I talk about food, you read it.
Archive for July, 2011
Trugs Sherry Balsamic
09 months ago
I was watching Master Chef the other day and the challenge was Eggs Benedict. I was really shocked to see how many of the contestant failed miserably at this challenge. This episode encouraged me to make poached eggs for breakfast. I will blog about poaching eggs one day but this is really about the vinaigrette I put on top of our eggs. J thought it was a little strange to add to an egg but in the end it tasted great. I love topping my eggs with tangy sauces.
The vinaigrette is made with White Balsamic so it offers a lighter taste which is a nice change. On our eggs it was nice contrast of tangy against the thick heavy egg yolk. I also spread the toast with goat cheese and a slice of tomato as well which brought everything together really well. This would also be great on a salad that was made with butter lettuce or baby greens since they’re delicate in flavour as well. Another great versatile sauce created by Trugs gourmet!
Trugs Gormet in Halfmoon Bay
09 months ago
I was walking through the grocery store the other day and saw a giant box of strawberries for a steal of a deal and was tempted to buy them until I realized that I wouldn’t know what to do so many berries. I could make another pie, toss some in salads, make marinades but they would more than likely go bad before I used them all. I then wondered if I should make jam. I have never made preserves before. I usually make my own salad dressings, bbq sauces, marinades but it’s usually just for a one time meal and I’ve never made jams or spread, assisted my mom, but never on my own. Growing up all of our jams were homemade and I am not sure my mom has ever bought jam. I like the idea of canning and hope to one day have a big garden full of vegetables but jams. I passed on the berries and went home.
Coincidentally after this strange epiphany of jam making I received a package in the mail from Trugs Gourmet in Halfmoon Bay. They had contacted me a while back and I have forgotten all about it with all the wedding craziness and Canadian postal strike. When looking at all my goodies I instantly got the feeling of homemade farmer’s market goodness. I could walk farmers markets for hours checking out what kind of local deliciousness I can buy. Trugs in fact did start at a local farmers market in their area and still participates in an Artisan Market in Sechelt. All their products are made with all natural ingredients, chemical free, additive free and free of all added colours, flavour enhancers or preservative.
I received a Sherry Balsamic, Specialty for Spinach Salads, Nicely Spicy Red Pepper Jelly, Roasted Garlic and Onion Jam, and a sample of Red Wine Sauce.
Before I even took a photo I opened the Specialty for Spinach Salad dressing and served it with our simple dinner of spaghetti and used it as a bread dipper. I think it caught J a little off guard because it’s not your typical Spinach Salad dressing. He is also obsessed with oil and balsamic for dipping bread into. This sauce has more of an Asian influence to it. I could definitely see this as a sauce for an Asian style pasta salad or used as a marinade. It seems to have a versatile taste to it and I am looking forward to experimenting with it.
Stay tuned to hear about the other items!
Avocado Tzatziki and Citrus Pork Skewers
0I don’t know about you but I love dips. I love dipping bread, food, veggies, and meats in all sorts of dips. A couple of my favourites are Guacamole and Tzatziki so I was extremely excited to find that Cat Cora mixed these two together and made an avocado Tzatziki. Even better, she paired it with pork skewers and pork was what I had taken out of the freezer for dinner. I did some slight changes but in the end the combination was beautiful.
Avocado Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 1/2cup extra virgin Olive Oil (I used only 1 tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (one large clove)
- 1/2lemon juiced
- 2 cups plain yogurt (I used Greek)
- 1 cup peeled, seeded, grated cucumber ( I used probably 2/3 cup)
- 1 whole avocado
- Salt and pepper to taste
Add lemon, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to yogurt. Add grated cucumber, diced avocado (or squeezed out of the peel) and mix well. Chill at least one hour for flavours to meld.
This ends up being much lighter and a little less creamy/heavy then guacamole but much less tangy then a regular tzatziki. The cucumber is really refreshing and the avocado adds some good depth. I really liked this combination and it’s a nice change from regular tzatziki.
For the pork skewers I would think that a lot of marinades would work. A chilli lime, a Greek style, honey garlic, but I stuck to Cat’s recipe and made a citrus style marinade.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4cup fresh lemon
- 1/4 cup lime (she used orange juice, I didn’t have any)
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper
Add all ingredients together and whisk. Put cubed pork and let marinade in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
Cat Cora showed her skewers having pieces of citrus fruits along with the pork to give it extra zest but I didn’t do that. I like to fill mine as full as I possibly can with meat. I you could eat this in a pita with lettuce and the avocado tzatziki. We had ours with Spanish style rice and dipped out pork right into the sauce.
Summer Corn Salad
0When I tell people that I grew up in Chilliwack, they usually ask “did you eat a lot of corn growing up?” Well, I suppose in the summer I ate corn that tasted better but I can’t say I ate a lot of it. In fact I think corn is on my least liked vegetables. I don’t dislike it, but I don’t really go out of my way to make it. I often forget that I do really enjoy corn on the cob though. It’s so sweet and still has a bit of a crunch. Instead if making the usual corn on the cob I made this summer corn salad that I think everyone should try! Its light and refreshing, tangy, sweet and would a perfect side dish to almost any bbq. I found it on thefoodnetwork.com and glad I did.
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn
- 2 heads Belgian endive
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (3-ounce) bunch cilantro, leaves only
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Directions
Preheat a grill.
Shuck the corn and cut the endive heads in half lengthwise. Add the corn and endive to a baking sheet or cutting board, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the corn and endive to the grill and cook until lightly charred on all sides, about 3 minutes for the endive and 5 minutes for the corn.
Meanwhile, in a medium serving bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients.
Once cooked, remove the corn and endive from the grill. Slice the endive crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces and add to the bowl. Cut the kernels off the cobs and discard the cobs. Add the kernels to the bowl and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Serve warm or room temperature.
This salad is so so so so good! Its sweet but also tangy with all the lime and the feta gives it a much needed salt from it’s brininess. I could probably eat this several times a week and not get sick of it. Its a must and I say SO MAKE IT!
Pizza topped with Prosciutto, Goat Cheese, Carmalized Onions and balsamic reduction
0Say prosciutto.
Go ahead, say it………………Prosciutto.
Prosciutto sounds like a delicious Italian word. It sounds Italian because it is. It’s Italian for ham. It’s a rich tasting cured ham that is sliced thin and can be eaten uncooked. You can wrap it around fruit, eat it with cheese, set it out for appetizers, put it in pasta, cook it with asparagus or do what J and did on a Saturday night. Put it on a savoury pizza with goat cheese, caramelized onion,
Prosciutto
Mmmmmmm, prosciutto!
I also decided to top our pizza with a slight drizzle of a balsamic reduction I made earlier. Our pizza was delicious! I would definitely make this again and think cutting it up into smaller pieces for an appetizer with friends would be outstanding!
Baked Zucchini Sticks
2I have been making a lot of salads lately and they’re just not doing the trick. Ive been craving French fries or something like it. I was going to attempt at making some at home and then I changed my mind. Instead I would make oven baked zucchini sticks. I actually can’t even remember the last time I’ve had those so I made it my mission.
My mom used to put some oil in a cast iron pan and fry some up for the family with some fresh creamy dill dip on the side. I was curious if you could bake them so I tried it out. The answer is yes, and they’re so good baked! I little healthier and still get nice and crispy!
Ingredients
- 1-2 zucchinis, cut into sticks
- ½ cup of pankco bread crumbs
- ½ cup regular bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan
- ¾ cup flour for dredging
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp water
- Salt and pepper
Cut up zucchini and set aside. Arrange 3 bowls for dredging or plastic bags. In one bowl or bag put flour in. In a second bowl put egg and water in and beat (don’t use bag for this step). In a third bowl or bag put in bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper.
Take you zucchini and dip them in flour, shake off lose flour. You could do this all at once in the bowl or bag.
Then one or two at a time, dip floured zucchini into egg mixture.
Put egged zucchini sticks into bread crumb mixture. Either doing them all and shaking in a plastic bag, or dipping them in a bowl. Assemble zucchini sticks on parchment lined baking sheet. Cook on 400 degrees for 20-30 min, or until soft and browned.
I quickly made up a sauce with Greek yogurt, fresh chopped mint, dill, a dash of hot sauce, garlic, salt and pepper to dip them into. I love zucchini sticks and probably could eat them several times per week. J really isn’t a fan of zucchini at all but said he really liked these and ate them with a smile.
Mojito
09 months ago
in Recipes
When the sun comes out I get thirsty.
When the sun comes out, mint grows like mad.
When the sun comes out, I make Mojitos.
Mojitos are a beverage that everyone needs to master and make with their eyes closed! They’re so refreshing and are synonymous with summer! You can also add fresh berries to the mix as well for something new! I decided to make a classic mojito and I couldn’t have been happier!
Easy Hollandaise Sauce
0
After all the yummy breakfasts J and I had in Whistler I kept having some crazy cravings for hollandaise sauce. I know it’s bad for me but I just can’t get enough of the thick, buttery, creamy yellow sauce! Surprisingly, its easier to make then you might think. With minimal ingredients and some quick whisking you can make the perfect sauce.
I had some leftover potatoes and bbq’d ribs in the fridge so I decided to try and re-create a breakfast hash I once at Milestones. Basically some seasoned potatoes topped with pulled pork, braised meat or bbq’d rib meat topped with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. It sounds like it might give you a heart attack and believe me it fills you up but tastes sooo good. Since everything was pretty much already made all I had to do was assemble and top with my velvety sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch of salt and white pepper
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine total (small cubes at room temperature )
Fill the bottom of double boiler water. Make sure water doesn’t touch top of pan. Bring water to a slight simmer. In the top of double boiler combine egg yolk, lemon juice and salt. Add a piece of butter. Whisk together until butter melts it starts to thicken, if it’s thickening too fast take off the heat and keep whisking.
Add the cubed butter one to two at a time until it melts and incorporates. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens.
If it becomes too thick add a teaspoon of hot water and whisk thoroughly. Remove from heat, taste and adjust. You might need a bit more salt or lemon, whisk in if necessary. Cover and keep warm until sauce is needed.
Rodney’s Oyster House
010 months ago
After a nice relaxing mini honeymoon we unfortunately had to leave Whistler and head back to reality. I don’t like reality. It means a day job, laundry, traffic, yard work and all the things that go a long with daily life. Okay okay, life isn’t that bad, but living in la la land is much better! Instead of going directly home we decided to go through Vancouver, stop by English bay and catch some rays.
When J and I first met he told me about Rodney’s Oyster House and promised that one day he would take me, since I love raw oysters. After he went a few times with some friends I was beginning to wonder if he would ever take me or if he was just keeping it a secret. Maybe it was the Oysters we had at The Rim Rock that put the idea in J’s mind, but to my surprise he suggested that we swing by for their Low Tide specials.
We got a couple of beers first and ate some of the complimentary bread which was delicious! It was a rustic style loaf that wasn’t too grainy and went great with out beer and oysters!
Nobody explained any of the sauces to us, which would have been nice. Luckily I can read. When tasting them one by one, I unfortunately didn’t find any of the sauces to be amazing. The witch sauce was probably my favourite but I preferred just plain old lemon and the freshly grated horseradish.
We ordered 20 oysters, 10 being the low tide special, and the other 10 the waiters pick. He gave a good variety and explained each type to us when he delivered the platter. The oysters themselves are amazingly fresh and so tasty. Unfortunately I can’t remember the names of all the varieties he put on our platter but there were some he definitely hit out of the park.
After reading past reviews regarding Rodney’s I really didn’t know what to expect, but once I walked in and noticed how casual it was I knew I would love it. The staff really knew their stuff and had a fun playful way of servicing their customers. Some of the reviews were complaints of the unprofessional staff but that’s part of the fun. It’s not fine dining, and if you want pretentious then go to somewhere else but expect to pay a lot more. If you want a fun place to hang out that might get a little crazy then you’re in the right place! I would definitely come back again!
Elements Tapas Parlour
010 months ago
Our mini honeymoon was coming to an end and we sadly had to check out of our hotel before heading out for breakfast. We could have had breakfast first but there was no way I was going to wake up that early. We’ve eaten some pretty good food up in Whistler and I assumed we’d just be grabbing something fast but I was able to squeeze out one last amazing meal before heading back home.
Elements Tapas Parlour is also attached to The Summit Hotel and the breakfast is extremely yummy. Located at 4359 Main street, it’s kind of tucked away so it’s best to walk around to find it if you’re searching. A little on the expensive side for breakfast but totally worth it in my opinion.
I ordered a traditional breakfast with poached eggs, marbled rye their signature potato tartlet and double smoked bacon. All breakfasts are also served with a shot glass of smoothie as well. This could be used to cleanse your pallet but J downed his immediately. The tartlet was basically shredded potato and onion baked in mini muffin tins served with a chive sour cream. I loved this and the entire breakfast was super yummy.
J opted for a savoury breakfast of stuffed French toast. The filling was a mound of ham and brie cheese. The serving size really could be for two but he did a great job hovering his way through this one. I tasted it and thought it was delicious. I could taste the brie and ham but the sweet maple syrup and sweet French toast really brought you back to breakfast land. I would definitely order this again or perhaps try making it at home!
Elements are under the same company as the Wild Wood Bistro so maybe that’s why they’re both so delicious. I didn’t realize this until we came home and I wouldn’t have minded trying another place but I am so happy with our food that it really doesn’t matter. Elements will be on my “go to” place next time I am Whistler.
