Category: Food & Drink

We are staying in again this year –I have planned a romantic dinner for the two of us.

Starter
French Onion Soup

Main
Baked Pork Chops

Sides
Twice Baked Potatoes and Lemon Glazed Carrots

Dessert
Double Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Wine
Viognier

I have been known to eat interesting culinary concoctions that make my husband wince. I have found a few weird and wonderful recipes that even he enjoys. Here are my top three…

1. Apple Dumplings courtesy of The Pioneer Woman
–>Whoever would have thought that Mountain Dew + Pillsbury Crescent Rolls + Apples = Heaven; certainly not me –but it does!

2. Strange But True Casserole courtesy of Grey Eyes on allrecipes.com
–>I stumbled upon this during a cold snap; I wanted a warm comforting dish and I was tired of all my other casserole recipes.
 
3. Bacon, orange marmalade & avocado sandwich with everything bagel seasoning on rye bread.
–>I’m always experimenting with sandwich fillings; I love sandwiches, I could eat them morning, noon and night. This combo is sweet, salty and satisfying.

1. Traditional
*Having a paternal English grandmother meant that a trifle was always on the menu for dessert at family gatherings! I unfortunately never had a chance to get the recipe, however, this one from allrecipes.com, comes extremely close.

2. Taste of Home Trifle
*Valerie Bertinelli isn’t the only one who LOVES lemon, I do too! This recipe has a bright, fresh springtime vibe.

3. Chocolate Lovers
*Swapping sponge cake for brownies and fruit for candy bar bites makes this version oh so decadent!

We eat this at least once a month; and how could we not? The ingredients are always in our fridge/pantry, it’s super easy and incredibly tasty. This recipe is even husband approved. Simply add rice and broccoli as sides and dinner is DONE! I am not sure where this recipe came from, but thank you to the genius who created it!!

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (skinless)
1/2 cup Kraft Bacon Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup Liberte Plain Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce 
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
3/4 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions

1. Spray a casserole dish with PAM and place the chicken in the dish.
2. In a medium bowl mix the dressing, yogurt and hot sauce together.
3. Pour over the chicken.
4. In a separate bowl mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together.
5. Sprinkle over the chicken.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375F.

Although this sandwich was invented in the mid 1960’s and made a major resurgence in 2020; I have ALWAYS been a fan –I grew up on tuna melts! Some people like to jazz it up with bacon, tomato and even avocado, but I am a purist!

Ingredients

2 cans Clover Leaf tuna
1/3 cup Miracle Whip Light
1/4 cup white onion (diced)
2 Bick’s Definitely Dill Pickles (diced)
1/4 cup shredded Armstrong marble cheese
4 slices of white bread
Margarine [or butter]

Directions

1. Drain the tuna; then flake the fish into a bowl with a fork.
2. Add the Miracle Whip, onion and pickles and mix well.
3. “Butter” one side of the bread and place it margarine side down on a sheet pan;  then top with half of the tuna mixture, spread/pack the mixture evenly.
4. Put half the shredded cheese on top of the tuna mixture.
5. Top with another slice of bread and “butter” the top. 
6. Repeat steps 3-5.
7. Bake for 6 minutes at 400F

My new favourite breakfast dish is Shakshuka; it’s such a simple dish to make and it tastes incredible!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion
1 Red Pepper
5 Cloves of Garlic
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
2 cans (14 oz) Aylmer Diced Tomatoes (do not drain!)
Salt
Pepper
5 Eggs
Parsley (fresh or dried)

Directions

1. Dice the onion, red pepper; saute them in the olive oil until softened.
2. Mince the garlic; add it and the spices (paprika, cumin & chili powder) to the pan. Heat for another minute or two.
3. Add the tomatoes, a sprinkle of salt and pepper; then simmer to break down the tomatoes.
4. With a large spoon, create wells in the sauce.
5. Crack an egg into each well.
6. Cover the pan and continue to cook for another 7 minutes.
7. Uncover and sprinkle with parsley.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE the Food Network and I have spent countless hours watching it; I usually have it on in the background while I’m cooking, cleaning, marking, writing at home. My favourite program this time of the year is the Christmas Cookie Challenge. I am so blown away by the bakers’ talent and skill when it comes to decorating cookies. I decided to learn –the jury is still out on my level of mastery, however, I did find some super great tutorials.

I read a great article on the Wilton blog about the types of icing for sugar cookies and I tried my hand at some of them.

Buttercream…

Royal Icing…

Cookie Icing or Glazing…

Fondant…