Bringing the Mediterranean Home...

When I went to Corduroy the other day, it brought back memories of my favourite dish at Truffles.  I can't remember what it was called but it was this plate of meat, cheese, pickled vegetables, olives, salad, warm foccacia bread...pretty much a plate of yummy goodness.  Ever since they shut down I make myself a version of this every once in a while.  It's never topped the dishes at Truffles, but it definitely is refreshing, fun and yummy...and doesn't even require an oven!

My latest creation included cervelat and hungarian salami, roasted red pepper, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, spicy pickled beans (home-made of course!), greens mixed in an olive oil and white wine vinegar dressing with feta sprinkled on top, and a fresh bun with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce.  Scrumptious! 

Things to note: Having worked in a deli for many a year, I discovered the best way to eat salami is thinly sliced.  It brings out the flavours more.  Same thing goes for cheese.

A Dozen Habits to Nourish Your Life - Feed Life Starve Cancer

Believe it or not, there was another Social Shopper voucher for Feed Life Starve Cancer's second three hour seminar, A Dozen Habits to Nourish Your Life, a couple weeks ago.  I couldn't believe it!  I enjoyed the first seminar so much I couldn't resist the opportunity to check out the second one, so Social Shopper got a little bit of my business that day.

A Dozen Habits to Nourish Your Life was a three hour seminar jam-packed full of more yummy recipes (all free of animal products, sugar, wheat and dairy), along with twelve tips to help you improve your healing potential.  Yet again, Eden and Colin were fabulous presenters and my good friend and I thoroughly enjoyed the class.  I've included the dozen habits to nourish your life below, along with pictures of the yummy goodness that we got to taste throughout the night.  I'm definitely going to be making some of these in the future, so stay tuned for recipes and secret details as to why some of the ingredients are so good for you.  Thanks again for a fabulous evening Eden and Colin!

The Dozen Habits to Nourish Your Life

1. Have a glass of lemon water when you wake up in the morning.  This preps and wakes up your digestive system for the day ahead.
2. Have a green smoothie every morning.
3. Keep your body moving through exercise and breathing.
4. Manage stress constructively.
5. Stay hydrated.
6. Think ahead and prepare your food for the week.
7. Nourish your skin. (Eden gave us a recipe for a homemade facial mask!)
8. Avoid labels.
9. Eat a salad every day.
10. Spend your time with positive people.
11. Breathe and watch your thoughts.
12. Create a sleeping sanctuary for restful sleep.

Westcoast spread on gluten free crackers.  This spread was designed to taste like tuna salad and boy did it ever.  We ate it on crackers but Eden suggested eating it in a wrap or making sushi out of it as well, which sounded like a great idea.

 

Raw zucchini hummus.  I never thought about making hummus from anything but chickpeas, but this recipe definitely changed my mind about that.  It was flavourful and refreshing, all in one.

 



Believe it or not, this is zucchini pasta!  They demo'd a spectacular handheld machine called a Spirooli.  You stick your zucchini in it, and out comes pasta like strands of zucchini.  Amazing!  The sauce on top was called Tangy Tahini and it was very yummy.  Full of tartness, which is right up my alley.

And no meal is complete without dessert.  You are currently looking at Gooey Chocolate Squares with Pumpkin Maca frosting.  Definitely an enjoyable way to finish the evening.

 

http://feedlifestarvecancer.com/wp2/prevention/

Corduroy

And no, I'm not talking about the pants that make noise when you walk.  I'm talking about a comfy-cozy pub with a kick butt open mic night in the heart of Kitsilano. 

I'm not going to lie.  I've walked by Corduroy a gazillion times and thought it looked like so much fun but I could never bring myself to go in.  You see, there used to be a restaurant there called Truffles.  Truffles was my home away from home...the food was delicious, the furnishings eclectic, the people who worked there were fun and welcoming...you really felt like you were over at a friend's house for an amazing dinner and wine that never stopped flowing.  It was my happy place.  So, when I went to go to Truffles one day and discovered that it had been bought about a month before and turned into Corduroy, a little bit of my heart broke.  Being the rational person that I am, I vowed never to enter Corduroy because it killed Truffles!

However, it's been five years now and my heart has had some time to heal, so when a friend suggested going for dinner and their open mic night this past Tuesday, I figured it was time to suck it up and be a big girl.  Having now been to Corduroy, I can honestly say that it is a fabulous pub.  It truly transports you out of the city...you feel like you're in a hole in the wall pub on a small ski hill in the middle of nowhere.  It's fabulous!  Wood planked walls, random decorations (my favourites were the arrow literally sticking out of the wall, a hand set up as a door knocker, and a classic pair of old skis), one heck of a bar, pizza to die for, a house lager that is delicious and cheap, long-table style seating great for visiting or meeting new people, friendly and fun patrons, and some serious talent for the open mic night that blew my expectations completely out of the water.  Needless to say, you can't go wrong with Corduroy!

I'll definitely be going back and I can't wait to check out their Rock Paper Scissors competition on Monday nights!

The smoked bacon, pear, goat cheese and balsamic reduction pizza on a whole wheat, rosemary and honey crust.  Delicious!  ($14)

 The Poutine: french fries, 2 year aged white cheddar and Guiness-jus.  Not quite Fritz, but I definitely ate my half.  ($10)

My view during open mic.  Talk about spectacular!  The fellow playing during this photo was unreal on the guitar.  It was like he was playing the drums and the guitar all at once, but with just his guitar.  He was the first of many that had everyone stopping their conversations to just listen and appreciate.

 

http://www.corduroyrestaurant.com/index.html

218 Flavours...

This past weekend, after years of pining, I finally ate some delicious gelato from La Casa Gelato on Venables Street!  I had been dying to go here for years and for some reason had never been able to make it.  So, needless to say, I was a little bit excited.  The good news is that La Casa did not disappoint.  So, the next time you're looking for a gelato fix, make sure this scrumptious little gem is high up on your to go to list.

Things to note: (1) there is absolutely no where to sit in the gelato shop itself.  So, if you're going in the winter, make sure you're bundled up and ready to eat outside or in your car.  There are benches outside, which would be lovely for the summer.  (2) La Casa is open 11am - 11pm, 7 days a week.  So, they're always there to satisfy your gelato craving!  (3) They have 508+ flavours of gelato, with 218 flavours carried in the store at all times.  They have everything from the classic strawberry to black sesame and more.  Half the fun is just reading the names!

It absolutely made my day when they gave me an actual poker chip to hand over as proof of purchase when I picked out my flavours.  So much better than just a receipt!

Did you expect anything other than a double?  With 218 flavours I had to try at least 0.92% of them!

My gelato eating partner in crime's Mango Gelato with Raspberry Swirl and Raspberry Sorbetto.  ($7)

My Strawberry Fudge and Mint Fudge Brownie gelatos...heavenly!!!  ($7)

http://www.lacasagelato.com/

Wowie Maui Chicken

I felt like cooking chicken with a twist the other day, so I started flipping through my Looneyspoons cookbook.  I chose Looneyspoons partially because their recipes are simple and partially because I wanted to make something with a fun name!  The final conclusion?  Wowie Maui Chicken.  Very yummy, flavourful and a little bit different than the normal chicken I cook at home.  Here's my version of this yummy recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 1/2 cups no sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (398 mL) pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, chopped finely

If your rice takes more than 25 minutes to cook, place the rice and chicken broth in a large pot, bring to a boil and cook for 25 minutes.  While this is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the chicken until browned.  At the 25 minute mark, add all ingredients except for the green onions, to the half-cooked rice.  Stir, cover and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.  Add the green onions and cook for an additional five minutes.  Turn the heat off and let the dish stand for five minutes before serving.  Serves approximately 5-6. 

Note: if your rice takes 25 minutes or less to cook, you can cook the chicken in the pot then add all ingredients except for the green onions, bring to a boil and simply cook until the rice is cooked.  Then add the green onions, cook for an additional five minutes and let stand for five minutes before eating.

Enjoy!

http://janetandgreta.com/cookbooks/

Red Pagoda

Last week I headed out for lunch with a few gentlemen from the office.  They were feeling like Pho and I was feeling like a meal big enough to quiet my growling belly, so we decided on Red Pagoda.  I had never been to this little hideaway before and it was great!  The food was yummy, the prices very reasonable, and the atmosphere much more relaxed with a non-lunch hour feel to it.  I definitely look forward to going back.

Things to note: the front entrance is actually off of the back alley.  So, the easiest way to get to the restaurant is to walk down the alley between Dunsmuir and Pender going West.  When you see the stairs and trees on your right, walk down them and you can't miss the restaurant.

My Charbroiled Lemongrass Chicken on rice with shredded carrots, cucumber and cabbage.  The flavours were great and the meal itself was super filling.  Definitely a good bang for your buck.  ($8.95)

#20 - Medium Rare Beef Slices Noodle Soup.  ($7.75)

#19 - Pagoda Special Beef Noodle Soup: medium rare beef, well-done flank, beef brisket, beef meatball and tripe.  ($7.75)

Not happy at all!

Payback...

Each and every Friday afternoon someone with the air vent that leads to my air vent makes a bag of popcorn.  Needless to say, it is pure torture.  So, when I discovered a bag of microwave popcorn in my cupboard last Friday morning, it was time for some payback.  Mwah ha ha ha...and it tasted darn good!