Everyday Food & Drinks

And the Winner of Bobby Flay's new book IS...........

2009-05-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

Marlene!! I will be contacting you shortly so I can send you the book, Burgers, Fries, and Shakes by Bobby Flay. I am sure you will be using it quite a bit as the warm weather is finally here!

Congratulations Marlene, and thanks to everyone who participated in the draw. The results of the draw can be seen here. I entered each person's name as per their comment.

It seems a lot of you like to have cheese on your burger. Yummy! There were some interesting toppings as well, such as avocado. I love avocado, but have never had it on a burger before. I will definitely have to try it soon!

Stay tuned, as I have some more recipes to share and surely another giveaway.

Burgers, Fries & Shakes Giveaway

2009-05-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hamburgers are fabulous all year round, but they are especially great in the summer when you can get the barbecue out and grill them easily. I am always looking for different toppings to create different burger combinations.

I was at a burger place called the South St. Burger Co. last week and decided to try a burger with wasabi mayonnaise, gourmet relish, and the typical lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and banana peppers. The wasabi mayonnaise gave it a great kick and a different flavor. The bonus was that they serve New York Fries there too!

Speaking of delicous hamburgers and fabulous french fries, Bobby Flay has a new book out called, Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes. It is full of pictures and offers 33 hamburger recipes as well as french fry, onion ring and shake recipes! There are great tips in the book to make your homemade hamburger adventure even better.

I like the book so much that I got an extra copy to give away! To enter the draw, all you have to do is:

Leave a comment on this post of your favorite hamburger topping.

Remember to leave your contact information (e-mail address) or a blog link so I can contact you if you win. Feel free to subscribe to the blog as well. That way you won't forget to check to see if you are the winner, and you will be updated on future giveaways.

*If you prefer not to leave your e-mail address here, feel free to e-mail it to me after you leave your comment. (This is to confirm that you are actually the person who left the comment) My e-mail address is foodaholic8@yahoo.ca I promise to only use your email address to contact you if you win.

Deadline to enter is Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. (recorded by the comment time stamp) (Contest is now closed)

The winner will be chosen at http://www.random.org/ and announced the day after the contest closing.

Here are some toppings to get started. Enjoy~

Ketchup
Relish
Mustard
Hot Sauce

Wasabi Mayonnaise
Garlic Mayonnaise
Cajun Spice Mayonnaise

Lettuce
Tomato
Banana Peppers
Onions
Sliced Garlic
Pickles

Stuffed Peppers

2009-04-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Stuffed peppers are a colorful side dish to add to a meal or to serve as a meal. The above is an orange stuffed pepper that one of my sister's made and below are yellow and green stuffed peppers that my other sister made.

I ate these as a snack one afternoon and was quite surprised as they are different from other stuffed peppers that I have eaten. The peppers were not as soft and the stuffing was not quite as moist as what I am used to, but they were still delicious.

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers (any color you like)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped carrot
1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. turmeric
2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper
1 egg

1 pound lean ground beef or chicken

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice, cooked (or cooked quinoa)

Instructions:

Cut off the top of each pepper

Remove the seeds and membranes

Chop up edible part of the tops and put aside.

Rinse peppers under cold water. Put them aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pan.

Sauté chopped pepper tops, onion, celery and carrot for about 3 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Add garlic, oregano, basil, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg.

Mix in ground beef and cooked rice. Then mix in vegetable mixture.

Stuff peppers with the mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350° F for 30-40 minutes.

Mini Quiche

2009-04-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Mini quiche are one of my favorite appetizers for any get together. I also enjoy them as a snack or part of breakfast sometimes.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

1 1/2 tbsp. butter

1/2 of a small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 of a small green pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of cheddar cheese

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

For the pastry dough (shell):

In a Food Processor,pulse together:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
and 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (cut into cubes)

Pulse until the mixture is crumbly.

Add one lightly beaten egg and pulse 3 times.

Sprinkle 2 tbsp. of icy cold water into the mixture and pulse until the dough is formed.

If the dough is too dry, add more cold water, one teaspoon at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and form it into a ball.

Divide the dough in half and roll out the first half to 1/8 of an inch thick. Add more flour to your work surface as needed.

Using a 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut little rounds out of the dough.

Line a mini muffin pan with the dough rounds.

Re-roll the scraps as well as the second ball of dough and cut out more dough rounds, lining the mini muffin pans as the rounds are formed.

There should be 48 dough rounds all together.

*I used two, 24 cup mini muffin pans. If you have the 12 cup mini muffin pans, you will need 4 of them. If you only have enough for 24 cups, feel free to leave the second ball of dough to cut out while the first set of mini quiche are baking.

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a small pan and sautee the onions and garlic until tender.

Combine the onions, garlic, cheeses and green pepper in a bowl.

In a seperate bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then whisk in the cream, salt and pepper.

Add the cheese mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.

Pour one tablespoon of the filling into each pastry shell.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes. (Until golden brown)

Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove the quiches from the muffin pan.

Pasta Salad

2009-04-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Pasta salad is one of my favorite foods to make. It is very simple to make and can be eaten as a side dish, snack or meal. There are so many variations making it fun and different each time.
Ingredients:

2 cups pasta (fusili, macaroni or penne)

1 1/2 cups fresh julienned vegetables of your choice (peppers, carrots, cucumber, chopped celery)

1/4 cup minced onion

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup of your favorite salad dressing

1 tbsp. mustard

1 tbsp. vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1 can of tuna (optional)

Instructions:

Boil and drain pasta.

Allow the pasta to cool while preparing the vegetables.

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Mango & Almond Jelly

2009-03-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

Mango and almond jelly is one of my favorite after dinner treats. It is not too filling and is just the right sweetness. I have not made it from scratch before, but maybe one day I will. I just buy almond jello powder and mango jello powder from the supermarket and layer them.

Pomegranate

2009-03-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

Pomegranates are one of my favorite fruits. This pomegranate has seeds in it and was quite tart, but I have been fortunate enough to have also tried seedless pomegranates. They are very sweet and easy to eat. The seedless pomegranate that I had was pink and yellow on the outside and inside as well.

Clams in Olive Oil and Wine

2009-03-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

These are delicious clams cooked in olive oil, white wine and garlic. They were served as an appetizer at my sister's place. I only had a few as they were consumed very quickly by the other guests!

E-Fu Noodles with Scallops and Mushroom

2009-03-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

E-Fu noodles are a very common dish served as one of the last courses in a Chinese banquet meal. They are my favorite noodles and usually only include mushrooms when served during dinner. I added scallops this time to change it up, and it was very delicious.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. cooking oil

3/4 pound of scallops

1 pkg. of E-fu noodles (cooked and drained)

1 1/2 cups of your favorite mushrooms (sliced)

2 tbsp. soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

sliced green onions (optional)

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a wok, then add the scallops and mushrooms.

Once scallops and mushrooms are cooked, add the noodles, then the soy sauce.

Mix together and add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with sliced green onions. (optional)

Serve the E-fu noodles as an appetizer or a main course.

Mussels with Garlic Aioli

2009-03-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

These are cooked mussels topped with a garlic aioli sauce. My sister in law's mother made them and they were so delicious I could not resist eating several of them just before dinner. We had them as an appetizer with some fresh sliced bread.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp

2009-03-05T08:09:00.000-08:00

Sweet and sour shrimp is one of my favorite dishes. I like to make it every few weeks as it is a quick one dish meal. Sometimes I replace the shrimp with chicken or fried pork.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. cooking oil (vegetable oil, grapeseed oil etc.)

1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 medium onion, sliced into wedges

1 green or red pepper, julienned or cut into 1 inch chunks

1 large carrot, julienned

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

For the sauce, combine the following in a bowl and stir until mixed together.

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tbsp. orange juice

1 tbsp. pineapple juice

1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. sesame oil (optional)

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large pan, and cook the shrimp and onions.

Add the pepper, carrot, and pineapple. Stir to mix, then add the sauce.

Stir to mix, then turn off the heat.

Serve with rice or as a side dish.

Dragon Fruit

2009-03-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

I recently tried dragon fruit for the first time. The inside has seeds similar to the seeds of a kiwi fruit and the texture of the flesh is soft with a slight crunch. Some are sweet and some are tart. The one I had was sweet, but the flavor was somewhat bland. My mom says that is how they taste and she loves them. It was nice to get to try them, as I don't think I would have considered buying them on my own.

Coconut Cream Pie

2009-03-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

This is a coconut cream pie I made. I did not have any whipping cream so I used the leftover egg whites from the filling recipe to make a meringue topping instead. It was pretty good, and perfect for those who love meringue. As for me, I still prefer the fresh whipped cream on top.

Tea Biscuits

2009-03-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

Newly baked tea biscuits are a great addition to any breakfast. I like to eat mine with some jam, butter and fresh berries on the side.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour, plus extra for kneading
2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup chilled buttermilk
7 tbsp. chilled, unsalted butter

Instructions:

Line one baking sheet with parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse briefly to mix.

Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.

Add the buttermilk and pulse until dough is just moistened.

Sprinkle some cake flour onto a clean countertop or board.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface. (It is very soft, and not easy to work with, but will be very nice once baked)

Sprinkle some cake flour onto the dough, flour your hands and gently knead the dough a for about 1 minute.

Press the dough into a 1.5 inch thick rectangle.

Using a large rubber spatula, fold the rectangle in half, then fold it in half again.

Sprinkle a little more cake flour under and on top of the dough, then roll it out into a 1 inch thick rectangle.

Cut out the biscuits using a flour dipped biscuit cutter.

Reroll the scraps to cut out more biscuits.

Place the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

Bake until golden, about 16 minutes.

Flowering Tea

2009-03-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

This is a lovely clear glass teapot that a friend gave to my sister along with some flowering tea. On the left is a little ball of tea that turns into a flower once it is immersed in hot water. The teapot is great for this type of tea as it displays the flower very well.

The tea had a mild taste and was nice to drink on its own. It is the type of tea that does not require any sugar or milk.

Mussels in a Tomato Wine Sauce

2009-02-28T16:30:00.000-08:00

Mussels in a tomato wine sauce make a simple appetizer or side dish anytime. I like to serve them with fresh bread before a meal or as a snack.

Ingredients:

2 pounds mussels (cleaned and debearded)
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 400 ml (about 14 oz.) can of chopped tomatoes or 3 large fresh chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Saute the garlic in olive oil for about 1 minute

Add the wine, tomatoes, salt and pepper

Bring to a boil and then add the mussels

Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about five minutes (or until shells are open)

Throw away any shells that do not open

Serve the mussels with bread, rice, noodles, or even on their own!

Prosciutto with Olives and Crackers

2009-02-27T16:07:00.000-08:00

This was a simple appetizer served at my sister's place before dinner. The saltiness of the prosciutto together with olives and crackers was a great combination. Some cheese would have been great with it too.

Roasted Red Pork

2009-02-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

Roasted red pork is tender and has a nice sweet flavor. It is great served with rice and vegetables for a nice meal or eaten on its own as a snack.

Ingredients:

1 pound of pork tenderloin
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. five spice powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
A few drops of red food coloring (optional)

Instructions:

Prepare the pork by removing any skin or fat.

Cut the pork lengthwise, then cut each half into 5" pieces.

Mix together the remaining ingredients, with exception of the water in a mixing bowl. The red food coloring is only necessary if you would like the pork to have a red hue.

Dip each pork strip into the mixture, turning to coat evenly.

Lay the pork strips in a single layer in flat dish.

Pour the remaining liquid mixture on top of the pork strips.

Cover and refrigerate the pork for at least two hours to overnight. Turn the pork occasionally to even out the marinating process.

Roast the pork in a 400 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Turn the pork, then roast for another 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Fried Pork Dumplings

2009-02-19T07:47:00.000-08:00

These fried pork dumplings are one of my favorite snacks. They can be found at most Chinese bakeries and at some restaurants that serve Dim Sum. I wish I knew how to make them as they are not always easy to find in my area. The outer shell is very crispy and the inside usually has just the right amount of flavor. They are quite greasy as they are fried, but they taste so good!

Udon Soup

2009-02-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

Udon soup can be a meal or a snack as you can put a variety of vegetables, meat or seafood in it. This time, I included sliced mushrooms, julienned carrots, sliced red peppers, greens, corn and chayote as my vegetables. I just used whatever I had in the fridge.

I boiled the udon noodles, as well as some pre-made chicken broth in a separate pot. I added some leftover turkey and a couple of storebought fishballs, along with the veggies to the broth, then boiled it all together for a few minutes. The noodles were drained, placed into a bowl, then topped off with the broth mixture.

The udon soup was quite filling and very easy to make.

Chicken Samosa

2009-01-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

My sister brought over some chicken samosas as an appetizer for a potluck at my place. It was so different from the vegetable samosas that I am used to eating. It wasn't quite as filling as it did not have as much stuffing inside. It was filled with a scant amount of ground chicken and some spices.

The shell was very similar to the pastry I use to wrap my eggrolls and the dip was the traditional sweet tamarind sauce.

Apple Beet Muffins

2009-01-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of leftover beets so I juiced them and made a variety of foods with them. The apple beet muffins are one of the items I decided to make. The beet juice gave the muffins a pretty red color, without the taste of beets.

If you do not have any beets or do not want to use them, simply replace the beet juice in the recipe with milk.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease one muffin tin or line with muffin cups. (recipe makes 12 muffins)

In a large mixing bowl, beat together:

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup beet juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup apple sauce

Stir in:

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Then stir in:

1 finely chopped apple

1/2 cup raisins

Fill the muffin tin/cups with the batter to 2/3 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes depending on if you are using a light or dark colored pan. If you are baking the muffins in a dark colored pan, it will probably take the full 20 min. depending on your oven.

Remove the muffins from the tin and allow them to cool on a rack.

Shrimp Chips

2009-01-06T11:49:00.000-08:00

Shrimp Chips are one of my favorite snacks from when I was a child. They are light, airy and melt in your mouth. It is quite fun to eat them as they are colorful and quite different from potato chips.

Coconut Corn Dessert

2009-01-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

Coconut corn dessert is something that I enjoy when corn on the cob is in season. It is so refreshing when served cold, and comforting when served hot.

Ingredients:

1 uncooked corn on the cob
1/2 cup small tapioca
1/2 cup coconut milk/coconut cream
2/3 cup sugar (1/2 cup is fine if you do not like your dessert too sweet)
2 cups water

Slice the corn kernels off the the cob and put them aside.

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then add the tapioca and sugar.

Simmer on low heat until the tapioca is translucent. (this should take about 15-20 minutes) Be sure to stir frequently as the tapioca tends to get sticky. Gradually add small amounts of water if the mixture gets too thick.

Add the corn and coconut milk and simmer for 5 more minutes.

The coconut corn dessert can be served either hot or cold. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Greens

2009-01-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

Shrimp and greens are a great combination. This is a very simple dish that can be served as a meal with some rice or noodles. I sometimes mix in squid, mussels, crab, scallops, lobster or chicken along with the shrimp, depending on what I have in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 pound of greens, blanched (baby bok choy, mustard greens, broccoli or any other green of your choice)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp. of water
1 tbsp. oyster sauce

In a wok or large pan, heat the vegetable oil and salt, then cook the shrimp in it on high heat.

Add the greens, soy sauce and water. Mix together.

Next add the cornstarch mixture and oyster sauce. Mix well and then turn the heat off.

Serve with rice or noodles.