Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Paste

This fiery paste made with a small number of ingredients is so easy to prepare but just bursting with tomato and chili flavor. It was Nupur who introduced me to the recipe, and ever since I made it to go along with chickpea flour pancakes with crushed peas and cilantro, I was hooked. I prepared a batch to go along with chickpea and brown rice patties.

The serving possibilities are many and varied. You might wish to use it in place of regular tomato paste in your favorite recipes to heat things up. It's especially good as a condiment to go along with baked or fried savories, or mix with your favorite creamy cheese — such as goat cheese or cream cheese — to spread on some crackers.

Cherry Blueberry Muffins

A restless day off with more rain and a craving for muffins. A huge bowl of bright red cherries in the fridge. Plenty to munch on and some to spare for a baked treat.

Musing a few days earlier, the combination of cherry and almonds came into mind. There was some sadly neglected almond flour in the freezer and an unopened jar of almond butter in the cupboard that I purchased a while back to make Ricki's Almond Crusted Root Vegetable "Fries" (soon, as I have been thinking of the possibilities for months).

Turns out cherries and almonds are a winning combination, especially when you toss some blueberries, vanilla and lemon into the mix. The nutty flavour from the almond butter compliments the sweet cherries and blueberries perfectly. This is one of the finest muffin recipes I have come up with to date and they don't contain much sugar either, which is an added bonus. Packed full of luscious fruit, even sugar fiends will be delighted. I might add these are a particularly enjoyable breakfast option.

Cherry Blueberry Muffins with Lemon and Vanilla and Almond

1 1/2 cups of unbleached white flour
1/2 cup of almond flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup of yogurt (I used goat milk yogurt)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of vanilla
4 tablespoons of almond butter
1 cup of pitted cherries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of blueberries

Grease twelve regular sized muffin cups well with butter or oil.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, lemon zest and salt. Make a well in the center of the ingredients and set aside.

In another bowl, combine the yogurt with the lemon juice. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Now add the vanilla and almond butter and whisk until well combined. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Gently fold in the cherries and blueberries.

Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups and bake in a preheat 350 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Leave the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Yields 12 berry filled muffins.

More berry muffins from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Blueberry Goat Cheese Muffins
Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins
Raspberry Cornmeal Muffins

On the top of the reading stack: Green Hell: How Environmentalists Plan to Ruin Your Life and What You Can Do to Stop Them by Steve Milloy

Audio accompaniment: Diamonds on the Inside by Ben Harper

Quinoa with Coconut and Roasted Cashews

Quinoa is a highly prized grain in my household, as much for its nutritional value as its delightful nutty taste and fluffy texture. It's as easy to prepare as rice, and indeed, could readily be substituted in many recipes. Soon, I will make lemon quinoa with roasted cashews; in fact, I'm not sure why I haven't thought of this combination before.

This preparation is an Indian-style dish that is only slightly adapted from A2ZVegetarian. It's an ideal way to incorporate grains into a summer meal and can be served alongside beans and vegetables for a satisfying, wholesome and well-balanced vegetarian dinner.

Quinoa with Coconut and Roasted Cashews
Adapted from A2ZVegetarian

1 cup of uncooked quinoa
1/3 - 1/2 cup of roasted cashews
2 teaspoon of oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida powder
3 - 4 green chilies
4 teaspoons of urad dal, rinsed
small handful of dried curry leaves
1 cup of dried coconut
sea salt to taste
fresh cilantro or parsley or garnishing (optional)

Rinse the quinoa well in a fine mesh strainer and soak overnight in two cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy - roughly 20 minutes. Set the quinoa aside.

In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they turn grey and begin to pop. Add the asafoetida, urad dal, chilies, and curry leaves to the pan. Stir and fry for a few minutes, or until the urad dal begins to brown.

Now add the coconut to the pan and stir continuously for a few more minutes until the coconut begins to brown. Add this mixture to the cooked quinoa, along with the roasted cashews and a bit of salt and toss to combine. Garnish with cilantro or parsley if desired.

Serves 4-6.

More quinoa recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Breakfast Quinoa Porridge
Quinoa Oat Croquettes
Quinoa with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Corn
Quinoa Soup with Corn

On the top of the reading stack: Green Hell: How Environmentalists Plan to Ruin Your Life and What You Can Do to Stop Them by Steve Milloy

Audio accompaniment: An Accidental Memory In The Case of Death by Eluvium

Baked Whole-Wheat Strawberry and Blueberry Pancakes

The summer's first few pints of fresh local strawberries don't often make it past the bowl into a recipe, but the idea of baked strawberry pancakes can usually provide an occasion. One of my most popular recipes, and a personal favorite as well, these simple pancakes are soft, creamy and slightly chewy with a light crispy exterior, and so easy to make that they're always worth a reprise or a variation with other fresh fruits …

White Bean Cream of Asparagus Soup

Puréed white beans lend a little more boldness and depth of flavor than one would ordinarily find in a cream of asparagus soup, but at the same time take nothing away from the simplicity and elegance of this summer classic. Best of all, the added nourishment means that this doesn't have to be just a starter soup but can be served as a delightful light summer lunch by itself.

Haloumi, Beetroot and Greens Dressed with Tahini and Lemon

As the weather heats up here in Southern Ontario, salads appear more frequently at the dinner table. Adapted slightly from Frances' Cheese and Beet Salad, This one is substantial enough to serve for dinner just on it's own, but if you want to impress your significant other, I would highly recommend some of these Stuffed Mushrooms with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Olives on the side.

Spicy Azuki Bean and Brown Rice Salad

Known simply as "red bean" where it is widely cultivated in east Asia, the little azuki bean is rather neglected elsewhere … a bit of a shame given its light and creamy texture and mild, slightly sweet and nutty flavor when cooked that make it an easy and delightful pairing with other Asian tastes. Quite for that reason I came up with this simple and zesty Asian-style azuki and brown rice salad to go along with my mushroom, miso and seaweed soup to complete a nourishing and colorful light dinner.

Scalloped Potatoes with Best-Ever Mushroom Sauce

Fine recipes are rather like classic stories. An instant spark of inspiration, or musings of days, maybe years, perhaps a combination of the two, the final result is to be savored and revisited many times over. Scalloped potatoes are certainly one of those classic preparations that deserve our creative attention.

Indian Lemon Brown Rice

Lemon rice has long been one of my favorites, but for some reason, I've only made it using white basmati rice. This time I've twisted my favorite piquant lemon rice around by using brown rice — the chewy texture and earthy and nutty flavor of the brown rice works wonderfully well with lemon and spices. It's a new favorite. Serve with mung beans and mixed vegetables for a satisfying and delicious Indian vegetarian dinner.

Asparagus & Feta Cheese Scramble

If you're like me and always pick up more asparagus in season than you know what to do with, a quick steaming, a splash of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt is always a simple and appetizing solution. But asparagus also pairs as easily and beautifully with cheese and eggs, lending itself to quick throw-togethers without having to resort to forethought or pre-planning.

This recipe started as a routine trip into the kitchen to fry up a few plain eggs for the standard breakfast. Without even quite knowing how, the accidental discovery of a bunch of asparagus and half a brick of Feta cheese that I had meant to use up turned the old over-easy eggs into an elegant and delicious scramble … and at the expense of only an extra five or ten minutes.

Blueberry Goat Cheese Muffins

Restless and craving a baked treat on a lazy Sunday evening, I made these blueberry muffins with soft unripened goat cheese. The addition of tangy goat cheese is barely perceptible to the palate itself, but it enhances the sweetness of the fruit and adds a delectable creaminess to these muffins that literally melt in your mouth, especially when served warm. I can honestly say these are some of the tastiest blueberry muffins I have ever eaten, and that's saying something, because blueberry muffins are my favorite berry muffin.

Three-Bean Salad with Fennel

Cool, crunchy and fresh … the mild savory licorice flavor of raw fennel is always deliciously refreshing in warm weather. It's also part of a substantial and nourishing spring lunch in this attractive salad and provides a delightful contrast in color, texture and taste with three different kinds of beans and a brisk lemon, herb and seed seasoning.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Hummus with Goat Cheese

Hummus has long been a popular and easy summer meal solution. Also a delightful appetizer to serve to guests, such a simple indulgence will likewise bring comfort to the staunchest of hermits. Once the beans are cooked, and a few things roughly chopped, everything goes into a food processor and in minutes, you have a healthy legume dip to serve with raw vegetables and slices of pita bread or perhaps some whole meal biscuits — assuming you can resist the urge to eat it by the spoonful, in large quantities. Honestly, I could eat vats of this stuff, which might account for the large quantity this recipe yields. Imagine 4 cups of good nourishment dressed up as decadence.