Posts Tagged ‘menu’

Mar
24


I’ve been spending some time lurking on Pinterest trying to find unique ideas for this years Passover menu.

Of course, I spent some time trying to figure out what my centre pieces are going to look like too. Here’s what I’m thinking. Which one do you prefer?

Idea #1…so simple, yet so pretty

Idea #2….Love this idea

Idea #3…I actually have a chalkboard runner to use as the “seder plate” and love the idea of using empty egg shells as a vase! How cute?

As for the menu, here’s what I’m planning on serving. Warning: this is not a traditional Passover menu at all but I’m ok with that and I hope my guests are to.

-Sweet Potato Rounds with a Beet Puree and topped with a Walnut (totally made this up. Its not from Pinterest (for a change). I made them a few weeks ago and it’s a winner.

 

Matza Brei Cupcakes stuffed with ??????.  Cant decide – it might be stuffed with mashed potatoes or a mushroom medley. I’m  hoping that this idea works. If I get a chance this week I might test it out!

-Yottam Ottelenghi’s Aubergine & Herb Salad with Garlic Yogurt Dressing

Salmon with an Apricot Basil Salsa

-Yottam Ottolenghi’s Butternut Squash w/Gingered Tomatoes and Lime

-Yottam Ottolenghi’s Tomatoes with Sumac Onion and Pinenuts

Dessert: Matza Smores and Fresh Fruit

I know. I know – the menu is heavy on Yottam Ottolenghi’s recipes but I couldn’t help it. His veggie recipes sound amazing.

I’m excited to head to my storage unit and dig out my grandmother’s china that I always use for the seder. There’s something about using her china that makes this holiday extra special for me.

So excited to share this holiday with family and friends. We are also hosting a couple that we’ve never met as part of an initiative with City Shul that no one is alone on the holidays.

Happy Cooking and Happy Passover and Happy Easter too!!

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Sep
19


It’s that time of year again!

The Jewish New Year begins on Wednesday night however for many of us, we were thinking about “THE MENU” weeks ago!

Of course, when I think of the word “MENU”, I automatically think of “PINTEREST”.

I was super organized and even created a Rosh Hashanah 2017 Board so I could pin all the recipes and table settings that interested me.

After pinning 18 different ideas, I narrowed it down. Here’s the final menu:

  • Tomato Soup with Homemade Croutons and Parmesan (sorry no recipe)
  • Pan Seared Salmon with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce (click here for recipe)
  • Green Beans with Chestnuts, Pomegranates and Lemony Tahini (click here for recipe)
  • Sweet Fragrant Rosh Hoshana Rice (click here for recipe)
  • Carrot Salad with Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas. (click here for recipe)
  • Dessert: Blooming Apples with Vanilla Ice cream

This Ethiopian tahini that I bought in Israel is going to be put to good use!!

Seeing as it’s traditional to serve apples with honey, I’m going to serve this amazing African Bronze honey that I just discovered at the CHFA show. This honey is so flavourful and I have no doubt that my guests are going to love it too.

As for the table, Pinterest provided me with inspiration once again.

Wishing everyone who celebrates, a Happy and Healthy New Year.

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May
28


Every once in a while I have the urge to host a brunch. But I’m pretty sure I have Pinterest to blame as I’d seen some recipes that captured my attention. Next thing  you know, I’m planning a brunch!

The table looked like this.

brunch - table2

I was pretty happy with the menu I selected, so today I will share two recipes with you. Deal?

Recipe #1: Mini Pancake Kebabs (original recipe can be found here)

brunch - ingredients

Here’s a formal list of what you need:

-skewers

-2 bananas slices

-about 6 strawberries sliced

-your favourite recipe for pancakes. I must admit making tiny pancakes was a bit challenging!

Nutella or dulce leche

Instructions:

  1. Spread nutella or dulce leche on each pancake.
  2. Take a skewer and insert the tiny pancake, then a sliced strawberry and then a sliced banana.
  3. Repeat!

Final Result:

brunch - pancakes final

Recipe #2: Granola Breakfast Pizza (original recipe can be found here)

Once again, all you need is a few ingredients:

brunch - pizza ingredients

Specifically you need:
3 cups of Granola
1 cup of Greek Yogurt (its important that its thick yoghurt)
1 cup of peanut butter
1/2 tbsp of cinnamon

1/2 cup of sliced almonds

Instructions:
1 Mix the granola and peanut butter in a bowl
brunch - pizza granola
2. Line parchment paper in a dish, and then spoon the mixture into it.
brunch - granola in plate
3. Place in the fridge for an hour or the freezer for 20 minutes. Note: I made the base a day in advance and kept it in the freezer overnight. You want to make sure that the base sticks together!!
4. Remove from pan and place on your serving dish. Spread greek yogurt (the thicker the better) on top of the granola mixture.
 brunch - pizza:yogurt
5. Arrange fruit on top. Sprinkle with almonds.
brunch - pizza - final
Both menu items were a hit!!
Stay tuned, as I’m pretty sure I will be posting another two brunch recipes shortly.
Hope this blog post inspires you to host a brunch one day soon as well.
Cheers,
Vicky
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Mar
29


Passover is soon approaching (April 10th to 18th to be exact) and I have no doubt that many of my facebook friends will be busy this Sunday cleaning and cooking (in that order).

It’s certainly not an easy holiday as it involves a lot of food and entertaining and a list of restrictions.  However I’m going to share a tip with you to make it easier. It’s called PINTEREST.

I actually created a Passover Board on Pinterest (see bottom left) to help me organize the recipes that I’m going to attempt to make for the Seder.  Why didn’t I think of this idea before?

passover - pinterst

Here’s the menu for my Vegetarian Seder that I will be serving on the first night!  (thanks to my Pinterest Passover Board).

Arugula Orange Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing

Salmon with Creamy Avocado Sauce

Matzo Stuffed Herbed Tomatoes

Garlic Herb Cauli-Rice

Spinach Potato Nests

Dessert: Fruit (not making anything that involves a gazillion eggs or matzo meal)

As for my table – I’m naturally going to use my grandmothers china that I pull out every Passover. But I’m also going to attempt to make a few of these great “table decor ideas” that I found on Pinterest – not with purple but with burgundy to match the china (of course. LOL). I actually made the idea on the bottom right last year and it was a huge hit.

passover - table

 Not sure if the matza vase is going to turn out but we will soon find out. Hoping its’ not going to be a #PinterestFail.

Here’s one more tip to make your Passover Seder easier! I saw this idea on Pinterest a few months ago, and IT WORKS.  Trust me.

passover eggs

Wishing all my friends who celebrate Passover, a very meaningful holiday.

Happy Cooking (and Cleaning).

 

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Jan
05


Newsflash: I finally tried a food delivery service. I’ve been offered many times to try a food delivery service and I always declined. But HelloFresh caught my attention at a great time seeing as I was trying to control my portions and I thought that this would help me out. #smartmove

Heres’ a few reasons why I loved HelloFresh! 

-I didn’t have to think about “what to make for dinner”.

-I didn’t have to buy the groceries involved

-I didn’t have to chop, peel or slice

-Indeed it helped me with portion control

-I didn’t forget an ingredient!

The outside of the box that was delivered to me, sums it up beautifully!

hello-fresh-outside-fo-box
HelloFresh is now delivering their healthy and convenient meal kits from coast to coast, to help all Canadians answer that age-old question: “What’s for dinner?”.  I don’t know about you but I battle this question on a regular basis!!

Inside the above box contained everything I needed in 3 convenient boxes – all labelled beautifully as well as a well designed recipe booklet. I also loved these boxes fit conveniently into my fridge!

hello-boxes

hello-meat

Inside the boxes I found EVERYTHING I needed for the recipe. I was also impressed with the meat/fish selection that was sourced locally.

hello-meat

Then came the fun part to actually cook dinner,  knowing that I didn’t have to go grocery shopping or that I forgot an item at the grocery store (story of my life).

Here’s one nights dinner – Autumnal Italian Sausage

hello-dinner

Here’s a photo of another nights dinner – Parmesan Crusted Cod with Roasted veggies.

hello-dinner-2

There’s only two aspects of the service that I didn’t like:

-the lemongrass that was involved with one recipe was pretty powerful.

-the amount of packaging involved however I’m not sure there is anyway around this.

HelloFresh is just perfect for anyone who is stretched for time or just wants to have a break from buying groceries all time and thinking about whats for dinner.

Hope you give it a try one day. I’m sure many of you are tired after cooking and entertaining over the holidays. I also think this would be a great gift for a new parents or for senior citizens who no longer drive. Yes – gift certificates are available.

For more information:

Website: Www.HelloFresh.Ca

Instagram/Twitter: HelloFreshCA

Disclosure: HelloFresh provided me with a complimentary meal delivery service however all opinions are my own

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Oct
06


I’ve been a fan of Real Sports since it opened. In fact many years ago I organized a small tweet up at Real Sports, to watch the final of the Australian Open.

It’s a pleasure to watch the most exciting moments of  a game on their 39-foot HD Big Screen and 199 HD TVs.real - screen

Plus you can sip from over 50 beer selections or select from one of their 126 draughts on tap. To sum it all up – there’s 25,000 square feet of incredible atmosphere.

This month, they have introduced a new menu. I found out that they developed a menu that pairs well with beer and I think this is a fabulous strategy!! Not to mention that they made the menu a bit smaller so that they can focus on quality and consistency vs. quantity! Again, a great strategy.

Here are 3 dishes that I would certainly order again:

1. #Litterally Popcorn Chicken – Popcorn dusted fried chicken bites in a sweet, hot chili sauce.

(oops can’t find a photo cause I guess I was too busy eating this dish)

2. Buffalo Cauliflower – Fried Southern Style with Buffalo Sauce, Coleslaw and Blue Cheese. True story….a blogger sitting beside me thought this was a chicken dish. That’s how good it was.

real - cauliflower

3. Hawaii 5-0 Pork Chop – Double cut pork chop served on bacon fried rice with pineapple blue cheese salsa.

real - pork

 

For more information:

Www.RealSports.ca

Address: 15 York St, Toronto (Maple Leaf Square)

Phone: 416 815- REAL

Twitter: @RealSports

Instagram: @Real_Sports

Disclosure: My meal was complimentary however all opinions are my own.

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Jul
20


For many years, I went to summer camp and fondly remember many canoe trips and even a sailing trip! However as an adult I’ve only gone camping three times. Sad but true.

Last week this all changed, as I finally went camping again.

Here’s what was involved:

a) I googled “best camping spots near Toronto”. Found this great website  that inspired me to pick up the phone and call a  1 888 number to book a camp site at Elora Gorge Conservation Area. On a side note: I found it extremely interesting (?) to call an American Call Centre to book a Canadian Camp Site.

b) I sent out a tweet: “Going Camping. Need a recommendation for a tent”. My fellow lifestyle blogger friend (who goes camping regularly) suggested: Coleman.

I swear her camping blog posts inspire me and I encourage you to click here to read about her camping adventures.

c) Went to Canadian Tire to buy a tent, sleeping bag, cooler, lanterns and a bbq grill. The Coleman tent said it would go up in a minute and I swear it went up in a minute. It took less time to set up the tent than it does to make my bed!  As for the sleeping bag – it kept me warm and cozy and it was on sale! $39.99 ! (hooray). Actually the tent was on sale too. ($189)

camping - tent

d) As for food: I wanted to follow the rule: K.I.S.S (keep it simple) – so eggs, bread, hot dogs, jiffy pop corn, pancake mix, salami, bagged salad, oysters, tuna patties, muffins, blueberries, cheese, etc were on the menu!!

camping - cooking

e) The camp site we selected (area C number 166) was quiet, well shaded and included electricity (so I could charge my phone…I’m bad eh?). It wasn’t near the water or the quarry but I didn’t care  – it was QUIET and peaceful and truly beautiful to be surrounded by so many trees.

camping - trees Even though it rained and we left early, we did get a chance to hang out for a few hours at the Quarry.

camping - quarry

What did we learn?

-we forgot oven mitts and toilet paper. Oops!!

-we didn’t bring the right clothes and it rained an rained and rained. In fact it rained so much that we packed up our tent and left a day early.

However, we can’t wait to go camping again and trust me, I will be blogging about these experiences.

To book a campsite this summer:

Grand River Conservation Area: 1-877-558-GRCA (4722)

Reservations at Ontario Provincial Parks: 1-888-ONT-PARK (1-888-668-7275)

To buy camping equipment:

Head to www.canadiantire.ca for all your camping needs!

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Feb
11


A few weeks ago, I was totally spoiled and had the opportunity to experience a Winterlicious lunch at the Four Seasons Hotel followed by a Winterlicious dinner the next day at the Toronto Hyatt Regency on King.

From January 30 to February 12, more than 200 of Toronto’s top restaurants are offering three-course prix fixe menus at one of three price categories:

Lunch:   $18  |  $23  |  $28

Dinner:   $25  |  $35  |  $45

There’s still time to pick up the phone and secure reservations of Winterlicious and I do hope that you would consider both of these restaurants!!

Here’s my (brief) review of my Four Seasons Winterlicious lunch at Cafe Boulud:

Cafe Boulud doesn’t disappoint when it comes to service, atmosphere or execution. For some reason, I had never been to the new Four Seasons before but I would certainly return!! I even dressed up for the occasion which is not something I usually do.

Please click on this link to check out their Winterlicious menu!

four season - winterlicious

b) Toronto Hyatt Regency Winterlicious Dinner:

Again, I was treated to exceptional service. There’s no question there’s value in any Winterlicious meal at a hotel!! Please click on the link to read more about their Winterlicious menu.

hyatt - winterliciousNow – go pick up the phone and make a reservation.

Toronto Hyatt Regency:  370 King St. West, Toronto,  416-963-6000

Four Seasons – Cafe Boulud: 60 Yorkville Ave, Toronto 416 964-0411

Happy Winterlicious!!

Discloure: Both meals were complimentary however all opinions are my own.

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Oct
05


I entertain a lot! But I really really enjoy it. I’m passionate about all aspects of entertaining….planning the menu, buying the flowers, setting the table, and cooking too! The only part I don’t enjoy is cleaning up and I’m quite sure that I will never enjoy that part!

table

Entertaining can be expensive but it doesn’t have to be! Here are some tips for Holiday Entertaining.

a) Try and not buy prepared foods. In fact, try and make everything from scratch. Trust me it will taste better AND it will be cheaper. I even make my own pita crisps!

b) Prepare a menu with vegetables that are in SEASON. This will really reduce the cost of your meal.

c) When I shop at No Frills, I’m confident that my grocery bill is going to be lower than shopping at competitors. Not to mention I can use my PC  points to help offset the costs of my meal! Im positively thrilled that PC Plus is now available at No Friils. It’s so easy to earn points toward dollars off your grocery bill and that’s right up my alley!!

no frills - sign

c) Develop a menu where you get a lot of bang for your buck. For example, this apple crisp recipe or these two ingredient desserts.

d) My rule of thumb: soup/salad….one main course with three side dishes, and dessert.

salads

I would like to end this blog post with a personal story: No Frills comes to my rescue EVERY year around Passover. I save up all my points for that one holiday where my grocery bill is going to be triple what it usually is. I received this “tip” from a friend years ago and have been following her advise every since.  (Thanks D.K)

For more information about the PC Plus Program, please click here.

Twitter Hashtag: #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. 

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Aug
15


The other night I was on twitter (for a change) and I noticed a lot of buzz about @Poutineville. Naturally I wanted to check it out seeing as I just returned from Montreal and wanted to continue my “Poutine Crawl”!!

I had no idea that Poutineville has 3 locations in Montreal, cause I would have visited them on my recent visit!! However I’m thrilled to announce that they just opened in the Annex and will soon be opening a location in Quebec City too!

The space is super cool and much larger than I thought! It really is a full service sit down restaurant with 130 seats (including the terrace) and a full menu

poutineville - space

As for the menu – you get to choose the the potato (4 varieties), cheese (10 varieties), vegetable (13 varieties) meat (14 varieties), and your sauce (6 varieties)! EVERYONE WILL BE HAPPY!! There’s even an option to select ” all-you-can-eat”.

And if you are looking for a salad – they have a few varieties on the menu as well. Trust me – there’s something for everyone!

menu2

I am well aware that poutine is not the prettiest dish to photograph so please excuse the less-than-glamourous-photos. But trust me they all tasted fantastic…each and every combo!

poutineville - samples

Wishing Costa (on the left) and his staff all the very best in Toronto!

poutineville - owner

PS I have a friend visiting from California next week and think this would be a fun place to visit with an out of towner! Oh how I love introducing friends to the novel restaurants here in Toronto!

For more information:

Poutineville 296 Brunswick (647) 349 2345

Twitter:  @poutineville

Instagram: @poutineville

Disclosure: I was compensated for my meal however all my opinions are my own.

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