Food | Travel | Family | Life
Birthday month was fun! It was so great to be able to hold some giveaways for all of you. Thank you to everyone who stopped in and entered and for your ongoing support. All winners have been notified. A huge THANK YOU to the amazing sponsors who donated some awesome prizes. Thanks for helping me celebrate!
A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend an evening with some fellow bloggers learning about Catelli’s Healthy Harvest Ancient Grains Pasta from none other than Chef Lynn Crawford!
Catelli’s new pasta is made with five ancient grains – quinoa, amaranth, teff, sorghum and millet. Currently available in Western Canada, the pasta is available in three cuts – Spaghetti, Spaghettini and Rotini.
We were so lucky to have Chef Lynn make us a couple of tasty treats. The first was Rotini in a Marinara sauce topped with cheese and fresh mozzarella. The second was the Spaghettini, tossed with pesto and cheese. So delicious!
She shared some great tips with us – use the stems of cilantro, think salty sea when salting the pasta water, never rinse the pasta after cooking for sauces to better adhere to the pasta.
Chef Lynn then proceeded to show us how to make her Chilled Noodle Salad with Ginger Wasabi Dressing. We then headed to the kitchen to make it for ourselves.
It was such a fun and memorable evening! Want a chance to win a one year supply of Catelli Healthy Harvest Ancient Grains pasta? Enter below!
Chilled Noodle Salad with Ginger Wasabi Dressing
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 8 min
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 pkg (340 g) Catelli® Healthy Harvest® Ancient Grains Spaghettini
2 cups (500 ml) snow peas, thinly sliced diagonally
1 cup (250 ml) shelled edamame
1 small English cucumber
2 cups (500 ml) napa cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup (250 ml) red pepper, cut into matchsticks
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1/4 cup (60 ml) cilantro leaves
2 tbsp (30 ml) black sesame seeds
Ginger-Wasabi Dressing:
1/4 cup (60 ml) seasoned rice vinegar
3 tbsp (45 ml) canola oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon zest
2 tsp (10 ml) brown sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil
1 tsp (5 ml) grated fresh ginger
wasabi to taste
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain well. Rinse under cold water until well chilled; transfer to large bowl and set aside.
In a pot of boiling water, cook snow peas and edamame until tender-crisp. Drain and rinse under cold water until well chilled; set aside.
Meanwhile, halve the cucumber lengthwise and use the end of a spoon to scoop and discard seeds; cut cucumber into julienne strips.
Ginger-Wasabi Dressing: Whisk together rice vinegar, canola oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and zest, brown sugar, sesame oil and ginger. Season with wasabi to taste.
Add cucumber, snow peas, edamame, napa cabbage, red pepper, green onions and avocado to noodles; toss with enough dressing to coat.
Garnish with cilantro leaves and black sesame seeds.
Tip: If you have time, you can chill the noodle dish by refrigerating for 1 to 4 hours.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
One of our favourite places to eat is Earls Kitchen + Bar. I’ve been going to Earls for years – the service is great and the food is always good!
Hubby sticks to his usual Cajun Chicken with a side of Fettucine. I change it up every time but always make room for the fries with a side of their delicious parm dip.
Want to win one of three $25 gift card from Earls? Enter below. Good luck!
There’s no better way to celebrate than with chocolate! Milk, dark, white – it doesn’t matter which kind, they all make me happy. Our friends over at Cococo Chocolatiers, owners of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut want to make you happy!
In honour of Food Mamma’s birthday, they have an Easter gift basket filled with amazing handcrafted seasonal favourites for the young and the young at heart. Winning is easy! Just enter below.
One of our favourite burger places in Calgary is Smashburger. I was introduced to the US chain when it opened in Calgary three years ago. We love their burgers and their sides, especially their sweet potato fries and fried pickles!
Smashburger has opened it’s third Calgary location in McKenzie Towne Center. They have generously given us vouchers for free kids meals so you can check out the new place for yourself! There are lots of vouchers to be won, just be sure to enter!
It’s always fun to play in the kitchen. Finding great quality products to use while you’re playing is important, especially when you’re cooking with and for your little ones. That’s why President’s Choice products are always a welcome addition in our household.
Escape the winter blahs through travel in taste with new and
innovative Must Try President’s Choice products, available at Real
Canadian Superstore locations. While you’re there, don’t forget to
support the Loblaw Spring Food Drive by purchasing or bringing
non-perishable food items and dropping them into the donation bins
in-store or by making a cash donation at the check-out. The food drive
is taking place from March 20 to April 9 will raise food and funds in the fight against hunger.
Enter now to win a $100 President’s Choice gift card!
One of Q’s favourite places to eat is Edo Japan. He loves the Sukiyaki Beef (extra sauce if he’s sharing with mamma!), a side of sushi if he’s extra hungry and of course, it has to be topped off with a cinnamon apple spring roll.
Edo Japan is feel good food. It’s healthy, satisfying and so delicious that Q even finishes off the veggies.
Want to win a gift card for Edo Japan? Leave a comment stating your favourite meal to eat there. Increase your chances of winning by sharing on social media. Good luck!
It’s my birthday! It’s the perfect day to start celebrations for 5 years of Food Mamma. Q was in diapers when this blog was started. Now he is talking about starting a blog of his own. Time sure does fly!
Food Mamma has been a great outlet to share my love of food and family. Thanks for all your support and your feedback – it is always welcomed and appreciated!
To help celebrate, I have teamed up with some awesome sponsors for some great giveaways! For the next two weeks, be sure to check back often for your chance to win some delicious prizes! To be sure you don’t miss out on any chances to win, be sure to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
A huge THANK YOU to Cococo, Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut, Earls Kitchen + Bar, Edo Japan, President’s Choice and Smashburger for your generous prizes!
Let’s start off with a giveaway. Leave a comment on my Facebook page letting me know how you celebrate birthdays. All comments posted until March 21st will be entered into a draw. Good luck!
After a hard week of moving, I am dreaming of an escape. I loved my little getaway last month to the Banff Springs Hotel. Although I was there for work, I was able to enjoy a lot of what the beautiful hotel had to offer. Finding a place to fill your belly was an easy task with all the dining options available. There were so many places to eat, there are still a lot more places I have yet to visit. Here are the few I was able to check out.
In-Room Dining
I was exhausted my first night and in-room dining seemed the way to go. I made a great choice with the Grown-Up Mac and Cheese. The decadent pasta contained lobster, foraged mushroom and truffled Boursin cream. It was rich and was the perfect bowl of comfort food.
Samurai Sushi Bar and Restaurant
This popular sushi restaurant located close to the spa is one you definitely want to make reservations for. I was able to get room at the sushi bar and enjoyed a couple of rolls. Definitely helped with my sushi craving.
Castle Pantry
This deli in the hotel was perfect for grabbing something quick and delicious. I had heard lots about the seafood chowder – filled with fish and shrimp. Definitely a must try. Hubby had the chili and was delighted with the meat-filled dish.
Rundle Lounge
Afternoon Tea is a must try, located on the second floor of the Rundle Lounge. It’s a great way to spend the afternoon. Read more about it here.
The restaurant is also a great place for lunch. We ordered the Lamb Donair Flatbread which had hummus, onion and was topped with yogurt. It was cheesy and delicious. We also tried the Surf & Turf Roll, minus the bacon. The sandwich was filled with lobster, shrimp, scallops and smoked salmon – the perfect dish for seafood lovers. Served with a side of sweet potato fries, our meal was filling and delicious.
I’m looking forward to my next visit to the castle in the mountains!