Flaky Seafood Pie

One of the pleasures of the cooking traditions of the British Isles is seafood pie, with its bounty of northern seafood in a creamy sauce topped with flaky pastry. You can make the pie a day ahead and refrigerate it or freeze it. If you prefer, use pie pastry (one double-crust recipe) instead of puff pastry.

Tourtiere recipe and instructions

Tourtiere is the creme de la creme of pies. Lightly spiced and herbed, this pork pie is especially anticipated for Christmas Eve celebrations, but it's equally tasty throughout the holidays and winter months. Tourtiere is completely make-ahead, delicious when turkey or chicken take over for pork and perfectly complemented by a tangy relish such as chili sauce.

Partridge or Pheasant Pie

Partridge and pheasant both have delicate chickenlike meat with a distinct boost of flavour. This celebratory pie will be a hit.

Roasted Chicken Roulade with Herbed Goat Cheese and Asparagus

The inspiration for this dish was a simple seasonal meal with great flavour. I wanted to make a dish that was easy to prepare with at least some components that could be made ahead of time. A Saturday morning trip to the local farmer's market was what inspired the ingredients in this recipe; locally grown asparagus, fresh Ontario goat's cheese, organically raised local chicken breasts and I was on my way! They key to this recipe is simple and flavourful ingredients. Using ingredients that are in season makes a big difference since this is the time when they are at their flavour peak. I decided to serve the chicken with a fresh spring salad using some of the same ingredients from the chicken. It would also be nice with a crusty baguette and a warm bowl of soup. The simplicity of the flavours in this dish make it easy to pair with other foods. The result was a delicious springtime meal that was perfect for a casual night with friends. Buying local and seasonal ingredients allowed me to stay way under my $100 budget and the ease of preparing the meal allowed me to spend time with my guests - which is what entertaining is all about!

Exquisite Roasted Garlic and Vegetable Lasagna

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!

Vegetable Wellington

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Maple Beer Sauce

I first tasted bannock on a tenth grade hiking trip through the BC Lillooet Gold Rush trail. It was freshly cooked over a campfire and tasted wonderful on a cold and rainy evening. My version of stovetop bannock is jazzed up with some savoury add-ins. Served with Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, it is perfect for mopping up the delicious Maple Beer Sauce.

Veal and Ham Pie

Veal and Ham Pie belongs to that special category of meat pies we associate more with French pat?than with the British antecedents of our Canadian cuisine. This splendid pie takes some time to put together, but is worth every minute. In the true tradition of a Canadian picnic, the responsibility for making the dishes should be shared by the group. It\'s advisable that this dish be prepared by a picnicker with a free afternoon one or two days before the outing.

Roasted Pickerel with Mixed Grain Risotto, Sautéed Root Vegetables, and Rosemary Honey

My inspiration for the recipe began with an amazing cheese course I had at a dinner party at my sister's house. Rosemary honey drizzled on sharp cheese on a gourmet cracker. Divine! I knew my recipe had to have a rosemary honey component (and lucky for me I had overwintered a rosemary plant from my garden.) Thyme honey, my alternate choice and made the same way, was also delicious. I also wanted to focus on local prairie ingredients...you can't find lemons or olive oil here so I didn't put any in my recipe! I love risotto and thought it a good way to bring the sharp cheese into the recipe. I don't like the constant stirring of the usually method so tried local grains baked instead. The oats are creamy and the barley still has slight bite so it is a great combination. A friend who was sampling my recipe stated, "the risotto was a real surprise, the star of the show." I choose pickerel because it is a local prairie fish, is quite mild, and blends nicely with the other flavours. Rainbow trout also works nicely. The carrots and parsnips were grown locally and the rosemary honey just brings out the flavours wonderfully. To serve: Scoop a generous portion of risotto onto plates. Place an array of vegetables to the side of risotto, then top with a half fillet of pickerel. Drizzle with remaining rosemary honey and garnish with sprig of parsley. Excellent with any British Columbia Meritage or Pinot Grigio Note: If you have any leftover risotto, it is delicious for breakfast with crispy bacon on the side!

Giant Pretzels

These twisted treats are delicious both savoury or sweet, and guaranteed to be fun to eat!