Easy Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Easy Chicken and Roasted Veggie Enchiladas

I’ve made this tasty meal numerous times and it never disappoints. If you wish to turn it into a vegetarian meal, simply substitute out the chicken and add one peeled eggplant, cut into cubes, to the roasted veggies. If you do use chicken, you’ll need to plan ahead and either cook some chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store. It’s a perfect weekday meal.  

Beef Tacos with Paprika – Inspired by a Community Kitchen

Easy Beef Tacos

While I wait for spring to arrive, I’ve been busy in my community. And this week, I want to share a beef taco recipe I was reminded of while volunteering at the community lunch program. 

Usually, when I arrive for my shifts in the school gym, I feel like I’ve been dropped into the middle of an action movie and have to quickly figure out the plot and the characters to catch up with the audience. 

Every day is different. New recipes and new volunteers, which include parents, students, and community neighbours. The rotating scenario creates overall mayhem. Typical of any elementary school program that is student-run, and feeds lunch to 200 kids twice a week.

When I arrived last Thursday, the kitchen was eerily calm and organized, and all the dishes were done. The meal was cooked and ready to go.

Chef Maria stood smiling in the middle of it with her black hair pulled off her round face, smiling broadly beneath her gold-rimmed glasses. A white apron pulled tight across her full frame.

Maria has a playful, warm personality and she cooks with a sanguine confidence. “What are you cooking today, Maria?” I asked. She beamed back the answer, “chicken, with my new favourite spice, paprika.”

Paprika, a spice I rarely use. When she mentioned it I was reminded of a simple beef taco recipe I occasionally cooked for my family.

Easy Pecan Granola with a Hint of Orange

Easy Pecan Granola with Sunflower Seeds, Pecans, Coconut and Orange

How has your New Year been going so far? Have you started doing anything new in your food and cooking routine? Perhaps you’re eating healthier? Cooking more meals at home? Trying new recipes?  It’s always fun to attempt something new…right?

My husband and I tried a new breakfast spot this month. It’s a restaurant in our neighbourhood that’s always busy. I often walk past and see hungry folks of all ages lined up outside waiting for a breakfast table. 

To be honest, it’s always baffled me why anyone would wait in a line just to eat breakfast. Many times, the queue is snaked around the block! So, in honour of trying something NEW, we decided to check it out. 

Once we were inside, it was obvious what all the fuss was about. The breakfast dishes being served out were a whole day’s worth of food: eggs piled high, topped with anything you can imagine: from deep-fried chicken to maple bourbon BBQ glazed short ribs. 

There were numerous variations of eggs Benedict and an equal number of pancake and waffle configurations. The plates of food coming out of the kitchen were piled so high, the meals looked like Jenga towers ready to collapse. 

I ordered the strawberry cheesecake pancakes and the meal was tasty. The service was quick, pleasant and efficient, and it was a fun way to start the day.

It inspired me to create new breakfast recipes such as this new granola recipe with a hint of orange which is easy, fast and full of yum!

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

Cheese Biscuits

These are easy to make, freeze well and are perfect to serve with soup on a cold, snowy or rainy day. I suggest using aged cheddar cheese for more flavour.

Cranberry Muffins with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping

Cranberry Muffins with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping

Yummy Cranberry Muffins!

This is a fun cranberry muffin recipe to try. They are perfect to have with your morning breakfast or on a coffee break. The sugar-cinnamon topping creates an intriguing blend of tart and sweet. These cranberry muffins are easy to make and freeze nicely.

Yummy Molasses, Cinnamon and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ginger, Molasses, White Chocolate Chip Cookies

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.

Chocolate Brownie With Pecans

Easy Chocolate Brownies with Pecans

Chocolate…what does it mean to you?  Children relish it, lovers share it, chocoholics stash it, and everyone loves it.  Here’s a chocolate brownie recipe to share with all.

Easy Sheet-Pan Chicken with Potatoes, Lemons & Feta Cheese

Simple Sheet Pan Chicken with Chicken Thighs

Sheet-Pan Chicken with Potatoes and Lemons

Here’s a fast delicious chicken recipe perfect for an easy weekday meal. There’s little prep involved and even less mess to clean up. Serve with an easy-to-make salad and you’ll have a perfect meal.

Nasi Goreng - Indonesian Fried Rice With Green Beans and Red Cabbage

Nasi Goreng with Fried Egg

Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian fried rice dish topped with fried eggs. The secret to great fried rice is to use cold cooked rice!

Nasi Goreng uses a sweet soy sauce called Kecap. It’s not always widely available, but it is easy to make, which I’ve done in this recipe. Since the cooked rice and Kecap can be made ahead of time, this is an easy dish to throw together at the last minute.

If you want to add more protein you could add cooked pork, cooked chicken, or even tofu.

Shepherd’s Pie with Squash

Yummy Shepherd's Pie with Squash

Here is a nice shepherd’s pie recipe adapted from the one in Doris’s Greenspan’s, “Everyday Dorie, The Way I Cook.” cookbook I’ve made it a few times now, and it’s been smashing every time. I especially like the squash in the filling, and of course, the mashed potatoes on top.

Black Bean Smash Burgers With Adobo Mayo

Black Bean Burgers

While stuck in my kitchen this summer nursing two different muscle injuries I started to cook more meals at home. I concentrated on cooking vegetarian meals, filled with fresh whole foods. 

I found this recipe in the Bon Appetit August 2024 edition on their list of top 56 recipes to try this year. They chose 56 because their first issue was published in 1956. 

It's one of my favourites and one I'd recommend you all try it.

This burger recipe is fast, easy, tasty and I especially like the adobo mayo sauce. 

I’ve included the original recipe here, but I did modify mine a bit by substituting  cilantro instead of coriander. I also used plain Monterey Jack cheese because I couldn’t find Pepper Jack cheese. 

Pistachio Basil Pesto

Pistachio Basil Pesto

Fresh pesto typically uses pine nuts however this recipe has a nice twist with roasted, salted pistachios. I bought ones that were already roasted, but you can easily buy them raw and roast them in the oven or stovetop. Serve the pesto on pasta, on pizza, over cooked veggies, or in a veggie sandwich with mayo.

Zucchini Pineapple Cake

Yummy Cake with Zucchini and Pineapple

As a proud recipe hoarder, I feel compelled to grab any free recipe that’s offered to me. This includes recipes printed on food packages, the ones on advertisements of food products, or random recipes given out at grocery stores. I found this recipe at a fruit stand close to our home, which was promoting zucchinis. I’m so glad I picked it up…it’s yummy.

The Best Banana Bread

Banana Bread in Loaf Pan

Cheddar Cheese Stilton Biscuits

Old cheddar cheese and stilton biscuits

 

If you are looking for an easy and tasty biscuit to serve with soup, stew or just to eat as a snack, then you must try these yummy cheddar cheese, stilton biscuits. They are simple to make and won't disappoint!

Dairy-Free Oatmeal Orange Muffins

A simple Oatmeal Muffins that's Dairy-Free!

I like to have muffins in the house for those mornings when I've overslept and have to hustle out the door without breakfast. This yummy, dairy-free muffin is a perfect grab-and-go snack for busy days.

Raisin Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Pumpkin Cake with Raisins, Walnuts and Cream Cheese Icing

Pumpkin Cake Freshly Out Of the Oven

This is a delightful cake, which can be served with or without cream cheese icing. 

It's moist and flavoured with cinnamon, all-spice and nutmeg. 

I used pumpkin puree, but if you wish, you could buy a sugar pumpkin, remove the seeds, roast it and use the cooked pumpkin inside instead. Sugar pumpkins are usually sold at Farmer’s Markets. 

Black Bean, Corn and Salsa Wrap

Black Bean, Corn and Salsa Wrap

This wrap recipe is easy to prepare during the week for your family!

It has black beans and corn plus salsa and cheese. Top the bean wrap with sour cream and cilantro, and it's a yummy meal.

In the recipe the black bean wraps are cooked in the oven but can also be grilled in a panini grill.

Cornbread with Corn

If you are looking for a recipe to use cornmeal from your pantry then try this easy cornbread recipe.  It has butter, buttermilk, corn, and whips up in minutes.  It's good for breakfast, snacks or with dinner.

Roasted Carrots

Roasted Carrots

 Roasting veggies brings out their natural sugars which makes them super delicious.  Carrots are delightful when roasted; I suggest you give them a try.