Save this recipe for those days that you have minimal prep time but maximum desire to eat well! You'll hardly be able to wait until it's ready! In fact, we were so excited to eat that I forgot to add the crumbled feta cheese! Prefer a milder cheese? Try a little crumbled goat cheese, ricotta, or a grating of Parmigiano Reggiano! Did I mention that it's an easy clean up, too?

You’ve got to love meals that are simple enough to literally throw together in ten minutes for a delicious weekday meal but impressive enough to serve at your next dinner party. This recipe follows my general advice about cooking… follow your senses and make this recipe your own. Don’t get too hung up on measuring precisely. Consider adding more or less of the ingredients or even substituting them. No carrots? Add more onion! Throw in broccoli florets or try a vegetable medley. The end result is a memorably tasty chicken with all your favourite Asian flavours. Garnishing it adds freshness and vibrance.

This recipe is my mom's crostata from Donnici, Calabria. More like a jam cake, it's a recipe that I grew up with. My mom made it for most Sunday lunches and for all special occasions, including my wedding, my children's birthdays and baptisms! A few summers ago, I invited my mom into my kitchen to show me how to make it. The trickiest part is the lattice-type crust. Even with severe arthritis, her fingers managed to nimbly shape the ropes to stretch across the jam. It was a special afternoon!

This fall soup is a velvety and comforting blend of hearty yellow split peas, sweet butternut squash, and delightfully salty smoked ham. Creamy and satisfying, not only does this earthy combination showcase warm fall colours but it also becomes a delicious easy one pot meal for those chilly nights.

Does anyone else miss their kitchen when they are on holidays? I miss my kitchen so much that I try to cook or bake a dish or two when I’m away. For me, the act of slicing, stirring, and sauteing grounds me in the same way nature walks or paddle boating do. While I love all those experiences, I can’t help but feel deeply inspired to cook when I’m away. Last summer, my husband and I joined two other couples to vacation in Muskoka. One morning, we headed into the closest town and I couldn’t help but pick up a basket or two of fresh sweet peaches and blueberries! The sight of these gems sent my mind whorling with recipe ideas! Restricted by what was available in the cottage, I challenged myself to come up with an easy and delicious dessert. Warm fruit cobbler never disappoints! While the peaches slowly simmered and caramelized on the BBQ, I threw together the topping. With minimal prep, this dessert was ready in no time. The aroma of peaches, butter, and sugar was intoxicating! We sat on the deck to watch the golden afternoon rays of the sun bounce off the glimmering lake. There was no need to talk. Instead, we quietly soaked up everything our senses could find… including the comforting warth and taste of this Muskoka Peach and Blueberry BBQ Cobbler.

I get excited at the arrival of fresh local strawberries. Whether I’m picking them from a farm or purchasing them at one of our local farmers’ market, I love how this seasonal delicacy signals the arrival of warmer weather and the promise of other abundant local produce. Strawberries can be enjoyed simply on their own but I love using them to elevate a wide range of culinary creations. Even ordinary muffins gain status with the addition of these ruby-red gems. This muffin recipe is one of my favourites. Cake-like in texture, these fragrant individual cakes can be plated and transformed into a delicious elegant dessert that will leave your guests with a long-lasting memory of summer.

Not everything I cook starts with a plan. Sometimes, the dish just evolves. The other night, I craved the flavourful combination of ginger and garlic, the creamy comfort of coconut milk, and the nuttiness of soba noodles. Oddly enough, when I am not sure what to make, I start with sauteing onions. Like the rousing cheers for a favourite team, their aroma fills the air, giving me great hope for a delicious dinner. The rest of the steps then just spontaneously unfold, guided by what’s in the fridge… and the size of the pan. I encourage you to try this recipe with the same openness and curiosity, substituting ingredients as you please. Even the order of the steps can vary. For example, you can start with stirring the curry paste and coconut milk in the pan first and then add the rest of the ingredients. It will still work out. Just consider which vegetables need the least amount of time and add those towards the end of the cooking time. And finally, be sure to taste and adjust the aromatics to determine your preference for more curry paste, honey, cilantro, lime juice, or green onions. Then listen for your family’s cheers as you bring this winning dish to the table.

Think of celery on steroids! That’s what cardoons resemble! This winter vegetable which ranges in colour from white to pale green has edible ribbed stalks with an inedible flowering head. Their mild artichoke flavour is incredibly delicious! A simple cooking process ensures a tender and delicious vegetable. Cut off the base and all leaves, taking care to not get pricked by the spiny edges. The stalks are then cut into pieces with lengths depending on their intended recipe. Placing them in water with lemon juice or vinegar will prevent any discolouration while you work through the stalks. It’s important to boil the pieces for about 20 minutes or until tender. Low in calorie and high in vitamins and minerals, cardoons complement many dishes or can be the featured ingredient as in this recipe, the cardoon soup. This recipe is from my mother-in-law who traditionally makes this soup to celebrate the Feast of St. Stephen, the day after Christmas. With its richly flavoured stock made from poultry and veal, the ratio of cardoon pieces to mini veal meatballs is always a topic of debate at the dinner table. There are never enough meatballs! The only other essential ingredient is cheese. Nuggets of mozzarella cheese and a heavy sprinkling of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano add a gooeyness that only real cheese lovers appreciate. If you’re lucky enough to find fresh cardoons at your local grocery store, consider making large batches of soup to freeze. That way, you can enjoy this uncommon vegetable throughout the year.

have so many recipes for banana chocolate chip muffins. I think my favourite is a combination of all of them. I used to use sour cream but now I stick to Greek yogurt because it just makes me feel better about using it. Many recipes call for butter but this recipe is so flavourful that you won’t miss the butter. Plus, I get annoyed with melting butter… it usually ends up splattered in my microwave. If you don’t have buttermilk, just measure a little less than 2 tablespoons of whole or 2% milk and add a little fresh lemon juice. And as far as chocolate goes, I tend to stick to dark and semi-sweet but you decide on your favourite. And finally, when I am ready to scoop out the last muffin, there’s no chocolate left in the batter. So I end up giving it its own generous portion

Whether you are an athlete, a busy parent trying to get dinner on the table, or looking for an elegant showcase meal, this easy and delicious Grilled Lemon Salmon is high in flavour and nutrition. Served with a colourful quinoa salad, this recipe is a complete meal and comes together so quickly! Perfect for a weeknight dinner but impressive enough for guests.

I think every Italian cook has their favourite frittata and they’ll swear that their recipe is the best. I’m a little more broad in that I love them all! I threw this one together after I bought a basket of fresh local zucchini and received fresh eggs from a Mennonite farm. I took some traditions from both my mother and my mother-in-law - ricotta from the Donnicese tradition and mint from the Barese side. The common tradition is to use quality ingredients, including the extra virgin olive oil! I didn’t really measure anything… I literally let my intuition be my guide. I’ve included my list of ingredients but once you have the technique down, you can make so many variations. I used a mandolin to slice my zucchini but a knife would have been fine! A nonstick pan is a must! You can use a well-seasoned cast iron pan but forget tossing the veggies with one hand!

You’ve got to love a pasta whose popularity earned itself a national day of recognition. Pasta alla Norma is celebrated on September 23 but in my house, we pledge our loyalty to this Sicilian dish many times throughout the year. While my parent's summer garden always featured exceptional eggplant, this vegetable was never combined with pasta. It wasn’t until a visit to Puglia in 1994 that I was introduced to this famous dish by my sister-in-law. In fact, my husband and I still remember that first taste at the restaurant. Creamy, fragrant, rustic, and satisfying, we both draw on that memory often! There are certainly many variations but the most authentic ones maintain fresh eggplants, tomatoes, basil, and ricotta salata. My version changes depending on what I have available but I do not stray too far from the original. After all, when something is simply perfect, why mess around with Sicilian traditions?

During the summer, my mom would let her glorious garden determine the day’s meal. She’d pick whatever was in peak shape and build a vegetarian feast around her harvest. Once a week during those hot lazy days, she’d create the most delicious and satisfying peperonata which turned out slightly differently each time, depending on how many eggplants, peppers, or tomatoes were ready. With any combination, the appetizing aroma escaped the open windows and announced itself to the neighbours! As the secondo (the dish that follows a soup or pasta), she’d place the simmering hot pan right on the table where we would scoop out a creamy mix of basil-infused stewed vegetables with our thick slices of crusty Calabrese bread. As an adult, I’ve abandoned the tradition of a daily primo and secondo but this peperonata will certainly not leave you hungry. Hearty enough on its own, it can also be used to dress pasta, accompany grilled meat, or grace any cocktail party as an appetizer with crostini.

I remember tasting cornmeal for the first time in my 30s. Before you mock me, understand that despite my traditional Italian upbringing, we did not eat polenta. So when my good friend, Steve Palamarchuk pulled out golden cornbread from his oven, my senses were confused. It looked like a cake but it wasn’t a dessert. It smelled incredibly fragrant but the flavours were subtle and intriguing. It glistened with butter but the crumb was soft and light. I fell in love that night. Enough said.

new pan! Today, the baby bok choy looked like it was picked while I was parking! I didn’t really know what I was going to do with it but I had a stir-fry in mind. This is what I came up with. Each time I make a stir fry, it comes out differently, depending on what I have in the fridge. Try not to add every vegetable you have! Although, it is a great way to clean up sad-looking produce! By the way, buckwheat noodles are gluten-free. I used soy-free sauces, too!

With growing interest in the science of pizza doughs, I stick to 2 types - a quick rise one that uses a generous amount of rapid rise yeast and one that uses a small amount of traditional yeast. Both take minutes to assemble but the first one requires only 30 minutes to rise while the second one peaks after a couple of days in the fridge. Let me be clear! The flavour and texture from a cold fermentation process are truly worth the wait but when that pizza craving hits, this quick rise dough recipe is perfect. Having said that, I have used both recipes interchangeably, either because I make too much and store my quick rise in the fridge for another day or because I can’t wait 3 days for my pizza dough to be ready. For my overnight dough, check out https://marisamariella.com. Sometimes I make this dough by hand because I need (no pun intended) something tactile to ground me. Other times, I use the mixer and let the dough hook do all the work while I use the 5 minutes to tidy up the kitchen or some other quick task. In either case, while the dough rises, I prepare the sauce and toppings. The pizza is in the oven in about 30 minutes or less. And I don’t stress if the dough rises a little longer. It's absolutely delicious!

With Easter around the corner, this is the perfect time to buy boneless baccalà (salted cod) because you will need to soak it in water for 3 days. The flesh loses its saltiness and plumps up so beautifully. A good quality baccalà has no fish odour! Growing up in a traditional Southern Italian family from Donnici, outside Cosenza in Calabria, my mom prepared pasta e baccalà for Good Friday and Christmas Eve every year of my life. Now, this tradition is true for my 4 children too! In fact, this dish is soooo good, we enjoy this dish several times a year. The tomato sauce is so delicious that we serve crostini to soak it up after the pasta! For a lighter version, skip the tomato sauce and serve the baccalà on a fresh green salad, lightly dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Oh by the way, did I tell you that the baccalà is exceptional in fish tacos? Ya.... don't tell my mom!

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” said the romantic Romeo about his Juliet but it is also true for this traditional Italian recipe! Depending on the region, Italians call this classic dessert a crostata or pizza! Let’s add tart or pie to the list, too! Any way you call it, this simple shortcrust pastry features a creamy, lightly sweetened filling of ricotta. Scented with lemon zest and studded with bittersweet chocolate, this typical dessert in Puglia is often called “la pizza di Pasqua” because it graces every Easter celebration. Thankfully, my beautiful Apulian mother-in-law thinks it is much too delicious to reserve only for Easter. I’m sure Romeo would have agreed.

I don't always cook Italian. It's good to switch it up sometimes! This is a shrimp stir fry with whatever vegetables I had in the fridge. In fact, the sad little brussel sprouts hanging out in the lowest drawer perked right up after a quick clean. I de-shelled my own shrimp for two reasons - much cheaper and now I have their shells to make fish stock for... well..Italian seafood risotto! The final squirt of lime just adds so much freshness and aroma! The noodles were beautifully coated with the tastes of Asia! Do you do this at the thought of cilantro? (Not going to mention any names here... DJ and EJ. Then add extra green onions to garnish and fuhgeddaboudit! Won't be as good in my opinion but it's just my opinion. From start to finish, this dish takes about 25 minutes to make...unless you have a lot of sad little vegetables that need an extra cleaning!