Kate’s Cuisine

9 medium-sized pears, washed, halved, and with the core removed $4.50
1/2 cup butter, melted $0.45
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil $0.28
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg $0.09
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon $0.08
1 cup brown sugar $0.10

Total Cost   $5.50

1.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Layer the pear halves in the casserole dish, side by side in a single layer, skin side down.

2.) Mix together the melted butter and the canola oil. Slowly pour over the pears so all the pears are coated with butter and oil.

3.) Sprinkle the nutmeg and the cinnamon over the pears. Then crumble the brown sugar over top. Put the pears in the oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the pears can be easily pierced with a fork.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

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This recipe came from my craving of baked apples one day. I remember when my grandma used to make them and they’d come piping hot from the oven, all golden and mushy and delicious. I didn’t have apples the day the craving struck so I did it with pears instead. It delivers all the ooey gooey goodness of baked apples that we all remember and yet has its own unique taste that just makes it better somehow. My kids now will always remember the deliciousness of the baked cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar mixed with the goodness of the fruit. But they’ll have a special memory attached to it because they’ll remember that mum did it with pears. Just another special way to put a twist on things.

And I don’t bake. So I’m usually hesitant to attempt anything that has the word ‘baked’ in the title, or listed in the instructions. But there’s something about baking fruit and adding in melted butter that just makes it more like cooking than baking to me. Yummy, cheap, and the wonderful smell that this baking dessert gives off just proves once again why this dessert can be so very special!

3/4 cup mayonnaise $0.57
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard $0.24
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice $0.04
1 teaspoon Kosher salt $0.01
1 1/2 cups panko $1.04
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2.25
2 large bunches of asparagus $9.98
2 tablespoons olive oil $0.36

Total Cost   $14.49

1.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and salt.

3.) On a large plate, combine panko and Parmesan.

4.) Stalk by stalk, dip asparagus in mayonnaise mixture followed by the panko mixture. Place crusted asparagus on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the stalks with olive oil.

5.) At this point you can place the tray in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking. To cook, bake 14-16 minutes turning the asparagus halfway through cooking. Sprink with coarse salt before serving.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

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This recipe I got from the book Bite Me, by Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat. My mom bought it for me one day when we were out shopping with my girls and something tells me that each and every recipe within it is going to quickly become a favourite!

I made these for Maddie’s second birthday party and honestly, I knew they would be good but I didn’t realize just how heavenly they would be! I hate it when ingredients get lost in a recipe but you can truly taste each and every thing that’s put into these spears! The mayonnaise, the lemon juice, yum! It’s all so very, very good! And who doesn’t love roasted vegetables? Especially when that vegetable is asparagus? Party guests raved about them and even though no one from my family touched them, I may just make these a regular at suppertime!

There were a few things that I did or didn’t do with this recipe but none of them were that far off the mark of the original. The major change that I made was that I didn’t use panko, which are just a Japanese style of bread crumbs. Panko is lighter and crunchier than regular bread crumbs so I can just imagine how divine these would be with it! But even with just my regular homemade bread crumbs, these spears did not disappoint! I also used Parmesan cheese out of the can because really, who can afford to keep fresh Parmesan on hand all the time? And who wants to spend all that time grating it? And even though I wouldn’t have used Kosher salt because I keep forgetting to put it on my grocery list, I didn’t salt them before serving either because…whoops, I forgot! Just goes to show that this is one recipe that you can just about kill and it will still turn out to be delicious, bite after bite!

2 pita bread, pocket style $0.86
1 egg white $0.17
1 tablespoon olive oil $0.18
Salt $0.01
1 tablespoon Emeril’s Essence $0.37

Total Cost   $1.59

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) With kitchen shears, cut pitas around the outside so that you are left with 2 rounds for each pita.

3.) Whisk together the egg white and olive oil and brush onto the insides of each round.

4.) Sprinkle Emeril’s Essence onto the egg white and olive oil mixture of each pita round.

5.) Stack the rounds on top of each other and cut vertically. Now you’ll be left with half-moons of pita rounds. With them still stacked, cut the half moons in half. Then cut these each in half so you are left with 8 small triangles for each pita round.

6.) Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, seasoned side up, and bake for about 15 minutes until they are no longer soft and just beginning to brown.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

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I got this recipe from Recipezaar and the first time I made them, it was for Maddie’s 2nd birthday party. Everyone loved them so much, I was afraid that I was going to run out – and I used almost 2 full packages of pitas! They are simply delish! You need to make sure though that when you’re cooking them, you don’t overcook them! I hate it when people say that because it’s such an obvious thing but with these chips, you do have to check them all the time. Just a minute too long in the oven and the entire batch will be ruined! (That’s why I used almost 2 packages of pitas and not 2 whole packages.) I used white pitas but I’m sure whole wheat pitas would be perfect too, and healthier! Use them to serve with hummus, salsa, or your favourite dip!

Oh. My. God.

6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced $0.06
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced $0.60
1/4 cup red wine vinegar $0.27
1/2 cup finely chopped loose leaf parsley OR 1/4 cup dried $1.60
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh oregano OR 1/4 cup dried $2.40
3 limes, juiced $1.50
1 cup extra virgin olive oil $2.52
1 teaspoon kosher salt $0.01
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns $0.01
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat and patted dry $9.01
Kosher salt $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper $0.01
Lime Juice for drizzling $0.25
Extra virgin olive oil $0.05

Total Cost   $18.30

1.) Combine the garlic, jalapeno, and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in the parsley, oregano and lime juice. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside at room temperature so that the flavours can marry. This is the chimichurri sauce.

2.) Reserve 1/2 cup of the chimichurri to serve and marinate the pork in the rest. Put the pork in the marinade and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3.) Preheat an outdoor grill or an oven broiler to high.

4.) Remove the pork from the marinade, wiping off excess. Season both sides of both tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and place on the grill. Grill the pork on the hottest side of the barbecue for 4 minutes per side until well charred. Allow the tenderloin to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into thin rounds. While resting, drizzle with lime juice and serve at the table with remaining chimichurri sauce.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here