Category: Meals

Sweet and Smokey Mustard Pork Chops with Rosemary and Honey.

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One of my favourite ways to cook pork chops is with mustard as the base. And I have so much fresh rosemary in the garden I wanted to combine them!

Charred with the air fryer

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsps Kozliks Sweet and Smokey Mustard ( or any flavour you like)
  • 2 Tbsps of Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp of Honey
  • 1 clove of Garlic minced
  • 1 Tbsp of thinly chopped fresh Rosemary
  • 6 pork Chops

Add all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Marinate the pork chops for an hour in the fridge covered in the sauce. Cook how every you would like. I air-fried ours at 400 for 30 mins flipping half way through.

Enjoy!

Chunky Greek Summer Salad.

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A nice light and healthy side option for your dinner or could be served as a starter on mini skewers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 red pepper chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1.5 cucumbers chopped into 1 inch slices and then quartered
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 cup of sliced black olives
  • 250g of feta cubed
  • 1 shallot sliced thinly
  • 3 Tbsps of red wine vinegar
  • 3 Tbsps of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1.5 Tsp of oregano
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • Parsley to garnish

Add all of the chopped veggies into a big bowl. Add in the vinegar, oil, garlic, feta and oregano. Toss together and add in salt and pepper to taste and top off with parsley.

Enjoy!

Vegan Dumplings

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The best appetizer there is! I’ve made pork but I wanted something more universal for the vegetarians in my life. These are amazing and so much flavour is sucked into all the veggies.

Ingredients

  • 2 carrots shredded
  • 1/4 of a cabbage shredded
  • 1 zucchini shredded
  • 1/2 pint of mushrooms diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 TBSP of ginger
  • Package of wonton wrappers
  • 1/4 cup of water

Add all the veggies into a pan and sauté until cooked. Add the garlic and ginger and mix in. Cook until fragrant and let cool.

Once the mixture is cool set up a station with the wonton wrappers and water. Lay out all the wrappers and place a TBSP in to the centre of each.

Dip your fingers into the water and rub the outer edges where you will be folding. Fold the wonton and press firmly to seal. Once folded apply water to the outer edge and begin to pinch the edges to give it a nice look.

To cool: add to a frying pan with water or boil. Once the wrapper is cooked fry the dumpling with sesame oil!

Enjoy!

Vegan Dumplings

Leave a comment

The best appetizer there is! I’ve made pork but I wanted something more universal for the vegetarians in my life. These are amazing and so much flavour is sucked into all the veggies.

Ingredients

  • 2 carrots shredded
  • 1/4 of a cabbage shredded
  • 1 zucchini shredded
  • 1/2 pint of mushrooms diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 TBSP of ginger
  • Package of wonton wrappers
  • 1/4 cup of water

Add all the veggies into a pan and sauté until cooked. Add the garlic and ginger and mix in. Cook until fragrant and let cool.

Once the mixture is cool set up a station with the wonton wrappers and water. Lay out all the wrappers and place a TBSP in to the centre of each.

Dip your fingers into the water and rub the outer edges where you will be folding. Fold the wonton and press firmly to seal. Once folded apply water to the outer edge and begin to pinch the edges to give it a nice look.

To cool: add to a frying pan with water or boil. Once the wrapper is cooked fry the dumpling with sesame oil!

Enjoy!

Bahn Mi Hot Dogs

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Hotdogs are the quickest meal for a summer bbq and there are so many topping ideas so I thought I would combine two of our favourite things and make these delicious Bahn Mi hot dogs!

Quick Pickles

  • 3 carrots peeled and then grated
  • 1 cucumber thinly sliced
  • 2 jalapeños thinly sliced
  • 1 cup of vinegar
  • 1 cup of water
  • 2 tsps of sugar

In a bowl mix the water, vinegar and sugar. Add the carrots, cucumber and jalapeños to the bowl cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Sriracha Mayo

  • 1/2 cup of Mayo
  • 1-2 Tbsps of sriracha (depending on how spicy you want it)
  • 1/2 of a lime squeezed

Add all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

To dress the hot dogs

Take 6 hotdogs and place into 6 buns. Add on your quick pickled veggies and then drizzle over the sriracha mayo.

Optional: top with cilantro or sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Thai Basil Eggplant

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I can not say it enough… I LOVE Thai food! So much flavour and so many different things to eat! This is one of my favourite dishes when I get take out it’s spicy, refreshing and most importantly delicious.

Ingredients

  • 2 Chinese eggplants, cut in to 2 inch length
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp chili bean paste
  • 2 tbsp of oil
  • 1 bunch Thai basil leaves
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp salt

Instructions

Slice eggplants in to 1 to 2 inch length.

Place eggplants in a bowl and fill with water. Add 1 tbsp of salt and either vinegar or lemon juice, and mix well. Allow it to soak for about 15 minutes. This helps keep the eggplants from browning and helps keep it more ‘purple’.

Remove from water, and pat dry with paper towel.

In a pan, add eggplants and soy sauce, chili bean paste, and sugar, and stir fry for about 5 minutes or until eggplants are cooked thoroughly.

At the very end, add the basil, and turn off the heat. Stir to mix well. This helps keep it green.

Add onto of rice or eat by its self!

Enjoy!

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad.

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This is a summer must have! Easy to make, feeds a crowd, great for entertaining and simply delicious!

  • 8 oz of pasta
  • 3 ears of corn grilled (or 2 cans of drained corn), removed from the cob
  • 1/3 cup of sour cream
  • 1/2 cup of mayo
  • Zest and juice of 2 limes
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp of chipotle chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 Tbsp of your favourite hot sauce ( we used Fury wing sauce)
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 cup of cilantro
  • 1/2 cup red onion
  • 1 medium bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup of cotija cheese or feta, plus more for topping
  • optional for garnish: diced avocado
  1. Cook your pasta according to package directions. Once done, drain and rinse under cold water.
  2. If you haven’t already done so, cut the corn off of the cobb and place into a large bowl.
  3. Make the sauce by mixing together the sour cream, mayo, lime zest and juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper.
  4. Into the bowl with corn, mix in the pasta, cilantro, red onion, avocado, bell pepper, and cotija. Pour the sauce over top and toss to combine.
  5. Garnish as desired!

Enjoy!

Kale Caesar Salad with Buffalo Cauliflower Bites and Rosemary Focaccia Croutons.

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Hot Summer days call for easy recipes that can be thrown together and still taste amazing. Kale is one of my favourite things to have for salad and great for leftovers as it doesn’t wilt as easily. Below is the recipes for the Buffalo Cauliflower and Rosemary Croutons and you can find my Caesar dressing here:

Caesar Dressing Recipe.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

  • 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups finely crushed corn flake crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use to your taste
  • salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 cup hot sauce (I use Frank’s)
  • 1/3 cup melted butter

1. Beat the eggs and 1TBSP of hot sauce in a large bowl, add the cauliflower and toss well to coat. In a separate bowl combine the corn flake crumbs, paprika, cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

2. Dredge the cauliflower through the crumbs, covering fully. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower. Air-fry at 400 for 20-25 minutes, turning the cauliflower halfway through cooking.

3. Mix together the hot sauce and melted butter and toss the cauliflower in it until evenly coated.

Rosemary Focaccia Croutons.

Simplest ingredients

  • Rosemary focaccia bread
  • 1/4 cup of EVOO
  • 1 Tbsp of Garlic salt

1. Cut the focaccia into small bite sized cubes.

2. Add it all to a bowl and mix well. Add to the air fryer and cook at 400 for 15 minutes tossing half way through.

Shawarma Platter – hummus, shawarma chicken, turmeric rice.

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Shawarma is a household staple for us but we love the guilt free feeling of making it healthier at home and it tastes better than takeout.

Hummus:

2 cups of chickpeas

1/4 cup of tahini

1 lemon juiced

1/2 Tbsp of Cumin

Water for desired thickness

Salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor and slowly add water and blend until your desired consistency.

Shawarma Chicken:

4 Chicken thighs sliced

1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt

1/2 lemon juiced

1 Tbsp of Shawarma spice

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 Tbsp of EVOO

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until evenly coated. You can either pan fry or cook in oven at 400• for 25 minutes.

Turmeric Rice:

1 tsp of turmeric

1 garlic clove minced

1 Tbsp of butter

1 cup of basmati rice

2 cups of water

2 bay leaves

Add all ingredients into the pot and mix boil the rice and turn to low heat until it’s soft. Fluff with a fork.

Wicked Shepherds Pie

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I love shepherds pie on a cooler day. It’s warm and comforting and mi w is always a little spicy! We tried out the wicked smart hot sauce in this recipe as they are a local company and we love to support local and it was amazing! The perfect amount of heat!

Ingredients

Meat and veggie filling:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 tablespoon of wicked smart hot sauce (or any you have on hand)
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups mixed vegetables (I used corn and carrots but use frozen too if you have them)

Potato topping:

  • 2.5 pounds Russet potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • Garnish: chopped parsley
  1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 4 pieces each. Boil them until tender. Start the rest of the recipe while they’re cooking. Preheat your oven to 375F and move the rack to the top third of the oven. Don’t worry if the meat filling and potatoes aren’t quite done at the same time.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large skillet and melt over medium-high heat, then add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with your spoon as you go along, until browned (about 6-8 minutes).
  4. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the Italian seasoning, tomato paste, hot sauce and flour. Cook (stir constantly), for about a minute.
  5. Add in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and salt, and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid thicken up a bit (about 1 minute).
  6. Stir in the frozen mixed veggies and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
  7. When the potatoes are almost done, add the cream, butter, garlic, and salt & pepper to a small saucepan and warm it over medium heat until the butter has melted and it’s warmed through (don’t let it boil). Once the potatoes are done (a knife should slide in easily), drain them and add them back to the pot they were cooked in. Pour the saucepan mixture over the potatoes and mash until smooth.
  8. Transfer the meat mixture to a casserole dish and then spoon the potatoes over top. Smooth with a rubber spatula (or spoon if that’s all you have). You can use a fork to create texture by raking it over the potatoes.
  9. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly, then broil for a few minutes (watch it carefully) to brown the potatoes.
  10. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Enjoy!