Quick & easy: try beet bruschetta this weekend

BY: JANET CRAIG

Nothing says fall like root vegetables right? Janet Craig brings you a new take on beets – the reddest vegetable of them all – with a beet bruschetta recipe that will blow your mind!

The easiest way to do this recipe is with canned beets, but if you like them fresher, check out these ways how to cook beets, HERE.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup of balsamic vinegar reduced down to 1/3 cup in small saucepan on medium heat until syrupy. Find out how, HERE
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 can of beets drained & chopped
• Feta cheese or goat cheese
• Bread for toasting, baguettes work well

Directions:

Combine ingredients. Place on toasted bread with crumbled goat cheese or feta. Grill under broiler and serve.

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Chef Janet Craig recipes are simple, healthy, delicious and ABI friendly. You can find out more about her HERE.

 

Glazed beans on toast

BY: JANET CRAIG

Beans on toast may be a hardcore British comfort food, but that doesn’t mean we can’t glam up the traditional dish on our side of the pond. Here’s Janet Craig’s take on a UK classic – and no worries mate – you’ll be chuffed at how easy this is to make!

Ingredients

• 1 can white kidney / cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves of chopped garlic
• 2 bay leaves,
• ½ cup white wine ( I use Vermouth)
• Salt and  pepper, parsley to garnish
• 2 slices whole grain bread
• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
• For meat eaters: 4 slices of bacon or grilled pancetta

Directions

1. Lightly sauté onion and garlic in 1 tbsp oil until translucent
2. Add the rinsed beans to the pan with wine & seasonings. Turn up the temperature  on medium to simmer until wine is evaporating.
3. Toast the bread & spread with butter & honey or maple syrup
4. Plate the now glazed beans on toast topping with as much bacon as desired.

 

Chef Janet Craig recipes are simple, healthy, delicious and ABI friendly.

You can find out more about her HERE.

Welcome spring with Balinese cucumber salad

BY: JANET CRAIG

Looking for a new salad idea to welcome spring?

This is a gluten and oiĺ free vegan salad which is really refreshing. Make it using the new Spiralizer tool, which is available in several dollar stores.

 

Ingredients

• 4 oz of dry roasted peanuts unsalted or raw peanuts toasted
• 4 oz (100 grams) rice vermicelli
• 1 English cucumber, spiral cut
• 1 bunch of green onions chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley chopped
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chilli paste or dry red chilli flakes – optional

Directions

1. Cover noodles with boiling water let sit for 3 minutes (drained).
2. If you need to toast nuts, place in dry stir-fry pan on low and shake for five minutes. Be careful – they tend to toast quickly.
3. Spiralize the cucumber then add all ingredients topping with peanuts.

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Chef Janet Craig recipes are simple, healthy, delicious and ABI friendly.  You can find out more about her HERE.

Super easy, no crust coconut pie

BY: JANET CRAIG

Looking for a slightly less indulgent treat without compromising on the flavour? Janet Craig offers this amazing no crust coconut pie – because all you read is pie.

Preheat oven to 350F

Ingredients 

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk ( I use coconut milk)
• ½ – ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
• 1 tsp almond flavouring
• ¼ cup melted margarine or butter
• ¼ cup gluten free or coconut flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. With an electric mixer, beat eggs until fluffy.
2. Add rest of ingredients and mix well.
3. Pour into buttered and floured small pie plate
4. Bake 40 minutes until golden brown

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Chef Janet Craig recipes are simple, healthy, delicious and ABI friendly.  You can find out more about her HERE.

 

A new way to enjoy green beans

BY: CHEF JANET CRAIG

Are you looking for a new way to enjoy your greens?

This lovely recipe can be prepared in advance and served as a cold side salad in the vinaigrette or warm in same sauce!

Blanche Beans

Any green vegetable such as asparagus, broccoli, and rapini can be blanched, here’s how:

• Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water with ice cubes.
• Depending on the size of the vegetable place, in boiling water one to four minutes. Drain and place immediately in ice water.

Herb Vinaigrette

This lovely dressing can be used as a dunking sauce for fresh bread too. I often double or triple it and leave in the fridge for any salad.

• 1 tbsp grainy dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 2 tsp each of any fresh herbs – I use basil, dill, tarragon, parsley, mint, chives and cilantro
• Zest and juice of one large lemon
• 1 tbsp sherry or tarragon vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3-cup good olive oil

Whisk together shallot, grainy mustard, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, thyme, tarragon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Gradually whisk in oil, I use a hand blender or small food processor to get it creamy.

Pour on top of vegetables and enjoy!

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Chef Janet Craig recipes are simple, healthy, delicious and ABI friendly.  You can find out more about her HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the most important meal of the day: fruit breakfast bars

BY: JANET CRAIG

Dare we say it?  With the new school year just around the corner, breakfast is about to get a lot more hectic for some of us. And even if you, or no one in your household is heading back to the Big S-, September still feels like it’s time for a new start, right?

So here’s a new way to start your day – with Janet’s make ahead Fruit Breakfast Bars – they’re easy, delicious and a great start to your morning! And the best part: no prep is needed in the morning, they’re already done!

Base Ingredients –  can be done in food processor

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4  cups rolled oats
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Fruit Filling

• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup berries (raspberries, blueberries or strawberries) fresh or frozen
• 1 cup jam (of the same fruit)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Base:

1. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-coloured metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.
2. Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.
3. Reserve ½ of the mixture.
4. Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the filling.

Fruit Filling

1. In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together. Add the fruit, lemon juice and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the berries are evenly coated. Then mix in the jam.
2. Spread evenly over cooled base then sprinkle remainder of the crumbs on the top.
3. Bake at 360 F for 35 minutes rotating once so bars brown evenly.
4. I like to add nuts to the topping – almonds, walnuts or pecans are nice
5. Cool and cut into squares. Can be stored up to three days in the fridge or frozen.

 

 

 

 

Chef Janet Craig recipes are simple, healthy, delicious and ABI friendly. You can find out more about her HERE.

This Fresh Tomato Day: make your own ketchup

BY: JANET CRAIG

Did you know April 6 is Fresh Tomato Day?

And did you know ketchup can be so much more than a bottle of what you get at the grocery store?

Our favourite chef Janet Craig knows ketchup has so much more potential when you make it at home. Here’s her recipe, all you need to do is combine the ingredients below and blend in a food processor.

And think beyond the fries: Janet’s recipe a great topping for grown up food, such as chicken or other meats.

• • 2 cans drained mandarin oranges
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 large shallot, peeled
  • 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
  • 2 inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup White Vermouth
  • 1/2 cup Maple syrup
  • 1 tsp Five Spice powder
  •  1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp salt ( optional)

Use your food processor to blend together and enjoy!

PHOTO: JANET CRAIG

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Chef Janet Craig recipes are simple, healthy, delicious and ABI friendly.  You can find out more about her HERE.