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paya for mother’s day

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On Saturday, hubby and I headed to Banff for the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival. It was a lovely day to go and we enjoyed some amazing food. Lamb, Scallops, Plantain, Chocolate Dipped Baklava, Seafood Risotto – it was amazing!

The next morning Q came running into my room with a bag full of presents, some things he had bought me, some he had picked out from his toy collection. He has the biggest heart ever!

We had invited our families over for a Mother’s Day brunch. This year, I wanted to do something different, something a little Indian. I figured it would be a nice surprise and a slight change from the eggs we were considering doing.

I decided on paya, a favourite for both moms.  Paya is an Indian/Pakistani dish made with goat trotters.  The flavourful broth is eaten with french bread and then the marrow from the bones is eaten.  I find that people either love it or hate it. Hubby didn’t want me to work too hard but this was the easiest of meals. I tossed everything into a slow cooker the night before and it was ready to go in time for brunch. The meal was a success and it was minimal effort for a lot of praise.

Paya

2 pounds goat trotters
3 medium onions, blended
3 cinnamon sticks
10 black peppercorn
5 cardamom pods
5 cloves
2 TB salt
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp crushed ginger
1 tsp chili powder (or more if desired)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
cilantro

Wash the trotters really well and place in a slow cooker.  Add the onions and spices, except for the paprika and cover with enough water.  Let cook for 8 to 10 hours on low.  Right before serving, add the paprika, enough to get the desired colour. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with french bread.

avocado chocolate chip cookies

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We love avocados around here. We put them in everything, from eggs to sandwiches, and guacamole is a regular in this house.  When I saw pictures of avocado chocolate chip cookies pop up on Instagram, I quickly went searching for the recipe.  This recipe comes from Gaby Dalkin‘s new book “Absolutely Avocados” and I was happy for the find over at Eat Live Run.

I wasn’t sure what to expect so the first time I made these, I just made half a batch. We took them to soccer and the cookies were gone in a flash. The cookies were hearty and chocolatey and were a hit among both the kids and the parents.

The second time I made these cookies, some of the avocado didn’t get mixed in as well and you could see flecks of green among the oats and chocolate. I was happy to find that the bright green didn’t turn colour like raw avocados do.  I also added a handful of nuts for some crunch.  I’ll definitely be making these again. Surely, if a cookie has some greens, its good for you, right?

Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Absolutely Avocados via Eat Live Run

1 avocado
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cut the avocado in half and scoop out the flesh into a large bowl. Add the butter and brown sugar. Cream together until fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Mix well until well combined.

Add the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Mix slowly then add the chocolate chips and oats. Be careful not to overmix here. Place the dough in the fridge to chill for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. After the dough has chilled, scoop out spoonfuls of dough on the baking sheet and press down gently with your hand to flatten. Bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown. Repeat with remaining dough.

banff rocky mountain wine and food festival (giveaway)

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With the weather finally cooperating and the temperatures getting up to 28 degrees in Calgary today, you would think that Monday couldn’t get any better. With a giveaway to a wine and food festival in Banff, it can!

The Banff Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival is this weekend!  Wine and beverage experts will be available to share their knowledge and suggest tasting notes as attendees sample their way from booth to booth. The Grand Tasting Hall will feature the best cuisine that Banff restaurants and eateries have to offer including samples from The Bison Restaurant & Terrace, Rimrock Resort Hotel, Sunshine Mountain Lodge, Balkan – The Greek Restaurant, Bear Hill Brewing Company, and many more.

This is a very popular event and Saturday evening’s session is already sold out. Get your tickets online at rockymountainwine.com or enter to win a pair of tickets here. Leave a comment below, send me a tweet (@fareenjj) or leave me a message on facebook (facebook.com/FoodMammaCOM) by 11:59PM MST on Wednesday, May 8th.  Winners will be contacted on Thursday.

Tickets are for the Friday, May 10 from 7-10 p.m. When presented at the door, these tickets will allow for complimentary access into the Grand Tasting Hall.  Tickets are not transferable to Saturday’s session.  This is an adult only event.  All attendees must be 18 years or older.   Minors (including infants) are not permitted to attend.  Sampling coupons can be purchased separately.

tequila lime chicken

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There’s no better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with great Mexican food. The possibilities are endless from fried fish tacos, delicious desserts like tres leches cake (or coconut, even better) or eating at your favourite Mexican restaurant. We found a new mexican fave at our house – Tequila Lime Chicken.

Since finding this recipe, we have had this chicken a few times. It is full of flavour and the resulting chicken is tender and juicy. It’s delicious served with some creamy guacamole or some grilled corn.  Perfect for a crowd!

Tequila Lima Chicken
Adapted from Once Upon A Chef

3 TB olive oil
3 TB tequila
3 tsp lime zest (zest of 2 limes)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp honey
salt
pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

Combine all ingredients except chicken breasts in a 1 gallon freezer bag. Close the bag and squish marinade around to mix. Add chicken breasts and massage marinade into meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place it in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Grill on the bbq until chicken is cooked.

playing with spices: tonka beans

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This month, we are playing with Tonka Beans.

Tonka beans are black and wrinkled with an interior that is smooth and caramel in colour. The fragrance is amazing, with hints of vanilla and almonds. The beans come from the a flowering tree native to Central America and northern South America.

Just a small amount is needed to infuse the bean’s flavour. Using a microplane, just grate the wonderfully scented bean.

I first learned of tonka beans from my friend Cheryl, from Dining Room Empire. Cheryl uses tonka beans constantly – in scones, muffins, jam, chocolate cake, and even chocolate chip cookies.  She also puts a whole bean in her home-canned peaches.

I wanted to find a recipe that showcased the tonka beans and their fabulous flavour. I used this shortbread recipe from Dinner with Julie.  I made a batch for Sunday brunch with some close friends and the cookies were a hit.  If you ever come across these beans, be sure to take a sniff. So delightful!

som tam – thai green papaya salad

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It was only recently that I tried Som Tam, thai green papaya salad. It was at White Elephant a couple of months ago and both hubby and I were pleasantly surprised at the flavours. I bought a green papaya to use as a tenderizer but then I recalled the fabulous salad so had to try and make it myself.

I used the recipe from Thai Table as a reference but had to make a few changes based on what I had in the house.  Dried shrimp was replaced with shrimp paste and palm sugar was replaced with granulated sugar. To shred the papaya, you make cuts into the peeled papaya and then slice off the shreds. This is what I did the first time I made the salad. Subsequent times, I just grated it using my food processor. So much easier!

I’ve been eating this salad for the past few days.  It’s a great mix of salty from the peanuts, sweet from the sugar, sour from the lime and savoury from the fish sauce and shrimp paste. It’s quite addictive!

Som Tam – Green Papaya Salad
(Adapted from Thai Table)

5 Cherry Tomatoes
2 chili peppers or hot sauce
1/2 tsp shrimp paste
1 1/2 TB fish sauce
1 clove garlic
2 cups shredded green papaya
3/4 lime, juiced
1 1/2 TB sugar
2 TB toasted peanuts

Crush the peanuts using a mortar and pestle and keep aside. In the mortar, smash the clove of garlic.  Add the tomatoes, chili peppers, shrimp paste, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and peanuts and crush.  Add the papaya and mix it well with the rest of the ingredients.

meyer lemon curd

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Every time I bring home some meyer lemons, I always think I’m going to make some curd and then never get around to it. This time, I was determined to make it happen and I’m so glad I did!

Lemon curd is made by combining lemon juice with butter, eggs and sugar and cooking it into a custard. This tangy and sweet curd is bright, both in taste and colour, I used a recipe by Ina Garten and it was super easy to make. The result was a curd that was luscious and creamy.


Light and refreshing, the curd is perfect with fruit, spread on toast or even served with a slice of some peppercorn shortbread.

Meyer Lemon Curd
From Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

lobster and prawn cannelloni

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Hubby and I celebrated our seven year anniversary on Monday! I feel like I was just reminiscing the other day about our honeymoon and that flashback has already been a year! Time really does fly.

Although we went for sushi with our little guy on the weekend, I wanted to make hubby something special.  My cousin had been talking about lobster mac and cheese a few weeks ago and I had been thinking about it ever since. Lobster definitely had to be in the picture, I just changed the cheese and pasta – cannelloni!

I filled the tubes with a flavourful mixture of ricotta cheese, sweet lobster and meaty prawns. Instead of using a bechamel, I opted for an alfredo sauce which covered the filled pasta shells and baked them in some bubbly cheesy goodness.

The richness was cut by the addition of some fresh tomatoes. The perfect indulgent meal to celebrate!

Lobster and Prawn Cannelloni

10 cannelloni shells, cooked as per package

2 lobster tails, cooked and cut into chunks
10 large prawns, cooked and cut into pieces
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 parmesan cheese
bunch of basil, chopped
salt
pepper

1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup parmesan cheese
pinch nutmeg

Cook the onion and garlic in a bit of oil until softened.  Combine with the cheese, seafood and basil. Stuff this mixture into the cannelloni and place in an oven safe dish.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add cream and garlic and let simmer for a few minutes.  Add the cheese and a pinch of nutmeg and stir until the cheese has melted.

Pour the alfredo sauce over the filled cannelloni and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and bubbly.