Recipes

Volume 1

Ricotta French Toast Sandwiches

1 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup ricotta, preferably extra smooth
2 tbsp lightly packed brown sugar
1 large loaf whole grain bread, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices (12 slices)
12 large strawberries, thinly sliced
1 tbsp unsalted butter*, softened
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

À La Carte Tip

* Coconut oil works well too.
** If the sandwiches sit too long in the egg mixture they will get soggy. The sandwiches can be kept warm in an oven preheated to 250°F. This will prevent them from becoming soggy.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk milk, eggs, and flax. Stir in vanilla and salt. In a small bowl, mix ricotta and brown sugar. Spread over 6 slices of bread. Arrange strawberries evenly on top. Cover with remaining bread to form a sandwich.

Transfer sandwiches to a large high-sided dish and arrange in a single layer. Pour the milk-egg mixture over the sandwiches. With a spatula, immediately transfer to the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each sandwich**.

Bake for 10 minutes, until sandwich bottoms are golden. Remove from oven, brush tops with butter, and gently turn sandwiches over. Sprinkle with coconut and continue to bake for 3 to 5 minutes longer, until both sides are golden.

Leslie’s Colourful Crunchy Kale Salad

SALAD

5 cups packed chopped curly kale, stems removed, washed and dried thoroughly
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 small red cabbage, thinly sliced
6 Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
salted peanuts, chopped for garnish

DRESSING

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup salted peanuts
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut aminos
3/4 tsp fine sea salt

SALAD & DRESSING
In a large bowl, drizzle kale with oil and sprinkle it with salt. Massage with fingertips until soft and wilted.

In a large serving bowl, toss the remaining salad ingredients, reserving peanuts. In the bowl of a food processor equipped with the S blade, mix the dressing ingredients well to emulsify.

Drizzle the desired amount of dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Garnish with peanuts.

Trout or Salmon Rub

2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp mustard powder
4 to 6 (6 oz) trout or salmon fillets
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, and mustard.

Place fillets on a rimmed dish and pierce several times with a fork, drizzle with oil, and brush with the sugar-spice mixture. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 400°F, arrange fillets in a single layer in an ovenproof 9 x 13-inch baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 12 to 14 minutes, until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

Baked Cauli-Tots

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup panko crumbs
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 (10 oz) small head of cauliflower, grated and thoroughly dried**
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 24-cup mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray: The batter makes enough for 18 to 20 tots.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, Parmesan, panko crumbs, salt, and turmeric. Stir in cauliflower, cheddar, and mozzarella.

Divide evenly among the muffin cups and press down firmly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden.

À La Carte Tip

*If freezing raw, with damp hands, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Freeze unbaked tots in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake them directly from the freezer: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add an additional 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time, if needed.

**Place grated cauliflower in cheesecloth or between two dish towels and press down to remove as much liquid as possible, proceeding in batches as needed, to ensure the cauliflower is as dry as possible. The cheesecloth method is more effective.

Barley Granola

1/4 cup unsalted raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup white quinoa, uncooked
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp molasses
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch of nutmeg
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 cups rolled barley flakes

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and quinoa in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 4 to 8 minutes, watching closely, until golden.

In a small dry frying pan, toast wheat germ for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden and fragrant.

In a medium bowl, whisk honey, oil, molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in toasted seeds and quinoa, wheat germ, and barley.

Line the baking sheet with a new piece of parchment paper. Spread granola in a single layer and bake for 7 minutes. Gently toss and continue to bake for 5 to 8 minutes longer, until golden.

Let cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months.

Chickpea Blondies

1 (540 mL) can chickpeas, drained, thoroughly dried and skins removed*
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cashew butter**
4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 pinches of kosher salt
1 cup mini dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a food processor equipped with the S blade, blend chickpeas, oats, coconut sugar, maple syrup, cashew butter, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, until golden. The blondies will look slightly undercooked, but they firm up as they cool.

À La Carte Tip

* To remove skins, rub the chickpeas together gently in a dish towel. The skins will separate from the chickpeas so they can be removed easily.
** Peanut butter and almond butter work well, too.

Encore!

Anna’s Easter Bread: La Pigna di Pasqua

1 (8 g) package of yeast
6 tbsp sugar, divided
5 eggs
1 tsp sea salt
5 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups all-purpose white flour, divided, plus more for dusting
1 egg yolk plus 1 tbsp water, for brushing
Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Sabrina’s Tip

* After dividing the dough into three balls, you can bake one immediately and store the remaining two for later use.

Fridge: Wrap each dough ball tightly in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Store for up to 24 hours. When ready to use, let the dough come to room temperature before shaping and baking.
Freezer: Wrap each dough ball tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let come to room temperature before shaping and baking.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast with 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/4 cup warm water. Let sit for about 10 minutes, until foamy and bubbly.

In medium bowl, beat eggs and remaining 5 tablespoons of sugar, salt, and oil. Pour in yeast mixture and whisk to combine.

In an extra-large bowl, pour 3 cups of flour and make a large well in the centre. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the well and begin to mix with a fork until a loose dough forms. The dough will be wet. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour and with clean hands, knead for about 5 minutes, until a smooth dough forms. It will be slightly tacky but not sticky.

Lift the dough, spray the large bowl with non-stick olive oil cooking spray and roll the ball of dough around until evenly coated. Place the dough in the bowl and loosely cover with a clean, damp cloth. Let sit in a dark and warm area for 2 hours. The dough will look wet, but don’t worry.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly dust your hands and the ball of dough with flour and begin to knead, for about a minute, until no longer sticky.

Divide dough into 3 balls. Leave 2 of the balls covered by the damp cloth while you work with the first one.

Divide this ball into 3 portions and roll each into a ball. Roll out each ball into a rope approximately 20 inches long. There is no need to flour the work surface – the dough will not stick. Line up the 3 ropes and pinch the tops together to bind them.

Braid the ropes to form a straight loaf and then bring the two ends together to form a circle. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 10 minutes, loosely tent with aluminum foil, and continue to bake for about 12 minutes longer, until cooked through and golden on top and the internal temperature registers about 195°F on an instant-read digital thermometer. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the other two balls of dough*.

Once cooled, serve or wrap in plastic wrap to ensure that the bread stays fresh for the next day.

Erin’s Crunchy Ramen Salad

SALAD

2 packages (85 g ea) ramen noodles, baked at 350°F for about 5 minutes, then cooled and separated
1 medium (1000 g) head of Napa cabbage, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 cups salted sesame sticks*
2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed, seam strings removed and sliced lengthwise
4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted**
1/2 cup slivered almonds***
6 small mandarins, separated into segments

DRESSING

1/2 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp ramen seasoning from one ramen noodle packet

SALAD & DRESSING

In a large serving bowl, toss salad ingredients together. In a medium bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together. When ready to serve, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Erin’s Tip

* Sesame sticks are crunchy, savoury snack sticks made primarily from wheat flour and coated with sesame seeds. They can typically be found in the snack or nut aisle of your grocery store or in the bulk section at stores that have one.
** In a small dry pan, toast sesame seeds over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a plate to cool.
*** In the same small dry pan, toast slivered almonds over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Remove from heat and transfer immediately to a plate to cool.

Rejeanne’s World-Famous Spaghetti Sauce

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lb extra-lean ground beef
2 (796mL ea) cans spiced crushed tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 yellow onion, halved
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp crushed chili peppers or 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Pickapeppa sauce*, optional
500 g spaghetti, cooked, for serving (reserve pasta water to thin sauce)
Basil leaves, for garnish, optional

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until browned. Pour in the tomatoes and stir. Add bay leaves, onion, sugar, chili, and Pickapeppa sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until the desired flavour has developed. Discard onion halves and bay leaves.

Remove about 1 to 1 ½ cups of sauce from the pot and set it aside. Add pasta to the sauce in the pot and toss to coat, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water until the sauce reaches a silky consistency and clings to the pasta. Discard remaining cooking water. Add some or all of the reserved sauce, if needed, to taste. Otherwise, freeze what is not used for another time.

To serve, place pasta in a serving bowl and garnish with basil (if using).

Rejeanne’s Tip

* Pickapeppa sauce is a Jamaican condiment commonly found in Caribbean grocery stores. If you can’t find Pickapeppa sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce works well, too.

Sir Cyril Fox's Oven-Baked “Risotto”

2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 small onion, diced
3/4 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup white wine*
2 cups thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F. Using a small chunk of balled-up wax paper, grease a 1.4-litre oven-safe casserole dish with butter.

Make sure your oven is preheated.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Stir in rice and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes longer. Pour in broth and wine, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for about 3 minutes, untouched, then stir in mushrooms and cranberries.

Transfer to the prepared casserole dish and bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Stir and bake about 5 to 10 minutes longer, until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked. Sprinkle with Parmesan and stir to combine. Serve warm.

Veronica’s Tip

* For a kid-friendly version, replace the wine with an additional 1/2 cup vegetable broth and 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie or Bowl

8 large, hulled strawberries, divided
3 1/2 ripe bananas, divided
1 (400 mL) can coconut milk
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup milk
3 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sour cream
1 1/2 tbsp hemp hearts, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 scoop vanilla protein powder, optional
Granola, unsweetened shredded coconut, or finely chopped pecans, for garnish, optional

In the bowl of a food processor equipped with the S blade, blend 7 strawberries, 3 bananas, coconut milk, yogurt, milk, chia, honey, sour cream, 1 tablespoon of hemp hearts, and vanilla, until smooth. Add protein powder (if using), and continue to blend, until combined.

Pour smoothie into a glass and serve with a straw or pour into a bowl and garnish with remaining strawberry, sliced, remaining half-banana, sliced, remaining 1/2 tablespoon hemp hearts, granola, coconut, or pecans (if using). Serve immediately.

Teresa’s Chocolate Cake

CAKE

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee crystals
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups rice milk or almond milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil

FROSTING

250g milk chocolate* or 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into chunks, room temperature*
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch of sea salt
¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt*
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp icing sugar

À La Carte Tip

*To make dairy-free icing, substitute with non-dairy chocolate chips and plant-based butter and yogurt.

FOR THE CAKE

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 2 (9-inch) round baking pans with non-stick cooking spray.

In the bowl of a food processor equipped with the S blade, pulse flour, sugar, cocoa, coffee, baking soda, and baking powder until combined. With the machine running, pour eggs through the feed tube and process until mixed. With the machine still on, slowly pour in the rice milk or almond milk, then the oil and process for about 45 seconds, until smooth.

Divide batter between the prepared pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely, then run a knife along the edges and a spatula underneath and gently turn over to remove from the pans.

FOR THE FROSTING

Place the chocolate in a medium microwave‑safe bowl and heat in 1‑minute intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.

In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, sugar, and salt. Mix in the sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla for about 20 seconds. Pour in the melted chocolate and beat until blended, then gradually add the icing sugar and continue mixing until the frosting is smooth and thick.

Set one cake layer on a serving platter and spread frosting over the top and sides. Gently place the second cake on top, then frost the sides and surface until completely covered. If desired, drag a fork through the icing to create a swirling decorative pattern. Slice and serve and let everyone negotiate their own frosting-to-cake ratio!