Vegetable Soup

I must admit, I've never really been a fan of vegetable soup. The reason for this is that I've only ever tried the nasty canned stuff. But THIS vegetable soup is leagues above any canned soup out there. So delicious! Even my picky 2 year old enjoyed it.

Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients

2 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)

2 cups peeled and diced carrots (about 4)

3 cups diced potatoes (about 3 medium)

4 garlic cloves pressed

4 cups vegetable broth

1 can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups chopped frozen or fresh green beans

1 cup frozen or fresh corn

1 cup frozen or fresh peas

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and potatoes and saute 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and salute 30 seconds more. Pour in the broth and diced tomatoes and add the bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then add green beans and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add corn and peas and cook 5 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

- Arianne

Creamy Vegan Roasted Tomato Soup

This soup is one of my favourites. So simple, yet so rich in flavour. And sooooo much better than any canned tomato soup out there. 

Slightly adapted from recipe found at Life As A Strawberry

Ingredients

8 roma tomatoes, halved

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons + 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

3 cups vegetable stock

1 can tomato paste

1 cup coconut milk

2 large fresh basil leaves

juice from half a lemon + 1/2 teaspoon zest

pinch of paprika

Preheat oven to 400F. Spread tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaves in a large baking dish in a single layer. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil then season with thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes in heated oven. When garlic has roasted and tomatoes have caramelized, remove from oven, discard bay leaves, and set aside. 

In a large pot, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and tomato paste and sauté 1 minute. 

Add the vegetable broth. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Remove from heat and carefully transfer the pot contents into a blender. Add coconut milk and basil leaves to the soup in the blender. Puree until very smooth.

Return soup to the pot and bring again to a simmer. Add lemon juice, zest, and paprika. 

-Enjoy!

Arianne

Power Salad

It's funny how your body tells you things sometimes.

Like that you NEED to eat a salad. It's great when you can have a craving that you have no regrets whatsoever giving in to! 

Slightly adapted from recipe found at What's Gaby Cooking?

Ingredients

2-3 cups fresh spinach

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 long english cucumber, chopped or sliced

6 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 avocado, sliced

Place spinach in a large bowl, then arrange remaining ingredients on top of the spinach. 

I topped this salad with this delicious raspberry vinaigrette. 

Enjoy!

- Arianne

Vegetarian Brown Lentil Chili

Chili is a staple in my house. It is definitely one of my go-to meals when I don't have much time or many groceries. Sometimes, though, meat and I are not the best of friends. When I found out I could use brown lentils to replace the meat in chill, I could not wait to try it out!

I was not disappointed! The meat was not missed at all, and even my husband liked this version!

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion diced

1 bell pepper diced

1 can brown lentils, drained and rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 19oz. cans diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

3 Tablespoons honey

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper to the pot and cook until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer at least 15 minutes. 

Top with avocado, sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, or all of the above!

Enjoy!

-Arianne

Honey Mustard Glazed Grilled Halibut/Salmon

I have always hated fish. HATE IT. I know that it is healthy for me so I try and eat it as often as I can, plus my husband and daughters both love it. I have been using this great recipe from Modern Healthy Mom for a couple of years now and I have to say that I actually 'like' fish when prepared this way. She uses salmon in her recipe, but both my husband and I don't really love salmon, so we usually do halibut (we find it less fishy tasting). Whatever you choose, is sure to be good! I used to only make this in the oven, but recently have started to grill it, and I have to say grill wins all the way. Are we really surprised? 

Ingredients 

4 salmon/halibut fillets

1 tablespoon of butter/coconut oil (both are delicious)

1 tablespoon coconut sugar/brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions 

Put butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and melt. Remove from heat and add in the sugar, soy sauce, honey and mustard and stir to combine. Rinse fish in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Oil the grill and heat to medium high heat. Place fish on the grill, brush with sauce and close the lid. Cook for 5-6 minutes then flip and brush with more sauce. Cook for 4-5 more minutes or until halibut is done. When the glossy sheen is gone and the halibut is flaky and opaque through the middle, you know it is ready. Enjoy - Alex

Kim's Famous Chicken Soup

I have a friend named Kim. While you may not know her, she deserves to be famous because of this chicken soup, hence why I called the recipe, Kim's Famous Chicken Soup. I had the luxury of eating this at her place a couple of times and I am not kidding you, YEARS later I was still craving it. I finally got around to asking her for the recipe and I am so glad I did. We made this the other night and everyone in my family LOVED it, just as I suspected they would. All chicken soups are good, but the trick to this one is the homemade broth using a whole chicken. It really does take the soup from being good to great! 

 I also love that this recipe is so versatile. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand. We used the typical carrots, celery, onions, and garlic.  I didn't give exact amounts on the veggies because it it totally up to you how much you like of everything. I like mine really garlicky and probably added 6-8 garlic cloves. Next time I will probably add even more. My girls ate theirs with a scoop of rice in their bowls, you can always add noodles if that's what you like. I chose to squeeze a little fresh lemon juice in mine just for fun. All options are delicious and totally up to you. Make sure to read the full recipe before starting to make things easier, and thank you Kim for this wonderful recipe, I hope I got it right! 

Ingredients

1 whole organic chicken

water

carrots

celery

onions

garlic

vinegar

salt and pepper

Directions

Place the whole chicken in a large pot and fill with water until chicken is completely covered with 1 inch of water over top. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil chicken for 1 1/2 hours. Keep adding water in the pot if needed since some of it will boil out. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove chicken from pot (leave the water in the pot) and set aside to cool. 

Once the chicken is cool enough to work with, remove the meat from the bones and place on a plate for later. Take the chicken bones and place them back into the water along with some roughly chopped carrots, celery, onions, garlic, 1 tbs vinegar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to low, cover and simmer as long as possible (up to 8 hours) adding water when needed.  Place the meat in the fridge for later. I usually end up with a lot of meat so I take half of it and freeze for later, or keep it in my fridge to use later that week. If you like soup with a lot of chicken, then leave it all in. It's totally up to you. 

When you are ready to make your soup, ladle out all of the veggies and chicken bones. I usually place a large bowl in my sink with a colander sitting inside of it and strain everything out that way. I take half of the broth and freeze it for later, but again, this is up to you. Once everything is strained out, you can place fresh diced onions, carrots, celery, and garlic back into the broth along with your chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes or until the veggies are cooked through. If you want to add noodles, then do so after 10 minutes to make sure everything is done at the same time. I added in some oregano at the end and some more salt and pepper to taste. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did - Alex

Lemony Pasta with Tuna and Peas

Okay, so this might not be the healthiest dinner, but it screams comfort food for me. My Mom used to make this when we were little and I will always have a soft spot for it in my heart. I have changed it up a bit since the good old days (adding a bit of lemony flavour to it), and both versions are so good. It is a quick and easy dinner for a rushed weeknight, or when you're feeling like a good meal Mom used to make. 

Ingredients

1 box whole grain, whole wheat pasta (375g)

1/2 cup or more of frozen peas

1 can tuna

1/4 cup miracle whip/mayonnaise 

zest and juice of 1 lemon

sat and pepper to taste

Directions

Make the pasta according to directions on box. When the pasta only has 5 more minutes of cooking, add in the frozen peas and finish cooking together. Meanwhile, place tuna, miracle whip, zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1 lemon in a large bowl and stir to combine. Drain the cooked pasta/peas and place in bowl along with the tuna mixture. If you're finding the mixture too dry then add in a little more miracle whip/mayo. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and a little more lemon zest if desired. Serve warm. Enjoy - Alex

Quinoa Veggie Burgers

I recently ordered the cookbook 100 Days of Real Food by Lisa Leake. She is a whole food blogger that I have been following for years and I was so excited when she announced that she had a cookbook coming out. Of course I bought it the second I could. I have been trying the recipes this week and all of them are so good. No I am not being paid to say this, the recipes are just THAT good!

Today I tried out her quinoa veggie burgers and it was like I had died and gone to heaven. It was one of the best tasting veggie burgers I have had in a long time! Full of flavour, filling and healthy! What more could you ask for? I was so excited about it I shared one with my neighbours ha ha. 

(She loved it too by the way.)

I usually don't include dairy in my recipes but this called for sharp cheddar cheese and I'm glad I didn't sub anything out in the recipe. I just made it exactly as it was written on the paper. If you are looking to get rid of the dairy, maybe try nutritional yeast in replace of the cheddar cheese. Let me know if you try it and it works out, but DON'T pass up making this delicious burger!

(I halved the recipe and it made about 5 burgers.)

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa - cooked according to the package directions

2/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 cup minced carrots 

1/3 cup minced onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 eggs

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil 

Directions 

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except the olive oil. Wet hands and form the quinoa mixture into 8 patties about 1 inch thick. Place on a clean plate or cutting board. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the burgers to the pan, cover and cook until the bottoms are browned (6-8 minutes). Covering the pan will ensure the burgers cook all the way through the middle without overcooking on the outside. Flip and repeat. If the pan is looking dry, add in a little more oil. 

Serve warm topped with hummus and an avocado and wrapped in lettuce leaves. These make great leftovers and can be frozen.  Enjoy - Alex

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

It's fall time and you know what that means.. soup season! 

 My soup addiction is hitting me once again with full force. This soup is dairy free, yet creamy and because the ingredients are roasted first, it has a rich flavour to it.  How many times can I say soup in one post? Just go make it okay?

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped

1 medium onion

2-3 large pears, chopped 

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

olive oil

kosher salt

1-2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Directions 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place the squash, onion, pears and rosemary in a glass dish and drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt. Bake for 40-60 minutes or until squash is cooked all the way through. Place in blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour in chicken stock until desired consistency is achieved. Pour into bowls and top with more fresh rosemary, sour cream, or homemade croutons. Enjoy - Alex 

Wild Rice and Barley Salad with Dried Cranberries

Slightly adapted from recipe found on Scrumpdillyicious

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked brown and wild rice mix

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley

1 3/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Place the rice, barley, and broth in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Place the rice mixture into a medium sized bowl then add chickpeas and cranberries.

Combine the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour this over the rice mixture and toss well. Cover and chill until ready to serve, then add the chopped basil and mix well.

Enjoy!

- Arianne

Rainbow Chicken Salad with Almond Honey Mustard Dressing

Wow. This salad is truly incredible! It has all the right flavours in all the right ways! I honestly could go on and on. But just look.

This is perfection plated.

Now go make this immediately! 

It is THE best salad I have ever had the pleasure of devouring. The dressing definitely makes the dish.

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

Salad

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 cups halved grapes

3 cups chopped green-leaf lettuce

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup sliced or chopped almonds

Dressing

3 Tablespoons almond butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

3 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1/2 Tablespoon raw honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken in the hot oil and season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Stir frequently until cooked through and golden brown. Set aside to cool. While chicken is cooling, prepare the fruits and vegetables. Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. They may either be arranged by ingredient, or all tossed together. 

To prepare the dressing, puree all the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Pour onto salad and enjoy!

- Arianne

Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup

A few months ago, I got a fabulous cookbook from a friend who was de-junking her house. It just so happened to be written by one of my favourite food bloggers, Heidi Swanson! I placed it in with my other cookbooks and swiftly forgot about it (darn you pinterest) ha ha. Today though, I was going through my cookbooks (also de-junking over here), and came across it again. I flipped through the pages hoping to find something quick and easy for dinner. 

I stumbled upon a recipe called, "Chunky Lentil Soup." I was super happy that I had almost all of the ingredients on hand and got to work right away. I had to improvise as I didn't have any French or black beluga lentils, but I did have red lentils that needed to be used up, and they worked out perfectly. 

This recipe was really easy, quick and both of my girls (as well as myself), gobbled this up! I can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow as I'm sure they will be even better than today.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups red lentils
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cups diced butternut squash
4 large tomatoes, diced
1 cup water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
pinch of smoked paprika

Fresh basil leaves, julienned  (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Bring 5 cups of water to boil in a large soup pot, add the lentils and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender (about 3 minutes). Stir in the squash, tomatoes, and water and cook until squash is tender (10-15 minutes).

Once tender, transfer the squash mix to the large pot with the cooked lentils. Let the soup return to a gentle simmer and stir in the sea salt and smoked paprika. Garnish with julienned basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, or both. Enjoy - Alex

Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

While I'm not normally a pureed soup kind of girl, I just can't say no to butternut squash. This soup was incredibly quick easy to whip up for lunch today!

Ingredients

1 butternut squash peeled and diced (seeds removed)

1 half red onion loosely chopped

2-3 pears peeled and cored

4 cups vegetable stock

1 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1 can coconut milk

Place the chopped squash, onion, and pears in a large pot and cover with the vegetable stock. Season, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are cooked through. Stir in the coconut milk, then transfer everything into a blender. Blend until very smooth and enjoy!

- Arianne

Thai Pork Salad

Original Recipe by Stephano Faita

Ingredients

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion thinly diced

1 Tablespoon minced ginger

1 garlic clove minced

1 pound ground pork

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of cumin

pinch of red pepper flakes

juice of 2 limes

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons honey

1 bunch of spinach leaves

1/2 cucumber cut into matchsticks

1-2 carrots cut into matchsticks

Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add onion, ginger, and garlic until cooked softened. Add the pork and stir frequently until cooked through. Add the spices. Prepare the sauce by combining lime juice, fish sauce and honey. Arrange leaves on a plate, then top with carrots and cucumber slices. Add the cooked pork to the salad and top with the sauce. 

Enjoy!

- Arianne

Homemade Pork Sausage Patties

Who doesn't love breakfast food?? It's definitely a favourite around these parts, and I feel so much better about making it when I know exactly what goes into it! These sausage patties are so very simple and contain no ingredients that you don't know how to pronounce! 

Original recipe found at Healthy Recipes

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground pork

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Mix all ingredients with your hands in a medium sized bowl. Form into about 1/2 inch thick patties.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Place the patties on the hot pan, then cook for about 5 minutes each side or until browned.

So simple, it's ridiculous.

Enjoy!

- Arianne

Creamy Vegan Spinach and Basil Soup

Funny that the first day of spring is a "soup day". Ok, you're right it's really not that funny. But this soup is delicious, regardless.

I recently took part in a clean-eating challenge. It surprised me how much better I realized I could be eating when I already thought I was doing fairly well at healthy eating. I really loved being a part of this challenge as it helped me to lose a bit of weight I've been working hard at, and I've been able to discover a few new clean and delicious recipes, like this one that my a friend of mine shared. 

I realized after I decided to make this soup that I didn't have all the right ingredients that her recipe required, so I kind of just winged it. Thanks so much for the inspiration, Cassia!

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive (or coconut) oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

3 cups vegetable broth

3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

6 cups of tightly packed spinach leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup canned coconut milk

Heat oil in a large pot and cook onions until translucent. Add the garlic and celery and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut milk. Cook until the celery is soft then transfer to a blender. Puree until very smooth and transfer back into your pot. Add the coconut milk and heat the soup until just a boil. Serve and enjoy!

- Arianne

Spinach and Quinoa Salad with Roasted Acorn Squash and Avocados

I was craving a hearty salad last week and looked around my kitchen to see what I had on hand. I had an acorn squash that needed to be used up along with some avocados. I thought, why not put them together somehow, and this salad creation was born. The dressing recipe is from Food Lush Blog and I love it because it doesn't require any dairy unlike most poppyseed dressings out there. It was the perfect combination and a very satisfying lunch!

For the Salad

1/2 acorn squash
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup dry quinoa
1/2 cup water
2 handfuls of baby spinach, or greens of your choice
1/2 avocado, sliced

For the Dressing  

Juice and zest from one orange
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot
1 tablespoon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1-2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Salad Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the acorn squash lengthwise, remove seeds and brush the insides with olive oil. Place cut side down on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile rinse quinoa and place it in a small pot with 1/2 cup water. Cover and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until done. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Place your salad greens in a bowl and mix with cooled quinoa. When the squash is cooked, cut into smaller pieces and lay them on top of the salad and quinoa mixture along with the avocado slices. Drizzle with the orange poppy seed dressing.

Dressing Directions
Place all the ingredients except poppy seeds in a blender and mix well. Add poppy seeds and pulse once or twice just to mix them in. I added honey to mine because I wanted my dressing to be on the sweeter side, but that it totally optional! You can adjust the ingredients to your liking. Enjoy! - Alex

Chickpea and Pear Arugula Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

For the Salad (single serving)

1 large handful of arugula

1/2 pear sliced

1/3 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 Tablespoon crumbled feta cheese

For the Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon honey

1 garlic clove crushed or grated

salt and pepper to taste

Arrange salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients, then drizzle over salad and enjoy!

- Arianne

Fresh Mint and Pea Carbonara

I made this greek salad recipe a few nights ago which required just a pinch of fresh mint. While it was thoroughly enjoyed, I was left with a ton of fresh mint I was itching to use up. 

This recipe was the perfect solution. So very delicious!

adapted from The Gouda Life

Ingredients

5 slices prosciutto

1/2 red onion

1 garlic clove minced

2 cups fresh or frozen peas

2 handfuls whole fresh mint leaves

1/3 lbs linguine

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

grated parmesan cheese (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Lay the prosciutto slices in a hot pan to make crispy. Once prosciutto has crisped, crumble or cut into small slices and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan then add the onion, garlic, and peas and sauté until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.

While onion, garlic, and peas are sautéing, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place linguine in the water and cook until al-dente. Add about a cup of the starchy linguine water to the pea mixture and stir. Drain the pasta then add to the pea mixture and remove from heat. Add the remaining olive oil to keep pasta from sticking. Tear the mint leaves into the mixture and add the butter then combine well. Top the dish with the crispy prosciutto and some parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

- Arianne

Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad

I decided to make this salad for dinner tonight, but was a bit unsure of how it would turn out.

Turns out it is amazing! One of my new favourites for sure, and pretty simple to whip up.

Original recipe from Blissfulbblog 

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato (about 2 lbs.), peeled and diced

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper 

1 15oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 red onion finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley finely chopped

Dressing

1 medium garlic clove

juice of 1 lemon

3 Tablespoons of well-stirred tahini

3 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. 

Place sweet potato cubes in a baking dish and stir with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan to cook the chopped onion. Cook onions until translucent and tender, then set aside.

To make the dressing, grate the garlic with a microplane grater, or press to make a somewhat smooth paste and place in a small bowl. Add all other dressing ingredients and whisk to blend. The sauce should be easily poured. Add more water if needed to reach desired consistency. 

Combine the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onions, and parsley in a large bowl, then add the tahini dressing. Stir gently to combine. Serve warm and enjoy!