Frozen Banana Ice Cream

Often when my brother Robb and I get together, kitchen shenanigans ensue.  On this particular occasion we made a giant batch of almond milk (more on that later) and were looking for ways to use it.  We decided to try Gwyneth Paltrow’s frozen banana “ice cream” and were not disappointed.  It’s only a handful of ingredients, and doesn’t require any fancy machinery, like an ice cream maker.  A food processor works just fine! Needless to say,  this turned out to be a very refreshing (and healthy) summer treat.

We started by slicing bananas and putting them in the freezer.

Frozen Banana Slices

Throw the frozen bananas in a food processor with some almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla.

Frozen banana mix

Pulse a few times until the mixture is just blended. mmmmmmmmm.

Frozen Banana Ice Cream

Mix some toasted, chopped pecans (or almonds, or whatever nut you have on hand) with maple syrup, a pinch of kosher salt and drizzle over top of the ice cream.  Downright delightful.

My only complaint is that it melts quickly and therefore makes it tough to get a decent photo, but that’s not really a huuuuuuge problem.

Frozen Banana Ice Cream

Frozen Banana Ice Cream Recipe

4 Ripe bananas, peeled and sliced into thin rounds1/4 cup finely chopped roasted almonds or pecans2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup, dividedPinch kosher salt1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1.  Freeze the banana slices in a single layer on a tray or plate lined with wax or parchment paper.  Once the slices are frozen, use them immediately or keep frozen in a zip-top plastic bag or airtight container for up to a month.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the nuts with 2 teaspoons of the maple syrup and a pinch of salt and set the mixture aside.
3. Combine the frozen banana slices, the almond milk, the remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and the vanilla in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is the texture of soft serve ice cream, scraping down the sides as necessary.  Don’t worry if the mixture is not totally smooth at first – once the bananas start to break down and defrost in the food processor, they’ll give in and the “ice cream” will take shape quickly.
4. Spoon the banana ice cream into bowls immediately and sprinkle each serving with a bit of the almond mixture.

From:  It’s All Good

El Camino

Great news!  A taco restaurant and take-out window opened just around the corner!  I’m talking I don’t even have to cross the street to get my hands on these little beauties.  Have a look at what El Camino, which opened just a few days ago on Elgin street, passes through the window:

El Camino’s Beef and Pork Tacos

My first trip (of which there will be many) I ordered 2 pork tacos and 1 beef, and both were UNREAL.  Chris also gave a thumbs up to the crispy fish taco, and lamb is an option as well.  The tacos all come standard issue with set toppings like avocado, pickled onions, radish, cilantro and fresh lime. The meat is cooked to absolute juicy, shred-y flavour perfection; the beef has a hint of five spice and a nice spicy kick while the pork is tender and sweet.  Did I mention they make their own tortillas? Life is good   For $4 each, this place is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood!

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickepeas with Mustard and Parsley

Because I’m always on the lookout for new and delicious sounding recipes to entice me into healthy eating, I picked up Gwyneth Paltrow’s book in Chapter’s one day. After a few discreet iPhone shots of some especially mouth-wateringly good sounding recipes, I figured I should just go ahead and buy the whole thing.  I’ve tried a handful of recipes so far, and have really liked all of them.   This one for roasted cauliflower and chickpeas was the first one I tried, and will definitely be making it again.   We had it as a side for dinner one night, and it was so good that two people easily polished off an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting!  And the whole recipe involved about six ingredients, most of which you likely already have in your pantry.  Not complicated at all!

Roasted cauliflower and chickpeas set-up

Mix up two kinds of mustard, add rice vinegar, parsley and kosher salt.  Dressing complete!

Two-mustard dressing

Toss the cauliflower and chickpeas with a bit of olive oil and salt, and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes.  The dark brown pieces is where the flavour’s at

Roasted Cauliflower and chickpeas

Toss the cauliflower mix with some parsley and the mustard dressing, then revel in that gorgeous, golden colour!

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with mustard and parsley

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Mustard and Parsley Recipe

1 14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp seeded mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Toss the chickpeas and cauliflower together in a large roasting pan or cookie sheet with 3 tbsp olive oil and a big pinch of salt.  Roast, stirring occasionally, until everything is dark brown and the cauliflower is quite soft, about 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the mustards, vinegar and 1/4 olive oil with a big pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper.  While the chickpeas and cauliflower are still warm, toss them with the mustard dressing and the parsley.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

From:  It’s All Good

Chicken Souvlaki

Chicken souvlaki is one of the easiest things to make and is always so, so delicious.  It’s the staple of any good Greek feast, there are few things I love more than a giant Greek feast. I recommend serving the souvlaki alongside some tzatziki, lemon rice pilaf, perfect roasted potatoes and a big, fresh salad with lots of feta and a zippy dressing.  Try and get your hands on some Loukoumades to really round things out.  For the souvlaki, I like to just chop up some boneless skinless chicken breast, mix it with a marinade of olive, lemon juice, chopped garlic, some kosher salt and black pepper and about a teaspoon each of dried oregano, basil, rosemary, parsley, thyme and dill.  If you have fresh herbs on hand, even better.

Souvlaki marinade

You can throw the mix in a frying pan or skillet…

Chicken Souvlaki

…or thread it on some skewers for the BBQ!

Souvlaki skewers

Get some other Greek goodies prepped too.

Greek Feast in progress

Grilled veggies would also be amazing with this.

Grilled Veggies

Get ready for your feast!

Greek Feast

Chicken Souvlaki Recipe

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary1 tsp parsley
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp dill
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Mix chicken breast with olive oil and spice mixture.  Use right away or let marinade for up to 24 hours.  Fry in a pan or skillet, bake in the oven at 350 degrees, or BBQ skewers until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 10 – 15 minutes.

The Metropolitan Brasserie’s Duck Poutine

Shredded duck, triple cream brie and foie-gras gravy (what? who knew such a thing even existed??) make up this insanely decadent and literally heart stoppingly tasty poutine.   It can be found at the The Metropolitan Brasserie; a gorgeous, lively and delicious french restaurant in downtown Ottawa, which also happens to be right up the street from work. For this reason it often gets picked for after work drinks and celebrations.  Recently I was there for a coworker’s going away party and decided it was a perfect time to try this poutine creation I’d been eying and dreaming about for a few months now.

It was beyond rich, with a very generous chunk of triple cream brie and enough of that foie-gras gravy to generously coat the crispy fries.  So rich in fact that I actually shared and still couldn’t finish it.  It’s not something I could eat regularly but I’m glad I tried it because what I did eat was downright delectable.  Everything I love about poutine, but fancier!

Metropolitan Brasserie

Yes, that is a giant hunk of brie on top.

Sucre à la crème

Also known as maple fudge to us anglos, I first made this sucre à la crème as part of my french-Canadian themed New Years Eve dinner (also featuring tourtière!), so I’m sticking with the french name. But really, it doesn’t matter what you call it because it tastes amazing.

Here is what you need to create this treat:  brown and white sugar, maple syrup, whipping cream, corn syrup and vanilla.

Sucre à la crème ingredients

Throw everything into a saucepan, except for the white chocolate and vanilla.  Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan so you know when to pull it off the heat.

Bring the mixture to a boil and heat until it reaches 115 °C (240 °F).  But don’t stir it at all or else it will get clumpy!

Next, add the chocolate and vanilla.  White chocolate in your maple fudge? Ricardo says this is the secret to its creamy texture!  You don’t need much and it doesn’t change the flavour.  He’s absolutely right!

After the mixture has cooled in a cold water bath (I just plugged my sink and filled it partway with cold water), use an electric mixer to whip until smooth.  Then you get to lick the beaters

I’m embarrassed to admit that this is the best photo I have of the finished product.  What I’m not embarrassed to admit is that I didn’t get a good photo because it didn’t last very long.  Imagine fudge, but without any butter and yet somehow incredibly smooth, and full of melt-in your mouth sweet maple goodness.  A delightful winter indulgence .

Sucre a la creme

Sucre à la Crème Recipe

250 ml (1 cup) 35% 
cream
250 ml (1 cup) sugar
250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar
125 ml (1/2 cup) maple syrup
30 ml (2 tablespoons) corn syrup
28 g (1 oz) white chocolate, chopped (optional)
1 ml (1/4 teaspoon) vanilla extract

1. Line the bottom of a 20-cm (8-inch) pan with parchment paper, letting the paper hang over two sides and butter the other two sides.

2. In a heavy saucepan, bring all the ingredients except for the chocolate and vanilla to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Attach a candy thermometer in the center of the pan and simmer without stirring until the thermometer reads 115 °C (240 °F). Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and vanilla without stirring.

3. Place the pan in a cold water bath. Let cool without stirring, until the thermometer reads 43 °C (110 °F) or 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the water. With an electric mixer, beat until the mixture loses its gloss but is still soft, about 2 minutes.

5. Pour immediately into the pan and spread with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool for 1 hour at room temperature or 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Unmould and cut into 2.5-cm (1-inch) squares.

6. Store in an airtight container. The squares of fudge can be made in advance and freeze very well.

From: Ricardo

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

This is easily one of the most flavourful curries I’ve ever made.  I have my go-to curry recipe, but thought I’d spice it up a bit and try a curry recipe from Jamie Oliver.  I had some sweet potatoes that needed to be used up so his sweet potato and chick pea curry called to me.  I made a few minor adjustments based on what I had in the fridge, and man oh man, this turned out great!  What I loved most was how rich the curry tasted, and how the sweetness from the potatoes was a perfect balance.  Fresh cilantro, salty cashews and Greek yogurt really put this curry over the top.

It all starts with a solid base of onions, garlic and curry paste.

Onion and garlic curry base

Then add your veggies and some coconut milk and let it simmer until the sweet potatoes are cooked through.

Veggie and coconut curry

Once the sauce has thickened up and you are about to serve, throw in some spinach.  Stir, let sit for a few minutes until just wilted.

Spinach curry

Then serve it up with cilantro, cashews and Greek yogurt. Prepare for your taste buds to rejoice!

Sweet Potato and Chick Pea Curry

Dang.  Just try this.  So good.

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry Recipe

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 tbsp curry paste
1 red chilli, finely chopped
3cm piece of ginger, grated
A bunch of cilantro, stalks chopped, leaves picked
1 cup cauliflower
2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped or 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 x 400ml tin light coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
400g spinach, washed
Dollop Greek yogurt
1 tbsp chopped cashews
Poppadoms and rice, to serve

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and curry paste, mix well, then cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden.
2. Add the chilli, ginger, cilantro stalks, cauliflower, sweet potato and chickpeas. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 200ml water (or broth) and bring to the boil.
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover and cook for 10–15 minutes. Remove the lid, then cook for a further 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is cooked through and the sauce thickened. Add more water/broth if necessary, 1/4 cup at a time.  Stir in the coconut milk and cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Scatter over the coriander leaves, cashews, greek yogurt, then serve with poppadums and rice.
4. To freeze the curry for another time, leave to cool in the pan, then spoon into portion-sized containers or freezer bags and freeze. The curry will keep there for up to 3 months.

From: Jamie Oliver