The Ranting Cook

It's time to shake off the lowbrow reputation that pickle relish has been saddled with for so long and bring out into the spotlight. Since it's basically a chopped pickle, you can use it anywhere that a bit of sliced or minced dill pickle might go. Spread it on a sandwich, stir it into tuna or chicken salad or even put it out on a cheese tray along with a dish of tapenade. YIELD: 2 pints Ingredients: 3 cups grated green pepper (about 2 large) 3 cups grated pickling cucumber (

Macros is simply a short form for the 3 "macronutrients" in our diets that provide us with calories (energy): carbohydrates, fats, and protein. It is important to know what your macro ratio is in a day as it can be a huge tool in losing body fat and building a lean and healthy body. Don't run away screaming! I'm going to help you how to figure out what you need. We need to start by figuring out your BMR.   The first step of meal planning is to determine basal metabolic rate

I love having salads for lunch. They are filling and keep me energized for hours. Whether it's greens, pasta or meat salads, the options are only as limited as your imagination. Salads are also a great way to use up all the leftover vegetables in the house before they go bad. I make at least five salads every week. Here's my favourite three summer salads that I make both at home and take to camp. When transporting or storing for a few days for a camping meal, pack ingredient

These are such a fresh and flavourful muffin. It's time to step outside the same old, same old baking box and give your tastebuds a new experience. Serves: 12 muffins Ingredients: * 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed* * 3 tablespoons water* * 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice * ¾ cup Almond milk, at room temperature * 2 cups spelt flour (or white/wheat mix) * 2 teaspoons baking powder * ½ teaspoon salt * ½ teaspoon cinnamon * ½ cup cane sugar + 2 tablespoons sugar for the topping * ¼ cu

I love this recipe because of course it's damn delicious, but also because I can make a big batch of patties up and freeze them in sections. Then I can thaw them out in the morning and toss them on the grill when I get home from the gym. Awesome! Because let’s face it, we’re busy. I mean the kick the door shut while you’re carrying the laundry with your phone to your ear and you trip over the dog and almost die kind of busy. Whether you’re a stay at home mom, a nine to five o

Rules of the Game. Let’s take a walk on the wild side shall we? A lot of people make the squishy face with their nose in the air when I mention wild game as a dinner option. Needless to say I don’t invite those people to my house for BBQ’s or appy parties. Who needs all that negativity when enjoying slow cooked moose ribs or Venison burgers with carmelized onions anyways? Not this gal. Go home and eat your same ole, same ole boring dinners. NO SOUP FOR YOU! When dealing with

Cinco de Mayo is the best. I mean it’s basically a holiday that has been hijacked by margaritas and guacamole, and, with all due respect to Mexico’s victory in The Battle of Puebla, I think we’re all ok with that. Because well…margaritas. I love theme parties and recently I was able to put my own spin on a bunch of pitcher-style margaritas for a group of friends at my camp. And in turn, I ate my weight in guac and chips. It was a win-win. When entertaining for a group of peop

We are a family of hunters and fishers. Just look at my Facebook page and you'll see. We eat what we harvest and I am always on the hunt for recipes that can camoflauge the gamey taste or at least minimize it. This is one of my favourite all time moose recipes and it's always gone in a flash. The addition of whiskey appeals to my Irish side of course, but If you don’t drink go order a pizza. Seriously, they’re just not the same without the whiskey. Staggering Moose Meatballs

Rouladen is a German dish typically stuffed with mustard, bacon, onion and pickles. I'm not German but this is one of my favourite "comfort" foods. I've taken the more unhealthy version and cleaned it up a little while still maintaining it's full flavour. I try to sneak vegetables into everything I make as I am just like you and would rather have a steak and baked potato over a salad any day. That being said I also know I have to eat them and I'm no longer a screaming toddler

No Vacation Time Left Taco Salad Makes 4 servings I love vacations. I love tacos. I simply tolerate most salads and eat them mostly because I know I should. Let’s face it, very few of us stare at our salads with the same breathless anticipation as we would for say a perfectly char broiled steak. This salad however is a game changer. The best part of this recipe is that you can make a very large amount of it and freeze it in measured portions. It reheats in a snap and tastes j

Prime rib is and perhaps always will be the king of holiday roasts. There is nothing so primal, so celebratory, so downright majestic as a hunk of well-marbled beef, served medium rare on the bone, with a crackling, well-browned exterior. If you want to get straight into the action, there are only a few things you need to know. Start with bone-in, well-marbled beef. Bones don't add flavor, but they do regulate temperature, increasing the amount of tender, medium-rare beef you