Sunday, October 31, 2010

Rice Krispie Jack-O-Lantern

pumkins.jpg

Halloween is a time for yummy treats and great fun. It's also a time to get creative with baking, so think of some of your favourite recipes and how you can add a Halloween twist to it. It's pretty easy to turn Rice Krispie Squares into any holiday treat simply by adding food colouring or sprinkles.

If you can find thicker pretzels, it'll probably look better for the stem of the pumpkin. Also, if you can find a tube of icing to decorate the face, you'll be able to make actual Jack-O-Lantern faces, as oppose to my toothpick drawn smiley faces.

Rice Krispie Jack-O-Lantern
  • 6 cups of Rice Krispie
  • 5 cups of mini marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup of butter, a little bit extra for your hands
  • 1/2 tsp of vanilla
  • Orange gel colouring or red and yellow food colouring
  • Pretzels
  • Chocolate Icing
  1. In a large pot melt the butter on low heat. Once it has melted add in the marshmallows.
  2. Continue to stir the marshmallow until melted and add in the vanilla and food colouring. If you use red and yellow, drop in the yellow first and then the red, as it is harder to make the marshmallow lighter than darker. Add in about 5 drops of yellow and 2 drops of red. Add in either more red or yellow to get your desired colour of orange.
  3. Once you have blended the colour into the marshmallow add the Rice Krispie and mix quickly.
  4. Butter your hands so you don't get the mixture stuck to your hands and roll the mixture into a ball. Take your index knuckle and make a dent on the top where you will stick the pretzel as the stem.
  5. Decorate the faces on the little pumpkins and enjoy!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Nourish Bistro in Banff AB

Last weekend I went to Banff for the Thanksgiving long weekend. It's always such a nice break for me to head out west to the Rocky Mountains as Toronto can get very hectic sometimes.


Usually when you think of restaurants in Banff, you think of really great pubs where you can grab a beer with friends. However, tucked away in the Sundance Mall is this amazing vegetarian bistro called Nourish.


DSC_0030.jpg


You would be surprised by the food that comes out of the small little kitchen, the restaurant itself, can't really hold more than 30 people. I can assure you that you will experience many unique and sweet flavours at this restaurant. I didn't even notice that I was just eating vegetables, the absence of meat did not cross my mind once, that is how flavourful the food is here.


kitchen.jpg


The food is also meant to be shared, which is a wonderful idea considering you want to try everything on the menu. There was five of us so we ordered 4 dishes and 2 appetizers to start. It was the perfect amount, I was so content in the end, it even left enough room for their strawberry and apple pie.


The first thing that arrived on the table were our two appetizers. We ordered the Edamame Beans and Spanakopita. These appetizers instantly gave me an idea of what I was in for at this restaurant. New flavours added to old dishes. The Edamame beans were tossed in Hemp Seed Gomasio and drizzled with a creamy sweet sauce. The spanakopitas were filled with 4 spinach and feta, served on a bed of fresh greens with a balkan style yogurt and dill.


edamame.jpg


DSC_0010.jpg


We then had the Gourmet Falafel, which contained spiced oven baked chickpeas and fava bean falafael. It was wrapped in a garlic hummus tortilla shell with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, roasted red peppers, field greens and garlic dill. It even came with a edible flower, which kinda tasted a bit like lettuce.


falafel.jpg


We then moved onto their delicous House Curry which contained lentils, spinach and chickpeas stewed in tomato masala with seasoned quinoa and veggies served on rice.


housecurry.jpg


The King Kong Noodle was probably the most flavourful dish of the night. The soup is made up of 6 nuts and veggies in a sweet coconut chili sauce that is topped with cucumbers, spinach, marinated mandarin oranges and pea shoots served with verm rice noodles. Seriously, flavour, flavour, flavour.


kingnoodle.jpg


Finally, we received our Spicy Salsa Verde Burrito filled with chinnamon chili spiced cauliflour, mushrooms, red pepper, jalapeno, refriend black beans, sticky rice and monterey jack, topped with their salsa verde.


DSC_0023.jpg


Even though I was completely full at the end I had to try their strawberry and apple pie which made the whole entire meal and night come together at the end.


applepie.jpg


If you are ever in Banff, I highly recommend you come here with a few friends and enjoy a night of fresh, healthy and flavourful food.


Resrvations recommended 1-403-760-3933
Nourish Vegetarian Bistro
215 Banff Avenue

Upper level Sundance mall

Banff, AB


Le Petit Ogre Alberta restaurants

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Cranberry Chicken

DSC_0163.jpg

If you're missing out on your mom's Thanksgiving dinner this weekend you should definitely make this dish. It's easy, tasty and it'll feel like a home cooked meal. This is also my friend Cari's favourite dish.

Cranberry Chicken
Serves 4
  • 4 chicken breast
  • 1 can of whole cranberry sauce
  • french salad dressing (approx half of the regular 473 ml bottle)
  • 1 package of onion soup mix
  • 1 cup of frozen whole cranberries
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Cut up the chicken breast into bite sized cubes and place them in a 9x1 3" oven dish.
  3. In a large bowl mix together the cranberry sauce, french dressing, onion soup mix and the frozen cranberries. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the oven dish.
  4. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes, uncovering for the last 10 minutes.
  5. Serve over rice and with a mixed green salad.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Delight in the Junction

DSC_0067.JPG

I know this fall weather probably isn't making you think about ice cream, but it should. It's never too cold to have Delight's handmade organic ice cream. Greg's Ice Cream at Bloor and Spadina, and White Squirrel in Trinity Bell Woods, serve really great ice cream. But I am seriously telling you, that you have never tried real ice cream, until you've tried it at Delight.

DSC_0066.JPG

There's something to be said about people who incorporate love and passion into their food, it taste different. Owner's Jennifer Rashleigh and Jeff Brown are a pair that truly care about how their chocolate and ice cream will taste.

DSC_0062.JPG

DSC_0057_2.JPG

Delight uses only natural, organic ingredients, fair trade chocolate and sugar, as well as seasonal and local fruits. These people know how to make ice cream and chocolate, they've stripped it down to the bare essential ingredients.

DSC_0061.JPG

Two flavours that you must try: Mint Chocolate Chip and their Quebec Blue Cheese. Blue Cheese you say? Yes, Blue Cheese and ice cream, you would have never guessed that they would taste amazing together.

IMG_6417.JPG

IMG_6422.JPG

IMG_6415.JPG

Delight Chocolate
3040 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario
416-760-9995

Le Petit Ogre Toronto restaurants

Spiced Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup

After living in Germany for almost four months now, I can tell you much has changed for my views about the food culture here. Actually, mu...