Category: Cooking

Today's Lunch is Yesterday's News

Yesterday was a hectic day – lots of meetings, running around, and a restaurant lunch. So by the time we returned home we were crangry (hungry and cranky)! We needed food that was healthy, easy, and quick. In less than the time to call for delivery, we made this delicious pizza from scratch. We used our usual crust recipe, but with 100% whole wheat flour, instead of half and half.

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The added bonus? It makes enough for dinner for two, and leftovers for today’s lunch. On top, we used homemade zucchini relish, some feta, cheddar, red peppers, mushrooms, olives, and a little prosciutto. Tasty!

Griddle Me This!

It all started with a trip to the market yesterday, where we bought some delicious-looking bacon from Sweet Williams…

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The great thing about really nice bacon (instead of cheap, mass-produced bacon) is that there is a lot of flavour in a single, beautiful slice. Paired with some hot mustard, tomato, and egg…you have the makings of a tasty breakfast.

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Make the egg runny, or not, as is your taste. Assemble and enjoy.

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What Cheshire cats must eat for lunch…

These melts had us grinning like Cheshire cats…probably because of the cheese. We made a tuna salad, substituting Dijon for half the mayo, and dicing in a tomato. All this went on top of toasted flax bread, with a grate of Cheshire cheese to top it off.

Under the broiler, and we were done. Lunch for two in under ten minutes, and delicious, as well!

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How do you say "Salisbury" in Italian?

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The cold, damp weather made for an uninspiring grilling day yesterday, so instead, we thought we would make some Salisbury steak from our ground beef. A check of the larder revealed sufficient missing ingredients that we needed to improvise.

We started by putting 2 diced potatoes to boil – peel on, as they are great that way for a rustic mash.

We made two patties with lean ground beef (8 oz for two), a minced clove of garlic and a few tablespoons of minced onion (shallot if you’ve got it!) We cooked these in a tiny amount of olive oil in a nonstick pan, medium high heat for 3 minutes per side. Then they went on a plate in a 250F oven while we finished the sauce…

In the pan, sauté about 1/3 of an onion (diced) with a diced sweet pepper, until the onion is translucent. Add 1/2 c (125ml) marinara and red wine, and bring to a simmer. Slip the patties into the sauce, cover, and simmer long enough to steam some peas as a side dish. Turn the patties, mash the potatoes, and serve.

Comforting food on a chilly day.

We kept them warm

To Jamie…and Beyond!

So we are always searching for inspiration. This week we were researching a variety of Jamie Oliver recipes. Today we adapted the Hit ‘N’ Run Panbaked Chicken. We used what we had…carrots, parsnips, olives for extra flavour…and it was beyond awesome. Experiment and make your own veggie combos. We guarantee it will be tremendous.

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Mexican-inspired brunch makes good use of avocado

The thing about avocados is that they can go from just right to not-so-much in an instant. We used one up for brunch this week and it was a delicious combination. Whole wheat toast was topped with mashed avocado (1 fruit does four slices, and a little lemon juice keeps it from browning). On top of that, scrambled egg and a dollop of homemade salsa. Delicious!

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Good Friday Grill

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We spent part of Good Friday in our usual way, praying and contemplating with friends, the darkest point of the Easter story. After driving home from Mass along the seaside, watching the sun glinting off the ocean, we spent most of the afternoon doing yard work. It truly feels like Easter – small signs of life are revealing themselves all over the garden. After an incredibly fierce winter, this rebirth will really be welcome.

Most Fridays we feature fish on the menu, as much out of habit as custom, but on Good Friday we do make a special effort. The combination of sun and fresh outdoor air begged for the grill, and we had just the fish for it – halibut. We served it perfectly cooked alongside a medley of potato, carrot, and some baby leeks we found hiding under a cover of leaves in the garden.

Simplify your Lunch!

Today’s lunch doesn’t even need a recipe, it’s so simple. We had some delicious Tomme from @Ratinaud_HFX, so we grated it into a bowl, and mixed it with diced hothouse tomatoes (go local!). We piled the whole mix on top of some toasted leftover homemade bread and English muffin (both whole wheat) and popped it under the broiler until it was sizzling hot.

Delicious!

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But Marianne Wanted Bacon…

I might have made this delectable breakfast treat for our team meeting on Wednesday, but Marianne wanted bacon. She is an expert at making people feel welcome, so I took her advice – bacon it was. But today, there was an avocado still calling my name, so it became the starting point.

Toasted English muffins, topped with avocado (mashed with a squeeze of lemon) and finished with a perfectly poached egg. They have the creamy goodness of a Benny without the work – great for a weekday breakfast!

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Cream and Smoke are Signs of Spring

Finally the snow is receding and the barbecue is accessible. We are working on the “use what is on sale or in the freezer” methodology, and this week we found a great deal on local ground beef. So in addition to making a batch of meatballs for later in the week, we made tomato, avocado and bacon ( salute to the lovely Marianne) burgers. Yum!

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