Mangoes seem to be on sale a lot lately.  I saw a few people walking out of the grocery store today with cases of mangoes so I followed suit.  I love mangoes but have never really been able to peel one without making a gooey mess.   I picked up a few avocados today too as I stumbled across a great video tutorial on how to dice a mango and an avocado for Mango Avocado Salad.

How to Dice A Mango

How to Dice an Avocado

How to Make an Avocado & Mango Salsa

Since I had an entire case of mangoes on hand, I decided to make mango chicken kebobs too!

Mango Chicken Kebobs

1 teaspoon lime rind, grated
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 whole cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, in in 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons honey
2 mangoes
1 whole red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into pieces
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into chunks

In a small bowl, create marinade by whisking together lime rind, lime juice, oil, garlic, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Place chicken chunks in large bowl.   Pour half of marinade over chicken, toss to coat, and let stand for 20 minutes.

Stir honey into remaining marinade, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

Dice mango into 3/4 inch cubes as per the video above.

Alternately thread mango, pepper, onion, and chicken pieces onto each of 8 skewers.  Brush with half of the reserved honey marinade.  Don’t use the marinade that the chicken soaked in.  Discard it and use the reserved marinade.

Grill over medium heat, turning and basting with remaining honey marinade until fruit is softened and chicken is browned and cooked through (about 8 minutes).

Kitchen Table Talk…

If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

My nephews love smoothies.  I got them hooked last summer and we would regularly make smoothies when we were together at the cottage.  I’d pull out the blender and let them go wild with the ingredients.

Enjoy one of Chef Matthew’s creations!  Nothing like enjoying a nice smoothie on a hot summer day.

Mango Surprise Smoothie

Kitchen Table Talk…

If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

One of my least favorite Winter treats growing up was when my mum used to make roasted apples.  I don’t know how she prepared them but it seemed to me that she would just take apples and stick them in the oven and roast until there was nothing left but a pile of mush!  It wasn’t until I was in charge of my own kitchen that I learned to appreciate roasted apples, only I pan roast them rather than oven roast.  And the trick is to start with firm apples and pears!  I still prefer my fruits raw but will occasionally mix up this treat for friends and family members who cannot eat raw foods.

Pan-Roasted Spiced Apples & Pears

2 whole apples (Granny Smith or Honey Crisp are my favorites)
4 whole pears
1/3 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/3 cup apple juice
whip cream to serve (optional)

Peel and core the apples and pears.  Cut the apples into quarters and the pears into halves.

Sprinkle sugar over bottom of heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir slightly to allow sugar to rest in an even layer on bottom of pan.  Add a little bit of water and stir until sugar melts and begins o caramelize at the edges.  Add the spices and butter.  Stir gently with a wooden spoon to mix the caramel and butter together.  Be careful: the mixture may spit and bubble!

Once the butter and caramel are incorporated, turn the heat to high and add the apples and pears to the skillet cut side down.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes, turning them every minute, until evenly caramelized.

Pour in the apple juice and cook until reduced and thickened.  The liquid should thicken into a syrupy sauce.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Serve fruit in warm plates with the remaining caramel sauce and a dollop of whip cream or ice cream, if desired.

Kitchen Table Talk…

If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Of if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

Well we made it!  Today is the last day of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.  The past two weeks have been filled with so many inspiring moments and I feel lucky to work from home and be able to catch as much of the Olympic coverage as I possible could.

The 2010 Vancouver Games have been a hot topic of conversation for Canadians across the country, and we have shouted with pride every time we brought home a medal, of any color.

Today the games cap off with the Mens’ Gold Medal hockey game: Canada vs. the US.  The Canadian Womens’ team brought home the gold earlier this week and the men are set to repeat the event this afternoon.

In honor of this historic event on Canadian soil, I decided to host an Olympic Fondue Party featuring Canadian and American cheeses in their own Olympic face-off.  A few friends and family will be here this afternoon to watch the game on the big screen and share in the festivities in the medal ceremony, no matter the color.

Canadian Pride Cheese Fondue

2 cups Brights dry white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
5 1/2 cups Canadian Oka cheese, shredded
3 cups Canadian Balderson extra-old cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Pinch each grated nutmeg and cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Crown Royal whiskey
2 whole baguettes, cut in 1-inch cubes
3 each apple and pear, cored and cubed

Pour all but 2 tablespoons wine into fondue pot; add garlic and bring to simmer over medium heat on stove top.

Add Oka and Canadian Cheddar cheeses; stir with wooden spoon until melted.  Dissolve cornstarch in remaining wine; stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne.  Add to fondue pot and bring to a simmer, stirring; simmer for 1 minute.  Stir in whisky.

Place over medium-low heat of fondue burner on table, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain low simmer.  Serve with bread, apple and pear pieces to skewer and stir into cheese mixture.

Recipe serves six.  Adjust quantities as desired.

American Cheese Fondue

1 1/2 cups diced processed American Velveeta cheese
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby
6 to 8 whole Vienna Beef Chicago style hot dogs, cut into bite-sized pieces

Mix American cheese food, milk, Worcestershire sauce, cornstarch and mustard in fondue pot.  Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until blended and smooth.  Stir in Colby cheese.  Serve with Chicago style hot dogs for dipping.

Serves 6.  Adjust as necessary.

Charlie’s Chocolate Factory Fondue

2 cups Canadian milk chocolate or dark chocolate squares, broken up
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons cherry brandy
1 tablespoon brewed espresso
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Break chocolate into small pieces and drop into fondue pot.  The best Canadian brand of chocolate is Bernard Callebaut but is a bit pricey.  You can also use Purdy’s chocolate or even Charlie’s Chocolate Factory (based in Burnaby BC).

Add cream to fondue pot to keep chocolate from going lumpy.  Add brandy, coffee and cinnamon to fondue pot and melt over a low flame.  Heat until melted, stirring occasionally.  Serve with a selection of bite-sized strawberries, thick banana slices, pineapple chunks, cherries, peeled kiwi slices, pear or apple cubes or even cubes of cake like pound cake or angel food cake.

Serves 6.  Adjust as necessary.

Going For Gold!

In honor of the Gold Medal Canadian Men’s Hockey game at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, varieties of Canadian cheeses were pitted against American cheese varieties and we’ll be awarding the hold to one of the fondue recipes.

Once you’ve tried each recipe, be sure to come back and vote for your favorite by sharing your thoughts in the comment area below.

I cleaned out my freezer today and found a forgotten container full of frozen blackberries.  I had gone to visit a friend in the summer who grew blackberries and raspberries in their backyard and had completely forgotten that I had set aside a few pints to get me through the winter.  What a treat!  I left a pint out on the counter for about an hour to defrost a little and whipped up a delicious batch of blackberry smoothie.

Blackberry Surprise Smoothie

3 whole bananas
1 pint blackberries
2 cups baby spinach
3 to 4 peppermint leaves
1/2 to 1 cup water

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender and enjoy!

Well here I am on the other side of Christmas.  Dinner on Christmas Eve was a success!  Fifteen members of my family went home to await the arrival of Santa Claus with full bellies and visions of mincemeat pies dancing in their heads.

I had promised to take pictures… and of course, forgot!  But I can share the menu and some of the recipes (at least for the items I made).

Antipasto

Veggie tray: One of my Christmas platters filled to the brim with bite sized pieces of broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, celery, cucumber, red peppers and grape tomatoes.  I had a small bowl of spinach dip for my sister-in-law who likes to dip her veggies.  The rest of us made do with raw.

Deli plate: The classic staple on my family’s dinner table.  Prosciutto and salami.  I also had a small serving dish with bocconcini and another with olives.

Cheese platter: Another festive platter filled with bite sized pieces of 5 year old aged cheddar, 2 year old aged white cheddar, swiss cheese, parmesan, and brie.  Rice crackers and bread sticks were in handy reach of all the different platters.

Appetizer

Minestrone Soup

BBQ Meatballs (for my nephews)

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 large egg
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Combine ingredients.  Form into 1-inch meatballs.  Brown in skillet.  Drain.  Serve with tomato sauce or barbecue dipping sauce.  Can be made one day ahead and reheated.

Entree

Vegetarian Lasagna courtesy of my sister

Prime Rib Roast

I honestly don’t know how many pounds my prime rib roast weighed.  I know it was 8 bones.  That’s what I asked the butcher for when I went to pick up the cut of meat.  It’s hard to give precise measurements for seasonings but I’ll post the basic quantities for a smaller roast and you can adjust as required.  I let the prime rib rest uncovered in the bottom of my fridge for two days before roasting.  Makes the meat much more tender.

3 pounds beef
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
olive oil

Mix seasonings together.  Rinse beef and pat dry.  Rub roast liberally with olive oil.  Pat roast liberally with seasonings.  Insert meat thermometer.  Cook in roasting pan on low heat (200F to 250F) until roast hits internal temperature of 145F.

Sides

Caesar salad

Milestones Salad

My sister-in-law eats at Milestone’s often and always orders this salad.  While I don’t know the real recipe, she said my version is just as good as that in the restaurant.

4 cups mixed baby green salad
12 whole strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup walnut halves, carmelized
1 tablespoon goat cheese
honey dijon dressing, to taste

Mix first four ingredients.  Toss with honey dijon dressing minutes before serving.  Variation: I added a handful of dried cranberries and a handful of sunflower seeds for an extra special treat.

Scallop Potatoes, courtesy of my sister-in-law

Roast Potatoes

Dessert

Believe it or not, people had room left over for dessert.  I spent a few hours in the kitchen the day before our Christmas eve dinner baking up a storm.  Cheesecake, chocolate brownies, macaroons and almond butter cookies.  I also picked up some desserts at the bakery.  I haven’t quite mastered Greek pastries yet and didn’t think this was the year to try LOL

There was also a big fruit platter: strawberries, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and pineapple.  As well as a billowing bowl of oranges, apples and pears.

And my nephew got his little hands on the chocolate covered profiteroles and proclaimed them “Soooo good!”

No one went hungry, that’s for sure!  And my parents and brothers left with a week’s worth of leftovers.  I have a fridge full of leftovers too.  Keep an eye out for the leftover recipes LOL

Happy holidays!  I hope you were able to enjoy good food and laughter with family and friends.

On the 5th day of Christmas, another raw Christmas cookie recipe hit my inbox. I doubt I’ll have time to make this recipe today as I have loads to do around the house. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time in the kitchen trying out some new recipes as I plan my Christmas Eve menu but haven’t had time to post them here for you. You’ll have to make do with a few more recipes from the FREE 12-Days of Christmas Cookie mini-course. If you’re making this recipe for someone with gluten intolerance, be sure that your vanilla extract is gluten-free.

Figgy Pieces

1/2 cup soaked dried figs
4 or 5 fresh figs
1 cup almond pulp
1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

Blend the fresh and dried figs with the almond pulp. Add vanilla. If the dough is still too dry add some of the water used for soaking the figs.

I did this in a rectangular shape then scored in triangles to make a different shapes from other cookies. Before dehydrating place a slivered almond on top to decorate.

I’ve been increasing the amount of raw foods I eat.  Whenever I do, I always turn to my colleague, Karen Knowler, who is a great source of raw recipes.  I have several of her ebooks and even had the pleasure of coaching with her and loved her approach.  Here is one of Karen’s recipes. I’ve posted a link below to Karen’s How To Get Started with Raw Foods ebook.  It’s a book I used myself when I started my raw journey and highly recommend it.  It’s a practical approach to getting started that made sense to me and suited my body type.

Chocolate Carob Pudding

2 whole avocadoes
1 cup dates
1/2 cup raw carob powder
Water as required

Simply blend all ingredients in a blender, food processor or with a hand blender until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Taste test before serving.  Add more avocado if you’d like it richer and/or creamier, add more dates for extra sweetness or add more carob for a stronger chocolate flavour.  Serve on its own or with raw ice-cream for the ultimate treat. This recipe will keep for about 2-3 days in the fridge.

RAW COACH’S TOP TIPS: If you don’t like carob powder you can use this with cocoa powder or raw chocolate powder instead.

Another glorious fall day in the city.  I was out raking leaves this afternoon and I could smell apples baking.  One of my neighbors was baking up a feast for my senses.  The wind was carrying the smell of their delicious treats in from somewhere and I almost dropped my rake in search of the source of the yummy goodness (my immediate neighbors aren’t home during the day so I know it wasn’t either of them).

Inspired by the smell of apples but no time to bake, I decided to mix up a batch of Apple Smoothies to enjoy while I worked the afternoon away.

Appletini Smoothie

4 whole apples, cored and cut into eighths
2 cups baby spinach, or greens of choice
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 cup water
2 tablespoons raisins, soaked, reserving soak water for the smoothie
1/2 cup ice cubes (or you can substitute 1/2 cup of frozen fruit such as mango)

Blend all the ingredients together, reserving the ice cubes.  Pour over ice into your favorite martini glass. Enjoy repeated servings, shaken not stirred

One of my relatives, Flora, recently discovered an allergic to raw fruits and vegetables.  I’d never heard of such a thing and count my lucky stars that I’m not afflicted with the same allergy… mainly because I love raw fruits and vegetables!

She’ll be over on Thanksgiving.  We usually set the table with fresh fruit – apples, grapes, oranges – but she won’t be able to enjoy any of them.  So I’ll be making a special recipe just for her.

Baked Apples a la Flora

6 medium Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious apples
1 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup apricot marmalade
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F.  Lightly coat shallow baking dish with cooking spray.

Core apples with an apple corer.  Peel the upper third of each apple.

Using a sharp paring knife, cut a shallow crater around the top of the apple to hold the filling that will go there.  Set aside while you make the filling.

Place walnuts, cranberries (if using) in a food processor.  Chop well, but not fine.  Add syrup, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Pulse to combine.

Place apples in prepared baking dish and press 1/4 cup of filling into each.  Spoon a tablespoon of marmalade onto each apple.

Combine cider and butter in a small saucepan. Heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over and around the apples.

Cover loosely with tented foil and bake on center rack 30 minutes.  Remove foil.  Baste with drippings.  Continue baking, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, basting often.

Test for doneness with a thin bamboo skewer. Insert and check for resistance. A slight bit of resistance near the center is fine as they’ll finish cooking as they cool.

Let the apples cool in the pan, basting periodically.  Serve at room temperature.