TTC and Avocados

Things I learned from the TTC Strike:

1) I need a good pair of walking shoes.

2) This city continues to amaze me everyday.

3) The following recipe.

I intend when my life is little less insane to write a review of the new Nigella Lawson book Nigella Express.  It truly is a great book.  This recipe is taken from it, with my usual low-fat/low-cal/high fibre spin.

I took it to the girls house on Sunday night, and as I left my house I saw my first streetcar in almost 48 hours.  So already the recipe is golden.  The girls loved it, devoured quickly, which really is the best way as it doesn't keep long.

Roquamole

1 cup of Roquefort (Blue) Cheese

1/4 cup of low fat sour cream

2 ripe avocados

1/4 cup pickled green jalapeno chilli from the jar

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 packet of whole grain tortilla chips

1) In a bowl, crumble or mash the blue cheese with the sour cream.

2) Combine blue cheese mixture with avocados in a food processor.

3) Roughly chop the jalapenos and stir them into the mixture along with the finely sliced spring onions.  Hit the blitz.

4) Arrange in the centre of a dish, dust with the paprika and surround with tortilla chips.

EAT.

Here Comes the Food!

This summer my friend Jenna is walking down the aisle with her fiance Dan.  Jenna didn't really want a shower in the traditional sense so instead our friend Rae threw her a wine shower.
Each guest was asked to bring 2 bottles of wine.  One for the party and one for Jenna to keep.  She sent around a wine registry list, so that we knew what she wanted.  It was a great party, and how many regular bridal showers do you know where the cops show up? (What? the neighbours appparently did not appreciate how ironic new country is)

Rae also happens to be an amazing cook, and naturally I asked to help.  The prep began for Rae early in the week with macaroon making, vegetable roasting and cupcake baking.  I showed up Friday night to help with the final details.  The menu was as follows:  large antipasto platters, cheese trays, macaroons with fruit and whipped cream, mini cupcakes, fresh rolls and last but not least the recipe I offer below a variation on Grapefruit and Lobster cocktail.
Rae modified it to go in shot glasses.

• 1 Cup Cooked Lobster Meat
• 3/4 cup Ruby Red Grapefruit Segmented
• 2 teaspoons ginger finely chopped or grated
• 1/2 cup red and yellow peppers finely diced
• 1 tbsp cilantro roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh meat finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons shallots finely diced
• Juice of 1 lime or more to taste
• 1 tsp of canola oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 3 x chives cut into 1" pieces, optional garnish

Roughly chop lobster meat.

Segment the grapefruit cutting it over a bowl to reserve the juices, put grapefruit segments in juice.  Set grapefruit segments and juice aside.

In a medium bowl combine ginger, peppers, cilantro, mint, shallots, grapefruit, lime juice and oil until evenly distributed.

Add lobster meat to mixture and gently toss.

Chill the mixture in the refrigerator to allow the flavours to infuse.

Spoon mixture into shot glasses and garnish with chives.  Serve cold.

Rasputin Vodka Bar

This week on a very rainy Monday, Kinnon and I headed to the opening party for a new bar in Leslieville, Rasputin Vodka Bar.

No the food community has not come hip to my influence, the invitation sort of came by chance. A few weeks prior I was there with Kinnon and Jenny (during the bar's "soft opening"). We were essentially the only people there, and as we were finishing the server asked if we wanted to attend the official opening.

The bar itself is furnished in many antique items, large ornate couches and chairs, some lower tables and of course the large party table at the back. It is dark and is lit by candles, adding a certain aspect of romance. The glasses to lent themselves to a feeling of going back in time, with the old style champagne glass you see above. The napkins however, had Kahlua printed on them (maybe they were being eco-friendly?). The music too is slightly odd considering the atmosphere, Michael Jackson, Brittney? But it worked to keep the energy up.

On to the most important part, the drinks! The drink menu is several pages long and offers variations on vodka drinks (naturally) but also some imported beers and wines. In my two visits I really only sampled the basics. The drink you see above it called the "Ahh (ohh?) those Russians" and is a small glass of sparkling wine with a vodka shot and a side of pickle. Yes, pickle. The pickle actually pairs quite well, same principle as the salt, lemon, tequila idea.

I also tried the Rasputin size Martini (3 oz!). I never really went in for straight martini's before, but I have to say I may have converted. Perhaps it is the middle season we are in, still cold, but now sunny. The martini warmed me up without weighing me down. Olive garnish and again with a side of pickle!

They currently don't have their food selections printed on the menu, but I do hope that will change as the food was quite tasty. They follow the same sort of platter idea as the Comrade down the street. These ones though focus on somewhat heartier fare, lots of cured meats, breads and Bellini's. Not full meals but enough to satiate.

All in all the place is fun, though with patio season around the corner I am not sure how it will fare. It feels more like a winter spot to hang. Definitely worth checking out, just make sure you bring your big fur hat.

The Giant Cupcake that Ate Homer's Birthday!

So no recipe this week more of a tip post.

For Tristan's Birthday I decided to try out the Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan. I Googled some tips (seeing as how the actual pan comes with no information) and got to work.

I used 2 boxes of cake mix and upon reflection I probably could have gotten away with one. Just make sure you put an equal amount in each side. As you can see it mushroomed ALOT. I baked it using a slightly longer time than the bundt cake directions. However I kept rotating it and kept an eye on it, as each oven is different.



I made sure to both grease and flour the pan beforehand and as such it took only a quick slip of a knife to get it out.



I did have to trim the mushroom part off and it worked pretty well. My Mom suggested I freeze the left over bits for making triffle later on.



To be honest the only really difficult part was icing the cake. I don't have a pastry bag or icing tips, but I can tell you that the standard spatula method did not really do the cake justice. I think it would have been easier and prettier if I had used a pastry bag.




All that said, everyone really like the cake. Thanks to Jenna for lending me the pan!

Liar Liar Shrimp on Fire!

There really isn't anything quicker to make in the food world than shrimp. So odd and unappetizing when raw, it turns this beautiful shade of pink so quickly you forget the awful greyness of moments before.

I was looking for a recipe to make when Kinnon came over for dinner last week, I poured through several recipes and then I found it. An old favourite from the Jamie Oliver's Happy Days with the Naked Chef. A shrimp recipe, which is essentially shrimp, garlic, ginger, lemon, parsley and small red chili's, with bread for dipping in the sauce. I highlight this because pepper selection is important when you are cooking a protein that essentially absorbs the flavour of what it is cooked in. They didn't have small red chili's at the grocery store I went to. They did however have habanero peppers. The hottest freakin peppers in the world.

Originally I had cut up two for the recipe, then I decided to taste a bit of pepper just to see how hot it was. My mouth swelled up momentarily and then the burn started. DEAR GOD. Needless to say I fished out nearly half of the chopped up pepper. My hands burned all night and next day.

Lesson learned.

This really is going somewhere recipe wise.

I had lots of left over frozen shrimp and had a craving for a shrimp sandwich. Since the Cajun Corner is sadly leaving my neighbourhood I decided to throw together something, taking Jamie's recipe as my inspiration.

Hilly's Non-habanero Shrimp Sandwich
Makes Enough for 2 Sandwich's (bring one to work the next day!)

16 Large Shrimp (uncooked)
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Asian Chili Sauce to Taste
Baguette (1 loaf),

1. Heat the Oliver oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and shrimp, cook approximately 3-4 minutes until shrimp are pink.

2. Add lemon juice and stir.

3. Add Chili sauce and stir.

4. Cut the baguette in half to make two big sandwich buns. Slice in half and pile on the shrimp equally on each sandwich*

Serve!

*If you are going to bring a sandwich to work the next day wrap the baguette in plastic wrap and pack the shrimp separately (so that it doesn't make the bread soggy).

Kiss Me I'm A Pizza, Sorta

It's too bad that St. Patrick's Day falls on a Monday this year.  For us working stiffs it severely hinders the fun drinking potential.

With that in mind (as well as just missing them) I invited my friends Amber and Allan over for dinner on Friday night.  I hadn't seen them in a few months and since they had just gotten back from a trip to Cuba there was plenty to catch up on.

Amber and Allan actually lived in the UK for a few years after university and they are real anglophiles.  They are both up for just about anything food wise (except for pine nuts, which cuts out the salad from a few posts ago).

I decided to give a nod to St. Patrick's day while at the same time making something quick and easy.  With that I give you my version of the Reuben Pizza.  Another recipe stolen from Rachael Ray.  

I first made this about a week ago, and go so mad in trying to roll out the pizza dough in my tiny kitchen Tristan thought I had developed a minor case of tourrette's.  Then I had an idea. Instead of trying to divide the pizza dough and roll it out, I would just buy 2 Pillsbury pizza tubes and use one for the bottom and one for the top. It worked a treat!  

The picture above is from the initial try at the pizza when I was essentially trying to turn a rectangle into a circle.  The one from Friday basically looked like a rectangular version of what you see.  

Reuben Pizza Hilly's Short Cut Version

2 tubes of Pillsbury Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups of shredded light Swiss cheese

1 pound deli sliced corned beef

1 cup sauerkraut rinsed.

1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup light mayonnaise (or whipped dressing)

2 1/2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons relish

1.  Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

2.  Pop open one of the Pillsbury Pizza Dough tubes, unroll it and lay it on the parchment paper.  This may require some repair to the dough on your part, it can be finicky.

3.  Sprinkle half the cheese on top, leaving a 1 inch border all around.  Arrange the corned beef and then the sauerkraut evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese.

4.  Pop open the second Pillsbury Pizza Dough tube, unroll it and lay it carefully on top of the filling.  Tightly crimp the edges together to seal.  Brush the top with the olive oil and cut 3 vents in the center.

5.  Bake the pizza until browned and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.  Let cool briefly.

6.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup and relish.  Cut the Pizza into 4 pieces and serve with the sauce.

Needless to say the portions were HUGE when the pizza was in rectangle form.  Which was good because Amber and Allan brought two bottles of wine with them, in addition to the two bottles of wine I already had at my house.

Mayhem ensued.

A Collard in the Sun

In 2003 I encountered something I never thought I would.

The possibility of a male roommate.

After university my three best girl friends and I moved in together. We found the perfect four bedroom house close to downtown. It was a regular slumber party. But that was relatively short lived. Dear Kinnon had to take a contract out of town starting in early 2004, and so we had to find another roommate.

Not wanting to live anyone really new, we were open to suggestion. So one night while Kinnon was at the pub she was introduced by a mutual friend to an actor looking to move from Winnipeg to Toronto sooner rather than later. After a GlenGarry Glen Ross style interview we agreed that Kristopher could be our roommate. And he has lived in that house ever since (pretty much).

He brought with him a penchant for flannel and healthy eating, especially organic eating. He was ahead of his time. This past Saturday I went with Tristan to the house where now Kristopher, Jenny and Kinnon live on the main floor and Avery and Ian live in the apartment above. The snow as pretty crazy, but we made it and because of the weather I brought a fairly simple appetizer, chips and homemade dip.

The idea was that everyone was to contribute something to the meal. And what a great meal it was. Ian and Avery provided beef tips, mashed potatoes and roasted veg, while the main floor crowd provided a dessert and the following recipe for collard greens. It is Kristopher's recipe and it was pretty damn good. Being a man of few word's I will simply put what he wrote to me when I asked him for the recipe:

"It was really simple. All I did was wash the greens, then tightly roll them up together and thinly slice them. Chopped up one small onion, and saute in about 2 T olive oil. When onion starts to brown add the greens and saute until limp. Then add salt. (I use Celtic Sea Salt) Presto you have Collard Greens Brazilian style."

Because of the amount of wine consumed I didn't really get a proper picture of the greens, but I am sure your imagination will take you there.