Recipes

If you’re a home cook you need a good meat sauce recipe up your sleeve. This is one of mine. Its secret is that I don’t brown the meat. That way it doesn’t toughen and need hours of braising to tenderize again. I also use a food processor to save a lot of knife work. Quick, easy and tasty!

I really enjoy tossing baby salad greens with tender basil leaves. Together, they flavour the salad with bright bursts of flavour and a jazzy herb twist. The rest of the salad picks up the theme and runs with it!

The thighs of a chicken are my favourite cut. They’re inexpensive and have way more flavour than the bland breast. I usually braise them because it’s easy and they go with just about anything. I love the way they soak up the earthy flavours of the mushrooms in this dish.

When we crave a rich decadent chocolate treat, guess who gets sent to the kitchen to bake these rich, chewy, dark chocolate brownies? Their gold standard flavour is quick and easy to get in the oven and an absolutely essential part of any kitchen’s repertoire!

A good fish stew has three basic parts: the flavour base, the broth and the fish. Each is easy to master. This particular version highlights many of the bright flavours of the Mediterranean. Some would call it a bouillabaisse but I don’t because that makes it sound intimidating, fancy and difficult. It also inspires too many conversations about authenticity. Remember its just fish stew!

Cocoa powder gives chocolate its rich flavour and makes this steaming mug of hot cocoa my favourite winter treat. A touch of cayenne pepper balances the temperature heat of the brew but doesn’t make it too spicy. It’s a surprising twist that adds just the right exotic edge.

Beef stews are a part of cooking all over the world. Cooks everywhere know they can simmer tough, inexpensive cuts of meat in a flavourful liquid then fill their bowls with a rich tender stew. My family loves this “Asian” version ladled over spinach leaves and bean sprouts. It’s a stew and a salad in the same bowl!

In the Maritimes we don’t worry whether our chowders are authentic or not. We know a true clam chowder is just a bowl full of simple, hearty flavours. We often use canned clams and always stir in onions, potatoes and milk. We’re too busy asking for seconds to worry whether we got it right!

Belgian Endive is a vegetable that’s often overlooked in the produce section. Its crisp texture and balanced sweet and bitter flavours make it a great choice for any salad.

These are my gold-standard biscuits. My secret? Frozen butter! It’s an old pastry chef’s trick that has served me well. Butter tastes great and when it’s frozen it becomes very easy to shred into the dough. After you try these a few times you’ll be able to bake them in under twenty minutes and clean up the mess too!

This is a tasty side dish that can be banged out in five minutes. Couscous is a tiny type of cracked, granular pasta that’s already been cooked and dried. It’s actually easier to use than other pastas. Just soak it in some boiling liquid and it’s good to go!

I often braise chicken thighs for dinner; they have infinite varieties of preparation and go well with just about any side dish. They are flavour sponges too! In this version I pair the woodsy aroma of rosemary with the subtle flavour of vanilla. Try experimenting with other seasonings for different flavours.