Food Mamma

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avocado pasta sauce

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I have a new favourite pasta sauce / dressing! After seeing so many people post pictures of the avocado pasta on Instagram, I decided that it was something I needed to try. I know the recipe is in Angela Liddon’s new “Oh She Glows” cookbook but I was so happy that I was able to find it on her blog.

With lemon, garlic and basil incorporated into the creaminess of the avocado, it is perfect on pasta – so fresh and flavourful! I find it also goes great with salad, brightening things up immensely.

The sauce comes together easily in a food processor and was so simple to make. Q took charge of this one, tossing things in. He loved it so much, he licked the processor bowl! We threw the sauce with orecchiette and topped it with roasted salmon. Just thinking about that satisfying meal makes me hungry.

Avocado Pasta
From Oh She Glows

1 medium sized ripe avocado, pitted
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 – 3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 TB extra virgin olive oil

Place the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the avocado, basil and salt. Process until smooth and creamy. Pour sauce onto pasta and toss until fully combined. Serve immediately.

cauliflower alfredo sauce

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The other day, on Facebook, I noticed a recipe for cauliflower alfredo sauce. I was intrigued and knew I had to try it. Cauliflower seems to be the “it” vegetable lately, transforming into a variety of things like “bread” sticks and pizza crusts.

This sauce is super easy to make. In a blender, just whiz together the cauliflower, the water that it was cooked in, some garlic that’s been cooked in butter and a little bit of milk and you have a creamy, delicious sauce. I used a lactose-free milk so that the sauce could be enjoyed by everyone.

Top the pasta and sauce with some cheese and elevate the dish even further with a drizzle of truffle oil. So divine! It’s a perfect dish for Meatless Monday or with some chicken or shrimp.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

1/2 head cauliflower
4 cloves garlic, or 2 tsp minced
butter
salt
pepper
1/4 cup milk

Saute the minced garlic in butter over low heat. Cook for several minutes until garlic is soft and fragrant.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot.Add the cauliflower and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to the blender. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid, the garlic and butter, salt, pepper and milk and puree until smooth.

chinese new year

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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:
http://www.foodmamma.com/2013/12/presidents-choice-for-holidays.html#sthash.DMZwkj7b.dpuf
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:
http://www.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

meatless monday: eggplant and okra curry

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I’m not one for resolutions but meatless Monday is something that we are trying to implement around here. It’s not too hard to go meatless especially when it’s so easy to whip together a pasta or a big pot of soup.  This week, we decided to go Indian. There are so many vegetarian options and the Indian flavours make you almost forget that you’re skipping out on the meat.

This curry is super easy to put together. Two vegetables and a few items from the pantry and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal. In my case, I’ve also got myself a happy hubby, who sometimes complains that I don’t make enough Indian food.

Eggplant and Okra Curry

1 pound okra, cut into rounds
6 to 8 small eggplants
3 TB fried onions
3 TB crushed tomatoes
1 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
water
oil

Heat oil on medium heat so that it covers the bottom of a pan. Add the okra and let cook until golden. Stir occasionally, so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Combine the tomatoes, paste, and spices. Make little exes on the eggplants and fill them with a little bit of the spice mixture.

Once the okra start looking golden, add the onions and the remaining spice mixture. Add the eggplants along with a few tablespoons of water. Cover and cook over low heat until the eggplant are tender and start falling apart. Add water if necessary.

Top with cilantro and serve with chapati.

spicy ranch roasted red pepper dip

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While playing in the kitchen once again with the ranch dressings from Hidden Valley Ranch, I thought it would be fun to makeover one of our regulars – roasted red pepper dip.  The addition of the Spicy Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing added a punch and made the beloved dip even better! The dressing provided just the right amount of heat and tang.

Spicy Ranch Roasted Red Pepper Dip

1 red pepper
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 TB Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch
1/4 cup mayonnaise
salt
pepper
olive oil

Quarter the red pepper and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. At this point, you can remove the skin, but I prefer to leave it on.

In a blender, blend together the garlic and roasted red pepper. Add the Spicy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing along with the mayonnaise and blend a final time.

hot spinach and artichoke dip

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One of my favourite things to order when out with friends is spinach and artichoke dip.  The warm dip and the ooey gooey cheese just begging to be picked up with a tortilla chip.  Mmmm.  What better opportunity to try making this dip than for our appetizer party.  I searched for a recipe online and was drawn to this one since it was a lighter version.  With all that cheese, one would never know that it was a healthier option.  The dip was a hit, even with the kids.  Also turned out to be a great late night snack!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Adapted from Gina’s Skinny Taste 

1 can artichokes, drained
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 small onion, chopped
1 heaping TB minced garlic
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayo
2/3 cup parmesan
1 cup mozzarella
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a small food processor, coarsely chop the artichoke hearts with the garlic and onions.

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Place in an oven-proof dish and bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted. Serve hot.

meatless monday: red lentil curry

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Red lentil curry is one of our new favorite dishes.  This hearty meal is perfect after a weekend filled with meat.  I’m not sure if the best part is that it’s healthy or that it takes less than half an hour to make.  It also passed the Q test.  He ate this curry alongside some homemade yogurt and devoured it.  Both my mom and aunt have made this dish so I snagged the recipe last week.  A perfect dish for Meatless Monday.

Red Lentil Curry

1 cup red lentils
2 curry leaves
3 TB crushed tomatoes
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup water
cilantro

Soak the lentils while you heat the pan.  In a saucepan, heat some oil and add 2 curry leaves.  Add the tomatoes, and spices and cook for a couple of minutes.  Drain the lentils and add to the tomato mixture along with 1/2 cup water.  Let cook until the lentils are cooked, approximately 20 minutes.  Check the water level after ten minutes, and add more if it has evaporated.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with warm chapati.

mother’s day and grilled veggie lasagna

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We had our mammas over for Mother’s Day dinner this year.  We went totally simple this year with bbq’d burgers and fries.  With a wedding coming up in the family in just under 3 months, we grilled up some veggies for those family members who felt like being healthy.  Most went with the beef though so we had loads of roasted eggplant, zucchini, onions and red peppers left over. 

What better way to use up those extra veggies than make veggie lasagna.  I added the red peppers and onions to the sauce which was layered between the eggplant and zucchini and loads of cheese.  It was filling and a great way to get in our day full of veggies.  Q even finished off his plate which is always a good sign.

Mother’s Day dinner ended with nutella ice cream and sticky toffee pudding.  My sticky toffee pudding is a recipe of my friends, who makes the best I’ve ever tasted.  I promised I wouldn’t share the recipe though, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Hope all the mothers were spoiled!