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May Playlist
Cheese Puff Bites
Cheese Puff Bites
Looking for a new cheesy snack idea?
These are fun as an appetizer for your next party or great just as a snack after work or class.
This is so easy- only 2 ingredients! Today I chose cheddar cheese as the star ingredient but feel free to experiment!
Other filler ideas: fill them with cream cheese, a square of dark chocolate, peanut butter, Nutella, jam…?
Ingredients:
1 package defrosted puff pastry cut into 12- 2 by 1 inch squares
12 squares cheddar cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Cover a baking pan with parchment paper.
Lay out puff pasty rectangles a few centimeters apart. Put a piece of cheese on each rectangle.
Fold over the pastry and pinch the edges.
Using a fork, poke some holes in each cheese puff. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm.
Leftover pasta con olio d’oliva
Leftover pasta con olio d’oliva
When your summer is still spent in school, us college foodies don’t have time for anything truly gourmet, or do we? This recipe is great as all you need is a little leftover pasta of your choice, some generously donated thyme from your parents fridge, and a little bit of that staple olive oil.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup cooked pasta (any you like)
- pinch pepper
- 3 sprigs thyme (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- a little bit of grated mozzarella if you have it on hand
* throwing in some bread crumbs can also be a nice addition and you should have some at hand. I mean what student house does not have stale bread in it?
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the pasta and cook for about 5 min, adding the thyme, garlic and pepper as it cooks. The Pasta should be nice and crispy from the oil after you remove it from the pan, or extra “al dente” you could say! Add the cheese and enjoy your easy but delicious meal before running off to your class. Be prepared for a bit of garlic breath… so if you received a bad mark from your prof, remember to sit in the front row and ask many many questions. Nothing like the smell of sweet garlic to enact grade related revenge!
Oatmeal Pancakes
Oatmeal Pancakes
The classic fluffy pancake is great but sometimes a change is good too. These oatmeal ones are a bit denser so I find you can eat a tad less and still be full and satisfied.
I also like these as leftovers heated up a bit and smeared with peanut butter!
Ingredients:
(Makes 6 small pancakes)
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- ½ cup AP flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Butter for cooking
Directions:
Mix the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon together.
In a separate bowl mix the coconut oil, maple syrup, egg whites and milk together.
Gently fold both bowls of ingredients together.
Heat 1 tsp butter in a frying pan at medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter to form each pancake. When the batter starts to bubble, flip. Cook for another few minutes.
Top with banana slices and maple syrup (REAL maple syrup!)
BLT Salad
BLT Salad
A classic sandwich turned into a Saturday salad! Plus I feel like if you are not normally a salad eater you might be if it’s topped with crispy bacon.
Salads are a go to lunch for me. They are easy to pack for work or a great weekend option. I am getting so excited to be able to pick some of these ingredients up at the local farmers market soon!
It’s the long weekend so lot’s of cottaging and boating and BBQ’s to look forward to!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups arugula
- 6 strips bacon cooked/crumbled
- 10 cherry tomatoes- sliced
- Croutons (used 3 slices toasted baguette drizzled with olive oil and cubed)
- Dressing options- ranch, creamy Caesar, olive oil and lemon juice
Directions:
In a large bowl add all the ingredients together. Drizzle with your choice of salad dressing. Creamy dressings give it that mayo feel from the traditional sandwich ingredient.
Summer Fruit Pizza
Summer Fruit Pizza
First off I want to apologize for not posting as frequently lately. I had a few computer issues but now everything is super!
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to visit Sackville New Brunswick! It was a beautiful weekend full although still a bit chilly a nice sunny weekend.
Sackville, New Brunswick
Sackville, New Brunswick
While in Sackville we went to a BBQ and had this delicious dessert. It was so fresh and reminiscent of summer flavours!
Adapted from Betty Crocker: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/fruit-pizza/d0a63dd9-cbcf-4186-93e5-1ab204c88a2c
Ingredients:
- 1 pouch: sugar cookie mix (Betty Crocker)
- ½ cup butter- melted
- 1 egg
- 1 cup cool whip
- ½ cup cream cheese frosting (Betty Crocker)
- 3 ½ cups mixed fruit- fresh kiwis, berries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly spray a 14 inch pizza pan with cooking spray.
In a bowl mix cookie mix with melted butter and egg until dough forms.
Press dough in bottom of the pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Let cool for 45 minutes.
In a bowl mix the cool whip and frosting together.
Spread over crust.
Layer with sliced fresh fruit.
Slice and serve!
Warm Mango Couscous Salad
Warm Mango Couscous Salad
Summer is in the air and that means it is time for some summer eats! There is no better way to kick off your holiday by cooking this easy and light salad for your friends and family.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup couscous
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup scallion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup mango, diced
- ¼ cup red bell peppers, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
Directions:
First bring the water to a boil then add the couscous, immediately covering and removing from heat.
While the couscous is cooking (about 5 min) start chopping all your ingredients.
Then put everything into a pan (excluding the feta), mix in the orange juice, vinegar, and olive oil and simmer over medium heat for about 5 min.At this point the couscous should be more than done. Fluff it up with a fork and transfer to a serving dish. Mix in the pan concoction and crumble in the feta cheese. Give it a stir, and eat up! Tastes great warm or cold. Also feel free to add in a ¼ cup of slivered almonds for a bit more CRUNCH.
Iced Baileys Nutella Hot Chocolate
Iced Baileys Nutella Hot Chocolate
This is probably one of the best drinks if you have the same love of Nutella as I do!
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup Nutella
- ½ cup almond milk
- 6 ice cubes
- 1 shot Baileys
Directions:
Mix the Nutella with the almond milk and warm in a sauce pan over medium heat until incorporated. Take off the heat and cool.
Blitz the ice, baileys and the milk and Nutella mixture until incorporated. Throw in some straws and get sippin!
P.S – Sorry for not posting yesterday! We are having a few computer issues at the moment so thanks for being patient as we figure this out 
Marco Salad
A story and recipe by guest writer Marco:
Recently, Marco went to a Latin dance conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. During the trip, the local Jazz scene was investigated. In particular, Preservation Hall.
After buying some voodoo dolls (only the good ones), I went on one of those ‘gator swamp tours’.
Well, wouldn’t you know…one of them gators gave Marco a dirty look (he likely felt insecure with another silverback in his territory).
After this, Marco had no problem trying out the local cuisine…including fried alligator nuggets!
Well, the next day, the gator had his revenge. Marco was a bit slow doing his rumba routine. And things only got worse…Marco’s caboose could hardly keep up during the bomba, and mambo. By the time his bachata was unleashed, there were signs of crushing chest pain!
A pledge was made that a healthy detox was needed urgently.
And thus, was invented the Marco Salad!
Recipe:
1. Cut up 5 spicy chicken cold cuts into small strips (I like Tandoori or Cajun flavour). Fry with spices sprinkled on top (dill, onion, garlic, and Italian spices).
Into a large salad bowl add the following:
2. Cut up 1 container of vine-grown tomatoes (for that ol’ Italian smell – smell them and you’ll know what I mean!)
3. Cut up 1 full container of multicoloured cherry tomatoes (yellow, orange, red).
4. Cut up 5 small radishes into small slices.
5. Cut up 1/3 of a green, yellow, or red pepper
6. Cut up 1/5 of a small to medium-sized cucumber.
7. Add about a cup of lettuce (I don’t add much lettuce…it masks the taste of the tomatoes I think).
8. Add a little bit of chopped red onion (10 grams)
9. Add crushed garlic parmesan pretzel crisps - use about 1/4 of a cup. This adds crunch and is a very tasty alternative to croutons and the like.
10. Add a 200 g container of mini bocconcini cheese (cut each ball in half).
11. Now, add the friend chicken from Step #1.
12. Add a small block (2 tablespoons) of Gruyere cheese, cut up into tiny cubes.
13. Add onion, garlic, dill seasoning, and pepper on top.
14. Add dressing (I use balsamic or Italian herb…I don’t like creamy dressings on this).
15. This is critical. Serve with a French bread stick.
16. This is also critical. Finish with the merengue.
And don’t worry, after eating a few of these salads, Marco is back doing the paso doble!