Pastitsio Goes Light

This is the Greek variation of lasagna, made with less fuss and less fat, too. It's great for company — make it the day before, then pop it in the oven. Serve with a light green salad tossed with a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.

Milanese Veal Stew

Sandra Proulx and Tracy Zambonin teamed up to open their personal-chef business, Cooks On The Run in Stittsville, Ont., after graduating from a culinary arts program last year. They have a knack for polishing up hearty dishes like this Italian stew. "This is a big hit with the young families we work with," says Proulx. "The kids like it because the meat and vegetables are in easy-to-manage pieces, while the grown-ups find it slightly sophisticated." Serve the stew with egg noodles to sop up the rich sauce; they cook in less time than it takes to reheat the stew.

Tomato & Ricotta Parmesan Tart

Beautiful heirloom tomatoes are the star of this tart. Thanks to their varied shapes and sizes, they yield the most stunning results.

Barbecue Breakfast Packets

Sweet potato makes a healthy addition to this quick all-in-one breakfast. For even cooking, choose a sweet potato that is the same thickness throughout. A cooked potato is easier to cut when it's cool, so cook it ahead of time, if possible.

Spaghetti Bake

This hearty dish will have your guests begging for the recipe. Be sure to bring it with you! Grating the vegetables reduces the amount of chopping and cooking time.

Crispy Mackerel with Pancetta and Herbed Salad

Wild mackerel is an affordable and sustainable chpice. Scoring the fish skin with a sharp knife keeps it from curling and makes it extra-crispy.

Peter Gzowski's Favourite Beef Stew

Back in 1992, Ottawa-based Trillium Cooking School owner Pam Collacott and Canadian Living food editor Elizabeth Baird assisted Peter Gzowski at the Ottawa International Wine & Food Show where, as master teacher, he prepared Peter's Favourite Stew. Previous to the cooking class, The Canadian Living Test Kitchen has taken his charming instructions (no measurements) and converted them into the tested recipe you see below. Later, at the behest of one of Peter's fans, we also tried the recipe with caribou and found it worked exactly the same as beef, and, what is so important, was received with acclaim by members of the test kitchen and our guests. Of course Peter poo pooed the idea of measuring and suggested times, but when you want to reproduce the taste that won his stew so many fans, you can't go wrong with a well tested recipe.

Baked Rigatoni and Meatballs

The meatballs take a little time to prepare, but they boost this pasta dish to a deliciously flavourful meal.

Eggplant and Potato Ragout with Feta Topping

Hearty is the description for this vegetarian dish that is sure to be a new buffet and potluck favourite.

Slow Cooker Italian-Style Pork Belly