Hello again, dear readers, and welcome to part deux of my series on getting back in the cooking groove. I’m not going to lie to you, folks. I don’t cook dinner every night. I marvel at those who do, but I’ve definitely stepped up my cooking/baking game — thanks in no small part to Kylie Sakaida, the author of So Easy, So Good. A registered dietician putting an emphasis on nutritional information literacy, her recipes and tips are evidence-based recommendations for quick, easy, nutritious and delicious meals. A lot of cookbook writers make those claims, but Sakaida actually delivers on those promises. I first came across her on YouTube shorts (the algorithm got it right for once). She has a clear-headed awareness of the reasons why so many of us struggle to cook every night, often citing her own experiences. Her YouTube channel and cookbook make things easier for us often hapless home cooks. I’ve been on a mission to cook several of her dishes, and I’ve made quite a few! I really enjoyed her mason jar soup method. It’s the kind of meal prep that doesn’t feel like meal prep because it’s so quick. You just choose whichever combination of ingredients you’re feeling that day (selecting from multiple recipes in the book), set up your containers (mason jars or glass containers if you don’t have enough), and follow her instructions for layering the components. When you’re ready to eat, you boil the kettle and fill them up. Just wait ten minutes, and then lunch is served. Sakaida suggests using vermicelli noodles, which cook in a flash. The ones I made with miso paste, edamame beans, mushrooms, tofu, carrot, ginger, soy sauce, and vegetable bouillon were yummy. Another extremely convenient method Sakaida suggests is the all-in-one rice cooker meal. It’s such a quick way to make a tasty meal, and the rice cooker does everything for you. The only thing I would suggest is not to overfill the rice cooker. If there’s too much in there, the sensor tends to malfunction, and it thinks it’s done before it actually is. I’ve made a great version with edamame, tofu, bok choy, soy sauce, rice, carrot, mirin, garlic, and sriracha, but there are so many versions of this you could do. The first time I saw her make crispy chickpeas, I knew I wanted to try them. She eats them with popcorn to make the movie snack more filling, fibre-packed, and protein-rich. These are so yummy. I have yet to actually try them with popcorn, but it’s on my to-do list. The cottage cheese dip in her book is delicious as well. It’s such a good alternative to mayo-based dips, and it has protein. I love it with pita chips, ritz crackers, and vegetable crudités. The ritz crackers aren’t so healthy, but it’s all about balance, right?

In this post, I want to emphasize how important it is to recognize misinformation and disinformation in the world of nutrition, particularly on social media. It’s often hard to separate facts from manipulative disinformation, designed to make you scared of certain foods so you’ll be incentivized to buy someone’s supplements or other products. The regulations on what are deemed ‘natural health products’ often enable this kind of behaviour. As always, I encourage everyone to think critically about claims you see online, regarding supplements and everything else. In this YouTube short, Sakaida talks about the importance of fibre in a person’s diet. It was a bit of a wake-up call for me to hear that colon cancer is such a concern right now for people under 50. These are the kinds of warnings that I appreciate: evidence-based calls to pay attention to what we’re eating, with several recommendations and choices to incorporate more fibre in your diet, for example. There is no magic bean, cure-all for health concerns. It’s important to remember that.

It’s funny how the people you love can prompt spurts of sustained cooking and baking. For instance, birthday cakes are one of the culturally established techniques for demonstrating affection. Or, simply put: we make cakes to show we care. I made this cake (above right) for someone close to me — with toasted, sweetened coconut flakes in the vanilla buttercream — and it reminded me how nice it is to make something for others and see the enjoyment on their faces. It looked exactly like the picture here…I assure you. I also made a dupe of The Cheesecake Factory’s plain cheesecake for another loved one, and let me tell you…this recipe is a good dupe. We ate ours with fruit salad, but it doesn’t even need anything on top, to be honest. Lastly, in the cake department, I made an amazing, classic strawberry shortcake, if I do say so myself. My mom has been requesting strawberry shortcake for many a year, but it never worked out until this past Mother’s Day. Finding the perfect recipe helps too.

Another huge inspiration for me is Justine Doiron. Again, someone I found on YouTube making good food. As a fellow pescatarian, I found her cookbook full of promising dishes. I am itching to make more of them, but I’ve only made “Boyfriend Salmon” so far, prompted by a special visit from my sister. It was quite tasty! The sauce had fish sauce, mustard (instead of mustard seeds), tomato paste, and brown sugar. I think I used paprika instead of cayenne too, but it was still scrumptious. I ended up buying Justine Cooks because there are so many salivary-gland-provoking pictures. Her recipes are often a little more involved, so I haven’t cooked any others so far. I loved her series of YouTube shorts on this channel where she designed and tested her own wedding cakes. The next thing on my list from her is “Sticky, Melty Fairytale Eggplant over Tofu Cutlets.” They look divine.

I have an obsession. A halloumi cheese obsession. Have you all tried it? No, seriously, have you tried it? The flavour may be best described as creamy, buttery, salty perfection that doesn’t melt when you cook it, so it browns wonderfully. It’s quite literally amazing. The Halloumi Cookbook is an homage to this wondrous cheese. Along with more in-depth instructions, this little blue book also has pages devoted to simple ways to cook the versatile ingredient. One idea is coating the slices in egg and breading them in sesame seeds. It’s delicious and so easy. The key is keeping the heat on the lower side so that the seeds don’t burn too quickly. I have this one checked out, and I can’t wait to make some more tasty morsels. Also, hot tip: Farm Boy makes spicy halloumi that comes pre-marinated, and it’s delectable. It doesn’t actually tell you what spices they use, and that makes it all the more alluring. (It has the allure. Any Miranda fans out there?)

If you’re looking for salad ideas (and who isn’t?), then the Mandy’s cookbooks are for you. Written by the Montreal-based sisters who created the Mandy’s salad bar/fast food restaurant business, there are countless options here. For me, when I’ve eaten Mandy’s in the past, I was struck by how delicious the salad dressings were. I had to find out what was in them! In particular, the “Tamari” and the “House” dressings are standouts. We have two of their cookbooks in our collection. If nothing else, they are handy tomes for creating exciting vinaigrettes and the like. Let’s be honest, the dressing makes the salad most of the time. The right seasoning and ratio of acidity (citrus or vinegar) to oil is everything.

Oh yeah, by the way. Of the recipes I said I wanted to try in the last post, I only made one: “Roasted Shrimp Panzanella” from Ina Garten’s Go-To Dinners. It was lovely. I would definitely make that one again. I still have my eye on that “Mushroom Bolognese.” I love slow cooking mushrooms. Stay tuned because who knows? Maybe I’ll do a part three of How Claire Got Her Cooking Groove Back. Speak to you all again soon. Take care and bye for now.