Hummus is a great dip that’s healthy and full of nutrients. Bonus: it’s super easy to make! Serve with crispy pita bread slices or anything you’d normally dip. Give this recipe a try tonight!
Hummus Yields: 2 cups
2 Cups Chickpeas (pre-cooked or canned – drained)
1/4 Cup plus 2 Tbsp water
1 minced garlic
1/4 Cup tahini (sesame paste)
2Tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt to taste
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In a food processor, add the chickpeas, garlic, and water and blend until smooth.
Add tahini (available at your local Middle-Eastern grocery store) and blend.
Next add lemon juice and salt and blend until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Done! Simple right? Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil before serving or serve as is.
Who needs canned hummus when you can make your own batch at home, without the unnecessary ingredients.
Bon appétit! xo
If you’re ever stuck on what to make for dinner, try green peas with rice! This dish is effortless to make, and is loved by young and old alike! Give it a try tonight!
Green Peas with Rice Yields: 4 servings
1 medium onion, chopped
1 C frozen green peas
1 C rice
2 1/2 C water or broth
Salt and pepper to taste
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Start with the chopped onion. Add to pot with some olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until onion wilts.
Next, add the frozen peas and stir a few times to soften them and incorporate with the onion. Let cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the rice and water next and stir a couple of times and bring to a boil. My brother was over that day and was kind enough to lend me a hand!
Let water continue to boil until large bubbles appear at which point you’ll want to turn heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 10 minutes. Turn heat off and keep pot covered for approximately 5 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Done! Smells so good!
Serve with a citrusy salad. Bon appétit! xo
The minute I sense that someone in my household may be coming down with a cold or the like, I boil chicken and make broth for soup. There’s nothing like knowing that the food you make helps those you love feel better. Follow this very simple recipe for a fool proof way to get the tastiest and healthiest chicken and broth.
Boiled Chicken Yields: enough to comfortably feed 4 people
1 2-3lb Whole chicken
6L cold water
1 onion
5 whole cloves
5-6 cardamom pods
salt and pepper to taste
Other whole spices you may have (like 1-2 cinnamon sticks, handful of pepper corns, 1-2 bay leaves)
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Lightly rinse the chicken under cold running water and place in a stock pot and add water. For the onion, stick the whole cloves in the onion (as shown) and add to pot.
Next, crush your cardamom pods using your mortar-and-pestle, or if you don’t own one, use the back of a spoon (as shown)! Add to pot.
Cook chicken on high heat until water starts to boil. Once water reaches boiling point, you’ll notice a thick white foam appear which you’ll want to discard.
When you’ve cleared most of the foam, reduce to low heat and cover pot. Cook covered for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours. However I recommend a good 2 1/2 to 3 hours (the longer the better).
Remove and discard the onion and spices. Remove chicken, discard skin and bones, and set aside in a shallow dish. Add salt and pepper to broth, stir and taste the broth, until satisfied with taste.
The result is a delicious, juicy, tender chicken, with the yummiest broth – good on its own, or as a base for any soup. Freeze any leftover broth in tupperware(s) for future use.
I pull the chicken into pieces and serve with rice and broth. Mouth-watering. Bon appétit! xo
This is one of Munsur’s favourite vegetables to eat…when roasted! It’s definitely a much healthier option than frying and the taste is never compromised. It’s a nice side dish served with your main course. Give this a try tonight!
Roasted Cauliflower
1 cauliflower head
1-2Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tsp Ground cumin, or enough to cover the cauliflower florets
Salt to taste
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
Start by washing the cauliflower. Turn it on its head and segment the florets and place on a pan with parchment paper.
Next, drizzle olive oil and use your hands to coat the florets evenly in the oil.
Sprinkle cumin all over florets.
Roast in the oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, until cauliflower is a nice golden brown colour. Remove from oven and sprinkle salt before serving.
Bon appétit! xo
You read right – Cream of Broccoli is not only possible on a restrictive diet, but it’s also dairy-free and delicious! My version is healthy, satisfying, and nutritious. Give it a try tonight!
Cream of Broccoli Yields: 6 generous portions
3 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1-1 1/2 C baby carrots or chopped carrots
1 large broccoli head including stalk, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp flour
3 C Broth and/or water
1 1/2 C Coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
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Start by placing olive oil and adding the chopped onion into a pot over medium heat. Sprinkle some salt and stir occasionally to wilt the onions and slightly brown them.
Next, add carrots and give that a stir alongside onion. Let cook for a few minutes to get the carrots to brown a little.
In the meantime, separate the broccoli, peel and chop the stalk, and add to pot.
Next, combine the flour with the vegetables, stirring quickly a few times.
Add the broth and/or water and the coconut milk, and stir to combine. Cover pot and simmer soup for about 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are nice and tender.
Using an immersion blender, blend the vegetables until smooth.
Add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy! You won’t be able to tell this has no cream in it!
Bon appétit! xo
Ever asked yourself: “What do I put in my child’s lunch bag?” Well, wonder no more! Introducing Ian’s Chicken Nuggets. Your go-to for lunches, and last minute meal ideas when your kids are back home from school and you haven’t made dinner!
These are truly so delicious and they’re free from most allergens including of course dairy, nuts, and soy. They take minutes in a toaster oven or conventional oven, and once they’re done…well let me just tell you to go ahead and make more! They’re crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside – There has never been a time when i’ve asked Munsur if he wanted chicken nuggets that he’s turned me down! That’s how good these are! Available at Loblaws nationwide, or click here to find a store near you. xo
Instead of making pizza tonight, try Mana’eesh! These are a traditional Middle-Eastern cheese and Zaatar pies. Great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Mana’eesh
1 dough recipe
5tbsp Zaatar* (pic below)
5-6tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2-1C Daiya cheese of choice (mozzarella, cheddar, pepperjack)
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
Start by spreading the dough into medium-sized rounds.
Next, prepare the Zaatar spread. In a small bowl, combine Zaatar and olive oil until you get a nice ‘thin-ish’ paste!
Spread the Zaatar mix and cheese(s) onto your prepared dough. I made half/half for Munsur per his request. 
Bake in the oven for about 13 minutes, or until the bottom of the dough is a nice golden colour. Remove from oven and serve while nice and hot!
I served the pies for breakfast alongside scrambled eggs, tomatoes, and condiments. Delicious!
Bon appétit! xo
* You can find Zaatar in any Middle-Eastern Store in your area. You could also try the International Foods aisle at your local grocery store like Loblaws, Fresh Co., etc.
So simple and mouth-watering, this meal is perfect on a cold day like the crazy weather we’ve been having lately! The time you’ll need to make this dish is well worth it – the lamb is so tender, it practically falls off the bone, and the peas provide a nice crunch. This is always a winner at home!
Green Peas with Lamb Yields: 4-6 servings
3-4 chunky stewing lamb pieces, bone-in
1 stick cinnamon
5 cardamom pods, crushed
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2-2 cups broth (7 ladles)
1 cup frozen green peas
salt and pepper to taste
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First thing you’ll need to do is to place the lamb in about 5-6 cups of water in a pot over high heat. Add the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Once the water is boiling, skim any residue that appears on top, add salt and stir, then reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Let simmer gently for a good 2 1/2-3 hours (the longer the better). This is the finished result – smells heavenly!
Transfer broth to another pot*. Adjust the salt until taste is satisfactory. discard the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick.
Using the back of the spoon, pull the lamb stew and discard bones.
Add tomato paste and combine with the stew.
Next, add about 2 cups of broth, or 7 ladles, and stir to combine the tomato with the meat.
Stir in the green peas, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Voilà!
Serve with a side of rice and enjoy all that ‘hard’ work! Bon appétit! xo
*Tip: Store any leftover broth in tupperware(s) in the freezer for use in soups or other meals calling for broth!
Rice is a staple food in many homes. We love Jasmine Rice; so delicious and fragrant! So put aside those rice cookers and follow this step-by-step guide to making great rice every time!
Rice Yields: 4-6
1 1/2C rice
3C water or broth
salt to taste
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Put all ingredients into pot and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, add desired salt amount and continue to boil until large bubble appear. At this point, cover pot and turn heat to low and cook rice for approximately 10 minutes.
Turn heat off and set pot aside covered for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Fluff rice with fork.
That’s it! Serve with toasted nuts if desired. Bon appétit! xo
Burgul Banadora, or Bulgur with Tomatoes, is a Middle-Eastern dish that is nutrient dense and packed with flavour. Tomatoes are most beneficial when cooked because they release their lycopene – a powerful antioxidant. And bulgur is a super food in my opinion; it’s a grain that should be a staple in everyone’s diet. Check out the blurb our beloved Dr. Oz mentions on his site. The best part though? This meal is simple to make and tastes amazing!
Bulgur Banadora Yields: 4 servings
3Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
2 Large tomatoes, peeled and diced
1C Coarse Bulgur, rinsed
1 1/4C Water or Chicken broth
1Tbsp Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
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In a large pot, combine the oil and chopped onion, stirring occasionally to wilt the onions.
While the onions are going, peel and dice the tomatoes. Add to pot.
Stir from time to time to get the juices out of the tomatoes..
Add the bulgur. Stir.
Add water or broth and stir a few times then rest the spoon and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Once you see the liquid begin to dissipate and you notice air bubbles appear, turn heat to low, cover pot, and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the liquid is gone.
Wish you could smell this!
Add the cumin and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
Serve and enjoy a delicious meal full of flavour and goodness. Bon appétit! xo
