Beet Salad with hemp seeds, walnuts, feta cheese and an avocado oil dressing

Beet Salad with hemp seeds, walnuts, feta cheese and an avocado oil dressing

-4 medium sized beets boiled, sliced and peeled and set aside to cool
-5 tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese
-3 tablespoons hemp seeds
-1/3 cup walnuts
-salad greens

Salad dressing
-1/2 cup avocado oil
-1/8 cup of balsamic vinegar
-fresh pepper

-boil the beets with skin on until cooked.  Peel, and slice and allow to cool, place in fridge so that they will not melt the feta cheese.  Keep the salad greens separate, place on plate.  Place beets, walnuts on top of greens and then crumble the feta and hemp seeds over top.  Mix the avocado oil and balsamic vinegar together and serve over salad and top with freshly ground pepper.

Raw Beet and Pear Salad

Raw Beet and Pear Salad

-2 beets, peeled and grated
-1 pear, peeled and grated
-juice of 2 limes
-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-salt and pepper

-peel the beet and grate place in a bowl, peel the pear remove core and grate as well.  In a mixing bowl add the mustard, lime juice, olive oil and salad and pepper.  Mix the beets and pears with the salad dressing.

Orange Beet Salad

Orange Beet Salad

-2 oranges
-spinach
-1/2 small red onion
-2 small golden beets
-2 small red beets
-fresh sprigs of dill

-Boil the beets.  When done cooking under cold water cut the ends of and the skin will just peel off.  Cut each end of the orange and cut the rind of cut out the section of orange (you will need about 2 tablespoons of the juice for the salad dressing).  Place the spinach in a bowl, with the cut up beets, the onions and orange slices.  Top with dressing below

Dressing

-1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
-2/3 cup olive oil
-1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
-1 teaspoon smoked mustard
-2 tablespoons orange juice
-salt and pepper
-fresh sprigs of dill
-1 tablespoon maple syrup

Mix and serve.

Roasted Veggies with Burdock Root in a miso ginger sauce

So, my philosophy is cook and experiment, if it doesn't turn out order in...when I was cooking this dish, I was reaching in the cup...board for some spices and the bag of cinnamon fell into this and was added... unexpectedly, so I went with it and it turned out amazing.

Roasted Veggies with Burdock Root in a miso ginger sauce

1 tablespoon oil
1 sweet potato
1 small beet
2 purple onions chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1/2 red pepper
1/2 cup burdock (gobo) root
a handful of mushrooms
chili powder
1/4 cup roasted almonds

In a large frying pan add the onion, celery, burdock root, sweet potatoes with oil at medium heat.  Pan fry till sweet potato browned on both sides.  Then add beets, cook until soft.  Add the mushrooms and peppers.  Sprinkle with chili powder.  Then continue cooking.  Add sauce below and cook until flavour even throughout.  Top with roasted almonds.

sauce

2 tablespoons miso paste
1 tablespoon ginger grated
1 teaspoon tamari
sprinkle of cinnamon

 Total cooking about 35 minutes.

Autumn Veggies

This was a delicious autumn veggie dish.  It had all the colours of the rainbow, amazing flavours and beautiful colours.

Autumn Veggies

-1 large leek chopped
-1 sweet potato chopped
-4 beets (boiled, peeled and sliced)
-1 medium zucchini
-1 bunch of kale
-1 tablespoon sesame seeds
-1 tablespoon poppy seeds
-1/4 cup blanched almonds
-salt and pepper
-1/2 small pomegranate

Sauce

-1 tablespoon sweet and smoky mustard
-1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-juice of 1 lime
-3 tablespoons maple syrup
-salt and pepper


In a frying pan add a small amount of oil, add leeks, sweet potatoes and zucchini.  (I had boiled the beets for 20 minutes already, I boil them by just cutting the greens off and when boiled I cut the top and root off and the skin will slide off with your hands).  Allow to cook until sweet potato is soft, then add the beets sliced.  Allow to cook and the colour to blend with the rest of the veggies. Add the poppy seeds, sesame seeds and almonds.  Allow them to brown.  Then add the kale.  When the kale has cooked a bit, drench with the sauce and top with the pomegranate seeds.  So delicious.
 

Poppy Seed Veggies with Pomegranate and mustard sauce

Poppy Seed Veggies with Pomegranate and Mustard Sauce

-1/2 red onion sliced

-1 zucchinni sliced

-1/2 sweet potato

-3 beets cooked and sliced

-2 tablespoons poppy seed

-different greens (kale, beets greens, collards etc)

-1/2 pomegranate

In a frying pan and add olive oil, once warm add onions and sweet potatoes, zucchinni.  Cook until they are browned.  (already have the beets cooked, peeled and sliced).  Once they are all browned, add poppy seeds.  Then add the greens and continue to stir.  Place in a bowl and top with pomegranate.  

Mustard Maple Sauce

-3 tablespoons of olive oil

-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

-1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

-salt and pepper

-1 tablespoon maple syrup

-juice of half a lemon

Mix and top on salad.

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.

Tonight's soup

So tonight is clean out the crisper soup.

I have added beets, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, garlic, zuchinni, a can of pineapple, beef broth, curry powder, a can of coconut milk, red curry paste and fresh cilantro.  I am essentially clearing out the fridge to make a soup.  It is a beautiful sunny day here in Toronto however it started out gray and it felt like a soup day.

I sautéed the vegetables, added the beef broth, a can of pineapple and spices to taste.  Allowed it to simmer all day.  It smells amazing.  

Raw Beet and Carrot Salad

“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!” 
― Julia Child, My Life in France

Enjoyed dinner with a friend...made raw beet and carrot salad, Green Leaf Salad and European Sea Bass, Oyster mushrooms sautéed with Onions, Garlic and Ginger served over quinoa.  This is my recipe that I made up while making the salad.

Raw Beet and Carrot Salad


1 red beet peeled and sliced finely
1 rainbow beet peeled and slice finely
1 yellow carrot peeled and slice finely
1 orange carrot peeled and slice finely
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup OJ
1/2 lime squeezed
1/2 lemon squeezed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup cilantro chopped

sliced finely as if grated, mix all ingredients in bowl and allow to marinate for an hour.
garnish with small amount of extra cilantro

 My salad was mixed greens with fresh cranberries and strawberries and topped with peppercorn goat cheese.  I used same mustard dressing.