TROPICAL SMOOTHIE

There are a ton of smoothie recipes out there - this is my go-to recipe, and I change it up depending on what fruit we have in the freezer that day. All measurements are approximate.

1-2 c. frozen fruit (I used peaches and strawberries)
1/2 banana
2 c. orange juice (sometimes I use half orange juice and half coconut milk)
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. Epicure's Sweet Coconut Lime Dip Mix (or Summer Berry Dip Mix)
1-2 oz. rum (depending on if this is a morning smoothie or an evening smoothie!)

Put everything in a blender and pour into a glass.

FISH TACOS WITH PEACH SALSA & LEMON BASIL AIOLI

For the peach salsa:
3 tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. red onion, diced
1 peach, diced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
handful of cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
2 tsp. Epicure's Poco Picante Salsa Mix

Toss together all ingredients.

For the aioli:
1 tsp. Epicure's Lemon Basil Aioli
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. water
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 c. mayonnaise

Whisk ingredients together.

For the fish tacos:
1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. Epicure's Cuban Seasoning
salt
4 eggs
2-3 tilapia filets, cut into small strips
vegetable oil

Combine first 4 ingredients, and whisk in eggs. Coat fish in the batter, and heat some oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook fish for 3-5 minutes per side. Serve in a soft tortilla with shredded lettuce, avocado, peach salsa, and lemon basil aioli.

APPLE CRISP PIE

1 pie crust
6 apples, sliced
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. Epicure's Spices Fruit Crumble (or Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon)
2 tbsp. flour
1/3 c. oats
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. butter, cut into small pieces

Toss apples in lemon juice, and coat with sugar, spices, and flour. Pour into pie shell. Combine oats, brown sugar, and butter until crumbly, and press on top of the apples. Bake at 375 F for 30-40 minutes.

MUSHROOM TOURTIÈRE

This is a variation of Quebec meat pie that we eat at my in-laws' all the time. I tossed in the mushrooms at the last minute because I had a few left in the fridge to use up -- I think you could easily hide other vegetables like grated carrot or zucchini or eggplant. This recipe should make two tourtières.  (I put 4 cups of filling into each one.) I often make one and put the rest of the filling in a freezer bag for next time.

2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 c. mushrooms, chopped
2 small potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. Epicure's Mild Spanish Smoked Paprika
1 tbsp. Epicure's Beef & Steak Seasoning
1 tsp. Epicure's Pumpkin Pie Spice
Epicure's Sea Salt
4 pie shells

In large frying pan, heat some oil and cook onions and garlic for a few minutes. Add meat and cook thoroughly. Meanwhile, put potatoes in an Epicure Silicone Steamer and microwave for 5-6 minutes. Drain meat if necessary, and add mushrooms and potatoes, cooking for a few more minutes. Combine flour and spices and sprinkle over meat mixture, stirring well. Put half the mixture into 2 pie shells, and cover them with the remaining 2 pie shells, pinching to seal the edges. Poke some holes in the top to release steam, and bake in the oven at 400 F for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 F and continue baking for 20-30 minutes.

SLOW-BAKED CHICKEN LEGS WITH BARBECUE FLAVOURS

This is another recipe from my new Michael Smith cookbook, with just the tiniest of changes.

1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes
1/2 c. barbecue sauce
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. molasses or brown sugar
2 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder (*Instead of using cumin and chili powder, try playing around with different Epicure spices: I used Epicure's Cuban Seasoning and Cajun Oven Fries Seasoning instead. You could also use Chili Seasoning or Barbecue Seasoning.)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 can (540 ml) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (540 ml) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 red bell peppers, sliced
8 cloves garlic, peeled
12 chicken thighs
garnishes: cilantro, green onions, lime wedges

In a large casserole dish, combine all the ingredients (except chicken). Mix well, and then nestle in the pieces of chicken. Cover with lid or tinfoil and bake at 325 F for 2-3 hours. Use a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving platter, reserving some of the sauce to pour over top. Garnish with lime, cilantro, and green onions if you like. Serve with rice.

BROWN SUGAR PEACH PIE

This recipe is from the Canadian Living website. I bought a case of BC peaches on the weekend, so this seemed like a good recipe to try. I even made my own pie crust (Grandpa Jones always says to use the recipe on the bottom of the Tenderflake lard package, so that's what I used.)

1 pastry for double-crust pie
6 peaches, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 pinch salt

Roll out half the pastry and fit it into a 9" pie plate. Toss peaches with lemon juice and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan and add brown sugar, stirring till it melts. Add flour and salt, then stir into peaches. Pour into the pie shell, then roll out the remaining pastry and cut into strips. Lay strips across the pie to create a lattice top, and pinch around the sides, sealing with a bit of water. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and continue baking for 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbly. Cool before serving.

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN WINGS

This if from my new Michael Smith cookbook, and it turned out perfectly! I adapted it slightly to use some of my Epicure products.

For the baked wings:
1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sea salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
4 eggs
24 chicken wings
1/2 c. cornstarch

For the sauce:
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. vinegar
2 tbsp. Epicure's Sesame Ginger Dressing Seasoning
1 tbsp. Epicure's Sriracha Seasoning
1-2 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cornstarch
Epicure's Sesame Crunch Topper
1 green onion, thinly sliced

Combine flour, baking powder, salt & pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in eggs. In a large bowl, coat chicken wings with cornstarch, and then add the egg mixture and stir to coat the wings. Place wings on a lined baking sheet and bake at 375 F for 1 hour. Meanwhile, combine first 7 ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan. Combine soy sauce and cornstarch in a small dish until smooth, then add to the sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened. When wings are done, put them in a large bowl and pour the sauce over top. Plate them and sprinkle with Sesame Crunch Topper and green onions.

BALSAMIC PARMESAN CHICKEN FINGERS WITH MARINARA DIPPING SAUCE

This is one of the recipes from the "Good Italian. Real Fast." Collection. I just changed a couple of the measurements and it was delicious.

1/2 recipe of Balsamic Vinaigrette (1/2 tbsp. Epicure's Balsamic Vinaigrette, 1/6 c. olive oil, 1 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar)
4 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 c. panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Marinara Dipping Sauce (1 - 398 ml can crushed tomatoes + 1 1/2 tbsp. Epicure's Marinara Sauce Mix. Simmer on the stove for 20 minutes.) *I would consider adding a bit of Epicure's Pizza Seasoning as well just to give a little more zing to the sauce.

Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a large dish, then add the chicken strips and let them marinate for a bit. In another dish, combine panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Coat each chicken strip in the crumb mixture, and lay on a lined baking sheet (or use Epicure's Crisper Pan so you don't have to bother turning them over halfway). Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. Serve with Marinara sauce.

AUTUMN CURRY SOUP

1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tbsp. Epicure's Mango Curry Dip Mix
1 c. coconut milk
4-6 c. chicken broth (use 1 c. water + 1 1/2 tsp. Epicure's Chicken Bouillon)
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 c. whipping cream
Epicure's Chili Garlic Sea Salt, to taste

Heat a bit of oil in a large pot, and sauté onions till they are soft. Add garlic and spices and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add coconut milk and chicken broth, and add chopped squash and sweet potato. Bring to a boil and then simmer until vegetables are soft. Stir in whipping cream. Purée before serving, and season with salt if necessary. Fresh cilantro is also nice on top as a garnish.

CRAB CAKES WITH AIOLI

1 tbsp. butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp. Epicure's 3 Onion Dip Mix

1/2 tbsp. Epicure's Roasted Red Pepper Dip Mix

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 can (120 g) crab meat, drained

2 tbsp. mayonnaise (I used some Sriracha Aioli that I had in the fridge - the Lemon Basil Aioli would also be good.)

1 egg

2 pieces of toast, cut into small pieces

cornmeal or panko bread crumbs

Melt butter in a frying pan and add garlic and dip mixes. Sauté for a few minutes and then add to a bowl with all the other ingredients (except cornmeal). Form into 4 patties and coat with cornmeal or panko. Place in the fridge for about an hour. When you're ready to cook them, heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the crab cakes for about 5 minutes on each side. Serve with Sriracha or Lemon Basil Aioli.