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coconut cake with a red velvet surprise for mom’s birthday

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Today is my mom’s birthday!  We celebrated with family time, good food and of course, cake.

For her special day, I decided to do a twist on one of our favourite cakes – coconut.  I had made some red velvet cake pops the day before for a birthday and decided to incorporate the two.  Since the cake balls that I make are made of just cake (no icing), I placed the cake balls in between the coconut batter before baking.

I was a little worried about the red velvet balls over baking but the resulting cake turned out perfect.  The coconut cake was moist and the red velvet was a nice surprise.  Topped with a coconut cream cheese frosting and shreds of toasted coconut, it was the perfect way to celebrate my fabulous mom.

ghost peppers at mucho burrito

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Since we first tried mucho burrito, we have loved it. Put anything on nachos and q will just eat it up.

Last night, we decided to go in and try their ghost pepper burritos. Being the wimp that I am when it comes to spice, I probably should have skipped it. It’s a good thing I didn’t see this spice diagram before I ordered!

The ghost pepper burritos could be ordered two different ways – Hotter Than Hell and Wimpy. Wimpy didn’t sound so bad so I decided to give it a try. The red tortilla was smothered in a fig marmalade then topped with rice, veggies, salsa, beans and meat.  The Hotter Than Hell had the addition of a splash of pure ghost pepper sauce.  Yikes!  Both versions came with ghost pepper bacon which we didn’t get added on.

After one bite, my mouth was on fire!   It was so good though that I didn’t want to leave it.  The best part was the fig marmalade, and of course that’s where all the heat was coming from. The marmalade was infused with the ghost peppers. With extra sour cream, I was able to finish most of it. I know a few people who can take the heat, like my mom, would really love this.

Anyone who loves some spice should try it out. There’s one week left to give it a try. Ghost pepper burritos are only here until Halloween.

Disclosure – Mucho Burrito’s PR Company sent me a gift card to try out the ghost pepper burritos. Opinions are my own.

Mucho Burrito on Urbanspoon

baked yogurt

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It’s hard having my sister so far away with her husband in Afghanistan.  It is reassuring though that she is a short plane ride away from Dubai where my cousin lives and it’s nice for her to have family close by.  A few weeks ago, my sister visited my cousin for a getaway and a little piece of home.  It was there that she tried baked yogurt at a brunch buffet in Dubai.

My sister found a recipe by The Purple Foodie and sent it along and I just had to try it.  It was on the sweet side, so a small serving will go a long way.  The yogurt was creamy and had the texture of panna cotta.  It paired really well with the berries and was a delicious easy dessert.

Baked Yogurt
Adapted from The Purple Foodie 

1 cup whipping cream
1 cup condensed milk
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp vanilla

Stir everything together and pour into ramekins.  Bake at 250 degrees until set, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Serve chilled.  Top with berries and serve.

cherry tomato ranch meatballs

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Here is one of the recipes that I will be submitting for the Hidden Valley Ranch Recipe Challenge.  I had loads of cherry tomatoes in the fridge and wanted to incorporate them somehow with ground turkey.   I love the idea of stuffed anything, it’s just such a great surprise for the person enjoying the food.  I added the regular ranch dressing to the meatballs and it added a creaminess to the meat that you can’t get with soaked bread or milk.  This was a favourite amongst most of my taste testers.  I would love to know what you think!

Cherry Tomato Ranch Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 cup ranch dressing
bunch cilantro, chopped
salt
pepper
12 cherry tomatoes

Mix together the turkey and spices until well combined.  Divide the meat into 12 balls and shape them around the tomatoes.  Place on a greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

burfi for my sister’s wedding

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It was so busy and crazy last week as we spent some time in Vancouver for my sister’s wedding.  It was kind of a reunion of sorts, people flying in from Calgary, Toronto, Austin, Dubai…. We also spent time with our Vancouver family and I got to meet nieces and nephews I hadn’t met before.  It was nice getting to know our lovely new family as well, my sister’s husband’s.  I still can’t believe she’s married!

You cannot have an indian wedding without sweets, and boy, did we have a lot!  Everyone contributed in making something.  From carrot cake to nan khatai, we had something to please every palate.

My contribution was burfi.  Burfi is a sweet confection made from milk and sugar, reminiscent of fudge.  Hubby’s aunt made a really tasty batch last year for my sister-in-laws wedding and she was happy to show me how to make it.  Thank you N!

To my sister and her husband, my wish for you is loads of love and
happiness!  I’m so happy you found each other.  Love you lots!

Burfi

500 grams milk powder
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 cup water
1/2 pound of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 can of evaporated milk
red food colouring
nuts, optional

Combine the sugar with 1 cup of water and allow it to boil for about half an hour, until it gets to the soft ball stage.

Remove the pot from the stove and add the butter, mixing until it has melted.  Add the milk powder and mix well.  Add 1/2 can of evaporated milk. The mixture should be like a thick batter.

In a 9″ x 13″ parchment-line pan, pour in half the mixture and push it to the corners so that it covers the entire dish.  Add a few drops of food colouring to the other half until you have a nice pink hue.  Pour this pink mixture onto the white layer.  At this point, you can sprinkle some nuts.

Refrigerate for one day before you cut it into pieces.  Do not cover while refrigerated to ensure that the burfi dries well.  Makes 40 to 50 pieces depending on the size.

famoso pizza – mckenzie towne

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One of our favourite pizza places is Famoso Pizzeria.  We frequent the location in Mission often so I was really excited to check out their newest location in McKenzie Towne.  Hubby, Q and I checked out the place before their launch on May 31st.  Upon being seated, appetizers of Roasted Kalamata Olives were brought to the table.  I’m not a fan of olives but hubby really enjoyed these.  The olives were topped with feta cheese and a spicy olive oil.

So that we could try out a few different pizzas, we ordered pizzettas, which were half the size of their regular 11″ pizzas.  We knew that Q would love the San Andreas since it was topped with avocados and we were right!  The pizza was topped with chili-lime chicken, tomatoes, onions and those creamy avocados.  The drizzle of sour cream was the perfect touch.

Hubby’s favourite was the Sweet BBQ Chicken, one we had tried previously.  The pizza was topped with tomatoes and red onions and had a really nice sweet and tangy bbq sauce. 

My new favourite pizza at Famoso’s is the Smoked Salmon. This, along with the San Andreas is part of their Spring / Summer feature.  It’s the perfect summer dish with the fresh tasting salmon and the dill sauce.

The meal was amazing and just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we had dessert.  We were all blown away by the Dolce and Banana.  The bananas were oven roasted and topped with caramel sauce, gelato and pecans.  Hubby doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth but he loved this dish and we polished it off.  Q loved his Fiasco Gelato, so much so that he didn’t want to share.  We also tried the nutella pizza – nutella in fresh pizza dough, so good!  We ended the meal with Affogato, a shot of espresso with a scoop of gelato.  I really enjoyed the contrast of the hot coffee with the cold gelato.

With all of the great offerings, I am sure that their newest location will be a hit!  Now if only I could get one closer to where I live…

Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria - McKenzie Towne on Urbanspoon

mucho burrito

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We’ve been wanting to go to Mucho Burrito for a while and this busy Monday was the perfect chance to grab some quick takeout.  It was a long drive home having to smell all that Mexican yumminess.

The favourite of the night was definitely the nachos.  We chose beef to top the nachos and the shredded marinated meat was packed with flavour.  Q couldn’t get enough of the chips that were topped with the queso cheese, shredded cheese, the beef and salsa.

We also tried the chicken quesadillas.  Stuffed inside a tortilla were sauteed peppers and onions and cheese.  I was surprised by the bold flavours of the grilled chicken.  Sometimes, the chicken can get lost in a quesadilla but this one really stood out.

We also had the soft fish tacos.  We were given the option of a flour tortilla or a corn tortilla. I was really impressed with the fish which was a pan seared tilapia with a herb crust.  The fish tasted fresh and the guacamole that we added to the taco was nice and creamy.

It’s always a good thing when Q just gobbles up his food.  We were thrilled at how he devoured the nachos and the meat and veggies that were topping it.  I can’t wait to go back for more!

Mucho Burrito on Urbanspoon

egg boats

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Hard to believe my sister is getting married in two weeks! With her and her fiance living in two different countries, it’ll be nice for them to finally be together.

Before my sister and her fiance headed out of town for one last adventure before their wedding, we had a little family breakfast as a send off.  We had lots of sweets – pain au chocolat, tres leches cake, chocolate chip cookies.  We also had fresh fruit, turkey bacon, chicken sausages, hashbrowns, samosas…and egg boats!

I was going to do my usual frittata.  Always a hit and super easy, it’s one of my go-to breakfasts.  I came across this egg boat though on Pinterest and knew I had to change it up.

This recipe comes from the site Spoon Fork Bacon.  I loved the idea of the eggs baked into the bread with all those veggies.  The result was a very tasty breakfast and something a little different.

Instead of using mini baguettes, we used two long ones to feed the crowd.  I kind of wish I did one more to enjoy for breakfast the next day. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Egg Boats
Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon

1 long baguette
6 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated cheddar
2 green onions, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut a deep “V” through the top of the baguette until about a 1/2 inch to the bottom. Partially unstuff the baguettes.

Place the eggs and cream into a mixing bowl and lightly beat together. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and lightly season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into the baguette boat and place onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown, puffed and set in the center.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, cut and serve.

an appetizer party – take two

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As much as getting older is not fun, I am one of those people that celebrate their birthdays for days.  Celebrations started early with an appetizer party with a few of my favourite people.

Dessert first!  Any good party has to have cake!  I made my favourite coconut cupcakes.  Each cupcake was filled with nutella and topped with buttercream.  It was really fun making the swirl with two colors – easy by placing a purple icing bag and a white icing bag into another icing bag.

The addictive chocolate chip cookies were made on request and were a huge hit.

Appetizers were a joint effort with each couple bringing a couple dishes.  I made kale chips and tested a new recipe, hot spinach and artichoke dip (recipe to come).

Hubby made delicious ribs, lots to keep everyone satisfied.

The L’s made delicious stuffed mushrooms which were cheesy with a hint of spice.

They also brought over some chicken and chicken wings which were tossed on the bbq.

The T’s made some juicy beef kabobs which were tasty and spicy!  They also brought some sweet corn on the cob, which once bbq’d were smothered in butter and spice.

It was a wonderful evening with great friends.  What else could a girl ask for.

tres leches cake

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I am still thinking about our trip last month to Mexico.  Apparently Q is too, since every couple days, he asks to go back.  One of our earlier nights there, I tried the most amazing cakes – tres leches cake. It was so moist and delicious.  My friend S encouraged me to get the recipe.  On our last nights, Chef Fernando and Chef Ivan, with the aid of a translator, shared the recipe.

This is a picture of us with the chefs.  They were super helpful and happily obliged with this foodie’s request.

I wish that I had come home and made this cake right away.  Instead I waited, and in the waiting, some of the translation was lost.  The measurements were also for 100 pieces so I didn’t think it was a good idea to even attempt it.

It was definitely a cake that I wanted to make though, for my mother-in-laws birthday.  There were so many variations on google but I finally settled on one that I had seen on the Food Network show, Mexican Made Easy by Marcela Valladolid.

After I pulled it out of the oven, it fell in the middle but I covered it up with whipping cream.  No one was the wiser.  This cake was quite different from the firm cake we had in Mexico but the taste was delicious.  The sweetness of the milk that was absorbed into the cake and then oozed out when it was cut into was amazing.  This cake was light and rich all at the same time.  The best part – my father-in-law requested the same for his birthday next month!

Tres Leches Cake
Adapted From Marcela Valedolid, Mexican Made Easy

Nonstick cooking spray, for the cake pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the cake pan
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cocoa

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray and flour a 10-inch cake pan with 2-inch high sides and then line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.

Mix the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until frothy. With the mixer running, gradually add the sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Beat in the yolks, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the whole milk in 2 additions.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the cake slightly, about 10 minutes, then invert onto a platter with 1-inch high sides.

Pierce the top of the cake all over with a thick skewer. Mix the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1 cup heavy cream in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the cake while warm. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours or overnight.

Combine the remaining 1 cup heavy cream and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream onto top of the cake and sprinkle with the ground cinnamon and cocoa.