RECIPE: Virgin Margarita for Dry January

Virgin Margarita
for BC Living
January 13, 2022

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I was looking at the pile of cold, crisp, clean snow that fell the other day, and wondering if I could make that into a cocktail. While feeling cold and dreaming of summer, inspiration came in the form of a slush-style margarita. If you miss that tequila zing in there, I saw on the internet someone suggested a splash of pickle juice, so maybe give that a try if you’re brave (I wasn’t).

INGREDIENTS

• Juice of 2 limes

• Juice of half a lemon

• Juice of half an orange

• Soda water

• Lime wedge for garnish

• Ice – cubed, crushed or snow

• Salt for rim

• 1 oz simple syrup if you prefer sweeter (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Line the glass with salt, if so desired.

2. Mix juice in separate glass together for 30 seconds.

3. Place chosen type of ice in the glass, then pour the juice over, and top with desired amount of soda water.

4. If you find it too tart, add more orange juice.

5. Garnish with lime wedge.

RECIPE: Bright Light Passionfruit Mimosa Mocktail

Bright Light Passionfruit Mimosa
for BC Living
January 13, 2022

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There are lots of zero-proof substitutes for distilled alcohol on the market these days. They provide the flavours of the originals, but leave out the alcohol. I tried a bottle of Lumette's Bright Light (and they’re Canadian!) as a sub for the G&Ts I’ve come to love this past year. But I decided to try and make something fun with it, and came up with this combo of a passionfruit-flavoured kombucha, and an ounce of the zero-proof into a very light bubbly drink that pairs well with brunch! 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 oz Bright Light Lumette (or other gin substitute)

• Carbonated passionfruit kombucha

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Pour one ounce of the gin-substitute into a champagne flute and top with bubbly kombucha.

RECIPE: Blueberry Sour Mocktail for Dry January

Blueberry Sour Mocktail
for BC Living
January 13, 2022

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If you’re missing your sour/tart beers, this is a fun one to try! The simple syrup was made with frozen B.C. blueberries, but you can use whatever you have on hand. This one will take some planning. Both the syrup and the tea need to cool, so go ahead and get that out of the way the day before you want to make the drink. 

INGREDIENTS 

Blueberry simple syrup: 

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup sugar

• ¼ cup blueberries

Blueberry Sour:

• 2 oz of fresh brewed and chilled, berry-flavored tea (I used Silk Road’s Berry Victoria)

• 1 oz blueberry simple syrup

• 1 oz lemon juice (approximately half a lemon)

• 1 egg white

• Ice

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. To make the simple syrup, place water, sugar and blueberries in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil, stirring and turning the heat off when the sugar has dissolved.

2. Let sit for an hour or more until it is cool and has a distinct blueberry taste, then strain the syrup from the berries and cover.

3. Chill in the fridge.

4. To make the cocktail, chill coupe glass ahead of time (Optional).

5. In a shaker, add a handful of ice, the tea, simple syrup, lemon juice and egg white.

6. Shake vigorously to combine everything and froth the egg white.

7. Take a strainer and pour the mixture into a coupe glass, shaking to get the froth out.

RECIPE: Homemade Bagels

RECIPE: Bagels
for BC Living column “From Scratch”
November 2021

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There’s a certain quality about baking something from scratch that you almost always would get from a grocery store or bakery, and bagels is definitely one of them for me. They’re much easier than you’d expect, and with trials you can nail down the texture you prefer. Not to mention the toppings. And you likely have everything you need in your cupboards already.

INGREDIENTS 

• 450 grams (approx. 3.5 to 4 cups) of bread flour (unbleached)

• 2.5 teaspoons of dry active yeast

• 1.5 cup of warm water (more if needed)

• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar

• 1.5 teaspoons salt

• Sweetener: 2 tablespoons barley malt syrup, brown sugar or honey

• Toppings (like sesame seeds, 'everything bagel' seasoning or poppy seeds)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, add the yeast, sugar, and half a cup of the warm water and let sit for five minutes. Then, stir to combine until all is dissolved.

2. While the yeast mixture sits, add the salt and the flour into a large bowl and mix together, then make a well in the middle.

3. When the yeast is ready, pour it into the well, and gradually stir in the flour. Add more of the warm water as needed and continue stirring (hands work well here), until a loose dough has formed.

4. Turn over onto floured countertop and continue kneading until dough has become a smooth ball (this may take up to 10 minutes). You might need more water, or more flour if they dough is too dry, or too wet.

5. Grease a large bowl, and place the smooth dough into it, and cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap (or a wet tea towel), and let the dough rest for at least an hour.
   If you’d like to make the bagels in the morning, you can let the dough rest in the fridge at this point, covered overnight, and remove it in the morning. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes to come to room temperature.

6. Once the dough has risen, punch it down slightly to release some of the air.

7. Set the oven to 425 F, and fill a large pot with about eight cups of water, and add in the sweetener and bring to a rolling boil.

8. Meanwhile, divide the dough into eight to ten equal pieces (or more if you want smaller bagels). The best way to do this is to weigh the dough, and then divide the pieces equally, but eyeballing it works just fine. Roll each of the pieces into smooth balls, and then, to make the hole, pinch your index finger and thumb through the center, and stretch slightly until you get the desired size.

9. Place the bagels on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and let rest while the oven preheats and water comes to a boil.

10. Lowering in the bagels one at a time with a slotted spoon, doing this in small batches (Three or four at a time max), let them cook in the water bath for approx. 30 seconds to one minute per side, flipping with the slotted spoon. The longer they are in the water bath, the chewier the outside of your bagel will be. Once they’ve cooked, remove them, letting them drain, and placing back on the parchment paper.

11. While the water comes back up to a boil, this is the time to season your bagels, as the toppings will stick to the bagels now.

12. Repeat until all of the bagels have been cooked in the bath, and had the toppings added, then transfer into the oven.

13. It will take about 20 to 30 minutes to fully cook and brown, depending on your oven, and how toasty you want them, so keep an eye on them. You can also flip them over (carefully) halfway through if you’d like.

14. Once done, remove and let cool before cutting into them so they keep their shape.

15. Serve with cream cheese, or maybe make into a breakfast sandwich!

Makes eight to 10 bagels

RECIPE: Apple Sauce

RECIPE: Apple Sauce
for BC Living column “From Scratch”
October 2021

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Some things are just better when they're made from scratch—and making something with your own two hands provides such satisfaction. When you cook from scratch, you know exactly what ingredients go into your meals, and it offers you the flexibility to adjust your recipe for dietary or taste preferences.

It’s apple season, and I just happened to get a huge bag of them for super cheap. I’m not a big pie person, so I knew I wanted to make applesauce. Not only is a great little side dish for all ages, but it's incredibly easy to make. (And it can be used to replace eggs in vegan baking!) By making it from scratch, you can also control the sweetness. 
 
I recommend not putting any sugar into it while you’re cooking. Depending on the apples you have, they might be sweet enough already. You can add sugar in afterwards when you taste test, or on an individual basis when serving. Try just sprinkling some cinnamon sugar on top for an added kick!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 lbs of apples (about 10 medium)

• ½ cup water

• Juice of half a lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel and core the apples. I have an apple peeler which makes this job take far less time, but a regular peeler will do as well. Next, dice into small pieces.

2. Place the apples into a large pot, and pour juice over the apples to help stop them from browning.

3. Add the ½ cup of water and set over medium-high heat until the water starts to boil.

4. Bring it down to a simmer and cover, cooking for about 20 minutes until the apples are fully cooked and easy to mash.

5. For chunky applesauce, use a potato masher and roughly go over them until you have your desired consistency. Alternatively, process until smooth in a blender or with an immersion blender.

6. Serve warm or cold, and optionally sprinkle with cinnamon.

Makes approximately four cups

Homemade Fruit Leather Roll-Ups
for BCLiving
July 2021

Making your own fruit leather rolls is way easier than you might think, and the oven or the dehydrator does most of the work for you. Basically, you can make them out of any kind of mixture of fruit you want, and right now is a great time, as there are tons of fruit coming into season.  
Plus, you can make them with frozen fruit, so even after the season is over, pull the fruit out of the freezer! 
One more bonus? They’re great to take camping, on a hike or with you to the beach for a snack.  
 
Makes 6-8 rolls per flavor (depends how long you make them) 

Strawberry-Rhubarb 
 
INGREDIENTS: 
- 1 cup strawberries 
- 1 cup rhubarb chopped 
- 1 tsp honey (or maple syrup) 
 

INSTRUCTIONS: 
Boil some water and blanche the rhubarb for one minute and then drain. 
 
Blend the rhubarb, strawberries and honey in a high-speed blender. and then strain into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve if you want to remove the seeds. 
 
If you are going to use a food dehydrator, follow the instruction for your own machine. 
For the oven, pre-heat it to the lowest possible setting. 
 
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or silicone mat) and then pour mixture onto the baking sheet and spread evenly into a rectangle. 
Place in oven and bake for 5 to 6 hours until no longer wet (just tacky to the touch) - keep an eye on it! 
 
Remove from oven and let cool. Cut leather (and parchment) into desired sizes/shapes and roll, tying with string. 
Store in an air tight container so it doesn't dry out for up to 2 weeks, but fresher the better. 
 

Mango-Blueberry 
 
INGREDIENTS: 
- 1 cup blueberries 
- 1 cup mango 
- 1 tsp honey (or maple syrup) 
 

INSTRUCTIONS: 
Boil some water and blanche the rhubarb for one minute and then drain. 
 
Blend the blueberries, mango, and honey in a high-speed blender. and then strain into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve if you want to remove the seeds. 
 
If you are going to use a food dehydrator, follow the instruction for your own machine. 
For the oven, pre-heat it to the lowest possible setting. 
 
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or silicone mat) and then pour mixture onto the baking sheet and spread evenly into a rectangle. 
Place in oven and bake for 5 to 6 hours until no longer wet (just tacky to the touch) - keep an eye on it! 
 
Remove from oven and let cool. Cut leather (and parchment) into desired sizes/shapes and roll, tying with string. 
Store in an air tight container so it doesn't dry out for up to 2 weeks, but fresher the better.