Jittery Cook

Homemade Muesli Breakfast – Daily Comfort 

If you asked me what was the one constant, healing, feel-good meal that’s sustained me day in and day out for the past 18 months, I’d tell you about my Homemade Muesli Breakfast. And I’m not alone. I’ve gotten quite a few enthusiasts happily following the muesli mania. Muesli energizes while it satisfies, and the garnishes vary so you’ll never get bored. As a bonus, when you’re traveling, it’s…

Sheet-Pan Gnocchi – Really Pans Out!

Parsley Salad – Party on 

Does the phrase “a party in your mouth” sound offensive? I can often tell, just by reading a recipe, that it’s likely to bring on that buzz. And when I see a recipe that looks scrumptious and healthy and have the ingredients on hand and the sole instruction is to combine in processor, it’s party time — a green light flashing ”go.” And what could be more green than parsley salad?      (more…)

Green Split Pea Soup – Very Versatile

Every time my sister Julia shares a recipe, she offers lots of alternatives. I usually tell her that I’m only planning to write one version. Today is the exception. You can start with the basic recipe below or you can add leeks, rutabaga, turnip, smoked turkey, chicken or beef. You can thin the soup to your desired consistency or eat it on the thick side as a stew. This recipe filled 5 – 6 large…

Cauliflower Cheese Casserole – The Ultimate Comfort Food

My sister Julia lived in the UK for many years and has intimate knowledge of their Cauliflower Cheese Casserole recipe. The British one, a staple in those parts, only has cauliflower as a vegetable; Julia’s version has much more.  In fact, her version is very moreish (definition: causing a desire for more) so you might as well forget about having leftovers.  Continue reading

Carrot Celery Apple Soup to Soothe the Soul

The sky has been falling. Henny Penny aka Chicken Little called it, along with Cocky Locky, Goose Loosey, Turkey Lurkey and Ducky Lucky. And then, just in the knick of time, something big transpired to soothe our collective souls. Someone eliminated Foxy Loxy.

Here’s a little Carrot Celery Apple Soup recipe to help you continue healing and soothe your soul.

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Blackcurrant Jittery Jam Squares – Summery Delight

It’s berry picking season! You can enjoy your berries au natural or treat yourself, and loved ones, to freshly baked berry goodness. Blackcurrant Jittery Jam Squares are made with Blackcurrant Jam, using blackcurrants we picked ourselves at Paradis des Fruits. What a great pick! We headed home with a trunk full of tasty fruit for a whole host of recipes: Blackcurrant Vodka, Blackcurrant Apple…

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta – Just 4 Ingredients

I haven’t broken up with you, dear readers. My Jittery constitution just needed an icebreaker to make me feel comfortable getting back on-line. Here’s the icebreaker…

I’m grateful to friends who started retro recipe exchange chain letters. These days a web of connections with heartfelt sharing feels apropos. I complied with the first 3 requests, sending out 60 chain letters to friends. Now that…

Minestrone Meets Bubbie’s Cabbage Soup

My sister, Julia Richardson, is the brains behind this Minestrone Meets Bubbie’s Cabbage Soup. Our Bubbie Freda’s cabbage soup was melt in your mouth delicious. Truthfully, I could write sonnets about everything Bubbie Freda fed us — from bite-sized knishes with flaky exteriors and whipped potato, caramelized onion centers to sheet pan roasted chicken cooked with gribenes, potatoes, carrots,…

Arugula Roasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto – A Versatile Condiment

When it comes to pesto, my mom was an early adopter — it became popular in NA in the eighties and nineties. We craved her spaghetti with pesto, She kept large pots of sweet-smelling basil on the balcony and whipped up Genovese style pesto, adding garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and plenty of Parmesan.

Today’s pesto is far from traditional. Get out your food processor, and let’s embrace the new…

Mushroom Marinara Orangetti Squash

Do you believe in magic? There’s something magical about spaghetti squash. It appears to be solid, but  cook it and coax it out of its shell with a fork — and voilà, you’ve got spaghetti strands. Take that, pasta!

Orangetti squashis even more magical. Developed in Israel in 1986, it’s smaller and thus more convenient, and sweeter  and has an attractive, intense colour. Take that, spaghetti squash!

Ginger Lime Squash Soup – Cilantro Pumpkin Seed Garnish

Even before the ball dropped on 2020, I’d been hankering to try a plant-based diet — a combo of wanting to contribute to climate action and to eat simple, healthy foods.  So far, so good — a frenzy of vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds and fruits, all enjoyable and satisfying. 

Ginger Lime Squash Soupwith cilantro pumpkin seed garnish is a tasty and nutritious addition to a plant-based…

Seed Power Cookie – Not a Guilty Pleasure

Admit it: You crave cookies. But imagine if the cookies were a healthy snack  My talented foodie friend Marcy Seidman (no pun intended) inspired  this Seed Power Cookie — so good tasting, and good for you, that there’s no guilt, just pure pleasure.  

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Blackcurrant Apple Pear Tart – Because Fruit

When I fall upon a spectacular sounding recipe or sample something fantastic and feel that it wouldn’t be too hard to replicate, my inclination is to plunge ahead and make it happen. If I love it, and my taste testers love it, then I’m quite certain that you will love it, too.  Case in point: this version of Blackcurrant Apple Pear Tart, offered up by Ester Parker, my book club buddy and baker…

Pasta Bolognese with Lentils – Minimizing the Beef

What a joyful experience — cooking meals for seniors in bulk in a commercial kitchen with experienced chefs. Arlene Lerner and Susan Schwartz, my chef buddies at Meals on Wheels, added to the joy. Arlene was in charge of the Bolognese sauce, fleshing out the modest meat supply with red lentils, eggplant and mushrooms. The small amount of cinnamon and the texture of the lentils give this Pasta…

Matane Shrimp Salad – Sweet, Succulent, Memorable

What makes your day? Getting up early, or late? Exercising, or lazing about? Seeing friends, or indulging in you time? If you’re anything like me, then you like to feed someone something that puts a smile on her soul. Recently, my sister Julia prepared Matane Shrimp Salad for a family picnic and I was enraptured. So, naturally, I enlisted her to share the recipe so that you too could spread the…

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto – I give five forks

This Roasted Red Pepper Pesto clamours for your attention. The condiment shakes up your taste buds, whether you serve it as sauce, dressing or dip. Did I dream up this recipe? No, I discovered it in Mareya Ibrahim‘s Eat like You Give a Fork, and I give it five (out of five) forks.

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