Tag: homemade

Easy Pineapple Salsa

Published on by friendlyfoodforus1 Comment

So yesterday I was feeling like Autumn was just around the corner and today it is hot as hell here in the sunny south of Niagara! You just never know what the weather will hold this summer! This is the strangest season ever!

So I have been craving pineapple lately and bought a nice juicy one on sale (yay for saving money!). After eating to my hearts desire, I had some left over. My brain immediately started searching the recipe index I keep stored in my head and pulled out a recipe for Pineapple salsa!


I haven’t made it in several years and for the life of me, I cannot figure out why! It isn’t even much of a recipe it is that easy and it is so delicious with so many things!

Use pineapple salsa for chicken, fish, pork chops, sausage, with tortilla chips, fish tacos, etc, etc! Again I start wondering why I haven’t made it in so long!


You won’t even need to write the recipe down (unless you have a bad memory, then I would suggest saving this post!)

EASY PINEAPPLE SALSA

  1. Pineapple
  2. Green pepper
  3. Jalapeño
  4. Onion
  5. Tomato
  6. Salt and pepper

I’m not even going to suggest ingredient amounts because I have never used measurements and have never made a bad salsa! You can even throw in some cilantro (which I hate more than anything in this world, so I never use it.)


Please try this recipe and let me know how it turned out and what you used it with. I have even been known to eat with with a spoon, so no judgement if that is the choice you decide to make 😁

Apple Cranberry Compote 

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My dreams have been so vivid lately, it is getting harder and harder to tell the difference between dreams and reality. I am not sure if it is the excessive stress I have been under or what, but it is starting to confuse me sometimes!

Last night I had a dream that I made Apple Cranberry Compote for breakfast and when I awoke, the craving was unreal. Before I even got out of bed, I was inventorying the ingredients in my kitchen to make sure I could make them! Low and behold, I was in luck.

This is simple compote recipe that can be used for a pie, over waffles or pancakes or eaten alone while warm with a scoop of whipped cream (which was my choice!)

I know this recipe seems  a little “autumn” in the middle of July, but I cannot help what I crave in my sleep 🙂

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APPLE CRANBERRY COMPOTE RECIPE

  • 5 small apples
  • 1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp nutmeg

Peel, core and chop apples and place in pot and immediately cover with lemon juice to stop them from turning brown. Add dried cranberries, sugar and spices.

Cook over medium low heat for about 25 minutes, or until the apples are tender, the cranberries are plump and the juices and sugar have thickened and make a nice syrup at the bottom of the pot.

I chose to eat it just like this with some whipped cream, but I have used it in pies with great success, as well as with crepes, waffles or pancakes.

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Coconut Shrimp Curry

Published on by friendlyfoodforus7 Comments

It was a really hard weekend at our house. Friday we had to put our little 13 year old Border Collie down because of cancer, and both of us just walked around in a cloudy haze all weekend not sure what to do with ourselves. By Sunday night, I figured we needed something to get our minds off of the pain and we decided to make a nice dinner together! 

It was nothing romantic, we actually ate in front of the TV, but just the act of slicing, dicing and frying together in the kitchen brought some “normal” back into our house.

A couple weeks ago I had picked up some authentic Indian curry powder from the market and I was just itching to try it! I had some frozen shrimp in the freezer and the snow peas are in full harvest right now, so coconut shrimp curry was a no brainer!


Jack shelled and deveined the shrimp while I chopped the veggies, and once that curry powder hit the hot oil, the house seemed to come alive! It is amazing how food can do that, change your mood with just one smell!

The curry  turned out amazing and made enough for leftovers today! 

COCONUT SHRIMP CURRY

  • 16-24 Raw shrimp, deveined and shelled 
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp olive or coconut oil 
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp tumeric
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 tbsp diced fresh ginger
  • Carrots, sliced 
  • Snow peas
  • Red and yellow pepper, sliced
  • White or brown rice (optional)

Prepare rice as per the package. Devein and shell thawed shrimp and cut veggies. I never add amounts for veggies to a recipe. I figure everyone has a different opinion of how much they want and “too many” vegetables isn’t usually a problem! I used 3 small carrots, 2 cups of peas and 2 peppers, but more or less can be used!

With any curry, you want the spices to hit the oil, so heat oil and add onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes until soft. Add spices and let cook for another couple of minutes. Your kitchen will immediately smell incredible!

Add shrimp and carrots until shrimp is no long translucent, then turn down heat, add peas, carrots and coconut milk. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes. It will thicken slightly, but this recipe is thin so it can make its way through the rice and veggies!! 

The flavours were beautiful, the aroma was lovely and the feeling of being “normal” again was priceless! 



Homemade Dill Relish

Published on by friendlyfoodforus3 Comments

One thing I hate buying at the grocery store is condiments. I always wonder what half of the ingredients are and it always freaks me out a little to not know what I am putting in my body!

I have been starting to make my own condiments lately and now with the veggies coming out in the garden…it’s relish time!!

My husband hates sweet relish, so I thought I would whip up some dill relish. The taste is far beyond anything you would buy in the store and you can alter it to you taste!

HOMEMADE DILL RELISH

Makes 3 small jars (like these ones here)

  • 4 pounds cucumbers. I used pickling cucumbers because they have less seeds, but any kind will work.
  • 1 tbsp tumeric 
  • 1/4 cup pickling salt
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1/2 sweet onion
  • 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cups diced fresh dill
  • 2 cups white vinegar

A food processor is almost mandatory for this recipe. I shredded 10 cucumbers in only 3 minutes!


Add cold water, salt and tumeric to shredded cucumbers, cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or overnight.

After soaking, rinse well in a strainer and let sit to drain. To get all of the water out, place in cheese cloth (or a jay cloth since that was all I had!) and squeeze, and squeeze and….squeeze! You will be amazed at how much water comes out!


After all the water has FINALLY been removed, place shredded cucumber in a pot with dill, onions, sugar and vinegar.


Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Prepare your jars and lids by boiling for 3 minutes then place relish in hot jars. Make sure to clean the rims then put jars in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.


I actually ate it by the spoonful! It is so tangy and dilly! I was amazed that there was any left to can!


Garlic Mint Pesto

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I have been on a mission lately to find new and exciting recipes using the mint out of my garden. There is only so much tea you can drink 🙂 For my opinion on growing mint in your garden, check out My Love Hate Relationship with Mint!

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I wanted to make pesto chicken this week and my basil supply is getting a little low. I have been using it so much lately, I am actually running out of leaves. So I started looking in the gardens for some pesto inspiration and stopped in my tracks when I came to the mint!

I was a little worried it would taste strange. I mean when you think pesto, you don’t usually think mint, but I was so pleasantly surprised by how good it was, I had to rush right to my laptop to tell you all about it!

GARLIC MINT PESTO

makes 1 small jar of pesto

  • 3 cups fresh mint
  • 1/4 cup parmesan
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Olive oil

Wash your mint leaves and put in food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add walnuts, parmesan , garlic, salt and pepper. Blend away until chopped up into very small pieces. Add lemon juice and enough olive oil until you get the desired consistency. I like mine thick, but if you like it thin, just keep adding olive oil.

I hope you have a chance to try this recipe. It is so refreshing, I cannot wait to try it out with my pesto chicken!

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Blueberry Crumble

Published on by friendlyfoodforus5 Comments

Nothing is more beautiful than a bowl full of ripe, juicy blueberries, expect for maybe a bowl of warm blueberry crumble right out of the oven!

This recipe is healthy and easy so it is perfect for breakfast, dessert or make it in a large dish for pot lucks. It can also be made gluten free, and does not contain a lot of sugar!

I make this recipe in individual ramekins because there is just my Husband and I at the house, but even if I have company, I like to serve them like this. They are just so pretty! The colour of the blueberry sauce peaking out from the crumble after they are cooked is so bold and vibrant, it just screams freshness! You can serve with a scoop of ice cream or low fat frozen yogurt for extra special occasions!

BLUEBERRY CRUMBLE RECIPE

Serves 2 individual ramekins. Feel free to double or triple the recipe for groups!

  •  1 cup of fresh blueberries, washed and check for stems
  • 1 tbsp white sugar
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup flour, corn masa, coconut flour, almond flour, etc. Any flour works here. Its job is to keep the crumble from getting too soft and oatmealy! I use corn masa because that is what I have in the house and it turns out perfect every time!
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 c. Wash blueberries and add white sugar, lemon juice and 1/2 of the cinnamon and mix. Let sit while making the crumble.

To make the crumble, add oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and the remaining cinnamon to a bowl. Melt butter and pour into dry ingredient. Mix together until you have a nice crumble. It shouldn’t be wet or too dry that there is dust on the bottom of the bowl.

Top blueberries with crumble and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top gets a nice brown colour and the blueberry sauce starts creeping up the side.

This is the hard part…..let sit for a couple minutes to cool. Believe me, and I know from experience, those blueberries are hot and will burn your mouth bad if you don’t wait!

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Hope you enjoy! I had this for breakfast today and am already planning on making it for dessert next week!!