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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.

 

Cheese Stuffed Burger

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Simple to make with a cheesy surprise inside, you’ll want to add this Cheese Stuffed Burger to the menu during your next burger night. Mighty, delicious and soon to be a family favourite.

cheese stuffed burger

Cheese Stuffed Burger

Our foray into the world of stuffed burgers started with a local burger restaurant here in Calgary. They make a variety of burgers with a stuffing, and you can even customize from their menu, what gets stuffed in your burgers.

Cheese is a crowd please so we’ve tried a few different cheese variations, all delicious!

Cheese Stuffed Burger

Finding the right bun

Are you a simpleton and okay with grabbing whatever hamburger buns you can find in the grocery store? Or are you like me and like to find unique buns to try with different burger combinations?

I love sourcing new buns and in this recipe we’ve used a brioche bun. Brioche is of French origin with a high egg and butter content in the pastry offering a rich and tender bite.

What can you stuff into a cheese stuffed burger

Really anything goes, but it has to be smallish to fit. Brisket, pulled pork, cheese (like blue cheese), apple, spicy peppers, really the combinations are endless.

Take burgers to a whole new level by stuffing with cheese

What do you serve with cheese stuffed burgers

Whatever floats your boat! French fries, chips, salads, caramelized onions. We do it all. Even pickles. And bacon. Sometimes.

Our cheese stuffed burger is something everyone should try. Essentially it’s two patties molded together so best to bring your appetite to the table.

PRO TIPS:

  • It’s important your patties be flat
  • You want to seal all the edges well to ensure they stay sealed while cooking
  • Change up the old cheddar cheese to a spicy cheese or any melting cheese you love
  • Go for a thinner bun since the burgers are massive

cheese stuffed burger

Must Try Burger Recipes!

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker

 

Spaghetti with Italian Sausages

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Spaghetti with Italian Sausages is a family favorite full of delicious ingredients and flavours. Artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, sausages, fresh tomatoes and basil create

 

The Canadian Food Experience Food Project Challenge Nine has come and gone. An easy, yet diverse topic this month to showcase something you Love during the month coined for many as, “the month of Love”.

For over ten years we have been avid fans of Spolumbo’s Sausages. Having tried them once at a work industry event, served up by Tony Spoletini himself, I was smitten. With the sausage, of course. It was the beginning of a love affair that is still going strong. We loved them so much in fact, we placed a large order for our Wedding Rehearsal Dinner. Ten years ago.

Spolumbo’s sausages are locally made, and lean, with no fillers, binders or preservatives, plus the variety of sausages available is outstanding. The story of how Spolumbo’s started is a happy one. Gather 3 first generation Italian-Canadian boys, and raise them to be good strong boys who like to eat, cook and play football. A passion for cooking, and common bond of playing football for the Calgary Stampeders, gave Tom Spoletini, Mike Palumbo and Tony Spoletini the drive they needed to get started.

It wasn’t long before these three were making sausages after hours at a local family run restaurant that sold the sausages in house, and to other eateries in Calgary. The increasing demand saw them outgrow their simple and humble beginnings to go on to purchase their own Deli and Sandwich Shop in Inglewood. Today you can find Spolumbo’s sausages in many of the large Supermarkets in Western Canada above and beyond their shop in Inglewood. It’s a Canadian success story and a local food place I am happy to support. I can honestly say we buy the sausages every 1-2 weeks and use them in several ways. The kids love them grilled. I put them into pasta, soups, and all kinds of other delicious dishes. I’ve even been known to pack them up for traveling and camping.

This dish is one I’ve been making for over 20 years. And it’s been awhile since I’ve made it. Full of delicious Spolumbo’s Italian Sausages, artichoke hearts, onions and garlic, and topped with Asiago cheese, it’s comfort food at it’s best. This recipe was featured in an Anniversary addition cookbook from my home town back in 1995. Yes I have been cooking for awhile.

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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 by sharing food that is important to us as Canadians.

 

Road Trippin: Winter Fun in Canmore

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More often then not you can find this family of four heading West for a Mountain Getaway of some sort. Maybe it’s because I spent 30 years of my life living in British Columbia and the mountains call me home every once and a while. Or very likely we need a break from the City and the mountains are easy to get to.

Our first stop was Canmore. We admittedly come here a lot. Whether we are camping in any of nearby campgrounds, participating in snow activities, geo-caching, hiking or even just dropping in for lunch and a stop at the candy store, there’s always a reason to immerse ourselves in fresh mountain air.

La Belle Patate Restaurant
La Belle Patate Restaurant, the Ian Poutine

Our day was simple, get up, pack, hit up a coffee shop on our way out of town and hit the road for Canmore. It was a gloriously sunny day and a beautiful drive. Our first stop once we got to Canmore was lunch and we wanted Poutine. Well maybe I wanted Poutine. Off we went to a place I’d heard many good things about, La Belle Patate Restaurant. I ordered the small “Ian Poutine” which was large and in charge and came topped with sauteed onion, mushrooms, bacon and smoked meat. The boys had burgers and the plates were huge. The girls stuck with variations of fries. My poutine serving was big and I could not finish it all. But tasty.

Canmore Winter Festival Ice Sculptures
Canmore Winter Festival Ice Sculptures

Next we checked into our accommodations for the night at Falcon Crest Lodge. A lovely little bachelor suite for the four us. We unloaded way to many bags and decided what we would do for the rest of the day. Lots of things to do while in the mountains and since this wasn’t going to be an overly active trip for us as one of the minions was getting over a flu bug, we opted for a walk and perhaps some sledding if time allowed. The enclosed photo of my kid sledding is from the last time we visited Canmore in the Winter. Pure joy on that toothless grin.

Sledding in Canmore
My girl sledding in Canmore

As it turns out we arrived in Canmore smack dab in the middle of their Canmore Winter Festival. As we were in Canmore during the week, there wasn’t a lot going on event wise, but they had the Athlete’s Village open and several ice carvings in the area to view. In the Athlete’s Village there were movies at scheduled times, beer gardens, arts & crafts tables, food vendors and a big screen TV to watch the Olympics on. To make you comfortable they had chairs and blankets for you to snuggle up in.

Canmore Winter Festival Athletes Village
My boy lounging in the Canmore Winter Festival Athletes Village

During our wander through town we stopped into some of our favourite shops, Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe, O’canada Soapworks, and Good Earth Cafe & Bakery for a java to go. We ended the tour visiting Kevin at Crush & Cork. After chatting for a bit and getting some suggestions on food around town, Kevin recommended a bottle of Fetish, a Barossa Valley Shiraz. We happily left with our shiraz and decided later we would have supper at a O Bistro as it was a bring your own bottle of wine, no corkage fee kind of night. A lovely dinner and place right on the main drag. The kids sampled and fell in love with virgin Shirley Temple’s and we enjoyed our bottle of Fetish with our meal.

The Canmore Museum of Geosciences Centre
The Canmore Museum of Geosciences Centre

The next morning we packed up, had a late breakfast at The Wood Restaurant and Lounge, and headed over to visit the Canmore Museum & Geoscience Centre. Only to find it was closed due to water damage from a water line break. They are slowly recovering from the damage and sure could use your help so head on over to their website to see how you can help with the recovery process.

A quick family huddle and it was decided to head to Banff, our second stop in our quick Mountain Getaway. But first a stop at Beamer’s Coffee Bar for some hot cocoa and coffee before we hit the road to Banff. To be continued.

This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own, based on our own experiences.

Vegetarian Chili

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Try this bold, spicy, gluten-free Vegetarian Chili the next time a chili craving hits. Loaded with great tasting vegetables and spices, it comes together quickly and is almost better the next day!

vegetarian chili

Vegetarian Chili

Here’s another one of those recipes I talk about in this blog from my Vancouver days. It was that time in my life where I became obsessed with eating all the things and cooking as often as I could.

When I moved to Calgary and met my meat eater and bell pepper hater husband (read between the lines: fussy), our chili nights became variations of meat chili.

I wasn’t deterred however, and still make this chili for myself, freezing it into single serving portions.

vegetarian chili

How I like to serve my chili

I try to make meals fun for the kids and teach them how to enjoy foods in different ways. There really is no end to my insanity when it comes to new ways to enjoy chili. Here’s a few ways I’ve served chili topped with favourite toppers!

  • Bread Bowl: Cut the top off a large bun, much like you would a sourdough round for spinach dip and hollow it a bit by pulling out some of the bread inside. Put a good scoop of chili in your new bread bowl!
  • Baked Potato Bowl: Bake a potato or sweet potato until cooked. Cut the top off and scoop out some of the cooked potato. Add a spoonful of chili and serve.
  • Waffle Chili: Make a batch of savoury cheese waffles and serve with a spoonful of chili on top.
  • Chili Taco: Add your chili to a hard taco shell just as you would taco filling.
  • Chili Nachos: In an oven proof bowl put a handful of tortilla chips. Add a scoop of chili and your favourite nacho toppings like cheese. Broil for a minute or two or until cheese has melted and serve.
  • Chili Bowl: Topped with sauteed mushrooms and no cheese making it completely vegan.
  • On top of oven roasted tator tots or home fries topped with a gooey queso cheese sauce!

PRO TIPS

  • Add in a can of fire roasted, spiced and diced tomatoes for an extra flavour boost.
  • Add in a small can of black beans or red kidney beans, cooked green beans or roasted red peppers.
  • Spice it up with red chili flakes, sliced red chili peppers, extra chili powder
  • Replace cilantro with parsley.
  • If you can’t find ancho chili powder, just up your regular chili powder amount.

Want more vegetarian meal ideas? Warm up with our Mulligatawny Soup, or spice up the kitchen with these Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Red Chili. If you are really hungry try our Acorn Squash, Roasted Garlic and Kale Pasta or lighten things up this flavourful Chickpea and Artichoke Salad.

vegetarian chili

Talk about the Toppers

I’ve always added toppers to my chili, much to my husbands surprise when he met me 14 years ago! It takes a little extra work, but hey we have time to slice and dice while the chili simmers away. Here’s a few of my favourites:

  • Diced jalapenos, banana peppers or anything spicy.
  • Hot sauce.
  • Sour cream to off set the hot sauce!
  • Crumbled goat cheese.
  • Diced cucumber or bell peppers.
  • Your favourite grated cheese or cheese curds.
  • Fresh chopped herbs.
  • Fresh chopped onion or scallion.
  • Diced avocado.

vegetarian chili

Other Great Chili Recipes

Want a few more chili recipes?! We have them ready to go for you, here’s a few of our favourites!

Roasted Poblano Turkey Chili – a gluten-free option combing ground turkey, white kidney beans (cannellini beans) and roasted peppers.

Slow Cooker Beef Chili is your classic ground beef chili recipe made discussing a chili bar and some of our favourite chili toppers. Cooked low and slow it’s a flavour bomb!

Bacon Turkey Chili features bacon, ground turkey and is topped with a hard boiled egg and kale chips because why not?!

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans and please comment below!

 

 

 

Jay del Corro’s Creole Red Jambalaya

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I am beyond excited to introduce our first Guest Blogger, Jay del Corro, of Eats of Asia.

Proud Canadian, creator and host of the popular online cooking show, The Aimless Cook, Jay del Corro started his journey cooking his favourite recipes in his apartment. His show started as a Vlog on YouTube in October 2009, and now five years later proudly boasts a growing 30,000+ group of loyal subscribers on YouTube, iTunes, iFood.tv and Blip.tv (plus more). In November 2011 Jay was chosen to be one of 16 creators from 5 countries taking part in YouTube’s Next Chef Program.

These days besides Vlogging, Jay keeps busy with his new Asian Street Food Restaurant, Eats of Asia. You can find him at the Kingsland Farmers Market in Calgary, Thursdays through Sundays. Monday nights Jay creates an Asian Menu with friend and Chef Darren MacLean, of downtownfood (DTF) Restaurant. This weekly collaborative industry party at DTF is also known as 628 Night Market, open from 6 pm – Late and scheduled to run Monday’s until the Summer.

As busy as he is, Jay is also excited about his mobile eatery destined to hit Calgary streets this Summer. He will be joining the fleet of ever growing Calgary Food Trucks and we can’t wait to start tracking him, er following his truck around the City. Jay’s food is exceptional and well worth the trek and at times long line ups.

I am honoured Jay found the time to share with us one of his recipes and just in time for Mardi Gras 2014.

Creole Red Jambalaya by Jay del Corro

Rice bowls are the quintessential comfort food for me. Put anything on a bowl of rice and I’m a happy guy. With Mardi Gras on the way, I thought it appropriate to share my recipe for this wonderfully spice and flavourful rice dish, Jambalaya.

This is a classic New Orleans cuisine. This red jambalaya is a Creole version with French and Spanish influences. In fact, this recipe is thought to be a regional variation of a Spanish paella using tomatoes in place of saffron. The cooking styles of Creole and Cajun are both rich with history, classic French technique and signature flavours. This is a very simple and rewarding one-pot recipe that I’m sure you are going to love.

For more of Jay’s recipes, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrJingjong
www.theaimlesscook.com
@theaimlesscook
www.facebook.com/EatsOfAsia
@eatsofasia

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Bites

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It takes a Village…or at least I could have used one the first two weeks of February. It sho

t by like a bullet and left me with a fuzzy head and feelin like a Zombie.

My husbands Aunt passed away recently, she was also his Godmother. Tough week. He flew out to Manitoba Thursday night for the Funeral/Celebration of Life and was gone for 4 days. Over the course of the weekend I had a Ladies Beer Night planned, kids activities to prepare for and an afternoon at the Loose Moose Theatre to attend. So I did what any mom would do….I scrambled to try and find a sitter last minute for the beer night.

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One hour into Beer Night I got a text “boy has thrown up at birthday party”. Gawd. Those are the worst words ever. And then “we are on our way home’. I text back praying for it to be a “one of”, only to find out another episode in the car. We were only 4 beers sampled in at this point, but as it goes, beer night was officially over for me. I needed to get to my kid.

The days that followed were chaos. I had to terminate a client, an old friend passed away and child number two got sick.

Back to beer night. True to form the ladies kept the party alive long after I left with a mere promise to take photos for me and offer feedback on the Village Brews I had left. To be more specific I left the ladies with a Growler sized Troubadour and a couple bottles of the seasonal Winter Chai. The feedback seemed positive with everyone loving the beer.

The Village Brewery story began with friends sharing beers and dreams for a community brewery. A brewery built to support Calgary’s artists and craftspeople. One that would create the excellent ales and lagers our friends and neighbors deserve. It takes a village to raise a beer. And a beer to raise a village. Staying local, supporting the arts and looking after the place, are some of the things they believe in.

Beer night went on without me and was deemed a success invoking Beer Night Part Deux, A Summer Tasting, to begin discussions. I brought along these Jalapeno Bites to enjoy with the beer.

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Vanilla Kipferl

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Vanilla Kipferl also known as German vanilla crescent cookies are a delicious melt in your mouth cookie. This annual cookie tradition is one we look forward to every year!

vanilla kipferl

Vanilla Kipferl

These cookies are like a traditional shortbread only with the addition of ground nuts, Vanilla Kipferl or vanillekipferl are a traditional Christmas cookie one really must try to appreciate. Getting the crescent shape can take a little work and rolling, but in the end they will taste delicious regardless of what they look like.

Our German student gave these cookies two thumbs up while she was living with us and said they reminded her of her Oma!

vanille kipferl

Family Traditions

Some traditions just stick with you from childhood and others you create on your own. I recall my mom making these cookies in the years before I moved away. They definitely remind me of home and the few good times we shared.

We made these for my daughter’s Brownie Badge Work cultural celebration. It was so much fun to make these with my little girl.

vanille kipferl

Finishing the cookie

The key to these cookies is rolling them in vanilla sugar or icing sugar shortly after they come out of the oven.

These days you can buy vanilla sugar already pre-made, make your own with white sugar and a vanilla bean or buy Vanille Zucker, a German vanilla sugar available in small sachets at your local European market.

vanilla kipferl

Christmas cookies to add to your baking list:

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans and please comment below!

 

Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding

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This Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding, made in the slow cooker, was part of The Great Cream Challenge 2014. In this challenge I went against two other food bloggers from across Canada, and their recipes. The one with the most votes won the challenge.

While I didn’t win the challenge, I am sure grateful for all the votes and support I received for this recipe. It was a fun challenge to compete in!

This recipe has an Eggnog Sauce that is more seasonal. You could do a vanilla sauce or spiced rum sauce if you want to make this dish any time Eggnog is not available. Or, as my mom used to do, you could make your own Eggnog! Before making this recipe test your casserole/baking dish to ensure it fits inside your slow cooker. I have an oval slow cooker so the baking dish I chose worked well.

My husband devoured this pudding and hopefully you will to. Here’s how we did it.

 

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.

 

 

Chili Lime No Tequila Chicken

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This recipe is simple with simple flavours. I created it while doing the wild rose d-tox. It was satisfying, tasty and filling. You could easily add half a cup of tequila to the recipe for some added flavour and even toss in some chopped jalapenos. But it’s not necessary.

Chicken kabobs can be made in the winter, by broiling them. The one thing about broiling meat in the oven, is there will always be smoke when you open your oven door. But they cook quickly. Fortunately when I made them I was able to open the windows as we were having a Chinook here in Calgary. As always grilling them while camping or on the deck is just as tasty.

The first time I made these kabobs I used one chicken breast. It made two kabobs which gave me two meals. The second time I prepared 2 chicken breasts and ended up with four kabobs or four meals. This recipe is for 2 chicken breasts. You could easily substitute turkey breast. I’d say it’s a keeper since the minions were picking the chicken off my plate hence prompting me to make more the second time around.

Serve it on a salad, on top of  grains or brown rice.

 

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.

 

Dilly Pork Burger

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A hint of dill in our Pork Koftas not only flavours the meat but provides a delicious taste experience. So much so I decided to scale the recipe down a bit and turn it into a regular burger. How about that, a food blogger changing up one of her own recipes to create something new!

The kids and the hubs really liked this burger. I ate mine in a lettuce leaf topped with a Jicama & Green Apple Slaw. They ate theirs on buns. Husband went back for seconds. I wish I had his metabolism and appetite. This was even better the next day for lunch. Will post Jicama & Green Apple Salad soon.

 

Dilly Pork Burger in Lettuce Cup
Dilly Pork Burger in Lettuce Cup

 

We doubled the pork in this recipe so we would have leftovers the next day. Normally for our small party of 4 we use 1 pound of burger and still end up with leftovers since we make our burgers smaller. Maybe that’s why husband can down two of them at one sitting without thinking twice and then contemplate a third.

In any case add your regular fixings to your burger on a bun. You could even mix in a little dill with mayo for an added dill-elicious treat. Or change it up by adding a salsa or slaw and eating it in a lettuce leaf (do this if on Wild Rose D-Tox). Either way it’s a keeper!

 

Simple Potato Latkes

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Shredded potatoes and onions are fried until golden and crispy turning them into Simple Potato Latkes.

Besides grating potatoes, I honestly don’t know how my mom made them, nor do I recall if they had onion in them or not. But what I do remember is they were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, thin and oh so tasty.

I’ve experimented with them over the years and the way I like to make mine is without any additional fillers…with the exception of egg, sometimes. If you search your basic latke recipe, you will find it is made with a binder (egg) and either flour, matzo, crushed crackers, or breadcrumbs and some onion. My latkes are pretty much grated potatoes, salt and pepper. This time I added in some grated zucchini. I love to taste the potato without any other stuff. Since they are cooked in oil, I salt them lightly after. Crispy and salty goodness is just what I was needing on Day 8 of my D-Tox.

And for the toppings…well growing up it was mostly sour cream. I’ve eaten them with a variety of other toppings, but I always come back to old faithful (sour cream). Since I’m allowed to eat these on a D-Tox, I had to find another topping and decided to add some of the jicama and green apple slaw I created the other day (recipe to be posted soon). Another yummy topping would be a fried egg.

Potato Pancakes latkes
Bakers Latkes

Things to note: Because you don’t have a binder to hold the latkes together you have to be gentle with them or they will fall a part. Ensure you scoop some carefully into your hot pan, gently push down and only turn when they are browned on the underside.

 

Candied Bacon & Brown Sugar Baked Brie

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Late last Fall I was invited to attend an exclusive event put on by London Drugs (LD) at the new Molson Coors Tasting Room here in Calgary, aligning with LD tweet ups occurring at the same time in both Edmonton and Vancouver. Treats were provided by Dinner With Julie, special holiday cocktails prepared by Molson’s and London Drugs showcased their compact kitchen appliances. Bloggers were able to tweet about the event and by doing so get entered into the contest to win a T-Fal Optigrill. I didn’t win, but I sure had fun trying!

The beverages were delightful and inspiring. We tried beer cocktails called the Skinny Sour, Red Reindeer, Skinny Grinch and a White Christmas.

Snacks by Julie consisted of Spiced Nuts, Alfajores, Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Orange Maple Butter, Grilled Asparagus with Queso Fresco & Prosciutto, and a brie baked with a cranberry compote to name a few. I believe all of these recipes are available on her website.

Last year I started reviewing events, and adventures and pairing a recipe with each outing I posted to the blog. In creating a recipe for this particular evening, I wanted it to be a snacky bite. Since Julie did a baked brie, and it’s one of my favourite bites to make, I opted to create a new baked brie. So many ways to make a baked brie and initially I wanted to do it with beer. But in the end I just didn’t have time in the lead up to Christmas to get a baked brie with beer recipe perfected. I did recall however, my father in laws girlfriend Paulette, making a brown sugar baked brie for us once upon a time. It was that memorable. So I went for it. Since I already had sweet from the sugar and the liquor, I wanted to add a salty element to the brie and as such experimented with Candied Bacon. And so was born my Candied Bacon & Brown Sugar Baked Brie.

It was good, but the real test was getting feedback from the ladies. Over Christmas we got together one evening for a glass of wine and some bites. I picked up a large brie wheel and doubled the recipe for them to test. I think they liked it since every last crumb was devoured. Awesome!

Here’s how I did it.

 

Spinach Chips

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While I do not have a lot of time to watch TV, my favourite past time is and has been since I was a kid, is watching cooking shows. It blooms inspiration. My kids love watching some of the cooking shows to now especially the ones that feature kids!

Recently I watched a show called The Chew and Dolvett Quince was a guest on the show. He’s a celebrity trainer with at the time of this post, a book called the 3-1-2-1 Diet.

While on The Chew he made a skirt steak and spinach chips. Kale chips are not my favourite thing, but I was very intrigued by these spinach chips. When you work from home, it’s always good to plan ahead as far as the snacks go. Or you could end up snacking all day on the wrong foods while you work. Same with working in an office although planning ahead is a little easier when you make and take a lunch to work!

When making these spinach chips, use only a little of your favourite spice. I like to add hot chili flakes. Once cooked they melt in your mouth. One of two kids liked them. Time to try them again.

 

Avocado Green Smoothie

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Healthy and refreshing, start off your day with this quick and easy Avocado Green Smoothie!

avocado green smoothi

Avocado Green Smoothie

A smoothie is as simple as tossing ingredients into a blender, whizzing until smooth and silky, pouring into a cup and enjoying! The amount of liquid you use in a smoothie is important. It helps the ingredients blend together forming a perfect marriage.

For this avocado green smoothie we’ve cleaned out the refrigerator adding in fresh, crisp cucumber, fresh mint and lime juice offering freshness and zing, spinach and avocado for the health benefits and chia seeds cause we like chia seeds! Plus they are good for you1

Start your day with a good breakfast

Some days we sleep in or at times oversleep ending up frazzled and rushed to get out the door. Can anyone relate? But having a time-crunched morning doesn’t mean you should skimp out on breakfast. Breakfast fuels our body and that’s where creating a quick, simple avocado green smoothie can help you start your day with energy.

Several years ago I tried out the Body For Life fitness program. Breakfasts were easy and consisted of smoothies or shakes with the addition of protein. Throughout the years smoothies have stayed with me as a quick alternative to breakfast, lunch or even a snack. And when I am in workout mode, I am always adding protein powder to my smoothies when I can find one I like.

avocado green smoothi

Adapting to life changes

When I had my babies, smoothies were part of the rotation and they started to love them as much as I did. I would make them with a little water, fruit juice or coconut milk and any kind of frozen fruit I had available. Cinnamon, spinach and whatever else I could find like a fresh banana would always be the base for my smoothies.

My kids have gotten older I do not use fruit juice any more but rather cold green tea, water or coconut milk to decrease any added sugars. Always using frozen fruit ensures a thick smoothie.

A Green Smoothie Affair

This smoothie was a combination of all things green I could find in my fridge. Lime juice was a natural choice to finish it off. If you ever find your smoothies too thick, whiz in a little water to thin it out.

When we make smoothies we use either our blender or immersion blender. If you wanted to make this one for the kids, you might want to add in a little maple syrup for sweetness but its not necessary. Mine have never had added sweeteners so they do not miss it.

avocado green smoothie

Love smoothies as much as we  do, give these a go!

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker

 

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Red Chili

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Stuffed peppers just got a whole lot tastier! These Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Red Chili are flavourful and bring the heat with the red chili. A delicious meal to have with chicken, turkey or even vegetarian!

quinoa stuffed peppers

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Red Chili

Growing up my mom used to make stuffed peppers. She used ground meat, rice, tomato sauce or soup and a few other simple flavours. It was quite good and I always looked forward to it.

But then I moved beyond being simple.

My love for quinoa and those stuffed peppers from long ago inspired this dish. Plus some leftover roast chicken!

quinoa stuffed peppers

Make it Vegetarian/Vegan

What’s great about this recipe is you can use chicken, turkey or leave out the meat entirely! It’s easy to replace the meat with cooked squash cubes, grated raw zucchini, peas, corn, chopped cooked carrots, a variety of chopped mushrooms, even peppers.

stuffed peppers

Pepper Hater

When someone in your life doesn’t like peppers, it’s a problem.

My suggestion is do not let them rule the roost. Always have the disliked ingredient around and find ways to enjoy and ensure your kids, guests enjoy it! For the pepper hater we use hollowed zucchini, potato, portabello mushrooms, even tomatoes. Depending on what veggie you choose to use, some will need to be pre-cooked, others not. Plus cooking time adjusted.

peppers

The Weather Network

Quinoa is so big in our house we did a segment on The Weather Network talking Food Hacks and Quinoa! Scroll down and view the video here: Food Hacks

PRO TIPS

This is a recipe that can be altered to suit ingredient availability and taste!

  • Replace chicken with turkey or leave all meat out and make it vegetarian~
  • If you can’t find red chili, no sweat. Use diced jalapenos.
  • Use swiss chard, bok choy, kale or pea shoots to replace spinach.
  • Instead of almonds, pine nuts or pepitas are dandy.
  • Use bell peppers, field peppers, poblano peppers even imperfect produce to make this dish. Because really who cares if it’s not perfect!

quinoa stuffed peppers

If you love quinoa, you will enjoy these recipes!

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans and please comment below!

 

 

Bok Choy & Quinoa Salad with Tahini Dressing

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It was bound to happen. If you follow my blog you’ll know firstly I love Quinoa and secondly have been a fan of bok choy salads since the early 90’s. It was only a matter of time before these two collided in my kitchen. My kids started really liking salads last year (anything from spinach, arugula to a mixed bag) so I am able to toss some chopped bok choy into their regular salad and they don’t even notice.

I never jumped on the kale bandwagon as I honestly prefer bok choy and have for almost 20 years. It’s got all the good stuff in it, vitamins, fiber, anti-oxidants, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, iron and magnesium. I do eat kale from time to time, but not as much as I eat bok choy.

I’d never had a tahini dressing before but since it includes most of the ingredients that go into making hummus, I decided to give it a try. As I made the dressing I tasted it without the garlic, and then added the garlic, and it went from ok to amazing! I love the addition of fresh garlic in a salad dressing, but make sure others around you are eating it to, if you know what I mean! There were no vampires bothering me that day. If you like hummus you will like this dressing.

If you do not have the Ras de hanout spice just use extra cumin. This is seriously one of my favourite dressings now and I even put some on my baked potato. You could easily add any grilled protein to this dish or any additional vegetables you enjoy.

 

 

 

Adventures in Eating New Cuisines

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Next up for January’s submission of the Canadian Food Project is A Canadian Resolution. Immediately my mind starts spinning with foods and new cooking techniques I want to try, things I should perhaps let go of (the not so healthy stuff) or eat less of. But then everything in moderation, right?  So I thought long and hard about what to write about in this post.

And then it came to me (with the help of my husband). Last year we started introducing the kids to new foods, cultures and cuisines. Well the kids, And the husband. The Calgary food scene has exploded in recent years…especially since early 2000, when I first moved to town and it was all beef steak, all the time. The diverse selection of food you can get in this City is both astonishing and exciting. We want our kids to grow up learning about new food and cuisines and as such we decided this would be a good way to make it happen. This is one of my food loves that I am happy to give and share with my kids.

greek food adventures
Trying Ekmek at a Greek Restaurant, one of my favourites

Last year we had a family meeting to discuss this idea. Everyone was in agreement even after hearing the rules; 1) you have to try a bite of everything on your plate or on the table….and it’s OK to not like something, 2) no funny faces or rude gestures if you don’t like something, a polite no thank you works, 3) respect, respect, respect and manners always when dining in a restaurant. We are lucky in that we’ve taught the kids since they were young, rules about dining out and they do pretty good in restaurants.

Following the meeting, we all wrote down some of our favourite foods/types. From this list we each picked two cuisine types and they all went into a hat. Each family member gets to pull a name out of the hat when it’s time to try a new cuisine. We got to a few different restaurants last year and everyone enjoyed the experience. My kids have now discovered they love Peruvian food. Husband to. And I couldn’t be prouder.

moroccan food adventures
Settled in for a Moroccan Food Adventure

This year my Food Resolution is to carry on with this goal of introducing our young children to new tastes, flavours, scents and foods from around the world. And I secretly am very excited about it. Another food resolution is to start cooking a meatless meal a couple times a month and see how the family does with changing it up a bit. I think in fact our next restaurant should be a vegetarian one!

Each time our family has one of these food adventures, I blog about the experience on our family blog, and I Yelp about it. This year my goal is to carry over that post to this blog to share the experience with every one of my readers.

I do not have recipes to share of the food we have tried, but the photos in this post depict our food adventures thus far!

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.

Turkey Bacon and Corn Chowder

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One of our favourite ways to use leftover turkey is to turn it into a hearty, flavourful and filling soup. Turkey Bacon and Corn Chowder will soon become one of your go to leftover turkey soups!

turkey chowder

 

Leftover Turkey

There are so many things you can make with leftover turkey or chicken!! Sometimes when experiencing a rushed week, we will pick up two already roasted chickens just so we can have a couple days of leftovers to play with!

Today’s soup was both inspired from a similar soup by Curtis Stone (I got his cookbook for Christmas) and the desire to make a turkey soup with bacon. If you do not have any leftover turkey substitute roast chicken leftovers for an equally delicious tasting soup. But don’t forget the bacon!

turkey chowder

 

Chowder

A chowder is a soup typically prepared using corn as a primary ingredient. It starts with corn, onion, celery, milk or cream, and butter. Additional ingredients can be all kinds of things and for this recipe we have added potatoes, green chiles and bacon.

I didn’t grow up eating chowder. My mom never made it and I had never heard about chowder of any sort until I moved to Vancouver. Adding cream to a soup was also a new concept for me but one that I latched onto quickly.

The flavour of this soup was spectacular to begin with, but when we finished it off two days later it seemed to taste even better.  The addition of chilies adds a hint of heat….add more chilies if you want more spice in your soup. We enjoyed this soup and it has gone into rotation whenever there is leftover turkey in our house.

turkey bacon chowder

Recipes using leftover turkey

Did you make this salad?! Tag me at Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag #Bakersbeans

 

Orange Pistachio Ice Box Cookies

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This was the second batch of three ice box cookies I was testing in December. The last of the 3 turned out but one or two things didn’t, so the 3rd recipe won’t be featured on the blog. What I learned making Ice Box Cookies is you can put almost anything into them…well almost.

These cookies are both pretty to look at and easy to make. The combination of pistachios, orange and cranberries transcends both sweet and savory items and is always a winner when it comes to baking.

And I love the ice box cookie concept. Get your dough ready, roll and pop into the freezer to be made at a later date. This is something I might consider for a future cookie exchange. Each lady gets a frozen log to take home and a batch of the cookies. Fun!