Search Results for: salad

beef and mushroom lettuce wraps

July 18, 2016 By Fareen 1 Comment

It’s been a year since we have moved into our new place and this year, I was determined to have a garden. Hubby built me a box and we thought we would try our hand at growing our own food. What started out as a couple things ended up into a dozen. We planted kale, butter lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, zucchini, onions, carrots and fruit. We were thrilled when we started to see things grow and our sparse box turned into a lush garden.

There’s nothing like eating from your own garden. It’s fresh and so rewarding to be eating something to you have grown yourself. The butter lettuce has been a big success, the leaves growing big and full. There’s only so much salad you can eat though and so we have been using the lettuce as wraps.

These beef and mushroom wraps were a hit, with no leftovers. Adding the Korean pepper sauce, Gochujang, made Q happy since he can’t seem to get enough of it. The beef fulfilled everyone’s protein requirement and wrapping it in lettuce made us feel so great, eating a filling and healthy meal.

I’m happy to be participating in another Canadian Food Creatives Collaboration. This month’s theme is Fresh from the Garden and is hosted by Cassie of Crumb Kitchen. Check out all the fresh recipes and see this recipe below.

Beef and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps by Food Mamma
Caramelized Peaches with Coconut Whipped Cream and Crumble by Crumb Kitchen
Easy Sheet Pan Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables by She Loves Biscotti
Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad by Making Healthy Choices
Mexican Bean Salsa by 365 Days of Easy Recipes
Potatoes with Green Onion and Dill by Homemade & Yummy
Roasted Beet Chocolate Brownies by Tiny Sweet Tooth
Roasted Veggie Bocconcini Pasta Salad by Sugarlovespices
Strawberry Mint Chickpea Salad by Healthy Life Redesign

Beef and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

1 lb ground beef
200 grams white mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 TB gochujang
2 green onions, sliced
butter lettuce
green onions

Cook the ground beef and mushrooms until the mushrooms are tender and the ground beef is cooked. Add the garlic and the sauces and let cook for ten minutes. Finish with the green onions.

Wrap the beef mixture in the lettuce, top with more green onions and serve with hoisin sauce and Sriracha.

wonderful watermelon

June 30, 2016 By Fareen 4 Comments

It’s almost time for the long weekend! Time for food on the grill, hanging with friends, and of course, watermelon! Watermelon is the ultimate summer time fruit. Summer memories always include hot days eating cold watermelon. It is so refreshing and also so versatile!

Having this delicious fruit as a sweet treat is an easy way to serve it, but I love adding a savoury touch. I drizzle watermelon with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and finish with a sprinkle of feta and basil. Not a common pairing but oh so good!

The ideas on how to serve watermelon are endless. Check out all the fabulous recipes below!

Minted Watermelon and Cucumber Salad from a Virtual Vegan

Raw Watermelon Candy from The Taste Space

Maple Lemon Fruit Salad from Bake For Granted

Watermelon and Strawberry Fruit Salsa from I Say Nomato

Watermelon Lime Honey Popsicles from Sugar Love Spices

Watermelon, Feta and Tomato Confit Stacked Salad from My Kitchen Love

Skinny Greek Chicken Bowl with Watermelon and Feta from Flavour & Savour

Detoxifying Watermelon Mint Limeade from Justine Celina

Pink Power Smoothie-Juice from Occasionally Eggs

Grilled Peach, Strawberry & Watermelon Salsa from Bakers Beans

Watermelon Refresher from Bakers Beans

Watermelon Mint Paletas from Satori Design for Living

Vegan Watermelon Pizza Dessert from The Cookie Writer

Watermelon and Coconut Popsicles from The Cookie Writer

Watermelon “Cake” from Making Healthy Choices

Watermelon Rose Smoothie from Food Mamma

Watermelon Lime Spritzer from Food Mamma

Watermelon Feta Salad from Food Mamma

in and around calgary

June 1, 2016 By Fareen 1 Comment

There’s been a lot going on the last couple months in Calgary. From restaurant openings, new menus and celebrations, it’s been busy! Here’s what’s been happening!

PZA Parlour
This new restaurant is located in the SW, taking over the space that was once home to Red Robin. The decor is great and the restaurant features a planter wall and even a Vespa.

I came for a bloggers dinner and we were treated to an amazing meal!

From crispy calamari to cheesy pizza to the best doughnuts topped with Nutella!

Thomsons Restaurant Summer Menu
I was invited to check out Thomsons new summer menu. We tried their Apple & Brie Grilled Cheese as well as their signature dishes like their Steak Bites made with Alberta Beef. I also loved their nachos, especially with their lime sour cream.

They have quite a list of cocktails to enjoy as well. Perfect for enjoying on their patio.

Second Cup Reimagined
Second Cup Coffee Co. unveiled its first-ever cafe of the future in Calgary. With a completely new look, you would never guess that this was a Second Cup!

Some of the items that stood out were:
The Slow Bar which features the Steampunk – a coffee brewing system that is uses technology to brew the perfect cup of coffee.

A Wireless Charging Station

Community Wall Mural

The new concept store in Calgary is located in the Braeside Shopping Centre.

Veg-In YYC

Veg-In YYC is a new vegetarian cafe open in Downtown Calgary. From sandwiches to burgers, these meals are made using the freshest ingredients. These vegan and vegetarian dishes have an east indian influence. Don’t forget to get your chai or lassi!

Good Earth Coffee House

Good Earth Coffee House opened its first location on 11th Street in Calgary 25 years ago! Since then, its grown to over 45 locations nationwide. Congrats on your anniversary!

knafi

May 11, 2016 By Fareen 1 Comment

Hope all the moms out there had a great Mother’s Day. I got spoiled by my boys with cards and bath bombs and even made it to the movies!

We had our moms over for lunch on Sunday, celebrating how awesome they are. We had spinach salad, dhokra, barbecued chicken and oven-fried cassava. There was also plenty for dessert – fruit, a bundt and knafi.

I tried Knafi at my aunt’s house a couple years ago and loved it! Shredded phyllo enveloping a sweet ricotta mixture – it was so good, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I finally got the recipe for this Lebanese treat last week and thought it was perfect to try out for Mother’s Day. I was surprised at how easy this dessert was. In fact, Q did all the work. The crunchy phyllo, the warm cheese – it was heaven!

Knafi

2 lbs. ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar
1 lb shredded phyllo
3/4 cup melted butter

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 TB lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the ricotta with the sugar. Place the shredded phyllo in a large bowl and pour the melted butter on top. Mix until the pastry is coated with the butter.

Spread half the pastry on the bottom of a 9 x 13″ pan. Spread the ricotta mixture on top of the phyllo. Cover the cheese layer with the remaining phyllo.

Bake for 1 hour until golden brown. In the meantime, make the syrup (see below). Remove from the oven and pour cold syrup over top. Serve warm.

Syrup: Combine the sugar and water and stir until dissolved. Boil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and boil for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

trunch at pampa

May 4, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Looking for something a little different than the traditional Mother’s Day lunch? How about Trunch? Available at Pampa Brazilian Restaurant, Trunch is the perfect blend of brunch, lunch and tea.

I was invited to Pampa to check out what they were cooking up. This is no ordinary brunch!

Pampa has an amazing salad bar featuring fruit and charcuterie platters, fresh house breads with jams and cheeses along with 40 salads, dressings and sauces. I loved the beef carpaccio and the fresh mint dressing was amazing. I may have used that with my meat.

They also have some hot selections like french toast, brazilian crepes and eggs. Meat is carved tableside, and you can enjoy a limitless amount. For Trunch, you can enjoy Pampa sausage, leg of lamb, chicken, marinated pork loin, barbecued pork belly and my favourite, Picanha or the rumpstake. Your delicious meal will be followed by freshly brewed House Apple tea.

This is a unique experience to celebrate with the people you love. My 7 year old loved everything about Pampa, enjoying every juicy bite of meat and even eating some vegetables.

Trunch is offered every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning with a special Mother’s Day Trunch on May 7th and 8th, which will include a surprise gift for each mom. Pampa is also offering a Victoria Day Trunch on Sunday, May 22nd and on Monday, May 23rd, which will feature a unique cheese bread-making demonstration at noon. Don’t worry dads, a special Father’s Day Trunch will be served on Sunday, June 19th. Adults can enjoy Trunch for $29.50 per guest while children aged 12 and under can dine for only $15.95 per child. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling (587) 354-3441.

Cheers to all the fabulous mothers!

clean out the fridge beef stir-fry

April 28, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Sometimes I’m overly optimistic and I buy way too many vegetables. I plan meals that don’t come into fruition and sometimes these healthy morsels seem to get forgotten in the fridge. Stir-fries are the perfect dish to clean out your fridge and make use of all those veggies before they end up in the compost bin.

Yesterday, I went to the grocery store yesterday just to buy the beef. I was determined to use up everything that was in my fridge. Sadly, the red peppers didn’t make it, but I did manage to save the broccoli and the carrots. I even used up the half bag of salad that was in the fridge – the cabbage and the carrots, even the pumpkin seeds, were perfect for a stir-fry.

I dredged the beef in a flour mixture because I wanted the pieces to be a little crisp but you can totally skip that step. For the sauce, I sometimes just make a mixture of the sauces that are in the fridge, using up the last drops. This time, I made a slight variation to the sauce from the Mongolian Beef recipe, which was so delicious.

Mamma used up the veggies, the kids at the veggies, it was a good day!

Beef Stir-Fry

1 pound beef, cut into strips
1/2 cup flour
2 TB cornstarch
salt
pepper

vegetables

2 tsp oil
2 tsp ginger
2 TB minced garlic
1/2 cup soya sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 TB corn starch
2 TB water

In a small saucepan, combine the first six sauce ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil. Combine the corn starch with the water and add to the sauce ingredients. Let simmer until thick.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Dredge the beef in the flour mixture and pan fry. This can be done in batches. Keep aside. Drain the oil from the pan and add in any vegetables. Once they are almost cooked, add back the meat and add the sauce. Perfect with rice!

via cibo

March 19, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

Via Cibo has opened it’s second location in Calgary. Having heard great reviews about the first Calgary location in Deerfoot Meadows, I was excited to see what the Italian restaurant had in store.

Inspired by Italian street food, Via Cibo is a chef-driven fast food restaurant, meaning high quality food but fast casual service. You order and pay at the counter but your made to order food is brought to you. From salads and sandwiches to pasta and pizza, there is something for everyone.

The Tuscan Fries sounded very tempting and I just couldn’t resist. With rosemary sea salt, truffle oil and shaved grana padano cheese, they were decadent and perfect for sharing.

For the main, I tried the Pasta Al Ragu Di Ossobuco. The penne was served with a braised veal ragu and cheese and a side of garlic bread. Comfort food at it’s best!

If you’re looking for a sweet ending, Via Cibo has an assortment of gelato. The Nutella with the coconut sorbet was the perfect combination.

I definitely will be coming back to Via Cibo to try their other offerings.

sky 360 and the big taste calgary

March 11, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

It’s time for The Big Taste in Calgary – every foodie’s favourite week! Hubby and I checked out Sky 360 for lunch last weekend and it was great. It had been years since I’ve been to the Calgary Tower and this was a nice treat. As we lunched on our 3 course, $25 menu, the floor of the restaurant rotated and we got an amazing view of our city.

The first course for The Big Taste was either a soup or a salad. We both went with the Greens Salad which contained carrot chips, cucumbers, shave radish and topped with a pomegranate and pink peppercorn vinaigrette.

For the second course, I went with the Grilled Blackened Chicken sandwich which was served on fresh focaccia. The bread was so good and the chicken had a nice kick to it. The fries that were served on the side were cooked to perfection. Hubby went with the burger which was also very good.

We ended our meal with a cream cheese gelato served with strawberries.

After the meal, we were able to enjoy the tower from the observation deck. The glass floor was kind of scary – I had to not look down in order to take this picture.

It was a great meal, definitely worth a visit. Considering a trip to the top is $18, the lunch during The Big Taste is a great deal!

al’s grill at amato gelato (chestermere)

February 29, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

As great as it was to escape to paradise, it was nice to come home on the weekend. Sure we came back to a little cold and snow but there’s no place like home.

Since we hardly slept on the way home, we were exhausted and all of us had a nice long nap. We were starving when we woke up but had no desire to cook. Amato Gelato to the rescue!

Amato Gelato in Chestermere has opened a side business in their gelato shop, Al’s Grill. Al’s Grill features East African specialties like fried cassava, pili pili fries and chicken poussin.

We ordered the mishkaki chicken combo which came with 3 skewers of marinated chicken, salad, fries and naan. It was delicious! The chicken was flavourful and moist and I loved the skinny fries that it came with. The best part was that Z, who had refused to eat anything for a few meals, loved the chicken and devoured a couple of sticks of chicken. Made this mamma very happy!

We also had the fried cassava which was cooked to perfection. It was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and perfect with the tamarind chutney that it came with.

We can’t wait to go back and enjoy some more of their delicious food. Next time, we will have to leave room for dessert! We are definitely lucky to have this gem in Chestermere. With great service and friendly owners, it’s definitely a business that deserves support.

candied pecans

January 15, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

At our house, we are nuts for nuts. Like all kinds of nuts. One of my favourites though is pecans. I was looking for a way to perk up my salad and thought candied pecans would be perfect.

The coating is light and crispy and I loved the addition of the cinnamon and salt. They provided the perfect crunch that I needed for my salad but they were also great for snacking on. These are so good and very addictive. You have been warned.

Candied Pecans

1 cup pecan halves
1 egg white
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Beat the egg white until frothy. Add the pecans, cinnamon and salt and mix until coated. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes.