Tag Archives: lunch

Farewell Summer Salad with Black Kale, Peaches, Almonds & Berry Balsamic Vinaigrette

It’s officially fall and we’re excited for cozy sweaters, colourful leaves and pumpkin spice everything! But before we go there, we thought we’d savour the very last of summer with a Farewell Summer Salad. Yes, it’s sad. Summer is over. However,  you can still grab some local bites of sunshine (or peaches as they are more commonly known) at your local market and have one last taste of summertime.

While at our local farmer’s market this weekend we noticed the last of the Ontario peaches and grabbed a basket along with this gorgeous black kale.

black kale & peaches

We had never tried black kale before but were intrigued by it’s beautiful purple colour. We thought  it would not only look great (hello contrasting colours!) but also taste great and deliver a good dose of healthy vitamins and nutrients to our bodies too.  Something we all need after a summer of indulgence.

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Grilled Cheese with Ricotta, Aged Cheddar and Tomato

No matter what, grilled cheese sandwiches will always be one of our all time favourites. To satisfy a grilled cheese craving last weekend, we decided to get creative and use whatever ingredients we had in the fridge to make a totally epic grilled cheese that we’ve never had before. The great thing about grilled cheese is that you can make it as simple or as fancy as you like and it’s always going to taste great. As long as your two main ingredients remain good bread and lots of cheese, you really can’t go wrong. So next time you’re craving a grilled cheese, get creative!

For this particular grilled cheese we mixed a nice Ricotta cheese with some shredded aged cheddar, spread it on garlic rubbed sourdough toast, and topped with thin slices of ripe tomato. The result, is a creamier, gooey-er grilled cheese with a slight hint of garlic and tomato. Yum, Yum YUM!

INGREDIENTS (for one sandwich)

  • 2 slices of sourdough bread
  • 2 thin slices of ripe tomato
  • 1/4 cup Ricotta cheese
  • large handful of shredded old/aged cheddar cheese
  • salt & pepper
  • butter to butter bread slices
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled

DIRECTIONS

  1. On the stovetop, heat up frying pan on medium heat
  2. Lightly butter both sides of each bread slice
  3. Lightly toast each side of each slice of bread, remove from pan
  4. Take garlic clove and smash it with the side of a wide knife to release juices
  5. Take garlic clove in your fingers and rub on 1  side of each slice of bread (this adds a slight garlic flavour that won’t over power the cheese)
  6. Mix cheeses together in a bowl
  7. Place 1 piece of bread, garlicy side up back into the pan, scoop cheese mixture on top
  8. Place tomato slices on top of cheese
  9. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper
  10. Top with remaining slice of bread (garlic side down)
  11. Once bottom slice of bread is well toasted, carefully flip over and toast the other side
  12. Remove from pan when final side is toasted and cheese is nicely melted
  13. Slice in half (let it cool down a bit) and enjoy!

 

Tomato Soup

It’s getting colder, the days are getting shorter and we’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately. When we’re feeling a bit under the weather, there’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup to make it all better, and for us tomato soup is the ultimate comfort food. To make this soup, we used local Roma Tomatoes, as well as the last of the Cherry Tomatoes we had growing in the backyard. We love this soup for it’s brilliant red colour and the delicious tomato-e-y taste.  That, and the fact that this soup goes perfectly with grilled cheese!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 2 pints of Roma tomatoes (about 18 tomatoes), cored & sliced in half
  • 1 pint of Cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cups of water
  • fresh basil
  • salt & pepper
  • olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1.  In a large pot on medium heat, add a tbsp of oil, add onion and cook until translucent
  2. Add garlic, stirring frequently until cooked through (about 3 min)
  3. Add tomatoes & stir
  4. Add water and increase temp to high
  5. Simmer for 30 min
  6. Remove from heat, let stand to cool down a bit
  7. Blend with emulsion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor (making sure to blend to a smooth consistency)
  8. Enjoy!

Guilt-free Fish and Chips

Fall is here and it’s come on quite suddenly this year. Instead of the warm summer/fall transition we’ve been used to, this year it’s cold! With this sudden cold weather, we’re craving comfort food in a big way. While at the St. Lawerence market this weekend we picked up some Talapia fillets and brought them home to make fish and chips. While occasionally we crave a greasy, deep fried meal we usually like to keep things as light and healthy as possible.  Looking at these fish and chips, you can barely tell they were done in the oven instead of a deep fryer.  When you taste them, you won’t want to ever go back!

 

INGREDIENTS

FISH

  • 4 Talapia Fillets
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tsp dried corriander
  • 1/2 tsp tumeric

CHIPS

  • 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into strips, leave skin on
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • chili powder

DIRECTIONS

FRIES

  1. Preheat oven to 425F
  2. Wash & Cut Potatoes into fry shapes
  3. Place into a large mixing bowl and drizze on 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt & pepper & toss to coat.
  4. Place fries in rows on a non stick baking sheet being careful not to over lap.
  5. Bake for 25 min until golden brown, remove from oven and let cool for 5 min.
  6. Using a spatula, carefully remove fries from baking sheet and return to mixing bowl.
  7. Toss fries again in remaining 1tbsp of olive oil, sprinkle with a dash of chili powder.
  8. Return to baking sheet and cook for another 10 min until crispy.
  9. Remove fries from oven and let stand while fish cooks.

FISH

  1. Switch oven to broil.
  2. Mix together spices & oil and brush onto both sides of fish.
  3. Place fish on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
  4. Broil for 5-8 min until cooked through and slightly browned, do not flip.
  5. Enjoy!

 

 

Summer Quinoa Salad with Peaches, Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Living in Ontario we are so lucky to have such an abundance of local fruits and vegetables readily available, especially at this time of year. Our Summer Quinoa Salad is made with ripe peaches from Niagara, Cherry Tomatoes and Basil from our own urban garden here in downtown Toronto , organic quinoa and balsamic vinaigrette. It’s great by itself  but can also be served on top of mixed greens to make it a meal on it’s own.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups of cooked quinoa
  • 2 large, ripe peaches- pitted and sliced
  • 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes – sliced in half
  • 1 BIG handful of basil -roughly torn up
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
  1. Combine quinoa, peaches, tomatoes and basil in a large mixing bowl.
  2. In another small dish, mix olive oil, balsamic and salt and pepper until combined.
  3. Drizzle dressing onto salad & mix to combine ingredients.
  4. Enjoy on it’s own or on top of mixed greens or baby spinach.