G'mornin! As we start the long weekend, you guys might need some inspiration for breakfast or brunch ideas and we asked if you would like to see some and you said yes, so we will be adding recipes in this section as well from now on. Starting you off with 2 related baked eggs recipes. Enjoy! 

W.P

I went to Halifax last weekend after about a decade, just for the weekend for my friend’s wedding. I often miss Hali, for the wonderful random weather, the nice people, the wonderful memories (it was the last time us 4 siblings & our parents lived together), the amazing “Cows” ice cream, the lively harbour front, and so much more. And then there are the lobsters… well the amazing seafood in general of course. I was very busy for the 3 days I was there and did not really get a chance to eat as much seafood as I wanted so on my way out on an early morning flight, I got 2 lobsters from the airport- yes, the airport! They travelled with me! It was the 1st time I cooked lobster myself, and it was an interesting experience shelling/shucking the darn things. My husband helped! The Steamed lobsters were juicy and delicious, especially with the herb & garlic butter sauce and made for a lovely dinner. I have also added the recipe for the Shiitake Rice & Peas I served it with. 
W.P

This is from our 1st catered event- Deepti & Martin's Henna party. The menu was as requested by the bride for about 25 or 30 people: Mushroom Puffs, Fusion Minis (sandwiches), & Aaloo Bhaji (a potato gravy) with flat bread. We also had salad, chocolate mint cake, wraps, & Indian sweets brought by family and guests. It was a huge success and absolutely everything was scarfed down! We kept making more as requested and everything was served fresh and hot as it was prepared while people got their henna done- ESPECIALLY for this occasion. We had a lot of fun and wish Martin & Deepti all the best!

A lot of people dislike baking chicken breasts because they can get dry very easily. There are a couple of ways to ensure that you do not have to worry about that. 1 is to flatten the breast with a mallet and stuff it, then bake it. It is a safer bet when cooking chicken breasts for company and is pretty when you cut it up to serve. However, if you don't want stuffed chicken, and want to bake the breast whole, you should bake it with the pan covered with foil for the whole time except for the last 15 mins to give the chicken some colour. It does not dry out this way. You can also soak the chicken (this works well for the whole chicken too!), in brine (salt + water solution). This not only adds some flavour before hand, but also helps the chicken retain its juices and stay plump and juicy. A lot of people also tend to over cook chicken (restaurants included!) due to fear of E.coli and other possible bacteria, but I find that you should cook chicken breasts JUST at the point where they are no longer pink, but not when you are able to shred it- that is over done in my books.  Nothing tastes more boring than dry chicken breasts. It has happened to all of us- but it is definitely avoidable. 

W.P

Pizza Toppings

Whether you are using store bought pizza dough, making your own or even using flat bread to make your pizza, everyone needs varieties in their toppings. In my house we usually have pizza night where my kids choose their own toppings and top their own pizzas. It’s fun and it gives them something to look forward to. Here are some suggestions.

·         Veggie Lovers: Onions, green peppers, mushrooms, tomato, black olives
·         Hot & Spicy: Ground beef, jalapeños, onions, tomatoes
·         Chicken Fajitas: Chicken, onions, green peppers, BBQ sauce
·         Greek: Chopped garlic, feta cheese, black olives, tomatoes, onions
·         Santa Fe: Chicken, red onions, sun dried tomatoes, cheddar cheese
·         Mediterranean: Sun dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, red onions, feta cheese, black olives
·         Chicken Tikka: Boneless chicken tikka, onions, green peppers
·         Steak: steak strips, hot peppers, onions


A.K