This Saturday is Food Revolution Day. Spearheaded by Jamie Oliver, this day is meant to get us thinking about the daily food choices we make and emphasizes the importance of having "real" food on our tables. Here in the Canadian Living Test Kitchen, we are firm believers in the healing powers of a home-cooked meal. Spending the better part of our days concocting delicious – and healthy – recipes for our readers, this cause is right up our alley!

Many fun events will be taking place worldwide on May 19, from small gatherings to large-scale, national events including cooking classes, dinners and fund-raisers. These events are a great way to bring awareness to food-related issues, share experiences and talk about how we can take better care of our bodies. Jamie Oliver himself will be hosting a virtual dinner party and chatting with viewers about his goals for the day. To read more about the cause, visit the Food Revolution Day website. And to check out a list of events taking place in Canada, take a look at the Food Bloggers of Canada website.

Mardi Michels, the cofounder of Food Bloggers of Canada and an ambassador for Toronto's Food Revolution Day, shared a few words of wisdom about what this day means to her:

"As an adult and an educator, I believe it's my responsibility to teach my students about real food so that they can face the adult world armed with the knowledge of basic cooking skills and healthy choices. Change does not have to be huge – in fact, this week at school, I encouraged the boys to all make sure they had at least ONE vegetable on their plates at lunch and I am proud to say most of them rose to the challenge!”

Will you be participating in any activities for Food Revolution Day this Saturday?

If you live in Vancouver, or will be there between June 1 and 3, you're in luck!

Canadian Living and some *ahem* handsome celebrity presenters will be on the main stage doing demonstrations at this year's EAT! Vancouver Food & Cooking Festival -- and you could win free tickets to see us live!

Food Specialist, Irene Fong, and I will be presenting recipes from our summer issues and giving loads of great tips for summer entertaining. Whether you're there for hands-on demonstrations, to taste delicious food and cocktails or just to catch a glimpse of the hottest Food Network stars, you'll find it all at the 10th annual EAT! Vancouver show.

Now, you clearly do not want to miss this show – but allow me to sweeten the pot, will you?

We have 4 family packs (4 tickets each) to give away to 4 lucky winners who plan to be in Vancouver for the festival. All you have to do is answer the following question in the comments below this post: what is your favourite idea for easy summer entertaining? This could be your favourite recipe, cocktail, snazzy idea, or easy entertaining shortcut tip. Our top 4 favourite comments will win a pack of four tickets. Isn't that easy?

This contest will run until Victoria Day (Monday, May 21) and we will contact the winners via email.

See you at the festival!

In honour of Mother’s Day, I’ve decided to dedicate this blog to my mom, who is a fantastic cook and has played a big role in my love of food.

Growing up, virtually none of my friends ate “strange foods” like braised pork belly, oxtail soup or whole steamed fish at home. As much as I loved Chinese food, I longed to eat the same stuff my friends were eating – like meatloaf with ketchup topping and creamy chicken noodle casserole. On weekends, instead of fluffy stacks of syrup-drenched pancakes with a side of crispy bacon, my mother would prepare a savoury rice porridge known as congee (or jook, as we call it at home) served with a generous helping of her famous pan-seared pot stickers.

If you’ve never had congee, you’re in for a real treat. It’s a warm and savoury porridge often with chunks of tender marinated meat in it. And like oatmeal, its consistency can be adjusted with water if you prefer it thick or thin. It’s also dead simple to make and you don’t need any fancy equipment. Just a big pot, a knife, a wooden spoon and a ladle will do.

This recipe is super simple and can be tailored to include virtually anything you like. My husband loves beef congee, but my personal favourite is turkey congee (my family’s way of using up leftovers from Thanksgiving).

Marinated Chicken Congee

Here’s what you’ll need to make the perfect Marinated Chicken Congee:

(Makes 4 to 6 servings.)

1 cup long-grain white rice

8 cups chicken stock, unsalted chicken broth or water

1-inch (2.5 cm) chunk peeled fresh ginger

Salt and white pepper to taste

Marinated chicken

1 lb (450 g) boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 green onion, chopped

1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tsp oyster sauce

½ tsp sesame oil

Pinch each salt and white pepper

In large pot, rinse rice; drain. Add chicken stock and ginger; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender and has broken down, about 1½ hours. (Tip: Keep an eye on the congee for the first 15 minutes as this is the time when it tends to boil over when covered.)

Meanwhile, in bowl, combine chicken, green onion, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate overnight.)

Add chicken mixture to congee, stirring to combine until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Adjust consistency of congee with water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Serve topped with your favourite garnishes, such as green onions, ginger, chopped peanuts, chili oil and cilantro.

So, in the spirit of Mother's Day, what recipe reminds you of your mom?

When I saw that The Healthy Butcher – a quaint Toronto store filled with hand-selected products and top-quality meats – was offering an Art of the Roast cooking class, I was immediately sold. Our long Canadian winters lend themselves perfectly to comforting fork-tender roasts, and, on most nights, a serving of juicy roast beef or pork comes pretty close to heaven on a plate.

Healthy Butcher Chef Jonathan Persaud-Abrahams demonstrating how to stuff pork shoulder.

Cooking a roast may seem challenging if you’ve never cooked one before, but with a few easy rules and some good ingredients, it’s an easy and accessible option for weekend meals. And the best part? You'll have handy leftovers to use in different dishes for the next few days!

The hands-on time required to cook a roast is generally quite short and straightforward – but be warned, the sweet aroma of slow-cooked meat will take over your home for hours before you can dig in.

Roasting in 3 essential steps

1. Searing: Searing creates a deliciously caramelized crust on the meat, which helps to build flavour.

2. Cooking: Cooking your meat for the right amount of time is key. Depending on the type of protein you are using, the cut and the amount of meat, cooking time will vary.

3. Resting: Leaving the meat to rest at the end of the cooking process will redistribute juices inside the meat and keep it moist and tender.

The Art of the Roast class goes into detail about these roasting techniques and will show you a few simple recipes that you can replicate and adapt. You're sure to head home in a roast frenzy.

Now for our giveaway! I’ve got two tickets for a class at The Healthy Butcher in Toronto (for one lucky reader and a guest). To enter the contest, simply comment on this post and let me know what your favourite kind of roast is. One reader will be chosen at random and will receive two tickets for any available class.

Contest closes June 8, 2012, at 12 p.m. EST. You can enter once only. Open to all residents of Canada with a valid mailing address, except those in Quebec. Not open to any Transcontinental Media employees, their families or any other persons with whom they reside.

Whether you're simply going out for lunch or travelling in an exotic far-off place, sampling culinary treats when you're away from home is one of life's sweet pleasures. Let's face it, we've all experienced that dreaded post-meal remorse from eating too much and too decadently. In truth, it can be hard to keep health and wellness in mind when you're not at home, so I've written down my Top 5 tips on how I like to keep things healthier when eating out.

Carbonated water is a great alternative to sugary pop

(1) Say no to sugary drinks. Make it a habit to drink water. It keeps you hydrated and is much easier on the pocketbook than most other drinks. If you're like me and love fizzy drinks, ask for a carbonated water with a big wedge of lemon or lime. Best of all, you can treat yourself to a cocktail later on without feeling guilty.

(2) Do the "trade off." Try to stay away from foods that are fried (yes, that includes our beloved french fries) and foods drenched in sauces which are usually high in sugar and fat. Look for items that are grilled, roasted, steamed or poached, swap white bread for whole grain bread, opt for tossed greens with vinaigrette on the side instead of a creamy mayo-based salad and try to load up on more vegetables than starch or meat.

(3) Don't be afraid to ask. Most of us don't want to come across as picky and high-maintenance, but if you're unsure of how your dish is prepared, ask your server. Restaurants pride themselves on their level of customer service, so if you don't see something on the menu – like a big salad with grilled chicken or steamed noodles with veggies, you can always ask to see if they can put something together for you. Of course, it always helps if you ask for a modification of a dish that they already have on their menu.

Choose dried fruit, nuts and seeds instead of candy or chips

(4) Plan ahead. If you can, pack healthy snacks with you, such as dried fruit, seeds and nuts, which help to keep you full between meals. Also, go online and check out the neighbourhood or restaurant where you plan on eating. This will help you narrow down your options and develop a game plan for your meal. Before I try a new restaurant, I like to check out their official website (if they have one) as well as customer reviews and pictures on sites like Urbanspoon and Yelp.

(5) Watch your portion sizes. This is probably the easiest way to keep on track without feeling like you're missing out on all the fun. If the portions are large, pack half of your food to go or share your entrée with a friend. Feel free to treat yourself, but remember that eating is not a personal challenge. You don't really have to beat your personal best of 50 wings in 30 minutes every time you get the chance.

How do you eat healthy when you're away from home?

Stressed about hosting a party? Don't be! With these 7 easy tips, you'll be throwing parties on a regular basis.

Dinner parties don't have to be this formal to impress your guests (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tip No. 1: Know your guests. Inquire about any dietary restrictions and potential "dislikes." In this day and age people may have gluten and/or dairy intolerances and severe food allergies, they may be vegetarians or vegans, or they may simply abstain from eating certain foods. Make something appropriate to suit everyone's needs and you'll avoid being a short-order cook.

Tip No. 2: Choose a theme. Can't decide on what to serve? Choose a theme and stick to it throughout the menu. For example, for a French-themed lunch serve French wines, simple pate and cheeses with fresh baguette, vichyssoise, Nicoise pasta and pot de creme for dessert. Most of these dishes can be made in advance.

Tip No. 3: Accept help. If your guests offer to help with prep or cleanup, let them. Many hands make light the work. Have someone pour wine, help plate dinner or stir a sauce over the stove top.

Tip No. 4: Plan ahead. Count out plates, cutlery and napkins days before. Prep food in advance and reheat what you can. The more you do before your guests arrive, the more you'll be able to enjoy your own party. If you're making a chocolate soufflé for dessert, have your dishes buttered and sugared, chop your chocolate and measure out ingredients all prior to your guests' arrival. The best parties are the ones you enjoy with your guests.

Tip No. 5: Don't go over budget. If you would like to splurge in some areas be sure to cut back in others. Lobster with flavoured butter for dinner is great served with stuffed baked potatoes and a rainbow slaw.

Tip No. 6: Introduce new foods. Find a a new and exciting ingredient to incorporate into your food. It can be as simple as using a smoked sea salt, flavoured oil, or less common fruits and vegetables such as candy cane beets or baby patty pan squash.

Tip No. 7: Have fun! Have your favourite music on in the backround, enjoy what you're cooking and get everyone involved.

This Earth Day cookie was the result of a happy accident.

In fact, now that I mention it, this is how most good ideas happen in the Test Kitchen. We were making chocolate/vanilla marble cookies and they came out looking very planetary. I swapped the chocolate dough for a blue-tinted dough... et voila! Earth cookies!

Here's how you make them:

Start with your favourite plain cookie dough. I recommend a shortbread dough because it's very forgiving and doesn't really get tough from overmixing. I used this superbasic shortbread:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy; beat in vanilla. Stir in flour to form smooth dough.

Cut your dough in half.

Cut dough in half.

Tint half of the dough bright blue by kneading in a little blue food colouring paste. Food colouring paste won't stain your hands the same way that liquid will -- and it also has a much more powerful colouring effect.

Keep in mind, your blue dough will darken when it bakes! So choose a light blue.

Divide the doughs into golfball-sized blobs and line them up in two rows, alternating colours.

Blob it up!

Now gently gather the blobs together and shape it into one singular dough. Roll the dough into a cylinder.

Roll into cylinder.

Chill the dough until firm. Then slice the log, crosswise, into scant 1/4-inch thick cookies. Lay on parchment-covered cookie sheets.

Slice and bake!

Bake, one sheet at a time, in a 350°F oven until pale golden on the bottom and no longer shiny on top. Let cool on the baking sheet for 4 or 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies directly to racks to cool.

Earth Day cookies!

Do you plan to celebrate Earth Day on April 22?

It’s 6 p.m., your dinner is happily cooking away on the stove and you have all the ingredients for a tossed green side salad. You open the fridge and eye the condiment selection only to realize that your bottle of dressing is long expired. Now what?

Before you come to the hasty conclusion that making dressing from scratch is too much trouble, I’d like to make the argument that preparing salad dressing is far from being a chore. A simple dressing is extremely easy to prepare using common items that live in your pantry or fridge.

A basic, well-balanced salad dressing is not too sour, not too sweet and not too bland. This recipe is a great standby for any tossed green salad, and once you’re familiar with the method, you can change it up to suit your taste and menu.

Foodie note: Dijon mustard helps to keep oil-based dressings from separating after being mixed. If you’d like to make vinaigrette instead, keep it out.

Everyday Dressing

Dressed side salad

(Makes 4 to 6 servings.)

¼ cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

4 tsp liquid honey

2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)

Pinch each salt and pepper

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper; slowly whisk in oil until combined.

Cover and refrigerate any leftover dressing in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Tip: For easy mixing, add all ingredients into a small jar and close lid; shake vigorously until combined.

Now that you’re all set, here are some ideas to change up your oil-based dressings.

Acids:

• White balsamic vinegar
• Cider vinegar
• Lemon/lime/orange juice
• Rice vinegar
• White wine vinegar
• Raspberry vinegar

Additional flavourings:

• Flavoured Dijon mustard
• Fancy liquid honey (Greek-style, clover, orange blossom, etc.)
• Brown or granulated sugar
• Herbs (chives, oregano, dill, parsley, cilantro, etc.)
• Cheese (feta, Stilton, Parmesan)
• Finely diced shallots or green onions
• Chopped olives or capers
• Prepared horseradish or wasabi
• Finely minced or roasted garlic
• Sesame seeds or a few drops of sesame oil
• Toasted whole spices (cumin, mustard seeds)

Oils:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Walnut/other nut oil
• Vegetable/canola oil
• Avocado oil

Do you make your own dressing at home?

Eggs are one of the most versatile ingredients in the universe. And I don't know about your house, but eggs are a total workhorse at mine. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, whatever. If I can't think of what I want to eat or cook - eggs it is!

Eggs, glorious eggs!

And I'm a total sucker for hard boiled eggs. In salads, on their own with buttery toast, in sandwiches, stirred into curry, on top of rice...you get the idea!

That's why when I found these egg molds in my local Asian grocery store, they had to be mine. Sure, they are designed for kids (and mine loves them!) but I'm also tickled about how adorable they are. And I love how they  transform a plain old hard boiled egg into something super cute!

So adorable!

Here's how:

Boil your eggs (large work best) to desired yolk consistency. This can range from 3 to 8 minutes. Then peel while still hot. This is the trickiest part. When I can't stand to hold them any longer because they're too hot I give them a quick run under cold water.

Then, open the mold.

Open sesame.

Insert egg.

Like this

Snap shut.

Closing time

Let stand in cold water for 5 minutes to set the pattern and cool the egg enough to eat.

Open, and sigh at how darned cute it is. Then eat it, of course!

I'm a bit late this year, but this will be perfect for next Easter!

To learn how to make perfect boiled eggs, check out the video, here.

And try this delicious, Canadian Living Tested Till Perfect recipe featuring boiled eggs, here.

What's your favourite way to enjoy eggs?

With April Fool’s Day close by, I’ve been thinking back to days past when strategically placed whoopie cushions, piles of confetti on ceiling fans and unscrewed salt shakers were part of any prankster’s lexicon.

If you’re looking for a fun and easy recipe, serve your family something that looks like one dish, but tastes like another.

There are plenty of ideas floating around out there, but I've decided to share this super-easy take on a breakfast favourite: Pizza "Cinnamon" Buns!

You can adjust this pizza to fit your preferences, so if you like onions and anchovies, go for it!  You can also use whole wheat pizza dough if you want to make a healthier version of this treat. Of course, you don't have to save this recipe just for April Fool's Day – it's great any time of year!

Here's what you'll need:

1 package (680 g) prepared pizza dough

1-1/3 cups marinara sauce*

3/4 cup diced bell pepper

3/4 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup sliced pepperoni

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tsp olive oil

*If you don't have marinara sauce on hand, mix together 1-1/3 cups strained crushed tomatoes; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 clove garlic (pressed or grated); and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; roll out into 10- x 16-inch (25 x 40 cm) rectangle. Spread 1/3 cup sauce over surface of rectangle, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) border uncovered at 1 long side.

Top with peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni and 1/2 cup of the cheese, leaving the same 1/2-inch (1 cm) border uncovered. Starting at opposite side of border, tightly roll up dough, pinch seam to seal.

Rolled and sliced buns

Brush all over with oil. With sharp knife, cut into 12 pieces; place cut side up, in greased 11- x 7-inch (2L) baking dish.

Bake in 400˚F (200˚C) oven until tops are golden and buns sound hollow when gently tapped, 35 to 45 minutes. Top with remaining cheese 5 minutes before removing from oven. Meanwhile, heat remaining marinara sauce in small saucepan until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Serve warm pizza buns with marinara sauce for dipping.

Will you be doing anything for April Fool's Day this year?

Pizza "Cinnamon" Buns