Mussels are inexpensive, elegant, delicious, and easy to cook. If you have a  bag of mussels, some butter, a little garlic, shallots, and a bottle of wine, dinner is on the table in 15 minutes. But why stop there?

There are infinite ways to cook mussels. You serve them steamed, sauced up, added to a seafood stew or paella, or tossed in pasta. One of my favorites is mussels in rich, perfectly seasoned tomato sauce with pasta *chefs kiss*.

This classic Sicilian pasta dish – made with sauteed eggplant in a rich tomato sauce and topped with lots of cheese and fresh basil, is a hearty and satisfying vegetarian dish that comes together in under an hour.

And as much as I wanted to hate avocado toast, it’s impossible. It’s just too good. Most of us will agree that the green, creamy, velvety fat can transform a meal. Kind of like the bacon of the fruit world, if you will. And if avocados are the best thing since sliced bread, avocado toast makes sense.

The desire for brownies can strike fast. When the brownie craving hits, the goal is to get the brownies in the oven and my mouth as quickly as possible. While there are plenty of good brownie recipes out there, sometimes you’re lazy and want something easy. Enter boxed brownie mix.

This recipe is inspired by Cracker Jack’s – it’s sweet, salty, caramelized popcorn that’s baked to give you the perfect crunch. My tastebuds are dancing just thinking about it.

These two donuts are the inspiration behind these Oreo donuts. It combines the best parts of my two favourite donuts – a soft, dense chocolate cake donut with a vanilla cream cheese glaze topped with crushed Oreos. Oh, and I folded some crushed Oreos in the batter as well. Yes – there are Oreos both IN and ON the donut (YOLO).

There is something magical about homemade cinnamon rolls. I love making them as much as I love eating them (well, almost). I mean, what’s better than a gooey cinnamon bun fresh out of the oven? I know you’re probably saying “nothing, that’s what,” and I agree. But, hear me out. What about trying something a little different in the realm of holiday flavours? Leftover eggnog can be put to excellent use in non-beverage items, too, like these eggnog cinnamon rolls, for example (brilliant, I know).

Pickled red onions always have a spot in my fridge. They are tangy, sweet, slightly crunchy, and instantly improve almost any dish. Pickle a big batch in 30 minutes and put them on everything.

Do you like pumpkin pie? Yes? Okay, next question – Do you like crème brûlée? Also yes? Then meet your new favourite dessert, brûléed pumpkin pie.

There’s something about crème brûlée. Even the words sound fancy. It’s the sort of dish you expect to find at swanky French restaurants.

What if I told you that you could make crème brûlée at home? It’s true! And it tastes just as good as the ones at those fancy restaurants. All it takes is five simple ingredients – cream, vanilla, salt, egg and sugar.