The tofu is marinated overnight in tamari and rice vinegar with minced garlic, ginger and green chilli. Brown rice is prepared ahead of time for it takes longer to cook than white rice. As for the sauce, start with a small amount and mix the ingredients well; two parts tamari to one part vinegar, and one to one-half part sesami oil. Add a bit of sugar and experiment until you’re satisfied with the taste, and make sure you have enough for your stir fry.

Salads go all the way back to the Roman Empire. The ancient Romans loved their raw, crisp vegetables and leafy greens served with oil, vinegar, and brine. A good salad needs the vegetables to be crisp and dressed with just the right mix of oil, vinegar, salt, and sweetness.When I first started experimenting with salad dressings- I did it separately, in a bowl and started with small amounts of whatever Ingredients that I had around; remember to mix it well, taste, then made adjustments accordingly. If it is too oily, add a bit more vinegar. If it is too vinegary, add a bit of sugar and oil to balance the flavour (honey,maple syrup are great options to sweeten the dressing). Balance it with salt and freshly ground pepper. There are so many ways to experiment.

This is one of the simplest salads. It does not need much as all of the vegetables are fresh and the flavours come alive with using good aged vinegar, olive oil and salt. In this salad, I used spicy green mix, watermelon radishes from one of our local farmers, and tomatoes from our garden. For the dressing I used olive oil, traditional balsamic vinegar, salt, and freshly ground pepper. With this type of salad mix I like my vegetables thinly sliced and my tomatoes to be bite sized. After rinsing and drying the greens, I sprinkled it with salt, then added olive oil and then the balsamic. Add the greens when you are ready to eatand toss and serve. Experiment on!

This spinach, onion, tomato, and cheddar frittata recipe is a slightly modified version of the one in the “The New Basics of Cooking” cookbook.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. The frittata can also be cooked in an iron skillet at medium heat on a stove. In a pan/skillet sauté onions & garlic, tomatoes, and spinach-separately over a low to medium heat.

In a bowl whisk eggs with milk and add chopped dill; shredded cheddar; sautéed onion, garlic, tomatoes, spinach; salt and pepper; zest, and mix it well. Pour the mixture into an oven proof pan and bake it until golden brown.

Let sit for five mins and serve with a tangy salad. Great for a picnic.

Finely chop all ingredients and then mix it up with the dressing (I make this version when I am camping and often use it as a marinade as well as an accompaniment to the grilled dish).

Often times I use a mortar and pestle or a food processor – all depending on how much time one has.

Wash parsley, coriander and oregano. If using a mortar and pestle, start with chopped garlic, salt and pepper and grind (sometimes I add red chilli to the mix); add chopped parsley, coriander, oregano, swig of olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and grind them all up to your desired texture and consistency.

 As with all dressings, best way to get to the desired flavour is to taste constantly. Always start with small quantities and experiment.

If using a food processor one can throw it all in no particular order and pulse it to a desired texture. Enjoy it on cold winter nights when we will need a reminder of summer and all the possibilities that lie ahead of us.

Simple, delicious and comforting; noodles In a broth with sautéed onions and mushrooms.
It’s great with both store bought or homemade broth (see Ep. #5). Sauté onions and mushrooms at a medium to low heat until golden brown in a pot; add salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour in the broth and let it simmer at low heat. Steam (see Ep.#11) baby bok choy and then do a quick sauté in a skillet or a wok at high heat. Set aside. In a pot bring salted water to a boil. Add noodles. Follow the instructions on the package as per cooking time, but do test the noodles frequently for the desired doneness. Drain the noodles. Prepare a bowl of udon noodles; pour in the broth with sautéed onions and mushrooms; add baby bok choy. Enjoy!

Chop the tomatoes into one-inch discs; mince the garlic and the green chili. Add oil to a heated skillet; use medium heat. Once the oil is heated add the cumin seeds. Let the seeds sizzle and let the color change to dark brown before adding garlic and green chili. Place the tomatoes into the pan and sprinkle with salt, raw cane sugar and black pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are caramelized and the juice from the tomatoes has evaporated. Make sure to taste it in case you need to adjust the seasoning according to your taste. I like my chutney slightly tart with a hint of sweetness. The cumin and garlic adds an incredible aroma and flavor to the chutney and the mild heat from the green chili compliments the sweetness of these luscious tomatoes beautifully. Use it on a toast or with scrambled eggs or roasted chicken. Delectable!

Steaming rather than boiling beans helps preserve the Vitamin C (purple green beans contain Vitamins A, C, K and folic acid) and also prevents the beans from going mushy. Clean the beans. Add water and a steamer to the pot. Bring water to a boil, then add beans. Close the lid. Hover around the pot and keep a close eye on the steaming process so the vegetables don’t go mushy. One more way to keep the integrity of the beans is to dunk the cooked beans in cold water or run cold water over the beans post steaming. Dressing the beans makes for a delightful way to experience steamed vegetables. In this version I dressed the beans in sautéed garlic, finely diced celery and finely chopped flat leaf parsley.Turn the heat to high. Let the pot heat, add olive oil and then add diced garlic and celery. Add steamed beans. Take the pot off the heat immediately. Add parsley, add salt and pepper and toss. Delicious!

Slice the tomatoes, about an inch in thickness. Finely chop the green chilli, the ones I use are Cubanelle peppers from my garden; they are mild green chilies with a touch of heat. In a high heated frying pan or skillet, add oil and then add tomato slices. Turn the heat down to medium. Add sugar, and salt. Cook for a few minutes, and then flip the slices, add a bit more salt and sugar and flip again. Cook until tomatoes are soft and tender, and well caramelized and remove from the pan. In the same skillet add more oil. Crack open the eggs and add chopped chilli; add salt and pepper to your taste. You can do your eggs however you like, but I like mine over easy. Slice your bread, toast to golden perfection and butter. Put the egg on top of the toast and spoon the tomatoes on top. Enjoy!

Wash, rinse and drain the rice a couple of times prior to cooking or until the water runs clear; washing the rice will clear it of all the debris and remove starch so the rice does not get clumped together. In a deep sauté pan or a pot, add olive oil or canola oil and throw in a small teaspoon of cumin seeds. Let the seeds brown and then add minced garlic, ginger, green chilli and diced onions.  Sauté until soft and then add chopped broccoli stalks and carrots. Add salt and pepper for flavour.  Add rice and gently stir. Add double the amount of water to the rice and chopped fresh mint. Turn the heat to medium, cover the pan and keep an eye on it. Sometimes, water can boil over and in that case you might need to let out a bit of steam by shifting the lid slightly, but do not uncover. Peek in after 15 minutes to see where the rice is at and taste it to see if it is cooked.  If you need to add a bit of water to it, do so incrementally. You do not want the rice to be mushy. I used this rice with my chickpea dish and accompanied it with Raita; it is a lovely combination- heart-warming, delicious and so healthy.

On a medium or high heat sauté the onion and red pepper in a skillet or a frying pan (if on high heat, make sure to stir frequently). Spread refried black beans on a corn tortilla; cover it with sautéed onion and red peppers. Add shredded sharp cheddar cheese (older the better) and cover it with another tortilla. Place it in a pan on medium heat (one can add oil to the pan, I prefer to butter up the tortillas once cooked) and cook until both sides are golden brown and cheese has melted. Enjoy!

I love this dish. I have loved it from the moment I first created it and I have made multiple variations of it since. Each time it has been a different and a delightful experience. It is simple, comforting and delicious. It requires very little time to prep and to cook. The best part is it does not leave me with a pile of dirty pots in the sink. For full disclosure I did cook shitake mushrooms separately in my cast iron skillet, as this is how I prefer to cook my mushrooms.