Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients: 
1 pork tenderloin
4 slices of bacon, chopped
6 cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
1tbsp breadcrumbs
1tbsp parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lemon juice and zest

4 Meat Chili

Ingredients:
4 links of Italian sausage (sweet or hot)
1 pound ground beef
8 strips of your favourite bacon, cut into small pieces
2 steaks, cut into chunks

1 can kidney beans 15oz
1 can black beans 15oz
I can corn
1 can sweet onion diced tomatoes 15oz
1 can tomato sauce 8oz
1 can full of water
1 onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1tbsp honey
1tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 package chili seasoning
Pinch of red chili flakes
Salt & pepper, to taste
  
Directions:
Brown/cook through meat, onion & jalapeno in a large cooking pot.
Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Simmer and let cook for 2 hours.

Pamela's Weekly Wine Pick

ADORABLE Animal Mugs!!

These mugs are my absolute new favorite thing! How cute!!
I can't wait to give them as Xmas gifts! 
Purchase @ http://connectdesign.co.kr/
and  http://www.countryliving.com/homes/makeovers/decorative-paint-ideas

Mugtail Animal Mugs

Farm Animal Stencil Mugs

Pamela's Weekly Wine Pick

 

 Painted Rock 2007 Syrah $40.00

October is World Vegetarian Awareness Month!!

Did you know that October is World Vegetarian Awareness Month?? Going completely meat-free isn't for everyone but if it's something you are considering, here are some tips on eating less meat (from HealthyEats.com) http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2011/02/22/10-ways-to-eat-less-meat/?soc=fb

Dave's Steak Sandwich

I have made steak sandwiches countless times trying to get it perfect! Usually I hear "Its good" or "I like it"
Dave orders steak sandwiches at every pub he goes to so when I made this sandwich and he said "This is honestly the best steak sandwich I have ever had" I screamed "YES!!! finally!!" so this steak sandwich is for Dave :)

Chicken, Beef or Salmon Marinade

This is a fantastic marinade for many different types of meat!
1/2 cup soya sauce
A splash of red wine vinegar
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil (add to chicken marinade to make a tasty stir fry!)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 ripe papaya mashed (add to beef marinade to tenderize)
2 tbsp minced ginger (omit if you're not a ginger fan, which I am not)
Marinade up to 48hours, Enjoy!

Pamela's Weekly Wine Pick

Desert Hills 2010 Gamay Noir $19.90

The Ultimate Veg Burger (vegan)

The Ultimate Veggie Burger

Pizza Stone

One of my new favorite things for fall is the pizza stone.What could be better than a hot homemade pizza on a cold night?!

The purpose of the pizza stone is to distribute the heat evenly across the pizza as well as extract any moisture so that your pizza dough is crispy.  
Prices can range from $16 - $130 but I dont see a need to spend more than $50 for a good pizza stone.

Beef and Spinach Lasagna

What I love about this lasagna recipe is that it combines ground beef, pork and chicken or turkey. Italians (which I am not but who better to take recipe ideas from) are big on combining meat with poultry and it makes all the difference in creating an amazing meal! This is an excellent way to make meatballs as well. You will notice I do not pre-cook the lasagna noodles but that I do let it sit in the fridge overnight, I find this method allows the lasagna to set up nicer.

Jimmy Ho's

If you're one of those rare people who hasn't had the opportunity to visit Jimmy Ho's take out, in Kelowna, yet I am urging you to do so! I stopped in there the other night and it was a wonderful experience. The owner, Dan, was very welcoming and gave us a complimentary order of Shanghai Stingers which were excellent!!
http://www.jimmyhos.com/about.html 
Dan has a variety of Asian inspired dishes which are very healthy, fresh and original.
Jimmy Ho's is located @ 1166 High Road, Kelowna
250-868-0096
Take a look at his online menu! http://www.jimmyhos.com/jimmyhosmenu09.pdf
It is very rare to find a place with such amazing food and fantastic customer service all in one! I love meeting people who are so passionate about what they love and their businesses!

Corn Tortillas with grilled Corn & Coleslaw

This is an excellent vegan & gluten free Mexican recipe that my mom came up with. You could very easily add chicken, beef, pulled pork or fish if that is what you prefer.

Corn Tortillas with grilled Corn & Coleslaw

BBQ salmon with lemon dill sauce

My boyfriend caught a gorgeous Chinook salmon so I had to bbq it! What a perfect way to end the summer.

Pamela's Weekly Wine Pick

Candice and I recently toured the valley wineries and one of my favourite wines this August was Silkscarf’s 2008 Shiraz Viognier blend

Dog Treats

Of course I am going to share a dog treat recipe! These all natural treats my mom makes are a huge hit with all the pups in our family. They're simple to make and look absolutely adorable!!
You can find the cookie cutters for these treats at Chef's Edge for less than $3 each.
http://www.chefsedge.ca/ 

Mrs. Chopko's Ribs

For someone who had never made ribs before I was given a tasty and very easy method! This isn't so much a recipe but are simple directions on how to make fall off the bone ribs. I recommend making ribs this way to any meat eater and I guarantee you will love them!
I adopted this method from a lovely woman who I call Mrs.Chopko and I thank her very much (my boyfriend does as well since he now gets these ribs once a week) for letting me in on her cooking secret!

Adorable!! Ceramic Salt Pig

These ceramic salt pig's are made by RSVP and are too cute! They would look great on any counter top. I have one in white and use it all the time. What a perfect hostess gift!!
http://www.rsvp-intl.com/ 

Salt Pig by RSVP

 

Mustard & Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

I usually serve this pork tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes and oven roasted vegetables (recipe below)

The Village Cheese Co.

Next time you are visiting or passing through Armstrong stop in and pick up some fabulous cheese from The Village Cheese Company. http://www.villagecheese.com/index1.html
I just recently tried their 'jalepeno' cheese and it is excellent!

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

Oven Roasted Potatoes, Carrots & Aspargus

My favorite way of making any kind of vegetable is to oven roast them. It is such a simple way of making vegetables but in my opinion it brings out the most flavor and tastes the best! In the past I have roasted carrots & parsnips, brussel sprouts, broccoli & cauliflower, asparagus and potatoes. If you use this method I guarantee you will taste a fantastic difference! 

All you need is a large baking sheet, coarse salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper, and a good quality olive oil. 
Spread your vegetables on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. 
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. 
Toss with your hands. 

Roast @ 425 for 30-40 minutes.

The Man Pizza

This is a pizza I came up with while waiting in the line up at the deli counter. If someone in your household is a meat lover this is the pizza for them! I usually pick up all the ingredients at the Italian Market (Valoroso Foods or Illichmann's Meats) where you can find excellent homemade pizza crusts.

Ingredients:
1 pizza crust
Pizza sauce (regular, or my favorite spicy)
Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle over sauce
Rosemary ham
Hot capicola
Pancetta (or regular bacon works just as well)
Pizza blend of shredded cheese - mozzarella & provolone (any deli will shred fresh cheeses for you)

Assemble as you wish. Bake @ 350 for approx 20-25minutes
Enjoy!

Avocado Oil, the new olive oil

Besides being a super food, avocado oil tastes fantastic! Try using avocado oil instead of olive oil in your next salad or on pasta .. I think you'll like it!

Avocado Oil

 

Aren't these gorgeous?!!

New Torre & Tagus dishes .. I may need to change my color scheme!

Torre & Tagus Dessert Plate

 

Welcome to my blog!!

I am very excited to have my blog up and running!! sort of.. It is a work in progress as I don't know much about this kind of stuff. I do know that I can't wait to start sharing my recipes and cooking favorites with all of you :)

Taste Of Downtown Kelowna Fusion Festival

This should be a really fun and tasty event!!
http://www.kelownafusionfestival.com/taste-of-downtown/