Roasted Beet Salad with Quinoa, Chickpeas, Miso and Tahini

I came across this simple, but well-balanced salad recently and immediately decided I would have to try it. How could I resist the goodness of quinoa, beets and chickpeas all in one dish dressed with tahini and miso? Just plain good for you and very flavorful too. This salad is earthy, yet naturally sweet at the same time. It is especially nice with the toasted sesame seeds. Certainly an excellent choice for those feeling rushed or for those not feeling up to making a complicated dish but wanting a nutritious vegetarian meal. Serve with some Cheddar Parmesan scones with dill for an especially satisfying meal.

Chickpeas, Kidney Beans and Lentils with a Spicy Tomato Sauce

Deciding to revisit an old favorite, I once again made this rich, earthy and spicy Indian curry made up of four types of legumes and lots of warming spices. If you don't have black chickpeas — also known as kala chana — on hand, you can substitute an additional 1/4 cup of yellow chickpeas, but I will note the black chickpeas add a deeper flavor and nice texture to the dish as they are a bit chewier than their yellow cousins. They do take longer to cook than ordinary chickpeas, so a longer soaking time is pretty much essential. This nourishing dish is especially good with brown basmati rice.

Tomato Corn Chowder

This tomato corn chowder is based on one that I would always order when I visited Under the Volcano restaurant here in London Ontario. Unfortunately, this delicious soup is no longer on their menu, but thankfully, I was able to get a basic idea of the ingredients thanks to my friend Mike and have come up with my own creamy version. I have made it before, but this time I was able to replicate this Mexican soup more to my liking.

Cheddar Parmesan Scones with Dill

I've made these biscuits twice now, and I highly recommend you use fresh dill, extra old Cheddar cheese, fresh grated Parmesan cheese, and a good dose of cayenne pepper for optimal flavor. If you don't have a food processor, cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or with a knife and fork.

Homemade Massaman Curry Paste

I always prefer to make my own pastes and sauces for a fresh and vibrant taste over the commercial pre-prepared versions. I made this classic spicy Thai paste in preparation for a massaman curry with paneer cheese, but it can also be cooked with starchy root vegetables — especially potatoes — or simply warmed and spooned over hot fresh cooked rice. Highly aromatic, massaman curry paste has a distinctive cardamom and cumin taste that must be tried to be believed — in fact, CNN recently selected massaman curries as the world's most delicious food!

Cornmeal Honey Muffins

If you want to impress your friends with baked goods, then I highly recommend these sweet, yet somewhat savory cornmeal muffins. The first time around, I misread the recipe and included significantly less cornmeal than the recipe called for! The muffins still worked out and I am inspired to come up with a cross between the sunken, moister version I originally served up and the chewier version that is more aligned with the original recipe. For dinner, a thick and creamy baked batch of scalloped potatoes with best ever mushroom sauce would be highly desirable.

Mushroom Oven Pancake with Chive Sauce

As promised, here is the baked mushroom pancake I served as part of a birthday dinner for a dear friend. If you like mushrooms as much as I do, you will want to try this easy pancake that can be served for brunch or a light dinner. I always enjoy pancakes and the baked versions take so little time to prepare but are just as good as their fried cousins. The chive sauce especially complements the earthy flavor of the mushrooms and custard-y eggs. I filled it out with some biscuits and a decadent dessert of peanut butter and blueberry jam shortbread bars.