Sharing my favorite recipes with you

Sides

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Dates, Parmesan and Almonds

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Dates, Parmesan and Almonds

My husband and I had this combination of ingredients at a local restaurant called The Greenbelt and he liked it so much, he ate kale (he actually hates kale). The parmesan with the dates and the almonds was a really great combination. Ingredients: 10 oz […]

Black Beans

Black Beans

I had a pork bone left over from a whole pig my husband and his friend roasted so I thought it would be the perfect time to make these yummy beans. Yes, yes, I did just say that they roasted a whole pig. There’s definitely […]

Sautéed Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)

Sautéed Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)

I like broccoli but I LOVE Chinese broccoli. I don’t know what it is, but I find the flavor milder (even though when you read about it, it says its more bitter). You can do a simple prep and just steam it and drizzle oyster […]

Coconut Almond Rice

Coconut Almond Rice

This coconut rice dish is so easy to put together and has so much flavor and texture. My daughter, who loves coconut, really loved it. I toast almonds and coconut flakes and then incorporate them in separately. Great to serve alongside fish or chicken. It […]

Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Butternut Squash, Pomegranate Seeds and Pepitas

Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Butternut Squash, Pomegranate Seeds and Pepitas

I threw this salad together to pack for a picnic lunch for a dear friends birthday celebration. We packed it in cute mason jars along with sandwiches chips and some veggies and dip. So yummy and healthy. Ingredients: 1 cups quinoa 2 cups vegetable stock […]

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta

We still love brussels sprouts even though it seems like they are a bit overdone which means that we must actually love them. Here’s a great simple recipe that doesn’t require use of the oven – which is a big plus when cooking a big […]

Fried Lima Beans with Feta, Spinach and Sumac

Fried Lima Beans with Feta, Spinach and Sumac

My sweet friend Christi Hilt bought me this cookbook called Plenty which is full of really great vegetable recipes from a restaurant in London called Ottolenghi. The idea was that we’d pick a night, I would give her the handful of recipes we wanted to […]

Roasted Kabocha Squash with Thyme and Pomegranates

Roasted Kabocha Squash with Thyme and Pomegranates

Here is a very easy and festive dish to serve at any dinner or party. It goes great with beef or steak as a side dish. I like to make it with either kabocha or butternut squash. Ingredients: 1 whole kabocha squash 3 tablespoons extra […]

Chinese Green Beans

Chinese Green Beans

Chinese green beans are so good. Here is a very simple recipe. If you want it spicy, add a tablespoon of chili garlic sauce when adding in the other sauces. Great for a quick weeknight meal. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 lb green beans, […]

Cilantro Rice

Cilantro Rice

My kids love this garlic rice that we get from a Peruvian place around the corner so I decided to recreate it and add cilantro to serve it alongside any Mexican dish I’m cooking. It’s a big hit! Ingredients: 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil 2 […]

Fresh Creamy Corn

Fresh Creamy Corn

So this is the version of creamed corn that I make. It’s not quite so mushy and definitely a far cry from the stuff you get in cans. It is also pretty much the only thing my son, Carter needs at the holiday table. It’s […]

Radishes and Greens

Radishes and Greens

I’m not sure if we’re weird because we love radishes, but we really do. We’ll eat them raw with butter and sea salt or sautéed with butter. Either way, they are delicious. For this recipe, I really wanted to use the radish greens, but they […]

Chicken and Broccoli Slaw with Peanut Dressing

Chicken and Broccoli Slaw with Peanut Dressing

I made this to take to our Father’s Day Picnic at the park. Kids, dogs, good food, great friends, lots of wine and oh yeah, the fathers too! Since it was Father’s Day, it was a good thing my husband really liked this salad. He’s […]

Watermelon and Arugula Salad

Watermelon and Arugula Salad

So I’ve mentioned my pear balsamic that I’m in love with. I also have a meyer lemon extra virgin olive oil that is yummy and I thought that the combination of the two would make a fantastic dressing. It turns out that I was right! […]

Peaches and Burrata with Pear Balsamic

Peaches and Burrata with Pear Balsamic

I have this pear balsamic vinegar that is so delicious, I just want to find new dishes to use it on. I tried this spin on a traditional caprese using peaches instead of tomatoes and burrata cheese. Burrata is a mozzarella cheese that is filled […]

Chick Pea Salad

Chick Pea Salad

I love chick peas and will use them in as many ways possible. This is a terrific, fresh salad that is super easy to assemble and has a wonderfully fresh flavor because of the mint and lemon zest. Great for picnics and barbecues. Ingredients 1 […]

Spinach Gratin

Spinach Gratin

This is an adaptation of Ina Garten’s spinach gratin recipe which was always our go to for any holiday dinner. I added bacon and decreased the butter and we loved it even more. Ingredients 5 slices of bacon, chopped 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 4 cups […]

Curried Cauliflower Soup

Curried Cauliflower Soup

This soup has got a kick. My husband’s comment was, “This is good fire soup”. If you are sensitive to spice, you may want to take down the amount of curry paste you use. Ingredients 1 tablespoon ginger, minced 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon […]

Arugula Salad with Proscuitto and Poached Eggs

Arugula Salad with Proscuitto and Poached Eggs

Here is a favorite for my husband to make for me on Mother’s Day. He loves anything with a poached egg and he is also the egg poaching master of the family. It is very easy to assemble and so impressive to look at. The […]

Greens and Eggs

Greens and Eggs

Yes, greens and eggs, not green eggs. We love putting eggs on things. Its actually a good trick to get the kids to eat vegetables that they normally would not. We found and adapted a recipe we found in Food & Wine Magazine. Really great […]

Spinach Salad with Champagne Dijon Vinaigrette

Spinach Salad with Champagne Dijon Vinaigrette

What makes this very simple salad so good is the combination of flavors. I find that this dressing really makes the salad stand out. And the bacon doesn’t hurt either. I don’t need any sweetness in this dressing but if you find that you need […]

Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus

Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus

This is the one way I can get my kids to eat asparagus and not complain. It’s an easy dish to make for those of my friends who really don’t like to cook, but like to “assemble”. Serve it as an appetizer or a side […]

Refried Beans

Refried Beans

I love good refried beans and I hate bad ones. By good I mean it needs to have good flavour and not be bland. Yes, this takes some time but its totally worth it. Beware, this is not a recipe for vegetarian beans. Ingredients 3 […]

Champagne Mignonette

Champagne Mignonette

This is a very simple recipe with just a very slight twist on the classic mignonette. I just replace red wine vinegar for champagne vinegar. Ingredients 1/4 cup champagne vinegar 1 tablespoon minced shallot 1/4 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper Combine all ingredients in a […]

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Aged Balsamic Drizzle

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Aged Balsamic Drizzle

This is such an easy way to prepare brussels sprouts and always a hit. Even my son likes these. Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts 3 ounces pancetta, diced extra virgin olive oil aged balsamic vinegar sea salt freshly ground pepper Preparation Preheat oven to […]

Spicy Korean Cabbage and Pork Stew (kimchi jjigae)

Spicy Korean Cabbage and Pork Stew (kimchi jjigae)

If I had to choose a favorite Korean dish, this would be it. This dish is home to me. So simple, yet so delicious. I don’t even need rice to eat this dish, but it is customarily served with rice. If you don’t want to […]

Akkra Funfun (Beninese Bean Fritters)

Akkra Funfun (Beninese Bean Fritters)

We sometimes spin the globe with our kids to determine what we’re making for dinner. It makes them very excited to try out new, foreign foods. The latest spin of the globe landed in Benin. Where in the world is Benin? Turns out that its […]

Bacon Bindaettaek (Korean mung bean pancakes)

Bacon Bindaettaek (Korean mung bean pancakes)

Whenever we go to eat at my mother’s house, this dish is a must have. I have found that it’s a great appetizer. I cut each pancake into quarters and they turn into finger food. There are variations on this recipe that use thin slices […]

Hummus

Hummus

  This is a basic recipe for hummus. You can add different ingredients to this base to change up the flavors. We like to add chipotle peppers for a great spicy version. Or roasted garlic. Roasted red peppers is also a great addition. Ingredients 2 […]

Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower Soup

Our kids absolutely love this soup. Yes, okay, maybe its because it has bacon and cheese in it. And the truffle oil drizzle doesn’t hurt either. But my son is not a great vegetable eater so its great! I like to make a big batch […]

Ginger Fried Rice

Ginger Fried Rice

Here is a super simple but delicious fried rice. The eggs on top should be runny so you can mix it into the rice as you eat. We were fortunate enough to get these beauties from our friend Julie who provided us with fresh eggs […]

Kale salad with Orange-Champagne Vinaigrette

Kale salad with Orange-Champagne Vinaigrette

  Yes, we too have jumped on the kale bandwagon and have been eating kale more than ever without any real explanation as to why. I just have to say that my son, inexplicably really likes kale salad and this dressing makes kale edible for […]