Tuna Salad with Onion Sprouts, Avocado & Tomato

Low calorie, low carb and a great source of Omega-3, this simple, light and delicious Tuna Salad recipe makes an easy weekday dinner paired with sliced avocado, hard boiled eggs and some fresh tomatoes. Topped with a mound of flavourful onion sprouts and dressed with a tangy vinaigrette, summertime dining doesn't get any easier, healthier or more satisfying.



Tuna Salad with Onion Sprouts, Avocado, Tomato & Eggs
Serves 2

10 oz canned tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup diced English cucumber
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 oz mixed greens
2 large eggs, hard boiled, peeled and halved
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
6 grape tomatoes, halved
1 package onion sprouts, for garnish
Maldon salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Vinaigrette:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced
Fresh cracked black pepper and salt, to taste


Add the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon and minced garlic together in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Season with fresh cracked black pepper and salt to taste. Combine tuna, diced cucumber, green onions, lemon juice, zest, dill, mayonnaise, salt and pepper in a large bowl and stir well. Toss the mixed greens with some vinaigrette to taste, then arrange on 2 plates and top with a generous scoop of the tuna mixture. Top with a handful of onion sprouts and garnish with sliced avocado, tomatoes and hard boiled eggs. Season with Maldon salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste and drizzle with more vinaigrette if need.

Chlodnik: Polish Chilled Beet Soup

Wonderfully light and refreshing, Chlodnik is the ultimate Polish summer soup. Pronounced 'who-wad-neek', the key ingredients in this fabulous fuchsia soup are fresh young beets. Chlodnik is typically made with a selection of crunchy raw chopped vegetables such as cucumbers and spring onions, and flavoured with some chopped dill. The soup's brilliant magenta colour can vary depending on how much dairy is used, so for a crazy crimson Chlodnik, use a little less buttermilk. Smacznego! Bon appetit.



Chlodnik (Chilled Beet Soup)
Serves 4-6

1 bunch fresh red beets
1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 bunch of dill
1 bunch of spring onions
1 cup Greek yogurt
3 cups buttermilk 
salt and pepper


Wash the beets, then wrap them individually in foil and roast at 450°F for 1 hour. Cool completely, then peel and dice the beets — use plastic gloves if you don't want crimson hands.

Finely dice the cucumbers and spring onion, then chop the dill. Combine the vegetables and beets in a large pot and mix gently. Add the yogurt and buttermilk and mix again, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Chill the soup for minimum 2 hours, but it tastes much better if left in the fridge overnight as it allows the flavours to meld and become more intense. The soup can be served as is, a little chunky, or can be processed in a blender for a finer consistency. Serve cold with a dollop of sour cream a sprig of dill, and even some chopped hard boiled eggs for a traditional Polish Chlodnik.

Decadent Caramel Pecan Squares

One of the most irresistible of all desserts, nothing beats a sweet and delicious Pecan Pie. This classic recipe is an updated bite-size version of the traditional Southern family favourite. With a buttery shortbread crust and rich nutty caramel pecan topping, they're the perfect gift to bring up to a cottage or a family picnic. Be warned — these mouth wateringly decadent Caramel Pecan Squares are absolutely divine and completely addictive.



Caramel Pecan Squares
Makes 1 pan

3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
2/3 cup powdered sugar 
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
1/2 cup honey 
2/3 cup butter 
3 tablespoons whipping cream


Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13"x9" pan with foil, leaving some hanging over the sides, to help remove them from the pan once they're baked.

Arrange the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until they're lightly toasted, then set aside and let cool about 15 minutes.

Mix the flour, powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup butter in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Using your hands, press the crumb mixture evenly on bottom and 3/4 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned, then allow to cool on a wire rack 15 minutes.

While waiting for the bottom to cool, bring the brown sugar, honey, 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. 

Remove from heat and stir in the toasted pecans. Carefully spoon the hot filling into the prepared crust. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Allow to cool on a wire rack before removing the bars from the pan and transferring to a cutting board to cut into squares.

Guy's Nine-Bean Soup with Tomato & Swiss Chard

My husband has a number of recipes which he loves to make, but his favourite and mine is his famous Bean Soup. He used to make it as a bachelor because the ingredients were relatively inexpensive, was easy to make and tasted great. Although the selection of beans change every time he makes this soup, the onions, garlic, tomatoes and swiss chard remain consistent, as well as his secret ingredient — Patak's curry paste. In fact, for the first few years we were married, he would't even let me in the kitchen when he made his Bean Soup, for fear I'd discover the recipe's elusive flavour and would be able to make the soup without him. No fear of that — this is his 'baby' and I always look forward to him making a big batch to stock our freezer for months to come.

Diced onions, garlic and curry paste are sautéed in oil until translucent

Patak's Curry Paste — my husband's secret ingredient!

One can of Italian plum tomatoes are added

All the beans are added to the mixture

Then 12 cups of homemade chicken stock is added...

...along with a bunch of coarsely chopped swiss chard is added, and simmered for 20-30 minutes

Guy's Nine-Bean & Tomato Soup with Swiss Chard

Serves 10-12

1 large Spanish onion, finely diced

3 tbsp olive oil

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp Patak's curry paste

1/4 tsp chili flakes

1 28 oz can Italian plum tomatoes

2 19 oz can six bean mix, drained

1 19 oz can black beans, drained

1 19 oz can green broad beans, drained

1 19 oz can lentils, drained

12 cups homemade or purchased chicken stock

1 bunch swiss chard, trimmed, stalks removed and chopped

In a large pot, sauté the diced onion, garlic, curry paste and chili flakes in olive oil over medium-high until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes with the juice, and stir to combine with the onion mixture. Cook for 15 minutes, then add all of the beans followed by the chicken stock and swiss chard.  Increase the heat to high until the stock just starts to bubble, then turn it down to low and cover for 20 minutes. "Done...easy-peasy," Guy says. This soup freezes beautifully, and with the quantity it makes, you'll have lovely soup for weeks to come.

Salt Grass Point Oysters with Muscadet & Peonies

A perfect summer aperitif: fresh shucked oysters on ice with lemon, horseradish and mignonette sauce served with ice cold Muscadet and vase of fresh picked peonies — beautiful. A weekend tradition, we're always keen on trying any new oysters from Diana's Seafood, like these lovely Salt Grass Point oysters from Malpeque Bay in Prince Edward Island: salty up front with a very clean, crisp finish. If there’s one food that pairs impressively with French Muscadet, it’s oysters — they go together like Bogie and Bacall. Light-bodied and mineral-edged, made with the white Melon de Bourgogne grape from in the western Loire Valley near the city of Nantes, next to the sea, the Atlantic climate influences Muscadet. The wines acidity, minerality, and briny quality complement the same flavours in the oysters, and not only holds up to the intensity of flavour of the mollusk, but matches it sip for sip. A marriage made in heaven.

Oysters with Mignonette Sauce
Serves 2

6 oysters, shucked
1 lemon, sliced for garnish
2-inch piece fresh horseradish, grated
Crushed ice

Mignonette Sauce:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp minced shallot


Stir the vinegar and shallots in a small bowl and set aside. Set the shucked oysters over a bed of crushed ice and place an empty oyster shell top in the middle garnished with a tablespoon of grated horseradish. Arrange some sliced lemon around the oysters and serve with a small bowl of mignonette sauce.

Indian Spice-Crusted Grilled Sturgeon

Moderately high in fat content, Sturgeon has a mild, delicate flavour with lean flesh that is firm and meaty, similar in texture to chicken breast or veal. It takes well to marinades and dry rubs, like this delicious recipe for Indian Spice-Crusted Grilled Sturgeon. Coated in an aromatic mixture of coriander seeds, cumin, cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon and fresh thyme, the filets are then sautéed quickly in a a little olive oil then roasted in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The rich succulent flesh turns white when cooked, becoming wonderfully crunchy on the surface and deliciously moist in the centre.   

Spice Crusted Grilled Sturgeon

Serves 2

3/4lb sturgeon fillet, cut into two pieces

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp cumin seed

1/2 tsp coriander seed

2 cloves

2 green cardamon pods, seeds removed and kept, pods discarded

5 black peppercorns

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 bunch of rapini, trimmed and washed

olive oil

1 lemon

fresh dill for garnish

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place the spices in a small food processor or spice grinder, and pulse until the mixture becomes a coarse powder, then pour onto a large plate. Brush the sturgeon filets in a little olive oil, then dredge the sturgeon, flesh side down, in the spices.

In a non-stick pan over a medium heat, add a little olive oil. When the oil is hot enough, place the sturgeon, spice side down and sear until the spices are golden, about 5 minutes. Flip the fish over, and place the pan into the oven. Turn the oven down to 350°F, and continue cooking for about 15 minutes, until the sturgeon is cooked all the way through.

While the sturgeon is cooking, steam the rapini over high heat until the leaves are wilted and the stalks are al dente, about 10 minutes. Once cooked, squeeze a little lemon juice over top and toss to combine.

To plate, place the rapini on a platter and top with sturgeon fillet, spice side up. Garnish with a little fresh dill and slices of fresh lemon.

Chilled Asparagus Soup with Crème Fraîche

Light and creamy, this delicious Chilled Asparagus Soup 'shooter' is the perfect appetizer to start a summer meal. The intense flavour and vibrant green hue of fresh Ontario asparagus and fragrant leeks smells heavenly as they're sautéed in butter then simmered in an aromatic broth until tender. The soup is then puréed in a blender until it's silky smooth, then passed through a sieve for a more refined texture. Thick crème fraîche or heavy cream is then added to the soup, creating a delightfully rich and satisfying appetizer that can be showcased in shot glasses or small demi-tasse cups, garnished with a swirl of crème fraîche as a final flourish.



Chilled Asparagus Soup (Crème d'asperges)
Serves 8 as amuse-bouche

2 pounds green asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large leeks, white part only, sliced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
5 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Cook the leeks in 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring until softened. Add the asparagus, salt and pepper to taste, and cook stirring for 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Purée the soup in a blender, in batches until smooth, then return to the pan using a sieve, to ensure all solids are removed. Stir in the crème fraîche, adding more broth to thin soup if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon of butter. To serve, pour the soup into small cups or shooter glasses, garnishing with the lemon juice and a swirl of crème fraîche or heavy cream. The soup can be made ahead and keeps, covered and chilled, for up to 2 days.