Tuesday 30 December 2014

Tips for Menu Planning 2015


2015 plan our meals:

Before you plan on any food you  are going to eat either  Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner you must  plan your  meals ahead of time here are some  the tips on how to plan your meal for the day, week or month ,

 

Planning meals helps you:

Eat well by varying your food choices throughout the day or week or month;

Save time by planning and shopping ahead and reducing trips to the market or store.

Get meals faster on the table with less stress.

Lastly try to buy as much local as possible the food is usually better, for you it is fresher and your are supporting local economy. If you can buy local Ontario or at Canadian.

Meal planning does not have to take a lot of time. Do it when you get the chance once or twice a week or a month or when ever get the chance but try to have one.

The more you plan the easier it gets. A little planning goes a long way in helping you have healthy eating habits.

Planning tips

Involve your children in planning and preparing meals. They'll appreciate the meal more and learn important life skills .You may even end up with a capable cook to help you.

1. Menu Planning - Use a piece of paper, calendar or menu planner to write down your meal ideas

2. Grocery list – Write down the foods you need for the next few days or week depends on the item.

3. Go Shopping- Buy the foods you need on your list don’t buy what you might need.

4. Start cooking - Post your meal plan on the fridge so whoever gets home first can start the meal.

 

Meal Planning Checklist

Eat at least one dark green and one orange vegetable each day.

Choose vegetables and fruit with little or no added fat, sugar or salt.

Have vegetables and fruit more often than juice.

Make at least half of your grain products whole grain each day.

Choose grain products that are lower in fat, sugar or salt.

Drink skim 1% or 2% milk each day. Drink fortified soy beverage if you do not drink milk.

Select lower fat milk alternatives.

Have meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu often.

Choose at least one or two dinners fish each week.

Select lean meat and alternatives prepared with little or no added fat or salt.

Include a small amount fat each day.

Satisfy your thirst with water.

Limit foods and beverages high in calories, fat, and sugar or salt.

It may seem difficult to plan, shop and prepare meals and snacks that satisfy everyone's needs in your family.

Planning With Your Family in Mind

The types of food your family needs are basically the same for everyone and should be based on their taste and healthiness of the food.

With the large variety of foods avaible it is easy to plan meals everyone will enjoy.

The amount of food you serve varies for different family members. There are children, teens, adult and seniors very you should have an idea of your own family member and their eating habits.

 

Sunday 14 December 2014

New Year’s Good Luck Dinner Day Menu

New Year Celebration

According to the Gregorian calendar, used in Canada and many other countries, January 1 is the first day of a new year. This date is commonly known as New Year's Day and is a statutory holiday in all Canadian provinces and territories.
 

Traditional New Year Celebrations in Canada

There are few customs and traditions which are rigorously followed with a belief that they bring good luck, peace, and prosperity to everyone. One such belief calls for going for a polar bear swim on New Year. There is also a tradition of clapping and roaring at the time of midnight when New Year arrives in Canada. It is done with a belief that it sways away all the past evils and negative energies. In Canada, kissing is considered to be a traditional way of showing love and conferring wishes to someone, and also a way of strengthening pleasant ties with people. Therefore, people in Canada prefer to kiss and wish Happy New Year in the midnight. Also, exchanging New Year gifts is also a way of expressing New Year wishes in Canada.
 

New Year’s Good Luck Dinner Day Menu

Sauerkraut
Pork Loin Roast
Caramelized Sweet Potatoes
Cornbread
Walnut-Stuffed Baked Apples

Friday 5 December 2014

Christmas traditions in Canada


Otto Say’s
Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore
Pasta without wine is like a heart without love
Christmas traditions in Canada


Traditionally, Christmas celebrates the Nativity of Jesus Christ. It was only in the fourth century, however, that December 25 was chosen to celebrate Christmas as a substitute for the pagan feasts celebrating the Winter In the 5th century, under Pope Gregory the Great, midnight mass was already being celebrated; by the 7th century the custom of celebrating three masses had appeared.


Christmas celebrations spread across Europe in the early Middle Ages, reaching Ireland in the 5th century, England in the 7th century, Germany in the 8th century, Scandinavia in the 9th century and the Slavonic countries between the 9th and 11th centuries. The first crèches appeared in Italian churches in the 15th century. By the 17th century these were widespread. Then it followed the Americas.

 

Christmas is one of the most festive holidays

Here are the top Canadian 10 favourite Christmas foods and drinks


1. Apple cider

2. Egg nog

3. Leg of lamb

4. Roasted Turkey

5. Turkey Stuffing

6. Candied sweet potatoes

7. Cranberry sauce

8. Pumpkin Pecan Pie

9. Christmas cookies

10. Christmas candy
 
Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” – Otto
 

Saturday 29 November 2014

Antipastos for Holiday Season


Otto Say’s
Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore
Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

Some Christmas Antipastos

Bruschetta alla melanzane (eggplant bruschetta )

Ingredients

60ml olive oil

 1 large eggplant, cut into 5 mm – thick slices

75 ml. Shredded fresh mint

60 ml extra virgin olive oil

15 ml red wine vinegar

1  garlic crushed

        2 Ciabatta bread char grilled to serve

 

Method

1. Heat 60 ml.olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

2. Cook eggplants for 4 to 5 minutes each side or until golden brown and tender.

3. Tranfer to a plate lined with paper towel and season.

4. Meanwhile combine the mint, olive oil, red vinegar and garlic in a dish.

5. Add the grilled eggplants and toss to combine.

6. Set aside for 1 hour to marinate then serve with  sliced char grilledCiabatta bread

Marinated Greek feta

Ingredients

500 gr. Greek Feta Cheese

300 ml. Olive oil

3 ml. Fresh ground pepper

3 ml. crushed oregano leaves

1 bay leave

500 gr marinated Greek kalamata olives

Crusty bread to serve

Method

1. Cut the feta into 2 cm cubed. Place in a dish or bowl. Combine oil, pepper, oregano and bay leave in container Mix well.

2. Pour over the feta cheese .Cover and refrigerate overnight or longer

3. Serve with crusty bread or hard crackers

Basil and smoked trout crostini

Ingredients

1/2 day-old French bread stick (baguette) cut into 20 thin slices

Olive oil

110 g pkt goats cheese

30 ml thick cream

75 ml chopped fresh basil

500 gr. sliced smoked trout

Small fresh basil leaves, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place the bread on the trays. Sprinkle with oil. Bake, turning once, for 15 minutes or until crisp. Set aside to cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, combine goat’s cheese, cream and chopped basil in a bowl

3. Spread the crostini with goats cheese mixture. Top with trout and basil leaves.

 

Ttruly Canadian Antipasto Recipe

This has to be one of my best antipasto recipes ever.(  for a large party )

500 gr. Olives, ripe, sliced

500 gr Olives, green, sliced

2 heads cauliflower florets, small
500 gr.small picked opinions
110 ml olive oil
500 gr sliced mushroom
2 green peppers, chopped
500 gr. green beans cooked, chopped
500 ml. ketchup

750 gr, cooked small shrimps tails removed

300 gr. tuna in water

500 gr dill pickles chopped

150 ml vinegar

Method


1. Mix first 5 ingredients in large pot. Boil 3 minutes.
2. Add next 4 ingredients, boil 5 minutes.
3. Add balance of ingredients. Try not to break up shrimp and tuna too much. Bring to just boiling.

Marinate for a few hours or until cold and ready to serve

 

Grilled Antipasto Platter

 

Ingredients


 

GARLIC AND HERB OIL:

225 ml. Olive oil

6 cloves garlic chopped

4 spring’s fresh rosemary chopped

4 spring’s thyme chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper 10 baby artichokes

2 lemon halves

225 ml extra virgin olive oil more if needed

2 medium eggplants sliced thick

4 medium zucchini sliced

4 red peppers halved and cored

1 bunch scallions or green onions

5 tomatoes halves

225 gr. Green olives pitted sliced for garnish

150 gr ricotta for garnish

Fresh basil for garnish

 

Method

1. To make the Garlic and Herb Oil, put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and put it over low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, just until it becomes aromatic. Set aside and allow the oil to cool.

2. Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon and throw the lemon halves in as well. Trim and halve the artichokes and remove the chokes. Put them into the pot and cook them until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Heat the grill to low. Have a large shallow dish filled with 225 ml olive oil. Coat the eggplant, zucchini, peppers, artichokes, scallions, and tomatoes separately with the oil. Grill the vegetables, basting generously with the Garlic and Herb Oil, until tender and soft: about 10 minutes for the eggplant, 8 minutes for the zucchini, 15 minutes for the peppers, 10 minutes for the artichokes, and 5 minutes for the scallions and tomatoes. Arrange them on a large platter and garnish with the olives, cheese, and herbs. Squeeze over the remaining lemon juice
and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.


 
Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” – Otto

Friday 21 November 2014

Sanitation Practices


Otto Say’s
Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore
Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

Don’t let your food turn nasty!
Food poisoning is a serious health problem. It can cause severe illness and even death.
Food poisoning can seriously damage the reputation of a business, damage the reputation of the food industry, and damage the jobs of many workers.
As a person who handles food – whether you are a kitchen hand, a food process worker, a shop assistant or a waiter – you have an important responsibility to handle food safely. So:
• protect other people from getting sick
• protect your reputation in the food industry
• protect your business, and
• protect your job.
Food safety laws are designed to ensure that food that is sold is safe to eat and free of any contamination.
Follow the food safety program
Follow the advice given by the food safety
Prevent food poisoning by practicing good personal hygiene
 Thoroughly wash and dry your hands before handling food, and wash and dry them again frequently during work.
 Dry your hands with clean towels, disposable paper towels or under an air dryer.
 Never smoke, chew gum, spit, change a baby’s nappy or eat in a food handling or food storage area.
 Never cough or sneeze over food or where food is prepared or stored.
 Wear clean protective clothing, such as an apron.
 Keep your spare clothes and other personal items away from where food is stored and prepared.
 If you have long hair, tie it back or cover it.
 Keep your nails short so they are easy to clean, and don’t wear nail polish as it can chip into the food.
 Avoid wearing jewellery, or only wear plain banded rings and sleeper earrings.
 If you have cuts or wounds, make sure they are completely covered by a waterproof wound strip                                      or a bandage. Use brightly coloured wound strips, so they can be seen easily if they fall off.
Wear disposable gloves over the top of the wound strip if you have wounds on your hands.
Change disposable gloves regularly.


Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” – Otto

 

Saturday 8 November 2014

Fall Menu


 

 Otto Say’s

Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore

Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

 


Fall Menu

Hearty Vegetable Soup (serves 6)


Ingredients

15 ml. butter

1 medium onion diced

1 garlic clove minced

1 medium winter squash peeled and diced

1 medium zucchini diced

1medium sweet potato, peeled and diced

150 gr. orzo

500 gr. fresh chopped tomato or can diced tomatoes

5 ml. dried thyme leaves

5 ml dried   rosemary

1 liter chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the butter medium heat.

2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown.

3. Add the winter squash, zucchini, sweet potato, orzo, canned tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and stock 4.Simmer until the vegetables are soft and cooked through, about 30 minutes.

4. Season the soup with salt, and black pepper, to taste. Serve with sliced crusty POP’ S garlic bread.

5. Sprinkle with POP’S Spice

 

Herbed chicken breast

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

Tenderize the boneless chicken breast halves by flattening them as you would for a chicken cutlet, then marinating in lemon juice.

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

100 ml. fresh lemon juice

75 ml. butter

50 ml olive oil

400 gr. plain dry breadcrumbs

75 ml chopped fresh basil

50 ml chopped fresh parsley

20 ml. chopped fresh rosemary

5 ml salt

3ml ground black pepper OR (POP’S Spices)

Lemon wedges

Method

1. Pour lemon juice over. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Remove chicken from dish and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Preheat oven to 220 c Melt butter with oil in small saucepan over medium heat cool slightly. Mix breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper in pie dish.

3. Brush chicken breasts on both sides with melted butter mixture. Coat chicken on both sides with breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken on baking sheet.

4. Bake until chicken is cooked through and breadcrumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to plates. Serve, passing lemon wedges alongside. And HERBED GARLIC MASH AND brown sugar mashed turnips

 

Chocolate Pumpkin Chiffon Pudding

Serves 6                                                                                                                       

150 gr pumpkin puree

150 gr coconut milk

2 eggs

150 gr coconut sugar

250 gr chocolate chunks or chips melted

2 ml salt

1 ml vanilla

250 ml whipped cream

1. In a blender combine pumpkin, coconut milk, and eggs

2. Pulse in coconut sugar, melted chocolate, salt,

3. Transfer into serving glass and place in fridge for 2 hours to set

4. Serve with whipping cream

Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” – Otto
 

Friday 31 October 2014

Why do ( we ) humans have to cook our Foods



Otto Say’s
Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore
Pasta without wine is like a heart without love

Why do ( we ) humans have to cook our  Foods

We actually don't have to cook our food and there are many meat dishes such as sushi and steak tartar, which are served raw. In general, however, food is cooked for health concerns. For instance there are several types of parasites and pathogenic bacteria that can be transmitted to humans by eating uncooked or poorly cooked meat. By cooking the meat properly, these organisms are killed. For most of us, these infections might make our lives a little unpleasant, but would probably not kill us. However, because such a high concern in modern western society is focused on quality of life, we choose to do whatever is necessary to limit any unnecessary unpleasant.

Some temperature to prevent some diseases

Use a fridge thermometer to check the temperature of your fridge regularly. The coldest part of the fridge should be between 0 deg C and  5  C

You could use a probe thermometer to check if food is being

Kept hot (above 63 deg C) or cold (below 8 deg C). Make sure you always clean the thermometer thoroughly every time you use it, before and after putting it in the food.

 

 

 

Hot foods



Hot foods must be stored above 63 deg C to prevent the excessive growth of bacteria. Hot foods can be kept below this temperature for a maximum of two hours before being used, returned to above 63 deg C or chilled.

 

Chilled storage of foods


Some foods need to be kept chilled to keep them safe, for example food with a ‘use by’ date, food that you have cooked and won’t serve immediately, or other ready-to-eat food such as prepared salads. If these foods are not properly chilled, bacteria can grow and make people ill.



Smile and Be Sweet

“The best way to win a friend is to listen and

Smile it only takes a minute” – Otto

Friday 24 October 2014

Pan fried fish and Sause



 Otto Say’s
Pasta sanza vino e come il cuore sanza amore
Pasta without wine is like a heart without love


Pan fried fish


Classic Pan Sauce for Fish



4 tbsp flour

4 tbsp butter or extra virgin olive oil

225  ml. white wine

225 ml. fish stock

  Salt to taste

1 lemon

Method


1.       When you have finished pan-frying your fish or seafood, add 4 more tablespoons of whatever butter or oil to the fish scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

2.       Turn the heat to medium-low and sprinkle in the flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. Let this cook, stirring often, until it turns light brown; you are making a roux. It is very important not to burn this.

3.       When the roux is light brown, add the wine. Mix well and scrape any browned bits off the bottom with the wooden spoon.

4.       It may thicken up quite a bit immediately, so add the fish stock and mix well. Bring this to a boil over high heat.

5.       Season with Pop's Seasoning  ready to serve over fish or seafood  may squeeze lemon

To the sauce you may add almonds to make Lake Trout (or any other fish) allemande

Maybe used as a warm dip for fish cakes or crab cakes
 

Smile and Be Sweet
“The best way to win a friend is to listen and
Smile it only takes a minute” – Otto