Julie Zimmer

Garden quinoa salad

The red quinoa salad featured above is more than just a salad; it’s a complete, healthy meal. Over 20 years ago, when I started making quinoa salads, a friend told me that quinoa is a staple for making breakfast porridge and not salads. But that’s not true. There are many delicious recipes that you can make with this ancient […]

Breakfast, Desserts and Snacks, Muffins, Muffins

Healthy tasty muffins

These “new and improved” muffins are loaded with sweet juicy blueberries which were cultivated and harvested in Switzerland, where I live. However, when it comes to fresh blueberries, I still prefer the smaller wild bush berries that grow in Canada and the USA. I recently came across an old blueberry muffin recipe that I used to make 20 years ago when I was […]

Chickpeas, Condiments and Sides, Main Dishes

Vegetarian kibbeh with the Renegade Saints

Today, my husband’s improv group, the Renegade Saints, came over to our home in Geneva for their annual meeting and I made sure that there was plenty to eat. Since there were some vegetarians, I made a pot of Indian Dal, basmati rice, a salad, my healthy chocolate brownies and, as featured above and below, vegetarian kibbeh. Kibbeh is a traditional Lebanese […]

Condiments and Sides

Sumac

The spice featured above is sumac. Sumac comes from the berries of a wild bush and is widely used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. The spice gives a tart and mild lemon taste to food. Many years ago, my youngest daughter travelled to Turkey and when she came back home she gave me several spices, one of which it […]

Beans, Burgers, Falafels and Patties, Main Dishes, Quinoa

Black bean and red quinoa burgers

Summer is here and that means barbecue season. With outdoor grills stacked with meat and fish, there are also many ways in which vegetarians and vegans can enjoy the party. The veggie burger is a popular choice. However, unlike beef burgers, veggie burgers have a softer texture and can crumble and fall apart on your […]

Chocolate Treats, Desserts and Snacks, Squares and Bars

These chocolate brownies are good for you!

I love dark chocolate. It smells good, it tastes good and it’s good for you. Years ago, my mother-in-law gave me a recipe book that only has recipes made with chocolate because she knew how much I love it. When I cook or bake, I use cacao powder or a chocolate bar for making desserts. […]