Easter

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

November 1, 2018 by Danielle 2 Comments

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Happy November! Do you get excited for a new month? I don’t normally, but now that we are heading into the holiday season I was very excited for this new month.

Today I will be sharing a recipe for Sautéed Brussels Sprouts. This recipe is delicious on your Thanksgiving or Christmas table, but so simple you could throw it together on a typical weeknight (we do!). Now I know that brussels sprouts are a polarizing vegetable, but I think even a brussels sprout hated would enjoy this recipe.

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I like to sauté shaved brussel sprouts instead of cooking them whole. Not only do they cook fast but I have found that people who claim not to like brussels sprouts will like them way better if they are shaved like this. Also add bacon, garlic and cheese to anything and I’m totally sold.

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Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

Yields: 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 lbs Brussels Sprouts
2 Sliced Bacon, diced
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce (soy sauce can be substituted)
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Trim the end off the brussels sprouts and remove outer leaves. Use a food processors grater attachment of a knife to shave brussels sprouts. Alternatively you can buy a bag of pre cut brussels sprouts. Set aside.

In a frying pan cook diced bacon over medium heat until starting to crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Drain off excess fat. I leave just enough bacon fat in the pan to coat and discard the rest. Add brussels sprouts to the pan. Sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to the pan. Sauté for another minute.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with freshly grated or shaved parmesan. Serve immediately.

Dutch Apple Pie Bars with Salted Caramel

August 30, 2018 by Danielle 1 Comment

We all know I love pie, and dutch apple pie is one of my favourites. What makes apple pie different from dutch apple pie it that instead of a top crust their is a crumble topping. It’s the best of both worlds. Now these bars a essentially a portable dutch apple pie. They are also drizzled with salted caramel, so you know they are good.

These bars have four layers, shortbread crust, apple filling, crumble topping and caramel drizzle. I know that seems like a lot of work, but the ingredients and simple and so is the method. The tricky part is the caramel sauce. Now I like to make homemade salted caramel, it simple is the best. If you have the time please do yourself a favour and make the sauce from scratch. You wont be disappointed.

If you’re short on time, or just aren’t ready to try your hand at homemade caramel sauce you can use store bought. Buy the best quality caramel sauce you can find. Drizzle that on top of your bars and sprinkle some flaky sea salt on top. They will be almost as good.

These are perfect to serve at an end of summer barbecue or on a fall dessert buffet. These bars with a cup of tea after your thanksgiving dinner… with a side of pumpkin pie of course.

Yields: 9-16 Bars

Ingredients:

Shortbread Crust:

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted
1/4 Cup White Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup All Purpose Flour

Apple Filling:

2 Apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons White Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Streusel:

1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/3 Cup packed Brown Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on all sides. Set aside.

Make the crust: In a small bowl stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Make the apple filling:Combine the sliced apples, flour, granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a large bowl until all of the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.

Make the streusel: Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Remove the crust from the oven, and turn the oven up to 350°F (177°C). Layer the apples on top of the warm crust. Sprinkle the apple layer with streusel and bake for 30–35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature. Lift the bars out of the pan using the tabs of the parchment. Cut the bars into your desired serving size. I normally cut them into 12 squares, but 9 or 16 will also work. Once cut, drizzle the bars with the salted caramel sauce. The bars can be served warm, room temperature or cold.

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Kale Caesar Salad

August 28, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

We eat a lot of kale in my house. We sauté it, we put it in smoothies, and it into soups and casseroles. And of course we make salads out of it. When it comes to kale salads I am partial to a creamy dressing since kale can be such a tough green.

For a while I was buying a creamy parmesan dressing from the store for my kale salads. Making a creamy dressing at home seamed fussy and intimidating, but now that I’ve made this recipe I can’t go back to the bottled stuff again.

Now this salad is not a week night salad for me. I can handle making the dressing, but on a weeknight I skip the bacon and use store-bought croutons. It’s still delicious, but if you have the time to make your own it will be so much fresher and tastier!

I love to serve this salad in the summer with grilled chicken, steak, or my BBQ-less Barbecue Chicken. In the winter I love to serve this along side lasagna, spaghetti or any roasted meat.

I also love kale because it’s the only salad you can toss in advance. I like to wash and prep my kale, and then toss it in dressing a few hours before serving. Then just before serving I’ll toss in the croutons and bacon. This helps the kale soften and not be as tough.

In addition to dressing the salad in advance I like to massage my kale. I know it sounds funny, but it makes your kale more tender. Once you kale has been washed, dried and chopped. Massage the leaves with your hands until they become a bright green colour. Then coat the leaves with dressing, this will make your kale more tender.

Even if you are not a kale salad lover, you’re going to love this salad!

What’s your favourite salad?

Yields: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

1 Bunch Kale
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 Gloves of Garlic
1 Teaspoons Capers
4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
4 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
2 Lemons, juiced
Salt & pepper, to taste
4 Strips of Bacon
Optional: Additional parmesan cheese for topping

For the Croutons:

4 Slices of Seeded Multi Grain Bread
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

Method:

In a blender combine, olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, garlic, capers, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Wash, dry and chop the kale. Place in a large salad bowl. Massage the leaves until they are bright green. Toss the kale in the dressing and set aside. If prepping the salad in advance, cover the tossed salad with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

Cook the bacon using your preferred method until crisp. Blot off excess grease and allow to cool completely. Once cool crumble the bacon, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes, place the bread on a sheet tray. Drizzle olive oil over the bread and toss to coat. Sprinkle garlic powder, salt and pepper over bread and toss to coat evenly.

Bake the croutons for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Be careful to brown the croutons and not burn. Allow the croutons to cool fully as they will continue to harden and crisp as they cool.

When ready to serve, add bacon, croutons and parmesan cheese (if using) to the dressed kale. Toss the salad together. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Jillian Harris

Lemon Parmesan Green Beans

July 18, 2018 by Danielle 1 Comment

Today I’m sharing with you my favourite veggie side dish. These green beans are tender and fresh with a cheesy bite. They are also super fast to wipe up, so they are not just for dinner parties.

In this recipe I use french green beans, my favourite are by Manns. I like using french style green beans because they are smaller and more tender then traditional green beans. They also cook quickly which is perfect for a week night.

I par cook the beans in boiling water before pan frying in butter and seasoning with lemon juice. At the end I top the beans with freshly grated parmesan. It really is as easy as it sounds.

What is your favourite easy and delicious side?

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 lbs Fresh French Cut Green Beans
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Juice of half a lemon
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: Chili Flakes

Directions:

Place the beans in a wok or fry pan, cover with water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then drain. Over medium heat add butter, beans, salt, pepper and chili flakes to the pan. Sauté the beans for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and continue to sauté for 2-3 more minute until beans are tender and begin to crisp. Transfer the beans to a serving dish and top with freshly grated parmesan.

Yeast Raised Waffles

July 17, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

I really try to slow down and enjoy my weekends. Since I lead a pretty busy life this can be hard to do, but I always try to carve out one morning to relax. I love to sip coffee and cook a special breakfast with my husband. These waffles are our go to on the days we know we have time to savour the morning.

Now these aren’t your typical waffles. These waffles are yeast raised. The yeast makes them light and airy, but gives them an extra depth of flavour. One other thing that is different about these waffles is that the batter is made the night before. So a little planning is involved, but I promise they are worth it!

I like to top mine with butter and real Canadian maple syrup, but I bet they would be extra yummy with berries and whipped cream. I bet you’d even love them plain!

So what your family’s favourite weekend breakfast?

Servings: 20 Waffles

Ingredients:

1 packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk (I use 2%)
¹⁄₂ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 large eggs
¹⁄₄ teaspoon baking soda
Your favourite toppings (butter, syrup, Nutella, strawberries, whipped cream)

Directions:

Whisk yeast and sugar in ½ cup warm water until dissolved. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until foamy and doubled in size. Add milk, melted butter, salt, and flour to the bowl. Whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.

Preheat your waffle iron. Whisk eggs and baking soda into the batter until smooth. Pour batter into the wells of your waffle iron (1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on the style of the iron). Allow to cook for thirty second before closing the lid. Lower the lid and cook per your waffle irons specifications until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter.

Adapted from Marion Cunningham’s Yeast-Raised Waffles, Saveur

Grandma’s Berry Pie

July 16, 2018 by Danielle Leave a Comment

It feels like just yesterday I was rolling out dough on my grandma’s sea-foam green counter tops. Laughing and making an absolute mess of her kitchen. It’s funny how food and cooking is so tied to memories and emotions. I’ll never forget her passing on all her best tips to me during our many baking sessions.

My grandma was famous for her baking, but nothing was quite as good as her pies. I first started making pies with her when I was six, and now I’ve become the head pie maker in our family. It seemed only fitting that the first recipe I shared on this blog was the first recipe I ever made.

I of course have tweaked grandmas recipe slightly over the years to make it my own, but I still follow grandma’s methods. My grandma’s recipe was based on the Crisco’s classic pie dough, it’s the same recipe her mother used. Personally I prefer to use half butter half shortening to give the dough more flavour. I also add a bit of sugar to my dough to sweeten the crust slightly (per my husbands request). After much trial and error this has become my favourite pie dough. I make my dough using an old-fashioned pastry cutter. You can of course use a food processor instead, but be careful not to over work the dough.

This pie is so delicious I could eat the whole thing myself… I wish I was kidding.

My favourite way to eat this pie is cold straight out of the fridge, but my family likes it served warm with vanilla ice cream. Whats your favourite way to enjoy a slice of pie?

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 2/3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening, cold
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, cold
8 to 12 tablespoons ice water
Egg
2 tablespoons water
Sugar for dusting

Filling:

6 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (if using frozen completely defrost and drain excess juices, do not rinse)
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup Corn Starch
Juice of half a lemon

Directions:

In a large bowl mix the flour, salt and sugar together. Add the cold butter and shortening. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or two forks until the chunks of butter and shortening are the size of small peas.

Drizzle in the ice water and stir the mixture to bring the dough together. Continue to add water until the dough starts to clump and form a ball. Form the dough into a ball. Cut dough in half and form each half into discs. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).

Mix together berries, lemon juice, corn starch and sugar. Set aside.

Roll out one of the discs to fit your pie tin. Gently place the dough into the pie tin. Pour the berry mixture into the tin. Discard any extra juice from the filling (it will make the pie watery). Roll out the second disc. Gently place the top crust onto the pie.

Gently fold over and seal the edges of the pie to form a crust. Mix together egg and water. Use a pastry brush to cover the pie in egg wash. Sprinkle sugar over the pie. Using a sharp knife cut vent holes into the crust.

Bake the pie for 45 – 60 minutes until golden brown. Cover the pie with foil partway through cooking if the pie browns too quickly.

Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Crisco.

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