Chèvre Soufflés with Mushrooms and Red Peppers

by Helen Kain | Sep 25, 2022 | Appetizers, Fall Recipes, Mains, Winter Recipes

Soufflés sometimes get a bad rap—fussy, intimidating and altogether too much work. Nothing could be further from the truth, but there are a couple of tricks to it. First, you can get all the way to Step 5 in the preparations in advance, leaving only a few last-minute...

Paris Bistro Soup

by Helen Kain | Jan 5, 2022 | Appetizers, Fall Recipes, Recent, Soup, Winter Recipes

A colourful mixture of heirloom beans is the base for this light yet hearty soup. Zursun’s Paris Bistro Blend contains the following beans: pinto, pink, cranberry, black, red, kidney, great northern, baby lima, large lima, blackeye, garbanzo, split peas (yellow...

Roasted Tomato Tart with Shrimp

by Helen Kain | Aug 23, 2021 | Appetizers, Mains, Recipes By Type, Sides, Summer Recipes

I adapted this from a recipe I came across many years ago (20??) in an issue of Victoria Magazine. Don’t be daunted by the number of steps. The roasted tomatoes look after themselves, and you can substitute lightly toasted, thinly sliced baguette if the puff pastry...

Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Chèvre and Mint

by Helen Kain | Jun 9, 2021 | Appetizers, Salads, Sides, Summer Recipes

The cool crispness of watermelon is one of the highlights of summer. There is nothing like sitting on the porch steps on a hot day, munching a slice of watermelon. With the new seedless varieties, the pleasure is untainted by the need to fish out slippery black seeds....

Phyllo Tart with Chicken, Spinach, Feta and Pine Nuts

by Helen Kain | Jan 30, 2021 | Appetizers, Fall Recipes, Mains, Poultry, Savoury Pies, Sides, Winter Recipes

Spanakopita was a mainstay at neighbourhood get-togethers back in the day, and the offerings ran the gamut from soggy mess to succulently, crisply delicious. Elena’s were the gold standard to which we all aspired. One year, just before Christmas, Elena got a...

Roasted Beet and Squash Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese

by Helen Kain | Oct 11, 2020 | Appetizers, Fall Recipes, Salads, Sides

Squash and pumpkins abound. They’re piled up everywhere in farmer’s markets, a sure sign of fall. Technically, they are fruits, not vegetables, because the seeds are inside, I was solemnly informed by Maddie and Juliana this week. However they’re...