Vintage Kitchen Vixen

Main Dishes

Classic Croque-Monsieur Sandwich (a next-level ham and cheese melt)

by Leave a Comment

The classic croque-monsieur is an elevated ham and cheese melt. Think melted gruyère cheese, thick slices of ham, crusty sourdough bread, a hint of dijon mustard, and all of it smothered with a velvety white béchamel sauce. Scrumptious!

french ham and cheese melt

I didn’t grow up eating croque-monsieurs. I grew up eating plain old grilled cheese sandwiches with a dollop of Heinz ketchup and tomato soup. I’m not knocking grilled cheese either; I adore grilled cheese sandwiches!

The croque-monsieur is something else though. The first time I had a croque-monsieur, a timeless French sandwich, I was in my second year of university. One of my best friends invited me to her dorm room and made me this sandwich.

“It’s a croque-monsieur,” she explained. A ham and cheese sandwich taken to the next level. If you’re new to this particular breed of sandwich, you’re in for a treat!

CROQUE-MONSIEUR RECIPE VIDEO

…

Read More

Rustic Puff Pastry Tomato Tart with Pesto and Kale

by 1 Comment

This lemony rustic tomato tart with pesto and kale is bursting with flavour and oozing with fresh mozzarella cheese. Made with a puff pastry base, it’s easy to put together for a weekday meal, all you need is a salad!

rustic tomato tart puff pastry pesto kale

A SUMMERY PUFF PASTRY TOMATO TART

This is my first year growing tomatoes and getting a crop that doesn’t disappear overnight thanks to a pesky neighbourhood squirrel. This is also my first year having kale in my backyard. Slipping into the backyard to snip off kale leaves has been a joy, but I planted a lot, and I know my tomatoes are only getting started. Soon there’s going to be a canning party in my kitchen, but for now, I can keep up with the bounty. I can go outside and my full tomato harvest is enough for a small salad or for a rustic tomato tart. I went with the latter.

TOMATO TART RECIPE VIDEO

…

Read More

Barley Lentil Buddha Bowls and How to DIY

by 2 Comments

Barley lentil buddha bowls are a delicious and deeply nourishing dinner option. Layered with peppery arugula, roasted sweet potatoes, steamed green beans, hard boiled eggs, and a simple french vinaigrette.  Why stop there though? Learn how to DIY your own buddha bowls while you’re at it! 

recipe with sweet potatoes, lentils, green beans, eggs and barley

BUDDHA BOWL VS. NOURISH BOWL

In case you didn’t know, a nourish bowl is the same thing as a buddha bowl, only, it’s rebranded. Not only that, but nourish bowls are a trademarked product by Mann’s. This, by the way, is not a product endorsement of any kind. I’ve never tried these products and I probably wouldn’t spend money on them because I like playing in the kitchen too much.

For all intents and purposes, I’m going to continue using the term buddha bowl because I’m fond of alliteration. Also, I think the term “nourish bowl” is silly. Nourish is a verb, so if we swap it with the synonym, eat, it would be “eat bowl”. Am I a nitpick? Maybe, but I don’t like being told what to do and also, it’s poor language. Someone got excited by the word nourish and just ran with it without giving it any thought.

…

Read More

Tequila Lime Chicken Quesadillas in Cast Iron

by 1 Comment

These tangy tequila lime chicken quesadillas make a fun appetizer or a complete meal served with rice & beans and a green salad. Learn how to make this cast iron skillet recipe that’s sure to become a fast favourite!

cast iron tequila lime quesadilals

TEQUILA LIME CHICKEN QUESADILLAS: A FAMILY FAVOURITE

When I was a teenager, lime chicken quesadillas were a hot dinner item in my family. Mexican nights were always greeted with an air of excitement, but we usually stopped at tacos: flour tortillas (never hard shells), ground beef, taco mix, cheese, and the trappings. Everything changed when a family friend took things to the next level. There would be a big pot of rice seasoned with salsa; refried beans; pickled jalapeños and lime chicken quesadillas oozing with jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese. My brothers and I loved these quesadillas which is why they became the most requested meal.

…

Read More

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (with homemade veggie ground round)

by Leave a Comment

Meatless Mondays don’t have to be a sad affair. With this vegetarian shepherd’s pie recipe, your family won’t even notice the difference! Learn how to make this dish in 30 minutes or less, including how to make an easy veggie ground round from scratch. 

vegetarian shepherds pie easy recipe for meatless mondays

ALL FROM SCRATCH VEGETARIAN SHEPHERD’S PIE

Vegetarian shepherd’s pie makes an appearance on my menu at least once a month. Textured vegetable protein, commonly known as TVP, costs next to nothing if you buy it in bulk. This makes the savings considerable. In a recipe like this, I normally spend between seven to ten dollars on ground beef or lamb, if not more. Plus, when you compare the price to what pre-made veggie ground round costs in store (and all the nasty ingredients that come with it), you’ll definitely want to make your own!

While vegetarian ground round is cheaper than ground meat, making your own with TVP is even more economical. In Canada, the vegetarian ground round is three or four dollars when it’s on sale. A cup of TVP? Fifty cents. Why wouldn’t you make your own?

VEGETARIAN SHEPHERD’S PIE RECIPE VIDEO

In my world, every recipe needs a demo! Here’s the video tutorial to go with this recipe. If you like my style, please consider subscribing to the Vintage Kitchen Vixen YouTube channel!

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to purchase something after clicking on one of the links in this post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

…

Read More

Shredded Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

by Leave a Comment

Make fibre your friend with this heart healthy shredded salad! Brimming with a colourful assortment of vegetables, you’re basically guaranteed to get your vitamin intake for the day.

shredded salad with spinach, zucchini, beets, potato, carrots, alfalfa sprouts and parsley

A SHREDDED SALAD FOR BETTER DIGESTION

My mom makes the best salads. She’s a raw vegetable enthusiast and goes on bouts of eating a raw diet every so often because she loves how it makes her feel. Whenever I go to her place, there’s almost always some kind of salad on the table and I love it. When it comes to salad, I don’t feel guilty going for seconds, and my mom makes so much that going back for seconds is heartily encouraged.

A couple of years ago when she was on one of her raw vegan diet kicks, she brought a special mandolin to my place and made a salad that changed everything I knew about salad. Did you know that shredding vegetables makes them more digestible? I spent the next two months eating a shredded salad for lunch every day. I was addicted.

…

Read More