Montreal Steak Spice

Hello my fellow foodies:

Here's a recipe from my family friends in Montreal. It tastes rather different than the store bought variety.  Hope you will enjoy it as I did.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp dried onion flakes or granules
1 tbsp dried garlic flakes or granules
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tbsp crushed chilli flakes
1/2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds

Place all the spices in a pistol and mortar. Or use a blender. Grind the spices to a nice coarse powder. Store in an air tight jar in a dry cool place when not used.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Mexican Bean Dip

Ingredients:
1 can mixed beans
1 can refried beans
2 cups white wine
1/2 white onion, diced
1 cup white mushrooms, diced
2 tbsps molasses
1 jalapeño, unseeded & diced (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil on high. Then turn down to low and let simmer for 3-4 hours. Then liquid should evaporate leaving you a thick sauce.

Turn off heat and let sit till it's cooled off a bit. You pour the mixture and blend till smooth. I personally like some texture in my dips, so I tend to blend half and mix it with the other half that hasn't been blended.

Option #1: Top with your choice of shredded cheese, sour cream and green onion. Serve warm if not hot.

Option #2: You can also put the mixture in a heat proof dish and bake it with the cheese on top. Bake till the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Serve with sour cream and green onions on top.

Easy recipe for game nights or family dinners. If you are serving children then substitute juice for wine. (Apple juice or white grape are good choices)

Hope you enjoy this recipe.

Vivian

Kimchi Recipe

One of my favourite things from Korean cuisine is all of the little appetizers and side dishes. One in which is kimchi. Here I will share my friend Jennifer Kim's family recipe.

2 heads of Nappa cabbage
1 carrot peeled and julienned
1 small daikon radish peeled and julienned
6 sprigs of green onion cut into 2" segments
1/2 cup Sea salt
2" piece of ginger peeled and minced
3 large cloves of garlic peeled and minced
1/2 white onion julienned
1/2 cup Red chilli powder
1/8 cup sweet rice powder
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fish sauce or tamari (vegan alternative)

Cut the cabbage into bite size pieces, soak in a large bowl of cold water for couple minutes and drain. Add salt to the cabbage and mix well. Let stand for thirty minutes. Mix the cabbage and salt mixture again. Let stand for another thirty minutes. Now rinse the salt out of your cabbage in the sink and drain. Repeat two more times.

In a sauce pan mix rice powder with water with a whisk. Bring to a boil and continue to whisk as the mixture thickens like porridge. Add sugar and whisk till fully incorporated. Remove from heat and place saucepan in an ice bath to cool.

Once the rice porridge is cooled, add ginger, garlic, chilli powder and fish sauce. Stir well. Add carrot, radish and green onions to the rice porridge mixture. Mix well.

In a large bowl, mix to large handfuls of cabbage with a handful of the rice porridge veggie mixture. Place this is a large jar or storage container. Repeat with the remainder of the cabbage and rice porridge mixture. Seal the jar or container with lid. Store in fridge for a savory kimchi or leave at room temperature for a sour kimchi. It's best to ferment for a week or longer before consuming.

Enjoy 😉

Green Smoothies

Hello Foodies,

It's come to the time of year where I like to do smoothie detoxes in preparation to working out and doing more outdoor activities. That is if the weather holds up.

Here are some of my recipes, feel free to modify it as much as you want it's all about personal taste too.

Smoothie #1
1 cup of organic baby kale (I freeze mine, but you can use fresh as well)
4 cubes of pineapple (frozen)
1/2 a banana
1/2 cup water

Smoothie #2
1/4 cup diced carrot with skin
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 a banana
1/2 cup water

Smoothie #3
1/2 cup chopped apples (peeled)
1/4 cup chopped carrot with skin
1/2 block frozen spinach
1/2 cup water

Smoothie #4
2 tbsps Coconut Oil
6 cubes of pineapple (frozen)
1/2 cup coconut milk or substitute with your choice of dairy or non dairy products
1/2 a banana
A handful of greens

Smoothie #5
1/4 cup chopped carrot with skin
1 cm piece of peeled ginger
2 cups frozen kale
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tbsp flax seeds

Hope you a Blend-i-ful day!
Enjoy!

Vivian
May Day Designs

Favourites of 2013: Food & Beverage Edition

Hello Foodies,

Here is a list of all my favourite foods and bevs for the year of 2013.

| Beverages |
Happy Planet Smoothies
Jugo Juice Smoothies
Arizona Green Tea - this one never gets old.
Tetley Raspberry White Tea
Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Tea - no joke, this tastes like cinnamon hearts
Lime Cordial with Carbonated water
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Soy Lattes, no whip cream
Chai Tea Soy Lattes
Hazelnut Cream coffee
Coffeemate Creamer in Pumpkin Spice & Cinnamon Vanilla Cream
Earl Grey Tea - loving the bergamot
Jasmine Green Tea - loving the floral taste

| Grains | Seeds | Nuts | Dried Fruits |
Diamond of California Macadamias
Pistachios
Chia Seeds
Golden Roasted Flax Seed Meal
Hemp Seeds
Dried Tart Cherries
Dried Apricots
Dried Blueberries
Craisins

| Candy | Chocolate |
Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses
Cinnamon Hearts
Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark
Lifesaver Gummies - YUM!!!

| Fruits | Vegetables |
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Peaches
Nectarines
Grapes
Pink Lady Apples
Grapefruit
Oranges
Persimmons
Pomegranate
Kale
Cauliflower
Zucchini
Celery
Carrots
Spinach

| Foods |
Spicy Salmon Roll
Kimchi Soup
Jap Chae (Korean Clear Noodle Stirfry)
Smoked Salmon
Spinach dip
Strawberry short cake
Prime Rib
Roasted Turkey
Duck
Caesar Salad - homemade dressing and all
Greek Salad
Pear & Goat Cheese
Olives - totally obsessed!
Pickled pearl onions - love these in the vindaloo
Lamb vindaloo
Butter Chicken
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino
Mushroom Risotto

What are some of your favourite foods and drinks for the year of 2013? Let me know in the comment box below. I hope I've spiked your attention to try something new and I'd like to try some of your favourites too.

- Vivian

Pear & Goat Cheese Salad

I've been in love with pears and goat cheese this winter. And now I'm here to share my recipe on how to make a simple pear and goat cheese salad. (Makes 2-3 servings)

You will need the following ingredients:

3 cups organic mixed greens
1 anjou pear thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
fresh cracked pepper
honey
toasted nuts (optional)

As simple as it will sound. You mix the greens with sliced pears in a large bowl. Crumble goat cheese over top. Drizzle with oil and vinegar as well as honey. Top with toasted nuts if you like. Serve.

Here's the salad without greens or nuts. Change it up however you desire.

Enjoy!

Vivian
from MayDayDesigns

Turkey Leftover Ideas

Are you sick of having turkey sandwiches? I am. Here are a few things that can freshen up the leftovers. Often turkey can be very dry from reheating. So I usually will eat it cold or mix it with a sauce of some sort.

Curry Turkey Pot Pie
Cube cold turkey meat and vegetables into 1/2" cubes. You will need 2 cups of cubed turkey. 1/2 cup cubed carrots. 1/2 cup cubed celery. 1/4 cup cubed white onion. 1/2 cup frozen peas. 1 can coconut cream. 2 tbsps yellow curry powder. Sautée the onions in a large pot until softened. Add carrots and celery; mix well. Add coconut milk and peas. Bring to a boil, while continually stirring. Salt and pepper to taste. Thicken liquid with cornstarch and water. Place filling into a pre-made pie shell and bake until golden brown.

Turkey Cobb Salad
1 romaine heart sliced into 1/4" ribbons. 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes. 1 Roma tomato diced. 1 avocado diced. 6 strips of extra crispy bacon, diced or crumbled. 1/4 cup blue cheese. 1/4 cup chopped white mushrooms. 1 cup cubed turkey. Layer the ingredients linearly separately. Serve with a salad dressing of your choice.

I hope you enjoy my leftover ideas. Let me know what you think.

Happy Turkeying~