Pot Roast with Winter Root Vegetables

This dish from the February 2005 "Eat Well for Less" set of six budget-wise menus is ideal for Sunday dinner because it leaves leftovers for another night and possibly even sandwich fillings for weekday lunches. Root vegetables are the economical in-season choice.

Cheesey Veggie Lasagna

Mixture freezes very well, so I will often After working in a restaurant where I watched the cooks mix the lasagna in one container instead of layering like my mother did, I realized that making it could much easier than it traditionally was. In addition, I found that veggie lasagna is a great way to get children to eat there vegetables. Mixture freezes very well, so I will oftenmake a double batch and freeze one without the cheddar on top. Upon defrosting I will add the cheddar before baking, keeping the cheese tasting fresh.

Tofu-Stuffed Eggplant with Mushroom Ragout

By Laurie Sadowski, winner, Vegetarian Protein category.

This fresh-tasting vegetarian dish impressed us because it is suitable for not only vegetarians but also vegans, as well as people who eat gluten- and dairy-free diets, making it perfect for gatherings of those with food allergies and intolerances. Nutritional yeast, such as that from Bob's Red Mill, can be found in health food and some grocery stores.

Maple Crusted Cedar Plank Salmon

I love to barbecue, and this is my family's favourite way to eat salmon. We always buy a few extra maple sugar leaves from the farmer's market to use on the salmon. We also make our own maple syrup from our trees, so this makes it more personal. I serve the sweet salmon with a tart cranberry icewine compote, which sets the flavours off nicely. The icewine is made not far from us, in Prince Edward Country, Ontario, so that is local as well. Finally, we grow fiddleheads on our property, which are just coming into season now, so I think this makes a perfect side dish.

West Coast 3 C's Quiche

I love brunch. This is my favourite meal by far, and I love the ease of having something like a quiche already prepared. The flavours are always richer and more enhanced after the quiche has had a chance to sit overnight as well, which is another benefit to advanced preparation. I thought about my favourite Canadian ingredients and it really has to include crab, chanterelles, and corn. There is just something about the sweetness of the crab, the burst in your mouth juiciness of corn, and the earthiness of sauteed chantrelles with garlic that is just plain perfect. The gouda I love is from Gort's Gouda in Salmon Arm B.C., where my mom lives. It's organic and is outstanding. While the crab and the chanterelles are definitely the bell ringers on this grocery bill, the other ingredients are low cost. I buy my crab and fresh B.C. chanterelles at my local Costco for under $25 combined, which makes it even more affordable. I made this with a potato crust as I can't eat gluten, but a pastry crust would work just as well. I'd pair this with a tangy raspberry hazelnut vinaigrette mixed with fresh, tender leafy greens to round out the meal.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am going to say it outright: this is the best chocolate chip cookie I have EVER made.
I can typically control myself when it comes to indulging in all my home baking, but this time around I inhaled about 1/3 of the batch before I even realized what was going on! I’ll let you in on the two secret ingredients as to why these cookies are so addictively delicious: firstly, they contain espresso powder. You’ll want to make sure it’s instant espresso powder not just ground espresso, it should be the kind that dissolves completely into liquid. Espresso intensifies the flavour of chocolate, so you should consider adding it into your favourite chocolate cakes as well!
Second, sprinkling large flake sea salt onto these cookies as soon as they come out of the oven is an absolute game changer. Salt in general is the ingredient that brings all the flavours together, but both the texture and flavour of those little salty flakes as you eat this cookie will have you coming back for more. I baked these while I was in New York and found chocolate “morsels” at their grocery stores; these seem to just be an alternative name to chocolate chips, but they tend to be larger, so consider using these if you manage to find them, or large semi-sweet chocolate chips to add to that chocolate decadence. With the addition of nutty browned butter and toasted pecans, this is sure to become your favourite cookie recipe too!

Cheesy Hamburger Casserole

This is a simple, quick recipe that my children absolute love to help make and even more, love to eat. There is no fussing when this is served.

Peel-and-Eat Shrimp Boil

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Fruit

You may not be able to vacation at a spa, byt that doesn't mea you can't eat like you're at one.