Category of: All Recipes

Watermelon, cucumber, raspberry and feta salad with mint and balsamic glaze

June 9, 2015

By the time you read this post I will be well on my way to Central California driving along the Oregon coast and Route 101and hopefully will write from the road. I scheduled a few recipes to intersperse between the travel posts (that I hope to write) because after all this is primarily a blog about cooking. The experiential travel is fun for me to write and hopefully fun for you to read. So while... View Article

Fennel-Lemon Risotto with Parmesan

June 7, 2015

Risotto is one of the most luxurious and flavourful dishes to come out of northern Italy. It’s easy to prepare and combines well with all kinds of seasonal vegetables and flavours. I posted a number of risotto recipes on the blog before and you can always exchange ingredients as long as you follow the basic simple method of cooking the rice. There are a few considerations when cooking a risotto: What rice to use? Oil or... View Article

Potatoes and broccolini Sauté

June 7, 2015

Here is a simple dish to make with either baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes. I steam them first and then sauté in olive oil. I add the broccolini towards the end of the cooking so they finish cooking together. You could cook the broccolin i sep[arately and combine them at the end if you wish. If you don’t have broccolini you could use red pepper or broccoli instead. There are two camps in culinary circles... View Article

Quick Microwave Molten Chocolate Cake in a Cup/Mug – it works

June 4, 2015

I saw this microwave molten chocolate cake in a mug online and was intrigued by it. The recipe on these sites is identical so I am not sure where the original comes from. I made it once and had to tweak it just a bit the second time. To bake this in one cup use a 16 oz cup with a wide mouth. Note that this produced a rather large serving so unless you are really... View Article

Apple Pie Rose

May 31, 2015

Remember these? A few days ago I saw a video online of someone preparing these beautiful pastries and posted a link to the video on my facebook page. You may have not seen it. Thanks to the annoying FB restrictive distribution policies the post reached a grand total of 14 people but I had no intention of paying them to boost the post. I found the link to the video on Divina Cucina facebook page but... View Article

Red quinoa and Chia Seeds Mini Pancakes

May 30, 2015

Two pancake recipes in one week seems like a lot but that’s how sometime things go. I cooked red quinoa the other day and wanted to try it in a couple of different dishes. Pairing it with vegetgables is the predictable choice (and I did make red quinoa with shaved carrots and asparagus) but I thought I’d try it with pancakes and loved the results. The pancakes had nutty flavour with good texture and the... View Article

Shaved asparagus salad with chive flower vinaigrette

May 28, 2015

The salad was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my daughters (Alexis) who lives in Toronto and gets to eat at the many fabulous restaurants in that cosmopolitan city. She was telling me about a shaved asparagus salad she had at Buca Bar I believe and although we didn’t get to discuss it in details it stayed on my mind and I knew I wanted to make it. I didn’t have a... View Article

Pasta with Cauliflower

May 27, 2015

Pasta with cauliflower may seem unusual but it is really a melody of complimentary textures and flavours. Pasta, in any event, goes with just about anything. I had a beautiful white and crisp cauliflower that called to be a main dish (vegetables for me ARE the main dish). I cooked it on top of the stove in olive oil and to make it more substantial, added some cooked pasta to the skillet as it was... View Article

Joy Road Alfresco Dinner and Grilled Local Asparagus recipe

May 26, 2015

I just came back from another fabulous dinner event at God’s Mountain Estate in Penticton, a dinner catered by the incomparable Dana and Cameron of Joy Road Catering. These signature events they call alfresco dinners are held throughout the season (May to October) at the B&B overlooking beautiful Skaha lake. This evening it rained when we arrived and Dana and her team set the long table under cover on the porch overlooking the lake, so... View Article

Cherry tomato tarts with goat cheese and four basil

May 25, 2015

Pastry dough needs to be in any cook’s repertoire. It’s easy and versatile and can be prepared in advance and left to contemplate in the fridge wrapped in wax paper until called upon to perform. One batch of dough can work for both sweet and savoury tarts although if I know I am using it for sweet tarts I add a little sugar to the mix. Earlier this week I made one batch of pastry... View Article

Mini banana pancakes with banana and blueberries

May 24, 2015

Summer is time for leisurely breakfasts on the patio and although most of the time it is oatmeal or whole grains, sometimes I indulge in a little treat. Pancakes and waffles with fresh fruit, maple syrup and whipped cream are high on my “indulge” list. And I like them small: compact and puffy little disks that can play the main role or be a side-kick, whatever else you are serving. For this recipe I chopped... View Article

Artichoke Fritters with Sorrel Aioli