Hummus: A good ol' (new) family recipe

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Do you have family recipes? The kind that are passed down from generation to generation, sometimes getting tweaked here and there, but rarely because great-great-grandma really knew what she was doing? I love those. There's just something heart (and stomach) warming about them. Generations of food knowledge passed down and down.

My family has a few of those, though I don't know if any are quite that old, except maybe the Christmas pudding - which I have yet to acquire a taste for. This hummus is one of them.  This is what I like to think of as a New Family Recipe, it hasn't gone through generations of approval, but my mum, my sister and I all make this frequently within our own homes.

Stuffed Portobellas and the meaning of summer

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What does summer mean to you? For me, it's all about simplicity.  Simple style, it's too hot to mess around. Simple activities, the beach, the patio, the reading-in-the-grass, all simple. Simple food, BBQs, salads, watermelon, ice cream sandwiches.

Summer has officially hit Toronto, which means my body and brain are kicking into slow gear and just want to keep it simple.  To appease my body and brain (and tip my hat to the beginning of summer) I whipped up some simple food.

The steps involved are simple. The food involved is simple. The flavour is ... not quite simple, it's more delicious.

This is one of those great fridge clearing recipes. These happen to be stuffed with quinoa, bok choy, carrot, garlic, and onion. That's what I had on hand.  You could easily mix this up with the variety of veg you may have in your crisper that needs to be used up. More simplicity, no specific grocery store runs.

Saffron Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

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Saffron Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies. I don't need to tell you anything about these cookies, because the name says it all, doesn't it?

I don't need to tell you that these are a complex little cookie - not in preperation, that part is easy, but in texture and flavour. I don't need to tell you that these have a nice crunch on the outside with a pleasing cakey/chewy consistency on the inside. Or the fact that the saffron and vanilla bean give these a flavour so subtle, but so "there" at the same time that you just can't quite put your finger on which one it is.  I also don't need to tell you that these are the most perfectly sweet and tender cookies you will ever make. I don't need to tell you these things, because it's all right there in the name.

Green Goddess Quinoa Cakes and a cooking first!

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Here are some random facts you may not have known about me:

1) I love scotch. One of my favourite drinks is the Rusty Nail.

2) I attend dance parties nearly every day of my life. They are all in my living room, and they are all by myself.

3) I love playing scrabble and boggle. I am terrible at both.

4) I hate feet. Plain and simple hate.

5) The poached egg you see in these photos, is the first I've ever made. Ever. And it was terrifying.

I tell you these things because sometimes it's nice to share.  Sometimes it's nice to throw a little bit of yourself out there and see what happens.  Also, that is exactly what I did not do with these quinoa cakes. I gobbled this up for lunch so quickly the cat barely had a chance to register there was something tasty for her to try and sniff.

Green Goddess Dressing: An Almost Vegan Adventure

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It's time to get our goddess on (you too, men!) Packed full of green yummy goodness and tasting
oh-so-fresh, the dressing goes with just about everything, and for that I love it.

Other Half was away for a about a week, and when he came back, he told me that he was impressed I actually cooked.  I could have been offended, but it's completely true. Normally when he's away and I'm home, I happily live on cereal and pickles.  That's normal, right?

This time however, I glammed it up with mostly homemade meals.  Like I was some sort of kitchen super star. I totally was.

Anyway, back to the goddess of a dressing ... I may have eaten this by the spoonful right after I made it, and again every time I opened the jar. I might have dipped bread in it an hour later, and then twice more later that night. I also might have eaten 3/4 of the batch over a 3 day period while Other Half was out of town. In truth, I definitely did these things, but once you taste this dressing, I think you'll understand why. To call this addicting is an understatement.