Baked Beans are a popular accompaniment to cookouts, and barbecue fare. Don’t settle for ordinary pork and beans when you can easily jazz up the flavour and crowd appeal.
Prep time: 15 mins • Cook time: 1 hr •Total time: 1 hr 15 mins • Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
2 (16 ounce) cans of baked beans
6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ onion, chopped
½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Cook bacon in a large skillet until much of the fat has been released, but the bacon is still flexible. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
In a 9×9 inch baking dish, combine the beans, bacon, brown sugar, onion, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Crunchy, colourful, and infused with Asian flavours, this slaw is easy to make and is a refreshing alternative to mayo-based coleslaw. Serve it alongside barbecue dishes, seafood, or fish.
Ingredients
4 cups shredded cabbage – purple, green, napa, or a mix
2 cups shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
Toasted Sesame seeds
Directions
Toss cabbage, carrots, peppers, scallions, and cilantro together in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, except the sesame seeds.
Pour dressing onto slaw and toss well.
Garnish with sesame seeds.
Customize with other vegetable ingredients: You don’t have to stop at cabbage and carrots. Consider adding edamame, asparagus, broccoli, snap peas, etc.
Other optional toppings: chopped cashews or roasted peanuts, fried noodles, or crunchy wonton strips.
NOTE: To avoid soggy slaw, you can prep the dressing and the dry salad ingredients for this coleslaw a few hours or days ahead of time. Keep refrigerated. Wait to toss them together and add garnishes until you’re ready to serve.
Looking to turn up your Mother’s Day brunch a notch? Here are some morning-friendly and delightfully refreshing cocktail recipes for her special day.
Mimosa Bar
Two glasses of mimosa cocktail (champagne with orange juice) and fresh strawberries
You can’t go wrong with this classic drink. After all, who doesn’t love celebrating with a little bubbly? All you need is a few items to set up a well-stocked Mimosa Bar. Plus, it’s really fun choosing what combination to make!
Ingredients
Makes: 6-8 servings
1 – 750 ml bottle Champagne, Sparkling Wine, or Prosecco – choose dry or semi-dry.
A variety of juice – orange, pomegranate, pineapple, strawberry purée, peach nectar or purée, mango, cranberry, watermelon
Fresh Flowers – nasturtiums, pansies, violas – make sure they are pesticide-free.
SET UP THE BAR: Fill a beverage tub or bucket with ice and add pre-chilled bottles of sparkling wine, champagne, or Prosecco. Arrange labeled juice-filled carafes and bowls of fresh fruit and herbs, along with serving forks, spoons, and tongs on a table along with champagne flutes. TO MAKE A MIMOSA: Add 1 part juice to 2 parts sparkling wine to flute. Garnish with fruit or herbs, as desired.
Classic Bellini
Layered Bellini cocktail with peaches. Pour frozen peach mixture into a champagne flute until half full. Drizzle in grenadine, then fill glasses to the top with prosecco.
Here’s another classy, classic cocktail that is traditionally served in an elegant flute. A Bellini is a simple combination of peach purée and Italian Prosecco – a refreshing and delicious celebratory drink!
Ingredients
Makes: 6 servings
500 gm (about 2 cups) peach purée or peach nectar
1 – 750 ml bottle Prosecco
Peach slices for garnish
Directions
TO MAKE PEACH PUREE: Peel and dice four pitted peaches and place in a blender. Add 3 ice cubes, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Puree until smooth.
TO MAKE PEACH BELLINI: Add 2 oz fresh peach purée to a chilled champagne flute, slowly top with 4 oz prosecco. Stir gently. Garnish with a peach slice. Serve immediately.
NOTE: Peach nectar can be substituted for fresh peach purée. Use frozen peaches if you can’t find them fresh but be sure they are thawed completely before puréeing. If you want less pulpy juice, strain the purée through a fine-mesh strainer.
VARIATION: If you like frozen cocktails you can try a Frozen Peach Bellini. Blend together 1 lb frozen peaches, 3 cups prosecco, 1/3 cup Peach Schnapps and 2 tablespoons sugar. Purée until smooth. Garnish, as desired, and serve immediately.
1. In a pitcher, add lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Mix until well combined. Pour in the tomato juice and Vodka. Stir until well combined. Taste, and adjust any of the seasonings if necessary.
2. Pour Bloody Mary mix into 2 glasses. Garnish with celery leaf stalk, skewered olives, crispy bacon slices, and baby gherkins, if desired. Serve immediately.
Strawberry Rossini
Rossini, a variant of Bellini, is another classic Italian cocktail. Made with Prosecco, it is fresh and thirst-quenching.
Makes: 1 serving
Ingredients
7 ounces of chilled Prosecco
4 strawberries, puréed, plus 1 extra for garnish
ice cubes, if desired
Directions
Clean and wash the strawberries. Cut in quarters and put them in a blender. Purée until smooth and then use a sieve to strain out seeds. Pour strawberry purée into a chilled champagne flute glass, and top with prosecco. Garnish glass with fresh strawberry.
These lamb shanks are marinated, then slow-cooked in a delicious herb and wine sauce. The result is tender, fall off the bone meat. Serve over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.
Makes: 4 Servings
Lamb shanks are an inexpensive cut of meat that is lean on fat but big on flavor. Lamb shanks are perfect for braising in a slow, simmering broth.
Ingredients:
For the Marinade: 1/4 cup olive oil 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed lightly 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 5 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 4 whole cloves
For the Meat: 4 lamb shanks 2 cups beef or vegetable stock 1 cup red wine 1 tbsp. butter, cold
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Pour marinade into a sealable bag with the lamb shanks. Massage the marinade around the lamb shanks to coat. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300⁰F.
Place the lamb shanks and all the herbs from the marinade in a roasting pan or Dutch Oven. Pour the stock and the wine over the shanks. Cover the pan with lid or aluminum foil, and cook for about 2 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork.
Transfer the lamb shanks to a serving platter.
Strain the liquid from the roasting pan; discarding anything left in the strainer. Transfer the strained sauce to a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Skim the fat from the top, and continue to cook; reducing the sauce by half. Remove from heat, whisk in the cold butter, and serve the wine and herb sauce over the lamb shanks.
These crispy, baked cauliflower bites are a delicious, healthy appetizer for game day, as a side dish to any meal, or as an alternative crunchy snack for any occasion!
1 head of cauliflower, core removed, cut into bite-size florets; about 3 cups
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
In another large bowl, combine panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Dip a few florets at a time into the egg mixture and then dredge through the bread crumb mixture; coating well. Place florets onto the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all florets are coated.
Bake 10 minutes. Flip florets, and continue to bake another 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Serve cauliflower bites with ranch dip or marinara sauce.
This delicious loaf features layers of soft and fluffy bread, gooey cheese, garlic, and pesto that can be pulled apart with fingers for a tasty game day snack. Serve with a marinara dipping sauce.
Combine the flour, salt, and yeast together. Make a well and add the yogurt and melted butter. Mix well. Add the warm water and stir until the dough holds together.
Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 7-10 minutes to form a smooth dough.
Put the dough into a bowl greased with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours – until dough has doubled in volume.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thick rectangle.
Spread minced garlic and pesto onto the rolled out dough. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning and black pepper. Add cheese; spreading evenly over the dough.
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into equal-sized square slices. Place the cut dough squares into a greased parchment-lined 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Stack each piece vertically until they form a loaf.
Brush top of dough with melted butter.
Cover the loaf pan with foil and place into preheated oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes.
Remove foil. Add more grated cheese to top of loaf. Bake a further 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Cool for 15 minutes and then remove loaf from pan.
Note: You can substitute the cheese, if desired, to Asiago or Cheddar. If you wish, you can use store-bought refrigerated dough instead of making the dough from scratch.
