LIdl Spring Rolls Dinner ,Snack Hors Douevres

 Holiday season means two things - quick meals that are satisfying and tasty and party food that's also satisfying and tasty. If you're looking for them, look for something can can be those two along with a hot snack. LIdl has just the answer in their Preferred Selection Spring Rolls. This is a quick air fryer crisp up that's done in minutes.

I couldn't;t resist getting them after a friend raved about their flavor. These are hand made and they have that look that you could have filled and rolled them in your kitchen.

There are twenty-four in  package so it makes for a substantial dinner for two and enough for a small party. 

They're an easy set up/ I used Lidl's olive oil spray to coat them a

nd the inside of the air fryer basket. it was a quick fry up. It just takes four minutes at 400 degrees Farenheit , with a break to flip after two minutes.

The package comes with it's own packet of sweet chili dipping sauce which works well with the filling of jicama, guava and spring onion. The wrappers have the perfect crunch after frying

I love both the spring roll and the sauce. The blend of the potato tasting jicama with the guava and spring onion was perfect. I may make these again on Christmas Eve along with other Lidl appetizers for a fancy but light supper.I also want to make them again on either New Year's Even or New Year's Day. They're the perfect party food  because of their small size and the fact they cook up so quickly. Two to three batches can be made in almost under fifteen minutes.

If you're looking for a good dinner, snack or hors d'ouevre then look no further than Lidl's hand rolled spring rolls. These are done in just minutes, perfect for parties and meals. Try them this holiday season.

A King Cake For Twelth Night

 Believe i or not it's still the Christmas season. it ends with Twelfth Night or Three Kings Day. It's still a time to celebrate especially with sweets. One that's held true for millennia is King's Cake, a delicious marriage of a sweet bread like cake and icing. It's served up until Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday.

Kayla Stewart , a regular contributor to the New York Times Food section and The Bittman Project explored this New Orleans classic in today's section. King Cake is most associated with Epiphany, or January 6th the day the Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem with gifts for the Christ Child.In heavily Catholic New Orleans it is also the start of the pre-Lenten festivities leading up to the wild Carnivale season. However according to author and culinary pod caster Poppy Tooker, the treat's roots go way back to ancient Rome.It looks to the Saturnalia festival that was held in what is now mid December. Cakes were baked to honor Saturn the god of agriculture. A bean was baked into it, much like a King Cake.  when paganism died , the Church adapted a lot of the customs.The cake is so revered in the city that it's  a sacrllege to eat it before January 6th. Until the 18th century the cake was eaten only on that day , then it expanded to the days before ash Wednesday. In the early 1900's carnival krewes began to host balls where the  cake was being served. The recipe was heavily influenced by 18th century French and Spanish colonists. They were oval shaped brioches with a topping of sugary crystals.

Today they resemble Danishes, and Ms. Stewart supplies the recipe for Dominick Lee's caramelized apple one. Imagine a brioche crossed with an apple pie and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. This is a flavorful treat  to be enjoyed until March 2nd  - Ash Wednesday. You can make it with guava which is what Jose Castillo makes at his Norma's Sweets Bakery. His family came from Honduras where the fruit was as common as strawberries. He fell in love with the cake as a five year old first tasting it in his class. His version has a layer of guava and cream cheese along with a light layer of frosting. This creates a cake with a subtle sweetness and a crisp fruity bite. Then there's Dong Phuong Bakery  , opened and run by Linh Garza. Her mother Huong Tran uses a brioche recipe, a possible holdover from the French rule on the country.It makes for a fluffy bite topped with the traditional icing. You can order from them if you don;t feel like baking. Brennan's Restaurant also sells them. Theirs has a hot of cinnamon and butter . You can also go to King Cake Hub to find a bakery. This was started by Jennifer Samuels and her late husband Will to cut down on the confusion finding the best bakery.

Celebrate Three King's day and the days leading up to Ash Wednesday with this rich treat. Enjoy its' lush icing and buttery breadlike cake. It's the perfect way to enjoy a sweet and extend the holiday.

Nectar Of The Foodies

One of the most refreshing drinks is nectar.It;s a variation of fruit ade and a nice change of pace.Nectar is also great as the base of some cocktails and fizzy drinks.it can also be used in recipes too for a fresh spin.

What is nectar? Many people confuse it with juice which is the pressed liquid from any fruit and then sweetened. Nectar is more or less the undiluted , untreated juice (although the definition does vary ) that contains some pulp or puree.In the US nectar can have as much as 100 per cent fruit juice and as little as 1 per cent with the supplements of sugar and corn syrup thickening it. Read the bottle or box before you buy and always pick the one with the best nutritional value. There are several different brands to choose  from. Goya is one of the best because the company has many different flavors from sugar cane to banana to guava and papaya. There is also the all natural brand Bionaturae, made with all organic fruit and naturally sweetened from apples from Piemonte Italy( a bonus in my book). They have more traditional flavors such as apricot and peach along with sour cherry and wild berry. Even grocery stores such as Stop & Shop have a really good peach nectar that is tasty and light without any cloying sweetness.

Most people will ask what can be done with nectars. They make excellent bases for homemade sodas. or sparklers. Add as much or as little nectar as you want and then fill  with seltzer or club soda. Peach nectar can be blended with champagne to make Bellinis , those oh so delicious brunch  cocktails. Mix it with cider to create a Baby Bellini.  Many cocktails can be created using guava and mango nectar too. Iced teas can also benefit  from a teaspoon or two of them and  it's a healthier way of creating a refreshing summer cooler. Nectars can also be frozen to create a fruiter popsicle as well and they can also be added to smoothies too  to give them a dash of excitement. Surprisingly enough you can also add any flavor of it to plain gelatin to make a more natural tasting version of Jello. Some muffin and cobbler recipes call for nectar as well to give it that boost of more flavor.

Try nectar and see why many love it .It is refreshing and versatile, being made into delicious drinks and treats. It's the perfect drink, the drink of the gods and goddesses as well as of foodies.

A Caribbean Christmas

The Caribbean has always been known for winter getaways but it;s also known for its' rich tradition of holiday foods. There are so many culture from the Spanish to the Dutch that celebrate Christmas and New Year's with many different dishes.Some follow their European orgins, while others take from the land and the sea. All in all it makes for delicious holiday cuisine that appeals to all the senses.



Some island people celebrate with roasted turkey, however it's not like the US roasted one. This one is redolent of spices and peppercorns, The meat is also rubbed with olive oil and cider vinegar as opposed to be rubbed with salt , pepper and butter before cooking. Other meats include goat and pork which predominantly figures on any island Christmas menu. Barbadans or Bajans (such as the singer Rihanna) make a spicy stew called jug jug, full of simmered beef and pork. Vegetable dishes reflect the islands wealth of greenery too. Many dishes employ native peas and tubers, cooked or stewed to accompany the main meal.



The Caribbean is also known for its' lush desserts and they come out in full force during the holidays. Since some of the islands like Jamaica and the British Virgin Islands were part of the British Empire, there is a strong leaning towards traditional puddings. The Trinidadians call it black cake and infuse it with rum. Coconut and guava are also big in holiday baking , serving as the filling for many cakes. Of course there is rum punch and sorrel tea (this from Jamaica ) which everyone drinks to toast health and a good New Year.

The Caribbean has its' own holiday recipes that span back several centuries. They represent the varied landscape that make up these colorful islands.