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butter pecan squares

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Pecan tarts are one of my favorites.  The pecans, the gooeyness, even the raisins, who wouldn’t love it? I’ve always wanted to try making these but the idea of making tart shells kind of put me off.  When I found this recipe for squares and an easy shortbread bottom, I quickly put it on my list of baking to do over the holidays.  Although I made these to distribute, none of them made it out the door.  They were delicious and satisfying and by the time I was putting together packages, there weren’t many squares left!

Unfortunately I don’t remember where I found this recipe.  It’s easy and delicious though, so definitely try it out!

Butter Pecan Squares

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter

2 TB melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
2 TB flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup raisings
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine flour and sugar and cut in the cold butter until the dough is crumbly.  Press the dough into a 9″ square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.  Pour over the baked base and bake at 350 degrees for another 25 minutes.

chocolate and almond whipped shortbread

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It’s no secret that I love whipped shortbread cookies.  Easy and fast, they are a staple for any occasion. They are even great to give to little kids to decorate, keeping them entertained for some time. 

The addition of chocolate and nuts make these shortbread even more of a favorite.  This recipe can be found in Club Club’s Community Cookbook.

Chocolate and Almond Whipped Shortbread

1 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Cream the butter and icing sugar together.  Add the flour and beat for 10 minutes.  Add in the chocolate and nuts until well incorporated.  Place spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Makes 3 dozen small cookies.

cherry jam palmiers

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One of the easiest cookies to make with minimal ingredients is a palmier.  I decided to change up my usual 2-ingredient version by adding some jam.  I had made some cherry jam over the summer and thought it would go great with the crisp layers of puff pastry.  The sweet jam added so much flavour and the resulting cookies were quite addictive.  I made the mistake of only using one puff pastry sheet, meaning not many left over to share!

Cherry Jam Palmiers

1 roll of puff pastry
3 TB jam of your choice
Sugar

Unroll one sheet of puff pastry. Spread the jam evenly on the pastry.  If making mini palmiers, cut the sheet in half.  Roll the pastry from the horizontal ends into the middle. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and then cut the roll into pieces.  Sprinkle each piece with sugar and place on parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

red velvet crepes

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Ever since I attempted Red Velvet cupcakes last June, it has become a favourite of mine. Always looking to combine a couple of my favourite things, I mixed up a crepe recipe with red velvet and the combination was delicious. My 3 year old, Qais, who is always happy to help in the kitchen enjoyed stirring the batter and of course, taste-testing! I added Chocolate spread to the filling because one can never get enough chocolate.

Head on over to the Anyday Magic website for a recipe of this delicious dessert!

lemongrass shrimp

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Q started unparented swimming classes this week.  It amazes me that he’s already ready to get in the water without mamma and daddy.  Time is flying by so quickly!  Swimming days means crazy days – a quick dinner before rushing out the door and making the trek to another part of the city.  I had to ensure that just in case hubby came home late from work, he would have something he could just grab and go.

A sandwich seemed like the perfect thing but no ordinary sandwich would do.  I had bought lemongrass the day before and thought it would be great with shrimp.  Settled into a bun, it was the delicious Asian fast food at home.

After toasting a whole wheat bun, I slathered it with a little bit of mayo and some sambal oelek.  A few leaves of spinach held the shrimp which was then topped with onions, red peppers, cucumbers and cilantro.  The shrimp was great on its own, but the bun added a great twist.

Lemongrass Shrimp

1 pound shrimp
1 TB chopped lemongrass
1 TB fish sauce
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soya sauce
2 tsp teriyaki sauce

Mix everything together and marinate for one hour.  Place on greased sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

chicken tagine

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When planning hubby’s birthday last month, I knew I wanted to make a tagine to keep with the theme of the party, “An Arabian Afternoon”.  I had actually never had tagine, I just knew that it was an earthy Moroccan stew.  I searched many recipes trying to find something easy that had ingredients I already had in the house.  I finally settled on one by Melissa D’Arabian (Ten Dollar Dinners).  Not being a big fan of olives, I left those out.  I tested the recipe a week before the party and it was a success!  Hubby loved it so much, he finished the entire thing – always a good sign.  The combination of the turmeric and cinnamon gave the tagine a deep flavour.  Although preserved lemons were called for in every recipe that I looked at, we both weren’t fans.  When I made the dish for the party, we left that out.  Everyone really seemed to enjoy the tagine and it was wonderful on couscous, a great vehicle to absorb all that yummy sauce.

Chicken Tagine
Adapted from Melissa D’Arabian2 pounds chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
1 TB butter
2 TB olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 TB ginger, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
Flat leaf parsley, handful
Cilantro, handful
Salt Pepper

Pat the chicken dry, and season well with salt and pepper.

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken on all sides. Add the onion, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and add the garlic and stir for a minute. Increase heat and deglaze with half the broth, stirring, and allowing it to bubble. Add the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes. 

raw bar

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It’s been weeks since we visited Raw Bar but I’m still thinking about the amazing food we had that night.  Tucked away in Hotel Arts, we were lucky to get a reservation.  The place was packed and we soon discovered why.

It was hard to decide which appetizer, everything looked so good.  We decided to share the BC Spot Prawn and Papaya Salad Roll.  This was a really pretty dish to look at.  Eight mini rolls were served on a long platter on top of strips of cucumber, carrot and daikon.  It was really tasty and left us wanting more.

Seafood prevailed in our main course with both of us choosing fish dishes (and splitting them of course).  We settled on the Miso Black Cod Donburi which was served with king oyster mushrooms, sticky rice and teriyaki sauce.  This was such a great fish and I really loved the Asian flavours.

The other dish we had was the Salmon.  This came with lemon ricotta tortellini, spring vegetables in a shellfish broth.  The salmon was prepared perfectly and hubby was happy that it was paired with the pasta.

As full as we were, we ordered dessert.    We had a white chocolate cheesecake which was served with a strawberry sorbet.  I was looking forward to the coconut lime sorbet it was supposed to come with but this was still delicious and satisfying.

All in all, it was a great evening and I look forward to going back!

Raw Bar on Urbanspoon

tabouli

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When putting together the menu for hubby’s party, he requested tabouli for the salad course.  Tabouli is a popular salad in the Middle East predominantly made with bulgar wheat and parsley.  When searching for a recipe, there were so many variations!  I finally settled on one from Guy Fieri, from one of the drive-ins he visited for his show, “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives“.

This was a refreshing salad and it provided not only a refreshing side for our arabian feast but also a great leftover lunch.

Tabouli1 cup water
1 cup fine cracked wheat
1 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup minced fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3 tomatoes, diced
2 cucumbers, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoons sea salt

In a large mixing bowl, pour the water over the cracked wheat and cover, let stand about 20 minutes until wheat is tender and water is absorbed. Add the chopped herbs and vegetables and toss with the mix. Combine the oil, lemon juice, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to wheat mixture and mix well. Chill. Serve and enjoy.