Mango Salsa with....Everything!

Mango Salsa....delicious and nutritious!

Chicken Thigh's from the grill with mango salsa

Mango salsa is so versatile.....it can be served with chips as an appie, as  side dish to your main meal, or even just as a quick snack.   It can jazz up leftovers, or use it as a topper for salad instead of your standard dressing.    We BBQ'd some chicken a few nights ago and had it with mango salsa, pan fried peppers and tortillas.  It was a delicious meal that was not only nutritious, but kid AND adult friendly!   And for those who need gluten free, corn tortilla's are a great option.  

Mango salsa jazzin' up leftover slow cooked beef

Mango salsa ingredients are versatile, and really whatever you want.  I have two good friends who make AWESOME mango salsa....which inspired me to make my own.  It's never the same twice, but it is always fantastic!

2 ripe mangos (if you don't know how to cut a mango, see the link below)

1/2 diced cucumber

1/2 finely diced red pepper

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 - 2 ripe tomatoes, diced

Juice of 1 lime

Optional ingredients:  jalapeno peppers, poblano peppers, diced avocado, onion

Chop above ingredients and mix together.  Can keep in fridge for up to 3 days, though if using avocado, mixture may not last as long.  Enjoy!

Optional ingredients:  jalapeno peppers, poblano peppers, diced avocado, onion

http://localfoods.about.com/od/onionsleeks/ss/How-To-Cut-A-Mango.htm

Winefest 2013!

Doesn't the title say it all?  And isn't a picture worth 1000 words?

We went to Winefest on Saturday night for a date night, and it was delicious, filled with all my favourite things...fine wine, delectable cheese plates and mini yummy appies and desserts.  Springbank Cheese supplied the cheese for the evening, and I had a plate from each of the THREE locations in the Big Four Building.  Maybe this seems excessive...but each station had different types of cheese, so it only seemed right to try each and every one!  And no evening would be complete without port....and not just one kind....at least 5 kinds...but by that part of the night, my mind was fuzzy... so it could have been more, but I cannot remember.

Delicious appies and desserts!

Cheese Plate number 3.....I could have gone for a fourth

Are these wines the same?

No..they were different...right?
Either way...same...different....delicious!

And to finish the night...my three favourite port wines...
I am sure I tried two more, but can't remember.

Apparently I fell asleep on the floor with my puppy.  What a great night!

Steak Salad Supreme

We barbecued steak on the weekend, and as luck would have it, there were enough leftovers to make a jazzy salad. I am not typically a "salad" person unless it is a really interesting salad.  I don't go for iceberg lettuce and cucumber salad.  I need some substance and depth to my salad.   One of my favourite things to do is to use our leftover meat, whatever it may be, and throw it on top of interesting and flavourful greens.   Add in some pecans, craisins and a few crumbled slices of fresh aged parmesan cheese and it's like your meal has been prepared by a famous chef.  Drizzle with yummy balamic reduction and...well, let's just that I'm glad I had some alone time with my salad today.

Arugula Steak Salad

Balsamic Reduction
from a friend of mine!

Here's what I did:

• Sliced up the leftover steak and heated it up (not too much)
• Washed some arugula (yum!)
• Added some fresh mango and strawberry slices
• Added some raw pecans, craisins and crumbled aged parmesan
• Drizzled the balsamic reduction

 It was quick, easy, delicious and nutritious!  Let's here it for Steak Salad!

Happy Hallowe'en!

Katniss Everdeen!

I have never LOVED Hallowe'en.  I like it, but I don't love it.  Growing up in Nova Scotia, it was always cold and damp, and any costume you wore had to be modified with some sort of raincoat and rubber boots, or a winter jacket and mitts.   Calgary is no different, though the last 5 years here have been so mild that tonight's "freezing" weather threw me for a loop.  But...it's all about the kids, and they had a blast tonight.  

Welcome to Zombie-land!

For the first time since we have been taking them Trick or Treating, tonight was the first night that they went on their own, with friends.   At first, I thought I would be sad (no, I didn't!).   I came home after dropping my daughter at her friends and it was just my husband and I.  A strange feeling at first on  Hallowe'en, but then, we opened some wine, made a fancy cheese and olive plate, and I was no longer feeling nostalgic...but feeling proud that my kids had friends to be with, and proud that they were out on their own, having fun.  

All in all, it was a Happy Hallwe'en for everyone...kids AND parents!

Tricks and Treats for us too!!!  Yum!

Slappin' the Salami (not what you think!)

Mrs F's Slappin-the-Salami Appie

We had a fantastic weekend, surrounded by friends, family and food...my three favourite F-words!   Add in some fine wine, football and friendly conversation and it made for a fabulous weekend, full of fun (more F-words!).  As usual, I am always on the lookout for new and delish appies for my food repertoire, and this weekend did not disappoint!  Simple and delicious, eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing, it is a must-have at any gathering.  Plus, if you tell your friends you brought over your "slappin' the salami" appie, you are sure to be the most popular person there!  

What you need:  Pickled asparagus (from Costco of course), sliced Genoa salami and cream cheese.

What to do:  slap the cream cheese on the salami, and spread evenly.  Then just roll your asparaguses in the cream-cheese-smeared-salami, and layer nicely on a plate.  They'll go pretty fast, so make sure to grab your salami first before anyone else gets it!

And last, but not least...grab your drink, grab your plate and sit back, relax and enjoy!  And if you don't really get the rules of the CFL, or don't understand why those guys take a knee, and run the clock, just "fake it till you make it" and you'll be fine!



Cheers!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Happy Birthday Sherene!

Last week was my 43 birthday, and for those who know me, you know I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY!  I think that most July people would agree that they too love love LOVE their birthdays, especially if have been blessed with being both July AND Leo!  Thank you to my family (who live quite far from me) for all the birthday wishes that were emailed, phoned, facebooked, texted, etc...  LOVE IT!   My aunt sent me my birthday horoscope, which I also loved:  Your birthday resolutions will have more power than usual this year, so think hard about what it is you most wish to accomplish then promise yourself that you will make it happen. Do something special every single day.

To celebrate my birthday week, we went camping last week with the kids, and 2 other families as well (both from my hubby's side of the fam).  We camped at Kikomun Creek Provincial Park, which is absolutely one of the most beautiful and clean and well kept campgrounds I have ever been to.  It's just outside of Fernie, BC, and the weather could not have been more spectacular.  It really was a great birthday week!  We had great food, happy hour drinks and happy hour appies, time to relax and visit, spent time reading (for me that was the second instalment of Fifty Shades), swam, visited friends of ours who have a place on Lake Kookanusa, spent a day on their boat (thanks!!), hiked around Surveyors Lake and ate the BEST home-made beef jerky ever, thanks to my fave brother in-law :-)

A beautiful, healthy and delicious
breakfast featuring my new fave
Oikos Yogurt!  Tres Yummy!

For my actual birthday (July 24th), I had an amazing continental breakfast presented to me (thanks to my "cousin-in-law"...who was also intertwined in Fifty Shades!) and got to relax in my gravity chair drinking my coffee and eating my delicious breakie (while my daughter gave me a foot massage!).

Breakfast AND a foot massage!

Cheers sis!! (wish my eyes were open!!)

My fave sister-in-law (also furiously reading Fifty Shades) gave me a beautiful scarf from Switzerland, which I LOVE, and Swiss chocolate!  Yum!!!







My son gave me a Pandora charm (my fave animal....a giraffe) and my daughter gave me some beautiful earrings along with some home-made gifts that included some Spa-coupons (her room for a massage), a home-made jewellery box, and other treasures that she created for me.  Hubby's gift....of course....it was Neil Diamond himself, singing in concert (awesome!).

Happy Birthday To Me!  What a great day
and a terrific family pic!

6 different kinds of jerky,
all meticulously labelled
and incredibly delicious!

My brother-in-law gave me the assortment of beef jerky that he made and it was really the best beef jerky ever (worthy of its own posting once I get all his ingredients and the brand of his food deyhydrator!).  Dinner that night was of course appies:  ribs, wings, and dessert was a delicious chocolate cake (made by my husband) but it was the black-bean cake recipe, which I know does not sound that good but truly, it was DELICIOUS!  It had a full can of black beans, no flour, and was so moist and fantastic and by the way...freezes beautifully!!!    The recipe and link for that is posted below!





I will be posting some of the foodie pics, and other camping pics, but for now, really just wanted to say thank you to everyone who made my day so special and memorable, and also need to say thank you to E. L. James (author of...you guessed it the "Fifty Shades" series), who provided some great entertainment during the camping trip!

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking dish.
2. Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a blender; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information per serving:  Calories:  126   Total Fat:  5.3 grams  

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-brownies/

Cheesy Crunchy Good

I have several food addictions and one of them is anything that is crunchy, salty, cheesy or a combination of all of the above.  I confess that I love potato chips and crackers....simply crunchy, delicious goodness.  Mmmm.....     I can be somewhat of a crunch-snob, and while I will eat just about any brand available, I prefer brands with real ingredients (i.e., real cheese), or the Ms. Vickies Chips (bring on the salt 'n malt!).  Not that these have any less calories, because truthfully, chances are if you are eating a potato-chip snack,  it's not because you are trying to cut down on calories!   

My latest crunch-craving is a Parmesan Crisp that a friend introduced me to, and found at our local Planet Organic store.  From the label, it looks like it is made by a company called Kitchen Table Bakers in New York City.   This cracker is made ENTIRELY of parmesan cheese and is gluten free/wheat free and sugar free.   There are apparently 6 different varieties.  So far,  I have tried the parmesan-sesame and the parmesan-rosemary.   In one serving, which is 3 crisps, there are 80 calories, 6 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrate.  The crisps are a good size, and even I find that this makes a satisfying snack.  The flavour is rich, and it's just pure awesomeness!  

And to cure my crunch and cheese craving with a one-stop-shop concept?  Definitely worth writing about!    

Nova Scotia Smoked Salmon

I was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I miss it just about every day.  My dad still lives there and he sends me slabs....and I mean SLABS of uncut whole smoked salmon on a regular basis.  I received the most recent slab delivery two days ago.  One of them was 1.3 kg, and the other was just over 1.4 kg!  Amazing!  That's over 6 scrumptious pounds of Nova Scotia Smoked Salmon!   My dad and I have a routine with our salmon-trade.  He'll call me and tell me when its en route, and typically I will leave a cooler on my front step with an ice pack in it, just in case I am not at home for the delivery.  I'll stick a note on the door for the Fed-ex guy to leave the package in the cooler as its not a good thing for perishable goods to go back to the warehouse for pick up on the next business day!

As for the fish...I usually cut each slab into 4, and freeze it in Ziploc bags in my deep freezer.  It keeps down there forever!  My dad usually sends me a few deliveries of salmon every year.  And as much as I love my smoked salmon, I also love sharing it with friends for a night of drinks and appies!

Finger Food Friday! Nachos, Salsa, baguette,
olive oil and balsamic to dip,  AND...smoked salmon!   TGIFFF!

I know we can get smoked salmon here in Calgary, but...really, you can take the girl out of Nova Scotia, but you can never take Nova Scotia out of the girl!   Ever!   

Saturday Night Special

I think that having an appie/dessert night is one of my favourite ways to entertain, as there is usually something yummy for everyone to enjoy!

On the menu from last night...

Cheese and crackers with pepper jelly (just to get things started)

Baked brie with multiple heads of fresh roasted garlic (OMG)

Smoked salmon (flown in from Nova Scotia, courtesy of my dad! Thanks dad!)

Wild mushroom pizza drizzled with truffle oil (see previous post for recipe)

Nachos (one batch fully loaded with jalapeno's, and one batch with just cheese)

Multiple bottles of red wine (of course!)

And for dessert...

Home made lava cakes served with whipped cream, fresh cut strawberries and a sprinkle of icing sugar on top. The link for this recipe is at the bottom. I doubled the recipe and baked them in muffin tins instead of custard cups. Doubling the recipe usually makes about 18 lava cakes, and while they are a bit smaller, they are so rich you only need one....or two! Leftovers freeze and reheat beautifully. They are a great make-ahead dessert as all you have to do is microwave two at a time for about 22 seconds. Then slap them on a plate and decorate with whipped cream, berries and icing sugar. What could be easier and tastier than that??

It truly was a fantastic night...great friends, great food and great wine. That was our Saturday night! Add in the kids playing hide-and-go-seek and Rock Band and it makes for an awesome time had by all! Cheers!

http://baking.about.com/od/chocolatecakes/r/moltenlava1.htm

Fancy Pizza

TGIFFF.....Thank Goodness it's Finger Food Friday! Tonight, I decided to make home made pizza. But not just any pizza...FANCY pizza.! And since it's Friday, a full-bodied red was consumed during AND after production. My recipe for dough (which is awesome) makes about 3 thin crust12-14 inch shells, or 2 regular-crust shells. I have always had a knack for making dough, which likely is from watching my mom when I was younger. She would always make bread or home made pizza and I would watch her knead and roll, and when she wasn't looking, I would just eat the dough. About one month ago, we had a make-your-own pizza night and my daughter had a friend over. It made me smile to see the two of them rolling out their dough and picking at it too! Tonight's feature pizzas: spinach and feta; and wild mushroom drizzled with truffle oil. Are you salivating yet? We even ended up freezing one of the pizzas uncooked in the hopes we can serve it up as a funky appetizer tomorrow night just in case we have guests...you know who you are!

One thing about this type of appetizer is that you can be so creative with your toppings. I have done a fig jam-proscuitto-blue cheese and a friend of mine did one with kalmata olives-goat cheese-caramelized onions. To. Die. For. Seriously. So be creative, and its okay to cheat and buy the dough from your local Italian grocery store (like Lina's Italian Market!). They freeze so well uncooked which makes for a quick meal. And just to note, for these "fancy" pizzas, I don't typically use the traditional tomato sauce.

Dough:

1 1/4 cup warm water (not too hot, not too cold.....just right)

1 TBSP sugar

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

3 1 /4 cups flour (approximately)

1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil (I think I use closer to 1/4 cup)

Mix together the water, sugar and yeast and let it sit for a few minutes. Then add the flour and the olive oil and slowly begin to mix it with your clean hands. Slowly knead into a nice big ball and knead for a few minutes. When its nice and round and smooth, cover the bowl with a clean damp cloth. Let it sit on your counter for about 45 min-1 hour. Now you can get your toppings ready!

Tonights toppings:

Spinach and feta: 1 box fresh spinach (I think the box said 142 grams). Cook spinach and press out the water as best you can. Then add 2 cloves of minced garlic, a diced tomato, crumbled feta (no, I did not measure), and some parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Wild mushrooms sauteed in olive oil: I just took two packages of dried mushrooms and soaked them in water for about 20 minutes. Drain liquid and slice and fry them up in a bit of olive oil, and add 1/2 pack of sliced fresh mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste.

Once the dough is ready, punch it down with your fist and divide it into three equal-ish lumps. Roll out and place each on a greased pizza pan. Spread the mushroom mixture on one, and then sprinkle fresh parmesan and shredded mozza. Once cooked, it is heavenly to drizzle just a bit of truffle oil on top....decadent! The spinach mixture is ready to spread, and no more cheese is needed, as its already in the mixture.

Bake at 375 convection for....well...it was cooked after my second glass of red and half way through my third...15 minutes? 20 minutes? Either way, its delicious and was perfect for our Finger Food Friday! Cheers!

Finger Food Friday

I think it is so important to have traditions, no matter how small you think these traditions are. For example, years ago, when my son was in elementary school, he hated haircuts. On those haircut days, our tradition became for us to go for lunch at our favourite Vietnamese restaurant, which is conveniently located just down the street from the hairdresser. Double bonus for me....his hair is finally cut, and can l have the beef sate soup and an order of spring rolls please? Yum! Another tradition we have in our house, which has become quite an event, is "Finger Food Fridays". As I have mentioned, I am a foodie....and food on Friday has to be fun and delicious! Finger Food Friday can be anything...we might make wings and nachos, or sometimes I'll go to the Farmer's Market and buy some yummy dips and have good cheese and bread and some fruit...fermented grapes from Argentina are best ;-)

Anything goes, as long as its fun, and finger food-ish. That means no spaghetti, no lasagne, no toast and eggs, no leftovers. The tradition of Finger Food Friday has spread to some of my extended family as well, and to my friends. It is such a great way for the kids to get excited about cooking, and being together. They ask every Thursday...."What are we having for Finger Food Friday??" It is such music to my ears to know that they too, get excited about good food, and being together. What a great tradition they can pass on to the next generation.