The Greater Scalloped Potater

Brace yourself for one of thee most AMAZING scalloped potato recipes you've ever had. I'm serious. You're not gonna believe the flavour of these things. I admit, they're not the prettiest things you've ever seen, but the taste is out of this world. I've made it a couple of times now and each time I'm blown away by how good it is, in fact my hubby told me today that I make, and I quote 'the best scalloped potatoes ever, in the world!'. In the meantime, I may be able to pull off the recipe well, but the real praise goes to The Looneyspoons. Thanks again for yet another amazing dish!

Beef & Sausage Chili

As I sit here impatiently waiting for some oh-so-yummy cookies to bake and cool, I thought hey! why not write a blog entry?! So, in honour of the authors of my absolute favourite cookbook (The Looneyspoons Collection), who just yesterday received the title of best cookbook at the 2012 New York Book Festival, I'd like to blog about one of their delicious recipes: Crock-a-Doodle-Do Beef & Sausage Chili :)

Now I'm aware my photos don't always do these dishes justice (I'm working on it!), but trust me when I say this was incredible! My husband said this was hands down the best chili he had ever eaten (and let me tell ya, he considers himself to be a bit of a chili connoisseur). In all honesty, and this is embarrassing to admit, this was actually the FIRST chili I'd ever eaten (I know right!?!). You see I've never enjoyed the texture of beans; however, based solely on their health benefits, I've decided to suck it up and work on our relationship! And I will admit, the few leftovers we had from this chili were devoured by yours truly!

The reason I'm telling you all of this, is because if you're anything like me and are trying to mend a broken relationship with beans, this is the recipe to do it with. I didn't even notice the beans amongst all of the other deliciousness happening in the bowl. I highly recommend - as does my hubby who can't stop talking about it ;)

Obi Wonton Kenobi

This is yet another successful recipe from The Looneyspoons Collection. Surprise ...not! I've learned pretty much anything I cook from that book will taste phenomenal and have a super corny awesome name... like this one :)

But I'll be honest, when I read through the ingredients I was very skeptical as to whether I would I like it. However, I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. Just looking back through these photos makes me drool! This is pretty much the perfect soup to make for anyone you want to impress. The prep work is easy (just repetitive), and the cook time is less than 10 minutes. It's by far the tastiest wonton soup I've ever had!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

I had these on hand recently when a friend stopped by and she absolutely loved them. Several weeks and several recipe requests later I'm posting it to my blog... this ones for you Britney :)

Chocolate Chip & Walnut Pumpkin Muffins

Unfortunately, I just have photos of the completed product on this one, but it was easy and fun to make. The recipe actually came from one of my favourite books The Looneyspoon Collection, and is entitled 'Pumpkin and Spice and everything Nice'.

Losing my Quinoa Virginity!

So a few months back I took the plunge and gave into the hype surrounding Quinoa. For those of you not 100% familiar with Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah), check out Chatelaine Magazine for more on its benefits. It really is a great little grain-like friend to have in your kitchen. It's as versatile as rice and pasta, and can be so easily infused with flavour!

Though I will admit, it was a bit of a struggle to find at the grocery store. It took 3 failed shopping trips, scouring the aisles of 2 separate supermarket chains, to finally stumble across it in the Organics section. Heads up - check there first!

Once acquired, I put the quinoa to work in a recipe I found in my absolute favourite cookbook, The Looneyspoons Collection. More specifically it was entitled: 'Moroccan and Rollin' Quinoa Salad. This was a delicious salad with so much flavour, I cant wait to make it again! Enjoy.

Do you want Fries with that?

Yes please!!! 

Fries are those satisfying little nibblies, nestled beside your main. Typically full of fat and starch, they're not your ideal snack; however, that doesn't mean we don't all have a weak spot for the calorific little guys. Whether you call them fries or chips, everyone has a favourite brand or shape they can't resist. 

My personal favourite is the homemade variety, turn them into poutine and I'm brain-dead and drooling. With that said, I have purposely kept myself from buying a deep fryer to avoid constantly stuffing my face with fries and all of the other fatty options available when you own a frier. Instead, I continue my search for a healthier substitute that not only tastes great but satisfies that deep fries desire.

Butternut Squash Fries  

I found this recipe in the cookbook Cook Yourself Thin Faster. The actual recipe is 'Cheese Fries'; however, I prefer to bake mine sans cheese. These have an almost sweet taste, very yum!

Ingredients:

• 1 large Butternut squash, peeled and sliced to resemble fries
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup Parmesan grated Cheese