Show Archive
Tuesday 22nd March 2022.
March 22, 2022
In the eight o’clock hour today we welcome the Canadian Ambassador to Panama H.E. Kim Ursu and from Alianza Francesa Florian Davrou. The topic is the movie Henri Henri which is being presented with the support of the Canadian Embassy. You can find out about the times of the showing of the movie and the other great events being put on at the Alianza Francesa website.
Feisty Foodie Sara is back with us in the last hour. What’s cooking today? ” With today being March 21st…the First Day of Spring, I thought we could do some spring recipes. I know that there really isn’t a season change for you guys, but here we’re hoping it’s going to start getting warmer and that means spring flavours and lighter dishes! I hope that you guys get these delightful spring ingredients there. I’m sure Rene will let us know! ; )
To start, I thought we talk about a soup using one of my favourite spring vegetables…Asparagus! This Cream of Asparagus Soup with Lemon & Parmesan is a perfect way to start a dinner or it makes a great light lunch. The perfect accompaniment to this soup is a Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Feta, Radishes and Arugula. A touch of mint adds a beautiful freshness to this salad that just scream spring!
I know we should probably do a pasta primavera or a main dish (we can cover that next week), but I wanted to give our listeners a great Birthday Cake Hack with an Amazing Frosting Hack too in honour of your birthday! I add fresh strawberries and it’s almost like a strawberry shortcake with little work! You know I would have brought you some if I was there, but now you’ll need to try and make it yourself!
The perfect spring cocktail is Whiskey Smash. This refreshing drink is the perfect warm weather staple!
Cream of Asparagus Soup with Lemon and Parmesan
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
½ med onion, small dice
2 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed cut into 1″ pieces (cut the tips off of one bunch of the asparagus and set aside for garnish)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
½ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly chopped chives, for garnish
Freshly chopped dill, for garnish
Directions:
In a heavy pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion until soft and translucent about 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden, 5 minutes. Add broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender but still green, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the reserved asparagus tips for a few minutes, or until tender-crisp. Drain the tips and then place them in a bowl of ice water to “shock” them — this stops the cooking process and preserves their bright green color. Once the tips are cool, drain them and set aside.
Using an immersion or regular blender, puree soup. If using a regular blender, be sure to stop and remove lid a few times to avoid overheating the soup.
Bring the soup back to a simmer, stir in the lemon juice and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Lower the heat and stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with more cream, asparagus tops and herbs. Enjoy!
Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Feta & Radishes
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
½ tsp honey
Kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb sugar snap peas, strings removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces diagonally, some left whole
1 bunch radishes, trimmed, and sliced thin
2 oz baby arugula (about 2 large handfuls)
4 oz feta, crumbled
Fresh mint, torn into small pieces
Instructions:
Combine garlic clove, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, honey and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in a jar or large glass measuring cup. Whisk in olive oil, then season with black pepper and more salt to taste. Set aside to let garlic marinate while you assemble the salad.
In a large bowl, combine snap peas, radishes, arugula and feta.
Remove garlic clove from dressing and discard. Add two-thirds of dressing to salad, add in mint leaves then toss to combine. Taste and add more dressing if desired. Top with remaining whole pea pods and serve.
Best Birthday Cake Hack
1 box mix
8 oz sour cream
3/4 cup veg oil
1/2 cup warm water
4 eggs
Mix ingredients, pour, bake….
Best Icing Hack
8oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
Blend until just combined, don’t over blend or it will become too soft
Fold in 1 container of Cool Whip
TIP: I love layering this recipe with fresh, cut strawberries on the icing and decorating the top with gorgeous strawberries in the center
Whiskey Smash
Ingredients:
5 to 8 leaves fresh mint, to taste
1/4 lemon, cut into 3 pieces
1 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces bourbon whiskey
Mint sprig, for garnish
Instructions:
Muddle mint and lemon in a cocktail shaker. Add the simple syrup, whiskey and fill the shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice and garnish with lemon and fresh mint leaves. Serve and enjoy!