Remember when I said cauliflower has superpowers? I still stand by that. Especially after this pretty incredible Cauliflower Steak Salad I made. I've made this dish three times in the past 2 weeks and I have had no regrets about it. Not a one. Actually I do have one regret which is that I'm only discovering Sambal Matah now and not sooner. Such a crying shame!
Read moreGF Profiteroles with Lilac-Vanilla Lemon Curd Ripple Ice Cream { gluten-free, refined sugar free, dairy-free ice cream }
Hot on the heels of my last post for Perfect Gluten-Free Choux Puffs, I now give you this most essential follow-up recipe: Profiteroles with Lilac-Vanilla Lemon Curd Ripple Ice Cream. Basically, the most refreshing, tart and creamy dessert perfect for the summer months ahead.
Read morePerfect Gluten-Free Choux Puffs { gluten-free, refined sugar free }
I'll just come right out and say it. These gluten-free choux puffs are legit. Very legit. The kind of legit when someone may not even notice they are gluten-free! And with a few tips and loads of images for visual cues I share in this post, they're quite easy to make.
Read moreRooibos Chai Panna Cotta Tart + Honeyed Strawberry Rhubarb Compote { dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar free } + GIVEAWAY
Years ago, a friend gave me a jar of Rooibos loose leaf tea to try. She told me it is an non-caffeinated tea with health benefits aplenty. I later read that Rooibos is high in antioxidants, helps lower high blood pressure, aids in cancer-prevention and digestion health, bone health and more. Seems like I should be drinking this stuff like water! Instead, it sat in my pantry untouched for months, or closer to a year. When it comes to hot beveraging, I can't help but choose an Americano, a matcha latte or for so many years, my top choice was English Breakfast tea with a splash of milk (a reflection of my British-influenced Hong Kong ties).
Tea in desserts, on the other hand, I dig! A LOT. Like these earl grey cookies or the earl grey ice cream I made for pear frangipane tart. Heaven. So it is no surprise this Rooibos Chai Panna Cotta Tart with Honeyed Strawberry Rhubarb Compote is totally my jam. The only surprise is why I didn't think of it sooner. Everyone I served it to thoroughly enjoyed it too! Weeell if I'm being honest, everyone except my 4 year old who ate only the tart crust and "saved" the panna cotta part for her mama. But I can't blame her for loving the crust - it's so dope.
Read moreVegetarian Bulgogi Sandwich with Kimchi Mayo in GF Choux Baguette { gf, vegetarian, easy vegan option }
I made a lip-smacking, finger-licking, killer sandwich! I borrowed the flavors of Korean bulgogi to create this meatless version featuring that quintessential combo of soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and ginger. Instead of marinaded meat, I've used the bulgogi sauce on tofu and loads of mushrooms, two ingredients that soak up all that tastiness.
Read moreBlack Garlic Soba Noodle Bowls { gluten-free, meatless, ovo-vegetarian or vegan option }
"SPRINTER." Urban Dictionary.com: The Canadian season which occurs between Spring and Summer, when Mother Nature forgets that it is supposed to be getting warmer and suddenly reverts to Winter for no apparent reason.
This may sound cheeky and cute but unfortunately, it is tragically true! We are still reeling in disbelief from a massive ice storm last weekend. In the middle of April. APRIL!
Read moreMaple Tahini Granola { gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, vegan }
To state that we are a granola-loving family would be an understatement. I have two Granola Monsters here. Apart from the year when we were following a modified Paleo diet where grains like oats and quinoa are disallowed, granola is a mainstay here because it is such a healthy and convenient option for breakfast. Not to mention totally addictive.
Read moreRoast Pork with Mojo Sauce + Black Bean Rice { gluten-free, dairy-free }
This recipe was inspired by our recent trip to Miami, Florida. The hotel we stayed at was beyond gorgeous and the weather was even more so, especially after months living in the tundra known as winter in Toronto. Guys, it was a real difficult winter. So our escape down south was well anticipated. Except it didn't turn out to be the vacation I pictured...
Read moreWinter Pavlova with Meyer Lemon Curd { gluten-free, dairy-free }
Pavlovas don't normally come to mind in the winter since they are generally regarded as a summer dessert. I always questioned the sense in that though? High humidity is the serial murderer of pavlovas. Sure there are other factors that could undermine your pavlova, such as whites contaminated with yolks or grease / water in the mixing bowl, but I assert that weather is public enemy number one since it is not a factor you get to control.
Read moreSticky Rice Cakes with Salt-Cured Yolk + Peanut Butter Filling + Zwilling Giveaway { gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free }
Does it seem like I went to crazy town with this one? Yes, I made a filling out of salt-cured egg yolks and peanut butter and sweetened it with maple syrup. I stuffed it inside a dough made with glutinous rice flour (aka 'sweet rice flour' not to be confused with 'rice flour'!), coated them in peanut crumble and pan-fried them. They turned out suuper addictive! We could not stop munching on this warm, chewy, salty-sweet snack! So the lunacy was justified...hence I urge you to continue reading. Plus also there's a giveaway I want you to know about :)
Read moreWinter Salad with Lentils and Herbs with a Blood Orange Vinaigrette { gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, paleo, Vegan option }
I think there is a certain consensus among those of us who are living through Winter right now that citrus fruits are basically the best part about it. The other features of our winter - air so cold it hurts any exposed skin, shoveling and de-icing all the things all the time, extremities that are always cold even while INDOORS, plus a few other things that make you swear under your breath - I can live without!
Read moreTwo Tasty Sauces to put on EVERYTHING: (1) Honey Miso SAUCE & (2) Maple Tahini SAUCE { gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, vegan, vegetarian }
Even though these sauces are simple in their ingredients as well as their preparation, they really elevate a grain or noodle bowl or salad or seared tofu or roasted veggies (or all of these things together in one meal haha!) to another level. I find that when eating clean and simple foods, it's kinda all about the sauce to take it from ho-hum to super extra extra yummy. I very much do believe the sauce is king. That's why I really wanted to share these two go-to sauces with you. Plus, I've gotten enough DMs on Instagram whenever I make it on stories that I think it's finally time I deliver!
Read moreDouble Chocolate Brownie Cookie { gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, paleo }
WHUT. Christmas is less than a week away, and the year is done-zo in less than two! How are you feeling? Are you getting holiday stress? I had myself a panic moment a few days ago when Aubrie asked me why there are still no presents under our tree. I mumbled something about not wanting them to poke around the presents and wreck the wrapping like last year, instead of the truth, which is I was procrastinating the mundane task of wrapping them up. On the actual gift-buying side, I had 90% of gifts purchased by early December but the last 10% is by no coincidence, the most difficult. People like my dad, dad-in-law, etc are impossible to buy for. So I'm still working on that last 10% ... kiiiinda cutting it close, I reckon. Socks? Again?
Read moreWinter Spice Snack Cake with Maple Swiss Meringue Buttercream { gluten-free, refined sugar free, paleo + dairy-free option }
This season, Vitamix came up with this Winter Spice Seasoning of cinnamon sticks, crystallized ginger, cardamom, pink peppercorns, cloves, dried orange peel, salt and brown sugar (tip: sub coconut sugar for Paleo / refined sugar free version!) blended into a fragrant seasoning of warmth and WINTER MAGIC.
Vitamix and theFeedfeed partnered up to sponsor this post so that I can bring you this recipe I created using that heavenly seasoning mix. Can you smell it in your mind's eye...eerrr, nose? I want to put it in everything, both sweet and savory!
Read moreRoasted Garlic Pumpkin Pasta with Crispy Sage { dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian }
'Tis the season for winter squashes! I love the variety of pumpkins and squashes in the markets now - my favorites being pumpkin pie pumpkins (those small round guys), buttercup pumpkin and when lucky enough to find them, kabocha squash aka Japanese pumpkin. Good ol' butternut squash is excellent all year 'round too and is particularly loved by my girls. All of these squash varieties can be used in this recipe. Choose your favorite and the flavor of it will shine through in this simple yet delicious sauce.
Read moreChicken Stew + Almond Flour Biscuits { gluten free, Paleo }
Toronto weather can be pretty bipolar. We just had a sudden 10-degree (or 50f) swing from near 30c (86f) back down to more seasonal temperatures. I guess Summer wanted a last hurrah. I was okay with that!
Now that it is Fall, for real, it's time to embrace all the upsides it brings including pumpkin things, crisp air fragranced by wood-burning fires, over-the-knee boots and cozy meals exactly like this Chicken Stew with Almond Flour Biscuits.
Read moreShaved Broccoli + Brussels Sprouts Salad with Dried Cherries, Almonds + Hemp Seeds { gf, dairy free, paleo, vegan, rSF }
With the start of school and adieu to summer vacation, I begin to accept that Fall is just around the corner. Every year when I spot the first copper-y dried leaf fallen on the sidewalk, I think of (lower your device's volume if you're at work haha) this old KFC commercial where the woman is screaming and pointing at something. The camera then turns to the sidewalk in front of her, showing a single fallen maple leaf on the ground with the voice-over saying "summer can't last forever". She then bolts in the other direction. I feel exactly the same way! Does anyone else (Canadian) remember this one? Best. Commercial. Ever. My favorite. :)
Read moreCauliflower Fried Rice with Flatiron Steak { gluten-free, paleo }
Cauliflower has been having quite a moment in the sun.
Have you seen all the clever and creative uses of cauliflower lately? The popular ones that spring to mind are cauliflower steak, cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower buffalo 'wings', cauliflower tater tots and even using cauliflower as a smoothie ingredient to provide bulk without the added sugars of bananas and other fruits (can't say I'm sold on that one ... yet).
So despite it's pale and unexciting appearance, turns out this cruciferous veggie kinda has superpowers! And cauliflower RICE, for me, is the most super-y-est of them all because of it's ease of preparation (including how much faster it is to cook versus rice), superior nutritional value over rice, it's versatility and above all, how satisfyingly well it stands in for rice.
Read morePeach + Tomato Summer Salad + Taste Canada NEWS!!!
Hiya! It's been a minute since I posted. How has this month flown by so fast? Oh I remember now. It's because I've had my hands full with the girls who are on summer break. Why even is there a summer vacation? People who work don't get 2 months off their jobs (I mean other than school-related staff). Stay-at-home parents don't stop cooking / dishes / laundry / vacuuming / groceries / chauffeuring and all of that for a couple of months every year. Why do children get 2 months off school? Isn't school basically their job? Seems like a good idea to keep their minds sharp all year round. Maybe next year I will sign the girls up for math camp all summer heh heh. #tigermomgoals
Read moreLasagna with Cashew Bechamel { gf, dairy free }
I am super excited to share this recipe as a follow-up to last week's Everyday Veggie-Loaded Ragu share. For forever, it was a no-brainer to make a lasagna later the same week I make up a big batch of my go-to ragu. I literally don't know a single person who doesn't like lasagna, do you? But when we began limiting dairy and gluten consumption (among other things) at the end of 2016, it seemed our lasagna days were over. Bye bye.
Or so I thought.
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