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.

Heart-Shaped Vegetables

Who doesn't love a little extra love on Valentine's Day? The perfect way to spread a little love and joy is with vegetables cut into the shape of hearts of course! I find zucchini to be really good for this as it's easy to cut and therefore safer to work with. Today, however, I had carrots on hand, and they added a very fun, lovable touch to this hearty soup. Given the weather out there this weekend, this is the perfect way to introduce a nice hearty comfort food to your Valentine celebrations.

Start by washing, peeling and trimming your carrots. If you are using zucchini, I would leave the peel as the green edges offer a nice contrast to your final dish.

Carefully (carrots have a tendency to roll), cut a 45 degree edge into the carrot that goes all the way through the length of the vegetable.

Using a vegetable peeler or a smaller paring knife, cut off the angles to form the tip of the heart at the bottom. If you are just learning to do this and not so comfortable with a knife, I'd highly recommend using a vegetable peeler and peeling away until you get a straight edge.

Cut small bite sized pieces off of your vegetable and voila! Heart- shaped carrots!

I found I had to go back and fix a few that didn't have enough of  wedge cut out, but that was simple enough to do.

Hope this brings you a little warmth this soup season and results in some smiles on your loved ones' faces. Enjoy!

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 :)

Tis the Season...So Eat With It!

Now that winter is here, it means the weather's changing and different fruits and vegetables are in abundance. While we will all always have our favourites, it is so important to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables whenever possible and here's why:

Seasonal produce that grows locally is inexpensive to buy. When a fruit is in season, it is widely available. When it's available locally and on every other corner, the shops can source it easily and quickly and therefore can keep up with the demand. In fact, they often have more of one particular fruit than they need and since every store has that same access to it, they lower their prices.

Seasonal produce tastes delicious. When you eat a fruit or vegetable when it was meant to be eaten and close to where it was grown, it ripens naturally on the tree or bush instead of on the back of a truck. That means it stays where nature intended it to for a longer period of time and is allowed to reach it's full taste potential. 

Seasonal fruits and veggies are also so festive! At this time of year, the sweet treats are abundant but nothing will fulfill my craving for something sweet and juicy like a persimmon or some jewel-like pomegranate seeds. 

While taste, price and accessibility is so important, the most important thing to me is the nutritional value. It's as if nature had intended us to eat what we are meant to at the right time...which is to say, at the time when we need it most. For example, pomegranates have tons of antioxidants and clementines and tangerines are filled with vitamin c. It seems to be more than a coincidence that these become naturally available during the peak of cold and flu season. Similarly, in the summer, we have access to cooling fruits like watermelon and cherries. 

So what fruits and vegetables are in season now? When you hit the grocery store or market, keep your eye out for fun winter favourites that add a festive touch to your plates and table. Some of my winter favourites are brussel sprouts, collard greens, sweet potatoes, kale, kiwi, mandarins, tangerines, persimmons, pomegranate, pears, red currants, leeks and turnips. Also don't forget to pick up some chesnuts and walnuts, perfect to keep you warm from the inside out during the cold winter months.

Stay tuned for more recipe posts using seasonal ingredients. I'd love to hear what your favourite seasonal fruits and vegetables are at this time of year. Share them in the comments! 

For me, persimmon wins hands down. What's your favourite?

The Slow Food Movement

This summer, I had a wonderful time exploring various markets and restaurants in different regions of Italy. Throughout my travels, the one thing that was painstakingly clear was that Italians savour the moment. They savour the moment, the process, the experience - the everything.

It offers a stark contrast to the fast paced life in North America...in a good way. Part of the charm of European anything is the fact that people take their time, they enjoy life, they live to the fullest and as a result...there's less stress and people are happier- you can see it on their faces.

I think part of this is definitely the values of the people and it stems from the culture. Spend time with your family and those you love. When you are with them, be truly with them. When you have coffee or gelato, enjoy each bite. Savour it. Take your time. Go slow. Tired? Close down your restaurant and go take a nap for a few hours. Sounds pretty amazing.

The Italians are used to this slow-paced way of life. It is, in fact, the ONLY way of life and what a beautiful way it is to live.

In North America, we are struggling to fit more into our days, to squeeze in more time, to do one more task, to get one more thing accomplished. "Get off your phone", we say, "and enjoy the moment."

I'm fairly certain that phrase would never need to be said in Italy, where people hardly look at their phones because they are too busy enjoying wine and a fresh lobster at lunch before taking a 2 hour long beach break.

This...is life and of course it also translates into the way they eat.

Italy's slow food movement is unlike any others I have ever seen. In that, it's not really a movement at all. It's the way it has always been. It's what they know and let me tell you- it's amazing.

What's a slow food movement? It's the idea that food grows in the ground, takes it's time, needs love and care and ripens slowly. And when food is allowed to do all these things, it tastes divine. It means that the food you eat is grown locally and ethically without the over use of pesticides and growth hormones. It means that the food on your table was grown less than a few kilometers from where you live and it means the final garnish on your plate was probably picked from the plant moments before you ate the first bite. It also means the eggs in your omlette were probably collected that morning from the chickens that your family is raising in a henhouse in your yard. 

All over Italy you see tiny backyard gardens and little farms overflowing with amazing organic, seasonal vegetables and fruit. The streets are lined with orange trees the way Toronto's are lined with maples. Even the grassy lots beside the train tracks and stations are cultivated gardens, growing beautiful peppers, lettuce and red cherry tomatoes.

I absolutely loved exploring the vegetable patches, trying to figure out what type of squash or tomato was growing in the little patches. The markets that lined the street in Sorrento and Positano were truly remarkable and I will probably never forget the bright colours of the freshest vegetables, the sweetest fruit and the giant lemons that decorated rustic tables at every store front.

By now I'm sure you're wondering how we can incorporate some of that slow-living at home. For me, being immersed in the Italian culture really made me realize how important it is to be mindful of your surroundings and how much time you spend a day thinking of something else while you are really doing something totally different. A huge challenge, but probably something we can all benefit from thinking more about.

In terms of food?  Check out your local markets. You'd be surprised how much of that family feeling is still lingering in metropolitan cities. You just have to go to the right place. Find out if there are farmer's markets, small butcher shops, fish markets or mom and pop grocery stores around you. Sometimes the experience of shopping at one of these places alone is all the zen and calm you need in a day. I simply love taking my time and walking slowly around a beautiful grocery store. It's amazing what you can learn and find just by observing. Besides, just imagine: actual speaking to the person who cultivated the fruit and picked it just the day before it arrived at the market. Or talking to the person who knows exactly where the fish he sells were caught and when they came in.

 It is a truly great thing to know where your food is coming from and how it got to you. Aside from that, there is some delicious locally grown produce available around us. The key is to know what is in season and when. This will cut your grocery bills as well as ensure you are eating the best tasting foods available.

Use fresh herbs whenever possible and even grow your own herbs and vegetables. There is nothing more satisfying or delicious than garnishing your plate with basil leaves that were torn just seconds before or chopping tomatoes you just picked from your own garden... especially since it reminds us that more than being busy, more than getting things done, more than any of that, life is really about the little, beautiful things that make us smile, appreciate, reflect and slow down.