Fruit Kabobs

Get creative with your choices here. For Valentine's Day or Canada Day you could use all red coloured fruits.... strawberries, raspberries, red grapes, watermelon.

There is no need for a lot of instruction for this one... Basically, decide what fruits you want to use, interchange them on the skewers to look colourful and pretty and put them on a long platter to serve. You can serve them with a fruit dip or fruit yogurt as well.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

Boil elbow macaroni noodles according to package directions.

Mix with Homemade Cheese Sauce

Add in broccoli and cauliflower if desired

Mix together in a buttered oven proof pan

Top with sliced tomatoes and grated cheese.

Bake in the oven until heated through.

Broil until cheese bubbles and browns slightly.

Make it Gluten Free by using brown rice pasta and cornstarch instead of flour in the sauce.

Bean Burritos and Rice

Quite possibly one of the easiest dinners ever....

There are many mexican/spanish rice side dishes out there that can be prepared quickly and easily that go well with Bean Burritos. Be sure to use fresh tortilla wraps, regular or whole wheat. Heat canned refried vegetarian beans in a pot while you prepare the rest of the toppings..... shredded cheeses, shredded lettuce, sour cream, avacado, tomatoes, salsa. Make up your wrap and roll it up! It's that easy!

Use all-corn tortillas (soft or hard) to make it Gluten Free!

Veggie Wraps

The most delicious cold wrap....

Start with a flavoured wrap.... basil & garlic are my faves.

Put a mound of grated monterey jack cheese on the wrap, add shredded lettuce or salad mix greens, top with a few tbsp of bruschetta, add some mixed red, green & yellow peppers and drizzle my favourite creamy basil dressing over it. Wrap it up and you've got lunch!

Vinaigrette Dressing

Use a jar with a lid or a salad dressing shaker to make this.

Use 2 parts olive oil to 1 part red wine vinegar

Add in 1 clove of crushed garlic, a pinch or two of dried parsley, salt & pepper, a squirt of mustard and just a small pinch of sugar.

Shake until all the ingredients are blended together and you've got a vinaigrette!

Creamy Basil Dressing

Use either a jar with a lid or a salad shaker to make this dressing.

Start with either mayonnaise or miracle whip style mayo. Use approximately 4-6 tbsp.

Add in just enough milk to cover the mayo. Add in a 2-3 tsp of dried basil, salt & pepper, a pinch or two of sugar and 2 tbsp of pickle juice. Shake to mix all the ingredients.

If the dressing is too thin, add more mayo or if it's too thick add more milk and shake again. Continue adding more milk or mayo until you have your desired creaminess. Adjust the other ingredients according to your taste.

Homemade Cheese Sauce

Start by making a roux.... on low heat melt 4 tbl spoons of butter or margarine and add 4 tbsp of flour. Mix well then start adding milk. Whisk together to avoid lumps. Continue adding milk and whisking, turning the heat up to medium. If it thins too much just add more flour and continue adding flour & milk to desired thickness and quantity. Keep whisking! Careful not to burn.

When it has reached your desired thickness (saucy and not too thick) add 1 vegetable cube crumbled, 1 tsp dry mustard, dried parsley, salt & pepper to taste.

Now for the cheesy part.... add grated old cheddar cheese until it begins to look like cheese sauce. Depending on how much white sauce you have made will depend on how much grated cheese to use. As a variation, add in other cheeses you like. Even plain or herbed cream cheese works great if you need to use some up!

Make it Gluten Free by using corn starch instead of flour!

Soy (chicken breast style)

Cook soy (chicken-style) "chickenless breasts" in a frying pan with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and 1/2 cup of chicken-style vegetable stock per breast until most of stock is absorbed.

Serve with grilled peppers, corn on the cob, baked potatoes and salad for a summery meal or serve with mashed potatoes, green beans and broccoli & cauliflower with homemade cheese sauce for more of a wintery meal.

Cheese & Veggie Pies

Bake puff pastry mini shells according to puff pastry package directions.

Mash together cooked potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots etc as well as Homemade Cheese Sauce and fill puff pastry mini shells with mixture.

Spoon more cheese sauce over top upon serving.

Serve with crusty bread and and a garden salad!

Potato Pancakes

Perfect for breakfast or as a side dish!

Potato Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

8 medium red potatoes, with peel, shredded

1 large sweet onion, minced

3 eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, mix the red potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, baking powder, rosemary, salt, pepper, and lime juice.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop about 2/3 cup at a time of the potato mixture into the skillet, and press down with a spatula into a pancake shape. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining potato mixture.

Use Gluten Free all purpose flour to make this GF!