We’re not even going to presume to give you a different Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey recipe than the one your family normally uses, but we will suspect that come Boxing Day, you’ll have a ton of turkey waiting to be ‘remade’ into family-friendly dishes. (Aren’t you glad we didn’t say leftovers?) This is a great recipe, and you can substitute tofu or chicken for those who want to avoid the tryptophan-induced sleepiness that comes on after eating turkey. Here’s our take on Acadian Turkey a la King.
These delicious and moist pancakes are perfect for an outdoor spring brunch or re-heated for a quick weekday breakfast. Kid-approved for flavour and fun, and mom-approved for nutrition, this fruit-infused recipe is sure to be a winner at the breakfast table. Using applesauce or store-bought fruit snacks in both the batter and the topping boosts the nutrition and sweetness naturally, and provides one full serving of fruit per cup. Mix-up your “fruit-ine” and substitute different flavours to change the recipe and delight your taste buds. Swap traditional maple syrup for the creamy fruit topping for an extra burst of flavour and nutrients.
Passover is a Jewish festival that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. It is celebrated for eight days, usually in late March or early April, according to the Jewish lunar calendar. Between crafts to preparation and rituals during the Seder, kids can play a huge part in the Passover celebration.
The central ritual of Passover is the Seder, a ceremonial meal that takes place on the first two nights of the festival. The Seder is a time for family and friends to come together to retell the story of the Exodus and to give thanks for the freedom that the Israelites gained.
This ham is both simple and elegant, and the leftovers are something to celebrate, too. A honey-glazed ham makes an unbelievable Sunday dinner and is equally special during the Easter or Christmas holidays. Our family always had ham, albeit with my Mom’s British heritage, the flavours weren’t as complex. She would serve it with a potato scallop and green beans and my mouth would water. With this easy recipe, you could also throw in an Asian influence with the addition of soy sauce, and serve with bok choi and noodles.
Wondering what to do with all that wonderful leftover turkey from your last holiday? Here’s a healthy and delicious idea for using that leftover turkey that your kids will love! I call it the gourmet turkey muffin. It’s great to have a full pantry and fn ingredients so that you can get creative.
Most people hear ‘butter chicken’ and want to head to the store to purchase and over-priced sauce that lacks flavour and contains a ton of additives. This doesn’t have to happen. I actually ran a ‘pandemic virtual cooking club’ with a ton of kids, and they created this in less than 30 minutes! If you are looking for an authentic, but easy weeknight butter chicken, this is one to try.
When you are cooking with kids, there is such a huge feeling of accomplishment when they learn how to do things from scratch. Even better? When they can get super-dirty doing it! Rolling meatballs by hand is one of life’s greatest thrills. There is so much control over what happens too – tiny, huge. Bake them. Fry them in a pan. A touch of Worcestershire, a dash of spice. Teaching kids to cook creatively are lessons that will last them a lifetime. Meatballs and the creation of a homemade ruby red sauce are great places to begin.
This fresh and healthy recipe for lemony lentils with kale packs a punch of nutrients and stays warm in a dutch oven while you pry the kids off to a fun activity! It’s filled with iron in the kale, and the lentils aren’t their normal chalky, flavourless selves because of the lemon punch. It’s a great side to roast chicken or fish. Delicious.
Taco Tuesday? Fajita Friday? Or simply an excuse-for-a-fiesta-Saturday. All summer long I’ve been tending to the garden as the kids help me water and weed. We’ve tried our hand at growing vegetables and have been thrilled with the results. In addition, my family and I have the good fortune of owning a crab trap. So…. when I mastered the summer challenge of catching crab in the Pacific Ocean, I was very proud. The only obstacle is when I catch too many. Seriously. Listen to myself! Feeling inspired and using my new pastimes to source fresh ingredients, I got our family and friends out of a serious dinner rut with crab tacos.
One of my big pandemic activities (like everyone else!) has been developing a sourdough starter, and playing around with bread making. With little yeast or flour in the stores, I went directly to a local flour mill, then spent hours learning how to develop a good sourdough starter out of simple flour and water.