We have a green salad with lunch and/or dinner just about every day. I often just spritz on some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and balsamic or apple cider vinegar and sprinkle on some unrefined salt, but when I have time and want something a bit more interesting, I make this honey-dijon-garlic dressing. Everyone LOVES it! It will last a good week or so in the fridge (you can also freeze it), so feel free to double or triple the recipe. Note that when you refrigerate this dressing, the olive oil will solidify, so make sure you take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes or so before you want to use it. You can ‘re-liquify’ it more quickly by putting the bottle in some warm water. Either way, shake well before using.

This recipe makes about 3/4 cups of dressing which will be plenty for several salads. Feel free to double or triple it!

What You’ll Need:

• 1/2 cup EVOO
• 1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar
• 1 large clove of garlic – minced
• 1 TBSP honey
• 1 TBSP Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pinch of pepper (optional)

Blending It:

Put all ingredients into a blender (I used a Magic Bullet) and blend until creamy and smooth. It will end up looking like this:

I love it just as is, but give it a taste and see how you like it. Adjust by adding more of any of the ingredients (suit your taste!) and blend again … and taste again! Once you have it just the way you like it, set it aside and pour it onto the salad just before serving, or pour the dressing into a creamer or small bottle and let everyone pour as much or as little of it as they want on their own salad.

Storing It:

If you aren’t’ going to use it right away, or if you have any leftover dressing after using it, store it in a glass jar and keep refrigerated for a week or so (if it lasts that long!)

Enjoy!

One of my favourite childhood special occasion meals was my mom’s ravioli. I loved the filling and would often ‘sneak’ tastes of it when I helped her make them. I would sometimes even open up the ravioli that were served and just eat the filling, leaving the pasta behind. I have never made my mom’s ravioli as I typically avoid pasta; however, I ‘sort of’ made them during my many attempts to come up with different ways to use the 1,263,603 zucchinis from our garden this season … and there is no end in sight!

My mom never followed a recipe, so I had to play it by ear when I was making the filling and I think I pretty much nailed it. Dare I say that these no pasta ravioli are as delicious as hers. If you can’t be bothered with making the little rolls, you can make a zucchini lasagna instead, with layers of zucchini slices, then filling, then sauce, then cheese, then repeat until you run out of one of them!

If you are looking for more ways to use zucchini, you may also want to check out my other zucchini recipes: stuffed zucchini, zucchini fritters with chickpea flour, and zucchini ‘spaghetti‘… but first, take a look this NO PASTA zucchini ravioli roll recipe. Mmmmm!!!

You Will Need:

• 3 or 4 or 5 medium-sized zucchini. More is better as some slices may not work … and I’ll let you know how you can enjoy the ‘rejects’ and extra slices so nothing gets wasted!
• 1 or 2 650ml jars of your favourite spaghetti sauce … or if you have time … make your own. You can freeze what you don’t use. I always like to error on the side of having too much sauce as there’s nothing worse than running out of sauce in the middle of making a dish like this! I don’t include instructions for making your own spaghetti sauce, so if you go this route, you’ll have to have it ready to go before starting this recipe.
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup of cooked spinach (you’ll need a 10oz/284g bag of fresh spinach if you’re going to cook your own – you can use thawed frozen spinach too)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese (I use Reggiano Parmigiano)
• 1 cup of minced cooked chicken (can omit if you want it to be vegetarian). You could use any leftover cooked chicken as long as it’s not something overly spiced, but my mom always used a chicken breast that she had poached; well in fact, she used it to make chicken broth (efficient!). That’s what I did. Then you’ll have a lovely, delicately flavoured poached chicken breast to use in this recipe AND chicken broth to use another time. You’ll have to have the cooked chicken ready to go before starting this recipe.
• salt and pepper
• a mandolin (unless you have amazing knife skills and can make uniformly thin zucchini slices!)

Step 1: Prep the Zucchini

Get some salted water up to a simmer in a large sauce pot or skillet. Using a mandolin, slice the zucchini lengthwise. I used the middle setting of my mandolin. I would say the slices were 1/8 of an inch thin. Put the zucchini slices in the simmering water just for a minute or two – just long enough so they become pliable so they don’t break when you roll them. Don’t overcook them or you will have mush! Once they are done, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and make them cool enough to handle.

This next step is really important because zucchini have a high water content and you don’t want to end up with zucchini soup! Lay the zucchini slices on paper towel, or a dishcloth, or an old tablecloth … anything that you can lay them on that will absorb moisture, and that you can also pat the slices dry with. If any of the zucchini slices aren’t in good shape for making rolls, set them aside. They are delicious served as a cold salad with a bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Waste not, want not!

Step 2: Prep the Spinach

Whether you are using cooked frozen spinach or cooking your own, the trick is to SQUEEZE ALL THE WATER OUT! If you are using frozen spinach, let it thaw then squeeze the water out. If you are using fresh spinach (my mom always did) save yourself sometime and buy one that is triple-washed. Bring a large pot of water to boil, dump the bag of fresh spinach into it and cook it for 1 or 2 minutes, just until it is wilted. Drain it in a colendar, rinse with cold water until you can handle it without burning yourself … because you’ll need to squeeze it well! Once you have squeezed the spinach, dice it up. It always amazes me how a huge bag of fresh spinach turns into a handful of cooked spinach. You want to end up with about a cup of finely chopped/diced spinach – a little more or less is OK – no worries!

Step 3: Make the Filling

For this step, make sure the spinach and chicken are fully cooled so you don’t end up with weird scrambled eggs! In a bowl, mix 1 cup of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of finely chopped cooked spinach, 1 cup of minced chicken, 1 egg, 4 TBSP (ish) of parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix it well until it is fully blended. A good trick is to beat the egg up a bit first. You can do it before you add it to the bowl or in the bowl. You should end up with something that looks like this:

Step 4: Roll Time!

Place a heaping tsp of filling on to the WIDE end of each zucchini slice (I lined them all up that way before I placed the filling), then using your fingers, shape the filling so that it is a tidy little ball that isn’t hanging out over the sides of the zucchini slice. Roll up each zucchini slice,  using your finger tips to gently keep the filling even with the edges. Keep on filling and rolling until you’ve run out of zucchini slices or filling. I ended up with extra filling, so I just prepped more zucchini slices until all the filling was used up. If you end up with extra zucchini slices, remember my salad suggestion earlier! You should end up with rolls that look like this:

Step 5: Assemble and Bake

You should have enough rolls to at least fill the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. If not, choose a smaller baking dish. Start by placing some sauce in the bottom of the baking dish:

Then place your rolls on the sauce:

Then cover the rolls with sauce, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and some parmesan cheese – suit your cheesy taste as to how much or how little. If you still have more rolls, you can make a second layer in the same baking dish or make a second dish. I ended up with a 9 x 13 dish and a few single serving sizes. The good news is that this dish freezes beautifully before or after you bake it … which is done at 350F for about 20 minutes. Broil for 1 or 2 minutes at the end for a bubbly golden cheesy top. 

Enjoy!

The Canada Day weekend officially kicks off summer for many of us, and that often includes enjoying gatherings with family and friends.

In this blog, I’m sharing 5 appetizer/starter recipes, 5 salad/side dish recipes, and 5 sweet treat recipes that make great additions to Canada Day and other Summertime gatherings.

Just click on the recipe name/title to see the full recipe.

Enjoy!

Appetizers/Starters

1 – Veggies with cilantro-lime-jalapeno-garlic dip

I first tried this dressing at a family celebration in Nova Scotia. It was served on the side, to be drizzled over a roasted vegetable salad. I love roasted veggie salads and I LOVE cilantro, so this sounded like a winning combination to me … and it certainly was!

2 – Veggie Rice Paper Wraps

These veggie rice paper wraps are a hit among veggie lovers and carnivores. They are fun to make, and easy enough to get many hands (even little ones!) involved. They make a great starter to a meal, or they can be a meal on their own.

3 – Hummus

This recipe is healthy, quick and delicious! Once you have the ingredients assembled, just throw them into a food processor or blender and you’re done!

4 – Guacamole

Guacamole is a delicious way to enjoy all the health benefits of avocados. This recipe is quick and easy…and includes a tip for preventing your left over guacamole from turning brown!

5 – Cheezy Crisps

Like crackers and cheese? You’ll love these crispy and delicious bites!

Salads & Side Dishes

1 – Roasted Cauliflower & Butternut Squash Salad with Tahini Dressing

This salad is one of my go-to’s for summer BBQs, pot lucks, and big family gatherings. It’s a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional potato salad. This recipe makes about 12 cups of finished salad, so adjust the ingredient amounts as needed. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for several days.

2 – Grilled Veggies on Quinoa Tabouleh

This is a great side-dish at any time of year, but especially when farmers markets are bursting with fresh, local veggies. You can serve it warm or cold, and leftovers keep well for a few days.

3 – Kale & Sweet Potato Casserole

This recipe incorporates two of the most nutrient-packed veggies into one delicious casserole! It serves 6-8 as a side dish and can be prepared a day or two in advance.

4 – Chickpea & Artichoke Heart Salad

I’ve been making this salad for years. It is so easy and really delicious. It’s a great side dish to poultry or fish mains (especially if they have a Mediterranean theme), and a perfect dish to bring to a picnic, potluck, or BBQ. You can make it more substantial by adding a cup or so of cooked quinoa.

5 – Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad is packed with nutrient-dense foods and makes a great side at any time of year. Use pomegranate seeds, diced red bell pepper, or dried cranberries instead of (or in addition to) the raisins for a festive Canada Day vibe!

Sweet Treats

1 – Power-Packed Cookies

These grain-less cookies are loaded with nutrient-dense ingredients. They are easy to make and freeze beautifully.  This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies. 

2 – No-Bake Yummy Snack Bars

Not only are they easy to make, they are also soooo delicious and loaded with healthy, nutrient-rich ingredients. They are a GREAT alternative to store-bought granola bars and freeze well.

3 – No-Bake Date/Nut/Chocolate/Coconut Balls

 

I first made these delicious grain-free, egg-free, and dairy-free treats for Christmas; but they are so delicious and quick to make that I whip them together whenever we want a sweet treat.

4 – Chocolate & Banana Frozen Treats

These dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free (other than the natural sugars in the bananas) frozen treats are super easy to make and a perfect way to use up very ripe bananas! You can make them up in popsicle molds for a classic casual fudgesicle-like summer treat, or in muffin tins or other fancier molds to serve them up as a more formal dessert.

5 – Flourless Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These delicious cookies are so easy to make – and they are wheat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free! This recipe makes about 18 cookies, so you may want to double it as they go fast! They also freeze well.