Peach blueberry tart

Blueberries and peaches are exploding ’round here, y’all.

So is the amount of work I have to do, though I still find time to take respite in baking summer treats. But where to start? The problem with being on a budget and short on time is finding that your ambitions can dwindle when you realize many recipes ask for far more groceries than your wallet will allow.

Cobb salad with grains

Man, oh, MAN, do I love this salad. Right here is another one of those crowd pleasers that disappears within minutes.

Now, I know it doesn’t look super great to some of you, but trust me when I say that the flavour is off the charts. Sweet shallots combine with spicy Dijon, honey, olive oil, and red wine vinegar to create a zesty, rich dressing that’s light enough not to dominate this (relatively) healthy salad.

Apple pie muffins

Summer is almost here, and the comforts of fall and winter are nearly behind us. That doesn’t mean that all familiar flavours and ingredients have to fall by the wayside too, right?

Home fries

Wish this was scratch 'n' sniff.

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with the amount of stuff you have accumulated throughout your home? I’m not talking about hoarder-type activity. That’s for another time.

I’m talking about pantry shelves that are about to tip, freezers that cough out food every time you open the door and refrigerator tiers that are packed so deep, you can’t even remember what’s in there. Today is the day that I started the Great Kitchen Cleanse of 2012.

Asparagus gruyere tart

Savoury and deceptively simple.

I can’t even handle how delicious this is! A great, super quick appetizer or side dish, any occasion is perfect for this savoury snack.

Martha Stewart (or her team) has knocked it out of the park again. There are few things in this life that taste so good, nor are they as simple as this: line after line of crisp, roasted asparagus imbedded into gooey gruyere, all atop buttery, flakey puff pastry. Try this immediately!

Quick Cinnamon Buns with Buttermilk Icing

Gloriously gooey—barely had time to snap a photo before inhaling these!

I have got to say, there’s been a real mishmash of exciting and bizarre things going on in my life lately. Feel free to apply that to any and every subject you can. What you really want to know is how it applies to food, right?

Meat. It means tons and tons of meat: pulled pork, roasted and barbecued chicken, beef roasts, and everything in between. I have started having daymares from it all. Something sweet had to come in … something comforting and decadent. Did someone say “cinnamon buns?”

Aloo Gobhi Stuffing

Comforting and complex flavours make this stuffing a hit.

Dressing, sides, stuffing—whatever you want to call it, this stuff isn’t meant for holiday dinners anymore!

Eating a bowl of stuffing might seem strange to some, but I like to think that those people just haven’t really lived. It’s the best part of every turkey dinner, and is always the first of the leftovers to disappear in my house.

Apple crisp

You know it’s coming: the endless waves of winter sweets. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, or just plain ol’ holiday spirit, undoubtedly yields tons of delicious food. Heck, you’ve probably already been on the dessert wagon since Hallowe’en.

Well, I thought I would kick things off lightly with a simple apple crisp. Nothing too sweet or heavy, just homemade comfort food done in no time.

Pasta with shrimp scampi

What a crazy week! Days filled with overtime and errands, gatherings and cleaning binges—by week’s end, I could scarcely find the energy to cook. But then I remembered my old standby: pasta with shrimp scampi.

You may want to keep this one up your sleeve for those nights when you are too exhausted and broke to make anything except boxed macaroni and cheese.

Chocolate Zucchini bread

Have you seen a more perfect loaf?

Yep. Zucchini again. But this time with chocolate—and you can’t argue with that! After my August fritter mayhem, I ended up with a couple extra zucchini lying around. The answer? Riffing on boring, old zucchini bread by making it attractive, moist, and deceptively healthier than other recipes I have come across. Best of all, it’s as easy and budget-friendly as anyone could ask for.