Easy Homemade Hamburgers and Potato Wedges

By Corinne

Serves: 4 

We love burgers around here. I love them on the BBQ in the summer, but most of the time I just pan fry them as I’m definitely a fair weather BBQ cook. This is a basic recipe that is an easy introduction to homemade burgers.

I made a video for my hospitality class during the COVID19 learning at home time to help them. It is available here if you want some video instruction – but remember that the audience was my students, and it is by no means a ‘professional’ quality video. I made it for my kids to help them out a bit because some of them wanted to keep cooking even though we weren’t in class.

Oven 450F

Wedges

You will need:

• 4 medium/large potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive or canola oil
• 1 tsp of your favourite spice mix *suggestions in the FAQ at end!
• Salt and pepper depending on spice mix used

Cut the potatoes into wedges by cutting first in half, then angling your knife to make a wedge. Spread wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. If you are worried about sticking to your pan, parchment paper is your friend. 

Sprinkle fries with oil, spice mix, salt and pepper. If the spice mix you are using contains salt, you may not want to add additional salt 

Cook wedges in a preheated 450F oven. Roast for 12-15 minutes and then flip. Roast an additional 12-15 minutes until wedges are golden. Cooking time will vary depending on how thick you have cut your wedges. 

Burgers

You will need:

• 4 buns
• Toppings and condiments of your choice
• 1 lb ground beef *see FAQ
• ¼ small onion (about 1 tbsp grated)
• 1 clove garlic 
• ½ tbsp of your favorite spice mix *see FAQ
• Salt and pepper (omit salt if your spice mix contains salt)
• ½ cup bread crumbs (I like panko bread crumbs)
• A few dashes of worcestershire sauce if desired

In a bowl large enough to mix your ingredients, add your ground beef. Using a fine grater, grate the onion and garlic onto the ground beef. Sprinkle spices, salt, pepper and bread crumbs over ground beef. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined, but try to work quickly and not overmix.

Divide beef mixture into 4 equal pieces. Shape into a ball, then flatten between your palms. Use your thumb to press the edge so that it is even (see video). Burgers should be about 4 inches wide and of even thickness. Add a few dashes of worcestershire sauce to each patty if desired. 

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. If you are using lean ground beef, add 1 tbsp of oil to your pan once it is hot. Burgers should sizzle when they hit the pan. Pan fry until cooked through-3-5 minutes per side. You can cover your pan with a lid for more even and faster cooking – if you don’t have a lid, you can use a large plate. Add cheese when burgers are cooked or almost finished cooking. Burgers are cooked when juices run clear, when meat is no longer pink in the middle, and when the internal temperature is 165F. 

FAQ

Should I use regular or lean ground beef? 

Whatever you usually buy. Lean ground beef is around 15-20% fat while regular is around 35% fat. If you use lean, you may need to add a bit of oil to your pan and it will be more important to make sure that you don’t overcook your burgers and make them dry. Regular ground beef gives you a little more ‘overcooking leeway’- as in, if you do overcook them, you will probably still end up with a burger that isn’t too dry. 

Oh no! I had my pan too hot and now my burgers are not cooked but kind of burnt- what do I do? 

You can finish cooking them in the oven at 450F – this will keep the outside from browning too much more while still cooking the inside. 

I’m celiac or watching carbs, can I omit the bread crumbs?

If you are celiac- I would recommend substituting with your favourite gluten free bread crumbs. Bread crumbs in burgers and meatballs aren’t just there as a ‘filler’,  they give your burgers a lighter texture and help keep them juicy. If you want to totally omit the bread crumbs you can, but your burgers will be more dense- so make sure you don’t overwork them when you are mixing in the spices and shape your burgers. 

What can I use for spice mix? 

Spice mix for burgers or fries

In Thunder Bay there is an awesome local company called ‘Crazy Good Spices’ that has some great spice mixes available at most of our local grocery stores that I love using on burgers and fries. My favourites for burgers and fries are “Grace’s Favourite” and “BBQ Rub”

You can also make your own! 

Simple Fry Seasoning

• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic salt 
• 1 tbsp onion salt

Whisk together, store leftovers in a sealed container. 

 

Kick it up a Notch!

• 2 teaspoons onion salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whisk together, store leftovers in a sealed container.

Easy French Toast

So I’ve tried fancy.  I’ve made overnight french toast, french toast that has 47 steps and then bakes in the oven, sandwich bread french toast… and you know what I’ve learned?  Simple is better.  French toast is my favourite thing for breakfast – mostly because I get to drown it in butter and syrup.  It is not as heavy as a pancake and it makes a good use of leftover bread.  The most important thing to know about classic french toast, (or eggy bread if you’re British) is to never, ever, under ANY circumstances, use fresh bread.  It makes for soggy-mushiness that could not be characterized as toast on a bad day.  It is a culinary crime.  If you only have fresh and you MUST have french toast or die, toast it in the oven until it’s dried out but not hard.  10 min at 200F should do it.  I have done this before and it is an acceptable substitute.  For best results use day old (or a couple day old) French or Italian bread.  It’s also quite wonderful with Brioche but who has leftover Brioche?

This recipe is easily doubled and is a no-brainer for brunch.  It’s super forgiving, and is actually LESS work and LESS time than all those fancy bakes and make the night before dishes.

You Will Need:

• Half a loaf of day-old bread (about 8 slices – 1 inch thick)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp of nutmeg – I really like nutmeg but you may want to cut back.  Fresh ground is best.
• 2 rounded tbsp sugar
• butter for the griddle
• maple syrup to serve

In a small bowl combine cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.  Put aside.  In a 8×8 baking dish or other shallow container big enough to accommodate your bread (don’t use a bowl, you want an even coating and you want to get the bread out of the custard quickly before it absorbs too much liquid.  Splashing it around in a bowl makes it hard to get an even coat) whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Add 1/2 of the cinnamon mix and whisk again.  You will add the remainder after the first 4 slices are cooking.  I find if you add it all at once the first few slices get all the spicy goodness while the others are lacking in flavour.

Heat a griddle to 375F, or if you don’t have one you can use a heavy bottomed skillet heated on medium to medium high.  You want the egg to begin to cook as soon as the bread hits the pan but not burn before the custard has a chance to cook through.  Melt a small tab of butter where you will place each slice.  Lay your bread in the custard and flip it to get an even coating on both sides, this should be a quick dip, then lay the bread on the hot griddle where you’ve melted the butter.  Repeat with 3 more slices.  These take about 3 min per side so be ready to flip.  When both sides are nicely browned, remove from griddle.  Add the remainder of the cinnamon mixture to the custard and repeat with the remaining 4 slices.  It’s ready to serve!  Smear with additional butter if you wish (I mean, you’re already breaking the bank on calories with the bread and the syrup so why not?) and pour on some maple syrup and voila!  I like to pair these with some yummy breakfast sausages and some fruit for brunch.  It’s a crowd pleaser!

 

Chive Blossom Vinegar

By Corinne

This officially qualifies as my most planned blog post. I wrote this last spring/summer. Of course, by the time the vinegar is ready, the chives are long done blossoming so wouldn’t be useful to anyone. So here it is- hopefully still early enough for the folks in Southern Ontario, and in lots of time for my peeps in Thunder Bay 🙂

I actually think chive blossoms are beautiful and underrated in bouquets 🙂 There are some snuggled into this one.

 

The bees love them and I do too. Chive blossoms broken up a bit make a pretty addition to a salad, but you can also make a lovely flavoured vinegar with them.

This is a recipe that barely even qualifies as a recipe.

You will need:

• jars
• vinegar (I just use plain white vinegar)
• chive blossoms (you need enough to half fill whatever jar you are using)

Snip chive blossoms and give them a good rinse and then a spin dry in a salad spinner. Fill jars about half full of blossoms, and then fill with vinegar. Affix lids to jars, then place in a cool, darkish place out of direct sunlight for a few days. At this point check them, you may need to top them up with vinegar at this point. If not, leave them for another 2-3 weeks. By this point the vinegar will be a pretty pink and the flowers will have lost most of their colour.

 

Strain the vinegar into clean jars. Discard used blossoms. Use this lightly oniony vinegar in your favourite vinaigrettes. Keeps for at least a year!

 

Fast and Easy Vegan Mini Batch Cinnamon Rolls

By Corinne

These are an adaptation of a recipe I’ve used for my hospitality class. They make a perfectly acceptable cinnamon roll, even if you aren’t vegan. While they don’t have the richness of a yeast based recipe, the fact you can make them on a whim makes them totally worth it.

I personally prefer mine without icing, as I find them sweet enough. But the icing is good, especially if you make it with a liquor instead of non-dairy milk.

Makes: 6 rolls

Time: prep 10 minutes or less, bake 15 min, total 25 minutes

You will need

• ¾ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar (divided)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon salt (pinch of salt)
• 5 tablespoons non-dairy milk (75 mL)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8th tsp salt (pinch of salt)
• 2 tbsp chopped, toasted pecans (if desired)

ICING

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon of non dairy milk (OR a liquor of your choice you think will go well with cinnamon- I like grand marnier!)

Preheat oven to 375 . Spray muffin tins (6) if you are worried about sticking. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of white sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Stir until combined. Keep separate until later!

In a separate bowl, combine flour, 1 tablespoon white sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir. 

In a separate bowl, combine milk, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the melted coconut oil.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until a sticky dough forms.

Lightly flour the counter. Knead the dough until no longer sticky.

Roll out into a rectangle about 6 inches (15 cm) long and about 4 inches wide. Brush 2 tablespoons of coconut oil onto the dough and spread it out. Now you get to use the sugars! Sprinkle sugars and cinnamon on top of dough. Sprinkle toasted nuts on if using. 

Roll up dough lengthwise, pinch the seam together and cut into 6 equal pieces. Place each piece in a muffin pan, brush with the last of the melted coconut oil.

Bake for 14 – 15 minutes in muffin pan.

Mix powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk(or liquor!) and stir until combined. Frost the rolls.

Pomegranate and Blood Orange Salad with Greens and Lemon Vinaigrette

By Corinne

I didn’t realize that eating pomegranates was something people struggled with until I started seeing various videos being posted about the ‘right’ way to peel them, or how to eat them without making a mess. Even still, a shocking number of these videos called for you doing this in a bowl of water? I feel like that seems like more trouble then it needs to be.  I use this method, and always have- though I’ve never really thought of it as being a ‘method’ exactly.

Pomegranates are often a bit pricy, but they are SO pretty and tasty and make such a pretty addition to dinner salads, fruit salads and drinks that I feel they are totally worth it. I also love that they are a bit of work to eat. They also keep amazingly well in the fridge. And even when the outside starts to look a little dried and sad, they are usually still perfect and bright on the inside! They are a good sort of picking at snack… for when you’re not *really* hungry, but looking for a little something.

At least around here, you can generally only find pomegranates in the winter, so they are something I associate with winter salads rather than summer ones.

Time: about 10 minutes

Serves: 2 as a very generous side

Dressing– makes about 1/3 cup of dressing (more than you need for 2 servings)

You will need:

• 1/4 cup of pomegranate arils
• 1 blood orange(or regular orange)
• about 4 cups salad greens
• a few shavings of a hard sharp aged cheese (parmesan, pecorino, romano, asiago – anything aged and sharp)

Dressing 

• juice of one or two fresh lemons – you want about 1/4 cup of juice, so it will depend on the juiciness of your lemons
• 2 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• several generous grinds of fresh pepper
• *1 tsp apple cider vinegar if you feel it needs a bit more acid

Whisk together dressing ingredients. Taste your dressing. If you feel like it needs a bit more of an acidic punch, add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar.  Mix greens and dressing (you probably don’t need all of it, but it depends on how dressed you like your salad)

Add dressed greens to bowls and top with pomegranate arils, blood orange slices, a few curls of a sharp salty cheese of your choice and a few grinds of fresh pepper.

Vegan (or not) Garden Pesto

By Corinne

Basil is amazing. I am so in love with basil in the summer I can hardly help myself from adding it to everything. Basil in every salad, basil on sandwiches, basil gently rubbed between my fingers just to smell every time I go outside on my deck… Ah! Well, enough with this summer reverie. It’s February and the days (while getting longer) are still short and dark and cold and we’ve just had two weeks of -20C without a break. I’m craving summer in a bad way!

This pesto is infinitely versatile- in the summer I use much more basil than other greens, but in the winter good basil is hard to find and pricy! Tonight when I made it, I used about 15g of basil and 15g of parsley(a small handful of each)- the rest was spicy arugula, so I omitted the pepper.

While I’ve historically always used cheese, I decided to give nutritional yeast a try for this recipe. I probably could have thinned it out a BIT more, but it actually emulsified easier than the cheese version, was smoother, and as a bit of a shock to both myself and my taste tester, was the preferred version!

Time: under 10 minutes

Makes: about 1/2- 3/4 of a cup 

You will need:

• 1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil or other oil of your choice (I used sunflower oil)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, outer skin removed
• 1 ½ cup(lightly packed down) fresh herbs such as basil, parsley or greens such as spinach, kale or arugula
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt – to taste
• pepper – to taste

In a food processor or using an immersion blender(I usually use my immersion blender as this is a relatively small batch and I have a large food processor), combine the herbs/greens and garlic and process for 15 seconds.

With the food processor still running, add the oil SLOWLY until the mixture is smooth – you want it to emulsify. The mixture should look almost matte, and not oily. If your pesto looks oily you rushed the emulsification process and added too much oil at once.  You are looking for the mixture to be loose, not chunky but not watery or runny at all.

Add the nutritional yeast or cheese and process for ten seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

You can see in the picture that I did a better job of emulsifying the one version on the left than the one on the right today. I’m going to blame using a different container than I usually use!

Toss with warm pasta, put on pizza, spread on a pork tenderloin or chicken… pesto is delightfully easy to use! This will stay good in the fridge for about a week. 

 

Quinoa Taco Salad

By Corinne

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with quinoa as I shared in my post on Lemony Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas. I find it tends to suck the flavour out of things, and isn’t really that exciting on it’s own. Ha, ha, am I selling you on this yet? This really is a wonderful supper full of savoury flavours and delightful textures. I have found that red quinoa seems to have a bit more flavour, and I prefer it for this dish and most others. It is vegan as long as you either use dairy free cheese shreds and either omit or use a dairy free version of sour cream.

This recipe was inspired by one from Thug Kitchen 101- but edited for both additional flavour and simplicity. It could also easily be used as a filling for tacos, or as a topping for nachos 🙂

 

Time: about 35 minutes

Serves: 4 generously

You will need:

• 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed (to rinse or not to rinse? I buy mine in bulk so rinse)
• 1 3/4 cups water or veggie broth (I used veggie broth)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 cup canned (cooked) black beans
• 1 large onion, small dice
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, small dice
• 1-2 fresh jalapeño, minced (don’t be afraid to use at least one here! The quinoa really does make things less spicy somehow)
• 2 heads romaine, washed and chopped
• juice of one lime, + additional lime wedges for each salad
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• tortilla chips
• garnishes- avocado or guacamole, additional jalapeño, green onions, diced cherry or regular tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheddar or queso fresca

Combine 1 cup quinoa with water or veggie broth. Add 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp oregano. Bring to boil, and then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir every few minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy- about 20 min. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a bit more of everything to your taste, or leaving it as is. While quinoa is cooking, prepare vegetables.

Add 2 tbsp oil to pan on medium high heat, and add onion, black beans, bell pepper,  and jalapeño to pan. Fry until veggies are starting to get tender and getting some colour- about 5-7 min. Add cooked quinoa, lime juice, garlic, and cilantro. Stir for an additional minute or two.

Serve hot over lettuce with toppings of your choice. Also delicious cold for lunch the next day!

 

 

Chicken with Chardonnay Cream and Pancetta

By Corinne

I love cooking with wine! You don’t have to buy a super expensive bottle, but you should buy one that isn’t horrific or that makes you gag. I often use Grey Fox Chardonnay from California for cooking, as it’s inexpensive but also not the worst if you’re going to have a glass to finish the bottle.

This recipe was inspired by one in Niagra Cooks by Lynn Orgryzlo, but has been adapted. I wanted it to be gluten free, with more sauce, and a few less steps. A grainy mustard also works well here, though will give the finished sauce a slightly different texture. I have made it before with 1/2 and 1/2 cream, if you do this, you will need more time for reducing and definitely need to finish by thickening with corn starch.

Time: about 35 minutes

Serves: 4 

You will need:

• 4 chicken cutlets (about 1.5lbs or 0 .66kg)
• 4 slices of pancetta, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup (about 1/2 a large onion) finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 2 tbsp butter
•  1.5 cups chardonnay
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken or veggie broth
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tbsp corn starch + 2 tbsp broth, water or wine
• a few tbsp safflower, or canola oil
• salt and pepper

Cook pancetta until crisp in the pan you will be cooking the chicken in. Only cook pancetta over medium/medium low. It will get quite smokey if you do it on a higher heat.  Remove pancetta, add butter to pan. Add minced onion, cook until softened and starting to get golden, about 7 min. Add minced garlic and cook for about 1 more minute. Remove onion and garlic from pan, but leave any residual oil.

Add enough oil to the pan so that the bottom is covered in a thin layer. Turn up heat to medium high. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Add chicken to pan, it should sizzle loudly. You want some nice browning action so the pan has to be hot (though it should not be smoking). Cook 3-4 min on each side, turning once, until cooked through. If you are not using cutlets and are using rather thick breasts, brown both sides and then finish in a 400F oven until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F. You may have to cook in batches. Remove when cooked and keep warm in oven.

Add the chardonnay to the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Add the onions you cooked earlier. Let reduce for a few minutes until reduced by about a 1/4. Add chicken or vegetable broth and cream. Allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes. If sauce requires additional thickening, mix together 1/2tbsp corn starch with 2 tbsp broth, wine or water. Mix into sauce.

Serve cutlets with a generous scoop of sauce, and a piece of pancetta crumbled over top. Delicious sides that go well with this sauce include rice and almost any vegetable, though tonight I made twice baked broccoli potatoes- which also worked well 🙂

 

Skillet Chili Pasta

By Corinne

For a long time I had mixed feelings about chili. I don’t care for kidney beans. Sometimes people put mushrooms in their chili, and mushrooms happen to be one of the few things that I REALLY don’t like. I’m a bit picky about my ground beef. But one of the glorious things about making things yourself is you can do it how you like it. I usually make chili with stew beef rather than ground beef, but though I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, I have been inspired to make more plant protein based meals. This chili is a riff on something between my regular chili, and the chili mac from Thug Kitchen 101. It is vegan as long as you stick to vegan ‘toppers’ to finish.

You will need:

• 2 tbsp safflower or olive oil
• 1 onion chopped (I often use red onion, but yellow onions work fine)
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 1 large stalk of celery (or two small)
• 1 jalapeño finely minced (use half if you are cautious about the heat, it is always easier to add more than to try and adjust it if you’ve made it too hot for your taste)
• 2-3 cloves garlic pressed or minced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups (500ml)  of a plain tomato sauce, or diced tomatoes (I usually use my ones I canned from my garden until I run out!)
• *2 tbsp (30 ml)- 1/2 cup tomato paste the amount of tomato paste needed will depend on the tomato sauce you use and whether you used just canned tomatoes or an actual sauce
• 1 can of beer
• 2-3 cups (750ml) of vegetable broth (start with 2, add more water if needed for the pasta to cook)
• 3 cups of small pasta (about 240g) (today I used a tri-colour rotini, but I also love small shells for this)
• 1 can (540ml 19 fl oz) of black beans, rinsed
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp lime juice + zest from one lime
• any or none of the following to finish – cilantro, cheese, sour cream, avocado, lime wedges, additional jalapeño. This dish is vegan as long as you stick to vegan add ins.

In a large skillet, add  2 tbsp oil and chopped onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper,  and jalapeño pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes until veggies are fragrant and getting tender. Add garlic, coriander, cumin and paprika and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Add tomato sauce, veggie broth, and beer. Cover and bring to a simmer. Add pasta, cover and cook until pasta is a bit before al dente.  The amount of time here will depend on the size of your pasta, but about 7 minutes should probably do it. Add lime juice and zest, maple syrup and tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Before tomato paste is added

after tomato paste

Serve topped with any or none of the the suggested toppings. Do you have any toppings you love for chili that aren’t mentioned here?

Maple Balsamic Slaw and Sausage

By Corinne

If ‘coleslaw’ makes you think of mayo- banish it from your mind!  This is not your mayo based coleslaw for sure. Red cabbage is beautiful, inexpensive and an excellent source of vitamins C, K, and A. You could do all red cabbage for this slaw, or all green if that’s all you can find, but I like a combination of the two for the colours. In the middle of winter it can be difficult to find good produce that is reasonably priced. This colourful meal checks a number of boxes- easy, fast, healthy and economical!

RANDOM SCIENCE FACTS AND FUN HOME LAB FOR KIDS– skip this and scroll down if you want to straight to the foods!

You can also make an AWESOME natural indicator with red cabbage. An indicator is a substance that changes colour depending on pH. Red cabbage contains a pigment molecule that is an anthocyanin- this is what is responsible for the colour changes. Want a fun little science lab you can do at home?  I have done the following MANY times with my science students. I usually have them test a variety of ‘mystery liquids’ with both pH strips and a few drops of the red cabbage indicator. They are always surprised with the variety and brightness of the colours produced.

To make the indicator, boil some chopped red cabbage(about a cup or cup and a half) with a half a cup of water for about 5 minutes- it doesn’t matter too much proportions, but you want to end up with a dark purple liquid – that being said, the colour of the liquid will very much depend on the pH of your tap water and how close to neutral your  water is. Strain and cool (keep tightly sealed in the fridge) Once cooled, you can test a variety of household substances.

Start with something you know is acidic- lemon juice or vinegar and something you know is basic- bleach for example, so you have a baseline and know what colours to expect from acids and bases. In science class we use spot plates and pipettes, but you can just place a few drops of your testing liquid onto a plate. You want just a few drops of the substance you are testing, and then place a few drops of your indicator into it and record your observations.

If you drip this liquid into a substance that is basic, it will turn green, and if you drip it into an acid it turns bright pink. (Neutral solutions will stay purple). Have fun checking a variety of household liquids!

Time: 40 minutes for the sausages, about 15 minutes for the slaw or less if you are using a food processor.

Oven: 400F

Serves: 2-3

You will need:

• 350 g (about 4 cups) red cabbage thinly sliced
• 200 g (about 3 cups) green cabbage thinly sliced
• 140 g (1 large) carrot grated
• 3 salt and pepper sausages (can be found at Maltese if you are in Thunder Bay) or 3 mildly flavoured sausages of your choice
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) safflower or olive oil
• 2 1/2 tbsp (37 ml) pure maple syrup (don’t use maple flavoured whatever!)
• 1/2 tbsp (7 ml) toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp (10 ml) smooth dijon mustard
• 1/2 shallot, finely minced (about 1.5 tbsp)
• 1 clove of garlic finely minced
• a few grinds of fresh pepper

Heat oven to 400F while you make the dressing.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients. This makes about 1 cup of dressing.

Thinly slice cabbages and grate carrot. I used a food processor today, but have often just sliced by hand. Dress slaw in half of the dressing and refrigerate and reserve the other half of the dressing. (This is fine made ahead, but ensure you don’t add the toasted sesame seeds until serving)

Add 1 additional clove of garlic to the reserved dressing. Place sausages in a small casserole dish with the half cup of reserved dressing. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping them over periodically and basting in the dressing.

In a small frying pan, add the sesame seeds and toast over medium heat, shaking them up until golden- about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Add a generous amount slaw to each plate. When sausage is thoroughly cooked, slice on the bias and place on top of slaw. Sprinkle with a teaspoon or two of toasted sesame seeds.