Hard Boiled Eggs

Do you ever have difficulty making a good hard boiled egg? It should be pretty easy right? It's just an egg boiled in water, and then cooled down! But the annoying part for me, is that I often crack it open after waiting for a half hour to find the yolk still runny! My hard boiled eggs were always soft and I just couldn't figure out what was going wrong!

I think I've figured it out then, and have therefore, been able to create the a beautiful hard boiled egg (twice) with this method. My problem, boiling the water and then adding the egg. Fatal mistake! Because the egg was cooking so long, it took a lot longer to cool down. The experts actually add the egg... well maybe I'll wait for the actual food post to share cooking techniques!

I know that Hard Boiled Eggs aren't really the sexiest blog post... but everyone needs something to fall back onto! And being one that somehow I've messed up on this egg process several times, I figure it's better to have it down than not! Besides, sometimes people get stuck into having the same kind of egg all the time. Time to broaden your horizons people! Fried eggs and omelette's aren't the only egg dish on the menu! There are so many possibilities!

So the trick I was talking about? Well you've probably guessed it yourself, I'm not very good at keeping secrets... is to start cooking them in cold water! Bamo! Here's how you do it!


Hard Boiled Eggs

Eggs - 2
Water
Salt

In a small pot, gently place your eggs on the bottom. Add cold water until about there is about an inch of water over the eggs. Turn the heat up to medium.

Once the water starts to bubble, add a pinch or two of salt. Let the water come up to a rolling boil. This is when the water is gently bubbling, but isn't thrashing around violently. Too much boiling can lead to cracked eggs! Place a lid on the top of the pot and take off the burner. Let them sit for about 10-12 minutes.

Take the lid off and move the pot over to the sink. Gently strain out the hot water, then start running cold water over the eggs. Some people let the cold water continuously pour into the pot, and some fill it with cold water, let it sit, then pour out that water and add more cold... the choice is yours. If you are impatient, place the eggs in an ice bath to speed up the cooling process.

Let them sit for another 10-15 minutes. Then crack that baby open and see a nice solid center! No runniness!

Season with some salt and pepper and serve! Some people like to run a knife right through the tip of the top to help peeling. I hope this helps anyone else that has had problems with their hard boiled eggs! Enjoy!

Baadshah Royal East Indian Cuisine

I think, that one of the best things that the fiance and I have going for each other, is our ability to go out for occasional dates. We have this ability, to get dressed up some nights, take off for a fancier meal, and actually enjoy each others company. It's wonderful! It doesn't always have to be something exciting, it's just the opportunity to get out. I hope that we can continue this as our future goes on! This week we were wanting something a bit more exotic that the usual, so we went to Baadshah Royal East Indian Cuisine Restaurant.

Located at 310 5th St. South Lethbridge, this is one of the only places to get some good Indian food in town. It's a fairly spacious establishment, with plenty of seating for everyone. There is some light Indian music playing in the background and a few traditional decorations placed around the restaurant. Neither of which is an assault to the senses, but is enough to create a good positive atmosphere. One thing I LOVE about Indian restaurants are the smells that waft out of the kitchen. Instant mouthwatering!

We ordered the dinner for two, a dinner option that features an appetizer of beef samosas and chicken pokara, a main course of butter chicken, lamb korma, beef curry and rice (all of which has a side of garlic or plain naan bread, my favourite!), and finishing it all off is your choice of dessert. I was excited! So much food! We also got tea to start the dinner.

Alas, trouble on the horizon. It took me 20 minutes to get a pot of tea. They had the option of chai, masala or herbal tea, and I wanted to give the masala tea a shot. When it finally did arrive, the waitress told me that it was chai. When I corrected her, she told me it was basically the same thing. Sigh. I sucked it up and went with it. I just wanted a hot drink, but still...

 Another five minutes and our appetizer arrived. It looked good and tasted good. There could have been more, but hey... it's an appetizer! I just wanted the main meal! The fiance was halfway through her samosa and then... a hair. It happens, we know. Hair falls out. But that doesn't really make it any less disgusting to know someone elses hair is in your food. The waitress apologized, and said she would see what she could do, which was nice of her, but then we never heard anything else.... GAH, I just wanted food!

So we are waiting, bidding out time. Baadshah had about four waitresses working, three of which looked around sixteen years old. They all looked busy... but weren't really doing anything. You know the employees that bustle by your table, but they aren't carrying anything or come back with anything? It was confusing... And after awhile you realize they aren't really hustling to do something, but hustling just to look busy. The one waitress was pretty decent, dressed up in an actual uniform instead of the jeans or sweatpants, and was on the floor working ALL the tables,  but you couldn't help becoming irate with the others, especially when they avoid eye contact around the table.

Maybe I was just getting more cynical because it had been forty-five minutes since we had ordered our food. I was hungry, the fiance was starving. I'm okay with a little bit of time, because I like to think that some real effort is being put into my dinner. This isn't a fast food restaurant after all, but I still like to see food come out in a timely manner.

The food, when it did arrive, was delicious however! Each of the dishes has the kind of flavour that makes one close their eyes for a second in order to savor the tastes. There was a fair amount of meat in each of the bowls (There is a veggie option as well) and tons of sauce that gets mixed in all together. I love it when rice tastes better than what you could have had at home. And it was the backbone to all the curry dishes. And the naan bread... hot, and fresh out of the oven. They give you a generous portion at the beginning, but then slow it down if you order more.

The desserts were alright. The fiance got a mango ice-cream which was amazing! There was a lot of bright flavour in that dessert and a great ending to the night.  I got a rice pudding, which was surprisingly served cold. It was... okay. Nothing special though. Maybe it's just because I wanted the ice-cream?

There was definitely more food than we could handle, and they were nice enough to bag it all up for us. The leftovers the next day were equally delicious, especially since they sat in the sauce for so long! So good...

Overall, this place has a fairly nice atmosphere and some extremely tasty food... it's the service that is lacking. This establishment needs a floor manager to keep an eye on the waitresses and make sure that everything is up to snuff! The food though, will definitely be drawing me back. Although they do have a take-out option as well...

Staff and Service - C-
Food and Flavours - A-
Atmosphere - B

Creamy Mushroom and Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Time for a soup recipe! I seem to have this problem where I find so many great seasonal recipes, but the season changes so quickly that I'm left with so many good looking dishes that really aren't suitable anymore. I mean, it really isn't a problem to go fire up the BBQ in the snow and make Teriyaki burgers (mmm, maybe tomorrow!), but it isn't quite the same as having a good wintry dish.

You know what I'm talking about! The soups, stews, casseroles and chili's all start to make an appearance around now. Getting cozy on the couch with a steaming how bowl of soup makes winter so much more enjoyable! It's just part of the seasonal joy! And luckily, I have TONS of recipes saved up in this category from last year! so many I might just have to do a purge one day and see how many of these are realistic to my kitchen.

This recipe comes from the computer of Closet Cooking. Kevin is sort of a celebrity food blogger, but is way to hip and cool to make his blog beyond anything but amazing food. No fancy gimmicks, no giveaways, no fun games... it's all about the food. And he's got the followers and comments to show just how many people love it for that reason alone. The food. Because really, isn't that what a good food blog should be about?

The name of this recipe caught my eye, and the picture sealed the deal. I was hooked. And with only a few ingredients listed, it sounded delicious! Kevin suggested making it with blue cheese and pancetta as well, but I found that blue cheese and croutons worked amazingly well! You'll have to see what sorts of combinations you can come up with!


Creamy Mushroom and Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower - 1, cut into florets
Oil - 2 tbsps
Salt and pepper - a healthy pinch

Oil
Leeks - 2, thinly sliced (even up the green stalk, but separate the two colours)
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Mushrooms (Button, crimini, wild) - 1lb, roughly chopped *I kept a few sliced for presentation
Rosemary - 1 tsp
Thyme -  1 tsp
Dry White Wine - 1/4 cup
Vegetable Stock - 3 cups
Salt and Pepper - a healthy pinch
Cream (or milk) - 1 cup

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Take out a baking sheet and cover with tinfoil. Set aside.
Break down the cauliflower into small florets and place into a medium sized bowl. Add the oil and some salt and pepper, toss and lay out on the baking sheet. Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat the 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan. Add the white leaks and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute until fragrant but not burnt. Add the mushrooms, rosemary and thyme and saute for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms have softened. Add the green part of the leaks (not the top, it's too tough. Just the pale green parts up the stalk) and saute for another 5 minutes.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan by giving it a good stir.  Add the stock and cauliflower, cover, and bring the mixture to a boil. I also threw in the leek tops in hopes that added flavour would leak out (Leak out! Get it! Hilarious!)  Reduce heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Take out the leek tops, then bust out the immersion blender or blend the soup in batches until creamy. I liked having a few larger pieces of soup in their, but blend as much as you wish. Add the cream, return to a boil and serve. Add one more pinch of black pepper.

And remember, blue cheese, croutons and pancetta(bacon) are all recommended! Enjoy!

Experiencing Halva

This is going to be a brand new  initiative for me! I'm going to occasionally (depending on my budget) try to get new and exciting food's to try out! There are so many exotic, interesting and sometimes terrifying food items out there that people avoid simple because it's different. It's like food racism! Facism? Nah...too close to Fascism... Let's just stick with food avoidance. Who knows what sorts of flavours might be missed due to fear! Lets just hope that this experience is a positive one!

Halva caught my eye as I was walking through the grocery store. The fiance and I were hosting a vegetarian dinner that night with some friends, and I came across this little morsel. Unfortunately, it was forgotten for that particular party and was taken along for the following weekend for a family gathering. 

The History: Halva is derived from the Arabic word hulw, which means "Sweet". It emerged in the Middle East, Central Asia and India as far back as the Middle Ages. It originally was a sweet biscuit made from the paste of dates mixed with a sweetener like honey or syrup. This mixture was then combined with flavours like nuts or cooked carrots. As this dish gained popularity and spread, different flavours and variations were created. Halva in the Middle East, Halva has several varieties including puddings, squares or small sweets and cake-like desserts. In Europe, Halva is made with tahini (sesame seed paste) or rice flour and some are even made out of cheeses. Other ingredients can change the flavour of the halva, such as pumpkin, lentils, carrots, banana etc.

Halva has been served in several different scenario's since it's introduction. It has been served as a side dish with coffee and tea when serving guests, at funerals and marriages, and as a dessert. In Iran, it is even served as a main course.

My Perspective: The Halva that I bought was a Greek version, made primarily with tahini, and was flavoured with vanilla. Being I never had Halva before, I wasn't quite sure what to think. The texture was a dry and crumbly, but melted in my mouth at the same time. It isn't solid enough to chew, but not soft enough to just melt, so it was almost awkward eating.  It almost tasted tasted like peanut butter, but only almost. I found that the flavour was... different. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the flavour, but I found that I'd want more after eating it.

In the end I don't know if I'd ever get this again. It wasn't really something that exploded my tastebuds. I would probably try havla of different varieties, especially ones that were either solid or pudding-line in their make-up. I'm sure that there are different flavours worth trying in the end, but this particular kind wouldn't be on my list again

Have you ever tried Havla? What did you think of it?

Baked Egg Cups

Class got cancelled today! Hurray! So I got the chance to spend a little extra time on deciding what I should have for breakfast. Even with the extra time, this breakfast was ready and done in about 15 minutes. More time for me to clean the kitchen I suppose... I had neglected it the night before and had a bit of a mess to clean up this morning.

These little egg cups are sexy and easy (to make, get your mind out of the gutter!) and would absolutely be something I would serve to guests that spent the night. And there are so many different combinations you can make! Other ingredients may include bacon, feta, ham, cooked hashbrowns, mushrooms, zucchini... the possibilities are endless!

I started this recipe with the traditional cheese, tomato and some green onion inside awhile ago, but today I mixed in some leftover bruschetta and goat cheese! The pictures are from my first encounter with this dish, I should have snapped more today!! I came across this recipe at the blog For The Love Of Cooking, and I knew I'd have to give them a try! Lacking ramekins, I just made mine inside a muffin tin. Classy, I know, but hunger won over the need for proper bake ware

Anyway, I've been delaying supper by writing this post. I just don't know what to eat! But sitting and writing about food is only making me more hungry, so I need to venture into the food factory and try to come up with something tonight! Hopefully something delicious comes along! Have a good night!!


Baked Egg Cups

Egg - 1
Cheddar Cheese - grated, small handfuls
Tomato - 1/2, chopped
Green Onion - 1, diced
Salt and Pepper - healthy pinch

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your ramekin (Or muffin tin) lightly with butter. Add a small amount of cheese, tomato and green onion, about 1 tbsp each. Crack the egg into the mixture, trying to avoid breaking the yolk. Add another mix of the cheese, tomato and green onion. Season with some salt and pepper and place in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Change the oven to broil and let the eggs cook for another 5 minutes. Make sure that whites of the eggs settle, but the yolk remains soft.

If serving in ramekins, just pull them out and enjoy! However, muffin tins lack elegance at the dinner table, so I like to use a large spoon to pull them out. Enjoy!

Turkey Sloppy Joes

The fiance and I were gone this weekend to visit family. I then hustled back to Lethbridge this morning just in time to rush to class! After class, it was straight to the library, home for quick supper, then off to work. Obviously today wasn't a day that making dinner would be a relaxing, complicated journey.

This dinner is easy, filling and delicious. And because today was actually the first day with actual snow, it was perfect to warm both the house and my stomach! Have I mentioned how easy this was to make? It had to be! So after being smart and pulling the ground turkey meat from the freezer before running off to class, I was pretty much set. You can always substitute ground beef instead of the turkey, but this brings about some texture changes and is much healthier for you!

And sloppy joes are pretty manly... just like moustaches! Have I mentioned that I'm raising money for prostate cancer research? For a solid month, I'm growing some beautiful lip fur as a walking billboard for this cause. If you're feeling generous enough to donate, just click the link! It only takes a few minutes! Thanks folks! http://www.movember.com/m/1195074

So after all the visiting and driving, I'm pretty tuckered out. So it's time to churn out the recipe and be off to bed! Make sure you check out the original recipe that I adapted this from at Bev Cooks. Definitely worth stopping by! I hope you like it!


Turkey Sloppy Joes

Olive Oil - 1 tsp
Carrots - 2, grated
Onion - 1/2 chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Ground Turkey - 1 package (About 1 1/2 lbs)
Chili Powder - 1 tbsp
Paprika - 1 tbsp
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - 1 tsp
Ketchup - 1/4 cup
Dijon Mustard - 1 tbsp
Worcestershire - 1 tbsp
Tomato Paste - 1 tbsp
Red Wine Vinegar - 1 tsp
Tomato Sauce - 1 (8oz) can

Dinner Buns - halved and toasted

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, garlic and carrots for about 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey, breaking down into chunks. Cook the meat the vegetables until the veggies are soft and meat is lightly browned. Add the chili powder, paprika and red pepper flakes and stir into the meats.

In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Add to the turkey and mix together. Season with salt and pepper, lower the heat to about medium low and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

DONE! That's it. Dinner is basically finished! You can add whatever you want to your sloppy joe (Cheese, jalapenos, lettuce, ranch...whatever your wish) or keep it classic with just the meat and bun! Spoon a generous portion of the turkey mixture onto the toasted dinner bun, close it up, and serve! Enjoy!

Sriracha Chicken Fajita's

As my semester starts to draw to a close, the studying gets a little bit more intense. Teachers are pretty generous saving the large projects until the end of the year, but nastily harass you with smaller assignments during the course of the semester. This (except for those super strategists) always leads to a last minute crushing of the books.

So why on earth am I writing a blog article when I should have my nose buried in a book, you ask? Well because I want to! I'm a grown up! I'll do what I want! And because I'll just be making this a short post, nothing too fancy or intense about this one! Except for...

THE CHICKEN!!! 

Sriracha, for those who don't know, is an Asian styled hot sauce based off chili peppers. It's become hugely popular in the last couple of years, including being named as one of Bon Appetit's ingredients of the year! And boy does it have some kick to it! 

For those about to be scared off, don't worry. Even though this recipe may sound fairly hot, the chicken was actually just zesty to me, with hints of hotness. It wasn't mouth on fire hot, so don't panic!  I had a hankerin' for some sort of crispy chicken in tortillas, so I went on a search and found this tasty little morsel! Food O' del Mundo has become one of my favourite blogs lately for finding some really great recipes! Go look. Now. It's worth it! 

The recipe was originally for lettuce wraps, and has an awesome sounding Lime Sriracha sauce to accompany it that I had to omit (Else my tortillas would get soggy!). 

And because my study break is coming to an end, i'll just get straight to the recipe! I hope you like it. 

Sriracha Chicken Fajita's

Chicken Breasts - 2, cut into strips (about 2 pounds)

Green Onion - 1/2 cup

Soy Sauce - 4 tbsps

Sriracha - 3 tbsps

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Ginger - 1 tbsp (about an inch off the root), minced

Garlic - 2 cloves, minced

Panko Bread Crumbs (Or any kind of bread crumb) - 1 cup

Toasted Sesame Seeds - 2 tbsps *Optional

Marinate the cut chicken breasts in a ziplock bag with all the ingredients EXCEPT the panko and sesame seeds. Do so for at least four hours (but can also be prepared in the morning). 

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Take out a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. 

Once the chicken has marinated, place in a bowl with the panko bread crumbs to coat them.  Place on the baking sheet and then into the oven for about 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5-8 minutes. They should be golden and crispy and cooked all the way through. 

Serve in a tortilla with sides that can include:

Lettuce, Onions, Mushrooms, Cheese, Salsa, Sour cream, Jalapenos, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Shredded Carrots... Whatever your heart desires! 

Buffalo Fries with Blue Cheese Dressing

"Remember, Remember, the fifth of November." A line to remember from a great movie! Have you ever seen V for Vendetta? Or perhaps read the graphic novel?

I just borrowed the book from a  friend a few weeks back, and it's pretty decent! Originally written in the 1980's, this book has some pretty interesting theories that also come across in the movie. Back in the 1980's, the writers were concerned with homosexuality becoming illegal, concentration camps for people with AIDS, vans that surveyed the populace, legislation against minorities, government control through media...

There are some serious parallels with today's society. Throw in something about corporate greed and I'd actually be pretty freaked out!

So because there was a good movie, some leftover fries in the fridge, and a cold day outside, I wanted to make a good snack to enjoy. Enter Buffalo Fries!!! I came across this recipe and I was sold on the picture alone! If you haven't visited it before, go visit the blog Life Tastes Like Food. It's miraculous!

I am a fan of blue cheese. I'm often not allowed to kiss my fiance after consuming this particular type of cheese, so as shes departed for her practicum, I take a good opportunity to use it! So instead of just crumbling some blue cheese on top, I went and whipped up what I imagine is a good blue cheese dressing!

And in the tend, it was a perfectly delicious night at home!


Oh! And because Buffalo wings (fries), blue cheese and hot sauce are all manly food ingredients, it's the perfect appetizer for a moustache! It's Mo-vember time, a chance for me to grow a moustache as a way to raise money for prostate cancer research. If you're interested in donating (I'd appreciate it), just click the link below! Thanks a ton!

http://www.movember.com/m/1195074


Buffalo Fries with Blue Cheese Dressing

Fries - Either homemade, leftover or frozen, the choice is all yours!
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Hot Sauce - (I used Frank's) - a few dashes
Some Crumbled Blue Cheese - just a few crumbles on top *Optional
Blue Cheese Dressing

Heat the fries with whichever preferred cooking method you'd like. Once heated, place in a bowl and toss with the cayenne pepper, cumin and paprika.

Place on your serving plate. Crumble some blue cheese on top if you'd like. Spoon out the blue cheese dressing on, as much as desired, or you can put it into a small bowl. Spritz on a few dashes of hot sauce and enjoy!

Blue Cheese Dressing
Blue Cheese - about 4 oz
Sour Cream - 2 tbsps
Milk - 4 tbsps
Canola Oil - 1 tbsp
Worcestershire - 1 tsp
Hot Sauce - a few dashes (stick with the Franks)
Red Onion - 1/4, minced
Salt and Pepper - few pinches

Combine all in a bowl and stir together. I prefer mine a little bit thicker, so I just use a fork to mix it all together. However, I suppose if you want it a little bit smoother, pop out the immersion blender and give the whole thing a whirl!

Pacifica Frittata

Once upon a time, a dish came into existence and all who devoured it were happy. The end. True story!

This dish is full of scrumptious and tasty ingredients that just bring a dish together. It's a little bit wild, it's a little bit exotic, and it's a little bit of heaven. I wish I could have come up with a better name than simply "Tuna Frittata". There should be a way better name for a dish that highlights so many different flavours! The name "Goat Cheese, Tuna, Shrimp, Mushroom Frittata" doesn't really pan out... I wanted something that had a nature theme to it, but my head is drawing a complete blank.

So I'm leaving it up to you fellow bloggers! I want to see what sort of name you would give this! If you also draw a blank, I'll just have to come up with some other title! So let's see what you've got!

And the overwhelming consensus is Pacifica Frittata! And thus... it shall be named! 

Pacifica Frittata

Butter - 2 tbsps
Onion - 1, chopped
Zucchini - 1, chopped
Mushrooms - roughly chopped
Asparagus - 6, chopped
Eggs - 4, beaten
Goat Cheese - 1/2 cup (the creamier the better), crumbled
Thyme - a few pinches (Approx 1 tbsp)
Tuna - 1 tin (170g), flaked
Shrimp - About 2 handfuls, peeled
Salt & Pepper - a few healthy pinches

Heat a large skillet (oven safe) and melt the butter over medium high heat. Saute the onions until softened, then add the zucchini, mushrooms and asparagus. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the zucchini has become soft and the veggies are starting to brown.

Add the tuna and shrimp to the pan and give it all a stir together.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs together. Add the cheese, thyme and some salt and pepper for flavouring. You may want to do this ahead of time because you don't want the shrimp to overcook. Once stirred together, pour over the top of the vegetables. Let the egg mixture cook for about 5 minutes. Put the oven on broil.

Run a spoon around the outer rim of the frittata and let the uncooked egg in the middle down the outsides. Place the skillet in the middle of the oven and cook until the eggs are set and surfaced starting to brown.

Serve with some ketchup and a splash of hot sauce!

And remember, I want a really good name to sum up this dish! What sort of name ideas do you have?

Fruity Pumpkin Smoothie

This is it. I'm pumpkin'ed out! No more! Although, there is always next year... Here are some recipes that I will be looking for in the future!

1.  Pumpkin Chorizo Pizza
2.  Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
3.  Best Ever Pumpkin Muffin
4. Iced Pumpkin Spiced Latte
5.  Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate

All of those recipes just intrigue me and they all sound scrumptious! Is it sad that I'm already looking forward to next October? Not that I couldn't cook them now, but I think I've had enough pumpkin for awhile. Except pumpkin pie... I can never have enough pumpkin pie!

Now this recipe is really easy to make, but you better have a high powered blender in order to make sure that everything is blended together properly. Now the original recipe calls for actual pumpkin (which is so awesome!), but I didn't have any lacking around. Maybe something I'll do again next year? I imagine the taste would definitely be magnified! 

I came across this recipe at Vegan Yack Attack (which has an awesome name!). If your a vegetarian, this is the blog for you! 

Fruity Pumpkin Smoothie

Pumpkin Puree - 1/2 - 1 cup (Or 2 cups partially frozen pumpkin)

Apple - 1 (I used Macintosh) 

Dried Cranberries - 1/4 cup

Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp

Milk - 1 Cup

Ice - 5-6 cubes

*Optional - 1 tsp maple syrup

Combine all the ingredients into a high speed blender. It's usually easier to add the wet ingredients first, then the solid. It helps with the blending process. Garnish with a few cranberries and a pinch of cinnamon. Enjoy!