4 Recipes You Can Make For Canada Day 2020
Happy 153rd birthday, Canada!
While we most likely know that Canada Day is also known as Canada’s birthday, did you know these other interesting facts about the birth of the country we live in? While originally celebrated by the ringing of bells at the Cathedral Church of St. James in Toronto, over the years, Canada Day has been observed throughout the country in many different ways, usually as outdoor events including concerts, parades, carnivals, fireworks, barbeques and more!
Don’t Forget About COVID – Maintain Proper Social Distancing this Year
Speaking of barbecues, it’s definitely one of my favourite ways to enjoy this special holiday. Between the food and social aspect of them, I find there’s no better way to spend the day.
We would like to kindly remind you that there is still a pandemic going on and to celebrate safely this year. Gatherings that involve large groups of more than 10 people are not only not allowed – but will help prevent the further spread of COVID-19. That doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate Canada Day in a safe way! Thankfully here at Nature’s Emporium, we have some pretty amazing products to bring life to your barbeque party, even though your party is a lot smaller.
Canada Day Recipes
It wouldn’t be a Nature’s Emporium Thriving Thursday Blog, without some appetizing recipes to go along with it, all with a Canadian flare for this special entry! First on our list, is a Canadian classic – the Caesar Cocktail! Traditional brands of Clamato Juice contain MSG (monosodium glutamate), which is a flavour enhancer and while to some it may be seemingly harmless, others can experience nasty side effects of consuming it, including but not limited to headaches, drowsiness and numbness and tingling in the body. That’s enough for me to want to stay away from it and thankfully Walter’s has created a Clamato Juice without the use of MSG! Check out the recipe below and enjoy on Canada Day or throughout the summer on hot days!
Loaded Caesar Mocktail
Ingredients
- ½ – 1 tbsp Walter's Craft Caesar Rim
- 1 ¼ cup Walter's Craft Caesar Mix
- ½ tsp Wizard’s Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ tsp Organic Harvest Foods Jalapeno Pepper Sauce or ½ tsp, to taste
- ½ tsp Sunshine Farms Pickle Juice
- ½ tsp Nature’s Emporium Pure Maple Syrup optional
- ½ tsp Bubbie’s Prepared Horseradish optional
- Simply Organic Black Pepper to taste
- organic lime or lemon wedge
- toppings see notes
Instructions
- Rim a large glass, using a lime or lemon wedge. Then, follow with the caesar rim.
- Fill ¾ of glass with ice.
- Add in the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, pickle juice, maple syrup (if using) and Walter Caesar Mix.
- If using horseradish, now is when you want to stir this in and followed by a squeeze of lime/lemon wedge and sprinkle black pepper on top.
- Place the celery, pickled bean and pickle and olive skewer inside the cocktail.
- Add a cucumber slice, lemon and lime wedge to the rim of the glass and enjoy!
Notes
- Toppings:
- Lime & Lemon Wedge
- Celery Stalk
- Sliced Cucumber
- Sunshine Farms Pickle Slices
- Green Olives Stuffed with Red Pepper
Nutrition
Want to add a little red and white to your Canada Day festivities? We have prepared not one, but two appetizers that are red and white themed and sure to make your taste buds sing! Our first recipe is a Caprese Bruschetta that is made with sweet cherry tomatoes and fresh Buffalo Mozzarella. If you’re wondering, yes it is made from buffalo milk and not your traditional cow’s milk, which is part of the reason why the texture and taste is different. This mixture is complemented with fresh herbs and spices and a toasty organic baguette (don’t worry, if you’re gluten-free we have options available in store for you as well)! Try out this simple, yet delicious app and let us know what you think!
Caprese Bruschetta
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 1 Stone Mills Organic Baguette
- Nature's Emporium Olive Oil for brushing
- 1 clove organic garlic to rub on the toasted bread
For the toppings:
- 1 ½ cups organic cherry tomatoes cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 cup Bella Casara Mini Buffalo Mozzarella cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 tbsp Nature's Emporium Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 clove organic garlic crushed
- ½ tsp A. Vogel Herbamare Original
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp organic fresh basil thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the bread in ¼-½ inch thick pieces on the bias and brush one side of each slice with olive oil.
- Place the side with olive oil down on the baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges.
- Once removed from the oven, rub each slice olive oil side up with a clove of garlic.
- In a bowl, add the tomato cubes, mini mozzarella cubes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Then toss in fresh basil.
- Add a spoonful of mixture to the olive-side up baguette slice, place on a platter and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Second on the appetizer list is our tasty and tart Lemon & Dill White Bean Dip Can I just say, if there’s one thing that reminds me of the summer, it’s fresh lemons and herbs and this dip has both! Not to mention it’s packed with nutrition including protein and fibre rich due to the cannellini beans. The roasted garlic adds a mild and sweet garlicky taste to the dip which rounds out the flavours of the lemon and dill. To add a little red flair to this Canada Day appetizer, we’ve paired it with R.W. Garcia’s Red Beet Crackers which are so tasty on their own but also compliment the dip perfectly!
Lemon & Dill White Bean Dip
Ingredients
- 1 box RW Garcia Beet Crackers
For the dip:
- 1 can Eden Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed
- 3 cloves organic roasted garlic
- 1 tbsp organic lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3 tbsp Nature's Emporium Olive Oil
- 1 ½ tsp fresh organic dill finely minced
- 1 tsp organic lemon zest
- ¼ tsp A. Vogel Herbamare Original
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Using a food processor, pulse together the beans, roasted garlic and lemon juice until it’s roughly chopped.
- Slowly add the oil through the small well at the top of the processor until fully smooth.
- Add salt and pepper and transfer the mixture into a small bowl.
- Fold in the dill and lemon zest until fully combined.
- Garnish with dill and serve with RW Garcia beet crackers.
Nutrition
Does anyone else feel like Watermelon is the fruit of the summer? And it’s with its reddish colouring, it makes for a perfect dessert option for Canada Day! Instead of just serving Watermelon slices and whip cream, we’ve stepped it up a notch and made this sweet and juicy fruit into a fun cake idea! Between using So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Whip and getting natural sweetness from the fruits, we’ve made this a guilt free pleasure everyone can enjoy over the holiday!
Watermelon Canada Day Cake
Ingredients
- 1 organic watermelon medium sized
- 1 ½ packages So Delicious CocoWhip
- ½ pint organic strawberries use up to 1 pint depending on the size of the watermelon
Instructions
- Begin by dicing the strawberries into small pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside.
- Place the watermelon on a cutting board, vertically, then slice off the ends of the watermelon, horizontally (try to cut a piece in the center about 4-5 inches thick).
- Place it on a platter and evenly cover the sides and top of the watermelon ‘cake’ with whip cream.
- Using a maple leaf cut-out, trace the edges with a toothpick and remove the stencil.
- Fill in the stenciled area with the cut up strawberries to make it look like the maple leaf on the Canadian Flag.
- Using the remaining strawberries, place all the way around the bottom of the cake (as shown in picture).
- Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of an hour, then cut and serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
We hope you enjoy and take advantage of these tasty, delicious and easy to prepare recipes for Canada Day! If you recreate them on your own, we’d love to see the results – tag us @naturescanada! On behalf of our Nature’s Emporium Family, we hope you and your family have a safe, happy and healthy Canada Day!