Snow day here! So here's a soup recipe!  

A delicious, hearty, flavourful and kid-loved soup that Hannah devours. It's loaded with veggies, which she's becoming a little pickier about recently, but she's so busy chatting about finding her letter and daddy's letter, she's just scooping mouthfuls of carrots and turnips into her mouth without a beat. 

So, enjoy! 

Loaded Alphabet Soup

Total time: 30 min

Ingredients:
drizzle of oil or splash of water
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 carrots, chopped small
1-2 celery stalks, chopped small
1/2 cup chopped turnip, chopped small
1 can diced tomatoes
2-4 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp summer savoury
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 box of alphabet noodles (I seriously just find them in any grocery store)
2-3 handful of kale, chopped 
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
Sea salt/pepper to taste

What to do:

1) In a large pot or dutch oven, add oil or water and heat on medium. Add onion and garlic until things start to smell good, about 5 minutes, stirring often. I often wait until I hear Lee say, "Mmmm, that smells good, what are you cooking?" And I reply, "Your favourite, onions and garlic" :) I swear, every time. 

2) Add in carrots, celery and turnip, as well as a small sprinkle of salt/pepper. Cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes or so until browning starts to happen and it looks delicious.  

3) Add tomatoes, vegetable stock, spices, and maple syrup. Stir and bring to a boil. Let boil for another 5-7-ish minutes until turnip starts to soften a bit.

4) Add in noodles and kale, continue boiling for another 5-6 minutes, STIRRING OFTEN so the noodles don't stick to the bottom. Careful not to cook the noodles fully or they will get gross and mushy as they will continue cooking on their own once you turn heat to low. 

5) Reduce heat to low, add in chickpeas, more salt/pepper to taste and let sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavours grow. Serve up with a delicious piece of crusty bread or crackers and enjoy finding the letters in your soup! 

It tastes as good as it looks. 

Garden fresh summertime veggies in a sweet and saucy balsamic glaze, mixed with my most precious staple - spaghetti noodles. Sprinkled with roasted pipits because, hey, why not. 

I give you this, awesome 10 minute dish for supper tonight. 

Balsamic Spaghetti with Garlic Scapes, Zucchini, and Roasted Pepitas

Ingredients:
Spaghetti Noodle of Choice (We used whole wheat)
1 small onion, diced because who likes long pieces of onion? Not me. 
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or water for sautéing 
*Cast Iron Pan - Seriously, get one, use it. Makes this dish better, I swear.
1 small zucchini, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
4 garlic scapes, chopped 
1 ripe tomato, chopped
4 swiss chard leaves (or green of choice, optional), chopped
Balsamic Vinegar (don't measure - add bits at a time until taste is right for you)
2 tbsp Maple Syrup 
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for added Sauciness, optional
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
chopped fresh basil and oregano, as much as you want (or dried)
sea salt/pepper to taste
1/2 cup pepitas

What to do:

1) Cook noodles according to package. Set aside until ready to add in. 

2) Heat oil or water in cast iron pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook and stir until smelling awesome and slightly coloured. Add in garlic scapes. Keep on stirring. Keep on cooking. Keep on smelling amazing. 

3) Add in rest of veggies and stir, stir, stir. Add a bit more oil or water if needed. By now, they should be getting a bit browned from the awesomeness of a cast iron pan. 

4) Add in a drizzle of balsamic. Stir. Add in a bit more. Reduce heat to low-medium. Add in maple syrup, hot pepper flakes, fresh basil and oregano. Stir to coat and mix. Add a touch of oil if you want it a bit more saucier. Taste test. Add sea salt/pepper and more balsamic if you'd like. (I did) Add in noodles and toss to coat. Turn off heat.

5) Roast pepita seeds in a small pan over medium heat then sprinkle over top of noodles. Eat up and return back for seconds. No judgement here.

Crocuses, 20 degrees forecast, and no windshield defrosting - spring is here or, at least, near. 

If you take a stroll at any local farm market, spring is most definitely here. The beginnings of delicious veggies are on the menu - shoots! Pea shoots! Kale shoots! Excellent power packed greens that are quite versatile to use. We often blend them up into a pesto, but tonight, we were in the mood for something light and fresh. Salad rolls. 

​Enjoy!

Enjoy these tasty rolls as a main, a side, or an appetizer. They pair well with a BBQ dish or a rice dish. We often have them as a side with Pad Thai noodles. I've included a few variations for sauces that we make fresh to go with them to dip. Yummers.

Spring Salad Rolls
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Rice Paper & a bowl of warm water
Salad filling: shredded cabbage and carrot, pea shoots, thinly sliced peppers, etc.  (anything raw, really. Cucumber, tomato, lettuce, greens, anything!) (But even, you could cook things up, too, I love cooked broccoli or asparagus in there, too, sometimes)
​
Spicy Dressing:
-2 tbsp oil (olive or sesame are our favourites)
-1 tbsp vinegar (white or rice are our favourites)
-1 tbsp maple syrup
-1 tbsp water
-1 tsp each chilli powder, garlic powder, ginger, powder
-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or hot pepper flakes
-dash sea salt/pepper
Sweet Dressing:
-2 tbsp oil (olive or sesame are our favourites)
-1 tbsp vinegar (white or rice are our favourites)
-1 tbsp maple syrup
-1 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
-1 tsp each garlic, ginger powder
-dash sea salt/pepper
Nutty Dressing:
-2 tbsp nut or seed butter (peanut butter or sesame seed butter are our favourites)
-1 tbsp vinegar (white or rice are our favourites)
-1 tbsp maple syrup
-1 tbsp water
-t tsp garlic, ginger
-1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
-dash sea salt/pepper

*Optional: Mix up sauce as is by whisking or shaking in a jar until combined. Or, if you like a thicker sauce, add in 1 tsp. of corn starch and water, and heat over medium heat, story constantly, until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and serve as dipping sauce. It will stick to the rice paper better this way. 

What to do:

1) Submerge one sheet of rice paper in warm water with fingertips.

2) In about 30-60 seconds, it should turn soft and pliable. Remove from water and lay on dry towel. Add salad filling to the middle of the wet paper.

3) When the paper becomes sticky, about 30 seconds after laying on the towel, roll one edge around the salad filling, fold in the sides, and roll up until sealed. Place on a plate, uncovered. Continue with the rest of your rolls (We usually eat 2-4 rolls each!), careful not to let them touch once rolled on the plate or they will stick together. 

4) Store in fridge, wrapped separately in an airtight package. 

5) For Dressing, mix up as is in a bowl by whisking or in a sealed jar by shaking. See note about wanting a thicker sauce* above.