New Years Maple Sports Drink

I wanted to call this post, Hangover Be Gone…but this drink also has so many other uses that it seemed a little reductive.

Think of this drink like a Gatorade that isn’t made entirely of chemicals, salt and sugar. It also doesn’t come in flavours like: blue, orange, white and red.

It’s only maple orange flavoured.

I may be a giant maple nerd but I am also a lover of wine. All wine, white, red, blush, bubbles, or still. I love it all – especially the red wine.
I recently discovered this maple electrolyte beverage recipe online and it really does help with the red wine headache.

So here we are just before New Years Day and I thought that this would be the perfect recipe. Hangover Be Gone!

I may have had a little bit too much red wine last night and I have just made my New Years Drink; therefore I am literally just copying and pasting from Pure Canada Maple.com
And D Sharon Pruitt is the original owner of this kick ass picture of an orange in water.

Maple Orange Energy drink

This easy-to-make maple syrup recipe was specially formulated for your fitness regimen. Not only does the all-naturalmaple sports drink have the seal of approval from sports nutritionists, it is absolutely delicious.

When working out for more than an hour, a sports drink can ward off dehydration, provide needed electrolytes (potassium and sodium) and energize your workouts. This all-natural sports drink recipe contains no artificial colors or flavors, and no additives or preservatives.

Ingredients

 3-1/2 cups cold water

 1/4 cup orange juice

 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

 2 tablespoons lime juice

 1/8 teaspoon salt

Method

Mix all ingredients together.

Number of servings (yield): 1 quart

 

Scalloped Maple Yams

These are a great holiday dish as they can come straight out of the oven to the table and into anxiously awaiting mouths.

You can think about this dish like it is a sweeter and MUCH easier scalloped potato dish. Without any cheese or creamy sauce. Ha ha ha.

The yams are sliced like they would be for scalloped potatoes and they are layered with onion the same way, they are also cooked in a casserole dish but that is really where the similarities end.

Ingredients: 
Enough yams for your family or enough to fill a casserole dish (likely 2)
1 sweet white onion
3 table spoons of butter
3 table spoons of dark (no3) maple syrup

Method:
Grease the casserole dish or spray with a no stick spray
Preheat oven to 375
Peel and slice the yams
Dice 1/4 to 1/2 of the onion, depending on how much your family likes onion.
Layer the yams and onion into a greased casserole dish.
Dab each layer with butter and pour a drizzle your Dark maple syrup over the whole casserole.
Bake until tender which should take about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve.

Pear, Cranberry, and Pecan Salad

In the days before Christmas we decided we should probably put up a recipe for a holiday salad. Of course the first one that popped into my mind was the pear, cranberry, and pecan salad.

You don’t have to make my word gospel for this recipe. I use mixed greens for this one, but you could just as easily substitute spinach or romaine or iceberg or arugula – ooooo… it would be really good with arugual! That’s how I am making it next.

You can also use any kind of nut but pecan really is the best, especially candied pecans.
Because my daughter, Kimberly, has a nut allergy I use a nice soft goat cheese to it in lieu of pecans when she is home, but it would be EXCELLENT with both.

Without further adieu, the recipe.

Ingredients:
Salad
Mixed greens
2 firm ripe pears, peeled cored and thinly sliced
½ C dried Cranberries
½ C chopped tossed pecans

Recipe
¼ C Dark Maple syrup
¼ C Mayonnaise or plain yogurt or sour cream
3 TBSP White wine vinegar
2 TBSP Olive or Grape seed oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:
Mix the Mayo(or yogurt or sour cream), Maple Syrup and vinegar until well blended.
Add the oil and blend until uniform consistency.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss Greens, pears , Cranberries and pecans together.  Coat with desired amount of dressing and serve.
Note: Do NOT add dressing until you are about to serve.
Photo is courtesy of Alysa from Flickr on a creative commons license and isn’t it a pretty picture? Thanks Alysa for letting people who aren’t artistically inclined use such a great picture.

 

Brussels Sprou…Maple Yum Vegetables

Once upon a time there was a nice unassuming vegetable from Brussels (probably), this vegetable was just minding its own business when the townsfolk came with pitchforks raised and decided that it was an awful vegetable that was meant to ruin holiday meals and terrorize children.

That poor vegetable has cried itself to sleep every night for the rest of it’s days on earth.

Do you feel bad for the vegetable? Good! You should, what did Brussels Sprouts ever do to you? They are a great vegetable!

They are also full of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Fiber, Potassium etc. etc. etc. Seriously, they are so good for you and they really aren’t that bad! You know what makes them even better? (or actually edible says my son) Maple! Here is the recipe for Maple Brussels Sprouts that I serve to my family.

Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:
2 lbs Brussels sprouts, rinsed, cut into quarters, and patted dry
3 Tbs grapeseed oil (or canola or camelina etc.)
4 ounces butter
4 Tbs dark (no3) Maple Syrup
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1.5 Tbs balsamic vinegar
Sea salt or kosher salt to taste

Method:
Heat large skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil.  When oil begins to ripple, add Brussels sprouts.  Allow the sprouts to brown for 1-2 minutes and then turn heat down to medium.

Add butter and shake pan while butter foams.  When butter is entirely melted, add maple syrup and mustard.  Toss vigorously to coat.

Continue to cook brussel sprouts until they are tender, with a bit of bite, about 10 minutes.  Remove the sprouts from the pan and reserve.

Add balsamic vinegar and salt.  Cook the sauce for 1-2 minutes more, until the sauce thickens, and then pour over brussels sprouts.  May be served immediately or made up to a day in advance.

I swear! This makes GREAT Brussels sprouts you’ll be proud to serve.

Thank Meal Makeover Moms from flickr for putting this great pic into the world on a Creative Commons License.

Maple Syrup Pie

Sugar pie is a decidedly Eastern Canadian thing. Most western Canadians have never heard of it. Most western Canadians don’t know that there are different kinds of maple syrup either, but that’s ok.

Sugar pie is the sweetest dessert you will ever have. Seriously, I challenge you to find a sweeter dessert. My daughter can’t stand it, my son will eat any dessert put in front of him and then there is Robert. Robert looooooves sugar pie. He would probably marry it if he was given the chance. While Robert says my sugar pie is very good, he says it is not as good as his mothers – he’s a good son.

Without futher adieu, here it is: (Not Robert’s mom’s) Maple Sugar Pie.

Ingredients

Pastry:
225 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
80 g (1/3 cup) butter or margarine
2.5 g (½ teaspoon) salt
80 ml (1/3 cup) cold water
OR
Buy one pre-made in the freezer aisle of any grocery store

Filling:
225 ml (1 cup) pure maple syrup
100 ml (½ cup) light cream
100 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
100 ml (½ cup) water
Chopped nuts or coconut (optional)

Method
Pre heat oven to 350. Line pie pan with pastry and bake just until golden brown (7ish minutes)
Pour syrup into deep sauce pan. On medium-high heat bring syrup to a boil, stirring occasionally.
In a bowl Mix flour with water, then add the boiling pure maple syrup. Stir this concoction until it has thickened.
Next, add the cream and then let it cool. Once it has cooled down pour into already cooked pie shell.
Sprinkle with chopped nuts or coconut (Optional)

Maple + Bacon + Brie = Mmmm

I just drooled on myself typing the headline. I wish I was kidding, but I am not. There is drool on my shirt. Now, if I had drooled over any other dish I may have been ashamed, but we’re talking about maple + bacon + brie! How could I be expected not to drool?

Since you are probably in the midst of party season I thought party food would be the most logical maple food item to fill up this space, I am very thoughtful.

I know, I know, I know. You’re thinking GET ON WITH IT! Tell me how to make the maple bacon brie! Ok, I will.

Ingredients:
1 Sheet of thawed puff pastry. (you don’t really need the puff pastry, this could be made sans puff pastry but….it’s the holidays and calories don’t count until January 2nd, so just go for it.)
1 8 oz Wheel of brie (Any size, really If you want to use the giant one, that’s up to you and your arteries. You will probably need more puff pastry if you’re going with the giant one though.)
4-6 pieces of crumbled, cooked bacon
1 egg (beat it up real good)
1/4 cup of dark maple syrup
Handful of crushed pecans or hazelnuts (optional)
Crackers (optional)

Method: 
Put aluminium foil or something non sticky on a baking sheet. I would advise against using a cooking spray
Lay out the puff pastry
Place the wheel of creamy goodness – i mean, brie in the middle of the pastry
Crumble the bacon on top of the brie
Pour the maple syrup on top of the bacon and the brie. Try not to drool on it.
Fold the puff pastry by bringing the four corners together in the middle and make a seal. Using a fork helps to press the corners together into a seal.
STOP what you are doing and remember to preheat the oven, set it to 375 degrees.
Use that beaten up egg to “wash” the outside the puff pastry. Just brush the egg on, there should be some egg leftover. (This step isn’t necessary for taste, but style. If you want it to look pretty and gold then you should probably do this. If you are just going to binge eat the MBB don’t bother)
Bake your Maple Bacon Brie for 15-20 minutes until the outside is gold and brown.
Let it sit. For the love of god, let it sit. It is really hot inside that puff pastry pillow of yum.
Here’s where you can add the optional pecans, walnuts or hazlenuts on top. You can even drizzle a little more maple syrup

EAT it. Serve it at your party, watch people go banana pants crazy for it.
You’re welcome

Oh, and thanks Larry Hoffman and Andy Ciordia for the pictures.

Spinach Maple Salad (SMS)

Remember when it was super nice out and you could walk outside, pick spinach from your garden and make a salad of it? Yeah, me neither. It may have only been two months ago that I could do that, but I miss it dearly. Being the beginning of December is making me want nice fresh salads. Since I haven’t gone to the market to buy myself some spinach I am going to have to make a reeeeeaaaallllly nice dressing to make up for the spinach I am using.

Thank god for Maple Syrup. It sure makes a mean salad dressing. (Mean in a good way, not in the ‘I’m going to beat you up for your lunch money, kind of way.’)

Ingredients:
Salad
1 Bowl of spinach
2 mandarin Oranges (or one can if it’s not December and you’re feeling kind of trashy)
¼ – 1/2 cup of Swiss cheese
1/4 – ½ cup of toasted almonds
¼ cup of sliced red onions

Dressing
2 tblspns olive oil
¼ cup of Dark Maple syrup
¼ cup of Mandarin Orange Juice (from the canned oranges or squeeze a fresh one)
3-4 tbsp of Raspberry Vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 clove Garlic or powder 1 tsp.
Other fresh herbs that can be added depending on taste: (There are crazies out there who don’t like cilantro.) Cilantro, pepper corns crushed, rosemary, or oregano
Or you cheat like me and use a tablespoon or two of Epicure Pink peppercorn dressing mix

Method: 
Combine everything in bowl

But if you really have to know. Combine salad ingredients in a bowl, set it aside.
Combine dressing ingredients in a blender and pulse it then pour over salad ingredients.
Or
Combine dressing ingredients in a bowl, mix it with a fork or a whisk and then pour over salad ingredients.

 

 

Cooking substitutions for Maple Syrup

Even before I met my partner Robert and I got to tap into his straight-from-the-farm maple syrup supply, I was a bit of a maple nut. I have always loved syrup; the good stuff though, not your average pancake/butter/corn syrup. I have been using it in place of sugar or on savoury dishes for as long as I can remember.

I realize that not everyone has been cooking with maple syrup for as long as I have. So, here is a handy maple substitution guide.

1 cup of sugar = 2/3 cup of maple syrup
1 cup of brown sugar = 2/3 cup of maple syrup
Honey = Equal amounts
Agave Syrup = Equal amounts

When substituting maple syrup for granulated sugars, you want to reduce the amount of overall liquid in your recipe by 1/4 cup per cup of maple syrup added.

Let’s all thank Nora Kuby from Flickr for putting this picture into the world on a Creative Commons License.

Maple Glazed Ginger Carrots

‘Tis the season for cooking root vegetables and Christmas. I will definitely be making these for my Christmas dinner. There is going to be 14 people in my tiny duplex for dinner. So this is definitely the time to make the classics. These maple glazed carrots will please people that love both sweet and savoury dishes. Enjoy!

Once again, the picture isn’t mine. Credit: Freefoodphotos.com

Ingredients: 
1 lb carrots, cleaned and sliced thickly on diagonal or use 1 lb of Baby carrots
1 tablespoon butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves (optional)

Methods:
Cook the carrots in boiling water for about ten minutes or a chicken broth, until tender-crisp.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger, maple syrup and lemon juice and mix to combine. When the carrots are tender, drain well and add them to the skillet. Add the salt, pepper and parsley or chives and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

MmmmmmMaple Chicken Satay

The name says it all. Chicken Satay and it is damn good!
When you make this dish it may or may not look like the picture. I didn’t take the picture, stu_spivack from Flickr did. Good job Stu! My version didn’t look quite as pretty as the picture, but it tasted amazing. And it was maple-y, so I bet mine tasted even better.

And now… The recipe!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Boneless chicken breast cut into strips

Marinade:
1 tsp minced Garlic
1tsp. Madras curry powder
2 Tbsp Maple syrup
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp. Vegetable oil

Method:
Whisk together marinate ingredients and pour over chicken.  Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight Thread chicken on Bamboo skewers and BBQ.

BBQ it for however long you think it should be BBQ’d. My daughter cooks the crap out of her chicken, me I like it a little less time. It really is up to you.

TA DA! There you have it! Maple Chicken Satay