Show Archive

Tuesday 6th April 2021.

April 6, 2021

Alessi Torres

My guest in the eight o’clock hour today is Panamanian singer Alessi Torres and he talks to us about his newly released single “Noche Salvaje”. “The song is about doing things your way, to be authentic, to have your own style and to be yourself. My vision for this video was always to represent different communities from my country and around the world. It was necessary to tell the story of different people and bring the message to all those who could feel identified.

Sara

Of course today being Tuesday we link up with our Feisty Foodie Sara up North in Canada. Todays recipes, first off, a delicious fresh Spinach Salad with a Hot Bacon Dressing!  My mouth is watering just thinking about it…it’s SO good!  It’s an incredible mixture of flavours and one of my favourite things to make and eat!  If you’re not a fan of spinach, you can also use kale!

To pair with it…a perfect pitcher of Gin-Cucumber Spritzer is ideal!   It will cut through the richness of this amazing salad and is the perfect refreshing accompaniment!

Healthy Homemade Popsicles to end this lunch!  I’ve even hidden a little bit of vegetable in there to help trick the little ones!  If we don’t get to this recipe, we can save it for next week.

Fresh Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

 Ingredients

3 whole eggs

8 slices thick-cut bacon (peppered, if possible)

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

1 package white button mushrooms, thinly sliced

2-3 tbsp goat cheese (chevre), in small ½” pieces

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

8 ounces baby spinach, washed, dried and stems removed

Kosher salt and black pepper

Ice (to cool eggs)

Toasted walnut pieces (optional topping)

Directions:

  1. Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Then turn off the heat and allow to sit in the water for 15 Drain off the water and add ice on top of the eggs to cool
  2. Fry the bacon in a skillet until crispy/chewy. Remove to a paper towel. Drain the fat into a bowl and reserve. Give the skillet a wipe with paper towel.
  3. Add a teaspoon of bacon fat to the skillet and then add the sliced onions and mushrooms. Cook slowly over medium-high heat until they are caramelized and reduced and mushrooms are golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
  4. Chop 7 pieces of bacon into 1 inch pieces and 1 piece into very small pieces (for the dressing). Peel and slice the eggs.
  5. Make the hot bacon dressingn by adding 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat, vinegar, sugar, Dijon and salt to a small saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk together and heat thoroughly until bubbly. Add in the 1 piece of finely chopped crispy bacon and whisk to combine. Remove from heat.
  6. Add the spinach to a large bowl. Arrange the onions, mushrooms and bacon on top. Pour the hot dressing over the top; toss to combine. Arrange the sliced eggs and goat cheese pieces over the top and serve immediately. Top with toasted walnuts (if desired).

NOTE:  If peppered bacon isn’t available, sprinkle bacon with freshly cracked black pepper over sliced bacon and gently pat before frying.  Repeat on both sides.

Gin-Cucumber Spritzer Pitcher (for 6 portions)

Combine 1 1/2 cups gin, 1/3 cup lime cordial (such as Rose’s), 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 thinly sliced persian cucumber in a small pitcher. Divide among 6 ice-filled glasses; top with ginger ale garnish with lime wedges and add a few cucumber slices to each glass.

TIP:  If you want to be fancy, you can cut the cucumber longwise and wrap them around the inside of the glass.

Healthy Homemade Popsicles

Ingredients:

¾ cup (6.5 oz) liquid/yogurt

2 ½ cups fruit

4-6 TBS honey

¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

½ tsp lemon juice

Popsicles molds

Instructions:

  • Add all ingredients to the container of your blender in the order listed.
  • Blend for 50-70 seconds or until the mixture is smooth.
  • If your mixture had seeds (such as strawberries or blackberries), strain with a sieve for optimum texture
  • Evenly distribute the mixture into the six wells of a popsicle mold.
  • Secure the lids and sticks on top of the mold and place it in the freezer.
  • Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
  • Remove the molds, run each one under hot water for 30 seconds and then release the popsicle.
  • Enjoy immediately! 
To freeze for later, once the popsicles are removed from the molds place them on a baking sheet to flash freeze them for 30 minutes.
  • Place them in an airtight, freezer-friendly container or Ziploc bag until you are ready to enjoy them!

 Red Popsicles:

2.5 cup strawberries

¾ cup vanilla honey greek yogurt

4-6 TBS honey

¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

½ tsp lemon juice

 Purple Popsicles:

2.5 cup blueberries

¾ cup apple juice

4-6 TBS honey

¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

½ tsp lemon juice

 Green Popsicles:

2 cups apples, chopped and peeled (2 small or one medium apple)

1 cup zucchini (1 small zucchini chopped)

½ cup apple juice

4 TBS honey

½ tsp lemon juice

¼ cup spinach (if zucchini isn’t making it green enough)

 

More articles