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Ten Years and Counting: Anniversary Chicken with Saffron and Preserved Lemon

Jun 8, 2015 · 6 Comments

A week ago, the Mister and I celebrated ten years together.

In many ways it feels like we've been together forever, and in other ways, it feels like it was just last week that we were a pair of fresh-faced twenty-somethings all googly-eyed in love, but the calendar doesn't lie... ten whole years.

We're a little (okay, a LOT) greyer, a little bit fluffier around the middle, and we creak and pop when we stretch in the morning. And we're still just as googly-eyed for each other.

I know we're technically not supposed to celebrate our dating anniversaries now that we're married (two whole years, as of today.... yay!), but this was such a big milestone that we couldn't possibly let it go by uncelebrated....

Turning the Page: Spaghetti with Chicken Meatballs and Spicy Red Pepper Sauce

Jan 12, 2015 · 7 Comments

I've made (and broken) my fair share of New Year's Resolutions in my life, but this year I'm trying something a little different. Instead of making a really specific resolution like taking up kale smoothies or losing those pesky 10 lbs around my midsection, I've resolved to simply take better care of myself.

By that, I mean I need to stop spending so many evenings on the couch, procrastinating on the more productive things I ought to be doing. It's far too easy for an entire evening to slip by watching bad TV, which happens to be my personal vice....

Simon Says: Broiled Salmon with Persimmon-Lime Salsa

Jan 4, 2015 · 2 Comments

I have to say, this might just be one of the crappiest winters in recent memory. It's been damp and grey and miserable for days at a time, with only just the briefest glimpses of sun in between. Work's been a non-stop roller coaster of insanity.

And let's not even talk about the awful bout of stomach flu that basically took over my entire holiday break. No sunshine and no coffee makes Isabelle a very unhappy girl indeed.

Broiled Salmon with Persimon Salsa

One bright spot came in the form of a basket of persimmons that arrived at my door the week before Christmas.

Even the greyest day gets a little brighter when you've got a half-dozen brilliantly orange fruits on your dining room table.

...

Loco for Moco: Blend and Extend Loco Moco

Oct 14, 2014 · 3 Comments

When the folks at Mushrooms Canada asked me to come up with recipes I could make over using the Blend and Extend method, one of the first things that came to mind is Loco Moco, a classic Hawaiian plate lunch consisting of two scoops of sushi rice topped with a pan-fried burger patty and a sunny side up egg, all smothered with a rich pan gravy.

It’s probably best known as Hawaii’s answer to the classic greasy spoon hangover breakfast, and it’s absolutely delicious....

Muddling Though, Pt 2: Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Crispy Chorizo

Oct 6, 2014 · 2 Comments

In retrospect, it seems rather telling that I titled my last post "Muddling Through", though at the time I was really just making a punny reference to the use of muddled berries.

Still, "muddling through" is a pretty accurate description of how I spent my September.

I don't know if it's the change in the seasons that's hitting me harder than usual, or if it's the lingering case of the sniffles that I can't quite shake, or if it's the culmination of a summer spent with my insides wound up in knots while my day job went through what they euphemistically like to call a "reorganization". Or maybe just a combination of all those little things, piled one on top of the other....

All Up in Yo Grill: Chermoula Chicken Skewers

Jul 18, 2014 · 1 Comment

This is the time of year when I tend to get a little lazy with my meals.

My usual summertime routine is pretty basic - slap a hunk of meat and some fresh veggies onto the grill, throw together a quick salad from our little garden patch, and call it dinner. Maybe a handful of cherries for dinner, or a scoop of ice cream if I'm feeling particularly indulgent.

Why bother with more when everything is so fresh and in season, right? (Not to mention the cleanup is minimal, which is a rather nice bonus.)...

The Power of Sour: Planked Salmon with Fresh Sorrel Sauce

Jun 19, 2014 · 12 Comments

Oh hey. Remember me?

Yes, I know it's been a while. I didn't really mean to take a two week hiatus. Honest. It just sort of happened.

It felt like I blinked and two weeks fly by, gone in a kaleidoscopic blur of gardening, traveling, brunching, biking and sun-worshipping. Oh, and working. Lots and lots of working. (It's how long before I can retire? Ugh.)...

Secret Recipe Club: Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits

Jun 1, 2014 · 13 Comments

It's the first Monday of June, which can only mean one thing... yep, it's time for another round of the Secret Recipe Club.

This month's assignment is Food Ramblings, a blog by Elizabeth, who first started blogging to help stick to her resolutions to eating better, cooking more and getting in shape. And it's obviously working, because she's been at it for over two years now!

There are tons of healthy (and a few not-so-healthy) recipes to choose from, so I was fully expecting to have a hard time choosing. ...

Secret Recipe Club: Sriracha Turkey Burgers

May 4, 2014 · 12 Comments

Welcome to this month's installment of the Secret Recipe Club! (Oh, and a happy Cinqo de Mayo, too.)

Sriracha Turkey Burgers

Meet This Month's Blogger: Cookaholic Wife

My assignment for May is Cookaholic Wife, a blog written and photographed by Nicole from Baltimore.

If her About Me section is anything to go by, I'm sure we'd get on like a house on fire - she's got a big goofy cat (like me!), she's a beach bum at heart (me too!), she spends her Sundays in the kitchen (so do I!), and nothing makes her happier than feeding other people (amen, sister!).

...

Secret Recipe Club: Thai Red Curry Shrimp with Vegetables

Mar 9, 2014 · 17 Comments

Are you ready for another round of the Secret Recipe Club? I hope so, because this month's pick is a fun one.

My assignment for March is Ilona's Kitchen, a blog written by Ilona, a stay-at-home mom whose daily schedule exhausts me just reading about it.

Ilona shares all sorts of fun recipes on her blog that she's adapted from different sites, and there's definitely no shortage of options to choose from.

But anyone who knows me will tell you I just can't say no to Thai food, so it shouldn't be any surprise that I eventually settled on a recipe for Red Curry Shrimp she adapted from SkinnyTaste....

Penne from Heaven: Easy Cherry Tomato Pasta

Sep 27, 2013 · 4 Comments

One of the hardest parts about saying goodbye to summertime is the knowledge that it'll be months before I get to eat another fresh ripe tomato.

At the risk of sounding like a snob, I rarely ever buy fresh tomatoes between October and July.

I refuse to acknowledge the impostor off-season tomatoes - the pale, tasteless, strangely mealy specimens that the supermarket seems to feel are a viable substitute for the flavourful tomatoes of late summer.

Sure, they're technically related, but then again, so are dollar store chocolate bars and Valhrona....

I Like Pig Butts: Grilled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Sep 19, 2013 · 4 Comments

It's no secret that I love pork in all its various forms. Whether it's bacon, pork chops, ham, pancetta, or tenderloin, it's all good as far as I'm concerned.

That's right. I like pig butts and I cannot lie.

I'm sure that love is coded deep down in my DNA... I am equal parts French-Canadian and Portuguese, after all!...

Secret Recipe Club: Baked Chicken Flautas

Jun 2, 2013 · 22 Comments

How is it that it's June already? It feels like the past few weeks have whizzed by in a whirl of last-minute wedding planning, and suddenly it's time again for my monthly Secret Recipe Club post.

Meet This Month's Blogger

This month, my assignment was The Keenan Cookbook, a blog written and photographed by Chris and Rachel. He maintains the site and does the cooking, while she does the photography and the all-important taste testing....

Holy Guacamole: Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado-Yogurt Sauce

Apr 26, 2013 · 23 Comments

Remember how I partnered up with a bunch of awesome bloggers for a St Patrick's Day round-up of awesomeness?

Well, we had such a great time that we decided to celebrate other holidays in the same fashion, starting with Cinco de Mayo.

What's Cinco de Mayo About, Anyway?

Technically, Cinco de Mayo isn't celebrated up here in Canada.

However, the holiday has started to get a little more attention in the last few years, mostly because it's a convenient excuse to hit up the local Tex-Mex place for half-price enchiladas and buckets of Coronitas....

Rites of Spring: Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Apr 23, 2013 · 11 Comments

Spring is sprung, the grass is ris, and... holy crap, is that snow on the forecast?

(OK, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little, though we did get some pretty nasty flurries over the weekend. Sigh.)

So I've decided to stop waiting for spring to finally show its face, and took matters into my own hands....

Chinese Fakeout: Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry

Apr 5, 2013 · 17 Comments

Of all my guilty pleasures (and lord knows, I have many), Chinese takeout has got to be one of my guiltiest, in all its greasy, salty, deep-fried, soy-saucy, MSG-enhanced glory.

I couldn't tell you exactly when this love affair of mine started.

I grew up in a family where delivery was basically synonymous with pizza. We ate plenty of Chinese food, but it was more of a fancy sit-down meal at the long-defunct Lychee Gardens or Sunday morning dim sum and cart service at Pink Pearl....

Recipe Rewind: Daffodil's Jerk Chicken and Lentil Stew

Mar 26, 2013 · 3 Comments

Spring seems to be coming in by fits and starts this year. Snow gives way to balmier days, which are swiftly followed by blustering snow flurries, which just as quickly melt away once the sunshine reasserts itself once more.

Still, it's clear that spring is definitely on its way. The days are getting longer, the birds are getting chirpier, the thermostat is slowly working its way back above freezing, and the last stubborn snowbanks are finally disappearing.

I'm taking advantage of these last few cold day to squeeze in just a few more of my favourite wintry comfort foods before it's too warm to leave a pot simmering on the stove. Dishes like this deep-down warming Jerk Chicken and Lentil Stew, or "Daffodil's Chicken", as it was often known at our house when I was growing up....

Comfort Food: Southwest Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Mar 14, 2013 · 6 Comments

To borrow a phrase from the lovely and talented Kelly Bakes, I often eat my feelings. Bad days are dealt with by gobbling down the most carbo-riffic food I can possibly get my hands on.

Most people turn to sweets to lift them out of a blue funk, but my go-to is mashed potatoes.

I'm sure science will one day uncover the fact that potatoes are endowed with magical mood-lifting properties, because even when I'm having a day so rotten I can't even bear to cook, everything gets better once I've cobbled together a bowl of lumpy, creamy, buttery mashed potatoes....

Secret Recipe Club: Mexican-Style Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Mar 4, 2013 · 24 Comments

Oh look, it's the first Monday of the month. Do you know what that means?

Yup, it's time for the Secret Recipe Club again!

(On a slightly related note, where the hell did February go? It feels like the past four weeks just zoomed by at light speed.)

Meet This Month's Blogger

My SRC assignment for this month is Melissa, who blogs over at I Was Born to Cook.

The blog's name is a reference to Melissa's Greek and Italian roots, and if the looooooong list of recipes in her Recipe Box is anything to go by, she 's doing a pretty bang-up job of living up to that name....

Comfort Food Makeover: Turkey Swedish Meatballs

Nov 14, 2012 · 7 Comments

If there's one thing that I love most about colder weather, it's the return of comfort food. I love those warm, cozy dishes that are meant to warm both your belly and your soul, particularly now that there's a noticeable nip of wintertime in the evening air as I make my way home from the office.

As it turns out, the Turkey Farmers of Canada are really big fans of comfort food too. This week, they're challenging several Canadian bloggers to share a favourite comfort food recipe they've made using turkey, to show how versatile and tasty turkey really is... plus, they're throwing in a prize kit to help one lucky reader cook up their own healthy comfort food makeover!...

Secret Recipe Club: Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry

Nov 5, 2012 · 19 Comments

Guess what? It's time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal! (Note: We would have also accepted "chicken butt" as an answer.)

I was super-excited to learn my assigned blog for November is The Inquiring Chef, because I've had it saved on my newsreader for the past few months.

Meet This Month's Blogger

The blogger behind The Inquiring Chef is Jess, an American expat living in Thailand. My favourite thing about her blog is the beautiful photos and stories about her life overseas. They make me want to immediately hop on the next flight to Bangkok, just so I can experience (and eat) all the wonderfulness of Thailand firsthand.

Not surprisingly, along with all of her stories about life in Thailand, Jess also shares a lot of Thai recipes on her blog. I already have several of them bookmarked for a rainy day. ...

Secret Recipe Club: Potato and Chorizo Tacos

Jun 4, 2012 · 24 Comments

Guess what time it is? OK, so the title of the post kind of gave it away already, but yes... it's Secret Recipe Club time again!

This month, my buddy is Sarah, whose blog is called The Pajama Chef. I've visited Sarah's blog once or twice before, mostly through past SRC reveals, but this is the first time I've taken a really good look around.

In the process of digging around for a recipe to make, I discovered a few things:

Sarah's cat Sheba looks almost exactly like my little tortoiseshell, Morgan.
We both love caramel lattes and cheese chick-lit.
Her husband, Ben, is also a very talented cook (in fact, he has his own guest column on the blog: "One Tablespoon Testosterone")

...

Spring Chicken: Spicy Roast Chicken with Carrots, Olives and Lemon

Apr 17, 2012 · 20 Comments

This is the part of spring where the weather gets a little schizophrenic. After a brief flirtation with almost-summer, we're back to our regularly scheduled cool spring temperatures, complete with the occasional dive below 0C and some drizzly mornings.

Despite the odd warm day here and there, I've been finding myself craving one last fling with my usual cool-weather comfort food favourites. I want buttery-soft roasted potatoes, herb-rubbed pork roasts studded with garlic cloves, crispy-skinned roast chicken stuffed with whole lemons, and thick slices of rare roast beef crusted with mustard....

A Simple Plan: Mom's Pot Roast with Beer and Onions

Nov 19, 2011 · 24 Comments

Some things are hard - memorizing the value of Pi to the 25th decimal, learning to play the Theremin, decorating a cake with buttercream on a hot summer day, or watching an entire episode of The New Girl without feeling the urge to slap Zooey Deschanel's character.

(Note: These things might not be hard for everyone, but they certainly are for me.)

My mother's recipe for pot roast, on the other hand, isn't hard at all.

I don't even really have to refer to the the splattered and stained page in my beloved binder of family recipes any more, because it's committed to memory. All you need is a big hunk of beef, a bouillon cube, a metric assload of thinly sliced onions, a scant cup of water and a generous dose of black pepper. Throw it all together in a covered pot, and slowly simmer until tender and saucy....