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Cacio e Pepe Potato Stacks

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We’ve combined two favourites, cacio e pepe and potatoes to create these Cacio e Pepe Potato Stacks perfect for your next gathering or holiday meal!

Cacio e Pepe Potato Stacks
Cacio e Pepe Potato Stacks

We slow roasted an entire bulb of garlic, mixed it into butter melted with extra virgin olive oil, lots of fresh cracked black pepper and fresh thyme.

We layer thinly sliced potatoes picked up from Sunterra Market here in Calgary, in muffin tins. They are brushed with a melted butter mixture and a light dusting of Pecorino Romano cheese in between the layers.

What is Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e Pepe means cheese and pepper and is a very popular Italian pasta dish. Traditionally made it consists of fresh grated pecorino romano cheese, fresh black pepper and spaghetti. It’s a simple, no fuss kind of pasta dish offering loads of flavour.

To learn more about Cacio e Pepe the pasta read what The Kitchn has to say.

For this recipe we keep the potatoes simple with just a light sprinkling of cheese in-between the layers. Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese made with sheep’s milk that can flavour your dish, but also make it quite salty.

Cacio e Pepe Potato Stacks
Cacio e Pepe Potato Stacks

These potatoes are related to Potatoes Anna, a classic French dish of sliced, layered potatoes and butter.

We did a few trial runs of these potato stacks not knowing if they would turn out and they turned out awesome each time. Serve family style on a platter or individually on each persons plate.

Make them for your next dinner party, Sunday supper or wow your guests by preparing these elegant potato stacks at your next holiday meal.

Cacio e Pepe Potato Stacks
Cacio e Pepe Potato Stacks – one of our practice stacks!

PRO TIPS

  • Yellow Potatoes are starchy and our potato of choice for potato stacks.
  • Look for smaller, oval potatoes. They will need to fit your food processor and muffin tins.
  • Best to use a food processor to slice them thin, or a mandolin.
  • Roast your garlic a couple hours in advance or the day before.
  • Your potato slices do not need to be the same size. We use all shapes and sizes ensuring they fit the muffin cup circle.

Looking for more potato inspiration?! Check out these popular recipes!

 

Maple Cranberry Sauce

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We’ve taken our traditional cranberry sauce recipe and turned it up a notch by adding in a special ingredient or two. Try this Maple Syrup Cranberry Sauce with your next turkey dinner.

Maple Cranberry Sauce
Maple Cranberry Sauce

Cranberries Grow Up and So Do We

As kids we were privy to jellied cranberry sauce from a can or jellied cranberry sauce from a can. Liked it, but didn’t love it.

As an adult we started making our own cranberry sauce using fresh cranberries. This was a game changer and so fresh sauce will always be our first choice.

Maple Cranberry Sauce
Maple Cranberry Sauce

Our cranberry sauce typically contains fresh cranberries, sugar, orange rind, a cinnamon stick or two and orange juice. For this updated version we add a good scoop of apricot jam and real maple syrup instead of sugar.

My mom would make apricot jam when we were kids and it was always one of my favourite jams. I have ensured my kids have grown up eating a variety of jams and jellies including apricot jam. I decided to add some jam to this maple cranberry sauce to add another element of sweet.

Maple Cranberry Sauce
Maple Cranberry Sauce

This simple recipe can be made in advance. We have been known to double the batch, make one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.

It freezes beautifully and leftovers can be used several different ways.

What to do with Leftover Cranberry Sauce

This recipe will make approximately 3 cups of cranberry sauce so we always have leftovers. On purpose. Look at all the things you can do with leftover cranberry sauce.

  • Add it to your turkey sandwich.
  • Try it over waffles, french toast, pancakes, even in crepes.
  • Mix it with Greek yogurt and granola.
  • Use as a topping for chia pudding or oatmeal.
  • Appetizer: spread cream cheese or a slice of brie on a cracker and top with cranberry sauce.
  • Top a slice of cheesecake or ice cream with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.
  • Meatballs. Mix cranberry sauce with a little BBQ sauce and let the meatballs simmer until ready to serve.
  • Top your baked brie with leftover sauce and sprinkle with toasted nuts. This is simply divine.

Looking for more ideas to spice up your holiday feast, check out these posts:

 

Aiden’s Gouda Fruit Salad

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My kids love to get into the kitchen and create things. More often then not they announce what they want to make without checking on ingredients first. This salad was the exception as we just so happened to have all the fruit available. Aiden’s Fruit Salad is made by my son Aiden and on this night accompanied quick sandwiches before a busy activity evening.

A fruit salad can include any fruit you want. We never add a dressing or drizzle of honey to our fruit salads as we let the sweetness of the fruit speak for itself.

Aiden's Gouda Fruit Salad
Aiden’s Gouda Fruit Salad

 

 

Greek Pasta Salad

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A family favourite that has stood the test of time (almost 20 years) will soon be your new go to pasta salad. This Greek Pasta Salad combines Greek salad and a pasta salad for a winning combination!

Greek Pasta Salad
Greek Pasta Salad

Back in 2002 I used to play on a local softball slow-pitch team. I was fairly new to Calgary and looking to get out and meet people. The same year I also joined an indoor soccer team and billiards team. It was around then I met my husband, through work of all places, and life was forever changed.

Greek Pasta Salad
Greek Pasta Salad

During our ball season, our team did a few weekend tournament camping trips that included lots of beverages. Meals were potluck style and it was around this time someone from work introduced me to Club House Pasta Salad Dressing Mix.

So every camping trip that followed I would precook the pasta, store it in a zip lock bag, chop up a bunch of vegetables, store them in a plastic bag, mix up the dressing and keep it in a sealed jar and wrap up some feta as the finishing touches.

Greek Pasta Salad with cucumber water
Greek Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is also a hit at potlucks and barbecues. Here’s a few tips to help get you started.

PRO TIPS

  • Do not rinse pasta after cooking. This is an old wives tale. Drain pasta and spread pasta on a baking sheet to let cool down.
  • Do not add oil to the pasta water. Simply not needed. Make sure it’s salted however.
  • Pre-chop all veggies.
  • Pre-make your salad dressing.
  • Take this salad anywhere and be prepared to be asked for the recipe.

Like this salad idea, check out a few of our other favourites:

 

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

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Chick peas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a good source of protein, iron and several other vitamins and minerals. Hummus is a staple in our house and this Roasted Jalapeno Hummus is the latest flavour addition to our weekly rotation.

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus
Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

Hummus is a popular Middle Eastern Dip and spread. A dish we did not grow up with and only learned about later in life through our many food adventures. It’s the perfect healthy dip for fresh vegetables. In fact it is so good for you, here are 8 Great Reasons to Eat More Hummus.

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus
Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

Adding roasted jalapenos was a no brainer for me as I love spice just not too spicy. Roasting jalapenos breaks down the capsaicin in the skin, reducing the pepper’s heat while giving it a sweet and smoky flavour. It is important to note some jalapenos can be hotter than others. Just like some oranges or grapes taste better than others, or onions can make you cry worse than the previous one. Using jalapenos in any dish may result in a mild experience or wild adventure depending on how spicy they are. Therefore you may want to start with just 1 jalapeno depending on your heat level tolerance.

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus
Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

I also love roasted garlic and roast up to 4 bulbs at a time keeping them in the refrigerator to use as needed. Once roasted squish out the entire contents of one roasted garlic bulb into this hummus for added flavour.

 

Watergate Salad Trifle

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Who remembers this popular green salad from the late 70’s and 80’s called Watergate Salad? It’s a salad known by names such as pistachio delight, shut the gate salad, green goop, green fluff and green stuff and these days can be found on the table during Thanksgiving or Easter celebrations.

According to research efforts, the origin of the name “Watergate salad” is obscure: Kraft Corporate Affairs (who makes the pistachio pudding) says “There are several urban myths regarding the name change, but we can’t substantiate any of them. We developed the recipe for Pistachio Pineapple Delight.” It was in 1975, the same year that pistachio pudding mix came out. According to Kraft Kitchens, when the recipe for Pistachio Pineapple Delight was sent out, an unnamed Chicago food editor renamed it Watergate Salad to promote interest in the recipe when she printed it in her column. Neither the article nor editor has been tracked down, however.

Further to this in in 1922 Helen Keller published a similar recipe, calling for canned diced pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, whipped cream and other ingredients. “I ate it first in California, so I call it Golden Gate Salad”. Similar “fruit salad” and “pineapple salad” recipes had been published in the 1910s, and “Golden Gate Salad” was served in some US hotels. The question still begs to be answered, who came up with this recipe or was it an accumulation of recipes as we see so often these days.

Watergate salad wasn’t something we ate regularly in our house, in fact more of an experience we had when we were at gatherings with friends or family. I never did understand (even though I grew up in the era of jelly salads), how a bowl of pudding with fruit, nuts and marshmallows could be a side to a dinner. Inspiration hit and I decided to make this retro recipe into a trifle with real whipping cream.

Cococo Chocolatiers Baking Chocolate
Cococo Chocolatiers Baking Chocolate

Recently we dropped into Cococo Chocolatiers to try their hot chocolate for YYC Hot Chocolate Fest and I noticed they carry baking chocolate. They asked if I would like to sample some and I graciously said yes. Chocolate shavings was one of the items I received  and was excited to use. While making the individual trifles, I added toasted pecan bits to the layers of the trifle along with the Cococo Chocolate Shavings.

If you are having a friends over make this in a trifle bowl and double it for a crowd. This was the perfect amount for four or you could easily stretch it into 6-8 individual servings.

 

Wategate Salad Trifle
Watergate Salad Trifle

 

 

Wategate Salad Trifle
Watergate Salad Trifle

 

Jicama & Green Apple Slaw

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Coleslaw or slaws are a delicious way to add flavour to burgers, pulled meats, sammy’s and more. You can make them spicy, tangy or sweet, but they must have that crunch factor. Everyone has their own favourite variation of a slaw, and this jicama, green apple slaw is one I came up with a couple years ago while doing a detox. We were having homemade burgers and I had mine in a lettuce cup. It was a super tasty topping for my burger and that added crunch I needed to jazz it up.

It’s become so popular in our family, I make it often. My son loves it so much he requests it regularly, yet never used to like jicama. But he’s crazy about green apples so there you have it.  Sometimes I add 1/2 cup sliced cabbage, or a few slices of red thai chili peppers to change it up. The kids, of course, do not like the heat from the chili pepper so I keep it as an optional topper. If you add cabbage, check to see if you need to adjust your seasonings.

Here’s how I did it.

 

 

 

Israeli Couscous with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

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This dish was an easy sell to the kids. They love pasta and Israeli couscous are small, round, pasta-like granules made from semolina and wheat flour. Once they heard the word pasta they were happy to try it and pick out what foreign objects (in their minds it’s squash and red onion) didn’t belong. You even cook this couscous like you would pasta by boiling it in a pot of salted water.

We grew up with the Canada Food Guide with dinners having a serving of carbs (rice, pasta or potato), fruits & veggies, dairy and protein. You kind of carry this mentality with you when you have your own kids. Fortunately those carbs translate into so many other things. Like this couscous salad for example. It counts as a serving of both carbs and you’ve got some veggies in there. We grilled up (yes it was -6 outside but those are minor details) sausage, pita bread and I made some home made tomato soup to serve with dinner. It was a delicious and filling meal. My husband who doesn’t love pasta but tolerates it for the kids sake, said he loved it – even the fresh red onions (which he also does not care for).

This recipe was made using several local ingredients. In fact the only ingredient not local would be the Israeli Couscous and the orange. The couscous was cooked in advance and cooled down in the refrigerator. It served four and there were leftovers so I know what my lunch will be today!

Israeli Couscous with Butternut Squash and Cranberries
Israeli Couscous with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

 

Green Apple & Cranberry Quinoa Salad

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Meals during the week have to be quick since the kids have activities. These are the days they come home from school, play with the dog, check their emails, do their homework, eat and go to activities, so dinner has to be easy and fast. By the time they get home it’s bed time. Last night was one of those nights, and unfortunately I had not done any meal prep in advance. Off to the store I went to pick up some quick grill sausages and a few ingredients to make a Quinoa Salad.

Green Apple, Gouda & Cranberry Quinoa
Green Apple, Gouda & Cranberry Quinoa

I tend to make my quinoa a day or two in advance. I like it cool or right out of the fridge vs hot off the stove. I find it fluffs up when it has time to sit and cool off plus it’s available for a quick meal solution. This salad is Gluten Free and can be made dairy free by not adding the cheese.

I’m happy my whole family enjoys quinoa and I no longer feel like I have to put a carb on the table (rice, pasta, potato). Grains are a beautiful & filling thing.

 

Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Lentils

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Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Lentils are a delicious addition to your holiday table or the perfect side to to any main.

 

We always have luck growing carrots in containers on our deck. Not so much luck with radishes (worms) or lettuce (aphids) however but we haven’t given up yet amidst trying almost everything. The kids love to plant seeds, and watch them grow. It’s something they look forward to every year. They especially enjoy the coloured carrots, and admittedly always plant way to many seeds so we end up with all kinds of carrot shapes, and sizes. But it’s fun, I let them do their thing, and they are learning so much from this process.

Garden carrots ready for roasting
Garden carrots ready for roasting

I was asked to submit some recipes for the Winter edition of a Gluten Free Magazine. Many of my salad or vegetable recipes tend to be gluten free, so I knew exactly what I wanted to make, sides for a holiday dinner. Which could also be a delicious meal for one with some added protein. I had ideas, well several so I decided to make a trio of sides for the magazine. It’s a day of chopping I will never forget as I somehow managed to chop off part of my finger while preparing the parsley for this dish. Fortunately the kids were home (my daughter came to my aid), and my husband just walking in the door. He cleaned the counter/cutting board, and re-chopped a fresh batch of parsley for me so I could get the dish finished, and photographed since the deadline was looming. Plus there was still work to be done, and a cut finger wasn’t going to stop me although it’s the first time I’ve cut it this bad since I worked in a butcher shop when I was 16.

The first time I tried crispy lentils was at a Food Blogger Conference in Vancouver. They were sprinkled on a fish dish (halibut I believe) and it was delicious. I came home and started making crispy lentils which I sprinkle on everything. I promise to post that recipe soon.

The Trio of Sides recipes I made for the magazine are these Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Lentils, Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou and Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts.

Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Crispy Lentils
Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Crispy Lentils

 

 

Trio of side dishes
Trio of side dishes

 

Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou

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Fire up the barbecue, grill your favourite protein and add these Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou to complete the meal.

Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou
Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou

A good roasted potato is an easy dish to make and goal to achieve. Roasted potatoes compliment any meal whether it’s a holiday dinner with roasted turkey or simple grilled chicken.

Sometimes when the boys are away we like to have them as our main meal topping them with a fried or poached egg or even fresh made Pico De Gallo,

Lemon Roasted Potatoes
Lemon Roasted Potatoes

For this recipe we roasted our potatoes with lemon and topped them with a fresh made parsley pistou. They became one of the sides to our roasted ham dinner.

A Pistou is a French sauce served cold made from garlic, basil, olive oil and of course parsley. It’s similar to a pesto without the nuts.

Try it on any roasted vegetables, grilled meat or fish, even egg dishes.

 

Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts

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This perfect side dish has been topped with candied walnuts and plump cranberries turning these Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts into a very popular holiday item!

Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts
Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts and plump cranberries

Growing up it was boiled frozen brussels sprouts during holiday  meals. No disrespect to those who still love them cooked this way, my husband being one of them, but it was never my thing. Too plain, to simple for me.

It wasn’t until I moved to Calgary that I experienced them sauteed, fried, crispy and full of flavour. Now we both like brussels sprouts sauteed and loaded with flavour although husband still defers to the boiled and plain occasionally!

Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts
Plumped up cranberries add loads of flavour to this dish

There are many ways to cook brussels sprouts. You can steam them or boil them as mentioned earlier. We like to roast them, BBQ in a grill pan or sautee in a pan on the stove.

Essentially these little cabbages can take on lots of flavour just like a coleslaw or slaw for tacos.

Brussels Sprouts
The perfect bite: brussels sprout, walnut, cranberry

This was one of three recipes we created for a local magazine making it gluten-free, dairy free and sugar free.

The other two recipes shown below are roasted and fresh carrots with lentils and lemon roasted potatoes with a parsley pistou.

Recipes for the other two dishes we created for the magazine are below.

Other Sides Recipes

I grew up in British Columbia, my husband in Manitoba. We had the same traditional Thanksgiving dinners every year even though two Provinces apart!

Besides the classic mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy, what are some of your favourite Thanksgiving sides?!

 

Grain Salad with Edamame

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Several big family gatherings in July called for lots of great potluck, and easy to assemble type food. We had Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan represented in our house over the course of several days, leaving many mouths to feed. So I made big salads and big food. This super grain salad with quinoa was one of them. So delicious and serves 10-12 with the possibility of leftovers. It’s one of my new favourite salads loaded with goodness and easy to take camping or to a BBQ.

I first discovered the PC grain blends a couple years ago when they launched them. Always loved them but it seems they’ve changed the packaging and keep relocating them in their stores. This makes it a challenge every time we go to find the item on the shelves. I love the 5 grains that are in this mix [spelt, barley, rice, wheat berries & oats] which really is a powerhouse in itself, but being a confessed quinoa addict, um fan, I have to be different and add a handful of quinoa into the mix as well. Just because. It’s one of those salads you could change up entirely based on your likes. This one was a hit at our potluck, and a keeper.

 

Grain Salad with Edamame
Grain Salad with Edamame

 

Panzanella Salad with Summer Cherries

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I enjoyed a childhood filled with an abundance of tree fruits. Cherry, apple, prune plums and crab apple trees adorned the front yard. I often wonder if the people who live in that house now enjoy the fruit trees as much as we did. I have fond memories of the battles my father would have with the birds (Robins mostly) eating his cherries. Sometimes when I think back to those battles, he reminds me of Mr. McGregor in The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

There are many variations of panzanella salads and I love how versatile this salad is especially in the summer months. Summer cherries just seems to work in this salad. It’s a salad that’s actually been around a very long time. Did you know Panzanella was based on onions, not tomatoes until the 20th century? And modern panzanella is generally made of stale bread soaked in water and squeezed dry? I’m not much on eating stale bread soaked & squeezed…I prefer my crunchy croutons!

It’s easy to toss the bread on the grill, chop up some veggies, mix up a dressing, pick your favourite cheese to add and you have a delicious dinner ready to go. Firmer veggies are best for this salad. It’s perfect for a potluck or to take camping. Days like today when it’s to hot to cook, we like to pick up a cooked roasted chicken, whip up an easy salad and dinner is done. Toss some firm fruit or berries into your salad and change it up again.

Better photo coming soon!

 

 

 

Crispy Molasses Coleslaw

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We had an International German student living with us for almost a year. She had a few food allergies and one of them was carrots. So I got used to cooking without carrots. Although the allergy was mainly to raw carrots, I just stopped using them so as to not “forget”. With my coleslaw’s I always experiment. Sometimes I’d add apple or pear, other times it’s nuts or seeds. But the basics of my coleslaw are always the same; cabbage, onions, cilantro with a mayo/sour cream/vinegar dressing.

As I was making the dressing to go with our Beef on a Bun, I asked my father in laws girlfriend/partner what she thought about me adding molasses into my dressing. She wasn’t sure at first so I pulled a little out & mixed in some molasses. Let her try it to get her opinion and Bam she liked it. I know some people add sugar to their dressings, so the molasses could add the sweet factor. And since I’m more of a salty person to begin with I needed feedback and second opinions. It was well received that evening by everyone. And so the Crispy Molasses Coleslaw recipe was born.

This recipe feeds a crowd so if you are cooking for a smaller family you may want to half it. And yes I put cilantro in my slaw. You can always replace it with flat leaf parsley.

 

Crispy Molasses Coleslaw
Crispy Molasses Coleslaw

Chilled Noodle Salad with Ginger Wasabi Dressing – Cooking with Catelli

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What’s old is new again – at least when it comes to eating grains. Catelli Foods Corporation shared this message with us at a recent event here in Calgary. Several bloggers & food writers were invited to attend a one on one cooking demo with Canadian Celebrity Chef Lynn Crawford and Catelli Foods. The evening started with us sampling some tasty snacks from the SAIT Culinary Campus and watching Chef Crawford whip up two pasta dishes. Each pasta dish was passed around for us to sample. The demo was fun, entertaining, and we quickly learned Chef Crawford has quite the sense of humour. While we ate, Chef Crawford moved into making a delicious Chilled Noodle Salad with Ginger Wasabi Dressing. Once she was finished her demo we all donned chef hats and aprons, and picked a cooking station to get started making our own delicious salad. The evening concluded with photos and swag bags.

Catelli® Healthy Harvest® Ancient Grains pasta blends 100 per cent Canadian whole wheat with five wholesome ancient grains: quinoa, teff, amaranth, millet and sorghum. Certified GMO-free (NON GMO Project Verified), Catelli® Healthy Harvest® Ancient Grains pasta is available in three cuts –  Spaghetti, Spaghettini and Rotini.

Chef Lynn Crawford
Chef Lynn Crawford

The health benefits of eating 100 per cent whole grain wheat have been touted for years, but what makes the other grains so healthy? Here’s the ancient secret:

Quinoa: Dating back to the 13th century South American Inca Empire, quinoa is high in fibre, protein and minerals – including magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron – and low on the glycemic index.

Amaranth: Native to the Americas and prized by Aztec civilization, amaranth is rich in protein, containing all the essential amino acids, key vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and iron.

Teff:  Originating in Ethiopia and Eritrea between 4,000 BCE and 1,000 BCE, this poppy seed-sized grain is high in protein, fibre, calcium, thiamin and iron.

Sorghum: Domesticated in Northeastern Africa more than 5,000 years ago, sorghum – a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin and magnesium – is known to support digestive health, help fight cardiovascular disease and help control blood sugar levels.

Millet: Cultivated 4,000 years ago from wild West African grass, this nutty-flavoured grain is known to be heart healthy, containing a high level of protein, magnesium and niacin. Alkalizing to the body, millet is considered one of the most digestible and non-allergenic grains available.

Catelli® Healthy Harvest® Ancient Grains pasta retails for $3.29 and is available at major retailers in Western Canada.

 

 

 

Chef Lynn Crawford shares her recipe for Chilled Noodle Salad with Ginger Wasabi Dressing using Catelli Noodles
Catelli Healthy Harvest Ancient Grains Pasta – so delicious

 

Roasted Sweet Potato with Dill

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Like several other posts, I started this one well over a month ago. But December was….I have to say, a write off. Both husband and I were sick (chest infections to some degree hit everyone in our house over the course of 5 weeks) and we had a hard time shaking the sick. His progressed to laryngitis, mine to a 3 week and still fighting off head cold. We did our best to channel the Christmas spirit for the sake of the kids, but it was tough. So out with the old, in with the new…we were happy to welcome a new year and get back to our chipper healthier selves.

Long before the start of 2015, I was hearing people talking about detoxing and the New Year. I am one of those who like to get a clean fresh start following a holiday season that is typically full of lots of goodies and over indulging, giving my body some maintenance (yes just like a car). It’s a habit I’ve come quite accustomed to and while it’s not for everyone, 10 years later it’s still working for me.

I do the Wild Rose Detox and it’s 12 days long. It’s not an easy plan to stay with, especially if you have never done it before. Detoxes are different and it’s important you do not attempt one without consent from your doctor. If you are considering the Wild Rose Detox here are a few things to remember.

1. Advance shopping, meal planning and some simple prep.

2. Change up your eating weeks in advance to help you cope with the amount of things you have to eliminate from your diet. IE drink more water and green tea.

3. Add more fruit, veggies or even roasted chick peas into your diet for snacks but make sure you know which fruits you can eat on this detox and which ones you can not. This will help when the actual detox starts. There is much you can do with vegetables to help fill you up during the detox, just remember to keep fresh herbs and a good selection of spices on hand as flavour is key to success.

I love roasted vegetables and certainly eat my share of them. Upon slicing into the sweet potato, I learned it was yellow – what a surprise! Sweet potatoes are a powerhouse vegetable. They contain vitamins B6, C, D, iron, magnesium, potassium plus more, so really an excellent vegetable to include in your diet. This recipe makes enough for a couple of smaller meals or is lovely as a side dish to a main meal, Sunday supper or holiday dinner. When I am on the detox, I like to serve it over top a simply seasoned & cooked pork chop, slices of pork tenderloin, salmon, white fish or chicken breast. If you like dill, toss on some additional chopped fresh dill or parsley and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

 

Asian Noodle Salad with Spicy Nuts

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I’ve been absent the last little while as I’ve been dealing with some work stuff and have had to make some big decisions. I am coming out of the fog now and beginning to get inspired again!

Always been a fan of a spicy noodle salad. This Asian Noodle Salad with Spicy Nuts is inspired by all those potluck noodle salads that left me wanting more. I was usually the one sneaking back to the potluck table unnoticed (or so I thought) to get seconds and sometimes thirds of the noodle salad.

With unlimited variations of noodle salads out there, this is one that works for me. The family still hasn’t learned to love it as much as I do but I say give it time. To vary the salad change up the veggies and even try different noodles. Since we love cilantro here (well 2/4 Bakers) I tend to use more then the 2 tbsp listed below.

This salad pairs nicely with any grilled meat, especially kabobs. It’s a lovely side at a potluck, or picnic and keeps nicely in the fridge as leftovers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carrot & Mint Salad

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Growing up in the 70’s & 80’s, well life was much simpler back then. There was no technology to entertain us other than the great outdoors. It was the mid 80’s when my parents built and moved into a house on a 1/4 acre lot. I watched from afar as they planted a garden starting with just your basics, potatoes, beans, peas, and carrots. Over time, as they mastered these plants, more and more were added to the garden. A greenhouse for tomatoes and cucumbers, the back part of the yard became Berry Lane with raspberries, red currents, strawberries and gooseberries. In later years we added a Saskatoon bush, that came about following a trip to visit family in Regina and my secretly harvesting a branch from one of our relatives Saskatoon Branch. I safely transported it all the way back to BC and we planted it. A miracle really but it grew into a massive bush that lives on to this day.

Also added into the mix in the front yard were fruit trees. Crabapple, Damson Plum, Cherry and Apple. I still remember fondly my dads constant battle with the robins to keep them away and out of his Cherry trees. He tried everything except a gun. Which was probably a good thing since we were in a residential neighbourhood.

As you can imagine this labour of love produced enough fruits and vegetables each year to fill a grocery store. Or at least it seemed like it through the eyes of a child. There was canning, jams, jellies, pies, pierogies and eventually fruit wine. And as a child I didn’t see it then, but looking back I was really lucky to grow up surrounded by all this freshness. Clearly the impact on me is obvious!

Garden grown tomatoes
My own garden grown tomatoes

As an adult with a family of my own, I haven’t lived in one place for very long, or rather long enough to establish a garden until recently.We are Zone 3 for growing here in Calgary, and that is challenging at best as our season is short.

Our yard has needed a lot of work and it’s taken time. We’ve dug out a garden and been working on the soil. So far the kids and I have done some planting, mostly container planting and have managed to successfully grow beans, peppers (from seed), tomatoes (also from seed), peas, carrots, radishes and lettuce. Two years ago we planted raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. So far we’ve had strawberries and I predict raspberries this summer as our raspberry bush has quadrupled in size and gave us some berries late last Summer which didn’t have enough time to ripen. I can’t wait for the kids to start picking fresh raspberries!

Container Gardening Carrots
Our Carrots

The exposure to gardening I had growing up taught me to love most fruits and vegetables. I immensely enjoy how it feels to grow your own food and love teaching my kids how important it is. One of our family favourite vegetables is carrots. You can do tons with carrots including salads. My mom used to make a grated carrot and raisin salad when we were kids. I also love fresh herbs and tend to have these in container pots. One of my favourite herbs is Mint and so adding it to this salad, or almost any salad really, makes it magnificent!

We’ve kept the flavours in this carrot and mint salad simple. And it works cause the minions love it. Perfect side. Perfect meal for one.

The Canadian Food Project Experience was started on June 7, 2013 by Valerie Lugonja of A Canadian Foodie. It’s a compilation of Canadian Food Bloggers who are committed to sharing their time, unique regional Canadian food experiences, and recipes. We hope to bring clarity to our Canadian Culinary identity.

 

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

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When I made this for lunch this wasn’t the first thing that came to mind. In fact I had set my sights on bigger conquests for lunch, that day. But not everything is meant to be and so Roasted Cabbage Wedges with a Tahini Dressing and Fresh Salsa became lunch. And oh so delicious.

I had cabbage to be used up and the biggest decision of the hour was do I cut the cabbage into wedges or thick planks for roasting. Since the leftover cabbage was on the smaller side, I opted to cut it into wedges. Plus it was easier to roll in the olive oil and lemon juice. Tee hee.

I’ve been all about the fresh salsas lately and so I opted to make one to serve along side, or on top of the cabbage. And I’ve been craving the Tahini Dressing I made back in January so I knew it would be a good companion to the cabbage and salsa.

It was a lovely lunch. Almost too much for one but I managed to get through it all.

 

Waffle Cone Fruit Salad

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A fun treat for the kids any time of the year. During Winter you may be limited to using whatever fruit is available in your grocery store. I know we definitely are here as certain out of season fruit that has been shipped in from afar, tends to taste bland and not good. In Summer fresh fruit can be found everywhere.

I’ve been making this waffle cone treat for the kids for years. When I make my fruit salad, the only thing I add in sometimes is fresh, thinly sliced mint. I enjoy the full, sweet flavours of the fruit and don’t feel it needs a dressing. I’ve taught my kids to enjoy these simple flavours as well. If you need to have a dressing with your fruit salad, by all means use your favourite. Or even mix in a little yogurt. You can also buy the mini cones and make small versions of this treat for those “mini” hands.

This recipe is incredibly simple and can be used in many ways: great for birthday parties, an alternative to the constant request of “can I have an ice cream cone”, good camping treats, a quick breakfast with a side of yogurt, make it for lunch with some cheese & crackers on the side, add a small dollop of whipping cream on top, make it for game day or bring to a potluck.

But the best part is the kids can be involved in making this enjoyable treat.

 

Three Pepper Potato Hash

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As I was making this for lunch one day, I kept hearing this song in my head….”if you like it then you shoulda put an egg on it”. So I did.

This is one of those easy to make recipes that I throw together without thinking about it. The ones husband says I should post to the blog for those of us who can’t just throw a dish together, without thinking about it. OK he wins, this round.

You will need about 30 minutes of cooking time so make sure you allow for it or you won’t get the same results. The idea is to start off with high heat to sear and flavour the outside…then drop down to lower heat to slow cook and flavour the inside.

It’s the perfect lunch, breakfast or dinner. Even a tasty side. Add any kind of seasoning you enjoy, any vegetable and/or protein (leftovers work well). Or top it with a fried or poached egg. We had them again with steak the other night.

This version I created actually had four peppers in it the first time. Jalapeno, red chili, green and red pepper + a sprinkling of black pepper! This is seriously better than any hash I’ve had at a restaurant or diner and I could eat it every day. The family loved it with their steak to.

If you don’t like it spicy then remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeno and red chili. They will still give off some heat but very mild heat. Or you could just leave out.

 

Twice Baked Smashed Potatoes

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I first came across this recipe years ago, after watching Chef Michael Smith make them on one of his shows…maybe Chef at Home? They were so easy to make, bake a potato, smash them, bake again. The recipe stuck and I started making them at least a couple times a year.

These potatoes are so versatile they go with anything. You can top each one with a small, dressed salad. I love them topped with guacamole or salsa. Eat as a side with a steak or any kind of meat. Sprinkle bacon on top. Drop on some grilled or baked veggies.

Oh La La delicious and they were the perfect side to our Steak with Chimichurri Sauce the other night.

Here’s how I did it.

 

 

Tabbouleh

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This Tabbouleh recipe is one I got from my mom, so she gets full credit for this recipe. If I were to try and guess which year, it would have been around 1992. Yikes I’m old.

Shortly after I moved to Vancouver my mom started seeing a nutritionist and taking better care of herself. I learned a lot from her in those years whenever I would come home to visit. Tabbouleh is one of the many new foods she introduced me to. Better explained Tabbouleh is a Levantine Arab salad traditionally made of bulgur, tomatoes, cucumbers, finely chopped parsley, mint, onion, and garlic and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.

I really enjoyed this new to me salad and it has become a 20 year (so far) keeper. On the original handwritten recipe, my mom adds other items to her salad. Things like olives, garlic, feta cheese. For me I love an authentic tabbouleh although it tends to have way more parsley and less bulgar wheat then how I make mine. I ate this salad often when I was Single in The City (Vancouver). Recently, and much to my surprise, my husband has decided he likes it to. There is hope!

Did you know, by the way, parsley is a nutritional powerhouse with vitamins A, B, C and K and the minerals iron and potassium. Another reason to try and like tabbouleh or add parsley to your soups, salads and smoothies. It’s not just a garnish anymore.

Like quinoa, I cook a batch of bulgar (1 part bulgar to 2 parts water), let it cool and store it in the fridge. I also like lots of lemon in mine, so you may want to cut back on the lemon the first time you make it if you don’t like it so tangy.

You could also substitute quinoa for bulgar wheat and have a Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad instead.