Food | Travel | Family | Life
It’s that special time of year. Colourful lights, cheerful music, cookies galore and time with family and friends. If you are still looking for a gift for that special person in your life, here are a few ideas in the 2017 Holiday Gift Guide. These are all items that we love and wanted to share. Some were gifted but all thoughts and opinions are my own. (This post contains a few affiliate links. By clicking these links, I make a small percentage but it does not affect your cost in any way.)
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Dhokro is a savoury steamed cake and is perfect for a quick snack or a cup of chai. This version is made with semolina and flavoured with garlic and spices.
What better way to enjoy breakfast for dinner than with a breakfast salad topped with poached eggs.
This tasty honey mustard dressing is perfect on any salad. It’s light and refreshing and will make you want to eat your greens.
Menchie’s is always great to have some frozen yogurt and to get your chocolate fix. Here’s another reason to love them.
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt has a new digital Scratch & Win contest! Participants who scratch are entered to win the GRAND PRIZE of a 7 night trip for two to the Mayan Riviera!
Participants are able to “scratch & win” (no purchase necessary) on mobile and on their computers. When participants scratch, they’re scratching for instant win prizes, however the most exciting part is that when they scratch, they will receive a pin to enter to win the grand prize:7 night round trip for 2 to the 5-star Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa in the Mayan Riviera (ARV $5,000). *Certain restrictions apply. Full rules: www.menchies.ca/smile
The contest goes until Sunday, May 15, 2016. Click here to enter! I’m really excited to try their new flavour – Skor!
Want to know more about Menchie’s?
Menchie’s has 106 Canadian locations with new locations coming to Brampton, Manitoba, BC and Alberta.
Custom made cakes are now available made with your favourite yogurt and toppings.
Menchie’s yogurts are gluten-free, vegan and certified Kosher.
Menchie’s has 128 flavours to choose from and over 50 toppings to choose from.
Coming soon (and now available at some locations): Menchie’s Smoothie Bar! Smoothies are made with 100% natural fruit, no artificial colours or flavours. There is 4 servings of fruit per 16oz cup.
I don’t cook often with pumpkin but for some reason, I got it in my head that I had to make some pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls are one of Q’s favourites so he was totally on board and couldn’t wait to help.
I loved working with this dough – so smooth. It was easy to roll out and then cover in butter, sugar and spices. The house smelled amazing as they baked and we couldn’t wait to smother them in cream cheese icing before digging in. Q loved these, saying that these may be better than the original.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
2/3 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 TB ground cinnamon
1 TB all spice
1/2 cup butter, softened
Microwave the milk for 45 to 60 seconds. Then, dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, pumpkin and flour. Mix well. Allow the dough to come together with the dough hook of the mixer.
Put the ball of dough into a bowl that is sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for roughly 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, all spice and cinnamon. Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a rectangle. Spread the softened butter on the dough and then sprinkle with the sugar and spice mix.
Roll up the dough starting with the longer side and cut into rolls. Place the cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased rectangular pan. Let the rolls rise another 30 to 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degree. Once your cinnamon rolls have risen, bake them in the preheated oven until golden brown, approximately 18 to 20 minutes.
Eat warm as is or with some delicious cream cheese frosting.
Microwave the milk for 45 to 60 seconds. Then, dissolve yeast in warm
milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix
well. Allow the dough to come together with the dough hook of the mixer.
Put the ball of dough into a bowl that is sprayed with cooking spray.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place
for roughly 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a 16 x 21″ rectangle. Spread
the softened butter on the dough and then sprinkle with brown sugar and
cinnamon.
Roll up the dough starting with the longer side and cut into 12 cinnamon
rolls (or more smaller rolls, if you prefer). To even out the
rectangle, I cut off all the edges and the scraps made an additional 12
mini rolls.
Place the cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased rectangular pan. Let the rolls rise another 30 to 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degree. Once your cinnamon rolls have risen, bake
them in the preheated oven until golden brown, approximately 18 to 20
minutes.
Eat warm as is or with some delicious cream cheese frosting. – See more at: http://www.foodmamma.com/2012/05/after-discovering-last-month-qs-love-of.html#sthash.4jLTxXmR.dpuf
When we purchased a tandoor a couple years ago, one thing we wanted to work on was a good naan recipe. It needed to be fast, it needed to be tasty and it needed to stick well to the side of the clay oven.
It’s been fun trying out various versions of naan in the tandoor. Doughs with eggs that were nice and smooth were finicky in the tandoor. Doughs that I thought for sure wouldn’t work well were the ones that worked the best. After a lot of trial and error, we discovered the best recipe.
This naan recipe is very simple and doesn’t need a lot of rising time. Perfect when you want to make a batch at the last minute. Don’t worry, you don’t need a tandoor to enjoy these. We tried these on the grill over the weekend and they turned out great!
Naan
(for the tandoor or the bbq)
1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 TB oil
1/4 cup yogurt
2 cups flour
butter
In a mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water along with some sugar. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until it’s frothy. Add the remaining ingredients and knead the dough using the kneading hook. Place the dough in a warm place for about 20 minutes covered with a moist cloth.
Divide the dough into eight balls and roll them out. They can be done either on the tandoor or the bbq. They should only take a few minutes a side. Remove and butter the naan.
Rice seems to be a staple around here. It’s perfect for sopping up Indian curry or using it to make a one pot meal to feed a crowd. I didn’t discover the convenience of instant rice until recently. Since it is pre-cooked and then dried, it significantly cuts down on the cooking time. This is huge, especially on days where the kids have multiple activities.
With “pre-cooked rice” as its only ingredient, Minute Rice® is 100% natural. Available in two varieties – Premium Long Grain White Rice and Premium Whole Grain Brown Rice – Minute Rice® takes only five minutes to prepare for white rice and 10 minutes for brown rice.
At a recent event promoting Minute Rice, Chef John Higgins, Director of the George Brown Chef School and Chopped Canada judge offered these top 10 rice cooking tips:
Boil in broth: When boiling rice, substitute water for broth to add flavour to the rice itself and your dish. Chicken broth, beef broth or vegetable stock are excellent choices. Low-sodium broths add a punch of flavour without the added salt.
Try coconut: Cook rice in coconut milk for a mildly sweet flavoured rice which pairs well with curry dishes and other spicy recipes. Coconut flavoured rice with fresh slices of mango or your kids’ favourite fruit can make a fun, healthy dessert option.
Think flavour: Add spices to the rice’s cooking liquid for an aromatic and flavourful base to your dish. Star Anise, cilantro and turmeric are good choices, with bold, robust flavours.
Season early on: Don’t leave your seasoning until the end. Introduce the flavours of your dish early on. For maximum flavour, add the herbs or spices your recipe calls for into the rice’s cooking water.
Add veggies: Enhance your rice dish by adding frozen vegetables. Rather than cooking the vegetables separately, though, condense your cooking time by adding them to boiling water before you begin cooking the rice. Using pre-cut, frozen vegetables is more convenient than cutting fresh vegetables (while still being nutritious), especially when you are pressed for time.
Sweeten with fruit: Add dried fruit – such as craisins, raisins, dried blueberries and currents – to your cooking water to draw out the sweet fruit flavours which will infuse your rice with a savoury taste the whole family will enjoy.
Try rice for breakfast: Instant rice in particular is quick and easy, making it a convenient and nutritious family option. Add almond or soy milk, or your kids’ favourite flavoured milk, as well as dried fruits or nuts for a complete, oatmeal-like breakfast dish which can be served hot or cold. Prepare the rice the night before to save time in the morning.
Steep your rice: Infuse the rice with your favourite flavour of tea for a fragrant, subtle gourmet taste. Steep a pot of tea and use the liquid to cook your rice instead of using plain water. For those less adventurous, start with a more simple flavour such as Earl Grey, English Breakfast or Chamomile tea. For an economical option, use the tea bag left over from your morning cup of tea.
Add zing with zest: For a zesty citrus spin on your rice dish, grate lemon, lime or orange zest into the rice’s cooking water as it’s boiling. Be sure to thoroughly wash your fruit with warm, soapy water before grating the zest into the water. For a more gourmet taste sensation, try a combination of citrus fruits in one rice dish.
Cut cooking time: Risotto is a wonderful meal or side dish option enjoyed by all ages, but it takes time to make. Using instant rice in a risotto dish can cut in half the time it takes to make traditional risotto.
Want a chance to win a case of 12 boxes of Minute Rice® 100% Natural Instant Rice ($60 value)? Comment below, or on Facebook or Twitter, with your favourite rice dish. Contest closes on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2015. Only open to residents of Canada.
Here are a few of mine:
Shrimp Fried Rice
Indian Rice Pudding
Seafood Paella
Today is hubby’s birthday! Happy Birthday honey!!
Since our week is usually filled with tons of activities for Q, we celebrated with family over the weekend. We had a tandoor party and made some delicious stuffed naans. I’ll have to fill you in on this soon. As for cake, his request this year was for white chocolate mocha cupcakes.
After a few searches, I settled on a recipe from Ali from Gimme Some Oven. I’ve recently started following her and love all the food that she posts. Since it seemed like I was catching my son’s cold, I needed something quick and simple and this recipe seemed pretty easy.
The whipped frosting was so nice and light, and very reminiscent of a mocha drink. Dusted with cocoa powder and topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean, it was a birthday treat that hubby really enjoyed.
White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
From Gimme Some Oven
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso granules
Frosting:
6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until combined. Add the 1 ½ teaspoons of espresso granules to the cup of hot coffee and stir to combine. With mixer still on low, add in the coffee/espresso mixture and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter will be really runny, but don’t worry!
Using a large scoop (about 3 tablespoons), distribute the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove them onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Top with the white chocolate whipped cream frosting, and either serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
To Make The White Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting:
Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Melt, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. When the chocolate is fully melted, move the bowl to a work surface and pour in the hot cream. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir gently until the cream is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Let the chocolate/cream mixture stand until it is completely cool. The mixture must be at room temperature before it is added to the whipped cream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream only until it holds the softest peaks. With the mixer on high speed, add the white chocolate all at once and continue to beat just until the mixture holds firm peaks. Transfer the cream to a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap gently against the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Once cooled, frost cupcakes as desired.
After discovering last month Q’s love of cinnamon rolls at the mall, I knew it was something I wanted to try at home. Q loves being in the kitchen and helping mamma so it was the perfect project for Mother’s Day. I searched for a recipe similar to Cinnabon and discovered this recipe from Joshua Kennon.
There was some resting time required but it was a really simple recipe. Q helped out with measuring ingredients, rolling out the dough and slathering on the butter.
This recipe made quite a few rolls – 12 large ones and then 12 mini ones from the scrap. It was so fun watching the rolls rise into each other.
The best part was the intoxicating smell as these rolls baked. The smells competed with the gorgeous lilies I received for Mother’s Day. Mmmmm….
While the buns were baking, I whipped up some of the cream cheese frosting I’ve used on muffins and it went great with the buns! You just can’t beat fresh out of the oven cinnamon buns.
It was an awesome day! Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there. Hope your day was as great as mine!
Cinnamon Buns
Adapted from Joshua Kennon
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
Microwave the milk for 45 to 60 seconds. Then, dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Allow the dough to come together with the dough hook of the mixer.
Put the ball of dough into a bowl that is sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for roughly 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a 16 x 21″ rectangle. Spread the softened butter on the dough and then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll up the dough starting with the longer side and cut into 12 cinnamon rolls (or more smaller rolls, if you prefer). To even out the rectangle, I cut off all the edges and the scraps made an additional 12 mini rolls.
Place the cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased rectangular pan. Let the rolls rise another 30 to 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degree. Once your cinnamon rolls have risen, bake them in the preheated oven until golden brown, approximately 18 to 20 minutes.
Eat warm as is or with some delicious cream cheese frosting.