Too many bones and no dog to feed?  A turkey carcass that looks butchered?  Waste not, my dear.  Practice the secret of gourmet chefs everywhere.  Making stock or bone broth is an ideal way to extract nutrients and flavour from asparagus roots, beef bones and the parts of broccoli that people just don’t want to eat.  You can do stocks of vegetables, with meat or fish, and they are very simple. 

A few years back, during a Cityline filming I had the pleasure of re-acquainting with Trish Magwood, Food Network host, creator of Dish Cooking Studio and all-around supermom.  She shared this amazing salad recipe on the show and it is absolutely delicious.  There’s nothing quite like a great spring salad to help celebrate the change in season. You can keep it in the fridge for a few days as well, and add the dressing each time you need a snack. If you time it right you may be able to find flowering pea shoots. They make a beautiful addition to this perfect springtime salad. Serves 6

This is the perfect intro to making pasta with your kids. Known as ‘little ear’ pasta, orecchiette looks like cute little cups. Or pig’s ears. It’s mind-boggling to watch children’s faces as you turn a heap of flour on the counter into handmade pasta without the use of a machine! It’s also such a rush to make a water-filled well out of the flour and carefully incorporate the sides without letting the water escape. Making orecchiette and Alfredo sauce with kids is both satisfying and delicious.

This low-fat leftover turkey sandwich is pretty much why you go to so much work to make Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter dinner. Using half the fat mayo makes it even lighter.

Nothing embodies the earthy flavours of autumn more that mushrooms. The Japanese word ‘umame’ means a taste sensation produced by glutamates. It’s sometimes considered a 5th basic taste along with bitter, sweet, salty and sour. And mushrooms dish this out in spades.

Leftovers for school lunches? Check. Healthy side dish? Of course! Nutrient-rich dinner? Absolutely. This Fall Quinoa is a simple idea for a weekday dinner that will be in the family’s top ten as soon as they try it. Serving it in an empty squash or mini-pumpkin elevates this dish for holidays.

This Greek orzo salad is packed with nutrients and anti-oxidents. It’s great for spring picnics or school lunches. I like to add a sprinkle of feta as well for contrast and extra protein.

Serve this salad as is or with rotini pasta or chickpeas for variety.                      Makes 4-6 servings

1 1/2 cup Cucumber (English) ~ 1 1/2 cup cubed
1 1/2 cup each red orange and yellow pepper cubed
3 medium vine ripened tomatoes

Once every month I make these school day frozen breakfast burritos with the kids as kitchen helpers. Wrapped in plastic and frozen in a big bag, they can be pulled out the night before and refrigerated. Pop them onto a panini maker, an air fryer or in the microwave to heat. On mornings when we are late for school (that would be most mornings), I wrap the ends in tinfoil and call them ‘hand snacks’ so the kids can eat them on the way. You can add as many vegetables as you like and eliminate the sausage to make them vegetarian-friendly.

The following turkey preparation safety tips are adapted from US CDC online documentation:  It’s Turkey Time – Safely Prepare Your Holiday Meal. Health Canada also provides turkey preparation tips. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a novice preparing your first holiday meal, be aware of safety issues when thawing, preparing, stuffing and cooking your turkey. Food safety is especially important as you prepare a holiday meal. Within the last couple of years, public health officials have investigated outbreaks of food-borne illness that were caused by bacteria in jalapeños, spinach, peanut butter, frozen pizza, frozen pot pies, and frozen beef patties. Many consumers are now more aware of the ongoing importance of food safety.