Shandy - Australian Lemonade

The days have been sunny, hot, and full of mosquito's. I have been bitten more times this summer than I have for a long time... They have been driving me crazy! It never seems to matter how much mosquito repellent I apply, or where I stand during recess supervision, but they always seem to find me. The weather just seems to be perfect for these dratted insects, and I'm paying the price for it!

Mosquito's have this annoying habit of always biting me in the most annoying areas possible. The back of my knee, my knuckle, beside my eye, on my Achilles tendon.... Its been a nightmare! The kids on the playground always have to go and trek through the long grass, which is fine, but it brings out the mosquito's in droves. I try to hang out closer to the gravel and playground, but when the kids come running back, they are surrounded by swarms. 

Even though the mosquito's are bad this year, I can't resist coming home and stretching out on the back deck. It's just such a great way to unwind and attempt to ignore the persistent stings of those pesky insects. This following recipe is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and  forget about the bites. 

I stumbled across this recipe awhile ago on the blog Girl Cooks World and just had to mark it down for later experimentation. Cate has travelled across the world, and she has all these amazing exotic and tasty recipes to try. I know I've marked down a few for the future still as well! 

Now this recipe caught my eye due to its originality. It wasn't really because the ingredients were so bizarre (Which they aren't), it's because I had never thought about using them together. According to Cate, it's a fairly popular recipe in both Australia and the UK. I wish that I had heard of it earlier! You would think that because of the close imperialistic ties that Australia, Canada and the UK have that I would have heard of this somewhere before, but no such luck.

I was nervous when I made this... and had some serious reservations leading up to the first drink, but it was delicious! I used Ginger Ale instead of Sparkling Water, just for a little variation and some more flavour. You should also think about the beer that you are combining it with, to maximize the flavour sensation. It's a perfect summer drink for the back deck. Just give it a try... you'll be pleasantly surprised! Thanks again Cate for the awesome recipe!

Shandy - Australian Lemonade

Lemon Juice - 2 tbsps

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Ginger Ale - 3/4 Cup

Beer (I used Corona) - 3/4 cup

Ice

Lemon for Garnish

In a large cup, mix together the lemon juice, sugar and ginger ale. Add the ice, then slowly pour the beer over the top. Stir gently. You can give this a sample drink now and add more ingredients to taste. I preferred a bit more lemon juice for more of a "lemonade" kind of feel. 

Top with a lemon for garnish and serve, icy cold, and on your back deck. Enjoy. 

Pesto Feta Chicken with Tomato Vinaigrette

BOOM!!!

Once in awhile, a cooking idea just hits me like that. It just leaps out of the abyss of stomach emptiness, and a great culinary idea unfolds in my mind. Once that great idea has hit, you just keep expanding upon your idea, tossing out some of the concepts, replacing some ingredients, adding others... It gets very exciting inside of my head for the next few minutes. 

I was wondering how to cook a chicken breast on the barbie... I wanted something with some oomph. Something that took a little bit of culinary imagination to come up with. A simple rub or marinade just didn't seem to be hitting right. I also knew I had some potatoes starting to go bad in the cupboard, so I needed a chicken dinner that was potato friendly. 

One thing led to another, and I now have this beautiful chicken dish that really was pretty easy to make. I would also suggest, due to its Mediterranean flavour, that you can add olives, sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers to the mix. I would have done any of the above, but just lacked having them in my cupboard. Just think of the lush Italian countryside when you bite into this... I hope you like it.

I'm quite sure that this idea has been thought of before, but I honestly can promise that the idea behind this recipe and the ingredients involved are one hundred percent mine! However, if you have any great variations that you would suggest, or have heard of doing this recipe a different way, just let me know! 

Pesto Feta Chicken with Tomato Vinaigrette

Chicken Breasts - 3, thawed

Feta Cheese - 1/2 cup

Parmesan Cheese - 1/4 cup

Bottled Pesto - 1 tbsp

Olive Oil - 1/3 Cup

Green Onions - 3 stalks, diced

Tomato - 1, diced 

Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to form a bit of a pocket. Keep the breast attached at some point to make it easier to handle in the long run. 

In a small bowl, combine the Feta, Parmesan and Pesto. Mash the feta in with the other ingredients until it forms a bit of a paste. Spoon into the chicken. Drizzle some olive oil on the chicken and rub on both sides. Season with pepper. If you didn't read the whole post, feel free to add sun-dried tomatoes to the mix, or some diced up roasted red peppers... I think it would be amazing!

Cook on the barbie for about 8 minutes a side over medium high heat. 

While it's cooking on the bbq, in a small bowl, puree the green onions and olive oil. Add the tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Give a quick stir and set aside. 

Once the Chicken is completed, serve immediately. Drizzle some of the tomato mixture over the top and spoon on some of the tomatoes. 

Serve alongside, fire roasted red peppers, potatoes, rice, salad, but remember to think Mediterranean. Enjoy! 

Roasting Pan

This is probably one of the greatest inventions of life. I have tried to write this sentence about five times now... but I'm exhausted. My thoughts just don't seem to be making connections. I so wanted to write a good blog post tonight, because I'm starting to get a little backed up. I have two great recipes saved up that I cooked last night and I can't wait to share them!

This part of the meal is actually not a food item at all, but simply talking about a good cooking utensil. It's just a simple roasting pan, placed on the bbq, full of potato dishes and other veggies.

We cooked a steak the other night and wanted some vegetables to go along with it. We tossed in some mushrooms, carrots, red peppers and onions. We sprinkled a bit of salt and pepper over the top, drizzled some olive oil over the top, and placed over the bbq.

I know it sounds silly and easy, but that's what made it so great. It's so easy to put on the bbq and take right off again.

That's really all the energy that my brain has this evening. I hope to get a chance to write later tomorrow, but I may be going to have a drink with some of my old university professors tomorrow. Hurray for nerdy history talks over beer! I accept my nerdiness.

Have a good night everyone!

Hudson's Canadian Tap House

Whenever I go out to dinner, I often forget to bring a camera. It isn't because I'm not interested in writing about the places that I eat. It's because I often go out for dinner to eat dinner. I almost never think "Hey! I should go eat at this place to blog about it later!" I'm more in it for the food itself. The camera is often forgotten at home and great dinners go undocumented.

This past weekend, I got the chance to attend "Comi-con" in Calgary. It's a chance for Sci-fi groupies and comic book collectors to get together and share some of their art. I had a friend lend me some comics so I could get caught up a little before the big event, but I still felt a little out of my depth sometimes. However, with guests like Felicia Day (The Guild), George Romero (Night of the Living Dead director), the voice talents of Maurice Lamarche, Jess Harnell and Rob Paulsen (Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Futurama, Ninja Turtles), and probably the highlight.... William Shatner. It was a pretty good time, but we definitely need to find some costumes next time, we were totally out of place in normal t-shirts.

After the expo, we wanted to find a good place to eat before heading out of Calgary. We came across Hudson's Canadian Tap House on Macleod Trail and decided to stop. I had heard about this place from a few friends, and wanted to give it a shot. After the dinner rush has ended, they actually clear part of the floor to become a dance floor, and the tap house brings in more of a late night kind of crowd.

Being a tap house, it is based more on pub food than fine dinning, but it was the perfect place for the night. The food just hit the spot! The food is all given a uniquely Canadian feel to them, and includes food from all across Canada. P.E.I. potato skins, Quebec Poutine, Rancher's Beef Dip and Sault Ste. Marie Chicken Salad are just a few of the items to begin with. Even the beer selection is highlighted with choices from across Canada.

Hudson's is completely decked out with Canadian memorabilia. Pictures of Moose, Beavers and Canadian Icon's deck the walls. It's a fairly well lit area, with gorgeous wood work and a comfortable feel as you sit down. The staff always seemed to arrive just when you would need them to, but didn't hound you throughout the evening. Checking in on food and drinks is always a bonus in my book! And they had three types of tobasco sauce available, just in case you need to spice up the food a bit, although you shouldn't have to.

 Burgers seem to be the specialty on the menu, and they had a wide range of types including Maple BBQ, Ancho Chipotle,  Guacamole Bacon and the Northern Heat. However, the burger that stood out the most for myself... The Champion. A gigantic burger featuring two meat patties, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, red onions, sweet onion twigs, bacon, lettuce, tomato, dill pickles and Hudson's maple BBQ mayo... It's like burger heaven! And on top of that, you can choose to either have beef or BISON meat!!! I LOVE bison meat. It's healthier and tastier than beef, and just having it as an option made me a happy man. The taste was delicious, but the bun definitely fell apart under the weight of that much flavour. Between the amount of ingredients and the juices inside the burger, the buns started to give way and almost forced me to use a fork.

All in all, a very successful trip to an unexpected stop. If your ever in town, and you want to see what Canada is like, you should definitely plan a stop to this place. Friendly staff, good food and a great atmosphere, what more could a guy or gal ask for! I will definitely have to give this place another shot if ever I'm on that side of the city again!

Staff and Service: A
Food and Flavours: A-
Atmosphere: A-

Chicken Tacos from Pueblo

Sorry I have been on hiatus lately, life has become increasingly hectic. Lets see if I can break this all down for you all.

• Finishing the school year at an elementary. Kids AND teachers are both losing their minds, waiting for the final bell to ring and summer to begin. I never gave teachers enough credit for having a summer off, but boy do they deserve it!
• Still working at the pet store, shelving and selling dog food. It isn't a bad job, but it's pretty slow after chasing around grade three's all day. 
• Finding another job for the summer. The pet store can't guarantee me hours, and as schools close in the summer, I wouldn't mind finding some more income. 
• Waiting to hear if I get accepted into the Education program for University. 
• Planning to return to school if I don't make it into the Ed program. 
• Visiting friends and family on weekends for all the planned events. We got invited to four weddings this summer, and have had about nine people get engaged... 
• Dealing with a stressed girlfriend WISHING I'd pop the question (No hints here though! Somewhere between tomorrow and eight years from now...)

Life... Has been busy. Luckily, here is a rather quick and easy recipe for those late night or rushed dinners when you need something nourishing and tasty. It really isn't that different than a normal at-home chicken fajita, but the refried beans add something to it. 

I also don't know why these tacos are in soft tortilla wraps... or why it's important to note they are from Pueblo.. but that's how the cookbook did it! This is another recipe from the cookbook Everyday Mexican. So I don't know how Mexican this food really is... The recipe also seemed a bit bland, so I threw in some paprika and sauted some veggies just to make it a bit more flavourful. I hope you like it.

Chicken Tacos from Pueblo

Tortillas - 6-8
Chicken Breast - 1-2, diced or shredded. Great for leftover chicken too!

Refried Beans - 1 can
Water - 2 tbsps
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Oregano - 1/4 tsp

Other Toppings Can Include
Sour Cream
Avocado
Salsa
Jalapenos
Lettuce - shredded
Onion
Radishes
Cheese - grated

Pretty much any veggie you want to toss inside, you go right ahead!

Heat the tortillas in an unoiled non-stick pan on low heat. Occasionally flip to allow the heat to warm them all evenly. Remove from heat and cover with a dish towel to keep warm.

Heat 2 tbsps olive oil in a skillet and add the chicken. Cook until done, then season with salt and pepper (I also added some paprika, just for a bit more kick). In a small separate frying pan, I also sauted some green peppers and onions, just to add some flair to this dish.

Combine the refried beans with the cumin and oregano. Spread onto one of the tortilla's, then top with the chicken and any other ingredient of your choice. Some lime works wonders as well, especially if having avocado. Season with salt and pepper, then roll up as tight as you can. Repeat with remaining tortillas and enjoy!

Irish Pancakes - Boxty

Probably one of the best recipes of the year. Hands down. It started with some leftover potatoes and ended with  one amazing easy breakfast. I may have just been hungry last night, but I definitely wolfed down six of these suckers in one sitting.

Maybe it was a full moon, maybe it was because I hadn't eaten a big lunch, or maybe it was because they were so unbelievably delicious that they all disappeared into my stomach. Who knew?

Even the making of this recipe left my stomach rumbling. I almost stopped halfway to eat the mashed potatoes mixed with all the ingredients because it looked so darn good, but I managed to hold off, and I'm glad that I did.

This recipe originally came from Neo-Homesteading, one of the first blogs that I EVER started to follow. The author, Cat, has some great original recipes and a wide range of different ingredients. I have a bunch of her recipes bookmarked, but just haven't found the right time to make them! This particular one has been sitting around waiting since she originally wrote it, waaay back in March 2010. I am now kicking myself for not trying this one early... It's just that mashed potatoes don't really last that long around my house.

Crunchy, but soft, flavourful, hot.... just delicious. I will now make a solemn almost-a-promise to eat this every St. Patrick's day. Although I'm not too sure about the Irish validity of the recipe, maybe because they are made from potatoes?


Irish Pancakes - Boxty

Mashed Potatoes, about 3 cups
Green Onions - 1-2 stalks, chopped
Bacon - 4 slices, diced
Cheddar Cheese - 1/4 cup grated

Flour - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1/4 cup

Combine the leftover mashed potatoes, green onions, bacon and cheddar cheese together in a small bowl. Try not to devour it.

Spoon up about a 1/4 cup of the potato mixture. Roll it into a ball and place in a small bowl filled with flour. Gently roll the ball around and then flatten with the palm of your hand. Don't push it down too far as the potato break apart fairly easily.

Heat the oil to medium high heat. You want it hot enough that the potatoes don't soak in too much. Cat suggests dipping a wooden spoon inside, and once it bubbles, the oil is ready.

Fry the cakes until they become golden brown on both sides, only a few minutes should do. Place on paper towel to soak up any extra oil.

Serve hot with sour cream. I would suggest using this spicy sour cream recipe of sour cream, hot sauce and Worcestershire. It adds some punch to the whole thing! I hope you enjoy.

Capirotada - Mexican Bread Pudding

When I first joined Foodbuzz ( a collection of foodies and foodblogs), Mission: Food was one of the first blogs I started to follow. Victoria writes an amazing blog about her home cooked recipes and some of the places around New York. Her food is original and tasty, and her writing has an amazing flow to it that just captivates me. I highly recommend stopping in and visiting her site. 

She has also been nice enough to comment and visit on a couple of the recipes I have posted, which is always nice to a foodblog newbie like myself! Thanks Victoria for your comments!

One of the things that Victoria does on a regular basis, is host a monthly Bread Pudding experience. I always thought there was just one version of bread pudding... but it turns out, it's an ever-changing recipe. There are so many different variations including Pina Colada, Smore and Beet with Horseradish Cream Cheese Ice Cream bread puddings. I mean Beets? Seriously? But apparently it works! 

There is nothing really exciting about my first bread pudding. I caught a view of it in a cookbook the other day, noticed I had all the ingredients, and just waited for another cold, rainy day to fire up the oven. I must say however, that this will not be the last bread pudding I ever make. 

It's a great use of any leftover stale bread, and I may even buy new loaves just for this purpose. My opinion (based off of this one experience) is a high one. Bread puddings are a perfect comfort food. Warm and delectable, these are a great dessert to cozy up on the couch with and enjoy a movie or book. Don't just take my word for it though, give it a try yourself! You can either click the link at the beginning of the post to check out her blog, or click here to see her Bread Pudding of the Month Club page. 

Thanks again Victoria!

Now I don't really know why this is considered a "Mexican" bread pudding, except for perhaps the addition of the cheese. I initially thought the cheese was kind of pointless, but it does have a subtle flavour, and helps lock everything into place. I originally got this recipe from a small cookbook called Everyday Mexican: A Collection of over 100 Essential Recipes. It's an alright cookbook... but sort of... cheap. It does have some tasty looking recipes, but it almost seems like they are trying to make every stereotypical Mexican dish. I never really felt like anything was uniquely Mexican... except for perhaps the refried bean recipe. Perhaps they are just trying to cater to the North American clientele. Who knows!

This was still a tasty dish however, and I would even suggest adding some sliced or chopped apples to the mix. That would help bring out the cheese as well I believe! And serve with Ice cream... It's just a must.

Mexican Bread Pudding

Bread - 10 small slices

Butter

Water - 1 1/2 cups

Brown Sugar - 1 Cup

Anise - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 1 tsp

Raisins - 1/3 cup 

Pecans - 3/4 cup, roughly chopped

Slivered Almonds - 1/2 Cup

Mild Cheddar Cheese - 3/4 Cup, grated

Preheat the oven to 375F and generously grease an ovenproof dish. 

In a small pot, heat the water, brown sugar, cinnamon and anise over medium high heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the raisins and let simmer for about 6-8 minutes. Do not stir the raisins. 

Spread some butter on only one side of the bread slices. Toast in the oven for about 5 minutes until golden, then flip and repeat. Remove from the oven. 

Line the casserole dish with half of the toast. Sprinkle over half the nut mixture, and half the grated cheese. Add half the raisin mixture, including the liquid. Add the remaining toast, nuts, cheese and raisin mixture in that order. 

Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the mixture has set and is golden brown on top. 

Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes

As most of you know, baking is not really my forte. I often mess up the recipe is some shape or form, and often have no idea what happened until it's too late. However, I got an offer I just couldn't refuse.

I work at a school here in Lethbridge, and one of the students has become an avid follower of the blog. He made a specific request awhile ago for these cupcakes. He told me the ingredients he wanted, and what sort of recipe he wanted made. Coconut and cupcakes was the request, and I told him it would do this. He has been nice enough to be patient while I waited for a cooler day to bake. I hate having the oven on while it's nice outside! All I needed was to wait for the perfect chilly day to make them.

The recipe originally came from the blog Persnickety Palate. I found this recipe while searching for Pina Colada cupcake recipes. I'm not sure that the recipe really screams out Pina Colada, but it still tastes darn good! Persnickety is a great blog to read, with lots of tasty recipes and stories on it. I suggest giving it a look!

Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes

Butter - 3/4 cup - room temperature
Sugar - 1 1/4 cups
Eggs - 3
Coconut Milk - 1 can (400ml), reserve about 3 tbsps off the top for the whipping cream.
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Flour - 2 1/4 Cups
Salt - pinch
Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. I actually used a mix master on this, which I have never done. Go me! Add the sugar, and mix together until it is light and fluffy again. You may want to scrape the sides to make sure it is all mixed together. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 30 seconds each. Scrape down the sides again after the eggs to ensure even mixing.

Add HALF the flour mixture (I almost messed up here) and mix on low speed until blended. Pour in the coconut milk and extracts and blend. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix together, but do not overbeat.

Fill your muffin trays with cupcake liners. Fill each liner from about 1/2 - 3/4 full. Bake for about 18-20 minutes. Persnickety has a really great tip here. Make sure to rotate the pans after about 15 minutes, to ensure that the cupcakes cook through. Check with a toothpick to make sure they are done (When you put the toothpick in the top and pull it out, no dough should come out either). Allow to cool for about 1-3 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

Whipping Cream

Cream Cheese - 4 oz
Whipping Cream - 1 cup
Coconut Milk - 3 tbsps (From above)
Powdered Sugar - 1 tbsp
Coconut Flakes - 2 tbsps

Blend together the whole shebang until thickened. Chill in fridge before serving.

Pineapple Curd

Eggs - 4, (2 whole, 2 yolks)
Pineapple Juice/Crushed - 2 cups
Sugar - 3/4 Cups
Cornstarch - 5 tbsps

Combine in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Cool in fridge.

When the cupcakes have cooled, apply a spoonful of the pineapple curd to the top, then add the whipping cream. Sprinkle some coconut flakes over the top for appeal and a little extra taste. The pineapple curd may have leftovers, but it tastes great in smoothies, so don't even worry about that! And I'm sure people can find a use for any leftover whipping cream.

Enjoy!

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

As I write this, I am sitting in my nice big green lawn chair, enjoying the great outdoors and all it has to offer. The sun is shining, the birds are singing... I've been out here for only five minutes and I'm already starting to sweat. I almost can't see what I'm writing thanks to the blinding sun and computer glare, but I wanted to compromise between writing a blog post and being outside.

The one annoyance of being out here so far is this one pesky mosquito bite I have on my right arm. It's just driving me crazy! How can something that's so small be such a pain?

For dinner today, I am having the great old classic burger and some fries on the side. But not just any fries... These are Crispy Sweet Potato Fries. Originally found on the food blog Amy's Cooking Adventure, I immediately had to mark this recipe down as one that I must try.

Now Amy seems to have created this recipe back in March, and had cooked her fries in the oven ( a perfect winter recipe). But now that the intense heat has penetrated deep into my house, the last thing I want to do is set my oven to 350 degrees!

So bring on the Barbie! (I've decided that Australians have got it right by calling it the barbie, BBQ is just so boring). Wrapped in tin foil, or placed on a roasting pan, these fries cook perfectly alongside a big juicy burger. They are really easy to cook, and really easy to enjoy. I hope you like them!


Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potato - 1-2 -  cut into sticks
Eggs - 2
Water - 1 tbsp
Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup
Parmesan Cheese - 2 tbsps
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Salt and Pepper - A Healthy pinch
Olive Oil - 2 tsps

Fire up the ol' grill on high. You want it to be around 400-450 degrees. Either grease your roasting sheet with oiling oil, or grease the fries once they have been placed in their tinfoil package.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and water.

In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and spices. Dredge (Fantastic word usage by Amy, Dredge!!) the sweet potatoes in the egg mixture. Make sure to shake off the excess. Once completely coated, place the fries in a single layer on the baking sheet, or in the middle of your tinfoil. Drizzle with olive oil.

Cook for about 30 minutes, flipping at the halfway mark. Once they are crispy and brown, remove from the heat and serve.

These are especially good with sour cream, or as Amy suggests, with a spicy sour cream (Sour Cream, Parsley, a dash of Worcestershire and Hot Sauce mixed together). These fries go great alongside a burger or hotdog, or any other dish for that matter! I hope you are all enjoying your summer so far!