Category Archives: Really Yum Yum

Apricot Tart Squares | Baracslekvaros Racsos | EmmaEats

Apricot Tart Squares (Baracklekváros Rácsos)

May 2, 2013 by EmmaEats

I feel like a bad hostess these days. I’ve invited you in but haven’t been all here. To be honest, it’s felt like an insurmountable effort to write these days. A giant mountain to scale in order to get into the kitchen and be creative. And as each day gets filled with errands, pickups and drop-offs, chores, playdates and classes, it is all too easy to say “it’s been so busy”. But that’s hardly an excuse for having been so […]

Categories: Desserts, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Homemade, Kid-friendly, Mother's Day, nut-free, Recipes

Vegan Strawberry Scones

April 18, 2013 by EmmaEats

I’ve experienced a major shift in cooking and baking this year. It’s revolutionary from my family’s perspective — a family of accomplished bakers and cooks who have relied entirely on using butter and animal fats to concoct so many marvelous creations. Slowly, I’ve been expanding into unknown territory – using new techniques and new ingredients. Alternate flours, vegan margarine, cocoa nibs, chia seeds (apparently they are the seeds used in Chia Pets!) and coconut oil: they’ve all come into our kitchen […]

Categories: Brunch, Desserts, Really Yum Yum, Recipes, Super School Snacks, Vegan • Tags: baking, Baking and Confections, Biscuit, Brunch, coconut oil, Cooking, dairy-free, Dough, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, quick and easy, Recipes, scone, spring, strawberry, summer, Vanilla, Vegan, Whole wheat flour

Braided Easter Bread [Paszka] | EmmaEats

Braided Easter Bread, 2×2 ways

March 14, 2013 by EmmaEats

Food is more than just sustenance. It’s appreciation. It’s an exercise for your senses. It’s family. It’s tradition. Every Easter (and most Christmases), my Mother and prior to her, my Grandmother, made a golden sweet braided bread, similar to challah, baked in a large bowl to be shared during our celebratory feast. As a child, I didn’t really understand the meaning of the bread, only that I loved it and that it was a tradition of our family to share […]

Categories: Appetizers, Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: baking, Baking and Confections, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Christmas, Cinnamon, coconut oil, dairy-free, Dessert, desserts, Easter, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, Recipes

Buckwheat Crepes w Pancetta, Mushrooms and Spinach | EmmaEats

Buckwheat Crêpes with Bacon, Mushrooms and Spinach

March 7, 2013 by EmmaEats

Fashion. Wine. Food. The French are known for good taste and it reflects across so many aspects of life. We’ve travelled to France, both on our own and with Emma, and we all long to return. Whether it’s the lingering drives through the countryside, inviting wine cellars in Chablis, Beaune and Epernay, and the never-ending and storybook-like landmarks of Paris — we find ourselves smitten. One common thread wherever we travel in France is the incredible food. And access to this […]

Categories: Appetizers, Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: appetizers, bacon, Breakfast, Brunch, Cooking, Crêpe, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, France, gluten-free, Homemade, Kid-friendly, Lunch, nut-free, Recipes

Dairy-free Dark Chocolate, Apricot and Granola Muffins

[Dairy-Free] Dark Chocolate Granola Muffins with Honey and Apricots

February 28, 2013 by EmmaEats

It’s been a muffin-eating frenzy here lately. We don’t normally eat muffins very often. Many years ago, I had a failed attempt at making them (imagine mini boulders) and was scarred by the outcome. Now suddenly these little babies saunter into our kitchen and have been utterly irresistible to all members of our household. Emma even requested them for her snack day at school. Unbeknownst to her, these muffins are little fibre powerhouses. Between the whole wheat and spelt flours, […]

Categories: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Really Yum Yum, Recipes, Super School Snacks • Tags: Apricot, baking, Baking and Confections, Breakfast, Brunch, coconut oil, Cooking, dairy-free, Dried fruit, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Granola, Homemade, Honey, Kid-friendly, Muffin, Nigella Lawson, nut-free, quick and easy, Recipes, Whole wheat flour

Warm Moroccan Quinoa Salad

February 14, 2013 by EmmaEats

Another quinoa recipe? Oh, this must be good. And it is. Cozy and complex, not only is it delicious for the grownups, it’s a fantastic way to introduce Moroccan flavours to the kids. We stumbled upon this combination by accident — I was making the Mexican-style Quinoa and made way too much quinoa. The girls have been enjoying lots of dried fruits lately with our homemade granola and we happened to have Moroccan seasoning on hand from making this Chicken Tagine. Quinoa […]

Categories: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: Autumn Recipes, Brunch, dairy-free, Dried fruit, Fall recipes, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, quick and easy, quinoa, Recipes, Winter recipes

Mexican-Style Quinoa with Pulled Pork

February 7, 2013 by EmmaEats

Where did January go? And why does it seem that it felt like the end of winter and the beginning of spring? Because, you know, it’s not. We still have more than a month before spring is here. Since winter is still here (and we started to feel it again last weekend — so long balmy, rainy days, welcome back snow, wind and ice), we may as well make the best of it. Enjoy the Sunday afternoon skating, the marshmallows […]

Categories: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: Autumn Recipes, Brunch, Cooking, Fall recipes, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, Pulled Pork, quinoa, Recipes, Winter recipes

Trout Wellington

January 31, 2013 by EmmaEats

Chocolates, sweet tarts, and cinnamon hearts. Although two members of our household wouldn’t argue about sweets on Valentine’s Day, there is someone who would prefer something less sugary. Fear not, we will have sweet treats too but alas, chocolates, sweet tarts, and cinnamon hearts do not a dinner make, even if it is for Valentine’s Day. These personal-sized Trout Wellingtons look impressive, are simple to make, and once in the oven, are effortless. If you’re having your Valentine’s Day dinner at […]

Categories: Dinner, Lunch, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: Autumn Recipes, baking, Fall recipes, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, Puff pastry, quick and easy, Recipes, salmon, trout, Trout Wellington, Valentine, Valentine's Day, Winter recipes

Candy Cane Fudge

January 17, 2013 by EmmaEats

New Year’s resolutions are so overrated. This is the time of year where everyone feels the pressure to get fit, eat well and forego all extravagances after a month of indulgence. Many choose to go cold turkey – me, I prefer a more moderate approach. We eat more healthy foods, we work to get more active, we try to get more sleep and we still enjoy some treats. We’ve enjoyed a version of this fudge before – as Fudgey S’mores. […]

Categories: Desserts, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: Baking and Confections, Candy cane, Chocolate, Cooking, Dessert, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Gift-giving, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, quick and easy, Recipes

Macaroons, Ginger Spice Cake and Crispy Mint Chocolate Bark

Homemade for the Holidays – Coconut Macaroons and Crispy Mint Chocolate Bark

December 27, 2012 by EmmaEats

Here’s a little gift to you – from our house to yours. Hope you and your families are having a wonderful holiday filled with much love, health, happiness and joy! Coconut Snowballs adapted from Diamonds for Dessert: Frosty the Snowman (makes 24 1 1/2″ snowballs) 3 1/4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut 3/4 cup vanilla sugar pinch of ground kosher salt 3 egg whites (from large eggs) 1 tsp pure vanilla extract a few squares of dark chocolate Line a baking sheet […]

Categories: Desserts, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: Baking and Confections, Candy cane, Chocolate, Christmas, Cooking, dairy-free, Dessert, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, quick and easy, Recipes, Rice Krispies

Family-friendly Christmas Fruitcake

December 20, 2012 by EmmaEats

Fruitcake snob = me. For the first 30+ years of my life, I did not like fruitcake. The thought of aged cake with glaceed fruits and almond paste that could be a year old or more was unfathomable. I was blissfully living a fruitcake-free existence when I realized that G loves it. I had no choice but to find a way to make this traditional cake palatable. Fruitcake has now become a family favourite. This was even our wedding cake. […]

Categories: Desserts, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: Autumn Recipes, baking, Baking and Confections, Christmas, Christmas cake, Dessert, Dried fruit, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Fruitcake, Gift-giving, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, Recipes

Crown Roast of Pork – Revisited

December 13, 2012 by EmmaEats

[I originally posted this Crown Roast of Pork nearly a year ago, but finally have a picture to add and some additional tips and details. It is such a fantastic and impactful addition to your holiday table, it seemed that it warrants this revisit as we prepare for the holiday season!] It’s always a good thing to have that recipe in your back pocket – you know the one – the one that you’ve made so many times that you could […]

Categories: Dinner, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: Autumn Recipes, baking, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Cooking, Crown Roast of Pork, dairy-free, Family-friendly, Food, Homemade, Kid-friendly, Pork, Recipes

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cherry Bites

December 6, 2012 by EmmaEats

It can’t be so. Cookies with no nuts, no butter and no eggs and entirely irresistible. Well, it is indeed so. These incredibly flavourful cookies are definite crowd-pleasers and even diehard non-vegans won’t even notice that these tasty morsels are in fact without the butter, egg and nut triumvirate. Emma picked these for her school snack day awhile back and the platter came back clean. Empty. As were the bowls of them at her birthday party. As was the tray […]

Categories: Desserts, Really Yum Yum, Recipes, Super School Snacks, Vegan • Tags: Autumn Recipes, baking, Baking and Confections, Cherry, Chocolate, Chocolate chip, coconut oil, Cooking, dairy-free, Dessert, desserts, Dried fruit, Fall recipes, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, quick and easy, Recipes, spelt, Vegan

Ginger and Spice Cake

November 29, 2012 by EmmaEats

Not all cakes have to be frilly, frosted and fantastical in nature to knock your socks off. We’re heading into the holiday season and this cake is the perfect way to kick it off. It doesn’t sparkle. It’s not iced. It isn’t fancy in any sense of the word. But what it lacks in wow factor at first sight, it makes up for with the first bite. We’ve been eating it ever since the coolness of autumn started to roll […]

Categories: Desserts, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: Autumn Recipes, baking, Baking and Confections, Brunch, Christmas, Cinnamon, coconut oil, Cooking, Dessert, desserts, Fall recipes, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Ginger, Gingerbread, Homemade, Kid-friendly, Maple syrup, nut-free, quick and easy, Recipes, spelt, Spice Cake, Whole wheat flour, Winter recipes

Dairy-free Vanilla Birthday Cake with Rose Ombre Frosting

November 15, 2012 by EmmaEats

Another year has flown by in the blink of an eye. Actually, the last five years have flown by in the blink of an eye. Yesterday, we celebrated Emma’s 5th birthday. How could it be five years already? What a wonderful young girl you’ve become, Emma! She wows us often with her inquisitiveness, her kind heart and cheerful nature. There are so many things we love about our Emma. She brings her artistic creations home from school everyday […]

Categories: Desserts, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: baking, Baking and Confections, coconut oil, dairy-free, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, Recipes, Stuart McLean, Vanilla

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Olives

November 8, 2012 by EmmaEats

I’m not ready for cold weather but I am ready for more warm food. This kind of food. Emma’s first exposure to Moroccan food was at Epcot in the Moroccan pavilion. She loved the music and the dancing. G and I loved the food. She thought of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine. We thought of warm complex spices, flavourful sweet dates and preserved lemons. With Emma’s love for “all things Moroccan”, we couldn’t let this opportunity pass to introduce some Moroccan […]

Categories: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Really Yum Yum, Recipes • Tags: Autumn Recipes, Brunch, Chicken Tagine, Cooking, dairy-free, Emile Henry, Fall recipes, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, healthy, Homemade, Kid-friendly, Moroccan cuisine, nut-free, Olive, Olive oil, Preserved lemon, Princess Jasmine, Recipes, Tajine

Ein Prosit — Whole Wheat and Honey Dairy-Free Pretzel Bites

October 18, 2012 by EmmaEats

Oktoberfest is here. Or at least it was here until earlier this month. Years ago, living in Waterloo, we celebrated with the locals at the second largest Oktoberfest celebration in the world. There was lots of warm, comforting and filling Bavarian food including bratwurst, sauerkraut, schnitzel and pretzels. Things have changed since then — now that we are parents, the only biergarten we occasionally see is the one at the German pavilion at Disney’s Epcot. Thankfully, they have good pretzels! […]

Categories: Appetizers, Really Yum Yum, Recipes, Sides, Super School Snacks • Tags: baking, Baking and Confections, coconut oil, Cooking, dairy-free, Family-friendly, Food, food-photography, Germany, healthy, Homemade, Kid-friendly, nut-free, Oktoberfest, Pretzel, Recipes, Whole wheat flour

Whole Wheat Banana Flax Baked Pancakes on fresh fruit skewers

I can make it on time — Whole Wheat Banana Flax Baked Pancakes

September 27, 2012 by EmmaEats

There is no longer any reason to start your morning without pancakes. Even when you’re running late. Like you, I try to do my best to provide a well-rounded healthy breakfast for my kids. Even though it only takes a few minutes to scramble an egg in the microwave/make toast/have a half a banana, somehow, that is too much to coordinate some mornings. Overhearing Emma’s teacher asking the children what they had for breakfast one morning got me thinking. Nearly […]

Categories: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Lunch, Really Yum Yum, Recipes, Super School Snacks • Tags: baking, Baking and Confections, banana bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Chocolate chip, coconut oil, Cooking, dairy-free, Dessert, Family-friendly, Flax, Food, food-photography, Homemade, Kid-friendly, Maple syrup, nut-free, Pancake, quick and easy, Recipes, School Snacks, Whole wheat flour