Sammich time

photo by pwisenberg

I made this meal for a friend as a thank-you for her hospitality a while back. I felt a hearty grilled vegetable sandwich was the perfect display of gratitude for such a lovely girl. The recipe is simple really: grill some vegetables, pile 'em on some good bread, add a dollop of hummus and a handful of leafy greens and you're good to go!

Grilled vegetable sandwich
Makes 2

4 slices bread (whole wheat, spelt or sourdough would all work)
2 tbsp hummus (add hot sauce if you dare!)
1 handful of arugula (or spinach)
1 red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 portobello mushroom caps
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by heating 1 tbsp of the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium to low heat until soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the bell pepper and portobello caps in the remaining oil, basil, oregano, garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat (ideally on a grill pan) until soft and slightly charred, about 10 minutes, turning often.

Grill the slices of bread until heated through and slightly crispy. Apply a generous layer of hummus (and hot sauce if desired) to one slice per sandwich. Top with the caramelized onions, grilled vegetables and fresh arugula.

Enjoy the sandwich while it's still warm and eat outside if the weather allows it!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I will be busy hosting a dinner party, celebrating a friend's birthday and doing some much anticipated back to school shopping! Hey, if I'm going to be law student, I have to look the part, right?

xo Robin

Morning glory

photos by pwisenberg

If you've ever wondered (because I'm sure you all have), what my ideal Sunday morning would be, it's this. I made the yummiest ever fruit smoothies, that included pineapple, banana and tons of citrus and Paul and I enjoyed them with fresh bagels (a Sunday tradition). I topped mine with this amazing (amazing!) jalapeno cilantro hummus that I got from the One of a Kind Show on Friday. It's funny that I went to the show expecting to get jewellery or scarves, and instead came away with hummus and this adorable hand-crafted mug. Go figure! Next, we took the domestic dorkiness to a whole new level by randomly deciding to go on a hunt for a jigsaw puzzle. Sadly, the only one we found was from the dollar store. But, on the plus side it's a puzzle of the Toronto skyline, eh eh? Lastly, we just received a shipment from amazon which always excites me. I can't wait to get reading- just need to finish Jonathan Franzen's epic (read:way too long?) Freedom first...

I hope your weekends were as peaceful as mine. Here's the delicious smoothie recipe:

Spring fresh fruit smoothie
Serves 4

1 pineapple, diced
2 bananas, chopped
zest and juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1/2 grapefruit
1 tray's worth of ice cubes
splash of almond milk (optional)

Whiz it all together in a blender and enjoy!

The right slice

photo by pwisenberg

When we ate here in NYC, I was thrilled to see this vegan pizza on the menu- so thrilled, in fact, that I decided to recreate it myself! The super thin crust (recipe here) is topped with a sweet balsamic reduction, creamy homemade hummus and chewy sun dried tomatoes. Add a generous sprinkling of fresh basil and it's time to feast!

Guilt-free vegan pizza
Makes 2 large or 4 medium-sized pizzas

homemade pizza dough
hummus recipe (see below)
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cornmeal
salt and pepper to taste

Hummus
Makes enough for the pizzas with lots left over

2 can chickpeas
3/4 cups tahini
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Combine hummus ingredients in food processor until smooth and creamy (adding the olive oil slowly as you blend). Roll pizza dough as thin as possible and place on a baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal. Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil, making sure not to forget the edges- this will help the crust to become golden brown. In a small saucepan, simmer the balsamic over low heat until it has thickened and reduced by about one third. Drizzle onto the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around, and season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Next, add a thick layer of hummus, followed by the sun dried tomatoes. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Top with fresh basil and cool slightly before slicing.

Happy first day of spring everyone!

P.S. My apologies for the overabundance of hummus/chickpea recipes lately, it's gotten a bit out of hand! I'll try and mix it up more from now on, I swear...

Brighten up

photo by me

I have a slight obsession with both quinoa and hummus, so why did I never think to combine the two before? This was a little salad I came up with for lunch yesterday and it was as good as I had hoped. Be sure to add a touch of olive oil to the quinoa one it has cooked so it doesn't dry out. Other than that, add whatever veggies you have on hand and a generous dollop of delicious hummus! Almost too easy, right?

Easy-peasy quinoa salad with hummus
Serves 2

1 cup quinoa cooked with 1 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp hummus
1/4 cup each of cucumber, tomatoes and bell pepper
1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Add quinoa and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has absorbed. Toss quinoa with olive oil and fresh dill. Top with hummus and veggies. Lastly, season everything with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Good eats!