House Salad - Whitewater Cooks

When I was over at the Fit Family's house recently, I noticed that Fit Momma had the Whitewater Cooks at Home cookbook.  I always have a hard time narrowing down which recipe to try since they all sound so good, so I asked Fit Momma if there were any she would recommend and she said the House Salad.  When I read it over, it sounded good but not like anything special so I figured I'd make it to go with my lunches for the week.  My assessment of not anything special wrong sure was wrong!  Seriously a spectacular salad!  I had some with my lunch on the weekend to make sure I liked it and I had to have a talking to myself about leaving some for my lunches that week.  Yet another Whitewater Cooks recipe that you could whip up for lunches or for when you have guests over.  I love how easy and versatile they are!  Okay, on to my version of the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 head of lettuce (I used green leaf since that's what was at the farmer's market)
• 1 large beet or 2 medium size beets, grated (yet another reason I love my food processor...no more red hands!)
• 2 Roma-size tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup of fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 cup of feta, crumbled
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 dashes salt
• 4-5 grinds of pepper
• 1 tbsp. of chopped dill

Clean and tear/chop up the lettuce into your serving bowl.  Sprinkle the grated beets, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, dill and feta over top.  In a small container (I used a small canning jar) combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and tablespoon of dill.  Shake to combine well.  Pour over the salad, or serve on the side.  Serves 4 generous servings.

The House Salad!

Lunch!  Olive Rosemary bread care of Pure Bread...amazing!

 

http://www.whitewatercooks.com/books.html

 

http://www.purebread.ca/

Twitter: @Purebreadwhis

Toad Mountain Granola

I was flipping through my Whitewater Cooks at Home cookbook the other day and re-discovered a recipe that I had wanted to try: Toad Mountain Granola.  It was perfect timing because I was almost out of granola, so I picked up the ingredients and got down to business!

Ingredients

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup sesame seeds (I used toasted sesame seeds because that's what I had on hand)
• 1 cup almonds (crushed, slivered or sliced...depending on how dark you like them)
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp dried ginger (the spice, not the raw root)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (use the real stuff!)
• 1 cup dried fruit (my favourite is cranberries)

Preheat oven to 325F.  Mix the oats, seeds, almonds, cinnamon, ginger and salt together in a big bowl.  Add the apple sauce and mix thoroughly, until all of the mixture is a little wet.  Add the oil, honey and maple syrup, and mix well.  Bake for an hour, stirring well every 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Mix in the dried fruit and store in the fridge in tupperware. 

This granola is really nice.  Hearty and full of flavour, but not hard as rock.  It was a really nice change.  If you're a home-made granola fan, you should definitely try this recipe out.

Note: the original recipe calls for brown sugar, but when I went to add mine I discovered that I had forgot to store it with a piece of bread in it so the sugar was rock hard (I'll learn one day Mom).  However, I quite enjoyed it without it, so I don't think it's necessary.

Cooling and waiting for the cranberries to be mixed in.

 

http://www.whitewatercooks.com/

Energy Balls

I polished off my batch of power cookies recently, so I decided to try my hand at something new: The Whitewater Cooks at Home Energy Balls.  These are absolutely delicious!  They're a wee bit crumbly when you eat them, but they don't fall apart when you're transporting them (I popped one in the back pocket of my jersey and it was still a solid ball an hour and a bit later).  Definitely a good alternative if you're tired of power cookies.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 4 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter
• About a three second squirt/drizzle of honey
• Enough coconut toasted for coating

Place all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix (with your hands) to combine.  Add the wet ingredients, take off your rings, roll up your sleeves and smoosh and mix all of the ingredients together with your hands.  This is not a clean process so be ready to get good and dirty.  Form the mixture into approximately 10 balls (about the size of 1.5-2 shelled walnuts).  Roll the balls in the toasted coconut to coat, and place in freezable containers.  Will keep in the freezer for a couple of months.

Things to note: (1) Toast the sesame seeds and sunflower seeds separately.  They take different amounts of time to toast and the sunflower seeds will "float" on the sesame seeds since they're bigger.  (2) The coconut will toast very quickly (within a minute), especially if your pan is already hot.  So, keep a close eye on it.

Enjoy!

Energy balls, ready for consumption!

Cinco de Mayo

With the fabulous weather we've been having, I couldn't resist cooking up a feast in celebration of Cinco de Mayo for some of my favourite dinner guests.  It was a bit of a mish mash of my own creations and recipes from various cookbooks, but everyone seemed to enjoy it and it made for one heck of a fun evening.  I've included the recipes below for your tastebuds' pleasure.  Enjoy!
 
To Start - Chips and Homemade Salsa

• Tortilla chips care of Tostitos (restaurant style).  Oh how I love their salty goodness!
• Sour cream...absolute necessity
• Homemade salsa

I completely made up the salsa recipe and I wasn't sure if it was going to be a hit or a flop, but luckily it was a hit!  I added all of the following to a bowl and mixed gently to let the flavours combine:

• 5 roma tomatoes, diced small
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1/4 of a jalapeno, minced (seeds removed)
• 2 thin slices of red onion, minced
• splash of olive oil
• 1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
• couple grinds of pepper
• couple dashes of salt
• juice from half a lime

Just what the doctor ordered!
 
Main - Pescado Blanco Fish Tacos with Corn and Black Bean Salad

I loved the plethora of colours on the table and couldn't resist taking a photo as I was prepping everything.

Corn and Black Bean Salad from Food to Live By.

 

I love this recipe and love this cookbook!  The recipes are homey, healthy and easy to make.  I'd definitely recommend picking up a copy if you don't have it already.  If you do have it, you'll find this recipe on page 237.  If you don't, I've included my version of it below:

 

Ingredients

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
• corn kernels from one cob of corn, uncooked
• 2-3 roma tomatoes, diced relatively small
• 1/2 large red onion, diced small
• handful of parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 solid glug of olive oil
• 3-4 good dashes of chili powder
• 1-2 dashes of cumin
• couple dashes of salt
• 3-4 grinds of black pepper

Add all of the solid ingredients, excluding the garlic, in a bowl and mix gently.  Whisk all of the remaining ingredients together, pour over the salad and mix gently to coat.  Fabulous for picnics or BBQs.



Up next: Pescado Blanco Fish Tacos found on page 108 of the oh so fabulous Whitewater Cooks with Friends.  I've also included my version below, for your entertainment.  If you're a fan of fish tacos, I'd definitely recommend adding this version to your repertoire!

Topping #1 - 1/4 of a head of red cabbage, sliced thin.

Topping #2 - the most delicious citrusy guacamole ever!  This tasted great on the fish tacos, but I also plan on putting it out instead of plain guacamole in the future.

 

Ingredients

• 3 oranges, peeled and diced 
• 2 avocadoes, diced relatively small
• 1 solid handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• 2-3 slices of red onion, minced
• couple dashes of salt

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix gently.

Cinco de Mayo dinner!  To complete the pescado blanco fish tacos, cut 1.5 pounds of red snapper (or any solid white fish) into small strips.  Heat olive oil in a pan, then add the fish and cook approximately 5-6 minutes until done.  To assemble the tacos place red cabbage on a warm tortilla, top with fish, citrusy guacamole and a smidge of sour cream.  Delicious...if I do say so myself!

 

The portions above make enough for approximately 12 tacos (6 people).

 

Note: in the official recipe they suggest placing the corn tortillas into tinfoil and then warming them in the oven for 15 minutes.  My apartment was scorching, so I didn't feel this was necessary.  I learned the hard way that cold corn tortillas disintegrate but warm tortillas stay true to form!  However, I quickly discovered that if you pop them in the microwave (uncovered) for 30-40 seconds it works just as well.

 

Dessert!  Snickerdoodle care of my fabulous dinner guests.  Greatest name ever for a cookie!

 

But the best part of dinner?  My favourite dinner guest EVER!!!  This handsome fellow will always have a big part of my heart...partially due to his boyish good looks, but mainly due to the fact that he is absolutely hilarious!  You may noticed that the photos are blurry...this is partially due to the fact that he never sits still (no wonder toddlers need naps!) and partially due to the fact that I was generally laughing so hard at him that I couldn't keep my hands still!  Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

http://www.whitewatercooks.com/

 

http://www.ebfarm.com/recipes/cookbook/food-live 

Chicken Saltimboca and Summertime Pasta

I've been spending so much time with Jamie recently that my Whitewater Cooks cookbooks were starting to get a wee bit jealous.  So, I decided to make it up to Whitewater by making two recipes from Whitewater Cooks at Home the other day.  As always, the recipes were simple and delicious!  I highly recommend the Summertime Pasta recipe...it was out of control!!  I've included my versions of the recipes below, for your viewing pleasure.  For those of you that have this cookbook, you can find the recipes on pages 102 and 122.

Chicken Saltimboca

• 2 chicken breasts
• Salt
• Pepper
• 4 large sage leaves
• 4 prosciutto slices
• Olive oil
• 1/2 lemon

Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Pour enough olive oil into a pan to just cover the bottom and heat.  Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.  Then place the two sage leaves on top of the chicken breasts and wrap the chicken in the proscuitto slices.  Whitewater suggests 1 slice of prosciutto per chicken but I found it difficult to wrap with just one.  I found the easiest way was to go bottom to top with one slice and top to bottom with the other slice and then skewer a toothpick in on either side.

Add the chicken breasts to the pan and sauté until the prosciutto is browned on either side.  Then pop the entire skillet into the over for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.  Whitewater then suggests taking the pan out and adding enough red wine to the pan to take all the little brown bits off the bottom, then adding the juice of 1/2 lemon and create a bit of a sauce to pour over top of the chicken breasts.  I had added too much olive oil, so there were no brown bits and this wasn't possible.  I simply drizzled a little lemon juice over each chicken breast and I thought it still tasted nice and was more simple.  Serves 2-3.

This was a nice change from my regular chicken cooking method.  I really liked the sage and prosciutto flavours together.

Summertime Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Parmesan

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 good-sized garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bunch/basket of cherry tomatoes, cut in half so you can see the seeds (or 2-3 large tomatoes cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 1/2-1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

Mix all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil and garlic, together in a large bowl.  Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic.  Stir for about 10 seconds and then add this mixture to the bowl.  Stir, cover and set aside.  This can be done ahead of time in the morning, or right before hand.  The longer you let it sit, the more the flavours meld.  I did mine as I was cooking dinner and I still found the flavours were unbelievable!

Cook enough pasta for 3-4 people.  Add to the bowl, mix and serve.  Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese over top if so desired.  I actually found that I preferred it without the cheese...and I never thought those words would come out of my mouth.

This dish is absolutely amazing!!!  Plus, it was so easy.  This is definitely going to become a staple for me. 

Thanks for another delicious meal Whitewater!

The prosciutto-wrapped chicken sautéing away.

Oh how I love you Summertime Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Parmesan! 

Dinner!!  I wilted the kale in the same pan that I heated the olive oil and garlic, and added a squeeze of lemon juice.  Delicious!

 

http://www.whitewatercooks.com/

Emmy's Marrakesh Bowl - Whitewater Cooks

A little while ago, when the weather was still cold and wintery, I was craving a warm and hearty stew to warm me from the inside out.  I felt like trying a new recipe, so I perused my cookbooks and ended up trying Emmy's Marrakesh Bowl from the Whitewater Cooks cookbooks.  It's essentially a Moroccan stew, so imagine a traditional stew but with a flavour twist.  It was yummy, hearty and definitely warmed me from the inside out!  There's no doubt in my mind that I will be making this stew for many winters to come.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 750g beef, cubed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can (398 mL) of diced tomatoes (low or no sodium)
• 1/2 cup sherry cooking wine
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp hot chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp tarragon
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp coriander, ground
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large red pepper, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced

Heat the oil in a large pot.  Place the flour in a bowl and then lightly coat all sides of the beef cubes in flour.  Add the floured meat cubes to the large pot and cook until all sides are browned.  Remove the meat from the pot and add the onions and garlic.  Cook until the onions are translucent.  Return the meat to the pot and add the tomatoes, sherry cooking wine, raisins and all of the spices.  Cover and let simmer for 35 minutes to an hour, stirring every once in a while.  Add the diced carrots and cook for 10 more minutes.  Add the red peppers and fresh tomatoes and cook 10 more minutes or until the carrots are tender.  Serve over quinoa.  Serves 4-6.

Enjoy!

 

http://www.whitewatercooks.com/

Nat's Roasted Mushroom Soup - Whitewater Cooks

When I told my sister that I was trying the Whitewater Cooks Roasted Mushroom Soup, she just about blew a gasket.  I believe the exact word she used multiple times was "Phenomenal!"  I could even hear the capital "P" and exclamation point over the phone.  This all from the girl who I clearly remember falling asleep at the kitchen table because she refused to eat her mushroom soup growing up.  Wonders really never do cease. 

Needless to say, I was even more ecstatic to try this recipe out after chatting on the phone with my sister.  I have to admit, my experience wasn't quite as phenomenal as hers, but that was mainly due to the fact that I added twice the amount of flour I was supposed to (ooopsy daisies!)...which obviously sucked a lot of flavour out of the soup.  That being said, it was still a really yummy, hearty soup, I plan on trying it again and I would recommend trying it if you're in the market for some mushroom soup to fill your belly!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• Rosemary from about three sprigs, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 4 cups milk
• 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (I used vegetable)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F.  Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat then add the onions and cook until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and fresh rosemary and sauté for a few minutes more.  Add the mushrooms then and stir well to combine.  Dump the contents of the pot onto a baking sheet and bake, stirring a couple of times, until the mushrooms are tender and golden brown (about 25 minutes).  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Melt the butter in the same pot.  Add the flour and stir.  Pour the milk in slowly while whisking to prevent lumps.  Simmer over medium low heat for about five minutes until thickened.  Pour your stock into a blender and add about half of the golden mushroom concoction.  Blend until very smooth.  Add the purée and the rest of the mushroom mixture to the soup pot.  Stir and bring the soup to a simmer for a few minutes.  Season with salt, lots of ground pepper, and leftover rosemary if you feel the urge.  Serves 6.

Things to Note: For those of you who have the cookbook, it says that it serves 8.  This is definitely on the generous side and I would say it serves more around 4-6, with a grilled cheese on the side.

Nat's Roasted Mushroom Soup

Dinner!

Petra's Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

I figured it was about time that I opened up my Whitewater Cooks cookbook and tried a new recipe, so I decided to make one of their salads for lunches at work this week.  It has a bundle of veggies, quinoa and black beans so it's a really nice, all in one meal.  Based on the ingredients I thought the flavours might be a bit overwhelming, but they all melded together very nicely and had a nice warm flavouring even though the salad was cold.  I've included the recipe below (altered a wee bit based on what was in my pantry).

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa uncooked
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups frozen corn (or fresh if it's in season)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 red peppers, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 fresh chile, seeds removed and chopped very finely
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 dashes salt
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a saucepan over low heat, add the paprika and stir for about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the paprika.  Add the quinoa, water and salt.  Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cook for 15 minutes, and then let sit on turned off element for another 5 minutes.  In a skillet, heat the remaining oil and sauté the onions, garlic, cumin and coriander until the onions are translucent.  Stir in the red peppers, chile and cilantro.  Sauté for another 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, combine the quinoa and sautéed vegetables and chill for approximately 15 minutes.  Stir in the corn, black beans, tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Makes approximately 6 servings.

 

http://www.whitewatercooks.com/

Hungarian Mushroom Barley Soup

With the cool and foggy weather we've been having, I was craving some soup for lunches this week, so I decided to try the Hungarian Mushroom Barley Soup from the Whitewater Cooks cookbooks.  It's a great, hearty soup that warms you from the inside out.  I halved the recipe because I didn't need more than 5-6 servings and find that chunky soups don't always freeze that well.  I've included my version of the recipe below. 

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup barley
• 1/4 cup sherry cooking wine
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 7 cups of sliced mushrooms
• 4 cups of vegetable stock (1 tetra pak of Kitchen Basics vegetable stock)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Heat the oil and butter in a large pot until butter is melted.  Add the onions and sauté until translucent.  Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 10 minutes.  Add the barley and spices and continue to sauté for 10 more minutes.  Add the stock and let cook over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes.  Add the soy sauce, sherry, cream and parsley.  Stir, remove the bay leaves and enjoy!  Note: for you glutein-free folk, I think the soup would be just as delicious without the barley.

 http://www.whitewatercooks.com/

Indian Appleous 500

I was lucky enough to receive The Looneyspoons Collection cookbook this Christmas and, if you haven't realized already, the book has the greatest recipe names ever!!  The one that I tried out this weekend was called Indian Appleous 500 and is an Indian coconut curry chicken with chopped apples.  It was very yummy and the perfect warm meal for the chilly days we've been having.  For those of you that have the Looneyspoons cookbook, I definitely recommend trying this one out.  For those of you who don't, I've included my version of the recipe below (I altered it a bit based on what I had in my pantry).  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 450g boneless, skinless chicken breast ( 2 large chicken breasts), cut into pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large red pell pepper, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated gingerroot
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder and chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric and ground cinnamon
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1/4 cup mango chutney
• lemon zest of two lemons
• 2-3 dashes of salt
• 1 large golden delicious apple, peeled, cored and chopped into large pieces
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.  Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned.  Remove the chicken.  Add the onions, red pepper and garlic to the saucepan and cook until they begin to soften.  Add the gingerroot, curry powder, chili powder, turmeric, and cinnamon.  Cook for about 1 minute.  Stir in the coconut milk, mango chutney, lemon zest and salt.  Then stir in the chicken pieces and apples.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.  Add the peas and cilantro and simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes.  Serve over rice.

Dinner!

 

 http://janetandgreta.com/cookbook/the-looneyspoons-collection/

Lemony Lentil Soup

As I'm sure you've started to realize, I'm a sucker for soup in the winter.  It's so warm, comforting and filling...it literally makes me happy on the inside and out on a cold day.  So, when I had a friend over for dinner recently, I decided to make the Whitewater Cooks Lemony Lentil Soup for dinner. 

To say that this is my favourite soup in the whole entire world would be a complete and utter understatement.  I literally love this soup.  To be honest, it is actually the culprit that started my love affair with the Whitewater Cooks cookbooks.  For about a year, whenever I went to a friend's for dinner and said, "This is really yummy.  Where did you get the recipe?" without fail, it came from one of the Whitewater Cooks cookbooks.  Each time I thought, "Hmm.  I should look into those."  However, when I had this soup at a friend's place I was blown away by it and there was no turning back.  I went home that night and instantly ordered all three of the Whitewater Cooks cookbooks.

Due to my stealthy googling skills, I managed to find the exact recipe I used online (the only difference is that they used chicken stock and I used vegetable stock) and have included the link below so you can try it out for yourself and enjoy its spectacularness.  I'm sure when you look at the recipe you'll think to yourself "That Shayne girl is off her rocker.  There's no way that these basic ingredients make a soup that tastes as good as she claims."  Trust me, it does.  I have no idea how, but it is amazing!  There is so much flavour that your spoon will be attracted to your bowl like a paper clip to a magnet.  And if you don't trust me, I quote my dinner guest: "This soup is epic."  When I laughed and said thank you, it's actually very simple, she stopped me and said, "No, you don't understand.  I really like food and I reserve the use of the word epic to describe very few dishes that I truly believe are epic.  I would pay a big price tag, at an expensive restaurant for a bowl of this soup."  And, not to toot my own horn or anything, but she joined me for my Les Faux Bourgeois outing and the word epic did not escape her mouth once.

So, the long and the short of it is that you have to try this recipe!  Get cooking folks.

The Lemony Lentil Soup simmering away.

The Greek salad I made to go with the Lemony Lentil soup.

Dinner!

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/165237/lemony-lentil-soup

 

http://www.whitewatercooks.com/

Glory Bowl - Whitewater Cooks

Tonight I decided to try a new recipe from the "Whitewater Cooks: Pure, Simple and Real Creations from the Fresh Tracks Cafe" cookbook.  Some very close friends had raved about the Glory Bowl, so I figured it was about time that I tried to whip it up myself.

The Glory Bowl starts with brown rice, then you add spinach, shredded carrots and beets, roasted almonds, pan-fried (or in my case baked) tofu cubes, with the Glory Bowl home-made dressing drizzled over top.  It was very yummy!  Yet another reason to check out the Whitewater Cooks cookbooks.

Things to note: the dressing recipe made about 10 times as much dressing as I needed.  I would recommend halving or quartering the dressing recipe.

 

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/glory_bowl.php

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/product/9781552858714-item.html?ref=google:sayt

Spaghetti Squash

Tonight I tried a scrumptious new Baked Spaghette Squash recipe from the Whitewater Cooks at Home recipe book.  I'm normally a fan of spaghetti squash, but this took it to a whole other level. 

To replicate this yumminess, bake the spaghetti squash by cutting it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, place it skin side up in a baking dish, pour about a cup of water over the squash, and cover the dish with tinfoil.  It will probably take around 45 minutes to bake at 350F.  Once cooked, scoop the spaghetti squash into a bowl (be careful you don't burn yourself!), and mix with about a quarter cup of butter, the juice of one lemon, 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, a big handful of parsley chopped, and 3 to 4 dashes of nutmeg.  It was out of this world!  I served it as a side to one of my all-time favourite recipes, lemon chicken pasta, and I liked the squash so much that the lemon-chicken pasta took the back seat in terms of eating order!  In my opinion you could also swap the butter for olive oil and the parmesan cheese for whatever type of cheese you have in the fridge (e.g. cheddar) quite easily.

If you haven't heard of, or don't have, the Whitewater Cooks cookbooks, I highly recommend them.  They are definitely worth the investment.  Plus, if you buy them online at Chapters, you will save approximately 40% off the in-store list price and get free shipping if you spend over $25 before tax. 

Baked Spaghetti Squash care of Whitewater Cooks at Home

Dinner!  Apologies for not including the Lemon Chicken Pasta recipe.  It was given to me by a friend and it was her Grandma's recipe.  I may be willing to divulge my family's cooking secrets, but I didn't feel it was right to divulge another family's cooking secrets without permission.

 

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/home/search/?keywords=whitewater+cooks&pageSize=12