1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame paste)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 lemon, zest and juice
4 handfuls baby spinach leaves
1 handful bean sprouts
1 small Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
a few sheets nori seaweed, thinly sliced
In the bottom of a festive salad bowl whisk together the sesame oil, tahini, soy sauce and lemon zest and juice. Toss with the spinach leaves, bean sprouts, red onion, sesame seeds, and the sliced nori.
Preheat oven to 400. Cut bacon into small pieces and saute until cooked. Take out the bacon. Toss the potatoes (cut in half) in bacon fat, salt and pepper and roast them until they’re golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Toss the potatoes with the bacon pieces, parsley, pickles, mustard, mayonnaise and vinegar.
Slice fennel bulb as thinly as possible. Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the fennel.
OR
2 cans (14-ounce/400 mL each)of premium coconut milk
1 heaping tablespoon (20 mL) of Thai curry paste
the tender stems of 1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed well
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 cups (500 mL0 of chicken broth
1 carrot, shredded
4 or 5 lime leaves
2 stalks of lemon grass, halved lengthwise, woody leaves removed
2 tablespoons (30 mL) of fish sauce
the zest and juice of 2 limes
a small knob frozen ginger
a handful bean sprouts
a 8 ounce (225 g) package rice noodles
1 bunch of cilantro leaves, rinsed well
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
a sprinkle or two salt or soy sauce
Scoop the thick coconut cream from the top of just one of the cans into a large stockpot set over a medium-high heat. Melt the cream, add the curry paste and stir for a few minutes until they begin to sizzle.
Add the cilantro roots and chicken and sauté until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Add the coconut juice from the first can and all the contents of the second can along with the chicken broth, carrot, lime leaves, lemon grass, fish sauce and lime zest and juice. Grate the frozen ginger into the broth with a Microplane grater or standard box grater. Simmer for 20 minutes or so.
Stir in the bean sprouts. Add the rice noodles, gently pushing them beneath the surface of the broth. Turn off the heat and let stand until the noodles soften, about 5 minutes. Rice noodles don’t need to simmer like pasta to cook; they simply need to rehydrate in the hot liquid.
Stir in most of the cilantro leaves. Remove the lemon grass stalks. Taste and season with a touch more salt (or soy sauce) as needed. Ladle into large bowls and garnish with the green onions and remaining cilantro leaves.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into 1/2 to 3/4″ cubes. Place the sweet potatoes and frozen broccoli florets (no need to thaw) on a large baking sheet.
Drizzle the olive oil over the sweet potatoes and broccoli florets. Sprinkle the seasoning salt over the sweet potatoes and then season the broccoli florets with a pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss the vegetables until they are coated in oil and spices, keeping the sweet potatoes on one side of the baking sheet and the broccoli on the other.
Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and roast the vegetables for 15 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the meatloaves. In a medium bowl combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, 1 Tbsp of the BBQ sauce, the smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Work the ingredients together with your hands or a fork until they are well combined. Divide the meatloaf mixture in two and shape each half into a flattened oval.
After the vegetables have roasted for 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet and stir each of the vegetables. Push each off to the side a bit to make room for the meatloaves. Place the shaped meatloaves in the center and then spread 1 Tbsp of BBQ sauce over each loaf.
Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatloaves has reached 160ºF. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, plate up the meatloaves and vegetables, and serve immediately.
Combine the chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl.
Add the ground pork to a skillet and cook over medium heat until it is fully browned*. Once browned, add the prepared dragon sauce and chopped peanuts. Allow the pork and peanuts to simmer in the sauce for another 5 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half.
While the pork is browning, begin boiling water for your noodles. Once boiling, add your noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander.
Once the sauce has reduced and the noodles have drained, add the noodles to the skillet and toss until everything is combined and coated in sauce. Top with sliced green onions
1 medium sized red onion
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp. salt
optional seasonings: 1 tsp. chili powder or garlic powder for flavour
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt.
Slice each eggplant in half lengthwise, then use a paring knife to score a crosshatch pattern into the flesh (do not pierce the skin). Drizzle the seasoned olive oil over the cut surfaces of the eggplant and smear it around with the back of a spoon.
Place the eggplant on a baking sheet, cut sides down, and transfer the baking sheet into the oven. (Coat the baking sheet with non-stick spray for easy cleanup) Roast the eggplant for about 60 minutes, or until they look deflated and the skins appear wrinkly.
While the eggplant are roasting, prepare the meat sauce. Add the ground beef and olive oil to a sauce pot and cook over medium heat until the meat has browned. If using a higher fat content beef (90% lean or lower), drain the excess fat from the pot.
Dice the onion and add it to the browned beef along with the butter. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent. Add the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and some freshly cracked pepper. Stir to combine, then allow the sauce to come to a simmer. Once it reaches a simmer, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer until the roasted eggplant are finished, or for a minimum of 30 minutes. Before serving, taste the sauce, and add salt as needed (about 1/2 tsp).
When the eggplant are finished roasting, carefully flip them with a spatula (they will be quite soft). Top each eggplant half with a generous ladle of the meat sauce and a dusting of grated parmesan. Serve immediately.