So here is my advice, this recipe will disappear easily. Make loads.

Zucchini flowers are either male or female, but both can be used for this recipe. Leaving a bit of the stem on makes them much easier to manage both the stuffing and the frying. The classic stuffed zucchini flower recipe is made with ricotta and deep fried. However, this panfried version is delightfully zesty with less clean-up!

About a decade ago I was a vegetarian high school student who was too lazy to pack her own lunches. What with a steady part time job and an in-school cafeteria I purchased my food everyday instead. That meant I ate one of three things: a vegetarian hot dog, packaged kimchi noodles, or — the healthiest choice – a dish of mexican rice.

I love anything with cooked tomatoes, but mexican rice is a great tex-mex favourite. This recipe is a bit healthier as it is full of vegetables, uses wholesome quinoa, and is not covered in a thick layer of cheese. Of course, you can broil a layer of cheese on top, or omit it entirely for the vegan version. Either way, serve it hot with a bottle of Cholula hot sauce.

Please don’t be offended, I do know that I really shouldn’t screw with mashed potatoes — I mean they are perfect just as they are, but I obviously I have no self control, no class, and no respect for tradition.

So you can stop reading now, and continue making classic mashed potatoes, or you can take a risk and make these roasted garlic mashed sweet potatoes. They are sweeter, more nutritious and goddamn it they look better on the plate. Oh, and they still have potatoes in them so you don’t have to go cold turkey.

Greek lemon potatoes are crispy and brown on the outside, tender and pillowy on the inside with a strong but simple lemon flavour. After consulting Peter, I attempted making traditional Green roasted potatoes at home. So easy. So good.

Don’t be deceived into thinking these have any redeeming virtues from a health perspective; the potatoes basically deep fry in the oven. But they are worth it. Plus the beautiful fragrance will waft through your home and welcome any lucky guests.

I love baked beans because of their acidity and sweetness; that balance is also the key to a great recipe and the reason they pair so perfectly with hearty grilled meats like ribs.

Now, when you make baked beans don’t undercook the actual beans. Think texture. not bite.

Also, these beans are even better the next day, so make them ahead or throw them in the crockpot and forget them. Though unorthodox they also make a tasty meal when served over a batch of quinoa with a bit of sauteed greens.

It is hard not to love potatoes whether mashed or scalloped and especially if saturated with cream and butter. Of course, I that is also why sometimes we loathe potatoes. This cauliflower recipe doesn’t reduce the fat content much, but it is much more nutritious option, try it as an alternative side dish with steak.

It’s rich. It’s bubbly. And it is super cute when baked in individual dishes.

Well… it’s back.

The empire of Momofuku is a blazing success and Bon Appetit magazine wrote about the resurrection of asian fusion in their latest issue.

So then, all negative associations aside I hope you will have an open mind for this easy asparagus recipe with a blend of French and South Asian flavours. The salty fish sauce and the crunchy brown shallots contrast with the biting mustard, tart lemon juice and pungent asparagus to produce a well balanced dish.

If you aren’t familiar with fried shallots, they are an ingredient and garnish used frequently in South East Asian cuisines like Thai and Vietnamese. In fact, so many dishes require fried shallots that they are available for purchase on their own. However, if you can’t find them, frying shalllots yourself takes almost no time if you know how to deep fry.

So if you are looking for a different asparagus recipe try this Thai inspired one! What do you think, is asian fusion a dirty word?

There is a set of common wisdom that claims that from an evolutionary standpoint we should be eating foods which are native and in season to our climates. Now, for me that would exclude all citrus, avocados, and certainly kiwi fruit. That just isn’t going to happen.  However, that doesn’t mean that sometimes, just sometimes, a wonderful recipe can be made in the dead of winter with locally available and seasonal produce.

This warm quinoa recipe screams colder weather. The rusty specks of almond and squash with the crunchy pieces of sage looks a bit like the yard at the end of November with fallen leaves dotted on sleeping plants.

But seriously, couldn’t we all use a nice warm quinoa salad in these colder months? One that is chock full of vegetables and contrasted with lovely chewy dots of quinoa? Try this recipe, it doesn’t disappoint and it reheats quite well.

While on the topic of stews, and stew recipes let’s chat for a moment about what to serve with a stew. Bread is probably the simplest option, everyone loves dipping hunks of crusty bread into gravy, in fact some come with their own bread like chicken pot pie or this Guinness and Beef Pie. Mashed potatoes are also a huge crowd pleaser and are easy to make as well.

Personally, the Italian in me loves to serve a creamy risotto underneath anything with sauce, but polenta also fuels my food lust. This easy polenta recipe is modified with the addition of sauteed mushrooms and some soft goat’s cheese. The one thing I would correct when I make this again is to chop the mushrooms smaller, a change I have made in the written recipe below. What are you favorite ways to serve stew?

Similar Recipes:
Polenta Recipe
Spaghetti Squash Gratin
Beet and Potato Roesti

Pea shoots are the young stems of snow pea plants. They are also my new obsession since they are trivial to cook, good for you, and have a flavour unique from other cooked greens. When eating them you can taste the slight hint of peas. Heavenly, heavenly, peas.

Last spring I ate stir-fried pea shoots as the seasonal green in a Vietnamese restaurant’s greens with garlic dish. The tendrils curled off the plate and around invisible fingers just like they do on the plants themselves. Apparently stir fried pea shoots are very common in various Asian cuisines.

If you have never seen these in your local grocery store I suggest you take a second look or ask. I found this bunch last week in a local health food store for just over a dollar. When you buy them, buy a large bunch as the shoots cook down significantly–similar to other leafy greens like spinach. Next time I will think about using stronger Asian flavours and slightly less oil.