Burrata cheese with tomato salsa

This is an easy and delicious way to start off any dinner party.  Just pick up some burrata cheese, throw together this easy tomato salsa, serve with crackers and enjoy! 

Ingredients:
1) Burrata cheese (you can substitute with buffalo mozzarella)
2) 3 tomatoes, cubes
3) 3 sprigs of rosemary
4) 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic
5) Olive oil
6) Salt and pepper
7) Crackers


Directions
1) Preheat oven to 425.
2) Place tomatoes in baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and place rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves on top. Roast for 35-40 minutes.
3) Remove from oven, discard rosemary sprigs, remove garlic closes from peel, and roughly chop tomatoes and garlic together.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4) Serve over burrata cheese with crackers.

Chipotle Chicken and Slaw Bites

These little bites have it all.  They are a healthy.  They are delicious - full of crunchy fresh slaw and flavorful spicy creamy chicken.  They cost under ten dollars to throw together.   Oh and did I mention they are easy and quick to make?

I guess there are other reasons that these are my go to appetizers for parties, aside from the fact that they taste soo good, they are the hit of any party.  They sound so simple to make, it's hard to describe the amount of flavor these guys are packing.

So, after much ado I introduce ... Creamy chipotle yogurt chicken and cilantro cabbage slaw in Tostitos scoop cups:

Ingredients:

1) 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

2) 1 cup plain yogurt

3) 2 tbsp chipotle seasoning

4) Juice of 1 lime

5) 1/4 of head of cabbage, sliced into small pieces.

6) 2 tbsp cilantro

7) Salt and pepper to taste

8) Tostitos scoop cups [you can buy them baked now!]

Directions

1) Mix together chicken, yogurt, chipotle seasoning, juice of half a lime and pinch of salt.

2) In another bowl, mix together cabbage, cilantro, remaining lime juice and salt and pepper.

3) Immediately before serving, put chicken and slaw mixes into the scoops cup.

Enjoy the scoops and the rave reviews!

Indulgent Bites of Candied Bacon and Blue Cheese

These are not healthy.  There isn't one redeeming aspect of these.  Except for HOW good they taste.  And their size.   A few small bites can't hurt right?


Who cares.  It's worth it with these little wonton cups full of candied bacon and blue cheese.  I made them with the healthier and equally delicious Chipotle Chicken Slaw Bites so at least guests had a choice, right?


I'm a bacon lover.  I completely subscribe to the view that everything tastes better with bacon.  I didn't think that anything that tasted better than bacon existed...until I discovered CANDIED BACON.  You haven't lived until you try it.  Trust me on this one.  


Balance the sweetness of the bacon against the tanginess of blue cheese and you have an appetizer that guests will rave about and no one will be able to keep their hands off.  Conscious eating out the window.

Ingredients:


1) 1/2 pound of bacon
2) 1/3 cup brown sugar
3) Pepper
4) Blue cheese
5) Fresh wonton wrappers
6) Olive oil


Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2) In a plastic freezer bag, mix together bacon, sugar and pepper, until bacon is well coated.
3) Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.  Cool and break into smaller pieces.
4) Bring oven temperature down to 375 degrees.
5) Prepare a muffin tin with olive oil.
6) Place wonton wrappers in muffin tin.
7) Bake for 5 minutes.
8) Place a generous amount of candied bacon in each cup.  Top with blue cheese. Return to oven for another 5 - 7 minutes until tops of wonton wrappers are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Crunchy sweet slaw with apple and candied pecans

I can't bake to save my life.  The other sister is the baker.  Somehow she inherited the baking and cooking genes, and I only got the cooking.  Last time I tried to make cookies they somehow tasted like plastic.

I think when I was born, my sweet tooth was replaced with a 'crunchy savory tooth'.  I don't crave chocolate but give me a bowl of salty crunchy popcorn and you won't hear a word from me. Until the bowl's gone. 

So... this is about as sweet as I get.  But I love this slaw! Green cabbage, granny smith apple, candied pecans, feta cheese, cilantro and a spicy southwestern-inspired vinaigrette. These are my go to ingredients for slaw and salads. I love the flavor combination and there is enough crunchy saltiness to keep me satisfied.

Ingredients:

1) 1/2 green cabbage, sliced into bite sized pieces

2) 1 granny smith apple, sliced into slivers

3) Squeeze of lime juice 

4) 1 tbsp cilantro

5) 2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled

6) 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped

7) 2 tbsp maple syrup

8) Pepper

For the vinaigrette:

1) 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2) 1 tbsp canola oil

3) 1 tsp brown sugar

4) 1 tsp cumin

5) 1 tsp chili powder

6) Salt to taste

Directions:

1)  Squeeze lime onto sliced apples to keep them from browning.

2) Preheat oven to 375.

3) Mix together pecans, maple syrup and a generous amount of pepper.  Transfer to a foil-lined sheet.

4) Prepare a dish with foil-lined sheet on top.

5) Bake pecans for 15-20 minutes until the maple syrup is bubbling.

6) Transfer immediately to the dish with foil.  The syrup will solidify quickly.

7) Mix together all vinaigrette ingredients.  Use an emulsion blender if you have one to make it creamy!

8) Mix together the cabbage, apples, cilantro, feta, candied pecans and vinaigrette.

You can even make an appetizer out of this.  Just cut up some endive, and make little endive slaw cups!

Healthy Mexican? Crunchy fresh beef totastadas

Mexican food gets a bad rap.  Maybe it's all the cheese, the sour cream, the white flour tortillas, the deep frying ... I had tacos at a restaurant once that were deep fried and covered with gravy.  I don't know how authentic that is but they sure tasted good!  


I love mexican food.  I usually save it for those indulgent days.  But there are so many delicious spices and fresh aspects to the cuisine that there really isn't much unhealthy about it.  Here's my take: play up the spices and the fresh veg and you won't even notice that the cheese and sour cream are missing.  


I'm a carnivore, in every sense of the word.  I could live off of filet mignon.  So tonight I indulged in my steak-lover tendencies with beef tostadas topped with crunchy green cabbage, fresh tomato salsa, chiptole yogurt sauce [had to throw some probiotics in there somewhere!] and lime juice. 

I chose corn tostadas because they are lighter than the typical flour tortilla.  I bought them baked instead of fried and they were still delicious and crispy.  



Ingredients:
For the beef filling:


1) Beef (I bought a piece of striploin and sliced it into long pieces)
2) 1 tbsp cumin
3) 2 tsp chili powder 
4) 1 tsp ground coriander
5) 2 tsp smoked paprika
6) Pinch of salt
7) 2 cloves of garlic, minced
8) 1/2 small onion, diced
9) Olive oil (I used olive oil spray to coat the pan)


For the fresh tomato salsa:
1) 1 tomato, diced
2) 1 garlic clove, minced
3) 1/2 small onion, diced
4) Juice of 1/2 lime
5) 1 tsp chopped parsley
6) Salt and pepper to taste


For the chipotle yogurt:
1) 1 small container of non-fat plain yogurt
2) 1 tbsp chipotle seasoning 


You'll also need:
1) Corn tostadas
2) Chopped green cabbage
3) Lime


Directions:


1) Heat oil in a pan and add the diced onion.
2) Meanwhile, mix the steak and spices in a bowl.
3) Add steak and minced garlic and cook on med-high for approximately 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your steak.
4) In a separate bowl, mix together the salsa ingredients.  
5) Mix together the yogurt and chipotle seasoning.
6) Assemble your tostada!  Tostada + green cabbage + steak + yogurt chipotle sauce + fresh tomato salsa + some fresh lime juice = delicious, fresh, healthy mexican food.  Voila!

Bringing in the fall with a mouthful - Smoked paprika roasted pumpkin and apples, carmelized onion, crispy proscuitto and goat cheese glutten-free flat bread

It's a mouthful to say - and you haven't even taken a bite yet! The smokiness of the paprika....the crispiness of the prosciutto.... the sweetness of the apples and carmelized onions....topped off with some warm melted goat cheese?  This dish is gold.  Beautiful hearty fall gold.  It is so hearty the flatbread is optional.  




I was given some beautiful acorn squash and apples from the Okanagan in B.C. and I couldn't figure out what to do with them! Luckily, I saw Eat's Well with Others' recipe for Fall Bruschetta and was immediately inspired:Eat's Well with Others - Fall Bruschetta Recipe.  Thank you Joanne!

Ingredients:


Topping:
1) 1/2 an acorn squash, cubed
2) 1/2 a gala apple, cubed
3) 1 tbsp smoked paprika
4) 1 small sweet onion, diced
5) 2 pieces prosciutto
6) 2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
7) Olive oil
8) Balsamic Extract
9) Salt and pepper to taste


Glutten-free quinoa flatbread:
1) 1/2 cups quinoa flour
2) 1 tsp xantham gum
3) 1 egg
3) 1/3 cup olive oil
4) 1/2 cup water
5) 1 tsp salt


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400. 
2) Heat olive oil in a pan.  When hot, add onions and a pinch of salt.  Reduce heat to slowly carmelize.
3) In a bowl, mix in cubes of apple, squash and smoked paprika. Transfer to a baking sheet and put in the oven for 40 minutes or until tender on the inside.
4) On another baking sheet lay out prosciutto and put in the oven for the same amount of time as the squash, until really crispy.  When you remove from the oven break into to bite size pieces.  
5) If you decide not to use the flatbread, toss all the above ingredients with goat cheese, and put back in the oven to warm the goat cheese.  Serve with salt and pepper to taste and a drizzle of balsamic extract.


If you do decide to make the flatbread:
6) Combine all the flatbread ingredients in a bowl.
7) Roll out ingredients on parchment paper (I have an olive oil spray that I like to use on the paper to keep it from sticking)
8) Place parchment paper on baking sheet and transfer to the oven.  Bake for 10 minutes at 400.
9) Remove and place the squash, apples, goat cheese, carmelized onions and prosciutto on the flatbread.
10) Brush olive oil on the sides of the flatbread that are not covered with the topping.
11) Bake for another 10 minutes.
12) Remove and top with salt and pepper and a drizzle of balsamic extract.


Get ready for bite after bite of smoky, sweet, crunchy, cozy, hearty .... I could go on and on with adjectives about this one... 

Creamy Indian Goodness - Garam Masala Chicken Curry

In April, I went to India for a couple weeks.  We were only there for a short time but I think I gained 10 pounds from curry alone (the butter naan was where I gained the other 10).  I've always loved indian curry, and every hole in the wall restaurant, every street vendor delivered dish after dish of deliciousness.  

We soon discovered the secret - lots and lots of ghee.  Maybe abit of cream too.  

  

I crave curry on the regular so I decided to come up with a healthier version of garam masala chicken curry to satisfy my craving.  I think this one comes pretty close to the delicious creamy curry I dream about from India.  

I made more than enough for one so I freezed it.  I am planning on going back to India for lunch for the next couple weeks!

Yogurt is such an important part of indian cuisine that it seemed natural to supplement the cream of the curry with yogurt.  I used a plain non-fat organic pro-biotic yogurt, but you can use whatever yogurt you want - as long as it's plain.  

I also substituted olive oil for the ghee.  You don't need much.  The flavors of this curry speak for themselves!

Ingredients:

1 large chicken breast cut into cubes

1 large sweet onion 

2 large cloves of garlic 

A generous amount of ginger (I used about an inch of the thick part of the ginger root)

3 tbsp garam masala 

1 tbsp cumin 

2 tsp cayenne (I like it spicy! so feel free to tone down on the cayenne and chili powder) 

2 tsp chili powder 

1 can of tomato paste 

1 can diced tomatoes 

3/4 cup plain yogurt

Salt to taste

1 1/2 tbs Olive oil

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil in a pan on the stove. 

2) Dice half the onion and add to the oil to soften.

3) In a blender, grind the remaining onion, garlic and ginger to a paste.

4) When the onions are soft, add the chicken and onion/garlic/ginger paste.

5) Add the spices and cook until the chicken is almost cooked through.

6) Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes and simmer until the sauce thickens.

7) Remove from heat.  Incorporate the plain yogurt and add salt to taste.

Serve with brown rice and peas, garnish with cilantro and enjoy your taste trip to India!