Beet Greens with Tofu and Soba Noodles

When the end of summer nears closer and closer I feel myself clinging to the seasons best produce; green beans, tomatoes, peaches, and berries. Even though I'm actually slowly getting tired of these foods and actually can't wait to dive into my first winter squash or bag of brussels sprouts, I just feel like I need to avoid eating fall/winter vegetables as long as I can because before I know it beets, potatoes, cabbage and turnips will be some of my only culinary choices. 

During todays market trip however I just couldn't help myself. Its been weeks that I've been eyeing bunches of beets and piles of winter squash and I couldn't resist them any longer. We're heading out of the city for a few days tomorrow so I knew I needed to make quick work of the beet greens before my refrigerators crisper gets to them first. 

I think every fall I search for new exciting things to do with beets, especially the greens. I love their flavour but often find it quite overpowering.

After checking all my usual sources for inspiration and finding nothing, google provided me with this recipe from Canadian Living. I added this yummy tofu my friend Renee got me hooked on, as well as cashews and soba noodles. It was the perfect quick Saturday lunch! 

Peach Icebox Cake

It's probably no surprise that I've been seeking out ways to keep cool lately. Despite still baking a fresh loaf of bread every other day, I'm really trying to keep the oven turned off during this heat.

I made a variation of this cake about a week ago that was so lackluster it's a wonder I tried again. I built it in a small but high sided dish (thinking it would be easier) and ending up using WAY too much whip cream. I used both peaches and plums and yet the cake was so bland and boring I couldn't quite believe it. 

This cake on the other hand is far from boring, far from bland and really quite delightful. I made it for dessert last night and am kicking myself for not having leftovers to snack on right now. 

Somehow despite all the cream this ends up tasting so light, and fresh while the coconut and almonds really round out the flavour. Pair that with a soft and pillowy texture, and in my books you've got a winner!

Strawberry Almond Tart

So I don't want to sound like a broken record or anything...but have I mentioned how uncomfortably hot I've been lately? 33 weeks preggo in 25+ degree weather isn't as lovely as it may sound. 

I think I've been doing a pretty good job at not complaining too much but there are points in the day when a frown creeps onto my face and I just can't comprehend the fact that I need to stay out of the sun. Add to that picture my undying desire to cook and bake new fun things for almost every meal and my utter disregard for the fact that baking will in fact make my house hotter. 

Thankfully I've stumbled upon this little gem of a summer tart. Not only is it super fast to make but the end result is so light and refreshing that it almost makes me forget I had to turn the oven on at all. 

Green Bean Hazelnut Salad

This summer has been just fantastic so far. Despite the fact that the high temperatures don't agree with my pregnant body, my feet are constantly swollen and I'm getting a wee bit crankier...I am actually having a really great summer.
Yesterday was a perfect day filled with two trips to the lake, a great burger from my favourite new burger joint, a long nap, a delicious quickly-thrown-together summer meal, refreshing mocktails, and board games in the yard at dusk. What more could I want?

This salad comes from (you guessed it) Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks. She comments on the surprisingly pleasant pairing of the tomatoes and the hazelnuts but I really think it's the green bean and hazelnut combo that wowed me. Either way, you must add this into your summer salad repertoire.

Strawberry Coconut Tart

Please tell me you have a favourite cook book that you keep coming back to again and again only to be further impressed and inspired by. Because then maybe I won't feel so crazy for gushing over my long time favourite book "Super Natural Everyday" for the millionth time.
I just love how Swanson manages to make such wholesome foods that taste so damn good. If you still haven't looked for this book in your local library I will try to forgive you if you insist you'll go do it now.

Last night I decided to give this coconut tart a whirl, seeing as I just can't seem to get enough strawberries but needed a new form in which to devour them. This lil gem was just perfect! Not too sweet or too heavy.
I think I'm definitely going to make this all summer long with a variety of fresh fruit like peaches, raspberries, and plums.

Oatcakes

Lately my pregnancy has left my appetite so all over the map. Hungry almost always, but so quickly and easily filled up that regular meals just don't work so well anymore.
I feel like I'm constantly searching for quick healthy snacks that I don't get bored of. Sometimes it feels like the search is endless.

Well today I think I found a new snack that I hopefully won't get sick of in the next 3 months, cause these are perfect! Oats, whole wheat flour, nuts, flax and just enough sweetener to make them addictive. Yum!

Oatmeal Pecan Sandwich Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling

I have just found a new favourite cookie! Not that I really needed to. I mean sure the rotation of cookies being baked around here is getting a little bland but still, this is a frivolous snack we're talking about. Variety is really just the icing on the cake. Or in this case the icing sandwiched between two chewy oatmeal pecan cookies.

Spiced Nuts

I know I've told you about my friend Renee (the Feisty Chef) and her amazing cooking classes, but if for some reason you've ignored my praise thus far and STILL haven't checked her out, here's a new reason to:

                                
With the help of her talented husband Renee made this great video demonstrating her fantastic Spiced Nuts recipe. Aside from the fact that the recipe is simple and quick to prepare, and that the results look delicious, doesn't this video just make you want to join in?
Well I did this afternoon and I'm pretty sure this bowl of sweet and salty nuts is not going to last long in my house. I used pistachios instead of almonds, and added a bit of smoked paprika and chipotle powder instead of 1 of the teaspoons of cayenne, and I was all out of fresh rosemary. But they're still soooo good!

Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Scones with Orange Zest

Not since I discovered "Super Natural Everyday" have I been so excited about a cookbook. I've been patiently waiting for my turn to borrow "Ancient Grains for Modern Meals" by Maria Speck from the library, and today I finally got to pick it up.
Now I know a recipe like this might not be the best representation of a book of this nature but it was the first one I tried and they turned out to be some of the tastiest scones I've ever had so I felt I owed it to you all to share. I literally can't stop thinking about these scones (weird, no?) and even crave them for dessert.
And don't worry I'm sure I'll be sharing lots of delicious things made with farro, barley, quinoa, polenta and wheat berries with you soon enough.

Linguine with Blue Cheese, Beet Greens, and Hazelnuts

I love when I go searching for new recipes to use up a particular ingredient and I find one that features other things I already have on hand, and it turns out to be my new favourite dish. The flavours are simple  but bold in their own ways and the hazelnuts really pull it all together. Yum!

Pseudo Healthy Cookies

I've been making these cookies for a few years now but I feel like they've just recently earned their new title of "Pseudo Healthy".
As I mentioned the other day my husband and I are trying to eat a little healthier, drink a little less and exercise a lot more. This goal seems even more important as I just counted that we only have 10 weeks until we'll be lying on a beach in Cuba celebrating the union of some great friends. 10 weeks might sound like a long time, but I think its a realistic time frame to shape up the right way (no fasting or fad diets for us!).

However that being said I am not the kind of woman who can cut out sweets completely. I need balance!  I believe that gently giving in to cravings is better than trying to hold back from something too fiercely and then bingeing later. And by adding healthier ingredients I feel a little bit less guilty when I do give in to those sweet cravings.

Peach & Almond Olive Oil Muffins

A good friend is one who texts you a photo of freshly baked muffins and exclaims "These are the best muffins I've ever made!", knowing that if you both lived in the same city she'd be leaving some on your doorstep or inviting you over for tea to share them.

But when you're miles apart the next best thing is to take her word for it, make the muffins, and share them with the people who are close to you.

Crisp and Clumpy Granola

Granola is a tried and true breakfast staple for me. Topped with yogurt and hopefully some fresh fruit, it's how I start my day almost every day of the week.
I've been making my own granola using this recipe that I shared with you last fall, making small adjustments here and there but never straying too far from the original recipe. It's served me well but the time has come for me step outside of my granola bubble and try something new.

I'll admit, I was nervous. But I shook myself free of my "if it ain't broke don't fix it" attitude and marched on over to the one blog I knew could help me find my way in the world of granola (and breakfast in general), Everybody likes Sandwiches.

Lemon Almond Cookies

I'm in major need of some sunshine. But since it doesn't look like I'll be getting any anytime soon, I figured these cookies could act as a suitable replacement.

I made these cookies using this recipe from Une Gamine Dans La Cuisine. I found they needed to be baked closer to 12 minutes in my oven, but other than that I made them exactly as her recipe states.
Now all I need is a cup of tea and this gloomy day will be that much better.

Cabbage, Apple and Pecan Salad

I'm grateful for this salad. 

It's 12pm and I'm starving. I've been quite busy all morning with household chores, making breakfast and lunch for the working man, putting finishing touches on some chocolates, and truthfully I did not have a very healthy breakfast to start it all off.

So therefore I'm grateful for this salad that I made with dinner last night, and I'm really grateful that there was still some left in the fridge today, and I'm even more grateful that it tastes even better today than last night. Thank you winter salad. 

Cashew Sweet Potato Burgers

My favourite restaurant in Calgary, "The Coup" serves these delectable Cashew Yam Burgers. But they're not made with yams. Why everyone and their mothers calls sweet potatoes "yams", is beyond me. The two words are not interchangeable. It's not like calling a couch a sofa, or calling pants slacks. These are two very different vegetables! Stop calling sweet potatoes yams!

Ok...now that I've ranted about boring specific details...
These burgers are truly delicious and deserve to be made. So please don't make me beg, just make them.

Pecan Pie

I've been meaning to make pecan pie for months, ever since eating some at one of our favourite local restaurants. I finally got around to it this weekend, deciding to bring it to our staff holiday potluck. Accompanied by my husband's famous ribs, my favourite mac n cheese, and coleslaw, this pecan pie would have made the perfect finish to our southern-inspired meal. Too bad we pigged out on all the other food (mostly desserts) that I only ended up having a tiny bite of this delicious pie.

Chewy Pecan Cookies

As much as I love good old traditional christmas treats that make me nostalgic for my youth, I equally love trying out new recipes, and Martha never disappoints in providing me with ample selection of fancy goodies.

It wasn't until I had already started making these that I read the not-so-great reviews of the recipe: "Horrible!", "Molasses overkill!", "Will never make these again!", "Had to throw them out".
Yikes...
Well you'll be happy to know that those reviewers obviously just don't like molasses and nuts. And they most likely prefer overly sweet, boring, cookies. Cookies that no one will remember.

These cookies though are definitely different, memorable and really delicious.
As long as you like molasses and nuts, that is.

Beetnuts Pate

Yet another fabulous recipe from The Coup! This one is probably my favourite so far (which says a lot because the others were awesome) and I'm totally adding this to my arsenal of dips that I'll be busting out this holiday season.
I apologize for sounding like a total food geek here but, the complex blend of flavours are really well balanced. Sweet, nutty, earthy, with some zing from lemon, and a kick from garlic.  Mmmmmmmm.
And it's actually super healthy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I've ever made/tasted.
They encompass everything I look for in a cookie: the perfect texture, the perfect balance of sweet and salty, and of course one of the most perfect flavour pairings ever; chocolate & peanut butter.

Do yourself a favour and make a double batch.