It has been very hot and humid here in Manitoba over the past few weeks. Even with the air conditioning running, there is nothing I’d rather do less than use the oven and stove in the house. That’s why I absolutely love BBQ season. You can enjoy the heat where it belongs – outside. You also have minimal dishes. It’s a perfect combination for me.
This recipe is very quick, simple and light for summer. Not to mention, super healthy! You can use any of your favourite veggies in the recipe. I happen to use sweet red onion and pineapple along with red and green bell peppers.
So-called “superfoods” intrigue me. In a mission to bake less and eat healthier, I decided to do some research on quinoa, which has been classified alongside such items as blueberries, turmeric and acai as a superfood.
First off, Happy New Year! How many resolutions have you broken already?! Ah, don’t be ashamed. Like most people, I also tend to break them within the first few days. That’s why I do my best not to make them anymore.
I figured I would post one of my all-time favourite recipes that will help you keep your healthy living resolutions for 2012. This is probably one of the simplest, most delicious vegetable dishes I have tried. It is adapted from the Looneyspoons Collection cookbook by Janet and Greta Podleski. These ladies are amazing at creating delicious dishes that are super healthy and simple. I highly recommend you pick up one of their cookbooks and give some of the recipes a try. You won’t be disappointed. These roasted vegetables are flavourful, hearty and totally diet compliant.
We had our first official sign of winter today – snow. The dip in temperatures and the cold, wet morning reminded me of my favourite things in life: family, warmth, and comfort foods! This recipe encompasses all three and is a childhood favourite of mine. I don’t know why my brother and I started calling this dish “Mush”, but we did. And it stuck. To this day, with both of us in our 30’s, we continue to call it “Mush”. Actually, so does everybody in my family! This dish is traditionally called Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole by others because it incorporates pretty much everything in a traditional cabbage roll, without the pain of rolling it into a nice, neat package. This dish is hearty and warm – perfect for the season’s first snowfall. It’s also super easy to make.
Claudia has been on holidays these past few weeks and getting some much needed rest and relaxation in our second family house in Saskatchewan. I will be taking the 5 hour drive out to meet her shortly to spend some time fishing, canning veggies from the garden (stay tuned for recipes!) and relaxing with the family. The house in Saskatchewan is probably one of my favourite places in the world. The house was my grandparents, and growing up I would spend every summer out there. The house is literally in the middle of nowhere. A very small community of 6 or 7 houses make up the town. Actually, the place is too small to be an official town. According to the 2006 Canadian Census, it is a hamlet with grand total of 15 residents. It is so peaceful and quiet out there. Reminds me of a simpler time, really.
I haven’t been out to the house in Saskatchewan for almost 2 years. The last time I was out there Claudia made these Grilled Turkey Burgers. I believe the original recipe called for Stove Top Stuffing Mix, and since we were in the middle of nowhere, we had none. So she improvised. I personally like these a lot better than the original recipe. They are juicy, healthy, delicious and the simplest dinner you will make. (more…)
With the temperatures slowly rising and summer not too far away, BBQ dinners are becoming a lot more frequent. In our family, BBQ dinners are pretty much every Sunday at my parents during the summer months. The standard fare of steak, chicken and ribs are the stars, with a variety of summer salads and potato dishes to round out the menu. This Killer Potatoes dish is a huge family favourite for us. Whether it’s for a BBQ or to accompany an indoor winter meal, these potatoes are a delicious change from the typical baked or mashed potato variety. Not to mention beyond simple to make.
Claudia not only cooks fantastic recipes that were passed down to her from her mother. She also has a great vault of recipes that she received from friends and coworkers. This recipe was given to Claudia a long time ago by her coworker (and my former boss) Barb. I’m not sure if this is a Barb original, or one that was passed along to her. Either way, it’s delicious enough that me and Claudia had to share it with you.
Now like most recipes featured on this blog, this isn’t necessarily the healthiest. There is a lot of cheese. I mean a LOT of cheese. However, you can make your own low-fat modifications on each ingredient to make it less artery clogging. We’ve used part skim cheese, whole wheat tortillas and low fat mushroom soup in this blog rendition. It still turned out amazing. We hope you give this one a try – even if it is on a “cheat day”.
I have absolutely no idea where Claudia got her Mexican cooking skills from. This recipe is one of the many dishes that has wowed not only my family, but my friends as well. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that there were a few times during my younger years when I would come home from a fun evening of dancing with my friends and we would search my parents the fridge to see if there were any leftovers. On the instances where we found Chicken Fajitas, we felt as though we had won the lottery. This dish is a very healthy and delicious addition to anyone’s dinner repertoire.
Today is my Baba’s (Claudia’s Mom) 82nd birthday. There really isn’t a better way to celebrate her life (and Claudia’s essentially) than to post the staple of my Ukrainian childhood (and the best food she ever made) on this day. That being perogies. No one, and I do mean no one, can ever top my Baba’s perogies. They are simply the best. I know there are a lot of you who say the same thing about your own family recipe. But I kid you not, my Baba made and sold hundreds (if not thousands) of dozens of these little nuggets of gold for people just like yourselves after they realized they did not have the best family recipe. Trust me on this one. I grew up on this stuff after all!
Claudia and I spent all Saturday afternoon perfecting the dough and creating dozens of differently filled perogies. We finally came up with what we thought Baba would deem as worthy to share with friends. Perogies are the ultimate comfort food. I have never grown tired of them. My hope is that after trying these for yourself, you won’t either.
