Enjoy the Simple Things in Life with Onion Burgers on the Griddler

Sid's Onion Burger

I hope my American friends are enjoying their Memorial Day long weekend. Here in Canada we celebrated Victoria Day long weekend last week, but, no matter where you live on the planet, the first long weekend of the season seems to be perfect timing for firing up the grill. To celebrate let's cook up a grilled classic... the burger!!!This is definitely not a Meatless Monday post!

Here in the Okanagan we are having an unusually wet and cool Spring. What has happened to the "sunny Okanagan"? While our eastern provinces are harvesting the first ripe strawberries of the season we are still in the "radish stage". It is usually the opposite, but even if it sounds like I am complaining I am not really. There will come a time when we are lamenting the unrelentless heat, but, until then,  I think I will enjoy the cooler weather. These conditions makes it perfect for hiking, pole-walking or walking the dog. Weather is one of those aspects of our lives we cannot change and just accept gracefully. I have learned to take each day as it comes and enjoy what is in store for me. So when it seems too stormy for grilling burgers outdoors turn to your kitchen appliances!!

Char-Grilled Halloumi with Tomato Olive Dressing

 

Char-Grilled Halloumi with Tomato Olive Dressing

Don't you just love blogging? Has there ever been a place where you can make friends with so many like-minded people, learn new things and create new recipes to share all in one convenient location? I am continually learning and am always amazed by the number of ingredients I have never come across in my corner of the world. These are new taste sensations I am longing for. On one such Internet search I came across a new ingredient that my British blogging friends may have already heard of...sun blushed tomatoes.

Crumpets by Be My Guest

Crumpets/Pikelets

 I have tried to cut down on my carb intake in the last few years but I will always estole the virtue of anything with yeast or "yeast related" that will give me that soul satisfying aroma, taste and texture. One of my quests has been to find a British crumpet that will not only satisfy my cravings but remind me of my childhood. When sick, or tired, or far from home, I seem to yearn for the gastronomic equivalent of a warm sweater, a kiss on the forehead, or the comfort of a favourite blanket I can wrap myself up in.

Fire-Seared Antipasto Platter

Fire Seared Antipasto Platter

Grilling season is here in full swing. That is where you will find me this time of the year grilling lamb sliders, marinated chicken breasts and other dishes like this grilled antipasto. To start the week off I am joining in on the Foodbuzz Daily Specials which today feature grill baskets and trays such as the one you will find here. Either a grill basket or tray are handy tools to have for barbecue season. You can grill small foods with ease and delicate foods with confidence. Sturdy grilling baskets let you shake and move a variety of meats, vegetables, seafood, and more, with a simple turn of the handle. Just think you would never have to fish out pieces of asparagus, onion or other small items that have fallen through the grill grates. Lightly oil or spray with cooking spray and you are all set.

Banana Olive Oil Cake with Chocolate

Olive Oil Banana Cake

I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend. The May Victoria Day long weekend is the official beginning of the good life here in the Okanagan!!! Before I head out for frolic and fun I wanted to share another special treat with you. I have been on a real kick to make olive oil cakes lately. There is something about the slight fruity flavour it imparts to these quick breads and the delicate crumb and mouth feel of an olive oil cake that just has me swooning. I have mixed it with blood oranges, meyer lemon and poppy seeds, tangerines and now..... bananas and chocolate. I say why not! This turned out unlike any other banana cake I have ever had. It is hard to describe the subtle differences but the texture was almost... silky. Stay tuned for my next experiment. Silky, sexy zucchini olive oil cake! But for now on to my banana cake.

Roasted Salmon Nicoise Platter and Why I Need to Be Able to Run Faster

Bakes Salmon Nicoise Salad

Here I am sitting at the computer. In keeping with my goal to have a more active lifestyle I really should rise from this chair, grab my walking poles and head out the door. Soon, very soon:D Another reason why I feel I need to be more active will be evident soon. A long-time friend and former co-worker and I went hiking yesterday at Margaret Falls. It was a drizzly day so we had stopped first at Quaaout Lodge Resort  to stay dry, have a Blueberry Tea and share a dessert. It was a special occasion being my friends birthday so what better way to spend a special day than with a good friend hiking in the rain forests of British Columbia, Canada. Just to clarify that is rain forest and not rainy forest which would be fitting in this Spring weather. We don't get too many days where we both don't have other commitments, so, hiking has been a priority for us to get together for a while... as well as a visit to Gort's Cheese Farm.

Mashed Potato Polpetti (Patties)

Mashed Potato Polpetti 

When I was a teenager a Mother's Pizzeria restaurant opened in our neighbourhood. Up until that time there had been only one pizzeria to serve the entire the city. Well maybe there were two..Luigi's and Pepi's.  Pizza crust was served one way...thin crust but with any number of toppings imagineable. Certainly not the pizzas that our kids experience today, but closer to Napoli style. I think I was 11 when I tried my first pizza. My oldest brother brought it home whenever he had a craving. It was something that the whole family could enjoy including my vegetarian Dad. (In case you are wondering I have 2 brothers and a sister). Mother's restaurant served up what we associated with Italian cuisine which was anything with a red sauce...spaghetti and meatballs, oven baked lasagna and other pasta dishes. They even had the new kid on the block, and the latest craze at the time...Chicago-style deep dish pizza. As years have gone by those of us who did not grow up with an Italian "nonna" have discovered that Italian cuisine is not all about pasta and pizza.

MTBT Goes Meatless for Mondays and My Legume Love Affair with a Baked Black Bean Tortilla Stack

Baked Black Bean Tortilla Stack

Around the blogosphere for some time now I have seen bloggers who are joining the Meatless Monday movement all across the world to show their support for our planet. Whether you join your fellow bloggers, restaurants or chefs like Mario Batali in going meatless even one day a week we have all accomplished something. Whether you follow suit for it's health benefits, or to reduce the negative impact on animals, or to show your support for your local farmers going meatless at least one day a week will benefit us all in one way or another. 

Bouyiourdi the Real Melting Pot

Bouyiourdi

More than three years ago I decided to take the plunge and start my own blog. Throughout the years I have come to know many of you through your own blogs, through e-mails and have even been lucky enough to meet some of you in person. One thing is clear we all love food and enjoy sharing ideas we create with each other. When I want to make something Greek I turn to many of you. Living in the "melting pot" of cultures that is Canada we have learned to adopt many different cuisines from coast to coast. Italian friends had made some crusty, homemade bread for me and I could see a cheesy, gooey blending of cultures in my future. I had been eying this Bouyiourdi meze on Peter's site Kalofagas - Greek Food and Beyond for quite some time. You will find the recipe on his site.

Grilled Chicken and Pasta Fonduta with Tomatoes

Grilled Chicken and Pasta Fonduta with Tomatoes

On my recent trip to Seattle I travelled with 40 women on a "Shop Till You Drop" weekend. A friend of mine puts these trips together several times a year and as you can imagine we are a diverse group of women of all age groups. While we travel as a group we have varying interests and the one thing that suits all of our needs is our capability to shape our weekend  to suit our own schedules and tastes. Some of us travel to simply shop, frequent every outlet mall between here and Seattle, and pay lots of duty. This is mecca for the shopaholics. Others go to gamble, some just  to relax and swim at the pool at the hotel and explore the immediate neighbourhood. Like many I am not adverse to shopping but really enjoy the flexibility this trip offers each of us. So, in true "foodie" fashion you will find me downtown at Pike Place Market at Sur la Table. This time around I was able to join Jan Marie once again on her tour of the market and also join a  fellow food blogger and new friend at an exceptional restaurant for the evening...more about that later.

Rose Murray's Savoury Roasted Tomato Clafouti

Rose Murray's Roasted Tomato Clafouti

If you have been following More Than Burnt Toast you will know I started a feature to highlight Canadian Chefs in 2009. This year I continue on this journey to bring you all that Canada has to offer in the culinary world!!! Through your TV networks, or perhaps on other blogs, or even just right here on More Than Burnt Toast you may have heard of some of our Canadian chefs. For those of you who haven't, I hope you will find it interesting to see what our chefs are up to, a little about their history and how they came to love what they do. For the next few months I will continue to feature one of our Canadian chefs. There will be some chefs you have heard of and adore and some lesser known who are "up and coming". Some are not even chefs at all, but just Canadians who are passionate about what they do!! It's time to beef up the action and present the fifteenth installment in my Canadian Chef series. I introduce you to:

Rose Murray

Mother's Day, and Do You Want Some Wine (Not Whine) With Your Strawberry Shortcake

Chardonnay Strawberry Shortcake for MOM

To all the Mothers and all the special women in your life I wish you all a Happy Mothers Day!!!!! Today is the day when we thank you all and recognize how you have shaped our lives. It is not just a Hallmark holiday but a time to rejoice in all that we hold dear and truly celebrate how important and significant you really are in our lives. I just got off the phone with my own mom who lives on the other side of the country, with the rest of my family. It always leaves a warm and fuzzy glow whenever I talk to her. I think that Mary over at One Perfect Bite sums it up best when she says, " I have, all my life, had the good fortune to find myself in the company of warm and generous women. Today, my thoughts embrace them all in a haze that glows more golden as it's burnished by time."

Eggs Benedict My Way for Mothers Day...with Crab Cakes and Avgolemono

Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict with Avgolemono Sauce

Often it seems that life is flying by. The one thing I remember my mom saying is to enjoy life as it comes because one day you will look behind you at 40 and wonder what happened. "Don't rush it', she would say as I longed to grow up. Living in the moment is a good philosophy to have. Mom's are smart that way. After all I am a mom too:D

Seattle Bite Food Tours Takes a "Bite" Out of Seattle

Last Spring I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Jan Marie Johnson of Seattle Bites Food Tours on one of her informative and innovative foodie tours as we flitted through Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle sampling Nutella and banana crepes, authentic New York pastrami and award-winning clam chowder (just a few "bites" on this culinary adventure). When Jan Marie asked me to gather some Seattle area bloggers for a tour on my recent trip to Seattle I knew we were in for an illuminating as well as fulfilling experience.... in more ways than one. I couldn't think of a better way to spend an afternoon than with fellow foodies discussing food, wine and history with a behind the scenes tour of this historical landmark. You will walk away from your experience with Seattle Bites Food Tours feeling a personal connection with Pike Place Market while delving into delectable food selections from merchants of all kinds.  “There’s more to the market than just food, fish and flowers,” Jan Marie says. “It’s not only the culinary heartbeat, but it’s really the soul of what makes Seattle a great city.”

Even after taking her tour a year ago I still came away with new taste sensations and knowledge in an everchanging and evolving experience. I couldn't recommend her tour enough and wanted other bloggers to have the same award-winning experience. Joining us on our journey were three intrepid Vancouverites, Jan Marie's loveable husband Mark, plus long time friends Lynn of Cookie Baker Lynn and Sandy of Eat, Love Travel and other Seattle area food bloggers Don of Sortachef, Sarah of OC2 Seattle, and Sara of The Lonely Radish. It was a pleasure to meet you all and I look forward to my next trip to Seattle!!!!!

Cooking Light Supper Club Cooks up Brunch in Time for Mother's Day

Sweet Potato and Canadian Bacon Hash

We are so glad that you have decided to join us once again for our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. This is a monthly event where 5 ladies in two neighbouring countries get together to create a delicious meal with a theme in mind. We all share a love for Cooking Light magazine which has an emphasis on healthy eating and living. The idea is simple and one we love to share with you because of our common interest in cooking and healthy eating. We enjoy sharing these ideas with you each and every month through our Virtual Supper Club. This is a team effort where we combine what Cooking Light readers like best...good food with great company!!!

My Version of Broccoli Salad

I am sure there was a better photo here somewhere if I had only taken the time to stage my shot, but I wanted to share this simple salad with you. Truthfully we just wanted to dig in!!! We were that inspired and pretty much forgot our manners to wait until Valli had taken her photos for her blog.

 This version of broccoli salad is light and delicious and makes a perfect accompaniment to your barbecued meats. This is a no-sugar version of your traditional favorite! So much has happened this week I can't wait to share it all with you. In the meantime join us tomorrow for our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club for more light recipes.