Notes about Recipes in this book

• Shepherd's pie soup

  • Zosia on April 19, 2019

    I used only half the meat required and was generous with the vegetables but this was still a meaty-tasting, filling soup. I don't know that I'll rush to make it again but it's something to keep in mind when short of time and/or ingredients.

• Florentine meatball subs

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    This was a really tasty sandwich that everyone enjoyed. The meatballs were a little on the dry side but the sauce and delicious onions helped with that.

• Mexican-style flatbreads

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    Much as I appreciated the idea, this was really difficult to eat. The toasted pita was like a giant cracker and the toppings were too much for it; the lettuce and tomatoes ended up on the side. However, the flavours were good and it was very quick to make but next time I would just stuff warmed pitas with the beef and vegetables.

• Crispy Japanese-style pork with sesame slaw

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    Good but the slaw was a little bland, easily fixed by adding extra miso, vinegar and ginger, This was one of the more successful non-fried breaded meats I've made and it's a method I will use again; I suspect toasting the crumbs in oil before baking is key to creating the crisp crust.

• Orange-glazed pork chops with hazelnut green beans

  • Zosia on July 23, 2018

    Great weeknight meal that tastes rather special but really doesn't require much effort. The sauce ingredients take only a few minutes to prepare and result in a most delicious glaze that's perfect with pork, tangy and not very sweet. The nutty green beans are also very good.

• Roast pork tacos with apple cucumber salsa

  • Zosia on August 25, 2022

    Excellent use of leftover roast pork. We really enjoyed the salsa which was different but delicious.

• Roast pork tenderloin with asparagus & warm citrus sauce

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    Really delicious. The citrus sauce was bright and sunny and complemented both the pork and asparagus. Rather than cooking it ahead and keeping it warm, I roasted the asparagus while the pork rested.

• Smoky pork Bolognese sauce

  • Zosia on February 28, 2021

    Very good rich, smoky flavour and reasonable cooking time. Family really enjoyed it.

• Crispy chicken with herb & wheat berry salad

  • Zosia on August 05, 2018

    Good, not particularly special but everyone enjoyed it so it will be repeated. I didn't think browning the chicken was necessary for a crisp skin so went straight to roasting and it turned out well.

• Easy chicken cordon bleu with roasted sweet potato salad

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    No messy breading and frying, just the classic flavour combination of chicken, Swiss cheese and ham with added zip from Dijon mustard. The sweet potato side was a good addition and the timing for making both dishes worked out well.

• Tilapia & red pepper fajitas

  • Zosia on August 15, 2023

    Very quick to put together and quite tasty once I adjusted the seasoning to our taste (approx. double the recipe amount). I replaced the tilapia with cod and served with salsa instead of sour cream.

• Crispy tilapia with lemon-herb mayo & oven fries

  • Zosia on May 07, 2020

    I replaced the chile powder with creole seasoning to bump up the flavour and served with lemon wedges rather than the doctored mayo. Using cornmeal was new to me and it provided good crunch. Family enjoyed it.

• Lemony salmon & quinoa toss

  • Zosia on February 11, 2020

    I didn't do the "toss" part of this recipe, left the cooked fillets intact and served them on top of the quinoa-spinach mixture instead. The lemon-honey-mustard dressing was delicious and lifted the flavours of the dish. I reserved some to drizzle on the salmon.

• White fish cakes with lemon-chili mayo

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    I've made these a few times now since my family enjoys them and the mixture comes together so easily in the food processor. The patty is good but has a fairly neutral flavour; the lemon-chili mayo jazzes it up nicely. The cornmeal variation provides good crunch but they have good texture even without. My last rendition was as a burger topped with the mayo and some coleslaw.

• Mini fish pies with mashed potato topping

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    Flavour was nice with the horseradish a particularly tasty addition to the potatoes but 300g fish for 4 servings didn't seem very generous.

• Snow pea, shrimp & carrot sauté

  • Zosia on December 09, 2020

    Easy and delicious. The lemon really lifted all of the flavours.

• Roasted peppers with eggs

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    We loved these. Using a roasted red pepper as a vessel for cheesy baked eggs is an easy and delicious way to add a serving of vegetable. I've served this as a quick weeknight supper for family and they were a huge hit with guests at a recent brunch.

• Tofu & fresh vegetable stir-fry

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    This dish has potential. I liked the high ratio of vegetables to tofu and rice but there was too much sauce and it was a little bland. Reducing the broth and water in the recipe may fix both issues.

• Edamame-blueberry salad with grilled herb chicken

  • Zosia on May 11, 2019

    This was a surprising hit with family (I never know how they'll react to fruit served with meat or in a salad). The components were quite plain - even the chicken didn't have much flavour - but the lemony basil dressing pulled everything together. I forgot to add the pumpkin seeds so I'll make sure to include them the next time I make this.

• Panzanella with asparagus and eggs

  • Zosia on July 27, 2018

    Tasty main course salad with bright, fresh flavours that was light but satisfying. I didn't have avocado but did have a zucchini which I sliced and added to the grill pan with the asparagus. There wasn't quite enough dressing to coat everything so I would make 1.5x the recipe next time. Great hot weather fare.

• Boy choy & fennel slaw

  • Zosia on April 07, 2020

    Very refreshing salad with great crunch; it's a good foil for spicy dishes.

• Southwestern cauliflower cakes

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    Delicious! The seasonings were an excellent match for the cauliflower and made the corn flavour pop. I served them with yogurt in place of sour cream, a tangy contrast to their mild heat.

• Jerk chicken one-pan dinner

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    Flavour was excellent but not very hot - easily adjusted to taste with extra cayenne. It was a little light on the vegetables so I would definitely increase them next time. I used white potatoes in place of sweet and served it with the recommended pineapple salad.

• Pineapple salad

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    Bright and refreshing salad that's a great accompaniment to spicy food. I served it with the jerk chicken from the same book.

• Cornmeal buttermilk drop biscuits

  • Zosia on May 12, 2020

    Tender and buttery with an exceptionally crunchy crust. The dough was firm enough that it could be rolled and cut but I was quite happy to use the easier drop method. The recipe called for only a pinch of salt - perhaps you were expected to use salted butter? - but I added a scant 1/2 tsp; with unsalted butter, it wasn't quite enough.

• Butternut squash mac & cheese

  • Zosia on November 07, 2018

    This was saucier than we like but the sauce had quite a lot of flavour, though a little too garlicky for us, that still allowed the sweetness of the squash to come through. I used the recommended cheese product but you could use regular aged cheddar as the sauce was made in the usual way, starting with a bechamel.

• Creamy pasta shells with cauliflower sauce

  • Zosia on July 18, 2018

    The flavour was fine but I didn't care much for the texture of the sauce. Though it was quite creamy at the start, it quickly became grainy as it cooled. More real cream might have helped.