Rocky Road Wedges

I was craving something chocolately this week and decided to make these rocky road wedges. They were simple to make, delicious, and combined three of my favourite things: chocolate, almonds, and marshmallows. I didn't have any white marshmallows on hand and didn't feel like running to the store in -45 degree weather for one ingredient, so I decided just to make due with the coloured marshmallows I had at home. I definitely recommend making these, especially if you are looking for a dessert you can whip up in a jiffy with minimal cleanup. I think these would be delicious served with ice cream- I might have to give it a try tonight!

Banana and Walnut Bread

I was craving some banana bread this weekend so I decided to turn to my go-to recipe in the Bon Appetit cookbook and whip up a couple of loaves. I pulled out a bunch of ripe bananas that I had in the freezer and went to town. It's funny how disgusting frozen, ripe bananas can look but they sure do make the best banana bread. One of the loaves is almost gone already; needless to say my craving was satisfied!

Classic Chocolate Fudge

One of my favourite holiday treats has always been fudge. I know it's not the healthiest choice, but I love to indulge in fudge over the holiday season. In the past, my own attempts at making fudge have largely been unsuccessful; it just never seems to turn out for some unknown reason. This year I was determined to be successful so I tried a new recipe in my Bon Appetit cookbook. The recipe can be found online here. I made a few modifications including using marshmallows instead of marshmallow creme (I've never seen it in stores here in Canada), using semisweet chocolate, and omitting the walnuts. This time my fudge turned out, and it was deliciously rich and sweet.

Double Lemon Bars

After purchasing a huge bag of lemons at the market this weekend, I made a large pitcher of lemonade and still had a few lemons to spare. I then went to my trusty Bon Appetit cookbook in search of an easy and tasty lemon dessert in order to make use of the remaining lemons. After bypassing a few options that looked too complicated, I stumbled upon this recipe for double lemon bars. It turned out to be fast, easy and really delicious. I took the bars over to a friend's dinner party and they were a huge hit! The recipe can be found online here.

Leek and Potato Soup

On the weekend I noticed that my tarragon was starting to take over my herb garden so I decided it was time to trim it down and find a recipe to make use of it. I went to my trusty Bon Appetit cookbook (I must admit that I often go to the internet for recipes, but there is just something fun about going old-school and using a cookbook and I feel confident knowing the recipes were tested and published), looked in the index and found several recipes that contained tarragon, but the one that caught my eye was the Leek and Potato soup.

I went to my local farmer's market Saturday morning and picked up some fresh leeks and red-skinned potatoes and went to town on the soup. I think it took me a total of 1/2 hour to make this including a quick trip to the store to pick up the whipping cream while the soup was simmering.

The flavour of the soup was incredible; we couldn't get enough of it this weekend. I will definitely make this soup again because it had everything I could have hoped for - it was inexpensive, quick and simple to make and relatively healthy (less than 200 calories per serving). If you want to mix up the recipe a bit you could use skim or 1% milk and it would be even lower in the calorie department or you could blend it in your food processor if you prefer a smooth soup. Here is the recipe:

Leek, Potato, and Tarragon Soup (from The Bon Appetit Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 pound red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 cups low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add leeks, onion, garlic, and 2 tbsp water. Cook until leeks are golden, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in tarragon.

Stir in cream and yogurt into soup. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.


Cooked and ready to add the cream and yogurt.


Voila- Ready to eat!