Mushroom and Feta Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes

I found this recipe ripped out of a Canadian Living magazine that clearly I instinctively knew was worth saving. I had to make a few adjustments as I didn't have everything on hand but it turned out fantastic and made a lot. Serves 4.

Update: I added a can of artichokes to this and it was JUST the perfect thing that was missing. I added them about 5 minutes into the mushrooms cooking.

340 g pasta (The recipe called for fusilli which I was out of so I used gluten free fettuccini)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
450 g cremini mushrooms, sliced (always just throw more in, they will cook down)
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp gluten free flour
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
1 bunch of spinach, trimmed and chopped roughly
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to instructions. If it's gluten free, give it a good rinse, otherwise just drain and set aside.

In large skillet, melt butter and oil over medium-high heat; cook garlic and thyme for about 30 seconds until its fragrant.  Add mushrooms and pepper; stir occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add sliced artichoke hearts and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Sprinkle mushroom mixture with flour; cook and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Stir in milk and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until slightly thickened. This takes about 4 minutes.

Stir in cooked pasta, spinach, lemon juice and zest; cook, stirring until spinach wilts a bit. This takes 2 minutes. Add feta cheese, mix it in and serve!

Cilantro lime shrimp with pineapple

It's spring! Well mostly. I'm tired of winter and am ready for new recipes that boast sweet and spicy flavours. I'm on a semi-salad kick and this recipe definitely satisfied my cravings.

Serves 4. Courtesy of Everyday food with a few adjustments (ie pineapple because like bacon, pineapple makes everything better). You can also make rice to serve the meal on if you need something more hearty.

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Coarse salt and pepper
1/2 small white onion, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (less if you don't like spice)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves chopped
1 head of Boston lettuce (I just used a boxed salad for greens)
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded with a vegetable peeler
1 cup pineapple chunks

In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until the shrimp is pink and opaque. Transfer to a plate.

To skillet, add a teaspoon of oil and the onion. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, cumin and cayenne and cook for 1 minute. Turn the heat off and throw shrimp in. Toss and remove skillet from the heat.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together 3 tablespoons of the oil, lime juice and chopped cilantro leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Divide lettuce between 4 plates. Top with shrimp mixture, carrots, and pineapple. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy!

Homemade Hippie Granola

This recipe was given to me from a dear friend at work who made it for Christmas. My parents ate it every single day they were visiting so I ran out of it quickly.  I had to make some adjustments from the original recipe as a lot of products "may contain nuts/wheat" but it turned out pretty fantastic! Give it a try on yogurt for breakfast.

2 cups of gluten-free oats (such as Bob's Red Mill GF rolled)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (I used olive)
1 cup mixed dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, dates, blueberries)
1 cup seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame, hemp hearts) This proved quite difficult to find nut free. In the GF section at Superstore there is a bag of GF NF seeds by Enjoy Life. I used this and added a few tablespoons of flax, sesame and hemp hearts.
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut flakes (I couldn't find these nut free anywhere. I left it out and put in the difference in oats)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the oats, seeds and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mix the honey, oil and vanilla together.  Combine the two mixtures together, stirring well. Leave out the dried fruit and coconut flakes, as these will take less time to cook and can burn.

Spread granola out onto a baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes but stir at the 10 minute mark. After 20 minutes, add the coconut flakes, and dried fruit. Stir it in.

At 30 minutes, remove granola from oven and let cool.  Once it has cooled, add the chocolate chips.

This is money on top of vanilla yogurt!

My mom's lasagna. Kind of.

My mom taught me how to make lasagna the last time I was back east for the holidays. And it is delicious. But I also like vegetables so I've combined her recipe with a classic "Old Favourite" one from Canadian Living. Like most mutants, it's awesome.

Serves 6-8

8 oz lasagna noodles (about 12. And gluten free)
1 pkg (300 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups of shredded mozzarella
1 pkg of square mozzarella slices, cut into triangles

Meat filling:
1 lb of ground beef
1 each onion, carrot, and celery stalk, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp each dried oregano and basil
1/4 tsp pepper
Pinch hot pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, chopped
2 cans (5.5 oz) tomato paste

Cheese filling:
2 eggs
1/4 tsp each nutmeg and pepper
3 cups low fat cottage cheese (To be fancy, I've done 2 cups of cottage and 1 cup of ricotta)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
3 Tbsp chopped parsley

Meat filling: In a large dutch oven, cook beef over medium-high heat, breaking up with spoon, for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Spoon off all by 1 Tbsp fat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano, basil, pepper and hot pepper flakes to pan; cook, stirring often for 3 to 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes, and tomato paste; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often for about 25 minutes, until thickened.

Cheese filling: Meanwhile, in bowl, beat together eggs, pepper, and nutmeg. Blend in cottage and parmesan cheeses. Set aside.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles according to directions. The gluten free ones break like crazy so be gentle when stirring, and draining.

In a 9x13 inch pan glass baking dish arrange a layer of noodles on the bottom. Spoon half of the cheese mixture in. Top with half of the mozzarella (1 cup). Add about half of the spinach then top with half of the meat mixture. Cover the meat with the remaining noodles. Spoon the remainder of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Add the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, remaining spinach and top with the remaining meat mixture.  Finally place the triangle squares of mozzarella on top for beauty!

Cover loosely with foil; bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Revisions: I've left the spinach out but I prefer it in. I've also thrown in a link or two of italian sausage with the ground beef for a little spicy zest and it's a great addition.

Cheesy chicken and kale casserole

I'm attempting to find new ways to introduce vegetables in my diet because I'm told they are good for you. This was an experiment a few weeks ago and I quite enjoyed it but I'm searching for some zing to add to it when I make it again. Artichoke? I adapted it from Martha Stewart and found that halving the recipe definitely made more than enough.

Serves 4

2-3 cups of fusilli pasta (I am no good at measuring pasta, apologies)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 large yellow onion, minced
1 bunch of kale, washed and leaves chopped off the stems
2 cups of chicken, cooked and diced
1 500 g container of ricotta
2 tablespoons of lemon zest
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated/shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to directions. Make sure to rinse if using gluten free. I've found corn pasta to be the best lately, especially for leftovers. Drain and return to pot.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add kale and cover, cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta (or pasta to skillet if using gluten free).

Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest and 1/4 cup of parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9x9 baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan. Bake until the top is golden, 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Butternut squash pasta with sausage and spinach

Squash. I thought I hated you. Turns out I love you. Time to re-evaluate all my life decisions.

I think I've eaten squash every day this week which is an all time vegetable record.  The original recipe comes from Skinnytaste but the first time I made it I struggled with the measurements so this has quite a few adaptations.

Serves 4

3 links of Spolumbo's chicken apple sausage (gluten free) or alternatively spicy italian sausage
5 cups of butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp light butter
10 oz of corn pasta (I like fusilli)
1/3 cup shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced (and more if you like)
2 cups of baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp fresh shaved parmesan cheese
4-5 sage leaves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender. Blend until smooth. At this point I found I needed to add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water to help the blending action. Set aside.

Add pasta to boiling salted water. Cook according to directions and if you are using gluten free pasta, rinse well after it is cooked.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, saute sausage over medium heat. I find this works best if I break the sausage up rather than slice it. Cook until browned, and once cooked, set aside on a plate.

Reduce heat of the saucepan to medium low. Melt the butter and add the shallots and garlic. Cook until they are golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder if you are crazy about it like me. At this point, if you feel like you want your sauce thinner, add more water. Add baby spinach, parmesan cheese, and sage.

Toss in cooked pasta and sausage. Stir until it is well coated and heated.

Enjoy!

Stick to your ribs chili

It's been a solid two years of trying to find a decent chili recipe that is equal parts awesome and filling. I've tried a few but this most recent one has been the most satisfying. I don't love large amounts of beans, and cumin is a must so this hits all the checkmarks.

Serves 6-8
Source Canadian Living

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lb of extra lean ground beef
3 Tbsp chili powder
1-1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 can plum tomatoes (I use low sodium tomatoes)
1/2 bottle strained tomatoes (I can't find this to save my life in the grocery store so I add about 3 Tbsp of tomato paste)
1/2 cup water
1 can (19 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic, stirring occasionally until golden, about 8-10 minutes.

Add beef; cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned. Stir in chili powder, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne; cook for 1 minute.

I cut up my tomatoes in the can with scissors. Buying a can of whole tomatoes helps preserve more of the flavour than buying diced tomatoes. Add to pot, along with tomato paste, water and kidney beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Uncover and cook for 10 minutes.

Holy Moly, this soup is good. Apple cheddar squash soup.

It's a snowy November afternoon here and I wanted something warm to stick to my ribs. This soup definitely did the trick. I made a few substitutions as I didn't have quite everything on hand (even after 2 trips to the grocery store, I blame old age). It still turned out fantastic. I found this on the Food Network website and it made quite a lot. They said it serves 4 but I think I could squeak it to 6.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter (I cut it to 4)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium apples, thinly sliced
1 large white potato, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled, butternut squash
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage (I ran out and used savoury as a substitute)
2 tablespoons flour (gluten free)
1/3 cup apple cider (feel free to crack a can of Rock Creek and drink the remainder while cooking)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (gluten free)
1 cup of milk
2 ounces proscuitto, torn into bite size pieces (I used bacon as a substitute)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar (I used low fat) plus more for garnish
Chopped green onions/chives for garnish


Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and add the onion, apples, potato and butternut squash. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sage and flour. Add the cider and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until thickened. Add the broth and milk, cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring until the potato is soft, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the proscuitto and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry on paper towel. (I cooked bacon in the microwave to save time here).

Add the cheese to the soup and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Puree in a blender in small batches until smooth. Garnish with proscuitto, cheddar and chives.

Grilled Garlic Parmesan Zucchini

Whoa. I've been eating a lot of zucchini lately. Tonight I was craving some garlic bread and this totally did the gluten-free trick. The original recipe is from Allrecipes.com but I made some adjustments by substituting olive oil for butter and leaving 1 tbsp of parsley out.

Serves 4

3 zucchini
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup parmesan (I used a Superstore blue menu light version and it was delish)
Black pepper to taste.

Preheat grill to medium heat. I used a grill pan on my stovetop as it was chilly tonight.

Cut the zucchini crosswise in the middle. Slice each half into 3 sections, making 6 slices per zucchini.

In a bowl mix the olive oil and garlic. Brush the mixture over both sides of each zucchini slice. Sprinkle each slice with Parmesan cheese, and place the slices, cheese side up, on the grill. I sprinkled a little pepper over them at this point.

Grill the zucchini until the underside has grill marks, it is cooked through and the cheese has melted. This took about 8-minutes.

Make your own curry powder

I came down with the monster cold on the weekend. For four days I was trapped in my apartment with only the occasional run to the 7-11 for more juice.  On Sunday night, I decided I needed some comfort food and tried to make Chicken Divan but realized (with horror) that I was out of curry powder.

However if you have a well stocked pantry you can whip this up in a jiffy. It's fragrant and has the same warmth. Note: not a spicy, hot curry.

Recipe from Food.com

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground pepper.

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Bottle!

Sesame Chicken

Another great Pinterest find. This recipe comes from the Budget Bytes blog that promises great food on, well a budget. It was quick, easy and used ingredients that were already in my pantry.

1 large egg
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (I used thighs, you could use breasts)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 inch grated ginger (I used stuff out of a tube so measuring an inch wasn't exact. I probably used 2 tsps)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp cornstarch
4 cups jasmine rice cooked (I probably used 2)
2 whole green onions, sliced (I used 1)

In a bowl, whisk the egg and cornstarch together with a pinch of salt and pepper. Trim any fat from the chicken and cut into small 1 inch pieces. Toss the chicken into the egg mixture and coat thoroughly.

Heat a skillet with 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and all of the egg mixture. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until it is golden brown and cooked all the way through. I found this took about 10 minutes. Drain off excess oil.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the soy/sesame sauce. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, and cornstarch.

Once the chicken is cooked, pour the soy mixture over it. Toss the chicken to coat through. As soon as the sauce hits the hot skillet it will thicken (mine caramelized a bit as I was too slow), so once it is coated remove the pan from the heat.

Serve over jasmine rice and garnish with green onions. Serves about 4 or 3 if you are really hungry.

Taco Zucchini Boats

A few friends have recently been busy posting recipes on Pinterest that come from the Skinnytaste blog. The recipes are healthy, low-fat, delicious and it's easy to find gluten-free ones.  I gave this recipe a try a few nights ago and really enjoyed it, though I altered the measurements a bit (I found I only filled 2 zucchinis instead of the recommended 4. Maybe my zucchinis were bigger).  I believe the author is bringing out a cookbook which I'm looking forward to.

Serves 2-3

2 medium zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup mild salsa
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt (I usually leave out)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 small onion, minced
2 Tbsp bell pepper, minced
4 oz can tomato sauce (I used about 3/4 of a 200 ml can)
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican shredded cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions or cilantro for topping (I forgot of course)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Place 1/4 cup of salsa in the bottom of a large casserole dish.

Using a small spoon, scoop out the inside of the zucchini halves but leave about 1/4 inch around the sides and bottom. Save about 3/4 cup of the scooped zucchini, chop it into small pieces. Squeeze out the extra water in it onto paper towel and then set it aside. Discard the rest. Drop the zucchini halves into the water and let them boil for 1 minute. Remove from water and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey. Break it up with a spoon while it is cooking. When it is no longer pink, add the spices and mix well. Add the onion, bell pepper, chopped zucchini, tomato sauce and water. Stir and cover, simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

Fill the hollowed zucchini boats with the turkey mixture evenly, Top each with 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through. Top with scallions or cilantro and serve with remaining salsa on the side.

*When I made these I cooked 1 zucchini the first night and saved half the meat mixture in tupperware. The next day all I had to do for great leftovers was to boil another zucchini, fill with meat and bake. I also found that I ate about 1 and 1/2 zucchinis. If you served one big boat per person I'd also make a side like rice or salad.

Bacon-wrapped pineapple

Two of my favourite things together at last.


I had these treats while on vacation in the Okanagan this summer. My dear and amazingly talented friend, Allison, cooked them up for us one night before supper. Yesterday I wanted to make a quick and easy appetizer so I wrapped these up and they were a big hit.

1 pkg of bacon
Some pineapple (I bought two 500 g containers of pineapple slices as there were none ripe)
About 1/2 cup of brown sugar (or more, I probably used more)

Set oven to 350.

Cut the package of bacon in half so that you have half slices to work with. Dredge the bacon, one at a time, in the brown sugar. Place a small piece of pineapple on the bacon. Roll the bacon around the pineapple and fasten with a toothpick. I cooked them on cookie sheets with parchment paper to lessen the mess.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. It depends on how crispy you like your bacon.

The spice rub to end all other spice rubs

Oh my god. This is amazing. I went to visit my uncle Andrew and aunt Carolyn last week on the West Coast and they treated me to barbecued ribs with this amazing homemade rub. It's official title is "Couzan Billy's" rub and a quick google search gave me a few different variations. I don't know who Couzan Billy is, but thumbs up dude.

This has also been successful on chicken thighs and I can't wait to try it on salmon on the grill.

4 tsp paprika
3 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper, roughly ground
1 1/2 tsp basil, dried
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp white pepper (I didn't have any so I just threw in more regular stuff)
1 tsp thyme, dried

In a mortar and pestle, grind the basil, oregano and thyme. Add to the rest of the ingredients. Thoroughly mix and bottle.

Maple buttermilk grilled chicken

So these were delicious. I made them with boneless, skinless chicken thighs but I'd like to try it with some chicken on the bone next time like drumsticks. The cinnamon is subtle but delicious.

Serves 2 (the original recipe serves 10 which is nuts so I paired it down)

1/3 cup buttermilk (To make 1 cup of buttermilk, take a cup of milk. Add a Tbsp of lemon juice. Let it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes and you have a good substitute)
1 green onion chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp crushed hot pepper flakes
6 chicken thighs boneless or 2 chicken breasts (The original recipe called for bone-in, skin-on but this is probably healthier)
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp maple syrup (or more...yurm)

In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, green onion, garlic, pepper, cinnamon, and hot pepper flakes. Add chicken, turning to coat. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours or upwards of 24 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Sprinkle with salt (I skipped this step). Place on greased grill over medium heat. Grill until internal thermometer registers at 165 F. The original recipe for boned chicken says this takes about 35 minutes. My boneless thighs took probably 20.

Grill, brushing with maple syrup, until glossy and coated, about an additional 5 minutes.

Courtesy of Canadian Living with some adjustments

Quinoa Salad with Dill and Feta

Well I'm trying zucchini again. I've made the other quinoa salad that posted about a dozen times this summer and needed something new. So I tried this recipe the other night. I might try less dill next time but it was a great new way to eat my new favourite weird hippy seed thing.

Serves 4-6 although Canadian Living says it serves 2 which I think is nuts. Unless it's two horses. Then that makes sense.

1 cup cooked quinoa (I recommend adding a bit of chicken stock when you cook quinoa.)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 pinch salt and pepper
1 zucchini shredded (I grated it)
1 carrot shredded (see above)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the quinoa, zucchini, carrot, dill and feta. Toss and enjoy!

Courtesy of Canadian Living

Gluten-free Oatmeal Pancakes

Yurm. That pretty much says all you need to know about these pancakes. They are low-fat and high-protein. My friend Allison made them for me a few weeks ago when I went to visit her on vacation. The original recipe can be found here and you will see that theirs are more like berry crepes. I like making a thick pancake and throwing some berries on top. As someone who has high cholesterol the egg whites are a great idea.

1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 eggs will do the trick or buy the egg white in the cartons at the store)
1/2 cup gluten-free oats ( I use Bob's Red Mill Rolled GF Oats)
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 tsp baking powder

In a blender, put the wet ingredients in first, then add the oats and baking powder. Blend until smooth. (Blend, blend, blend. You don't want chunky oats.)

Pour about 1/4 cup of mix onto a heated skillet. I flip my pancakes when the bubbles stay open. I'd say this makes about 2-3 pancakes. I halved the recipe and I only got one out of it. Heartbreak. So make the whole thing.

Lentil Salad

This is an oldie but a goodie! I got this recipe courtesy of my Dad. I love having it for lunch in the summer along with some leftover grilled meat.

Serves 4.

2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
1 clove garlic minced
1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup feta cheese
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley (I often leave out as I forget to buy it almost all the time)

Whisk the lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper and garlic together. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir. Garnish with parsley.

Asparagus and Smoked Salmon Quiche

This has been a family favourite for years but until recently, I hadn't made a gluten-free version. I found a gf pie crust courtesy of the Lakeview Bakery. It definitely wasn't the same as homemade or my old standby, Tenderflake but it reminded me that quiches aren't out of my reach even while I'm Celiac.

I always found this meal quick and easy, provided I cheated and used a pre-made crust. If you have your own pastry recipe, go ahead and if you have a good gf one, forward it please!

Recipe came from my Dad but I think he must have got the original from Canadian Living. He never puts green onions in.

1 9-inch cooked pie crust (instructions on Tenderflake box for lazy people like me)
6-8 spears of asparagus
1 Tbsp of vegetable oil
3 oz of smoked salmon, chopped (uh I think that's about a cup)
2 green onions, chopped
3 Tbsp goat cheese
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper

While you cook your pie crust, snap off the woody ends of the asparagus. Trim them to about 4 inches in length. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat and fry the asparagus for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the cooked pie crust with salmon and green onions. Crumble the goat cheese over top. Whisk the eggs together with milk, salt and pepper; pour over the salmon mixture in pie shell. Arrange the asparagus stalks over the quiche like the spokes of a wheel, or whatever floats your boat.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes at 375 F. Check with a knife by inserting into middle and it should come out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!

Serves 4 and goes great with a spring green salad! I have also made a variation by leaving the asparagus out and adding some dill to the egg mixture.

Any Fruit Crisp (but I like Peach Cherry)

This recipe comes courtesy of my friend Carmen and her dear Grandma. It's versatile and easily converts to a gluten-free friendly version.

Serves 4-6 depending on how greedy you are.

5 cups sliced peeled fruit (the original recipe calls for apples but I like to experiment. My favourite version is 4 cups peeled peaches and 1 cup quartered, pitted cherries.)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour (I use Bob's Mill GF blend for this)
3/4 cup rolled oats (gluten free)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter. I tend to work this through my hands to really blend it. Place the fruit in a 9x9 pan. Pat the dry ingredients into flat shapes and press over the fruit to make a topping. Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes.

Other successful variations include a peach/blackberry and apple/raspberry.