From 7am until 10pm today, IHOP is giving out stacks of free, buttermilk pancakes at all their locations. As you may recall, I'm personally not that into pancakes - but promotional free food? Big fan.
Skinny Quiche Recipe
This is the first quiche I've ever made. And if that doesn't impress you - well, that sucks, 'cause I'm trying really hard here to be a fully functioning, adult woman who can try new things and then be overly praised for my efforts. I don't think that's asking for much.
THIS is what I attempted to make. And this is what it was supposed to look like:
Photo by Skinny Mom
Photo by Skinny Mom
Here is what my version looked like:
Obviously my photos are nowhere-near-as-nice (keep in mind that I don't have any fancy lighting to help make it look as delicious as it was), but this was a crazy good quiche. It's a shockingly easy thing to make. I suspect more people don't make them because of the intimidating name that's attached. The word quiche comes from the word Küeche that means cake. And cake should never be intimidating, guys.
Here is my modified recipe that I tried and loved:
Ingredients
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
2 cups (16 oz) egg white substitute, liquid
1/2 cup broccoli, cooked (in a pan with olive oil), chopped
1/2 cup reduced-fat, shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Spray 9 1/2 inch pie dish (all I could find were disposable 8 1/2 inch ones at the grocery stores, still worked) with cooking spray and pour ingredients in.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until center is just set.
(Sidenote: One day I will own beautiful plates and a gorgeous stovetop. I promise.)
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Um, this is amazing?
Cauliflower Arugula Soup
Note: the above photo is actually of a cauliflower watercress soup, but the version I made looked the same so I included it here.
Once upon a time, I hated cauliflower. NO MORE, I say. Granted, I hadn't actually eaten it for about fifteen years - but the hate still managed to stay strong inside my core. You know how rigid adults can be with the foods they hate? Yeah, we all need to get better about that. And also? This soup blew my face off.
It doesn't seem to make any sense that a soup this creamy wouldn't actually have any cream or milk inside of it. I'm not really sure how that happened. Nevertheless, I'm now into cauliflower.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped
4 cups arugula (3 oz)
kosher salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
"In a pot (big enough for spaghetti), melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and stir about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and cauliflower and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes.) Add the arugula until wilted, about 1 minute and puree with a blender until completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste."
This recipe is totally not my creation, I adapted it slightly from Skinnytaste. That site is amazing. The original recipe can be found here.
Two Pinterest Pins That Blow Hard
As I've mentioned before, one of my resolutions this year is to actually try the pins that I pin on Pinterest (I don't aim quite too high with my resolutions, you see) - and I vow to report on all of them, if worthy. Especially the pins that have been passed around way too many times AND ARE COMPLETE GARBAGE. No one ever talks about the garbage things they've made from Pinterest. It's weird. Anyway, please stay away from:
These look amazing, right? Of course they do, that's why I wanted to make them. However, THEY ARE POWDERY-TASTING PIECES OF HELL. Do not try them, do not pin them. Or, you know, go ahead and try them and see for yourself, I'm not your mother. I consider myself a human who understands the delicate complexities of what a delicious peanut butter cup should taste like, and this skinny weirdo tastes nothing of the sort. Don't be fooled by the beautiful photography. It tasted horrendous.
I don't know how on earth someone tried to classify this substance as "ice cream." Even in quotations. You can't just plop some cocoa powder in something and VOILA it's suddenly a fucking chocolatey dream. That's not how it works, internet. Adding this cocoa powder ruined what could have been a delightful banana treat. The weird powdery feeling is still lingering in my disgusted mouth. Hated all of this so much.
Kee's Chocolate in NYC
White chocolate almond, white chocolate pistachio, dark chocolate black rose and dark chocolate Earl Grey
White chocolate almond, white chocolate pistachio, dark chocolate black rose and dark chocolate Earl Grey
If I'm not eating these chocolate truffles or these cake truffles, I shall most likely be eating these guys. I've been wanting to try them for awhile since every chocolate-loving person existing in New York City has mentioned this place to me.
If that picture above doesn't make them look appetizing, well, I took it - so my apologies. They're actually ridiculously tasty.
Was it smart of me to go and buy some chocolates here three days before Valentine's Day? Nope, not at all. The ones I really wanted to try (the crème brûlée, the keylime, the balsamic and the blended pepper) were of course sold out. But thankfully, the ones above were available and sublime.
I completely understand why people won't shut up about this place. Even the bad-sounding flavours are crazy good. Go. Eat them. You can see all the flavours they have here.
Cracker Saver
For crackers or cookies! I don't know about you, but I feel an enormous amount of pressure when opening cracker/cookie bags to eat them all within the span of two or three days, in fear of them going stale. Am I alone here? Am I the maniac? Anyway, such a good idea.
Are you not as excited about this as I am? 'Cause that's a shame then.
You can buy them off Amazon for $12.50 for a set of two.
Toronto Poutine Week
As you may know, I'm in the midst of generally trying to eat better (with small indulgences here and there of course). However, the one gluttonous delicacy I will never permanently shake? Poutines. Thankfully, they aren't commonly sold around these parts, so it's easy to forget about them. But if I were in Toronto this week - from February 1st to the 7th - you better damn well know I'd be trying a least a few of these babies listed below.
La Poutine Week is a seven-day, city-wide food fest created by Montreal foodies Na’eem Adam and Thierry Rassam. Twenty-five restaurants across the city will be serving poutines, each for $10 or less. The fest is also a contest and diners can vote for their favourite dishes online, and at week’s end one Toronto poutine will be crowned the city’s best.
Here’s a list of participating restaurants, plus short descriptions of their innovative takes on the Canadian dish:
Boots ‘n’ Bourbon: The Honky Tonk
Pulled beef brisket, Quebec cheese curds, Cajun-spiced fries, gravy, horseradish mayo and scallions. $10.
725 Queen St. E., 647-348-0880
Caplansky’s Delicatessen: The Jew-Tine
Smoked-meat poutine topped with crispy onion straws. $10.
356 College St., 416-500-3852
Duke’s Refresher: Breakfast Poutine
Crispy fries, sausage, bacon, pulled pork, gravy, cheese curds, two eggs and special sauce. $10.
382 Yonge St., 416-979-8529
Fancy Franks: Fancy Schmancy Poutine
Fries, beef ribs, cheese curds, grilled onions, gravy, fried egg and scallions. $10.
326 College St., 416-920-3647
GameDay on College: Buffalo Chicken Poutine
Fries, Cajun panko-crusted chicken tenders, Quebec cheese curds and Buffalo-infused brown gravy. $10.
614 College St., 647-349-9464
Great Burger Kitchen: Bawk-Bawk Suey Poutine
Fries, Ontario cheese curds and chicken braised with soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar and chillies. $10.
1056 Gerrard St. E., 416-778-0111
Hogtown Smoke: Quadruple Pig-Pass
Fries, pulled pork, deep-fried pork-belly cubes, candied bacon, one pork back rib, Quebec curds and bone-marrow gravy. $10.
1959 Queen St. E., 416-691-9009
Holy Chuck: Love the Bone
Fries, braised and pulled veal cheek, veal cheek gravy, brie cheese, roasted and confit cipollini onions in wild blueberry juice, and roasted bone marrow. $10.
1450 Yonge St., 416-962-4825
La Société: P’ink
Fries, ham hock, tarragon, manchego cheese and squid ink aioli. $10.
131 Bloor St. W., 416-551-9929
Lisa Marie: Pad Thai Fries
Fries, secret sauce, bean sprouts, lime and cilantro. $10.
638 Queen St. W., 416-999-6822
Lou Dawgs BBQ: The Mighty Loutine
Fries, homemade gravy, Quebec cheese curds and slow-smoked pulled pork. $8.
589 King St. W., 647-347-3294
MerryBerry Café and Bistro: The Drunken Shroom
Seasoned potato wedges, French beans, mushroom–white wine sauce, goat cheese and walnuts. $10.
559 Parliament St., 647-348-0411
Rock Lobster Ossington: Lobster Poutine
Fries, Quebec cheese curds, Nova Scotia Lobster and lobster-bisque gravy. $10.
110 Ossington Ave., 416-533-1800
Slab Burgers: Poutine Double Down
Fries, house-ground beef, cheddar cheese, bacon, Quebec cheese curds, house gravy and peppers. $10.
47 Charles St. W., 647-350-5883
The Indie Alehouse: The Oxen-ator
Fries, IPA-braised oxtail, cheese curds and beef gravy on rosemary pizza crust. $10.
2876 Dundas St. W., 416-760-9691
The Lakeview: Disco Fries
Fries, melted cheddar and havarti, beef or mushroom gravy. $10.
1132 Dundas St. W., 416-850-8886
The Saint: St. Poutine
Fries, cheddar cheese curds, grilled thick-cut bacon, sour cream and bacon gravy. $10.
227 Ossington Ave., 647-350-2100
The Thompson Diner: Braised Beef Poutine
Poutine topped with ancho-braised beef short ribs. $10.
550 Wellington St. W., 416-601-3533
Toma Burger Addiction: Toma Poutine
Fries, truffle olive oil, double-smoked bacon, caramelized onions, fresh cheese curds and homemade gravy. $8.
712 Queen St. W., 416-901-1027
Triple A Bar: Texas Smoked Brisket Poutine
Fries, cheese curds, gravy and Texas-style smoked brisket
138 Adelaide St. E., 416-850-2726
Yakitori Bar: Beef Tongue Kimchi Poutine
Fries, caramelized kimchi, beef tongue and Japanese mayo. $10.
1 Baldwin St., 647-748-0083
“Tiny, crumbled up pieces of garlic bread taste amazing on pasta. Do it.”
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken Recipe
Easy Healthier Crockpot Butter Chicken - recipe from Half Baked Harvest
Easy Healthier Crockpot Butter Chicken - recipe from Half Baked Harvest
I am constantly forgetting about the existence of Indian food. I love it, but I guess since there aren't any Indian restaurants in my neighborhood, it's easy to forget.
And keep in mind - butter chicken isn't even in my top three things that I like to order. But this butter chicken? Get the hell out of here.
I know I won't shut up about you getting a slow cooker, I'm sorry. But whether you cook a lot (oh man, you need one in that case) or you never really cook at all (ugh, you especially need to get one because it'll make you want to cook all the time) - this is one of the best chicken recipes I've ever had.
Easy Healthier Crockpot Butter Chicken
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours
Serving Size: 4
Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size chunks
1/2 onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons butter (butter is totally optional, I opt to use none since I really don't think it makes a difference, taste-wise)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons curry paste
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 cup fat-free greek yogurt
1/4 cup half and half
cooked white/brown rice, for serving (I used brown rice 'cause it makes me feel better about my choices.)
Fresh homemade Naan, for scooping (homemade? I don't think so. I bought whole wheat pizza crust instead.)
Instructions
"In a large glass measuring cup or bowl mix together the coconut milk, greek yogurt and cream. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, ginger and all the spices. Mix well.
Spray the inside of your crockpot bowl with cooking spray or grease with olive oil. To the bowl sprinkle the onion over the bottom. Add the chicken and then pour the coconut milk mixture over the chicken so the chicken is completely covered. Add the butter and place the lid on the crockpot. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. I like to stir mine once or twice during cooking, but it is not necessary. When ready to serve taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve over rice with a big piece of fresh Naan."
Original recipe found at Half Baked Harvest.