Author: Melissa

Sausage, Kale & White Bean Soup

Published by

Recipe developed by Melissa (@seasonserveblog) and Amy (@figscheeseandchampignon) in collaboration with Amelia (@tastingvictoria). Words and photos by Melissa (@seasonserveblog) Today, I am sharing a one-pot recipe for Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup. This recipe is simple to make and uses fresh and local ingredients. Plus, it comes together in less than one hour, so this is a perfect meal for any night of the week! A Traditional Italian Soup with a West Coast Spin White bean soup is a classic Italian recipe that I grew up eating for most of my life. Originating in Tuscany, this thick and hearty soup is known as ‘Ribollita’ (i.e. ‘reboiled’) and is made with white beans and any leftover vegetables and bread that one may have on hand.  The beauty of this soup is that it changes based on the seasons, what is locally available, and the chef’s own taste, so there are various recipes and adaptations of this original soup recipe.  But today, I’m taking this recipe and adopting it for the west coast with locally made …

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Published by

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone! When I was thinking of recipes to make for Saint Patrick’s Day, I immediately thought of this Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad. Made with tons of fresh parsley and fresh mint, the salad is as green as it can get! Plus, the salad is delicious and a much healthier way to celebrate this famous Irish holiday. The Power of Fresh Herbs I’ve recently been on a bit of a health kick since we have our wedding coming up this fall. I’ve turned to cooking a lot of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods since they are very flavorful and nutritious. Typically, these types of cuisines are nutritious and are assembled quickly with just a few ingredients as well making them perfect for weekday dinners. I think parsley is one of the more underrated herbs used in the kitchen. You often see parsley used as a garnish that is often tossed away after a meal. However, parsley has many health benefits and is full of vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium. Parsley also has antibacterial …

Shirazi Salad

Published by

While we still have a few more weeks of winter to go, I’m really craving light and refreshing spring/summer foods. However, during the winter months, fresh produce is not always the best quality here in Canada. But luckily in BC, we have lots of local greenhouses that sell fresh local produce year round! This simple, refreshing Shirazi Salad was inspired by these locally grown greenhouse veggies. Local BC Produce While winter tomatoes and cucumbers cannot compare to fresh summer ones, greenhouse-grown veggies are a great alternative in the winter months. We are lucky here in BC to have lots of local farmers that grow greenhouse produce year-round that we have access to. I really prefer to buy local in general to support local farmers and producers, but also because the produce tastes so much better than those that come from far away such as Mexico or New Zealand. I was lucky enough to find local greenhouse tomatoes and Persian cucumbers at my local grocery store, and I immediately jumped on them to make this delicious …

Valentine’s Day Crêpes: Two Ways

Published by

When you think of Valentine’s Day, you probably associate it with lots of sweets like candy chocolate. While I do enjoy the occasional sweet treat, I do prefer to eat more savory foods, even on Valentine’s Day.  This year, I wanted to try to make a savory recipe that can easily be adopted and be made sweet if desired. When I was thinking of recipes to make, I was trying to go for dinner recipes and dessert recipes. Both of these were a little difficult to create a recipe with a sweet and savoury version, so I decided to make a breakfast/brunch recipe instead. I think this works out so well because everyone enjoys a delicious breakfast! Crêpes are an incredibly versatile recipe since they are simple to make, have a relatively neutral flavour, but can be filled with different fillings or toppings. Plus since they’re French and super romantic, I thought this would be the perfect recipe for Valentine’s Day! For my savoury crêpe recipe, I made a Croque Madame Crêpe. This crêpe has …

Winter Melon Soup

Published by

If you overindulged during Chinese New Year festivities this year, or if you are just looking to reset and detoxify your body, this Winter Melon Soup is the perfect thing to eat! It is filled with vegetables, nutrient-rich pork bone broth, and a few really good Chinese medicines. Pork Broth and Pork Ribs There are many versions a Chinese soups out there, but I love this Winter Melon Soup the most! For the base of the recipe, I use pork bone broth as well as pork bone ribs to add a little bit more protein. Pork bone broth has become a bit of a rage these days. If you look into its nutritional benefits you can definitely see why people are starting to drink this broth more and more. Not only is it full of nutrients such as calcium, iron, and magnesium, it is also rich in collagen and may help protect or ease tension or pain in your joints.  You get a little bit more of these benefits from adding the pork ribs as …

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Published by

Happy Chinese New Year! To celebrate the Year of the Rat, I am serving up lots of delicious Chinese dishes for this big day, including one of my most favourite Chinese recipes: Vegetable Spring Rolls! One of the Best Crowd-Pleasing Recipes These Vegetable Spring Rolls are a crowd-pleaser for many reasons. They are warm, crispy and full of delightful vegetables and noodles. Plus, they can be enjoyed by everyone—vegetarians included! For the filling, I combine shredded carrots, cabbage, woodear mushrooms, scallions, rice noodles, and a few key Chinese sauces and oils. Then, I wrap the filling in store-bought spring roll wraps (yay for convenience!) before they are plunged into a pot of oil and are deep fried until crispy. I have another recipe for Baked Spring Rolls that works great too, but I like to deep-fry these when celebrating special events such as Chinese New Year. Once they come out of the fryer, I drain the excess oil and serve them warm with a side of Plum Sauce for dipping. As I was crunched for …

Beef Chow Mein

Published by

Chinese New Year is just a few days away and I’m getting around to finalizing my menu for the big day!  With any Chinese New Year menu, including a noodle dish is a must as it symbolizes having a long life. So make sure you don’t cut the noodles– the longer the noodle the better!  A Bit about Chow Mein Noodles There are so many noodle dishes that you can make, however this year, I opted for making a homemade Beef Chow Mein. You can find chow mein noodles in just about any grocery store these days, and they take just a few minutes to make. Plus, I love the texture of these noodles since they are so thin as well as the fact that they can pick up any flavours you pair with them! With most brands of chow mein noodles, you have to boil them separately for a few minutes before adding them into the vegetables since they are uncooked. It only takes just a few minutes since the noodles are so thin!  …

Apple Cider Citrus Fizz

Published by

I am starting the year off strong with my new favourite drink recipe: Apple Cider Citrus Fizz! This concoction my sound strange, but it tastes delicious and packs a bunch of health benefits that can help you start off the New Year on the right foot! But really, you can enjoy this drink at any time….I especially can’t wait for the summer to enjoy this on the patio! The Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Citrus The health benefits of this drink are mainly derived from the apple cider vinegar and the citrus juice that I add to this drink recipe. Apple cider vinegar has risen in popularity in the past few years in the health community. It is known (and actually has proven scientific evidence) for its benefits for lowering blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and even helping you lose weight if consumed regularly. Plus, it  contains beneficial bacteria that promote gut health that will keep you feeling good! *Note- guidelines suggest consuming only up to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per …

New Years Intentions & Upcoming Events in 2020

Published by

Happy New Year!🍾✨ As we begin a new year (and new decade!), I always try to set some goals and intentions to improve my life in the coming year. These goals and intentions are framed a bit differently than traditional resolutions, which to me, feel more pressured and like you have to achieve no matter what. My goals and intentions are things that I truly want for myself and my wellbeing. I don’t feel immense pressure to achieve them, and I’m working on them at my own pace and on my own terms. If you’re setting your goals and intentions for 2020, you can get some ideas on things you may wish to achieve in my post down below and you can see my process on how I plan my goals and intentions for the year! And apart from setting goals and intentions, I also like to plan out the year so that I can look forward to all the fun travel and exciting life milestones that are in store for 2020. And this year…I …

Cheese & Thyme Gougères

Published by

We are on the last day of 2019 and I can’t believe what an exciting (and tasty) year it’s been! From making tons of delicious recipes to doing my first paid collaboration to starting a YouTube channel (!), it’s been so fun and so rewarding to have this outlet to do what I love and share it with so many others who love food! Of course, I could not let this year go out without a bangin’ recipe, so for the final post in my #AppyHolidays series, I am sharing this wonderful recipe for my Cheese & Thyme Gougères! These are the perfect treat to ring in the new year and go great with a glass of bubbly! 🍾 What are Gougères? Gougères are these little delicious cheesy puffs that are incredibly light and airy. The base is made of choux pastry, which consists of flour, water, and butter. These are cooked over the stove until the dough comes together in a nice smooth ball. After that, whole eggs are mixed in one at a …