Link Love – Happy Friday!

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Happy Friday! So very happy it is the weekend! Thursday, I developed a bad case of the sniffles, so I am very happy to have the weekend to rest and get over this cold. Bring on many pots of tea and bowls of spicy soup!

This week, I was very much drawn to recipes boasting delicious, fresh ingredients that symbolize SPRING! Asparagus, watercress, edamame, peas, avocados, mint, green tomatoes, lime, and cilantro – so many gorgeous shades of green. 

This week has been relatively chilly and it’s currently pouring outside. These beautiful posts of sunshine & greenery have me yearning for more spring-like weather. Or well, the less rainy spring-like weather and the more sunny spring-like weather. I hear we could have snow this weekend….NOT what I’m looking for! *hah*

Here is a great post from my friend at VIMWAC on how to supreme an orange.

And check out this awesome guest post on Fork and Beans by my friend Heather. She made Eggplant Rollatini and it looks ah-maz-ing! I love Cara’s “People You Should Know Fridays” on Fork and Beans. What a great way to find new inspiration each week. Last week my friend Caitlin from Vegan Chickpea did a guest post. Good job ladies!

Please also check out A Couple Cooks round-up of their trip to Cambodia and all of the work done whilst there. The photos alone are worth checking out. Sonja & Alex announced they will be releasing a cookbook and funds raised from its sales will be going towards their initiative in Cambodia. What a truly inspiring gesture.

Finally, if you are a zucchini fan like I am, you must check out this post from Love and Lemons – Zucchini Carpaccio. Wow! Annie’s Eats’ Banana Pudding Parfaits also look amazing. And check out this Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Ice Cream by Smells Like Home. I love oatmeal cookies and plan on trying to make a diary-free version soon!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! I’ll be back on Sunday with a delicious recipe for a salsa that will knock your socks off :)

Thai Peanut Satay Celery Sticks

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After filling up with WAY too much chocolate this past weekend, I thought I would opt for some healthy snacks today. I started the day off with some delicious honeydew melon, followed by some yogurt with walnuts, blueberries and hemp hearts. Later, I made a batch of these yummy thai peanut satay celery sticks for my afternoon snack. They are perfect for snacking, as they have sweet, salty and savoury covered – a great way to enjoy thai flavours with little work. These fancy celery sticks are also ideal as an appetizer for your next party or potluck. 

Hope you are all having a great week so far :)


Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup of natural creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
  • 4 teaspoons of sweet chile sauce (plus more for dipping)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons of low-sodium soy sauce
  • 10 large celery stalks; each cut into 3 sticks
  • 2 large carrots; peeled and finely grated (approx. 1 cup)
  • 1/4 cup of black sesame seeds

Method

1. Stir together the peanut butter, lime juice, sesame oil, chile sauce, ground ginger and soy sauce in a bowl until smooth.

2. Spread 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture inside each celery stick.

3. Stir together the grated carrot and sesame seeds in a shallow dish. Dip the celery sticks into carrot mixture, peanut butter side down, to coat the filling with carrots and sesame seeds.

Serve with a small bowl of sweet chile sauce for dipping.

Yield: 30 celery sticks

Source: based on recipe from Vegetarian Times Magazine (April/May 2012)

Spring Vegetable Lasagne with Lemon & Mint Ricotta Sauce

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Happy Easter! Hope you are all having a nice day celebrating with friends and family. Did the Easter bunny stop by your place? The Easter bunny left me a chocolate bunny with crispy rice – my favourite! :)

Today I wanted to share a delicious, light lasagne that celebrates all of the best of spring vegetables. The lasagne has fresh local asparagus, leeks, fresh peas and edamame beans. I also added some zucchini for good measure. I adore zucchini and add it to everything. It’s such a versatile vegetable. The lasagne is kept together by a delicious minty, lemon ricotta sauce. Yum! The perfect flavours to celebrate spring.

The original recipe called for 1 and 1/2 cups of cream plus 2 cups of cottage cheese. I opted for 2 cups of low-fat ricotta cheese and used some left-over pasta water to create a nicely rich & creamy sauce. The sauce is still very flavourful, but a lot lighter and low in saturated fats.

Hope you all have a fabulous Easter. We are off for a nice long walk and then to my grandma’s house for Easter dinner. Grandma is making a new Italian dish for the vegetarians in the family and I cannot wait to try it! My mom made a carrot cake with fresh pineapple and cream cheese icing. Hmmm…maybe we should make it an extra-long walk before dinner. :)

Ingredients
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped (or 1 small leek washed and finely sliced)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 bunch of asparagus
  • 2 small zucchini, chopped
  • 2 and 1/2 cups of shelled edamame beans
  • 1 cup of frozen peas
  • 1 large bunch of fresh mint; roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 cups of low-fat ricotta cheese
  • 1 box of dried lasagna noodles (or you can use fresh lasagne sheets)
  • 1 organic vegetable bouillon cube
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Parmesan cheese 

Method

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Salt water well. Cook the lasagne noodles according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drizzle with olive oil and set aside. NOTE: make sure you keep about 3 cups of pasta water, as you will need it to prepare your sauce. Preheat oven to 375’F.

2. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and/or leeks and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute. 

3. Meanwhile, trim the woody ends off the asparagus and discard. Then, thinly slice the asparagus spears and add to the pan. Add the edamame beans (frozen is fine) and peas. Add a splash of the boiling pasta water to avoid having any of the vegetables stick to the pan. Sauté until the asparagus is starting to feel a bit tender.

4. Scoop out 1/2 cup of boiling pasta water. Dissolve 1 organic vegetable bouillon cube into the water and add to the vegetables. Add the zucchini and reduce heat to a simmer.

5. Once the vegetables are all semi-tender, add another 1/2 cup of pasta water along with 1 tablespoon of butter. Note: the butter creates a nice rich and creamy sauce. Add the roughly chopped mint and the zest of one lemon. Mash the vegetable mixture with a spoon. Remove from heat. Note: save another 1/2 cup of pasta water for your lasagne topping.

6. Add all but 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture to the vegetable mixture. Mix well. Spoon 1/4 of the vegetable mixture into a 13 x 9 baking pan. Top the vegetables with a layer of lasagne noodles and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Repeat this layering process until all of the vegetable mixture runs out. Your top layer should be a layer of noodles.

7. Slowly add the saved pasta water to the final 1/2 cup of ricotta. Note: You want to slowly add the water until you’ve got a nice, spreadable consistency. You may or may not use all 1/2 cup of water. Once you’ve achieved the desired consistency, spread over top the final layer of noodles. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

8. Bake in a 375’F oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown. Allow the lasagne to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Source: loosely adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe