Recipes

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

A delicious and easy to make Coffee Cake for those who enjoy rhubarb. Ingredients for Rhubarb Coffee Cake 1.5 cups (375 ml) flour (white, whole wheat) | Optional: replace  1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground flax seed 2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder 1...

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Easy Kung Pao Chicken

My sister-in-law, Laura, made Kung Pao Chicken for my father-in-law's birthday dinner. She pointed me to an AllRecipes.com Kung Pao Chicken recipe and from there I created my own rendition of Kung Pao Chicken - and it is delicious! Served with your favourite rice,...

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Pesto Chicken Quesadillas

This Pesto Chicken Quesadilla recipe is inspired by the Cactus Club restaurant. A friend took me there for lunch a few weeks back and we shared a salad and their Pesto Chicken Quesadilla with yam fries. YUM!! Afterwards, I was determined to recreate Quesadilla recipe...

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Easy Garlic Sour Cream Dip

This is simple dip to make and works with chips, fresh veggies and quesadillas. It also lasts for at least a few days in the fridge. Easy Garlic Sour Cream Dip Ingredients: 2 cups no-fat or low-fat sour cream (works with regular sour cream too) 4 to 10 crushed garlic...

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Cajun Chicken Pesto Pasta

This is delicious and easy to prepare cajun chicken and pesto pasta recipe! Flavourful and pretty straightforward to prepare - who would have thought cajun and pesto would go together!! A great dish to make the night after you’ve had a Cajun Caesar Salad --- or the...

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Lemon Cheesecake (Lime works too!)

This is a relatively simple lemon cheesecake recipe. It has a creamy, light and flavourful taste that is delicious! Unbelievably good. Truly!! INGREDIENTS - BASE CRUST - 1st LAYER 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) graham wafer or Oreo cookie crumbs 1/4 cup (60 ml) crushed pecans...

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Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad

This is a quick and delicious dinner salad, or lunch. Be prepared to use breath mints after eating and for the next day. There is a lot of flavourful garlic in the dressing. This recipe was made for 2 people only but there is enough dressing to make it for 6 people....

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Red Cabbage Delight With Hummus, Pesto & Dates

This is an usual combination that has a delightful flavour and texture! My friend Violet, who is both a vegan AND a gourmet chef, introduced me to this easy to make, beautiful looking and delicious appetizer. Easy to make, using store bought pesto and hummus, or take...

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Slow Cooker Cabbage No-Rolls

If you like cabbage rolls you'll love these. An alternative to 'wrapping' cabbage roles and so easy!! Slow Cooker Cabbage No-Roll Ingredients 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 onion, diced 1/2 lb (225 g) extra lean ground beef 1/2 lb (225 g) extra lean ground pork 1 cup (250...

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Hummus Made Easy

A simple and tasty hummus made without tahini. Great with cut up pita, fresh veggies, crackers, etc. Ingredients for Hummus: 1 can (19 oz - 540 ml) chickpeas, drained 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup (60 - 80 ml) olive oil 1/4 cup (60 ml) tahini (optional) 3+ garlic cloves, crushed...

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Cranberry Maple Baked Chicken

A spicy flavourful chicken dish.  So simple to prepare. The cooking sauce will also work for roasting a whole chicken or pork roast. INGREDIENTS - 2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts kosher or sea salt, to taste black pepper, to taste Cooking Sauce - 1 cup (250 ml)...

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Homemade Granola

Recently I started making my own Granola after checking out my mother-in-law's recipe and a few others online. My goal was to keep it as healthy as possible and delicious tasting. Here's the result - and it is SO easy. Goes great mixed with plain yogurt or whatever...

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Quinoa Vegetable Salad

One of my favourite ways to eat quinoa is cold in a salad. This is a recently discovered favourite after having a lunch with my friend Kathleen Hatley (MyClutterCoach.ca) at the Italian Deli on Dewdney Trunk Road in Maple Ridge. (It used to be Crumbs Bakery). After...

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Herb Salad Dressing

This salad dressing recipe came about when my good friend Violet Sexsmith visited for lunch a while back. Violet is a phenomenal cook, a trained chef and in more recent years a Vegan. Violet and I worked up the dressing together ... but the combination of dried herbs...

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Chocolate Drizzled Taste of Cheesecake

This started out to be Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries with Chocolate Drizzle from BudgetSavvyDiva.com BUUUTTTTT most of the local (and delicious) strawberries I bought on the weekend were a bit too soft to work well with the recipe. Instead, I changed things up a bit...

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Pesto Pasta Garlic Chicken

The other evening my husband had a craving for pasta. With two chicken breasts thawed, and a desire to do something 'EASY!' I whipped up this pasta chicken recipe. It  was delicious!! According to my husband ... and me too. And bonus, there was enough left over for...

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Chocolate Macaroons

Thanks to Fran Beaver for asking about Chocolate Macaroons! These are SO simple to make  ... maybe 15 minutes (at most) to put together and 15 minutes in the oven! Add more sugar if you like them really sweet. INGREDIENTS - 3 egg whites 1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar (or more...

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Yummy Mac & Cheese

This dish is more a winter one than a summer one but I pulled it together at the last minute on a busy day. I happened to have cooked ground beef on hand (cooked in the crock pot the day before) and some leftover cooked macaroni noodles in the freezer. I cooked up...

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Coleslaw in Seconds

The key to ‘Coleslaw in Seconds’ is buying coleslaw in a bag. INGREDIENTS - 6 cups (1.5 liters) coleslaw (or equal parts grated carrots, green cabbage and red cabbage) 1/4 cup (60 ml) sunflower seeds 1/4  cup (60 ml) craisins or raisins 1 cup (250 ml) apples, diced...

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Fruit Crisp

A favorite of mine! The first night it’s dessert, the rest of the week, because of the good stuff in it (oatmeal, fruit, nuts), it works for breakfast. TOPPING INGREDIENTS - 1 cup (250 ml) flour (spelt, regular, whole wheat or a combination) 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) quick...

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Curry Chicken

My mom introduced me to curry chicken years ago. This recipe is delicious served over a bed of rice! Easy to make and very flavorful . We enjoy it for two dinners and its even better on day 2. INGREDIENTS - 2 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into chunks 1...

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Vegetarian Black Bean Chili

This is one of my favorite chili recipes. It is a flavorful, hearty and vegetarian dish that even meat lovers enjoy. INGREDIENTS - 4 sweet potatoes, skin on 1/2 cup (125 ml) onion, diced 2 tbsp (30 ml) grapeseed or olive oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 cup (125 ml)...

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Bow Tie Pasta With Chicken

My thanks to Evelyn Trites from Ontario who suggested the ingredients for this bow tie pasta with chicken recipe. It is easy to make, fast and delicious!! (Thanks Eveylyn!!) INGREDIENTS - bow tie pasta (or other favourite) 2+ tbsp (30+ ml) olive oil 2+ tsp (10+ ml)...

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Blueberry Plus Oat Scones

These scones are easy to prepare and delicious! You can make them with blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, chocolate, whatever you like. For the rhubarb you may want to add a bit of extra sugar (I did with this recipe) to compensate for the tartness. INGREDIENTS - 3...

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Garlic Rosemary Roast Potatoes

These garlic rosemary roast potatoes are FABULOUS and so easy to prepare. My husband's favorite roast potato recipe!! INGREDIENTS - 2 pounds (908 grams) red potatoes, quartered 4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil kosher or sea salt, to taste black pepper, to taste 2 sprigs fresh...

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Asparagus Roasted

This recipe for roasted (or barbecued) asparagus originated with my brother-in-law Allan who uses the barbecue to cook asparagus - with delicious results. Oven or BBQ works great! INGREDIENTS - 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil 16 asparagus spears 4 - 6 cloves garlic, crushed...

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Shepherd’s Pie

One of my favorites - Shepherd's Pie (Mom style). It remind me of my Mom when we have it for dinner.  This is her recipe. Ingredients for Shepherd's Pie 4 lbs (1.8 kg) extra lean ground beef 4 - 6 tbsp (60 - 90 ml)  Lipton's French Onion (dry) Soup mix (or season with...

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Oven Roasted Fries

Super easy and delicious Oven Roasted Fries. Great with a hamburger and salad - and lots of other things. Likely much better for you than fast food too :^) INGREDIENTS - 4 medium to large potatoes, cut into thin or thick fries garlic powder kosher salt and black...

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Pan Steamed Veggies

My sister Linda introduced me to this method of steaming vegetables.  It is fast, easy and, as long as you don't forget that it is cooking, will yield crisp veggies every time. All you need is a bit of water in the bottom of a frying pan with a lid.  Simple!!...

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Basil Garlic Cheese Bread

One of my brother-in-law’s (Ken) favorites. Great with spaghetti, lasagna, chili, soup, salad ... the list is endless! INGREDIENTS - 1 cup (250 ml) soft butter 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 cup (250 ml) sharp cheddar cheese, grated 1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh basil, chopped...

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