GUEST BLOGGERS WANTED! CALLING ALL FOODIES!

Things have been a little hectic as of late, which explains the lack of frequent food blogging. The last thing I want to do is go on a food blog hiatus, though. Not with the holidays coming! This is likely one of the best times to get recipes out there with all of the entertaining & munching that is coming up.

So, here I am, calling all foodies! I know a lot of folks who enjoy spending time in the kitchen, whether it be to try a new recipe, make an old favourite or concoct something new & daring from the top of their heads.

Here is your chance at sharing your recipes & talent!

What to do:

1. E-mail me (e-mail provided below) the recipe, as well as a blurb about the dish. It doesn't  have to be long, but tell me about it! Why did you choose this dish? Why do you love it? You get the idea.
2. Attach a photo of the dish. If you don't have a photo of the dish, let me know & we will work something out.
3. Attach a photo of yourself (or allow me to pic a suitable one from Facebook) to feature in your post. This will be your official "Guest Blogger" photo, so whenever you send me recipes, it will be used in the post.

E-mail me at danakblacklock@hotmail.com

Don't be shy! I'm not doing this as a 'buddies' thing only. Submit away, even if we're not friends ;)

Dana's Dirty Mac 'n' Cheese

When I hear the words "comfort food", in my head I pair up a cold fall or winter Sunday & food that thrills your mouth & belly, but not so much your scale. But hey, we're all allowed to treat ourselves once in a while. What better way to do that than with a rich calories-don't-count-today kind of dish?

Yesterday, I decided on my homemade mac'n'cheese.

Dana's dirty mac 'n' cheese



You'll need:
3 tbps of Becel Olive Oil margarine
1/4 cup of flour
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tbsps of Dijon mustard
2 1/2 cups of milk
2 1/2 cups of old cheddar cheese
1 cup of mozarella cheese
1/2 cup of diced green onions
1 cup of diced sweet onions
1 cup of chopped up bacon.
Approx 500g of elbow macaroni
2 tbsps of paprika
2 tbsps og grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsps of Herbes de Provence
1 cup of Italian bread crumbs

Onions & bacon:
Heat vegetable oil in a pan. Dice your sweet onion & cut your bacon into pieces (whatever size suits you) & add to pan until bacon is cooked & onions are caramelized. Add your diced green onions & sautee until they soften.

Set aside.

To make your cheese sauce:
Melt margarine in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, mustard & pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk until consistency becomes smooth. Stir constantly for 5-10 minutes on heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of your cheese (if you want to use all old cheddar you can, or half old cheddar & half mozarella is fine too) until melted.

Set aside.

Preheat your oven at about 350 degrees.

The pasta:
Cook your elbow macaroni, drain, & place into a caserole/baking dish. Mix in your cheese sauce, bacon & onion mixture & stir to coat all of your macaroni. Sometimes at this point, I'll add a packet of Kraft's 'Extra Cheesy' powdered cheese & mix it in as well. You don't have to, it just adds a bit of flavour to the cheesyness & I say - go big or go home!

Sprinkly the rest of your grated cheese on the top of your caserole. Sprinkle on some paprika, grated parm cheese, Italian bread crumbs & Herbes de Provence.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Heaven in a dish, I tell you.

Roasted Candied Brussel Sprouts

Yeah hi, I have a new favourite vegetable.

Brussel sprouts.

I've been on a brussel sprout kick for a while now, but things got a little more intense last night when I threw together something inspired by a mention my Mom made at Thanksgiving regarding brussel sprouts tossed in maple syrup & sprinkled with walnuts.

Honestly, best veggie side dish I've had, & I've had some good ones!

Roasted Candied Brussel Sprouts

What you'll need:

• About a dozen FRESH Brussel sprouts (I emphasize fresh because I find a huge difference in quality when it comes to fresh vs frozen Brussel sprouts)
• 1/4 cup of walnuts
• 2 Tbsps of olive oil or vegetable oil (separated)
• 1 Tbsp of maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp of white wine balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tsp of Dijon mustard (I use the Chardonnay version)
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Whip it up:

• Preheat over to 350 degrees.
• Wash & drain your Brussel sprouts
• Cut them in halves
• Toss them in a bowl with 1 Tbsp of your chosen oil, as well as sea salt & pepper to taste. Ensure they are evenly coated.
• Place face down in a baking dish. (Use PAM spray if you need, depending on the dish)
• Roast in the oven for approx. 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the Brussel sprouts to face up & roast them for another 15 minutes (approx.).
• Between flipping, fix your mix.
• Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl & whisk together.
• When they Brussel sprouts are nicely roasted & ready to go, throw them in with your mix & toss to coat evenly.

Serve & enjoy!

This goes well as a side with any kind of meat, I find. I served mine last night with salmon & wild rice - definitely a success!