Classic Potato Fries

Potatoes are great. I don't think I've ever met someone who doesn't like potatoes... Don't get me wrong, I like sweet potatoes as well, but fries made from white potatoes cannot be replaced. Today I made some for my lunch and decided to photograph the experience.

Classic Potato Fries (serves ~ 2 - 4)

4 medium sized white potatoes - I used yellow-fleshed, but use whatever you have on hand!
1/2 tsp olive oil
1.5 tsp dried basil
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425F. Chop the potatoes in half lengthways, and then again on either side (as if cutting into quarters lengthways). Cut each of these pieces into your desired fry thickness and place in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spread out the fries evenly and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Serve with ketchup and enjoy!

Almond Coconut Granola

Last month I made a nutty chocolate granola that I baked at a temperature that was.... too toasty. It ended up a little crisp but I finished it off. This time, I wanted to make something with the leftover almond pulp I had from making almond milk last weekend.

I found a recipe and made a few substitutions and came up with this brilliant and golden GRANOLA!

Almond Coconut Granola (serves many :)

2 cups almond pulp
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
4 tbsp honey
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly and then combine with the wet. Mix until well combined and then lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 300F for 20 - 25 minutes - until golden!

**If your almond pulp isn't exactly dry, throw it on the baking sheet first and bake for about 10 minutes until slightly toasted and drier.

Serve by itself as a snack, or with almond milk and fruit for breakfast :)

Winter Roasted Vegetables

I was going to a friend's Christmas dinner and was asked to bring a vegetable or starch. To this I answered BOTH! I really wanted to make a roasted potato wedge recipe, as well as something else. I realized I had never roasted broccoli before and decided today was the day to change that.

Garlic Roasted Potato Wedges (serves ~ 6 - 8)

4 - 6 white potatoes
3 - 4 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut the potatoes into wedges and place in a mixing bowl.

Add all listed ingredients and mix well until all slices are coated evenly.

Lay the wedges evenly on a foil lined cookie sheet.

Roast for 35 - 45 minutes or until just browned. Serve immediately!


The next recipe was surprisingly delicious and the flavours complimented each other quite well. This will not be the last time I roast broccoli!

Lemon Garlic Roasted Broccoli (serves ~ 8)

2 large heads of broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces
5 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic
3 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine broccoli, oil, basil and garlic in a bowl and toss. Lay on a cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper or foil). Roast for 20 - 25 minutes. After removing from oven sprinkle or toss in the lemon juice, zest and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately!

DIY Almond Butter

I've always wondered how easy it was to make your own almond butter. As I suspected, it was as easy as food processing a bunch of almonds! With a bit of smooshing of course...

We normally roast our almonds, so this wasn't technically raw, but you could definitely use raw almonds.

I used about 3 cups of almonds which yielded almost one full mason jar of butter.

I used the only blade we own which is an S-shaped blade. When you first begin processing it will be quite loud, however as the nuts are ground smaller it will reduce significantly. At first it will form almond meal, or almond flour. As the oils are released it will start to clump and form larger chunks.

Continue to use a spatula every few minutes along the sides to make sure everything is well combined.

Eventually (5 or 10 minutes later) it will become a smooth butter consistency. HOORAY! At this point you could add in spices like cinnamon, vanilla or cocoa powder and continue to blend for a few more minutes.

Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge. Use in desserts, on toast or just with a simple banana for a great snack :) Almonds are less acidic than peanuts, which make them an interesting nut and more alkalizing for your body!