What’s for Dinner

Shepherd’s Pie

Potatoes: Beef Mixture: Brown the beef. Add onion, peas and carrots. Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper. Add milk and continue to cook until thickened. Add more milk if necessary. Assembly:

Chicken Souvlaki

Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour before baking or grilling.

Smoked Paprika Chicken Stew

Ingredients: 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided 1 Tbsp butter 2 c leeks, chopped 2 c celery, diced 2 garlic cloves 1 tsp red pepper flakes 2 lbs chicken breast, large diced 3/4 c all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 Tbsp smoked paprika 4 c chicken stock 3/4 c white wine 3…

Harissa Red Curry Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

Harissa is a spicy hot red spice from North Africa. It’s usually made into a paste with olive oil but I used the powdered spice in this fusion dish that also has red curry and coconut milk. This recipe can be made vegetarian/vegan by using vegetable stock. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 whole onion,…

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

This restaurant-worth balsamic chicken is ready in about as much time as it takes to prepare the rice on the side. Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts, thinly sliced 2 tsp fresh rosemary 2 tsp dried sage 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 Tbsp olive oil, divided 1/4 small sweet onion, thinly sliced 2 garlic…

Korean Chicken Drumsticks

Marinating these drumsticks at least a couple of hours before cooking is key to their rich flavour. Ingredients: 8 chicken drumsticks, bone-in, skin on 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp garlic, minced 1 tsp ginger, grated 1 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp hot sauce Directions: Combine…

Spicy Chicken Gumbo

This spicy chicken gumbo tastes better the second day when all the flavours have had a chance to meld. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided 1 lb uncooked chicken breast, diced small 1 onion, chopped 1/2 green pepper, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 4 c chicken stock 1 can (28.5 fl oz) diced tomatoes 1…

Butter Chicken

Juicy chicken swimming in a rich, creamy sauce served over brown rice topped with a dollop of cool yogurt. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided 2 tsp garam masala, divided 1/2 onion, finely diced 2 Tbsp butter 2 tsp lemon juice 2 tsp minced ginger 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp…

Sausage Bake

A quick and easy, one-pan dinner that literally involves chopping everything up and tossing it in the oven. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 onions, cut into 1/8ths 1 red pepper, sliced length-wise 1 yellow pepper, slice length-wise 1 c green beans 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 Tbsp fresh thyme 1 tsp chili flakes 1…

Weeknight Lasagna

Lasagna is normally labour intensive which makes it more of a Sunday dinner as opposed to something you would make during the week but this simple recipe is easy enough to throw together on a weeknight and throw in the oven while getting homework done or a workout in. To make it even quicker you…

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Perfect warm-up for a cold winter day. I used a wild rice blend from Floating Leaf. Ingredients: 1/4 c butter 1 1/2 c chopped carrots 1 1/2 c chopped celery 1 1/2 c diced onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb raw chicken breast, cubed 2 tsp fresh thyme 1/4 c flour 10 c chicken…

Simple Alfredo Sauce

If you need a quick meal on the table in 15 minutes, this recipe is your saving grace. The sauce takes the same amount of time that it takes to boil the pasta. Ingredients: 6 c cooked pasta 1/4 c butter 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tbsp flour 2 c half-and-half cream 1/2 c parmesan…

Netasha’s Chicken Rice

This family recipe is courtesy of my good friend Netasha. Like any good family recipe it didn’t have any measurements so I did my best to interpret. My family absolutely loves this dish so I am confident I did it justice! Ingredients: 2 Tbsp olive oil 5 whole cloves 5 cardamon seeds, whole 1 cinnamon…

Crockpot White Chicken Chili

Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1 onion, diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 3 c chicken stock 1 (19 oz) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 (10 oz) can corn kernels, drained…

Coconut Chicken Soup

This soup is my attempt to replicate something similar I tried in a Thai restaurant, and I have to say, it’s pretty darn close! Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger 2 tsp red thai curry paste 5 1/2 c chicken broth 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1/2 lb…

Boxing Day Turkey Soup

This soup is so good I always buy a big enough turkey to guarantee leftovers for it, and it’s a perfect healthy meal after too much indulgence over the holidays. I’m usually too tired to deal with the turkey on Christmas day so I just throw the whole thing in the fridge until Boxing day.…

Beef Korma

Serve with a dollop of creamy greek yogurt and fresh chopped cilantro. Ingredients: 2 lb stewing beef, sprinkled with salt & pepper 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp ginger, minced 1/2 tsp garlic powder 3/4 tsp turmeric powder 1 Tbsp ground cumin 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp…

Peruvian Chicken & Rice (Arroz con Pollo)

Pretty much every culture has their version of chicken & rice. The Peruvian version is green from cilantro. Make sure the cilantro is well washed. To do this, I place a colander in a bowl the same size, and place the cilantro in the colander. Then I fill it with cold water and swish the…

Roasted Pumpkin Coconut Soup topped with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

The perfect fall soup. Ingredients: 1/8 c olive oil 2 small pie pumpkins 1 tbsp olive oil 1 small red onion, small dice 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tbsp grated ginger 6 c chicken stock 1 can (400 ml) light coconut milk 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel…

Easy Lasagna with Extra Veggies

I like to make a batch of roasted veggies to serve on the side of any dish I make during the week. If you don’t have any made up and don’t feel like making them, they can easily be left out. What makes this recipe ‘easy’? Well, it assumes the roasted vegetables have already been…

Lomo Saltado

This Peruvian version of a beef stir-fry may seem a little strange with the french fries but that’s the traditional way to make Lomo Saltado, and it works! Not to mention this simple dish is perfect for a busy weeknight. You can prepare all the ingredients ahead of time and have them in the fridge…

Cassoulet

This is a variation on the traditional French casserole, Cassoulet, made with sausage, beans, tomatoes, kale and topped with crunchy, buttery bread crumbs. It got 2 big thumbs up from my daughter. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil 12 oz Italian sausage 1 onion, diced 2 c carrot, shredded 3 cloves garlic, minced 14.5 oz fire-roasted…

Vegetarian Chickpea Stew

The flavour of this stew is surprisingly complex with many layers. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 c onion, diced 1/2 c celery, diced 1/2 c green pepper, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp ginger, minced 3 c sweet potato, cubed 3 c vegetable stock (or chicken stock if the vegetarian aspect isn’t important)…

Thai Red Curry Chicken & Rice Soup

There’s a local grocery store near me that has an extensive take-out selection. On the day I tried their Thai Red Curry Soup I was on a mission to recreate it. Sadly, this isn’t it (I think theirs used shrimp too). But, my husband thought this was off-the-charts and gave me a speech about how…

Healing Vegetable Soup

As someone who deals with various tummy issues sometimes I just need something simple to allow my gut to heal. This vegetable soup is so easy to make using coleslaw mix. I found a kale coleslaw mix, so I didn’t add the extra kale. For dinner I served with a two-ingredient bagel on the side…

Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole

I wasn’t feeling well last night so I needed something quick and easy made with things I had in the house, and this was the result. Perfect because all you do is mix the ingredients together in a big pot, toss into a baking dish and cook for 20 minutes – and you have dinner!…

Summer BBQ Chicken Sandwich

This is a very quick, light dinner that my family enjoys in the summer time. The sauce made from Worcestershire, mayonnaise and lemon is what makes it. I can’t resist taking pieces of chicken and just dipping them in it. Serve with raw veggies or mexi-coleslaw on the side. Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts, pounded thin…

Homemade Bolognese Sauce

This sauce is super easy to make and tastes so authentic with the red wine mixed with the fresh herbs. Serve over a broad pasta like linguine, fettuccine or silky egg noodles. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 whole onion, diced 8 garlic cloves, minced 1 lb lean ground beef 1/2 c red wine 1/2…

Hungarian Pork Stew with Dumplings

This is yet another recipe clipped from a newspaper article a couple of decades ago that made its way into regular rotation. I had to halve the recipe though, because if memory serves, the article was about cooking for fire fighters in their station and the recipe was enough food to feed an army. You…

Swedish Meatballs over Garlic Rice

Ultimate comfort food, these Swedish meatballs over rice, with their hint of nutmeg and allspice, will make you feel warm and cozy. Swedish Meatballs Garlic Rice

Italian Bean & Kale Soup

I’ve been obsessively reading books by Frances Mayes, who wrote the biographical Under a Tuscan Sun, which was made into a movie with Diane Lane (note: the movie is not at all the same as what really happened). Her passion for everything Tuscan, from art to gardening, to cooking, to decorating, has me inspired and…

Chicken & Biscuits

This is quick and easy weeknight comfort food ready in under 30 minutes. If it’s the weekend or you’re planning ahead, you can make the chicken and stock ahead of time. I used Bisquik mix to make my biscuits this time, but I will post my recipe for homemade biscuits soon! Ingredients: 4 Tbsp butter…