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.
Stroganoff is one of those dishes passed along for generations. A comforting, hearty winter meal, I envision my grandparents dining in front of a roaring fire while watching the snow fall. The only issue for me is that traditionally, it is meats (and leftovers) that are turned into stroganoff. My husband despises turkey, and I want to entertain over the holidays with elevated dishes that give a nod to the past without using the double creams favoured by generations past. In order to satisfy all of my goals, I decided to alter the original recipe to include a variety of mouth-watering mushrooms, replace the dairy with Silk Almond Beverage and present everything inside a delectable puff pastry cup that uses no dairy.
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.
The International Baccelaureate program encourages kids to think independently, drive their own learning, become more culturally aware, and engage with people in an increasingly globalized, rapidly changing world. Our family is very lucky that we live in an area with public IB schools that begin at the kindergarten level.
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
Given that my dog just sort of got impounded (it wasn’t my fault)… I thought I should do a shout out to the SPCA! Especially if it’s called National Cupcake Day. National Cupcake Day is on February 26th, a fundraising effort supporting animal welfare societies across Canada. It’s easy and delicious to participate. Register your participation online at: www.nationalcupcakeday.ca. Plan a cupcake party at work, home or school; start fundraising by encouraging friends and family to donate online in advance; bake your favourite cupcakes; share them with family and friends; and collect donations to prevent cruelty to animals.