Tart of the Month - Carrot and Herb Tart

April's tart of the month is not exactly seasonal. Carrots are available year round but at their peak in late summer and fall. But the fresh herbs and ricotta make this tart light and spring-like, and the beautiful, multi-coloured carrots are striking. 

This is one of those incredibly easy puff pastry tarts that can be whipped up in 30 minutes or so. 

This beautiful tart comes from Bon Appetit magazine. Here's what you need:

Angel Hair with Garlic & Chilis

This recipe is so easy it's barely a recipe at all!  It makes a delicious, quick lunch or dinner.

I love angel hair pasta. The super thin strands are great with this simple sauce.  Here's what you need.  

Short & Sweet Sunday - Smoked Duck Salad

The Western Fair Farmers & Artisans Market in London is a great place to find interesting local products.  I found this smoked duck breast at Saucy Meats & More, which sells local meat and game.  

I thinly sliced the smoked duck breast over some organic greens from the market.

I  made some smaller, bite-sized slices too.

Then I whipped up a vinaigrette with some cherry juice, dijon mustard, honey, white wine vinegar and olive oil.  It was a great complement to the duck.

The smoked duck tasted almost like bacon and was so tasty.  Some nuts or pepitas sprinkled over top would be a nice touch, but just the duck and greens together with the vinaigrette was lovely.  

Bean Burritos

I'm not a big fans of beans but my husband loves them. We made a huge batch of bean burritos for the freezer so he can take one to work for lunch every day. 

I use this technique for cooking the beans. You don't need to pre-soak them overnight. Just bring a pound of dried beans covered in water and a bit of salt to a boil on the stovetop, cover and place in a 250 degree oven for about 75-90 minutes until tender.  

Cooking dry beans gives a nicer texture and flavour than canned beans. I use pinto beans which are so healthy for you! They have tons of fibre and protein.  

Once the beans are cooked, saute some onions, jalapeno and chipotle peppers in a little oil and then add the beans and mash together. 

You can also add some beer or stock or water at this point to get the beans to the right texture.

Once the beans are somewhat smooth, or whatever texture you prefer, prepare the other ingredients.

You can just use beans or add rice, corn or whatever you like.  

We added rice and corn to this batch.

At our local farmers market we get these great whole wheat tortillas made by Mennonite farmers from just outside town. 

Spread a couple of tablespoons of the bean & rice mixture on the tortilla...

...top with cheese...

...and roll up.

Package them for the freezer by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap. Posing with a superhero is optional.  

Microwave the frozen burrito for about 1 minute, or 30 seconds if it is thawed.