Edible Sound Bites

Burn baby, burn!

Quoting Tosca Reno, this recipe will "set your metabolism on fire!"

Let's talk metabolism for a little shall we? Spices such as cayenne, paprika, black pepper, ginger, and yes even mustard can increase metabolism and the efficiency of your body's digestion. This means that you can burn more calories and fat just by eating them and keep your metabolism burning strong for hours after. Plus there's the added benefit of eliminating excess salt from a dish because spices pack such a flavour punch!

I have made this dish numerous times now and it's got to be the most satisfying, tasty fish I have ever cooked. Even the fish haters in my house like it love it. Now that's saying something!

One of the reasons I love it so much is because it makes a nice light meal without sacrificing any flavour. It pairs well with grilled veggies and brown rice for a complete meal. The last time I made this I grilled some pineapple wedges alongside with green beans and toasted cashews, and fresh corn on the cob. Delish!

For anyone interested in trying tilapia for the first time this would be a great one to make. If you don't like a lot of heat I find that if you leave out the black pepper it really cuts it back but still tastes great. Tilapia itself is a very mild tasting fish and is probably one of the least fishy tasting of all fish fillets you can get.

I would love to try this rub on some trout or even halibut (also great choices for getting some good quality lean protein).

Tilapia is such a delicate fish it just feels fancy when done right, doesn't it?

Keep-it-Tight Tilapia

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 clove of garlic, pressed
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of ginger
1 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
a tiny pinch of cayenne
4 fresh tilapia fillets

Method:

Preheat oven or grill/BBQ to 400*F.
Rinse fish fillets under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels.
In a medium sized bowl, combine seasonings, garlic and olive oil.
Dip each fillet into the seasoning and place them on a foil baking plate.
Place in the over or on the top most shelf of your BBQ and bake for 10 minutes.

Thanks for another great recipe Tosca!

Happy Friday!

You're in for a real treat today.

This is something so special that it would be a crime not to share it with you.

As you might already know I'm obsessed with nut butter. And if you didn't. . . well now you do. I love making my own nut butters, so I pulled out my food processor yesterday and decided to try a spin-off of Ashley's roasted maple cinnamon almond butter. After the first time I ever made her almond butter I was hooked (she creates some of the best nut butters). Before then I don't think I even liked almond butter all that much (*gasp* Sacrilege). Well the rest is history. She inspired me to start creating some of my own nut buttery goodness.

Like this one. Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter.

Move over peanut butter, because there's a new favourite in town.

If you've never made your own before, then you're missing out. You may be a little intimidated at first like I was, but it couldn't be easier. Trust me. Once you make it you'll never want to go back to the store bought variety again. This stuff is so gourmet, you won't even believe you made it yourself. There's just a few ingredients involved including: almonds, maple syrup, maple butter, cinnamon, and sea salt.

It takes approximately 30 minutes in total to make and you want to make sure you've got a good powerful blender. Roasting the almonds will make them easier to process plus it enhances their taste.

Here's what it looks like when it's just getting going:

This is after about 10 minutes of blending:

And here it is nice beginning to smooth:

One of the wonderful things about living in Canada is being so close to pure maple syrup all the time. I got the maple butter at our farmers market last weekend (this stuff isn't cheap, but it's a real treat! And it's of course local). The syrup actually came from my brothers girlfriend's family maple bush here in Ontario. There's nothing like the real thing! It's always been a tradition in my family every Spring to go to a maple syrup bush. When I was growing we would go visit my grandparents and meet up with my aunt and uncle out in the country, and all go together for pancakes and then a horse ride through the bush. Oh, and the maple taffy that they make right on the snow was a special treat.

I love eating this on my oatmeal, with apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon, on whole grain toast, and it also makes a killer sandwich! I have yet to still try this in this sandwich. You can store this in the fridge in a glass mason jar or a recycled nut butter jar. It should keep as long as store bought nut butters.

Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter gluten free, vegan

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Ingredients:

2 cups raw almonds
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp pure maple butter
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Method:

Preheat oven to 325*F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl mix the almonds and 2 tbsp of maple syrup together to coat.
Roast for 15 minutes stirring once or twice and half way through to prevent burning.
Take them out and let them cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Then place them in the food processor and and start it up. It may seem a little intimidating but just let the processor do its job. You will want to scrape down the sides with a spatula every now and then once it starts to clump together. Don't worry it will begin to start smoothing out and turn creamy, you just need to be patient. It shouldn't take any longer than 15 minutes.
Once it begins to smooth out, add in the sea salt, cinnamon, 1 tbsp of maple butter. Give a whir in processor again until it mixes all together and is nice and smooth.

If you've never been to a maple bush before when the sap is flowing then I really suggest you do it. It's one of the coolest things I remember from growing up, and I still love going every Spring. You have to make sure you go while they're boiling the sap though. The smell is divine!