There are so many fresh recipes to make this month.

Fresh and vibrant salads, desserts, appetizers and some snack ideas are here to celebrate the season.

It’s been a very warm Spring week so we finally have our grill uncovered for delicious dinners like these Spicy Turkey Burgers with Dill Slaw.

And we’ve been adding many more Spring & Summer Salads to our dinner rotation. Plus, you can’t forget dessert!

What’s In Season in May

It’s time for light and fresh meals that focus on in-season produce so here are my favourite recipes to make in May:

• Asparagus
• Bell Peppers
• Blueberries
• Cucumbers
• Fresh Basil
• Leafy Greens
• Mushrooms
• Peas
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Tomatoes

Recipes to Make in May

Fresh Salads

Roasted Tomato, Arugula and Halloumi Salad with Pesto

Blueberry Basil Summer Green Salad with Goat Cheese

Market Spring Vegetable Salad

Light & Fresh Pastas

Easy One Pot Veggie Pasta

Easy Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad

30 Minute One Pan Flavorful Pesto Orzo Recipe With Tomatoes

Easy 30 Minute Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta Recipe

Quick Spring Gnocchi with Asparagus, Pesto & Lemon

Delightful Spring Sips

Grapefruit Lavender Spring Blossom Cocktail (with gin)

Refreshing Watermelon Mojito Cocktail

The Best Rhubarb French 75 Cocktail Recipe

Spring Sweets

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Streusel Topping

Simple & Delicious White Chocolate Pistachio Blondies

Easy Rhubarb Coffee Cake Recipe With Crumb Topping

Lemon Blueberry Blondies

Brunch Recipes to Make in May

And, we can’t forget Mother’s Day is coming up! So here are some of my favourite brunch menu items to help you celebrate.

Brunch Starters to Make in May

Blueberry and Goat Cheese Crostini Appetizer

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Appetizer with Crostini

Spring Whipped Ricotta Dip with Honey & Pistachios

Brunch Baked Goods

Easy Herb Drop Biscuits

The Best Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins

Strawberry Crumble Bars

Mains to Share

Spring Frittata with Arugula and Fresh Herbs

Easy French Toast Blueberry Breakfast Bake Recipe

Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese & Leek Frittata

Healthy Crustless Veggie Breakfast Quiche Recipe

Easy Baked Croissant French Toast

Mushroom Tart

Brunch Cocktail Recipes to Make in May

Minty Cucumber Lime Sangria

Lavender French 75 Cocktail

Strawberry Lemonade Rosé Punch

The post 30 Seasonal Recipes to Make in May appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

If you planted a garden this summer now is the time to start harvesting all of the amazing produce.

And, it’s the perfect time to enjoy what you’ve grown in some August recipes.

I love the month of August for all the delicious produce still left to enjoy: tomatoes, peaches, plums, apricots, blueberries, corn and zucchini just to name a few!

You’ll find many of the seasonal recipes below feature these favourite fruits and vegetables. I honestly eat them on repeat until they are out of season.

We’ve kept our meals pretty simple this summer too and are guided by what’s in season.

Inspiration for easy summer dinners

Barbecue chicken & grilled veggies: Barbecue chicken and coat with your favourite barbecue sauce. While the chicken is cooking, grill a basket of vegetables – we love to mix peppers, mushrooms, snap peas and onions. But you could also add in seasonal favourites like corn, zucchini and broccoli too. Serve with a grain like quinoa and you’re set.

One Pan Baked Lemon Chicken: This blog recipe can be made anytime of year, even in the summer. You can make this chicken as a meal prep dish and take for easy lunches too. Lemons are always in season!

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chickpeas: Make this salad ahead of time for lunches or a light dinner! Roasting summer vegetables brings out so much flavour – you’ll love it! Plus you get a dose of protein from the chickpeas to make it a full meal.

Fresh greens and a protein: Mix and match vegetables on top of salad greens and top with a protein of choice. Serve with a side of baguette for an easy, light meal.

Pizza on the grill: Grab some pizza dough from a local shop and top with summer toppings like zucchini & prosciutto! This pizza recipe is made in the oven but can easily be made on the grill.

Last year I shared some tips for how to store the vegetables harvested from your garden and you can find those tips here! I specifically chat about greens, beets and herbs and what you can do with your herbs too!

So, what other recipes are there to make in August?

Berries: Summer Berries on Toasted Sourdough

Frozen Fruit: Tropical Rum Slushie

Peaches: Grilled Peaches with Oat Crumble & Vanilla Ice Cream

Plums:  Easy Plum Jam

Saskatoon Berries: Saskatoon Berry Scones

Zucchini: Zucchini Fritters with Garlic Yogurt Dipping Sauce

It’s times to soak up all the last summer produce, sunny patio days and August sunsets.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Recipes to Make in August appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Farmer’s markets are bursting with an array of seasonal food and I seriously cannot wait to dig in.

I’m definitely ready to cook allll the things with What’s In Season for August; so, come on over for all of the August recipe inspiration plus an update on my summer adventures and vegetable garden!

This past month Scott and I have been on a variety of summer day-trip adventures. One of our goals this summer was to get out and explore Alberta more; so far we’ve done just that!

We headed out to the Turner Valley Region for lunch at the Chuckwagon Café and then a tour of Eau Claire Distillery. The Chuckwagon Café was bumping so we sat at the counter for a classic diner experience. We both enjoyed burgers, fries and gravy; the gravy was something everyone told us we MUST have and it did not disappoint!

Next, we walked right next door to Eau Claire Distillery, makers of my favourite gin; the Parlour Gin. We took a tour of the facility and learned a bit more about the area; many of their ingredients for their gin, vodka and other spirits are harvested from surrounding farms.

We also enjoyed some time on the patio in the beautiful sunshine and tried a cocktail too.

We’ve also been golfing a few times since the weather has been pretty fantastic!

In between summer adventures, we’ve been cooking a lot at home, trying new summer recipes. Can we just talk about noodle salads for a moment!? I’m seriously digging these Spicy Peanut Noodles with Garlic Chili Oil from Half-Baked Harvest and Ambitious Kitchen also has this Peach, Corn & Arugula Pasta Salad that’s on my list to make this month. I find they’re so perfect for summer weather because most can be served at room temperature and many of the recipes involve minimal cooking.

Another fav dish we’ve been making from the blog is my Chickpea Taco Bowls which involves pretty minimal cooking too and lots of fresh vegetables! Perfect for #tacotuesday and can easily be meal-prepped for August.

So, let’s get in the kitchen and make all of the delicious things with What’s In Season for August!

Peaches – Peach & Prosciutto Summer Focaccia

Plums – Plum Tarts

Spinach – Mojito Smoothie

Strawberries – Easy Strawberry Jam

Tomatoes – Roasted Tomato, Arugula & Halloumi Salad with Pesto

Watermelon – Watermelon Mason Jar Salad 

And of course I can’t forget a garden update! We’ve enjoyed out first batch of radishes and planted another. Our carrots and beets are coming along nicely so we should be able to harvest those in the next couple weeks.

And, we’ve also been successfully growing jalapeños! I’m also trying to grow potatoes this year and that is a process for the patient ones.

But, I recently heard that you should wait until either 2 weeks after the first frost (let’s hope that’s still far away) OR once the plants flower, 2 weeks after that. So I’ll keep you updated on those spuds!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

At the farmer’s market I’m starting to see a lot more fruit come in from British Columbia and much more seasonal vegetables too.

A lot of my inspiration for dishes come from What’s In Season so let’s chat what’s fresh for June plus my favourite recipes, cookbooks and a peak at my backyard garden too!

I absolutely adored this cookbook I took out from the library, Bake the Seasons, mostly classic baking recipes based on each season and some savoury recipes too. I didn’t have nearly enough time with this book so I’ve added it to my list to take out again.

We also made this tasty Spicy Noodle Salad from Food by Maria, a local blogger from Calgary! She also has a beautiful vegan cookbook, and even if you’re not vegan you can totalllly enjoy her recipes – many of them are just simple and delicious!

With some beautiful almost summer-like weather in May, we started planting our vegetable gardens! So far we’ve planted golden and candy cane beets, carrots, breakfast radishes, onions, garlic and arugula. Out of all of the vegetables, the breakfast radishes grow super fast so we can plant them almost 3 times throughout the summer.

If you like radishes I’d highly recommend trying them out! Radishes are such a great ingredient in salads and I also love them on toasts with feta or goat cheese. They’re such a great vegetable to plant when you’re starting out; whether you have a container garden or backyard garden, both are great!

This weekend I’m planting herbs, kale and jalapenos (they grew SO well last year, who knew!?)

So with all that said, let’s check out What’s In Season for June!

Cherries – Cherry Bourbon Lemonade Smash

Cucumbers – Summer Vegetables & Grains Salad

Fresh Herbs & Greens – Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese & Leek Frittata

Peppers – Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Strawberries – Strawberry Lemonade Rosé Punch

Rhubarb – Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies

I’ve been testing many recipes this last month including a delicious tomato, arugula and pesto salad with fried halloumi cheese (OMG try this cheese if you haven’t yet!)

And, you’ll also see TWO rhubarb recipes coming to you in June; apparently I’m on some sort of a rhubarb kick but hey, it’s the season so why not! So I hope you like rhubarb too 🙂

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

We spent more time inside this past month because according to the weatherman we had the coldest February since the early 1900s (or something ridiculous like that – insert crying emoji face here). But, it was the perfect month to do indoor projects and stay in cooking some delicious meals.

So grab a coffee and come on over for my favourite things from this past month PLUS what to cook in March!

One of my favourite recipes I made this month was my mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup. The flavours being back so many memories of my childhood; the soup is like a hug in a bowl!

We also tried this Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Sweet Potato Noodle Stirfry from Ambitious Kitchen; OMG, so tasty and you could easily swap in your favourite noodles instead. And, I also did a collaboration recipe with Botanica Health over on Instagram; these Reishi Hot Chocolate Granola Bars have been a huge hit!

I’ve been curling up with good food and reading a ton too. Some of my favourite reads right now: The Art of Gathering which talks about all of the ways we gather with people from events to meetings to dinner parties, and how to shake things up to create more meaningful gatherings. And, The Year of Cozy is such a lovely book to cruise through for recipe and crafts inspo for the colder months.

With March being a bit of a ‘shoulder month,’ as I like to call it, sometimes I’m not too sure what to cook! It can still be Wintery weather OR it could be a brilliantly warm Spring. So with that said, here’s my recipe inspiration for what to cook in March:

Carrots – Chicken Noodle Soup

Citrus – Saskatoon Berry Lemon Scones

Leeks – Swiss Chard, Goat Cheese & Leek Frittata 

Parsnips – Pinto Bean & Thyme Pot Pies

Peppers – Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Sweet Potatoes – Tex-Mex Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas & Kale

So many delicious dishes to take us from one season to the next. And, if you make any of these dishes I’d love to see your creations! Tag me @cookinginmygenes or #cookinginmygenes on Instagram.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I took the beginning of the year a little slower, took some time to reflect on last year and start planning for this year.

And so here are my favourite things from this past month and What’s In Season to make for February!

This first weekend in February is pretty much the best in my mind; it’s Super Bowl (I love football!) and we usually celebrate both my husband’s and my birthdays. So, this weekend is full of delicious food and cake!

Each year I make us a cake so this year we chose to make something a little nostalgic. Do you remember those ‘rainbow chip’ cakes from when you were a kid?! It was a vanilla cake with rainbow chocolate chips and a rainbow chip icing. I LOVED all of the colours and those rainbow chips, YUM!

So, I found a recipe in one of our cookbooks, Date Night In, that is a homemade version of that rainbow chip cake! It’s a two layer cake with a cream cheese icing and all of the rainbow chips you could ever want! It also pairs perfectly with a glass of prosecco (just sayin’ 😉 )

Not only are we having cake this weekend but I’m making these Buffalo Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps to accompany our Super Bowl game-watching!

And if you need a little more snacking inspo for the big game, check out my Kettle Chip BBQ Chicken Nachos recipe that’s simple to make and perfect for a crowd.

So, what other recipes are great to make this month!?

Apples – Kale, Apple & Cheddar Salad with Spicy Chickpeas

Grapefruit – Grapefruit Lavender Spring Blossom Cocktail

Kale – Kale Mushroom Grilled Cheese

Lemon – Lemon Coconut Power Balls

Pears – Spiced Oatmeal with Honey Pears

Peppers – Kettle Chip BBQ Chicken Nachos **This is a perfect snack for Super Bowl!*

Needless to say this month is filled with food and celebrations and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

And if you need a little Valentine’s Day inspo, these Easy DIY Valentine’s Day Chocolates are really fun to make and make a lovely little gift for your loved ones.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

For me Canada Day is the ‘official’ start to summer and I love being surrounded by the beautiful scenery to celebrate. I have fond memories of Canada Day spent at a summer cottage with family and friends. And of course, there is always delicious food and drinks to enjoy!

I’m taking some inspiration from the following recipes for my Canada Day…

These creative s’mores recipes, from Wayfair including toasted coconut and peaches n’ cream!

A very patriotic cocktail from The Food Blog

This fun Red, White and Bacon Skewers appetizer from Jo and Sue

My Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies for dessert

Or put a twist on a Summer Cheese & Charcuterie Board by sticking to Canadian cheeses, meats and fruits!

And if you’re looking for a little decor inspiration, I’m currently loving…

These lakeside plates or map of Canada tray

Or this perfectly plaid placement (because obviously we need more plaid!)

Wherever you’re spending Canada Day, be sure to take in the sights and sounds of this gorgeous country of ours!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

SaveSave

The post What’s In Season – Canada Day Edition appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I have to say a massive THANK YOU for all of the blog-love this past month in celebrating my 2-year Blogaversary! It’s been really neat to look back on what I’ve created over the last 2 years and it’s made me so pumped to share with you a ton of new recipes and stories in the coming months!

A lot happened this month including cooking and sharing THREE new recipes – my favourite breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes! It was really fun to create my favourite recipes for you and I hope you’re having fun making them for your family and friends.

The Bacon, Mushroom & Spinach Quiche is actually quite perfect for an Easter Brunch so if you’re looking for a recipe to feed a crowd this would do the trick! And, even though it’s technically Spring, I’ve been enjoying my ultimate Grilled Cheese sandwich a couple of times on the cooler Spring days.  Last but not least I made my favourite dinner, Delicious Shrimp Pasta, for my husband and I the other night – it’s a comforting pasta dish with big flavour but includes light ingredients perfect for this time of year!

I’ve also added a couple of awesome new meals to our weekly meal rotation including these 20-Minute Sticky Basil Thai Noodles and Asian Quinoa Turkey Meatballs.

So as you can see I spent a lot of time in the kitchen but I also managed to get away for a couple of days back home to see my family. Just before I went away though I attended this really cool event called ‘Feeding 9 Billion People’ where a mix of University of Calgary students, alumni and local influencers sat down for a delicious dinner and thoughtful conversation around food security. I wrote about my experience here on the blog.

So back to my trip…when I go home I LOVE to take walks by Lake Ontario so I went on a couple of strolls and I really took some time to relax! I visited with my parents, cooked, relaxed and watched movies..it was wonderful.

I also enjoyed some delicious meals out at The Drake 150 in Toronto and at Shrimp Cocktail in Oshawa, and found these beautiful macarons at Nadege.

And I caught up with my best girlfriends over brunch! We made my Easy-Baked Croissant French Toast and pretty much devoured the entire thing over mimosa’s and great conversation.

So my month was pretty full of food – family – food – friends – food and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Spring is definitely ‘in the air’ I can’t wait to share with you what I’ve been cooking up lately – Spring flavours coming at you! I’ve also been inspired by the bright colours I’ve been seeing everywhere including these salad servers with bright pops of turquoise and I’m obsessed with the serving bowl AND cheese board too (hello bring on the summer cheeseboards!)

These colours also made their way into TWO new recipes that I collaborated on with Sam from the Sugar and Sam blog so watch for those later in April!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

Cookinginmygenes.com participates in select affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms, Cookinginmygenes.com may make a commission from that click and/or purchase. All opinions are my own, and all brands featured represent what I personally like and support.

The post What’s In Season appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.