No Recipe Required with Lesley Taylor

This is part 2 of my conversation with Hilary (@hilspeth on Twitter) about our favourite "cheap and cheerful" wines, which are available at the LCBO for less than $20.

Sa Solin Valpolicella Ripasso (Italy, Vintages) $19.95

The Hare Wine Company, Jack Rabbit Special Blend Baco Noir (Niagara) $19.95

Enzo Vincenzo Valpolicella Ripasso (Italy) $16.40 (currently on sale for $14.40)

Jupiter, Cotes du Rhone (France, Vintages) $17.

This was a totally random and "off piste" discussion to record for the podcast! I was just looking for something different to talk about and my friend Hilary (@Hilspeth on Twitter) and I decided to just chat about something we both love - WINE! For this first bonus episode, we're talking about Cheap & Cheerful selections that retail for less than $20. Here are the wines we selected:

White Haven Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, NZ) $19.95

The Ned Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, NZ) $16.95 (currently on sale at the LCBO for $13.95)

Balbás Barrica 5 Tempranillo 2015 (Ribera de Duero, Spain) $15.95

Beronia Elaboración Especial Tempranillo (Rioja, Spain) $16.95

In this episode, Mike and I talk about sous-vide cooking, how a mystery cupboard got him back into baking, and picky eaters (it seems all my guests have thoughts on being a picky eater or having a picky eater in their lives.) We do a bit of a different approach as Mike requested ahead of time that I give him a recipe for a fish dish (the only thing he needed to buy was the fish!) We used a recipe from my Culinary Arts I program (1998) called Sole Bonne Femme (though you can make it with any mild white fish.) Hope you enjoy this episode...

I'm going to take a bit of a break after this one, so stay tuned for future episodes in a few weeks' time. In the meantime, Keep on cooking!

My friend and former colleague, Karen Denega, is is a self-empowerment expert who helps people elevate their lives so they can thrive more and be happier. For over a decade, her online 1-on-1 Insight sessions and Webinars have been providing people with the insights, techniques and tools that accelerate their personal results. If you want Karen to help you to awaken your true potential, power, purpose and possibilities through her unique insights and support, go to UnlockYourPeakPotential.com to book your session today. Follow Karen on Twitter or Instagram @KarenDenega to be the first to hear as she releases new books, recordings and resources to help you take your life to the next level.

Aside from the usual food-related topics, Karen and I talk about better things to make with quinoa than salad, and I have her make Chicken Paillard with a lemon Dijon sauce. Check out my Instagram page for details.

This episode was recorded live and in person with my dear friend, Leo Troy. Leo is a musician, runner and lover of food! We talk about all of those things and have a few laughs (and glasses of wine) along the way. In the end, we made a one-pan rice dish (sort of like Spanish paella) with onions, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes and canned salmon.

You can follow Lunchbox Social on Instagram at: @Lunchbox_social. Their songs are available on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. and you can watch their videos on Leo's YouTube channel (type Leo Troy in the search bar). The song at the end of this episode is called Gone Away. You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/Tirk_UGlgO0 (note: I recorded the opening scenes of the video!)

In this episode, my friend and coach Mike Howard (@LeanMinded) talk about fitness, fat loss and fond memories of Costa Rica. After (virtually) looking through Mike's fridge and cupboard, I coached him through the process to make a crustless quiche with all the veggies he already had on hand.

You can follow Mike here:

Facebook/LeanMinded

Instagram @LeanMinded

Twitter @Lean_Minded

In this episode I'm talking with my friend, Tim, who is a stained glass artist. We chat about his work, our mutual love of (and obsession with) sourdough bread, how to cook (and not cook) chicken, and a really ingenious way of cooking corn on the cob! You can follow Tim @Timmar1771 on Instagram to see his stained glass - as well as the corn on the cob trick!

Today's episode is with my friend, Denise, whom I've known for about 10 years. She's married with 3 kids and works full time, so she's got lots going on every day! We talk about farm boxes, how to cook for different tastes (and how she manages everyone's preferences), lots and lots of root veggies and how she can combine them with the chicken she has on hand into a hearty and tasty stew! You can follow Denise on Instagram @Luckymama.ca.

In this episode I'm chatting with Tara, owner of Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) who is a Sports Nutritionist, Personal Trainer and Triathlon Coach. We talk about cooking (and grocery shopping) during the pandemic, veggies, Instant Pots, freezing things, eating out and food delivery - but more importantly, we came up with a tasty meal with the ingredients she already had in the fridge! Check out my Instagram post for photos and a recipe recap.

Kodee is a dear friend whom I've known her whole life. She's a former top-level collegiate athlete who played for the University of Wisconsin Badgers Soccer Team. You can find Kodee on Instagram and Twitter @kodeew.

The recipe we made was with leftover ingredients from her fridge including: potatoes, onions, broccoli. Boursin cheese and milk.