Guys, first off I’d like to thank you all so much for your many encouraging words after last week’s honest rant about having a newborn. Commiserating is the best isn’t it? Seriously, you’ve all made me feel like a normal, loving mother (*as I listen to my girl scream her face off trying to fight a desperately needed nap).
This week I have something much more fluffy and fun to write about. A cookbook! One that sells in ACTUAL bookstores, for which I developed 6 original recipes!
The book is called Homegrown and is written by Mairlyn Smith (published by Whitecap). It celebrates Canadian food and only Canadian food. Within it you’ll find 160 recipes featuring the best damn food our country has to offer. Fruit, veg, beans, grains, meat and seafood; it’s got it all – from east to west coast, too. The recipes were developed by Mairlyn and members of the Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA).
When I learned I’d have the opportunity to contribute to this important book as a Professional Home Economist (PHEc) and member of OHEA, I was bursting with ideas. Being a local food junkie, the whole idea of featuring Canada’s best fits perfectly within my philosophy of choosing ‘homegrown’ whenever possible.
The book has been released just in time for the holidays (subtle hint: buy it for gifts!) and I got my 3 pre-ordered copies this week. You can find it in stores now.
PS It’s currently Amazon’s #1 Hot New Release. Fancy!
Because I tested and re-tested my own recipes while this book was in the works, I’ve been looking forward to trying some of my colleague’s recipes.
This one comes from Rosemarie Superville, PHEc and food stylist. It is SO insanely good. And healthy and colourful. Ooh, and quick and easy. It’s all the things a great recipe should be.
And lookie whose recipe is on the opposite page!
You’ll notice there are some pretty obvious non-Canadian spices in the recipe. Using a variety of spices and condiments was the one rule we bent, because as Mairlyn says “we’re not writing a pioneer book!”.
If you want your own copy of Homegrown (and trust me, you do) you can buy it through Amazon or Indigo-Chapters online or at a brick and mortar bookstore near you.
Erin
Roasted Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad
Serves | Makes 4 ½ cups, one serving = ¾ cup |
Ingredients
- 1 Large sweet potato (peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces)
- ¼ cup + 2 tspcanola oil (divided)
- ½ teaspoon salt (divided)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (divided)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 can (540 mL) lentils (well rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup cooked edamame (fresh or frozen)
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- ⅓ cup dried canberries
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro ((I used parsley))
Directions
1. | Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. |
2. | In large bowl toss together sweet potato, 2 tsp canola oil, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Spread evenly on pan and roast 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown and tender. Cool slightly. |
3. | In a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup canola oil, vinegar, maple syrup, cumin, coriander, curry powder, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. |
4. | Add cooled sweet potatoes and remaining ingredients and toss gently to coat. Chill at least 1 hour to blend flavours. |
1
Janis Evans says
This salad was awesome! My whole family loved it. Thank you for sharing!