh tomatoes in our neck of the woods are not too far away. With an abundance of heirloom tomatoes making stewed tomatoes is a great way to use them up.  Although for weeks on end we just eat them fresh off the vine. We do not do […]

Wow, did this dish ever exceed my expectations.  It was YUMMY.  With the Quinoa and Yams I also used cooked Mung Beans - a powerhouse of nutrition in a small bean.  This is a dish that would be great for lunch or dinner - served at room temperature.  It will get even better the next […]

This was a recipe that was recently printed in our local newspaper.  I made some changes to the original - and we were delighted with the results.  Slow cooking with a crock pot has always been a little bit of a hit and miss result with me in terms of flavor.  Usually I have found […]

As mentioned in previous posts, I have been cooking Vegetarian meals about twice sometimes three times a week.  Recently, we found this at our local grocery store: No paid advertisement here....just wanting to share something yummy - a lovely basmati rice/quiona blend vegetarian meal. Next to dried pasta, this is the only thing in my […]

We are huge lovers of pesto in this household.  Each year I make Organic Garlic Scape Pesto which we freeze to have throughout the year.  This is the first time I have made Tomato Pesto and Oh My Goodness, do we ever love it. As mentioned in previous posts, every year, we buy our local […]

This is a recipe where you could certainly use cream cheese, however, in this household I always make Yogurt Cheese - or dripped Yogurt.  Recently, I discovered there is a company in California called Green Valley Organics that makes lactose free dairy products including sour cream and cream cheese.  Oh heaven!  It is very difficult […]

Last year, I was not aware - or more likely not on "the ball" enough to find out about a local farm that delivered fresh weekly organic vegetables - till December no less.   And the farm is only 8 minutes away from where we live. The above picture, at least to me, is pure […]

We had these lovely Cheddar Kale Potato Cakes for lunch one day, however, they would be great as a side dish to any main, as well as a yummy Vegetarian main dish served with roasted squash and a salad.  Easy to make and tasty! LEMON DILL SAUCE: 5 Tblsp. mayonnaise juice of 1/2 a small […]

This was such a simple delicious salad, I wanted to share...it is definitely a salad I will be making again and again.  As a matter of fact, I just requested more yellow beets in my next weekly organic veggie delivery.  We have never had yellow beets before, and being the some what purest that I […]

Wanna bite?  Trust me....yes you do.  Oh.  My. Goodness.  This was a most delicious pizza.  Who would ever have thought that beet pesto could be so delicious?  Then add kale and goat cheese?  This is truly a marriage made in heaven.  This lovely recipe came from THE ROASTED ROOT.  Please check out this blog for […]

Tonight we had a different version of Vegetarian Shepherds pie.  Although this did not photo well, it was darn tasty!  When it comes to a dish like this, I found that using a little more seasonings, the better the taste. While I did not really measure out a whole lot of the ingredients, I will […]

We have diligently been trying to eat a Vegetarian dinner in this household at least twice a week.  For me personally, I would never give up meat.  However, it does feel good to cut back a few times a week.  When it comes to eating Vegetarian - it needs to be hearty!  Plus, I am […]

Finally with somewhat cooler temperatures, I was able to use my oven without fear of our house becoming an inferno! These stuffed portobello mushrooms make a lovely lunch or even a main dinner served with a fresh salad.  Easy to make...the only part of the recipe that takes time is to drip the yogurt for […]

Do you love beets?  We have always loved beets in this household.  Back in the day, I used to buy canned Harvard Beets - thinking they were divine.  However, when you look at the ingredients and it says "modified cornstarch", that is definitely a no go in any gluten free household.  In Canada, fortunately all […]

This was a dish that sort of evolved as I was making it - without really thinking about the ingredients, all of a sudden I realized this would be a great Vegetarian side dish for the  holidays - Thanksgiving or Christmas.  We had this yummy dish on it's own as a Vegetarian meal, however, it […]

This recipe was inspired by my friend George's recipe for Middle Eastern Jhedra (lentils and rice). DH had gone to our Saturday Farmer's Market and came home with "heirloom baking tomatoes". We take turns going to our Saturday Farmer's Market - especially when I have to work...bless his heart.   I had never heard of […]

This vegetarian shepherds pie made for a nice change, and was a good way to get in those healthy mung beans. An easy way to cook mung beans is to pour boiling water over them to cover. Lid on and allow to sit for 1 hr.  Then drain - add cold water to cover well […]

We have been trying to have more Vegetarian meals in this household - we do not always succeed but tonight we did.  This curried mung bean stew was delicious.  I took some inspiration for this dish from this site.  The recipe also called for 1 can of full fat coconut milk to be added near […]

This is the easiest, fastest, pasta dish I know how to make.  It is for those days when you have been busy all day, too tired to cook, and just need some quick comfort food.  It is also very versatile....add different fresh herbs - in the summer I use fresh tomatoes and fresh basil from […]

This is a new take on Zucchini Cakes.  I love to take an old recipe - change it up and have great results.  I did not use the standard bread crumbs or flour in this recipe.  Instead I used 1/2 cup of toasted sunflower seeds, then ground them up in a food processor - it […]

Each week going to our local organic Farmer's Market, I tend to over buy...it just looks so delicious.  So when I have an abundance of extra vegetables on hand a gratin is an easy tasty way to use them up. This makes a lovely lunch or side dish to any main meal. 2 cups finely […]

One of my favorite things about summer is all of the fresh produce available.  I have a few rice salad recipes on my blog now - they are so versatile!  With this wild rice salad you could use any fresh vegetables and herbs you like.  This salad makes a great pot luck dish - just […]

This was one scrumptious and nutritious salad.  The Quinoa added a nice texture and flavor to regular Greek salad.  Plus it was more filling.  For people that can eat cous cous, that would be tasty as well. I do not ever put peppers into my Greek salad - I prefer celery, but they would certainly […]

Let me start by saying I love the title of this cook book:  Seasonal Recipes for Delicious Homegrown Food THE ZERO-MILE DIET COOK BOOK by Carolyn Herriot. (please forgive my pictures...we do have a new camera which I have yet had the time to learn.) Carolyn Herriot is a local author from our hometown of […]

I finally got a day off - the first in ten days!  So I headed to the kitchen to make this tasty side dish for the BBQ we are having tonight. I still do not know how much I will be on this blog this summer, but will give it the best I can given […]

We live for asparagus season in this household.  When it arrives - we have asparagus dishes pretty much every day.  Here is an interesting article on the health benefits of this power food. This is not so much of a recipe, but more of a method - so easy, and so tasty.  I'll also post […]

This might be my new favorite salad....so good!  We have a deli downtown that makes a very good Thai Broccoli Salad, which I will often have for lunch when I am at work.  One day, I decided to ask them for the recipe...thinking they probably would not give it to me, however, it never hurts […]

Recently we had a most delicious lunch at an upscale restaurant in town.  They served a dish similar to this one that was wonderful, I knew I would recreate it once we got home.  By the way...it took almost 3 years for this upscale and expensive restaurant to add a gluten free menu...halleluiah! Their recipe […]

If you have leftover rice in the fridge, ripe avocados, and a busy day ahead of you, this makes a really good hearty breakfast to get your day started.  Hardly a recipe, but had to share anyways....dang yummy!  My days are still crazy busy...but loving it! about 1 to 1  1/2 cups cooked brown rice […]

Mercy....I have a new discovery.  This was so so good.  The other day I posted the recipe review from Candace and her delicious Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese. Yes it is Vegan, and it is also raw.  I love it!  We used it on sandwiches as a spread, as well as a dip with crackers and […]

This was one plate of supreme summer freshness!  This is a recipe I will patiently wait for all winter long...then when the peak of summer arrives...we will dive in.  This is also a recipe our son Jarrod and his wife Anook would love - a raw pasta sauce and Vegetarian too. In the meantime...today was […]

With this post, I must say there is not much of a recipe here.  In the summer time I just can not resist photographing such freshness.  When it comes to fresh, local, organic produce there is nothing I want to talk about more, nothing I want to feast on more. Fresh organic produce warms my […]

The original recipe for this yummy dip came from our local newspaper.  I changed it up quite a lot - a great dip for veggies or a spread on flat bread or crackers.  If you read my blog, you will know I use dripped Yogurt, or Yogurt cheese often - it is such a great […]

This is the second cauliflower from our garden!  Who knew we could grow cauliflower in our ever challenging garden?  Now I wish I had planted more - next year.  As it turns out, DH is not all that crazy about cauliflower, but he did say it is much more sweeter and tastier than store bought.  […]

I can't believe I am about to say this, but this breakfast was so good, it will be on the table again tomorrow!  Why?  Because it has Tofu in it - yes - Tofu.  I have never been a Tofu fan, unless it is well disguised, majorly flavorful and with lots of texture in the […]

If you have lots of fresh vegetables in the fridge, and some leftover cooked rice - this is a great healthy way to use up extra ingredients.  It would be even better with fresh basil - which I did not have, nonetheless it was mighty tasty. 2 cups cooked brown rice 4 Tblsp. Grape Seed […]

We have had the lovely pleasure of a visit from our son Jarrod and his wife Anook visiting from Montreal.  We have been visiting, beach walking, and most happily feasting!  The first night we had my Vegetarian Lasagna with a garden salad.  Then the next day we pulled out the BBQ for Organic Cheese Burgers […]

We do love our soup in this household.  Now that I think of it, this recipe is also Vegan - not a speck of animal protein in this soup whatsoever.  There are other tomato style soups on my blog, as well as Vegetarian, but I think this is the second Vegan soup I have ever […]

As I may have mentioned previously, years ago when healing from Celiac Disease I made the choice to heal naturally. I have never done well with medication of any kind, including aspirin! I wanted to get vitamin packed nutrients from vegetables of all kinds. We bought an inexpensive juicer and at that time regularly made […]

This was a most tasty Vegetarian side dish of Curried Vegetables we had with our Curried Salmon Burgers the other night. Mercy...packed full of texture and flavor, a great side dish to most any meal, curry or not. In this dish I used my garden fresh/frozen Collard Greens, but Spinach or Kale would be lovely […]

This is one of those salads that is great for a pot luck, or served for lunch or dinner or as a side dish.  A hearty vegetarian dish that is fresh and delicious too.  Originally I was going to make a vegetarian lettuce wrap, but ended up putting it all together - so good.  I […]

This is a recipe I have been thinking about for ages, and I finally made these lovely cabbage rolls the other night.  DH had four of them!  I was stuffed after eating two...great leftovers for tomorrow! 1/2 cup of red lentils 1/2 cup of brown rice 1 large Bay Leaf a drizzle of olive oil […]

This curry pate is quick and easy to whip up - it begins like a dahl but ends up quite like a hummus.  Great as a dip with crackers, served alongside a vegetable platter, or as a spread on Dosa's - East Indian Flat Bread.  This also makes a healthy, hearty lunch too! I used […]

I was not sure whether to call this a stew or a very thick soup! This was surprisingly hearty and filling.  With our cooler weather, we have had an abundance of fresh Swiss Chard and Collard Greens that needed to be used up.  Now a couple of days later, we are in the heat of […]

I found this delicious sprouted organic bean mix at Costco the other day, and was pleasantly surprised. They are delicious - so versatile too.  These would be lovely in soups, or stews....I am thinking up new recipes as I write this!  It makes me really happy to see more and more organic, healthy foods available […]

Before I get into this recipe....with the coming weekend, do you plan to watch the Royal Wedding?? I can not wait.  And I will explain why.  You see, my children are just a few years older than William and Harry. I too, lost my mother at a young age, 16 years old.  When I saw […]

I seem to be on a soup roll lately, so here is a most tasty vegetarian soup, and a Recipe review.  Soup just seems to soothe my soul, I could eat it everyday! Last week I went to our local cafe/bistro/bookstore.  I was delighted to discover, all of their soups are gluten free, their salads […]

Originally I was going to go East Indian for this dish, but somehow or other, I went Asian.  Not sure how that happened, but nevertheless, tasty!  A lovely side dish, or Vegetarian Main dish, that would also taste lovely with tofu or tempeh added to the stuffing.  There is a great article about Quinoa you […]

Well, it does not look red, and neither do the lentils.  If anything they are orange in color!  Here is one of the side dishes we had with our Indian Curry Dinner the other night. A delicious, easy Dahl recipe. And yes, we are still under a blanket of snow, at this point with no […]

This was such a yummy, satisfying, and healthy meal.  The original recipe came from a food writer, Julie VanRosendaal, who had this recipe printed in our local newspaper.  I can not do a link to this specific recipe because of publication rights, but Julie does have a blog called Dinner With Julie - so worth […]

This dish could not be easier to make - and packed with nutrition too. Luckily, we have not grown tired of eating all the lovely winter squash that has been available. There are a few  items I always keep on hand in the freezer - frozen peas, and frozen spinach.  They are so versatile, and […]

I LOVE Hummus.  I have discovered though, my body is not happy when I eat garbonzo bean/chickpeas – just can’t do them.  So I thought why not try Pinto Beans?  Ohhh and was it good!  Served with fresh veggies, gluten free crackers, or even as a spread on gluten free bread – so healthy and […]

Well, this is the last of my homemade frozen pesto, from the summer.  It has been raining for days, gray and dark outside too.  Pesto had to fit the bill to bring some sunshine into these gray rainy days!  I also found some beautiful Organic Rainbow Swiss Chard - not too local, however, it was […]

This is a lovely rice side dish we had with our Tempeh in Brown Miso Mushroom Gravy.  But this would be a lovely side dish to any main entree. 2 cups of cooked brown rice Olive oil 1 large minced shallot 2 minced garlic cloves 3/4 of a cup finely shredded, then chopped, green cabbage […]

Our son Jarrod was on the phone the other day, from Montreal.  It is always so good to hear how he is doing, especially since he is living on the opposite side of Canada from us.  He asked if I had any new Vegetarian Recipes.  I realized I had not posted one in a while. […]

Since going milk free years ago, I made up this recipe for Macaroni and Cheese, in fact this is the cheese sauce I use all the time for other casseroles, which use a Bechamel  or white sauce as well.  The key is to find a neutral tasting, unsweetened Soy, Hemp, or Rice Milk.  I have […]

I love roasted vegetables of any kind.  Roasting adds so much flavor, and brings out the natural sweetness to the vegetable.  This recipe could not get easier.  A great side dish to any Vegetarian meal, or meat and fish recipes. handful of brussel sprouts, ends and leaves trimmed, cut in half 3-4 carrots, sliced and […]

This was a tasty Vegetarian Meal – great for dinner or lunch.  I have to say, rice and refried beans don't photograph very well.  This was somewhat Mexican influenced.  The first time I made this dish, I did not get the ratio of liquid right..it was too dry.  This was on the moist side, but […]

This was another stuffed vegetable dish where I made too much stuffing...so glad I did - yum!  I could barely stop eating the extra from the bowl.  It will be great tomorrow with some veggies in a salad for lunch.  This is a wonderful side dish to any Vegetarian, Meat, or Fish dish.  I actually […]

This is such a classic side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I know many people who have variations of this recipe handed down through the generations.  Years ago, I tasted this dish - can't remember where, and I neglected to get a recipe, so when I made it, I did so based on the memory […]

We were in town the other day, and discovered another Farmer's Market, new to us, that was fantastic!  It is so exciting to see more and more Farmer's Markets through out town.  This gives me hope for better, fresher food to buy, as well, I really want to support our local farmers.  Here is one […]

Well, this was supposed to be a simple Lemon Basil Pasta.  Then I realized there was fresh Organic Crimini Mushrooms in the fridge that needed using, as well as a medium sized garden fresh Yellow Zucchini, and a bowl of ripe garden fresh Tomatoes on the counter...then came this.  Yum...where would we be in the […]

This was another amazing meal Jarrod created - Oh my goodness!  You can not tell from the picture, but this was a very large zucchini 10-12 inches long, about 4 inches wide, and I wanted to eat the whole thing!  Although my tummy would not have let me, I sure wanted to!   And the aromas […]

I have mentioned before that we are having an unusual summer.  June through to Aug 10th was pretty much not summer.  Just the occasional warm day, but more times than not, overcast and foggy.  Then by mid August  we were in a complete heat wave.  My garden is shriveling up.  Then back to fog.  Such […]

Wow.  We had the great pleasure of eating another wonderful meal created by our son Jarrod, this time Thai influenced.  Wow.  I am still oooohhhhing and awwwwing.  Seriously.  It was so good, I do not know where to begin in describing these incredible flavors.  Think I might be crying when Jarrod goes home. We started […]

We had the most wonderful visit from our son Jarrod. He is visiting from Montreal, Quebec - across Canada.   And when he gets in the kitchen....Oh Mama, am I happy!  He is an outstanding cook.  I kept wanting to help...but then I didn't.  I just wanted to kick back and allow his amazing creativity […]

Back in the day, before I discovered my favorite Gluten Free Pizza Crust,  I always made this rice crust for pizza.  It seems especially delicious as a vegetarian pizza, and more wholesome too.  I was secretly hoping for leftovers for lunch the next day....there were 3 of us for dinner - we ate it all!  […]

This is such a healthy and versatile salad.  You can use any vegetables you have on hand…really anything would work.  This would also be a lovely salad with Pasta or Quinoa too.  It is a wonderful side dish, or a great lunch. We have been eating salads every day with all the lovely fresh produce […]

My garden is singing....we finally,at least as of July 6,2010, have heat, and sun, both at the same time!!  This summer has been so slow in coming....I hope all the veggies will catch up.  In this bowl is purple broccoli spears, a handful of fresh spinach, a handful of Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, and a […]

THESE ARE UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS!  I found the recipe from Ryan of This is Reverb, who posted the recipe on The Pioneer Woman Blog.  Check out there sites for the original recipe.  The first time we had these…gulp….I ate 4!  They were that good, thank you Ryan! Depending on how much you want to make, adjust […]

Linda, at Gluten Free Homemaker hosts GF Wednesday, with this carnival being about Burger recipes, so to view all the wonderful looking recipes, just click on her picture above.  What a great way to discover new recipes, thanks Linda! Originally, I was not going to post this recipe.  But Dang!  It was too good not […]

Before going into this recipe, just thought I would mention, that Katie at Thyme for Cooking passed on some great info!  The French Meadow Bakery is having a Gluten Free Recipe Contest, you can check out their lovely site  here.  Their  Gluten Free baked goods look amazing!  Although, they are not in Canada, I have […]

Years ago…10 to be exact, when I thought I wanted to be Vegetarian, my body loudly told me this was not to happen, I developed this Lasagna Recipe.  It has been the only Lasagna I ever make…my family would definitely protest if I did not.  And, they are meat lovers!  I have served this to […]

This was my first attempt at spring rolls.  Clearly, this is something that does get easier, and rolls nicer with further practice.  Having said that, I was pretty pleased with how these turned out.  And the dipping sauce was really good too.  These make a wonderful appetizer, lunch, or snack.  (the dipping sauce also makes […]

We have had very strange weather….sunny and warm, veggies are planted, then the very next day Cold, Grey, and Rainy….hope my garden does not drown!  So with this weather, came a craving for a vegetarian stew. This is a nutrient packed, hearty, and tasty vegetarian stew.  In researching the nutrient value of the lovely Adzuki […]

Trial and Error, and then some success: A few years ago, when our son Jarrod was visiting, he cooked up some vegetarian cheese burgers for us one night.  Those were the best Vegetarian burgers I have ever tasted!  I remember him using a few simple ingredients: leftover cooked brown rice, cooked lentils, 1 grated carrot, […]

UPDATE:  For some reason lately I have been having trouble making Risotto.  This is my most favorite Risotto recipe, so when it came out tough a few times...I really paid attention to what I was doing. Totally cover the rice in liquid.  Use a pot that has high sides on it.  Allow it to sit […]

We had to use up the last of our fall planted Russian Red Kale.   Such a wonderful green….but you know…this would work with any green you have on hand…Swiss Chard, Spinach, Mustard Greens, or Collard Greens.  Love them all!! Loaded in calcium….and many more nutrients,   plus it is Dang Darn Good!! Huge bunch of Kale […]

The wonders of the garden never cease to amaze me.  Here is is the beginning of May, this is Swiss Chard we had planted in the fall.  The stocks were not huge, but thin, and small, with big leaves - and incredibly sweet. Many cities in the United States and Canada, now offer Community Gardens, […]

LENTILS AND RICE - JEHDRA This was a hard picture to take!!  One of these days we will get a new camera, but until then....we will have to make do! My friend George gave me this recipe, one he grew up having.  It is delicious, a great side dish, or on it’s own served with […]

A RECIPE INSPIRATION,.........and something more.... This recipe was inspired by Katie, of Thyme For Cooking….check out her lovely site for the original recipe and many of her other inspiring dishes!  The only things I changed was using Quinoa instead of Barley, a few splashes of Balsamic Vinegar, one minced garlic clove and not sure but,  […]

ZUCCHINI CAKES I was craving summer fresh vegetables.  So, with this recipe I used my garden frozen fresh zucchini. I did not measure these ingredients, so they are only estimations.  The measurements are equivalent to the size of the zucchini.  In this case, I probably had about 2 cups of shredded, defrosted zucchini. 2-3 cups […]