Search Results for: salad

cousins night out: brava bistro

September 4, 2013 By Fareen Leave a Comment

I’m so lucky that I have a wonderful bunch of cousins that I can actually call my friends. Since life can get busy, we have started a monthly dinner for those of us in town – cousins night out. It’s a great chance to spend time with the ones we love while having a dinner out.

Since my cousin’s wedding was last month, everyone was in town! With nine cousins and seven spouses, our group of sixteen took over a long table at Brava Bistro for an amazing dinner.

Brava was very accommodating, fulfilling our desire to eat family style. It was perfect – by sharing, we were able to try many dishes and weren’t limited to just one – the best way to avoid food envy.

The appetizers and salads we sampled were delicious! The Prawn and Avocado salad was light and tasty while the Burrata and Tomato Salad was a great showcase for the creamy cheese.

Lobster was the star in both the Lobster Gnocchi and the Lobster Poutine. The poutine was my favourite of the night and I will definitely be going back for more.

Our mains were just as delicious and I was happy to be able to sample a little of everything. I really enjoyed the pasta dish, the Orecchiette Alfredo, which was creamy and garlicky.

Everyone loved the Beef Short Rib which was soft and tender. This was served with Mac and Cheese and Broccoflower.

The Atlantic Salmon was perfectly cooked and Crispy Cracklin Chicken was surprisingly juicy.

The night ended with sweet treats of Creme Brulee, Warm Gingerbread Cake and a Brownie Sundae. Delish!

It was a wonderful night with family. Can’t wait to go back!

wasabi ranch glazed panko-crusted salmon

June 27, 2013 By Fareen 1 Comment

The clean up in Calgary is underway and it has been amazing to see everyone chip in one way or another to get the city up and running. Despite the fact that the Stampede grounds were affected in a huge way with the flood, the Calgary Stampede will go ahead, “come hell or high water”. The greatest show on earth will go on!

I was excited to be asked to participate once again in Hidden Valley Ranch‘s Ranchify Recipe Challenge. Last year, I submitted cheesy ranch fried pickles, spicy ranch shrimp kebabs, and cherry tomato ranch meatballs. I had fun creating recipes again this year, one of them being the wasabi ranch glazed panko-crusted salmon (whoa, that’s a mouthful!). Ned Bell will be judging all the recipes and will demo the winning recipe at the Calgary Stampede.

Salmon is a great go-to, especially since Q eats it without complaining. Paired with a salad, it’s a quick and tasty meal.

The ranch dressing went really well with the wasabi and the soya sauce combined with the panko created a delicious Japanese-inspired meal. The salmon was moist and the wasabi ranch glaze added a huge amount of flavour. This will definitely be making the rounds again.

Wasabi Ranch Glazed Panko-Crusted Salmon

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 TB soya sauce
3 TB Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
1/4 tsp wasabi
salmon
Olive oil
Sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the dressing and the wasabi and put a layer of the mixture on the salmon filets.

Combine the panko with the zest, garlic and soya sauce. Press the breadcrumbs on the salmon filets on top of the layer of ranch dressing.

Heat oil in an oven-ready pan. When hot, place the salmon filet, skin side down and sear until the skin is brown. Drizzle olive oil on top of the breadcrumbs and place in the oven until cooked.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with salad.

tasting menu at teatro

March 19, 2013 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Today is my birthday! As long as I don’t think about the fact that I’m a year older, I love birthdays. That may be due to the fact that in our house, we celebrate all week long! Our celebration began on Friday and since then, we’ve been to the hockey game, had dinner with my fabulous cousins and had a celebration with my awesome family. My birthday present this year from hubby was an evening at Teatro for the chef’s tasting menu. We had been wanting to do this for a while, ever since we observed another table enjoying the food when we were last there and I was happy to finally experience it on Sunday.

Good food is always better when enjoyed with friends so we were happy that some of our food-loving friends were able to join us. The food came out at a great pace. We savoured the meal and enjoyed the company and I was surprised that three and a half hours had passed by. Every time I thought I had tasted my favourite, they would bring out something even more delicious. It was an incredible experience and definitely worth the time and money. Teatro is great at making people feel special and their extra touches, like the stools for your purse, are well received. I also love the open kitchen so you can watch the chefs in action as they prepare the delicious food.

Here’s a recap of our fabulous meal:

Venison tartare

Apple consommé with butternut squash

Root vegetables with goat cheese and ouzu encapsulation

Brussel sprouts caesar salad with lemon air, toasted parmesan, shaved parmesan

Duck prosciutto with focaccia, garlic aioli and raspberry spaghetti

Passion fruit marshmallows and dehydrated passion fruit

Kale filled tortellini with red pepper and saffron sauce with a citrus buerre blanc

Parsley crusted scallop with spaetzle and morels and lemon foam
(they also, using liquid nitrogen, created the ambience of the ocean)

Dry aged sous vide beef tenderloin with parisian carrots, fried mashed
potato, brussel sprouts with a fermented garlic beef jus

Goat cheese snowman with a sage cream puddle and dehydrated blueberries for the eyes and buttons

Parsnip creme brûlée

Caramel ice cream made with liquid nitrogen and topped black Cyprus sea salt

Birthday Tiramisu

playing with spices: sumac

February 28, 2013 By Fareen 1 Comment

I have heard much about the spice sumac and came across it recently in a local middle eastern store. The sumac spice is made from ground dried sumac berries, which are a relative of poison ivy(!).

Sumac is a middle eastern spice that is burgundy in colour. The taste of sumac is lemony and tart but more complex than a lemon. It is used as a condiment, like salt, but also in spice rubs, dressings and marinades. The spice is gaining in popularity. In fact, Alton Brown named sumac his official spice of 2012.

You often encounter sumac at donair shops, sprinkled over the raw onions. It is also a great topping for hummus.

Sumac is best known for being a key ingredient in Fattoush, a middle eastern salad containing pieces of crispy pita bread. The salad is made with romaine lettuce, chunks of cucumber and tomatoes, herbs like mint and parsley and tossed together with the pita and the dressing. I used sumac in the dressing as well as sprinkled it on top. It adds a great sweet and sour taste to a refreshing salad.

Fattoush (Middle Eastern Pita Bread Salad)

Romaine Lettuce
Tomatoes, diced
Cucumbers, diced
Green onions
Parsley
Mint
Sumac
1 pita bread, brushed with oil and toasted

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp sumac

Mix the salad ingredients together. Top with as much dressing as you need and then sprinkle with some sumac.

white elephant thai cuisine

February 12, 2013 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Sometimes the best food can be found in the most obscure places. This place is definitely not a secret though. I had heard so much about how great the White Elephant Thai Restaurant is and it definitely lived up to its reputation.

Located in the Pointe Inn, you would never know that this hotel held such a gem. We were advised to make reservations and we were glad we did. The place was quite busy, even for a Tuesday.

We started with the Tom Yum Goong soup with coconut milk. Full of veggies and shrimp, it was spicy and flavourful.

We got a few things that we thought Q would like. The thai-spiced wings weren’t spicy but had loads of flavour. They were deep fried and had a great crunch.

Q is also a sucker for spring rolls so we ordered some of their veggie ones. He found them a bit spicy, meaning more for mamma. They were so tasty, I wasn’t complaining.

S’s cousin was with us and, being a frequent traveller to Thailand, suggested the Som-Tum – green papaya salad. Although spicy, it was a very fresh tasting salad and one we would definitely order again.

One of my favourite curries is Panang so we ordered one with chicken. It was sweet and spicy, and bursting with flavour.

We also had the red curry with beef and pineapple. The chunks of fresh pineapple added the perfect sweetness to cut the spicy curry. It also contained large chunks of lemongrass that flavoured the coconut milk.

The coconut rice was pure perfection. Full of coconut goodness, it soaked up the flavourful curries.

The quantities of all the food was plentiful, more than other restaurants. We had lots of leftovers and were able to enjoy the delicious food the next day. It was a great meal and we ended on a high note with the coconut ice cream.

What everyone said was true, it was an amazing restaurant. I just can’t wait until my next visit.

watermelon rose smoothie

September 10, 2012 By Fareen 1 Comment

A couple of months ago, the National Watermelon Promotion Board sent me this lovely basket for Q and I. With matching watermelon aprons, we set out to make a kid friendly snack. We came up with this smoothie and have been making it all summer but forgot all about posting it!

This is a refreshing drink and allows your child to not only get some fruit but also some dairy. The addition of rose syrup makes it extra special.

In a blender, add some watermelon, a few ice cubes, a small squeeze of agave syrup, some milk and a splash of rose syrup and blend it all up. Q was a great help in dumping things in and pressing the buttons. The result is a fun little drink for kids of all ages.

Another fave of mine is the watermelon, feta and mint salad. You can check out the recipe here.

calypso taverna

September 9, 2012 By Fareen 1 Comment

We had a great evening tonight celebrating a few birthdays at Calypso Taverna. Our friend had celebrated an anniversary there before and loved it, so we were excited to try something new.

From the outside, the restaurant is nothing special. It’s probably a place that I would not notice and would just drive by. The inside though is warm and cozy and a great place for a celebration. The place was also packed so we knew it was going to be good. There was a belly dancer for a short time providing entertainment, especially when she got some of our table dancing with her.

Our friends had ordered the trio of dips with pita for the table. The dips included the Tzatziki, Hummus and the Tirokafteri. I think I loved the third one the best. It was a mixture of salty feta cheese and hot peppers. It was great served with the warm pita.

Hubby and I weren’t too hungry so we decided to share an appetizer and an entree. For the appetizer, we decided on the stuffed calamari. This was a whole calamari stuffed with lean ground chicken and pine nuts. It was served in a buttery cayenne champage sauce. Although not the prettiest dish, it was delicious. The combination of the squid with the seasoned chicken was really tasty.

For our main, we shared the Paidakia – lamb chops!

Our medium grilled lamb was cooked perfectly and the seasoned chops were the perfect greek dish. It didn’t have that strong lamb smell that sometimes turns hubby off, always a good thing. This was served with rice, potatoes and a greek salad.

Everyone’s dishes looked great, from the chicken souvlaki, the moussaka and the special of the day, the halibut.

We all shared 3 different desserts which were all delicious. The baklava was nutty and sweet, and the bougatsa was great with a warm apple filling inside some phyllo. My favourite though was a custard with a meringue topping. So good!

You can pay a little bit more and get the full plate throwing experience. It was so fun (and a great stress reliever) just tossing a plate – OPA! It was a great night and I look forward to going there again.

smashburger

May 8, 2012 By Fareen 5 Comments

Calgary’s newest burger joint is Smashburger. The restaurant officially opened on May 2nd and I was excited to try out the burgers at a blogger preview the day before. Tom Ryan, the founder, spent time with us explaining the chain while we enjoyed the menu.

Smashburger gets its name from how the burgers are prepared – smashed on the grill. Fresh Angus beef meatballs are pressed with a smasher between a buttered grill and wax paper. According to Tom, this allows the burger to cook up rather than out and locks in the juices.

The menu is quite extensive, featuring both beef burgers, chicken burgers, sides, salads, shakes and hot dogs.

I especially loved the tea bar. This is perfect for people like hubby or my sister who just don’t like carbonated drinks.

The three of us at our table ordered 3 different burgers and sides and decided to share so we could get the full variety.

In regards to the sides, we tried the Smashfries and the Sweet Potato Smashfries, both of which were tossed with rosemary, olive oil and garlic. I loved the sweet potato fries the best and found myself munching on these until the very end, even after I was stuffed.

Another great side were the fried pickes. I have seen these on numerous menus and finally decided to give these a try. The salty discs of pickles that were breaded and fried were really tasty. Being a pickle fan, I know Q will really enjoy these!

We also had the veggie frites, sticks of carrots and beans that were flash fried. A great alternative for those avoiding carbs.

The first burger I tried was the Mushroom Swiss. I think this was one of my favourites. The patty itself was really moist! The burger was topped with garlic sauteed mushrooms, swiss cheese and mayo and was served on an egg bun.

We also ordered a spinach and goat cheese burger which was originally meant for chicken but we ordered it with beef. This was a messy one but really good! It had goat cheese, cucumbers, spinach, tomato, onion and a balsamic vinaigrette and was sandwiched between a multi-grain bun. The tangy goat cheese was quite prominent, so if you’re not a fan, this is not the burger to order.

The chicken burger we tried was the avocado club, minus the bacon. Creamy avocado in any sandwich is always a hit. I was surprised by how moist the chicken was!

If you’re not a burger fan, Smashburger also has salads. Tom made sure that we had one at our table and we were able to see how huge they were.

Don’t forget to try a milkshake when you’re there. Milkshakes are made with local MacKay’s ice cream. We sampled both the Vanilla and Saskatoon Berry but Vanilla was easily my favourite. It went great with all those burgers.

Want to try out Smashburger for yourself? If you’re in the Calgary area, leave a comment with your email address or send me a tweet (@fareenjj) by Thursday at midnight and I will make a draw for some gift certificates on Friday.

celebrating apple month at home tasting room

February 15, 2012 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Hubby and I had date night earlier this month celebrating apple month. BC Tree Fruits hosted an event at Home Tasting Room where, along with other bloggers and media, we sampled apple inspired food prepared by Chef Rogers.

I’m not a huge fan of beets but the organic beet and apple salad with fresh Calgarian mozza and house grown lemon basil was amazing.

The swiss gougere with Ambrosia apple mousse and candied pecans was a favourite among the crowd. So light and tasty!

The Noble Farms duck and apple pastilla with ambrosia apple gastrique was hubby’s favorite. The combination of the apple and the duck in the flaky pastry was definitely a winner.

Another tasty bite with the Braeburn apple and fig tart with organic cold smoked cheddar and sailor jerry cream.

We were also able to view a cooking demo where Chef Rogers prepared a Sous vide Broek Acres pork belly. He was also kind enough to prepare a non-pork version for us, AAA Alberta beef hanger with apple foam and puree. Delicious!

It was a great evening tasting the delicious bites and learning about the apple picking and production process. One of my favourite tips provided by Darcel, a nutritionist with BC Tree Fruits and a grower herself, was putting grated apple in various dishes. Any way to sneak in fruits and veggies is always a good thing. From the delicious food that we sampled, it was evident that apples can be incorporated into any kind of dish, both sweet and savoury. Check out the BC Tree Fruits website for lots of apple recipes.

You have until the end of the month to participate in BC Tree Fruits “Artful Apple” contest and win prizes like an Okanagan vacation.

raw bar

November 15, 2011 By Fareen Leave a Comment

It’s been weeks since we visited Raw Bar but I’m still thinking about the amazing food we had that night. Tucked away in Hotel Arts, we were lucky to get a reservation. The place was packed and we soon discovered why.

It was hard to decide which appetizer, everything looked so good. We decided to share the BC Spot Prawn and Papaya Salad Roll. This was a really pretty dish to look at. Eight mini rolls were served on a long platter on top of strips of cucumber, carrot and daikon. It was really tasty and left us wanting more.

Seafood prevailed in our main course with both of us choosing fish dishes (and splitting them of course). We settled on the Miso Black Cod Donburi which was served with king oyster mushrooms, sticky rice and teriyaki sauce. This was such a great fish and I really loved the Asian flavours.

The other dish we had was the Salmon. This came with lemon ricotta tortellini, spring vegetables in a shellfish broth. The salmon was prepared perfectly and hubby was happy that it was paired with the pasta.

As full as we were, we ordered dessert. We had a white chocolate cheesecake which was served with a strawberry sorbet. I was looking forward to the coconut lime sorbet it was supposed to come with but this was still delicious and satisfying.

All in all, it was a great evening and I look forward to going back!