This is a great family recipe.  We don’t love ginger, so I didn’t include it and didn’t have any green onion on hand and it turned out great. As a bonus, my 2 year old enjoyed munching on orange slices while dinner was cooking. Ingredients:   4 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves (8 to 9 oz. each) 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups of flour Salt and pepper to taste 2-3 tbsp. Olive oil 1 cup Orange Juice 1/2 tsp fresh ginger[...]

  This recipe was a mid-week fluke based on what was in the fridge and freezer.  It was last minute but it won’t be the last time I make it. I hope you enjoy it too. Ingredients: 2 pieces of salmon 8 pieces asparagus, cut to the length of the salmon 3 tbsps butter 2 tbsp chopped onion ½ tsp grainy Dijon mustard ½ cup cream 1 half package frozen puff pastry, thawed  Directions: 1-Blanche asparagus but putting in boiling[...]

Crockpot cooking is not just for huge roasts and big batches for large families… Beth Hensperger has written a fabulous book for those of us who love our crockpots, but want to make smaller meals.  Here is a lovely winter recipe from “Not Your Mother’s Slowcooker Recipes – for Two”, that can easily be doubled to feed a larger crowd: Turkey Thighs, Acorn Squash and Apples Use a three-quart crockpot for this recipe – slow cookers work best when they[...]

Now that I’ve typed this recipe up, I realize I have all the ingredients.  Guess what’s for supper tonight? – Rebecca Ingredients: Pork tenderloin 6 strips of bacon 1/2 onion, chopped 1 small apple, cubed 1 sprig rosemary, chopped 1/2 cup  bread crumbs Directions: Cook bacon.  When almost crispy, remove from pan and let rest.  Chop into pieces. Drain excess bacon grease, leaving a few tablespoons in the pan.  Using the same pan, add the onions. Sautee until beginning to cook through. [...]

Ingredients 8-12 scallops, seasoned with salt and pepper ½ cup butter Olive oil 1 clove crushed garlic 1 cup cream Directions: 1-Melt butter with olive oil on medium heat. 2-Add crushed garlic and cook until before browning too much. 3-Add scallops.  They should sizzle as they hit the pan.  Cook scallops a few minutes on each side until cooked through and brown. (Scallops start out very translucent and will become white when cooked through) 4-Add cream.  The heat will reduce[...]

  This is my go-to recipe for company, not only is it pretty tasty, but it’s also pretty quick and easy to prepare while distracted.  Prep time 5 mins Cooking time 40 mins 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion chopped 1 can of diced tomatoes (28oz) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp dried basil / 1 tbsp fresh basil finely chopped 1 cup whipping cream or half and half ¼ cup vodka ¼ tsp red pepper flakes[...]

This is a very easy and quick recipe that you could do on a weeknight and people would think you worked very hard at it! Ingredients 8-12 scallops, seasoned with salt and pepper ½ cup butter Olive oil Handful of chopped chives Directions: 1-Melt butter with olive oil on medium-high heat (you want the pan hot) 2-When butter is browning (but be careful not to burn), lower the heat and add chopped chives 3-Add scallops.  They should sizzle as they[...]

Some call it cheating to use a slow cooker to make French Onion Soup – I call it practical! The longer the onions have to break down and become browned and sweet the better – and I don’t always have time to babysit them. The slow cooker is the perfect option for the busy family! Ingredients 6 large onions – I like to use a mixture of different types 3 TBSP olive oil 1 3/4 cup Chicken Broth 1 1/2 cup Beef[...]

Ingredients 1              12 – 16 oz package fresh or frozen gnocchi 1              bunch of broccoli rabe (rapini), stem ends coarsely chopped 4T or less extra virgin olive oil 1 ½ lbs   sausage – mild or hot Italian – casings removed 1              small onion, finely chopped 3              large garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated ¼ t          crushed red pepper flakes (optional ) 1              lemon, for zest and juice Crusty bread Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Salt the water[...]

This recipe was originally given to me by a friend when she was hosting my family at her cottage.  It was served as the vegetarian option at a very carnivorous bar-b-que, but was loved by all.  We have modified it a little bit to suit my family’s needs, and have found it to be a very versatile and quick meal.  I like to use up left over vegetables and meat when I have them, but they are also quite good[...]