Starters & Snacks

There are as many ways to pile flavour on a slice of crisp bread as there are cooks. Here are some ideas to help you find your favourite!

Smoked salmon is the ultimate party guest. It’s versatile, gets along with lots of other ingredients and always adds a luxurious twist to the proceedings. It’s also easy to work with because you’re limited only by your imagination.

This fun snack is a tasty way to add some healthy flavour to a lunchbox or your table. It’s one of our family favourites partly because it’s so easy to make.

Mussels travel with their own built-in sauce base. They’re easy to steam and, when you do, they release a flavourful broth that many connoisseurs swear is the best part. That broth can be flavoured any way you want, so mussels are also a great ingredient to freestyle with.

In Arabic, the word “hummus” means chickpeas. In the world of food, hummus is a dip or spread made from a purée of chickpeas, tahini, lemon, olive oil and garlic. It’s very easy to make, very tasty and very healthy. It’s a convenient snack and a frequent guest at our table.

Fresh cultured blue mussels are easy to cook as well as being a healthy and easy meal option. They’re quick and tasty and can be eaten right out of the pot or used in a variety of recipes. Before you start cooking, you should always give your mussels a quick rinse. Cultured blue mussels are pre-cleaned so that’s really all you need to do. The fresh water will cause the mussels to close. If there are any that don’t close give them a quick tap, if they still don’t close at least partially, simply discard them.

Foccacia is essentially a large slab of bread baked with lots of savoury Mediterranean flavours both in and out of the dough. Herbs, cheese, olives. Tasty.

In the fall, when apples are in peak season, I always make a giant batch or two of applesauce and freeze it. It’s one of my favourite things to do in the kitchen with my son Gabe. Then, all winter long, we’re reminded of our favourite season.

If a perfect basket of crisp fried wings isn’t a treat than I don’t know what is!

The first time I tossed a perfectly good watermelon with olive oil people thought I was nuts - until they tried it. The combination may sound a bit odd but once you taste it you’ll be hooked too.

Every fall when locally grown squash and apples appear in the farmers market I make this dish. It shows how well ingredients that grow together go together. That’s why it tastes so good!

A well-crafted smoothie tastes so good you’ll forget it’s good for you! It’s one of my favourite ways to fill a glass with energy, nutrients and flavour. Use it to kick off your day - everyday - with the goodness of fruit. At heart, it’s just flavoured fruit puree so it’s easy to make. It’s also easy to jazz up with other healthy goodies like flax seed oil, yogurt or berries.