Linguine with Blue Cheese, Beet Greens, and Hazelnuts

I love when I go searching for new recipes to use up a particular ingredient and I find one that features other things I already have on hand, and it turns out to be my new favourite dish. The flavours are simple  but bold in their own ways and the hazelnuts really pull it all together. Yum!

Herbed Pasta Salad

This year on Canada day my husband and I did what we've done for the last few years; watch a lamb roast on a spit for hours in our friends backyard, and then eventually eat it. I brought a few dishes of yummy summer outdoor food with us to share and this salad was one of the stars of the show (next to the lamb of course) and I've been craving it ever since.

Pasta with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Here it is. You're new favourite spring/summer meal. It takes barely any time to make and forever to forget. Truthfully I can't believe I've withheld this from you for so long.

I discovered Smitten Kitchen during the winter of 2008 and when spring rolled around and Deb revealed this winner of a dish I was officially head over heels. We've made this every spring and summer since then, experimenting along the way. 

Pretty much right off the bat we substituted dill for the tarragon, added bacon and have never looked back. Go make this. Right now.

Swiss Chard Soup

When making this soup I really had to fight the urge to add things to it and change it too much.
I kind of hate when I read reviews for recipes and the reviewer writes "Oh this soup was so great! I substituted the swiss chard for spinach, added carrots and mushrooms, omitted the anchovies, added onions, substituted the pasta with rice and I'll totally make this again." That's not even the same soup anymore! How is that review going to help anyone wanting to make this?!

But, today I almost felt like one of those reviewers. I just kept reading the ingredient list over and over as if the missing ingredients would suddenly appear.

"No onions??? Is there really just swiss chard, beans and pasta?? What is going to make this so good?" I thought to myself. 

I ended up making a few minor adjustments (some based on lack of ingredients, some based on personal preference) and was pretty happy with this soup.

Mac & Cheese with Squash

Now I know what you're thinking. Why would I ever go searching for another macaroni and cheese recipe when I've already found the best one ever? Well, for starters I wasn't searching...it just sort of fell in my lap. But I'm quite okay with having two wonderful mac & cheese dishes up my sleeve, especially when they are worlds apart from each other.


Unlike my all time favourite, this dish gets lots of its creaminess from butternut squash. I think the balance between the cheese and the squash is just perfect. It doesn't taste like it's desperately trying to be healthy, hiding vegetables between cheesy noodles. It tastes like the squash has just as much of a right to be there as the cheese. Like it's been there all along and you've never even noticed.

Macaroni and Cheese

Good ol' Martha never fails me.


The first time I made this, I was a bit perplexed by how much work I was putting into dinner (I was working two jobs and time was not on my side). However the results are oh so rewarding, and you'll find yourself craving this indulgent mac and cheese far too often.  We love pairing it with something green and healthy (to keep the guilt at bay) and a glass of red wine.