I love going out to restaurants... of course I have a few favorites that I like to go back to. Somehow whenever I'm travelling, it seems like one type of restaurant that's always on my list is a good steakhouse. It doesn't matter if I'm in Toronto, Montréal, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle or Vancouver, I always have a favorite steakhouse on my list.
As strange as it may sound, I enjoy the ambiance of a steakhouse. I love the décor, the smell, the energy and obviously the food. I also like the side dishes you most often find at a steakhouse such as Creamed Spinach, Twice Baked Potatoes, and so on. Their menus usually have a wider selection of side dishes compared to other restaurants but one that seems more in demand than others are their famous Sautéed Mushrooms.
Here’s a recipe for you to make at home… my Steakhouse Sautéed Mushrooms! Every time I make this side dish, it’s a home-run and everyone enjoys them! They pair so beautifully with a good steak and a nice bottle of red wine. They are easy to make and are quite flavorful. In 20 minutes, you have a nice side dish to accompany your grilled protein. I enjoy these easy and flavorful sautéed mushrooms and I bet you will too after trying them. So at your next BBQ party, serve your guests this amazing steakhouse side dish along with a great steak or even pork and I bet they will be a hit! Bon Appétit! Check out these other yummy side dish recipes… – Vegetable Medley – Smoky Bacon Creamed Corn – Popovers – Tomates à la Provençale (Tomatoes Provençal) – Indian Basmati with Dry Fruits – Squash à la Canadienne and for even more side dish and vegetable recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Sides & Vegetables
Who doesn’t have a sweet tooth once in a while? I sure do and I enjoy baking pies, cakes, pastries, etc. Unfortunately there’s a little problem…there’s only two of us to eat my baking unless we invite people over to help out.
What to do when I have the craving for baked goods? The answer is muffins! Yep, that’s right…muffins. They are so versatile…okay let me explain. First they are amazingly yummy. Second, you can eat them anytime of day – breakfast, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, dessert, after dinner…why not? And lastly, I can freeze some and when I have to “fix” that tooth, I take one from the freezer and reheat it in the microwave or I can just wait and thaw it out for a few hours…NOT! Lol…!
Muffins are easy to make, bake and …obviously eat! There are so many recipes for delicious muffins to choose from, it can be hard to decide what kind to make. In this video, I’ll show you how I make my Lemon Raspberry Muffins. They are moist, full of flavor and there’s just the right balance of tart and sweet to them. I have many muffins recipes and this one is in my top ten favorites. After you’ve tried them, you’ll understand what I mean. Bon Appétit!
I am not a fan of GMOs’, food additives or preservatives. I try my best to make most things from scratch if I can. Not only is it much healthier to make homemade but you are also in charge of what and how much you put in your recipes. It’s also pretty rewarding to make your own… well it is to me. In my teens when I was first introduced to Greek cuisine, I always ordered a menu item that came with Tzatziki Sauce. I remember my girlfriends and I making jokes about “10 things to do to Stay Single” and one of them was, of course, eating tzatziki sauce. One day at the grocery store I was going to get a store-bought tzatziki sauce and peaked at the label. My eyes probably grew to twice their normal size. I couldn’t believe how much salt was in it plus all the “other ingredients” – when you try to pronounce them, you sound like you’re on some sort of medication and your mouth doesn’t move the way it should. I put it back on the shelf, went to get an English cucumber, yogurt, dill, garlic and lemon… the end of store-bought tzatziki! This Homemade Tzatziki Sauce is not only super easy to make but also very healthy. Yes, there’s a lot of garlic in it but if you don’t mind THE breath or if you already have enough friends, you’re good to go! It goes so well with many dishes such as Chicken Gyros, Lamb Kofta as well as Greek Ouzo Pork Kebabs coming on July 22nd, 2021. Delicious, unbelievably fresh flavor, this classic Greek sauce is a winner! Make it healthier and try this Homemade Tzatziki Sauce… you’ll love it! Bon Appétit! Here are some Greek and Mediterranean recipes for you to enjoy… – Chicken Gyros – Mediterranean Fish Fillet with Tapenade – Prawn Saganaki – Greek Salad – Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole – Greek Dolmades with Avgolemono Sauce and for even more delicious homemade sauce recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Sauces & Marinades
Grilled chicken breasts on the BBQ are quite popular during the summer. Although it’s great to baste them with some BBQ sauce and eat them as is with veggies and a salad, there are many other ways you can serve a grilled chicken breast.
Last month I showed you a video on my Chicken Sub. I mentioned to you that when the mercury on the thermometer rises, I feel lazy, don’t really want to cook and have absolutely no problem eating a “sandwich” for dinner.
A sandwich that is so easy to make and you won’t have to go to a Greek restaurant to enjoy, is Chicken Gyros. A snap to make and totally delicious, this dish is the perfect dish to break the “chicken breast” routine. Next week, I’ll be sharing with you my Homemade Tzatziki Sauce so there is nothing stopping you from making this tasty sandwich.
Also in this video, I’ll show you how to wrap it just like the professional gyro makers so you can look like a pro yourself in front of your family and friends. Bon Appétit!
Some say that if you had a bad cooking experience in the past, you likely won’t try to attempt it again. Mine was pie dough and let me explain.
In my late teens, I really enjoyed baking and overall was pretty good at it. One day I decided to make an apple pie from scratch. After a long conversation with my mother over the phone and a detailed list of ingredients and directions, I made my dough and completed the recipe with apples. As soon as the pie came out of the oven, I couldn’t resist having a slice with vanilla ice cream (didn’t make my own back then) along with cheddar cheese. Oh My! My first apple pie was perfect…well for a short period of time.
When my boyfriend back then came home, I told him how succulent the pie was. We had dinner and of course Steven couldn’t wait to enjoy my masterpiece. As much as he tried, he never was able to slice it with a knife. What he needed was a pic and a hammer! As the pie cooled off, the dough became insanely hard (probably too much flour and kneading) and a potential harmful object. That was the first and last time I made pie dough…until last year.
Gaining lots of confidence in the kitchen, I overcame my fears and tried pie dough from scratch again. Now, that was a success! Nobody had to use heavy machinery or tools (other than kitchen ones) to slice the dough even after a day sitting on the counter. Since, I’ve been making my Foolproof Pie Dough at least a dozen times and each time, it comes out light and flaky.
For those of you who have had a bad experience with pie dough and have given up making it…there’s still hope…lol! Believe me, try this recipe and your fears will disappear as mine did. Bon Appétit!
Before I met David, I was eating fish every single week, sometimes even twice. My list of favorite fish is a long one. So far, I don’t think there is a fish I didn’t like and I’ve tried many. I always used different methods to cook them such as steamed, broiled, pan-fried, en papillotte, grilled and so on. I also like some of them as is…I mean raw, you know sushi, sashimi…or even tartar.
So after slowly encouraging David to try more fish more often (the ones he liked were salmon, steelhead, red snapper and… tuna from a can), I had to be creative. Yep, I know…sometimes men are just like kids…! So one dish I knew he would instantly like was this one, Panko Breaded Fish Fillet.
Each time I make this dish, he enjoys it and at the same time he eats more fish that way. So I’m hitting two birds with one stone or should I say two fishes…not sure! At the beginning of the video you see me grinding most of the Panko and keep some on the side. I think it adheres better on the fish that way…after all I want to have the Panko on the fish not next to it.
I’m still working on different methods for him to enjoy fish more but it’s not easy. Did I mention he’s a big “baby”? Well if you are in the same position as I am with younger and older kids at home, you should definitely give this dish a try and like me, work your way up…very slowly! Bon Appétit!
I have to say…mangoes are one of my favorite fruits. I love the sweet-tart-lemony taste with a hint of “pine” in the background. Depending on the variety, the texture can vary slightly – from soft to fibrous. There are many different ways to use mangoes when cooking depending if they are ripe or not. Although mango is a fruit, I love to use them in salads, chutneys, curries and so on.
In today’s video, I just couldn’t resist sharing one of my favorite sorbets with you …my Mango Sorbet. I love to serve it as a dessert and cold treat but also when entertaining at a dinner party. It is a great palate cleanser to serve between the appetizer and the main course. It is fresh and vibrant and cries “summer” out loud…okay perhaps I’m hearing things…lol!
For those of you who love mangos as much as I do, this is a MUST try. It takes no time to prepare and if you start in the morning, you can enjoy it later on at dinner time. If you are not sure how to cut a mango, check out this link http://clubfoody.com/tips-tricks/how-to-cut-a-mango/ . Bon Appétit!
Every year, David and I love to go berry picking but not just any berry… blackberries. Close to where we live, there are many areas that are covered with these delicious berries. They are so sweet and juicy and we get them at the best price in town… free for the picking, lol! Picking them in the “wild” can be a challenge. They have some pretty nasty thorns on them that can cut you if you’re not careful and this discourages some people! We also have to be careful not to tear our clothes with those thorns let alone getting major scratches or cuts. Still, it doesn’t matter because year after year, we come back with a few scratches and a ton of blackberries. What can I say, we are adventurous… lol! Each summer, we end up with several gallons of these delicious fruits and the next challenge is to come up with recipes we can use them in. One recipe that I created a couple of years ago that is absolutely awesome is my Blackberry Mojito. Not only is it refreshing but extremely addictive. It is very flavorful and goes down quite smoothly… perhaps too smoothly! You still have to be careful not to drink too many, especially if you are enjoying this delicious Blackberry Mojito cocktail under the sun… My husband and I grow a garden each year. It’s mostly herbs like rosemary, sage, mint, basil, chives, parsley, oregano, and many more along with a few tomatoes, peppers, and onions. As you know, Mojitos use a lot of mint leaves and obviously I use the ones from our garden. Having a garden is so rewarding and quite easy to handle. If you’re a “foody”, you need to have one! To learn how to have your own, click here… Herb Garden • How to Start One After your first one, you’ll want another and another… When you serve them to your guests, you’ll be busy for quite a while with the muddler… This Blackberry Mojito cocktail will be quite popular! As I always mention, please enjoy this delicious cocktail in moderation! Cheers! Check out these other great cocktail recipes… – Blood Orange Martini – Golden Sunset – Spanish Sangria – Cosmocello – <Mixed Berry Margarita – Chocolate Grasshopper Martini and for even more beverage recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Beverages
I enjoy side dishes with my entrées but I like to pick one that really marries well with my main course and doesn’t overpower it. With the abundance of Worldwide produce available, coming up with an original side dish is quite easy these days.
We were introduced to jicama a few years ago when we had ordered an appetizer with Jicama in it. We were pleasantly surprised by this crunchy, white root vegetable. It has a subtle, delicate, sweet taste similar to an apple but less noticeable. This tuberous root is an absolute must try!
Very similar to a turnip in texture – jicama is also called Mexican turnip, Mexican potato or Mexican yam bean. As far as how best to prepare it, I don’t know which way is better; cutting it first or peeling it first but keep in mind that the skin is thick and papery. I highly suggest you use a knife instead of a vegetable peeler. Jicama is an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium and fiber as well as being low in calories and having a low glycemic index, so it’s good for diabetics.
Jicama is usually enjoyed raw but apparently it can also be used in cooked dishes. In this video, I am sharing my Jicama Mango Pepper Salad which I love serving as a side dish with a nice grilled or baked fish fillet. This bright salad is so summery, it just brings all the flavors together so well. I’m sure this side dish could also be served with other proteins, you have to try it… Bon Appétit!
I love going out to restaurants... of course I have a few favorites that I like to go back to. Somehow whenever I'm travelling, it seems like one type of restaurant that's always on my list is a good steakhouse. It doesn't matter if I'm in Toronto, Montréal, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle or Vancouver, I always have a favorite steakhouse on my list. 
