vegan

Beet Risotto

Fall is in the air, which means more time to be in the kitchen cooking up warmer, cozier food. Well for me that is! So bring on the soup, chilli, risotto, all things comfort.

As you all know, risotto is a Fall fave in my household (see post here). And with our last harvest of the garden, beet risotto was a definite to do. Sweet and savoury, this dish is one that will be on repeat into the Winter months. And for my vegan friends, it is easily adaptable to suit your needs. I often forget how easy risotto is to make, which is always a thumbs up in my books. Plus look how pretty does this beet risotto look! 🙂

Here’s the dish –

Beet Risotto (yields 8 servings)

  • 3 cups aborio rice
  • 4 tbsp of unsalted butter/margarine/ or earth balance
  • 1 large sweet onion
  • 7 cups of low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 2 cups white wine
  • 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 3-4 large beets, shredded
  • S&P to taste
  • 1/2-1 cup pecorino cheese
  1. In a saucepan, bring vegetable broth to a simmer
  2. In another saucepan saute, butter, oil, onion, on medium heat until softened
  3. Add the shredded beets and cook, stirring until pan is dry (about 12-15 minutes)
  4. Add aborio rice to mixture, once coated add 2 ladles of vegetable broth
  5. Once absorbed add 2 more ladles of vegetable broth
  6. Repeat adding ladles of broth every five minutes on medium to low heat for 20 minutes
  7. Mix in the white wine as you go (I’ll add in a ladle of broth + ladle of wine as I go – this is all up to you!)
  8. Stir in the cooked beats and pecorino
  9. Keep stirring until cooked. Add tbsp by tbsp of water or wine if it is still too thick
  10. Top with rosemary, pecorino and a drizzle of olive oilIMG_5379

Get Cozy. xx

Sweet Kale

Hello Friends! I’ve been  away on a few getaways over the last few weeks and as a result I have been taking a break from dishing in the kitchen and on the blog – not to mention a whole list of other things to boot! With the summer ending, I enjoy taking the time to recharge and enjoy what’s left of the warm weather – soaking up the last summer rays. Now that September is here, I am feeling refreshed and ready to get back into a routine. Time to be inspired. 🙂

As the summer season is winding down, I am diligently trying to prolong my fruitful garden for as long as I can. For those trying to find your inner green thumb, I highly suggest you plant some kale next year. Its low maintenance and easy growth will fill you with pride and delight as you harvest bags of kale each week. It has honestly supplied our home with loads of gorgeous greens throughout the summer months and I’m overjoyed when I think of the cost savings, carbon footprint and health benefits that come in hand with growing your own goods.

With kale on the mind, here is another combination for you all to try.

Blend 1 cup strawberries, 1-2 cups of watermelon, 1-2 cups water, some mint and a bunch of kale. (yields 4 servings) Don’t be afraid to add more water if necessary to reach the desired consistency, this will vary from blender to blender.

Hope you enjoy these sweet greens!

Sweet Kale

Peace Love Kale. xx

Beet-Melonade

Last summer I was obsessed with all things watermelon and lime and this summer I am finding my fancy with the blend of watermelon and lemon – yumm so refreshing… After trying YamChops cold-pressed watermelon and lemon juice, I knew I had to start making this one at home; that $9.50 a pop is only justifiable as a treat. Instantly inspired to make my own, I was ready to do just that. Then came my ah-ha moment while harvesting beets from the garden. I thought why not add a few of these red beauties to  pump up the nutrient value for this sweet juice (see their benefits here).

And that is how Beet-Melonade was born. To my anti-beet followers, trust me when I say – you won’t even recognize the beets in this one. Deliciously sweet with a subtle sour tang, this juice is by far my favourite combo this summer and best served cold. Give it a whirl and let me know your thoughts!

Beet-Melonade

Juice or blend half of a watermelon, 1 lemon (I juice with rind) and 4-5 small-medium beets.

Beet-Melonade

Pucker Up. xx

Green Melon

Oh Kale Yeah – my beautiful greens have been growing like crazy this summer which has been amazing! Kale everything – salads, juice, smoothies, you name it. In my opinion, you can always add a little extra green to any dish.

I recently saw this recipe floating around and I just had to try it and then I had to share it. Of course, the brilliant Angela Liddon from Oh She Glows can take all the credit for this one. As she puts it, “it’s like a party in your glass” energizing and refreshing. The combination of watermelon and lime helps beat the heat on these warmer days. It’s safe to say that once you add a touch of sparkling water, it can basically be categorized as part of the mojito family. 😉

Ingredients

The great thing about this combination and it’s ingredients, is you really can work with whatever quantity you have on hand and it’ll still be super delicious- it’s kind of a no-fail. For my batch I blended together the following –

Juice of 3 limes, handful of mint, 1 apple, 1-2 cups watermelon, half an avocado, 4 leaves of kale and 4 ice cubes. (yields 2-3 servings)

There you have it, another green belly, another day done – Enjoy my friends.

IMG_5194Oh Kale Yeah! xx

Bruschetta Board

We had our first official summer kick-off BBQ/Housewarming at CasaDelSal and it was a lovely afternoon/evening spent with some of our favourite people. While we kept things pretty basic food-wise, with firing up the grill and accompanying salads; my friend Michelle put together a fantastic Bruschetta board that truly wow’d our guests. This was a dish that had to be shared and evidently I asked Michelle to enlighten us with her creativity behind this delectable appetizer. Please read on, share with your friends and above all else, try this one out!

Thank you again Michelle for putting together such an impressive board with a new-fashioned twist! Here’s her dish:

This past weekend I was invited to a BBQ at a friends house in Toronto.  If you know anything about our gatherings, they are mainly focused around family and friends with plenty of food and drink.

I was racking my brain trying to think of what I was going to bring for an appetizer – something fresh, colourful, easy to transport and make ahead and doesn’t require much kitchen time at the BBQ.  Huuummmm….summer…seasonal…ah-ha! I will create a bruschetta board, a non-traditional bruschetta board. I decided I would make all the mixes first thing in the morning and when I got to the BBQ all I would have to do is cut the baguettes into thin slices, toast and assemble.

Added bonus, all these incredible mixtures are nut-free and vegetarian + vegan friendly. Mixture and assembly is as follows:

Bruschetta Board Close Up

Farmers Market Cherry + Strawberry + Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar

  • 1+1/2 cups fresh cherries, pits removed and chopped
  • 3 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed and chopped
  • 5-7 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade (stack the leaves as evenly as you can, roll the stacks tightly so it resembles a cigar, slice the roll crosswise into very thin slices and pull apart into strips)
  • 5-7 mint leave, cut into chiffonade
  • 2-3 tbsp finely diced red onion
  • 4 tsp raspberry balsamic vinegar (regular balsamic vinegar can be used as a substitution) + extra for drizzling
  1. Wash and cut all fruit
  2. Add all ingredients into a medium size glass bowl, mix gently
  3. Cover and set aside in the fridge until ready to use

Farmers Market Tri-Colour Peppers

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 large peppers – 1 x red, orange and yellow
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  1. Wash and thinly slice the peppers
  2. Heat olive oil in a pan on low heat, add peppers, season with sea salt and pepper
  3. Stir occasionally until the peppers are very soft, approx. 30 mins
  4. Add additional sea salt and pepper if required
  5. Cover and set aside in a medium glass bowl in the fridge until ready to use

Butternut Squash + Caramelized Onion + Maple Syrup

  • 4 cups of 1-inch cubes of peeled butternut squash (tip – President’s Choice offers already cut butternut squash in approx. 1-inch cubes, you can pick up a package if you’re tight for time or don’t want to fuss with cutting your own)
  • Olive oil
  • Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • A few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar + extra for drizzling
  • 7-10 mint leaves, cut into chiffonade
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Spread butternut squash into a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper
  3. Let cook for approx. 30 mins until fork tender, turning with a spatula every 10 mins, remove from oven
  4. In a large skillet heat on low approx. 2 tbsp. of olive oil, add onions, season with sea salt and cook until very soft and caramelized, approx. 20-25 mins
  5. Add maple syrup and the red pepper flakes to the onions, let cook for another minute while giving it a gentle stir
  6. In a large glass bowl combine the butternut squash, onions and balsamic vinegar, mash the mixture together (I used my Pampered Chef Potato Masher – works wonders), season to taste with additional sea salt and pepper
  7. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use

Bruschetta Board Assembly (requires 2-3 fresh baguettes)

  1. Remove toppings from the fridge and gently mix
  2. Turn oven on to the ‘hi broil’ setting
  3. Thinly slice baguettes, drizzle the one side with olive oil
  4. Place in oven, broil bread until lightly toasted, remove from oven
  5. Turn bread over and drizzle the other side with olive oil and place in the oven until lightly toasted, remove from oven
  6. Place toasted baguette sliced on a wooden bread board (I lined mine up in 3 rows to showcase each variety I made)
  7. Add toppings to the baguette slices
  8. Drizzle raspberry balsamic vinegar over the Cherry + Strawberry mixture
  9. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and sprinkle mint over the Butternut Squash + Caramelized Onion + Maple Syrup mixture

Ta-dah – your non-traditional bruschetta board is complete!

Bruschetta Board

Mangia, mangia!!

xox, Michelle