Hazelnut Butter

A fan of all things hazelnut, it was only a matter of time before I tried making the above at home.  I first tried hazelnut butter from Safeway, then later from my local health food store, and finally at home. I was surprised at just how easy it was to make homemade - I can't wait to try different nut butters in the future, and more importantly, homemade Nutella! 

Ingredients

- Hazelnuts, any quantity (sometimes called filberts in the baking isle)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Roast hazelnuts for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned & skins have loosened. 

Once roasted, immediately transfer  hazelnuts to a clean dish cloth or paper towel and rub them with another dish cloth or paper towel to loosen the skins.  It's important to complete this step while the hazelnuts are still warm - once cooled the skins are much harder to remove.  

Some of the skins will stubbornly stay on, but as long as you get most of them you should be good to go.

Once skinned, place hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until blended, scraping down the sides as needed. 

At first the hazelnuts will appear coarse, like coarse bread crumbs. 

Then they will grind down and resemble graham crumbs.  At this point you're going to have to resist the urge to add oil to the hazelnuts. Up until this point, the nuts seem dry and you may start to wonder how it could possibly turn into nut butter.

After a little patience, the magic starts to happen, and the natural oils from the nuts come into play. 

Soon the mixture will start to stick together and start to look more like nut butter! 

The more you blend it... 

The smoother the nut butter will be.

 Now off to try a homemade Nutella recipe!  ;)

Enjoy! 

Apple Butter

This recipe appeared in Thursday's Edition of The Hinton Voice.   [Fall is officially here!  It’s my absolute favorite time of year.  The beautiful scenery, the crisp, fragrant air, the crunching of leaves as you walk on the sidewalk... and who doesn’t love the delicious fall treats that are only available this time of year?  I for one have been counting down the days until my favorite coffee shops come out with their fall menus.  It’s also harvest time, which means there’s lots of great local produce available.  I managed to acquire a 20 lb. box of apples recently, so with it I made a few batches of apple butter. 

So what is apple butter you ask? Apple butter is essentially a deeply concentrated form of applesauce that is the thickness of butter.  It can be spread on toast or pancakes, stirred into oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies, used in baking, or my personal favorite, eaten directly off a spoon.  A mere pint is packed with the nutrients from 12 apples, so you don’t have to feel guilty eating it straight from the jar - because trust me, this will happen.  The apples are cooked down slowly, for several hours until all of the sugar from the apples caramelizes into a spread that holds one of the deepest apple flavors you will ever find.

Assembling the ingredients is the easy part – the hard part is the wait!  It takes 12-16 hours to make apple butter, but thankfully a slow cooker can do most of the work. From hour 2-16 your house is going to smell better than an entire day of baking. I made this overnight once and when I woke up, my whole house smelled so amazing; no amount of candles, scent bars, or air fresheners could ever replicate it. 

So there you have it - a wholesome, tasty treat packed full of flavor. It tastes like pie in a jar, and reminds me of this wonderful season more than any other food.  I hope you enjoy this delicious fall treat as much as I do!]

Ingredients

- 1 dozen apples, any variety

- ½ cup brown sugar

- ½ cup filtered water

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp nutmeg

- ¼ tsp allspice

Directions

Peel, core, and dice apples, then place them in a slow cooker.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.   Place the lid on the slow cooker, but prop it open slightly to allow moisture to escape (I prop the handle of a wooden spoon between the lid and the base). Set slow cooker on low and cook for 12-16 hours, until apples have reduced significantly and turn a deep caramel color.

Remove apple mixture from slow cooker and place in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.   The apple butter is now ready if you plan on storing it in the fridge.  Apple butter will keep quite well in a fashion similar to jam.  

If you are planning on canning, return the apple butter to your slow cooker and bring it back to a boil.  Place the apple butter in hot, sterilized mason jars being careful to not spill any on the edges.  If you do spill some on the edges, be sure to clean the rim with a damp cloth, then dry it afterwards as even a small spill could ruin the seal.  Place a new seal on the jar and screw on the rim.  Place jars in a boiling water bath or pressure canner for approx. 10 minutes.   Once the jars have cooled, press down on the top of the seal to ensure that the jar has sealed properly.  Place any jars that didn’t seal directly into the fridge.

Recipe makes just over a pint (2 cups).

- Nutritional Info (1 tbsp) -

Calories - 41   Fat - 0    Carbs – 11     Protein - 0   Fibre – 2

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Scones

Being as how I posted a recipe for "Pumpkin Pie Spice" last week, it would be irresponsible on my part not to post a followup  pumpkin recipe!  I've made this recipe a few times so far this fall, and they remind me of the pumpkin scones that you find at Starbucks.  A few weeks ago I made them for co-workers (pictured above) and they were gone very quickly!  The great part about scones is that you can easily make the dough the night before and then pop them into the oven in the morning.  I am thinking of trying this recipe as "mini scones" sometime in the near future!  Ingredients - 2 cups all-purpose flour - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder - 1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice - 1/8 tsp sea salt - 6 tbsp cold butter - 1/3 cup mashed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) - 1/3 cup dark brown sugar - 1/3 cup cream
Vanilla Bean Icing - 1 cup icing sugar - 1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped - 2 tsp cream
Pumpkin Spice Icing - 1 cup icing sugar - 2 tsp cream - 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice Directions  In a food processor combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt.  Add butter and process until combined.  In a separate bowl, mix pumpkin, brown sugar and cream.  Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  Place dough on floured surface and work with hands to form ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so to relax the gluten. Place dough on floured surface and form a disk, about 8 inches or so across. Cut dough into eight wedges (pizza style) and place on a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated, 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until scones are lightly browned.  Let completely cool before frosting.  For Icing Drizzle: 
Combine ingredients for each icing separately and place them each into a small sandwich bag (hint - place the sandwich bag in a cup to make it easier to fill).  Cut a small tip off the bag that contains the vanilla bean icing and drizzle over the scones in a zigzag pattern.  Repeat with pumpkin spice icing. 
Enjoy!

Saskatoon Berry Jam

Today is my 6th wedding anniversary and since my husband LOVES both Saskatoon berries and jam, I decided to combine the two for him.   I bought 2 lbs of these delicious looking berries at the farmer's market this week, and he devoured the entire 1st pound (pictured above) the first night.

Since Marc grew up in Hanna, Alberta (right near the Saskatchewan border), Saskatoon berry bushes were quite a common berry to have in your yard.  He ate plenty of them every summer growing up, and upon tasting the berries I brought home he said that it reminded him of his childhood. They grow here as well, though they are more common on that side of the province. 

This recipe makes approximately 3 cups of jam. 

Ingredients - 4 cups Saskatoon berries - 3 1/4 cup sugar - 1/4 cup water - 1/2 a lemon (juice and zest) Directions Wash Saskatoon berries and pat dry.  Combine berries, sugar, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  We really like chunky jam with large berry pieces throughout, but if you prefer a smoother jam you can put the berries through a blender or food processor first.  Once mixture is boiling, add lemon juice and zest and boil for 15 or so minutes (depending on how thick you like your jam), continuing to stir often.  Working quickly, pour jam into sterilized jars being careful not to drip any onto the edge of the jar.  If jam does come in contact quickly wipe the jar with a damp cloth, and dry the rim thoroughly to ensure your jam seals properly.  Place lids and rims on jars and seal immediately.  Leave jam to cool on counter.  You should hear lids pop after a half hour or so.  If lids don't pop by the time the jam has cooled, place jam in  the fridge.  You can test if your jam has sealed properly by pressing the lid gently.  If it's sealed properly there will be no give in the lid.  If there is any give whatsoever, your jam has not sealed properly. 

Enjoy!

Bagel and Lox

My husband really enjoys lox so we made this for dinner the other night (traditionally it's a breakfast food, though it seemed like the perfect "hot day supper").  There are several ways that you can enjoy lox - however this seems to be the most common combination. 
I'm not a huge fan of raw fish (I usually order "dynamite" or "California rolls" whenever we go for sushi). I am a huge fan of salmon however (especially when its smoked) so I thought I would give this recipe a try.  While I don't think it will be hitting my plate on a weekly basis, it will definitely be a nice treat - perhaps for brunch next time we have company in town? Ingredients - 1 bagel (pictured is an "Everything" bagel - my favourite!) - 2 tbsp cream cheese (I used dill) - 3 slices of lox (thinly sliced smoked salmon) - 3-5 thin slices of purple onion - 4-6 capers - sprig of fresh dill (optional) Directions Assemble sandwich in order of ingredients. 
Enjoy!

Barbecued Apple Crisp

Here is the recipe that is being featured in The Hinton Voice this week.  It is still incredibly surreal seeing my recipes in print!  I absolutely love the first Thursday of every month!  :)  Now that its quite nice outside in the mornings, I have started reading my paper on the deck with a cup of coffee - it's a few moments of Zen before my crazy day begins. 

[There are several things that mean summer to me - and of course barbecuing is high up on that list.   We embarked on our first barbecue of the year a few weeks ago.  Some may say we are way behind the game… and they would be absolutely correct.

Our only barbecue uses charcoal, which, unlike a propane barbecue, can’t be turned off when you are finished using it - you have to wait for the coals to burn out.  Because the barbecue stays warm long after you’re done cooking, my husband and I are always trying to come up with new things to grill during the barbecue’s downtime (i.e. after dinner).  Last year we grilled a flat of tomatoes that we had intended to be made into a spaghetti sauce.  That would have been great if we didn’t forget about the aforementioned tomatoes until they were charred to a crisp – lesson learned. 

The other night, after the steaks were grilled, my husband threw a couple of apples onto the grill.  He sliced a hole in the top and sprinkled each with cinnamon, olive oil, and a dash of sugar.  They were delicious! 

The next night I was slicing up potatoes to be placed in a foil pack for yet another barbecue when it occurred to me to try apples the same way.  Well one thing lead to another, and the next thing you know, fresh apple crisp was in a neatly wrapped foil pack ready to be throw on the grill.]

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

- ½ cup old-fashioned oats

- 6 tbsp flour

- 3 tbsp packed brown sugar

- ¼ cup granulated sugar

- ¼ tsp cinnamon

- dash of nutmeg

- 2 tbsp butter, plus more for foil

- 3 apples (I used Fiji)

- squeeze of lemon juice

Directions

Combine oats, flour, sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Toss bowl in the fridge while you prepare the apples.

Wash apples and pat dry.  Core and slice apples, then toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Cut two squares of foil (about a foot each) and lightly butter the center of each piece.

Place the apples onto of one of the foil pieces and then sprinkle with the crumble mixture.

Place the top piece of foil (butter side down) on the package and crimp the edges inwards (about a cm) one at a time until the package is well sealed. I usually do about three crimps per side to make sure it’s sealed really well.   Wrap the entire package in another layer of tinfoil - this will help prevent burning around the edges.  

Place the foil pack on the grill (pre-heated to a medium heat – about 350 degrees) for about 20 minutes.

Let cool a minute or two before opening, as the contents will be very hot. 

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dash of cinnamon.

- Nutritional Info (1/3 recipe) -

Calories - 342   Fat - 9    Carbs – 66     Protein - 4   Fibre – 6

Enjoy!

Dragon's Den Inspired: Holy Crap & Skinny B Breakfast Cereal Recipe

I've been watching Dragon Den ever since it first started airing on CBC.    I'm always intrigued by the different pitchers on the show, and find it extremely entertaining.  I think it's safe to say that the pitch for "Holy Crap" cereal was one of the most successful, if not the most successful Dragon's Den stories to date.  

Always a fan of trying new things (especially healthy new things) I eagerly bought the cereal as soon as I saw it in my local grocery store. The first time  I tried the cereal I was hooked.  It's full of powerful and healthy ingredients and incredibly great for your digestive health.  I have heard numerous testimonials from people who claim it has worked miracles for them, and proclamations of how much energy they have after eating it.  Even still, $9.99 for a small 225g bag didn't really feel like I was getting my money's worth.   

I scanned the ingredients on the package and realized that most of them could actually already be found in my cupboard.  I stopped at the health food store in Jasper yesterday and picked up the few remaining ingredients... the entire recipe cost me around $20 locally (slash that price in half if purchased from bulk stores) and yields 5 cups (which is over 4 times the amount you get in a package of Holy Crap). 

I suspect the recipe isn't exact as mine comes out 30 calories less than the original - but I think they look/taste the exact same, and lower calories is a good thing, right? 

I'm really looking forward to trying different flavours - I've already made a pina colada inspired one (recipe below) to sprinkle on my yogurt this morning.  :) 

Ingredients

Base Formula ("Skinny B")
- 1.75 cup chia seeds
- 1.25 cup buckwheat
- 1.5 cup hemp hearts

Cran-Apple Cinnamon ("Holy Crap")
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup dried apples
- 1 tsp cinnamon

Pina Colada (my version)
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes (I prefer unsweetened)
- 1/3 cup banana chips, crushed
- 1/4 cup dehydrated pineapples

Directions

Combine ingredients and store in an airtight container (such as a mason jar).

For cereal:  combine 2 tbsp cereal with 4 tbsp milk of choice (I like almond milk).  Stir gently and let sit for 5 minutes.

Both are also quite delicious sprinkled in yogurt.

Enjoy!

Can you tell the difference? ;)

- Nutritional Info Base Formula (2 tbsp - 28 g) - 

Calories - 92   Fat - 5    Carbs - 8     Protein - 4    Fibre - 4

- Nutritional Info Cran-Apple Cinnamon (2 tbsp - 28 g) - 

Calories - 101   Fat - 5    Carbs - 10     Protein - 4    Fibre - 5

Heather's Honey Bran Muffins

One of my all-time favourite activities is "Girl's Night" with my best friend Heather.  They occur most Thursdays (Grey's Anatomy), the occasional Tuesday (Glee) and anytime an epic chick-flick comes out.  The more crying the better.  Seriously.  

We used to have a tradition where one of us would pick up a bottle of Boones (cheap, fruity wine) on the way to the other's house.  Now we have bake-a-thon's instead (okay - the wine occasionally makes an appearance).  

 These muffins are Heather's signature recipe - you can always find some of these on her counter or in her freezer.  These are a great breakfast muffin and go excellent with your morning coffee. 

[Heather: These muffins are fast, healthy and delicious. I make a batch every two weeks and my house eats them for breakfast everyday. And with the news that a small amount of chocolate in the am will help your metabolism, they are even better for you!]

Ingredients

- 2 cups apple juice

- 2 cups chocolate chips

- 1 cup packed brown sugar

- 1/2 cup vegetable oil

- 1/2 cup honey

- 5 eggs, beaten

- 2 cups all purpose flour

- 2 tsp baking soda

- 1 tsp salt

- 4 cups bran 

Directions

In a medium bow, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in bran.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or electric mixer, combine brown sugar, oil, honey, and eggs; mix well.  Stir in apple juice.  Add bran mixture, and mix well.  Fold in chocolate chips.  

Cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight for best results (can be placed in the freezer for 30 minutes instead). Batter will be thin; it will thicken as it chills.  

Stir chilled batter.  Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full. 

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to counter to cool. 

Enjoy! 

This is the oldest picture I can find of Heather and I (I'm on the left, she's on the right).  I'm pretty sure this was in grade 9 (yep, that would be the late 90's) - taken in front of our high school.  It's really too bad there is no photographic evidence (ha!) of our matching pixie cuts - mine hot pink, and hers smurf blue.   Yep, we were the coolest. 

Birthday Cake Smoothie

"Birthday Cake" flavoured ice cream is something I always look for when I am perusing an ice cream shop on a hot summers day (oh who am I kidding, any time of the year is a good time for ice cream). I can honestly say that next to good old fashioned vanilla, birthday cake ice cream is my favourite kind.  This smoothie tastes like the real deal - even I can't believe how low in calories it is!

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt (throw in an extra 1/2 cup if you like your smoothies extra thick)
- 1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 2 tbsp whipping cream, for garnish
- 1 tsp sprinkles, for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend.

Optional:  Top with a few tbsp of whipped cream & a dash of sprinkles

Enjoy!

- Nutritional Info (whole recipe w/o toppings) -

Calories - 218  Fat - 5    Carbs - 38     Protein - 7    Fibre - 1

- Nutritional Info (whole recipe w/ toppings) -

Calories - 338  Fat - 16    Carbs - 41     Protein - 8    Fibre - 1

Mango Carrot Smoothie

Wake up your taste buds with this energizing smoothie! 


 Bonus: This smoothie is completely fat free. 

Ingredients

- 1 cup frozen mango

- 1 cup orange juice (I like lots of pulp)

- 1/4 cup shredded carrot
- 1/4 tsp ginger

Directions

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend. 

Optional:  Top with a sprinkle of shredded carrot for garnish.

Makes 2 cups.

Enjoy!

- Nutritional Info (whole recipe) -

Calories - 245   Fat - 0    Carbs - 57     Protein - 4    Fibre - 4

Blueberry Cheesecake Smoothie

I know, I know... cream cheese and graham crackers in a smoothie?  Even my husband (who will try anything) was a bit skeptical when I told him what was in the drink he was about to consume.  Trust me though it works.  I tried several different combinations to get this smoothie just right.  And yes, it received my husband's official seal of approval. ;) 

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup frozen yogurt
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tsp liquid honey

Directions

Combine ingredients and blend.  

Makes 2 cups.

Enjoy! 

- Nutritional Info (whole recipe) -

Calories - 346   Fat - 17    Carbs - 42     Protein - 8    Fibre - 3

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

This is pretty similar to the Almond Butter Banana Smoothie that I shared early last year, but in honour of Smoothie Sunday, I decided to post again with a new picture.  Because I used peanut this time instead of almond butter, the nutritional info at the bottom has changed. 

Whenever I make this smoothie it's for a meal replacement, as it's packed with some great healthy ingredients.  Great for breakfast; this bad boy has enough protein to carry you through to lunch and then some!

Ingredients

- 1 medium banana

- 2 tbsp peanut butter

- 1/2 cup frozen yogurt

- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or skim milk)

- 1/4 cup plain yogurt

- 1 tsp liquid honey (optional)

Directions 

Combine ingredients and blend. 

Top with a drizzle of honey for decoration.

Makes 2 cups. 

Enjoy!

- Nutritional Info (whole recipe) -

Calories - 445   Fat - 17    Carbs - 61     Protein - 20    Fibre - 6