Grilled Caesar Salad

Caesar salad is so classic, and when done well, it really doesn't need any tampering. But sometimes its time to try something a little different. One of the cool food trends for 2013 is grilled salad greens and it make for such a fun option especially when you are already barbecuing. It only takes a few extra minutes, but it really takes the humble caesar to a different level.

Hey and you have to admit, that's a pretty sexy looking salad!

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of anchovy paste (optional)
Pinch of salt
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese. (Parmiggiano-Reggiano is our favorite)
Pepper to taste
6 slices of crusty white bread  - plus a little additional olive oil for brushing
3 hearts of romaine lettuce with the core intact

Directions:
1.  Using the side of your chef knife, grind the garlic with a pinch of salt until it is smooth. You can also use a mortar and pestle, or blend it with the other ingredients using an immersion blender.
2. Put the garlic in a medium bowl with the anchovy paste, and egg yolks. Mix until emulsified using whisk, electric beaters.
3. While beating, slowly add in olive oil and lemon juice. Then whisk in parmesan until the whole mixture is smooth and creamy.
4. Pepper to taste, and store in an airtight container.

To assemble:
1.  Brush the slices of bread with olive oil and place on medium high Barbeque. Grill just until the bread is nicely marked with grill marks, about 2 minutes per side. When done, slice into bite sized pieces and set aside.
2. Cut the hearts of romaine in half through the core. Put lettuce on the grill, cut side down, and grill only until grill marks appear, rotate and grill all sides.
3. When done, cut the core off the grilled romaine and place in a large bowl. (You can cut the romaine into bite sized pieces if you desire, but we love the look when whole leaves are served)
4. Toss the romaine with the dressing and then lay the leaves on a large serving plate.
5. Arrange lettuce with the toasted bread and additional shaved parmesan cheese.

Coo Coo for Coconut!

We were asked last week to collaborate with the amazingly talented doctor of traditional chinese medicine, Kim Graham. She expressed her passion for coconut and with the recent heat wave we thought a cool and refreshing popcicle experience was in order!!! We hope you enjoy!

                                                                                           Makes: 8 x 1/3 cup popcicles.

Note: We got the trays from superstore for $2, they only make 7 popcicles but there is enough popsicle mixture left over for 1 more.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 cups frozen mango pieces (slightly thawed)
2 cups frozen raspberries (slightly thawed)
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl or a blender add coconut milk, frozen fruit , and honey.
2. Blend using the blender or an immersion blender until the mixture is smooth. At this point you can pass the mixture through a sieve to remove the raspberry seeds if desired.

3. Stir in the coconut and then divide amongst the popsicle trays. Insert sticks and place in freezer.

4. Freeze for at least 6 hours before eating.

Other good fruit combinations are strawberry and peach, or field berry blends.

Check out Dr. Kim's facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/#!/Dr.KimTCM?fref=ts

Game Day Treats!- Nuts and Bolts - 2 varieties

Nuts and bolts are a great treat and an easy, inexpensive crowd pleaser. There are lots of store bought varieties out there, but they are expensive and full of salt. The best thing about making your own nuts and bolts is that you can put in all of your favorite ingredients, whatever they are. They key to success is to have a good balance between flavours in the base mix. We mixed pretzels with Shreddies peanuts, sesame sticks, Cheese Nips and corn nuts, but you can add whatever you like.


We did a bunch of test runs to determine the best seasoning mix to add before baking them, and we just couldn't make up our minds. We just had to give you more than one option, a sweet and a spicy version!

Makes 20 servings.

Ingredients:

For the Base:

1 cup Shreddies

1 cup Cheese Bits (we used the ones by Kraft)

1 cup sesame sticks

1 cup corn nuts, plain

1 1/2 cup pretzels

1 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts

Sweet and Salty Topping:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary

Spicy Masala Topping:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon ground garam masala

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. In a large bowl mix all the base ingredients. You can adjust the proportions of the ingredients based on your preference, but it must total approximately 7 cups.

3. In a small saucepan, combine all the topping ingredients and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, turn off heat immediately.
4. Pour the topping over the base mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon. (topping is hot, do not use your hands to mix)
5. Spread the mixture onto a cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, mixing every 10 minutes.
7. When done, let cool before putting mix in a bowl.  Store in an airtight container.

Playoff Snacks - The Perfect Pretzel

It's playoff time! Now not everyone is a fan of hockey, and not everyone wants to sit around watching the playoffs all spring. Whether in front of the game or for movie night in with the girls, everyone is going to love these pretzels!

This recipe isn't a Savour Sister original, it is actually Alton Brown's recipe from his show Good Eats. It is so perfect that we just had to share it with everyone. 

It may seem complicated, but in fact it is really easy to do. it just takes a little time and patience.  These pretzels also freeze brilliantly, just throw them in a cold oven, then turn on the heat to 350 degrees. When the preheat cycle is over, the pretzels will be hot and crispy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water

1 tablespoon sugar
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Vegetable oil, for pan
5 cups water

1/3 cup baking soda

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Pretzel salt (or I also use cinnamon and sugar)

Directions:

1. Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl, or stand mixer bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. 
2. Add the flour,butter and salt to the bowl. Mix until well combined, then knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. 
3. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. 
4. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 
6. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
7. Bring the 5 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in a large saucepan.
8. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 12 equal pieces.
9. Roll out each piece of dough into a 20-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. 
10. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. 
11. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. 
12. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Pasta Perfection - Greek Orzo Salad

This salad is cool, refreshing, and delicious! Inspired by traditional greek salad ingredients with a light and zesty dressing. Perfect for a BBQ, potluck, or family function! And it tastes just as good the next day so feel free to make ahead of time!

Serves 10.

Ingredients for the salad:

1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1 1/2 cups crumbled seasoned feta cheese

2 cups of chopped cucumber

1 pack cherry tomatoes (1 pint)

3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives

4 green onions, chopped

Ingredients for the dressing:

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Cook orzo in large pot of salted, boiling water. Ensure orzo is cooked al dente, approximately 8-10 minutes

2. Drain orzo in colander, rinse with cold water to stop the orzo from continuing to cook.

3. Add feta, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and green onions

4. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and olive oil in small bowl.

5.  Add dressing into the orzo salad and mix well.

6. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving for flavours to meld.

NOTE: Artichoke hearts, capers or pine nuts are awesome additions as well!

Classic Homemade English Toffee

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but there is something about Traditional English Toffee that I just can not refuse. There is something about the combination of crisp toffee, dark chocolate and pecans that I just adore. The problem is that it is very expensive to buy and not that easy to find. Making candy is a little tricky, but doable if you prepare everything before beginning, have a good digital thermometer, and be cautious of the hot sugar.  Trust me this recipe is totally worth it.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter 
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely broken pecans

Directions:

1. Toast the pecans by baking on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

2. Lightly grease a 7" x 11" cake pan, You can use a standard 9" x 14" but the result will be a thinner candy.

2. In a heavy saucepan, add the butter, sugar, water and salt.

3. Cook on high heat, stirring constantly and being extremely careful until mixture reaches hard crack stage. (300 degrees F). The mixture will be a rich caramel colour.

Note: You can also do this without a candy thermometer by filling a bowl with ice water, then drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard ball that won't flatten between your fingers. Be extremely careful to avoid burning yourself.

4. Once ready, pour the mixture quickly into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Note: the pan will get very warm.

5. Let it sit for a couple minutes, then sprinkle the chocolate over the toffee.

6. Let it sit for a few more minutes letting the heat melt the chocolate, then using an offset spreader or spatula, spread the soft chocolate over the toffee. Then sprinkle the pecans over the whole thing.

7. Once the toffee has cooled completely, it can be turned out of the pan, broken into pieces and stored, in an airtight container, or frozen.

Beautiful Brioche

Brioche is one of the greatest bread based inventions ever! This beautiful, rich, eggy and slightly sweet treat is very traditional for Easter meals, especially brunch. Our mother has made it every year since we were children, and it just gets better and better. Brioche seems very complicated, because it has quite a few steps and needs to be started the day before you want to serve it, but in truth, most of the time spent is waiting for the dough to rise. It is actually a very easy dough to put together and it is worth every minute of effort. This recipe was created from the amalgamation of many different recipes to make it as easy as possible to follow.

Brioche is best served slightly warm with butter. It is also good toasted, and the leftovers make brilliant french toast!

Makes: 1 loaf.

Ingredients:
Bread:
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup milk, warmed
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
3 eggs (2 for the bread, 1 for the egg wash)
1/3 cup butter, softened
Zest of 1 lemon

Icing:
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup icing sugar

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, warm the milk in the microwave until it is just warmer than body temperature. (105°–115°F.) Stir in yeast and flour to make a smooth paste. Let sit for 10 minutes till foamy.
2. In a large bowl add, flour, icing sugar, salt, and lemon. Stir gently. 
3. Using fingers, or 2 knives, cut in butter till evenly distributed.
4. Add milk, eggs, and yeast mixture. Stir mixture until the dough just comes together.
5. Put the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, kneed 3-4 minutes till the dough fully incorporated and is smooth.
6. Lightly grease a large bowl and put the dough in to rest. Cover with Saran Wrap and a damp tea towel. Let rise for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. (This helps create the distinct flavour of brioche.)
7. Now it's time to form the loaf, we love the look of doing a braid. To do this, divide the dough into 3 equal portions, roll them into 24" logs. Lie the logs side by side and pinch one end together well. Braid the strands together loosely, (don't pull or twist, but "flop" each strand on top of the center strand without leaving gaps). At the finish, pinch the second end together tightly. (You may have to adjust to make sure the loaf is even.)
8. Put the loaf onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Let proof covered with Saran Wrap and a damp tea towel. Let rise for 90 minutes.
9. Make an egg wash with the remaining egg and a tablespoon of water. Brush the wash onto the dough.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown. Let sit 5 minutes, then lift off the baking sheet and cool on a rack.
11. To make the glaze: mix lemon juice and icing sugar until smooth. Spoon onto the brioche and spread evenly when still slightly warm.

 

 

Romanoff Potato Popovers

Romanoff Potatoes are the perfect Easter side dish. Rich and cheezy, they are the perfect pair to both ham and roast beef for dinner on Easter Sunday. This traditional potato casserole uses sour cream, cheese, onions and scallions to dress up the basic boiled potato.  They can also be made a day ahead of time to make your dinner go more smoothly. The best part of this dish is the crust that forms as they bake in the oven. We wanted to get the most crispy crust possible while keeping the inside creamy. So we bake ours in greased muffin tins. They look beautiful and taste awesome.

Makes: 18 Popovers.

Ingredients:
6 large russet potatoes
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 medium white onion, finely diced
3 scallions or green onions, sliced finely
1 teaspoon cayenne powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Put into a large pot of salted water and boil until cooked, about 30 minutes.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, saute the onion in butter till translucent and golden brown.

3. When fully cooked, drain the potatoes well and return to the pot. Let the potatoes cool slightly and allow all moisture to evaporate.

4. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the potatoes roughly. (We refer them to still have small chunks remaining.

5. In a bowl, mix the sour cream, onions, cheese, scallions, and cayenne. Pour this mixture over the potatoes and mix to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. 

At this point, you can refrigerate the mixture overnight or until you are ready to bake.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins thoroughly with butter.

7. Spoon the potato mixture into the muffin tins. Do not pack the mixture.

8. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until golden brown and hot though.

9. Use a sharp knife to release the popovers from the pans.

Hot Cross Buns

Easter is a holiday full of symbolism and tradition. It is the most important of the Christian holidays, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. It celebrates rebirth and renewal, and the beginning of a new growing season. Whether you are religious or not, it is a time of celebration, and family and in our house wonderful food. 

Hot cross buns are a staple treat around Easter time. These sweet buns filled with spices and fruits are fantastic served with butter or jam straight from the oven. Traditional hot cross buns are made with raisins or candied fruit, but we prefer to make them with dried fruits such as cranberries and mango to give them a fresher taste. I don't like using pie dough or flour water paste to make the cross, I just carve a cross in the top with a sharp knife before baking. The glaze will then settle in the hollows.  These are incredibly simple to make, but have quite a few steps, so make sure you have enough time before you need to serve them.

Makes 2 dozen buns.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons ginger

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold butter

3 large eggs

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup dried mango, diced to the same size as cranberries

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, warm milk in the microwave until just warmer than body temperature (105°–115°F.)

2. Stir in yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Let mixture stand 5 minutes, or until foamy.

3. In a small bowl put cranberries and mango. Pour enough hot water on fruit to cover. Let stand for 10 minutes to plump, then drain all water off and set aside.

4. Into a large bowl sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and remaining granulated sugar.

5. Add butter blend into flour mixture with pastry blender or fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. 

6. Lightly beat 2 eggs in a bowl. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in yeast and egg mixture, and fruit. Stir mixture until a dough is formed. 

7. Transfer dough to a floured surface and with floured hands knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. 

8. Place dough to an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

9. Butter 2 large baking sheets.

10. Turn dough onto a floured surface,  knead dough briefly and then divide into 24 balls. ( I prefer to use a scale and weigh out the balls, but you can also form into two logs and cut each log crosswise into 12 equal pieces.)

13. Form each piece into a ball and arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Let buns rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

14. Preheat oven to 400°F.

15. At this point, if you like you can use pastry dough to add a cross to the top of the buns. But I prefer to just use a knife to carve a cross in each.

16. In a small bowl, whisk egg with a fork. Brush buns with egg glaze 

17. Bake buns in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 12 minutes. 

18. Transfer buns to a rack to cool slightly. Buns may be made 1 week ahead and frozen, wrapped well. 

Irish Whisky Soda Bread

It's St Patrick's Day! I have always loved Ireland, and fell even more in love with the country when I vacationed there many years ago. The people are the warmest and most welcoming of anywhere I have ever visited, the scenery and history is rich and beautiful, and the food is amazing. (The beer is pretty good too) I have been making this recipe for whisky honey soda bread for many years. It doesn't have the traditional whisky soaked raisins or caraway, it is a simple soda bread that has a hint of sweetness, but is excellent served with butter and stew or with jam.

Makes 2 x 8" diameter loaves.

Ingredients:

Bread:

4 Cups flour, all purpose

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1/4 Cup Butter, chilled

1 Cup raisins or currants (optional)

1/2 Cup honey, liquid

1/4 Cup Irish Whisky

1 Cup buttermilk (you can use regular milk as well)

Glaze:

2 Teaspoons Irish Whisky

2 Teaspoons Milk 

1/4 cup icing sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. 
3. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins or currants (if using). 
4. In separate bowl, combine buttermilk, honey and whisky. 
5. Add all at once to dry ingredients; stir just until just incorporated. 
6. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead lightly 1 minute (too much handling will toughen loaves, while too little will inhibit rising.) 
7. Divide dough in half and shape each half into an 8" round loaf. Place in two greased 8" cake pans. 
8. Cut a cross 1/2" deep in each loaf.
9. Brush each loaf with milk.
10. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottoms. Remove from pans; let cool on wire racks.

Apple Tart Tatin to Celebrate Pi Day

Happy Pi Day everyone! 

Celebrated on March 14th (3.14),  Pi Day is an annual celebration commemorating the mathematical constant π (pi). I have a wonderful friend who told me about the tradition of eating pie to celebrate this special holiday, and used to bring several different varieties into the office every year for us to share.

Now not everyone has time to make pies for the office, but for a quick and super easy desert for tonight, try this recipe for a simple version of a classic tarte tatin, or french apple pie. It is a one pan wonder, and you can have it done in 45 minutes with no fuss. A tarte tatin is an upside down pie where the apples are cooked in caramel before adding the pastry to the top and baking. I use store bought puff pastry, because it is quick and reliable.

Most recipes call for the use of a cast iron pan, but I used my aluminum pan and it works perfectly. Just be careful of the handle taking it out of the oven.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:
5 Large granny smith apples
1/4 Cup butter
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Piece of puff pastry, thawed

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Roll the pastry out to an even 1/8" thickness, put on baking sheet and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
3. Peel, core and slice the apples in 1/4"slices, put in a bowl and toss with cinnamon and lemon juice.
4. put butter and sugar in the frying pan, heat over medium-high heat until the mixture has melted and turned a golden colour. Take off the heat immediately.
5. Arrange the apple slices nicely into the skillet. the first layer will form the top of the pie. Subsequent layers can be less pretty.
6. Return the pan to the heat, and cook the apples undisturbed for about 10 minutes, until the apples on the bottom are beautifully brown and the apples start to get soft. (You can gently check the apples by lifting them with a knife and replacing them.)
7. When the apples are ready, turn off the heat and remove the pan. Gently lay the pastry over the apples, trimming as required and tucking in the apples.
8. Cut 3 steam vents in the pastry. 
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry is puffy and golden brown. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before turning the tarte onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or cool.

Pumpkin Power Muffins

Muffins are a brilliant food. They are perfect for breakfast, a great addition to a brunch spread, and a natural afternoon snack. Easy, convienient and inexpensive. The problem with most muffin recipes is that they have little nutritional value, so in fact they aren't as much muffins as they are individual portions of cake. This recipe was inspired by the classic power muffins, lots of good ingredients but far less sweet, stodgy, or heavy. Pumpkin adds great flavour, keeps the muffins moist and replaces most of the fat.  Add your favorite nuts and fruit to change up the taste to fit your palette.

Makes 12 Muffins
Nutritional Value: 160 calories each

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup bran

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup buttermilk  (you can also use 1/2 cup of regular milk mixed with 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice, or plain yogurt instead)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons, sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a standard muffin tin with muffin papers.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the following: flour, bran, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, both sugars.
4. In a second large bowl, wisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, oil, and egg.
5. Add the cranberries, almonds, and pumpkin seeds into the dry ingredients.
6. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix only till combined. You need to move quickly at this point for best results. The batter will be quite thick.
7. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, they should be about 3/4 full.
8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
9. Bake for 25 minutes or until the muffin bounces back when pressed or a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
10. Put immediately on a cooling rack.

Fettuccine with Prawns in Garlic Wine Sauce

According to rumours, spring is around the corner. The days are getting longer, its getting warmer (OK only a little bit so far) there have been breaks in the endless rain and the sun has peeked out from the clouds (OK only twice in a week, but I will take what I can get) and it is time to start thinking about getting outside more often, and looking for tasty recipes that are less time consuming and heavy. Best of all this recipe only takes 10 minutes from start to finish.

I am a full fledged member of the carb lovers club, and firmly disagree with the idea that all pasta dishes are heavy. Seafood, garlic and wine are natural partners that allow this sauce to be light and refreshing and a brilliant change of pace from heavier tomato or cream based sauces. For this recipe we used 20/30 sized prawns, but clams, mussels, shrimp, or calamari would also be excellent choices.

Now I know that many great chefs and foodies say that cheese and fish or seafood don't mix, and as a general rule I agree, but for this recipe the small amount of parmesan cheese adds a little richness, some much needed salt, and body to the otherwise very light sauce.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 pound of fettuccine, preferably fresh

1 pound of raw prawns, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes

3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

1/8 cup parmesan cheese, fresh grated

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put a large pot of well salted water for the pasta on the on the stove and bring to a rolling boil.
2. In a large saute pan, add oil and heat over medium high heat, add butter. It should melt quickly and foam.
3. Add garlic to the oil and saute quickly, browning slightly (do not burn).
4. Stir in wine, lemon zest and lemon juice, bring up to a light simmer for 2-3 minutes.
5. Put the pasta in the salted water and cook till al dente, 4-5 minutes.
6. While the pasta is cooking, add the prawns to the saute pan. You want to cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they turn pink and opaque.
7. Add chili flakes, parsley, and cheese. Season well.
8. Drain the pasta, reserving approximately 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Put pasta and water back in the pot. Add the sauce and prawns to the pasta. Toss and serve immediately.

Granola Bars for Grownups - Ginger, Almond and Cardamom

We have had several requests for healthy snack recipes. Well who doesn't love granola bars? Great for kids and adults who are on the go. The thing we find with them, is that the store bought varieties are always so sweet and there aren't any flavours that appeal to a more grown up palette. We have come up with several recipes and this was a huge hit amongst everyone we shared them with. These crunchy bars have the unique flavour combination of ginger, almond and cardamom. A little sweet and a little spice, makes everything nice.

Note: Want to try your own combinations? How about using dried cranberries, apricots, pecans, or peanuts. Cinnamon or allspice makes a great alternative to cardamom. Just use a total of 1 cup of your favorite dried fruits and nuts with the spice of your choice.
.
Makes 16 squares.
Calories per serving: 117 according to caloriecount.ca

Ingredients:
2 Cups rolled oats
1/4 Cup candied ginger, finely diced
3/4 Cup toasted almonds, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon ground cardamom
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Toast almonds by placing almonds on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes
3. Line a 9" square pan with parchment and grease lightly with butter.
4. In a bowl mix oats, almonds, ginger, and cardamom. Set aside.
5. In a small saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar and honey until it starts to boil.
6. Toss the liquid into oat mixture and mix with a spatula until well coated. Put in lined pan and press the mixture down firmly.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
8. While the bars are still hot, press the mixture again firmly, this will make the bars easier to cut.
9. Remove bars from pan and slice. Store in an airtight container.