The Meaning of Comfort Food... Right Here

If you're looking for a guilt-free dessert, you won't find it here. But this all-natural homemade treat is something that I consider more than deserving of a place at a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table.

BRAD' S PUMPKIN-SPICED GINGERBREAD

BREAD: 1 1/4 cups brown sugar; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1/2 cup water; 2 eggs; 1/2 can pumpkin purée (NOT pie filling); tsp each of ginger, cloves, cinnamon and all spice; 1 3/4 cup unbleached white flour; tbsp Brandy; tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; pinch of salt
SPICED WHIP CREAM: 1/2 cup heavy 35% cream; 1/4 tsp vanilla; 1/4 cup fine sugar; tsp Brandy; 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and all spice.

Preheat 350. In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Then beat wet ingredients with a whisk and fold to combine with dry. Pour into a greased and floured bread pan and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
While you're waiting, whip the cream on high speed, gradually adding sugar and add vanilla, Brandy and spices at the last few seconds, until stiff peaks form.

Tip bread out of the pan and let the bread cool for about 10 minutes. Slice and top with whip cream.

Did I Say Comfort Food?

Oh baby! I need a moment.... okay.

This is so good, and soooo easy.

BRAD'S LEFT-OVER CHICKEN DINNER POT PIE

2-3 cups left over root vegetables; 2-3 cups left over chicken, cubed; package of puff pastry or pre-made pie crust; melted butter; can cream of chicken soup (undiluted) or a cup of left-over gravy; 1/3 cup milk; few handfuls green peas (fresh or frozen); fresh pepper; ground thyme

Roll out a pie crust dusting with flour (if using puff pastry; otherwise lay one pit shell in a pie plate) and put one shell in a greased and floured pie plate. Preheat 400 and bake for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Pour the filling in the pie and lay the second part over the top, squeezing it around the edges to mould to the bottom shell. Brush generously with butter. Poke a few holes in the top to let out steam. Bake for about 30 minutes. If the top of your crust is not brown and crispy, pop it to 475 for about 3 or 4 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

Guys Night - Habs Game!

Meaty, spicy, hearty - and goes great with beer... Canadian beer only!

BRAD'S SAUSAGE MEATBALL-BEAN STEW

1 lb ground spicy sausage; can chick peas; can kidney beans; can chopped tomatoes; thyme sprigs; 3-4 sliced garlic cloves; kosher salt and fresh pepper

Make meatballs out of the sausage (use breadcrumbs and egg if you wish, but it's not necessary) and pan fry in olive oil until nicely browned on all sides. Add the garlic and cook for a moment or two. Add beans and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer; cover partially and let simmer for about 12-15 minutes. Season to taste. Great with a medium or dark ale or beer or stout... and of course with crusty bread drizzled with olive oil and salt.

Classic Warmth for the Soul

Now this is my supreme comfort food... not to mention a great way to use that gorgeous homemade stock (see below).

BRAD'S PEA SOUP

4-5 cups chicken stock; 2 large new potatoes cubed; 2 parsnips chopped; 2-3 carrots chopped; about 3 cups split dry green peas; 1/2 - 3/4 lb grilling ham or left over glazed ham; kosher salt; fresh pepper; thyme sprigs; bay leaf.

This recipe takes the same base as the chicken stock and then ramps it up to a new level. This will turn out best if you soak the peas. Cover them completely in water, preferably before you leave in the morning - they'll be perfect when you get home.

Boil all the ingredients except the peas and ham in the broth (add water if necessary) for about 10 minutes and then add the peas. Simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and thyme. Purée in batches (about 3-4 ladles per batch for about 20-30 seconds medium speed). Return soup to the pot and add the ham and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season to taste.

Goes great with a Pinot Grigio and some toasted baguette drizzled with olive oil and kosher salt.

Using Every Scrap

Don't throw away those bones! When it comes to soup, there's nothing on earth better than your own stock. Quite simply, make a habit of keeping the bones from a chicken (or any other bird). That includes the legs and wings. You've never tasted stock until you've tasted your own. This is the simplest thing in the world, and best of all, not only does it taste better than store-bought, but you also get to control what goes in it - especially the sodium.

BRAD'S CLASSIC CHICKEN (POULTRY) STOCK

Chicken carcas and bones; 2-3 large carrots roughly chopped; 2 celery stocks roughly chopped; 1/2 large onion quartered; one parsnip roughly chopped; 8-10 whole peppercorns; 1-2 bay leaves; 5-6 thyme sprigs; water

Combine the carcas and bones in a large pot with the vegetables and cover with water. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for about 3 hours. Let cool. Strain and discard the solid material. Store to make soups - refrigerate for 3 or 4 days or freeze for a few months.

The Other Side of Pizza

This is where the pizza experience gets intense. See my earlier entry on my feelings about the greatness of homemade pizza. I like to think of a dough as a canvas - go nuts. This is an experiment that received an incredible reception.

BRAD'S CHICKEN-MUSHROOM-ARTICHOKE PIZZA

DOUGH: 1 3/4 cups flour; 2 tsp quick yeast; dashes of sugar, kosher salt and garlic powder; 1/3 cup water; 1/4 cup milk; 2 tbsp olive oil

TOPPINGS: white parts of 1/3 bunch of scallions; olive oil; 10-12 mushrooms sliced; 2 sliced garlic cloves; sliced cooked chicken breast; can of artichoke hearts (drained) chopped; 1/4 cup Parmesan; kosher salt and fresh pepper; thyme sprigs

For the dough, combine dry ingredients, and then warm the wet ingredients in a cup in the microwave til luke warm (about 40 seconds), then add to the dry. Stir and then knead for about 5 minutes. Cover and let stand for about 20 minutes. Knead again for a minute and flatten onto a pizza sheet or stone and cover again for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the scallions and mushrooms in oil for a minute or two and then add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Remove from heat. Once the dough is ready (should be nicely risen), pre-heat the oven 450; brush the dough with olive oil and arrange the chicken and the sautéed mixture on top and then arrange the artichoke hearts and sprinkle with Parmesan. Drizze with a bit more oil and bake for about 12-15 minutes.

Classic Rustic Italian Supreme

The best Italian dishes are those made with love and simplicity. This is a 30-minute weeknight favourite of mine that's so incredible I crave it frequently.

CLASSIC WHITE WINE CHICKEN FETTUCCINE

Tbsp butter; 2 chicken breasts (bl, sl) cut in half length-wise; 1 thinly sliced carrot; 9-10 sliced mushrooms; 1/3 cup chicken broth; 1/3 cup white wine; fettuccine

As they say, cook with the wine you would actually drink. Good advice. My favourite for this dish is definitely Jackson-Triggs Pinot Grigio - smooth, buttery, sweet and perfect for chicken pasta.

Melt the butter with a splash of olive oil until hot and cook the chicken (soft-side down) for about five minutes, then flip it and add the rest of the ingredients (meanwhile, boil fettuccine). Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve over fettuccine and garnish with dried parsley and fresh black pepper.

Move Over, Quaker!

If these aren't the best granola bars you've ever tasted, I'll eat the Tupperware container you've stored them in!

This is so easy you'll never buy store-bought granola bars again. I've experimented with this a bit over the past few months and have finally found the best combination of what I love most. But the nice thing about granola is that it's all you. There are some basics in terms of texture, but generally, it's how you like it. Here's mine.

BRAD'S PEANUT BUTTER-BANANA-ALMOND GRANOLA BARS

2 cups rolled oats; 1 cup whole almonds; big handful unsweetened coconut; 1/2 cup raisins; 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds; 1 cup peanut butter; 1/2 cup brown sugar; whole ripe banana mashed; 1/2 tbsp vanilla; tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp nutmeg; big pinch of salt; one egg

Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper and preheat 350. Toss the oats, almonds, coconut, raisins, and pumpkin seeds together in a bowl. In a pot over medium-low heat, stir PB, brown sugar banana, cinnamon and nutmeg until melted and smooth. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and mix in with the egg. Pour into the pan and press it down to make it even and bake for about 30 minutes. Let it cool completely and then refrigerate it for at least a few hours before cutting it into bars (lift out of the pan before cutting using the parchment paper).

20 Minutes and Very Little Effort Can Get You This

If you like to eat well on weeknights like I do, make friends with shellfish and canned tomatoes. Shrimp, for example, only takes about 5-6 minutes to cook from raw, or 2-3 minutes to heat when pre-cooked, frozen and thawed. One key thing about frozen seafood (and pretty much all meat) is the thawing process. When you look at a package and it says "For best results thaw in the refrigerator overnight" they ain't kidding. When meat, especially fish, is frozen, small ice particles form between the meat fibres. If exposed to room temperature, or worse still, the defrost feature on your microwave the ice particles burst quickly, tearing the meat fibres, and thus making the meat tough. So when it comes to thawing, I always advocate following package directions.

The great thing about canned tomatoes, other than the fact that you don't have to worry about them rotting up your counter, is that they're picked and canned when they're ripe, thus when they have the highest nutrition content from the soil, unlike fresh tomatoes, which are picked with they're still green and left to ripen via oxygen on the way to your grocer. Always good to have a few of these on-hand, of course accompanied by a few cans of tomato paste.

SPICY SHRIMP-TOMATO STEW

3 tbsp olive oil; 2 shallots chopped; 2 cloves garlic chopped; 1/2 red (or your favourite) Chile, ribs and seeds out and chopped; 1 bay leaf; 1 sprig thyme; 1 14oz can diced tomatoes; 1 tbsp tomato paste; two big handfuls cooked de-veined peel-off tail-off shrimp; 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock; S&P; dried basil; Parmesan

Heat olive oil to light smoke and add shallots and chile, sauté for a few seconds and add garlic. Just when you notice the garlic starting to brown, add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Then add the wine or chicken stock (or half and half) and toss in the bay leaf and thyme, bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. Season to taste and garnish with dried basil and Parmesan.

Fun and Not-so-Fancy

The crêpe can be the vehicle for anything tasty you want to whip up. It's perfect for sweet or savoury, takes no time at all and you always have these ingredients on-hand. With the exception of the maybe not-so-surprising chocolate ice cream, this is my favourite crêpe filling.

CREPE STUFFED WITH SHRIMP AND SPINACH

Crêpes: 2-3 egg whites; 1/3 cup flour; 1/2 cup milk

Filling: Tbsp butter; garlic clove minced; 2 chopped green onions; package of thawed frozen minced spinach (or about two cups of fresh packed spinach); 7-8 sliced white mushrooms; zest and juice of half a lemon; small handful of flour; 1 cup milk; 1/2 lb cooked shrimp (de-veined; peel and tail off); handful chopped cilantro; S&P

Whisk your egg whites until foamy and then beat in the flour and gradually beat in the milk. Heat a lightly-oiled pan to medium and add about 1/4 cup of the batter, swirling quickly to spread over the pan. Cook for about a minute or two until the bottom is lightly browned and then flip and brown on the other side. Set aside and keep warm. Repeat until you have all the crêpes you want, re-oiling the pan each time.

When you're ready, melt the butter with a splash of olive oil and toss in the green onion, spinach and mushrooms. Cook until onion starts to brown and then add the lemon zest and garlic. Quickly stir in the flour and immediately start adding the milk, stirring it in gradually. The mixture should become thick and creamy. Then add the shrimp, cilantro and lemon juice, season with S&P and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

For each crêpe, lay about 3 spoonfuls of filling and wrap (securing with a toothpick if needed) and top it off with the remaining filling.

Sunday Dinner on a weeknight

Who says you can't enjoy the greatness of Sunday dinner on a Tuesday night?

BRAD'S ONE-POT CORNISH HEN, ROOT VEGETABLE AND GRAVY DINNER

Cornish hen; one large chopped sweet potato; one medium chopped white potato; two large chopped carrots; two large chopped stalks of celery; 2 crushed cloves of garlic (just popped, not chopped) chicken broth; tbsp corn starch

In a small roasting plan, place all the vegetables on the bottom and lay the hen over the top. Season the works generously with coarse salt and fresh pepper. Cook 375 for about an hour and 15 minutes, adding a big splash of chicken stock about half way through.

Remove everything from the pot, and while the chicken is resting (10 minutes) place the liquid in a clear glass measuring cup and let sit for a minute to let the fat surface to the top and then skim off. Pour it back into the pan and add a bit more stock if needed and bring to a boil. Mix corn starch with a splash of water and add to the liquid, season to taste. Serve with the gravy over everything!

Can't go Wrong on a Classic

This is another fast and simple favourite of mine, which works both as a quick meal in a hurry, and equally well for entertaining.

CLASSIC SAUSAGE AND BELL PEPPERS

4-5 chopped hot Italian sausages; bell pepper chopped into 1/4 inch strips; 1/2 chopped red onion; 3 minced cloves garlic; coarse salt and fresh pepper; olive oil

Sausage is a tough one to find quality and great flavour. Let's face it, Maple Leaf and, chances are, your local grocer just don't cut it. I suggest going directly to a butcher and describing the way you like your sausage and they will tell you what you're looking for and cut you off some fresh links.

Heat the olive oil to a light smoke and start cooking the sausage, adding the onion after two or three minutes. (Meanwhile, prepare rice for the side, if using). Then add peppers and sauté over medium heat until sausages are cooked through and starting to char and peppers and onions are very soft and starting to char. Then add garlic and sauté about a minute or two. Season to taste and serve with Jasmine rice.

In a Hurry?

If you're in a mad-dash and need to have cooked and eaten in less than 20-30 minutes, here's one for which you might want to keep ingredients on-hand.

ANCHOVY-PARSLEY PASTA

150-200 grams of your favourite thin pasta (spaghetti or spaghettini); fresh pepper; olive oil; sliced clove of garlic; can of marinaded anchovies chopped; handful of fresh parsley chopped; Parmesean

Boil pasta in salted water (TIP: When boiling water, for speed, efficiency and less electricity use, run your tap water until hot and bring your water to a boil with the cover on; although cook your pasta with the cover off). Heat a big splash of olive oil in a large pan and then add the garlic, sauté for about 60 seconds and then add the anchovies and sauté for about 30 seconds. Drain the pasta, add it to the pan and toss with parsley and fresh pepper. Sprinkle each serving with a bit of olive oil and Parmesean... That was fast.

Side Comment

As an avid animal-lover and an advocate of humane animal treatment (and monthly donor to both the World Wildlife Fund and the World Society for the Protection of Animals), I can in all sincerity say that I'm absolutely appalled by the EU's decision to move towards banning the import of seal products.

As a meat-eater in a society of 98% meat-eaters, I understand where my food comes from and it's important for people to realise the steps to getting it to your grocer. Slaughter of an animal is at best a horrid and gruesomely unpleasant sight, but we eat meat and that's how meat is rendered. The regular meat market is comprised mainly of farm-raised livestock kept in tiny cages, unable to thrive in their natural way, pumped up with hormones, and living in their own filth and feces. The EU has no objection to such practices, and to boot, allows the production, promotion, and sale of veal (calf forced to sit stationary by short chain until slaughter) and foie gras (force-fed duck or goose to tenderise liver). Due to a lengthy and despicably corrupt campaign of lies and manipulation by the FFAW and PETA, the EU has caved in a grotesque display of hypocrisy.

The debate about whether seals in the annual seal hunt are killed in a humane way is a long and divisive one and one that will continue indefinitely. But there's no denying that seals are not killed in a way any less humanely than any other mass-produced farm animal. And add to that, they live in the wild until their death - as we advocate for free range, hormone-free animals... well, how much more free range and organic can you get?

There are humane ways to raise and slaughter livestock and the EU has done nothing to push regulation on that front. I'm sure the fact that most of these animals aren't cute and cuddly looking, and the fact that so many Europeans don't want to give up their foie gras and veal (as opposed to seal, which is not quite as wide spread a choice of meat there) doesn't really help their cause for humane treatment.

So I would say this - It's a hypocritical and ultimately unfair choice to advocate protecting seals from inhumane killing, and at the same time not objecting to the treatment of other animals via an equally aggressive economic boycott campaign, and we're certainly not seeing that. My advice - buy organic, free range when possible and inform people on the issue. No one wants to see an animal unnecessarily harmed before it becomes meat, but numerous studies have shown that there's little more that could be done to kill seals in a more humane way and there's no more suffering on the ice than on the killing floor of the slaughter house.

A Taste of India on the Grill

Indian has to be by far my favourite type of international flavour. This one's super-easy and delicious and satisfies both the cravings for firing up the grill and getting your fix of Indian-inspired cuisine.

BRAD'S BBQ CHICKEN TIKKA

2 chicken breasts (bls, sls); 1/2 cup plain yogurt (8-10%); 2 tbsp tikka masala; 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro; minced garlic clove; juice of a lime

When I said easy I meant it. Stir the yogurt with the tikka masala, cilantro, garlic and lime and coat the chicken, cover and marinade in the fridge for about an hour or two.

TIP: When buying yogurt for cooking, or even for regular snacking for that matter, don't be too worried about reaching for lower fat content. The benefits of eating yogurt are at their best when you eat real yogurt that's gone through natural processes and there's no reason your yogurt should contain anything you can't pronouce. My advice - stay away from any yogurt that's less than 2.5% as these have a lot that you don't want in your body - you'd be better off with the extra fat... not to mention low-fat yogurt is horrid tasting.

Prep and oil grill and bbq about 6-8 minutes in each side until chicken is 170-175. Let rest and serve with naan bread and salad. Salad in the pic above is raw cucumber and cooked asparagus in a simple yogurt-cilantro-mint-lime dressing.

Creamy and Delectable

When you're in the mood for a savoury treat, risotto makes the best base for pretty much anything you can think of. I would bet that most often the best bet is a shellfish of some sort; mainly scallops and/or shrimp. While rich in protein, a meal like this is certainly heavy on the calories and fat, but hey, you have to treat yourself... you can't be good all the time.

BRAD'S CREAMY RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP

1 cup Aroborrio rice; 2 3/4 cups hot chicken stock; 1 cup wild mushrooms quartered; 1/2 finely chopped red onion; 2 cloves minced garlic; 300-400 grams of medium uncooked shrimp (deveined, peeled, tail off); coarse salt and fresh pepper; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; olive oil; Parmesean; white wine

The two keys to a good risotto are patience (i.e., not walking away from the pan), and hot stock.

Bring the chicken stock to a steam in a sauce pan next to a large grill pan or wok. Melt butter in the pan with a small splash of olive oil (just until light smoke) and then sauté the onion until very soft, seasoning with a bit of salt. Add the rice and stir to cover in oil (add a little more if necessary) and then add a large laddle of the stock. With a wooden spoon, stir constantly. Stir until stock reduces and then add another large laddle and repeat until stock is almost used up and rice is tender (TIP: if rice is still firm, finish the process off using hot water so it doesn't become too salty from too much stock). Add mushrooms, garlic, shrimp and a splash of white wine, and continue stirring while adding liquid until shrimp are cooked and liquid is absorbed. The risotto should have the texture of molten lava - if it's stands like oatmeal, add more liquid and stir. At the end, add a large handful of Parmesean cheese and some fresh pepper. Serve immediately.

Bâton Rouge Doesn't Come Close

Smoking meat with woodchips is one of the best things you can do in summer. When it comes to pork, the bbq smoker is its best friend because it intensely flavours the meat and makes it super-tender and delicious.

BRAD'S HICKORY-SMOKED BACK RIBS

Full Rack pork back ribs; dry rub; olive oil; juice of two lemons; S&P; bbq sauce; hickory wood chips

First thing's first - the dry rub. You can pick this up in any supermarket, but like everything, I recommend taking the time to make your own. Make a big jar of it and it's good for about a year. This is all a matter of personal taste, but your basics are chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, coarse salt, black pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano, and ground bay leaf. Find the right combination and experiment. If you like the sweeter rubs, use brown sugar too.

Part two - the ribs. What's important here is to get the best cut possible, because a lousy cut is always going to result in a not-so-good bbq. By far your best choice here is a smooth uniform rack of pork back. Side ribs are good for kettle-cooked ribs but just don't cut it for smoking.
The trickiest part is before marinading, you need to strip off the membrane underlay of the ribs, otherwise they won't cook properly and will be difficult to eat. You can get a butcher to do this, but most often you're buying these pre-packaged, so here's a super-simple way to handle it. Lay the ribs meat-side down and take a sharp pointed metal object like a temperature gage or a metal skewer and slide it under the membrane of the first rib farthest to the left. Then lift it up until it tears and you have a little piece of membrane to grip onto. Here's the important part - don't attempt to pull it off with your hand or cut it off with a knife - it won't work. Take a dry cloth and grip the membrane and then slowly pull it to the right all the way down the ribs - it should all come off in one go... if you miss a bit repeat with those areas. After a bit of practice this becomes no chore at all. At this point it takes me about 20 seconds.

You can marinade ribs many ways. The most basic is simply to pour in the juice of two lemons and about and equal amount of olive oil, season and rub it all into the meat. You can also go the apple cider route. Cover and refrigerate an hour or two. Once that's sat a while, then rub on your dry rub and cover and marinade again for another hour.

Meanwhile, Part 3 - the smoker. You can pick up a bag of wood chips at any grocery store in the bbq section, or at any department store. For a rack of ribs you'll need two or three smoke pouches. For this, simply soak three big handfuls of chips in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes. To make the smoker pouch, take a sheet of foil (about 12 X 15"), place a handful of soaked chips in the middle, take the two long ends up over the chips and fold them over twice, then do the same with the short ends to make a pouch. Poke 5-6 holes in the top and one underneath.

When you're ready to start the cooking, preheat one side of the bbq on high (the side closest to the tank) with one smoker pouch directly over the flame. Let it heat cover-down for about 10 or 15 minutes or until smoke starts coming out of the pouch, then place the ribs on the cool side. Turn the heat down to medium. If you have a surface thermometer, the rib side should be no more than 275-300 on the surface. Add another smoker pouch about every 45 minutes to an hour (you'll need to jump the flame on high each time to get it to smoke, then reduce heat).

Part 4 - The Sauce. Again, personal taste is all that really counts here, and to be honest, a store-bought high-quality sauce like Bulls Eye tends to do the trick. For this, a hickory flavour is your best bet. I have made my own bbq sauces and they're good too. Your basics here are ketchup, tomato paste, chili powder, brown sugar and spices. But if you're going that route, I recommend googling a recipe and see what strikes your fancy.

About 20-30 minutes before you're going to serve, brush on the sauce.

Once you take them off, cover with foil and let rest for at least 10-15 minutes.

Pic above, served with grilled eggplant and zucchini.

Hot, Spicy, Quick Italian Meal

A fantastic Italian meal in 25 minutes - from prep to plate.

SPICY SAUSAGE PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS

For 4

10-12 oz spicy Italian sausage; olive oil; tbsp butter; 2 chopped garlic cloves; Frank's Red Hot; sesame oil; 2-3 dashes red pepper flakes; 1/2 bunch asparagus cut in one-inch pieces; 1/3 chopped red pepper; coarse salt and fresh pepper; Parmesan cheese; penne or other short pasta

Prep pasta for boiling and brown sausages on all sides, drain grease - set aside sausage. Add a splash of olive oil and the butter to the pan and add asparagus and peppers. Cook for about 6-7 minutes then add 5-6 dashes of Frank's, 2 dashes sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Put the sausages back in the pan and add garlic. Cook another 4-5 minutes seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with hot pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Colourful, Quick Summer Salad

If you're like me, sometimes on a hot day a hot side dish of rice or potato just doesn't work.

This is quick, easy and delicious and allows you to focus your energy on what's important - the main.

When it comes to salad it's really important to learn to make it not just for the sake of having your vegetables - you should really enjoy it. This starts with making your own dressing, which actually usually only takes two or three minutes - about the same amount of time it takes to peel the sticky label off a bottle of the fatty, overly-salted, chemically-preserved, nasty store-bought goup.

For a basic salad like the one above, you're looking at just a few essentials - things you likely have on hand anyhow.

STRAWBERRY-MANGO SUMMER SALAD

Dressing: Juice and rind of a large (or two small) lemon; olive oil (a little more than the amount of lemon juice); three or four big pinches coarse salt; five or six turns fresh black pepper; 1/2 tbsp sugar

Salad: Green-leaf lettuce (your favourite); a chopped mango; 10-15 sliced fresh strawberries; 5-6 sliced button mushrooms; half of a chopped bell pepper (red, yellow or orange)

Combine dressing ingredients. Tip - Lemon rind actually contains more lemon flavour than the juice itself, so this really gives an awesome kick to your dressing. After you zest off the rind, to get all the juice out of your lemon, roll it with your weight on it on a flat surface, then cut it in half and sqeeze (using the zester or your hand to catch the seeds). Use a hand juicer or a big wooden spoon to get the last of the juice out. Whisk all the ingredients and set aside.

A lot of people seem to have trouble with mango but once you get the hang of it it's quite easy. Peel the entire mango first with a vegetable peeler. Stand it vertically and then cut thin chunks downward all the way around until you find the flat husk. Then cut the flesh on the sides parallel to the husk. Toss all the ingredients together and add the dressing just before serving.

Oh Baby!

This has to be my favourite meal of all time. And I'm ready to share it!

No premable here, it needs no explanation.

BRAD'S BBQ BEER CAN CHICKEN (WITH SWEET-WHITE POTATO MASH & ASPARAGUS)

Whole fresh chicken; can of beer or ginger ale (half full); 2/3 cup of your favourite BBQ sauce; 5-10 big splashes of Frank's Red Hot; DRY RUB: two large palmfuls Clubhouse Montreal Chicken Spice; small palmful coarse salt; small palmful fresh cracked pepper; big dashes cayenne pepper; small palmful dried thyme leaves

Prep BBQ and preheat at 400. VERY IMPORTANT! If you don't have a metal apparatus specially made for this make sure you place a metal bowl beneath the grate where the chicken is going to sit to catch grease - otherwise you'll have a frightful mess and a scoarched chicken... the apparatus, however, is a wise investment, only costs about $5-10 and is available everywhere.

Mix the dry rub ingredients together and place the chicken on the apparatus, metal guards in the cavity (or directly over the beer can into the cavity if you don't have one). Rub with the dry spice covering every bit of the skin completely (make sure you get under the wings and in every crevas). Place on the BBQ, cover down for about an hour, checking frequently. Mix the sauce ingredients together and brush over the chicken. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so or until the chicken is 165-170 at the breast and 170-175 at the thigh. Let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting into it... I assure you it will be the juiciest, tastiest, most tender chicken you've ever had.

SWEET-WHITE POTATO MASH

(For 3-4) 2 sweet potatoes; 3-4 medium white potatoes; 2 tbsp butter; big dash coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper; small splash milk

Peel and cube potatoes, and steam in a steam pot until very soft. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes and then place in a food processor with butter, salt, pepper and milk and blend on low until puréed. If you don't have a food processor, just do this with a masher.

If you're into the asparagus, marinade in olive oil, coarse salt and pepper for about 10-20 minutes and then roast in the oven at 425 for about 10-12 minutes, turning frequently. Then drizzle with a bit of lemon juice before serving.

Ah, summertime eats!

You Want Some of This?!

Who doesn't love chicken wings? Seriously.

Let's face it, the wing is the tastiest part of the chicken meat and cooked at high heat and tossed with the right kind of sticky-spicy sauce, they're the ultimate crowd-pleaser. The kicker though is that traditional style is deep fried. But what if you're trying to avoid deep fried foods, or simply don't have a deep fryer? Well, I've learned a few tricks that can mimic the deep frying texture, and you would never know the difference. I've also perfected this with french fries, but more on that in another post.

Traditional restaurant-style wings are so delicious because they're tossed in a basic dry mix (usually some variation of flour, salt, cornmeal, cornflake crumbs, etc.), deep fried and then the second they come out of the oil, tossed in a sauce and voila. Here's Brad's way:

BRAD'S ULTIMATE BBQ CHICKEN WINGS

(16-20) Split wings or drummets; SAUCE: 3/4 cup chicken & rib BBQ sauce; 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot; big splash ketchup; big dashes of chile powder, cayenne pepper and coarse salt; BATTER: 1/2 cup flour; 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs; salt; oil

Mix the batter ingredients (except the oil) in a bowl. Pour big splashes of oil over the wings. Prepare a baking dish, preheat 400, and toss the wings in the batter (about 4 at a time) and layer on the dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients together, prepare your side if you're making one, and prep the BBQ and preheat 400. Oil the grill. Brush wings all over with the sauce and BBQ turning every 4-5 minutes for about 15-18 minutes. Check the largest wing to make sure there's no pink at the bone.

So decadent, so delicious. Great with a salad. Salad in the pic above is orange bell pepper, romaine, cremini mushroom, feta with a basic lemon (zest and juice), olive oil, S&P dressing.

Warmth for the Heart on a Rainy Day

Until last year I was never really a soup person. But then I discovered the purée method to soup making and it's now on the menu every week. This is also a great way to make creamed soups without actually using cream, thus cutting your heart a break it will certainly thank you for. The secret is root vegetables. Potato, carrot, and parsnip make for the best textures; whatever else you add will create the flavours. This is a winter/spring medley I've developed a particular fondness for.

POTATO-LEAK SOUP

2 tbsp butter; small chopped red onion; large chopped leak; 3 cubed white potatoes; S&P; 4-5 cups chicken stock; 2-3 bay leaves; 5-6 sprigs of thyme; juice of half a lemon

The easiest recipes in the world are soups and they're also the most forgiving, so this is really your moment to experiment. Sauté the red onion and stock in butter (with a splash of olive oil) until soft, add potatoes. Season and stir. Add chicken stock and lay bay leaves and thyme on the top. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer; cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft. Have a large heat-safe bowl on-hand. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves. In batches of about three ladles at a time, puree the soup in a blender for about 20-25 seconds per batch at medium speed and pour into the bowl. Once all the soup is puréed, return to the pot and add lemon juice and some dried or fresh cilantro to garnish.

Top o' the Morning Part 2

Here's the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch - bright, beautiful, and perfect for summer.

CREPE BOWLS WITH FRESH FRUIT, YOGURT AND MAPLE SYRUP

For 4-5 crepe bowls: 1 1/2 cups flour; pinch salt; 2 egg whites; 3/4 cup milk; 2/3 cup orange juice; plain yogurt (at least 8%... or crème frais if you're feeling naughty); pure maple syrup; fresh seasonal berries (your favourite) (about 1/2 cup per bowl); Ramikins or small oven-safe bowls

As you probably know, a crepe is nothing more than a thin, non-rising pancake used as a base for something sweet or savoury. They're easy to wrap but they're so much more fun this way.

To make the crepes, sift together the flour and salt and then pour in the milk, juice and egg whites. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. Using a measuring cup, on a small-medium lighly-oiled pan pour just enough batter to cover most of the bottom and then swirl to cover the pan evenly. Cook for a minute or two and then flip. Set aside and repeat until you've made all the crepes you want.

Preheat 400. Using a large baking sheet, invert ramikins or small oven-safe bowls and drape the crepes over them, tucking them to the edges as much as possible. Bake off for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour a small splash of orange juice in a sauce pan on medium and blanch the fresh berries for 2-3 minutes (unless you prefer just to use the fresh berries as they are, then don't bother).

Once the crepe bowls have cooled, peel them off and lay them right-side up. Scoop about 1/2 cup of berries in each (straining off juice if you've blanched them). Dollop with big spoonfulls of the yogurt and top with maple syrup (sliced or slivered almonds add a nice touch too).

Really fantastic along side breakfast sausages.

Top o the Morning!

Until recently I never really understood the whole "poached eggs" thing... probably because I never had them the right way. As an old fan of eggs fried in residual bacon grease, this was indeed an experiment. But I've never gone back because done right, these eggs have more flavour than frying them in bacon ever could.

BRAD'S CIDER-POACHED EGGS WITH PEROGIES, ONION AND BACON

In case you're wondering, no, I don't go through the trouble of making my own perogies from scratch... yet ;) Frozen is fine for now.

The best way for me is to chop a few strips of bacon and fry it up with half an onion. Then drain the pan and fry the perogies.

For poached eggs, it's a little more tricky. Crack the eggs into small bowls first to make sure the yolks aren't broken (and there's nothing wrong with the egg) and so that they can go in the water at exactly the same time. Into each small bowl, pour in a splash of cider vinegar. Bring a small pot of water to a gentle boil and pour in a splash of cider vinegar there too. Gently drop in the eggs (the rim of the bowl or ramikin should touch the water to prevent the yolks from breaking); cover and reduce the heat to minimum.

At this point you want everything else to be ready to go, including your favourite buttered toast because there's only a 20 second margin between the perfect poached eggs and hard yolks which are flavourless and rubbery. Using a slotted spoon, every minute or so lift one of the eggs out and carefully nudge the yolk with your finger or a spoon. As soon as it's slightly firm but elastic take it out and let it sit for a moment to dry, then lay on the toast with a sprinkle of coarse salt and fresh pepper. The whites should be firm and the yolk should be thick creamy-runny.

...the perfect Sunday brunch.

The Best Pizza you'll Ever Have

The pizza has become another one of those "fast" foods taken for granted and stagnated into a "same-old-same-old" of high-sodium, cheap pepperoni, excessive cheese, doughy glop. But like many Friday night favourites, this can be whatever you want it to be and is far more fun to make than waiting 45 minutes for the delivery guy and shelling out $20. Once you've picked your style of dough and sauce and made them work, the best toppings are whatever you like most. For me, I like to play with textures and spices... never shy away from the unconventional. This has become a signature favourite of everyone's who's ever had it.

BRAD'S CHICKEN-PESTO PIZZA

DOUGH: 2 cups flour; 2 tsp yeast; big dashes of sugar, salt, dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic powder; 1/3 cup warm water; 1/4 cup warm milk; 2 tbsp olive oil

SAUCE: Half can diced tomato; half can tomato paste; 2 cloves chopped garlic; 1/2 chopped red onion; big handful dried oregano; small handful dried basil; coarse salt and pepper

TOPPINGS: It's all you here, but I go for 1 bell pepper; 6-7 mushrooms; 1 large or two small chicken breasts or cup of leftover chicken; 1/4 cup pesto; bocconcini cheese (pearls); Parmesan cheese

When it comes to pizza dough there seems to be a split of people of like thick and chewy and people who like thin and crispy. I fall into the latter. But the difference is only slight. A thin crispy dough simply takes a little more liquid/less flour and a little less time rising on the pan.

For the crust, combine the dry ingredients then add the wet. Kneed into a ball and cover 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté your toppings and cook chicken (if using) (TIP: if you're cooking chicken to go on pizza, only cook it to about 155; it will continue to cook when you bake the pizza, and thus overcook if it's already cooked through, drying it out).

For the sauce, puree the tomatoes. Sauté the onions in a saucepan until soft, then stir in the pureed tomatoes, paste, and seasonings. Then add the garlic. Keep on a low simmer until ready to top.

Flatten the pizza crust onto a pizza pan (if you have a pizza stone, even better - use cornmeal), cover 30 minutes.

Preheat 475. Top with sauce and toppings. Then dollop pesto and sprinkle cheeses. Bake 10-12 minutes.

No More Over-Priced Store-Bought Bread

To all those who say making your own bread is too much work, I say nonsense... and the breadmaker is highly over-rated. This can be easily done on a weekday and requires very little effort and allows you to be as creative as you like. When it comes to grain breads this is really your chance to make it the way you want, so go nuts.

BRAD'S MULTIGRAIN BREAD

2 cups white flour; 2 cups whole wheat flour; 1 cup grain mix/muesli; 1/2 tsp yeast; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup warm milk; 1 1/4 cups warm water; 1 beatten egg

The premise is simple. Get the flour/yeast/liquid proportions right, and then it's yours to experiment. Simply sift the flours into a large bowl and add the yeast, salt and grain mix. For this it's really about finding your favourite mix. Mine is a muesli mix with a lot of grains and seeds and I add rolled oats, raisins or dried cranberries.

Add the liquid ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a well-incorporated dough ball (no need to kneed). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it for about 10-12 hours. (Perfect for overnight on a weekend or during the workday to finish when you get home.)

Toss in a big handful of flour and pull out onto a cutting board (flour any sticky parts) and roll it into the shape of your loaf pan. If you don't have a loaf pan just roll it onto a baking sheet in the shape you want. Cover it again and leave it for another hour or two.

Preheat 375. Remove plastic and sprinkle the top with oats (or whatever else you like) and bake for about 40-45 minutes. Toasted with peanut butter and honey gives you the best pick-me-up in the morning.

Weeknight Decadence

The bacon rasher has to be one of the most versatile ingredients for flavour and body, and is especially great in pea soups (I'll post that one later). But this little experiment to have it as the protein in a pasta dish was a fantastic choice. Quick, simple, delicious.

BACON, MUSHROOM, PEAS - LINGUINI

2-3 large bacon rashers; 1/2 red onion chopped; 4oz mushrooms chopped; 2 servings linguini; handful chopped fresh parsley; 1/2 cup peas; 3/4 cup evaporated milk; dash cornstarch; big handful Parmesan cheese

Boil salted water and add linguini. Trim and chop the rashers and sauté in a hot pan 5 minutes and then add the onion and cook until soft and lightly browned. Add mushrooms and sauté another 4-5 minutes.

Add to the bacon mix the parsley, peas and evaporated milk. Mix the cornstarch in a small splash of water and then add that to the mix to thicken. Season.

Splash some olive oil over the cooked linguini before serving. Serve the sauce over the linguini and top with Parmesan.

No More Abused and Dried-Out Chicken Breasts

The chicken breast has to be one of the most abused cuts of meat. All too often it's expected to stand on its own, roasted to a stringy rubber with a sloppy attempt to moisten it with a goupy sauce... shame. Personally I'm an advocate of bone-in, skin-on. Let's face it, when it comes to chicken, that's where the flavour is, but there are exceptions. Pasta is obviously one, but done just the right way, the boneless-skinless chicken breast can be a flavourful, tender treat. Quite simply the trick (and the same goes for beef) is to sear and then bake off. The other trick is to be extra careful not to overcook. This kind of chicken works best with a medium-high temperature - around 350-400. When there's no bone you only have to cook it to absolutely no higher than 170 - then take it out and let it sit for 5 minutes - it will reach 180 left at room temperature and will be super-tender.

The one in the picture above is one of my favourite concoctions.

SPINACH, SWISS, PROSCIUTTO - STUFFED CHICKEN

Two chicken breasts (bl, sk); coarse salt and fresh pepper; palm-full of flour; two slices prosciutto; two small palm-fulls grated Swiss cheese; 1/2 cup fresh or frozen chopped spinach (squeeze moisture out if using frozen); tbsp flour; splash vegetable oil; 1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine; splash of milk or cream; 1/2 tbsp flour.

Preheat - 350. Cut a pocket in the chicken breasts and season the inside. Roll each slice of prosciutto in cheese and stuff in the pockets, and then stuff in the spinach. Season the outside. Roll in flour and sear on medium heat for about 60-90 seconds on each side and then place in the oven (8-9 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk chicken broth, 1/2 tbsp flour, and splash of milk or cream. While letting the chicken rest, reheat the pan and pour in the mixture, stirring - it will quickly turn in to a thick cream sauce. Season and pour over chicken. Serve with salad.

If you're interested in the salad in the pic above, it's a roasted bell pepper, feta, sundried tomato salad with cucumber and a balsamic-lemon vinaigrette.