Now we’re cooking! Return of Homemade means a feast of local recipes Homemade
By: Eva Wasney Posted: 4:40 PM CST Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/01/2025 (268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Home cooks, recipe collectors and food lovers, I need your assistance. This is the first instalment of a new regular home cooking series and the continuation of Homemade — a local recipe-sharing project I launched at the height of the pandemic and later expanded into a community cookbook published in 2022 to celebrate the Free Press’s 150th anniversary.

After a brief hiatus, we’re back in the kitchen, baby.

Every second Wednesday, you can expect to find a roundup of recipes from Manitoba cooks and community members in the Arts & Life section. Some will be dishes, published and unpublished, from the Homemade cookbook; others will be new submissions from readers, which is where I’ll need your help.

To keep this series rolling, please consider sharing a favourite recipe — or 10. Occasionally, I’ll be looking for a theme or a seasonal hook, but I’m not picky.

Beloved family dishes, special occasion staples, easy weeknight meals, I’ll take ‘em all, whenever inspiration strikes. Details on the submission process below.

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For me, January is all about warm comfort food and getting back into a low-key cooking routine after a month of indulgent festive fare. I may still be eating chocolate every day, but it’s no longer possible to subsist entirely on holiday leftovers. Bring on the casseroles and one-pot meals.

This week, we have simple, satisfying recipes from Primrose Madayag Knazan, Debbie Stern and Cheryl Tufts.

Later this month, I’m looking for frugal dishes — meals you turn to when looking to save money on groceries, fill the freezer or make the most of leftovers.

Visit Homemade to fill out the recipe submission form.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

Instant Pot Steel-Cut Oat Lugaw (Savoury Porridge)

Ingredients

• 750 ml (3 cups) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 190 ml (3/4 cup) steel-cut oats
• 10 ml (2 tsp) garlic, minced
• 10 ml (2 tsp) ginger, grated
• 10 ml (2 tsp) patis*
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Water, if required
• Optional garnishes: sesame oil, chili oil, sesame seeds, chopped green onion, cilantro, crispy garlic or shallots, leftover shredded meat, boiled egg

Note: Patis is a style of fish sauce popular in southeast Asian cuisine. You can substitute with soy sauce, but it will not be as satisfying.

Directions

Add all ingredients, except patis, to an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Manually set to 10 minutes and press start. After cooking cycle is complete, let pot naturally release for 15 minutes. Turn off.

Open the pressure cooker and stir in the patis. Consistency should be similar to loose oatmeal.

If too loose and watery, set the pressure cooker to sauté mode and stir until the consistency has thickened. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot with a mixing spoon.

If too thick, stir in one tablespoon of water at a time until the right consistency is reached.

Taste and season with salt and pepper if required.

Serve in bowls and top with your choice of garnishes.

“Lugaw is a comforting Filipino savoury rice porridge heavy on ginger and garlic, similar to congee or a thin risotto. My mother would make lugaw out of day-old rice and top with leftovers. It was a cost-effective way to stretch cheap ingredients.

“Replacing the rice with steel-cut oats is a hearty way to increase the protein and fibre. Using a pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot is the fastest and easiest way to make lugaw for an easy week-night meal or as a fancy appetizer for a dinner party that doesn’t take up precious stove-space.”

A version of this recipe appears in Primrose’s novel, Lessons in Fusion.

— Primrose Madayag Knazan

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Zucchini Lentil Stew

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini or squash (any kind)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 500 ml (2 cups) dried red lentils
• 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) beef broth
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) garlic, chopped
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) ginger, chopped
• 22.5 ml (1 1/2 tbsp) curry
• 400 ml (1 can) coconut milk
• Salt, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut zucchini or squash in half and remove seeds.

Bake zucchini or squash for 40 to 50 minutes until soft.

Fry onion in a stock pot. Rinse red lentils well and add to onions.

When zucchini is done, scoop out flesh, discard the skin. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and cook for 25 minutes on medium until everything is soft.

Blend until smooth using an immersion or regular blender. Adjust spices to your taste and serve.

“If you want to make this vegan you can use vegetable instead of beef broth.”

— Debbie Stern

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Hashbrown Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

• 454 g (1 lb) ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 250 ml (1 cup) peas and carrots
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) flour
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 750 ml (3 cups) frozen hashbrowns
• 250 ml (1 cup) shredded cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Brown the ground beef and onion together in a pan over medium heat.

Add flour and mix to coat the beef and onions. Stir in water, vegetables, salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened.

Pour mixture into a greased 9×9-inch pan or similar sized casserole dish.

In a bowl, combine hashbrowns, beaten egg, cheese, salt and pepper and spread on top of the beef mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes and broil briefly to brown the topping.

“Easy to prepare, and tastes great!”

— Cheryl Tufts