I never like Sunday evening supper to be too labour-intensive, which is great because there is usually a number of tasty “planned overs”(a.k.a. leftovers) lurking in the fridge. I had some roasted sweet potato mash flavoured with Chef James’ Moroccan Spice Blend, a few tender spears of young asparagus, 1 cob of sweet corn, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, and some lingering organic baby spinach leaves.

With summer fast approaching, and the weather getting warmer I like to keep my stove top cooking to a minimum. I find typical summer foods like salads, as delicious as they can be, are often not very filling. This salad is quick and easy with minimal amount of time in front of the stove, but also fulfilling as a complete meal, all while staying healthy for the upcoming bathing suit season.

Passport to Health

I get asked to do cooking demos at all different kinds of events, and always jump at the opportunity! Cooking demos are a great way to interact with the public, share my passion for food, educate, and have lots of fun! This past Saturday, I was at the Passport to Health here in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. It was a huge event, free to the public, put on by the Pictou County Health Authority, and a very successful one at that too!

Gadgets and Gizmos…The Perks of Being a Chef at Sobeys

I’m a friendly guy, or at least I’d like to think I am! I enjoy talking to people, listening to their food experiences, and sharing a few of my own. I was down on the first floor of the Sobeys office the other day visiting with the Deli Divas (I’m an honorary diva), catching up on what’s new in the deli, and picking up some products I needed for Inspired recipe testing. On my way back to my cubicle on the second floor, which I am rarely in, I was stopped dead in my tracks by some skewers, but not just any skewers; they were seasoned skewers. Erin saw me staring at the display and told me I could take some home and try them out, so I quickly collected one pack of each and left very excited (it doesn’t take much), clutching my skewers already planning which flavour I would use for dinner that night.

My dinner last night was inspired by a couple of recent customer questions I received. One was a great question about jerk seasoning, the Caribbean’s answer to North American BBQ; the second was about some recipe ideas for mango, a sweet tropical fruit. So I combined the two together to cerate an amazing meal! I made Jerk Trout with Grilled Pineapple and Asparagus, Mango Salsa and Quinoa. Everything work together very nicely, the meal had a good balance of sweet, sour, umami and spicy flavours!