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February 16, 2025

The easiest and most delicious Coffee Cake recipe.

In loaf format, this Coffee Cake couldn’t get any simpler to make. With swirls of cinnamon sugar throughout, this Coffee Cake is perfect for breakfast or brunches with a hot cup of coffee.

 

Ingredients

  • ½ cup brown sugar packed

  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon ground

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ cup butter unsalted, softened

  • ¾ cup sugar granulated

  • 2 large eggs room temperature

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

     

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a loaf pan with cooking spray or grease it with butter. In a bowl whisk the brown sugar with the cinnamon together until combined.

  • Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Set aside. In another bowl cream the butter with the granulated sugar until light in color and well combined. Add the eggs in one at a time and mix until light and fluffy. 

  • Add the buttermilk, vanilla extract and flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until well incorporated and smooth. Note: the batter is a bit thicker than a regular cake batter. If your batter is too thick, add a bit more buttermilk, or if it's too thin, add a bit more flour.

  • Pour ⅓ of the batter in the prepared bread pan and sprinkle with ⅓ of the brown sugar mixture, repeat with remaining batter and sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture over the top. You should end up with 3 layers of batter and 3 layers of cinnamon sugar.

  • Transfer the loaf pan to the oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean inserted in the center of the loaf. Cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

     

Notes

  1. Buttermilk Substitute: If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.

  2. Batter Consistency: The batter for this loaf is thicker than your average cake batter. If it seems too thick, feel free to add a splash more buttermilk.

  3. Checking Doneness: Every oven is a bit different, so starting at 45 minutes, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it's ready!

  4. Topping Twist: For an added crunch, consider sprinkling some chopped nuts or a crumble topping on the batter before baking.

 

 

February 09. 2025

Dry Rub Wings

Dry Rub Wings are crispy, flavorful chicken wings coated in a savory blend of spices and baked to perfection. They're easy to make and perfect for any occasion, delivering a delicious crunch in every bite.

Equipment

  • Large Baking Sheet

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken wings split at the joints, tips removed

  • 2 tablespoons baking powder

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon paprika smoked or regular

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon chili powder

  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for heat

Instructions

  • Set your oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack over the sheet. This setup allows air to circulate around the wings, helping them cook evenly and become crispy.

  • Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels to remove any moisture. This step is important for the dry rub to stick and for achieving crispy skin.

  • In a small bowl, combine the baking powder, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix well.

  • Place the wings in a large bowl and sprinkle the dry rub over them. Toss the wings until they are evenly coated with the rub.

  • Lay the wings out in a single layer on the wire rack. Ensure they are not touching to promote an even cook and crisp texture.

  • Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown and crispy. Turn the wings halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning.

  • Remove the wings from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.

 

Mexican Street Corn Sheet Pan Nachos

These Mexican Street Corn Sheet Pan Nachos are packed with grilled corn, drizzled with a simple homemade Queso sauce, and topped with a creamy cheese blend of Cotija (or feta), Greek yogurt, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, and Southwestern spices. Perfect for game day, the Super Bowl, summer parties, cookouts, and potlucks, these loaded nachos bring all the flavors of Elote or Mexican street corn in a fun, shareable nacho form!

Ingredients

Homemade tortilla chips

  • 12 small 5-inch yellow corn tortillas cut into quarters ( you can smply replace with store bought nacho chips)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • coarse salt to taste

Queso sauce

Mexican street corn dip

Garnish

  • ½ bunch fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

  • 1 medium lime sliced

  • Jalapeno and habanero peppers thinly sliced, as desired

Instructions

Make tortilla chips from scratch

  • Alternatively, you can use store-bought tortilla chips and skip this step.

  • Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  • Cut the tortillas into quarters or 6 wedges. Arrange the tortillas onto baking sheets and brush each piece with olive oil. Season the tortilla chips to taste with salt.

  • Bake the tortilla chips for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned around the edges. Set the chips aside.

Prepare the Queso sauce

  • Mix milk, cornstarch, cumin, chili powder, and garlic salt in a saucepot. Cook over medium heat until the sauce is slightly thickened.

  • Stir in 1 cup freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Set aside.

Prepare the Mexican street corn dip

  • Lay each corn ear of grilled corn on a flat surface like a cutting board. Slice off the kernels with a knife.

  • Cook corn kernels with olive oil and chili powder in a skillet for 2 minutes. Set aside. Reserve ⅓ of the corn from the skillet.

  • In a food processor, whip together sour cream, Greek yogurt, lime juice, and ⅔ of the feta cheese (or Cotija) until well combined. Add the creamy base to the skillet with corn and stir well to combine.

Assemble the nachos

  • Add tortilla chips to a rimmed baking sheet.

  • Drizzle the queso sauce over the chips, then add dollops of corn dip.

  • Add crumbed feta, lime slices, reserved corn, sliced chili peppers, and chopped parsley or 

 

 

 

 

February 02, 2025

Potato Scallops Cakes

 

Cooking time: 6 minutes per batch

Serves: 2-4 people

  • 2 large Desiree or Dutch Cream potatoes (around 500g/1.1lbs)

  • 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs soda water

  • 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs VB beer (or any beer you like, I've tried it with non alcoholic beer too!)

  • 125g/4ozs self raising flour

  • 50g/1.7ozs corn flour

  • 5g/0.2oz salt

  • 30g/1oz plain all purpose flour

  • Vinegar salt for serving

     

  • Step 1 - Wash the Desiree potatoes and finely slice them 5mm/0.2inch thick leaving the skins on. Whisk the self-raising flour, corn flour and salt in a large bowl. Then slowly with a whisk, mix in the beer and soda water until combined and without any lumps. 

    Step 2 - Heat enough oil to submerge the potatoes in until it reaches 180C/350F. Place the plain flour in a bowl and lightly flour the potato slices in the plain flour, then dip them into the beer batter mix in the bowl. Completely coat with batter and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle generously with vinegar salt or sea salt and serve straight away.


 

 

 

January 25, 2026

 

Potsticker Soup with Mushrooms & Bok Choy

Throw everything in a large pot and away you go. Defrost the pot stickers first, I like to lightly brown them in a fry pan before adding to the broth

Ingredients:

1 package frozen potstickers (any filling you prefer)

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake or cremini work great)

2 cups bok choy, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece ginger, grated

 

May be an image of ramen, dim sum, shiitake mushrooms and text

 

Chile Relleno Recipe

 

An authentic chile relleno recipe made from roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, dipped in a fluffy egg batter and fried until golden brown! This traditional Mexican dish is fun to make and better than any restaurant version you’ll ever try!

 

Ingredients

For the chile rellenos

  • 6 large poblano peppers

  • 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into long strips/sticks (or shredded cheese)

  • 4 cups oil, for frying

  • 3 large eggs

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon fine salt

For the salsa roja

  • 6 roma tomatoes, quartered

  • ½ small onion, halved (yellow or white)

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1 jalapeño pepper stem and seeds removed (optional)

  • 5 sprigs cilantro

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

     

Instructions

For the chile rellenos

  • Roast the peppers: Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and place poblano peppers on top. Set your oven rack directly underneath the broiler and turn the broiler on.

  • Broil poblanos for 5 minutes, or until the skin is blackened and blistered. Carefully flip them over and broil for another 5 minutes, or until the skin is blackened and blistered.

  • Remove them from the oven and loosely cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil or plastic wrap to keep in some of the heat and help them steam. Let them sit for 5 minutes.

  • Peel the peppers: Peel and rub off as much of the loose skin on the peppers as possible. It doesn't have to be perfect, just as much as you can.

  • Cut a small slit down the middle of the peppers with a knife. (If you don't want the peppers too spicy, you can remove some of the seeds. I like to leave them in as poblanos aren't typically super spicy to me, but that's personal preference.)

  • Stuff the peppers: Carefully stuff the peppers with the cheese. Some of the peppers will be extra fragile because of the roasting process and may tear - that's okay. Just do the best you can.

  • Gently close the opening of the peppers and secure it shut with 1-3 toothpicks. Use as many as you need to ensure that the cheese won't ooze out during the frying process. Set aside.

  • Prepare for frying: Heat the frying oil in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. While oil is heating up, prepare the batter.

  • Make the batter: Separate the egg whites from the yolks into two separate bowls - the whites into a large mixing bowl and the yolks into a small bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

  • While continuing to beat the egg whites on low, add in the egg yolks one at a time until all of them are fully mixed in. The batter should be light, fluffy and smooth.

  • Coat the peppers with batter: Place the flour and salt into a separate shallow bowl or plate. Mix together to combine. Gently roll the stuffed peppers in the flour mixture, then give them a gentle tap to remove any excess. Then dip them in the egg batter and gently place them in the hot frying oil.

  • Fry the chile rellenos: Fry the peppers for 3-5 minutes per side, until the batter is golden brown and crispy. Try not to overcrowd the peppers in the pan - I usually fry 2 at a time depending on the pan I'm using.

  • Transfer the peppers to the lined baking sheet to drain off any excess oil.

  • Serve: Immediately serve chile rellenos on a plate with some salsa, freshly chopped cilantro and some cotija cheese. (Don't forget to remove the toothpicks when you first cut into the peppers! You can try to remove them before serving onto plates, but I find it easier to remove them when you first cut into them.)

For the salsa roja

  • Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro and salt to a blender. Puree until smooth.

  • Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add blended salsa and bring to a boil.

  • Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, taste and season with more salt if desired.

 

 

January 18, 2025

Fresh Spinach Dahl

Vibrantly healthy, this easy Fresh Spinach Dahl could win a culinary beauty contest!\

We love that it's chocked full of veggies and it's as delicious as it is pretty!

 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter I use salted

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 large onion roughly chopped

  • 1 medium shallot roughly chopped

  • 1 large yellow bell pepper seeded and roughly chopped

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger or ginger paste

  • 4 medium garlic cloves

  • 1½ teaspoons garam masala

  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 5 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth maybe more

  • 14.5 ounces light coconut milk I use light coconut milk

  • 1 cup red lentils

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

  • 6 ounces fresh spinach leaves

  • ½ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped and firmly packed

  • plain yogurt for garnish

  • pickled red onions for garnish, if desired

  • crispy French fried onions for garnish, if desired

Instructions

  • Heat a medium-large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil and butter and heat until the butter is bubbly. Add the onion, shallots and bell pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the veggies have softened.

  • Lower the heat a bit and add the ginger, garlic, garam masala, coriander and cumin. Stir to combine then cook for 1-2 minutes until very fragrant.

  • Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, red lentils, sugar and salt.

  • Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cook for 20 minutes uncovered.

  • Add the spinach and cilantro. Using an immersion blender, blitz to a purée with a hand blender or use a regular blender or food processor. If using a regular blender, make sure to vent the top to prevent pressure build-up. 

  • Return to the pan, if you used a regular blender or food processor, and bring the soup back to a simmer. If you prefer the soup a little thinner, add a bit more broth. Taste and season with more salt, if needed Serve with basmati or jasmine rice and garnish as desired .

  • If using the crispy French fried onion rings, wrap the desired amount in several thicknesses of paper toweling and heat on high power in the microwave for 30-40 seconds until nice and hot.

  • I like to drop small spoonfuls of yogurt onto the soup and swirl each one with a toothpick for a pretty presentation.


 

 

Start your day with this ultimate breakfast sandwich, packed with crispy bacon, cheesy goodness, and eggs cooked two ways.

It’s easy, indulgent, and oh-so-satisfying!

Ingredients

  • 2 slices thick bread, toasted

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 slices bacon

  • 1 slice cheese (cheddar or your favorite)

  • 1 tbsp butter

  • Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Cook bacon in a pan over medium heat until crispy. Drain on a paper towel.

Step 2: In the same pan, melt butter. Crack one egg in and fry until whites are set. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Scramble the second egg, season, and fold into a fluffy square.

Step 4: On one toasted bread slice, layer the scrambled egg, crispy bacon, cheese, and fried egg.

Step 5: Top with the second toasted bread slice. Sprinkle with parsley for a fresh touch.

Step 6: Cut in half and enjoy your ultimate breakfast sandwich

 

 

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