Food Mamma

caramel popcorn twists

2012-02-10T07:00:00.004-07:00

Every good road trip has to have a big bag of something salty. Last year, when we drove to Kelowna, we took along a bag of popcorn twists. These twists, which just melt in your mouth, take me back to my childhood. I noticed a recipe on the bag for caramel popcorn twists and put it in the back of my mind to make one day. Well, one day was today. I made up a batch of these and they were so good! I didn't want them fully covered with caramel, so I halved the recipe. This way, each popcorn twist was only half covered and allowed you to get some sweet and some salty in every bite.

Want to try some? These will be at the Calgary Food Blogger Bake Sale being held this weekend at Casel Marche. I will also be baking up some whipped shortbread with almonds and chocolate as well as some almond roca shortbread. Hope to see you all there!

Caramel Popcorn Twists
Taken from the back of a bag of Old Dutch Popcorn Twists

Place one 175 g bag of Old Dutch Popcorn Twists™ into a large roasting pan and pre-heat the oven to 250°F.

In your largest pot, combine 3/4 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup corn syrup.

Bring the above ingredients to a rolling boil for about 2 minutes. Then stir in 1 tsp of baking soda. This will cause your caramel to foam. Allow the foam to cook slightly then remove from heat.

Pour the caramel over the popcorn twists and stir until completely mixed.Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 45 minutes, stirring your mixture every 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven, pour on wax paper. Allow to cool slightly, break apart & enjoy!

calgary food blogger bake sale

2012-02-06T23:04:00.001-07:00

Please come join us on February 11 and 12 from 10 AM - 5:30 PM at Casel Marché for the Calgary Food Blogger Bake Sale. This year, funds raised will go to Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids Society.

For more details, including a list of all the bloggers involved, check out the Facebook event or follow the Twitter hashtag #yycFBBS. Hope to see you all there!

moon palace shortbread

2012-02-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

It is quite obvious to anyone that knows me how much of a sweet tooth I have. To find that the resort had little shortbread cookies everywhere for us to enjoy was quite the treat! Some of these were chocolate, some had nuts, others had coconut. They were so yummy.

One of the chefs, Manuel, was kind enough to share how to make these delectable cookies. He was very sweet and worked with the hostess to translate the recipe for me. I haven't made these yet myself at home. I'm afraid they won't last long if I do!

Moon Palace Shortbread

2.5 cups sugar
1 pound butter
5 eggs
5 cups flour
1 TB baking powder
splash of vanilla

Cream together the sugar and butter and until fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time followed by the vanilla. Add the flour and baking powder and mix until the dough comes together. Bake at 350 degrees until the cookie sets but doesn't brown. Makes lots!

a week in paradise

2012-01-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

We just spent a week in paradise. As temperatures fell in Calgary and we finally started experiencing winter, we flew to Cancun and enjoyed the sun, sand and heat in the Mayan.

We traveled with some close friends who had 2 kids - a 3 year old like Q, and a 1 year old. Q and J kept each other company - they are the best of friends. They have a total love/hate relationship and as much as they fight and compete, they are lost without each other. After having a shouting match in Tulum in front of a group of tourists, over who was more mad at the other, one lady remarked how they were like a married couple.

As with most all-inclusives, you pray that the resort you're staying at has good food. Really, if the food is good, who cares about anything else. The Moon Palace had the best food, and lots of variety.

Even with the variety, I was drawn to the simplicity of the fried tortilla chips, fresh Mexican sauce and creamy guacamole. I had this at every meal! The Mexican sauce was pico de gaillo with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime. I think I got my daily dose of veggies just from this.

The chefs at Moon Palace were kind enough to share a couple of dessert recipes with me. I am excited to share these in upcoming posts.

wordless wednesday: paradise

2012-01-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

biscuit pudding

2012-01-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

It's so nice to have my parents back home after their five weeks away in India. Q was lost without them and couldn't wait for their return. We wanted to make them something to welcome them back home. One of my dad's favourite desserts is biscuit pudding and my aunt happily shared the recipe. It's the simplest thing to put together and is a comforting dessert. The Maria biscuits absorb the sweet milk making it almost cakey in texture. Kinda sorta like tiramisu, without the coffee. The layers of cookies, whipping cream and nuts is comfort in a bowl.

Biscuit Pudding

1 package Maria biscuits
1 can of evaporated milk
1/2 can of condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp icing sugar
1 cup sliced almonds (or any chopped nuts)
grated chocolate

Mix the evaporated milk and the condensed milk together.
Whip the cream and the sugar to make whipping cream.
Line an 8" square dish with a layer of biscuits. Pour 1/3 of the milk mixture over the cookies. Cover the layer with 1/3 of the whipping cream and 1/3 of the nuts. Grate some chocolate over the nuts. Repeat for another 2 layers. Refrigerate over night.

maple cinnamon granola

2012-01-08T15:26:00.001-07:00

On the search for a healthy snack, I thought granola would be the perfect thing. With all the nuts and seeds, I figured it would be yummy to munch on, while providing energy for us and the little guy throughout the day. When searching for recipes, however, I realized that many were full of large quantities of oil.

I was excited when I found Ellie Krieger's Nutty Granola recipe because it had no oil! Just some good old maple syrup and some cinnamon were used to create this delicious snack. I added some seeds and coconut to the mix and was able to put it in the oven in minutes. Q loved the granola and happily picked through it naming all the nuts and seeds. A fun protein-packed snack for a toddler (and his mamma).

Maple Cinnamon Granola
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine the oats, nuts, seeds, raisins with the maple syrup, salt and cinnamon. Spread the mixture onto a greased baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

taiyo sushi

2012-01-02T23:43:00.000-07:00

My cousin had been raving about a sushi place near her house for quite some time. Located in the NW at the Creekside mall, Taiyo Sushi is a favourite place for dinner for her and her family.

We finally made it over there last month for a quick bite. We got there at 12:15pm on a Saturday and the place was already full of people having lunch just 15 minutes after opening. Definitely a good sign.

We started with the ebi gyoza, little dumplings that were filled with shrimp and vegetables. These were delicious! Served with soy, this was a great way to begin our meal.

We ordered the Taiyo Combo so that we could sample a few of what the restaurant had to offer. The platter came with salmon, tuna, prawns sushi as well as some sashimi. The rolls included california, cucumber as well as their house roll.

The presentation was great but the taste was even better. The sushi was fresh and delicious and the salmon and tuna sashimi was melt in your mouth amazing. I thought for sure there would be leftovers but we managed to polish off all the food!

Overall the service was great and the sushi was high quality. Will definitely be back!

happy new year!

2012-01-01T00:53:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous 2012. May your year be filled with dear friends, special time with family and tummies full of amazing food!

butter pecan squares

2011-12-22T20:58:00.001-07:00

Pecan tarts are one of my favorites. The pecans, the gooeyness, even the raisins, who wouldn't love it? I've always wanted to try making these but the idea of making tart shells kind of put me off. When I found this recipe for squares and an easy shortbread bottom, I quickly put it on my list of baking to do over the holidays. Although I made these to distribute, none of them made it out the door. They were delicious and satisfying and by the time I was putting together packages, there weren't many squares left!

Unfortunately I don't remember where I found this recipe. It's easy and delicious though, so definitely try it out!

Butter Pecan Squares

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter

2 TB melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
2 TB flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup raisings
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine flour and sugar and cut in the cold butter until the dough is crumbly. Press the dough into a 9" square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the baked base and bake at 350 degrees for another 25 minutes.

chocolate and almond whipped shortbread

2011-12-19T22:04:00.001-07:00

It's no secret that I love whipped shortbread cookies. Easy and fast, they are a staple for any occasion. They are even great to give to little kids to decorate, keeping them entertained for some time.

The addition of chocolate and nuts make these shortbread even more of a favorite. This recipe can be found in Club Club's Community Cookbook.

Chocolate and Almond Whipped Shortbread

1 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Cream the butter and icing sugar together. Add the flour and beat for 10 minutes. Add in the chocolate and nuts until well incorporated. Place spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen small cookies.

cherry jam palmiers

2011-12-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

One of the easiest cookies to make with minimal ingredients is a palmier. I decided to change up my usual 2-ingredient version by adding some jam. I had made some cherry jam over the summer and thought it would go great with the crisp layers of puff pastry. The sweet jam added so much flavour and the resulting cookies were quite addictive. I made the mistake of only using one puff pastry sheet, meaning not many left over to share!

Cherry Jam Palmiers

1 roll of puff pastry
3 TB jam of your choice
Sugar

Unroll one sheet of puff pastry. Spread the jam evenly on the pastry. If making mini palmiers, cut the sheet in half. Roll the pastry from the horizontal ends into the middle. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and then cut the roll into pieces. Sprinkle each piece with sugar and place on parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

red velvet crepes

2011-12-01T14:02:00.001-07:00

Ever since I attempted Red Velvet cupcakes last June, it has become a favourite of mine. Always looking to combine a couple of my favourite things, I mixed up a crepe recipe with red velvet and the combination was delicious. My 3 year old, Qais, who is always happy to help in the kitchen enjoyed stirring the batter and of course, taste-testing! I added Chocolate spread to the filling because one can never get enough chocolate.

Head on over to the Anyday Magic website for a recipe of this delicious dessert!

happy birthday mom!

2011-11-25T10:00:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to an amazing lady, my mom! Thanks for everything mom - love you!

lemongrass shrimp

2011-11-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Q started unparented swimming classes this week. It amazes me that he's already ready to get in the water without mamma and daddy. Time is flying by so quickly! Swimming days means crazy days - a quick dinner before rushing out the door and making the trek to another part of the city. I had to ensure that just in case hubby came home late from work, he would have something he could just grab and go.

A sandwich seemed like the perfect thing but no ordinary sandwich would do. I had bought lemongrass the day before and thought it would be great with shrimp. Settled into a bun, it was the delicious Asian fast food at home.

After toasting a whole wheat bun, I slathered it with a little bit of mayo and some sambal oelek. A few leaves of spinach held the shrimp which was then topped with onions, red peppers, cucumbers and cilantro. The shrimp was great on its own, but the bun added a great twist.

Lemongrass Shrimp

1 pound shrimp
1 TB chopped lemongrass
1 TB fish sauce
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soya sauce
2 tsp teriyaki sauce

Mix everything together and marinate for one hour. Place on greased sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

chicken tagine

2011-11-17T07:00:00.003-07:00

When planning hubby's birthday last month, I knew I wanted to make a tagine to keep with the theme of the party, "An Arabian Afternoon". I had actually never had tagine, I just knew that it was an earthy Moroccan stew. I searched many recipes trying to find something easy that had ingredients I already had in the house. I finally settled on one by Melissa D'Arabian (Ten Dollar Dinners). Not being a big fan of olives, I left those out. I tested the recipe a week before the party and it was a success! Hubby loved it so much, he finished the entire thing - always a good sign. The combination of the turmeric and cinnamon gave the tagine a deep flavour. Although preserved lemons were called for in every recipe that I looked at, we both weren't fans. When I made the dish for the party, we left that out. Everyone really seemed to enjoy the tagine and it was wonderful on couscous, a great vehicle to absorb all that yummy sauce.

Chicken Tagine
Adapted from Melissa D'Arabian

2 pounds chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
1 TB butter
2 TB olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 TB ginger, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
Flat leaf parsley, handful
Cilantro, handful
Salt Pepper

Pat the chicken dry, and season well with salt and pepper.

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken on all sides. Add the onion, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and add the garlic and stir for a minute. Increase heat and deglaze with half the broth, stirring, and allowing it to bubble. Add the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.

raw bar

2011-11-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

It's been weeks since we visited Raw Bar but I'm still thinking about the amazing food we had that night. Tucked away in Hotel Arts, we were lucky to get a reservation. The place was packed and we soon discovered why.

It was hard to decide which appetizer, everything looked so good. We decided to share the BC Spot Prawn and Papaya Salad Roll. This was a really pretty dish to look at. Eight mini rolls were served on a long platter on top of strips of cucumber, carrot and daikon. It was really tasty and left us wanting more.

Seafood prevailed in our main course with both of us choosing fish dishes (and splitting them of course). We settled on the Miso Black Cod Donburi which was served with king oyster mushrooms, sticky rice and teriyaki sauce. This was such a great fish and I really loved the Asian flavours.

The other dish we had was the Salmon. This came with lemon ricotta tortellini, spring vegetables in a shellfish broth. The salmon was prepared perfectly and hubby was happy that it was paired with the pasta.

As full as we were, we ordered dessert. We had a white chocolate cheesecake which was served with a strawberry sorbet. I was looking forward to the coconut lime sorbet it was supposed to come with but this was still delicious and satisfying.

All in all, it was a great evening and I look forward to going back!

tabouli

2011-11-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

When putting together the menu for hubby's party, he requested tabouli for the salad course. Tabouli is a popular salad in the Middle East predominantly made with bulgar wheat and parsley. When searching for a recipe, there were so many variations! I finally settled on one from Guy Fieri, from one of the drive-ins he visited for his show, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives".

This was a refreshing salad and it provided not only a refreshing side for our arabian feast but also a great leftover lunch.

Tabouli

1 cup water
1 cup fine cracked wheat
1 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup minced fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3 tomatoes, diced
2 cucumbers, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoons sea salt

In a large mixing bowl, pour the water over the cracked wheat and cover, let stand about 20 minutes until wheat is tender and water is absorbed. Add the chopped herbs and vegetables and toss with the mix. Combine the oil, lemon juice, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to wheat mixture and mix well. Chill. Serve and enjoy.

eid greetings

2011-11-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

an arabian afternoon for hubby's birthday

2011-11-05T11:13:00.000-06:00

It was hubby's birthday last Saturday. With his birthday being so close to Halloween, we usually have a costume party. This year was no different, except that it was themed - Arabian! An afternoon party was planned to make it easy for the folks with children and early bedtimes.

Our friends obliged with costumes dressing as gypsies, Arabian princesses and sheiks. Red and gold duvets (thanks to my MIL) covered the floors along with pillows galore.

Floors and tables were decorated with amazing lanterns from a friend who had used them at her July wedding as centrepieces (thanks A!). Food was served in copper serving dishes, water from a copper pitcher (thanks S!).

Food was plentiful, inspired by Middle Eastern and Moroccan specialties. Little copper bowls were filled with olives, figs and sweet peppers stuffed with feta.

Bowls of baked pita chips waiting to be dipped in creamy hummus and chunky baba ghaouj.

Mini falafel balls ready to be loaded into mini pitas.

Tabouli with parsley, bulgar and veggies made a tasty side.

Refreshing shot glasses of chilled carrot and cauliflower soup were topped with a dollop of yogurt and were a hit with even the kidlets.

The main course consisted of a chicken tagine and marinated beef skewers topped with onions and red peppers. Pea and mint couscous was the perfect starch to absorb the flavourful sauce from the tagine.

We had cupcakes to celebrate, mini coconut ones with a buttercream frosting. These were topped with gold chocolate coins, making them little treasures for everyone to devour. The idea for these came from an old friend on Twitter. Thanks N!

Hubby had a request for my mom's creme caramel and she happily obliged. It's one of her specialties and it was delicious as always.

Mom also brought a platter of homemade baklava. The flaky layers of phyllo were filled with almonds, pistachios and cashews and covered in a sweet rose glaze. Luckily she made lots and I'm still snacking on them.

Thanks for everyone's help in making hubby's birthday special!

seafood pasta with pesto cream sauce

2011-10-20T23:35:00.000-06:00

It had been one of those days and we were all feeling a little blah. Dinner needed to be something that would fill us and cheer us up at the same time. Pasta came to mind as being the perfect comfort in a bowl. Q was up for pasta, especially when he got to pick out what shape he wanted. After much deliberating at the supermarket, he finally settled on the rotini.

I had a jar of pesto that my sister had brought back for me from Cinque Terre, a little town on the Italian Riviera. I had been wanting to use it for a while and knew it would make the perfect sauce with some cream. The addition of shrimp and fish along with some veggies made it a quick weekday meal which we devoured. It was perfect with some french bread smothered in some boursin.

Seafood Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

3/4 cup whipping cream
3 tsp pesto
3 cloves garlic
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 pound shrimp
1 filet basa
olive oil
salt
pepper

Saute shrimp, fish, garlic and tomatoes for 5 minutes. Add cream and pesto and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer until cream thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with your favorite pasta.

brunch with foodies

2011-10-02T20:49:00.001-06:00

Last Sunday, we enjoyed a fabulous brunch at Julie's house. Charmian Christie, a food writer and blogger from Ontario, was in town and Julie graciously invited some local food bloggers for a potluck. Julie has the best potlucks and this was another hit.

Julie made some lovely scones which were amazing with clotted cream. It was great seeing Vincci again and she made a very delicious deep dish french toast. This is definitely something I will try making soon. I finally met Dan for the first time. I've been following him on twitter for so long, I feel like I've known him forever! He made a quiche topped with roasted tomatoes.

It was fun to meet Pierre, author of Kitchen Scraps. As promised, he brought something roasty and toasty - welsh rarebit, and something jiggly and fruity - a gelatin infused with lemon verbena and loads of berries.

Gwendolyn made a very yummy glazed applesauce cake. It was great meeting Wendy from Yelp who brought a delicious baked oatmeal dish. My friend Cheryl brought a tomato crisp as well as some chocolate tonka bean scones. Both were amazing!

Along with some mini egg cups, I brought some coconut cake pops. This is my new venture as Sweet Somethings by Food Mamma. These aren't the traditional cake pops of crumbled cake and icing made into balls. These are pure balls of delicious cake. I was a bit nervous bringing these to some food aficionados.

Thanks for another great potluck Julie!

wordless wednesday: tomatoes from the garden

2011-09-21T13:05:00.000-06:00

crab apple and ginger chutney

2011-09-19T11:03:00.000-06:00

Last week, Q and his cousins went over to my aunt's house for apple picking, something that has become an annual event. The kids, aged 2 to 5, using ice cream pails as baskets, gathered as many little crab apples that they could. It didn't take long, but it was really cute, watching them scramble to see who could get to the apples first.

We came home with half a pail of apples. Since my oven was still not working (have I complained about that enough yet), a pie was not an option unless I wanted to use the little toaster oven. I had seen on twitter mentions of an apple chutney by Aarti Sequeira, of Aarti Party on Food Network (why do we not have this show yet in Canada?). I had to make some changes as I didn't have a few of the ingredients. The original recipe can be found here.

The resulting chutney was thick and sweet with just a hint of spice. It was a great savoury way to use the crab apples!

Crab Apple and Ginger Chutney
(adapted from Aarti Party, Food Network)

2 TB canola oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 pound crab apples, cored and diced
1 6" piece ginger, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup sugar
2 TB white wine vinegar
salt
pepper

Warm the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds. Add the onions and cook until golden, 8 - 10 minutes. Add the chili powder and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add the apples, ginger, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir. Cook until the sugar thickens and apples soften, about 15 minutes.

anju

2011-09-16T23:32:00.001-06:00

Last month, we finally had a chance to check out Anju, a Korean-inspired tapas restaurant. It seemed that everyone on twitter was talking about this place and raving about the great food, and I couldn't wait to try it.

Anju is located in a cute little house converted into a restaurant in downtown Calgary. It was a good thing we had made reservations because the place was packed.

I had heard amazing things about their gochujang chicken wings, and knew we definitely needed to try them. The reviews did not disappoint and this was our favorite dish of the night. The sticky sauce was spicy but I couldn't get enough. I'm hungry just thinking about these wings.

We also tried the oxtail tortellini which I loved! This was finished with truffle oil and cheese.

The spicy salmon tacos were great! A little messy to eat but incredibly tasty. They had just the right amount of heat and Q loved the crisp wontons.

Our server recommended the stone rice bowl which we had with beef. It was good but after the flavour we experienced in our tapas, this seemed a little bland. We asked for a side of the gochujang sauce and it perked up the dish tremendously. We really enjoyed it after the addition of the sauce. Q, who can eat eggs every day for every meal, was very happy that the dish had one.

All in all, it was a great experience. I would definitely go back to enjoy a flavourful meal of appetizers.

chocolate chip cookies

2011-09-14T22:16:00.001-06:00

The end of August was spent in the Okanogan. Our week in Kelowna included quality family time and enjoying the sun, sand and water. What really excited me was having a working oven for a week! I've been a little lost with mine still not working, and I've been missing baking with Q.

I had most of the ingredients with me, but no baking soda or a mixer. I made a few changes and within twenty minutes, we were eating warm cookies with cold milk. The cookies were also great later in the day when we sandwiched some vanilla ice cream between them.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
2 1/4 cups flour
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Combine the sugars and softened butter. Once combined, add the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture. Mix until completely blended. Add the chocolate chips. Drop dough on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

coconut cake

2011-08-31T00:13:00.000-06:00

We celebrated another anniversary this month - my in-laws. We had a Mexican feast to celebrate their 36 years of marriage.

I had a cake in mind that I wanted to try and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to make it. I had seen Ina's famous coconut cake many times on her show Barefoot Contessa. It was also recently showcased on Next Food Network Star so I knew I just had to try it out.

I gathered the ingredients together and when I went to preheat the oven, I found that my oven had completely stopped working! I was not going to let that stop me from making this cake, so I loaded up my car and finished the cake off at my parents.

I made a few changes to up the coconut factor and of course I had to add some chocolate. I made one layer rather than two and found that it was the perfect amount. This cake was a hit! I even saw my father-in-law have seconds - unusual for someone who doesn't eat sugar. I will definitely be making this cake again and again (once I get my oven fixed).

Coconut Cake

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup flour
3 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp coconut extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

nutella
cream cheese frosting (below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease one 9-inch round cake pan.

Cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time. Add the extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and then fold in the coconut.

Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes before frosting.

Cover the top of the cake with nutella. Wait 5 minutes before icing the entire cake with the cream cheese frosting and covering it with coconut.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package cream cheese
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/2 pound icing sugar
3 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Combine the cream cheese, butter, and extracts on low speed. Add the icing sugar and mix.

Happy Eid!!

2011-08-29T22:59:00.000-06:00

nylon bhajia (potato pakora)

2011-08-23T23:28:00.001-06:00

It was nice to finally spend a day at home. Things have been crazy lately and there's been a lot of running around to do. We finally got to sit back and relax on Sunday. It was a hot day and it was nice to spend some time on our neglected deck. We were hungry and needed a snack so I fired up the side burner on the bbq to fry up some pakoras (bhajias).

There are so many different versions of bhajias. These particular ones are referred to as nylon bhajias. They are thinly sliced potatoes, covered in a pancake like batter and fried until golden.

Q sat on his lawn chair and happily ate these as they came out of the fryer. He devoured them, and kept asking for more - always a good sign. To use up the batter, I added an onion that was thickly sliced. These are perfect served with tamarind chutney or ketchup.

Nylon Bhajia

2 large potatoes, thinly sliced
2 cups gram flour (chickpea flour)
1 cup water
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
handful cilantro

Add water to the flour slowly until it is the consistency of pancake batter. Add the spices and cilantro and mix well. When the oil is ready for frying, add the baking powder to the batter and mix well. The batter should be a little foamy at this point. Add the potatoes to the batter until they are all coated. Fry until golden brown.

butter and jam

2011-08-16T14:08:00.000-06:00

I almost didn't make jam this year. I had made it the last two years and loved the process but I was feeling a bit lazy. After seeing the plump cherries and the lovely blueberries in the store though, I knew that I would regret not making it once the fruit season was gone.

I did a lot of experimenting the last couple years, figuring out what I liked, what worked and what didn't. I discovered that my favorite is cherry. It is so delicious but the process of pitting all the cherries makes me only make one batch a keep it all for myself. The resulting jam is totally worth the effort.

Another fave is blueberry, and really the easiest jam to make. The color stays the same as the months go by and I can make this one faster than any other. Sort through the berries, stick it in the food processor and you're ready to roll.

I always use a low-sugar pectin so I'm not adding loads of sugar. To prep the jars, I sterilize them in the dishwasher and make sure the jars are still hot when I fill them with the hot jam mixture. You will soon hear the delightful popping of the lids, telling you that the jars are properly sealed.

The day after making the jam, I was chatting with friends about how their family makes butter in the blender. Whip cream until it separates and you've got an amazing sweet butter. Of course, after talking about this, I just had to go home and try it. I used the stand mixer and in 10 minutes, I had fresh butter to go with my homemade jam and some scones. It was the easiest thing, but I felt like Martha Stewart.

The last few days have been filled with fresh jam, making me so happy that I didn't let my laziness get the better of me.

celebrating 37 years with a turtle cheesecake

2011-08-06T13:05:00.000-06:00

My parents just celebrated their 37th anniversary! This definitely called for a celebration, and every celebration calls for cake. Tired of making the usual though, I wanted to do something different. I decided to do a cheesecake, a dessert that my dad loves.

I knew this cheesecake needed nuts, chocolate and caramel and after doing a search, this recipe was found on the Kraft website. The layers of caramel and pecans are divine. As good as it tastes when you first make it, it tastes even better the next day, if there's any left!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Love you lots!

Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 pkg. caramels
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
3 pkg. cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 squares chocolate, melted

Heat oven to 325°F.

Mix crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan.

Microwave caramels and milk in small microwaveable bowl on high 3 min. or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after each minute. Stir in nuts; pour half into crust. Refrigerate 10 min. Refrigerate remaining caramel mixture for later use.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over caramel layer in crust.

Bake 1 hour 5 min. to 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Microwave reserved caramel mixture 1 min.; stir. Pour over cheesecake. Melt chocolate and drizzle over cheesecake.

mini pink cupcakes with chocolate icing

2011-08-04T00:40:00.004-06:00

We are slowly recovering from my sister-in-law's week long wedding extravaganza. It was a great week spent with close family and friends. It was also a week surrounded by lots and lots of food!

Most of the cooking was done by family and they fed crowds of up to 500 people! I tried to do my part and made items such as quinoa salad, couscous salad, kulfi and smores on a stick. One favorite were these little pink cupcakes with chocolate buttercream icing. They were really supposed to be red velvet cupcakes, like the ones I had made last month for my sister's birthday. In my hurry though, I forgot to add the cocoa and out from the oven came these little pink morsels. I figured since I missed out on the chocolate in the cake, we must add some on it.

Congratulations to R². Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness!

Mini Pink Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup homemade yogurt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoons red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.

Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg beating until a creamy texture. Add 1/4 of the flour and mix, then add 1/3 of the buttermilk mix .

Continue adding the flour and the buttermilk until all the ingredients are mixed.

Use two teaspoons and carefully scoop the batter into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Transfer the baked cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

6 tbsp. butter
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tbsp. cocoa
2 to 3 tbsp. milk

Cream butter. Add sugar and cocoa mixture to butter and mix again. Add milk to the butter mixture until a proper consistency is reached.

kulfi two ways

2011-07-23T16:55:00.001-06:00

In our house, we love kulfi. Kulfi is a popular indian ice-cream. It is 3 types of milk mixed together and frozen in a mold. It's easy, and can be made by anyone since an ice cream machine is not needed.

Using my mom's recipe, I made some kulfi and froze it in a glass dish, topped with some roasted almonds. I got to thinking though (since I've kidnapped my dad's ice cream machine) - would it taste better if placed in an ice cream machine? Would the addition of air actually change the taste? Using the same recipe, I placed it in the machine to compare.

The answer - YES! The ice cream that came from the machine was more decadent than the kulfi that was just frozen. Hubby was convinced that I used a different recipe since it tasted so different. Don't get me wrong, we love the kulfi that I have been eating for most of my life. The machine version though, turned it into something very different, in a good way. I just love ice cream experiments!

Kulfi

1 cup whipping cream
1 can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
3 splashes of kewra essence
roasted almonds

Mix the milks and essence together and pour into a shallow dish and top with almonds. The mixture can alternately be put into popsicle molds. If using an ice cream machine, add the almonds in the last five minutes.

chicken kebabs

2011-07-08T20:25:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's already July. Time is just flying by! We spent Canada Day at Calaway Park which Q totally enjoyed. Luckily he enjoyed the rides, unlike his mamma, and he can't wait to go back. We just had to finish the day with a bbq. I wanted something easy, that would take a few minutes to pull together. I made the meat mixture for the kebabs before we left for some amusement park fun. Food didn't take long once we got home and threw the chicken on the grill.

Chicken Kebabs

1 lb ground chicken
1/2 onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, grated
handful cilantro, finely chopped
handful mint, finely chopped
2 TB yogurt
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
salt
pepper

In a large bowl mix all ingredients together. Let the meat sit for an hour or two in the fridge. Make small logs out of the meat mixture using the back of a wooden spoon. I placed the kebabs in a grill basket and placed it on the grill to avoid it from sticking and falling in. Serve with pita and tzatziki.

jalapeno hummus

2011-06-27T13:54:00.000-06:00

With my sister-in-law's wedding coming up next month, we took the time last week to celebrate with a bridal shower. It was a wonderful afternoon with her close friends and family spoiling the bride-to-be. I think no party is complete without a great dip, so we made sure there were two. I made my usual Roasted Red Pepper Dip. I also made hummus which was served with mini pitas.

A couple months ago, hubby was obsessed with a jalapeno hummus we had at a party so we made a few batches, trying to perfect the recipe. This is the recipe which we came up with, although I did leave out the jalapeno for the party. It's easy peasy and perfect with bread or veggies.

Jalapeno Hummus

1 28-oz. can chick peas
1 cup yogurt
3 cloves garlic
1 TB tahini
zest of one lemon
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

Dump everything in a food processor and blend until combined.

mini red velvet cupcakes for my sister's birthday

2011-06-21T13:27:00.000-06:00

My sister's coming for a visit! S currently lives in Tajikistan, a mountainous country in Central Asia. It's a long way to travel and her visits are always way too short!

With yesterday being my sister's birthday, we definitely need cake to welcome her home. I had some cream cheese icing in the freezer, just needed a cake that we could slather it on. Besides carrot cake, the only other thing that came to mind was red devil. I had never made it before and on my hunt for a recipe, many had full bottles or more of food colouring! The recipe that I finally settled on only had 1 tablespoon. This recipe for mini red devil cupcakes comes from Simple Recipes. I didn't have buttermilk so swapped it out with some homemade yogurt (which my mom makes for us weekly - I know, I am so spoiled!).

This was a simple recipe and these cupcakes were delicious! Hope S loves them too!

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup homemade yogurt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoons red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.

Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg beating until a creamy texture. Add 1/4 of the flour and mix, then add 1/3 of the buttermilk mix .

Continue adding the flour and the buttermilk until all the ingredients are mixed.

Use two teaspoons and carefully scoop the batter into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Transfer the baked cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.

For the frosting, I used this cream cheese icing.

father's day and passion fruit ice cream

2011-06-19T23:36:00.000-06:00

This year, we celebrated Father's Day with a Mexican Fiesta! Fried fish, tortilla chips with fresh salsa and guacamole started out our meal alongside some margaritas. Our main was fajitas with shredded, barbecued chicken with grilled peppers and onions. It was a simple menu but packed a lot of flavour and our families were full and satisfied.

For dessert, we cooled our palates with homemade ice cream. I'm a bit addicted to my dad's ice cream machine. It was supposed to be a weekend loan but I'm having too much fun, I haven't given it back. This time, I experimented with passion fruit! Using only one passion fruit gave the ice cream a subtle flavour. It was a hit and this recipe is definitely a keeper. Hope all the fathers had a great day being spoiled by loved ones!

Passion Fruit Ice Cream

1 cup whipping cream
1 can evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
1 - 2 passion fruit (pulp and seeds)

Mix the above ingredients together and follow the instructions of your ice cream machine.

chocolate cupcakes for graduation

2011-06-06T07:50:00.000-06:00

It's convocation day!! Hubby is getting his Masters today! S has worked hard for this degree. It took a few years, with him squeezing it in while working many hours at a demanding job. He also had a baby at home wanting to play and a wife wanting some attention too. It was hard work, with sleepless nights, so this calls for some celebration. As with any milestone, cake is definitely in order!

I think this might be my new favorite cupcake recipe. It's Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes. No need to separate the dry ingredients from the wet and they were ready in 20 minutes! I didn't have buttermilk so I substituted that with yogurt mixed with some water and I used canola oil rather than safflower.

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

potluck at julie's

2011-05-31T23:47:00.000-06:00

This weekend, we attended a community potluck at Julie's house. Inspired by a potluck she attended in Tofino, Julie, from Dinner with Julie, bravely invited the internet (!) to her house for a fun little get together.

Julie and her husband Mike were gracious hosts and made everyone feel welcome. It was great to meet her devoted readers and eat their delicious assortment of food. It was also nice to catch up with fellow food bloggers, Cheryl from Backseat Gourmet and Gail from The Pink Peppercorn.

Q had a lot of fun with the kids in the back yard and hubby enjoyed himself as well. The food was amazing! Ranging from cookies, salads, vegetables and even fresh bread, it was nice to try a little bit of everything. I especially loved the quinoa salad which we made tonight and had for dinner. It will definitely be a regular at our house!

It was hard trying to decide what to bring to a potluck, and at Julie's house no less. I brought along dhokra, savoury steamed cakes made with wheatlets. I figured it was something different for everyone to try. I also made some red pepper shrimp which I stuffed in to puff pastry shells. For those that asked, the recipe for the shrimp can be found here. For the shells, I cut little squares of ready made puff pastry which I put into muffin molds and baked at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes until they were golden.

Thanks again to Julie for the great gathering!

anniversary dinner at teatro

2011-05-25T13:32:00.000-06:00

Hubby and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary last month. We never got around to going out for dinner though. It had been a busy few weeks and weekends never seemed to be working out. We had planned this dinner so many times but something always came up.

Maybe not planning dinner in advance is the way to go. We decided in the afternoon that it would be the perfect evening for date night and our belated anniversary dinner. We had a voucher (yes, I love my deals) for Teatro and I had been itching to use it for a while. I had been to Teatro once before but it had been so long since I had been there, I was looking forward to going back.

Our wonderful server Mitch started our evening off with an amuse-bouche, tuna tartare. The tiny morsel tasted fresh and left us wanting more. We were also served little chewy focaccia buns that we devoured with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

We chose to go with the Alberta Bison Tartare for our appetizer. Topped with a quail egg, this was served with a tiny crostini with triple creme brie as well as a small arugula salad. The flavours of the bison were incredible, especially paired with the arugula. Our only complaint was there wasn't enough of the crostini to eat up all the tartare with. Mitch happily brought us some focaccia bread which was a great accompaniment.

Our next course was also a sharable - the Pappardelle. Noodles coated with a green curry mayo, tossed with avocado and topped with grilled lobster. This was an amazing dish but very spicy. Even hubby who can actually eat spice found it quite spicy. The taste was amazing though and it would be a dish I would have again.

By this point, we still had our main course to eat, but we were completely stuffed. For my main, I went with the Honey-Rosemary Seared Duck Magret. This was served with polenta verde, caramelized cippolini, and fig fricassée. There was also supposed to be some pancetta which they happily left out for me. This dish was so delicious! The duck was moist and the flavours were incredible. The pesto in the polenta went really well with the duck. I was very happy with my choice.

Hubby went with the Milk Fed Veal Striploin alla Milanese. This was served with creamy spaetzle, green olive, spicy rapini, and fried capers. The meat was moist and the tasted amazing. We found that this tasted even better the next day. Of course, there were leftovers!

Despite the fact that we were full, we couldn't leave without having dessert. Tempted by the creme brulee, we decided on chocolate instead and shared the Chocolate Varieta. This dish had chocolate three ways with chocolate marquis, milk chocolate semifreddo, and a cocoa ginger madeleine. You have to love chocolate to enjoy this dish. It was a great way to end a fantastic meal!

meatless monday: red lentil curry

2011-05-23T13:29:00.000-06:00

Red lentil curry is one of our new favorite dishes. This hearty meal is perfect after a weekend filled with meat. I'm not sure if the best part is that it's healthy or that it takes less than half an hour to make. It also passed the Q test. He ate this curry alongside some homemade yogurt and devoured it. Both my mom and aunt have made this dish so I snagged the recipe last week. A perfect dish for Meatless Monday.

Red Lentil Curry

1 cup red lentils
2 curry leaves
3 TB crushed tomatoes
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup water
cilantro

Soak the lentils while you heat the pan. In a saucepan, heat some oil and add 2 curry leaves. Add the tomatoes, and spices and cook for a couple of minutes. Drain the lentils and add to the tomato mixture along with 1/2 cup water. Let cook until the lentils are cooked, approximately 20 minutes. Check the water level after ten minutes, and add more if it has evaporated. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with warm chapati.

fried fish tacos

2011-05-19T00:19:00.000-06:00

The best thing about this nice weather we've been having is cooking outside. The bbq has been on a lot lately and it's been great! I felt like having Mexican food and the first thing that came to mind were fried fish tacos. As much as I love fried foods, I don't like to fry in my house. I took advantage of the warm weather and set up a frying station on the side burner of the bbq. As the fish came out of the fryer, they were sprinkled with salt and squirted with fresh lime. The fish was crispy and tangy, the vegetables added were fresh and the combination was amazing. They reminded me of the tacos we had on the streets of Ensenada a few years ago. We rounded out the meal with nachos on the side. It was a great fiesta!

Fried Fish Tacos

Sole, cut into strips
1 cup + 1/4 cup flour
1.5 cups club soda
salt
pepper

Toppings: onions, tomatoes, avocado, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, cilantro, guacamole

Combine 1 cup flour, club soda, salt and pepper and let it rest for 5 minutes. Dredge the fish in the flour and then put into the wet batter. Once the batter turns golden, put on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and squirt with fresh lime.

mother's day and grilled veggie lasagna

2011-05-09T21:30:00.000-06:00

We had our mammas over for Mother's Day dinner this year. We went totally simple this year with bbq'd burgers and fries. With a wedding coming up in the family in just under 3 months, we grilled up some veggies for those family members who felt like being healthy. Most went with the beef though so we had loads of roasted eggplant, zucchini, onions and red peppers left over.

What better way to use up those extra veggies than make veggie lasagna. I added the red peppers and onions to the sauce which was layered between the eggplant and zucchini and loads of cheese. It was filling and a great way to get in our day full of veggies. Q even finished off his plate which is always a good sign.

Mother's Day dinner ended with nutella ice cream and sticky toffee pudding. My sticky toffee pudding is a recipe of my friends, who makes the best I've ever tasted. I promised I wouldn't share the recipe though, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Hope all the mothers were spoiled!

an appetizer party for easter

2011-04-26T23:03:00.000-06:00

Our friends and I had such a great time with our Progressive Dinner a couple months ago, we were looking forward to our next dinner party. The theme for the party was appetizers. A whole meal of just appetizers! I could not wait. We took advantage of the long weekend and made a lunch of appetizers to celebrate Easter. Each couple were responsible for two appetizers, none of which were coordinated.

Salted steamed edamame as well as cocoa spiced pecans were placed on the table for munching.

Q helped me make these shrimp gyoza. These were stuffed with shrimp and loads of ginger, pan-fried and then steamed. This was served with my new favorite sauce - ponzu! How did I not know about this sauce earlier? Ponzu is a citrus-based soy sauce and is delicious! In the past week, I've had it with every possible food item, the bottle is almost done.

The boursin stuffed prawns wrapped in beef bacon were something I definitely wanted to share with our friends. Even those who weren't really seafood fans enjoyed these.

Hubby made up some beef shortribs in three varieties - East African hot, Korean bbq and a fusion of the two. These are usually served up at any gathering we have and they were delicious! The fusion ones were my fave.

Our friends brought over two different kinds of flatbread - cheese and herb. These were served with bruschetta and a spicy hummus.

One of my favorite appetizers to order at a restaurant is the chili chicken. Our friends made this without the crispy coating and it was delicious.

Chicken kabob skewers with veggies were grilled up and they were oh so tasty.

Our friends also brought over Aloo Tikki. These are basically Indian patties made with mashed potatoes and herbs and spices. Served with various chutneys, it was a great addition to our meal.

We rounded out the meal with a bowl full of nutella almond ice cream. It really was the perfect meal - little bites with amazing friends. A meal of appetizers is something we'll definitely be doing again.

beef bacon wrapped boursin filled prawns

2011-04-19T13:06:00.000-06:00

Rob Rainford was on CityLine last week and he made these amazing looking stuffed prawns wrapped in bacon. These looked like the perfect item for our upcoming appetizer party. I made a few changes, using ingredients that I had in the house. Trying to stop the cheese from oozing out while wrapping the prawn with the bacon took some effort. After making only 8, I decided that these may be more work than they were worth. I was wrong! These tasty bites were so amazingly delish, I wish I had made more. The creamy garlic from the cheese, the sweetness from the soy, the grease from the bacon - they just made us wanting more.

Beef Bacon Wrapped Boursin Filled Prawns
(Adapted from Rob Rainford's Stuff Jumbo Prawns with Goat Cheese Wrapped in Bacon)

8 jumbo prawns, peeled and deveined
8 tsp boursin cheese
4 strips beef bacon (or any bacon you wish to use)
4 TB sweet soy sauce

Butterfly each prawn and fill with boursin cheese. Take half a strip of bacon and wrap around the prawn, holding it together with tooth picks. BBQ until prawns turn pink, basting with the sweet soy sauce on both sides. Gently remove the tooth picks before serving.

fuji yama sushi

2011-04-15T12:02:00.001-06:00

My 2 year old loves sushi. So much so, that when any of the various websites featuring daily deals has a sushi deal, I grab a few. We all felt like sushi last weekend so I turned to the vouchers to help us decide where to go. We headed to Fuji Yama on 17th Avenue.

We were greeted with a familiar face - a sushi chef who used to work at Kinjo, one of our favorites! He started off our meal with an orange, segmented and turned into a great little creature. Q loved it!

Because there were four of us, we were able to use two of our vouchers ($40 for $80 worth of food...yay!). We started with shrimp tempura which was really good. The batter was light and crispy and it was a great way to begin our feast of sushi.

Some of the nigiri sushi that we sampled was the salmon, tuna, scallops and unagi. All were very fresh and tasted great. We also had many rolls - spicy salmon, california, dynamite and yam tempura. All of them were so delicious. We definitely got a lot for our money and Q had a lot of california rolls to take home for lunch the next day.

Service is huge for me and I was very pleased that it was amazing. Our server checked on us often and made sure we always had our drinks refilled.

We really enjoyed our meal at Fujiyama and look forward to our next visit.

nutella ice cream with almonds

2011-04-11T00:05:00.000-06:00

As much as I enjoy chocolate, I can't eat plain old chocolate ice cream. I need add-ins, like roasted nuts or coffee or chocolate chips. The combination of this chocolate ice cream with nutella (yum!) and roasted almonds is divine. This is an easy recipe, perfect for those nervous about making ice cream with eggs, like me. I am determined to try that one of these days, but for now, the simplicity of this creamy concoction will do just fine. This is the perfect dessert to end a meal, even my parents agree.

Nutella Ice Cream with Almonds

1 1/2 cups cream
1/2 can, condensed milk
2 TB cocoa
2 TB nutella
1/2 cup roasted almonds, coarsely chopped

Whip together the first four ingredients until everything is well incorporated. Place in the chilled canister and follow the directions of your ice cream machine. 5 minutes before your ice cream is ready, add in the roasted almonds. Chill for a couple of hours and enjoy every heavenly bite.

cocoa spiced pecans

2011-04-05T12:21:00.001-06:00

These nuts just came out of the oven and I can't stop eating them! Not sure there will be any left by the time hubby gets home. I wanted a snack but was craving so many things - chocolate, sweet, salty - I just couldn't decide what I felt like. I remembered a bag of pecans I had sitting in the pantry and figured it would be the perfect vehicle for all these flavours. This didn't take long to make and the baked nuts made the house smell delicious. I figured I would post this right away so I don't forget what I added. Next time I'll definitely be making a bigger batch, I just can't stop eating them. Enjoy!

Cocoa Spiced Pecans

1 cup pecans
1 TB butter, melted
2 TB brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cocoa
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake just until you smell the pecans. Combine all the other ingredients and toss with the baked nuts. Place the nuts back on the baking sheet and bake for another 10 minutes. Let the pecans cool for a few minutes before you devour them.

five guys burgers

2011-04-01T23:59:00.000-06:00

I had been hearing about Five Guys Burgers for a while now. People raved about how great these made-to-order burgers were, how big they were and all the toppings they had. I just had to go try it for myself. I stopped in a couple weeks ago and picked up some burgers to take home for dinner. I had expected a line but was happy to learn that I just missed the rush. Five Guys is located in Deerfoot Meadows, just across from Fat Burger.

The fresh burgers came in two sizes - small and regular. Luckily I did my research and avoided the regular sized hamburger which is made with two beef patties. The little hamburger was the perfect size, especially when all the toppings were added. The burgers were great and we will definitely be going back!

All toppings are free and there are many to choose from: mayo, relish, onions, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, steak sauce, bbq sauce and hot sauce. I especially liked the grilled onions and mushrooms.

The fries came in regular or cajun and you can expect a lot! No matter what size you order, they toss another scoop of fries into the bag. You are left with lots to share.

The one thing that people should be aware of are the open boxes of peanuts around the restaurant. As much as I love nuts, growing up with family members with nut allergies makes me very uneasy having nuts so openly available.

food mamma is one! chocolate layered birthday cake

2011-03-29T08:58:00.000-06:00

Food Mamma is ONE! Wow, a whole year has gone by since my first post. As much as I loved the idea of a food blog, I wondered if I would be able to maintain it, and come up with different things to make and post about. Turns out, content wasn't an issue. Finding time to post the content, well that's another story.

I am inspired daily by all the wonderful blogs that I read. They influence this blog and make me want to inspire others. Thanks to everyone for stopping by and for your comments.

I thought it would be fitting today to post the amazing cake my mom made for my birthday this year. Q requested chocolate so mom happily obliged. Four layers of chocolately goodness separated by a mocha whipped cream icing. The rich cake with the light icing made it a perfect pairing. Delicious!

Four Layered Chocolate Cake
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup margarine
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk

Mix the first three ingredients and keep aside.

Mix the dry ingredients and keep aside.

Beat the butter, margarine, sugar, vanilla, eggs and milk. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the chocolate mixture to this and mix again. Pour batter into 2 round cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Once the cakes have cooled, cut each layer in half so that you have four layers. Frost all layers with the icing.

Icing
3 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
pinch salt
2 tsp instant coffee

Beat all the ingredients together until the whipping cream comes together.

stop toast brutality

2011-03-23T11:15:00.002-06:00

Today is National Toast Day. For every person who goes onto: http://www.facebook.com/gayleafoods on March 23rd and signs the petition to “Stop Toast Brutality” Gay Lea will donate a tub of Spreadables butter to the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank.

“Hunger is an issue affecting many people across Canada. National Toast Day sets the stage for Gay Lea and the community to come together and help Canadians in a fun and interactive way,” says Carol Johnston, director of marketing at Gay Lea Foods.

Click here to sign the petition.

carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing: happy birthday dad!

2011-03-22T08:00:00.002-06:00

Today is my dad's birthday. There are many words to describe this amazing man - wonderful, giving, selfless, loving.

When Q turned one and I went back to work, I was lucky to have my dad take care of my son. While many had to worry about who was taking care of their children, I had reassurance that Q was in good hands. Not many grandfathers would take on the task of looking after a toddler, let alone changing diapers! Even now that I am home trying to start up a business, my dad takes care of Q for a few hours a day. I am so grateful to my dad, I don't know what I would do without him. His day definitely needs to be celebrated.

Since we had lots of chocolate cake on the weekend, I called my aunt for her amazing carrot cake recipe. This was a really easy cake to make, with everything blended in a food processor. Nuts are optional but I chose to add walnuts which added the perfect crunch to the moist cakes.

Carrot Cake

2 cups carrots, grated
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1.5 cups flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Grate the carrots in a food processor. Add oil and eggs and blitz until combined. Add sugar and blitz again. Add the dry ingredients and blitz until combined. Gently stir in the nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 block cream cheese
1 stick butter
3/4 cup icing sugar

Beat until combined.

Navroz Mubarak (Happy New Year)!

2011-03-21T08:44:00.000-06:00

March 21st marks the Persian New Year, Navroz (Nowruz). It is a festival celebrated in many Muslim communities and cultures. Dried fruits, nuts and grains are distributed symbolising blessings of abundance and sustainance.*

We wish everyone a very happy New Year filled with peace, happiness and lots of love.

~SFQ

* Wheat - strength, Sweet - happiness,love and affection, dried fruit - long life, raising - good health, nuts - intelligence, mint - curing disease, cloves - pleasure of life.

chocolate pot de creme with nutella whip

2011-03-13T10:15:00.000-06:00

I love March. It's a month of many birthdays. My dad's, my father-in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends ...and mine. As much as I hate getting older, I do take the time to celebrate my big day. Actually, I celebrate the week! I have a whole lot of pampering lined up - massage, facial, mani, pedi, hair - it's going to be a great week.

March for me is about indulgence. We had friends over recently and indulged in this chocolate cream pot. A creamy chocolate pudding with nutella whipping cream. It's so easy to make. The hard part is letting it refrigerate for a few hours. Definitely worth the wait.

Chocolate Pots de Creme with Nutella Whip
Adapted from Claire Robinson's 5 Ingredient Fix

4 oz chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp sugar
1 TB nutella

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Put the yolks in a small bowl; while whisking, add a small amount of the warm chocolate mixture to temper the yolks. Whisk the yolk mixture into the chocolate until well combined. Pour into a large baking dish and place it into a high-sided baking dish. You can use 4 ramekins instead of one large dish if you prefer. Fill the pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the chocolate-filled bowl and transfer to the oven. Bake until the custard is set but slightly jiggly, about 45 minutes. When the custard is at room temperature, refrigerate for a few hours.

Whip the remaining cream with the sugar until firm peak form. Add the nutella and whip for a bit more. Serve the cooled custard topped with the whip.

ruth's chris steakhouse

2011-03-10T20:39:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Valentine's Day, hubby and I chose to have dinner at Ruth's Chris. We had been to one Ruth's Chris in Vegas a couple of years ago but we hadn't tried the Calgary location. We had heard such a range of reviews, we just had to check it out for ourselves.

For Valentine's Day, Ruth's Chris was offering up their date night menu - an appetizer to share, an entree each, a dessert to share and wine for $99. It was a good thing we had reservations because the place was busy! The restaurant, located in the Tower Centre, was on the 2nd floor and had a good view of downtown. Ruth's Chris provided parking in the Tower Centre.

To start, we settled on the mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat. There were four mushrooms and the crab stuffing was pretty good. We were also served garlic bread and cheese bread, both of which were delicious and we had inhaled them long before our steaks arrived.

For our mains, I ordered the 8 oz petit filet and hubby ordered the 12 oz new york strip. The steaks came sizzling to the table in butter, how could that not be good! The petit filet was perfect if you were looking for meat that was soft and melted in your mouth. For flavour, the new york strip was the way to go. By ordering one of each, we had the best of both worlds.

We were able to order two sides to go along with our meals. We ordered the sauteed mushrooms and the mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, the sides were bland and disappointing. The mushrooms tasted like they were straight from a can.

To finish off our meal, we chose the creme brulee. Creme brulee is one of those desserts that we order every chance we get. This was one of the best brulees we have had! The sugar topping was light and delicate and the custard was creamy.

All in all, we enjoyed our meal. Except for the sides, the food was good. The service, which is a huge factor for me, was really good. Our waiter was very attentive and even the manager came to every table to ensure that everything was going well. We will definitely go back for the steak!

seared scallops and prawns with scrambled eggs

2011-03-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a long week and as tempting as it was to grab take out, I had to resist. We had a busy weekend ahead and I knew we would be eating out. I decided it was time to start cleaning out my freezer. With a wedding in the family coming up in the summer, I had a feeling we would need some space in there. I was happy to find some scallops and jumbo prawns but couldn't think of any side to make with it. We had finished most of our produce and rice just didn't appeal to me. Rummaging through the fridge, I did notice that we had an abundance of eggs and spinach....scrambled eggs, why not?

After making the seafood, I felt that it really needed some kind of sauce. The lemon butter sauce I threw together with garlic was just the right flavours needed to top off the scallops and prawns.

The combination was perfect! Comfort and decadence on one plate.

Seared Scallops and Prawns

6 sea scallops
6 jumbo prawns
olive oil
salt
pepper

2 TB butter
2 TB lemon juice
1 garlic clove

Pat the seafood dry and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a hot pan and sear until cooked. Once seafood has been removed from the pan, add the butter, lemon juice and garlic. Pour sauce over seafood and enjoy.

easy scones

2011-02-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

When I need whipping cream for a recipe, I can't help but buy the large 1L size, even if I just need a cup. It just makes economical sense. I know, I need help. That means that as the best before date approaches, I'm scrambling trying to find something to make with the whipping cream. I was happy when Julie posted this easy scone recipe that uses whipping cream instead of butter! In five minutes, the batter was mixed and dropped onto cookie sheets. The warm scones were perfect with homemade blueberrry jam. They were so good, they didn't last very long.

The recipe can be found at the Family Kitchen. Thanks Julie!

remembering geneva - pain au chocolat aux amandes

2011-02-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it's almost been 2 years since our last visit to Geneva. My sister worked there for a few years and it's been one of my favorite places to visit. The history, the lake, the chocolate, and of course, the food! The one thing that stands out, besides all the chocolate, is the pain au chocolat aux amandes. The day that we left for our swiss train ride, my sister ran to a nearby bakery and surprised us with these goodies. Croissants filled with almonds and chocolate, sinfully delicious! I've been addicted to these ever since. She has even brought them over on a few of her visits.

I've been thinking about these lately and just had to have one. We have some great bakeries in Calgary where one can easily find pain au chocolat or an almond croissant. Unfortunately, I couldn't find one that sold the combination. I figured I would try my hand at it, a perfect project when cooped up at home with a cold.

When searching for recipes, most called for marzipan as the filling for the almond croissant. Not willing to leave my house, I threw a few things together to make an almond paste. To make things a little easier, I pulled out one of my favorite ingredients from the freezer - puff pastry! Come to any party of mine and you will be sure to find something made with this buttery dough.

The result was a wonderful substitution for the croissant from Geneva. A flaky buttery crust filled with chocolate and a subtle hint of almonds. A delicious but dangerous snack to have around.

Pain au Chocolat aux Amandes

1/2 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 TB softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 TB flour

puff pastry
chocolate chips
egg whites, for egg wash
sliced almonds, for topping
icing sugar, for dusting

Combine the first six ingredients to make a paste. Roll out the puff pastry and cut into rectangles, approximately 8 rectangles per sheet. Spread almond paste on each rectangle. At the edge of each rectangle, put a line of chocolate chips, roll over once and add another row of chocolate. Roll the puff pastry to the end and place on parchment paper, seam side down. Brush the tops of rolled pastries with egg wash and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. Dust each with icing sugar.

dhokra (savoury steamed cake)

2011-02-19T19:47:00.001-07:00

If you randomly stop in for a visit at my parents house, it is likely that my mom will quickly whip up some dhokra to serve with tea. Dhokra, or dhokla as it is sometimes called, is a savoury steamed cake. There are many different ways to make this, either with gram flour or with wheatlets (or sooji). The cake has a sponge-like texture which is achieved with either baking powder or Eno. This is our family recipe. It is the perfect mid-afternoon or tea-time snack. It is best served with some hot sauce, or if you're like me and don't like too much spice, ketchup.

Dhokra (Savoury steamed cake)

1 cup wheatlets (sooji)
½ cup Yogurt
2 TB oil
Few leaves of cilantro
¼ tsp garlic
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp turmeric
1 cup water (approximately)
1 heaping tsp baking powder
Dried parsley and red chili powder

Mix the first 7 items well with water. Don't add the full cup right away. You want an almost pancake-like consistency. Then add baking powder. Pour into two cake pans or 20 foil muffin cups. Sprinkle parsely and chili powder on the top and steam for approximately 15 minutes.

sweets for my sweetie on valentine's day

2011-02-14T11:49:00.003-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day! With my birthday being next month and our anniversary the month after, we aren't big on store-bought gifts. I remember our first Valentine's Day, I made my honey some home-made truffles. Hard to believe that was eight years ago! It was definitely time to make the truffles again.

People always seem impressed when you make chocolates but it really is so easy! It's also messy, so be prepared to get your hands dirty. My favorite combo is chocolate with roasted almonds but any topping will work - sprinkles, dusted cocoa, even icing sugar.

Chocolate Truffles

8 oz. chocolate chips or squares
1/2 cup whipping cream

chocolate chips, melted
toppings (nuts, sprinkles, cocoa, etc.)

Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and whipping cream. Refrigerate the resulting ganache for a few hours. With a melon baller, scoop out little balls from the chocolate and refrigerate again. Take the scoops of chocolate and make them into round balls with the palms of your hand. Dip the balls of chocolate first into the melted chocolate and then into the topping of your choice. Enjoy!

almond valentine's day cookies

2011-02-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

Any excuse for my toddler and I to make cookies together, we take it. With Valentine's Day around the corner, we just had to make cookies to celebrate. Q gets up on the counter and helps pour things into the mixing bowl, watching as everything is incorporated. His favorite part is decorating, especially when sprinkles are involved.

These are cookies from my childhood. Almond cookies shaped into crescents. Sometimes topped with icing sugar, sometimes dipped in chocolate and nuts. Not too sweet, they are perfect with a cup of chai.

We dipped the ends of these ones into chocolate and covered them in heart-shaped sprinkles. A delicious surprise for all of Q's little friends.

Almond Crescent Cookies

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 1/2 cups flour

Beat the sugar and margarine until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix. Next add the almonds and flour until the dough comes together. Make dough into a disk and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Take rounds of dough and shape them into crescents. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies.

chocolate fiber muffins

2011-02-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

Chocolate - it's a huge weakness of mine. It's rare for a day to go by without me having it in some form. I was so happy when I rediscovered these chocolate fiber muffins. I found the recipe years ago and it was a favorite of mine, but somehow got lost and forgotten. I recently found it on my old computer and it has been a staple the last few weeks. Chocolate muffins that are good for you! These are filled with fiber and have no butter or margarine. These muffins are dense and filling and with their chocolately goodness, I don't know who likes it better, me or my toddler. I substituted half the batch with mint chocolate chips making it a good substitute for my peppermint hot chocolate which I rarely have these days. I wish I knew where this recipe came from - the creator of this recipe deserves A LOT of credit.

Chocolate Fiber Muffins

1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 TB baking powder
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups water
3 cups All Bran Cereal
2 egg whites
2/3 cup chocolate chips (or mint chocolate chips)

Put cereal in water and set aside. Mix all dry ingredients with a whisk. Combine cereal, dry mixture, egg whites and vanilla and mix well with a mixer. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.

redwater grille's shrimp - delicious!

2011-01-31T22:49:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we went to Redwater Grille to celebrate a friend's birthday. I started my meal with an appetizer of Pan Roasted Wild Shrimp in a garlic chili butter. The dish was so amazing and I thought about it for days. I had to find the recipe.

Thanks to Google, I discovered the menu was created by Ned Bell, who was the corporate chef of the Vintage Group who owns Redwater Grille. I happen to come across the recipe on someone's personal website, under a different name - I was thrilled! I made the shrimp for our Progressive Dinner and my husband commented that the sauce would go great with pasta. This past weekend, I pulled out my new pasta machine and tried my hand at fettucine. The wholewheat noodles were perfect to sop up the tasty sauce.

Ned Bell's Wild West Prawns

3 TB olive oil
30 peeled jumbo shrimp
2 TB minced garlic
1/4 cup dice red bell pepper
1 cup cherry tomotoes, quartered
2 TB chili powder
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup cream
8 ounces butter, cut into cubes
salt
pepper
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Heat oil in a pan until almost smoking hot. Add the shrimp and sear for 30 seconds or until they start to turn golden brown. Remove the shrimp and add the garlic, red pepper and tomatoes to the pan. Saute for about 1 minute or until the garlic browns slightly. Stir in the chili powder, cook 30 seconds and add the wine. Bring to a boil and add the cream and butter.

Reduce the sauce for about 2 minutes, or until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix in green onions and cilantro. Return the shrimp to the pan, warm through, and serve immediately.

progressive dinner party

2011-01-25T13:41:00.005-07:00

We had a wonderful dinner party this past weekend. After watching Giada's Progressive Dinner, I thought it would be such a fun thing to do! A three course meal at three different houses - it was a perfect event to do with our close friends who live minutes away.

It was bound to be an interesting evening since we weren't coordinating our menus.

We started with appetizers and cocktails at our house. Hubby was in charge of the cocktail and came up with an orange / nectarine mojito. With all the citrus and the mint, the drink was delicious and so fresh.

It was hard to decide on just one appetizer so I made a few. Rosemary almonds were placed on the table for people to munch on. It was nice to see that these were a big hit.

Since I had just had my lesson in making butternut squash ravioli, I definitely had to make a batch. Everyone was served one big ravioli with a serving of greens.

The idea of the progressive dinner came shortly before we visited Kayne's a few months ago. I knew after tasting their brie, I had to have something similar. I didn't want to fry anything so I baked some panko breaded brie which was served on top of red pepper jelly.

The final appy was a shrimp dish. Sauteed shrimp in a red pepper cream sauce served with baguette. It's a dish that I had at a restaurant recently and I was happy to find the recipe online.

We hopped into our cars and drove a few minutes to the next house for dinner. S and P had made an amazing thai dinner with both green curry and a spicy red curry. This was served with rice and was enjoyed by all, even the kiddies.

We then headed around the corner to S and G's house where we indulged in two desserts. Molten lava cake served with ice cream was the chocolate contribution of the night. The other dessert was a concoction prepared by S with lemon pound cake, custard and strawberries - delicious!

It was a fun evening and a nice way for everyone to contribute without doing a potluck. Looking forward to many more of these dinners!

gluten-free peanut butter cookies

2011-01-24T00:08:00.003-07:00

January 24 is Peanut Butter Day! This month, Lauren of Celiac Teen is hosting the monthly event, Go Ahead Honey It’s Gluten-Free (GAHIGF). A theme is chosen each month and based on that theme, bloggers create gluten-free dishes. Lauren's theme is "Follow the Calendar", where you pick a food holiday and make a recipe celebrating it.

I just happened to have made peanut butter cookies the day I read Lauren's post and thought it would be the perfect thing to blog about. This is the easiest cookie recipe with no flour and no butter. Only 4 ingredients are needed and the cookies turn out delicious! You know something is good when my 2 year old asks for more.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda

Beat the peanut butter and sugar until the 2 ingredients are incorporated and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the baking soda. Add to the peanut butter mixture. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes about 30 small cookies.

making butternut squash ravioli from scratch

2011-01-21T18:12:00.001-07:00

Last year, at one of our family dinners, my cousin AJ made us butternut squash ravioli with sage butter sauce from scratch. It was so rich and flavourful and ever since, I order butternut squash ravioli anytime I get a chance. When I bought my pasta machine this past Christmas, I knew the first thing I wanted to learn and make was my cousin's pasta.

AJ came over yesterday and taught me how. I couldn't believe how easy it was. I found it amazing how the pasta machine could take a ball of dough and turn it into something so long and thin. Amazing that all it took was flour and eggs. The word of the night was amazing.

The dough was just 1 1/2 cups of flour, 3 eggs and a little bit of olive oil. It came together pretty easily and then we kneaded it for over 10 minutes. We let the dough rest while we prepared the filling.

I had roasted the butternut squash earlier in the day with some olive oil and salt and pepper. It was really tasty and it was hard to not eat the whole thing before pasta making time. For the filling, we heated up some oil and sauteed a shallot with one clove of garlic. We then added the squash and 150 grams of goat cheese until it was all incorporated. We took it off the stove and mashed. We then filled up a ziploc bag, our makeshift piping bag.

The dough was put through the pasta machine a couple times on each thickness. By the time we got to the thinnest plate, the dough was long, thin and pliable. We piped the squash on one half of the dough and folded the dough over. Air pockets were removed and the dough was cut with a pizza cutter into squares. We boiled the ravioli for only 3 minutes!

We topped the pasta off with a sauce made with browned butter and sage ,and some parmesan cheese. So simple and with so much flavour!

I had so much fun making pasta. The end result was a very tasty, rich pasta. Amazing!

shrimp wonton soup

2011-01-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to try wonton soup but it seems like every restaurant has their wontons with pork, which I don't eat. I came upon a few recipes that had shrimp wontons and I knew I just had to try it. I combined a few different recipes and came up with this. I don't think greens are normally in the broth but I added spinach for more nutrients. The first time I made, we loved it but since we hadn't tried it before, we had nothing to compare it to. The next time, we had friends coming over that had tried wonton soup before. They loved it and went back for more - always a good sign. This will definitely be a regular at our house.

Shrimp Wonton Soup

Wontons:
1/2 pound shrimp
2 green onions
1 tsp corn starch
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp sesame oil

Broth:
4 cups chicken broth
1 TB soy sauce
splash of fish sauce
2 green onions
spinach

a night at NOtaBLE

2011-01-14T09:00:00.002-07:00

My husband has a new job. For the past few years, hubby has been a construction project manager, working on office buildings, supermarkets and large box stores. I am excited about his new venture with LUX Group where he will be in charge of building restaurants and coffee shops. Yes, food establishments. Hooray!

Hubby's new boss B and his girlfriend M (who it turns out I went to high school with!) were kind enough to take us out for dinner at NOtaBLE, Michael Noble's restaurant located on Bowness Road. I had heard and read great things about the restaurant and was excited to check it out.

We weren't able to make reservations for the day we went and the restaurant was busy - we did have to wait about 30 minutes for a table. We were quite hungry by the time we were seated and went straight for the main course. I ordered the char-grilled and braised lamb shank served with chanterelle mushroom and asiago risotto. It was a great choice. The lamb was moist and the risotto was creamy and delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Hubby ordered the whole grilled sea bream with lemon, thyme, and red wine butter sauce. Our server offered to debone the fish for him, although he didn't take her up on the offer. The fish was moist and very tasty.

There weren't a lot of vegetarian options for M but the kitchen was kind enough to make her gnocci with assorted veggies which she seemed to enjoy. B ordered the New York steak which looked juicy and tender.

We had to of course order dessert. The double baked chocolate cake was served warm with a scoop of chocolate sorbet and was delicious! B ordered the stilton cheesecake and enjoyed it even though he didn't like blue cheese. The cheesecake was served with a rhubarb compote.

Michael Noble worked with B on the menu for Kayne's so I did get an introduction after our meal. He was even kind enough to take a picture with me. We had a great time at NOtaBLE - great food and great company.

guest blogger: sweety's quinoa and veggie salad

2011-01-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to have a good friend of mine guest blog today. Sweety Sull Tumber is a wonderful mother to two gorgeous kids, J and S.

It's a snow day today and I was feeling hungry. Too lazy to run out in the blistering weather to purchase some groceries, I decided to test my culinary skills and come up with something to eat with existing ingredients in my pantry. For months now, I had been intentionally ignoring the jar of quinoa that I purchased on one of my 'today is the day that I will eat healthy and instantly lose a million pounds' type outings. So I thought... Maybe I should learn how to prepare this, how bad could it taste? I'll just jazz it up with some fresh veggies and lemon. On a side note, up until today I really had no idea what quinoa even was! Well, after some snooping around in my fridge and throwing some simple veggies together, I enjoyed the most healthiest, tastiest and filling salad ever! Quinoa is an amazing grain full of fiber and all nine amino acids. It's also a complete protein making this an excellent choice for those who are trying to lower their weekly meat intake. It's also gluten free. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. My 2 year old sure did.

Quinoa and Veggie Salad

1 cup dry quinoa , cooked and drained
1 long english cucumber, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup of diced celery
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
5 green onions, diced
2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
1/4 cup parsley
2 cups of canned cooked chickpeas, rinse well
2-4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
I also added 2 tablespoons of low fat italian dressing that I found in my fridge just for fun

Toss together and enjoy!

celebrating baby's upcoming arrival with cookies

2011-01-09T22:01:00.001-07:00

We are so thrilled that our dear friends will be having their first baby in a few weeks. We celebrated Baby L's upcoming arrival with a small dinner out with close friends. Even though we weren't really doing a shower, I wanted to do something to make the night out special. Of course, the idea that came to mind had to do with food! I had purchased a gingerbread man cookie cutter a month ago and never did get a chance to use it over Christmas. Using a sugar cookie recipe and the cookie cutter, the sugar 'baby' was created.

Roll-out Cookies
Adapted from Wilton

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 1 cup at at a time, mixing after each addition. Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle, approximately 1/8 inches thick and cut out cookies in the shape that you want. Bake cookies on an ungreased sheet for 7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

pizza party!!

2011-01-07T00:25:00.000-07:00

Since my sister was in town, we celebrated the holidays with our cousins by having a pizza party! Although I was hoping to make the dough, I ended up making my life a little easy and purchased pizza shells. Everyone had the chance to top their pizzas with homemade pesto (nut-free for those with allergies) or tomato sauce and then tons of toppings. Meat toppings included spicy chicken sausage, beef bacon, ground beef and beef pepperoni. Veggies included peppers (green and red), onions (white, red, green), tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, pineapple, roasted garlic and basil. Everyone had a great time being creative when topping their pizzas. It was a fun idea and we will definitely be having another pizza party!

happy new year!

2011-01-06T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe a new year has begun. Instead of starting the new year with resolutions I can't keep (give up chocolate? no way!), I reflect. Reflect upon what's important and what the new year can offer. What's important is always the same - family. When it comes to family, I am the luckiest girl in the world. A loving husband, the sweetest little boy, amazing parents that I don't know what I would do without, a great sister that I wish lived in the same country, if not city, wonderful in-laws and a close-knit family (uncles, aunts, cousins and their kids) that get together at least once a month.

This month's lunch was at a local Chinese restaurant - 24 of us in total, 6 under the age of 5. It was an afternoon filled with laughter, good conversation and a little bit of chaos. So thankful that I have these wonderful people in my life. Looking forward to a year filled with many family gatherings and celebrations!

christmas...and candy cane bark

2010-12-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

It was a wonderful Christmas. My sister who had been stuck in Europe because of all the flight cancellations finally made it here with her fiance. Although time with them will be short, we are so lucky to be spending the next few days with them.

Around here, a fave of ours during the holidays is candy cane bark. With two layers of chocolate topped with crunchy candy canes, it's a winning combination.

Hope everyone's Christmas was as sweet as ours!

Candy Cane Bark

1 cup dark chocolate
1 cup white chocolate
5 candy canes, crushed

Melt the dark chocolate and spread a layer on parchment placed on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate until cooled. Melt the white chocolate and place on top of the dark chocolate. While still warm, sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Once hardened, break into pieces.

sinful chocolate squares

2010-12-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

When we were younger, my sister and I loved it when my mom made desserts with condensed milk. We couldn't wait to get our share of the sweet liquid. Sometimes we would open up a can and eat it like pudding. One of my favorite things to do with condensed milk is to make these squares. Very similar to Eagle Brand's Magic Cookie Bars, these are even more sinful with a chocolate crust.

Sinful Chocolate Squares

1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (plus a little more for licking!)
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup almonds

Combine the crumbs and margarine and and press into the bottom of an 8" x 8" dish. Pour the condensed milk over the crumbs followed by the chocolate, coconut and almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

whipped shortbread

2010-12-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Baking continues with one of my favorites, whipped shortbread cookies. I've been making this recipe for years and can't remember where it comes from. It's a simple recipe with only 3 ingredients! Whipping the dough for 10 minutes makes it light and fluffy and the buttery cookies just melt in your mouth. These cookies went fast and I know we'll be making a couple more batches before the year is done.

Whipped Shortbread

1 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 cup flour

Cream the butter and icing sugar together. Add the flour and beat for 10 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen small cookies.

palmiers

2010-12-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

Well, it's that time of year. Time for Christmas parties and tons of baked good. We may not celebrate Christmas religiously but we do celebrate the holiday season with close friends and family.

Baking this year started off with the simplest of cookies. Made with only 2 ingredients, Palmiers are puffs of buttery sugary dough baked until golden. They look quite fancy, people will never guess they take only minutes to prepare.

Palmiers

1 box of puff pastry
Sugar

Unroll one sheet of puff pastry. Sprinkle generously with sugar. Roll the pastry from the horizontal ends into the middle. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and then cut the roll into pieces. Sprinkle each piece with sugar and place on parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

kale chips

2010-12-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

After reading about it on blogs, twitter and even watching it on television, I had to see what all the fuss was about. People seemed to be raving about kale chips. I couldn't understand how so many could get excited about greens. Well, I understand it now! I made a batch last week and hubby and I polished it off in minutes. I made a couple more batches on the weekend for family and everyone loved it. The tough greens when tossed in oil and seasoning and baked turn into paper-thin morsels that just melt in your mouth. Check out recipes on the following blogs: Backseat Gourmet, Dinner with Julie, Gluten Free Girl as well as Giada's recipe on Food Network. Great served with Basil Mayo (mayo, basil, 1 clove garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper).

chocolate cake with nutella whip icing: happy birthday mom!

2010-11-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's birthday! My mother is known for her wonderful cakes and she is kind enough to make them for all of our birthdays. I felt that she definitely deserved to have someone make a cake for her, so Q and I took on the task. I couldn't decide what to make but Q said chocolate so chocolate it was! The recipe I used was Kraft's Best Ever Chocolate Cake. I wanted a lighter icing though and thought what could be better than chocolately nutella and airy whipping cream. We tried it out and the combination was delicious! Along with the cream, I added a layer of nutella between the two layers as well. Sprinkled with some grated chocolate chocolate, it was the perfect way to celebrate a classy lady. Happy Birthday Mom! Love you!

Kraft's Best Ever Chocolate Cake
From Kraft Foods

2/3 cup butter, softened
1-3/4 cups each flour and granulated sugar
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Magic Baking Powder
1-1/4 cups water
4 squares Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate, melted, cooled
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round pans. Beat all cake ingredients except eggs in large bowl with mixer 2 min. or until well blended. Add eggs; beat 2 min. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 35 to 40 min. or until toothpick inserted in centres comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Nutella Whip Icing

2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup nutella

Whip the cream until doubled in volume but right before soft peaks are formed. Heat the nutella and gently fold into the cream and beat until completely whipped. Refrigerate until ready for the cake.

kayne's restaurant

2010-11-23T10:52:00.001-07:00

This weekend we had the opportunity to go to the opening of Kayne's Restaurant in Calgary. Kayne's is a venture by Lux Restaurant Group and features a menu that was developed with Chef Michael Noble. Located on 17th Avenue, this modern-looking pub boasts a lounge area with a wall of flat screen tvs.

There were so many great things on the menu, it was hard to decide exactly what we wanted to try. We decided to make a meal of appetizers and they were delicious!

We started with the Bison Pops. These are indian-spiced bison meatballs served with a garlicky tzatziki. These skewers were exploding with flavour, we had to resist the urge to order some more.

Being the cheese lovers that we are, we just had to try out the Crispy Brie. The brie was lightly breaded with panko and the warm cheese just oozed out with every bite. This was served with a sweet cranberry sauce and was fantastic!

We also tried out the Seafood and Chicken Purses. These were fried wontons stuffed with a shrimp and chicken mixture. Another great appetizer.

One thing that stood out in all the dishes was the amount of flavour! Great food and great service - we will definitely be back to try out the rest of the menu.

Coke and Peanuts

2010-11-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

rosemary spiced nuts

2010-11-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

In a recent episode of Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate", snacks craved by food personalities were featured. Giada's favorite snack were the bar nuts at Union Square Cafe in New York. The hot nuts featured on the show looked so delicious, I started searching for the recipe. Luckily, Nigella Lawson featured the nuts in her show Nigella Bites a couple of years ago, and the recipe was easily accessible. Instead of using a mix of nuts, I used one of my faves, almonds. The scent of these nuts mixed with the rosemary and spices filled the house and we couldn't wait for them to be cooled before devouring them. This delicious snack appeals to all as it satisfies any craving - salty, sweet, spicy, savoury. My only advice is that you make lots!

Union Square Cafe's Bar Nuts

2 1/4 cups nuts
2 TB coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 TB butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until light golden brown, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and melted butter.

Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm.

mint chocolate chip ice cream

2010-11-15T09:37:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we went to sin city and had a fabulous few days there. It was a nice break and we enjoyed some quality family time. On our last day there, we stopped for some mint chocolate chip ice cream. It was the worst mint ice cream I have ever had! When we got home, I was happy to find some cream in the fridge and found my easy recipe for one of our favorite flavours.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups cream
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 tsp mint extract
3 drops green food coloring
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Dissolve the sugar in the milk. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and chill the mixture for an hour. Follow the directions of your ice cream maker. Add the chocolate chips in the last ten minutes. Enjoy!

shrimp cakes

2010-11-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

Shrimp is a staple in our home. It thaws easily and cooks quickly, it's the perfect thing to pull out and make a quick meal with. We had family bringing dinner over (lucky us!) but I still wanted to make an appetizer. My fridge was stocked with peppers and onions and I thought this would be the perfect quick snack to make. Hubby loved them and even raved about them to our massage therapist - always a good sign. Can be served with roasted red pepper dip or garlic aioli.

Shrimp Cakes
Makes 12

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 green onions, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 egg
1 TB dijon mustard
salt
pepper
breadcrumbs

In a food processor, coarsely chop the raw shrimp. Transfer to a bowl and add the veggies, egg, mustard, salt and pepper. Add breadcrumbs, a little at a time, until the mixture can be formed into patties. Refrigerate the patties for about 5 to 10 minutes. Pan fry the shrimp cakes until shrimp is cooked and each cake has a nice brown crust.

Q turns 2!

2010-11-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my little man turned 2! Seems like just yesterday he was born. We celebrated with a few friends and family with a Sesame Street themed music party.

I think I shocked the people who knew me by not making a single thing! Well, I did make chocolate chip cookies for the kids to take home with a crazy straw for milk but besides that, nothing!

We ordered pizza from down the street and snacked on veggies and chips and assorted flavours of crackers from the goldfish bar.

My mom, who makes the most delicious cakes, baked Q's cake and we got the local bakery to decorate it with the Sesame Street theme.

My sister-in-law led the kids in song so they were able to play with their tamborines, xylophones and maracas which they were able to take home with them. All in all, it was a fun day!

garlicky tomato and avocado bruschetta

2010-10-21T13:03:00.000-06:00

We have been lucky in the last couple of weeks to enjoy some great October weather. We took advantage of this last week and went to Canmore for the day. We had lunch at Luna Blue and enjoyed a feast of garlic with bruschetta, pizza and pasta.

I had good friends coming over for a lasagna dinner and I needed a quick appetizer to go along with it. The garlicky bruschetta from the week before had been on my mind and I figured it would be the perfect starter. I added an avocado to the mix which added some texture and made the bruschetta creamy. It was a hit, even with the little ones.

Garlicky Tomato & Avocado Bruschetta

3 tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 TB olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
bunch of basil, chopped
salt
pepper

baguette, sliced
olive oil for drizzling

Slice the baguette on the diagonal and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until toasted.

Mix the ingredients for the brushcetta. Let stand for 10 minutes. Top the toasted baguettes with the mixture and enjoy!

banana bread

2010-10-08T08:55:00.000-06:00

When visiting my cousin in Toronto this summer, she had made the most amazing banana bread. This bread is incredibly moist and so tasty, I was delighted when she shared the recipe. It became an instant hit and is now a regular in our house. Thanks A!

Banana Bread

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream margarine and sugar together. Once combined, add eggs and vanilla. Next, mix in the dry ingredients - flour and baking soda. Add the mashed bananas, sour cream and chocolate chips.

Add the batter to a loaf pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

chicken and spinach curry in less than 30 minutes

2010-09-29T12:39:00.001-06:00

We have been eating way too much red meat lately. It was time to take a break and start making more chicken and fish dishes. Looking through my fridge, I found I had some chicken and spinach, so I figured I would make hubby happy and make an Indian dish. Indian food does not have to be complicated or time consuming. In less time than it took Q to watch an episode of "In The Night Garden", this dish was ready to eat!

Chicken and Spinach Curry

Oil
3 chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 pound baby spinach
3 TB crushed tomatoes
2 tsp tomato paste
3 TB fried onions
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
coriander for garnish

Saute the chicken in the oil until half-cooked. Add the spinach and continue cooking until chicken is cooked and spinach is wilted. Add the tomatoes, onions and spices and cook for a few minutes. Add water and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with rice or naan.

comforting slow cooker chili

2010-09-20T18:15:00.001-06:00

Its getting cold out there! The winter chill is in the air and its not even fall (almost, but not quite)! With a weekend filled with cold and rain, comfort food was called for, like slow cooker chili.

I love the slow cooker. You dump things in, plug it in and let it sit and cook for you. Plug it in in the morning and you have a delicious meal waiting for you when you come back home from work. I prefer plugging it in at night and enjoying the wonderful smells as I sleep.

This is the easiest chili recipe and its delicious. Perfect for those cold, rainy days.

Slow Cooker Chili

2 pounds ground beef, chicken or turkey, browned and drained
1 can mixed beans, drained
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 - 4 tablespoons chili powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and mix thoroughly.
Cook on low for 8 hours.

celebrating eid - tomato and bocconcini salad

2010-09-10T21:23:00.001-06:00

Today is Eid, a festival which marks the end of Ramadan and a month of fasting. On this joyful day, people celebrate by going to mosque and sharing a feast with friends and family. This year's dinner consisted of a fabulous meal made by my mother-in-law which consisted of biryani (a rice and meat dish), and freshly fried samosa.

My contribution to the meal was a Tomato and Bocconcini salad made into an appetizer by placing the cherry tomato and cheese on a toothpick. This is one of my favorite salads - the combination of the lemon, garlic and basil adds so much flavour to the otherwise flat-tasting cheese.

This is a ridiculously easy to make salad and a great way to use up those summer tomatoes. Its packed with so much flavour, and is a hit everytime it is served.

Tomato and Bocconcini Salad

200 grams mini bocconcini
1 pint cherry tomatoes
zest and juice of one lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
basil bunch, chopped
2 TB parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper

Combine lemon, garlic, basil, parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add cheese and tomatoes and toss.

jessica's restaurant in chestermere

2010-09-06T23:03:00.002-06:00

Beef, coated in batter, deep fried and tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce...yum! Ginger beef is one of my favorite dishes and a must have at least once a month (or twice!). Luckily, Chestermere has a fabulous restaurant that serves great ginger beef to satisfy me every time I get a craving. The restaurant is located in the plaza just behind the car wash. Usually, we get their dinner for 2 - soup, spring rolls, chicken fried rice, chicken with mixed vegetables and ginger beef. Their portions are generous, and we always have left overs. The staff at Jessica's are very accomodating. When I have my son with me, they are happy to deliver the food to my car so I don't have to take him out of his car seat - how sweet is that! If you live in the city, Jessica's has a second location in Temple.

no-knead bread

2010-08-24T21:43:00.000-06:00

There is nothing better than freshly baked bread with melting butter and home made jam. Last summer, I had made loads of jam and was itching to make some bread at home to accompany it. I had asked my friend and fellow blogger Cheryl (Backseat Gourmet) to recommend something easy and she suggested a no-knead recipe posted on Julie's website (Dinner with Julie). This is the easiest recipe ever and it makes the most delicious bread. All you need to do is mix it and forget about it - for 24 hours anyway. I have made this so many times, and it is one of those no-fail recipes. Try it - your friends will think you're a star!

No-Knead Bread
From Dinner with Julie

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl stir together the flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and let it rest on the countertop for 18-24 hours at room temperature.

The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice, then roughly shape into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour. Fold it over the bread or cover with another cotton towel and let it sit for another hour or two.

While the bread is resting, preheat the oven to 450°. Put a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and flip the dough over into the pot; it may look like a mess, but that’s OK. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake another 10-15 minutes, until it’s nice and golden.

chana bateta

2010-08-10T22:57:00.000-06:00

It was quite the week last week, even though I had it off! My parents had gone away with the family for the week and since I had no childcare, I was lucky enough to spend the week with my toddler. I thought that I would be able to update this blog every couple of days, completely forgetting how much attention little ones need. We enjoyed our week with playdates and trips to the zoo and I even managed to do some experimenting in the kitchen.

This is a dish that I have eaten since childhood, called Chana Bateta. Literally, it translates to "Chickpeas and Potatoes". I would consider this as more of a soup or a stew than a curry as it is not eaten with rice or a bread, like naan or chopati. It is eaten with a spoon, topped with the indian snack Chevdo, or what I prefer, potato chips! If you have some tamarind chutney, add a bit of that too. I couldn't believe how easy this vegetarian recipe was to make, 20 minutes and it was ready to serve.

Chana Bateta

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3 curry leaves
2 TB gram flour
1 large can of plum tomatoes, blended + 1 TB of its liquid
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 medium potatoes, boiled and cubed
1 large can of chick peas
1 cup water
3 TB lemon juice
salt

Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the seeds start to pop, add the gram flour and cook for a few minutes. Add the tomotoes and cook for another five minutes. Add the turmeric and some red chili powder next. Mix and add the chickpeas, water, lemon juice and salt and cook for 10 minutes.

greek chicken kabobs

2010-07-27T22:58:00.000-06:00

We finally had a fabulous hot weekend and it was the perfect weather to enjoy the Kensington Sun and Salsa Festival. We tried many different salsas - spicy, cool, red, green - but my favorite was Broken Plate's greek salsa made with feta. It was delicious and I was inspired by the mediterranean flavours. I had thawed chicken breasts waiting for me at home for the next day's dinner, the perfect canvas to play! A little of this and a little of that and I came up with this tasty marinade that left the chicken flavourful and juicy.

Greek Chicken Kabobs

1 cup plain yogurt (Balkan style or homemade)
1/4 cup seasoned feta cheese
2 TB greek seasoning (I used Club House)
2 cloves of garlic
Zest of one lemon
Juice of half a lemon
3 chicken breasts, cubed

In a bowl, mix first 6 ingredients. Add the chicken and marinate overnight. Skewer the chicken and bbq. Perfect with salad and grilled smashed potatoes.

avocado milkshake

2010-07-23T21:47:00.000-06:00

Avocados and milkshake? I know, a weird combination. When I heard of it, I was skeptical. I had a couple of avocados that were really ripe and needed to be used right away. I was going to make my usual guacomole, but then our painter who was over, started talking about how wonderful avocado milkshake was. I didn't think it would be good, but I was up for an experiment. Boy was I wrong! This drink was delicious and Q couldn't get enough. Thanks J for the suggestion!

Avocado Milkshake

1 avocado
2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk

Blitz in a blender until combined.

great food and great service at kinjo (wish we could say the same for shibuya)

2010-07-20T18:45:00.001-06:00

While running errands in the south end of town this weekend, we stopped for lunch at one of my favorite sushi stops - Kinjo! Kinjo is located on Macleod Trail, just south of Chinook Centre.

Kinjo is one of those rare places that you consistently get great food and great service. As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted with many hellos and friendly faces. Luckily we missed the lunch rush and were seated right away.

Although the owner Peter wasn't there, Henry came over and made us feel welcome and brought over a little orange head for Q. The staff made a conscious effort to take care of all of us, even our toddler, which was much appreciated. The waitress even brought over chopsticks wrapped in elastic for Q so that he could get an early start at learning how to use them.

We were brought a sampler sushi plate to devour while we ordered and our sushi came quick. The food was fantastic as always. The new thing we tried was the tempura avocado which was so good, we had to order a second plate.

I love that the staff at Kinjo are so accomodating. Other places, like Shibuya, could learn a lot from them. We went to Shibuya a couple weeks ago. Close to Centre Street on 16th Avenue, we ducked into the restaurant when Q showed signs of hunger. We knew the California Roll would do the trick and after peeling away the seaweed, he devoured the crab and avocado filling.

For the next round, we requested just the filling, no seaweed, which seemed to confuse the staff. Our waitress said that they wouldn't know how to charge us so they couldn't do it. When we told them that it was for Q, and that whatever filling they would use in a roll to just put in a bowl, they refused. The reluctance of the staff to accomodate us and the rolling eyes of the hostess definitely put Shibuya on the "stay away" list.

As for Kinjo, we will be back, many times over.

garlic lemon shrimp orzo

2010-07-15T20:15:00.001-06:00

As much as I love cooking, sometimes after a long day at work, the last thing I want is to spend time in the kitchen. With a 20 month old though, its not always easy to grab some takeout that has the nutrition that is important in his diet. This is one of my favorite dishes and it's a quick and easy dish to prepare. The starch from the orzo makes the dish creamy, like a faux risotto. Q can be moody about food, and things he likes one day can be something he doesn't touch the next. This orzo is tasty and comforting and a dish that he never says no to. This dish is inspired by Ina Garten's Baked Shrimp Scampi.

Garlic Lemon Shrimp Orzo

1 pound of peeled, deveined shrimp
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
grated lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 TB butter
2/3 cup panko
1/2 cup orzo, cooked
salt
pepper

Cook the shrimp in oil until almost cooked through. Add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, and lemon zest and stir. Add in the lemon juice, butter and panko and stir until mixture becomes thick. Add orzo and stir until combined.

stampede breakfast with pancakes and beans

2010-07-12T21:13:00.002-06:00

It's Stampede time in our beautiful city of Calgary, which means an abundance of pancakes, cowboy hats and country music. For 10 days, people come together to celebrate "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth".

This past weekend, we attended the Ismaili Muslim Community Stampede Breakfast. Feeding nearly 5000, this is the 14th year of the annual breakfast. This year, the community partnered with the United Way of Calgary, and the Ismaili float was decorated to highlight the importance of high school completion for overall lifetime success

It was so great to have friends and co-workers join us at this event. Everyone enjoyed the pancakes, eggs and bharazi - an East African dish of pigeon peas in coconut curry. Since so many requested the recipe, I called up my aunt who is on the catering committee and she shared the recipe which is below. She is a genius at cooking and she was able to rattle the recipe off in seconds.

Bharazi (Pigeon Peas in Coconut Curry)

1 can of pigeon peas, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp green chilis, blended
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 can of coconut milk
1/4 can of evaporated milk
cilantro
salt

Cook the onion in oil until softened. Add the tomatoes, spices and milk and cook until mixture starts boiling. Add peas and cook until curry thickens. Finish the dish off with a generous amount of cilantro.

grilled pineapple salsa

2010-07-08T22:05:00.000-06:00

Has it already been 2 weeks since my last post? The days just seem to be flying by and we are already in July! We are finally enjoying some wonderful summer weather and there's no better time to do some grilling. Grilling at my house is a year round affair but nothing beats grilling fruit in the summer. My favorite is grilled pineapple, the bbq bringing out even more sweetness. While preparing Mahi Mahi burgers for dinner, I figured the best topping would be a grilled pineapple salsa. The combination of sweet pineapple, smoky roasted red peppers with a spicy kick was fresh and delicious.

And hey, if you have some extra grilled pineapple, spread some Nutella and sprinkle some nuts and you have yourself dessert!

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Grilled pineapple, cubed
Roasted red peppers, chopped finely
Green onions
Red onions
Mint
Lime juice
Hot sauce

Toss and serve!

lots of summer flavours in couscous salad

2010-06-21T18:35:00.002-06:00

Yay...summer's here! Lets hope that sunshine is here to stay. Time for patios and barbecues and fresh summer flavours. We've been trying to eat more grains and veggies. Unlike hubby, I can't eat a bag of celery and carrot sticks - its just too boring! This is the perfect salad that incorporates veggies and beans and with the addition of lemon zest, no one can call this boring.

Couscous Salad

1 cup couscous, cooked
1 cucumber, cubed
1 tomato, diced
1 bell pepper, cubed
2 green onions
1/2 red onion, diced
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
cilantro
2 TB olive oil
salt
pepper

Just toss everything together and enjoy!

happy father's day!

2010-06-20T20:13:00.001-06:00

Ahh, Father's Day. The one day a year that we get to honor the wonderful dads out there. I am lucky enough to have gotten the wonderful father that I did. He is a strong and amazing man.

It was a lovely day - breakfast with my dad, made by my mom; fresh samosas with my father-in-law made by my mother-in-law; and a delicious dinner at home to celebrate hubby, with grilled steak and lobster. The perfect Sunday.

To all the amazing fathers out there - Happy Father's Day!