I’ve always loved hasselback potatoes. I think they make for a fun presentation and people will think you fussed. They’re also a nice alternative to the classic go-to baked potato. I always thought they would be tricky to make, but as it turns out, it’s surprisingly easy. Give it a go.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

4 medium Russet or Idaho baking potatoes, washed and dried

Salt and pepper

6 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons butter

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 tablespoon chopped chives

2 tablespoons parmesan, fine grate

Sour cream (Optional)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place two chopsticks down on a cutting board horizontally. Place a potato between them, making sure the bottom of the potato is touching the cutting board and not resting on the chopsticks. Move the chopsticks so they are resting snuggly against the potato. Cut thin vertical slices down the potato. The knife will stop on the chopsticks, leaving the bottom intact. (Be careful around the ends, they may fall off if you don’t stop the knife before they hit the chopsticks.) Repeat for all the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Take off the heat and add the olive oil, garlic and chives. Mix to combine.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Using a basting brush, brush ½ of the butter mixture onto the potatoes, making sure to brush in between the slices.

Place in the oven for 60-70 minutes until fork tender. Brush the remaining mixture on the potatoes every 20 minutes.

To serve, garnish with parmesan.

I’m not much of a dessert maker. I usually leave that to my husband who has a way with sugar and flour. But he’s not a fan of fruit desserts, so if I have a craving, I’m on my own. Although you can certainly use apples for this tart, I thought I’d give pears a try. They just don’t get the same adoration that apples do, but I think they deserve it.

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

3 large pears, thinly sliced

4 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

1 tsp flour

Chopped pecans for topping

Ice cream (optional/preferably vanilla based)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400F.

Roll out the thawed puff pastry dough into a 10 inch by 12-inch rectangle. Using an 8 x 11 rectangular tart pan, place the dough inside the pan. Gently push the dough into the sides of the pan trying not to stretch the dough too much. You’ll have some excess on the sides, so fold that into the edges. Run a rolling pin over the top of tin to cut off any more excess. Use your fingers to neaten up the edges.

In a bowl mix together the maple syrup, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and flour. Then toss the sliced pears in the mixture.

Line the pears on the pastry as neatly as you can.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes.

For garnish, sprinkle with pecan pieces and place a scoop of your favorite vanilla based ice cream on top.

I know this might not seem like the most romantic dish you can make for Valentine’s Day, but it is nice and cozy for a cold winter’s night. It’s also one of my hubby’s favorites, so why not? It’s a great dish for using all those leftover veggies and chicken you have in the fridge. I like to use puffed pastry as the crust. I find it more delicate and tastier than a classic pie crust. You can still dress up the meal with a nice bottle of pinot noir or even champagne. Happy Valentine’s Day!

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

8 cremini mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chopped or shredded chicken

1 can cream of mushroom soup

½ cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 sheet puffed pastry

1 egg, beaten

Cranberry sauce, for garnish

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On the stove top, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, carrot and celery. Sauté for about 8 minutes until the onion starts to caramelize. Add in the mushrooms and garlic and continue to sauté for another 3 minutes. Add in the chicken, mushroom soup and water. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add in the red pepper flakes. Stir and bring to a light boil.

NOTE: If the sauce looks too watery, allow moisture to boil off for a few minutes. If sauce is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time until it is the consistency of a thick chowder.

Turn off the heat and allow to cool for ten minutes.

Roll out one puffed pastry sheet on a floured surface. Using a deep-dish pie pan as a guide, cut out a circle one-inch larger than the pie pan.

Grease the deep-dish pie pan with butter. Pour the chicken mixture into the pie pan. Cover the pie pan with the puffed pastry. Crimp the edges with a fork or fold the overlap of the crust under itself. Cut out a 1-inch hole in the middle so that the steam can escape.

(If you have leftover puffed pastry, feel free to use it to decorate the crust. You can roll it out and use cookie cutters to make different shapes or just twist a few long strands and braid it.)

Brush the crust with a beaten egg.

Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust begins to brown.

Remove from oven and let rest five minutes before serving. Garnish with cranberry sauce.

As much as I like a classic whole roasted chicken, in truth, no one in our family is a big white meat eater. So rather than some of us getting disappointed and stuck with the breast, I’ve started buying chicken quarters. This way, everyone gets the dark meat. Craving fried chicken without all the grease, I decided to make these in the air-fryer. It came out perfectly juicy with a nice crispy crust.

INGREDIENTS(serves 2)

1 tablespoon molasses

¼ cup orange juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 chipotle pepper with 1 tablespoon adobe sauce

2 bone-in chicken quarters

Salt and pepper

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup flour

1 cup panko

½ cup grated parmesan, small grate

Spray olive oil

Maple syrup for garnish (Optional)

PREPARATION

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a large Ziploc bag. In a small bowl, combine molasses, orange juice, 1 teaspoon salt, chipotle pepper and adobe sauce. Pour in mixture in with chicken, seal bag and massage marinade around chicken. Place in fridge overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.

Lay out three shallow bowls. Place flour in one. Beat eggs and place in next. Place panko in third. Season each with salt and pepper. Add parmesan to panko and lightly mix.

Remove chicken from marinade. Dredge each quarter first in flour, then eggs, then panko. Spritz each side with olive oil.

Place chicken thighs in air fryer for 30-45 minutes based on size of chicken quarters. Turn thighs over half-way through. Remove from fryer and let rest for five minutes. (Internal temperature should be between 165-175 degrees).

For a nice touch, drizzle a little maple syrup on top before serving.