Home — William Howard

Strawberry Banana Squish

Claire’s Strawberry Banana Squish was originally named by Claire as squash instead of squish because she squashed the fruit. Having the word squash in the title might mislead people to think there is the actual vegetable squash in the recipe, and Claire has conceded that Claire’s Strawberry Banana Squish might be a better name. Nevertheless, Claire’s Strawberry Banana Squish is her very own creation. It is a breakfast or snack food she created at the age of four. It is quick to make and requires no electrical devices or cooking. The only tools needed are a bowl, a measuring cup, spoon, and potato masher. It is the perfect started recipe for a child to use to make his or her own food.

Tomato Soup

We use tomatoes in many if not most of our meals. This makes a good tomato sauce and a useful thing to have around the kitchen. It is not surprising that we published our Marinara Extra Sauce as one of the first recipes, but sometimes you just want to eat a whole bowl of it, and our Tomato Soup is our way of doing that.

Whole-Wheat Bread

There is nothing better than the smell of bread baking in the oven. Our whole-wheat bread was very simple when we first started making it. It included whole-wheat flour, salt, water, and yeast. This created a hardy and dense bread. Over time, we have made modifications.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

“We don’t know, we always make it differently.” Our Quinoa Tabbouleh is a perfect example.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread is almost a staple in our kitchen. This Banana Bread recipe is delicious and does not last long enough in our kitchen to be a staple.

Smokey Hot Sauce

Some like to hot. Many do, consider some of the most populated countries like India, Sri Lanka, Mexico, China and so forth enjoy many hot spicy dishes. Our Smokey Hot Sauce would do well in many of these countries.

Very Berry Pancake

What’s the difference between a pancake and a waffle? The shape…

Risotto Parfait

Our Risotto Parfait was one of the party favourites, and we didn’t have to resort to a chemistry lab to create a ground meat substitute.

Strawberry Cake

It’s somebody’s birthday, and they love Strawberry Cake!

Seitan Meatballs

What is in a name? In the case of our Seitan Meatballs, some would ask, “What’s not in a name?”

Multi-Layer Bean Dip

Is a party, a party if there is not at least one dip? It most likely can be, but to be certain add our Multi-layer Bean Dip.

Mexican Cheese

You have a choice to make our Mexican Cheese firm, or not, making it better suited as spread, dips, or drizzles. We originally made it for use as a component in our Multi-Layer Mexican Dip!

Baked Samosas

Baked Samosas, they are worth the effort. Baked Samosas are especially well-received as finger food at parties.

Split Red Lentil Cream

Our Split Red Lentil Cream is eaten as a soup, sauce, or used as a component of other great dishes.

Polenta Roll

Our Polenta Roll is an easily made type of bread. Polenta is an Italian dish of boiled cornmeal, simply cornmeal simmered in liquid and stirred, and served either as hot porridge or cooled to form a solid like the Polenta Roll we are making. It can be baked, fried, grilled, or as sliced and eaten like any other loaf of bread.

Cruciferous Salad

Our Cruciferous Salad is a cauliflower and broccoli salad, made with fresh chopped cauliflower, broccoli with fresh chopped parsley, fresh basil mixed with homemade hummus.

Cherry Tomato Pesto

A quick Cherry Tomato Pesto made with sweet tomatoes, walnuts, and fresh herbs. Suitable for your favourite pasta noodle or used a party dip.

Black Bean Soup

A love of Black Bean Soup started in Jamaica, in a hotel, during a business trip. There was a spice in the soup that made it tasty and interesting, but what was it?

Pumpkin Pie

Save the cow the effort, this is a delicious plant-based Pumpkin pie. We make a form of this Pumpkin Pie every year for thanksgiving. We have to be pressed for time to use canned pumpkin or squash for the filling. Instead, we prefer to buy a small pumpkin or two. We bake our little pumpkins until they are soft.

Fennel and Orange Salad

What better way to start a multi-course meal with something pleasant and light like your Fennel and Orange Salad?

Whole Wheat Gnocchi

Making your own homemade whole wheat gnocchi is more of a learned art than it is the case of following a set formula.

Homemade Pasta Noodles

A basic pasta dough recipe is as simple as flour and water.

Broccoli Sesame

Abracadabra Broccoli Sesame!

Raspberry Cashew Cream Cake

The Raspberry Cashew Cream Cake is our healthier replacement for a baked cheesecake made with sour cream. Our version does not include dairy products.

Pita Pizza

Sometimes quick and easy is what you’re looking for, and for us it’s a Pita Pizza.

Cabbage & Fennel Coleslaw

Thank goodness this Cabbage & Fennel Coleslaw has no mayonnaise. Instead it relies on mustard to carry the flavour.

Multigrain Rice

In our Multigrain Rice we use Wild Rice with a cooking time of 50 minutes. We use Red Rice and Brown Basmati Rice, both with a 25-minute cooking time. Using the ‘pasta method’ we use a large pot of boiling water and boil the Wild Rice first for 25 minutes at which time we add the remaining types of rice thus ensuring that all three rice types are perfectly cooked and ready to drain all together.

Dandelion Pineapple Salad

This Pineapple Dandelion Salad is the simplest salad to make. Just add the sweetness of pineapples to counter the bitterness of dandelions and you have a pleasantly balanced salad

Mushroom Crêpe

Mastering the art of making a savoury wholewheat Mushroom Crêpe as a healthy treat is very useful because a crêpe is a versatile food delivery foundation much like wraps or bread slices.

Marinara Extra Sauce

A Marinara sauce is a simple type of tomato sauce, typically made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and Italian herbs. Tomato sauce is more complex often including beef, pork, chicken, or fish and cooked over a longer time frame. Our version of the Marinara sauce is a little more complex than typical because we add extra vegetables, and hence our name of “Marinara Extra”.

Cashew Cheese

Cashew Cheese is our new obsession and it has made it into our new, improved traditional Christmas fare. During the year we predominantly eat a whole food plant base diet. Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas meals are the general exception to the rule where we permit ourselves to eat or serve some type of animal base product and some processed foods. We don’t give in wholeheartedly to these exceptions, mainly because we have lost our appetite for such food. We try to give ourselves and our guests alternative options.

Basil Pesto

Our family’s favourite pasta sauce is this version of a Basil Pesto. In the spring we plant many basil and parley plants. It is wonderful to have fresh basil available when your tomatoes start to ripen and fresh parsley to add to salads. When the growing season comes to a close, we are busy making our Basil Pesto in bulk.

Roasted Peppers

Roast Beets to bring out their natural sweetness.

Roasted Beet Salad

Roast Beets to bring out their natural sweetness.

Tomato Salad

The best Tomato Salad uses fresh summer fruit.

Red Pepper Pesto

Red Peppers are the main attraction in this pesto sauce. For your convenience, we choose jarred peppers, and this is a good way to start. During the late summer months, an abundance of fresh peppers come to market and you may choose to start with those. Using your barbecue, or oven, you can roast the peppers yourself. Let them cool and peel the skins. You can even skip the roasting and use whole raw peppers. We have used jarred, freshly roasted, and raw peppers, in red, orange, and yellow colours. All the combinations and permutations have resulted in a delicious sauce.

Crispy Tofu Fingers

Party finger food is fun and delicious, but there is no reason it can’t be healthy too. Our Crispy Tofu Fingers are just that, fun and delicious, but you don’t have to tell anyone they are also healthy!

Creamy Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

Our daughter surprised us with a Creamy Carrot Sweet Potato Soup. She chose this soup because it looked tasty. She was right. This bright soup is delicious and gets its wonderfully creamy texture from purèe carrots and sweet potatoes. Those same vegetables are also packed with antioxidants such as vitamins C, A, beta-carotene, other accompanying carotenoids. Plus, there is plenty of fibre and flavour.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Our Whole Wheat Pizza Crust recipe is based on her traditional methods. The photograph shown at the side is the raw dough. We forced olive slices into it and added oregano and basil flakes to the dough and let is raise in preparation for our toppings. Once you have mastered the basic pizza crust, you can make your own delicious and creative pizzas.

Smash Potatoes

We use no butter, no sour cream, no trans fat, nor vegetable oil and that means no unnecessary calories or hidden cholesterol. Potatoes are a staple in our diet and Smash Potatoes is a favourite dish with family and friends.

Adzuki Chocolate Pudding

Adzuki Chocolate Pudding is not something we would have imagined as a dessert when growing up. We ate beans but never for dessert! We used beans to make dips, sauces, soups, and savoury sides but not dessert.

Asparagus with Lemon Glaze

Asparagus is steamed, boiled, braised, baked, and grilled to name some of the most popular cooking methods. Regardless of the cooking method, the results carry the same risks of serving a dull, mushy and stringing vegetable. These undesirable results stem from two root causes.

Simple Vegetable and Pasta Soup

It is just as it says, a Simple Vegetable and Pasta Soup.

Hot-and-sour Soup

Hot-and-sour Soup is a very popular soup. I can always find it on the menu in a Chinese restaurant. Its success comes from a little sweetness, sourness, and a little spicy hot kick.

Mushroom Pesto

Use this pesto to serve with your favourite pasta. We cook some additional sliced mushrooms to add as a topping to the dish before we serve it.

Nonna Lucia’s Amaretto Cookies

What’s better than a freshly made espresso coffee? The same coffee with a homemade Amaretto Cookie just like the ones your Nonna would have made but without eggs. This traditional recipe is modified to replace the eggs with a plant-based alternative. The result is outstanding. Nonna is proud.

Peanut Butter Cookies

What if you make your cookies without dairy, eggs, or animal fat, do they become healthy food?

Eggplant Stew

This is a great creamy eggplant stew to serve with your favourite bread, potatoes or whole grain rice. We showed the stew served on a bed of mixed rice.

Lentil Bolognese

A hardy and filling adaptation of an Italian favourite Pasta Bolognese made with green lentils. You can use this sauce on your preferred pasta type. For this occasion, we choose a whole wheat pasta called ‘Casarecce’.

Chickpea Burger

Once we resolved to eat more veggies on a daily basis, we needed alternatives to animal products. It was easy to gravitate and select a “veggie” burger from our local grocer, but the problem with these alternatives is, they try too hard to simulate animal flesh. This means that instead of enjoying the look, texture, flavours of vegetables, you end up with a highly processed, greasy veg-meat that does not seem much different from the animal-meat. To our credit, we avoided them and settled to eating most of our vegetables in a form nature presented them us or with little transformation. For special occasions, burgers can be fun. Why not healthy too? For this reasons we searched and add this burger recipe. It is not designed to have similar attributes to an animal-flesh-based burger, but to be a delicious alternative on its own.

Cauliflower Wings

There was a time when we enjoyed chicken wings at our neighbourhood pub or homemade over the barbecue. Over the years, these types of unhealthy foods started to catch up with us and to improve our health we switched to a predominantly whole food plant-based eating pattern. For years now these types of foods have been gone, but not forgotten, then one day, while visiting friends in Ottawa at a local vegan restaurant our friends ordered for us to share cauliflower wings.

Guacamole

This simplified recipe was designed to take one guacamole and make a quick and simple dip, or spread. Avocados are versatile because they freeze well. This means you can create a Guacamole base and refrigerate or freeze later use. As a precaution to avoid oxidation, we recommend you use lemon juice. Use the juice one whole lemon per avocado.

Tabbouleh Salad

We grow parsley in our garden in order to have fresh parsley, which we add to something every day. But a time comes when your parsley starts to shoot up to flower, and you want to use it. A fresh and delicious Tabbouleh Salad is our preferred method to use a quantity of parsley.

Jess Hot Sauce

The “Jess”, is named for Jessie, my sister, who gave us this recipe. She, in turn, got it from a friend, who claims it is a Caribbean recipe. I have no doubt this recipe’s origin is the Caribbean but recipes tend to change when they get passed around. This version is not an exception because we have made our own modifications.

Hummus

Hummus is a traditional Middle Eastern dip made with chickpeas and tahini. Although, earlier versions of the dish may have used other beans. In Malta, a place that resists all types of changes, we make a similar dish called bigilla. This is an ancient dish made in a similar way to hummus except it uses fresh broad beans and does not use tahini paste.

Remember the old adage 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away', there may be truth in it. There may be no truth in it. Many of the things we learned from generations of family, friends, schools, and our surrounding culture give us advice and opinions regarding how we should live. How should we live? What is the best for our health and happiness? What is the best for all of us? We believe scientific research and outcomes are our best sources of knowledge for determining was we should consider being true. We should try to adapt this knowledge to our daily lifestyle. More exercise is convincingly beneficial. Less pollution and waste may be prudent goals. Adding more plants to our diet, especially fruits and vegetables is constant advice from scientists and governments. We will have more to write about this broad topic but for now, let's share some food that may be helpful and delicious. We are confident the recipe ingredients and cooking methods we have chosen are at best beneficial or at the least not harmful to most people based on the current body of knowledge and authoritative opinions that exist today. The convincing body of evidence and authoritative opinions may vary or change over time. We should all be open to those changes and reflect how and if we should change too.