This dish came about one night as I was craving risotto but didn’t want white rice or to fuss over trying to create a risotto dinner with the wild rice blend I had. It turned out exactly as I had hoped. The flavours are rich and comforting without being overly heavy. I was told it would be a great date night dish….Valentine’s Day perhaps?

Rice-

• 6 servings of rice of choice, I used lundberg wild rice blend
• 1 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp herbamare, feel free to add less or skip this if you are watching your sodium intake
• 2 cloves garlic

Mushroom sausage blend-

• 1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 package of sausage, chopped
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/2 cup good quality parmesan cheese

For topping-

• Parsley
• Fresh diced tomato
• Pine nuts
• Fresh grated parmesan

Make-

1. Cook rice according to package….with a few alterations, use broth instead of water and replace 1 1/4 cup of the broth with white wine. Toss in 2 whole crushed cloves of garlic and salt.
2. While the rice is cooking work on the mushrooms and sausage. In a large pan over medium heat cook the onions in 2 tbsp of butter for about 4 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook stirring occasionally, for 13 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
5. Add the sausage and thyme, stirring occasionally until the sausage has cooked through, about 9-11 minutes. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan loosening the brown bits.
6. Add the tomato, soy sauce and white wine, cook until the wine has been absorbed.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Stir in the 1/4 cup of cream and 1/2 cup of parmesan.
9. Once the rice has finished cooking mix with the mushrooms and sausage.
10. If you want you can season with salt and pepper.
11. Serve topped with fresh parsley, tomato and pine nuts.
12. Enjoy.

I made rugelach for the first time a few months ago. Since then I haven’t  been able to stop thinking of  all the delicious fillings you could make them with. This time I used pumpkin, spices, pepitas and raisins. They were so good. Not overly sweet….although if that’s what you are going for you could easily toss in some extra sugar.

The Dough

• 4oz cold cream cheese, cut into tbsp sized pats
• 1/2 cup of cold unsalted butter, cut into tbsp sized pats
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• confectioners sugar for dusting table

The Filling

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2tbsp sugar
• 2tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup of raisins
• 1/4 cup pepitas, whole or chopped

Egg Wash

• 1 egg, beaten + 1 tbsp water

To make the dough-

1. remove the butter and cream cheese from the fridge. Let stand for 10-15 minutes or so.
2. add the flour and salt to your for processor and give a quick pulse.
3. add the cream cheese and butter. Pulse just enough to incorporate the ingredients, you want large crumbly chunks. Do not over do it!
4. divide the dough into 2 balls. flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper.
5. refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

To assemble-

1. when the dough has chilled, remove the first disk from the refrigerator and let sit for a few minutes.
2. dust the work area with confectioners sugar then roll out the dough into a 12 inch circle.
3. spread half of the pumpkin mixture evenly over the dough.
4. mix together the sugar, spices and salt.
5. sprinkle with a little less than half of the sugar/spice mixture.
6. top with half of the raisins and pepitas.
7. using a knife or pastry cutter, cut the dough into 16 triangles.
8. roll up each triangle, starting with the wide end of the triangle.
9. place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
11. repeat with the second disk of dough.
12. preheat the oven to 350.
13. brush the cookies with the egg wash.
14. sprinkle with the remaining sugar/spice mixture.
15. bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

*tip-to prevent the bottoms from browning too quickly I like to double up my baking sheets!

Alternative fillings-

• favourite jam(not too runny),nuts of choice
• caramel, chocolate chips and shredded coconut
• chocolate hazelnut spread and toasted nuts
• apricot jam, almonds and mixed dried fruit
• butterscotch, raisins and pecans

This beautiful cherry clafoutis has been on my “to make” list longer than cherries have been in season. Lucky for me I procrastinated long enough that I was able to snatch up a beautiful basket of Cherries at the local farmers market to use in this simple and delicious dessert.

Serves 8

• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2/3 cup of sugar, divided
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp, almond extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups of cherries, pitted – you can leave them whole or halve them
• powdered sugar, for topping
• lemon, juice for topping

In your blender add the milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Blend. Pour 1/4 inch of the batter into a buttered medium-sized cast iron skillet ( or any oven safe skillet ). Bake until a thin layer begins to set, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the oven cover with a layer of cherries. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar over the cherries. Evenly pour on the remaining batter. Bake for 45 minutes or until nicely browned and puffed.

To serve: Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!

*Adapted barely  from Julia Childs  Cherry Clafoutis

For some reason or another, last week Kegan and I managed to skip our weekly grocery shop. Luckily we had done a large shop the week before so I was able to just barely scrape by. This was one of the last meals I made that week, putting good use to the final remans of our refrigerator. Sometimes all you need is a little push to get your kitchen creativity flowing. This dish was a hit! I am happy to say Poppy and Kegan devoured it.

*Please use this recipe as a guideline. It doesn’t have to be exact. I honestly just tossed it together… I’m sure you could use all sorts of yummy veg in this dish….maybe even toss in a little fresh arugala! Yum. or try switching up the cheese maybe add a little aged white cheddar to the mix?

Serves 4-6

2 cups peas

olive oil

2 cups red cabbage, shredded

2 cups brussel sprouts, shredded

rice pasta, 4-6 servings ( you could also try this with brown or wild rice )

Lemon cream sauce:

2 tbsp butter

1 1/2-2 tbsp flour

2 cups milk, heated. I used whole milk ( or 1 cup milk one cup cream )

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

1 lemon

salt and pepper

Fill a small pot  about 1/2 of the way with water. Bring to a boil, add the peas and cook for 2 minutes or until just tender ( if the peas are frozen cook for 3 minutes ) Rinse with cold water and strain. Set aside.

In a medium pan over medium high heat add a little olive oil, add the cabbage and brussel sprouts and cook for about 3 minutes or until the bottoms begin to brown. Stir and cook for anouther 3 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat.

Cook the pasta according to package. Set aside.

In a medium pan over medium heat add 2 tbsp butter, let melt. Add the flour and whisk until you have a smooth paste. Add the milk and garlic. Whisk until the sauce begins to boil and is smooth and has thickened. Add the cheese and stir until combined. Remove from heat, add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl toss everything together. Top with a little freshly grated parm. Serve. Enjoy.

2 tbsp butter

2 chicken thighs,chopped then shredded

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 heaping tbsp fresh grated ginger

3 tbsp Thai green curry paste

2 cups crimini mushrooms, chopped

1 cup kale, chopped

4 cups chicken stock

1-2 large handfuls Thai Rice Stick Noodles

1/2 or 1 can coconut milk depending on how creamy you like it.

1 tbsp fish sauce

1/2 stalk lemon grass, minced

1 1/2 limes, juice of

1 heaping cup cilantro, finely minced

*note: Spice this soup up a bit by adding 1-2 tbsp of thai chili sauce or sriracha.

Melt the butter over med high heat in a large pot. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken has changed colour, remove chicken from the pot. Let cool slightly and shred, set aside. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Cook for one minute then add the mushrooms and kale. Cook until softened but not mushy. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the rice noodles, cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and lemon grass, let it simmer for about 6 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Cook for one more minute then remove from heat and serve.

*Best served with a side of Beer Bread!

3 cups self-rising flour ( or 3 cups all purpose or whole wheat + 1 tbsp baking powder + 3/4 tsp salt )

3 tbsp sugar

1 12oz bottle beer of choice, I used guinness

1 stick (8 tbsp) of butter, melted and divided – trying to be healthy?….you can use 1/2 stick of butter (4tbsp) instead.

*if you want to dress this bread up a bit, try some herbs like rosemary and thyme or some crumbled bacon and 1/2 cup or so of cheese. You could also add a little heat to it with sriracha or some jalapeno peppers…..the options are endless and it’s so easy. Have fun and enjoy!

preheat oven to 350. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour and sugar. Add the beer. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan. Pour in half of the melted butter. Spoon the batter into the pan. Pour the remaining butter over the batter. Bake for 60 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

*note: This tastes amazing with a good slather of honey or served alongside your favourite soup or stew.

Recipe adapted from smitten kitchen

This is so yummy, however I must warn that it is definitely not a quick meal to prepare. To save time you could prep your greens and do your measuring, chopping and slicing the day before; that way the following day all you will have to do is cook your roux, assemble and bake!

1/2 stick butter

1 large cooking onion, diced

2 large bunches of red chard, stemmed and chopped

2 cups organic 2% or whole milk, 

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp flour

2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/8 inch thick rounds

4 medium russet potatoes, sliced into 1/8 inch thick rounds

1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/4 cup grated cheese of choice, I used a mix of cheddar,  mozzarella and parmesan

Onions and Chard:

in a large pan cook onions with 2 tbsp of butter over medium-low heat until softened (making sure to stir often) about 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium-high and add the rainbow chard. Stir until the chard is wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a collander and using a dish towel press down on the chard to remove andy excess liquid.

Sauce:

In a small saucepan combine the milk and garlic; bring mixture to a simmer to keep it warm. In a medium saucepan melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Continue cooking the roux by whisking for one minute then while you continue to whisk slowly add the warm milk and garlic and bring to a boil. Whisk for about 1 minute more then season with salt and pepper. set aside.

Assemble:

Preheat the oven to 400. grease a 9×13 baking dish. Spread out half of the potatoes and half of the zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, 1/4 of the herbs and 1/4 cup of cheese. Spread half of your chard over the cheese, then sprinkle with salt and pepper, 1/4 of the herbs and a 1/4 cup of the cheese. Pour half of the roux over these layers then continue with the remaining potatoe and zucchini, salt and pepper, 1/4 of the herbs and 1/4 cup of cheese. Now top with the last of the chard. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the remaining sauce over the gratin, making sure it is as evenly distributed as possible. Finally top it off with the last of the cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes to 1hr or until golden and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes and serve!

We decided to take advantage of our Family Day long weekend by inviting a few friends over for a bit of food and a little play time with Poppy. The flirtng was instant as Pop began to work her magic. Sharon was the first recipient of the our little one’s flirty flirty ways and then it was on to the boys. There was a ton of fun to be had with jumbo chalk, books, bowling, and a few tattoos ( thank you paul for teaching poppy it is o.k. to draw on something other than paper ).  Top it all off with a little dance party and I would say the day was a sucess.

Makes about 15 med-small biscuits 

For the biscuits:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp butter, chilled and diced or grated

1 cup feta, crumbled

6 stalks scallions, finely chopped, green parts only

1 cup plain yogurt ( I used greek 2% )

preheat the oven to 450. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In your stand mixer using the pastry attachment add the dry ingredients and cut in the chilled butter. Using the paddle attachment fold in the feta and scallions. Now add the yogurt and mix until just combined. Place two inch balls of the dough on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the tops and bottoms begin to turn a nice golden brown.

for the spread:

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1 heaping tbsp dill, coppped

1 heaping tbsp scallions, chopped

Add all of the above to your food processor and mix until combined.

Additional ingredients:

300g smoked salmon

capers

Lemony Greens:

1 small tub of mixed greens

lemons

olive oil

baby tomatoes

cucumber

red onion

To assemble:

cut biscuits in half, add a good sized dollop of the cream cheese spread and top with smoked salmon, capers and some lemony greens. We served these with a side of scrambled eggs and a little side salad made with leftover lemony greens, some red onion, heirloom tomatoes and cucumber. Enjoy!

*recipe adapted from baconeggcheesecake

This is how Poppy and I spent our morning…..Enjoy!

for the cookies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed and room temperature

1 cup organic granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 orange, 1 1/2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

2 cups self rising flour, (if you don’t have self rising flour on hand you can use  all purpose flour + 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt)

preheat oven to 350. In a stand mixer on medium-high, cream together the butter slowly adding the sugar. Add the egg then the orange juice and vanilla. Reduce speed to med-low and gradually add the flour. Mix until combined ( do not over mix ); separate the dough into two disks and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a well floured surface roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch in thickness. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as you can! Place the hearts on a parchment lined baking sheet and toss in the freezer for about 5 minutes. Remove from th freezer and bake for 10 minutes or until the bottoms and edges are begining to brown slightly.

For the Icing:

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 tbsp meringue powder

1/4 cup water, room temp

1/2 tsp oil free vanilla extract, make sure there is no oil or it will ruin the icing!

pinch of cream of tartar

In the bowl of your stand mixer add the sugar, meringue powder and cream of tartar. Mix together using the paddle attachment. Add the extract to the water and slowly add it to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed for about 5-6 minutes ( it should at this point be thick like pudding ) then up the speed to high for another 3-4 minutes or until stiff and fluffy like meringue (make sure you do not over mix! Regardless of how long you have been mixing STOP as soon the peaks form or in other words it becomes stiff)

*note: if this all seems like far more time and effort than you wanted to spend making valentine cookies,  you can alway buy pre-made white cookie icing it’s super easy to use, you don’t need a piping bag….way less clean up annnd you don’t have to let them set overnight! hmmmm that sounds pretty good lol

To decorate:

pipe the outline of a heart inside each cookie then flood with icing; if you don’t know how to flood cookies with icing check out this tutorial on sweetsugarbelle. Once you have flooded your cookies, let them set overnight. Using a food marker decorate the iced parts of the hearts. These make the perfect little valentine. Share the love! x0

Recipe adapted from Beard+Bonnet

• 1 cup of Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp psyllium husk powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
• 1 1/4 cups milk, slightly warmed
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tbsp butter melted + a little more for greasing the muffin pan

Preheat the oven to 400. Using butter or cooking spray of choice grease the muffin pan.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and butter. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, salt and psyllium. Now pour the flour mixture in with the egg mixture and stir to combine. Once the batter is nice and smooth add the parmesan.

Divide the batter evenly amongst the greased muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the popovers are golden brown.

To serve:

I like to make a batch of these and  eat them throughout the week with some soup and a salad. They taste great as is or you can slice them and toss the slices in the oven at 400 for a few minutes until they are nice and toasty, yum!