All posts filed under: Winter

Apple Cider Citrus Fizz

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I am starting the year off strong with my new favourite drink recipe: Apple Cider Citrus Fizz! This concoction my sound strange, but it tastes delicious and packs a bunch of health benefits that can help you start off the New Year on the right foot! But really, you can enjoy this drink at any time….I especially can’t wait for the summer to enjoy this on the patio! The Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Citrus The health benefits of this drink are mainly derived from the apple cider vinegar and the citrus juice that I add to this drink recipe. Apple cider vinegar has risen in popularity in the past few years in the health community. It is known (and actually has proven scientific evidence) for its benefits for lowering blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and even helping you lose weight if consumed regularly. Plus, it  contains beneficial bacteria that promote gut health that will keep you feeling good! *Note- guidelines suggest consuming only up to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per …

Cheese & Thyme Gougères

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We are on the last day of 2019 and I can’t believe what an exciting (and tasty) year it’s been! From making tons of delicious recipes to doing my first paid collaboration to starting a YouTube channel (!), it’s been so fun and so rewarding to have this outlet to do what I love and share it with so many others who love food! Of course, I could not let this year go out without a bangin’ recipe, so for the final post in my #AppyHolidays series, I am sharing this wonderful recipe for my Cheese & Thyme Gougères! These are the perfect treat to ring in the new year and go great with a glass of bubbly! 🍾 What are Gougères? Gougères are these little delicious cheesy puffs that are incredibly light and airy. The base is made of choux pastry, which consists of flour, water, and butter. These are cooked over the stove until the dough comes together in a nice smooth ball. After that, whole eggs are mixed in one at a …

Holiday Brunch Menu

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I’m getting my house ready for our guests that will be visiting this holiday season, and I’m feeling so festive! I’m excited to cook a bunch of meals for them, especially this Holiday Brunch Menu! This year, we are hosting Christmas at our house and we are going all out…even with brunch on the big day! However, I didn’t want to be slaving away for hours in the morning, so I’ve planned out a whole menu where all but one recipe can be made the night before! Watch my YouTube video by clicking on the image below! On our brunch menu, we have my Sausage & Leek Breakfast Casserole, Oven-Baked Hashbrowns, Maple Bacon, and a refreshing Citrus Fruit Salad! Everything apart from the Maple Bacon can be made the day before and kept in the fridge overnight to bring out on the big day. You can even make my Oven-Baked Hashbrowns a few weeks before and freeze them, then cook from frozen! Even better! Recipes: Sausage & Leek Breakfast Casserole and Oven-Baked Hashbrowns I have …

Eggnog Rice Pudding

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We are on to day seven of my #12DaysOfChristmas series, and today I’m giving you a delicious recipe that can be served as a holiday dessert or even as a holiday breakfast. This recipe for Eggnog Rice Pudding is very festive and will warm you up and keep you energized this holiday season. Thanks to my friend Pauline who suggested this idea as a blog post for this series! Which Variety of Rice to Use? I’ve made (and eaten) lots of rice pudding in my day, so speaking from experience, I have a key variety of rice that I like to use in my rice pudding recipe. Arborio Rice is my favourite because it is short-grained and really starchy. These properties really make the rice pudding nice and sticky and thick, just like the rice pudding should be! Unlike most recipes, I do not like to pre-cook my rice. I find that it doesn’t turn out creamy enough and the milk doesn’t get a chance to really infuse through each rice grain. So instead, I …

Pear & Goat Cheese Tartlets

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I am back with another wonderful #AppyHolidays recipe this week! This recipe is for all of those who like something a little bit elegant and complex in flavour, but don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen creating it! These Pear & Goat Cheese Tartlets are great little appetizers to serve at a cocktail party or as a first course of your holiday dinner this year, perhaps with a side salad! Using the Best of the Season The late fall/early winter is when pears begin to come into season here in BC. And when they start arriving, I can’t stop myself from eating them! They’re sweet and have a nice subtle flavour, making them the perfect fruit to pair with other ingredients! Plus, if you can find locally grown pears (yes, those exist here in B.C.) then you will be on your way to making a wonderful seasonal and local recipe! A Delicate Combination of Flavours and Textures When combining sweet and savoury flavours, I like to keep things simple with basic, but good …

Cranberry Glazed Meatballs

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Hello everyone! I am happy to announce that #AppyHolidays is back on the blog! This is the third year I am doing this blog series where I post a holiday recipe once a week for the month of December. So this year, there will be FIVE holiday appetizer recipes for you to make and enjoy with your friends and family. However this year is special as I am partnering with a wonderful not-for-profit organization called We Heart Local BC. We share similar philosophies of cooking with local and seasonal ingredients wherever possible. Head over to their website to check out some awesome blog posts about local farmers in British Columbia as well as lots of tasty recipes. Retro Recipes with a Modern Twist For my #AppyHolidays series this year, I took my inspiration from the retro holiday appetizers that my parents and grandparents used to make when I was a kid. In this case, I experienced these retro appetizer recipes growing up in the early/mid 1990s, but these recipes most likely originated between the 1960s …

Broiled Grapefruit with Ginger and Honey

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I have been going through my previous posts and I noticed that I haven’t posted a breakfast recipe in a while! Shame on me! I know that breakfast can vary throughout the week–from a quick bowl of granola or a smoothie on a weekday to an elegant spread of pancakes or perhaps some smoked salmon bagels on the weekend. There’s a lot of in between! One great breakfast dish that is suitable for either a weekday or a weekend is this recipe for Broiled Grapefruit with Ginger and Honey. It has a beautiful presentation and it can be made in just a few minutes, which is perfect for those busy weekday mornings! Seasonal and local ingredients As with most of my recipes, I like to focus on seasonal and local ingredients. While we unfortunately cannot grow grapefruits here, I opted to use them since they are in season right now. Actually, they are close to being out of season, which means spring is coming!!! I used the ruby red variety for the beautiful bright pink …

Homemade Hot Chocolate

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If you’re fed up with all snow and the cold weather we have been having lately, a cup of Homemade Hot Chocolate is just what you need. Rather than buying a pre-made hot chocolate mix that is full of preservatives and unnecessary ingredients, I encourage you to make your own. Not only is it super easy, you likely have all the ingredients in your pantry! Pantry Staples & Fancy Additions Simply combine some unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated white sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a pot of warm milk and you will have a rich and creamy hot chocolate in under 10 minutes! You can use whatever milk you like, but my favourite is 2% milk from our local BC dairy farmers! While this is a basic recipe, you can also go all out and add whatever toppings you like. I like to keep it pretty simple with whipped cream and maybe a sprinkle of chocolate chips. But if you want to take it up a notch you can add chocolate shavings, a cinnamon stick, …

Traditional Mulled Wine

Traditional Mulled Wine

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If you are looking for a festive drink to serve this holiday season, look no further than this recipe for my Traditional Mulled Wine. This sweet, spicy and warming drink is perfect for any holiday party! If you have never had mulled wine before, it is basically red wine that has been warmed with a variety of sugar and spices, often spiked with hard liqueur. Sounds dangerous right? It is! The exact recipe for mulled wine can vary depending on where you come from. Different recipes exist across Europe and throughout North American households. Key Ingredients You can use any dry red wine that you prefer. Since it is being simmered with spices, it doesn’t have to be high-quality or very expensive. I recommend using a Spanish red table wine for this type of recipe, similar to what you would use when making sangria. These table wines are easy to drink, low in cost, and still taste great. My recipe for Traditional Mulled Wine uses most of the traditional spices including cinnamon, star anise, clove …

Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric Soup

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The holidays are upon us and that means there will be lots of treats and rich foods to indulge in. While these foods should be enjoyed this time of year (tis the season after all), we don’t want to let our waistlines get too out of control. To avoid this, I have come up with this delicious recipe for Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric Soup. Not only will it keep your waistline trim, it uses all fresh, seasonal ingredients and it will keep you healthy all winter long! The Inspiration Behind the Recipe This recipe was inspired by a recipe for Ginger & Carrot Soup that I found in Vitamix’s cookbook. I love my Vitamix and use it every single day. I honestly don’t know how I lived my life without one! While the Vitamix recipe is delicious, I find that it is a little too “fresh tasting” as the recipe directs the cook to add raw carrots to the blender. It has that fresh carrot taste, and isn’t sweet like carrots should be. So, I …