Recipes

Grilling skewers of shrimp coated in pesto has become one of my most requested recipes. Shrimp and pesto go very well together as all the bright and fresh flavours of pesto perfectly compliments many kinds of seafood and especially shrimp. How to grill shrimp is super easy and while this recipe has the shrimp brushed with pesto, you could easily …

This week I was smoking 3 chickens in my Cookshack PG500. I had some room on the upper rack above the chickens and debated what to throw up there. I have a philosophy when smoking – if there is an empty rack, you need to fill it with something. I figure that if I am using the wood, I might …

Pork chops are quite the versatile cut of meat. They can be grilled, pan fried, baked, smoked, slow cooked, pressure cooked and more. Not only is there a wide range of cooking methods, but there are so many flavour combinations and profiles that work well with pork chops. In our house, we love to bake pork chops and often use …

Cold brew coffee is my new favourite summer drink. I first had it a few years ago when I found a bottle of cold brew in a grocery store. I had never heard of it then, but since then, it has really grown in popularity! Smooth in flavour, cold brew coffee has no bitterness, but natural hints of sweetness. For …

Cold pasta salad is one of those classic summer dishes and is perfect for a picnic or BBQ. I make a number of different types of pasta salads, but this California one is probably my favourite. California pasta salad is full of fresh vegetables with a wonderful crunch of goodness in every bite. Tomatoes, zucchini, red onions, black olives and …

Pork chops are one of the most common cuts of meat that I cook on the grill. That is easily one of my summer grilling staples. So so so tasty! Smoking pork chops is more of a rarity for me, usually opting for cuts of pork like the butt, ribs, or tenderloin. But, every time I do smoke pork chops, …

This dessert is one of those classic dishes from the 1980s. It seemed that at every church potluck, family gathering or other event, there was always at least one tray of no bake cherry cheesecake. One of my friend’s mom used to make it all the time and I swear that there was always a tray of it in the …

Marinara sauce is one of those versatile sauces that are great in so many recipes and also used as a foundation for many other types of sauces. Many times I purchase store-bought marinara sauce. I have found some brands of marinara sauce that are quite tasty and work well, especially if I am using is as a base for a …

Every time I make turkey meatballs I wonder why I don’t make them more often. Delicious, lean and a milder flavour, these turkey meatballs are a great alternative from their beef counterpart. In the same way that I prefer to cook my beef meatballs in the oven compared to frying them in a skillet, I do the same thing with …

I remember when I went to Philadelphia, one of my ‘must do’ things while we were there was to have a Philly cheesesteak. Sure, it wasn’t my first cheesesteak, but I wanted to try it right in the city where it became famous. I love cheesesteak sandwiches – tender steak that just falls apart, sautéed peppers and onions on a …