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arugula pear walnut parmesean salad

 

This is my go-to salad for guests. So simple and so good. I’m hosting a big family meal on Christmas Eve and plan to make a batch of this. I love a salad on a holiday table to lighten things up. The bitter arugula plays so well off the sweet pear, salty parmesean, walnuts and lemony dressing. I will often toss this all in a big white bowl to show off how pretty it is. This is how salads should taste to me, hearty, satisfying with every mouthful leaving you wanting another. Salad pairs well with any grilled meats, or as a standalone lunch.  Hope you love it as much as I do.

arugula pear walnut parmesean salad

Ingredients for the lemon dressing:
4 tbsp olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 and 1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the salad:
4 large handfuls baby arugula
seeds of half a pomegranate
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (lightly toasted in a dry pan)
parmesean peels (use a potato peeler) to taste (I like A LOT)
1 ripe pear cut into slivers

Whisk the dressing together. Mix the salad ingredients. Toss and serve. Bonus points – dressing can be added 30 minutes before serving with no fear of wilting. Recipe serves four to six.

dark chocolate mendiants

Dark chocolate mendiants are little chocolate treats topped with whatever you desire – I love flaky salt, nuts and dried fruit. It’s about two weeks until Christmas here in Toronto and I am just starting my Christmas dessert making. I love one or two of these mendiants in the afternoon with tea when I get a mini break from my boys.

They are super simple to make. Melt the chocolate and spoon it onto waiting parchment paper to form little discs and then top.

A few topping ideas:

  • dried fruit like cranberries, blueberries, apricots, raisins or figs
  • goji berries
  • pistachios, walnuts, cashews, peanuts or hazelnuts
  • coconut
  • candied ginger
  • smashed candy canes
  • pretzels
  • flaky salt

Mendiants hail from the French – and the history of the treat represents a coin, and the toppings the four monastic orders. They are traditionally made in Europe at Christmas time. They are so pretty on a dessert tray or as a holiday gift tied up in a clear bag with ribbon. The recipe below makes 20-24 small mendiants. To make 10-12 mendiants, just use one chocolate bar.

Ingredients:

  • 2 x 100 gram dark chocolate bars (70% or 80% cacao)
  • prepped toppings ready to sprinkle

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Have the toppings ready. For example, chop the nuts or slice the candied ginger. You have about ten minutes to top before the chocolate firms up. Melt the dark chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave.

To use the double boiler method: bring a pot of water to a low boil. Place a heat safe bowl on top of the pot. Break up the chocolate bars and stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate melts.

To use microwave: break up the chocolate bars in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 20 second intervals stirring after each one. Once the chocolate is almost entirely melted just keep stiring and the heat from the bowl will melt the rest.

Use a teaspoon to spoon 20-24 chocolate discs on the parchment paper. Use the back of the spoon to help spread the chocolate into circles.

Top with whatever you like. Let set in the fridge or on counter until chocolate hardens.

Need holiday cooking inspiration? Check out these chewy ginger cookies and my savory thyme cheddar shortbread. And this is the holiday salad – with arugula, pear, walnut, Parmesan and pomegranate seeds I make every year.

honey dijon dill salmon

I woke up today to sunshine and birds chirping. After the longest winter ever, spring’s finally here!

This salmon is fresh, light and so yummy. It’s a weeknight favourite in my house. (I try to serve fish to the kids at least once a week.) You can make the rice the day before so when the salmon bakes just saute the veggies and dinner is done in 15 minutes.

The warmer weather has me decluttering (putting away the winter coats in Toronto is the best feeling) and peeling back layers. A season change feels like a good time to think about habits and emotional reactions. And get a little curious about what is maybe not serving me anymore or what could I let go of or shift. I’ve been reading lots of Jon Kabat-Zinn, Eckhart Tolle and Gabrielle Bernstein. These books sit on my bedside table and I pick them up and read a few pages when I feel the call. I always feel a bit more peaceful and balanced afterwards. Meditation helps me with this too.

Back in my university days (100% not peaceful and balanced days!) I worked in a French Swiss restaurant bartending and serving. This salmon reminds me of the spring menu the chef would write. Dill and fish are the freshest flavours together. Hope you enjoy it! Recipe serves four.

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 4 salmon fillets

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Wisk the mustard, honey and dill together in a small bowl using a fork. If it is very thick add a touch of olive oil. My honey is runny so I usually don’t have to do this.

Place salmon skin side down on the parchment lined sheet and pour 1/4 of the honey mustard mixture over each piece. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just cooked. (Be wary of over cooking – dry salmon is the worst.) My oven takes just 11 minutes. Remember the salmon will keep cooking when it comes out of the oven and sits on the sheet.

Need a side? Serve with brown or basmati rice, mushrooms sauteed in butter or baby spinach quickly wilted in a pan with olive oil and salt and pepper. This kale salad or this arugula salad would also be perfect beside the salmon. Happy spring, friends! xo

nuts and bolts – a christmas classic

nuts and bolts

Nuts and bolts are a Christmas classic at my parents house when I was growing up. This is my take on my own mom’s recipe. Her nuts and bolts were so infamous she would make two or three huge batches between November and January and it would get devoured. I make it these days to have a stash at home and also give it away to friends and family tied up in clear bags. I have to do this pretty quickly. (Before Neil and I eat bowls of it while watching a movie after the kids go to bed!) I love having a container of this kicking around the kitchen to put out if guests pop by over the holidays and Oscar absolutely loves it as an after nursery school snack on these cold wintery days we’ve been having here in Toronto. It is the perfect salty snack and so addictive. It is not my typical whole food healthy recipe, but is tastes like my childhood Christmas and being home and cozy and really what is better than that in November?

Ingredients:
5 cups shreddies
2 cups cheerios
2 cups cheese bits crackers
3 cups pretzels
2 cups mixed salted nuts
2 cups salted cashews
4 tablespoon butter (I use salted)
4 tablespoon olive oil
5 teaspoon worcestershire
2-3 teaspoon garlic powder (we like 3 but if you are not a huge garlic fan, try 2)
2 teaspoon onion powder
pinch chili powder

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. I use a large aluminum roasting pan (the disposable kind) from the grocery store. Combine all the cereal and crackers and nuts in the pan.  Melt the butter in the microwave and add the oil and spices. Pour over the nuts and bolts and I use a large wooden spoon to mix well. (You want that yummy coating on everything.) Bake for 90 minutes and stir every 20-30 minutes. Let cool completely before you package them. Keeps well in a sealed container for two weeks. But it never lasts that long in my house. If you need any more holiday inspiration check out my chewy ginger cookies  or arugula pomegranate salad or cheddar thyme shortbread. Happy Christmas cooking, friends!

easy bbq chicken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This bbq chicken is huge on taste and short on prep time. I came up with it the summer Oscar was born and just remembered it the other day. Depending how much time you have you can marinate it for as little as one hour or overnight. I’m often short on time and dinner hour is approaching (eeek..again!) and I’ve  had success marinating in just one hour. My three year old loves this chicken. Feel free to add more siracha if you like more spice.

Ingredients:
6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp siracha
2 tbsp ketchup
3 cloves garlic roughly chopped

Combine all ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl, cover and refrigerate. Grill on the bbq at 375 degrees turning once. I’ve served this with quinoa and a kale salad or arugula salad.

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