delish – Urban Suburban Mommy

Apple Cheddar Chicken Muffins

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

You need to read 10 Questions With Voula Halliday to really understand how much this recipe will help with healthy school lunches, but these savoury and oh-so-yummy muffins will become a favourite. Soooo good!

What you need:

– 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
– 2 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp dried thyme
– 1 tsp salt
– 1⁄2 tsp ground black pepper
– 1 1⁄2–2 cups finely chopped cooked  chicken
– 1 cup shredded  cheddar cheese
– 2 green onions,  thinly sliced
– 1 cup peeled and finely  diced green apple
– 1 cup finely chopped baby spinach
– 2 large eggs
– 1 cup milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk
– 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil

What you do:

1 Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray or coat a 12-cup muffin pan with oil.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir in chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar, green onions, apple, and spinach.

3 In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and oil. Add to flour mixture and stir until evenly combined.

4 Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with remaining cheese. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MAKES 12 MUFFINS

You can swap out the chicken for ham or smoked salmon, or you can omit the chicken and make these vegetarian muffins instead.

Just one of the amazing recipes from Voula Halliday’s must-have cook-book EAT AT HOME contains over 150 recipes that show how easy it is to cook fresh, healthy, tasty meals every day of the week, including how to buy only what you will use, use everything you have on hand, swap ingredients without sweating it, and transform extras into Loveable Leftovers so you waste nothing.

About Voula:

Voula Halliday is a chef, writer, and artist with diverse and extensive experience in the food industry. A proud graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, she has presented her work on morning television and radio shows, and was one of the chef experts on CBC Television’s award-winning daytime show Steven and Chris. Most recently, she appeared on CTV’s Your Morning to whip up her yummy Apple Cheddar Chicken Muffins and Bacon and Cheddar Quinoa Fritters. You can view the segment here:

Voula’s first appearance on Steven and Chris came about after she was discovered by one of the producers who was volunteering at a Public School where Voula served as the executive chef and program coordinator. She brought Voula onto the show after being taken by her warm personality and the way in which she transformed the usually mundane and unhealthy school lunches into fresh, nutritious and delicious meals for the students and faculty. Voula’s work has appeared in print and digital formats in a variety of publications, including Chatelaine, National Post, Reader’s Digest, and Bon Appétit.

Roasted Acorn Squash

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

As fall really starts to set in and hearty comfort foods start becoming very important, you may be hitting a rut with side dishes and veggie meals. There are so many fresh fall flavors, but it can be hard to find the perfect new recipe to bring into your repertoire. Between fussy kids and a crunch on time, you need the easy people pleasers. Chef Adrianne Calvo, owner of the highly acclaimed Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar shares a vibrant recipe for a fall favorite: Acorn Squash. It’s a fall staple in our home, but we needed a new spin (and we ran out of maple butter) so Chef saved the day with her recipe: Roasted Acorn Squash + Burrata Mozzarella + Garlic Brown Butter Pecans + Salsa Verde.

This recipe has quite a few ingredients, but it’s one of those “throw it together and let it cook” dishes that isn’t difficult at all. Enjoy!

What you need:

– 1 acorn squash, cut into 4 pieces, remove seeds
– 1 tablespoon canola oil
– 1 tablespoon brown sugar
– ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
– 1 cup burrata mozzarella
– ¼ cup butter, unsalted
– ½ cup pecans, chopped
– 1 tablespoon garlic, slivers
– 1 teaspoon soy sauce
– 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
– ¼ cup parsley
– ¼ cup green onion
– ¼ cup cilantro
– ¼ cup lemon juice
– ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
– 1 teaspoon honey
– Pinch kosher salt
– Salsa verde

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Squash prep: Place the cut squash onto a baking sheet and drizzle with canola oil, sprinkle with brown sugar, and salt. Throw it in the oven to bake for 20 to 30 minutes – or until fork tender.

Topping: In a small sauté pan over medium heat, cook pecans in butter for 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a blender, add the parsley, green onion, cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and salt. Blend until smooth. To plate, add a spoonful of burrata on top of the squash and drizzle with salsa verde. Then, top with the pecan garlic butter. Yum!

Adrianne Calvo is the Executive Chef and owner of Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar, Host of Maximum Flavor Live on NBC’s 6 in the Mix, author of four cookbooks: Maximum Flavor (2005); Chef Adrianne: Driven by Flavor Fueled by Fire (2008); #MaximumFlavorSocial (2014); and Play with Fire (2015), and founder of the Make it Count Foundation. Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar opened in 2007 and offers a varied and rotating menu with something for everyone. Monthly, the restaurant holds its signature event, Dark Dining, where guests are blindfolded for a sensual experience eliminating one sense in order to enhance another, providing maximum flavor.

www.chefadriannes.com

Chef Adrianne

Chef Adrianne Calvo

Southwestern Meal Salad

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Danielle Reid Posted in Delicious Dishes, Domestic Goodness .

Its Spring, time to channel your Inner “Elaine Benes” from Seinfeld, and create your own “Big Salad”. This salad has so many variations, but today we are going Southwest with our version.

Some of you may say that a salad is not filling enough, but I stay tuned as I give you a tip on how to overcome that!

What you need:

Salad:

– 1 head of iceburg lettuce (Romaine can also work here too)
– 1 can of black beans
– 1 can of corn
– 3 chicken breasts cooked and diced (I love to grill mine on my indoor grill pan!)
– 2 tomatoes diced
– 1 cucumber, diced
– 1 orange pepper, diced
– 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
– 1 avocado, diced (Optional)
– Torillia chips (Optional)
– 2 cups penne pasta, prepared (Optional)

Dressing:

– 1 cup ranch dressing
– 2 tbsps southwest seasoning

TIP: Pasta, you question? Why pasta? I’ve started added pasta (or other grains) to many of my meal salads to ensure that the meals feels like a meal! If you ever want to close that kitchen at night, and avoid those “Can I have a snack?” questions 10 min after feeding them a prepared meal, you need to add the pasta.

First of all, kids LOVE pasta, so you’ll get them eating the salad with less complaints, and Second, it will fill them up more.

What you do:

With salads, presentation is everything. Follow this order for a picture perfect salad!

1. In a Large Pasta Serving Bowl or Large Salad Bowl add the ingredients in this order.

Lettuce
Penne (optional)
Black beans
Corn
Chicken
Tomatoes
Peppers
Cheddar
Avocado (optional)
Dressing
Tortilla Chips.

AMP IT UP: If you have the indoor grill all up and ready for the chicken, why not grill up some of the lettuce for a unique and delicious variation to your salad. This works best with romaine lettuce.

Pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat. Slice the tip and root of the lettuce. Spray lettuce (or drizzle) with olive oil spritzer. Place on grill, turning every minute or so. You want the lettuce to turn brown.

Remove from grill and tear up for the salad. Continue on to Step 2!

2. For the dressing, mix the ranch with the seasoning, and pour over salad.

This is a super-simple recipe that can be manipulated to use whatever’s on hand that day. I do this mainly with Caesar Salads and Southwest Salads. It’s a big hit in our home, so I’m sharing it with yours!

For More information on the Products or Other Tools for your Kitchen, contact: Danielle@daniellereid.ca

Independent Consultant for the Pampered Chef & Master Meal Planner

Danielle’s Pampered Kitchen..Healthy Meals in Minutes

daniellereid.ca

Hawaiian Nachos + Pineapple Avocado Relish + “Lava” Aioli

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes, Domestic Goodness .

Savor Hawaii in just one bite by Chef Adrianne Calvo. Big, bold flavors will have your tastebuds saying “Mahalo!” This is an easy, delicious and healthy dish with lots of flavour, it’s nachos with a twist. That pineapple is sweet and zesty, the perfect pairing with blue fin tuna. Bring all the ingredients together and layer it on – it’s as beautiful as it is delicious.

What you need:

– 2 corn tortillas, quartered, fried crispy
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
– 1 teaspoon lime juice
– 1 teaspoon honey
– 1/4 cup mayonnaise
– 1/4 lb blue fin tuna, fillet
– 1 teaspoon brown sugar
– 1 teaspoon garlic salt
– 1 teaspoon black pepper
– 1/4 cup pineapple, chopped
– 1/4 cup Hass Avocado, chopped
– 1 tablespoon cilantro
– pinch kosher salt
– 1 teaspoon lime juice
– 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
– 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
– 1 teaspoon ketchup
– 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
– 1/2 teaspoon horseradish
– 1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
– Scallions for garnish

What you do:

Preheat fryer to 375 degrees F. Season the tuna fillet with brown sugar, garlic salt, and pepper.

In a hot skillet with a small amount of canola oil – almost to the smoking point – sear tuna on all sides quickly. Set aside and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

Wrap tuna tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, which makes for easy slicing. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl whisk garlic, cilantro, lime juice, honey and mayonnaise together.

Set aside.

Pineapple Avocado Relish:
In another mixing bowl, combine pineapple, avocado, cilantro, salt, lime and black sesame seeds.

Set aside.

Lava Aioli:
In another mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, cayenne pepper, horseradish and Tabasco.

To assemble, slice tuna 1/4 inch thick. Place a small dollop of garlic cilantro sauce on crispy tortilla, place tuna on top. Add a spoonful of the Pineapple Avocado Relish and then top with Lava Aioli.

Garnish with scallions and serve.

www.chefadriannes.com

Chef Adrianne

Chef Adrianne Calvo

Fondue Chinoise

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

You may think you know fondue, but if you haven’t tried Fondue Chinoise, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Fondue Chinoise is two meals in one. First, you create a broth in the pot. Then you take a piece of cheese, and wrap the cheese a piece of thinly shaved slice of meat. You submerge it in the broth and let it cook. Give it three or four minutes, then take it out of the broth, let it cool for a minute, and then pop the cheesy filled piece of meat in your mouth and go “mmmmmmmm!!!”

photo: Kae Yen Wong

AND THEN, when you’re done dinner, you throw the leftover meat into the broth. Let it simmer and save it for the next day. It’s the most decadent, best beefy onion soup you’ll ever have. Toss in some cheese topped toast and you’ve got French Onion Soup.

What you need:

Broth
– 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
– 2 big bay leaves
– salt & pepper to taste
– 1 cup heavy red wine (or half cup win,e half cup brandy)
– one beef bouillon
– 6 cups water
– 2 large onions – halved and then sliced into long narrow strips, sauteed until deeply caramelized

photo: Leon Brocard

Meat & Cheese
– 1 pound of cheese, cut to half-inch cubes: Jarlsberg, Swiss or Havarti are best
– 1/3 pound of meet, thinly sliced, per person – usually found in the meat or freezer section

photo: Julien Carnot

What you do:

Put all contents of the broth into the fondue pot and get it simmering for an hour or two. You may need to top the pot off with water if you let it simmer long. You want to make sure that the onions are very caramelized as this will make the flavour really come out. You’ll get the best results by sauteeing the onions slowly, on medium-low heat in vegetable oil.

The fun of fondue (or “fun”due as my brother likes to say) is that everyone cooks and eats at their own pace. The fondue pot is placed in the middle of the table with a burner beneath on medium to keep the broth simmering. You wrap a piece of meat around the cheese and secure it on the fork (you can pre-roll them or have guests wrap up their own). Then put the fork into the pot for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and the cheese has melted. Serve with some crust bread. And wine, this goes great with deep, rich red wine. You can also serve with a garlic aioli dip. It’s great for a dinner party or a family meal – or even an intimate dinner for two!

It’s hands-on and social. Depending on your family and friends, a little stealing may go on, but that’s only because it’s so delicious, and it’s hard to be patient waiting for those little morsels to cook up.

After cooking all that meat and cheese, the broth will be rich and flavourful. Dump the rest of the remaining meat into the broth and let it simmer. Serve the next day as soup, or you can add toasts with melted cheese and it makes the best French Onion Soup!

photo: Jay Kaye

Thanks for the recipe AP. I’ve made it many, many times, it’s always a hit, and it always reminds me of you!

Grilled Prawn and Mango Salad

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

Since you can’t all come down to The Good Son, Chef Vittorio Colacitti has been good enough to let us bring The Good Son to you. When Michelle and I had our Mommies’ Night Out and dined at The Good Son, this dish, Grilled Prawn and Mango Salad was prepared for us – and I have been wanting to go back for it ever since.

“Truth” Dressing

What you need:

– 1 Anaheim chili pepper
– 1 1/2 lime (juiced)
– 2 tbsp Palm sugar
– 1/4 shallot
– 4 tbsp grapeseed oil
– 2 dashes of fish sauce

What you do:

Roughly chop Anaheim chili, shallot and palm sugar. Place in blender.

Blend on low speed until smooth (add a touch of water if needed to loosen mixture). Slowly add grapeseed oil until fully emulsified, then add lime juice.

Mango Salad

What you need:

– 3 large green mangoes
– 1 large carrot
– 1 medium daikon

What you do:

Using a mandoline, julienne vegetables (or use shredding attachment on food processor) and set aside.

Grilled Prawns

What you need:

– 5 large prawns
– 2 tbsp red curry paste (Aroy-D brand recommended pinch of salt
– 2 tsp vegetable oil

What you do:

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Marinate for 10 minutes. Grill or roast in oven until translucent (1 minute per side).

Assembly:

Combine “Truth” dressing and julienned vegetables. Top with grilled prawns. For additional garnish and texture add any combination of the following: cilantro, thinly sliced chili, roasted peanuts, squeeze of lime juice.

Serve family style or in portions.

So, what are you going to do? Make this dish or make reservations – it’s definitely worth it either way!

Mommies’ night out

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Mommy Approved .

We did it. We went out. Urban met Suburban and the two of us got to spend a long, luxurious evening together, enjoying dinner and cocktails at The Good Son recently.

Chef Vittorio Colacitti at work in the kitchen

Just to clarify, it was us – Michelle and Elisa. No kids. No husbands. Just a girls’ night out – a mommies’ night out!

It happens so rarely that either of us get out without kids that it was a bit of a shock. And the truth is, most of the time when either of us gets out of the house for an evening, it’s with the hubby.

Getting out with a friend used to be so commonplace. Before getting married I was out every and any night of the week. Before having kids, a night out with friends or husband was always fun but not a special occasion.

Now, finding time, coordinating schedules, making sure nobody’s kid had a soccer game or baseball game or playdate or cold or a boo boo to kiss or… Let’s just say it took a long time to find a date to work for us both.

It was a Tuesday, and it was spectacular.

It’s hard to fathom whether the most delicious part was the cocktails, the dinner, the dessert, or just the fact that we enjoyed a night out without kids. At least we got to discover the most sumptuous of restaurants in Toronto’s West Queen West area. Chef Vittorio Colacitti was kind enough to have us as guests at The Good Son, and we can’t wait to go back again.

Being that both of us are moms to two boys, there was no lack of irony that we were headed to a restaurant called The Good Son.

If you haven’t yet been, and you’re in the area, go. Just go. The room is gorgeous, the menu is full of flavours and enticing ingredients – and the drinks…

Great staff

With the wonderfully attentive Adam at our service, he left us wanting for nothing – in fact these two mamas had to cut ourselves off after 2 cocktails (it was a school night and, who are we kidding, those kids get up way too early to have a third on a Tuesday night!).

While I stuck with a classic bourbon sour – it went well with the ambiance, the food and the fab company – Michelle got adventurous and Adam helped her find just the right mix on the menu for her cocktail-drinking pleasure. Enter the Tikki Tikki Bang Bang. Trust us, your life isn’t complete until you’ve tried one. Michelle ended up with what can only be described as a sweet one-two punch of tropical fruit juice and good rum. Later on, she switched over to a martini – Yesterday Once More. (We have the recipe for you if you’d like to try one at home!)

We dined the way friends do. As plates arrived we shared and tasted.

Scallops

We indulged.

Jerk Shrimp

Chef Vittorio stopped by, helping us decide on the next course – and the next. Jerk Shrimp, Steak Tartare, Seared Scallops, even a trio of desserts!

No grabbing. No snatching. No complaints. No drinks spilled. No hollering that someone wants to leave before mom has finished eating. No eating quickly to anticipate a restless child or his ill-timed bathroom breaks!

Though I did wear an off-white top which will never be the same after drips of several different foods landed on it.

I always say I can’t wear white because of my boys. I have to stop lying to myself. I’m the reason I cannot wear white. Sad but true, though the wait staff did teach us a great trick with lemon juice and soda water that seemed to work wonders.

You know what you’re missing in your life? A mommies’ night out. We always make time for all of the sports and activities, the playdates and the outings for the kids. Mommy needs some time to herself too. It comes back gradually, as the kids get a bit older, but it’s amazing how long we can put off taking time for ourselves.

Let us know where you go for Mommies’ Night out – we’d love to hear what you discover!

If you’re headed to Toronto, head on over to Queen West and Dovercourt. The Good Son at 1096 Queen St. W. is not to be missed. The 5,000 pound wood-burning oven in the open kitchen is a showpiece, and watching Chef Vittorio Colacitti and his talented team prepare dish after dish is a show in its own right. The Good Son has got a people-watching perch of bar stools and counter facing Queen, while the eclectic and elegant dining room is indulgently comfortable, calm and appealing. High ceilings, low light and lots of great design plus great food, spectacular drinks and NO KIDS! (or bring the kids, they’re welcome too) equals a meal to remember.

For a bit of nightlife, Wayward is located upstairs and has an edgy speak-easy feel, where DJs spin hip-hop and hot beats all weekend. For those outside of the city, Vittorio has just launched Born and Raised. His food and inspiration are as diverse as his clientele, but everything is whole and local and rich with flavor.

Make a date, make a reservation, have a drink and enjoy. You’ll be glad you listened to us!

The Good Son 1096 Queen St. W.

@thegoodson_TO

The Good Son Toronto

The Good Son_TO

Plain as a potato salad

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

Nothing brings back childhood memories of summer family picnics like a good ol’ bowl of potato salad. It’s not one of those dishes that gets made too often during the fall, winter and spring (unless prego cravings!) but come summer, it’s on everyone’s menu.

photo: Fenwench

I’m lucky because my sister-in-law makes the best potato salad. In. The. World.

Seriously. I don’t know how she does it, but there’s no better. She’s got all of the big family barbecues and picnics covered. My husband makes a mean potato salad too, though I’m not super crazy about the celery in his.

Me, I like mine on the plain side. I don’t like eggs so I prefer when the potato salad isn’t eggy or have hard-boiled eggs creamed in there.

(Really, who does that?!?!?!)

Because I’m fussy that way, my potato salad ends up being a big hit with kids and vegans. It’s yummy, but plain. I’m always hearing “You should add…” followed with suggestions from fennel to smoked trout.

But it will never happen.

I think this plain as a potato salad will be a hit with the whole family, feel free to make it a bit more funky with your own tasty twist!

What you need:

-6 or 7 big potatoes
-2 cups Miracle Whip (or mayo)
-1/3 cup onion, very finely diced
-2 tablespoons vinegar
-pinch of sugar
-1.5 tablespoons mustard
– tablespoon salt
-pepper to taste

What you do:

Boil potatoes in salt water until soft. Drain and cool. Peel potatoes if you prefer skinless potato salad, I like to leave the skins on sometimes. Cube potatoes and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients and whisk together. You can taste it at this point and see if you want to add anything. Vinegar for more sour, or more sugar for sweet. Salt and pepper to taste.

Variations:

You can add a little bit of Dijon mustard, fennel, bacon bits, sweet relish, or even turmeric – which will give it a brilliant golden colour. You can add sliced radish, celery, beets or even corn. If you’re an egg fan or you really want to sneak the protein in, mash 3 hardboiled eggs and add into the mix.

Toss this dressing over the potatoes and coat well. This recipe is so forgiving, if you want to add more Miracle Whip/mayo it will be more creamy – or halve it to keep it dry.

Garnish it with a little sprinkle of paprika, some sliced green onions or a few sprigs of parsley.

Side dish. Easy, fast and full of summer.

Hamburger Hamburger Hamburger

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

Lately, it seems it’s not good enough to have a good ‘ole charbroil going on, it’s a world of burger boutiques where garlic aiolis battle it out with caprese relishes and cilantro-infused mayos. Where emu, elk, lamb and bison burgers big-up the oldschool beef burger. My family loves a good burger, we’re connoisseurs, really, and love checking out the big new burger joints. So when my brother started taunting my husband that he’d found the Best Burger Ever, this was nothing to be taken lightly. My brother insisted we didn’t know from burgers until we’d tried The Burger Barn.

This past weekend we made our way out to Port Dover – a beachfront community on the shore of Lake Erie in Norfolk County, about 2 hours west of Toronto. We like long drives and beaches, so combining this with the quest for the Best Burger Ever seemed like a no-brainer.

The Burger Barn, 3000 4th Line in Ohsweken has the Best Burger Ever

My brother was right. We found the Best Burger Ever. Located on 4th Line, just off of Highway 6 in Ohsweken, there is, in fact, a building that looks like a big barn, and it is, in fact, The Burger Barn, and they do, in fact, have the Best Burger Ever. We ordered a few variations – one with brie, mushrooms, bacon and caramelized onions; one with dusted jalapeños, barbecue sauce and Monterey Jack, one with cheese, and one with nuthin’ but the bun – our 8 year old is a purist. The onion rings and the fries are spectacular sides. The bun – that bun… It is standout! Definitely worth the drive.

While we can’t make regular trips to The Burger Barn, the fact is, I make a mean burger. I really do. I may not have all of the crazy toppings, but it holds its own among boutique burgers. We barbecue everything – and we barbecue all year long – and this one’s a staple. Feel free to get fancy with the toppings!

What you need:

-2-3 pounds lean ground beef (regular is more tasty, extra-lean is a bit dry)
– 2 tablespoons salt
– 2 to 3 tablespoons garlic powder
– 2 teaspoons paprika
– 1 egg
– cracked pepper to taste
– burger buns

What you do:

Pre-heat the barbecue. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients. Get in there with your hands and really mush that meat up. Take your mix out to the barbecue and form round patties, about a half-inch thick and about an inch wider than your buns. The actual size doesn’t matter, but it’s always nice to eat a burger that doesn’t get lost inside a big bun. Patties will shrink down a bit during cooking.

Start grilling. At the 4-minute mark give them a quarter turn. After 4 more minutes, flip and repeat. Those grill marks make you look pro, but the turn helps for even cooking. For bigger burgers you may want to go 10 minutes a side, for smaller burgers it will be 5 minutes a side. You don’t want to undercook ground beef, but you’ll have to tweak the recipe if you prefer your burgers medium or well-done.

Now for the toppings:

TexMex: Guacamole, salsa, cheese and jalapeños
French: Brie and dijon
Banquet: Bacon and cheddar
The Philly: A mix of sauteed mushrooms, onions and green peppers, smothered in cheese
The All-Canadian: Peameal bacon, cheddar and maple-glazed barbecue sauce
The Hellfire: Jalapeño havarti, tabasco mayo, hot peppers and peppercorn crusted bacon

Share your creations with us!

Half-time chili for Super Bowl Sunday

Posted on February 6, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

There are a few Super Bowl foods that we can’t go without. This year I’m not able to go to the party for game day, but my boys love my chili, so I’ve whipped up a pot. I started it on Friday so that it will be ready for half-time on Super Bowl Sunday. Not that it takes 3 days to make, but we all know chili is one of those foods that gets better the longer it simmers. So throw the ingredients in the pot and come back every once in a while and give it a stir. If you are going to the party, just double the recipe.

What you need:

-2 pounds ground beef (your choice of lean, extra lean or medium)
-6 tomatoes or 1 1/2 cans tomatoes or 1.5 jar of tomato sauce (more if you like your chili thinner – you gauge, you can always add more as you prefer)
-1 can of kidney beans (white or red – my boys like the white ones and call them ghost beans)
– 4 heaping tablespoons of chili powder
-2 heaping tablespoons of garlic powder or 3-5 cloves of pressed garlic
-1 1/2 tablespoons salt
-2 tablespoons vinegar
-1 teaspoon ground pepper (white pepper is less spicy, black pepper is fine)
-2 tablespoons cumin
-1 teaspoon paprika

Optional:

-1 large onion, diced ans sautéed
-1 cup corn kernels
-1 diced red and/or green pepper (two peppers are fine if you love peppers)
-cayenne or hot sauce to taste

To serve:

-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
-1 container sour cream
-nacho chips
-hot sauce to taste

What you do:

Put all chili ingredients except beans into a pot. Bring temperature up to medium high and stir, stir, stir. Once it’s really starting to cook, drop the temperature down to low – just above minimum. Stir in the beans, put a lid on it and let it simmer.

You can leave it simmering for hours and hours – just pop in to stir it every little while. Each day you may want to add half a cup of water. There is a fair bit of liquid that will cook off, just stir. Each day just put it on the stove and simmer if you’re around.

Chili is ready to serve after an hour, and is really really good, but it’s even better on day two, and on day three it’s perfect! Leftovers are just so good. Eat a bowl on its own, or sprinkle cheese or top with a dollop of sour cream – or both cheddar AND sour cream. You can stir in the hot sauce to your preference, I leave out the heat because my 7 year old hates spicy food, though my 5 year old can pretty much eat fire (like mama!).

Enjoy!

Ridiculously delicious French onion soup

Posted on January 26, 2016 by urbansuburbanmommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

My husband and I have this thing for French onion soup, and many date nights have been centred around trying new restaurants for their French onion soup. The best we ever had was on our babymoon in Vegas. Prime Steakhouse at the Bellagio serves the most rich and hearty French onion soup with Gruyere and Emmentaler!

My version is a little homier and definitely a comfort food with a twist. If I stick with the more plain, stretchy cheese, my sons love this one. It’s delish and fun to eat.

What you need:

– 6-7 onions, sliced – Yellow, Spanish or Bermuda will work
– 4 tablespoons of butter
– 2 tablespoons salt
– cracked pepper
– big pinch of thyme (optional)
– 1 ounce of whiskey (cognac, brandy, rye or scotch will work) (or two ounces if you choose to drink one!)
– 1 pound beef, thinly sliced (often packaged as Chinese fondue meat)
– water
– French bread
– 3 cups of shredded Havarti (you can use Gruyere, Mozzarella or Gouda – mix in Jarlsberg or other Swiss cheeses – you can pick your favourite or mix)

What you do:

The soup needs to be made the day before as it needs a good 24 hours of simmering to really bring the flavours out. But it’s not a lot of work, just a lot of simmering.

Soup:

Slice onions into long, strips, not too thin or they’ll disintegrate. In a soup pot, sauté the onions in the butter on medium heat, really caramelizing them. The darker the better – though don’t let them burn. Add the water, filling the soup pot two inches below the top. Add the salt, whiskey, thyme and cracked pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then drop to medium low, allowing a very slow boil or simmer. Add half of the beef and leave it alone.

You’ll need to allow this to simmer for 24 hours, topping up with water as you lose some. Feel free to nibble on the beef – it’s so delicious – most of it will tenderize and break into small pieces. You may need to add salt and/or pepper, to taste.

Get ready to serve:

About an hour before dinner: Add the other half of the beef and continue to simmer.

15 minutes before dinner: Toast one to two slices of French bread for every serving of soup. With the rich, oniony broth ready, ladle into oven-proof bowls. Add toast to each bowl and cover with a very thick, generous serving of cheese. Put in the oven to broil for couple of minutes. Keep a close eye on this, you want the cheese to brown, but not burn.

The pieces of meat inside the soup are a hearty little treat, and my family loves this addition. This soup just keeps getting better, so save the leftovers for the following day.

If you don’t have oven-proof bowls, don’t worry, you can still make this. After toasting the bread, spread toast on a cookie sheet and cover with shredded cheese. Broil until the desired browning and then place them on the bowls of soup. Spoon a bit of soup over the cheese toasts to melt and moisten.

Mmmmmmmmmmm