Makes 2 cups
1 orange
1 grapefruit
3 carrots
Remove stems from carrots and cut as required to fit into the juicer. Peel and quarter orange and grapefruit. Process through juicer according to manufactuer's instructions.
Amy
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Kofta Kebabs
The smell of these kebabs is simply amazing. These can either be made as meatballs or as kebabs formed on bamboo skewers. They are fantastic served with a simple tzatziki or yogurt sauce in a pita or with a salad.
Serves four
1 pound ground lamb or beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup breadcrumbs or almond flour
3 tablespoons onion, minced
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, mix until well combined. Form the mixture into approximately 24 evenly sized balls. Form around the bamboo skewers if using. Flatten the balls into a 2 inch long oval.
Grill Method
Preheat the grill to medium heat and grease lightly. Cook the kebabs on the grill, turning periodically, until cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.
Oven Method
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brown the kebabs on each side in a skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer the kebabs to a foil-lined roast pan and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through.
♥ Amy
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
On the Town: Perogy Boyz Food Truck
This past Friday, I managed to experience my first food tuck when some co-workers decided to head downtown in search of the Perogy Boyz. We found the bright red truck parked along 5th Avenue SW across from the McDougall Centre. Unfortunately I did not think to take any photos so I have had to borrow some.
For my first experience I decided to stick with the classic and ordered the Traditional Perogies - filled with potato and cottage cheese, served with caramelized onions, bacon and sour cream ($7.00).
Growing up in a Ukrainian family with a Baba of my own, I have tried my fair share of perogies and these perogies were pretty close to the one's of my childhood memories. However they were a little oilier than I would have preferred. The onion and bacon topping was delicious - caramelized to perfection. The serving size was a little small but then again I am used to gorging myself on perogies at the family Easter feast so maybe my perspective of an appropriate serving size is off. My co-workers also gave their good reviews.
The Mexicali Perogies looked delicious - filled with ground beef and topped with a generous amount of fresh tomatoes, green onion, cheddar cheese and chili aioli. I would be tempted to return one more time to try the Duck Perogies topped with saskatoon berries and ponzu sauce - the combination sounds intriguing.
Service was outstanding for a food truck - the food was served fast and the cook even took the time to stick his head out of the window to do the obligatory first bite check.
 |
| Perogy Boyz Food Truck via To Market, To Market |
For my first experience I decided to stick with the classic and ordered the Traditional Perogies - filled with potato and cottage cheese, served with caramelized onions, bacon and sour cream ($7.00).
 |
| Traditional Perogies via The Open Banana |
Growing up in a Ukrainian family with a Baba of my own, I have tried my fair share of perogies and these perogies were pretty close to the one's of my childhood memories. However they were a little oilier than I would have preferred. The onion and bacon topping was delicious - caramelized to perfection. The serving size was a little small but then again I am used to gorging myself on perogies at the family Easter feast so maybe my perspective of an appropriate serving size is off. My co-workers also gave their good reviews.
The Mexicali Perogies looked delicious - filled with ground beef and topped with a generous amount of fresh tomatoes, green onion, cheddar cheese and chili aioli. I would be tempted to return one more time to try the Duck Perogies topped with saskatoon berries and ponzu sauce - the combination sounds intriguing.
Service was outstanding for a food truck - the food was served fast and the cook even took the time to stick his head out of the window to do the obligatory first bite check.
Perogy Boyz Food Truck
Monday, February 20, 2012
Avocado Beet Salad
Serves two
4 small beets
4 fingerling potatoes, optional
1 avocado
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons truffle-infused olive oil
Salt
Pepper
3 cups mixed salad greens
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place the beets and potatoes into a roasting pan. Roast for 40 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool.
Remove the skin from the beets and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Slice the potatoes and avocado into 1/4 inch slices. Combine the vegetables in a large bowl. Wash the salad greens, dry well and place in a large bowl.
Add the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper to a bowl. Whisk to combine.
Divide the dressing between the bowl with the greens and the bowl with the vegetables. Toss to coat. Plate the salad greens and top with the vegetables.
♥ Amy
4 small beets
4 fingerling potatoes, optional
1 avocado
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons truffle-infused olive oil
Salt
Pepper
3 cups mixed salad greens
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Place the beets and potatoes into a roasting pan. Roast for 40 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool.
Remove the skin from the beets and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Slice the potatoes and avocado into 1/4 inch slices. Combine the vegetables in a large bowl. Wash the salad greens, dry well and place in a large bowl.
Add the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper to a bowl. Whisk to combine.
Divide the dressing between the bowl with the greens and the bowl with the vegetables. Toss to coat. Plate the salad greens and top with the vegetables.
♥ Amy
Friday, February 17, 2012
Sauteed Garlic Shrimp
Serves four
1 pound large shrimp
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon parsley
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute the shrimp until cooked through.
Serve warm over a salad or pasta.
♥ Amy
1 pound large shrimp
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon parsley
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute the shrimp until cooked through.
Serve warm over a salad or pasta.
♥ Amy
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sesame Ahi Tuna
Dave had to work late on Valentine's Day so we opted to celebrate with dinner in. Our menu consisted of sautéed garlic shrimp, avocado beet salad and seared sesame ahi tuna. It was a fantastic meal.
I will post the rest of the recipes in the coming days.
Serves two
250 grams ahi tuna
Salt
Pepper
Chili flakes
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Season the tuna with salt, pepper and chili flakes.
Mix the sesame seeds and black sesame seeds together in a plate. Coat all side of the tuna in the seeds.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear the tuna one to two minutes per side depending on the desired rareness.
Serve warm.
♥ Amy
I will post the rest of the recipes in the coming days.
Serves two
250 grams ahi tuna
Salt
Pepper
Chili flakes
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Season the tuna with salt, pepper and chili flakes.
Mix the sesame seeds and black sesame seeds together in a plate. Coat all side of the tuna in the seeds.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear the tuna one to two minutes per side depending on the desired rareness.
Serve warm.
♥ Amy
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Red Hot Cupcakes
The second batch of cupcakes I made in honour of Valentine's Day. Who doesn't love red hot candies?
Adapted from the Cupcake Blog, makes two dozen cupcakes
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups icing sugar
3/4 cup red hot candies
4 tablespoons milk
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter until softened. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well.
Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Measure out the milk and vanilla into a small bowl and stir to combine.
Add a third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat to combine. Add half of the milk mixture and beat to combine. Continue alternating between the dry ingredients and milk mixture until fully incorporated.
Scoop the batter into the cupcake papers, fill to about 2/3 full.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
In the meantime, make the frosting by beating the butter in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment at medium-high speed until creamy. Slowly add the sugar. Pulse the red hot candies in a blender until powdered and then add to the icing. Add the vanilla and milk and continue beating until light and fluffy. Frost cool cupcakes.
♥ Amy
Monday, February 13, 2012
Very Vanilla Cupcakes
I love Valentine's Day not because of the cheesy romantic connotations but because it is an excuse to bake! This year I went all out with two batches of cupcakes. The second recipe will be posted tomorrow.
Vanilla sugar can be made simply by placing a vanilla bean pod into a pound of sugar and allowing it to sit for a couple days. Store in an airtight container.
From the Cupcake Blog, makes two dozen cupcakes
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 2/3 cups vanilla sugar
2 eggs
2 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod
1 cup butter
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod
4 to 5 cups icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a muffin tin with cupcake papers.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter until softened. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine.
Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slice the vanilla bean pod and scrape out the seeds into a small bowl. Add the milk and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add a third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat to combine. Add half of the milk mixture and beat to combine. Continue alternating between the dry ingredients and milk mixture until fully incorporated.
Scoop the batter into the cupcake papers, fill to about 2/3 full.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
In the meantime, make the frosting by beating the butter in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment at medium-high speed until creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat to combine. Slowly add the sugar. Add the vanilla extract, seeds from the vanilla bean pod and milk. Continue beating until light and fluffy.
Frost cool cupcakes.
♥ Amy
Vanilla sugar can be made simply by placing a vanilla bean pod into a pound of sugar and allowing it to sit for a couple days. Store in an airtight container.
From the Cupcake Blog, makes two dozen cupcakes
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 2/3 cups vanilla sugar
2 eggs
2 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod
1 cup butter
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod
4 to 5 cups icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a muffin tin with cupcake papers.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter until softened. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine.
Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slice the vanilla bean pod and scrape out the seeds into a small bowl. Add the milk and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add a third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat to combine. Add half of the milk mixture and beat to combine. Continue alternating between the dry ingredients and milk mixture until fully incorporated.
Scoop the batter into the cupcake papers, fill to about 2/3 full.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
In the meantime, make the frosting by beating the butter in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment at medium-high speed until creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat to combine. Slowly add the sugar. Add the vanilla extract, seeds from the vanilla bean pod and milk. Continue beating until light and fluffy.
Frost cool cupcakes.
♥ Amy
Friday, February 10, 2012
Paleo "Ice Cream"
This recipe is paleo-friendly, dairy-free and can also be made vegan and egg-free.
And it actually tastes like ice cream!
The egg yolks are completely optional but will result in a richer, creamier ice cream. I have used the base recipe to make Green Tea Almond ice cream (with out eggs) and Chocolate Almond Butter ice cream (with eggs). Other tempting flavourings: mango puree, instant coffee powder, coconut extract and shaved coconut, banana, fresh mint and chocolate... the options are endless!
Makes 1 litre
2 400 mL cans coconut milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
3 egg yolks (optional)
Flavourings as desired
If using eggs or flavourings that need to melt such as chocolate or almond butter, heat the coconut milk and flavourings in a small saucepan, do not boil. Whisk in the eggs. Add the sweetener to taste but remember that ice cream generally tastes less sweet once it is frozen. Transfer to the ice cream maker.
If you are not using eggs or a flavouring that needs to be melted, simply whisk every thing together in a bowl and transfer to the ice cream maker.
Freeze as per ice cream maker instructions.
Green Tea Almond
Ice cream base as above
1 tablespoon matcha tea powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Toasted almond flakes (optional)
Chocolate Almond Butter
Ice cream base as above
1/2 cup 70% cocoa chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
♥ Amy
And it actually tastes like ice cream!
The egg yolks are completely optional but will result in a richer, creamier ice cream. I have used the base recipe to make Green Tea Almond ice cream (with out eggs) and Chocolate Almond Butter ice cream (with eggs). Other tempting flavourings: mango puree, instant coffee powder, coconut extract and shaved coconut, banana, fresh mint and chocolate... the options are endless!
Makes 1 litre
2 400 mL cans coconut milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
3 egg yolks (optional)
Flavourings as desired
If using eggs or flavourings that need to melt such as chocolate or almond butter, heat the coconut milk and flavourings in a small saucepan, do not boil. Whisk in the eggs. Add the sweetener to taste but remember that ice cream generally tastes less sweet once it is frozen. Transfer to the ice cream maker.
If you are not using eggs or a flavouring that needs to be melted, simply whisk every thing together in a bowl and transfer to the ice cream maker.
Freeze as per ice cream maker instructions.
Green Tea Almond
Ice cream base as above
1 tablespoon matcha tea powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Toasted almond flakes (optional)
Chocolate Almond Butter
Ice cream base as above
1/2 cup 70% cocoa chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
♥ Amy
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Salmon Corn Chowder
Serves four
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups onion, chopped
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 340 mL cans corn kernels, drained
1 fillet salmon, skin removed and chunked
1/2 cup smoked salmon, chunked
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dill
1/8 teaspoon chili flakes
Salt
Pepper
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion until softened. Add the potato and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potato is tender. Add the corn and salmon. Simmer 5 minutes further until the salmon is cooked through. Add the cream and seasonings. Allow to simmer until warmed through.
Garnish with fresh dill or chives.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Carrot-Apple Juice
By far my favorite juice. We have been going through a bag of carrots and apples a week recently!
Makes 2 cups
2 apples
3 carrots
1/2 slice ginger, optional
Wedge lemon, optional
Remove stems from carrots and beets. Cut the apples and vegetables down as required to fit into the juicer. If desired, add ginger or lemon to the juicer. Process through juicer according to manufactuer's instructions.
Amy
Makes 2 cups
2 apples
3 carrots
1/2 slice ginger, optional
Wedge lemon, optional
Remove stems from carrots and beets. Cut the apples and vegetables down as required to fit into the juicer. If desired, add ginger or lemon to the juicer. Process through juicer according to manufactuer's instructions.
Amy
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