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accordion potatoes

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In my special delivery from The Little Potato Company, I received a package of cute little fingerling potatoes. I thought these would go great with our Turducken dinner and was the perfect time to try accordion or hasselback potatoes.

I sliced each potato, stopping before I reached the bottom. I then drizzled the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkled some salt and pepper. They cooked for about half an hour on 350 degrees. When they were done, I pulled them out of the oven and drizzled on some more oil and sprinkled them with Parmesan cheese. A handful of green onions provided a nice crunch and contrast and cilantro made the finishing touch.
These were so tasty! They had a nice crisp outside but the centers remained soft and creamy. I’ll definitely be making these again!

president’s choice holiday 2014

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It’s always fun to see what President’s Choice comes up with every
holiday season. They always have fun products and tasty treats that
everyone seems to love. This year was no exception!

Focused on food creations from around the world, this year President’s Choice is marketing to foodies. Like the Harissa Hummus from Morrocco, designed for the lavour seeker, which hubby loved! For the sweet tooth, like me, the PC Mini Cheesecake Cupcakes with Coconut Icing were a winner. With items like Habanero Aioli from Chile and the Goose Fat from France, there’s something for everyone.

I’m especially loving President’s Choice right now with their Crave More campaign. The fact that they have no preservatives, artificial flavours or colours is a huge plus when shopping for my family.

mexican pasta shells

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In the last few weeks, Q has decided that Tuesdays are for tacos. Since they are quick and easy and loved by us all, we are happy to indulge his desire for Taco Tuesdays. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to put a spin on things – Mexican Pasta Shells. Inspired by K, my former co-worker, large pasta shells are filled with seasoned taco meat, covered in salsa and cheese. The baked dish is then topped with everything you would put in a taco.

I wasn’t sure what Q’s response would be. He is sometimes finicky with pasta, usually choosing other things over it. This dish, however, was a hit! I’m always thrilled anytime he goes back for seconds of anything.

There’s not really a recipe for this per se. I use taco seasoning when browning my meat. I stuffed the cooked shells with meat and layed them in a dish on top of salsa. I put more salsa on top and then covered it with cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted. In K’s recipe, the taco meat is mixed with cream cheese. Hubby is lactose intolerant though, so I held off on the cream cheese. His portion of shells were also not covered in cheese.

Once out of the oven, top with onions, tomatoes and avocado and serve with sour cream. An easy and filling dish that’s everyone’s favourite.

the great canadian beef cookout (#ExperienceCDNbeef)

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One of my favourite events that I attended this summer was one involving
Canada Beef, Karisma Hotels in Mexico and Jackson Family Wines. It
was a fabulous event in the garden of Rouge Restaurant learning about this partnership, highlighting Canadian beef in Mexico and enhancing beef and wine pairing knowledge.

Launched in January 2014, Karisma Hotels & Resorts’ inaugural Canadian Beef Culinary Series, by Karisma, invites guests to relish the taste of Canada’s top culinary talent and best cuts of prime beef while enjoying a Gourmet Inclusive® vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico that is as delicious as it is unforgettable. 

We were spoiled with delicious creations by the talented chefs Michael
Allemeier and Paul Rogalski.

The dishes were stunning to look at and
even better in my belly. Here’s a look at what we tried:

Beef Tataki with Vegetable Yuzu Salad

Oxtail broth, Roasted Garlic and Bone Marrow Pearls  

Top Sirloin with Watermelon, Feta and Lime

Smoked Brisket Sticky Buns

Manhattan Strip with tortilla Fried Avocado

Beef Cheek Arancini, Blue Cheese Cream  

The evening included a seminar by Jackson Family Wines and how different wines paired with different beef.

The best part of the night was a giveaway – a week’s stay at Karisma
Hotels in the Mayan Riviera, enjoying their gourmet inclusive experience. I was ecstatic
when I won!! We are so looking forward to a relaxing getaway and
delicious food. Less than two months away and the countdown has begun!

thanksgiving desserts

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Happy Friday! The long weekend is here and it’s time to celebrate the Canadian Thanksgiving! No turkey feast is complete without the dessert. No matter how much turkey or stuffing one has had, there is always room for dessert. According to Q, dessert goes into a separate compartment. Below are some great recipes to round out your meal.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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yyc pizza week and donair pizza

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Today marks the start of YYC Pizza Week! The team behind YYC Burger Week have partnered up with some great restaurants in the city to raise money for Calgary Meals on Wheels.  From September 26 to October 5th, 40 restaurants will compete in a pizza battle, with a portion of all sales going to Calgary Meals on Wheels. What a delicious idea!

There is also a Blogger Challenge which I am participating in along with 8 other local bloggers. We were given a list of three secret ingredients which we needed to incorporate in our pizza. You had an option to choose one or all three: chestnut puree, anchovies or fire roasted tomatoes.

I would love your votes for my Donair Pizza! The base of the pizza is a creamy white sauce loaded with garlic and sweetened with chestnut puree. This was topped with homemade donair meat, crisp onions, fire roasted tomatoes and loaded with cheese. My pizza is up against some tasty creations so your vote would be most appreciated. Thank you!!

baked eggs in potatoes for father’s day!

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Happy Father’s Day! Hope all you fathers had a lovely day being celebrated.

We started our day with a breakfast for the dads in our life. It’s always nice to share a meal and celebrate the ones we love.

Not wanting to do something we had done before, hubby and I decided on these baked eggs in potato shells. Prepped the night before, it didn’t take long to have ready for today.

Along with these eggs, we served beef sausages, roasted potato wedges – made with the extras from the prepped potatoes, french bread with homemade whipped butter, sourdough toast with warm ricotta and watermelon and cantaloupe balls in a watermelon “bowl”.

Although a little time consuming, these were really easy to make. Last night, we washed, oiled and baked the potatoes for an hour. We then cut little wedges out of the top and scooped out part of the potato. This morning, we made an egg mixture with veggies and cheese, filled the potato shells and baked for half an hour. The eggs and potatoes were a hit and were quite filling. It is definitely something we would make again.

Happy Dad’s Day to my dad, my hubby and my father-in-law! You guys are the best!

winners!

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Thank you to everyone who entered all the great contests for Anniversary month!  A huge thank you to all the amazing sponsors who helped me celebrate! Winners have been contacted and are listed below.

Facebook Contest (Edo Japan): Pat S
Cheese Board from Castello Canada: Rust H
Gift Basket from Cococo Chocolatiers, owners of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut: Sky M
Gift Cards from Edo Japan: Suzi MH, Shainoor D, Lisha H
Gift Card from London Drugs Photo Lab: Aamina C
Gift Cards from the Real Canadian Superstore: Penny C, Roberta H
Gift Card from Second Cup, McKenzie Towne: Stephanie W
Gift Basket from Starbucks Canada: Tammy R

apple pie with a cheddar crust…for pi day!

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It’s Pi Day – giving me a great excuse to make a pie. I’ve had this on my list of things to make and what better day to make it.

Sugar and cinnamon tossed apples are baked within a cheesy, buttery crust. The sweet and savoury combo is definitely a win!

Apple Pie with a Cheddar Crust

Cheddar Crust
From Martha Stewart

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pulse flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.  Drizzle 1.4 cup water evenly over mixture. Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together (dough should not be wet or sticky). If dough is too dry, add more water, 1 TB at a time, and pulse. Add cheese; pulse until combined.

Shaped into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes or up to overnight.

Filling:

5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced
2 TB lemon juice
1/2 brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Finish:

1 egg
2 TB water

Combine the apples with the lemon juice, sugar, flour and spices.

On a floured board, roll out pastry, using your pie plate as a guide.
Place the first circle in the pie plate and fill with filling. Top with
the second crust. Fold bottom pastry over the top and crimp the edges.
Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the egg and water mixture and add some vents.

Bake at 375 F for about an hour, until the crust is nice and golden.

win with castello!

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A big thank you to Castello Canada for helping me celebrate Food Mamma’s anniversary!

We go through a lot of cheese at our house. We always have a variety on hand to please our palates.
It’s the perfect snack or great to add to a dish – from goat cheese to mascarpone, and of course Q’s favourite, brie!

Want a chance to win a fantastic cheese board from Castello?  There are a few ways to enter below.  Winner will be chosen on Wednesday, March 19th.  Good luck!

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