Persimmon, Prosciutto and Arugula...oh my!

Today I am sharing a recipe that is perfect for entertaining as it is quick, easy and it is great as a make ahead appetizer but also looks impressive and tastes delicious.
In my opinion, that makes it a total win!

I love that this app keeps me out of the kitchen and leaves my guests feeling like it's a special occasion.
It truly can't be easier and while we are still enjoying the end of persimmon season, we might as well use them when we entertain.

Persimmon-Prosciutto Rolls

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

3 ripe persimmons

1 pkg prosciutto

a handful of arugula or mixed greens

Method:

Step One Peel the skin off a persimmon and cut it into slices about a centimeter thick and a few centimeters wide

Step Two Carefully remove a piece of prosciutto from the packaging. Be careful to pull the ham back very slowly as it tears easily

Step Three Cut the prosciutto into two long strips

Step Four Make a “bouquet” of a few pieces of arugula by holding them together at the ends

Step Five Place the lettuce bouquet and the persimmon onto the end of the piece of ham and slowly roll it while holding on to the other fillings. Roll the hall the way you would a piece of sushi or a place mat

Step Six Arrange your rolls on a  platter, keeping the “seam” side down on the plate

A Food Adventure in Mexico!

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! It was a beautiful tropical adventure and my first priority was of course to taste the tropics.
On the beach I got the opportunity and I haven't been able to get this taste of Mexico out of my head!
Even watching this video, makes me want to find a mango and prepare it in this way asap.

It will be super easy for you to make this at home as well!

This is a quick way for you to bring the tropics into your own kitchen. All you need is a little Korean chili (dry spice) and lime. If you ask me there is no better souvenir from a trip than a recipe you can make and taste that will bring the adventures back home with you! Click below to watch the famous fruit vendor from the beach make me my own bowl of tropical heaven. Enjoy! And thanks for joining me on this food adventure.

Love is in the air...

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so of course- love is in the air.
I personally, love this time of year. There's something about white snow, red and pink window displays and chocolate that can put anyone in a good mood. One of my favourite things actually, is to see men both young and old crowding around the flower displays in grocery stores, trying to buy that perfect bouquet for their significant other.

I know some say it's a commercial holiday but to me, there ain't nothing wrong with something that makes you want to write a card, listen to a love song, pick a flower or cook something special for the one you love.

I always like to bake or make something a little extra special for those I love and so today is the perfect day to prep a few things in my kitchen for the day of love.

One of the most delicious and undoubtably symbolic foods at valentines is chocolate. Especially chocolate fondue. It's hard to work with at home if you don't have a fool proof technique. Chocolate can burn easily and the smell is anything but romantic. Many may think if they buy a "proper" fondue kit they will be all set. While it's great to have a nice fondue kit for dinner parties, I for one just don't have the space to store it in my teeny tiny kitchen cupboards.

So, this Valentine's Day I'm sharing with you my quick and easy tips for melting chocolate. I use this to make chocolate covered strawberries but you can also use this as a chocolate dip for pretzels or any other chopped fruit. If you want, you can even set up a fruit platter and have your special someone dip their own fruits with a small skewer or toothpick.

All you need to make this happen are chocolate chips, a medium size bowl, a spoon or small silicon spatula and a saucepan. I'm on a bit of a health kick so I chose to work with dark chocolate chips today. Dark chocolate (look for at least 70% cocoa) has great health benefits as it contains flavonols which are powerful antioxidants. Recent research has shown that a daily dose of dark chocolate can help lower and maintain blood pressure, increases blood flow to the brain and can help control stress. Plus- it tastes good. If, however you are not into dark chocolate you can use milk chocolate (I feel this is a little too sweet) or semi-sweet.

                                    

Fill your saucepan about 1/3 of the way with water and bring it to a simmer (low to medium heat). Place your chocolate chips (I'd use about half of a 250 g package) into the bowl and lower the bowl into the water. This is called a double boiler in the food industry. Using a double boiler is a great way to melt chocolate because it keeps the chocolate itself away from direct heat. Use your spoon or spatula to gently stir your chocolate chips until they melt.

Once your chocolate has melted (it really only takes a few minutes) you can dry off your bowl and add it to your fruit platter. You will want to heat your chocolate immediately before serving so you have ample time to dip away. If your chocolate does harden again, just bring it back to the double boiler and reheat.

If you'd like to make chocolate dipped fruit, use a skewer to dip the fruit into the boil once the chocolate has melted. Place the fruit skewer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Keep dipping until your baking sheet or plate is full (you don't want your chocolate dipped treats to be touching each other) and then move it into the fridge to set. Once your chocolate has hardened, you can transfer your treats to a serving dish or pack them into a container to give as a gift.

How to "Harvest" a Pomegranate

Pomegranates are one of the most beautiful fruits I've ever seen. So juicy, full of antioxidant power and that unforgettable colour...what's not to like?

I think that's what my parents were thinking when I got one in my stocking at Christmas this year. (My family always has some edible treats in there)

Anyway, I know a lot of people, like me, think the world of this fruit but really can't be bothered with the amount of time it takes to open, peel and essentially, dissect the whole thing. Red juice everywhere and it's really not pretty.

Good news is I've figured out a great way to get the beautiful ruby seeds out of a pomegranate in what feels to me like record time, meaning more of your salads and entrees can be decorated with the pretty little jewels.

So what do you do?

Make a shallow cut into the stem of a pomegranate and then make another that intersects the first cut. Your cuts should make the shape of an "x".

Using your hands break open the shell of the pomegranate gently. It should open where you made the cuts.

Place the fruit, cut side down into one of your hands and hold it over a bowl.

Then using the flat blade of your knife, gently tap the back of the pomegranate. The kernels should just pop out of place. You can continue doing this with each of the "leaves" of the fruit that you cut open and then pick out any of the white membrane that might have fallen in (this should be minimal using this technique).

Hope this helps and that you will enjoy deseeding your pomegranates much more going forward. For me, learning this technique has actually helped me eat more of this delicious seasonal fruit every year since it's no longer a pain to get at those gorgeous seeds.

How do you use your pomegranate seeds? Let me know in the comments below :)