Reviving our vegetable garden

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I’ve been day dreaming about writing this post of weeks! But with the current state of affairs, it’s been impossible for me to find the time to complete it. I’ve started this draft, added to it, left it for days and then back to it over the last several weeks!

This actually sounds very similar to the relationship I’ve had with our garden this year.

Celery, Regrow, Start Your Own Garden, Backyard Garden

It’s been even harder to give our garden the same amount of attention it has received in previous years.

Celery, Regrow, Start Your Own Garden, Backyard Garden

(That being because most of my energy is divided between the family in my home and myself. #PandemicLife)

I had big plans for last year. I wanted to have a new layout and really try NEW things. But that unfortunately just didn’t happen.

Thankfully, the girls and mister have really pulled through and kept up with the harvesting, watering, pest watch and overall love that a backyard garden requires.

Ontario, Start Your Own Garden, Backyard Garden

Before the weed clean up!

After cleaning out the weeds, turning the soil and adding fresh earth.

You may already know that we had planted garlic last fall and then at the beginning of April we made an order for several plants from a local nursery, we picked them up mid May and planted them May 20th!

So initially we planted garlic in the fall. Then in the spring, we planted: tomatoes (2), eggplant, cucumber, zucchini and sweet bell pepper in the garden bed. Later in the summer we added long green beans and radish seeds! In pots we have a celery, mint and green onion. We received our plants from a nursery and planted them in our garden bed on May 20th.

The harvest was slow! We didn’t receive our first tomato until sometime in July (I think because we planted so early and because there was a few very cold days that happened between May and June. But here we are and our garden is in full swing.

Read more about my gardening adventures! Starting tomatoes in pots, lessons learned and other herbs.

Our first ever garlic scapes

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I am a HUGE fan of garlic. The aroma and the smell and even how they look get me very excited. I am definitely that person who sees a recipe asking for 2-3 cloves but add 8-10 instead LOL!

So last summer, after closing up the garden I realized that I wanted to expand into new herbs and veggies. And on a whim, we received some backyard garden garlic from a co-worker and right before the 1st winter storm we planned 6 cloves!

So these cloves have been in the garden since NOVEMBER. And we won’t actually know if the clove have turned into actual bulbs, but we’ve already reaped some harvest from the labour: scapes!

Now if you haven’t heard of scapes before it’s because they are very rare and hard to find at your regular garlic stores. They are usually the first produce found at farmers market and aren’t in season for very long.

We only got 5 scapes at the first harvest, but they were ahamazing! We grilled them with a little bit of EVOO and salt. They tasted really fresh, consistency of asparagus and onion with a hint of garlic.

I will definitely plant more garlic next year just for the scapes!

Yet, another GUILT FREE Cookie Recipe (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Posted on May 25, 2020 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I wish I could say that I didn’t let my cookie cravings get the better of me during the last 10 weeks – but I’ve been making cookies and eating them on… r e p e a t!

Thankfully I have a few (here and here) that are on heavy rotation but I’ve also tried to make a regular butter/sugar cookie (which the girl gang prefer).

I did come across another variation of a healthy cookie. It’s vegan, gluten & refined sugar free. Which by default makes it GUILT Free.

Without further ado, here is the recipe/instructions. Save the image or pin for later :)

Easy healthy granola – that tastes like a cookie!

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Bhanu Misra Marya

The other day the Mister said that this granola tastes like a cookie, and I couldn’t agree more.

I started making it because I could no longer find my favourite Special K Dark Chocolate Coconut Popped Granola in ANY grocery store.

I used to make a nut granola but really wanted something a little lighter (nuts can get heavy) so opted for a baked oatmeal instead.

This is super simple to make and quick enough that I can make it on a Sunday to use thoughtout the week.

Where is what you do:
1) roughly crush up a half cup of dry roasted almonds

2) measure 1 cup of quick oats, add to crushed almonds and lay flat on a sheet pan. Bake for 10-15 min at 400 degrees. Check often to prevent burning and turn the sheet pan to make sure everything cooks evenly.

3) in a small pot (using the lowest heat) melt 1/3 cup coconut oil, then add pure maple syrup, cinnamon, cacao powder to taste (careful it’s hot!). Add a tablespoon of chia seeds and a pinch of salt. Stir often and combine well. If you want the granola to be chewy, add more coconut oil, maple syrup and cacao.

4) remove the oats and almonds and let cool for 5 min then pour coconut oil mixture on top (it will sizzle). Mix to coat all the oats/almonds.

5) pack the mixture so it can get stuck together and be chunky! (instead of laying it flat on the pan). Put back in the oven for 3-5 min. Check frequently as it can burn easy.

6) remove from oven and let cool before enjoying with yogurt, almond milk or by itself.

Optional add ons: dark chocolate, another nut or seed or dried fruit!

Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below? Better yet, share your healthy home made granola recipes for me to try!

More like this? Check out this other healthy cookie recipe.

Lunch at Restoration Hardware

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Bhanu Misra Marya

You know you are a parent of young children when you feel the best way to describe a delicious child free meal is by quoting Julia, Child. 😂😂

We don’t often do this. Fancy restaurants are just not in the docket with spilt milk and sticky fingers. But we are finding that as the girls are growing we have more opportunities to make time for just the 2 of us.

With that said, we finally checked out Restoration Hardware Cafe. I’ve heard soooo many good things about this restaurant. About how beautiful it is, about the chandeliers, the trees and the furnishings.

At the cafe, we started with their fries and garlic aioli. Ya I know basic, but so delicious. The fries weren’t too thick and were the perfect combination of crispy and fluffy. I enjoyed the fries with a refreshing glass of Pinot Grigio. As I was choosing my main, the Simple Prep Fish (which was a marinate of EVOO, dill and lemon), the server suggested I go with the Gem Salad as pair. All of my favourite ingredients put together in a meal – yes I will!

The filet of fish was thin and so the flavors were evenly distributed. I asked for my salad dressing on the side and thankfully so because it was the perfect accent to the fish. The mister got the RH burger which was a double pattie – which he said was also good.

We did stroll around the store before and after lunch. In my humble opinion, the pieces are more suited for a mansion than a small suburban home. Thankfully the cafe doesn’t give off that vibe at all]. And for me the food was way more delightful.

(Tip from a local: if you are going to the restaurant, get there early. They do not take reservations and the wait time can be anywhere from 10-60 min)

Maghmour Recipe – Eggplant and Chickpea curry

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Since becoming a pescaterian I have re-fallen in love with eggplant! I’ve been trying different recipes and came across this Lebanese Maghmour. It’s garlicky, thick, slightly smokey and incredibly velvety.

Perfect with rice, salad, as a dip or on its own.

So good I had to make twice in 1 weekend 😂

I recently got an Instant Pot so I figured I should put my crockpot into semi retirement. And I’ve swapped my Nutribullet for a big mouth food processor. I also got a hand held emulsion blender. Oh and I got a crank chop – by far the best kitchen tool I’ve tried!

After years and years of not having much kitchen equipment I now have so many options! Safe to say, I’m looking for new recipes to try with all my new tools!

That said I didn’t use ANY of those to make this dish. I also put a little more of a desi spin on it by using haldi (tumeric) and dhannia (coriander powder). They add colour and thickness to stew/curry like dishes respectfully.

What you’ll need:

– 2 large eggplants, cut into 1-2 inch pieces (leave the skin on)

– 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

– 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes, including juice

– 1 tbsp. tomato paste

– ½ – 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

– 1 large onion, diced

– 8-10 cloves of garlic, minced (you can also use garlic powder to taste)

1 tsp. Smoked Paprika

– 1-2 cups water

– Tumeric, coriander powder, salt and pepper to taste/likeness

What you’ll do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay non stick foil onto a baking sheet
To a large bowl add the chopped eggplant and add in enough olive oil to coat the eggplant. Mix with your hands to coat evenly. Lay on the baking sheets and roast until done, about 15-25 minutes. Turning half way through. When done, remove from the oven, lightly salt and set aside.
In a large pot add another portion of the EVOO. Add the onions and cook until they become transparent, make sure to stir constantly to avoid sticking. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper to taste and then add garlic. Stirring constantly for about 1-3 minutes.
Add the eggplant cubes, drained chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato paste, smoked paprika and about half of the water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if the mixture gets dry. I like to try the dish and add salt/pepper/EVOO as necessary. I also added tumeric and coriander (1/2 teaspoon here and there as needed).
Serve and enjoy! You can store the dish in the fridge for 5 days (but it will probably be finished before that 😋)