Food Mamma

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key lime tarts

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Key lime pies are the perfect summer time desserts. Sweet and tart, one bite and I’m reminded of the Florida Keys.

What’s even better than key lime pies? Key lime tarts! Who doesn’t love having their own little dessert? These silky, citrusy bites are made even better topped with whipped cream.

These are great to whip up when you have company coming since they literally take 5 minutes to prepare.

Key Lime Tarts

8-10 frozen tart shells
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
2 small egg yolks or 1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup key lime juice

Combine the condensed milk, egg yolks and key lime juice and mix until well combined. Pour into the prepared crust and bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Once cool, refrigerate. Serve with whipping cream. Garnish with key lime zest.

in and around calgary

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There’s been a lot going on the last couple months in Calgary. From restaurant openings, new menus and celebrations, it’s been busy! Here’s what’s been happening!

PZA Parlour
This new restaurant is located in the SW, taking over the space that was once home to Red Robin. The decor is great and the restaurant features a planter wall and even a Vespa.

I came for a bloggers dinner and we were treated to an amazing meal!

From crispy calamari to cheesy pizza to the best doughnuts topped with Nutella!

Thomsons Restaurant Summer Menu
I was invited to check out Thomsons new summer menu. We tried their Apple & Brie Grilled Cheese as well as their signature dishes like their Steak Bites made with Alberta Beef. I also loved their nachos, especially with their lime sour cream.

They have quite a list of cocktails to enjoy as well. Perfect for enjoying on their patio.

Second Cup Reimagined
Second Cup Coffee Co. unveiled its first-ever cafe of the future in Calgary. With a completely new look, you would never guess that this was a Second Cup!

Some of the items that stood out were:
The Slow Bar which features the Steampunk – a coffee brewing system that is uses technology to brew the perfect cup of coffee.

A Wireless Charging Station

Community Wall Mural

The new concept store in Calgary is located in the Braeside Shopping Centre.


Veg-In YYC

Veg-In YYC is a new vegetarian cafe open in Downtown Calgary. From sandwiches to burgers, these meals are made using the freshest ingredients. These vegan and vegetarian dishes have an east indian influence. Don’t forget to get your chai or lassi!

Good Earth Coffee House

Good Earth Coffee House opened its first location on 11th Street in Calgary 25 years ago! Since then, its grown to over 45 locations nationwide.  Congrats on your anniversary!

cheesecake stuffed strawberries

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There’s not many people that I know who don’t like cheesecake. These Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries are perfect when you feel like cheesecake but don’t feel like all the work. They are great for entertaining because they take minutes to make, leaving you with lots of time to focus on other things. The sweetened cream cheese mixture is piped into the centre of a strawberry and topped with graham cracker crumbs. All the components of a cheesecake in one bite!

I prefer the idea of turning the strawberry upside down and just make a couple cuts to fill the luscious cheese mixture in. You could make a hole and scoop out the inside but why waste the delicious fruit?

I’m excited to participate in the Canadian Food Creatives Strawberry Collaboration. Thanks so much to Amanda for hosting! Check out all the fabulous recipes and see this recipe below.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries by Food Mamma
Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Covered Strawberries by 365 Days of Easy Recipes
Dark Chocolate Strawberry Oatmeal Pancakes by She Bakes Here
Rituals + Strawberry, Rhubarb, Ginger Shrub by Eating Niagara
Simple Macerated Strawberries by She Loves Biscotti
Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles by Homemade & Yummy
Strawberry Ice Cream with Drunken Rhubarb by Sugarlovespices
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble with Toasted Almonds by Crumb Kitchen
Strawberry-Rhubarb Streusel Buns by Crumb: A Food Blog
Strawberry Rolls with Basil Cream by The Cinnamon Scrolls
Strawberry Shortcake with Lavender Lemon Cream by My Kitchen Love
Strawberry Streusel Shortbread Bars by The Bluenose Baker
Strawberry Vanilla Cream Tart by Tiny Sweet Tooth
Yogurt Cake with Roasted Strawberries and Rhubarb by Making Healthy Choices

 

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

15-20 strawberries
1 block cream cheese
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 TB graham cracker crumbs

Cream the cheese, icing sugar and vanilla until combined.  Put the mixture into an icing bag.

Wash and dry the strawberries. From the bottom of the strawberry, make two cuts but not all the way down. Pipe the cheese mixture into the cut, letting it fill to the top. Sprinkle the filled strawberries with the graham cracker crumbs.

grilled stone fruit salad

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It’s looking like its going to be another fantastic week. Days that are hot, the kitchen is the last place I want to be. We happily throw things on the bbq, while hanging around on the deck. We tend to eat a little lighter when it’s hot and salads become main meals, using whatever is in season.

Grilling stone fruits like nectarines and plums and then adding them to greens makes a delicious salad, definitely not boring. The fruit takes minutes to cook and really brings out the flavour of the fruit.  Olive oil and balsamic are all that’s needed to dress the salad. We also can’t forget the cheese, the perfect finishing touch.

Grill the fruit by cutting it in half, rubbing it with a little oil and placing it on the bbq. After a couple of minutes, remove from the heat and place on top of your favourite greens, like arugula. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, add salt and pepper and top with a sprinkling of feta. This is great as-is or made heartier with some chicken or beef.

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.