The Christmas season tends to make us run around doing last minute shopping and other errands which leaves little time for nourishment. This soup can be on the table in less than half an hour and I love the bit of heat coming from the curry paste. Chickpeas (aka garbanzo bean, Bengal gram) are a…

I’ve been a huge fan of Natalie McLean for a number of years.  A native of Cape Breton, NS, Natalie lives in Ottawa with her husband, Andrew, and son, Rian.  It was her husband who suggested she take a wine appreciation course and the rest, shall we say, is history.  Natalie soon studied the sommelier…

The Christmas holiday season always reminds me of how much work and effort my Mom put into baking goodies. She made fruit cakes, plum puddings, cookies of many varieties, pies, chocolates, savory tidbits. It seemed the house was forever enveloped in beautiful cooking aromas. This season I seem to be taking a page out of…

Salads (generally defined as mixed greens with dressing) were enjoyed by ancient Romans and Greeks. According to Oxford Companion to Food, salad is derived from the Latin sal (salt), which yielded the form salata, ‘salted things’ such as the raw vegetables eaten in classical times with a dressing of oil, vinegar or salt. The word…

Move over macaroni and cheese! Cavatappi is an elongated elbow macaroni with ridges which help the cheese sauce to stick to this corkscrew-style pasta. A super easy meal to make in 30 minutes, start to finish! Artichokes are an excellent source of magnesium, folic acid, fiber and vitamin C. Canned artichoke may be the easiest…

Food historians believe this cake originated in the mid 1700’s in the Black Forest Region (Baden-Württemberg) of Germany. This region is known for its sour cherries and Kirsch (a clear cherry brandy made from the sour Morello cherry). Some say the cake may have been made to resemble the traditional costume worn by women in…

This is an easy appetizer to prepare. Bell peppers (green, red, yellow and orange) are an excellent source of vitamin C and A as well as a good source of dietary fiber. For atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, peppers also contain vitamin B6 and folic acid. Artichokes are nutrient dense and contain 16 essential nutrients.…

Very popular in Italy and especially Tuscany, Cannellini beans (also known as white kidney beans) are mild in flavor, and are related to the kidney bean. These beans are low-fat, high in fiber and provide a high quality of magnesium, fiber, iron and folate. They also have twice as much iron as beef. Cannellini beans…

Chocolate has been around for more then 1,500 years and we have the ancient Aztecs and the Maya in Mexico and Central America to thank. Dark chocolate with high cocoa content (minimum 70%), is high in flavonoids (epicatechin and gallic acid). Cocoa also has polyphenol antioxidant properties, countering LDL cholesterol (levels of “bad” cholesterol) as…

Eggplants (also known as aubergine) have a host of vitamins and minerals. The skin of an eggplant is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage. Eggplant has been vastly under-used but thanks to Asian and Southern European influences in today’s cooking, it is finding its…

Rice is the most popular grain in the world but risotto is quintessentially Italian! The texture and ingredients can vary from region to region but the technique always remains the same. The best forms of rice to use for risotto is Arborio or Carnaroli as these will release starch and create a perfect, creamy mixture.…

This is a delicious meal, packed full of nutrients and is ready to serve in 25 minutes! Sweet potatoes are some of the most nutritious vegetables around. Its flesh can be yellow or orange, and its thin skin may either be white, yellow, orange, red or purple. They are an excellent source of vitamin A…