Take Part in the #PlantitForward Movement At Home

Taking part in initiatives like the #PlantitForward movement by growing our own food at home is good for our families and the environment. To help get our vegetable garden bloom and to keep our dinner plate interesting, here are some tips from Tara Nolan, Kashi Plant it Forward ambassador.

Kashi #PlantitForward Initiative Building Community Gardens

It is gardening season, which means it is time to get our hands dirty and get real about food. This spring, Kashi is introducing a unique program called #PlantitForward to make a positive difference in communities across Canada. Kashi and Evergreen, a not for profit organization dedicated to green cities and a healthy planet, are partnering to increase access to fresh, healthy, locally grown foods by building and supporting 18 community gardens. Community residents will take part in the planning process and help build a garden that will provide real food to nourish their family and friends.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Canned California Peaches

Now that it is spring and the days are getting longer and warmer, Canadians are looking forward to trying new, lighter recipes and increasing their fruit intake once again. However, fresh fruit is hard to find at this time of the year. Luckily, canned California cling peaches are available year-round. They are also higher in antioxidants and Vitamin A and nearly four times higher in Vitamin C than fresh peaches.

Roasted Chickpeas Recipe and Win a Copy of Vegan Beans Book

I made this crunchy roasted chickpeas with 1 container of canned chickpeas. First drain, rinse and remove the moisture of the chickpeas with a paper towel. Add chillie powder, cumin, salt and 2 tbsp olive oil to the chickpeas. Spread the coated chickpeas on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until crispy on the middle rack of the oven for about 40 minutes in a 400F oven. Check on the chickpeas to make sure it does not burn.

Food Network Star Season 10 Starts in June

Food Network’s long-running competition series Food Network Star is back for a tenth season. The season premiere will be on Sunday, June 1st at 9pm ET/PT. Culinary icons Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay are back as mentors/judges leading the charge to discover the next promising face in food television.

Flower Birthday Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

I made this flower birthday cake with 12 cupcakes for my daughter's birthday. I used the following buttercream icing to decorate, which was easy to work with and tasted delicious. 

For the buttercream icing you will need

4 oz butter unsalted

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

pinch of salt

2 tbsp milk*

North Indian Meal: Rice, Tandoori Chicken, Dal and Raita

I tried and enjoyed using four North Indian spices blends from Jaswant's Kitchen to prepare this meal. The blends are made with 100% natural ingredients. We can make delicious Indian meals without buying a variety of spices using the spice blends from Jaswant's Kitchen and following the recipes on their site. These blends make cooking Indian meals easy for those new to Indian cuisine. 

Making Aromatic Rice in the Rice Cooker

1/2 tbsp ghee

1 1/2 cups basmati rice

2" cinnamon

2 bay leaves

2 cloves

2 cardamom

1/2 tsp salt to taste

1/4 tsp saffron

water

Baked Chocolate Doughnuts

1 cup flour

1/2 cup vanilla infused sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

6 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Tagine of Lamb with Prunes

I made half the portion of this sweet, delicious Tagine of Lamb with Prunes recipe is from Cooking at the Kasbah cookbook. It was a little unusal for our taste becuase I usually cook meat as a spicy dish and not sweet.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

2 lbs lamb 2" chunks

2 onions