Every time I ask about what I should write about next, there's always a request to chat about soup. Well Brendan, this quick and easy week goes out to you! Soup can take quite a while to prep, but if you're willing to skip the process of homemade stock, many soups can be very quick to prepare. Broccoli and cheddar soup can take a matter of a few minutes, with the issue of overcooking, and other soup like potato and bok choy are still under 30 minutes. Cooking up a pot of soup includes some easy tips we sometimes may not consider: 1. Buy a pre-made stock/broth - oh no the taboo of not being homemade. Sorry I don't have a lot of time so prepared bases are great! 2. Consider frozen or pre-cut veggies - matchstick carrots? Go for it! And frozen veggies will cook and soften quicker (I find anyways). 3. Prepare ingredients into smaller sizes - the smaller your potatoes or chicken are, the quicker they will cook! 4. Prep in advance - if you can make this happen, chop/dice/slice your ingredients the day before. It never hurts and that way you can chuck everything in the pot right away (or close to anyways). Lately I've been working on my own sick-day noodle soup. Now it's not your ordinary chicken noodle soup. In fact, I have yet to add chicken. I am a huge fan of noodles (ramen and udon soup are basically a staple dish I have more often than should). While the perfect broths take at least a day to be amazing, my quick and easy is making it darn delicious! Don't be thrown off by the bucket list of ingredients. Most of these ingredients you can use for multiple meals if you don't typically carry, and you'll still be done the dish in under thirty. Majority of the time is spent on the broth, with adding the noodles closer to the end of cooking time! If you are feeling something a little creamier, try making broccoli and cheddar or onion and cheddar soup. Both are incredibly easy to make, take about 10 minutes to cook in the pot and have fairly similar ingredients - easy to pick one or the other! I absolutely love making broccoli and cheese soup - it's a wonderful comfort dish, and perfect in those chilly months. aside from the two staple ingredients, milk and chicken stock (or vegetable) along with some other veggies will bring this together in a jiffy! If your taste buds feel like something different, opt for the onion and cheddar soup! It's quite possible many of you have never had bok choy. This wonderful Chinese cabbage is a great healthy addition as a side dish or in a soup. I've made both shrimp and potato bok choy soup, which are both wonderfully tasty. I added spiciness to the shrimp bok choy soup and incorporated more veggies and less spice to the potato soup. Your choice! Try both. The potato and bok choy soup takes a bit longer to allow time for the potato to soften, but both are wonderfully quick dishes! Sure, summer is upon us, but sometimes you just need a hearty bowl of soup! I admit I have canned soup at home, but if I can cook something fast enough.... well let's just say those cans are sitting up there longer than I expected. Whatever your reason, start with a soup base, throw in some vegetables, maybe some meat or tofu and don't forget to season with all your favourite spices and herbs! If you have extra time on your hands, try a butternut squash soup or puréed mushroom soup! Soup's up!
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This blog goes out to my friend Grant, for his request for quick and easy meals is all about yogurt. I go through waves of eating yogurt. I don't typically have it for breakfast, it's more of mid-morning snack for me. That being said, I could use a bit more in my life and so should you. I'd stray away from the mixed fruit and yogurt or flavoured yogurts. Go straight for the plain yogurt (Greek is the best!). Whether you choose non-fat or something more is completely up to you. Let's start with something simple. Just get a cup of yogurt out of that container and add something to it! Buy granola to toss with it, or some fresh or frozen fruit. Go ahead and mix all three together to have a fuller start to your morning. I tend to throw yogurt together with frozen blueberries or raspberries. For a little added touch, I've gone and added some unsweetened cocoa powder. I bought some mixed snack packages from @Nakedsnacks (www.nakedsnacks.ca) and if gave me some good ideas for what you can throw into yogurt. Their two granola packages (one regular and one chocolate) have an assortment of items including, but not limited to, various seeds, dried cranberries, coconut and dark chocolate. You could spend an eternity going through a bulk section buying all individual ingredients or buy packages pre-packaged. I should add stray away from those with additives. Go for organic/natural. If you want a yogurt breakfast, I'm assuming you want healthy, so shop smart. Adding fruit, seeds, almonds/nuts, honey, oats or bran buds (yup I add those for fibre) are all great additions to yogurt. Even sprinkling in some cinnamon or cocoa power can make it that much better! One thing to think about may be - what would you put into a smoothie? Odds are if you add it to that you can just mix in with your yogurt (PB and J anyone?). Are you a smoothie person? Have your meal on the go! If you don't want to prep in the morning, don't! Do it the night before. You may have to give it a stir out of the fridge but it'll be good as new again! When making your smoothie, I suggest always adding spinach. We all know the health benefits of spinach and you'll never notice it. If you prefer, adding protein powder will also provide that balance for a perfect meal. Go all fruity whether it' strawberries, blackberries or bananas. Add some flack seeds or oats, maybe some cocoa powder for flavour and you've got yourself a mighty shake! Get a little adventurous and make a peanut butter and jam smoothie. It works and it's delicious. So.... add your yogurt, then some milk (regular, soy, almost, coconut), then some fruit, seeds and whatever else. Add some orange or pineapple juice or some honey, vanilla or maple syrup. Just use certain ingredients in moderation so you have a solid healthy meal. If you want to get more creative with yogurt, whether it be a sour cream replacement or mixed as a dressing or topping, check out these awesome ideas at http://greatist.com/health/greek-yogurt-recipes-healthy-delicious. Go ahead and mix yogurt with a dollop of mayo to create some seafood patties or egg salad. Heck skip mayo ad mix yogurt with salsa or hummus. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy your yogurt and enjoy it quickly! Eggs. They're so versatile. Eat them on their own. Mix them up in a dish. Serve as a main component with anything! I think most of us forget that eggs can make an awesome, easy and quick meal. I eat eggs every day - 2 eggs over easy with a slice of toast to be exact. People say they don't have time in the morning... well guess what? Neither do I. I like to sleep until the last minute - wearing makeup would kill me! Yet every morning while I get ready I make a delicious full breakfast in less than 5 minutes. Some margarine, some eggs... boom! Breakfast. But why should it stop there? Eggs are great for any time of day and in any form. So you want quick and easy in your daily lives? Let's talk eggs then. And if you don't eat eggs, then tune into next week's yogurt week! I can go to Costco and buy a box of eggs (36) and go through that by myself long before the expiry. Worried about cholesterol? You really have nothing to worry about unless you already have a health condition. I don't think most of you eat them every day, so I think you're okay! The Super Quick and Easy I find scrambled eggs take the most work for this section. If you just want to just crack the egg in a pan then listen up. Breakfast, lunch or dinner - fried egg, eggs over easy and sunny-side up. They take virtually no effort and can be done in about 5 minutes. Add your basic salt and pepper or live on the edge and add some spices. Maybe you want something spicy? Add some paprika or cayenne pepper. Check out some good listings on my Breakfast page. There's many ways you can get creative and step it up a notch! Add some deli meat and make a fried egg sandwich <--the best part is taking a bite and hitting that runny yolk mmm. If you're not a fan, break the yolk in the skillet and just cook it all!. Take Another Five So you have some extra time. Got 10 minutes? Why not make some delicious poached eggs and just skip the hollandaise? (Well...I only do at home as making it is ridiculous). You can make poached eggs simply with water and vinegar. It takes 5 minutes. I think Alton Brown explains it quite well here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/perfect-poached-eggs-recipe.html. You can stop at that with some salt and pepper or add some spinach, meat and English muffins for something more - like my poached eggs with garlic-spinach. I recommend an egg poacher - cheap and quick to use! For scrambled eggs, you know the drill, but why not mix in some cheese? maybe cubed ham? Heck go ahead and make an egg breakfast wrap (for dinner?) with some salsa and cheese. Enter Omelette Mode You can throw just about anything into an omelette, which is why I think they're fantastic as a meal for any time of day. You can keep it super simple with just adding cheese, or use leftovers from last night's dinner to throw into the mix. A few of my favourites include the mushroom omelette, asparagus omelette and bacon and ham omelette. I usually only use two eggs per omelette - I feel it's all about the inside that counts. You can use heavy cream to water to whip up your eggs, depending on how fluffy you want those eggs to be (or how healthy). The timing will vary depending what kind of omelette you make but I'd say anywhere between 10-20 minutes. Master the omelette at home and you'll just be ordering the poached eggs for that hollandaise when you go out for breakfast or brunch! These are just some of the many ways you can make eggs come alive for a quick and delicious meal. You can even make a quick soup and add a hard or soft-boiled egg to it just to elevate the dish. So you have no idea what to make for dinner? I beg to differ. Eggs are a quick solution for when I'm on the go or when I'm incredibly lazy. So jump on it!
Ever bought canned tuna? When they're on for $1 or so, I stock up. Sure, my utmost laziest days may have me having it straight up, or with hot sauce or honey mustard. You get your protein, fish is healthy and it's quick. Okay... that's maybe too quick, but hey we all have our thing going on! I've had days where I've wanted to save myself a trip to the grocery store or just stared at a can wondering how I could get creative other than tuna salad. You could do tuna salad - no judgement it's delicious - buuuuut I'd like to take it a little further. Tuna Melts Easy for lunch or dinner, tuna melts are so quick to make. This baby will take about 15-20 minutes. Now, I don't always want a heavy meal and while you can mix the tuna with mayonnaise, I chose a lighter, chunkier and healthier route. I also never buy mayo. Enough said. I also ditched the bread on top and created an open-faced tuna melt for lunch one day. I wanted something quick and easy to make that didn't lead me to eating something I'd probably regret. You probably have most of these ingredients at home and if not, I think they are all ones you should always have on hand! What you need: 2 Slices sourdough bread (or any kind) 1 Can flaked tuna, drained 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp parsley 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper Salt and pepper for taste 1/4 Cup mild salsa 1/4 Cup diced green peppers 1 Green onion, finely chopped 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast sourdough in toaster until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine tuna, seasonings, salsa, green peppers and onion. Place tuna mixture on top of sourdough bread and add cover with cheddar cheese. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve immediately. Tuna Cakes Burgers, salmon burgers, tuna cakes... made em all. Once again, I scoungered up what I had at home and made a delicious meal! Great for any time of day, eat tuna cakes sans bread or load it up into burger form! What you need: 2 Cans flaked tuna 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 Cup white bread, crust removed, torn into small pieces 1 tsp lemon zest 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp water or liquid from tuna + 1 tsp olive oil 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1-2 tsp dried) 2 Tbsp chopped green onions Salt and ground black pepper for taste 1 Egg 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp butter or margarine Instructions: Drain liquid from tuna cans. In a medium bowl, combine first 10 ingredients. Divide mixture into 4 parts; form a ball and flatten into a patty. Place patties on a parchment paper-lined plate and chill up to an hour (this helps the patties hold together). In a medium non-stick skillet, heat olive oil and butter on medium-high. Place patties in skillet and cook until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with lemon wedges or as a burger or with tartar sauce! So there you have it for this week's easy meals! You can take no time and eat straight from the can or you can spend a few more minutes and make something quite worth while! Tuna cakes and tuna melts - have at em! Cooking doesn't have to be complicated, let alone take an eternity to make something delicious. We live busy lives, and that can get in the way of having even a half-decent meal. For the next little while, I'm going to give you 10 various meals/ideas to work with when it comes to cooking. Making a solid meal under 30 minutes is achievable whether it be for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Through these blogs, you'll see that even I don't always make everything from scratch, many ingredients that really don't take long to throw together or few ingredients that can bring anything to life! Some people may shake their head when it comes to certain items in my pantry. But even I have to be realistic - I have a busy job where days can be long and making an awesome stir-fry sauce from scratch I don't always want to do. Speaking of which, let's start with what I just ate for dinner: Fajitas/Stir-Fry...yes I said both. Basically I consider them the same thing as I don't care for rice and I end up eating stir-fry as is or wrapping it up to eat. Why do I love making stir-fry or fajitas? 1. They're easy to make 2. They include a protein and lots of vegetables 3. Healthy when eaten in moderation Most of these dishes for me contain chicken, but you an certainly use shrimp or beef or tofu. Use what works best for you! As for the gluten-free people, good news, use rice paper for wrapping! I like rice paper as it's far less filling than tortillas. They're completely different and yes I love my tortillas!
For vegetables, my staple items are sliced onion, mushrooms and peppers (both bell and habanero). But use what you want - broccoli, snow peas, shaved carrot; the possibilities are all there. Don't feel bad about buying frozen vegetables. You get a lot and they last (also quite affordable and huge time saver). You can also pre-prepare your vegetables by chopping them, blanching, and storing in the freezer in a sealed bag. When it comes to sauces to mix your ingredients with, you'd think I'd always do mine from scratch - wrong! Sure, sometimes I will, but this kind of meal for me is an easy quick meal, so I do buy the packaged sauces. Check your grocery store in both the Asian or international section or the taco isle. I've bought various flavours of sauces, which you simply add at the end of cooking for a minute. You can also use what you have at home be it soy sauce, hot sauce, peanut satay, etc. If you'd like to make your own sauces, here are a few that take only a few minutes to prepare and to add to your finished stir-fry or fajitas: spicy orange stir-fry sauce and peanut stir-fry sauce. Here's what I do for a quick night before adding the sauce: What you need: 3-4 Tbsp olive oil 2 Skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes or thin strips 1/2 Sweet onion, coarsely chopped 2 Bell peppers, sliced into strip 6-10 white mushrooms, sliced Instructions: Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high. Add chicken and cook until both sides are browned and almost fully cooked (~6-8 minutes), stirring moderately. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add remaining 1-2 Tbsp olive to skillet and heat. Add vegetables to pan and sauté 5-6 minutes, until mushrooms and peppers begin o brown and onion is translucent. Add chicken and sauce and stir until sauce thickens or heated (depends on what you use). Serve with some tortillas, rice or rice paper. Easy enough? There's a quick healthy meal for you! This write-up is a little delayed as I went to the Fish House in Stanley Park during Dine Out Vancouver. This dine out choice was a true bang for your buck deal at a place that makes quite the exquisite food. The Fish House is a fine dining restaurant that looks like it sounds - a house in the park by the ocean, with very elegant décor serving up some mean seafood (and as you'll see other tasty goodies!). From start to finish, our evening here was delightful! While awaiting our starter dish, we enjoyed some fresh bread with a seafood oil. There may not be much to say about this, but I always enjoy see wonderful olive oil and when it has a yummy flavour to it? Even better! I didn't buy it this time around, but you could purchase the oil if you so chose! We started our meal with the Manhattan-style chowder. Packed with delicious oysters and chorizo, this tomato-based chowder won't leave you feeling incredibly full - as would a traditional chowder. If you want the cream base you can certainly order it, but for the purpose of DOV, it makes sense to not fill you up on the first course. This was a tasty spin on chowder! While the other enjoyed the most juiciest delicious Ling Cod Cheeks, I decided to have the Osso Buco. I'm used to having veal cutlets, but this braised veal shank has to be the best veal I've ever had. So tender and perfectly cooked, this fall off the bone veal was fantastic! Lightly seasoned and sauced, I ate this pretty quickly. there was also some tasty gnocchi, vegetables and haystack potatoes that went along with it. An excellent choice if you don't go the seafood route. I'll admit I was picking on the potatoes even after being full... so... good... must... stop... can't... If you order the Maple Chiffon Cake you must have espresso with it! A perfect pair! This fantastic cake was boasting with flavours from maple syrup, cinnamon and what I thought was apple anyways. Served with bourbon strawberries, vanilla bean gelato and rosemary streusel, you'll find a home in your stomach for this deliciousness to go!
Other than the amazing food, the service was delightful and the price was amazing for Dine Out. It's a bit of a pretty penny for this during regular times, but it's definitely worth it! I will certainly be going back! We rolled out of this place tummy's full and satisfied! Fish House... you did your job! So it was someone's birthday on Friday (yup Friday the 13th!) and he wanted us to go try a Himalayan restaurant we had been considering the last little while. This is Gurkha's Himalayan Kitchen! You may easily pass by not noticing that this white two storey house is actually a restaurant! Sure, at night the sign is lit up but during the day, this hidden gem sort of remains...hidden! That being said, we're both glad we went and really looked forward to what the menu had to offer! I'll admit I had to take a photo of the menu as some of the names I couldn't remember for the life of me! The young lady who served us was very nice and helpful with the menu - we asked about a main dish and inquired as to its size if we shared. Following explanation, we went with her suggestion of ordering two appetizers with the main course. This was perfect for the two of us! Apparently I'm too slow at taking pictures even though this was just put down and impatient hungry man dove in right away. We started with Taas - deliciously tender grilled lamb meat, sautéed in various vegetables and spices, all served with puffed rice. I love puffed rice! It doesn't feel overly filling and is a simple addition to everything else. The dish had a wonderful spiciness to it and a fresh salsa-like crunchiness. This did not last long at all. Momos.... super tasty! Then again, I've never had a dumpling that hasn't been! This Tibetan style dumplings we had pan-fried, which contained chicken and vegetables. They were dangerous! Let them cool down! These delightful items weren't overly crunchy, despite they're colour suggesting it, which was great. And the delicious centre? Dip these in the chutney and enjoy! I almost lost a dumpling in this photo. SOMEBODY tried to take from the plate when I grabbed it back, refusing anything to be taken prior! As for the main course we ha an assortment of amazing Nepalese-style food items! There was tender Sherpa chicken in a curry with a very tomato flavour and delicious goat in a more curry powder-like sauce. Both spicy and flavourful, I enjoyed both! Also served were lentils, which were so delicious! The dessert also served with it was kheer, something I wasn't a fan of, but Derek loved! It's an Asian-style rice pudding. The tapioca in it was great, but I think I need to have more to get accustomed to kheer as a whole.
We really enjoyed our meal and experience at Gurkha's and plan to return! Their vegetarian options look quite appealing as well! Gurkha's also does takeout! Either way, enjoy some fine food here :) |