Deep Fried Portobello Mushrooms with Greek Yogurt Dip

I don’t know why, but lately we’ve been eating a lot of deep fried foods. It could be because we got a new deep fryer and we’ve been playing with it. (This also explains the additional 5lbs I’ve put on!) This recipe makes a nice appetizer, although you couldn’t make them ahead of time, they would lose any crunch if they sit. Serve them right away with the cool and refreshing greek yogurt dip. If you feel any guilt about eating fried food, get over it. These are worth a try. 

2 Portobello Mushrooms

1/4 cup flour

1 egg whisked

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Salt & Pepper

Oil for frying

Clean the mushrooms and slice into 4 slices.

Lay out the flour, whisked egg and breadcrumbs into separate bowls. Add S&P to the breadcrumbs.

Dredge each mushroom slice into the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Deep fry in the pre-heated oil and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt with a handful of chopped parsley and salt and pepper. 

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

This dip is my favourite. I love me some sun-dried tomatoes.

4 tbsp finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (if using oil packed, pat all oil off first)

1 pkg light cream cheese

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 cup Mayonnaise

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1/2 clove of garlic

1. Place all but basil into a food processor and process until well-blended. Add basil and mix until blended. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Spinach Dip

Easy and delicious.

1 pkg light cream cheese, softened

1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach

1 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 tsp minced garlic

1. Combine all ingredients until well-blended. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Mustard-Roasted Potatoes

Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. A hint of tangy mustard melds perfect with salty roasted potatoes. A fabulous side dish for any occasion.

This recipe is courtesy of Ian Garten’s “Barefoot Contessa At Home”. 

2 1/2lbs small red potatoes

2 yellow onions

3 tbsp good olive oil

2 tbsp whole grain mustard

kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Cut the potatoes in halves or quarters, depending on their size and place them on a sheet pan.  Remove the end of the onions, peel them, and cut them in half. Slice them crosswise in 1/4 thick slices to make half rounds. Toss the onions and potatoes together on the sheet pan. Add the olive oil, mustard, 2 tsp salt, and the pepper and toss them together. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are lightly browned on the outside and tender on the inside. Toss the potatoes from time to time with a metal spatula so they brown evenly. Serve hot sprinkled with the chopped parsley and a little extra salt.

Serves 6

Ricotta Fritta Con Piccola Insalata Di Pomodori

(Fried Ricotta with a Little Tomato Salad)

This recipe is from Jamie Oliver “Jamie’s Italy” (2006).

This is seriously light, fresh, fluffy and silky. I loved it. I could it eat it everyday. I really don’t know what else to say about it. So yummy. A must try!

1lb good crumbly ricotta cheese

2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

1 1/2 tbsp flour

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg

a handful of mixed ripe tomatoes

2 sprigs of fresh basil

1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped

extra virgin olive oil

good red wine vinegar

olive oil

nutmeg, for serving

1. Mix the ricotta with the parmesan, flour, a good pinch of salt, and the egg. Season with a little freshly ground black pepper and place in the fridge.
2. Halve the tomatoes, squeeze out the seeds, and discard them. Chop the flesh up into small chunks and drain off excess liquid. Chop the stems of the basil finely and tear the leaves up roughly, then add to the tomatoes with the chili. Season with salt and pepper, a glug of good extra virgin olive oil, and a small swig of good red wine vinegar.
3. Put a nonstick pan on medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Drop a few spoonfuls of the ricotta mix into the pan - make sure not to overcrowd it; the pieces shouldn’t be touching. Fry the ricotta cakes for a couple of minutes or until golden brown, then carefully turn them using a broad, flat knife or a fish server and fry them on the other side for a further minute.
4. Serve at once, with a light sprinkling of sea salt, a little nutmeg (grated from height), and a good spoonful of the chopped tomatoes on the side. Drizzle over a little peppery extra virgin olive oil and grate over some parmesan. Eat while crisp and warm!

Marinated Feta-and-Sun-Dried Tomato Bites

This show-stopper of a recipe comes courtesy of Chatelaine Recipes “Easy Holiday Cooking”. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love cheese and I love Mediterranean flavours. I also like simple. This recipe was simple to put together and the flavours are gorgeous. 

 I will make one serious suggestion to improve this recipe for yourselves. Do not add 2 large garlic cloves. This was way too garlicky with 2 cloves. Go for 1 clove only. You will thank me.

Marinated Feta-and-Sun-Dried Tomato Bites

1/4 cup very finely diced, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp finely chopped, pitted kalamata olives

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes (optional)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 oz coarsely crumbled feta cheese, about 1 1/3cups

2 small English cucumbers

1. In a bowl, stir tomatoes with basil, olives, vinegar, pepper, chili flakes, if using, garlic and oil. Add cheese and stir to evenly coat. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 2 days for flavours to meld.
2. Drag tines of fork down sides of each cucumber to make ridges. Then cut cucumbers in 1/2 inch slices. Using a melon baller or small spoon, create a bowl in centre of each slice. Pat each slice dry and store in refrigerator until needed, up to 1 day. Then spoon enough tomato mixture into each cucumber cup to make a nicely rounded serving. Arrange on a platter. It’s best to serve right away but if making ahead, loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cucumber softens as it sits, but will be fine if left up to 4 hours.

Makes approx. 36 hor d’oeuvre

Ricotta Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms

One of my favourites. If you have been to my house for a dinner party, you have eaten these. Easy, light, beautiful and flavourful.

• 12 Cremini mushrooms
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• Rind of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp. oregano
• Freshly grated pepper
• Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Remove stems from mushrooms.
3. Mix together ricotta, lemon rind, oregano and pepper.
4. Stuff the mushrooms. Sprinkle with parmesan.
5. Bake for approx. 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.

Goat Cheese Toasts

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love Goat Cheese. Yum Yum, yummy. This is my idea of Heaven. No doubt.

• 1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 4 tbsp. pesto
• 2 tbsp. sun-dried tomato paste
• 4 plum tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 140g Goat Cheese, sliced thinly
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• Thyme (dried or fresh)

1. Preheat boiler. Place baguette slices on a baking tray and broil until lightly toasted on both sides.
2. Spread pesto and tomato paste evenly onto toasts.
3. Lay tomato slice onto toast, add slice of goat cheese, add a few pine nuts and sprinkle with thyme. Drizzle olive oil onto all. 
4. Place toasts under broiler until pine nuts turn golden and cheese is warm and slightly melty.

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

This recipe is from “Barefoot Contessa at Home” by Ina Garten. My best friend gave me this book as a Christmas gift and it is a beautiful book. The pictures are gorgeous and the recipes are quintessentially Ina Garten. They are filled with butter and cheese and east coast style. My only complaint is that the recipes scream “summer”. I read the cookbook from cover to cover and then cooked nothing from it. The snow has now melted, the tulips are coming up and I’m now excited to try some recipes from this cookbook. This is the first recipe I’ve tried and it is beautiful. This is a French twist on lasagna. It is elegant and bursting with rich flavour. So lovely.

• Kosher Salt
• Good olive oil
• 3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
• 4 cups whole milk
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tbsp salt and splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
2. For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.
3. Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushroom cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.
4. To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of a 8x12x2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then one-third of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Repeat two more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and cheese. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. 
5. Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

Tomato Omelette Envelopes

Delicious omelettes, filled to capacity with warm tomato, onion and melting Camembert cheese. Simple and lovely. This recipe can make either 2 HUGE omelettes or 4 normal sized omelettes.

This recipe is courtesy of “15 Minute Vegetarian” by Matthew Drennan.

• 1 small onion, cut in thin wedges
• 4 tomatoes, cut in thin wedges
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp snipped chives (or 1 tsp dried basil)
• 4 oz Camembert cheese, rinded and diced
• salt and pepper

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in frying pan. Cook onion for 2 minutes over moderate heat. Raise the heat and add the tomatoes. Cook for a further 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
2. Beat the eggs with the herbs in a bowl. Add S&P to taste. Heat the remaining oil in an omelette pan. Add half the egg mixture and tilt the pan to spread thinly. Cook for 1 minute, flip the omelette and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from pan and make 2nd omelette. 
3. Return the tomato mixture to high heat. Add the cheese and toss the mixture over the heat for 1 minute until the cheese starts to melt. 
4. Divide mixture between the omelettes and fold them over. Serve at once.

Potato Carrot Mash

This is a great little side dish when you're feeling too lazy to make both a starch and a vegetable. This is a starch and vegetable together as one! It's pretty tasty too!

Potato Carrot Mash

- 2 medium red potatoes

- 2 medium carrots

- basil (fresh or dried)

- salt & pepper

- margerine or butter

1. Cut up the potatoes and carrots and boil in salted water for approx 20 minutes, until soft.

2. Drain the water. Add butter and mash up, like mashed potatoes. Add basil and S&P. 

Serves 4.

Lemon and Parmesan Capellini with Herb Bread

This recipe comes courtesy of “15 Minute Vegetarian” cookbook. Along time ago I was a vegetarian. I wasn’t a good vegetarian as I never could get all my proper proteins and ended up looking kinda sickly. So I decided to go back to eating meat after 5 years. I still like to cook vegetarian though. I’m just as happy to have meat only once or twice a week. This is a simple, lemony, garlicy dish that’s sure to please. You will not miss the meat.

1/2 multigrain baguette

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano) (Dried works too)

Good handful of dried or fresh capellini

1 cup single cream

3 oz parmesan, grated

finely grated rind of 1 lemon

salt & pepper

1. Preheat over to 400deg F. Cut the baguette into thick slices.
2. Put the butter in a bowl and beat with the garlic had herbs. Spread thickly over each slice of bread.
3. Reassemble the baguette. Wrap in foil, support on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile cook your pasta.
5. Pour the cream into another pan and bring to the boil. Stir in Parmesan and lemon rind. The sauce should thicken in about 30 seconds.
6. Drain pasta, return it to the pan and toss with the sauce. Season to taste and sprinkle with a little chopped fresh parsley and grated lemon rind, if desired. Serve with hot bread. 

Serves 2

Endive with Cranberry Cinnamon Goat Cheese

The title says it all. There's really no recipe to post here. I simply purchased the cranberry cinnamon goat cheese and stuck it into endive. The sweetness of the cheese takes away some of the bitterness of the endive. It also looks pretty on a plate. :)

Glazed Carrots & Parsnips

Super simple rich side dish.


3 large carrots, halved, quartered and cut to 3 inch long
3 parsnips, halved, quartered and cut into 3 inch long
Good pat of butter
2 tablespoons orange juice


Melt the butter in a pan on low heat. Add the carrots and parsnips, turn up the heat and saute until the vegetables are soft. Add the orange juice and saute until caramelized.


Serves 4

Gratin of Potatoes, Shallots and Sage

This is a lovely side dish. The sweetness of the shallots and the pine flavour the sage complement this rich potato gratin.

3lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled

1/4 cup butter

2 cups whipping cream

2 cups milk

6 shallots, chopped

1/4 cup sliced fresh sage

4 cloves garlic

1. Preheat oven to 400deg F. Thinly slice potatoes. Butter a 13x9 inch baking dish.
2. Combine cream, milk, shallots, sage and garlic in a pot. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Strain, reserving both vegetables and liquid separately.
3. Make a single layer of potatoes in dish. Season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle over some shallot mixture. Repeat layers. Pour over liquid. Press potatoes down to make sure the liquid comes to the top. If not add more cream. Dot with butter.
4. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until potatoes are tender and liquid is absorbed.

Serves 8

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

This is a very easy recipe. It’s sweet and tasty and was a fabulous fall soup to start a big turkey dinner.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 small onion

Kosher Salt

2 sprigs thyme

1 medium butternut squash soup, peeled and cubed

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)

Freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon of salt. Strip the thyme leaves into the pot, increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and sugar and cook, stirring, until glazed, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Puree until smooth with either an immersion blender or traditional blender. Stir in heavy cream, if desired. Season with salt and pepper and top as desired.

I topped with small pieces of bacon, fresh sage leaves and I roasted off the butternut squash seeds with salt and pepper and placed a few on top of the soup.

I made everything ahead of time and when I was ready to serve, I heated the soup up, added the cream and topped in the bowls.

Caramelized Onion Crostini

This is one of my original recipes. It’s sweet, it’s tangy, it’s crunchy and delicious. It’s also easy and will be a crowd pleaser. Just double or triple the recipe for more people. Enjoy!

2 med. yellow onions, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 tbsp butter

Drizzle of olive oil

Half of a Baguette (French, ciabatta, home made onion bread)

1/4 cup finely grated Goat-Gouda Cheese (Mozzarella with work too)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup peach preserves (or apricot jam)

1. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over med heat. Break up the onions and add to the pan. Stir the onions until they are covered in the butter. Turn heat to low-med and put a lid on the pan and leave alone for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir, and leave another 10 minutes. Add the thyme and vinegar, stir and cook another minute. Remove from heat.
2. Prepare the bread; slice to 1/4 inch thick, brush with olive oil both sides, and toast under the broiler until both sides are nice a toasty.
3. Evenly distribute the preserves onto each crostini, add the onions and cheese. 
4. Broil until the cheese melts and everything is hot again.

Serves 2 hungry people.

Warm Green Onion and Tomato Salad

This is a super easy, tasty, warm salad that uses amazing fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. Sometimes simple is best. Enjoy!

Warm Green Onion and Tomato Salad

2 bunches green onions, trimmed and whole

4 or 5 Campari size tomatoes, quartered

Handful of Parsley, torn

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive oil and Butter

Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

Add some olive oil and butter into a frying pan and warm up. Add your green onions and wilt for about 5 minutes. 

Place the green onions on a plate and put your tomato quarters on top. Toss on some parsley and drizzle with a little balsamic and season to taste.