SALMON & ORZO SALAD

Here's a new recipe that is perfect for a potluck salad, an appetizer, lunch, or supper.  It's basically this recipe from Epicure Selections, although I didn't really measure things and made some minor changes.

SALMON & ORZO SALAD

2 - 170 g. cans boneless, skinless salmon

1 c. cooked orzo (or use rice or quinoa)

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green onion, diced

1/2 cucumber, diced

squeeze of lemon (optional)

Sesame Ginger dressing (optional)

lettuce or tortillas (optional)

Toss everything together, and drizzle with fresh lemon juice or Sesame Ginger dressing. Serve as a salad or spoon into lettuce leaves or tortillas to make wraps.

Isn't it pretty!

This salad is very light and fresh.  It's supposed to be our main course tonight, although I suspect it won't be filling enough so I think I will serve it as a side dish instead and then make some wraps for lunch tomorrow.

Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Panna Cotta

I saved this recipe on my computer a long time ago, and finally had the perfect opportunity to try it out.  Tonight I'm having my splurge group over for lots of food, some jello shots, far too much cheap wine, and these decadent little desserts.

SALTED CARAMEL PANNA COTTA

I followed the recipe just as it was posted, although I had to make a second batch of caramel sauce because I burned the first batch.  It took about 8 minutes for the sugar to turn into a light brown liquid, and that's when I removed it from the heat and added the hot cream (slowly, or it will boil over).  I thought it was too runny, and I also thought it wasn't salty enough, so I put it back on the stove over low heat and added more salt (one pinch at a time) until I liked the taste.  I didn't have fleur de sel, so I used coarse sea salt.  (Don't use table salt!!)  It all turned out perfectly, and I can't wait to try these out with my friends tonight!

Easy Salsa Chicken

It doesn't get much easier than this:

SALSA CHICKEN
chicken breasts
any kind of Mexican seasoning (taco, fajita, etc)
salsa
Tex-Mex grated cheese

Sprinkle chicken with the seasoning.  Heat some oil in a pan and brown the chicken on both sides.  Pour some salsa and a handful of grated cheese over each chicken breast, and then transfer to the oven at 350 F for 10-15 minutes.  (I put a lid on the pan while the chicken was cooking.)  Serve with Mexican rice (I used a pack of Sidekicks Mexican Rice, but you could make your own just by cooking rice with some chicken stock instead of water, and seasoning it with some cumin, chili powder, and some finely diced bell peppers if you like.)

Italian Wedding Soup

My foodie friend, Sook (who writes Heart, Mind & Seoul) posted this recipe for Italian Wedding Soup a long time ago, and I've been dying to try it out!

I used Swiss chard and orzo pasta instead of the ingredients listed in the recipe. I made the meatballs with Epicure's Meatball seasoning. The soup was delicious and everyone loved it!

Buns - the really good kind

Everybody needs a good bun recipe.  Look no further, because here it is!  My fellow Epicure consultant Chris shared her recipe and everyone was raving about it.  It makes a HUGE batch, so I cut it down to 1/3 of the original recipe.  It's very easy to make, it just takes a long time for the buns to rise, but it's worth it!  When I handed my kids each a bun fresh from the oven and asked them how they tasted, they replied, "Perfect!"

 

CHRIS' BUN RECIPE

2 tsp. instant yeast

2/3 tsp. sugar

1/3 c. warm water

Turn the oven light on to warm up the oven a bit. Combine the first three ingredients and place in the oven for 10 minutes to proof the yeast.

 

2/3 c. sugar

2 c. warm water

1/3 c. oil

1/3 tsp. salt

1 egg

5-6 c. flour (I used 5 c.)

Combine the next 5 ingredients.  Start adding flour one cup at a time, and after the first 2 cups you can pour in the yeast mixture.  Mix the dough after each addition of flour (I used the dough attachment on my Kitchen Aid), and then knead by hand at the end.  The dough should be elastic but not sticky.  Drizzle with a little oil and coat the ball of dough so that it won't stick to the bowl.  (Make sure you have it in a large bowl.)  Cover with a clean tea towel and place in the oven under the light for 2 hours.  (It should rise up to the top of the bowl.)  Punch it down and let it rise again for 2 hours.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and rip off pieces of dough in whatever size you like.  (I made 38 buns on two baking sheets.)  Leave them out to rise for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Bake at 325 F for 20 minutes.

If you want to make an enormous batch of buns and freeze some for later, here are the measurements for the full recipe:
2 tbsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1 c. warm water
2 c. sugar
6 c. warm water
1 c. oil
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
16-18 c. flour

Now go make some fresh buns and your family will thank you!

Tourtière Chinois

I mashed together two classic Quebec dishes and came up with a Tourtière-flavoured Pâté Chinois.  (For all you anglophones, Pâté Chinois is basically the same as Shepherd's Pie.)  Sorry there's no picture, but it was very tasty and the kids loved it!

TOURTIÈRE CHINOIS
1 lb. ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. Epicure's 3 Onion Dip Mix
2 tsp. Epicure's Beef & Steak Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Epicure's Pumpkin Pie Spice (I didn't have any so I used Fruit Crumble Spice instead.)
1 tbsp. Epicure's Gravy Mix
salt & pepper
1 c. water
1 potato, cubed or grated
1/2 c. frozen corn
5-6 potatoes, boiled and mashed (with milk & butter)

Brown meat in a frying pan.  Add garlic, flour, and seasonings.  Add water and potato.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cover for 10-15 minutes (until potato is cooked).  Add corn and cook for another few minutes.  Pour into a baking dish and spread mashed potatoes over top.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Open House 2012

Yesterday was my annual open house for my fabulous Epicure customers.  There were over 25 people here, and I gave away over $300 in prizes!  It was a busy afternoon, but I hope everyone enjoyed themselves.

All the Epicure products can be found at www.epicureselections.com.  (Contact me if you have any questions.)  Here are the recipes we sampled:

GINGERSNAPS
3/4 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 tsp. Epicure's Gingerbread Spices
white sugar for rolling - if you want really pretty cookies, use Epicure's Decorating Sugar which has bigger crystals and looks way better than regular white sugar
Cream butter and brown sugar.  Beat in egg and molasses.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Roll into balls and coat in white sugar.  Place on a lined baking sheet and press down gently with a fork.  Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

MOCHA CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

SAGE & APPLE CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH RED PEPPER JELLY
2 lbs. ground chicken
3.5 tbsp. Epicure's Sage & Apple Stuffing Mix
2 tbsp. Epicure's Turkey Rub
6 crackers, crushed
1 egg
salt & pepper
Epicure's Red Pepper Jelly
Combine everything together except the jelly.  Roll into small balls and bake at 400 F for 10-15 minutes.  Add enough jelly to coat the meatballs and return to the oven or heat on the stove until jelly melts and creates a glaze on the meatballs.

PEPPERMINT MOCHA CHEESE BALL (I forgot to take a picture of this one)
1/2 pkg. cream cheese
1 tbsp. Epicure's Mocha Cheese Ball Mix
1 tbsp. crushed candy canes
more crushed candy canes for rolling
Beat together first three ingredients.  Form into a ball and refrigerate.  Roll in crushed candy canes before serving.  Spread on Nilla wafers, brownies, or graham crackers.

CARAMEL BACON BARS
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
24 soda crackers (unsalted)
Epicure's Maple Bacon Sea Salt
Line a 9x13" baking dish with parchment paper and lay out the soda crackers.  Bring butter and sugar to a gentle boil for 3-4 minutes then pour over the crackers.  Bake at 350 F for 7-8 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two and then sprinkle with Maple Bacon Sea Salt.  Allow it to cool and then refrigerate or freeze before serving.

DARK CHOCOLATE BARK WITH MAPLE BACON SEA SALT
1 c. Epicure's Belgian Dark Chocolate Chips
Epicure's Maple Bacon Sea Salt
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave using Epicure's square silicone steamer.  (Or melt in a bowl and pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.)  Spread into a thin layer and sprinkle with Maple Bacon Sea Salt.  Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve, and then crack into pieces.

HOT BLT CHEESE DIP
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 c. low-fat mayonnaise
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. Epicure's BLT Dip Mix
Combine ingredients in a baking dish or bread bowl.  Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips, bread, or veggies.  *You could also use this mixture to stuff mushrooms or cherry tomatoes.

VEGGIES WITH 3 DIPS:
BLUE CHEESE DIP
1/3 c. mayo
1/3 c. sour cream
1 tbsp. Epicure's Blue Cheese Dip

MANGO CURRY DIP
1/3 c. mayo
1/3 c. sour cream
1 tbsp. Epicure's Mango Curry Dip

ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI
2/3 c. mayo
2 tsp. water
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. Epicure's Roasted Garlic Aioli

MANGO CURRY MIXED NUTS
2 c. mixed nuts (unsalted)
2 tbsp. Epicure's Mango Curry Dip Mix
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. vegetable oil
Toss ingredients together and spread onto a lined baking sheet.  Bake at 325 F for 12-15 minutes, stirring once.  Optional: Add in 2/3 c. dried fruit afterwards if you like.

POUTINE CHIPS
potatoes
Epicure's Poutine Chip Seasoning
Slice a potato with Epicure's ceramic slicer.  Soak potato slices in water to rinse off the excess starch and then blot them dry on a paper towel.  Lay them on Epicure's chipster and season with Poutine seasoning (or use sea salt or some other seasoning).  Bake in the microwave for 3 minutes and then add 30 seconds at a time until they are crispy.  (Some people find it works better to use your microwave at a lower power level.)

CHOCOLATE PUDDING PARFAITS
1 pkg. Epicure's Chocolate Pudding Mix
2 c. milk
2 c. whipping cream, whipped
Epicure's Canadian Maple Sugar Grinder
Beat pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes.  Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.  Stir before serving.  Scoop into dishes and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of maple sugar.

 

HOT APPLE CRANBERRY CIDER
4 c. apple juice
4 c. cranberry cocktail
1 tbsp. Epicure's Mulling Spices
Fireside Rim Trimmer for the glasses
Combine juice and Mulling Spices in a pot on the stove and simmer. Serve in rimmed glasses.