Homemade creamed corn is such a tasty and easy side dish to prepare.  A nice addition to any main dinner dish.  This was on the rich side with the added cream, but you could certainly change up the amounts used here, or omit the cream and use straight milk.

2 cups frozen, thawed organic corn

1 1/2 Tblsp. butter

1 small shallot, finely diced

3/4 cup lactose free milk, 1/2 cup lactose free cream

1 big Tblsp. sweet rice flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese - halved

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Heat up a sauce pan on low heat to melt the butter.  Add in the diced shallot, salt and pepper, and nutmeg.  Simmer on low heat about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle in the sweet rice flour, whisking well to coat the shallots, and saute about 1-2 minutes.  Pour in the milk and cream whisking well - the sauce will thicken.  Then add in the thawed corn and continue to cook on low simmer, stirring for another 5-7 minutes until corn is cooked.  Sprinkle in 1/2 the amount of Parmesan cheese, mixing well.  Pour into a serving bowl, and add remaining Parmesan cheese on top.  Serve alongside any main dish.

 

If you read my blog, you know I am a huge lover of soups - all kinds.  With winter coming and colder temperatures in our neck of the woods this was perfect - lunch or dinner.  Although, I could eat soup any day!  Here we used homemade Turkey bone broth - highly recommend homemade chicken, beef, or turkey bone broth if you have it, or if not a good quality store bought brand can work in a pinch.

A word about Pasatta. It is more readily available at grocery stores now compared to some years ago.  It is peeled, de-seeded and strained uncooked tomatoes - heaven in a jar and so versatile.  Really adds a nice tomato punch of flavour in any dish. (plus, it freezes nicely if you do not use a whole jar)

This was a tasty, healthy, soup loaded in nutrients, and vitamins, with packed goodness in a bowl.

4 cups Turkey bone broth

2 cups tomato Pasatta

2 leeks, sliced, rinsed and chopped

2 large cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped

1/2 cup chopped:  turnip, rutabaga, carrots, celery, frozen green beans

2/3 cup chopped frozen spinach

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 tsp. dried rubbed Greek oregano

1 tsp. dried rubbed basil

1 tsp. organic tumeric

salt and pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients to a good sized pot.  Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, cooking 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  Serve with your favourite gluten free bread or bun.

 

 

 

If you want juicier, tender, falling off the bone pork back ribs, the slow cooker is the way to go.  Such a simple recipe to put together in the slow cooker, add some lovely side dishes and you have an easy, tasty dinner.

1 rack of pork back ribs, remove underside membrane

1/2 cup water

2 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 bay leaf

12 peppercorns

paprika, Montreal steak spice

BBQ sauce of your choice

Once the membrane is removed from the underside of the ribs, cut ribs into 4 sections.  Liberally sprinkle paprika and Montreal steak spice through out the ribs, rubbing into the meat.  Refrigerate 2 hours.

To the crock pot, spread evenly the EVOO.  Add 1/2 cup of water, bay leaf, and peppercorns.  Add the ribs, and slather on your favourite BBQ sauce.

Lid on and cook on low 7-8 hours, serve with extra BBQ sauce and any side dishes.

 

If you love the flavor of chipotle this dish is for you.  We love the flavor, and while it definitely had a good bite to it, the flavors were wonderful.

We used an air fryer for the chicken but keep in mind a regular oven will need extra cooking time.

Spice blend:

1 tsp. chipotle chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp. dry rubbed oregano

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine the seasonings in a small dish.  Measure 1 1/4 tsp. to put aside for the rice dish.

4 skin on bone in chicken thighs

2 tblsp. Extra virgin olive oil

1 cup basmati rice, well rinsed

2 cups chicken stock

1 tomato, diced

1/4 cup diced red/green pepper

1/4 cup diced red onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup canned black beans, well rinsed

big handful of chopped cilantro

sliced limes

Remove the chicken from the fridge, 40 minutes prior to cooking.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towel, and cut a few slices into the chicken thighs - not too deep.

Sprinkle on the seasoning blend and rub into the chicken well.

Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 375.  Bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes or until a temperature of 165 degrees is reached.

While the chicken is cooking, heat up a pan on low medium heat with the EVOO.  Add in the tomato, peppers, onion, and garlic, sauteing about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle in the 1 1/4 tsp. spice blend and add the rice - sauteing another 3 minutes.  Pour in the chicken stock, stirring, turn to minimum heat once it has reached a boil.  Lid on and cook 20 minutes.  At the 15 minute mark, add in the black beans, stirring to combine, lid on to finish cooking.  Once done add in a handful of chopped cilantro throughout the dish.

Serve with the roasted chicken, squeezing lime juice throughout the rice and on the chicken.

 

This is lovely comfort food for a mid week dinner.  You can't go wrong with pork chops in the air fryer and the breaded seasoning would work nicely with chicken as well.

A note about the gluten free bread crumbs.  I make my own, saving up crusts and smaller pieces of gluten free bread in the freezer.  When I have a bag full, I thaw, and blitz them in the food processor to use for various dishes.  These bread crumbs are then put back into the freezer - it does not affect the flavor or texture what so ever.

With this dish, I wanted a finer bread crumb coating.  So I took out the required amount, thawed the crumbs and blitzed them in a small blender with the herbs/spices to create a finer crumb.

The amounts here will easily cover 4 pork chops. (we use bone in loin chops)

2/3 cup gluten free bread crumbs

1 tsp. fresh lemon thyme

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese - add after the bread crumbs and seasoning have been blitzed to a finer crumb.

Blitz up the bread crumbs and seasonings in a blender to create a fine crumb.  Pour onto a plate and add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mixing with a fork.

Preheat the air fry for 5 minutes at 400 degrees.  Pat dry the pork chops and add to the plate of seasoned crumbs, pressing the chops firmly to coat both sides evenly.

Depending on the size of the pork chops they will need 15-18 minutes to cook - until they reach 145 degrees using an instant read thermometer.

Serve with any side dishes.

 

This hummus veggie dip came together very quickly, and packs a big level of flavor.  With this recipe you could use a black bean style of hummus if regular hummus is not your choice.  Whether store bought or homemade hummus, these flavors really compliment one another.  This makes a great dip for any vegetable platter as well as making a tasty easy lunch. (someone even said it tasted great on an open face cheese sandwich lol)

3/4 cup garlic roasted hummus - store bought or homemade

3 big Tblsp. salsa, plus extra to drizzle on top

1 Tblsp. plain yogurt

1 green onion, chopped finely

big handful of cilantro, minced (include stems)

To a bowl, add all the ingredients and mix to combine, then drizzle extra salsa on top of the hummus.  Serve with any assortment of veggies, or corn tortilla chips.

These marinated vegetables are sweet, juicy with just the right amount of tang. It is really versatile - any number of veggies could be added - cauliflower, carrots, cucumber to name a few. This did not make a large amount, so if serving to 4 or more people double or triple the recipe.

It is a nice accompaniment to add alongside steamed vegetables, potatoes, or on top of cooked greens, it is even yummy along side a tuna sandwich!

1/4 cup diced yellow zucchini

1/4 cup chopped fresh yellow beans or green

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup diced green or red pepper

1/8th cup diced torpedo onion or red onion

1 small jalapeno pepper, de-seeded  and diced

2-3 tblsp. finely chopped fresh basil

Vinegar Marinade: 2-3 tblsp. dill pickle juice, 1/2 tsp. sugar, salt to taste - stir well until the sugar and salt dissolves. (add more sugar for a sweeter taste if that is your preference)

Make the Vinegar Marinade first, then set aside.

Prepare all the vegetables and place in a bowl.  Cover with the marinade and marinate 4-6 hours before serving.

 

With the summer bounty at our farmers market, plus a rainy grey day, soup was on the table for lunch today!

2 pints of mixed heritage cherry tomatoes, sliced and quartered if on the bigger side

a good splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

a good splash of White Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sliced red/green pepper

1/4 of a red onion, sliced

season with salt and pepper

Add to a pan and roast at 400 degrees in an air roaster oven for 30 minutes.

While roasting prep the other vegetables:

1 cup mixed green and yellow beans, cut to 1 inch pieces

3/4 cup chopped yellow zucchini squash - 1/4 inch thick pieces

3 small/medium sized swiss chard, stems chopped, and slice the greens into ribbons

big handful of chopped basil

4 cups chicken stock - homemade or store bought

Add the vegetables to a pot and lightly steam until tender.

When the roasted tomatoes and peppers are done, add 2 cups of the chicken stock to a food processor then the roasted veggies and blend until smooth. OR Add in the 2 cups of chicken stock to a dutch oven then the roasted veggies and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Pour in blended veggies and remaining 2 cups of chicken stock to the pot and add in the drained, lightly steamed vegetables, a big handful of chopped basil, season with salt and pepper, and turn on low to heat bringing to a light simmer.

Serve with fresh bread of choice or grilled cheese.