The raw diet is intriguing. My buddy Connie over at Ruby Reduction made some Raw Brownie Balls a few months ago and it piqued my curiosity. I would certainly like to eat more creations that are raw – if only they were this easy.

I am trying to add more raw options in my diet – including the obvious fruit and veg. Raw desserts appear to be fairly easy to make – and they all appear to be so delicious.

Now, on to these truffles. I was completely shocked at the outcome of these little suckers! They only take 5 minutes and are so much better for you than these ones  (my fav’s).

I am making an alternate version (different recipe) of these truffles on the weekend – so we’ll see which ones come out on top.

Tip: I found Carob power in the health food section at the BulkBarn

Adapted from the Rawtarian

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 3/4 cup of medjool dates (8-9 large dates)
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons raw carob powder

Directions

1. Add the nuts in a food processor and process until you can’t see the nuts anymore but before they get too soft looking.

2. Add the dates, seasalt and carob powder and process until everything is well mixed and clumped together.

3. Dump the mixture into a large bowl. Roll the balls in your hand and form balls. If you want, you can roll the truffles coconut for additional flavour – or just leave them as is.

Enjoy!

Related articles

• Coconut Carob Snack Balls (kissthewhisk.wordpress.com)
• Vegan Chocolately Peanut Buttery Cookie Dough Balls (veganfamilia.wordpress.com)

About 10 years ago, I spent a month backpacking in southern Thailand and had the time of my life.  Life is so different there and what I realized is that all of my 5 senses were exposed to new experiences – sights, smells, sounds, tastes and even touch. I was fortunate to have this experience because it genuinely opened my eyes,  my mind, and my palette. At that time, Pad Thai was about $1.50 CDN for a heaping plate (!) –  so it was easy to indulge a few times a week.

We recently returned from our trip to England and Portugal (ughmazing) , and I decided to create a “to-make\bake” list which includes food that I have tried throughout my travels. Some of the items are main stream and are easy to access but some are unique – and best enjoyed in their home country (enter: banoffee pie, Pasteis de nata, sticky toffee pudding, etc).

This recipe involves several ingredients and various steps so I summoned Ryan to help out – and it turned out to be a really fun night in the kitchen!

Wine Pairing: Chardonnay

Adapted from Canadian Living – May 2011

Ingredients

• 1/2 pkg (454 g pkg) wide rice stick noodles
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup sodium-reduced chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 tsp Asian garlic chili sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs - lightly beaten
• 8 oz (227 g) frozen shrimp thawed, peeled and deveined
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp (10 mL) minced fresh ginger
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts, toasted if desired
• 1/3 cup  fresh cilantro leaves – chopped
• Lime wedges

Directions

1. Soak noodles in a large bowl of very warm water for 15 minutes; drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together ketchup, chicken broth, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chili sauce; set aside.
3. In wok or large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat; cook eggs, stirring occasionally, until scrambled and set, about 30 seconds. Transfer to small plate.
4. Wipe out wok. Add 1 tbsp of the remaining oil and heat over high heat; stir-fry shrimp until pink, about 1 minute. Transfer to plate.
5. Heat 1 tbsp of the remaining oil in wok over high heat; stir-fry chicken until browned and no longer pink inside, about 1 minute. Add to shrimp.
6. Heat remaining oil over high heat; cook shallots, garlic, red pepper and ginger until softened, about 2 minutes.
7. Stir in ketchup mixture and noodles. Return shrimp mixture to pan; cook, stirring to coat, until noodles are tender, about 3 minutes.
8. Return scrambled eggs to pan along bean sprouts and green onions; heat through until sprouts begin to wilt, about 1 minute.
9. Garnish with peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges – if desired.

Ryan is in the midst of final exams (i.e hell) – so I thought making a healthy lunch might be a good way to boost some brain power.

Quinoa is my new favourite dish – it’s so versatile, healthy, and delicious. This recipe is packed with fun flavours – and is easy to make. These little croquettes when served with a salad make a light and healthy lunch – and they could even be a delicious and unexpected appetizer idea, too.

Ryan’s reaction: “Wow – this was WAY better than a ham sandwich”.

Translation: 100% success.

P.S. One important lesson I learned: Make sure the quinoa is cooled for at least 1 hour before mixing the ingredients together. If you don’t, the croquettes will fall apart.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson

Ingredients

Croquettes

1 cup raw quinoa – cook as directed.
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1/3 cup coarsely chopped Kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Ranch Dressing (adapted from allrecipes.com)

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• generous dash of dried chives
• generous dash of dried parsley
• generous dash of dried dill weed
• generous dash of garlic powder
• generous dash of onion powder
• generous dash of salt
• generous dash of black pepper

Directions

1. Ranch Dressing: -Mix all ingredients together and refridgerate while making the croquettes
2. Cook quinoa as directed on package – cool for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, onion, garlic, cheese, olives, parsley, lemon zest, panko, salt and pepper. Add the cooked quinoa and stir mixture until moistened.
4. Sprinkle cornmeal over a plate or. Create little patties out of mixture, and place on plate – sprinkle cornmeal on top of the patties.
5. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add patties to the hot oil and cook until well browned, about 4 minutes per side.
6. Heat Oven to 350F. Once all of the patties have been cooked in the skillet, place on a baking sheet and bake for 6-7 minutes.

Related articles

• Quick Quinoa Salad (strawberryginger.com)
• Curried Quinoa Salad (cooktolove.com)

Related articles

• Superfood Salad and Cilantro Lime Shrimp (staceyarcher.wordpress.com)
• Weekday Vegetarian: Lentil Salad with Lemon-Rosemary Vinaigrette (treehugger.com)
• Southwestern Quinoa Salad with Chipotle Vinaigrette (jazzinthekitchen.wordpress.com)

When it comes to baking, I’m no Paula Deen, but I do know when something has gone wrong. The “recipe inside” of the Bakers Semi-sweet chocolate squares must have an ingredient missing – or at the very least, a typo. I followed the directions exactly and wound up with something far from perfect. As soon as you touch a cookie (after cooling) this happens:

The cookie appears to be in 1 piece, but after picking it up it breaks into a million crumbs. It calls for baking powder – did you mean baking soda instead? I had fun baking them, but I don’t have much to brag about.

I am posting the recipe to my blog anyway  (my failure category needs some posts)  but I’ll caution that something “has all gone Pete Tong”.

Recipe from: Bakers One Bowl Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 packages (225g each) Bakers Semi-sweet chocolate, divided
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven at 350F
2. Melt 8 squares of chocolate in a double boiler in a glass bowl. Stir until melted and smooth

Yum. Yum.

Recipe from Lucy Waverman – The Globe and Mail

Ingredients

Toasts

• 3/4 cup Roquefort cheese
• 3 tbsp soft butter
• 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
• 8 slices toasted baguette (cut diagonally)
• 4 cups arugula
• 1/2 toasted pecans
• 12 slices dried pears

Dressing

• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
• 1/4 c olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix together Roquefort cheese, butter and chillier flakes and spread mixture on toasts.

Need dinner in under 15 minutes? Try this with quickie mashed potatoes(dare I say!), roasted asparagus, a glass of pinot noir and your all set.

Adapted from Canadian Living

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup maple syrup – the real stuff
• 4 tsp grainy mustard
• 4 tsp low sodium soy sauve
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 x large piece of salmon – enough for 2 people

Directions

-Heat oven to 400F

1. Mix first 5 ingredients very well.

2. Place the salmon in a large tupperware, pour mixture on top and cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Remove from fridge and place salmon and sauce in a 9×9 glass baking dish and bake for 15-18 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and serve.

My buddy Phil is a walking Irish history book (he’s Irish, obviously) and every time we get together, he educates me or tells me an interesting story that sparks my interest to learn more (via blockbuster movie of course!).  I think he’s to blame for my recent obsession with all-things Irish considering the fact that in the last couple of months, I’ve watched Michel Collins,  The Wind that Shakes the Barely,  In the Name of the Father,  Sunday Bloody Sunday and Five Minutes of Heaven - all of which I highly recommend. I’ve even re-read Angels Ashes, AND have been listening non-stop to The Frames.

This St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to make something in Phil’s honour, even though he won’t be able to eat it – as we live in different cities. So, I decided to make these magically delicious Guinness Cupcakes. What’s an Irish recipe without booze anyway?

P.S. Click here for St. Paddy’s Day chuckle.

Adapted from MNN.com

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules (optional)
• pinch table salt
• 3/4 cup Guinness beer – or any other stout
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin or use cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda and salt - mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the stout, melted butter and vanilla. Then, beat the eggs into the stout mixture, one at a time. Then mix in the sour cream.
4. Combine the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients – a little at a time until mixed together thoroughly.
5. Pour the batter evenly into the tins and bake for 22 minutes.
6. Allow to cool on wire rack while icing is being prepared.
7. For the icing, combine the cream cheese and butter with a mixer and slowly add the confectioners sugar and mix well. Slowly add the Bailey’s and mix until icing is the desired consistency.
8. Frost cupcakes with icing (one cakes are cooled) and enjoy!