Eat Your Broccoli!

February 16, 2014

Cedars Deli

After a day of skiing in the mountains, I was famished with nothing in the cupboard and hunger to tame. Hubby had to go to the mall so we visited the food court in Market Mall and I found Cedars Deli. I have been on a Mediterranean kick of late, with making my own pitas and falafel. Even thought this restaurant is in a food court; it is a local, made in Calgary chain. I was looking for something fresh and healthy, and this fit the bill.

I ordered the Mediterranean plate which had: two falafel, three vine leaves (dolmades),one kibbeh ball, a generous spoonful of hummus, tabouli, tahini and a large whole wheat pita. Everything was tasty and there was more than enough to satisfy my hunger. Don’t let the food court facade fool you. This is healthy, good tasting local food.

February 15, 2014

Baking Bao Revisited

I decided to try a new bao recipe today. This one has an interesting ingredient, water roux. It made my buns lighter and I like the addition of an egg to the recipe. I made some with red bean paste and some with curry beef. Recipe is courtesy of Honey and Spice blog.

Here is the previous recipe for reference.

Red bean paste (poppy seeds) and curry beef bao

February 10, 2014

Safari Grill

There is a strip mall, at the corner of 28 St. SE and Memorial Dr. It is nondescript, and full of ethnic food proprietors. A Jamaican cafe, a Middle Eastern cafe, a Filipino cafe, and Safari Grill. The mall has an interesting name, Short Pants Plaza. I’m guessing it is named after all the tropical cultures that have set up shop within.

After five hours at the climbing gym, I was ready to polish off some serious eats. A short drive down the street brought us to the Safari Grill. Being seriously hungry, the three of us shared the Spicy Kuku Bite (chicken in tempura batter with a sweet and spicy chili sauce) and the Mboga Combo. This was a combination of vegetarian appetizers: fried cassava, samosa, round potato scallops fried in batter and fried lentil balls. It came with dipping sauces: mild green chili, hot red chili, tamarind, yogurt sauce and coconut chutney. It reminded me of the dipping sauces from Tiffin, across the street.

East African cuisine tends to feature inspiration from Indian dishes, along with a good dose of grilled meats and spice. Some of the entrees were meant to be shared at the table and some were individual. We choose the individual plates. I ordered the Afrique Mishaki, which was BBQ chicken cubes marinated in peri peri and grilled. It was served with a side of spicy corn and masala chipsi (fries). The dish as a whole was medium spicy.

The food is well done, and the portions are substantial. The decor is very zebra, with lots of African trinkets. The service was good. I suggest going with a hearty appetite; you will not be disappointed.

February 9, 2014

Pita and Falafel

I’m in the mood for something healthy and vegetarian. After a visit to Calgary Shawarma, I wondered if I could make a decent falafel wrap at home.

Kudos to the authors for the pita and falafel recipes.

I was generous with the parsley so I ended up with green falafel! Dried and reconstituted chickpeas give a nice texture.

I tried the flatten and roll as opposed to my pizza technique which did not require a rolling pin. Rolling pin wins, as the texture is more even.

I liked the way some of my creations puffed up. Some of them didn’t. And some of them were a little charred.

Fried is definitely tastier, but baked is healthier! Fried in a cast iron pan.

My pitas were so small that the falafel didn’t fit inside. Topped with: lettuce, tomato, red onion, black olives, cucumber, Greek yogurt and tahini. Tasted good, though.

Falafel sandwiches, left is fried, right is baked

February 9, 2014

Khao San Thai Kitchen

Looking in from the outside, this restaurant looks like an inviting oasis from the Calgary cold. The decor is tasteful, and the house is packed.

We started with the golden tofu and scallops. The tofu was crisp and the sauce packed a flavor punch. The scallops remind me of something you might see in a fine dining restaurant.

Moving along to the pad thai. One of my friends commented that it was the first time the noodles were done al dente. The panang salmon was an interesting dish. The battered fish in the sweet and sour basa stayed crisp as the sauce pooled nicely on the bottom of the plate.

It’s really popular, and there seems to be an endless number of regulars, as the waitstaff greet the customers with friendly recognition. The service was spot on, even when it got really busy.

Salmon Panang Curry and Sweet and Sour Basa

February 8, 2014

Soban Korean

I had an evening engagement downtown at the Central Library, so my friends and I decided to try Soban Korean in the Dragon City Mall. Regarding the underground parking, I have a public service announcement. The rate is $9.45 before 5pm and $4 after 6pm until 6am next day. If you arrive at 5:30, you will still pay $9.45; you may not pay in increments. When you go back to renew after it expires in a hour, you will wait in line behind ten people that made the same mistake. Thank you for reading and back to your regularly scheduled food review.

The food was really good. We shared the seafood pancake, which had the nice slightly charred crust. The pancake also did not fall apart like some others I have eaten. The banchan (side dishes) were tasty. It’s the first time I’ve tried radish kimchi. I also liked the tempura yam. For my entree, I ordered the pork bulgogi which came on a hot plate with quite a few veggies. Yes, I could come back.

Radish pickle, pickled onion, pickled bean sprouts, tempura yam and fried potato

February 6, 2014

Red Ember Japanese Cuisine

I’ve been meaning to visit this place since the last sushi restaurant that was here closed. The restaurant wasn’t full, so the server was attentive. The decor is interesting, the walls were a nice shade of red. Everything was nice, except that the tables were covered in brown paper that curled on the ends. Makes it look a bit cheesy.

We were served an amuse bouche on the house before the appetizers arrived. It was a sashimi salad with cucumber. Delicious! I ordered the wakame salad to start. I was suprised; it came on a bed of lettuce with tomato on the side. It was definitely a bigger serving then I expected. I also ordered a piece of aburi sushi. It had a nice sear on the top. My entree was the chirashi sushi, which would have been big enough for two. Except that I had just finished a day of snowshoeing and had no problem consuming the entire thing myself. The fish was delicious and artfully presented.

I will be coming back to try the rest of the menu.

February 2, 2014

Orange Flax Seed Muffins

I was looking for something different to do with muffins. I have a bunch of oranges in the fridge, and voila! These are light and healthy.

Orange Flax Muffins

1 ½ C all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
½ C raw wheat germ
2 tbs ground flax seed
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
¾ C packed brown sugar
¼ C canola oil
½ C orange puree
1 tsp grated orange rind
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 large eggs
12 muffin liners
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 8 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.

Combine brown sugar, oil, rind, juice, and eggs; stir with a whisk. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Arrange liners in muffin cups. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake at 375° for 17 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched in center.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

January 28, 2014

Asian Style Spicy Coleslaw With Steak

Ah, the parade of the leftovers. Today it is leftover cabbage, from the awesome meal hubby made last week. What to do, what to do…

Asian Style Spicy Coleslaw with Steak

Adapted from originally from Food and Wine magazine via kalynskitchen.

This recipe makes 10 servings, but can be easily cut in half.

Dressing:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 T fresh lime juice
3 T Asian fish sauce
3 T water
3 T sugar
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 t Sriracha sauce

Salad:
2 pounds green cabbage, thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
3 medium carrots, grated
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
3 T chopped cilantro
15 mint leaves (I used about 1/4 cup chopped mint)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
salt and freshly ground pepper

Steak:
2 T soy sauce
2 T Chinese cooking wine
1 t Worchestershire sauce
2 steaks, inside round/sirloin/ribeye

Whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, fish sauce, water, sweetener, garlic and Sriracha. In large bowl, toss together sliced napa and red cabbage, carrots, peppers, cilantro, mint, and peanuts. Toss all steak seasonings and meat in a dish. Cover. Marinate the steak for at least a couple of hours. Bring steak to room temperature and sear both sides. Cook until desired doneness, but rare is best. Rest for 10 minutes. Slice and toss into salad. Toss salad with the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Serve right away. If you plan to eat some later, don’t add the dressing until just before serving.

January 28, 2014

Mucho Burrito

I don’t often review chains. This would be a first on this blog. I was craving a Mexican food experience like the one I had in Hawaii, at Maui Tacos. I love fresh food with toppings that you can put on yourself. So my friends and I paid a visit to the one in the Beltline. It’s a standalone restaurant with some kitschy Mexican decor. All well and fine, how was the food? It was actually pretty good. Think of it as a Mexican Subway. Order the basics (taco, quesadilla, salad or burrito) and go crazy with the fillings and toppings. I ordered a regular chorizo burrito. Not pictured, as how can you take a good photo? I topped it with Mexican rice, black beans, pepper, medium salsa, cilantro and sour cream. It was extremely filling. I didn’t have to chug a litre of water afterwards which means it wasn’t overdone with salt. Next time, I would order the small instead.

My friends had the taco salad and tacos, as seen below.