Bowtie Neapolitan

Sounds impressive and complicated, doesn't it? It isn't. It's super simple. 

RECIPE: Bowtie Neapolitan

Ingredients:

Pasta

Oil

Onion

Tomato

Basil

Garlic 

Basil

Chives (optional)

Salt & Pepper

Method:

> boil water in a pot and cook noodles as recommended on the package

> chop and fry one onion in the oil over fairly high heat; you will make the sauce and shred the cheese in the time it takes the pasta to cook

> chop and add two tomatoes

> chop and add garlic, basil, and chives

> finish with salt and pepper 

> chop or shred some fresh or aged mozzarella (or ANY other cheese)

> drain the pasta

> toss the pasta in the sauce 

> add the cheese either to the pot and toss or leave it separate to self-serve at the table

This one takes 10 minutes, start to finish (if you start with a pot of water that is already hot from the tap). 

It's a great side to any dinner or lunch and is great served hot or cold. If serving cold, do not toss the cheese in while the pasta and sauce are hot. 

Green Salad

This is how I felt tonight.

So we made tomato sandwiches.

Well, we had sliced tomatoes with mayo on stone ground wheat thins.  And I grilled some steaks, which we sliced and put over the top.  Yum.

But dinner needed something... green.

How about salad?

Sure... what's in the fridge?

Um... broccoli, fresh ginger, green onions, and mini cucumbers.

So I made a green salad.

Chop them all up and mince up a little fresh ginger.

Stir in a spoon full of mayo, sprinkle a little salt, and SHAZAM!!!

Green salad.

Who said you had to invite actual leaves for the salad to be green?

Tomato Sandwiches

My plan for today's lunch was a tomato sandwich. Nothing fancy - leftover sliced tomatoes from dinner last night and artesian bread we picked up over the weekend in Calgary.

The bread was stale. The slices were all rock hard. What was I to do?

There are other leftovers in the fridge… I could just throw the bread out and eat other leftovers instead.

Wait a minute.

Throw out artesian bread... are you kidding?

And then I realized I could make a simple French salad for lunch: tomatoes with croutons. It's called something awesome in French that sounds way better than my English version.

But hold on…

Make your own croutons? That sounds complicated.

What's complicated about it? You have bread, an oven, oil, salt, and garlic - you don't need anything else.

Just chop up your two slices of bread into crouton sized bites and toss them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and that's it. Put them onto a lined cookie sheet and roast at 180°C or 375°F for five minutes or until they are golden.

Set the timer for this or you will burn them like I usually do.

Chop the tomatoes into bite-size pieces and any other vegetables you want to add - cucumber, red bell pepper, onion, capers, olives and feta would all be amazing with this.

Then adorn your vegetables with a dollop of mayonnaise and heavenly heaping of homemade croutons.

Voila! Lunch is served. So much better than just a sandwich.

Potato Salad

Ever find one of those recipes that is just... the BEST?! When you eat what you've made you think, "How have I lived my life up to this point without this food in my life?!"

Yeah, this is one of those.

Now, I can't take credit for most of this recipe; much of it is owed to Tyler Florence. You can find his original here.

When Chris and I make a recipe, we tend to pare it down and make it with quantities of ingredients that make our life simpler. Also, we tend to cook for a bit of a crowd.

At this point, some of you are thinking of that potato salad you had three years ago that was flavourless, watery, and left you disappointed. Firstly, I did not make that salad and secondly, this is ENTIRELY different from that salad. This one is actually good.

RECIPE: Potato Salad
Serves 12 (for your bbq this weekend)

Ingredients:
5 lb bag baby potatoes
12 eggs
1 bunch scallions (green onions), whites and greens sliced up together
1 small jar capers, drained
2 cups mayo
1/4 cup dijon
8-10 good pickles, diced (I use Kuhn brand as they don't contain preservatives)
reserve the pickle juice
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley or cilantro (whatever you prefer), chopped - including stems
1 bunch dill, chopped
the juice of 1 lemon or lime

Method:

> turn the broiler on high

> after washing the potatoes, quarter them, lay them on a sheet pan, and put them under the broiler (second rung from the top) for about 10 minutes; they should be golden and tender when you take them out of the oven; leave them on the pan until they have cooled

> to boil the eggs, put enough water into the pot to just submerge all the eggs; bring the water to a boil then turn it down to medium before lowering in the 12 eggs; put the lid on the pot and set the timer for 9 minutes; cool in cold water, peel, and dice the eggs up fairly small

> add the chopped eggs, scallions, capers, dijon, diced pickles, red onion, parsley or cilantro, dill, and lemon juice to the bowl; stir together

> stir in the potatoes to coat

> lastly, add in the mayo, determining how much is needed for the rest of the salad; thin down with pickle juice to your hearts content

> enjoy

Grilled Salad with Cream Cheese

It's lunch time. There are no leftovers for me from dinner last night. What should I make?

There are half an onion, half a green pepper, and half a red pepper all staring at me in the fridge.

And cream cheese... and fresh tomatoes... hmmm...

RECIPE: Grilled Salad with Cream Cheese

Ingredients:
half a small onion, sliced
one bell pepper, sliced or chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 dollop low fat cream cheese

Method:
> sauté the onion and pepper in a skillet
> once caramelized, pour into bowl
> add tomatoes, cream cheese, and parsley or cilantro garnish
> season to taste and enjoy!!

There are many variation options for this recipe; here are a few that popped to mind:

This would also be amazing with leftover grilled chicken, fish, or beef in place of the cream cheese.

Add to a bun with leftover steak, melt some mozzarella over the top, and drizzle with garlic mayo, hello Philly Cheese Steak!!

Without the cream cheese, this is a great vegetable side dish with very little work - fresh and grilled!

Guatemalan Vegetable Salad / Potato & Green Bean

RECIPE: Guatemalan Vegetable Salad / Potato & Green Bean

(serves 6)

Ingredients:

- 1.5 cups shelled squash or pumpkin seeds

- 4 medium tomatillos, husked and quartered

- 0.5 cups roughly chopped yellow onions

- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed

- 2 teaspoons salt

- 1 pound green beans, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces

- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method:

> in a medium pot, combine the potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt with enough water, to cover; bring to a boil and simmer until tender; drain; set aside

> combine the green beans and remaining teaspoon of salt in water to cover; bring to a boil and simmer until tender; drain; set aside

For the sauce:

> in a large, dry skillet, the pumpkin seeds over medium-low heat until golden and fragrant, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove and let cool

> add the tomatillos, onions and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the skins are slightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from the heat and let cool slightly

> pulse the roasted squash seeds in a blender or food processor; add the tomatillo mixture and 0.25 (1/4) cup water; puree on high speed until smooth, adding more water as needed

> season to taste

> combine the cooked potatoes and green beans in a bowl; toss with the sauce and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving

> serve chilled

For a full run-down of the Guatemalan lunch and how things went, go here.

Picado de Rábano / Guatemalan Radish Salad

Picado de Rábano / Guatemalan Radish Salad

(serves 6) 

Ingredients:

- 1 pound radishes, sliced into thin rounds

- 1 bunch mint, chopped

- 1/2 cup orange juice

- 1/4 cup lemon juice (one large lemon)

- salt & pepper to taste

Method:

> slice radishes with a food processor or knife

> mix all ingredients into bowl

> chill for a few hours (or overnight) before serving

For the full posting about the Guatemalan lunch, go here. 

Spring Radish Slaw

Nothing says "Springtime" like those classic spring fruit, vegetables, and bright colours.  For me, radishes take me back to childhood - tromping through the garden, on the hunt for a stem large enough to indicate it was time to eat!

I always find the first radishes of the year are mildest, and everything about them returns me to the early '80's, adventuring in the raised garden at the back of our small yard, searching through the marigolds and rhubarb for the first fruits of our gardening work.

I have made this salad several times this week and my kids cannot get enough of it.  The salt, vinegar, and sugar in the dressing gently pickle any "spice" out of the radishes, mellowing them down to their basic flavour.

Seconds and even thirds have been fully consumed before I hear, "Mommy, what else is for dinner?  I don't think I have room..."  Success!

RECIPE: Radish Slaw
(feeds 4-6)

Ingredients:
2 pounds radishes, trimmed
1-2 bunches cilantro or italian parsley
3/4 cup craisins
2 tbsp rice, white wine, cider, or champagne vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 tsp salt (or so)

Method:
> mix together the craisins, vinegar, sugar, mayo, and salt in your salad bowl
> slice the radishes with a food processor or mandolin if you have either; if not, it's the old fashioned way with a knife and cutting board
> rough chop the cilantro and/or parsley (this salad would also love spring onions)
> toss with the dressing; can be made ahead or to serve; if made ahead, it all turns a gorgeous pink

Salad for Lunch

Today is one of those days where faster is better, so once it was time to eat some lunch, I knew what I would have: salad.

RECIPE: Tangy Sweet Chili Salad

Ingredients:
tangy sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp mayo
1 tomato, diced
a few handfulls of salad greens
cilantro
peanuts

Method:
> mix together diced tomato, tangy sweet chili, and mayo
> arrange greens and cilantro
> top with tomato sauciness and peanuts

Fast and delicious!!!

Red & Green Salad

It has happened. It is December. Bring on the large gatherings with family and friends. But how do you feed that many people?!

Be not afraid of feeding the crowd of 23, with kids of varying ages, the cousin you see twice a year, and your aunt who has an extra glass of wine or two.

RECIPE: Red & Green Salad

Ingredients:
broccoli (one bunch of 3-4 florets)
cauliflower (1/2 head)
2-4 bell peppers
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup wine (or wine vinegar + 2 tbsp sugar)
3 cloves garlic
nuts
seeds
craisins or raisins

This is a salad of 3's. What do I mean? There are 3 components: veg, sauce, and nuts. In each component there are 3 ingredients. Here's how it breaks down:

Method:
> for the veg; chop the broccoli (including stems), cauliflower, and bell peppers into bite sized pieces, keeping your audience in mind (I always chop smaller for little kids and the elderly) and pop that into a large bowl

> for the sauce; mix together the mayo, wine (or wine vinegar and sugar), and garlic - I usually use about 3 cloves or a tsp of ground garlic

> for the nuts; this is FULLY open to your discretion and ingredients at hand. I love this salad with chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, and craisins. My latest iteration contained sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried chickpeas, sunflower seeds, and craisins.

> MIX AND SERVE!!

And that is it. This is essentially the template for a firm veggie salad at my house. This salad has also contained the following ingredients:
- radish
- onion
- green peas (frozen or fresh)
- snow peas
- snap peas
- kohlrabi
- carrot
- beet
- cilantro
- parsley
- basil
- mint
- parsnips
- apple
- and BACON

Honestly, this salad is a meal in itself. Just add a little meat or a few extra nuts and voila! Dinner is served.

Easy, filling, delicious, AND festive to boot!!

Ranch Dip

There is something about it... creamy and delicious, a good ranch dip or dressing makes everything better. 


After looking in stores for the perfect iteration, I am usually appalled either by the price or the ingredient list. Is it really that hard? Is a good ranch dip out of reach?

Fear not, amazing home-made ranch dip awaits!!

Fresh Fish

There is something to be said for fresh fish. It is amazing. Entirely unlike anything else. And what do I mean when I say "fresh"?

We spent part of early September in a little town called Ucluelet (you-clue-let), BC. What a treasure! It is perched literally at the end of the road on the west side of Vancouver Island.

The rainforest outside our cabin.

Simple Salad Dressing

I love salad. I love salad dressing. I love home made salad dressing. And my favourite dressing could not be simpler to make.

Are you ready?

Harley's Salad Dressing

Well, the kids kitchen is not yet gone, but Harley has entered the kitchen.

The other day, he asked if he could make (and eat) a salad for a snack. Could he make both the salad AND the dressing?

His creation was quite good with interesting flavour combinations I would never have chosen, but they all work really nicely together.

Herbes de Provence

It sounds so yummy - so French - so... complicated and intimidating. But it is not complicated. It is simple and delicious. You read right; French, delicious, simple.

This is a chicken thigh over salad. Super easy, incredibly flavourful.

Steak and Salad

Dinner Saturday night was amazing!! I made a salad and My husband grilled the steaks. Sounds simple, but it was incredible!!

Broiled Tilapia on Japanese Inspired Slaw

I cannot BELIEVE how hectic life has been these past two months. The last bit of school was more involved than I thought it would be and I have started organizing my friend's house. Add in swimming lessons and lots of overtime at work for my husband, my own home organization and cleaning, and there is little time left in the day!

On top of that, my husband has embarked on a weight loss journey, so I have been cooking nearly exclusively from his diet plan (with additions of starch, dairy, and fats for the kids). I have had to forge creativity in the midst of strict diet rules and it has been a challenge.

Here is what I made for dinner the other night...

Turkey Mini Meatballs

The other day, I wanted something fun, yummy, and different. We are on quite the salad and fish kick right now, but the ground turkey in the fridge was begging for inspiration. What to do? Turkey Meatballs, of course!

Lunch With A Friend

Friends came over for lunch and a visit yesterday and it was delightful! The kids had a blast and my friend and I had a lovely visit.

Good company, good coffee, good food... excellent day!

Fish For Lunch

I am often surprised by how few people around me seem to eat fish, cook with fish, or have even tried fish.

On our last trip to the grocery store, we bought one package of each of the frozen fish options, where the fish is filleted and packed as is, right after cleaning.

So yummy and simple, it hardly feels like I am actually cooking!