First Meal in Our New Home

For the first meal in our new home, we decided to go a healthy, but very delicious way. We had a lot of quinoa in the cupboard, so we automatically knew we would be incorporating that in some manner. The next decision was the protein. After a little bit of pondering, we decided to choose shrimp - which turned out to be a great decision.

We started off by bringing beef broth to a boil and adding the quinoa in.

We also chose to add in dried apricots, cranberries and raisins - giving it a little bit of sweetness.

We also had the chance to break out our new Jamie Oliver T-Fal pans. We started off by heating up some extra virgin olive oil, adding fresh garlic and red onions. After letting that simmer, we tossed in our shrimp and added some Blue Menu (R) roasted garlic spice.

While all this cooking was going on, we treated ourselves to some nice French baguette with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A great appetizer before jumping in to the main course.

Once the quinoa was ready, after about 15 minutes, we added in the dried fruit and folded in the shrimp. We let the entire meal cool for about 5 minutes before we dug in!

It was a great way to break in the new kitchen and mark the first ever home-cooked meal in our new condo in the heart of Toronto. The portion size was great and gave us ample left overs. We only made 1-cup of quinoa, but it filled us up and then some.

A great dinner for two!

Salmon with Couscous & A Little Healthy Dessert

For dinner last night we decided to cook our salmon we bought a few days back. To go along with it, we chose to make some couscous with dried fruit and a little healthy dessert to top it all off.

The salmon was a recipe from the family that we followed - a honey-soy glazed salmon. We started with a 0.8 kg piece of salmon and de-skinned it. We placed the salmon in a bag along with the honey-soy recipe and marinated it for 20 minutes (I would say that marinating it for a full day would add even more flavour). We added some chili flakes as well. Then we put the salmon on some tin foil and placed in the oven, broiling it on high. Keep and eye on it and watch for the glaze to golden and you know you're just about there. Plate the salmon and drizzle the rest of the sauce over the fish. It turned out delicious, the salmon broke apart without hardly touching it and the glaze was not too sweet - but with a bit of a spice.

The couscous is a very simple and delicious side that I would recommend to anyone looking for a quick meal with lots of variety and options. We used Kazbah couscous, boiling it in half water half chicken broth to keep the sodium down. We added dried apricots, raisins and cranberries to the mix and drizzled some of the honey-soy sauce over it to add some more flavour.

For dessert we decided to chose a healthy alternative to the indulgence side of our meal. We both gave up two things for lent that we love - chocolate and peanut butter - so here is a great alternative that almost made us scarf down the whole plate!

Ingredients:
- Oatmeal
- Whole wheat flour
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Olive oil
- Crushed almonds
- Dried cranberries
- 1 egg

Popped them in the oven for about 20 minutes and out came a delicious cookie that is low fat, packed with whole wheat and fibre and tasted incredible. This is a great alternative for anyone looking for a great dessert with health in mind. We only used 1 cup of olive oil in the entire batch (approx 25 cookies 2" in diameter).

We aimed for more of the healthy side as compared to the indulgence - although we did indulge in those healthy cookies!

Enjoy

A&T

Homemade Bruschetta Variety

Here is just a quick look at our personal take on the traditional bruschetta. We decided to try a little variety of some of our favourite combinations.

We used a nice french baguette and cut it into 1" wide pieces. Placing these on a cookie sheet, butter both sides very lightly. We put them in the oven and broiled them until both sides were golden brown (flip half-way through).

While the bread was cooking we took some low-fat turkey bacon and cooked small slivers in a pan with some plain honey until candied. We also roasted some cheery tomatoes with pepper and salt.

We raided our cheese draw in the fridge grabbing 6 year old cheddar, brie, feta and goat. While we were in the fridge we got our staple for sandwiches...red pepper jelly.

After the bread was done and the tomatoes were roasted we started to assemble our variety plate of bruschetta.

In tradition, we made two that were just roasted tomatoes and goat cheese - but we went outside of the box on the others.

• Red pepper jelly, roasted tomatoes, candied turkey slices and goat cheese (our favourite)
• Red pepper jelly, brie, apple and honey
• Tomato, brie and candied turkey slices
• Old cheddar and tomatoes
• Red pepper jelly, roasted tomatoes and feta

They turned out delicious, some a bit more than others but it they were a great start to any meal. We will definitely be making these again as an appetizer for a pasta or meat dish in the near future. The unique spin on the traditional bruschetta was a lot of fun to do because you can mix and match your tastes with your appetizer - a plan that will make the dinner process a lot more enjoyable.

A&T

Savory & Sweet

Tonight's meal was a combination of a savory appetizer style dish with a very sweet dessert to top it all off. We started with a different take on the common coconut shrimp and dipping sauce.

For some people, one of us included, do not love coconut. Here we made an almond/breadcrumb battered shrimp with sweet and spicy dipping sauce.

- Batter: Italian style breadcrumbs with ground almond slivers and cornstarch
        - First you dredge the shrimp in cornstarch, then in egg white, then in the almond/breadcrumb batter
        - Throw them on to a non-stick frying pan with some canola oil and brown on each side
        - Place on a plate with paper towel and wait before serving.
- Sauce: simple sweet and spicy sauce, 1 part sirarcha hot sauce and 1 part honey.

As for the sweet part of the meal, it was a new take on the apple crumble. The filling was a mixture of macintosh apples cut into 1/4" cubes and blueberries. The topping was a oatmeal, flour, almond, brown sugar mixture that turned out crispy and golden brown. Then we added some honey on the top for just a little be more "sweet".

The meal turned out wonderful and although it was a bit sweeter than we are used to, it still met our healthy ideal for a dinner. No corners were cut on taste, but we are always conservative with butter and oils - making sure it is as low-fat as possible.

Message for full recipes if you would like.

A&T

Hearty Chili vs. Dessert Breakfast for Dinner

Here is a perfect example of our perfect balance we are always looking for. We both have similar ideals for a great meal, it needs to be healthy but we hold no reservations to a very decadent meal that could double as a dessert.

This chili we made could perhaps win the title of the healthiest and heartiest chili this world has every seen. Not only is it low fat, but it is very high-protein, high fibre and does not skimp on any taste. The chili is made with extra lean ground turkey meat, veggies (red onions, red and green peppers), red kidney beans, garlic, chili flakes, tomato sauce and some parmesan cheese. I decided to use a TON of ground turkey meat, that is the only way you are going to get a great chili like this. We cooked that in a normal pan while our tomato sauce and spices heated in a large pot. We added the turkey after pouring out all the juices from the pan (keep the fat content even lower). While that simmered, we cooked the veggies in a pan until they were 60% cooked, still a bit of crunch to them and threw them in the pot as well. Then we added the beans and made sure it was at the perfect consistency. Another low fat, high-protein meal for any type of food lover.

Now comes the rich and sweet meal of the night. This is for anyone who loves breakfast for dinner and has a bit of a sweet tooth like I do. This is a take on the traditional french toast. We had fluffy white bread that we cut into halves (diagonally), soaked them in a batter of eggs, cream, a bit of maple syrup and a tablespoon of white or brown sugar. Place the first half or halves of the bread into the pan and do both sides to a nice golden brown. Take them off and place them on a plate with paper towel - here is where you add your chocolate of your choice (I used lindt milk chocolate but you can do just about anything) place the chocolate on the one half and let it melt under the heat of the bread. Now you do your other half in the batter and into the frying pan. Get the same golden brown colour and place this half on top of the chocolate that should be gooey by now. Sprinkle baking sugar on it and top with maple syrup (can do the 50% less sugar if you want to stick to healthy - but that seems out the window at this point) and fresh blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or strawberries.

As you can see by the picture - we couldn't even get the camera out fast enough to take a picture before a bite was taken. It was a delicious meal fit for a dessert.

Enjoy!

Brunch in Liberty Village

We decided to go out for brunch yesterday to a place we have never tried before in Liberty Village. It is this unique and always packed restaurant called School Bakery & Cafe. As you walk it, to your right, they have all their baked goods...cakes, muffins, scones and cookies. The restaurant itself is an interesting place to go, with a school theme, you drink your water out of 400ml beakers and each table is set with an apple.

The food selection is incredible, you have more things to choose from than you can imagine, all sounding better than the last. Here is where we separate on the healthy vs. indulgence.

We started off with mini muffins - two banana espresso, one blueberry white chocolate and one apple pie. These were delicious and I think we could have eaten 10.

I decided to go for the 4oz steak and eggs. I had the steak medium-well and the two eggs sunny-side up. It is served with some greens, rye toast, potatoes and roasted corn pico de gallo. It was incredible, I love high-protein foods and this breakfast was extremely satisfying and delicious - nothing like steak and eggs in the morning to get you going.

The other decided to indulge a little more - the caramelized cinnamon banana crepe, served with candied pistachios and whipped brown sugar butter. It was incredible, very sweet, but the flavours were intense. Maybe not the healthiest thing on the menu, but it was worth it - one of those times you'll see us throw away the health consciousness and go straight for gluttonness indulgence. On the side, I had a serving of peameal bacon, one of the best sides you could ask for. It was well cooked and not too salty - a perfect accent to a very sweet meal.

If you are in Toronto, and near Liberty Village, this restaurant has it all and needs to be a place to stop for a hearty breakfast or an indulgence of the sweet tooth.

Oh, and to top it all off, we ended with a nutella scone - a dessert that was warm, soft and extremely delicious. The food was great - bring your appetite.

Valentine's Day Feast

On Valentine's Day we decided to stay at home, cook a great meal and enjoy something we both love - food and wine.

We decided to have a pasta dish, starting with bruschetta and a very tasty salad.

Our salad was mix greens, carrots, red peppers, goat cheese and pecans. This was a delicious start to the meal when we added the balsamic vinaigrette or the raspberry vinaigrette.

Then came time for our bruschetta. We have a soft spot for Italian food (you may hear this "soft spot" justification a lot with different types of food). We used a white French baguette with both pre-prepared sundried tomatoes and home-made roasted cherry tomatoes. We added goat cheese and red win balsamic vinaigrette on top. They turned out to be delicious - although we were both sold on the home-made tomatoes over the jar of sundried.

For our main course we decided to go with penne pasta, tomatoes, chicken and shrimp in an original tomato pasta sauce. Of course we had to add our salt, pepper and chili peppers (we both love hot food and chili peppers always makes the meal that much better). As you can see, we are not the greatest when it comes to portions of pasta, which mean great leftovers for the week.

It was a perfect way to spend Valentine's Day and the food was phenomenal. We shared a nice bottle of Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz. This wine was a perfect way to enjoy the meal. Again, when we cook together, we keep health in mind only using a little bit of oil on the tomatoes and bruschetta and cooking our chicken in balsamic vinegar instead of oil.