Ever wondered how to make a creamy pasta sauce without cream? There are lots of ways to cut calories in recipes, but here is a chicken and broccoli pasta recipe which uses chicken broth, broccoli, milk and a touch of flour to create a luscious sauce which is cream, butter and cheese free. I believe my husbands exact words were, “Really? But it tastes like it should be ridiculously bad for me!”

It may be just one bowl of food, but every part of the recipe you are layering in flavour and love and they will shower it right back at you. Plus, I see this appropriatley pink dish, pairing very well with a nice glass of champagne.

Starting from scratch (where scratch is one very much alive Dungeness crab), all the way to two bowls of a hearty crab risotto, takes a smidge over 2 hours. This is because you need to cook the crab, pick the meat from the shells and then make the crab stock before you can even start on the risotto. That said, once you have the crab and crab stock all ready to go the risotto takes less than 45 minutes so if you would like you can do this over two days. This risotto recipe was created from Dungeness crab, but that isn’t native to everywhere, I am sure it would work with other crabs as well.

Crab Risotto made from Homemade Crab Stock

This recipe was designed for Dungeness crab but should work for other kinds of crab as well. It was meant to go hand in hand with the crab risotto recipe. From one cooked crab you can make the stock, the risotto and even have some stock leftovers, perfect for saucing a pasta or forming the base of a bisque!

Wanna lose some of that holiday jiggle? I suggest big rice bowls packed full of whole grains, leafy greens and lean meats. This shrimp and black bean recipe has protein-packed quinoa along with spinach, tomatoes, avocado and peppers. To add fragrance and flavour I used the shrimp shells to make a quick stock which I folded into the quinoa.

Although, this black bean quinoa bowl is full of wholesome, real food, you may be looking to further reduce the calories and fat, if so try swapping the olive oil for a cooking spray. Don’t omit the avocado though, the warm avocado combined with the tomato and shrimp is worth every calorie.

Butter chicken is a divine and indulgent Indian curry made from tomatoes, spices and typically lots of cream. Classically butter chicken or murgh makhani is marinated overnight in yougourt and spices and then simmered in a buttery tomato mixture. This recipe I have adapted over the years to be easier, quicker and healthier – but still just as satisfying. Serve with basmati rice and hot naan bread.

A roast leg of lamb is perfectly suited to a cozy Sunday dinner with family. The smell of the caramelizing tomatoes and olives will waft through your house and help welcome guests to your home. Try serving this family style so everyone can help themselvse to slices of the roast lamb and spoonfuls of sauce. You can pair it with risotto or mashed potatoes but a cauliflower puree is nice and light and pairs with lamb beautifully.

I am not a fan of anything that falls into the barbecue chicken fad including pizza, burgers or pasta. The dishes tend to be cloyingly sweet, overly sauced or both. But last week I had this craving for that tangyness that only barbecue sauce can deliver and decided to create a barbecue chicken enchiladas recipe that was easy to make but wasn’t syrupy.

The chicken enchiladas were a big hit in my household and were very easy to make. Despite my snobbery against such things, I suspect I will make them again and as such, decided to share.

Making this meal at home is very easy and is a great candidate for a quick weeknight meal since it takes less than 30 minutes. The key to success is to find ground pork which isn’t super lean. As with any great burger or meatball fat is a key to juiciness. Unfortunately I don’t always have open flame available in my kitchen but even a stove top grill produces a delicious Bun Cha.

Haven’t had a chance to read about my travels in Vietnam, Hong Kong & Cambodia? Read all about it here:
Foodie Travel Diary Pt1: Hong Kong – Shiny Meats and Chicken’s Feet
Foodie Travel Diary Pt2: Vietnam – Noodle Soup for Breakfast
Foodie Travel Diary Pt3: Vietnam – A Country of Foodies
Foodie Travel Diary Pt4: Vietnam – How to Navigate Street Food

Do you ever cook for people with dietary restrictions? This recipe was developed to feed an allergy prone friend; it has no dairy, soy, corn, wheat, eggs, ginger, tomatoes or potatoes and is served on allergy friendly quinoa. After struggling over ideas I have a new respect for all those people with dietary restrictions and developing allergy-friendly recipes.

In the North of Vietnam I found a lot of dishes which were fragrant with the reedy scent of lemongrass. When we were in Halong Bay every meal was 6-7 courses of seafood, and every second course seemed to have lemongrass in it. I knew that on my return to Vancouver lemongrass would need to be a more regular staple in my pantry, here is the first – a grilled lemongrass steak recipe.

The marinade for this grilled flank steak is very much inspired by Bun Thit Noung, or Vietnamese grilled pork. However, usually with this recipe you use a strong and very sweet dark soy sauce to create a thick caramelization on the meat which I decided might over power the flavour of the steak.