barbecue

Don’t Chicken Out! Ask Your Member of Parliament To Be the #MPChickenHero

May 31, 2016 by Kathryn 1 Comment

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a really good chicken sandwich. Topped with fresh and tasty fixings and served on a perfect bun, there’s just nothing better than that first bite of tender, juicy chicken when I’m feeling hungry. Since 1992, the wonderful people at Chicken Farmers of Canada have served up tasty chicken sandwiches on July 1 at the Great Canadian Chicken Barbecue on Parliament Hill. It’s a big job, but so is creating a sandwich so delicious that Canadians will fall in love at first bite. That’s why Chicken Farmers of Canada is searching for an #MPChickenHero!

That’s right! With Canadians already planning to attend the Great Canadian Chicken Barbecue, who better to create the perfect chicken sandwich than one of Canada’s current Members of Parliament? Last year’s winning sandwiches included a Pesto Chicken Philly Melt from the Manitoba MP Hon. Vic Toews, a Chow-Style BBQ Sandwich from Ontario MP Olivia Chow and a Canadian BBQ Chicken Sandwich from Quebec MP Sylvain Chicoine. Personally, as a serious lover of both cheese and basil, the Pesto Chicken Philly Melt is my top choice for a great sandwich. But I can’t wait to see what delicious creations are put together this year too!

And even though superheroes don’t need a reward, the #MPChickenHero is going to get a great one for his or her community! The MP that creates the winning sandwich will win a $10,000 donation for their local food bank. I grew up in pretty severe poverty, so food banks are a cause that’s near and dear to my heart. In fact, when I won a $1000 donation to my favourite charity a few years ago, my own local food bank was my immediate choice. Over one third of the people that depend on Food Banks are children and in my own admittedly biased opinion, no child should ever have to go hungry. Such a generous prize means that the winning MP is ensuring happy, well-fed kids that will have the drive to thrive in their society.

And that’s where we come in! None of our Members of Parliament can be the #MPChickenHero if they don’t know about this great opportunity, so let’s band together and make sure our local heroes enter their best recipes! I’ve been looking through the downloadable recipe book from last year’s contestants and there are some pretty amazing recipes that have been created in the past. But I’m sure this year’s MPs are up to the challenge! Visit the #MPChickenHero contest page to learn how you can contact your MP and let them know about this fun opportunity. In addition to the grand prize, a second and third place sandwich will also win donations to their local food bank. And of course, everyone that attends the Great Canadian Chicken Barbecue will get to enjoy the winner’s mouth-watering recipe on July 1. There are really no losers in this contest!

I wouldn’t have thought that there was a way to make me love chicken sandwiches even more than I already do, but Chicken Farmers of Canada has done it! The chance to discover a delicious new way to cook a chicken sandwich while also ensuring that kids across Canada have the food they need to grow and prosper is an opportunity that I can’t pass up. Visit the contest page now and make sure that your MP takes part. A little time in the kitchen could make a world of difference to a hungry child!

Try Campfire Ham and Cheese Bread for an Easy Camping Lunch

May 21, 2015 by Kathryn 26 Comments

My boys and I absolutely love going camping. From large excursions with the Scouts group to family getaways to nights in the backyard, if we’re under the stars cuddled up in a blanket around a crackling fire, we’re in our happy place.

And as with many other special things in life, one of our favourite things about camping is the food! Like most kids, my boys are never going to turn down classics like hot dogs and marshmallows.

But I love getting more creative with my campfire cooking and one of my all-time favourite ways to make easy camping meals is by using foil. I love the versatility of being able to cook up a foil packet containing all our favourite foods. And the minimal cleanup of the method is an added bonus!

There are some great recipe ideas for foil-wrapped easy camping meals on the Kraft What’s Cooking website; the Foil-Pack Taco Chicken Dinner looks sublime!

But I found that most of them were more dinner ideas and I wanted to make something more suitable for a camping lunch. And so my Campfire Ham and Cheese Bread was created! [Read more…]

Celebrate Summer’s Occasions with Creamy Greek Pesto Pasta Salad

May 25, 2014 by Kathryn 50 Comments

The food of summertime is one of my favourite things about the season and here in Saskatchewan, we’re enjoying summer weather in full force. While we’ve had plenty of barbequed meals already to celebrate this month’s many special days, there’s so much more to summertime food than just barbeque and for a cool and refreshing meal on a hot day, there’s nothing better than a hearty salad.

Personally, I tend to favour pasta salad recipes since they’re so versatile. I’m actually not overly fond of the traditional pasta salad with ham and cheese that so many seem to love. But a pasta salad loaded with vegetables is a hit with me every time and so this weekend I decided to put a few twists on the Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad recipe on the Kraft What’s Cooking website to create a Greek-style pasta salad perfect for a light summer supper.

[Read more…]

Celebrate Summer with Mouth-Watering Dr. Pepper Ribs

May 1, 2012 by Kathryn 9 Comments

Ready for the tastiest, most tender, most finger-licking ribs you’ve ever tasted? You’d better be, because this recipe gives new meaning to the term “sinful.” But despite the devilishly delicious taste, these ribs are actually pretty low on fat and calories. If you try one new recipe this barbeque season, this should be it!

baby back ribs after soaking and rub — The ribs after marinating and being rubbed with chili powder, ready to go into the oven!

5 from 1 vote

Barbequed Dr. Pepper Ribs

Tender and flavourful ribs in a homemade Dr. Pepper barbeque sauce!

Course Main

Servings 4 people

Calories 400 kcal

Author Kathryn

Ingredients

2 racks baby back ribs
1 2 L bottle of Dr Pepper
1/4 cup salt
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil
1 onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

Cut the ribs into sections containing two or three ribs each. Place the ribs in a baking dish or Ziploc freezer bag. Pour in Dr Pepper to cover them, reserving at least 1 cup for the sauce. Add the salt and soak the ribs in the fridge overnight (or at least 2 hours).
Heat the oven to 350°F. Drain and dry the ribs and then rub them with the chili powder. Place them in a single layer in a large baking dish, add a cup of water and cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 2 hours, until the meat nearly falls off the bone.
For the barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until they're soft and fragrant, then add the ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, cayenne and one cup of Dr Pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
Preheat the barbeque and brush the ribs with sauce. When the grill is hot, cook the ribs bone-side down on a cooler part for 10 to 15 minutes. Flip them and cook until lightly charred. Remove, brush on more sauce and serve.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Men's Health Dr. Pepper Ribs

The original recipe made only half as much sauce but it is just too good to make in such small quantities. I generally use about ¾ of the doubled recipe for my ribs and then save the rest for dipping or for another meal the next day.

Because I’m a mom and I’m busy, I streamline the process as much as possible. First, I marinate the ribs in two Ziploc freezer bags rather than dirtying up a baking dish. And instead of brushing each section of ribs with sauce, I just put them in a large pot once they’ve finished baking in the oven, pour half the sauce over them and shake the pot gently with the lid on to coat the ribs in sauce.

The end result is absolutely fabulous; tender, meaty, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. My sister is the one that first turned me on to this recipe and so far everyone I’ve met that has tried it has loved it. Check it out for yourself and welcome summer with the tastiest ribs imaginable!