ROAST CHICKEN

I put the chicken in a roaster, smothered it in olive oil and butter, and covered it in Epicure's Roast Chicken Seasoning and Epicure's Poultry Seasoning. Then I added about 2-3 tsp. Epicure's Turkey Gravy (only available in the fall) and 1/2 c. water in the bottom of the roaster. Cook uncovered for about 2 hours at 325 F, basting every half hour. (Add more water if necessary.) Continue cooking until meat thermometer reads 185 F. To make gravy, simply drain off the liquid from the roaster, whisk in some flour, and simmer over medium heat for a few minutes.

You could use either of these seasonings on their own - I just opted to try them together for something different. I absolutely love the Roast Chicken Seasoning - it's one of my favourite Epicure spice blends.

PESTO PIZZA

1 pizza crust

1/2 - 3/4 c. pesto (1/4 c. Epicure's Pesto Herbs, 1/4 c. olive oil, 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, 3 tbsp. finely chopped pine nuts or pistachios - optional)

carmelized onions

baby spinach

cherry tomatoes, halved

goat cheese, crumbled

mozzarella cheese, grated

Epicure's Pizza Seasoning (which I forgot)

Spread pesto on the pizza crust, and layer the remaining ingredients. Bake on Epicure's Crisper Pan at 400 F for 12-14 minutes.

LE TAJ CHICKEN KEBABS

2 tbsp. Epicure's Le Taj Secret Sauce

4 tbsp. water

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 chicken breasts, cubed

1 onion, quartered

20 cherry tomatoes

Combine Le Taj seasoning with water and let it sit for a few minutes before adding the olive oil. Toss chicken in Le Taj sauce. Make skewers with pieces of chicken, onion, and cherry tomatoes. Grill on the barbeque, turning once. (I made a double batch of the sauce so that I had some extra for dipping - I just set some of it aside and used the rest to marinate the chicken.)

This would be great with rice or naan.

EGGS BENEDICT WITH EASY HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

I found blender recipes for Hollandaise sauce, and oh my goodness, it is so simple to make! I jazzed it up with some Epicure products, but you could keep it simple or add your own favourite products, depending on your preference - any of these would be good: Smoked Spanish Paprika, Lemon Dilly, Harissa, or Chipotle Chili.

Fill a pot of water just a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer. Grease egg poachers with butter and crack an egg into each one. Place in the pot and cover, cooking for about 3-4 minutes. The water shouldn't be boiling - you just want it steaming and tiny bubbles coming up from the bottom.

Toast buns or English muffins in the toaster.

Place asparagus in the steamer and microwave for 2 minutes.

In a small pot (or use the microwave), melt 1/2 c. butter. While butter is melting, use a hand blender to beat three egg yolks in a small bowl until they lighten in colour and start to get frothy. Squeeze in the juice of 1/4 lemon, and add your seasonings. (I used Epicure's Fisherman's Wharf Sea Salt for a bit more lemony flavour, and Epicure's Sriracha Seasoning for a bit of kick!) Continue beating, and slowly add the melted butter. Use sauce immediately, or store in a bowl of warm water until you are ready to eat.

To assemble: Place a slice of ham and some steamed asparagus on top of the toasted bun. Top with a poached egg, plenty of Hollandaise sauce, and a pinch of Sriracha Seasoning.

PASTA WITH PARIS BISTRO CREAM SAUCE

8 slices of bacon
1 onion, diced
2 c. chopped mushrooms
1 c. white wine
1 batch Epicure's Paris Bistro Secret Sauce (2 tbsp. Paris Bistro, 1/4 c. water, 2 tbsp. olive oil) - if you don't have this, you could try using Epicure's Herb & Garlic Dip Mix
2 c. whipping cream
cooked pasta
optional: tomatoes & asparagus

In a large pot, brown bacon and set aside. Add onion and mushrooms to the pot and sauté in the bacon grease (drain it beforehand if there is too much grease). Once they are soft, add a splash of wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Prepare the Paris Bistro sauce by combining 2 tbsp. of the spice blend with 1/4 c. water and letting it sit for a few minutes before adding 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the Paris Bistro sauce to the mushroom mixture along with the rest of the wine. Add whipping cream and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens. Chop bacon and add it to the sauce. Toss pasta in sauce and garnish with chopped tomatoes & steamed asparagus.

SALMON (Oh Canada, Fisherman's Wharf, and Teriykai)

The only thing I don't like about cooking salmon is trying to decide which seasoning to use. There are so many flavours that my family loves! Tonight I made 3 different salmon fillets by placing them all on a lined baking sheet, drizzling them with olive oil, and then sprinkling with the seasonings. Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes.

OH CANADA - drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Epicure's Oh Canada Dry Glaze
FISHERMAN'S WHARF - drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Epicure's Fisherman's Wharf Sea Salt
TERIYKAI - drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Epicure's Teriykai Rub or Seasoning and some brown sugar

Some other great flavours to try are:

• Epicure's Alder Smoked Sea Salt
• Epicure's Sweet & Spicy Mustard or Honey Mustard
• Epicure's Lemon Dilly Dip Mix
• Epicure's Jamaican Jive Dry Glaze

Clockwise from the top: Fisherman's Wharf, Teriyaki, and Oh Canada

PURPLE COUSCOUS

We had some leftover couscous, so I made a very basic salad with some vegetables we had in the fridge. You could add whatever you like - green onions, feta cheese, edamame beans, fresh herbs... there are lots of options. I made a dressing with Epicure's Mint & Beet Dip Mix so it turned a pretty purple colour (and tastes awesome!)

couscous, cooked
cherry tomatoes, quartered
cucumbers, diced
any other ingredients you think would taste good
Dressing :
2 tsp. Epicure's Mint & Beet Dip Mix
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. raspberry vinegar

Toss the ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk together the dressing and pour over top, stirring until the salad is evenly coated.

Homemade Potato Chips in minutes!

My Epicure Chipster has been going non-stop for the last week - the kids and I have been making batches of homemade potato chips with our two favourite seasonings: Poutine Seasoning and Butcher's Block Sea Salt. I love dipping the chips in Chipotle Bacon & Cheddar dip!

Slice potato with Epciure's Ceramic Slicer and place on the Chipster.

Season with your favourite flavour.

Put in microwave for 3.5 minutes (times may vary).

BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE

My kids love when I make Kraft Dinner Epicure-style (ie: I cook the macaroni, then use Epicure's Mac & Cheese to make the sauce instead of that dreadful neon orange packet of chemicals that we all grew up on.) This recipe is different though - it's your old-school Macaroni & Cheese, loaded with homemade cheese sauce and baked in the oven.  There's nothing but carbs and dairy in this meal (and a bit of onion, to cover the veggie food group!) but it's delicious.

2 tbsp. butter

1 onion, diced or grated (or just use 1-2 tbsp. Epicure's 3 Onion Dip Mix)

1/3 c. flour

3 c. milk

2 tsp. Epicure's Sweet & Spicy Mustard

a dash of Butcher's Block Sea Salt

3 c. cheddar cheese, grated (or use a variety of cheeses if you like)

10 c. cooked macaroni

While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large pot. Sauté onion for a few minutes, then add flour and cook for a minute. Slowly add milk, whisking to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Add mustard, salt, and cheese (reserving some to sprinkle on top). Stir till cheese is melted, and then add the pasta. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

MONTREAL CHICKEN BURGER & SUMMER SALAD

I love making a big batch of burgers and freezing them so we are ready to bbq all summer long! Here's a recipe for chicken burgers and a summer salad that I whipped up with whatever looked good in my fridge.

MONTREAL CHICKEN BURGERS
2 pkgs. ground chicken (probably 1.5 lbs)
1/2 sleeve of unsalted soda crackers, crushed
1 egg
2 tbsp. Epicure's Montreal Chicken Rub
1 tbsp. Epicure's 3 Onion Dip Mix

Combine everything and form into patties. (I use this burger press and freeze them, then cook from frozen.) Grill and serve on a bun with sriracha aioli and your favourite toppings. (I love guacamole on my burgers but sadly I didn't have any tonight.)

SUMMER SALAD
spinach
cherry tomatoes
cucumber
blackberries
snap peas
soft cheese (I used Laughing Cow, but you could use goat cheese or bocconccini)
VINAIGRETTE: 1 tbsp. Epicure's Raspberry Vinaigrette Seasoning, 1/3 c. olive oil, 1/6 c. raspberry vinegar, 1 tsp. Epicure's Honey Mustard

BALI GLOW STIR-FRY

The new Bali Glow Dry Glaze brings together flavours of lime, lemongrass, and chili. It goes perfectly with seafood and coconut milk in this simple, versatile stir-fry. Use your favourite vegetables or even a pack of frozen stir-fry veggies to make a quick and delicious meal.

2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 pkg. frozen shrimp & scallops
1 c. bean sprouts
handful of snap peas
1/2 can coconut milk
1-2 tbsp. Epicure's Bali Glow Dry Glaze
prepared basmati rice (1 c. rice, 2 c. water, bring to a boil and then cover & simmer for 15 minutes)

Heat coconut oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add red bell pepper and onion and cook until slightly soft. Add seafood, bean sprouts, and snap peas. Pour in coconut milk and sprinkle with Bali Glow. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until seafood is cooked (you may also want to reduce heat and cover for a few minutes.) Serve over basmati rice.

Two appetizers in one: SAUSAGE STUFFED MUSHROOMS & CHEESE DIP

This recipe makes enough cheese mixture to fill 6 jumbo mushroom caps and still have enough for a delicious hot cheese dip. I used Crab Dip Mix and Molto Bene Secret Sauce, but you could play around with it and try a variety of Epicure products. The cheese dip was insanely popular when I brought it to a friend's birthday party this weekend!

6 jumbo mushrooms

1 onion, diced

1 pkg. hot Italian ground sausage

1 tomato, diced

1 pkg. cream cheese

1 tbsp. Epicure's Crab Dip Seasoning

1 batch Epicure's Molto Bene Secret Sauce (2 tbsp. Molto Bene, 4 tbsp. water, 2 tbsp. olive oil)

grated cheddar cheese

MUSHROOM CAPS: Remove mushroom stems and dice them. Sauté onion and mushroom stems in a bit of butter until soft. Add sausage and cook until browned. Stir in remaining ingredients except for cheddar cheese and cook until everything is combined. Scoop filling into mushroom caps and place on a baking sheet or bbq-safe dish lined with tinfoil. Top with grated cheese and bake in the oven or bbq until golden brown.

CHEESE DIP: You should have quite a bit of cheese mixture left over. Spread it into a baking dish and top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 F until bubbly and then serve with baguette slices.