Dec 18, 2017
Unbelievably easy to make, Rocky Road Bars are perfect for holiday gift-giving.
Total Time: 10 mins • Makes: 24 bars
Ingredients
- 12 ounce pkg. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- 1 cup Brazil nuts, coarsely chopped (or any nut you prefer)
- 10 ounce package miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Line 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Combine marshmallows and nuts in large bowl.
- Place chocolate morsels and peanut butter in medium-size microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Remove, and stir well. If chocolate has not melted completely microwave for another 20 seconds, repeating if neccesary, until mixture is smooth.
- Pour melted chocolate and peanut butter mixture over marshmallows and chopped nuts. Gently fold together until marshmallows and nuts are fully coated. Pour into parchment-lined pan, pressing mixture into place with a spatula until even.
- Refrigerate overnight or until very firm. Gently remove candy from pan. Cut into bars with very sharp knife.
Note: You can liven up your Rocky Road Bars by adding 1 cup crunchy chocolate chip cookie pieces or 1 cup butterscotch pieces in step 2. While we used white marshmallows, you can substitute with multi-coloured ones, if you prefer.
Dec 18, 2017
Cheese, garlic, and bread equal DELICIOUSNESS! This pull-apart bread is perfect served with soups, stews, or entrees.
Prep time: 10 mins • Cook time: 20 mins • Total time: 30 mins • Makes: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 crusty loaf baked bread, preferably sourdough
- ¾ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Using an electric mixer, cream butter. Stir in garlic, parsely, and salt.
- Cut the bread on a diagonal into 1-inch diamonds – do not cut all the way through the bread. Use your fingers gently open each crack and using a knife or a spatula, spread garlic butter in the crevices. Stuff each crevice with a pinch of cheese.
- Wrap with foil and bake for 15minutes until the cheese has mostly melted. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes until bread is golden and crusty.
- Serve immediately.
Dec 18, 2017
This easy, one-pot soup is hearty and full of South of the border flavor. It’s a perfect choice for your Boxing Day or New Year party. Serve with tortilla strips for an authentic look and taste.
Prep time: 15 mins • Cook time: 1 hour • Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- 3 cups water
- 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
- 1/2 cup medium pearl barley
- 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 cups cubed cooked chicken
- Baked tortilla strips, for garnish
- Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, for garnish
Directions
- In a large stock pot, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add water, corn, black beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, pearl barley, green chiles, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken; cook 15 minutes longer or until chicken is heated through and barley is tender.
- Serve with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and tortilla strips.
Nov 27, 2017
Prep time: 35 mins ¦ Cook time: 1 hr 40 mins ¦ Makes: 15 servings
Nothing beats a baked leg of ham on the holiday table. This ham is adorned with whole cloves, pineapple rings, and cherries, basted with a sweet glaze made with pineapple juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, Chinese Five Spice (a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, and Szechwan peppercorns), then baked until golden. It’s sweet, smoky and delicious!
Ingredients
1 (10 to 12 pound) whole leg ham, on the bone
1 (20 oz) can pineapple rings, drained, juice reserved
½ cup water
½ cup (firmly packed) brown sugar
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
whole cloves
1 (5 oz) jar maraschino cherries
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position an oven rack on the lowest position in the oven, and remove the other racks. Place a roasting rack into a roasting pan, and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add the brown sugar, maple syrup, Chinese five spice and 1/2 cup of reserved pineapple juice. Cook over low heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes until reduced slightly.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the skin around the base of the ham hock in a zigzag motion. Use a paring knife to carefully make a slit between the skin (rind) and the layer of fat that sits below it, loosening the skin. Slide your fingers under the skin and gently pull it away from the fat layer.
- Score the ham by running a knife diagonally across the fat on the surface of the ham in one-inch cuts. Turn the ham and cut diagonally across it in the opposite direction, creating a cross-hatch or diamond-shaped pattern over the surface of the ham.
- Place the ham, scored side up, on the rack in the roasting pan. Add the remaining pineapple juice and water to make a cup of liquid to the roasting pan.
- Brush half of the prepared ham glaze over the surface of the ham. Arrange the pineapple rings over the top of the ham, securing each slice with two whole cloves and two toothpicks. Place a cherry into the center of each pineapple ring, securing them with toothpicks. Wrap exposed shank in foil.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Turn pan 180 degrees. Baste ham with half of the remaining glaze. Bake for 40 minutes until golden.
- Remove ham from oven and glaze the ham with the remaining glaze. Allow the ham to rest for 20 minutes, then remove cloves and toothpicks before carving.
Nov 27, 2017
‘Tis the season for entertaining. This appetizer is delicious and takes only minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
1 (213g can) Wild Pink or Red Salmon, drained, flaked (any skin and bones removed)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
Ground black pepper
Directions
- In a bowl, add salmon, cream cheese, horseradish, and lemon juice. Using a fork, mash together thoroughly. Add dill and mix well. Season with black pepper.
- Serve with toasted baguette slices, or your favourite crackers.
NOTE: You can use flaked cooked salmon (approx. 1 to 1½ cups) in place of canned salmon, if you prefer.
Nov 27, 2017
Cook time: 25-30 mins ¦ Total time: 40 mins ¦ Makes: 12 servings
Celebrate the season with a cup of good cheer!
Ingredients
1 cup fresh cranberries
6 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup raisins (or any flavour Ocean Spray Craisins®)
4 cinnamon sticks
2 bottles (750 ml.) fruity, dry red wine (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon)
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, to taste (or you can sweeten with honey)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 cup orange-flavor liqueur (Grand Marnier)
Coarse sugar for rimming glasses
Star anise, and extra cinnamon sticks for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Rinse and sort cranberries, discarding any bruised fruit.
- In a large pot; add rinsed cranberries, cranberry juice, raisins, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and simmer on low heat, about 20 minutes.
- Add wine and 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, to taste. Continue to cook on lowest heat for 5 to 8 minutes; stirring gently until sugar is dissolved; do not boil.
- Add almond extract, orange zest, and orange liqueur; stir and keep punch warm over lowest heat.
- To serve, ladle into sugared rimmed glasses. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and star anise, if desired.
