My Early Cooking Days... and more foodtv.ca photos

My early days in the kitchen weren't always so pretty:

yep, not one of my brightest moments... placing a cookbook face down on a still hot element. So, before I launch into more photos of my foodtv.ca recipes, this pic is for all you young cooks and new vegans: cooking is a journey of learning and experimentation, successes and well, muck-ups! I'm still learning about food and cooking every day. Every day. And, as for kitchen troubles... just ask my kids how often our smoke alarm going off! (seriously, though, it IS a bit sensitive, yeah, that's it) ;)

And one of you 'new' and young vegans is Liz, or as we know her: veggiegirl. As I mentioned before, I have 'adopted' her in an adopt-a-blogger event. So, she will cook one of my recipes and post about it, and I will make one of hers (Liz, I have chosen her "S'mores' Muffins" unless you have another suggestion).

Since Liz has already baked quite a few things from my books, I thought I'd "challenge" her with a new savory recipe from my foodtv.ca set. So, Liz, what do you think about either the Walnut-Pecan Balls from my last post, OR... one of these recipes:

Peanut Thai Vegetable Stew. I posted briefly about this stew before, though I don't think my photo does the flavor of this soup any justice. It is creamy, lightly spicy, aromatic, and chock full of veggies... and tofu too. The big thing to note about this recipe is to add the spinach *just* before serving. Keep those greens green! If overcooked, they get gray and the flavor changes and isn't that pleasant. So, add the greens and stir through before serving until just wilted. If you have leftovers, try to scoop out any remaining spinach and eat it before storing the leftovers. Then, when reheating the leftover soup, you can add more fresh spinach again before serving. Really, this bit of effort is worth it!

Next up, Mexican Bean Soup with Chipotle Avocado Cream. This I also posted about before, and again, I just love this soup. It is spicy and flavorful, but without the spicy heaviness that chili sometimes has. It is lighter and fresher, and the dose of lime really livens the mix. Definitely make the Chipotle Avocado Cream (the chipotle flavor is very faint, and not spicy) to serve on top... and have some tortilla chips on the side for dipping too!

And, get your spoons ready! Or veggies. Or chips.... or yes, your fingers. 'Cause this Raw Aioli is that good, you'll be using whatever you can to scoop it up! Here, I've simply baked a yellow-flesh sweet potato whole, then split it down the middle and put on a dollop of the aioli. The sweetness of the potato against the rich, salty aioli is wicked good - good enough for a meal on its own!

Though, I was on a cooking streak and served these potatoes and aioli with a new spiced lentil 'n kidney beans recipe (I don't really have an official name for this dish yet) over brown rice and a hefty salad alongside....

Okay, skedaddle... go cook!... and eat, drink & be vegan!

(and Liz, have you decided yet?) :)

Creamy Basil Dressing and Raw Corn Salad

Colorful, hey?! This salad I made back in the summer, when fresh organic corn was plentiful. Maybe, just maybe, you can score some raw corn in your area and mix up this delicious, satisfying raw salad yourself.
But, even if you don't make the salad, make the dressing! It's the Creamy Basil Dressing from ED&BV, and I posted about it once before. The recipe gives two versions, the original and a 'raw' version. Both are incredibly delicious, and very creamy, so you can choose! You only need 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves, so you can still make this even though summer has passed... just get one or two of those little herb packs in your grocery store. I know, I know - they are pricey - but imo, fresh basil is worth the price!

Use this dressing as you normally would on salads, or also try it drizzled on other foods like sandwiches or pasta... or keep it quite thick and use it as a dip! If you do want to try out this raw corn salad, here's the rough recipe:

3/4 cup raw corn kernels (just cut away from cob)
1/4 cup red peppers, diced
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup avocado, chopped
1/8 cup green onions, finely sliced
2-3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
1/4 - 1/3 cup Creamy Basil Dressing

Simply toss all ingredients together in a bowl, using as much dressing as you like. (or, toss all ingredients except avocado, and garnish finished salad with the chopped avocado). Serve immediately! (If not serving immediately, prep all ingredients except avocado and don't toss with dressing. Before serving, add in chopped avocado and dressing). You can garnish salad with a few extra basil leaves and/or avocado chunks if you like.

This salad is almost a meal in itself. With the almonds in the dressing along with the corn and avocado, it's quite filling. Maybe pair with a light soup or light grain dish to complete your meal.

Before I run off, I want to thank those of you that have posted reviews on amazon. There are some super lovely ones there! :) These reviews are one of the best ways you can support my book and my work in general. I sure could use more reviews from those of you enjoying my book... so please add a line or two if ED&BV has hit a sweet spot with you!