Grilled Peach & Avocado Toast with Cheddar Cheese 焗烤酪梨桃子與巧達起司三明治

If you ask me what my favourite snack is of the season, I'll probably have to give it to this one! It's one of those recipes that was created when my fridge was sort of empty with a few left-over ingredients. You know how sometimes you're craving a snack during the day, but there's not much around to snack on, so you get really creative and throw anything you've got together? This was one of those cases! But it was so good that I've been making this every end of summer during the peach season, and now, you'll also be able to make it. It's slightly sweet and savoury at the same time, which makes a healthy and delicious snack or even breakfast. And because of that, kids will love it, too!

Grape & Olive Tea Sandwich with Dill 葡萄青橄欖與羊乳酪抹醬英式三明治

This recipe was the first time I tried this combination of toppings on bread, and just like the Strawberry & Radish Tea Sandwich, everyone seemed to really love it at our party! I used local Ontario blue grapes that I found here in season. They're a little smaller than regular grapes, which I thought would be kind of cute, but you can always substitute with regular grapes. With the lemony goat cheese spread and some dill on top, it was the perfect combination of salty-sweet.

Strawberry & Radish Tea Sandwich 草莓櫻桃蘿蔔與羊乳酪抹醬英式三明治

I made this sandwich when I had a little party a few weeks ago and it was very well-received! Not only does it look elegant, it's very simple and delicious at the same time! The creamy spread gives a little hint of lemon and goat cheese flavour, and it blends perfectly with the sweet strawberries and radishes!

Creamy Lemony Goat Cheese Spread 檸檬羊乳酪麵包抹醬

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure to host a little going away party for my dear friend. I could've made several big dishes and had everyone serve themselves, but I thought, why not make it an event that everyone would remember! I've always believed in expressing love and making lasting memories for others through food. It was my mom's cooking that taught me that. Even though I didn't realize it at the time, it kind of grew on me later.

La Crêperie de Josselin | 巴黎 - Josselin可麗餅餐廳

One of the foods that you must have when you go to France is crêpes! I've tried some when I was there in the past, but they weren't anything special, so I kind of gave up on it. However, I decided to make it my "mission" to find a good crêperie this time, and one of the places I came across in my research that looked worth trying was La Crêperie de Josselin.

Zucchini Noodles & Watermelon Salad with Lime, Chèvre, and Mint 青檸檬薄荷櫛瓜與西瓜沙拉

When the weather is warm, it's so nice to have a simple and cooling salad like this one. Get all your anti-oxidants and vitamins in no time. Plus, if you don't mind a little bit of crunchiness, the watermelon seeds will add some extra protein, oil, and fiber, too!

Japanese Cucumber & Radish Sunomono with Fava Beans and Wakame 日式涼拌小黃瓜沙拉佐蠶豆與海帶芽

This is a salad that I actually have been meaning to share with you for a long time! Thanks to my dear friend, who gave me these beautiful Japanese Koransha ceramic dishes last year, which gave me the idea to use them and write this recipe. It's one of my favourites and is something I make very often during the summertime. It's basically inspired by the traditional Japanese sunomono, which is often made with cucumbers or cucumber and wakame in vinegar and soy sauce. You can find it in most Japanese restaurants. It's actually quite easy to make at home, and it's the perfect appetizer or accompaniment for any Asian food. In this recipe, I added some radishes and fava beans, which contain a good amount of protein, vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants to make this traditional dish even more nutritious. The dressing is slightly tangy and sweet, and with the different textures of the vegetables, everything just ties together nicely!

How to Prepare Fresh Fava Beans 如何處理新鮮蠶豆

Some of you may not be very familiar with fava beans. They're also called broad beans, and are a great addition for vegetarians and vegans. They're high in protein, fiber, isoflavonoids, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and contain a good amount of folates, vitamin B6 and thiamin also. You can buy them in dried form, but why miss out on the opportunity to have them fresh when their season comes? They look, taste and feel totally different when they're fresh.  I know it's quite a process to go through, and it takes a lot of bean pods to make enough beans, but believe me, you'll be happy you did!

Parc de Sceaux 蘇鎮公園

In Paris, it's hard to avoid crowds almost anywhere. You can go to the Bois de Vincennes, which is a large park to the east of Paris, and still, you'll find people everywhere. If you don't like crowds, but enjoy walking around beautiful parks, like me, then the Parc de Sceaux is the perfect place for you. It's, in my opinion, one of the loveliest park that I've been to. Located just about 10km away from central Paris (you can get there by taking the RER B line), you can easily find yourself a quiet grassy spot to have an afternoon picnic or take a romantic walk!

Strawberry Yogurt Chia Pudding with Toasted Almonds 草莓優酪乳奇亞籽布丁

One of the things I really missed during my travels was my chia pudding, and with the strawberry season in Quebec, I just had to make this after my return!

Paleo Banana Bread 無奶油無糖香蕉蛋糕

I recently came across this popular paleo banana bread recipe from Civilized Cavemen Cooking. Even though I'm not paleo (nor do I follow any other diet), I generally try to avoid using sugar and highly processed foods. I noticed in the recipe that you could replace the grass-fed butter with coconut oil (which I often like to do when baking), and instead of regular flour it calls for coconut flour, which I'd never used before. But these aren't the only good things about this recipe. There's no use of sugar or any sweeteners at all! I mean anywhere. Right away, I knew this was my kind of recipe, and I was determined to make it and eat it! (*≧▽≦) Since it's less sweet than regular banana bread, plus it's high in fiber and protein, it makes a perfect nutritious breakfast for your everyday morning! Though the texture is slightly different than the banana bread we're used to, it's really similar, and each bite is moist and full of rich banana-y flavour! Check out the recipe here, I hope you'll like it!

Asparagus, celery, and citrus green juice with sprouts and bee pollen 蘆筍芹菜綠色果菜汁與蜂花粉顆粒

Do you normally throw away the woody ends of the asparagus? Here's how you can save them and make use of them. Asparagus is very low in calories, and is a great source of folates, vitamin B-complex, minerals, and anti-oxidants! So I thought I'd try to use as much of it as possible. After tasting this delicious juice, you may think twice before throwing away those tough end parts!