Take your taste buds to the tropics, The rich coconut flavour of a pina colada livens up a cheesecake that's topped with sunny caramelized pineapple and served with a golden sauce.
With a sunny mirrorlike top, this glorious dessert shines in looks and taste. Use only full-fat cream cheese and sour cream.
Instead of a traditional tourtiere, this year I'm serving a puff pastry-topped pie that's especially festive with tiny onions and chestnuts. For variety you can replace the chicken with pork or veal. To use canned chestnuts instead of the fresh, add these already-cooked nuts when adding the mushroom mixture.
Mille-feuille is a classic French dessert with three layers of puff pastry. In this version, we've substituted the traditional custard with whipped cream and lemon curd for a tangy twist. You'll find jars of lemon curd in the jam section of most grocery stores.
I thought about making a healthier version of lasagna with vegetables instead of pasta and thought of using eggplant instead of the lasagna noodles to come up with "Moussagna" (Moussaka and Lasagna combined). I've eliminated the bechamel sauce to cut back on the fat and used the tomato based sauce from the lasagna recipe to make it low fat. I also used low fat cottage cheese instead of the full ricotta cheese.
These doughnuts, traditionally enjoyed at Hanukkah, taste best when eaten the day they are made, but it won't be difficult to find volunteers to help finish off this impressive tower of jam-filled treats. To protect the rim of the plate from being covered in icing sugar, place 3-inch (8 cm) long strips of waxed paper along the edge of the plate before building the tower; remove them before serving.
A dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes this decadent pie even better.
What's not to love about coconut-covered marshmallows? Easy to make and decorate, these little monsters will disappear by the mouthful. For an extra treat, cut the marshmallow trimmings into bitesize pieces and toss with icing sugar.
Menu:
Lake Brome Duck Breast with Cranberry and Kumquat Chutney
Oven Roasted Nova Scotia Organic Fingerling Potatoes
Organic Nova Scotia Carrots in Maple Syrup Glaze
Salad of Organic Nova Scotia Micro Greens and Sprouts with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette and Honey Goat Cheese Puffs
Inspiration: The inspiration for this meal comes from the 100 mile challenge featured on Food Network. I am currently involved with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm here in Nova Scotia and am quite passionate about eating Slow Food, which is locally grown. I want to reduce my carbon footprint by using as many ingredients as possible that come from the province where I live in rather than from afar. It is nice to know, not only where your food comes from, but who grew it as well. Our children are quite excited each week to see our food box arrive, and always wonder what our farmer has sent us. Part of what I like about this recipe is that although it appears complicated, it really is quite simple and requires nothing out of the ordinary for most kitchens these days, with the exception of the kumquats. I have also included the recipes for the side dishes I like to serve with this meal. Preparation time includes preparing and cooking the side dishes as well. There are substitutions for the vegetables, for example using new baby potatoes or baby carrots, and substituting a peppery arugula for the micro greens. Food doesn't have to be pretentious or difficult to taste good. This recipe calls for one duck breast for each person, which for some appetites may be alot. The recipe could be stretched to serve 8, if the breasts are on the larger side. Wine Pairing: Jost L'Acadie Blanc Chardonnay (The Flight of the Silver Dart Commemorative) or Domaine de Grand Pre L'Acadie Blanc
Presentation: When presenting this dish, place a spoonful of the chutney in the centre of a warmed plate. Slice the duck thinly crossways and fan half over either side of the chutney. I place the carrots at one end of the plate with a bit of the glaze and the potatoes at the other, and drizzle balsamic glaze on each plate.
