But now well into second trimester, I’m feeling great save for some heartburn and the occasional headache. After being forced to eat small meals every two hours, I’m relieved to finally be back to eating normal. But normal in pregnancy? Well, people have a lot of opinions concerning that. The countless pregnancy books and sites preach very healthy eating while everyone else tells you to eat whatever you want. “You have an excuse- you’re pregnant!” For me, it’ all about a balanced diet especially now with a baby onboard. You see, I’m challenged with genes working against me, genes that won’t hesitate to help me pack on the pounds if I start eating nothing but processed junk. And though I’d love to say I’ve got the exercise thing down, I’d be lying. While I never deny myself that piece of dark chocolate or slice of pizza nor do I believe in cheat days, I’m not about to start giving in to every little craving. Because, let’s be honest, no pregnant lady craves salad! It’s all about the balance – ice cream, kale and all. That’s what healthy means to me.

So, I gladly jumped at the chance to participate in the newest Culinary Cravings Challenge to discover Canada’s favourite healthy restaurant dishes. All too often we think eating out is ‘bad’ so I was excited to help change that perception. Though I have my favourites, I took to social media to find out your go-to healthy menu items. With so much confusion around the word healthy these days, I expected noting but a slew of salads. I’m happy to report I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of responses. It seems my East Coast followers get it. There was pan fried haddock, tofu bulgogi tacos, a Greek souvlaki plate, an egg-filled sweet potato breakfast muffin, dolsot bibimbap and so much more. But the stand out favourite mentioned repeatedly was enVie A Vegan Kitchen. Since their opening, they’ve been taking the city by storm, challenging what you thought you knew about vegan food. Since my readers are certainly not all vegan, it really speaks to how they’ve successfully sparked a conversation about health. Now I’m not saying a vegan diet is inherently healthy (the vegans in my tree planting camps ate nothing but french fries!) but with a menu full of balanced options, the folks at enVie are doing it right. 

While fans mentioned the kale caesar salad, risotto cakes, and pulled jackfruit burrito, it was the Energy Bowl (pictured above) that stood out. Ginger turmeric rice, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, seasonal veg, steamed greens and your choice of Moroccan peanut, sesame Buddha or apple cider tumeric sauce, the Energy Bowl is a one bowl powerhouse of protein, complex carbs, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Breakfast lunch or dinner, it’s your one stop shop for all your nutritional needs.

I simply had to try the dish fans raved about so a friend and I headed for a weekend lunch at enVie. (We may also have been there to partake in their genius vegan rendition of the Big Mac for Halifax Burger Week. Talk about delicious.) Packed full of flavour, no wonder people were in love with the Energy Bowl. Once again, it proves that healthy in no way means tasteless. I couldn’t have been more excited to recreate this one bowl wonder at home so it was off to Sobeys to gather the ingredients.

The great thing about this dish isn’t how easy it is or even how healthy. Rather, it’s how customizable it is. Brown rice can be swapped out for virtually any grain. The choice of vegetables is up to you but for the most nutrition stick with deep orange and dark green. Even the method of cooking the vegetables can vary – steaming, roasting, sautéing, and grilling. Protein can come not only from chickpeas, but also tofu, seiten, seafood, fish or even your favourite meat. Plus the choice of sauce can change the bowl entirely. I’m thinking sauces with Mexican, Indian or Korean influences would be perfect. It’s also the best use of leftovers imaginable. Turn last night’s rice or steamed vegetables into a whole new meal with a few simple steps. 

While it may seem lengthy, this recipe is mad easy but will change depending on what seasonal vegetables and grain you choose. And if you’re using leftovers, you can have a healthy, flavourful meal in mere minutes. I opted for brussel sprouts since we seem to be stuck in Winter here on the East Coast but anything goes. In addition, radishes come in all forms so if you have a fancy spiralizer like enVie, go with daikon noodles. Otherwise, any thinly sliced radish will add a nice crunch. Also, that gorgeous green and pink seaweed used by enVie is Hana Tsunomata from local producer Acadian Seaplants Ltd. If you have access to seaweed, throw it on there for an added nutrient boost. I imagine toasted nori available at any Sobeys would also be great.

Whether feasting at enVie or cooking it up at home, the energy bowl with sesame tahini sauce is as healthy as it is delicious. Now that’s Better Food For All. 

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Sobeys or their media partners. Sobeys has not reviewed these claims and is not responsible for the content. 

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But could the same be said for seafood? When tasked with the challenge of creating my own Blend & Extend recipe for Mushrooms Canada, my mind immediately went to our beloved Atlantic lobster. Could mushrooms be blended with lobster to create a more nutritious, more economical dish without sacrificing that amazing rich lobster flavour? 

This lobster mushroom ravioli surprised even me. Not only did we make a decadent dinner for four with but two small lobsters, the shitakes added a whole world of umami to the ravioli, complimenting rather than overshadowing the rich lobster. Though this recipe is certainly labour intensive, it is worth every single minute.  Blend & Extend, we got this. 

Disclaimer: I was compensated by Mushrooms Canada for my participation with their Blend & Extend project. 

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Does it get any better than a variety of mixed mushrooms roasted with aromatic herbs, garlic and lemon, each one a flavor powerhouse, an umami bomb. I didn’t think so. But then add to that cheesy béchamel, a flaky buttery crust, savory fried sage, and you’ve got a vegetarian main worthy of any holiday feast. Alternatively, whip up this up as an appetizer and show those friends of yours you can take on Martha any day. 

But you won’t find the recipe here. See, that’s why it’s been so quiet round here; I’ve been given so many amazing opportunities lately and it’s probably time I share them with you. This gorgeous mushroom tart recipe for Mushrooms Canada is just one of those incredible partnerships I’ve been meaning to tell you about. Because if there is one thing I love, it’s mushrooms. In everything.

Tomorrow on the Mushrooms Canada blog you’ll find everything you need to know about this roasted mushroom tart with béchamel and fried sage. I’d bookmark that now if I were you. You may just find yourself spending hours perusing all the other incredible mushroom recipes from fellow Canadian bloggers.

Eat all the mushrooms. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving.

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I had originally planned to share this recipe last week when it graced out dinner table but then obviously life happened. Dinners for us are inspired not only by our seasonal produce but also by flavours found in cuisines the world over. Sure, our Nova Scotian cuisine is flavourful in it’s own right with the sweet blueberries at the height of the season, the salty Atlantic kissed seafood and the molasses baked beans of our childhoods. But what would we do without the aromatic spices of India or the salty Mediterranean olives or the umami rich Asian dishes? I’d probably die of culinary boredom. A week in our life means Mexican carne asada tacos one night and Korean bibimbap the next. Obviously we have our pizza and pasta go-tos like anybody else but we simply love the variety that comes from exploring different cuisines. Sometimes I even think I may have some sort of dead taste bud syndrome, forever needing more and more flavour. There is nothing I hate worse than bland food, especially if I’m paying for it at a restaurant. 

There is just so much flavour to be found everywhere. Take this Indonesian fried rice. Have I been to Indonesia? Nope. Would I kill to go there? Probably. The only problem is that I’d want to eat everything. I guess it’s time to set the record straight. I haven’t been anywhere. No pizza in Naples. No croissants in Paris. No ramen in Japan. I’m a total foodie fraud. Though there was that 8 month stint in Australia and New Zealand. It was the first time – and hopefully not the last – I ever travelled. It was easily some of the best times in my life. It was there that I first encountered nasi goreng, the supposed national dish of Indonesia. It wasn’t even a little Indonesian restaurant that turned me onto this flavour powerhouse but rather a package of noodles. Yup, processed, packaged, sodium laden noodles. This wasn’t your average North American Mr. Noodles. I actually hate that shit. Love the noodles – ramen in fact – but those salty seasonings just don’t cut it. The ones I fell in love with in Auz were different. Packed full of balanced flavour and served with their own little packet of crispy fried onions, I was immediately impressed. Let’s however get one thing straight. It’s not like I was choosing to eat Mr. Noodles day after day. Backpacking means living on the cheap. There were no fancy hotels, no six course meals. For the most part, we ate fresh produce from the market, homemade sweet potato curry, and said noodles. 

On those rainy days with Brent at work and my cooking shift already finished for the day, I’d put on a movie in the tent – that’s where we lived for 6 of those 8 months – and get to work on my humble noodle dinner. Don’t tell but I totally fired up the small camping stove in the tent with a door open of course. Anyway, those noodles became as much a part of that trip as days spent on the beach. Actually called mie goreng, the taste of those noodles stayed with me. I even recreated the rice version during my last few years planting. I’d fry up pile after pile of rice on the giant flat top, adding in soy sauce, honey, curry, and tamarind for a totally bastardized version. Bastardized or not, those planters ate that shit up. I’ve even been asked for the recipe. 

These days with a pantry piled high with exotic ingredients, I went to work creating the real deal. I mean not that I’ll know if I get it right but when it’s this flavourful who cares really. So flavourful is this dish in fact that I’m keen to eat just this for dinner. That’s a big deal since I generally don’t go for rice. Ask Brent. He’s even been known to beg for a side of rice with dinner. Unless it’s a creamy rich risotto or some sticky vinegary rice served alongside sashimi, I’m just not a rice person. That was until this dish made it’s way into the rotation. 

Though not entirely vegetarian, nasi goreng makes for a quick, one pot meatless meal. If you happen to have leftover rice, you’ve got dinner in mere minutes. It’s apparently traditionally served with chicken and shrimp but with this much flavour I’m cool with just the eggs. Fried or scrambled, you’ll want to #putaneggonit for sure. One word on ingredients. Both dried or fresh red chillies and tamarind can be found in most grocery stores. With but some soaking, the sweet and sour dried tamarind fruit is used in loads of dishes including the popular pad thai so I suggest you get acquainted. On the other hand, shrimp paste, the sweet soy sauce kecap manis (if you opt to buy it), and fried onions are an Asian market find. If you’re in Halifax, Tian Phat on the Bedford Highway is like my candy store. Packed full of interesting ingredients, you’ll find all you need to cook up everything from Thai to Vietnamese for mad cheap. 

If you’re into flavour like us, this dish hits almost all of them: salty, sweet, sour, spicy and umami. It’s even awesome cold the next day.  Perhaps some day I’ll get to taste an ‘authentic’ nasi goreng but until then I’ll keep exploring in my own kitchen. 

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Warm savoury fillings tucked inside the perfect flaky dough. Is there anything better? I mean every culture does it. Indian samosas, the calzones of Italy, those bright yellow Jamaican patties, Eastern Euporean perogies, even meat and potato filled English pasties. There is no end to our love of – dare I say it – the hot pocket. Though I wouldn’t be caught dead noshing on an actual Hot Pocket. Pep n’ cheese not to mention the crap load of preservatives just ain’t my thing. I’m pretty sure I haven’t eaten one ever. But homemade hot pockets, giddy up. 

Originating in Spain, the empanada is typically filled with sardines, chorizo or tuna but like many foods, the pastry crossed borders to Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, and soon the entire world. Now regional varieties are endless. From the spicy chilli pepper and tuna pastels of Indonesia to the Chilean pino with beef, onions, raisons, black olives, and a hard boiled egg, anything and everything can be nestled inside the warm dough. Even the dough is varied. Corn flour, wheat flour, baked, fried or deep fried, the empanada knows no bounds. Hell, there’s even sweet empanadas. Call them hand pies, call them whatever you want, next time I’m throwing down sweet for a perfect hand held dessert.

We’re still stuck on the Winter sweet potatoes here in the East and luckily a few markets still have kale. Yes, you’re all sick of the kale hype. You know what? Kale IS awesome. Of all the bitter dark leafy greens, it’s the best. So there. It’s bitterness was the perfect compliment for the sweet potato filling. Lightly seasoned with some of my favourite spices – cumin, coriander and fennel – the filling gets kissed with lemon juice then wrapped inside the best empanadas dough I’ve ever tried. Flaky and crisp due to the addition of corn flour and milk, it comes together easily and is a breeze to roll out. Besides, after the tenth one, you’ll be feeling like a pro too. Though there ain’t nothing stopping you from rolling it all out into a pie either. Technically, still an empanada. 

The chimichurri is also a must. Traditionally made with parsley, my version of the Argentinean pesto-like sauce replaces the main ingredient with cilantro.  Add a little mint and parsley and you have a condiment worth swooning over. I want to bathe in the stuff.  While I’m eating it by the spoonful, you may want to use it on meat, seafood, tacos, sandwiches or even as a salad dressing.

Whatever way you decide to fill ’em, let’s take back our food shall we? I for one want to know what’s in my hot pockets. Especially if it’s packed with nutritious local vegetables.  Oh, and if you’re wondering. That lack of golden brown colour? That’s called hangry. 

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This is by no means good. It’s rough, low quality and simple but it does show how to make gnocchi, a hard thing to explain in a recipe. My best advice: don’t be scared. Gnocchi, like pasta is simple. Esentially potatoes and flour (and sometimes egg but the jury is still out on that one), gnocchi are like soft little pillows from heaven. Or something like that. They’re god damn delicious is what they are. When made right of course. It’s all about slowly adding the flour. Much like bread making, it’s about getting to know the dough, feeling when it’s just right. 

Paired with this slightly sweet and wonderfully textured maple hazelnut cream, this sweet potato gnocchi is as rich as it gets. Though perhaps traditional gnocchi with gorgonzola cream may have it beat. If you’re looking for more savoury, add some herbs or omit the maple.  If cream sauce isn’t your thing, brown up some butter, throw in some sage leaves and smother that gnocchi in love. 

And lastly, I can’t forget the shameless plug. Voting is open in Halifax’s Best of Food 2014 Reader Survey. Yours truly is up for Best Local Food Blog so you know what to do. 

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Though I’m a full on porkavore now, I remember a time when I didn’t fancy the sausage. No not that kind. Minds out of the gutter people. In fact, I found it a little revolting. But then again I guess my exposure was all mild Italian and breakfast sausage. To this day, breakfast sausage and I don’t get along. Unless of course it’s homemade with fennel and maple and slapped on a breakfast sandwich dripping with egg yolk. Oh, that recipe is coming soon. Somewhere along the way, in this culinary journey, I fell in love with sausage. Pork has done a good job seducing me alright. 

It’s the chorizo that has held my affection for some time now. Full of spicy goodness, I can’t get enough. There’s even several kinds to tempt me, most notably Spanish chorizo seasoned with smoked paprika available both fresh and smoked as well as the Mexican variety full of chilli. I’ll take all of it though I am rather partial to the spicier Mexican. Lucky for us Haligonians, many local producers squeeze out the chorizo with abandon. I’m looking at you Sweet William’s, Storehouse, Getaway Meat Mongers, and of course our charcuterie shop Ratinaud. 

Unlike plain old ground pork or beef, sausage adds tons more flavour to whatever you’re making.  Since I had some Meat Monger’s ground pork in the freezer, I decided to try my hands at making the stuff myself. No intestines in sight, this was sausage without the work. Don’t get me wrong, the first attempt was good but it had nothing on my go to Ratinaud. If you’re looking to try it out for yourself, there are a load of recipes out there. When I have it nailed, you’ll be the first to know. 

So, what do you do with chorizo? The answer: pretty much anything. Soups, tacos, frittata, you name it. Chorizo and potatoes are a classic combo. The Chorizo con Papas recipe from Saveur is probably a good place to start. You may also remember I even won a little sausage recipe contest. 

The best idea, however, is to get yourself some chorizo and step out of your spaghetti comfort zone. A hit at my cooking classes, this recipe is mad easy and more flavourful than your average tomato sauce. In fact, I’m not really a tomato sauce girl, never have been. So, I like to throw in spicy chorizo instead of the usual ground beef, give it a touch of smoke with paprika and add a kiss of sweetness to balance all the acidity. Then to take it way over the top, I add either tangy goat cheese or creamy ricotta plus a bunch of cilantro. This is my kind of pasta.

Because we’ve been getting back to scratch cooking, we also made the fettucini ourselves. If you haven’t tried making your own pasta, I can’t tell you enough how easy and rewarding it is. It is literally flour and eggs. Though the pasta roller makes light work of it, a good old fashioned rolling pin does just fine. Then once you have that nailed, you can add in things like spinach, beets, sweet potatoes, herbs, really anything. I don’t know about you but it feels pretty amazing knowing how much food we can make ourselves. Soon sourdough but that’s another post entirely. 

Stay warm out there people. I promise not to mention the S word again. 

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Though some find the local market selection a little boring when Winter rolls around, I, on the other hand, am digging it. All those hearty roots, ridiculously versatile not to mention downright delicious any way you cook them. Celeriac, or rather celery root, is at the top of my list.  

Modelled after a French tartiflette, this gratin gets celeriac in addition to the potatoes plus onions, smoked bacon ends from the boys at Getaway Meat Mongers, a bit of cream, and Canadian Fleur en Lait cheese instead of the traditional Brie-like Reblochon. I first tasted tartiflette at none other than our local French charcuterie shop, Ratinaud. It was legit. But lardon, potatoes, cream and cheese? I mean c’mon. The French really have food nailed.

This dish brought tartiflette to a whole new level. Maybe it was the celeriac. Maybe it was that sweet, fruity semi-soft cheese made in Ontario.  Or just maybe there was no way this couldn’t be irresistible. Be warned, however. This celeriac gratin is rich and cheesy with just the right amount of greasy. If you can resist eating it all straight out of the skillet, it’s perfect as a main for 3-4 alongside a nice big salad.  Either way, celeriac will have you on team root vegetable in no time. I imagine many of the Winter roots – beets, sweet potatoes, squash – would be equally delicious layered between cheese and bacon.  It’s exactly the kind of comfort food to keep you warm all Winter long. 

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I can vividly remember the first moment we met. It was the season Brent had gone tree planting without me. I had come to visit for the last few days of the contract and, though I had long since given up planting for cooking (best decision ever), I put on the bags one more time. And there he was. Frantically planting in no discernible pattern or rhythm, sweating so profusely I thought for a moment I had missed the rain. Barely looking up to say hi, he meant business. Nothing was going to stop him from planting those trees. 

Now a million trees later, he outlasted many of us.  A lifer to the very end. No doubt he would have continued, travelling in the off season, only to return ‘home’ to the woods each Spring. I think it was there he found himself like so many of us did. 

But his last tree is planted, his life stolen decades too soon.  

A true lover of Mexican, he’d never be without a jar of his trusty Herdez salsa verde, sometimes eating it with nothing but a spoon. Here I am years later, more obsessed than perhaps even he would believe. Though not traditional, this is all the flavour of marinated carne asada meets the tenderness of braised carnitas. I like to think he’d be proud of this one. With a sadness too deep for words, it’s the only way I can think to say good bye. 

Faraz, this one’s for you.  

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It’s no big secret I’ve been all over the tacos for some time now. It all started with a bag of masa (corn flour) and the purchase of a tortilla press. Soft, freshly made corn tortillas are a game changer. Suddenly, tacos were no longer the hard shell, artificially seasoned ground beef, shredded iceberg, cheddar cheese tacos of my childhood. I’m talking smoked pulled pork tacos with chipotle lime sour cream and pickled onions, twice cooked pork belly tacos with pico de gallo and avocado, or crane asada tacos with roasted guacamole and pickled jalapeños. The possibilities seem to be endless.

Last week it was pork carnitas tacos with salsa verde and salsa doña. A take on the traditional pork carnitas, this pretty much blew my mind. Simply jam a bunch of ingredients in the slow cooker and bam, perfectly moist, mad flavourful pork carnitas. I love bold flavours and this combo of chipotle, citrus, plus whole coriander and cumin seeds is a legitimate party in your mouth.  We also tried two new salsas: one was a cooked salsa using local tomatillos (yeah I said local) and the other more a puree of roasted garlic and jalapeños that our friend Crowley got us hooked on. Both were awesome and a whole world more flavourful than any bottled salsa. But tacos pretty work with whatever salsa tickles your fancy. If you really want to get in on the taco game, add one or more of the following: shredded cabbage, thinly sliced radish, pickled onions, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, fresh cilantro, cheese, sliced hot peppers, lime wedges, and green onions. Honestly, you can’t really go wrong.  The best part? They’re small enough that you can have many, each one topped exactly how you want. How’s that for customizable dinner. 

Don’t be scared off by the seemingly giant list of instructions. Once that pork is in the slow cooker, you’ll have loads of time to whip up some salsa and corn tortillas. Plus every time you make the tortillas, you get faster and faster until one day out of nowhere you’ll realize you’re a god damn tortilla ninja. 

Though this will serve four, you’re only going to want to serve it for two (remember to halve the tortilla recipe). While it would be nice to have friends over for a taco night and all, you want leftovers. Trust me. How else are you going to #putaneggonit? Simply whip up a few corn tortillas, reheat that pork, then poach or fry up some eggs. Heuvos rancheros just like that.  

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