Every season, Presidents Choice introduces new items as part of their PC Insiders Collection. As the rain and snow drag on, we are longing to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. While we wait for spring to arrive, many of us are looking for ways to bring the sunny days into our lives as early as possible. With the promise of warmer weather on the horizon, why not bring some new flavours into our lives with food.

Here are a few of the items I tried as part of the Spring 2017 PC Insiders Collection with some recipes too.

Harissa Pacific White Shrimp

This product had a bunch of frozen Pacific White Shrimp and a packet of Harissa sauce. I used this in the Harissa Shrimp Tagine with Herbed Couscous recipe for dinner. It’s quick to prepare and incorporate into any dish.

Harissa Shrimp Tagine with Herbed Couscous

I tried recreating a recipe from Presidents Choice, but since I couldn’t find all the ingredients, I made some slight changes.

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Ingredients:

• 1 pkg (340 g) Couscous
• 2 tbsp (25 mL)  PC New World EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1  onion, thinly sliced
• 3  cloves garlic, minced
• 1  each sweet red and yellow pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL)  each salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (250 mL)  drained canned chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 pkg (480 g)  PC Pacific White Shrimp With A Lightly Spicy Harissa Sauce, thawed and shrimp patted dry
• 1/4 cup (50 mL)  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) Green Olives stuffed with pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup (50 mL)  sliced natural (skin-on) almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup (50 mL)  chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Cook couscous according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook onion and garlic, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add red and yellow peppers, salt and black pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

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PC Melt in the Middle Sustainably Sourced Cod Fish Cakes

The box comes with 2 pieces, so M and I had this for dinner. Good for households of 2 people or you can buy more. These cakes are golden-baked cod and potato cakes with a creamy lemon dill sauce centre. Don’t forget to buy a lemon to squeeze all over these.

Cod and Dill Fish Cakes with Spring Pea Salad

I made small changes to another PC recipe by adding some baby kale to the mix.

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Ingredients:

• 1 pkg (290 g)  frozen  PC Melt in the Middle Sustainably Sourced Cod Fish Cakes
• 1 pkg Baby Kale
• 1 pkg pea shoots
• 1 cup (250 mL)  sugar snap peas
• 2/3 cup (150 mL)  frozen PC Petits Pois Small Sweet Peas
• 2 tbsp (25 mL)  PC New World EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tsp (10 mL)  grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp (15 mL)  fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL)  salt
• Pinch (0.5 mL)  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  radishes, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place frozen fish cakes on baking sheet. Bake 30 to 32 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before serving.
2. Meanwhile, bring small saucepan of water to a boil. Add snap peas and sweet peas; bring to a simmer and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and run under cold water until chilled; set aside.
3. Whisk together oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in large bowl. Add snap peas, sweet peas, radishes and baby kale, pea shoots; toss gently to coat. Serve with fish cakes.

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Soft-Baked Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These cookies weren’t as soft as I had imagined, but they still had a great taste. The mini milk chocolate-covered peanut butter cups and chopped roasted peanuts gave it a great texture. I love peanut butter, so I naturally enjoy these cookies.

You can also serve these with milk or turn them into an ice cream sandwich.

PC Matcha Green Tea Cheesecake with a Coconut and Cookie Crumb Crust

It starts with a crumb crust of vanilla cookie with toasted coconut flakes layered with rich, velvety vanilla cheesecake and topped with a final layer of smooth, subtle matcha-infused cheesecake. It would have been nice if there was more matcha in this dessert.

Final Thoughts

A few great items in the collection, but I forgot to take a photo of their Chorizo Mac and Cheese, which was so indulgent. A classic favourite comfort food with tender pasta shells tossed in a smooth and creamy jalapeño cheddar sauce along with crumbled chorizo sausage, diced tomatoes, garlic and spices. I took it to work and gobbled it up.

I took my time trying each item, found some things I loved and some not so much. If you’re ever at grocery store selling President’s Choice products, check these out.

Website: http://www.presidentschoice.ca/en_CA/whats-new.html