Lemon Fusilli

Fusilli can be substituted for any type of pasta, including whole wheat, corn and rice pastas. A perfect side dish for grilled chicken! Adapted from here.

• 3/4 lb fusilli (approx)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 C olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 C fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 C fresh lemon juice (I squeezed the juice out of one whole lemon)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parmesan, grated

Cook pasta and drain. Leave in pot. Heat olive oil and butter in a small saucepan, and add minced garlic. Cook until garlic is tender. Pour oil and garlic mixture over pasta. Add the parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss. Put into a serving dish and top with the fresh parmesan.

Home

Finally back in Vancouver, BC. Going to H&M, Holt Renfrew, and out for sushi later today. I couldn’t be happier : )

Wisdom

“Only floss the teeth you want to keep.” – unknown

The livin’ is easy

My weekly Marc feature.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Loaf

See, I just had to prove how terrible I am at food photography. I made the picture small because it is horribly out of focus. Maybe my problem is that I don’t have a real camera. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this yummy loaf! Dark chocolate chips or chopped nuts make a great addition.

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 C cooking oil
• 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 1 C grated zucchini, unpeeled
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 C whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Beat the eggs until frothy. Add oil and sugar and beat some more. Add zucchini and vanilla and stir. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and add to the zucchini mixture. Stir just to moisten. Pour into a greased loaf pan (9x5x3 inch), and bake for 50-60 min at 350F. Let stand for 10 min, then remove from loaf pan and wrap in tinfoil or saran wrap. Before baking I added an oatmeal topping, made from 1 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp oatmeal, 1 tsp brown sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Mumford & Sons

Osmia Avosetta Collection

An extraordinary collection by designer and artist Lydia Buxton.

London

June 2010.

Back to School

With TopShop and T.Babaton.

 

Grilled Chicken 101

How to grill chicken on the BBQ. I love BBQ season (which is year-round on the west coast! Yeah, you should move here).

• 2-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, thyme, or basil are my faves)
• A little salt and pepper

Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Put the chicken into a baking pan. Pour the marinade over top and spread it around. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for awhile (usually 30 min). Fire up the BBQ, and let it warm up on medium heat. Grill chicken for 15 min with the lid closed. Turn over at least once. Cut the chicken open to check that it’s cooked through before serving.

Simple Summer Iced Tea

Good for you. You can use pretty much any type of tea you want. My favourites are Cream of Earl Grey, Lime Gelato, and Darjeeling Green.

• 2-3 tea bags, or about 1/4 C loose tea
• 1 1/2 C boiling water
• Lots of ice cubes
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 lemon, halved

Pour boiling water over tea bags or loose tea (I usually put the loose tea into a coffee filter). Let steep for about 3-5 min, remove bags and add sugar. Stir to dissolve. Fill a large serving pitcher half full with ice cubes and cold water. Squeeze the juice from one lemon half into the pitcher, and add the slices from the other half of the lemon to the pitcher. Pour the tea mixture into the pitcher and stir. Add more ice cubes and/or cold water as needed.

Want nice abs? Do hurdles.

Sign me up. London 2012.

Take me back to Paris…

Montmartre, June 2010.

Coral

No, I probably will never stop posting pictures of Marc bags.

Fresh Veggie Omelettes

So healthy, so yummy, so filling. Top with salsa or Sriracha for a little more kick.

• 1/2 orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 5-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 4 large eggs
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp olive oil

Lightly saute the peppers and green onion in olive oil. Set aside. Beat two eggs in a small bowl until frothy, and and pour into an oiled frying pan on medium heat. Add a little salt and pepper. Once the eggs are almost cooked through, add half of the sauteed veggies, half of the tomatoes, half of the sliced avocado, and half of the cilantro to one side of the omelette, and fold the other side on top. Cook for a few more minutes on each side. Repeat with the other 2 eggs and other half of the veggies. Makes two omelettes (obviously, haha). Adapted from here.

Bamboozled

Best summer tea: Bamboozled from David’s Tea, iced with a touch of agave.

Honey Vinaigrette

Perfect with the Blueberry & Goat Cheese Salad. Adapted from here.

• 1/4 C White wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp liquid honey
• 2 tsp mayo
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2/3 C olive oil

Whisk together vinegar, honey, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil.

Blueberry & Goat Cheese Salad

Top with grilled chicken. Yummmmy! Adapted from here.

• 6 C mixed greens
• 1/4 C chives, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• 1 C fresh blueberries (frozen work fine, as long as they are thawed)
• 1/3 C goat cheese, crumbled (blue cheese or feta would also be delicious)
• 1/3 C sunflower seeds
• 1/4 C raw almonds
• 2 tsp flax seeds

Roast sunflower seeds, almonds and flax seeds on a baking pan for 5-6 min at 350F. Let cool. Combine mixed greens, chives, cucumber and blueberries in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette dressing and stir. Put into serving bowl, and top with roasted almonds and seeds. Crumble goat cheese on top.

Valtari

Jimmy Choo

I’ll take all three pairs, thanks.

Russian Rye Tuna Melts

Delish.

• 1 can flaked tuna, drained
• 2 Tbsp basil pesto
• Mozzarella slices
• Small loaf of Russian Rye, sliced

Pre-heat oven to 400F. Add pesto to tuna in a small bowl and stir well. Spread pesto tuna  mixture about 1 cm thick onto bread slices. Place one slice of mozzarella on top of each. Bake for 10 min, or until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.

Oh, Marc.

 

I need to go on a vacation so I can take this bag with me.

Farmer Sausage Quiche

Not going to lie, this is not the healthiest thing you could be eating. But it is delicious. And you can make it the night before, refrigerate, and bake in the morning!

• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 C milk
• 1 1/4 C frozen hashbrowns (small cubed work best)
• 1/2 C grated cheese
• 1 C cooked farmer’s sausage, sliced or cubed
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/4 C green onions, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Add milk to eggs and blend well. Add all other ingredients and stir. Pour into a well greased 8″x8″ baking pan. Bake at 350F for 30 min, or until knife comes out clean (it can take up to 40 min sometimes). Original recipe can be found here.

John Galliano

John Galliano pre-fall 2012.

Banana Bran Muffins

I make these every other week (probably because I always have tons of bananas kicking around!) You can substitute the chocolate chips for dried cranberries or blueberries.

• 1 1/2 C wheat bran
• 1 C whole wheat flour
• 1/3 C brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 C dark chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 1 C very ripe bananas, mashed (approximately 3)
• 1/2 C milk
• 1/3 C vegetable oil (or unsweetened applesauce)

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in the centre. Beat eggs  in a small bowl, then add bananas, milk and oil. Stir and pour into well. Stir just to moisten. Put into a greased muffin tin. Bake at 400F for 18-20 minutes. Makes 9 large muffins. They freeze very well.

Gossamer

Run into Yoga

Post-run yoga stretches and shavasana, from Lululemon.

In love.

Grey Marl Dip Maxi Skirt

Power Oatmeal

Best. Breakfast. Ever. Keeps my tummy happy and full for hours.

• 1/3 C porridge oats (I use Rogers, which also contains wheat bran and flax seeds)
• 2/3 C cold water
• pinch of salt
• 1 banana, sliced
• 10 raw almonds
• drizzle of honey

Add oats, water and salt to microwavable bowl and stir. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes. Top with banana slices, almonds and a drizzle of honey.

Printed Trousers

 

Bright floral pants have been one of the summer’s hottest trends, and have paved the way for more neutral patterns for fall. My favourites can be found (from left to right) at H&M, TOPSHOP (UK), Zara, and Gucci.

Backyard Berry Crisp

I made this crisp using berries and rhubarb from my backyard. You can make a healthier version by decreasing the amount of topping by 1/2 (but seriously, the topping is the best part!) You can use any combination of fruit, and top it with some plain, fat-free greek yogurt.

• 5 C of fresh fruit (any combination of apples, pears, peaches, rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries, and/or raspberries)
• 1 C flour
• 1 C brown sugar
• 3/4 C steel-cut oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 margarine

Pre-heat oven to 350. Rinse/core/peel/slice fruit as needed and put into a 11″ x 7″ baking dish. Mix the flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon together in a separate bowl. Cut in the margarine using a pastry knife or fork. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 40 minutes, or until fruit is tender and bubbly.

Back to School with Burberry

…. you are not good for my student budget! A classic Burberry trench is my dream.

Strawberry Slushies *wink wink

Warning: this slushie is not for children! Refreshing and not too sweet. Perfect for a summer BBQ or brunch.

• 2 C fresh strawberries, hulled
• 750 mL bottle of Riesling
• juice from 1/2 a fresh lime
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Separate 1 cup of Riesling, cover and chill in the fridge. Add the remaining wine, strawberries, lime juice and sugar to a blender or food processor and puree. Freeze the puree in ice cube trays for several hours. When ready to serve, add the chilled wine and the frozen cubes to your blender and puree some more. Happy summer!

Original recipe from here.

23 1/2 Hours

Summer Quinoa Salad

There are so many possible variations of this healthy, delicious quinoa salad. You really can add any vegetables you want! I’ve posted my favourite Mediterranean-inspired variation below.

Quinoa

• 1 C rinsed quinoa
• 1 1/2 C cold water
• 1/4 tsp salt

Add quinoa, water and salt to a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn down the heat. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit an additional 5 minutes while still covered. Fluff with a fork and cool.

Vegetables

• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 red, green or yellow pepper, chopped
• 1/2 C halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 C feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 C garbanzo beans, rinsed
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Dressing

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3+ Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Add vegetables, feta cheese and garbanzo beans to cooled quinoa. Combine. Drizzle dressing over top and stir. Chill.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

The most delectable double chocolate cookies known to man. Original recipe from my favourite food blog.

• 1/2 C margarine
• 3/4 C granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 large egg
• 1 C flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream margarine and sugar. Add salt, vanilla, cocoa, and eggs. Stir until combined. Add remaining ingredients and combine. Roll dough into 14ish balls and flatten on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 min. Let sit on pan for at least 5 more min to finish cooking. These end up really nice and chewy if you don’t over bake them!!

Crochet

Crochet detailing is one of my favourite summer trends. These tops showcase delicate crochet elements without looking too girly or too much like your Grandmother’s doily collection. Clockwise, these tops can be found at Top Shop (UK), Ruche, and Plenty (Vancouver).

Fruit & Nut Energy Bars

A simple, healthy take on the traditional granola bar.

• 1/2 C Unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 C Hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 C Sesame seeds
• 4 C Puffed brown rice cereal or puffed wheat cereal
• 1 C Dried cranberries, unsweetened if you can find them!
• 1 C Liquid honey
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Bake seeds in oven for 5 min at 350F. Cool. Put in large, greased bowl. Add cereal and cranberries. Boil honey and salt on medium heat for 5 min (don’t stir!!). Start timing once the honey really starts to bubble. Add to seed & cereal mixture and stir evenly to coat. Press firmly into a greased 9×13 inch pan. Let cool. They cut easily into 18 or 24 bars. The bars won’t become completely hard like store-bought granola bars, but they will hold together pretty well, especially if you keep them chilled. I individually wrap mine in wax paper and store them in the fridge.

My favourite part about this recipe is that you can easily mix and match the ingredients. As long as the end product is approximately the same volume as the recipe above (6.25 cups), you really can’t go wrong! Last time I threw in a bunch of almonds and flax seeds, and next time I am going to use dried blueberries instead of cranberries.

Original recipe from Canadian Living.

Momento Coffee House

Coffee made in a siphon? Why not, says the medicinal chemistry nerd inside me. Momento Coffee House in Kitsilano has some of the best coffee in Vancouver. Don’t miss it. ‘Nuff said.

Guacamole

The most perfect, made-from-scratch recipe.

• 2 Ripe avocados
• 1/2 Red onion, minced
• 1 Serrano chili pepper, minced (remove stem and seeds)
• 3 Tbsp Fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• Juice from 1/2 a lime
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• Dash of pepper

Mash avocado. Add remaining ingredients and mash some more. Refrigerate and cover with saran wrap until ready to serve. Caution: make sure you wash your hands really, really well after handling the chili pepper. Recipe adapted from here.