Smoked Salmon Rice Salad : Eat In Eat Out Magazine

I first blogged about my friend Carlo in December with his fantastic recipe for Carbonara (so easy - SO GOOD). Originally from San Fiorano, Italy, Carlo loves eating and talking about food as much as I do. We spend a lot of time discussing recipes, dishes that he remembers from home and dishes that he prepares today for his wife Tiffany, and their two children, Luka and Matteo. He's even given me his father's recipe for Tiramisu (which I have yet to make). 

When Lori Kennedy asked if I'd like to be featured in the summer issue of Eat In Eat Out magazine she requested two original recipes. The recipe featured in the magazine was my Strawberry Nutella Ice Cream Sandwiches. The second recipe, Smoked Salmon Rice Salad, was featured on the Eat In Eat Out website for a week long  blogger spotlight.

 

I have to give credit to Carlo for the Rice Salad inspiration - I had never even heard of cooking rice this way until he mentioned it. You basically cook Arborio rice like pasta, in boiling water for 8-10 minutes until al dente, then drain it and rinse it with cold water. Once cool, you use it like you would any pasta in a cold salad. I chose Willy Krauch's Smoked Salmon (because it's the BEST SMOKED SALMON IN THE WORLD) and paired it with classic Capers and Red Onion and a zippy homemade Lime Vinaigrette. 

A fine addition to any BBQ this summer!

Keurig MINI Plus Brewer and Van Houtte Vanilla Hazenut Coffee Ice Cream

This is my brand new Cobalt Blue Keurig MINI Plus Brewer. Isn't it awesome?

I've been toying with making the switch to Keurig for a while now. Every time I would go to the store to buy coffee, I would stand in front of the Keurig section, staring forlornly at the amazing selection (over 100 different flavours of K-Cups to choose from!!) that is available to Keurig owners. 'I want to drink Van Houtte Vanilla Hazelnut!', I would think to myself, but NOOO, instead I would head home, no K-Cups in my bags, because I didn't own a Keurig.

I live in a one-coffee-drinker household. And THAT is why I'm so thrilled about this adorable efficient little machine. It takes up hardly any space on my counter, I have TONS of selection for coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate, or apple cider and more!), it's so easy to use my Grandma could figure it out and it's PRETTY which means it's MINE.

As most of you know, I can't just make a cup of coffee and call it a day - I like to play! - and so I thought, what would be fun to do with GMCR's Van Houtte coffee? Then it hit me - ICE CREAM.

I give you Van Houtte Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee Ice Cream with Toasted Hazelnuts and Chopped Milk Chocolate (recipe adapted from Not Eating Out In New York)

1.5 C 35% whipping cream

1.5 C whole milk

0.5 + 0.25 C sugar

3 egg yolks

2 whole eggs

3/4 C water

2 Van Houtte Vanilla Hazelnut K-Cups

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 C hazelnuts, skinned, roasted, chopped

1/2 C milk chocolate pieces

- heat whipping cream, milk and 0.5 C sugar in a saucepan over med-low heat until sugar dissolves and steam starts to rise

- in a med-large bowl, whisk 0.25 C sugar, egg yolks and whole eggs

- pour 3/4 C water into Keurig MINI Plus Brewer - brew one Van Houtte Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee K-Cup - discard brewed coffee to keep 0.5 C - peel lid from second K-Cup and add fresh grounds to brewed 0.5 C - steep

- whisk 1 C hot milk mixture, very little at a time, into egg mixture - once 1 C hot milk is whisked into egg, add everything back into the pot of hot milk - cook over med-low heat until custard coats the back of a wooden spoon and you can draw a clear line through it with your finger - remove from heat

- strain steeped Van Houtte Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee through a fine mesh strainer TWICE - add to custard with 1 tsp vanilla - stir well - cool then chill in fridge 3-4 hours

- churn in ice cream maker according to your manufacturer's directions - layer ice cream in container with chopped hazelnuts and chopped chocolate - freeze 3-4 hours

ohmygoodnessyum.

*Please note that although I did receive a free Keurig Cobalt Blue MINI Plus Brewer, a Keurig K-Cup Carousel, Van Houtte House Blend, Van Houtte Vanilla Hazelnut, Bigelow Green Tea and Café Escapes Hot Cocoa K-Cups from Keurig, they did not specifically ask me to write a blog post promoting their product. I just really love this little machine and would have bought one anyway at some point! Thank you Keurig!!

Cherry Almond Cake and a Food Photography Workshop

I didn't take this picture.

My friend Kathy Jollimore did.

But what I did do was bake the almond cake and then give Kathy a one-on-one food photography lesson.

Not too shabby huh?

I taught her some tips and tricks that help make food styling easier, some food photography basics, how to shoot tethered to her laptop and how to process her pics in Lightroom.

What do you think? Would you take a food photography workshop?