Yummy Molasses, Cinnamon and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Molasses, spice and white chocolate chip cookie

These molasses cookies are fun to chew on. They’re spiced with cinnamon, ground ginger and cardamon, which makes them a cozy cookie for the fall season. But the real treat is munching on the white chocolate chips sprinkled throughout.

Simple & Fast Tomato, Olive, and Fresh Basil Penne

Tomato Olive Basil Penne

If my husband was to make a meal for dinner, his go-to dish would be pasta. His sauce typically includes whatever he feels like throwing into the pot that day…and he never uses a recipe. 

This dish is similar to his pasta dishes, except there is a recipe for it! I use fresh cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and basil to give it a lively taste. I do like to use extra-virgin olive oil because of the flavour, but regular olive oil will do just as well. 

And if you feel inspired, don't be afraid to throw in other ingredients you like.

Whatever you decide, this is a super fast and delicious meal to prepare at the last minute.

Cayenne Pepper Mixup

Cayenne Pepper Should Be Bright In Colour. Not Dull!

We all make mistakes in the kitchen from time to time…it’s the spice of life!

Like the other day, I made a beautiful fruit crisp for dessert. It was filled with luscious colourful blueberries and raspberries, topped with a crunchy sugary oatmeal coating. Yum!

I served it to my family in small white bowls after our main course. As I was eating the crisp, my mouth began to fill up with a fiery heat infused with sweetness. I was confused. Was I really feeling heat? As in, hot pepper heat? Or was it just warmth from the oven?

I kept eating, trying to figure out the mystery…was I imagining the heat in my mouth? It was like listening to a friend talk while multitasking. They mention a life-changing event that happened to them, and because you’re distracted, you’re confused with what you heard. Eventually you stop, look at them in bafflement, and ask them to repeat themselves.

Finally, my husband spoke up. He quietly asked if I’d added jalapeño peppers to the fruit crisp. That’s when it dawned on me…I immediately knew. I had inadvertently sprinkled cayenne pepper into the fruit crisp, thinking it was cinnamon.

Mushroom Orzo Pasta

Mushroom Orzo Pasta

Mushroom Orzo Pasta - a Fantastic Side Dish

Orzo is a small pasta that cooks fast. This is a fantastic side dish to throw together and goes with many meals.

Broccoli Mushroom Frittata with Gruyère Cheese

Frittata with Mushrooms and Broccoli

As I was thinking about what recipe to cook the other day, I became intrigued with mushrooms. Mainly because when we are shopping for mushrooms, my husband always buys the more expensive brown cremini mushrooms and I buy the less expensive white ones. He says the brown ones are tastier.

I always thought they were the same, but in my sleuthing on mushrooms, I found that they are different and he was right! Dang! 

Because they are a different kind of mushroom, cremini mushrooms do have a stronger umami flavour, a rich savoury taste. 

Another fun fact I learned is that the small cremini mushrooms are just a smaller version of the bigger, portabella mushrooms. In just a matter of days, the small cremini mushroom can morph into a giant portabella mushroom. 

We Are All Cooking Heroes

It’s September, and time to get back into the routine of everyday home cooking. For some, it can be a tough transition – especially after the long, lazy days of summer.

I don’t know about you, but I find summer cooking simple and easy with all the fresh local produce that’s available (think salads and barbecues). But as September sweeps in with cooler temperatures, the local produce is not so easily prepared. Sturdy root veggies force us indoors to take up our positions in front of our stovetops to cook soups, stews, and simmering one-pot meals.

To motivate myself during this transition of daily cooking, I started listening to podcasts on how to create change. 

I learned to start with small steps, celebrate success with small wins, and continue to build until you reach your desired result. Great advice!

The podcasters I listened to also suggested treating or rewarding yourself when you reach your goal. For instance, one expert would reward himself with his favourite smoothie whenever he accomplished his exercise target.

Hmmm…what would I choose as my reward for cooking dinners seven days a week? That’s a tough one. 

All About Fresh Ginger

Fresh Ginger

The other day, I panicked as I ransacked through the refrigerator in search of the one essential ingredient I needed for the recipe I was making. I pulled all of the fresh veggies from out of the crisper, scanned the back corners of the refrigerator on all four shelves to no avail. 

I was befuddled because it’s a staple that’s always in my fridge, but it just wasn’t there that day.  

What I was looking for was a piece of knobby ginger root to prepare my yummy red lentil curry dahl I was cooking for supper.

Double Ginger Chocolate Cookies

Ginger Chocolate Cookie

Here’s a double ginger chocolate cookie you’ll definitely want to try. It’s a combination of a tasty chocolate cookie with chocolate chips and cocoa powder plus a ginger cookie, with molasses, spices and crystallized ginger. 

The cookie is like a blended family; the ingredients are from different recipes, but they all go together perfectly.

Red Lentil Curry Dahl With Coconut Milk

Red Lentil Curry Dahl With Coconut Milk

Curry Dahl

 Here's a red lentil curry dahl you will want to make! It's loaded with spices, coconut milk and has veggies. It's versatile, because you can throw any veggie you like in it. It's also a fast recipe to make, which for me, is the perfect recipe!

Rhubarb Ginger Compote

Rhubarb compote with fresh ginger and lemon

All is well in Vancouver now that rhubarb has arrived!

It was a little dire this spring, but, finally, rhubarb appeared on the grocery shelves, and all was good. This ruby red veg/fruit was seasonally late, but heck, it was worth the wait.

The colour of rhubarb reminds me of Dorothy’s shiny red shoes from the Wizard of Oz. Not only are they both brilliant red, but they sparkle and have transformative powers. Dorothy magically goes home because she is wearing her ruby red slippers, and adding rhubarb to any dish guarantees that it will magically transform into brilliance. 

It’s known as a vegetable but acts like a fruit. It’s sour as heck, but when you add a little sugar, you get a delightful blend of sweet and sour…it’s truly magical!

When it’s acting as a vegetable, it is good in compotes, chutneys, or relishes. These condiments add a dash of pizazz to many a dish!

When dressed up as a fruit, it’s a bit ‘high maintenance’ because it needs accessories, namely sugar. However, once dazzled up and ready to go, rhubarb desserts will always want you to come back for more.

I’ve got four rhubarb recipes to share with you today. The first is one I call  rhubarb delight cake here….it's like an upside-down cake, (without the upside down) with a sponge-like cake on top. 

Next is a rhubarb, apple crisp here which is always popular.  

Next is a rhubarb-current chutney recipe here h to be served with pork tenderloin. And Finally below  there’s a rhubarb ginger compote to go on ice cream or vanilla yogurt.