Sex on the Beach Triffle

Chocolate, strawberries, whipped cream and a tropical pineapple favour!  Delicious!

Ingredients:
1 brick of cream cheese softened
250mL whipping cream whipped (I used 500mL, but you do not need this much)
1 quart strawberries
1 can crushed pineapple
600g "Two-Bite Brownies" (you can use your own brownies if you please!)
2-3 Skor bars
A trifle bowl or something like it :)

1. Slice the strawberries, crush the Skor bars, cut the brownies into quarters
2. Whip the cream and add the softened cream cheese to it and mix until mostly smooth.  Add the crushed pineapple to the cream mixture.

3. Start to layer your trifle bowl. Brownies on the bottom, some cream mixture then strawberries.  Do this twice, making sure you can see the layers along the sides.  Top it with the remainder of the cream mixture and the crushed Skor pieces.

 

Tofu Parmasian

Tofu.  So many people I talk to are a bit scared to try it, or have and they have hated it because of the texture.  Always buy extra firm tofu and you can stay away from this problem!  Also, it takes the flavor of whatever you cook it with, so don't just eat it plain. :P

Ingredients:
1 brick of tofu cut into 4 "sheets"
1 cup tomato sause
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup parmasean
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese!
2 tbsp olive oil

1. Cut the tofu in 4 sheets. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp basil and 1/2 tsp oregano in a bowl.  Mix the tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp basil in another bowl.
3. Put oil in a large frying pan at medium/high heat.
4. Wet the tofu with water and cover in the bread crumb mixture.

5. Fry the breaded tofu in the pan until golden brown on both sides.

6.  Lightly grease a bread pan (or 9x9 pan if using extra tofu).  Layer the bottom with part of the tomato mixture.  Place 2 pieces of the fried tofu in the pan.  Top with some more tomato sauce and 1/2 the mozzarella cheese.  Layer again with the last two pieces, tomato sauce and cheese.  Sprinkle some extra Parmesan on top and bake for 15 minutes.

7. Let stand for a couple minutes before enjoying! Serves two :)

Smoked Salmon Apetizer

I have a cousin who loves smoked salmon or trout and is sure to get a kick out of these!

Ingredients:
3 oz smoked salmon
Crackers of your choice (we like Carr's cracked pepper)
Cream cheese
Green onion chopped
Fresh dill (optional)

1. Cut up the smoked salmon to fit the crackers.
2. Put a heap of cream cheese on the cracker and then a piece of the smoked salmon
3. Top with a few green onions and a small amount of fresh dill.

*We did not have any dill on hand, so did not use any.  But this adds a lovely fresh flavor if you have some!

Bruscetta

Bruscetta, a classic appetizer. This is my own recipie!!

1. Cut up a french baguette to about 1.5" thickness.
2. Mince some garlic.  Wipe baguette pieces with olive oil and sprinkle the minced garlic on each piece.
3. Chop up some tomatoes and red onion. Mix together and put a spoonful on each piece of baguette.
4. Put a small amount of pesto onto of the tomato/onion mixture
5. Top with thinkly sliced parmesean or asiago cheese.
6. Bake at 375 for 7 minutes. Serve immediately. 

These won't last long :)

Raw Chilled Mango Soup

If you are into only eating raw fruits and veggies, this is an amazing recipe for you.  It also does well as an appetizer in the summer and is so so easy!

Ingredients:
4 ripe mangos
3 chili peppers seeded and chopped
1, 1/2 cups cold water
1 small sweet onion chopped
juice from 3 limes
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/8 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
pinch black pepper
2 tsp brown sugar

Blend in a blender and chill for 2 hours.  Enjoy!!

Sleep Easy ...the freaky drink

It has been too long folks!  Here comes a long stream of postings for your viewing pleasure.

Tonight we decided to try a drink recipe that is suitable for right before you jump into bed :)

Ingredients:
1 large banana
3.5 ounces of iceberg lettuce
1, 1/3 cups chamomile tea
juice of 1/2 a lemon

1. Blend (in a food processor or blender) the banana and lettuce.  Add 1/4 of the lemon juice if you need to, until mixture is smooth.
2. Allow the chamomile tea to steep for 10 minutes before adding it to the blender and mix along with the rest of the lemon juice.
3. Pour into 2 cups and drink immediately.

*If you can't stand the texture, you can always pour the mixture through a strainer :)

Mac & Cheese ...and other goodies

This is an amazing version of the classic Macaroni and Cheese.  And this is our mac and cheese dinner last night.

 Ingredients:
1 onion
2 bay leaves
3 cups milk
15 oz macaroni pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
7 oz sharp cheddar cheese
2 oz Parmesan cheese (we used Asiago)
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pan of water to a boil for the pasta.  While it is heating, cut the onion into large chunks then put into a large pan with the milk and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and immediately take off the heat.  Let infuse for at least 10 minutes.

For some reason, this picture flips sideways when I upload it...lol.  You get the idea though.

2.  Add the macaroni to the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes.  Drain the macaroni.  It should be slightly undercooked. 
3.  Once the milk has infused, remove the onion and bay leaves.  Add the butter and sift in the flour.  Cook on medium-high heat with a whisk for about 5 minutes until the sauce is thickened and smooth.  Stir in the nutmeg, 2/3 of the cheddar and Parmesan into the sauce until it is melted.

4.  Pour pasta into a baking dish and the sauce over top of it and stir well.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

The salad I made was a mixture of spinach leaves, mandarin oranges, cashews and asiago cheese. I made a dressing out of red wine vinegar, olive oil, orange juice and a tsp of Dijon mustard.  Tasty!

The home fries were cut up potatoes tossed in olive oil, Italian spices and a bit of chili powder.

And what better to do than listen to some old records while cooking! 

What a lovely evening :)

Brent's Banana Bread

Tonight I came home to the smell of fresh banana bread.  Brent has now made banana bread twice and it is...dare I say it...better than any other I have tried. 

Ingredients:

4 ripe bananas
1, 3/4 cups flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter

1. Grease a loaf pan and heat the oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Mash the bananas into a lumpy pulp.  Add the butter, sugar, salt, eggs, vanilla, flour and baking soda and mix with an electric mixer or hand-held mixer until smooth. Pour into the pan.  Bake for 1 hour, 10 minutes.

3.  While it cools, make the frosting!  Put 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tbsp water into a small pan over gentle heat and wait until the sugar is dissolved.  Let it simmer until it looks like a silky caramel. 

4.  Put 1/2 cup cream cheese into a bowl and pour the caramel mixture over top and whisk together until you get a smooth frosting.  Once the loaf is cool, spread the frosting on top. Bet you eat more than 1 slice ;)

Incredible!  I have the best husband ever! 

Easy Pad Thai

Tonight we made Pad Thai for supper and it was delicious.  Slightly different than what I have had at various Thai restaurants, but nevertheless it was good.  We accidentally used double the amount of noodles, so...if you want some left overs...

Ingredients
14oz wide rice noodles
12 oz firm tofu
3 fat garlic cloves
1 bunch green onions
1 small bunch cilantro
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
3 tbsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
1.5 tbsp sugar
4 large eggs
1 handful crushed roasted peanuts
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes (or a bit more!)
2 limes
3.5 oz bean sprouts

1. Put noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water  over them, stir gently and let soak.
2. Cut tofu into small cubes and cook over medium heat with 1 tbsp oil, until browned on all sides. Once cooked, move to a plate and soak up any excess oil with paper towel.

3.  Slice the green onions and pick the leaves from the cilantro.  Crack eggs into a bowl and loosely beat with a fork.

4.  Mix together the sweet chili sauce, fish sauce and sugar.
5.  In the same pan you used to cook the tofu, heat the garlic, chili flakes and half the green onions.  Remove to a plate.
6. Cook the eggs in the same pan, as you would an omlette.  Lift out of the pan and slice into strips.
7.  Add all ingredients to the pan now, still on medium low heat.  The noodles, the sauce, the garlic mixture, the last of the green onions and the tofu.  Toss until well mixed.
8.  Serve on a plate with the peanuts and sprouts on the side.

This was very fast to make with 2 people!  We have so much left over though! 

I should also add that this was a vegetarian (minus the fish sauce) pad thai, but you can easily add chicken or shrimp at step 5 :)

Hope everyone is eating well! 

Vegetarian Chili

Veggie Chili tastes almost identical to beef chili, except it has less fat and since you will most likely add more veggies to vegetarian chili, it can also have more vitamins!!

This is also a regular meal for us :)

1 onion
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp olive oil
4 large brown mushrooms
1 large yellow pepper (I like yellow, but you can use whatever colour you like best)
3 large carrots
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can heinz chili style beans
1 cup corn (canned or frozen works too)
4 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp chili paste
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinamon
a sprinkle of garlic powder
1 cup water
3/4 cup red lentils (so much protein!)
a large squirt of ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 small cube bitter-sweet chocolate (or a few chocolate chips)

Chop all the veggies to the size you like.  Brent likes them bite-size.  In a very large heavy pot, add the oil, onion and garlic over medium heat.  When the onion is softened add the can of tomatoes.  Add the carrots and a cup of boiling water.  Rinse the lentils and add them to the pot.  Add the mushrooms, corn and the pepper. Add the spices and the beans.  Squirt in the ketchup and the chili paste.  When the veggies are soft add the brown sugar and the chocolate.  Once the chocolate has melted serve it up!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love a classic chocolate chip cookie?  We have made this recipe three times in the last month.

1 scant cup butter softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg yoke
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
a couple handfuls of chocolate chips (I like to use milk chocolate)

Mix the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed, add in the egg yoke and vanilla until blended.  Mix in the dry ingredients with a spatula.  Add the chocolate chips.  Bake at 400 degrees for 11 minutes and let cool on the baking sheet slightly before moving to a wire rack.  Enjoy!

Butternut Curry with Spinach & Cashews

Monday.  Back to veggie meals, but this is a good thing.  We love curry, and this recipe is full of delicious flavours, textures and colour!  We will definately be having this one again.
 

2.5lb butternut squash
1 onion
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic sliced
1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger minced
1 small hot green chile
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
2 cinamon sticks (or a dash of cinamon)
1 tbsp freeze-dried curry leaves
3.5 oz red lentils
3 ripe red field tomatos
1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
4 oz cashews toasted (350 degrees in the oven for 5 minutes)
a handful of baby spinach
salt and pepeper
 

1.Wash and peel the squash.  Scoops out the seeds and cut into large cubes.
2. Quarter the onion and slice it up.  Add the oil and butter to a large pan or wok on medium-high heat.  Add the squash and onions and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Slice the garlic and mince the ginger.  Slice the chile without cutting through the stalk end.  Throw these all in the pan, including the spices and curry leaves, salt and pepper.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Bring 1.75 cups of water to a boil.  Stir the lentils into the pan and add the boiling water. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Toast the cashews.  Dice the tomatoes and stir them in along with the chickpeas.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.

6.  To finish off stir in the spinach leaves and sprinkle the cashews over the top.  The spinach will wilt with the heat. 

Serve with rice or naan bread!

Another tasty dinner with the husband :)

Breakfast Sandwhiches

Have you ever been to the Hamilton Farmer's Market?  Brent and I went yesterday for the first time, and it was a blast.  There are some pretty cool people there selling some pretty sweet local, organic, or fair trade goodies.  We picked up lots of items including some peameal bacon, which we made into such delicious breakfast sandwiches when we came home! 

 

 

I should mention that we ate these at around 2:00pm, and that is why it is okay that we are enjoying them with a cold brew  :)  

Something we started as newlyweds was to become "weekday vegetarians".  So since it was Saturday yesterday, it was our meat day, and what better way to eat meat than locally and for breakfast! mmmm.

 So tasty.

Sushi

The first post!  This post is kind of a cheat...we made sushi together while we were engaged and took photos, so I might as well post them :)  This blog is going to be a simple collection of the yummy treats Brent and I create and eat together!  ...and probably eat with friends too!

But to start... an engaged endeavor...SUSHI!

We made spicy California Rolls (the spice was mayo mixed with Chili Paste) and added a strip of cream cheese!  It was so delicious! But quite a process to make, the rice itself takes about an hour, and the rolling only takes about 30 minutes for about 10 rolls. 

I find that cooking and eating together is one of the best ways to bond and have quality time with each other.  Since being married (just over 1 month!), we have mostly cooked as a team.  We received a cook book from our cousin Matt Gardner called "What to Cook and How to Cook It", which has tons of sweet recipes that are so easy to follow.  We use it so much and have made multiple recipes in it more than once!  

Well, until our next picturesque meal...