Tapas for Dinner

It was one of those nights where we just did not feel like making or eating a "real" dinner. So instead, I made this:

Mexican Night

I get fully inspired by various cultures... and then I make it my own, usually blending cultures along the way.

Take last night, for example. We had corn tortillas and I was not sure where we would end up, but Mexico was my inspiration and I managed to convince the ingredients to join our culinary adventure.

Garlic Vegetable Omelette

I will be the first to tell you that I do not like eggs. In fact, I really do not like eggs. All by themselves, the texture, flavour, and aroma - I cannot handle it.

I clearly remember it - a night when I was about 7 or 8, I slept over at a friend's house. The mom and dad of the home kick-started Saturday morning with a nice big breakfast of bacon, toast, and sunny side up soft eggs. I ate all I could of that breakfast - even some of the egg whites - until my stomach threatened to embarrass me, at which point I stated I was full.

The other day, I knew I needed an egg for breakfast, protein and veggies, but what could I make? The best answer: eggs.

School Lunch

I'm not ready for it. School starts tomorrow and I am not ready to start packing lunches and snacks again. Here is something that may make its way into the kids lunchbox in the not-too-distant future.

Last week, I made some "cheese crisps" that were just cheese. It is pretty much the easiest thing to do. Ready for the instructions?

1. cut
2. fry
3. eat

Simple, right?

step 1: cut the cheese (I used mozzarella)

Philly Cheese Steak

Sometimes I think that any cookbook I make might have a full chapter devoted to "things that go on a bun". This sandwich would be in that chapter.

Neither I nor my husband have ever been to the east coast, but this is our best guess at what this legendary sandwich might taste like...

Mangos For Breakfast

With spring in full swing, I find myself awake around 6:15 every morning, so I have started a new habit: getting up with my husband and making a proper breakfast for both of us.

Lazy Pizza

The other day, I decided on pizza for dinner. It was already nearly 5:00 pm and I was low on ideas.

The kids decided on ham, pineapple, and bell pepper pizza. For Chris and I, vegetarian. We picked up two pizza crusts (gasp) at the store and got to making it. I really did not want a tomato pizza sauce, so I made a "white" pizza sauce that worked quite well.

Portabella Garlic Mushroom Burgers

I was in need of a delicious, healthy, filling, fast dinner (on our way out the door). One that the kids would eat quickly and enjoy. Solution: Portabella Garlic Mushroom Burgers.

It's actually one of the best things I have ever put on a bun. Here is how it breaks down...

Portabella Garlic Mushroom Burger with tomato, cilantro, and caramelized red onions on a toasted ciabatta bun.

The Return Of Taste

After being sick for the last month, my sense of taste is finally returning. It disappeared among the orange juice, toast, soup, and cough syrup I have been living off.

I figured that posting recipes while I could not actually taste anything was not a wise choice. At one point I loaded something I was eating with Frank's Red Hot Sauce and still could not taste a thing. Now that I can taste, it's time to start posting again!

Watermelon Salad

Sometimes kids who come over are uncertain of the strange things that we make. When my niece and nephews came over for dinner on Friday night, we were interested to see how they would respond to dinner.

I roasted carrots and halved mini potatoes in one pan and some fresh dill-covered salmon fillets in another.

For the salad, we made this:

Community Lunch Lasagne

When it comes to food and cooking for others, running out is NEVER an option. If there is a fault in this category, it is that we tend to over-do it. So, when we volunteered to help out with food for the Community Lunch after church this last week, we aimed high...

... top of this mountain of twenty loaves of garlic bread, high.

Hearty Mushroom Soup

There are times when I want something hearty, meaty, but... meatless. This soup is the solution.

What mushrooms should you use? As many different kinds as you can - variety is one of my favourite spices! I have used white button, brown button, cremini (baby portabella), large portabella, oyster, enoki, and shitake all in this soup.

Bunwich Kind of Day...

There are times when all I want to eat for the weekend is food on buns: that was this weekend. 

Friday night, we had tuna buns and Saturday morning we had breakfast on a bun. Here is how it breaks down:

Pizza... Home Made Pizza

There is something so warm and comforting about the smell of baking bread when it is cold and dark outside. On those days, I find myself scouring cookbooks and food blogs looking for the recipe I will bake. Last night, it was home made pizza from a cookbook my mother-in-law made for Chris when he left home.

Making your own pizza dough is actually quite simple. It involves paying attention for small periods of time, lots of ignoring, a few minutes of baking, then - VOILA! - pizza!!

Yes, it is that simple. Okay, it might take a little longer the first time or two, but after that, it is simple AND quick.