Take a break from traditional holiday desserts with these tart citrus cookies. For best results, use freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice in the icing.
I like to prepare dishes for guests that allow me to enjoy their company. In order to do this, I select dishes that can be prepared before the guests arrive and are already cooking while we are enjoying their company. My "Sure to Please" Chicken Cacciatore is a prime example of this. Over time I have made several adjustments to enhance the flavour while at the same time using healthy alternatives (eg. skinless chicken thighs and breasts; I saute ingredients in extra virgin olive oil instead of butter). Because this dish has an Italian flare, so do all the other dishes that I serve before, during and after this meal. I serve an antipasta tray as an appetizer, and toasted garlic bread, a tossed green salad with an oil and vinaigrette dressing, whole wheat spaghetti, and the same wine that is in the cacciatore. For dessert I serve Tiramisu (also made ahead). As a result, most of my work is complete before company arrives. I have shared this recipe with women who say they do not cook and I have received rave reviews from all of them - their guests loved it so much that one man ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. I like to make this dish in the summer, when I can use fresh produce from my vegetable garden or from the local farmer's market. My inspiration for this recipe is that I love to cook and entertain. This recipe is full of flavour, easy to prepare and tastes like you were in the kitchen all day (what a bonus!).
I don't eat sugar as an additive at all and am quite health-conscious with my diet. This recipe has no added sugar but is sweet from natural fruit sugars. Many of my friends are not quite so health-conscious, so I try to create healthful yet delicious entrees to share with them. I chose pork as a base for this recipe because it is highly available and inexpensive; so that even for a budget of under $60 anyone could host a dinner party and confidently serve a fabulous entree (students included!). Finally, I enjoyed the challenge of transforming a typically dry and, in my dining experiences, boring cut of meat into an exciting and unexpectedly flavorful dish with Canadian ingredients from my birthplace of Winnipeg and my new home in Ontario.
This show-stopping classic is less intimidating to make than it appears. Top it with whatever fresh berries are local or in season. For a pretty presentation, tie a ribbon around it.
Harissa, a paste made from crushed chilies, gives these North African-inspired lamb sausages their signature kick. Find boneless lamb shoulder and sausage casings at your butcher, and make sure the meat is chilled before you work with it. For easy prep, enlist a helper for filling the casings.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, a home-cooked meal from the heart can be extremely special. Why not finish it off with a beautiful and romantic dessert? Served in elegant champagne glasses, this is sure to sweep your date off their feet.
My family absolutely loves this dish. It is one of those wonderful dishes that is best prepared the day ahead which leaves you plenty of time for entertaining when your friends are over. It came about as my son was dating a girl who was a vegetarian, I wanted to make a dish for supper that we could all enjoy with her. I looked at a variety of recipes and formulated this one, which we have come to love - I have shared the recipe with garlic loving friends who just can't get enough! All the ingredients can be grown in my backyard, although I usually buy the eggplant at the St. Jacobs Farmers market in Waterloo, about 15 minutes from my home. Serve this with a caesar salad and some crusty bread and voila! A meal your friends won't soon forget!
This showstopping dessert will wow your crowd with both its looks and its taste. The combination of moist cakes, mascarpone icing and orange cream is a match made in heaven.
