Food Photo of the Day ~ Cheesecake

The other day I made a surprise cheesecake for my husband and kids and it was sensational. Satisfyingly dense with a hint of orange, because I added grated orange rind to the batter, and massive dollops of cherry compote on top. Absolutely mouthwatering!  

I must say this week has been a slice, need I say more...


Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Trail Mix Squares

Just like rice krispie treats these are easy to make however offer a few more ingredients for a more filling snack. They can be enjoyed anytime or on the go. This recipe also lends for a few ingredients to be altered or changed depending on ones taste. 

Trail Mix Squares

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1/4 cup (50ml) unsalted butter

4 cups (1L) miniature marshmallows

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) vanilla

5 cups (1.25L) Corn Flake cereal

1/2 cup (125ml) roughly chopped almonds or slivered almonds

1/3 cup (75ml) of each - chopped dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, unsalted sunflower seeds, flax seeds, dried coconut flakes sweetened or unsweetened, your choice.

Butter a 8 inch (2L) metal square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl mix the almonds, dried cranberries, dried apricots, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and dried coconut flakes together. Set aside. 

In a large heavy bottom saucepan, melt the butter over medium - low heat. Add the marshmallows, stirring until the marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Alternating, stir in the cornflakes and the dried fruit, seed, and nut mixture into the marshmallow mixture. Stir until everything is well coated. Using a warm wet knife or greased hands, press gently into prepared pan. Chill for 20 minutes or overnight before cutting into squares.

Notes: For more gooey trail mix squares add 5 cups of marshmallows rather than the 4 cups. 

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Oven Roasted Crinkle Potatoes

Rather than just do the same quartered oven roasted potatoes, I decided to put a hardly used kitchen gadget to the test; and create these delicious seasoned crinkle cut potatoes. Similar to chips... french fries these have a rugged look about them with lovely seasoned flavour without all the fat and grease of deep frying. I tossed the potato slices in olive oil and added whatever seasonings I had on hand and baked them in a preheated 400ºF oven on a baking tray lined with parchment paper for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp.

Here is the said kitchen gadget I used to slice the potatoes with. This hand held gadget fits nicely in ones palm although it is almost the size of my hand. I can not remember where or when this kitchen gadget was purchased; I do think it was some time ago and didn't cost that much. I guess it is never to late to give it a go and with a bit of muscle one can create crinkle cut potatoes in a matter of minutes. Once you get a rhythm going one wants to crinkle cut everything. Despite not being used that often it was a purchase many years ago that proved positive and will be considered more often now, not just for potatoes but other vegetables too. 

Hope everyone had a nice long weekend. Despite the rain we did! - JD 

Mini Meatloaves

What I really wanted to do was make meatballs however I got side tracked and decided to make mini meatloaves instead with the help of a muffin tin. I am sure this isn't such a revolutionary idea however it seems to have put an amusing appeal to a mid week meal.

 Mini Meatloves

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Makes 12 

about 2 Ibs of extra lean minced (ground) chicken

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons bacon seasoning mix

1 teaspoon thyme

1/4 cup fine bread crumbs

1 to 2 carrots, grated

1 small onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 eggs

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper, to taste

1 standard non-stick 12 cup muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine. Once everything is holding together nicely fill the muffin tin cups with the meat mixture. Once all the cups are generously filled, sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top of each meatloaf and place in the preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until an internal temperature of 160ºF is reached. Serve with brown rice or mashed potatoes and veggies. 

Hope everyone's week has been good so far. The rain has brought some much needed moisture. I am feeling better however my throat is still healing. The long weekend is here something to which we are all looking forward to. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD  

Cauliflower & Kale with Almonds

This side dish is the simplest thing you can rustle up even when you are foraging around the kitchen. Even if you do not have all the ingredients there are only a few which makes this recipe efficient and a breeze to create after a busy day. 



Cauliflower & Kale with Almonds
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1 medium/large cauliflower, washed and chopped into smaller florets
a bunch of fresh kale, washed and chopped into strips
1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vegetable herb mix
handful of almonds
1 orange, for juice and or rind, optional

In a large frying pan add the oil and warm over medium high heat. Add the cauliflower florets and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the kale. The kale will stand high in the fry pan however it will cook down. Stir to ensure that the kale does not stick and everything gets incorporated nicely. 

Once the kale has cooked down and the cauliflower is tender but still firm; sprinkle the vegetable herb mix over the cauliflower and kale mixture, and stir to coat evenly. Add  the almonds, stir and heat for a few minutes longer until the almonds are warm and sautéd well enough. Transfer to a serving dish and serve as is or add some freshly squeeze orange juice over the top or grate orange rind over the dish. 

Notes: You can always add chickpeas and or mushrooms. Use lemon juice or lemon rind instead of orange. Try using different oils. Add cheese. To make it a main meal you can always serve over cooked quinoa or brown rice. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend. We did! Still managing with this cold virus hope to be 100% soon. - JD 

Brew Dr. Kombucha ~ Superberry

When this was a weekly special at one of the local shops we just had to try it. Organic Oolong tea with organic currants, elderberries, hibiscus and rose hips. I thought it would be beneficial seeing how it was superberry and only 5% sugar. It was refreshing, in an iced tea sort of way however offered a hint of herbal berry goodness. Even though it was great on it's own; I could see mixing it with a bit of gin for a pleasant afternoon Flapper's iced tea.  

Sometimes only fancy glasses will do. I found it had such an interesting colour. A coral tan that cast a pinkish hue. 

Feeling a bit better and looking forward to the weekend. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Jeera (Cumin) Rice

Jeera is the Hindi word for cumin seeds and Jeera Rice is an Indian dish that consists of rice and cumin seeds; which may or may not include peas, onions and coriander leaves. In Pakistan it is known as Zeera rice. This popular North India dish is quite fragrant and easy to prepare and would work well with any meal.

Jeera (Cumin) Rice
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2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup dry jasmine rice
1 3/4 cups water
1/3 cup frozen organic peas 
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a medium size saucepan over medium-high heat. Drop int eh cumin seeds, and cook until they start to splutter. Do not allow the cumin seeds to burn or become really dark brown in colour. Add the rice and fry in the oil, with the cumin seeds, for about 1 minute. 

Add the water, frozen peas, and salt and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan. Cook the rice for approximately 15 minutes. Keep checking to ensure that the rice is not sticking to the bottom of the saucepan or burning. If the water is absorbed before the 15 minutes or the rice still feels too firm after the 15 minutes add a bit more water. Adding small amounts of water at a time will make sure that the rice does not become too sticky or mushy. Toss with a fork when ready. 

NOTES: If you are concerned about possibly burning the rice a trick that I have read many times over is too place the saucepan on flat pan or griddle which would then be directly on the heat source or flame. Therefore cooking times many change. I did not have to do this as I kept a close eye on the rice. I did have to add more water.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I am still trying to shake off a flu I came down with over the weekend. - JD  

The American Flyer

If you like a cocktail with a bit of a kick then the American Flyer is one you have to try. It makes for a refreshing tipple at the end of a busy week and one to the start a relaxing weekend.  

The American Flyer

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Makes 2 drinks

3 oz Jamaican rum

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon simple syrup

Champagne, to top up

Place the rum, lime juice and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Pour into wine glasses and top up with champagne. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Nigella Lawson's Warm Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

Improvising in the kitchen is not a new thing when you have most of the ingredients except the two you forgot. Sometimes it is best to just go ahead and make it anyway. I mixed my own harissa powder... well something that resembled it anyways and as for the Italian parsley, that remained at the grocery shop. I did have some kale on hand however I served the salad as is and with the added sprinkle of Nigella seeds. Which my son found ironic but very fitting because it is a Nigella Lawson recipe. This dish or salad is quite flavourful and was the perfect side to our vegetarian wraps. There are leftovers to which we will enjoy with some fresh kale.    

Nigella Lawson's Warm Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

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1 small head of cauliflower

3 tablespoons regular olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 1/2 cups chickpeas, home-cooked or drained from a jar or tin

1-2 tablespoons harissa, to taste depending on the heat of the harissa

4 smallish ripe vine tomatoes, approximately 6 ounces in total

1 teaspoons se salt flakes, or kosher salt, to taste

3 to 4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

2 1/2 cups Italian parsley leaves

*harissa is a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste. Some ingredients may include a blend of rose petals, red peppers, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander and caraway. 

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Trim the cauliflower and divide into small florets. Pour the oil into a large bowl, add the cinnamon and cumin seeds, and stir or whisk the spices together. Add the prepared cauliflower and toss to coat. Pour the contents of the bowl into a small oven proof pan or dish and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Do not wash out the bowl you've been using; as you will need it for the next step of the recipe.

Add the chickpeas to the already used large bowl and add the harissa, tasting it first to see if you want both tablespoonfuls. Again, toss to coat. Quarter the tomatoes and add them to the bowl and stir to mix. When the cauliflower has had it's 15 minutes, remove the pan, quickly tip the chickpeas and tomatoes over the cauliflower, and toss to combine before returning to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. 

When it is ready, remove from the oven and sprinkle the salt over the vegetables, then toss to combine with half of the pomegranate seeds. Divide the parsley leaves, without chopping them, toss to mix and scatter with the remaining pomegranate seeds.

To find this recipe and more Simply Nigella recipes visit Nigella Lawson by clicking *here* 

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD