I made Gazpacho the other night for the first time in a long time. I truly forgot how refreshing this soup is.

Seriously it took about 10 minutes to chop the veggies and in no time at all you will be enjoying a fabulous summer time soup.

This weekend is going to be H-O-T, so this soup would be ideal.  In fact I purposely didn’t post this recipe till today! (there is a reason behind my madness. LOL)

See these ingredients? Simply wash them and start dicing.

Soon you will have gazpacho once you add those diced veggies into the tomato juice! (plus some spices and other goodies)

My Favourite Gazpacho recipe is from Moosewood Cookbook. 

Ingredients:

4 cups tomato juice (I use V-8)
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
1 medium bell pepper, finely diced
1 teaspoon honey
1 medium cucumber, finely diced
2 scallions, minced (I didn’t have any and my gazpacho was just fine)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup minced parsley or cilantro.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups diced fresh, ripe tomatoes (peeled, seeded)
Salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Directions:

1. Finely dice the onion, cucumber, green pepper, tomatoes, garlic

2. Add vegetables into the tomato juice

3. Add lemon juice, lime juice, honey, oil and spices.

*you could puree all the ingredients but I like my gazpacho chunky

4. CHILL and enjoy

Final Result

Happy Summer Cooking!!

 

 

The Breville Fast Slow Pro™ is simply a BRILLIANT appliance. It’s basically a pressure cooker but it knows the time, temperature and pressure that different foods need. See what I mean? Its BRILLIANT.

As you know I own quite a few appliances. You name it. I have it. But I’ve never ever owned a pressure cooker nor can I remember the last time I went to someones house who owned one.

However a food blogger friend of mine has been regularly posting about her pressure cooker recipes and I was intrigued, to say the least.

So when the Breville Fast Slow Pro™ arrived, I immediately invited Carole over to teach me a thing or two about using a pressure cooker. While she talked about the ins and outs of pressure cooking, I chopped a few ingredients for the soup.

Recipe for Split Pea Soup

1 carrot – diced

1 parsnip – diced

1 onion – chopped

2 celery stalks – chopped

2 cups of  rinsed dried split peas

6 cups of vegetable stocks (4 cups of stock and 2 cups of water – to be honest)

salt and pepper.

Directions: Put all these ingredients into the Breville Fast Slow Pro™, close the lid, press a few buttons and wait 25 minutes. Could cooking get any easier? I don’t think so.

In 25 minutes – Carole opened the lid and just like magic, dinner was served. Yes – Carole got to open the lid as I must admit I kept thinking the pot was going to explode. But Carole assured me that these days, pressure cookers are safe, safe, safe.

I had so much fun that I made a second batch of soup. Seriously.

Here’s a few things that I learned from Carole:

Some Definitions:
QR – quick release
NPR – natural pressure release
PSI – pounds per square inch

Things I Can Look Forward to Making:

I can take a frozen chicken breast and have dinner ready in 45 minutes
I can make half an acorn squash in 15 minutes
I can make beets in 24 minutes.
I can make small potatoes in 5 minutes.
I can make a whole sweet potato in 15 minutes with natural release

Great Websites about Pressure Cooking:

www.pressurecookingtimecharts.com
www.pressurecookingtoday.com

Plus she says that it’s important to follow recipes and the instructions that go along with it. (note to self)

Happy Cooking!

Disclosure: Breville Canada provided me with this appliance, however all opinions are my own.

 

The Cantina by Campbell’s is a pop-up restaurant that recently opened at 501 Queen West and will be serving delicious soups created by Rock Lobster Food Co’s Chef Matt Dean Pettit.

There will be four delicious soups designed by Chef Matt Dean Pettit, and trust me all four were DEE-LICIOUS. I wish I could tell you my favourite soup but I loved all four of them equally. I sampled: spicy vegetarian ramen, roasted beer can cream of chicken, creamy tomato black bean taco soup and a thai chicken & rice khao so (curry). Recipes for all four soups can be found here.

The Cantina by Campbell’s will offer complimentary walk-in lunch and dinnertime soup tasting options. Fact: lately I’ve become a fan of these broths due to the rising cost of celery, parsnips, carrots and other veggies that I usually put in my vegetable stock.

I’ve also become a fan of the Campbell’s Soup Kits as they provide a head start to homemade soup. As you know, I lead a pretty busy life so I don’t mind a little help once in a while and these kits will certainly come in handy!

 

Campbell’s has truly provided customers with a unique experience and something tells me The Cantina By Campbell’s will be a hit. P.S. This pop up restaurant is FREE.

For more information:

Where:  Cantina By Campbell’s – 501 Queen St. West
When: Tuesday, February 2nd – Sunday, February 21st

Hours: Monday – Friday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Twitter; @CampbellsCanada

Hashtag: #WeAllSoupTO

I’ve been a fan of Aroma Espresso Bar, since they opened their first Canadian location in 2007. They now have 25 locations in Toronto and 150 locations world wide!

I must admit I keep returning to Aroma for these two reasons: I love the mug that my coffee is served in, and I love the piece of chocolate that comes with my coffee. I know it sounds shallow but it’s the truth!

I’m also fond of the food that they serve. I probably like this dish the best. It’s called Shakshuka. Described as: Two sunny-side up eggs, on top of a rich warm tomato and pepper sauce. Served with Tahini and your choice of freshly baked bread. Can you say “YUM”? 

Their sandwiches are ALL  divine. In my humble opinion, their sandwiches are all fabulous due to the BREAD. There is something about their bread that sets it apart from others!

 

When I’m not inhaling shakshuka or a sandwich..I’ve been known to order a salad too. Always fresh and always tasty!

Now that the cooler temperatures have arrived, I know I will be enjoying Aromas’ satisfying soups as well.

It’s interesting to note, that everyone time I give a friend an option to meet at Aroma or another coffee shop, they always choose Aroma as they want to eat. I never disagree.

It’s also interesting to note that Aroma was one of the first restaurants who were “twitter” friendly back in 2010. #impressed.

For more information:

Website: www.aroma.ca

Twitter: @aromaespressobar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AromaCanada

 

 

 

There are some people who have 3 complete meals and never snack and there’s other people who have 3 meals and snack throughout the day.  I fit into the latter category.

So when I’m shopping at No Frills, I’m always on the hunt for ingredients for my meals AND my snacks. Not sure if you know this but PC Plus is now available at No Frills (hooray).

In the event you are wondering what’s PC Plus..…here’s your answer: It rewards customers with points toward dollars off your grocery bill. I don’t know about you…but I ALWAYS want to save money on my grocery bills. ALWAYS.

I now have the PC Plus app so it’s super easy for me to see weekly offers and to continue to save money. A Win Win if you ask me!

Here’s what I usually find myself snacking on: 

1. PC GREEK YOGOURT: I usually add some berries (raspberries, blueberries or blackberries) and before you know it …I’ve got myself a nice healthy snack that fills me up. Note: When those berries are out of season, I will use frozen berries.

2. SLICED TOMATOES:  One tomato goes along way. Sometimes I add some avocado on top and other times I add cheese. The end result is a healthy snack that looks oh-so-pretty! (don’t you think?)

3. SOUP: I know it seems weird but I adore soup and often find myself having a bowl in the middle of the day. It fills me up and it’s not expensive to make at all. Last week I noticed that canned tomatoes were on sale.  Naturally I ran home and made some soup: 1 tin of tomatoes, added 1/2 a boiled potato, a bit of fried onion and whizzed it up in my beloved Blendtec with some water. I had 4 cups of soup for less than $1.50 TOTAL.

4. Popcorn: To be perfectly honest…I want to snack on chips but it’s really not healthy for you. ARGHH. However popcorn isn’t a bad option. Therefore popcorn (air popped) has become a great alternative that in my opinion is “cheap and cheerful”.

None of the above snacks hurt my bank account and are pretty healthy…wouldn’t you agree?

I really wish I was one of those people that didn’t snack as much but I do. I try to be mindful to make sure that I’m not snacking cause I’m bored but that’s a whole separate blog post!!

The good news: No Frills and PC Plus…. helps me find the right snacks at the right prices! YAY PC Plus points…I love collecting them and love redeeming them too!

Hope you get a chance to sign up for PC plus soon. It’s easy and rewarding…what more could you ask for?

For more information:

Website: www.pcplus.ca

Twitter; #PCPlus

Disclosure: I am a blogger who is participating in a PC Plus No Frills program and have received compensation for my participation. However all opinions are my own.

 

I’ve been a huge fan of Mother’s Dumplings since their original location was on Huron. Then they  moved to a much (much) bigger space at 421 Spadina and just recently they opened a second location at 840 Danforth East. I was eager (curious?) to check out this location even though the Spadina location is closer to me. So I grabbed a friend (who had never been to Mother’s Dumplings) and off we went.

The outside of the restaurant (on Danforth) looks like this and looks pretty similar to the Spadina location (except smaller)

The inside of the restaurant looks very different than the location on Spadina. i.e exposed brick wall and booths and smaller.

As always, I ordered their wonton soup. I’d like to announce that I like their wonton soup better than ramen or pho. I’d also like to announce that I like their wonton soup better than the dumplings!! There is something special about this wonton soup. It has all sorts of dried things floating around, seaweed and more. Not to mention that it’s CHEAP. A large bowl for 2 costs only $5.70.  I have recently introduced this soup to two friends and both friends loved it.

We also ordered an order of dozen steamed  shrimp, chive and egg dumplings. (B3). Like their location on Spadina, you can watch the dumplings being made.

The bill came out to $16.27 for two people. Not bad eh?

I seriously hope that this location will get as much love as their Spadina location.

For More Information:

Mother’s Dumplings, 804 Danforth Ave. Toronto 647 350 8988

I’ve been anticipating the Grilled Cheese Fest since it was first announced back in December. Finally the day arrived and I made sure to be at Roy Thompson Hall at precisely 5 pm as they were letting in media before the event started. I try to take advantage of this opportunity so I can snap up some decent photos and talk to vendors about what they are serving etc.

Before I go any further – I want to say that I was there from 5 pm to 7 pm. During that time…..I sampled some cheesy goodness, enjoyed some soup and drank a craft beer or two!!  I also made sure to take lactose pills on a regular basis!!

I’m not quite sure how many lactose pills I took but I wasn’t going to a little lactose intolerance get in my way!!

The evening promised a variety of unique grilled cheese sandwiches, complemented with homemade soup and craft beer – and they delivered! My favourite grilled sandwich was the General Kim from Cut the Cheese.  (2901A Dundas St. W). The sandwich was described as: Kimchi, sweet soy pork, lotus chips, cilantro, fontina cheese on a light rye bread.

My favourite soup was from Cheesewerks. (56 Bathurst St)

I really did enjoy the event (again, I was there between 5 and 7 pm). However I then discovered thru a blogger friend that many guests did not get a chance to enjoy the event, as they had oversold the event by 700 tickets.  I really felt bad when I read this. This isn’t exactly how an event should be run but I’m sure Joylister learned a thing or two. Just like they learned a thing or two after they ran the Poutine Festival.

For more information:

www.joylister.com

Twitter: @Joylister

Instagram: Joylister

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoylisterFUN

For months, I drove by a window sign that said “Fresh..Coming in the Summer”. I waited and waited and waited. Finally the day arrived (err..it was Fall but that’s OK) and it was open. I was excited to visit as I knew that this location was going to be a hit, for this popular  vegetarian/vegan restaurant. (which now boasts 4 locations).

Heading north of Bloor was a smart strategic move. This is easy for me to say – seeing as I live about a kilometre away!

I love that this particular location is paying attention to the fact that single diners might want the option to sit at a BAR  to eat, and not by themselves at a table. I think I counted THREE bars (by the window…when you first walk in ..and at the back). #ANOTHER #SMART MOVE.

What did we order?

Well I can’t seem to visit Fresh without having these epic quinoa battered onion rings . They come as an appetizer but I wish they came as a main dish!!

We also ordered:  the big salad, the soup of the day with grilled cornbread and hummus, and the picnic burger. Everything was FRESH FRESH FRESH and completely inhaled. Our waiter was also super attentive and helpful too.

For more information:

Fresh on Eglinton…90 Eglinton Ave East, Toronto 416.599.4442 PS take out is available too.

Twitter: @freshoneglinton

Facebook; www.facebook.com/freshsince1999

Instagram: freshrestaurants

Foursquare: Got a message today that if you check in before Dec 31 on Foursquare ,you could become the mayor and win!!

This company really gets social media and gets serving FRESH food. Hope you will get a chance to also visit this location soon.

Disclosure: I was given a gift certificate to visit this location however all opinions in this blog post are my own.

I have a feeling a LOT of people wisely stayed home on Monday Oct 29th. I knew when I got in from work last nite that I was going NOWHERE and that I had lots of time to create a “comfort-food” type of meal for myself.

This was my idea of the perfect meal on a wet and windy misterable night:

 

What’s On my Plate:

-vegetable soup (home made – of course) from my freezer (of course)

-a toasted Oakrun Family Bakery Savory English Muffin with roasted grape tomoatos and roasted organic garlic. Sprinkled with dried thyme for additional flavor.

It was the perfect meal and exactly what I was craving, despite the fact that I’m on a no-carb diet (I can cheat every once in a while right?).

The Oakrun Family Bakery has introduced 3 different types of savoury english muffins: Jalapeno & Salsa, Sundried Tomato and Basil and Toasted Onion & Smoked Black Pepper. I have nibbled all three and love of all them. I’m all over anything that is flavoruful.

Please look at for these Savoury English Muffins at Metro, Highland Farms, Longos, Loblaws, Loblaws Superstores, Zehrs, Food Basics, Fortinos and ValuMart.

As the saying goes “try it – you will like it”!!

PS. what did you have last nite for dinner? do you crave comfort food when the weather is miserable too?

 

 

It’s official..it’s soup season. I’m not complaining as I love soup. There is nothing like having a bowl of soup on a cold night.  Seeing as I’ve been on a carb free diet, many of the soups I can’t enjoy anymore. Bye Bye Creamy Squash Soup, Minestrone and Potato Leek. But HELLO MUSHROOM SOUP!!

I usually head to T & T, HMart, or Galleria for my mushrooms. You don’t have to..but it will cost you way less (I’m budget conscious, did you know?) and there will be a huge selection of mushroom. I think it’s worth the effort.

INGREDIENTS:

3 onions, chopped finely

6 cloves of garlic, diced

A LOT OF MUSHROOMS…(button, shitake, oyster…go to town)…Wash and Chop

Water? Vegetable Stock? ..whatever you prefer. (6-cups)

parsley

METHOD

1. Sautee onions in a large saucepan

2. Add garlic

3. Add mushrooms

4. Add water or stock, and when it boils, reduce temperature and let it simmer

5. Throw in some salt and pepper.

VOILA..a beautiful bowl of tasty, healthy mushroom soup to warm you up on a cold nite.

Happy Cooking!!