Tasty taters

photos by pwisenberg

Hello everyone and happy Thanksgiving! Since I finally have time to breathe and relax a bit this weekend, I thought I'd share a recent recipe. I made this mish-mash of a dish on a chilly Tuesday night and it wound up being so flavourful that I felt it deserved to be shared! The star ingredient were the baked sweet potatoes that I seasoned with oregano and paprika. These hearty tots are perfect when cut into thick wedges and served on a bed of bright quinoa salad.

Baked sweet potato wedges and quinoa salad
Serves 4

Baked Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees. Place 2 large sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and prick with a fork. Bake for about 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and slice into thick wedges. Sprinkle generously with oregano, paprika, sea salt and coarse black pepper.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup baby spinach

While the potatoes are cooking, add quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for around 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Sautee until soft and slightly golden. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, dijon and remaining olive oil. Add in the warm quinoa, cooked veggies, walnuts and tomatoes and toss it all together. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the potato wedges over a bed of  warm quinoa and baby spinach for a healthy meal that I guarantee will leave you with a very happy belly!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone xo

Pause

Hello friends!

I am thrilled to tell you that I had my first day of law school today! Very exciting and overwhelming... I have no idea how busy I'll be (in this new home in this new city at this new school), but I will try my best to continue sharing the recipes I love to make and eat!

In the meantime, please check out my latest post here.

Thank you all for reading,

Robin

xo

A real picnic

Photo by me

I made this recipe a while back as a contribution to One Green Planet, but it was too pretty not to share with you all. I wanted to make a colourful potato salad that seemed both classic and innovative. I used multi-coloured sweet potatoes from our local farmer's market and added sweet corn, bell peppers, onions, jalapeno and cilantro. This pretty little dish has both a spicy bite from a touch of cayenne and a burst of freshness from its simple lime dressing. Summer picnic food at its best!

Spicy sweet potato salad (Serves 6-8 as a side dish)

Salad ingredients:

• 1 lb. sweet potatoes (multicolored if available), peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups cooked corn (fresh or frozen)
• 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ½ jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped for garnish
• Dressing Ingredients
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sweet potatoes in the vegetable oil, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Bake on an aluminum foil-lined sheet for 20-25 minutes, turning once. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the cooked corn, scallions, bell pepper and jalapeno and toss to combine.

To prepare the simple citrus dressing, simply whisk together of all the ingredients.

Add the potatoes and dressing to the bowl and toss everything together. Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy!

On the road

photos by pwisenberg & i

Hi all!

Today I am one happy birdie and here's why: Tonight, two of my very best girlfriends are coming to visit. There will be vodka spritzers, tear-inducing fits of laughter (there always are) and late-night whispering/giggling. Tomorrow, I get to enjoy dinner with my parents (it's been ages) and on Saturday, Paul and I leave with a friend for an epic cross-Canada road trip! We will be driving west for about 5 days until we end up in Vancouver where I hope to enjoy the scenery and scope-out some good vegan eats. Early next week, we're visiting family in Victoria, B.C. and then heading to Ottawa to hopefully find an apartment for the fall when I'll be starting law school (eek!). It's going to be a whirlwind but I cannot wait!

When we decided to do the road trip, I immediately wondered what the heck I would eat for 5 days in car, travelling through a lot of rural countryside, no less. So, I did what I always end up doing- I packed my own food! I made scrumptious "cheesy" Daiya bites, two types of quinoa salad, and an incredibly addictive trail mix. Hummus and veggies will also be along for the ride as will peanut butter (perhaps my biggest weakness), jam, whole grain bread, plenty of fresh fruit and, duh, potato chips!

I apologize in advance for the upcoming lack of posts and I hope you're all having a wonderful summer!

Robin xo

The Hot Plate

Guys- I'm on a cooking show! And not just any show, but The Hot Plate, a popular internet show hosted and produced by the two lovely ladies, Amanda and April. This was my first foray into cooking on camera, so excuse my sporadic shifty eyes and awkward smiles. But hey, I tried, right? AND this quinoa recipe of Amanda's is so delicious, I'll definitely be adding it to my repertoire.

Please have a look and share your thoughts!

Robin xo

Farm fresh

photos by me

This kind of food makes me so happy- colourful, healthy, fresh and straight from the farm to my bowl! After picking up a beautiful assortment of veggies from a local farmer's market earlier in the week I couldn't wait to enjoy them in their purest form. This salad could not be easier to make. I simply chopped up the vegetables and added diced avocado for richness, walnuts for texture and a splash of olive oil and lemon juice to tie it all together. I loved it on its own, but Paul threw the mixture on some bread for a hearty sandwich and tonight I'm tossing it with quinoa for a yummy dinner. Ahh veggies, so versatile!

Fresh farmer's market salad
Serves 4 

1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 mini cucumbers, chopped
2 tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
juice of 1/2 lemon
drizzle of olive oil
sea salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients together and add the olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Couldn't be easier, right?

xo Robin

P.S. Tomorrow I'm off to Toronto Island for a picnic with friends, do you have any must-try recipe suggestions?

Fire it up

photos by pwisenberg

A trip to my neighbourhood organic grocery store inspired me to make this recipe. The ingredients looked so gorgeous, they practically begged me to take them home- thick green spears of asparagus, hearty portobello mushrooms and beautifully-hued bite-sized grape tomatoes. This warm salad was easy to make and satisfying enough to eat for dinner. Plus, it just feels so spring-like with the seasonal asparagus and charred taste from the grill. The veggies were marinated in olive oil, herbs, garlic, dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar, a flavourful bunch if I do say so. The thick slices of portobello are so savoury and filling and the grape tomatoes add a much-needed burst of freshness. I garnished the salad with toasted pumpkin seeds for some extra crunch and served it with grilled crusty bread, perfect for sopping up that delicious marinade.

Warm asparagus and portobello salad
Serves 4

3 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1/2 red onion, thickly sliced
1/2 package grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
8 small slices whole grain bread, brushed with olive oil

Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

To make the marinade, whisk together all of the ingredient in a bowl until well combined. Taste and rectify the seasoning if necessary. To assemble the salad, begin by coating the mushrooms, asparagus and onions in the marinade and brushing the bread with olive oil (a little sprinkling of sea salt doesn't hurt either). Grill the veggies over high heat (we used a grill pan for the mushrooms and onions, but it isn't necessary), until the asparagus spears are just fork-tender and the mushrooms begin to get a golden brown crust, about 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, grill the bread on the periphery of the grill where the heat is not so high, about 3 minutes per side. Top warm vegetables with the grape tomatoes and pumpkin seeds and serve with the grilled bread. Couldn't be more simple, couldn't be more yummy!

Feeling fresh

photo by pwisenberg

Hello and happy May! This was an easy little weekend lunch that turned out to be too adorable not to photograph. I basically grabbed all of my favourite ingredients (including my new found love, cilantro- apparently it no longer tastes like soap to me!) and tossed them in some fresh lime juice and fruity olive oil. The flavours were bright and vibrant and the cucumbers and fresh jalapenos added a welcome crunch. Obviously, a few salty tortilla chips didn't hurt either...

Avocado and spinach salad
Serves 2 

2 cups baby spinach
1/2 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup cucumber, chopped
1 tbsp red onion, diced
1 tbsp jalapeno, diced
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
about 1 tbsp olive oil
about 1 tbs lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 handfuls of whole grain tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except for the spinach and tortilla chips, until it looks almost like  a very chunky guacamole. Spoon mixture onto a bed baby spinach and top with tortilla chips. Easy peasy!

Just a quick post tonight, I know... I'm currently watching the Canadian election results (no comment, grr..) and drinking tea while trying to pack/outfit plan for tomorrow when I'll be off to London to attend a swanky dinner with my mum and her colleagues. Speaking of swanky, this weekend I can't wait to go to one of Toronto's best vegan restaurants, Fressen, with some of my favourite friends annnd very soon I can share some exciting news with you all!

Have a great week lovely readers xo

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!

Summer lovin'

photo by me

Hello everyone, it's great to be back to the blogosphere! New York was amazing, I really did not want to leave. I'm so excited to share some of the great photos we took while we there... coming soon I promise! But for now, here's a yummy little dish that has become a standard in my house. I know, I know, the ingredients are not quite in season, but come on, it's so delicious I couldn't resist! My mum has been making a black bean and corn salad like this for years, so I basically took her recipe and added fresh tomatoes and thick slices of ripe avocado, mmm.

Black bean and corn salad
Serves 4

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn (fresh if possible)
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, sliced

Dressing

2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 1/2 limes
zest of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine salad all of salad ingredients, reserving avocado. Whisk together dressing ingredients and toss to coat. Top with sliced avocado and serve. That's it- supa easy.

This bird has flown!

photo by me

Okay fine... we're totally driving to New York... In fact, I'm blogging from the car right now (modern technology never fails to impress me). I'm sure you'll agree when I say that every good road trip needs snacks, lots of snacks. So, in addition to the vegan brownies my pal Lindsay packed, and my homemade lentil hummus with veggies, we have a tub full of pasta salad to look forward to! I made this yesterday with the specific goal of using up whatever food we had left in the fridge (I hate to waste), and wound up making penne with sun dried tomatoes, basil and walnuts. I ate more than a few spoonfuls of it when it was hot and man it was yummy! I can't wait to try it cold for dinner en route. Plus, it was super easy and came together in 20 minutes tops (Racheal Ray ain't got nothin' on me!).

Penne with sun dried tomatoes and walnuts
Serves 4

1 package whole wheat penne
1/2 jar sun dried tomatoes, drained not rinsed
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 chili, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup fresh basil, tightly packed
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook penne in boiling salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic, celery and chili to the pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until just soft. Add sun dried tomatoes and stock and simmer for about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine cooked penne, sautéed veggies, basil and walnuts. Toss everything together and serve hot or cold, so delicious!

Well my friends, I'm off to enjoy the rest of this long journey to NYC (car games will be played). I wish you all a wonderful weekend and can't wait to share my adventures with everyone- food, photos, shopping- when I get back!

xo robin katherine

Scrumptious lil' salad

photo by me

Spinach and pecans and clemmies, oh my! This delectable little salad is quick and easy. The pecans are roasted in a maple cayenne glaze and the clementines add a burst of freshness to the savoury dish. Bonus: the candied nuts are sweet, spicy and good enough to be eaten alone as a healthy snack!

Spinach salad with clementines and candied pecans
Serves 4

Candied nuts

3/4 cups whole pecans
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt

Spinach salad

4 cups tightly packed spinach
2 clementines, segmented
1/2 cup red onion, chopped

Easy balsamic dressing

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss pecans in maple syrup, cayenne, oil and salt and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Toss spinach, clementines, onions and pecans in dressing and serve. Yum!

Simply sunny

photo by me

You can probably tell by now that I love colourful food! And yes... that's a carrot-shaped bowl, I love those too. This is a typical weekday lunch for me- I often scrounge up whatever veggies we have on hand and combine them into some sort of salad. This recipe really needs no explanation, what you see i what you get: chickpeas, corn, chilis, green onions and bell peppers, all coated in a fresh lemony dressing. Easy peasy!

Easy corn and chickpea salad
Serves 2

1 cup chickpeas
1 cup corn (fresh is preferred, but alas, it's winter)
2 hot chilis, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped

Lemon dressing

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 squirt mustard
1 squirt maple syrup

I'm sure you can all take it from here, but allow me: combine the salad ingredients in a bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients, mix it all up, eat! This dish is great on its own but can also be enjoyed over a bed of baby spinach (my lunch yesterday) or warmed up in a whole grain tortilla (Paul's dinner yesterday- he added cheese too). Nothing too crazy or creative here, just a happy little salad to brighten up your Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone xo

Winter picnic

photo by me

I don't know about you, but when I think potato salad, I think summer. And right about now I think we could all use a healthy dose of warm weather. While I cannot make sunshine manifest for you my friends, I can deliver a super simple and delicious recipe for the perfect winter potato salad (picnic on the living room floor optional but strongly suggested). While making this, I was inspired by the flavours of traditional bread and herb stuffing: think thyme, sage, parsley, nutmeg and, my personal favourite, a pinch of cinnamon which adds a subtle hint of heat to the whole thing. And to make up for the ghastly amount of work required in the last recipe I posted, this one is so easy and can be made in less than half an hour. Do try.

Winter potato salad
Serves 4

Roughly 3 cups of small potatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or any nut you happen to fancy)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup green onions, chopped

Dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp thyme, fresh or dried
1 tsp sage, fresh or dried
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
juice from 1/4 of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, add potatoes to boiling, salted water and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, pour into bowl with walnuts, cranberries and green onions. Add cooked potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle everything generously with coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper. Serve warm or cold.

That's it, super simple, extremely quick and incredible tasty. This dish can be enjoyed as a dinner side or even a light lunch. So bust out the tupperware and brace yourself for swooning co-workers.

Pffft..whoever said you can't make friends with salad?