Appetizers - cookingwithcassandra.com

Arugula Beet Feta Salad with Candied Pecans

Bowl of salad with pecans beets and arugula

Beets are way underrated – if you have never cooked with this delicious and versatile superfood, today is the day to start. Beneath that tough exterior and that gorgeous deep purple hue, beetroots are a very nutritious root vegetable. They are rich sources of potassium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It doesn’t get the credit it deserves! The latest addition to my salad recipes is this stunning beet salad with feta, arugula, and candied pecans. I would describe it as fresh, nutty, sweet, and salty. There’s also a balsamic vinaigrette that brings out all the best flavors of this...

Easy Bruschetta Recipe

A close up of toasted bread with bruschetta toppings

One of the reasons why I enjoy summer (besides barbecues and sunshine) is because of all the produce that is in-season. Melon and berries often get the spotlight as summer fruits, but think about all the fresh tomatoes! This fruit (we aren’t going to debate on whether tomatoes are fruits or vegetables!) is perfect for one of my favorite appetizers: bruschetta. Bruschetta — a traditional Italian antipasto — is essentially a tomato mixture on grilled bread slices and is great as an appetizer, snack, side dish or even on its own. They look fancy, but are so easy to make! With...

Healthy Cauliflower White Pizza (with step-by-step instructions)

Through the years dabbling with culinary arts, here’s my thesis: Cauliflower works the hardest. You can bake it, make soup from it, air-fry it, mash it, and even make rice from it. This vegetable is definitely versatile, and when you want to make a low-carb pizza, cauliflower will happily rise to the occasion. Keep reading for my tried-and-tested cauliflower pizza crust recipe plus how to make a white, cheesy topping. This vegetarian pizza is a timeless companion - you can have it for lunch, dinner, I will admit I have even had leftovers for breakfast. The blend of...

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I was beyond words when I found out PF Chang’s was launching here in Canada. My husband and I are huge fans of Asian food, so we rushed to book a table there for dinner. Needless to say, we were impressed! Of all the amazing dishes we had, I knew I had to try and replicate PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps. Tender, juicy and just so full of flavor. These chicken lettuce wraps are so versatile - they work really well as starters or as part of a main course, depending on how many people are at the table. What I absolutely love about these delicious wraps is that they’re...

Mexican Flatbread Pizzas

Mexican flatbread with smoky charred corn

Can we both agree that Mexican street corn (also known as elotes Mexicanos) is the single most exciting way to eat Canada’s third most grown crop? Yep, I’m talking about corn! We’ve become so used to cooking recipes that name corn as just another topping, but it rarely gets the spotlight, you know? This humble vegetable always contributes itself to dishes like salads, salsa, pizza toppings, and more, going unnoticed and staying in the background. But not this time. Oh, no! In today’s Mexican street corn recipe, we let corn take center stage. The sour cream and...

Garlic Butter Baked Shrimp

Does anyone else find themself frequenting the frozen dinners aisle at Costco a lot more than they should? That was 100% me before I began my cooking journey… There are just so many different things to try! Who can say no to an easy, no-frills, microwaveable meal every now and then? My days of frozen dinners are behind me, but I recently thought about this garlic butter shrimp scampi I once had which actually tasted amazing. I decided to recreate it with my own spin on it. I present you: the best garlic butter shrimp you’ll ever have. Instead of going the pasta route, this...

Easy Homemade Pico De Gallo

close up of homemade pico de gallo served with chips

What’s a tangy, fresh dip that goes super well with chips? You guessed it – salsa! No more buying bottled salsa, my friends. Today, I’m showing you exactly how to make authentic pico de gallo. It isn’t exactly salsa, though it is just one step shy. The only difference is that salsa is a puréed form of the same ingredients, whereas pico de gallo (or salsa fresca) keeps its vegetables in solid form. In Mexican restaurants and fast food joints, pico de gallo is found in fish tacos and meat burritos, acting as a sweet and spicy relish. Plus, it’s the perfect dip for tortilla...

Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Okay, before I proceed to rave about this Greek godsend, let’s say this together: Tzatziki is pronounced sat-see-kee. Not tuh-za tuh-zi-kee, nope. Sat-see-kee. I had to learn that the hard way. Oh, if you could just see the waiters trying to stifle a smile for all the times I proudly requested “more of that delicious tuh-za tuh-zi-kee for my kabobs”. It wasn’t until I was on the phone later that night, telling a friend how darn good it was, when she laughed, “You know it’s pronounced sat-see-kee, right?” LOL. I never made that mistake again. Anyway, if you’ve never...

Flatbread Pizza Dough Recipe

There’s something so comforting about homemade flatbread. It’s such a nice reminder that simple, handcrafted food is still within reach. Like most carbohydrates, flatbread is made with the most basic ingredients that have been around for centuries: flour, salt, water, and olive oil. If you haven’t made homemade bread before, don’t let this intimidate you! Flatbread is a great place to start for beginners. Most flatbreads have yeast as well, but I like going without it. You can never go wrong with yeastless flatbread. It just doesn’t demand that much and you don’t...

Easy Caprese Flatbread

Flatbread topped with melted mozzarella and tomatoes

What is flatbread? Flatbread is leavened dough which is flattened out with your bare hands or rolling pins and then pan-fried or oven-baked. Great on its own, or with your favorite dips. Flatbread is also used as pizza crust, welcoming any combination of toppings to enjoy it with. Flatbread has a soft texture and can be fluffy when yeast is included in the mix. To learn how to make my flatbread from scratch, check out my quick and easy flatbread recipe! It doesn’t contain any yeast, so that means it requires no overnight proofing and saves time. For this recipe, I’m...

Easy Caesar Salad Dressing

Caesar salads are one of those classic side dishes on the menu that’s hard to go wrong with. It’s got crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons, and cheese. There are also added protein options, such as grilled chicken breasts, cajun shrimp, salami, and bacon. The thing that makes a Caesar salad spectacular, I believe, is the dressing that ties it all together. It is rich with flavors from anchovies, garlic mayonnaise, cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, all blended together. I decided to take a stab at making homemade Caesar salad dressing, and can you believe it...

Sheet Pan Shrimp Tacos With Cilantro Cream Sauce

Taco Tuesday meets Surf-n-Turf with this recipe, and oh, are you going to love this one. Imagine a warm, softshell tortilla filled with juicy shrimp that’s been baked in a hot cumin-chili-garlicky marinade. Accompanying the shrimps are sweet pineapple chunks, crunchy shallots, and creamy cilantro coleslaw. Flavor, texture, and nutrition – this recipe truly has it all. Also, depending on the type of tortilla wrap you use, these shrimp tacos can be gluten-free. It’s also a keto-friendly recipe and can be made low-carb by skipping the tortilla wrap and serving the shrimps over a bowl...

Cassandra Morris