Nutella Hot Chocolate

The other night, while curling up on the couch I was in the mood for hot chocolate, but I wanted to mix it up a bit. When I opened my pantry and saw a jar of Nutella (my ultimate addiction) I knew exactly what I had to do. In a small saucepan, I added a cup of milk (I used skim, so that makes it healthy right?). I brought the milk to a gentle simmer and then whisked in about 1 Tbsp. of Nutella until it was melted and combined with the milk. I poured the mixture into a mug and topped with some mini marshmallows (whipped cream would be perfect too). It was just so delicious I had to share. This is a DEFINITE must try! ENJOY!

How-To: Peeling Tomatoes

This was one of the first things I was taught in culinary school. It is not often that you need to peel a tomato but this trick comes in handy for the few times that you do.

Step 1: Using a small paring knife, gently pierce the skin on the bottom of a tomato into an "X" shape

Step 2: Plunge the "X"ed tomatoes into a pot of boiling water for about 30-45 seconds

Step 3: Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and immediately place into a bowl of ice water, let sit for about one  minute.

Step 4: Remove tomatoes from the ice water. Starting with the "X" gently pull away the tomato skin, you can use a paring knife to help out.

Peeled tomatoes are perfect for making fresh tomato sauce, recipe here

Fruity and Refreshing Ice Pops!!!

The other night I took my new Zoku Ice Pop Maker for a spin using some delicious raspberries from my garden. I made six ice pops in two different flavours, both featuring the freshly picked berries; Raspberry-Lime and Raspberry-Kiwi!

For the first flavour I prepared some homemade limeade. I combined 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup of sugar in a small saucepot to create a simple syrup. I placed the pot over medium-low heat and heated until the sugar was dissolved. I then combined the sugar mixture with 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice and 2 cups of ice cold water. Once I had my limeade prepared, I stuck some whole raspberries onto the wall of my ice pop maker, then proceeded to pour in my limeade and waited until they froze.

For the second flavour, I pureed 1 cup of raspberries with 1 sliced kiwi and 1 cup of water and about one Tbsp. of sugar (the amount of sugar will depend on the sweetness of your fruit).I then passed the puree through a strainer and let it chill. I then lined my ice pop maker with some freshly sliced kiwis before pouring in the fruit puree.

If you don't have one of these fantastic little gadgets, you can use traditional ice pop molds and wait for them to freeze overnight.

Look how pretty they look! They were also delicious and perfect for a warm summer night!

This new gadget is certainly helping me to get in my daily fruit servings and offers a healthier summer time snack then ice cream!!! I can't wait for the next round.....

How-To: Oreo Pops!

Desserts on a stick are the newest trend, and one that I LOVE! Oreo pops are a new one that I have seen popping up around the blog world. This weekend my sis-in law and I decided to whip some up. They were super quick and easy and only required 3 ingredients. *Please note: doubled stuffed Oreos work the best but we also experimented with some Fudgee-O's which were equally delicious!

Check out this quick how-to:

1. Take a lollipop stick or skewer and push it through the cream center of an Oreo cookie, making sure to only go 3/4 of the way up.

2. Melt some chocolate (we used white).  Using a spoon to help, cover the cookie with the melted chocolate.

3. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with sprinkles or any other decoration of your choice.

4. Repeat with the remaining Oreos and place in the fridge to harden.

5. ENJOY!

click to enlarge

Spider-man Cake!

My nephew Jonah turned 4 this weekend! This year he requested a Spider-Man cake.

Here are a few pictures I took during the making of the cake and the end result:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONAH! I LOVE YOU!!!

Whoopie Pies

Lately, it seems that everywhere I look I see Whoopie Pies! At first I wondered "what the heck is a whoopie pie?". After some research, I found out that Whoopie Pies are just a creamy filling sandwiched between cake like cookies and they are becoming super trendy.So now that I knew what all the hype was about, it was time for me to make my own. The flavour combinations are endless, and I had a really hard time deciding what flavour to make when I noticed the dozen clementines in a bowl on my kitchen counter. I decided on a clementine cake with a creamy clementine buttercream filling! They turned out great!!! After the success of these, I am ready to get back into the kitchen and try out some more. What flavour should I make next?

Clementine Whoopie Pies

Makes about 18 bite size pies

For the Cake:

• 1 cup (200 grams or 7 ounces) sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• zest and juice from 2 clementines
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the icing:

• 1 cup (2 sticks)
• 3 cups icing sugar
• Juice and zest from 1 clementine
• 1 tsp. vanilla

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. In a measuring cup, place juice of clementines (you should have about ¼ cup) combine with buttermilk, set aside.
3. Using a stand or hand mixer cream together butter, sugar and zest. Mix in half of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat. Mix until thoroughly combined but don’t over mix.
4. Using a mini ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into rounds onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Place the tray in the oven and bake until set, about 12 minutes.
6. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool.
7. While cooling, prepare the icing. Beat the butter until fluffy, continue mixing while adding in the icing sugar. Mix until combined then mix in the zest, juice and vanilla. Place the icing into a piping bag.
8. Once the cakes are cool, flip them over so the flat side is facing up. Pipe some icing onto one cake and top with another. Repeat with remaining cakes and icing. 

How-to: Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Looks like a delicious ice cream cone, right? WRONG! What would you say if I told you that that cone is filled with chocolate cake, and that "ice cream" is really vanilla icing? I know what I would say; YUM!

Here is how to make these deliciously cute ice cream cone cupcakes:

1. Place flat bottom ice cream cones in a lasagna pan or casserole dish. The raised edges help the cones from falling over.

2. Prepare your favorite cake batter and pour into the cones, only filling the neck of the cones.

3. Place in a 350 degree F oven and bake until a skewer place in the centre of a cone comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

4. Once cooled, spread your favourite icing on each cone to represent the ice cream and then top with your favorite ice cream toppings. Be creative!!!

ENJOY!

How-to: Quick No Noodle Lasagna

That's right, you read that correctly, lasagna without the noodles!!! This dish is quick, simple and delicious and uses only five ingredients (other than seasoning). I used grilled zucchini and eggplant in place of lasagna noodles and layered them with marinara sauce and cheese for an easy side dish, or light entree.

1. Using a sharp knife or mandolin, thinly slice two zucchinis and one large eggplant lengthwise.

2. Toss the zucchini and eggplant with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and grill on an indoor grill or grill pan, just until light grill lines appear.

3. In a small bowl stir together a container of ricotta cheese with salt and pepper. (I added parsley and some lemon zest too)

4. Once the zucchini and eggplant are cool enough to handle, line the bottom of a greased baking dish with slices of zucchini.

 

5. Top the zucchini with some marinara sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.

6. Top with slices of eggplant. Top the eggplant with some of the ricotta cheese mixture.

7. Repeat the process until the pan is full. Top the top layer with marinara sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella.

8. Bake in a 400 degree F oven until warmed through and is cheese melted, about 20 minutes.

 9. Cut into slices and serve.

ENJOY!

How-to: Roast Garlic

I LOVE garlic!!! What I don't love is the way my breath smells after eating it. Roasting garlic takes away the strong, pungent flavour of raw garlic and turns it into something sweet and delectable.

Here is my easy how-to for roasting garlic:

Step 1: Take a whole head of garlic, and cut off the very top portion, to reveal the cloves.

Step 2: Place the head of garlic on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with about 1 tsp. of olive oil.

Step 3: Wrap the garlic in the foil and place in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Step 4: Once cooled, unwrap the garlic and remove the cloves with a small fork or by squeezing the head of garlic. The cloves should now be soft and golden brown.

Step 5: Mash the cloves with a pinch of salt using a fork to make a paste.

Use this roasted garlic paste to jazz up your regular mayo, barbeque sauce, pasta sauce or mashed potatoes. You can even eat it as is, spread on some bread. Be creative, personally I find roasted garlic goes with everything. The paste will last for about a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween is by far one of my favorite holidays. As a kid there was nothing better then getting free candy, and as an adult I enjoy the opportunity to dress up and act like a kid again. For the past 3 years my fiance, Jordan and I have thrown a Halloween party for all of our friends. Jordan is in charge of carving the pumpkins, while I have been in charge of creating a large spread of food. I have thoroughly enjoyed trying to make regular party food into something spooky.

One of the big hits from last year's party were cookies made to look like Witch's fingers, here's a quick how-to so you can enjoy them yourselves this Halloween:

Step 1: Either make or purchase a basic sugar cookie or peanut butter cookie dough. I cheated and used store bought peanut butter cookie dough.

Step 2: On a lightly floured surface and with floured hands, roll the dough into very thin ropes, about 2 inches long.

Step 3: Using a small knife, score 3 thin lines in the centre of the ropes, to resemble knuckles.

Step 4: Place on a greased, or parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Step 5: Once cooled, use royal icing (see recipe below), dyed your favorite colour and pipe on creepy nails

Step 6: ENJOY!!!!

Quick Royal Icing

• 1 egg white
  
• 2 cups icing sugar
  
• A squeeze of lemon juice

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk together until combined.

2. You can adjust the icing to your desired consistency using water

3. Mix in a few drops of your favorite colour food colouring or keep it white.
4. Store in an airtight container.

Stay Tuned for pictures of all the other scary treats from this years party!!!!