Casual Dining

Mini Sized Smashed Potato Pizzas

This recipe for Mini Sized Smashed Potato Pizzas is Grey Cup Party food at its best! It is quick and easy to put together, but more importantly, delicious! They are little pizzas made in a handheld form. Make lots – your guests will be clamouring for more.

Make lots! They will disappear very quickly!

I was involved in a food challenge a few years ago that wanted us to develop original recipes for the Little Potato Company. On my blog, you will find the results of my creativity including a family-sized version of Smashed Potato Pizza, as well as Sausage and Potato Stuffing, Bacon Cheese Potato Cups and Potato Crusted Quiche (all gluten-free recipes). I have re-invented the Smashed Potato Pizza and made it into small appetizer sized pizzas. These Mini Sized Smashed Potato Pizzas have the crispy edges that are so appealing and flavourful. Toppings are kept simple given the well-seasoned smashed potato base; sliced grape tomatoes, chiffonade of basil, sliced green onion, mozzarella and bocconcini cheese, and crispy bacon bits. Don’t forget to serve the Mini Sized Smashed Potato Pizzas with Dressed Up Sour Cream….

Spicy Sausage and Cabbage Fry with Greek Yogurt Sauce

By Denise Pare-Watson 8 Comments

The Inspiration of Urb’n’Spice Series

Sometimes inspiration can be derived from necessity. Have you ever gone to the grocery store to purchase a specific ingredient or item and it ends up to be something entirely different than what you expected? This recipe was developed due to a case of mislabelling. I actually needed to buy mild Italian sausage, however, the package was mislabelled and I bought a spicy version instead. Not wanting to waste food, my original meal plan was altered to accommodate this Spicy Sausage and I created the following Spicy Sausage and Cabbage Fry with Greek Yogurt Sauce.

The ingredients for this dish have originated from all over the world: Hot Italian sausage; Chinese Napa cabbage; Canadian mushrooms; Greek yogurt sauce and Asian inspired seasonings. It all comes together into a balanced fusion dish. I encourage you to try it as it is a delicious, quick and nutritious meal.

Spicy Sausage and Cabbage Fry | urbnspice.com

Spicy Sausage and Cabbage Fry served in a flour tortilla

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Back-to-School Blenditarian Sloppy Joes

By Denise Pare-Watson 14 Comments

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into creative and fun dishes. To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of August is all about incorporating “The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into a back-to-school weeknight dinner dish. As Blenditarian.com suggests, “It’s that time of year: school is back in session and schedules are jam-packed. Make back-to-school dinners tastier and better-for-you by adding The Blend (mushrooms + meat) – a quick and easy technique that’s perfect for adding nutrients to dishes for those who are always on the go or simply looking for a way to incorporate more veggies into meals.” Therefore, I am sharing a recipe below for Back-to-School Blenditarian Sloppy Joes that you will want to try!

This recipe utilizes a package of savoury meat blend (the first Urb’n’Spice Blenditarian recipe). I keep several pouches in my freezer for quick meals like this and for other quick meals like date night spaghetti sauce, chili, and hamburger macaroni casserole (recipes coming soon in future Blenditarian posts). This recipe for Back-to-School Sloppy Joes can be made in under ten minutes with just a few additional ingredients.

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Panini Grilled Vegetable Platter with Balsamic Herb Dressing

By Denise Pare-Watson 8 Comments

We all have a go-to dish for our summertime get-togethers – my family favourite is a grilled vegetable platter. We love this dish because any type of grilled vegetables are delicious and nutritious and you can use any vegetables that are in season. It can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature which makes menu planning easy. I like to serve the vegetables with a simple dressing made from fresh herbs from my garden. Panini Grilled Vegetable Platter with Balsamic Herb Dressing is a dish that may well become your go-to summer favourite.

Panini Grilled Vegetable Platter with Balsamic Herb Dressing

This Panini Grilled Vegetable Platter is very easy to pull together. I have created a herb and spice seasoning for this recipe called Grilled Vegetable Seasoning Blend (recipe below) that compliments a variety of vegetables. To save time, I use a Panini grill rather than the bbq, which is very efficient as the Panini grill cooks both sides at once which negates the need to turn each piece. In addition, I can grill the vegetables in batches while I am puttering about in the kitchen doing other things. Once the vegetables are grilled and plated, I drizzle a little balsamic and fresh herb dressing on top (recipe included below). If you have any leftovers, store them in the refrigerator. Just be sure to bring them to room temperature before serving. This vegetarian summertime dish is gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free and preservative free. For heartier fare, serve the grilled vegetable platter with cedar planked salmon and boiled whole new potatoes (buttered with fresh dill)….

Savoury Blenditarian Brunch Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs

By Denise Pare-Watson 12 Comments

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun dishes. To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of June is all about incorporating“The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into brunch dishes. For this reason, I have developed a recipe for Savoury Blenditarian Brunch Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs.

A Thai dish called ‘larb’, which is one of the most popular street foods in Thailand, has inspired this Savoury Brunch Blenditarian Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs dish. The addition of many types of vegetables just adds to the appeal. I enjoy having vegetables cooked in creative ways to produce different textures. I also like the idea that the dish can be served warm, cold or at room temperature.

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Turkey, Mushroom and Power Greens Pasta

By Denise Pare-Watson 6 Comments

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun dishes. To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the April Blenditarian Challenge is “Go Green for Earth Month.” The challenge is to create an earth-‘friendlier’ dish by incorporating The Blend (mushrooms + ground meat) into “power greens.” For this reason, I have developed a recipe called Turkey, Mushroom and Power Greens Pasta. It is a recipe that can be adapted for many dietary needs, such as dairy-free, gluten-free, heart-healthy, and is also Weight Watchers friendly.

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Turkey, Mushroom and Power Greens Pasta

When you use chicken or turkey in a ‘Blend’, it is called a ‘blond blend’. Lean ground turkey is an excellent choice, not only because it is a low-fat protein option, but also because it readily assimilates the flavours of the ingredients. In this recipe, spices such as cumin and chilli powder lend a subtle earthy spiciness, and using paprika helps to create an appealing golden colour to the meat mixture. The use of fresh herbs (parsley and basil) adds brightness to the dish.

Let’s talk about power greens. Power greens can be described as a nutrient-dense superfood of leafy greens contributing an energy boost with high amounts of Vitamins A and C, iron and calcium, dietary fibre and potassium. The greens can be used individually or can be found in a mix often comprised of baby spinach, Swiss chard (both red and green), and kale. For this recipe, I utilized Dinosaur Kale (also known as Tuscan kale, or black kale). I love the look of the curled dark glossy leaves. It is a sturdy green with a tough stalk. I removed the stalk by slicing along each side. Once all of the stalks have been removed, I gathered the leafy ‘strips’ and sliced them thinly (a chiffonade cut). I added the prepared kale to the pasta water during the last few minutes of cooking.

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Duck Fat Potatoes with Smoked Sea Salt

By Denise Pare-Watson 4 Comments

The Inspiration of Urb’n’Spice Series

If you want to make something truly delicious to serve as a small plate offering or on a casual family platter, try these Duck Fat Potatoes with Smoked Sea Salt. It is one of those foods that you will say, ‘this is the best thing that I ever had!’ Easy to make, easier to eat! Make more than you think you might need – they will be gone in a flash!

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Pan Roasted Duck Breasts with Orange Vanilla Glaze

By Denise Pare-Watson 2 Comments

The Inspiration of Urb’n’Spice Series

The concept for this recipe originated from a preserve that I have been making for many years. Orange Vanilla Bean Confiture (a cross between a jam and marmalade) was developed at my work because we needed garnishes for a new menu item. The confiture was to accompany a caramelized rice crispy garnish, which was a topping on a classic baked rice pudding. The dessert was very delicious and extremely popular. The confiture became a favourite amongst the other chefs in the kitchen and made its way into a number of other dishes. One of my favourite ways that they used my preserve was on a glazed Duck Breast. The duck breast was served beautifully displayed with seasonal vegetables and puree of celeriac or other similar items. My approach for this Pan Roasted Duck Breasts with Orange Vanilla Glaze is more casual and the dish is served family style on a board or large platter. It is an easy-to-make dish that can be prepared in just a few minutes. In this post, you will learn how to cook a duck breast to perfection, and additionally, I will guide you through how to make the Orange Vanilla Glaze.

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“To begin cooking duck at one in the morning
is one of the finest acts of madness that can be undertaken by a human being who is not mad.”

― Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, La Soledad Del Manager

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Easy to Make Game Day Savoury Potato Wedges

By Denise Pare-Watson 10 Comments

It is almost Super Bowl weekend! That means snacks – lots of snacks. It also means we will need a snack that can be easily and neatly munched on in front of the big screen without taking our eyes off the action. We have made these Game Day Savoury Potato Wedges for just about every occasion from birthdays to barbeques. Our favourite way to enjoy them is on a large wooden platter served family style with Dressed Up Sour Cream and of course, ketchup.

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The Un-Christmas Day Feast

By Denise Pare-Watson 10 Comments

Prelude: I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada (CHC) invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian. For December, the Culinary Historians are challenging bloggers to bring their best holiday game, with the most festive and delightful food tales about winter holidays past. I have a story about the origination of our family tradition, called Un-Christmas Day. As well, I will describe why the tradition was created and the special activity that always took place at the end of the day. Of course, food was involved, which is why I will be sharing a menu featuring a recipe for Dry Roasted Crispy Chicken Wings with Honey Garlic Dip. If you choose to embrace this holiday season finale, I think both you and your family will create some great memories.

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I need to explain why “Un-Christmas Day” became a tradition. When my daughters were small, my husband and I wanted to make the Holiday Season as exciting and meaningful as possible, since you are only a kid once!

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