1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet potatoes
pat of butter
splash of milk
S and P
1 container Summer Fresh Mushroom Marsala sauce
oil for cooking

Instructions:
In a heated pan with a touch of oil, sautee onion and garlic. Cook ground beef.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add Mushroom Marsala sauce to meat mixture and mix, making sure meat is coated evenly.
In a baking dish, layer with meat and mushroom mixture.
Peel, cut, boil sweet potato in a large pot. Once cooked, mash with potato masher. Add butter and milk, and continue to make your mashed potatoes.
Add mashed sweet potato mixture on top of meat and mushroom mixture.
Bake in oven for 50 minutes.

With regular Shepherd's Pie, I'd add vegetables. Because I was using Mushroom Marsala, I decided to add the vegetables on the side.

The last sauce we tried was the 3 Peppercorn. I won't lie. The reason I tried this last is because A) Little One and I are not big fans of peppercorn. It packs too much of a punch for us. B) Hubby loves peppercorn. Umm...yeah. I decided to save the best for last because Hubby loves it.

I'm on a Summer Fresh Sauces kick over here! It's like a Summer Fresh Marathon in my kitchen! Ever since we received the new sauces to test out in the kitchen, I haven't been able to stop coming up with fun ways to use the sauces!

The first recipe I made was a Thai Beef Curry.  Then the next night, my four  year old insisted I add Butter Chicken and spaghettini together and make Butter Chicken Pasta! I have to say, we are really enjoying the Summer Fresh Sauces!

The next sauce I wanted to try out was the Cranberry Madeira: Portuguese Madeira sweet wine blended with cranberries and traditional spices.

I didn't have any pork loin, which I thought would pair really nicely with the sauce, so I scrambled to think of what else I could do with it.

I came up with a Cranberry Madeira Chicken & Tofu over a bed of Quinoa with walnuts.  It sounds a bit crazy and busy, but it actually turned out so well! My friend's 2 year old even devoured a big serving of it!

{ Cranberry Madeira Chicken & Tofu with Quinoa & Walnuts }

Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 a container of tofu, cut into bite sized cubes
a little oil for cooking
1 container of Summer Fresh Cranberry Madeira sauce
Quinoa
Walnuts, crushed (to sprinkle over the dish as garnish)

Instructions: 
In a skillet, heat oil and cook chicken.
When chicken is cooked, add tofu, and brown.
Cook Quinoa as per directions on box.
Add Cranberry Madeira sauce to chicken and tofu. Cook.
When Quinoa is cooked, put a serving of Quinoa on a plate. Top with Chicken & Tofu Cranberry Madeira mixture.
Chop walnuts or break into small pieces with fingers. Sprinkle crushed walnuts. If you want to add colour, garnish with parsley or even cilantro if you wish.


I was pleasantly surprised at how well this recipe came together and turned out. Walnuts and cranberry are always a great combination, so I figured they'd go well together in this dish. The walnut also gives an nice texture and crunch.

This was the of the five new Summer Fresh sauces that I experimented with, and once again, this was a hit.
Looking forward to trying the Mushroom Marsala and 3 Peppercorn this week!

Disclosure -  I was given the complete line of Summer Fresh Sauces and a non-stick Wok in order for me to come up with some exciting recipes and try out the new sauces. All the thoughts and opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

Remember the post where I said I was trying out the new Summer Fresh Sauces and trying to come up with some great new recipes to make with those sauces? The Thai Beef Curry was a hit, and the next recipe equally as impressive!

I'm a lover of Butter Chicken. I knew I was going to love the Summer Fresh Butter Chicken sauce. The only thing was, Little One wanted noodles! Remembering how much my 4 year old loved Food Network Canada's Recipe to Riches winner,  Rick Matharu's Butter Chicken Lasagna, I figured her request for spaghettini and Butter Chicken would be an interesting combination.

It was SO good!

Ingredients:
1/2 a red pepper, diced
1/2 a green pepper, diced
1 c shredded zucchini
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 container of Summer Fresh Butter Chicken Sauce
a drizzle of oil to cook chicken
Pasta of your choice. I used spaghettini

Instructions:
In a heated pan, drizzle a little oil and cook chicken.
* Add veggies and cook.
Add Summer Fresh Butter Chicken Sauce and mix.
Cook pasta as per instructions on box/bag.
Drain pasta.
Serve Butter Chicken on top of pasta with a delicious salad!

* As a farmer's wife, I always have veggies from our farm in our vegetable freezer that I can use during the Winter. We harvest the veg during harvesting time and I freeze them for Winter use. You don't have to add any veg to this recipe, but I love adding lots of vegetables to our meals. Plus, the colours are beautiful!

Because I've been learning to become more frugal, I have learned how to feed my family with a single portion of meat! I can feed my family of three with a single chicken breast. Cut it up, cook it, and add lots of vegetables! I do this with all meats. I can feed our family on a single steak!



Rich, creamy, buttery, flavourful goodness. For more info on Summer Fresh Butter Chicken, visit the website here.


Little One absolutely loved "her" creation! *ahem* Inspired by Rick Matharu's Butter Chicken Lasagna, of course! Gotta love a 4 year old who loves Food Network Canada! Maybe she'll be a future Food Bloggers of Canada member someday!
The funny thing is that she ate all the Butter Chicken first and pasta last! The kid loves her Butter Chicken!

Disclosure -  I was given the complete line of Summer Fresh Sauces and a non-stick Wok in order for me to come up with some exciting recipes and try out the new sauces. All the thoughts and opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

By now you already know that my husband is a beef farmer and he and our four year old daughter love beef. Right?

Here's something you probably didn't know (because I haven't had a chance to tell you yet!). I'm a member of Food Bloggers of Canada! Although my blog is not strictly a Food Blog, I do post quite a bit about food. I love sharing recipes and trying new things. I'm in love with all things foodie. Whether it be fave restaurant finds, exciting new recipes, or even kitchen gadgets, I'm all over it! To me, sharing a meal is all about spending time with loved ones.

As part of Food Bloggers of Canada, there are some great opportunities for members. Anyone attending the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference in April? I can't wait for that!

My first opp as a member is a Summer Fresh opp! This is exciting for so many reasons! 1) I am a big fan of Summer Fresh Salads! 2) Summer Fresh has launched Fresh Sauces! The line-up is tantalizing!
We were sent a fabulous Wok to cook with, as well as the entire Summer Fresh Sauces line-up:

• 3 Peppercorn - A traditional peppercorn sauce made with a blend of 3 peppercorn varieties and real Burgundy red wine
• Butter Chicken - A rich and buttery Indian sauce made with stewed tomatoes, real cream and ginger
• Cranberry Madeira - Authentic Portuguese Madeira sweet wine expertly blended with whole cranberries and traditional spices
• Mushroom Marsala - A traditional marsala sauce made with a blend of Cremini Porcini and button mushrooms
• Thai Curry - An authentic Thai sauce made with fresh coconut milk, lemongrass and spicy chili peppers

Because Hubby and Little One wanted beef, and because I was craving Thai food, I decided to make Thai Beef Curry!

Can I tell you how fragrant the house was with the mouthwatering aroma of the lemongrass and spicy chili peppers?

{Thai Beef Curry}

Ingredients:
1/2 lb to 1 lb beef, cubed into bite sizes
1 onion, sliced
1 tomato, diced (or a small can of diced tomatoes)
1-2 potatoes, peeled and diced (if you're worried about carbs, omit the potato or don't eat this dish with rice)
Whatever other veggies you like - make sure they're diced/cubed (eggplant, okra, etc all work well with this dish)
Spinach if you wish
Summer Fresh Thai Curry
a bit of oil

* I added red and green pepper, because that's what I had on hand.

Cooked rice (Something fragrant, like Jasmine. We had Basmati rice, so I used that)

Instructions:
Heat oil in wok and brown beef.
Add onion and cubed potatoes. The potatoes take a little longer than the other veggies to cook.
Add remaining veggies. Let cook until tender.
Stir in contents of one container of Summer Fresh Thai Curry.
Let cook on med heat until meat is tender and veggies cooked.

Serve with rice and salad.

The Summer Fresh Thai Curry was a hit with my family! It was so fragrant and flavourful, and creamy with the coconut milk! It was a tad on the spicy side for Little One, who loves all things spicy. Not bad for a four year old gourmet gourmande! She wanted to eat it though, and every time she felt the spice was too much, she'd take a swig of milk! Too cute!

Can't wait to try out the rest of the Summer Fresh Sauces! Check in again for more recipes! 

Disclosure -  I was given the complete line of Summer Fresh Sauces and a non-stick Wok in order for me to come up with some exciting recipes and try out the new sauces. All the thoughts and opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

When I was in college and university (in Quebec we have c.e.g.e.p/college before going on to university), I was vegetarian. I basically survived on beans, legumes, tofu and veggies. This was when I was introduced to the wonderful world of Hummus and Baba Ghanouj!

Since then, I've been crazy about hummus and other kinds of dips. I still eat them all the time. I've introduced my husband (the meat and potatoes farm boy I speak of on the blog every now and then!) and our toddler to hummus, Tzatziki, Artichoke and Asiago dip, etc.

You can only imagine how excited I was when I was asked to review  Summer Fresh Salads products! The funny thing is that this is the brand my Mom always buys and I never even realized it!

I was shocked at just how many different products are on the Summer Fresh Salads list! They have Spinach Dip, Tzatziki, Roasted Red Pepper, Bruschetta, Artichoke & Asiago Dip, Original Hummus, Garlic Hummus, Eggplant Hummus, Tofu Spread...just to name a few!

They also have Meals to Go in three great combinations!
1. Roasted Garlic Hummus/Taboulah/Flatbreads/Trail Mix
2. Red Pepper Hummus/Couscous/Flatbreads/Trail Mix
3. Hummus/7 Grain Salad/Flatbreads/Trail Mix

The products are healthy, nutritious, and delicious! Each container indicates whether the product is lactose-free, gluten-free, etc. All of the Summer Fresh Salads products are vegetarian. I really wish these products were around back when I was in university! I was vegetarian in a time when waitresses at restaurants and coffee shops told us to "Go and grind your own soy beans if you want soy milk instead of cow's milk"! I'm not kidding. It happened to a friend and me when we were in university! I almost said that one does not "grind" soy beans to make soy milk, but it was futile.

Another thing I love about Summer Fresh Salads is that the containers are resealable, reusable, and stackable. I was given the opportunity to try six dips/hummus (3 of each) and 3 Meal to Go combinations.
We chose:
* Spinach Dip
* Artichoke & Asiago Dip
* Tzatziki
* Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
* Garlic Hummus
* Eggplant Hummus

We haven't tried out the Meal to Go combinations yet. I'll have to write another post about them soon!

I have to say that I do not know which one I love the most. ALL of the dips and hummus flavours are delicious! I love the ALL!!! Hubby is quite partial to the Artichoke & Asiago Dip. He likes spreading it on crackers. Little One surprised us by inhaling the Garlic Hummus. Our two year old loves hummus so much that she eats it out of the container with a spoon!

I noticed that the literature for Summer Fresh Salads says that they're not just for dipping, so I tried to incorporate the dips into my own recipes. I may have to start blogging about all the Summer Fresh Salads recipes I come up with!




So far, I've just done a few things. For example, the pumpernickel bread and spinach dip for a dinner party we went to. I also made veggie sandwiches by spreading Artichoke & Asiago dip onto flat bread and adding alfalfa sprouts, thinly chopped lettuce, thinly sliced carrots, and a few other veggies. It was delicious! I also tried grilling veggies and adding them to a wrap with the Eggplant Hummus (as per the Summer Fresh Salads suggestion). Oh, the possibilities are endless! I'm so excited!

The dips and hummus are perfect for entertaining and for every day meals or healthy snacks at home! Thank you, Summer Fresh Salads for asking us to try out your products! We will definitely be buying Summer Fresh Salads all the time!

Available in the deli section of your favourite grocery store!


Summer Fresh Salads is sponsoring a giveaway on my blog for a $10 coupon for Summer Fresh Salads products (which could be used at stores that carry the products).  The products we tested were valued at $3.99 each  at the Superstore. If you win the $10 coupon, you can get two products like the ones we taste tested!
TO WIN:
Just visit  www.summerfresh.com and let me know which Summer Fresh Salads product you would like to try! Make sure to leave your e-mail address in the comment section so I can contact you if you win!
(2 entries)

Want additional entries?
- Like Summer Fresh Salads on Facebook! Tell them I sent you over! (2 entries)

- Follow Summer Fresh Salads on Twitter! Don't forget to tell them I sent you :)  (2 entries)

- Follow me on Twitter @chancesmommy and Tweet this contest! (4 entries)

-"Like" Random Thoughts and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Facebook. (2 entries)

- Follow Random Thought  and Musings from the Island REVIEWS on Google Friend Connect and/or Networked Blogs! (2 entries)

- Post my button on your blog and leave me the link so I can see where you posted it :) (1 entry)

That's a total of 15 possible entries!

Contest open to residents of Canada. Ends February 25th, 2011.


*Disclosure: I received coupons to try dips, hummus, and Meal to Go Combinations from Summer Fresh Salads at no personal cost to me for review purposes. My family and I tried 3 Summer Fresh Salads Dips and 3 Summer Fresh Salads Hummus flavours for free. All the opinions on this blog are my own.