DANIELLE AT HOME

Seasonal Recipes

Black Widow Cocktail with Spun Sugar Webs

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With just a little over a week until Halloween it’s time to share a spooky cocktail! This one is inspired by spiders! It may look spooky but it tastes delicious and is perfect for any Halloween party your having this weekend!

Black Widow Cocktail - Halloween
Black Widow Cocktail - Halloween
Black Widow Cocktail - Halloween

This cocktail is super simple, it’s just blackberry pomegranate juice muddled with blackberries, a squeeze of lime and some tequila. Super delicious, sweet and refreshing. The natural deep purple colour is great but if you want to make it extra dark and spooky add a drop or two of black food colouring!

The impressive part of this cocktail is the spun sugar spider webs. Now of course this is totally optional but its fun and no where near as hard as it seems. Basically you melt the sugar in water until just slightly golden. Allow the sugar to cool for a few seconds. Grease a small bowl or cup and flick strands of sugar over the bowl using a fork. Let cool for 5 seconds before removing from the bowl. Then you’ll have a spun sugar spider web! These can be made a few days in advance and stored in an air tight container.

Black Widow Cocktail - Halloween

I hope you’re intrigued to give this cocktail a try for Halloween! It’s delicious and impressive!

Black Widow Cocktail with Spun Sugar Webs

Berry and tequila based cocktail garnished with spun sugar spider webs.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 cocktails
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cocktail
  • 4 cups pomegranate juice blend
  • 1/2 cup blackberries
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 6 ounces tequila
Spun Sugar Spider Webs
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup white sugar

Method
 

Spun Sugar Spider Webs
  1. Add water and sugar to a pot. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and turns slightly amber, about 15 minutes. Set aside for 5 seconds to cool slightly. Using a fork, flick the sugar in different directions over your greased mold (I used a small jam jar, but a bowl or cup would work). Allow to cool for 5-10 seconds to avoid burning your hands. Gently lift sugar from the mold and set aside. Repeat.
Drink
  1. In a pitcher add berries, lime juice and tequila. Using a muddling tool or the back of a wooden spoon muddle the berries. Add juice and stir. Pour drinks over a glass filled with ice, garnish with spun sugar webs and serve.

Notes

Spun sugar recipe adapted from Sunset.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

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Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all are enjoying your holiday weekend with family and lots of pumpkin pie! Today I thought I would share my Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. It’s creamy delicious, tastes like desert, but packed with healthy ingredients. Sweetened with maple syrup and it’s entirely dairy free! So yummy it can pass as breakfast or dessert!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie!

For this recipe I use pumpkin puree, this is the unsweetened pure mashed pumpkin. That’s what you want for pretty much every recipe out there. We will add our own spices and sweetener. Pumpkin is full of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, it’s also super nutrient dense so it’s perfect for a smoothie.

I use a frozen banana in this recipe to keep the smoothie creamy and super cold. You won’t really taste it but it adds natural sweetness and keeps things cold. The sweetener for this recipe is maple syrup, being Canadian maple syrup screams Thanksgiving for me, but you could toss in a date or two if you’re really watching your sugar source. And of course no pumpkin pie would be complete without a little pumpkin pie spice, here’s a link on how to make your own blend if you can’t find it in the store.

Last but not least lets talk dairy, now something you don’t know is I’m actually about 80-90% dairy free. I cut dairy for my skin, but theres still a few things I can’t give up, like cheese. So I only have dairy when it’s truly worth it to me, like on holidays or in my very favourite dishes. Since we eat at other peoples homes so much this time of year I’m strict on dairy when I’m cooking for myself. This recipe is make with almond milk, coconut yogurt (this is the best brand I’ve found!) and coconut whipped cream ( I use this one, so yummy). Of course it will taste delicious with dairy products, but I thought I’d share just incase you struggle with dairy as well.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie!
Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie!

As for the process for this recipe, well it’s pretty simple. Dump, blend, top and enjoy!

My husband was super skeptical of pumpkin in a smoothie, would it taste good, would it be too healthy tasting, or to make it delicious would it be so sugary that it really shouldn’t be eaten at breakfast? In the end he was really impressed!

This really is a must try for the fall and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

The creamy, delicious flavour of pumpkin pie without the guilt. A perfect festive breakfast, or a guilt free dessert!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 2 small smoothies
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup dairy free yogurt (I use coconut yogurt)
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1 tbsp real maple syrup (more or less to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup nut or dairy free milk (I used almond)
  • prepared coconut whipped cream (optional)

Method
 

  1. Add pumpkin, yogurt, banana, maple syrup, spices, and milk to a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and top with coconut whipped cream if desired.

Notes

This recipe makes two small smoothies, or one large one. When I make this for breakfast I have one large one without whip.
 
Optional add ins/swaps:
  1. If you eat dairy feel free to use regular yogurt and milk.
  2. Swap maple syrup for a date if you want a more natural sugar source.
  3. Add flax, chia or hemp hearts to increase nutrition.
  4. Protein powder can be added if desired.

White Chicken Chili

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Today I am sharing my go to slow cooker meal. It’s delicious, super filling and pretty healthy (if you go light on the Fritos! lol). White Chicken Chili is the best, it’s super flavourful, takes basically no prep time. Perfect weeknight meal. Oh and you’ll have leftovers! Win!!

I love soups, stews and chilis in the fall and winter. I just find then so satisfying and super easy to make, but my husband isn’t a big soup fan. He’s a big strong man and likes a big plate of hearty food. He just doesn’t see soup as a meal. And he doesn’t like most chilis because tomatoes give him heartburn. So thats where this recipe saves the day. It’s hearty and there’s no tomatoes, it’s a serious winner. He actually asks for this meal regularly (could just be the Fritos!). And I happily oblige since it takes five minutes and it feeds us for days!

White Chicken Chili
White Chicken Chili
White Chicken Chili

So lets run down what makes this recipe so great.

  1. Canned Green Chilies, seriously yummy! Basically makes everything taste like queso blanco and adds delicious flavour to this chili
  2. Jalapeños, add just the right amount of heat. Remove or don’t remove the seeds to adjust the heat to your liking. I like one with and one without.
  3. White Beans, they make this chili so hearty and filling
  4. Cream Cheese, this is what makes this chilli creamy. Yep, no cream in sight! It’s perfect and my secret weapon!
  5. Spices, don’t skimp on the cumin! Heck add extra if you want!

This recipe really is one of those no recipe recipes. You chop a few ingredients and other then that just toss everything in and let the slow cooked do it’s magic. It’s really that simple! Add your favourite chili toppings and get to eating!

I hope you give this a try at your house, I know you won’t be disappointed!

White Chicken Chili

Creamy, spicy and delicious. This super easy slow cooker recipe is the perfect filling and delicious dinner.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chili
  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 2 15 oz cans white beans, drained
  • 2 4 oz cans green chilies
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 jalapeños, chopped (remove seeds and ribs for a mild chili)
  • 1/2 onion, diced finely
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
  • cheddar cheese, shredded
  • avocado, sliced
  • fritos or tortilla chips

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Method
 

  1. Place chicken, beans, chilies, corn, jalapeños, onion, cream cheese and broth in you slow cooker. Add spices and stir. Place slow cooker on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.
  2. Once chili is cooked remove chicken. Shred and return to the slow cooker. Taste broth and adjust seasonings accordingly.
  3. Prepare desired toppings and serve.

Notes

Adapted from Cooking Classy.

Spiced Pear Galette with Maple Whipped Cream

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My first dessert recipe of fall is a spiced pear galette! And it’s topped with yummy maple whipped cream, I’m so excited to share it!

Fall and winter desserts are my favourite. Rich chocolates, spiced fruit and delicious pumpkin are by far my favourite flavours for dessert. So today I thought I would share a galette. It’s a fun and super simple twist on the classic fall apple pie!

Spiced Pear Galette

A galette is essentially a freeform pie with only a bottom crust, it’s insanely easy and totally forgiving. It’s a rustic dessert, the edges should be jagged and rough. If you’ve even made pie you know that sometimes it’s not easy to get the dough perfectly rolled and placed. Although some of my ugliest pies have been the most delicious!

I chose pears for this dessert simply because they are one of my favourite fruits, there delicious and just don’t get as much attention as apples this time of year. I only started baking with them over Christmas last year, but I was blown away with the flavour they bring to a dessert. They’ve always been a favourite snack but now there a favourite dessert!

Spiced Pear Galette
Spiced Pear Galette
Spiced Pear Galette

I decided to leave the skin on the pears in this dish, I find pear skin much softer then apple so I didn’t think it would be a problem. Plus it’s much prettier this way in my opinion.

Now as for the spice mix, I just used a classic apple pie spice, if you can’t buy the mix in store here’s a link to how to make it. I could have played around with the spices more but I really wanted a classic flavour with a twist. So I used lots of apple pie spice.

Now the whipped cream! Of course you could top your galette with deliciously creamy vanilla ice cream, but I thought a flavoured whipped cream would be better for this yummy dessert. So I added maple syrup instead of sugar to heavy whipping cream. It’s so yummy I now want to put it on everything!

This dessert would be perfect for Thanksgiving, or just a simple Sunday dinner. I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do!

Spiced Pear Galette with Maple Whipped Cream

Spiced pear filling on top of rustic buttery pastry, finished with slightly sweet maple whipped cream.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, French
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crust
  • 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/4 cup shortening, cold and cubed
  • 4-8 tbsp ice water
Filling
  • 3-4 small pears, sliced (1/8 inch thick)
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3/4 tsp apple pie spice
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • pinch salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • turbinado sugar
Maple Whipped Cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup (high quality)

Method
 

Crust
  1. Whisk, flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Add shortening and butter. Using a pastry cutter or two forks cut the fat into the flour until it is the size of peas. Slowly add ice water 1-2 tbsp at a time until a ball starts to form.
  2. Form dough into a disk, wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour
Filling
  1. Pre heat oven to 425 °F. Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
  2. Combine sliced pears, sugar, apple pie spice, corn starch and salt in a bowl.
  3. Flour the parchment lined baking sheet, roll pie dough out into a 9 inch rustic circle. Arrange pears in the centre of the dough leaving a 2-3 inch border. Fold border over fruit.
  4. Egg wash the folded dough and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until fruit is cooked and crust is browned. Remove and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Whipping Cream
  1. In a high sided bowl whip cream on high using a hand mixer. Continue to whip until soft peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Add maple syrup. Whip for another 30 seconds to combine on medium high.
  2. Serve galette slightly warm or at room temperature with a large helping of maple whipped cream.

Notes

Adapted from Grandma’s Berry Pie
Spiced Pear Galette and Maple Whipped Cream

Eggplant and Italian Sausage Pasta

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I don’t know about where you live but here in BC it has been a wet September. September seems to go one of two ways here, the longest hottest days of summer, or rain, rain and more rain. This year we have had the latter. Since the weather has been blah I’ve been able to dip into my fall recipes a bit sooner then normal. And of course I’m like every other girl out there and love fall. I mostly love sweaters and Thanksgiving, but I also really enjoy fall flavours and heartier dishes.

So since it’s fall here I’m sharing a new fall pasta recipe. A one pot pasta with eggplant and Italian sausage. It’s so yummy and is now a new favourite!

Let’s talk ingredients, it’s pretty simple here and most of these items are things I’m sure you have on hand. Your favourite short pasta shape, I love fussili. A delicious eggplant, Italian sausage, some canned tomatoes, a little wine, shallots, garlic and parmesan. So yummy!

Now the method here is simple, cook your pasta, set aside and start combining the sauce ingredients. This does take a tiny big longer then some of the one pot recipes out there since you really want to cook down the eggplant. I want melty velvety eggplant. It’s a total game changer in the sauces texture. If you think you’ve over cooked the eggplant it’s probably perfect. All the delicious flavours meld together to create a really rich flavourful sauce.

I like to serve this pasta with a super simple arugula salad, just arugula, shaved parmesan, lemon, oil and black pepper. Such a yummy bright compliment to the dish. You also can’t go wrong with a big glass of red wine to wash it all down. Also eating this by the fireplace makes it extra magical, but if it’s still summer where you are you may want to skip that. I hope you give this yummy dish a try!

One Pot Eggplant and Italian Sausage Pasta

A velvety smooth sauce with eggplant, tomato and red wine. Chucks of sweet Italian sausage and lots of parmesan cheese.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound fusilli pasta
  • 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound Mild Italian Sausage, casings removed
  • 1 shallot
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 medium eggplant, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup red wine
  • 1 15 ounce can whole plum tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (additional for topping)

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside 1 cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.
  2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in pot over medium-low heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan, cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add sausage to the pan. Break into small pieces and brown until cooked through.
  3. Deglaze the pan with wine. Simmer for 2 minutes until reduced. If the pan is dry add remaining olive oil. Add eggplant to the pan. Turn heat up to medium and cook for 10 minutes, or until beginning to soften.
  4. Break up tomatoes with your hands. Add to pot. Season with salt, pepper and chili flakes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings if needed.
  5. Lower heat, add pasta and cheese to sauce. Stir together. Add pasta water to loosen as needed, I typically use 1/3-1/2 cup. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Notes

Adapted from Food Network.
Eggplant and Sausage Pasta - So Yummy!

Mexican Street Corn

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Today we are talking corn on the cob. It’s getting to be corn season and really theres nothing better then corn on the cob cooked on the grill in the summer. But of course I didn’t want to give a basic grilled corn recipe. As delicious as that is I think you can figure it out on your own…so today I’m sharing my take on Mexican Street Corn. I was seeing these recipes all over the internet and was so intrigued! So I knew I had to try out a few recipes and then of course make then my own!

This recipe is incredibly simple. It starts by grilling corn in the husks. When they are almost ready we peel off those husks, coat with a delicious spicy and creamy sauce. Then throw them back on the grill to cook just a little longer. Once cooked sprinkle with cheese and cilantro (or parsley if you hate cilantro like me). Traditionally street corn has cotija cheese but I’m all about accessible ingredients and honestly that’s just not easy for me to grab at a regular grocery store. So I subbed in some fresh grated parmesan cheese. It’s all about making a recipe work for you. And man it’s delicious!

I hope you give this twist on corn a go this summer. It’s really easy and really delicious! Enjoy!

Mexican Street Corn

Sweet, spicy and fresh grilled corn topped with cheese.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 cobs
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 ears of corn
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/8 tsp cumin
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup parmesan
  • 2 limes
  • Cilantro or parsley

Method
 

  1. Place corn on the grill in the husks. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Remove from grill and set aside until cool enough to handle.
  2. In a small bowl mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and the juice of one lime. Remove husks and silk from the cooked corn. Using a pastry brush coat corn with sauce. Place corn back on the grill for an additional 5 minutes, turning half way.
  3. Remove corn from the grill, top with cheese, a squeeze of lime, cilantro or parsley and a pinch of chili! Yum!

Notes

Adapted from Damn Delicious.