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Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Spicy Avocado Cream

By in GF Mains, Main Dish, Poultry 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

chipotle chicken tacos 36

The other night my hubby and I went on a very long awaited date. We drove from our sleepy (or boring, whatever you prefer) little country town to the “big” city of Calgary. We watched The Hobbit (yay!) and then drove downtown to eat at Joey Eau Claire. We’ve eaten there a couple of times and every time the food has been absolutely delicious. I highly recommend it.

I had the Baja Fish Tacos. They were sooo good. In fact, the very next day I was craving them again and decided to create my own version of a “fancy” taco. Since I have a favourite fish taco recipe already, I thought I’d go for a poultry version and put my own spin on it. They’re nothing like the fish tacos I had the night before but I think they are just as crave worthy. With homemade crispy taco shells, smokey chipotle chicken strips, a cooling yet spicy avocado cream, and broccoli slaw, this is no boring taco. But the best part? They hardly take any time to put together, making them a great choice for any old weeknight.

The spicy avocado cream makes a great dip for nachos. So, if you’ve got any leftover don’t throw it out! Save it in the fridge for a tasty game night snack.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Spicy Avocado Cream

Spicy Avocado Cream

If your family can’t handle spice you can omit the jalapeño to make it simply a cooling cream, with no added spiciness.

  • 1/2 avocado, peeled and pit removed
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • juice of half a lime
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 jalapeño, seeded if desired (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Chipotle Chicken
  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
To Serve

Place all ingredients for the avocado cream in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into serving bowl.

Preheat a skillet, with a bit of oil, over medium high heat. Add chicken; season with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Cook without stirring until browned on the bottom. Flip and cook until fully cooked through. Add garlic and chipotle pepper. Cook 1 minute more.

To serve: add a couple sliced of chicken to a taco shell, top with avocado cream, cheese, slaw and cilantro.

Makes: 8-10 tacos

Pumpkin Spice Roll

By in Cakes, Recipes, Sweets, Thanksgiving 11 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Pumpkin Spice Roll

I was planning on sharing a Thanksgiving side dish with you today, but it was a royal flop so I decided to make something pumpkin instead. Pumpkin heals all wounds. And, let”s face it, the whole (north american) world, including myself, is pretty much obsessed with pumpkin right now. And, I was in need of a guaranteed win.

I”ve made this Pumpkin Spice Roll quite a few times over the years and it”s always a winner no matter where I serve it. It”s so extremely easy to make and yet looks so impressive. I made it in our first years of marriage, when I was just learning to cook, and it turned out a great success, so you know it”s easy. ;)

A soft pumpkin spice cake coated in a layer of walnuts, with a creamy yet light, cream cheese filling – it”s pretty much an inside out spice cake rolled up into one pretty presentation. It would be perfect for Thanksgiving but you can save it for any special day, like maybe the first snow fall? Hopefully your snow holds off a little longer than ours. :)

Pumpkin Spice Roll

You can sub 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin spice for the combination of spices in the recipe, if you prefer.

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

  • 3/4 cup icing (confectioners) sugar, divided

  • 1/2 cup (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened

  • 3/4 cup cold whipping cream

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease a 15x10x1 inch pan, line it with waxed or parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper as well. Whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Set aside.Whisk together eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Whisk in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle walnuts over evenly. Bake at 375°F for for 15 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when touched.

While cake bakes, sprinkle a clean kitchen towel with 1/4 cup icing sugar. As soon as cake comes out of the oven, invert onto prepared towel, remove the pan and gently peel of the paper. Starting at a short side, gently roll up the cake and towel together to form a log. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before adding the filling.

To make the filling, beat together 1/2 cup icing sugar and cream cheese until smooth with an electric beater. Gently mix in the cream and vanilla, scraping up any cream cheese stuck to the bottom of the bowl (mixture will be lumpy). Beat on medium-high speed until mixture is smooth and stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted.

Gently unroll cake, spread filling evenly over entire cake, leaving a 1 inch gap on both short ends (so filling won”t squeeze out as you roll it back up. Re-roll the cake, firmly but gently. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. To serve, dust with additional icing sugar if desired.

Makes: 10 servings

Adapted from Kraft.

{Strawberries & Cream} Soda

By in Beverages, Cold, Featured 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

strawberries and cream soda

Not to be confused with strawberries and cream soda. :)

I’ve had this idea rattling around in my head for quite a while now. I love making my own drinks and was inspired by this article to try and make some homemade sodas. My first attempts, following the article, were less than satisfactory so I decided to give the idea a break.

When I saw these gorgeous flavoured syrups on Annie;s Eats, I knew I had to give it another go – this time with a slightly different adaptation. It turned out just like I;d been hoping for. Lot;s of fruity flavour while still maintaining that soda feel.

The concept is so simple – an easy sugar syrup mixed with carbonated water. You can head in whichever direction you like with flavourings. Try different fruits and extracts to make your own dream soda.

If you pour the liquids over ice they will stay separate (which I think is rather pretty). This is because the syrup is denser than the carbonated water and when you pour it over ice it slows down the mixing process and the lighter layer sits on top. If you want a mixed look, you can pour the liquids in first and then add ice.

I can;t wait to try this with ice cream. Doesn’t a strawberries & cream float sound amazing?


What would be your dream soda flavour?

Strawberries & Cream Soda

The amount of sugar used depends on your sweet tooth and the sweetness of the strawberries.

Strawberry-Vanilla Syrup
  • 1.5 – 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups chopped strawberries
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, water and strawberries in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat and allow to simmer for 15 min, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, stirring berry solids gently to allow all the juices to flow through. Allow to cool before storing, covered, in the fridge.

To Make Soda
  • ice
  • strawberry-vanilla syrup
  • carbonated water (club soda)

For one serving: Add ice to glass, top with 1/3 cup  syrup and 2/3 cup carbonated water. Serve immediately.

For a pitcher: Add ice to pitcher, top with 2.5 cups syrup and 5 cups carbonated water. Serve immediately.

Makes: 7-8 servings

Mango Strawberry Sherbet

By in Cool, Featured, Fruit, GF Sweets, Gluten Free, Sweets 21 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Mango Strawberry Sherbet

We are coming off of two weeks of non-stop rain and my son and I have been practically living outside, now that the sun is shining. We’ve been having picnics, going to the park, walking to the creek, playing in the sandbox. You name it. We’ve done it. I’m surprised at how hardcore Max is about being outside. His little 21 month old legs do not tire out easily. The forecast is for rain again next week so I figure we better enjoy it while we can.

Every afternoon when Max is down for his nap I’ve been taking some time to sit out in the sun and soak up some rays. It reminds me of all those summer days back home when my mom and I would sit out on the deck and talk for hours. The only thing missing is Mom (and the talking, I try not to talk to myself out loud too much in public places). Thankfully I have this Mango Strawberry Sherbet to comfort me.

I know there is a lot of confusion between Sorbet and Sherbet, so let me break it down for you. The only difference between the two is that Sherbet contains dairy and Sorbet doesn’t. It’s as simple as that. The addition of cream in this sherbet smooths out the texture as soon as it hits your mouth.

One of the best things about this recipe is that you do not need an ice cream maker to make it. All you need is a large ziploc bag and a blender. The other best thing about this sherbet? It tastes like mango, strawberry heaven.

This is an ice creamy treat that you don’t have to feel guilty about feeding your kids because it’s packed full of real fruit and you control the amount of sugar intake. The addition of cardamom adds a hint of background flavour that rounds it out nicely and leaves you wanting more, but you could just as easily leave it out or substitute it with another spice such as cinnamon.

What summer/spring events transport you back to your childhood?

Mango Strawberry Sherbet

  • 1 mango, flesh removed and chopped (2 cups)
  • 1 cup strawberries, hulled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup ice
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp. cardamom
    1. Puree mango, strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender until smooth. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds.
    2. Rinse out blender (to get rid of seeds) and place remaining ingredients along with pureed fruit inside. Puree until smooth.
    3. Place a large resealable plastic bag into a large pitcher allowing the side of the bag to drape over. Poor in Sherbet. Remove from pitcher and seal tightly.
    4. Freeze for 45 min. Remove from freezer and mash the bag around in your hands to break up the ice crystals. Place back in the freezer and repeat the process every 30 min. until the entire mixture is frozen (2-3 hours). Set a timer so you don’t forget!
    5. Freeze overnight. Leave out for 10-15 minutes before scooping and serving.

Makes approximately : 4 cups

* If your mango doesn’t have enough flesh to make 2 cups just add more strawberries to equal a total of 3 cups of fruit.

* You could really make this with any soft seasonal fruit but you may need to add more sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit. I like to take a spoon and taste it once its all mixed together to make sure the sugar is right.

* The reason you mash up the sherbet as it freezes is to break up the ice crystals as they are forming so that you can get the smoothest possible consistency. Alternately, you could place this in a shallow dish and mash it with a whisk or spoon every 30 min. until frozen. If you do have an ice cream maker by all means use it!

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Garlic Shrimp Pasta for Two

By in Main Dish, Pasta, Seafood, Valentine's 13 Comments Tags: , , , ,

When I was first married I made every possible situation into a celebration. That first year of marriage we celebrated every monthly anniversary along with every romantic holiday in between. I love setting aside a special time to spend with the ones you love with no distractions. That first year gave me ample opportunity.

Things have changed a bit since we had Max and especially since we moved halfway around the world with no free babysitters to call upon. Now, a lot of the romantic days are spent together as a family. But honestly, I really don”t mind.

I know that my son will only be little for so long. In the blink of an eye I will be suffering from empty nest syndrome and will be missing the pitter patter of his little feet. That”s why I don”t mind this stage that we”re in. I get to set aside special days to spend time with my two loves. And, once the sonny goes to bed we get that much needed time to ourselves.

That is where this Garlic Shrimp Pasta is perfect. It”s so simple and fast that it won”t make for added stress. But, with it”s creamy garlic infused sauce and plump pink shrimp, it will definitely feel like a special occasion. You can whip this up in a jiffy once the kids are in bed. Just don”t be the only one eating it and make sure to keep some mints handy. :) Let the romancing begin!

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

  • 2 Tbsp. butter

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • 1/2 tsp. parsley

  • 1/4 tsp. dill

  • 1/4 tsp. salt

  • pepper, to taste

  • 5 oz (142g) spaghetti

  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup small cooked shrimp (depending on preference)

  1. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add garlic and cook just enough to get rid of the raw edge. Do not brown.

  2. Add cream and spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes to reduce.

  3. Meanwhile cook spaghetti in salted boiling water. Drain.

  4. Add cooked shrimp to cream just to warm through. Poor over spaghetti and stir to combine.

Makes: 2 servings

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Fresh Berry Crisp with Brown Sugar Cream

By in Breakfast, Fruit, Mothers Day, Snacks, Sweets 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

Fresh Berry Crisp

I use the words Fresh Berry Crisp with Brown Sugar Cream loosely with this recipe, because it’s not truly either. Although, the description does fit it well because it is a fresh assembly of bursting berries and crisp granola clusters, topped with sour cream and brown sugar. See? All in the title there.

This is the epitome of simple. In fact, it can hardly be called a recipe. But, it is a combination that I wouldn’t have thought of without some inspiration from another source. Sour cream may seem an odd thing to add to berries, but that tartness along with the sweetness of the brown sugar, is the perfect compliment to any berry you can imagine. If you are not brave enough to try it with sour cream you may substitute it with plain yogurt. But, then you are just having the same old and what’s the fun in that?

The thing I love most about this concoction is that it’s mostly just berries. Usually I have yogurt with sprinkling of berries or cereal with a few berries thrown in. But, this time, the berries are at the forefront and the others are just accents to bring out that fresh fruity flavour. If you are wanting to eat a bowl of fruit but desiring a little dessert like pizzaz I suggest you give this a try.

Fresh Berry Crisp with Brown Sugar Cream

  • 1/2 cup berries
  • 1 heaping Tbsp. granola
  • 1 heaping Tbsp. sour cream
  • 1 tsp. brown sugar
  1. Place berries in a bowl and sprinkle with granola. Top with sour cream and brown sugar.

Serves: 1

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