For so many of us, winter has been far too long and cold this year – even for us here in Sardinia. Case in point, we experienced the first major snowfall on the island in over 30 years! Lucky for us the snow lasted only for a day here, and although the weather is unseasonably cool for the island, temperatures are rising and the sun is shining. Spring is on its way!

Farmers’ markets are on the verge of the new season, and soon we’ll be savouring all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables. Considering mother nature is still somewhat confused about temperatures, it still feels a little bit early to be preparing fresher, lighter dishes. This healthy salad is the perfect transition recipe from winter to spring. It’s loaded with versatile chickpeas (a vegan’s stick-to-your-ribs staple for winter), fresh crunchy rocket and has the perfect blend of nuttiness and bitter, fresh-tasting greens. The crumbled feta, dill, tangy olives, and easy to prepare lemon vinaigrette are reminiscent of traditional Greek flavours. If you’re not a fan of chickpeas or arugula they can be substituted with lentils or your favourite legume and kale or other bitter leafy greens. This chickpea salad is great for a quick lunch, a pack n’ go picnic staple, and a simple and unique salad to serve to guests at a dinner party.

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Eggplant Parmesan is one of those quintessential Italian comfort foods and it often reminds me of nonna’s home-cooking, bringing me back to her basement kitchen where she spent the majority of her time whipping up homemade meals. Eggplant Parmesan is a labour of love, but it’s so worth the effort and time it takes to prepare it. Having said that, as much as one might want to, we don’t always have the time to prepare such labour and time-intensive meals. With this dish you’re essentially making that same comfort food, just a lighter and less time-consuming version of it. You can also feel good about making this recipe because you are reducing the amount of fat and calories by using less mozzarella and by baking the eggplant as opposed to deep-frying it. Although (in my opinion) the fresh tomato sauce is a key ingredient in this recipe, you can cut more corners by preparing this with jarred tomato sauce. This dish might seem less flavourful than the traditional recipe but I can assure that the flavour of the eggplant really shines through and is the perfect canvas for the tangy tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and refreshing basil leaves.

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I’m an honest person. Honest enough to admit my failures in the kitchen – this being one of them. I have made numerous attempts at preparing homemade falafels, but they never came to fruition as well as I had anticipated. Years later, and many a chickpea wasted, I finally discovered my one and only error, which can literally make or break this recipe –  the chickpeas! When it comes to preparing falafel from scratch, it is important to use dry, uncooked chickpeas (rather than the canned variety) to ensure your falafels are light and fluffy, as opposed to dense and flattened. The entire process is really quite easy; soak the chickpeas overnight, grind them until fine and crumbly, add the remaining ingredients, form into patties, fry, and voilà!

Garnish this protein-packed vegetarian appetizer with tahini paste or a quick-fix yogurt dip made with cucumbers and fresh dill. Or, serve as a main on top of a fresh salad, like this Quinoa Tabbouleh, or paired with your favourite protein. Although the ingredients listed are ‘exact’ measurements, there’s always room for a bit of interpretation. For example, if you love falafels with a punch of flavour add more garlic, herbs, and spices. Also, depending on how much you’ve soaked the chickpeas and dried them, you might have to add a tablespoon or so of water at a time as you prepare the mixture until you get the perfect consistency. The falafels should be firm enough to hold together but not too wet. Once you get that perfect consistency you are good to go. Just quickly form patties with your hands then set then cook the falafels until golden perfection!

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Potatoes in tomato sauce are made throughout the Mediterranean area, from Spain and Portugal to Italy and Greece. It’s amazing how such a simple dish can be so flavourful and have so many variations. Even better? This dish can be prepared in about 30 minutes and requires little effort to prepare. Case in point, last night’s dinner – which ended up being these potatoes, and only these potatoes. Tonight was a particularly busy night – picked up the kids from school, then off to dance class, ran a few errands, and then got home with only about 30 minutes to spare before dinner time.

I prepared this meal – which literally involved chopping some onions and potatoes then throwing them into a pot with the remaining ingredients, while the kids unpacked their backpacks and settled in. The fridge was borderline empty and the most I could have added as an accompaniment to these mediterranean potatoes in tomato sauce were a few random pieces of mozzarella however, there was no need. A warm bowl of this healthy comfort food was enough to fill mine and the kid’s bellies. A veggie dish that is hearty and filling enough to serve as a main in my kind of meal!

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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There are few foods that you can eat any time of the day, frittata being one of them. They’re so easy to throw together – essentially all you need are eggs and some cheese, but healthy add-ins like vegetables take them to another level. There’s no doubt I am a fan of frittatas. I love experimenting with different ingredients and creating a variety of flavour combinations. Another reason to make frittatas? They can be served cold, warmed, or at  room temperature they taste even better the next day, meaning they make for ideal leftovers.

When it comes to consuming ready-to-expire veggies in the crisper, I have frittatas to thank for not being wasteful. Besides using up produce before it spoils, they require little to no prep, and minimal creativity. If you have eggs and some cheese, you can make a frittata. The additional ingredients are sometimes an afterthought, depending on what is lingering the fridge. And if you only have some eggs and cheese on hand, then you are good to go since even these three simple ingredients still result in a delicious dish. Once you learn the basics of the preparation – in this case stove-top preparation, adding on ingredients and experimenting with different flavours is a cinch. Have a go at creating interesting flavour combos, like zucchini and chorizo, kale and feta, or in this case potato and saffron.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me onInstagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

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If you’ve been following this Blog for a while the you’ll know about my love affair with quinoa. One taste of this wholesome gluten-free grain was all it took to fall head over heels in love with it. Besides the fact that it is super nutritious, it’s also packed with protein, which makes it an ideal grain to consume for vegetarians who are lacking protein in their diets. The quinoa recipes I’ve prepared are countless, and it never ceases to amaze me how this grain continues to inspire new recipes, for example this quinoa-based rendition of traditional Greek salad. It has all the fixings of an authentic Greek salad; tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, onions, feta cheese, and so on, but with a heartier texture. Quinoa is the perfect grain to use as a blank canvas is so many recipes as it easily absorbs all the flavours it’s combined with. This refreshing and healthy Greek quinoa salad tastes delicious served cooled or at room temperature, and the best part is it tastes even better the longer it sits. What does that mean? Healthy, ready-to-serve lunches or dinners for days, to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home, packed up in school lunches or a healthy lunch option at work.

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The summer heat is still going strong here in Sardinia. In fact, this week has been one of the hottest since we arrived in early July. At any given point of the day – that is, if we’re not frolicking in the Mediterranean sea, we are searching for refuge from the heat; ice water, which is a rare find in Italy, since according to an old wive’s tale, can cause ‘blocco di stomaco’, (which could apparently kill you), air conditioner set to max, and super fresh meals, mainly salads prepared with fresh veggies from our garden. Albeit I love a fresh summer salad, I’m a grain kind of gal, and often incorporate grains into my summer salads. I love a hearty grain like quinoa or rice since they’re very versatile and can be served hot or cold. As of late Ive been preparing mostly cold rice salad recipes, like Sweet Pea Prosciutto Rice Salad, Italian Rice Salad, and this new addition to my repertoire!

You’d think that the best part of this salad would be that it is so easy to prepare – albeit a bit time-consuming if you do choose to experiment with black rice. Even better, it tastes even more delicious the longer the flavours have to sit and mingle. That means you can double the recipe and enjoy leftovers for days! My one suggestion would be to add the cherry tomatoes right before you serve the leftovers so they don’t create too much excess liquid in the salad, and top off the salad with some more fresh arugula for a crunchy bite.

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Summers in Sardinia are hot, and consequently the oven rarely gets turned on. Fresh salads are an integral part to summer fare, but since they are prepared so often they can get so predictable and boring. This salmon quinoa salad is definitely more interesting than your average salad. It was a no-brainer to prepare for lunch today since I had all of the ingredients on hand, including the green beans which were freshly picked from our garden this morning! The delicious combination of avocado, salmon, green beans, lemons, and capers actually surpassed my expectations. The lemon caper vinaigrette really makes this salad pop, while the quinoa makes it hearty enough to be considered a meal all on its own. On that note, I’m over lettuce-based salads at the moment. Eating lighter fare for the summer does come with the territory, but sometimes you just need a heartier, richer, and more flavourful salad to satisfy your hunger. And this salad is it! 

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Summer days in Sardinia also call for the beach! And the stunning beaches are plentiful here. Now that the kids are older visits to the beach are much easier – they carry their own toys, change themselves, and put on their own sunscreen. Even better, they can feed themselves! Long gone are the days when I had to prop them up against a beach bag, feed them with a spoon and ensure they didn’t fall over into the sand, or even eat the sand! Now they plop themselves down on their towels, grab their snacks out of the cooler, and we’re good to go.

This healthy summer pasta salad is one of their favourites. They’re not big fans of cooked vegetables, but fresh veggies are a winner, especially when they are homegrown ones that they’ve helped grow in our garden. The combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil is already delicious, but the addition of black olives adds some tanginess, and the fresh mozzarella gives a creamy flavour. All you need as a condiment is some extra virgin olive oil and a touch of salt. This fresh healthy salad can be served at room temperature or cooled, and makes for a great pack n’go meal. It tastes even more delicious the day after prepared as the flavours have time to sit and combine.

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I have a confession to make. I’m obsessed with cauliflower. It actually surprises me that I haven’t posted more cauliflower-inspired recipes on the Blog, considering I roast an entire head of cauliflower at least once a week. If you’ve never tasted roasted cauliflower, you’re missing out. Slowly roasting the cauliflower coaxes out all the natural sugars, resulting in sweet, caramelized, tender florets.

My other obsession? Quinoa. It should be a pantry staple in everyone’s kitchen. It has a rich, nutty flavour, is loaded with protein, and tastes delicious with just about everything. There is always a bag or two of quinoa stashed in my pantry. Albeit quinoa is easy to come by nowadays, the quality of it varies extensively. Since I consume it so often it’s important for me to choose the best quality brand, like GoGo Quinoa . The combination of the caramelized cauliflower and the nutty quinoa, dressed with a creamy and tangy avocado lime vinaigrette makes this clean eating recipe full of fresh, simple flavours, yet rich and satisfying too!

I have one more confession to make. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t convince my kids to eat this. For starters, there’s green in it. Enough said. Secondly, they have yet to appreciate cauliflower as much as I do – no matter which way I prepare it. It’s all good. They’ll get there, and in the meantime, I’ll serve myself seconds!

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