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.