Leftover Ideas

Last week I made tasty Chipotle Mango Pulled Pork. I made it using a 3.5 lb pork shoulder. That's alot of meat for 2 people, which meant I had to get creative with the leftovers. Yes we could've just kept having pulled pork sandwiches, but where's the fun in that? Besides I come from a family, well more specifically I have a father who is AMAZING with leftovers. He is that person that always takes leftovers home from a restaurant and makes them even better than the were originally. It's always a culinary adventure at my parents' house because you can look in the fridge and see nothing appealing and Dad will go in there and create the tastiest meal. This is a skill that we could all benefit from these days what with rising food costs and the overall financial difficulties most of us are living with. With that in mind I took on the challenge to see how many different ways I could reuse my delectable pulled pork.

My first dish was something I've been craving for quite some time, enchiladas. The one stumbling block was the difficulty in finding soft corn tortillas in Toronto. I've only found one grocery store between work and home that carries them and I just couldn't get over there before my planned meal. But I recently saw Ingrid Hoffman (on her Food Network show Simply Delcioso) make quick and easy chicken enchiladas using flour tortillas. I figured if they were good enough for Ingrid than I could sure try them, plus I think the whole wheat tortillas are much better for you than the corn.

Pulled Pork Enchiladas
serves 3

2 cups of leftover pulled pork - heated in the microwave or a skillet
1 small onion chopped
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes with onions & peppers
1 small can diced green chiles
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 whole wheat tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil or spray with cooking spray an 11x17 baking dish.
2. In a bowl mix together warmed pork, onions and 1 cup shredded cheese. In another bowl mix together the diced tomatoes and chiles.
3. Taking one tortilla at a time place 1/3 cup of pork mixture in a line down the center, fold the tortilla over the pork and place seam down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
4. Pour the tomato chile mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with the rest of the shredded cheddar cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese has all melted and the filling and sauce is bubbly. Serve with sour cream and a side of black beans.

The boy really enjoyed this, I was less than impressed. I just felt that with the sauce in the pork and the sauce on top the flour tortillas just became too doughy. I still prefer the corn tortillas for my enchiladas but will try to flour tortillas again in a pinch and maybe with a different filling. This was a super easy meal which was my favorite part of it. Even better was that I cooked dry beans all day in my slow cooker. They were not perfect which is why I am not posting them. But another great cost saving measure is to buy dried beans as opposed to canned. They are much less expensive for the amount you get. They take longer to cook but if you make a bunch over the weekend they keep for almost a week in the fridge or you can try the slow cooker method.

On to the other leftover recipes. I didn't take pictures of these next two simply because I was starving when I made each. Lame excuse I know, but it's the truth.

Pulled Pork Panini
makes 1 panini

1/2 cup or more pulled pork - heated in microwave or skillet (just so it's not iced cold from the fridge)
1 thick cut slice of extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of leftover coleslaw (from when we originally had the pork)
2 slices of multi-grain bread

1. Heat up panini press/indoor grill, I have this grill.
2. On one slice of bread, layer pork, coleslaw, cheese and top with 2nd slice of bread. Carefully place sandwich in the grill and press down for approx 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and you get nice grill marks on the sandwich.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PANINI PRESS: This is a sandwich that can easily be made the same way you would make a grilled cheese. Just butter the outside of the assembled sandwich and grill in a skillet over medium low heat until nice and toasty.

I made this sandwich for Saturday brunch. The boy worked late Friday night and slept in on Saturday and I ran errands until he woke up and forgot to eat until I made this around 1pm. Hence my being too starving to take the time to photograph it. While it's just a sandwich with the gooey cheese and toasty bread it was quite a different experience than traditional pulled pork on a roll.

And on to the final recipe:

Pulled Pork Quesadillas with Guacamole
serves 2-3

Pulled pork - I used whatever we had left for this, I'm guessing it was approx 1-2 cups, heated in microwave or skillet
6 whole wheat tortillas
2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
cooking spray
2 avocados - cubed
1 tomato - pulp removed and diced
1/2 small onion diced
1 glove garlic minced
1/4 jalapeno - deveined and seeded and minced
lime juice - from 1 lime
salt & pepper

1. Make the guacamole first so it has time to set and the flavors can meld. In a medium bowl mash together the avocado, garlic, jalapeno & lime juice, keeping the mixture slightly chunky. Carefully mix in the tomatoes and onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Toast both sides of each tortilla until slightly golden. Set aside on a plate. When all tortillas are toasted. Place 1 tortilla on a cookie sheet. top with shredded cheese, a thin layer of pulled pork, more shredded cheese and a second tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas and meat to make 3 quesadillas.
3. Place cookie sheet in heated over and bake for 12-15 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and cut with a pizza cutter. Serve with guacamole and a green salad with lettuce tomato and a vinaigrette dressing.

This was by far my favorite re-use of the pulled pork. I love quesadillas and this method to make them was so simple. I borrowed it from another one of my favorite bloggers, the Pioneer Woman, she is suggesting it for Superbowl Sunday and I inclined to agree. Whether you are reusing pulled pork or just about any leftover meat or using all veggies like the Pioneer Woman it's a tasty and satisfying treat.

Enjoy!

Superbowl Sunday!

With Superbowl Sunday rapidly approaching, I thought I'd do a round-up of different treats and snacks that are great for game watching with a small group or a crowd. Whether you are a Steelers fan or a Cardinals fan or like me a Patriots fan, Super Bowl Sunday is always a great day to bring friends together to hang out and watch the game, the musical performances and the commercials (always my favorite part when my boys aren't playing) and of course eat tons of food!

Below are some treats that I've made over the last six months that I think make great Super Bowl Sunday food.

MUNCHIES

Jalapeno Poppers on the Grill - This take some time to prep and cook, but I promise they are worth it. They are really only conducive to those of us who live in warmer climates and are cool with grilling outside as I'm not sure they'll work too well on an indoor grill.

Balsamic Drummettes - Here's a different take on Buffalo Wings, though you can never go wrong with Buffalo Wings, these are great if you want to offer a variety of wing flavors and super easy!

Zucchini Fries - For anyone who's being a bit more health conscious these are great, crispy with tons of flavor and a great baked alternative to fries. The apricot dipping sauce totally makes them too.


SANDWICHES

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches - This is an awesome slow cooker meal that you can start either the night before or early Sunday morning and have an easy peasy sandwich for yourself and your guests.

Cheddar Burger with Chipotle Ketchup - The star here is the chipotle ketchup. If you make burgers your own way, take the time to make the chipotle ketchup, it's a winner.

Chipotle Mango Pulled Pork - This is a new creation (just posted last week) but it was so easy and flavorful and another slow cooker meal that would be great for feeding a whole crew on Super Bowl Sunday. Topped with avocado or coleslaw it's great.


SWEET TREATS

Red Velvet Cupcakes - If you are a Cardinals fan, these delicious red cakes are the perfect sweet treat for when your team wins.

Boston Cream Cupcakes - I know, I know they have Boston in the name, but these black and gold treats are the Steelers colors and a must have for those Steelers fans out there. Plus they are made with prepackaged cake and pudding mixes making them super fast & easy


Hope these ideas help you in planning your perfect Super Bowl party. Enjoy the game!

Fettuccine Bolognese a la THE APARTMENT

I love movies, from indies to blockbuster to classics, there are few things I like more than getting lost in a movie. Clearly I love food as well, as this blog is a testament to. Well what could be better than when food and film come together, as they do in Billy Wilder's THE APARTMENT. There are just those moments where you remember what the characters where eating as much as what they were saying, doing or feeling. Think of the thinly shaved garlic for the gravy in GOODFELLAS or the armadillo-shaped red velvet cake in STEEL MAGNOLIAS to Bridget Jones' blue soup for her birthday dinner in BRIDGET JONES' DIARY. Throughout film there are these moments and my most recent viewing of THE APARTMENT reminded me of them and inspired me.

If you've never seen it, THE APARTMENT is a great film from 1960 starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. It was on Turner Classic Movies a few weeks ago and will air again January 29th, see it if you haven't. The quick logline is: An aspiring executive (Lemmon) rents his apartment to his bosses for thier trysts with their mistresses to then end up falling for the top boss' mistress (MacLaine). For me one of the most memorable scenes is when Fran (MacLaine) shows up at C.C.'s (Lemmon) apartment and C.C. is cooking spaghetti with meat sauce and using his tennis racket to drain the spaghetti. It just stuck with me, from the food to the fact that it was also a turning point in the movie. As a result, I decided to make a pasta with meat sauce in honor of the film. I jazzed mine up a bit from striaght spaghetti and meat sauce to Fettuccine Bolognese.

Fettuccine Bolognese

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 carrot - peeled and chopped
1 small onion - chopped
3 cloves of garlic - minced
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb lean ground pork
1 can tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
salt & pepper
pinch of sugar
1 lb of whole wheat fettuccine - cooked to al dente
fresh grated parmigiano

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the saucepan is heated saute garlic, onions, carrots and crushed red pepper until onions are translucent and carrots have softened. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
2. Push vegetables to the edges of the pan and add in the ground beef and pork to brown. Once meat has browned add in tomato paste, basil, oregano, slat & pepper. stir to combine and simmer on medium low for 5 minutes.
3. Add red wine and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine and saute over medium low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste and sugar a pinch at a time to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
4. Serve over cooked fettuccine, topped with parmigiano and fresh cracked pepper.

This sauce was so thick (almost a ragu) and rich and full of tomato flavor, which was exactly what I was going for. the carrots add a nice element of sweetness that counter balances the spice or the red pepper and the acidity of the tomato nicely. I added a pinch more of sugar, but it all depends on taste. I'm happy with this movie inspired dish. Stay tuned as I have one more APARTMENT inspired dish coming later in the week. Enjoy!

Creamy Bell Pepper Pasta

This recipe came about as a result of a pasta craving and having a few peppers that were just about to go off. Throw in some chicken and a green salad and you've got a complete meal and a Phase 2 friendly meal at that!

Creamy Bell Pepper Pasta
serves 2

2 bell peppers (I used a red and an orange)
1 clove garlic - minced
1 small onion - chopped
3 or more Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp plain yogurt
1/4 cup chicken stock or water (you won't like need it all)
1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 box whole wheat farfalle (or whichever pasta shape you like)
Salt & Pepper
Parmigiano Reggiano - optional

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Wash, seed and devein the peppers and cut into a 1-2 inch dice. Wash chicken breasts and trim of any excess fat.
2. Cover 1/2 of a baking sheet with aluminum foil, turning the edges up to make a makeshift container. Spread the bell peppers on the aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat. On the other side of the baking sheet place the chicken breasts, again drizzling with olive oil, salt & pepper.
3. Roast Chicken and peppers for approximately 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the peppers have some nice browned bits. While the chicken is roasting heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium to medium low heat and slowly saute the garlic and onions until the onions are golden brown, being careful not to brown the garlic.
4. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions. When the peppers and chicken are done roasting remove from oven. Add peppers to sauce pan with onions and garlic and remove from heat. Remove chicken to a plate and shred using 2 forks.
5. Using an immersion blender blend the vegetables and yogurt in the sauce pan, adding chicken stock or water 1 Tbsp at a time, as necessary. I wanted a thick and creamy sauce, so I only used 1-2 Tbsp of stock. Add the oregano and a touch more salt and pepper, mix to combine. Add chicken and pasta to pepper sauce tossing to combine. Serve garnished with Parmigiano Reggiano shavings and lots of fresh cracked black pepper.

This was another easy weeknight meal. It took about 40 minutes but is something that could easily be modified for a seriously quick meal if you used a roasted chicken from the grocery store and jarred roasted peppers. It was quite tasty and a twist on a traditional pasta and red sauce. The boy got a really tasty Parmigiano from a new cheese shop here in Toronto called Chabichou. I didn't get to make the trip with him but am dying to get in there to taste some of their cheese and sample their grilled cheese which is supposed to be phenomenal. I really enjoyed munching on the Parmigiano on it while I cooked and also topping my pasta with it. If you don't have access to a great Parmigiano, I'd suggest topping this with a nice crumbled feta. It's got a really nice Greek flavor with the roasted peppers and oregano and I think a feta would also work nicely. Enjoy!

Chipotle Mango Pulled Pork

Now let me start of by saying this is not the most SB Friendly meal. It's not the worst, but the SB Diet generally tells you to stay away from fattier cuts of meat, i.e. pork shoulder. I supposed I could've have made this with a pork tenderloin but it just didn't seem to be the best use of pork tenderloin, plus pork shoulder was on sale last week and I'm a sucker for a sale especially when it's something that I know I can use the leftovers for another fabulous meal (stay tuned for this pulled pork in another dish this weekend). That being said I think I did a good job, save for the cut of meat in keeping this as a fairly healthy meal otherwise.

Now that I've cleared my conscious about my little diet break, let me say that I think this is the perfect recipe for this blog. Why, you ask? Well because it is a wonderful combination of spicy and sweet and a great homage to all things Piccante Dolce. This one is my own and completely a function of what we had in the house and what was on sale this past week (pork shoulder and mangoes). Chipotle peppers are one of my favorites because they add a nice mellow heat to everything. They are the kind of canned ingredient I always have on hand (along with canned tomatoes and white beans) and I just thought would go perfectly with mango. Here you go:

Chipotle Mango Pulled Pork

1 3-4 lb pork shoulder - trimmed of any excess fat (trying to be SB conscious)
1 - 2 large mangoes - cubed
1 large onion - diced
4 cloves of garlic - minced
2-4 chipotle chilis canned in adobo - seeded deveined and chopped (depending on how much heat you want)
1 Tbsp adobo from the canned chilis
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup whiskey
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp mustard powder
salt & pepper
buns or bread of your choice
sliced avocado for garnish - optional

1. Place pork shoulder in slow cooker and cover with vinegar, ketchup, whiskey, mango, onions, garlic, chilis, adobo and spices. Set to cook for 8 hours on high.
2. At the end of the cook time, carefully remove the pro shoulder from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and stir with the remaining liquid.
3. Serve on toasted buns topped with sliced avocado and cole slaw on the side.

This was such and easy meal and perfect for a day I knew I'd be working late. I threw it all in the slow cooker before work and hen I got home I shredded the pork while the boy threw together the cole slaw (SB friendly slaw). I think the cole slaw would be great on the sandwiches but we both really wanted to just get the flavor of the pork, so opted for it on the side.

Boy did the pork have serious flavor! It was pretty spicy but in that nice mellow chipotle way. If you are sensitive to spice I'd suggest using only 2 or 3 peppers, I used 4 and we both loved it. The boy thought the heat was perfect (it was one of the first things he said). I only used 1 mango and kicked myself for not add the 1/2 I had leftover after making mango salsa a few nights earlier. There was a definite sweetness to the pork but I would've liked just a bit more mango flavor [NOTE: THE NEXT DAY THE PORK HAD THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF SWEETNESS AND SPICE, SO I TAKE BACK MY COMMENT ABOUT ADDING MORE MANGO]. But all in all this was a winner with layers of flavor a mild sweetness at first followed up with the spice and heat. Since we aren't eating a ton of carbs at home I opted not to buy buns just for this one meal and we just used toasted whole grain bread (Dempsters Ancient Grains is awesome!) for our sandwiches. I topped the sandwiches with some sliced avocado and found that it offered just the right amount of freshness to really balance out the spicy sweet pork. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Turkey Sausage Hash

This is a dish that my sister makes. It's something she saw Rachel Ray make on 30-minutes meals and just kind of threw it together based on that, not following any specific recipe. Since we were allowed starchy foods this week I decided to feed my craving for this tasty breakfast for dinner. When I emailed my sis asking for the recipe, she said there wasn't one and just listed off the ingredients she uses. Here is my version, I think it was pretty good although nothing ever tastes as good as when someone else makes it for you!

Sweet Potato & Turkey Hash
serves 2

2-3 turkey sausage - meat removed from the casing
1 sweet potato - sliced in discs and each disc cut in half
1/2 red onion diced
2 tsps ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 handful of fresh cilantro - roughly chopped
1/2 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2% milk cheddar)
4 eggs - I prefer Eggland's Best - sadly my stash of eggs I brought back from the states is almost gone!
mango salsa (recipe below) - optional

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage to skillet and saute until browned.
2. Add sweet potato, onion, cumin, chili powder, salt & pepper. Lower heat to medium low and cover cooking until the potatoes are cooked all the way thorough, turning occasionally.
3. When the potatoes and sausage have cooked through, stir in the chopped cilantro and dump the whole mixture onto a large plate of platter. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and cover loosely with aluminum foil, to melt cheese and keep the has warm while you cook your eggs.
4. Cook eggs as desired, I like mine over easy my sis always had hers scrambled.
5. Serve 1/2 of the hash topped with 2 eggs and mango salsa (or any other salsa of your choosing)

Mango Salsa

1/2 fresh mango - diced
1 slice large red onion - diced
1 garlic clove - minced
small handful fresh cilantro - roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 jalapeno - finely diced
juice of one lemon or lime (I only had lemons on hand so that's what I used)
salt & pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently toss to combine. Let sit for at least 30 mins for the flavors to meld.


This dish is technically South Beach friendly, although your should probably have a side salad or a side of green veggies along with it. The sis always topped it with the fresh mango salsa you can buy at the grocery store in LA, we really liked Santa Barbara Mango & Peach salsa. That's not available in my grocery store in Toronto and since mangoes were on sale last week I just made my own. I threw it together as the hash was cooking and was very pleased with the results. I'll use lime juice next time, but the lemon was quite good in a pinch. While you can also use a fresh tomato salsa as a topper, the sweetness of the mango really compliments the spice in the hash and I recommend using it if it's available at the store or you want to make your own.

This meal is perfect for anything from breakfast to brunch to dinner. It's great on a cold day as it's really hearty and a twist on my favorite corned beef hash (quite a bit healthier too). The boy liked it, which is always the big test when I make things that are outside his comfort zone, and I hope you will too. Enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal Bread

We are into Phase 2 of South Beach, which means working back in the whole grains and fruits. I may have jumped the gun a bit in the baking frenzy I had on Sunday, since this week is only 1 fruit and 1 whole grain per day. But I made Banana Bread with Cinnamon Sugar topping for the folks in the office and just had to make a Banana Bread that I could eat at home. So I went for an Oatmeal Banana Bread. I tweaked the recipe slightly to make it even more SB friendly. It's so very tasty and is perfect to eat right before boot camp for then energy boost I need to get through the class.


Banana-Oatmeal Bread
adapted from recipezaar.com

1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat flour) 2/3 cup sugar (I used Splenda granulated for baking)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup oats (plus extra to sprinkle on top)
1 cup mashed banana
1/3 cup buttermilk (I used non-fat plain yogurt)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I subbed Sunsweet Lighter Bake)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. (I used 9x5 loaf pan, spray it with cooking spray and then lined it with parchment paper, letting some paper hang over, it made it much easier to get the loaf out of the pan)
2. Combine dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Combine banana, buttermilk (yogurt), oil (Lighter Bake), vanilla, and eggs in a small bowl or measuring cup.
4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
5. Spoon batter into the prepared pan (and sprinkle a handful of oats on top) and bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool on a wire rack, in the pan, for about 15 minutes (I left mine in longer and it was fine).
7. Remove the bread from the pan after 15 minutes and cool thoroughly on the rack.



This is a tasty and very hearty bread. If you are doing South Beach remember to limit yourself to just one slice, but that's truly all you need to fill you up. This one is definitely going to be a regular in our house moving forward. Enjoy!

And now for a word from our sponsors...

Not actually a word from our sponsors, more of a shout out for a friend of mine who just posted her first blog/column on sweetspot.ca. It's Canada's answer to Daily Candy and is pretty great. My good friend and writer Andrea is their newest blogger. Check out her first post here.

On another non-recipe note, I'm starting to brainstorm a new project and am on the hunt for any and all movies that have either memorable scenes involving food or are about food. If you have any thoughts post here or email me a piccantedolce [at] blogspot [dot] com

Thanks!

Chicken Mole

One of my favorite Mexican sauces is mole. This little Mexican place around the corner from my old job made the best chicken enchiladas with mole sauce. I miss them terribly. If you are unfamiliar with what mole is you can check out the Wikipedia page. The mole sauce I know and love is more technically called a mole poblano and according to Wikipedia is:

"Mole poblano is prepared with dried chili peppers (commonly ancho, pasilla, mulato and chipotle), ground nuts and/or seeds (almonds, indigenous peanuts, and/or sesame seeds), spices, Mexican chocolate (cacao ground with sugar and cinnamon and occasionally nuts), salt, and a variety of other ingredients including charred avocado leaves, onions, and garlic. Dried seasonings such as ground oregano are also used. In order to provide a rich thickness to the sauce, bread crumbs or crackers are added to the mix."

In an effort to stick to my diet but still feed cravings for tasty Mexican I decided to make a South Beach approved Chicken Mole, it incorporates several of the elements in a traditional mole poblano but is obviously tweaked to be SB friendly. It's a pretty solid dish and easy to make, but it was not my favorite and I'm posting it as a work in progress that I plan to tweak it to make the ultimate mole. Suggestions are welcome!

Chicken Mole
from the South Beach Diet Cookbook
1 1/4 lb. chicken breast tenders (I used 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts)
Salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped (I used a red bell pepper)
1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves (Since I only had whole cloves, I just crushed them with my mortar & pestle)
1/2 can (7 1/4 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp unsweetened natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 scallion, chopped

1. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with olive oil cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 8 minutes, turning once, or until browned on both sides. Remove the chicken to a large plate.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the chili powder, cinnamon, and cloves and cook for 1 minute.
3. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the tomatoes (with juice), peanut butter, and cocoa powder and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer, stirring every few minutes, for 25 minutes, turning once, or until the chicken is no longer pink.

I think I will try to just make the sauce from this a few more times to get the spices just right. I think it could use some chipotle chile to give it a bit more heat and I may sub in some allspice instead of cloves next time and try using some oregano. If you try it and/or have any suggestions. I'd love to hear them. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies

We have finally made it to Phase 2 of South Beach! Finally some real desserts (in moderation of course) are allowed. Now I'm not going to pretend I didn't cheat with a piece of toast or 2 last week. The intensity of the boot camp I have been doing made it really tough to cut out all carbs and there were two days last week that I after my workout I needed a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Once I realized it wasn't just a craving but my body needed the food, as in I got all tired and cranky I decided a cheat like that was ok.

Moving on. Phase 2 yummy South Beach approved Peanut butter & Jelly cookies. These are super easy and oh so yummy. My sister first made this recipe when I was back in LA and they are extremely satisfying if you have a sweet tooth and are craving a sweet treat. Remember to keep the serving to just 2 cookies. But paired with a glass of iced cold skim milk they are the perfect post dinner treat.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies
from the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook

3/4 cup granular sugar substitute
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy trans-fat-free peanut butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar-free jam, any flavor

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix sugar substitute, egg, and vanilla with an electric mixer set on low for 3 minutes. Add peanut butter and baking soda. Mix on medium until dough comes together, about 30 seconds.
3. Form dough into 24 (2-teaspoon) balls and place on baking sheet 1 inch apart. Gently press your thumb into the center of each to make an indentation. Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon jam.
4. Bake until lightly browned on the bottom, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I used Smuckers Sugar-Free Apricot jam for my cookies because it was all we had in the house. The boy wasn't thrilled of the idea of apricot jam with peanut butter, preferring raspberry or strawberry, so he asked that I leave it off of some of the cookies. I did but we both concluded that they are much to dry with out the dollop of jam and as I suspected were very tasty with the apricot. Next time I'll make sure to have a few types of jam around just so I can make a variety. Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli

I've been working fairly late the past few weeks and it's likely to get later as time goes on. As a result, I'm always on the look out for healthy meals that I can make quickly when I get home OR stuff the boy can throw in the oven. Now that's not to say the boy can't cook, he's actually a really great cook. But I'm the one who wants to be more conscious about eating healthy food, so I'm the meal planner and I generally like to do the cooking. The late nights make it hard though, which is why anything that's quick and easy is optimal. Well, this is the ultimate easy weeknight meal. From prep to table in 30 minutes. It was inspired by this article in the New York Times. The oven roasting is the key with this dish. It gives the broccoli and shrimp alot of flavor with so little effort.

Oven Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli
Adapted from The New York Times January 9, 2009

1-2 lbs large shrimp - washed
2 heads or more of broccoli - approx 3 cups or bite sized florets
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp fennel seed
2 cloves of garlic - smashed and cut in half
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp garlic oil (I used garlic grapeseed oil)
Zest from 1 lemon
2 tsp citrus oil or plain extra virgin olive oil
Fresh cracked pepper
Salt
Lemon juice - enough from 1/2 a lemon


1. Preheat the oven to 425F. On a large baking sheet toss broccoli florets with cumin seed, fennel seed, garlic, olive oil, garlic oil, salt and a ton of freshly cracked pepper.
2. As the broccoli is roasting toss the shrimp with lemon zest, citrus oil, salt & pepper. After the broccoli has roasted for 10 minutes, add the shrimp to the baking sheet. Turn the shrimp once, after 3-4 minutes. Roast until the shrimp become pink and opaque, watching carefully so as not to overcook. This should take 7-10 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and toss with the lemon juice before serving.

This dish is a winner all around. Both the boy and I liked it, it was quick, easy and healthy AND it is so flavorful. The roasting brings out the flavors of the spices and makes it taste like something you slaved over, when in fact it takes 30 mins to prepare all in. What more can you ask for?

This recipe makes enough for 2-3 people, depending on how much people eat. You could stretch it even further if you served it with some brown rice. But it truly doesn't need anything else. Enjoy!

Pork Chops with Orange Onion Marmalade

This is not an actual South Beach dish but it is one that has ingredients in it that are all approved for Phase 2. It was inspired by this Giada Delaurentiis recipe. The flavors sounded good but I wanted to make my own quicker version. The method is similar but can be done in under an hour making it much easier for a week night meal.

Pork Chops with Onion Orange Marmalade
Inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis
serves 2

PORK
2 boneless pork loin chops
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary - chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
1 Tbsp garlic grapeseed oil

ONIONS
2 medium onions thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter (I used I Can't Believe It's not Butter Light to be South Beach friendly)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried thyme
2 1/2 Tbsp Orange Marmelade (I use Sugar-Free to be South Beach friendly)
salt & pepper

1. In a non-reactive bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper. Place pork chops in the marinade and let let sit for 10-20 mins, while you begin to prep and cook the onions.
2. In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat. Add sliced onions and lower heat to medium. Let cook until onions begin to soften. Add salt, pepper, thyme and balsamic. When onions begin to get translucent add 2 Tbsp of orange marmalade. Let continue to cook covered over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Heat garlic oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Press some of the garlic cloves and rosemary from the marinade into the pork and then add it to the heated skillet. Cook approx 7-8 minutes per side until cooked all the way through and a nice caramelized crust appears.
4. Remove pork from skillet to individual plates or serving platter. Mix remaining 1/2 Tbsp of orange marmalade into onions and serve atop pork.

The orange marmalade in this recipe makes it more of a Phase 2 dish, so I cheated a bit in making it while still in Phase 1 of South Beach. But it's so tasty and something I haven't made in awhile, that I couldn't resist, plus I knew it would pass the boy's test for a tasty dinner which has been tough while on this diet. It was a staple while I was living with my sister and something we both really enjoy. The one change I made was to pan fry the chops, as opposed to grill them and that was merely because we are in the middle of a serious cold spell and have no gas for the grill. Using the garlic oil to pan fry them added lovely flavor and when I am bale to use the grill I think I will try to incorporate it into the marinade. Enjoy!

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

This is a severely delayed recipe as it was something I came up with over the holidays. But it has turned out to be quite appropriate for my current diet. These homemade turkey sausage patties are so delicious and easy to make. Since you are making them yourself you know exactly what is in your sausage and can control everything, since I made these pre-diet, I used pure maple syrup, but you can easily sub in Sugar-free maple syrup for a tasty South beach diet appropriate sausage.

Breakfast Sausage

1 lb ground turkey
1 tsp ground sage
2 tsp fennel seeds - toasted
pinch of chili flake
pinch of cayenne cayenne
4 tsp pure maple syrup
salt & pepper (to taste)
1 Tbsp olive oil

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the fennel seed. Don't let the seeds brown very much at all, just heat them turning occasionally until the kitchen begins to smell like fennel. Remove from heat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the spices, the ground turkey and maple syrup. It works best to just get your hands down and dirty for this and mix it by hand. Form the turkey mixture into small patties.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place as many patties as will fit, leaving room between to flip, in the heated skillet. Cooking approximately 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked all the way through.

The boy is primarily a pork sausage kind of guy, but these are so flavorful with a hint of spice and sweet that he really enjoyed them. They are great with eggs and would be tasty on a homemade biscuit for a tasty sausage biscuit breakfast sandwich, way better tasting and for you that McDonald's Sausage Biscuit (i'm actually looking for a whole grain biscuit recipe to try out in the next phase of my diet, post in the comments if you have one). If you make more that you need just freeze them and re-heat as needed, for a quick week day breakfast.

Salad Time!

As I've mentioned in a few of my posts I'm on the South Beach Diet right now. Phase 1 is a killer! This salad is not Phase 1 friendly (because of the Pomegranate) but it's something I made a few weeks ago that I just haven't had time to post until now. It's so ridiculously easy and so tasty, I can't wait until next weekend when I can make it again.

The key to this salad is the dressing. It's a Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette but made with ingredients I bought at Taste the 4th Sense on the Danforth in Toronto. The Blueberry Balsamic is actually one of their Zests. Click here on their site to get a full explanation of what a Zest is. My short version is: it's a vinegar that is mixed with herbs and seasonings so all you need to make a dressing is 2 parts oil to every 1 part zest. It couldn't be easier!

More on Taste, it's this fabulous store here in Toronto that specializes in mostly local-made products. My favorites are the oils, vinegars and zests, but they also have an amazing collection of hot sauces, mustards and fun condiments. Whenever we go in there is always something new and they encourage tasting of EVERYTHING, another high point for me! A really cool thing for those of you not in the Toronto area is that you can order online and they ship internationally. I highly recommend the products featured in this recipe and a recent purchase of ours, the Garlic Grapeseed Oil is amazing on a Caprese salad. A fave of the boy's and my father's is the Scorned Woman Mustard, you have to email them to order it but it's worth it. Enough gushing about this place that doesn't even know I exist or am writing about them! Onto the recipe:

Chicken & Pomegranate Salad with a Blueberry Vinaigrette
(note most measurements are approximate)
serves 1 as an entree or 2 as a side

SALAD
2 handfuls of mixed field greens
1/2 cup of shredded chicken (I used a roasted chicken I bought at the grocery store you can also just oven roast 1 boneless skinless chicken breast on 375F for 20-30 minutes with salt, pepper & olive oil)
6 grape tomatoes - halved
1 Tbsps pomegranate seeds (for an easy way to procure those pesky pomegranate seeds check out this post over at Steamy Kitchen)
1 Tbsp chopped walnuts

DRESSING
1 Tbsp Blueberry Balsamic Zest (click here to order)
2 Tbsp Citrus Grapeseed oil (click here to order)

1. In a small bowl add the Balsamic Zest. Evenly pour in the oil as you constantly whisk the mixture to combine.
2. In a salad bowl toss the greens, tomatoes, chicken and walnuts with the dressing. Place salad on a serving plate or in a bowl and top with the pomegranate seed and walnuts.

Now if you don't want to wait to ship the specific oil and vinegar I used and aren't anywhere near Toronto, I do think this salad can be just as good with a straight Balsamic Vinegar and oil. I would just add some garlic, pepper and lemon juice, and anything else that strike your fancy. I've also seen different fruit flavored vinegars at my local grocery store but have never tried them. Or is you are feeling really ambitious you can try this recipe to make your own Blueberry Balsamic or this one to make your own Citrus Oil. I've never tried either recipe but hope to sometime soon. Enjoy!

Baked Brie with Caramelized Pear

I promise that my South Beach posts will be coming soon, as I was going through all my photos from the holidays I realized I forgot to post this fabulous appetizer. I've made it for cocktail parties when I was still in LA, but most recently made it for the boy and I on the day we celebrated Christmas together before going off to be with each of our own families. He loved it so much he made it for his family's Christmas Eve appetizer/munchie feast. It's a crowd pleaser, trust me and make it.

Baked Brie with Caramelized Pear
adapted from Canadian Living

1 round (8 oz/250 g) brie cheese
1 tbsp (15 mL) sliced hazelnuts or slivered almond, toasted (I've never used any nuts with it and don't miss them)
2 tsp (10 mL) butter
1 shallot, thinly sliced (I didn't have a shallot so I roughly chopped three thin slices of red onion and minced one clove of garlic)
1 pear, thinly sliced
Pinch each salt and pepper
1/4 cup (50 mL) pear or apple juice (I used pear juice)
1 tbsp (15 mL) brandy or pear juice (I used apple juice)
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp/2 mL dried)
1 tsp (5 mL) packed brown sugar

In nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat; fry shallot, pear, salt and pepper until shallot is softened, about 5 minutes.

Add pear juice, brandy (apple juice), thyme and sugar; bring to boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until no liquid remains and pear is softened, about 5 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)

Place Brie on foil-lined pie plate or in small cake pan; top with pear mixture. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until cheese is softened, about 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.

I'm sorry I didn't take a picture with the brie cut into and the gooey cheese piled onto a cracker with some pear, but quite frankly we gobbled it up so fast that I forgot. Enjoy!

Carne Asada Tacos

I just realized that my last 5 out of 6 posts were desserts. Too funny considering that up until the last 6 months I never considered myself a baker! Today is the start of my diet, and the end of the sweet posts for a bit. I'm going with the South Beach Diet since I saw results from it in the past. I'm also doing a fitness boot camp 3 mornings a week to help kick start a healthier 2009. Don't worry, the desserts will be back shortly I just need to get myself on a healthy track before I can go back to indulging every once in awhile.

With that in mind I wanted to have one final day of bad stuff yesterday. That included my Chocolate Raspberry Tart for breakfast, some Doritos for an afternoon snack and carne asada tacos and beers for dinner. I decided on the tacos for 2 reason (1) when we stopped at the grocery store in Vermont on our drive home they had soft corn tortillas which are not easy to come by in Toronto; (2) I love carne asada and it is made using flank steak (a South Beach approved cut of beef) which we can use the leftovers to top a caesar salad for dinner this week.

As I do with any Mexican dishes I checked out Simply Recipes since Elise's Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes are always spot on. This one was no exception, full of flavor and so tasty! Here you go:

Carne Asada
from Simply Recipes

2 pounds flank or skirt steak
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed (best to lightly toast the seeds first, then grind them)
1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

1. Lay the flank steak in a large non-reactive bowl or baking dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour the marinade over the steak. Make sure each piece is well coated. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
2. Preheat your grill over medium-high flame (you can also use a cast iron grill pan on high heat for stove-top cooking) (Since it's a bit too cold here to grill I broiled my steak, approx 7 minutes per side for medium rare). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Remove the steak from the marinade. If you are cooking indoors, you may want to brush off excess marinade as the bits may burn and smoke on the hot pan. Season both sides of the steak pieces with salt and pepper. Grill the pieces for a few minutes only, on each side, depending on how thin they are, until medium rare to well done, to your preference. You may need to work in batches. Remove the steak pieces to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.

(Optional) Serve with warm tortillas (flour or corn). Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill, until toasty and pliable. Alternatively, you can warm tortillas in a microwave: heating just one or two at a time, place tortillas on a paper towel and microwave them for 15 to 20 seconds each on high.

(Optional) Serve with pico dde gallo and chopped avocados.

I served ours with warmed corn tortillas (soft for me hard for the boy), chopped tomatoes, shredded romaine, shredded cheese, and black beans on the side. Personally a great taco and a beer is up there on my list of favorite easy meals. Once this South Beach Diet who-hah is over I may institute a weekly taco night at home. Something tells me the boy won't object. Enjoy!

YWPWT: Resolution Breaker Pie

For this months You Want Pies With That challenge the theme is "Resolution Breaker Pie - A pie that sounds so decadent and delicious that you simply can't resist. A crust so buttery and flaky you quickly call dibs on a 2nd slice. A filling so gooey and creamy that you dig out your fat pants without remorse. A pie so fantastic you begin hatching a plan to keep the whole pie for yourself...... of course telling the entire family that the dog/cat/drunk Uncle Ed ate the whole thing and sadly there will be no pie tonight."

As I began to think about this pie I thought about what my own resolutions for the year are. Among other things, losing weight is probably up there for everyone (making pie a bad thing to make) and when trying to lose weight it is often a good idea to cut alcohol out of your day-to-day diet. I am a fan of the South Beach diet, which doesn't allow for any alcohol for the first two weeks. I start it on Monday but promise I'll have tons of SB friendly posts in the coming weeks for anyone who wants to try with me.

Anyway, in thinking of my perfect resolution breaker pie it had to involve chocolate and alcohol, two things I won't be having soon. My favorite thing to pair with chocolate (other than alcohol) is raspberry, so I decided to top my chocolate tart with raspberry curd. It is a tart in four parts: crust, raspberry layer, chocolate layer and whipped cream. Below is the recipe for my concoction, I am calling it "Really I'll Start My Diet on Monday Chocolate Raspberry Tart"

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Hazelnut Shell (adpated from epicurious.com)

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and any loose skins rubbed off in a kitchen towel, then cooled completely (for how to toast hazelnuts click here)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Pulse hazelnuts with flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until finely ground (be careful not to grind to a paste), then add butter and pulse until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Add egg and vanilla and pulse just until mixture begins to clump.
3. Press dough evenly over bottom and up side of tart pan and chill 10 minutes. Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven until pale golden along rim, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom and side are golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.


Raspberry Curd (make while tart shell is baking)
I used this recipe (it's in grams i converted the measurements based on what I weighed on my scale)

150 grams raspberry puree - 5.3 oz (I'm not sure if you can buy this premade but I just used a hand blender to puree some frozen raspberries I thawed)
30 grams lemon juice - 1/8 cup or juice from 1/2 lemon
170 grams sugar - 3/4 cup
4 ounces butter - 1 stick
6 egg yolks

In a medium pot, boil the raspberry puree, lemon juice, half of the sugar and the butter. In a bowl, whisk the remaining sugar and the egg yolks together. Temper the egg mixture by adding in a little of the raspberry puree mixture, whisking constantly. Add this mixture to the raspberry puree mixture, then boil, whisking constantly. Strain and cover.


Chocolate Kahlua Filling

3 oz bittersweet chocolate - chopped
6 oz semisweet chocolate - chopped
10 Tbsp butter
3 eggs
3 Tbsp Kahlua
3 heaping Tbsp sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 300F. In a double boiler melt the butter and chocolate together.
2. In a separate bowl mix beat the eggs until fluff. Mix in the Kahlua and sour cream.
3. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture, mix until combined and pour into the prepared tart shell. Bake for 40 mins in preheated oven.
4. Let cool for 10 mins on a cooling rack and then gently spread the raspberry curd on top of the still warm tart. Let sit for at least an hour to let both fillings set.
5. Serve topped with Kahlua spiked whipped cream (2 Tbsp Kahlua to every cup of cream)


This was the most decadent and rich tart I've had in awhile. The raspberry adds just enough freshness to the richness of the chocolate. Although I bet the chocolate on it's own would be pretty fabulous.

This recipe calls for a ton of eggs (10 to be exact) and since I was home over the holidays and we drove, I was able to pick up some of my favorite eggs Eggland's Best. They only sell them in the US and are the closest to farm fresh eggs you can get at the grocery store. I highly recommend them for any and all of your egg needs. We picked up a couple dozen at the Vermont/Quebec border for me to have for the next week or so. I love them just scrambled with a bit of salt and pepper or in an uber decadent dessert :) Enjoy!

"Hostess" Cupcakes

I woke up yesterday morning, my first day home after a nice trip back to New England, with and itch to bake something. My parents are both fabulous cooks so when I am visiting, I don't spend much time in the kitchen. Plus we were going to a family get together at the Boy's cousins house that evening and I can't help myself, I just need top bring some sort of sweet treat! I had a recipe from my grandmother for a Black Chocolate Cake and Fluff Icing. I don't remember this cake but when I took the recipe my father raved about it. I don't have a good cake pan and if I am making something new to bring to someone's home I like cupcakes because I can try them and make sure they turned out ok before giving them to anyone else! Rather that make a straight chocolate cupcake, I decided to make a version of a Hostess Cupcake, using the fluff icing as the filling and to pipe a little "H" on each cake (the "H" is for my and Grandma's last name since it is a creation from the 2 of us, her recipe and my method of assembly) and making a chocolate ganche to top each cake.

Black Chocolate Cake
makes 12 cupcakes

1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 heaping Tbsps unsweetend cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp butter (this is the amount I used, on the recipe card it says butter the size of the walnut)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Line cupcake tin with papers or butter and flour each cup. Evenly divide the cake batter among the 12 cups. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 17-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes our clean.
3. Let cool completely before assembling.


Fluff Icing

1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg whites
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Beat first 4 ingredients together in a small mixing bowl for 5-8 minutes. Add vanilla when mixture begins to thicken.


Chocolate Ganache

4.5 oz semisweet chocolate - chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Heat cream over medium high heat until just boiling. Pour over chocolate (In a nonreactive bowl) let sit for 30 seconds and then whisk until smooth.


Assembling cupcakes
1. Using the cone method (cut out a cone shape from the top, cut off the pointy cone part, stuff the whole with filling, then put the top back on) fill the cakes with fluff icing (you can spoon it or I used a ziploc bag that I just cut the corner off of to pipe the icing).
2. Spoon the chocolate ganache on top of each cake, use the back of the spoon to coax the ganache in an even layer over the top of the cake.
3. Using a piping bag with the smallest tip (or a ziploc bag with a very tiny cut in the corner) pipe on whatever letter or doodle you'd like.


I loved making these, first because it's my grandmother's recipe and second because I got to dunk the pointy part of the cone in the fluff icing and eat it as I assembled the cupcakes. They were a total hit at the family get together too!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's. Ours was pretty mellow but very nice. It was extremely snowy and windy in Vermont, so rather than fight through the weather for a New Year's Eve dinner out, Mom, Dad, the Boy and I decided to do a nice lunch in the nearby town of Brandon, VT at this adorable restaurant Cafe Provence. My parents had been there before and Dad had been raving about it, so I was excited to try it out. The decor was a Vermont meets Provence with a case full of delicious looking pastries and a beautiful open kitchen that I would give my eye teeth to cook just one meal in. Our meal was fabulous from the lovely soft bread, to the perfectly simple salad of mesculen greens with a homemade Gorgonzola dressing, to their signature scallop entree and on to dessert. If you are ever in central Vermont it is worth it to stop by Cafe Provence. Next time I am in the area I hope to try it out for dinner. We were pleasantly stuffed by the end of our meal and spent the rest of the day curled up in front of the fire with all kinds of yummy munchies put together by my parents for dinner. Not the most exciting night but a lovely end to our time in New England.

On the drive back to TO we decided to a stop in Montreal was necessary as I still had yet to try poutine. For those of you who are unfamiliar, poutine )according to wikipedia and every Canadian I have ever asked) is "a dish consisting of French Fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy and sometimes additional ingredients. It is a quintessential Canadian comfort food, especially among Quebecois and Acadians of the Maritimes."

As someone who has always loved good diner cheese fries and is living in Canada, it just seemed wrong to not have tried this Canadian staple. On one of the rare occasions when I had cell service in Vermont I used my Blackberry to Google "best poutine in Montreal" The first result that came up was La Banquise, I read some reviews and decided this would be the place where I had my first taste of poutine. Boy was it worth it! It's a cute little spot right near both McGill University & The University of Montreal and open 24/7. If I had gone to college in Montreal I'd be a whale living right around the corner from a place like this! Their menu has a obscene number of poutine combinations, from the classic (Cheese curds and gravy) to a heart attack on a plate with cheese curds, sausage, bacon and meat sauce. We decided to just go with the classic poutine and each got a hot dog to go along with it. My hot dog was perfectly steamed and topped with ketchup, mustard and a seriously good relish. Though the star was definitely the poutine, the brown gravy was perfectly savory and went so well atop the crispy brown fries and soft cheese curds. It truly is the perfect comfort food and clearly the perfect hangover food as we were leaving the restaurant began filling up with all types clearly looking for a fix to recover from their New Years Eve reveling. If you have never had poutine and find yourself in Montreal I highly recommend La Banquise, they also have burgers, sandwiches and a nice selection of microbrews.

Enjoy!