Apple Taffy Dip

Today I have something simple and quick to share with you which includes a Fall staple, the apple. Apple Taffy Dip is the perfect little mid-week treat. It has just the right amount of sweetness like a dessert and there are some healthy aspects to it too. I always like to have it as a treat with a nice Granny Smith apple with my lunch or after my workout. Just because it is called “Apple Dip” doesn’t mean you can’t have it with anything else. I like to dip strawberries, grapes, and melons in it as well.

Apple Taffy Dip

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese

1 tsp. of vanilla

½ cup of brown sugar

¼ cup of powdered sugar

Whip up the cream cheese and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add in the vanilla.

I usually double the recipe and sometimes I put in less sugar as well so that it doesn’t get too sweet.

Slice up an apple and dip away. I like the Granny Smith apple because the sourness compliments the sweet dip.

Mother's Day Slaw and Sandwich

This weekend is Mother’s Day and we are sticking with the things to do for mom this week on the blog. We’re gonna go down the food road today and share with you some recipes for a healthy fresh Spring lunch for mom (these would be good picnic recipes too).

I’m a big fan of fresh coleslaw. I like the simple deli style with the mayonnaise sauce, cabbage, onions, and carrots. I first tried it in England and was hooked; it was so delicious. However, some people like a different and more exciting take on coleslaw so that’s why we are sharing Nicole’s broccoli slaw recipe today with you.

For the Broccoli Slaw you will need the following...

Broccoli, chopped in bite sized pieces

Red grapes, cut in half

Sunflower seeds

Red onion, sliced thin

Slivered Almonds

Raisins

Chopped Bacon

Cheddar cheese, cut into small chunks

1 cup of Mayonnaise, 2 tbsp. vinegar, ¼ cup of sugar (cane or raw)

Whisk together the sauce (Mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar) and then pour over the other cut ingredients in a large bowl and toss. It’s that easy. Most of the work, like with many slaws, comes in the form of chopping and slicing. Chill and then serve.

Something refreshing and delicious and very healthy to make alongside a slaw, is a sandwich. I came up with a form of a Clubhouse sandwich one morning when I was looking through the fridge at the leftovers.

You will need a ripe avocado, brown bread (your choice and it doesn’t have to be brown), Roma tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, turkey breast or chicken breast (I used leftover turkey the first time I made this but when we just made this, we used deli roasted chicken breast), and then some condiments (we just used Mayonnaise but an aioli would be yummy too).

First things first, cook the bacon and then let it cool slightly.

While the bacon is cooling, slice the avocados, tomatoes, and then wash and dry the lettuce.

Now to assemble the sandwich...toast the bread and then spread on the Mayonnaise.

Then place on the chicken or turkey.

On top of that put on the tomatoes, bacon, avocados, and lettuce.

 Put the other slice of bread on top and then slice in half diagonally. 

Serve with the cold slaw and there you have a yummy healthy Mother’s Day lunch for mom.

Comfort Foods Part 3 - Mac and Cheese

It’s the last week of comfort food. I can’t believe Halloween is next week and October is over already. 

There is nothing more comforting than a good ol’ plate or bowl of mac and cheese. You can keep your mac and cheese real simple by doing a simple cream sauce with macaroni and a cheddar cheese baked topping. You can do a time saving pressure cooker mac and cheese (Nicole will share more about that later on) or you can do a “grown up” mac and cheese with chicken and bacon and a few different cheeses. 

Nicole has a recipe for mac and cheese that you can do in a pressure cooker. It looks so simple and quick to make. For this you will need a pressure cooker of course. You will also need...

4 tbsp. of butter

¼ cup of flour

4 cups of low fat milk

1 ½ cups of chicken broth

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper  

1 pound of dried Penne pasta

1 cup Gruyere cheese

1 cup of Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in the pressure cooker on the browning setting. Then sprinkle in the flour and whisked until dissolved. 

Whisk in the milk slow and steadily. Pour in the broth and whisk until smooth. Then whisk in the mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in the dried and uncooked Penne pasta.

Lock the lid and cook at high pressure for 5-8 minutes.

Use the pot’s quick release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. 

Unlock and open the pot and stir in the cheeses. Cover without locking and let sit for a few minutes to melt the cheese in. Open and stir thoroughly before serving. 

For my more “elaborate” version of mac and cheese you will need a simple white sauce. You can make your own or buy a plain Alfredo sauce in a jar from the supermarket.

First of all boil some pasta. Penne, Rotini’s, or regular Macaroni will do. Your choice. I usually do 4-5 cups or more of dried pasta because I cook it for my family, but you can make enough for how many people you are cooking for. Once that has cooked, drain and set aside. 

Warm up the sauce in a pot. Stir in some grated Parmesan cheese about a cup and about 2 cups of either cheddar cheese or Mozzarella. Warm it up, but be sure not to boil it. Keep on low heat.

While you are cooking the sauce and pasta, you can put the chicken in the oven. Use the method from a few weeks back when we did the chowder. Cook about 3-4 chicken breasts if you’re cooking for a large amount of people. This will take about 30 minutes. Then chop up into bite sized pieces and add to the sauce. 

After you make the sauce, fry up some bacon in small bites. Drain and pat and then add this directly to the sauce. If want a healthier mac and cheese then you can add some boiled broccoli or some spinach leaves. 

Once you have the bacon and chicken in the sauce, pour the pasta in and stir until all is coated. 

You can put it in a large casserole dish or you can do what I enjoy doing and make individual mac and cheeses. 

 Sprinkle with a mix of cheddar and Mozzarella cheese. 

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-45 minutes or until bubbling and the cheese is browned.  

Serve right out of the oven, but be careful... don’t burn your tongue. 

Comfort Food - Chowder

We are starting to experience full on Fall weather now and there is nothing more enjoyable than eating warm yummy comfort food on rainy cloudy days. I’m a Fall person; rainy and cloudy weather give me energy and happiness and I love to use all of that energy to make “hibernating” food. We are going to focus on comfort food recipes for the next few weeks. We’ll share with you some of our favourite comfort foods and how to make them.

First up...chowder. This is not your typical clam/seafood chowder which is not everyone’s cup of tea, this is a potato chicken chowder with cheese! It’s almost like that comforting bowl of chicken soup, but thicker and heartier. I love eating this soup. You can have it as a standalone meal with some crackers sprinkled on top or some warm buttered bread, or you can have it in addition to a nice heartier Fall meal. It’s super easy to make. So here we go... 

In order to make this chowder, you will need the following:

¼ cup of butter, I use margarine

1 red onion

3 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 tsp. of dried thyme

¼ cup of flour

3 cups of chicken broth

2 cups of milk

3 Russett potatoes, peeled and cubed

2-3 chicken breasts chopped up in bite sized pieces (I cook mine in the oven on a tin foiled lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30minutes. I rub them with olive oil and lightly salt and pepper them for seasoning)

1 ½ cups of grated cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

I tend to make a big pot of this soup so I usually do a doubled recipe and then you can freeze some as well and pull it out for a quick meal. I also grate a little extra cheese to sprinkle on the top.

You will need to put a large pot or stock pot on medium heat. Melt the butter and then add the carrots, celery, and onion and stir while cooking. Once they are softer, stir in the thyme.

Next whisk in the flour until lightly browned. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and the milk. Whisk constantly until thickened. Depending on the milk fat in your milk, it may take a bit longer to thicken up. Stir in the potatoes. 

Once the potatoes have been added, bring the chowder to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft. This can take about 15 minutes or more. 

When your potatoes are soft, then you can stir in the chicken and the cheese. Stir until smooth. Add the salt and pepper. If the chowder seems way too thick, you can add some more milk, but not too much because you still want it to be thick like a traditional chowder.

Serve immediately.