Honey-mustard glazed salmon with red quinoa and Brussels sprouts. For the salmon glaze: 2 tbsp. honey 2tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest The glaze/sauce is dual-purpose. Use the remainder of the same exact sauce to drizzle on the veggies. ~L.C.

Honey-mustard glazed salmon with red quinoa and Brussels sprouts.

For the salmon glaze:

  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 2tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest

The glaze/sauce is dual-purpose. Use the remainder of the same exact sauce to drizzle on the veggies.

~L.C.

2 months ago
Garlic & Brown Sugar Chicken with quinoa, tomato-caper relish and ‘shrooms. #homemade To make the chicken: Mix 4 cloves of chopped garlic and 2 tbsp. brown sugar and coat over 4 chicken breasts. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 mins. To make the relish: Combine 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 tbsp capers, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1tsp. suagr. Microwave for one minute. ~LC

Garlic & Brown Sugar Chicken with quinoa, tomato-caper relish and ‘shrooms. #homemade

To make the chicken: Mix 4 cloves of chopped garlic and 2 tbsp. brown sugar and coat over 4 chicken breasts. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 mins.

To make the relish: Combine 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 tbsp capers, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1tsp. suagr. Microwave for one minute.

~LC

3 months ago

Pizza*

Sometimes, limitations spark creativity.

Recently, I was given a list of food items I can’t eat for two weeks…medical stuff. The list is depressing. Among the items listed included tomatoes and ANY dairy product. Fun…

Today, with the two main ingredients of pizza being off-limits, I whipped up a pizza* with no cheese and no tomatoes. Ingredients:

- NY-style pizza crust
- A light coating of fresh pesto as a base (no Parmesan)
- A layer of plain hummus
- Chicken
- Artichoke hearts
- Asparagus
- Topped with olive oil
- Bake on a pizza stone at 450-F for 15 minutes

This little experiment worked out surprisingly well. The hummus was sort-of cheese-ish and the other ingredients were tasty. Not too bad.

Now…if I could just find a creative substitute for coffee.

~KG

9 months ago
Asparagus Asparagus is delicious. I recently made some with the intention of having it for dinner, but ended up eating it all before the actual dinner was prepared. To cook, I usually pan cook (or grill) for about 5-10 minutes in olive oil on medium heat (turning frequently). Season with just a little salt, pepper and maybe a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice. Simple and tasty. Completely unacceptable asparagus cooking options include: boiling, creamed asparagus or adding it into any “casserole”-style dish. Omelet’s and pizza’s are acceptable platforms for this lovely green veggie to be applied. ~KG

Asparagus

Asparagus is delicious. I recently made some with the intention of having it for dinner, but ended up eating it all before the actual dinner was prepared.

To cook, I usually pan cook (or grill) for about 5-10 minutes in olive oil on medium heat (turning frequently). Season with just a little salt, pepper and maybe a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice. Simple and tasty.

Completely unacceptable asparagus cooking options include: boiling, creamed asparagus or adding it into any “casserole”-style dish. Omelet’s and pizza’s are acceptable platforms for this lovely green veggie to be applied.

~KG

9 months ago
Monkey Bread One of my favourite breakfast treats is Monkey Bread. My Mom makes this for us as a weekend-only treat when we were kids. Giving us this amount of sugar as a before-school meal would not have been wise. Good thinking Mom. So if you are looking for something different for breakfast / brunch, give Monkey Bread a shot. It’s also a great thing to take for office breakfasts. - 1/2 chopped nuts - 1/2 cup sugar - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon - 3 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits - 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar - 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted Sprinkle pecans evenly in the bottom of a well-greased 10-inch Bundt (or tube) pan. Set aside. Combine sugar and cinnamon; cut biscuits into quarters; roll each piece in sugar mixture and layer in pan. Combine brown sugar and butter; pour over dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cool bread 10 minutes in pan; invert onto serving platter. Monkey Bread is painfully-easy to make and it tastes so good. Not really good for you though. Some tips from my Mom: - Put the sugar and cinnamon in a ziploc, put the dough in and shake instead of rolling it. - Use spray Pam to grease pan. - Make extra sugar/cinnamon combo (& I add more cinnamon). I pour a little of the leftover mixture on the top of the finished layers of biscuits. Don’t put too much ‘cause it is plenty sugary. Home cooking is the best. ~KG

Monkey Bread

One of my favourite breakfast treats is Monkey Bread. My Mom makes this for us as a weekend-only treat when we were kids. Giving us this amount of sugar as a before-school meal would not have been wise. Good thinking Mom.

So if you are looking for something different for breakfast / brunch, give Monkey Bread a shot. It’s also a great thing to take for office breakfasts.

- 1/2 chopped nuts
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Sprinkle pecans evenly in the bottom of a well-greased 10-inch Bundt (or tube) pan. Set aside. Combine sugar and cinnamon; cut biscuits into quarters; roll each piece in sugar mixture and layer in pan.

Combine brown sugar and butter; pour over dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cool bread 10 minutes in pan; invert onto serving platter.

Monkey Bread is painfully-easy to make and it tastes so good. Not really good for you though.

Some tips from my Mom:

- Put the sugar and cinnamon in a ziploc, put the dough in and shake instead of rolling it.
- Use spray Pam to grease pan.
- Make extra sugar/cinnamon combo (& I add more cinnamon). I pour a little of the leftover mixture on the top of the finished layers of biscuits. Don’t put too much ‘cause it is plenty sugary.

Home cooking is the best.

~KG

(Source: kevinguthrie)

9 months ago
Scallops at Home Scallop skewers with prosciutto and honeydew melon, made in Casa McHan. Our friend caught these scallops, then sauteed them in a pan with fresh rosemary. ~LC

Scallops at Home

Scallop skewers with prosciutto and honeydew melon, made in Casa McHan. Our friend caught these scallops, then sauteed them in a pan with fresh rosemary.

~LC

10 months ago
These are My Confessions… Ginger salmon, baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes with salt & pepper to taste. Sauteed spinach, yellow peppers, brown rice. Don’t judge me, but I started buying the microwaveable rice packets.  I know, I know. For shame. What real foodie would do that? Well, one who has a 40-hour a week job... These instant packets only take 90 seconds to cook, so how can I resist when my other option is measuring, boiling, waiting (while starving), and fluffing with a fork? Who has the time and patience? Not I. (Unless it’s the weekend, of course, when I’m not working, and I can do all of the above happily while drinking a half bottle glass of cabernet.) Plus this instant rice is brown and whole grain, so I think in the grand scheme of things, and by that I mean according to Michelle Obama’s Food Plate, my choice here is nutritionally considered “ok.”  Call it cutting corners, it gets the job done. I just felt the need to justify my decision here to you. Good talk. ~LC

These are My Confessions…

Ginger salmon, baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes with salt & pepper to taste. Sauteed spinach, yellow peppers, brown rice.

Don’t judge me, but I started buying the microwaveable rice packets.  I know, I know. For shame. What real foodie would do that? Well, one who has a 40-hour a week job...

These instant packets only take 90 seconds to cook, so how can I resist when my other option is measuring, boiling, waiting (while starving), and fluffing with a fork? Who has the time and patience? Not I.

(Unless it’s the weekend, of course, when I’m not working, and I can do all of the above happily while drinking a half bottle glass of cabernet.)

Plus this instant rice is brown and whole grain, so I think in the grand scheme of things, and by that I mean according to Michelle Obama’s Food Plate, my choice here is nutritionally considered “ok.” 

Call it cutting corners, it gets the job done. I just felt the need to justify my decision here to you. Good talk.

~LC

10 months ago
Fig & Gorgonzola Pizza Whole wheat crust, fresh sliced figs, gorgonzola cheese, prosciutto, arugula, balsamic vinegar reduction. I love pizza in all its forms. If you’ve never cooked with fig before, don’t be scurred. You can find them right near the grapes in the grocery store. When its paired with blue or gorgonzola cheese — you’ll find, if but for a moment, that all is right in the world. ~LC

Fig & Gorgonzola Pizza

Whole wheat crust, fresh sliced figs, gorgonzola cheese, prosciutto, arugula, balsamic vinegar reduction.

I love pizza in all its forms.

If you’ve never cooked with fig before, don’t be scurred. You can find them right near the grapes in the grocery store. When its paired with blue or gorgonzola cheese — you’ll find, if but for a moment, that all is right in the world.

~LC

10 months ago