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world partnership walk 2016

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There’s less than ten days until the World Partnership Walk, taking place in Calgary on Sunday, June 5th.  This walk is Canada’s largest event in support of global development, taking place in ten Canadian cities. 
I’ve been participating in this walk since I was little and it’s so
great to be able to do the walk with my kids.

It’s a fun day walking
around Prince’s Island Park, enjoying the entertainment and, let’s not
forget about the food!  Samosas and Chicken Tikka from A Fine Balance, Butter Chicken and Bhel from Africana and Ribs and Kebabs from Royal Quality Catering. These great vendors are donating a portion of their sales to the World Partnership Walk.

Subway and The Burger Shack will also be there and will be donating 100% of the proceeds to the walk. So basically, you’re making a difference by eating – perfect!

Q is raising funds and if you would like to donate, you can do so here. Thank you! Hope to see you at the walk. Step forward and help end global poverty.

cheesy puff pastry sticks

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Puff pastry is one of those versatile things that are great to have in the freezer.  It’s perfect for desserts or main courses and great for making a range of appetizers.

I had people coming over and needed something to add to the charcuterie board. I was hoping for bread sticks but didn’t have any. I did have puff pastry though so cheese sticks sounded perfect. I had recently found Nigella seeds which added a burst of flavour with every bite. These taste great, and even more so when they are warm.

Cheesy Puff Pastry Sticks

1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup shredded cheddar / marble cheese
2 tsp nigella seeds

Roll out the puff pastry. Sprinkle the cheese on the pastry and fold it in half. Roll it out again so that the cheese gets incorporated into the dough. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the pastry and run the rolling pin over it so that the seeds get embedded into the dough. Cut strips and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, giving them a little twist. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

spiced garlic bread burgers

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It was a typical May long weekend – cloudy, rain and even snow! This past weekend was a far cry from the 30 degree weather we experienced the week before. You gotta love Calgary weather.

Last week’s hot temperatures made us want to bbq. We really felt like having some burgers and not having any buns was not going to stop us. I had a couple loaves of garlic bread in the freezer and it made the perfect enclosure for some juicy, spiced burgers. Adding cumin and coriander definitely added the pop of flavour that I was hoping for. Combined with the buttery garlic from the toasted bread, it was a satisfying summer time meal.

Spiced Garlic Bread Burgers

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground corainder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
salt
pepper
garlic bread

Combine the beef with the spices, mixing just enough to get everything mixed together. Make patties and bbq. Grill the garlic bread and any veggies you want to top your burger. Enjoy!

#whatsyourbento

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Did you know Edo has bento boxes? What a great way to enjoy their delicious Teriyaki meals with one of your favourite sides! Have one of Edo’s suggested Bento Boxes or create your own!

Here’s my Bento – I named it “Under the Sea”! Sizzling Shrimp with Tempura Shrimp and Dynamite Rolls as the sides. Can you tell I love
shrimp?

Want to win a $50 gift card to Edo and create your own bento box? Leave a
comment below, on Instagram or on Facebook and let me know what you
would put in your bento. Contest closes on Sunday, May 22nd, 2016 at
11:59pm MT.

international hummus day…and a sabra giveaway!

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Did you know today is International Hummus Day? We love hummus. I love that’s it’s packed with protein and that it’s easy to make. The kids love dipping their veggies in it, making me happy they are eating their veggies!

Hummus is great when entertaining, especially this Jalapeno Hummus. When you don’t feel like making it though, there’s Sabra!

Sabra’s dips are made from fresh ingredients and are inspired by flavours from around the globe. From Classic Hummus to Roasted Red Pepper, Carmelized Onion and the ever popular, Roasted Garlic. To celebrate Hummus Day, Sabra is offering up a prize pack valued at $50!

Want to win? Leave a comment, send a tweet or leave a message on Facebook and let me know, what do you like to dip in your hummus?  Contest closes on Sunday, May 22nd at 11:59PM, MT.

panzanella salad

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When I went grocery shopping last week, tomatoes were not on the list since I had so many at home. But when I saw the container of coloured ones, I just couldn’t resist. Red, orange, green, purple – they were just so pretty!

I immediately thought of a Panzanella salad – tomatoes and bread, the perfect combination. I bought a loaf of French bread which got polished off way before I had time to make a salad. Did I mention we love bread around here? I went and bought another loaf on the weekend, determined that it would make it into the salad this time.

Saturday was a hot day so we pulled a few marinated items from the freezer (so handy!) and enjoyed them with this salad. It was bright and refreshing and we polished off the bowl.

Panzanella Salad

1/2 loaf French bread, cubed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red pepper, cubed
1/2 red onion, sliced
10 basil leaves, chopped

Dressing:
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 TB white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
vinegar

Place the cubed bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees until toasted.

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing. In a bowl, combine the vegetables, add the toasted bread and drizzle with the dressing. Let sit for a little while for the bread to soak up the dressing.

knafi

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Hope all the moms out there had a great Mother’s Day. I got spoiled by my boys with cards and bath bombs and even made it to the movies!

We had our moms over for lunch on Sunday, celebrating how awesome they are. We had spinach salad, dhokra, barbecued chicken and oven-fried cassava. There was also plenty for dessert – fruit, a bundt and knafi.

I tried Knafi at my aunt’s house a couple years ago and loved it! Shredded phyllo enveloping a sweet ricotta mixture – it was so good, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I finally got the recipe for this Lebanese treat last week and thought it was perfect to try out for Mother’s Day. I was surprised at how easy this dessert was. In fact, Q did all the work. The crunchy phyllo, the warm cheese – it was heaven!

Knafi 

2 lbs. ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar
1 lb shredded phyllo
3/4 cup melted butter

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 TB lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the ricotta with the sugar. Place the shredded phyllo in a large bowl and pour the melted butter on top. Mix until the pastry is coated with the butter.

Spread half the pastry on the bottom of a 9 x 13″ pan. Spread the ricotta mixture on top of the phyllo. Cover the cheese layer with the remaining phyllo.

Bake for 1 hour until golden brown. In the meantime, make the syrup (see below). Remove from the oven and pour cold syrup over top. Serve warm.

Syrup: Combine the sugar and water and stir until dissolved. Boil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and boil for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

2-ingredient chocolate magic shell

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One of my favourite things from when I was little is enjoying the chocolate magic shell on top of ice cream. You know the one: chocolate syrup that once it hits the cold ice cream becomes a hard shell.  I was happy when I rediscovered this a few months ago, adding nuts or sprinkles before the chocolate hardened.

A while back, I saw them make a homemade version of this on tv and was surprised at how easy it was. We had this tonight and it was so good! Be sure you use a chocolate that you like and you will love it!

Chocolate Magic Shell

1/2 cup chocolate, milk or dark
1 TB coconut oil

In a bowl, add your favourite chocolate and the coconut oil. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until the chocolate is melted. Let it cool a bit before pouring it on your favourite ice cream.

guacamole

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Happy Cinco de Mayo! What better way to celebrate than with some guacamole and chips. Guacamole is one of the easiest things to make and is a staple around here. It’s perfect for Taco Tuesday but also a great appetizer when people come over.

There are so many ways to make guacamole but this is how we like it. I avoid the mayo and sour cream and I prefer a chunkier guacamole. I use a fork to mash up the avocados; no processor required!

Guacamole
3 avocados
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
cilantro
1 lime
salt
hot sauce, optional

Mash the avocados with a fork. Add in the onions, tomato and cilantro until mixed. Depending on how juicy your lime is, you may just need 1/2. Add salt and hot sauce to taste.

trunch at pampa

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Looking for something a little different than the traditional Mother’s Day lunch? How about Trunch? Available at Pampa Brazilian Restaurant, Trunch is the perfect blend of brunch, lunch and tea.

I was invited to Pampa to check out what they were cooking up. This is no ordinary brunch!

Pampa has an amazing salad bar featuring fruit and charcuterie platters, fresh house breads with jams and cheeses along with 40 salads, dressings and sauces. I loved the beef carpaccio and the fresh mint dressing was amazing. I may have used that with my meat.

They also have some hot selections like french toast, brazilian crepes and eggs. Meat is carved tableside, and you can enjoy a limitless amount. For Trunch, you can enjoy Pampa sausage, leg of lamb, chicken, marinated pork loin, barbecued pork belly and my favourite, Picanha or the rumpstake. Your delicious meal will be followed by freshly brewed House Apple tea.

This is a unique experience to celebrate with the people you love. My 7 year old loved everything about Pampa, enjoying every juicy bite of meat and even eating some vegetables.

Trunch is offered every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning with a special Mother’s Day Trunch on May 7th and 8th, which will include a surprise gift for each mom. Pampa is also offering a Victoria Day Trunch on Sunday, May 22nd and on Monday, May 23rd, which will feature a unique cheese bread-making demonstration at noon. Don’t worry dads, a special Father’s Day Trunch will be served on Sunday, June 19th.  Adults can enjoy Trunch for $29.50 per guest while children aged 12 and under can dine for only $15.95 per child. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling (587) 354-3441.

Cheers to all the fabulous mothers!