Four cheese artichoke dip

A hot and cheesy artichoke dip is hard to resist. It's a party favourite and almost always is served as an appetizer with toasted bread or fried tortilla. Today I am sharing my recipe for this rich and creamy treat. Try it this holiday season!

Ingredients

2 cups chopped artichoke hearts

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 block (8 ounce)  softened cream cheese

2 cups mayonnaise

1 cup shredded gouda (or swiss, mozzerella)

1/2 cup shredded parmigiana reggiano 

1/2 softened goat cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cracked pepper

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

Method

Four cheese artichoke dip

Preheat oven to 350C. Cream all cheeses and mayonnaise on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Move dip to an oven safe baking dish, crack more black pepper on top, sprinkle more parmigiana reggiano and bake at 350C for 40 minutes. Serve hot with bread. If you're making in advance you can reheat dip in hot oven for 5 minutes.

I like to squeeze a bit of lemon juice over top to add that extra zing that compliments the creaminess. Devour hot or cold, but make sure to have enough bread or chips handy.

Enjoy!

Jerk Chicken

Today I am sharing my recipe for Jerk Chicken. This is a Jamaican dish that I have become familiar with throughout my childhood. I grew up in east Toronto, which has a large Jamaican community. They are a lively community who always celebrate their culture with music and food in local festivals. I remember attending so many with friends and family growing up. The sound of the steel drums being played along the streets reminds me of all the beef patties and fried plantains I used to devour while dancing with my friends. Ahh, the good ol' days.

If you are a lover of Jerk chicken, or you want to experience the delicious peppery spice of it for the first time, give my recipe a try.

Ingredients

4 full chicken legs

1 large onion

3 full stalks green onion

2 cloves garlic

2 scotch bonnet peppers

1/2 cup soya sauce

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp cracked black pepper

1 tbsp thyme

1 tbsp Jamaican allspice

1/2 tbsp ground ginger

Directions

Set aside chicken in large bowl.

Take other ingredients and purée in a blender until thick. Pour over chicken and let marinate overnight. Then transfer chicken to hot grill, or add chicken and marinade to cast iron  pan and bake at 350C for 85 minutes then another 5 minutes on high broil to get a nice crust on top.

Enjoy with fried plantain, coleslaw and rice and peas!

Borscht

Borscht is a Ukrainian stew made of beets and other vegetables. It is enjoyed all over eastern Europe. This stew is very hearty, healthy and the perfect choice for those who are looking to warm up with a hot delicious meal.

If you're getting tired of the same old chicken noodle or cream of broccoli, give this delicious recipe a try instead.

Ingredients

3 large beets
2 large potatoes
1 large carrot
1 large onion
1/2 head of green cabbage
4 L water
3 cups cubed veal
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 tbsp minced fresh dill
2 bay leaves
3 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
Sour cream optional

Method

Wash veal or beef and place in 4L salted water. Bring to boil, then lower heat and sift out the yucky beefy foam the floats to the top. Since the water needs time to boil, shred or dice your beets, potatoes, carrot, cabbage and onion.

In a pan, sautee the beets, tomato paste, sugar, evoo and vinegar on medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove and place briefly in another dish.

Using the same pan, sautee the onions, carrots and evoo for 10 minutes. This part may seem odd to divide the ingredients into different sautees, but the traditional Ukrainian recipe claims by doing this, the vitamins in the vegetables don't get lost within the stew.

Add all the sautéed vegetables to the beef broth and then add the raw potato, cabbage and remaining spices. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes. When serving, garnish with fresh dill and a large spoonful or two of sour cream.

Enjoy!

Tabouleh

So today, we're going to learn how to make a delicious parsley salad called Tabouleh. I've decided to share my recipe because it's so tasty, very healthy and I think people could benefit from eating it more often. I grew up eating this on a regular basis since it was a family favourite. Originating from Syria, Tabouleh became very popular in Lebanon and other Levintine countries and is now the most popular salad in all the Arab world.

When making Tabouleh, remember, patience is a virtue. I recommend making a lot at once because it's a bit time consuming. You're not just tearing up some iceberg lettuce and throwing cherry tomatoes on top, but.. it's worth the effort because it's really delicious and you'll eat it quick enough that you'll want more (at least if you're like me anyway!)

Ingredients

2 bunches curly parsley
1 bunch green onions
2 large tomatoes
1 small cucumber (optional)
3/4 cup burgul (fine)
Juice of 2 lemons
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp salt


Directions

Wash the parsley and vegetables very well. Start picking apart the parsley leaves from the stems. Discard all stems and try not to have them in the salad. Dice the tomatoes, green onions and cucumber and set aside. In a separate bowl, add boiling bater to the burgul and let stand for 10 minutes. You will notice the burgul will expand to twice the amount because of water absorption. Drain very well. Nothing is worse than a soggy Tabouleh.

Take a large handful of parsley at a time to a chopping board, and chop the heck out of it until it's very fine. Add all diced vegetables and burgul in a large bowl and then add the juice of the lemons, the olive oil and the remaining herbs and spices.

Mix very well to get everything incorporated. I like to refrigerate the salad for a bit before I dive in because I like to eat it cold and crisp.
Enjoy!

Musakhan

Today, I will be sharing the traditional recipe for a favourite dish of mine, called Musakhan. It's a Palestinian dish with chicken, but what I truly love about it, is that it highlights a spice which I find is very underused these days - sumac.

This dish is meant to be enjoyed with your bare hands. Part of the fun in this meal is that you grab off pieces of the warm pita, and use it to scoop up other parts of the dish.

If you're looking to try something new, and not be disappointed, I highly suggest that you try making this for dinner. It is a high calorie, high fat meal, so I'm not always making it, which can be quite tricky, because I am in love with it's deliciousness.

Ingredients
4 full chicken legs (you can use breast)
4 large pitas

Musakhan

2 large red onions
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)
2 tbsp ground sumac
1 tbsp tahini sauce
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Parsley and pomegranate for garnish



Method
Slice the onions and let sautee in almost the entire cup of olive oil for around 25 minutes, on low-medium heat. While the onions are cooking, coat the chicken with all the spices and then heat up some oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken for about 25 minutes. You can also bbq grill, or bake the chicken.


Once the onions are done, spread some over each pita and bake in the oven at 350C for 5 minutes, or until it begins to get a good crisp (don't over do it!) Place the cooked chicken on top and garnish with pine nuts and tahihi sauce.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

As some of you know, I bake and am a creator of yummy things. One of them is my chocolate chip cookie. If you are a cookie connoisseur such as myself, you have likely both seen and made several chocolate chip recipes. Usually the ingredients are the same, but it's the quantity of certain ones that will affect the outcome of this sweet treat. More brown sugar equals a chewier cookie, whereas using all white will bake a crisp cookie with a snap.

Below I am sharing my gooey chocolate chip cookie recipe. Oh, and just letting you know, it's perfect for making Ice Cream Sandwiches!

Ingredients

2-1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk)

2 eggs

1 cup salted butter (room temp)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Method

Preheat oven to 375C and grease or line parchment paper to cookie sheet.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter for a minute or two on medium speed. Add white and brown sugars and beat until smooth, about 5 minutes on medium to high speed. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla.

After a minute, slowly add the baking soda, flour and chocolate chips on low speed (unless you want flour everywhere! hehe) and mix until it becomes a dough. Reserve some chips to press into top of cookies to give that visual yumminess.

Refrigerate for 10 minutes, then scoop out a spoonful at a time and roll into balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. 

You'll want the centre of the cookie to be soft. Let the cookies cool for 20 minutes, and you'll have a decadent gooey treat. Makes 20-24 

Enjoy!

Pavlova

When I was younger, I remember seeing a Pavlova and doing a double take, because I thought it was a sponge cake covered in whipped cream and fruit. Upon my curious investigation, I saw the cake was actually made of a light fluffy shell! I've always found Pavlova to be quite fascinating because it was the first cake I'd ever seen which didn't contain flour.

This meringue based dessert was named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.
Pavlova was a popular dancer in the 1920's and after touring New Zealand, its people fell in love with her gracefulness so they named a cake after her. She must have been one amazing ballerina because this is one delicious dessert.
Give it a try, you won't be disappointed :-)

Ingredients
Meringue
4 egg whites (room temp)
1-1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Lemon Custurd Cream  (topping)
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cup heavy cream 35%
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)


Method

Meringue
Preheat oven to 300C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and with pencil, draw an 8" circle in the middle to use as a guide.

Whip egg whites on high speed in your electric mixer for aprox 3 minutes. Once you see the white fluff up, slowly add the sugar over the next minute and incorporate until it becomes a thick and sticky marshmallow like texture. Make sure to not over beat the egg whites before you add the sugar! They will collapse, and that's not what you want!



Once you have the white sticky meringue you're looking for, gently fold in the vinegar, cornstarch and vanilla. Bring the mixer bowl to your baking sheet, and fold out the meringue onto your baking sheet in the circle you've drawn as a guideline.

Place in oven at 300C for 5 minutes, then lower heat to 250C and bake for another 75 minutes. Turn oven off and let cake cool completely while in oven.

Pavlova

Lemon Custard Cream
In a small pot on a stove top using medium heat, add sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla and whisk for 1 minute, then add 1/2 cup heavy cream (1 cup should remain aside) and whisk constantly for 5-7 minutes until it thickens to a custard. When finished, let chill in the refrigerator until cooled completely.

When both the meringue and lemon custard cream are cooled, make your whipped cream by adding the remaining 1 cup heavy cream to mixing bowl and run on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold in the lemon custard to the whipped cream, and spread on top of Pavlova once it's cooled.


Top with fresh fruit, and enjoy!

Pasta Bolognese

I love a tomato based sauce for my pasta! Don't get me wrong, at times I crave the delicious, creamy cheese sauces too, but my go to is a sweet tomato sauce, so thick, it coats every crevice of a rigitoni and smothers every fettuccine noodle. Mmm...
Below is my recipe for Pasta Bolognese. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients for Sauce
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
4 mushrooms, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Fettuccine Bolognese

4 basil leaves, ripped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp white sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili flakes
2 cups tomato paste
3 cups water
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
1 lbs lean ground beef



1 lbs fresh pasta or 1 box pasta of your choice


Method
Bring 4L salted and oiled water to a hard boil.

Mince the onion, carrot, garlic and mushroom and saute in olive oil on medium heat for 10 minutes or until softened. Add salt, chili flakes and ground beef. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sugar, then stir. Let cook for 5 minutes before adding water and basil. Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cheese to your sauce before you serve and make sure you stir it in well until it melts, or just sprinkle some cheese on top. I like to toss my fresh pasta with my sause and reserve more to put on top! It gets messy ;) But today, I kept it easy on the eyes for my photo. I did however add plenty more sauce afterwards! Mmm...

Enjoy!

Benefits of Green Tea

For years, we've been hearing Green Tea is good for us. How we should use it or consume it in any way. From sipping tea, matcha powder in our smoothies, or even in our hand lotion, there are many ways to benefit from it. Not only very high in antioxidants, it offers so many more reasons to use for better health and well being. Here are only a few:

Lowers Cholesterol 

Replacing unhealthy snacks and drinks with green tea could actually help maintain your good and bad cholesterols. Green tea’s powerful antioxidant, EGCG, is believed to halt the absorption of cholesterol into the blood.

Skin Protection
The catechins in green tea can actually make the skin more resistant to the effects of UV rays and therefore premature skin aging. They can also lead to reduced skin redness after UV exposure. Look for skin care products that contain pure green tea.

Promotes Weight Loss
Green tea has small amounts of caffeine, and there are studies that show EGCG, the active compound in green tea, promotes weight loss. Research has found that those who consume high amounts of catechins from green tea daily had significantly BMI than those who don't.

Green Tea Leaves

Fights Cancer 
The antioxidant powerhouse slashes your risk for developing heart disease and some cancers. Studies show green tea consumption can also charge your metabolism which in turn helps you burn energy efficiently. 

Natural Energy Boost
Need the caffeine jolt, but don't drink coffee? Try making green tea at home with organic natural matcha powder. Either add it to hot water, warm milk, or to your smoothie. You'll feel the natural kick and stay energised and feel good knowing you're drinking something that's good for you. Use 1/2 tsp for every 1 cup of liquid.

I can't wait to try the two hills green tea matcha powder I picked up at the health food store. I'm looking forward to having easier access to pure green tea and hoping to feel a natural boost of energy along with other benefits!

Happy Green Tea-ing :)

Chocolate Bounty Bars

Not only am I sharing my delicious coconut chocolate bar recipe, it's super easy to make! If you love coconut, you must try this (get ready for addiction!) Homemade Bounty bars! Yaaas!
Let's get right to the recipe so you can make this ASAP and wonder why you haven't made it sooner!

Ingredients
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar (icing sugar)
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt


Method

Add shredded coconut, powdered sugar, salt and condensed milk in a large bowl, and mix with a large spoon or spatula for 2 minutes, or until all fully combined. The mixture will be very thick, so take your time incorporating it all.
Form into large ball and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Remove from fridge and rip individual pieces from the ball. Roll the piece back and forth in your hands, and shape into small sized bars. You should be rolling out 12-14 bars. Place them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. If your hand gets a bit sticky, add a splash of water to them,


In the meantime, melt all the semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter in a microwavable bowl (use milk chocolate if you'd like) for 2 minutes, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is thick yet smooth. After the coconut bars have been in the freezer for 30 minutes, remove each one carefully and place on a fork so you can dip it in the chocolate. Cover the bar fully with chocolate and place back on the cookie sheet. Once you've completed all of them, put back in the fridge for 10 minutes in order for the chocolate to harden.

Enjoy!

Mujadara (Lentils with caramelised onion)

Like all good kids (beaming with pride), I grew up eating my lentils when my mom cooked them, and she cooked them often, especially during religious holidays when we didn't eat meat. I've always enjoyed eating the Mujadara she cooks, which is a popular middle eastern dish. It's packed with fibre and protein and very filling. I love adding lots of caramelised onion to my lentils, cause it makes it that much yummier! I hope you give this delicious recipe a try if you're looking for a vegan/vegetarian dinner option or just want to try something new.

Ingredients
2 cups brown lentils
1/4 cup rice
5 cups vegetable broth (or water)
6 large onions, sliced

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt (or a bit more to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Add lentils, rice, broth, all spices and one tablespoon of olive oil to a pot. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil, then lower to medium heat and let simmer for 45 minutes or until the lentils are no longer very firm. You want them to soften a bit.

In a separate saucepan, throw in the remaining olive oil and the sliced onions. Cook on medium heat for approximately 30 minutes or until it's nice and caramelised.

When the lentils have softened, serve some up with onions on top.
Try eating with salad or Greek yogurt.
Enjoy!

Steamed mussels and shrimp

If you're a seafood lover, I think you will like this recipe. Make sure you head to your local seafood market and grab the freshest mussels you can find. Have a baguette ready to rip apart and dip into the juices and a bib because this might get a bit messy.

Ingredients
2-3 pounds mussels
6-8 large raw peeled shrimp
2 cups coconut milk
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon red chili, diced
3 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon sugar
Fresh cilantro to taste

Method

Add oil in large skillet on medium heat. Throw in diced onion and garlic and let sweat for 2 minutes. Add red curry paste and mix well. After a few minutes add coconut milk, lime juice and sugar.

Stir and let simmer for a couple minutes. Then add tomato, red chilli, shrimp and mussels. Combine everything, and cover skillet to let mussels cook and open up - about 7-8 minute.

*discard mussels that do not open!

Serve in its own juices and and enjoy with cilantro and fresh bread.

Easy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

Indian cuisine has always been a favourite of mine. Over the years I've managed to convince myself that making Indian dishes, including my absolute favourite - Butter Chicken, is difficult to make. I think I only did that because I didn't want to come to terms with just how high in fat and calories the dish is.

Well, recently, I took a gander at an authentic recipe, and I did a little bit of tweaking to greatly lower the fat and calories but turns out, the taste is just as good, really! If you have a slow cooker and a cabinet full of spices, you need to give this recipe a try ASAP! Mmm..

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small pieces)
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oi
1  1/2 cup low fat coconut milk
1 cup low fat sour cream
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons tandoori masala
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
10 cardamom pods (semi crushed in a bouquet garni - or pick them out, don't leave them in)

Method
Melt butter and vegetable oil in pan on medium heat. Add garlic and onions and let cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken and let cook for 10 minutes on medium-high. Add all the spices and tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes.

Transfer to the slow cooker and add the cardamom, coconut milk and sour cream. Stir to incorporate and cover. Let simmer in slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

Enjoy!