Recipes

An omelette is a great way to start your day but it’s also right at home on the dinner table. Farm-fresh eggs, cheddar cheese and aromatic herbs are all you need to create an elegant, simple meal. Some purists insist that the perfect omelette must never colour, but I prefer the flavour that a touch of browning adds.

Shrimp is the most popular seafood in North America, and topped with cocktail sauce is one of the most popular ways to serve it. This super-simple method cooks the shrimp and makes the sauce at the same time. For best results and a great sustainable choice, purchase shrimp from North America where its harvest is subject to strict regulations. Imported shrimp is often raised or trawled in a very irresponsible manner.

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.

This soup is like culinary alchemy: creating gold from virtually nothing. It’s amazing how much flavour you can coax out of an onion with patience. Taking the time to slowly brown an onion is one of the most satisfying things you can do in the kitchen. It’s the key to the rich, deep flavour in a bowl of true onion soup.

The earthy flavour of mushrooms is at its best puréed into this soup. This soup’s rich hearty flavour will easily satisfy your mushroom craving, and there’s enough for seconds or leftovers. It also shows off how well meaty mushrooms and red wine go together.

Brunch Bake

Brown Rice with Apples

Rice is a grain, lentils a legume. Combine the two and you have a perfect source of vegetarian protein. Of course, you don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy the wholesome, tasty richness of this healthy duo.

This is one of the easiest ways to cook any type of fish. It’s also one of the tastiest, and fastest. Perhaps more than any other technique, this is how I choose to get fish on the table in a hurry. Whitefish is a generic term that refers to many different types of fish, all of them easy to find and cook.

From The Best of Chef at Home © Michael Smith, Whitecap 2009

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.

Bread pudding is a simple way to transform stale bread into a wide variety of simple treats. Bread puddings are versatile, easy to make and supremely tasty. They are one of my favourite comfort foods.