Tips for Having Fun In the Kitchen

I have had such a great time as a part of the President’s Choice #DiscoverPC team over the last few months, but this past month’s trip to the Test Kitchen at Loblaw’s headquarters was the cherry on top of my experiences.

The President’s Choice Test Kitchen is literally where the magic happens, and by magic, I mean where the delicious President’s Choice products are all tried and tested. During my visit not only did we get to try some of their star products, but I also had the opportunity to learn a thing or two and even got to indulge in a few sneak peek products and recipes that will soon be in stores!

The visit was also a huge eye opener for me. Of course I was well aware of the hard work and dedication it took to produce the food you see on the shelves, but to hear of the many steps it takes to launch a product from the chefs themselves, it made the experience even more gratifying.

After leaving the Test Kitchen with my belly full and my ideas flowing, I came to realize just how much the Test Kitchen was like my kitchen and how getting creative in the kitchen can lead to delicious meals and loads of fun!

I’m all for getting in creative in the kitchen, so I’ve put together some tips to get your creative juices flowing!

Learn From Your Favourite Restaurants

I find that dining out or trying out a new “hot spot” restaurant is a great way to discover new foods, which is what the Test Kitchen chefs do as well. I also find that when visiting a restaurant I get inspired to recreate or switch up the recipe at home. It’s also is a great way to get inspired to get your plating on point and of course, appearance is half the fun (which is why I LOVE PC Black Label products)! 

Picking Up a New Item Each Week

The boyfriend and I love to be a little challenged in the kitchen when we have the time or want to plan a fun cooking date night at home, so picking up something new is always a fun option. When looking to have some fun in the kitchen, I like to pick up a new item I’ve never had or don’t enjoy enough and then we put together a recipe that incorporates that item. Usually it becomes our new favourite dish!

Grow Your Own

I am a plant freak, so obviously when the warmer weather rolls around, I always pick up some vegetables or herb plants to look after and enjoy. It’s true that when you grow it, you appreciate the outcome more, so when I have delicious veggies and herbs that I’ve grown myself, I absolutely love using them in my recipes at home.

Have Fun!

As much as I call the boyfriend the chef and me the sous chef, we always manage to enjoy cooking. It’s easy to feel like a chore with a busy schedule, but dedicating the time to cooking and creating will only make you love spending time in the kitchen more. The chefs at the Test Kitchen had such a great energy and remained positive even when discussing their failed attempts, that it reminded me what cooking is all about – getting creative and enjoying the process!

Individual Lemon Curd Danish

One of the recipes we indulged in during our visit was a delicious lemon meringue tart. I have always been a fan of lemon meringue pies, but after tasting the tangy sweet PC Black Label Lemon Curd, my life was changed, so I decided to switch things up and make a super simple lemon curd danish which I gave to my Mother for Mother’s Day since they are her favourite!

Not only is it super easy to make, but it is perfect for when you have company over!

Ready in: 35 minutes

Difficulty Level: Beginner

Ingredients:

• 1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed
• 2 tablespoons PC black label Normandy Style Unsalted Cultured Butter
• 1 jar (250 mL)  PC black label Lemon Curd Fruit Filling And Dessert Topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Unfold pastry sheet. Cut the pastry sheet lengthwise into 6 strips. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet, making 12 strips in all.
3. Twist each pastry strip then fold into a spiral. Place the pastry onto the baking sheet, leaving an inch between each for spreading. Brush the pastry sheet with melted butter.
4. Place 1 heaping tablespoon lemon curd into the center of each pastry. Bake for 18 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
5. You can add icing to the danish but the lemon curd is so good, I did without and simply added some strawberries!

Thank you President’s Choice for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own!

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