Champagne Risotto with Wild Mushrooms

This Champagne Mushroom Risotto recipe has been a favourite of family and friends for years and it’s too good not to be shared.

Irish Potato Bread

We had the opportunity to try this Irish Potato Bread on a recent trip to Michelin-starred Aniar restaurant in Galway, Ireland.

Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Pizza

The flavour profiles of this pizza are incredible: the crispiness of the crust, the saltiness of the bacon, the savoury nature of the mushrooms and brie, and the sweetness of the onion and maple syrup combine magically to create a multi-sensory taste experience. This one will absolutely blow you away!

Traditional Irish Beef and Guinness Stew

Featuring a blend of stewing beef, bacon, fresh vegetables, the flavours of this Irish Beef and Guiness Stew build as the ingredients simmer.

Home-Churned Butter

If had known years ago that making your own churned butter was so easy, I would never have bought butter in a grocery store again.

Old Fashioned Beef Barley Soup

This is a super simple flavourful and hearty soup, perfect for a cold winter day! Serve this soup as a meal on it’s own, or for dinner after a day of outdoor activities.

Pizza Dough

I first made this pizza dough three years ago and instantly fell in love with it. It packs a lot of great flavour despite only having a few key ingredients and comes out perfectly crispy every time.

Tiramisu

I have a confession to make. The first tiramisu I ever tried was while working at a high-end Italian restaurant in Sudbury, Ontario. It was made by Magdelena – an 80+ year-old grandmother who was a master of anything Italian – especially tiramisu. It was the absolute best, and to this day I search for......

Roasted Butternut Squash and Charred Red Pepper Thai Soup

This soup has been one of my go-to recipes for a few years now. It’s sophisticated enough to be served at a formal dinner party and is easy enough to make for a simple weekend lunch. You’ll love the amazing fragrance of this recipe which will full your kitchen as you’re cooking.

Pork Larb with Tangy Thai Vinaigrette

Once you get over the seemingly strange name of this dish you’ll realize that it’s absolutely delicious. Larb, meaning “meat salad”, was once the unofficial national dish of Laos that eventually found it’s way to Thailand. I’ve substituted the traditional toasted rice that is normally part of this recipe in favour of using toasted sesame......

Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce

This homemade tomato sauce is so easy and flavourful that you might never go back to store bought. If you have the time why not go completely natural and use local, fresh vegetables, herbs and spices in your sauce. This sauce is incredibly versatile and can be used directly in a vegetarian pasta. You can also add a protein (e.g. ground beef, veal, or pork) to build a meat or Bolognese sauce, or use as a substitute for pizza sauce or topping for meatballs or chicken.

Chicken Parmigiana

There’s no other way to put it – this recipe is a comfort food classic! Built a top a crispy, juicy chicken breast and topped with zesty tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese you can’t help but fall in love with this dish. It’s simple, yet surprisingly elegant, and works perfectly as either a casual weekday main course or formal dinner party star.

Chimichurri Verde

This Chimichurri Verde is a fresh, delicious, and healthy sauce that pairs well with a variety of dishes, but is best known as a steak sauce.

Hoisin Sauce

This is another one of those recipes that may cause you to re-think ever using store-bought Hoisin sauce again. This sauce is incredibly flavourful and full of natural, fresh ingredients that will make your dishes shine. It can be served alone as a dip or a side, or be used as a main ingredient in other dishes – as we have done with our Sticky Pork Belly appetizer.

Sous Vide Pickles

For typical pickles you’d be looking at a marinating period of 4-5 weeks. With the sous vide method, we’re talking 4-5 hours. Incredible! And the end result is as crunchy and flavourful as the ones you’d need to wait for. And maybe the best part is that you can add whatever spice blend you like. For these pickles I’ve gone with a more traditional blend of garlic and dill, but feel free to experiment. I can assure you that the results will the delicious.

Loaded Fire Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

If you love hummus (or even if you don’t), you have to try this recipe. Packed with flavour and just the right amount of spice, this dish is the perfect as a afternoon snack or centrepiece to your favourite charcuterie board. Topped with fresh ingredients, this dish provides a delightful balance of creaminess and crunch. Serve with fresh bread or pita, crostini, or fresh veggies.

Sticky Pork Belly Bites

The dish provides an excellent balance between sweet, salty, and spicy and literally melts in your mouth. The addition of cucumber and carrot adds flavour and a pleasant crunch, and helps to cut down the spiciness.

Mushroom and Mozzarella Arancini

This arancini recipe takes all the flavour and goodness that you get from a risotto and adds flavour and texture by adding in creamy mozzarella, all surrounded by a crispy crust. Served with our Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce it makes a perfect appetizer for a formal dinner or addition to a charcuterie board. It’s even hearty to stand alone as a fully vegetarian main course.

Parmesan Truffle Fries

It’s quite possible that these Truffle Parmesan Fries will leave you saying “these are the best fries I’ve every had!”. I’ve actually heard that comment a few times, and I wholeheartedly agree. First, I love Parmesan cheese; second, I love truffles; and third I love french fries – so this is a match made in heaven. They are light, crispy, and full of outstanding flavours. Eat them alone as a snack, or pair them with a more sophisticated Steak Frites dish. You’ll love them!

Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Wings

We’ve been enjoying a dish very similar to this one at the very popular Pure Kitchen restaurant here in Ottawa for the past couple of years and have been trying out different ways to recreate it. We tried deep frying, sauteing, and even an air fryer method, but none of our attemps came close to the crunchy cauliflower we were trying to achieve. Usually, everything just ended up as mush, or the sauce wouldn’t stick because the breading was wrong. This needed to be rectified!

Smokey Bacon Mac & Cheese

Whether you’re a kid, or just a kid at heart, you’ll love this smokey mac and cheese recipe. It combines just the right amount of spice with a delicious, creamy cheese sauce and crispy textures, to create the ultimate comfort food. Perfect for a lazy afternoon or weekday dinner, this is a dish will definitely leave a smile on your face.

Seared Scallops with Roasted Parsnip Puree and Pomegranate

This recipe is for all the scallop lovers out there. I’ve been a huge fan of these amazing little morsels for decades and just can’t get enough of them. So when I discover a new recipe combination I get very excited! This one offers an incredibly dynamic flavour profile that highlights the creamy sweetness of......

Mango, Mozzarella and Avocado Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Regardless of the season, this Mango Mozzarella and Avocado salad is sure to please. It’s light, fresh, and satisfyingly flavourful.

Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus

If you’re looking to a quick and easy, yet somewhat sophisticated finger food, this Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus will definitely fit the bill. In fact, this might be the king of all party appetizers. The slight crunchiness and saltiness of the Prosciutto plays wonderfully with the zesty cheese and the citrus and acids from the lemon and vinegar. It’s been a go-to in our house for years and had graced our table at many of our favourite events.

Whipped Feta Cucumber Bites

These whipped feta cucumber bites are fresh and light and make for a perfect weekend or afternoon tea appetizer. It will definitely remind you of summertime and pairs beautifully with a nice Pinot Grigio.

Zesty Dill BBQ Sauce

I am completely obsessed with this new Zesty Dill BBQ Sauce recipe. Not only is it full of flavour, but it’s also incredibly versatile.

Crispy Chicken Fingers

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love chicken fingers! This is one of my all-time favourite comfort foods. There’s just something so simple about a chicken finger – maybe it’s the lack of utensils – and they always seem to bring me back to my childhood. This particular recipe is one that I’ve......

Smoked Trout with Orange Maple Drizzle

This Smoked Trout with Orange Maple Drizzle is tender, flaky, and incredibly flavourful, as well as super easy to prepare.

Best BBQ Burgers

Burgers are probably the one thing that I’ve been cooking my entire life – even going back to my highschool days working at Burger King. For me, a burger is one of those essential foods that I’ve really tried to master. They are pure comfort food – perhaps the first true comfort food! This recipe......

Simple Steak Marinade

This steak marinade is simple yet effective. It tastes great and takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare. Try it with your favourite cuts of beef, or check out our Flank Steak Chimichurri recipe for a great option.

Spicy Salsa Roja

I wouldn’t consider my family to be huge fans of spicy foods, but I can honestly say that they have come to love this Spicy Salsa Roja. Simply meaning “red sauce”, this recipe combines fresh tomatoes, lemon, ginger, and garlic with toasted sesame, red onion, and soy to create an excellent flavour profile that will......

Sourdough English Muffins

A lot of people will tell you to use your “leftover sourdough starter” to make English muffins, but in my opinion these are good enough to warrant the full batch. Around our house these muffins are a breakfast staple and are perfect either on their own with a Home Churned Butter, or as part of......

Chicken Piccata

My love for Chicken Picatta goes all the way back to when I was waiting tables during my university days. I worked in an authentic Italian restaurant and from time to time we’d get treated to this wonderful dish for our staff meal. I’ve probably been making the recipe for my family and friends for......

Scallop Spaghetti with White Wine Garlic Cream Sauce

If you’re looking to take your ordinary spaghetti to a new level, then this recipe will do the trick. If you’re like me, I absolutely love to cook with scallops. These sweet, tender morsels pair so well with just about anything. And they are especially great with creamy sauces, such as the white wine and......

Campfire Beef Chili

I have to admit that I had a really difficult time naming this recipe. Usually I like to add some kind of adjective that helps to describe a dish, like “spicy”, “smokey”, or “crispy”. And sometimes this includes a detail about how the dish is cooked – like “seared”, “whipped”, or “home-churned”. But in this......

Sourdough Honey Cinnamon Buns

Topped with a super delicious cream cheese icing, these sourdough honey cinnamon buns are a perfect breakfast bite, afternoon snack, or post-dinner dessert. They offer a unique mix of spice, sweetness, and crispy texture and you’ll find it hard to eat just one.

Beurre Blanc

This classic French beurre blanc (or literally “white butter”) was actually an accidental creation of Chef Clémence Lefeuvre dating back to the early 1900s. As the story goes, the sauce was created when she forgot to add egg yolks and tarragon while preparing Béarnaise sauce. And boy are we glad she did! This sauce is......

Spinach and Lemon Risotto

I have always been a big fan of risotto. I’ve been making it for years and it’s become one of my staple side dishes – especially when I’m looking to impress my friends and family. Yes, it does take a bit of work, but I’ve never made a risotto that wasn’t worth the effort. This......

Cod Beurre Blanc

I have to admit right from the start that I’m not a huge fish lover. Sure, I love a good smoked fish, but outside of that I can’t remember the last time that I actually ordered fish from restaurant menu. This said, this might be the best fish recipe I’ve had in recent memory. The......

Sourdough Crusty Rolls

This is yet another great use of a sourdough starter. This recipe gets a little help from regular yeast, but yields all that great flavour that you’re used to getting from sourdough. I really like it because it also has a touch of sweetness that reminds me of the “Sticky Buns” that my Great-Grandmother used......

Smoked Trout Mousse

This dish builds off the amazing smoked trout technique featured in our Smoked Trout with Orange Maple Drizzle recipe that we featured back in March 2020. It uses the same basic marinade and smoking method, but presents the fish in a new and exciting way. I’ve made this appetizer on several occasions and each time......

Blueberry Sourdough Scones

I’m usually not a big fan of sweets – especially for breakfast – but the first time I tried these blueberry sourdough scones I was hooked. Drizzled with sweet, lemony goodness these scones are surprisingly light and buttery, and are bursting with fresh berry flavour. They are perfect as part of breakfast feast and can......

White Bean and Porketta Soup

I always like to use leftovers from a big meal to make soup. One of my absolute favourite things to do is make turkey and rice soup the day after Christmas or Thanksgiving, or pea soup with ham after Easter. I find it to be so incredibly nourishing and healthy, and is a perfect way......

Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mau)

This is a popular street food that literally translates to “drunken noodles” because they are thought to help cure hangovers.

Four Cheese and Bacon Perogies

I don’t know why, but for me perogies have always seemed like some kind of delicacy. As a kid I remember how special it seemed to feel to have perogies for dinner – frozen, never fresh, of course. Maybe it was the cool bag they came in or the fact that we got to have......

Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Ice Cream

With summer right around the corner our thoughts are starting to turn to warmer days and sunny treats. In our family, delicious ice cream is one of the first things that comes to mind, and whether it be an early Spring trip to Dairy Queen or making something homemade, it always brings a smile to......

Chia Crusted Ahi Tuna with Lime, Cilantro and Avocado

This might be one of the most complete fish dishes I’ve ever put together in terms of the overall flavour profile. I love the way soft and elegant Ahi tuna pairs with the crunchy and slightly nutty chia seeds. The buttery avocado also adds an additional dimension of both flavour and texture. And finally, the......

Four Mushroom and Garlic Soup

I know I say this a lot, but this Roasted Mushroom and Garlic soup is one of my favourite recipes. Strangely, I consider it to be the “mullet” of my recipe collection – business up front and party in the back. Or more specifically, it can just as easily be served as a gourmet opening......

Classic Sourdough Bread

There’s just something so satisfying about making fresh bread. Some would say that it’s the amazing smell that fills the house when it’s baking, others would argue that it’s the outstanding freshness of loaves when you eat them. I’d like to say that it’s both – and then some. For me, I think it’s also......

Caesar Dressing with Capers

When I was about 14 years old a family friend taught me how to make classic Caesar salad dressing from scratch. To this day I can recall the tedious crushing of garlic cloves, the squeezing of lemons, and the delicate slicing of anchovies. That recipe has stuck with me, as has the fresh and tangy......

Backpacker Salad

This Backpacker Salad is full of fresh, crispy goodness and brimming with healthy ingredients that are key for refuelling after a busy day.

Apple Poppy Seed Slaw with Sprouts

Nothing says summer like a really good salad – in this case a really good coleslaw. This recipe actually became an instant family favourite and is now one of my go-to salads for warm weather days. The crisp, sweet taste of apple works perfectly with the raw cabbage, carrots, and sprouts. The lemon poppy seed......

Pea Purée with Tarragon and Truffle

In my opinion, pureed vegetables are extremely underrated. I find that they allow you to take advantage of the fresh flavour of the vegetables, while allowing room to add new, exiting flavour elements to the overall profile. And not only do they go perfectly with pretty much anything, they are super simple to make. I’ve......

Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Although I’ve “modernized” this Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe – it has definitely stood the test of time.

Crispy Potato Croquettes

This recipe is my take on re-creating a memorable dish from La Strada restaurant in Ottawa, These croquettes are perfectly crispy on the outside and tender and savory on the inside and I think I’ve found the right balance of textures and flavours to represent it well.

Sweet Pea and Ricotta Crostinis

Although I think this dish is best suited for summer dining, it is definitely refined enough to be served all year round. We actually made this for New Year’s Eve a couple of years ago and it was a huge hit. The lightness of the ricotta is a perfect accompaniment to the fresh peas and crispy crostini. Overall, this is an incredibly quick and easy dish that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Roasted Garlic Potato Leek Soup

One of our favourite seasonal recipes is this Roasted Garlic Potato Leek Soup which always leaves a smile on our faces.

Honey Roasted Carrots with Smoked Yogurt

This Honey Roasted Carrots with Smoked Yogurt recipe was inspired by a recent trip to Ireland which highlighted the amazing possibilities.

The Great Canadian Butter Tart

These Butter Tarts are the perfect combination of sweetness and texture, with just the right hint of maple to make them truly Canadian.

Creamy Corn Chowder

The recipe itself is simple enough to pull off and the Mexican accents of this soup make it a perfect choice for either a warm summer evening, or cold winter night. It’s ready to be loaded up with tasty toppings – lime, cotija cheese, cilantro, fried tortilla – and can easily be made more hearty with the addition of spicy chicken or seafood.

Keto Egg Cups

These Keto Egg Cups are full of flavour and packed with all of the great ingredients you would expect to find in a Keto-friendly dish.

Perfect Pizza Sauce

Forget about that canned sauce and give this Perfect Pizza Sauce a try. Your pizza will be so glad you did!

Dark Chocolate Keto Clusters

The rich chocolate, flaky coconut, and crunchy seeds really come together nicely in this Dark Chocolate Keto Cluster treat.

Creamy Parmesan Dill Dressing

If you’re looking for an easy, quick dressing that’s extremely delicious, then you need to try this Creamy Parmesan Dill Dressing recipe.

Spinach and Mozzarella-Stuffed Pork and Bacon Meatballs

This Stuffed Pork and Bacon Meatball recipe is based on a family favourite, but introduces some new protein and flavour combinations.

Caramelized Onion and Three Mushroom Soup

This Caramelized Onion Soup is packed with great unami flavour and incorporates a perfect amount of saltiness and texture.

Hand-Chopped Rustic Tapenade

I’m in love with the flavour and texture that you get with a good olive, and love it even more when they are combined in a rustic tapenade!

Porketta Galettes with Dill BBQ Sauce and Apple Mustard Chutney

This Porketta Galettes recipe is definitely worth the effort and even the most extreme porketta purists absolutely love this preparation.

Bison and Leek Chili

My appreciation of bison has grown exponentially. It works perfectly in this Bison and Leek Chili and takes the dish to a new level.

Honey-Infused Fig Jam

I’ve never been a huge fan of jam, but when I stumbled upon this recipe a few years back I was instantly hooked. The jam highlights the wonderful natural sweetness of the fig and exposes hints of honey and vanilla, all in a silky, yet textured, consistency. I use this jam with pretty much everything,......

Lemongrass Cream

I first tried this Lemongrass Cream while on a foodie adventure in Vancouver. It’s rich and velvety, with a subtle explosion of lemongrass!

Garlic and Parmesan Creamed Spinach

This Garlic and Parmesan Creamed Spinach blends all the great things about spinach into something better, adding huge layers of complexity.

Apple Mustard Chutney

This particular Apple Mustard Chutney made it’s debut on our Christmas Eve table a few years ago and has become a mainstay ever since.

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream

This Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream is smooth and silky, while offering up some unexpected texture from the frozen strawberry.

Sundried Tomato and Basil Pesto

This Sundried Tomato and Basil Pesto ranks right up there in my top favourites and elevates the goodness that you find a regular basil pesto.

Watermelon Gazpacho

This Watermelon Gazpacho might be the perfect summer soup, but is also versatile enough to be showcased at any time of the year.

Deconstructed Egg Rolls

We’ve taken your traditional egg roll and deconstructed it. The result is an incredibly flavourful, healthy dish with added crispiness.

Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies

For this Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookie recipe we’ve combined our original Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies with delicious Irish Cream!

Pickle de Gallo

This “pickle” de gallo recipe – or pickle salsa – beautifully integrates pickle flavour and texture into a standard salsa.

Pickle Caesar

I usually don’t post too many cocktail recipes, but I thought I’d make an exception for this one. There’s nothing better than a really great Caesar, and this Pickle Caesar recipe elevates the traditional cocktail to a new level.

Taco Seasoning

This taco seasoning recipe is super easy and provides a great blend of heat and smokiness that’s perfect for tacos, fajitas, and burritos.

Dill Pickle Cheese Ball

This Dill Pickle cheese ball offers up everything that you would expect, with some added crunch and zestiness from the pickles.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

This Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza recipe builds on some of the recipes that you’ve come to love and adds in some delicious new surprises!

Roasted Potato and Garlic Salad

Just in time for summer BBQing season, this is certain to be one of the best potato salads you’ll ever taste!

Roasted Carrot Hummus

This Roasted Carrot Hummus recipe subtly combines roasted carrots with your traditional hummus flavours, and adds honey for added sweetness.

Green Goddess Dressing

With summer salad season in full swing, my wife and I have fallen in love with Green Goddess Dressing. We’ve been buying so much of it that I figured “why not just make our own?”. So, we put our heads together and have come up with what we think is pretty amazing take on this......

Tuna Tartare on Crispy Rice

I’ve been working on this Tuna Tartare on Crispy Rice recipe for a while now and think that it has the perfect mix of flavour and texture.

Miso Parmesan Potatoes

This Miso Parmesan Potato recipe works great with any dish. The potatoes are silky and savory, with just the right amount of texture.

Black Bean Salmon Burgers

This Black Bean Salmon Burger is so good that it ranks right up there with some of our favourite beef and pork burgers.

Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream

As far as ice cream recipes go, this Lemon and Blueberry Ice Cream combination is one of the best I’ve tried so far.

Pickled Tomato Pork Meatballs

Wow! I’ve been experimenting with how to use our new Sundried + Tarragon tomatoes in various recipes and this one turned out so well that I just had to share. The addition of full, pickled tomatoes and pickle brine to the ground pork results in what could be the most tender and delicious meatball that......

Thai Coconut Mussels

After a couple of trials I arrived at this Thai Coconut Mussels recipe, which – judging from the reaction of our guests – is spot on.

Smoked Guacamole

This super-easy Smoked Guacamole recipe is a fresh, and healthy side dishes that I find myself craving from time to time.

Limoncello Tiramisu

Despite the departure from the much-revered tradition, the addition of lemony goodness to this Limoncello Tiramisu definitely hits the mark.

Tourtière Egg Rolls

I always try to make classic French tourtière over the holidays. The dish works perfectly for larger crowds and highlights come of the traditional flavours of Christmas (cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon). This year I had a idea to make this dish fully portable – the Tourtière Egg Roll! Paired with a tasty jus for dipping, this......

Tomato Consommé

Over the course of the last couple of years I’ve increasingly come across restaurant menus and recipes that call for consommés. In each case, the results have been fantastic, each adding a elegant and flavourful aspect to the dish. And the best part is that consommés are fairly easy and straightforward to make. This Tomato......

Leek Soup with Matchstick Potatoes

This silky, creamy Leek Soup with Matchstick Potatoes offers the perfect combination of tangy yogurt, salty potatoes, and fresh herbs.

Pickle Brine Fried Chicken

I’ve only recently started to brine my chicken prior to frying. I’m happy to say that the results have been impressive! This Pickle Brine Fried Chicken highlights the impact that a quick and simple brine will have on your dish, yielding an incredibly moist and flavourful chicken with a delicious, crispy coating. As a result,......

Chicken Souvlaki

I can’t get enough of the zesty herb and citrus flavours that come to the forefront of this Chicken Souvlaki recipe.

Scallop Crudo with Citrus Vinaigrette

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about eating raw scallops the first time I heard about them. Didn’t our parents always teach us not to eat raw seafood?? Concerns aside, I can also say that I’ve been a huge lover of scallops for years, so I was very intrigued by this......
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