Peach Glazed Chicken

I had a basket full of peaches and friends coming for dinner

Peach Glazed Chicken

-4 chicken breasts
-5 peaches skin removed and sliced
-1 clove of garlic chopped
-1 small onion chopped
-1 cup brown sugar
-2 tablespoons fresh ginger grated
-2 tablespoons chili powder
-1/2 teaspoon of cumin
-zest of lime and lemon
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-juice of half a lime
-salt and pepper to taste

I placed the chicken in a casserole dish.  I sliced the peaches and placed over the chicken and added the garlic and onion.  I mixed all the dry spiced and ginger together and mixed in with peaches, onion and garlic, added the zest and juice of lime, gave a stir and cooked at 350 for 40 minutes.  
I served over rice.

Brown Rice Croquettes with peach, strawberry avocado salsa

I wanted to start my day right, after completing a hot yoga class this morning at 7am I came home and made a delicious and healthy breakfast.

Brown rice croquettes

-1 cup brown rice cooked

-2 eggs 

-1 onion finely minced

-5-6 mushrooms chopped finely

-1/2 red pepper chopped finely

-salt and pepper

-fresh rosemary chopped (approx 1/4 of a teaspoon)

-a sprinkle of chili powder

in a large bowl mix all ingredients and add eggs.  I used my hands to make pancake coquettes,  On medium heat add a olive oil or butter.  cook until browned on one side and then flip over.

Peach Strawberry Avocado Salsa

-1 ripe avocado chopped

-2 peaches peeled and chopped

-5 strawberries chopped

-juice of one lime

-salt and pepper

chop, combine and serve.

Candied Roasted Almond, Sunflower, Sesame seed and Brown Rice Salad

I made this incredible salad today.  I was using up brown rice from last night and was wanting to make a salad.  Each bite was exciting and different and all flavours blended so well.  It may sound like a weird combination however it was exciting!  Also it sounds like a lot of work, it really wasn't...took about 15 minutes to make.

Candied roasted almond, sunflower, sesame seed and Rice Salad.

-1/2 cup blanched almonds

-1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
-1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
-1/4 cup black raw sesame seeds
-2 tablespoons brown sugar
-1/4 cup red or white wine


-2 cups cooked brown rice
-1/2 granny smith apple chopped
-1/2 onion chopped
-1/4 cup pine nuts
-1/4 cup craisins
-1/4 cucumber
-a handful of pea shoots
-salt and pepper
-olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste

-1 medium tomato chopped
-pinch of salt and pepper

On medium heat, add almonds and dry roast after a few minutes add the sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.  Continue to roast.  When they have become browned, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of wine.  Stir and when all coated set aside to cool.

Mix together the rice, onion, granny smith apple, pine nuts, craisins, and cucumber together.  Leave the tomatoes aside as they make the salad soggy, top salad with the tomatoes.  When the seeds have cooled add them.  The pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.  mix well.

boiled beets with balsamic vinegar

I bought these baby beets at the Brickworks Farmer's Market.  They are small and different colours and full of sweetness and flavour.

I used a handful of beets.  Boiled them and splashed white balsamic vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper.

Boil until you can fork them, remove skin.  ii just lightly drizzles with both olive oil and balsamic.  salt and pepper to taste.

Fried Spicy Sweet Potatoes and Granny Smith Apples

I had a friend over for lunch and made these delicious sweet potatoes.  I also made a rice salad where I had used granny smith apple, and thought the combination would work

Fried Spicy Sweet Potatoes with Granny Smith Apples

-1 teaspoon butter

-1 sweet potato cut thinly 

-1 Granny Smith apple skin on and sliced

-1 large clove of garlic

-1/2 onion chopped

-1 tablespoon chili powder

-salt and pepper to taste

-2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

-1/4 cup of red wine

-In a large frying pan on medium heat melt butter and add sweet potato, onion and garlic.  Stir frequently.  When sweet potatoes are lightly browned on both sides add granny smith apples, continue to stir.  Once the apples are slightly cooked add salt, pepper, chili powder.  Continue to stir.  Add the red wine and parmesan cheese and once the apples and sweet potatoes are covered reduce to a simmer until wine cooked off and serve.  They were delicious.  Took about 15 minutes to cook.

Garlic Chicken with mushrooms and peppers

I have a friend staying with me this week and we have been cooking up a storm together.  Last night we started with the tomato salad.  Then I created the chicken and she made a pesto.

Garlic chicken

-1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

-4 cloves of garlic chopped

-1 onion sliced

-half a red pepper chopped

-handful of mushrooms

-pepper to taste

-1 tablespoon herb de Provence

-1/4 cup red wine

-2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

-In a frying pan on medium heat melt butter or heat olive oil.  Add garlic, onions and mushrooms. Stir often.  When onions start to be clear add the chicken.  I tenderized the chicken to make flatter to cook evenly. Place the chicken in and continue to stir the veggies.  When the chicken is browned turn (about 5 minutes depending on pan) over and allow other side to brown and add the herb de Provence and pepper.  When both sides are browned add red peppers and red wine and allow to simmer until red pepper soft.  Then coat with the parmesan cheese and serve.

Tomato salad

Last night I used up the rest of the heirloom tomatoes from the market. 


Tomato Salad

-2 large heirloom tomatoes chopped, salted and peppered
-small bunch of kale chopped
-1 small onion chopped
-half a cucumber chopped (from my mom's garden)
-small amount of Romaine lettuce chopped
-gouda cheese shaved
-3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Serves 4.  Mix all together and serve.  This is not a salad to make before hand.  I just pour the olive oil and balsamic right on the salad and mix.  So delicious with those shaved chunks of Gouda.

kale and sprout salad with cranberries an roasted almonds

Yesterday at the farmers market at the brickworks I purchased some organic kale and organic ancient grains.  Knowing that I would be entertaining some friends who are vegetarian I wanted to make sure that I had some high protein items to keep them full.

Organic Kale salad with Roasted Almonds, ancient grain sprouts and dried cranberries

-2 cups of cleaned and chopped kale
-1/2 cup almonds toasted
-3/4 cups ancient grains sprouts
-1/4 cup dried cranberries

in a frying pan on medium low heat toast blanched slice almonds until browned.  Place hot almonds on top of the kale chopped and stir in.  Let cool.  Add the sprouts and cranberries.

Tangy Apple cider mustard dressing

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch of salt and pepper

Fresh Ontario Peaches oven baked

Yesterday I went to the Brickworks in Toronto which has a farmer's market.  It was the blueberry festival, however I forgot to buy any.  I was having some vegetarians over for dinner and I wondered around the market deciding what to make.  The peaches were incredible. I bought a basket and made this for dessert.

Baked Peaches

-4 peaches washed and cut in half, pit removed
-2 tablespoons brown sugar
-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of melted butter.

preheat oven to 350.  In a bowl mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger.  Have peaches laid out on a casserole dish skin side down.  Coat the top of the peaches with the melted butter.  And sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon ginger mixture on top of each peach.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Serve with ice cream.