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Creamy Dijon Dill Potato Salad

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Everyone has a classic go to potato salad recipe that they love right? Our Creamy Dijon Dill Potato Salad challenges the classic adding a little bite from the Dijon and zip from the dill.

Cream Dijon Dill Potato Salad

Cream Dijon Dill Potato Salad

I think this has got to be one of the best potato salads I’ve ever made and so popular on the blog!

Was it the fresh dill or was it the Maille Dijon Mustard? Something made this salad delightful and fresh and hard not to devour the entire bowl. The only time my husband eats dill is in his dill pickle chip dip and he surprised me with how much he liked this salad too.

Mustard and dill come together to make this Creamy Dijon Dill Potato Salad

The Potatoes

You can either steam your potatoes for this recipe and refrigerate to firm up, or boil cut up, peeled potatoes for 15 minutes letting them cool down spread out on a baking sheet.

I’ve prepared my potatoes both ways and like each cooking method equally. Find what works best for you.

Potatoes used for Potato Salad

PRO TIPS

  • If boiling your potatoes, do not cut them to small or they could turn to mush. Experience talking.
  • Salt your water when boiling potatoes.
  • We’ve included a photo of the medium to large sized potatoes we used in this recipe.
  • If you can not find Aleppo Pepper use cracked black pepper.
  • Chop ingredients bite size. Nothing worse than a potato salad with bites bigger than your mouth.

Love our potato salad?! Try some of our other popular salads:

Creamy Dijon Dill Potato Salad close up

aille Mustards wants to connect with 15 “mustard mavericks” from Food Bloggers of Canada for the opportunity to receive 3 FREE product coupons – See more at: http://www.foodbloggersofcanada.com/2013/07/maille-is-recruiting-canadian-mustard-mavericks/?doing_wp_cron=1376598560.5439209938049316406250#sthash.nQ2bIQJ0.dpuf

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

Disclosure – I am participating in the Maille Mustard Maverick Program with the Food Bloggers of Canada and 14 other food bloggers. I have received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Maille Mustards wants to connect with 15 “mustard mavericks” from Food Bloggers of Canada for the opportunity to receive 3 FREE product coupons – See more at: http://www.foodbloggersofcanada.com/2013/07/maille-is-recruiting-canadian-mustard-mavericks/?doing_wp_cron=1376598560.5439209938049316406250#sthash.nQ2bIQJ0.dpuf

Cast Iron Grilled Blueberry Focaccia

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Inspiration hit full on when I attended the BC Blueberry launch recently at Model Milk. The Chef prepared so many amazing blueberry bites, that I’m sure all the attendees left full and happy. We were given swag bags to bring home and they included fresh blueberries (insert happy dance)!

There were several of the bites that stood out for me. One of them was the Blueberry Focaccia’s served in mini cast iron pans. Brilliant and a hit amongst everyone. For weeks I have been wanting to recreate this dish and thinking about how I would do it.

The time came and I decided to make the dough in the bread maker and grill it on the Barbecue. I’ve made focaccia dough in the bread maker before so I was confident it would work. And it did work out exceptionally well. The only con is the Bocconcini melted into the bread so next time I may wait to add it until the last few minutes or so of cooking.

You could also take this recipe camping. Pre-make your dough and keep it in the cooler or buy some pizza dough before you depart on your camping trip. Just make sure you bring the blueberries and a cast iron pan!

The kids gobbled it up. The husband like it. A success! Leftover focaccia ended up being the perfect lunch the next day.

 

Blueberry Cardamom Muffins

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Everybody has a blueberry muffin recipe. Blueberries with lemon glaze, orange zest, cinnamon, white chocolate, nutmeg, nuts, anything seems to go. When I created these muffins I was looking for a quick way to use up my BC blueberries. Using the muffin method recipe we were taught in high school (ha ha ha, it’s true), I decided to try adding in coconut & cardamom to see what kind of flavour we could achieve.

Using cardamom was something I had heard used in pancakes from an old colleague. It appeared to be a spice gaining popularly so trying it in muffins seemed legit. It was an unusually cool Fall day in August, which made it feel right to whip up a batch of muffins and smell up the house.

This recipe makes approximately 16 large muffins.

 

Grilled Peach, Strawberry and Watermelon Salsa

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Grilled Peach, Strawberry and Watermelon Salsa is one of the very best ways to enjoy fresh summer fruit bursting with flavour! This combination of fruit made into a salsa brightens up any table and is lovely on tortilla chips or even a pavlova!

Grilled Peach, Strawberry & Watermelon Salsa

Grilled Peach, Strawberry and Watermelon Salsa

Grilled stone fruit is a game changer. When the sugars in stone fruit meet the heat of the grill, it brings out the juices while caramelizing the fruit ever so slightly.

Fruit salsa is a fun way to use fresh summer fruit and put a twist on a traditional savoury salsa! We incorporate watermelon, grilled peaches, strawberries, fresh mint and chopped jalapeno to create a new way to enjoy summer fruit.

When served fresh this salsa is also delicious on pavolva with whipping cream!

fruit salsa

The Canadian Foodie Project

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 sharing their time, unique Canadian food experiences, and recipes. This salsa is my contribution to this project using the theme “A Canadian Food Hero”.

Canadian Food Heroes

It was hard to pick a Canadian Food Hero.

From the Ranchers and Farmers who work endlessly to get their goods to market, the local shops and artisans who are committed to their craft and getting it to us, the consumers, to the local foodie advocates who promote the local restaurants and chefs by creating public awareness through various channels. Choosing one was hard. So I decided to choose two.

Late last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Dana VanVeller and Lindsay Anderson of Feast, an Edible Road Trip, while they stopped in Calgary. This opportunity to chat with these two remarkable ladies was provided by the Food Bloggers of Canada, who hosted this small and intimate Tweet-up at Café Gravity Espresso & Wine Bar. It was here I learned about the journey that brought Dana and Lindsay to create Feast: an Edible Road Trip, and later discover where they would be going next.

Foodie Friends Dana and Lindsay started their coast to coast food adventure in June with hopes of increasing Canadian Food Culture awareness through various stories, recipes, photographs, and videos. These ladies are driving, camping and eating their way across Canada finding and featuring local people, communities and organizations that strive to make each Province’s food systems more vibrant, sustainable and accessible. I am definitely living vicariously through these two as I follow their journey eating their way through Canada. Dana and Lindsay are my Canadian Heroes.

salsa

Inspiration Comes from Everywhere

Of course I was inspired to create a recipe from Dana and Lindsay’s experiences. So this former BC girl decided to create a simple recipe derived from the fruits of the Okanagan, a place Dana and Lindsay visited and a place I’ve frequented many times over the years.

My mom used to grow strawberries and we always relished in summer peaches and watermelon. These flavours pair nicely together and the salsa enjoyed in more ways than one.

peach salsa

Summer Fresh Recipes

Looking for more summer fresh recipes, we suggest this Watermelon, Herb and Cucumber Salad. You can wow guests with these Grilled Corn Ribs, Grillfackeln or Grilled Skewered Olives.

How to Eat this Salsa

With tortilla chips of course! Or as we hinted to above, it’s tasty on pavlova, on cooked creme brulee, ice cream, frozen yogurt, with cake (like grilled Angel Food Cake) or served with grilled fish.

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

 

Blueberry Mojito

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Our Blueberry Mojito uses blueberry simple syrup and is a spin on a Cuban classic cocktail, the Mojito!

blueberry mojito

Blueberry Mojito

Our Blueberry Simple Syrup was made for this cocktail and the leftovers for other cocktails and mocktails. Our first mojito experience happened in Varadero, Cuba and we’ve never looked back. It’s such a fresh, delicious tasting cocktail and with the addition of blueberries, made even tastier.

blueberry mojito

Blueberry Season

Every year blueberry season brings new adventures. Like attending B.C. blueberry launches in Calgary showcasing blueberry recipes (they no longer do launches in Calgary since they changed PR companies), having my daughters friend bring back a case of blueberries from their family farm, to simply cooking with blueberries as much as possible while they are in season.

Since they are full of antioxidant we definitely eat our share of blueberries every summer.

blueberry mojito

Fortunately I had all ingredients already available in my pantry, so I pulled out my martini shaker and tossed in a little rum, fresh mint, blueberry simple syrup which I quickly made up, fresh blueberries, some lime juice and ice.

The result is outstanding. Play with the quantity of club soda until you have added the amount you like. Husband liked less, I enjoyed a little more. Click on the link for the Blueberry Simple Syrup Recipe.

Looking to make other blueberry recipes, check these out:

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

 

 

 

 

Watermelon, Blueberry, Mint and Feta Salad

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Summer has officially started here in the Great White North when blueberries, cherries watermelon and all the fresh produce start arriving in the stores.

This Watermelon, Blueberry, Mint and Feta Salad offers a umami of flavours making this salad irresistible.

Watermelon, Blueberry, Mint and Feta Salad
Watermelon, Blueberry, Mint and Feta Salad

Blueberries are highly nutritious, full of nutrients and among the world’s most powerful sources of antioxidants. Watermelon keeps you hydrated, is good for skin and hair and may even help improve digestion.

Mint brings a freshness to the salad and feta with a little salt sprinkle brings a touch of saltiness.

A sprinkle of black pepper offers up a spicy kick for those who need it. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil finishes the salad and brings all the flavours together.

Watermelon, Blueberry, Fresh Mint and Feta Salad
Watermelon, Blueberry, Fresh Mint and Fet

This refreshing, light salad can be eaten as is or enjoyed along side your favourite grilled meat and vegetables.

PRO TIPS:

  • Use good quality extra virgin olive oil in this recipe, you can taste the difference
  • You can make this salad in advance but use in the same day
  • Sea salt or smoked sea salt sprinkled on top brings out the flavour of the watermelon
  • Recipe serves 2 as a main meal or 4 as sides

 

Grilled Peach Galette

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Galette on my mind for quite some time. I can honestly say I’ve never made a Galette. But I’ve wanted to! And I finally found inspiration and a subtle push thanks to Chatelaine’s July Cooking Club Challenge. Simply put, make our Galette, change it up if you wish, photograph it, post it. And have fun, darn it.

I discovered this challenge before I left for holidays three weeks ago and immediately I knew I wanted to grill some peaches for my Galette. But I couldn’t put the idea to the plate due to lack of time. So it would have to wait until we returned home from Battle Mosquito in Manitoba.

Home, unpacked, settled and inspired. With fresh peaches and mint in hand, my brother and fiance coming for dinner, I got to work and behold, a new Galette was born.

Now I got distracted chatting with our company and almost forgot to pull it out of the oven. But the overall taste was given rave reviews by our guests, and the photo caught some good feedback on Facebook, so I decided to go ahead and post the recipe/photo.

Guess what? Galettes can also be made savory. This will be my next personal challenge for myself, to create a Galette with meat.

 

Blueberry Mint Cookies

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It’s time again for the Food Bloggers of Canada and Eat In Eat Out Christmas in July Cookie Contest! I look forward to this cookie contest as it give me the opportunity to brain storm cookie ideas that I would not normally create. Since we were smack dab in the middle of blueberry season I wanted to create a fresh blueberry cookie. Although I never got around to posting the recipes, last summer I experimented with some fresh herbs in cookies and they worked out nicely. And so I wanted to incorporate a fresh herb in my blueberry cookies.

After thinking about what flavours pair nicely with blueberries, I decided on a combination of crystallized ginger, fresh mint and fresh blueberries. The trio tasted lovely together before being baked into a cookie so I figured it could work as a savory cookie.

The first batch fell a little flat, literally, and the blueberries released their lovely juices all over the cookie sheet. They were still edible and in one piece so I sent out test cookies to various audiences. The Sr. Director of my husbands department at work compared the taste of these cookies to the complex yet subtle notes of a fine wine. NOW that is a compliment! So I went back into the kitchen and reworked some of the ingredients resulting in this variation. Sent some more out for testing again and so far the feedback has been remarkable. All the kid testers have also loved them.

I ran out of all purpose flour while making these cookies so I substituted 3/4 cup white flour with whole wheat flour.

A very unique cookie that will leave your cookie monsters delighted.

 

Simple Crepes

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A French street-food staple is also a 40 plus year tradition in our family. Create sweet Simple Crepes for a delicious brunch or keep them simple and savoury for an anytime meal.

breakfast all rolled up

Simple Crepes

One of my favourite food memories is of my mom making us crepes. She would serve them with strawberries, sour cream and sometimes a strawberry sauce. I loved them so much.

Fast forward to adulthood and carrying on the tradition making of making crepes. When I got married and had kids, crepes became a regular occurrence and now they are requested all the time so it’s safe to say we have them once a month!

folded version with whipping cream

A Very Thin Pancake

Essentially put, a crepe is a very thin pancake made either sweet or savoury. The savoury version are also known as galettes.

The past decade has seen an explosion of Crepe Cafe’s from Robson Street in Vancouver to Market Mall in Calgary. I’ve done my best to visit as many as possible looking for inspiration on new fillings.

The quintessential Crepe Pan

While you certainly do not need a crepe pan to make these tasty bites, investing in one will be worth your while especially if you plan on making this recipe more than once.

A special pan makes forming the crepes easier than a regular frying pan. Find one about 8-9 inches and not cast iron. The idea is to add a little batter and easily turn the pan as you swirl the batter all over the pan before adding back to the heat source.

crepes

Sweet vs Savoury

The sweet version can include some sort of cooked citrus infused berry sauce, fresh fruit, jam, peanut butter, nutella, chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar, marshmallows (s’more crepes are delicious) and once in awhile I even whip up some fresh cream.

Savoury crepes contain some sort of melty cheese like a gruyere. Maybe some crab or lobster. Ham or asparagus. Even smoked salmon and cream cheese with dill. Also consider sauteed mushrooms or spinach.

crepes

Toppings

When we make the sweet version we tend to go all out and have bowls of fresh berries available, a home made citrus berry sauce we’ve cooled, whipping cream, nut butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, pistachio butter, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and whatever else we can find.

Decide on a few ingredients to serve on top and enjoy.

The recipe

This is an old recipe that dates back to the 1970’s. It makes up to 24 crepes, but we always double the batch as the kids plow through them and this leaves us leftovers for them to warm up during the week. They can be frozen, just ensure you separate each one with wax paper or parchment before freezing and store in freezer bags.

crepes

PRO TIPS:

  • You don’t need to let the batter rest in the fridge. Some say you do, but we never have and they turn out as good as any restaurant version I’ve ever tasted.
  • Have all your fruit cut and ready plus your sauce if making so it has time to cool down.

More great Breakfast Recipes to try:

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

 

 

 

Grilled Asparagus and Bean Salad

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Love Summer for many reasons but quick and simple food appeal to me the most especially on hot days. Brightly coloured, fresh and tasty fruit and vegetables are inspiration everywhere you turn. I loves me a good bean salad and this one is simple enough to make while camping or at a cabin. In fact out at a cabin in Manitoba last week, is where I created this delicious salad.

We had been planning for two years to return to Clear Lake, Manitoba in 2013, after spending time there in 2011.  As it turns out a rather large family gathering was also brewing for around the same time. Our return last week collided with the family gathering and it ended up being quite a large family affair with family folks coming and going throughout the week. Love being part of such a great, happy, social group of people – also known as my inlaws/outlaws. My brother and family also joined in on the fun and with all the people in attendance we completely covered Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

As it turns out husband and I celebrated our Anniversary while in Manitoba and decided to host a BYOBCM Potluck (Bring your own Booze, Chair and Meat) for all the family assembled in Clear Lake. We supplied the sides which consisted of: baked potatoes, quinoa salad, ceasar salad, green salad with fruit and a new grilled asparagus bean salad). It was a lovely evening spent with special family and we couldn’t have asked for a better Anniversary celebration. The wine flowed and the food was splendid. Since I received some good feedback on this salad I wanted to get it posted to share.

 

The Blue Cheese, Pear and Dark Ale Caramelized Onion Burger

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I was recently at a private event here in Calgary for Jelly Modern Doughnuts. It was an interactive evening where we got to decorate doughnuts and as an ice breaker we were asked to create a new doughnut. Sounds easy enough right? Well then we were told to go around and ask other attendees what their doughnut creation was and give them a sticker if you loved their idea. The most stickers won. Sadly my doughnut idea didn’t win but the combination remains a tried and true favourite in many variations; blue cheese, pear, toasted walnuts on top with a honey drizzle. This is what lead to the inspiration for our new burger, The Blue Cheese, Pear and Dark Ale Caramelized Onion Burger. For the sauce I grabbed some chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, mixed it with mayo, and we ended up with a delicious Chipotle Mayo to accompany the burger.

Not every one in my family loves burgers but that doesn’t stop us from trying new creations regularly. This version, surprisingly, was loved by the entire family.

Burgers are also a great meal to have when you are camping. We mix up a batch of fresh burgers in advance, freeze them individually in burger containers/set given to us by friends and transfer them to the trailer freezer when it’s time to go. It’s the perfect camping meal. You make/take as many as your family will eat and won’t have any leftovers. Everyone loves a good burger while sitting around the campfire.

And here is the next addition to our Triple B (Bakers Burger Blast).

 

 

 

Stuffed Mushroom Stuffed Potato

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This recipe was originally inspired by a recipe contest called the BC Fresh Warba-licious New Nugget Potato Recipe Challenge. Happily I won runner up for my Stuffed Mushroom Stuffed Potato recipe. I have since made the recipe a few times using whatever smaller market potatoes I can find, and it’s equally delicious.

With the recent State of Emergency here in Calgary due to flooding, I find peace of mind when I am able to cook and keep my mind off of the devastating events around us. Playing with and creating new Mushroom & Potato Recipes helped me to do just that.

I love potatoes. Growing up in a small town in Northern British Columbia, Canada, had its perks. My parents grew an overwhelming garden and surrounded us with berry bushes and fruit trees which eventually made their way into our bellies (and some home made wine but that’s another story). Part of the annual crop included potatoes. Not specifically nugget potatoes, but potatoes none-the-less, and it was then my love affair with the potato began.

Never one to shy away from a challenge I discovered BC Fresh and The Food Bloggers Of Canada were having a Warba-licious New Nugget Potato Recipe Challenge. Holy hot potato, this former BC Girl was excited and ready to jump in feet first and get my Warba on.

I told the family my intentions and almost immediately everyone jumped on the “think of a new potato recipe” bandwagon. I love my family for their support and desire to help. The 5 year old shouted “French Fries”, the 7 year old pulled out a cookbook for inspiration and the husband said one word “bacon” and then another “potatoes”. I think he meant “Bacon Potatoes” but it had already been done. And then my spider sense started tingling. Why couldn’t we put a stuffed mushroom inside a cooked stuffed potato. Had it been done before? I wasn’t sure and I wasn’t going to google to find out. This was my idea and I was going to run with it. I immediately pulled out our Blue Cheese Pecan Stuffed Mushrooms recipe and started making a shopping list.

When shopping for potatoes make sure you find small ones that match up with the mushrooms you are buying. IE the mushroom cap should be able to fit inside half the potato. The first time I made this appetizer I had to visually inspect each potato to find it’s mushroom mate and ensure a proper fit. It is here our story of the stuffed mushroom joining forces with the stuffed potato, begins.

Fitting the mushrooms
The mushrooms need to fit like a good ole pair of cowboy boots.
Stuffing the mushrooms
Mushrooms stuffed and happy inside of the Warba potatoes.

 

stuffed mushrooms inside a stuffed warba potato ready for cooking
The pink eyes are peeking at us. Everyone in formation and ready for the oven.

 

 

stuffed mushrooms inside a stuffed potato
Out of the oven and one quick drizzle of olive oil before returning to oven for a final few minutes of crisping.

 

S’mores Pancakes

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Griddle cakes, pancakes, hotcakes, flapjacks: why are there four names for grilled batter and only one word for love? -George Carlin

Our family loves S’mores, I mean LOVES S’mores. Camping isn’t camping without S’mores and over the years I’ve experimented with different ways of making S’mores using a variety of cookies, crackers, chocolates and other goodies. We camp a lot and go into serious fun mode when we do! A couple months ago I was making pancakes and decided to test S’mores ingredients in the pancakes. More often then not I will add cut up fruit or other items to the pancake batter before I flip them. So that’s what I did was plop on a few of each (chocolate chips, broken graham crackers and marshmallows) into a half cooked pancake before I flipped it. The end result was good and messy, the downside is the marshmallows melted onto the pan.

Enter round two of S’mores pancakes. I wanted to leave the graham crackers as chunky as possible for texture so this time I poured all the S’mores ingredients right into the batter and mixed before pouring the pancakes in the hot pan. Success! If you can get the batter on the skillet quickly the pancakes will have a little crunch from the graham cracker, if you wait too long the graham cracker softens up. Either way delicious.

This is also an easy recipe to take camping and I do this often with these types of recipes. The night before you leave for camping, pour all your dry ingredients into a ziplock bag. On the outside of the bag write, add 2 beaten eggs, 3 cups milk and 1/4 cup melted butter. When ready to make mix wet ingredients in a bowl first then add your dry. This is a basic pancake recipe. Add your S’mores ingredients to the batter and start cooking them pancakes!

I will be making these S’mores pancakes for breakfast for my daughters sleepover birthday party. I’m going to make a chocolate sauce and some form of melty, gooey marshmallow sauce to go with the typical maple syrup option. Additional chocolate chips and marshmallows will be nearby in bowls.

Next on the pancake experiment menu: Bacon Pancakes!

 

Smore's Pancakes

Green Lizard Mac and Cheese

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Mac and Cheese is admittedly something we don’t eat very often. I never grew up eating it and while my kids eat a lot of pasta, mac and cheese is not in the rotation. I want it to be however, since it is the ultimate comfort food and the variations are endless. Enter the Green Lizard Mac and Cheese, fondly named after my oldest kids soccer team (Green Lizards).

I’ve heard a lot lately about icing and white sauces being coloured not by food colouring, but instead by pureed blue berries, beets, raspberries, salad greens, etc…all of kinds of yummy goodness.  And I love that.  A couple extra steps to puree to the right texture but it is worth it in the end.

Rummaging through my refrigerator today and finding spinach slowly evaporating and some healthy looking broccoli, I decided a green mac and cheese was in order.  I started the cheese sauce easily enough and then decided before pouring the milk in that I would puree the spinach and milk together to see what would happen.  I wondered would it be too chunky?!  Then Nah I remembered I’ve been sneaking spinach into our smoothies for years and nobody knows any better. Immediately I knew I was on to something. In went the spinach and milk and out came smooth green milk!  I tasted it and I could tell there was spinach in there but I wasn’t so sure the minions would.

Everything came together nicely but I wanted to liven it up a bit. So I found some home made taco seasoning, added it in, mixed everything together and hello oven meet green mac and cheese. This might surprise you but the taco seasoning works!  Find the spice combination you like and try it.

Next time I am going to experiment more and maybe add in sauteed leeks, green onions, green peppers, sugar snap peas or even green beans. Kale might even work if boiled first.

In the end 4/5 of the mini taste testers loved it. Honestly I loved it too. I served it with some sliced pork chop.

 

Bakers Brown Butter Blondies

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This is one of the easiest recipes to make and one our family has enjoyed for many years.

In a nutshell it’s a big cookie bar with whatever add-ins you want, baked in a dish.  It’s your basic cookie dough recipe and can easily be made into cookies.

Simply perfect for pot lucks, picnics, gatherings….you can spruce it up or keep it simple.  I like to whip up a quick batch to bring camping since it’s that easy.  I love how chewy it is on the inside and crunchy around the outer edges.

This batch makes just over one dozen squares depending on how big you cut them.  One batch is never enough for our family.  When you make them nut free they are perfect for school snacks.

Add-ins could be anything from nuts to cut up chocolate bar, toffee bits, smarties or m&ms, marshmallows or broken pretzels.  For this recipe my add-ins are peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

 

Baked Chicken and Bacon Taquitos

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Easy to make Baked Chicken and Bacon Taquitos make a tasty lunch or dinner!

 

With Cinco De Mayo upon us it’s the perfect time to enjoy some Chicken & Bacon Taquitos.  Bacon just makes everything taste a little bit better.  It’s been a very long time since I’ve had Taquitos and when I did they were frozen & out of a box.

I’ve seen them in stores and been intrigued but we try to cook fresh if we can although with busy lives it’s not always easy.  Something caught my eye recently about Taquitos and so I decided I wanted to try to make them.  My kids love wraps and by baking instead of frying I found a way to make them healthy and tasty at the same time using flavours that appealed to me.  Pretty much a wrap baked in the oven has become our new go to recipe for busy nights.

Using leftover roast chicken I decided to do a small test run one day for lunch.  This is why there are only 3 in the photo.  I made 4, but my boy had one while I was taking the photo…then another and a third.  I did get to try the 4th.  Since then I have made a bigger batch for dinner and they were devoured.  You may want to double this recipe of you have a hungry family.

 

Thai Salad with Jalapeno and Mint

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Thai Salad with Jalapeno and Mint is a salad bursting with crunchy bits, freshness and loads of flavour.

thai salad with jalapeno and mint

Thai Salad with Jalapeno and Mint

An irresistibly crunchy Thai salad featuring a tangy Asian dressing will be your new vegetable obsession!

Each bite packs a powerhouse of fresh superfoods and can be made vegetarian using beyond meat crumbles or roasted chickpeas.

thai salad with jalapeno and mint

The Dressing

We combine the following flavours common in Thai cooking: sour, sweet, salty and spicy to make a delicious dressing. Adding in additional chili flakes or sambel oelek is entirely optional and what we do occasionally for a extra little kick of heat.

The spicy fresh peppers do turn it up the heat a notch, so really know how much your family likes spicy before adding more!

thai salad with jalapeno and mint

Here’s a list of the ingredients we use to make this salad not including the dressing, so get your shopping list ready!

Main Ingredients

  • Lettuce mix –  we like to use a spring mix or add a couple variations to the mix
  • Mint – ensure it’s fresh, it’s delicious
  • Carrots – grating them makes it easy
  • Shallots – slice them thin and let everyone add as much or little as they want
  • Spicy Peppers – always use fresh and add whatever you can tolerate (we prefer jalapeno sliced thin)
  • Cucumbers – the mini ones are good and can be sliced into small coins, or long english cucumbers with skin on
  • Peanuts – if your peanuts aren’t roasted, roast them
  • Lime juice – use fresh
  • Ground pork – cook up until nicely browned for extra flavour

thai salad with jalapeno and mint

Family Style Spread

We typically eat family style with everyone helping themselves but with this dish I prepare the plates with the ingredients I know my family will eat like the lettuce, mint, cucumbers, carrots and the pork.

The remaining ingredients (shallot, jalapeno, peanuts, dressing) go into bowls on the table family style allowing everyone to pick & choose what else goes in their salad.

At a certain age kids do not need to be served their meals but empowered to make their own choices and try a little bit of everything on the table.

PRO TIPS:

  • If you don’t eat pork, use ground chicken, turkey, beef or lamb.
  • If you don’t eat meat, use beyond beef crumbles or roasted chickpeas.
  • A drizzle of chili oil on top if you have any on hand is a nice touch.
  • Feeds four nicely however sometimes we double the recipe when we are hungry as everyone loves it so much.
  • Change up this salad by using lettuce cups instead of a salad mix.

thai salad with jalapeno and mint

Check out some of our most popular salad recipes:

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Little Black Spot

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With Spring comes flowers, sunshine and little black spots.

Most people that know me know I do not like spiders. With a passion. There is a deep-seated connection to those nasty brown recluse spiders that taunted me as a child.

Growing up we had an awning by the outside door where they would like to spin their sparkling webs and hang out. As memory serves me they were the size of a soccer ball and so trying to escape through the only access door to the outside world was always a task that included at least 30 minutes of pre-planning. While I don’t recall driving my mother nuts I must have been quite the drama queen when it came to these spiders and trying to maneuver my way around and/or away from them.

Over the years we have managed to co-exist. Me with big boot or shoe in hand and them running like the wind as big boot gets hurtled towards them (only when in doors of course). It was fear that drove me & the boot coupled with the thought they might get me before I get them. Never an intent to harm an innocent, of course.

Fast forward to the present. I swore when I had kids, I would not burden my kids with my own fears. They needed to discover their fears without living vicariously through mine. And in keeping true to my word, with clenched teeth I cannot count the times where a spider has been spotted in the house, I have gagged a little in my mouth and then went on to explain the importance of spiders in nature and the world to these small imps. “They are not harmful”, “they eat bad bugs”…yada yada yada…all the while keeping one eye on the little black spot while the other eye stayed focused on my kids.

I used to have a neighbour who was terrified of spiders and she burdened her child with that fear. When the then 6 yr. old would come over she would make the most hideous fuss when she saw a spider and proceed to exterminate. I always intervened to save the little black spot and during those days saved many. Most importantly she was undoing everything I had fought so hard to teach to my kids. I became “Extraordinaire Spider Saver”. Imagine that.

These days when a black spot (be it big or little) is found in the house I take a deep breath and call my husband simply stating daddy has gentler hands to put the little black spot outside safely where it can eat ants & mosquito’s. When daddy is not around I no longer throw a boot at the wall but instead gently grab a tissue and either toss it outside or flush the spot down the toilet when no one is looking and before he crawls up my arm and sinks his fangs into my neck. Some fears never die.

Extreme, yes but we all have our idiosyncrasies. Over the years I have come a long way in saving the little black spot and allowing us both to coexist in a house where kids do not jump when they find one. In fact they love Dandy Long Legs and can often be found searching for them in the back yard.

If only they knew Dandy Long Legs have fangs……

Green Quinoa Salad

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A fresh Green Quinoa Salad that is bursting with healthy goodness and loads of flavour is one you will want to add to your weekly menu!

Green Quinoa Salad

Green Quinoa Salad

I challenged myself to make a new quinoa salad each day of the week for five days. Batch cooked the quinoa, left in the fridge so I could pull out one cup each day to create a new salad. These salads are: Moroccan Salad, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Thai Inspired Quinoa Salad, Bok Choy Quinoa Salad with Tahini Dressing and this one. They were all incredibly good.

This green variation comes from using up leftovers in the refrigerator and since it was my last salad of the week, it made sense. This would be a perfect meal for St. Paddy’s Day.

Green Quinoa Salad

Why A Quinoa Salad A Day?

I wanted to show my friends & family how easy it was to create a healthy & nutritious salad that could be for lunch, dinner or even a side. Quinoa is not a grain, but a seed and it is full of protein which is especially good for vegetarians and vegans.

The Dressing

Initially I was going to do a simple olive oil & lemon dressing but than I started thinking about the dressing we enjoy with this Bok Choy Salad. It’s a simple dressing consisting of olive oil, vinegar and a flavour packet of ichiban/ramen seasoning. It’s really yummy.

I modified that dressing and it became the dressing for this green quinoa salad. The crunchy toasted itchiban noodles are simply fantastic in this recipe.

green quinoa salad

Ingredients

As you read through the ingredient list, you might find there are items you don’t want to eat. The solution is simple, leave them out or put them into small bowls on the table allowing everyone to add them in if they wish.

For example only my daughter and myself like avocado, so it goes into a bowl and we add it to our salad individually. My husband dislikes green peppers so into a bowl it goes for the rest of us to add. It’s easy to make this salad your own and don’t be afraid to try something new!

green quinoa salad

If you like quinoa salads, check out some of our other tasty quinoa recipes:

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

 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

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Take pantry ingredients, add a few fresh elements and create this vegetarian Mediterranean Quinoa Salad! Add grilled chicken for a delicious and easy meal.

Mediterranean Quinoa salad

Why Quinoa

Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids. It’s high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and offers various beneficial antioxidants.

mediterranean quinoa salad

A week of Quinoa Salads

For one week we made quinoa salad lunches every day using a variety of ingredients. Our goal by the end of the week is to show case how easy quinoa is to work with and using ingredients on hand or a little we had to shop for, you can come up with easy, nutritious meals in no time at all!

PRO TIPS:

  • Make your quinoa in advance, even the day before. It keeps perfectly in the refrigerator and all you need to do is mix in the other ingredients.
  • Your favourite Greek dressing or olive oil dressing will taste delicious in this salad.
  • Roasted eggplant would be a great add-in.
  • Make this salad in advance. I’d say a couple hours in advance is perfect if you have the time.
  • Some days I add feta, some days I don’t. Change up this salad to suit your tastes!

mediterranean quinoa salad

If you like this salad you’ll love these ones:

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

 

 

Turkey Curry Quinoa Salad

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After the turkey coma wears off, take your leftover roast turkey and turn it into this healthy Turkey Curry Quinoa Salad for lunch or dinner the next day!

turkey curry quinoa salad

Quinoa is such a fantastic salad base—it’s full of protein, it adds a nutty flavor, and it’s the perfect vehicle to soak up any kind of dressing.

What is Quinoa

Quinoa is a superfood. It’s gluten-free, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids.. Add to this the fact it’s high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants and you have a superfood.

turkey curry quinoa salad

How do you cook Quinoa

Some people say you need to wash and soak the quinoa grains first. For as long as I have been cooking quinoa I have never done this and never noticed any unusual tastes. It’s one step I don’t need to take!

My rule of thumb is 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water. Add a little salt. Bring water to a boil, add quinoa, simmer with the lid on until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit until cooled. Add to a sealed container and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

It really is that simple.

turkey curry quinoa salad

Why Curry

When I created this salad I had committed myself to 5 quinoa salads in five days. The goal was to make a new quinoa salad every day for lunch. Curry is a flavour I enjoy and the combination came together naturally although I was inspired by the Curry Chicken Sandwich I made recently with chicken.

Here are the other 4 salads I created during my week of quinoa salads.

Well maybe that was five but I really like quinoa salads!

PRO TIPS

  • If you don’t have garam masala, use curry powder.
  • Swap roast chicken for turkey.
  • Hate cilantro, use parsley.
  • Replace raisins with craisins or apricots.

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

 

Leftover Turkey Quinoa Salad

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Turn leftovers from your holiday turkey dinner into this Leftover Turkey Quinoa Salad!

Turkey Leftover Quinoa Salad
Turkey Leftover Quinoa Salad

If you are like me and are always looking for new ideas to use up leftovers, especially turkey or chicken, this is the perfect salad to help with those leftovers!

When you cook your big turkey meal and are making brussels sprouts, ensure you put a few fresh sprouts to the side for this dish. Save some squash and cube it or pick up a small butternut squash and roast it.

Turkey Leftover Quinoa Salad
Get a little of everything on each bite of Turkey Leftover Quinoa Salad

Making the Salad

Plan ahead for this salad. I like to make the quinoa the night before and let it fluff and cool in the fridge. That way I can add whatever I want to 1-2 cups of quinoa plus a quick dressing and have a salad ready to go.

I have found there is so much flavour in this dish you really do not need an actual vinaigrette. Extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice make it sparkle!

Slice the sprouts thin, they will give you a little crunch in your salad.

Turkey Leftover Quinoa Salad
Turkey Leftover Quinoa Salad is a delicious way to use leftovers

PRO TIPS

  • Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water the night before. You will end up with 4-5 cups of quinoa.
  • If using fresh squash, dice it, mix with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in 350F oven until soft.
  • You can plump your dried cranberries in water or orange juice for 15 minutes to take the edge off.
  • Swap pecans for pine nuts, walnuts or almonds.
  • Make this vegetarian or vegan by omitting the turkey and adding more sprouts and squash.
  • Some people insist on washing the quinoa before cooking. I never do and it’s always tasted great.
  • Spices I use are simple flavours like poultry seasoning, spices with lemon zest, thyme, sage, salt and pepper.
Leftover Turkey Quinoa Salad
Leftover Turkey Quinoa Salad

Looking for other ways to use up leftover chicken or turkey? Here’s some of our favourite recipes!

 

Thai Inspired Quinoa Salad

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We’ve combined the flavours of Thailand and created this tasty Thai Inspired Quinoa Salad.

 

Once upon a time, or some week in 2013 I decided to make 5 new quinoa salad lunches. A regular here in our house that’s always in rotation, I wanted to challenge myself and really think about what I love about quinoa and turn it into a tasty salad.

Grains have been a part of my diet for the past 20 years and since having kids I cook with them even more as an alternative to meat.

A confessed Thai food lover, this salad is a Thai Inspired Quinoa Salad using whatever “Thai” ingredients I could find in my fridge. The flavours in this salad are bold and it turned out delicious.

Cook your quinoa according to package directions or remember 2 cups liquid to 1 cup quinoa in a pot and bring to a boil. This amount will yield you 5-6 cups of fluffy quinoa.

When it comes to quinoa preparation some say to wash your quinoa, others do not. I’ve done both and have noticed a difference in taste so I opt not to wash my quinoa to save time.

I buy the organic, gluten free Quinoa from Costco so important to note this recipe is gluten free.

Thai Inspired Quinoa Salad
Recipe Type: Lunch, Dinner, Side
Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrots, grated
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced into strips or chopped
  • 1/2 cup cilantro (or parsley), chopped (save a pinch for dressing)
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped (save a pinch for dressing)
  • Toasted sesame seeds/slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup Dressing (below)
Instructions
  1. Take one cup of your cooked quinoa and place in a bowl. Add green onions, carrots, cucumber, cilantro and mint. Pouring in dressing and toss lightly. Taste for seasoning and if required add more dressing/salt/pepper to your liking.
  2. To serve sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and/or slivered almonds.
Notes
To make dressing whisk together 1 tsp sesame oil, juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1/2 tsp honey, pinch salt & pepper, pinch sliced mint, pinch sliced cilantro, about 1/8-1/4 cup rice wine vinegar, between 1/3 & 1/2 cup olive oil and a couple dashes sriracha sauce (or more if you like it spicy).

 

Beef Noodle Soup

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Kids activity nights require quick meals.  I had some leftover roast beef (sliced thin) from a recent roast dinner and had been wanting to do a Vietnamese Beef style Pho (or my rendition of it) for awhile.   Of course I decided to make the soup on an activity night and did not have the time or ingredients to make it the way a Pho should be made.  So I went with what I had and came up with this delicious tasting Beef Noodle Soup.

You can use any leftover roast (cut thin), or steak.  The vermicelli noodles can be the rice kind or regular pasta version.  Precooked noodles makes it easy to assemble this dish quickly.   Play around with seasonings if you wish until you find a flavour combination you like.  A squeeze of lime and some bean sprouts would have been equally delicious to add before serving.

A quick, cozy beef noodle soup made with leftover roast beef, rich broth and vermicelli noodles - perfect for busy weeknights.