eight 30-minute weekday meals
Ah, meal planning…it’s a daily necessity and while some don’t have an issue with it, a good portion of us do. The days when a single income family was the norm is all but an anomaly. My generation might have been able to squeak by on one salary but these days that’s not the case.…
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greek yogurt labneh balls
How to turn Greek yogurt into a delightful soft cheese? It’s quite easy and so simple! Labneh is strained yogurt and found in Middle Eastern cuisines. Serve it with a drizzle of olive oil and top with za’atar or do what I did by rolling into balls and place in a jar with olive…
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Asian infused soup with instant noodles
For years I have been sodium-aware and have passed this awareness onto my kids. And yet my daughter, while she was in high school and in university, loved noodles in a cup or the instant noodles with a flavour pouch. While I doubt the noodles are the sodium culprit, I’m pretty sure the pouch contains…
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butter tarts (a delightful Canadian dessert)
As a youngster and even now, getting my hands on a butter tart is a culinary delight. One bite and the filling is drip-off-your-chin runny or slightly set, ooey gooey sweet, and encased by a flaky crust that melts in your mouth. A cute little hand pie that one could devour with 3 bites; maybe less…
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salsa verde (a classic Italian green sauce)
Green sauce, you make my heart sing! It has to be one of THE easiest and healthy sauces one can make. But wait! What is a green sauce, you ask? If you have tried chimichurri, pesto, sauce vert or Mexican salsa verde you’ve tasted a green sauce. Salsa verde is a rustic sauce that can…
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grilled green onion feta dip (easy to make)
Autumn is a favourite time of the year for me. I love all the local produce seen at markets and in food shops. Canada celebrated Thanksgiving this past weekend (Monday was the holiday but most celebrate it on Sunday) and vendors tables at the farmers’ market on Saturday were filled with veggies, fruits and meat…
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stuffed peppers using leftovers
Hi there! I’m back from what seems eons since I last posted or even thought of posting. How did August get so crazy that I only posted once? Well, for starters our house went on the market in June and in the first week of August we received an offer (yay!). The catch, though, was…
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homemade rhubarb gin – a delicious cocktail!
Gin is not a favorite liquor of mine and not because I had a bad experience when I was younger. I never liked how it smelled or tasted. However, all that changed last year when we were at the farmers’ market. Steinhart Distillery had a table set up displaying their vodka and gin. I was…
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salad with fried halloumi
Halloumi, a Cypriot cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk, has a high melting point and can easily be fried, grilled or roasted. When fried or grilled, it develops a delicious crust that surrounds a slightly springy, mild interior that squeaks between your teeth when chewed! Its uses are so versatile: skewer…
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focaccia di Recco (stuffed Italian flatbread)
Most people have eaten focaccia famous around the world from Liguria, Italy but I’ll bet a pound to a penny few have tried the version from Recco (a town near Genoa). Yours truly is one of those who most defintely haven’t sampled and what a tragedy! I was checking my Instagram feed and saw a…
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panna cotta with raspberry jelly
Traditionally, panna cotta, is served on a plate by unmolding a ramekin. If this is your first time making this Italian dessert, my recipe elimates the unmolding. I remember the first time I made this and the mold, for some reason, did not set all the way through. Perhaps the gelatin didn’t dissolve completely. Get…
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fish wellington – a dinner party hit!
We have Julia Child to thank for making beef Wellington popular. The dish was aired in 1965 on a New Year’s day broadcast. I have eaten it maybe two or three times during my adult life; I enjoyed it but sometimes the meat was overcooked and when buying in a restauarnt, it isn’t cheap. It…
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black garlic – a labour of love
Last year I saw a post on Instagram talking about black garlic. My initial thought was EWW. How could this be a good thing and how could chefs rave about it? Surely this was some sort of crazy food fad. For me, if veggies look dark, then they’re most probably rotten. But a quick glance…
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