The 10th edition of Mack’s mixes comes inspired from Pinterest classics, family recipes, restaurant copycats and all of my beautiful new cookbooks. I finally invested in the ‘Montreal Cooks’ Book I’d been longing for. I’m so happy I did it, because not only does it boast incredibly diverse recipes, but it is so visually pleasing and can double as a coffee table book and a [massive] check list of places to try before leaving the city.

1. Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Apples and Carrots with Garlic and Goat Cheese ‘Smashed’ Potatoes Paired with Mosel Riesling: this was perfection. I’ve made the roast before, but the potatoes were new. I left the skins in (mainly for nutritional reasons), chopped the ends of green onions to make chives and added a tube of goat cheese, half and half cream, and a generous amount of butter to make the creamiest, most delicious ‘smashed’ potatoes. Finally, I used a beater to whip them into perfection. This was paired with a Mosel riesling to tie into the green apple and pork combination.

2. Baked Bass with Caramelized Onion and Mango Salsa with Kronenbourg Beer: this dinner was technically light, but left us extremely full. Mango and caramelized onion added a punch of flavour to the usually bland fish, and the orange flavours in the Kronenbourg paired well with the mango.

3. Days on Front Copycat Baked Orzo Mac n’ Cheese with Australian Cabernet Sauvignon: well, needless to say, this dinner left us obviously full, but the happiest campers. In Kingston, we frequent a restaurant called Days on Front. They have an appetizer of orzo mac and cheese and it’s to die for. I decided I would try it out. The sauce is simple: cream, dijon, flour, cream cheese, parmesan, salt and pepper, and smoked paprika. The orzo is cooked and rinsed with cold water, the covered with sauce, shredded aged cheddar and panko bread crumbs and baked in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. I then paired this with my favourite cabernet sauvignon- from Margaret River in Australia (Ring Bolt). The hint of oak in the wine paired perfectly with the creaminess of the pasta.

4. Thai Peanut Sauce Chicken with Roasted Parmesan Zucchini with Relax Mosel Riesling: as per usual, I paired a thai/somewhat spicy sauce with a riesling. This riesling was sweet and paired well with the touch of spice in the sauce. The peanut sauce was made from peanut butter (better to use natural, unsweetened), sugar, curry paste, coconut milk, spices, soya sauce, vinegar, and water- and only took 5 minutes to make! I smothered the chicken in this creamy goodness and poured it over basmati rice. The baked parmesan zuchini was an added ‘healthy’ touch to the meal.

5. Pesto Chicken with a Garden Salad: this is a great healthy meal for after the gym! It’s protein and vegetables- what more could you need? The pesto is yet again, another jar of the besto pesto that my boyfriend made.

What’s For Dessert?
Crême Brûlée!

I hate to say this, but… this came from a package! It’s easy and delicious and perfect for guests. It even comes with the caramelized brown sugar. You just need to heat whipping cream and milk with the package contents, then place the dish in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then, you add the caramelized sugar and broil the dish for 3-4 minutes. Next time, I would serve this with ginger snap cookies.

Healthy Kicks?

This week was all about a healthy start to the day and a healthy snacks to get me through the day. For breakfast, I made overnight oats for the entire week. This makes breakfast a no-brainer- especially when you’re half asleep. The oats can be gluten free or regular Quaker’s oats. I mashed two bananas in with the oats, along with some cinnamon then placed them in the fridge overnight. I just added raspberries and strawberries, a little more cinnamon, and some chocolate chips before devouring this filling, delicious breaky.

Anyone that knows me knows I can eat an entire bag of chips in one sitting. I’m not proud of it, but it’s honest. I decided to make some kale chips to satisfy my constant craving. All you have to do is tear pieces (and the spine) off a head of kale, glaze them with olive oil and sea salt and bake them in the oven at a low temperature for 18-20 minutes (usually 275 degrees). The trick is to cook these slow and low for the perfect crunchiness. These turned out nicely and made for the perfect snack or pairing to a sandwich.