Mexican Brie Panini

A panini maker + leftovers in the fridge + a wee bit of creativity = one delicious sandwich!

MEXICAN BRIE PANINI
two slices French bread, buttered on the outside
Brie baked with marmalade, diced jalapeño, and crushed pistachios (leftover from our party on Saturday night)
leftover chicken (cooked with fajita seasoning and shredded)
avocado slices
mango slices
Chili Lime Sansel

This was so yummy... I heart paninis!

Lego Birthday Party

My little man turned 7 years old, and he is a Lego fanatic so it was only fitting that we had a Lego-themed birthday party.

The Lego cake idea came from Pinterest.  There are lots of links out there.  Basically just make your favourite cake, ice it, and use large marshmallows cut in half to make the bumps on top.  You can make one big rectangle cake, or you can cut the cake into thirds and make 3 smaller rectangles in different colours.  My son said his favourite colour is white, so I lucked out and didn't have to make any different coloured icing.  I'll be the first to admit that my cake icing skills are extremely limited (aka - awful).  Oh well, the kids all seemed to like it.

I also thought this would be a fun recipe to try out - it reminded me of a big pile of Legos on the floor (not that my son ever leaves a big mess of Legos on the floor!)

"CLEAN UP YOUR LEGO!" JELLO CAKE (aka - Broken Glass Jello)
4 packs of Jello, assorted colours
2 envelopes gelatin
1 can condensed milk

In four square containers, dissolve each pack of Jello in 1 c. boiling water.  Chill overnight (or for at least 3-4 hours.)  Slice into squares and arrange in a 9x13" baking dish.  Sprinkle gelatin envelopes over 1/2 c. cold water, and then add 1 1/2 c. boiling water.  Stir to dissolve, and then pour in condensed milk and cool.  Once cool, pour over jello pieces and let it set overnight.

The kids had a great Lego party - they had contests to see who could build the coolest robot, who could build a tower the fastest, who could find the most Lego figurines in the scavenger hunt, who could guess how many Legos were in the jar, and then they worked together to join all their towers together and make the tallest tower.  Now we're done with kid birthdays until next January.  Phew.

St. Patrick's Day - Green Appetizers and Desserts (that have absolutely no Irish background!)

I had friends over last weekend, and since it was St. Patrick's Day I thought I would try my best to make a green menu.  Here's what we had:

CUCUMBER SMOKED SALMON ROLLS (inspired by this recipe)
1 or 2 cucumbers
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. Lemon Dilly dip mix
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp. smoked salmon, diced
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt & pepper

Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, thinly slice cucumber lengthwise to create "ribbons".  Mix together remaining ingredients and place a scoop at the end of each cucumber ribbon.  Roll up the cucumber and secure with a toothpick.

SALSA VERDE DIP
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
1 c. salsa verde
mozzarella cheese, grated
2 green onions, diced

Mix together cream cheese and sour cream and spread in a baking dish.  Cover with a layer of salsa verde, then sprinkle with grated cheese and top with green onions.  Serve with tortilla chips.  (You could add diced avocado and green pepper if you really wanted this to be an extra-green appetizer.)

ANTIPASTO SKEWERS
artichokes hearts, marinated in oil and herbs
cherry tomatoes
fresh basil
mozzarella
salami

AVOCADO BRUSCHETTA (sorry, no picture)

2 avocados, diced

4 tomatoes, seeded and diced

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1/4 c. onion, finely chopped

salt & pepper

Toss everything to gether and serve on toasted baguette slices.

PISTACHIO CRÈME BRÛLÉE (sorry, no picture of this one either)
1 c. raw pistachios (shelled and unsalted)
4 c. whipping cream
10 egg yolks
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
green food colouring (optional)
extra sugar for on top

Grind pistachios in a blender or food processor until they are completely crushed.  Heat whipping cream over medium heat until steaming (don't let it boil, and stir often.)  Add pistachios and let it simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.  Whisk together egg yolks and sugar, and pour in whipping cream.  Add vanilla and almond extracts and the food colouring.  Pour into 12 ramekins (about 1/2 c. custard mixture in each) and place ramekins in a baking dish that is half-filled with water.  Bake at 325 F for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.  Refrigerate overnight if you like.  If you refrigerate them, allow them to warm up to room temperature before topping with approx. 1 tbsp. sugar on each one.  Place directly under broiler for a few minutes until sugar melts.  Allow them to cool on the counter before serving.

Smile! Halloween is coming!

Last week I saw the cutest snack idea on Hun, What's for dinner?  She found it on Pinterest and posted it for all her Facebook fans to see, and I thought it would be a great idea for my kids' potluck Halloween party after church today.

As you can see, they were pretty simple to make... smear some peanut butter on apple slices, and put mini marshmallows in the middle.  If you wanted to make this nut-free for a school snack, you could try flavoured cream cheese instead of peanut butter.

Crème Brûleggs

This recipe fell from Heaven and dropped into my lap just in time for Easter dinner.  (Okay, it actually popped up on my Facebook news feed when Julie from Dinner with Julie posted it.)  It is rich and decadent, yet incredibly simple to make.  And it's got a huge "wow" factor!

CRÈME BRÛLEGGS (makes 4-5)
5 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. sugar
2 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
8-10 mini Cadbury Creme Eggs
sugar (about 1/4 c.)

Whisk egg yolks and sugar.  Add whipping cream and vanilla and mix to combine.  Put 2 mini Cadbury eggs in each ramekin.  Pour the mixture into each ramekin (you should have just over 1/2 c. in each one if you use 4 ramekins, or just under 1/2 c. if you use 5 ramekins.) Set the ramekins in a baking dish with an inch or two of water in it.  Bake at 325 F for 45 minutes.  When you remove them from the oven, they should be jiggly but the top should be set.  Allow them to cool  and then refrigerate overnight.  Remove from the fridge and sprinkle a layer of sugar over each one.  Place under the broiler for a few minutes until the sugar is golden brown (or use a mini blowtorch if you have one.)  Allow them to cool at room temperature before serving.

Fresh out of the oven!

I wasn't sure how these would turn out, but I made a triple batch and took 16 of them to an Easter supper.  (Hey, why not?)

I thought the custards looked a little too firm, but once I put them under the broiler and created that signature crackly sugar topping, they looked pretty darn good.  When we cracked into them after supper, I was pleasantly surprised to see a creamy, smooth custard underneath.  The Cadbury egg stayed intact until you cut into it, and then its ooey-gooey goodness seeped out into the custard.  It was sweet, and sinful, and oh-so-good!!  I can't wait to play around with this recipe and create some new crème brûlée magic!

Resurrection Rolls

For those of you celebrating Easter this weekend (or for those of you who just enjoy crescent rolls and marshmallows), here's a great recipe to make with the kids:

RESURRECTION ROLLS (you can find this recipe all over the Internet, so I can't take credit for it!)
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
large marshmallows, cut in half (a whole marshmallow will be too big)
melted butter
cinnamon
sugar

Give each child a triangle of dough.  This represents the tomb.
Give each child a marshmallow.  This represents Jesus' body.
Dip the marshmallow in butter and the roll it in cinnamon and sugar.  This represents the oils and spices that they used to anoint Jesus' body.
Wrap the marshmallow in the dough.  Make sure that the dough is entirely sealed up.  This represents Jesus' body in the tomb.
Bake according to the directions and allow the rolls to cool.  (Lay them on parchment paper so they don't stick to the pan.)
Break open the rolls and see what's inside!  (Preferably you should make these on Good Friday and open them up on Easter Sunday.)

I don't have a picture of these, but we are making them with the kids this weekend.  Happy Easter!

Ice Cream Skor Cake

This is super easy, delicious, and way cheaper than buying an ice cream cake.  Plus it's got Skor Bits, so that automatically puts this recipe into the "friggin' awesome" category.

HOMEADE ICE CREAM CAKE
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/4 c. buttermilk
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whisk together dry ingredients, and then mix in wet ingredients.  Press mixture into a 9" springform pan.  Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes.  Let it cool completely, then release the pan and put a strip of parchment paper around the cake so that it sticks up a few inches.  Put the form back around the pan.

Soften about 4 c. vanilla ice cream and spread over the chocolate crust.  Sprinkle with Skor Bits.  Put it in the freezer until it hardens, then repeat with 4 c. chocolate ice cream and more Skor Bits.  You can mix up the flavours of ice cream if you like.

Loosen the springform pan and remove the parchment paper before serving.

Take that, Dairy Queen!



Do I even need to tell you that this was pure awesome?

Happy Children Pancake Tower

This morning I made pancakes with my lovely daughter, and I thought it would be fun to make a tower of big pancakes layered with all things good and wonderful: whipped cream, maple syrup, bananas, strawberries, and bacon!  The kids thought they had died and gone to Heaven!!!

The pancake recipe I used was from an old church cookbook I've had for years (I probably took it from my mom's house when I moved out.)  Church cookbooks are the best!

BANANA BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. buttermilk (I used whole milk with some lemon juice added to thicken it)
2 bananas, mashed
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 eggs

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.  Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.  Cook in a hot frying pan.  (This recipe made 4 big pancakes, and after we layered them with all the stuff in middle, my family of four could only eat half of it, so next time I would half the recipe and make 4 smaller pancakes for the tower.)

On top of the first pancake, layer whipped cream, bananas, and maple syrup.

Then on top of the second pancake, layer whipped cream, strawberries, and maple syrup.

On top of the third pancake, top with bacon and maple syrup.

On top of the fourth pancake, layer with whipped cream, stawberries, bananas, bacon, and maple syrup.  Slice into the pancake tower like a big piece of cake and enjoy! 

Birthday Party Food

It was my husband's birthday party last night, so I made tons of appetizers for the event.  Here are the recipes:

BAKED BRIE WITH APRICOT & JALAPENO
1 brie wheel, with the top sliced off
apricot marmalade
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
crushed pecans

Spread the marmalade on top of the cheese, and sprinkle with jalapeno and pecans.  Bake until gooey, and serve with crackers or bread.

I took the picture before it went in the oven, because it's not nearly as pretty after it's all melted
(but it tastes soooo good!)


SALSA (this recipe was used to make the world's largest bowl of salsa!)
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
6 tbsp. red onion, diced
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
6 mint leaves, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

SUSHI ROLLS (see how to make them here)
nori papers
2 c. sushi rice (soak in 3 1/2 c. water for 30 minutes, then bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover slightly with the lid and simmer for 10 minutes or until water is all gone.  Turn off the burner but leave the pot there and put the lid on tight for 10 minutes.  Stir in 3-4 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar.)
smoked salmon
1/2 cucumber, cut into long skinny pieces
1 avocado. sliced




PINEAPPLE CRAB MUSRHOOMS (adapted from the cookbook "Just Add Rum!" by Angela Spenceley)
1 can crab meat
1/2 small onion, diced
1 garlic cloved, minced
1/8 c. red bell pepper, diced
1/8 c. pineapple, diced
1/8 c. mushroom stems, diced
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp. butter
2 tsp. rum
pepper
approx. 30 mushrooms, stems removed

Sauté onions, garlic, red pepper, and mushroom stems in some oil in a frying pan.  Add crab, pineapple, and parsley and sauté for 1-2 minutes.  Add breadcrumbs, butter, rum, and pepper and mix well.  Spoon into mushroom caps and place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.

EXTRAORDINARY CHEESE DIP (I don't have a picture, but there is one on the link.)

All of these appetizers were delicious (either that, or our friends are just really polite and ate everything to make me feel good!)

Cookies in Cookies

Today was a less-than-great day, so I needed something to make me happy.  Baking cookies with my daughter makes me extremely happy.  Baking cookies that have other cookies stuffed inside them just about blows my mind with happiness.

I saw someone make "Chocolate Choreos" (Oreo-stuffed cookies), but Oreos make my tummy angry so I made a mental note that I should try the same idea with those little Maple Leaf cookies.  You know, the ones shaped like maple leaves, with sugary sweet maple icing in the middle.  The most perfect cookie you can buy at the store.

So I whipped up a batch of my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe, using 1 c. white chocolate chips instead of regular ones.  Then I smooshed a Maple Leaf cookie into a ball of dough, flattened it as much as I could so that it squished past the edges, and then molded it overtop to cover the entire cookie.  Bake it on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 375 F for 12 minutes, and you've got yourself a cookie in a cookie!

I love baking with my lovely daughter!

Maple Cookie inside a White Chocolate Chip Cookie = "BEST MOMMY EVER!"  (I'm not kidding, she said that twice tonight, once for bacon mashed potatoes, and once for these cookies.)

These cookies are ridiculously sweet, and you feel a little sinful when you bite into one.  But they were the perfect end to a day like today!

Raclette Supper

Seven years ago, we spent our daughter's first Christmas in Quebec with my husband's side of the family. It was a bit of a whirlwind for me - his family is much larger, louder, and Frencher than my side! My family traditions consist of church on Christmas Eve, stockings and presents on Christmas morning, and a big turkey dinner later that day. Sweet and simple. My husband's family traditions consist of traveling around to all the aunts' and uncles' and grandparents' houses for lots of laughter, presents, games, tacky gift-exchanges, brunches, snacks, suppers, etc. It's a little crazy, but it's a lot of fun!

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of my first Quebec Christmas, I discovered the Raclette. My sister-in-law hosted a big raclette supper on Christmas Eve that year, and it was love at first bite! I am forever in her debt for introducing me to what has now become our family's favourite traditional holiday meal!

The simplest way to describe raclette is "fondue on a grill". It's an open-faced grill that sits in the middle of the table, and you can cook your food on top and/or place it in little broiler trays that slide underneath the grill. The traditional Swiss raclette features melted cheese (there's actually a type of cheese called raclette - careful, it stinks to high Heaven, but it's really good once it's melted!), cured meats, boiled potatoes, gherkins, and pickled onions. That's not how we do it, though! Our raclette meal is a feast of the following ingredients:

• thinly sliced meats (usually chicken and beef) in a couple different marinades
• seafood (usually shrimp and scallops, but this year we added salmon)
• cured meats (usually prosciutto and something a little spicier)
• boiled potatoes (we used quartered baby potatoes and julienned sweet potatoes)
• assorted diced veggies (bell peppers, onions, mushrooms)
• french bread (I made homemade baguettes this year!)
• 3 different kinds of sliced cheese (this year we used smoked Gouda, Provolone, and Meunster)
• dipping sauces (usually 3 different kinds - this year we had Chipotle Curry mayo, Sweet & Spicy Asian dipping sauce, and one with ketchup/mayo/honey mustard and some 3 Onion Dip Mix)
• thinly sliced fruit (apples, pears, and/or bananas) that you can place under the broiler with brown sugar and rum (we don't always do this, but it is a delicious way to make dessert!)

Sometimes we don't marinade the meat, but this year we did two different marinades for the chicken and two for the beef:

• Chicken Marinade #1: oil, lemon juice, Herb & Garlic dip mix
• Chicken Marinade #2: lime juice, ketchup, Cuban seasoning
• Beef Marinade #1: vinegar, ketchup, Adobo seasoning, Cinco Pepper blend
• Beef Marinade #2: Kraft Teriyaki Ginger cooking sauce (from the Sizzling Salads Entrée Kit)

We grill meat and veggies on top, and then put them in the the broiler trays with a slice of cheese on top. We also put slices of baguette underneath the broiler with a piece of prosciutto and a slice of cheese - it's so good!!

Once the raclette meal is over, two things are certain: you will be incredibly full, and you will have tons of leftovers. You know the story of Jesus feeding 5000 with just a few fish and some loaves of bread? Well the raclette is kind of like that - you start out thinking you'll never have enough food for everyone, and somehow you end up with enough for at least one more large meal!

There are a number of ways you can use up your raclette leftovers. Since we banished the kids to the basement during our New Year's Eve supper, we let them have raclette the next night. There was still some leftover veggies and a little bit of chicken, so the following night I used the potatoes, mushrooms, and onions in a frittata, and I made a small stir-fry with the remaining bell peppers and chicken. Friends of ours always make a huge stir-fry with all the leftovers, and we often use the diced veggies and cheese for omelettes or quiche. It's amazing how far a little bit of food will go! We had 6 adults at our Raclette meal, and I used about 3 chicken breasts, 1 tray of rouladen beef, about 1 c. shrimp & scallops, a very small salmon filet, about 10 slices of prosciutto, 3 bell peppers, 2 small onions, 1 sweet potato, 1 small bag of baby potatoes, about 1 c. sliced mushrooms, and 2 baguettes. And like I said, that was more than enough - way more than enough!

I hope this post will inspire you to try a Raclette meal! Happy New Year!!

Grape & Cheese Ball Truffles

I took these little appetizers to a Grey Cup party yesterday - they were very easy to make, although I think they were a tad too spicy for some people's taste. I really liked them, though, and I thought they were a fun way to incorporate all the flavours of a traditional wine & cheese platter.

GRAPE & CHEESE BALL TRUFFLES (from Best Recipes Ever - love that show!)

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened

2 c. grated cheddar cheese

2 tbsp. red wine

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

ground pecans

seedless grapes

Mix together first five ingredients with a food processor or hand-held blender until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (it helps stiffen up the cheese mixture before you roll it around the grapes, although I didn't refrigerate mine and it wasn't that bad.) Wash grapes and pour ground pecans onto a small plate. Scoop about a teaspoonful of cheese mixture and press a grape into the middle. (Try not to use too much of the cheese mixture or you'll have a big mouthful - you just want a thin layer of cheese around the grape.) Mould the cheese mixture around the grape and roll it between your hands to make a little ball, then roll it in ground pecans and set on wax paper or parchment paper. Refrigerate before serving.

The Perfect Salad

When I saw my friend Amy post this recipe on Facebook, my jaw almost dropped to the ground. It sounded like the most wonderful salad I had ever heard of! And guess what -- it tastes even better than it sounds!

LOBSTER, GRAPEFRUIT & AVOCADO SALAD WITH CREAMY CITRUS DRESSING

2 lobster tails, boiled (shrimp would also be good in this recipe)

cilantro (I used about 1/2 c.)

1 grapefruit, cut into segments

2 avocados, diced

4 slices of bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces

1 apple, sliced (this isn't in the original recipe, but I added it the second time I made this salad and it was a delicious addition!)

mixed greens

Remove lobster shell and cut the meat into chunks. Toss together with remaining ingredients. Drizzle with this dressing:

1/2 lime, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. mayonnaise

salt & pepper, to taste

I made this for supper one night, and then made it again the next day for lunch to use up the excess dressing. That's when I added the apple (and left out the lobster, since I don't have an abundance of lobster tails in my freezer), and it was so good I ate two bowls of it! I can hardly wait to make this salad again.

Creative Cuisine - Possibly my best meal EVER!

Tonight's supper consists of three brand new recipes, and they are all a little on the "experimental" side. Luckily, this experiment worked! (And if you agree after reading this, please share this post on Facebook or Twitter - there are links at the top of this post.)

First off we have Raspberry Chipotle Garlic Pork Tenderloin. Yes, that's a mouthful to say, but I couldn't come up with a snappier name for it (feel free to suggest something.) This recipe was inspired by a 2 second clip I saw on the Food Network while I was flying from Montreal to Halifax a couple weeks ago. There was a commercial for some type of BBQ show, and I saw a big batch of raspberry purée. I have no idea what they were going to do with it, but my mind came up with the perfect idea:

RASPBERRY CHIPOTLE GARLIC PORK TENDERLOIN

1 c. frozen raspberries

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/8 - 1/4 tsp. Chipotle Chili powder

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 pork tenderloin

In a sauce pan, gently simmer the first three ingredients till sugar is dissolved and most of the raspberries are broken up. Set aside to cool. Rub garlic over the pork, leaving the minced pieces stuck to the side of the meat. Pour the raspberry mixture over both sides of the pork, reserving some of the sauce for later. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours. Grill on the BBQ over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side (top, bottom, and both sides). Tent with tinfoil and let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Heat the reserved raspberry mixture until simmering, and serve with the pork.

This had the perfect balance of sweet and heat, and it was super juicy and tender. The whole family loved it.

Next we have a side dish that my friend Lisa suggested to me a few months ago. I bookmarked the site, and finally decided to try out this recipe for Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mangoes. I used maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing, and I used a peach instead of a mango, because the mangoes weren't ripe at the grocery store.

You have to make this salad. It's spectacular! I especially loved the peaches and cilantro. (And the kids even ate it, although they picked out some of the things they didn't like.)

For dessert, I made some sort of green tropical fruit jello for the kids, and I made Sangria jello for the grown-ups! I can't remember what prompted this creation, but at some point during my holiday in Quebec I decided that I simply had to try making jello that tasted like Sangria. It was quite possibly my greatest idea ever.

SANGRIA JELLO

1 pkg. orange flavoured jello

1 c. boiling water

1 c. red wine (chilled)

slices of strawberries, nectarines, oranges (or whatever fruit you like, but not pineapple or kiwi because the jello won't set)

Dissolve jello in boiling water. Add cold red wine. Put some fruit in the bottom of 4 wine glasses and pour jello overtop. Refrigerate until jello has set.

I was worried that this might be absolutely awful, but trust me, it was magical! It would be nice with peach jello and white wine too I think.
All of these recipes were ridiculously simple to make, and they turned out perfectly! I hope you'll try them! Now I'm going to get drunk off the rest of my jello....

Smokey Caesar Chicken Cordon Bleu

Oh God it feels good to be back in my kitchen, trying out a new recipe!!! We just got home from 3 weeks at my in-laws' house in Quebec, and since my father-in-law doesn't seem to be a huge fan of my cooking, I only cooked supper twice while I was on holidays. (Once I made sushi and fresh rolls with my husband's goddaughter, and once I made Salmon Wellington for my in-laws, but my father-in-law didn't try it.) I put most of my cooking energy into watching Rachael Ray, looking through French cookbooks, and jotting down recipes that I wanted to make when I got home.

Tonight's recipe was inspired by Rachael Ray's Buffalo-Style Chicken Cordon "Blue". I, however, hate buffalo-style chicken, and I absolutely detest blue cheese, so it was time for a few adaptations. I used my $5000 Salad as a starting point, and went from there....

SMOKEY CAESAR CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

4 chicken breasts

4 slices of prosciutto

smoked gouda cheese, sliced

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. cornmeal

2 egg whites

1 c. croutons, crushed (I used Caesar-flavoured croutons and put them the blender)

1 tbsp. Caesar Salad Dressing Mix

1/8 tsp. Chipotle Chili powder

vegetable oil

Slice along the thick side of each chicken breast so that you can open up each one like a book. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a rolling pin until chicken is about 1/2" thick. Lay a piece of prosciutto on each chicken breast and top with cheese slices. Fold chicken breasts in half. In three separate bowls, combine the following: flour & cornmeal in the first, egg whites in the second, and crushed croutons with Caesar and Chipotle seasonings in the third. Take each chicken breast and coat it in the flour mixture, then the egg, and lastly the crouton mixture. Heat about 1/2" of oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping once. Serve with a drizzle of Smokey Caesar Salad dressing (1 tbsp. Caesar Salad Dressing Mix, 1/8 tsp. Chipotle Chili powder, 1 tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tbsp. milk, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese).

I overcooked these a little, but otherwise they were gosh darn good. Could have used more cheese though - maybe next time I'll put some cheese on top to melt after they come out of the frying pan. You can never have too much cheese! (Just wait till you see some of my other recipes coming up in the next few days!!)

Blueberry Salsa

I haven't had a chance to make this week's Sunday Salad Game recipe, but if anyone feels like making it please let me know how it turns out! It's supposed to have couscous, chickpeas, avocado, and fresh dill. I still plan on making it sometime, but probably not till I get home from holidays.

I do have a quick recipe for you though, and it sort of falls into the 'Sunday Salad' category. My sister-in-law made a delicious blueberry salsa that she served with tortilla chips. It would also be great as a condiment for chicken or fish.

JENNIFER'S BLUEBERRY SALSA
fresh blueberries
red onion, finely chopped
red bell pepper, finely chopped
fresh mint, chopped
Kraft Raspberry vinaigrette

Sorry, I don't have a picture or any measurements for you, but it was very tasty (and quite pretty too!)

Salad Game - Recipe #1

On Sunday I asked you to leave a comment on my blog (some of you left it on my Facebook page instead), and I promised to create a salad with the ingredients you suggested. I got groceries fairly early in the week, so some of the ingredients didn't make it on my shopping list, although they were all fabulous ideas!


Here's what I came up with for supper tonight:


SALAD GAME RECIPE #1 with SWEET ONION DRESSING
Salad:
3 c. baby spinach
1 tbsp. Craisins
2 tsp. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. mandarin segments
1 avocado, diced
2 mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp. blueberries
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped


Dressing:
2 tbsp. white corn syrup
1 tbsp. minced red onion
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Caesar Salad Dressing Mix
1/8 tsp. Poppyseed Salad Dressing Mix
dash of freshly ground pepper


Toss the salad ingredients together (you might want to save the Craisins, blueberries, and sunflower seeds to toss on top at the end, just to make it more aesthetically pleasing. I didn't do that, so it's not much to look at.)


To make the dressing, put all the ingredients in a small pot and bring to a simmer for 3-4 minutes. Drizzle over salad and serve while it's still warm. (I'm pretty sure you could just use red wine or balsamic vinegar instead of all three types of vinegar in the recipe.)

The ingredients that got left out were:

• pumpkin seeds (couldn't find any at the store)
• goat cheese (this was added after I had already gone grocery shopping)
• mangoes (ditto)
• raisins (I figured Craisins would be sufficient)
• roasted beets (sorry Jackie, but I really really hate beets!)
• feta cheese (the feta in my fridge smelled funny, and not in a good way)

This salad fed me and my husband, so you might want to make a larger batch if you are feeding more people.

Thanks to everyone who participated - we'll do it again this Sunday! It's easier if everyone leaves a comment on the blog, although some people said they had trouble doing that. Give it a shot, though - you shouldn't need to be signed in or anything like that, just select "Name/URL" when it gives you options after you leave your comment, and then type in your name (ignore the URL part if you want). If that doesn't work, just leave a comment on Facebook and I'll add it here for you, so the other readers can see what the list of ingredients is so far.

Health Salad

Raspberry Lavender Lemonade

Nothing makes you feel quite so Martha Stewart-ish as making up a batch of your own lemonade, steeped with raspberries and lavender. It sounds so la-di-da, but it's really very easy to make and quite delicious!

RASPBERRY LAVENDER LEMONADE

1 c. boiling water

1 tbsp. Lavender

1/4 c. raspberries

3 large lemons, juiced (approx. 3/4 c.)

1/2 c. sugar

6 c. cold water

lemon slices and raspberries for garnish

Steep lavender and raspberries in boiling water for 5-10 minutes while you juice the lemons. Put sugar in the bottom of your pitcher, and strain the lavender/raspberry water overtop. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then add lemon juice (I strained mine as well, but you don't have to if you like the pulp and you're good at keeping all the seeds out.) Add cold water and serve in glasses with lemon slices and raspberries.

This probably could have used an extra cup of water, or maybe half as much sugar, but it's pretty darn good. I think next time I would only use 1/4 c. sugar, and see how it tastes before adding more.

Try your own variations, using the same method of infusing the flavours in boiling water, and then adding the basic ingredients of lemon, sugar, and water. You could try some fresh mint, other types of berries, ginger.... let me know if you come up with something good!

Blueberry Mojitos

If you know me in real life, you've probably seen me drink a mojito or two. I heart mojitos. Tonight we're having friends over for a campfire, and I decided to try some blueberry mojitos. I took a whiff of my sisters Blueberry Mint tea the other day, and I was sold on the idea of blueberry and mint together. Add a little alcohol, and it's darn near perfection!



BLUEBERRY MOJITOS
5 mint leaves
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. lime juice
1 oz. blueberry vodka (mojitos are usually made with rum, but I figured this would be more appropriate)
fresh blueberries
club soda



Put mint leaves, sugar, and lime juice in a glass. Muddle mint leaves with the back of a spoon to release the flavour. Add vodka and blueberries, and top it up with club soda.

Some of my other favourite mojito variations are:

• using Summer Berry or Tropical Fruit Dip Mixes instead of sugar (fantastic!!!!)
• using raspberry gingerale instead of club soda
• rimming the glass with Mojito Rim Trimmer
• adding fresh or frozen fruit (I've only tried raspberries and blueberries, but there are lots more I'd like to try: peaches, mangoes, blackberries, strawberries, and even cucumber!)

Hope you like my marvelous mojitos!

Salmon Quesadilla with Corn & Avocado Salsa

This recipe basically sums up all my favourite things: salmon, Mexican cuisine, lime, avocado... it's got everything I love, and nothing I don't. I hope you'll enjoy it too.

SALMON QUESADILLAS WITH CORN & AVOCADO SALSA

Salsa:

1 cob of corn (cooked), kernels sliced off

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 c. red onion, diced

1 tsp. cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1 tsp. Chili Lime Sansel

1 tsp. lime juice

Salmon:

1 small salmon fillet, skin removed

olive oil

2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. Chipotle Chili powder

salt & pepper

4 tsp. lime juice

grated cheese (I used Edam)

tortilla (I used a black bean & salsa flavoured tortilla)

Combine the salsa ingredients and set aside. Cut salmon filet into two pieces (so that each piece will fit in a folded tortilla.) Drizzle with olive oil. Combine cumin, chipotle powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Brush over both sides of the filets, and cook in a hot grill pan for 3-4 minutes per side. Lay out two tortillas and put some grated cheese on the bottom half of each one. Place a salmon filet on top of the cheese so that it melts a little. Top with salsa and fold each tortilla in half. Slice each quesadilla into two pieces, and serve.