Lemon Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

We had a birthday party for my husband last night, and I tried out a new stuffed mushroom recipe.  It was inspired by this Paula Deen recipe.
LEMON BACON STUFFED MUSHROOMS
24 mushrooms (finely chop the stems and leave the cap for stuffing)
8 slices of bacon
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. chives or green onions (I used dried chives)
1/2 tsp. Cinco Pepper Blend
1 tbsp. 3 Onion dip mix
1 pkg. cream cheese
2 tsp. dijon mustard
zest of 1 lemon

Cook bacon and then remove from pan and drain off grease.  Chop bacon into small pieces.  Add butter and mushroom stems to the pan.  Sauté until softened, then add crumbled bacon and remaining ingredients.  Heat till melted, then scoop the mixture into mushroom caps and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.  (You'll probably have some filling leftover, so you could do another 6-8 mushroom caps if you wanted.)

These were sooooo good - just a little bit spicy, with a zing of lemon to cut through the rich cheese & bacon flavour.  I think this would make a great base for a pasta sauce as well!  I'll have to try that out next time.

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.

Tourtière

One of my favourite dishes from Quebec is tourtière - a meat pie made with beef & pork and a unique blend of seasonings.  Depending on where you are from in Quebec, there are a few different ways to make this popular dish.  They are all delicious though, and here is my version that blends together a couple recipes I have tried in the past.

TOURTIÈRE
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 onions, diced
1 tbsp. oil
2.5 lbs. ground pork
2.5 lbs. ground beef
1/4 c. flour
2 tbsp. Epicure's 3 Onion Dip Mix
2 tsp. Epicure's Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tbsp. Epicure's Montreal Steak Spice or Beef & Steak Seasoning
salt & pepper
4 potatoes, grated
2 c. beef stock

In a large pot over medium heat, soften the garlic and onions in oil.  Add the ground meat and cook until it is all browned.  Drain if necessary.  Stir in flour and seasonings, add grated potatoes and stock, and continue cooking for about 40-45 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and let it cool.

There are a few ways you can make your tourtière:

• The traditional way is to make meat pies.  Roll out a pie crust, fill it up with tourtière filling, and then cover with another pie crust and bake in the oven according to your pie crust recipe.
• You can also try my "Tourtière Triangles" recipe and use puff pastry to make individual popovers which are super delicious.
• You can use a mini muffin tin and make little tarts (which I baked, then froze, then reheated to serve on Christmas Eve as appetizers.)

• Or you can toss the filling into freezer bags (I suggest 4 c. portions) and use it later to make meat pies.

This recipe makes a HUGE BATCH!  I made one meat pie, 2 or 3 freezer bags to make meat pies later on, 8 puff pastry triangles, and about 36 mini tarts.

Tourtière is especially tasty with ketchup on the side.... you can use regular old ketchup, or get a little fancy and try some homemade or gourmet ketchup (made with cranberries or something like that.)  It's great comfort food, and perfect for stocking up your freezer with ready-to-go meals.

Pear & Prosciutto Bites

We were invited to our friends' house last night, and I felt the need to bring something wrapped in prosciutto.  I looked on Google to see what kinds of recipes might come up, and then I sort of combined a couple of them to make these tasty little appetizers.

PEAR & PROSCIUTTO BITES
1 pear, thinly sliced (I got about 20 slices)
20 slices of gruyère cheese (thin and skinny, so that they are roughly the same size as the pear slices)
20 mint leaves, washed
10 slices of prosciutto, cut in half
balsamic vinegar
olive oil (optional)

Place a slice of cheese and a mint leaf on top of each pear slice.  Wrap it up in a half-slice of prosciutto.  Lay them on a plate and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  (We only used the vinegar last night.)

I don't have a picture of these, but once you wrap everything up it just looks like a rolled up piece of prosciutto anyway.  You could easily modify this recipe however you like.... try apples or melons instead of pears, try a different type of cheese, and/or try basil instead of mint.  These were really good, and kind of surprising when you first pop one in your mouth - the mint is not a flavour you'd expect to find with meat and cheese, but it all works together somehow.  Give it a try next time you're looking for a new appetizer recipe!

Hot Saskie Mamas 9th Annual Christmas Consumption Extravaganza!

I met a fabulous group of mommy-friends online when my daughter was born, and we have been a huge support system for each other over the last 9 years.  Mostly we just post online and talk about how things are going in our lives... but every once in a while, especially at Christmas time, we like to party!
Here is a collection of the recipes that were served at my house last night for our 9th Annual Christmas party.  (We call it the Consumption Extravaganza because we generally make pigs of ourselves with the amount of food and beverages we consume!)  There were plenty of other amazing recipes (Hooters wings, Taco dip, nuts & bolts, and tons of other things I can't even remember at the moment!) but here are the ones I have recipes for:

JELLO PUNCH (adapated from this recipe)
1/2 c. sugar
3 c. water
1 pkg. strawberry jello
1 can frozen lemonade
2 c. orange juice
1 bottle (2 L) Sprite

Bring the first three ingredients to a boil and then gently boil for 3 minutes.  Stir in frozen lemonade and orange juice.  Pour into a container and freeze overnight.  When ready to serve, scoop it into a punch bowl and pour in the Sprite, stirring till combined.
(I don't have a photo of the punch, but it was quite tasty.  Once all the slush melted into the Sprite though, it was really really sweet.  You can mix in some Club Soda too if you want to cut down on the sweetness.  I used yogurt containers to store the slush in the freezer, and it took a while to thaw out so you might want to use smaller containers or even icecube trays to freeze it.)

MRS. CLAUS' NIPPLES (I did not come up with that name, I swear!)
raspberries
cream cheese icing (cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract)
vanilla wafer cookies, cut into small squares

Pipe the cream cheese icing into the raspberries and put a little bit onto each wafter square.  Place a raspberry on top of each wafer square.  (Perhaps if you put a dab of icing on the top of each raspberry, they would look more like mini Santa hats and less like nipples!)  The idea for this came from this recipe, which uses strawberries to make Santa hats.

These were so good... even though they looked like nipples.



CHEESE & VEGGIE CHRISTMAS TRAY

green onions
tomatoes, carrots, and any other veggies you'd like to add on as "decorations"
cheese cubes
pretzel sticks

Use the green onions to make the branches of your tree, and the pretzel sticks for the trunk.  Fill in the other veggies and cheese cubes as decorations.



How cute is that??

HOT BUTTERED RUM NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE (posted on the Epicure Selections Facebook page by Janet Dupasquier)
1 pkg. cream cheese
1/4 c. icing sugar
2 envelopes Dream Whip
1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. Hot Buttered Rum, melted
1-2 tbsp. Hot Buttered Rum, melted

Cream together the first 4 ingredients until light and fluffy. Add in 2 tbsp. melted Hot Buttered Rum and combine. Pour into a premade graham cracker crust. Drizzle the remaining Hot Buttered Rum overtop and use a knife to zig-zag it through the cheesecake. Refrigerate until cheesecake is set.

This was really good!

Thanks to all my Hot Saskie Mama friends for celebrating another fabulous year of food, fun, and friendship!!

Open House Recipes

My husband is out of town for a few days, and thanks to some strategic scheduling this weekend (and a great deal of help from my parents), I managed to get the kids to swimming, skating, and church, we hosted a playdate, I made a snack to take to the kids' choir party at church, I did an Epicure party, and I found time to prepare a ton of food for 20+ people this afternoon!
I hosted an open house for my Epicure customers, and we drank some delicious tea from Sisters Leap Exceptional Teas and ate lots of goodies that I made with my Epicure Selections products.

Here are all the recipes I made:

SPICY CHEESE BUNDLES (a spicy version of the incredibly popular EXTRAORDINARY CHEESE DIP, baked in wonton wrappers)
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 c. mayo
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 tbsp. Pueblo Bean Dip Mix
1 1/2 tsp. Cinco Pepper Blend

Combine ingredients together.  Place wonton wrappers into a mini muffin tin and use a mini scoop to fill up each wonton with the cheese mixture.  Bunch the edges of the wonton wrappers together to make little bundles.  Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.

I think these were my favourite - I am definitely making these again!

SAGE & APPLE STUFFING CRISPS
1/4 c. butter
1 tbsp. Sage & Apple Stuffing Seasoning
1 baguette

Mix butter and stuffing seasoning.  Spread on thin slices of baguette.  Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes.

Now you don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to get your stuffing!

CRAN & APPLE CINNAMON CHEESE BALL
1 pkg. cream cheese
4 tbsp. Cran & Apple Cinnamon Cheese Ball Seasoning

Beat together until smooth, and form into a ball.  Roll in sliced almonds if you like.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  (I served this with cinnamon cookies but it's also great on apple slices or bagels.)

A tasty dessert cheeseball.

CROSTINI WITH GOAT CHEESE, TOMATOES, AND TAPENADE (I slightly modified the amounts and made a double batch.)
200 ml. canned black olives, drained and chopped
1 tbsp. Tapenade Herbs
1/4 c. olive oil
3 tomatoes, diced
1 c. goat cheese

Combine olives, herbs, and olive oil.  Mix in tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese.  Serve on baguettes or crackers.

This doesn't look very appealing, but I quite enjoyed it!

BEER-BATTERED ONION & BACON MINI CHEESE BALLS (based on this original recipe that I entered in a Philadelphia cream cheese contest... I didn't end up winning, but I totally should have!)
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
4 tbsp. Onion & Bacon Cheese Ball Seasoning
1 c. flour
1 egg
1 c. beer

Combine first three ingredients.  Make a batter out of the next 3 ingredients.  Use a mini scooper to make little cheese balls and coat them in the beer batter.  Heat a pot of canola oil and then deep fry the cheese balls until they are golden brown.

I didn't get to sample one, but I'm assuming they tasted pretty good.  I mean, they're deep-fried cheese balls - how could they taste bad?

MINI FUDGE BROWNIES

1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Combine first three ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined.  Use a mini scoop and and a mini muffin pan and bake at 350 F for 12-14 minutes.  Makes 48.

These are so delicious!

GINGERBREAD CRÈME BRÛLÉE (I slightly modified the amounts so that it was more like the recipe I normally use.)
5 egg yolks
6 tbps. sugar
1 tsp. Gingerbread Spices
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. whipping cream

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar.  Add in remaining ingredients and whisk together.  Pour into rammekins (I put 1/3 c. in each one) and place rammekins in a baking dish with water.  Bake at 325 F for 45 minutes.  They should be firm on the surface but still jiggly underneath.  Once they have cooled, sprinkle a layer of sugar on top and then use a blow torch or place them under the broiler for 5 minutes until the sugar makes a crust.  Cool to room temperature before serving.

This is only a fraction of the crème brûlées I made this weekend.  Everyone said they were great, so I'm glad I put in the time to get them all baked and brûléed!

BRIE WITH HOT BUTTERED RUM & PECANS
1 wheel of brie cheese, top rind removed
equal parts Hot Buttered Rum and butter (I used about 2 tbsp. of each)
crushed pecans

Heat Hot Buttered Rum, butter, and pecans in a frying pan.  Place brie in a baking dish and pour the mixture over top.  Bake at 350 F until brie melts.  Serve with baguette slices.

Ooey gooey cheesey goodness covered in butter & rum!

PINOT NOIR WINE JELLY & RED PEPPER JELLY ON BAGUETTES

A simple but elegant appetizer.  That wine jelly is my favourite thing in the whole wide world right now!

So there you have it --- I hope you enjoy the recipes, and please let me know if you end up trying some of them at home!

Mini Snacks

Just got a mini muffin pan and a portion scoop from Epicure Selections, so I've been whipping up some snacks that I can pop in the freezer and pull out whenever we need them.
Here are all the recipes, and the verdicts are written below each one.
TWO-BITE BROWNIES (from this recipe)
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. melted butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix first three ingredients together.  In separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients, then add to dry ingredients.  Scoop into mini muffin pan and bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.  Allow them to cool for a few minutes before popping them out.  Makes about 48 mini muffins.
Verdict: These are awesome.  No other way to describe them.

HEALTHY & DECADENT PUMPKIN MINI MUFFINS
1 1/2 c. flour (I used 1 c. white flour and 1/2 c. whole wheat flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. pumpkin purée
1/3 c. apple sauce
2 tbsp. crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/4 c. chocolate chips

Combine first 4 ingredients.  In separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients, then add to dry ingredients.  Don't overmix.  Scoop into mini muffin tin and bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.  Let them cool for a few minutes before popping out.
Verdict: These are awesome too!  My son actually prefers these over the brownies (gasp!)
MINI SALMON CAKES (based on this recipe)
3 small potaotes, peeled and quartered
3 green onions
2-3 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
salt & pepper
1-2 tsp. Lemon Dilly Dip Mix
1 egg
3 cans (170 g net weight each) boneless, skinless pink salmon

Boil potatoes; drain and mash.  Add in remaining ingredients.  Scoop into mini muffin tin and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.
Verdict: Yummy yummy.

MINI CRUSTLESS QUICHES (use this recipe, but leave out the puff pastry crust and bake in mini muffin tin at 400 F for 15 minutes)
Verdict: Delicious, and the kids all loved them.

TEENY TINY PIZZAS
1 pkg. Pillsbury pizza dough
pizza sauce (about 1/3 c.)
pepperoni, finely chopped (about 14 slices)
mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1/3 c.)

Roll out pizza dough and cut into 24 squares that will fit into a mini muffin tin.  (I ended up with 10 extra, so I just rolled that into a ball and made a mini pizza with it.)  Press dough into mini muffin tin.  Combine pizza sauce, pepperoni, and cheese and scoop into dough.  Bake at 400 F for 10-12 minutes.
Verdict: Haven't fed them to the kids yet, but I imagine they will like them.  I personally don't like Pillsbury dough (whether it's croissants or biscuits or pizza dough) so I'm not a big fan of these.

Overall Verdict:
I love my mini muffin pan and portion scoop!  It's so easy to make cutesy little appetizers, and the kids love eating stuff in miniature form.  Can't wait to try out some new recipes with it!

Mexican Cheese Dip

I won't have a picture of this, because I'm taking it over to my dad's tonight, but it will just look like a hot bubbly mess of cheese and salsa so you can use your imagination.

MEXICAN CHEESE DIP
1 package cream cheese
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. grated mozzarella
1/2 c. grated cheddar
1 tsp. Pueblo Bean Dip Mix
1 tsp. Cinco Pepper Blend
2 tbsp. jarred salsa

Bake in the oven till bubbly, and serve with tortilla chips.

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!)

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.

New recipes from Sobey's

I've been a lazy blogger this week - I hope you'll forgive me since I found some great recipes to share with you! (I'm still a little lazy though, so I'm just posting the links for the recipes, along with my pictures.) Trust me, these are all amazingly good, so I hope you'll try some of them out yourself!

All these recipes came from the fall edition of Inspired (the free magazine you can get at Sobey's or in your mailbox).

CARMELIZED ONION & GRUYÈRE CROSTINI (I brought these to our friends' house and everybody loved them - carmelized onions are to die for!)

SAUSAGE, ONION & APPLE-TOPPED NAAN (I made these for a super-quick supper one night, and the kids loved them!) SPINACH & ROASTED PEAR SALAD WITH CANDIED PECANS (I made this for lunch one day, and it was fantastic!!)

Upside-Down Taco Bake and Mexican Layered Dip

I'm going to try out a few recipes from Best Recipes Ever this week - I love this show because the recipes are "tested till perfect" and they really do turn out perfectly! (Nothing irks me more than when you follow a recipe to the letter, and it's a total flop.)

Tonight's recipe was featured on an episode called "One Pot Wonders". I must have smaller pots than Kary Osmond does, because I had to do this in two batches, but it was still delicious and simple to make. Even my son said, "Wow!" when I brought it to the table. (Of course, that's because he saw nachos on top of his plate, but still it's better than his usual groan when I put supper on the table.)

UPSIDE-DOWN NACHO BAKE (click link for original recipe)
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1-2 tsp. Tex-Mex seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1 - 19 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/3 c. tomato paste
1 c. frozen corn
tortilla chips
cheddar cheese, grated
1 green onion, sliced

Brown beef and drain the fat. Transfer to a casserole dish. Sauté onions, garlic, and peppers along with seasonings for about 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add corn to the ground beef, then pour tomato mixture overtop and combine everything together. Top with tortilla chips and then sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes, then garnish with green onion before serving.

This was super tasty, and everyone enjoyed it. It's basically a quick chili topped with nachos - how can that be bad? The only problem will be with the leftovers - the tortilla chips will likely get all soggy overnight, but I'm sure it'll still be delicious!

Later tonight we're having a few friends over, so I made some Mexican-inspired appetizers using my new verrines.

MEXICAN LAYERED DIP VERRINES

6 tbsp. refried beans

2 tsp. Pueblo Bean Dip Mix

1/4 c. cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp. mayo

1 tbsp. sour cream

1 tsp. Cheese & Jalapeno Dip Mix

6 tbsp. salsa

cheddar cheese, grated

green onion, sliced

Combine refried beans and Pueblo Bean Dip Mix. Put 1 tbsp. of beans into each verrine. (I used a little ziploc bag and cut a corner off so I could use it as a piping bag.) Combine cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and Cheese & Jalapeno Dip Mix. Put 1 tbsp. of this mixture overtop of the beans. Top with 1 tbsp. salsa, and then a little cheese and green onion. Serve with tortilla chips.

This dip (or any variation thereof) is always a huge hit at parties, and I think the little individual glasses make it so cute! I can't wait to try out more verrine recipes.

Tequila Lime Drumsticks with Southwest Layered Salad

Tonight I thawed out some Tequila Lime Drumsticks that I had marinating in the freezer. After they were thawed, I put them in a non-stick, oven-safe grill pan and put it in the oven at 400 F for 15 minutes. Then I turned the drumsticks over, cranked up the heat to 450 F and cooked them for another 15 minutes. We ate it with some Southwest 5-Minute Layered Salad. Super easy supper, and it was delicious!

Fresh Rolls, Potato Skins, Samosas with Chutney, and Pinepple Cream Cheese Carrot Cake

I had the girls over for Splurge Night last night, and spent a good portion of my day making these appetizers! It was well worth the trouble though - everything turned out great (at least I think it did... my friends ate everything, so it was either really good, or they are just extremely considerate of my feelings!)

I made my absolute favourite recipe for Fresh Rolls, served with some store-bought peanut sauce. (Superstore's Schezwan sauce is the best.) I discovered it's so much easier making these rolls if you buy the large rice papers instead of the small ones. I used shrimp instead of pork this time, still in the same marinade (1/4 c. each of soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, and honey, plus a little garlic and chili flakes.) This recipe makes a huge batch... I think I made 18 rolls, and I still have some leftover so I can make more rolls tomorrow for lunch.

Next I made Potato Skins adapted from a friend's recipe blog:

POTATO SKINS
8 baking potatoes
1/3 c. oil
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Smoked Spanish Paprika
2 tsp. Garlic Potato Topper
salt & pepper
16 slices of bacon, crumbled
4 green onions, sliced
3-4 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Scrub potatoes and pierce on all sides. Place in oven and bake at 400 F for 1 hour, turning once. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides. (Save some for your samosa filling!) Mix together oil, Parmesan, paprika, garlic, salt & pepper, and brush over the inside of each potato. Bake at 475 F for 8 minutes, then fill each potato skin with bacon, green onions, and cheddar cheese. Bake for another 5-8 minutes, and serve with sour cream.

Now I was ready to make Samosas with Mango & Saskatoon Chutney. The samosa recipe came from Rachael Ray's website, but I first heard of it on Sook's blog, My Fabulous Recipes. The filling is easy to make, and tastes heavenly! The pie crust was a bit of an obstacle for me... it was dry and cracking, and it took me a while to start making pretty samosas. The first ones looked like they had seen better days. But they tasted wonderful, and I would definitely make them again. Here's my slight adaptation of the recipe:

SAMOSAS

1 tbsp. oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp. ginger paste
1/2 tsp. garlic paste
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 1/2 tsp. Curry Dip Mix
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large potato, cooked (I diced up one of the potatoes that I used for potato skins)
1/2 tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 c. frozen peas
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 package (2 9-inch rounds) store-bought, raw pie dough
1 egg, beaten

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. In a small dish, combine jalapeno, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds, curry, cumin, Pumpkin Pie Spice, salt & pepper. Add to onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add potato, tomato, peas, and cilantro and cook for couple minutes. (If the filling looks too thick, you can add a splash of vegetable stock, but I didn't need to.) Allow filling to cool.

Roll out each pie crust on a floured surface, and cut into 8 wedges. (Next time I might do 6 wedges so I could make bigger samosas and have better luck with rolling them.) Put 1 tsp. of the potato filling on each wedge. Brush the edges of each wedge with egg. Fold the pointed end up over the filling so it touches the wider end, then fold the two sides over top and pinch it closed. Place samosas on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush with egg. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes, then turn them over and bake for another 5 minutes.

CHUTNEY
1/2 c. saskatoons
1/2 c. mango, chopped (I used frozen mango, and last time I made this recipe I used rhubarb instead)
3 tbsp. raspberry vinegar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. onion, diced
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. ginger
dash of chili pepper flakes

Put everything in small saucepan and bring to a simmer for 20-30 minutes. Cool before serving.

For a sweet treat, I cracked open a box of carrot cake mix and made 2 round cakes. Then I made a delicious icing and slathered it between the two cakes and all around the outside, and topped it with a few pieces of Crystallized Ginger.

PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE ICING

1 container (8 oz.) spreadable cream cheese

1 single-serving container of pineapple yogurt (or whatever flavour you like)

1 1/2 - 2 c. Cool Whip

1/2 c. icing sugar

Beat ingredients until smooth. Add more icing sugar if it's too thin, or more Cool Whip if it's too thick.This icing was awesome. (And the cake was pretty good too, thank you Betty Crocker!)

And that's what we ate last night. Enjoy!

Fried Yellow Tomatoes

I went to the grocery store to pick up a ton of food for my daughter's 7th birthday party tomorrow, and I picked up some yellow tomatoes to have for lunch today. It took a few minutes to get things set up for this recipe, but it's very tasty, and something different from your regular lunch menu.

FRIED YELLOW TOMATOES
2 yellow tomatoes, thickly sliced
flour
1 egg, beaten
2 pieces of bread (use a blender or food processor to turn it into crumbs)
1 tbsp. your favourite Epicure dip mix (I used Roasted Red Pepper)

salt and pepper

canola oil

Sprinkle the tomato slices with flour, then dip them into the egg, and then coat them in a mixture of bread crumbs and seasonings. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the tomatoes for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden. Serve with sour cream and green onions, or eat plain.

Hot Saskie Mamas 7th Annual Christmas Consumption Extravaganza

I met some awesome ladies through an online moms' group when my daughter was born, and we've been getting together every Christmas (and a few times in between) ever since. This year I hosted it at our new house, and we had a plethora of delicious appetizers and desserts!

Jacqui brought Bacon-Wrapped Figs Stuffed with Goat Cheese. They were fabulous.

Loree brought the absolute cutest things in the world! Penguins made out of black olives, flavoured cream cheese, and carrots. The igloo was made of pinwheels made with feta cheese, craisins, and green onions. Delicious!Glennis brought a lovely assortment of crackers to go with her favourite goat cheese covered in cranberries and cinnamon.

I made the Extarordinary Cheese Dip (no picture) and the Cookie Dough Truffles. I also made my friend Stéphanie's awesome punch recipe:

1 L orange juice

1 L pineapple juice

1 can frozen lemonade

2 L gingerale

2-3 c. sorbet (I used raspberry, but the recipe called for lime)

ice

We also had amazing homeade guacamole & pita chips, spanikopita, garlic bread, a shrimp ring, and I can't remember what else, but it was all fabulous. We seriously pig out at these parties, and have a blast!

Although it isn't really food-related, I just have to share the wonderful gift I got from the gift exchange:

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed playing Shooter Roulette!

I've neglected you

I'm sorry I haven't posted any new recipes for a while. Renos have started in the basement, and life has gotten a little crazy. But I do have some new, simple recipes to share with you, some with pictures and some without.

I don't know if you'd even call this a recipe, but it was really good.

TUSCAN PORK TENDERLOIN WITH BABY POTATOES
1 pork tenderloin
Tuscan Rub
olive oil
baby potatoes, cut in half

Drizzle pork and potatoes with olive oil. Place in a baking dish and shake with Tuscan Rub. Bake at 325 F for about 45 minutes.

The next recipe is basically the same idea, but with salmon (and we had a salad as a side dish instead of potatoes.)

I cut a big piece of salmon into smaller pieces, and rubbed some of them with brown sugar. Then I sprinkled a couple with Teriyaki Seasoning and a couple with Smoked Chili Rub (which is sadly no longer available from Epicure Selections.)The other piece I just sprinkled with Seafood & Fish Seasoning. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Delicious!

The last recipe I have for you is sort of an accident that turned out better than it looked. A friend made this delicious baked brie last year, with nuts and brown sugar and cream on top. She and her husband came over for wine & cheese last night, so I thought I'd try to replicate it but melting some butter and brown sugar in a frying pan, adding some pecans, and a splash of rum and milk. I sliced the top off the brie and put it in my Brie Baker and popped it in the oven for a few minutes to let it melt. Then when I went to scoop the brown sugar mixture on top, it was all hard, so we put the whole concoction (brie with sugar on top) back in the oven. The sugar mixture sort of solidified onto the cheese, and I thought it was totally buggered. But we just broke up the sugar with a spoon and scooped out the melted brie underneath, and it was delicious! I don't have a picture (and it wasn't pretty anyway), but next time I think I just need to add some more milk or butter or something to make it more liquidy.

Hopefully you enjoyed those recipes, because my creative efforts are being focussed on our basement renos (paint colours are overwhelming!), and I don't foresee any fabulous new recipes coming out of my head until Christmas holidays start. But if I do come up with something, I'll let you know!

Pesto Cheese Bread

This is nothing fancy, but we made it last night at cooking class and I whipped some up tonight to go with our supper. It's a simple pizza dough that you can jazz up to make a yummy flatbread with whatever you like. In cooking class we put olive oil, asiago cheese, garlic, and parsley. Tonight I did one half with olive oil, Pesto Herbs, parmesan cheese, marble cheese, and Herb & Garlic Sea Salt. On the other half I left out the Pesto Herbs so the kids wouldn't complain.

MY COOKING TEACHER'S FAVOURITE PIZZA DOUGH

1 pkg. yeast

1 c. hot water

1-2 tsp. sugar or honey

2 tbsp. oil

2 1/2 c. flour (might need less)

Mix together first four ingredients, then add flour until you can form a ball that doesn't stick to your hands or the bowl. Knead for a few minutes, then cover and let rise for 45 minutes. Punch it down and cut into two portions. Roll each portion out on a floured surface, then transfer to a greased baking sheet (use oil and cornmeal). Poke with your fingers to make indentations, then drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with your seasonings/toppings, and bake at 400 F for 15-18 minutes.

Appetizer Recipes

Tonight in cooking class we made three easy appetizers, and I also made an appetizer/supper the other night that I want to share with you.

I had a square of puff pastry in the freezer, so I decided to make something for supper with it. After a quick look through my fridge, I found frozen shrimp and scallops, bacon, sundried tomatoes in oil, and mozzarella cheese. Voila! A fancy appetizer-supper that is super easy to make!

CHEESY SEAFOOD & BACON PASTRY PUFF

1 square puff pastry, thawed and rolled into a rectangle

3 or 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 c. frozen shrimp and scallops, sautéed in butter

2 tbsp. sundried tomatoes packed in oil, diced

1 c. mozzarella cheese, grated

Lay a row of bacon, seafood, and sundried tomatoes on the puff pastry. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold in the top and bottom of the pastry and seal it along the middle with water. Slice across the top 4 or 5 times to make small openings. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.

The appetizers we made in cooking class were simple but delicious:

STUFFED JALAPENOS

Make a slit along the side of each jalapeno and scoop out the insides. Spoon in some Boursin cheese, and wrap the jalapeno with a slice of bacon. Lay on a baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.

CRAB WONTONS

Mix together 1 pkg. cream cheese, 1 can crab meat (drained), some salt & pepper, and 2 green onions (diced). Lay out wonton papers and put 1 tsp. of crab mixture in the middle of each one. Brush sides with water and pinch together. Lay on greased baking sheet, brush/spray with oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese before baking at 375 F for 10 minutes (until golden).

FRIED TOMATOES

Cut some hothouse tomatoes into thick slices. Dip each slice into flour, then egg, then panko breadcrumbs. Fry in oil and butter over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkling of crumbled cooked prusciutto and green onions.

So there you go, a whole selection of appetizers to make for your next party!!