A Moroccan Themed "Sip n' See"

This past weekend I had the honour of working with one of my best friends to help throw her sister a "Sip n' See". A "Sip n' See" is pretty much a baby shower that happens after the baby is born so the guests actually get to see the baby while they "sip" and in this case "eat" as well.

I worked with Mandy's sister, Seri of Little Miss Party Planner back in May to help put together Mandy's bridal shower so it was nice to have the roles reversed this time.

Mandy collabarated with our friend Ashley of Ashley Lindzon Events to put together all the fine details and I was left in charge of the food. I had free reign which I LOVE, all I had to do was keep the food a Moroccan theme.

Here is what I put together for the savoury food table:

• Morocccan Antipasto Bar: assorted breads and flat bread, roasted eggplant dip, spicy feta dip, chickpea spread, baked za'ataar goat's cheese, marniated roasted red pepper salad, citrus and spiced olives and mini falafel balls
• Moroccan Cigars: crispy pastry filled with spiced ground beef served with a tahina dipping sauce
• Spiced Tomato Soup Sips: shooters of warm tomato soup spiced with ginger, garlic, cumin and smoked paprika topped with a flat bread triangle
• Chickpea Salad: spiced chickpeas tossed with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, onion and cilantro topped with a mint-yogurt drizzle and served in white wonton spoons
• Moroccan Chicken Skewers: grilled Moroccan spiced chicken served with harissa aioli for dipping

 I kept dessert pretty simple:

• Mini Cupcakes: mini vanilla bean cupcakes topped with an orange blossom and vanilla bean frosting garnished with candied orange peel
• Floral Bundt Cake: a gorgeous rose shaped bundt cake studded with preserved lemons, orange and lemon zest and topped with a tangerine glaze and icing sugar sprinkle
• Chai Creme Brulee: small portions of Chai scented creme brulee served in mini white ramekins

For beverages Mandy and Ashley put together a fabulous display of options including a Do-It Yourself Caesar bar which was a huge hit. I whipped up some Moroccan mint iced-tea which I sweetened with the leftover orange sugar from the cupcakes which added a wonderful flavour to the already delicious tea.

The event was a great success and I can't wait to work with all of these lovely ladies again soon, but maybe next time not when I am 8 and half months preggo :)

One last thing, a big shout out to the amazing photographer Robyn Harrison who took all of the amazing pictures seen on here. 

Heading South

Years ago, my closest girlfriends and I started the tradition of hosting girls night dinner parties as often as we could. These dinners started off as a monthly event but as we get older and our lives started to change with houses, weddings, children, etc the dinners have become more and more sparse.  I think the last girls dinner I hosted my friend Ainsley was pregnant and her son is now 1! When I was able to gather my friends for one of the only quiet weekends of the summer I jumped at the opportunity to  host a dinner party. Inspired by a recent visit to Yardbird Southern Table in South Beach I developed a southern style menu and served everything family style for a casual feel.

On the Menu:

• Blackberry-Ginger Lemonade
• Creole Crab Dip with Crackers and Endive for Dipping
• Southern Fried Chicken
• Old Bay Blackened Shrimp
• Mac and Cheese
• Green Beans with Crispy Andouille Sausage
• Sauteed Kale with Garlic
• Biscuits with Honey Butter

The night was a success and hopefully we wont have to wait quite as long for another girls night dinner!

Here are a couple of the recipes from the evening as well as some pictures:

Creole Crab Dip
Serves 4-6

• 1 can (120 g) lump crab meat, picked through for shells and cartilage
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup mayonaisse
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• squeeze of lemon juice
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the crab, shallot, mayo, cream cheese, Old Bay, Worcestershire and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Transfer the mixture to an oven proof dish and place in the oven.
4. Bake until the top is golden and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.
5. Serve with your favourite crudite and crackers.

The Best Mac and Cheese
Serves 4 as a main

• 1 lb. of elbow macaroni, or any other similar sized pasta (I used shells)
• drizzle of olive oil
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/4 cup. flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
• 3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. dry mustard 
• dash of hot sauce
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, toss with the olive oil and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until softned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cream and continue to whisk until no clumps are present. Cook until the mixture begins to boil and is thickened then whisk in the cheeses.
4. Once the cheese is melted, stir in the paprika, dry mustard and hot sauce then season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir to combine.
6. Empty the pasta into a greased oven-proof casserole dish then sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs.
7. Place in the oven and bake until bubbly and the crust is golden, about 20 minutes.

Tales from our Garden: Zucchini Fries with Herb Mayo

Year, after year zucchini seems to take over our garden. Before we even discover the zucchini growing it grows into ginormous sizes. 

I have began to run out of zucchini ideas so last week I decided to go with a classic.Whenever I think of zucchini I think of the breaded and crispy zucchini sticks that I used to order on my days off as staff at Camp Timberlane at the local Haliburton restaurant McKecks. This time, I went a little healthier than the deep fried ones from back in the day and decided to oven  bake them instead and instead of the creamy ranch dressing that used to come on the side I whipped up a herb mayo for dipping. These went great with a side salad and some barbequed sausages.

Zucchini Fries
Serves 4 as a side

• 2 green zucchini, or 1 large one cut into strips
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup of flour
• 2 cups of italian bread crumbs
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil for drizzling

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place the egg, flour and bread crumbs into separate bowls. Season each with some salt and pepper. Mix the garlic powder and paprika with the bread crumbs.
3. Dredge a strip of zucchini into the flour mixture, followed by the egg and then finally the breadcrumbs, place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining zucchini.
4. Drizzle the zucchini with some olive oil and place in the oven to bake. 
5. After 10 minutes, flip the zucchini over and place back in the oven for another 10-12 minutes or until the breading is golden and crispy and the zucchini is tender. 
6. Serve with some herb may for dipping. 
7. ENJOY!

Herb Mayo
Makes 1 cup

• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp. chives, chopped
• zest and juice of one lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients.
2. Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

Tales from our Garden: Kale and Carrot Slaw

Wow! It has been quite awhile since I posted. The past couple months have been crazy including renovations on our house which has kept me out of the kitchen. Things are back to normal now so regular posts should resume.

We now have some catching up to do.

Over the May long weekend we planted our garden for this year, this year it includes:
- four types of tomatoes (beefsteak, cherry, heirloom and san marzano)
- kale
- carrots
- green onions
- peas
- corn
- zucchini
- cucumber
- herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano)
- berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and red currants)

The past few weeks have brought us many delicious raspberries which I have been enjoying by the bowl full daily,

This past weekend, I attended a pot luck picnic and decided to pick my first bunch of kale and a carrot from the garden to make up a delicious and easy kale slaw. This salad is perfect for a BBQ or potluck as the kale is hearty enough to remain crisp and not get soggy after a few hours.

This recipe is the first of many of this season's Tales from our Garden, so enjoy!

Kale and Carrot Slaw
Serves 6-8 as a side dish

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch of kale, shredded
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 cup roasted sunflower seeds
• kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey and a pinch each of salt and pepper until combined. Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking until the mixture is thick and emulsified. 
2. Toss the dressing with the kale, carrots and sunflower seeds. Season with some more salt and pepper and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. 

Tea for Two

I am so sorry for the lack of posting recently but I am back!

This past weekend I helped put together a "Tea for Two" themed bridal shower for my friend Mandy.

The Bride's sister and Maid of Honour, Seri, runs an INCREDIBLE party planning company based out of NYC, called Little Miss Party Planner, or LMP for short (www.littlemisspartyplanner.com)

Under the supervision of LMP, myself and the other bridesmaids put together an amazing event.

I wont go into details of all the decor and special touches as LMP will cover those on her blog, but I will talk about what I know and that is the food.

We wanted to keep the food simple, light and easy for people to eat, so here is the menu I put together:

• Tea Sandwiches: Curried Chicken Salad, Smoked Salmon with Dill Creme Fraiche & Caviar and Asparagus with Lemon Cream Cheese
• Trio of Crostini: Gorgonzola Cream with Fresh Figs & Red Wine Reduction, Goat Cheese with Truffle Honey & Toasted Walnuts and White Bean Puree with Garlic Confit
• Green Bean Bundles with Herb Dip
• Wild Mushroom Phyllo Purses
• Goat Cheese and Caramelized Shallot Tarts topped with a Roasted Tomato
• Bacon and Aged Cheddar Scones with Chive Butter
• Crab Cakes with Dijon Aioli

The beautiful desserts were supplied by the amazing Bobette and Belle (www.bobbetteandbelle.com) but I threw in one dessert of my own, and with the help of my friend Jayme (and Pinterest of course) created some adorable tea bag sugar cookies.


See below for pictures of the event. All photos were taken by the wonderful Robyn Harrison. (www.robynharrison.com)

The event was a great success and I can't wait to celebrate with everyone at the wedding.

Congratulations Mandy! Only 125 days to go! xoxo

Happy "Super" Birthday!

Just wanted to share a picture of a cake made over the weekend for my nephews 5th birthday!!!

Happy birthday Jonah! I love you!

Bobby Flay Inspired Dinner

When I was in Las Vegas in September I ate at a variety of delicious restaurants including Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. I was so impressed with my meal at Mesa that I ordered the restaurant's cookbook as soon as I got home. Since then I have made a few things out of the book and was very impressed with all of them. Last weekend Jordan and I had my friend Mandy and her fiance Jason over for dinner. They are both HUGE fans of southwestern cuisine so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to prepare a meal from this book. I combined my own recipes with Bobby's (I like to pretend we are on a first name basis) to make the following menu:

• Ginger and Pineapple Mojitos
• Fresh Guacamole and Salsa served with Fresh Tostones
• Warm Cornbread with Honey Butter
• Shrimp and Corn Tamales with Roasted Garlic Sauce
• Chipotle-Honey Glazed Steak with Roasted Pepper Relish
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Ancho Chili Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Warm Chocolate Cakes with Dulce de Leche

The tostones, tamales, steak and chocolate cake recipes were all from the cookbook which can be bought on Amazon.ca . You can also find a lot of the recipes published online on various food websites.

Here are the recipes for the dishes I made:

Ginger and Pineapple Mojito
Makes 4 Glasses

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3-4 slices of fresh ginger
• 4 shots (about 1.25 oz or 2.5 Tbsp each) dark rum 
• a bunch of mint
• 4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup finely diced pineapple
• ice
• 2 cups club soda

1. In a small saucepan combine the water, sugar and ginger. Heat over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved and the liquid is just simmer. Turn off the heat and allow the ginger to steep while the mixture cools. (this step can be prepared ahead of time)
2. Set up 4 tall glasses. In the bottom each combine, 1.5 Tbsp of the ginger syrup, 1 shot of rum, a few sprigs of mint, 1 Tbsp. of lime juice and a 1/4 cup of the pineapple. Using a pestle or a spoon, muddle the ingredients together.
3. Top each glass with some ice and 1/2 cup of club soda

Fresh Guacamole
Serves 4 as an appetizer

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and quartered
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1 Tbsp. red onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, diced (optional)
• 1-2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (optional)
• juice of 1 lime
• course sea or kosher salt

1. Combine all the ingredients into a mortar or into a large mixing bowl. Using the pestle or a fork mash all the ingredients until the desired consistency is achieved.
2. Season with salt and garnish with some more cilantro and diced tomatoes. 

Fresh Tomato Salsa
Serves 4 as an appetizer

•  6 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, dice (optional)
• 1-2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (optional)
• juice of 1 lime
• sea or kosher salt

1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Season with salt.
2. Let rest for at least minutes before serving.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4

•  2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 head of garlic, roasted and pureed 
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped chives (optional)
• salt and pepper

1. Place the cubed potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Season with salt. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiled, lower the heat and cover. Let simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes and place back in the pot. Add the butter, cream and mashed garlic. Using a garlic masher, mash the potatoes until smooth the fold in the chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Ancho Chili Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Serves 4

• 1 lb. brussel sprouts, tough leaves removed and cut in half lengthwise
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. ancho chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl toss the brussel sprouts with the oil, chile powder, paprika and a couple of pinches of salt. Spread out onto an aluminum lined baking sheet.
3. Bake in the oven in tender and brown, about 20-25 minutes, tossing occasionally.  

 
 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I wish everyone a year full of health, happiness and of course delicious food :)

To start off 2012 I wanted to share some pics of the New Year's Eve dinner party Jordan and I hosted.

I hope everyone else had a delicious new year's eve!

Monkeying Around

Check out these cupcakes I made for my nephews 1st birthday this past weekend!

I got the idea from here but altered it a little bit. I used half of a vanilla wafer for each of the ears instead of a whole one and instead of piping on the face and eyes with icing I used a black food marker.

How cute are they? (sorry it is not the best pic, I took it with my phone)

Weeknight Thanksgiving Feast!

I may be Canadian but this past week every time I turned on the television someone was talking about or making Thanksgiving dinner. The thoughts of turkey and stuffing were filling my head so the other night I caved and made a full out thanksgiving dinner just for Jordan and I!!! You must think I am crazy but it was actually a lot easier than you think. I obviously didn't go and make a 30 lb. turkey but instead bought just a turkey breast. I used some stale hamburger buns to make the stuffing, made a quick pan gravy, microwaved some frozen peas and mashed up some taters and in just over an hour Jordan and I were eating like we were American!!!!

Butter Basted Turkey Breast
Serves 2

• 1 boneless, skin-on turkey breast
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Place the turkey breast on a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl combine the butter with the parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Using your hands spread the butter all over the turkey breast, including under the skin.
5. Place the turkey in the oven and roast until cooked through (internal temperature should be 165 degrees C), about 30-40 minutes. 
6. Remove from oven and let rest before slicing.

Skillet Stuffing
Serves 2-4

•  1 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
• 1/2 Spanish onion, chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. mixed herbs, chopped (you can use whatever you have on hand, parsley, thyme, rosemary)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups stale bread, cubed
• 1 cup chicken stock (or more if necessary)

1. Once the turkey is in the oven, start preparing the stuffing.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add the oil and the onions. Saute until softened and starting to brown then add the celery and garlic, continue to cook until celery is starting to soften, about 5 minutes then stir in the bread cubes.
3. Stir in the herbs and season with salt and pepper. 
4. Pour over the stock until the bread is just wet, stirring to combine. Place the skillet in the oven and let bake along with the turkey. Remove when the turkey is done, the stuffing should be nice and crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside.

Quick Pan Gravy

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 2-3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• drippings from turkey
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and let melt. Once melted stir in the flour to form a roux (a paste).
2. Cook the roux while stirring for one minute then whisk in 2 cups of the stock. Bring to a boil and let thicken then stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Take off the heat until the turkey is done cooking.
3. Once the turkey is done and resting, place the gravy over low heat and stir in the turkey drippings. Adjust the consistency with some more stock if necessary then season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve with the rest of your meal.

Eat to the Beat 2011

Last night I participated in Eat to the Beat a wonderful annual fundraising gala that gathers female chefs from around the city to support Willow Breast Cancer Support Canada. Check out some more info here.

This was my third year participating in this event. Each participating chef prepares a bite size hors d'oeuvre for guests to enjoy. Last year I served BLT Bites; toasted brioche rounds with sundried tomato spread, arugula, roasted garlic aioli and crisp applewood smoked bacon.

photo of my last year's offering courtesy of Eat to the Beat's twitter page

This year, inspired by the season I prepared a Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with a Hint of Maple Syrup.

Because I prepared this soup for 1000 people I don't have the exact recipe but here is a scaled down version that is pretty much the same. I topped the soup off with some sour cream seasoned with sage and chives and some candied pumpkin seeds.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Maple Syrup
Serves 4-6

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small spanish onion, chopped
• 1 rib of celery, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped ginger 
• 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
• 1 lb. butternute squash, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 granny smith apple. peeled, cored and cubed
• 4 cups (1 L) chicken or vegetable stock
• 1-2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a small stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then the onions. Saute the onions until softened and starting to turn golden then add the celery, garlic, ginger and sage. Continue to cook until softened. Add in the squash and apples and continue to cook for a minute longer.
2. Pour in the stock. it should be enough to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil then cover and lower the heat. Let simmer until vegetables are soft and tender, about 30-40 minutes.
3. Using a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in maple syrup, salt and pepper to taste.