Experiencing Greek Yogurt

Normally when going to the grocery store, I just grab whatever flavour of yogurt is currently jumping out at me. I owe no allegiance to a certain brand, yogurt is an always changing enigma within my fridge. However, a growing healthy craze right now involves the introduction of Greek Yogurt, a supposed super-healthy alternative to the normal variety. Well alright, I'll give you an opportunity Greek Yogurt! Let's see what you're made of!!

The History: The word yogurt is actually Turkish, meaning "thickened". How the idea of fermented milk occurred is one of those world mysteries, and will most likely be impossible to ever determine. However, it happened, and yogurt was born! It has been mentioned in biblical accounts with Moses and Abraham, Greek historians such as Homer, Herodotus, and Pliny have spoken of yogurts healing properties, and the Russian Nobel Peace prize winner, Elie Metchnikoff, did a scientific study on yogurts positive effects on the population. Basically, yogurt has been loved for generations.

Greek yogurt is still yogurt, so don't think I'm going way off base by giving it a try. However, the main difference you'll notice immediately, is the texture. Greek yogurt appears more as a sour cream than the almost liquidy North American version.

The creation of yogurt is done by fermentation the bacteria found within milk products. Greek Yogurt takes this process by filtering out the whey. The milk is placed into a bag that filters out the liquid parts and leaves the body. This would be why Greek Yogurt is so much thicker. Often Greek Yogurt is also made with the addition of butterfat, powdered milk or other thickening agents.

In terms of health benefits, Greek yogurt, like North American yogurt, is a good source of calcium, riboflavin, and vitamins B6 and B12. The key difference in health from the North American Yogurt, is that it's actually a better source of protein, and a lower source of fat and sugars. Even with the reduction is most fat types, Greek yogurt actually has a high Saturated Fat content, which if eaten in excess, can have its own negative health effects. However, finding Greek Yogurt made with low or non-fat milk helps to eliminate this.

Oh, and don't both getting flavoured Greek Yogurt, because you've basically just added a ton of sugar to the food that's supposed to be without. Instead, try adding natural sugars like honey, maple syrup or fruit to sweeten it up if needed.

My Perspective: Maybe I was simply unprepared for the flavour, but Greek Yogurt is initially fairly disgusting after eating only North American yogurt for my lifetime. It's extremely comparative to sour cream, but even a bit more sour. I could feel my tongue puckering after the first bite and it went quickly back into the fridge. I was pretty set to write a nasty review about this particular item, blaming it for hiding healthiness behind gross flavour. But I decided to give this recipe a second shot, and then a third shot for different experiences.

We made (or the fiance actually did) fajitas while visiting my dad the last couple of days, and instead of sour cream we substituted the Greek Yogurt. And you know... it was actually surprisingly good in this dish! Maybe even better than actual sour cream. I was pleasantly surprised.

For dessert, we combined Greek Yogurt, fresh old fashioned honey, and some walnuts. I found this also fairly delightful, as the sweet honey really meshed well with the yogurt. However, my dad and I found that it was better with the honey drizzled over top, as it was almost like layers of flavour. The fiance stirred hers all together and experienced the same wrinkled face.

I had forgotten to snap any pictures, and had left the container in my dad's fridge. So to show some support, they snapped off some pictures of their own, and now have totally outdone me. Maybe I should start sending them plates of my food to get some better looking shots! I mean, look at how beautiful those photos are! Many, MANY thanks to them! So now I'm under the influence of having Greek Yogurt around instead of the less healthy Sour Cream, and perhaps for the occasional dish (Fruit or maple syrup would also be interesting additions).

Have you ever tried Greek Yogurt? What are your thoughts? Which do you prefer, Greek or North American Yogurt?  

Tourtiere

This week I had such an overwhelming need to return to Montreal. Not because it was a beautiful city, or the interesting things to do there, but because I miss the food. I really miss the food! There were so many delicious dishes from so many different sources. And I'm not saying that they were all French Canadian dishes, but from all over the world. However, Montreal just seems to collect some of the best foodies everywhere.

This dish is all French Canadian however, and sadly enough, I didn't get the opportunity to eat it while in Montreal. And while I can't afford a trip back to Quebec right now, this is me living vicariously through my food.

Is there seriously anything better than a meat pie? I don't know... Hot, flaky crust all stuffed with deliciousness, it's food genius! I wonder which came first... meat or dessert pies. Or maybe at the same time? My guess is the meat pie came first, fruits would have been too expensive to stuff inside of a pie. Maybe it's something that needs some looking into. Regardless, meat pies are delicious, and this one equally so.

The name tourtiere actually comes from French word for passenger pigeon, tourte, which was a common ingredient for these pies. However, the protein it was usually stuffed with depended on the region. Fish was common more around the coast, while wild game was more common more towards the interior. This particular version makes use of the other traditional ingredient, ground pork. As mentioned before though, almost any meat source can be used.


Tourtiere

Potato (Almost any kind works, but I just used red potatoes)  - 1 1/2 cups (about 3 medium), cubed
Ground Pork - 1 package (approx. 1 kg, but I forgot to check before tossing it in)

Onion - 1, diced
Garlic - 3 cloves

Mushrooms - 2 Cups, sliced
Celery - 3/4 cup, finely chopped
Beer - 1 cup (I used Red Amber Ale, but I suppose any kind would work. Any stock would substitute too)
Salt - a healthy pinch
Pepper -  1/2 tsp
Thyme -1 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Cloves -  1/2 tsp
Bay leaf - 1

Milk - 2 tbsps
Pie Crust - 2-4

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add the cubed potatoes and cook until tender. Drain the water, and mash the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large skillet and over medium high heat, brown the pork. Once no longer pink, drain off the fat and return to the oven. Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, celery, and all the spices including the bay leaf. Pour the beer over the top, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and let the beer cook off, about a half hour. Pull out the bay leaf, then add the mashed potatoes. Stir the whole mixture together and let cool.

Meanwhile, prepare your pie crust. I still lack the courage to make my own, so I used store bought. This recipe actually has enough for probably two pies, but I only had enough for one. You can either use the leftover meat mix to make a second pie, or keep the leftovers, which are good on there own too. Especially with biscuits!

Spoon the filling into the pie crust, sealing the edges with water. Brush the top with milk and cut steam vents on the top. Place in the oven for about 30-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown. I would suggest placing it on a lower rack to insure the filling cooks. Serve immediately!

This pie is great on its own, but I liked to add a little steak sauce on the side just for dipping. Ketchup is also a choice to go alongside it.

Pho Huong Viet Noodle House

This is by far my fiance's favourite Vietnamese Restaurant in Calgary. She started going to it back when it was a small hole in the wall on Bowtrail. However, because of it's overwhelming popularity, they had to move their location to 17th Ave (3855 17 Ave SW). But that restaurant stayed full as well, so they had to create a new restaurant in Crowfoot (1829 Ranchlands Blvd NW).

Now because this particular establishment is so popular with the fiance, I get dragged to it almost anytime we head to Calgary. And it isn't just me that gets dragged along, but she has now addicted my whole family to it as well. I guess other Vietnamese restaurants don't really exist in Calgary anymore!

Now when I go to a restaurant, or go there often, I really like to try out a variety of things on the menu. I like finding new favourites and trying new things. Who knows what may be unleashed? When the fiance finds something she likes however, it is extremely difficult to shake her out of it. So when we head to Pho Huong Viet, it's always the 2A, a spicy sate chicken soup. And you know, it's easy to see why it's impossible to shake her off of it. It's the perfect blend of spiciness, in a soup, enough to make you sweat a little but not cry out for a glass of milk. It's packed with vermicelli noodles, slices of chicken, onions, beansprouts, all with a hint of lemongrass, and of course, the spicy sate. And it's massive! Only available in medium or large, this soup will pack you to the gills, whether you like the ingredients or the broth.  I've tried the seafood and beef versions, but they don't even compare to the chicken one. It's one of those five star recipes!


Eating there so many times however, I had to branch out. The Vermicelli noodles... strictly average I believe. There really isn't anything overly fancy or special about this particular dish, although it's a tasty one as well (but I've had better...sorry Pho Huong!).  I've also tried the Wonton soup and some appy's, and they are all equally delicious.

The Bahn Mi sandwiches however...are to die for! It's almost a disaster when I go because I can't decide between the soup or the sandwich. The soup is already a massive bowl (and near impossible to finish), and adding a sandwich to the mix is just dangerous. But because they are so darned good, I can't resist sometimes! A short ingredient list, but somehow these are the best Bahn Mi sandwiches that I have ever tried! Instant drool factor five...

The service is decent, but often the staff is running around serving the multitude of guests to stop and pay attention. You have a quick chance to give your order, but any extra attention involves a bit of arm waving. Silver lining though is that they are very quick and efficient. You never wait for food long in this establishment! I was impressed that the recognized the fiance several months after she had moved to Lethbridge with me. Perhaps because there sales went down by 20%...

The decor itself is... pretty nice. Once again, nothing to really brag about, but it's a clean establishment. There are a couple pictures of Vietnam on the wall, but really it's a very casual place to go. Sometimes when its super busy, the tables are close together and you sit with some strangers, but that generally doesn't happen, and you still maintain some privacy separated by menu's and napkins.

Overall, a very tasty and affordable place to go, and I'd definitely recommend it. Watch out for the soup addiction, it's a hard one to crack!

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

Liebster Blog Award Thoughts

I remember when e-mail was the big thing back when I was in Elementary and Junior High. Chain letters were a big thing. You know, the fill in the blanks to share little secrets about yourself. You would also get e-mails claiming "Jimmy didn't forward this e-mail and now he's dead, so you better send it!", which sometimes were sent along just because it was the thing to do.

Even though I was into it for awhile, the lure of those sort sorts of e-mails died fairly rapidly, and any forwarded messages would promptly find their way to my garbage (recycling?) bin. When Facebook came along, the same sort of thing was unleashed. Actually all summed up in this little ditty I found a few years back.  However, I managed to resist this craze better than the chain mail I used to receive.



Definitely not as good as the original Billy Joel (We Didn't Start The Fire), but it was somewhat enjoyable. Along comes blogger awards. Oooh so similar to the chain mail and facebook apps, I didn't want to be swept into including sending awards along to folks.

Except, I then realized that the awards given away was actually someone willing to recognize your blog as something different and worth noticing by others. And lets face it, there are lots of blogs that go under the radar that deserve much more recognition than they are given. So a big thank you to Veronica over at My Catholic Kitchen for thinking of me! She actually sent me along the Liebster Award (German for Favourite), which I will happily accept.  You should definitely go check out her blog, especially her recent Caprese Parfait recipe!

So here are the general rules of this particular award, but no pressure folks. This is just a way I want to show appreciation for some of the other blogs I read. They really deserve it and you should check them out!

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog. 
2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you. 
3. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog. 
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs who you feel deserve to be noticed.

Girl Cooks World

Fearless Homemaker

Becki's Whole Life

Around the Table

Mission: Food

So there they are! I hope that you give them a look because they are definitely worth it! I hope you all have a most excellent week! I promise that I have some recipes coming soon, I'm just a little behind! Happy eating!

Moroccan Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Soup

I haven't really cooked a wild recipe dish in awhile, so with the fiance out of town at a seminar, I figured it was the best time to destroy the kitchen! Enter, peanut butter soup. Now you may be wondering, what sort of person thinks that making a peanut butter soup is a good idea? I mean, there would be so many more flavourful dishes out there, a peanut butter soup shouldn't be high on anyone's list.

Well for that, we need to once again go waaay back into the past. (Cue Wayne's World Time Travel Music) (Actually, you can use Back to the Future's theme as well if you wish, that is equally as awesome).

Once a year, my family would take a semi-vacation to a family friend's cabin. We'd have a beautiful time of boating, badminton, chocolate chip cookies, trampoline adventures and of course, the glorious campfire at the end of the night. Actually, this was the first time the campfire pie was introduced to me! Did you see THAT??? (Inside joke, don't worry about it dear readers). It was always a good time out at the cabin, and I have very fond memories of it, and its residents, even today!

One of the best parts of this semi-vacation, was the food that was served. Between the snacks, happy-hours, appetizers, and late night snacks, I was fairly stuffed from the time of our arrival to our departure. What's a better vacation than that? So one time, I can remember chowing down on a delicious dinner, although for some reason I can't remember quite what it was, but I do recall being absolutely amazed. I even looked at the cookbook after dinner. The family that we visited had also brought up that they had made this really tasty soup...you guessed it, an African peanut butter soup. I had never actually tried it, but I remember writing down the recipe, which unfortunately had all but vanished once we got home.

So now whenever I see a peanut butter soup recipe, I remember that extremely odd moment. It's strange how you can remember those little details, but I can't even remember what we had for dinner that night! I guess peanut butter soup made a profound impression upon me.

(Cue Return to Present music)

So this recipe comes from the cookbook Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen, and I was pleasantly surprised with this recipe! Definitely some tasty undertones and flavours, its not all peanut butter folks! It's also easy and cheap to make, so it will definitely be going into my "make again" recipe collection. I really hope you like it!


Moroccan Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Soup

Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Coriander - 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
Honey - 1 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Raw Peanuts - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 tbsp

Onion - 1, diced
Garlic - 4 cloves, minced
Chicken Broth - 6 cups (Or the four cups in a small container and a cup or two of water)
Sweet Potato - 1 large, grated
Peanut Butter - 1/2 cup
Salt - a healthy pinch
Pepper - a FEW healthy pinches

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the first list of spices. Set aside 1 tsp for later. Set the rest aside to add to the soup.

In a small pot or sauce pan, add the honey and butter and bring to a boil. Add the raw peanuts and stir, until all the peanuts are well coated. Lay some aluminium foil on a baking sheet and spread the peanuts on in a single layer. Roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes. The honey should have caramelized on the onions and created a tasty snack (Good on their own!) Place the peanuts in a small bowl and toss with the reserved tsp of spices to coat them.

Now the soup! Add some olive oil (about 1-2 tbsps) to a large soup pot (I recommend using a stock pot) and heat over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic and the remaining spices and saute until the onions are soft (about 10 minutes). Add the grated sweet potato, peanut butter and stock. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Stir occasionally for about 15 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.

Bust out the immersion blender, food processor, or blender and puree until smooth. For smoother results, run the soup through a fine strainer. Add the reserved peanuts and a pinch of salt and some pepper. Enjoy!!

Cider Grilled Leeks

Leeks are a completely underrated vegetable. How they keep getting passed by everyone in the grocery store is beyond me. Perhaps it is because people just have no idea how to cook them. Or perhaps it is because they are stuffed away at the grocery store where only those looking would be able to find them.

Alas, poor leeks.

For those that have never tried a leek, you are missing out on one of natures most beautiful vegetables. Similar to onions and garlic, leeks are like the quite younger brother at the dinner table. While he's still there, no one may really notice him next to the boisterous onion and garlic. Leeks simply don't have an overpowering flavour when mixed in with other dishes, but have a subtle earthy taste to them. They also have several healthy benefits such as a good energy supplier, cholesterol maintainer, and intestine helper. It's just one of those friendly vegetables, and deserves more than little brother status.

AND they happen to be a fantastic winter vegetable, as they are actually fairly hardy, and can stay in the ground well after other vegetables. I actually was browsing on Twitter, when the lovely Simple Bites posted about February's seasonal bounty. So I had to check it out (being on my seasonality kick) and discovered quite the collection of winter veggies that can be used! Definitely check out this LINK and go check it out! She actually inspired this creation for tonight's dinner! Huzzah!

Anyway, this is a good recipe for leeks served as a side dish. However, they are great when sliced and sauteed in almost any dish. It really is just a good substitute for an onion. Why is it that every dish seems to call for an onion... Maybe it's a conspiracy and most dishes actually don't need them! Except... they smell so good when sauteing, I'm just being ridiculous!


Cider Grilled Leeks

Leeks - 2, sliced lengthwise
Cider Vinegar - 2 tbsps
Sage - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Dijon Mustard - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 1 clove, minced
Olive Oil - 1/4 cup

To prepare the leeks, cut away the roots at the bottom, and the leaves of the very top. You can use the entire stem, from white to light green. The higher you go however, the tougher the leeks get. That's the part you want to trim away.

Add some water to a sauce pan. You want to add enough to be able to submerse the leeks. Bring to a boil, add salt and then the leeks. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the leeks are softened. Drain and cool under cold water.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing but adding the remaining ingredients to a small container and stirring together. It helps if you gradually stir in the oil and not add it all at once.

Place cut side down on a skillet, or grill (good if you want the bbq lines) over medium high heat, and cook for about 8 minutes. Plate, then drizzle the dressing over the top and serve immediately. Goes great with fish or pork chops! The dressing is a good reminder of summer cooking as well, if you are in need of a sunshine reminder!

Oven Baked Onion Rings

I, like many food bloggers, have an addiction to food. This addiction has me checking out a variety of recipes, meals and ingredients for the purpose of munching on later. In order to save all of these recipes, I have created a folder (Or folders) to house all of these creations for later pondering. However, it has come to a point now where some recipes, while delicious, have been waiting around for me to make them for years.

So the dilemma... do you write those recipes off and restart a new recipe collection? Or do you simply keep trudging ahead, building a larger and more ponderous collection? I decided to simply consolidate all of these outdated recipes in its own folder (A little horderish isn't it) and clear room for new incoming ones! Hurray!

However, in my process of clearing away out the old to make room for the new, I stumbled across this goldie oldie. I found this about two years ago and it has been waiting to be created ever since. Really it is one of the simplest recipes, but for whatever reason, always got passed over. Shame on me! But sometimes that is the nature of cooking.

These are found on the wonderful foodblog Comfort of Cooking, created by the wonderful chef Georgia. She has so many delicious recipes to peruse. I definitely suggest going and checking out her creations! I'll definitely not wait two years to try her recipes again! While this recipe is healthier because it's oven baked, the  crackers take it down a notch. But definitely a tasty appetizer or snack! Just don't be so addicted it becomes a nightly thing, although you may be tempted.


Oven Baked Onion Rings

Onion - 1 large one, sliced into rings (About a 1/2" wide)
Flour - 2 tbsps plus a 1/2 cup
Buttermilk - 1 cup (Low fat preferably)
Salt and Pepper - a healthy pinch
Ritz Crackers - 4 cups
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Preheat the oven to 450F. Grease down a large baking sheet.

Place the Ritz crackers into a seal-able bag. Take a rolling pin and roll over the crackers to break down into small crumbs. Add the cayenne pepper to the bag and mix in together.

In a small bowl, mix together the buttermilk, two tbsps of flour and the salt and pepper. Whisk together gently and set aside.

In another bag, add the remaining flour. Add the onions to the flour and toss until well coated. Then one at a time, add an onion slice to the buttermilk. Shake off any excess, and then dip in the crackers. Place on a baking sheet. If you attempt (as I did for part of them) to speed up the process by doing multiple rings in the buttermilk and crackers, the crackers become too soggy and wont stick to the onion. It takes patience, but it's worth it.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the finished rings, then place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Season with salt, and serve immediately. I know you'll like them!

Winter Potato Hash

So about a week ago I went on a rant about how how some folks choose to cook with ingredients out of season. If you seriously desire some mangos or pineapple during the winter months, why not purchase a canned or frozen product? Often fruit that is frozen was done so when it was in its peak season anyway.

There are so many beautiful vegetables that come into prominence during these cold days, and we should take advantage of them! So with my mind still buzzing over my own internal debate, I set out and actually created this beautiful tasting breakfast. This is only a sample of how winter vegetables can be used to create a dish that is healthy and delicious at the same time. I used a green pepper as well for some added flavour, and while not seasonal, it was grown in Canada.

So far this year has been all about food activism for me. When  started to blog, I had the thought that cooking my own food would lead to healthier meals and an actual interest in the ingredients being used. I believe that I have accomplished that, but this year it has continued to grow beyond my own knowledge. The manipulation of the masses by food companies and marketing groups to purchase bad food really surprised me! A friend of mine was eating Cheezies today, and the bag marketed it as made with REAL Cheddar cheese! I was surprised, so I borrowed the bag to look at the ingredients. In fact, it was made with processed aged cheddar cheese seasoning. What is that? Thinking back on that, I remembered that Costco also has "Vegetable fries" that have the same ploy. Made with REAL vegetables really means using dehydrated spinach, tomato and cheese seasoning. I'm sure you can guess the health value involved, but the trick...is that people actually fall for it.

Watching documentaries such as The End of the Line, Supersize Me, and Food Inc. have all revealed interesting and new parts of food industries that I had no idea about. Watching Jamie Olivier have his TED talk (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/jamie_oliver.html) also fascinated me. More people expect that vegetables grow in the back of grocery stores and meat is really created in its packed state.

Sigh, I really wasn't planning on ranting again, but it's definitely something that I have become more and more interested in. If you really have no idea what I'm talking about... perhaps you should start looking into it!


Potato Hash

Potatoes - I used 3 small red potatoes, cut into small cubes (think hashbrowns)

Butter - 1 tbsp
Leeks - 1, sliced
Carrot -1, sliced
Green Pepper - 1, diced
Salt and Pepper - a healthy pinch

Eggs - 2, hard boiled (If you can't remember how to make them, you can click Hard Boiled Eggs

After cutting the potatoes, place them on paper towel and give them a squeeze inside. You want to pull the moisture out of the potatoes so they don't get soggy whilst cooking.

Melt the butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook for a few minutes, season with salt and pepper. Add the other veggies and give it a toss. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and everything is nice and crispy.

Serve with the hard boiled eggs. A dash of hot sauce and some ketchup doesn't hurt either! Enjoy!

Peanut Salad Rolls

I am embarrassed. It has been a solid week since the last time I found a chance to sit down and write a blog entry. Slowly, as the days passed, a gnawing started in the back of my head.

 "Why haven't you written yet?" My conscience would mutter... "What's taking so long?" 
"Quiet brain" I would yell back. "I have school, work, yoga, squash, and a fiance that all demand attention!"

While I've still managed to get some cooking done, my writing has suffered. Take tonight for example! I just spent the last four hours writing out a textbook chapter on Indian Law in the United States by hand to turn in tomorrow(Interesting side note, did you know that Americans are taught that they won the War of 1812? Totally different from the Canadian view. While popular opinion now is that the war ended in a draw... just remember who burnt down the White House. Yah... we did). ANYWAYS, here I am at midnight, writing out a quick blog post just to satisfy both my mind and my readers.

The Superbowl! Right! It happened! And it's pretty much an excuse for all blog writers to come up with some sort of finger food, whether you were a fan of football or not (I suppose Americans can now rub in that they brought the Superbowl to Canada... touche America, touche). So the fiance and I had a few folks over to enjoy the game and whipped up a surprisingly healthy spread. We had roasted chickpeas, tortilla pinwheels, some veggies, some chips (they snuck in), aaand these delicious salad rolls!

Based off the Vietnamese delectable appetizer, this recipe is our own version based off the limited ingredients within our house. Like some of the best recipes, this one was a last minute decision that turned out to be delicious. I really hope that you like them as much as everyone here did! I'll write again soon!


Peanut Salad Rolls

Rice Paper Wraps - 9
Shrimp - 1-2 handfuls, cooked, peeled and deveined
Carrots - 1 large, shredded
Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Rice Vermicelli Noodles -  1 package

Peanut Butter - 1 tbsp
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Rice Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Ginger - 1 tbsp, grated
Sriracha (Hot Sauce) - a healthy squeeze
Lime Juice - 2 tbsps

In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, sriracha and lime juice. Whisk together until creamy. At the same time, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the rice vermicelli noodles and let cook for a minute. Drain and add to the peanut sauce.  Add the cooked shrimp, peanuts and carrots to the mix and toss together until everything is completely coated.

Fill a pie plate with warm water and place on the counter. Lay an absorbent kitchen towel on the work space. Add a single rice wrapper to the pie plate and let it soften for about 30 seconds. It should be soft and slightly sticky. Remove the circle and lay on the towel and stretch out gently. Fill the center of the rice paper from one end to the other with the vermicelli mixture, leaving about an inch or two of space on the side. Fold the two sides in, then pull the top over the mixture. Roll and tighten.

We served ours with a store bought peanut satay sauce and a hoisin sauce. Delicious! The ingredients inside, as I mentioned, was simply what we had available. There are tons of options that you could add, but think fresh! I hope you like them.

The Pinterest Perdicament

I started going to Yoga just a couple of weeks ago. I had actually started doing yoga a few years ago on the roommates Wii fit, but fell out of it since then. I had found it was a great way to start the the day and actually had some great exercises. So when the fiance planned to take a class, I signed up as well. Tonight was my first class...and my butt is killing me!! I'm finding muscles that I didn't even know existed!

The fiance and I actually have very opposite after-yoga responses. She is almost asleep as soon as we leave the studio, and I feel energy coursing through my veins as if I had just downed an espresso! So as she is already asleep, I stayed up the check out the latest food websites online.

However, as I was sitting there looking at the latest photos posted on Pinterest, I noticed a somewhat disturbing trend. Maybe chalk it up to my new healthy body/mind, but I noticed two prevalent themes. I then proceeded to check other food social networks such as Foodgawker and Foodbuzz and noticed the same themes. The first thing that I noticed I'm not going to harp on about... but it's the amount of sugary desserts that everyone seems to be making. So many photos are of cakes, cupcakes, brownies and other sugar-packed goodies. Why do we do this to ourselves?

However, the issue that really caught my ire was one involving food ingredients. This is the middle of January, and several recipes involved ingredients such as Avocados, Pineapples, Peaches, Asparagus and other out of season fruits and veggies. I'm all about satisfying food cravings, but there is a time and place for everything. Growing a peach in Guatemala, flying it to Canada, then driving it another 1500 miles to the grocery store... that's an awful lot for a piece of fruit. There are plenty of opportunities to eat all the peaches, peaches for free, (get that song in your head?) in the spring and summer. Instead, take advantage of the bounty that is around during winter time! Squash, potatoes, cauliflower, oranges, cranberries, artichokes and a lot more! Foodbuzz I can sort of forgive for their transgression, as their monthly item is soup... but the daily one was...you guessed it...peaches! GAH! It's just no help.

Instead of buying food products out of season, which has diminished flavour and an enhanced price, buy the local, seasonal ingredients. Just hold onto those recipes until summer hits again! Anyway, that's all I have energy to rant about tonight. Have any thoughts on the matter?