Delicious Recipes

This recipe is being posted at the request of my sons, who asked me to bake homemade rye bread.  This one is dark and dense, yet remarkably soft with a good crumb.  The molasses and cocoa are what add the depth of flavour you'd expect from dark rye.  While caraway seeds have a warm, pungent, earthy taste which elevates this bread to another level. Serve it up as part of a delicious sandwich or, on its own, as buttered toast.

Chicken enchiladas are a family favourite!! These ones are inspired by a recipe passed down from my step-mother to my sister, to me.  It originally came from a Mexican woman my step-mother knew in Guadalajara.  The recipe consists of roasted chicken bathed in flavourful enchilada sauce, onions, garlic, lime, herbs and spices.  This filling gets rolled up in not just any tortilla, but a yellow corn one which has been lightly fried and dipped in heavy cream.  The entire pan of them gets drizzled with a rich cream sauce and a touch of extra enchilada sauce, plus a generous sprinkle of Jack cheese.  Baked to perfection, these enchiladas deliver every time!!

Here is a protein-rich, vegetable-based soup that really satisfies.  A mix of sweet carrots and onions, a generous hit of garlic and the herbaceous flavour of rosemary and thyme combine with potatoes and high-protein chickpeas in a rich broth.   Then, to round it out, you'll add kale, parmesan and lemon juice.  There is so much great flavour going on in this easy to prepare soup!

Chicken pot pie is a marriage of flaky pastry and a creamy chicken and veggie filling.  I opted for a single, top, crust for this recipe, as I prefer not to have to contend with a soggy lower crust, and it keeps the pastry to a reasonable amount per serving.  Here, I used store bought puff pastry for ease of use.  However, if you feel up for the challenge, there are plenty of good puff pastry recipes out there that you could try.  

This banana muffin recipe was inspired by my mother-in-law's recipe, which she included in a binder she gave to my husband when he moved out of the family home over thirty years ago.  We still have that binder to this day, and use it for lots of great recipes.  These banana muffins are low in fat, full of flavour and have a cruchy cinnamon-sugar and nut topping. They are a great, simple way to use up those overripe bananas.  I mix mine in a food processor, which makes it so simple. However, they're just as good mixed up in a stand mixer or by hand.

Here is a twist on an italian bread and baguette recipe that uses a few simple ingredients and tastes amazing alongside soup, stew or on its own.  Traditional baguette uses only flour, water, yeast and salt.  I've added an egg and oil for extra texture and flavour, but formed it into a baguette shape for ease of serving.  I use my bread maker to process the dough up to the second rise stage.  You can use a stand mixer, or make the dough by hand, with the same ingredients; this is just way easier.  

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza, named after its city of origin in the 1943, is unbelieveably rich and satisfying.  Our take on it starts with a buttery, flaky crust and layer in lots of melty mozzarella cheese and meaty fillings.  Add dollops of our favorite homemade Classic Pizza Sauce and top it off with more mozzarella, then bake to perfection.  It's a bit of a process to undertake, but it is well worth the effort!

This is an absolutely awesome pizza sauce!! I've been making it for years to top both standard and Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza.  It combines tomatoes, onions and garlic with herbs, spices and a hint of heat, but not too much.  These ingredients are gently simmered to meld into a divine sauce.

This tomato and roasted garlic soup is a simple, comforting classic you may know and love, with a little extra depth. Slow-roasted garlic adds a mellow sweetness, which perfectly balances the bright acidity of ripe roma tomatoes, creating a soup that is rich, savoury, and deeply satisfying. It’s a cozy, from-scratch recipe that feels right at home at the farmhouse table. My secret for a thick, hearty soup is the blending in of white kidney beans, lending extra protein and fibre to a delicious meal.

Roasted sweet potato disks, topped with tangy cranberry sauce, creamy brie cheese and toasted pecans, this appetizer is sure to please on many levels.  I use homemade cranberry sauce, so I've included that quick recipe too.  Top these delicious bites with a sprinkle of fresh rosemary to finish.  

This soup is a definite throwback to my childhood.  Every holiday when turkey was served, turkey rice soup would follow.  It is chock-full of veggies and savoury leftover turkey, then filled out with long grain white rice. It's the perfect way to make use of stock, made from the turkey bones.  To see how the stock is made, refer to my blog post on Roasting a Chicken for Stock - just substitute in the turkey.   I serve my Turkey Rice Soup alongside fresh bread and white wine.

A holiday staple at my house, this tranditional accompaniment to a turkey supper is made even more delectable by the addition of toasted pecans, savoury sausage and sweet, tangy cranberries.  I serve it at Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving every year and some guest say it's the reason they come for dinner!.  It is super easy to make ahead, then bake when ready, so there is less prep on the actual holiday.  Stay tuned for the final photo after Christmas.