So what’s a smash burger? Well, ever been to Shake Shack? ‘Cause they’ve got smash burgers and after I tried one for the first time, a couple of years back on a trip to the US, it changed my hamburger eating life forever. Now I’m obsessed with this style of burger. The patty is thin…
Category: Dinner
Winter Crunch Salad
A delicious robust salad that can totally withstand dressing and become even more delicious as it sits so it’s an ideal make-ahead recipe! Each ingredient offers its own flavour and contrasting notes; the bright tang from the apples, spice from the dijon, toastiness from the seeds and nuttiness of the parmesan, to name a few….
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Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing Muffins
On Canadian Thanksgiving, this past October, my niece Claudia wowed everyone with her Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing Muffins. Everyone all around was exclaiming “Wow! These are beautiful!” and rightfully so! Compare these holiday hued muffins, each tucked into their own pretty wrapping with their red cranberries cutting through the shades of brown from the beautifully…
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Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Toum and Honey-Butter
These twice-baked sweet potatoes are so next level! Not only is the flavour combination amazing with the sweetness of the honey-butter and the hit of garlic, but the dish is so darn pretty too. You’ll want to make this for your next dinner party for sure! FAST TRACK: When I want to make this recipe…
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Roasted Vegetable Lasagna with Boursin Cheese and Ricotta
What is it about the process of roasting vegetables that makes them so incredibly delicious. I’d say it’s the caramelization, the olive oil and the seasoning. Roasting a vegetable transforms it and it suddenly it becomes a vessel for any delicious flavours and aromatics you can throw at it! Think roasted potatoes with lemon and…
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The Juiciest Brined Grilled Chicken
Brining, this is new to me. I mean, I know that capers are brined, cheese and and Turkey too…. I know I like it but I’d never done it! What does it do, how do you do it? Thankfully, it’s a no brainer and you’ll never go back to grilling chicken breast without brining it first.
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Giada’s Eggplant Timbale
Watch my instagram highlight for a step by step view of how I made it! @vanilla_bean_montreal Print Recipe Giada’s Eggplant Timbale A Timbale or Timballo depending where you are from, is essentially a pasta or rice pie made in a springform pan. Traditionally the exterior crust is comprised of a thin bread crust, commonly filled…
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One-Pot Crispy Braised Chicken
This chicken is deceptively easy to make and my favourite part about it is that you get both tender braised chicken with a satisfyingly flavourful crispy skin. The little broth that is produced has a slight hint of vinegar, which is used to deglaze the pan, which may sound unusual but it is spectacular as…
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Bao Buns at Home
How would I describe a Bao bun to you if you’ve never had one? I’d say that it’s light, fluffy, pillowy, a little moist and highly pleasurable to eat! It also doesn’t hurt that Bao buns are best paired with fatty meats and sweet and spicy flavours, such as sweet and crispy-skinned Peking duck, pork…
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Roasted Vegetable Salad with White Beans, Fresh Herbs and Feta
Roasted vegetables combined with the creamy beans and feta with the fresh burst provided by the herbs and vinaigrette makes for a really unbelievably delicious and satisfying salad.
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Chicken and Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
A lean and super delicious take on a classic recipe. I had my doubts about this skinny version of one of my all time favourite childhood meals but I was blown away and I’m not just saying that. This may be at par with, or even better than some of the best shepherd’s pies I’ve…
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Poké Style Bowls
Hey there! Poké is a traditional Hawaiian dish, or more of a bowl, commonly comprised of raw fish, sometimes tofu, sticky sushi rice, some crunchy vegetables and a soy-sesame based marinade. The flavours are combination of salty/savory, soft vs crunchy, fresh and light and then you get some heartiness from the rice and a touch…
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Easy & Delicious Short Rib Ragu (Slow Cooker)
Hello there! I find that watching cooking shows inspires me to cook more creatively, taking me out of the rut which I get into now and again. They also inspire me to snack… A LOT.  You can’t watch a cooking show without getting hungry. It’s impossible! To be honest, writing this post is making me hungry….
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Red Snapper Veracruz Style
Hello all! This is my take on Red Snapper baked Veracruz Style. Veracruz is in Mexico, and it is one of their classic celebrated dishes.  It comes in many forms and has a lot of spin offs. This is one of them and it is epically delicious + quick to prepare! How this recipe came…
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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage
I had a fear of making Gnocchi, just like I fear pie crust. In my mind recipes like this are so much work and are so easy to mess up! They seem mysterious; things only wise old women have mastered. What actually went through my mind: What if, rather than fluffy and soft, my gnocchi come out dense and heavy? What if they’re too soft and just fall apart, disintegrating in the boiling water? What if I just never get it right and discover that bottom line – I CAN’T make gnocchi? This is silly of course because just like with pie crust, fresh pasta or any other challenging recipe, practice makes perfect. Practice until it becomes second nature.
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Pork Loin Roast with Apples and Onions
How long has it been? I’ve missed you! At the request of some of my followers and also due to lack of time, I’ve been posting simple recipes directly on Instagram. People enjoy simply clicking on a pic and finding the recipe directly in the app. Apparently going to my profile and clicking on a…
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My Zuni Sheet Pan Chicken
Hey all ! I love a roast chicken recipe that includes bread. You can roast a chicken over thickly sliced bread or like in this recipe, adding bread cut into crouton sized pieces to the roasting pan, absorbs all of the cooking juices and packs a real flavour punch! The edges get all toasted and…
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Carne Asada with Seasoned Baked Fries
Carne asada over seasoned baked fries topped with cheese, fresh tomato and avocado is just my type of fake-take-out!
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Crunchy Baked Drumsticks à la KFC
Hey all! A reboot I always say that I don’t like cover songs, cover bands, wedding bands… I don’t like it when restaurants change or remove a beloved item from their menu.  I like good things to stay exactly the same, in their original format, most of the time 😉 Although, I guess there has to be exceptions because…
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Giada’s Lasagna Rolls
Hey everybody, I know my posts have been few and far between and I do apologize for that. I’ve been busy and haven’t had much time for experimentation and what I like to call recreational cooking. However this weekend I was inspired! I got an email from Giadzy which is Giada De Laurentiis’Â newsletter. I…
