Sweet Potato Bites with Avocado and Bacon
INGREDIENTS: 4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 3ozs) 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean, peels on 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt ¾ tsp black pepper 2 med. avocados,peeled, pitted, and diced 1 tbsp fresh lime juice DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400°F and cook bacon, place on a paper towel lined plate and pat dry. Once cool enough to handle, dice and set aside. Move oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven....
Curry Bowl
Recipe courtesy of: Healthy Cravings Holistic Kitchen INGREDIENTS: 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil yellow onion, diced celery chopped fined 2-3 med carrots 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp ground cumin 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 4 tsp curry powder 4 tsp garam masala (optional) 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained 4 cups veggie broth 1 cup frozen peas 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk...
Rhubarb Spice Cake
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup sugar 2 cups rhubarb, chopped 175 g butter, melted egg, whisked 1 ½ cups plain flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg, grated ½ tsp all spice 1 cup raisins ¾ cup walnuts, chopped Icing sugar DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line baking tin with parchment paper. Put the rhubarb and sugar in a large bowl, then stir well. Add the butter and egg and mix well. Fold in the sifted dry...
“Skinny” Mozzarella Sticks
Serves: 8 INGREDIENTS: large egg 4 string cheese, halved 8 wonton wrappers ½ cup marinara sauce (for dipping!) 1 tsp olive oil DIRECTIONS: In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Working one at a time, brush wonton wrapper with egg mixture. Place string cheese in the center of each wrapper. Bring bottom edge of the wrap tightly over the cheese, rolling from bottom to top until the top of the sheet is reached (be...
Chili
INGREDIENTS: 1 ¼ pounds ground beef 1 can red kidney beans 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, undrained 14.5oz can beef broth 12oz bottle lager beer or 1 ½ cup beef broth 1 tbsp yellow mustard 1 cup chopped onion cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp ground pasilla or ancho chili pepper 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 1/8 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp salt DIRECTIONS: In a Dutch oven cook ground beef,...
Blood Orange Upside Down Cake
INGREDIENTS: nonstick vegetable oil spray 1/3 cup demerara or raw sugar 2 blood oranges, very thinly sliced, seeds removed 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup granulated sugar – plus 2 tbsp 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ¾ tsp kosher salt 2 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 1 ½ cups buttermilk ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled 1 tsp blood orange zest, finely grated 2 tbsp fresh blood orange juice DIRECTIONS: Preheat...
Seared Scallops with Bacon Jam & Sweet Potato Pûré
Recipe courtesy of: The Edge Restaurant + Bar INGREDIENTS: fresh Scallops ½ pound of bacon ½ cup of white wine 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar olive oil 4 cloves of garlic 1 large sweet potato 2 red onions 1 red bell pepper 1 cup of heavy cream 2 tablespoons of butter chopped parsley and chives salt & pepper PREPARATION: Bacon Jam: Dice bacon strips. Finely dice red onions and red pepper and garlic. Cook bacon over medium heat...
Crispy Corn Tortillas with Chicken and Cheddar
INGREDIENTS: 2 jalapeños 2 cups roast chicken, finely shredded 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded (1 cup) ½ tsp cumin seeds Salt Freshly ground pepper 12 corn tortillas 4 radishes, thinly sliced ¼ cup cilantro, chopped 2 tbsp red onion, chopped 1 tsp fresh lime juice Vegetable oil, for frying DIRECTIONS: Skewer the jalapeños on a metal skewer or fork and roast over a flame until blackened, 3 minutes. Wrap in foil and let cool...
Kahlua, Walnut and Brown Sugar Baked Brie
INGREDIENTS: 12 oz wheel of Brie 2/3 cup brown sugar 2/3 cup Kahlua 1/2 tsp instant espresso (optional) 2/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped & toasted Crackers Apple slices DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the top of the Brie wheel and place in a baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring brown sugar and Kahlua to a boil. Add espresso powder if using and simmer for approximately 10 minutes...
Vanilla Cupcakes
Yield: 15 cupcakes INGREDIENTS: 1 ¼ cups cake flour or all-purpose flour 1 ¼ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¾ cup sugar ½ cup canola oil ½ cup buttermilk ½ tsp salt 2 large eggs room temp. 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl beat eggs on medium speed....
Bean & Radish Salad
Dressing: 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice ½ tsp kosher salt ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper fresh chopped herbs (optional) Combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a jar. Seal lid; shake well for 30 seconds or until blended. Add fresh chopped herbs, if desired. Salad: 3 cups baby spinach leaves 2 ½ cups green beans, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1” pieces 5 radishes, sliced paper-thin 1 cup red...
Fun drink ideas for Game Day!
Beer Sangria INGREDIENTS: 1½ cups white grape juice 1 cup vodka 1 cup seedless grapes, halved red apple, quartered, cored and sliced ¼” thick orange, quartered, sliced 5 – 12oz bottles wheat beer, chilled DIRECTIONS: Combine grape juice, vodka, grapes, apples and oranges in a pitcher. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 for the flavours to infuse. Fill wine glasses halfway with the grape juice mixture and some fruit. Fill...
Easter Egg Vase
YOU WILL NEED: 2 vases (one slimmer vase) a couple of bags of candy – this depends on how big your vase is Marshmallow bunnies (or chicks) Skewers Flowers DIRECTIONS: Set the small vase inside the large one. Fill with candy between the two vases up to about halfway. Layer marshmallow bunnies around the edge of the vase and use candies to keep them in place. (I used a skewer to push the marshmallows into place if they tipped over,...
Rustic Tiered Centrepiece
YOU WILL NEED: 1 tiered stand Twine Moss Styrofoam eggs Hard-boiled eggs Lace Ribbon Buttons Glue gun DIRECTIONS: I wrapped twine around the center of my stand to hide the metal. Place moss on the tiers. Dye your hard-boiled eggs (I used boiling water, vinegar and food colouring). Decorate your styrofoam eggs using the twine, lace, ribbon and buttons (anything you like). Place your decorated eggs on the stand and finish off with a bow...
Sports Jars for Game Day
YOU WILL NEED: Mason jars Green, white, black and brown acrylic paint Thick and thin paint brushes Make sure your mason jars are clean and dry. Pick your sport related design; I chose a football, a football play, a referee shirt and a playing field. I used the thick brush to paint the base colour of the jars and then let them dry completely before using the thin brush to add any of the details. My theme was football but you can use...
Getting You Vacation Ready!
“Vacation Ready”? Or maybe “spring ready”? Or simply just ready to say “Buh-bye winter”? Well, whatever the reason, the talented team from Beauty Bar on Main, located in downtown Grand Valley, have what it takes to get you feeling beautiful from head to toe. When you walk through the door of this upscale salon, you’re instantly greeted with a lovely, soft scent, provided to instantly put you in a relaxed mood. “We’ve designed not only...
Lessons from the Reading Room with Hazel McGuiness: A Different Journey
Here we are again, back in The Reading Room with the very lovely and talented Hazel McGuiness, discussing a topic that’s not only difficult to talk about, but also to explain. Hazel and I begin our conversation by admitting that the concept of “life after death” is not only a challenging one, but is a topic that not everyone will understand, accept, or agree with. Hazel tells me, “The idea of life after death is one way that some may...
ASK THE HEALTH EXPERT: Stress – the Adrenals and Cortisol
Stress can come in many forms. We all have problems; busy schedules, deadlines, family responsibilities, but we are able to cope, however becoming “stressed out” is a different matter. Stress is related to many things, like relationships, work problems, family upsets, chemical imbalances, hidden infections, hormone imbalances, blood sugar problems, toxins, processed food and our modern lifestyle. The adrenal glands are...
Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella
If a cross-section of individuals was approached to compile a list of favourite activities, it is almost a certainty the list would not include going to the dentist. Over the years, however, we have learned that proper dental care means more than a strict regime of brushing and flossing. The rule of thumb is that it is important to visit a dentist every six months for a regular checkup and professional cleaning. A dental hygienist or...
Pelee Island: Enjoying Island Life in Ontario
I feel so guilty letting this secret out! You really don’t have to go far, board a plane or spend a fortune to get away from it all to have an island experience. Ontario’s Pelee Island offers it all: peace and serenity, no traffic, friendly people, ecotourism and birding, culture, bicycling, history and … a winery! The beaches are great too, stretching way, way, out with shallow, warm waters…even I went in to enjoy the waves. Pelee...
