Tuesday, June 18, 2013

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake


This past weekend was a busy one with the Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival and Father’s Day celebrations.  Usually we plan out a huge menu for family gatherings but instead we made it a lot easier and laid-back by making my dad a large BBQ dinner.  We cooked chicken and beef kabobs, greek potatoes, grilled peppers, potato salad, homemade tzatiki and for dessert, this EASY as hell no-bake strawberry icebox cake!

I was a little hesitant with this recipe because it’s only 4 ingredients but I was pleasantly surprised at how good this dessert turned out to be.  The graham crackers absorb some of the moisture from the whipped cream which makes them turn into a cake-like texture.  The result is a very light and fluffy dessert that is generally quite healthy especially if you make your own whipped cream. Make sure to refrigerate this cake for at least 3 hours or more, you want to be sure that the graham crackers have softened completely before serving. The only problem with this dessert is that it is so light that you’ll likely want a second piece, or maybe that was just me.  So glad I found this recipe as it is the quickest and most delicious no-bake recipe to whip up for any summer gathering.   Your guests will definitely think that you put a lot more effort into this cake than you really did. 


No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

Ingredients:
3 to 4 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
2 (8 oz.) tubs fat-free whipped topping (or make your own! 1 cup heavy cream + 1 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar + vanilla extract)
1 (box graham crackers
1/4 cup milk chocolate chip morsels

Directions:
1. Spread a small amount of whipped topping on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan. Place 5 graham cracker sheets down the middle and break 2 more sheets into crackers to fit down the sides. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped topping and then a layer of sliced strawberries. Repeat three times, until you have four layers of graham crackers (you may be a few crackers short on the top layer, but that’s ok). You’ll end with a layer of strawberries on top.

2. Place milk chocolate chip morsels in a plastic bag. Microwave in 10 second intervals until melted. Snip the end of the plastic bag and drizzle chocolate over top of cake.


3. Refrigerate covered for at least three hours, or until the crackers have softened completely. Cake will last well for two days. It will still be good on the third day, but the strawberries will start to get juicy and leak into the whipped topping. It will still taste good, but it won’t be as pretty.





Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival at Sugar beach.  The Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival takes place annually and is Toronto’s first outdoor wine and spirit sampling event. The Festival covers a wide range of beverages such as wine, spirits, beer, cider, and coolers. There is something available for every palate. The Festival also brings out local restaurants and chefs who serve up gourmet creations that pair beautifully with the variety of libations that are available throughout the show.

This festival is similar to the many Beer Festival events I have attended where you receive a sampling glass upon entry and visit all of the different booths showcasing their different type of beers. 


Some of my highlights:

Sobeys Urban Fresh had a large booth set-up showcasing some of their Compliments brand cheeses.  I discovered a delicious applewood smoked cheddar made with unpasteurized whole milk and naturally smoked for six hours on all sides with applewood chips for a full infusion of flavour.  In general I am a picky cheese eater so it's hard for me to come across a cheese that I really love.  Well this cheese has won me over.  I probably ate 30 chunks of it at the booth, I kind of would walk by every 25 minutes and down 3 to 4 pieces lol It really is amazing and I can only imagine how good a slice of this would be on a big juicy burger!  Will be testing that out soon.



Magic Moments Vodka: This brand of vodka is 100% gluten-free, made from 100% rice grain, contains no artificial flavours or preservatives and come in 3 awesome flavours.  There was chocolate, lemongrass & ginger and raspberry.  I ended up trying the chocolate vodka straight with a bit of ice and it was incredible.  The chocolate taste was very cocoa-beanish and it was very smooth tasting.  I probably couldn't drink too much of it because it was fairly sweet, but overall a very nice vodka if you want to make some chocolate martinis. Plus this company is Canadian so that makes them naturally awesome.


Amsterdam Brewery Orange Weisse Summer White: If you like wheat beers then this one is a refreshing treat. Predominantly brewed with un-malted wheat which gives it a hazy appearance and the addition of two types of orange peel, some coriander, and a touch of anise. The result is a unique flavour combination of citrus and light spice. Perfect patio or BBQ beer!



Magic Oven: I have heard of the Magic Oven restaurant but this was my first time trying out their food.  Magic Oven serves a selection of healthy pizzas, pastas and sandwiches. Their pizzas can be made to accommodate a variety of dietary concerns - they offer organic spelt pizzas, gluten-free rice flour pizzas and the option of vegan or lactose-free cheese.

I was hoping to try out their famous pizza but they only had veggie samosas to serve up. Of course I had 2 of them which were absolutely delicious!

Cant wait to visit this restaurant and try out more of their food.


Granville Island Robson Street HefeweizenThis unfiltered wheat ale is a West Coast favourite. Enjoy Robson St Hefeweizen chilled in a tall, slim glass with a lemon wedge to enhance the natural fruit flavours of this refreshing beer. This beer was probably my favourite of all the sampling I did.  It had a hint of banana to it which made it so yummy, this is definitely my beer of choice for this summer.


Pommies Dry Cider: Pommies is made from 100% heritage apples and offers a waterfall of taste, clarity and refreshment. Pommies takes pride in providing the most enjoyable drinking experience for anyone who is disillusioned with the same old coolers and beer. At 5% alcohol, Pommies Dry is quite simply…Country Cool…and appeals to anyone striving for both quality and substance.

I actually sampled Pommies awhile back when I received this lovely 4-pack of the cider.  At first glance I thought that the bottles were SO CUTE (sucker for good packaging) and was excited to try them out.  I usually am picky with my cider as I find a lot of them are way too sweet.  Luckily this cider was SUPER refreshing, light and crisp.  It was really easy to drink and I actually wasn't sick of them at all (even after the 3rd bottle) This would be an excellent cider to cook with and i'm excited to try out some of the recipes from their website. 



Overall this was an excellent event that I hope to attend every year! For more information about the Toronto Wine & Spirit Festival please visit: http://www.wineandspiritfestival.ca/


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Way Better Snacks Review and Giveaway


I am pretty sure majority of you out there are chip lovers and if not, consider yourself lucky.  I have always had a small obsession with potato chips but as I got older I realized how incredibly horrible they are for you.  I do have a few ‘chip’ options that satisfy my cravings such as kale chips, pop chips, rice chips etc. but I actually discovered a new brand of tortilla chips by Way Better Snacks that make my snacking 'WAY BETTER'!  Way Better Snacks make a unique tortilla chip by adding sprouted whole grains and seeds to their chips which make them quite nutritious and high in omega 3’s, antioxidants and other vital nutrients.


Seeds and grains are always buzzing in the health food world and I was surprised to find out some of the great benefits delivered by sprouting: increased vitamins and minerals; increased antioxidants; increased digestibility; and increased nutrition absorption.  You can find more information about the process here: http://gowaybetter.com/sprouting/

Way Better Snacks uses only non-GMO and all-natural high quality ingredients and each serving of way better snack tortilla chips contains 17 grams of whole grains! Some of the ingredients in these chips include: sprouted broccoli, sunflower/safflower oil, stone ground corn, sprouted black bean, sprouted quinoa, sprouted daikon radish, and sprouted chia…I already feel healthier by reading that list lol These gluten-free tortilla chips come in a variety of AMAZING flavours all containing an abundance of nutritious ingredients.  The flavours are: Multi-grain, Black Bean, No Salt Naked Blues, Sweet Chili, Sweet Potato and Unbeatable Blues.

My absolute favourite was the black bean tortilla chips dipped in a boatload of hummus.  It was the best combination ever and I found myself eating it for breakfast some days (I’m weird I know).  My dad ended up eating the entire bag of the sweet potato tortilla chips and probably said every 5 minutes to my mother and I “wow these really do taste like a sweet potato” it was cute but got annoying after the 3rd time.  Sweet Chili was another fave because of the slight heat it had to it, I could eat these plain with no dip but it did taste rather delicious with a bit of guacamole on the side. 


These chips are really the perfect snack to pack in your bag at work or to put out on a table when guests come over.  I like eating them on their own but pairing them with a dip is just as delicious.

To find out where you can purchase these chips click here: http://gowaybetter.com/store-locator/

The kind folks at Way Better Snacks are giving one lucky winner a variety pack of their tortilla chips (one of each flavour).  This contest is open to Canadian and US residents only. Good luck, this is a real TREAT to win!! (please enter using rafflecopter, contest ends on Friday June 21st, 2013)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Oogie's Popcorn



Have you guys heard of Oogies popcorn? I was lucky enough to try out some of the awesome and unique flavours of gourmet seasoned popcorn that Oogies has to offer.  Oogies uses non-GMO corn and uses all-natural ingredients, without any artificial flavours or colors, ever. Oogies pops  in 100% percent corn oil which ensures a delicious treat that has no cholesterol, no trans-fat, and is entirely gluten-free.

Oogies has a wide variety of flavours and I have finally tried them all.  It was a lot of popcorn eating the last month and no I didn't eat all the bags by myself, I shared the wealth with friends and family who thoroughly enjoyed snacking on a healthier alternative to the buttery popcorn crap out there.

The flavours I tried were: cracked pepper and asiago, spicy chipotle and lime, smoked gouda, sundried tomato and parmesan, white cheddar, hatch chilli con queso, movie lovers buttered popcorn and kettle corn.

The first bag I dug into was the white cheddar because I am a big fan of Smart Food popcorn.  At first I was like hmm this isn’t really white cheddary but after a few handfuls I could taste the flavour.  I actually liked it a lot because the flavour was much milder than smart food where the flavour can be too intense and get sickening after awhile.  I really enjoyed their take on white cheddar and would love to buy this flavour in the future.

Next was the hatch chilli con queso.  This popcorn basically tasted like the nacho cheese you get when you order nachos with cheese!  I really liked it but could only eat so much as the flavour was quite powerful.  It wasn't spicy at all though so no worries if you can’t handle the heat!

Other really good flavours were the parm and sundried tomato, chipotle lime and cracked pepper and asiago.  The flavours were very prominent but not overpowering at all.  The kettle corn and movie lovers butter were very generic, not a huge fan.

Overall I would buy a few flavours of this popcorn in the future, it’s a great healthy alternative for smart snacking!


Purchase Oogies online at: http://store.oogiesnacks.com/ or find a store near you: http://www.oogiesnacks.com/locator.php


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Blueberry Crisp


Finally the weather has changed and summer temperatures are here! With warm weather comes a different variety of recipes I have been meaning to test out.  In the warmer weather I find that my appetite dwindles and I crave cooler meals such as salads and chilled soups. I also do like a good BBQ though but i like to focus on the side dishes and desserts the most! Bean salads, pasta salads, corn on the cob, trifles, grilled vegetables, ahh the list goes on, so many delicious options.  My first summer dessert recipe this year are individual blueberry crisps!  For the fall season I am an apple crisp fan but in the summer I like to use a lot of berries and peaches in dessert recipes. 

This blueberry crisp is very easy to make and you can whip it up within 15 minutes so you’re not slaving in a hot kitchen trying to impress your guests.  It’s a great portion size too since you’re using a ramekin.  What makes this crisp extra special is the addition of white chocolate chips! You can omit this though if you’d like but it really does add some nice flavor to the crisp. This is a great crisp recipe to have around and you can change up the fruit to just about anything, ,mixed berries, peach, rhubarb, etc.  Play around with this one and enjoy!

Blueberry Crisp
recipe makes 4 individual crisps 

Ingredients:
For Topping:
  • 3/4 cup quick cooking oats
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds, slightly crushed up
  • 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp butter

 For filling:
  • 1 package of frozen blueberries
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Coat four ramekins (or an 8×8 pan) with cooking spray.
  2. Place frozen blueberries in a strainer over a mixing bowl to drain, reserving juice.
  3. In another mixing bowl, combine oatmeal, almonds, white chocolate chips, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  4. Add butter and blend in with a pastry blender until mixture is course and crumbly.  Set aside.
  5. Add sugar and cornstarch to reserved juice and whisk in.  Gently stir in blueberries.
  6. Divide blueberries between the four ramekins (or pour into an 8×8 pan).  Top evenly with oatmeal mixture
  7. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until top is golden brown.
  8. Let the ramekins cool for about 10 minutes before serving
recipe adapted from Lisa's Dinnertime Dish