UrbanMoms Kitchen

Corn Muffins right from the backyard!

2013-05-14T15:43:25Z

Last week, She's So Green blogger, Samantha, gave us a few great tips on container gardening. This was a post that is close to my heart. I am a huge fan of uber-local eating and over the past few summers, have slowly been converting my backyard flowerbeds into my own little urban farm, growing everything from parsley to potatoes. However, I recognize that the extent of my garden isn't for everyone. It takes a lot of time, effort, research, and patience to grow a great food garden...something not all of us have.

Luckily, there are a few edibles that are super-cheap, super-fast, and dare I say, idiot-proof to grow. Veggies such as green onions; all you need to grow 'em are a good-size pot on your porch filled with soil...along with the part you'd normally throw out: the root & about an inch of the white part. Just plant the root end down and within a day or two, you'll start to see some new green onions shooting up. When they get big enough, cut off what you need and then let 'em grow again.

Not only are green onions delicious and versatile, they are also incredibly healthy. The nutrients in them have been shown to lower blood sugar levels, offer anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine benefits, regulate blood sugar, boost immunity, and best of all, fight skin wrinkling.

With their fresh, mild onion flavour, green onions can be enjoyed either raw or cooked. They don't have the same bite as other onions and are therefore perfect for mild salsas, guacamoles, and dips. In addition, they're wonderful in stir-fries, as a topper for turkey burgers, tacos, and chili, and in almost every summer salad. Heck, you can even bake with them!

Grilled corn muffins with green onions and cheddar cheese

These muffins are probably my favorite savory muffin. They're incredibly easy to make and incredibly versatile. Enjoy them warm with a little butter for brunch, as a side dish for a summer barbecue, or as a mop-up for chili dinners.

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh grilled corn-about 1 cob (or frozen, if that's all you've got)

3 green onions, finely chopped

¼ cup room temperature butter

1 egg

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/3 cup sugar

¾ cup flour

½ cup finely ground cornmeal

¼ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside

2. Blend the butter and sugar together until smooth

3. Add in the maple syrup and egg

4. Mix in ½ of the dry ingredients, then milk, then the rest of the dry ingredients until just combined.

5. Fold in the corn and green onions.

6. Spoon into 6 lined muffin cups.

7. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

8. Serve warm and as fresh as possible.

Girlfriend Getaway at Horseshoe Resort - A delicious experience.

2013-05-05T15:14:39Z

Last weekend, I was treated to the Girlfriends Getaway package at Horseshoe Resort in Ontario's Muskoka region. On my drive up there, my mind wandered to all of the exciting events we had planned: a yoga class, massage, facial, and time to relax in the pool and hot tub. But you know what I was most excited about? The food. I had been dying to try the food there ever since I read that executive chef Dylan Tulloch was selected as the "local chef of the year." Now, not only was I going to eat in his restaurant, Silks, I was going to have the opportunity to interview him and attend a cooking class taught by him.

When I arrived at the hotel, I had just a couple of minutes to check-in and drop my bags in the room before heading to yoga. And if wasn't for the decadent chocolate-covered strawberries waiting for me in my room, I wouldn't have been late!

After yoga, while the rest of our group relaxed on the beautiful patio overlooking the terrain park, I had my interview with chef Dylan. He was super-nice and super-knowledgeable. He told me that at Horseshoe Resort they strive to use as many local, in season ingredients as possible (which is simple since its in the heart of some of the best farmland in Ontario) to create menus that both look and taste decadent. He said that one of the biggest challenges is creating food that is both healthy white still satisfying the hearty appetite his clients build up after a day on the ropes course, zip line, golf, hiking, or any of the other activities Horseshoe offers. He mentioned that the menu he had planned for our lunchtime cooking class was the perfect example of such a meal.

For lunch, Chef Dylan taught us how to make Wild Mushroom Risotto with Asparagus and Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon. It really was the perfect lunch for a spa: more decadent than anything I would ever make for myself yet not so heavy that I felt too full to participate in our afternoon activities.

Besides the food, we were treated to a myriad of wine and cocktails pairings to compliment our class each step of the way. Did you know that adding a splash of apple juice to your typical cranberry and vodka makes it a million times more refreshing and juicy? Neither did I!

Throughout the class, Chef Dylan taught us a whole bunch of cool cooking tips; tips that even an experienced cook like me could use. For example, did you know that when seasoning your food with salt and pepper, you should hold your hand high above the food so that the salt is distributed as evenly as possible? Or that when cooking fish, you should always cook the presentation side first?

As satisfying as lunch was, by the time dinner rolled around, we were starving and ready for another amazing meal. But what to have?

Everything sounded amazing. My partner--in-crime, Nancy remarked that she was tempted to order both desserts and I agreed. Instead, she ordered one and I ordered the other and we shared...which was a good thing because I think both of our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs. After 3 hours of amazing food and even more amazing, friendly service, I collapsed onto my bed feeling utterly satisfied.

Overall, my Girlfriends Getaway Weekend at Horseshoe Resort was awesome. I can honestly say that I was more relaxed after 24 hours than an entire week at a beach resort. I don't know if it was because the amenities and food were so fabulous or because I didn't have to share it with the sticky hand of a six-year-old...either way, I highly recommend it.

Click here for Chef Dylan's recipe for Mushroom Risotto with Pan Seared Salmon.pdf. Yum!

For more information on the Girlfriends Getaway Weekend at Horseshoe Valley Resort, go to horseshoeresort.com or call 1-800-461-5627.

My accommodations for this weekend were provided by Horseshoe Resort however, I was not compensated for my time or opinions.

Horseshoe Resort Girlfriend Weekend-Take me away!

2013-04-24T02:39:11Z

I know that after five years I should know to expect it, but the 12 weeks between Easter Break and the last day of school are the most hectic 12 weeks of my year. Between coaching track & field, squeezing every last bit of learning out of my students, helping my son prepare for exams, persuading my daughter to do homework even though its hot and sunny, training for my spring running races, working on my vegetable and herb garden, and getting my kids ready for sleepover camp, I barely have time to breathe, let alone time to have dinner with friends, go to my yoga class, and the many other indulgent things that make me feel like...me.

I know that after five years I should be used to it, but I'm not. Most years, I have some sort of break in the 12-week-stretch, whether its a quick weekend getaway with my husband or even a one-night cross border shopping trip with my daughter. Unfortunately, it didn't look like it was going to happen this year. That, combined with the crap-tastic spring we've been having has put me in a bit of a funk.

(Insert fanfare here) And then Horseshoe Resort came to my rescue!

A few days ago, I was presented with the opportunity to indulge in the Girlfriend Getaway Weekend at Horseshoe Resort with my fellow Urban Moms blogger, Nancy. Uh-huh, that's right, 48 hours of...

*massages*

*body wraps*

*gourmet healthy meals (made FOR me, not BY me!)*

*Yoga*

*Psychic medium*

and my favourite

*A cooking class with executive chef Dylan Tulloch including (drumroll please) wine tastings!*

My first instinct was to say no. I've got too much to do. Too many birthday parties to carpool to, too many essays to mark, too many dogs to walk (ok, it's only one dog, but she likes to walk a lot!), and a too messy garage to clean out.

But then about a half-second later, I went with my second instinct, to say YES! YES! YES!

I work hard. I deserve it. I NEED it. What mom doesn't? Whether you're a stay-at-home mom or a working mom like me, we all need and deserve a little "me" time.

I can't wait for mine.

I can't wait to brush up on my culinary skills in a beautiful setting and not have 10 000 voices asking when dinner will be ready.

And I can't wait to share it with y'all!

On top of the myriad of events Horseshoe Resort has planned, I'm also looking forward to reading my book and going for a run on their beautiful Muskoka property.

When you get the luxury of "me" time, what do you like to do?

For more information on this package, call 1-800-461-5627

My accommodation for this weekend will be provided by Horseshoe Resort.

Thai Mango Salad: The result of my recent foodie adventures.

2013-04-21T16:44:33Z

Over the past three weeks, I've have the privilege of attending three diverse, yet amazing foodie events: The Good Food and Drink Show, The Green Living Show, and DishCrawl Toronto.

At the Good Food and Drink Show, I got to sample the latest and greatest trends in the Toronto Food

scene. I found out that tea is the new coffee, trucks are the new restaurants, and beer is the new wine. The back-to-basics local eating movement continues...with a side of South Asian and Caribbean.

These trends were mirrored the next week at the Green Living Show, when I found out that the seemingly opposite concepts of healthy and delicious can coexist. I found happiness in a fish taco: the perfect combination of sustainable seafood fished from Canadian waters and sweet and spicy coleslaw made with Mexican mangoes.

A few days after that, Sonya, invited me to join her on my first-ever DishCrawl in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood; its like a pub-crawl except instead of walking from bar to bar to drink, you walk from restaurant-to-restaurant to eat. Over the course of three hours, we ate incredible meals at Pangea, Dynasty, Toni Bulloni, and The Dessert Lady. Everything I ate confirmed what I learned at the other two events: good food may be found as close by as your own backyard or as far away as 10 000 miles, the important thing being its sustainably and responsibly produced and "clean" (read: as unprocessed as possible).

I also found out that I can eat a lot. And by a lot, I mean A LOT.

To celebrate the lessons I learned at these three incredible events, I created my version of a Thai Mango salad. Ingredient-wise, its the perfect combination of local and global ingredients and the perfect South Asian flavour combination of sweet-salty-sour-spicy. It's healthy, gorgeous, and the most delicious side dish for anything from burgers and wings to Pad Thai and pulled pork.

Thai Mango Salad

Ingredients

Salad

2 mangoes, cut into matchsticks. For this dish, you want mangoes that are a little under-ripe. Look for ones that barely have any give when you push your thumbs into them.

1 large carrot, shredded.

1 cup coleslaw mix

1/4 cup parsley (or cilantro), chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup crushed salted peanuts

Dressing

3 tbsp canola oil

juice & zest from one lime

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp coconut sugar (you can substitute regular sugar)

1/2 tsp garlic chili sauce (or more if you like it spicier)

Directions

1. In a jar with a lid combine all of the dressing ingredients. Shake well & set aside.

2. Combine the first four ingredients of the salad in a large bowl.

3. Give the dressing an extra shake then toss it in with the salad.

4. Top with the green onions and peanuts.

5. Cover and let chill for at least 20 minutes until ready to serve.

Dinner. Time.

2013-04-10T02:24:03Z

I didn't cook my family dinner tonight.

Ok. That's not altogether true.

Technically, I did prepare dinner, but it took very little skill or effort and it wasn't up to my personal standards of excellence. My roast chicken was store-bought, my broccoli was plainly steamed, and my potatoes wedges were the simplest, one-two step recipe ever.

This is the polar opposite of the usual homemade ravioli/decorate-your-own meatloaf cupcake/caprese-salad kababs concoctions I normally serve my family. But between the drum lessons and badminton team and play practice and Hebrew school and the emergency trip to the dollar store to get supplies for a class project, I just didn't have the time.

From the second I put that pre-cooked chicken in my grocery cart to the second I set it down on the table, I felt guilty. I thought that my family would think this partially pre-made boring dinner was a cop-out.

But then I sat down at the dinner table with my husband and my son and my daughter. And they ate that pre-made chicken with the same gusto that they ate those meatloaf cupcakes. And my daughter still asked to play the "best part of your day/worst part of your day" game. And my 13-year-old son still made the inappropriate noises that 13-year-old boys make. And my husband still tried not to laugh.

And then it dawned on me. It's not about the ravioli or the meatloaf or the kababs. It's about the time we spend together talking...with a side of eating.

Study after study has shown that the more often families eat dinner together, the less likely the kids are to smoke, abuse drugs or alcohol, drop out of school, or suffer from mental health issues like anorexia and depression. The more often families eat together, the more likely kids will eat their vegetables, be polite and respectful, do well in school, and last but not least, have an open and honest relationship with their parents.

I knew all that. But being the perfectionist that I tend to be, I couldn't just let dinnertime be dinnertime. I had to make every night the perfect, most memorable meal ever.

Not anymore. No longer will I be busy breading my own chicken fingers in lieu of watching my daughter practice her cartwheels or questioning what possessed my son to replace the string on his yoyo with licorice laces.

This doesn't mean I'll stop cooking. I L.O.V.E. cooking. It just means that not every night needs to be a night with me playing chef at Chez Cayla. It's ok for me to serve my family a meal that hasn't been cooked by me...as long as we eat it together.

P.S. Those potato wedges I mentioned earlier? Here's the recipe:

Two-step Potato Wedges

Ingredients

Four medium-sized potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

a sprinkle of sea salt.

Directions

Preheat oven to 415

1. Cut potatoes into wedges and place in very cold water for 5 minutes.

2. Dry off really well, toss with oil & salt & bake for 30 min or so, turning them halfway through, until they're lightly brown.

Presto Pesto

2013-04-06T13:21:10Z

Doughnuts. They appear on almost every single list of top 10 foods to avoid. Yet I just can't seem to resist their white flour, sugary, deep-fried fatty goodness.

Doughnuts are the reason I don't really mind driving my son to his 7am practices. You see, there's this little hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that bakes outrageously delicious doughnuts. But you only have one chance per day to get 'em hot and fresh, which is, you guessed it, 7am.

Besides these doughnuts, I really do try to eat healthy by reducing unnecessary fats in my diet. I eat Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream, I replace the oil in baked goods with applesauce, and we only drink skim milk. But does that mean I strive to lead a fat-free life? Not at all. While doughnuts are on every list of foods to avoid, nuts, olive oil, avocado, and fatty fish are high-fat foods that are found on almost every list of foods you should not avoid.

And so, on those days, when Billy has an 7am practice and I just can't resist a hot 'n fresh honey cruller, I redeem my bad-fat breakfast with a good-fat dinner that uses three out of five healthiest fat foods: grilled salmon with walnut pesto.

For years, pesto has gotten a bad rap for being high in fat, having a super-strong flavor that doesn't appeal to everyone, and being so "gourmet" that one could only eat it in a fancy restaurant or buy it pre-made from a fancy store. But I know that's not true...and so will you after making this super-easy, super-fast, super-food, super-good supper.

P.S. I'm not gonna lie to you, this dinner isn't the easiest one to sell to kids. But my kids do love it and it looks divine. It is my go-to dinner when I'm having company and want to make something that's quick to make and sure to impress. It always delivers and gets rave reviews.

Super-Green Pesto with Grilled Salmon

Serves four

Pesto Ingredients

1 cup mixed super-greens (I use a mixture of baby spinach, kale, and swiss chard)

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 garlic clove, smashed

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus a bit more for sprinkling

¼ cup walnuts

Salt to taste.

One package gnocchi

Salmon Ingredients

Four palm-sized salmon fillets.

½ a lemon, sliced into four rounds

1 tbsp lemon pepper

A few sprigs of fresh dill

Directions

1. Preheat your grill and prepare your fish: sprinkle a bit of the lemon pepper on each section, then top with a sprig of dill, and then a slice of lemon over the dill.

2. Grill until the fish is just barely opaque-about 10 minutes. I like to cook my fish on a piece of tin foil. It's easy to clean and to transport and I don't have to worry about the fish falling through the cracks.

3. While the fish is cooking, prepare the pesto: Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

4. Pour half of the pesto into your serving bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings.

5. Cook gnocchi according to the directions on the package. As soon as it is ready, scoop it out of the hot water directly into the bowl with the pesto. Any leftover pesto can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. Its great on baked potatoes, eggs, and pizza.

6. Gently mix the pesto and gnocchi, adding more sauce if necessary.

7. Serve, leaving the lemon and dill on the fish.

Chip, Chip Hooray! Another Chicken Recipe!

2013-03-31T15:25:03Z

So if I haven't scared you off yet with the promise of yet another chicken recipe, let me reassure you now that this one is special...for a few reasons.

1. Your kids will love it.

2. You will love it.

3. Your kids and you will love making it.

Now that I've regained your confidence, let me tell you what you'll be making: Potato Chip Chicken.

Lots of people have heard about it, some have tried it, but not too many are doing it properly. The chips don't stick, its too salty, its too greasy, its too soggy, and overall, its just doesn't taste as good as you thought it would.

All that's about to change...

Potato Chip Chicken

Ingredients

Eight pieces of bone-chicken, skin on (we like legs & thighs)*

1 bag plain potato chips

1 heaping tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 cup flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 tbsp honey

couple drops hot sauce (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375

1. Pour this chips into a large resealable bag and crunch them up until they're breadcrumb size.

2. Add in the paprika, garlic powder, and parsley & shake it up.

3. Set up your dredging station: Put the flour on one plate, the egg in a shallow bowl, and the chips on a third plate.

4. Coat your chicken: Coat it lightly with flour, then egg, and then roll in the chips (you have to press them on).

5. Transfer the coated chicken to a tinfoil-lined cookie sheet.

6. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. Don't worry if the chips get soggy; they'll crisp back up in the oven.

7. Bake for 15 min.

8. Just before the 15 min are up, put the honey in a small cup and liquify in the microwave for about 10 seconds. I like to add a couple drops of hot sauce at this point.

9. Brush the chicken liberally with the honey and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until cooked through.

10. Carefully remove from the baking sheet & enjoy that perfect combination of sweet, crunchy, juicy, and salty that you've been looking for.

*Normally, people use boneless, skinless, breast meat to make this recipe, but I think the bones keep it juicy and the oil in the chips makes the skin super-crisp & delicious. Trust me, its worth it.

Don't "Passover" these recipes

2013-03-24T12:35:08Z

"I can't believe it's KOSHER!"

The five magic words every Jewish cooks wishes to hear during Passover. Beginning this Monday evening, we will have to find creative and delicious ways to feed our families without the use of bread, pasta, rice, cereal, and a whole bunch of other no-nos--including beer and mustard. Throw a couple of giant family feasts (Seders) with very specific ceremonial foods that must be served and you've got the culinary challenge of the year on your hands.

Most Kosher-for-Passover recipes call for substituting taboo ingredients for the their Kosher counterpart, but that's not how I roll. I don't want something to be delicious even though its Kosher, I just want it to be delicious.

Luckily, over the past 20 years of cooking for Passover, I've amassed a stockpile of Passover recipes that you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy. Here's a couple of my favourites:

Charoset

I'll be honest, Charoset is really one of the ceremonial foods we eat during the Seder. But its so delicious that people always wonder why we don't eat it more often. This comment led me to do some research to find out if there's any reason why we can't eat Charoset outside of the seder and what I found out was shocking. In a nutshell, besides being able to eat it any time of the year, Charoset commemorates sexual freedom and each and every ingredient it contains is considered an aphrodisiac...

Ingredients

1/3 cup finely chopped green apple

1/3 cup chopped dates

1/4 cup walnuts

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp sweet red wine

Directions

1. Blend the above in a food processor until it is a chunky paste. You still want to see and taste big chunks of apple and walnut.

2. Roll approx. 1 tbsp of the mixture into a ball. You should be able to get about 6 balls from this recipe.

3. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Brownies

These brownies aren't just kosher for Passover, they're also gluten-free and so rich, they should be on the Forbes' annual list. Personally, I prefer them to traditional flour-based brownies.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of butter, softened

3/4 cup of sugar

3/4 cup of finely ground almonds (I also use ground walnuts).

a little less than 1 cup of good quality dark chocolate

5 eggs, separated

Directions:

1. Preheat your over to 350 and grease (but don't flour if you want it Kosher) an 8 x 8 pan.

2. Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate until smooth. Let cool to room temperature while you do the rest.

3. Cream together the butter and sugar. When its light and smooth, add in the egg yolks.

4. Mix in the melted chocolate and ground almonds.

5. Put this aside and beat the egg whites until they have soft peaks.

6. Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until its uniform.

7. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the centre is just set. It'll puff up a lot while its baking but then deflate while it cools

8. Let cool completely before cutting.

A confession & a cookie

2013-03-19T00:24:25Z

So all week long, I'd been planning to give you an awesome recipe for green cookies for St. Patrick's Day. I could've just added green food colouring to my favourite oatmeal cookie recipe but no, I had to get all "healthy" and "creative". So I tossed the tried and true aside and instead, experimented with a new recipe for cookies that calls for avocado in place of butter. Apparently, the taste disappears while the green colour remains.

"Perfect!" I though to myself. "What a perfect GREEN recipe for St. Paddy's Day!"

Silly me.

They were, in a word, VILE. Vile to look at and even more vile to eat. I considered running back to the store for more avocados but I quickly realized that I was out of energy and out of time. Night had fallen. St. Paddy's day was over. I went to bed feeling defeated.

Twenty four hours later, my culinary mojo was back. I was determined to redeem myself and prove that I could bake a mean cookie. Even if it wasn't green.

I did it!

Foolproof Oatmeal Cookies*

Inspired by a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks: Clueless in the Kitchen by Evelyn Raab

Ingredients

1 cup butter; softened

1/2 cup each brown & white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp each baking powder & baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

handful each of chocolate chips, Skor bits, and crushed walnuts(optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Cream together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla until it is smooth and light.

3. Slowly mix in all of the other ingredients in the order listed above.

4. Drop the batter by the tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. You should be able to get two

Sheets with 12 cookies on each.

5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.

*Warning: if you are a lover of cookie dough, then beware of this dough. It is, by far the tastiest and most addicting I've ever tried.

Now that I've confessed my food foibles with you, share yours with me; when have you majorly messed up in the kitchen?

Take a "break" from cooking & eat at Fancy Franks

2013-03-08T17:53:23Z

Even though I'm chronologically 39 (yikes!)-years-old and feeling more and more my age every day, in my mind there are tons of times I still feel like a kid. Like how I still laugh at toilet humour. Or how I still love all those gross-out movies like (don't judge me) Jackass and The Hangover. And of course, when I see such movies, I always eat the junkiest but most delicious snack ever: Popcorn with layered butter with a package of peanut m&m's tossed in the bag. It's my belief that if you're gonna treat yourself, you might as well go all in.

One of my favourite guilty pleasures are hot dogs. But it's not that easy to get a great, high quality dog in this city...unless you go to Fancy Franks, Toronto's newest gourmet hot-doggery.

When I first heard about Fancy Franks, I immediately did my online research to find out why this place was getting so much buzz. After all, it's only hot dogs, right?

Wrong.

This ain't your usual street meat joint. Fancy Franks has tons of different kinds of dogs on the menu, ranging from the the basic Frank to Franks with PB & J, with all of them having one thing in common: an all-natural, hand-twisted dog topped with locally sourced ingredients, like the Silverstein's buns that are baked daily in neighbouring Kensington Market. In addition to the dogs, they also serve fresh-cut fries (my kids got a kick out of watching them slice them up), made-to-order doughnuts, and salads. Order the fries & doughnuts, skip the salad...that's not what you're here for.

As we headed down to the restaurant, my son was a little apprehensive because he's not a big hot dog fan and there's not much more on the menu. But when we got there and he saw the menu, his problem changed: he couldn't decide which one to get. The staff told us the Franks Got Seoul (Korean BBQ style) is their best seller with Frankie Goes to Buffalo (Spicy chicken wings) a close second. He finally decided on the Frank's Coney Island (chili dog). Rounding out our order was the Frank & Beans (hubby), Fancy 90210 (daughter), and Frankie Goes to Buffalo (moi). We had planned on ordering each dog as part of a combo-with drink and fries-but once we saw the size of them, we decided instead to share one order of fries. And even with my bottomless-pit of a teenager, it was plenty.

Everything was delicious. I can honestly say that it was, without a doubt, the best hot dog I've had in a long time. It was definitely worth it. As for my son the self-proclaimed hot dog hater? Well, he cleaned his plate...and asked when we could come back again.

Even though we were stuffed, we just had to try their made-to-order doughnuts. I'm glad we did. They were light and crispy and not to sweet; the perfect ending to an awesome meal.

And you know what makes good food taste even better? The atmosphere. The staff was beyond friendly, it was clean and spacious and the super-long family style table made it feel warm and relaxed.

Overall, I would definitely have to say that Fancy Franks is a winner in our books: for under $50, we got a great meal and had a super-time.

Moral of the story? If you're looking for a cool place to eat over March Break...or any other time, head down to Fancy Franks.

Fancy Franks

326 College St.

Open 7 Days a week 'till 11 (and 1 on the weekends!)

This post was not sponsored nor was I compensated. I was given a complementary meal for review purposes only.

Vegetarian Lasagna...with vegetables?

2013-02-28T18:49:41Z

"Mom, just because you make vegetarian lasagna, it doesn't mean you have to add in all those vegetables."

Said my daughter on Monday as we embarked on our second week of Meatless Mondays.

"Ummm. Yes it does," I thought to myself. Thought being the operative word because had I dared uttered them to my little ball of hormones, I would've been subjected to an hour's worth of "YOU'RE SO MEAN!!!!" tears.

Instead, I smiled and served the lasagna.

She turned her nose up at the first slice and asked if there was anything else. I told her she was welcome to make herself a bowl of cereal. Scowling, she took a bite.

"Why are you taking pictures of it?" She asked in between forkfuls. "It's not that good. It's not your best work. Can I have another piece?"

So I gave her another slice. Then she asked if she could take the leftovers to school for lunch the next day. She NEVER takes leftovers for lunch.

And then last night, as the rest of the family ate chicken wings while I ate the last of the lasagna, she asked if she could forego the wings-her favourite meal-and have some of mine.

I declare this one a winner.

Meatless Mondays Lasagna

This dish may seem complicated but I'm not even kidding when I say I got the whole thing done & in the oven in 20 minutes. It would you take you longer than that to drive to the grocery store to get a frozen one!

Ingredients

1 tub of low-fat cottage cheese

1 box of lasagna noodles (the ones you boil;I'm not a fan of the oven-ready style)

1 cup grated Mozzarella

½ cup Parmesan, divided

3 cups sliced mushrooms

1 can/jar crushed tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

1 large carrot, grated

1 tbsp each olive oil & butter

1 egg

3 cups chopped fresh spinach/kale/any other leafy greens you've got around

1 tsp salt & a couple turns of the pepper grinder.

Directions

Start your noodles: Boil a giant pot of salty water & cook your noodles al dente ( a bit of a bite when you try it). While this is all happening...

2. Make the sauce: in a large frying pan, melt the butter & olive oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced mushrooms, grated carrot & a pinch of salt. Let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once in a while.

3. Add in the chopped garlic & stir for another minute or so. Add in the crushed tomatoes. When it starts to bubble, turn the heat down & simmer for about 5-10 min. After that, you'll turn off the heat & let it cool a bit. While its simmering...

4. Make the filling: in a large bowl, mix the cottage cheese, egg, ¾ of the Mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, greens, and s & p. Now you're ready to...

5. Assemble: spread a ladleful of sauce on the bottom of an 8 x 8 square baking dish (or the equivalent). Cover with noodles. Spread on another ladle of sauce and then half the cheese mixture. Cover with more noodles, and more sauce, and the rest of the cheese mixture. Then cover with one more layer of noodles, sauce, and the reserved cheese.

6. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until its brown & bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving so that you don't burn your mouth like crazy. Also, it'll be easier to cut & not look like a saucy, cheesy, noodle-y mess.

So that's it. The dish that got my steak-loving, chicken-wing obsessed daughter to embrace the veg.

And the award for best Oscar Party Menu Goes to...

2013-02-22T02:23:22Z

ME!

This year marks the 5th anniversary of my annual Oscar party. Each year, my mommy friends come over in their sweats so we can plant ourselves in front of the TV for a good four hours and watch, and talk, and eat, and then watch, and talk, and eat some more. And each year, I create a menu that celebrates the nominees for best picture.

As a foodie, this is by far my favourite culinary event of the year. It is the event that allows me to stretch my creative wings and achieve true Martha Stewart status.

While I'm always proud of my Oscar party menus, I'm pretty sure that this year is my best yet. Not only because the movies themselves are super-easy to pair with foods, but because I've finally figured out how to combine my menu into a cohesive cocktail party menu.

Here's the thing: nobody ever wants to stuff themselves silly while watching some of the most beautiful women in the world slink down the red carpet wearing the tightest & skimpiest of clothing. But at the same time, it can't be healthy "diet" food; that's no fun either. So, after hours of careful consideration, this is what I came up with:

Cayla's Oscar Menu-Inspired by the 2013 Best Picture Nominees.

1. Argo: Maple Fudge

Rationale: While it is a great movie, some of the facts may have been "fudged" and it needs a bit more Canada mixed in.

2. L'Amour: Hershey Kisses & French wine

Rationale: Do I really need to explain?

3. Les Mis: French bread & brie

Rationale: Jean Valjean goes to prison for stealing a loaf of bread...which is the premise for the entire movie. As for the cheese? What kind of host would I be if I served my guests plain bread?

4. Life of Pi and Lincoln: Mini Apple Pi

Rationale: Apple, because nothing is more American than apple pie. And pie because its Pi.

5. Django Unchained: Mini white cake cupcakes with blood red berry coulis

Rationale: there is a major scene in the movie involving white cake and because its Quinten, there has to be tons of blood.

6. Silver Linings Playbook: Warm Crab Dip

Rationale: At each football game, Bradley Cooper's mom makes crabby snacks and homemades. I did my research and found out that crabby snacks are pretty much crab dip on a cracker while homemade are homemade egg noodles. Nobody wants to eat egg noodles at an Oscar party so crab dip it is!

7. Beasts of the Southern Wild: Hushpuppies

Rationale: the main character is named Hushpuppy. Did you know that the actress who plays her is the youngest ever Best Actress nominee? Did you also know that this was my favorite movie of the year & the one I'm hoping will win?

In case you didn't know, a hushpuppy is like a savory, deep-fried fluffy cornbread muffin. Here's the recipe:

Hushpuppies

Ingredients

 1 cup cornmeal 

1/2 cup all purpose flour 

1 tablespoon granulated sugar 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

 1 egg 

2/3 cup buttermilk

 2 green onions, thinly sliced 

4 cups of vegetable or grapeseed oil for deepfrying

 salt and pepper to taste 

spicy honey drizzle:

 2/3 cup honey

 2 Tablespoons garlic chili sauce

Directions: 

1. Pour oil in a large pot and begin preheating on medium-high heat. 

2. Place all ingredients for the hush puppies into a large bowl and whisk together to create a thick batter. 

3. Once the oil has reached 350 degrees, drop in 1 tbsp of batter for about 3-5 minutes. Youcan make 3 at a time. This will take several batches. 

4. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper. 

5. In a small bowl combine the honey and chili sauce and stir together. 

6. Serve the hush puppies warm with a drizzle of the spicy honey sauce.

PS. You may have noticed that there is no dish for Zero Dark Thirty. It was not an oversight. It was an excellent film that accurately portrayed an historical event whose repercussions are still being felt today. I felt it was wrong to reduce terrorism and scenes of torture to a plate of hummus with pita.

"True"ly the Perfect Meal for your Valentine

2013-02-14T01:31:45Z

While I wish that I could tell you my Valentine's Day will be marked by me cooking a gourmet, candle-lit meal for my sweetheart, its more likely that after a 12+ hour day at work, I won't have the time or energy for such an undertaking.

But does that mean my night doesn't have a romantic meal in its future? Not on your life. What it means is that I'll have to be creative and think outside the box, or in this case, the book.

This year, my Valentine's Day recipe isn't coming from a cookbook, but rather a romance novel. Which makes sense...if you think about it.

Recently, I read True Believer, a book by my favourite (guilty-pleasure) romance writer, Nicholas Sparks. You may recognize some of his other work: The Notebook, The Last Song, and Safe Haven (the movie version is coming out on V-day, btw). Anyways, at one part in True Believer, Lexie makes her famous tomato sauce for Jeremy. It was a hot scene. Suffice to say, they never quite made it to dinner.

When I finished the book (and finished crying as I do in all Nicholas Sparks books), I couldn't stop thinking about that tomato sauce. I searched it up online and found I wasn't the only curious foodie/romantic. Not only had others made the sauce, they declared it as delicious as Sparks made it sound.

I tried it myself and can confirm that it really is that good. And easy. In fact, I'd go so far as claiming its the perfect romantic meal for busy moms and dads : you just toss everything in a pot & let simmer. By the time the last book is read, and the last tooth brushed, and the last, last, don't ask-me-for-one-more-glass-of-water is drunk, your meal will be ready.

And just in case you're not convinced that spaghetti & tomato sauce is the perfect dish for Valentine's Day, I'll remind you of another famous couple who got frisky while eating spaghetti: Lady and the Tramp.

True Believer Tomato Sauce

The original version of this sauce is double the amount and uses whole San Marzano tomatoes. Personally, I like my sauce smooth & not chunky. But since its only for two, I halved it.

Ingredients

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 sweet onion, peeled & cut in half

½ a stick ( 1/4 cup) butter

s & p to taste.

Directions

1. Pour the tomatoes into a large sauce pan & turn the heat onto medium.

2. Add in the butter & onions.

3. When the butter melts & it starts to boil, stir, cover, and turn down the heat to low.

4. Let simmer for an hour or more, stirring once in a while so it doesn't stick.

5. Remove the onions, taste, & adjust the seasonings.

6. Serve with spaghetti. In one bowl. Or two.

Fork or Spoon? You decide...

2013-02-09T14:34:27Z

It like chicken soup...but BIGGER!

When I was a kid, we used to go to the Pickle Barrel restaurant on Leslie St. every Sunday. In the summer, my mom would order some sort of honkin' salad. And in the winter, she'd order chicken in a pot. It was literally chicken...in a pot. Along with a whole bunch of other stuff.

I had repressed that memory until yesterday after 30cm of snow, a two-hour drive to work (which is 4km away), and putting my feet up for the night was not happening anytime soon. I hadn't had time for my weekly grocery shop and, staring at the remnants of last week's shop in the fridge, I was at a loss. In no way could I envision making dinner.

But yet, it had to be done.

A lightbulb went on above my head in the shape of chicken-in-a-pot. I had no idea how to make it, what went in it, or what it would even taste like. But at this point, I had no choice but to try.

Chicken soup has been called the Jewish Penicillian for years. Turns out, its not just a saying. It is a powerhouse of healthy eating. Even if you've got picky eaters like mine who, "don't like the texture of cooked carrots," the broth itself can do wonders. Researchers have found that that liquid golden-ticket is chock-full-of anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting neutrophils. Neutrophils are extremely active during a cold or flu, which in turn, produce the mucous that irritates the nasal passages, the sinuses, and the throat. That's on top of the other health benefits of chicken soup, such as the collagen in chicken legs that lowers blood pressure, the mega-vitamins in the carrots and leafy greens, and the fuller-longer feeling you get from eating soup which contributes to weight loss.

What a delicious (dare I say genius) lightbulb it turned out to be. And easy, too! Thomas Edison would've been jealous.

Crock-pot Chicken in a Pot

Ingredients:

3 chicken leg quarters

Any other leftover pieces of chicken. I used a pretty picked-over rotisserie chicken I'd bought a couple days earlier.

Three whole carrots peeled & cut into rough chunks (I no longer eat baby carrots but I'll save that conversation for another day)

Three stalks of celery, cut into rough chunks

One whole onion, peeled but not chopped

2 bay leaves

A handful each of fresh dill & parsley tied in a little bundle with string. (That way you can remove them later but still get the flavour of the herbs)

2 cups of any other veggies you think would be great in this dish. I used cauliflower, bok choy, and mushrooms.

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Part A

1. Remove all of the skin and as much of the visible fat as possible from the chicken, both raw and cooked (if using). Rinse well and toss in the crock pot along with the carrots, celery, onion, & bay leaves.

2. Fill with enough water so that its all just barely submerged.

3. Turn it on high for two hours & walk away. Go sledding or something or something.

Part B

1. Remove the chicken from the pot & set aside to cool.

2. Skim off all the foam and fat and anything else that doesn't look like it belongs in your pot.

3. Add in the herbs and veggies, along with a tsp each of s & p.

4. Turn it on high for another 30 min & shovel the driveway.

Part C

1. Separate the chicken meat from the bones, rinse it off, and put the meat back in the pot.

2. Warm it all up-this will take as long as it takes to cook your large-sized egg noodles.

3. Remove the herbs & onions & serve with the noodles. I let each person ladle their own so that they get exactly what they want.

4. Discourage seconds so you'll have leftovers for lunch the next day.

A Super Snack for the Super Bowl

2013-02-01T03:52:38Z

Warning: the following blog post will make me appear to be a stereotypical girly-girl who hates football and attempts to girlify every event she can. In reality, I am a girly-girl who hates football and who girlifys every event I can.

I do not apologize for this.

It is this behavior that has had me banned from my husband's Super Bowl parties for as long as he's been having them. And I'm fine with it. I don't even wander into the room during the halftime show because they'd find it insulting to the integrity of the game.

Since I've always kept my distance from the party, I've also kept my distance from the food. Sure, I've made stuff, like last year's Glazed Corned Beef, but stuff like that is sloppy, ugly man-food. I make it, I leave it in the kitchen, and then I'm on my way (up to my room to watch on-demand episodes of The Bachelorette while snacking on something that's both salty and sweet--could you get more girly-girl than that?).

But this year, I thought I'd try something different. This year, I told my husband I wanted to make something special; something that's thematic, delicious, and pretty.

"No." was what he replied...with undertones of fear in his voice.

I tried to reassure him. "Trust me. I promise that you won't be embarrassed and your little friends will love it."

Reluctantly, he agreed. So come Super Bowl Sunday, this is what I'll be making:

Super Bowl Sunday Super Seven Layer Dip

Ingredients

One jar of salsa (not too runny)

One full-sized tub of sour cream & one small tub of sour cream

One tbsp.taco seasoning

Approx. two cups of guacamole (normally, I'd make my own but in this case, I'm counting on the preservatives to keep it looking pretty)

A cup of sliced black olives

A cup of diced tomatoes

1 can of refried beans

½ cup very finely chopped lettuce

¼ cup very finely chopped green onion

4 long pretzel rods

Tortilla chips, corn chips, and anything else you like to dip into your dip.

...and one cherry tomato

Directions

Mix the taco seasoning into the large tub of sour cream. That's pretty much all the cooking you'll need to do for this recipe.

Assemble

1. Spread the beans, then salsa, then sour cream mixture, onto the bottom of a rectangular container.

2. Add the guacamole, being careful not to let any of the sour cream peek through or it'll ruin the look of your "turf".

3. Top the guacamole with the lettuce and green onions to give your turf some texture.

(Now its time to get funky)

4. Spoon the second container of sour cream into a ziploc bag & cut off the tip. Use this to pipe lines onto the field.

5. Starting with the 50 yard line at the centre (see I know something about football!), at equal distances from each other, pipe lines that go right across the field (yard markers).

6. In between each full line, add a pair of mini lines across from each other called 'hash lines" (please do not ask me what hash lines are...I do not know).

7. Fill in the end zone (the space between the final yard markers and the end of the "field") with the diced tomatoes & olive. All the tomatoes go on one side to represent the San Fransisco Falcons and all the olives go on the others side to represent the Baltimore Ravens.

8. Add the pretzel sticks to the end zones for the goal posts.

9. Finally, place the cherry tomato, our "football", on the fifty yard line.

10. Carefully put the whole shebang-a-bang on a larger try and surround the field with the fans (aka. Tortilla chips).

11. Take a picture for Instragram, Facebook, Twitter, et al, serve it, and then retreat with a glass of wine & a pat on the back. Or stay and watch the game...if you're into that kind of thing.

PS. In case you're wondering, yes I did have to Google which two games were in the Superbowl. And then I had to Google which colours are associated with said teams.