This quick recipe is sure to be a hit at any table that enjoys hot sauce.

2-3 eggs

Splash of milk, (measure with your eyes)

Oregano

Pepper

Hot sauce

Cheese

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine first five ingredients. Then, add to a preheated pan, and fold in cheese. Cook for 4-6 mins, or until desired consistency comes through. Serve alone, or with toast or fruit.

Like anything, practice makes perfect. Baking, of course, is no different. The more you practice, the better you get at it. Just remember, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Remember, if something doesn’t work, you can always tweak it the next time and make it better. Not all ideas on paper will work out.

I’m sure by now, many of you have heard that baking is very precise and is a science. That’s because, unlike in cooking, baking doesn’t allow you to fix your errors without starting over from the start. There’s some exceptions, but they’re few and far between. Take making a double recipe, for example. If you had to substitute an ingredient for something else, it is likely that you could do it without ruining the whole thing. Another thing to keep in mind is patience. If something doesn’t work right the first time, make the necessary changes and adjustments, and try again. The only way to improve at something is to continue practicing. And of course, never stop learning!!

Nothing beats these simple scones. They’re great with a little butter or margarine to have for breakfast.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup cold margarine (or butter)

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients and mix. Add the margarine and combine until crumbly.

2) In a small bowl, beat egg until frothy then stir in milk. Pour into the first mixture and stir to form a soft dough.

3) Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 8-10 times then divide into 2 parts. Cut into 4″ circles and place on prepared baking sheet about 5″ apart.

4) Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Make a “y” shape on each scone then bake in a preheated oven at 375’F for about 20 min or until golden brown.

The combination of flavors in this recipe help deliver such an elegant yet savory dish. It’s also very simple to make and can be served with your favorite sides.

Ingredients:

4-6 sausages (such as mild Italian), sliced

2 medium or 1 large red onion, sliced

6-8 mini peppers or 2 large peppers, sliced

2-3 tbsp sugar

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2-3 tbsp vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

A couple pinches of basil, (for color)

Directions:

1) In a large frying pan, over medium-high heat fry the sausages until browned all the way through.

2) Drain any excess grease then add the peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper frequently and sautee until soft.

3) Add the oil, sugar and vinegar and allow it to simmer for 10-12 min.

4) Transfer to a bowl, then add the basil. Serve with rice, pasta, salad etc.

Like anything you set out to do, learning how to cook or bake takes lots of time, practice and patience. It took me several times of doing the same recipe over and over again before I started to feel confident about getting the hang of it. Another thing to keep in mind, we’re all only human. It’s only natural/normal to make mistakes, if we didn’t something would be wrong. Don’t beat yourself up anytime you make a mistake. Just use it as a lesson for next time, figure out what went wrong so you can hopefully avoid it from happening again and keep going. I’m a big believer in the phrase, if at first you don’t succeed, try try again. I’ve been cooking and baking for over half my life and still have lots to learn, even with making the occasional mistake here and there. Another good thing to keep in mind when you’re starting out, don’t be overconfident. Your skillset will get better and stronger over time. If you’re not as good as one of your friends or family members, don’t stress about it. Knife skills take a lot of practice and patience, start with something simple like cutting/chopping up onions or peppers. Over time you’ll be able to successfully do a perfect dice. And speed, well that comes over time after lots of practice. Watch cooking shows or demos on YouTube, they’ll help a lot. The last thing to always keep in mind is to stay focused. The minute you lose your concentration is when things start to burn, you hurt yourself or even mess up whatever you’re making. If you’re fully engaged in the task at hand, those are less likely to happen. Stay strong, and always keep positive!

All of us at one time or another have been pushed/challenged to do something we’ve never done before. And when it comes to learning new recipes or techniques with those recipes it’s no different. Sometimes, you’ll find things come relatively easy while other times will be more challenging. The thing to remember is that you should never be afraid of a challenge. Sometimes it’s what helps you find your style/way in the kitchen. In other words, challenges like this can help set you apart from others. Whether that’s with a specific recipe or how you choose to cook/bake all the time, that decision is ultimately for you to decide and figure out. The main message here is to never be too afraid to challenge yourself or get out of your comfort zone and of course to always have fun and stay safe with whatever you’re doing!!

I’ve been taking advantage of these uncertain times and have been trying out new recipes. One thing I’ve learned is that it doesn’t matter how much you think you already know, there’s always more to learn. That’s happened a lot lately, I’ve been starting to bake more and with that I’m learning new recipes and maybe some new techniques as well. Recently, I made banana bread for the very first time, it turned out really well and I even added a hint of vanilla in it. I’ve found that even with recipes I’ve never made before if I feel confident enough, I’ll make it more my own by adding the odd thing here and there to it.

Everybody has creativity in them. It’s the people who put that creativity to good use that gain more success. Decorating a dish you make is no different. Take a steak dish for example, rather than just placing the items on the plate why not give it a little more character by cutting the steak into strips, fanning it out, and finishing it with parsley and a jus. Additionally, using a piping bag add mashed potatoes but make them into a flower. Lastly, finish the dish by adding carrots around the potatoes. That kind of technique is just one example but you can get creative like that with any dish if you set your mind to it!!

You’ll be surprised how elegantly the sweet and savory flavors come together in this dish.

Ingredients

1 large can of pineapple slices

1 lb. Ground beef

Salt and pepper to taste

Island Sauce:

Reserved pineapple juice (2 tbsp)

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1) Season meat with salt and pepper. Press a tablespoon of meat into the centre of each pineapple ring, overlapping the meat around the slice so it won’t fall out when cooking.

2) Shape remaining meat into 4 patties, slightly larger in diameter than the pineapple.

3) Broil burgers for 12-15 minutes turning once. Broil the meat filled pineapple slices, turning carefully and brushing the island sauce until meat is tender and done. To assemble, place pineapple burger on a toasted bun.