Search Results for: salads

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.

resolutions, ninjas and green smoothies

January 6, 2016 By Fareen Leave a Comment

January is here and we are back to school and back to routine. I try and stay away from resolutions, they always seem short-lived. There is something that needed implementing around here though, and the new year seems like the best place to start. Although we eat fruits and vegetables, I really needed us to have more. Keeping plates of cut fruits and veggies out has helped. No one can resist snacking if it’s right there, ready and waiting. Salads are an easy way to add veggies but they can become boring. Smoothies seem like the best way to add a whole whack of nutrients, changing it up everyday so that there is variety.

To help with this goal, the folks at Ninja sent me their Nutri Ninja Auto-IQ Compact System. If I could choose one word to describe this machine, it would be power. I loved watching it break down spinach and grind ice into a smooth refreshing drink. With this Ninja, you have a nutrient and vitamin extractor as well as a high performance blender – it pulverizes any vegetable or seed. On top of all that, it comes with a Blend and Prep bowl, making this powerful blender into a full food processor. Hubby’s quite happy about this fact, hoping to get rid of a few of my appliances.

I loved this recipe for a refreshing green smoothie. With apples, lemon and ginger, along with a big helping of spinach, this drink was pretty delicious. I never thought I’d say that about a spinach smoothie! Watch for more smoothie recipes over the next couple of weeks and check out this board on Pinterest for inspiration.

Disclaimer – I was sent a Nutri Ninja Auto-IQ Compact System to try out and keep. All opinions are my own.

Sweet Spinach Detox
From Ninja

1 green apple, cut in 2-inch chunks
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 lemon, peeled, seeds removed
1/2 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup ice

Place all ingredients into the 24-ounce Tritan Nutri Ninja in the order listed.
Select Auto-IQ™ BLEND.

pampa brazilian steakhouse

February 24, 2015 By Fareen 1 Comment

We are so lucky to have some great new restaurants in the city. One of the new additions to Calgary is Pampa Brazilian Steahouse. I was lucky to be invited to a media dinner for the new restaurant and try out their amazing offerings. This restaurant is every meat lovers dream!

We were greeted by owner Oscar Lopez, who welcomed everyone with a drink – either Caipirinhas or Guarana, Brazilian sodas.

Chef Joao gave us a bit of history before we were treated to a delicious meal. The buffet was unlike any one I have seen at a Brazilian steakhouse. The variety of items was astonishing – from salads and vegetables to beef carpaccio and a wheel of parmesan. Definitely something for everyone.

The meat – oh my! Here’s some of what we enjoyed: marinated chicken thighs, garlic steak, top sirloin, bottom sirloin, ribeye and lamb chops. My absolute favourite was the house specialty – Picanha. Also known as beef rump, it was sooooo tasty and melted in my mouth. The food was delicious and the meat made everyone at the table quite happy.

The evening ended on a sweet note – passion fruit mousse with a red wine reduction and chocolate mousse with an orange and star anise reduction.

The place was fantastic, the food was delicious and I can’t wait to go back for more!

thai chicken larb

January 23, 2015 By Fareen 4 Comments

Around here, we love our thai food! I had been to Thailand once before, when I was in junior high. I’m determined to go back and learn the secrets to their delicious food. The curries, the rice, the salads – it’s just too good!

Larb seemed like something easy to prepare and it was! I had looked at many different recipes and they were all so different. I took components of what I liked, and what I had in the house, and made this version. I left out the chilis, opting to use Sriracha on top, so that everyone in the house could enjoy it. Although, truth be told, I’m pretty sure Q can handle things spicier than me.

With lemongrass, mint and lime, this dish was screaming with flavour. Even 9 month old Z enjoyed it! Although I was hoping for leftovers, there were none in sight! This will definitely be making the rounds again next week.

Thai Chicken Larb

1 lb ground chicken
1/2 TB minced garlic
1/2 TB fish sauce

Handful of mint
Handful of cilantro
1 2″ piece of lemongrass, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped

1 lime, juiced
1 TB brown sugar
2 TB fish sauce

lettuce
Sriracha sauce

Brown the chicken with the garlic and fish sauce. Once cooked, add the mint, cilantro, lemongrass, green onion and shallot. In a bowl, combine the lime, brown sugar and fish sauce. Once the herbs and vegetables are mixed with the chicken, add the lime mixture. Scoop into lettuce cups and top with sriracha.

keeping it local with red hat

July 24, 2014 By Fareen Leave a Comment

It’s been a couple weeks since the Stampede took over our city. With
pancake breakfasts and the guilty pleasures at the grounds, it was a
wonder that one of the best meals I had that week was fresh and clean
and a great feel-good lunch.

I was invited to the Red Hat Co-operative Stampede lunch at Bite
Groceteria. Red Hat is a group of local Alberta growers, whose offerings
were showcased at this delicious lunch. With over 50 members, this
group is committed to getting you the best quality of local produce.

The guilt-free lunch had us feasting on salads made with the tastiest
tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, flatbread with eggplant and fried
jalapeños. There was even a juice bar using the local veggies.

We were lucky enough to take some veggies home and I immediately made a
caprese salad to keep enjoying those flavourful tomatoes.

Keep an eye out for Red Hat at your local grocery store. You can collect
grower cards in their products which could lead to a beach getaway. Good
luck!

cruising on the disney wonder – the food

https://foodmamma.com/2014/01/cruising-on-disney-wonder.html

The food on the Wonder was amazing!! There was a huge variety and there was something for everyone. There were three restaurants that were in our rotation – Triton’s, Parrot Cay and Animator’s Palate. There was also a buffet, Beach Blanket, which you could go to if you didn’t want something so formal. There were a couple of options by the pool, Pinnochio’s Pizzeria, Pluto’s Dog House for burgers and hotdogs as well as Goofy’s Galley for things like sandwiches and salads.

Here is just a glimpse of some of the delicious meals we had.

chinese new year

January 30, 2014 By Fareen Leave a Comment

This year’s Chinese New Year will be celebrated on January 31st ushering in the Year of the Horse.

Food is an important part of the Chinese culture and a lot of significance is assigned to different foods for the New Year. Several foods are consumed to usher in wealth, happiness and good fortune.

Here are the top 10 lucky foods to usher in the New Year:

Dumplings: Symbolizes wealth as the shape resembles Chinese ancient money.
Rice Dumplings: The round shape of the rice dumplings represents reunion and their stickiness symbolizes cohesiveness.
Mandarins or tangerines: The roundness of these fruit suggests abundant happiness and wholeness. Their Chinese names are also homonyms for “gold” and “luck.”
Lettuce: As a homonym for “making money” in Chinese, lettuce symbolizes the fulfillment of wealth in the coming year.
Whole fish: The Chinese word for “fish” is a homonym for “abundance.” In Chinese culture, eating fish represents having a surplus throughout the year.
Whole chicken: A whole cooked chicken symbolizes prosperity and togetherness of family.
Melon seeds: These snacks symbolize fertility along with sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Fried sesame balls: The round shape and golden colour of these snacks are considered lucky. According to the Chinese, since they increase in size as they are fried they are a metaphor for a small venture growing and bringing back a large return.
Deep fried pastry with sesame: This snack’s name in Chinese translates to “smiling mouth,” which symbolizes the happiness it will bring to the family.
Rice cakes: The Chinese name of rice cakes ‘nian gao,’ literally means a “higher year” or year of improvement or advancement.

Adding to the already impressive assortment of international foods
available at Real Canadian Superstore® locations, select new T&T®
brand products are now in-store making it easier than ever to celebrate
Chinese New Year on January 31st . A box of some of the goodies that they offer was sent to me. A few items included:

T&T® Philippine
Dried Mangoes: These dried mangoes originated from the Philippines’
famous mango city, Cebu. The warm, sultry climate and fertile soil of
Cebu make it ideal for producing the most delicious mango variety. Lush,
creamy and aromatic, these mangoes are a unique blend of sweetness and
tartness. Use them for a garnish in salads or as a substitute for other
dried fruits.

T&T® Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: The
quality and rich flavour of T&T® Dried Shiitake Mushrooms is
signified by their large cap, fissures and thickness. With a long shelf
life, these mushrooms rehydrate quickly in warm water and are great to
enjoy on their own or in your favourite mushroom recipes.

T&T® Senbei Rice Cracker: Senbei rice crackers are made with the
best rice from Thailand and are a type of Japanese rice crackers that
come in various shapes, sizes and flavours. Senbei are often eaten as a
snack with green tea and offered to visiting house guests as a courtesy
refreshment or can be used to make your favourite canapés or hors
d’oeuvres.

T&T® Biscuit Egg Roll: This traditional
street food of Hong Kong and Asia is made with flaky egg dough from
simple but fresh ingredients. Try these biscuits as a delicious
complement to ice cream.

Real Canadian Superstore®
locations will also be carrying a wide assortment of fresh quality Asian
produce for Chinese New Year including Pomelos, Chinese Mini Mandarins,
Guava, Star Fruit, Long Beans and more. I especially loved their shrimp dumplings which were available in the freezer section.

Using the Shiitake Mushrooms as well as the Korean Kalbi Marinade Sauce, I made up this delicious dish. The mushrooms were meaty and absorbed all the tasty marinade. Even Q, who doesn’t like mushrooms, loved it. Not that I told him that they were mushrooms….

Disclosure:
I received a variety of products from President’s Choice along with a
gift certificate to try out some of their frozen items. I was under no
obligation to write about them. Opinions are my own. – See more at:
https://foodmamma.com/2013/12/presidents-choice-for-holidays.html#sthash.DMZwkj7b.dpuf

Disclosure: I received a variety of products from T&T/Real Canadian Superstore along with a gift certificate to try out some of their frozen items. I was under no obligation to write about them. Opinions are my own.

Shiitake Mushrooms in Kalbi Sauce
Recipe from T &T

1 can of T&T® Chicken Broth
15 pieces T&T® Shiitake Mushrooms
60 g T&T® Korean Kalbi Marinade Sauce
Chopped parsley

Soak T&T® Shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 1 hour. Remove the stems.

In large saucepan over medium heat, add mushrooms, chicken broth and kalbi sauce. Stir well, then cover the saucepan and allow the mushrooms to cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Simmer covered for 1 hour.

Spring the parsley over the stew and serve immediately. Makes 2-4 servings

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!

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.

potluck at julie’s

June 1, 2011 By Fareen 1 Comment

This weekend, we attended a community potluck at Julie’s house. Inspired by a potluck she attended in Tofino, Julie, from Dinner with Julie, bravely invited the internet (!) to her house for a fun little get together.

Julie and her husband Mike were gracious hosts and made everyone feel welcome. It was great to meet her devoted readers and eat their delicious assortment of food. It was also nice to catch up with fellow food bloggers, Cheryl from Backseat Gourmet and Gail from The Pink Peppercorn.

Q had a lot of fun with the kids in the back yard and hubby enjoyed himself as well. The food was amazing! Ranging from cookies, salads, vegetables and even fresh bread, it was nice to try a little bit of everything. I especially loved the quinoa salad which we made tonight and had for dinner. It will definitely be a regular at our house!

It was hard trying to decide what to bring to a potluck, and at Julie’s house no less. I brought along dhokra, savoury steamed cakes made with wheatlets. I figured it was something different for everyone to try. I also made some red pepper shrimp which I stuffed in to puff pastry shells. For those that asked, the recipe for the shrimp can be found here. For the shells, I cut little squares of ready made puff pastry which I put into muffin molds and baked at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes until they were golden.

Thanks again to Julie for the great gathering!