The French baguette meets the tangy, colourful essence of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
Category: lunch
Rooftop to table: spaghetti with roasted swiss chard, eggplant, tomatoes and carrots
Downtown Toronto may be known as a concrete jungle, but the University of Toronto campus is blessed with lush pockets of greenery -- towering walls of ivy, manicured beds of perennials and even a tropical bamboo garden. Every day this plant-obsessed lady feels grateful to work in such a picturesque setting. I recently learned of another … Continue reading Rooftop to table: spaghetti with roasted swiss chard, eggplant, tomatoes and carrots
Pineapple boat with spicy fried rice
This summer I'm having so much fun dishing up food in bowls made from food, like this vodka watermelon slush last week. Here, pineapple is sure to impress the party as a vessel for Thai-style fried rice. It's also ideal for noodles, salads, fruit, smoothies and yogurt bowls. When you're done, don't toss the leafy crown—the … Continue reading Pineapple boat with spicy fried rice
Eggplant tacos with spicy black bean sauce
The Chinese eggplant—smothered in a thick black bean sauce, loaded with ginger and garlic—is a staple of Sichuan cooking and versatile with rice and noodles. Here, the classic dish is reimagined as tacos. Pungent, salty and slightly sweet at the same time, it's a lip-smacking, greasy way to spice up your taco night. … Continue reading Eggplant tacos with spicy black bean sauce
Thai lemongrass coconut rice with curried jackfruit and veggies
This vegan version of Thai chicken curry shows that jackfruit is a game changer. With its meaty-yet-tender texture and ability to absorb flavours, the Southeast Asian jackfruit is a versatile staple and ideal for vegans. Work it into your stews, salads, sandwiches, stir fries, burgers and tacos. You can find canned jackfruit in Asian markets … Continue reading Thai lemongrass coconut rice with curried jackfruit and veggies
Spicy red miso soup with udon noodles
A steamy bowl of thick, chewy noodles swirling in a rich, fiery broth is a good idea any time of the year. And especially now, as many Canadians are feeling the deep freeze and #BombCyclone is part of our daily lingo. Misonikomi udon is a popular specialty in the Nagoya region of central Japan. The … Continue reading Spicy red miso soup with udon noodles
Creamy spaghetti squash pasta
In honour of World Pasta Day, I'm combining two of my favourite things: autumn flavours and loads of noodles. Early fall marks the season of the beautiful lemon-hued spaghetti squash. But the past weekend in Toronto it was glorious patio weather again, making my sunny kitchen feel like an oven. Instead of squash soup, I … Continue reading Creamy spaghetti squash pasta
Tabbouleh eggplant chickpea pizza
Shake up your pizza game with this Lebanese-style version. The toppings are easy and fun to assemble: spread some garlic sauce, hummus, tahini or baba ghanoush (I picked a roasted garlic and onion hummus), and use whole chickpeas or crumble up some spicy falafels (below). The tabbouleh, with herbs, tomatoes, bulghur wheat and olive oil, … Continue reading Tabbouleh eggplant chickpea pizza
Easy ways to eat fresh figs
Sweet and luscious, delicate and pretty—fresh figs make an easy, rich pairing with a variety of dishes (hello, cheesecake!). In Ontario, they're typically available from June to November due to the short growing season, but I've been finding black mission figs at grocery stores almost all-year round. Biting into a perfectly ripe and juicy fig feels like a … Continue reading Easy ways to eat fresh figs
Moroccan-style curry pesto (10 minutes!)
I'm always thinking of fun new ways to bring more curry into my life. So far I've shared tips for a red curry, red lentil stew and a curry-spiced granola. For today's post I experimented with Moroccan-inspired flavours to come up with this curry pesto. If you like plenty of heat, feel free to add more spice: curry … Continue reading Moroccan-style curry pesto (10 minutes!)
