Homemade Guacamole

On a hot summer's day like this one, all you really want is something easy to prepare. Right? No big meals! Therefore, it's definitely BBQ for supper tonight, but in the meantime how about a cold beer and some homemade guacamole with crispy tortilla chips. Yum!

I'm back!

Hello Dear Readers,
 

Better late than never as they say!

So it's been a while, I realize; I thought of starting the New Year fresh! Last year was quite the year with all our infertility treatments; what a roll a coaster ride that was! To make that life experience sort and sweet, let’s just say that were not doing that again! We officially turned to a new chapter in our lives; we won't have any biological children of our own but...adoption is an option. We are simply not quite there yet. I feel as though I was trying to do too much all at once and that is why blogging was pushed aside. On the other hand I never stopped cooking! It seems to me that cooking is some form of therapy, lol. When I cook my mind shuts off and I simply enjoy what I am creating!
 

So enjoy the posts to come! I may give a new twist on things. ;)

Have a great day everyone!!

 

Julie

A Warm & Beefy Soup

Hello everyone!

For this week’s recipe I wasn't sure what to cook for all of you, however with the help of my followers on facebook I received great ideas for this week’s recipe.
I want to take the time to thank all of those who participated and gave suggestions, they were much appreciated!


I decide that on this cold and frisky winter day, Emily's suggestion appealed to me...a chucky homemade soup! YUMMO! One of our all time favourite soups in our home is a filling cup of tender beef & barely soup!

I was convinced at the market that I had barley at home and therefore didn't buy any; well I wasn't persuaded enough for unfortunately there was none left. :(  I decided to use basmati rice instead of the barely, which works as great, it is delicious and filling. I had quite a bit of fun in the kitchen today; I hope you all had a great weekend as well.

Enjoy creating this simple recipe in your home!

Have a great week you guys!
Julie 

Beef & Barely (Basmati Rice) Soup

1 pound of Beef (cubes ¼ inch & pepper & Salt to taste)

½ cup of Red wine (Use your favourite wines to deglaze your pan after you seared the meat)

½ a White onion (Diced all of the 3 ingredients)

1 Shallot

2-3 Garlic cloves

1 Package of Knnor onion soup

1 Cube of Knnor concentrated beef stock

2 Diced carrots

1 Whole pepper (For the peppers: use your favourite colours. I used yellow and orange! Have fun in your kitchen!!! )

1 ½ cups of freshly cut green beans

One bag of Baby spinach (optional)

Fresh Thyme

Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Parsley

1 to 1 ½ cups of Barely or Basmati rice

6-8 cups of Water (add more if need be)

Old cheddar cheese for topping

One warm loaf of fresh French bread sliced & smeared with hummus or pesto. Delicious!

 

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Chocolate Guinness Cake

This recipe is DELICOUS!!! All my thanks goes off to Ricardo for creating this recipe. Here is his recipe below and here is his web page http://www.ricardocuisine.com/recipes/3034-chocolate-guinness----cake

However here are my pictures that I took during the process of cooking this cake.

Preparation time: 30 min
Cooking time: 55 min
Waiting: 1 h
Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 750 ml (3 cups) all-purpose flour 
•  10 ml (2 teaspoons) baking soda
•  310 ml (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter 
• 310 ml (1 1/4 cups) Guinness beer or 
• 310 ml (1 1/4 cups) dark local beer (Boreale Noire, St-Ambroise, Chambord, etc.)

•  250 ml (1 cup) cocoa 
powder
•  375 ml (1 1/2 cups) brown sugar 

•  125 ml (1/2 cup) sugar 

•  2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 180 ml (3/4 cup) sour cream
Ganache
• 450 g (16 oz) semisweet chocolate, chopped 

• 125 ml (1/2 cup) dark beer 

•  150 ml (2/3 cup) 35%
 cream
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) light corn syrup
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, diced 




Cake Preparation 

1. With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Line two 20-cm (8-inch) springform pans with parchment paper. Butter and flour the sides.

 

2. In a bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

 

3. In a saucepan, melt the butter with the beer and cocoa powder, stirring with a whisk. Let cool.

4. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, sugar and salt. With a whisk, add the lukewarm butter mixture alternately with the dry ingredients and eggs.

5. Add the sour cream and beat until the mixture is smooth.

6. Divide the batter among the pans and bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Unmould and

let cool. 


Ganache

1.  Place the chocolate in a bowl. Set aside.

 

2.  In a saucepan, bring the beer, cream and syrup to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute.

 

3. With a whisk, gently emulsify the mixture until the chocolate has completely melted. Add the butter and stir to blend. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until the ganache is spreadable but not too thick.

 

4. If necessary, melt slightly in the microwave oven and stir to blend.

 

5. Remove the cake tops to level them. Spread a 1/4 of the ganache on one cake.

 

6. Cover with the other cake and frost with the remaining ganache.

 

 

 

Et voila mes amis bon appétit!!

 

 

Remorse Fruit Salad after the Super Bowl

Remorse Fruit Salad after the Super Bowl

Serves for two

1 Granny smith apple

8 Strawberries

1 Mango

1 tsp of Orange blossom water

½ cup of Fruit of the orchard juice

Interesting info: You’ll be surprise by how such a small splash of orange blossom water can go a long way.

Simple and delicious you can certainly do this recipe in a flash!

Slice your apples, strawberries and mango and place into a large bowl.  Mix your orange blossom water with your juice, then incorporate into your fruit salad, mix together and serve!

That is it “mes amis”…

Bon appétit, until next time!

Hockey & Super Bowl Meal

HOCKEY GAMES & SUPER BOWL WEEKEND!

 

Here is what for supper tonight...it ain't veggie and it ain't fat free, but it will be YUMMY!

Home Made BBQ RIBS, Coleslaw with a twist & Home Made P.E.I Potato Chips!

BBQ RIBS-



The SAUCE- Good for at least four to six large Ribs

 

Mix liquids together.



 Liquids

Chilli Sauce

Ketchup

Molasses

Mustard

Worcestershire sauce  

BBQ Sauce

White wine vinegar

Balsamic vinegar

Hot Sauce

Fresh lime juice

Spices and herbs (add to taste)



 

Garlic powder  Onion powder

Savoury           Oregano

Marjory           Crushed Bay leaves

Basil                Crushed chilli

Black pepper   Smoked paprika

Piment d’Espelette 





If you have a mortar dish, crush your spices together and then add to Liquids. If you don't have a mortar, rub the spices into the palm of your hand.  

Once your sauce is ready, lather your sauce onto the ribs; cover the ribs with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least an hour. This will help all the ingredients penetrate into the meat.

Keep the ribs covered with aluminum foil and cook in the oven at 250F for 1-2 hours. Tip: If you cook the Ribs, slowly they will be much more tendered. Once fully cooked, broil the ribs until slightly browned and serve. I bet they would taste terrific on the BBQ, I can’t wait for summer!

COLESLAW with a Twist!

Half a head of purple coleslaw

2 carrots

¼ of a purple onion

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2-3 tbsp white vinegar

1-2 tbsp white sugar

Lime zest

1 fresh lime juice





Mix together the extra virgin olive oil, white vinegar, white sugar, lime juice and zest. Pour into the coleslaw and let sit for 15-30 minutes and serve.

Homemade P.E.I Potato CHIPS

Potatoes

Canola oil

Salt

Pepper

Lime zest

1. Wash and cut potatoes into wedges

2. Fry your potatoes to taste or until slightly brown.

3. Shake the potatoes into a brown paper page with salt, pepper and to give it a twist lime zest!

Enjoy the SUPER BOWL…Bon Appétit mes amis!

CHEERS!

Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Cookies

On Saturday evening I had my family over for supper! We ate “la raclette” with a wonderful bottle of red wine. Afterwards we all had the opportunity to enjoy chocolate and vanilla marble cookies.

I borrowed the recipe from my cookie book “Irrésistibles Biscuits” by Josée Robiatille.

Here is my modify version of their recipe,

 

Chocolate & Vanilla Marble cookies

¼ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 ½ cups of flour

A sprinkle of salt

½ tsp of baking powder

½ cup of butter at room temperature

½ of sugar

1 egg

1 ½ tsp of vanilla

1. Melt the chocolate in a “bain-marie” and let cool
2. Cream the butter, add the vanilla and the egg
3. Gently sift your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well

4. Separate your dough into two equal parts.
5. Take half your dough and add your chocolate and blend well
6. Roll out each dough onto a wax paper and chill at least 1 hour
7. Remove the wax paper and twist the chocolate and vanilla dough together
8. Cut the cookie dough into ½ an inch slices and place onto a cookies sheet
9. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until slightly brown.

      Enjoy them! 

                                  

Simple and yummy!

See you guys next week…Cheers