Category Archives: Recipes
My Seasoned Salt
My special mix that I use to season most of my soups!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp of garlic salt and paprika
- 2 tbsp of onion powder, Chili powder and black pepper
- 1 tsp of celery salt
- 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup of Himalayan salt
- 1 tbsp of parsley (optional)
Mix all ingredient in a bowl and store in a dry area.
Cream of brocoli (vegan)
I love the creamy texture that can be achieve without any cream!!
Ingredients
- 2 very large bunches of brocoli cut up (peeling the stem before cutting)
- 2 medium onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 medium sized carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 large potatoes cut in pieces
12 cups of broth
- 2 tbsp each garlic salt
- 1 tbsp of Himalayan salt
- 1 tbsp each dried basil and dried thyme
- 1 tsp of celery salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Heat up a Dutch oven saucepan or large saucepan.
Turn the heat to medium and place the onion in. Add about 1/4 cup broth and let it cook for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, adding broth as needed.
Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the broth and the spices and bring to boil.
Turn the burner to simmer, add the herbs and cover the saucepan. Let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
Let it cool down and put the mixture through the blender to achieve a creamy consistency.
Return to pot and adjust seasoning to taste as needed.
Mom’s vegetable soup
Ever since my boys were little, I have been making a completely vegan vegetable soup. This was one of the puréed food I fed them when they were babies, albeit with less spices 🙂
Now that they are away, they are looking to reproduce this recipe. Well here it is!!
You can be creative with the vegetables, adding or omitting with what you have in your fridge. This is a catch all soup 🍲!!
Ingredients
1st batch:
- 2 small cooking onions diced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 4 large carrots sliced or cut in chunk as you prefer
- 2 branches of celery sliced
- 1 zucchini cut in half and sliced
- 2 big handful of green beans cut in 1 inch pieces or 1 cup of frozen green beans Optional:
- 2 cups of frozen peas
- 2 cups of chopped spinach
2nd batch:
- 8 cups (or 2 litre) of vegetable broth
- 750 ml tomato sauce (or 1 mason jar)
- Optional Add 2 cups of broth after pasta/rice is cooked to thin the consistency.
3rd batch:
- 1 can of white kidney beans (or romaine beans)
- 1 cup of rice, orzo or small pasta
Spices
- 2 tbsp of garlic salt, celery salt, onion powder
- 1 tbsp of black pepper
- 1 tbsp of parsley, dried thyme and/or basil
Use a large pot or preferably a dutch oven. Spread 1 tbsp of grapeseed oil and heat. Add the onion and caramelized them for a few minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables from 1st batch EXCEPT the optional ones if you are using them. Cook for 7-8 minutes.
Add ingredients from the 2nd batch and bring to boil.
Add ingredients for the 3rd batch as well as the spices and herbs and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
Add the optional vegetables if using and cook for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables and rice or pasta is cooked.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
This makes a large pot of soup. At least 22 cups of soup. A typical bowl of soup (serving) is 2 cups.
Adjust the recipe according to the number of servings you would like to make.
Slovenia
Omg We decided to leave Istria early and spend a night in Ljubljana. On our way we stop at the Postojna caves and the Prejnama Castle. What a treat!!
First the caves. We had no idea of the magnitude of these. They are huuuge!! And so ovez caves. Just spectacular. 
Then on to the nearby Prejnama castle built in the 1200s right out of c a rock for protection. Fascinating history and visit inside. Damp and dark castle but so ingenious!!
We then make our way to the capital Ljubjiana. What a quaint and lovely town of 320,000 people. We are told that close to a million people come into the town everyday.
Lovely hosts and staff in our hotel!! We visit the local castle which hosts an exhibition on the history of Slovenia. Chuck is enthralled and finally gets his questions answered!
The climb up to the bell tower is fantastic with a red staircase! View at the top is spectacular.
The next day we are off to Lake Bled stopping first at the Vintgat gorge. A local networks of small waterfalls with a very neat passeway built along the side of the rocks.
At Lake Bled, our hotel is waterfront facing the beautiful lake. What a treat!! We walk the 6km trail around the beautiful scenic lake and climb the hill to the castle located atop the rock cliff. Ouf!! But what a view again!!
The next day we are off toe Lake Bohinj and take a walk around that lake as well. Much quieter little town and beautiful lake surrounded by mountains. Reminiscent of back home!! Back to the hotel we finally treat ourselves to our first ice cream. Those cones vendors are everywhere and everyone seems to be eating one!! Yum!!
Back to Zagreb the next day we sit at a patio in the heart of the city and marvel at how busy the place is as everyone seem to be taking advantage of a beautiful Saturday!!
we checked into the Royal airport hotel for our final night, 5 minutes from the airport. Great big rooms and good restaurant and free breakfast included. We fly back home on Sunday at 10:15. Another epic trip!!
Istria, Croatia
This was our first rainy day with strong wind. Good timing since it was mainly a driving day. We took the most winding and narrow road driving up to our airbandb in Oprtalj from the coast. We arrive to an almost abandoned town with one taverna that is closed and one restaurant only opened till 7PM and a small market opened till 3PM. Thankfully we are there at 2:45 and can purchase a few items to make dinner.
The house itself is the best example of an old house renovation I have seen but is lacking in a lot of small amenities and fairly dark as all the windows open to a wall nearby. The house was found on airbandb and is called Case Sterna. It is recommended NOT to book.
We take a nice lunch at the restaurant overlooking a beautiful valley of olive groves and vines of grapes as well as the nearby famous Panzerana biking and hiking trail.
We arrived at Prodan Tartufi and are impressed right away by the installation, the pretty gardens and the warm welcome by Vishna our host.
This was an absolutely awesome experience in all respect. The wonderful 4 cuddly and energetic dogs made me miss my pups and added to the experience. They love to be handled and pet and were running around like crazy.
We walked in the wood while our host described their lives, how truffles grow, are traded and her family’s 3 generations tradition. We (the dogs) find 2 white truffles and 1 black! We are treated to an exquisite lunch including truffle salami, butter, cheese, pate and eggs. It is all so flavourful and fragrant…I am now addicted to the smell of white truffle!!!
We learned that black truffles can be cultivated by infecting the roots of some trees but white ones are still a mistery. White truffles can only be found in Croatia and Italy whereas black ones are not found in many places around the world including Oregon and New Zealand. Truffles grow from animal eating some and pooing near the roots of trees who lend themselves to growth such as beech, ashes and walnut trees. The selling fee of white truffles can range from 2500 to 4000 euros a kilo!
In the afternoon we drive to 2 nearby medieval towns, the town of Motovun and Grosjnam. The latter has been taken over by artists and we stroll the cobble street while shopping. Both towns are built on a hilltop and are surrounded by a medieval walls and are mostly pedestrians. I buy a neat ring and we decide to have a meal there since our town will not be offering much in terms of food.
Both town are on the same favours biking and hiking trail and we meet several people going on it. We see the trail outside the walls of Grosnam and the view is breathtaking and can understand the attraction.
We decide to leave a day early from there as our airband is very disappointing and we keep getting power outage. Upon the recommandation of a couple from India we met at the truffle hunt who had been travelling from Austria and then Slovenia and now Croatia, we decide to go spend a day in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital.
Vegan Black Bean Stew
Black bean stew.
In a large dutch oven, cook:
- 2 tbsp grape seed oil.
- 2 medium onions chopped.
- 4 garlic cloves minced.
- 2 large carrots diced
- 1 branch of celery diced
- 1 large red peppers diced
- 1 large green peppers diced
- 1/2 tsp jalapeño pepper diced
Once all vegetable are soft then add:
- 2 cans of black beans
- 1 can of 14 oz diced san Marzano tomatoes
- 2 tbsp of tomato paste
- 1 tbsp of honey
- 4 tsp Chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
Cook for 40 minutes or until water evaporated.
Once cook add:
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
Add cilantro and stir for a few minutes.
Garnish with green onions, shredded cheese and sour cream as you like.
Mushroom-lentil and veggie stew
It all started with wanting to try Millet….and I searched Pinterest and decided that I wanted to try a vegan lentil stew to serve over it.
Updates January 2021
Recipe:
- Soak 1 cup of dried mixed mushrooms in a 3 cup measuring cups filled with boiling water let soak for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp of grape seed oil in a medium size pot.
- Add 1 medium onion chopped and let it soften and caramelize for 2 minutes.
- Drain the mushroom but save 1 cup of the water. Dice the mushrooms and add to the onions. Cook for a minute.
Add:
- 2 carrot diced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 2 celery branch diced
- 2 tbsp of Tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp of dried thyme
- 1 can of lentils drained and rinsed
- 1 medium potato diced for thickness
- 1.5 tbsp of salt + 2 tsp black pepper + 1 tbsp onion powder.
Cover and let simmer to sweat the flavour for a few minutes.
- Place the mushroom water in a 2-cup measuring cup and fill it up to 2 cups with vegetable broth then add to the pot with the following ingredients.
- 2 tbsp of tomato paste
- 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard
Stir and bring to boil. Cover and simmer at low heat for 20 minutes.
Vegan Gumbo
Here is a nice spicy version of a vegan gumbo, developed while teaching cooking my beautiful youngest son. I am blessed, life is great!
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 1 1/2 tbsp of fresh diced jalapeño pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 7 Cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 green peppers diced
- 3 branches of celery diced
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (796ml)
- 3 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 can of white kidney beans, lentils
- 1 cup chick peas
- 1 Tbsp garlic salt, onion powder, paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne, black pepper, Chili powder, oregano, thyme, basil
Heat oil at medium heat in a creuset pot or other heavy pot. Add onions and caramelize for a minute. Add the garlic and the jalapeño and cook for a minute. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 7-8 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and simmer at low heat for 20-30 minutes.
Nice spicy 🌶 !!!
Lentil-potato soup
A favorite hearty soup that brings comfort on a cold winter night. Rich with healthy lentils and satisfying starch, it is a whole meal in itself!
Ingrédients.
- 2 can of lentil or 1 cup of dried lentils soaked in water for 3 hours and drained.
- 1 tbsp of grape seed oil.
- 2 large potatoes peeled and cubed.
- 1.5 litre of vegetable broth
- 2 garlic minced
- 1/2 large sweet onion diced
- 3 branches of celery diced or replace 1.5 with a zucchini diced.
- Bunch of fresh parsley or 3 tsp of dried.
- 1 bay leave
Heat the oil and caramelize the onions. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the celery and lentils and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the broth, the potatoes and the herbs and simmer for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
Enjoy!
Tomato, cucumber, avocado salad
This is my go to lunch, particularly late summer when tomatoes are fresh! In this case I added chickpeas to add proteins but I make different variations of this. For example, replacing the chickpeas by adding pitted kalamata olives and Feta cheese (which makes it vegetarian) will create a lovely Mediterranean salad. I often pair it with my green soup which I make regularly.
Ingredients
- 2 plum tomatoes cut in chunk
- ½ english cucumber peeled and cut in chunk (I slice them in half lengthwise and then in half again, then slice them about 1 cm wide)
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 3 tbsp chick peas
- 1 tbsp caper (or sometime I use green or black olives)
- ¼ avocado cut in chunk
Dressing
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- Juice from ¼ of a lemon
- 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp of seasoned salt (I mix my own. I will post a recipe shortly)
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp of dried thyme
I make a few variation of this dressing depending how I feel. Replace the Dijon and lemon juice with red wine vinegar for example.
The key for this salad is to make it at least half an hour before eating it so that the juices all mix together, creating a marvelous sauce! Place all the ingredients in a bowl, then mix the dressing in a separate bowl. Add to the salad and let it sit for a bit.
Lunch for 2
Martine's food and places 