Guacamole

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a craving for Mexican (as I usually do) and realized I had allthe ingredients to make guacamole. This was a super fast and easy fix and turned out really light and fresh tasting, very summery and perfect for the patio season up on us.

1        avocado
1        small tomato
1/2    red onion
1/4C cilantro, finely chopped
1        lemon, juiced (or 2T lemon juice)
1/4C oil
1/2t   cumin, ground
salt to taste

I like to cut the avocado flesh when its still in the half-shell into a grid so when I scoop out the meat with a spoon its already diced, no mess! I finely chopped everything and mixed it in a bowl. be careful no to overmix, a little texture is always good. Lime juice is also a great sub for lemon juice. You can add garlic if you want but this version without was still really tasty without having other flavours overpowered by garlic or walking around with garlic breath after. If you do decide to use garlic I would use only a small clove for this proportion. The cumin makes it taste more authentic and gives some depth to the flavours. Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This amazing gift was from an equally awesome friend who has a major love for hot chocolate and wanted to share. Each of the components is beautifully packaged with easy instructions and high quality ingredients. I decided to follow the instructions to see how it would turn out. First I warmed the milk being careful not to boil or the high temperature will caramelize the natural milk sugars and change the taste from creamy to burnt. Next I added the real chocolate shavings, whisking as the heat is turned off. I was instructed by my friend to pour the hot liquid over the marshmallow for maximum effect. Visually, it looked great. From a taste perspective it was incredible. The marshmallow melted into a layer of thick marshmallow creme on top which was only a minus because it trapped all the heat inside and I couldn’t drink it as soon as I wanted, maybe a spoon would’ve helped. The entire drink was rich, creamy and chocolately without being granular and cheap tasting like the powdered cocoa stuff. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the powder. The sweetness came from the chocolate a little and mostly the marshmallow so there was no overwhemling sugar rush afterward. Definetely a great drink for a cozy night in.

Rol San Restaurant

 

 

Rol San was introduced to me in 2007 at a very late night bite. I had been searching for great Chinese food in the city with no luck. Located just North of Dundas on Spadina, this place is always open late, features a dim sum menu and has not disappointed once. The menu selection is big, you are sure to find what you are looking for. The food comes out quickly, tasty and the price is very reasonable. The restaurant is always very busy on late nights and weekends but I’ve never waited for a table. The kitchens are visible on the short walk to the restrooms and all staff inside look presentable (uniforms with hats!) and kitchen looks bright and organized. For me this means they care about it and the organization makes me trust the food more. Once of the first dishes I ate here was Crispy Ginger Beef and I make a point to order it every time I’m in. Its small sheets of beef with a really thin and light batter, just enough to make the beef crispy. I’ve had this dish at severla other places and it gets bogged down with cubes of meat battered like a chicken ball or sweet and sour pork. The dish at Rol San actually tastes like beef. Veggies are always fresh and jasmine tea served during the meal is always hot! One of my favourite places to eat out in downtown. Note: no delivery service so plan accordingly!

German Chocolate Layer Cake

This recipe is from a book I bought a few years ago called Meals in Heels by Jennifer Joyce. Its a fantastic little book, the imagery is charming and the recips are great, all  curated to make for easy entertaining. I’ve done this recipe a few times now and always is a hit. The original in the book calls for pistachios but this blog version is just as tasty. My results are above although noted my layers arent totally even. I miss my kitchen tools!

german chocolate layer cake
prep time 45 minutes, cooking time 40 minutes
serves 10–12

80 g/2 3/4 oz/nearly 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
350 g/12 oz/3½ cups superfine cake flour, sifted (or use Italian 00 flour)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
450 g/1 lb/2 1/2 cups caster (superfine) sugar
350 g/12 oz unsalted butter, softened

coconut filling
2 large egg yolks
175 g/9 oz/3/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar
175 ml/5 1/2 fl oz/3/4 cup evaporated milk
60 g/2 1/4 oz unsalted butter
90 g/3 1/4 oz/1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
120 g/4 1/4 oz/1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 tsp vanilla extract

milk chocolate ganache frosting
200g/7oz quality milk chocolate
200ml/7 fl oz/3/4 cup double or heavy cream

Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas 4). Brush three 20 cm (8 inch) or two (23 cm (9 inch) cake tins with melted butter and line the base with baking paper. Brush the paper with more butter, dust with flour and shake out excess.

Whisk the cocoa with 350 ml (12 fl oz) boiling water in a bowl until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, transfer 75 ml (21/4 fl oz) into another bowl and whisk together with the eggs and vanilla until well combined.

Place the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low-speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and remaining dissolved cocoa mixture and beat on low-speed for 7–8 minutes or until well combined, then increase to medium and beat for 1½ minutes. Add the egg mixture, in 3 batches, beating for 30 seconds after each batch. Don’t over beat the mixture or the cake will be heavy. Divide among the cake tins and smooth the tops.

Position the oven racks so that you can fit 2 cakes in the middle and one in the lower third of the oven. Rotate the cakes halfway through the cooking time. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from tins, peel off the baking paper and cool completely on wire racks. At this stage, you can wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before frosting.

To make the coconut filling, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a saucepan. Add the milk and butter and whisk continuously over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not allow to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla. Allow to cool completely.

To make the chocolate ganache: set a medium glass bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water, heat the cream until just below the boiling point. Remove from heat and stir the chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth and leave ganache to cool for 5 minutes on the counter. Refrigerate until it has thickened, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. It should have a firm spreadable texture.

Line a cake stand or platter with baking paper (this will keep the it clean of frosting when you ice the cake) and place a cake on top. Spread with half the coconut filling, top with another cake, spread with the remaining filling and top with the third cake. Using a large palette knife, spread the top and sides with the chocolate ganache frosting in a swirling pattern. Carefully pull out the baking paper.

http://www.jenniferjoyce.co.uk/blog/?p=393

Five Guys Burgers

Apparently a favourite of President Obama, Five guys is an American franchise recently brought to Canada. I first tried Five Guys in Augusta, Georgia. While it was good at the time it wasn’t terribly memorable. Perhaps this is due to the fI was on a mad hunt for genuine southern barebeque chicken – apparently a tall order since majority of BBQ joints I found featured BBQ pork, but I digress. I was out with a friend shopping in the small Italian hamlet of Woodbridge when the stomachs started grumbling and we ventured to Weston Rd and the areas with restaurant and fast food to grab a bite. The moment she saw Five Guys it was a shriek and a right turn later and we stepped inside our delicious burger adventure.  The space is very simple, decorated with sacks of potatoes as a functional use of minimal space. The selection is limited, I think this is a good thing, you can order burgers, fries or a hot dog. Less is more here on options because you will be spending your time choosing from all the toppings. I opted for a classic, tomato, lettuce, onions, cheese (thankfully not American), mustard, ketchup. While we waited for our burger to be prepared fresh we helped ourselves to some peanuts. Many of you may have read the stories about bar peanuts with everyone’s hands and subsequently germs touching the contents of the same bowl, its a little icky but this place has offered small individual paper cups to accommodate for your peanut snacks. I like the process of crackign the peanuts out of the shells, it tastes better, the sounds are fun and give you soemthing to fidget with while you wait. Oh yeah, and its messy. I felt a little like cattle herded into the big trough to eat but let those thoughts pass as they called our number.First the bag – obviously a Homer Simpson diet plus – clear means its good to go. I consoled my diet with the concept that the bag is soaking all the grease so my belly doesn’t have to. We ordered a regular fries to share, its WAY more fries than that,, more like a super size fry order with another scoop on top. The potatoes are delicious, skin on, crispy outside and really taste like potato on the inside, a major plus. They dont even need a condiment but ketchup was on hand just to test – yup, still delicious. The burger itself was giant, totally messy, greasy in a delicious 50’s diner way. The patty tasted like ground beef shaped into a patty, no filler, no extras, just beefy goodness. I was only sad that I couldn’t dislocate my jaw to take a bigger bite. If you’re looking for a classic burger and fries option, this a great choice.

Spinach Burgers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This recipe was highly recommended to me by my colleagues and turned out to be a most delicious find from Pinterest. I have copy/pasted the recipe as is from The VillageCook (full credit) and will note my own variations.

1 bag of thawed and well drained chopped spinach

2 egg whites

1 whole egg

1/4 c diced onion

1/2 c shredded cheese

1/2 c bread crumbs

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix well in a bowl. [I used 2 whole eggs because I didn’t want to waste the yolk but the original one is healthier. I also forgot the cheese the first time and didn’t miss it at all so the fat savings there is compensating for my yolks ;)]

Now, form into burger-sized patties. (or you can do spinach balls)

Heat a non stick skillet over med-high. Spray with a bit of cooking spray. [i just used a tbsp of veg oil]

Some may have to wait their turn, depending on your skillet size.

Cook for 4-6 minutes each side.

Serve on your choice of bread product, or eat them “naked”. [In fact, I haven’t once had them on bread, we all like to enjoy them naked and they are just as delicious when they are fromt he fridge too although they won’t last long!

Original Post: http://thevillagecook.com/spinach-burgers/

Spinach is rich in vitamins and minerals (vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, manganese, iron, magnesium, vitamin C and more!)

Mercatto

Squash and fontina arancini

Bistecca with celeric gratin and cippolini onion

Gnocchi with duck ragu and cherries

Recently I was out at Mercatto, an italian cuisine franchise in Toronto. Mercatto has 3 locations in the city, I was at the one on College Street. It was a bitter cold outside with strong winds and flurries and after having spent the last several hours in the waiting room of an appointment we were ready for something to warm our bellies. Enter Mercatto. The location is convenient to both Queens Park and College subway stations, located in an office building – lucky them. The ambience is consistent with the other locations, high ceilings, warm candlelight and a rustic feel. The pricing is always fair and the quality of the food is good. They too have an open kitchen concept, love those.

Fish Tacos

Fish with seasoning

Fish frying

Taco toppings

Finished product

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2          large fillets white fish (haddock, cod, tilapia)
1C        flour
1C       ice water
1          egg
1tsp    cumin, ground
1/2tsp salt
fresh cracked pepper
10        tortilla wraps
oil for frying (vegetable)

sauce:
1C       yogurt
1          lime, juiced
2T       cilantro, chopped
1          clove garlic, minced

to garnish:

avocado, diced
tomato, diced
red onion, sliced thinly
cilantro
cheese, grated
japaleno, thinly sliced (avoid the white parts they are the hottest)

To start, cut the fish filets into 2″ pieces, thin filets work best. I used basa filet because that is what was available at my store but anyfirm white fish will do. sprinkle cumin, salt and pepper on fish, toss lightly so all surfaces are seasoned. In a separate bowl whisk egg, add ice water and continue whisking. Begin to add flour, a bit at a time, whisking until combined as you go. Once you have created the batter, mix the fish in and move pieces aroudn to ensure full coverage. In a frying pan on high heat add 2″ of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot – you will know when the surface shimmers – add the fish pieces being careful to drip any excess batter off as well as place the pieces without touching each other. You may need to do more than one batch if it doesn’t all fit in your pan. fry the fish until golden brown (about 4 minutes) then flip pieces carefully and brown on the other side. Remove fish from pan and let cool on paper towel lined dish.

To make the sauce, just combine all ingredients until smooth. Assemble at will!

Fish is a low fat protein that also contains calcium and phosphorous.

Baba Ghanoug

1              Eggplant, medium
2              tomatoes
1              bunch parsley
2              cloves garlic, crushed
1/4C       vegetable oil plus more for frying
1/2t        cumin, ground
1/4C       lemon juice OR juice of 2 lemons

Slice the eggplant crosswise into 1” discs. Spread onto a cookie sheet covered in 2 layers of paper towel and generously salt the eggplant. Alternatively you can salt them and leave them to hang out in a colander in the sink. The objective is to draw out the moisture in the eggplant bc oil+water doesn’t mix (did you see my video?). After 15-20 minutes you can flip the eggplant and salt the other side and wait.

In the meantime, dice the tomatoes. I like to make them small size so they fit onto a chip or in a pita. Sometimes if I am planning to puree the dip after I dont bother with the knife work. Finely chop the parsley, again I like parsley to almost coat the other pieces instead of having a parsley leaf salad – personal preference. Add both the tomato and parsley to a large mixing bowl.

Italian Wedding Soup

This classic soup is very simple to prepare and is filling, light and delicious. I’ve substituted turkey for the lamb/beef traditional meat as well as kale for spinach as a preference.

1          lb ground turkey (or beef, lamb)
1/4C  chopped fresh oregano
2         cloves garlic, minced
1/2C   breadcrumbs
1          egg
1L       chicken stock (one carton of Campbell stock OR 4C)
1/2C   tiny pasta (stars, bows, tubes,alpha bits)
1C       chopped kale or spinach

Mix the ground meat, egg, oregano, garlic and breadcrumbs together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper (about 1tsp of each).Once you have mixed thoroughly, shape the meat into small meatballs. This part takes patience! The smaller the meatball, the more cute and fun this will be to eat later. In a medium sized frying pan on medium-high heat, heat 2T of oil. Once the oil is up to temperature, add the meatballs and cook through stirring meatballs poccasionally so they get colour on all sides (about 5-8 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large soup pot, bring to the boil the sock. Once boiling, add the pasta, cooking until almost al dente about 6 minutes. At this point, add the meatballs and kale (or spinach) and stir. When the greens are wilted, you are ready to serve!  Serve with parmesan cheese grated on top and a fresh grind of pepper.

Kale has only 36 calories per cup, zero grams of fat, 20% of daily recommended fibre intake is an antioxidant and contains vitamins A, K and C. And its delicious!