Robbie Burns Day - Scotch Egg Club

An annual celebration, Robbie Burns Day is a tribute to the life, works, and spirit of the great Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759 to 1796). Celebrated every year on his birthday, January 25th, it encompasses more or less of formal gatherings involving the indulgence in a traditional Scottish meal, the drinking of Scotch whisky, and a recitation of the works made famous by Burns himself.

This year in Toronto, Tommy's Egg Kitchen made its Canadian debut putting together a public event called the Scotch Egg Club where acclaimed Scottish chef James Forrest hosted a scotch egg competition. The culinary competition featured six renowned chefs from across Canada who competed for the title of the best scotch egg. Guests than had the chance to eat and judge, tasting each of the finalists' scotch eggs to determine the ultimate winner. Not only was there an abundance of gourmet scotch eggs that night, but each egg was paired with a Dewar cocktail for the ultimate combination of Scottish fare.

The Scotch Egg Club takes place in cities around the world and is designed to celebrate two of Tommy Dewar's great passions: whisky and chickens. Not only did Tommy Dewar produce some of the finest whisky, him and his sons raised a collection of pedigree chickens which also laid some of the best eggs. This was the origin of the relationship between scotch eggs and whisky and the Scotch Egg Club was born!

Held at the Tommy's Egg Kitchen on King Street West, we were spoiled by an infinite array of the finest Scotch and Dewar's whisky cocktails, and of course six different versions of a scotch egg. After all the eggs were eaten and the votes were tallied, the winner came out to be Chef Adam Donnelley of Segovia Tapas Bar in Winnipeg! His winning chicken and foie gras Scotch egg recipe won the crowd over and will be the reigning champion of the Scotch Egg Club in Toronto. Looking forward to see what next year brings!

CONTEST - Dewars' Scotch Egg Club (Win Two Free Tickets!)

How do scotch eggs and whisky cocktails sound? Pretty good right!?! To celebrate Robbie Burns Day, join the fun at Dewars' Scotch Egg Club this Wednesday night where six renowned chefs across Canada will compete for the title of the best scotch egg! The Scotch Egg Club will take place in cities across the globe and is designed to celebrate two of Tommy Dewar’s great passions: whisky and chickens.

Guests will get a chance to eat and judge each of the finalists' scotch eggs to crown the ultimate winner! The best part of it all is that each scotch egg will also be paired with a Dewar's cocktail. This one night only event will be hosted by acclaimed Scottish chef James Forest.

Event Details:

What: Dewar’s Scotch Egg Club
Where: Tommy’s Egg Kitchen, 667 King Street West, 2nd Floor
When: Wednesday, January 25th 2017 from 7 P.M. - 10 P.M.

We are giving away two free tickets for you and a friend to attend this event!

Here is how to enter:

1) Follow @theeverydayfoodie on Instagram
2) Like the picture on Instagram
3) Tag at least one friend in the comments on Instagram (each tag is 1 additional entry)
4) Optional: Repost this picture on Instagram for a bonus 5 entries
5) Optional: Leave your Instagram handle in the comments section below HERE on this blog post for a bonus 5 entries

Deadline to enter is at 8PM EST on January 23, 2017. 1 random winner will be selected and announced shortly after.

Good luck!

Natrel's New Lactose-Free/Organic Butter - Date Squares Recipe

An undisputed dairy market leader across several categories, Natrel is continuing to innovate with the launch of Canada's first lactose-free butter in addition to an organic butter. This is an absolute must for anyone who loves authentic taste as nothing beats the flavour of real butter. I'm sorry margarine, I'm looking at you.

With a passion for authenticity, this is exactly why Natrel is launching two new butters which are both available in a 250g format aimed to please lactose-intolerant consumers as well as the ever-growing organic food category. That friend or family member that you know who is 1 of 7 million lactose intolerant Canadians can now find satisfaction that there is no need anymore to avoid their favourite baked desserts, or that buttery casserole on the dinner table that everyone else was able to enjoy except them. 

To discover the joys of cooking with Natrel's new organic and lactose-free butters, we are going to share a delicious dessert the whole family can enjoy and make together. These Date Squares perfectly showcase the creamy texture and rich taste of Natrel's newest butter with a delicious filling enclosed by light, golden layers.

Date Squares

Serves: 16 Squares
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the date filling

4 cups pitted dried dates
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla

For the crust and crumble

1 1/8 cups cold Natrel Organic or Lactose-Free Butter, cubed
2 1/2 cup oats
1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

To prepare the date filling

1) In a medium saucepan, heat the dates and water on low to slowly soften the dates.
2) Cook the mixture for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every so often. The dates will absorb all the water and form a chunky, soft paste. Let cool.
3) Transfer the date paste to a food processor. Add the vanilla and then process the mixture into a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

To prepare the crust and crumble

4) Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Butter a 9" x 9" brownie pan and then line the bottom with a square of parchment paper. Set aside.
5) In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the oats, light brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Drop in the cold butter and pulse to form a crumble.
6) Take two-thirds of the mixture (roughly 1/3 lb or 600 grams) and press it evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan with your hands or a flat-bottomed glass baking dish to create a very firm base.
7) Smooth the date filling over top, from edge to edge. Evenly sprinkle the last third of the crumble mixture on top of the date filling. Press it gently into the date layer.
8) Bake the date squares for about 40 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let the squares cool completely in the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill overnight in the refrigerator. Once thoroughly chilled, cut into 16 squares to serve.

President's Choice Insiders Collection With Suits Star Sarah Rafferty

We were at the launch of the new PC Insiders Collection at the PC Cooking School inside Maple Leaf Gardens where we had a chance to explore twists on holiday traditions using the new line of products offered by President's Choice. This is such a festive time of the year right now with non-stop feasting starting from the weeks leading to Christmas all the way to New Year celebrations in January, that this launch event came at the perfect time to discover all-new ways to holiday that will help anyone elevate their entertaining super powers to new heights. 

At the helm of this event was Tom Filippou, Executive Chef of President's choice where he organized this intimate event by separating it into three food categories, "Mingle, Dinner, and Dessert." Each of these food categories were highlighted by the new line of products from the PC Insiders Collection that features over 200 products including 70 new launches. President's Choice took us on a food journey from start to finish, focusing on an all-encompassing dinner party that starts with mingling during happy hour, dining with must try products at the dinner table, and ending the night off with some sweet treats. 

Below you can find some inspiration on some of the products offered in the PC Insiders Collection to use when hosting your next party, or even just pick up some of these goodies to enjoy all to yourself. No one's judging here. 

Mingle

Seacuterie Board
Charcuterie Board
PC Waffle Chicken Fillets with Spicy Maple Syrup
Crispy Rice Cake Bites with PC Tuna Tataki
Baked PC La Belle Riviere Cheese with Apple-Pear Confit

Dinner

PC Double Stuffed Turkey
Korean Fried Potatoes with Cabbage, Bacon, and PC Memories of Soul
Piri Piri Rapini with PC Memories of Eggs Benedict Hollandaise Sauce
Crispy Fried Cauliflower Ravioli with Creamy Harissa Sauce
Beef Tenderloin with PC Black Label Onion Cabernet

Dessert

Avocado Lime Coconut Cheesecake
Mini Chocolate Brownie Bites
Spiced Cookie Dippers with PC Chocolate Ganache Pots
PC Pistachio Pudding
PC Chocolate Pecan Bar
Lemon Squares
PC Apple and Pumpkin Galettes

The icing on the cake to this event was getting to have the TV and food world collide when Sarah Rafferty, who plays Donna on one of my favourite TV shows Suits was at the event as well. Sarah was joined by her mother Mimi on stage where they showcased their traditional Rafferty family holiday recipes by adding unexpected twists using ingredients from the PC Insiders Collection. 

Sarah and her mom made us their personal holiday cookie recipe for us to try (I can't believe I tasted some of Donna's cooking!) Their cookies incorporated a unique twist by adding in the PC Organic Mint European Dark Chocolate into the mix, and below you will also find a video of Sarah and her mom talking about this very recipe and how they like to get the kids involved! 

I hope you all get a chance to discover twists on traditions with the new PC Insiders Collection. Holidays will never be the same again! 

Milk Calendar's 40th Anniversary - Eggs Benedict With A Twist Recipe

Holy cow! I just had to do it.

Dairy Farmers of Canada's Milk Calendar which has been an integral part of many Canadian families from coast to coast is celebrating their 40-year milestone with their 2017 edition. Like many of us, every year we eagerly wait for the new Milk Calendar to hang up on our walls, providing us with easy, innovative, and delicious dairy related recipes for every meal and occasion.

The majority of Canadians do not consume the recommended servings of milk and dairy products, so the Milk Calendar was created 40 years ago to help Canadian families get their recommended daily servings using 100% Canadian milk in its recipes. This year of course is no exception and the 2017 edition reflects the milestone with a "How Far We've Come" theme that is also intended to honour Canada's 150th anniversary in 2017.

As soon as you turn to the first page of the 2017 Milk Calendar, you'll notice they've included some of their favourite recipes from their four decade old collection such as the Piquant Potato Salad from 1974, the Beef Ring with Seasonal Vegetables from 1981, and the Apple Berry Cobbler from 2000. All of these nostalgic recipes have been updated with flavours and ingredients using the current culinary tastes that anyone will come to love and enjoy in today's times.

Breakfast/brunch is absolutely my most favourite meal of the day so it is quite fitting that I will be sharing with you all the December 2017 Milk Calendar recipe, Eggs Benedict With A Twist. Fast forward a year from now, many Canadian families will be serving this up for the whole family to enjoy during the Holiday season. But for now you all get a sneak peak into this take on eggs benedict that includes the fresh and creamy taste of avocado.

Eggs Benedict With A Twist

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook: 3 Minutes
4 Servings

Ingredients

2 tsp (10 mL) butter
4 tsp (20mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250mL) milk
1/2 cup (125mL) finely grated Canadian Parmesan
1/2 tsp (2mL) mustard power
1/4 tsp (1mL) each, hot sauce and salt
4 small slices olive, cheese, or crusty Italian bread
4 eggs
4 thin slices Black Forest ham
4 slices tomato
1 avocado, peeled, and thinly sliced
Chives for garnish (optional)

Directions

1) Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in milk. Stirring continuously, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently 1 min. Whisk in Parmesan, mustard powder, hot sauce, and salt. Remove from heat; sauce will thicken slightly while preparing remaining ingredients. 2) Toast bread. 3) Poach eggs in simmering water about 3 mins. Fold ham to fit on each slice of bread, followed by a slice of tomato, avocado slices then egg. Drizzle with sauce then sprinkle with chives if using.

Cooking Tip

Add about 1 tbsp (15mL) white vinegar to eggs' poaching water; this helps eggs to hold their shape. Gently pat eggs dry with paper towel after cooking to prevent bread from becoming soggy.

Variation

Try fried eggs instead of poached and prosciutto instead of ham. 

Per Serving

Energy: 344 Calories, Protein: 19 g, Carbohydrate: 21 g, Fat: 21 g, Fibre: 4.6 g, Sodium: 694 mg, Calcium: 267 mg

All Milk Calendar recipes since 1974 are also available online at MilkCalendar.ca. Visit MilkCalendar.ca to see how you can pick up your copy of the 2017 calendar!