Recipes

June 4, 2012 by Karen

Strawberry season is fast approaching. With the hot spell we’ve had in Southern Ontario we might be just lucky enough to see those beautiful red berries making an appearance on vines and at farmer’s markets sooner than we thought.

When strawberries start to appear, they have a short shelf life. You have to move quick otherwise these berries will start to go soft and over-ripen. I’ve put together a number of quick and easy recipes and ideas of how you can use up these luscious, delicious berries quickly!

Sprinkle with a good quality balsamic vinegar and eat as a light dessert
Layer sliced berries and vanilla yogurt and top with your favourite granola for a breakfast parfait
Toss strawberries into your lunch salad. Throw in some almonds and chicken for a delicious and easy meal
Sprinkle chopped berries with a few tablespoons of sugar and let macerate in the fridge for an hour or two or over night, when possible.
Make (or purchase) an angel food cake. Slice the cake into large layers. Mix Cool Whip (or other whipped topping brand) with strawberries and layer between angel food cake slices
Top your Sunday morning breakfast with fresh strawberries and maple syrup
Puree strawberries, 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 cup milk or cold water together for a quick smoothie
Bake up a quick muffin recipe and instead of using blueberries,use the same amount of diced strawberries
Top vanilla ice cream with fresh sliced strawberries
When all else fails, freeze them

Strawberries are one of the flavours that so clearly signal summer has arrived. The bright red berries typically make an appearance at farmer’s markets in mid-June. When and where possible, buy fresh and local. Look for firm, red berries with no blemishes or soft spots. Check the bottom of containers where possible, for mold. Always ask where the strawberries are from if it’s not obvious. California and Florida are popular spots to import from regardless of the time of year.

And if at all possible, pick your own! It’s a great activity to do with your significant other and bring kids along. The kids will likely eat more than they pick for the bucket. But it’s a great afternoon to get the whole family involved in and you get to participate in the harvesting. Remember to bring cash, most PYO’s won’t have debit or credit abilities.

And most importantly, enjoy the delicious start to summer!

Birthday Celebration 2012!

Hey there, I had my birthday this past weekend (I’ll forgo the talk of your age, if we can ignore mine). It was a low-key event with my Dad and Sister and a few friends. The day was full of sunshine, puttering in the yard and food.

Working on the tractor in the sun!

Then we made dinner. There was drunk chicken, pasta salad, roasted carrots and the best sangria ever (recipes at the end). And the cheesecake that my friend brought for dessert!

My delicious birthday cake (with an amazing lilac on top!)

I was fortunate enough to get some awesome gifts. An infinity dress which she bought off Etsy (I’ll show and link when it gets here – and I find out who makes them!), a gift card and my beloved pressure canner. Believe me, we’ll be talking more about pressure canning because I’ve got a pile to say about it, the possibilities and what I plan to create. Let’s just say the term ‘whole foods’ is making a regular appearance in my thoughts and nightly dreams and I spend more time at the grocery store looking at labels wondering what ‘that thing’ is in my food.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to spend my day with wonderful friends and family!

Recipes

Drunk Chicken

Drunk chicken... a moist and tasty way to bbq chicken

1 whole chicken
seasoned salt (I used a mesquite mix, but whatever your favourite is, will do just fine)
1 can of dark beer (I used Creemore’s Kellerbier - but the possibilities are limitless)

Shake your seasoning onto the chicken and let sit for an hour or two. Overnight is great if you think ahead, but I didn’t and it turned out great after just an hour or two. Open the can of beer and take a gulp or two (or dump a bit out, but drinking it is a better idea) so that it doesn’t overflow until you get it in the chicken. Insert the open beer can up the chicken’s rear. Then set on your grill. You can get stands at the dollar store for this, but I simply wrapped tin foil around the leg tips of the chicken and it did just fine! Cook until done (165F internal temperature). Usually you can tell because the juices run clear. Moist and delicious!

Pasta Salad

1 package of favourite pasta shape (macaroni, penne – your choice!)
cherry tomatoes (half the large ones)
1/2 red onion in a large dice
crumbled feta cheese
sliced black olives
Italian or Greek Dressing (I used Kraft’s Greek and Feta but honestly any brand and oil based dressing will work)

Cook the pasta according to directions. Rinse and let cool. Toss with the onion, cherry tomatoes, feta and olives. Add dressing to taste. Let sit for an hour or two and you may need to add more dressing if the pasta soaked some up. Delish and simple!

Red Wine Sangria

Modified from Henry Happened

A delicious red wine sangria - perfect for a summer day!

3 oranges
1 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
1/2-3/4 cup Triple Sec
1.5L inexpensive red wine

Slice up 2 oranges and put into your jug (I actually used a flower vase because, well, I don’t have an actual glass jug. It looked cool!). Pour the sugar onto the slices and mash gently. More like a massage of sugar and juice. Juice up half of the third orange and cut the other half into slices for garnish. Juice your lemon into the jug. Pour about half a cup of Triple Sec into the jug. Add your wine. Taste it and add more sugar, triple sec or juice if needed. Put in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavours mellow. You will be amazed at how delicious it is! I swooned! Also you can add club soda if you want!