What I've been up to lately!

Last week I purchased Candice Kumai's new book Cook Yourself Sexy. It is, hands down, the BEST cookbook I have ever used. Every single recipe is easy to make and delicious (and full of health benefits!). I've posted some pictures below but no recipes. I don't want to infringe on her copyright, and if you like what you see I highly suggest getting a copy of the book for yourself!

Barley Soup with carrots, celery,
leeks, kale & walnuts

Poached eggs with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, whole grain
toast and havarti

Quinoa with arugula, roasted beets
& goat cheese

Chickpea veggie burger with arugula
& cherry tomatoes

Baked Brie

I love baked brie. It's easy and quick to make, looks fancy served as an appetizer and with the right toppings it tastes delicious! Part of the fun is choosing the right recipe, so here I'll summarize some of my favourites:

1 Jam Toppings

One of the easiest ways to serve baked brie is with a pure fruit jam on top. I like using Smucker's Jam but someday soon I'm going to work up the courage to make my own jam.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cheese on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Add your choice of fruit jam over the top of the brie with about 3 to 4 minutes of baking left. Transfer to a serving plate; cool about 20 minutes. Serve with crackers or sliced baguette.

2 Baked Brie with Pecans

                 Serves 8


Baked Brie with Pecans I found on the Martha Stewart website. The maple sauce brings a light sweetness to the creamy Brie and the toasted pecans add a bit of crunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 small wheel of Brie or Camembert (about 9 ounces)
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 3 tbsp light-brown sugar
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• crackers or sliced baguette

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cheese on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate; cool about 20 minutes.
2. While cheese cools, place nuts on a clean baking sheet; bake until toasted and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle nuts over cheese.
3. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and maple syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle warm sauce over slightly cooled cheese and nuts; serve with crackers or baguette.

• Another option is to sprinkle 1/2 cup of dried cranberries over the brie with the pecan pieces.

3 Baked Brie with Caramelized Pears

                 Serves 8

I saw this recipe being made on the TV show Best Recipes Ever. It is easy to put together and looks stunning to serve.

Ingredients:

• 1 round Brie cheese
• 1 tbsp sliced hazelnuts or slivered almonds, toasted

Caramelized pear

• 2 tsp butter
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 pear, thinly sliced
• Pinch each salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup pear or apple juice
• 1 tbsp brandy
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp packed brown sugar

Directions:

1. In a nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat; fry shallot, pear, salt and pepper until shallot is softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add pear juice, brandy, thyme and sugar; bring to boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until no liquid remains and pear is softened, about 5 minutes. (You can make-ahead - let cool and refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
3. Place brie in small cake pan; top with pear mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is softened, about 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with hazelnuts or almonds.

Hot Wings & Blue Cheese Dip ... with a twist!

I love wings, but I've never been bothered to make them at home (and they've become a bit of a tradition for girls night out). I found this recipe on the Chatelaine website in the summer, which is when I usually try to make my favourite meals into a salad - translation: less time with the oven turned on during heat waves.
The hot sauce recipe for the chicken was super easy to make and tasted just how I like it. I use it all the time now for buffalo chicken sandwiches (chicken fingers in hot sauce on a bun + lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, ranch).
The garlic-dill salad dressing is also a great recipe. Because of the fresh dill I make it often when I'm having salmon. I like it just as a dip with crudités either as is, or mixed with 1/3 cup sour cream to make it a little thicker. The fresh cloves of garlic can be quite powerful so depending on your preference (and your plans later in the day) you may want to use less than what the recipe calls for.

Grilled buffalo chicken salad
Yields: 4

    Garlic-Dill Vinaigrette
       Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 2 tbsp apple-cider vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

       Directions:

1. Whisk ingredients together in a bowl. You can store in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days.

    Hot Sauce

       Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp honey

       Directions:

1. Stir ingredients together in a large bowl. Add strips of cooked chicken and turn to coat. 

Serve chicken tossed in hot sauce on top of a bed of lettuce (romaine or arugula are good options). Drizzle dressing on top of salad. Top with crumbled blue cheese.

Seven Layer Taco Dip

A personal favourite of mine at parties is taco dip. New Year's Eve was actually the first time I've ever made one and it turned out great - everyone loved it.

I found the recipe on allrecipes.com and used a few of the reviews from the site to make the final product. The best part about a taco dip is that you can alter the layers to suit your preferences. I made it with a refried bean base and served salsa on the side. Next time I will leave out the refried beans and add the salsa to the dip. Another option to try is a fried ground beef base.

• Layer 1: Refried Beans
• Blend half a package of taco seasoning mix and a can of refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter (I used a 13x9 dish)
• Layer 2: Sour Cream Mixture
• Mix a 250 g package cream cheese and 500 mL container sour cream with half a package of taco seasoning mix. Spread over the refried beans.
  ** Fat-free and non-fat varieties of the cream cheese and sour cream are an option to lower the fat and calories in the dip
• Layer 3: Guacamole
• See recipe below
• Layer 4: Salsa
• I would suggest a mild chunky salsa.
• Layer 5: Chopped Tomatoes, Red Onion, Green Onion
• Layer 6: Sliced Black Olives
• Layer 7: Tex Mex Shredded Cheese

The dip can be served cold, or you can put it in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Guacamole

    Ingredients:

• 2 avocados
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• Olive oil
• White vinegar
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• salt and pepper, to taste

    Directions:

1. Pit, peel and mash avocados. Sir in red and green onion, garlic, lime juice, a splash of olive oil, a capful of white vinegar, sour cream, and salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

New Year's Eve Dinner

I can't believe another year is coming to a close. This year was busy and exciting for me. I started out with my first co-op term in January and bought my first house in August. Since moving in on Hallowe'en I've had my mom and dad helping out with renovations at the house so we've been busy.

Tonight I wanted a fairly easy dinner, and ribs seem to be a go-to meal idea for such occasions. I'm cooking 2 full racks of pork back ribs. One rack I cut into bigger pieces to have for dinner and the other rack I cut into 1 bone pieces to take to the party tonight.

I started out making a recipe from Canadian Living: Fall Off the Bone Ribs in BBQ Sauce. I didn't make the BBQ sauce in the recipe, and just used the Diana Sauce Gourmet Rib & Chicken BBQ Sauce.  I also don't have a slow cooker large enough to fit all the ribs so I'm cooking them on low in the oven all day.

Fall-off-the-Bone Ribs in BBQ Sauce
Yields: 6

    Ingredients:

• 2 racks pork back ribs
• 4 tsp mesquite or Cajun seasoning
• 500 mL bottle Diana Sauce Gourmet Rib & Chicken BBQ Sauce

    Directions:

1. Trim any visible fat from ribs. Cut into 2-rib portions; place in large shallow glass dish.
2. In a small bowl, stir together mesquite/Cajun seasoning and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper; rub all over ribs. 
3. Place dish with ribs under broiler; broil until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to roasting pan.
4. Coat ribs in BBQ sauce. Cover and cook at 250 for 6-8 hours.

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Step Four

 Ribs are in the oven cooking now and the kitchen smells delicious! Planning to serve with fries, baked beans and coleslaw. Now it's time to get myself ready :)

Girls Night Dinner Party

To celebrate the end of the school semester I had my girlfriends over for a dinner party. I wanted to make something fairly straightforward so that I didn't have any unexpected surprises, but I still wanted the dinner to be elegant and have a complex taste. I ended up making Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breast topped with a Blueberry Compote. I served the Chicken with wild rice, carrots, and broccoli. I paired dinner with Straight UP white wine. Straight Up Wines is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake and is now available in the LCBO. Both their red and white wines have become a favourite of mine!

The goat cheese-stuffed chicken recipe comes from Canadian Living. It was a great recipe with easy to follow instructions. I would reduce the amount of goat cheese used (try 4 oz. instead of 6 oz.) since it is a rich flavour, and too much can be overwhelming. The recipe recommends cutting the chicken open like a book. When I've tried this before the chicken hasn't 're-sealed' properly and the cheese ends up melting out. Probably with some more experience I'll get better, but this time I just cut a slit in one side to make a pocket instead of opening the chicken up. I don't have an indoor grill, so I cooked the chicken in the oven.

Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Yields: 4

    Ingredients:

• 4 oz goat cheese
• 2 minced cloves of garlic
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

    

    Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine goat cheese, garlic, green onion, thyme, marjoram and cayenne until smooth; set aside.
2. Cut a horizontal slit in chicken; cut in half almost but not all the way through. Stuff one-quarter of the cheese mixture into each chicken, pushing it as close to the centre of the breast as possible so it won't ooze out while cooking. Wet edges of opening and press down to seal.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper; brush all over chicken.
4. Cook chicken at 350, about 35 minutes.

I had the Blueberry Compote recipe from an episode of the Rachel Ray Show I saw in the summer. She had paired the compote with grilled pork chops, which was delicious, but the flavours also transferred well to this chicken dish. Fresh blueberries aren't in season so I just used 2 cups of frozen blueberries (rinsed and thawed). Otherwise, the recipe comes together quickly and makes the kitchen smell delicious while it's cooking!

Fresh Berry Compote

Yields: 4

    Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pt. fresh blueberries
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 sprigs thyme
• Salt and pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

   
    Directions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat; add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, thyme springs, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Simmer until the blueberries have released their juices and the compote has thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Discard thyme sprigs and keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.

The wild rice was from the Bulk Barn and cooked according to directions. I'm on the lookout for a pilaff recipe to try another time. To jazz up the carrots I mixed them with some honey and parsley after cooking. The broccoli was steamed and then mixed with some melted cheddar cheese.

Mama Mia!

My brother and I were cooking dinner last week for my parents and put these recipes together to come up with a pretty delicious meal. We don't have any Italian in our blood but we have both grown up with a passion for their food and culture (wine included!) We served the spaghetti and meatballs with a simple caesar salad. A home made caesar vinaigrette is still on my list of things to try, just need to find a good recipe. We paired dinner with an Italian Valpolicella that my parents make.

We found the tomato sauce recipe on the Food Network Canada website (http://www.foodnetwork.ca/Recipes/recipe.html?dishid=477). It was really easy to make and smelled amazing while it was cooking. The 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes gave the sauce a bit of a kick to make it interesting. Next time I make it I'll definitely double the recipe and freeze the extra sauce for a night when I need a quick meal.

Homemade Tomato Sauce
Yields: 4

    Ingredients:

• 28 oz. can plum tomatoes
• 8 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
• 4 leaves fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 onion, halved
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. hot pepper flakes

    Directions:

1. In a blender, purée tomatoes until smooth; pour into saucepan
2. Add parsley, basil, garlic, onion, olive oil, oregano, salt, and hot pepper flakes; bring to a boil.
   ** The recipe didn't specify what to do with the parsley, basil, garlic, and onion. We put the parsley and basil in whole so that we could pull it out when the sauce is done cooking, chopped the garlic and minced the onion so it cooked through.
3. Cover partially and simmer for about 2 hours or until thickened.

When the sauce is finished cooking, toss with your preference of pasta - we used spaghetti, but whatever you have on hand is fine. We topped the pasta with some fresh basil leaves, and fresh parsley.


The meatball recipe I saw one night on David Rocco's show Dolce Vita. He has all kinds of recipes on his website (http://www.davidrocco.com/) - I can't wait to try some more in the future. This meatball recipe was super easy and not overly time consuming. We used half extra-lean ground beef and half ground pork for some extra flavour. Ground sirloin is also a delicious option, although it's a little more pricey. The sun-dried tomatoes add a great boost of flavour to an otherwise 'plain' meatball. I diced them so they mixed well into the meatball but that's a personal preference depending on how much or how little you want to taste at once. We substituted shredded parmesan for the fresh parmigiano cheese, trying to keep a bit of a budget in mind. We doubled the recipe and put half of the uncooked meat mixture in the freezer to cook another night. The number of servings depends on the size of the meatballs, and how much you can eat! We served them on top of the spaghetti and tomato sauce (instead of mixing them into a sauce) so we made them about the size of a golf ball, maybe a little bigger, and each had 3. With the leftovers I might try a smaller size and serve 5-6 meatballs mixed with tomato sauce.

David Rocco's Meatballs in a White Wine Sauce
Yields: 6 servings

    Ingredients:
       Meatballs:

• 500 g extra lean ground beef
• 100 g ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 10 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup parmigiano cheese, freshly grated
• salt and pepper, to season
• flour, for dredging

       White Wine Sauce:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• garlic clove, crushed
• 10 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup white wine

    

    Directions:

1. Add beef, ricotta, egg, sun-dried tomatoes, parmigiano cheese, and salt and pepper to a mixing bowl. 
2. Mix together with your hands, until ingredients are evenly distributed. Shape the meatballs into the size of a golf ball and pat down so they can evenly cook. Lightly dredge the meatballs in flour.
3. In a large frying pan, heat extra virgin olive oil and add garlic. 
4. Add meatballs to the pan, then the sun-dried tomatoes. Fry meatballs until golden on the outside.
5. Add wine to de-glaze the pan. Let wine reduce by half and thicken up. Let cook for an additional 5 minutes.