Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros

Breakfast Egg Food Mexican Recipe Vegetarian

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Huevos rancheros, or ranch style eggs, are a great way to use up leftover tortillas, refried beans and salsa, or as the case is more often for me, the perfect excuse to make some. Huevos rancheros typically consist of crispy fried tortillas topped with refried beans, salsa ranchera and a nice fried egg with a runny egg yolk! If you are using all homemade ingredients then huevos rancheros are a pretty healthy breakfast in addition to being tasty, fulfilling and easy to make! You can of course jazz things up a bit by adding extras like avocado, sour cream, cheese, etc. No matter how you serve them, these huevos rancheros are a great way to start off your Cinco de Mayo celebrations, or any day for that matter!

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Salsa Ranchera

Salsa Ranchera

Condiment Food Gluten-free Mexican Recipe Salsa Vegetable Vegetarian

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Cinco de Mayo is quickly approaching and I have been thinking about recipes for it starting with this classic one for a salsa ranchera. Salsa ranchera, or ranch style salsa, is a salsa that is made with a base of roasted tomatoes and chilies that is typically served warm and it has a thick soup like consistency. Of course this recipe is best when made with perfectly ripened field tomatoes but for the rest of the year canned tomatoes, especially fire roasted canned tomatoes, work just as well! This salsa is so easy to make that you will never go back to store bought salsas. It's perfect for dipping with tortilla chips and used in other recipes! (For some ideas, look below the recipe!)

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Creamy Garlic and Brie Mushrooms

Creamy Garlic and Brie Mushrooms

Food Gluten-free Low-carb mush Recipe Side Dish Vegetable Vegetarian

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Mushrooms are one of my favourite foods and although I am perfectly happy with simple mushrooms sautéed in butter and garlic it's always nice to change things up! These creamy garlic and brie mushrooms are one of the tastiest ways that I have come up with for enjoying some basic button mushrooms as a quick and easy dish that is a great side for any meal (or just devouring by the bowlful!). The recipe could not be simpler, you cook the button mushrooms, whole, in butter until they are nice and tender and they have released their liquids before adding the garlic and then creating the creamy sauce with a combination of broth and brie cheese! Finish everything off with some salt and pepper along with an optional garnish of parsley and you have a tasty mushroom side dish that is ready to be inhaled from the table before you can blink!

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Honey Sriracha Roasted Carrots

Honey Sriracha Roasted Carrots

Food Gluten-free Recipe Side Dish Vegetable Vegetarian

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Honey and sriracha are such an amazing combination of sweet and spicy and it works really well on these honey sriracha roasted carrots that are a great side dish for any meal! This recipe could not be easier, you simply toss the carrots in the honey and sriracha and roast them until they are nice and tender. The sweet and spicy honey and sriracha works so well with the sweet roasted carrots that it will send your tastebuds into flavour heaven! This Easter Bunny approved honey sriracha roasted carrot side dish is sure to be the talk of the dinner table!

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Roasted Mushrooms in a Browned Butter, Garlic and Thyme Sauce

Roasted Mushrooms in a Browned Butter, Garlic and Thyme Sauce

Food Gluten-free Mushroom Recipe Side Dish Vegetable Vegetarian

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Mushrooms have to be one of my favourite foods and they make for some of the best side dishes like these roasted mushrooms in a browned butter, garlic and thyme sauce! This recipe is super easy, you just roast the mushrooms, brown some butter, throw in the garlic and thyme and then toss the roasted mushrooms in the sauce! You really can't go wrong with mushrooms, garlic and butter and browning the butter only makes things better with the slightly nutty flavour and aroma that comes from browning it. These roasted mushrooms in a browned butter, garlic and thyme sauce are a great side for any meal!

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Grilled Asparagus with Carrot Ginger Dressing

Grilled Asparagus with Carrot Ginger Dressing

Dressing Food Gluten-free Grill Japanese Recipe Side Dish Vegetable Vegetarian

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Are you ready for another side dish for your Easter dinner? How about this tasty grilled asparagus with carrot ginger dressing? With spring here, even though it's still chilly here, there is asparagus from down south available and I could not resist picking some up to make this dish! This asparagus recipe is so easy, you just cook the asparagus (I like to grill it to get that slightly charred and smoky flavour) and serve it topped with the carrot-ginger dressing which is inspired by the carrot ginger dressing that you stereotypically find in Japanese restaurants. The defining characteristics of the carrot dressing are of course the carrot and ginger flavours complemented by the tangy rice vinegar and the absolutely amazing aromatics from the toasted sesame oil. With the combination of the spring asparagus and the Easter carrots this grilled asparagus with carrot ginger dressing is a perfect side dish for your Easter dinner! I hope the Easter bunny does not get upset that we turned his carrots into a dressing!

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Maple Roasted Carrots in Tahini Sauce with Pomegranate and Pistachios

Maple Roasted Carrots in Tahini Sauce with Pomegranate and Pistachios

Food Gluten-free Recipe Side Dish Vegetable Vegetarian

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Easter is right around the corner and boy do I have a side dish recipe for you! These tasty maple roasted carrots in tahini sauce with pomegranate and pistachios will blow your mind! The carrots are tossed in maple syrup and roasted until tender before being topped with a creamy tahini sauce along with pomegranate and pistachios to add both colour and texture. The tahini sauce is nice and creamy with a little lemon citrus bite, sweet maple syrup and salty miso paste (or soy sauce). The pomegranate adds bursts of juiciness in addition to the jewel like radiant red colour and the pistachios add that crunchy texture along with the vibrant green colour! When everything is combined into this maple roasted carrots in tahini sauce with pomegranate and pistachios you get one truly amazing side dish that is perfect for your Easter dinner, or any other meal for that matter!

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Creamy Parmesan Sundried Tomato and Spinach Tortellini Cauliflower Soup

Creamy Parmesan Sundried Tomato and Spinach Tortellini Cauliflower Soup

30 Minute Meals Cauliflower Food Gluten-free Main Course Pasta Recipe Soup Vegetarian

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It's time for another comforting soup recipe to stave off the chill weather and this time is a creamy parmesan sundried tomato and spinach tortellini cauliflower soup! When I hear the word creamy in a soup I immediately think of copious amounts of heavy/whipping cream but in this soup I get the creaminess by using pureed cauliflower which gets things nice and creamy while keeping it light and healthy! Up next is the sundried tomatoes and I use a jar of oil packed sundried tomatoes where I puree half of them to infuse the soup with their flavour and I slice the remaining tomatoes so that you gets hits of their intense flavour when chewing on them! Of course there is plenty of freshly grated parmesan melted into the soup along with wilted spinach and fresh basil to finish it off. Whether you are looking for a comforting of soup to shake off the chill of a cold day or a soul warming bowl to curl up in your favourite chair with at the end of a long day this creamy parmesan sundried tomato and spinach tortellini cauliflower soup is just what you are looking for!

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Htipiti (Greek Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Cheese Dip)

Htipiti (Greek Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Cheese Dip)

Appetizer Dip Food Gluten-free Greek Recipe Vegetarian

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Htipiti (or tirokafteri or tyrokafteri or tyrokavteri) is a Greek style whipped feta cheese and roasted red pepper dip or spread and with game season on I just had to whip up a batch! At it's base this dip typically consists of feta, roasted red peppers, hot peppers, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic and it is all pureed or whipped into a dip. In this version I use use a roasted jalapeno pepper (which I roast at the same time that I make the roasted red peppers) as the hot pepper and I like to add some sun-dried tomatoes for an extra kick of flavour. I tend to serve this greek roasted red pepper and feta dip with toasted pita chips but veggies are also great for scooping!

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Halloumi Sliders with Harissa

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Halloumi Sliders with Harissa

Appetizer Food Gluten-free Low-carb Recipe Vegetable Vegetarian

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When I was thinking about appetizers for New Year's Eve parties I could not help but think about roasted brussels sprouts sliders filled with grilled halloumi cheese and caramelized onions! Roasted brussels sprouts sliders are so fun and tasty and I've made them before with various ingredients and this time I went with the grilled halloumi, caramelized onions and some harissa. Harissa is a spicy chili pepper sauce that is balanced with sweet roasted red peppers and it goes really well in these brussels sprouts sliders. You start by cutting the brussels sprouts in half and roasting them and then you assemble them by skewering them on a toothpick along with the fillings to make a nice mouth sized snack that is perfect for parties! The filling for these sliders is grilled halloumi cheese, which retains its shape when grilled and it has a nice squeak when you chew it, along with some sweet caramelized onions and the spicy harissa making for one tasty bite sized treat!

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Harissa

Harissa

Condiment Food Gluten-free Moroccan Recipe Salsa Vegetarian

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Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili sauce/paste that is gaining popularity in other countries and cuisines including Moroccan cuisine. It is typically made from piri piri chili peppers, garlic, coriander, caraway and oil and it is actually pretty easy to make at home. Although piri piri peppers are more traditional you can use pretty much any dried red chili peppers like cayenne, chilies de arbol, chipotle, guajillo so you can make harissa with whatever chili peppers that you have available. When I was first looking for harissa I could not find it so I decided to try making my own and I have been making it at home ever since! Once you have the base form of harissa down you can play around with if by changing up the peppers for different levels of heat and flavours in addition to adding other ingredients like tomatoes or roasted red peppers. I always enjoy experimenting with harissa and pretty much every batch that I make is different! I have included the recipes for a few of my favourites below including a traditional harissa, a harissa made with fresh red chili peppers along with roasted red peppers for some sweetness to balance the fiery heat and a Mexican style salsa roja take on harissa.

I use harissa in a number of recipes! Check out below for a list!

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Chocolate and Pecan Butter Tarts

Chocolate and Pecan Butter Tarts

Canadian Dessert Food Maple Recipe Tart Vegetarian

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Butter tarts are amazing plain or with raisins and nuts, like my grandmother used to make them, but it's sometimes fun to play around with different ingredients like chocolate! These chocolate and pecan butter tarts are a simple change from my regular butter tarts swapping in some chocolate and pecans for the raisins and walnuts and that small change is pretty amazing! The chocolate and pecan combo works so well in the flaky, melt in your mouth all butter pastry along with the maple custard! I fully expect these chocolate and pecan butter tarts to disappear quickly from my holiday cookie platter this year!

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Butter Tarts

Butter Tarts

Canadian Dessert Food Maple Recipe Tart Vegetarian

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When I think about holiday cookies the first thing that comes to mind is my grandmothers butter tarts and now they are the one thing that I always make for the holidays. Butter tarts are a Canadian pastry consisting of a custard made with butter, sugar and eggs in a pastry shell. I guess butter tarts are normally made plain like that but in my mind they just aren't butter tarts without adding walnuts and raisins, just like my grandmother used to make them! I do like to add my own touch to the recipe by replacing half of the sugar with maple syrup which adds a hint of something special to them. These maple butter tarts are simply amazing! The all butter pastry is nice and golden brown and light and flaky and melt in your mouth good! The maple custard sets nicely and it's perfectly sweet and gooey and oh so good! Butter tarts are another treat that freezes well so you can make them ahead of the holidays to lighten the load during that busy time. Frozen butter tarts also make a great gift; I know I always enjoyed receiving a large container of frozen butter tarts from my grandmother to take back with me after the holidays.

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Peppermint Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peppermint Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookie Food Recipe Vegetarian

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Are you looking for one more holiday cookie idea? I've got you covered with these amazing peppermint chocolate chocolate chip cookies! These cookies are essentially chocolate chip cookies with added cocoa powder to make the cookies themselves chocolaty and the addition of festive crushed crunchy peppermint candy canes! Of course this recipe is super easy to make where you just need to mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, mix them together along with the chocolate chips and crushed candy canes and bake them until they are nice and crispy on the bottom but still soft and chewy on the inside! You really can't go wrong by spending a few minutes to make these peppermint chocolate chocolate chip cookies for the holidays this year!

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Gingersnap Cookies

Gingersnap Cookies

Cookie Food Recipe Vegetarian

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One of my favourite cookies for the holidays (or for any time for that matter) has to be these gingersnap cookies! The ginger and molasses flavour combo works so well in cookie form creating some cookies that are so addictively good! These ginger cookies could not be easier to make, you just need to mix the spices, including the ginger, cinnamon and cloves into the flour, mix the sugar, butter, molasses and egg, combine, roll into balls, roll in a coarse sugar and bake for a few minutes and then you are in a gingery heaven just before the ginger coma sets in! The balls flatten as they bake with the edges getting nice and crispy while leaving the centres nice and soft and chewy and the sugar coating adds an amazing crunch to the cookies! If you only bake one cookie for the holidays, you can't go wrong with these gingersnap cookies!

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Peppermint Triple Chocolate Shortbread

Peppermint Triple Chocolate Shortbread

Cookie Food Recipe Vegetarian

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There's still plenty of time for some more holiday baking and you really can't go wrong with buttery shortbread, especially not chocolate shortbread! Shortbread is supper easy to make, it's pretty much just butter, powdered sugar and flour and from there you can add whatever you want and in this case it's plenty of chocolate and crushed peppermint candy canes. From the basic shortbread recipe these cookies have cocoa powder to make the shortbread itself chocolaty and then there is chocolate chips and finally they are dipped into melted white chocolate! That's three kinds of chocolate in one cookie! After the cookies are dipped into the white chocolate, while it's still melted, you sprinkle on crushed peppermint candy cane to give it that festive holiday touch! These peppermint triple chocolate shortbread cookies are the perfect holiday cookies!

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Peppermint Candy Cane and White Chocolate Chip Scones

Peppermint Candy Cane and White Chocolate Chip Scones

Breakfast Food Recipe Vegetarian

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With all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays I try to make sure that I don't forget about breakfast and these peppermint candy cane and white chocolate chip scones are the perfect breakfast for the holidays! Scones are super easy to make, especially with a food processor, you simply mix all of the dry ingredients, add the chilled butter and process until it forms small grains (or cut in the butter by hand), gently mix in the wet ingredients, form the dough into the shape that you want and then bake it. The key to good scones is to not over mix once you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. For these scones you add festive crushed peppermint candy canes and white chocolate chips and the aroma as they are baking is absolutely divine! The peppermint candy cane pieces and white chocolate chips in the light and fluffy scones is simply amazing! These peppermint candy cane and white chocolate chip scones are a complete pleasure for any holiday breakfast!

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Caramel Apple Crumble Cheesecake Dip

Caramel Apple Crumble Cheesecake Dip

Appetizer Breakfast Dessert Food Gluten-free Recipe Vegetarian

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The other day I was thinking about ideas for snacking over the holidays and somehow I arrived at the idea for this caramel apple crumble cheesecake dip. I guess I was thinking of seasonal dishes like apple crumble and somehow that led to the idea of an apple crumble dip. Most of my favourite dips involve plenty of cheese so I could not help but think about how to incorporate some and at once it seemed obvious, a creamcheese cheesecake layer! I started out with a simple no-bake style cheesecake with cream cheese and instead of whipped cream I went with greek yogurt and I used caramel sauce as the sweetener. Next up was the apple layer which is simply some diced apples that are cooked until just tender and then smothered in caramel sauce along with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. The crumble layer is pretty easy, consisting of the usual suspects, butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon and once you get that all mixed up you bake it until lightly golden brown and crispy. So the final dish is a caramel apple sauce on top of a creamcheese/cheesecake layer that is served with cracker as a dip but you could also just eat it by the spoonful!

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Caramel Sauce

Caramel Sauce

Condiment Food Gluten-free Recipe Vegetarian

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Thick and creamy homemade caramel sauce is one of the most amazingly divine treats and it's super easy to make! You simply melt some sugar in a pan and simmer it until it starts to turn a nice amber colour before adding some cream and butter and optionally some flavours like vanilla or salt. After letting it cool a bit you are ready to go to use the caramel sauce on whatever you like from simply with apples to on melting vanilla ice cream to apple pies, etc. (Take a look below the recipe to find some ideas about what you can use it on!) The caramel sauce will keep in the fridge for months and it makes for a great present for the holidays! That is if you can bring yourself to part with it! My precious!

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Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

Cookie Food Recipe Vegetarian

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Peanut butter cookies are a classic for good reason and they are one of my favourites so they almost always make an appearance on my holiday cookie platter! Although the basic peanut butter cookie is great I can't help but think about adding chocolate and so I often make them with the addition of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (I prefer chocolate chunks because you get larger hits of chocolate in each bite). In addition to adding chocolate chunks I also like to add honey roasted peanuts to get that crunchy peanut texture. Normally you press peanut cookies down with a fork to get that classic cross hatch top but I like to just plop the dough down on the baking pan with an ice cream scoop! Yes, I'm lazy! No, not really, these cookies do not spread a lot so when you don't press them down you get nice and thick cookies that get crispy on the edges with a thick layer of chewy, almost cookie dough like, centre! I know that I like eating cookie dough by the spoonful so it's really nice biting into that crispy edged cookie with the soft chewy centre! Mmmmm... Cookie monster want more!

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