Easy coconut pancakes

So, um, hi. I still exist. I still cook. I'm still really bad at this blog upkeep thing. BUT it's September... a new school year, a fresh start, etc. etc. Who's to say how often I'll update the ol' Birdie, but I've had this recipe lurking around on my desktop for months and honestly it's just too darn tasty not to share! 

Now let's get real here; I’m not really a big pancake person. I'm not even really a brunch person. But when I do venture into the daunting world of vegan brunch, I often forego sweets and opt instead for a savoury menu item. However, I went out on a limb with this recipe and these homemade pancakes turned out wonderfully. There is actually no sugar in the batter because the shredded coconut adds just the right amount of sweetness (not to mention a nice hit of texture). Top them off with fresh berries and maple syrup and you’ve got yourself a brunch dish yummy enough to rival even its saltiest of counterparts. Really. So good.

Vegan coconut pancakes

Serves 2

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup shredded coconut

3 tbsp oil

Fresh blueberries

Pure maple syrup

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Next, whisk in the milk, water, and coconut until smooth. Heat the oil (about 1 tsbp per batch of pancakes) over medium heat. Finally, ladle in the batter and cook pancakes until golden brown and slightly crispy (about 3 minutes per side). Serve with fresh berries and maple syrup and enjoy!

P.S. Look familiar? Here's why!

Winter warmth

I came up with this soup as a spin on one I used to make when I first learned to cook. It's full of white beans, celery and kale. To replace the meat, we added an Yves Italian veggie sausage (always a hit with the boy). The soup is equal parts hearty and savoury, plus I threw in a pinch of chili flakes for a little bit of heat. I've been really big on soups these days. There's something about throwing ingredients in a pot and letting them simmer while you occupy yourself with other things (cough, studying, cough). It's true... I'm still in my law school cocoon of exams, caffeine, and stress-induced tummy aches. But I'll be all done this Wednesday and then it's back to London for family time before heading to Toronto to catch up with friends, eat at my favourite veggie restaurants, and engage in some much needed retail therapy. Wednesday can't come soon enough!

White bean, kale & veggie sausage soup
Serves 4-6

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups veggie broth
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 bunch kale, chopped
2 veggie sausages, sliced crosswise
Salt to taste

Begin by heating the oil in a large pot. Throw in the onion, garlic, celery, chili flakes and pepper and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, if desired, sear the chopped veggie sausages in a small pan until golden brown. Add in the beans, broth, water, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes before adding in the kale and the sausage. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes and enjoy on the couch with crusty bread and a holiday movie!

Sweets from the Earth

Oh my goodness guys. So here I am minding my business, doing my homework, when I get an offer I can't refuse! Sweets from the Earth asked me to try some of their 100% vegan, all natural treats. Obviously, I agreed! Paul and I had a field day trying all kinds of goodies, but these three were hands-down the best of the bunch. The wild blueberry cheesecake was a dead ringer for the real thing (and shhh, I didn't even like cheesecake before going vegan, but this is SO good), and the organic medjool date squares taste just healthy enough to enjoy with a morning cup of coffee. Finally, the chocolate fudge cake (!!!) was moist, rich and insanely delicious. I've been a fan of Sweets from the Earth's carrot cake for a long time now, but trying these new products has turned me into a loyal devotee. Check our their website for even more vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free treats.

Okay, now back to studying for exams! xo

Butternut Bliss

Why is butternut squash so good? Not only is it versatile and comforting but it just happens to be beautifully hued, doesn’t it? This simple pasta dish showcases all of squash’s best features, including its lovely colour! The sauce is rich and velvety, and the wilted kale adds a nice bite, making this a wonderful meal to share with family over the holidays if you ask me!


Also, we have a new recipe page! Now you can search for recipes, easy peasy. A huge thank you to the bf for putting this together! 

Rigatoni with Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Sauce {last seen here}
Serves 4


1 head garlic, topped trimmed, drizzled with olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
2 cups veggie broth
1 package whole wheat rigatoni
2 cups kale, chopped
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
¼ cup almond milk
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
¼ cup fresh sage, chopped

Wrap garlic in aluminum foil and roast at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes

Meanwhile, in a large pot cover the squash with the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer until squash is very tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Once tender, purée the squash, veggie broth and roasted garlic until smooth. Stir in the nutritional yeast, almond milk, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste.

Season a pot of boiling water with salt and add the rigatoni. When it is nearly cooked to al dente, add the kale into the pot so it wilts and tenderizes. Cook for the last couple of minutes and strain pasta and kale.

Finally, toss the rigatoni and kale with the sauce and garnish with fresh sage.

Friday Five: Jess N.

Hi all!

It's Friday (and almost December?!), crazy! This week the lovely Jess from Cupcakes and Kale was kind enough to answer the Friday Five. Her blog is the perfect balance between sweet and savoury, which is great for vegans like me who are considerably baking-challenged. These cupcakes are her recipe and- let me tell you- they were a huuuge hit! So check out her answers (and her site!) and I'm sure you'll like this sweet vegan lady as much as I do :)

Happy weekend friends! xo

Guest post: Curry in a hurry

Hi everyone!

My name is Caroline and I’m super excited to share this post with you all. Like the Hungry Birdie herself, I am also a law student – studying across the pond in a town called Canterbury (yes from the tales!). As a self-professed cheese aficionado, I have to admit I wasn’t always so thrilled with the idea of vegan cooking. I expected the ingredients to be completely foreign and inaccessible, but reading Robin’s blog inspired me to try a few new recipes (Winter potato salad, Penne with sun dried tomatoes and walnuts… Mmmmm!). And while you probably won’t catch me with a forkful of tofu any day soon, I’m getting a little closer… Enjoy!

Vegetable curry

Serves: 4

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp curry paste
4 plum tomatoes, or similar
2 red bell peppers
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½  can coconut milk
4 cups of spinach or other dark green

Halve and peel one onion and slice into very thin half-moons. In deep pan, sauté onions in olive oil and a pinch of salt until golden and translucent (bonus points if you have the patience to caramelize them slightly). When golden, add two finely chopped cloves of garlic and two tablespoons of your favourite curry paste.

Add a few chopped tomatoes, sliced bell pepper and one can of chickpeas. Shake and pour in half a can of coconut milk. (I freeze the other half in an ice cube tray, pop them out and keep them in the freezer for next time!) Add about a cup of recently boiled water until you are happy with the consistency. Simmer away for a few minutes, add salt if needed.

At the end, wilt in a few handfuls of dark greens – I used organic spinach here. Serve alongside rice, quinoa, or nan bread, and a cold ale if you so fancy it. Enjoy!

If you’re in the mood for a nice light dessert to go with your spicy curry, try…



Baked Plums with Golden Sugar and Allspice

Serves: 4

4 plums, halved and pitted
2 tbsp golden brown sugar
1 ½ tsp allspice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat the exposed side of each plum in the allspice and sugar. Bake cut-side up for 20-25 minutes, until slightly scorched and soft in the middle. (This works better with firm plums.)

Serve warm or room temperature, with chopped nuts or a nice soymilk ice cream!

Lazy fare

Some days I feel like preparing fresh dough, making homemade tomato sauce and scouring the freshest ingredients in order to make knock-out vegan pizzas. Lately though, amidst the mountains of readings, case comments, and legal memos, I've started to think that less is more. Less work in the kitchen that is! I'm not quite back to my undergrad days of Kraft Dinner, canned soup and peanut butter off a spoon (okay, fine, I still do that last one sometimes...), but being so busy has forced me to come up with quick and satisfying weeknight dinners. These vegan pita pizzas have become a staple around my house. I recommend using whole wheat pitas, broccoli, and chia seeds to up the nutritional factor on these bad boys!

Easy pita pizzas
Makes 2 

2 whole grain pitas
1/2 package of Daiya mozzarella
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tbsp of chia seeds
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Place pitas on baking tray lined with aluminum foil and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread tomato sauce on the surface of both pitas, sprinkle on the oregano, chili flakes, salt and pepper before adding a generous layer of Daiya. Next, add the broccoli florets and chia seeds and bake for about 20 minutes or until crusts are golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Aaannd then get back to studying!

Friday Five: Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Post Punk Kitchen)

Guys! This week's Friday Five comes from one my all-time favourite food bloggers, Isa Chandra from Post Punk Kitchen! I mean,come on, her site is amazing, she has a bagillion cookbooks, and her cookie recipes are to die for (exhibit A, exhibit B)! So take a second to find out why she's a loveable vegan with an affinity for squash butts. Yup.

Thai it up

Good morning! Just a quick recipe today as I'm running late for school. What can I say about this soup? It's simple to prepare, makes enough for leftovers, and is just really damn tasty!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Thai corn and cilantro soup
Serves 4-6 

1 tbsp veggie oil
1 tbsp chopped hot pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp ginger
6 cups veggie stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cups corn
1 can coconut milk
1/2 package tofu, cut into 1/2" cubes
3/4 cups fresh cilantro, chopped

Begin by heating the oil on medium heat and cook the onions, garlic, ginger, and hot pepper until just soft (about 5 minutes).

Add veggie stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in the soy sauce, corn, tofu, coconut milk and 1/2 cup of cilantro (save the rest for garnish).

Allow soup to simmer on low heat for at least 15 minutes (longer= more flavour) before serving. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and enjoy!

Friday Five: Nikki Durand

Well here we are again, hello Friday, nice to see you! Is it just me or are the weeks just flying by lately? This week's edition of Friday Five comes from one of my closest friends who only recently adopted a vegan diet. She is studying to be a nutritionist and has told me that progress in her program is slow to recognize the benefits of a plant-based diet. This is frustrating to hear, although not all that surprising.  But I am thankful for people like Nikki who can advocate for the nutritional advantages of being vegan. Go Nikki!

Friday Five: Chris Rudnicki

Chris is a friend of mine from school and a fellow vegan. It's been so wonderful to meet a few other vegans in the program (mainly because it gives us an excuse to go here more often). I admire Chris for his social advocacy skills- especially when it comes to his passion for veganism- and I like to think he admires me for introducing him to Daiya cheese! Needless to say, I'm thrilled that he agreed to answer the Friday Five this week, enjoy!

Spooky sweets

Halloween is right around the corner and although I'm still stumped for costume ideas, I certainly didn't need convincing on the cupcake front! As I've mentioned, I'm a somewhat tentative baker and not one to get creative with my own sweet concoctions just yet. But I got this fabulous recipe from Jess's wonderful blog and these babies were pretty close to perfection! The only changes I made were reducing the amount of Earth Balance in the frosting (hey, I can be sensible sometimes) and adding a pinch of cinnamon for a seasonal flair.

Not that cupcake baking ever needs to be justified, but I whipped these up for a bake sale at school. I can't remember the last time I helped out with such an event but it felt nice to contribute to a good cause. All of the funds went to organizations that help at-risk women in the Ottawa area. Lately, it's been so easy to get consumed in my law school bubble of lectures, readings, assignments and exams. It really is as crazy as everyone said it would be. But it's important that myself and my classmates get our noses out of our books and our butts out of the library every now and again to realize that there is, in fact, a world outside of law school. And dare I say (gasp!) even more important things than academic success. Coming from the perfectionist that I am, this is much easier said than done. But every pot luck, bike ride, and bake sale for a good cause is helping me not to forget the things that I'm passionate about. After all, I still want to come out as me at the end of this whole ride!

Vanilla Halloween Cupcakes
Makes one dozen

1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sunflower or canola oil
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup organic all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the almond milk and cider vinegar in a large bowl and set aside to curdle for about five minutes. Add in the oil, sugar and vanilla and stir until well combined. Sift the remaining dry ingredients into a separate bowl before slowly stirring them into the wet mixture. Beat (or whisk) together until smooth.

Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way full and bake for about 16 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Be patient and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing.

Vegan Vanilla Buttercream
1/3 cup earth balance vegan margerine
3 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp almond milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Red and orange food colouring
Vegan jujubes (check for no gelatin!)

Whip the Earth Balance and the vanilla together. Add in the sugar and almond milk a bit at a time until the mixture is smooth. Add in the cinnamon and food colouring. To get the orange, I used about two parts yellow to one part red. Pipe or spread the frosting on the cupcakes and top with jujubes! YUM!

Fried fiesta

When I discovered that this vegan queso dip existed, I got more than a little excited. After promptly ordering several jars of the stuff, there was nothing left to do but wait for its arrival. Clearly, the sauce made for some fabulous nachos but I wanted to think of a more creative way to enjoy it. Enter: vegan Mexican cheesy pierogies. Crazy, I know! But they turned out to be just as amazing as I had hoped. Crispy on the outside and ooey-gooey on the inside. Paired with fresh salsa, they made for quite the Saturday night feast!

If you aren't all as eager as I am to order vegan cheese dip off the internet (but really, is that weird?), then adding a pinch of cumin to this recipe would work well too. And I imagine throwing in some Daiya and non-dairy milk wouldn't be too shabby of an option either. Whatever you choose, these pierogies really are as good as they look. And come on, doesn't everyone love themselves a little fiesta?

"Cheesy" Mexican Pierogies with Homemade Salsa
Serves 4 

Pierogies:
20-30 eggless dumpling wrappers
3-4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup vegan cheese sauce
Vegetable oil for frying, amounts may vary

Salsa:
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 scallions, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Begin by boiling the potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Once fork tender, drain and mash, adding in the Earth Balance, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, saute the onions in 1 tbsp of veg oil over medium heat until soft and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir onions and 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce (reserving 1/4 cup for later) into the mashed potatoes and set aside.

While the potatoes are boiling and the onions are cooking, simply combine all of the salsa ingredients and refrigerate until time to eat.

Working in batches of 4-6, carefully add about 1/2 tsp of the cheesy potato mixture to the centre of each dumpling wrapper. Top with a dollop of the reserved cheese sauce and fold into half moons, sealing edges with a fork. The pierogies can be fried immediately, but I prefer to steam them first in order to soften them up. Steam for no longer than one minute per batch. In a large pan, heat about 1 tbsp of oil over medium and fry pierogies for about 3 minutes per side, until crispy and golden brown. Repeat until all of the pierogies have been cooked. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until it's time to eat.

To serve, top the hot pierogies with salsa and garnish with a slice of lime. Sit back, relax and enjoy with a cold beer!

Sloppy Joes + Facebook Page

Oh my  goodness these were so good! So good, in fact, that we made the entire recipe again the next day. Yup, it's true. Anyway, this was my latest post for One Green Planet, to view the entire drool-inducing recipe, click here.

Also, we've finally created a Hungry Birdie Facebook page! Check it out for photos, updates and more. Be sure to 'like' us if you want to show your appreciation!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Friday Five!

Are you guys as happy as I am that Friday has finally arrived?? In honour of celebrating this fine day of the week, I've decided to start a new weekly feature called, you guessed it, Friday Five! Each week I'll ask a different vegan the same five questions and hopefully wind up with a wide variety of answers. I'm so curious to hear from other vegans out there! To get it all started, I answered the questions myself... not exactly soul-baring stuff, but fun nonetheless. I hope you enjoy! xo

Friday Five: Me

Edible autumn

photo by pwisenberg

Fall is certainly upon us, and if you're anything like me that means bubbly casseroles, flavourful soups and everything in between. I suppose this little beauty qualifies as a stew- it's rich, hearty and the perfect meal for a crisp fall evening (not to mention that it combines sweet potatoes and peanut butter, two of my all-time favourite ingredients!) I took the night off from studying to enjoy it with grainy bread and cheesy horror movies, a winning combo if I do say so myself.

Hearty autumn stew
Serves 6-8 

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp chili flakes
salt and pepper
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup whole pearl onions (optional)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat and add the onions, garlic, ginger, carrots celery and jalapeno. Season with cumin, cinnamon, chili flakes, salt and pepper and cook for five to ten minutes, until slightly soft. Add everything else to the pot except for the cilantro. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until thick and rich. Rectify the seasoning if necessary and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve piping hot with fresh bread if desired and let it warm your belly from the inside out!

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

Guest post: vegan pizza

photo by pwisenberg

Hi lil' birdies!

My name is Danni and I write a style/design blog, denj. Robin and I met a few years ago in university and we've been cooking yummy dinners together ever since (although I confess, Robin almost always wears the chef hat during these dinners, I'm... the sous-chef?) Anywho, Robin is a busy girl these days at law school, so she asked me to post this yummy vegan pizza I made for a get-together we had a few weeks ago (the very same get-together that we had Robin's Mac n' Cheese from her last post! We were full beyond belief by the end, so much yummy food!) I've never met a soul who didn't love a good pizza, this recipe is a fun spin on a classic. I made this particular one completely cheese-less (vegan or otherwise) but you could always throw a bit on top if you so desire!

Sweet Potato Pizza
Serves 8 as an appetizer 

To buy:

1 flatbread
1 large sweet potato
2 medium tomatoes
5 mushrooms
1/4 red onion
1 red pepper
1/4 cup tomato sauce
fresh basil
1 tsp. olive oil
salt n' pepper

To prepare:

Preheat the oven to 400. Chop up your veggies lengthwise, and your sweet potato into wide flat pieces (chip shaped). Saute your veggies (excluding tomatoes) on the stove to soften. Next, spread your tomato sauce evenly over the flatbread and arrange the veggies on top, drizzle with olive oil, and finish off with fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the crust is golden. Let cool for a few minutes, slice, and serve!

xo danni

Cheese please!

Photo by pwisenberg

Hello everyone!

As I write this I am sitting in the library avoiding the endless pages of reading that await me... Such is my new life as a law student. School, however, has been great so far! I've met tons of awesome people and my teachers all seem engaging and approachable. Needless to say, I've been super busy these past few weeks and haven't had much time to come up with new recipes, let alone blog about them.

I actually made this meal a while back for a going-away dinner that Paul and I hosted during our last weekend in Toronto. I love mac n' cheese as much as the next person and was so excited when I saw this incredibly simple recipe for vegan cheese sauce on Angela's fabulous site. I wanted more texture than your traditional creamy dish so I added cauliflower florets in with the noodles, topped the whole thing with breadcrumbs and Daiya (duh!) and baked it until the crust was golden and crispy And, let's be honest, serving things in individual-sized ramekins instantly makes a meal cuter!

Everyone (even my carnivorous friends) loved this dish and Paul is constantly urging me to make it again!

Vegan mac n' cheese
Serves 4
(double the recipe to serve a larger group or to have leftovers)

1 package whole wheat macaroni
1/4 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1 tsp Earth Balance
1/2 pacakge Daiya vegan cheese shreds (cheddar or mozzarella)
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
sprinkling of paprika
salt and pepper to taste
this easy cheese sauce recipe

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until still quite firm. Drain and rinse under cold water to prevent from cooking further. Transfer macaroni to a large bowl and stir in the raw cauliflower florets. Meanwhile, in a small pot, prepare your simple cheese sauce, transfer to bowl of pasta and cauliflower, and toss it all together. Grease your baking sheet (or ramekins) with the Earth Balance. Add the pasta mixture to the baking sheet and top with Daiya, bread crumbs, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Finally, sprinkle everything with paprika and bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

xo Robin

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