We are cookin' with gas

A beautiful hybrid veggie combining kale and Brussels sprouts that can be made easily in an air fryer.

https://loom.ly/T1klNWk

Flower Sprouts (Kalettes) in the Air Fryer If you like kale and Brussels sprouts, you’re gonna LOVE flower sprouts! We discovered Flower Sprouts only this year at our local farmer’s market. They’re almost too pretty to eat. After some…

An elegant seafood version of lasagna with homemade lasagna noodles and ricotta cheese.

https://loom.ly/IMuLNxI

Seafood Lasagna with Ricotta This recipe is Ralph’s sea treasure version to our Meaty Cheesy Lasagna. He made the lasagna noodles and fresh ricotta from scratch, but to save time you can replace both with store-bought alternat…

Nothing says comfort food like a lasagna.

https://loom.ly/g7vcFuY

Meaty Cheesy Lasagna Nothing says comfort food like a lasagna. This is a great dish to make a lot of, so you can freeze smaller portions for a quick reheated meal during the week. You can make lasagna anytime of the ye…

A make-ahead breakfast or brunch dish that is an ideal week-end indulgence or to serve overnight guests.

https://loom.ly/sjvwRMA

Leek, Egg and Cheese Torta This is an alternative ‘Santa’s breakfast’ dish with brie and leeks as the stars instead of bacon. It’s a breakfast or brunch dish that you make the day before and pop into the oven the next mornin…

A quick lunch and twist on the classic tuna melt—made in an air fryer.

https://loom.ly/flsN78c

Air fryer Tuna Melts in Endive (Chicorée) Boats Every Monday morning I normally place our bio food delivery for the week from Lehmanns Bio Service, who delivers the next day. As I normally work from home, I have my first coffee of the day while …

This dish will warm you up on a cold winter day. Packed full of vitamins, it’s OK to have a second bowl.

https://loom.ly/n4tCGkU

Grünkohl und Pinkel (Stewed Kale and Sausage) Shortly after we moved to Northern Germany from Aachen, I noticed restaurants advertising ‘Grünkohl satt’ and was curious as to what this dish was. I found a recipe similar to this one (I can’t rem…

They were so good—our only regret is not making more.

Air Fryer Shrimp & Turkey Spring Rolls Buying an air fryer was not my idea; it was my son’s. I didn’t agree with it, as I didn’t know anything about them and thought it was just one more appliance to clutter up our kitchen. I told him t…

Willi con Carne (Wiener Stew) Willi con Carne (Wiener Stew) I came across a children’s cookbook with this recipe during a Friday ritual visit to the library with my son Tuscan when he was younger (a ritual he was happy to stop …

A savoury approach to roast turkey with poultry seasoning as the star.

A traditional Thanksgiving meal but I think roast turkey should be made just because it’s soooo good.

Wish you could bottle the scent of a turkey roasting in the oven all day.

Savoury Roast Turkey Roast turkey is traditionally served on Thanksgiving Day in Canada and the US (and sometimes at Christmas). This year we celebrated Thanksgiving a few weeks later with our friends, as it was our tu…

Beef Burritos is the ultimate comfort food and a fun meal to serve as a dinner party, as guests can assemble their own.

https://wearecookinwithgas.com/2022/10/21/beef-burritos/

Beef Burritos This recipe is adapted from one I found in the June 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living called Crispy Tacos Picadillo. As you can see from the recipe pic, it’s been used a lot – food splashes and a…

Making flour tortillas from scratch is super easy, and you can wrap up pretty much anything in these circular delights.

https://wearecookinwithgas.com/2022/10/09/flour-tortillas/

We make risotto a lot and enjoy it as a side or as a meal on its own, as you can add all sorts of veggies and cheeses.

Risotto with Duck Breasts and Roasted Red Peppers After a summer of non-stop outdoor grilling and dining al fresco, this is the perfect dish to greet fall weather. The days are cooler and the sun sets earlier in the evening, but you can light cand…

Beef carpaccio is another example of an Italian masterpiece. The combination of fresh arugula, high-quality filet mignon, olive oil, lemon, shaved parma, and balsamic vinegar will make you close your eyes and weep.

Beef Carpaccio My first time having beef carpaccio was at a restaurant terrace in Florence, celebrating my 30th birthday with Ralph. It was also my first time having arugula, which became my favourite lettuce in …

A garlic-lover that can be grilled over charcoal or on the BBQ.

Charred Baby Bok Choy We are fortunate to have a store in a nearby village that sells Asian goods. They always have packages of fresh baby bok choy in the fridge. We buy all of our sushi ingredients here too. This recip…

Thank the Portuguese for this spicy alternative to regular grilled chicken.

https://wearecookinwithgas.com/2022/09/17/peri-peri-chicken-on-a-charcoal-grill/

Peri Peri Chicken on a Charcoal Grill Ralph discovered this dish from watching a cooking video on a flight to Portugal. It was grilled over fire on two big screens which the cooks kept flipping over – drenched but with big smiles. He m…

Bring grilled zucchini to life with goat cream cheese. 🐐



https://wearecookinwithgas.com/2022/09/05/grilled-zucchini-with-goat-cheese/

Grilled Zucchini with Goat Cheese I’m not a big grilled zucchini fan, as I find the flavour boring. Zucchini soup and muffins I enjoy, and stuffed zucchini can be nice too. A few weeks ago I came across a lady at our Friday market …

One of the most important relationships you need in life is with a butcher...

Roasted Prime Rib Low & Slow One of the most important relationships you need in life is with a butcher (unless you‘re vegan or vegetarian). Ralph has two, and they are also farmers. One is at our local Friday farmer’s market …

Enjoy these roasted heirloom tomatoes with a fresh baguette, and turn leftovers into a pasta dish.

Tomato Auflauf on the BBQ There is a lady at our local farmer’s market who sells these colourful heirloom tomatoes that she grows herself. Ralph made up this tomato Auflauf (casserole) recipe a few years ago that we make re…

This is another great use of your to keep the heat out of your kitchen in summer.
https://wearecookinwithgas.com/2022/09/03/grilled-chicken-quesadillas-with-papaya-or-peaches/

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas with Papaya (or Peaches) My brother is the inspiration behind this recipe, who made us grilled chicken quesadillas with papaya. We are not big fans of combining fruit with dinner entrees, but the sweetness of the papaya go…

Welcome! We’re Ralph and Heather and happy you’re here!

Our passion for eating great food ignited shortly after we met. As a travelling salesman throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, Ralph had the privilege of enjoying a broad range of culinary delights.

After these trips, he would try to replicate what he ate, and Heather was eager to try anything put in front of her. She also joined Ralph on a number of business trips throughout Europe and ate memorable yummmm meals together.

Through friendships, our passion for food elevated to include great vino.

In 2008 we moved from Canada to Germany. Owning a much smaller fridge, changed our ways of the amount of food we buy (enough for a few days), from where (mostly our local farmer’s market and a weekly bio delivery), and try to eat seasonally.
Great food is not just enjoyed on the week-ends – every meal is important to us. We eat meat and fish, but typically have vegetarian meals at least a few times a week and enjoy vegan dishes, too.

What you won’t find much of here are dessert recipes. The burning question we have after every meal is…what are we making next?
We started this blog to share the meals we make with our children, family, friends, and anyone who finds us! The dominant chef of us both is Ralph, who rarely follows a recipe. Heather was forced to learn how to cook with Ralph traveling so much (she got tired of making eggs and popcorn for supper) but she prefers to follow recipes.

Ralph loves grilling on his Weber BBQ (hauled here to Germany from Canada nearly 14 years ago!), on the smoker, over a fire, and with our kitchen stove. There’s always music playing, and often a glass of wine by our side.

When ‘QB’ is referenced in a recipe, that stands for Quanto Basta (Italian: As Much as Needed) which we learned from David Rocco’s cookbooks.

‘Now we’re cookin' with gas!” is what Ralph blurts out when what he’s making is coming together— fabulously.

Guten Appetit & Santé!