shrp knvs

kickstart your soups and salads

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:30:18 -0400

this is a going to be a short but sweet post, something i can just throw together quickly, kind of like these croutons.

i make these croutons all the time because 1) they’re dead simple 2) they require only 3 ingredients, 3) they taste way better than any croutons you can buy 4) i usually end up with a stale baguette lying around and this is a great use for it, 5) they make your house smell amazing, and 6) they are great for salads and soups, and they really jazz up the meal with very little effort.

that’s a lot of good reasons. so what are you waiting for? next time you have some stale baguette lying around, take 10 minutes to really kick your soups and salads up a notch with these parmesan croutons.

fresh parmesan croutons

ingredients:

stale baguette, 1/2 inch cubes (note: its best to cut your baguette up into cubes before it is very stale or it will be like cutting your cement)

couple of tbsp spoons olive oil

couple of table spoons shaker parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

preheat oven to 375 F, but the temperature isn’t that important if you are also cooking something else.

toss the croutons in olive oil, cheese, and salt and pepper and spread them out on a lined baking sheet.

pop them in the over for 6-8 minutes or until nicely browned and toasted, tossing them a few times throughout.

serve them as a garnish on your next soup or throw them in a salad. and bam, it’s that simple to give a kickstart to your meal.

(note: served here with home-made tomato soup, and grilled cheese with mushrooms and carmelized onions. recipes coming soon!)

a north african date

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:53:45 -0400

this is another post that has been sitting at the bottom of the drafts page for far too long. over a year now in fact. it dates back to last year when i had my parents over to my place for some dinner. i wanted to cook something interesting and different, but at first i wasn’t sure what to make.

thankfully i found my answer in the latest edition of the lcbo magazine at the time. i have said it before and i will say it again, i can’t say enough good things about this free magazine distributed by the lcbo 5 times per year. the magazine has incredible recipes (a lot are already featured on this blog) with stunning photos and handy wine and drink pairings. they are a great way to really foster a deeper interest in cooking, eating, and drinking. not something to be missed.

b’stilla - moroccan chicken and date pie

a b’stilla is a moroccan chicken and date pie. savoury pulled chicken overloaded with moroccan spices and flavour, balanced with the sweet dates and wrapped up in phyllo pastry really can’t be beat.

dates are something i never used to eat, but all it took was this dish for me to realize what i was missing. they can be used to sweeten dishes and can provide infinitely more depth and flavour enhancement compared to simply adding sugar. when you cook them their flavour enhances even more and really can take a meal to the next level. that’s certainly the case for this dish.

ingredients:

vegetable oil

4 chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on

4 cups onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp chili flakes

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 cup chicken stock

salt

3 large eggs

1 cup dates, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

8 sheets phyllo pastry

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

icing sugar and ground cinnamon for garnish

start by preheating oven to 375 F. heat vegetable oil in a large dutch oven or high-walled frying pan over medium-high heat. saute the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, remove from pot. (they won’t be fully cooked at this point, but that’s ok).

in the same pot add onions and cook until golden, about 10 min. add garlic, cumin, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, chili flakes, and turmeric. stir for 30 seconds to a minute.

place chicken back into the pot with the onion mixture and add chicken stock and season with salt. cover with lid, bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

remove chicken from mixture and let it cool. once cool enough to handle, shred the meat and return to the pot. at this point add the eggs, dates, raisins, cilantro, and almonds. combine well and season to taste.

at this point your filling is ready and you can start assembling your phyllo pie. phyllo can be temperamental to work with, but be patient the result if definitely worth it.

lay one sheet of phyllo on your work surface and brush with butter. it doesn’t have to be fully coated. place a second sheet on top of this sideways forming a plus-sign. repeat this process alternating directions and brushing with butter in between until all 8 sheets are assembled. the last sheet doesn’t need to be buttered.

place all the sheets in a greased 9-inch baking pan or a springform pan. the edges of the phyllo will hang over the edges of the pan and these will close overtop once you add the filling.

fill the pastry with the chicken mixture and spread evenly and then fold the excess overhanging pastry over the top to cover up the chicken. brush the top with any remaining butter.

bake pie for 40 min or until the pastry is crispy and golden and chicken mixture is heated through.

garnish with icing sugar and cinnamon. i served with hot with spicy cocoa-roasted carrots and parsnips, but you can also serve this pie the next day cold for lunch with a quick salad.

enjoy this north african date pie for dinner or lunch. it’s a bit of work, but its a real treat for your taste buds.

tip of the week #8

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:58:34 -0400

i used to think there are two kinds of people in the world: those who liked garlic and those who didn’t. i used to feel bad for those people who didn’t because they were missing out on a lot. garlic can be added to almost any main to enhance the flavour, and it’s simple and cheap to do.

luckily for those anyone who isn’t a garlic fan i have a solution for you to try: roasting your garlic. roasting garlic removes a lot of the punch of the garlic and sweetens and intensifies the flavour. what you’re left with is something i literally will eat just spread on a cracker, or if i’m feeling particularly civilized with my hands plain like candy.

however you want to enjoy it, roasting garlic is a nice way to alter the garlic flavour for those who aren’t big garlic fans and to intensify the things you love about garlic if you’re a garlic fan like me.

roasting garlic

roasting garlic is simple and can add amazing layers of flavour depth to a dish. i often will roast a couple heads up when i’m using the oven for something else and then simply save them in the fridge for pastas, sandwiches, pizzas, you name it. always a nice things to have on hand.

ingredients:

2-3 heads of garlic

salt and pepper

olive oil

preheat oven to 400 F (but really whatever temp your oven is at for other things should work) and get your garlic out. now there are two general ways you can go about roasting the garlic. i tried both this time and they both produced similar results, so whatever your preference is should work.

either break apart the head but leave the skin on and roast, or slice the top off to expose the garlic cloves. whatever you chose, throw the garlic on a lined baking sheet and dose in some olive oil, salt and pepper.

pop the garlic into the oven and roast for 30 min or until the garlic feels soft when squished. remove from oven and allow to cool.

when the head of garlic has cooled enough to touch carefully squeeze the cloves out of the skin and either eat as is or reserve and mash to use for further cooking.

enjoy this simple, healthy and cheap flavour addition to almost any meal even if you aren’t usually a big garlic fan.

a little overdue

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 17:30:20 -0400

when i make something and photograph it to go on the blog, i usually also add a draft post with just the name of the dish that i’ve made. the post then sits where i can access it and finish the post later. essentially this helps me keep track of what photos i need to edit and what posts need to be written. of course this means that some posts sit there empty for a long time. this is a case and point.

this was a meal that the entire shrp knvs crew made over a year ago when nich came to visit dylan and i last january. we took a lot of photos over that weekend of a lot of different things we cooked, and i added four different posts to the drafts section. two of them have already been posted - french onion soup and key lime pie - but two others (this included one included) have been sitting empty in the drafts section for far too long. so i decided finally to make that change.

sushi

making sushi is an art. it’s not one of those things you try doing because it’s cheaper or easier than going out to eat it, and it probably won’t taste better either. making sushi is an experience that i’d only recommend if you enjoy the process. the end result is a bit of a bonus since you can probably go out and buy sushi that’s just as good if not better for a similar price.

all that being said, making sushi is a really fun way to spend an afternoon with a friend and could also make for a creative date. it isn’t easy to do, but it also isn’t beyond the skill set of most people in kitchen. it would definitely be something i’d suggest everyone tries at some point, and hey, maybe you will find you’re the next sushi-making superstar.

we made crab sushi here, but experiment here and make whatever kind of sushi you want. if you are using raw fish though, opt for the best quality you can get. you don’t want to be eating raw fish that isn’t incredibly fresh.

ingredients:

2 cups sushi rice (available in most large grocers, this rice is stickier which is important to allow the sushi to hold together.

seaweed (sold in dried sheets)

2-3 fresh crab legs

1 large cucumber

1 large avocado

handful of sesame seeds

2 tbsp mayonaise

2-3 tbsp white wine vinegar

wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce for serving

sushi mat for rolling sushi

begin by preparing the sushi rice according to the directions on the packaging. once the rice is cooked spread it out to dry a little and toss with the white wine vinegar.

next is to prepare the filling for the sushi. start by steaming the crab legs for 5-7 minutes or until they turn bright red and you begin to smell their aroma. to steam them simply place them in a strainer over a pot of boiling water with a lid on. crack open the hard outer shell and scrap out the fleshy crab meat. set aside.

carefully peel and slice cucumber into long narrow strips, and do the same with the avocado. these will go along with crab meat to fill the sushi.

now it’s time to begin building your sushi. this is the part that’s a bit of an art. we decided to make a double layered rice sushi which is slightly more technically challenging.

lay out the sushi mat and lay a piece of saran wrap over top. place a sheet of seaweed on top. spread a layer of mayonaise on top of the seaweed and then a layer of rice. pack the rice down with your fingers so that it will hold together.

once the entire sheet of sushi is covered carefully flip the seaweed sheet over. this step requires being delicate, but the rice holds together better than you would expect.

repeat the mayo and rice layering on the other side of the seaweed and then top with layers of the filling. how much you pack in at this point will determine the thickness of the final sushi so plan accordingly. ours ended up being a little larger than ideal.

now your sushi is ready to be rolled. this part is a little tricky and will come with time. use the sushi mat to carefully roll the sushi making sure to pull the saran wrap out as you go. use some pressure to keep the sushi entirely stuck together.

once your sushi is rolled you will be left with a log of sushi waiting to be cut into nice sushi pieces. before you do this sprinkle the log with your sesame seeds for an added flavour boost.

to cut the sushi cleanly make sure you have a very sharp knife and get it wet with a little warm water. this will help the knife slice cleanly through the sushi rather than getting stuck. you can cut your log in half and then slice both halves together to try and keep your pieces a more even size.

once all your sushi pieces are cut and ready they can be plated with soy sauce, fresh ginger, and wasabi. we plated our sushi on a block of himalayan pink salt dylan had given to me as a christmas gift.

and there you have it: home-made sushi. like i said above this recipe is a great thing to take on as a project with some friends or a date over an afternoon and feel free to experiment. learning how to make sushi is just the beginning.

enjoy.

a serendipitous sandwich

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:21:29 -0400

if there was a way to patent sandwiches, this would be the one i would patent. i made it serendipitously with some ingredients i had left over and i had no idea how good it would taste since the ingredients aren’t a normal combination for sandwiches.

early this week i wrote about how in the fall i fell in love with butternut squash and started regularly buying and roasting it. whenever i did this i always ended up with tons of leftover squash. putting it on sandwiches seemed like a good way to eat all this squash lying around and now i’m hooked. sometimes i buy and roast squash not even to eat for dinner, purely to save it and use the squash for sandwiches.

i had a bunch of squash leftover in a tupperware, and some hot soppressata salami from loblaws and so i knew they had to be combined. i also had some roasted red peppers left over and i figured why not. of course whenever i eat roasted red peppers i want something creamy from a cheese to go with it; i figured brie would work nicely and was lying around.

at this point i was unsure of how this sandwich would turn out. i mean the ingredient list seemed somewhat random, and was a far stretch from a classic meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese sandwich. that’s the beauty of the sandwich though, you don’t really have to know what you’re doing. you can guess and experiment and if it doesn’t work who cares.

luckily for me this one worked out (there are many others that didn’t, but you probably won’t read about them here).

so far of all the random sandwiches i’ve made, this one takes the cake and i may have to name it the shrp knvs special. the salty and spicy soppressata salami with the rich, sweet squash and the creamy brie cheese is a real winner.

grilled cheese with roasted butternut squash and spicy soppressata salami

squash is an amazing component to a lot of sandwiches because it is sweet and soft. it adds a rich flavour and an almost creaminess, much like an avocado would, to the sandwich. i think squash pairs unbelievably with all kinds of sandwiches and i’ve yet to find a combo i don’t like.

ingredients:

1 butternut squash, roasted

several slices hot soppressata salami

brie cheese

roasted red peppers

fresh basil

honey mustard

heat a frying pan with a little olive oil or butter over medium-high heat. assemble sandwich with your fresh bread. when the oil is hot it should begin to shimmer. carefully add your sandwich to the pan.

cook the sandwich until it is nicely browned and then cautiously flip. if you’re having trouble flipping your grilled cheese without losing all the contents then try using a plate. simply put a plate over your sandwich and invert the entire frying pan holding under the plate. the sandwich will fall off and onto the plate and then you can simply slide it back into the pan to brown the other side.

once your sandwich is heated through and the bread is nicely toasted, allow to cool for a minute and all the ingredients to set and then enjoy. this is a sandwich you definitely need to try because it’s a flavour combination blast that’s unlike anything you’ve ever had before.

enjoy.

fall in the spring

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:33:28 -0400

this fall i fell in love with the butternut squash. well a bunch of squashes actually, but the butternut in particular. it has an amazing creamy taste and texture, that is really superior to a potato in a lot of ways. they are amazing as a side with some meat and asparagus, but a little tip: save a bunch of leftover and throw it on your sandwich. you won’t be disappointed (recipe coming later this week).

squash is right up there with pumpkin and apples for symbolizing fall foods. there is something about them that is earthy and warm. it just invites you into the house for some delicious food on a cold fall day.

ok so i know what you’re saying - it’s the spring already. you missed your fall window. you’re right. but, i have been majorly behind in my blogging on shrp knvs (something that won’t happen again for a while, i promise) and i never got around to editing and posting the copious amounts of squash recipes i made. i’m literally debating doing a squash week. will have to play it by ear.

plus the butternut squash is a masterpiece of food that should be eaten all year round (i know i do).

so here you go, i present the butternut squash - a very fall vegetable that thankfully is available all year round.

roasted butternut squash

ingredients:

1 butternut squash

olive oil

paprika

chili powder

rock salt

turmeric

garam masala

ground coriander seed

this is one of the easiest sides you can make. the only mildly difficult part is peeling and cubing the squash. once that’s done though you simply toss the squash in the oil and with the spices and bake at 425 F for 50 min or so.

i’ve found the easiest way to peel a squash is to separate it into the stem and the bulb with a cut.

once this is done also cut the top off and you will be left with a cylinder. now simply run your knife down the edges to remove the peel. i find this infinitely simpler and cleaner than peeling the squash with a potato peeler.

once your cylinder is peeled, slice it into pieces and then chop into inch cubes. i usually cut mine into 9 pieces.

next is to peel and chop up the bulb. this part is more annoying, and if i’m feeling lazy sometimes i will just discard the bulb since there is a lot of squash in the stem anyways. but if you’re keen on getting the most out of the squash then cut the bulb into quarters.

scoop out all the seeds with a spoon, and cut off the stock at the bottom. carefully peel the skin off with a knife or peeler and cut the squash into chunks roughly the same size as those from the stem.

once all your pieces are cut throw them in a large bowl and coat with oil and spices. don’t worry about the measurements of the spices just estimate and play around with it. toss the whole mixture and make sure all the pieces of squash get coated.

transfer to a baking lined with parchment paper and bake in preheated oven at 425 F. you can bake them for 45-50 min at 425 F, or what i usually like to do is cook them at 425 for 25 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 375 F and cook for another 35 min or so.

this squash tastes amazing as a side, but i almost prefer to save it and use it for sandwiches, so make sure you save some for leftovers.

enjoy.

tip of the week #7

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 15:43:10 -0400

alright so i wanna start off by saying its been long, far too long since the last post on shrp knvs. this won’t happen again. it was a major lapse on our part and it’s stopping today.

i debated for a while what should be the first post to go onto the blog after such a long and unnecessary hiatus. given the current week of bodily abuse and poor diet with our trip to the dominican this only seemed appropriate.

reheating pizza

so leftover cold pizza a constant problem that i run into, as i’m sure many other university students do also. i used to throw the pizza in the microwave is i was feeling lazy but it always ended up soggy. of course you can reheat it in the oven, but let’s be serious, that’s way too much work and time for a lazy weekend afternoon.

when i first came across this idea for reheating pizza i knew i needed to try it. i loved it. a little tinkering with the exact specifics and you have warm and crispy pizza even several days later. it really changes the leftover pizza game entirely.

the key to reheating pizza is to use the stove top. simply put the pizza into a dry and cold frying pan. theres no need for oil since the pizza dough will release it as it cooks.

turn the heat to medium or medium high. as the pan heats up it will start to crisp the bottom and slowly heat up and through to the top. this works wonderfully to keep the bottom nice and crispy while allowing the cheese to warm through.

the instructions said to just leave it like this until the top is warmed up. when i tried this though i found adding a lid to the pan made the process work a lot better.

i finished this boring pepperoni pizza with some fresh basil and a drizzle of a balsamic reduction. it really brings the pizza to a whole new level.

i hope everyone enjoys this post, and wait for the many other posts that will be coming in the next few weeks as i procrastinate doing school work.

enjoy.

dreams of florida

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:00:00 -0500

this post took too long to make and put up. it isn’t appropriate for the season. it isn’t something most people are going to make. it isn’t even something i just made; in fact it’s nine months old, all the way back when nich came to visit last winter. it has a lot of things going against it. so why exactly am i taking the time to post it now? because i’m dreaming of florida.

in 17 days dylan and i are lucky enough to be heading down to florida and i’m excited. normally i love vacations that are action-packed. i want to be doing things and experiencing because that’s what excites me about travelling. sometimes though it’s nice to take a vacation as a vacation rather than an experience. for me florida is a place to unwind and take a physical and mental break. something i’m longing to do.

so how did i get from dreaming of florida to a pie i made almost a year ago? well i happened to also be browsing some old pictures and came across these photos just after i’d gotten off the phone with my parents talking about florida and our christmas plans. right away i knew i wanted to put up this post.

key lime pie is one of those foods that are so strongly associated with a particular place that even mentioning the name conjures up images of that place. it goes so far as to even have taken its name from the florida keys. you always serve key lime pie cold, which is perfect for those hot nights.

key limes are tarter than the regular limes you find in the supermarket, and they are also much smaller. their juice is more of a yellow colour and that with the egg yolks makes the pie more yellow than green. key limes aren’t super easy to find in toronto, but they have them most days at the large loblaw’s and other specialty grocers. traditionally key lime pie is supposed to have a meringue on top, but i can’t imagine it with anything other than whip cream. it’s just a much better fit in my mind.

key lime pie

key lime filling -

ingredients:

4 tbsp key lime zest

4 egg yolks

1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh key lime juice

whisk together the lime zest and egg yolks in a medium bowl for a minute of two. whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, and then the lime juice. set aside while you make the crust.

graham cracker crust -

ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 10 crackers pulsed in blender)

2 tbsp granulated sugar

5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

preheat oven to 325 F.

stir together graham cracker crumbs (should be pulsed to a fine consistency in a blender or food processor) with sugar in a medium-sized bowl. while still slowly add the melted butter. once all mixed you should have a wet sand-like mixture.

grease your 9-inch pie pan and then push your graham cracker paste into the edges. make sure you spread the mixture evenly and firmly press it in place. bake the pie crust until it just begins to brown, about 15-18 minutes. allow crust to cool slightly.

once cooled, fill the crust with your filling and return to oven until the centre sets. this should take 15 minutes or a little more. transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool to room temp. refrigerate until chilled (at least 3 hours).

when you’re ready to serve your pie simply garnish with some key lime slices and of course you have to add some whipped cream. if you are dedicated you can pipe the whipped cream to make for a nice presentation.

grab a knife and carefully cut and transfer onto plates. you must be delicate during this process as the pie easily falls apart. then grab a fork and dig in.

so no matter what you’re doing this christmas break (even if it’s nothing), take the time to make some key lime pie and maybe you can dream of florida and warm beaches, even if only for an afternoon.

enjoy.

who says sandwiches need meat

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 21:31:23 -0500

it’s funny how sometimes inspiration for certain things comes from unexpected sources. in this case i was at an interprofessional lunch (a requirement for my program) and they offered lunch. normally i would never get a vegetarian sandwich since i like meat in my sandwiches and usually the veggie sandwiches are cold and kind of disgusting. these sandwiches looked a bit different though, and plus they were the only option.

man am i glad now there was no other option because if there was i may never tried that delicious sandwich and then i certainly would have never made this scrumptious sandwich. in fact i probably wouldn’t have even roasted peppers, and i certainly wouldn’t have been buying portobello mushrooms anytime recently. instead i’m buying them and roasting them both weekly as seen in the most recent tip of the week. it’s funny how and where inspiration can come from and how quickly it can impact everyday things like grocery shopping.

this sandwich is awesome because of the balance of flavours and the balance of textures. the meaty and earthy portobello goes so well with the tart red pepper, mellowed ever so slightly by roasting. all of this is pulled perfectly together by the creamy goat cheese and topped up with a little kick of spice from the basil and arugula. there are some sandwiches where one ingredient is the main player, and then there are others like this one where every ingredients pulls its weight. this is sandwich heaven and something you need to run out and try asap.

roasted red pepper and portobello mushroom sandwich

ingredients:

roasted red peppers and roasted portobello mushroom (see tip of the week)

sandwich bread, i used some nice slices of rye, but some nice crusty bread would take this sandwich to another level

arugula and fresh basil

goat cheese

honey mustard

toast of warm the bread if desired. this will depend a lot on what kind of bread you’re using. if you have fresh baguette, just eat it as for or, even better, slightly warmed in the oven. yum.

spread the bread with some honey mustard and a layer of goat cheese. then layer the portobello and red pepper, and finally top it all off with your arugula and fresh basil. close your sandwich up and enjoy this flavour combination made in heaven.

i served mine here with some leftover roasted sweet potatoes, and i had a lunch fit for royalty - all without breaking a sweat.

who ever said sandwiches need meat.

tip of the week #6

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:22:12 -0500

really there’s no reason to roast red peppers and portobello mushrooms at the same time. they cook completely differently and it’s a little bit complicated to juggle them both if you aren’t paying attention. for some reason though i always end up roasting them both at the same.

i shouldn’t seem some clueless since i know why i always make them together. the truth is that while the cooking isn’t exactly the same, the flavours blend perfectly into each other. the meaty and earthy portobello pairs wonderfully with the tartness of the red pepper. all of this can only be bested by adding something creamy like goat cheese into the mix. hmm … i think i’m getting a sandwich in mind for later this week.

in the meantime enjoy this quick teaching about how to roast both red peppers and portobello mushrooms. you can make them one at a time or all together.

how to roast red peppers and portobello mushrooms

roasted red peppers -

what’s needed:

red peppers

bbq or oven

some oil

salt and pepper

bowl

seran wrap

you can either cook the red peppers on the bbq as i did last summer (with this old pic below), or roast them in the oven. if roasting on the bbq simply heat them over very hot until the skins are charred and black.

with the cold weather coming cooking them in the oven is making more and more sense. if cooking them in the oven, it takes slightly longer, but its very low maintenance. simply cut the peppers in half, preheat the oven to 400 F and brush them with some oil, salt and pepper. roast for 40-50 min or until the skin begins to brown and curl up.

whatever method you used you now need to sweat the peppers. this will help you to easily peel them. toss them piping hot into your bowl and seal it up with the seran wrap so no moisture can escape. let them sweat for 15-20 min.

once cooled, peel them and remove all the seeds. this should be easy at this point. roughly chop them and store them in mason jars with a little oil and some white wine vinegar until ready to eat. (if you sterilize the jars you can preserve these peppers for months).

portobello mushrooms:

what you need:

portobello mushrooms, washed and destemmed

balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

either on a bbq or on a oven-ready frying pan sear the mushrooms over high heat. season with salt and pepper and pour some balsamic vinegar right into the top of the mushroom to add flavour.

when the bottom has some colour, transfer to the oven (the temperature isn’t important - i usually cook them at the same time as the peppers) and cook for 15 min or so. remove from oven and give it a rough slice.

enjoy these two roasted and healthy treats and keep looking for a bunch of recipes coming in the near future using both roasted red peppers and roasted portobello mushrooms.

like a boss

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:19:00 -0500

so this was the post i had planned to put up first. unfortunately it took me a little while to get the pictures together and in the meantime i wanted to put up something short and sweet. i thought it would be appropriate to put this post as a reminder of new and big things. even though it’s not a recipe, i hope you enjoy reading about it.

aprons

last year we entered in a campus perks competition with our black bean burgers. we thought they were pretty fantastic, and apparently the judges did too because we ended up winning the competition. the prize? a hundred dollars.

for a while i’d wanted an apron and had never gotten around to getting one. aprons are awesome to throw over your clothes so that oil or sauces won’t spatter and ruin them. they’re great for dinner parties, and of course out at the bbq.

when nich, dylan, and i were talking about what to do with the money from campus perks the idea to get personalized aprons was thrown out and everyone was instantly on board.

thankfully for us nich’s brother lauchlin works at a graphic design firm and he graciously agreed to design these bad boys for and to contact manufacturers. we thought it would be too expensive to have individualized aprons made with each of our names, but somehow lauchlin managed to swing it that we would each get our one apron made with our name and signature for even less money than expected.

he threw us some designs, which we were ecstatic with, and put the order through and a few weeks later i picked up my apron from his office. it was a pretty sweet deal overall.

so a big shout out to lauchlin for helping us out with this, and to campus perks for the competition that funded the production of these. i’m sure if you ever come over and see dylan, nich, or i cooking, we will be sure to be wearing these aprons looking shrp and keeping out clothes from getting ruined.

enjoy.

a good place to start

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:40:41 -0500

this wasn’t the post i wanted to put up first. that post is still in the works, but i needed to put a post up. i told everyone possibly the weekend and it’s wednesday. it had to go up today. of the other posts that i could get ready tonight, this one seemed like a good place to start. this sandwich was delicious and i mean it is breakfast after all, right?

i mean how good does that thing look? and it tastes even better.

roasted red pepper and bacon breakfast sandwich

ingredients:

roasted red peppers (cooked ahead of time - directions will follow later this week)

1 egg

1-2 strips of bacon

2-3 slices brie cheese

1/4 of an avocado, sliced

fresh basil, chopped

1 bagel, toasted

it’s dead easy to make this sandwich and it was a great post-run breakfast that i wolfed down before class. not many better ways to start a day off right.

fry the bacon over medium heat until it reaches desired crispiness. remove from pan and blot dry with paper towel but leave some grease in the pan. this grease works really well to cook your egg in.

fry your egg, flipping once before adding the cheese to allow it to begin to melt. melted brie cheese = heaven. heat the slices of roasted red pepper if desired.

slice up your avocado, and finely chop up some fresh basil.

now simply assemble your sandwich and add any condiments as desired. this sandwich is really amazing. the salty bacon pairs perfectly with the creamy brie and avocado, as well as the rich flavour of the roasted red pepper.

since i was post run and hungry, i also served this bad boy with some roasted sweet potato wedges i had lying around in the fridge.

hope you enjoy this delicious sandwich and start your morning off well.

and we're back

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 19:35:20 -0400

so it’s been too long - way too long - since the last post on shrp knvs. i said that there would be a hiatus over the summer, but things got a little out of control and now its november :s

basically i wanted to finish off my other blog from the summer before diving back into shrp knvs. luckily enough i’m done (basically…) and reinvesting my effort into shrp knvs. so expect new recipes as soon as this weekend and expect them to keep coming (just because i wasn’t posting doesn’t mean i wasn’t cooking and of course taking photos)!

so as we fly through fall and towards winter (yikes!) i’ll bring you guys some more creations.

get excited and of course get hungry.

hiatus

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:15:52 -0400

you may have noticed there haven’t been many updates in a while. unfortunately that is going to become more of a permanent fixture. with nich head first into his masters and dylan and i high-tailing it to uganda for the summer in a few days, the blog will unfortunately have to take a brief hiatus. don’t worry we will come back in full force in the fall rejuvenated and ready for new ideas, new tastes, and new recipes. and plus we will probably have a whole wack-load of new ideas about cooking from experiencing a drastically different african cuisine.

so don’t worry friends this isn’t the end, but merely a brief break before a new beginning. expect one more final recipe post in the next week, and feel free to look over all our old recipes for inspiration for any cooking in the summer. if you’re interested you can also follow my travel blog here which will be updated weekly. its called omutima which in the local language means heart.

its been a blast.

- t

eye medicine

Sun, 20 May 2012 14:04:09 -0400

carrots. from when we are little kids we were told over and over again how we had to eat our carrots or we would go blind. now of course this was an old lie our mothers told us to eat what they fed us, but carrots are actually really good for you. i never have liked carrots. i wouldn’t say i hated them, i’d eat them if i was forced, but let’s just say when i got wings and they came with a side of carrots and celery, well, the wings disappeared and the carrots did not.

i’m still like this, rather indifferent to them. so i thought i would look for a good recipe to make everyone like carrots. roasting them seemed like a good start, and when i saw an idea to roast them with cocoa i ran with it. i mean how can something not be good when you add chocolate to it? not to worry, these suckers still qualify as good for you since you’re using cocoa to get that chocolate goodness that will have you eating these guys with your fingers and licking your fingers afterwards.

spicy cocoa-roasted carrots

the bitter sweet combination of these carrots with the cocoa is wonderful. roasting helps bring out the natural sweetness of the carrots which is ideal for this combination. adding some coriander powder adds depth, some cinnamon for flavour, and chili powder for a little kick really rounds out these guys making them pair wonderfully with most dinners.

ingredients:

two bunches of fresh market carrots (i used colourful baby carrots since i thought they would plate nicer, but the colour kind of gets lost to the cocoa so grab whatever is handy)

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp cocoa

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp (more to taste) chili powder

1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

wash and dry carrots, removing most of their stems. mix together spices and oil and coat carrots. roast in a 400 F oven for about 20 min or until tender.

i served these carrots with chicken from a whole roasted chicken and some garlic mashed potatoes. yum.

enjoy these tasty treats, and eat your carrots so you don’t go blind!

street food block party

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:51:00 -0400

about a week and a half ago i had the very good fortune to win two tickets to the street food block party from a new company the urban craze. at the time i entered the contest without even fully realizing just because i thought the page was cool and a friend invited me to like it. i’d entirely forgotten until i got a facebook message letting me know i was the lucky winner of two tickets to the street food block party. cool. i won. now i just had to figure out exactly what this street food block party was, haha.

apparently i was out of the loop as a quick search came up with hundreds of hits. it seemed as if i had stumbled onto the foodie event of the year. the tickets went up for sale in april and all 3000 or so were gone within the first few hours. i still wasn’t sure exactly what i was in for, but i knew it was hugely popular, and probably really cool.

the festival took place at the evergreen brickworks. the brickworks was originally the don valley brickworks, which functioned as a major brick producer for over a hundred years supplying bricks for most of the historical toronto buildings including casa loma, massey hall, osgoode hall, and the ontario parliamentary buildings at queen’s park. this place has some serious history. it was pretty much abandoned since the mid-80’s until the late 90’s when the quarry was refurbished and opened to the public.

i often remember biking through the area (there are many biking trails nearby), and exploring the deserted buildings when i was younger. in the past 8 years or so there have been major renovations to the brickworks allowing it to become a functional space. several buildings have been converted to shops and restaurants and the large central covered area acts as a farmer’s market on saturday mornings. this was also the site of the street food block party.

so i’ve told you a lot about the brickworks, but what the hell is the deal with this food festival, right?! basically it was a giant venue collecting foodies from around toronto and allowing small food vendors and food trucks to showcase their rapidly growing culinary skills. these shops have now permanent address and so a festival like this is an amazing opportunity to sample a huge variety of foods and flavours it would be difficult to try elsewhere. it’s put on by the toronto underground market (tum) and food truck eats.

i started off by walking into the main concourse after checking in on the guest list and was overwhelmed with amazing smells. there were young people everywhere, and everyone was checking out the different booths grabbing amazing looking food left right and centre.

i went with my friend matt, and quickly grabbed a beer. i gravitated towards spearhead because its a delicious hoppy beer i have had once before at bar volo (which sidenote, if you haven’t checked out already, is not a place to miss). the twist with spearhead - it’s a hawaiian style pale ale, and if you are clever you can guess that the secret ingredient is pineapple juice. it makes for a really interesting and palate pleasing beer especially if you like hops. perfect for the nice summer weather and pairing with food.

beer in hand we jumped in line for la carnita which was serving up some squid tacos. the line for la carnita was massive, but with a beer in hand and sun on our faces it didn’t matter.

i stumbled into a friend, ben, standing behind us in line and he was telling us about how this was his fourth time trying to get tacos from la carnita which only serves at pop-ups and toronto underground market (tum) events. the first three he showed up shortly after the scheduled time of the event only to find all the tacos gone. not this time.

a reporter for the toronto standard overheard the story and took a quote from my friend and a photo of all of us. the quote made the cut but not the photo … damn. you can check it out here.

finally we got up to the front of the line and snagged some tacos. they were phenomenal, and 100 percent worth the wait. the squid was crispy and delicious, and the sauces and toppings were superb. we almost got back in line for seconds, but there were too many other places to check out.

dishing out tacos were the owner of la carnita (above) who ben also happened to know. it was clearly a team operation whipping out tacos to hundreds of foodies. all i can say is emma, you served up some delicious tacos (below).

we caught some of the live band which really set a great vibe in the venue, and added more depth to the whole evening. a nice touch, and they weren’t half bad either.

next we headed over to gastronomo vagabondo for some more tacos. both matt and i picked up the delicious cod tacos. a really nice snack keeping up hungry for more.

at this point we jumped in line for gorilla cheese. to say it was a long line would be an understatement. it stretched pretty much the entire length of the venue, but if the line was this long it must be good right?

i met up with brian who was the one who gave me the tickets in the first place as part of their give-a-way via the urban craze. he was super enthusiastic and told me about all the people he had met so far and really gave me some background about the event and how long it had been going on for. it was really cool to talk to someone and learn what was actually going on.

an hour into our wait we had only moved through 1/3 of the line. this was going to be a slog. we took a quick detour to the roaming buffalo which had a much shorter line for some sustenance.

the roaming buffalo was the only food truck that came up from the states, buffalo to be more specific. i ordered two of “the what” burgers. aptly named when you see the main topping is crunchy peanut butter. just as we were ordering though we ran into a guy who had been waiting all evening for the second round menu (there was a shift in menu at 9pm) so that he could order the beef on weck. i had no idea what the beef on weck was. hell, i couldn’t even say it for a few minutes, but i ordered in none the less. it was an easy decision to switch at the time because i hadn’t seen anyone so passionate about one thing in a long time. this sandwich must be amazing.

the beef on weck was a roast beef sandwich served on a rosemary sea salt bun. i wasn’t disappointed, however i could have done without so much salt on the bun. i scraped most of it off because it was really excessive. overall a great call. ’the what’ was exactly as it seemed, very unexpected, and very delicious. guess i know ill be bringing some peanut butter to my next bbq.

finally we got to the front of the line. 2 and a half hours of waiting to order. oh by the way you wait again after you order for them to make it. at this point its 10:30pm and we are all dying with anticipation. each time someone’s grilled cheese comes out there are cheers of excitement from the hungry crowd who has patiently been waiting for hours.

i ordered two grilled cheeses: the lumberjack with bacon, cheddar, granny smith apple, and maple syrup; and the italian with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, balsamic, and mozzarella.

finally they were ready, the anticipation was palpable, and soon to be tastable! i will tell you this, they barely lasted long enough for me to photograph them. 150 minutes of waiting, and they were gone in about 2.

so the real question, was it worth the huge wait? i would say so. the grilled cheese was delicious, but the story of waiting almost 3 hours for grilled cheese … well that just can’t be beat.

overall an amazing experience, and something i would highly recommend checking out. you can find more information about the toronto underground market by checking them out here. i would definitely recommend snagging up tickets to the next event as soon as they are available. i definitely will be.

coming soon

Thu, 17 May 2012 20:35:00 -0400

been no posts recently, but expect a big post tomorrow about the street food block party! 16 pictures of a bunch of vendors, and of course food, and lots of descriptions of everything i ate!

a final mexican culinary adventure

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:38:35 -0400

so this is the final post from mexico, which already seems so far away (and kind of is - sorry for the slow posts!). while in mexico i knew i had to make fish tacos, and what better choice than mahi-mahi caught earlier that day just a few kilometres away. it just made perfect sense.

fish tacos are one of those polarizing things. people either love them, or hate them. i am however strongly inclined to believe that the people who hate them, only do so because they haven’t had good ones. this makes sense. bad fish tacos suck. they are bland, boring, or worse - fishy. but when you buy great fish (like local catch), and season them with some awesome spices you are destined for great things. especially when paired with home-made guacamole, chipolte-lime crema, and the always underrated red cabbage.

this recipe is seriously worth a shot even if you aren’t a fish person. but do yourself and your taste buds a favour, and pick up good fish. a good fish-monger or the st lawrence market is a great start. i promise you won’t be sorry.

mahi-mahi fish tacos

chipolte-lime crema -

ingredients:

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

2 tbsp buttermilk

1/4 tsp chili powder

juice of 1/2 a lime

few dashes of hot sauce

salt to taste

in a bowl whisk together all ingredients. set aside. can be made ahead and refrigerated. when we were in mexico, they didn’t have greek yogurt, so we used regular yogurt, and while it tasted great, it was a lot runnier than planned.

mahi-mahi fish tacos -

ingredients:

1 lb wild-caught mahi-mahi

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp chipolte chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

2 tbsp oil

tortillas

fresh guacamole

1 cup shredded red cabbage

chipolte-lime crema (see above)

2 cup grated cheese (optional)

cut the mahi-mahi into large but manageable pieces. combine the dry spices and salt in a small bowl. stir and rub all over the mahi-mahi. set aside.

prepare lime crema and guacamole if not ready, and set aside.

heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. when hot add the spiced mahi-mahi and cook until crisp on the outside and cooked through. about 8-10 min total, 4-5 minutes per side. flake fish with a fork into the pan.

if you have a gas stove, set burner to low and carefully toast tortillas until browned. this can also be accomplished on a grill. if you can’t toast your tortillas this way, you can toast them in a greased frying pan until they are warm but not crispy. alternatively you can microwave tortillas for 20 seconds.

add guacamole, chopped cabbage and fish to each tortilla and drizzle with lime crema.

enjoy.

back in march dylan and i were in mexico with a few friends....

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:38:00 -0400

steaming deliciousness

the impressive paella cooking apparatus

just an awesome night with great friends

amazing sunset

back in march dylan and i were in mexico with a few friends. you can read about how we made some tomatillo and mango salsa here, or about scallop and avocado salad here, and be sure to check out our last mexico post (mahi-mahi fish tacos) coming this weekend or early next week. over the trip we made some delicious food but one of the cool things that we got to do was have someone come to our pool and cook us paella, and oh man, it was delicious.

paella is a spanish dish consisting of rice, meat, and veggies cooked in a very traditional method on a large flat paella pan. since we were in mexico, we were of course having seafood paella and taking advantage of the ocean nearby.

this was an awesome experience because we got to sit back and enjoy delicious food while watching the sunset. something i won’t soon forget. hopefully i will have a chance to make some paella for myself but in the meantime enjoy this pics of the dinner.

an easy side

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:54:05 -0400

last week i posted about bbqing and making some hanger steak (it seems so far away with the weather we are having today) but that night i also whipped up some roasted potatoes. i wanted to post these guys because they are my go to side dish. they are unbelievably simple, require very few ingredients, and i haven’t met anyone who hasn’t fallen in love with them.

the key is all in the potatoes. your best bet is russet. i am sure there are many superior types for roasting, but i promise you in a normal supermarket you won’t find anything even close to them.

rosemary roasted potatoes

4-6 russet potatoes

2 tbsp butter, melted

3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 tsp coarse sea salt

olive oil

fresh pepper

preheat oven to 425 F. wash and thoroughly scrub potatoes and cut into quarters or eights depending on how large your potatoes are.

throw all the potatoes in large bowl and add salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary. add the butter and generously add in olive oil. toss the potatoes making sure they are entirely covered in butter and oil.

line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and carefully arrange the potatoes on it. bake in oven for 45-50 min turning several times while cooking. the potatoes will be done with they begin to get nice and golden brown and when the centre is soft and melt-in-your mouth.

i served it up here with some bbqed asparagus and hanger steak. it really is a low-maintenance and incredibly delicious side dish, and its far better for you then mashed potatoes.

enjoy.