A healthy and delicious start that says "I love you"

Heart french toast, butter, maple syrup

Fried egg in a heart cut out well

All you need is a heart shaped cookie cutter................

Have a Delicious Valentines Day!!

Serves 4 to 5

1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
8 good-size carrrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch (1 cm) coins
1 medium potato, cubed
1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 mL) freshly grated ginger
5 cups (1.25 L) vegetable broth, chicken broth or water
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

In a soup or stock pot, sauté onion in olive oil until translucent. Do not brown. Add carrots and potato and stir briefly. Add ginger, broth or water, and bring to boil. Turn heat down to medium-low, cover partly, and cook until vegetables are tender, 20 or 25 minutes.
Remove from heat, cool slightly and purée all or part of the soup (depending on how smooth you like it) in a blender or food processor, or with a hand-held blender.
Make ahead, if you like, and refrigerate, then reheat just before serving. Recipe doubles easily and freezes well.

Prep time: 25 min | Cook time: 50 min | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 (19 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 5 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans 1 cup macaroni
• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans 1 cup macaroni

Preparation

1. Place ground beef in a large soup pot. Cook over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain excess fat.
2. Stir in onion, celery, carrots, garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, water and bouillon, season with parsley, oregano and basil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in cabbage, corn, green beans and pasta. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente.
4. Add more water if needed.

Reference: allrecipes.com

Every South African cook has his or her own favorite version of this dish, some very simple, others quite elaborate. Bobotie is typically served with geelrys (yellow rice) and a side of mango chutney.

6 to 8 servings

Roasted Domino Potatoes............

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided

3 1/2 pounds Idaho potatoes (4–6 large)

24 (about) fresh or dried bay leaves

Kosher salt and fleur de sel

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Brush a 13x9x2" baking dish or cast-iron griddle with 2 tablespoons butter. Peel potatoes and trim ends (do not rinse). Trim all 4 sides of potatoes to form a rectangle. Using a mandoline, cut potatoes crosswise into 1/8" slices, keeping slices in stacks as best you can.

Re-form slices from each potato into a stack.

Place in prepared dish, fanning apart slightly like a deck of cards.

Insert bay leaves between potato slices at even intervals. Season with salt and drizzle with remaining 4 tablespoons butter.

Bake potatoes, rotating the dish halfway through cooking, until the edges are crisp and golden and the centers are tender, about 1 hour.

Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Bon Appétit, October 2011

INGREDIENTS:

Big fat summer squash (zuchini)

local red onion

local garlic

Bowen grown kale

Fresh garden tomatoes

splash of lemon juice

a bit of rice bran oil to saute

handful chopped toasted almonds

grated parmesan or romano cheese

METHOD:

split the squash in half lengthwise

scoop out seeds and pulp onto a chopping board: roughly chop. Set zuchini shells aside

chop onions, garlic

chop kale and tomatoes

Saute onions and garlic in oil until transparent and fragrant

add Zuchinni pulp, tomatoes. Pile kale on top. add a bit of water.

Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until kale is just wilted and tomatoes just split.

stir in chopped almonds

Pile the mixture into the prepared zuchini shells

grate cheese lightly over the top and bake at 350 until the zuchini shell is soft and the cheese bubbly.

INGREDIENTS:

Fresh green, yellow and purple beans from the Ruddy Garden

BC tomato gems tiny tomatoes

BC red and yellow peppers

BC curly parsley

Bowen grown fresh garlic

BC red onions

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Steam beans until tender crisp, cool in ice bath

chop peppers and onion

mince garlic, curly parsley

Toss all vegetables with a balsamic/olive oil dressing

salt and pepper to taste

garnish with more parsley

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp fresh lime juice (1 large lime)

1/2 tsp salt, plu 1/8

2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cups chopped avocado (2 med)

3 thinly sliced scallions

 1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4tsp cumin

8 cups torn lettuce

1 med cuke, sliced (1 cup)

2 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro 

METHOD

In ceramic bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp lime juice and 1/2 tsp salt

add tomatoes, avocados, scallions and garlic: gently fold to combine

Season to taste with pepper

In large bowl, wisk together olive oil, cumin, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1/8 tsp salt

add lettuce and toss

Season to taste with pepper

Divide lettuce among plates, top each with mound of avocado mixture, garnish with cucumber and cilantro

Ingredients

• 20ml fresh lemon juice
• 20ml olive oil
• 2/3 tbs finely
• chopped fresh dill
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• green lettuces, leaves separated, washed, dried, torn
• 1 ripe avocado, halved, stones removed, peeled, thinly sliced
• 20 (about 1kg) cooked tiger prawns, peeled leaving tails intact, deveined

Preparation

1. Place the lemon juice, oil and dill in a screw-top jar and shake until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place lettuce, avocado and prawns on plates and drizzle with dressing to serve.
   

Ingredients

• 3/4 container of Plain Yogurt
• 1 tb Lemon Juice
• 1 tb Seedless Grapes
• 1 Pineapple or Mango Cubes
• 3/4 container of Strawberries
• 1 Orange peeled and sectioned
• 1/2 container of Fresh Blueberries (when in season)

Preparation

1. Put yogurt, confectioners sugar and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Blend ingredients with a mixing spoon until mixture is smooth.
2. Chill until serving time.
3. Pierce fruit onto wooden skewers, alternating types of fruit for a colourful mix.
4. Spoon dip into a serving platter bowl and place at center of serving platter, then arrange skewers around bowl.
   

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1 large Onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons Hungarian Paprika
• 1 pound Beef - cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 - 8 cups Water
• 2 - 3 cloves Garlic - finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
• 1 tablespoon Caraway Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Dried Marjoram
• Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
• 2 - 3 medium Potatoes, peeled and diced

Preparation

1. Heat the butter in a large, heavy pot and saute the onion until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the beef and stir until the meat is lightly browned.
3. Add the remaining ingredients except the potatoes and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer covered for 1 hour.
4. Add the potatoes and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Ingredients

• 4 Flour Tortillas
• 1 cup Brown Rice cooked
• 1/4 cup Cucumber diced
• 1/4 cup Scallions or Green Onions chopped
• 1 large Tomato chopped
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp. Mint coarsely chopped

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
3. Divide mixture evenly among the tortillas, fold ends, and roll up. May be prepared ahead of time.

This Green Mango Salad recipe will blow you away with its tastebud-awakening flavors and mix of textures.

Ingredients - The Salad

• 2 firm green mangoes
• 1/4 cup dry shredded unsweetend coconut
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 3-4 spring onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander
• handful of peanuts or cashews
• Optional: 1 cup cooked chicken or shrimp, or deep-fried tofu

Ingredients - The Dressing

• 3 tbsp. fish sauce (OR 3 1/2 tbsp soy sauce for vegetarians/vegans)
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1-2 fresh red chillies, de-seeded and minced or 1-2 tsp of Thai red chilli sauce

Green Mango Tips:

When buying green mangoes, look for firm or very barely indent-able flesh.

Preparation

1. Place the coconut in a frying pan or wok (no oil required). "Dry-fry" the coconut for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, or until it turns a light golden-brown and is fragrant and set aside. Tip: Once the coconut is toasted, remove it from the pan right away, otherwise it will keep on toasting.
2. Peel off the green skin of the mangoes and discard. Using a medium to large size grater, grate the yellow-orange flesh of the mangoes into a mixing bowl.
3. Prepare the dressing by mixing together all the salad dressing ingredients in a bowl or cup, stirring well to dissolve sugar and set aside.
4. Add to the bowl of shredded mango: bean sprouts, basil, spring onions, coriander, cooked chicken (or shrimp or tofu), plus half the toasted coconut. Toss well to combine.
5. Add the dressing and toss again. Place on a serving platter. Sprinkle over the nuts plus the remaining toasted coconut, and enjoy!

Ingredients - The Dressing

• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp coarse salt (try grinding “arctic pure”)
• 1⁄2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 3⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients - The Salad

• 3 lbs trimmed asparagus
• 4 cups thinly sliced spring onions
• 3 cups 1⁄4” cubes of peeled English cucumber
• 1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped chervill
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• 1 tbsp chopped mint
• 2 tsp chopped tarragon

Preparation

1. For dressing: whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil.
2. For salad: Fill large bowl with lightly salted ice water. Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crip tender, about 3 min
3. Drain, reserving 3 sups cooking liquid.
4. Transfer asparagus to ice water bath to cool.
5. Place green onions in another large bowl: pour hot reserved asparagus cooking liquid over onions, and let stan until cool, about 30 min.
6. Drain asparagus and spring onions well. Transfer onions to paper towel and squeeze dry.
7. Combine green onions, cucumber and herbs in a mixing bowl. Add dressing. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Arrange asparagus on platter. Spoon cucumber mixture over and serve.