by Julianne De Witt | Nov 12, 2021 | No Recipe Required
I’ll admit I haven’t quite been able to let go of summer yet. We still have the BBQ going and when we are grilling I like to have a big, beautiful salad on the side.
One of my favourites, is mixed baby greens topped with prosciutto, blackberries, marcona almonds and a healthy portion of decadent burrata.
With this type of salad featuring all these wonderful flavours, I simply dress it with a good quality olive oil, some balsamic vinegar, fresh ground pepper and salt.
Lately I’ve been using smoked maldon salt and it works really well in this recipe.
You could substitute blueberries or raspberries and any other nuts you fancy.
This is a very easy salad to whip together on a weeknight or for friends on the weekend.
by Julianne De Witt | Oct 13, 2021 | Mains
Easy to prepare and a meal that the whole family will love.
I use panko crumbs because they are lighter and crispier than regular bread crumbs – they work really well in this recipe. Feel free to swap in any of your favourite vegetables. Just make sure they are cut into smaller pieces so that the veggies all cook evenly.
One hour from prep to the table makes this one a great weeknight meal!
Chicken Parmesan Sheet Pan Dinner
An easy recipe and a dish the whole family will love!
Course: Main Course
Keyword: easy weeknight meal
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup panko crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/3 cup flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
- 3 cups fingerling or baby red potatoes halved
- 8 radishes halved
- 2 peppers sliced
- 1 large handful green beans ends trimmed
- 3 parnips peeled and sliced into 1 cm coins
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1.5 cups prepared tomato sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Preheat oven to 375°. Line a large cookie sheet with foil (this makes clean up much easier!) and brush lightly with olive oil. Mix together panko and parmesan in a medium bowl. Place flour and eggs in separate medium sized bowls. Season chicken breasts well with salt and pepper. Coat chicken first in flour shaking off any excess, then dip chicken in egg, and then panko/parmesan mix to coat. Press down crumbs so they stick.
Place chicken breasts top side down on sheet pan. Add potatoes to sheet pan and drizzle chicken and potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from sheet pan from oven and flip chicken breasts over. On a separate foil-lined sheet pan, add remaining vegetables, drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return both sheet pans to oven and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes.
Remove trays from oven, set oven to broil. Spread tomato sauce evenly on each chicken breast and top each with a generous amount of parmesan. Return chicken to the oven and broil for 5 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°. Enjoy!
by Julianne De Witt | Sep 26, 2021 | Appetizers
Hummus is easy to make and when you add all the fun toppings, it’s way better than store-bought! Creamy, smooth, lemony hummus topped with chopped castelvetrano and kalamata olives, sliced radishes, crumbled feta, heirloom cherry tomatoes and fresh torn basil. So good!
Loaded Hummus
This one's a crowd pleaser! Lemony, creamy hummus topped with all the fun stuff - almost a meal in itself!
- 540 mL can chickpeas drained
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice more to taste
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/4 cup water more as needed
Toppings
- whole chickpeas
- chopped fresh basil
- crumbled feta
- chopped heirloom cherry tomatoes
- sliced radishes
- chopped castelvetrano and kalamata olives
- fresh cracked pepper
- Spike seasoning or salt as needed
- chilies
Add tahini and lemon juice to food processor and blend until creamy.
Add olive oil, garlic, salt, chickpeas and blend. Slowly add water and blend until perfect consistency is reached. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Add hummus to a shallow bowl, make a well in the center, pour in a bit of olive oil. Add fresh cracked pepper and chilies. Add hummus toppings. Serve with your favourite raw veggies, pita bread, crackers and pretzels.Enjoy!
by Julianne De Witt | Dec 20, 2020 | Mains
Made in a muffin tin with lots of garlic and Italian seasoning, these minis are stuffed with a generous amount of mozzarella and topped with your favorite marinara sauce. This recipe couldn’t be easier and is kid-approved! I like to serve them with oven fries and green salad. This recipe makes 8 meatloaves.
Mini Cheese Stuffed Turkey Meatloaves
Stuffed with lots of cheese and topped with marinara sauce and parmesan, these will be a hit with your family!
Course: Main Course
Keyword: easy weeknight meal, healthy
- 1kg (2.2lbs) ground turkey
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 8 cubes mozzarella approx. 2cm each
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp Italian parsley chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray muffin tin lightly with cooking spray.
In a large bowl add ground turkey, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, egg and panko. Using your hands, mix everything together until combined.
Add the meat mixture to 8 of the muffin cups. Place one cube of cheese on top of each meat loaf and press into the centre of the mixture, then press the meat around it to enclose it completely. Spoon marinara sauce over top of each meatloaf. Bake for 30-35 minutes until cooked through.
Remove from oven. Set oven to 450°. Top meatloaves with parmesan and return them to the oven. Broil for a couple minutes until parmesan is melted. Top with parsley and enjoy!
by Julianne De Witt | Nov 11, 2020 | Mains
One of my favourite recipes to prepare. Tender chunks of beef braised in red wine with mushrooms and pearl onions: it’s a classic and a labour of love. My version is a bit of a shortcut from the original recipe I learned in cooking school as not everyone wants to spend that much time in the kitchen! I like to serve this with garlic mashed potatoes or soft polenta. To keep things low carb, if that’s your thing, serve it over cauliflower rice or mash. Comfort food at it’s best!
Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Tender chunks of beef braised in a rich red wine gravy. A family favourite and perfect for your next dinner party!
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time5 hours hrs
Servings: 6
- 3 tbsp canola oil or other oil with a high smoke point
- 3 lbs or 1.5kg beef chuck stew cut into 2 inch pieces
- 5 slices bacon chopped
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cups red wine a French burgundy if possible
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1.5 cups pearl onions
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cups mushrooms quartered
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
Season beef with salt. Place oil in a sauce pan over high heat. Working in small batches, brown the beef on 2 sides. As meat is browned, set it aside. Once all meat is browned, turn down heat add a splash of wine to the pan and deglaze making sure to scrape up the bits with a wooden spoon. Pour the pan drippings into your slow cooker and add the browned beef.
Return the saucepan to medium heat, add the bacon and sauté for several minutes until cooked through, then add the onions, carrots and garlic and continue sautéing for 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour and spoon the tomato paste over the onion mixture and stir to combine. Using a rubber spatula, add this mix to the slow cooker.
Next add to the slow cooker the wine, beef stock, bay leaves, thyme and some salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly and set slow cooker on high heat for 5 hours.
At the 4 hour point, sauté the mushrooms in butter until cooked. Add the mushrooms and pearl onions to the slow cooker, stir and continue cooking for another hour or until meat is very tender. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired and garnish with chopped parsley.
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