Product Review: ET TU Salad Kits

Whenever there is a family gathering, I’m asked to bring a salad, as I love to experiment with different combinations. A big bowl of fresh lettuce and veggies topped off with a tasty dressing makes for a great start to any meal!

I was asked if I wanted to test some ET TU salad kits and I immediately said yes. I’ve seen them in grocery stores over the years but I had never tried them out, so I was definitely curious about them. A few days later, I received two Family Size salad kits – one Italian Balsamic and one California Honey Dijon. We were having the whole family over for a pasta dinner, so I decided to make both of the salads at the same time:

The Italian Balsamic Kit contains:

• Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
• Toasted Almonds
• Sun-dried Tomatoes
• Multi-grain Croutons

The California Honey Dijon Kit contains:

• Honey Dijon dressing
• Raisins
• Toasted Almonds
• Calabrese Croutons

Assembly: All I needed to do was add all of the ingredients from each of the kits to a bowl of fresh lettuce or mixed greens, toss and serve. It was so easy that my older nephew had a chance to “cook” with me : )

The verdict:

Both salads were easy to put together and I had appetizers on the table in minutes. At first glance, I was concerned that the portion sizes for the toppings and dressing were too small. However, after mixing up the salads, I was impressed to see that there was enough dressing to cover all of the lettuce and the toppings were nicely scattered throughout. Everyone enjoyed both flavours and said that they would definitely love to have the salads again. These kits are great for those who are “salad challenged” or for busy families who are looking for a quick and convenient appetizer option.

Want to know how much my family loved the salads? Here’s my cute little nephew with one of the empty bowls : )

Have you tried an ET TU kit? What did you think?

Maple Crème Brûlée

A few months ago, in celebration of the 35^th anniversary of the Milk Calendar, The Dairy Farmers of Canada sent me a beautiful basket filled with baked goods and an advanced copy of the 2012 Milk Calendar. I have been a huge fan of the Milk Calendar for many years (who doesn’t love it?) and I have lost count on the number of great recipes I have tried out.

I was looking for a dessert to bring to a family gathering and I knew that it had to suit East Indian palates and be “comforting” as it was freezing cold outside! I hopped online and visited one of my favourite websites, http://www.MyMilkCalendar.ca and there it was, Maple Crème Brûlée from the 2002 edition of the Milk Calendar. The creamy, milky, delicious goodness of that rich custard would be perfect! The best part? I had all of the ingredients readily available at home, including a bottle of maple syrup that had been begging to be used for more than just pancakes!

The Maple Crème Brûlée was fairly easy to make and it wasn’t too sweet at all. Another hit from the Milk Calendar!

Maple Crème Brûlée, from the 2002 Milk Calendar

(This recipe can be found here at http://www.dairygoodness.ca/recipes/maple-creme-brulee)

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups (310 mL) milk

3/4 cup (180 mL) real whipping cream

3 tbsp (45 mL) sugar

1/3 cup (80 mL) pure maple syrup

3 eggs

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

1/3 cup (80 mL) packed brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 °F (150 °C). In heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat milk, real whipping cream and sugar until steaming. In bowl, whisk together maple syrup and eggs until frothy; gradually whisk in steaming cream mixture in slow steady stream. Whisk in vanilla extract.

Strain through fine-mesh sieve into six 4-oz (125 mL) ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins in large pan; fill pan with enough hot water to come three-quarters up sides of ramekins. Bake for about 40 min or until tops are firm and centre is still slightly jiggly. Let cool on rack.

Refrigerate for about 2 hours, until chilled or for up to 2 days. Just before serving, blot top of custards with paper towel do dry. Sprinkle thin layer of brown sugar through sieve over each custard. Place under hot broiler; broil for about 3 min or until sugar is bubbling and caramelized. Let cool to harden.

To see all of the past Milk Calendar recipes dating back to 1974, visit http://www.MyMilkCalendar.ca – you won’t be disappointed in this amazing collection of recipes.

What are your favourite recipes from the Milk Calendar?