Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Salad

One very busy day over the summer when I was back south for appointments, I didn’t have time to make a veggie wrap (my favourite go to lunch item on the run) in the morning so I popped in to Denninger’s (a local  deli/European food market) to rummage through their prepared food aisle.  I came across this salad and after scarfing half of it down in the car (the other half saved for dinner), I vowed to recreate it.  Now that the apparent heat wave of summer is over, I can turn the oven back on for roasting fall veggies.  … Read more...

Vegetarian Fajitas for my Sweetpea

Yes, for my darling daughter the vegetarian.  She is coming up to the Homestead for a week and I need to feed her since her hubby will not be around for the entire trip.  Coming up with new and exciting recipes for her to be a guinea pig for can be a challenge, but knowing her likes and dislikes, I have pretty much made her stuff she has not turned her nose up at….yet.

Today’s dinner was Vegetarian Fajitas.  Super simple to make in less than 30 minutes with stuff you most likely already have in your fridge.  Kitchen Tip: … Read more...

Low Fat Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins

As promised from my last post.  Here is the recipe for the low fat cinnamon apple muffins I made.  Not a stitch of butter, shortening or oil in this recipe.  The secret is the addition of fat-free sour cream. They are moist, delicious and you can swap out the apples for any other fruit….blueberries, rhubarb, strawberries, whatever tickles your fancy.

WW Apple MuffinsLow Fat Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup ground flax
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp … Read more...

Sabores Mexicanos de Sobras

Mexican Flavours from Leftovers

Sounds better in Spanish 🙂

I wasn’t going to do a post today as I don’t have a whole lot of time to devote to my blog lately with packing underway for the big move, but I threw a Mexican meal together last night and posted a photo on Facebook and someone asked for the recipe so here it is.  If I had known I was going to be doing a post about it, I would have staged the plate a little better.

Beef Enchiladas

Shredded Beef Enchiladas with Mexican Red Rice and Guacamole

Enchilada Filling:

1. Prepare … Read more...

Uno’s Shroom Pizza

What is the craziest thing you have ever done for a favourite restaurant dish?

Me? I just drove 300 km one way for a pizza…and not just any pizza, but Uno’s Chicago Grill’s famous ‘Shroom Deep Dish Pizza.  This pizza is the BEST pizza I have ever eaten, and if you love mushrooms, then you will LOVE the ‘Shroom Pizza.  You see, several years ago, they took it off their menu and I was devastated.  I even emailed the company at the time to pitch a fit and it didn’t help.

Then, a few weeks ago, hubby told me that … Read more...

Pancake Tuesday Rocks!

Today is Shrove Tuesday…aka Pancake Tuesday.  Which is the day to stuff yourself silly before Lent.  I accomplished step one.  As for Lent, I don’t normally partake in the practice, being that I have a hard time giving up anything for longer than 5 minutes.  I may participate this year in the chocolate department….I said *MAY*…I will decide later, but right now, let’s get on with the totally awesome-good-for-you pancakes I made this morning.

DSC02812Healthy Whole Grain & Nut Pancakes

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Whole Rolled Oats
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp Ground Flax
1/2 Chopped Walnuts
2 tsp … Read more...

Stuffed Poblanos With Red Mole Sauce

¡Buenos Dias Todo! (Good Morning All!)

¡Bienvenidos a mi clase de cocina! (Welcome to my cooking class!)

Today we are making stuffed poblanos cooked in a rich and earthy red mole (moh-LAY) sauce.  The flavours are out of this world.  With every bite, your taste buds will be doing a happy dance.

So let’s get started as this recipe has a few components that have to be done separately.   I made the rice, salsa roja and red mole sauce  prior and used them in other ways but don’t let the long list of instructions scare you as they all come … Read more...

¡Hola!

¡Bienvenidos a Mexico!

DSC01147 DSC01214¿Como está Ustedes?  ¿Bien?…¿Muy Bien?…¿Maravilloso?

Ok, enough of the Spanish, but I am still on Mexican time after having just returned a couple days ago from the land of sun, sand, clear skies and clear blue-turquoise waters.  Oh and HEAT…did I mention the HEAT?  If not, let me assure you, there was HEAT!  Much better than this minus crap we have been having in arctic cold Canada.

Holidays are a great time to clear the head, enjoy the company of your loved ones, experience awesome food, great scenery and to laze around and do nothing but expand … Read more...

Leftovers Turkey Tortilla Soup

Happy New Year!!!

All the best to all my loyal readers for 2015.

I know it has been a crazy long time since I posted, but in my defense (such as it is), I was hogtied to the stove, the retail shopping cart and Christmas hoopla for the last 3 weeks of December.

It is now January and I have been on an organizational/cleaning spree the past couple weeks as we are getting the house ready for the market.  Don’t worry, this is not the Northern Homestead going up for sale (banish the thought!), but the Southern one.  There … Read more...

Ukrainian Varenyky (Perogie)

As we approach Christmas at a speed that can only be compared to a Japanese super rail train hurtling through the countryside with an avalanche of hot lava on its heels,  one of the very few things I actually look forward to at Christmas is making Varenyky.   More commonly known as Perogies if you are from Poland or Pelmeni if you are from Russia.  They are a common eastern European dumpling filled with a wide variety of ingredients indigenous to their countries of origin with either cheese, meat, fruit and sauerkraut being the norm.

There are variations in using the … Read more...