Homemade Easter treats.

Instead of just buying the usual mini chocolate eggs this season, if you are feeling ambitious why not try baking some of your own Easter treats? Here are a few recipes that will satisfy your sweet tooth that we have been dying to try:

Not only is this grapefruit custard pie pretty to look at, but it also sounds so unique and delicious (and is also gluten free.)

 Whoa. Salted Caramel Cups. I didn't know these existed but I can already tell that they will be my new favorite.

Continuing on the salted caramel theme, these Salted Caramel Blackberry Brownies look pretty darn incredible. That sounds like a very interesting flavor combination.

Obviously anything filled with Nutella is a winner.  Get the recipe for these yummy looking Nutella stuffed doughnuts here.

This recipe for Big Bad Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting seems like the perfect spring dessert.

Happy baking! XO

Vietnamese grilled pork noodle bowls

Vietnamese BBQ Pork Noodle Bowls

(original recipe found here)

I love cooking Asian food, and when I came across this recipe I knew that it would be come a staple in our home, and I was right. It's cheap and easy to make, it's healthy and it's delicious. What more could you want?

Ingredients:

Marinade:

1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp garlic

3 shallots

3 stalks of lemongrass

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 1/2 tbsp oil

Sauce:

3 limes juiced

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp garlic

4 tbsp fish sauce

Noodle bowl:

1 pack of thin pieces of pork shoulder

Rice vermicelli noodles

1 cucumber (cut into thin strips)

Bean sprouts

Fresh basil, mint and cilantro (as much as you like-I used a lot)

Instructions:

The first thing you do is put the garlic, shallots, lemongrass and brown sugar in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds. Next add the dark soy sauce, oil, pepper and fish sauce and pulse until mixed. Place the pork in a ziploc bag with this marinade and let marinate for 6-10 hours. 

Next, light your BBQ and while it's heating up, cook the rice noodles and then prep all of your herbs and veggies. Place the pork directly on the grill and cook for approximately 7-10 min. While that's cooking, you can make the sauce for the noodle bowls, simply whisk the ingredients together. Once the meat is cooked, slice it into strips and build your noodle bowls. Top with peanuts if you like, and grab some chopsticks and dig in! The best part of this meal was the bbq'ed pork. It's so crispy and delicious and would be amazing in so many other dishes!

Thai quinoa salad recipe

It's no secret that I love anything and everything Thai food related, so when I came across this recipe, and then later this one, I thought I would combine the two to create my own spin on things. I think I've perfected this recipe, and could literally eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's creamy and crunchy and is quick and easy to make. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

1 cup of uncooked quinoa, rinsed

2 chicken breasts, diced and cooked

2 cups of coleslaw mix

1 red pepper, diced

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro

peanuts or cashews (optional)

sauce:

2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 small can of coconut milk

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

3/4 cup of peanut butter (melt it in small bowl first)

1 garlic clove

1 lime, juiced

1 inch piece of ginger, choppeddirections:

* First cook the quinoa

* Next fry up the chicken

* Chop the red pepper, green onions and cilantro and put in a bowl with the coleslaw

* Add the chicken and quinoa to the coleslaw mix

*Finally make the dressing: melt the peanut butter first, and then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Add more lime juice or rice vinegar if you like.

* Add to the salad, mix and enjoy!

(If you're eating the salad as leftovers the next day, make sure you re-heat the dressing, otherwise it gets a little thick.)

Let them eat (pink) cake!

Alright you guys, Valentine's Day is just around the corner so we thought we would get the week started off on the right foot with some beautiful photos/recipes for pretty cakes that you can bake for your loved ones this Friday. Kinda gets you in the mood, right? Hope you all have a great Monday!

Ah yes, anything with figs has my heart. Such a beautiful cake.

The ultimate chocolate bar: covered in rose petals. Doesn't get much more romantic than that.

The cutest little Valentine's cake ever.

 This blood orange loaf cake has a bit of a summery twist to it but hey, we're definitely ready for that!

 Feeling a bit ambitious? Try this delicious looking recipe for strawberry rosewater ice cream! Mmm..

XOXO

Butterscotch pretzel chocolate chip cookies.

I was perusing Pinterest the other day when I stumbled on this interesting looking recipe for chocolate chip cookies with pretzels and butterscotch. I'd never had a cookie with crushed pretzels in it before, so I figured it was worth giving a try and let me tell you I was not disappointed! If you are looking for a yummy cookie recipe give this one a try:

YOU WILL NEED: 

(makes about 2 dozen cookies)

-1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

-2 1/4 cups flour

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp baking soda

-1/4 cup white sugar

-1 1/4 cups brown sugar

-1 egg

-1 egg yolk

-2 tbsp milk

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 cup pretzels, broken up into little pieces

-1/2 cup butterscotch chips

-1/2 cup chocolate chips

-coarse sea salt

Place the butter into a medium sauce pan over low heat. Once the butter has melted, increase the heat to medium and cook until it is golden brown and develops a nutty aroma. Keep a close watch on the butter because you want it to stay a nice golden brown color and it can burn very quickly. Once you achieve this remove it from the heat immediately and set aside to cool for about 20 minutes.

In a large bowl sift together flour, salt, baking soda and set aside. Pour the cooled brown butter into a large bowl and add both sugars. Using a hand mixer beat on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. Then add the egg and the yolk and beat to combine. Next add the milk and vanilla and beat for another 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until everything is well combined. Using a wooden spoon mix in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and pretzels, and then cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the chilled dough from fridge and and scoop out about a tablespoon size for each cookie. Roll into a ball and flatten slightly and place about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle cookies with sea salt then bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

Enjoy while still warm and fresh from the oven! 

XO, Stef

original recipe found here.

Soup's on.

So our temperatures here in Winnipeg this Winter have not been pleasant to say the least, but we've managed to stay warm (for the most part) thanks to the mass amounts of soup we've been making lately. 

Here are some recipes that we are planning on trying out soon:

Tomato, chickpea and coconut soup. Yum!

Mmm...buttnernut squash soup with smoky chickpea croutons? Sign us up.

This white bean and potato soup looks incredible.

Another one from this great blog, broccoli & pistachio soup!

This sweet potato soup with harissa and greens looks really tasty too.

Do you have a favorite go-to soup recipe? We're always on the lookout for new recipes to try!

Chicken and spinach soup with pesto.

Oh man, it is still frigid in these parts, so soups have been on heavy rotations for meal options for us. This is one of my favorite hearty soups and is guaranteed to warm you up on a chilly day:

• olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into quarters
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons marjoram
• 1 cup of baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup basil leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup croutons for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch over over medium-high heat. Add carrot and chicken; cook, turning the chicken and stirring frequently, until the chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in broth and marjoram; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the chicken pieces to a cutting board to cool. Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Combine about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, parmesan and basil in a food processor and blend until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water as necessary. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with croutons.

Serve piping hot and enjoy!

XO

original recipe found here.

Party planning!

Bored of doing the same ol' thing for dinner parties? Well here are some fun unique meal ideas that you should try instead!

Make a giant cheese board and pair each piece of cheese with a complimentary fruit, veggie, or chutney. Try aged gouda and cucumber or goat cheese and cantaloupe.
Source found here.

Make breakfast for dinner! This recipe for apple and greek yogurt pancakes looks pretty delicious.

 Instead of having a formal dinner around your dining room table, just plan an evening of heavy appetizers. Try this recipe for kale & white bean crostini.

Set up a sandwich bar with fancy toppings like this incredible looking croissant with figs, proscuitto and arugula.

Ever tried raclette? Because if you haven't then you definitely should! If you like eating lots of melted gooey cheese then this is for sure up your alley.
Photo source

Thai butternut squash soup

I have been on a bit of a soup kick lately, and I had some butternut squash lying around in my kitchen and thought to myself, why not spice it up? Naturally I did more of a Thai twist on things and it turned out really great! 

Ingredients:

* 2 medium sized butternut squash

* 1 yellow onion

* 4 Cups of chicken stock

* Juice of 2 limes

* 1" piece of ginger, chopped

* 2 or 3 cloves of garlic

* 1 can of coconut milk

* 1 bunch of cilantro

* 1 Tbsp cumin

* 3 ripe tomatoes, or 1 large can of chopped tomatoes

* 2 Tbsp of Thai red chili paste

Instructions:

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

- Take the squash and cut them in half lengthwise and put on a baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast squash for approximately 1 hour or until soft.

- In a frying pan, cook the onion with the garlic and ginger.

- Take the squash out of the oven and let cool. Then, scoop out the squash and place in a large pot with the chicken stock. Add the onion mixture into the pot and bring to a slow boil. 

- Add the chilli paste, tomatoes, and cumin.

- Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.  

- Finally stir in the coconut milk and the cilantro.

XO, Erin

A simple toffee-covered marshmallow recipe.

We know how things get super hectic right before Christmas, and with all of the parties and gatherings going on, it's nice to have a back-up plan for something sweet to bring along. This recipe is one of my favorites for the holidays, and it's really simple to make!

You will need:

A double boiler. (I used two pots that stacked on top of each other and filled the bottom pot with 2 inches of water)

1 bag of large marshmallows

1/2 C. margarine

1/2 can of Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk

250 grams of Macintosh toffee (or other wrapped caramels will work) This comes out to one and a half bags or 32 pieces.

1 3/4 C coconut

1 3/4 C crushed cornflakes

All you do:

-First get your double boiler set up with a bit of water in the bottom pot, but don't fill it all of the way. Bring the water to a boil and then place the top pot on it.

-Put the margarine, the unwrapped toffees and the sweetened condensed milk in the top pot and melt. You just want to slowly melt the ingredients above. Once it's nice and creamy, turn down the heat.

-Grab a fork and start tossing a few marshmallows at a time in the caramel sauce. Once covered in toffee, stab one marshmallow at a time and transfer to the bowl with the coconut/cornflake mixture and move it around until it's covered. I used my hand to toss the mixture as well. It sounds complicated, but it's really not, you'll figure it out quickly. It does get a little messy, and will be tempting not to eat the mixture without the marshmallows in it! Now place on a cookie sheet and set aside. You can use parchment paper if you like, but I prefer to put them straight on the baking sheet. Pop them in the freezer and once they are frozen you can twist them off of the baking sheet and serve! It's tradition in my family to eat them semi-frozen with a cup of tea, but they are equally delicious at room temperature!

Enjoy!

Mulled apple cider recipe.

As temperatures continually drop, and snow keeps piling up, we are finding ways to stay warm, and this recipe for mulled apple cider is just the ticket! It's such a simple recipe and it makes your house smell like Christmas which is an added bonus!

All you need:

4 Cups of apple juice

1/4 Cup of brown sugar

5 cinnamon sticks

1 fuji apple

1 orange

1" sliced ginger

2 slices of lemon

1 Tbsp whole cloves

1 tsp ground allspice

Instructions:

Slice up the orange, apple and lemon and add to a pot with all of the other ingredients. Bring to a boil and then turn down the temperature and simmer for 25 minutes.

Next strain it into a second pot and let it cool a bit.

That's it! Easy peasy right?

The best part? It's even better if you add bourbon!

We will be posting a simple DIY gift idea using this recipe in the next two weeks, so keep an eye out!

Enjoy!

xo, Erin

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Casserole.

Guys, I recently discovered this recipe and it is already one of my new favorite go-to recipes, in fact I love it so much that I have already made it twice in the last two weeks. It's also super simple and quick to throw together so it's the perfect dish to make for any last minute dinner guests. So I decided to share it with you on this Sunday afternoon just in case you are doing any meal planning for the week and are looking for a little yummy inspiration:

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 1/2 cups quinoa, cooked

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Sriracha)

1 lb skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 cup bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped (about 6 pieces or so)

1/2 cup of green onions, chopped

*note: all of these amounts are approximate, feel free to add more or less as you please!*

First, cook the quinoa and set aside. Then cook the bacon until crispy and set aside. Season the chicken breasts with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and pan fry them until fully cooked. Then shred them up and toss with hot sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9x13 casserole dish layer quinoa, Greek yogurt, chicken, blue cheese, and cheddar cheese. Repeat these layers another time. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese beings to bubble and melt, then remove from the oven and top with the green onions and bacon bits. Throw the casserole back in the oven on broil for another 5 minutes or so. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream and enjoy!

So simple, right? Yet so delicious.

XO, Stef

original recipe found here.

Cilantro & lime fish taco recipe.

This is a healthy twist on regular tacos because instead of using ground beef they are made with grilled fish. For those of you not into the idea of fish, don't be afraid of these because the fish is super flavorful and has a bit of a spice to it without a lot of over-powering fishy flavor. This is one of my favorite dishes so I would say that it's definitely worth a try!

YOU WILL NEED:

1 pound of tilapia (or any other white fish)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lime, juice and zest

1 jalapeno, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 green onion, finely sliced

1 handful of cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

8 small corn tortillas

3 cups red cabbage, shredded

2 large avocados, sliced

fresh pico de gallo or fresh salsa

1 batch of cilantro lime crema (see below)

a sprinkle of grated manchego cheese

Start by marinating the fish in olive oil, lime juice & zest, jalapeno, garlic, onion, cilantro, salt and pepper for about 10-20 minutes. Then grill the fish for 4-6 minutes per side on medium-high heat until it is no longer translucent. Flake the fish and serve in tortilla shells with cabbage, avocado, fresh pico de gallo and top with a sprinkle of manchego cheese and cilantro lime crema (all you need to do to make this is puree together a 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 chopped green onion, 1 chopped jalapeno, 1/2 a limes juice & zest, and a handful of cilantro.)

Mmm... I hope you enjoy! 

XO, Stef

original recipe found here.

Green mango salad.

Like our last few trips, we are lucky enough to get to eat some pretty ridiculously amazing food while in Thailand. I have shared some of my favorite Asian-inspired recipes and now I'm sharing another recent favorite- green mango salad! It's so refreshing and I hope you like it.

Ingredients:

2 large green mangoes (pick ones that are really green and hard) julienned

2 Thai red chillies (birds eye chillies)

3 Tbsp crushed peanuts

1 large shallot, chopped

1 handful of chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp fish sauce

3 Tbsp of fresh lime juice

1 tsp soy sauce

1 clove of garlic

- First peel the mangoes and then julienne them. I used a mandolin which made it super easy!

- Next make a dressing with the fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce and garlic.

- Toss the mango in a bowl with the sauce and then throw in the cilantro, peanuts and shallot along with the thai chillies.

- Grab a pair of chopsticks and dig in!

 XO, Erin

Mini chicken pot pies.

It's October and that makes us want to spend entire days indoors, music playing, apron on while filling the house with the smells of all of the comfort food that's on the go. I thought I would share one of my favorite go-to recipes for the season. Chicken pot pie. Goooood gravy I love a good pot pie.

A friend shared this recipe with me a few years back, and I haven't even bothered to make a different pot pie since.

*I usually double this recipe so that it makes two full pies, or two and a half dozen small ones. They freeze very well.*

Recipe: 

(for one pie or 15 mini pies)

1 Pound of skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed.

1 Cup of chopped carrots

1 Cup of frozen green peas

1/2 Cup chopped celery

1/3 Cup of butter

1 small onion chopped

1/3 Cup of all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 tsp celery seed

1 3/4 Cups of chicken broth

2/3 Cup of milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked frozen pie crusts or 30 small tart shells

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

2. In a saucepan, combine raw chicken, carrots, peas and celery. Add water to cover, and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

3. In a frying pan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and celery seed. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium heat until thick, and stir the entire time. It will thicken eventually!

4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour the gravy over top. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. If you are using the tarts, do the same thing and use a second tart upside down on top.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.