BLACK FIG & OLIVE TAPENADE

Is it just me or does the combination of sweet back fig and savoury black olives sound like the perfect pairing! I love this recipe for that exact taste profile and spread across a crisp or accompanied with Parmesan cheese it is a perfect appetizer. If you're looking for something to serve at your next dinner party that's both quick to whip up and as easy as throwing everything into a food process - this tapenade is perfect! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

Yields 1.5 Cups of Tapenade

1 Cup of Black Fig - Rinsed and Cut Up
1/2 Cup of Pitted Black Olives
1 Clove of Garlic Clove - peeled and chopped
2 Tsp of Capers - drained and rinsed
1 Tsp of Fresh Rosemary
Squeeze of lemon
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Place figs, pitted olives, garlic, capers, and rosemary in the food processor and blend until pureed.

Add a good squeeze of lemon juice and continue to mix.

While the motor is running add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper as per your taste (I usually add a little salt no pepper but to each their own).

Black Fig and Olive Tapenade

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Bon Appetite!!!

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BEST HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE!

Pizza Dough Recipe

I have always been a bit of a carb lover but a couple of summers ago I got a pizza stone as a gift and I became a full on pizza addict. There is nothing better than fresh pizza right out of the oven and a pizza stone is a definite game changer. If you like that crispy bottom typically associated with thin crust gourmet pizzas from restaurants I definitely recommend you pick up a stone. I have even gone as far as having pizza parties which I find is quite an interactive way to host and entertain guests. Anyways what inspired this post was that I recently came across this recipe for pizza dough by Matt Rotenberg and tried it out this past weekend and loved so much I had to share! It was so easy and really quite delicious it would be selfish of me to keep it all to myself - so enjoy!

Makes about 3-4 Personal Sized Pizzas

INGREDIENTS:

2.5 Cups of Flour
1 Pack of Fleischmann's Quick Rise Instant Yeast
1/4 TSP of Salt
1 Cup of Lukewarm Water
2 TBSP of Olive Oil
1 TBSP of honey

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl mix flour, salt and yeast together with a fork.

Add lukewarm water, olive oil, and honey into a bowl and continue to mix with a fork until the dough starts to form,

Sprinkle flour on the counter and kneed dough. If the dough is sticky sprinkle with flour and continue to kneed until it becomes smooth.

Place ready dough in a bowl, drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top to help keep the dough moist and cover with a cloth. Let it rise for 10 minutes before moving it to the fridge.

TIP: Prepare dough within 2 hours of use otherwise it will continue to rise!

My pizza stone was from William and Sonoma - link HERE *

*I am not affiliated so I dont make commission just wanted to recommend my stone if you are looking to purchase one

NEED PIZZA TOPPING INSPIRATION?

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THREE WAYS TO ENJOY A BOTTLE OF CASAMIGOS REPOSADO TEQUILA

Casamigo Tequila - Reposado

HOW TO DRINK CASAMIGOS REPOSADO

So if you have been living under a rock as I have, you would not have known that besides being the face of Nespresso, George Clooney along with Randy Gerber and Mike Meldman founded a tequila company called Casamigos.

Legend has it that the trio met in Cabo and decided to work with local Jalisco talent to create a premium tequila of their own. The end result - Casamigos - literally translating into 'house of friends'.

Casamigos has three 'levels' of premium tequila: Blanco, Reposado, and Anejo all made from 100%  hand-select Blue Weber Agave is grown in the rich soil and cool climate of Jalisco, Mexico's highlands.

Last week I was gifted a bottle of Casamigos Reposado and decided to experiment with my new bottle of tequila by trying out a couple of different cocktail recipes. In the end, I found three cocktails recipes perfect for summer that I really liked and had to share them with you.

THREE CASAMIGOS REPOSADO COCKTAILS

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Casamigos reposado tequila cocktail recipes- Strawberry Jalapeno Mint Cocktail

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS CASAMIGOS REPOSADO COCKTAIL:

Coarse Salt for Glass Rim
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
3 Strawberries - Sliced (save one slice for garnish)
3 Slices of Jalapeno (save one slice for garnish)
1 Small Handful of Mint
1.5 oz Casamigos Repesado Tequila
1 oz Cointreau

DIRECTIONS:

Take a piece of lime and wet the rim of your cocktail glass before placing it in a bed of salt.

Muddle lime juice, simple syrup, strawberry slices, jalapeno slices, and mint in a cocktail shaker before adding in ice, Casamigos Tequila, and Cointreau. Shake until the cocktail shaker is cold and pour liquid into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a piece of lime, strawberry, and jalapeno!

CRAVING MEXICAN? CHECK OUT THESE OTHER RECIPES!

Honey Paloma

Casamigos reposado tequila cocktail recipes Honey Paloma

Honey Paloma

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS CASAMIGOS REPOSADO COCKTAIL:

Coarse Salt for Glass Rim
2 oz Grapefruit Juice
1 TBSP Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 TSP Honey (agave also works if you are vegan)
1 oz Casamigos Repesado Tequila
2 oz Club Soda

*if you have a grapefruit on hand add a bit of grapefruit zest to the salt before you rim your glass

DIRECTIONS:

Take a piece of lime and wet the rim of your cocktail glass before placing it in a bed of salt.

Place grapefruit juice, lime juice, honey, ice, and tequila in a cocktail shaker and shake until cold. Pour into a cocktail glass and add club soda, garnish with a piece of grapefruit or shave off a grapefruit peel and wrap inside the glass.

Jamaican Pom Fizz

Casamigos reposado tequila cocktail recipes -Jamaican Pom Fizz

Jamaican Pom Fizz

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS CASAMIGOS REPOSADO COCKTAIL:

1 oz Lime Juice
2 oz Pomegranate juice
Small Handful of Mint (save some for garnish)
1 TBSP of Honey
1 oz Casamigos Repesado Tequila
2 oz Ginger Beer

DIRECTIONS:

Place pomegranate juice, lime juice, shredded mint, honey, ice, and tequila in a cocktail shaker and shake until cold. Pour into a cocktail glass and add ginger beer and garnish with a piece of mint.

Trio of Casamigo Cocktails - Casamigos reposado tequila cocktail recipes
Trio of Casamigo Cocktails - Casamigos reposado tequila cocktail recipes

Jamaican Pom Fizz

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice!

Honey Paloma

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The first of many interior design decisions to come! Now that we are half way through the last phase of our interior renovations (the basement) I am getting really excited about shifting my focus from renoing our Toronto Victorian home to styling a
No more scary basement! 🏡 Here is a little before and after of our basement underpin by @icy.reno We went from 6 foot ceilings to just under 8.5 and installed new drains, waterproofing and a radiant floor! DYK that doing an underpin and finishing

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STRAWBERRY FIZZ COCKTAIL

This past weekend I made a delicious cocktail using some fresh organic Ontario strawberries I picked myself! Since I was at the cottage on Georgian Bay I of course used some Georgian Bay Vodka but you can use whatever you have. I thought this was such an easy yet delicious cocktail I had to share it with you.

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 Strawberries (leave one for garnish and muddle the rest)
1 Oz of Vodka (I used Georgian Bay because it has hints of Vanilla)
4 Oz of Tamarind Jarritos Soda

DIRECTIONS:

Muddle the strawberries and pour into your glass, top with vodka and Tamarind Jarritos Soda. Garnish with a slice of strawberry!

*You can chill the vodka and Jarritos soda to ensure the drink is cold and refreshing.

Sitting on the beach having a Strawberry Fizz Cocktail

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STRAWBERRY PIE WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST!

Since strawberry season is upon us I thought it would be perfectly fitting to make a strawberry pie last weekend. Since I was at the cottage and there is a lovely organic strawberry picking farm close by, off I went to pick my own strawberries! The result of that adventure was of course this delicious strawberry pie recipe. What is so clutch about this recipe (and can easily be used for any pie recipe) is the shortbread cookie crust bottom! WOW it's good! The best part is that even for a non pie maker/baker like me this recipe was so easy. Not to mention that the pie got devoured in one sitting and I had to make three more - I didn't mind.

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST
1/2 Cup of Butter (Softened)
1/4 Cup of Sugar
1 Cup of All Purpose Flour

STRAWBERRY FILLING

1 Quart of Strawberries (divide into two portions)
1 Cup of White Sugar
3 TBSP of Cornstarch
3/4 Cup of Water

DIRECTIONS:

Beat the soft butter with the sugar until fluffy.

Add in flour bit my bit until crumbly cookie dough starts to form. Press dough into a 9 Inch pie pan. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to harden

Preheat Over to 400 degrees (200 Celsius). After pie crust has been in the fridge for 10 minutes let bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden and firm. Set aside to cool.

Separate the strawberries into two parts - you are going to mash half to create the filling and keep the other half to place on top for decoration.

Take the mashed strawberries and place in a sauce pot and bring to a boil, add in sugar and stir often for 10 minutes.

Mix cornstarch and water in a bowl and add into the boiled strawberry mixture - reduce heat to a simmer and allow to thicken.

Once ready remove from heat and let cool.

Once your strawberry sauce is cooled pour into shortbread crust and top with remaining strawberries.

Keep in fridge until ready to serve! It is great on its own or with some ice cream!

Enjoy!

Fresh Organic Ontario Strawberries

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