Glorious Fennel Bulb + Inspiration For Home Cooking

Food, glorious food

You may recognize this phrase from the famous play, “Oliver.” I personally couldn’t agree more.


Food is many things to many people; comfort, celebration, tradition, routine, sustenance, even medicine for health. The list is as endless as there is variety of foods available in the world.


I personally feel the true, goodness of fresh whole foods sometimes gets lost amongst all the noise and chatter about the function of food: from the numerous diets (keto, paleo, vegan), to the experts constantly “revealing” what we should and shouldn’t eat. 

And then there is the packaging. Boxes of packaged goods boasting to be the healthiest, most natural, most sustainable food out there – or the most likely to help you lose weight. 

Finally, don’t even get me started about the celebrity chefs, who make meal prep look so darn easy.

I agree daily cooking can be a chore and a bore. There are (many) days I just don’t feel like cooking. 

I understand some people hate cooking and prefer takeout and pre-made meals. 

I realize food is a competitive market and is a big business. 

I appreciate that some do not have a positive or healthy mindset regarding food. And I know that maintaining a healthy weight has been tough for many. 


But let’s put aside all the babble around food for a minute, turn the story around, and look at all the goodness food can bring:


Quick and Easy Falafels with Tzatziki

 

Quick and Easy Falafels

It's  already March. Yeah! It means we’re sneaking up on spring. It’s time to freshen up our cooking routines and slip into easy meals, with fresh soon-to-be-found local spring foods.

So, lets revitalize our recipe selections and talk cookbooks!  

Do you buy or collect cookbooks? How many do you own? When you buy a new one, do you actually try the recipes? If not, why? 

To me, accumulating cookbooks is like buying kitchen gadgets that you rarely use: eventually you re-discover them in your kitchen drawer (or on your cookbook shelf) and wonder why you bought them in the first place.

New cookbooks mean new recipes, and that means changing things up. It isn’t easy. I love the idea of cooking new foods but putting it into action takes effort. 

I think you’ll agree it’s easy-peasy to cook the same old recipes over and over again. It’s like driving home from work: it’s uncomplicated to drive the same route every day. Why muddle things up by taking a longer, more scenic route, just for sake of change?

Red Lentil Curry Dahl With Coconut Milk

Red Lentil Curry Dahl With Coconut Milk

 Here's a red lentil curry dahl you will want to make! It's loaded with spices, coconut milk and has veggies. It's versatile, because you can throw any veggie you like in it. It's also a fast recipe to make, which for me, is the perfect recipe!

Curry Dahl

Cabbage Cucumber Slaw

Cabbage Cucumber Slaw

Cabbage Cucumber Slaw

If you like cucumber and cabbage then this delightful slaw is perfect to serve with any meal. It's super easy...all you have to do is throw the ingredients together, and sprinkle on olive oil and seasoned rice vinegar....it's that easy!

Lentil Salad With Spices, Capers and Raisins

The Best Lentil Salad Ever

This salad recipe lives up to its name. The reason is because of the interesting combination of spices. There are lots, so if you don’t already have the spices in your pantry, this may not be a recipe for you. 

Another fun aspect of the recipe is the capers and dried raisins. It makes a lot, so be prepared to give some away to your friends or neighbours. 

Lentil Cauliflower Curry Soup

Lentil Curry Cauliflower and Veggie Soup

This is a satisfying soup to try because it has both vegetables and beans in it. If you’re in the cilantro camp, then pass around chopped cilantro to sprinkle on top and don’t forget to add a dollop of sour cream.

Veggie Tex Mex Casserole

Veggie Tex Mex Casserole

This recipe is adapted from the Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon. Although this is an older cookbook, it has some great recipes. To make this recipe a true vegan recipe, simply swap the cheese with vegan shredded cheese. If you don’t like your dishes too spicy, you can use less cayenne pepper. 

Black Bean, Corn and Salsa Wrap

Black Bean, Corn and Salsa Wrap

This wrap recipe is easy to prepare during the week for your family!

It has black beans and corn plus salsa and cheese. Top the bean wrap with sour cream and cilantro, and it's a yummy meal.

In the recipe the black bean wraps are cooked in the oven but can also be grilled in a panini grill.

Parmesan Spaghetti Squash

Looking for a fun and simple side dish that will impress your family? This Parmesan spaghetti squash recipe will do the trick. Don’t forget to be generous with the black pepper. 

Italian Bean Casserole

Italian Bean Casserole

A Mexican dish disguised as an Italian.  This dish is super easy to make and a fantastic weekday meal to make for the family. Serve with a big  green salad.

Pasta with Fresh Basil and Asparagus

Pasta with asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese

 

Stir fry the veggies and add to a pot of cooked pasta for an easy weekday meal

If you love mushrooms and asparagus, you will love this easy to-make dish. This recipe is fast to prepare and yummy to eat.

Vegetarian Lentil Shepherd's Pie

This lentil shepherd's pie uses green lentils, instead of the red lentils which makes it special. 

It's flavoured with fresh thyme, bay leaf, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. 

It's a pleasant dish which will definitely comfort you any day. 

Vegetarian Tamale Pie

Vegetarian Tamale Pie with Cheddar Cheese Cornmeal Topping

Three Bean Salad

Three Bean Salad

Couscous Salad with Garbanzo Beans

Couscous salad with garbanzo beans and a hint of cumin

This healthy and delicious side dish has a hint of cumin that your family will love.

Simple Veggie Quiche

Simple Veggie Quiche with Loads of Colorful Veggies

This is a must-make egg dish to add to your recipe box!

 The quiche is filled with colourful veggies and three cheeses: Parmesan, mozzarella and cottage cheese. The simple crust is made with cheddar cheese and whole-wheat flour. 

It’s easy to make and easy to eat!

Veggie Quiche with Whole-wheat Cheese Crust with Cayenne Pepper

Mexican Layered Casserole

Mexican layer casserole

This filling and satisfying dinner can be served with a big green salad and brown rice. If you like refried beans, try adding a thin layer on top of the tortilla shells. Also, you can add corn kernels to the veggie mixture, if you have some in the freezer.

Roasted Veggie Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce

Roasted Veggie Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce

I have to be honest. This dish is definitely worth making. That said, there are a few steps involved and many pots and pans will be used. I typically avoid recipes that have lots of clean up, but this one is worth it, especially if you’re having vegetarian friends over for dinner!

Start making the tomato sauce first so the flavours can develop while you finish the recipe. Or better yet, make the tomato sauce the day before.

Roast any veggies you like for this recipe. Feel free to use what’s in your refrigerator or what’s in season. For example, you could swap out the eggplant for zucchini, or add cauliflower and asparagus. I’ve substituted a béchamel sauce, a typical white sauce, to replace the ricotta layer usually found in lasagne. It lends a smoother, creamier feel.

Veggie Stir-Fry With Tofu Wedges, Quinoa and Tahini Sauce

Tofu Wedges

This vegetarian dish is inspired by the “Buddha bowl” craze. There’s a few steps in this recipe but don’t let that fool you, it really is quite easy. The dish is served with quinoa, which I think you’ll find is a nice change from the typical brown rice. It’s served with a tahini sauce on top, which rounds out the dish nicely.

Black Bean Quesadillas

Black Bean Quesadillas

Looking for a fast and easy meal to add to you weekly meal planner? Try these Black Bean Quesadillas. They're simple to make with food that's typically in your pantry and refrigerator. Serve with salsa, sour cream, avocado and cilantro on top.