Food Mamma

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avocado milkshake

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Avocados and milkshake?  I know, a weird combination.  When I heard of it, I was skeptical.  I had a couple of avocados that were really ripe and needed to be used right away.  I was going to make my usual guacomole, but then our painter who was over, started talking about how wonderful avocado milkshake was.  I didn’t think it would be good, but I was up for an experiment.  Boy was I wrong!  This drink was delicious and Q couldn’t get enough.  Thanks J for the suggestion!

Avocado Milkshake

1 avocado
2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milkBlitz in a blender until combined.

great food and great service at kinjo (wish we could say the same for shibuya)

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While running errands in the south end of town this weekend, we stopped for lunch at one of my favorite sushi stops – Kinjo!  Kinjo is located on Macleod Trail, just south of Chinook Centre.

Kinjo is one of those rare places that you consistently get great food and great service.  As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted with many hellos and friendly faces.  Luckily we missed the lunch rush and were seated right away.

Although the owner Peter wasn’t there, Henry came over and made us feel welcome and brought over a little orange head for Q.  The staff made a conscious effort to take care of all of us, even our toddler, which was much appreciated.  The waitress even brought over chopsticks wrapped in elastic for Q so that he could get an early start at learning how to use them.

We were brought a sampler sushi plate to devour while we ordered and our sushi came quick.  The food was fantastic as always.  The new thing we tried was the tempura avocado which was so good, we had to order a second plate.

I love that the staff at Kinjo are so accomodating.  Other places, like Shibuya, could learn a lot from them.  We went to Shibuya a couple weeks ago.  Close to Centre Street on 16th Avenue, we ducked into the restaurant when Q showed signs of hunger.  We knew the California Roll would do the trick and after peeling away the seaweed, he devoured the crab and avocado filling. 

For the next round, we requested just the filling, no seaweed, which seemed to confuse the staff.  Our waitress said that they wouldn’t know how to charge us so they couldn’t do it.  When we told them that it was for Q, and that whatever filling they would use in a roll to just put in a bowl, they refused.  The reluctance of the staff to accomodate us and the rolling eyes of the hostess definitely put Shibuya on the “stay away” list.

As for Kinjo, we will be back, many times over.

Kinjo Sushi & Grill on Urbanspoon

garlic lemon shrimp orzo

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As much as I love cooking, sometimes after a long day at work, the last thing I want is to spend time in the kitchen.  With a 20 month old though, its not always easy to grab some takeout that has the nutrition that is important in his diet.  This is one of my favorite dishes and it’s a quick and easy dish to prepare.  The starch from the orzo makes the dish creamy, like a faux risotto.  Q can be moody about food, and things he likes one day can be something he doesn’t touch the next.  This orzo is tasty and comforting and a dish that he never says no to.  This dish is inspired by Ina Garten’s Baked Shrimp Scampi.

Garlic Lemon Shrimp Orzo

1 pound of peeled, deveined shrimp
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
grated lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 TB butter
2/3 cup panko
1/2 cup orzo, cooked
salt
pepper

Cook the shrimp in oil until almost cooked through. Add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, and lemon zest and stir.  Add in the lemon juice, butter and panko and stir until mixture becomes thick.  Add orzo and stir until combined.

stampede breakfast with pancakes and beans

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It’s Stampede time in our beautiful city of Calgary, which means an abundance of pancakes, cowboy hats and country music.  For 10 days, people come together to celebrate “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth“.

This past weekend, we attended the Ismaili Muslim Community Stampede Breakfast.  Feeding nearly 5000, this is the 14th year of the annual breakfast.  This year, the community partnered with the United Way of Calgary, and the Ismaili float was decorated to highlight the importance of high school completion for overall lifetime success

It was so great to have friends and co-workers join us at this event.  Everyone enjoyed the pancakes, eggs and bharazi – an East African dish of pigeon peas in coconut curry.  Since so many requested the recipe, I called up my aunt who is on the catering committee and she shared the recipe which is below.  She is a genius at cooking and she was able to rattle the recipe off in seconds.

Bharazi (Pigeon Peas in Coconut Curry)

1 can of pigeon peas, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp green chilis, blended
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 can of coconut milk
1/4 can of evaporated milk
cilantro
salt

Cook the onion in oil until softened.  Add the tomatoes, spices and milk and cook until mixture starts boiling.  Add peas and cook until curry thickens.  Finish the dish off with a generous amount of cilantro.

grilled pineapple salsa

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Has it already been 2 weeks since my last post?  The days just seem to be flying by and we are already in July!  We are finally enjoying some wonderful summer weather and there’s no better time to do some grilling.  Grilling at my house is a year round affair but nothing beats grilling fruit in the summer.  My favorite is grilled pineapple, the bbq bringing out even more sweetness.  While preparing Mahi Mahi burgers for dinner, I figured the best topping would be a grilled pineapple salsa.  The combination of sweet pineapple, smoky roasted red peppers with a spicy kick was fresh and delicious. 

And hey, if you have some extra grilled pineapple, spread some Nutella and sprinkle some nuts and you have yourself dessert!

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Grilled pineapple, cubed
Roasted red peppers, chopped finely
Green onions
Red onions
Mint
Lime juice
Hot sauce

Toss and serve!

lots of summer flavours in couscous salad

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Yay…summer’s here!  Lets hope that sunshine is here to stay.  Time for patios and barbecues and fresh summer flavours.  We’ve been trying to eat more grains and veggies.  Unlike hubby, I can’t eat a bag of celery and carrot sticks – its just too boring!  This is the perfect salad that incorporates veggies and beans and with the addition of lemon zest, no one can call this boring. 

Couscous Salad
1 cup couscous, cooked
1 cucumber, cubed
1 tomato, diced
1 bell pepper, cubed
2 green onions
1/2 red onion, diced
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
cilantro
2 TB olive oil
salt
pepper
Just toss everything together and enjoy!

happy father’s day!

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Ahh, Father’s Day.  The one day a year that we get to honor the wonderful dads out there.  I am lucky enough to have gotten the wonderful father that I did.  He is a strong and amazing man.   
It was a lovely day – breakfast with my dad, made by my mom; fresh samosas with my father-in-law made by my mother-in-law; and a delicious dinner at home to celebrate hubby, with grilled steak and lobster.  The perfect Sunday.
To all the amazing fathers out there – Happy Father’s Day!

pick up some nan khatai at the calgary food blogger bake sale!

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I’m so excited to be part of the Calgary Food Blogger Bake Sale taking place this weekend.  Vincci, from “Ceci n’est pas un food blog” has rounded up local food bloggers to raise funds for Calgary Meals on Wheels.  The bake sale is part of Market Collective’s 2nd Anniversary.  Come down and meet Calgary’s own food bloggers and have a taste of their delicious offerings.  Click here for more information and a list of the blogger participating.

It was hard trying to decide what to make for the bake sale.  I finally settled on Nan Khatai – Indian wheatlet cookies.  These are cookies from my childhood and is a treat that my 19 month old son now enjoys.   My dad makes these regularly and its the perfect offering for when friends drop in.  These crispy, crumbly cookies can be made like below or you can add some cardamom.  Delicious on their own, they are even better when dipped in warm milk or chai. 

Nan Khatai
(makes 60 medium sized cookies)

1 lb margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups wheatlets (sooji)
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
food coloring

Cream the margarine/butter and sugar.  Once combined, add the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla.  Combine 3 cups of flour and baking powder.  To the butter and sugar mix, gradually add in the flour and wheatlets, alternating between the two.  Knead the dough and slowly add in the last cup of flour until the dough pulls away and is soft enough to roll into balls. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  While still warm, place a drop of food coloring in the center of each cookie.

to satisfy your chocolate craving: chocolate puffed wheat squares

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I first came across this delicious square in high school chemistry.  We were learning about measurements and, to teach us about how important accuracy in measuring was, we cooked!  Each member of the team was asked to bring an ingredient and Mrs B. brough the puffed wheat.  It was the best chemistry class that I can remember.  Chocolately goodness in minutes, its the perfect lunch box snack.

Chocolate Puffed Wheat Squares

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 TB cocoa
5 cups puffed wheat

Over medium heat, melt the margarine.  Add corn syrup, brown sugar and cocoa and let the mixture come to a boil.  After 1 minute, take it off the heat and add the puffed wheat.  Pour mixture into an 8″ x 8″ pan and cool before cutting it into squares.

a delicious way to start the morning: fried egg sandwich from cafe mauro

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We’re less than a month away from our big office move.  I know many of my co-workers will miss Cafe Mauro, which is located in the lobby of our building.  Everyone raves about Sal’s sandwiches – the bocconcini sandwich served on top of focaccia or the chicken parmesan on toasted baguette.  My favorite meal though at Cafe Mauro is breakfast; in particular the Fried Egg Sandwich.

Nestled between two pieces of toasted and buttered sourdough bread are juicy tomatoes, the fried egg and provolone cheese.  Its a simple sandwich but so delicious, and a great way to start the day.

Caffe Mauro on Urbanspoon