Black Bean Salsa

This black bean salsa is one of the few dishes that I like raw onions in. And this is surprising given the onion-to-other-ingredients ratio. It has a lot! If you bring it along to a BBQ or picnic, encourage everyone to eat it. And they will, as it’s highly addictive.

Herbed Chickpeas

This chickpea dish is my latest food obsession. I’ll make a batch at the start of the week as my quick lunch and dinner go-to staple. Cooking the chickpeas gives them a nice toasted crunch on outside and a creamy bite on the inside.

Merry Cheeseball!

My family loves a good cheeseball. Every Christmas this retro crowd-pleaser appears alongside the cheese and pickle tray, in a variety of flavours, shapes, and sizes.

Shiny Tomato Salsa

Each fall the woman in our family get together to make big batches of canned salsa. It’s a tradition that’s been in our family for over 20 years. It happens each fall in my mom’s kitchen, with all of us pitching in.

Shiny Tomato Gazpacho

I recently whizzed up this shiny tomato gazpacho for a family tea party. I love the bright, refreshing, and juicy flavour of the tomato and cucumber. This cold soup goes down especially well on a hot summer day.

Farm Fresh Cheesy Scrambled Eggs

Recently we visited the Vockeroth farm in Alberta’s heartland and experienced some farm-to-table eating. We fed the chickens and reaped the rewards at breakfast the next day by scrambling those fresh eggs.

Mushroom Risotto with Fresh Herbs

This mushroom risotto has a scarborough fair flair. Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme play a starring role and add a fresh earthiness (is that even possible?) to this risotto. I love mushrooms and could eat this by the bowlful. It’s wonderful as a side dish or as a main course with a big salad. It involves a lot of stirring so I recommend having a big glass of cold white wine ready by the stove; you’ll need some for the risotto anyway. -bvox