Author: Melissa

Cumin Lamb Skewers

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As the days get hotter, I am preparing to send BBQ season into full swing! While I love hamburgers, veggies, and chicken on the grill, I sometimes like to treat myself with something special, like these delicious Cumin Lamb Skewers. These Cumin Lamb Skewers were inspired by the delicious variety of skewers at one of my favourite barbecue restaurants in Vancouver: Happy Tree House BBQ. While the name of the restaurant may be a little crazy, the food is totally on point! They have a variety of skewers available (that come pre-BBQd) including beef, chicken, seafood, chicken skin, and lamb. Spice Up Your BBQ this Summer! Since it’s a northern Chinese restaurant, that means the food is seasoned with lots of spices to give it amazing flavour. All their skewers come with this amazing cumin and chili spice on them. It’s spicy and smoky and just makes you want to keep eating them! Since I haven’t been to Vancouver in a while, I’ve been missing them and decided to recreate them at home! I bought …

Getaway Guide: Tofino & Ucluelet

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A few weeks ago, David and I took a weekend trip to Tofino and Ucluelet to celebrate his birthday. For us, it’s an annual tradition that we visit these two lovely ocean-side towns in early spring. While it’s a bit of a trek to get there, we always have fun along the way. Plus, it all pays off when you take that first breath of ocean air and feel calm, relaxed and completely serene. I look forward to that feeling every year.  Located about four hours away by car from Victoria (and five hours from Vancouver), these two small towns are nestled on the very west coast of Vancouver Island. They are located about 40 minutes away from each other and are separated by the beautiful Pacific Rim National Park. Fishing vessel in Ucluelet Of these towns, Tofino is the most popular. It has become world-renowned for its hippie vibe, outdoor activities, nature and amazing local and sustainable food– especially seafood. Additionally, Tofino has varying types of accommodations available at just about every price point. You …

Rhubarb French Toast

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Happy Mother’s Day! Do I ever have a recipe for all the moms out there today! It’s seasonal, sophisticated, beautiful, and tastes absolutely delicious! My recipe for Rhubarb French Toast is a great way to greet your mom, or any mom (fur-moms included) this Mother’s Day. For this special holiday, I decided to make French Toast. What mom doesn’t love French toast?! It’s fluffy, warm, and sweet and makes you feel great inside. While my classic French Toast recipe is always a hit, I decided to add a few extra special ingredients for this occasion. My Twist(s) on a Classic First, I decided to top my French Toast with a delicious Rhubarb Sauce. Apart from the fact that my HUGE rhubarb plant needed a bit of a trim, I knew this would be perfect since rhubarb is tart and would offset the sweet maple syrup perfectly. Plus, I can’t get over that pink colour! All I had to do was chop it up, and stew it in a pot with water and a dash of sugar. …

Spicy Jalapeño Margarita

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May has finally arrived and I could not be happier. We are one month closer to those long summer days, warm weather and relaxing outside with a drink…or two. But for me, I don’t need the long days and warm temperatures to enjoy a drink, even a summery one! Cinco de Mayo is my excuse to kick patio season off and begin to enjoy my light and fruity cocktails. See you in the fall, negronis! This time of year, you will find me sipping on some delicious margaritas! These classic Mexican cocktails are light and refreshing, and in this case, a bit spicy! A Classic, but with a Twist A classic margarita is made with only four ingredients: lime juice, tequila, triple sec, and salt (for the rimmed glass). Mix up all the liquids in a cocktail shaker, pour over ice, and with one sip you will feel like you are sitting on the beach in Mexico! While this is a delicious cocktail in its own right, I add a bit more flavour with some …

Easy Cauliflower Gratin

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Cauliflower is all the rage these days and can be seen in everything from rice to pasta to pizza. While I love that this vegetable is so versatile and can be transformed into these low-carb options, my favourite way to eat cauliflower is in this Cauliflower Gratin. Topped with Parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and a bit of butter, this dish is sure to satisfy everyone! Plus, now that this cruciferous vegetable has now come into season (and will be around until December!), a great way to celebrate it is at Easter dinner! Just look at all those spring vibes! The Gratin Technique This is by far, the easiest gratin you will ever make. If you have never heard of a gratin before, it is simply a French culinary technique whereby a dish is topped with breadcrumbs and some type of cheese. The breadcrumbs and cheese become crispy when baked and offer a crunchy texture to the dish. Typically, gratins are made with thinly sliced potatoes that become softened during the baking process. Rather than taking …

Quiche Florentine

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No matter what time of day, quiche is always a good idea. You can serve it for breakfast or brunch as a protein-packed way to start the day. You can serve it as a light lunch or dinner with a side salad. Or you can just eat a slice for a snack! No matter what, it will always be satisfying and will taste delicious…especially if you use my recipe for Quiche Florentine! The Meaning of ‘Florentine’ If you have had anything in a ‘Florentine’ style before, you will know that spinach is going to be involved in the recipe. This ‘Florentine’ style comes from France where recipes were served on a bed of spinach. Who knew? Of course, this Quiche Florentine is packed full of spinach (about 8 cups worth) along with some other tasty ingredients including shallots, eggs and cheese. Crust is Necessary One if the beauties of quiche is that you can modify the filling however you please, but ALWAYS make it with a crust! I feel that it’s the proper way to …

Lemon & Herb Salmon Burgers

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As you may have recently seen on my Instagram, I have collaborated with my good friend Liisa (@Essential_oil_health) to give away a few of my favourite essential oils. Not only are essential oils great for diffusing into the air and making your home smell amazing, you can actually use them in cooking (in small amounts of course)! This month, we are giving away a bottles of essential oil from DoTERRA: Lemon and Lime. We thought that these oils would be perfect for spring since they are so uplifting and refreshing, and can be used in tons of recipes, like this one for Lemon & Herb Salmon Burgers! There is not a can of salmon in sight with this recipe—it is made with fresh salmon fillet. I really prefer fresh salmon as opposed to canned salmon since it’s often less pungent and less cat food-y…if you know what I mean. I like to cook with sockeye salmon, but when it is out of season, it can be quite expensive. As an alternative, I like to cook …

Radish Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

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Spring has officially sprung! Now that we have made it through winter and there are nothing but warmer days ahead, there are so many fun activities…and fresh new foods to look forward to! To kick off the spring, I am featuring a recipe with the quintessential veggie of season: the radish. Radishes are incredibly refreshing and light. They are a great alternative to heavy winter veggies that we have been eating for the past 6 months or so. I particularly enjoy the crunchiness and peppery taste of radishes. Plus, radishes come in so many varieties and colours that they are just beautiful to look at! 10/10 refreshing… In this recipe for Radishes with Lemon Vinaigrette, traditional red radishes are thinly sliced and are combined with creamy white beans, chopped dill, and parsley. Everything is tossed together in a beautiful refreshing lemon vinaigrette. This salad gets better over time, but don’t let it sit too long or else the radishes will get mushy… I say 1-2 days tops. But it won’t last that long anyways…it’s that …

Magic Green Sauce

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Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! While people may be out celebrating with pints of green coloured beer, I’m celebrating with something a bit healthier. This Magic Green Sauce is healthy and 100% vegan– and it’s truly magical! So never mind that imaginary pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This Magic Green Sauce is for real and anyone can enjoy it on just about anything! Creamy, fresh and a tad spicy- this Magic Green Sauce is great on anything! The Magical Ingredient(s) The magical ingredient in this Magic Green Sauce is…avocado! Everyone goes head-over-heels for this delectable fruit because it is so creamy. I use that to my advantage in this Magic Green Sauce to make the sauce super smooth. The avocado is also relatively neutral in flavour, so it can hold up to all the flavour that some key herbs are packing. I use the dynamic duo of parsley and cilantro to bring tons of flavour and vibrant green colour to this sauce. A little bit of jalapeño and garlic adds a nice …

A Guide to Asian Sauces (Part 1): Soy Sauce & Spicy Sauces

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I have been cooking and experimenting with a lot of Asian dishes lately, and I’ve been getting lots of questions on the different types of ingredients I use (especially via my Instagram). While I think that Asian dishes are made best by using the freshest, local and seasonal ingredients, I think that sauces play a huge component in making an Asian dish truly delicious! So I’m giving you the “sauce” this week on the blog– focusing on Soy Sauce and Spicy Asian sauces! There are tons more Asian sauces that I also want to mention, so look out for part 2 of this mini informative series next week! Keep reading below to learn about some staple Asian ingredients you should have in your pantry, how they’re made, what they taste like, and what to cook with them! The most beautiful family portrait <3 Soy Sauces Background: Soy sauce is probably the most widely recognized Asian sauce in the world. Its salty flavour makes it an extremely versatile sauce that can be used in a variety …