Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Friday, July 26, 2019
Donut Taste Test • Tim Hortons Innovation Cafe
Since Hubby and I both enjoy doing taste tests, we figured we'd try the entire lineup of Dream Donuts from the Tim Hortons Innovation Cafe that just opened up in Toronto. We love donuts, so this was really just an excuse to eat 12 of them. These donuts are a bit "fancier" than the regular Tim Hortons donuts, but not as amped up as the $3-5 fancy donuts that are out there now. These donuts are currently priced at $1.99 each, $9.99 for 6, or $18.99 for 12.
Our favourite Dream Donuts from the Tim Hortons Innovation Cafe were:
Maple Bacon. The combination of a yeast donut base with a simple maple dip, topped with pieces of candied bacon was fantastic.
PB&J. This yeast donut filled with raspberry jam and topped with a peanut butter glaze and peanut pieces was decadent, peanut-y, and delicious.
Hazelnut Buttercream. This was one of my husband's favourites -- he doesn't normally gravitate towards chocolate donuts but he loved the buttercream and hazelnuts on this cake donut. I was ok about it.
Brown Butter & Sea Salt. This cake donut, topped with house-made brown butter icing and sea salt flakes, was simple yet had a "Je Ne Sais Quoi" quality to it. I wish it had a bit more sea salt though.
A bit about my tastes: I'm not a huge fan of fancy donuts. I prefer donuts that are easy to eat and don't have a lot going on. I usually prefer cake donuts (unless they're the dreamy Krispy Kreme Original Glazed variety). Please let us know if you like donuts and what your favourites are... and if you've tried any of the Dream Donuts, we would love to hear your thoughts. :)
If you're interested, please feel free to follow me on my new IG account where I'll be chronicling my eat-at-home adventures.
Not sponsored.
Monday, January 28, 2019
Cornbread
Cornbread has been on my list of recipes to try for years. I'm not sure what got in the way of me making it, because basic cornbread is a relatively simple and straightforward recipe. Perhaps my love for it (and hubby's lack of love for it) made me nervous that I would eat it all in one sitting. I finally tested out a cornbread recipe today to accompany our leftover Instant Pot Chili--ironically, I decided to bake because I was too lazy to pop out for 5 minutes to buy bread. I roughly followed this recipe, but I won't get into the debate about the use of wheat flour and sugar in cornbread. I know cornbread purists may have an issue with this, but I just go with what tastes good. And this does.
INGREDIENTS
• 1.5 cups cornmeal
• 0.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large egg
• 0.75 cups plain yogurt
• 0.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients (egg, plain yogurt, and almond milk) together in another bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to bowl containing dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Melt butter in 8" round cake pan and pour into the large bowl containing the batter. Stir to incorporate the melted butter with the batter.
6. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cornbread comes out clean.
7. Let rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing into wedges.
P.S. I didn't eat it all, although I probably could have. We saved some for tomorrow, and I'll likely gobble up a slice or two for breakfast (warmed up with with a pat of butter mmmmmmm!). I'm eager to experiment with this base recipe, hopefully in the not-so-distant future! Next time, I plan to add cheddar, corn, and jalapeno.
INGREDIENTS
• 1.5 cups cornmeal
• 0.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large egg
• 0.75 cups plain yogurt
• 0.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients (egg, plain yogurt, and almond milk) together in another bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to bowl containing dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Melt butter in 8" round cake pan and pour into the large bowl containing the batter. Stir to incorporate the melted butter with the batter.
6. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cornbread comes out clean.
7. Let rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing into wedges.
P.S. I didn't eat it all, although I probably could have. We saved some for tomorrow, and I'll likely gobble up a slice or two for breakfast (warmed up with with a pat of butter mmmmmmm!). I'm eager to experiment with this base recipe, hopefully in the not-so-distant future! Next time, I plan to add cheddar, corn, and jalapeno.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Instant Pot Chinese Hot Pot
Chinese hot pot is something that hubby and I indulge in almost every winter. We go the all-you-can-eat route, and we're usually overly stuffed by the end of each marathon meal. Last year, we skipped our cold weather hot pot visits, because neither of us felt like overindulging at a buffet. My in-laws and some of our friends do Chinese hot pot at home, but I've never been too curious about trying it myself. That is, until a close friend of mine tried it recently. She told me about buying the flavoured broth mixes from T&T and how delicious the result was, but my interest wasn't piqued until she said the magical word.
Sichuan.
Some of you know that I am a big fan of all things spicy, but Sichuan peppers hold a special place in my heart. I love how they numb my mouth in a delightfully cooling way, and the flavour is unlike any other spice I've tried. I order Sichuan broth at hot pot whenever I can, and I don't really lovelovelove hot pot unless I get my fill of this mouth-numbing spice. In fact, I was just telling hubby that when I'm craving hot pot, it's really the Sichuan broth I desire. It's a little odd because I have Sichuan peppers in my spice drawer, yet I rarely use them. It never occurred to me to make my own Sichuan broth or that I could buy pre-made seasoning. Over the holidays, hubby and I made a trip to T&T and purchased a couple of hot pot seasoning packets. We used them tonight to make Instant Pot Chinese Hot Pot, and it was just as delicious as my friend claimed.
Pictured above is half of our food, which I portioned out for us to eat today. Hubby and I didn't think it would be enough, because we usually eat AYCE, but amazingly, it was. We were both bursting by the end of the highly satisfying meal, and we're excited to chow down again tomorrow.
Sichuan.
Some of you know that I am a big fan of all things spicy, but Sichuan peppers hold a special place in my heart. I love how they numb my mouth in a delightfully cooling way, and the flavour is unlike any other spice I've tried. I order Sichuan broth at hot pot whenever I can, and I don't really lovelovelove hot pot unless I get my fill of this mouth-numbing spice. In fact, I was just telling hubby that when I'm craving hot pot, it's really the Sichuan broth I desire. It's a little odd because I have Sichuan peppers in my spice drawer, yet I rarely use them. It never occurred to me to make my own Sichuan broth or that I could buy pre-made seasoning. Over the holidays, hubby and I made a trip to T&T and purchased a couple of hot pot seasoning packets. We used them tonight to make Instant Pot Chinese Hot Pot, and it was just as delicious as my friend claimed.
Pictured above is half of our food, which I portioned out for us to eat today. Hubby and I didn't think it would be enough, because we usually eat AYCE, but amazingly, it was. We were both bursting by the end of the highly satisfying meal, and we're excited to chow down again tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Sugar Addiction
You don't have to know me all that well to know that I have a huge sugar addiction.
When I was little, my dad used to buy me two chocolate bars a day, and I would happily gobble them up. Mars, Snickers, Twix, Coffee Crisp, Crunchie, M&Ms, Smarties, Rolo, Kit Kat, Oh Henry, Mr. Big, Caramilk, Aero, Crispy Crunch, Wunderbar, Maltesers, 3 Musketeers, Bounty, Eat-More, Mirage, Skor, even Big Turk. You name it, I'll eat it. This past Christmas, hubby and I decided to only exchange perishable stocking stuffers as gifts, but I went absolutely BONKERS and bought us MOUNDS of sweet treats. Do you see what I did there? If you did, you're probably a sugar addict too.
Once the frenzy of the holidays had come and gone, I thought about the volume of junk food I brought into the home and questioned the reasonableness of my decision. I probably shouldn't have bought so much. I can still see my friend's face when I told her it only took me two days to eat a whole tin of Irresistables finger cookies (that's the black tin pictured below). And when I say me, I mean me. Hubby still has an unopened tin as we received two from my in-laws.
Hubby and I are slowly making our way through the treats--and we're definitely enjoying them--but once they're finished, I'm going to practice more restraint. I'm toying with trying to go at least a month with no processed junk food, although I'll still use and cook/bake with sugar, honey, and maple syrup. While monthly challenges aren't in my 2019 goals, I'm pretty sure I'll do the eat-at-home challenge at least once or twice (I'm thinking March and November), and I'm thinking the no processed junk food challenge will make an appearance at some point.
When I was little, my dad used to buy me two chocolate bars a day, and I would happily gobble them up. Mars, Snickers, Twix, Coffee Crisp, Crunchie, M&Ms, Smarties, Rolo, Kit Kat, Oh Henry, Mr. Big, Caramilk, Aero, Crispy Crunch, Wunderbar, Maltesers, 3 Musketeers, Bounty, Eat-More, Mirage, Skor, even Big Turk. You name it, I'll eat it. This past Christmas, hubby and I decided to only exchange perishable stocking stuffers as gifts, but I went absolutely BONKERS and bought us MOUNDS of sweet treats. Do you see what I did there? If you did, you're probably a sugar addict too.
Once the frenzy of the holidays had come and gone, I thought about the volume of junk food I brought into the home and questioned the reasonableness of my decision. I probably shouldn't have bought so much. I can still see my friend's face when I told her it only took me two days to eat a whole tin of Irresistables finger cookies (that's the black tin pictured below). And when I say me, I mean me. Hubby still has an unopened tin as we received two from my in-laws.
Hubby and I are slowly making our way through the treats--and we're definitely enjoying them--but once they're finished, I'm going to practice more restraint. I'm toying with trying to go at least a month with no processed junk food, although I'll still use and cook/bake with sugar, honey, and maple syrup. While monthly challenges aren't in my 2019 goals, I'm pretty sure I'll do the eat-at-home challenge at least once or twice (I'm thinking March and November), and I'm thinking the no processed junk food challenge will make an appearance at some point.
Monday, December 24, 2018
Quick and Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer
Happy holidays, everyone!! I hope you're having an amazing Christmas Eve. I'm back today with the quick and easy goat cheese appetizer recipe that I learned from my friend. She's an amazing cook and I've made this recipe so many times (as you may have seen in my vlogs). A few of you were curious about it, so here it is.
INGREDIENTS
• A small log of goat cheese--approximately 140-150 grams
• Half a large red onion, chopped into thin slices--approximately 150 grams (you can use any type of onion except for the sweet ones)
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes--I've been using a bit more to up our veggie intake, but approximately 250-450 grams would work for this recipe (cherry tomatoes are better for this dish, but you can also use grape tomatoes)
• 1 tbsp of cooking oil
• Salt and pepper to taste (I usually only use a pinch of salt when sweating the onions)
• Balsamic reduction to taste
• Artisan crisps
Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a light meal.
METHOD
1. Spread the goat cheese on a large plate in a thin layer.
2. Sweat the onions in the oil and add a pinch of salt.
3. Add cherry tomatoes and cook until softened.
4. Season with salt and pepper (optional).
5. Add the onion and tomato mixture on top of the prepared plate containing the goat cheese.
6. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
7. Serve with artisan crisps.
Quick, easy, delicious, and healthy! Please let me know if you end up making this. Thank you to my friend, M, for sharing this recipe with me!
INGREDIENTS
• A small log of goat cheese--approximately 140-150 grams
• Half a large red onion, chopped into thin slices--approximately 150 grams (you can use any type of onion except for the sweet ones)
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes--I've been using a bit more to up our veggie intake, but approximately 250-450 grams would work for this recipe (cherry tomatoes are better for this dish, but you can also use grape tomatoes)
• 1 tbsp of cooking oil
• Salt and pepper to taste (I usually only use a pinch of salt when sweating the onions)
• Balsamic reduction to taste
• Artisan crisps
Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a light meal.
METHOD
1. Spread the goat cheese on a large plate in a thin layer.
2. Sweat the onions in the oil and add a pinch of salt.
3. Add cherry tomatoes and cook until softened.
4. Season with salt and pepper (optional).
5. Add the onion and tomato mixture on top of the prepared plate containing the goat cheese.
6. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
7. Serve with artisan crisps.
Quick, easy, delicious, and healthy! Please let me know if you end up making this. Thank you to my friend, M, for sharing this recipe with me!
Thursday, December 20, 2018
OneZo Tapioca
My close friend and I met up today for our annual holiday dinner. We went to Cafe Cancan and ate until our bellies were ready to burst. After dinner, my friend suggested we go to OneZo Tapioca to try the bubble tea (and to exchange holiday cards). She told me that OneZo makes boba from scratch daily, and we were both eager to try it. Since it was later in the evening, I opted for the caffeine-free Taro Milk Tea (hot with 25% sugar and purple tapioca). It has been months since I've had bubble tea, and it was delicious! So delicious that I bought a second one to bring home for hubby to try. He likes it! :)
Monday, December 17, 2018
Apples
I ate so many at the silent meditation retreat, mainly because I enjoyed using the apple wedgers. I wanted to buy one straight away, but decided I didn't need one. After all, I have knives. However, as the days went on, I ate apple after apple after apple after apple, and I changed my mind. By the end of the course, I had convinced myself that I needed this kitchen gadget in my life. I bought one today. I figured it's $5 well spent if we end up eating more apples.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Mauritian Napolitaines
One of my former colleagues (and friend) used to bring me the most incredible shortbread sandwich cookies. Her sister has pretty much mastered the art of making these traditional sweets from Mauritius, and she makes them every year over the holidays. Both times my friend brought me these cookies, I reluctantly shared them with hubby, but it has definitely crossed my mind to eat them all myself.
My friend warned me that it's a bit of a process to make these cookies and that her sister has tweaked the recipe by making many batches over the years. It's been on my mind to try making them so I did yesterday. Everything was going along swimmingly until I got to the icing stage. I was using this recipe, which worked out very well for the most part, but I couldn't seem to frost the cookies to my liking. I broke a cookie in the process of trying a few different techniques, so hubby and I shared that one, and it was DELICIOUS. Eventually, I decided to spoon all the icing onto the cookies and call it a night.
Not being able to nicely coat the cookies to my liking ate away at me throughout the evening. I read a few different recipes and decided to try another method today. I couldn't scrape off the icing from yesterday so I just turned the cookies over and frosted the other side. Lo and behold--it worked! The below image to the right much more closely resembles the Mauritian Napolitaines in my memory. I'm definitely going to make these again (and perfect the recipe) when I'm back from the meditation retreat.
My friend warned me that it's a bit of a process to make these cookies and that her sister has tweaked the recipe by making many batches over the years. It's been on my mind to try making them so I did yesterday. Everything was going along swimmingly until I got to the icing stage. I was using this recipe, which worked out very well for the most part, but I couldn't seem to frost the cookies to my liking. I broke a cookie in the process of trying a few different techniques, so hubby and I shared that one, and it was DELICIOUS. Eventually, I decided to spoon all the icing onto the cookies and call it a night.
Not being able to nicely coat the cookies to my liking ate away at me throughout the evening. I read a few different recipes and decided to try another method today. I couldn't scrape off the icing from yesterday so I just turned the cookies over and frosted the other side. Lo and behold--it worked! The below image to the right much more closely resembles the Mauritian Napolitaines in my memory. I'm definitely going to make these again (and perfect the recipe) when I'm back from the meditation retreat.
Monday, December 3, 2018
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
It's been years since I've made pineapple fried rice. It used to be one of my go-to dishes. Hubby remembers me making it all the time, and in my heyday of cooking, I would be really extra and serve the fried rice in the hollowed out pineapple shell. I decided to recreate the dish today and used this recipe as the base--as per usual, I made a bunch of substitutions including omitting the shrimp, cashews, and coriander. I also added scrambled eggs and a bunch of other seasonings. I presented the fried rice in the pineapple shell, just to see if I could still remember how to do it, and it turned out so well! It was surprisingly fun to make this dish, and the result was delicious--the pungency of the shrimp paste and fish sauce really came though.
The pineapple shell was literally just for this blog post though. I put all the rice back in the wok right after taking this photo (and a video clip). We had to heat up the rice anyway, because I had made it earlier in the afternoon, before I totally fell off the rails trying to frost some shortbread sandwich cookies. Hubby came home to find me covered in cookie crumbs and icing--and not in a good way. If you want to see some delicious tasting but terrible looking cookies, you'll have to tune into my vlog tomorrow. Back to the fried rice. I feel kinda silly for going so many years without making this delicious dish. In an attempt to make up for lost time, I'm going to cook this again tomorrow, minus the pineapple shell.
The pineapple shell was literally just for this blog post though. I put all the rice back in the wok right after taking this photo (and a video clip). We had to heat up the rice anyway, because I had made it earlier in the afternoon, before I totally fell off the rails trying to frost some shortbread sandwich cookies. Hubby came home to find me covered in cookie crumbs and icing--and not in a good way. If you want to see some delicious tasting but terrible looking cookies, you'll have to tune into my vlog tomorrow. Back to the fried rice. I feel kinda silly for going so many years without making this delicious dish. In an attempt to make up for lost time, I'm going to cook this again tomorrow, minus the pineapple shell.
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Fancy-ing It Up
We ran out of roti a couple of days ago, so I made another batch. I also made a west indies style chicken curry in the Instant Pot and another batch of rice and peas. I had half a can of coconut milk left, so I used it to make a half portion of this haupia recipe, which is a Hawaiian coconut dessert that hubby and I both love. It was super easy to make, but it had to set in the fridge for 8-24 hours, so I promptly forgot about it. Until today.
I cut us three little pieces each, but they looked kinda naked on the plate, so I decided to add some blueberries. The recipe called for some toasted coconut, so I thought, "why not?" Then I remembered we still have some of the taro condensed cream from the Filipino supermarket, so I decided to fancy up the plate even more. My "edible art" needs some work, but I'm more than happy to keep trying. The end result was delicious!
I cut us three little pieces each, but they looked kinda naked on the plate, so I decided to add some blueberries. The recipe called for some toasted coconut, so I thought, "why not?" Then I remembered we still have some of the taro condensed cream from the Filipino supermarket, so I decided to fancy up the plate even more. My "edible art" needs some work, but I'm more than happy to keep trying. The end result was delicious!
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Flavour Inspiration - SOMA
Hubby and I have a few goodies from SOMA kicking around, so we've been slowly making our way through them. Treats from SOMA are a bit spendy for day-to-day consumption, so I was inspired to try to replicate the flavours. Yesterday, we tasted the mango bar with chili lime salt and WOWSA! While I won't be making chocolate anytime soon, I do have mango lassi on my list of recipes to try, and the SOMA treat reminded me of a delightfully mango-y mango lassi. I also plan to buy some li hing mui powder (which the mango bar reminded me of, for whatever reason)--this powder is super popular in Hawaii, especially sprinkled on top of shave ice, and I need some in my kitchen pronto.
Tonight, we tried the SOMA rose hot chocolate (no longer available). I made a couple of chocolate shots and added some steamed almond milk. The resulting hot chocolate had a nice rose flavour, but something was lacking. It tasted a bit watery. We've tried a couple flavours of the SOMA drinking chocolate in the past year or so, and they don't compare to the ones I remember from years ago. I used to love the spicy Mayan hot chocolate, as well as the jasmine scented hot chocolate (both no longer available). I plan to experiment a bit to try to make a similar rose hot chocolate with the ingredients in my pantry. Stay tuned...
Tonight, we tried the SOMA rose hot chocolate (no longer available). I made a couple of chocolate shots and added some steamed almond milk. The resulting hot chocolate had a nice rose flavour, but something was lacking. It tasted a bit watery. We've tried a couple flavours of the SOMA drinking chocolate in the past year or so, and they don't compare to the ones I remember from years ago. I used to love the spicy Mayan hot chocolate, as well as the jasmine scented hot chocolate (both no longer available). I plan to experiment a bit to try to make a similar rose hot chocolate with the ingredients in my pantry. Stay tuned...
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Buss Up Shut
My friend and I watched a documentary on roti last week. Everything looked mouth watering, so I vowed to try my hand at making roti at some point during the eat-at-home challenge. Well, today was the day! I decided to try making paratha roti, also known as buss up shut, because the end result looks like a busted up t-shirt. I followed this recipe, which was a tad cryptic in parts, but the process ended up being pretty straightforward (albeit time consuming).
To accompany the roti, I made jerk chicken from a recipe I adapted for the Instant Pot, rice and peas, and actual peas. That's right, I also made a HUGE pot of rice and peas because I thought the roti would not be enough. After seeing the size of the roti, I asked hubby if he wanted to share one, but he wanted his own "ruffled t-shirt" (as he called it when he couldn't remember the name). So we ate one whole roti each, and now my stomach feels like Alien is about to pop out. Let's just say I'll be halving the recipe next time. The jerk chicken ended up being very salty, but it was perfect with the roti, rice and peas, and actual peas. I can't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow!
To accompany the roti, I made jerk chicken from a recipe I adapted for the Instant Pot, rice and peas, and actual peas. That's right, I also made a HUGE pot of rice and peas because I thought the roti would not be enough. After seeing the size of the roti, I asked hubby if he wanted to share one, but he wanted his own "ruffled t-shirt" (as he called it when he couldn't remember the name). So we ate one whole roti each, and now my stomach feels like Alien is about to pop out. Let's just say I'll be halving the recipe next time. The jerk chicken ended up being very salty, but it was perfect with the roti, rice and peas, and actual peas. I can't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow!
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Sunday Dinner
Cheater's Duck Confit recipe is one of my favourite recipes to whip up during the eat-at-home challenge. I've made it three times, and I am slowing making the recipe my own. I've tried twice to crisp the skin while rendering the fat from the duck legs, but it always sticks. This time, I tried rendering the fat in the cast iron skillet and it worked like a charm! The skin didn't stick and it crisped up nicely; however, the crispiness didn't last as the recipe calls for oven braising in the pan with the lid on as the final step.
Even though the result was delicious, I'll continue tweaking until I get the fully rendered fat and crispy skin I desire. Regardless, tonight's feast was lip-smacking! To accompany the "duck confit," I made Instant Pot green lentils, smashed potatoes, and Normandy-style veggies (that's what our favourite frozen veggies are called at Costco). The result was delicious, nourishing, and very filling. Pretty much the perfect Sunday dinner.
Even though the result was delicious, I'll continue tweaking until I get the fully rendered fat and crispy skin I desire. Regardless, tonight's feast was lip-smacking! To accompany the "duck confit," I made Instant Pot green lentils, smashed potatoes, and Normandy-style veggies (that's what our favourite frozen veggies are called at Costco). The result was delicious, nourishing, and very filling. Pretty much the perfect Sunday dinner.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Beef and Turkey Sliders
Sliders have been on my mind since yesterday, and they are in my belly today! I made seven mini burgers for dinner this evening. I used a combination of ground beef and ground turkey--ground turkey is my favourite way to lighten up a dish. I use that in place of ground beef in pretty much all my recipes, with the exception of burgers, where I like to maintain the ground beef flavour. I used to use a 4:1 ratio of beef to turkey, but today I used 1:1 ratio and the burgers still tasted rich and meaty. I'm not a fan of adding filler like bread crumbs, but I got the idea to use hemp hearts some time ago, and the result was tasty and nourishing. I have a package of wheat bran I'm trying to use up, so today I used a combination of hemp hearts and wheat bran. These burgers were tiny but tall and surprisingly hearty. The sliders were super delicious, and I plan to make them again in a day or two. I've included my recipe below as a rough guideline, but if you decide to make these, please feel free to tweak the recipe to suit your tastes!
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb ground meat (today I used ½ ground beef and ½ ground turkey)
• 5 tbsp hemp hearts (today I used 3 tbsp hemp hearts and 2 tbsp wheat bran)
• 2 eggs
• Seasonings to taste (you can use whatever you like--today I used salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, white pepper, and cumin)
• Splash of red or white wine (optional--today I used a splash of dry vermouth)
• Grated cheese (optional)
• Oil (for cooking)
• Buns (today I used Dempsters Pull-Aparts)
• Condiments and toppings to taste (today I used spicy ketchup and pickled hot peppers)
METHOD
1. Put meat, hemp hearts, eggs, seasonings, and wine into a bowl and combine thoroughly (I use my hands).
2. Separate into 5 equal patties (or 7-8 for mini burgers).
3. Heat oil in a large pan or cast iron skillet.
4. Cook patties over medium heat until cooked through (approximately 5 minutes on each side).
5. Transfer patties to a plate and pile grated cheese on top.
6. Place patty on a bun and add desired condiments and toppings.
Serves 2 generously.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb ground meat (today I used ½ ground beef and ½ ground turkey)
• 5 tbsp hemp hearts (today I used 3 tbsp hemp hearts and 2 tbsp wheat bran)
• 2 eggs
• Seasonings to taste (you can use whatever you like--today I used salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, white pepper, and cumin)
• Splash of red or white wine (optional--today I used a splash of dry vermouth)
• Grated cheese (optional)
• Oil (for cooking)
• Buns (today I used Dempsters Pull-Aparts)
• Condiments and toppings to taste (today I used spicy ketchup and pickled hot peppers)
METHOD
1. Put meat, hemp hearts, eggs, seasonings, and wine into a bowl and combine thoroughly (I use my hands).
2. Separate into 5 equal patties (or 7-8 for mini burgers).
3. Heat oil in a large pan or cast iron skillet.
4. Cook patties over medium heat until cooked through (approximately 5 minutes on each side).
5. Transfer patties to a plate and pile grated cheese on top.
6. Place patty on a bun and add desired condiments and toppings.
Serves 2 generously.
Monday, November 12, 2018
Coconut Flour Chocolate Chunk Bars
When my sister and I were in Ottawa, we ate some yummy coconut bars from the hotel lounge, so naturally I wanted to make some when I got home. I found a recipe online, but it called for so much butter, sugar, and condensed milk that I quickly decided to look for something else. I've been wanting to try another recipe using coconut flour, and I stumbled across this one, which looked fantastic. I had all the ingredients on-hand, and the reviews were mostly positive, so I decided to go for it. I followed the recipe almost exactly (except I omitted the vanilla extract, only added 2 ounces of dark chocolate since that's all I had, used a loaf pan, and increased the baking time to 25 minutes), and the result was delicious. While my bars aren't as pretty, I can attest to them being incredibly moist, flavourful, and filling. The texture is cake-like and a bit crumbly, but the sweet treats still have a really nice mouthfeel. Hubby and I both loved the result--we ended up eating half the pan! Nom nom nom.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Easy Risotto Recipe
Risotto is one of hubby's favourite foods, but I've always thought it was too difficult to cook at home. I finally tried making it myself (perhaps during last November's eat-at-home challenge?), and it has become one of my go-to recipes. I read a ton of recipes when I was learning how to cook this, and eventually pieced together this one. Now, I make risotto around once a week--it's incredibly easy and so incredibly delicious.
INGREDIENTS
• 400 grams frozen shrimp, thawed
• 3 cups unsalted chicken broth
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 large celery stalks, finely chopped
• ½ large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste
METHOD
1. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. As soon as broth begins to boil, reduce the heat so broth remains steaming, but is no longer simmering.
2. Heat approximately ½ tbsp of butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pan fry in batches until just cooked through. Add more butter with subsequent batches as required. Remove shrimp and set aside.
3. Add remaining butter to the same saucepan that was used to cook the shrimp. Add onion, garlic, and celery. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice, and stir to coat. Season with salt if desired (be careful if broth contains salt).
4. Stir ½ cup of the hot broth and a splash of wine into the rice. Deglaze the pan and stir frequently, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to cook on medium-low heat, adding broth in ½ cup increments followed by a splash of wine, and stirring after each addition until most of the liquid is absorbed. I typically add liquid every 5 minutes, and the risotto is the texture I like after 30 minutes of cooking. The risotto should be creamy and just tender.
5. Turn off heat, stir in parmesan and shrimp, and taste/adjust for seasonings.
6. Serve immediately.
This recipe serves 2 rather generously.
NOTE
You can substitute the ingredients as you wish. Sometimes I use peas instead of celery. If I use peas, I boil them separately and add them at the end with the parmesan and shrimp. I've also used salmon instead of shrimp. In that case, I bake the salmon separately and add a piece on top of the cooked risotto instead of incorporating it with the rice. If you like mushrooms, that's usually a nice ingredient to include in risotto. Saffron would also be amazing--in fact, I plan to make a saffron risotto (Risotto alla Milanese) sometime soon. Buon appetito!
INGREDIENTS
• 400 grams frozen shrimp, thawed
• 3 cups unsalted chicken broth
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 large celery stalks, finely chopped
• ½ large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste
METHOD
1. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. As soon as broth begins to boil, reduce the heat so broth remains steaming, but is no longer simmering.
2. Heat approximately ½ tbsp of butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pan fry in batches until just cooked through. Add more butter with subsequent batches as required. Remove shrimp and set aside.
3. Add remaining butter to the same saucepan that was used to cook the shrimp. Add onion, garlic, and celery. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice, and stir to coat. Season with salt if desired (be careful if broth contains salt).
4. Stir ½ cup of the hot broth and a splash of wine into the rice. Deglaze the pan and stir frequently, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to cook on medium-low heat, adding broth in ½ cup increments followed by a splash of wine, and stirring after each addition until most of the liquid is absorbed. I typically add liquid every 5 minutes, and the risotto is the texture I like after 30 minutes of cooking. The risotto should be creamy and just tender.
5. Turn off heat, stir in parmesan and shrimp, and taste/adjust for seasonings.
6. Serve immediately.
This recipe serves 2 rather generously.
NOTE
You can substitute the ingredients as you wish. Sometimes I use peas instead of celery. If I use peas, I boil them separately and add them at the end with the parmesan and shrimp. I've also used salmon instead of shrimp. In that case, I bake the salmon separately and add a piece on top of the cooked risotto instead of incorporating it with the rice. If you like mushrooms, that's usually a nice ingredient to include in risotto. Saffron would also be amazing--in fact, I plan to make a saffron risotto (Risotto alla Milanese) sometime soon. Buon appetito!
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Learning By Doing
I'm usually rather picky about which recipes I choose to try. When I decide to try a recipe, it's invariably because it's tried-and-true. In other words, the recipe received overwhelmingly positive reviews online, or the recipe was recommended to me by someone I know, or the recipe was one that I requested because I ate something that tasted really good. Even when a recipe has positive reviews, I like to read the comments to see if there are any tips included. Then I modify the recipe to suit my needs. Yesterday, I decided to try a recipe for these pumpkin spice cookies because I saw a photo on Instagram and I had the ingredients in my pantry. I didn't read the comments below the blog post, which was a big oops on my part. This is what happened.
Yes, that's the "cookie" that came out of the oven. To be fair, I did modify the recipe a little bit. I halved the recipe. I used 1/2 cup of rye flour instead of 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp of almond meal. I omitted the cloves and the vanilla extract. However, I make these types of substitutions all the time, even when baking, and I've never had any issues. Fortunately, the "cookie" did taste good, so my main concern was the shape. The recipe instructed, "Place by small spoonful the batter onto cookie sheet." This was my first time working with coconut flour so I wasn't sure if the cookies would spread out on their own. I didn't press them down, so when I pulled the "cookies" out of the oven, they looked terribly unappetizing. Hubby calls them "muffin tops" or just plain "bread." I thought they were kind of scone-like. I decided to try the recipe again today.
For my second batch, I made the same substitutions that I mentioned above; however, I used 1/4 cup of rye flour instead of 1/2 cup, I turned up the oven a bit, and I pressed/shaped the cookies. The result looked much more appetizing and the flavour was a bit better too, but the texture still was not cookie-like. Hubby calls these "flat bread." The whole experience got me thinking about learning. When it comes to cooking, I love to learn by doing. It feels natural to experiment in the kitchen, adjust recipes to suit our tastes, and tweak future iterations to make the recipe my own. I also know when to give up. If my first batch of cookies had been a disaster, I would have written off this recipe. Fortunately, the "cookies" were tasty, so I decided to see if I could improve the next batch. The difference is night and day.
Note: no cookies will be wasted in the making of this blog post. Hubby and I will happily gobble up all the treats.
Yes, that's the "cookie" that came out of the oven. To be fair, I did modify the recipe a little bit. I halved the recipe. I used 1/2 cup of rye flour instead of 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp of almond meal. I omitted the cloves and the vanilla extract. However, I make these types of substitutions all the time, even when baking, and I've never had any issues. Fortunately, the "cookie" did taste good, so my main concern was the shape. The recipe instructed, "Place by small spoonful the batter onto cookie sheet." This was my first time working with coconut flour so I wasn't sure if the cookies would spread out on their own. I didn't press them down, so when I pulled the "cookies" out of the oven, they looked terribly unappetizing. Hubby calls them "muffin tops" or just plain "bread." I thought they were kind of scone-like. I decided to try the recipe again today.
For my second batch, I made the same substitutions that I mentioned above; however, I used 1/4 cup of rye flour instead of 1/2 cup, I turned up the oven a bit, and I pressed/shaped the cookies. The result looked much more appetizing and the flavour was a bit better too, but the texture still was not cookie-like. Hubby calls these "flat bread." The whole experience got me thinking about learning. When it comes to cooking, I love to learn by doing. It feels natural to experiment in the kitchen, adjust recipes to suit our tastes, and tweak future iterations to make the recipe my own. I also know when to give up. If my first batch of cookies had been a disaster, I would have written off this recipe. Fortunately, the "cookies" were tasty, so I decided to see if I could improve the next batch. The difference is night and day.
Note: no cookies will be wasted in the making of this blog post. Hubby and I will happily gobble up all the treats.
Sunday, October 28, 2018
How I Developed a Healthy Relationship with Food
As I was getting ready to do the eat-at-home challenge this November, I was reflecting on how far I’ve come in terms of my relationship with food, so I wanted to post a video talking about how I developed a healthy relationship with food.
I used to be really obsessed with food. I LOVE eating, but I would often overindulge, and then I would feel terrible afterwards. On the one hand, I had such passion for food, but on the other hand, I felt a lot of guilt for going out to eat all the time, stocking our cupboards with processed food, and generally feeling like food controlled me. In recent years, I’ve learned a lot about myself and I’ve developed a few strategies to avoid overindulging, which has resulted in me having a much more healthy relationship with food. I still love food, but I no longer obsess about it and I make better choices. I still eat a bit of junk, but I practice moderation, and I try to cook most of our meals at home. I'm still learning, but I'm proud to have gotten to this point.
Here are the key items that helped me to improve my relationship with food:
1) I got to know myself better and became honest with myself about my relationship with food.
This is something I'm still working on, but I've learned so much about myself over the years. If you follow my YouTube channel, you'll know I'm a big fan of setting annual goals and experimenting with monthly challenges. Over the past few years in particular, I've become much better at setting goals and challenges that nudge me towards my "best" life. I wanted to talk about this point first because knowing yourself, your triggers around food, and how you react both physically and psychologically to food are key to setting yourself up for success. Knowing yourself allows you to set up habits that work. You can look externally at people who seem to have their s%$# together, but ultimately, what works for you can only be determined internally.
I already know a lot about how I react to food psychologically, but I'm still learning about the physical aspect. I don't have any severe reactions or allergies to food, so I've never really thought too much about this, but I do often feel bloated or sluggish after eating. To that end, I've been keeping a food journal to hone in on how food makes my body feel. I've really enjoyed the process and I think I'll keep up with it throughout the November eat-at-home challenge.
The next 4 items are habits that work for me, and I was able to discover them through trial and error as I got to know myself better. All these tips work in conjunction with one another, and I didn't quite figure it out until I implemented all of these in my life. While I practice all of these habits the majority of the time, I also make exceptions when appropriate. I don't believe in being dogmatic and super strict (although I used to be very hard on myself when I didn't follow my own rules). If you set habits that enhance your life, they should feel happy and easy.
2) I started weighing out my more indulgent snacks and eating only one serving.
Before I developed this habit, I would eat SO MANY servings of my favourite snacks (peanut M&Ms FTW). I started weighing my snacks a number of years ago, but I would often go back for seconds, thirds, or even fourths, while diligently weighing out one serving each time. It was only after a few years, when I combined this habit with #3 below that I got the hang of moderation. Now, I only eat one serving of my more indulgent snacks around 95% of the time. There are still a couple of occasions when I still go back for seconds: for a day or two at that "time of the month" when I am absolutely ravenous or when I'm sick and literally unsatiable.
3) I started eating with no distractions.
This habit was a game changer for me. I'm the type of person who likes to see her food, so you won't see me snacking in movie theatres; however, I was still prone to consuming huge volumes of food mindlessly. I used to do this all the time because I would eat while watching TV, editing YouTube videos on my laptop, or looking at my phone. As a result, I really didn't know how much I was eating and I'd be done my food before I knew it. Once I started eating in my "little corner" with no distractions (not even listening to a podcast or an audio book), everything changed. I have so much more respect for food now, and I view eating as an important ritual. When I'm eating by myself, I view it as "me time." When I'm eating with friends or family, I view it as a time to catch up and bond. There are rare occasions when hubby and I will eat in front of the TV, for example, during the Super Bowl. I don't eat-on-the-go anymore; I prefer to sit down at a table with the intention to eat a meal.
The other reason this habit works to prevent me from overindulging is my desire to be productive. I love being productive and efficient. My mind is always racing and there is always something I want to do. Since I view eating as its own activity now, which is not eligible for multitasking, I have to take a break from being productive while I enjoy my meal. It's incredible what an impact this has. Now, I often finish my food, realize that I'm reasonably full, and decide to move on to something else rather than eating more. Mealtime used to be my carrot, but now I've discovered a second carrot: my productive time after mealtime.
4) I started doing the 30-day eat-at-home challenge.
My first 30-day eat-at-home challenge happened in November of 2016 and I did a blog post about the impact on my pocketbook. Besides the financial impact, the challenge allowed me to rediscover my love for cooking and eating at home. It was fun to discover my favourite recipes and rewarding to eat the fruits of my labour. The eat-at-home challenge interrupted my pattern of going out to eat and buying takeout (or ordering delivery) pretty much on a daily basis. I no longer need to do the eat-at-home challenge to break bad habits. Instead, I want to do the eat-at-home challenge because I love it so much.
5) I started experimented with intermittent fasting.
After I got Invisalign, I found it really tedious to eat at work. I didn't like how long it took to eat my lunch, floss, brush my teeth, and clean my aligners. It felt like a huge disruption. By that time, I was eating salad for lunch anyway, so it seemed like a lot of effort for a relatively light lunch. I started experimenting to see if I could go the entire day at my nine-to-five without eating. I would eat a larger-than-usual breakfast, and nothing again until my big dinner. It worked. I found it really easy to skip lunch, and thus I began "intermittent fasting." I'd experimented with this concept years ago, as I used to skip breakfast and eat at my desk at work at around 10:30am, so the concept was nothing new to me. However, I realize I sometimes eat out of boredom or frustration, so I was concerned about not having the mealtime "carrot" when I was spending all day at work. The Invisalign definitely helped with that. I don't think I could have skipped lunch had I not been wearing my aligners.
Fast forward to today, and I am pretty much done my Invisalign treatment. I only wear my aligners in the evening (after dinner) and overnight (before breakfast), but I've kept up with intermittent fasting. In fact, I like it better now, because I've reverted back to what feels natural for me, which is skipping breakfast (rather than lunch). I typically eat two large meals a day with no snacks, but I'm not super strict with timing. I have my first meal between 10am and 12pm and my second meal between 5pm and 8pm. Going back to key item #1 of knowing myself, I like to eat until I feel full, and then I'm really good at delaying gratification and not eating again until I'm hungry, so intermittent fasting works well for me and my body and the way I like to eat.
That's basically it for this blog post! The key takeaway is to know yourself and use this knowledge to develop strategies that work for you. It's ok if you don't want to weigh your snacks, or if you like to have popcorn at the movies, or if you like to go out at least once a month for a nice dinner, or if you like to eat 6 small meals a day. I'm here to share my experience, and I totally get that not everyone is the same. How boring would the world be if we were all copies of each other?! No one can tell you how to live life and what works for you, but the key is to be honest with yourself and create a life that is authentically you.
I used to be really obsessed with food. I LOVE eating, but I would often overindulge, and then I would feel terrible afterwards. On the one hand, I had such passion for food, but on the other hand, I felt a lot of guilt for going out to eat all the time, stocking our cupboards with processed food, and generally feeling like food controlled me. In recent years, I’ve learned a lot about myself and I’ve developed a few strategies to avoid overindulging, which has resulted in me having a much more healthy relationship with food. I still love food, but I no longer obsess about it and I make better choices. I still eat a bit of junk, but I practice moderation, and I try to cook most of our meals at home. I'm still learning, but I'm proud to have gotten to this point.
Here are the key items that helped me to improve my relationship with food:
1) I got to know myself better and became honest with myself about my relationship with food.
This is something I'm still working on, but I've learned so much about myself over the years. If you follow my YouTube channel, you'll know I'm a big fan of setting annual goals and experimenting with monthly challenges. Over the past few years in particular, I've become much better at setting goals and challenges that nudge me towards my "best" life. I wanted to talk about this point first because knowing yourself, your triggers around food, and how you react both physically and psychologically to food are key to setting yourself up for success. Knowing yourself allows you to set up habits that work. You can look externally at people who seem to have their s%$# together, but ultimately, what works for you can only be determined internally.
I already know a lot about how I react to food psychologically, but I'm still learning about the physical aspect. I don't have any severe reactions or allergies to food, so I've never really thought too much about this, but I do often feel bloated or sluggish after eating. To that end, I've been keeping a food journal to hone in on how food makes my body feel. I've really enjoyed the process and I think I'll keep up with it throughout the November eat-at-home challenge.
The next 4 items are habits that work for me, and I was able to discover them through trial and error as I got to know myself better. All these tips work in conjunction with one another, and I didn't quite figure it out until I implemented all of these in my life. While I practice all of these habits the majority of the time, I also make exceptions when appropriate. I don't believe in being dogmatic and super strict (although I used to be very hard on myself when I didn't follow my own rules). If you set habits that enhance your life, they should feel happy and easy.
2) I started weighing out my more indulgent snacks and eating only one serving.
Before I developed this habit, I would eat SO MANY servings of my favourite snacks (peanut M&Ms FTW). I started weighing my snacks a number of years ago, but I would often go back for seconds, thirds, or even fourths, while diligently weighing out one serving each time. It was only after a few years, when I combined this habit with #3 below that I got the hang of moderation. Now, I only eat one serving of my more indulgent snacks around 95% of the time. There are still a couple of occasions when I still go back for seconds: for a day or two at that "time of the month" when I am absolutely ravenous or when I'm sick and literally unsatiable.
3) I started eating with no distractions.
This habit was a game changer for me. I'm the type of person who likes to see her food, so you won't see me snacking in movie theatres; however, I was still prone to consuming huge volumes of food mindlessly. I used to do this all the time because I would eat while watching TV, editing YouTube videos on my laptop, or looking at my phone. As a result, I really didn't know how much I was eating and I'd be done my food before I knew it. Once I started eating in my "little corner" with no distractions (not even listening to a podcast or an audio book), everything changed. I have so much more respect for food now, and I view eating as an important ritual. When I'm eating by myself, I view it as "me time." When I'm eating with friends or family, I view it as a time to catch up and bond. There are rare occasions when hubby and I will eat in front of the TV, for example, during the Super Bowl. I don't eat-on-the-go anymore; I prefer to sit down at a table with the intention to eat a meal.
The other reason this habit works to prevent me from overindulging is my desire to be productive. I love being productive and efficient. My mind is always racing and there is always something I want to do. Since I view eating as its own activity now, which is not eligible for multitasking, I have to take a break from being productive while I enjoy my meal. It's incredible what an impact this has. Now, I often finish my food, realize that I'm reasonably full, and decide to move on to something else rather than eating more. Mealtime used to be my carrot, but now I've discovered a second carrot: my productive time after mealtime.
4) I started doing the 30-day eat-at-home challenge.
My first 30-day eat-at-home challenge happened in November of 2016 and I did a blog post about the impact on my pocketbook. Besides the financial impact, the challenge allowed me to rediscover my love for cooking and eating at home. It was fun to discover my favourite recipes and rewarding to eat the fruits of my labour. The eat-at-home challenge interrupted my pattern of going out to eat and buying takeout (or ordering delivery) pretty much on a daily basis. I no longer need to do the eat-at-home challenge to break bad habits. Instead, I want to do the eat-at-home challenge because I love it so much.
5) I started experimented with intermittent fasting.
After I got Invisalign, I found it really tedious to eat at work. I didn't like how long it took to eat my lunch, floss, brush my teeth, and clean my aligners. It felt like a huge disruption. By that time, I was eating salad for lunch anyway, so it seemed like a lot of effort for a relatively light lunch. I started experimenting to see if I could go the entire day at my nine-to-five without eating. I would eat a larger-than-usual breakfast, and nothing again until my big dinner. It worked. I found it really easy to skip lunch, and thus I began "intermittent fasting." I'd experimented with this concept years ago, as I used to skip breakfast and eat at my desk at work at around 10:30am, so the concept was nothing new to me. However, I realize I sometimes eat out of boredom or frustration, so I was concerned about not having the mealtime "carrot" when I was spending all day at work. The Invisalign definitely helped with that. I don't think I could have skipped lunch had I not been wearing my aligners.
Fast forward to today, and I am pretty much done my Invisalign treatment. I only wear my aligners in the evening (after dinner) and overnight (before breakfast), but I've kept up with intermittent fasting. In fact, I like it better now, because I've reverted back to what feels natural for me, which is skipping breakfast (rather than lunch). I typically eat two large meals a day with no snacks, but I'm not super strict with timing. I have my first meal between 10am and 12pm and my second meal between 5pm and 8pm. Going back to key item #1 of knowing myself, I like to eat until I feel full, and then I'm really good at delaying gratification and not eating again until I'm hungry, so intermittent fasting works well for me and my body and the way I like to eat.
That's basically it for this blog post! The key takeaway is to know yourself and use this knowledge to develop strategies that work for you. It's ok if you don't want to weigh your snacks, or if you like to have popcorn at the movies, or if you like to go out at least once a month for a nice dinner, or if you like to eat 6 small meals a day. I'm here to share my experience, and I totally get that not everyone is the same. How boring would the world be if we were all copies of each other?! No one can tell you how to live life and what works for you, but the key is to be honest with yourself and create a life that is authentically you.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Double Desserts
It's been a bit of an indulgent week, so I'm excited to be doing the eat-at-home challenge again very soon. Hubby and I have still been eating the majority of our meals at home; however, we've been supplementing with outside treats almost daily.
Monday:
I made miso salmon, steamed rice, and pickled onions.
We supplemented with Singapore slaw from Kid Lee (50% off due to Ritual Eats Week).
Tuesday:
I made sous vide steak with steamed vegetables.
We supplemented with fries from McDonald's (free due to the Raptors making 12 three-pointers on Monday night).
Wednesday:
I made sous vide steak again with kimchi fried rice.
We supplemented with maple roasted butternut squash soup from Soup It Up (free due to App-e-Hour event at First Canadian Place).
Thursday:
I made lasagna (yum!).
We supplemented with unintentional double desserts--hubby brought home Portuguese custard tarts (from work), and I bought cookies from Le Gourmand (to take advantage of a $5 AMEX credit offer).
As you can see, I've been really good at taking advantage of food deals while incorporating the goodies into our meals at home. While delicious, the daily treats are becoming a bit too indulgent, so I'm eager to see if I can forgo the deals in November and cook everything myself. This eat-at-home challenge is going to be slightly different, and I'll go into more detail in a future vlog, but I will be posting a lot of my food adventures on this blog. In the meantime, here is a photo of our double desserts.
We heated the Portuguese custard tarts in the toaster oven, and they were perfectly flaky, crispy, sweet, and delicious. Then we had the cookies! Le Gourmand makes the best cookies. My favourite flavour is peanut butter, but it was sold out, so I picked up the white chocolate macadamia nut for myself (I also like the chocolate walnut). Hubby loves oatmeal raisin, so that's the one I picked up for him. :)
Monday:
I made miso salmon, steamed rice, and pickled onions.
We supplemented with Singapore slaw from Kid Lee (50% off due to Ritual Eats Week).
Tuesday:
I made sous vide steak with steamed vegetables.
We supplemented with fries from McDonald's (free due to the Raptors making 12 three-pointers on Monday night).
Wednesday:
I made sous vide steak again with kimchi fried rice.
We supplemented with maple roasted butternut squash soup from Soup It Up (free due to App-e-Hour event at First Canadian Place).
Thursday:
I made lasagna (yum!).
We supplemented with unintentional double desserts--hubby brought home Portuguese custard tarts (from work), and I bought cookies from Le Gourmand (to take advantage of a $5 AMEX credit offer).
As you can see, I've been really good at taking advantage of food deals while incorporating the goodies into our meals at home. While delicious, the daily treats are becoming a bit too indulgent, so I'm eager to see if I can forgo the deals in November and cook everything myself. This eat-at-home challenge is going to be slightly different, and I'll go into more detail in a future vlog, but I will be posting a lot of my food adventures on this blog. In the meantime, here is a photo of our double desserts.
We heated the Portuguese custard tarts in the toaster oven, and they were perfectly flaky, crispy, sweet, and delicious. Then we had the cookies! Le Gourmand makes the best cookies. My favourite flavour is peanut butter, but it was sold out, so I picked up the white chocolate macadamia nut for myself (I also like the chocolate walnut). Hubby loves oatmeal raisin, so that's the one I picked up for him. :)
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Eats Week
Ritual is holding Eats Week until October 26th. It's been going on since the 15th, but I only took advantage of it yesterday, so I felt a bit late to the game. If you order through the Ritual app and pay using Apple Pay, you can receive up to 50% off a selection of items from a variety of eateries. Yesterday, I picked up an order of Singapore Slaw from Kid Lee for 50% off. This makes a rather large and filling salad, which hubby and I shared as part of our dinner. I also made miso salmon, steamed rice, and pickled onions. We "sandwiched" all the deliciousness in nori sheets, which we cut up into little strips and rolled into bite-size morsels. It was SO good. If you're new to Ritual, you can use this referral link to receive a $10 credit. Bon appetit!
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