Food Mamma

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appetizers

candied pecans

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At our house, we are nuts for nuts. Like all kinds of nuts. One of my favourites though is pecans. I was looking for a way to perk up my salad and thought candied pecans would be perfect.

The coating is light and crispy and I loved the addition of the cinnamon and salt. They provided the perfect crunch that I needed for my salad but they were also great for snacking on. These are so good and very addictive. You have been warned.

Candied Pecans

1 cup pecan halves
1 egg white
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Beat the egg white until frothy. Add the pecans, cinnamon and salt and mix until coated. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes.

oven baked crispy chicken wings

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I’m a sucker for chicken wings. The crispier and saucier, the better. They are the perfect appetizer (no cutlery!), take very little prep time and a great vehicle for some tasty sauce.

For anyone who tries these crispy wings, they won’t even
know that they are baked! They are super easy to prepare, just throw a few things together and throw them in the oven. Place wings in a bowl, add some corn starch, salt and pepper until the wings are coated. Place on a greased cookie sheet and then spray with some cooking spray. Cook at 375 degrees until cooked. For about ten wings, I added a couple tablespoons of corn starch. The wings baked for approximately 45 minutes.

Once the wings are done, sprinkle some salt and eat as is or toss them in your favourite sauce. Gochujang are Q’s favourite so I tossed the wings in some bibimbap sauce – so so good!

brie in puff pastry

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Q’s favourite cheese would have to be brie. So, when I made him responsible for a couple of appetizers at our Christmas Eve appetizer party, naturally, he wanted to make something with brie.

This brie in puff pastry is so easy to make and so delicious to eat. It is perfect for a party – the cheese oozing out of the pastry was a sight to see. It definitely was a winner!

Brie in Puff Pastry

1 sheet puff pastry
1 small round brie
1 egg, beaten

Place the brie in the middle of the puff pastry. Bring the edges of the pastry up so that the cheese is nicely wrapped. Brush the egg on top off the pastry.

Bake on parchment at 425 degrees until golden, approximately 25 minutes.

extreme bean yam springroll…and a giveaway!

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When it comes to entertaining, it’s always great to have a drink that caters to both the drinkers and non-drinkers. Caesars fit the bill, and Matt & Steve’s Extreme Beans have you covered for your next party. Their Caesar Rimmer is super flavourful and their varieties of pickled beans provide the perfect accompaniment to a Caesar. Hot & Spicy, Garlic & Dill and Sweet & Savoury, there is something for everyone!

I love appetizers so I was excited to come up with one using Matt & Steve’s Extreme Beans. Spring rolls are always a hit but I thought I’d change it up by using some sweet yams. Nestled inside the boiled and mashed sweet yam was a Sweet and Savoury bean, all enveloped in a thin spring roll wrapper. The crisp bean was the perfect contrast to the creamy yam. This was great served with ponzu sauce for dipping and alongside a Caesar, featuring an Extreme Bean!

Want  to win a gift
basket of Matt & Steve’s entertaining essentials with a total value
of $50 mailed directly to you? The basket includes the following:

Plastic bucket
Official Matt & Steve’s Extreme Bean Caesar Glasses
Matt & Steve’s beer Koozies
1 jar of Hot & Spicy Extreme Bean
1 jar of Extreme Bean Garlic & Dill
1 jar of B’n Olive
1 tin of Caesar Rimmer 150gm

Entering is easy, see below. Contest closes Tuesday, December 15th at 11:59pm MST. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

super bowl eats

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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

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I love chicken wings! I am always on the quest to find the best recipe to make at home without doing any frying. Mostly it’s just tossing together things that I have in the fridge. I always try to use balance out the flavours, using something sweet, salty, and a touch of heat.
This combination was a winner! Perfect for watching the game, or a get together with friends.

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.

5 dips for your grey cup party

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The Grey Cup is this weekend and the Calgary Stampeders will be playing! Whether you’re into football or not, it’s a great excuse to have a party. Here are some great dips that will make your football party a success. Go Stamps Go!

Salsa and Chips
A must have at any sports party!

Roasted Red Pepper Dip
This one seems to make an appearance at most of our family parties.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Ooey, gooey, cheesy…need I say more?

Jalapeno Hummus
Delicious with a kick.

Lemon Curd
A citrus dip for your fruit and cookies, perfect for dessert.

gluten-free vegetable pakora

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I am excited to be participating in the Hidden Valley Gluten-Free Challenge. Using Hidden Valley Ranch dressings, I was to come up with a gluten-free recipe for the holidays.

The first thing that came to mind were vegetable pakora. Using chick pea flour and the Spicy Ranch dressing for flavour, I coated vegetables like cauliflower, red pepper and onions with batter and fried them until golden brown. The resulting pakora were a hit and even got my 6 year old to eat his veggies without complaint!

To make the dressing go even further, I added some garlic chili sauce to the Spicy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. This was the perfect dip to serve with the pakora.

This would be a great appetizer for holiday entertaining because it caters to not only those who are looking for gluten-free items but also the vegetarians in your life.


Hidden Valley Ranch products and other promotional consideration were received in exchange for providing the above recipe as part of a submission in a contest sponsored by Hidden Valley Ranch.

Vegetable Pakora

1 cup chick pea flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Dressing
1 cup water
vegetables (anything you prefer, like cauliflower, peppers, onions, potatoes…)

Mix all the ingredients together except for the vegetables. Once combined and the batter is nice and thick, coat the vegetables and fry until golden brown.

superbowl eats

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Looking for some ideas for your Superbowl party this weekend? Here’s a round up of some perfect food to munch on while watching the big game.

Beef Bacon-Wrapped Boursin-Filled Prawns 
Key Lime Pie 
BBQ Beef Ribs 
Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip 
Garlicky Tomato & Avocado Bruschetta 
Cheesy Ranch Fried Pickles 
Jalapeno Hummus 
Salsa 
Spicy Ranch Roasted Red Pepper Dip

salsa for game day

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It’s Grey Cup weekend and although the Stampeders didn’t make it, there are many people holding parties this Sunday. What’s a must at any Grey Cup party? Salsa!

I have been wanting to make Ree’s salsa every since I saw it on The Pioneer Woman. It is super easy to make and this recipe makes a lot! It’s perfect for when you’re  having a big gathering to watch the big game. It would also make great Christmas gifts, a nice break from all the sweet treats.

I didn’t have the tomatoes with the chilis so I upped the spices. I love all the green specks from the cilantro! The salsa was delicious and paired nicely with some baked corn tortillas. Cut into triangles, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.

What are you serving at your Grey Cup party?

Restaurant -Style Salsa
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Two 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes

One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves 

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin, with seeds and membrane

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 whole lime, juiced

Combine the tomatoes, cilantro, onions,
garlic, jalapeno, cumin, salt, sugar and lime juice in a blender or food
processor. Enjoy!