When I am planning an everyday meal, I usually start with the veggies and the protein comes second; I find this is a great way to focus on the fresh stuff and eat a little less meat. My family loves vegetables prepared this way and it's great for picky eaters because once you've coated things with pesto and panko breadcrumbs, it can be hard to tell which vegetables are which! If needed, it's super easy to make this a vegan dish – check the instructions below. This recipe also happens to be one of my favourite ways to deal with an overcrowded refrigerator because you can swap in just about any vegetables you have on hand – I've used snow and sugar snap peas, cauliflower, and carrots in this dish and they all taste delicious prepared this way. We really like basil and garlic pesto but your favourite kind would work just as well. You can even roast the vegetables on the barbeque in a grill pan if that’s easier for you, especially on a hot day. If you really want to make this dish pop, add a sprinkle of cider vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice then top with crunchy, buttery breadcrumbs just before serving.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F (or barbeque to medium, if using).
Put the potatoes and onions in a large roasting pan (or divide between two smaller pans) and drizzle with about a tablespoon of oil and a little salt and pepper. Using two spoons or your hands, toss the potatoes and onions so they are evenly coated.
Roast the potatoes and onions for 15 minutes, tossing once.
While the potatoes and onions are cooking, prep all the other vegetables.
When the potatoes and onions have had their 15 minute head start, add the other vegetables to the roasting pan(s) along with another drizzle of oil and a little salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
Cook for 20 – 25 minutes until all the vegetables are tender and potatoes are crispy on the outside.
While vegetables are roasting, melt butter in a small frying pan. Add panko and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they breadcrumbs are golden brown. Transfer toasted panko to a bowl and set aside.
Transfer the cooked vegetables to a serving bowl. Add pesto and toss to coat.
When ready to serve, sprinkle with cider vinegar or lemon juice (if using) and top with breadcrumbs. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Serves 4 as a side dish.
Although my family adores pie, ust about the last thing I want to struggle with when it's hot outside is rolling out pastry. With its shortbread base, gooey cherry filling and crisp crumble topping, this no-pastry tart is a trifecta of perfect flavours and textures. I like that it’s not overly sweet and is just as good a day or two after it’s been made. You can use either fresh or frozen sweet cherries to make this tart and still get the same results – just be sure to include the full amount of cornstarch if using frozen berries. This tart is delicious on its own, but also very nice with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a great way to enjoy all the best things about cherry pie without having to fuss with pastry! And honestly, its so delicious you could probably snag a ribbon at the county fair with this beauty of a dessert.
Ingredients
For the crumble topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup oats (regular or large flake)
For the shortbread crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces
For the cherry filling:
3 cups pitted cherries
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional but delicious)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 – 2 tablespoons cornstarch *
1 tsp cinnamon
* use 1 tablespoon with fresh cherries and 2 tablespoons with frozen cherries
Directions
For the crumble topping:
In a medium bowl, cream together sugar, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg until fluffy. Gently mix in flour and oats just until it comes together but is still crumbly, similar to cookie dough. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the shortbread crust:
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Combine the flour and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Press mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9″ springform pan.
Put the pan in the middle of the preheated oven. Put a baking sheet (a round pizza pan works well) on the rack below, to catch any butter that sneaks out of the pan during baking.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust just is just beginning to turn light brown. Remove from the oven (don’t turn oven off).
For the cherry filling:
While shortbread crust is baking, combine the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Coarsely chop the cherries, either in a food processor or by hand. Put the cherries in a large bowl, drizzle lemon juice and almond extract on top. Stir gently to combine. Sprinkle sugar mixture over cherries, stir gently to coat cherries evenly.
When shortbread crust has finished baking, spoon cherry mixture evenly on top of crust. With your fingers, break the chilled crumble topping into small clumps and sprinkle evenly on top of cherry layer.
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes until topping is golden brown and cherry filling is bubbling. Let cool in pan at least one hour before serving (refrigerate if needed to speed things up).
Serves 10 -12
The last thing I want to do after a day packed full of summertime fun is to come home and start making dinner. This make-ahead chicken dinner is the perfect no-fuss, ‘just pop it in the oven’ meal. Full of family-friendly flavours like tomatoes and garlic, you can quickly assemble it the night before, then pop it in the oven the next day to roast while you decompress (aka drink wine) as it cooks. If you want to jazz things up a bit, consider adding pitted Kalamata olives and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice at serving time.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.
Trim chicken pieces of any excess fat then place in a baking dish that’s big enough to allow a gap between each piece of meat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt.
Sprinkle the tomatoes and garlic over the chicken and tuck them into the gaps between the pieces. Keep the tops of the chicken uncovered so the skin will crisp up.
Drizzle olive oil and balsamic over everything then top with freshly ground black pepper.
Place the rosemary or thyme sprigs over the tomatoes.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, until chicken skin is browned and crispy and internal temperature is 170F.
Serve chicken and tomatoes over rice or buttered noodles, drizzling generously with pan sauce.
Serves 3 – 4 and can easily be doubled or tripled.
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