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.

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.

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.

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.

Kale chips

I thought the hippies were lying to us or crazy. But it turns out that the deliciousness of kale chips is not a lie or a drug-induced hallucination. They are just as good as everyone says they are if not better.

Recipe is courtesy of Canadian Living.

6 cups, torn stemmed kale
2 tsp olive oil
1 pinch of salt (ok my pinch was about 5)
1 pinch of paprika

Toss together kale, olive oil, salt and paprika. Arrange in a single layer on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I had to use two sheets to fit it all.

Bake at 350 F in oven until crisp and green. 10-15 minutes.

Chicken and Zucchini Skewers

This recipe worked out to be quick and delicious. The perfect weeknight grill meal with vegetables!
As someone who is just trying zucchini voluntarily for the first time, I give it two thumbs up. Courtesy of Everyday Food.

Serves 4.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 2 chicken breasts as that is what was on hand) cut into 1 inch pieces.
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1 inch sections
1/2 small red onion, quartered with layers seperated
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and pepper

In a bowl, combine chicken, zucchini, red onion, oil, oregano and vinegar. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Marinate covered and in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium. On each metal skewer, thread the chicken, red onion and zucchini (3 chicken, 2 each of the vegetables). Grill skewers, turning them occasionally for about 12 minutes.

I served this with tzatziki and quinoa salad.

Chicken Parmigiana

I have never really tried to make Chicken Parmigiana before but tonight I thought I would give it a shot. I took two different recipes from Bobby Flay and Everyday Foods, kept the bits I liked of both and made this hybrid. It was much faster than I expected and I liked serving it with a salad to keep it light rather than pasta.

Serves 4

3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (gluten-free)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups flour (I used a gluten-free all purpose mix)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into halves horizontally
Salt and pepper
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups of jarred tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
6 oz mozzarella cheese cut into eight thick slices (or whatever works)
Extra parmesan for sprinkling

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan in a bowl. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken breast half in the flour, then dip in the egg. Let the extra drip off, and then dredge in the breadcrumb/cheese mixture.

Spread the tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 10 by 15 inch baking dish. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place 4 chicken cutlets in the skillet; cook until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the browned chicken to the baking dish, placing them on top of the sauce. Repeat with the remaining chicken and oil.

Top each cutlet with the mozzarella cheese, a dash of parmesan and some extra sauce if you like.  Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted. Flay's recipe said to do this for 5-7 minutes but I gave it a good 10.

These were great! The cheese with the breadcrumbs helped hide the gluten-free crunchy texture breaded food tends to have.

Kale Salad with Soy and Sesame

So it turns out that I don't hate vegetables. 2013 is definitely the year of growing up. This recipe comes from my friend, Sarah, and is quite delish as well as being a quick and easy veggie side to any meal.

1 bunch kale, washed and cut into big bite sized pieces
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted.

Steam the kale for about 6-8 minutes. It's important to not undercook or overcook it. Undercooked kale can be quite bitter. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic.

In a sauce pan over low heat, toast the sesame seeds. These can burn easily so keep an eye on the pan, stirring frequently.

Toss the kale with mixed dressing and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Korean Chicken

I spent years craving the delicious Korean barbecue I had when I visited Seoul known as galbi. It is typically made with beef and you cook it it on a grill at your table when it is ordered. I found this recipe in a great bbq cookbook by Canadian Living and it definitely brings back some mouth-watering memories. I'd recommend serving it with rice or in lettuce wraps.

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup sodium-reduced soy sauce (gluten-free)
2 Tbsp sesame oil
4 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp minced fresh ginger (or jar stuff)
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 green onions, trimmed

Trim any fat from thighs. Between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper, pound the chicken to about 1/2 inch/1cm thickness. I use my marble rolling pin to do the trick.

Mix together soy sauce, oil, sugar, ginger, sesame seeds, pepper and garlic; add chicken and onions. Let stand for 15 minutes, turning occasionally to soak up all the awesomeness.

Brush garlic off chicken and onions. Grill chicken, covered on a greased grill over medium-high heat, turning once for 6 minutes. Add onions; grill covered, until juices run clear with chicken is pierced and onions are slightly charred. This takes about 2 minutes. Cut onion into bite-size pieces.

I also sometimes in winter fire this up on my stove with a raised grill pan that does the trick nicely. It takes a little bit longer.

Serves 4

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Butter

Surprise! I found another vegetable that I like. I made this when I was home for the holidays, and it's Dad approved.

1 bunch, freshly trimmed asparagus
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce (gluten free please!)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange asparagus on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake asparagus in oven for 12 minutes, or until tender.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. (It says medium high but I get distracted easily so I try to decrease my chances of burning). Remove from heat and add the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus and serve.

Sidebar: I heard asparagus makes your pee smell funny but I have yet to notice anything. Apparently you need both the gene to smell it and to make the difference...

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com with some adjustments

Panko-crusted Chicken Fingers

This is a great weeknight meal if you are getting sick of chicken the same old way over and over again. I do find that when I half the recipe for myself (to 2 chicken breasts) I keep the crumb mixture and sauce so as not to run out because they are too delicious! I like to serve this with salad. Serves 4. Recipe courtesy of Canadian Living with gluten free adjustments.

4 boneless chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 cup finely-grated parmesan or parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 cup panko or bread crumbs (I have found gluten-free panko crumbs by Kinnikinnick in the bakery section of some Safeways)
4 tsp fresh chopped oregano (or 2 tsp dried)
1 tsp salt (I always reduce)
1/2 tsp each pepper and paprika
1/4 cup butter, melted (I leave this out to decrease the chance of heart attack)
Honey-mustard sauce:
1/3 cup light mayo
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp liquid honey

In small bowl, stir mayo, dijon and honey. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Between sheets of plastic wrap, pound chicken with a rolling pin until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Cut lengthwise on diagonal into 10x4 cm strips. In bowl, whisk eggs. In shallow bowl, combine cheese, bread crumbs, oregano, salt, pepper and paprika.

One at a time, dip chicken strips into eggs, letting the excess drip off. Dredge in cheese mixture, coating generously (which is why I sometimes make more).

Arrange on greased baking sheets; drizzle with butter (I leave out). Bake in 425 F oven until golden, crispy and no longer pink inside, usually about 15 minutes.

Serve with dipping sauce and great with snap peas!

Courtesy of Canadian Living

Artichoke linguini with prosciutto and spinach

All I can say for this is yum! It's a family favourite and I've made several different variations over the years. Onions, no onions. Sometimes I'll substitute the prosciutto with chicken. Recipe comes from my dad and serves 4. Definitely an easy "trick your friends into thinking this is much harder than it really is" meal!

2 jars (170 ml each) artichokes, or equivalent canned.
1-2 cups of baby spinach
1/2 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained,
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Prosciutto, about 4-5 slices
linguini (gluten-free)
Romano or parmesan cheese, grated

Drain artichokes and slice. Cut sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips. Heat oil in skillet and saute artichokes, tomatoes, garlic and onion for 3-4 minutes. Add baby spinach and cook until it shrinks. This happens quickly.

Cut prosciutto into strips and quickly saute in a pan.

Cook linguini. Drain and toss into the vegetable mixture. Add prosciutto, mix well and serve with parmesan.

Mexican burgers

These burgers have an amazing aroma thanks to the great spices. Serve them with fresh avocado slices.

1 egg
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 pound of ground pork OR
1/2 pound of lean ground beef and 1/2 pound of ground pork

Whisk together egg, vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, and oregano. Mix in meat. Shape into four 3/4-inch thick patties.

Grill on a greased grill over medium heat, turning once, until no longer pink inside, about 15 minutes. Top with avocado slices.

Courtesy of Canadian Living with some adjustments.

Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon

This recipe comes from my dear dad, Steve. He says that this serves 6 which I think is generous. I'd say 4 if you have lots of salad and bread to go with. It goes great with french bread and is a regular Friday night dinner at home.


3 Tbsp butter
4 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic minced
8 oz smoked salmon diced
1/2 cup to 1 cup whipping cream (Dad uses blend)
1/2 cup butter cut into small cubes
2 Tbsp chives (or tips of green onions if out)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 lb fresh fettuccine (I have no idea how you measure that. I eyeball it which usually means I have too much or too little pasta. And I use gluten free.)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt 3 Tbsp butter in skillet and cook the onions and garlic until soft but not brown. This takes about 2 minutes. Add the salmon and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cream and heat over low heat for a few minutes. Set aside. (Reheat before adding to pasta).

Meanwhile, place  small butter cubes in bottom of large serving dish. Prepare cheese and chives and set aside.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water. Drain well. Reheat your sauce over low heat.

Place hot pasta over butter cubes in serving dish and pour hot sauce over. Sprinkle with the cheese and chives; toss well to coat the pasta and melted butter. Season with pepper and enjoy!

Sidebar: My mother has this ridiculous way of saying parmesan cheese where she pronounces it "parm-ee-see-an." She's done it for so long just to bug me that I've started to say it too without noticing. Thanks Mom for making me a little bit weirder.

Pork Bulgogi

My sister makes great Korean food but her ingredients/sauces are all in, well Korean, and with my allergies I  have to pass. When I crave a delicious garlic, ginger, soy sauce combination I make do with this. Serve with rice or in lettuce wraps. Serves 4.

6 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten-free)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp crushed red pepper (I chicken out and use 1 tsp of red pepper flakes )
2 tsp ginger, freshly grated (I use the tube stuff)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 pound pork tenderloin, very thinly sliced (this is key)
1 large onion, cut into large wedges
1 Tbsp olive oil
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine garlic, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, ginger and pepper.

Add pork and onion wedges. Stir to coat and marinate for 10 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. In three batches, brown pork and onion, about 3 to 5 minutes per batch. Discard marinade.

Return all pork and onions to skillet; cook until warm. Serve with toasted sesame seeds as garnish on rice or in lettuce wraps.


Recipe from Everyday Foods.

Curried Pork Delicious! (aka burgers)

I have a sneaking suspicion my dad has been pushing this recipe on me for ages but I've had an irrational fear of jalapenos. Thanks to the success of the tex-mex lasagna a few weeks back (recipe to come), I've mastered chopping them up without burning my skin or eyes. This is a super quick but fancy weeknight dish to jazz up burgers.

Serves 4

1 lb lean ground pork
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (aka cilantro)
1/3 cup crumbled low fat feta cheese
2 Tbsp curry paste (I use VH's Yellow Curry for a gluten-free, nut-free option which is tricky to find)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp minced gingerroot
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (I chickened out and used 1/2; working up to a whole one)
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt (I just sprinkled a dash in)
1/4 tsp pepper

In large bowl, mix together pork, coriander, feta, curry paste, garlic, ginger, jalapeno pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Divide into quarters; shape into burgers. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Place on a greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once, about ten minutes. Check with a thermometer and it should be 160 F.

Serve with gluten-free buns or more delicious gluten-filled ones (no hard feelings here!) I use Kinnikinnick hamburger buns and I find that toasted, they are yummy.

Review: They seemed super crumbly when I flipped them. Going to add an egg and some gluten-free bread crumbs next time! But super juicy and amazing!

Courtesy of Canadian Living.

Tandoori Chicken with Green Apple Raita

I'm not going to pretend this is probably authentic Indian food. But it is delicious! And bonus, I'm not allergic to it. Serves great with brown rice.

1 cup plain yogurt (I use low fat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt (recipe calls for 2 but I always cut salt down)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
4 bone-in skinless chicken breast halves (I usually just use 2 boneless breasts)
2 Granny Smith apples
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (or the tube stuff from Safeway)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. IN a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of yogurt, the garlic, tumeric, ginger, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and turn to coat.

Transfer the chicken to a rimmed (and tinfoil lined) baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, peel the apple. Grate into a medium bowl. Add the cilantro and the rest of the yogurt. Season with salt and pepper (I usually don't). Serve the sauce with the chicken. Goes great with rice!

Recipe is from Everyday Foods.

Salmon with lime and soy sauce

There's a by-election going on tonight in Calgary which means I got home late from voting and need a quick dinner. Here's another great way to spice up salmon if it is getting boring.

Serves 4

4 skin-on salmon fillets
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce (I use Kikkoman's gluten free, but VH is also a gf alternative)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (I usually use the tube stuff from the vegetable aisle)

Preheat overn to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, and sugar; fold in cilantro. The recipe says to add this sauce on after the salmon is cooked but I like to add about a tablespoon before  so it gets to soak in nice and good. It adds a lovely flavour.

Arrange salmon in a shallow baking dish (line with foil to make clean up easier). Season with pepper. Spoon 1-2 Tbsp of sauce over salmon.

Roast salmon in oven until no longer pink in the middle, about 10-13 minutes. Using a flat spatula, remove fillets, leaving skin on the baking sheet.

Spoon the remainder of sauce over salmon. Goes great with sauteed sugar snap peas (recipe to follow) or asparagus (so I'm told, I think asparagus is nasty).

Courtesy of Everyday Food. They have an app on the iphone which is money!