Posts tagged ‘tomatoes’
Beauty Eats- Spinach and lentil soup
The fall is the perfect time to enjoy some hearty soup. This week’s Beauty Eats features an earthy lentil soup with the goodness of spinach and tomatoes. Not only is this easy to make, but it’s brimming with skin-healthy ingredients. Pair this with some toasty bread and you’ve got the ideal weeknight meal!
Zaatar pizza- inspiration from the Middle East
When I was growing up in the Middle East, I remember having manaeesh on the weekends for brunch. For those of you who haven’t tried it before, it’s basically dough topped with thyme, cheese and other ingredients before it’s baked to perfection. So it somewhat similar to pizza, but there’s something about the dried thyme that makes manaeesh irresistible. This recipe is my take on pizza inspired by manaeesh. It’s topped with za’atar (Middle Eastern spice blend), tomatoes, feta, crispy shallots and a garlic-mint sauce. It’s a versatile dish that can be served as an appetizer, brunch or a main. Best of all, it doesn’t take long at all – perfect for those last minute guests!
Wholewheat gnocchi with mushrooms and Kalamata olives
I’ve never really been a fan of potatoes, but when it comes to gnocchi, it’s a whole other story. For those of you who haven’t tried gnocchi, it’s an Italian dish made with soft potato dumplings and can be served in a number of different ways depending on the region it’s from. These dumplings are soft pillows of deliciousness that pair well with almost everything – from spinach and ricotta to tomatoes and basil. This recipe is my take on gnocchi with flavours of the Meditteranean.
Gnocchi is made primarily with potatoes, so it’s high in carbs. To make the dish somewhat healthier, I choose to use wholewheat gnocchi instead to add some fibre to the meal. I used the pre-packaged wholewheat gnocchi from Emma Foods for this recipe. I know, I know – I should be making gnocchi at home! But, it’s a time consuming process and I usually make this dish as a “go-to” recipe for a quick weekday dinner. One day, I will make home-made gnocchi and will definitely blog about that adventure when the time comes 
.
To add some subtle garlic flavour to the dish, I chose spicy marinated garlic (also from Emma foods). Since the garlic has been marinated in spices, it delivers just the right amount of kick to the dish.
* Emma Foods products should be available at most North American grocery stores. If not, try the local Italian stores.
Beauty Eats- Asparagus, cherry tomato and feta frittata
Have you ever thought about how food and beauty are linked? My friend Connie from “The Beauty Nerd” and I started a new series called “Beauty Eats” last week. In this series, we will explore foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics that will leave you with a healthy radiance! If you missed last week’s Beauty Eats post , you can find it here.
In this week’s post, you’ll find an easy recipe for a healthy frittata that tastes as good as it looks. It’s a dish that works well for brunch and can even be paired with grilled chicken for a hearty lunch or dinner.
Black bean and corn wraps with yellow tomato salsa
I take a lot of my inspiration from Mexican food. It’s fresh, colourful and has an earthy feel to it. This dish is a modern take on an enchilada, but without the chilli pepper sauce. The sauce is replaced by a brightly coloured salsa made with yellow tomatoes. The combination of colours and flavours will brighten your day!
This dish is easy to make and doesn’t take more than twenty minutes of your precious time. This makes it an excellent recipe for those days when you’re in a time crunch. Best of all, the dish is a good source of fibre (black beans) and vitamin C (tomatoes). What could be better than a flavourful dish that’s healthy too!
I used cream cheese in this recipe instead of the usual cheddar cheese used in Tex-Mex cuisine. The cream cheese adds some creaminess to dish without adding too many calories. Hope you enjoy this unusual touch.
The 7-minute tomato soup
Tomato soup with cheese is a match made in culinary heaven. This tomato soup is great as a weekend lunch with a freshly grilled cheese sandwich or as a weekday lunch with whole-wheat crackers and rich cream cheese. It tastes like it’s freshly made, but can you believe it – it only takes seven minutes? And no – it’s not made from canned soup!
Making fresh tomato soup from scratch can seem like a daunting task with all the chopping and straining. I love the flavour of homemade tomato soup, but I never seem to have the patience or time to make it. I came up with this recipe as an easy way to make tomato soup for people on the go. It’s not made from canned ingredients, so it’s great for people who are conscious of their sodium intake. It also has an unusual ingredient – hummus – which adds some creaminess without the extra calories.
Couscous with chickpeas, tomatoes and olives
Always wondering what to take to lunch on a workday? Tired of the sandwiches and salads? Try this easy couscous dish with Middle Eastern and Indian flavours which won’t take more than 15 minutes from start to finish.
For those of you who have always passed by the couscous at the supermarket but haven’t tried making it at home, this is an easy recipe to start experimenting with this versatile ingredient. Keep reading, you’ll be surprised how quick you can make a wholesome lunch that isn’t BORING!