New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

Next week is Mardi Gras and even though I will not be in New Orleans to celebrate, I take it as an excuse to whip up some NOLA inspired dishes since I am a big fan on NOLA cuisine. Another one of my favourite dishes that I had when I visited New Orleans was the BBQ shrimp and I just had to try making it at home. Normally the BBQ shrimp is served whole with the shell and the head on but if you have any squeamish eaters feel free to serve the shrimp completely peeled. Other than the shrimp the the most important thing is the BBQ sauce which is a mixture of hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic and plenty of butter. The recipe itself is really easy, you just cook the garlic a bit in some butter, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until the shrimp is cooked. Despite being so simple this New Orleans stye BBQ shrimp is so addictively good that you'll want to serve it with some crusty bread to mop up absolutely all of the BBQ sauce. If you are looking for a way to celebrate Mardi Gras from home next week this BBQ shrimp is a great way to do it. (To be completely honest with you, I didn't wait for Mardi Gras to enjoy this BBQ shrimp since it's great any day of the year, including say, today!)

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Chargrilled Oysters

Valentine's Day is this weekend and I have been testing out some new recipes for that special day and since oysters are a common food for Valentine's Day I started with some chargrilled oysters. I first had chargrilled oysters when I visited New Orleans a few years ago and they were one of the dishes that I ate while there that really stuck out in my mind so it seemed only natural to try to make them at home. Chargrilled oysters are basically oysters on the half shell that are filled with a lemony, garlicky, butter sauce, topped with cheese and chargrilled until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown. You really cannot go wrong with a sauce like that and they are usually served with bread so that you can soak up all of that buttery sauces goodness! If you don't have a grill, or you just don't feel like firing it up or if it's buried under 2 feet of snow you can charbroil them instead; they won't be quite the same but they will still be amazing and you can always add a touch of liquid smoke to the butter sauce to get that smoky/charred flavour. Although a bit decadent these chargrilled oysters are perfect for a special occasion like Valentine's Day and they make an amazing appetizer before the main event!

Mardi Gras is next week and these chargrilled oysters are a great way to bring a little bit of New Orleans into your home to celebrate!

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Tomato and Feta Dip

With the Big Game (the football playoffs) being tomorrow I have one last minute snack to share with you, a fresh dip that I have been seeing on pinterest for a while now, a Greek themed tomato and feta dip that looked so good that I had to try it. This dip is so quick and easy to make, you pretty much just need to dice some tomatoes, crumble some feta, slice some green onions and dig in and start dipping! You could dip with fresh bread but I decided to go with some toasted pita wedges where I sprayed/brushed them with a bit of oil, sprinkled on some salt and pepper and toasted them in the oven. This form of the dip is great as it is but there is plenty of room to play around with and I could easily see adding things like kalamata olives or sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, etc. but no matter how you serve it, this dip will disappear quickly so make a lot of it!

Enjoy the Big Game and more importantly all of the tasty game day food!

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Healthy Game Day Snacking

Earlier this week I shared with you some of my favourite game day snacks for the upcoming Big Game, aka the football playoffs, but you may have noticed that a lot of them were not the healthiest recipes around so I decided to come up with a list of healthier munchies for the game. I know that a lot of you are rolling your eyes about now but these recipes are lighter without sacrificing anything in the way of flavour! The only things that are sacrificed are the carbs, calories and fat and all of these recipes are really easy to make and super tasty! This list of healthy game day snacks includes everything from buffalo cauliflower to veggie pizzas, dips, grilled meat on a stick, nachos, baked crispy veggie 'fries', quesadillas, chilies, casseroles, etc; pretty much anything that you could ask for! So if you are looking for some lighter snacking ideas for the Big Game this weekend I've got you covered and no matter which of these recipes you choose they are sure to satisfy and make your party the talk of the town!

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Korean Bulgogi and Kimchi Nachos

One of my favourite game day snacks is nachos and this time I though that I would combine them with one of my favourite cuisines, Korean cuisine, and so I present to you these Korean themed nachos with bulgogi, kimchi and plenty of melted cheese! Bulgogi is Korean BBQ beef that is marinated in a tasty sweet and salty sauce that is absolutely divine all by itself but it gets even better in these nachos. Kimchi is fermented cabbage that is on the sour side and can be spicy but when combined with the sweet bulgogi and the melted cheese it mellows out and really brings these nachos together! From there you can top the nachos with what you want and I like to go with sour cream (well I actually use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream), green onions and sesame seeds. If you like things hot, you can't go wrong with a spicy gochujang sauce or some sriracha! Of course everything is better when topped with a fried egg with a runny yolk so turn these bulgogi and kimchi nachos into a meal by adding some!

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Crispy Parmesan Cauliflower Bites

First up for my new snacking recipes for the Big Game (the NFL football playoffs) are these tasty little crispy parmesan cauliflower bites; aka crispy cauliflower popcorn! I had been seeing this recipe all over pinterest for a long time with the source being Damn Delicious and I had just been itching to try it. The recipe is super simple, you just cut the cauliflower into florets, dip them in egg followed by a mixture of panko breadcrumbs, parmesan and creole seasoning before frying them until golden brown and crispy. Normally I do not do a lot of deep frying but since I was frying a healthy vegetable I figured it would even out, though I am sure that you could also bake them if you wanted to. I have to say that these crispy parmesan cauliflower bites are amazingly good, super addictive, my new favourite snack and perfect for the Big Game!

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Zucchini Pizza Bites

Last year when I made my eggplant pizzas for the first time I just knew that I would have to try a zucchini version! I already knew that zucchini works amazingly well as a pizza crust since I make zucchini crust pizzas throughout zucchini season so simplifying things a bit and just using slices of zucchini for the pizza 'crust' sounded perfect! Most zucchini that you get in the grocery store these days are relatively small so these pizzas are bite sized but if you head out to your famers market you should be able to get some pretty large zucchini, say about 3-5 inched across, for even larger zucchini pizzas. These zucchini pizzas are super simple to make, you just need to pre-cook the zucchini a bit, top them with pizza sauce, cheese and your favourite pizza toppings and broil them until the cheese melts. You could easily serve these zucchini pizza bites as snacks or as dinner and they are a great way to get your kids to eat more vegetables!

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Strawberry Bruschetta with Bacon, Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese with a Balsamic Drizzle

These strawberry bruschetta with bacon, candied pecans and goat cheese with a balsamic drizzle combine some of my favourite flavours and they are perfect for summer entertaining! Normally I would use these ingredients in a salad but they also work well in bruschetta form as finger food when entertaining. The juicy strawberries pair perfectly with the creamy goat cheese, the salty bacon and the tart balsamic vinegar and I like to top everything off with a touch of fresh basil to brighten things up! The candied pecans add a nice sweet crunch, though you could easily substitute regular pecans.

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Cilantro Lime Grilled Shrimp

Cilantro and lime has to be one of my favourite flavour combos and my favourite way to enjoy it is on shrimp! I make cilantro lime shrimp year round but the summer is the best since you can do them on the grill. One of the great things about the cilantro and lime flavour combo, other than being tasty, is that it is so light and fresh and perfect for summer or reminding you of summer in the dead of winter. This recipe is really easy, you simply make the marinade, marinate the shrimp, skewer them and grill them. All said, excluding the marinate time, it takes less that 20 minutes from the time you start until you can be popping these bad boys into your mouth like candy! You can enjoy these shrimp by themselves or in other dishes like tacos, nachos, pasta, etc.

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Chipotle Tuna 7 Layer Dip

Seven layer dip is always fun at parties and I thought that I would try kicking it up a bit with the addition of a pantry staple, tuna, but not just any tuna, some chipotle tuna by Clover Leaf. A seven layer dip is a dip where Mexican style ingredients are layered on top of each other and for this dip I went with layers of seasoned beans, sour cream, guacamole, chipotle tuna, salsa, cheese and olives along with green onions for garnish. If you have all of the ingredients on hand this dip could not be easier to make where you simply need to pull the ingredients out and start layering them. You could easily use all store bought ingredients and make this dip a snap to assemble or you could make all of the ingredients yourself and keep the dip nice and light and healthy. In the recipe below I have given options to keep things simple and to keep things light and healthier with some examples being either using store bought refried beans versus using a can of beans with homemade taco seasoning mixed in or using store bought salsa versus making your own fresh pico de gallo. No matter how you make it, this is one tasty dip that is sure to please and the chipotle tuna is a great addition to a seven layer dip!

Scroll down a bit for the chance to win a Clover Leaf tuna prize!

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Teriyaki Salmon and Pineapple Quesadillas

When I made the teriyaki salmon last week I could not help but think of making these teriyaki salmon and pineapple quesadillas! Teriyaki sauce and pineapple is such a fabulous flavour combination and you really can't go wrong throwing them into quesadillas with plenty of melted cheese! I kept these quesadillas nice and simple only adding some green onions and sriracha to the teriyaki salmon and pineapple and I went with monterey jack for the cheese. I made the teriyaki sauce a little differently by replacing the sake with pineapple juice to get even more pineapple flavour. Although these teriyaki salmon and pineapple quesadillas are super tasty all by themselves I served them topped with a drizzle of sriracha mayo and teriyaki sauce and a quick pineapple salsa!

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Cilantro Lime Salmon Taquitos

While I was enjoying some cilantro salmon I could not help but think that it would make a great filling for Mexican style dishes like tacos, quesadillas, etc and my heart was set on using them in some taquitos. Taquitos, aka flautas, aka rolled tacos, are small tortillas that are wrapped around a filling and fried until crispy and they are often topped with things like salsa, sour cream, etc. I kept these taquitos really simple filling them with a mixture of the salmon, cheese and some salsa verde to kick up the flavour a bit. Once the filling was ready all that was left was to roll it up in some tortillas and shallow fry them in a skillet until crispy and golden brown. Rolling the tortillas may take a bit of time but once you get the hang of it it's pretty easy, just make sure to warm the corn tortillas before working with them so that they do not crack and fall apart. I served the cilantro lime salmon taquitos on a bed of lettuce topped with guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, crumbled queso fresco and hot sauce.

I enjoyed the salmon taquitos so much that I just had to make them again and this time I tried baking them in an effort to cut down on the oil. The results were that the baked taquitos were a little less crispy, but still really good, and it was a lot easier to bake the in one go than it was to fry them in batches of 3-4.

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Quesadillas al Pastor

When I made the tacos al pastor the other week I made a double batch to ensure leftovers for use in quesadillas! The tacos al pastor taste great when filled with fresh ingredients like pineapple, onions and cilantro so they can only get better in quesadilla form with plenty of ooey gooey melted cheese! These quesadillas al pastor are filled with the al pastor pork, pineapple pieces, pineapple salsa, diced onions, cilantro and of course lots and lots of cheese before they are grilled until the cheese has melted and the tortillas a crispy and golden brown. Even if you do not make the tacos al pastor it's definitely well worth making the al pastor pork for these tasty quesadillas!

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Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs

Looking for a last minute Easter appetizer idea? You can't go wrong with deviled eggs and why not make them a little more interesting by making them with all of the flavours of bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers? These deviled eggs are stuffed with the mashed egg yolks, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapenos and bacon and then they are sprinkled with even more cheddar cheese before some brief time under the broiler to melt the cheese! Who says you can't enjoy one of your favourite game day snacks at your family holiday? These deviled eggs taste just like jalapeno poppers and they will make the perfect addition to any holiday spread!

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Broccoli and Cheddar Quinoa Bites

The broccoli and cheddar flavour combo is a great one and this time I use it in some bites sized quinoa cakes. Often when I do something like these I will make them more like a fritter and fry them in oil but it's also fun to bake them in mini muffin pans and it keeps them a little lighter. These broccoli and cheddar quinoa bites could not be easier to make, you simply cook the quinoa, mix all of the ingredients and bake! Not only are they tasty but they are also pretty healthy and kid friendly so the next time you are looking for something to snack on put down the bag of chips and grab some broccoli and cheddar quinoa cakes.

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Irish Nachos with Guinness and Irish Cheddar Sauce

I hope that there is time for one last recipe for St Patrick's Day and this one is a good one, Irish nachos in a Guinness and Irish cheddar sauce! Irish nachos are pretty much your regular nachos only they are made with home made potato chips, in this case crispy baked potato chips. The most important part of these nachos is of course the Guinness Irish cheddar sauce or fondue which allows you to get some Guinness right into your meal in addition to washing the nachos down with a pint! The sauce is pretty much a bechamel sauce where the liquid is Guinness which the Irish cheddar mellows out giving you a creamy and tasty sauce. Next up is the meat and I like to go for a spicy Mexican chorizo but any sausage will work and chopped up corned beef or even bacon would also be perfect. From there you can add your favourite nacho toppings and I like fresh tomatoes, onion, avocado, sour cream and cilantro. The perfect pub food for your St Patrick's Day celebration!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

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Pineapple Char Siu Pulled Pork Sliders

Pulled pork is definitely up there as one of my favourite foods and the other day when I was enjoying some char siu, a Chinese BBQ or roast pork, I thought that the char siu flavours would be amazing on pulled pork! Char siu sauce is primarily hoisin sauce and Chinese five spice with some staples like soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger thrown in. I wanted it to be a bit more like a BBQ sauce which needs some heat so sriracha was required! When I was thinking about what I was going to use the pulled pork in, sliders were the first thing that came to mind and pulled pork sliders just scream for some slaw. With the Asian flavours going on, my mind wandered to pineapple and I figured that the juicy, sweet and tangy pineapple would pair perfectly with the rich and spicy BBQ pork. Of course adding some pineapple juice to the char siu BBQ sauce would also help tenderize the meat! Next up was what kind of buns to use for the sliders and King's Hawaiian sweet rolls were a perfect fit as their sweetness would complement the char siu BBQ pork and the tangy pineapple nicely! I have to say the the char siu pulled pork works really well and these pineapple char siu pulled pork sliders were definitely a hit!

Throwing an Oscar's party this weekend? These would be perfect for it!

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Baba Ghanoush Burrito Bowl

After enjoying plenty of baba ghanoush over the past few days I could not help but wonder about turning it into a meal, burrito bowl style. Burrito bowls are basically just deconstructed burritos served in a bowl; they usually start with a base of rice, followed by beans, meat, fresh ingredients, cheese, etc. I figured that baba ghanoush would make an excellent base for a 'burrito bowl' and I wanted to keep things with a Mediterranean theme and topped it with a seasoned ground lamb, fresh tomatoes, Greek yogurt and a hit of feta along with plenty of fresh herbs. I have to say that this baba ghanoush burrito bowl exceeded my expectations making for a really tasty meal that is both satisfying and pretty light and healthy at the same time!

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Cheesecake Factory Avocado Egg Rolls

I have never actually had these avocado egg rolls at the Cheesecake Factory but as soon as I came across them on pinterest via Lil'Luna I knew that I would have to try making them. I mean you really can't go wrong taking creamy avocado, wrapping it up in crispy egg rolls and serving them with a tasty tamarind and cashew dipping sauce. This copycat recipe is essentially a simple avocado 'guacamole' with sundried tomatoes that is wrapped up in egg rolls and fried until crispy. I would wolf down a plate of the avocado egg rolls just by themselves but they also come with a tasty sweet and tart cashew sauce for dipping that is fabulous in it's own right! I can't wait to make these avocado eggs rolls again!

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Baba Ghanoush

A while ago I was on a hummus kick and it reminded me of another great dip that is very similar, baba ghanoush. Baba ghanoush is a levantine dish made with grilled eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt which are basically the same ingredients in hummus replacing the chickpeas with roasted eggplant and that makes it a great, lighter alternative to hummus. Another great thing about baba ghanoush is how easy it is to make, you simply need to roast the eggplant and then puree it with the remaining ingredients and you are ready to dig in with pitas or crackers, etc. Baba ghanoush is commonly garnished with olive oil, parsley or cilantro and optionally chili powder. In addition to making a great dip baba ghanoush also makes a nice side dish or even a light meal and I enjoy having it for breakfasts along with whole wheat pitas.

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