Backyard Havens

With spring coming up soon people are starting to think about patios, porches, sunscreen, and breezy cocktails, not to mention hammocks. I spied the perfect little backyard haven with colourful lanterns behind an artists' coop. It even has a sun roof constructed out of bundled branches or something of that nature. A little slice of heaven within urban Queen West.

Bell Pepper and Parsley Salad

I have craved and made several variations of this salad in the past few months. It reminds me of a tabouleh despite there being few ingredients in common. I love how fresh it tastes and feels to eat. In the future it might be interesting to add mango to the mix!

There's red and green pepper, flat leaf parsley, shallot, lime juice, and green lentils. In terms of a grain-based additive, some of my variations have included adding couscous or quinoa or both. Tabouleh has burgul in it. Often I get impatient, don't cook the lentils properly and they get mushy, but this time I followed the directions to great effect! The lentils still have a shape by the end of it!

Dry lentils