The Unknown Chef is newest addition to the Birdz of a Feather family; it’s our recipe category. Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. The recipe for a happy life is the right blend of family and friends to share it with, don’t you think?
‘The Unknown Chef‘ is inspired by Hubs. But does anybody really trust a skinny chef? Find out why you should! Although his ambitions to become a well-known chef didn’t go to plan, the blog at least provides an outlet to help prove the naysayers wrong!
We’re big proponents of healthy eating and prefer our ingredients to be non GMO, organic, where possible, and sugar free.
You’ll find quick and easy recipes that are real timesavers, like our pressure cooker pulled pork. All the recipes are accessible to everyone. Even those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease, there are gluten free substitutes that will work every time. Hubs himself has celiac so every recipe on the site caters to a gluten-free diet.
Enjoy!
Although I serve this mango and avocado slaw dish with cod as the protein, I adapt the recipe for Hubs.
Do you have picky eaters in your household too? If so, you can make this same dish, but just switch out the protein. So while I make this with fish for me, I cook chicken for him and serve it with the same mango and avocado slaw. And we’re both happy!
My zucchini tofu lasagna turned out unexpectedly amazing, which is why it’s a zucchini lasagna with a twist. Noodle-less lasagna is a great concept in theory but when put into practice with zucchini as a substitute, you may find your favourite Italian cuisine drowning in water.
I was inspired by my sister for this vegetarian lasagna. Her version of zucchini lasagna, while really good flavour-wise, is always super watery. This recipe not only fixes that unwanted flaw, but we actually enjoy the taste and texture just as much as lasagna made with real noodles. What a bonus when you’re trying to avoid carbs!
Tofu Chili is a go-to on meatless Monday because it gives us all the flavour of a regular chili con carne minus the meat. Around here, we call it Chili Con Tofu. Tofu is brilliant at taking on whatever flavour you add!
We love hummus, but often tire of the same ‘ol recipe so today we’re trying out eggplant hummus and I have to say, this recipe is a keeper!
As you may know, I’m trying to eat healthier to lose some of the pounds I’ve packed on and this dip is chock full of goodness when paired up with vegetables!
Fruity breakfast parfait is an easy make-ahead breakfast. It’s something I just started doing because I’m making an effort to loose weight. However, even when I DO lose the weight, I’ll continue to make these. That’s because they’re so darn easy, nutritious and good! What’s not to love about a make ahead breakfast that’s ready to pull out of the fridge in the morning?
Gluten free blueberry muffins that actually taste good seemed a dream until this recipe. We ate our way through many a puck, let me tell you. But things have changed since Hubs was diagnosed with Celiac disease and luckily time and patience always win out!
In anticipation of barbecue season and smoked meat, we were craving curried potato salad thinking it can’t be far off now.
Move over Beyond Beef! Beet burgers are the healthy way to enjoy meat substitutes. The cost, and the fact that Beyond Beef is overly processed, is a no-go for us. So instead of Beyond Beef, we’re making our own Beyond Beet burgers with real and nutritious ingredients.
A comforting hot bowl of buckwheat porridge with pear is just the thing to stave off the morning chill of Fall! Surprisingly it also makes a delicious desert any time of year.
Sweet potato shepherd’s pie is probably my favourite make-ahead meal because there’s enough to eat some the same day and also freeze for later! It’s always a tasty treat to grab an extra one out of the freezer on those days that you just don’t feel like cooking.
This creamy lentil curry is one of those one pot wonders! It’s great as a side dish or over rice, but recently we paired it with delicata squash and discovered that lentil squash boats are a keeper! Another go to recipe for meatless Monday!
These also make a great side dish at Thanksgiving or any holiday where you want to substitute stuffing. Since we can’t eat ‘real’ bread, this is a great alternative to stuffing and a whole lot healthier!
Do you ever just hang out in front of an open fridge and draw a blank? Those are the days that we really don’t know what we want for dinner. Well, if you have a couple red peppers, any kind of rice, some canned beans and corn and some jared salsa, you’ve got a quick and simple dinner with this mexican style stuffed peppers. Try it for meatless Monday!
Love fried chicken? Perhaps you made a new year’s resolution to cut back. Well you’ve come to the right place because these are the crispiest chicken wings ever!
This recipe lets you have all the crispy crunchy goodness without frying! Yes, you read that right – no oil, no muss, no fuss; but all the flaaaay-vour! If that weren’t enough, it’s also gluten free.
This recipe for chocolate bark comes out of necessity for wanting chocolate when there was none to be found in our house! Our version does tend to soften when handled too much. So I think the best way to eat it is to embellish a dish of ice cream with it! But keep in mind that you can eat it like chocolate – if you don’t mind licking your fingers after :).
With all the hustle and bustle of the upcoming holidays, nothing hits the spot better than an easy poutine recipe with mushroom gravy. Who really has time to cook when you’re busy crafting for Christmas? We’re huge fans of this Canadian classic! If you don’t know what poutine is, it’s a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy that originated in Quebec.
We’re not only showing you a quick and easy mushroom poutine, but the best way to cook mushrooms too! It really is the best poutine recipe when you want something quick and satisfying.
In this recipe, I’ve combined my love of two breakfast favourites: pizza for breakfast with Matzo Brei; a classic mid-eastern breakfast dish. It’s a tradition to eat foods fried in oil during Hanukkah. I normally make this recipe with butter. However, over the holidays I add some oil in for good measure (and I find it helps to keep the butter from burning).
Matzo Brei is one of those childhood memories that I haven’t forgetten. My Great Aunt made the best version of this dish when I was a kid. She couldn’t cook for beans, but hers was by far the best I’ve ever eaten. I suspect it’s because she used a copious amount of butter! Does food conjure up childhood memories for you too?
These gluten free cheddar biscuits bake up light and fluffy with the addition of Expandex! Bring on the sausage breakfast sandwiches!
As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing better on the occasional morning – or for a snack – than a muffin and coffee. These gluten free banana coconut muffins are moist, delicious and bake up to a golden brown colour.
During lockdown our grocery shopping frequency went from just about every day to only once every two weeks. Hubs has been buying more bananas than we can possibly eat before they spoil. But that’s ok with me because bananas don’t go to waste around here. That’s why this recipe is a mainstay in our household.
