Strawberry Lemon Butter

This recipe was inspired by another blog that I stumbled upon recently. I want to give a shout out, but I cant remember the name, and havent been able to find it again. Needless to say , I was inspired.

At our local market, I made a friend who was inspired to offer us deals on goodies. I recently bought both of these packages of organic strawberries, (that were already reduced from $5 each to .75). . . for .75! that is an amazing deal. . . I love you Famous foods :)

I promptly chopped them up as I day dreamed of the recipes these summer beauties would inspire.

The first recipe to share will be this one for Strawberry and Lemon rind butter. It is a nice change in the mornings, rather than just plain butter on toast. It adds color, texture and zing to my routine during busy week day mornings.

Ingredients:

2 sticks of organic butter, preferably salted
1 cup of sugar
1 Lemon

Directions:

1) let butter reach room temperature

2) Remove rind from half of one lemon- more or less depending on your taste buds

3) Chop up strawberries in to small chunks

4) Add sugar and lemon rind to bowl of strawberries

5) Add sticks of butter to other ingredients and start to blend with a spatula, or if your like me, go straight to the electric mixer. Mix with electric mixer for 2 minutes, until well blended, light and fluffy.

now for the fun part

6) Lay out a piece of saran wrap and a stretch of tin foil.

7) Spoon out strawberry lemon mixture into a line on the saran wrap

8) Fold it like a burrito, fold the outer edges first, then fold the roll over.

9) Place burrito type shape on top of tin foil, roll it up, and twist the ends in firmly to create a cylinder. place in the freezer for 1- 2 hours.

10) When you are ready to use it, take it out of the freezer, unwrap the part you want to use, cut with a sharp knife, maintaining the round shape for added interest.

11) let it reach room temperature, serve and enjoy!


Notes:

This recipe is great on french toast, and turns everything pink.

Enjoy

Love from the SLR Gals

Lemon Maple Glazed Salmon

Before:

After:

Ingredients:

1) Prepared wild spring salmon

2) Lemon

3) Organic Canadian Maple Syrup

4) Salt and Pepper

5) Dill, tarragon, soft favorite spices

6) Polish Mayonnaise



Directions:

(* Note : If you are preparing your salmon for two, you can cut it now to create a seamless edge during the cooking process. This way when you are serving, your guests don't have flaky salmon, rather it is in one piece, moist, neat and tidy.)

1) Preheat oven to 350

2) Cut your lemon in to thin slices, on a slant if you want to be fancy-schmancy.

3) Combine about 3 tablespoons of Mayo with 2 teaspoons of maple syrup.

4) Add spices, salt and pepper to the Maple-mayo combination. Stir.

5) Place salmon in baking dish- arrange lemons on top.

6) Drizzle half of the the maple mixture on the salmon, focusing on the center.

7) Bake for 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the fish.
( You will know when its cooked, as your house will start to smell delish, and the salmon will have milky white layers develop on the surface.)

8) Pour the remainder of the Maple mixture on to the cooked salmon, followed by salt and pepper to taste.


Tip:

This dish is great with salad, or any side dish that can mimic the flavors with notes of citrus.

Spicy thought:

I like to use the same spices in the side dishes as I do in the main course- its just like decorating- Choose your main focus and add little splashes of the same flavors throughout the space to develop the theme and create comfort.


Enjoy!

~ Jessica

Tuesdays Tip: How to choose the best mushrooms

Mushrooms are great in so many different dishes from soups to stir fry's. I prefer to use a variety of them , but most often find myself reaching for Cremini. I find them to be the easiest to use and most versatile.

When at the market, look for mushrooms with firm, unblemished skin. Leave the ones with damp, soggy or withered appearances. Mushrooms should have an earthy, pleasant scent. When possible, mushrooms are a food that should be bought organic, as the skin is being eaten.

Another important tip is to check the base and make sure that the cap is tight around the stem, without cracks that expose the dark brown , velvety , accordion patterned material underneath. There are lots of different kinds of wigglers, dirt and other "miscellaneous bits" that can get caught in there, so its more sanitary when choosing cremini or button mushrooms to find them with a tight cap and stem.



Happy cooking :)

Jessica

Saturday Sips ( Super early!)

Maple Italian Soda

Organic Milk

Flavored syrup of your choice- in this case, Maple

Bubbly water of your choice- tonic water works well

Ice cubes in fun shapes, or plain- just use what you have




1) Cool your glass by adding the ice cubes and letting it sit for a short while

2) Fill glass about 1/4 way up with milk

3) Add one teaspoon of maple syrup (adjust to taste)

4) Fill your glass with the bubbly water of your choice, leaving room for the Italian Soda to fizz.

5) Whisk or stir with a spoon, and enjoy!


Suggestions:


* Talk with an accent like Fran Drescher, The Godfather or Janice from Friends after drinking it

* Add a fun garnish- frozen blueberries


* Drink it through a crazy straw




Enjoy!

Just Wing It ~Summer Wings~

The other day I picked up a huge bag of organic chicken wings fresh from a local farm . I wanted to try something different so I came up with this recipe from what I had in my fridge . It turned out really yummy, I hope you think so too

Just Wing It ~Summer wings~

1 pound organic free range chicken wings - you can leave the skin on or take it off if you would like
(this recipe would work great with any cut of chicken)

Preheat oven to 425. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse the chicken and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl whisk together the following ingredients till smooth.

2 cups organic sour cream
1 cup organic dijon mustard (I like to use the grainy mustard but regular mustard would work great as well!)
1/2 large organic white onion, diced
5 gloves organic garlic,diced
1/2 cup agave nectar, (+ more for later)
2tbsp organic oregano
1tbsp organic chilli flakes

Set aside 1/2 of the sauce into a separate mixing bowl for later.

One wing at a time, coat each piece of chicken and place on the parchment lined pan. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until fully cooked in the center. After the wings have been in the oven for 15 minutes , pull from the oven and use the extra sauce to re-marinate the chicken . Do this a few times throughout the baking process . With 10 minutes left on the clock , I drizzled a little extra agave nectar on each wing to give it that special touch .

Once fully cooked, pull them from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving . I sprinkled mine with a little extra chilli flakes while they were resting . They will be pipping hot, so be careful . . . and try to share :)

These wings make great leftovers, broken apart for sandwiches or on salads! But its not likely you will have leftovers, these are delicious .

Enjoy !
-Vanessa

Food for thought

When we were kids, our Dad went on a business trip to Japan . He came back with various different fun things unlike anything we had ever been gifted with before . Among the hello kitty books, kimonos and matching slippers, were little erasers in the shapes of sushi and ultra miniature cooking sets.


Remembering this made me think . . . lots of children are raised playing in miniature kitchens, where they are encouraged to "play with their food" and make plastic creations for others. As infants we are photographed with spaghetti sauce all over our smiling faces . . . later on we become conditioned to use salad forks and proper etiquette.


I am in no way suggesting we get crazy with spaghetti sauce or serve plastic foods; I am, however, feeling inspired lately to play in the kitchen. I enjoy looking back on those sweet days of childhood, when we pretended to be mothers and wives, feeding house guests and entertaining with our little sushi eraser food.

What are your earliest memories of cooking in the kitchen? Please comment below to share them with us :)



Enjoy!
~Jessica

(PS: Aren't optical illusions fun? I thought the kitchen in the you tube video was full size)

Saturdays Sip, Part One

The Pinky Fizzgerald

1-2 teabags, Tazo Passion Tea
1 bottle of organic pure lemonade
1 tsp sweetener of your choice, agave, sugar, stevia
1 bottle of bubbly water (mineral or tonic)
Garnish of your choice (See notes for inspiration and suggestions)


1) Start off by boiling some fresh water. Steep your Tazo tea bags for about half an hour.

2) Once it has brewed and cooled, fill up for glasses half way with the tea.

3) Add about 1 tsp of agave, or sweetener of your choice, to taste. Stir to dilute it.

4) Add a splash of organic lemonade and a generous amount of tonic water.

5) Add ice cubes for extra freshness and garnish of your choice.


Notes:
~ *Can be garnished with your choice of flavors: heart shaped ice cubes, sliced pink lady apples, lemons, key lime wedges, liquor like vodka or gin, fresh mint leaves, etc.

~ This is a fantastic alternative to serving juice on hot days. The tea is full of antioxidants, which is a healthier option.

~ You can make a huge batch of this and keep it in the fridge for when you want something besides water!

~ This is a great base for Mojitos!

~ This is a great option if you are having guests and some of them cannot drink (everyone seems to be pregnant these days! Its something fresh that they will love)

Enjoy!

Jessica

'Tis the Season for Summer Markets!

I have always loved going to the local farmers markets! There is something about meeting the farmers that grow my food that makes my heart smile!

Ever since I developed my serious nut allergy, it has become especially important to me to know where my food comes from. It's a huge advantage being able to talk to the farmers directly about their practices.
Aside from my allergy, food is very important to me. These days markets seem to be featuring tones of organic food which makes the experience even more enjoyable! I checked out the Langley farm market yesterday and found a huge selection of organic cheeses, organic fresh baked breads, organic chicken and turkey and the most amazingly fresh veggies and herbs picked the morning of the market, my fridge has never smelt so amazing! There was also a wonderful selection of fresh cut, local flowers. The bouquets were only $5! The live music was the frosting on the cake!

Follow the link below to find some of the local farmers markets that are happening this summer. I hope you have a chance to check some of them out! Who wants to be inside the grocery store on a beautiful sunny day anyway?! I hope you enjoy the markets as much as we do!

http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/findamarket.asp

-Vanessa

Angel Pasta with Chicken, Zucchini, Garlic and Spinach

One Dish Wonder Series, Part One

½ Package angel hair pasta
4 Cups organic spinach
1 Zucchini
5 Segments organic Garlic
6 Large pieces of breaded chicken
Toasted sesame oil, to taste
1 tbsp Butter
Pinch of salt and pepper
Pinch of Tarragon


1) Preheat oven to 375-400, bake chicken

2) Slice garlic segments, julienne zucchini and wash spinach

3) Salt water and bring to a boil, cook angel hair pasta

4) Using a large frying pan, melt down butter and sauté garlic

5) Add zucchini, and let it lightly brown

6) Next, add your raw spinach. Let it mix in well and cook down until its wilted (this happens fast, try not to let it get too soggy)

7) Remove cooked chicken from the oven, cut into chunks, on a slant

8) Add cooked chicken and noodles to large frying pan with your spinach, zucchini, and other ingredients. Let the flavors mix well.

9) Add toasted sesame oil, salt and pepper, mix well. Add Parmesan (freshly grated or powdered, whichever you prefer) and mix again just before serving.


Notes:
~This dish is a great solution to the question “What’s for dinner?” when you are busy, it takes only a few minutes to make and its delicious!

~It is very delicious, and is great the next day as lunch!

~It pairs nicely with a nice glass of dry white wine

~Fresh fruit is great plan for desert following the pasta

Enjoy!

Coconut Dream Cupcakes (...yummmm!!)

These cupcakes are simply a dream! They are quite sweet but oh so yummy!

When you look at the ingredients, you will notice I use a few alternatives because of my allergies. I use "earth balance soy-free" organic butter because I cant have dairy. I find it to be a wonderful butter alternative! I also use "So-Delicous" Coconut milk, as my every day milk. It is so yummy and packed with MCFA (medium chain fatty acids), which I will tell you lots about! I also choose to use "Agave" as my sugar substitute. Agave, when compared to other sweeteners, has a desirable low-glycemic index. This means that, it won’t cause a sharp rise or fall in blood sugar, and it tastes great!

If you dont have access to these ingredients, your milk and butter choices will work just fine. But I do suggest you give them a try!

1 3/4 cups organic unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup packed shredded coconut
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) "earth balance" butter, softened
1 1/3 Agave necter
2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg whites
3/4 cup "so delicous" coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line muffin tins with paper liners
Mix together dry ingredients, using a whisk in a large bowl
Cream together butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy
Add eggs, 1 at a time, contiue to beat at low medium speed

Reduce your speed to low
Add Vanilla and Coconut Milk, continue to beat on low setting
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. I split the dry ingredients into 4, so that the flour had a chance to blend with the other ingredients before adding more :)
Be sure to use a spatula to scrap down the sides of the bowl... dont want to leave any behind!
Pour the batter into the muffin tins, filling each 2/3 full.

Bake cupcakes for 20 or 25 min (depending on your oven, mine only needed 20 minutes) or until tooth picks inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in tins for about 5 minutes, then transfer to wire wracks.

Allow to cool completely before adding icing.

As the cupcakes are cooling, you can begin making the icing.

Simple vanilla frosting

3 large organic, free range egg whites
3/4 cup cane sugar
1/3 cup room tempature water
1/4 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

If you have a double boilier, great. Otherwise use a saucepan with a heatproof bowl ontop but not inside the saucepan. This works just as well. If it sits loosley in the saucepan, be sure to have a hot cloth or an oven mit standing by, you will need it when stirring the mixture so you dont burn yourself!

Fill the saucepan about 1/2 way with water and bring to a simmer. It is important to add enough water so that it does not boil dry.


In a seperate bowl combine the seperated egg whites, cane sugar, and water. Wisk lightly and pour into the top bowl of your double broiler. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved completley. This should only take 2 or 3 minutes.

Transfer the heated mixture into a large bowl. Using an electric mixer (i prefer to use my standing mixure, if you have one) beat on medium-high stiff peaks form. Make sure you do not over beat, as this will ruin the frosting. It should only take about 3 minutes. Reduce your mixing speed to low.

Its almost ready! Next, add vanilla extract
Beat on very low speed only till combined

This is the part that I like to dip my finger in for a taste!

As long as the cupcakes have completly cooled down, you can start the frosting! I like to dip my cupcakes by holding them upside down into the frosting, rotating to allow for even coverage. It also gives a nice smooth peak look :)

Place a pan under the wire cooling wrack to collect extra frosting fall-off.

Return the cupcakes to the wire wrack. Once they are all done, sprinkle with as much shredded coconut as possible, allowing the extra to fall on the pan below. I have tried using both small shreds and large shredded coconut. I find that the smaller shred works best!

Cupcakes will are best kept, covered and in the fridge for up to 4 days..if they last that long!!

And finally the best part..... INDULGE!!! ENJOY!!! and try to share :)
I hope you love this recipe as much as my family and friends do!
Let me know what you think!

-Vanessa

Seed Protein Chia Pudding

1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp flax seeds
2 tbsp protein powder (I use pumpkin protein powder)
1/4 cup seed mix (I chose sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup raisins and other dried fruit chunks (pineapple and cranberries taste yummy!)
2 sliced strawberries

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Stir and add as much granola as you'd like!

This is a great start to an active day and will keep you going all day long
-Vanessa

Did you know? CHIA

Did you know that chia seeds contain even more omega-3 fatty acids than flax seeds and they contain the highest fiber content of any food?! Those "chia pets" were good for something afterall!!

Roasted mixed root veggies

2 large organic beet roots (fresh)
2 organic parsnips
3 organic table carrots
1 whole head of garlic (optional)
1 red or white onion (optional)
1 hand full of organic baby russet potatoes, or 1 yellow yam
1 hand full of organic brussel sprouts (if your a fan)
1 sprig of dill, rosemary, mint ( use a combination of all, or just your fave)
toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper


1) Pre heat oven at 375- 400. Chop up all veggies in to large chunks, (on a angle if you want to be fancy-schmancy). Cut off top of garlic head, and put in to baking dish or pan of your choice.

(*Make sure your dish is a decent size- big enough for your veggies to roast in a single layer. You dont want them crowded, or they will become soggy.)

2) Drizzle with Organic toasted sesame oil

3) Pull herbs off of their twigs and tear with fingers, or use a pairing knife. Sprinkle the herbs, salt and pepper over the veggies, and combine with hands.

4) Roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until the veggies are golden toned, and soft when punctured with a fork.

Notes:
~ These pair well with long grain coconut rice, steak, pork chops and meat balls.

~ You can also roast multi-colored Peppers in this manner, and use them in Baguette sandwiches with Roast beef, a strong mustard and sprouts.

Enjoy

MMMMeatballs

Thanks for visiting us :) Here is my tried, tested and true recipe for meatballs

1 Pound organic/ natural ground beef
1 Large white onion (minced)
1 Medium zucchini (grated)
1 Organic egg
1 Pinch tarragon
1 Pinch salt and pepper


1) Preheat oven for 350-375, line tray with parchment paper or get pirex dish out.
2) Grate zucchini
3) Mince onion, and combine all ingredients well with hands. Let meat rest for about 5 minutes.
3) Using a tablespoon to measure out equal amounts of mixture, roll/squish/shape in to balls.
4) Once they are all lined up, pop them in the oven for 15-20 minutes, remove from oven and turn them over and continue to cook for 5 minutes

Notes:
~These can be put into tomato sauce, and simmered for up to half an hour to absorb the flavors, and be served on soba or spaghetti noodles.

~If you are entertaining, or preparing finger food for the kids, they can be sauteed in sweet and sour sauce or mango chutney. They go great alongside roasted potatoes or brussel sprouts....(did I just loose you? dont worry, those are roasted in toasted sesame oil, recipe to follow shortly!)

~Jessica

Sunflower Chia Pudding

1 over ripe banana mashed
1 tbsp sunflower seed butter (you can choose any seed or nut butter!)
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp black chia seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp shredded coconut
2 large strawberries sliced


Mix all the above together (save the strawberries for on top!) and pop in the fridge for 1 hour, or over night! A delicious breakfast or snack on the go! OH SO YUMMY!!

-Vanessa