Monthly Archives: March 2010

Just Beet it!

Posted on by
Reply

Honestly. I’ve wanted to spread the good word about this place for some time now. This post is a bit overdue and I want to say thank you to those of you who patiently waited for me to write it. 

If you’ve read any of my earlier posts about my trip to the Junction, you may remember me referencing the beet organic café which was on my list of places to visit but unfortunately didn’t get there on time before it closed. Well, just a few weeks ago I found myself back in the Junction once again and this time I made sure to stop in. 

 

The beet is an organic café that serves up delicious and nutritious food and a whole lot more. Owned by a Registered Nutritionist and Homeopathic Doctor, I must say this café is the real deal when it comes to real food. The menu is completely designed by these two ladies so you can rest assured you are getting only top-notch quality when it comes to optimal nutrition. I had the pleasure of speaking to the lovely Michelle Vella, Registered Nutritionist, who shared with me her vision from a few years back of wanting to open a café that served up the kind of food that she would feel good about putting in her own mouth. Everything that is served up is organic, locally sourced (when available) and Certified Fair Trade if imported. The café even goes one step further offering 100% biodegradable packaging and has an interior design made up of sustainable and recycled materials. It’s a truly eco-friendly café! 

The menu varies from breakfast items, sandwiches/wraps and dinner entrées, to fresh squeezed juices and grab-and-go items if you are on the run. Also on the menu – organic wine and beer!  Furthermore there is an assortment of vegan and gluten/wheat-free items to choose from.  Be sure to check out their menu on the website listed below for their daily specials and to see the full array of delicious choices available. Also keep in mind that their menu is ever-evolving with the seasons so that freshness and taste are never compromised. 

When I stopped into the café with a few friends one Saturday afternoon, it was that in-between time when you’ve already ate lunch but you’re not quite ready for dinner yet. We had more or less stopped in for a drink and a little something sweet. I ordered one of their digestive elixirs which intrigued my friends so much that they followed suit. What you get is a shot of  intestinal friendly kombucha in a fresh pressed apple/ginger juice combo. Truly refreshing! Between the 3 of us we sampled the vegan wheat-free chocolate beet cupcake, the gluten-free almond cookie and the vegan kamut ginger cookie. All were delish and satisfied our want for something sweet. I have to say though, I’m looking forward to going back and actually eating a full meal there. I’m thinking dinner. 

Yummy stuff

  

Kombucha Mojitos! Nevermind the pretty flower that has seen better days.

 The beet has the kind of warm ambiance and neighbourhood charm that will surely make you feel right at home. And for the superior quality you are getting the prices are right. Because of the location of this still up-and-coming neighborhood, you won’t pay the same prices that you would if this café was smack downtown. Rumour has it that they also have a nice patio for soaking up the sunshine when the weather is nice.

Check it out! 

As an aside, I just want to comment that I have no vested interest in reviewing any of the restaurants that I visit other than wanting to spread the word about real food experiences that I enjoy and to give people healthy options when it comes to eating out. If I don’t like a place or have a bad experience somewhere, I simply just choose not to write about it. I’ll save that for the real food critics! That’s not what this site is about. Anyways, just saying… 

___________________________________________________________________ 

Check out the deets on the beet! 

http://www.thebeet.ca

2945 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON

Do the Local-Motion!

Posted on by
Reply

What a beautiful weekend it was! Hope you all had the opportunity to soak up some of the lovely sunshine and breathe in the fresh (well, as fresh as you can get living in the city) crisp air. I have to say it was the perfect weekend for putting on the walking shoes and spending the afternoon out and about perusing the city streets.

I love how a little sunny 8 degree Celsius weather in March brings even the most homebound Canadian out of hibernation.  

This kind of weather wets our palate and gives us a little taste of what lies ahead. Spring! However, before you get too excited and start buying all those imported strawberries that are cropping up at many grocers, let’s just remember that local and in-season is still our best option when it comes to fresh flavour. Furthermore, it’s best to buy organic when you can. Read my post here on when you should buy organic and when you can be a bit more frugal.

So here we are at the beginning of March and you may be wondering… what is available locally right now? Well the answer to that is still the same (in many cases) as it was back in autumn and the dead of winter. Root vegetables!! It’s inevitably difficult to avoid spotting these guys occupying much of the shelf space at your local grocer this time of year. On a sidenote, just a friendly reminder that I’m writing from Toronto, Ontario so depending on where you are living this may not apply to you.

For those of you though who have an ample supply of root veggies at your finger tips, here’s an easy peasy recipe that you can put in your back pocket and pull out time and time again. It’s the kind of dish that is sure to be a crowd pleaser when entertaining guests.

This recipe isn’t anything new, but in case you haven’t already jumped on the root veggie train, here you go!

Recipe – Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary

 

 

Ingredients

3 cups of carrots

2 cups of parsnips

1 large turnip

1 celeriac root

2 sweet potatoes

1 red onion

10 cloves of garlic peeled

1/3 cup of olive oil

Sea salt (to taste)

Fresh or dried rosemary

Note: In most cases you should be able to get all of these ingredients locally, however garlic may be a bit harder to come by in March. In which case you’ll have to opt for imported. Also – feel free to use whatever root veggies your little heart desires. You may opt to use larger amounts of one root and/or omit others. Make it your own!

 

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Peel and wash all root vegetables and cut into chunks. The key is to have similar size chunks so that they cook evenly and at the same rate. Onions are the exception, and can be cut into quartered or halved (larger) chunks because they cook faster than the other vegetables.
  3. Place all cut root veggies into a roasting pan and add the whole cloves of garlic.
  4. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped fresh (or dried) rosemary and sea salt.
  5. Make sure all root veggies are covered with oil.
  6. Place in oven uncovered and leave approx 45 -60 minutes until veggies are softened and slightly browned on the edges.

The dry heat of the oven caramelizes the sugars of the root vegetables so that you are left with a deliciously sweet and flavourful dish.  Even those individuals who don’t like vegetables usually love this one.

Enjoy!