Recipes

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.

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Tomatoes aren’t the only sweet red fruit that make great pasta sauce. Red bell peppers are excellent too, especially paired with the faint licorice flavour of fennel seeds.

Braising is my favourite cooking method. I just love the way it can transform an inexpensive, tough cut of beef into a tasty tender stew. Toss in the earthy flavours of root vegetables and aromatic red wine, and you are well on your way to a rich flavour base. But the real secret to a truly memorable beef stew is patiently browning the meat.