Scrumptious Stuffed Shells

This one is in my family's top 5 for sure! Our go-to comfort meal, when the house needs that incredible waft of sizzling garlic and cheese.  MAKE THIS!!

Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees.  You will need a large pyrex or Corning type of pan for this baked pasta dish. Easy, simple and delicious...we just love it!

Make a tomato "marinara' sauce. Saute 5-6 large cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil until it is golden and smells awesome. Add some dried chili peppers and then 1 can of whole tomatoes that you can crush by hand, lots of salt, pepper and a bit of oregano. I also love rosemary in this sauce. Let this simmer.

Boil a package of pasta shells, the large ones, in heavily salted water ( always with pasta, so KEY.)  Probably about 10min or so until al dente and drain in a colander with a bit of cold water so they don't totally stick together.

In the meantime, make this simple filling by mixing together:
1 large tub of cottage cheese
1 large tub of ricotta cheese
These can be low fat, work really well!
Add, 1 egg, about a 1/2 c. of grated parma cheese, salt and pepper
Chop some fresh spinach and lots of chopped fresh parsley and combine. Parsley is KEY!

Place some sauce at the bottom of the pan and also drizzle a bit of olive oil on top. Fill each shell with a large spoonful of the cheese mixture and place in the pan.  Squeeze as many as you can in one layer...the more the better.

Top the dish with more tomato sauce, leftover mixture in dollops if you have, and parmesan cheese. Also grate lots of mozzarella on top.
Bake for about 45 min or until bubbly and golden on top.

This goes with family, a warm baguette of ciabatta bread and a big green salad!!

Enjoy!

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Luscious Lemon Squares

This absolute lemony delight is super sweet, super sour and on a buttery shortbread cookie crust...what more could you want!!  Because it's SO over the top, a small piece is totally satisfying, although it still doesn't last long around here.  Fun to make on a rainy weekend morning.

Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees

Cookie base version #1- for a rectangular pyrex pan
2 c. white flour
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, either cold or room temp is fine, salted or unsalted, not too fussy!
Version #2- half this recipe and prepare in a square pyrex.  Keep the filling recipe the same and it will be a bit thicker in the squares, also delish!

Use a pastry cutter, I LOVE mine, takes the pain out of making this and brings the flour mixture to a a perfect pea- like consistency.

PAM spray a large pyrex pan or something similar.  Pour the crust into the pan and flatten down with a spoon. Bake this for about 20-25 minutes until it looks a bit golden on the edges.

Meanwhile, make the filling:
In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp. flour, 1 tsp. baking powder and a pinch of salt.  Set aside.

In a larger bowl, combine with a whisk:
1 1/2 c. white sugar
3 eggs
1/3 freshly squeezed lemon juice

Some possible add ins: frozen or fresh cranberries or raspberries
, coconut is also great, but just plain lemon is really our sinful favorite.

Pour in the flour mixture and whisk all together.  Once the crust is done, lower the oven to 325 F. degrees. Pour the lemon filling onto the hot crust and bake for 45-50 min.  Sometimes I forget to lower the heat, in which case I cook for less time, about 35 min.  Better slow on the glow though.

These lemon squares are so ridiculously good...definitely a family favorite!

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Breakfast Bliss

This blissful breakfast is an homage to our little brunch spot on the East end where I have enjoyed many Sunday get togethers with my kids over coffee and juicy conversation.

It is the salty sweet combo of this decadent concoction that kept us going back for more and here it is...

Make a few rashers of bacon. I suppose any yummy meat would work but it needs to be fried up a bit so it isn't soggy.

Now for the French toast:
In a bowl, combine 1 or 2 eggs, a bit of milk, a good hit of cinnamon and a sprinkle of ground cardamom. This should be yellow and eggy, not overly milky. Take a slice of your favorite bread and dunk it in for a good soak, then into a non-stick pan sizzling with a pat of butter and a drop of oil (so the butter doesn't burn). On a medium heat, let this reach a golden brown and flip so both sides are cooked.

Place the French toast on a baking pan.

Make an over easy egg, not over cooked, and place it on the French toast. Then a layer of bacon.  Then the killer move...a few slices of strong cheddar cheese.

Under the broiler for a few minutes, once the cheese sizzles and is melted and golden, it is done!

Place this beauty on a dish and pour some fabulous Canadian Maple syrup on top, and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.

Get a good cafe au lait or cappuccino, and DEVOUR!  Its crazy good, really.

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BRINE THAT BIRD!

Thanksgiving...Best Brined Bad-Ass Turkey!  The "BBB"...made with love by Dad. Nothing worse than a dried out turkey, and since we only make this once a year ( I really don't know why??) the KEY is the Brine.  This 24 hour brining prep makes the bird, and works everytime. Best of all, it is Dad's ultimate gift to us all on Thanksgiving and we are so thankful!

To prep, you will need a medium size cooler that will fit the amount of liquid you will need plus the bird without overflowing. As a guideline, for an 18 pound turkey, you will need about a half a cooler full of water.

Whole Peppercorns
Whole Coriander seeds
Dried sage leaves
Dried bay leaves
2 c. Salt

1/2 c. Maple syrup

After 24 hours or so, take out the bird and rince it really well, in and out. Pat it dry.

Smush the bird with a bit of canola or olive oil, lots of pepper and cook! No salt. 

Fabulous bird, so tender and juicy. Make enough for tons of leftovers!

Cooking the bird: start the cooking process in a pre-heated oven at 425 F for about 30 minutes, uncovered.  The lower the heat to 325 F. A 15-18 pound turkey cooks for about 4 hours, basing every once in a while.  Internal temperature should be between 160-165 F. These things depend on your oven!!

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"Shiny Mood" Smoothie Bowl

This is my daughter's go to brekkie as dictated by her!!  Puts her in a shiny mood!

In a blender, blend 1 banana, 1/2 c. orange juice, 1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt. Once well mixed, add frozen mangos, about 1.5 cups.  Play with the consistency.

Pour this mixture into the serving bowl.  Make a nice design and top with fun stuff like:

Chia seeds
Coconut flakes
Toasted slivered almonds
Banana slices
Any choice of berries
Granola

Quick and easy variation: replace the smoothie base with instant oatmeal or any instant grain mix.  Cuts prep in half but has the same creamy texture.

Make it pretty and appetizing, even if just for you...then you can look at it and say "Hey!  I made that!"  Looks pretty good!!

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Fantastic Mexican Fish Stew

I am always looking for different fish preparations so we don't tire of our favorites and can mix it up.  With any white fish you like, tilapia, cod, haddock etc, this is a concoction that is a real comfort dish with tons and tons of Mexican influenced flavour. We love it!!

In a shallow pan or dish, squeeze the juice of 2 limes over any white fish fillets you enjoy.  Let them soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Par boil 2-3 small diced potatoes and keep the water once done.

In a fairly deep pan, sautee:
1 large diced onion
1 pepper, any kind you enjoy, red, orange, green...mix it up
1 or 2 jalapeno pepper, diced
A good handful of chopped cilantro, stems and leaves
3 cloves of chopped garlic (do this at the end so it doesn't burn)
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 tsp.of chipotle powder
Small can of diced tomatoes, or 2 huge spoonfuls- decide the amount of tomato to taste

To this, add a small can of white navy beans, or any beans you like. Rinse them first!

Once this is simmering and the flavours have combined, add the fish in pieces, spooning the sauce over it, and cover your pan so the fish can poach in the sauce. About 10 min or so on a simmer.

Once the fish is opaque, it is cooked.

Serve this stew in a bowl and garnish with avocado slices, chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.  Spritz lime over top for that extra freshness and zest.

This is really fantastic, bold but comforting.  Pretty "clean" eating aside from the baguette you will need to slop up the ZUMI!!!

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Terrific Asian Tuna Tartare

We first tasted this delight at our friend Jackie's as an appetizer and it has since become one of our absolute faves. The more you eat, the more you want!!

With its refreshing Asian flavors on a crunchy grainy cracker, this is such a tantalizing bite. 

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5 lbs tuna fillet, super fresh (needs lots of tuna for this amount of dressing. Pair it back if less tuna)

1/4 c toasted sesame oil 

1/4 c tamari (or soy) sauce

2 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 large French shallot, finely chopped (you could use scallion if you don't have shallots) 

1 small clove garlic, finely chopped or microplaned, even better

Salt and freshly ground pepper, 

Directions: So easy!!

With a very sharp knife, you can very finely chop the tuna fillet. However, tuna has quite a bit of white sinew streaking through so try shredding it with a spoon or a fork and avoid the sinew all together.  Place the chopped tuna in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

In a separate small bowl, add the sesame oil, tamari sauce and lime juice and mix well.  Incorporate the rest of the ingredients.  

KEY: just before serving, pour saucy sauce over the tuna and gently mix. If you mix the dressing in too early, the tuna will cure, which is not as fresh tasting. Wait! 

To serve, lime wedges and maybe some sesame seeds, basil, chive or chopped greens of a scallion to garnish.

This is that easy and the creation is just so addictive and !! I am sure this would be as delicious with salmon or a firm white fish such as snapper. Enjoy!!

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