KALE CHIPS

This is very, very good. My children made it for us one Christmas, and we loved it. Good for a party, good for a winter evening curled up in front of the TV. 

To make:

1. Wash the kale well and dry (a salad spinner will do this in a flash).
2. Cut off the stems and remove any thick ribs and reserve for another use.
3. Place the leaves in large bowl and sprinkle with a little extra virgin olive (about one tablespoon for about four cups of leaves) and salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. Place in a single layer on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake in a preheated 300°F/150°C for about 25 to 30 minutes or until kale is crisp.
5. Remove from the oven and cool them on a rack - unless they get snatched away and eaten first.

DELICIOUS DATE SQUARES

I always wanted to try making date squares but I was worried, ..what if it will not come out right. )-:
However after buying almost 2 kg of dried dates I had to do something.  So I tried and the result is .....fantastic.  Definitely I have to buy more dates  (-:  

500 ml     2 cups          chopped dates
375 ml     1 1/2 cups    water
 15 ml      1 tbsp          lemon juice
175 ml     3/4 cup        whole wheat four
125 ml     1/2 cup        all purpose flour
175 ml     3/4 cup       Kellog's All-Bran or Bran Buds cereals
125 ml     1/2 cup        rolled oats
2 ml         1/2 tsp         baking soda
2 ml          1/2 tsp        salt
175 ml      3/4 cup       butter
250 ml      1 cup          brown sugar

In a saucepan combine dates, water and lemon juice; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Combine whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, Kellogg's All-Bran or Bran Buds cereal, oats, soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar. Stir in flour and Bran mixture.
Press 2/3 of this crust mixture into the bottom of a greased 2.5 L ( 9") square baking pan. Spread date filling on top and sprinkle with remaining crust mixture.
Bake in preheated oven at 200 C  (400 F) for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.

GRILLED SALMON WITH CHERRY TOMATO, CHARRED CORN AND BASIL RELISH

My husband showed me this recipe in the latest Air Miles magazine. I used trout instead of salmon and I boiled the corn instead of grilling. We had a light, very tasty supper. Definitely I will make it again; maybe I will try with other type of fish.    

4 ears shucked corn
olive oil cooking spray
1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil, plus whole basil springs for garnish (optional)
4 (4 ounce) salmon filletssalt and 1/4 teaspoon

1.  Prepare grill
2. Soak corn in a large bowl of cold water for 20 minutes. Remove and pat dry. Coat corn on all sides with cooking spray, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill about 15 minutes or until charred on all sides. Remove cobs from grill, and cool slightly. Slice the kernels from the cob and transfer to a medium bowl. Add tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar and sliced basil, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Let the relish sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
3. Meanwhile, lightly coat both sides of salmon fillets with cooking spray; season with remaining 1/4 teaspoon teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place fillets skin side down, and grill 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Flip fillets and grill for 3 more minutes. Fish should feel slightly firm in the centre and will register 145F on an instant read thermometer. Place salmon onto each of 4 plates, and spoon relish over, then finish with basil springs if desired.