She said: let them eat - chocolate - CAKE!

If there's any better reason to host a dinner party, do it just so you can make the most decadent chocolate cake and icing ever. And while I didn't host the dinner party this past Sunday, I sure did make that chocolate cake for it!

I sadly forgot a picture of the whole cake - mostly because I was stressing and praying the cake wouldn't end up splattered all over the inside of our car on the journey - I did get a shot of the leftovers we brought home. Definitely one of the best chocolate cakes ever tasted.

This is not going to exist past the next 24 hrs

I dare you to try and make it - you won't regret it (unless maybe you don't have dinner party guests to help you eat it and then you eat it all by yourself in one night...I make no promises that that won't happen!)

Check out the recipe here:

Dark Chocolate Cake with Hot Chocolate Buttercream Icing

 (yes...you read that right!)

Happy stuffing your face full of goodness. Or eating cake for breakfast.

:)
r.

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Fish Pie...oh my!

Last Thursday we had my parents (and tall bro) over for dinner. My parents were back from Bermuda and I picked them up from the airport at 4:30 and took them to our place for dinner. Because who doesn't want to have dinner cooked for them when they come back from a vacation?!

Horseshoe Bay beach - from www.argylerowland.com

Now having my parents over for dinner is both a lot of fun and a bit of a headache. Before you shake your head at me for saying such a thing, let me clarify. Having my parents over is a blast! Cooking an eatable dinner for my parents is not nearly as much fun. This is because my dad is allergic to onions (the whole onion family actually - that means green, red, yellow, and white onions, chives, shallots, and leeks) and - wait for it - garlic. Yes, my father cannot eat garlic. He actually can't even smell it without getting affected. So I had to make food without garlic or onions in it. And as anyone who cooks even a little bit knows that there are not a lot recipes out there that don't include (or even start without) garlic or onions.

So it was Jamie Oliver to the Rescue!

(sorry, couldn't resist, with that picture and all)

What I should say is that it was Jamie's bloody brillant Fish Pie that came to my rescue.

I procrastinated all week deciding what I was going to make and I was kind of too lazy to try and look for a new recipie - to make or even adapt so it didn't contain 'the offenders'. I also didn't want to make two separate dishes - that's only more work and let's face it, not nice for my dad.

A pretty constant staple meal a la casa de Merino however is Jamie's Fish Pie, courtsey of his Food Revolution Cookbook. And I realized while wracking my brain at 11:45pm on Wednesday night, Fish Pie doesn't call for any garlic or onions at all!

Now I did have to plan to go to the grocery store in my already busy Thursday, because we didn't have half of the ingredients, but I'm not complaining, because it turned out so good and I even got my dad to take seconds. Of FISH. and then he said they should make this at home. Like regularly. NBD.
(I'm still beaming a little today).

So in case you come across another person like my dad, or you just want a delicious meal that's pretty easy to make and doesn't require you to cry while cutting onions or slice your thumb while mincing garlic, I'm telling you - make Fish Pie!

Copyright © David Loftus

Jamie Oliver's Fish Pie

What You'll Need

• 2 lg white fish fillets (we get basa or tilapia, but Alaskan white or another equivalent firm white fish is good too) - get the freshest and most sustainably sourced fish you can; it makes a difference
• 1 450g uncooked shrimp
• 5 medium sized yellow potatoes
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 lg carrot
• 1-2 mini hot peppers (use to taste...you can leave them out too)
• half of a small block of old cheddar cheese (about 125g)
• small bunch of cilantro or parsley
• olive oil
• 2 limes
• 1 tsp butter
• splash of milk

What To Do

1. Peel your potatoes and chop into mid-size pieces. Boil in a pot of water for approximately 12 mins or until tender. Drain and mash to preferred consistency, adding a tsp of butter and splash of milk. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. While the potatoes are boiling, grate the peeled carrot, celery and cheese using a medium grater into a corningware or oven safe round dish.
3. Finely chop the cilantro and hot peppers (if using) and add to dish. Add the zest of 1 lime, the juice of half the lime and a splash of olive oil.
4. Cut fish fillets into uniform same size pieces, and de-tail the shrimp. Add to dish and mix all the ingredients with your hands until combined. Pat gently flat.
5. Spoon mashed potatoes over the top of dish, covering fish and veggie mixture completely. Bake uncovered in oven until mash potatoes are slightly browned on top, about 35-40 mins.
6. Serve immediately, with lime wedges to squeeze on top. Sometimes we add a sprinkle of grated parmesan too!

Enjoy!



Chau,
r.

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Tuesday Tea and cupcakes

Tonight* we had pumpkin chai tea with carrot cupcakes, iced with Nutella.

www.davidstea.com

Yummmm...

My version of icing a cupcake.

Hubbs' version of icing a cupcake.

 

For chai recipe, click here.

For cupcake recipe, click here.



Pretty sweet ending to a Tuesday, eh?

Hope you had a good one too!

r.

 

*this post was supposed to go up yesterday, but due to technical difficulties, you get it tonight instead. Happy Wednesday/almost Thursday!

 

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Creamy dreamy coconut...soup?

So Thursday is unofficial soup day en la casa Merino. Mostly because we don't go home on Thursdays, so dinner is in the cafeteria at my work (so romantic...*gufaw*). We have small group in West Mississauga on Thursdays, and it would make no sense to go home and then pass by work to go to small group, so we eat at work! And since soup is one of the easiest meals to heat up, and it goes oh so well with toast (my work has both toaster and microwave) it ends being my default for supper on Thursdays.

*disclaimer: we don't always eat at work on Thursdays. We do go out on occasion, but that adds up quickly every week (not to mention it's not much of a date night) so soup it is!

This soup recipe is actually what we had for dinner today! I made it on the weekend and knew I wanted to have it Thursday. It is quite different, and while I'm itching to make some tweaks, I think I will definitely make it again (plus, hubby likes it)!

The best thing: it's made in a slow cooker!!!

Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup (Canadian Living, Nov 2012)

What You'll Need

• 8 cups peeled and cubed pie pumpkin or winter squash
  
• 1 red onion, chopped chunky
  
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 1 small red chili pepper, diced tiny
  
• 1 can (15oz) coconut milk
  
• 3 cups vegetable broth (or substitute 1 cup water and 2 cups broth)
  
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  
• 2 tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime worth)
  
• 1 tbsp packed brown sugar

What to Do

1. Combine first five chopped ingredients into slow cooker. Pour coconut milk, vegetable broth and fish sauce over top. Stir once to mix liquids.
   
2. Cover and cook on low for 5-8 hours. I cooked mine for 6 (I have a fairly small size slow cooker) and it was perfect. I'm thinking you're going for quite soft pumpkin pieces, but not to the point where they are disintegrating - have them keep their shape a little to have the fiber thickness.
   
3. Puree soup until smooth. The recipe says to use an immersion blender. I only have a stand up one, so I used that but found that some of those slippery onion pieces got free of the blade, so an immersion blender might be better.
   
4. Add cilantro (which I actually chose not to do...but I think I wish I had), lime juice and brown sugar. Stir together to disolve sugar, and serve hot, or freeze for up to 3-5 months!

Notes: I ended straining out some of my liquid from the soup because I found it was too watery. Now this is because I only got about 4 1/2 - 5 cups of pumpkin out of my pie pumpkin, so I needed less liquid, but I chose to cook it all and then strain it out. This also let me make the soup the consistency that I wanted - i prefer a bit more thick soup, so I strained a good 15-18oz out into a mason jar to save for something later! (not sure what yet...). If you get all 8 cups of pumpkin, you'll probably need all the liquid! But you may want to strain out the chunks to blend and then re-add the coconut broth when you're done blending, to get a smoother texture.

Happy 'cooking'!
r.

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Wishing to be under the Tuscan sun

Today's soup recipe is called Tuscan Bean Soup.

Don't ask me what makes it Tuscan - I just know that it's hearty and good and filling! It also goes well with a crusty piece of bread on the side. And makes me think of Under the Tuscan Sun and wanting to go to Italy and eat and cook and eat some more!

I made this for a girlfriend who's having a baby. I figured that a soup packed full of high-iron veggies was just the ticket...and it's helps that it's a wonderfully freezer-friendly soup! You just need some time for the soup to develop flavour when you cook it.

This soup also gets better with age - kinda like babies, who I think are always more fun when they start to recognize stuff and react. Case in point, check out this video that my co-worker showed me of a baby reacting to dog and cat sounds! My dog-loving hubby would approve!

But back to soup. Or I should say - the recipe for this soup!

Tuscan Bean Soup (The Kitchen Bible)

What You'll Need

• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 onion, diced fairly small
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 leek, pale green and white parts, washed and sliced
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 28oz can of diced tomataoes (I like to get the kind with italian seasoning for this recipe, but you can just get the plain)
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 15oz can of white kidney (cannellini) bean, drained and rinsed
• extra large handful of spinach (2/3 of a bundle), you can use fresh or frozen, roughly chopped
• salt & pepper
• fresh parmesan to serve (optional)

What to Do

1. Heat the oil in a large pot on the stove. Add leek (rinse the dirt out first), onions and carrot, and cook until softened and glistening. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the broth, tomatoes with the juice from the can, and tomato paste.
2. Mash half the beans with a fork in the bowl. Add them to the pot and bring to a high boil. Reduce to simmer for approximately 30 mins.
3. After 30 mins, add spinach and remaining bean whole. Simmer for another 30 mins.
4. When 30 mins is up, you can cool in containers to freeze (for 3 months) or fridge (for up to 5 days). Or eat right away with parmesan grated on top!

Happy eat and reheating for eating!

r.

 

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Shrimps...!

So...you survived Hurricane Sandy. Me too! I'll be honest I decided somewhere between yesterday and today that I didn't want to waste time worrying about the storm, and so I convinced myself it was mostly hype. It helped that we didn't get too affected (didn't lose power or have to go out after work - correction: we chose not to go out after work, but hey we had a choice! - or get a lot a rain). I think half of the scare was simply the wind. Incredibly glad I don't live in New Jersey or New York though!

Today's recipe is another easy and much loved soup of mine. This soup is my go-to soup if I need to make something quick and/or I have a feeling that a cold is coming on! It is also from Chatelaine; although honestly I rarely buy this magazine (Canadian Living usually has more recipes per magazine and my mom usually has a subscription so I don't have to buy it!) I think I simply struck gold with Chatelaine March 2007!

But seriously, the best thing about this soup is it takes about 15 mins to make - from start to finish. 15 mins for chopping + cooking going straight into eating!

Ginger Scented Shrimp & Mushroom Soup (Chatelaine magazine, March 2007)

What You'll Need

• 1 carton (about 2 cups) sliced mushrooms (assorted varities are okay, but keep them small - no portobellos!)
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 thumb sized (from your knuckle to your tip of finger) piece of ginger, peeled and diced
• 2 or 3 cups chicken broth (you can substitute 1 cup of chickenbroth for 1 1/2 cups water, as this cuts down on the brothy flavour and lets the ginger come out more)
• 2-3 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of white sugar
• 1/2 tbsp of chili-garlic sauce (if you like it milder, add less; for more heat, add more!)
• 320 g pack of frozen peeled uncooked shrimp
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 green onion in diced small circles
• 1 can of sliced bamboo shoots, drained (optional)

What to Do

1. Slice mushrooms, ginger, green onion. Warm oil in large pot on medium heat. Add mushrooms and stir for 2-3 minutes until they are dark and have shrunk considerably. Prep shrimp (ie. unpeel them!) if necessary.
2. Add broth (and water if necessary) and ginger to pot and turn up heat to bring to boil. As pot is heating, add vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce. Stir, and then cover and boil for 2-3 minutes on high.
3. Add shrimp to pot and stir, lowering heat to simmer. Cook until shrimp are pink, about 3 mins. Turn off heat and add sesame oil, green onion, and if using, bamboo shoots. Stir and taste. Add more chili-garlic sauce if you want more zing. More soy sauce will downplay the chili-garlic.
4. Serve! (if you want to make to freeze, leave the shrimp out until you want to eat it. Then defrost, add shrimp and reheat to cook shrimp!)

*Once again, short on the pics. But I promise tomorrow's post will have the real deal!

chau,
r.

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Fall for Soups

I don't know about you, but I happen to love autumn as a season. The colours of the leaves, the smell in the mornings of crispness, apples, pumpkins, hot chocolate, and soup. Autumn, without fail, gets me excited to make soups.

Over the years I've tried my fair share of soup recipes; let's just say that living in canada + being cold all the time + experiencing Raynaud's phenomenon + good memories of growing up with soup and buns on sundays (all you dutch folk know what i'm talking about) = soup as comfort food. I love soups; and I do not discriminate between kinds of soups either - I'll try pretty much about any kind of soup (except pea soup...*shiver).

Now with soup being a comfort food, I'm definitely more into a hearty soup; something that's gonna fill you and make your belly full of goodness and warmth. We're talking about soups that equal meals!

This past week I've been a busy makin' soups! So I've decided this dedicate this week to sharing a couple of my old favourite soup recipes and a few new ones.

Today's recipe is:
Smoky Roasted Potato Chowder (Chatelaine magazine, March 2007)

Now contrary to what the name of the soup is, this is not a chowder soup. It's from a Chatelaine magazine I ended up with a couple of years ago, and subsequently seem to have lost during my last move. Thanks to the internet however, this soup lives on. I don't use the recipe anymore, but it's nice to remember where it came from!



I made this soup for my in-laws last Saturday. They are in the midst of major renovations, and with it being a rainy fall so far, I figured who couldn't do with a nice warm bowl of soup! This soup is always one of the first soups i make every fall. It's nice and thick and creamy without the calories of cream! This year I was short on potatoes so I substituted a few sweet potatoes. It made the soup a bit more watery than I like, but taste was still pretty much the same. I always triple the amount of paprika, but you don't have to...it really depends on your taste!




What You'll Need

• 10 baby red potatoes (or you can substitute 4-5 medium size yukon gold potatoes. You won't necessarily get the same dark red colour, but the taste is still quite comparable. I wouldn't use white potatoes though - they are too dry)
• 2-3 garlic cloves (use 3 if you like garlic. I've made this completely without garlic - I'm not the hugest fan of garlic - but it's nice with 2 cloves peeled and cut in 3 slices each to spread out in the roasting pan for added flavour)
• 1 small-medium red onion, chopped chunky
• 1 lg red pepper, chopped into chunky pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika or 1/2 tsp regular paprika (again, I usually spread the amount of 2 tsp of regular paprika on my veggies - a lot more than the original reciepe calls for! - but add what you think based on your like of paprika. If you're not sure, leave it at the original recipe level, and you can always add more)
• sprinkles of salt & pepper
• 2 cups of chicken broth (you can also dilute a bouillion cube into 2 cups of hot water)
• 1 more tsp of paprika (or to taste)

What to Do

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees C. Slice potatoes into thick oval slices and add to roasting pan along with red pepper and red onion. Drizzle olive oil over it and sprinkle with oregano & paprika. Mix everything well with your hands. Place in oven to roast for 40-45 mins.
2. Once the vegetables are done, take them out of the oven, and carefully transfer to a large pot on the stovetop. Pour broth over them, and add about 1 cup of water (or until they are just covered by the liquid). Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for 10-12 minutes.
3. Carefully transfer 1/2 soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Place pureed soup in a clean pan. Repeat with remainder. Once complete, add additional tsp of paprika (or you can taste the soup and add what you like). Also add more salt/pepper if you prefer.
4. Serve with garnish of cilantro, or parmesan cheese as the original recipe suggests. Lick the bowl clean! You can also freeze the soup for 3-4 months.

*I forgot to take pictures (because of course your first inclination while cooking is to stop and take a picture of what you're doing!) so this is the best I can give you for the moment. I will improve!

chau!
r.

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An Original

It's been a little long...but we've had a busy month. Thanksgiving (hosted at our house = first time!) and Performance Appraisal season at work has meant a bit of a crazy couple of weeks.

But I'm back now - with an original recipe. Like I actually made it up (I KNOW).

There's nothing like having a very quickly emptying fridge (because I've valiantly decided to do everything I can to not waste food) and a good and hungry stomach (and hubby). What do you do with onions, zucchini, apples and cheese? Make pizza!

 

Apple Zucchini Pizza with Caramelized Onions

First off, I apologize if this doesn't make a whole lot of sense; I've never written a recipe before.

What You'll Need

- pizza dough

- your favourite tomato pizza sauce

- 2 yellow onions, halved and then sliced thinly

- 1 small zucchini

- mozzerella cheese

- parmesan cheese (I really seriously recommend the real stuff; that stuff you buy in a plastic container that stinks is NOT real cheese)

- 1 small Macintosh apple, cut into half slices

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- sprinkle of salt

What to Do

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (or what your dough recipe calls for)

2. Pour olive oil in a large frying pan on low-medium heat; add sliced onions to pan and stir slowly. To caramelize onions, leave on stove and stir occasionally. Add salt when the onions get shiny. Keep on until onions are nicely browned, about 20-25 mins. Turn off burner and allow onions to slightly cool.

3. While onions are cooking, shred zucchini, squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands and place in strainer to drain; Shred 3/4 of the mozzerella cheese (about 1 cup). Shred remaining mozzerella (1/4 cup) and parmesan cheese into another bowl together.

4. To assemble pizza, spread tomato sauce on dough; sprinkle with 1 cup mozzerella; spread shredded zucchini over cheese, followed by onions and then place apple pieces like they're pepperoni pieces over the top. Sprinkle with mozzerella and parmesan mixture and place in oven for 15 minutes (or 10 if dough is prebaked)

5. Eat!

Bon appetit!

r.

 

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Pad Thai Chicken

Tonight I conquered my fear of pad thai. Cooking pad thai that is (I have never had an issue with eating pad thai that I know of). I am no longer a pad thai chicken!

I will admit that my version of pad thai was not all that authentic (yes, it had ketchup in the sauce...you can appropriately gasp and shake your head now) but it was pretty good in the taste category. I've definitely paid more $ for worse-tasting pad thai. I do have some learning to do however, and exploring during the asian grocery store trips to find the real stuff.

And I should probably buy a proper wok. Which won't fit in my "stuffed to the gils" kitchen cupboards, but I digress.

This pad thai recipe is maybe not the best one out there, but it is probably healthier. It's also a good one for beginners (and boy am I a beginner when it comes to wok cooking!)

Tongue Thai'd

tweaked from The Looneyspoons Collection by those lovely Polish sisters, Janet & Greta Podleski (who are some of my heroes in the cooking and joking writing categories!).

You'll need:
- 1/2 lime (squeeze juice out)
- 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (I use sodium reduced)
- 1/2 tbsp finely chopped or grated ginger root
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- sprinkling of red pepper flakes
- 1/3 package of vermicelli rice noodles (I forgot to weight it, but I would guess a bunch with a diameter of 5cm)
- peanut oil (to cook in wok)
- 1/4 cup or small handful of very thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 a large red pepper, very thinly sliced lengthwise
- 1 lg garlic clove, chopped finely
- 1 lg or 2 small chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/8 cup chopped green onion
- 1/8 chopped cilantro (or less if you don't like it as much as me!)
- 1-2 tbsp chopped nuts of your choice (peanuts, cashews, or almonds are best)

To Make: (serves 2, large serving each in a bowl)

1. Chop up all your ingredients that need to be chopped (ie, onion, red pepper, garlic, chicken, etc). You'll need these to be ready to add quickly to your dish as you cook (no time to do anything but mix! this cooks up fast!)

2. Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, gingerroot, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a medium size bowl. Set aside.

3. Boil a good 4 cups of hot water in a kettle. Pour boiling water to cover vermicelli noodles in a bowl. Drain noodles after 6 minutes. (If you've timed it right, you can do step 3 in the 6 minutes that the noodles soak; I set the timer so I know how much time I have left)

4. Heat your wok (or large frying pan in my case...) to high heat with a good bit of peanut oil. If using frying pan, turn down to medium heat before adding chicken. Stir chicken vigorously as it cooks for about 2-3 minutes. Add onions and garlic, stir for 45 seconds and then add red pepper. Keep stirring and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

5. Add drained noodles, green onion, cilantro, and chopped nut of your choice. Pour sauce over everything in pan and mix to coat for 1 min. Divide into 2 bowls and serve hot!

mmmm..good.

chau,

r.

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tacos!

Somewhere in the midst of our summer here in TO I became obsessed with tacos.

Now you have to know that my understanding of the word tacos is not (I repeat not) this:

Don't get me wrong - Old El Paso is trying their best to north-americanize the taco for the enjoyment of all the masses and while I appreciate the valiancy of their efforts, I cannot stomach their version of tacos. Just can't. Couple this with the fact that my hubby spent 3 years of his childhood living in Mexico, and I have a much better understanding of the traditional Mexican style taco (and that there is not one universal taco, but rather a variety of styles, flavours, and fillings all dependant on where you are and who's cooking). And most importantly, every good taco has a soft warm tortilla wrapping up the goodness you chose to put inside.

Obsessed with tacos, I even made my girlfriends go and eat at a taco food truck during our recent trip to NYC. In all fairness, it was not too far from the place we were staying (and recommended by our library travel book) and they know me well enough to not mess with me when I start talking passionately about something like tacos.

Now unfortunately my pictures of our incredible fish tacos and beef taco were deleted by my stupidity with the camera (another story for another day), but we did manage to get a picture of the outside of the truck later in the trip. We (I speak for all 3 of us) recommend - no, insist - you try them if you're ever in Queens, NYC (30th ave & 33rd street).

The King of Taco: they have everything you'd need in a taco - and the option to add/subtract as  you so desire!

In keeping with the taco obsession, the minute I saw this recipe on farm + house + table, I knew I had to try it. There were too many things in the title for me not to try and make it - not to mention tacos! Many thanks for these wonderful ladies for a very yummy and husband approved easy friday night dinner!

Shrimp Tacos with Apple Cucumber Salsa

You'll need:

• 250g (approx 30-40 individual) uncooked shrimp, peeled & deveined
• breadcrumbs, or unsalted crackers crushed up to resemble breadcrumbs
• salt & pepper to taste
• grapeseed oil (or other non-flavourful oil good for frying)
• corn tortillas
• an apple, diced (I like royal gala as they hold up well)
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1/4 red onion, minced
• 1-3 jalapenos, minced (depending on your preference for heat, pick your # and remember to remove seeds and membranes for less heat)
• cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp of brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1-3 tsp chipotle sauce (add tsp depending on your preference of heat)
• 1 avocado

To make (serves 2 people = 3 stuffed tacos each)
 1. Mix apple, cucumber, red onion, jalapeno(s), cilantro together in a bowl. Add juice of lime, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar to the bowl and stir it all together. Add more vinegar or juice of lime if you want it more cured. Set aside.
 2. Add sour cream with chipotle sauce in separate bowl. Keep in fridge until assembly.
 3. Heat grapeseed oil in small skillet/frying pan. On a clean plate spread breadcrumbs/mashed up crackers and add salt and pepper to taste. Coat 1/2 shrimp in the mix until they are good and covered and then place gently in hot oil. The shrimp will sizzle, so make sure you're wearing an apron! If the oil is jumping out of the pan at you, turn down the burner a little. Cook quickly (you may have to turn them once) until just pink with slightly browned flecks of mashed cracker/breadcrumbs. Transfer to paper towel to cool. Repeat with second half of shrimp.
 4. Mash avocado in a bowl with the bit of juice from the lime. (I like to do this right before assembly time, so the avocado won't oxidize while I'm cooking the shrimp)

To assemble - warm your tortillas in another frying pan as you are assembling (wait until they bubble up a little - that means it's good and warm, but not toasted...unless you prefer that. Don't forget to flip them!). Place some of the mashed avocado down the centre of the tortilla, add 5-6 shrimps on top. Spoon the salsa on top of the shrimp, and then, as you curl the tortilla up, add a bit of the chipotle sour cream on top! Repeat with the remaining tortillas, warming the next one as you assemble. Serve immediately.

And that's it! Easy to make, but even easier to eat.

Enjoy!
r.

Holy Toledo!

on Tuesday I ordered the cookbook that the cute video I posted was about (if you haven't seen it, you should).

on Thursday, that cookbook arrived at my doorstep before dinner.

and while I normally don't praise giant money grabbing corporations...Amazon for the WIN!

Now excuse me while I go try not to drool over the latest merino cookbook family addition...

:)
r.

New Beginnings

so...it's been a while. oops! The summer has come and boom summer is gone. but I'm not complaining. I love fall, and the excitement of new starts. Doesn't hurt that September is my birthday month either!

This past weekend I had a good start to fall (in particular fall colours, as I painted my kitchen RED). Pictures to come, but so far, i'm loving it!

In addition to a hiatus, an excellent summer, and a newly painted kitchen, I've done a little bit of thinking (crazy that I found the time), as well as had some advice from my besties. I've decided to post a bit more often here, but in addition, focus more on what has become one of my passions in the past year - cooking good food!

To start off, here's a really cute home-made promo video for a cookbook that I've just ordered - I'm starting to have a problem...but more on that later!

chau,
r

Another one* bites the dust

where one* = deliciously easy to make meal.

Sweet & Sour Pork courtesy of Mr. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

I've also recently realized I like and listen to a lot of 'old' rock bands (a la Queen, Beatles, the Police, etc) hence the title.

Happy Eating!

chau
- r