Share a little love with food!

 Whether you are celebrating Galentine's day, Valentine's Day or Love Day or just want to enjoy some special treats and food with family and friends. These recipes will be the ones you want to keep handy any time of the year. 

Lover’s Sunset Potion

Share a toast with your gal pals with this fun drink this “Galentine’s Day”!

2 cups (500 mL) peach juice

1 can (473 mL) Royal City Hibiscus Saison Beer

1 cup (250 mL) orange juice

1 cup (250 mL) cranberry juice

Grenadine

Fresh berries

In a pitcher, combine peach, orange and cranberry juice. Slowly stir in Hibiscus Saison. Chill until cold and ready to serve.

Place a few berries in bottom of each glass with a splash of grenadine. Gently pour over top to serve.

Makes about 6 cups (1.5 L).

Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp with Spicy Dipping Sauce

Buy jumbo or colossal shrimp and make sure everybody gets at least one. The bigger shrimps can handle the special wrapper of prosciutto and its touch of saltiness. Simply dressed it’s a perfect pick up appetizer with the dipping sauce alongside.

12 raw jumbo shrimp

1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch fresh ground pepper

6 thin slices prosciutto, halved

Spicy Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp (30 mL) red wine vinegar

2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp (10 mL) capers

1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried red pepper flakes

Salt

Peel and devein shrimp leaving tails intact. In bowl, toss shrimp with oil and pepper. Wrap each shrimp with prosciutto. Place on plate and cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Spicy Dipping Sauce: Meanwhile, in bowl stir together oil, vinegar, parsley, garlic, capers, pepper flakes and season with salt to taste. Cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

Place shrimp on greased grill over medium-high heat and grill for about 5 minutes, turning once or until shrimp are firm and prosciutto is crisp. Serve with Dipping Sauce.

Makes 6 servings.

Tip: You can use large sea scallops for the shrimp for another seafood option. You can panfry the shrimp instead of grilling.

Serve the shrimp on a bed of mixed greens for an easy starter to your special meal. 

Skillet Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

Browning the butter helps create an extra decadent richness in this warm cooking. Get the ice cream ready and dig in!

1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup (250 mL) packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tbsp (15 mL) vanilla 

1 1/2 cups (625 mL) all purpose flour

1 cup (250 mL) quick oats

1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2 mL) each baking powder and salt

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) 70% dark chocolate chunks

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). 

Place butter into 10 inch (25 cm) cast iron skillet. Place over medium heat and melt butter, stirring occasionally. Once butter is melted, cook the butter, stirring milk solids off bottom and sides of the skillet, constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until milk solids become golden and have a toasty aroma. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in brown and granulated sugars until looks creamy. Whisk in eggs, one a time and whisk in vanilla.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until most of the flour is absorbed. Stir chocolate until evenly distributed and no flour remains.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until light golden around edge and top is just set but still soft. Remove from oven and sprinkle with flaky salt. Let cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.