Chickpea & Tofu Quiche

I’ve been disappointed by my last few attempts at developing new recipes and was feeling pretty discouraged after so many misfires.  With so much emphasis in our culture on comparing accomplishments, it’s pretty easy to get into a bit of a funk when our own execution falls short of the expectation.  But what we don’t…

Plant and Pine Launch – A Brief Manifesto

Plant & Pine seems like a simple enough moniker for this new project- but it took a while to come up with the name.  After months of debate and brainstorming, I hit on an idea that I felt resonated more than all the others. The Plant half of the name refers to a primary source…

Pierogi Pizza with Dill Pesto

Sunday has been my regular meal prep day for quite a while now and I find myself increasingly looking forward to my routine – it provides some consistency, a momentary reprieve from the general chaos of the week. I find cooking calming, and I get a sense of immense satisfaction when it’s all done and…

Toronto’s Best Vegan Breakfast and Brunch

Kupfert and Kim (Various Locations) Kupfert and Kim has been rapidly expanding over the last few years and now has eight locations in Toronto!  The popularity of this wheatless and meatless quick service restaurant is not suprising.  This is hands down some of the best vegan food around.  Their plant-based meals are nutritious, delicious and…

Rice Noodles with Peanut-Miso Glazed Lotus Root and Wasabi Dressing

The New Year has me craving new culinary adventures, new foods, flavours, and experiences, but sometimes the standard supermarket fare does not provide much inspiration.   When I lived in Chinatown, I got hooked on the rich variety of gloriously affordable fresh produce, can goods and imported products unavailable elsewhere.  I still frequently return to the old…

St. Lawrence Market Tacos

St. Lawrence Market is one of Toronto’s most renowned and iconic landmarks and a  favourite destination for both local and visiting foodies.  First established as an open-air market square in 1804, it was once the center of city social life and a gathering spot for York’s growing population.  The first official structure was built in…

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well, it is official.  Toronto has set a new record for lack of sunlight this past month.  The weather network reported that a whopping 88 percent of daylight hours in November were cloud covered.  It’s definitely been a gloomy few weeks, and I think it’s starting to get to me.  I’ve been feeling lethargic, worn…

Chocolate and Pistachio Covered Figs

It’s been a rough few weeks.  Work has been stressful, more so than usual.  It’s been rainy, dark and grey, and I’m not digging the short days and lack of sunlight.   What’s a vegan to do in such trying times?  Why indulge of course, and not just any indulgence will do in these circumstances.  It’s…

Happy Vegan Halloween!

Halloween is finally here!  October always tends to fly by in a bit of a blur, maybe because there’s not a whole lot to take note of.  The month, a dreary damp period with little relief, sits on the edge of winter, threatening of what’s to come.  But then the 31st  arrives, and for a…

Pumpkin Pancakes with Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread and Baked Cinnamon Apples

What is it about pumpkin that makes it such an appealing and popular food for autumn consumption?  There’s certainly no comparable aroma to that of pumpkin cooking.  It’s a rich, warm scent that evokes comfort, compels hibernation and reminds us fondly of cozy days inside, watching the leaves crisp and fade in the cold.  Pumpkin…