Sylvia Rose

Easy Paprika Roast Chicken for Family Dinners

October 22, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 1 Comment

When life is too busy to handle and you can’t remember the last time your kid spoke more than two words to you, it’s time to gather everyone around the table. Reconnect with your family with this juicy and flavourful paprika roast chicken. It’s easier to make than you might think!

GATHERING AROUND THE TABLE

I get it. It’s hard to round up everyone in the family to sit down to a good, hearty meal. When I was a kid, my mom was running the show by herself as a self-employed hair salon owner. She tried her best to make sure we gathered around the table, but some nights I would make Kraft Dinner for my brothers and we’d watch trash on T.V.

Some families are busy running around to-and-fro to the next extra curricular activity. Others don’t even know how to talk to each other. Every so often, I’ll go out to eat and my heart twinges with sadness for the family that’s glued to mobile devices.

With this hyper-connected world that disconnects us, it’s more important than ever to carve out time to gather around the table. Today we’re going to do it with a roasted paprika chicken dinner.

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The Best Brussels Sprouts Skillet (with bacon and parmesan)

October 17, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 14 Comments

These pan fried and roasted brussels sprouts are cheesy, smoky and crispy. They also look great being pulled from the oven in a cast iron skillet. It’s the kind of side dish you want on your holiday table!

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS: YOU EITHER LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM

Bacon parmesan brussels sprouts are a terrific side for roasted meats due to the strong flavour that people either love or hate. If you would have asked me when I was a kid whether or not I wanted a scoop of brussels sprouts on my plate, I would have shook my head to decline.

The thing is, when brussels sprouts are overcooked, they leave a bitter taste in your mouth and an unpleasant memory if you’re tasting them for the first time.

Brussels sprouts should be green, not gray, and they should be a vegetable everyone reaches for, including children.

Vegetarians aside, who would turn down a dish with bacon and parmesan? The Panko bread crumbs also make them crispy, giving them an intriguing crunch factor.

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Creamy Celery Root & Potato Purée (it’s sinfully decadent!)

October 15, 2019 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

This creamy celery root purée is a flavourful and decadent side dish to serve alongside roasted meats and fish. You’re going to love it!

holding a bowl of creamy celery root purée

CELERY ROOT PUREE: A SIDE DISH TO REMEMBER

Creamy celery root and potato purée, really?

The first time I ever had celery root purée was in a fancy restaurant. It was nearly a decade ago, so I couldn’t tell you what it was served with or what I had for dessert, but I do remember the appetizer was beef tartare which is a recipe for another day.

I fell completely in love with the flavour, which is reminiscent of the celery stalks we’re used to, but it’s more delicate, more intriguing.

It was my first of many celery root purées.

This is a simple recipe with only five ingredients and I hope you love it as much as I do.

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Maple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce Made Easy for the Holidays

October 11, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 13 Comments

cranberries for maple bourbon cranberry sauce

This maple bourbon cranberry sauce will beat anything that comes out of a can. Learn how to make this classic holiday condiment and the different ways you can punch it up to make it your own.

Maple bourbon cranberry sauce, how good does that sound?

Better than the sound cranberry sauce makes when it’s sliding out of the can, that’s for sure!

When I was a kid, it was usually my job to mash up the jellied cranberry sauce to make it more presentable for the table.

A few of us would put a polite spoonful on our plates and a couple of us, well, just my uncle, would say no entirely. I can’t blame him.

Really, who wants high-fructose corn syrup in their cranberry sauce anyway?

Making cranberry sauce from scratch seems intimidating at first, but it couldn’t be more simple!

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Oyster Parties: Everything You Need to Know

October 8, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 8 Comments

Throw the ultimate oyster party! Here are a few ideas on what to serve, what to drink, and how to shuck. It’s guaranteed to be a terrific time!

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO AN OYSTER PARTY?

Oyster parties were off my radar up until I started going steady with my husband.

His parents have impeccable taste in food and love gathering and reuniting the family together over good food and wine.

Every year they drive over to New Brunswick and come back with more oysters than I care to count, and then, if all works out, there’s an evening of all-you-can-eat oysters.

They have mastered the art of oyster parties, and it’s become my favourite kind of party because, well, oysters are delicious.

If you don’t like oysters, this might not be the party for you, and if you don’t know whether or not you like oysters, then it’s high time you find out!

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Making Pumpkin Puree from Scratch and Roasting Seeds

October 4, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 2 Comments

Making pumpkin puree at home doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s easier than you might think. Preheat your oven, gut your pumpkins, and get ready to cozy up to fall with these minimal waste pumpkin practices…

Making pumpkin puree is one of my favourite ways to ring in autumn.

The days are cooler. Green leaves adopt the colours of fire before falling to cold concrete sidewalks and pavement, blanketing lawns with a cozy comforter for the winter season.

The nights are cold and I can see my breath in the brisk morning air, my car windows weeping with condensation.

I don’t dare go outside without a jacket anymore.

My yearnings for gallons of old-fashioned lemonade and ice cream sandwiches are now cravings for tea, spicy baked goods, and everything pumpkin.

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