Monday 22 July 2013

Rosemary Pineapple Scallop Skewers



One of my favourite parts about summer is all the fruit that is ripe and in season as well as all the herbs that are finally growing fresh in our garden. I got inspiration for this post from a picture I saw recently on pinterest, showing a skewer made with fruit, fish and some herbs. I decided to do my own take on it by pairing up rosemary, pineapple and scallops. Ideally I would have preferred to use mini scallops but because I couldn't find any I used large scallops that I cut in half during prep. I used a piece of rosemary as the skewer base and then added pan seared scallops and fresh pineapple on top. 





Friday 12 July 2013

Avocado Balsamic Toast



 Its the perfect snack. Avocado and balsamic smothered on top of a warm piece of buttered toast. For this recipe I chose to use a balsamic reduction with the avocado, but a light balsamic dressing or vinaigrette would work just the same. I used my old ghetto toaster that my family has had FOREVER. Its missing a couple numbers and sometimes burns my toast, but I love it. I love to add ground black pepper or even salsa on top as well to give this open sandwich an extra taste and spice! 






Thursday 11 July 2013

The First Garden Party Of The Summer



 In honour of my dad turning fifty this week, my family threw a small garden party with some of our closest friends to celebrate him and his successful fifty years. My sister has the amazing talent of decorating and she did a wonderful job turning our backyard into the ideal party location after giving my mom and I detailed lists of what to search for and buy at Ikea last week. After running aimlessly around the kitchen preparing all sorts of food and appetizers prior to the day of the party, saturday night came quickly bringing along with it the perfect weather for a garden party, minus a few mosquitos. The party started early evening with all sorts of different appetizers being passed around and conversations going. We ate the night away starting with lamb chops, a quinoa salad, pineapple scallop skewer and greek tzatziki and finished it with a dessert plate of gingerbread cake, fruit, chocolate and pistachios.  It was a lovely night that will definitely be remembered. 







Wednesday 10 July 2013

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Strawberries




Its finally strawberry season, also known as the best season! The only thing better than eating strawberries fresh is eating strawberries fresh WITH chocolate and nuts. After washing and drying each strawberry, I dipped them into melted chocolate and then added some chopped nuts on top for an extra crunch! Let the strawberries cool on parchment paper while the chocolate hardens. I used dark chocolate paired with unshelled pistachios but any combination of nuts and chocolate would taste amazing and perfect for a simple summer treat. 




   


Tuesday 9 July 2013

Parmesan and Asiago Breadsticks


Nothing compares to the taste of homemade bread. Its always so delicious, especially when you add cheese! Today I made bread sticks topped with parmesan and asiago cheese as a wonderful side dish that will compliment any meal. They're so soft and would be perfect for a dinner party or fancy meal that you might be planning this summer! 





Saturday 6 July 2013

Olive Oil and Rosemary Party Favours


 

Party favours are one of my favourite parts of summer get togethers! For my dad's fiftieth this weekend I decided to copy some adorable bottles of olive oil and rosemary I saw in Bride Magazine a few months back to send home as a gift with each family after the party. My dad loves cooking and I thought these simple take home gifts would be a perfect way to end our garden party saturday. They were super easy to make, I used extra virgin olive oil, rosemary from my garden and glass bottles I found whilst shopping at Michaels.