Cilantro & Lime Quinoa Salad

Happy Easter, everyone! Though I am missing out on my family's Easter celebrations, Good Friday was indeed a good day with some beautiful weather. I spent the morning volunteering at a local meals-on-wheels kitchen, where I made 50 servings of finely-chopped fruit salad and a lot of beets. I am a relatively new volunteer at this organization, but I love the sense of community and the assortment of people who come together to provide sustainable and affordable food for those who need it. And even though chopping fruit is not exactly a test of my culinary creativity, there is something nice about just being in the kitchen and knowing that you are providing people with nourishment.

The gym was closed and it was a gorgeous and sunny spring day, so I grabbed my bike and headed down to the track to get out of the spin room and breathe some fresh air during my workout. I have to admit, I felt a little silly listening to the somewhat-ominous sounds emanating from my supercycle as actual cyclists zoomed past on their fancy bikes, but it was still a really nice way to spend a couple of hours outside. I must admit though, I really really miss running and rowing and feeling strong and competent during my workouts.

To finish off my day, I had a lovely vegetarian dinner with a friend. She made some delicious tofu veggie patties, and I brought over this quinoa salad. It had been in my fridge for a couple of days, so I livened it up by mixing in the diced flesh of two small avocados and a few handfuls of chickpeas - additions which I highly recommend.

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Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Quiche

Spring? Is that you? I think it might be.... the sky is bright blue, the temperatures are warming up, and the snow is definitely melting. I am ready to whip out the summer dresses (check) go for a run (hear that, foot?) and... eat some buttnernut squash? I don't believe this "winter" squash nonsense. Squash is a spring food, too. And fall. And summer. There is no wrong time to eat squash.

In celebration of Easter, I decided to make my favourite eggiest dish: quiche, featuring roasted vegetables and a coconut oil crust. A little bit of spring, a little bit of winter, a little bit of summer, and some herbs and creamy ricotta to tie everything together. The roasted carrots, mushrooms and squash add some depth and colour to this quiche, complementing the light and fluffy egg and ricotta base.

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Butternut Squash and Chickpea Tagine

Dear springtime: please stop being such a tease.

Is it just me, or does it feel like every few days the air is full of that lovely feeling of almost-spring? It's not that I don't like snow, but we have now passed the equinox and my calendar says that it is not supposed to be winter. The days are longer than the nights, and the snow piles still towering over bus shelters are throwing me off.

The one thing that I appreciate about this week's surprise blizzard was the (hopefully) last chance to curl up by my window with a hot and hearty bowl of stew and watch the giant blowing flakes of snow endlessly piling up outside. 

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