Recipes

Chickpea Orzo Salad

This isn't your ordinary orzo salad! It uses orzo made from chickpea flour which has 3 times more fibre and over 1.5 times more protein than regular orzo. Give it a try!

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Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients

Salad

1 cup cooked chickpea orzo (about 1/3 of the sample product package shown below, or use about 85 g or 3 oz of dry chickpea orzo)
1/2 English cucumber, diced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/4 to 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Salad Dressing

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook chickpea orzo according to package directions. (Or bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add chickpea orzo and stir. Cook stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until desired firmness. Drain.)
In a large bowl, add cooked chickpea orzo, cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, red onion and feta cheese.
Whisk together salad dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and gently toss.
(For extra protein, add a can of beans, canned fish or grilled chicken / meat.)

Notes

This is the chickpea orzo that I used for the recipe. I found it at Healthy Planet (#NotSponsored). It contains 12 g fibre and 19 g protein in 1/3 of the package uncooked (about 1 cup cooked).

Keyword chickpea orzo, orzo, orzo salad

Summer Peach Posset

A posset is a simple creamy dessert made with heavy cream, sugar and an acidic juice such as lemon juice. The food science is so cool! The citric acid in the lemon juice curdles the heated milk proteins in the cream and causes the cream to naturally thicken as it cools. No eggs, gelatin or cornstarch are needed. You can serve the posset in small glasses. In this recipe, the posset is served in hollowed peach halves with brown butter peaches and topped with a streusel and whipped cream. Easy to make and absolutely delightful to eat!

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Course Dessert

Servings 14

Ingredients

For Posset

7-10 fresh peaches
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp lemon juice

For Brown Butter Peaches

2 Tbsp butter
1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 tsp vanilla

For Steusel

2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp flour

Instructions

Cut peaches in half and hollow out the peaches with a spoon. Save the inner flesh - dice and set aside. Lightly pat dry the peach halves and position them in a flat dish. Brush lemon juice on the exposed flesh of the peaches.

Posset:

Bring 1.5 cups heavy cream and 1/2 cup sugar to a light boil. Keep between a boil and simmer for about 5-7 minutes or until it clings to the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and 3 Tbsp lemon juice. Spoon posset mixture into the hollowed peaches until they are filled. Reposition the peaches as needed to avoid them overflowing.
Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours to allow the posset to thicken.

Brown Butter Peaches:

In a pan, add 2 Tbsp of butter and heat on medium low until browned. It should smell nutty and there should be brown specs visible in the butter. It may appear bubbly. Remove from heat. Add the diced peach flesh and toss with 1-2 Tbsp of brown sugar.
Whipped cream: Whip 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Add about 1 tsp vanilla extract. (Sweeten to taste with sugar, if you wish.)

Brown Sugar Streusel:

Mix together 2 Tbsp softened butter and 2 Tbsp brown sugar until combined. Mix in 1/2 tsp salt and 2 Tbsp flour. The mixture should be fairly dry but hold together like wet sand when squeezed. If it's too soft, add more flour.
Sprinkle onto a baking sheet. Squeeze the mixture between your finger tips to have a variation of bigger and smaller crumbs.
Bake at 375F for about 5 minutes.

Assemble the Posset:

Pipe the whipped cream onto the posset surface of each peach halve. Top with a heavy spoonful of brown butter peach sauce and then a sprinkle of the streusel. Enjoy!
Makes 14-20 servings (each 1/2 peach is 1 serving)

Keyword peach posset, peaches

Chickpea Salad

A bowl with chickpeas, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and parsley

Chickpea Salad

This salad takes less than 10 minutes to make and is packed with protein. For a vegan version, omit the feta cheese and substitute with one diced avocado.

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Course Salad

Servings 6

Ingredients

Salad

1 can (540 ml or 19 oz) chickpeas
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (halved)
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 cup red onion
1/4 cup feta cheese, cubed For a vegan version, omit feta cheese and add 1 diced avocado
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Dressing

3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Drain the chickpeas. You may save this liquid (aquafaba) as a substitute for egg whites in a baking recipe. Rinse the chickpeas under cold water.
In a large bowl, add the salad ingredients and toss.
In a small bowl or jar, mix the salad dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss gently.

Keyword Chickpea salad, chickpeas, Salad

Fluffy Ricotta Cheese Pancakes

Ricotta Cheese Pancakes

Use up any leftover ricotta cheese to make these soft and fluffy pancakes! They’re perfect for breakfast or brunch! Ricotta cheese also gives the pancakes a little extra protein.

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Course Breakfast, Brunch

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (I used lactose-free 10% ricotta cheese. You could also use regular ricotta cheese.)
1/4 cup milk (I used high protein skim milk. You could use regular milk - skim, 1%, 2% or 3%.)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Butter for cooking

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the ricotta cheese, milk, vanilla extract and melted butter. Whisk together until smooth.
Add flour mixture to the egg mixture. Whisk until smooth and combined. The batter will be thicker than a typical pancake batter.
Melt a small amount of butter in a non-stick fry pan on medium-low heat. Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop the batter and drop the batter in the shape of a circle into the fry pan. Allow enough space between the pancakes so that you can still fit a spatula to flip them. (I make 2 small pancakes in a 10 inch fry pan.)
Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the bottoms begin to turn golden brown. (Note that the pancakes will not bubble as much as a regular pancake, so watch the pancakes carefully and check the bottoms for colour.) Flip the pancakes and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds or until the bottom is golden brown. Turn down the heat slightly if needed. Remove the cooked pancakes onto a plate.
Using a small piece of wet paper towel, carefully wipe any excess butter from the hot fry pan (otherwise it will cause the next pancakes to burn / brown too quickly.) You can also allow the pan to cool or decrease the heat slightly or use another clean pan. Add a small amount of butter and continue to cook the remaining pancakes.
Enjoy with maple syrup and fresh fruit! Makes 9-11 small pancakes.

Keyword pancakes, ricotta cheese pancakes

5-Ingredient Beef Stew

This recipe comes from my chef dad. It's the easiest beef stew you'll ever make, and it only uses 5 simple ingredients. The condensed tomato soup gives the stew a nice, slightly sweet flavour.

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Course Dinner

Servings 4

Ingredients

500 grams beef shank (may also use beef stewing cubes)
2 carrots, chopped in 1/4 inch circles
1 stalk celery, diced
1 can (284 mL) condensed tomato soup
2 medium sized potatoes

Instructions

Fill a medium sized saucepan or pot with 6 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil.
Meanwhile, cut beef into 1/2 inch chunks. Add beef chunks to the boiling water for 3 minutes. (This blanching helps to reduce the gaminess of the meat and remove some of the impurities.) Drain and rinse the beef chunks under cold water.
Add drained beef chunks to a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add carrots and celery. Add the can of condensed tomato soup plus one full can of water.
Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes (still covered), stirring occasionally. The beef should be almost fork tender.
Meanwhile, scrub and peel potatoes. Dice into 1/2 inch pieces.
Add diced potatoes to the stew and continue to simmer, covered for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Serve with crusty bread or over rice if desired.

Keyword Beef Stew, Easy Beef Stew, Stew

Korean-inspired “Swicy” Meatballs

A bowl of meatballs with rice, carrots, broccoli and pickled red onions.

Korean-inspired "Swicy" Meatballs

These delicious meatballs are flavoured with gochujang, fresh ginger and a sweet glaze. It's a take on the "swicy" trend where sweet meets spicy! Add the meatballs to a grain bowl and then pack in your favourite veggies.

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Course Dinner

Ingredients

Meatballs

600 g lean ground beef (about 1.3 lbs)
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
2.5-3 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp salt

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp gochujang

Garnish

3 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 green onions, sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients to make the meatballs.
Make 20-24 meatballs, rolling them between your hands. Or use a cookie scoop to form the meatballs.
Place meatballs on foil lined baking sheet. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 F.
In a small saucepan, mix all of the glaze ingredients. Warm up the glaze on low to medium heat just until the sauce begins to thicken. Do not allow the glaze to boil. (If the glaze hardens upon cooling, gently warm it up again on the stovetop or in the microwave.)
Drizzle the glaze over the cooked meatballs. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

Keyword gochujang, Korean inspired meatballs, meatballs

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

A wonderful, cozy side dish for the holidays or potluck meal! Using warm milk is the secret to evenly cooked, creamy potatoes.

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Course Side Dish

Ingredients

3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
2 cups grated / shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups grated / shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp butter
2 cups milk (For less saturated fat, I use skim milk and it tastes great! For a higher fat, creamier texture, use 2% or whole milk)
3/4 tsp salt
pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Peel potatoes and slice thinly to about ¼ inch rounds.
Add milk and butter to a microwave-safe measuring cup. Warm up the milk and butter on high power in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir in the salt.
Layer half of the potato slices in the baking dish. Pour in 1 cup of the warm milk. Top with half of the Cheddar cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese. Add pepper to taste. Layer the remaining potato slices. Add the rest of the milk and finish off with a layer of the remaining Cheddar and Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Keyword potatoes, scalloped potatoes

Copycat Shake and Bake Chicken

Do you remember Shake and Bake? This homemade breadcrumb and spice mix tastes just like the real deal! This recipe makes enough for 2-3 meals of baked chicken. Store any extra breadcrumb mixture in the fridge.

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Course Dinner

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs, plain
1/2 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp canola oil
8 chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks, skin on

Instructions

Mix all ingredients (except the oil and chicken) in large bowl. Add the canola oil and mix well.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Put about 1 cup of the breadcrumb mixture onto a large plate. Press one piece of chicken, skin side down, into the breadcrumb mixture. (Alternatively, for the authentic shake and bake method: put about 1 cup of the breadcrumb mixture into a large plastic bag. Add one piece of chicken at a time. Seal and shake the bag so that the chicken is nicely coated with the breadcrumb mixture.)
Place the chicken piece on a foil lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. Add more breadcrumb mixture to the plate or plastic bag, if needed, using a clean spoon.
Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 F.
Discard any breadcrumb mixture that has touched the raw chicken. Store remaining breadcrumb mixture in a mason jar or container in the fridge.

Keyword Baked Chicken, Chicken, Shake 'n Bake Chicken

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Chicken Pesto Pasta

A hearty meal made with savoury pesto sauce and a chef's tip for the most tender chicken ever! Recipe by Sue Mah, NutritionSolutions.ca

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Course Dinner

Servings 6

Ingredients

1 lb chicken (about 4-5 chicken thighs or 2 chicken breasts), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp canola oil, divided (1 tbsp + 2 tbsp)
2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 6-8 large mushrooms)
1 box 410 grams of dried pasta (e.g. penne, farfalle, rotini, gemeilli) [Or substitute with about 7 cups cooked pasta]
1 cup pesto [For convenience, I use store bought jars of De Cecco Pesto (not sponsored)]
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, drained, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil or parsley for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the chicken: Add the diced chicken to a bowl. Season with soy sauce and cornstarch. (This is a tip I learned from my chef Dad. The cornstarch and soy sauce help to tenderize the meat. Cornstarch also keeps the meat soft and velvety.) Toss to coat and allow to rest while cooking the pasta and mushrooms.
Cook the pasta: Cook pasta according to pasta directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta, cover and set aside.
Cook the mushrooms: Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the mushrooms for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the mushrooms and continue cooking until lightly browned. Remove from pan.
Cook the chicken: Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally for 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
Make the meal: Turn heat to medium low. Toss pasta and mushrooms into the skillet and toss with the chicken. Stir in the pesto sauce until pasta is heated throughout. Toss in the sundried tomatoes. Add a splash of reserved cooking water or oil from sundried tomatoes if needed or if the pasta seems dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.

Keyword Chicken Pesto Pasta, Chicken recipes, Pasta, Pesto Pasta

Cottage Cheese Bagels

Cottage Cheese Bagels

You can make your own bagels with a few simple ingredients! Cottage cheese adds a boost of protein! Recipe by Sue Mah, NutritionSolutions.ca

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Course Breakfast, Snack

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup plain cottage cheese Strain 1 1/4 cup of cottage cheese to remove some of the moisture. This should yield about 1 cup of strained cottage cheese.
1 egg + 1 tsp water
Toppings: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
Add strained cottage cheese to flour mixture.Stir with a fork to combine and form a shaggy dough. (Straining the cottage cheese prevents the dough from becoming too sticky.)
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Allow the dough to rest for about 10 minutes. (This allows the gluten to relax, making it easier to stretch the dough.)
Cut dough into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Use your thumb to poke a hole in the ball and stretch the hole to about 1 1/2 nches as it will shrink upon baking.
Beat egg with 1 tsp water to create an egg-wash. Brush a small amount of egg wash on the top and sides of each bagel.(This helps the toppings stick to the bagel.)
Invert bagel and dip into a plate of toppings.
Cook bagels in the air fryer: Spray air fryer basket with oil. Bake the bagels at 275ºF for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. There is no need to flip the bagels. Allow bagels to cool for 15 minutes before cutting or eating.
Cook bagels in the oven: Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with oil. Bake bagels on the top rack of the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow bagels to cool for 15 minutes before cutting or eating.

Notes

Keyword bagel, cottage cheese, cottage cheese bagels