Recipes

Easy Paprika Roast Chicken for Family Dinners

October 22, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 1 Comment

When life is too busy to handle and you can’t remember the last time your kid spoke more than two words to you, it’s time to gather everyone around the table. Reconnect with your family with this juicy and flavourful paprika roast chicken. It’s easier to make than you might think!

GATHERING AROUND THE TABLE

I get it. It’s hard to round up everyone in the family to sit down to a good, hearty meal. When I was a kid, my mom was running the show by herself as a self-employed hair salon owner. She tried her best to make sure we gathered around the table, but some nights I would make Kraft Dinner for my brothers and we’d watch trash on T.V.

Some families are busy running around to-and-fro to the next extra curricular activity. Others don’t even know how to talk to each other. Every so often, I’ll go out to eat and my heart twinges with sadness for the family that’s glued to mobile devices.

With this hyper-connected world that disconnects us, it’s more important than ever to carve out time to gather around the table. Today we’re going to do it with a roasted paprika chicken dinner.

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The Best Brussels Sprouts Skillet (with bacon and parmesan)

October 17, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 14 Comments

These pan fried and roasted brussels sprouts are cheesy, smoky and crispy. They also look great being pulled from the oven in a cast iron skillet. It’s the kind of side dish you want on your holiday table!

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS: YOU EITHER LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM

Bacon parmesan brussels sprouts are a terrific side for roasted meats due to the strong flavour that people either love or hate. If you would have asked me when I was a kid whether or not I wanted a scoop of brussels sprouts on my plate, I would have shook my head to decline.

The thing is, when brussels sprouts are overcooked, they leave a bitter taste in your mouth and an unpleasant memory if you’re tasting them for the first time.

Brussels sprouts should be green, not gray, and they should be a vegetable everyone reaches for, including children.

Vegetarians aside, who would turn down a dish with bacon and parmesan? The Panko bread crumbs also make them crispy, giving them an intriguing crunch factor.

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Creamy Celery Root & Potato Purée (it’s sinfully decadent!)

October 15, 2019 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

This creamy celery root purée is a flavourful and decadent side dish to serve alongside roasted meats and fish. You’re going to love it!

holding a bowl of creamy celery root purée

CELERY ROOT PUREE: A SIDE DISH TO REMEMBER

Creamy celery root and potato purée, really?

The first time I ever had celery root purée was in a fancy restaurant. It was nearly a decade ago, so I couldn’t tell you what it was served with or what I had for dessert, but I do remember the appetizer was beef tartare which is a recipe for another day.

I fell completely in love with the flavour, which is reminiscent of the celery stalks we’re used to, but it’s more delicate, more intriguing.

It was my first of many celery root purées.

This is a simple recipe with only five ingredients and I hope you love it as much as I do.

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Maple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce Made Easy for the Holidays

October 11, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 13 Comments

cranberries for maple bourbon cranberry sauce

This maple bourbon cranberry sauce will beat anything that comes out of a can. Learn how to make this classic holiday condiment and the different ways you can punch it up to make it your own.

Maple bourbon cranberry sauce, how good does that sound?

Better than the sound cranberry sauce makes when it’s sliding out of the can, that’s for sure!

When I was a kid, it was usually my job to mash up the jellied cranberry sauce to make it more presentable for the table.

A few of us would put a polite spoonful on our plates and a couple of us, well, just my uncle, would say no entirely. I can’t blame him.

Really, who wants high-fructose corn syrup in their cranberry sauce anyway?

Making cranberry sauce from scratch seems intimidating at first, but it couldn’t be more simple!

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Classic French Crepes with Ham and Cheese

October 1, 2019 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

These classic ham and cheese crepes are the easiest crepes you’re ever going to whip up. Learn how to make this traditional French favourite and get inspired with different filling ideas!

THE EASIEST CREPE RECIPE EVER

Classic ham and cheese crepes are one of my favourite go-to breakfast options, along with kefir pancakes, fermented steel-cut oats, and Croque-Madames.

The crepe batter is a cinch to make and the options for fillings are seemingly endless.

I also have a lot of fun making crepes because I get to flip them in the pan, which you can see me demonstrate in the recipe video. This is particularly entertaining for me when I have guests over for breakfast because I feel like I’m putting on a show for them.

Have you ever tried flipping anything while you cook? Julia Child said it best about flipping, “You just have to have the courage of your convictions”. See for yourself!

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Victory Borscht: An Easy Oil-Free Wartime Recipe

September 27, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 12 Comments

Victory Borscht is a winner in more ways than one. This jewel-coloured beauty of a soup is rich in flavour and completely oil-free. Let’s dive into the history behind this simple, hearty recipe and then learn how to make it yourself!

A GLIMPSE INTO WARTIME FRUGALITY

Let’s rewind to a time often glamorized for its style, gallantry, and grace: World War II. Although people lived with an elegance we rarely see today, they also lived with scarcity. Here, in a world full of abundance, we often overlook how resourceful our great-grandmothers had to be.

Frugality is a word that makes some folks cringe, but during WWII, it was a necessity, not an option. The women of that era didn’t have the luxury of being wasteful—they had to be creative and self-sufficient. Learning from them can teach us valuable skills we can apply today.

RELATED: WWII Food Rationing Tips

VICTORY BORSCHT RECIPE VIDEO

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