A few meal ideas...

This week-end has been a fun-filled one. We enjoyed the sites of Toronto, took in some dirt-track car racing and smashing, sat by the campfire, etc. And we were busy in the kitchen, too. Today I baked a loaf of bread, to pair with some fresh pasta for dinner. The boys and I picked about 2 dozen tomatoes (or more) and roasted them in the oven. We served this over fresh, home-made pasta. Such a great dinner! Last night we had individual filet mignons. We found a meat counter at the market that sells regular sized ones AND mini ones. It was fun to each have our own steak! We all had a different side-dish to go with our steak. I had a salad which tops my current go-to salad/lunch choices list. It's super easy to make - just the right combo of ingredients is what makes it so good. A shout out to my Mom for the idea! I had another salad for lunch, using up the leftover steak. I added some fresh applewood-smoked cheese from the market and it was delish! So today's "recipe" is a few different meal ideas. Take a trip to your local market and make mealtime fun. You are bound to find something new, unique, and certainly delicious! Enjoy!

*The first recipe is for pasta using a duck egg, instead of a chicken egg. It also differs from my original pasta recipe, in that it doesn't use oil.

Duck Egg Pasta

• 1 cup white flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large duck egg
• 1-3 tbsp water

1. Pour flour onto counter and make a well in the centre. Sprinkle with a little salt, then crack egg into well. Break the yolk with your finger and stir. Begin to combine the flour with the egg and knead to form a stiff dough. Add water as needed. You don't want your dough too moist, but certainly not dry.
2. Knead for about 5 minutes, then set dough aside to rest.
3. Roll out pasta to desired thickness, cut into strips, cook in boiling water until al dente (approx 3 minutes), top with homemade sauce, serve and ENJOY!


*This salad is really tasty! I always buy organic romaine hearts and slice them into about 1/2" strips, starting at the top of the heart down to about 2" from the bottom. I wash them, dry them, then store them in a ziplock bag in my crisper. That way I can have a salad anytime I want.

Feta and Rice Wine Salad

• Romaine hearts, washed and cut into bite-sized pcs
• 1-2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved or quatered
• 1-2 tbsp chopped bell pepper
• few splashes of seasoned rice wine vinegar

1. Place lettuce on large plate or in salad bowl. Top with feta, tomatoes and peppers, then splash a bit of seasoned rice wine vinegar on top. A little goes a long way. Serve and ENJOY!


*This salad is a great way to use up leftover steak meat. Since I used filet mignon, I got to enjoy the added bonus of bacon with my sald, too!

Steak Caesar Salad

• Romaine lettuce, washed and sliced
• Few dollops caesar salad dressing
• squirt fresh lemon juice
• fresh cracked pepper
• 2 tbsp diced applewood smoked cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced steak meat (cooked)

1. Assemble all ingredients on a plate and ENJOY!