Mama Mia, MANGO!

FRESH MANGO SALSA

Okay....so you are out grocery shopping and having a great time...

Wait, is that only ME?

Whatevs. There you see it...heaven in a box....a FREAKING BOX of mangoes. Like a whole box!

You stop yourself and say, how could I ever eat a box of mangoes? I stop you and say, SHUT UP. Hell yeah, you can eat a box of mangoes. The real question is how can you stop yourself from eating them in one day?

One of my favourite things to make when I get my hands on fresh mangoes is salsa! 

1 large mango or 2 smaller ones, peeled, pitted, and diced.

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1 fresh jalapeño, chopped, or 4-6 slices of pickled jalapeño. More or less to taste.

Salt and pepper

Fresh squeezed lime juice from one lime.

Mix it up and try, just try to not eat it all.

Eat it with tortilla chips. 

Use it to top your favourite quesadilla, taco (great on fish tacos), etc.

Top your grilled fish with it -- instant gourmet!

Pssssttttt....gonna let you in on a little secret: substitute the mango with fresh tomatoes and you just made Pico De Gallo. Ummmm, yeah.

Super Yummy Sweet & Sour Spareribs

Super-duper deliciousness that your family will love. Not sure how calorie-wise they are for you but it's got to be better than take out any day!

Originates from a recipe I received years ago and have tweaked it along the way...I still manage to change it up every time I make it. Star Anise is a nice addition and so is fresh chopped ginger (added to the sauce part). Chinese Five Spice is also another good one. Play around and make it your own!

4 cups sweet & sour cut pork side ribs, sliced individually between the bones
Salt, pepper
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup soy sauce

Mix together and saute ribs in a deep pan until well browned on all sides.

Once the ribs are nicely browned...

In a separate bowl, mix the following together (who am I kidding, just dump it all in the pan and save yourself some dishes to wash):

1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cups of water

Pour the sauce mixture into pans with ribs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover with lid for an hour.

Taste sauce. Too sweet, add a bit more vinegar. Too sour, add a bit more sugar.

Simmer for another half hour or so, until ribs are super tender, falling of the bones, and the sauce has reduced.

Serve over rice.

I usually double the recipe — trust me, you will eat a second helping. Or maybe that's just me….

Garlic Herb-Crusted Spring Creek Beef Roast with Creamy Mustard-Wasabi Sauce

I adapted this from a recipe received from Kirstin at Spring Creek Ranch. It was her mom's tried and true Herb-Crusted Spring Creek Beef with Creamy Mustard Sauce recipe. I always feel extra special when the recipe comes from "mom's kitchen". Thanks Kirstin for sharing!!

I made some changes, as I usually do. It is a great recipe using a less expensive cut of meat and since the beef was grown locally, raised the RIGHT way, it was just that much better!!

Approx. 2lb Spring Creek Inside Round Roast

Herb Paste
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seed, crushed or cracked with a spoon
1 tsp coarse salt, best to use a sea salt or very coarse salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
Combine all ingredients into a paste.

Mustard-Wasabi Sauce
½ cup sour cream (or thick, strained plain yogurt)
2 tbsp grainy brown mustard
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 - 1 tsp wasabi powder (add to taste, depending on how wimpy you may be)
Whisk together in a small bowl. Chill until eating time!

Cook roast from thawed (room temperature is preferred). Rub roast with herb paste. Let the roast sit in herb paste for 1-2 hours. Place roast in small baking dish that is similar in size to the roast, so that juices can be captured. Bake uncovered at 400⁰F for approx. 25 min to brown outside, then turn oven down to 275⁰F. Do not use convection oven settings for this -- sometimes you just gotta go old school. Add a little water or beef broth to keep juices from burning to the bottom of the pan. Bake until the roast reaches an internal temp of 130⁰F. Remove roast from oven, cover with foil & let rest for 5 min. Carve against the grain, drizzle with pan juices and serve with mustard-wasabi sauce. It will be pink in the centre -- don't overcook it. Try to slice it as thin as possible...yum!

Kirstin's tips: The mustard sauce also works great to spread on roast beef sandwiches (so true) or as a dipping sauce for our Spring Creek Top Sirloin Medallions (I will try this soon).

Yeah, I am not usually a roast beef fan but this was delish!

Froze up the extra slices for future sandwiches. I always do this when I cook too much that way we don't get tired of leftovers and later on it is a nice quick treat on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Wicked Awesome Brownies

No really...that IS what we call them.

A little bit crunchy, a little bit chewy, and a whole heck of a lot of chocolate. Wicked. Awesome.

Disclaimer: there is nothing low-fat about these babies. Sometimes you must not mess with perfection.

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (that's about as healthy as it is gonna get)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare an 8" square pan using spray oil or melted butter and dusted with flour.

Combine chocolate and oil in saucepan and stir over LOW (take your time) heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Stir in vanilla and sugar. Let cool for five minutes.

Transfer chocolate mixture into mixing bowl and beat eggs in, one at a time.

Add both flours and baking powder and mix well. It will be thick.

Spread carefully and evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Top will be dry and cracked. Test with a knife and you should get a slight amount of gooey deliciousness on the tip when you pull it out.

Remove from oven. Run a knife around the edge and let cool on rack. This is very important as these brownies will crumble if not cooled COMPLETELY! Not that I would know as I am never in a hurry to eat these...no, no, I am not...really...

Oh shut up.

Enjoy.

Wicked. Awesome. See, I told you.

Pretty Quinoa Salad

Found a big bag of Organic Quinoa (organic and pre-rinsed for convenience) on my latest Costco adventure...cooks faster than rice and better for you.  Love it!!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah):

Considered a "super-food" by many, Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain (an average of 16.2%, compared with 7.5% for rice, 9.9% for millet and 14% for wheat). It’s also a good source of dietary fiber and is high in magnesium, potassium and iron and a good source of phosphorous, calcium, vitamin E and several B vitamins. Quinoa is also gluten-free and easy to digest. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans.

Quinoa is not a true cereal grain but technically a fruit of the Chenopodium family. Quinoa’s relatives include spinach, beets and Swiss chard. It is used as a grain and substituted for grains because of its cooking characteristics.

 Pretty Quinoa Salad

(adapted from Michael Smith, Chef at Home)

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• pinch salt
• 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
  
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 cucumber, washed and diced
• 3 green onions, sliced thinly
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• The zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa well in cold running water. This will easily rinse away the natural bitter coating on the seeds. Drain and toss into a small pot. Add the water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover with a tight fitting lid, turn the heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool until lukewarm.
   
2. Meanwhile get all the colorful veggies ready. Toss them into a bowl and when the quinoa is done, add it as well. Add the lemon and olive oil, toss well, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Have fun with it, mix and match different veggies, add in some cooked chicken or turkey...change up the dressing...keep it light and colourful.  Good tasting and good for you!

Enjoy!

Salmon Ceviche

Ceviche is basically a way of cooking foods in citrus juices. Yes, don't worry, it is perfectly safe and absolutely delicious!

Hubby and son recently had a very productive salmon fishing trip on the west coast so I made up a batch of this to test out the oh so very yummy fresh salmon they brought home.

Ingredients:

Approximately 8 ounce piece of raw salmon, skinless and boneless
3 limes
1 tomato, diced
I small red onion, diced
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, fine diced (optional for you but not around here)
1/2 chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste



Instructions
Slice the limes in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl (glass or stainless is always my preference when dealing with raw foods). I use a stainless steel reamer. Pick out any seeds that are in the juice.

Add the olive oil, chopped tomato, onion, minced pepper, and cilantro/parsley (or both) and mix it up.

Slice the salmon on the diagonal into 1/4" thin slices. Make them bite size so cut them into smaller pieces if necessary.

Add them to the bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Stir gently to coat all of the salmon. Let it sit (cook) in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

Serve it with a slotted spoon along side of a crusty baguette.

Yummy, pretty, easy, and super impressive!!

Layered Mexican Fiesta in Your Mouth!

Yes sir-ree...it is a FIESTA in your mouth...so much so that I didn't take a picture quick enough on Sunday. They ate it all too quick!


1 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup low fat soft cream cheese
1 Tblsp Epicure's Poco Picante Salsa Mix or substitute a low-sodium Taco Seasoning Mix, adding more or less to taste.

Mix the three together and spread on the bottom of a plate. You want to make a layer about 1/2" thick. At this point you can set it in the refrigerator until just before serving. About half an hour before serving you create the following layers.

On top of the cream cheese mixture, sprinkle one cup of shredded lettuce (iceberg works best, nice and crunchy).

Next layer, sprinkle a half cup of shredded cheese -- cheddar or monterey jack or both!

Next layer, one seeded and chopped tomato.

Sprinkle with sliced green onions, sliced olives, and chopped pickled jalapenos if you dare. Be creative...add your favourite toppings. How about some chopped cooked shrimp? Maybe some colourful bell peppers?

In the end, when all the creative juices have run dry and you are pretty much drooling, garnish with some fresh chopped cilantro or parsley.

OLE! A FIESTA for your mouth. For real!

Serve it with tortilla chips (multigrain baked ones if you want to feel less guilty but whatever) and an ice cold cerveza (beer) on the side.

I guarantee it won't last long.

Eggplant Parmagiana Rustico

Easy-peasey, fancy-dancy...delish :)

Serves 4-5

One large eggplant, washed and cut in 1/2” round slices

Salt each slice lightly and place them all in a zip-lock bag with flour to coat. Let sit for about an hour (or more) checking at half hour to make sure all prices are completely coated with flour. This is to eliminate excess moisture in eggplant.

In one shallow bowl:
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt & pepper
Whisk until well combined and set aside.

In another shallow bowl:
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmigiano cheese grated
1 Tbsp VE Bruschetta Herbs (mixture of Italian seasonings)
Salt & pepper
Toss together until well combined.

After eggplant has been sitting in flour for about an hour, remove one slice at a time, shaking off excess flour. Dip each piece into egg mixture and then into breadcrumb mixture, coating all sides very well. Set each piece onto a wax paper lined plate until all pieces have been coated. Use wax paper between each layer to keep them from sticking to each other.

Heat about 1/4” of olive oil in a large flat frying pan. Test the heat by dropping a bit of the bread coating into the oil. It should sizzle right away. Keep heat at medium to medium-high and cook each piece of coated eggplant until golden brown on each side. Do not over crowd the pieces in the pan, instead cook in several batches. Place cooked eggplant on paper towel lined plate until ready to serve.

To serve, place eggplant pieces on a serving plate only slightly overlapping each other. Top with your own homemade tomato sauce (which I always have in the freezer) or VE Rustico Sauce Mix (prepared as per instructions on jar). It is quick and easy to make! Just cover each piece with a little bit so they don’t get soggy and serve the extra sauce on the side for those who want more. Sprinkle some fresh parmigiano cheese grated on top and voila!! Dinner will be a hit...even with the kids. Yummy!!

Lean Mean & Hearty Taco Soup (oh and SPICY too)

Another super easy weeknight dinner using Epicure's products. Can you tell I kinda like having them handy??

Servings: 5 to 6
Ingredients:

2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil
1-1/2 lb (750 g) ground turkey
1 cup (250 ml) chopped red onion
1 tsp (5 ml) VE Minced Garlic
1 tsp (5 ml) VE Red Bell Pepper
1 tbsp VE Chili Seasoning
2 tsp (5 mL) VE Taco Seasoning
2 tbsp VE Caliente Salsa (spicy) or VE Poco Picante Salsa mix (less spicy)
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed, or any beans...I used white kidney beans today.
2 cups (500 ml) VE Rustico Sauce Mix (prepared as per instructions on jar)
1 cup (250 ml) frozen corn kernels
2 cups (500 ml) prepared VE Beef Bouillon
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Optional Toppings:
Low-fat sour cream
Low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
Small corn taco shells, crumbled

Preparation:

In large heavy pot, heat oil. Add ground beef; brown well. Add onion and garlic. Add next four seasonings. Cook for five minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, corn, and bouillon. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cook for about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt & pepper to taste. Add fresh cilantro and/or parsley just before serving. Spoon into bowls and top as desired.

Pork Roast Set 'n' Forget

Here's what is cooking up in my slow cooker today:

Slow Cookin' Easy Livin' Pork Roast (yeah, I just made up the name right now)

4-5 lb boneless pork roast
Sprinkle liberally with VE Beef & Steak Rub
Dried Rosemary
Dried Sage

Wrap in plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning:

Unwrap the pork roast and sear it all side in a frying pan drizzled with olive oil (med-high heat). Once nice and golden, place it in your slow cooker.

Add:
1 large onion chopped
2 celery ribs sliced
1 large carrot sliced
1 large tomato quartered
2 whole cloves of garlic
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 cups water
2 tsp VE Beef Bouillon
1-2 dried bay leaves
1/4 cup your favourite BBQ sauce

Pour it all on top of the pork roast...then Set 'n' Forget. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8.
If you are around for the last hour, take the roast out and add:

2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Turn the slow cooler ot high to thicken. Alternatively, pour the juices into a saucepan, add the water and cornstarch and boil to thicken.

It smells so good in here right now...

Yummy Apple Pie with a Tangy Twist

I love to find recipes that are quick and easy and require very little clean up ;)

Here is my favourite apple pie...and the only recipe I have used for years:

Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee
Makes two 8- to 10-inch single-crust pies or one 8- to 10-inch double-crust pie
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add the ice water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide in two. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two discs. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using. I usually just put them in the freezer while I prepare the filling.

The filling is my own recipe:

5-7 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly. This really depends on the size of the pie plate and the apples. My plate is a bit smaller (8") and my apples were about the size of my fist.
Slice them into a bowl that has the juice of half a lemon tossing to coat the slices -- I use my all-time fav reamer for this!
Add 6 TB brown sugar, I love using demerera sugar for a nice carmel flavour
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg -- I brought some back from one of my trips to the Caribbean but you can easily substitute with the ground nutmeg that you find at your local grocery store
2 TB flour
Grated lemon rind from half a lemon.

Stir it up and set aside while you prep the pastry.

Take the pastry out and use a rolling pin to flatten and shape to a large circle to fit your pie plate.

Drape it over the plate ensuring you have a good two inches of overlap on the sides.

Pour the apple filling in (it will be quite full).

Repeat with other circle of pastry and put it on top of the apples.

Trim and seal as you prefer.

Brush the top with an egg beaten with 2-3 tsp of water and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar. Cut some vents into the top pastry. Make it pretty :)

Bake for 45-50 minutes. One half hour at 400 deg and then turning it down to 350 deg. I like to start it on the middle rack and then move it to the lower rack when I lower the temperature to 350. This ensure that the bottom crust also browns nicely and cooks evenly.

Let it cool on a rack before serving.

Yummy!

(Image courtesy of me and my kitchen!)

Cheesy Potato & Cauliflower Soup

Serves 6

4 cups VE Chicken Boullion, prepared
2 cups water
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 large cauliflower, chopped
1 tsp VE Minced Garlic
2 tsp VE Bruschetta Herbs

Put into large VE Multipot and bring to a boil. Simmer until vegetables are tender about 15 minutes. Using hand blender, process in the pot until consistency you would like. I prefer to have a bit of texture to mine.

To this add:

1 cup milk
2 tbsp whole wheat flour

Process again for a couple of seconds to make sure the flour is mixed it and not lumpy.

Then add:

1-2 cups of low fat sharp cheddar, grated
2 Tbsp VE Cheese, Chive, & Bacon Dip Mix
VE Salt , to taste
VE Black Pepper , to taste

Simmer for 10 more minutes and enjoy! Smells good...

Beer Can Chicken

Yes, I admit, I make this...and I love it! Okay...I also admit I don't use a beer can since mostly we buy bottled beer. So hubby bought a Weber Poultry Roaster which is essentially a better beer can!

Here is the one we put together last night and it was uber-delicious! You can make any kind of rub for this chicken or coat it in BBQ sauce and baste it again about half way through the cooking time.

Rub:
VE Focaccia Bread Spices (approx 1/4 cup)
VE Sea Salt (to taste)
VE 4-Pepper Blend (to taste)

1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 355ml can (12 ounces) beer, any kind
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly squashed
1-2 fresh sprigs of rosemary

Remove and discard the neck, giblets, and any excess fat from the chicken. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly brush or spray all over with the vegetable oil and season, inside and out, with the rub.

Open the beer can and pour off half of the beer. Add the garlic cloves and the fresh sprigs of rosemary to the beer can. Set the half-full can on a flat surface and slide the chicken over the top so the can fits inside the cavity. Transfer the bird to the grill, keeping the can upright. Carefully balance the bird on its two legs and the can. Grill over indirect medium heat (350°F to 450°F) until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Keep the lid closed as often as possible during grilling.

Wearing barbecue mitts, carefully remove the chicken and the can from the grill, being careful not to spill the beer—it will be hot. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before lifting it from the can. Discard the beer. Cut the chicken into serving pieces. Serve warm.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Here's a tip: Buy two chickens when you are at the store (I just pick up the twin packs). I cook one as above and the second one I throw into a ziplock bag. I use the other half of the beer and pour it in with the same rub ingredients...throw in a couple of garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary and maybe a whole lemon squeezed into the bag. Close it up and shake the marinade until it covers the bird completely. At this point I either freeze (if it hasn't already been frozen) the bag for another day or put it into the fridge to cook in a day or two. You could also cook two chickens and freeze the bird cooked already for a quick meal.

Baked Salsa Chicken

My niece (who was 15 at the time) taught me how to make this. It is so easy and the chicken breasts are tender and juicy.

Take full chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper. Sear them in a pan with olive oil until nicely colored (yes, they will still be raw inside).

Place them in an ovenproof dish and cover with your favorite salsa -- I like to use a fruit based one like mango -- load it up, don't be shy with the salsa!

Bake at 375 deg for about 40-45 minutes until done basting occasionally with pan juices.

Easy and yummy!