All posts tagged with: recipe

Spring is here, and so is the new Pinnacle Liquorice vodka! On liquor store shelves across Canada, the latest flavour is quickly becoming a big hit amongst vodka drinkers. The familiar candy treat can now be mixed into a number of exciting cocktails and martinis, including this weeks feature, the Pink Starfish.

• 2 oz Pinnacle® Red Liquorice Vodka
• 1 oz Triple Sec
• 1 oz Lemonade
• 1 oz Cranberry Juice
• Splash Grenadine

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.

There’s nothing better than a classic Hot Buttered Rum to warm you up deep inside on the long, cold, Canadian winter nights. Enjoy with homemade short bread or ginger cookies!

Here’s the perfect way to make this favourite winter drink:

• 2 oz Dark Rum
• 3 Sugar Cubes
• 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• Dash of Cinnamon
• Dash of Nutmeg
• Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cinnamon Stick

In a mug, dissolve the sugar in a little hot water. Add the rum and unsalted butter. Fill the mug with hot water and a few drops of vanilla. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top, then garnish with a cinnamon stick.

The base of the drink can be made ahead of time, ideal for if you are wanting to prepare for a group of friends coming, or for a weekend winter getaway. Simply cream together butter, sugar, and spices, then store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. When your ready, place a spoon full into a mug, add rum, and fill with hot water.

12 Drinks of Christmas – Day 10

Celebrations aren’t complete without a bottle of bubbly! This Christmas season, pop open a bottle of bubbly and enjoy the magic of the holidays with friends and family. This classic holiday favourite is simple and easy to make, and is a crowd pleaser. It’s best served using a quality brut. Perfect for an afternoon open house or at evening receptions. Pairs well with cheese, fresh fruit, and nuts.

• 0.5 oz Triple Sec
• 2 oz 100% Cranberry Juice
• Champagne

Pour cranberry juice and triple sec into a chilled champagne flute or wine glass. Add champagne.

“Vodka martini with three olives,” said the legendary Canadian hard-edged rock singer, Carole Pope as she described her all-time favourite cocktail. “It’s semi-healthy.”

Carole, you’re kinda right. Vodka is considered to be one of the lighter alcohols in terms of calories. And well, if you use Prairie Organic Vodka, well… it’s even more healthy, right?

“The gays love to drink,” Carole went on to say in a very serious tone. “They all have drinking problems. Drink yourself to a drunken stupor.”

While Carole herself is a lesbian, she certainly doesn’t want one that drinks beer.

“I don’t like drunk and bloated dykes,” Carole said, as she took a long sip of her cocktail. Oh Carole, we love you!

Here’s how to make The Dirty Carole Pope Martini:

• 3 oz Prairie Organic Vodka
• Splash of Dry Vermouth
• 3 Martini Olives

Fill a martini shaker with ice. Add Prairie Organic Vodka and vermouth. Shake hard, until the martini shaker is frosted. Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with three skewered olives.

O.N.E. Coconut water is all the rage these days. Give this tropical coconut water cocktail a try… let me know what you think.

• 2 oz Malibu Rum
• 2 oz Coconut Water
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice

Pour all three ingredients into a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass.

It’s just like your grandma’s fresh-baked apple pie, only with a twist – instead of being baked as an entire pie, it’s baked as single-servings in canning jars! Now all your dinner party guests can have their individual servings. Screw a snap-lid and canning ring on it and you can easily store them in the fridge, take them to work for lunch, on a Sunday hike, or on a romantic picnic.

Ingredients:

• 8 X 250ml (half pint) glass canning jars
• 4 uncooked pie crusts
• 7 cups (15-20) apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg

Lay out the piecrusts on a clean, lightly floured surface. Use a jar to cut 8 circles. Insert one circle of dough into the base of each jar, pressing into place. Cut the remaining piecrusts into long strips, about 4” wide. Press the dough inside each jar so the inside is completely covered.

In a large bowl, toss the apple slices in the lemon juice.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients together. Pour the sugar mixture over the apples and toss until evenly coated.

Equally divide the apple filling into each of the jars, filling each jar about 2/3 full. Finish each “pie” with a crust – either another circle of piecrust, or make a lattice top. Pinch and fold the top piecrust inside the jar, below the top edge of the jar.

Even though canning jars are heat resistant, it’s best to place  the jars on a baking sheet inside a cold oven. Heat the oven to 375’F (190’c) and bake for 45-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Remove from oven and let the jars cool on a wire rack, away from drafts or cold.

Summer isn’t too far off – so experiment with other pie fillings like blueberries, strawberry-rhubarb, and cherries!

This cocktail is like a Georgia peach that has been beaten by a tropical storm! Think of it as an adult version of a Five-Alive.

• 1/2 oz vodka
• 1 1/2 oz peach liqueur
• 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
• 2 – 4 oz pineapple juice

Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Fill with pineapple juice, and serve.

Celebrate autumn with a batch of homemade gingerbread cookies. Not only do they taste good; your home will smell wonderful!

Ingredients:

• 6 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
•  1 ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then the eggs and molasses. Add the flower mixture, combining on low speed. Divide the dough into thirds, wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Heat over to 350’c. On a floured surface, rol out the dough to 1/8” thick. Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet and refrigerate until firm. Bake until crisp; approximately 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks. Decorate with sugar, sprinkles, icing, etc.

Grandma’s always make the best hot cocoa. Why? Because it was made from scratch. Believe it or not, it is pretty easy to make hot cocoa. With the cool rainy Autumn days upon us and long, cold winter nights just around the corner, here’s the recipe so you can stay warm and cozy:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 cups milk

In a large saucepan add cocoa, sugar and salt. Gradually stir in 4 cups of warm milk. Set over low heat at stir occasionally for 8-10 minutes. Add remaining 8 cups of milk and heat until scalding. Do not boil. Serve in mugs. Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg or top with marshmallows. Makes 12 servings.

To make a single serving, use 1 tbsp cocoa, 1 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt, 1/3 cup water and 2/3 cup milk. Pour all ingredients into a sauce pant and heat slowly  until scalding.

Make it adult style by pouring cocoa into a mug and adding 1/2 oz Bailey’s and 1/2 oz Frangelico.

What kid (or adult for that matter), doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies? With school coming back in session soon, here’s a great soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup room temperature unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pur vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chip cookies

One of the easiest, most refreshing and lower-in-calorie summer cocktails is vodka-soda-lime. It’s simplicity makes it available at almost any lounge, bar, and night club.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Smirnoff Red Vodka
• Fresh lime
• Club soda

Fill a small rock glass, half full of ice. Add 2 oz of Smirnoff red vodka. Squeeze in lime juice from a quarter-lime. Top with club soda and garnish with slice of lime.

Hint: Wash limes before slicing. Do not put the squeezed lime piece into the glass; it’s optional to add a fresh piece of quartered lime into the glass.

Smirnoff Red will be served at all of the Flame and the Dame 2011 Rapture events including the Heatwave Outdoor Pool Party, Dominate and the Victory Party. Smirnoff will also be serving Smirnoff Coconut (new), Smirnoff Vanilla, Smirnoff Ice, and Smirnoff Premium mixed drinks (cranberry-lime and blueberry lemonade).

A sexy and smooth blue martini recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Blue Curacao
• twist of lemon

Into a cocktail shaker, pour the gin and curacao. Add ice. Shake well. Strain and pour into amartini glass. Finish by arranging a twist of lemon on the edge of the martini glass.

A delightful twist on a old favourite.

• 2 oz vodka
• 1 oz cointreau
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• 1 teaspoon of blueberry puree
• squeeze of fresh lime

In an ice-filled martini shaker add vodka, cointreau, cranberry juice and blueberry puree. Shake. Pour into sugar-rimmed martini glass. Squeeze in fresh lime juice and garnish with three fresh blueberries.

A traditional crowd pleaser.

• 2 oz vodka
• 2 oz cranberry juice
• club soda

In an ice-filled martini shaker add vodka and cranberry juice. Shake. Pour into sugar-rimmed martini glass. Top up with club soda.

A refreshing, clean, double-minty martini, just in time for the Christmas holiday’s.

• 2 oz vodka
• 2 oz white Crème de Menthe
• 1 oz peppermint schnapps
• Club Soda
• Mini candy canes

In an ice-filled martini shaker add vodka, Crème de Menthe, and peppermint schnapps. Shake. Let the shaker rest a moment. Strain into a red-sugar rimmed martini glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with mini candy cane.

A tantalizing blend of flavours that will have your tastebuds jumping!

• 1 oz vodka
• 1 oz blue curacau
• 1 oz peach schnapps
• 1 oz cranberry juice

In a martini shaker filled with ice, shake all ingredients together. Pour into sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a slice of peach.

Fun twist: Use peach schnapps from these liquor infused peaches

Traditional English tea scones are simple to make and are delicious for breakfast with some homemade preserves and a cup of hot English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces
• 2 beaten eggs
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup dried currants

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

In a different medium bowl, combine eggs, whipping cream and currants. Add egg mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and kneed dough 10 – 12 times. Pat or roll the dough into a 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Brush wedges with milk and then sprinkle with additional sugar.

Place wedges 1 inch apart on un-greased baking sheet.

Bake at 400′ for 14 – 17 minutes or until golden. Remove from baking sheet and place on wire rack. Serve warm.

This recipe from the Internet Cookbook of 1st Travelers Choice will take you back in time. Use fresh Okanagan apples that are now in season! The fragrant cinnamon with the sweet apples will have you begging for more! One piece won’t be enough.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of apples, diced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Put apples in shallow 8-inch pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine all dry ingredients with butter and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle all over the apples. Bake a 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

This apple pie recipe will go great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and  a cup of tea, glass of milk, or BC ice wine!

You can’t go wrong this classic 1950′s American meatloaf recipe!

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 pkg dry onion soup mix
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup crunched soda crackers (Premium Plus)
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Combine beef, soup mix, egg, milk and crunched soda crackers. Mix well. Place mixture in a greased bread loaf pan. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake a 350′c for 1 hour. Serves 4 – 6 people.

Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.

Nothing is better than enjoying home canned pears with a cup of hot tea on a cold winter evening. This recipe comes from the Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving book.

You’ll need:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups water
• 7 cups pears

How to make it:

• Place 7 X 500ml jars on a rack in boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer. Set screw bands aside; heat SNAP lids in hot water (not boiling). Keep jars and SNAP lids hot until ready to use.
• Wash, peel, halve and core pears. Cut into bite-size cubes.
• Combine sugar and water in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil.
• Pack fruit into hot jars within 3/4″ of top rim.
• Add hot syrup to cover fruit to within 1/2″ of top rim (headspace). Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness.
• Centre SNAP lid on jar; apply screw band securely and firmly until resistance is met – fingertip tight. Do not over tighten.
• Place jar in canner; repeat for remaining fruit and hot syrup.
• Cover canner; bring water to a boil. At altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m), process – boil filled jars – for 20 minutes.
• Remove jars without tilting. Cool upright, undisturbed for 24 hours. Do not retighten screw bands. After cooling check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downward.
• Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.