Author: Charmian Christie

Trying Again – Lazy Quinoa Lasagna Recipe

Trying Again – Lazy Quinoa Lasagna Recipe

For some reason, the recipe for slow-cooker vegetarian quinoa lasagna didn’t attach to its post the other day. Could have been technology. Could have been me? I choose to blame technology. Either way, I had people asking for the recipe. So here it is.

Words of Wisdom from Chef Michael Smith and Bacon Candy

Words of Wisdom from Chef Michael Smith and Bacon Candy

Eleven minutes and ten seconds into our half-hour interview, Chef Michael Smith uttered the most honest, excuse-free cooking advice I’ve heard in a long time. I don’t have much patience for those who say they can’t cook. A hundred thousand generations have cooked. It’s a 

Lazy Quinoa Lasagna

Lazy Quinoa Lasagna

Mairlyn Smith owes me a new crockpot. Sort of. She didn’t actually come to my house and break mine, but because of her I learned just how bad my old one was. At her recommendation I made the slow-cooker lasagna from The Vegetarian’s Complete Quinoa 

Buttermilk Scones | 2 Make-Ahead Options

Buttermilk Scones | 2 Make-Ahead Options

My shoulder’s ache, my fingertips have callouses, and the daylight hurts my eyes. But The Messy Baker is written, filed electronically and a 292-page, double-spaced paper copy is beating up all the Christmas cards as it pushes its way to HarperCollins in Toronto. I have 

Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies

Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies

Hazelnuts. Filberts. Cobnuts. This tasty kernel goes by many names. I’m going to add one more to its repertoire and dub it the “hasselnut.” Because of the bitter skin, hazelnuts require a bit more work than pecans or walnuts. They need to be roasted and 

Fig and Olive Tapenade

Fig and Olive Tapenade

I almost feel like I’m cheating on this one. It’s far too easy to be this tasty. But on second thought, it’s a perfect illustration of Eric Akis’s approach to food. It delivers what he calls “obtainable goodness”, is suitable for all levels of cooks, 

Fear Not: Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Fear Not: Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pumpkin Seeds

If I could eliminate one emotion. It would be fear. I’m not talking the “Don’t go down that dark alley” kind of fear where your Spidey senses are tingling for good reason. I’m talking the joy-crushing, “This not going to work” kind of fear. The 

Canada’s Favourite Recipes

Canada’s Favourite Recipes

I could tell you I have always dreamed of being invited to Elizabeth Baird’s home, but I’d be lying. The thought was simply too grand to have ever occurred to me. Seems I have been thinking small without knowing it. Last week, I had the honour 

The Inside Scoop on Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

The Inside Scoop on Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

When you meet with the author of a cookbook, you’re often given insights not found in the final print edition — like how they spent most of their time at college scribbling recipe ideas in their binder instead of taking lecture notes, or which of