Food Photo of the Day ~ Pasta with a Creamy Tomato Sauce

To some this looks just like a steaming hot plate of pasta, true. Make your favourite tomato sauce recipe and add about 1/2 cup of cream and you have a creamy tomato sauce. A simple and easy way to change up your favourite pasta meal.  

It is the middle of the week and so far it's been sunshine and blue skies. A late post today however it is summer and therefore a more relaxed approach to posting. - JD 

Date Walnut Loaf

This is one of those classic recipes that does not go a miss anytime of the year. An easy and quick recipe to satisfy the peckish.   

Date Nut Loaf

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2 cups dates, pitted and chopped

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon Irish honey liqueur

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon rum extract

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf tin and line the bottom with baking parchment paper. Set aside. 

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and chopped dates and bring to a boil. Stir in the butter and sugar until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the baking soda and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then gently stir in the Irish honey liqueur. 

Place the date mixture into a large mixing bowl. Blend in the flour, the beaten egg and rum extract. Stir in the chopped walnuts. Then pour batter into the prepared tin. 

Bake in the preheated oven for about 50 to 60 minutes, checking the loaf at 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.  

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend like us!  - JD 

Aperol Gin Cocktail

This cocktail will surely beat the summer heat. Summery like a Pimms and with a slight bitter twist that is refreshing.  

Aperol Gin Cocktail

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makes 2 cocktails

2 slices of cucumber

6 oz of gin

2 oz Aperol

2 oz lime juice

2 oz simple syrup

splash of club soda

lime for garnish, if you wish

Muddle the cucumber in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add Aperol, gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. Shake vigorously to combine. Strain into 2 cocktail glasses filled with ice.

Top each glass with a splash of club soda, garnish with a lime slice, if you wish.

Have a lovely weekend everyone! - JD

Made by Marcus Ice Cream

The past couple of days have been hot and muggy in E-town so we decided to cool down with some unique gourmet craft ice cream... Made by Marcus. Although there are many  scrumptious flavours to choose from and the long line made it easier to ponder and make a decision; I finally settled on a scoop of Lemon Curd and Blueberries with a scoop of Duchess Earl Grey and Raspberry Financier on top, picture above. It was absolutely divine! My daughter did try the vegan Chocolate Fudge Brownie, which she said was very good! My son tried the Moonshine Brown Butter Pecan and the Whiskey Walnut Praline, my husband also tried the Moonshine Brown Butter Pecan, great minds think a like, which they both said was also very good. I did not get a chance to take a photo of their ice cream as they were well into devouring it and rightfully so.    

To find out more about Made by Marcus click *here* 

Hope everyone is staying cool and enjoying the summer. - JD

Apple Bread Pudding

When rainy days are many the need or want for comfort food rises however when there is an unused portion of a loaf of bread hanging about the kitchen one can not resist making  bread pudding. This easy recipe is perfect for breakfast/brunch or dessert. 

Apple Bread Pudding

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8-10 slices of whole wheat day old bread

2 tablespoons butter, melted

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

4 eggs, beaten

2 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

some freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla
cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling on top, optional

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Cut the bread into cubes and place the cubes into a large bowl. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Turn into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.

Peel, core and chopped the apples, if you haven't already done so, and place the apple pieces on top of the buttered cubes bread. 

In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Pour over the bread and lightly push down with a fork until the bread is covered and has soaked up the egg mixture. If all the egg mixture seems to get absorbed however the top is a bit dry, not to worry, when the pudding is baking it puffs up absorbing the bread fully. Sprinkle the top with some cinnamon sugar, if you wish. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top springs back slightly when gently pressed.  

Notes: you can substitute dark brown sugar or white sugar for the coconut sugar. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. The sun was shining bright all weekend long; casting it's warm rays upon us. - JD 

Gin and Dubonnet

Apparently, this pre-dinner digestif is a favourite of Queen Elizabeth's and if those sources are right, I can understand why. It's light and refreshing. A fruity drink with a slight bitter edge. 

Gin and Dubonnet

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makes 1 cocktail

3 ice cubes

1 oz gin, preferably Gordons

2 oz Dubonnet (fortified red wine) 

slice of lemon 

Place the ice cubes in a low tumbler cocktail glass. Add the gin and Dubonnet . Stir and add a lemon slice, if you wish. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

The Great Pepper Cookbook

With over 30 types of peppers and chile peppers, ranging from the well known and versatile bell peppers to the lesser known intense bhut jolokia and scorpion chile peppers, with delicious recipes, charts and notes await one in this very guided informative cookbook. At the beginning of the book there is the helpful, Scoville Organoleptic Test, a chart, which determines the heat units of each pepper fresh or dried. 

These focused ingredient cookbooks as simplified as they are, they are very handy. Throughout the pages and amongst the glossy photos stand delicious and inspiring recipes with helpful hints and notes. Each recipe has a pepper rating that ranges from 1 pepper to 3 peppers... 1 pepper = mellow, 2 peppers = zippy and 3 peppers = kickin'. Giving you a better understanding of how versatile peppers may be. There are many recipes that will tempt you and cover everything from appetizers, snacks and drinks, breakfast and brunches, soups and salads, sandwiches, main dishes, side dishes and desserts. So whether you like a bit of heat or a lot of heat there is a recipe that will please and suit which ever level of heat you prefer. Recipes like... The Red Hot Lemonade, Guajillo Chile Zucchini Bread, Coleslaw with Chile Lime Dressing, Portobello Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Citrusy Chicken and Peach Salad, Fiery French Toast and the Apple - Cinnamon - Chile Crumb Cake all caught my eye and my stomach, to name a few.  

The recipe that I am sharing from the book sounds delicious and summery. Looking at the recipe, you may be able to use the preserve mixture as a marinade of sorts and cook the chicken on the barbeque.   

Raspberry - Chile Chicken Thighs ( 2 pepper rating)

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Prep Time: 20 minutes / Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes / Serves: 6 (2 thighs)

12 chicken thighs (about 5 pounds)

1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups seedless raspberry preserve

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 fresh Hatch chile peppers, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, and diced

2 lemons, juiced (about 6 tablespoons juice)

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Heat oil and butter in a large flameproof roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 6 pieces chicken; sear, about 5 minutes per side. remove from pan and add remaining 6 pieces chicken; repeat procedure. Return all chicken to roasting pan. 

2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine preserves, vinegar, chile, and juice; cook just until boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer until slightly thickened, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

3. Place preserves mixture in a blender*; process until slightly smooth. Pour preserves mixture over chicken; sprinkle evenly with paprika and cayenne pepper. Cover with foil; bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake until chicken is completely cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165ºF, about 15minutes. Serve. 

*The Recipe's Notes: Be cautious when blending hot foods; the contents expand rapidly, causing a risk of scalding. To be safe, before blending, remove centre piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape), secure lid on blender, and place a towel over opening in lid (to avoid splatters)

The Recipe's Kitchen Savvy: If your roasting pan isn't stove-top safe, sear chicken in a large skillet, in batches if necessary, before transferring to the roasting pan. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Things are a bit all over the place for me this week. - JD 

   

Milanese Spritz

I stumbled upon this cocktail via the internet and doing more research came across a few recipes with subtle differences. Some versions add club soda, dry Vermouth or gin to customize. We decided to try the Henry C's version. It's a spritzer beverage so it's light and refreshing. Great for summer.  

Milanese Spritz
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makes 1 cocktail

15ml Campari
15 ml Dry Vermouth
15 ml Gin
20 ml fresh lemon juice
20 ml Simple Syrup
Sparkling white wine, to top

Place the Campari, dry Vermouth, Gin, Lemon juice and syrup into a large wine glass. Give a gentle stir to mix together. Fill with ice and top up with the white wine. Put a lemon wedge on top, if you wish. 


Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Chocolate Chip and Lime Snack Cake

Not only do I like this recipe for the simple fact that all ingredients get mixed in one bowl, which makes for an easier clean up, but because the chocolate and lime work well together and the coconut, that gets toasted on top while baking, just finishes it nicely.

Chocolate Chip and Lime Snack Cake

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1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

grated rind and juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 

shredded coconut, for topping, optional

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and lightly flour a 8x8 square baking tin. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

Place the flour, caster sugar, coconut sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, milk ,egg, vanilla, lime rind and lime juice into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrap the sides of the bowl and continue beating on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasional. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin. Sprinkle the shredded coconut on top and place in the preheated oven.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the baking tin on a wire rack. 

Hope everyone is having a good week. - JD 

Vegan Bacon Coconut Chips

I am always intrigued by bacon alternatives so when I spotted this at our local farmers market, enjoyed a complimentary sample, a packet had to come home with me. Tasty on it's own and lovely on just about anything, you use them in replace of real bacon bits. The simulated bacon flavour is good and it is a healthier alternative.

I even sprinkled a few on top of my fried egg noodle soup with enoki mushrooms and green onions. The soup gained a delightful smokiness adding to the soups flavour. Very delish!  

To find out more about GOING NUTS and their other products click *here*    

It was a mixed weekend, with sunny and cloudy skies, pockets of rain and rolling thunder.  Regardless we had a lovely one and I hope everyone else did too! - JD 

Graduate

Moving on to this chill cocktail... subtle citrus flavours and a smoothness that hails a balanced bitterness, thanks to the Campari. 

Graduate

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makes 1 cocktail

1 oz Creme de Cassis

1 oz Campari

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

Chilled Brut Champagne, or Sparkling Wine

Ice cubes

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the Creme de Cassis, Campari, and lemon juice. Shake well. Strain into a fluted glass, and top with the champagne.

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Cheesy Tomato Herb Loaf

Exceptionally savoury and perfect to pack for summer picnics, enjoyed thinly sliced with afternoon tea and sandwiches. Sliced thickly and slathered with melted butter and crushed garlic and toast in the oven creating savoury garlic toast slices. You can vary the herbs and cheese depending on taste.   

Cheesy Tomato Herb Loaf

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1 1/2 cup self raising flour, sifted

1 teaspoon dry English mustard

2 tablespoons chopped herbs (chives, thyme, basil, sage, parsley)

1 - 2 tablespoons dried tomato or chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup mature cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 stick of butter

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease and flour a loaf pan and line the bottom with baking parchment paper.

Mix together the flour, mustard, herbs and cheese. Melt the butter, add to the mixture with the egg and water and mix to a soft, wet, cake-like dough.

Turn into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold with butter. 

This week has been a nice one so far, for us. - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Blueberry Pancakes and Pizza

A nearly perfect Canada Day... unfortunately it rained for most of it however celebrations throughout E-town were not dampened by the wet weather. We started out the morning with these fluffy blueberry pancakes with maple syrup.

And... we ended our day...

... with a homemade Canadian pizza loaded with Canadian bacon, spicy salami, peppers, field mushrooms, barbeque sauce, olives and Canadian Cheddar, of course! 

Hope everyone who celebrated Canada Day had a nice one, like us! - JD