In honour of Mother’s Day, we asked our staff to share their fondest childhood memories of food experiences with their moms or significant caregivers.
We hope these stories and recipes will remind you of those special moments from your life and inspire you to continue or create your own family food traditions.
Chakchouka is a delicious and simple dish made of poached eggs in a chunky tomato & bell pepper sauce. Originating in Tunisia where both my grandmothers and mother are from, this recipe has gained popularity in many parts of the world. It is a traditional dish in North Africa and the Middle East. The origins of the word Chakchouka come from the Arabic for “all mixed up” or “shaken.”It can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
What you’ll need to make Chakchouka:
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large chopped onion
- 1 to 2 green bell peppers
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- coriander
- cumin
- paprika
- salt
- harissa or a pinch of red pepper flakes
- 6 ripe tomatoes or 6 cups canned chopped tomatoes
- 6 large raw eggs
- Garnish: fresh chopped parsley & mint just before serving
- Start by sauteing chopped onions, bell peppers, and garlic with olive oil in a large pan Season salt, coriander, paprika, cumin, and harissa.
- If you want to incorporate meat, you can add 500g of ground grass-fed beef or lamb.
- Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring, until the veggies are tender, then add fresh diced tomatoes.
- Bring the tomatoes to a boil, then let simmer for about 15 minutes and cook a few more minutes until your sauce has thickened.
- When the sauce is ready, use the back of a spoon and make some holes in the sauce. Crack your eggs and place each egg in one of the holes. Cover the pan and allow the eggs to simmer in the sauce until the egg whites have settled.
- Once the eggs are ready, garnish with parsley & mint, and serve immediately!
- Serve it with pita, sourdough bread or rice.
-Lulu, Founder
Bobotie and yellow raisin rice. Sweet and salty and warm.
My favourite dish and no one could make it like my mom. She didn’t have recipe cards, everything was memorized.
-Michelle, QA Manager
One of my favourite recipes my mom makes is a fresh pesto sauce. It’s super simple but so delicious and flavourful and can be whipped up so quickly with fresh basil from the garden. You can never go wrong!
She also makes great banana muffins. I’m so happy I can share her recipe!-Alessandra, HR Manager
My Grandma Kay was a great cook and kept my picky eater Grandpa very well fed. He didn’t like leftovers so she was cooking fresh meals every night (!). No Real Food Kitchen meals to depend on for a night off. When I visited my Grandparents we had every meal together, and they would plan dinner in bed the night before, going to bed thinking about more yummy meals for the next day! We had many favourites, but I’ve included a stew and potato recipe that we often enjoyed. –Katie, Director of Business Growth & Innovation
This is the ultimate (easy go to) recipe for our winter family comfort food appreciated and passed down orally by all generations! My grandmother always said to get authentic Hungarian paprika with the brightest color for the best result! Infact, the family went to Hungary a few years ago and hunted for the best Paprika we could find at the Budapest Market (see picture). -Karen, Director of Packaged Products
Balazsi Hungarian Chicken Paprikash:
- 6-8 chicken thighs, bone in with skin
- 2 large onions, chopped finely
- 2 Cloves garlic, chopped finely
- 2 tbsp + to taste Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 cup whole sour cream
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Freshly ground Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot ( with lid) sauté the onions in oil on medium heat. To soften, add a 1/2 cup water and put the top on and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Or until water has absorbed, onions are translucent and starting to caramelize. Add garlic; add paprika; then add chicken. Then add enough water to just cover all chicken. Top on and simmer for 1.5-2 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and falls off the bone.
Remove chicken carefully and remove skin and discard. Stir in sour cream and season sauce to taste. can purée if you want a smooth creamier sauce. Re immerse chicken pieces and serve with chopped parsley on the top.
Egg Noodles:
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup of flour or more
Place eggs in a bowl. Whisk with a fork but don’t incorporate air. Add flour and salt, just enough to become a paste. If a bit too thick add on cold water to paste consistency. Let rest covered for 30 minutes or more In a salted boiling pot of water using the spaetzle maker (or the back of a spoon on a plate like Grandma) drop noodles into water and cook until fluffy.
Serve with cucumber salad (thin sliced with salt and a bit of vinegar) Enjoy!!!
I think my love for spicy food started with my mom’s Tum Mak Hoong. Some of you may be familiar with a similar Thai dish, Som Tom, which is a spicy, funky green papaya salad. Tum Mak Hoong is the even funkier Lao version that my mom made with shredded carrots. Growing up, I could only eat a few bites before the chilies became too much to handle, but nowadays I crave that heat and she’s the one asking to dial it down 🙂 -Lan, Marketing & Administrative Coordinator
My Nonna’s gnocchi and my Mom’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! -Steve, Client Experience Manager
I always make my own salad dressing nowadays because I grew up watching my stepmom always make it for dinner. It’s super easy, makes any salad tastes great and is a fond memory of learning how to make it growing up! -Kate, Product & Service Design Coordinator
Easy Salad Dressing:
- 1.2c olive oil
- 3tbsp balsamic vinegar
- S&P to taste oregano to taste
- crushed clove of garlic
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
Growing up I spent most of my days at my grandma’s apartment while my parents went to work. We would watch Studio Ghibli movies and have Bee Gees playing in the background while she whipped up dinner. One of my favourite things to have is soup, and I could always count on my grandma to have a different one made every night. My personal favourite was one she made with pork bones, dried bok choy, and scallops! -Cassidy, Product Development Assistant
I wish I was able to pass on her recipe, but this one is similar: https://www.ohmyfoodrecipes.com/dried-bok-choy-soup/