Food | Travel | Family | Life
Here’s another fun and easy Valentine’s idea. It’s another treat on a stick, which seems to be popular with kids of all ages. This is so simple to do and a perfect way to get the little ones involved.
Using chocolate wafers for dipping, melt them in the microwave at 30 second intervals until nice and smooth. Meanwhile, poke a large marshmallow with a cookie stick. Dip each marshmallow into the chocolate and then dip in a plateful of sprinkles.
Here’s a fun little treat for Valentine’s Day – Oreo Pops! Food on a stick is always fun and these cookies are no exception. These are perfect for a class party or a Valentine’s favour.
These pops are super easy to make. Take a cookie stick or a straw and put it in the middle of the cookies. If you’re using a straw, you will have to flatten the end of it. Melt chocolate wafers for dipping. I melt them in the microwave at 30 second intervals until it’s nice smooth. Finish with sprinkles.
After seeing Kristy’s post last month about mussels and Julie’s picture on Instagram, I had a craving! Every time I would see mussels at the grocery store, I wanted to make them but never seemed to find the time. Seeing everyone’s posts gave me the push I needed.
Green curry and mussels seemed like a good combination. I also knew I wanted a bit of a broth to eat with either fries or bread.
As usual, Q was a great helper in the kitchen. He helped wash and debeard the mussels and was in charge of getting rid of mussels with open shells. Once the mussels were cooked, he went through the bowl and made sure all the shells had opened up. He loved the responsibility!
The mussels were fantastic! The green curry made its away into the shells and infused the meat with flavour and we had lots of bread to sop up the tasty broth. The mussels were quick to make and would be perfect for any dinner party.
Green Curry Mussels
1 can coconut milk
1 TB green curry paste
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 stalk lemongrass, chopped
1/4 tsp sugar
2 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded
oil
cilantro
lime
In a large pot, heat a small amount of oil. Add the shallots and lemongrass and cook for a minute. Add the coconut milk and curry paste and let it come to a boil. Add the mussels and cover the lid, allowing the mussels to steam for 3 minutes. Once all the shells have opened up, the mussels are ready to enjoy. Add the juice of one lime and sprinkle with cilantro.
It’s Super Bowl weekend! As much as it is about the game, it is also about the food. Here are some ideas for you to enjoy while watching the big game.
Sticky Wings
Wings are the ultimate party food. These sticky wings are sure to please!
Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Every party needs something cheesy. This is perfect with veggies or chips.
Beef Ribs with Blueberry BBQ Sauce
These sweet and savoury ribs are tender and tasty.
Salsa
Every party needs salsa! This one is easy to make and makes enough to feed the gang.
Beef Bacon Boursin-Filled Prawns
This little morsels will impress your guests. They are delicious!
The Ultimate Grilled Cheese
A favourite for kids of all ages. Created by Q, this is ooey gooey delicious.
Sticky Chicken Wings
3 TB ketchup
3 TB soya sauce
3 TB balsamic vinegar
1 TB honey
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha
1 lb wings
sesame seeds
Mix together the first seven ingredients. Once combined, toss in the wings and then place on a foil lined tray. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
While in Mexico staying at the Generations Resort by Karisma, we were able to enjoy the Canada Beef Culinary Series. For the past year, each month had a whole week dedicated to Canadian Beef. The program highlighted a different chef from Canada coming up with some great beef creations. The dishes were then paired with a wine by an expert from Jackson Family Wines. This was such a successful collaboration that the Culinary Series is back for 2015!
While we were there in December, we were treated to food by Chef Roger Sleiman from Kelowna. while wine pairings were done by Ben Fine from Jackson Family Wine.
I enjoyed the cooking class one night while hubby and I both attended the gala dinner. Take a look at some of the delicious dishes that we enjoyed!
Larb seemed like something easy to prepare and it was! I had looked at many different recipes and they were all so different. I took components of what I liked, and what I had in the house, and made this version. I left out the chilis, opting to use Sriracha on top, so that everyone in the house could enjoy it. Although, truth be told, I’m pretty sure Q can handle things spicier than me.
With lemongrass, mint and lime, this dish was screaming with flavour. Even 9 month old Z enjoyed it! Although I was hoping for leftovers, there were none in sight! This will definitely be making the rounds again next week.
Thai Chicken Larb
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 TB minced garlic
1/2 TB fish sauce
Handful of mint
Handful of cilantro
1 2″ piece of lemongrass, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 TB brown sugar
2 TB fish sauce
lettuce
Sriracha sauce
Brown the chicken with the garlic and fish sauce. Once cooked, add the mint, cilantro, lemongrass, green onion and shallot. In a bowl, combine the lime, brown sugar and fish sauce. Once the herbs and vegetables are mixed with the chicken, add the lime mixture. Scoop into lettuce cups and top with sriracha.
One of the highlights of staying at the Generations Resort by Karisma in the Mayan Riviera was the food. With the resort boasting Gourmet Inclusive, the food and the experience was amazing. We were happy to not eat from a buffet for every meal and were able to try some outstanding dishes. Here is a glimpse of some the food we enjoyed.
The only buffet at the resort was the Chef Market which was open for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast featured an omelet station and lots of continental fare to make everyone happy. The bread was amazing and the crepes were a treat. Lunch featured some great items like seafood and pasta. Salsa, guacamole and ceviche were a constant. It was delicious!
Jade was one of our favourites featuring pan-asian cuisine. We enjoyed sushi, tempura, gyozas and lots of seafood. One evening, we had the Shabu Shabu hot pot with chicken, fish, beef and shrimp and vegetables. It was a fun interactive meal!
Habb was a beautiful Mediterranean restaurant. We started with hummus, tzatziki and pita followed by tuna carpaccio, beef kebabs, braised beef and salmon stuffed ravioli.
Wine Kitchen was another beauty with glass bottles adding to the decor. The thai mussels and the duck with lentils were my favourites while hubby and Q’s faves were the scallops and beef tenderloin.
Palms Gourmet Terrace was the restaurant by the pool open for lunch. Shrimp tacos and calamari filled our bellies while we took a break from the beach. Of course salsa and guacamole was a must at every meal!
These are made in kadais, kind of like little cast iron woks.They can also be made in a dutch pancake pan. These are perfect for breakfast with a steaming cup of chai.
Vitumbua
2 lb rice flour
2 tsp instant yeast
3/4 of a 141 g package of pure creamed coconut
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
water
On the stove, combine 1/2 cup of water with the coconut until it is melted. Combine this with the flour and yeast and add enough water to make a thick batter. Keep overnight.
In the morning, to the yeast mixture, add eggs, sugar, cardamom and nutmeg. Mix well. Let this sit for half an hour.
If using a large kadai, add 2 TB of oil to each pan and heat the oil on high heat. Once heated, turn down the heat to medium, add 1/4 cup of batter and cook until brown. Turn using a couple of spoons or forks and continue cooking. Each vitumbua takes approximately 5 minutes to cook.