Avocado Yogurt Dip

It's almost summer and when I think summer I think creamy avocado's! This is my favourite quick avocado dip to make. When I say this dip is simple, I mean simple. The hardest thing will be peeling the avocados.

You'll need:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 ripe avocados -- peeled and seeded

- 1/2 a garlic clove
- 2 teaspoons of cilantro
- 1 chopped jalepeno -- I keep mine with the seeds because I like the kick it adds, but you can remove the seeds if you wish
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
- pinch of salt and pepper

All you do now that you've got all your ingredients is blend it all together in your food processor until smooth.

I usually eat this with baked pita bread or tortilla chips, you can even add it to wraps!

Enjoy!!

Magic Bars

My families absolute favourite dessert.
So simple and easy you'll end up making this more than once.

What you'll need is
- ground graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup of melted butter
- 2 cans of condensed milk
- 1 pack sweetened shredded coconut
- assorted chocolate chips (milk chocolate, semi-sweet, white chocolate, peanut butter etc)
- assorted chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts)

Turn your oven on to bake at 350.


Start by putting the ground graham crackers into a large baking dish, 9x13 is what I usually use. On top add the melted butter and mix it together with a fork to combine the two, and using either the fork or your hands flatten the mixture evenly.

Bake for 5 minutes.

Take the dish out of the oven, add one can of condensed milk and carefully spread it evenly over the graham cracker/butter mixture. If you think the one can isn't sufficient enough, start by adding 1/2 of the second can and then the entire if you think needed.
Sprinkle the shredded coconut, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts over the condensed milk.

Turn your oven to bake at 300, put the dish into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.

If the top of the dish is not golden brown, turn your oven to broil - high for 2 minutes until it turns a light brown.

Take the dish out of the oven, let it set for 20-30 minutes. You can even put it into the fridge to set if you're in a hurry.

Once cooled and set, cut into squares remove from dish and enjoy!

Lentil Pie

A veggies dream.
Not so simple, but definitely delicious. Most of these ingredients I had in my fridge, so I'm sure you will too.

What you'll need is (in order of preparation):

Inside the Lentil Pie

- olive oil
- 1 diced onion
- 2 diced celery stalks
- 1 diced carrot, or 7 mini carrots diced
- 1 diced red pepper
- mushrooms diced
- 1/4 cup frozen corn
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 cup dry green lentils (rinsed and drained)
- 1/2 cup dry brown lentils (rinsed and drained)
- 1 pack of soy protein, usually Yves Ground Round
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp each of salt and pepper
- 1 can crushed tomatoes with water
- 2/3 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine, or just use another 1/2 cup of vegetable broth if you don't have
- 2 diced zucchinis
- 4 sweet potatoes
- 4 russet potatoes (6 if you're not using sweet potatoes)
- 1/3 cup of milk
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar cheese -- I used old
- 3 thinly sliced green onions

Okay so let's start cooking!!

Warm your stir fry pan on medium heat with the olive oil and add the onions, celery, carrots, red peppers, corn, mushrooms, and garlic. Once the veggies have softened add lentils, soy ground round, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic salt.
Cook this for like 3-5 minutes still on medium heat.

Add the crushed tomatoes, and veggie broth (wine as well if you're using it) bring this to a boil with the veggies, and then lower your heat and cover.
Cook for 20 minutes and be sure to stir a few times in between so it doesn't stick.

Add zucchini after 20 minutes, cook for another 30 minutes covered and still stirring here and there until the lentils soften.

In the meantime, let's get those potatoes ready!

Peel and dice the russet potatoes and sweet potatoes add to a boiling pot with salt water covered and until tender, this should be about 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes when ready, put them back into the pan. Mash em up with a masher (or fork if you don't have one) adding milk, butter, salt and pepper -- I added some red peppers cause I need my spices! Stir in 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.

Once the lentils are ready pour the mix into a large baking dish and spread the mash potato mixture ontop. Add the remaining cheese and green onions. 

Bake in the over at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Finished product topped with spinach

Nutella French Toast

Probably the best breakfast food you could make or feed someone.

My recipe is good for 3 Nutella French toast sandwiches.

Inside of the French toast

What you'll need is:
6 slices bread
1/2 milk
2 eggs
tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Pinch cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar
Powdered sugar for dusting
Butter for the pan
3 tbsp Nutella
Syrup for ontop -- although you won't need it
Since I love fruit, I usually add berries and bananas on top.

Start by mixing together with a whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, sugar.
Then pair up your slices of bread. Apply a table spoon to one slice of each pair.
Close the pair, dip into your egg mix.
Place on your pan (which should be on medium heat).
Flip, and repeat.

When finished remove from heat, put your fruit of choice on top dust your powdered sugar and serve.
You can add syrup if you like, but I usually don't need it.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich

The only way I'll enjoy peanut butter is with sliced bananas in the center.
Just as easy as the Strawberry Nutella Sandwich, this is a quick fix.

You'll need:
- 2 slices of bread -- any kind (or 1 slice if you want an open faced sandwich)
- 1/2 a banana sliced
- 1 tbsp. of smooth or chunky peanut butter

Optional: drizzle of warm honey

Toast the bread, spread the peanut butter, and add the sliced bananas. If you choose to, drizzle the honey and close the sandwich.

Quick, easy and simple. I enjoy this with a glass of cold milk, it also helps get the sticky peanut butter out of your teeth.

To mix it up a little, add any other fruit you wish. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples go great with this sandwich too.

If you wanna make this healthier, instead of bread use tortilla wraps and warm the wraps over a pan on the stove.

Yogurt Berries

This super easy snack takes no time at all, and is extremely easy to make!

What you'll need is:
- fresh or frozen fresh fruits;
I used, blueberries, cut strawberries, raspberries, and a diced apple.
- your choice of yogurt; best yogurt to work with is probably a plain vanilla one.
This time I used the yogurt cups no one really like, raspberry and mixed berry.

Pour your yogurt into a bowl, and either individually dip the fruit into the yogurt and place onto a tray. Or you could do the quicker way, throw a bunch in at a time and using a fork fish them out.

Freeze for 20 minutes, enjoy! If you don't finish all your fruits no worries, they last me at least a week in the freezer. Just place them in a freezer safe bag or container.

Pesto Pizza Bread

Since today is a snow day, I thought of testing out a new recipe for lunch.
Pesto pizza bread. Common, anything with pesto is amazing!

What you'll need for this is:
- 2 slices of bread
- choice of veggies -- I used quarter red onion sliced, quarter red bell pepper sliced, 5 sliced mushrooms, 4 slivers of sundried tomatoes, and 9 spinach leaves. You could also add hot peppers, zucchini, fresh tomato slices etc.
- 3 or 4 pieces fresh mozzarella cheese (usually comes in a ball form) thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp pesto sauce
- olive oil for drizzling

Start by warming the bread slices stovetop. Also turn your oven on to bake at 400.
Then on the slices spread the pesto sauce evenly. Add all your veggies except the spinach and bake on a pan  in the oven for 6-8 minutes.
Remove from oven, drizzle olive oil over slices with veggies and bake for 2-3 minutes.
Remove once more, add the spinach leaves and mozzarella last and bake until cheese melts and turns golden brown.
Slice, and serve!

Strawberry Nutella Sandwich

This quick snack, with a cup of milk is always my go to snack.
Think about it, Nutella which is basically a chocolate spread, with fresh cut strawberries layed in two slices of bread. Doesn't your mouth just water thinking about it?
Imagine what it tastes like.

What you'll need is:
- 2 slices of any kind of bread (or 1 slice if you're trying to be healthy, and want to make it an open faced sandwich)
- Approx. 3-4 rinsed strawberries sliced
- 1 tbsp. of Nutella

Start by toasting your bread, usually while the bread toasts I slice the strawberries so I'm not just standing around waiting.
Once the toast pops, spread 1/2 tbsp of Nutella on each slice of toast and place the cut strawberries on top of the Nutella.
Close, cut and serve with a cold glass of milk!
Trust me you'll love this, and it's a perfect student study snack.
Quick, healthy and easy.

Spinach Rollups

Spinach Rollups

Spinach dip in a ready to go bite? Who would dare to refuse this quick snack.

For about 40-80 pieces

- 2 packs of tortilla wraps. (Sundried tomato and Spinach flavour are what I usually prefer)

- 1 brick cream cheese

- 1 cup mayonnaise

- 1/2 cup sour cream

- 1/4 cup of ranch dressing

- green onion

- 2 bell peppers

- zucchini

- package of mushrooms

- 1 jalapeno

Blend all the vegetables in a food processor, like literally everything. One by one, and drain out all the excess water. empty into a bowl. Mix the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream and ranch at the same time. Mix everything together in the bowl and spread on to the tortilla wraps. Cut each wrap into bite size pieces.

Nutty Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Nutty Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Why throw away ripened bananas when you can make a delicious banana loaf?

You'll need:
- 3 or 4 ripened bananas, smashed
- 1 egg, beated
- 1/3 cup of butter, melted
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups of flour

- 1/4 cup your choice of chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts work best)

- 1/4 cup of chocolate chips of your choice

Start by preheating your oven to 350 and lining your pan with parchment paper or with butter.

Now start by mixing together, with a wooden spoon, the smashed bananas, beated egg and melted butter. Then add in the sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix. Add the flour and mix, if there are some banana chunks that's fine you don't want the mixture to be entirely smooth. Add in the walnuts and chocolate chips, mix on last time and then pour into your lined pan.

Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour. When done, insert a toothpick, butter knife or whatever into the loaf and if it comes out clean, without batter, it's ready!

Let it sit for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan, and serving.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Spaghetti

I love my veggies, but I always find it extremely difficult to get in my daily dose.
I saw this recipe for zucchini spaghetti and had to try it!!

You'll need:
- 1-2 medium sized zucchini's
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- tomato sauce
- grated cheese

Start by taking a peeler and peeling your zucchini until you reach the center, seeds are okay but I stopped once I hit the seeds.
Place your peeled zucchini in a coriander and season with salt and pepper.
Now, fill a bowl with water and put it over the seasoned zucchini. This will help remove the excess water from the zucchini. To add more pressure put a can or a filled jar in the water bowl.
Let it sit for at least an hour, the longer it sits the better it gets.
Every 30 minutes or so remove the water bowl, flip around the zucchini and place it back on top.
After at least one hour rinse the zucchini and then place into a paper towel to remove the excess water.

Now, heat up a pan with a little olive oil and throw in your zucchini. Don't cook this for too long now, else it'll soften it up, 3-5 minutes should be good.

Remove from heat, add your sauce of choice (or no sauce at all), some grated cheese and enjoy!

I used one whole zucchini and it made such a little amount. This was suppose to be dinner for my mom and myself, but I guess an appetizer?

Bruschetta

The best meal I have anywhere and I always assumed it was such a difficult thing to make.
Guess what, it is so simple.

What you'll need is

• 10 ripe plum tomatoes diced-- be sure to remove the seeds
• 1/2 fresh onion diced
• 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
• 1 bunch coarsely chopped basil
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• Italian bread or baguette

For some extra kick add a teaspoon of lemon juice, freshly squeezed is preferred but juice works fine.
You could also add some goat cheese or some feta cheeser.

Start by setting your oven to 475.

In a medium bowl mix together the tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and ground pepper. At this point if you choose to add the  lemon juice,  goat cheese and/or feta cheese add it now too. Set this to the side.

Take your baguette and slice it into small slices, about 1-inch. Sprinkle the tops with olive oil. Now place in the oven and remove when the slices begin to turn golden brown. Keep an eye on your bread, it will take seconds for the bread to burn! 

Let the bread cool, and now to the previously mixed tomato mixture add the basil and mix again.

When serving you could either keep the tomato mixture beside the bread, or serve the mix directly on top of the bread. If you were to serve it on top of the bread I would recommend doing it just before serving, so the bread doesn't get soggy.

Enjoy!

Steps to ripened banana's

B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

I love them, best fruit for smoothies, quick snacks, and best in desserts. Usually when I bake I decide a day or two before, this doesn't work so well when I want to bake a banana loaf or something that needs ripened bananas.

So if you find yourself in my dilemma try these techniques:

1)  Give yourself a day or two before you actually bake the item that needs the ripened bananas. Take however many banana's you need put them in a plastic bag, and add a bruised apple. Close the bag shut and let it sit.

Banana's out of the oven

When you open the bag it won't look pretty, but it'll be nicely ripened!

2) Preheat your oven to 300, place your x amount of bananas on a baking sheet and bake for one hour. The peel will turn completely black, but the inside will be sweet. Keep in mind though that this will not work for green banana's, the banana's need be at least a little ripe already.

3) When you see that you have ripening banana's don't throw them away, place them in a freezer safe bag and freeze them. Whenever you're ready to use them take them out and defrost them, they'll be perfect!

All the best!

Hummingbird Cake

So I've always wanted to attempt a layered cake, and today I finally did! My first layered cake in the books is the Hummingbird cake.

For this cake you will need:

Image of the cake from my recipe book

1 cup Sunflower oil -- I used Canola
2 1/4 cups of All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cups of Superfine Sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
3 beaten eggs
1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts -- plus extra to make it pretty
3-4 ripened bananas (I'll post some quick ways to ripen banana's soon)
1 can (398 ml) crushed pineapple
4 tbsp of pineapple juice from the can

For the cake frosting you will need:
3/4 cup Cream cheese -- room temperature
1/4 cup Unsalted butter -- room temperature
1 tsp Vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups Confectioners' sugar

Start off by preheating the oven to 350. Then lightly grease three 9-inch cake pans with oil or butter, and then line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda in a bowl then add the eggs, oil, pecans, bananas, pineapple juice and pineapples. Stir this will a spoon until all the ingredients are nicely mixed together.

Split the batter up into the three pans, I put about 2 cups of batter into each pan. Before putting it into the oven be sure to spread the batter evenly, and shake the pan a little so it lays even.

My recipe said to bake for 25-30 minutes, I always go for the median. So bake for 27 minutes. Or until you see that the batter has a nice golden brown top and comes out clean when you insert a toothpick.

Once removed, let cool. In the mean time let's make some frosting!

Using an electric mixer, mix together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract. Sift in the confectioners' sugar slowly 1 cup at a time. Mix until smooth, no one wants lumpy frosting.

Finally let's layer this cake!!!!!!

One by one start by removing the parchment paper from the cooled cake, place it on a flat surface and spread the frosting on the top. Repeat the last step again with the next layer of cake and then place your third cake on top and be sure this time you spread the frosting beautifully; since everyone will be seeing this.

Sprinkle pecans on top and serve! Should serve about 12-15 people.

Below is my cake!

My Hummingbird Cake!

Spinach Dip

A very popular dish with my family. When I bake it and serve it I think it literally takes my family 7 minutes to totally clean out the dish.
First time I tried spinach dip was at a restaurant, and I fell in love. Now you go and every restaurant finds the need to complicate the dips by adding artichokes, goat cheese and stuff. I prefer my spinach dip just simple.

So for this dip you will need:
- 1 brick of cream cheese
- Mayonnaise (I usually squeeze enough to cover the entire top of the cream cheese brick)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 pkage frozen chopped spinach
- 1 diced pepper (red, yellow or orange) -- even add a bit of all three for some beautiful colour
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese grated

Turn oven on and to bake at 350.

Mix together with a hand blender the cream cheese and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. 

Take the frozen spinach and thaw in a strainer under hot water, once thawed using a paper towel squeeze ALL excess water out of the spinach. With watery spinach the dip becomes watery too.

With a spoon mix in the sour cream, spinach, pepper and onion. Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix. Add a handful of Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese and mix in. 

Put into a baking dish (that you'll also serve it in) and on top sprinkle the rest of the cheeses so that the top is lightly covered.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350, or just until the cheese melts (do not let it turn any kind of brown)

Serve with pita bread.

Wedge the pita and drizzle with olive oil, bake for 5-10 minutes at 350.

Step into my Oven

I've been baking since I was 12. A lot of my recipes are surprisingly successful, and I have friends and family members asking for my recipes.
So I thought why not start a blog where I could share all of my recipes, both sweet and salty.
Stay tuned and hopefully you'll get a mouthful from what you read.
I will post my most comfortable and used recipes, and maybe even try out some new recipes here too. Definitely posting their successes and failures.